“Ultimately, a tunnel under Civic will also be necessary as traffic congestion inevitably increases,” says letter writer RICHARD JOHNSTON as he showcases the new Melbourne Metro light rail system.

Melbourne Metro! Now that’s a state-of-the-art new light rail system. 

It shows up Canberra Metro’s poorly conceived (and still very expensive) surface light rail Stage 2, which requires a new bridge across Lake Burley Griffin and will wreak havoc in the central national area, with difficult intersections requiring some tunnelling and loss of hundreds of heritage trees.

Ultimately, a tunnel under Civic will also be necessary as traffic congestion inevitably increases. A tunnel now from Commonwealth Park to Adelaide Avenue would be the only sensible solution to stage 2b.

Richard Johnston, Kingston

Change operations, not party combinations

Michael Moore’s column (CN January 19) is a mixture of righteous frustration accompanied by a very challenging option.

I liked his view that while “It is not an election year, change is not beyond imagination”.

Moore’s frustration captures the essence of the feelings of many in the ACT that policy matters have been garnered to benefit the few. The present ALP government is a minority government but retains the qualities associated with too lengthy an administration period.

However, Moore’s hint at a possible realignment of the political groups presently elected in the Legislative Assembly is a challenging one.

Change for change’s sake isn’t an answer. There has been no evidence to suggest that an alternative political realignment in the Legislative Assembly would produce any better governance as a result.

Politics is theoretically about the will of the people, but this has long since been ignored and hard to judge anyway in an apathetic milieu, abetted by a limited communication system in an ever-more complex world.

Governments do need time to achieve outcomes and may make mistakes trying to do the right thing by the electorate. The present ALP government presents both of these circumstances and thus it is now time for change of some sort.

Consistent with Moore’s view, I too see the possibility of short-term change at the Legislative Assembly level but in its operation rather than party combinations.

For example, use the Legislative Assembly power to generate more public discourse; give overseeing bodies such as the ACT Audit Office or the Commissioner for Sustainability more airspace, including via sub-committee operations; and demand of the government genuine, funded and open public consultation processes.

In my view rearranging Legislative Assembly combinations, theoretically an option, isn’t tackling the deeper and more fundamental governance issues. Hopefully, Mr Moore’s article will help stimulate wider discussion on better governance.

Geoffrey Pryor, via email

Left/Woke-Islamist alliance remains secure

The Left/Woke-Islamist alliance remains secure despite the Bondi massacre with 180 writers and director Louise Adler sacrificing the Adelaide Writers Festival for the cause.

The Woke Identity gambit is seemingly invincible – “I can attack you. But you can’t attack me because of my identity!” The logic goes no further.

Randa Abdel-Fatah called on her Palestinian/Anti-Zionist identity to trump her public affirmation of terrorists, threats to Jews and attempts to block Jews from Arts shindigs including New York Times journalist, Thomas Friedman, from last year’s Adelaide Writers’ Festival.

His crime: Friedman likened all parties in the Gaza conflict to creatures; Hamas scored a trap-door spider. Randa howled and director Adler promptly punted the Pulitzer Prize winner, citing scheduling difficulties.

When booted herself, Randa’s hypocrisy revealed splashes of narcissism and hyperbole: “What makes this so egregiously racist is that the Adelaide Writers’ Festival Board has stripped me of my humanity and agency, reducing me to an object on to which others can project their racist fears and smears.”  Yet, for a mere smeared object she seems quite buoyant and oozes oodles of agency.

Her powerful identity card extends to Hamas and trumps their sins, too. This insanity is not fantasy; a large cohort of Australia’s politically minded accept this bewildering logic. Which begs the question – how long will the Woke pander to Randa and Islamists? Were any of the 180 writers aware of the extent Randa panders to Hamas?

She disputed the brutal sexual crimes of October 7 as “atrocity propaganda” despite autopsies and testimony including Hamas footage of 22-year-old Shani Louk, whose semi-naked body was paraded on a ute tray by triumphant merrymakers.

Did the Adelaide Writers Festival board do any due diligence before prostrating itself before Randa and naming her number one invitee for 2026?

The Woke may have won a battle in this stoush, but, if human decency counts for anything, if sympathy for murdered innocence remains alive, they have lost the war.

Peter Robinson 

What about nashos of ‘forgotten’ Korean conflict?

I enjoy reading CityNews, which is a welcome change to the declining standards of the Canberra Times.

However, the feature article “Why we need ‘nashos’ in a dangerous world” by Ross Fitzgerald and Dick Whitaker (CN January 22) requires a revisit by the authors.  

Whilst the Vietnam conflict was without doubt a significant situation resulting in the reintroduction of “conscription”, the article should give justifiable recognition of the earlier legislated conscription in the 1951-1959 period.

Fellow National Servicemen of the period comment that the article is yet another example of disrespect of their military service.

In the 1950s all males reaching the age of 18 years (adult age was 21) were subject to the conditions of conscription. Legislation was introduced in 1950 by the Menzies government and with bipartisan support.

A total of 227,000 served in 52 intakes. Initially training was undertaken in any of the three arms of the services, but this changed with the Army taking some 198,000, Air Force 22,300 and Navy 7000. 

Also reference to the term “nashos” was common in the 1950s and did not originate with the Vietnam intake. 

The lack of remembrance for such historical military detail is part of the ongoing “forgotten” Korean conflict.

The world is currently facing increasing conflicts and should Australia be drawn into military action there is the view it is very unlikely younger generations will volunteer for military service.

Former National Servicemen of the 1950s period, together with those members of the National Serviceman’s Association of Australia, have expressed the view that a National Service (aka conscription) should be introduced.

Options other than military service, such as emergency services, should be included but the former given the highest priority for able-bodied men and women.

John W Hawke, Red Hill

System is failing at Canberra Hospital

The medical system is failing as there is no common sense from the supposedly smart people who run the Canberra Hospital.

Just recently a cardiologist left, so if you do not have private health cover they are sending you to Wollongong.

In the last 12 months a large number of senior doctors have left and gone private.

The medical system needs a shake up for those who are in high positions to get a better understanding on how doctors do their job.

Silvano Zorzi, via email

I’ll have a nuclear reactor in my backyard

The Indonesian government last year authorised the building of 29 reactors from one end of the country to the other, and this immediately resulted in big public protests with placards of “Indonesia is Not Chernobyl”. Considering that Indonesia is on the “Ring of Fire” such a response from residents is perhaps understandable.

As I was preparing a paper that required the use of nuclear power and could speak with personal experience of three years in the boiler station and the turbine floor of coal power stations and also three other years handling radioactive material on a daily basis, I included a section on these also.

The paper “Climate Change in Indonesia: Green Steel” (in “Recent in Science and Technology”, vol 3, (03),54-68, 2025) can be downloaded free, and its nuclear part, which is in simple language, should be read by everyone – especially politicians to understand why I will gladly have a nuclear power reactor in my backyard.

My conditions are that I and the other residents in my suburb and our heirs and descendants get free power 24/7 for life.

To ensure that a meltdown is impossible and any leaks are not radioactive, the reactor must be like a Mitsubishi He HTGR operating in closed circuit with a gas turbine, so that the only water that will be used in the whole plant is for cups of tea (or coffee) and in the toilets.

As to the cost of nuclear power and that of renewables I will be glad to prove – definitely not using modelling but only the ABS data, that for 24/7 renewables power is 10 times more expensive per KWh than nuclear power. I use only the ABS data so anybody can check my arithmetic. 

Nick Standish, Macquarie       

Genocide rate should ‘please’ the Palestinians

Peter Robinson (letters, CN January 22) contends that the claim of genocide against Israel in relation to Palestinian deaths remains weak as the death rate (about 3-4 per cent) is low compared with other conflicts.

He cites the Vietnam War’s death rate (5-7 per cent) and the second Congo War (10 per cent) as the worst since World War II.

I guess, by implication, Palestinians should be pleased that Israel stayed below the generally accepted genocide rate and about 70,000 deaths, and many more maimed and traumatised, is acceptable.

Herman van de Brug, Holt

Those Nats won’t be sorely missed

Hard to believe that 11 National Party politicians were privileged to hold shadow ministry positions (“Nats protest walk-out implodes the coalition”, citynews.com.au January 22). 

Hard to recall what positive, substantive contributions they made and spoke about during their eight-month period of incumbency. 

Easy to remember their inward-looking flurry of activity and imploring noises in late 2025 about trying to keep Barnaby Joyce in the party pen. 

Won’t easily forget their inability, and that of their then Liberal colleagues too, to support a few new firearms controls and protections in January 2026 for public safety and security reasons.  

Sue Dyer, Downer

Another false promise from the ACT government

To reduce the number of detainees housed at the AMC, the implementation  of electric monitoring (EM) must be a priority. 

EM means that some offenders and some on bail wear ankle bracelets that show their location.

EM can be used for low-risk offenders who have caring responsibilities and/or gainful employment, as well as domestic and family violence offenders.

The ACT is the only Australian jurisdiction that does not use electronic monitoring.

The 2023-24 ACT budget included $377,000 for a “feasibility study and trial to explore the introduction of electronic monitoring of offenders in the ACT”.

Both the study and trial are unnecessary. The ACT can replicate EM legislation and its implementation from other jurisdictions.

But instead of doing something, the government has now shelved EM. This is yet another example of a false promise by the Barr government, 

Janine Haskins, prison reform advocate

So many questions that need answers

One ponders whether, in the light of deficit spending and outcomes, are we being adequately served?

Is Canberra losing its direction under self government?

Are our police, schools, hospital and  medical services still meeting needs?

Does present infrastructure spend conform with modern economic principles?

If you lose your credit ratings and plunge into debt, what spirals you into disrepute. What then would be a definition of calamity ? 

John Lawrence via email

Funding a news reader’s chair? 

To readers who watch the ABC News: Do we have to run a “fund me” collection for our news readers to have a chair?

Ben Gershon, via email