Splashing out on subs just the next step in race to bottom for weapons

If they survive, the new submarines are expected to provide our defence until the 2070s, when it is expected they will be out of date and possibly replaced by craft not yet on the drawing board.

Most of those alive today have never known a time when there was no arms race, an open-ended search for the latest weapon that would be invulnerable and sufficiently deadly to deter invaders.

Yet there was a time, after the end of the Second World War, when a different way to international security was proposed. When the shock of the first use of a weapon of mass destruction was still fresh, in 1946 the United States offered an alternative to an international arms race. At the time, the world stock of nuclear weapons was probably two atom bombs, and the US offered to destroy these if other nations promised to remain nuke-free — a reasonable stipulation, which would involve the establishment of an atomic energy authority with investigative powers to check compliance.

The offer was called the Baruch Plan, and it was vetoed by one nation. The Soviet Union was controlled at the time by a morbidly suspicious psychopath, who decided his country needed this excellent weapon.

The failure of that post-war generation of leaders has committed the world to a never-ending search for the perfect new weapon, one that will deter all tyrants. It seems now that there is no way back.

Harry Davis, Campbell

In the looming Senate election, ACT voters will essentially have to choose between the Liberal/National Coalition's incumbent (Senator Zed Seselja) or the Labor/Green (informal) coalition's challenger, since no other candidate is likely to gain the second quota ("Unions target Seselja with $100k election-campaign war chest", March 5, p6).

However whoever wins the second Senate position is unlikely to have much influence, regardless of which side forms government.

If the Coalition and Zed are returned, the ACT will continue to be ignored (except as a source of jobs to move to Coalition-voting seats).

If voters toss out Zed but the Coalition clings to power, Canberra is even more likely to be pillaged.

If Labor/Greens form government and a Green senator is elected, Canberra will probably be taken for granted since they would hold seven/seven local representatives.

Even if Canberra is not taken for granted, there will be other newly won areas where extravagant promises have been made.

If Zed hangs on, the incoming Labor/Green government would be tempted to ignore Canberra since the second position would appear to be unwinnable.

The lack of influence makes it less likely the ACT will get a fair go, and of us having an appropriate influence on the big issues facing Australia.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

I write re: Dr Shroot's letter on e-cigarettes (Letters, February 28).

There have been thousands of cases, including death, of toddlers ingesting the nicotine from one cartridge.

An ABC report in 2014 stated "one lick would be a dangerous dose for a toddler" and states refills are available with containers from 6ml to 1litre, without safety caps.

The British Medical Journal in April 2016 reported on "the real risk of explosion" and published a report on patients suffering burns from explosions of commonly available devices purchased from high-street shops.

There have also been reports of a vaper having a hole burnt through his lung when the device shot hot nicotine through his throat.

Reuters has reported "parents should know the highly concentrated nicotine used in e-cigarettes is a new deadly poison". There were 113 dogs reported poisoned in the UK by ingesting the refills, the smell of which is appealing to cats and dogs.

Do yourself, your family and friends, your health and your wallet a favour and quit cigs and e-cigs.

T. Henderson, Holder

It is very encouraging to read about the proposed School Kids Climate Strike on March15, and to hear them calling all politicians to account for their half-hearted climate change policies.

More than many of the older generations, these kids are well aware that the climate is changing inexorably.

In fact, it is changing so fast that the stable climate that humans and other species have experienced for thousands of years is changing to a catastrophic climate, largely within one lifetime.

They are entitled to be furious, because it is their generation that will have to pick up the pieces of extreme weather events, sea-level rises, destruction of much of the biosphere, loss of farmland, water wars, food wars and untold millions of distraught and dislocated people.

We have reached a crisis situation, yet we still hear parliamentarians advocating more mining of coal than finding ways to stop emissions getting into the atmosphere.

I hope every schoolkid in Canberra will be there, making their voice heard.

Catherine Rossiter, Fadden

If John Bromhead of Rivett (Letters, March 5) is upset about the feed-in tariff awarded to the SolarShare community solar farm in the Majura Valley, he could recoup his perceived costs by investing.

The project provides a modest investment opportunity to ACT residents, particularly for those who do not own their roofs or whose roofs might be limited or unsuitable for solar generation.

Peter Campbell, Cook

My letter about SolarShare published on March 5 contained an error that inflated costs by a factor of 10.

John Bromhead, Rivett

I read recently that Henry Ford, having proved the success of his car assembly line, wondered how to increase sales.

After doing some sums, he increased his workers' wages so they could afford his cars.

Worker happiness went up, productivity went up, and crucially so did sales. Then he reduced worker hours (same pay) so they had more time to enjoy his cars. The same thing happened again.

Meanwhile, back in Australia, worker wages stagnate and discontent and inequality abound, although profits slowly increase.

Is somebody not joining up the dots?

Peter Cooper, Greenway

The Prime Minister is to be congratulated for his economic management. No recession since 2005 – until late 2018.

Yes, folks, our financial wizards have "managed to manage" the economy into a technical recession. So much for "the Coalition are better financial managers than the ALP".

Of course the upcoming budget will be "in surplus" – but only if you do not look for the smoke and mirrors used to massage the numbers to deliver – surprise, surprise – a budget "surplus" just in time for the federal election.

They must have contracted budget preparation to the "Big Four" banks. After all, the 2018 royal commission lifted the lid on the rubbery-figures management style of the banks. No wonder Morrison worked so hard to avoid such a commission.

Rod Olsen, Flynn

I refer to Graham MacAfee's letter (Letters, March 5) questioning why federal LNP politicians are "retiring".

They tell us it is for family and other reasons.

But has anyone calculated their over-generous pollie pensions (for life and accessible immediately) while they are sitting in government compared to their pollie pensions if they lose the next election and then retire in opposition?

Family, lifestyle or simply filthy lucre?

P. R. Temple, Macquarie

In 2014 the Holy See reported on its ability to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the UN committee on that subject.

It copped a right serve. Amongst other things, the committee said that the Holy See should: (a) "[That it will] ensure that ... it will independently investigate all cases of child sexual abuse as well as the conduct of the Catholic hierarchy in dealing with them ...;

(b) Immediately remove all known and suspected child sexual abusers from service and refer the matter to the relevant law enforcement authorities...;

(c) Ensure transparent sharing of all archives which can be used to hold accountable child sexual abusers ...;

(d) Amend the Canon Law in order for child sexual abuse to be considered a crime ... and repeal all provisions which may impose an obligation of silence on the victims and on all those that become aware of such crimes;

(e) Establish clear rules, mechanisms and procedures for the mandatory reporting of all suspected cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation to law-enforcement authorities;

(f) Ensure that all priests, religious personnel and individuals working under the authority of the Holy See are made aware of their reporting obligations and of the fact that, in case of conflict, these obligations prevail over Canon Law provisions.

Not much has changed.

Religious freedom has its limits.

Charles Woodhouse, Civic

Australia and other Western nations are supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Yemeni civil war because there's a particular Middle East nation involved on the other side in the fight bent on developing a regional empire modelled on its past glories.

It is feverishly developing and testing missiles, and already has influence in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Gaza Strip.

For example, a leader of this nation has previously said there are no homosexuals in his country, and has said that his nation will destroy Israel.

Many there regularly chant "death to America" and "death to Israel".

There is a suspicion that this same nation harbours a goal of eventually developing nuclear weapons to put on its missiles.

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic

Scott Morrison, wasting money on a trip to Christmas Island for a photo opportunity, clearly demonstrates that, despite the slogan, he's not getting on with the job.

Jeff Bradley, Isaacs

On Monday, March 4, my husband and I drove from Newcastle to Canberra. In that distance, almost 440 kilometres, we saw only two police vehicles. Given the Australian road toll, I would have expected a greater police presence on our busiest motorways and highways.

I understand the difficulties police encounter in terms of personnel, resources and the stresses of the job itself. However, I suspect but have no figures to prove it, that more attention is given to terrorism than to our road toll.

I did manage to obtain some numbers for 2016. In that year there were nine terrorism "incidents", with no deaths and one injury.

For that same period there were 1293 road fatalities Australia-wide, or 5.34 road deaths per 100,000 people.

Surely this demonstrates a need for more road patrols more often.

V. Saunders, Weetangera

John L Smith ("Confessional defended", Letters, March 4) seems to elevate Catholic doctrine above "any civil law" and suggests that the required reporting of knowledge of paedophilia will be a bad law because, he says, it will lead to exemptions.

What can be "bad" of a law requiring universal reporting of abhorrent criminal acts?

Exemptions are not warranted.

But he is correct that – in its post-biblical, man-made codifying of the doctrine of secrecy of the confession – the church has claimed that it was "from the beginning".

This has as much credibility as, and less biblical "authority" than, the ridiculous religious notions of seven-day creation and the incestuous descent of the human race from Adam and his divinely re-engineered rib.

The successors to those who asserted that historic falsehood are equally well able to now proclaim that "it is no longer so".

They should do so.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

Warwick Bradley (Letters, March 5) wonders why the Catholic Church is allowed to continue to operate schools (Letters March 5).

Part of the answer is that no government wants to make the investment in additional public schools that would be required if the Catholic schools were closed.

Jack Monaghan, Lyneham

FREE SPEECH TAKES A HIT

Has the Coalition really lost the plot? It espouses free speech, but prevents conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos from entering the country. At the same time it allows Muslim hate preachers to disseminate their odious ideology. If only there was a viable alternative at the next election.

Owen Reid, Dunlop

SPREAD THE NOISE

How about drone trials being visited upon the inner south and inner north suburbs in ACT and not just the outer suburbs?

Gail Allen, Pearce.

EDITORIAL NAILS IT

Many thanks for your thoughtful and well-enunciated editorial of March 5, 2019. We Fluffies can only hope that it will bear fruit and ultimately lead to a board of inquiry. Sadly, I think it will take a great deal more than quality editorials to prod the conscience of ACT politicians.

Kathleen Read, Gundaroo, NSW

ABBOTT'S MEMORY ISSUE

So Tony Abbott doesn't recall if George Pell asked him for a character reference. If his memory is that bad god help us if he is re-elected to Parliament.

Phil Nicolls, Monash

TWISTED JUSTICE

Another government confused. So blow the whistle on wrongdoers and you go to jail? Unless of course you blow a whistle in confession and then it's good work Godot. At least we gave the lawmakers an above-par pay increase.

M. Leslie, Bega, NSW

HANSON SPOT ON

Jeremy Hanson's item on pill testing and pill taking is accurate – and long overdue. We have a libertarian and amoral element among our ACT Barr leadership.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

HERE'S A QUESTION

Question: Is there anyone, on radio or on television, who asks anything other than "a great question"? Answer: That's a great question.

Annie Lang, Kambah

PUBLIC SERVANTS STEP UP

Three cheers for public servants, they must be running the country because the LNP government isn't. Too busy pork-barrelling the electorate or giving well-paid postings to their mates. Remind people of this when public servants are given a hard time by those living outside Canberra.

Jan Gulliver, Lyneham

LEAVING IT A LITTLE LATE

Apparently, now, in Canberra, when a driver wishes to turn or change lanes, they are obliged to not use their indicators until after they have begun the move. Although this now seems to be the new way of doing things, I preferred the old way, of giving other motorists a warning of a driver's intent.

Gordon Fyfe, Kambah

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