Housing crisis solution

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

There is little point in Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, even Bangladesh and any other minnow nation playing Test cricket against anybody but themselves. That has been proven.

Australia, South Africa, India, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies have a structure at least which lends itself to tens of thousands of cricketers already invested in the three forms of the game at home, and in other countries.

The issue for cricket is that Test match cricket is played in such a way that minnows cannot hope to compete.

If the ICC were to reduce Tests to four innings of 80 overs, and ODIs to 40 over innings these countries would still lose, but gradually they would improve.

If the efforts by the few Afghan's in T20 Leagues is a pointer, they play cricket in T20 and ODI tournaments well enough that they can be competitive.

But five-day Tests ... the ICC is already hoping the Ireland/Pakistan Test is washed out judging by the reaction on Cricket Australia's website.

This points to them eventually being able to rise up to membership status, but not now.

It is glaringly obvious that the ICC needs to form a commissioners office, needs to have a World Cricket League of the eight key member nations, and needs to make the adjustments I have listed above.

The minnows also should invest in their own national leagues where eventually they can play three forms of cricket.

We have to be realistic. Playing Pakistan against Ireland is fine but it hardly constitutes two member nations battling on the Test match ladder of the ICC.

Arthur Pagonis, Morley, WA

Subsection 44(i) of the Australian constitution has generally been interpreted by the High Court of Australia as meaning that persons with dual citizenship are not permitted to stand for election and that a person must take "reasonable steps" to renounce their citizenship of the other country.

Obviously all caught up in the dual citizenship catastrophe have not taken reasonable steps. To me, a layman, that is very clear that anyone standing for election has to have only Australian citizenship. Just when it looked like the citizenship debacle was over, another five members of the Australian Parliament have resigned due to having dual citizenship, with four being Labor politicians.

This is after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten categorically stated all Parliamentary Labor members had been vetted and proven they were not dual citizens. Now the Australian taxpayer will have to fund the cost of four byelections, costing millions of dollars.

This is on top of what these politicians have been paid since entering Parliament. The Labor Party and these politicians should repay what they have earned, untruthfully, and also cover the cost of the byelections. This also should have happened with all previous dual citizenship cases.

I know this won't happen but it is a disgrace that the taxpayer has to pay.

Alan Leitch, Austins Ferry, Tas

S44(i) of the constitution has its drawbacks. But requiring elected parliamentarians to demonstrate sole allegiance, accountability, and responsibility to Australia, its citizens and its interests, to the exclusion of all other nations, has merit. Interestingly, there is a case of a parliamentarian, duly elected after properly renouncing a foreign citizenship, only to resume that foreign citizenship after leaving the Australian Parliament thereby qualifying to stand as a candidate for that foreign nation's parliament. How effective is such a renounceable renunciation? Perhaps we need effective lifetime, unrenounceable, oaths of exclusive allegiance to Australia – with effective sanctions attached. And discard oaths of allegiance to the anti-democratic foreign monarchy.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

Ric Innes (Canberra Times Letters, May 14) asks whether it is progress for the government's recent budget to propose taxing two individuals "at the same rate", and he nominates incomes of $40,000 and $200,000 for comparison. But Mr Innes didn't say whether he was referring to marginal or effective tax rates, and I'm sure he understands that there is a difference.

Adjusting the first to $41,000 (the proposed base for the 32.5per cent marginal rate), the first person's tax would be $5132 (including Medicare Levy) at an effective tax rate of 12.5 per cent.

The other person on $200,000 would pay $63,085 ((including Medicare) at an effective tax rate of 31.5per cent. So the person earning five times the salary of the other, would pay 12 times the tax, at a much higher rate. So to answer Mr Innes using his own examples, yes, this is "progress" and it's still a very progressive tax regime.

Kym MacMillan, O'Malley

For a while there I would have bet London to the proverbial brick we would be going to a federal election on the back of the ScoMo budget. I thought too soon. It now appears as if Mr Turnbull will be holding off until the bitter end.

M. Moore, Bonython

I am humbled by the way Dr Goodall and his family have publicly shared what should have been a private, family time to highlight the right to choose to die with dignity. I am also deeply sad he was forced to travel overseas to have his wishes respected and was not able to die in his own country with his extended family to support him.

Over the last 12 months I have lost one parent and supported three others as they moved into aged care. The result of stroke, dementia and just plain old age respectively. To say this time has been traumatic is an understatement.

Privileged to have parents who have lived well into old old age we have supported them at home for as long as possible. Moving into aged care was not a choice any one of them made willingly.

My mother, a strong advocate for assisted dying, would make the same choice as Dr Goodall if she were still able, and I would support her wish to die a good death with dignity at a time of her choosing and advocate for her right to do so. The fact that Australian law does not afford her this right fills me with great sorrow as I watch her wither away day by day in a system that does not have the capacity to effectively meet her needs and would not have been her choice.

As a society we have failed our elder citizens by not allowing them to end their lives with dignity, where this is their choice, and I for one am sorry.

Sue Cant, Kingston

The government wants to give the banks $17 billion in tax cuts.

This, the government claims, will lead to greater investment and it will create more higher paying jobs.

The evidence demonstrates that each year, our banks s are achieving record profits. They are the most profitable banks in the world.

Furthermore, that increase in profitability has been achieved by cutting staff, cutting services and increasing both the range and the cost of fees.

Should not the government demand that the banks demonstrate how they will provide more jobs and how will they be higher paying jobs? Forgive the scepticism, but the evidence to date has been that greater profitability has been achieved at the expense of jobs and services and an increase in the range and cost of fees, except of course, for the elite handful of bankers at the top.

Is the government providing the $17 billion to the banks so that they can further increase the remuneration of that elite?

Jon Jovanovic, Lenah Valley, Tas

I think the only thing a flat tax will do is remove one of the whinges of the better-off half of the population. Given the ATO's legislative and computing power I think we could have a bracketless and automatically indexed taxation system as follows: The tax-free income threshold set at half the median of the ABS-calculated "Equivalised Pre-tax Income". Income above that to be taxed on a straight line progression up to a maximum of 50 per cent at double the median of ABS-calculated "Equivalised Pre-tax Income".

John F. Simmons, Kambah

I don't like what's happening to Belconnen town centre. But I couldn't say exactly why. Then Lawrence Durrell in his book Sicilian Carousel explained it to me.

In 1908 an earthquake devastated the Sicilian city of Messina.

Durrell wrote: "Since the earthquake the houses have been limited to two or three stories, so that it had all the spacious charm ... The minute your architecture dwarfs people, shows disrespect for the purely human scale, you start to stunt their minds and chill their spirits. Messina was fine proof of this notion of human relevance to architecture."

R. J.Wenholz, Holt

So, there will be a federal probe into Stage 2 of light rail.

This is welcome news to those who believe that trams are an outmoded transport mode, given rapid changes in transport technology, and that light rail for Canberra is a gross waste of scarce resources but, apparently, not for Mr Haas of the Public Transport Association.

He seems to think that the federal government has no right to "interfere in ... public transport for Canberra", even though 65 per cent of the proposed Option B will traverse designated areas under federal control.

I would like to see how he would make that point to the standing committee.

M. Flint, Smart Canberra Transport, Erindale

Here is a general warning for those using a non-smart phone prepaid and change to a smartphone retaining the prepaid account.

We changed over the weekend with a prepaid balance just short of $80 and were horrified to discover that within 24 it disappeared and there was a $0:00 balance.

After over an hour of exploration, we discovered that smartphone continually transferred data through apps etc even when you are not using the phone, and it is connected to the internet via 4G or Wi-Fi.

Make sure if you have a prepaid account that the "mobile data is disabled".

Of course, we are now some $80 lighter in the pocket but a lot bloody wiser than yesterday.

Robert S. Buick, Mountain Creek, Qld

Nic Stuart may be right that our defence model is dated despite the fact that it is similar to that of every large military power in the world.

However Andrew Carr went too far in arguing both sides of Parliament are remiss in not debating major defence acquisition and manpower decisions already implemented.

He wrote, "In effect they have declared that normal democratic practice is an impediment to national security". ("Turning a blind eye to $36b", Forum, May 12, p10).

He expects his readers to fall into the trap of considering that "the divided and argumentative nature of democracy" requires incessant adversarial justification of bipartisan commitments already made.

That's a variant of the petulant, "It's not fair".

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

If faith in democracy and the rule of law is to regain respectability in Malaysia the former PM Najib Razak must face proper investigation and trial for his alleged multimillion-dollar corruption scandal involving the transfer of state development funds into his private bank account.

Rajend Naidu, Glenfield

As rental agreements are market driven, by what logic have the Greens/Labor determined that an increased impost upon investors makes for rental affordability? ("Land tax exemption on vacant homes scrapped", May 9, p15).

Phil O'Mara, Pialligo

A FOWL NIGHT

No use crying fowl over Australia's yet another attempt to break into the Eurovision winners' list (" 'I sang my heart out': Mauboy", canberratimes.com.au, May 14). It says much for the genre of international pop music when Israel's Netta belts out Toy, compete with clucking, chicken noises. All I could think of was the 1969 hit from Desmond Dekker and the Aces titled The Israelites!

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

DUAL ALLEGIANCES

Do Australians have to renounce their citizenship before they are allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest?

Val Barrett, O'Connor

WHO WOULD WANT IT?

Can anyone explain why Australia competes in the Eurovision Song Contest. Last time I looked Australia is an island continent, nowhere near Europe?

The contest is ridiculous with its crazy songlines, costumes and gimmicks. Who would want to win it?

Michael Lucas, Conder

LEADING THE WAY

Move over "Pork Barrel" Barnaby; the member for Cook's $50m statue has you covered.

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

MENINGA A GOOD FIT

I suggest that the new federal seat for the ACT be named Meninga. "Big Mal" was a wonderful representative for rugby league in Canberra and nationally, led the Raiders to three premierships, galvanised great public pride in our growing city and has a special and lasting relationship with the Canberra community. He also had a brief foray into local politics which is surely worthy of permanent recognition.

John Mungoven, Stirling

RULING ELITE

No Bernard McMinn of Mawson (Letters, May 14), Iran is not a democracy.

It is, like the Vatican City, a theocracy (ruled by the clergy).

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

BATTING ORDER WRONG

Darren Lehmann, the man who in his own words was " ultimately responsible for the culture of the team", has now been appointed to a coaching position with talented young cricketers. So much for a serious review of the culture of Australian cricket. Cricket Australia has once again got the batting order all wrong.

Peter Crossing, Glengowrie, SA

TRADE BARBARIC

How Australian society treats animals is a reflection of our society, our humanity and how we are perceived by the world. Is it beyond our wit to subsidise our farmers transitionally to work towards a processed frozen meat trade?

The live animal trade is barbaric. No ifs and buts. Just pure barbarism.

Susan Cook, Gundaroo

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