The nonsense we are experiencing here in the ACT borders on fantasy. Hundreds of Canberrans are crossing the border into Queanbeyan every day to shop, drink, eat and in general, enjoy a normal life.

Our vaccination rate is as good as NSW, in fact it is probably better as we are including 12 years plus in our numbers, but we are still limited to ridiculous limitations and restrictions.

I understand that our federation allows the state leaders to ignore the Australian government in these matters, but there is a very large percentage of the population that does not understand this, and they blame the "Morrison government" for everything.

If you look at New Zealand, which does not have the same federal restrictions, the Prime Minister can make any decision she wishes and it happens.

Perhaps our constitution should be changed to allow the Prime Minster to exercise emergency powers in times of such a pandemic and to overrule the states to ensure uniformity.

Then perhaps we would not see the current "peeing" contest that seems to be occurring to the detriment of the Australian people.

In "One year since the ACT voted in Australia's greenest government" (canberratimes.com.au, October 17) the ACT Greens MLAs, in an interview with Steve Evans, bragged about being the "greenest government in Australian history" and went on to state their achievements since joining forces with Labor after the last ACT election.

However nowhere in the article was the tram mentioned. It was Shane Rattenbury's harebrained idea to have a tram system in Canberra, something Canberra did not need and something which has come at great cost to the citizens of the ACT.

Is that why the Greens avoided mentioning the tram as one of their achievements?

When will Barnaby Joyce start talking about emissions reductions in respect of all our futures, not just banging on about regional and rural Australia?

He seems to have forgotten that he is the Deputy Prime Minister, not just the leader of the so-called Nationals.

It's depressingly ironic but Barnaby seems also to have forgotten that his lot changed their name from the Country Party ostensibly to show they represent the nation as a whole.

Oh sorry, I forgot we're talking about Barnaby aren't we?

Like Annalisa Koeman, I too am perplexed by the priority given to getting people drinking in public again (Letters, October 19).

A very important issue that, to my knowledge, has not been raised to date is that people make dumb decisions when they have been drinking.

After alcohol takes effect people drinking with others are more likely to be more relaxed about adhering to COVID-safe measures.

As we open up, public activities that involve adding alcohol to the decision-making equation should not be given such a high priority. In the meantime people can drink at home. Cheers.

Seeing both National Party and News Corp characters now referring to their organisations as having the "grown ups" finally needed to sort out the climate change challenge is not just breathtakingly pharisaical.

It really requires psychiatrists to create a whole new diagnostic category of mental disorder. One that combines narcissism, grandiosity, histrionics, and hallucinatory psychosis.

National Party leader Barnaby Joyce is reported as saying that the Nationals are not "holding anyone to ransom" over Australia's climate target.

In fact the Nationals, with only five per cent of the vote nationally, are holding the entire nation to ransom, no doubt so they can extract as many concessions as possible to spruik at the next election.

Barnaby Joyce and his Nationals are holding the country to ransom through their refusal to immediately support net zero emissions.

They say they have to look after the people in the bush, but nearly all the farmers I know want urgent action on climate change, along with the vast majority of Australians.

And then there are the National Farmers Federation and the Minerals Council who both support net zero.

Even many coal miners know the end is nigh, and we must make sure they have a just transition.

So who exactly are the Nationals representing, apart from their fossil fuel corporation donors?

I take issue with Michael Doyle (Letters, October 16) who patronises those who disagree with him by calling them chatterers.

The issue is whether people in the territories should be able to elect representatives who can make laws for them on the same basis as for other Australians.

The debate on voluntary euthanasia should be a matter for our own elected government as it is in all the states.

Two weeks before the Glasgow COP26 conference, National Party members are unable to present a coherent response to the Liberal Party's proposed climate change response plan.

Once again they act as if they are not a part of the government and Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party allows them to do so.

The federal government has known for a year (and more) they needed to produce a plan to reduce Australia's emissions.

Any half-competent organisation would have considered how to manage the process of producing a plan, including how to manage those with legitimate specific concerns, and the utterly predictable opposition of intransigent rent-seeking participants.

It would have done this by starting the process early, involving all National Party MPs, engaging with their concerns in the design of the process, and enabling them to provide input into modelling exercises to give them confidence in their outcomes.

That would have meant that when the plan was complete there would have been no surprises. This would have limited any opportunity for last-minute manipulation.

I've just heard of a new initiative by the AFL to reduce its carbon emissions. It doesn't actually plan to reduce its own emissions (which are quite high). The proposal is to pay others to offset their emissions.

With all due respect that is the fundamental problem with the national approach. We plan to pay others to reduce their emissions. But will they?

As far as I can see, the work of offsetting emissions in Australia consists of pointing to some trees which are still standing and saying: "We wanted to cut those down but we didn't". Great work, guys. That's why human civilisation won't save itself.

AFL football could significantly reduce emissions by travelling less and not playing at night. But that would reduce the money they make and they wouldn't be able to pay as many farmers to not cut down trees. What a joke.

It appears Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals have weakened Scott Morrison just two weeks before world leaders are due to meet in Glasgow.

The main person who has weakened Morrison's position is Morrison himself. He clearly has very little genuine belief in his position on climate change targets and the Nationals know it.

Coal-fondling Morrison has only shifted on climate change because it is politically expedient to do so. He doesn't believe it and this lack of conviction has weakened him.

The Nationals are exploiting this weakness to try and extract as many vote-buying dollars from the rest of taxpaying Australians. Morrison has only himself to blame for his predicament.

It is a bit rich for Prince Charles to lecture others on reducing their carbon footprint when he has so many residences that require constant upkeep.

Kerry Foster (Letters, October 15) is on a winner suggesting if the Libs can't do a deal with the Nats they should turn to Labor. I'm sure even the Greens would go along with that idea and thus neuter the gang led by Barnaby Joyce.

Whilst it is fascinating to watch the Prime Minister pivot on climate change (and hoping in the end to be seen to be our climate saviour), I have no doubt whatsoever that we'd have absolutely no pivoting to be fascinated by if Trump had been re-elected.

Re "Nationals demand 'respect' on climate plan" (canberratimes.com.au, October 13). Why? They have spent decades misleading and delaying, not leading, on climate.

I see that this shallow disingenuous federal government says it won't be rushed into announcing a climate policy. No rush. It's only been the government for eight years.

Barnaby and the Nationals have said they won't be held hostage over the government's proposed pathway to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But it is apparently okay for Barnaby and the Nationals to hold the Australian people hostage on that very same issue.

Barnaby Joyce says Nats won't be "rushed" on climate change. Why should they? It's not as if the world is facing a climate emergency is it? Well clearly not according to the misguided understanding of those climate change denial nuts.

David Pope certainly showed his talent with his effort of Saturday, October 16. This was a well earned pillorying.

Re the wordplay. Wednesday's (October 13) nine letter word was preoccupy. It got me thinking about how can you occupy somewhere before you occupy it? I love the English language.

Watching the French fulminating about submarines is like watching a guinea pig having a hissy fit.

I suggest libraries open for returns on Friday and withdrawals on Friday week to enable books to be disinfected and orders sorted. Leaving everything to October 29 will cause further delays.

Thank God for the distraction of the COVID-19 pandemic. If that wasn't keeping everybody around the globe very busy right now there is no doubt that what is happening with the Nationals on net zero would make us the laughing stock of the world.