Air tanker investment essential to preventing tragedy

Having promised to respond positively to the bushfire tragedy, the federal government has rejected this vital recommendation. In so doing it is rejecting a "sovereign aerial firefighting capability" to share resources across states and territories.

All expert opinion confirms the crucial role such a fleet would have. Many claim the November 26 lightning strike on Mt Currowan could have been extinguished within a week if tankers had been used in the difficult terrain. Instead, the fire raged like a monster for weeks.

The threat of natural disasters must be given as much importance as other national security challenges. The expenditure of billions of dollars on national defence is useless if all we are defending is a burnt out continent.

Failures by the ACT government's COVID-19 information website to fully cater for people using screen readers ("ACT's COVID-19 website has long-running accessibility errors: report" CT December 27) are symptomatic of an all-too-common disregard for the needs, indeed rights of people who are blind or vision impaired.

These people are as entitled to up-to-date information as those who do not need assistive technology. Yet, too often, failure to comply with what should be well-understood standards for web-based material effectively implies catering for the needs of people with disabilities is unimportant or simply too much of a bother.

An ACT government spokeswoman justifies the website's shortcomings by saying information is often changing rapidly and is posted under very tight deadlines to ensure the public can access it as quickly as possible. Well, the public includes people who use screen readers and should not be disregarded as less entitled to current information.

Generally, the internet has opened a wide range of information and opportunities to people with disabilities. But too often, failure to provide access by keyboard alone, or the use of non-standard controls, make what should be a simple task very time-consuming, or impossible.

Such frustrations are generally not caused by cost cutting, but by ignorance of how to create accessible websites and online forms. Digital systems should be fully accessible by keyboard, which does not preclude the use of a mouse.

Information on how to create accessible web-based material for people with a range of disabilities is available at: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/.

Yet again the Australian War Memorial is trying to justify spending half a billion dollars of taxpayers' money on massive extensions ("The AWM's hidden machinery of war", December 29, p5) by claiming that there is insufficient space to do everything they want to do.

I doubt there is any major collecting institution anywhere in the world that can exhibit any more than a very small percentage of the items they hold and tell the stories that go with them. What the AWM needs to do is to set priorities and tell the most important stories. They cannot do everything but they do not seem to understand this.

If they succeed with their planned development, I would hope that the government gives half a billion dollars to all of our worthy national collecting institutions as they would also like to expand and exhibit more of their collections.

However, I am not holding my breath for these institutions. Their best bet would seem to be crowdfunding. In this way, the National Library are conserving and digitising the collection of historic Banjo Paterson items thanks to public donations.

Steve Evans' article "The Hidden Machinery of War" (December 29, p5) is an important reminder of the great collection of relics of past wars. We are also reminded of the limited space in the AWM. The beautiful memorial, of fitting architectural excellence, attuned to its position at the head of Anzac Parade, could only be demeaned by a hangar of extensions to enclose further relics. Moreover, careful selection and presentation of relics will enhance the reverence due to those who gave their lives for their country.

By all means, let the important collection at Mitchell of war weapons be extended and made fully accessible. It is fittingly housed in the national capital and needs to be advertised and promoted. But preserve and respect the Australian War Memorial.

Has the ACT government increased its estimates of the economic benefits of stage 2 of light rail?

The business case for stage 2A estimated that stage 2A would return just 40 cents for every dollar spent on the project, and that the whole of stage 2 would provide only 60 cents return on every dollar spent.

Your December 29 article ("Canberra light rail: Decision in hands of Environment Minister") says, "The government says light rail stage 2A is estimated to return just 60 cents for every dollar spent on the project.

However, it says once all of stage 2 is completed to Woden, "the return for the whole stage will increase to $1.20 return on every dollar spent."

Many commentators have written about the fact that the COVID pandemic has forced us to reassess our values in every area of our lives - economic, social, political, spiritual, and cultural. Now is the time to reassess our foreign policy, especially as related to the USA.

Bruce Haigh noted in his opinion piece (Policy a hangover of racist history, CT, 26 December 2020) that "Morrison talks about defending our sovereignty against China but that has already been ceded for no good reason to America". Australia has allowed the USA to dictate its foreign and military policy to the detriment of our national and regional interests.

To curry favour with the USA, Australia sent our forces to unjustified wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. This past year by uncritically taking sides with the USA in their rivalry with China, we needlessly undermined our relationship with our main trading partner China. As Bruce Haigh noted, "Instead of recognizing the dynamics of our trading relationship with China and upping the level of our diplomatic and cultural ties, we have downgraded them".

For a sustainable future in Australia and our region, a critical analysis of our relationship with the USA is required. Now is the time.

I have read recently some comments regarding how we should respond to China; mostly the suggestion is that we take a higher and stronger moral stance than what we are doing now.

I am reminded of the Chinese finger puzzle, where the harder you pull the more stuck you become.

I have spent years in China: that does not make me an expert by any means, but I have learned the massive importance of what is known in China as, "face".

A person in China will do almost anything if it means they remove the prospect of losing face. Challenging China directly does exactly that.

History has shown that the more diplomacy pulls at China, the harder stuck it becomes. Australia has had a great sibling relationship with China; in that sibling role, Australia has been able to give friendly and wise advice which China has generally heeded.

Our best course of action, if we really want to see change in the country, is to influence from a position of friendship, rather than adversity.

ACT Green Waste advises that real Christmas trees are garden waste and can be placed in green waste bins. Or they can be dropped off for free at public green waste drop off centres.

Since the time to dispose of Christmas trees coincides with the time new year resolutions are often pledged, may I suggest (to those of us with gardens or to enterprising flat dwellers) we commit to reduce, or better, eliminate, sending away our green waste in favour of composting?

As a bonus, manually chopping down tree trunks and branches and regularly working the compost will help reduce that waistline.

If ever there was a US president who has not deserved any form of honourable recognition, it's Trump ("Trump seeking airport to be named in his honour", December 28).

A more fitting public response would be a memorial that reminds future generations of his deluded behaviours and ability to oversee the deaths of well over 300,000 from COVID-19 in 2020.

Excellent decision, Mr Barr, in declining the Commonwealth government's request in respect of Norfolk Island's governance arrangements ('New request for ACT to run Norfolk', 29 December). Please concentrate on the ACT's imperfect health and education systems instead.

Rumour has it that during the remainder of the their tour in Australia the Indian cricket team will be giving cricket lessons. It's free for Aussies.

I would like to congratulate Jenna Price on her serious, yet light hearted approach to banning New Year's Eve public events.

This is not bah humbug but a serious plea to all concerned. I would like the NSW government and the community to reflect on the costs to the state coffers for this New Year's Eve extravaganza. An event hosted by the same government who requests people to stay at home and stay safe; the same government who foots the bill for policing social distancing and misbehaviour.

The contradictions are enormous, plough the resources into giving essential workers better pay and conditions.

I want to praise teams of paramedics and the emergency department at Calvary Hospital who attended my mother on Christmas Eve. Although the outcome was not what we wanted, their efforts and attention were superb and exemplary. We are lucky to have this quality service in this is town.

I support Bill Stefaniak's views (Letters, December 29), but would point out that the word he wants is cow, not cower (meaning, respectively, intimidate, and be intimidated).

China jailing for four years the journalist who told the truth about the coronavirus ground realities in Wuhan is quite consistent with its status as a totalitarian state. In such a state only the state has the right to say what is the truth for public consumption and no citizen/journalist has the right to contradict or challenge the state's version of the truth. Remember it's a state that now wants everybody inside China and around the world to believe the Tiananmen massacre did not happen!

With the fading light of 2020 about to be extinguished Coles at Jamison has hot cross buns on their shelves in readiness for eager consumers not able to wait until Easter.

Maybe Coles anticipates a third COVID wave to hit the ACT during early 2021 and wishes to ensure shoppers have plenty of time to stock up on supplies?

Just in case there may be naive young people, politicians, commentators reading letters to the editor - the correct unit for energy is in fact the Joule.Wh (giga, mega, peta or whatever) is a derived commercial measure generally used by retailers to charge for the consumption of electricity.