Jack Palmer (Letters, September 1) and all ACT residents should be aware that for some time now, around 100 or so (with numbers increasing) semi-trailers full of ACT waste make the Pilligo-Woodlawn tip run each day. This round trip of some 150 kilometres results in heavy diesel pollution, damage to country roads, and significant noise and disruption for Bungendore residents.

Tarago residents fare little better with predominant westerly winds now gifting the town with foul odours and often airborne particles emanating from the former employment generating mine site now snappily renamed the Woodlawn 'bio reactor' .

Pollies need to stop continuing to view ACT surrounds as 'sub-regions' to be plundered in order to meet unrealistic agendas and green ideals. As if.

William Gray, Bungendore, NSW

In rightly railing against "post truth politics" ("From Brexit to tram v hospital – post-truty", Comment, September 2, p21) the Green Institute's new director, musician Tim Hollo, engages in his own post-factual truthism.

He portrays the proposed tram as fast and convenient.

In truth, other, perhaps, than for any who live at the Gungahlin terminus and work in Civic, it will be slower and less convenient than the viable alternatives that its construction will preclude.

It will also make Northbourne Avenue a slower, deforested and less convenient route for the majority whose travel precludes use of the purported panacea of the tram. He then avoids the true economic cost of the tram yet purports to compare that, in the limited corridor, with the irrelevant metric of total roads expenditure across the whole ACT. The direct economics of the tram fall well short of its benefits. The economics of overdue slum clearance and property redevelopment are no more due to the tram than to an equivalent cheaper, more flexible, more convenient bus service. It is time the proponents stopped fiddling with the facts, let alone electorally "promising" yet another unplanned and unfunded extension of this uneconomic ideological fetish in the naive hope that Canberra voters believe in a magic pudding.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

Barrie Smillie's language (Letters, August 31) demonstrates why we need the Safe Schools Project. He refers to "normal" children, implying LGBTI people are not. He says a project funded to help this group is "disturbing" and will create "doubt" in young people, with the underlying message being that some sexual identities are to be preferred to others. Teachers and schools should absolutely play a role in anti-bullying, supported by properly funded initiatives such as the Safe Schools Project.

Julia Burns, Ngunnawal

It seems obvious to me that John Popplewell (Letters, September 2) has been oblivious to Bill Shorten's focus on the inequality in our society over the past three years. To accuse Mr Shorten of focusing all his efforts on trashing the "traditional" marriage is a nonsense.

If you care about your fellow man as you seem to proclaim that must also include those of the same sex who wish to marry. To the exclude them is denying them the opportunity to live their lives as they wish not as you wish.

Jan Gulliver, Lyneham

So L. Barnard (Letters, August 31) believes being LGBTI is a lifestyle choice. Perhaps all those who share this view should ask themselves the following question, when did you choose to be straight?

David Brown, Canberra City

Chris Kain (Letters September 1) states probably correctly, that I lack imagination. However, I do know many gay people who don't feel the need to change the Marriage Act or stick pins into me. Mr Kain misses the Constitutional point when he goes on about the woes of humanity, and the suffering and loss of freedoms for minority groups over millennium. What "freedom " exactly will LGBTIs gain from having the Marriage Act changed? Nobody is suggesting LGBTIs have "to control their gender orientation", which incidentally is different to their sex which is influenced by inherited genes at conception.

What about the "freedoms" of the majority of heterosexual married people who want the Marriage Act left as it is. Marriage between a biological male and a biological female is the strong scaffold of a family forming human society which has worked for hundreds of years. Changing the Marriage Act will not stop bullying or normalise same sex unions or give any more legal freedoms to LGBTI but it will change the the foundation of society. Heterosexuals have rights too.

L. Barnard, West Belconnen

Gavin O'Brien (Letters, September 1) asks what my agenda is in attacking the location of the Vietnam war memorial on Anzac Parade. I have to admit my motives are purely selfish.

Knowing what I know about that filthy war, and having seen what I saw, I do not care to be reminded of it, and I wish the memorial had never been built.

I know that in saying so I will have offended many good people, including Gavin, and am sorry about that. If it is any consolation to them, I propose to say no more on the subject.

Bernard Davis, O'Connor

The growing reach of Chinese investment here has to be of concern, and our politicians and decision-makers seem not to realise the potential effect of this on Australia's future.

As a democratic nation we pride ourselves in being fair to all we deal with, and are instinctively reluctant to deny commerce to any individual or entity, foreign or local, and we generally welcome foreign investment. But when dealing with a totalitarian Communist state that does not respect human rights or the law, that dictates the way of life of its own people, that oppresses its minorities, and that operates through its People's Liberation Army, we are playing a game in which the playing field is heavily tilted, and where the normal rules of engagement among democracies no longer apply.

And Chinese aggression in the cyber world is well documented, enabling the Chinese state to gain inside knowledge of Australian politics, national security and business planning.

We seem to be mesmerised by the amount of Chinese money available to be spent here. But when the money inflows are managed by a foreign, Communist state one can wonder about the underlying motivation, and whether there is more to it than simple financial profit.

Such questioning is in no way racist or xenophobic. The Sydney Morning Herald published a full-page advertisement on August 30 by the state-controlled Xinhua Newsagency aiming to promote cooperation between our two countries, but I suspect it was no more than a cynical exercise masquerading as a positive and friendly message.

I applaud A. Whiddett (Letters, September 1) for his views on this subject.

Alexander Paine, Griffith

Well said, A. Whiddett: the speed with which the present government is contributing to the writing of our epitaph with its ongoing attitude to the incursion of Australia by China, in particular, is nothing short of frightening.

Along with land and mineral piracy, among other predatorial and nefarious assaults, the acquisition of one of our strategic naval port facilities by the Chinese government to then lease it back to us beggars belief. All of this done with stealth – or did I miss all of the community consultation before these momentous decisions were made?

I, personally, did not give a mandate to anyone to sell off my country to any foreign power. So it is with a high degree of dismay and alarm that I witness the way in which it is being done – not by an invasive military takeover but by cunning and with the collusion of the very government elected as caretakers of this wonderful land of ours.

M.P. Watson, Red Hill

As Malcolm Turnbull approaches his anniversary as Prime Minister, let's consider how to best mark the occasion. My preference is for him to lead a government that improves our human rights record and our budget problems. If we close the detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru, and immediately resettle those who have been found to be refugees in Australia, we can stop the appalling mistreatment of these people. We can also stop paying around $400,000 per person annually to have asylum seekers held indefinitely in unacceptable hardship.

We could abandon the unnecessary and expensive plebiscite on same-sex marriage and have the debate conducted civilly in Parliament. We could buy six instead of 12 submarines and invest some of the considerable savings in the renewable energy industry. Perhaps we could also afford to allow the CSIRO to continue employing the scientists and researchers needed to understand and address climate change?

The slim majority that the government has been elected to work with is an opportunity to achieve sensible and moderate reform.

Come on, Malcolm, let's see some leadership!

Marg Cotton, Jerrabomberra, NSW

If Malcolm Turnbull is genuinely concerned with the legacy he leaves for future generations, he needs to amend his omnibus budget rescue package.

A few months ago his government stood idly by while a wrecking ball was sent through world-class climate science at CSIRO.

His government now proposes to decimate ARENA, the government agency established in 2012 "to make renewable energy solutions more affordable and increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia". ("Australian clean energy heading for 'valley of death"', canberratimes.com.au, August 30).

Has he forgotten that we have a global emergency on our hands, which will get worse before it gets better? The scale of human impact on the planet has become so great that we are altering fundamental processes in the natural world on which all life depends.

Climate change is the most obvious effect to date, but scientists have identified eight other areas, so-called "planetary boundaries", that are also of concern.

Given the nature of this existential threat, and the opportunities it creates, world-class science and development like that funded through ARENA shouldn't be cut. We need to expand it!

David Teather, Reid

Fair's fair

Excellent commentary by Peter Martin ("Newstart cut a mistake", Comment, September 1, p16). I suggest that the way to eliminate the "mistakes" Mr Martin refers to is to link unemployed payments to politicians' payments. Most of our politicians claim that they took up the profession to try to make Australia better for all its citizens but if that were the case and a majority of politicians had empathy for those less fortunate they could just legislate that the base pay of a backbench politician (single, no dependants) should be, say, 10 times the base payment they allocate to each unemployed person (single, no dependants).

Politicians could then vote themselves a pay increase whenever they thought it expedient but only by giving those who, for whatever reason, cannot get enough paid work to live above the poverty line.

That's only fair, isn't it?

John F. Simmons, Kambah

The Canberra Times wants to hear from you in short bursts. Email views in 50 words or fewer to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au

LOTTERY A WINNER

What a brilliant suggestion that Olympic sports be funded entirely by a lottery. That way, my tax dollars could be used for areas of need such as renewable energy, public health, public education and support to the poorest, and most needy in our society instead of self indulgent, wannabe Olympic aspirants.

Pauline May, Lyneham

HAPPY COINCIDENCE

How disappointing for the Barr government that the inquiry into the death in custody of Steven Freeman has been delayed ("Inmate death inquiry delayed", September 1, p2) until October 31. What was the election date again?

K. Davis, Pearce

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

Judy Aulich (Letters, September 1) asks: "What do you call ... homeopathy that has been scientifically proven to work." Oxymoron. Unicorn. Delusion.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

IN ON THE ACTION

Caught an ACTION bus last week. It was marvellous. Quick, convenient and cheap. Things have certainly improved since I last caught one 45 years ago. Might even do it again.

Doug Hodgson, Pearce

CHIMP OR CHUMP

Please, please could you inform the compiler of the daily quick crossword that apes are not monkeys, nor are monkeys apes.

Kate Gilbert, Curtin

KISSING OFFENDS

I am offended by same-sex people kissing on TV, can I invoke 18C?

Norman Lee, Weston

TEXTING NOT SMART

The ACT government's plan to toughen the penalty for texting or using the internet while driving is to be applauded. Killing or seriously injuring someone else for life because of distraction on a smartphone while driving is irresponsible in the extreme, and the quicker it becomes socially unacceptable, the better.

Murray May, Cook

TOOTHLESS AFL SQUAD

Thanks to The Canberra Times for revealing the 2016 preliminary 40-man All Australian AFL squad ("Newbies pack AFL selection", Sport, August 30, p42).

But why is there an Australian squad in the first place? No other nation in the world has a national team for Australia to play against, or could make sense of the obscure rules.

Announcement of this toothless squad has always been amusing to me as a follower of the truly world football game, Association Football.

Michael Lucas, Conder

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

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