Tom Eames’ exhaust pipe sculpture and the hole where it used to be in his Kippax garden. 

“Karma comes around,” warns letter writer CLAIRE EAMES, of Holt, to thieves who have taken her husband Tom’s garden sculpture – “a pretty lowdown act to steal from elderly people”.

Years ago Tom Eames, of Holt, made a garden monument from old exhaust pipes from his grandson’s motorbike, which stood in pride of place in his front garden.

“Last year we sold our home and moved into a retirement villa in Kippax and woke up one morning to find the relocated sculpture stolen,” wrote Tom’s wife Claire in early October, calling it “a pretty lowdown act to steal from elderly people”.

“Tom is a couple of years off 90 and he regarded making it as an achievement.”

A day later the couple, out walking, found the garden ornament “thrown in bushes up near the Raiders Club.”

To stop it happening again, Tom concreted the ornament into the ground. But this past week Claire wrote to say: “You wouldn’t believe it, stolen AGAIN! Concrete base and all. Guess we’re lucky they left the hole.

“This ornament is one of a kind, and may I advise the thief the word is out, so you may get a knock on your door when least expecting it. Karma comes around.” Claire will keep us posted.

Fiona’s fighting to keep sporting facilities

It is disappointing to read another letter by Michael Bourke, or should I say young “Malcolm” Bourke (letters, CN November 27). Though I’m not sure why he is using his father’s name this time. when it is clearly him stating the Phillip Pool opened some 37 years before he was born.

We know young Malcolm is a member of the  ACT Labor Party and, like many of them, detests Fiona Carrick with a passion.

He believes she is not representing him and the younger constituents of Murrumbidgee. Firstly, Fadden is not part of the electorate of Murrumbidgee and secondly you are one-eyed for ACT Labor.

She is fighting to keep sporting facilities such as the Phillip Pool and advocating for new facilities in the electorate such as a multi-purpose indoor sports facility, which several sporting groups have been fighting for.

It’s also a bit rich to say her campaigners have abused you when they did nothing of the sort, but merely engaged in debate when you were canvassing for ACT Labor at a local shopping centre.

I think it’s time you moved on Malcolm and fight for things other than your pet hates!

Martin Miller, via email

A system with no checks and balances?

In response to Richard Johnston’s letter (GG’s Place, a great spot for affordable housing! CN November 20) and other referenced letters about the seeming irrelevance of the governor-general – I’m quite shocked by how quickly educated people would allow us to slip into a system of government with no checks and balances and no independent executive. It is arguments like these that will ensure Australia remains a constitutional monarchy indefinitely. 

James Ellis, Yarralumla

Albo should be solving problems at home

I generally agree with Mario Stivala’s letters (CN November 20) despite him criticising me for supporting a Royal Commission into Robodebt.

As it turned out the Commission didn’t agree with Mario that the first payment to those who were dudded was enough and it revealed a host of other issues associated with Robodebt.

In his latest letter, Mario mentions just one of the failings of Albanese, the cost-of-living issue. 

Off the top of my head I will list some others: lack of action on gambling and gambling advertising, no action on Tasmanian salmon farms where they have to live in their own excrement, restrictions on FOI requests and general lack of transparency on jobs for the boys, restrictions on the National Anti-Corruption Commission, delayed action on the SA toxic algae bloom, the continuation of perks such as the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and free tickets to to major sports, music and entertainment functions, mute responses to continuous Chinese provocations on air and on the sea, and lack of action on aged-care facilities, and high energy prices to name a few.

The PM might be fine as an international negotiator, but we need a leader who can concentrate on the many problems at home rather than touring the world, with or without his partner, and attending sporting events, and Taylor Swift concerts and the like.

Ric Hingee, Duffy 

Forget tram shrine and think of ratepayers!

So, despite the billions spent on the damn tram, it still won’t go to the airport, the railway station or for 11 years to our main hospital. 

Why spend anymore on it? Given so much of Civic is barred due to construction of stage 2a, this is simply an ongoing chaotic disaster.

Many businesses have suffered considerable financial loss with customers unable to access premises and food deliverers inconvenienced. 

A disgrace. Forget the shrine to Shane or Andrew. Think of the ratepayers! 

Renee Goossens, Turner

Brave enough to swap wind for hydro?

Free hydro electricity is readily available from all the water falling along the east coast of the nation and in Tasmania – ready to be directed into smaller and smaller pipes, then turning generators to provide ready and distributed sources of electric power.

I’m inspired by having watched a TV program – Amanda Owen’s Farming Lives – that showed how this system in North Wales ran the farm and power was sold back to the grid.

My question is: are we brave enough to swap huge wind generators for local, efficient, inexpensive systems that will help local communities? 

Peter Gately, Flynn

Chicken flesh carries bacteria risks

The Australian Food Safety Information Council is warning against a common practice in the home – washing chicken flesh before cooking, which risks spreading bacteria throughout the kitchen, increasing the risk of food poisoning.

Raw poultry juices can contaminate other food, especially desserts or salads that won’t be cooked again before eating.

Chicken flesh has a higher risk of giving people food poisoning due to the presence of Salmonella and E. coli.

Australians are among the highest consumers of chicken globally due to the cost of red meat. But the real cost is borne by the chickens.

Ninety per cent of the 650 million birds raised for meat in Australia come from factory farms, where the birds spend their brief lives (about seven weeks before slaughter) in appalling conditions, crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy, windowless sheds.

Chickens are inquisitive, social animals who enjoy scratching for food, taking dust baths, roosting in trees and lying in the sun. But those raised on Australian factory farms never even see the sun except when crammed into crates for the drive to the slaughterhouse.

Every time we sit down to eat, we can protect our family and chickens and their families from getting sick, by avoiding animal flesh and instead eating delicious, plant-based foods.

Dr Desmond Bellamy, PETA Australia, Byron Bay, NSW

Yawning, and yearning for independents

Barnaby Joyce MP is the one pushing an empty trolley on a “political shopping” journey as he seeks solace from a whingeing, backwards-looking, right-wing political party that historically has failed to work hard at contributing positively to our country’s wellbeing and prosperity (“Liberal supporters ‘shopping’ elsewhere in dire poll”, citynews.com.au November 24).

Many disillusioned Liberal voters will choose to appreciate and remain in the “modern Australia” that the federal Liberals’ leader has now decided to turn away from too. 

Sussan Ley had the opportunity to learn from the results of the Canberra Liberals’ efforts of repeatedly shunning a more progressive party persona and approach to electoral representation and policy development.

Instead, she has chosen to botch the main chances she had of leading the Coalition out of its self-made political wilderness.

Her chatty, yet still superficial, media blitzes will most likely lead to more yawning, and yearning for an additional round of intelligent, hardworking independent candidates in 2028. 

Sue Dyer, Downer

So few birds makes me sad

Thanks to all those who put me straight about Miner/Mynah birds. Whichever variety I still do not like them. 

Around where I live we see very few birds these days. The odd magpie lark, currawong, cockatoo and feral pigeons.

All our wonderful native birds and the odd introduced ones have simply gone.

Being someone who loves to see the birds this is quite sad. Is this the same across Canberra?

Melanie Glover, Duffy

What point was Ross trying to make?

In a confused and confusing letter of November 25, Ross E Smith said, “I am not a racist.” 

He spoke of the “supposed” conflicts between “white settlers” and “indigenous tribes”. 

He said: “The AWM Canberra (and other war memorials throughout Australia) is no place for cultural diversity… There is no reason for racial division in Australia.” 

Can anyone explain what point he was trying to make?

Leon Arundell, Downer