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I found Kathryn Kelly's misplaced sympathy for Australian recruits to the Islamic State cause (Letters, June 2), now wishing to return to their previous easy life in Australia, quaint to say the least.

These poor people, according to her letter, "have experienced the horror of the Middle East". There is no mention of "the horror" experienced by the poor souls who have been beheaded by these "wrong- headed" recruits. They knew full well the consequences of leaving Australia to fight with IS. How is this suddenly "a complex issue"? Beheading, raping women and children as well as torturing children are not the acts of true Australians.

These people did not value, and were prepared to risk their Australian citizenship when they left to join IS.Thus where is the injustice of them losing their citizenship when they never valued it in the first place?

Leslie Barnard, West Belconnen

Government proposals to take away Australian's citizenship are alarming. To suggest that Immigration Minister Peter Dutton should have the discretion to do so is terrifying. Have they forgotten David Hicks' illegal incarceration in Guantanamo Bay already? Have they forgotten the AFP persecution of Mohammed Haneef? Both these people were subject to "administrative procedure" and unjustly punished.

If we cannot abide by the rule of law as administered by our judicial system (albeit an ass at times) then we have lost any claim to civility. No matter how horrendous the crimes committed by so-called Australian Islamic terrorists we cannot resort to lynch mob justice. Doing so lets a very large cat out of the bag.

David Groube, Guerilla Bay, NSW

If we throw out our citizens who have fought for Islamic State, won't these people just end up back in Syria bearing the message that there is no point trying to get out? If so, their punishment for going there in the first place will effectively be to send them back. Don't we have a responsibility to the rest of the world to deal with our own bad eggs?

Housing facts

So our Prime Minister and Treasurer think it is a good thing that house prices are galloping up. Let me explain, in terms that are simple enough for even Tony and Joe to understand.When your house is sold, unless you are dead or emigrating, you will need to buy another one. It will also be more expensive. Net gain for you is zero. Your estate agent will make more commission and that may give you a warm glow, but I doubt that.

Of course, if you are an investor who owns more than one house, you will be happy, but those the government ought to consider are our children and grandchildren who are progressively being locked out of home ownership by dimwit politicians who understand as little as Joe and Tony.

Treasury Secretary John Fraser warns of a housing price bubble in Sydney and Melbourne ("PM's wish for house prices to rise at odds with Treasury, RBA", June 2, p1).

An important part of the solution is to stop the flow of Chinese money being illegally laundered through our residential property market.

Michael West ("Affordable housing cure under nose", Times2, June 1, p7) reports Credit Suisse's estimate that Chinese investment in our housing market is expected to double to $60 billion over the next six years, and speculates that half of this might be black money.

Elsewhere, West has reported estimates that Chinese purchasers took 23 per cent of new housing supply in Sydney in 2013-14, and 20percent in Melbourne.

Given this scale of current and projected involvement, it would be foolish to pretend that inflationary effects will be confined to the top end of the market in our two largest cities.

Successive governments have dithered since 2008 over the rollout of stage 2 of the anti money laundering legislation, which would require real estate agents to report transactions to AUSTRAC.

The government justifiably fears burdening industry with paperwork, but is it rocket science to develop a risk-based approach to the framing of reporting requirements?

Balancing budgets

Victor Discordia (Letters, June 2) raises some important issues about debt deficit and surpluses. Smart governments balance budgets and that was always John Howard's intention. The modern-day Liberals' obsession with surpluses is not what Howard said in 1996. The Howard government never had an objective for the budget to be in permanent surplus.

On the contrary – in the 1996 Charter of Budget Honesty, the Howard government's objective for the budget was "to maintain budget balance, on average, over the course of the economic cycle". No mention of surplus. The "balance on average" means an occasional surplus would be met with an occasional deficit – which is exactly how fiscal policy should be run and does run due to the cyclical nature of all economies. Every high school economics student knows this.

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

Winning solutions

So, BHP Billiton prioritises value over volume in a depressed US gas market where it's a small producer ("BHP petroleum boss keeps the faith in American shale oil", BusinessDay, June 1, p9) so it doesn't lose income, but increases iron ore production in Australia where it's a major producer as other smaller producers talk about being squeezed in a depressed world market.

It's obviously horses for courses. A couple of weeks ago BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie spoke eloquently in defence of the company's iron ore production policy with such persuasiveness that PM Abbott changed his mind (again) and gave up on his earlier musings for an inquiry into the iron ore sector ("PM backing out of fight with mining giants", May 20, p4). The market and its most influential participants will always come up with the optimal solution that's best for them.

What's with the plan?

The National Capital Authority is about to start public consult-ation on the first review of the National Capital Plan since the ACT was granted self-government in 1989. Needless to say, this is an important process that vitally affects every citizen of Canberra and the future of our great city.

According to the NCA, one of the key issues on which the views of the public will be sought is "the roles and responsibilities for planning in the ACT between the NCA and ACT Government agencies". The exposure draft of the review will not be released to the public until June 5. However, in late April, ACT senator Zed Seselja announced that the Federal government had already made a decision to severely reduce the planning responsibilities of the NCA.

Also, Senator Seselja has recently attributed his recent preselection by the Canberra Liberals to "his success with changing the planning powers of the National Capital Authority".

Something funny is going on and Senator Seselja should come clean with the community. Either he has not yet secured the changed planning powers he has trumpeted far and wide, or the review is a public relations exercise with a predetermined result.

Many concerned citizens will fight to preserve the role of the NCA. Our planning processes should not be used as a political plaything.

Gary Kent, chairman, Inner South Canberra Community Council

Parking please

In June 2011, the ACT government floated a proposal for redevelopment at the Curtin shopping centre involving, it was suggested, the possible demolition of some shops and the construction of residential units with commercial premises.

A public meeting on June 25, 2011 at the Curtin Shops attracted 200-plus residents who expressed strong opposition. The 2012 Act planning Strategy continued to specifically identify Curtin as an area for future "urban intensification" (housing in-fill).

Now, in 2015 the Environment and Planning Department is at it again, under the guide of the need for a "master plan" for the Curtin Shopping Centre.

Why? Their reasoning: "because there isn't one."

According to the Territory Plan to introduce a new "precinct code" for the Curtin shopping centre, it would address issues such as parking but would also cover new building heights, urban intensification, higher night-time use, and the need for a "visual identity".

The 5000-plus residents of Curtin would probably settle for improved parking facilities and a sign saying "Curtin shopping centre" in preference to a costly "makeover" at ratepayers' expense and inconvenience. Public comments close on Wednesday, June 10.

Gall and bigotry

Archbishop Prowse ("Same-sex marriage not the end of the world: Bishop Prowse", May 2, p4) and his fellow Catholic bishops display a healthy mix of gall and bigotry in their cautions about gay marriage. In the wake of the gobsmacking revelations from Ballarat where Catholic schools doubled as paedophile fun-parks, how do they dare set themselves up as arbiters of sexual morality?

And what is the bishops' argument against gay marriage? It boils down to the bigoted chestnut that gay marriage would infect heterosexual marriage with a mysterious canker. Archbishop Prowse and his cohorts are making an extraordinary claim: the legal fusion of gays releases toxic emissions that are absorbed by legally fused heterosexuals! The bishops' warning has the hallmarks of a classic religious scare tactic – unalloyed and nasty humbug.

Euthanasia debate

Here's a scenario for those who oppose voluntary euthanasia and death with dignity.

Yesterday, my elderly mother was invited to visit her next-door neighbour of many years who has been ill and restricted to a wheelchair all of that time, and cared for by family and a rotation of nurses.

After a recent period in hospital she has returned home and has decided to refuse all sustenance rather than live on. She informed my mother of this and said goodbye.

The effect on my parents can only be imagined. I don't live nearby but I am shocked and saddened that they have to witness what will no doubt be a long process. Why should they have to live through this?

Name and address withheld by request

I agree with Christopher Prowse ("Real love and care is the alternative to euthanasia", Times2, May 29, p5). Euthanasia is dangerous. As a young Australian I'm glad our country has come to accept that capital punishment is a bad idea. We understand that no court's judgment is perfect and we don't want to take the risk that an innocent person might be put to death. Why then would we introduce euthanasia and create the risk of vulnerable people feeling pressured to request death? Whatever advantage one might see in euthanasia, none of us feel comfortable with the idea of people feeling pressured to die or of a life being taken without consent. Yet this has been the unavoidable consequence in countries like the Netherlands where euthanasia is legal. If we don't trust our magistrates to always get it right with capital punishment, why would we trust health professionals to always get it right with euthanasia. Euthanasia won't enrich our society.

Let's just not go there.

Madeleine Kirk, Toongabbie East, NSW

Cut population growth

The Canberra Times editorial "Transport battlelines take shape" (Times2, June 2, p2) asked: "with congestion on Canberra's roads forecast to worsen over the next decade-and-a-half, how will a Liberal government ensure that bus commute times are superior to those of private vehicle users?".

This is the wrong question. The appropriate question is "How will a Liberal government prevent congestion?" There are several ways. The most obvious is to reduce population growth.

Don't increase the numbers of foreign students at our universities. Don't build an international air freight hub. Don't build a large convention centre.

Another is to stop the growth of the workforce in Civic. Reject any applications for expansion of office floor space in Civic. Apply a congestion tax to owners of office spaces in Civic. Encourage more office space in town centres. Build office precincts in Molonglo and in other centres around Canberra.

Homosexuals should return the respect

I strongly believe in the right of homosexuals to legally accredited loving unions.

However, I disagree that the centuries-old definition of "marriage" should be abolished because about 5per cent of the population claim (genuinely or otherwise) that their legal unions cannot be happy unless those unions are termed "marriage".

If the definition is changed, far more than 5per cent will be upset by the change; their feelings should be respected too.

The current arrangement is not discriminatory, or exclusive, or anti-equality; this is proved by the almost universal acceptance of Andrew Barr and Penny Wong.

Those who think that legal discrimination, or widespread social discrimination, still exists are naive, mainly because of persistent dishonest propaganda.

The dishonesty began when some understandably miserable homosexuals pretended they were "gay"(i.e "full of mirth, light-hearted, carefree" (COD 1984)). Because of the unrelenting propaganda associated with that pretence, the original meaning has effectively been removed from the English language. That offends me.

The new lie is "marriage equality". This term originally meant that the man and woman in a marriage have equal rights. The new (unclearly defined) definition, which if consistent would not limit marriages to two partners, is nonsensical..

I call on homosexuals to realise that the days of widespread discrimination against them have ended, and that the introduction of civil partnerships has effected inclusion and abolished inequality.

They should now show to others the respect they sought, by ceasing their campaign for redefinition of marriage.

To the point

I have always been of the opinion that the proposed light rail project was a white elephant. Now that Peter Newman, with the Mickey Mouse title of "Professor of Sustainability" at Curtin University in Perth, has come out in favour of it ("Light Rail will change city, be good economic policy", Times2, June 3, p5), I am convinced!

T.J. Farqahar (Letters, May 31) says rather than convince us that killing kangaroos is OK, Hugh Tyndale- Biscoe may as well have written a piece extolling the virtues of Catholicism to Islamic State. A better comparison would be extolling the virtues of concentration camps to Jews.

I nearly choked on my muesli when I read ("Who's next? The contenders", Sport, June 4, p19) that one of six contenders identified to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president has been independent chairman of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee. I found myself checking that I was not reading the April 1 edition!

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, re-elected four days ago, has stood down for the good of football. Surely those delegates who voted for him should also stand down.

Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse is worried that, with the advent of same-sex marriage, the more "traditional" form of marriage will be "relativised" ("Same-sex marriage not the end of the world: Bishop Prowse", May 2, p4). I think it's more likely that marriage will be revitalised!

Re the story ("Light rail gets $375m boost", June 3, p5), I hope provision is made in the costings for a multi-million dollar blowout. Let's not forget that the cost of the Gungahlin Drive Extension blew out from $53million to $200 million, that the Cotter Dam costs ballooned from $120 million to at least $405 million, and the ACT Emergency Services Agency Headquarters went from an estimated cost of $13 million to $76million.

My simple, but accurate, assessment of the ACT Liberal's transport plan ("Liberals unveil road, bus expansion plan", June 1, p1) is: more dark-age thinking from a party of myopic troglodytes.

Trevor Melksham, Kingston

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).

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Source: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6066634/is-recruits-dont-deserve-to-come-back-to-easy-life-in-australia/

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