The name is honouring WWI’s British Field Marshall Douglas Haig, known by some as ‘‘Butcher Haig’’ for his military incompetence causing many thousands of unnecessary allied battle deaths, and for his punishment by execution of some 300 odd allied soldiers for ‘‘cowardice’’.

But a retired Army Lt Colonel challenges any Haig negatives because his WWI father didn’t say such things (Letters, November 14).

How often were we told in the Armistice centenary of survivors refusing to talk about their war experiences – understandable given the horrors of the carnage.

I experienced that same silence with two uncles who served in WWII. Who’s unfamiliar with history – Bec, the retired colonel, or me?

Yes, change the name of Haig Park, or if not, mount adjacent signage telling the truth about Haig.

We should not celebrate war’s excesses – let’s move to peace as we did on November11 in remembering the Armistice.

Were that to happen, we might see some of our former leaders differently.

Robert Menzies in 1964 conscripted Australians for that dreadful US adventure in Vietnam. And John Howard who in light of the coming 2003 US invasion of Iraq ignored the thousands of protesting street marchers and the Australian Parliament, and committed us to complicity in an invasion and conflict that, like Vietnam, was based on lies, and which directly gave rise to ISIS.

Vince Patulny, Kambah

Your November 13 editorial, ‘‘Assessing the Barr government’s hits and misses’’ gives Mr Barr a pass mark for tax reform.

This might be deserved if he was replacing inefficient, inequitable charges with a flat, or progressive, land-value tax that proponents of such reform recommend. For rolling a progressive conveyance duty into a heavily regressive rates system, and an existing land tax that has become regressive during the reform period, he deserves a fail-minus.

The likely end-result of this reform process is that $3million mansions on Mugga Way will be more than $8000 a year better off, while those at the other end of Canberra’s property market will be picking up the tab, to the tune of $1000 a year. The editorial says undertaking the recommended reform is courageous. Elsewhere in Australia it would be, involving state governments starting a discussion, with either local councils or property owners, to raise a new tax on principal residences.

In the ACT, rates and land tax are both the responsibility of one treasury, Mr Barr talking to himself is hardly courageous.

Peter Bradbury, Holt

The article in The Canberra Times by Nicole Hasham on November 13 (‘‘Snowy Hydro says multibillion-dollar energy project doesn’t need cost-benefit test’’, canberratimes.com.au) quotes a conservative price of $2billion, which is very conservative seeing that the Snowy 2.0 feasibility document quotes a price between $3.8 billion and $4.5billion without allowing for transmission costs.

The business analysis and modelling section was classed as confidential and was not given in the feasibility document; perhaps because it would have shown why Snowy Hydro doesn’t want a cost-benefit test.

Norm Johnston, Monash

A critical part of the economic viability test for the Snowy 2.0 extension, as reported in ‘‘No need to test viability: Snowy Hydro’’ (November 13, p13), is the ‘‘cost of upgrades to transmission lines and other infrastructure’’, which would double the conservative estimate of the project.

The delivery cost is likely to be similar for any alternate generator of similar output.

The problem lies in the fact that the ‘‘poles and wires’’ end of the project is in private hands.

They have proved, as one would expect of private enterprise, to be totally self interested, massively over-investing in infrastructure in order to maximise profits under existing contracts.

A likely solution to this is to establish the feed-in system as a government-owned project, moving to block expansion of the private, foreign ownership of the distribution phase of this major utility.

That would make the decision a strategic one and the relevant viability test a contractual or legal one. That is to say, this is necessarily a political decision.

Obstructionists are already politicising their demands for delay, pointing out that former ‘‘prime minister Malcolm Turnbull made it his signature project’’ and touting for consumer protection.

The glib argument, ‘‘We’ve been through a massive mistake in network investment over the last decade’’ might hold water except that the word ‘‘investment’’ is an inversion of the reality. What we have been through is a massive mistake in divestment, that is sale.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

I see today that China is telling Australia that we shouldn’t ‘‘interfere’’ or ‘‘obstruct’’ its deals with South Pacific nations, and in the ABC it’s reported that China is telling Australia to ‘‘abandon the Cold War mentality’’.

Every time China is in the least bit offended by another nation’s actions its leaders and diplomats take to the airwaves to air their grievances – and our traders cop it on the chin by sudden changes in policy or procedure.

China has been telling itself since the Cultural Revolution that it’s been terribly bullied by all these other big nations like Britain and the USA and Japan, and it must seek restitution for all those historic wrongs.

Australians too have a first-hand view of how British colonialism worked – for ill as well as good.

So while I sympathise with their historic mistreatment, we must simply move on and be better global citizens rather than resorting to bully tactics and revenge.

In international relations it seems China has a glass jaw and a hurt ego – and economic clout.

Paul Wayper, Cook

Scott Morrison pledges to ‘‘build a large naval ship that will cruise the South Pacific and help Australia’s neighbours deal with natural disasters’’ (‘‘Ship to patrol Pacific amid long view on PNG’’, November 9, p8).

What are the plans for the ‘‘large naval ship’’ to combat climate change and sea-level rise, which will obliterate some Island nations. The Morrison government does not have an adequate domestic climate strategy, is not taking a leading international role on climate change mitigation and has no Pacific climate plan. Labor had a very good Pacific climate policy, which was abolished by the Abbott government.

Not to worry, Morrison’s naval ship will deal with this problem.

Rod Holesgrove, O’Connor

Targeting parking infringements at school fetes is certainly ‘‘mean-spirited’’ (Letters, November 14), especially when it seems a double standard is being applied. For 12 months, ever since a new bikeway and footpath were constructed on Matilda Street, Woden Town Centre, the Hellenic Club has been violating parking rules with immunity.

On most mornings, delivery vans can be seen protruding from the club loading dock blocking the footpath and the bikeway.

Pedestrians and bike riders are obliged to navigate around the front of the vans opening the way to a dangerous collision.

Now there’s a case where the application of parking fines might improve safety and public amenity.

Richard Bush, Curtin

Saturday, October 27, was the Canberra Girls Grammar School Fete. Cars were all around the school as the school community raised money.

Many people returned to their cars to a parking fine of $270.

This was with the compliments of the Barr government’s mobile licence plate recognition camera car (the revenue car).

This serves as a warning to the ACT community that the Barr government continues to target public events and community activities to raise yet more revenue.

Interesting that the ACT government’s priorities now target community activities to generate revenue.

At the same time parking across Canberra is being squeezed out of the town.

Peter Pharaoh, Yarralumla

Your correspondent, K. MacMillan, (Letters, November 14) asks about the necessity of sending of our troops to oppose Nazi Germany, as if the answer is an automatic forgone conclusion, simply because we did so.

Military history, answers that question in numerous other ways.

I seem to remember it noted at the Australian War Memorial that the US was officially neutral until the ‘‘Day that will live in infamy’’ (December 7, 1941), when Japan attacked the American territory at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. I also seem to remember that the land of my ancestors, the Republic of Ireland/Eire, managed to remain neutral all the way through the Second World War. If individual citizens of those and other neutral countries felt strongly enough to take up arms to fight the Nazi or Axis menace they did so.

However, an independent country like the Republic of Ireland was able to stay neutral, avoid conscription and extensive bloody fatal involvement of its citizens.

I wonder if Australia had been a republic, could it have embraced neutrality as well? Could/would Australia do so in the future?

Would we have avoided the Darwin attacks by the Japanese, the abandonment and self destruction of Queensland and the mini-submarine off Sydney and our coast?

Must we forever ask why we always seem to have to send our lads (and lassies) to fight, die and be physically and psychologically maimed in other country’s wars, at the behest of overseas foreign leaders?

The lyrics of Imagine by John Lennon come to mind, so I wonder if our ‘‘leaders’’ have the imagination to steer us ‘‘out of harm’s way’’, as the world sails towards further ideological conflict, with some obviously not so balanced or even rational people at the helm.

Imagine just some little bit of the outrageous proposed $500millions being instead spent on a military workshop exploring ‘‘Defending effective neutrality as a possible policy in a future republic of Australia’’.

I wonder if we can?

Charles Foley, Queanbeyan East NSW

Ross Gittins (‘‘It’s a hard lesson that we are yet to heed’’, November 14, p17) highlights many reasons that we need to focus on quality public education for all.

The current government funding, although supposed to be ‘‘needs based’’, is actually based on political clout, especially from private religious-based schools.

As Gittins points out, this funding approach undermines the future of all our children and our democracy by segregating children by socioeconomic class and religion. Children and youth need to learn and be together regardless of socioeconomic status, religion or ethnicity.

Stratification has negative effects on learning and on social integration, which is fundamental to a dynamic democracy. All taxes should go to guaranteeing quality public school education for everyone.

Pamela Collett, Narrabundah

The Labor Party and the Coalition are already in an election mode. But none of them are seriously talking about the plights of the asylum seekers, senior citizens and affordable housing.

The next election will be fought on many other issues like collecting taxes from the multinational corporations to address funding problems in health, education and power supplies to industry and households without polluting the atmosphere.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

The brutal terrorist attack in Bourke Street, Melbourne, is just one example that shows Australia needs better security as well as being tougher on crime.

This should start when migrants first arrive at their sub-destination point, this being Nauru or wherever and if there is any doubt at all of them not becoming good citizens, they should be put on the first available plane to from whence they came.

Immigration officers should not get soft on so-called sad cases.

It is a shame citizenship cannot be withdrawn and these people can’t be sent back to their countries of origin, never to return.

This should have happened to the Bourke Street terrorist when his passport was cancelled in 2015.

If that had happened, the restaurant owner who was stabbed would be alive and well.

Failing a tougher approach, the only alternative to the above and the moves suggested in The Canberra Times would be high-security prison for life, not just 10 years.

Anne Prendergast, Reid

PETTY BEHAVIOUR

Well said Graeme Dobell (Letters, November 14). Some 200 cars received fines for parking on the centre plantation at Girls’ Grammar fete recently.

Easy money for the government and petty behaviour against a one day of the year event.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

LET NELSON PLAN SINK

Brendon Kelson (Letters, November 14) has nailed it.

Half a billion dollars. Nine years’ disruption. What was the Economic Review Committee thinking? There are better ways, cheaper ways, so let the Nelson Plan sink, and spend the savings on the vets and/or other needy cultural institutions.

Ed Cory, Bywong

STAIN ON HONOURED PAST

If Bec Cody is serious about removing some Canberra place names then might I suggest that she start with prime ministers Barton, Deakin, Watson, Fisher, Hughes and Cook followed by state premiers Parkes and Forrest, as all were vehement supporters of a White Australia.

All were politicians of their time, all are honoured now irrespective of this stain in their past.

Graeme Rankin, Holder

VALUE OF SUBMARINES

Nicholas Stuart’s argument that the purchase of new submarines should be scrapped and replaced by development of missiles (‘‘New subs stir up sea dogs’’, November 14, p16) ignores the obvious point that modern submarines are far harder to detect and destroy. Land-based missiles, even if mobile, can be located by satellite surveillance.

David Roth, Kambah

PASSPORT POLICY

As a Muslim, I find the Australian government’s policy difficult to understand. The Bourke St terrorist wanted to go to Syria and the Australian government cancelled his passport.

Why not let him go to Syria and then cancel his passport so he is unable to come back here?

Dr Shaheena Rana, Walkerville, SA

FUND ALL ABOUT IDEOLOGY

Treasurer Josh Frydenburg is busy promoting the government’s $2billion fund to help ‘‘struggling’’ small businesses.

If employment is booming, along with the economy, what’s the justification for this latest taxpayer-funded handout (because that’s what it will turn out to be), not a rigorously managed ‘‘loan’’ as the government claims? I wonder if it has anything to do with the coalition’s ideology – a motive not unlike Labor’s ‘‘ideology’’, which, the government constantly asserts, is behind every move the opposition makes.

Eric Hunter, Cook

WATER SQUANDERED

Why does the federal government allow people to squander the waters of the precious Murray Darling Basin on rice and cotton?

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

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