Let's hope visiting pollies are scrutinised as intently

The Victorians are a known risk and have promised to behave, but what about all those from hot spots elsewhere? Will we see outbreaks here sourced back to the usual Kingston restaurants and certain other businesses as their 'going away presents'?

In July the BBC announced France will, from next September, introduce on-the-spot fines nationwide for drug users, particularly targeting cannabis. The move comes following tests in five cities including Rennes and Marseilles, amid concerns about drug-related violence, and was announced by Prime Minister Jean Castex on a trip to Nice, which has seen weeks of unrest. If an offender fails to pay on time, the fine is trebled.

The BBC reported the PM as saying he "wanted to put an end to the violence of everyday life" and that the drugs measure would simplify police procedures by "inflicting punishment without delay".

Australian governments must work together on drugs, as they are with COVID-19, but on this occasion to include a national uniform drug register for all criminal offences to assist police and health to form more appropriate strategies.

Mario Stivala (Letters, August 9) continues to want to point fingers of blame at the Victorian Government's use of private security contractors for hotel quarantine measures. Perhaps Mario has missed the fact that the contract security company (MSS Security) which was used in Melbourne's hotel quarantine is the very same company that has federal government contracts with such as the Australian Signals Directorate, the Department of Home Affairs and the AFP.

This latter information is publicly available and no doubt Mr Dutton could confirm this if asked.

That the Victorian government needed to arrange security urgently and had used a company approved of and used by the federal government, and which was also utilised by the NSW government for quarantine security purposes, needs to be taken into consideration

Ray Blackmore (Letters, August 10) has shown the importance of commas to correct understanding of a statement. Commas are used to surround a word, phrase or clause inserted into a sentence. Removal of the phrase leaves the bald statement, "Ray is stupid" (sorry, Ray).

Another dividing mark is the full stop. It is puzzling why so many people these days put a full stop in the middle of their sentences. I refer to the practice of starting a sentence with "and", "but" and "or". These are joining words (conjunctions) so it is illogical to put a separator mark in front of them. How about starting the second sentence with "also", "in addition", "therefore", "in contrast" etcetera?

As someone who has used vaping as a means to quit smoking, and has subsequently ceased vaping (not out of fear, but as it was no longer required), I get frustrated at opinions fixating on the negatives such as those of Dr Alan Shroot (Letters, August 10).

Yes, vaping contaminated THC oil is highly dangerous. So is inhaling/injecting anything obtained from some unscrupulous individual in the street who has no interest in what happens to the person afterwards, which is where the reported victims acquired the oil in the first place.

Don't simply lump all vaping into the one group, as the vast majority of people who vape as an alternative to, or a cessation aid from smoking do the right thing.

Admittedly there have been issues in the past, but the vaping community at large have seen these rectified. They've had to because too many others are very quick to condemn, rather that collaborate.

During the GFC there were four deaths as a result of the home insulation program which resulted in a coronial inquiry, a Senate inquiry and a Royal Commission. Last week a Senate committee was told up to 2000 vulnerable Australians took their own lives after receiving Robodebt notifications.

Will there be the same scrutiny of this government? Will the architect of Robodebt, the then Treasurer Scott Morrison, and his accomplices' Christian Porter and Stuart Robert be held accountable?

I fear not as the bar is always set far lower for the Coalition.

Ivan Cleary's post-match comments concerning the referees were pathetically weak. I am sure they don't reflect the Panthers club at all, whose first-grade team have been playing stellar football and deservedly lead the competition.

Personally I have been super-proud of how Ricky and Jarrod accept the vagaries of the football gods, unreservedly congratulate the other team for the contest, and move on. Rugby league is the hardest, most brutal sport in the world so why wouldn't you be magnanimous regardless of the outcome?

The maturity of Ricky and the whole club is one reason why the Raiders are, in recent years, such a strong "no excuses ever" organisation. Proud of you boys!

In July, I was lucky to fly to Brisbane for a week to visit my family and enjoy the warmth. On arrival at Brisbane airport, we were required to provide our previously issued border declaration passes and also photo identification. Most produced ACT drivers licences which include residential address.

Why can't the Queensland border police use this to exclude Sydney residents from a declared virus hotspot trying to illegally enter Queensland via Canberra, rather than excluding all of us from Canberra from a falsely declared hotspot? Seems simple enough. Or maybe such a check could be performed at Canberra Airport before providing permission to board.

In recent weeks the Morrison government has had an Australian naval group of five ships conduct freedom-of-navigation exercises in the South China Sea and written to the UN about the Chinese claims of sovereignty over areas of the same sea.

It would seem to be merely pandering to the Trump administration who, on most current analysis, have only 100 or less days in office.

What has Australia gained by the rush of gun boat diplomacy? The limited resources of the Australian navy would seem better employed in the South Pacific at this time. Maybe the Morrison government could explain the strategic thinking on this matter.

With the pending election of a Democratic administration, which has already indicated the immediate 360 degree about-turn on most of Trump's foreign policy initiatives, it would seem to be more ill-timed efforts by the Morrison government when a more deft touch is required.

Assembly candidate Bruce Paine is the latest of several to advocate freezing all rates and taxes (Letters, August 10). It is just not practical to promise to freeze rates and or taxes, or to freeze same. Inflation is running at about 4-5 per cent each year, with health inflation even higher. Some wage increases are already contracted, with staff and unions. Costs keep rising.

We expect, if not demand, the latest in health services in our hospitals and receive a high standard of municipal services in the ACT. Whatever our grumbles we have a high standard of services in roads, rubbish schools and healthcare.

The standards were originally set high by the Commonwealth and since self government our local pollies have struggled endlessly to achieve the same with less.

A freeze on rates and taxes is merely a postponement. One year's freeze must be followed by double increases the next year. Whether any government members ever have the intestinal fortitude to cut services and standards so that rates and taxes can then be frozen" remains to be seen.

I work for Bunnings and I am tired of customers telling me they are sick of being at home.

I wish I could work from home and avoid the blatant abuse and the lack of respect of our simple requests at work.

We are trying our hardest to keep this pandemic under control.

Re: Patricia Watson's pigeon problem (Letters, August 8). We had a similar pigeon infestation problem until a few days ago when a raven caught a pigeon in our front garden and ate it. We haven't seen a pigeon since. The raven apparently does not do out-of-area contract work, but a fake raven can be bought online for under $7, including postage.

Unlike Michael Lane (Silence Please, CT, 7 Aug ) I rather enjoy the thoughts of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd contributed to the public discourse. He is certainly not a loser, having won an election in an absolute landslide back in 2007. By the way, he was never voted out of office.

Federal politicians draw parallel with reactionary, star-collecting generals safely ensconced comfortably in their bivouacs, spooked by the smell of cordite, who care little for the privations and fate of gun-fodder soldierly deployed to enjoin battle at their behest ("Parliament to go ahead despite Vic risk", page 6, August 7, ).

Did Planning Minister Mick Gentleman, with the preposterous use of his call-in powers over proper planning process at Dickson, just lose the election for Chief Minister Barr? Remember Manuka Oval? Kurrajong voters reduced Barr's votes to less than Jeremy Hanson's last time.

Human life is cheap, or so it seems. Just look at the wages of early-childhood and aged-care workers. Until we wake up and realise that to care for both age groups is a big responsibility, our youngest and oldest in the community will continue to suffer. Priorities need to change.

What an excellent proposal by John Milne (Letters , August 9) , when he advocates that Jon Stanhope should return to ACT politics as the ACT Liberal Party leader. It's about the only chance that the Liberal Party will have of gaining office at the forthcoming ACT election in November, we could certainly do with a change of government.

The pandemic is increasing because of the stupid or willful actions of people. And hence leading to the inability to trace contacts. Looks like the need for the introduction of the Australia Card. Technologically upgraded, of course to the Australia Chip.

The Chinese are obviously trying to destroy Uighur culture. Just as we tried to destroy Aboriginal culture.

It seems, Mario Stivalo (Letters, August 9), that in Victoria, though not in Western Australia, it was the private sector (security guards), so beloved of conservatives, that let us down and with catastrophic consequences. Surely, too, those individuals who chose to ignore quarantine and simply leave hotels must bear some responsibility.

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