Now we can see the real social re-engineering consequences of the ACT government's residential rates increases. Thousands of ACT home owners in the inner suburbs, around local and district shopping centres, schools and areas adjoining major transport routes should now be concerned about being forced from their homes in the future due to these injurious residential rates increases. This is to allow their land to be redeveloped for medium-density dwellings and apartments.
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The ACT government should be required to pay full compensation to the owners based on the compulsory acquisition of their land, that compensation to be based on redeveloped value of the land. Anything less would be worthy of a totalitarian government.
Ron Edgecombe, Evatt
Trees for tram line
No matter what your views are of light rail, it is here to stay, so I suggest that we try to make it a welcoming entry to our beautiful city. Is it too late to change the proposed tree scape?
I suggest that we line the tram line with flowering deciduous trees. These trees would show off the four seasons of Canberra. In autumn and spring tourists visit Canberra for its colour. We would have a beautiful venue of colour in autumn and a profusion of blossom in spring, fresh green leaves in summer and even winter could be impressive, producing an eerie effect, particularly on foggy mornings.
Jill Middleton, Stirling
Rail service solution
The best solution to the pathetic rail service between Sydney and Canberra is the planned first stage (it's the Sydney-Canberra leg) of the Department of Infrastructure's Brisbane-Newcastle-Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne high-speed rail (HSR) plan ("Oh, for a better railway", October 25, p12).
Professor Clive Williams' suggested upgrade of the existing Sydney-Canberra service could result in Canberra being (unacceptably) dropped from the Infrastructure Department's plan.
Stage one of the department's east coast HSR plan is best for Canberra, with its station, as selected by the department after broad-ranging analysis, being a terminus-style one, in or near Civic, preferably with a "national capital arrival experience" built in. It would be noiselessly accessed via a tunnel under Mount Ainslie, avoiding local land acquisition, while enabling time-saving, arriving-and-departing high speeds in the tunnel.
The department rejected a Canberra airport location; however, a tram service to the airport from Civic is on the cards.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
Animal concerns
Paul McElligott (Letters, October 23) seems to be confusing the continuing existence of "livestock" species with the continuing mass slaughter of individual animals.
About 60 billion farmed animals are wiped out each year while their species are maintained – all to satisfy the taste buds of humans. Not one of those young animals is ever going to be grateful for the fact that his or her species is being sustained as she or he is heading to slaughter.
Mike O'Shaughnessy, Spence
In his letter of October 27, Graeme McElligott (no relation) comments on the letter from Paul McElligott (one of my brothers) of October 23, and states Paul chooses to miss the point of Mike O'Shaughnessy's letter about the human/animal relationship. Perhaps Paul chose "to ignore for the moment" O'Shaughnessy's points as Graeme chose "to ignore for the moment" Paul's point that domesticated animals do owe their continued existence to us. I get the impression from Graeme's words and tone that he may be a vegetarian and thus feels obliged to speak up for each cow, pig and sheep "we kill for our pleasure".
They are killed for our sustenance, we evolved as omnivores. Vegetables also live and experience things too and does Graeme feel the need to try to elicit guilt for the millions of potatoes, parsnips and carrots brutally ripped from the ground "for our pleasure"?
OK, that's going a bit far; no one gets pleasure from parsnips and you don't make friends with salad ...
We do not harm these animals "casually" as Graeme states but as humanely as possible and this does serve a purpose, to provide part of a balanced diet that we as omnivorous require. Graeme's letter was titled with a quote from George Orwell (author and social commentator) and I would like to quote Homer J. Simpson (social commentator and raconteur) who once described the pig as "some wonderful, magical animal" as it is the source of pork, ham and bacon.
So, Graeme, there is a purpose. "Bacon, mmmm, bacon."
Rory McElligott, Nicholls
Concerns on guns
Since legal guns can so easily become illegal when stolen or sold, and since even licensed gun owners can be careless, angry or short-sighted, surely it is dangerous to encourage gun ownership at Arms Fairs across the country, and especially not at HuntFest. This festival and celebration of hunting, modelled on American lines, received a licence from the Eurobodalla Shire Council to take place annually on Crown land in the heart of Narooma. Even if the Adler 110 is banned, there will still be plenty of lethal weapons for the amateur hunter to choose from.
While gun proliferation is deplored by most politicians, it would appear to be condoned by the National Firearms Agreement, and by a local council that once had at its motto, "How Life Should Be."
Susan Cruttenden, Dalmeny, NSW
Independent review
On October 25 ("Moderate Liberals", Canberra Sunday Times, p5), Christopher Knaus reported in relation to the foreshadowed review of the 2016 Liberal campaign that "a push is understood to be on for an external, independent reviewer to be brought in for the job". This is a must. The new leader, Alistair Coe, asserted after the election that there was much achieved through the campaign and new deputy leader Nicole Lawder is reported by Knaus as maintaining "her party did almost everything possible to win government". Former leader Jeremy Hanson has asserted there was not much more the party could have done, as has shadow minister Vicki Dunne. Responsibility for the review must not be assigned to those with responsibility for its conception, nor its implementation.
Ken Brazel, Weston
Correction
A letter on October 29 incorrectly identified former opposition leader Jeremy Hanson as having written a piece in The Canberra Times about the ACT Muslim community. Mr Hanson did not write such an article. Mr Hanson does not hold the views ascribed to him by the letter writer and supports multiculturalism and the Muslim community.
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.
Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).
