The prospect of another term of Labor-Green government in the ACT is unthinkable. The prospect of a Liberal government is even worse.
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Previous letters from Bruce Paine (March 7) and Chris Ansted (March 10) are right. The only hope we have of decent government in the ACT is by the election of sensible independents; people of the calibre and integrity of David Pocock.
I hope Kim Rubenstein will stand in the next ACT election. It's time to rid ourselves of self-serving political parties.
Fred Pilcher, Kaleen
Human rights act would have prevented 'robodebt' abuses
Fair and Equal, a report by the Australian Human Rights Commission, was launched last Tuesday. It strongly recommends the enactment of a federal human rights act.
If such an act, with the new provisions of the ACT Human Rights Act for resolution of complaints - No Rights Without Remedies - had been in place nationally, the robodebt cruelty and injustice would have been prevented.
Civil Liberties Australia joins other human rights organisations in urging the Labor government to make a federal human rights act a priority in this term of parliament.
Dr Kristine Klugman OAM, president, Civil Liberties Australia, Fisher
Sovereign capability 'jingoistic'
Your March 9 editorial ("Interest rate rises to keep on coming", canberratimes.com.au, March 9) referred to "Australia's dependence on imported consumer goods due to the loss of sovereign manufacturing capability". Why did you include the word "sovereign" and what did you mean by it?
Did you mean factories owned by the Crown, such as the former nationalised British car industry? How does Australia's "sovereign" manufacturing capability differ from it's non-sovereign capability; would foreign owned factories such as those previously run by Ford, GM and Toyota count as "sovereign"? Have you been entranced by a fad for jingoistic jargon?
Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra, NSW
Good luck seeing a doctor
I had to laugh when I read how doctors "have heavily criticised new rules which will let Canberra pharmacists get more involved in the treatment of patients".
Attempting to see a GP recently, the earliest appointment I could obtain was three weeks away.
The night before this much-anticipated appointment I was told the doctor would be unavailable and was offered a replacement appointment a further two months away.
The staff member who spoke to me apparently saw nothing wrong with this proposition. Hopefully, pharmacists will be able to treat people (at least with some conditions) before they actually die waiting to see a GP.
Anne Laisk, Bruce
Mark Commonwealth Day
Disappointingly, Commonwealth Day on the second Monday of March comes and goes each year in Australia with minimal observation. Other member countries of our great family of nations thoroughly celebrate the occasion.
Australia is one of the Commonwealth's eight founding members and therefore has further reason to celebrate.
Is it too much to ask if government buildings might fly the Commonwealth of Nations flag on Monday?
David D'Lima, Sturt, SA
Health is a blessing
The letter by John Miller (Letters, March 8) makes many good points about the value of fitness as the road to good health, but its view of Medicare is inaccurate.
Medicine is all about rescue: from injury, illness spontaneously arising, misfortune, and complications during pregnancy and birth.
There is an underlying assumption as well in society, that all babies are born healthy, cuddly, and in a situation of good housing, parenting and nourishment, and able to be responsible for their own destiny.
In my own case, I was born with inherited lung disease, as was my sister before me.
We were not expected to live beyond 30. Here we are, 80ish, thanks to clever doctors and a lot of pharmaceutical help.
Nothing to do with physical exercises.
Stewart Bath, Isabella Plains
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