The auctioneer said, at one stage during the auction, "Mr Fluffy owners, you have money, get your hands out of your pockets and bid!" No-one did.

What the real estate profession needs to realise is that the Mr Fluffy owners may have money promised but that, unless they have spare cash or a mortgage that is well on the way to being paid out with a cooperative bank, they are not in a position to fund a deposit, let alone pay out a vendor in 30 days.

Valuations start this week. Offers then have to be made and accepted and then the Mr Fluffy owners be in a position to buy. So far, we have had threats and political promises.

I, as a Mr Fluffy home owner, found the auctioneer's comments insulting and ill-informed.

Name and address withheld by request

On page 1 of The Canberra Times of 23 November the Chief Minister stated that there is a problem with "availability of surgeons", contributing to undue delays in performance of non-elective[urgent] operations in Canberra Hospital.

The Chief Minister is misleading the public. On that same day [23 November] one orthopaedic operating theatre ran from 8am to 5pm. Surgeons and anaesthetists were available to run a second orthopaedic operating theatre all day, but they were only allowed to use the second theatre from 1pm to 4pm, and other urgent patients were put off to the next day. The hospital is not efficiently utilising the surgeons available.

Peter Hughes, president ACT visiting medical officers association

I have recently returned from the Apple Isle. I'd like to thank the local carrier staff for managing the delayed and cancelled flights and expected emotions some passengers bring forth.

The planes were packed solid with people and with them comes the carry on luggage, much fancied these days. There is only so much carry on space and anecdotally it looked to me that we ran short.

Does the current carry on size and weight baggage limit accurately reflect a plane full of people or as with most things has there been a bit of size creep?

Maybe it's time for the airlines to enforce the limit so that when you do have a full plane there are no problems.

Joe Murphy, Bonython

There was a time when the Times' columnist, Nicholas Stuart, had begun to rein in his smarty-pants observations about the performances of others. His treatment of Julie Bishop's understandable frustration with President Obama's speech to the University of Queensland [Times 2, p4, November 25] reveals ignorance of diplomatic niceties and a reversion to his old ways.

Here's how it works: [i] the US Embassy clears with its host government's foreign affairs department the content of a speech the US president intends to give in the guest country to the public; [ii] the legation tells "Foggy Bottom" in Washington what is acceptable in the host country; [iii] the White House staff, totally absorbed with making the president look good for US domestic purposes then does what it likes, ignoring guest country sensitivities.

Mr Stuart should bone up on Kissinger's White House years where he related the Nixon visit to Ottawa.

White House staff changed the decor of the Canadian PM's office without the host's permission so that Nixon's demeanour was supposedly enhanced.

Consequently, Kissinger's maxim: fear the worst where White House staff involve themselves.

DFAT and its minister did not cock up.

Patrick Jones, Griffith

Takeaway, a bottle of wine, and the Canberra edition of the ABC's 7.30, a Friday night ritual. I love my home town for its quirkiness and ability to surprise, often borne out by the segments screened on the program.

Vale 7.30 Canberra, you will be missed.

Janet Cossart, Stirling

On Monday morning, the 24th November, I had the privilege of witnessing the conclusion of one of the world's longest peace torch relays.

The Peace Torch was carried from Uluru, via Adelaide, the whole length of the Murray River and finished in Canberra.

The runners represented 12 different nations.

At the conclusion the Peace Run there was an unveiling of the "Dreamer of Peace" statue.

The dreamer of peace was Sri Chinmoy, and the statue was a gift to the ACT government from the Peace Run.

What a pity there was no publicity for this event.

It is true it possibly was not very newsworthy – just a group of people promoting peace among all people in a practical non-judgmental way.

I invite anyone truly interested in peace to have a look at the statue.

It is located on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, at Yarralumla Bay Swimming Beach.

Geoff Barker, Flynn

"Fluffy buyback set to hit budget" (CT November 25) is an affront to all ACT taxpayers.

It is scandalous that the Commonwealth should see fit to dump a loan of breathtaking size on a minuscule taxbase when the costs of every single other one of its many asbestos liabilities are spread across all Australian taxpayers.

Doubly so, seeing as the Commonwealth was both landlord and standard setter when the Fluffy events occurred in the 1970s and 80s and its 90s clean-up spectacularly failed.

Thus, the federal government continues its war against the people with Canberrans firmly in its sights.

The Mr Fluffy episode is another example (of many) where the Commonwealth has washed its hands of responsibility for the ACT.

No provisions were made to fund pre 1989 liabilities at the time of self-government or since. Case by case approaches leave the field open to the blatant, bellowing Dr No's in the Finance Department who are, no doubt, celebrating yet another victory over the hapless ACT government while reporting to their political masters and mistresses that they have saved the budget from a tremendous hit.

The ACT government should do its homework and reopen negotiations immediately.

Sarah Brasch, Weston

The light rail business case is flawed as the underlying assumptions are incorrect. Because it is flawed the analysis by David Hughes ("Proposal built on fantasy", Times2, November 17, p1) is of little use.

All business cases are financial models that attempt to work out the costs and benefits of spending money. As pointed out by Hughes, the model commonly used is the discounted cash flow analysis model. This model was invented to compare different ways of achieving the same result. It makes no attempt to calculate the increase in capital value.

While it is of use to cost accountants and Treasury officials, it is an inappropriate tool to evaluate capital-intensive infrastructure investments. The key number in a DCF calculation is the discount value.

A capital cost of $823million at 7per cent discount used in the light rail calculations says that in 30 years the value of the light rail will be $108million. This is clearly wrong. The replacement cost of light rail will be at least $1726million after adjustments for inflation of 2.5percent.

This increases the benefits from light rail to $1726million plus $984million, giving a benefit-cost ratio of 3.29.

If the funds are obtained from the Canberra community another $32million a year of value is added to the community from savings on interest charges going outside the community. This will more than cover the operating costs of $22million.

Light rail is a high-value capital investment and it should be quickly extended to all Canberra.

Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal

There is a book called Sharing Concerns: Country Case Studies in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), by Van Gramberg et al, that makes for good reading in the light of the ACT government's desire to use a PPP for the Capital Metro.

Statements in the book such as: "It is clear that the process of assessing risks and negotiating their allocation is at best imperfect and at worst highly politicised", along with "there is very often a veil of secrecy over the mechanisms of transparency and accountability" makes me wonder [if] taxpayers will get to properly comment before the government blindly rushes into a PPP agreement. Or will Minister Corbell use his call in powers which he seems to think is his right.

PPPs can make good sense in infrastructure especially hospitals (as people will use them), but a number of transport-based PPPs have turned out very badly, such as Clem7, in Brisbane.

The government is usually forced into reducing or at worst stopping any sort of competition to enable such projects to go ahead.

Will the government be forced into some sort of anti-competition agreement where Action buses won't be allowed to compete with the Capital Metro?

Will the cost of a trip from say Amaroo to Russell offices increase because there is no option other than catching the Metro and two buses?

Commuters need to know if the Metro fare will be included in the maximum daily cash fare (currently $8.60) if using Action Buses as part of the journey.

Given that the Mr Fluffy debacle is going to introduce a large hole in the ACT budget, the government should defer the Capital Metro for a couple of years instead of just piling on more debt into an already stressed budget.

Stephen Petersen, Dunlop

Oh Barnaby, I don't mind having to tolerate your mindless chatter and laughable attempts at philosophy. Your column is genuinely funny, and it's an education to know that out there in the wider community there are people who actually subscribe to your point of view, however vague that my be.

Please Canberra Times, retain the services of Barnaby at all costs, if nothing more than for sheer entertainment value.

Shane Angove, Braddon

Congratulations to The Canberra Times for its editorial (November 24) exposing the inadequacy and obvious bias of the survey of bike riders who would travel on the Gungahlin-Civic tram, if they get a chance.

It's Mr Corbell clutching again at any straw that floats past, to support his ill-conceived tramway. The planned trams have a capacity of 200, of which only 85 are seated.

Every bike on board has the potential to displace at least four standing, paying passengers – an example of bike rider economics?

M. Silex, Greenway

Having a big go at the ABC: a bridge too far. On your bike, Tony.

Annie Lang, Kambah

Fortunately for our health, economy and convenience, our enlightened administration continues to create routes for cyclists, while car-lovers continue to complain (R.S.Gilbert, Letters, November 25). Nevertheless, his scepticism concerning the portage of bicycles on the tram is valid.

Given the escalating problem of car parking in the centre, the desire to use a bicycle at each end of the rail line is evident. A more practical solution than transporting bicycles would be to provide storage at each end.

When commuting to London 50 years ago, I found this eminently convenient. A facility for storing bicycles existed at suburban stations, and although it was less used, bicycle storage at London termini cost 2d a day.

Perhaps because of the climate, few others used this mode, but Canberra is ideally situated, with fine weather and few hills. Provision of lock-up storage at each end is a small commitment, readily expandable to meet demand.

Jack Palmer, Watson

Your editorial "Bikes on light rail pose a challenge" (November 24) quotes statistics stating only a third of rack equipped ACTION buses carry bicycles, but without surrounding context which must be provided.

I personally organised the counts of bicycles carried by ACTION through City bus interchange in 2006-7 the editorial refers to.

It did not state that at the time these counts were conducted the bike racks had only recently been fitted, were being trailed initially on a single bus route, and were not available on all buses on that route.

Numbers soon increased; an identical 2008 count, not referred to in your editorial, showed three quarters of rack equipped ACTION buses were carrying bikes in peak hours.

However, the counts were never intended to give more than an early indication of how the trial of a brand new, only partially implemented initiative was going. The full potential of the scheme has never been realised as the ACT government later reneged on a commitment to fit racks on all buses. Let's hope the same kind of error is not repeated on Capital Metro.

Terry George, Kingston

Congratulations on an excellent editorial "Time Australia looked to industries beyond coal", (November 25). We do indeed, or we fry the planet.

Perhaps it was the push by Ian Dunlop to get on the board of BHP Billiton that finally prompted the chief executive Andrew Mackenzie to accept there might be life beyond coal.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago

After castigating Tony Abbott, ("Abbott makes a big choice", November 25, Times2), Hugh White concludes his tirade with the most banal of observations, namely we should "think for ourselves about what outcomes suits us best". Perhaps that's what Abbott was doing, in his own way.

John Rodriguez, Florey

Ex-senior Treasury official David Hughes, "Proposal built on fantasy" (CT, November 17), may be interested to know he is not alone in his views on the ACT light-rail proposal. I have just returned from travelling in France with an ex-Treasury [official] who shares his sentiments.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

Shane Rattenbury says slower speed limits in the town centres have been successful ("Slower speed limits for shopping centres", November 25, p3). How does he know they have been successful? Surely it isn't enough to parrot back the argument used to justify them in the first place.

Greg Baker, Giralang

The plight of mother and son in baby-in-drain case is tragic and we need to show compassion. Naming her ethnicity is not necessary and will cause sections of the community to form negative views of all persons of that ethnicity and chip away at tolerance.

Peter O'Dea, Oaks Estate

Brendon O'Connor (Times, November 24) suggests that the next Democrat Presidential candidate should be an "elder statesperson", perhaps Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton. Why not Martin Sheen?

Heather Nash, Kingston

It seems to me the closing of the Adelaide production arm cements the ABC's Sydney-centric nature. There is more to Australia than Sydney (or Melbourne).

Why not close the Sydney (or Melbourne) operation and move it to Adelaide? Its location near the SA Film Corporation would be a plus.

R Warn, Weston

Barrie Smillie (Letters, November 25) may think "Senator Lambie is a fine example" of a state representative.

The only honourable path for her is to resign her seat and stand again as the independent she now claims to be.

Charles Smith,Nicholls

Abbott finds lying as easy as ABC!

Jeanette Swayn, Yarralumla

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au

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).