Dennis Hale, Beecroft, NSW

One factor that has been ignored in the recent motion for a spill by Liberal backbenchers is to realise that it is a valuable exercise in democracy. One principle basic to our democratic system is that if you do not please the majority of the Australian electorate you are punished. The second thing that is obvious is that if both major parties control around 30 per cent of voters it is a tragedy if either loses its chance to open the batting.

Mr Abbott has opened for the Liberals and has scored, at the moment, a lot of played-on wickets. It seems very right that a sizeable number of the team wishes to relegate him down the batting order.

The tragedy is that if the relegation does not happen it seems likely that his team might finish up with only one innings. This, in the opinion of most of us, is not a satisfactory outcome. All of us want a fair contest with both teams being able to show what they are made of.

I really applaud the Liberal backbenchers who tried to get a new opening bat and I hope they succeed in the long run.

Australia really needs two strong teams that can bring out the best in each other for the benefit of us all.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

The Prime Minister, even after the spill vote, keeps insisting that only the electorate – those who voted in the 2013 election – really have the right to replace him as Prime Minister (ie, as the leader of the governing party/coalition).

This seems to me to be a total misunderstanding of the Westminster system as it applies, mostly, in Australia and which provides for the prime/chief minister to be appointed by a majority of the members of the party/coalition elected with a majority, generally in the lower house.

If there were to be another challenge to his leadership soon, would he be prepared to put his interpretation to the test and call a general election rather than a party room vote?

Brian Bell, Bonython

The country faces two long-term issues in the budgetary structural deficit and climate change. I believe many voters would like a bipartisan approach to deal with them in the national interest.

Unfortunately, Tony Abbott as prime minister is most unlikely to be able to instigate this in parliament either because he is not trusted or because of resentment from his actions when in opposition.

The Liberal minister with a record of collaboration is Malcolm Turnbull, and this probably underpins his popularity as an alternative PM in public opinion polls.

James Walcott, Mawson

Bob Douglas (Letters, February 4) is correct in saying the Prime Minister is avoiding the real challenges of climate change and Australia's growing inequality. Politicians, please watch Professor Brian Cox's last Human Universe program where he explores the future of our home planet. He selects two examples for forward thinking: the National Ignition Facility in California which is attempting to produce controlled fusion power from hydrogen using laser beams.

Cox also visited the Norwegian Global Seed Vault which preserves crop diversity by storing the seed of food crops from every country in the world as insurance against catastrophic events. Both examples are using science and creative thinking to invest in the future.

Cox says we hold the future of the planet in our hands, that we live in democracies where things change "when people like you and me want things to change." True. Can we influence all our politicians to move in far more positive directions than at present?

Judy Kelly, Aranda

Shame on those victims of the Lindt massacre in Sydney who have seen fit to criticise NSW police for their action. They acted appropriately under the circumstances and their action in all probability would have saved lives. It was very unfortunate that one of the victims was killed by fragments from a bullet fired by police. Police risk their lives every day of the week for the benefit of the public and should be accorded due respect, not criticised.

Mario Stivala, Spence

The news that the Malaysian High Court has upheld the sodomy charges against Dr Anwar Ibrahim reveals that Malaysia's judiciary is as corrupt as its politics.

One can have no respect for these agencies and we must have pity for those in Malaysia who were hoping for justice for Anwar.

Already I would not fly on one of their aeroplanes nor would I like, as I once did, to live in a country that has been so betrayed.

It's disgraceful and I hope that Australia will raise a protesting voice at this injustice.

Brian Millett, Yass, NSW

Once again The Canberra Times has published an article by Mikayla Novak, of the Institute of Public Affairs, arguing for no minimum wage ("Minimum wage discriminates", Forum, February 7, p7). The argument is that more jobs will arise, because employers will be able to hire people who aren't productive enough now to justify being paid the current minimum wage of about $16 an hour. However, wemust go beyond simple first-order effects.

In a fairly short time, minimum wage abolition would result in the bidding down of wages for the large number of existing workers who are on the minimum wage, or not far above it. Thus, in time, a significant part of the workforce, the lower paid, would be worse off.

This would strengthen the already strong pressures for greater inequality, evident in all developed economies. Not only would this be a social disaster, but it would attack economic activity and productivity.

If an employer can pay aworker much less, there is noincentive for the employer tomake that person more productive, through training and investment. This is the low road to a large, low-productivity underclass of workers, a low-productivity economy, and adivided society.

The high road's aim is to have all workers trained, supported by investment, motivated and productive, with a reasonable minimum wage a key measure. Even heavy-weight business interests around the globe now recognise the economic costs ofrising inequality, as shown atthe recent Davos conference.

The curious thing is why MsNovak is promoting such an abysmal idea. The answer must lie in her employer, the IPA. Has there ever been a policy pushed by the IPA that would upset agreedy billionaire?

Whether IPA really stands for Institute for Public Awfulness, or Institute for Plutocrat Advancement, either fits well.

Paul Pollard, O'Connor

Simon Corbell and Shane Rattenbury are at the controls ofa bulldozer again, planning tobypass planning regulations ("Planning regulations bypassed to smooth way for light rail", February 10, p1), so construction on light rail can begin before the 2016 election. Shame on them and the government!

This time for the tram, next time for any other pet project, and damn the taxpayer. Stage 1 of the Capital Metro project will cost at least $2billion, in spite of Corbell's claim that it will be only $800 million, and for what? ACTtaxpayers, wake up!

M. Silex, Erindale

The slowdown in the ACT economy and the government's record of underestimating debt and deficit suggest that the actual deficit for this year will beeven higher than the dire forecast of $770.5million.

Given that economic recovery will be slow as a result of the combined impact of public-service job cuts, slower population growth and reduced business and consumer confidence, a sensible government would consider theinterests of taxpayers and refrain from rushing into extravagant new expenditure commitments that will further blow out the deficit.

Yet, Simon Corbell has flagged extending the tram line to Russell ("Light rail extension toRussell in melting pot for consideration", February 7, p1), which will increase the $1billion cost. In support of the line's extension, Mr Corbell repeated the government's business-case claim that the tram will provide $1.20 in benefits for every $1 of expenditure. However, as economist David Hughes has suggested previously in The Canberra Times, not only does that level of benefit-to-cost ratio make the project marginal, some of the claimed benefits ($198million in "wider economic benefits", $13million in "environmental benefits" and$5million in "walking andcycling benefits") are questionable.

If the tram project really is asgood an investment as the government has claimed, why is the government so intent on keeping secret its own detailed analyses? Given that the construction consortium will insist on payment in hard currency, I don't suppose there's much chance of the government reducing my future rates bills inreturn for a rubbery commitment that I will walk andcycle more frequently.

Bruce Taggart, Aranda

I am pleased to inform Chris McNicol (Letters, February 9) that the modification works at Mugga Lane landfill are now complete. These works, which involved modifications to the landfill to maximise the space, have resulted in an intermittent odour being experienced in nearby suburbs.

While control measures have been implemented during the work, the odour has been an unfortunate byproduct of the work. It is expected the odour should dissipate in the coming days. I thank residents for their patience.

Michael Trushell, director, ACT NOWaste

Peter Hendy ("Fast train would benefit both cities and regions", Forum, February 7, p7) claims that a very fast train to Sydney would kill Canberra's "unhealthy" dependence on thefederal public service.

In the words of Tony Abbott, complete crap. If Canberra is to get a less bureaucratic economy, what it needs is a road over the Brindabellas to Tumut and the Hume Freeway, and a rail link from South Canberra to the airport, Civic (underground), West Belconnen and the main line at Yass. The combined costs of these things would be less than 5per cent of the cost of a very fast train. The benefits of them to regional commerce are so obvious that only the current Liberal MP for Eden-Monaro needs to have them spelt out.

I'm in no mood to do it again, so I'll have to refer him to Gary Nairn, the previous Liberal MP for Eden-Monaro. I'm sure he could still recite them perfectly.

G. T. W. Agnew, Coopers Plains, Queensland

J. McKerral's criticism (Letters, February 10) of Bryan Furnass' comments (Letters, February 7) on climate change are based onincorrect information. All meteorologists collating world weather data agree the earth's surface is warming, and different parts of the earth are absorbing different amounts of the heat (2.3per cent by the atmosphere and 93.4per cent by the ocean), so the average sea level has also been increasing since the 1960s (see Wikipedia). Therefore, J.McKerral, living in Batemans Bay, would be well advised to move to higher ground.

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

My internet doesn't work and hasn't worked, on and off, for about a year. The last technician sent in by my provider told me that the copper network was "s---".

He told me that the line was Telstra's problem. Telstra has since missed a few of its own deadlines for correcting the problem and now tells me that the problem is due to a "massive service disruption", which I take to mean that it agrees with the earlier technician. If the NBN had gone ahead, I could have expected to have my future-proofed fibre connection installed about now according to the 2013 timetable. Instead, Telstra will eventually patch up something for me which will provide mediocre, and if the past is any guide, unreliable performance. I am not alone. It is surprising how many people I talk to with similar problems.

It is a tragedy that our infrastructure Prime Minister ordered Mr Turnbull to destroy the NBN, and a further tragedy that Mr Turnbull put his heart and soul into doing just that.

We could have had our first-world NBN, built on borrowed money with effectively no interest to pay, with all the innovation and growth it would deliver to our economy for around the same price as the mess that we have now.

This policy travesty alone would justify Mr Abbott's loss of his job.

David Edmunds, Farrer

Thinus van Rensburg (Letters, February10) should read GP Australia, which shows "the average annual income for a full-time Australian GP is up to $200,000 or more" and, as is well known, a great deal more for a consultant.

As for GPs "apologising for expecting to be paid properly", I haven't heard a lot of GPs' apologies around lately.

Rhys Stanley, via Hall, NSW

The Canberra Times wants to hear from you in short bursts. Email views in 50 words or fewer to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au

J.McKerral (Letters, February10) needs to get out more. The news is that there has been no "pause". The trend in global temperature continues unabated on an upward trend.

Doug Hynd, Stirling

Tony Abbott has just made the ultimate captain's call for a conservative PM: he says the Coalition will socialise all decisions. That is, it will socialise everything it decides upon. Consensus at last!

Brian Stone, Weetangera

Tony Abbott may have "circled the wagons" but the Indians are still out there.

Richard England, Rivett

I heard the Prime Minister say on Monday, "Good governance starts today". Why did good governance not start on the day he was elected, September7, 2013?

Annie Lang, Kambah

Now that the "Real Julia" from the 2010 election has left Parliament and is engaged in worthwhile activities to benefit society as a non-politician, I suggest the new "Real Tony" do the same.

John Davenport, Farrer

I look forward to the gradual unveiling of the "real" Tony, over the next couple of weeks.

W. Book, Hackett

Deputy leader Julie Bishop was very noticeable walking beside Tony Abbott on the way into the Liberal party room for the vote on the proposed spill on Monday. She was nowhere to be seen on the "walk of victory" after the vote. Can anything be read into this?

Michael Booth, Macgregor

Surely there must be an elderly Liberal senator looking for a nice ambassadorial post in Europe for a few years who would be willing to step aside and allow Ms Credlin to change jobs?

Roger Dace, Reid

Why can't Australia have an elected leader who doesn't engage in petty bickering with the opposition party and states honestly what their vision is for a future that best serves the interests of the Australian people and nation? I don't know about the rest of Australia but I for one am getting sick of the weasel words, zingers and broken promises that seem to be the norm for politics in the 21stcentury.

Tom Quinlan, Gordon

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