Top program uncovers abhorrent behaviour

The appalling abuse of juveniles in detention in the Northern Territory revealed in its most recent edition is yet another example. It follows hard on the heels of its expose of cruelty to animals in the greyhound racing industry.

The political response in each case was immediate and significant. The juvenile detention edition was aired at 8.30pm and 10 hours later Prime Minister Turnbull announced a Royal Commission.

Premier Baird’s government intends to close the greyhound racing industry as its response to the greyhound story.

Those with longer memories will recall Chris Masters investigations into police corruption in Queensland and the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour. 

Chris Masters’ name conjures up the names on an honour roll of journalists whose work with Four Corners contributed to its credibility and clout - Paul Lyneham, John Penlington, Peter Manning, Marian Wilkinson, Mike Willesee, Caroline Jones, Andrew Olle, Kerry O’Brien and Sarah Ferguson.

My wife and I watched the NT juvenile detention story with mounting horror. The panel on the following Q&A program were similarly shocked. My wife posed the question: “Why is Four Corners not getting any credit from the panel?” Good question.

I am gobsmacked at council's recent decision to adopt a poorly conceived, totally illogical and unnecessarily expensive attempt to try to solve the tourist coach parking problem that Leura has endured for years.

To adopt a proposal which will barely accommodate five full size tourist coaches at the cost of 22-24 car parking spaces is ludicrous in the extreme. 

Not only does it not make sense, it does not solve any of the traffic problems and congestion that Leura is currently facing and will certainly continue to face in the future.

Having waited five months for a decision from council which could easily have been made in a matter of weeks, it is now devastating that Leura and its residents are facing a planning disaster which will produce a traffic debacle far worse than what we have at the moment.

Have the councillors who voted in favour of this situation ever stopped to contemplate how the volumes of tourists will access the buses outside the Ritz at the bottom of the Mall and the volume of people it will adversely impact on the roundabout there?  

The so-called solution doesn't solve any problems but merely creates bus and pedestrian situations which are just as bad as exists at the moment - with the additional loss of so many parking spaces.

It is heartbreaking that the long-term future of Leura is to be stuffed up by councillors who are unable to appreciate the impact of their decision.

Keith Everett’s letter concerning the announcement of the upgrade of Nepean Hospital not saving the federal seat of Lindsay shows why our nation is suffering at the hands of voters (BMG 27.7.16).

Our hospitals are state managed, not federally managed to start with and since this was a state issue, should not have had any bearing on the outcome. So why did it?

Very simply put, the majority of voters are not prepared to think about what is a state issue, a federal issue or a local government issue before they make a decision. Apparently it is all too hard. That is why we have politicians’ staff spending most of their time funneling issues to the correct level of government.

The upgrade to Nepean Hospital is welcomed most certainly; blaming the loss of a seat on the wrong tier of government is not.

To the person I did a good deed for on Wednesday, July 27, at the CWA Hall, Leura - Is it normal for you to repay the person who does something good for you by stealing from them?    You left me with a whole lot of problems when you stole my purse.  It contained the remainder of last fortnight's pension, my saved petrol money, and numerous cards and photos.

It would be appreciated if you could return the purse, especially the photos.   You could drop it off at the CWA Hall.    I have come to the conclusion that it is not worth helping out anyone, as this is the thanks that you get.

Some five years ago I did the right thing and invested in solar energy, installing a 2Kw system on my roof. Despite the small subsidy given by the state government of the time to encourage solar energy, it was still  a significant monthly pay-back. It has now been paid for and I was hoping to reap some benefit from this investment.

But no. I have now been advised that for every Kw hour I generate, I will be paid 5c. For every Kw hour I use, I will have to pay 30c. What sort of a deal is that? Once again the consumer is being ripped off.

The cost of installing solar panels has dropped considerably over the last five years and a 2Kw system is now about $5000 so at 5c per KwH it will take 50 years to pay off a new installation. 

One can only assume that the Liberal state government is not interested in the reduction in CO2 emissions and that they are in the pockets of the electricity generators and distribution companies.

It is sad that some people who want a change in the definition of marriage resort to calling those who disagree with them "homophobes".  Some opponents of the change are even called bigots and haters simply because they express their views, however mildly they do so. As the plebiscite approaches it is very important that all involved in the debate avoid name-calling and derision. It should be possible to have a robust "yes" versus "no" debate without that kind of unpleasantness.