Pleased that pill testing makes ‘perfect sense’

I WAS very pleased to read that the early analyses of the pill testing service being trialled in the ACT have been positive.

It makes perfect sense to have such facilities, particularly given the tragic stories I have heard; where young people have died from not having pills tested.

The fear of legal ramifications for possessing pills have contributed to these devastating and needless deaths.

I was told that festival goers at the recent ‘Spilt Milk’ music festival attended the venue prior to the event, where they buried their pills due to the fear of being charged with possession of illicit substances on the day of the festival.

I am excited about October 2023 when the decriminalisation of drugs Bill will be introduced. As a community member, I would like to thank MLA Michael Pettersson for fighting hard to have the Bill passed in the ACT Legislative Assembly, and for the support demonstrated by Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith. Pill-testing facilities will fully complement the Bill.

While Deputy Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson described the Bill as “dangerous”, it appears he may not be aware of the stories of people overdosing on illicit substances due to being fearful of criminal sanctions.

The Libs have said they will abrogate the Decriminalisation of Drugs Bill if they are successful in winning the next election; this has made it easy to identify my voting preferences.

Let’s get real; people are going to use substances whether they are decriminalised or not – let’s make it a safe experience for them; to have the option to have their substances tested so they can make an informed decision as to whether they wish to ingest them.

This realistically can be the difference between life and death of loved ones.

Janine Haskins, Cook

The bushfire cycle will be repeated

RIC Hingee’s reminder of recent government bushfire inaction (Letters, CN January 26) takes me back to 2003 when a lightning strike in the Brindabellas was allowed to burn for two weeks before it escaped to torch Weston.

Each evening the glow in the sky was observed to achieve a greater intensity by the residents of Hawker until that fateful Saturday, when hot winds arrived from the west.

Only luck saved us. Similar luck for me prevailed on the more recent south coast fires. That fire also was allowed to develop over days before escaping.

Government action at the time was expected to adopt an RAAF squadron, equipped with Bombardier Scoop Bombers for early suppression, which had performed well in a trial visit earlier.

Such actions were not followed through, as a wet period took hold and priorities were revised.

An expected dry period will certainly follow with, as usual, no planning in place.

The lack of early fire suppression was clearly demonstrated in all these fire disasters but, as usual, the government will try to blame earlier inaction by others and the cycle will be repeated.

Ken Murtagh, Hughes

You’ll be old, too, one day, Rob…

I WAS saddened by the letter (“Floriade – it needs to go!”, CN January 26) from Rob Thomas. Firstly, that Rob cannot see the beauty in all the spring flowers and secondly that he sees the “bush capital is overrun with silver-haired, flower obsessives needing their tulip fix” and calling them “octogenarian yahoos”. Rob then claims that “Commonwealth Park is jammed to bursting with young couples and families taking selfies”. Which is Rob Thomas more upset about? The oldies or the young couples?

Given so many people from Canberra and elsewhere come here to see Floriade, I would suggest that Rob Thomas is by far in the minority.

Don’t forget Rob, you too will be a silver haired octogenarian sometime in the future.

Vi Evans, via email

… And how do you feel about Christmas?

I SEE that Rob Thomas is irked that people come to Canberra to enjoy Floriade (“Floriade – it needs to go!”, Letters, CN January 26). How do you feel about Christmas, Rob?

Noel Beddoe, Belconnen

Keep the tram plan, change the route

USERS testify that ACT light rail Stage 1 is popular and operating well; and it’s now surely logical to continue with the citywide system, sensitively and expeditiously, for long-term benefit.

The “optics” and permanence of trams makes them appealing and reassuring, and can justify the cost, over time. However, tramline “land-value-capture” property development needs to be carried out more sensitively.

Because the Central National Area is involved, the Civic-Woden tram surely needs to service as many national attractions as possible. The current Civic to Capital Hill section, via City Hill, and Commonwealth Avenue, doesn’t do that; and critically, is mired in major planning, heritage, cultural-landscape, aesthetic, engineering, traffic, time and cost problems, mostly unresolvable.

With due substantial financial assistance from the Commonwealth, the Civic to Capital Hill tram route needs to change and be expedited to include, say, briefly, New Acton, the ANU, Acton Peninsula’s attractions, Griffin’s missing yacht-friendly lake crossing, Lennox Gardens North, Flynn Drive, Coronation Drive, Queen Victoria Terrace, Windsor Walk, State Circle, Capital Circle and on to Adelaide Avenue.

If Stage 2A (Civic to Commonwealth Park) won’t be stopped, then the tramline could leave Commonwealth Avenue at a stop just south of Parkes Way, and traverse Acton Foreshore (mutually benefitting the new property development there), to ANU south, the Peninsula, and on, as outlined above.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Thorpe’s Senate move ‘undemocratic’

SENATOR Lidia Thorpe’s defection to the crossbench was not entirely unexpected. She became a senator by default when former Greens leader Richard Di Natale resigned and is the epitome of Keating’s “unrepresentative swill”.

This now means that the Coalition is in a position to form an absolute majority in the Senate with the support of the independents and minor parties.

It was a very cunning move by Thorpe as she is now in a position to vote as she pleases by not being constrained by party rules, and it makes her a potential “kingmaker”. Albanese and Bandt are grinding their teeth, whilst Senator Lambie is all smiles.

Unfortunately, owing to our somewhat less than perfect system of governance we are stuck with her until her term ends in 2028 and there is nothing anyone can do about it. It’s undemocratic as she was elected as a member of the Greens, not as an independent.

Mario Stivala, Belconnen

How about ferret racing, Russell?

THANK you, Russell Wenholz for your timely letter (CN February 2) alerting us to the disturbing news of a confused horse-racing calendar.

That said, I can never understand the attraction of watching potential zoo food being whipped around a grass track, shouted at by a mob of e-Bay dressed people.

Real people are found seated on a lump of 4X4 supported on cement bricks in an outer steel shed in the scrub attending ferret racing.

Ferrets live for up to 10 years (with some going on to 14), so a little bloke can own, train and race his ferret for a few bucks a week, so what’s wrong with that?

John Lawrence via email

It’s just weeds wherever you look

I FULLY agree with Ros Thomas (Letters, CN February 9): wherever you look, Canberra (the “garden city”) is infested with weeds, some shoulder-high.

It is also overrun by long, dry grass, just waiting for a careless spark. It is also not uncommon to see saplings growing in gutters, partially clogged drains, and even the joints between road surfaces and kerbs: if left unchecked, the saplings will become small trees and their roots will begin buckling and breaking both. Ms Thomas raised the issue of dead trees. In an earlier letter (CN January 26) I included a photograph of one dead and one dying tree at the intersection of Hopetoun Circuit and Macgregor Street, Deakin. These trees are now frequently dropping dead branches close to areas that are often busy with pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, children on skateboards, and older folk with their shopping.

Surely City Services can find the time to remove these unsightly hazards ... or are they too preoccupied with the plans for Light Rail Stage 2?

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin