Leases used for profit

Murrumbidgee Country Club president Ron Shepherd (Letters, December 24) is doubly wrong in claiming that "any change-of-use charges are returned to the community and any gain will be invested in the sustainability of a valuable community asset".

First, the Canberra Raiders, Hockey ACT and other clubs have argued that their concessional leases should partly or wholly cease to be community assets, on the grounds that they were not sustainable. Second, not all change-of-use charges are returned to the community.

The government waived change-of-use charges for the Brumbies, ACT Tennis and Hockey ACT. It has extended for two years the Lease Variation Charge stimulus package, which "reduces the charge when a leaseholder or developer seeks to vary a lease on their property which increases its value." Even when it is not reduced, a change-of-use charge may not reflect the full value of deconcessionalisation.

The Braddon Club was conservatively worth $3 million, because it was taking $300,00 a year in car-parking fees, but The Canberra Times reported on May 25 that the government charged the Raiders only $620,000 to deconcessionalise that lease.

Leon Arundell, Downer

Stan Marks and J.J. Marr (Letters, December 24) cruelly marred my whole Christmas!

My wife and I had spent weeks preparing a wonderful Christmas party for our special little Canberra green electrons: making tiny trestle tables and miniature mince pies, and the weeniest party hats and bon bons you've ever seen.

But it seems those special green electrons that we ordered, in just the right numbers to meet all our local needs, are free to roam around the grid wherever they like. If only I'd asked a grown-up the meaning of those big words "unpartitioned" and "undifferentiated", before writing my naughty, complicated letter.

Why the promiscuous little tykes could end up powering a tram in Melbourne or a dialysis machine in Sydney, and the benefits they create might be shared by the whole country – even the world. How awful!

But there's worse. I went to visit a wind farm once, where I was told those little green electrons are made, and I even got to touch the pillar of one of the big, gentle beasts. It seemed so real.

But J.J. Marks tells me it's all just an accounting trick and apparently they don't exist at all. So, logically, the green electrons don't exist either and none of this matters anyway.

Ah well, at least that simplifies next year's Christmas card list.

Felix MacNeill, Dickson

I read with some bemusement the complaints of shoppers over the big Coles and Woolworths Christmas letdown ("Coles and Woolworths slammed for Christmas supply shortage", December 24).

While a variety of foodstuffs were in short supply, it seems it was the lack of Christmas ham that aroused the most ire. Apparently, it isn't Christmas without a succulent ham.

Does it not seem that Christmas cheer and goodwill are in short supply when an animal that suffers is killed for nothing more than to save someone's Christmas lunch from the disaster of "no ham"?

About 5 million pigs are slaughtered every year in Australia, and more than 90 per cent of these pigs are factory farmed with all the horror that entails, yet the best we can do is collectively moan that more pigs weren't killed for Christmas.

Our pork industry promotes the consumption of pigs and desensitises us to their suffering with the trite "Get some pork on your fork" advertising slogan.

I say instead, "Let your pork walk".

Graeme McElligott, Isabella Plains

I was always of the opinion that our state and territory police commissioners were statutory officers who were free to implement the laws of their respective jurisdiction without interference from their political masters.

It would now appear that this is not the case in the ACT, where not only did police minister Joy Burch raise Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union concerns with the territory's senior police officer, but one of her minions then reported the contents of the meeting to the CFMEU. How is it possible that the CFMEU could have such power in the ACT?

Not only was the minister seriously out of order for bowing to union pressure in raising union concerns, but allowing the contents of the meeting to be reported to the union represents a significant breach of trust.

Rudi Lammers would be well justified in dealing only with the ACT Chief Minister.

Michael Hayden, Kiama Downs, NSW

I'm no monarchist, but I applauded the Queen's Christmas message when she said: "Despite being displaced and persecuted throughout his short life, Christ's unchanging message was not one of revenge or violence but simply that we should love one another.

"Although it is not an easy message to follow, we shouldn't be discouraged; rather, it inspires us to try harder: to be thankful for the people who bring love and happiness into our lives, and to look for ways of spreading that love to others, whenever and wherever we can."

What an inspiring message from the leader of the Church of England!

What a stark contrast to the words of another prominent Christian, who in his Thatcher address advised us to be wary of "the imperative to 'love your neighbour as you love yourself' [that] is at the heart of every Western polity". According to Tony Abbott, this "misguided altruism" was "leading much of Europe into catastrophic error".

Mike Reddy, Curtin

Two triple-time days in December. Now Andrew Barr declares Easter Sunday a public holiday. More triple time. Most retail business that would normally open will not, costing hundreds of employees their double time, which in my case my two university student offspring use for rent, university fees and running their car. Another slug to the economy by this Labor government.

J. Nobbs, Red Hill

As we approach the end of the year, we have much to be thankful for. But some areas have been very disappointing.

This Christmas has proved once again that the standard of bon bon jokes is abysmal. This is of real concern.

We have an organisation called Standards Australia whose professional role is 'to ensure products consistently perform the way they were intended to. Now how could such a body allow jokes to be told, year after year, that are not even remotely funny!

'Why can't you play cards in the jungle? 'Because there are too many cheetahs.' Thank you Standards Australia.

The Australian Competition and Consumers Association specifies that its mission is to ensure business comply with the Commonwealth consumer protection laws.

However bon bon jokes can be sold which are obviously in contempt of the government's laws which are designed to allow consumers to have access to the best jokes available, especially at Christmas time.

'What's worse than a giraffe with a sore throat."? A centipede with sore feet.' Thank you ACCC.

The Productivity Commission states that its role is to help governments make better policies. Surely it is reasonable to assume that the economic maxim that says that "you get what you pay for" should apply to bon bon jokes but the truth is, regardless of how much or how little you pay for bon bons, the jokes are equally as bad.

"What do you call a blind dinosaur? Do-you-think-he-saw-us?" Thank you Productivity Commission.

What is needed is for the government to form an Australian Bon Bons Bureau: the A triple B. The ABBB should be given until next Christmas to improve the standard of jokes otherwise the chair and staff will be shipped to Christmas Island and forced to listen to 100 bon bon jokes every day for a week.

'What do you call a good bon bon joke.? An oxymoron.

Peter Stubbs, Gungahlin

Let's put some figures on what Zed Seselja ("Bring end to Sunday loading: Seselja", December 24, p1) supports; first step, reduce Sunday rates to Saturday rates. Based on an $18 hourly rate for a shop assistant in Sydney, eight hours on Sunday at double time (200per cent) would gross $288, at time-and-a-half (150per cent) $216, gross saving $72 per Sunday per person. If Seselja thinks saving about $72 on a Sunday, or up to $3500 a year (assuming 48 eight-hour Sundays worked per year) for each worker will result in an employment bonanza, I believe he is sadly mistaken and out of touch. These savings will at best marginally increase the profits of a business; I would also question whether businesses needing these paltry savings should be in business at all.

The suggested savings would likely benefit the profits most of retail giants such as Woolworths, Westfarmers and Apple. To suggest taking up to $3500 away from workers earning less than $55,000 a year working full time five days a week, plus overtime every Sunday for 48 weeks a year is hardly courageous; in my opinion support for these savings befits a scrooge.

What are the next steps, Seselja? Remove penalty rates altogether, get rid of the minimum wage, introduce Dickensian working conditions? Seselja, how about you use your LNP "courage" to ensure the big end of town actually pays its fair share of tax before making savings for businesses from some the poorest paid workers in the country.

Phillip Baron, Monash

When politicians like the ACT's Zed Seselja say things like, "I've heard from many business owners in Canberra about the fact that they won't open on a Sunday as a result of Sunday penalty rates", and, "I believe what [the reduction of such rates] will do is create jobs", my immediate reaction is to say, "Let's have a list", and "Prove it, Mr Seselja", knowing full well that he cannot do either.

Roger Terry, Kingston

Dear Mr Seselja, my wife and I are proud parents of two kids. The eldest is working in hospitality while going through uni. Every dollar she earns is based on hard yacka. Listen Zed and listen now, be careful about what you wish for.

Linus Cole, Palmerston

David Hicks (Letters, December 24) is absolutely correct in his observation that a reduction in penalty rates may reduce prices but that market forces will prevail and individual hospitality businesses will be no better off.

The hospitality industry confirmed as much in a report where it noted 7per cent sector growth by turnover and a 7per cent increase in the number of outlets during recent years.

Rent and supplies do not cost more on Sundays, so if hospitality penalty rates are cut, I no longer expect a 10per cent surcharge on my bill – as it should only be in place to cover the increased cost of staff penalty rates. Hence, I can't see how reducing Sunday penalty rates and eliminating the surcharge to pay for them is going to increase hospitality business profitability.

Tim Herne, Calwell

I see Morris Blackburn is talking up a class action against its competitor, Slater and Gordon. Clearly no love lost in the contingency law business.

I was wondering if Slater and Gordon would like to take up a class action against Morris Blackburn? To compensate all those VW owners who have lost value against their Vee Dubs as a result of not only the transgressions of VW, but predominantly due to the hoo-ha Morris Blackburn has whipped up over an issue that would have soon disappeared into the background if left to the appropriate authority with jurisdiction over such matters.

The biggest winner out of the VW class action will be the lawyers on both sides. The losers will be thousands of shareholders, workers, the German government and therefore the thousands of innocent people. A fine is appropriate. Everything else is sensationalism and opportunism.

Bryan Cossart, Stirling

Tony Eggleton and Matt Andrews (Letters, December 23) disappoint me. Both cherry-pick research that remains contentious in the scientific realm (and please spare me the appeals to higher authority). I expect as much, and the accompanying sneers, from people wedded firmly to science as seen from an ideological perspective rather than as a methodology.

Firstly, temperature lags behind carbon-dioxide levels by 800 years either side of ice age interstitial warming periods, which destroys the hypothesis about temperature linkage to CO2 levels.

Secondly, proxy data from plant stomata argues that the average CO2 percentage during the past 400,000 years was 300 ppm and had increased to 800 at times.

CO2 levels during the Late Ordovician were over eight times higher than today's values. Continental ice sheets grew.

Keep peddling those bikes and making other useless Green gestures. More than 200 active volcanoes, the source of all that CO2, exist on the earth. In fact, the year-long eruption of Mount Pinatubo spewed more carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere than has the entire human race since industrialisation.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

Barnaby Joyce's review of 2015 ("How 2015 proved to be a financial success for some", Times2, December 24, p5) began with a list of the government's achievements in his portfolio and went on to deride his predecessor in the seat of New England, Tony Windsor.

Barnaby then told us about his "opening new mobile phone towers and NBN towers ... [and] ... a new satellite in orbit for those needing broadband in the remotest regions ". He did not mention that the NBN was initiated by the Gillard government and that Windsor was one of the two independents who put that government into power to get the NBN (as Windsor told us), and that in gratitude the government began the rollout in New England.

Joyce was educated by Jesuits but they seem not to have taught him St Ignatius' prayer which begins, "Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous".

Richard Johnson, Ainslie

VALE, STEVIE WRIGHT

Monday morning feels so bad. Vale,Stevie Wright.

Peter Harris, Belconnen

BIRDS RELATED

Sorry, Dave Richards (Letters, December 24), but the blue-eyed (your appellation?) corella and the sulphur-crested cockatoo are related. They both belong to the family Cacatuidae and to the genus Cacatua, which pretty much makes them distant cousins, at least. Perhaps a closer perusal of your copy of What Bird is That? would be useful.

Dick Parker, Page

David Richards gently chides Ric Hingee and Ian Warden for confusing a juvenile corella with a sulphur-crested cockatoo, but does himself a disservice by misnaming the corella through his continued use of a field guide that was out of date 50 years ago. I hope Father Christmas brought him a copy of a modern field guide, such as that produced by Pizzey, Simpson or Morcombe. He could even leap into the 21st century by buying a phone app that would give him bird calls as well.

Alan Robertson, Canberra City

SHADY SHIFT

I hope the two police officers hiding in the shade of the bushes northbound on the Monaro Highway at the Chisholm roundabout at 4pm on Christmas Day enjoyed their shift penalties. That must have been a real effort to prevent an outbreak of dangerous driving that was likely to break out at any time.

In the meantime, why not use the speed camera to add to the coffers, albeit with only meagre pickings given the minimal traffic? Revenue raising, anyone?

N.J. Grimmond, Calwell

WORTHWHILE READS

I enjoyed reading the Reverend David Campbell's article, "Frank, sense and worth for Christmas" (Times2, December 24, p2). The little girl's answer to the question warmed my heart. Justine Toh's article, "A Christmas story fit for our troubled times" (Times2, December 24, p5), was a very worthwhile read too.

Evelyn Bean, Ainslie

SPECTRUM AVAILABLE

Tim Herne (Letters, December 24) does not know what I was getting at. I think the commercials don't want to broadcast via satellite because of the money [required] to upgrade their transmitter. There is RF spectrum available to broadcast commercial channels in Canberra. I did not say Sydney-based channels would broadcast to all NSW, but even if they did, the locals could just insert local ads, and he is wrong to say Foxtel is delivered in Sydney by cable.

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

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