Letters to the editor: Let India pay for its mine

But no, this was communications director Anita Perkins providing every reason (though not intentionally) why the government should release a bus communications strategy commissioned in 2015. This is shown by substituting the word "would" with her words "could" and "may" when she says: "I acknowledge that release of the document could promote government accountability and may contribute to debate on a topic that has been a matter of public discussion and interest."

But she adds that, "on balance", the benefits of releasing the paper would be outweighed by "the inhibition of frankness that is likely to flow from the disclosure", which would "create confusion as the opinions and recommendations it contains do not reflect the current government position".

What utter rot: it would do the opposite and allow the public, who pay Perkins' salary and paid for the report, to make clearer judgments as to where the government is going on this issue and why.

Release the report. Let the ratepayers be the judge and the government be accountable for its actions.

Eric Hodge, Pearce

Our town council "is refusing to release a bus communications strategy it commissioned in 2015".

Anita Perkins acknowledged that "release of the document could promote government accountability and may contribute to debate on a topic that has been a matter of public discussion and interest".

She "judged the bus strategy an 'internal working document' and as such exempt from release under freedom of information laws".

How a report from an external contractor can be considered an internal working document beats me. It would seem that our ongoing tramway contract may yet be open to serious legal contest that could see the protagonists seriously compromised.

Perkins admitted "the opinions and recommendations it contains do not reflect the current government position". The big elephant in the room is the question concerning the basis on which those recommendations were rejected.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Jack Palmer's defence of Canberra's $1 billion, 12-kilometre tram line (Letters, April 10) lacks credibility because, as he says, "I am ... disinterested."

Those who are interested in public transport, especially those who depend on it for their primary mobility, are keenly interested in this project, which, as proposed, will further fragment much of north Canberra's public transport.

In an attempt to force passengers on to the tram, the government will ban all buses on its route, requiring many people to make two changes – bus to tram to bus – to complete what is now a single-vehicle journey. The result will be less public transport use, substantially higher costs and further reduced government funding of genuinely worthwhile projects and organisations.

Palmer is correct that this blight on the landscape will be "a new and significant landmark", but other infrastructure already starved of funds (so as to pay for the tram) is reducing Canberra's stature of Canberra as a mature city.

Graham Downie, O'Connor

Having forced people into apartments by manufacturing a shortage of free-standing housing, the ACT government now seeks to bleed those apartment dwellers dry through a massive rates hike ("Rates up for apartments", April 11, p1).

Comparing rates between these types of dwellings is misleading because apartment owners must also pay thousands of dollars in strata fees, a proportion of which goes towards paying for government services such as waste management, because the standard service is inadequate.

It seems the government is looking to make low and middle-income owners pay for its profligacy.

Gordon Williams, Watson

I emphathise with Gary Pearson, the organiser of a music gig at the ANU, and his frustration in saying: "What the f--- is a non-binary?" What indeed ("Regurgitator pulls out of ANU Bar finale after gender spat", April 12, p2)!

Can you imagine what it would be like trying to engage with a bunch of infantile, cosseted prats whose entire world view is focussed through a lens of indenty politics and toxic political correctness? Even the irrepressible Seinfeld will not perform on campuses these days because of the hordes of humourless bigots who infect the audiences.

There was a time when I thought Australians were too down to earth to be caught up in this nonsense. Silly me.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

Can someone enlighten me as to what exactly is wrong with the Kingston Foreshore?

I've lost count of how many times it has been referred to negatively by outraged anti-development campaigners.

Why? I think it's fabulous and, clearly, so do thousands of other Canberrans.

Every weekend it is a bustling delight of all ages, all appearing to be enjoying the restaurants, amenities, bike paths, etc.

I wonder if all the neighbourhood (nimby) community action groups put their money where their mouths were – instead of using public platforms and the public purse (no doubt paid for by taxes from "evil" developers) – and paid for legal consultation/objection, whether they would be so vocal.

Bring on City to the Lake, the West Basin precinct and the Kingston arts precinct.

Michelle Fegan, Belconnen

I am appalled at the lack of long-stay parking at Marketplace Gungahlin.

The park-and-ride facility as well and adjacent long-stay car park is now full to capacity by 9am each weekday.

There are extra long-stay places opposite the post office but they fill very quickly and are now part of a construction site for the Metro.

The buses between Gungahlin and the city are affordable and frequent. I much prefer them to driving to and parking in the city.

Please provide us with more long-stay car spaces if you seriously want us to "park and ride".

Joy Urquhart, Palmerston

Adani, an Indian conglomerate, is proposing a new coal mine ("Carmichael") in Queensland, the ultimate purpose of which is to generate more electricity in India for use by Indians ("Adani mine closer as PM gives assurances", April 12, p9).

Adani wants a taxpayer-funded concessional loan of about $1 billion from the Australian government, to fund half the cost of the required mine-to-port railway line.

The question must be asked: why doesn't the Indian government provide this loan?

This project is for the benefit of Indians. The Indian government could take measures, unavailable to the Australian government, to ensure that Adani adhered strictly to the terms and conditions, including payment of interest and repayment of principal, of the loan.

Australia should confine its involvement to ensuring that all environmental conditions and workplace health and safety requirements are fully met, from the coalface to when the bulk carriers are outside Australian waters. In addition, of course, Adani would need to meet all its tax and royalty obligations.

Paul E. Bowler, Holder

International coal prices soared extraordinarily last week due to Cyclone Debbie's disruption of Queensland coal production.

Analysts estimate lost production of 13 to 20 million tonnes due to the cyclone.

Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull is touring India drumming up support for Adani's Carmichael mine. At its peak, this mine is expected to produce 60 million tonnes of coal a year.

What are an extra 60 million tonnes of year going to do to the international coal price?

It's not just environmentalists who should protest against Carmichael. Anyone owning shares or working in an existing coal mine should protest against Australian subsidies for a massive new foreign-owned competitor.

Anyone concerned about government tax receipts from current Australian coal producers should be alarmed at the extra risks to future profitability.

Australia has recently made monumental mistakes in our gas market, with much of our gas sold unprofitably to foreign markets with little benefit to Australians. Are we foolish enough to encourage a similar mistake to be made with coal?

David Osmond, Dickson

Pope's cartoon (April 12) about Adani coal being the potential death of the Great Barrier Reef is misleading and irritating.

He is right that burning coal is a major contributor to global warming, and that global warming is killing the reef through coral bleaching and more severe storms.

He is wrong that Permian Adani coal from the Galilee Basin will add to the problem.

Coal will be a major energy source for many years to come, and many high-efficiency coal-fired power stations are being built in Asia now, so there will be an ongoing need for huge quantities of coal. Adani's coal is purer and more efficient than that of almost all its competitors elsewhere in the world, so exporting it is a plus for the environment, not a negative.

Of course, one can argue against the Adani mine on other grounds, but it's important to be clear that its use will not add to global warming.

Also, as argued by the federal and Queensland governments, it will provide much-needed jobs for many Australians in construction and mining, and much-needed export income for Australia.

Dr Neville Exon, Chapman

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the superannuation industry is bleating that allowing first-home buyers to access part of their existing super savings to secure a home deposit will "savagely" reduce their super availability when they retire.

It uses an example: $20,000 taken now will deny them access to $134,000 in 20 years, assuming an unrealistic compound interest rate of 10 per cent a year.

Let's say the prospective buyers take $20,000 from their super, add another $20,000 from savings and use the total as a 10per cent deposit on a $400,000 home. In the ACT, in 20 years' time, that home will be worth about $800,000.

Both examples ignore the natural fall in the dollar's buying power but I know which I'd prefer.

The only pain endured by releasing a minor part of an individual's super will be the fall in the champagne lifestyle of super fund executives.

Roger Dace, Reid

White House spokesman Sean Spicer's recent gaffe – he said Adolf Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons" against his own people – is another instance of the Trump method: vicious character assassination, commonly by comparison with one or more of a hierarchy of historical no-goodniks.

Obviously, Hitler tops the list and is therefore the go-to comparison for the truly bad.

Why don't they use Joseph Stalin more? It makes all sorts of polemical sense, and then they wouldn't be offending the Jews.

One can only wonder why they didn't switch long ago. Then there's the Asian answer to Hitler: Pol Pot.

It's not their weapon that misfired here; it's the reflexive way they use it.

S. W. Davey, Torrens

Sadly, Labor has joined the Coalition in wanting to relocate ACT public servants to stimulate regional economies ("Wanted: our workforce" (April 12, p1).

Canberra's public servants make up a much higher proportion of the total workforce than state capital workforces do.

Hence, mass relocations could devastate Canberra's economy.

Labor and the Liberals are de-federating by stealth. Goodbye Canberra. Hello Detroit.

Graham Macafee, Latham

Let me see if I have this right. We have two overpopulated cities: Sydney and Melbourne. We need decentralisation to help smaller towns. So the logical thing is to move people from another region (Canberra) to help those places revive ("Wanted: our workforce", April 12, p1)?

David Purnell, Florey

"This one happened to be perfectly matched to a young family," James Carter said ("$5.5m sale smashes Forrest record", April 12, p8). In a city with a high level of homelessness, this statement defies belief. Carter must live in a different world to us.

Murray Upton, Belconnen

The National Rugby League is considering appointing independent doctors to deal with suspected concussion during games ("Independent doctors on NRL agenda", April 12, p38). This is an excellent and positive initiative. However, the authorities could sensibly address the overall issue of head injuries in rugby league by banning any tackle, deliberate or otherwise, above the shoulders. Players should be encouraged to aim for the legs and chest when tackling. Or am I oversimplifying the issue?

Andrew Rowe, Florey

Does the Australian Rugby Union really think the 30-odd players out of a job when their team is dumped from Super Rugby will stay in Australia hoping for a break ("Stirzaker says uncertainty over future is weighing on players' minds", April 12, p36)? If the players and their agents have any sense, they'll be on the next plane to Europe or Japan to get a run in the excellent, well-run competitions over there. And good luck to them.

Geof Murray, Ngunnawal

I sincerely thank Pauline Hanson and One Nation for their recently announced ban on appearing on the ABC. It saves me from having to use the remote control whenever one of them appears on my ABC.

Rob King, Melba

If Treasurer Scott Morrison can be referred to as ScoMo ("ScoMo points two ways on housing woes", April 12, p19), wouldn't it also save space to use MalTu, BarJo, PetDu, BilSh, JulBi, PauHa and BobKa, for instance?

John Milne, Chapman

Australia is at the height of a periodontal epidemic, highlighted by hordes of people with halitosis. The only sure way the culprits – millions of pesky bacteria – can be defeated is for a dentist to remove the calculus they have created, behind the gum line.

Matt Ford, Crookwell, NSW

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