It is highly unlikely terrorists would attack Parliament House from the lawns above when there are better ways of attacking it.

Security issues related to protesters unfurling banners from above the public entrance are a more likely reason for closing off access to the top of the building.

I suspect our federal politicians were more focused on their Christmas holidays than on the civil liberties of those who like to roll down the lawns, or protest from above, when they gave their assent to a fence.

There has to be a reasonable balance between justifiable security and permissible civil liberties.

C. Williams, Forrest

Ross Fitzgerald (Our overcrowded prisons and recidivist governments, Canberra Times, December 19) correctly identifies lack of government creativity. With Britain now desperate to win back its colonies as trading partners for a post-Brexit UK surely our governments could negotiate sending Australian prisoners to serve their time in the UK working on work for the dole schemes and community service projects?

Dr Peter Smith, Lake Illawarra, NSW

On Friday, December 16, The Canberra Times published an article entitled "Venezuela's deepening crisis is forcing some parents to give children away" written by Girish Gupta and Mircely Guanipa, which portrays the Bolivarian Government in an unfair and excessively negative manner.

Regarding this matter the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Australia, would like to make the following observations:

The article refuses to acknowledge a government that even though is going through economic difficulties has not abandoned the people of Venezuela, but to the contrary has stood firmly by them implementing policies to guard, protect, guarantee and keep the interests of every Venezuelan.

Venezuelans have seen their living conditions greatly improved through the Bolivarian process. The problems in the Venezuelan economy are not due to some inherent fault in socialism, but to artificially low oil prices and sabotage by forces hostile to the Bolivarian Government.

It is and has been a constant practice of the revolutionary Venezuelan government allocate more than 60 per centof fiscal expenditure to the growth of social policies; which meant that, for example, most of the United Nation's Millenium Development Goals were not only reached by Venezuela but continue to improve. Through the implementation of Social Missions, extreme poverty was reduced from 24 per cent in 1990 to 7.1 per cent in 2012 and the unemployment rate reached an all time low of 5.5 per cent in 2014. Venezuela was awarded special recognition by the United Nations Development Programme due to reaching a schooling rate of 93.4 per cent by 2014 and has also eradicated illiteracy from its population.

With the creation of the School Feeding Program there are now 4,352,972 students benefiting from this service, compared to only 119,512 at the beginning of the revolution, which represents an increase of 3542 per cent.

Improvements in free health services, specifically in areas such as maternity and neonatal care meant that Venezuela also decreased significantly the infant mortality rate.

Daniel Gasparri-Rey, Minister Counsellor, Charge d'Affaires A.I., Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Australia

Lay off Peter Dutton, Nicholas Stuart, ("Dutton's call to arms against political correctness shows he's having a happy holiday in fantasy land," December 20, p14) for complaining that political rectitude has changed "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays" at a Queensland school concert.

It's not only school teachers who are succumbing, retail corporations are also surrendering.

When did you last hear supermarket loudspeakers playing carols like Rudolph the red nosed reindeer or I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus eh?

Bill Deane, Chapman

You could never satirically — or even just tragically — concoct up the reality of an Australia where an official federal inquiry into housing affordability can report nothing much needs doing or can be done — other than cynically place the ball vaguely in the court of supply.

Looking at you, states and territories, you nasty obstacles to progress, land availability and total deregulation. Is there a Nobel for disingenuity and artfulness?

It means nothing to this august "committee" that we have had such a red hot and accelerating profit-driven production of housing for the last 20 years as to completely outstrip the trades skill pool available to do a decent job, as an ACT analysis a few years ago found and as every new- or near-new-apartment buyer this century will attest?

Is anybody calling the developer-infatuated NSW and ACT governments development-unfriendly?

Housing is already being knocked together too quickly and shoddily as it is, so supply cannot be blamed.

Rein in the outlandish pyramid scheme supporting today's Australia — an unfettered paying-migration and foreign house-buying Ponzi bonanza? and the prevailing canon of getting people richer, quicker in great disproportion to their wealth. Certainly not!

Have a moment to hear Dick Smith out? Never!

Alex Mattea, Kingston

ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt should be very careful when dealing with Andrew Barr over developmental matters ("ANU dives in the deep end with new pool", CT, December 20, p6).

The latter's involvement in such matters over the years has not always been in the community's best interest, and especially when it involves the Chief Minister's idea of building a stadium in place of the city's Olympic pool.

Furthermore, with parking currently being all but impossible on the ANU campus how does the vice-chancellor intend to "draw in Canberrans from outside of ANU". By all means build the pool for the university but do not allow it to be used as an excuse for the Chief Minister to abandon our existing Olympic pool.

Murray Upton, Belconnen

I was saddened to see Kathy Evans, in her article on Nigel Kennedy (Panorama, December 17, p15), describe Vivaldi's Four Seasons as "a set of quaint baroque tunes".

It is one of the masterworks of Western music.

Nigel Kennedy is, of course, perfectly free to play it in any way he chooses.

However, the likelihood is that before too long, his offerings will be seen as quaint historical artefacts whereas, good performances of the Four Seasons in the spirit of the composer's intentions, will seem fresh and vibrant — as they are today.

In my view, Kathy Evans shows a lack of historical and musical understanding.

Peter Boal, Evatt

'Despicable' was the headline and despicable he was. ("Despicable", December 17, p1).

The brutal murder and treatment of Daniela D'Addario by Josaia Vosikata was described by his defence lawyer as not being in the worst category, a description seemingly shared by John Burns the Supreme Court judge who passed sentence.

Perhaps these two people could explain to the people of Canberra what test they used to come to this conclusion.

I find the heinous acts and premeditation by Vosikata in murdering Daniela and the treatment of her after the act to be at the top of the pile.

A depraved and debauched person who should never be released.

L. Christie, Canberra

If you are thinking of giving a dog or cat as a "gift" this Christmas, please reconsider.

Animals require a lot of time, attention, patience and money — all of which are scarce during the holiday season.

When their novelty wears off, animals who are given as "gifts" are often neglected, left in backyards, dumped on the streets to die or surrendered to shelters which have to euthanise thousands of animals every year.

Adding a dog or cat to the family means promising to care for this animal for his or her lifetime — which could be 15 years or more.

If you're ready for this, please adopt from a shelter.

Laura Weyman-Jones, PETA Australia, Sydney

One of Canberra's best kept secrets? The location of the ACTION bus stop at Canberra Airport.

Pity the poor misguided arriving airline passenger who has hopes of travelling to Civic by public transport.

There are many helpful signs pointing them to taxi ranks, Uber pick-up points and private bus stops, but not a word about public transport.

One would think that a government that is committed to spending about a billion dollars on a 12-kilometre tram line would be able to stump up a few thousand dollars on signs to help incoming visitors and returning Canberrans find the public bus stop at the airport.

For those interested, the bus stop is hidden away in Brindabella Circuit, just past the big roundabout.

Keith Pantlin, Downer

A civil aviation airport is an inappropriate place for the display of a military aircraft (Letters, December 17).

As everyone in Australian aviation will tell you ad nauseam, it was the civil aviation practitioners who conquered Australia's "tyranny of distance" beginning with the first flight between capital cities (Sydney-Melbourne, November 12, 1917. by W.J. Stutt in a US-built WWI training aircraft, the Curtiss JN-4B).

Thousands of these aircraft were built and, after the war, sold to the civilian market.

A military training aircraft with no weapon systems but used extensively for civil aviation is the plane for Canberra Airport; a plane around which the hawks and doves can flutter with nary a ruffled feather.

Sean A. Allan, Kambah

While it was lovely to see photos of the history of the Guides (Take Five, Canberra Times, December 16, p39), I was disappointed to see them described as "Girl Scouts".

This is used in other countries, but is not the Australian term.

The role of Guides in a girl or young adult's life is very valuable, but they are a separate organisation, a sister to Scouts and should not be confused with them. Your reference to the "Scout Jamboree" at Cataract Park in 1988 was also misleading. I attended that camp. It was known as Porepunka (even "Pouring Punka" given the weather), and was an International Guide Camp, not a Scout Jamboree.

Interested girls and young women should contact Guides Australia.

Roanna Gardiner, Isabella Plains

Re Michelle Potter's most interesting Panorama story ("In step with youth", December 17, p14), Canberrans should be most grateful that Ruth Osborne accepted the invitation in 1999 to come to Canberra from Perth to set up the Quantum Leap Youth Program for the Australian Choreographic Centre at Gorman House.

Perth's loss was certainly Canberra's gain, as Ruth has made a tremendous contribution to Youth Dance in Canberra and is most deserving of her Churchill Fellowship.

Not only has she broadened the way young people experience dance, but she has advocated a most worthy activity for youth. All very commendable.

John Milne, Chapman

EARLY HIGH-FLYERS

Well I'll be blowed. When I was a kid in the 1940s we used to play outside with the neighbourhood kids. Little did I know that we were called traceurs as per "School high flyers", December 19, p5.

Ken Wood, Holt

THE ART OF WAR

In displaying old military planes and war-weapon ads, maybe our airport owners are awkwardly demonstrating compliance with their lease ("defence and related purposes").

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Is Sue Wareham (Letters, December 19) our canary in the mine? I think so, but will the mine managers aka the Australian government, take notice?.

Iven Spicer, Ngunnawal

BLAME GAME

I haven't yet heard the coalition blame Labor for in-growing toenails, but I'm sure it has someone working on it.

Ian McFarlane, Wallaga Lake, NSW

CONFUSED

Carolyn Doyle (Letters, December 20) left me confused. Did our Prime Minister renew "his commitment to Australia having one of our own as head of state" as she claimed or washe speaking about republicanism?

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

STARTLED RABBITS

The observation of pedestrians' "startled rabbit" behaviour would have Ivan Pavlov salivating, George Kosakos (Letters, December 16). Carillon recitals will be captivating, pedestrians spontaneously leaping in time to the giant clavier.

Matt Ford, Crookwell

ARMS RACE

Peter O'Dea, (Letters, December 20) Australia with guns blazing will always be there. Sabre-rattling Tories expect that. Labor people are more cognisant of outcomes, even if the current leadership is not. The US saved us in 1943. Next time round we'll be its surrogate battlefield.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

CLASSICS SLIP

Was it Frank O'Shea's intention to illustrate the decline of classical knowledge by misquoting "De mortuis nil nisi bene" as "De mortuis nil nisi bonum"?

Hans Kuhn, Campbell

SLIP SLIDING AWAY

Peter Dutton was shocked to hear of the unauthorised hill rolling by Bolshie Canberran ingrates. He said "In future, I will decide who will roll down the PH grass and the circumstances in which they will be permitted to do so". Roll the Dutt!

John Mungoven, Stirling

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