Don't ignore Auditor-General's report Mr Barr

However, as was pointed out in your editorial ("Mobility matters, but not a new tramline", canberratimes.com.au, September 26) it will be simply ignored by this ideologically driven government (as was the Auditor-General's report on Stage 1 in 2016).

The report cites a figure of $23 million for development costs, for which the government has recently let a contract for $98 million.

For the 1.7 kilometre line the report cites $162 million, for construction, $82 million over 14 years for operations and maintenance, plus the $23 million for development, for a total through-life cost of $268 million in 2019 dollars.

The business case estimates cited exclude several very large costs, outside construction and operations, such as those for raising London Circuit. Nor do the estimates include the cost of extra trams, wire-free operations, and certain infrastructure.

My estimates for Stage 2A (excluding London Circuit and so on), made in and discounted to 2019, assuming 20 years of operations and maintenance, were $290 million for construction and interest and $150 million for operations and maintenance for a through-life cost of $440 million.

Adding $98 million already committed for planning gives a cost of $538 million. This is much more than the $268 million cited in the Auditor-General's report. What a bargain for 1.7 kilometres of line.

The business case said the expected benefit to cost ratio would be only 0.4 to 0.6. This government should be ashamed of itself for its wanton waste of our taxes.

The Auditor-General has wisely drawn attention to the risks and costs involved with Stage 2 of the light rail project.

This tram will not go to the airport, the railway station, the hospital, or Parliament House. Zed Seselja has said it won't go through the Parliamentary Triangle. Unless and until it reaches Woden, it will just be in a paddock.

There seem to be no plans or possibilities to build housing along the track. It is absurd to spend millions on an ugly train bridge across the lake. It has been admitted that it will be slower than the frequent buses between Civic and Woden.

If the buses continue to run it may become Australia's greatest white elephant. The existing light rail has skimpy use, except maybe in peak hours, even out of lockdown.

The phrase "freedom day" misrepresents the vital necessity of the Australian population maintaining COVID-19 awareness for months and years ahead.

We will not be able to throw pandemic precautions to the wind with the gay abandon that many would prefer, and the relaxation of precautions will not be the "get out of jail card" many are hoping for.

The virus can and will recur, most particularly whilst too many people remain unvaccinated. We may well have to continue mask wearing and maintain our vaccination status for quite a long time.

I consider that the term "freedom day" needs to be ditched as it fosters an unacceptable attitude. My preferred term would be "virus vigilance" which advocates the personal attributes required for national health.

When the ACT government reviews its response to COVID-19 it will regret the wholesale shut-down of community sport. Ironically restrictions to outdoor activities have been the first to be lifted whenever the threat of the virus has eased.

The government has known that outdoor activity presents a minor risk of the virus's transmission for a long time. Yet sport, and outdoor activity more generally, were an easy, big-gesture lockdown target when a more pragmatic, mature policy approach was needed.

The government panicked when it needed to react calmly. The mental health and economic cost has been entirely disproportionate to the risk of COVID-19 infections in outdoor settings. The government must accept responsibility for its poor decision making in that area.

Murray May (Letters, September 27) is one more in a long line of Canberrans bemoaning rises in their rates.

By my calculations his rates rose around $400, which the government will use to improve the "liveability" of Canberra, which in turn will attract more people wanting to buy houses, which will in turn generously increase the value of Murray's house.

My guess is that his property increased in value by up to $100,000 this year. Not a bad return for a $400 investment. I pity the poor Canberrans not privileged enough to own a house.

My brother died in Adelaide on September 9. As the border closures precluded my attendance at his funeral I prepared a page or so of recollections that I thought might have been of comfort to the family and could possibly be included in part in the funeral service.

With this I mind, I prepared it on the weekend and posted it priority paid first thing on Monday, September 13. It arrived in suburban Adelaide 10 days later, two days after the funeral.

I suspect that one of the horses must have become lame on the long stretch over the Hay plain. Australia Post needs access to more horses; a use for the destructive Snowy Mountains brumbies, perhaps?

Well said Joy McInerney ("Catholics have an obligation to observe all the lockdown laws", Letters, September 24).

How can leaders of a church that teaches the primacy of the spiritual, place so much emphasis on physical things? What about communion in the spirit?

My mother, a devout Catholic, was unable to physically attend Mass in her later years, but watched it being celebrated every day on television. She was no less in communion with her faith than those who are physically able to go to church every day.

Our Woden Valley Uniting Church provides two-way online access to services every Sunday, including when we are not under lockdown, as many of our members, including some living in a retirement village, are unable to attend in person.

I know of several other churches, including Catholic ones, that provide online access to their services and thereby continue to celebrate together and thrive through COVID-19.

This is not a question of maintaining tradition, but of being able to worship together as best we can.

Also as a Catholic, I fully endorse the sentiments expressed by Joy McInerney (Letters, September 24). But I would add that there are parish priests who are obeying the rules and still attending to the spiritual needs of their parishioners. Our parish priest send outs, by email, a reflection every week that supports us on our spiritual journey.

With our assistant priest and a team of volunteers, he reaches out to parishioners without IT skills with a phone call. Our Sunday Mass is live streamed each Sunday so we can "attend" COVID-19 safely. Thank you Fr James and Fr Josh for following the ACT Health directions.

Scandal plagued Christian Porter has been replaced by scandal plagued Angus Taylor. It says a lot about the Coalition talent pool.

Father Tony Percy was highlighting the fact (ACT priests, government at odds of COVID-19 exemptions", canberratimes.com.au, September 18) that the government 'has not consulted with faith communities' and hoped it would in future".

Father Percy spoke of the many faith communities who are suffering under the lockdown. He highlighted the role of many clergy and faith community leaders as pastoral carers, not only celebrants of services.

If people adhering to COVID-19 restrictions are permitted to attend health professionals for care of the physical self, then care for the psychological, mental and spiritual health of people should be allowed.

When all COVID-19 conditions are met, and the leaders of churches, mosques, synagogues and so on have access to large enough facilities they should be permitted to perform ceremonies.

A gathering of a faith community for many is a huge benefit to many people. It is hardly a "special privilege".

Union riots and earthquakes in Victoria ... looks like the Wobblies are back to shake things up.

Further proof that the Liberal Party's economic management credentials are fallacious. How much will they spend in penalties to cancel the contract with France? What a fiasco.

Victoria rocked by an earthquake. Look no further. It's Daniel Andrews' fault.

Murray May (Letters, September 27), you got off comparatively lightly with your rate increase. My increase, for my townhouse unit in Greenway, was 18.2 percent. Heavy lifting indeed.

My recently published letter on rates increases (Letters, September 27) did not take into account the $150 rebate that applied last year. The increase, taking into account the rebate, was nine per cent, not 14.5 per cent as published.

For once I am very glad that I have very little hair "on top". Re-scheduling my biannual visits to the hairdresser was very easily achieved.

How can Australia call America and Britain our best friends when those countries have relentlessly pursued Julian Assange for revealing stories about unpleasant American activities? It seems Morrison has joined the schoolyard bullies rather than stick up for a fellow Australian.

Re the PM's flag mask. To quote Samuel Johnson, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".

Why not the Quin - with France. After all, France is the major external power in the Indo-Pacific region with territories spanning nearly 12 million square kilometres of the South Indian and Pacific oceans. That might get us out of the diplomatic hole we've managed to dig ourselves into.

If four make a "quad" three make a triad ... a bit concerning.

Nice pics of our Prime Minister shaking hands with POTUS while wearing a mask. Wonderfully symbolic. I'm just a tad confused about how that relates to the health advice.

First it began with "I don't hold a hose mate" during the fires, then "it's a (vaccine) marathon, not a sprint" and now, with the ruffled Gallic feathers over the subs, we learn "I don't speak French". Can this PM let us know what he actually can do?