Plea for Lee to step aside

Congratulations to Leanne Castley, now Deputy Leader of the Canberra Liberals.

I would suggest Elizabeth Lee now stand down as leader while there is still time to appoint a more focused and gutsy leader who can stand up to the rot Labor and Greens are currently dishing out to us in the ACT. What has Ms Lee done to promote the Liberals moving forward and to win the next election?

My suggestion for leader would be Mark Parton. Mark is a tireless member and worker for the Libs and is always out there promoting the Liberal Party at every opportunity. He is in everyone’s face and extremely well known. He has the personality to attract votes, extremely knowledgeable, and not frightened to take on the hard tasks faced by experienced politicians. Mark is like a dog with a bone, never gives up on a good fight. I am certain Mark would have the endorsement of his party and colleagues to succeed as leader of the ACT Liberal Party.

• Helen Jones, Nicholls

Grumbles from visitors

The Canberra Region Tourism Awards are worthy of celebration, inclusive of those many behind-the-scenes workers and volunteers who contribute to the success of many of our attractions.  What some of us locals hear on the ground though, and surely worthy of noting by our Chief Minister, our elected MLAs, various associated government agencies, is that too often visitors to Canberra share grumbles on issues including, but not limited to: exorbitant cost of car parking at tourist venues (the elderly or those with mobility issues unable to get a disabled car park) examples are that for over a week this can add up to many hundreds of dollars; where to find cafes open after 3pm (maybe more pop-up vans be permitted after lunch trade); lack of car parking in some areas; tourist information in important central locations not just hotels; too many construction sites everywhere / eyesores / confusing detours.

Our nation’s capital surely has an obligation to allow every individual visitor to experience our National places of importancenot only for entertainment or to leave feeling that it is a privilege for those with deep pockets. We can do better cannot we, not just count the dollars? The argument that federal agencies have to take on that responsibility is not exactly appreciated.

In some cities, mobile information officers provide valuable assistance to people giving directions, transport information along transport routes, and at places of interest.

• Ilona Crabb, Narrabundah

Building for the future

ACT Greens transport spokesperson Jo Clay MLA (‘How do we build what we need for the future we want?’ Canberra Daily 30 November) says that we’re currently rolling out only one stage of light rail per decade. She says that at this rate, light rail won’t service all of Canberra until 2050. Light rail will never service all of Canberra’s 65 public transport routes.

Ms Clay says that for any major decision on infrastructure, we should ask if there is something better we should build with those resources. 

For public transport between Civic and Woden, the answer is clear. The ACT Government estimates that bus rapid transit is twice as cost-effective as light rail, at half the cost. Bus rapid transit to Woden won’t have to wait for years for National Capital Authority approval, because it doesn’t use overhead wires. It will take people from Tuggeranong to Civic 10 minutes faster than if we build stage 2 of light rail. Passengers won’t have to change seats.

• Leon Arundell, Downer

Greens’ Antisemitic trope

As a Jewish Canberran I regret that, while Shane Rattenbury (CW 30 November) claims the Greens repudiate anti-semitism, he has slipped into an antisemitic trope labelling Israel as apartheid and calling Israel an occupying state.

Israel gives all its citizens – 7 million Jews and 2.7 million Arabs – equal status as citizens. Israeli Arabs are judges and members of the Parliament. They vote, conduct businesses and live where they please. They are not required to serve in the military but many volunteer to.

Israel left Gaza in 2005. Occupation ceased at that point as the law only regulates an administration that directly controls civilians. The test is “effective control” and that condition has clearly not existed for 17 years. This is evidenced by the heinous 7 October attack on lsrael by 2,500 combatants, the 60,000 strong armed force based in the Gaza Strip, the 482 kilometres of underground terrorist infrastructure Hamas has built, diverting international aid for this purpose, and the relentless launch of thousands of indiscriminate rockets against Israeli civilians. Border security measures against Hamas terrorism is applied by two nations, Israel and Egypt, but that is not occupation.

Israel accepts the application of customary occupation law in the West Bank. Israel has attempted many times since the 1947 UN partition plan to establish a Palestinian State. It is a temporary state of affairs until the day when the Palestinians can form a unified government, eliminate Hamas and its savage regime, and say yes to the creation of a State.

• Athol Morris, President ACT Jewish Community, Forrest

Hamas must be uprooted

Paul Flynn (CW 23 November) plucks out a couple of extremist Israelis to try to imply all Israelis are extreme. They’re not, especially in contrast with the Palestinian rulers. The supposedly moderate Palestinian Authority incessantly incites hatred of Israel through its media, mosques and schools, glorifies terrorists, including by naming streets after them, and pays terrorists jailed by Israel, or the families of those killed in the act, generous lifetime pensions. That is why so many Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces since October 7. The vast majority are either terrorists Israel is trying to arrest, or killed while fighting the Israelis.

Hamas, which rules Gaza, makes it very clear that it will never accept anything less than the complete destruction of Israel and the death or ethnic cleansing of all of its Jewish people. In that context, it’s ironic he accuses Israel of genocide. Israel is targeting only Hamas, which hides behind and under its civilians. If Israel was committing genocide, it would hardly be warning civilians to evacuate before it attacks, which it has done with millions of phone calls, text messages and leaflets. The casualty figures, including the number of children allegedly killed, come from Hamas, and therefore can’t be trusted. He demands an immediate ceasefire, but Hamas has promised to repeatedly carry out attacks like its October 7 atrocities, so an immediate ceasefire would only result in further conflict, and more misery and death. Hamas must be completely uprooted for any chance of peace.

Noel Baxendell claims Hamas only controls Gaza with Israel’s support, implying Israel does this to keep the Palestinians divided to prevent a two-state peace. Hamas took power in a bloody coup from Fatah in 2007. Israel allows Gaza to be funded for humanitarian reasons, and in the hope doing so would prevent Hamas from turning to terror. Mr Baxendell says Israel should have known about the tunnels because its forces regularly enter Gaza, but he’s thinking of the West Bank. The last time Israeli forces were in Gaza was in 2014, and then only briefly.

• Frank Selch, Farrer

Bushfire response and recovery 

As we head into summer, another bushfire season is top of mind. The devastating Black Summer bushfires were now nearly four years ago yet the memory is still vivid for many today.

Multiple reviews outlined recommendations on what could and needs to be done better. When securing funding from the Australian Government’s Black Summer Bushfire Recovery program, the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) explored how leadership could contribute. Together with Tharwa-based ARLF Associates Karim Haddad and Ali Wass, the Regenerate Capital Region leadership development program was conceived, targeting emergency stakeholders, government agencies and rural land carers.

This wasn’t the typical professional development training to tick a box. It was an experiential learning program that pushed the 31 participants well beyond their comfort zone. It’s here they transition to a ‘growth zone’ and where change begins.

They learned the value of adapting in the face of change, systems thinking, leading with difference and reflection. The residential approach at Cuppacumbalong in Tharwa and the surrounding Namadji region, removing participants from everyday distractions, created deep bonds of trust and connection between participants, and a greater acceptance of diverse backgrounds, personalities and views. Collaboration is the result of this connection, the graduates already actioning their learning to be better prepared for future fire seasons.

The core of what we do at the ARLF is exposing people to situations and ideas that will enable them to see a bigger picture, a different perspective and, ultimately, have the courage to put their ideas into action, bringing others with them.

With this program, the objective was to build a strong leadership network that crosses borders and agencies to be able to respond to future bushfire emergencies while building long-term resilience in bushfire impacted communities. But it’s more than this. When future fire emergencies occur, this network will be invaluable – they won’t be just names and positions; they’ll know and trust each other and be able to work through the challenges in front of them and our communities.

• Matt Linnegar, ARLF Chief Executive

First they came …

I recently heard part of the following on a TV program, so tracked it down using Google and hope it may be of interest to your readers. Below is an extract from the Wikipedia page: ‘First they came …’

The best-known versions of the confession in English are the edited versions in poetic form that began circulating by the 1950s. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum quotes the following text as one of the many poetic versions of the speech, by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984):
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
– Paul Myers, Karabar NSW

Joys of the season

Thank you for your timely, weekly insights, always uplifting. We all need to hear good stories and be mindful of the good things around us. Wishing you and your staff the Joys of the Season.

• Marion Forsey, Canberra

Want to share your opinion?

Email [email protected] with ‘To the editor’ in the subject field; include your full name, phone number, street address (NFP) and suburb. Keep letters to 250 words maximum. Note, letters may be shortened if space restrictions dictate.