For example, the quality of some of Labor's candidates, including at least one sitting MLA, was judged wanting by voters.

Another example is that ACT Labor also is, at least in practice, run by mates for the benefit of mates. This should be of more concern to ACT citizens because those close relationships have heavily influenced recent Labor-dominated ACT governments spending priorities and planning policies (or lack thereof).

It is not coincidental that Labor's priorities in at least the last four years have centered in practice, after the spin is stripped away, around construction and increasing the size and pay of the ACT public service.

ACT politics could be interesting over the next four years. For example, to see whether having more Greens' MLAs translates into more decisions that are truly intended to improve the community's lot, and whether the "mates" groups retain their effective control.

Our government is failing the 13 Australian women assaulted by a foreign government with it's failure to condemn with far stronger words than those spoken by the foreign minister.

I suggest the following is the least should happen as a response. Haul the Qatari Ambassador in, dress him down and then expel him and the entire embassy staff.

Ban Qatar Airlines from flying into Australia. Launch a court case with the international court in The Hague to bring those responsible to face charges of state sanctioned sexual assault.

Strong action is required to condemn and hopefully prevent future occurrences by misogynistic countries such as Qatar.

I do hope the transport workers union carries out its threat and boycotts Qatar Airlines, hopefully permanently.

Qatar Airlines are now off my travel plans. I call on all Australians who are planning to travel, when eventually able to do so, to boycott Qatar and Qatar Airlines as well.

Whatever Dan Andrews might not have done properly with respect to private vs publicly managed quarantining, he reacted logically and sensibly to the scathing criticisms thrown at him by the money maniacs on the right of politics.

These included Coalition politicians, business "leaders", and the Murdoch media machine . He sensibly ignored them.

Their calls to open "the economy" mask their frustration at having their cash flows interrupted. For them this was far more important than avoiding hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pandemic deaths. Had Dan Andrews acceded to them, not locked down, and the deaths multiplied, guess who they'd have blamed.

Dan might even now respond to their criticisms by saying something like "we could have freed up the economy, just like Britain, the US, and Europe have done !".

Messrs Morrison and Frydenberg - what would be your response ?

Like most Australians I watched the press conference where Mr Andrews announced the easing of lock-down conditions for Victorians with avid interest.

I firmly believe that when the global history of the COVID-19 pandemic is written Victorians will be recognised as having been world-leading exemplars of community support.

All persons in that state should rightly feel very proud of themselves and their neighbours.

I, for one, I wish them a calm and prosperous reopening of businesses.

The ABC's 7.30 now routinely interviews Never Trumpers and Neocon warmongers such as Chuck Hagel, Richard Armitage, John Bolton and Bill Kristol.

These Neocons are always wrong, they always blame someone else and they never apologise. Why do they get air time on the ABC? Because they hate President Trump.

President Trump had the audacity to think he could participate in the democratic process without having the permission of the elites, the mainstream media and the permanent bureaucracy.

Paying to investigate recycling of unwanted packaging is as useful as trying to stop the Westminster Cholera outbreak by finding and funding a use for the infected water that ran into the Thames.

The solution for that problem was to disrupt supply at the top end. What we need in Parliament are problem solvers like Dr John Snow who disabled the Broad St. drinking water pump in 1854.

Rather than encouraging recycling of supermarket meat trays we should consider, and legislate for, sensible alternatives. All local butchers once wrapped the meat in grease proof paper, then butcher's paper, and then insulated the chilled bundle for the trip home in yesterdays newspaper. It was all compostable.

In the 1950's small boys would take a billy-cart laden with newspaper to the local butcher's shop. Not only did they get tuppence per pound but they were also allowed to rake the sawdust on the floor.

It's unremarkable that Mr Morrison, as the government's lead "marketing manager", should spin a different account of his recent discussion with Boris Johnson. But Boris is right; the Australian government does need to lift its game, take "bold action" and commit to "bold targets" on climate change.

A total of 68 per cent of Australians now support a national target for net-zero emissions by 2050.

Australia is seen internationally as a real climate laggard. It is now very clearly out of step with our major trading partners; China with a net-zero target for 2060 and Japan and Korea with 2050 targets.

If the government doesn't get its act together Australia will become increasingly more isolated. All Australian states and territories have net-zero targets for 2050 or earlier. What we need is a national target in line with our trading partners.

We don't need to wait for technology to be developed. Set a bold target first, then strive to achieve it. That's the way mankind got to the moon.

A good start might be for the government, or some government members at least, to support a debate on the Climate Change (National Framework for Adaption and Mitigation) Bill 2020 which is largely modelled on effective legislation in the UK and supports a net-zero target by 2050.

The announcement of a renewable hydrogen project in the Pilbara region of WA is indeed good news. On completion it will be the largest energy project ever undertaken in Australia.

Using electrolysis of desalinated water, it will export green hydrogen mainly as the easily transported ammonia. Both wind and solar will provide the required energy for production.

Its scale means that the renewable hydrogen should immediately be competitive with other technologies.

The Pilbara has vast mineral resources, including iron ore and lithium, and the local processing of these raw materials to make steel and lithium batteries is also feasible.

The federal government is putting many millions of dollars into development of hydrogen from gas and brown coal, but energy importers such as the EU, Japan and South Korea are unlikely to accept hydrogen derived from fossil fuels.

Australia would be better served by government support for clean hydrogen, as instanced by the forthcoming Pilbara project.

On October 6 ABC News (US) reported that President Trump had been given a number of drugs to combat his coronavirus, including Remdesivir, Regeneron, and certain other medicines.

The report included that the National Institutes of Health had solid evidence supporting Remdesivir's use in COVID-19 cases and that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency authorisation for its use.

Regeneron has also been cleared by the FDA.

While it can't be said that Trump is cured, he is obviously back in full time election mode. Against this background it is remarkable virtually no information on the President's treatment, cautious or otherwise, is coming through to Australia. If it can be made known to the American public, why not for Australians?

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attachment. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

Keep your letter to 250 or fewer words. References to The Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).