Bean there, done that – let’s now reflect community identity

As authoritatively described in Richard Begbie’s fine 2016 historical novel Cotter, Onyong was a proud and influential local Aboriginal leader who befriended and guided former convict and early environmental settler Garrett Cotter, after whom the bountiful mountain river flowing across the electorate is named.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Idea takes shape

Having just looked at an outline of the ACT border, I think we should call the new seat Kookaburra.
Maureen Cummuskey, Hackett

By the numbers

I have read the numerous letters and ‘‘think piece’’ articles about the naming of the ACT’s new federal electorate.

The Parliament may be better advised to move to a numbering system for electorates, such as ACT No.1, No.2, No.3, etc, similar to US congressional districts.

The resulting arguments could then be about which script is used.

Those concerned about the merits or otherwise of naming things in the ACT could direct their efforts to, for example, the bridges over the lake on Commonwealth and Kings avenues.
Rohan Goyne, Evatt

Live export shame

With the horrific images of dying sheep on TV, how can anyone in the supply chain in the live-export industry live with themselves (‘‘Labor pledges to ‘end live sheep exports’’’, May 4, p8)?

And how can any politician think it is OK to keep this abhorrent trade going, even pending the outcome of a review?
As is usual, a review will give assurances, obfuscate then follow up with silence.

It is hard to feel sympathy for anyone involved in this cruel trade who loses income. There are alternatives to exporting live animals; live export is just the most expedient.

Anyone involved in this trade, including complicit and silent politicians, should be ashamed. It is abhorrent that the best likely outcome for the animals is for the trade to cease in 10 years.
Robyn Vincent, McKellar

New park’s failings

A shortage of toilets is not the only failing of the new Rolland Park adjacent to Commonwealth Bridge (Letters, May 9).

Pleasant though the park is, it would have been enhanced if the circular grassed area had been replaced with play fountains, where kids could run happily at random through water jets that spray up to different heights while their parents sit at the perimeter keeping a watchful eye.
Neil Renfree, Hawker

Inspiring self sacrifice

Recent reports of the Australian War Memorial expanding to include new exhibits raise a more general question about its purpose.

As I read the War Memorial Act, its main function is to honour those who died on military service.
In recent years, there has been a tendency to incorporate current military operations into the memorial’s displays and activities (including open days, where current service personnel show their wares).

I query the use of the memorial for such promotion.

We have already become far too militarised in the way our government developed the Border Force and other security agencies. Let us seek more ways, through our national institutions, to show how Australians work for peace in many places.

This can inspire the growing generation to aim for self-sacrifice of a different kind.
David Purnell, Florey

Stand up for our ABC

‘‘Aunty’’ is not doing well (‘‘ABC job cuts a dogfight likened to Hunger Games’’, May 3, p2).
Professional, articulate and well-respected announcers, such as Craig Allen and Adrienne Francis, are being threatened with redundancy.

Letters to this newspaper describe some announcers’ adenoidal quacking and giggling, incessant use of promos, and lack of any idea of history. This is then worsened with the Turnbull government’s funding cuts, thanks to the conservatives in their ranks who would like the ABC to mirror commercial radio, like 2GB.

When are the Nationals going to stand up for the ABC, the communicator to rural Australia, the historic provider of unbiased news, in-depth analysis of issues and interesting regional updates, plus the all-important emergency radio broadcaster in times of crisis? These services and staff will likely all be degraded or disappear with the budget cuts.
Ken Helm, Murrumbateman

Don’t worry, be happy

What a grumpy sourpuss Jill Sutton seems to be (Letters May 10). If retirees want to enjoy themselves by ‘‘going on cruises’’, that is precisely what they should do.

What they should not do is sit at home deluding themselves that their generation ruined the world and is continuing to do so.

Australia’s youth are generally very well off by any sensible standard. For example, they have free education to year 12, and heavily subsidised tertiary education.

The vast majority of people my age left school by year 10, and our class sizes were twice as large as those today. Of those who studied past year 10, only the small minority who won scholarships received free tertiary education.

Further, when today’s young start working, they have generous childcare subsidies and paid parental leave – privileges my generation did not even dream of. Also, the purchasing power of their pay packets will be about twice that of my generation’s.

Refugees? Australia provides better help to refugees than most other countries do.

Sutton would rather we ‘‘thank and repay this country for our remarkably wonderful lives’’. What does she mean by ‘‘this country’’? Certainly not the young generation, who have been greatly helped by my generation but who have themselves hardly started to help other generations (although I am sure they will).

Sutton should start enjoying life. Today’s young generation would want her to, and they will survive very well without her continued worry.
Bob Salmond, Melba

Yes, the law is an ass, Gallagher

The five latest politicians turfed out (clockwise from top left): Josh Wilson, Katy Gallagher, Rebekha Sharkie, Susan Lamb and Justine Keay.

The High Court’s decisions are clearly learned, often complex and usually reasonable – but the decision concerning Katy Gallagher seems consistent with the view that ‘‘the law is an ass’’.

If I decide to stand for one of the by-elections coming up, and write to the relevant government today, as the first and last step to revoke my (hypothetical) dual citizenship, and it takes until after the election for that confirmation to come through, I would probably not be able to stand or would need to stand down after that election if I won.

And if the country I needed confirmation from was a ‘‘difficult country’’, how long would I need to write in advance, or how often before my efforts become ‘‘reasonable’’? And why does writing earlier or often and getting no reply mean more than writing once?

It seems I would need to renounce my dual citizenship and any advantages it might have for me today just in case I might decide to become a politician in the future.
That seems neither reasonable nor fair nor sensible to me. In fact, beyond satisfying the court’s demands, it seems stupid.

I look forward to the court’s full explanation on this matter, as its logic entirely escapes me, just as it apparently did the lawyers whom Gallagher contacted before it was considered by the High Court.
Trevor McPherson, Aranda

Gallagher, minders to blame

Jon Stanhope says David Smith should do the honourable thing and stand aside for Katy Gallagher to allow her to resume her seat in the Senate (‘‘Gallagher awaits ruling on fate’’, May 9, p18).
Gallagher and her minders have only themselves to blame.

When then senator Kate Lundy resigned on March 24, 2015, Gallagher was parachuted in to fill the casual vacancy. She had ample time to fix any procedural matters concerning Section 44 of the constitution.
Smith ran in the No.2 spot on Labor’s Senate ticket but was not elected. He is now in a prime position to take up the Senate seat. For anyone to suggest he should do the honourable thing and stand aside is a nonsense.

This is the kind of cynical behaviour that has started to seep into the Labor Party and if, as Stanhope suggests, Smith stands aside, it could well cost Labor a Senate spot in the ACT at the next federal election.

Canberra voters are not stupid and are becoming capable of voting Green, Liberal or independent to remind Labor of this.
Warwick Priestley, Amaroo

Above the law?

So another bunch of pollies thought they didn’t need to obey the law. That will cost the electorate big time and the pundits calculate that most of the miscreants are likely to be re-elected (‘‘Nationality by-elections bill to top $20million’’, May 10, p9).

These people should be, as those before them should have been, charged, so rendering them ineligible for immediate re-election, and their fraudulently obtained salaries retrieved. What entitlement places these arrogant people above the law?
Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Comment an insult

I note that Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack rejects the idea of a referendum because we ‘‘don’t want foreigners in Parliament’’.

As a born Australian, holding dual citizenship because my father came here from Britain in 1926, and having three children who also have dual citizenship because their mother did not have the foresight to be born in Australia, I find his comment an insult. On the other hand, we don’t want people of McCormack’s ilk in Parliament either.
Richard Hartley, Canberra

We need leadership

I applaud the editorial of May 10 (‘‘Time s44 is altered at a referendum’’).

No responsibly administered, clever, innovative, forward-thinking country would allow the election of parliamentarians to be subject to the retrospective, prejudicial, inefficient and hideously expensive time-wasting that has distracted our nation.

Respect for our leaders and Parliament slithers along, with another demonstration of their incapacity to foresee and prevent problems of this kind from escalating.

The High Court’s strict interpretation of constitutional safeguards, designed for a different era, might also cast doubt on parliamentarians who are Jewish, or the spouses, children or grandchildren of Jews. All appear to have rights to live in and be citizens of Israel under Israel’s Law of Return.

We need leadership, not waffle.
Don Burns, Mawson

This is not democracy

Katy Gallagher was elected to the Senate because most ACT voters wanted her to fill the position. She was the first ACT senator elected in the 2016 election.

She has lost her position because some British bureaucrats processed her citizenship paperwork too slowly.
Funnily enough, the same bureaucrats were able to process the paperwork of John Alexander in record time.

It seems passing strange that the implementation of the will of the Australian electorate may depend on the speed with which clerks in another country deal with their in-trays.

Because of the High Court’s decision, the ACT will now be represented by someone who was neither their first nor second choice. This is not democracy.

The constitution must be changed to allow the people’s will to be observed.

To allow a situation where Gallagher can legally serve as chief minister of the ACT but not sit in the Australian Senate is a farce.
Mike Reddy, Curtin

General election, please

Instead of allowing five costly by-elections followed by a general election, Malcolm Turnbull could demonstrate initiative and confidence by calling a general election as soon as possible.
Susan M. Marshall, Chifley

Fund care for the needy

The Canberra Times’ budget analysis on seniors was at best superficial and at worst trite (‘‘Older Australians get a boost with ‘boomer friendly measures’’’, May 9, p4; ‘‘Health focus shifts towards seniors’’, p10).

There are 104,000 aged people waiting for home-care packages.

Funding an extra 14,000 packages by 2021-22 will not even address the extra applications over the next three years, let alone the backlog of 104,000.

Home care helps keep people out of residential aged care. It is a much cheaper option for aged care and is certainly the preference for most.

Before the aged-care reforms implemented by the Liberal government, all people who were assessed as eligible could get home-care packages without waiting.

To ration them now is a disgrace.

Instead of tax cuts and further massive spending on memorials commemorating dead people, we should fund care for the needy living.
Gina Pinkas, Aranda

TO THE POINT

WHOSE DEMOCRACY?

Given the recent significant degree of judicial input into who exercises the federal legislative power of our country, perhaps it should be retitled ‘‘the Democratic Commonwealth of Australia’’, in the style of some African republics.
M.F.Horton, Adelaide, SA

BETTER TO BE FEARED

Malcolm Turnbull’s mob follow Machiavelli’s dictum: ‘‘It is better to be feared than loved’’. Note their war on the ABC, ‘‘robo-debt’’ recovery extension and Department of Human Services cuts, all while further emboldening Peter Dutton’s army of enforcers.
Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW

WEST BASIN TOILETS

J. Bodsworth (Letters, May 9) and others remark on the absence of toilets at the new West Basin park. To be fair, I can see that, notwithstanding the practical benefits, such a solid structure would spoil the play area’s clean, minimalist lines. Moreover, the park’s intended users will have ready access to toilets when their apartments are completed on the adjacent car park.
Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra

RICH AND POOR

This year’s budget highlighted a significant failure of Coalition ideology (‘‘Health focus shifts towards seniors’’, May 9, p10). Over seven years, those most in need receive $1400 in tax relief while those with least need receive over $9000 and up to $11,815. This disparity only increases the gap between rich and poor in the short term and may, given stagnant wages, damage our welfare state capitalism in the long run.
Christopher Warren, Aranda

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