“Now, I know a lot of local Laborites have had direct CFMEU backing, but having an actual CFMEU employee running for office?” Letter writer ANNE O’DONNELL wonders what’s going on with Labor’s Kurrajong candidate Aggi Court. 

I’m just back from the shops after seeing a booth for one of our new local Kurrajong Labor candidates, Aggi Court, who has sprung up out of nowhere but is very focused on listening to people, at least until October.

But what surprised me was that, according to her blurb, she is currently working full-time for the CFMEU as some sort of policy officer. 

Now, I know a lot of local Laborites have had direct CFMEU backing but having an actual CFMEU employee running for office? Especially after the federal government’s CFMEU act, that now includes the ACT. 

Plus, she’s seemingly open and proud about it all. Why isn’t anyone making her candidacy an issue? 

And as the ACT CFMEU is placed into administration then they can’t engage in any party politics or back any political candidate.

So, will Ms Court be disendorsed? And how much has the CFMEU contributed to her campaign already? If it is anything, then shouldn’t she have resigned by now to avoid a clear conflict of interest? 

This is the sort of stuff the Canberra Liberals should be on to. I mean, imagine if a current CFMEU member was endorsed to run for the federal Labor Party while still working for the CFMEU? And what’s more had happy snaps taken with Albo, like Aggi Court has had with Chief Minister Andrew Barr. It would be front page news!

Anne O’Donnell, Ainslie

I’m still waiting to hear from Amardeep

With most election candidates spouting similar inoffensive buzzwords, it can be difficult to know where they stand on issues that matter to voters. 

I wrote to all of the candidates in my electorate of Murrumbidgee to ask their views on voluntary assisted dying (I didn’t write to current members, whose positions are already known, nor to other Labor candidates). 

I received a very fast response from each of the independent candidates with clearly worded policy positions.

I also received a thoughtful response from Liberal candidate Karen Walsh.

I received no response from prominent Liberal candidate Amardeep Singh, even when I sent a reminder two weeks later. 

Irrespective of his views on the subject, I have deduced from this that he would not be a very responsive or accountable MLA, despite his inundation of glossy, buzzwordy flyers. 

Scott Humphries, via email

I can hardly wait to show them the door

The article by Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed “Income estimates for land supply make no sense” (CN August 22) makes very clear that Andrew Barr’s Labor-Greens government is more interested in profiting from land sales than providing the basic necessities for life in the nation’s capital city. 

Rather than the housing crisis being ameliorated, it is being made worse – much worse.

In my view, which I’m sure I share with many other Canberrans, a major driver of this financial avarice is the government’s obsession with light rail: in particular the Stage 2B to Woden folly. 

This is bound to be breathtakingly expensive; and will probably disrupt the lives of commuters, other road users and residents of streets subjected to detours, for more than a few years.

Franky, I can hardly wait for the October 19 ACT election and the opportunity to show Mr Barr, Mr Rattenbury and the rest of the ACT government, the Legislative Assembly door.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Appalled at the roadside rubbish everywhere 

Roadside rubbish along Belconnen Way, Parkes Way and Tuggeranong Parkway is shocking, and appears intentionally discarded: building materials, car debris, tyres, plastics, boxes, bottles, takeaway containers.

A resident of 50 years, I am appalled by the staggering increase in roadside rubbish everywhere in Canberra. It contaminates our environment. What must international visitors think of our national capital? 

Why don’t ACT government staff and contractors remove this rubbish regularly (as they used to), and impose heavy fines where culprits are identified?

Also noticeable is serious neglect of roadside trees, so overgrown they obscure critical road signage for motorists. Road lane markings are worn to near invisibility; potholes abound (costing me $800 car damage on Kingsford-Smith Drive).

In recent years our general rates have soared. Road maintenance is severely reduced, I suggest, to divert funds to the poorly-conceived light rail disaster (old 19th century technology).

The current ACT government has been in power too long, and grown complacent.Thank goodness for the upcoming election!

Anne Kaminskas, Aranda

It’s time we had a change of government

No truer words have been written than Janine Haskin’s letter (“Time to get rid of the Assembly’s low-hanging fruit”, CN August 22). It’s about time we have a change of government. 

Surely the people of Canberra must see that the present government’s spending spree with our money is unsustainable. 

Our rates increase every year to plug the great debt hole that Andrew Barr is creating for things we, the majority of the public, would not vote for if we had a chance to agree or disagree.

Please give someone else a go Mr Barr, we’ve had you long enough, step aside, take a leaf out of Joe Biden’s book!

Monica Beran, Farrer

Reserves are for everyone to enjoy

My imagination began to race when I read Michael Moore’s column (“House throws spanner in the Kurrajong works”, CN August 15) that a policy of the First Nations party under Paul Girrawah House is the “transfer to local Aboriginal people of full control and rights of all Crown nature reserves… including most of the urban bushland within the city boundaries”.

Does this mean if the policy is adopted, the community won’t be able to walk up Mount Taylor for exercise, walk on ridges such as Farrer Ridge to see the wildflowers or have their kids swim at the Black Mountain peninsula reserve without a permit from Aboriginal people or possibly paying an entry fee?

These reserves have been developed over the past 50 years with funds from taxpayers and many hours of free labour from volunteer groups for everyone to enjoy. To now want to transfer “full control and rights” in relation to these assets to one small group seems to be a negative step.

If I’m misrepresenting the policy then I’d be grateful if Paul would expand on it, with some examples of its application.

Bill Bowron, Wanniassa

Columnist the sees world one way, I see it another

Who was it who said, “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are?”

Columnist Robert Macklin (“Albanese lacks the courage of his own convictions”, CN August 15) sees the world one way. I see it another. 

Can we both be right? 

Let us examine and comment on some of his statements and suggestions: Holt should have moved on Menzies instead of allowing him to remain in office for so long. But Menzies’ electoral support, and his dominance of his government and the Liberal Party, were such that no move on him, whether due or not, could be contemplated.

Holt was a nice guy, and so is Albo – nice guys come last; Holt drowned after two years as PM, something similar may be in store for Albo. To be a nice guy may not come easily, but it is fundamental to social harmony, and is as important in government as anywhere else.

Albo should not have bowed to the hammering of the NSW right or tamely accepted the caucus vote for Shorten as leader. But if, as Macklin says, timing is everything, then Albo was right to “duck, weave and wait” to become Labor leader.

Albo has sacrificed O’Neil by moving her to a different portfolio, leaving Giles to cop the slings and arrows of the Immigration ministry. But O’Neil has actually been promoted, from Home Affairs (then ranked 15th in the Ministry) to Social Services (currently ranked 10th). Giles is no longer in Immigration, but has moved to the less exposed Skills and Training ministry.

Macklin claims to hear leadership buzz and chatter, and will be very surprised if Albo leads Labor to the 2025 election. Marles wants to be PM; the killing season is now – Marles is likely to move on Albo. 

The Labor Party is anxious to avoid a return to the decade of the six prime ministerships. It well remembers the consequences of Gillard’s move on Rudd shortly before the 2010 election: the government barely survived, and it was succeeded from 2013 by those of Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison.

Michael McCarthy, Phillip

Albanese’s worse than Gough Whitlam

Columnist Robert Macklin (“Albanese lacks the courage of his own convictions”,CN August 15) like many on his side of politics, has real trouble calling Anthony Albanese for what he is, to put it mildly – not so bright. 

Albanese’s promises have been to reduce electricity bills by $275, reduce the cost of living, 24-hour nurses in aged care, not touch our super, have a clear and transparent parliament (think the $2.4 million to Brittany Higgins), not to go missing when this country needs him (think Alice Springs, when he preferred to hobnob it at the Australian Tennis Open), install the Uluru statement in full which included treaty (which he later denied) and the biggie – to make Australia a renewable superpower. Something the experts and scientists tell us is not possible. None of these promises have been fulfilled, they have all failed.

In the lead up to the last election, Albanese promised to be a bit of Bob Hawke and a bit of John Howard, but he is worse than Gough Whitlam. Far-left prime ministers in Australia have never gone far, there is a reason for this.

Ian Pilsner, Weston

Macklin needs to tread very carefully

Thanks to Dave Jeffrey (letters, CN August 22) for drawing attention to The Gadfly column by Robert Macklin (“Where the heavenly call centre works overtime”, CN July 25). I was not aware of the article, but having now read it I can assure Mr Jeffrey that I also take umbrage at its content.

Mr Macklin’s characterisation of Christians, especially Catholics, as being mad for praying to God and describing the Bible as a book of fables and fanatics, is a sad example of the lack of respect shown in public discourse in our troubled country.

Mr Macklin clearly considers Catholics an easy target in this post-religious world and he must feel emboldened to say such offensive things in a jurisdiction that had no qualms in compulsorily acquiring the assets of a Catholic health organisation, which had operated in the ACT for decades, because it didn’t fit with the post-religious ideology practised by the ACT government.

It is interesting to note however that in this same jurisdiction it is still unlawful for someone to publicly vilify you for your religious conviction by inciting severe ridicule.

Mr Macklin needs to tread very carefully should he continue to publicly ridicule people of faith. I wonder if he is only prepared to attack Christians or does he dare to extend his public ridicule to followers of Islam who also pray to God.

Paul Ross, Googong

National service a test for multiculturalism

Quite rightly, Ric Hingee, of Duffy, gives close attention to problems found within Australia’s migrant and refugee policy (Letters, CN August 15) 

With some notable exceptions, especially those since October 7, Australia’s multicultural society has functioned rather well over the years; however, what can’t be known for sure is whether it would continue to do so should the country ever be called to arms.

It’s worth asking if such a diversity of people with wide-ranging differences in temperament, language, culture and creed could function cohesively as a unified body for Australia’s defence. 

Of course, the best way of anticipating and eliminating any multicultural problems that could arise within the armed forces is through the introduction of military service. 

Frank Reade, Macquarie 

Report remarkable for what it omits

The ACT government’s August 2024 Transport Infrastructure Plan Update is remarkable for what it omits.

We travel five times as far as car passengers as we do by public transport. Transit lanes encourage us to travel as car passengers by getting more of us to work, more quickly, in fewer cars. The Update makes no mention of transit lanes.

The government provides public transport users with polluting buses, and subsidises public transport operating costs by $10 per trip. The Update omits to mention comparable support for healthier walking or cycling.

Parking fees cut traffic congestion, and can fund transport improvements – 750 commuters switched to buses when the federal government introduced pay parking in the parliamentary triangle. The ACT government estimated that increased parking fees, combined with bus rapid transit between Gungahlin and Civic, would reduce car travel in the ACT by two per cent. Light rail, at twice the cost, reduced car travel by only half a per cent.

The Update omits to mention parking fees. Its only mention of bus rapid transit is of a feasibility study for an uncosted “indicative” bus transitway.

Leon Arundell, Downer

Focus closely on the individual candidate

For those who worry about our elections don’t panic. If the big picture leaves you numb, focus closely on the individual candidate. 

If they have no experience, average-to-below education, claim being a former successful small-business operator with no solid evidence, have questionable knowledge of managerial complexity or economic analysis and budget control, no worries. 

Just vote for those who are less likely to take this place off the cliff into a dry creek bed. It’s called democracy, folks; so give it a red hot crack and be astute!

John Lawrence via email

Lacklustre Libs need time management

The NSW operations of the political party that claims to produce better managers of state and national economies suggest that the Liberal Party’s biggest and most influential branch federally needs some basic time management and other skills development and retraining.

Practical exercises requiring the planning and organisation of a few government school fund-raising sausage sizzles could help them get back on track (“Liberals in disarray, boss sacked after election fail”, citynews.com.au August 16).

Sue Dyer, Downer

Nuclear is no more than a small niche

Anthony Horden (letters, CN August 15) has claimed that only nuclear power can provide an emission-free, 24/7 generating system. Experience in the rest of the world suggests otherwise.

In 1996, 17.6 per cent of the world’s electricity was generated by nuclear power. This fell to just 4 per cent. There has sensibly been a renewed interest in nuclear power since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine showed the West the dangers of relying on oil and gas from Russia, but nuclear is still no more than a small niche in the world’s energy market.

Germany has closed all its nuclear plants, the US is not building a single reactor and the UK Prime Minister Starmer has said he believes that Hinkley Point C when completed will be the last reactor built in the UK. Work at Hinkley Point began in 1995 and it will be completed by 2031. Seven other countries are phasing out all their existing reactors.

The main disadvantage of electricity generated by nuclear power is its cost. Private investors will not touch it – overseas or in Australia.

It also uses vast amounts of water to cool fuel rods.

Nuclear power is also very unreliable. Wind and solar do need backup –  either battery storage or pumped hydro. Nuclear reactors are plagued by unplanned technical outages. To list just the major reactor shutdowns in the US from 2023 – Browns Ferry for 44 days; Byron 2, 21 days; Callaway 1, 26 days; Milestone 3, 30 days and Prairie Island 1, 61 days.

Noel Baxendell, Holt

Nuclear choices haven’t always come first 

Mike Quirk argues in his letter (CN, August 20) that decisions to embark on nuclear power were made by other countries before the choice of wind and solar power was available. This is not true.

Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkey are all constructing their first nuclear power plants. Many countries are said to be considering, planning or starting nuclear power programs.

Mike Quirk states nuclear power in Australia has been assessed as the more expensive option. That assertion cannot be proven because no one knows the cost of a low emissions power system entirely dependent on wind and solar generation and vast energy storage. Such a large-scale widely distributed system has never been developed or tested.

John L Smith, Farrer