Zero confidence Labor can fix Australia's mess

When they begin to resemble the current government - venal, driven by shallow ideology or cashed up donors, vindictive, ridden with cronyism and incompetent - I will vote them out. Voting is now the only engagement the ordinary citizen has in our liberal democracy. Citizen participation in policy debates, education, and persuasion to look beyond narrow self-interest and short-termism have been replaced by midnight press announcements gullibly reported by a hollowed out fourth estate.

That is unless comrade Murdoch decides voting is no longer required in a modern liberal democracy.

In response to the dilemma of Ian Morison (Letters, February 1) who has no knowledge of the opposition leader, I would suggest he watch Albanese on ABC iView at the National Press Club on February 25. His address was delivered clearly, was positive and with policies for the common good.

The election campaign has not officially started, which places Albanese at a disadvantage. Currently PM Scott Morrison can access the public purse to travel the nation with his entourage of photographers and staffers as well as further dip into our money and announce generous grants to communities in marginal seats.

A further disadvantage is the changed media landscape over the last few years, which now allows a far greater right-wing representation on all mainstream media.

We now have Murdoch press, TV and radio; Peter Costello, ex-Liberal treasurer and boss of Channel Nine press, TV and radio; and Kerry Stokes, WA billionaire and very generous Liberal Party donor, the boss of Channel Seven with stakes in media throughout Australia.

To compound this bias our PM and previous Liberal PMs have intimidated the ABC, our national broadcaster, by reducing funding, constantly complaining about any criticism and influencing staffing appointments. They ignore the fact the national broadcaster is there to hold the government to account rather than the advocacy we now hear. The ABC is not a state broadcaster.

Hopefully when the campaign starts Albo will get a fair go, with coverage equal to the PM.

It is almost laughable hearing Scott Morrison telling us he is taking responsibility for those under him. Along my long life I always thought the captain of the ship was responsible for things under his command and would step aside if things went astray.

Scotty obviously thinks he is above such a long way of command, instead hoping Australians will let such command fall beside the roadside. Choosing to turn a blind eye is something he has made expert.

In his public addresses, the Prime Minister has resurrected his earlier habit of tacking on to a seemingly reluctant acknowledgement of Indigenous Australians, a fulsome tribute to our servicemen and women. Why? He appears to have an obsession with the military because he neglects to similarly acknowledge the thousands of other Australians who serve their country with equal commitment and dedication. People who also "put their lives on the line in doing their jobs"; people like the police, firies, emergency services workers, paramedics and, since the pandemic, the thousands of doctors, nurses and other hospital and carer staff across the country. They all have gladly done so in order to help save their fellow Australians.

I respect military people and everyone else who does valuable and often dangerous work. They all equally deserve, on our behalf, the Prime Minister's continuing thanks and respect, just as our First Australians deserve a singular, separate and appropriate acknowledgement of their unique place in our history.

Minister Zed Seselja's comments on the independents standing for election in the upcoming election (Fundraising battle heats up in ACT Senate race, February 3, 2022) are complete fabrications about people who are putting themselves forward to represent their communities, as is their democratic right. Where is the evidence these independents are "simply a front for the Greens and Labor"? Minister Seselja should immediately produce verifiable evidence of these ridiculous claims or stop making them. He says Canberrans "aren't naive". He has that part right - we want action on climate change and to be fairly and truthfully represented. We can also see through electioneering hysteria and desperate tactics.

I was indeed saddened to read of the recent passing of local historian Alan Foskett. He diligently researched and recorded facets of early Canberra, including its clubs and institutions but was remembered more fondly for his writings on the life and times of Canberra hostels. In the 1950s and 60s hostel accommodation was the only alternative for the scores of single public servants being relocated to Canberra. Many including Reid House, Alan's first home on arriving in Canberra in 1950, and Mulwala House situated where Commonwealth Park stands today, were quite spartan with a long corridor dissecting each building with small rooms off to each side. This type of accommodation would be frowned upon today but interestingly prime minister Ben Chifley lived at Kurrajong Hotel, admittedly a little upmarket from Reid House, but still with shared dining and bathroom facilities. He somehow preferred the Kurrajong to The Lodge.

I had the pleasure of playing some cricket with Alan at the now defunct Northbourne Club in the early 60s and making a small contribution to his book The Memories Linger On by recalling my experiences in living at Narellan House in 1959 and 1960. Alan was a gentle person, his dedication in recording parts of early Canberra is quite legendary. He leaves behind a timeless legacy.

It was pleasing to read Amanda Vanstone's support for Australia becoming a republic ("Republic debate is simple, really", February 3, p29). It was particularly pleasing because Ms Vanstone was a senior senator in an especially conservative Coalition government.

However, Ms Vanstone should remember the then-prime minister, John Howard, ensured the wording of the November 6, 1999 referendum on the republic issue tipped voter response firmly in the "No" direction. Yes, ending the debate was simple.

Rajend Naidu rightly argues we non-Indigenous Australians must ask ourselves how we would feel if our national day was celebrated on the day a foreign power landed on our shores, later to dispossess us ("Walk in their shoes", Letters, February 2). Another reason for change is January 26 is also the date of the Waterloo Creek massacre in NSW in 1838. Hopefully, the next government will have the courage and conviction to resolve this increasingly sad and divisive issue. It could start with the recognition of our First Peoples in the Constitution.

Let's hope the geniuses of the National Capital Authority, who indubitably control the operation of the Captain Cook water jet, get their annual bonuses for at length soaking pedestrians and cyclists on the Commonwealth Avenue bridge every time there's a decent easterly blowing, which in recent weeks has been frequently while the jet is working. The notion of connecting its powerful turbines to a control system getting input from a weather vane is no doubt dangerously 20th century technology, for something named after an 18th century explorer.

We live in a residential area quite close to traffic lights. The speed limit also changes from 80km/h to 60km/h. Normal law-abiding traffic flow presents no problems. However, there are many cars and motorbikes which have motors and exhaust systems modified so they emit ear-shattering noise.

It is even worse when they accelerate away from the lights at great speed. Both the speed and noise are illegal, but regrettably not policed. What can be done given our police force is understaffed? There should be many more overhead speed cameras and registrations must include a declaration the vehicle meets appropriate noise standards. It would be great to open your windows on a nice day.

The recent election by the Liberal party of Jeremy Hanson as deputy leader of the ACT opposition prompted the ACT Chief Minister to say Mr Hanson's vehement opposition at the election in 2016 to light rail won't be forgotten. Mr Hanson's stand on light rail is why I voted for him. It's a pity he didn't win the election.

Recently I read an article regarding Lake George, or so I thought. This interesting piece in summary described a volatile, unpredictable vast shallow body that frequently and unexpectedly disappears. Turned out to be a profile on the Prime Minister.

I wonder of the Prime Minister's vision for the next 10 years will end up like his promise for our Christmas last year. Even with the so-called "best advice" he may well underestimate the next variant of COVID, bushfires floods, droughts, banks and financial management, aged care, climate change and basically everything the government has responsibility for.

To the editor (Editorial, February 1): you don't make history by whackin' a little ball back and forth across a net. Even if you do it very accurately for more than five hours, it still ain't history.

Prime Minister, it must be extremely worrying to think a Liberal MP would (allegedly) send a text message describing you as a "fraud" and a "complete psycho". The only thing I can imagine that would be more worrying is if they step forward in public to say "the PM has my full support".

Ian Pilsner (Letters, February 1) complains that writers such as Crispin Hull, Jack Waterford and Jenna Price do nothing other than criticise Scott Morrison. It is the job of commentators to scrutinise and criticise the actions of the government and its leader. If there is a change of government, then we can expect to see a similar level of scrutiny applied to the new government.

Just maybe Ian Pilsner, (Letters, February 1) Jack Waterford's opinion of the PM is in accord with a LNP govt minister after the release of a recent condemning email? We miss Senator Brandis who at least admitted he called Howard a "lying rodent".

With the recent release of alleged text messages between the former NSW premier and a current unnamed federal cabinet minister, I imagine there are a number of people who worked in Tourism Australia when Scott Morrison was its managing director, saying today: "I told you so."

I saw the rabble-without-a-cause protesters were chanting "you serve us" at the police. That's absolutely right - noting "us" includes the silent majority of law-abiding taxpaying citizens, who fully support the police in discharging their duties.