“Until governance improves, the community will continue to suffer from the misplaced priorities of this arrogant, bumbling, bone-headed and opaque government,” says letter writer MIKE QUIRK.
In 2025 the Phillip pool fiasco, technology stuff-ups and burgeoning debt further exposed the incompetence of the Barr government.
Despite major unmet needs in health, housing and education, it continued its unjustified expenditure and misinformation on projects including light rail, claiming was superior to bus rapid transport; overstated the contribution missing middle redevelopment can make to housing affordability and sustainability and paternalistically limited the release of land for detached housing based on exaggerated claims of environmental benefits thereby contributing to reduced housing choice and increased prices.
Until governance improves, the community will continue to suffer from the misplaced priorities of this arrogant, bumbling, bone-headed and opaque government.
It is unlikely the Assembly can hold it to sufficient account, as the Greens are compromised by their past involvement in government and have little in common with the disunited Liberal Party. The two independents offer some hope but generally do not have numbers to challenge the government on most issues.
An immediate improvement could occur if the government, uncharacteristically, had the perspicacity to realise its best chance of continued electoral success is to base its priorities on evidence and to engage the community.
Unless it does, its hold on the electorate will diminish and increased numbers of independents will be elected in 2028.
Mike Quirk, Garran
‘Mean’ decisions on swimming pool closures
Disappointment is an understatement about how I feel as I continue to read articles regarding the closure of outdoor swimming pools in Canberra, particularly the plans to demolish Big Splash at Jamison and the Olympic pool in Civic.
The iconic pools have been noteworthy features of Canberra’s history since I can remember, and I’m no spring chicken!
Growing up in Aranda, I learnt to swim at the “Jammo” pool and attended many swimming carnivals there.
The Olympic pool showcased strongly in my adolescence, and I distinctly remember catching the 430 bus to Civic and spending much of the summer holidays there, wearing my green, crocheted bikini in the late 1970s.
Every year, my friends and I would make the obligatory leap off the “top tower”, with a metaphoric badge of bravery awarded, particularly if you were a girl! Never mind the wedgie; it was all worth it.
So, it looks like the Jammo pool will most possibly become some kind of concrete jungle – tragic.
And it looks like the Olympic pool will be relocated to Commonwealth Park, minus the diving boards, let alone a deep pool for water polo and underwater rugby players. It certainly won’t meet the criteria of having “Olympic” status.
Shame on the ACT government for making such mean decisions and eliminating yet more recreational facilities for Canberrans and visitors.
Janine Haskins, Cook
Labor treats independents with contempt
The federal Labor government continues to treat the progressive independents with contempt.
By failing to ensure that key amended draft legislation on gun law and hate speech reform issues was provided in a fair and timely manner last week to federal representatives such as Dr Monique Ryan, Zali Steggall and ACT senator David Pocock, the prime minister seemed to again suggest that he is comfortable with helping to entrench, and even increase, the vote for diligent and other non-main party politicians.
He and our local Labor representatives should not grizzle if this happens in 2028.
Progressive independents showed they could speak up intelligently and pursue meaningful constituent engagement exercises while the main parties mainly focused on bogging themselves down with shambolic political game playing, selective bulldozing tactics and obfuscation about what all nevertheless agreed are important yet complex issues.
No doubt many ACT voters had, in good faith, been trying to follow and provide feedback on what they could make of the disjointed political and legislative argy-bargy and then the rushed development of what became two final yet amended bills.
The mood of those feeling peeved and deflated about what was not achieved by the morning of January 21 would not have improved then with the prime minister’s messaging that everything was now “done and dusted” as far as any further reform was concerned.
Or by the Coalition parties’ new headline-grabbing frontbench implosions and a renewed focus on their downward spiral to right-wing consolidation or political oblivion.
Both main leaders and their executive teams have created more credibility and trust hurdles for themselves in 2026 given the ways they chose to handle issues arising in the lead up to the recall of parliament and in the subsequent rushed legislative operation.
Sue Dyer, Downer
Peace requires justice that protects every life
Writing on the National Day of Mourning, I am reminded of the famous couplet “How odd of God/To choose the Jews”.
Recorded for 3500 years, responsible for the Bible, remarkable for their knowledge and contributions to science and humanity, repeated survival of intense hostility, the Jews are the longest surviving race of people when preservation of land, language and religion are considered.
The tiny Jewish nation has always harboured belief in the existence of God and a beginning to our universe. While the powerful nations that dominated and exiled them from the earliest days believed that the sun and the moon were gods, the Jews preserved belief in a creative act that relates to recent scientific theories of a beginning,
We are now living in an age prophesied in Isaiah 43:5-7. Jews have returned from all parts of the world to their native land (after 18 centuries of expulsion).
Poor in natural resources, Israel is surrounded by hostile neighbours, paralleled by a breakdown in world order and the antisemitism of the cultural left here. God only knows what’s next, but peace requires justice that protects the dignity of every human life.
John L Smith, Farrer
‘Good news’ in reducing home grants
Good news for struggling potential home buyers, in all markets, would see the Commonwealth actually reducing some grants and concessions, and essentially taking over the ongoing (compulsory if necessary) acquisition, sensible planning and development of land for new suburbs and satellite towns.
There’d be decent sized (say, 600 square metres minimum) family blocks for simple-to-build single dwellings, always in good supply, for sale direct to homemakers, at publicly ascertainable cost.
Natural soils and vegetation would be preserved. Our reported urban tree decline would be reversed. Part of the land sales revenue should rightly go to First Nations organisations.
Regarding finance for that program, with profiteering banks and corporate lenders unlikely major contributors, the government could operate a nationwide lottery (like the successful Sydney Opera House one).
Government compensations to recent borrowers suffering proven resultant negative equity, could be available for a time.
The excesses of negative gearing would be reduced. The profiteering and supply-restricting activities of speculative and “project” builders, and developers would be checked.
Rates, and land sale taxes, currently feeding off increasing land prices, would be replaced with a modest increase in the GST, with distribution extended to local authorities. And we’d achieve a more balanced economy, with more beneficial investment opportunities, and improved population health.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
The hoons own the streets
Judging by the excessive amount of burnt-out rubber across the main streets of Canberra, it isn’t far-fetched to believe that hoons own the streets of this place and the police are either blind or impotent to the fact.
The wet-lettuce-leaf approach isn’t working so hardline action needs to be taken against these people. Maybe its time for stronger wake-up fines, immediate suspension of licences, vehicle impounding and, in some cases, vehicle crushing. Either way if you do not get on top of it, expect the worst to occur.
John Lawrence via e-mail
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