Gillard's epitaph
I CAN well believe - and sympathise - with Julia Gillard when she writes that losing the prime ministership ''hit like a fist'' (Sunday Canberra Times, ''For Gillard, the loss of office'', September 15, p10), but I am less credulous when she claims the greater pain for Labor is losing ''the power to change our nation for the better''. Consider Gillard's first major promise to the electorate after she replaced Rudd: that she would take the nation off his path to ''big Australia''.
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It was already too late to have Australia peak at the 23 million population the Australian Academy of Science had warned was our safe upper limit. Yet if Gillard had set us on course to stabilise at even 26 or 27 million, that would have helped relieve our overstretched infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, roads and public transport, and might thereby have prevented a series of state governments being bundled out of office by angry constituents.
It would also have protected our environment, and helped ease cost-of-living pressures, including housing, energy, water and transport - not to mention minimising overdevelopment, whether high-rise or sprawl. It might also have moved us towards a more resilient economy not dependent on Ponzi-style growth schemes and an endless sell-off of the nation's mineral wealth.
Instead, from the moment Gillard formed government in 2010 it became clear she did not intend to keep this promise, against which Murdoch's media were baying.
Her grandiosely named minister for sustainable population had his title changed, and refused even to meet with Sustainable Population Australia. (He finally released his proposals on a Friday afternoon in budget week!)
Gillard left office with Australia on course for an even higher population in 2050 than the prediction of 35 million that, in Rudd's day, had so alarmed Treasury Secretary Ken Henry. Gillard's remark that ''Labor comes to opposition having sent the Australian community a very cynical and shallow message about its sense of purpose'', may be intended as Rudd's political epitaph. It may also be hers.
Mark O'Connor, Lyneham
Well done, Ricky
THANK you to Kathryn Wicks' article concerning the real reasons for the return of Ricky Stuart as coach of the Raiders in 2014 (Sunday Canberra Times, September 15, p18). I suspect many Canberrans and, particularly, Parramatta supporters have been quick to pass judgment on Stuart's decision to ''walk out'' of the Parramatta Eels. Until reading this article, I am also guilty of reaching unfair conclusions as to his motives, without knowing any of the facts, other than what is loosely reported in the media.
To discover that Stuart had the courage to put family before career, and to seek a more caring and supportive environment for his daughter Emma, diagnosed with autism, speaks volumes about his character and values.
Bradley Greer, Chapman
Multiple partners, too
IF WE are going to throw out our traditional values and approve same-sex marriages, why don't we go the whole way and approve polygamy and then everyone will be satisfied?
C. Parks, Torrens
Charitable souls
IN THE context of the discussion as to whether the GST should be increased to enable more financial assistance for the education and health sectors, the results of the 2011 National Church Life Survey are interesting. When asked ''If the government had a choice between reducing personal income taxes or increasing social spending on services like health and education, which do you think they should do?'', 45 per cent of the respondents strongly or mildly favoured increased spending. The percentage among Uniting, Anglican and Lutheran churches was a little more than 50 per cent.
This result will surprise some but demonstrates the willingness of many churchgoers to put others ahead of themselves.
Ron Reeson, Nicholls
Questionable morality
MATTHEW Higgins questions the morality behind sport in Australia (Sunday Canberra Times, September 15, p14).
I don't believe questionable morality is confined to sport. It's just that the questionable morality behind sport gets so much publicity. Indeed, this publicity may well put a brake on this questionable morality, while a lack of publicity allows questionable morality to run rampant and unknown to the public in other aspects of society.
R.J. Wenholz, Holt
Residents' views
THE assertion by Andrew Blakers (Letters, September 20) that ''No one's lifestyle is under threat'' in reference to a solar farm at Uriarra could not be further from the truth. One of the many reasons residents of Uriarra bought out here is for the sweeping views.
The simple fact the good professor fails to understand is that the residents of Uriarra are in no way against solar. In fact, we welcome it. With that in mind, the rest of Professor Blakers' letter is quite reasonable. The point that the residents of Uriarra are trying to make is, yes, bring solar to Uriarra, and no, don't erect it right at our front gate. Move it down the block and you can still have a solar farm, and we can still enjoy the views.
Rod Sloan, Uriarra
Sensible slipways
FULL marks to Juliet Ramsay (Letters, September 16) for highlighting the farce surrounding the planning of the Kingston Foreshore and the proposal for a slipway on the Black Mountain Peninsula.
If the planning for Kingston Foreshore had been thorough then population densities would have been kept below the threshold that forced the eviction of this slipway from its original position because of environmental incompatibility. Instead, rampant expansion has meant that a new site was required.
The predictable planning response was to search for a new greenfields location. And where have they found to put it? Black Mountain Peninsula, one of Canberra's most visited parks.
If this solution wasn't already suspect, the environmental assessment prepared in support of the works approval for the National Capital Authority clearly states: ''The proposed development appears to be relatively inconsistent with the land use policies and recreational intent for Black Mountain Peninsula, as stated in the National Capital Plan and Lake Burley Griffin management plans.'' Check the NCA website if you have trouble believing all this.
Just in case I am accused of NIMBYism here, let me remind readers that we already have a perfectly functional slipway.
We need dialogue between government departments in search of practical solutions.
Philip Winkworth, Campbell