Barklamb's appeal to subsidise fossil fuels is laughable

Take for example his claim that gas and coal "generate hundreds of thousands of jobs for Australians". Latest ABS figures put the number at 82,000, less than 1per cent of our workforce.

Or his claim that fossil fuel royalties somehow pay for schools and hospitals in the ACT. Even in our biggest coal states of NSW and Queensland, coal royalties account for less than 3per cent of governments' revenue.

Barklamb is right that all of us in the ACT directly or indirectly use fossil fuels. Surely this is a reason to support the ACT government's goal of 100per cent renewable electricity rather than poke fun at our diesel-powered bus system.

Like all lobbyists, Barklamb finishes by asking for government "support", aka a subsidy. Subsidise fossil fuels while addressing climate change? It's funny, Scott, but don't give up your day job.

Rod Campbell, research director, the Australia Institute

Well done to the Canberra Times for presenting the op ed on the realities of coal at present ("Fossil fuels edict laughable", Times2, September 30, p4). No sensible person would be against clean energy, but no sensible person would want to shut down the nation without a practical and affordable alternative to coal power, not forgetting the revenue and jobs that go along with it.

I now await the torrent of abuse that usually follows any article that is out of step with approved thinking on the environment.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

In response to recent letters about the potential duplication of Cotter Road, I'd like to offer some clarity on my position. The discussion so far has conflated the specific Cotter Road project with a broader issue of transport planning in Canberra, which I discussed during an Assembly debate. The full comments can be seen on the Assembly hansard.

I acknowledge the likelihood that Cotter Road will need upgrading to accommodate the increasing Weston Creek and Molonglo population. My comments primarily relate to the problematic way we approach transport planning in Canberra, particularly near election time and particularly from the Liberal Party.

My view is that we need to look at road duplication in a more evidence-based fashion and with our long-term sustainable transport goals in mind. Instead, the common approach has been to over emphasise road building and to promise costly upgrades as a first-resort. This is an approach which won't serve any of us well in the long run.

Shane Rattenbury, ACT Greens MLA Good faith undone

Andrew Kefford and his Asbestos Response Taskforce team have always reassured neighbours of Mr Fluffy homes that their only concern dealing with asbestos waste is public safety.

Andrew Barr wants to speed up the demolition process and take shortcuts by sacking a private certifier and proceed without the necessity of going through a full building approval for certain homes ("Speed, safety, focus in Fluffy process", September 25, p3). That's fine providing the "certain home" being demolished is not that your neighbour or near-neighbour's home!

Mr Barr must reinstate a private certifier and a full building approval for all individual homes.

Mr Kefford and his team have tried to educate us and allay our worst concerns about the safe demolition of Mr Fluffy homes.

Mr Barr is undoing all their good faith and assurances by not carefully following the OH&S and EPA-approved demolition plan.

P.R. Temple, Macquarie

The ACT government has always played up its concern for serious (if not severe) public safety issues. And I'm sure it would agree that nowhere in Australia would the situation of cars or motorcycles speeding along a three-metre wide pedestrian pavement/walk way not be assessed as a severe public health risk.

Yet in the ACT we have a pedestrian walkway around the lake upon which high-speed road cycles are freely allowed to use (Note: a legally a shared pedestrian zone with cars has a 10km/h speed limit).

Separation of the two user groups along the path (as seen in other jurisdictions) would be the most sensible solution. Otherwise, the ACT government potentially faces a large public health/safety negligence payout.

Mark Dullow, Watson

The ACT government has trapped another magpie, this time in Dunlop. They received a complaint the magpie was swooping. Now, no doubt, the magpie is dead. And the babies he was protecting will, no doubt, also die. The newly created hotline to report so-called aggressive magpies is now doing what was feared, encouraging people to complain instead of learning to live with the wildlife. The ACT government has simply succeeded in making more people fearful.

It used to be that most Canberrans were prepared to live with wildlife in the so-called bush capital. Now, instead, like the government, they prefer to see the animals dead.

Carolyn Drew, Page

Recent reported studies are showing that more and more children in Australia and other first world countries are overweight or obese. Despite fantastic resources and opportunities, children are being allowed to spend too much time on the couch staring at screens and eating poorly, rather than being active and staying fit.

This neglect is substantially increasing the short and long term risk of children developing debilitating and potentially deadly diseases.

Parents and careers have to take responsibility for their children's health by setting a good lifestyle example for their children to follow. All children need "down-time", to read, do homework, play computer games or watch TV but they also need to move, fuelled by a balanced diet. Their future is in our hands.

Mark Slater, Ozkidz4sport, Melba

Any program that makes children (and adults) more active is a good thing. But I would like to point out that very similar programs were part of school life 30 years ago (without interactive web sites). For example, I was the PE teacher in a Belconnen primary school at which experts were brought in to help (via telephone conversations), teachers played students in softball games, every class had two formal PE lessons a week as well as many other physical activities and, while there were a few overweight children, none were obese (before the days of a mobile phone and iPad in the hands of every child).

While improved physical programs in schools are vital, parents giving children healthy diets and removing screens from their offspring would also have a huge impact.

Gwenyth Bray, Belconnen

One cannot argue with Christopher Hood's observation (Letters, September 29) that those who claimed that, following WWII, "southern Europeans would not integrate" were proven wrong. One of the reasons they had no problem integrating may have been the fact that they came from countries that were overwhelmingly Christian. Religion has the capacity to remind people that they have a humanity in common.

A problem arises when Muslim immigrants insist on asserting their Islamic presence in the public arena. Muslims, unlike Christians and atheists, have very public manifestations of their beliefs during feasts such as Eid al-Fitr which, recently, marked the end of Ramadan fasting.

Travellers visiting the Italian city of Milan may have observed that many Muslims prostrate themselves in prayer on Fridays in Duomo Square, symbolically and effectually taking possession of the city's most important square. It is that kind of stance which may hinder integration.

Henk Verhoeven, Beacon Hill, NSW Christopher Hood (Letters, September 29) argues that, because many other racial groups have integrated into Australian life when it was first doubted that they would, so too will Muslims from the Middle East. We will have to wait for proof but there are already a lot of Muslims here and they are providing considerable evidence that they don't.

Middle-eastern Muslims cut themselves off from other Australians in any number of ways. They don't want to integrate, and that is the difference.

J.J. Marr, Hawker

The biggest problem with people afflicted by the mental illness of Abrahamic religion, such as Robert Willson (Letters, October 1) is the conceit that not only should non-believers treat these delusions with respect but should also frame their own behaviour in accord with these delusions, lest the sky spirit gets upset.

The only difference between "Father" Willson and IS is not one of mindset but merely one of the degree to which free rein is given to the imposition of religious dogma on others.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

It's hard to imagine anyone being so naive as Alex Mattea (Letters, September 30) to believe that $25 is all it takes to perform cataract surgery. It costs the Hollows Foundation $25 to produce the lens implant in their African factory. This is the cost of the procedure after the doctors, nurses, wards men, health workers, hospitals, medical equipment and medical supply companies all donate their time and services for nothing.

Perhaps when Dr Mattea is ready to have his done he'll be happy to be sent to Eritrea where a "non-medical" street vendor can perform his surgery with two paddle pop sticks for 25 bucks. You'd be lucky to have your nature strip mown by a teenager on school holidays for $25. Get real.

Dr Clayton Barnes, Wagga, NSW

ENOUGH ALREADY

Re ex-prime minister Abbott's radio appearances ... Let it go, Tony! Move on, because no one is listening.

David Mann, Kambah

UNWORTHY OF FRONT PAGE

Can the Canberra Times please place the death notices of people like Tim Smith-Brown and Anthony John Hagen in the classifieds section and not on the front page ("Canberra career criminal's dying wish", October 1, p1); same way as you did for my Mum and Dad (who, for the record, were decent folk and not career criminals).

John Howarth, Weston

DUBIOUS INVESTMENT

Thank-you Paddy O'Keeffe for your comments (Letters, September 30) re purchase of an F-35 type aircraft. Likewise, unfortunately, I was very concerned about its resale value if I purchase one. Seriously, I have never laughed so much at your comments. It made my day.

Carole Antcliff, Waramanga

ABUSE OF LANGUAGE

The article "Canberra road rage victim shaken by aggressive behaviour" (canberratimes.com.au, September 30) paraphrased Daniel Mathews thus: "Mr Mathews said even if he had of been in the wrong, the bout of road rage was unacceptable". Pardon? It was written at 11pm, so fatigue may have been a factor; but I suggest CT style manual would condemn such usage.

ABORTION SERVICE

Robert Willson (Letters, October 1) asserts that many Christians and others feel a deep disquiet about the telephone abortion service. May I suggest that those who feel that disquiet don't use the service, but let others do so without hinderance or criticism.

Felicity Chivas, Scullin

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

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