News location:

Canberra Today 12°/16° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Letters / Complacent government needs a shake up

COLUMNIST Michael Moore (CN, November 16) describes the rocky, hard place Canberrans find themselves in with our current political situation.

The ALP-Greens government complacency does indeed need a shake up. It is clear people are fed up with the current planning and development system. The ongoing discontent about the “tram”, the Manuka Oval, the Yarralumla Brickworks, waste-to-energy facility all show Canberrans’ unhappiness about how these decisions were made. Voters are looking for alternatives not only to the traditional parties, but beyond the party system as well.

The recent ACT government toe-in-the-water with participatory processes where citizens were selected to help make thorny policy decisions (Third Party Insurance Citizens’ Jury and the Carers’ Panel) shows Canberrans are eager to try new ways of helping make decisions. Perhaps more of this type of participation, used prudently, can help craft wiser decisions and soften voters’ hard place.

Peter Tait, O’Connor

Freedom for all

APPARENTLY columnist Michael Moore is free to criticise Senator Zed Seselja (CN, October 23), but he is vehement that Zed should not be free to ensure that Christians are able to express their views without retribution.

Zed, like all politicians, should pass legislation that provides for freedom of speech for everyone.

Rewa Bate, Coombs

Bring back speedboats

DAY in, day out I read of the proposals for Lake Burley Griffen including boardwalks and apartments; you name it has been put out there but how about bringing back powerboat racing, which was popular from the ’50s to the ’80s on the lake?

It brought interstate supporters and tourism dollars not to mention keeping the horrid algae under control.

The lake has entertained speedboats of many and varied engine makes and capacities – ski boats, F1 hydro and jet-ski racing – offering exciting and colourful entertainment. I remember well a massive, big, bad drag boat aptly named “Assassin” entering the lake from the river at speed and skipping across the lake surface.

Michael Attwell, Dunlop ACT

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews