Fair go for Eastman
Howard Carew's letter (April 24, p22) presents a strong and valid argument against the failed retrial bid for David Eastman. Carew's letter and Jack Waterford's superb commentary ("One in the eye for Eastman-case doubters, such as me", April 19, pB2) should have many in the community pleading for a proper hearing for Eastman, or failing that an early release because of the Courts' inability to examine all aspects of the case.
Carmel Collins, Palmerston
Police job well done
The Australian Federal Police and ACT Policing are to be commended for the excellent job they did not only protecting the Olympic torch relay runners but also protesters, dignitaries and the wider community who came to watch the flame's journey through Canberra.
At no stage prior to, during or following the event did I feel my personal safety was in danger or likely to be compromised. I appreciated the good humour and professionalism of the officers assigned to me and felt confident every eventuality had been considered. As a community representative selected by Samsung it was a remarkable day made all the more remarkable by the generosity of spirit shown along the route.
Canberra, the nation and the Australian Olympic Committee should feel justifiably proud.
Andrew Heslop, Founder, Neighbour Day, Sydney, NSW
Plus side to pokies
While I have no wish to become involved in the poker machine arguement I would like to say that without the intervention of the Ainslie Football and Social Club with its poker machine revenues, the Canberra City Bowling Club would not exist today. Instead its magnificent site in Braddon would be growing weeds or covered in units. We came within hours of shutting the bowling club down seven or eight years ago because we could not pay our way. An appeal to Ainslie brought a timely cash injection followed by other assistance.
All of this help kept us afloat while lengthy and difficult negotiations ensued before Canberra City became a member of the Ainslie organisation.
I for one will always be grateful to Ainslie for rescuing a community sporting club, which is now heading towards 80 years of existence in a pretty healthy state.
Without poker machine revenues Ainslie could not have saved us.
The person who headed Ainslie at the time and led the rescue mission was David Lalor, ridiculed in the letters column (April 24) for his poker machine/community benefits views by a Giralang correspondent.
Graeme Barrow, former president, Canberra City Bowling Club, Hackett
High price of laws
Jill Sutton ("Scenarios versus the big ideas show", Times2, April 22, p5) seems to think governments can create economic benefits simply by passing laws.
This magic power can, apparently, change the lead of "low wages" under "deregulated capitalism" into the gold of trendy Danish "flexicurity".
Unfortunately for Jill's theory, someone must engage in productive activity for any wealth to be created.
Governments don't create wealth by passing laws restricting people's freedoms: they reduce it.
Government can decide to impose a redistributionist law, but the whole of society through the market decides who bears the cost of it. It is invariably those with least skills, capital and income.
The fact is, all redistributionist policies cause unintended negative consequences, including unemployment or homelessness.
Then the ignorance of the social engineers, believing a superstition that government is all-good, all-knowing and all-capable, blames the logical outcomes of their own meddling policies on "capitalism".
In doing so, they sabotage the individual freedom that has raised living standards, even for the poorest, to the highest levels in history.
But if Jill Sutton is right, perhaps we should increase the minimum wage to $1000 per hour and see what happens.
Justin Jefferson, Kybeyan, NSW
Energy's big idea
As a participant in the 2020 summit, I am dismayed that some participants in the climate change "stream" are now misrepresenting the outcome and the nature of the discussion.
There was very strong support for the concept of iconic clean energy projects and I was disappointed that the idea did not make it through to the final list of "big ideas". But this was a consequence of the process and not, as claimed, the result of the action of the "coal lobby". There was no coal lobby. I identified only two people from the coal industry in a stream that totalled 100 hardly a lobby.
Our approach to climate change has to be balanced and must consider what is realistic, cost effective and sustainable.
I was disappointed too that my brilliant idea did not make it to the final cut. But it does no good to the aim of addressing climate change to seek to blame one sector over another for an idea not getting up.
I am confident that everybody in the climate change stream was totally committed to seeking the best ways of addressing the issue of climate change We need to work together.
It is dishonest and diminishes the achievements and the spirit of the summit to go down the path of the blame game.
Peter J. Cook, chief executive, Cooperative Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies, Canberra
John Mills has been preaching for 20 years that solar thermal is economic and can provide the world's electricity needs ("Ignoring solar research perilous", April 21, p3). However, the US Energy Information Administration has just revealed that solar and wind power receive subsidies of $24.34 and $23.37 respectively per MWh. Nuclear receives $1.59. After 50 years of government subsidies, solar produces 0per cent of the world's electricity.
Conversely, nuclear is economic, clean and safe and produces 16 per cent it would be more if the "greenies" hadn't blocked its development. Let's get rational.
Peter Lang, Griffith
Losing patience
ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher acknowledges there is more to be done to reduce waiting times in emergency departments for patients with urgent problems and says the most gravely ill patients are seen immediately.
A month ago I went to the emergency department of the Canberra Hospital with a note from my GP indicating suspected appendicitis. It took four and a half hours to see a doctor and several more hours to find a bed in the hospital. When I was reassessed the next morning my appendix had burst.
During the wait undoubtedly my condition moved from urgent towards the more gravely ill end of the scale. It seems likely that the delays affected the subsequent course of treatment and probably increased the length of my stay in hospital. Once I was in the system my treatment was excellent. What I saw was a lack of resources to deal quickly with very ill patients.
David McKay, Waramanga