I was very impressed with the gracious and restrained performance of Raiders coach Ricky Stuart after Canberra’s nail-biting 29–28 loss to the Brisbane Broncos. The Raiders were pipped by a Broncos field goal in golden point. I am confident the team can beat Cronulla on the weekend, and last week’s loss may end up being a blessing in disguise. I have always held the Panthers in high regard and see them as the team to beat, and it is now impossible for us to meet them until the grand final because of the current finals draw.

The NRL also needs greater consistency with its decisions. Broncos fullback Reece Walsh, as talented as he is, should have been suspended for his head butt. I know he’s a very gifted young bloke who brings in the crowds, but the NRL would have done the game, and young Reece, a favour in the long run if they had punished him the same way they would any run-of-the-mill big forward who did the same thing. No one should get special treatment, no matter how talented they are, and it would have been a valuable character-building experience for him too.

I sometimes visit a few of my favourite restaurants in Civic (Taj Mahal, Lemon Grass and Mamas Trattoria) and I’ve been highly impressed with how, despite the disruption caused by the Stage 2A tram construction, most businesses have managed to carry on — just.

Many Canberrans, cocooned in their 9-to-5 public service jobs, would have little idea what it takes to run a small business — where you can’t simply clock off at 5pm, and where weekends are often spent working. Small businesses face a constant stream of regulations and government imposts, both financial and bureaucratic, along with ever-increasing utility bills, particularly electricity. On top of that, landlords and business owners with their own premises must also shoulder mortgages and rates.

All the businesses in the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings are hurting, and the ACT Government refuses to do anything to help. 

Might I suggest a few simple measures that would cost the government little in real terms, but would help keep struggling small businesses afloat until the tram extension is complete.

Why not cut the rates these businesses are liable for in half until the tram work is completed, and have ACTEW and other utility providers charge only 20 per cent for electricity usage? Any licensing fees, such as liquor licences, could also be waived until Stage 2A is complete. Measures like these would save many long-standing businesses — some of which have been operating for 50 years or more — from going under. It would be a win-win for everyone. Perhaps there could even be a full rates holiday for two or three years.

It’s a drop in the bucket for the ACT Government, and hundreds of locals would benefit as a result. In the meantime, I’d encourage Canberra residents to patronise these struggling Civic businesses. There are some great shops and services in the area, and the restaurants in the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings are world-class — and very reasonably priced to boot!