Our “Keeping up the ACT” strip and a subsequent letter seems to have unleashed a cathartic wave of unhappiness with the local ABC radio station. 

AS Peter Morgan (Letters, CN March 10) noted, the accurate nailing of ABC Radio 666 in “Keeping Up the ACT” (CN, March 3) deftly hoisted a flag of complaints. 

I feel the need to add a warning pennant – all is not well upstairs in the newsroom, “Your trusted news source”.

Trusted for what? I’ve often wondered, as the time signal each morning prompts me to quickly make the switch over to BBC World News (thanks DAB+!) or risk copping an ABC 666 news headline like “The Mutant Virus is Here!”. That was the 7am newsreader’s droll attempt to inform us – mock clickbait style – that Canberra’s first case of the Omicron variant had been detected. 

Did he know that the host of that time slot had been asking listeners to share their anxieties about Omicron reaching the territory? This “sharing and caring” is, of course, just a rhetorical segue to introduce the latest sociologist promoting their self-help book on dealing with the impact of the relentless media focus on COVID-19 fears, uncertainty and doubt.

When ABC 666 News lost their 15-minute “flagship” 7.45am bulletin, “hope sprang eternal” in me that with just five minutes at 8am, sports would have to get cut back to local results or dropped altogether. 

Alas not; to preserve its sacrosanct sports report, news has been squeezed to mere bullet points. Even these get blasted through, like Canberra’s roundabouts, in the mad dash to reach sport “the precious”. Speaking of which, is there some obligation to the Raiders that ABC Canberra listeners are subjected to a minimum of at least one, post-match Ricky grumble grab?

This why-we-lost gem was worth replaying apparently, “we haven’t got enough players, playing well”.

Surely News can be stripped of sports completely – especially the weird obsession with the English Premier League results. There’s normally a whole segment devoted to the local “ABC Grandstand” reporter anyway.

Peter, it wouldn’t take much to restore ABC Radio 666 from lazy infotainment programming back to a station of substance. I suggest we start with “your trusted news source”.

Michael A Crowe, Hawker

Still angry about Genevieve’s treatment

PETER Morgan (Letters, CN March 10) laments the state of our local ABC radio station and the lack of interesting and thoughtful discussion by presenters. 

I have not listened to ABC Canberra or 666, as it was known, for many years since the day management decided to axe Genevieve Jacobs, who had to be among the very best of some excellent presenters at that time. 

I was horrified at the shabby way she was treated and vowed not to ever listen to ABC Canberra ever again and, indeed, I have not.

ABC Radio National and ABC Classic are now my ABC stations of choice.

Christine Tutty, Page 

I’ve stopped listening to local ABC

I CAN’T help commenting on Peter Morgan’s letter about the often vacuous drivel on our local ABC (Letters, CN March 10). 

Truth be told, I’ve stopped listening to it when presenters like the ones he mentions left. And to be fair, there was another excellent female presenter before Genevieve Jacobs, but her name escapes me.

Every now and then I do turn it on and find they’re interviewing an interesting writer or artist. But on the whole, the content quality is just as your correspondent said.

Late at night it was a delight to listen to a well spoken and knowledgeable presenter like Tony Delroy, but no more for many years now.

You wonder why our national broadcaster – taxpayer funded, may I add – can’t find more engaging announcers.

Vivien Munoz, via email

What ‘catchment area’, Andrew?

THE Chief Minister talks about the undesirability of building in “the catchment area” when defending his Greens coalition partners’ sanctimonious but misguided policy of a “compact city” (cruelly depriving families of backyards). 

If he’s referring to long-time planned Tuggeranong expansion to land across the Murrumbidgee River from the town centre, for instance, then it’s not in any current, or likely catchment area. 

The only ACT water sourcing point in the Murrumbidgee, north of Tharwa, is a “well” in the river, opposite the Cotter Dam pumping station. That emergency draw point was installed before the Cotter Dam was raised, and is now not required. 

We don’t have “urban sprawl” blight and associated congestion/pollution problems, because of our wonderful dispersed and well interconnected town centres; and cars becoming mostly electric or hydrogen powered, and more people working from home, will also help.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Chaos may cost ACT Labor

“CANBERRA Matters” columnist Paul Costigan (CN March 17) suggests the NCA is probably, stupidly, moving to approve raising London Circuit (if they haven’t already). 

URGENT MESSAGE TO THE ACT GOVERNMENT (if anyone’s listening): It’s not too late to walk away from this crazy project! My fairly confident prediction is that once the resultant traffic chaos and mayhem gets well underway (thank you, Disruption Task Force!), this will become a major political millstone, nicely in time for the next ACT election! (Confidential aside to ACT Labor – if you play this smart you can blame it all on the silly Greens and maybe win back some seats! Happy to help.)

Richard Johnston, Kingston

Electric buses, the only way to go

THE “Canberra Matters” column by Paul Costigan on March 10 (“Tram gives developers a free infrastructure ride”) is one of his best so far, and really hits the nail on the head. 

I hope the Greens of the ACT had a good read and thought to themselves, “How old-fashioned we are”. 

We complain about the environment, governments and big business doing nothing, when the ACT Greens look to create more pollution by trying to fool the ratepayers of the ACT that a $1.3 billion, old-fashioned transport system is good for us. I say humbug to the Greens and those who support them. Electric buses are the only way to go.

Errol Good, Macgregor

The government couldn’t care less

DANNY Corvini (Letters, CN March 17) has not heard of anyone from the inner north complaining about the tram. Well, I have.

A retail assistant in Woden told me she used to travel to work from the inner north via a fairly direct suburban bus route to Civic, then an express bus to Woden. 

Following the introduction of the tram, the suburban bus route was changed to slowly meander through several suburbs before eventually reaching Civic, making it too time consuming to be useful for commuting. She now has to get a bus which takes her to the tram, where she then continues her trip to Civic and Woden. 

The lack of choice in transport options probably explains why the tram is completely full. People realise it’s no use complaining, the ACT government couldn’t care less.

Deb Edwards, Weston

Paying through the nose

DANNY Corvini (Letters, CN March 17) is right to say that there would be no complaints from commuters able to use the tram. Why should they complain when 95-97 per cent of Canberrans don’t use it but have to pay through the nose for it? 

In case you plead that these commuters pay fares, that is true too but, at an average of about $3 for at best 4.3 million passengers a year, revenue is about $13 million a year. Not bad you say? Well, at $1.3 billion cost over 20 years, taxpayers are paying $65 million a year for the privilege of a few happy northside commuters. 

And, Stage 2 will cost about $3 billion over 20 years for fewer passengers a year. Do your own maths and wonder why Tuggeranong residents, in particular, who are never likely to see a tram but are expected to pay for everyone else’s tramlines, are not very happy about the vast waste of taxpayer funds. 

Max Flint, co-ordinator, Smart Canberra Transport

Unhinged Vlad has to be stopped 

ROBERT Macklin’s column “Hey, James, the world has a job for you” (“The Gadfly”, CN March 17) reminded me of a recent discussion with a close relative. The subject was Russian President Vladimir Putin and his unprovoked and totally unjustified invasion of Ukraine.

After canvassing several options, we concluded that the only way Putin’s undeclared war could be halted was by his assassination. Given the impenetrable security that no doubt surrounds Vlad the Invader, we concluded that it would have to be an inside job.

I speculated that a Mossad agent might succeed. However, on reflection, Robert’s suggestion of James Bond (or his avatar) would likely have a better chance of ridding the world of an unhinged, dangerous man who has made thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons. This man must be stopped, whatever it takes.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin 

Easier to pamper than love

THINKING about Frank Scargill’s comment (Letters, CN February 26) that we need to discuss the changes that have occurred in society, the contrast between the late Prince Phillip and his whinging grandson Prince Harry came to mind.

The misfortunes of life may not be of our making, but fortitude and just getting on with it can often be associated with the older generations. The tendency today is to be fixated on the problem, grievances and a sense of victimhood.

I have always felt critical of recent generations and their affluence. It is much easier to pamper a child than to love him, because love always requires self-sacrifice. To experience adversity is good for a child and he can handle it if he is sure that he is loved (my pronoun use refers to male and female children).

The recent developments in the sexual revolution and the many woke-type campaigns may be motivated by compassion, but the relief of suffering should never be at the cost weakening the institutions on which the wellbeing of all depends. 

I suspect that there are many people whose opinions are not expressed today because of the success of the left in bringing business, educational institutions and political parties to heel.

John L Smith, Farrer 

What’s the longest rifle shot?

DESPITE the world situation, the following should not be interpreted as anything other than a piece of history. Following a recent news item on my phone about a Canadian described as an elite sniper entering Ukraine, I was intrigued to find out what is the longest civilian or military rifle shot ending in death.

I was stunned to discover that In 2017, a sniper from Joint Task Force 2 (JTF-2) neutralised an Isis target in Iraq at a distance of more than 3540 metres. The reported kill shot was corroborated through video footage and subsequently confirmed by Canada’s Armed Forces.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Who still wants Dutton as PM?

The PM’s worsening poll results would seem partly explicable by recent leadership research that revealed: “The more a leader is seen to represent us, the more we’re inclined to trust and follow them.” (“Scott struggles with being there as one of us”, citynews.com.au, March 12). 

At the local level ACT independent candidates for the Senate in the forthcoming election have the opportunity to show authentic and transparent leadership qualities and commitment on key issues of interest and concern to ACT voters, without being beholden to trust-destroying dogmas, directions or control. 

Let’s not forget that in August, 2018, Senator Zed Seselja was a key member of a close coterie of rightist Coalition colleagues, including Michael Sukkar and Angus Taylor, who were confident their behind-the-scenes lobbying and number crunching would swiftly install Peter Dutton as prime minister. Would this ACT Liberal senator do the same again?

Sue Dyer, Downer