“Has the Labor-Greens government just given up on Canberra? Ten years or even five years ago it wasn’t like this,” says letter writer RACHAEL NANO, of Lyons.

As a Canberra local, I am saddened to see the decay of our beautiful bush capital with the appalling level of graffiti we see all around. 

Has the Labor-Greens government just given up on Canberra? Ten years or even five years ago it wasn’t like this. Aren’t the politicians, local and state, embarrassed by the sight? 

It is shameful. Maybe with the coming election they might finally clean it up for a while, until it comes again or is that too cynical of me?

Also, is anyone noticing the abandoned cars on the side of the road? Are there more lately? Is that another sign of decay?

Rachael Nano, Lyons

Hitting the government where it hurts

KEEPING UP THE ACT (CN, August 29) hits the Barr government where it hurts – or should hurt – most: attending to housing needs, maintenance, planning and development of all the ACT, not just the suburbs north of Lake Burley Griffin. 

Rather than naming a large suburban area in southern Canberra, Andrew Barr gave clear evidence of being unaware of its existence.

This ignorance is also reflected in the unkempt state of roads, streets and footpaths; areas of government-owned public land, paved areas in public places such as neighbourhood shops; road verges, and suburban street nature strips. 

In the Deakin shops there are vertical displacements of up to three centimetres between concrete slabs near the supermarket, which is often bustling with pedestrians.

Larger areas of public land are sometimes left unmown for weeks, if not months. A large tree limb has been lying where it fell many years ago near the Deakin Anticline official Geological Monument. 

The verges of major roads are at times festooned with tall grass, weeds and “automotive jetsam” such as bottles, cans and cardboard cups.

I have lived in Canberra for more than 70 years, and have often thought about how lucky I was. Mr Barr has ended that lucky feeling: hopefully it will return after the October 19 ACT election.

 Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin 

Doubts minister would drink this ‘perfectly fine’ water

Housing ACT tenant Maddie Lewis complained to Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry about the state of water at her Kingston home.

She sent us photographs of the water in her sink and bathtub, and a copy of Minister Berry’s letter to her.

The Housing and Suburban Development Minister wrote to say Housing ACT had been around and she was “pleased to hear a water sample has been tested and the results have confirmed the water meets the requirements of Australian Drinking Water Guidelines”. 

Maddie is not so convinced, writing: “I’m pretty sure she sends out invisible people to do these tests… CCTV hasn’t spotted anyone from the ACT government taking a sample in the last four years.

“Assuring vulnerable ACT residents this water is ‘perfectly fine’ is an utter disgrace. I highly doubt she’d drink this.”

Hilltops development as silly as a tram!

I do not believe Mr Barr, if still in power, will build on hilltops as Monica Beran (letters, CN August 22) is concerned about. 

It would be the modern equivalent to the folly of building a tramline in Canberra in the 21st century. A cost/benefit study would show that even on purely financial grounds, it did not justify itself.

Early in the development of Canberra, the water treatment plant was placed on Mt Stromlo at an elevation of 2800ft with water pumped from Cotter Dam. 

Later, water from Bendora could be obtained by gravity feed as Bendora is over 4000ft. Most are familiar with the pipelines along the Cotter Road. It was stipulated in the urban plans that no housing could be above 2500ft so reservoirs for each suburb (at about 2600ft) could also be gravity fed from Stromlo and thus also gravity feed the dwellings and group centres. 

The hills of Canberra would be retained as reserves enhancing the landscape. There would be significant engineering costs to supply water to residences on hilltops, above the current reservoirs, quite apart from the scenic vandalism that such a move would entail! Surely someone can find a Golden Sun Moth. Or what about the NCA doing its job for a change and rule it out at the start?

Peter Haddon, chartered professional engineer, Jerrabomberra

Self-appointed interpreters for the politically deaf

ABC’s Australian Story “Flash Point” (August 14) on WA independent (the former Labor) Senator Fatima Payman revealed how the useful idiots (in the political media) are self-appointed interpreters for the politically deaf (the voting public).

The narrative was introduced as “she saw it as an act of conscience… her colleagues considered it treachery”.

Probably explains the inclusion of David Crowe, chief political correspondent Nine, instead of independent Senator Lidia Thorpe. Crowe had to remind us about the disloyalty/treachery of Payman. Sadly, being so out of place, he came across like someone auditioning for a Labor media adviser role.

The useful idiots were clearly angry at the young senator for not playing the game – as they script it. Politics is a mutual respect thing – you let your caucus colleagues know and the media magically appears to keep you on message. Unfortunately, Payman had already been advised “if you don’t want anything to be leaked, don’t bring it up in caucus”.

Instead, she visited a uni student encampment for Gaza, with some breakfast and hot Afghan tea. “I hadn’t told anyone because I didn’t want this to be a photo op,” she said, thereby gaining the trust and respect of the students. 

Not only did she lack “clearance”, she didn’t even get lines on what to say, what not to say – as every token representative of diversity must. Scripted by former news hacks, these make the media’s job so much easier.

The real narrative that emerged is Payman’s damning indictment of Labor: “I don’t think they’re ready to have diversity with a voice”.

Michael A Crowe, Hawker

Liberal handmaidens not helping 

Like deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley, Liberal senator Jane Hume recently rushed to cocoon Peter Dutton from criticism of his unacceptable behaviour on the floor of his workplace.

While Ley railed against her leader being “vilified” for making racially charged remarks, Hume branded the teal MPs’ frustrations and well-justified concerns about unprofessional behaviour and language as a mere “political stunt”.

In the commercial media she also claimed, strangely and dismissively, that the independents misunderstand their parliamentary role. 

These senior Liberal women are hardly likely to attract female voters back to their party when they can’t be bothered showing some leadership and collegiality about improving politicians’ communications inside and outside both chambers (“Why the watchdog won’t stop bad behaviour”, citynews.com.au August 22).

Soon after, when Dutton approached another favoured news outlet to attack the teals and most other parliamentarians as “Hamas’ useful idiots”, he again displayed the Liberals’ lazy inability to cast off their traditional crutches of base politicking and dog-whistling.

Having purse-lipped senior females reinforcing these traits, with their protective “yes, sir” condemnations and put downs of others, undermines any federal opposition efforts to offer itself up as an even half decent alternative government.

Sue Dyer, Downer

Freedom of speech the essence of vibrant democracy 

Ian Wallis (letters, CN August 22) from ANU is direct in his response to Vi Evans’ August 8 letter when he says that no-one has the right to express an opinion unless they have expertise in a subject, a right earned through considerable scholarship. 

Freedom of speech and the ability to express one’s view is the essence of a vibrant, well-functioning democracy. 

Oher CityNews letter writers offered Vi suggestions on how to increase her history knowledge. Providing new information, not censoring other people’s views, is the surest path to a more learned society.

Peter Horton, McKellar

When only one side of an argument is heard

I hate to say it, but ANU academic Ian Wallis’ subjective view of who should be allowed to comment on issues of interest and importance to us sounds a little pretentious (letters, CN August 22). 

Not all of us gain our “expertise” through scholarship, ie, formal higher level education (if that’s what Ian’s implying). For many, our lived experience and our personal desire to improve our understanding through personal study, provides us with at least a good working knowledge of particular subjects and issues.

Of course there are many who base their opinions on misinformation, or around a narrow ideology or a particular theology. These too, however, are allowed to be aired, as in any reasonable democracy they should be.

The answer, rather than “ban” those whom you believe don’t meet your exacting intellectual standards (however noble they may be) is to provide a more evidenced and, hopefully more persuasive, response. 

No one can claim this part of the democratic process always works, but history is fairly unequivocal about the outcomes when only one side of an argument is allowed to be heard.

Eric Hunter, Cook

Bus rapid transit investment twice as effective light rail

Mike Quirk incorrectly claims (Letters, August 20) that the ACT government has failed to evaluate bus rapid transport.

The ACT government’s evaluations show that investing in bus rapid transit is twice as effective as investing in light rail.

Using standard economic scenarios, the government concluded that each dollar invested in bus rapid transit stage 1 would generate $1.98 worth of benefits, compared with only $1.02 for light rail stage 1; 38 cents for light rail stage 2a and 72 cents for light rail stage 2b.

Using more optimistic, but more questionable scenarios, the government concluded that each dollar invested in bus rapid transit stage 1 would generate $4.78 worth of benefits, compared with only $2.34 for light rail stage 1, 56 cents for light rail stage 2a and $1.18 for light rail stage 2b.

If the government had invested in bus rapid transit, then for the cost of light rail stage 1 buses would now be travelling from Gungahlin to Woden (via Civic) in 40 minutes. Light rail won’t be ready to travel from Gungahlin to Woden until 2033, would cost billions more and would take 10 minutes longer.

Leon Arundell, Downer

Many oppose war, many more oppose terrorism

While your columnist Michael Moore (“Many Jews oppose Israeli war on Palestinians”, CN August 29) may find supporters for his statement: “There is a reluctance amongst journalists and columnists to call out Israel on its disproportionate war on the Palestinian people”, I am glad to say I am not one of them.

Opposingly, there is also a disturbing tendency amongst journalists and columnists, who portray Hamas as the victims, conveniently ignoring last year’s brutal attack on Israel and the murder, rape and mutilation of more than 1200 innocent Israeli citizens.

Mr Moore might also want to consider that the current war is not against the Palestinian people but against their elected government, Hamas, an internationally recognised terrorist organisation.

Yes, many do see the Israeli response as disproportionate, but what did Mr Moore expect the Israeli government to do?

No one wants to see the bloodied bodies of innocent children paraded on our screens, victims of a war they did not choose to be part of, but you cannot fight a conventional war, against ruthless terrorists who are difficult to identify, embed themselves in the local population, hide under civilian buildings, hospitals and schools and use their own citizens as shields.

Declan Mcgrath, via email