"Friendship tree" reflects positive Canberra-China links

I would like to state that the proposal to plant a "friendship tree" was solely an initiative of the Australia China Friendship Society, ACT Branch Inc (www.acfs.org.au).

The ACFS is a small, not-for-profit, community organisation, founded in 1974, whose aim is to promote friendship and understanding between the Australian and Chinese peoples.

Whilst we are totally independent and apolitical, we have a long-standing and cordial relationship with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China.

This project took some years to come to fruition and the Canberra Beijing Garden, a gift to Canberra from its sister-city Beijing, was chosen as the most suitable site.

The tree was planted on November 18 by me, as the Society's President, and, His Excellency Ambassador Cheng Jingye. About 50 people attended the ceremony, including members of the ACFS, the ambassador Mr Cheng Jingye and embassy staff, representatives of Chinese community organisations in Canberra and Brendan Smyth, the ACT Commissioner for International Engagement.

Media, including The Canberra Times were invited to attend.

I wish your reporter had contacted me for comment, as I could have quickly clarified the thinking behind the event.

The bushfire that started when a helicopter landed in dry grass in the Namadgi National Park in January 2020 was extremely unfortunate. What is now interesting is how those concerned are all backing each other up when it comes to the 45-minute delay in sending the location of the fire to ACT Emergency Services.

Lets be frank, trained military personnel should have been able to convey the coordinates of the ignition point to authorities within a few minutes of taking off regardless of other protocols.

Whether earlier notification to authorities would have changed the outcome we will never know.

The important point is the location of the fire should have been reported immediately.

I believe the issuing of "show cause" notices by the government that require special forces troops to show why their services should not be terminated is a ploy.

The government has realised the difficulties, both legal and physical, of perhaps having to bring tribesmen as witnesses from Afghanistan and then to provide them with suitable accommodation, security, and innumerable interpreters should these soldiers be charged in open court.

The onus of proving their innocence that has been placed on these soldiers is a disgrace and a complete reversal of the requirements of our judicial system, namely, that he who alleges must prove.

David Perkins flags the problem of scooters littering footpaths with the potential of easily injuring or killing people (Letters, November 28). It is all so predictable. Why do governments so easily forget the principle of prevention being far better than cure?

It reminds me of the earlier fervent release of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). How many in the community would have been aware of the toxic mercury within the bulbs that would be released if they broke? How many people dispose of them in an environmentally safe way? That is is not easy to do.

This was perfectly predictable, and yet governments still go ahead and approve the unsound pathway.

Jack Kershaw's proposed Acton Peninsula revision to the ACT Government's "impractical and destructive" Commonwealth Avenue preference for the Woden light rail (Letters, November 27) is very appealing from a design and public use perspective. His proposal would have the additional heritage benefit of restoring the Lennox Crossing linkage which once existed commemorating an early Australian bridge builder.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Green's leader Shane Rattenbury need to jointly review, in consultation with the community, their current preference for Commonwealth Avenue. Jack Kershaw's visionary proposal is sound and worth serious consideration.

How many more years do the people of Tuggeranong need to endure the disgusting stench from the Mugga Lane tip? The stink is especially strong whenever a north westerly wind is blowing.

The problem has been ongoing and unresolved despite regular complaints by local residents and reports in The Canberra Times.

The ratepayers of Tuggeranong deserve the same quality of life, and to breathe clean fresh air, as other Canberrans. It's time to close the Mugga Lane tip permanently.

In the meantime the long-suffering residents should be given a discount on their rates.

Jack Waterford lays out comprehensively ("Why Mathias Cormann is not right leader for the OECD", canberratimes.com.au, November 27) how government support for Matthias Cormann's OECD candidacy shows lack of domestic and international savvy: first, failure across Australia of the pub test; secondly, lack of nous on how things work internationally.

Waterford leaves two questions open: how will the failure of the candidacy redound against the PM and the government?

Who gains from Cormann's exit from government and the failure of his candidacy?

The photoshopped image of an Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to the throat of an allegedly Afghan child ("Diplomatic fury over Chinese image post", December 1, p1) seems to me another example of Chinese intimidation and bullying, taken to a whole new level.

China's population is about 1.44 billion, compared to Australia's 25.5 million: Shanghai alone is home to 27.06 million Chinese.

It seems to me that "big" China's bullying of "little" Australia smacks of cowardice.

Apart from minor skirmishes along their border, China's approach to India, population 1.38 billion, and armed with nuclear weapons, is very much more circumspect than its attitude towards relatively defenceless Australia.

Perhaps China could show how brave it is and pick on a country (almost) its own size.

Jevon Kinder (Letters, December 3) misses an important point, as so many others do. Yes, the old bomb is more polluting than a new vehicle - but continuing to use it avoids the environmental costs of making a new one. How long would it take for the efficiency and pollution gains of the new vehicle to recover the environmental costs of its manufacture? Unless that payback time is less than the remaining life of the old bomb keep using the old bomb.

The recent brouhaha about federal politicians bonking their staffers was a little over the top.

Long working hours in Parliament House does lead to heavy drinking. Next thing an MP is canoodling with someone not his/her usual partner. This stuff is rife, but it's no big deal unless these politicians are also playing the "family values" card.

However there is an under-appreciated way of addressing the root cause; encourage politicians to bring their families to Canberra. To explain, if a politician is frustrated and looking for release, then go home, have a meal and a wine with his/her partner, read a book to the kids. This was regular practice in the past eg. Doug Anthony, Paul Keating. Today Education Minister Dan Tehan is reportedly one of a handful.

Why don't more politicians do this? Canberra is a great place to bring up a family. There is clean air, good schools and universities, and strong sports culture. The locals welcome newbies because 80 per cent of the population is from somewhere else. And the embassies add an exotic flavour.

Critics will argue federal members need to be seen back in their electorate. Yes, but not every second weekend! They should be representing their electorates on the national stage, networking with other politicians, foreign government officials, bureaucrats and finding great contacts.

But if a politician is jumping on plane Thursday nights and returning Monday morning, holing up in Parliament House and then getting sozzled for three nights running, regrettable things do happen.

Your editorial "Garbos' wage claim poorly timed" (canberratimes.com.au, November 28) said the ACT govt was the only winner as neither Suez or the garbos are being paid while on strike.

You should add the Labor and the Greens parties.

The election outcome may have been different if the strikes occurred before polling day.

It's ironic and almost unbelievable that Biden and the Democrats are depending on "the basket of deplorables" to get them over the line to beat Trump.

"Trash and treasure" no longer describes Sunday's markets at the Jamison Centre car park in Belconnen. It is now just a fruit and vegetable market made even worse by the spike in the numbers of take-away food and drink stalls. The days when someone's "trash" was some else's "treasure" are long gone.

It is nice to see the the Canberra Coat of Arms displayed on some building sites. And a great motto too: "For the Queen, the law and the people". So the Queen is above the law and the people come last. Who would have guessed?

Despite Auriel Barlow's doubts (Letters, December 2), P A Marshall's recollection of platypuses along the Molonglo shore near Duntroon (Letters, November 30) were completely correct. A friend and I used to walk down there in the late afternoon from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s to watch two platypuses.

I am not surprised platypus sightings have dropped. They do their best to avoid humans because they recognise humans are a threat to them and their fellow wildlife. Even humans recognise fellow humans as the most dangerous species on planet earth.

Is it cicada season again? This week I saw a big one in the middle of the path I regularly walk on. But I haven't heard them singing yet.

It is as clear as crystal. Vice President Biden won the 2020 election. Trump is wasting his time and ours. It is even clearer that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan. Scott Morrison is wasting his time and the WHO's.

Donald Trump's special coronavirus adviser, Scott Atlas, has resigned. I wonder how long he had that mapped out?

Australians deserve to know the calibre of those who represent and govern us. In this regard the ABC's 4 Corners report The Canberra Bubble has done us all a service. Politicians need to stop treating us like mushrooms.

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