At the gate where we entered, there was a sign warning us that the reserve would be closed between 3pm and 9am each day for the foreseeable future for the kangaroo cull.

We had a wonderful walk in this lovely reserve and our enjoyment was enhanced by the presence of quite a few kangaroos.

They were a thing of beauty but not a joy for ever as most of them will be dead soon, thanks to Andrew Barr and Shane Rattenbury.

But the best bit came as we left the reserve via a gate about 100 metres from where we went in.

There was a sign there to tell us that ecological grazing would occur in this reserve and the sign had a picture of a big bull on it plus text.

So here we were, being told on the one hand that they have to shoot the kangaroos because there is not enough grass and on the other, that there is so much grass that the kangaroos can’t eat it all and they need to get some cattle in to keep it down.

It is not as if it was an old sign.

It looked brand new.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Stan Marks, Hawker

In his letter (June 4) Chris Klootwijk appears to suggest nearly all of society’s environmental ills are somehow related to Foy’s failed application for a plastic to diesel recycling facility, CRS’ current application to recycle by sorting, rather than just bury, the ACT’s wastes and now the ACT government’s Waste Feasibility Study.

The study suggests, among other things, making fuel with our waste and exporting it outside the ACT for power conversion is unacceptable.

The government knows that we can’t just keep landfilling our waste (the rest of the world has worked this out already) without first extracting those fractions with an additional purpose.

But maybe, Chris, you are smarter than the rest of us. What is your solution? Where will it be located? When will it commence?

How will you fund it? We have heard enough protestations and wait for alternative solutions.

Meanwhile, every Tuesday, you put your rubbish bins out and it becomes someone else’s problem.

Ernest Dupere, director, Capital Recycling Solutions, Fyshwick

I write to highlight the ACT government’s contrasting ‘‘support for sport’’ reported in Monday’s paper.
(‘Users want investment in Civic pool’, June 4, p11).

On the one hand there is a budget provision of $5 million for the Canberra Raiders.

On the other there is neglect for a community swimmers group, seeking less than a 10th of that sum, for upgrading adjacent public parking lighting, and a public cafe for the 10,000 pool users per month (and lunchtime passers-by).

The Civic Pool is part of Canberra’s sporting heritage. In 1957 a 15-year-old John Konrads was the star of his first Australian championship there. Within a year John had set 12 world records, and won three Commonwealth gold medals. Surely there can be more balanced budget consideration between the needs of community swimmers, and the wants of professional, for-profit ‘‘athletes’’.

David Dickson, Kaleen

I was shocked to read the article: ‘‘Closure of Canberra Hospital pool making waves’’, (June 4, p.6).

It was reported that some users felt Canberra could only sustain one hydrotherapy pool.

That is not true. Canberra has no public hydrotherapy pool and should have at least four.

The need is great and many small towns realise this and have one.

Workouts in the pool are necessary for those recovering from injury, those with chronic conditions and those needing muscle and bone recovery.

These people need exercise but can’t exercise in a gym.

They need water temperature of 34 degrees. The hospital pool has only been available outside business hours for the Arthritis Society members at a cost.

For disabled people in need of hydrotherapy to keep themselves out of hospital, to travel from the south of the Tuggeranong Valley to the new hospital for 6.30 am sessions is ridiculous.

The Canberra Hospital pool should be kept open until a new pool is built on the south side of town.

Joan Keith, Curtin

I am overjoyed to hear that the Gold Creek Homestead has been withdrawn from sale (‘‘Gold Creek Homestead taken off the market’’, June 4, p8). Despite failing the strict criteria for heritage listing in the ACT, the mood of the community has been strongly against losing this site of local significance.

Let’s hope this 11th-hour reprieve will translate to the retention and adaptive reuse of the homestead being a condition of any future market offering by the Suburban Land Agency.

Sally Bond, Willoughby, NSW

Hats off to Ricky Stuart and all those involved in his foundation on the opening of Emma Ruby House, a second respite centre to help young Canberrans with autism and their families. More to come too.

In the football world, Ricky has sometimes divided opinions over the years. For me, it has always been a pleasure to see the passion he brings on and off the field. No sitting emotionless in the coach’s box for him, rather it’s animated expressions, shirt tails hanging out and jumping up and down on the sideline. Canberrans are fortunate to have his passion directed to the work of his foundation. This may be his greatest legacy.

John Mungoven, Stirling

The best of comedy and unreality life entertainment will shortly close for its winter recess. It was fascinating to see the Treasurer acknowledging in the budget the ABC did not require funds to create first-class acts for media when all it had to do was report the activities of Federal Parliament. We do hope enough was budgeted to cover the cost of entertaining us until Parliament returns for the next chapter of the farce.

Max Lotton, Fisher

On Monday night (June 4) on the ABC’s 7.30 program, Bishop Michael Curry – who gave that impassioned sermon at the wedding of Harry and Meghan – berated modern Western society for its culture of what he termed ‘‘unbridled selfishness’’.

In my view, this selfishness is reflected mainly in an insatiable demand for more and more money, particularly in those who are already wealthy.

One consequence of this greed, as reported by Oxfam, is that nine of the world’s richest men together own as much wealth as the poorer half of the world’s entire population.

Later that night, on the ABC’s Q&A;, it was pointed out by panel members that wage rises in Australia have almost ceased, and wages are not keeping pace with inflation.

In the meantime, the very wealthy keep on getting wealthier. The process looks more like a ‘‘trickle up’’ (I would have said ‘‘flood up’’) than the ‘‘trickle down’’ touted by conservative economists and commentators.

Given the difficulties in which the world already finds itself, and evidence that we may be losing the fight against global warming (‘‘New data shows global warming targets at risk’’, June 5, p 12), it is high time that we started thinking more about the welfare of all people rather than just ourselves.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

From the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission update of June 4, 2018:

‘‘The ACNC’s first comparative report found that in addition to donations increasing by almost $1 billion, charity income overall increased from $110 billion in 2014 to $121 billion in 2016.’’

This time of the year begging phone calls and written requests for donations increase.

I wonder how much is spent on telephone canvassers and printing?

Legislation that requires charities to publish how much of each donated dollar actually gets to the purpose of the charity is needed to ensure that our charitable impulses are being reflected in the charity’s spending.

Dianne Garner, Waramanga

False news alert: Deputy Premier John Barilaro has reached out to his federal Nat colleagues with a plan to rehome Barnaby into the Kosciuszko National Park.

Mr Barilaro said: ‘‘ I ask the House to picture this image: a beautiful stallion running wild and free, his muscles bulging with strength. When he stands up on his back legs one is overcome by his grace and power. There is nothing quite like seeing a Barnaby in the wild. It is an absolute thrill.’’

The proposal comes after National Party plans to cull Barnaby from his New England habitat were revealed.
Conservationists have condemned the plan, stating Wild Barnabys are likely to breed up. A spokesperson stated that the Barnaby had caused incredible damage in Canberra and New England and there was a real risk from the spread of wild oats in our sensitive alpine areas.

Doug Reckord, Kalaru, NSW

The former Commonwealth Government Vice-Captain, BJ, is considering retirement however there is so much more to be done with the Decentralisation (Pork Barrelling) Policy.

The soon to be leaderless Public Service Commission could be airlifted to a self-assembled glamping tent city on Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean or PM&C; could be sent to patrol our maritime boarders.

If BJ does decide it’s time and there is no testimonial, he could find a role as Morale Officer at the decentralised PVMA in his former electorate. Alternatively, being the self-declined ‘‘farmer of the year for 2018’’, the head of the National Farmers’ Federation is surely an option.

Whatever BJ decides we’ll miss the whip-cracking demonstrations up on the Hill and the ten gallon hat fashion trend.

How did the whip get through security at the Hill anyway?

Probably something else which needs to be investigated.

Rohan Goyne, Evatt

In September 2015, while on an ABC TV Q&A; program panel, then agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce refused to answer questions about whether women should have the right to choose what happens to their own bodies, saying abortion access should not be a subject discussed on the ABC’s program.

He has now shown that he is prepared to discuss, on commercial television and for payment, consideration of abortion from a personal perspective (‘‘A political reckoning: Joyce’s journey from asset to liability’’, canberratimes.com.au, June 4).

Perhaps now he will better appreciate that this subject should remain a personal matter for the woman involved, that interference in and barely disguised directives from others about her decision-making can be both very stressful and unhelpful and that politicians in general should have no role in preventing any woman taking the course of action she decides upon.

Sue Dyer, Downer

I was astounded to hear Barnaby Joyce say his son Sebastian has caused him a lot of trouble. I can only sympathise with little Sebastian for his misfortune to have bought such a lemon for a father. For his mother Vikki to sit there quietly while Barnaby said such a thing on national television would suggest Sebastian has started life between a rock and a hard place.

John Sandilands, St Marys, Tas

When interviewed about the Barnaby and Vikki interview ‘‘one influential (National) party elder’’ said ‘‘A lot of his colleagues were thrown under a bus a bit’’. Sadly he did not go on to say which bits were involved.

Alan Robertson, Campbell

Trump has tweeted that he has the ‘‘absolute right’’ to pardon himself. While he and others say that won’t happen, it is his claim to absolute power that is troubling. It is clear if Trump were to be formally offered the position of dictator he would take it without hesitation.

This, in the country that promotes itself as a leader in egalitarian democracy.

Trump is a symptom of a very sick political/electoral system in the US, one that was designed to address the conditions of two centuries ago, not those that exist now. The one thing on which I have agreed with him since before the 2016 election is that the US system is broken. If it isn’t fixed, things will most likely just get worse.

On the other hand, those in that country with their heads still on straight might see Trump as a clifftop trigger for properly addressing and rectifying the system’s ills.

We, too, in Australia and other ‘‘democracies’’ might derive salutary lessons.

John M. Schmidt, Monash

CUTTING THE LINK
Sue Wareham (Letters, June 4) makes the distinction between a memorial to the war dead and a military museum. Thank you Sue. For years I have wondered why the AWM is attached at the hip to a museum and a shop. Although it is a bit late for a separation dissection the fistula between them at the common entry could easily be sealed and separate entrances built.
Tom Middlemiss, Deakin

VETTING DONATIONS
In relation to AWM ‘‘vested interests’’ sponsors, Greg Cornwall (Letters, June 4) asks, ‘‘Is every donation to any public institution to be scrutinised to ensure political correctness?’’ The answer is definitely yes – where the ‘‘vested interests’’ are inimical to the high ideals upon which the Memorial was founded.
Eric Hunter, Cook

POEM A WINNER
Thank you Ali (Poetry Corner, Panorama, June 2, p17). Your poem struck its chord – and to ignore it is like burying one’s head in the sand.

Alena Almassy, Lyneham

US DICTATORSHIP?
So, Donald Trump can pardon himself? We know that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. When did the US transition from a democracy to a dictatorship?

Ann Martin, Wamboin

EMBASSY INCONSISTENCY
I concur with J. Sweeney (Letters, June 4). How can the Aboriginal tent embassy represent itself as an embassy when it resides solely upon its own soil? An embassy represents people in a foreign country

Phil O’Mara,  Piallago, NSW

DOUBLE STANDARDS
If all the senators, members and Barnaby had kept their affairs in the same order as Centrelink requires of its much put-upon clients, there wouldn’t be such a farce in Parliament. Just dreaming.

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

REFEREE SPOT ON

Where did they get the referee for Sunday’s Brumbies game from? So refreshing to watch a game so well managed for a change. From where I was sitting at the game, I didn’t hear one negative comment. Super Rugby needs more like him.

Leo O’Keeffe, Gilmore

TAKING A STAND

Re live exports: All I can say is ‘‘Hip, Hip, Hooray for Sussan Ley’’.

Rod Keefe, Eli Waters, Qld

WHAT ABOUT DRIVERS?

The fine against CBA is ridiculous. Blaming the bank instead of blaming and fining the directors and executive management is like blaming the car for speeding instead of the driver.

Peter Brittliff, Kambah

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