'Progressive' Labor a myth

Labor's propensity for intolerance and illiberal behaviour is manifest. For the past four years, it has assiduously withheld from the public crucial information on light rail. Its proposed legislation to curb the free speech of its public servants and its resistance to proposals to establish an integrity commission is not a sign of progressiveness. And Auditor-General Maxine Cooper has described Labor government land deals as lacking in transparency, accountability and rigour, and commented that the integrity and probity of the dealings could not be demonstrated.

The Canberra Liberals did put forward progressive policies in key areas such as education, health and rapid bus transport, as well as in relation to integrity in government.

Why the Canberra Liberals did not take on Mr Barr on the key battleground of honesty and integrity is a mystery to me .

Ken Brazel, Weston

John Warhurst ("Bigger should be better in new Assembly", October 20, p21) is essentially arguing the incoming Assembly should improve its performance and work for the whole community.

However, most voters were clearly not sufficiently concerned about the performance of the previous Assembly since there was only a minor drift in first preference voters away from the three major parties. Voters may have an expectation of a much higher level of government functioning, but until they exercise their right to markedly change the Assembly's composition voters are relying on the three major parties to change their behaviour.

B. Paine, president VoteCanberra, Red Hill

What a farce ("Rally to keep the village vet", October 20, p1) A woman allegedly phones a local vet at 11pm because of her cat's ill-health but refuses to bring the cat in for treatment. When the vet suggests a minimal dose of Nurofen to relieve the poor animal's suffering, the owner gives 10 times the amount, resulting in the cat's death.

Instead of pursuing the owner for abuse and neglect, the ACT Vet Board decide to suspend her licence for two years.

From now on, any vet who prescribes medication then has their advice ignored by a pet owner who believes more must be better and gives an overdose should have their licence suspended as well.

Serena Pantlin, Ngunnawal

Decent fair-minded people like Jan Spate are a rarity, with skills to complement her decency and enthusiasm for helping pet owners. You have been appreciated, Ms Spate, for a very long time.

Rex Wlliams, Ainslie

I sense that Andrew Barr has never been all that enamoured with the current (anachronistic) light rail scheme. I'm told that more technologically advanced, clever, cheaper, greener, individualised and flexible modes of transport are emerging.

They could optimally suit our unique dispersed-town-centre urban layout, which is seriously threatened by the outrageously expensive, civic-centric, fixed-route tram plan.

Mr Barr should place moratorium on the current scheme, say for 10 years, so we can choose the most advanced and optimum transport improvements for Canberra.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

I have just returned for a trip to Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, all of which have trams, even in cities which are about the same size as Goulburn.

The regular trams in Budapest are modern, silent, fast, non-polluting and very well used. Please assure those who made dire predictions about trams in Canberra, that trams are efficient and fun, and ask them to join the modern world.

John Davenport, Farrer

If the light rail project was a bad decision before the election then it remains so, despite the re-election of the Barr government.

The CanTheTram committee will continue to monitor and inform about new transport technology and better public transport for Canberra.

If the Barr government is open about its "$25million design and scoping" work for the proposed Woden link ("ALP promises $25m for second stage of light rail", October 11, p8), that a particular urban development policy is saddling the wider Canberra community with an extremely inappropriate tram network will come to the fore.

John L. Smith, CanTheTram Inc.

Rob Westcott and N. Argy (Letters, October 19) are oblivious to the meaning of "disposable personal income". When governments impose extra taxes, charges and levies people restrict their consumption and spending accordingly.

Businesses supporting light rail do not appear to have factored in the possible loss of spending power when increased rates and charges to pay for it cut in. Increased parking charges and the introduction of new parking charges on Friday evenings and weekends in the city resulted in reduced patronage.

Charity-related charges such as the domestic violence levy and insurance levies result in a decrease in contributions to charities and to home insurance cover. Charity levies are not tax deductible.

The government saw the error of its ways and removed the insurance levy, but there are other levies imposed through rates and vehicle registrations. These are regressive. It is time for them to be replaced by more efficient and fairer revenue-earners.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

Questioned on the need for rapid-fire shot guns, Senator David Lyonhjelm suggested they were needed to kill wild pigs with large litters. This went unquestioned by the news media.

Shooting is ineffective for controlling introduced pests. For example, rabbits were exterminated from the remote Koonamore Vegetation Reserve in South Australia in 1975 and the reserve has been kept rabbit-free through regular inspections and fumigation.

By contrast, at similar-sized Mulligan's Flat sanctuary, eradication of rabbits was curtailed in the haste to release bettongs and now even shooting with night-vision equipment cannot eradicate them.

Shooting a few pigs is no substitute for careful planning with neighbours and seeking expert advice. Problems with dingoes in sheep country need similar, thoughtful approaches.

The NSW government's kowtowing to shooters' interests has seen the greatest proliferation of new pests since Australia was colonised by rabbits in the late 1800s. Four species of deer are now abundant even in national parks such as Kosciuszko.

Pretending hunting can control pests is a disaster in its own right.

Brian Cooke, Waramanga

Frankly, I have difficulty working out why a civilised nation like Australia is seeking to own guns ("PM on back foot over gun law horse-trading", October 19, p9).

Isn't there ample evidence from America that owning a gun frequently leads to the death of innocent people?

As a colleague put it: Australia is a blessed country because its people do not have free access to guns.

Sam Nona, Burradoo, NSW

I have not read a single letter or editorial in The Canberra Times about the troubling situation that would have leading Australian political cartoonist Bill Leak summoned by the Human Rights Commission to explain himself for expressing, by way of a cartoon, an unremarkable but hard hitting opinion on Indigenous dysfunction.

If the smartest electorate in the land can't see the implications of this Orwellian situation and vigorously defend Leak's right to political comment, we need some serious soul searching. Je suis Bleak?

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra

Many years ago I was told by a Church youth group leader they had to "get kids very young before they were able to decide about religion for themselves".

It seems this doctrine has been adopted by various government bodies. Firstly the abominable "safe schools" curriculum that introduces kindergarten and pre-school children to adult concepts well beyond their years under the guise of an anti-bullying program.

This appears to be a trojan horse instigated by the LGBT lobby. It would have been far more reasonable to create special schools for those affected than force parents to move their straight children elsewhere to avoid it.

Now it seems Year 3 to 8 children in schools in northern NSW are the subject of program where they are being guided to "form their own response to climate change".

Despite the fact that kids of this age cannot analyse the conflicting information they have supposedly come up with the idea humans have "succeeded in destroying much of the physical world". This is appalling indoctrination.

Jevon Kinder, Murrumbateman, NSW

Proponents of same sex marriage are generally passionate about the issue, but without clearly stating the reasons for their commitment.

The only person I have heard clearly state a reason for supporting same-sex marriage is Malcolm Turnbull. He does it on the basis same-sex marriage is a human relationship.

Defenders of heterosexual marriage do so from one of two positions: religious or secular, with reference to history and biology.

Neither position is likely to sway supporters of same-sex marriage.

What is not emphasised in the case for traditional heterosexual marriage is its role as a character-forming institution, introducing men and women to adult life.

Same-sex marriage is an offshoot of the gay culture and has a lot in common with heterosexual cohabitation.

No one claims that same-sex marriage and traditional marriage are equivalent, but to say the two can be equated is a big ask.

Frank Mines, Nicholls

The Australian Energy Market Operator's latest report into the recent SA power blackout leaves a lot of commentators with egg on their faces. It was not, as claimed, a case of wind farms being unable to generate in very high winds.

AEMO says "variation of output with wind strength (known as "intermittency") was not a material factor". It was not a case of wind turbines not turning either.

Individual wind farm response to voltage shocks was a major issue, but blaming state renewable energy policies for this is akin to blaming federal road transport policy for an event caused by driver error or a manufacturing defect. AEMO's technical explanation of what happened shatters a number of issues raised by alarmists.

Jim Allen, Hove, SA

A recent parliamentary inquiry has merely confirmed that the "big four" banks are hard-nosed commercial businesses. They hide behind the mantra "Our fiduciary responsibility is to our shareholders" so that they can extort whatever they can from their "customers", and pay their executives ridiculous "packages".

More inquiries, more regulation and even an Ombudsman will have no effect on their culture. Real competition is the only answer.

Howard Carew (Letters, October 11) is correct in suggesting a new community bank. This, perhaps, could be legally required to balance its responsibilities between staff, customers, the community, shareholders and executives, with the latter being paid sensible salaries in line with community expectations.

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

LET'S TALK ABOUT TAX

Thank you, Bryden Spurling ("It's possible to have high taxes and prosperity", October 19, p17), for pointing out that paying high taxes is not the devil it's made out to be. Spot on. As the Scandinavian experience shows, it makes people happy. Can we now have a conversation about Australia having a revenue problem, not a spending problem?

Anne Willenborg, Royalla, NSW

FIX CONSTITUTION AVE

Now that the CFMEU's agents have been re-elected to government in the ACT is there any chance they might complete the Constitution Avenue upgrade in this term of government?

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

LIBS BAD LOSERS

So the Libs lost the election. And Greg Cornwall (Letters, October 18) has vowed to take it out on "local charities, the homeless (and) the poor." That says a lot about the Libs.

Russell Wenholz, Holt

MARRIAGE SIDESHOW

All this chatter about homosexual access to the institution of marriage amazes me. It's not like politicians have bigger fish to fry rather than getting bogged down in a rhetorical debate over so-called "marriage equality".

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

NAME DISRESPECTFUL

Naming the sports bar at the old Kingston shops Hale and Mary is offensive to many residents in this area, whether they are Catholic or not. I find it hard to believe that such an insensitive name could be used.

It is disrespectful, a blot on the local landscape, and makes me embarrassed and ashamed every time I see it.

Christine Bollen, Kingston

ANTHEM GOT THE VOTE

David Grills (Letters, October 19) suggests the government ignored the outcome of the plebiscite on the national anthem.

It may not have been his preferred outcome, however, "Advance Australia Fair" received 43 per cent of the votes, 15 per cent ahead of the second choice, "Waltzing Matilda".

G. Bell, Franklin

REFRESH FLORIADE

With Floriade over for another year, the ACT government should consider new ways to harness the "flower power" of the spring festival. It has followed the same floral formula for almost 30 years – so is it time for a re-in-"carnation" of Floriade?

Considering a new location – like the National Arboretum – or a small entry fee for permanent infrastructure would help fertilise a breath of fresh air for the festival.

Brad Watts, Curtin

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