Rate rises are too much to bear

I know all the economic arguments for substituting rate increases for sales tax on property at the time of purchase; the ACT government has rehearsed them well. But where is the moral argument to justify this unconscionable leap in rates for those of us who did not enjoy a sales tax-free purchase?

I hope the government's plan to eliminate sales tax on new apartments under $500,000 does do something to assist young people into their first home, though it is hard to see how the sum involved will make the difference (it will certainly help the construction companies which have over-invested in building them).

I hope they are being warned that, while saving up to $11,000 on sales tax initially, they are committing to pay back that sum to the government many times over through astronomically inflated rate increases.

No doubt Jack Kershaw is right ("There is a far better alternative route to take the tram south", Letters, July 28): it would be easier and much less disruptive to take the projected Woden tramline from the Acton peninsula and over a new bridge to Lennox Gardens. But there is an even better alternative, and that is to scrap this absurd project and its monstrous $2 billion cost.

Who is going to pay for it? Coincidentally, the same issue of The Canberra Times reports "City speed cameras make $1.6 million a week". No doubt the Barr government will identify other little revenue-raising zones as the cost of the tram goes up, up, up.

An animal's instinct is for survival. Striving to survive even when the odds are stacked against you is brave. So what is euthanasia? Are we less than animals in bravery?

I would like to correct a statement made in the letters page by Stephen Holt (Letters, July 29) where he states the resident (Val Paral) of the soon-to-be-demolished house in Brockman Street took the "faceless men" photograph at the Hotel Kingston.

The photograph was actually taken by Peter Hardacre from The Daily Telegraph, not Val Paral who resided in the Brockman Street house with his wife Heather.

Val actually headed up the photographic section at the John Curtin School of Medical Research.

How do I know? Because I worked for Val at the time as a very young trainee photographer.

Conflict between sports facility providers and users goes back to when Moses played fullback for Jerusalem. The problems arise when a "Backyard Bradman" gets the idea they know more about sports field maintenance and management than the experts. And, try as he does to denigrate the efforts of qualified and experienced professionals, the critic seems to be forgetting he or she is biting the hand that feeds them.

Paul O'Connor ("Referendum Now", Letters, July 26) is quite right. The government can't claim a mandate for Stage 2 of light rail on the basis of a win in an election in which there were many issues. Andrew Barr is hostage to Shane Rattenbury to retain government. Hold a referendum, Andrew, and if the people say they don't want Stage 2 of light rail you can drop this uneconomic and environmentally wasteful project, which will result in years of disruption during construction. Tell Shane it is the peoples' will.

I am so very proud of the incredibly gifted young (and not so young) Australian athletes who have performed so well in the Tokyo Olympics. Their conduct both on and off their arenas has been inspiring.