Indeed, it ran up more legal bills to fight her in court, and now has to cough up her court costs as well as burden the citizens with its own hefty legal bill.

As for the real estate agent involved: how could they sleep through a veritable forest full of flashing danger signals?

First, a request to change the registered email address of the client. Second, the desperation to sell quickly at a huge loss. Third, the inability to produce the loan account number. (And the victim's lawyer helped out? So much for the suspicious caution of lawyers.) And fourth, directions to transmit the money to an Indonesian account.

Ramesh Thakur, O'Connor

If you inadvertently buy stolen goods you don't get to keep them, do you? Why do you get to keep a house?

S. De Luca, Bywong, NSW

Why are ACT ratepayers having to compensate a woman whose property was sold by scammers. What about the real estate agent, lawyers and bank that were intimately involved in the sale?

Ric Hingee, Duffy

In arguing against the ACT leasehold land tenure system, R.S. Gilbert (Letters, August 19) asserts that people coming near the end of the 99-year leases are having trouble getting finance due to, what he suggests, is the vulnerability of the future extension of the lease. Mr Gilbert often likes to buttress his letters by telling us that he was a Commissioner of the ACCC, thereby suggesting that he is wise old owl.

Well, in relation to this issue he is simply wrong on two fronts – the law permits an extension of a lease, and the banks are falling over themselves to lend to people in the older 'leafy' parts of Canberra.

A Google search would reveal that the law permits the ACT government to extend leases, and it routinely does so for no cost other than an administrative fee, $135.00. But if he actually believes the rubbish he wrote in the paper, I am happy to get a valuer of his choice to place a value on his property in Braddon, on the basis that it will be compulsorily resumed at the end of its 99-year lease and buy it off him for that price. I will take the chance of getting a loan and an extension in due course.

A. Brown, Fadden

Roger Brown (Letters, August 19) is spot on. Weston Creek and its residents have been forgotten or ignored by successive ACT governments for years, but suddenly we have been rediscovered. When Weston Creek and Woden were part of the large Molonglo electorate it was as if they were covered by fog and invisible from the Legislative Assembly building.

Now another election looms, and Weston Creek and Woden comprise the major part of the new Murrumbidgee electorate. It is fascinating to see the effect of this change. The Weston Creek Community Council has consulted, talked, met with and lobbied the Government over many matters in our community.

A number of the issues that have been on our community's agenda for years are coming to the fore in promises being made in the lead-up to this year's ACT election. Work on a Master Plan started in 2010 and we may finally see some work starting on Brierly Street in 2016-17. A second service station is coming ... after five years of lobbying. For too many years to remember, we have been asking for direct buses off-peak from Weston Creek to Civic, and we are pleased finally that they will start on August 29.

It seems to me these developments are a direct result of the ACT's new electoral system.

While they may be very late in coming they are welcomed.

We are looking forward to hearing what the candidates who want to represent us in the next Legislative Assembly propose for Weston Creek, and what their views are on matters such as a new community centre, an information centre and toilets for Fetherston Gardens, and ways to improve parking at Cooleman Court, to name a few.

Tom Anderson, chairman, Weston Creek Community Council

Your article "Suspicions over fate of lost pets (August 21,p8) alerts us to be careful with our dogs. Recently a friend lost his dog. It soon became apparent why dogs go missing. Replacing the dog is expensive. The cheapest dog was $200, $400 was a common price and then to $600 and into the thousands for pedigree. There are expenses that contribute to this cost. They include microchipping and vaccination.

I think dogs go missing because they replace a lost/deceased dog or they are sold on. Going to the RSPCA gives no relief in price. Doggie rescue is equally expensive. Dog breeds with a history of biting are readily available but for a price. Dogs that eat a lot are also available for a price.

So if you have a small dog beware. They could be stolen and be hard to replace.

Sophi Suttor, Narrabundah

Like Robyn Soxsmith (Letters, August 20), I believe that politicians will lie to hide their real motives. But her suggestion that the real purpose of the kangaroo cull is to clear the way for development is implausible. Why bother? Just move in the bulldozers, and the kangaroos will go.

The cull aims to reduce kangaroo numbers to the level that is most beneficial for the environment. As explained in the 2010 report "ACT Kangaroo Management Plan", that level is not zero.

Mike Dallwitz, Giralang

It's remarkable the determination of the Federal government in protecting our banks from proper public scrutiny. Anything less than a royal commission into the banking and finance sector is indeed a terrible cop out given exposes over recent years ("Bank profits and complaints skyrocket, Labor says only royal commission will do", canberratimes.com.au, August 21).

It's good that Labor is now following the Greens and supporting what the community is clearly demanding. After all how can a party call itself progressive if it doesn't stand up for the less fortunate and those of us who can't protect or defend ourselves and our livelihoods against the market power and privilege of big corporations?

There is also an ongoing role for the Greens to remind us that the Liberals will continue to support the most privileged, at the expense of the rest of us, rather than act on the growing inequality that is hurting our community.

Hopefully the momentum for a royal commission will ultimately achieve a new regulatory regime for a finance sector that values the social licence that we grant it, as much as it values its shareholder profits.

Patricia Cahill, Kambah

If we consider Australia's relatively small population, we might agree that eight gold medals etc, at these games is a good result, and in proportion. It's possible to win more, especially if we decide to throw big money in that direction, but that will just indicate that we've lost all perspective, having failed to see a small nation, which, when living within its means, can't reasonably expect to do much better than this time round.

Steven Marinceski, Queanbeyan, NSW

Kitty Chiller is right to say that we "fell short". But mostly, she fell short. From her inconsistent treatment of rule breakers, her failure to front the media and explain the accreditation issue (leaving it to her assistant) and her reason for excusing forgery as being a "tradition". Not forgetting of course her exclusion of tennis's bad boy, which was, she has already indicated, largely personal. Apparently breaking the law is OK, but rubbing Kitty the wrong way brings out her claws.

R. Williams, Revesby, NSW

I stand corrected, Dave Richards (Letters, August 20). I take his word for it that there is indeed a memorial in a French provincial town to those who died in the war in Indochina.

He will search in vain, however, for anything like the thing on Anzac Parade which proclaims to the world that the Vietnam war is commemorated in a major way in this country.

The combination of that with the annual event focusing on a single battle that we won (conveniently drowning out any wider discussion of the war that we lost) locks us into an official posture which damages our relations with Vietnam. That has become obvious in the past few days.

Those with reasonable memories know who the culprit is: Ros Kelly, an undistinguished minister in the Hawke ALP government, throwing a couple of bones to placate a loud minority, the Vietnam veterans' lobby. She is the one who painted us into this corner.

Bernard Davis, O'Connor

Jack Waterford is to be congratulated for his timely article ("Jig up on refugee hells", Forum, August 20, p1) on refugees.

Both these dreadful camps should be closed. If the refugees are not permitted to come to Australia, then New Zealand would be willing to take some of them. I would hate to see them sent to a third world country, such as Cambodia. Surely they have suffered enough.

The money we are spending to keep them in detention would be far better spent on resettlement. There is now border protection in place that is working.

We are Australians, and we can do far better than we are doing at present.

Rosalind Carew, Isaacs

Damon Fraser (Letters August 19) is incorrect. Climate scientists around the globe, including the IPCC, have correctly and emphatically modelled the effect of CO2 on the global climate, particularly over the past century.

Climate scientists around the globe, including the IPCC, have extensively considered the role the sun plays in global climate along with dozens of feedback mechanisms. To continue to not read or ignore the published findings of the global climate science community while claiming such findings don't exist is not something a sane person would do.

David Barratt, Yarralumla

Amin Saikal ("Middle East simmering", Comment August 22, p16) claims that "Israel's interests have repeatedly trumped those of the US" in the US Congress. The US Congress acts on US interests, and one of those is to have a strong, democratic ally in the Middle East. The Congress also recognises the justice of Israel's cause, and the efforts it has made to achieve a just peace, and acts accordingly.

Saikal also blames the Congress for Obama backing away from efforts to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace, but this is due to the Palestinians, not Congress. In the words of Obama's own Middle East envoy, Martin Indyk, Israeli PM Netanyahu had "moved in to the zone of a possible agreement" and was "sweating bullets to find a way to reach an agreement", but Mr Abbas "shut down".

Saikal is right that Obama's poor strategy has weakened the US in the Middle East, and this has clearly been much to the detriment of the region, but his solution, a region wide consensus, would give the terror-supporting Islamist extremist state of Iran a veto, and is therefore unworkable.

Alan Shroot, Forrest

Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin has been with the AFP since 1990, and now, after 26 years service, is "disturbed to read the level of bullying and sexual harassment" within the force ("Pervasive harassment in AFP", August 23, p2). It's all reminiscent of David Morrison's anguished discovery of sexual harassment in the army. Perhaps Mr Colvin should make a video and audition for the next Australian of the Year.

Peter Moran, Watson

MEDAL HAUL MANIA

I couldn't care less what Australia's "medal haul" was at Rio. The Olympics was not meant to be a nationalistic exercise but an opportunity for individuals to pit themselves against the other contenders. Surely the money spent on these expensive games could be spend better whatever country they're held in.

M.A. Smith, Kambah

SIMPLE INCENTIVES

In relation to incentive schemes for public servants ("Bonuses need to motivate bureaucrats" (August 22, p1) can I suggest a simple three step model. 1. Show up every day do your job; 2. Do your job well; 3. Keep your job as a bonus.

Linus Cole, Palmerston

SELLING OUR ASSETS

The wrong question is being asked. We should not be asking whether it is right to sell our national assets to the Chinese. The question should be whether it is right to sell our national assets at all.

S. Murphy, Fisher

KEPT IN DARK

After the revelation on ABC News on Sunday night, that China owns half of ActewAGL, I'd like to know why ACT taxpayers weren't consulted. We are a democracy, aren't we?

C. Clarke, Tuggeranong

NANNY AUSTRALIA

Is it true that the AFL intends to legislate so that no one can now bring any fruit to an AFL match? Nanny Australia, overreacting once again. Where to from here? Perhaps it is time for all indigenous people to come to Canberra and plan our legislation across the board. It will save a lot of time.

Alan McNeil, Weetangera

OUR RIGHT TO VOTE

Our local Labor pollies are making a song and dance about same sex marriage and let the Parliament get on with its job and make the decision for all of us. Why do they want to deny me my democratic right to vote whichever way I feel? Andrew Leigh must not assume that he can answer for me. Such arrogance. And as for the other Andrew – Barr humbug.

John Madelly, Melba

RESPECT REFUSED

John Mungoven (Letters, August 22) calls for universal respect for others' beliefs. Nonsense. So many of those beliefs are so innately ridiculous, false, or worse, that their acceptance, let alone "respect", is unwarranted.

People are, of course, free to hold incredible beliefs, but not to have those beliefs respected, let alone to act on or promote them free of criticism to the detriment of reason or society.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

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