Who is responsible?
F Prideaux (Letters, November 28) provided a rant about the ACT government's response to the Mr Fluffy crisis and then drew a parallel to problems with flammable cladding.
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In Prideaux's world, governments are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The correspondent's bottom line appears to be a failure of government in 1968 to stop Mr Fluffy and or a lack of taxpayer compensation. On the first point nobody forced homeowners to use Mr Fluffy. On the latter I puzzle why the government socialised this cost. The reason, however, is clear, it has a duty going forward to protect third party service providers.
Government could have addressed this problem by publishing a list of all known affected properties with obligations imposed on owners in respect of the management of their property. The market would then have determined the value of the property. Apart from ensuring compliance with the regime, taxpayers would have been off the hook.
As to the complaint about unidentified Mr Fluffy properties, what is the issue? This would be nothing more than human error by an employee or are you suggesting some conspiracy by government?
My owners' corporation has identified flammable cladding on our building. I accept that this is a problem for the owners' corporation to fix. The ACT government cannot unilaterally change the Australian Building Code. However, accrediting more tradespeople needed for removal of cladding and supporting the safe and affordable disposal of waste would help.
Mike Buckley, Barton
Royal perception
I'm not sure I agree with Ian Warden ("Beware the the blockbuster clickbait ", November 24) that Kate, Will, Harry and Meghan are snobs. They seem to me quite nice people - like their father (in law) and late mother (in law).
Michael McCarthy, Deakin
Don't abandon rationality
In the climate debate there is a vast space between the hysterical extremes of denial and doomsaying. I fear The Canberra Times leans heavily to the latter.
Sunday's paper (November 24, p.9) featured a sympathetic article and endorsing editorial giving older Extinction Rebellion Canberrans "credit for standing up to be counted"; considering their actions a "refreshing attitude".
Yet Monday's Times failed to report that Extinction Rebellion are planning to thwart Federal Politicians from flying home on December 5 by blocking airport access.
I hope this was an aberration on the part of the paper or a false report. On behalf of your readers, please don't abandon rationality.
Peter Robinson, Ainslie
Sharing the good news
We rarely hear good news for people with autism. Living with an invisible disability, they are often misunderstood, criticised and penalised for social and neurological differences they cannot control.
Worse yet is the industry of so-called cures, preying on those who are desperate for solutions.
That's why I welcome the establishment of a senate select committee to inquire into "services, support and life outcomes for autistic people in Australia".
We are quick to criticise our politicians for holding too many public inquiries; but this time they have got it right, by looking into an issue that profoundly affects the daily lives of thousands of Australians.
It's vitally important that we identify best practice diagnosis and support, and understand why autistic girls fly under the radar, missing out on early intervention.
Endeavour Foundation hopes the senate select committee will be the first step towards systemic change and better life outcomes for people of all ages, living with autism.
Andrew Donne, Endeavour Foundation chief executive
Go green for mental health
Global studies show nutritional upgrades and supplements improve social behavior in jails far more than psychiatric drugs.
Green Mental Health is far more sustainable than the standard Medical Model with its toxic drugs and crude tampering with the brain. It's about time the content of psychiatry and psychology at our universities included a large component in Green Mental Health.
Linda Vij, Mascot, NSW
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