We will pay a heavy price for climate change inaction

They state: "Perhaps the biggest public policy failure of recent times relates to climate action where, as with Covid vaccination, Australia ranks last among developed economies".

WHO's declaration climate change is the "greatest threat to global health in the 21st century" makes the government's policy failure a mortal one.

Unless Morrison can rein in Joyce and other deniers in the National Party before the critical UN climate conference in November, and come up with a realistic emissions target and action plan, his government will go down as the most unethical and negligent in Australia's history.

According to your report "Second stage of Manuka hotel approved" (July 23, p13) the proposed new hotel will include a 500 person-capacity ballroom, meeting rooms and five cinemas but only 43 basement car spaces.

Where are all the patrons going to park? It is not hard to imagine the traffic and parking chaos if there happened to be a cricket match or AFL game on at Manuka Oval at the same time a large event is held in the hotel ballroom and there are blockbusters on show in the cinemas.

ACTPLA appears to have been derelict by not requiring many, many more parking spaces in the hotel complex.

Watching Peter Dutton versus Richard Marles on the Today Show I couldn't help but think to myself "does Dutton actually believe the facile nonsense he peddles?" Marles' sense of humour edifies us all. We surely are looking at the future PM of our country. Then reality stormed in and scarily reminded me Dutton is our current Defence Minister. I'm deeply traumatised and it's not COVID-19 induced.

I was aghast to read Senator Seselja's comments on the ACT's possible euthanasia laws. I'm no great supporter of euthanasia, but who does Seselja think he is, saying that he doesn't trust ACT legislators in this (or indeed in any) matter. Trust in ACT legislators is conferred by the voters of the ACT, not by this sanctimonious individual who repeatedly fails to represent his constituents.

What a brilliant win by Queensland in securing the 2032 Olympics. It will be a fantastic opportunity for Australian tourism, and in particular Queensland tourism. Let's hope the who come here to enjoy the games hang around to see the natural beauty of our country. My worry is the Great Barrier Reef will be dead by then due to the inexplicable lack of engagement by the federal government in addressing the threats to this natural wonder.

It may well "Create a commuter headache" for Canberra commuters ("Commuter pain ahead as light rail recasts city", July 21, p1), but more importantly, if the second light rail stage goes ahead as the ACT government currently plans, it will assuredly bring down the government.

That the ACT government, without any clear business case, still persists in causing some five to six years of utter chaos is unbelievable. It is being done when an express electric bus service could be introduced almost immediately, at half the cost, and without causing any traffic chaos whatsoever.

What is the opposition doing to prevent this catastrophe? The National Capital Authority must not avoid their responsibility in this matter; considering the enormity of this problem for the city of Canberra they must take action to prevent this project going ahead.

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