Canberra Times letters: Export the chief minister too

Special request: could you find a way to export the chief minister Andrew Barr?

Perhaps as a Singapore Commissioner for International Engagement: he could have conversations with Brendan Smythe, which would give Brendon something to do.

It is time Meeghan Fitzharris was given the keys to the city: she can do no worse and is likely to be an improvement.

It is preferable to have an Opposition takeover but that side of the chamber seems empty, or at least hollow.

Warwick Davis, Isaacs

It is unclear how the question of One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts' eligibility to sit under section 44 of the constitution can be referred directly to the High Court as reported ("Hanson refers own senator's dual citizenship case to High Court", August 10, p8).

That seems to be prohibited by section 47, "Until the Parliament otherwise provides, any question respecting the qualification of a senator or of a member of the House of Representatives, or respecting a vacancy in either House of the Parliament, and any question of a disputed election to either House, shall be determined by the House in which the question arises."

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

The Republican Congress can shilly-shally no longer. It is past time to muzzle Trump. The Republicans cannot let him start a nuclear war in Korea. Kim Jong-un will nuke the South and Japan if the US military obey Trump's order to bomb Pyongyang.

During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Fidel Castro demanded that Soviet commanders use their battlefield nuclear weapons (of which the US was ignorant) if the US invaded. Castro later told former US Defence Secretary McNamara that he would destroy his homeland in order to kill US soldiers. Kim will do the same.

No-one wins a nuclear war — even if, as one Republican Senator claimed last week, any lives lost would be "over there" — ignoring the fate of the 40,000 US service personnel in South Korea and thousands more in Japan and in warships close to Korea. Never mind missiles, all Kim needs is some suicide troops hidden with nuclear materials and conventional bombs in anonymous shipping containers on cargo ships visiting US ports.

It only requires 50 atomic bombs exploded to cause a nuclear winter — shrouding the Earth in thick, icy cloud exterminating plant life and then animal life — one flash and we are all ash.

Rod Olsen, Flynn

I have received a letter from my electricity supplier, ActewAGL, saying that my current agreement expires on August 28 but that they have good news for me. Ring them and ask about their offers so that I don't miss out.

When I phoned the person initially said they would now offer me an extra 2 per cent discount. He then said, "oh no you have solar panels on your roof so we are cancelling any discount to you unless you have gas". I am an all-electric household.

Is this fair to an old customer? I am quite disgusted with them.

Deidre Woodger, Weston

Bruce Paine's "Housing Clubbed" letter (August 4), opposing a residential development on Federal Golf Course demonstrates a sad ignorance regarding the club's much needed development. The club is a most valuable community facility that caters not only for members but also for anyone wishing to play golf, have a wedding reception, birthday party, work function or enjoy a great meal, etc.

Like so many golf clubs, Federal needs capital to ensure the club's future by having essential major course works undertaken. The development will not be encroaching on to surrounding bushland as Mr Paine suggests and will therefore not impact the many people who walk around the perimeter of Federal.

There has been untold community and government consultation over many years to ensure that the development will be environmentally and civically sound.

I'd suggest Mr Paine drop into the club and view the development plans to satisfy himself that his fears are ill founded. I can guarantee the bar service.

John Coleman, Monash

Patricia Ramsay (Letters, August 5) is rightly perplexed by the ACT Courts being extended out to Vernon Circle, blinding the fine 60s Supreme Court, and blocking views to and from City Hill on the important radial University-Avenue axis. The National Capital Plan permits some building out to Vernon Circle's footpath, but excludes it at the Supreme Court frontage. Nevertheless, the NCA approved the extension. The Plan earmarks court expansion land, but it was sold off in 2007, together with the western City Hill car parks, and land for Edinburgh Avenue's extension, all still undeveloped.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Your correspondent John McKerral of Bateman's Bay is familiar to readers of The Canberra Times, as are his anti-scientific views about climate change.

Of course he is entitled to his views. However, I object to your headline (August 6) "El Nino's the bleach bunny" and the caption to the photograph which accompanies the McKerral letter ("There has been no warming trend ..."). You or your sub-editor are seriously at fault for printing two statements, both factually wrong and showing obvious scientific inadequacy, as if they were factual. This is misleading, and either deliberately provocative or careless.

Nick Goldie, Michelago, NSW

Regarding Judith Ireland's article ("A postal vote is a silly idea, but polling voters makes sense", August 9, p16), where she makes a case for more consultation with the public on the grounds that it might help voters to feel more engaged with the political process, I suggest that although the article is interesting in itself, it misses a rather monumental point that some have been trying to make but which is mostly being drowned out in the noise. If consultation with the public on matters is considered to be desirable, equal marriage is one instance when it would be entirely inappropriate.

I am dismayed the majority of people voicing their opinion on equal marriage seem to believe that it is OK for straight people to "give permission" to LGBTIQ people to marry. It is not all right. It is patronising in the highest degree and sends no message that LGBTIQ people should enjoy dignity. In fact, the opposite.

This is possibly one reason why the conservatives are insistent on having a plebiscite – if equal marriage is inevitable at least let it be by permission of the majority of people who call themselves straight, which takes it out of their hands and leaves a permanent taint of straight superiority. A lot of people are also missing the message that there is not currently a status of equal rights, such as marriage bestows in a few critical instances, and also that the issue is less about marriage than about equality. Many people campaigning for equal marriage do not want to marry. As for trusting the public to behave courteously – I think not. We'd already have equal rights and no societal discrimination if we could trust human beings to be decent. Politicians are merely sucking up to the public by articulating their "trust" in them.

I will not be lining up to vote alongside potential bigots on the civil rights of my cherished family and colleagues.

Meg Wilson-Foreman, Queanbeyan

Given that the marriage equality survey will be conducted by the ABS and not the AEC, do responders have to be on the electoral roll? Or merely on the ABS database? What does the ABS enabling legislation say about who can participate?

Will children's votes be counted, and it is OK if they are influenced by their parents? Will our votes be counted if we don't supply our names?

S. W. Davey, Torrens

Given that the term "pleb" is derogatory for "ordinary people" or "someone of the lower social classes" does that make someone who forces a "plebiscite" on those aforementioned "ordinary people" a parasite?

The notion of holding a $122 million to $170 million plebiscite on marriage equality certainly puts paid to the claim that the Coalition are better economic managers spending so much on something that doesn't bind them to any action, or show them delivering good governance.

It simply enables them to maintain the pretence of delivering on a campaign promise and keep collecting ministerial salaries.

It does, however, show the Coalition as fitting the definition of a parasite: an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host, the Australian people) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.

Rory McElligott, Nicholls

Emily Baker reported ("John XXIII students speak out against college head's comments", August 8, p8) on some highly disturbing developments regarding sexual assault at the ANU. Geoff Johnston, the head of John XXIII, apologised for stating a compelling statistical fact: the Human Rights Commission's survey captured "only 2.9 per cent of all students in Australia, and it wasn't a random sample". He kowtowed to our shameful bullying political zeitgeist; exemplified by this ludicrous comment from College residents' association president Lauran Clifton: "our focus at this point in time should not be whether the results are valid or not." Surely, the whole university/assault exposé is flummery unless there is a statistically significant incidence of criminal behaviour above that in the general community.

Peter Robinson, Ainslie

If the Barr/Rattenbury government want to decrease littering of bottles and cans (by introducing a ludicrous, inconvenient and outdated deposit scheme when we have a recycling system), why are they removing government bins from public areas. The example I have noticed is the two bins removed from the 200-vehicle car park in Macquarie that has serviced the football ground and swimming pool for more than 40 years. I suspect we will never know why, unless the minister responds.

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

Reading Trevor Lipscombe's letter (August 9) one has to ask how much more recognition needs to be given to Monash? More amazing is his assertion that Monash was the main architect of the Allied victory on 8 August 1918 – a claim that cannot be sustained by the facts. The suggestion for the offensive came from Rawlinson (GOC Fourth Army) at a meeting with Haig (C-in-C BEF) on 5 July, and further developed following discussions between Foch (Allied C-in-C), his Chief of Staff (CoS) Weygand, and Haig's CoS Lawrence on 11 July. Planning them ensued at Army level.

The 8 August was a combined effort undertaken by two British, one Canadian and one Australian Corps under the direction of the British Fourth Army, and four French Corps under the direction of the French First Army. Monash's participation was planning and overseeing, in conjunction with Fourth Army, the Australian Corps' role – one-eighth of the operation – not all of it. Monash's perceived achievements and contributions to the Great War are reaching the level of the absurd.

This is largely because of our own hyperbole and overly narrow, nationalistic view of the war. He was not the initiator of modern combined arms tactics, as claimed by some, these evolved over time through the efforts of the French, British, and to a lesser extent the Canadians. Nor was he in contention to replace Haig as C-in-C BEF, etc, etc.

If we need more memorialisation, rather than Monash, perhaps it is time to give due recognition to the first Australian appointed a Corps commander a full year before Monash – Harry Chauvel – and who achieved just as much as an equally competent general.

Chris Roberts, Curtin

IN RETROSPECT ...

I wish the football (all codes) match reports did not contain so many of the opinions of team coaches. Football coaches, like racehorse trainers, are poor judges of past events – especially disappointing ones.

R.J. Wenholz, Holt

NAREV'S TOUGH GIG

Ian Narev's gross salary with bonuses was around $250,000 a week. It has now been cut (for how long?) to about $200,000 a week. How on earth will he survive? My heart bleeds for the poor man.

John Passant, Kambah

BAD NEWS GUYS

"I'm a believer," sang the Monkees.

"I'm a fixer," Christopher Pyne chirruped.

"I'm a strong leader," said Malcolm Turnbull.

I'm a voter.

Annie Lang, Kambah

POINT SCORING

"A High Court challenge to the postal vote has been announced".

I swear, when I read this I had tears in my eyes, it seems no one cares about Australia, everyone cares only about scoring a political win. It is very saddening.

Mokhles K. Sidden, South Strathfield, NSW

LEAVING TOWN

Mr Trump's most recent outburst now, at last, gives the government good reason to move public servants out of the capital and the big cities into the bush. One thousand kilometres would be an appropriate distance: and preferably up wind.

Richard Hoare, Kambah

ON THE RIGHT SIDE

Dear Mr Abbott: I'd rather be politically correct than a thorn in the side of freedom.

R. F. Bucknell, Lyons

CUT SENATE LOOSE

If the Senate cannot support the will of the people then it is high time the Senate was removed from the parliamentary process.

Bill Dobell, Sebastopol, Vic

POWER SHOCK

Power deals thrashed out at Parliament House to advantage home owners. Get serious, power costs going backward, call it 'RE-VOLTING' if true.

Linus Cole, Palmerston

OUT OF TOUCH

Dear Tony Abbott, Bronwyn Bishop, Mathias Cormann et al. You need to get a grasp on the facts surrounding same-sex marriage.

Once you have done your homework on this subject, we can talk about justice, fairness and compassion.

Anna Marsden, Murrumbateman

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