Letter writer DIANNE DEANE is troubled by a “complacent” government and GEOFF MURRAY-PRIOR, in faraway Barcelona, spots a tram-track idea missed in Canberra. 

THE September 15 edition of “CityNews” is very distressing. 

Page 4 (“Children are dying, you’re the Health Minister”), points to a government incapable of lifting its head from the sand (or some other equally dark place), accepting the truth and fixing the problems. And without any moral conscience about failing in their jobs, then accepting outrageously high salaries. 

Page 5 (“Winning design lost to bigger development plan”), reveals the forked tongue of the ACT government and its complicit planning and development agencies; promising one thing then blatantly going ahead with something else that the community does not want. 

Page 10 (“Berry is wrong, housing cash promised to trams”), reveals that the Housing Minister is either ignorant about the ACT Budget, or incapable of telling the truth about ACT public housing funding. 

Page 19 (“Numbers show the answer isn’t public transport”), Leon Arundell’s excellent letter on the carbon footprint of the light rail reveals yet again the Labor/Greens government’s sickening obsession with Stage 2a and 2b of the light rail and the triumph of the government’s ideology over common sense. 

We have an ACT government so comfortably complacent in its position of power that it doesn’t care what these things mean to its community – to the homeless, those with sick children, those who have a long commute every day, those whose businesses suffer from the light rail extension traffic disruptions. 

If not these things, then what on earth will it take for voters to choose honesty, transparency and basic good governance at the next election?

Dianne Deane, via email

People will continue to die

I WOULD like to extend my heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of Rozalia Spadafora, who tragically passed away after waiting an inordinate time for medical treatment of their precious girl.

Following the loss of my daughter, Brontë in 2020, I was advised that an “internal review” would be conducted by Canberra Health Services. I was provided with several names and acronyms of the panels and committees that would be discussing the untimely and tragic death of Brontë. I was bamboozled by all the “stakeholders” involved in the review.

As a mother, I was looking for answers to many questions. I was referred to the Open Disclosure Policy, which is a procedure for open disclosure for when things do not go as planned with health care provided. However, when I referred to the policy during a meeting with senior staff members from Canberra Mental Health Services, I was advised that the internal review of Brontë’s death was just that – internal.

Our family were not involved in the review, nor did we receive a copy of the report due to it being “confidential” and a “confidential” quality assurance exercise. After a robust discussion, I was afforded a copy of the recommendations of the review, which was beige in content. Not good enough CHS.

While the ACT government continues to cover its proverbial butt (ie in denying thorough reviews following the death of our loved ones), quite simply, people will continue to die.

Janine Haskins, Cook

Canberra – no place for radical ideas

I AM writing this from faraway Barcelona, Spain, and must commence by pointing out that radical thinkers such as architect Gaudi, and painters Dali and Picasso, were Spanish-born. 

It seems that the capacity for radical thinking continues in their equivalent of our Transport Canberra and City Services. 

Notice in the attached picture that there is a dearth of concrete in the tram tracks; grass graces the tracks and this is only one side of a busy inner-city route. 

At this point I note that Canberra’s rail cars came from Spain, but it would appear that imagination does not survive south of the equator.

But there’s pedestrian crossing lights conveniently timed to allow everyone, including doddery octogenarians such as I, ample time to cross even the widest and busiest thoroughfares without fear of being marooned mid-crossing. 

Clearly such a radical idea should not be introduced into our nation’s capital!

Geoff Murray-Prior, Watson

Beds drop as tram rises, coincidence? 

I WAS very interested to see the article about “health-system failures” in “CityNews” (“Child deaths put health system failings into focus”, September 21), especially Chart 1, which shows that the sharp shortfall in hospital beds coincided with the start of construction of Stage 1 light rail (2015-16) that, after start of operations, cost taxpayers an initial slug of $375 million plus some $56 million to $60 million per annum thereafter for 20 years. Coincidence?

Max Flint, co-ordinator, Smart Canberra Transport

Lifeline’s not part of a ‘rotten business’ 

CONCERNING second-hand books and Robert Macklin’s “The Gadfly” column, “Battle book sparks an author’s war for royalties” (CN September 15). 

The Lifeline book fair is a huge event and can hardly be described as part of a “whole rotten business”; it is a charity supported by many hard-working people who spend much voluntary time for no personal return.

There is also a large second-hand book retailer in Curtin, well run and most useful for finding early editions and out of print books.

Jack Palmer, Watson

Not letting facts ruin the story

RECENT media reporting of the World Health Organization declaring “We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight” for the COVID-19 pandemic was a textbook example of how to avoid letting any fact ruin the all-important click-bait.

From “The WHO has hinted…” the headline writers soon leapt to “The WHO has declared the end of COVID-19” trying to downplay the “is in sight” caveat.

And that’s probably because it sounds too much like a parent’s

response to: “Are we there yet?”

Michael A Crowe, Hawker

‘Potential murderers on wheels’

I HAVE every sympathy for the Australian Federal Police Association in its call for Shane Rattenbury to resign following his refusal to launch a review into the territory’s sentencing and bail laws. 

This follows his refusal to have an inquiry into one of the largest environmental disasters in the ACT and surrounds, the Orroral Valley fire, which is now being examined by the ACT coroner.

The police have been putting up with people spitting at them, trying to run them down, carrying out dangerous attempts to outrun them in stolen cars and the like. 

And to make things worse, the offenders are often out on bail at the time of the new offence and have broken bail provisions many times over. Many of these drivers are, in effect, potential murderers on wheels. Not only should the sentencing and bail laws be reviewed, but the handing down of soft sentences by ACT magistrates should also be examined. 

It may be time to actually consider mandatory prison sentences for those who try to outrun the police if judges and magistrates are not willing to take action that will reduce the loss of innocent lives on our roads.

Ric Hingee, Duffy 

All those millions, but nothing for a loo 

Until the ACT housing minister provides clear evidence to the contrary, many will be easily convinced that earnings from the sale of a large number of well-located public housing and other facility sites in prime city real estate areas were directed to the light rail piggy bank (“Berry is wrong, housing cash promised to tram”, CN September 15). 

But it is not only new public, social and affordable housing that is short-changed by these massive “asset recycling” sales. 

Many of these prime, publicly owned sites were in the vicinity of the Dickson Interchange, the only such bus/light rail hub on the rail route between Gungahlin and Civic. 

Yet despite hundreds of millions of dollars flowing from the sold-off sites into light rail infrastructure investment, the transport and city services minister still hasn’t set aside a relatively small amount to fund the provision and maintenance of a public toilet facility at this interchange. 

And while turning a blind eye to this basic, rail-linked infrastructure need, he continues to exhort locals of all ages and ACT visitors to make far greater use of public transport, and to take up other forms of active travel, which he claims “are at the centre of the ACT government’s plans to make Canberra an even more liveable and sustainable city.” 

What about aiming for a civilised national capital with supportive civilised amenities, minister?

Sue Dyer, Downer 

‘Profits-before-people’ seems to be the policy 

THE problem with social housing now is that the government sold all the social housing on Northbourne and in Civic to developers and, while the developers have built tens of thousands of units on these desirable blocks, they have not been required to provide one unit for social or even affordable housing! 

The developers laugh all the way to the bank while the homeless numbers increase. “Profits before people” seems to be our government’s major policy these days.

Catherine Cronan, via citynews.com.au

Bring the bush back to the capital 

I BELIEVE the ACT’s kangaroo culling activities are a scientifically-unjustifiable government habit and it’s time to kill the habit not the kangaroo. 

As a zoologist, ecologist and ratepayer, I have previously written to Rebecca Vassarotti, the Minister for the Environment, Minister for Heritage and Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction, about this very issue. 

Firstly, her portfolios seem totally at odds. Protection and conservation of the ACT’s wildlife seems like a conflict of interest with building and construction. The construction sector has a voice and deep pockets. The kangaroos, and broader biodiversity of the ACT, have neither. 

My response from the minister was unsatisfactory and rote. I live here partly because it’s supposed to be the “bush capital”, but that concept is increasingly being eroded. 

Secondly, there is no transparency around the data, methodology and evidence-base used to justify the annual kangaroo cull, nor information on how it will be conducted. 

Where is the annual evidence that kangaroos are creating an environmental and/or socio-economic problem for the ACT? 

Is the ACT government undertaking ongoing monitoring to map distribution and abundance of kangaroos in the region and ensure kangaroo populations are not being genetically compromised? 

Please demonstrate to ACT citizens how kangaroos are doing more harm than good. Ratepayers deserve clarity, transparency and engagement.

Thirdly, instead of using ratepayers’ funds to invest in inhumane, violent actions (ie using shooters), why not invest in ways to live side by side with nature and wildlife? 

Create more protective and integrative measures, such as: planting wildlife corridors; eco-fencing; wildlife-friendly over- and underpasses for roadways; and the many other innovative approaches being used elsewhere. 

Bring the bush back to the capital, and let both us humans and wildlife benefit and enjoy it!

Dr Gina Newton, Hughes

Time to name the trams!

TIME is overdue for better respect of our magnificent light rail system. Far too much negative energy has been expended bashing it and so little effort devoted to appreciating it and those involved. 

I urge the government to bring on a naming competition, fully embracing the community, with names being selected by an independent panel, so these can be professionally painted across carriages as a mark of public confidence.

Can I have first dibs on three carriages with the names of “Woof”, “Wham” and “Bang” with a suggestion that we rid ourselves of the depressing Eastern Bloc European Red colour scheme and repaint in a happier anti-graffiti colour? 

These names could resonate more with the visiting tourist than others might and a more cheerful colour would be an uplifting change after so much crippling criticism. 

John Lawrence via email

Puzzling policy position on resources

I AGREE with Mario Stivala (Letters, CN September 22): the Albanese Labor government needs to explain to the people who elected it how they can reconcile the action on climate change policy that they took to the election with giving the go-ahead to new exploration for, and use of, new resources of natural gas and coal.

This puzzling policy position seems even more strange when you consider Australia’s enormous resources of almost cost-free solar and wind energy. Add to those potential pumped hydro, and perhaps even nuclear energy, and one can only conclude that there are ulterior motives for pursuing even more exploitation of the very fuels that will cause still more global heating.

To me, the only explanation is that the fossil-fuel lobby has a tight grip on the government’s climate policy.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin