The problem of catering for the very bright but English language challenged international students is one factor.

Moreover, the ANU history department's commendable success in caging the ghost of Manning Clark should be acknowledged.

Other disciplines with a lefty bent are, however, a worry.

Political Science accommodates a mickey-mouse major in human rights. Physics took far too long to express concerns about the high school curriculum which, in an attempt to welcome female students, dealt with the study of naughty-poo practitioners identified with Hiroshima, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and sundry sociological pursuits.

And, where was its Statistics department when the ANU, in concert with other tertiary institutions, latched on to a thoroughly discredited "survey" of students who waxed eloquently about sexual harassment?

Related definitions and credible statistical method was sidelined.

Overall, intellectual rigour has evaporated. If the ANU wants to regain its momentum it needs to attract funding from private donors who view it as a credible place of learning and research.

Achieve that, and enhanced public funding will follow.

Patrick Jones, Griffith

The Canberra Times reports ("Treasury confirms 31pc hike for unit owners", September 6, p9): "Despite the change in rates for unit owners, some 32,783 units — or 72 per cent of all apartments in Canberra — remain in the lowest marginal rating category, below the $150,000 threshold."

This means that 32,783 units are in multi-unit complexes where the total complex has a land valuation of $150,000 or less. Really?

The report also says that only 533 units are in the top, $600,001 and above, ratings category. It doesn't say how many complexes this represents. There must be scores, if not hundreds, of multi-unit complexes in Canberra that sit on land with a valuation above $600,000. Find one in Kingston that doesn't. Every unit in those complexes – there must be many thousands – is in the top marginal rate category under the new system.

The smallest, lowest-valued units are suffering the largest proportionate rate increases.

Incidentally, this system is not "mooted". Rates notices have been sent out, and are already due.

The ACT government needs to check these figures and tell us the truth.

R. F. Shogren, Barton

On the ABC's Insiders on Sunday (September 3) Malcolm Turnbull's Leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, quipped that any walkout over Barnaby Joyce's New Zealand citizenship would "increase the average IQ" of the Parliament. Mr Pyne would have done well to have done his homework before opening his mouth.

He clearly wasn't aware that it was New Zealand's vertically challenged but larger than life National Party Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, who originally uttered the immortal line: "New Zealanders who leave for Australia raise the IQ of both countries."

I wonder what the late Sir Robert would have made of Barnaby's predicament?

Nigel Thompson, Queanbeyan, NSW

Fred Pilcher (Letters, September 6) is unrealistic in suggesting that the major parties can all somehow be swept away at the next election.

The current debacle for ratepayers under the ALP is an unfolding train wreck.

Why is money being wasted on stage 2 of light rail before the already very expensive stage 1 has demonstrated it is a fizzer or not? How is Barr's creation of increasing social inequality an example of the traditional ALP focus on social justice?

At least the Canberra Liberals committed to a more reasonable and equitable rating system.

Murray May, Cook

The first thing the new City Renewal Authority (Editorial, "Bold vision needed for vital gateway", Sept. 7, p.12) needs to do is to hold a properly constituted international design competition for its precincts, in association with the overarching National Capital Authority.

The brief for the competition needs public input, and should not rule out alternatives to existing plans for City Hill, Northbourne Avenue, Civic, Parkes Way, and West Basin, ie, "a clean slate".

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

A broad-based land tax is widely considered by economists to be the best form of tax and an appropriate way to fund public goods and services.

It is fair – the wealthiest land owners pay more.

It is efficient– the supply of land is fixed and its ownership cannot be hidden.

It is nonsensical for essential public services like health and education to be funded by stamp duty, a revenue source subject to the wild swings of the property market.

Recent events attest to the difficulty of even modest tax changes in Australia.

The ACT government should be congratulated for persisting with this reform. The property boom will not last forever.

Anne Vo, Kingston

When I applied for citizenship some years ago the test consisted of one question that examined both English comprehension and Australian values: how are you going to pay the fee? I retrieved my credit card from my wallet and passed with first class marks.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

The public service has still not lost its capacity to create problems where they need not arise, with its intervention into social media.

It's 40 years (and more) since I worked in Canberra. I worked in an age when there was often a tea lady and people routinely went to the pub after work. Both of these fora were essentially the social media of the day.

We routinely discussed government policy, disparaged it and the leadership that we saw (or didn't see) and then we went home and put the kids to bed (if we had any).

People were often bad-mouthed and policy and practice slagged. Where one was particularly aggrieved, colleagues and friends were also harangued at barbecues and parties. One got the dirty water off one's chest and, more often than not, one's faulty reasoning was exposed.

From a bosses' point of view, it was also useful. You came to know what was of concern, who was worried about what and what might need to be explained, an essential requirement to address (not least) the issue of morale.

Social media now provides that resource, what thoughts are being thought. Very valuable stuff. The only caution I would give is that one's judgment and capacity to argue a case are exposed.

In a robust society, we should be able to live with criticism, not gag it.

Derek Frampton, Seattle, US

It would appear that the Coalition government, with its neo-liberal economics, has no concept of the implications of privatising businesses that primarily deliver goods or services in the national/public interest.

Just have a listen to Senator Canavan, who says "AGL should be operating with a modicum of the national interest in mind, not just trying to maximise their profits."

Why else do private companies exist, but to deliver profits for their shareholders?

What else could our Honourable PM expect other than his own observation that, "... the principal beneficiaries of the recent — well, the only beneficiaries, frankly — of the recent increases in electricity prices have been the electricity companies."

Such absences of any modicum of the national interest are evident in all public companies that have been privatised over the last 20 years, including in addition to AGL: Medibank Private, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and so on.

What interest or incentive do they now have to deliver even a modicum of the national interest?

Adrian van Leest, Campbell

Kevin Rudd, in common with most analysts, thinks diplomacy is the best approach to solving the North Korea crisis ("Chance of war still slim", September 6, p.16), but believes "a potential diplomatic solution does not appear to be going well so far".

He suggests, correctly but not very helpfully, that "The best approach is to avoid crises in the first place".

Well, diplomacy has hardly had a look-in so far. The talk has been more frustrated tweeting threatening to unleash "fire and fury", than aimed at reducing tensions and getting the parties talking to each other.

Back in April this year, the Chinese suggestion at the United Nations was for a "suspension for suspension" ie., North Korea to stop missile and nuclear tests, in return for the US and South Korea to suspend their military exercises that are being held several times a year.

This military de-escalation on both sides would help preparation for sensible talks. However, the Chinese suggestion has had very little response. Both sides feel threatened, and the response from both so far has been to increase the military build-up and the tension.

In view of the great benefits for both North and South Korea to sign a peace treaty at last (in 1953 an armistice was signed, not a peace treaty, leaving the sides technically still at war), the offer of suspension of military build-up to initiate talks might well be accepted by the North, especially as the suggestion had come initially from its greatest ally, China.

Harry Davis, Campbell

The proposed vote on "same-sex-marriage" will not give me (and I think many others) a chance to express views on a complex matter as it does not distinguish between the legal and religious ceremonies.

"Marriage" means different things to different people and should no longer be used to denote the legal contract between individuals (registered or de facto) relating to domestic arrangements. It is important that relationships be registered and there is no reason that the gender (or number) of individuals in a relationship should matter.

The proportion of male/female couples living in de facto relationships is increasing.

If the Marriage Act was replaced by a Relationships Act with no reference to "marriage", it would permit religious groups to "marry" those who their conscience permitted, while providing full legal rights and protections (and obligations) to those in registered relationships.

Charles Hirst, Latham

What does one do with a federal government that has been in power for four years, is now so worried about the poor punters having 20 per cent increase in their power bills that they have now asked AGL to continue with a filthy coal-powered station for a further five years while they think of some bright idea to counter -balance price increases and possible blackouts? This has been a do-nothing government about climate change and now it is panicking as it doesn't portray a good look for them. Let's not kid ourselves about the poor punter, it's their own jobs they are worried about.

What now? Wait for it, blame the ALP of course, that's their modus operandi.

This is the most short-sighted government in my lifetime and they continue to be so.

Back to my original question: what does one do ? Vote them out before we become that banana republic so famously said by the great Paul Keating.

Jan Gulliver, Lyneham

A machete attack at the Isabella Plains IGA? What the hell is Canberra coming to?

M. Moore, Bonython

DEBATE OVER, PLEASE

Why is it necessary to characterise the climate issue as a debate? (Letters, September 4). The best commentators in this country have declared that there is no debate and that it is time to pass on to solutions. Only in this country and the US is there any debate on climate change.

Dick Varley, Braidwood, NSW

NEW WORD COINED

Listening to TV makes me wonder if "terrist" has replaced the word "terrorist".

John Milne, Chapman

YES, NO IS OK

Why is it OK for Dr Kerryn Phelps to be part of the "yes" campaign while not OK for Dr Pansy Lai to be part of the "no" campaign? Those demanding Dr Lai be struck off by the AMA are doing the "yes" campaign a great disservice.

Maria Pellegrino, Gungahlin

GREAT MATES REALLY?

Malcolm, if you are joined by the hip to Donald, why did you need a phone?

John Rodriguez, Florey

DIRTY DEEDS

Re "Rates Shock", (Letters, September 7). Welcome to the world of Mr Fluffy homeowners . The general public is now experiencing the economic bastardry of the ACT government in relation to the cleared blocks of land. And buyers get no guarantee of asbestos-free blocks. Good luck, everyone.

Kathleen Read, Gundaroo

PICK UP THE PHONE

Here's an idea out of left field. Rather than President Trump talking to leaders of concerned nations, how about he gets on the phone to Supreme Leader Kim?

Kim Fitzgerald, Deakin

PICKING LOSERS

The Coalition loves to insist that governments can't pick winners. Nevertheless it will pick the Liddell power station despite it already being declared a loser by AGL.

S. W. Davey, Torrens

'WASTE' A BIT RICH

Good to see Labor showing such concern about the "waste" of $122 million on the same-sex marriage survey. Isn't $122 million about three days worth of interest on the debt that Labor left when last in office? Maybe it is finally getting serious about fiscal responsibility.

Michael Warrington, Garran

SHALLOW SOAPIES

Mr Benwell's forelock-tugging letter on the vagaries of the British monarchy (Letters, September 6) bears a remarkable similarity to the article later in the Times concerning the Kardashians. Both are describing shallow, irrelevant soap operas.

Rod Keefe, Eli Waters, Qld

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