While on two differing subjects, the letters of Marea Fatseas, Greg Cornwall and Howard Carew (July 30, CT) spell out one very important core issue - the ACT Labor government is incapable of meaningful community consultation with anyone on anything. That's where the government actually cares to listen and respond.
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Simon Corbell is fixated on the tramway and its associated land grab from the EPIC and racecourse sites.
Funnily enough, Shane Rattenbury has not been heard on the obvious inappropriateness of the Yarralumla redevelopment as it stands. As a Green, surely he doesn't favour the loss of green amenity for Yarralumla's residents in the name of land sales revenue, some of which will go to his pet projects?
Amazingly, across Canberra, we have Labor - the self-proclaimed protector of the indigent - turfing out long-term low-income tenants from various government-owned sites on the vague promise of some provision in new ''replacement'' private developments - apparently, once again, without meaningful consultation.
Yes, I'm sure Labor's hired facilitators have conducted some token individual consultations with these people, while carefully isolating the individual tenants to prevent them from organising effectively to repel the obvious danger.
West Belconnen residents lost 25 to 30 car parks at Kippax when the ''temporary'' library went to its permanent spot. This loss of amenity was never announced in the two public meetings I attended.
Sadly, Jeremy Hanson and company will offer the same - or worse. This territory is addicted to the cargo cult of revenue from land sales and taxes based on land values, and bugger our community values and sense of fair play.
W.A. Brown, Holt
Cycle of hate
The present conflict between Israel and Hamas, effectively a continuation of the conflict that began in 1948 when the Palestinians were kicked out of their homes, is enough to make all people seeking peace despair.
Supporters of both sides point to the sins of the other without acknowledging there is fault on both sides.
Israel continues to flout numerous United Nations resolutions, reducing even further the limited land available to the Palestinians. They - or at least enough of them - respond with violence, to which Israel responds with violence. The cycle perpetuates mutual mistrust and hatred, with leaders of both sides apparently preferring destruction and killing to any serious attempt at a resolution.
Hamas, as with a small dog that bites the legs of a big dog, seems oblivious of the likely consequences. Yet it should know by now that Israel will respond with disproportionate force. This in turn furthers the hatred of Israel by Palestinian civilians, and so the cycle continues.
Israel's killing of children playing on a beach, people recovering in hospital, sleeping in UN refuges, and of those struggling to buy food in a market demonstrates military incompetence, spiteful vengeance, or both.
Israeli officials seek to justify these killings by blaming Hamas for firing rockets from within, or close to, civilian centres.
With the entire Gaza Strip covering only about 360 square kilometres, and being one of the most densely populated places on earth, almost everywhere within the strip is close to civilian centres.
This cannot justify Hamas' firing of rockets into Israel. Even the most optimistic cannot reasonably expect to achieve any concession from Israel by this futile practice.
Graham Downie, O'Connor
Dead-end dispute
I have news for Reverend Doctor Rankin (Letters, July 28), Hamas militants are indeed the enemy and Israel's situation is unique in history.
If you take the Bible seriously, as its executive editor intended, you would recognise that Israel's Islamic neighbours are the modern face of its ancient enemies from the Old Testament.
Ben Saul had a penetrating insight in his article ''War crimes on both sides'' (July 29). He pointed out that ''apologists for Israel and Hamas live in parallel moral universes''. Sad but true, and totally irreconcilable.
J. Halgren, Latham
Voice of reason
Shakespeare's opening scene in Macbeth, with three witches planning to meet again after the battle, resonates with the Israeli-Hamas conflict:
When the hurly-burly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
… Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
It was the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who cautioned against giving reign to emotions before subjecting them to the voice of reason.
Nowhere in recent times is the need to do this more evident than in the Gaza-Israeli confrontation.
Ben Saul, professor of international law at the University of Sydney (Times 2, July 29), advocates Australia supporting an independent international investigation of war crimes by Hamas and Israel alike - just as it successfully led the Security Council response to the MH17 airline disaster.
Such an investigation would subject this situation to the cool voice of reason, which is long overdue. Anyone wanting to see progress towards resolving this terrible conflict should hold their fire, reread Saul's article, and - if they agree - support such an investigation.
Ralph Sedgley, O'Connor
Awash with dosh
I too attended the directions hearing noted by A. Smith (CT, Times 2, July 31, p2) and came away with similar serious concerns about the likely outcome of the review for water charges in the ACT and the impact on the community.
Do Canberrans realise there has been a 450 per cent increase in water prices during the past 10 years, while the CPI increase was 28.2 per cent?
ACTEW has been handing over millions of dollars from ratepayers' water bills to the ACT government. Perhaps this ''pot of gold'' means the government doesn't have to raise rates and charges elsewhere and can thus save its political skin.
Suzanne Vidler, O'Malley
Sorry sinkhole
Andy Millar (Letters, July 30) quoted from a 1999 publication that said the decision to build the Collins-class submarines in Australia was enormously successful. But in 2002 the auditor-general came to a different conclusion.
He reported that the Collins project was $2 billion - or 40 per cent - over the $5 billion budget, that there were many production deficiencies to be rectified, and a lot more work to be done.
He said the project outcome was unclear and the true cost was becoming obscure. Building the submarines in Australia has been an unhappy experience.
Tony Minchin, Forrest
Plane politics
I enjoyed Jack Waterford's brilliant appreciation of how the media and the pollies have played the MH17 crash to the full, in particular Tony Abbott latching on to the tragedy in an attempt to portray himself as a statesman.
What utter nonsense to send the AFP to the site - pure politics.
Why in heaven is the Governor-General there? Again, pure politics. The only one performing well is Julie Bishop. Abbott should watch his back.
Norman Lee, Weston
Car park circus
Perhaps the worst example of the well-planned practice of raising as much revenue by not providing adequate parking is evidenced daily at the Calvary Hospital parking circus.
We see cars driven around in circles, sometimes for half an hour. Meanwhile, a compromised (by the Greens) government is planning a billion-dollar railway (which will never happen), forcing sick and disabled patients to go through this exercise in government stupidity.
Alan McNeil, Weetangera
Peddling problems
Will Canberra's cyclists ever be satisfied with what the government gives them? They have the best cycle-path network in Australia (at taxpayers' expense); they get cycle lanes provided on virtually every main road and new road being built; and they pay nothing towards the cost of these facilities. Yet Martin Miller (Letters, July 30) wants more.
I've got nothing against cyclists, per se, but it really is time the government realised that providing cycle lanes on busy main highways (such as Northbourne Avenue) is dangerous for both cyclists and motorists, because of the vastly different speeds involved, and stopped doing it. And isn't it about time cyclists had to contribute to the cost of the excellent facilities they enjoy?
R.S. Gilbert, Braddon
Dodgy maths
Simon Corbell's untiring public relations expert (July 30, CT) is at it again with another earth-shattering revelation.
This time he reveals through his minister that light-rail patronage could reach 3500 during peak periods by 2021. The fact is, these figures are approximately what ACTION is carrying now.
Gungahlin to and through Civic is one of ACTION's most profitable runs. Replacing this extremely efficient service with light rail will drive it even further into the red.
The revelation that light rail could carry 5500 passengers during each two-hour peak period is even more mind-boggling.
If you accept that with 13 proposed stops, each taking at least one minute to drop off and pick up passengers, that leaves just 12 minutes of actual travelling time over the 12 kilometres.
Accepting that they can't just barge through red lights and will miss some, the travel time will be about 35 to 40 minutes, which means no more than 4000 people will travel during the peak period.
I guess we could follow Asian examples and have passengers travelling on the roof. Another alternative would be to run a bus service concurrently with the light rail.
Howard Carew, Isaacs
To the point
BACK TO THE ROOTS
I cannot believe the trees in the CBD are surrounded by a thick square of black concrete, allowing no rain for these majestic trees. The roots of these trees are now lifting up the concrete . How ridiculous is this in the bush capital.
Margaret Matthews, Reid
SILENCE JARRING
For sections of the community who become apoplectic at the slightest hint of real or imagined racism or misogyny, they seem remarkably tolerant of the recent uptick in base anti-Semitism.
H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra
GOING MEAN GREEN
The answer to Paul Bowler's question (Letters, July 31): the Greens want the light rail, the government needs the support of Shane Rattenbury to stay in power; ergo, the government needs the light rail, irrespective of the cost to those ratepayers who will never use the service.
Ken McPhan, Spence
LOVE FOR THE WHALE
Patricia Piccinini's lament regarding our lack of love for the Skywhale (July 30) has forced me to come out of the closet. I now unashamedly confess my love for this dear creature. Long live Skywhale!
Eric Lindemann, Greenway
HOW TO FIX FLUFFY
The ACT government is seeking a loan to help it with the Mr Fluffy crisis. I can think of one area where they can pick up $600 million over the next few years. That would help fix a need and save the government from creating a folly.
Bruce Kennedy, Melba
DENY THE DAUBS
I recently returned for a visit to Canberra having lived here for 20 years. The city is looking well but I was dismayed by the graffiti at the Dickson shopping area. Why does Canberra put up with it?
Zhiem Weh Xun, Sunshine Coast
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