I grew up in ACT public housing.
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While living in public housing, I was surrounded by wonderful neighbours who were part of a vibrant and diverse community. Our community deeply cared for each other and the spaces in which we lived. This experience profoundly influenced the course of my life and my values.
Shortly after moving out of home, I privately rented a small studio in one of Canberra's more affluent suburbs. While I never felt threatened by anti-social behaviour when growing up, in my very first experience of the private rental market I was unfortunate enough to have some rather unpleasant neighbours. I was forced to move shortly after.
What this experience demonstrates to me is that any Canberran, irrespective of their social and economic status, can either be the victim or perpetrator of unneighbourly behaviour. Categorising such behaviour based on the type of home someone lives in is the height of elitism.
This letter only reaffirms the continuing challenge of battling social and economic disadvantage in a wealthy city where a vocal minority are unable to fully appreciate this complexity beyond their own narrow and often privileged experiences.
I now have the humbling privilege of being one of 25 members currently celebrating one year of being elected to the Legislative Assembly.
I grew up in public housing. I support public and community housing tenants. I warmly welcome new public and community housing residents to my building, to my suburb and to my neighbourhood.
Johnathan Davis MLA, Greenway
Immigration's impact on housing
If you believe that the problem of out-of-control housing costs is due to nothing more than the lack of supply - as routinely preached particularly by Coalition politicians, often each with several taxpayer-subsidised investment properties, and anodynely named right-wing think tanks - then nothing says "let's put a brake on this galloping housing unaffordability in the public interest" like throwing a petrol tanker on the demand fire by massively ramping up immigration once our border restrictions ease, does it?
As always, when it comes to such changes in economic public policy, look to see who benefits. Hint: it won't be first home buyers or renters.
David Jenkins, Casey
Shakespearean tragedy ahead
"Round about the cauldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw." So sing the witches in act four of Macbeth. They conjure up an apparition which frightens Macbeth. But he is reassured when told that he shall not be vanquished till the trees of Great Burnam Wood come to his castle at Dunsinane. The proposition posted by Gerard Cockburn in Wednesday's Canberra Times "that no commitment of net zero by 2050 would damage the economy in excess of $3.4 trillion over the next three decades ..." is founded on just such an apparition which may frighten us.
We should be wise to not to be frightened. Without a detailed explanation of the equations and assumptions in the Deloitte modelling, it is impossible to come to any rational conclusion at all. For example, what discount rate did they use to assess the present value of money in 30 years' time? If one takes the present target rate of inflation used by the Reserve Bank, 2 per cent, and adds a modest 5 per cent for time preference, it gives a discount rate of 7 per cent. At that rate a dollar in 30 years' time is worth about 13 cents today.
Nor should we be reassured that the vast changes in our industrial structure needed to achieve net zero emissions can be achieved without serious social and regional consequences. They are a witches' brew indeed about as likely to be achieved without pain as the march of Burnam Wood.
Finally what does "net zero" actually mean? What offsets will be allowed? How shall their value in CO2 be calculated, and what monetary value will be placed on them? These are the sorts of poison'd entrails the climate accountants in the UN and EC will throw in as they dance around their cauldron.
Let us not suffer the fate of Macbeth.
Fred Bennett, Bonner
Where are threats to China?
The European Union ambassador to Australia, Dr Michael Pulch, has had a lot to say about Australia's emissions in The Canberra Times [pages 1 and 6 on October 19, and page 21 on October 20], and transmits the EU threat to impose carbon tariffs on Australian high-emitting imports into the EU. I have seen no similar EU threat to China, which is not promising net zero emissions before 2060.
Peter Hughes, Curtin
A question of trust
Some National Party MPs have expressed concern that the Prime Minister might not honour the undertakings he would make to them, in order to save face in Glasgow. What is the risk that, in the fullness of time, he might renege on any commitment he might make in Glasgow? Both President Macron and former prime minister Turnbull no doubt have their own views regarding Mr Morrison's integrity. Prior to the last federal election, the PM promised an integrity commission. Does trust matter?
Peter Grabosky, Forrest
2030 the real target
How refreshing this morning to hear Independent MP Helen Haines discussing aspects of climate change as it affects regional Australians. She presented positive, coherent ideas for transition in farming communities in her region. This is a far cry from the incoherent ramblings of Barnaby and the Nationals. We could do with more of her ilk in Parliament.
David Littleproud has stated that "the transition will not happen quickly", and belled the cat by mentioning that "money makes the world go round". Who'da thought it! It seems clear that the Nationals want to extract their pound of flesh while dragging out the transition as long as possible - to support coal. And Barnaby is opposed to any increase in the 2030 emissions reduction target. I wonder why?
Emissions reductions over the next decade are critical. An updated 2030 "projection" will not suffice - it is not a commitment.
If our coal-fondling Prime Minister is to be taken seriously at Glasgow, his 2050 net zero commitment must be accompanied by a substantially improved and committed 2030 target.
Darryl Fallow, Stirling
Teacher shortage no mystery
Many teachers will despair even more at the mixture of feigned ignorance and cover-up spin that our ACT Education Minister and her senior bureaucrats continue to peddle in the face of decades of substandard teacher workforce planning and inadequate support provision ("Cause of teacher shortage unknown", October 20).
This increasingly disingenuous approach is now muddied by the high-level management of petty political considerations, at the expense of transparency and a willingness to deal honestly and substantively with the deficits faced by many teachers in their day-to-day workplaces.
Propped up by yet another taskforce, the minister would also know that more teachers would no doubt vote with their feet if they were aware of the workplace conditions and treatment enjoyed by those with equivalent professional qualifications who work elsewhere, including in the large central offices of ACT and Commonwealth public service directorates and departments.
Sue Dyer, Downer
Don't forget the victims
It is worrying to see Colin Powell praised on his death, when his behaviour in regard to the invasion of Iraq was both disgraceful and deceitful. Your story "The court of God will be waiting, say angry Iraqis" (Canberra Times, October 20) is far more truthful than the "warrior and diplomat" stories rolled out by other media.
Have people forgotten that the unwarranted invasion and destruction of Iraq killed thousands of innocent people? Powell's "evidence" provided the cover for the murderous trio of Blair, Bush and Howard to start the Iraq war as a boost to the US economy through weapon sales.
Have people totally forgotten that the unwarranted invasion and destruction of Iraq killed thousands and thousands of innocent people?
- Gerry Gillespie
It is hypocritical in the extreme to either condone his behaviour or to ignore the consequences of his duplicity. One would hope that the court of God will also be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Blair, Bush and John Howard to square up the account on behalf of Iraq.
Gerry Gillespie, Queanbeyan
Border rules a mess
The article about COVID restriction silliness does not go far enough. The approved postcodes where Canberrans can go to in NSW do not include the Shoalhaven LGA, even though Shoalhaven residents are now free to travel all over NSW except for Greater Sydney.
However, Shoalhaven residents cannot enter the ACT, and Canberrans cannot visit Shoalhaven. Shoalhaven residents can, and many do, travel to Batemans Bay, though, for shopping and leisure.
What is the difference between Canberrans being exposed to a COVID-positive person in Batemans Bay or the same infected person in the ACT? Locking Shoalhaven residents out of the ACT until November 1 is just nonsense.
Stephen McDonald, Sussex Inlet
TO THE POINT
POPE SHINES
The "leopard changes its spots" cartoon (October 19) is so clever, David Pope, not least the two little birds - dead from our neglect of their bushland or from decades of political hypocrisy?
If only the animal was the Tasmanian tiger, to remind us of the striped marsupial that we quickly killed out before all of the others.
C. Lendon, Cook
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Isn't it time that the National Party added the prefix "Multi" to their name?
Fred Pilcher, Kaleen
IT'S NOT THAT HARD
Canberra Times, October 20: the European Union's ambassador to Australia quotes Professor Nicholas of Lund University: "It's warming. It's us. We're sure. It's bad. But we can fix it". How hard is that to understand, Scomo?
Ray Blackmore, Kambah
KEEP RELIGION OUT OF IT
Here we go! Did I hear Perrottet say his religion would not affect the way he would govern NSW?
Only a Catholic premier can arrange the railroading of the voluntary assisted dying bill by sending it to the Upper House.
Just hope there doesn't come a time for him and his loved ones he wished that bill was in place.
Nick van Weelden, Kingston
NOT SAFE YET
I feel sorry for our Chief Minister Andrew Barr. He and the chief health officer held firm with health advice that COVID injections take two weeks to become fully effective.
The premiers from Victoria and particularly NSW bowed to media and public pressure, and crumbled once the magic figures were recorded. I am still quivery about 80 per cent fully vaccinated.
That means that if I am standing in a room with five people in total, one of them could quite possibly be carrying COVID. Ahhh!
Paul O'Connor, Hawker
MONEY SPINNER
There has been much correspondence about fines arising from the new 40km/h zones in Civic.
If the government wanted a true cash cow, try enforcing the 10km/h shared zone and parking restrictions around Yerrabi Pond.
Your coffers would be full in a week.
Jonathan Curran, Gungahlin
NOT QUITE FRIENDS YET
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the old saying goes.
You'd think, then, that I'd number Anne Prendergast (Letters, 18/9) among my friends, since she will no longer be supporting the Liberal Party, ever the party of imposing its superstitions on the rest of us.
Since Ms Prendergast's removal of support is based on her observation that the Libs aren't superstitious enough, however, our friendship will have to remain unrealised.
No doubt she'll continue to support Mr Seselja, though, since his position against abortion and voluntary euthanasia certainly parallels hers.
Fred Pilcher, Kaleen
NOT IN MY NAME
No way, Dan O'Brien. As a very conservative practising Catholic, there is no way I will be supporting euthanasia in the ACT. I will be out campaigning for Senator Zed Seselja in the forthcoming federal election campaign. Euthanasia is murder.