Canberra Times letters: IT juggernaut of waste

We've heard it before. Chains of subcontracting diminish accountability, to the point where it disappears.

In 2000 the Australian National Audit Office reported on the implementation of the Howard government's Whole of Government IT outsourcing program.

It seems there were significant problems with "the cost and timeliness of the program, the methodology used to calculate savings, the timing and extent of budget cuts in anticipation of savings, the management of security and privacy issues, the management of the relationship with the strategic adviser, and service delivery disruption".

IT outsourcing was supposed to lead to efficiencies supporting the delivery of more services.

But in truth, this is a rolling juggernaut of waste.

Paul Feldman, Macquarie, ACT

It really saddens me to read about the terrible injustice received by the S'Gaw Karen workers with regard to Phillips Cleaning Service.

Many of the workers attend our church. These are people who have spent decades in refugee camps, houses burned to the ground, been enslaved, tortured, raped and family members killed.

They still have family members stuck in refugee camps. Again and again I see these people treated badly: bosses not putting paperwork through for workplace injuries, pay going to the wrong accounts because the boss cannot be bothered, a real estate agent allowing the seller to bully Karen buyers into allowing his non-compliance of settlement agreement ... it goes on.

While Canberrans are keen to show their support of refugees in marches, they don't show much concern for the refugees themselves.

Sita Matthews, Curtin

Obviously those responsible for the safety of Bradyn Dillon were asleep at the wheel. How this poor child was left to suffer such horrific treatment over a period of 14 plus months without being noticed by all and sundry is astounding.

What was the "Child Protection" (I quote reservedly) Minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith responsible for during this period if not the protection of children?

There's no point navel gazing now. All too bloody late for this poor child (and I suspect many others).

Peter Toscan, Amaroo

Advance Australia Fair has four verses but we only use verse one and three with modifications to the wording.

With the great Capt James Cook RN in the news currently here is verse two for us to sing and enjoy.

"When gallant Cook from Albion sailed,

To trace wide oceans o'er,

True British courage bore him on, Till he landed on our shore,

Then here he raised Old England's flag,

The standard of the brave,

With all her faults we love her still,

"Britannia rules the waves",

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia fair."

Wonderful stuff.

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

Rainbow coloured buses travelling the streets of Canberra for the next three months. A colourful reminder of how the ACT government has so easily found $22,000 to support its one-sided stance on the SSM debate, regardless of how many residents, on both sides of the debate, having expressed their opposition to this misuse of public money.

Yet this same government didn't have the heart or compassion to make a financial contribution to medical expenses for the young boy viciously attacked by dogs owned by a tenant of one of their own apartments, despite this being a contravention of the tenancy lease. SHAME!

Frances Cornish, Spence

Your report on the horrific injuries suffered by Bradyn Dillon begs the question of how on earth can such suffering go on over such a period of time.

We hear of torture and abuse happening overseas and I guess can become somewhat inured to it.

However, this happened here, yes here on our own doorstep and we get what could be almost described as platitudes ie "lessons have been learned".

Well it is to be hoped so because, however or whoever, somebody or some system failed this lad disastrously.

K. Davis, Pearce

Legislation takes effect on August 24 requiring compliant smoke alarms in investment properties. The cost probably will be passed to tenants. Will this sensible safety feature see government housing residents charged or will ACT ratepayers foot the bill?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

I see once again AEMO is wringing its hands about high power prices, caused by a lack of power stations.

Since we've privatised most of the eastern seaboard's electricity generation, I think that's a very good question to put to the companies involved — Delta, Origin, AGL, etc.

We've heard about the gold-plating of the electricity grid. So why weren't they building power stations?

If power generation was a government function, then all the free-market people would be ranting about how the government had let us down. They seem strangely silent now.

Paul Wayper, Cook

Peter Brown (Letters, September 6) is keenly interested in the fecundity of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and believes the impending arrival of not just another western consumer with an oversized environmental footprint, but one with a hereditary title, unearned status and privileges, and a lifetime free of the hardships and stresses faced by ordinary people navigating life in the real world, deserves special congratulations.

The new royal will likely receive additional titles and awards as their career in professional nobility gets underway, and be lauded for charity work and turning up to cut ribbons at the odd hospital and aged care facility.

In reality there's nothing special about members of the royal family. If they spent a little less time sailing the French Riviera and juggling their billions in investments, and applied themselves to their charity work with the same dedication and commitment that many of their benefactors have had no choice but to maintain for 40 or more years just to feed and house their families, then poverty, famine and disease would have all been solved long ago.

Lavishing unnecessary praise after providing the luxuriant lifestyles that enable their philanthropic work puts one at risk of being labelled a boot-licking supplicant.

James Allan, Narrabundah

Modern Christians give church directives a polite hearing and then do their own thing which is why the prayers of Archbishops from the pulpit may well be answered with a yes vote from the pew in the coming postal plebiscite on marriage quality.

Conservative clerics and commentators have kicked off leaving the audience in no doubt that they imagine themselves as the only ones with the right to the field.

In a tragic way the church has the wounds of Jesus clearly in focus yet is unable to see the injuries for which its own failures are directly responsible.

If a satellite navigation system has not had an update in 2000 years it will end up in a series of wheelie bins or off a cliff.

This time those in the back seat are taking notice.

It is a measure of the advances in the morality of Australian society that communities are rising to help the most vulnerable, denying the freedoms of the mob that facilitate then turn a blind eye to injury despite the failures of political and religious leadership.

Peter MacLeod-Miller, Archdeacon of Albury, NSW

Just when it seemed President Trump could say nothing more to enflame the North Korea crisis, he talks of cutting US trade links to those countries who also trade with North Korea (i.e. China). So which will Trump do first?

Start a Nuclear Korean War resulting in a global nuclear winter that will end all life on Earth? Or, trigger a global economic depression worse than 1929 by paralysing global trade? Either way the minority of US electors who voted for Trump might finally understand that he is the worst character ever given the keys to the White House – or just blame TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) on "Liberals, Commies and the Fake Media". Sadly no one will be left to tell them "we told you Trump was unfit to be President". To Australia's greatest Trump supporter: Senator Pauline Hanson remember, when you see the mushroom cloud, all you can do is kiss your children "Good-Bye".

Rod Olsen, Flynn

A stand for the planet

It has come to this: a child dictator and a B-grade TV personality who share bad hair, big ego's and poor attitudes now hold the codes that could end life on earth.

That's the reality and we can't ignore it. Our choices are to despair, join the sabre-rattlers or take modest but real steps to pull back from the brink.

As home to one-third of the world's uranium Australia can send an important message of nuclear responsibility by immediately suspending uranium sales to nuclear weapons states, committing to signing and advancing the new UN ban on nuclear weapons and using our diplomatic and trade leverage to urge all parties to the table rather than the trenches.

Our species and planet's history, present and future, deserves no less.

Dave Sweeney, Australian Conservation Foundation, Melbourne, Vic

While welcoming Tony Walker's contribution ("Rewriting our history is not the way to go", September 4, p.15) to the early history of this country, he has slipped when he tackles the 'invasion' matter.

He refers only to Cook coming ashore in what is now Cooktown, to repair the ship.

What about the coming ashore in what he named Botany Bay? What about the accounts of the local people indicating the boat should go away? What about the shots fired? What about the claiming of the territory for King George?

Could be considered to be a sort of invasion.

Such an exclusion by Mr Walker does not do the great navigator and explorer, Cook, service nor does it help the current conversations.

Marguerite Castello, Griffith

I urge all opponents of same-sex marriage to stick to your novote.

Do not let anyone from the opposition try to reason with you, let alone bully you, into changing your morally well-founded beliefs; do not try to argue with proponents, no matter how tempting it might be; and do not under any circumstances do or say anything the slightest bit confrontational, such as so-called peaceful rallying or marching (even if it starts out peaceful).

The slightest opposition to their cause is exactly what proponents are waiting for as a reason to pounce like vultures on the unwary.

Let them fall on their own swords, which, if the silent majority are not deceived or swayed, will be the final outcome of all their bullying.

Claude Wiltshire, Queanbeyan

$111 a week for land rates ("Block Shock", September 6, p.1). That's more than I pay in petrol a week to drive in from Yass. Move north Canberrans. Lot bloody cheaper – for both homes and services.

S. Chandler, Yass, NSW

JUST RUN NATION

Instead of tying ourselves in knots over the issue of section 44 and dual citizenship and our politicians and wasting much time and effort of the High Court why can't we just pardon those members affected and just get on with the business of running the nation.

Let us celebrate instead the ethnic diversity of the Australian Parliament and admire those politicians who have come from, in some cases, non-English speaking ethnic backgrounds to the highest public office in the country.

Anthony John, Ainslie

BABY NUMBERS

Re Kate's baby. I wonder how many women around the world are pregnant at the present time?

Norman Lee, Weston

THREE'S A CROWD

Why are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge being congratulated for a pregnancy that will produce their third child?

Having none, one or at the most two children is environmentally responsible.

Bringing three or more into the world shows contempt for the environment and future generations.

Cheryl Smythe, Ainslie

MAL'S MOB SYCOPHANTS

Our government doesn't need to vote directly on any international issue. Just give an enduring proxy to the US.

What "sickly sycophants" Mal's mob are!

John Galvin, Weston

PICTURE IMPERFECT

I refer to the painting featured in the Panorama section of the Canberra Times ("Courtney Love, Pieta", by David LaChapelle, 2006, September 2, p.26). I was repulsed by the blasphemous reimagining of Michelangelo's religious work of art intended to help people in their prayer lives. Why do there have to be ongoing swipes at Christianity?

Fr. Peter J Adams, Watson

WELCOME SURVEY

The federal government allocation of $122 million for a postal survey on same-sex marriage should be welcomed as a democratic exercise,and is a trivial amount of money compared to the billions spent on welfare and defence.

Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic

REMEMBER RATE PAIN

Warwick Priestley (Letters, September 5) wonders 'how many of those affected with huge rate hikes will remember what this government has done at the next assembly election'. I will, as I'm sure will many others who are heartily sick of the extravagance and rapacity of this so-called Labor government.

Ed Highley, Kambah

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