Contractually enforceable quality control and assurance procedures can be incorporated into building construction, via International Quality Standards that, although thick with "management speak", vest the procedures with the certified-compliant producers of the works. That requires sophistication and can only work if all building project phases and parts are correctly sequenced and given adequate time and resources, especially for the risk-assessment, inspection, testing, reporting, triaging, rectification, and verification activities, contained in quality management plans.

Those activities must be insisted upon by the project's financiers, developers, project managers, head contractors, and so on, and not seen, as they often are, as "box-ticking" activities.

Sadly, that's very unlikely in many speculative building projects, like apartment blocks, in which professionals and operatives are screwed down to providing minimal standards and services for the cheapest price, even for "up-market" projects.

Maybe quality could be "inspected in", á la the somewhat adversarial clerk of works model mentioned by Mr Grills, but competency can be an issue.

Works inspection and reporting by the project's architects and engineers should never be excluded. Certainly statutory building certifiers should be independent of builders, but their role is not to assure total quality, simply, but importantly, compliance with the building codes. But they could if professionally qualified to do so, along with the designers, be required to also verify compliance with the International Quality Standards.

As Peter Grills says, the cost of rectifying post-occupancy defects and the accompanying litigation would far exceed the costs, if any, of properly organised preventive measures.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Look behind abortions

When will anti-abortionists like John Popplewell (Letters, July 22) finally understand that a foetus is not a viable human being without the body of the mother to bring it to life? Women are not baby-making machines. Does Mr Popplewell, as he keeps his judgmental vigil, know what real life situations have prompted the need for any woman to make such a hard decision? Does he care? Or is his "holier than thou" stance too blinding to allow for rational decision-making?

Further, to describe abortion as genocide is to be inaccurate, to trivialise the terrible reality of genocide itself and is deliberately inflammatory.

Mr Popplewell's vigil stems from his religious beliefs, which are his private affair and should not be forced on the general public. Atheists also have a right to their private beliefs and are not to be found holding vigils outside government-funded religious education institutions or churches and mosques on days of worship.

I suggest that if Mr Popplewell and his co-believers truly care about the welfare of children, they should be spending their energy on an issue such as domestic violence, which corrupts the lives of so many innocent, living and breathing children. But that is really hard (though useful) work.

Glenda Naughten, Farrer

A matter of conscience

To forbid and punish silence as well as free speech outside Marie Stopes Abortion Clinic?

Setting aside Shane Rattenbury's proposal to outlaw free speech outside the clinic, it seems he is also proposing to outlaw silent prayer vigils.

Mr Rattenbury said "silent vigils would not be allowed" on the implication that they qualify as (and I quote) "harassment, hindering, intimidation, interference with, threatening or obstruction".

Surely the outstanding influence at work here is individual conscience in each mother who knows deep down in her heart that she is carrying a little daughter or son to her/his "planned" death. There is no legislation that can assuage a painful conscience.

Rita Joseph, Hackett

Instead of intimidating vulnerable women (and the protests do amount to intimidation regardless of claims to the contrary), John Popplewell's prayer circle might be better engaged in demonstrating outside the Catholic archbishop's house to intimidate him into petitioning Rome for realistic and sensible contraception policies, or perhaps distributing condoms outside the health centre.

Steve Ellis, Hackett

No. More. Money.

On ABC TV news on Thursday night, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said: "I think people are prepared to pay a little more [in tax] for a quality health system into the future."

Chief Minister, no, I'm not.

On that same Thursday, I received my rates assessment notice for 2015-16. It showed a 16.3per cent increase in rates (over last year), including a 50.8per cent increase in the fire and emergency services levy. That increase is over 10 times the annual rate of inflation.

In other words, I'm being slugged an extra 16.3 per cent in taxes to pay for what is patently not a quality health system at the moment. And Mr Barr wants me to pay more for a quality health system into the future?

I suggest the Chief Minister get himself out of the rarefied atmosphere of the Legislative Assembly and get his feet on the ground, where the real people are. Fix the health system with the dollars the government already has (including the 16.3 per cent more than it had last year) and stop believing that more money is the fix for everything.

Don Sephton, Greenway

Stung with parking fee

I went to the Dendy last Wednesday to see a preview of Last Cab to Darwin (great Aussie film, by the way), but instead of the usual $2 parking fee for parking after 6pm, as in the past, my parking fee was $10. Thanks, Mr Barr. As a pensioner, I paid $8 to see the film and $10 for the parking. I'm afraid I won't be going into Civic in the afternoon, evening or on Sundays much from now on. Public transport home is impossible at those times, so the car is my only alternative.

Margaret Lee, Hawker

It's too sad that former Cold Chisel frontman and multi-millionaire Jimmy Barnes has decided to join hands with the Socialist Alliance and demand that the Don Walker song he once sang not be played at Reclaim Australia rallies.

It's as pathetic as liberal poseur Bruce Springsteen writing the cynical, anti-United States song Born in the USA, only to have it swiped by the very people he hated, Ronald Reagan's Republican party of the 1980s, reinterpreted and then put to better use as campaign speech material.

It's just too funny for words. The world's greatest own goal.

Anyhow, the Angels' Am I Ever Gonna to See Your Face Again is a much better song for nationalists, boosted by the fact that Doc Neeson actually wrote it.

Christopher Smith, Braddon

Boomers go bust

The post-war baby boom lasted from 1946 to 1964, and by 2030 all of these boomers will have passed retirement age. Unlike generations of the past, many of these people will live into their 90s.

Successive governments have led the boomers to expect a pension they can live on, first-world medical services for free and pharmaceutical benefits.

Who is going to be the first politician brave enough to tell them that there are too many of them and not enough money to fund the promises, no matter what the tax rate?

NSW Premier Mike Baird can stop looking for more ways to tax us and start cutting back medical services to remain within the existing budget.

It's too sad that former Cold Chisel frontman and multi-millionaire Jimmy Barnes has decided to join hands with the Socialist Alliance and demand that the Don Walker song he once sang not be played at Reclaim Australia rallies.

It's as pathetic as liberal poseur Bruce Springsteen writing the cynical, anti-United States song Born in the USA, only to have it swiped by the very people he hated, Ronald Reagan's Republican party of the 1980s, reinterpreted and then put to better use as campaign speech material.

It's just too funny for words. The world's greatest own goal.

Anyhow, the Angels' Am I Ever Gonna to See Your Face Again is a much better song for nationalists, boosted by the fact that Doc Neeson actually wrote it.

Christopher Smith, Braddon

Boomers go bust

The post-war baby boom lasted from 1946 to 1964, and by 2030 all of these boomers will have passed retirement age. Unlike generations of the past, many of these people will live into their 90s.

Successive governments have led the boomers to expect a pension they can live on, first-world medical services for free and pharmaceutical benefits.

Who is going to be the first politician brave enough to tell them that there are too many of them and not enough money to fund the promises, no matter what the tax rate?

NSW Premier Mike Baird can stop looking for more ways to tax us and start cutting back medical services to remain within the existing budget.

Michelle Wentworth, Crestwood, NSW

I will be happy to pay my fair share of taxes and any necessary increases; to support the wider Australian community (as I have for the last 43 years), only when every multi-national, international, foreign-owned, foreign-located company, organisation, entity or whatever, pays the same level of taxes on goods and services that are purchased by Australians and those taxes stay in Australia.

Only when that goal is achieved, and any remaining deficit cannot be managed by effective cost management, should we consider raising taxes. I have it on good authority that the bucket is not bottomless.

If our elected representatives in governments of all levels and so-called political persuasions cannot achieve that outcome, then get out of the way and let someone else who is willing to help to get our country back on track take up the task. The talk was started recently during the last budget, but what is actually happening now? What outcomes have been achieved? Show me the money! The silence is deafening.

John Seebohm, Isabella Plains

In all of the current discussion of tax reform, it is puzzling that the only proposals being considered are basically medieval in concept. The blind aversion to anything other than variations of crumbling methodologies which aim to identify and tax profits, incomes and expenditures with a whole range of varying methods, rates, exceptions and loopholes, battling with all kinds of avoidance and evasion through myriads of detailed laws and regulations, is surely sheer madness when modern technology offers much simpler, fairer and more effective means.

In this day and age we have access to a vastly simpler, more painless, fairer, and more certain means of collection; with evasion and avoidance virtually eliminated.

For example, based on the Bank of International Settlements report on Australia's financial transactions for 2013, a flat financial transactions tax of just 1percent would have raised about $540billion in tax, compared to the actual federal government tax collections of $352billion that year, from all sources.

Much simpler, more effective and potentially eliminating the need for any other tax of any kind – no more deficits, plenty of surplus – and just 1percent! To see the idea in detail check out British-French mathematician Simon Thorpe at simonthorpesideas.blogspot.com.

Don Fraser, Oxley

No future for coal

Bill Shorten shows great courage in taking on the urgent need to deal with human-induced climate change ("Shorten moves on green energy", July 22, p1).

By reducing the use of non-renewable resources and supporting the use of inexhaustible energy from the sun, wind and geothermal, we will at last start following northern European countries such as Germany, Denmark and other concerned nations, now investing in viable and non-polluting sources of energy.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt's first response has been to claim that electricity prices will increase – an appeal to the hip pocket nerve of the electorate. Where is the evidence? We can once again expect to be bombarded by a hysterical response from vested interests in fossil fuels. It should be obvious that the continuing fall in price for coal is a sign of the bleak future for this fossil industry.

My hope is that the electorate will be better educated, to be able to see through this short-sighted, self-serving response and support Mr Shorten's far-sighted vision for this country and its future.

Gavin O'Brien, Gilmore

Tantalising turbines

Manson MacGregor reminds us (Letters, July 22) that beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder. Driving past Lake George the other day, I had an image of the Lake George basin consumed by a huge open cut coal mine, with the wind turbines on the hills opposite replaced by coal-fired power stations belching pollutants into the atmosphere.

I also had an image of the billions of dollars in subsidies paid each year by taxpayers to the fossil fuel and conventional power industries, and also of the billions of dollars in income tax "avoided" each year by artificial "transfer pricing" and "marketing hub" mechanisms entered into by our large coal miners and power companies via their overseas subsidiaries.

I also recalled with pleasure flying into Copenhagen airport seven to eight years ago, and observing numerous wind turbines scattered around the foreshores of Copenhagen and in the harbour itself.

I felt considerable sadness and concern for Australia as a country that we have a political leadership which looks backwards and clings to an industry and means of production from the 18th century, and appear quite incapable or unwilling to extend their vision into the future, like the Danes and many other countries did years ago.

I see wind turbines, and aesthetically I see a thing of grace and beauty, with their arms moving slowly in the breeze. But the aesthetics is only one reason why I am so enamoured of the view of the turbines while driving past Lake George.

Rob King, Melba

Religions overlap

Colin Douglas (Letters, July 21) is concerned about the many things forbidden by Islam. He ignores the fact that many of these, blasphemy and apostasy for example, are also anathema to committed Christians and Jews. Pork is religiously avoided by Jews also. Is Mr Douglas afraid that Jewish law will be forced upon us?

As to a woman being worth half a man, thousands of Australian women might be glad to be held in such a high regard. Ask Rosie Batty about those she represents.

There are nearly half a million Muslims in Australia. By far the great majority want nothing more than peace, education, a job and a family. Many have lost family members to violence overseas.

Let us not forget , either, that Muslims, Christians and Jews share at least part of our Bible as scripture. That is why they are called "people of the book". There is an abundance of violence in the Old Testament.

No one wants to marinate your dog, Mr Douglas. Be at peace.

Jenny Wright, Karabar, NSW

MYOPIC VISION ABOUNDS

Dear me, it's enough to make your eyes water! The Canberra Times really should be concerned if, as R.C.Warn suggests (Letters, July 23), it has a "moat" in its eye.

A mere mote, while irritating, might be of less concern – and certainly less disabling than the beams that seem to blind Bronwyn Bishop's supporters to her foibles.

Peter Fuller, Chifley

SHORTEN FALLS SHORT

I would like Bill Shorten to consider what it means to be the leader of the Labor Party of Australia. I am finding myself increasingly disillusioned by his leadership, in particular his recent remarks about turning back the boats. Perhaps there are other wiser solutions to this difficult and sad problem.

Rosemary Whitecross, Weston

Bill Shorten brought down two prime ministers, admitted to lying, and now does a U-turn on boat refugees. Sadly, the time has come to "Kill Bill". Albo, you have the people on your side. Greg Combet, oh how you are missed!

Greg Simmons, Lyons

BRAVO FOR BROOMSTICK

Robin Connaughton has my vote for letter of the year for her Bronwyn broomstick option (Letters, July 23). A superb example of a sharp, thrusting satirical needle. What an image it creates!

Eric Hunter, Cook

PRAY FOR CLIMATE AID

Climate change is a matter of science, not a matter of faith, Tony Abbott. For the sakes of our children and grandchildren, please understand this critical difference and adjust your thinking accordingly.

Anna Chrysostomou, Kaleen

RATES VEER OFF TRACK

Our land value was assessed in January 1, 2015, as $401,000, unchanged on the previous year. However, our rates have increased by about 26.5percent from $1869.08 in 2014 to $2367 in 2015. Can the Barr government explain why the increase was reported to be 10percent in 2015 but in fact in our case is more than double?

Robyn Carroll, Wanniassa

The discovery that my rates have increased 18 per cent in the last year, compared to an average annual rate of 9.5 per cent over the last five years, does not fill me with un-tram-melled joy.

Roger Quarterman, Campbell

BLOOMING POPULATION

Rather than raising taxes to pay for our overwhelmed health system, why don't we scale back immigration so it isn't overwhelmed in the first place?

Colin Douglas, St Kilda, Vic

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