And that ‘‘memorial director Brendan Nelson said that the light symbolised the link between the political freedoms (sic) Australians enjoy today and the sacrifice of those who have served’’.

A less fanciful interpretation is that those fingers of light were pointing accusingly at the mountebanks on the hill that sent – and still send – our youth to premature deaths. Lest we forget.

Bronis Dudek, Calwell

The headline ‘‘Lest We Forget’’ (CT, November 11) was unintentionally ironic.

Canberra has collectively forgotten the three Canberra-born Eddison brothers who died in World War II. The oldest died in a Spitfire over Holland. The second brother died flying a Beaufighter over Lae, New Guinea.The youngest brother was taken prisoner in Singapore and died before the end of the war in a Japanese prison camp.

The family had a dairy farm in Phillip called Yamba. When it was resumed to allow for Phillip’s expansion, Mrs Eddison was offered the homestead block. This block took in what was the Southern Cross Health Club, the Yamba Club and bowling rinks and the Phillip basketball courts.

Mrs Eddison decided to live in Queanbeyan and offered the homestead block to the RSL to be used as a memorial to her sons and all who had served Australia.

The RSL built a very nice club house but situated in a cul de sac, found it hard to run profitably. The Southern Cross offered to take it over. The terms were settlement of all the RSL debts and an obligation to keep an office for the RSL in the clubhouse and keep the bowling club going.

The Southern Cross kept its word for what they considered a decent time. They then pleaded poverty and closed down everything and sold the lot for an undisclosed amount. The Southern Cross board must have been pleased by the ready acceptance of the change of lease from the ACT government for after a decent interval they used the same technique with the Southern Cross Pitch’n’Putt.
In conclusion I can say that the Southern Cross showed no respect for the Eddison boys. With apartments covering the area, they truly will be forgotten.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

With regard to Ian Warden’s most recent column (‘‘Jingoism finally hits some turbulence ...’’, CT, November 10), I would like to remind him, in his negativity regarding the ADF, that more than 60,000 Australians died in the defence of his country of birth in WWI and yet he is quick to criticise the US for having our Defence Forces support US forces in the same way that the British deployed our forces in support of theirs (and often, in more ‘‘risky’’ cases, instead of using their own troops).
What a hypocrite! Perhaps Warden should consider doing us all a favour and returning to his place of birth to make way for others more deserving!

Jeff Day, Greenway

I agree with the thrust of David Crowe’s article (CT, November 11) about Labor’s proposal to canvas the Australian people whether an Australian should be our Head of State (rather than the Queen as at present).

But a response in favour is nothing more than just that as it is not related to the vexed question of how this Australian would be chosen. It isn’t a question that can be answered by the people alone as it is also a matter for the ‘‘several States’’ each with its own representative of the Queen. The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal government and the role and views of the States cannot be ignored. Labor’sproposal isn’t just a federal matter only.

The Queen is our Head of State by circumstance and acceptance of the States and the people at the time. There is no obligation on any of us today that it should remain so, and the framers of our Constitution were wise enough to provide for such an eventuality.

Labor would be better advised to propose that the federal government and the states, including the territories, elect a limited number of suitable delegates, by popular vote, to convene to propose amendments to our constitution which would meet the needs of the nation for today and the foreseeable future.

It would be incumbent on the delegates to be aware of the wishes of the federal and state/territory governments and Australians, to choose the most sensible way to do this and to ensure that the responses they receive are based on a full understanding of the matters at issue.

This might represent money better spent than that on the cost of labor’s proposed canvas.

BL West, Deakin

Not so long ago one would never read about ‘‘playgrounds sizzling in heat’’ (CT, November 11).

Perhaps global warming is a factor?

Unless this issue is raised over and over again by the media, nothing will ever be done about climate change and we will all sizzle.

Rod Holesgrove, O’Connor

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