Canberra Times Letters to the Editor: Dog racing poor relation

I do admit that there have been some very bad and gruesome reports about the greyhound industry, but, to its credit, and better rules and regulations, it is now cleaning up its act.

It has been the same over the years about the horse racing and harness side of this business but rules and regulations were set in motion that have today seen a thriving business employing thousands of people and bringing in lots of revenue to governments.

There was never any talk about governments banning horse or harness racing, with governments knowing full well that any talk of such foolishness would have seen riots in the streets.

I was surprised to receive on my email page a request from the RSPCA to send a "yes" response to the local minister supporting the ban on greyhound racing, and I ask myself "why?"

Are we getting to the stage in our society where we must say that any social activity involving animals is to be frowned upon and banned and the RSPCA acting like big brother?

No, I think not, with the right rules set in place we can all enjoy our animal friends with kindness, enjoyment, and pleasure.

Errol Good, Macgregor

I was dismayed to read the article "Unions trying to recruit students, says ACT Liberal" (July 4, p3). My child attended one such session at their school. Rather than the session being a recruitment exercise as is suggested in the article my child was provided with information about safety rights, entitlements and obligations.

They were advised that if there is a problem talk to your work supervisor, your parent, your teacher or the Fair Work Ombudsmen.

My child was not asked to join a union and no membership forms were provided to them. Rather than being upset about the session I am pleased someone else is looking after my child's best interest. What do the Canberra Liberals have to fear from young people knowing the law regarding work safety rights and obligations? I'm glad someone took the time to provide my child this information. Thank you Unions ACT.

Jim Dixon, Curtin

John Bornstein provides an interesting analysis on the reasons for diminishing union influence and its impact on wages ("Tough rules on unions have stifled Australia wages, canberratimes.com.au, July 5). A couple of things he didn't mention.

Firstly, some unions and representatives choose to fight about everything, so people grow deaf to their legitimate issues.

Secondly, he didn't mention the propensity of unions to pursue their own agendas, or meddle in things, including moral causes and issues, that are neither their core business, nor accord with the convictions of many of those they want to attract and keep as members. For example, when my workplace union starts advocating about renewable energy, climate change, saving koalas (as cute as they appear), or same-sex relationships, rather than concentrating on employment conditions, they've got no right to expect my funds to help them. Similarly when they use those dues to shortsightedly support minority groups of workers at the loss of the majority (eg, trading away penalty rates for workers, when the longstanding workers get the shifts that don't get impacted, whilst the newbies lose out).

Unions have a place, but they must be careful not to undermine their own legitimacy, or it'll be too late when they, and we, realise it's already happened.

J.Coleman, Chisholm

David Wroe (canberratimes.com.au, June 25) describes US-China rivalry as the most important change-management challenge of the 21st century. But he overlooks climate change and other fundamental limits described in Wikipedia under "planetary boundaries".

Put simply, the growth of world population (It has tripled during my lifetime), plus huge increases in resources used and waste produced, means that we are rapidly outgrowing our planet's capacity to maintain an environment favourable for our species and our civilisation.

Climate change is the canary in the coal mine. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally in Earth's atmosphere.

But because we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased 50 per cent since pre-industrial times.

Until well after we complete the present global reform to phase out fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy, the temperature at the surface of our planet will continue to increase. So too will the risk of positive feedbacks and sharp, unexpected rises in temperature.

High-profile issues in Australia relating to planetary boundaries include damage to the Great Barrier Reef, disputes about water allocation in the Murray basin, the mega coalmine proposed by Adani in Queensland and controversy about fracking in several states.

Individually and collectively, it's time to take responsibility and make a difference. We can each adjust our lives to tread more lightly on the earth. And collectively we must persuade our political and business leaders to act.

David Teather, Reid

Tony Abbott should follow the advice of British prime minister John Major after he was defeated by Tony Blair: "When the curtain falls it's time to leave the stage, and that's what I'm going to do."

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

It was minus 3 (the long johns came out) on Saturday night, and the weather was better than the Canberra Raiders – they were disgraceful. The lack of commitment, intensity and teamwork was evident.

There also appears to be about four on-field captains. I wish they would just leave it to captain Jarrod Croker.

In my view, the Raiders need to start with Josh Papalii, Josh Hodgson, Shannon Boyd, Sia Soliola, Elliot Whitehead and Joe Tapine and then bring on impact players like Junior Paulo, Dave Taylor, Luke Bateman and Kurt Baptise.

Revert to what won them 11 in a row last year, that is, for the full 80 minutes, alternate straight up the guts with Papalii, Boyd, Soliola and get a roll on then a little wider with Whitehead and Tapine and the odd run from Hodgson from dummy-half. Then get Hodgson to give (no running, no dummies) quick service out to Aidan Sezer and the backs. Rotate and bring on the impact players, including giving Hodgson and Whitehead a rest, they need it.

Or, more importantly, the team needs Hodgson to get out of the way when Baptise is on the paddock. He moves to lock and wants to be dummy-half, scrum-half and prop. He just gets in the way. Plus, Hodgson is nowhere as effective as he was last year, the opposition have worked him out.

It would also be helpful and sensible if someone, anyone, tried to get some repeat sets. There was not one attempt on Saturday night, in contrast the Cowboys nailed us in-goal at least four times that I can remember.

It is amazing that the Raiders have been playing ever so poorly and yet Jordan Rapana is still the leading try scorer. What a machine, he is sensational as is young Nick Cotric.

If they get their act together, it is not inconceivable that the Raiders could win six out of the last eight games and make the semi-finals.

Markus Lynch, Gordon

I suppose the security of my Medicare number might be a worry but it pales into insignificance when I consider the security of my life and our vulnerability to nuclear war.

Old fashioned as it sounds, I earnestly wish we could begin turning our swords into ploughshares.

I have found three things can work in humbler but similar situations.

Firstly, refusing to give the offenders the attention (which can look like admiration) they are obviously hoping for, while quietly restraining them.

Secondly, changing the international conversation to a more interesting topic with a high potential to engage, eg sharing alternative energy sources or even a study of the long-term benefits of relative seclusion from major world powers (there must be some.)

And, finally, offering the provocateurs an alternative with benefit for them (like the Marshall Plan?) which also depends on some collaboration.

It occurs to me that our media with the help of our universities could be getting on with these tasks to make our security more likely and to give governments a jolt to their perspectives.

Naively I think we need those new strategies for peace now, before we worry about testosterone levels in sport or Medicare numbers.

Jill Sutton, Watson

Thanks for Adam Gartrell's article ("Ignorant and ugly: Australian attitudes to an African crisis", July 4, p6). It caused me to reflect on my own attitudes to personally donating to this cause.

Gartrell states that "the food crisis gripping East Africa is driven by civil war, drought and economic collapse — not overpopulation". I accept that the short-term main driver of famine in some parts of Africa is conflict that disrupts the seasonal cycle of food production, and of course this is not the fault of the people who are caught up in it.

At the same time I don't think overpopulation can be so lightly dismissed as a fundamental cause of these humanitarian crises.

I'm pushing 68 now and in my lifetime continental Africa's estimated population has increased fivefold, from about 227 million (1950) to 1153 million (2015).

My lay person's perception is that decades of humanitarian aid have made little difference to the level of crisis being reported from East Africa.

It seems highly likely to me that overpopulation is contributing to the civil war and economic collapse referred to above, and to some countries' inability to deal with drought even though it is a known recurring condition of the environment.

Celia Kneen, Weston

Yemen, one of the Arab world's poorest countries, has been devastated by a war created by the US and Saudi Arabia. The UN estimates that more than 16,000 people have been killed by airstrikes and ground fighting; nearly two-thirds of the fatalities have been civilians. As many as 17 million Yemenis, out of a pre-war population of 27 million, are in need of food aid, and of these 7 million are on the brink of dying from famine.

Every hour, six children under the age of five die of preventable causes including starvation and malnourishment. More than 3 million Yemenis have been displaced from their homes.

A crippling naval blockade of the country by the US has been key to the unrelenting onslaught and has resulted in a complete breakdown in Yemen's physical and social infrastructure, creating the conditions for the outbreak of a cholera epidemic and its rapid spread through the population. This is the same US that Australia has followed like a lapdog for 75 years now.

It has all the ingredients to become the greatest human disaster this century caused by the US and Saudi Arabia and who in this country even cares?

Rex Williams, Ainslie

Buses fast for a reason I usually have a quiet chuckle at the near daily anti-light rail contributions from the hardy band of opponents.

However, Stan Marks' (Letters, July 5) contribution cannot be left without rebuttal. Mr Marks praises the current speedy buses that ply the Woden-Civic corridor and quite correctly states the proposed light rail will have slower journey times.

What Mr Marks neglects to mention is the buses traversing the corridor do often exceed the posted speed limits, while the light rail vehicles will be tightly controlled to ensure safety.

Bill Gemmell, Holder

LET'S FOLLOW MACRON

The new President of France, Emmanuel Macron, wants to cut the size of his Parliament by a third. Let's follow suit in Australia, preferably in alphabetical order.

Wendy Rattigan, Weston

HITTING A BUM NOTE

Tony Abbott's Australian tour is set to the sounds of his new theme The Great Pretender. Pity it's not to Silence is Golden.

Graeme Rankin, Holder

ABBOTT OUT OF TOUCH

I think Tony Abbott suffered one too many blows to the head in his boxing days and the injury has returned to badly affect his judgment and his thinking. He is certainly not thinking in the best interests of his country, his party, his family or himself.

Tom Cooke, Pearce

LET'S BAN BOXING

Many in the general community have seen or experienced the effects of repeated concussion and head injury on the brain. Many would support Professor Morgan's view ("Ban barbarous boxing", July 4) that boxing should be banned.

So it should.

Tom Middlemiss, Deakin

LABOR DISHARMONY

Who would have thought it was an ALP government in power in the ACT, with the ALP's traditional concerns about equity? ("Big hip-pocket hit for Canberrans, July 1, p8)

Ever increasing rates, levies, rego etc. can only lead to reduced community well-being and increasing social disharmony. Who will pay the dentist's fee?

Murray May, Cook

ATTACK UNDIGNIFIED

There is nothing "presidential" about Donald Trump's attack on the media. It's very undignified.

It is in fact shameful that the leader of the democratic world should vilify one of the main pillars of democracy. This is further proof – after his attacks on the judiciary – that Trump does not have an abiding belief in the foundational precepts of democracy.

And, that is proof that he is unfit to be the president of that great country.

Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW

JUNK MAIL A CURSE

What don't junk mail advertising delivery people understand about my No Junk Mail Please sign prominently displayed on my letter box? Perhaps they can't read, or perhaps they don't give a stuff.

Perhaps the fast food, real estate and other such people took some responsibility for their junk mail walkers.

In the meantime I will ensure that I do not purchase any product or service shown on any junk mail that has been shoved in my letter box.

Chris Lathbury, Chisholm

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