This incompetent regime has spent millions of dollars over recent years promoting their Live in Canberra campaign around the world. Would they be game to do it now after this budget?

We have still about the highest stamp duty in the country after Victoria, the highest vehicle registration and licence costs in the nation, the most expensive urban water and perhaps the most expensive rates of any major city in unimproved land value terms.

As if that is not enough, Andrew Barr clearly wants to close down the city centre entirely by charging people to park there seven days a week up until 10pm! Who would want to run a restaurant in Civic? What would visitors to the city from other parts of Australia think about this absurd policy approach? The city is relatively empty on a Sunday, parking space is plentiful and the government implements this mind numbingly stupid added slug on residents and visitors alike!

David Parsons, Weetangera

Holy hypocrisy

How can an organisation which instructs members to conceal crimes discipline those who follow their rules? The Catholic Church just announced it intends set up a tribunal to investigate bishops who concealed child abuse. For over 50 years the church has run a worldwide parallel legal system of criminal justice across the world, deliberately hidden from the public and governments. The Vatican instructed its members to secretly deal with child abusers using cannon laws that provided no real ramifications, silenced witnesses, forgave perpetrators, withheld evidence from law enforcement and aided and abetted criminals.

By interfering with state judicial systems further, the church risks contaminating critical evidence which may facilitate criminals to evade true justice and cause more children to be raped. It is our children's right that crimes committed on them by Australian citizens with Australian accomplices on Australian soil be investigated under Australia's judicial system. Our government's silence suggests it intends to allow this interference to continue. Canon law has proven it has no place other than within the walls of Vatican city, well away from our citizens and children.

Damian De Marco, Wallaroo, NSW

Patronising tolerance

I was born in Canberra 75 years ago and I was raised a Catholic. I served as an altar boy at St Christopher's Church in Manuka and attended primary school there; and then went to St Edmunds as part of my secondary schooling. As a young man in the early sixties I began to realise I was gay. This was a worrying realisation given that homosexuality was illegal, that gays were routinely entrapped by the police and sent to jail and that disclosure of my homosexuality would have meant the end of my career in the public service.

Three years ago the Bishop of Sale, Christopher Prowse, was parachuted into Canberra as the new Catholic Archbishop.

He has, over the last few days circulated a pamphlet "Don't Mess With Marriage" to students in Canberra's Catholic schools condemning same-sex marriage. The document urges the community to write to their federal members to oppose broadening marriage laws.

The document calls for "understanding for those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies" presumably referring to people like me in contrast to people with deep-seated heterosexual tendencies. It also "deplores injustices perpetrated upon people because of religion, sex, race, age etc". This concern for justice and understanding towards homosexuals is a recent development. In the early seventies, when a group of brave gays, like my good friends John Ware and Michael Cass, began the struggle for justice, the Catholic Church would have no part of it, indeed the reverse. It is only now, when the tide of public opinion is running so strongly against it, that it can manage its own special brand of patronising tolerance.

The document characterises the gay view of marriage as follows: "One view of marriage is that it is nothing more than a commitment to love. On this view, marriage is essentially an emotional tie, enhanced by public promises and consensual sexual activity. The marriage is valuable as long as the good emotions last." Love in the case of gays like me is supposed to be merely a transitory emotion. This is an insult to the love that I and my partner of 23 years have for each other – or it would be if I took the document seriously. In fact it is a farrago of half-truths and special pleading that deserves no respect and that will convince only those who already believe it.

Paul Hartigan, Ainslie

Delay light rail

As a rail buff I would love to see light rail introduced into the ACT, especially having just experienced the London Underground system. However, we must face the fact that our low density of population makes it almost impossible to justify the cost of light rail in our current financial situation.

After listening to friends who drive buses for ACTION I appreciate that large numbers of commuters need to be handled on the Gungahlin/City route and it would seem to me that a staged approach should be considered whereby a dedicated corridor be developed for a future rail system but utilise buses along the route until financial circumstances allow for light rail.

Buses using the dedicated route would enjoy the right of way over other traffic, providing a cost-effective fast efficient service for commuters on environmentally friendly gas buses.

The introduction of rail could be done when the the economy is in better shape, timed for when unemployment is on the rise.

Dave Daniel, Kambah

Triggs overboard

Professor John Wanna wrote that Gillian Triggs "has arguably overstepped her statutory powers" in "Triggs in uncharted waters" (Times2, June 19, p1). In fact she has gone completely overboard, championing essentially offshore matters. As Australian Human Rights Commissioner she has shown little interest in the birthrights of most Australian citizens, which have been severely invaded over recent years.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Apologies to George Costanza from Seinfeld, but, WHY! WHY! WHY! do politicians have a couple of stooges standing behind them when making media statements? Prime Minister Tony Abbott seems to be favouring Zed Seselja at the moment, with Zed's head popping up a number of times recently.

Zed just comes across as looking very uncomfortable and way out of his comfort zone. Perhaps this is exactly what Abbott intends.

Instead of listening to what the PM is actually saying, we concentrate more on these background heads, and how uncomfortable they look.

M. Reid, Belconnen

Can anyone tell me why Senator Zdenko Seselja has suddenly started to appear standing behind and slightly to the right of Tony Abbott whenever the prime minister appears in television news clips?

It is very worrying to find a local representative who has done so little to support the welfare of the Canberra population and their natural environment quite so close to the seat of power.

Timothy Walsh, Garran

Sensitivity needed

While watching Leigh Sales on the ABC program Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery reminiscing as she was taken back to the home where she grew up and to her schools where her education began, I couldn't help but become conscious of the fact that this would not be an option for my children.

Their high school was demolished to make way for a super school, their primary school is in a state of disrepair and listed for imminent demolition and their childhood home will be destroyed because of the "Mr Fluffy" debacle.

At least I hope the media shows some sensitivity so that my children are not subject to watching on television their childhood family home being destroyed .

M. McConnell, Giralang

To partially respond to Manson MacGregor's question (Letters, June 18) on emissions policy making us significantly less trade-competitive, I make two points. The first is that Australia is more exposed, because of our geographical position, to the negative impacts of global emissions than many other developed countries.

Therefore it is in our long-term interests that a global policy on emissions be implemented.

The second is that good emissions policies can provide stimulus for business as well as environmental benefits. Australia failed to use the proceeds of the mining boom to diversify and develop the non-mining economy. Comes the bust and it appears the rest of the economy has lost competitive ground in other trade that it needs to make up, and soon because it is likely to be 20 years before the next mining boom.

James Walcott, Mawson

Check coal shares

In current discussions about climate change the main focus has been on coal, a debate heated by the enthusiasm of those demanding divestment from coal and the countering government view that coal is good for humanity. In this issue both sides of the argument feel they have the only truth, whereas they both have part of the truth, with the government's share being, in economic terms, the greater.

Australian coal exports total almost $35 billion (2012-13). Of this, about one third is for coal used to make electricity, so-called thermal coal. As an energy source, thermal coal is slowly being replaced by renewables, a process that is inevitable in the long term and essential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Once the cost of establishing a power plant of any type is met, who would not opt for the free energy of the sun and wind? Divesting from thermal coal makes good economic and environmental sense.

But the other two-thirds of Australia's coal export dollars came from so-called coking, or metallurgical coal that has a price premium over thermal coal. This coal is essential for turning our iron oxide ore into iron metal. In the process carbon is turned into carbon dioxide. Steel is going to remain the primary structural material for longer than we can imagine and until some cheaper process comes along, coal will be needed to make it. Carbon capture and storage will be the only way that carbon dioxide emissions from steel manufacture and other industrial processes, such as cement manufacture, can be prevented.

In terms of coal exports, the government, the economists, the shareholders, the coal miners have little to fear from the rise of renewable energy, for the greater part of the Australian export coal industry will not be in decline. Limiting renewables might seem to protect the coal industry, but in reality coal is on a firm export base. You can accept the science of climate change and keep some coal shares, just check what sort of coal.

Tony Eggleton, Belconnen,

A new commissioner

Oh goody, a wind farm commissioner (new post to police wind farm complaints) to check up on the non- existent harm caused by wind farms. Please could we have a zombie apocalypse and an alien invasion commissioner to investigate government cover-ups of these real and present threats?

Maria Greene, Curtin

Time to stand up

Ross Gittins ("Politicians betraying young", Times2, June 17, p4) is right, the Abbott government and previous Labor and Howard governments have dudded young people. However, I disagree with him that they are more idealist than older generations. I am one of those baby boomers who own all the property keeping them out of the market. My son-in-law has said as much.

As an elected union official in the 1980s and '90s, the majority of young people I encountered in the workplace thought they did not need a union. They could not grasp that the pay and conditions they enjoyed were the result of hard work by older employers and union members. Some of these people, when wronged by their employer, came to me and said 'the union should do something about this'.

I think my generation had it easier than Gen Xs and Ys but it was not without struggle and sacrifice. My wife and I bought our first home (with help from my parents) and we could not afford a TV or many of the household goods considered the norm now. We had a second hand refrigerator (a collector's item even then) and buying a washing machine was a major expense. We coped with mortgage interest rates over 17 per cent in the "recession we had to have".

If the young want things to change, they need to stand up and do something about it. The rebel in me is tired.

David Groube, Guerilla Bay, NSW

Reputation destroyed

In war and peace, Australia gained a hard won reputation for being "good sports" by playing fair, always respecting our opponents and neighbours.

But by hook or by crook, Tony Abbbott will stop the boats. By hook or by crook he leads the nation. By hook or by crook the world now sees Australia is crooked, dirty and dishonourable. I am ashamed.

Don Burns, Mawson

Priorities lost

Jack Waterford's insightful article 'Stevens puts it directly: economy in trouble" (Forum, June 13, p1) points out what is the problem with ours and the United States governments. The problem he pointed out is our party system of government where the parties are so interested in getting re-elected that they ignore good governance and devote their time to political point scoring rather than honestly debating issues and finding solutions.

Mr Waterford, however, does not offer a solution.

Recently there have been a lot of cases where political parties have been complicit in illegal activities. Donors to the parties are solicited for re-election purposes and have a corresponding influence on policy. A sycophantic courting of influential media who also have an influence on policy. Add these to the above comments by Mr Waterford and you would have to conclude the party system is not a solution.

Independents such as Nick Xenophon, Andrew Wilkie, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott plus 146 others of the same ilk would give us a far better government.

Max Jensen, Chifley

LISTEN, MY SON

Tony Abbott has been wedged by the Pope on climate change. You beauty! What will he do now?

Tom Collins, Palmerston

While Tony Abbott refuses to listen to scientists' warnings on climate change, can we now hope, given the Pope's encyclical on this critical matter, that Abbott will listen to his religious leader?

Tim Hardy, Florey

INCONVENIENT TRUTH

The Pope's call for developed nations to tackle climate change was heard loud and clear; reform or perish. But what about the link between global warming, overpopulation and contraception? His Holiness conveniently ignores the elephant in the room.

Mark Holland, Gungahlin

SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND

Alan Cowan (Letters 16 June) asserts as a "fact" that "evidence of the 'overall warming trend"' seems "awfully hard to find". A quick internet search of "Climate change and global warming: Evidence" reveals umpteen sites containing evidence-based information of the warming trend, including skepticalscience.com. Dr Cowan might care to start his journey of conversion there.

Dan Buchler, Waramanga

A LINK LESS TROUBLED

If Ireland had a light rail between North and South, Ric Hingee (Letters, June 16) perhaps their recent history would have been far less tragic, to the benefit of all.

Patrick O'Hara, Isaacs

MYSTERIES OF THE FAN

Brendan Ryan (Letters, June 18) is happy to be nominated as president of the H.Ronald Fan Club because he (Ronald) is "a breath of fresh air". Using that logic, presumably Mr Ryan would have been happy to have been nominated as president of the Screaming Lord Sutch Fan Club.

Gordon Fyfe, Kambah

ROUNDABOUT LESSONS

The ACT Road Rules state "You must give way to vehicles already on the roundabout". I feel that public education to reinforce the entrenched "Give way to your right at all times" does not apply to vehicles that are already on roundabouts. I am sure that this will result in fewer lives being lost on ACT roundabouts.

Bruce Morris, Deakin

IT'S JUST EQUALITY

To John Rodriguez (Letters, June 18), it is not about sexual predilections, nor is it even about 'Marriage Equality' – it is about equality. Plain and simple.

E. Nelson, Wright

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