Outlandish costs beg hard questions of CIT leadership

The minister responsible for CIT also presents its annual report to the Assembly each year, which presumably refers to contracts of this size in some detail, so playing dumb does not withstand scrutiny.

It is reported (canberratimes.com.au, June 9) that the contract for provision of one-on-one mentoring services for the CIT's chief executive included five meetings a month, "unplanned advice" and phone calls returned within 24 hours.

It is further reported that mentoring to the chief executive also included a scheduled teleconference "approximately once a week" and a half-day, face-to-face meeting approximately every month. If the CIT chief executive required that much mentoring and at that frequency, then the competency of the chief executive to perform the role must be seriously called into question.

I am happy to give the ACT government credit for its early commitment to financing renewable sources for electricity ('ACT power prices buck national trend', June 7) which has meant relative pricing stability for electricity in the ACT (although no relative decline in the ACT's emissions, since our electricity still comes from the same mix of coal, gas and renewable generators as electricity consumed in NSW).

However, the Chief Minister's reported comment that the "decline (for example, of $26pa for a larger household) would be significant in the face of cost-of-living pressures" is as out of touch as the former federal government.

The decline in the expected cost in 2022-23 should be seen in the context of, for example, an increase of about $200 in electricity bills in 2021-22, the ACT government's relatively high 'own-source revenue' (essentially taxes and charges, which are over $3000 per year per household higher than in NSW), and the much higher price of residential land in the ACT.

The government could directly lower the latter two costs (and many others) but has so far chosen not to do so despite several years of declining real wages and incomes for many people in Canberra.

My recent question to ACT Parking was, how is it reasonable for customer cars to park on the nature strip near a bus shelter, restricting access by disabled users, causing soil compaction and erosion damaging trees and causing a fall by an elderly citizen in the resulting muddy ruts?

The answer is below. I'd have better luck applying for a grant to hold a seniors' mud-wrestling competition, than reasonable access to a bus stop.

"Parking Operations operates on a risk-based compliance model. This risk-based compliance approach enables the targeting of resources to those areas where they are most needed and will be most effective. This approach involves a series of steps to identify and assess risks and to then apply the most appropriate regulatory tool to control the risk. This means that resource allocation and enforcement responses are determined based on ACT Parking Operations Compliance Framework. For example, vehicles causing pedestrian, vehicle and line of sight safety issues are prioritised."

Alan Stanley (Letters, June 7) laments that after a tenure of nine years the LNP exhibited a lack of foresight by not implementing measures for gas and oil reserves, investing in grid capacity, renewables and batteries, also reliable coal/gas power generation. Agreed.

LNP governments are not the only ones that have shown myopic tendencies. What did the Hawke/Keating Labor governments do during their lengthy tenure, followed by the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd governments? The global price rise shocks are primarily due to the war in Ukraine, and trying to pin the blame on the incoming Labor government is utter nonsense, just as it was for the ALP in opposition blaming the LNP for the rising petrol prices.

The vast majority of our federal governments to date have been tarred with the same brush, all lacking in honesty and integrity. This is an opportunity for PM Albanese to reintroduce honesty and integrity in government and it should be one of his top priorities.

I am certainly not a fan of Peter Dutton, but I feel a need at the moment to come to his defence.

I appreciate that the art of cartooning requires some latitude in exaggerating various features of the subject. That's fine, until it crosses a line into ridicule and belittling.

Mr Dutton has been portrayed as Mr Potato Head, Voldemort and now, courtesy of Peter Broelman's effort in The Canberra Times of June 4, Gollum. To mock someone's physical appearance regarding an aspect over which they have control (eg Boris Johnson or Donald Trump with their stupid hairstyles) is one thing, but so strongly attacking someone's natural appearance is going too far.

Given that two of the depictions are characters of evil repute with malformed faces, and the other suggests that Mr Dutton is so lacking in facial features that you need to add your own, it is clear that these cartoons can cause serious offence. Surely, in this day and age, we can do better.

Mark Slater (Letters, June 8) suggests changing Australia Day from January 26, sometimes called "invasion day", to January 1 which marks the meeting of Australia's first Federal Parliament in 1901. The problem is, this date may be only marginally less offensive since there was no formal recognition of indigenous Australians.

Mr Slater highlights the importance of the High Court's Mabo decision, on June 3, 1992, recognising native title for the first time, a truly momentous event not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, but for all Australians. We could respectfully seek indigenous Australians' opinions whether June 3 would be a more suitable date to celebrate Australia Day.

Roslyn Prinsley, Aranda ("Masks make sense at the airport", Letters June 8) is spot on, contrary to Stephen Byron's Human Rights claim on the ACT government. Masks save lives. I flew out of Dubai some years ago and my new passenger was coughing and spluttering all over the place, poor lass. However, by the time I got to Melbourne, I had a cold for two weeks. No masks back then.

I have recently been trying to arrange a houseboat trip, but on the day of departure I was informed the boat was quarantined due to an onboard COVID outbreak. An RAT prior to boarding would have prevented the situation occurring in the first instance. Five times we were given sailing dates and five times our booking was postponed due to COVID outbreaks.

But it is stupidity in the extreme not to mandate masks at all gatherings where there are many folk. Even if you hate the jab, a mask, and a RAT at the airport, would give confidence to fellow travellers that they are not going to cop the disease.

The editorial of June 8 infers that airports that receive direct international flights may have a justification for a mask mandate. Logic would suggest it is international passengers - not flights - that pose the greater risk. If on arriving from overseas I change planes in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, etc, am I instantaneously a domestic passenger of lower risk in The Canberra Times view?

Alex Wallensky (Letters, June 8) refers to the fact that Andrew Constance, the Liberal candidate for Gilmore at the recent federal election, failed to become the Member for Gilmore at the recent federal election even though he gained most votes. If conservatives have problems with the "first-past-the-post" system, they should remember they introduced the preferential system.

This followed the 1922 election where the result in Flinders was: Nationalist Party (a precursor of the Liberal Party) 33%. Country Party (precursor of the Nationals) 32% and the Labor Party 35%. Even though the conservatives gained 65% of the vote, the Labor Party won the seat.

"Not fair!" screamed the conservatives, so they combined to change the system to preferential voting because they figured it would be to their advantage. Well, for conservative voters this is an example of being hoisted on your own petard.

To the point

Allowing the Biloela family to stay in Australia shows that under a Labor government any failed asylum seeker or illegal migrant that uses the system long enough will be allowed to stay.

The Lodge or Kirribilli House? Surely the beguiling beauty of Sydney harbour demands the creation of a "presidential palace" worthy of foreign dignitaries in our republic.

Best set aside some vast expanse of public park in anticipation?

The contract between the CIT and Think Garden was signed off at $4,999,990 thus avoiding scrutiny from the ACT government.

The contract could have been for $9.99 more and still have avoided government scrutiny. Bad luck, Think Garden, you missed out on $9.99.

It sounds to me like Messrs Hollingworth and Sloan are taking everyone for a ride. "Complexity and systems thinker". Give me a break. They're laughing all the way to the bank.

An ex-prince releases a photo of his child on her birthday and a few in Australia cheer but most ignore. There will be a much greater cheer when Tharnicaa Murugappan has her fourth birthday in Biloela on the weekend and this time it won't be celebrated with prison guards but with friends, family and supporters.

She has got what she wanted and always should have had - freedom.

The Coalition was right in warning us that ... "life would not be easy under Albanese". This lettuce supply crisis is just the tip of the iceberg.

Hall Cemetery is promoted as a cemetery set in natural surroundings. The reality is neglected not natural! Sad in so many ways. So many full-time gardeners at Woden and Gungahlin cemeteries. Resource allocation needs some serious work, Chris Steel!

Labor's Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the new integrity watchdog will be able to go back any amount of time it chooses, but it may conveniently turn out to be a witch hunt of the Coalition and ScoMo.

It's the natural order of things - canetoads eat cockroaches. It was not a feast, but still a nice meal to start with.

Wonderful to read the new Australian government arranging for the Tamil family to be released from the limbo of detention and head to their supporters in Biloela.

Now for the limbo status of many other refugees and asylum seekers to resolved with the same compassion and common sense.

Then we can hold our heads high.