Drug decriminalisation a mistake

The ACT Greens push to decriminalise drugs is a big mistake. Seventy per cent of the population of the AMC are drug users. They are not there FOR drug use but BECAUSE of drug use. Court reporting shows how often an offender was “high”. The ACT removed the defence (paraphrasing) of being too drunk (alcohol) to know what you were doing. But a person can glibly say, “I cannot remember. I was high!”

The fix is simple. Actually, two things are needed: if someone has drugs in their system when they commit an offence, there should be a higher, mandatory, penalty imposed in excess of the other offence(s); and, all staff at the AMC and the offender should be tested for drugs, at least monthly.

• Ex Inmate (name and address supplied)

Period of grace for Qantas

I read with interest the call by the Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter MP to return ownership of Qantas to the nation (CW online 8 September). The idea has merit given the outrageous prices of Qantas regional flights, frequent flight cancellations, profit obsession and offshoring of jobs impacting Australians.

Before going down that path. however, the Flying Kangaroo should be given a six-month period of grace to allow the airline to get back to basics, offer reasonable fares for all Australians and put service and reliability every day. If that can’t be done, hand the keys of the aircraft back to the public and get off the runway.

• Adrian Dolahenty, Watson

Notions of beauty

Rather than being ‘shameful’, as John Lawrence (CW 24 August 2023, p18) and Daphne Harding (CW 31 August 2023, p22) believe, Northboume Avenue looks Australian. Native plants, grasses and trees. Rich biodiversity and habitat is vital in an ecological crisis – it looks different to what we have been conditioned to. Environmentally, it makes more sense; perhaps we need to adjust our view of exotic trees and mown grass as beautiful or cared for. 

• Amy Blain, Ainslie

Another’s gain is not our loss

As a sexagenarian woman of a similar demographic to Brett Gray (CW 31 August 2023, p22), may I thank him for his wise and courteous letter. I agree with him that we need to get away from thinking that someone else’s gain is necessarily our loss. I am also mystified as to why the “No” case is encouraging ignorance, as surely the typical response to not knowing something is to go and find out.

The Uluṟu Statement is a single A4 page. If you are worried about that being too brief, you may be reassured by the whole Australian constitution, including explanatory notes, at 90 A6 pages is only 22.5 times as long. We Australians seem to have muddled along OK with that for the last 122 years.

How will the nation be better if you vote “No”?

I am not expecting miracles from voting “Yes”, but even small improvements build up over time.

As a recent cancer survivor, I can certainly attest to the support provided by other people caring about a person’s wellbeing.

• Mary Coombe, Queanbeyan

‘Everyone is equal’

Re Brett Gray’s letter ‘The Referendum is not extreme’ (CW 31 August 2023, p22). The reason people are saying that having the Voice will give opportunities to Indigenous and take them away from rest of the population, is this belief is entirely justified. Democracy is that everyone is equal. A number of the Voice committee have stated that they want reparations, rent, a percentage of GDP, land rights, self-determination and power to tell the government what to do. It is all in black and white in pages 2-26 of the Uluru statement from the heart as well as what has been said verbally by those same members. The rest of Australians do not have this, so why would the Indigenous? There are many Indigenous Australians doing very well career-wise. Politicians, lawyers, doctors, dentists, sports people, TV and radio personalities and academics. I also have to add, 80 per cent of the Indigenous Australians living in the metropolitan areas are no more disadvantaged than the rest of Australians. I do concede the other 20 per cent living in rural Australia do need help, but that is why the government has been giving the 3,000 Indigenous corporations and the NIAA $34 billion a year for decades. They already have a Voice.

• Vi Evans, Macgregor

Retain our national flag

For good or for bad, national flags should ideally be representative of their country, i.e., akin to a historical document. Our flag, which has been with us since 1901, does precisely that and should not be changed just because it may be offensive to some, or does not cater to demographic changes. We must not let the ever pervasive “political correctness” and its followers have their way and change the flag, just for the sake of change and nothing else.

– Mario Stivala, Belconnen

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