What is new about a "sandwich generation"?

People have been coping with caring for their elderly parents and their children for generations.

Certainly there are now more primary carers in full-time work than previously, but earlier generations had different, but equally difficult, demands to cope with.

I think of my parents' generation.

So many families had a husband/father/son at the war. News of these family members was spasmodic and often unreliable.

A great many of them never returned, or returned maimed and damaged.

Many women left at home were heavily involved in important voluntary work to aid the war effort.

In addition they had two sets of parents to look after as well as raising their children on their own.

These resilient, stoic women just got on with the job and didn't complain.

They knew there were always others worse off. "Time for taking care of themselves" probably never entered their heads.

Providing unpaid care to family and friends has been going on for generations. Some people even consider it a privilege.

Virginia Berger, Barton

Ignore your rate bill

One obvious remedy for struggling ACT ratepayers is not to pay the soaring rates.

A collective threat to do so from July 1, 2017, would undoubtedly focus the Barr government's attention on the issue.

It gives the government eight months to sort out the problems faced by struggling ACT ratepayers, most of whom do not qualify for rate relief.

The ACT government website states: "If payment of rates is not received by the due date you will be liable for interest, charged and compounding on a monthly basis, on any amount that remains unpaid." The interest rate is 10 per cent.

That might be a small price to pay to get the rates down to the level of other capital cities.

Perhaps now is time to put the Barr government on notice about flick-passing the burden of its unaffordable spending onto ratepayers.

Clive Williams, Forrest

They're all right, Jack

When they retire, a politician can draw a parliamentary pension from the public purse.

Unlike aged pensioners, they do not have to face an assets test. Some have family assets worth millions of dollars but still the retiring member receives their full pension.

They can also enjoy income from other employment after leaving politics and not lose the pension.

How hypocritical is it for Scott Morrison and Christian Porter to claim pensions are only for those who are in real need.

What makes politicians different from teachers, nurses, police and other workers who have made valuable contributions to society?

The only differences I can see are greed and an "I'm all right Jack" attitude.

Ken Waters, Maida Vale

Off-the-rails logic

I certainly hope Kevin Cox (Letters, October 20) is not an accountant or financial adviser. What does he mean by " ... getting rid of the cost of debt. We can do that by self-funding light rail with techniques such as negative gearing, used by the wealthy to get richer." Who is "we" to be self-funding – the ACT government or a private company owned by whom? Negative gearing works only if the entity using it has income against which to deduct the loss of an investment negatively geared, so as to reduce the tax burden payable to the federal government.

The letter also reveals a bit of envy, jealousy or even detestation of those smart enough to take advantage of the perfectly legal device that is negative gearing.

M. Silex, Erindale

Blinkered thinking

I was amused to read the letter from Jevon Kinder (October 21) expressing concern young schoolchildren may be introduced to "adult concepts" such as the Safe Schools curriculum and climate change before they are old enough to make up their own minds.

That he mentions he had taken advice from a church youth group leader on such matters suggests he has no objection to young children being indoctrinated with mythical religious concepts and blinkered thinking on social issues.

Full support for an education system that teaches openness, ethical values and factual information rather than narrow perspectives based on archaic fairytales.

Geoff Rohan, Kambah

Pigs may fly

Could anyone clarify how the ABCC will address two critical issues amidst all the murkiness of the construction sector?

Is the federal government actually promising — as it has slyly been claiming — apartments will fall in price by 30 per cent after the ABCC legislation is passed?

No free market; no excess-migration, negative gearing and overseas investors-induced artificial housing bubble over-demand; no developer greed.

Just cheaper housing, not wider-still profit margins.

Will this bill guarantee that developers consistently deliver buildings to customers — in design, workmanship, materials and durability — of a non routinely condemnable standard?

Or will it simply be business as usual?

Alex Mattea, Kingston

We want to pay more

We may be a city bitterly divided by an election but what is absolutely clear is the mandate given by the voters for substantial increase in taxes.

Tom Ruut, Garran

Dudded again! As announced a couple of years ago, West Basin was to get a "boardwalk". The design showed a (presumably) timber structure out from and parallel to the existing shoreline, with attractive water gardens in between.

Work is about to start. Guess what? The boardwalk is to be made of concrete. In only two small places will there be any scope for water gardens and it is not clear that any are intended.

In effect, West Basin is getting an extended concrete hard edge by filling in a substantial area of the basin. If this expensive intrusion is the best that those who claim to be fulfilling Griffin's ambition for the area can do, they clearly lack his imagination and vision.

Allen Mawer, Acton

Nauru not to blame

The Nauruan government's indignant reaction to the criticism of its refugee detention centre in the ABC Four Corners "The Forgotten Children" episode is understandable.

After having squandered its phosphate wealth and become virtually a destitute nation, it now relies on the money it gets from hosting Australia's offshore detention centre to keep its head above waters.

But the blame for the plight of the refugees and children in the offshore detention centre must be put where it rightly belongs: with the Australian state for taking advantage of its destitute regional neighbours by using them as a dumping ground for the refugees seeking our protection.

It is Australia's shame.

Rajend Naidu, Glenfield

Licensed to kill?

Kimberly Le Lievre ("63-year-old charged after blowing four times alcohol limit", October 23, p3) reports a male of 63 with a diabolical driving record, and whose licence had yet again been disqualified, had been nabbed for the umpteenth time.

Further, that his licence was, upon this latest police intervention, immediately suspended.

One of several questions emerge. First, how can a licence which no longer exists be suspended?

Second, and equally intriguingly, is why did he havethe freedom to roam behind the wheels of a killing machine?

And third, what ingenious arguments did he advance in the past before the ACT's marshmallow judiciary which sees him out and about?

Patrick Jones, Griffith

Shotgun shenanigans

The hullabaloo over the eight shot Adler shotgun is beyond my grasp as to its necessity for farmers, hunters and recreational shooters.

The six shot is already available here.

If its user has trouble trying to bowl over a wild pig or whatever, they will have the same problems with an extra two rounds.

Will we next see the gun lobby trying to introduce automatic weapons for the rural community to enable them to pour a full magazine into any feral animals?

This would be a comedy of sorts similar to US hunters saying an M16 or similar weapon is very useful for hunting deer; it is, if you want instant mince-meat.

Graeme Brewer, Biggera Waters, Qld

Voters have spoken

John L. Smith, Can the Tram Inc (Letters, October 19) says, "The CanTheTram committee will continue to monitor and inform about new transport technology and better public transport for Canberra."

That is fine by me, as long they recognise that it was them who turned the recent election into a virtual referendum on the light rail; a referendum they lost.

There can now be no argument that the government has a mandate to build stage 1, and they should be allowed to get on with it.

As for Stage 2, I agree that the government needs to be open about its "design and scoping work" so we can consider it on its merits.

John Hutchison, Coombs

Self-driving furphy

A. Smith (Letters, October 18) and B. Taggart (Letters, October 22, p9) say driverless cars mean light rail transport projects should not proceed.

It seems that self-driving cars we don't yet have and can't yet use make new public transport projects unnecessary.

Do Smith and Taggart call for no road projects to proceed, because of self-driving cars?

Or is it only public transport that is to be postponed into the never-never, while private cars are duchessed with road extensions, road duplications, enhanced parking options and the like?

Christopher Hood, Queanbeyan

Slogan was Holt's

The "catchy slogan All The Way With LBJ" ("Shirt seen around the world," October 20) originated with prime minister Harold Holt in a ceremony in front of the White House at the height of the Vietnam War. Holt ended his speech with the rousing declaration "we'll go all the way with LBJ".

President Johnson reportedly later said, "When ah heard that ah shuddered."

Bert Castellari, Curtin

Humourless zealots

Peter Robinson (Letters, October 22), discussing the complaints about the sports bar named the Hale and Mary, longs for the day when a pub can be called by a punning Islamic name without grim consequences.

Not much of a chance, I'm afraid, Peter.

Even in the unlikelihood of no mass killing resulting, the intolerant humourless zealots employed at the ironically-named Human Rights Commission would leap to wheel-out their lovingly nurtured Section 18C.

Bill Deane, Chapman

Wrong song sheet

There has been much talk about our most recent plebiscite, which many mistakenly think was to choose our national anthem.

This was not the case. The anthem was first changed in 1974 by the Whitlam government after a public opinion poll of just 60,000 people. The Fraser government reverted to God Save the Queen in January 1976.

The May 1977 plebiscite was to choose a national tune. It was not until 1984 the governor-general declared Advance Australia Fair to be our national anthem.

David Harvey, Yarralumla

RORTING GOES ON

While Turnbull and his coterie are chasing unions, the rorting goes on, unabated ("Fundraising in the spotlight", October 22, p26). Reasonable Australians must be asking if anyone, except for top bureaucrats and CEOs, are paid appropriately.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

DEMEANING PROCESS

Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull are not only fighting in regard to relaxing or tightening of our gun law; they are demeaning parliamentary process. It's not believable that a prime minister won't know what his or her ministers are doing. If it happens the electorate has a right to conclude that prime minister has lost his/her authority.

Sankar Kumar, Evatt

CLASSIC DODGE

Supporters accuse me of attacking charities when I ask why Labor doesn't comprehensively address our local welfare issues instead of investing in massive infrastructure projects and leaving them to the non-government sector – a classic dodge from those purporting to help the poor.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

YUMMY MILK

Thank-you Canberra Milk for producing a yummy lactose free milk!

Now can other shops stock it too please? For all who need it!

Marguerite Castello, Griffith

BLOWING THE WHISTLE

Mr Dutton charge and gaol those courageous teachers who blew the whistle on the hellhole your Government is trying to cover up in Nauru. I would relish you and your department head, Mike Pezzullo, being cross-examined under oath in public.

Chris Smith, Kingston

TRAM DEBT

Now ACT electoral members and their parties' positions are evident Andrew Barr must face up to a near billion dollar tram debt being imposed on our kids and their kids. He must rethink upgraded bus services at a quarter of the cost of only one tram line.

Bryan Lobascher, Chifley

NO SOLUTION

Killing your child or children is not a "solution", it's murder ("Stress, despair in care of disabled children", October 23, p11).

If murder is referred to as a "solution" it diminishes it.

Jane Craig, Holt

'DEPLORABLES'

The final results of the ACT election process reveal the USA does not have a monopoly on voters that could be defined as "deplorables".

John Murray, Fadden

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