It was initially intended that the ACT would be funded by recurrent payments of land rent. This, known as the "Gorton Gift", was abolished by Prime Minister John Gorton. Leases were cheap then to reflect the rental situation. Our rates are now creeping up to replace that revenue despite land sale prices reflecting capital city prices elsewhere.

Besides Commonwealth funding, our major funding now is from land revenue, mostly sales and rates. Recurrent land costs are already excessive in the ACT. Currently land tax and rates together for one Woden block are approximately twice that for one in northern Sydney. The values are reversed.

The recent series of ACT rate rises, way above indexation with more to come, show us where the government is thinking it will claw back some of its largesse. The excessive rate rises are not means-tested and were not previously anticipated when people made their choices where to live. They will become unaffordable to many retirees and others.

We seem to have a poor record of getting value for "investment" with some expenditure and land dealing of both past Liberal and current Labor ACT governments. Actions such as the introduction of massive recurrent grants to professional sports, property deals (including former community property) and non-competitive sales, waiver of lease change charges, proposals to build infrastructure such as stadia funded by land deals, gullible acceptance of unsolicited bids the financial benefits or costs of which are unknown, the tram rapid transit as opposed to a far cheaper bus one. This increases costs, contributes less revenue, provides questionable value for cost and puts more pressure on our rates and future generations of Canberrans after the land is sold.

We need revenue from land sales to go into a future fund so we can learn to live off our means.

Gina Pinkas, Aranda

Save Churchill House

I fear for the handsome former Churchill House on Northbourne Avenue. It's a superb late 1960s brutalist-style building and landscape complex designed by famous architects Romberg and Boyd, with Neil Clerehan, and it's being allowed to become run down. Nearby, the ABC is doubtless sitting on a fortune on the corner of Northbourne and Wakefield Avenues.

Already, diagonally opposite the ABC, another fine 1970s building has been demolished for "Midtown", an architecturally prosaic high-rise block of flats – a nice little earner no doubt. The ABC, if it can, could cash in on its land and move into refurbished Churchill House, which, I believe would suit the broadcaster admirably. The ABC's existing iconic polygonal studio building could be kept in the redevelopment and converted to say, a restaurant or a visitors' centre. Above all, we must not lose Churchill House.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Lights no action

I recently became aware of concerns held by regular users of the roundabout at the intersection of the Barton Highway with Gundaroo and William Slim Drives that peak-hour traffic congestion on those roads will seriously worsen when TAMS turns on the traffic lights that are being installed to control the intersection.

I am confident that the ACT government is fully aware of overseas traffic flow research that would seem to vindicate road users' concerns that the installation of traffic lights at that major intersection will significantly worsen peak-hour congestion.

Because the government has steadfastly refused to match the Canberra Liberals' promise to fund a $50 million flyover it will be keen to ensure that pre-election traffic chaos at the intersection doesn't heighten the attractiveness of the Liberals' promise. Hence, it is a fairly safe bet that the traffic lights will not be turned on until just after the ACT election.

In the event that the government does manage to scrape over the line at the election then, instead of putting up with four years of peak-hour traffic chaos, regular users of that major intersection might want to consider a radical means of bypassing ACT government policy, planning and infrastructure roadblocks preventing construction of a flyover. Disgruntled road users should consider crowd-funding the sort of facilitation fee that would secure the highly sought-after consultancy services of former deputy chief minister David Lamont because he seems to have unsurpassed access to the government.

Bruce Taggart, Aranda

Regulations not racism

"The ACT government has been ordered to pay an overseas-trained doctor $40,000 in compensation after it discriminated against him on the basis of race." ("ACT government to pay Dr Qinglin Wang $40,000 over discrimination, canberratimes.com.au, June 30). That's rot. There was no racism involved. It was the regulations giving precedence to locally trained applicants.

Dr Wang claims "16 years' experience, a master's degree in neurology, and time as the director of the neurology department at the Tianjin Medical University in north-east China." If he lacked the professionalism to investigate the requirements for accreditation in the country he was to migrate to, I would hesitate, as a patient, to trust his medical expertise.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Urban sprawl on rise

Peter Toscan (Letters, June 27) informed us that in 1974 he paid for his 1200 sq/m Canberra block the equivalent of $40,400, (taking into account inflation), and that the same block in Throsby would cost around $1,370,000 today. In explaining the incredible rise, Mr Toscan says,"this has little to do with negative gearing and a lot to do with engineered price gouging related to the cost of land, the main perpetrator appearing to be the ACT government and the Land Development Authority holding back on land supply."

He is correct in regard to negative gearing, although it is something we could do without, and price gouging is obvious. He has however, not mentioned the main reasons for the increased costs, which are foreign investment in housing, our very rapid rate of population growth due to immigration, and our population having reached a level where the costs of infrastructure within the areas of employment are, due to urban sprawl, enormous.

The Coalition, Labor and the Greens have shown absolute contempt for our environment and future generations, and their policies promise more of the same.

Nancy Tidfy, Chisholm

That Michael Diamond has been forced to miss the Olympics is a pity for Australia. No such disappointment applies, however, to the prima donna of Australian tennis, the loudmouthed and arrogant Nick Kyrgios who really should never be allowed to represent Australia. Australian tennis should not tolerate his kind of rude behaviour again.

Alan McNeil, Weetangera

Off to Nauru

Your story ("Abbott deserves overseas posting", July 1, p5) had me nodding in agreement. An overseas posting for the former prime minister would be well-deserved although I don't think his diplomatic skills are yet sufficient for London. However, a stint as High Commissioner to Nauru, followed, provided he grows into his new calling, by a posting as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea might be an appropriate career trajectory for him.

Peter Moran, Watson

Where's the evidence

The article "Gut feelings" (Food &Wine, June 29, p6-7) is a mishmash of wild claims for miracle foods curing all manner of diseases. These claims are baseless. The concept of gut bacteria helping people with serious brain disease has been largely promulgated by Dr David Perlmutter, an American entrepreneur and author of sensational best-sellers whose claims of miraculous cures are not supported by any evidence. To publish such stuff, without any warning that these claims are baseless and mendacious, only offers false hope to sick and gullible people.

Alan N. Cowan, Yarralumla

Blatant advertising

Is it really necessary for The Canberra Times (motto "Independent. Always") to lay out in excruciating detail, the fact that a large American hamburger chain is to begin selling hot pies in Canberra ("Maccas recipe: cold Canberra and hot pies", July 1, p1)? This form of blatant advertising has no place in what purports to be a serious newspaper.

Timothy Walsh, Garran

Australian discourse is subject to an insidious form of censorship. For example, the use of the words racist, homophobe, islamophobe or misogynist are too often used when an argument is lost and actually mean "shut up". Toni Hassan's article "Is a plebiscite the best way for same sex marriage" (Times2, June24, p5) is a case in point. There is some truth in Hassan's view that a plebiscite will draw out some unpleasant voices and she infers that this will be from the homophobic "no" case and should therefore not be tolerated.

I beg to differ. From my perspective, most of the verbal bile so far has come from the "yes" case including for example, attacking the Catholic Church for respectfully defending its position in Tasmania. Indeed, the bigotry and intolerance against anyone who does not share their views is a sign of things to come.

Sensible Australians should resist this censorship both on gay marriage and other important issues we face. For my part, I believe that marriage should remain a union between a man and a woman and I would prefer that the churches manage the institution of marriage and leave the legal aspects of the union to the government, which would also provide an avenue for gays to achieve their aims.

Having said this, past commentary would indicate that most gays seem hostile to the idea of marriage and I suspect that once achieved, gay marriage in the LGBT community will be discarded like dinnerscraps.

I respect that most people will hold different views to me on this issue but I will accept the outcome of the plebiscite with good grace. I doubt that the reverse would be true in the unlikely event that the "no" case is successful.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

Tax stance spurious

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO James Pearson set out (Letters, June29) the standard spurious reasons for companies to be granted a tax cut. He did however, reveal his real motive when he stated that when international companies look for places to invest, they look for places where they can achieve the greatest return after tax.

What a pity the ACCI does not promote and encourage companies to look for investments in places where the best education, health, transport and welfare systems operate, rather than simply supporting overseas companies taking advantage of lower taxes in Australia and running.

John Whitty, Hawker

No choice but Brexit

Barry Ritholtz ("Culturally constructed ignorance wins the day", Times 2, June 29, p5) argued that democracy may be distorted by "culturally constructed ignorance" and that this played a major role in the Brexit vote. It fits with one disgusted Remain voter who called his fellow citizens "stupid, stupid". But were the majority who voted for Brexit really that stupid?

Barry Ritholz runs a wealth management company, suggesting he is one of the minority who gain most from globalisation and EU membership, so no surprise that he casts aspersions on Brexit voters. There were a lot of people left behind by globalisation and EU membership, however, and perhaps they were voting, not out of ignorance, but with full awareness of their deterioratingsituation.

EU agreements allowed European labourers to obtain work permits in the United Kingdom. A net total of about two million EU citizens immigrated to the UK since it became a member. They have directly competed with British workers for jobs resulting in wages declining by about 5 per cent since 2008 after accounting for inflation. It was hardly stupid that they voted for Brexit. They had no otheroption.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW

Aviation subsidy

Airservices Australia, a government organisation that provides services to the aviation industry (navigational aids, air traffic control, fire services at airports, etc) is expected to make a loss of $13.6 million in 2015-6 following a profit of only $4.5 million (only 0.7 per cent on capital) in 2014-5 ("Morale sinks as Airservices cuts more staff", June 29, p7).

Why hasn't this organisation been privatised, as have other services and facilities that used to be provided by government (and therefore taxpayers), but were eventually recognised as part of the industry and privatised, like airports? Why should taxpayers, rather than air travellers, subsidise air travel-related services?

R.S. Gilbert, Braddon

Morrison support

Patrick Jones (Letters, June 29) sees David Morrison as an "embarrassment to the Australian Defence Force" and " an ill-deserved winner of the AOYA award". He bases this opinion on David Morrison's overt support of Cate McGregor (formerly Malcolm McGregor), expecting Morrison instead to follow the ADF workable policy of "don't ask, don't tell".

He states that this was a workable policy for ADF members.What a dangerousapproach!

Does such an attitude explain the cover-up of the tragic abuse of young cadets which is currently being investigated? Does such an attitude ignore the rights and feelings of those who make up minority groups?

I see it as a dangerous head-in-the-sand approach, totally lacking in honesty and compassion – an approach that I hope does not reflect the attitude of both the ADF and mainstream Australia.

Betty Growder, Chapman

Unsung savings

July1 saw one of the cleverest pieces of government policy in living memory begin: ADFSuper, the new accumulation superannuation scheme for Australian Defence Force members.

While ticking the boxes for cash employer contributions and portability, the closure of the previous (defined-benefit) scheme – MSBS – to new entrants into the ADF will saveTreasury $202.5billion from consolidated revenue over the next 40 years, according to the Australian government actuary.

It is passing strange that a saving of this magnitude has not rated a mention (from any political party), in the lead-up to the July2 election.

Gerard Gough, Dunlop

WE'RE IN HOT WATER

As a child I was appalled hearing about that poor frog who sat in a pot of cold water while the heat was being turned up but did not jump out, leading to the frog's death. I never, ever, ever though that I would be that frog. Both of our major parties have abandoned us on global warming.

M.J. Brown, Yarralumla

DEAFENING SILENCE

A black West Indian sportsman asked a female interviewer out and there was a public outcry. A white Australian man made a joke about a woman and there was a public outcry. A Muslim cleric degraded and denounced women and gays and there was nothing but white noise ... hell, he even got a dinner date with the Prime Minister. Interesting.

Bernie Brewster, Kambah

PLEBISCITE'S VALUE

We live in a representative democracy, but how do our elected politicians discover the views of their electorate on any given topic? If plebiscites are not binding but advisory, then they could be used to inform politicians about their electorates' opinions. Could this process harm anyone?

Paul Burt, Yarralumla

MAD COW VOTERS?

Just wondering if the results of the Brexit referendum can be related to the mad cow disease of the 1980s?

D.J. O'Connor, Campbell

HOUSE OF PRAYER

As the prayed-to is always within the same reach, a reasonable person would assume that "peaceful prayer vigils" are much more effective when attended at a church rather than at the abortion centre in Civic. As a bonus, no need to worry about business hours, either.

Luca Biason, Latham

NAILED ANALYSES

My compliments to John Warhurst and Hugh McKay on their superb analyses in Thursday's newspaper, John's on the foibles and fortunes of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten ("How the scores could read", Times2, June 30, p4), and Hugh's on Australia's institutions ("Australian campaign is just a total waste of time", Times2, June 30, p5).

Simply masterful.

Robin Poke, Hughes

ABBOTT THREAT

Malcolm Turnbull, in his National Press Club speech on June30, named threats to stable government as Lambie, Xenophon, Lazarus or Hanson. He forgot to name the biggest threat to a "stable" Coalition government in the unfortunate event we get another one after this election ... the second coming of Tony Abbott.

Rory McElligott, Nicholls

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