“Nichole Overall will need to be the fighter she says she is if there is any hope of getting a fair go from Macquarie Street and better transport services for Monaro,” says letter writer BOB BENNETT.

THE National Party sponsored advertising splash on its candidate for the upcoming Monaro by-election (CN January 27) had me thinking that Ms Overall might well be a fine addition to the NSW Parliament – a person who could be trusted to keep her word to fight for the Monaro region. That’ll be important; as there will be plenty of fights to be had. 

As with many of its predecessors, the NSW coalition government has become increasingly Sydney-centric and highly secretive. 

This means that all regional representatives struggle to win funding for their electorates. In the case of rail funding, the problem is both longstanding and acute. Pouring multiple billions of dollars annually into subsidising both fares and new capital works for the Sydney rail network has starved regional rail across the state (and the Sydney-Queanbeyan–Canberra rail corridor) of proper funding.  

Before the 2019 state election, the Berejiklian government promised big on regional rail – both in the Monaro and across the state generally. Sadly, it delivered only a litany of false starts, token improvements and obfuscation. 

Belatedly honouring a 2015 promise from the Baird government, a modest number of new regional trains were ordered in early 2019. 

They are still some way off and without significant track work, the new trains simply can’t deliver genuine faster rail envisaged by the former premier or a game-changing 25 per cent cut in journey times between Canberra-Queanbeyan and Sydney. 

In August, 2018, much of the NSW Cabinet including the then Premier, her Deputy and the Transport Minister made a beeline for old Cooma railway station to ostensibly back detailed plans to re-open the Queanbeyan to Cooma line with possible extensions to Eden and to Canberra airport. That project also went into the too-hard-basket after the 2019 state election.

This is not a track record that inspires confidence. And it’s why Nichole Overall will need to be the fighter she says she is if there is any hope of getting a fair go from Macquarie Street and better transport services for Monaro. If she’s elected on February 12, I wish her luck. 

Bob Bennett, co-convenor, Canberra-Sydney Rail Action Group

So long and so little progress

AUSTRALIA Day 2022. How can we “Reflect. Respect. Celebrate: we’re all part of the story” when so little progress has been made in recognising our First Nations People in our Australian Constitution?  Nearly five years ago, the “Uluru Statement from the Heart” was given to us all, after the 16-member Referendum Council travelled Australia for two years, consulting and speaking with 1200 people.  

Our government received it with suspicion and disingenuous claims that the statement requested a third chamber to parliament; no, the statement simply asked for a “constitutionally-enshrined voice to parliament”.  

Respected journalist, Kerry O’Brien, said in 2019, “the Uluru Statement represents… no threat to the integrity of Parliament… on the contrary it will add much to the integrity of our nation”.  

Integrity involves transparency and honesty. Looking forward to Australia Day 2023, can we have a government that leads us, with integrity, to “Reflect, Respect, and Celebrate” our First Nations People – consulting and listening with them, leading to meaningful action and change?

Mary Ewers, Fraser

Libs should can the tram

IF the local Liberals had any guts they would announce that, if elected, they would “can the tram”. That might even get them elected.

Russell Wenholz, Holt

No more school halls, please! 

I WAS probably not surprised by the Labor announcement of spend on schools (citynews.com.au, January 25). Start of the school year, covid angle, statement in a party positioning that plays for the ALP (ie education).

It did sound like a pale imitation of school halls from the Rudd/Gillard years. Or one of those clunky computers for kids, or cash giveaways now lost in the mist of time. $440m does not go far for 9542 schools around the country. A bit over $100 for each of the 4,006,974 students. 

Albanese earlier levered off his infrastructure background under Rudd and Gillard on the fast train, that never seems to get any closer, no matter how many times it is re-announced. 

A level of healthy scepticism is always handy, as is noting comments from old campaigners such as Graham Richardson. Politics is much about retailing a message, and reaffirming positions. Neutralising issues, talking around the Greens and making the right noises to middle Australia. 

Albanese is a clever apparatchik. 

Martin Gordon, Dunlop 

For Earth, timing is everything 

BOTH letter writers, Dr Douglas Mackenzie (CN, January 20) and Max Flint (CN, December 9), contribute convincing data for and against the global heating debate.

Standing back to clear my head for judgement, I went back to first principles looking at the mechanisms that generate the Earth’s climate. In doing so I realised just how finely tuned the Earth is and how the slightest hiccup could change the temperature by a magnitude of a thousand times.

Earth’s climate is generated by the mechanism from the heliocentric model, whereby it travels in an elliptical orbit around the sun. That is to say, spaceship Earth travels un-powered around the sun without firing any adjusting rockets to end up in the exact spot every year. 

The journey takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds, if the time takes an extra second then Earth will overshoot the mark by 30 kilometres and will cool down or vice versa, heat up one second less. 

I am not sure of the exact time, however a plus or minus 10-second error comes to mind, resulting in a one degree temperature change to the Earth in one year not 100 years as from the burning of fossil fuels modelling. 

The words perpetual motion and over unity jumps out at me, yet I am reassured by greater minds and mathematicians that the tethering force of gravity is indeed frictionless and the Earth will continue on its exact cycle for the next 10,000 years, plus. 

Oh, yes, all the other objects in our solar system, planets, moons, rocks in the asteroid belt and space junk also have a solar journey that must be made in exacting time, otherwise the rippling error will cascade logarithmically throughout the total solar system with dire consequences.

Hope everybody has a nice day!

Peter Leane, Calwell

In search of a mojo

COLUMNIST Paul Costigan’s article alluding to the National Capital Authority (“Will the NCA stop this tram south nonsense?”, CN January 20) reminded me about the team they sent on a world trip to find their “Mission Statement” in the ’70s. It is uncertain if any of the team and their mojo was ever seen again! 

On another matter Paul raised, regarding giving permission to land

seaplanes on the lake; there is an ever-present threat of invisible, under-surface logs, washed down the river that boats pre-scanning the landing site will be unable to find. 

Will NCA executives take personal responsibility for the resulting fatalities when they will inevitably occur?

Peter Gately, Flynn 

Respect freedom of choice

COLUMNIST Paul Costigan criticised a property sold in Ainslie (CN Jan 6), which had the garden cleared out shortly afterwards, with “this sort of event should not be allowed”. 

If you purchase a property then you have the right to do what you want (so long as it’s legal), as this is the core concept of ownership! 

If I don’t want a garden to maintain, a lawn to mow, a fishpond to clean, trees to prune and leaves to gather up, then I don’t have to. 

I for one don’t want more dictatorship in Canberra about how my property should be due to a handful of individuals kicking up a fuss as it’s not fitting in with their utopian world.

Having a garden though is my choice, but I also need paved/concrete areas for practical reasons that include prevention of erosion, parking the car/trailer, drainage routes in heavy rain, a barbecue/entertaining area, footpaths and stairs, as I’m on a hill.

Individual circumstances, location, affordability, practicality and most importantly a respect for freedom of choice is what I see as lacking in the Democratic People’s Republic of Canberra as opposed to more regulation.

Bjorn Moore, Gowrie

How’s the dope law been working?

ON January 31, 2020, progressive members in our Legislative Assembly introduced new rules around personal use of cannabis in the ACT to help people get support and stay out of the justice system, and to calm the whinging minorities who saw incarceration a plot against them and a festering sore. 

Key rule changes were: if you’re aged 18 and over in the ACT, you can possess up to 50 grams of dried cannabis or up to 150 grams of fresh cannabis, presumably not getting busted, and grow up to two cannabis plants per person, with a maximum of four plants per household, also presumably without getting busted.

My question is: “How’s it been working after this length of time” and considering the current Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Bill, will you now please introduce a new set of ACT vehicle number plates with modern wording “Canberra the ‘dope’ Capital of Australia”?

John Lawrence via email

Fit for what, Albo?

IN my view Anthony Albanese MP should think deeply about his bodily fitness undertaking in preparation for the next election, and possibly the prime ministership. 

Of course, trying to improve one’s health is commendable, especially given the workload at national level. But one should never forget that arguably the greatest leader during World War II, Winston Churchill, gave the very frequent example to the world that he survived on a daily “diet” of virtually no exercise, the inhaling of Cuban cigars, a half or more bottle of scotch, the very rare gifts of persuasion and courage, and a form of English known as Churchillian. I believe it was the Hercule Poirot character who wisely said along the lines of: “It’s the little grey cells that determine…”

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Climate change criticism

Oh, my! How should I respond to such an offensive and condescending letter such as that by Douglas Mackenzie (Letters, CN January 20) in commenting on my December 9 letter? 

Obviously, any retort would be a waste of time. Instead, I invite Dr Mackenzie to do a peer review on my research paper “A view on permanent climate change – how the world needs to keep the threat in perspective”, lodged with the National Library electronic depository and now accessible to all on my website alogstudycentre.com.au

Max Flint, principal, Australian Logistics Study Centre