I fully agree with the starting point of Jenna Price's opinion piece ("Why Adam Goodes deserves greater recognition", canberratimes.com.au, May 31), that Adam Goodes is worthy of greater recognition in this country.
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However, her argument was disappointingly demeaned by the sweeping, apparently unreflecting, disparagement of the "doctors and lawyers and accountants" who have been recognised with an Order of Australia.
![Sydney captain Adam Goodes at the end of the 2012 grand final. Picture: Wayne Taylor
Sydney captain Adam Goodes at the end of the 2012 grand final. Picture: Wayne Taylor](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc75dshu3vv9w38pmhhj.jpg/r0_185_1628_1100_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
For these people, she observes, such an award is "just a lapel ornament". The implication is that doctors, lawyers and accountants are not "emblematic of the Australia we want to be, one which values fairness and decency", not among those who "should be awarded Orders of Australia".
This statement raises immediate questions. The first is, who is this assumed "we"? The second is, has the journalist actually researched the contributions to the community of those whose awards she appears to be dismissing as undeserved?
I am responding to Jenna Price's bias from the perspective of my own bias. The most fair and decent man I will ever know was awarded an AM. He happens to have been an accountant who quietly made an extraordinary impact upon his community throughout his life. A good journalist should not resort to stereotypes just for a cheap effect.
I know whose "we" I would rather belong to. Maybe it's a little more inclusive than Jenna's.
Heather Neilson, Aranda
Give it a rest Bill
So Bill Shorten still has ambitions to be Labor leader. After six years as leader and failing spectacularly to win the recent election, surely it's time for the very unpopular politician to take a back seat.
Why can't he be as gracious and unselfish as Anthony Albanese was in his six years of maintaining a low profile and keeping his ambitions in check? That really is an admirable example for other politicians to follow; putting the well-being of the party before personal ambition.
Why can't Bill Shorten be as gracious and unselfish as Anthony Albanese was in his six years of maintaining a low profile and keeping his ambitions in check?
- Phyllis Vespucci
Phyllis Vespucci, Reservoir, Vic
Apocalyptic Jeremiad from Bill
Mr Shorten has resorted to biblical language to launch his own Jeremiad accounting for his election loss.
He was up against visible darkness, with no angels in sight, except for Lucifer.
The dices were loaded, and Mr Shorten did nothing but play it straight.
It's good to know he was not a party to any attempt on his behalf to influence opinion by offering inducements to weaker members of the fourth estate. It just didn't happen.
Good: we can move on to another replay of the last election, and no one has a foot over the touchline.
Roy Darling, Florey
The history of a tree
Re: "Let's talk about where we want to go and how to get there". (Letters, May 31).
Margaret Atcherley should have paused and given more thought to her facts and chronology re Manuka and the plane tree.
The Capitol Cinema, built in 1927, was demolished in 1980 by its then owners (not the Liangis family).
The current wall in question was constructed shortly after that by the then owners. The tree in question was not there. It was self sown and found nourishment from sewer services in the easement it occupies, hence its accelerated growth.
The tree was registered in 2012, regardless of the havoc it generated and continues to generate, to hamper a development application made by the then owners of the old post office site.
The Liangis family purchased the old post office site in 2015. The Liangis Family has not demolished or constructed anything in the vicinity of the weed but have endured the onerous imposition the tree has and continues to cause.
There are no disingenuous facts outlined. Before we talk about where we want to go maybe it would be wise to know where we were and where we are.
John Liangis, O'Malley
We're smarter than we look
Does the ACT Government really think we are that dumb? ("Former flats fail to sell", canberratimes.com.au, May 29).
The highest price offered in a market tender is rejected because it failed to meet "market value". Such tenders define market value. To claim the rejection of an "impressive" proposal evidences a commitment to "achieving a high quality outcome" is Orwellian Newspeak.
It actually indicates a commitment to sacrifice quality for revenue. No doubt there is also a rearguard effort to sustain the false claim that corridor land value increases are large and due to the tram.
They are actually due to redevelopment that is largely independent of that uneconomic white - or rather red - elephant.
Mike Hutchinson, Reid
Sorry Senator Sinodinos
Pope's view (May 29) reminded me that on election night, when I heard Senator Sinodinos make the comment about ScoMo having the opportunity to pick the eyes out of Labor's climate policy as a unifying strategy, I thought it was a very "courageous" comment and one likely to keep the sensible senator on the back bench.
I was wrong. The Senator's comment was clearly much more than courageous, apparently so offending ScoMo the back bench was insufficient punishment.
Instead he has been banished to an ambassadorship for his sins (albeit the lucrative US post) where political comment of any sort is banned.
The new government will be the lesser for not including the senator in its front bench ranks.
Don Sephton, Greenway
Mass extinction anyone?
To add to James Allan's comments (Letters, May 30), I point out the following facts to G J May (Letters, May 29).
He wrote that "climate change has always been there and always will be".
While it's true that climate has changed many times in the geological past, many if not all of these events have been accompanied by mass extinctions.
Today, atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is increasing rapidly, perhaps more rapidly than in any past warming event. It's also becoming increasingly apparent methane is being released from thawing Arctic permafrost and sea floors at increasing rates.
Methane is 30 times more effective than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, so we can expect the rate of global warming to increase much more rapidly with time.
We are already seeing the extinction or near-extinction of many species. Unless steps are taken to radically reduce carbon dioxide emissions, humans could join them in the not too distant future.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Cancel the leases
Two blocks in Molonglo (Sect 64, Block 4 Wright and Sect 39, Block 4 Coombs) were sold to two developers last year. Under the respective Crown Leases, both blocks are zoned RZ5, with 33 (min) to 107 (max) units allowed for the Wright block and 17-40 units allowed for the Coombs block.
Subsequently, Deveopment Applications (DAs) were submitted for both blocks - for about 240 units in Wright and 107 units in Coombs.
These DAs, both blatantly beyond the limits attaching to the respective Crown Leases, were rejected by the ACT Government. Now we learn that "revised" proposals have been lodged by each developer for a new total of 107 units for Coombs and and a reduction in two townhouses for Wright.
These "revised" proposals remain blatantly outside the respective limits.
If the developers cannot - or will not - comply with the clearly stated conditions of the respective Crown Leases which were known at the time of sale then perhaps those leases should be cancelled and offered to developers who can comply with the conditions.
Paul E Bowler, Chapman
What's in a mandate?
Despite Labor claiming that if elected they would have a mandate for their policy platform, Mr Albanese now indicates the won't apply to the Coalition.
He is using the spurious grounds some elements of the Coalition's tax plan will not come into play until after the next general election.
If that is a genuine Labor concern then they should consider abstaining from the Senate vote while making it clear Labor would overturn that part of the legislation if they win the next election.
Roger Dace, Reid
ALP on the road to defeat
Yet again, the ALP has set itself up for electoral defeat. They have chosen a new leader with the charisma of an office clerk. The shadow ministry has been selected by a puerile system of faction jostling, rather than by appointing those who have expertise, experience and who have demonstrated high ability.
Andrew Leigh was pushed to the backbench. This is an MP who knows more about economics than the entire caucus.
John Holland, Dickson
TO THE POINT
COMPULSORY VOTING ISSUES
The article "Voter turnout at record low" (canberratimes.com.au, June 1) brings into question the rationale for compulsory voting. Compulsory voting, combined with our unique preferential voting system, lets minor parties, often elected on protest votes, to have the balance of power, especially in the Senate.
John Coochey, Chisholm
DILBERT WISDOM
Morrison and Frydenberg should read Dilbert (June 2, p34). The pointy haired boss truthfully states: "No one can predict complicated things five years ahead". They have predicted surpluses and tax cuts for the next five years. We only need another GFC brought on by Trump and it all goes out the window.
Dave Roberts, Belconnen
GOODBYE NICOLE
Many of your readers would have received phone calls from "Nicole" suggesting their phone lines would be cut off if they did not contact her about NBN. We had three before noon. Surely Telstra and NBN can do something to ensure her nagging calls are denied.
Nick Swain, Barton
AGE OF INTOLERANCE
I'm reading a book on early 16th century religious movements. In those days if you didn't bow your head to the dominant church authority, you would lose it. The good old days of freedom.
Gary Frances, Bexley, Vic
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Bill Shorten should know many of us have no tolerance for a former leader who, Tony Abbott-like, suggests he is squirming his way towards a big comeback.
Sue Dyer, Downer
WHY VOTE NATIONALS?
Why do farmers, who are directly affected by the impacts of climate change, vote for the National Party and its climate change denying, coal industry supporting policies? It doesn't make sense to support drought relief funds when farmers are doomed in part by their own politics.
Robyn Vincent, McKellar
HURST NEEDS A PROPHET
For one sceptical of "false prophets" Doug Hurst (Letters, June 1) puts his own faith in strange places. I put it to him that China's push for more coal-fired power owes less to clear-eyed risk assessment than to the totalitarian regime's need to keep its restless subjects prosperous.
Paul Feldman, Macquarie
BILL SHOULD MOVE ON
I feel sorry for the new leader of the opposition who now has the failed one, with blatant ambitions to take the lead again, breathing down his neck. What is it with these people?
Norman Lee, Weston
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Bill Shorten excoriated "corporate leviathans" and financial behemoths" [as being responsible for his election defeat]. So, like the CFMEU and Get Up, then?
Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill
ALT RIGHT SADDLES UP
A quick check on Sky ("right at night") and a weekend tabloids confirmed what I had suspected. The alt right is already setting its sights on Ken Wyatt and "the voice". Will the PM stand up to them and back his Indigenous Affairs minister?
M Moore, Bonython
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