Letter writers over the past week writing about public service pensions, Voice to parliament, Qantas issues and Mick Gentleman’s poor parking plan.

Bill Stefaniak (CW 2 February 2023 p8) alleges without analysis that public service pensions are “overly generous”. I was a public servant for 31 years, 25 of those years in Senior Executive Service positions (including four different Division Head positions). When I retired I received a number of unsolicited offers from the private sector offering at least three times my public service salary. I didn’t accept any of these offers, accepting instead an unpaid honorary position at the Australian National University. Many of my public service colleagues viewed superannuation as a small recompense for low remuneration. As for Bill Stefaniak’s “overly generous” allegation, after 31 years, 25 in the Senior Executive Service, my public service pension is substantially below $100,000. Perhaps Bill Stefaniak can explain why he views that as “overly generous”.

– E Willheim, Campbell ACT

P Robinson (CW 16 February 2023 p24) draws long bows indeed in trying to make a case against the Voice. First, the high Republican and Same Sex Marriage votes in the ACT had very different outcomes on the national scene. Second, the Voice isn’t and never has been about race – or “blood” as P Robinson euphemistically declares. It is about Constitutionally recognising the people who, uniquely, were here looking after the continent long before anyone else arrived (they could have been little green men and women from Mars for all that their genetics matter). Furthermore, it is about giving an official voice to their descendants, in the same way that millions of other Australians have a voice through their particular advisory bodies. The only difference is that Constitutional acknowledgement provides the parliament with an obligation to at least listen on matters that may affect our First Australians. And that is something that, as plenty of evidence shows, hasn’t happened much to date.  So, once again I ask, why can’t we all embrace this simple and respectful request?  

• E Hunter, Cook ACT

Re Gentleman’s lack of parking spaces (CW 16 February 2023 p16). I agree wholeheartedly with Bill Stefaniak that this is a totally illogical plan. Apart from the issue of people needing cars for the things that Bill mentioned, what about the modern way of life where families are in different cities? I know a lot of people that come into this category. Also, parents are constantly taking the children to sport, music/dance lessons, sports days, school (not always on the bus route from their units), people needing to visit their GP’s, dentists or other medical appointments. People need their cars to do shopping, can you imagine doing a full week’s shopping and having to catch a bus? Apart from the inconvenience to the shopper, there would not be enough room in the bus luggage compartment if all the passengers had shopping. If one of the family is working and needs a car, what if the other partner needs to do other things?

I know not everyone drives, and that is their choice; maybe they accept the inconvenience of public transport, but this is not always possible. I would like to know how much of Mick Gentleman’s travel around Canberra is done by public transport. I imagine it would not be much.

One added issue, The ACT Government are wanting to reduce cars to supposedly reduce pollution, yet they keep holding the Summernats every year, and that creates a huge amount of pollution. Are they going to stop the Summernats?

• V Evans, Macgregor ACT

Has Qantas completely lost the plot, and cares little about customer service now? From my recent experience, the evidence would have to be yes. I flew from Canberra to NZ nearly two weeks ago for a holiday, and my bag was lost due to long delays squeezing connections (one hour late leaving Canberra and another hour sitting on the runway in Sydney before I could disembark). I registered my missing bag with the Qantas Auckland baggage contractor and, after an email prompt the next day, they advised it would be in NZ that night. So far so good. Since then, I have made frequent emails and telephone calls, and registered a complaint with Qantas Customer Care on the web, and there has been complete silence. Emails to the baggage agent receive no response. Calls to the baggage agent go into a short queue and after one minute be cut off. Qantas will not accept calls to speak with agent about lost baggage. They refer you to the web page. After one week, the baggage agent answers the telephone and promises to investigate and get back to me. And guess what, silence again. Yes, there has been a storm in New Zealand, which may be contributing to delays, but is it too difficult to tell me the location of my bag and when they think it will be delivered, so I can plan accordingly? As a loyal Qantas flyer, with lifetime Gold Member status, you might think they would respond quickly.

• P Ottesen, Curtin ACT

To date, the Voice referendum appears to have more “unknowns” than “knowns” in its presentation, yet PM Albanese is asking all eligible voters to vote ‘yes’. That is akin to signing contract documents with blank spaces in them, which nobody in their right minds would do. As I believe that by now the majority of eligible voters have had a gut full of this meaningless Voice, and have already made up their minds, despite what small sample polls want us to believe, it’s time for the PM to stop prevaricating and to let the voters decide by initiating the referendum process now, not as proposed at year’s end. As despite repeated requests for more information to be made public, the PM is still prevaricating and stonewalling, my advocacy is: If you are unsure or just don’t know, vote ‘no’.

– M Stivala, Belconnen ACT

For once I have to support Bill Stefaniak (CW 16 February 2023 p16), at least in his generally well-argued concerns over Labor Minister Mick Gentleman’s weird idea to restrict parking spaces in new apartment buildings. Of course, while we are all concentrating on Mr Gentleman’s disturbing lack of fact-based and logical decision making, there’s been no mention anywhere of the matter called Cabinet responsibility; the long-established Westminster principle whereby all members of Cabinet are collectively held accountable for individual Ministerial decisions. So, rather than singling out Mr Gentleman, l suggest we ought to be including his cabinet colleagues in similar opprobrium. Perhaps Bill might like to consider this issue in a future column where he could compare Labor’s record with previous ACT Liberal Cabinets, especially those of which he was a member.

• E Hunter, Cook ACT

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.