I am disgusted at Scott Morrison's apparent hypocrisy in speaking out against right-wing propaganda and aggressive behaviour in the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre.
Scott Morrison has been accused of demonising detainees.Credit:Andrew Taylor
It was only a few weeks ago he was calling Muslim detainees on Manus and Nauru criminals, murderers and rapists.
His Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton, has repeatedly claimed people in Melbourne were frightened to go out at night because of the black gangs roaming the streets.
Was that not right-wing propaganda?
The LNP has been spewing out these views ever since John Howard accused refugees of throwing their children overboard in 2001.
This government is to blame for the rising resistance to the resettlement of refugees (mostly of Muslim faith) in Australia.
They have done this through their constant lies and fearmongering about Muslim people.
Mr Morrison has even travelled thousands of kilometres to Christmas Island, so he could say he will send sick refugees there rather than allow them to access medical treatment in Australia.
He is effectively saying: "These people are less than us, these people are not worthy of settlement in Australia, we don't want these people here."Then he has the audacity to condemn people who take up this message and take violent action.
All people are equal. We all bleed, we all love, and we all feel pain.
We all want to live lives of fulfilment with our families and friends.
Whatever our faith, or even those of us without faith, we all deserve to live in safety and freedom from violence.
What a pity our government can't behave in the unifying and gracious manner demonstrated by Jacinda Ardern.
M. Carling, Gungahlin
Promoting disharmony
Ian Pilsner's (Letters, March 16) comments on The Canberra Times editorial "What is the case for admitting Milo?" overlooks the article's essence.
The editorial was about Milo Yiannopolous's provocative campaign to invoke hatred and disharmony in our country.
The editorial also covered some peripheral issues that go to the tension between democratic rights and the rule of law.
I'd like to suggest that use of the term "white nationalists" by the editorial, is more about identifying an extremist, not their skin colour.
As for the injuries caused by the so called "far-left" protesters and the $50,000 policing bill, I fail to see how one can make a categorical judgment that it was the case, if one is at arms-length and not on the front line like the police officers.
The police understand the concept of the "rule of law", when it comes to the contravention of Australia's hate laws.
The other issue highlighted is the claim by extremists that "freedom of speech" is a democratic right. This is sadly is misguided.
Leading commentators and legal academics have suggested the proposition of "free speech", is not a right that's protected under the Australian constitution. In fact, the only social freedom that's guaranteed is religion.
Australia doesn't have a bill of rights, which is where free speech usually gets defined and protected in most Western democracies.
Extremists don't have a democratic right defined by the constitution to promote hate and resentment.
Sadly, this activity was a root cause of the Christchurch massacre.
It is also sad when you have right-wing and left-wing politicians seeking to make mileage out of the Christchurch shooting.
Australian politicians are not exempt from the hate speech laws.
They should be careful about how they express their views.
Thomas Natera, Ngunnawal
Alternatives out there
John Burns (Letters, March 18) rightly points out that at present coking coal is used to manufacture steel.
Unfortunately, he omits to say that coking coal and steaming coal are two entirely different commodities.
The Adani project, if it goes ahead, will produce coal that is useless for steel making.
Send your opinions to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.auCredit:The Canberra Times
Steaming coal is used for generating electricity and is the greatest single source of emissions.
There are alternative cost-effective alternatives to coal with zero or low-carbon emissions, such as wind, solar, hydro and nuclear.
This is where some of the cheapest reductions in carbon dioxide emissions can be made. Further investment in either coal-fired power stations or mines for steaming coal would be both environmentally destructive and economically unsound.
In the near future, other sources of carbon dioxide production do need to be addressed.
These include steel making, concrete production and transport.
Steps are being taken to reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from all these industries, some of which will result in higher demand for electricity, which makes it even more important that we develop emission-free generation capacity.
Paul Pentony, Hackett
Don't punish Coalition
So Mike Quirk (Letters, March 15) thinks Shorten, Bowen and co should be given a chance because "How could they do worse than the current rabble?"
Well, I could suggest several very good reasons why Labor should stay in opposition, despite the Coalition's internal problems.
How about $200 billion in unnecessary extra taxes; there is no way Labor would be able to control our borders (like last time), with another 50,000 illegals, many deaths at sea and another $17 billion in costs; the attack on self-funded retirees and confiscation of share dividends belonging to many of them; totally beholden to the unions, especially the CFMEU (Mr Shorten has said he would "run the country like a union" – God forbid); militancy of the ACTU, believing its unions above the law; and totally in hock to every minority, identity group that Labor has promised to feed, in prosecuting its class warfare.
I, for one, despair at the damage that a Labor/Greens government could do to this country, in doing the bidding of the unions and the ACTU.
Coalition and swinging voters should think very hard before "punishing" the Coalition. The Greens and Labor will be "punishing" you a lot harder.
In spite of its past problems, the Coalition would still be able to do a very much better job of running the country than a union-controlled Labor Party and whatever the Greens stand for.
M. Silex, Erindale
Spread the word
Let's revolt against the evils being wrought by the spread of so-called "social media".
Spread the word on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
N. Ellis, Belconnen
Park vision missing
Where is our vision for a national park centred on the Ginninderra Falls?
Such a park must have boundaries that include bushland and landscapes on both sides of the Ginninderra and Murrumbidgee gorges.
The proposed 'trust' is no solution ("New Trust to ease concerns over corridor", canberratimes.com.au, March 14). Its' corridor is merely confined to only one side of each of the two gorges. Moreover, the corridor widths are very meagre in the NSW section, especially alongside the upper falls.
Also, a quarry continues to excavate nearby (visit Google Earth!). This area is the obvious location for a visitor centre.
The park has to be co-managed by our ACT Parks and Conservation Service and its NSW counterparts, together with Aboriginal groups. A well-documented report reveals a list of Aboriginal cultural sites, in fact it recommends a nomination under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act.
Canberrans, with our ACT and regional population growing apace, must fervently campaign to establish this park.
It would combine grandeur and biodiversity in addition to its vital recreational and tourist role.
One cannot expect much support from the ACT and NSW governments.
Dr Chris Watson, Latham
The cost of care
The ACT fuel pricing rip-off is unsurprising considering the relative wealth of most Canberrans. Our petrol outlets overcharge 'because they can'.
The same population characteristic drives ACT house pricing and rental. Because housing is a limited resource, the social impact falls heavily on those incapable of meeting the market price. This pricing behaviour provides a cautionary tale for forthcoming changes to the funding of aged care.
The federal government has long been the primary funder and price-setter for care services. It has sought only a limited means-tested contribution from older consumers, thus protecting them from market forces.
Soon that will change. Mandatory staffing levels and training requirements will be imposed for residential care, and providers will argue the increased costs cannot be met within current funding levels. But government may seek to limit its funding, arguing the declining taxpayer population cannot be burdened by 'intergenerational theft'.
The solution apparently favoured by government and industry is to uncap care charges and make older consumers bear primary responsibility for meeting the cost. New financial products are being introduced to allow cash-poor homeowners to draw on their home equity to fund their care. Once charges are uncapped, unless there is effective price surveillance, providers will respond to increased consumer paying capacity with unrestrained price hikes. Those on low incomes without cash reserves or homes will be reliant on government assistance, at levels set by cost accountants.
The risk is a two-tier system where wealthier consumers commandeer the limited stock of quality care resources.
Paul Feldman, Macquarie
Water problems
Whilst I applaud most of your editorial on partly decentralising the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) "Stop Plundering Canberra' (March 15, p.20), equating this with the APVMA move to Armidale is risky.
The MDBA and its basin plan has entrenched parochial water conflict, scientific lies, disconnected engineering, and big agribusiness corrupting politics.
This is bad government, and demands reform.
In contrast, the APVMA was earning genuine respect in "regulatory science", prior to meeting the exploding pork barrel.
To mature into the "seat of good government", Canberra needs to defend good government and help reform the bad, preferably by solving tough problems.
The blue-green algae of Lake Tuggeranong is one such tough problem.
To see some factors creating Lake Tuggeranong's blue green algae, I suggest people Google "wetland phosphate saturation", then GoogleEarth Tuggeranong's concrete drains. In the West, visit Stranger Pond, then the perched wetland North of Pine Island access road, and the bullrush-filled dam above Pine Island North carpark.
For some ideas on curing the lake, eSearch "bullrush harvesting", then Youtube "Turallo Creek".
So why not rip up the mid to upper concrete drains and then bind and harvest nutrients throughout the catchment via fish, fodder, fuel and fibre?
The world outside Canberra calls this aquaculture.
And why not ask a reformed MDBA to send us the first of their teams of "river rangers", practical people from throughout the Murray-Darling Basin prepared to help cure Lake Tuggeranong with the locals?
Dr Peter Main, Higgins
Greenhouse-gas cost
Jenny Goldie mistakenly asserts a tram on a new carriageway has a climate-change advantage over electric buses on existing roads (Letters, March 18).
The greenhouse-gas cost of the tram carriageway from Gungahlin was optimistically estimated at 61,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The annual savings from diesel bus replacement by the tram will be at most 1200 tons per-annum, and given the tram has less peak-hour capacity than the current bus services it replaces, few car drivers will shift to the tram and removal of buses from the roads on the route will attract more drivers.
The inevitable electrification of most urban transport means the greenhouse-gas costs of the Gungahlin tram will never be recovered.
Rather than encouraging more private cars by covering more land with concrete and steel to remove public transport from existing roads, we should convert the ACTION fleet to electric and extend transit lanes, coverage and service.
While the ACT government ordered an extra 40 diesel buses last year, Shenzhen converted its fleet of 16,000 buses to electric-powered.
Kent Fitch, Nicholls
Easter trams
Holy hot cross buns. We are going to have trams for Easter!
P. Johnston, Gungahlin
TO THE POINT
YOU NEED RECEPTIVE EARS
Dog whistling only works if a significant number of people in the community silently hold a particular view.
Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic
BETTER THAN JUST BOILED
There's something refreshingly democratic about the odd political egg making a mark.
M. Horton, Adelaide, SA
A LIBERATED EGG?
Was the egg that struck Fraser Anning free range I wonder?
G. Cornwell, Yarralumla
PERTINENT QUESTION
Voters should ask the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party if, after the next election, its supporters are hoping to import weapons similar to those used in the New Zealand massacre.
Greg Mulcahy, Weetangara
FACE IT, WE NEED KIWIS
Australia should make a friendly takeover offer for New Zealand. We would gain a prime minister we could respect and a rugby team capable of winning the world cup.
R. King, Melba
ARDERN FOR PM
I would certainly vote for Jacinda Ardern. If the New Zealanders want to deal we could offer two party leaders for one.
Dave Scullin, Greenway
BUT WOULD SHE WANT US?
Many have said we want Jacinda Ardern. But would she would want us?
Eric Hunter, Cook
FOOTY DOUBLE
Last Friday was a lovely evening for footy. We are Brumbies members (with game access) and Giants AFLW members. It was sad we couldn't attend both games on consecutive days. Maybe next year?
Rodney and Joanne Weber, Batemans Bay, NSW
NO HOWARD? NO STRESS
S. Davey (Letters, March 20) wonders how we'll get along without John Howard. I think we'll get along just fine.
Ed Highley, Kambah
ELEVATE WONG TO TOP JOB
If Labor wants to make it a sure-thing, landslide-scale victory, sideline Shorten and make Penny Wong the leader.
Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor
POLLIES' PRIORITIES
If federal politicians from NSW and Victoria had to travel between Canberra and their electorates by train, a fast train network would already be in place.
C. Williams, Forrest
ST PAT A POM
St Patrick's Day drinkers should remember that Pat came to Ireland from Roman Britain. That would make him an Englishman.
Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic
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