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Canberra Today 15°/17° | Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Letters: Post the ‘train-wreck’ interview

IN “Canberra Confidential” (March 20), ABC Canberra Morning host Genevieve Jacobs appeared to rely on “CityNews” readers not having heard the interview she did with legendary journalist John Pilger.

However, some of us did hear the interview, which was both live and lively.

Now, it’s a fair bet that Ms Jacobs would describe her own interviewing style as well-informed, professional and, almost certainly, feisty.

Yet when Mr Pilger displayed those same professional traits during the interview – traits developed during a lifetime of reporting from the world’s trouble spots, and rarely from a safe studio – Ms Jacobs condemned him as “patronising, arrogant and dismissive”.

She also smoothly avoided mentioning that she referred to “my producer” on air as the person who suggested the difficult interview. Pointing at your own staff when things get tricky is not a good look.

The ABC can let everyone make their own assessment of what went wrong in this taxpayer-funded interview, described by Ms Jacobs as a “train wreck”. I’ve asked station management to post the interview audio to the ABC website, in the normal way. If Ms Jacobs believes in transparency and openness, then she should likewise urge her managers to do that.

Marcus Vernon, Turner

Ban cage boxing

I ENDORSE Shane Rattenbury’s action to ban factory farming of animals in the ACT as a measure to reduce cruelty in the community, and as a way to send a message to other States who permit it.

In a similar way, as a counter measure to violence, I’d encourage the Legislative Assembly to ban “cage boxing” where men not only punch and kick each other “for sport”, but also continue to punch their opponent in the head while he is on the canvas.

This “sport” is currently banned in the NT and WA, but is permitted in other States.

It seems to me to be hypocritical for those State Premiers to talk about reducing violence in the community while at the same time permitting cage boxing. Surely this is something which both Labor and Liberals can agree on in the Assembly?

Bill Bowron, Farrer

 

Sorry for cruel comments

I READ the letter “Welcome to Canberra” (CN, March 27) with great sadness. Please do not judge Canberra residents by such cruel thoughtless comments.

I have lived here with my husband and children for 43 years and I am grateful for being able to raise and school my children in this great place.

What I am most grateful for is that my children were able to mix with, experience and learn from people from all over the world. Their race or colour of their skin did not matter, our family has been enriched by the experience.

I am sorry the letter writer experienced such ignorance and hope his family will be as happy here as mine has been. Welcome to Canberra.

Tricia Simmons, Kambah

 Smells rather than race?

I WONDER if the anonymous author of “Welcome to Canberra” (CN, letters, April 2), considered the possibility that “smells” referred to cooking odours from the particular cuisine, rather than to the person of that ethnicity.

 Trish Saunders, via email

 Accident waiting to happen

ANYONE looking at the mud slide that wiped out the town of Oso last week will note that the build up of soggy ground on bare hillside was blamed.

Now look at the Clyde Mountain; it is a steep slope, water pours down in streams and torrents on to the road when it rains. All the slides are post rain, it is a huge landslide waiting to happen.

It needs to be blown up at least 50 metres back from the road and replanted to hold the soil.

This road is a major accident waiting to happen. Patches and a flimsy barrier are a waste of time.

 Chris Leopardi, via email

 

Don’t let the ‘weed’ genie out

I AM old enough to remember the 1960s’ “Marlboro Man” commercials, which were used in a tobacco advertising campaign to reflect cigarette smoking with the image of a healthy, rugged and manly smoking cowboy inviting viewers to come to Marlboro Country.

This smoking pastime cost Eric Lawson, the third Marlboro Man to succumb to the smoking-related illness, lung cancer.

At that time I am sure there were many who did not see the harm in the smoking of tobacco, because they knew no better.

So I suggest that before condoning and encouraging the legalising of marijuana for the sake of increased revenue (“Grow up, legalise the weed”, CN, March 20) as columnist Mark Parton suggests, I would ask that he and other supporters of “legalising the weed” encourage further research and investigation before letting this “marijuana genie out of its bottle” and on to future generations.

 Amanda Medcalf, via email

 

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