Instead of helping women facing pregnancy difficulties, they are being encouraged to seek a "a quick fix" in an abortion.

It is surely incumbent on politicians and all of us in the community to do whatever is possible to help a pregnant mother to bring her baby to birth and give whatever subsequent support is needed.

It is ironical that the Greens are so hell-bent locally and nationally in promoting abortion as a just and healthy way forward. I would have thought that their commendable commitment to life in all its forms across the spectrum in the natural world would embrace the preservation of human life within the womb.

(Bishop) Pat Power, Campbell

The Greens' bill to push abortion pills in Canberra ("Greens put forward abortion bill", March 19, p.2) is a disgrace.

Chemical poisoning of a new human life is utterly barbaric.

In a humane society, there should be no place for "pills" designed intentionally to poison a tiny new human life already established and now flourishing in the mother's womb. Administering poisoned medications to a new little daughter or son being protected and nurtured in her/his mother's womb is crass and inhumane. Chemical poisoning of any pregnancy is never "necessary". A new mother's personal and social needs can and should be met by compassionate, non-destructive means.

Rita Joseph, Hackett

On Friday, March 16, during the lunch period I fell on a footpath in Braddon.

As I lay there on the concrete, in the hot sun, slowly being eaten alive by miniature ants, I was astounded to note than no one passed me by without offering to help.

One called an ambulance and many, many others offered to get me water. I spent most of my time thanking people so was unable to enjoy my pain.

For Mr Andrew Barr – many of these people were over 60. I will admit, however, that most were younger and more than simply helpful – they cared.

Nevertheless the over-60s were there and showed their concern. At the time they were more helpful to me than all the politicians in the ACT. So could we now desist from degenerating them?

To all those who helped or offered to help, you are, without doubt, marvellous people. Normally I would like to thank you but I know you did not become involved to be thanked but rather because you are the type of people who reside in Canberra.

My wife was also amazed at the amount of help being offered and she insists she says thank you.

C. J. Johnston, Duffy

It is unfortunate that The Canberra Times continues to report so negatively on some ACT Public Schools, seeking to highlight perceived disadvantage without reference to the many fantastic attributes of some of these smaller schools ("NSW students sent to ACT's poorest schools", March 16, p.1).

Gilmore Primary School is a well-resourced school with several long-standing community partnerships providing enrichment opportunities for students. Our school is staffed by a committed and professional team that strives to provide a caring and supportive learning environment for all students. Activities this year include an Oztag clinic, swimming program, theatre excursion, school camp, fine motor skills fun night, school concert and the list goes on.

Our school runs a successful canteen, a free under-5s weekly playgroup, community book-swap library, on-site after-school care, lunchtime bike club and outstanding learning spaces. There is currently a waiting list for places in the preschool.

We look forward to welcoming NSW students to Gilmore Primary.

Lauren Conron & Nina Downes, chair & deputy chair, Gilmore Primary School Board

It is pleasing to see John Smith (Letters, March 18) advocating the idea of sharing vehicles as a way to reduce costs and to make better use of our transport infrastructure.

What is not pleasing is his inconsistent behaviour of attacking shared vehicles where the vehicle is a tram. We do not have to wait for driverless cars to share vehicles. We share them now with family, friends and paying customers.

Sharing vehicles is a human problem. It is not a technological problem. We want to share with others only when there are rules around the behaviour of others. We have some rules for vehicles with drivers. We have not yet worked out the rules for sharing driverless vehicles.

Smith could start working towards the sharing of driverless vehicles by supporting those who are willing to share light-rail vehicles. He could productively spend his time advocating and promoting the sharing of existing cars to get people to the light-rail shared vehicles.

This would serve two purposes. It would increase patronage of light rail and give us a better return on our investment and it would help us move towards the efficient use of driverless vehicles.

Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal

In response to Bruce Wright (Letters, March 19), he is lucky he hasn't yet discovered what ABC TV is doing with repeats.

My rough count shows about 65 per cent of all ABC TV programmes are repeats of repeats. I received this curious response when I complained about this state of affairs: "... it is not the ABC's intention to repeat programs so often as to annoy viewers ... generally speaking this occurs to make full use of licensing arrangements. Broadcast rights are expensive. The ABC considers it to be financially responsible to make sure they are exercised in full."

In other words, no money therefore no new programmes.

Vanessa Lauf, Bungendore, NSW

I would like to commend Gavin O'Brien (Letters, March 20) for highlighting the fact that on Anzac Day we remember not only those who lost their lives fighting, but also those who died later from their wounds.

The casualty death figures shown in school books are "only" those suffered during the period of each war. These are the names inscribed on the Honour Roll at the AWM. An awareness of the need to make known the full cost of wars we enter into is slowly emerging.

As we approach November 11, 2018, there will be many references to the 60,000 Australians lost. Dr Brendan Nelson, director of the AWM, has revealed that almost as many Australians died of their wounds in the decade after they returned from WWI, as were killed during that conflict.

If there is one thing we should learn from the coming Centenary, it is the fact that the casualty deaths did not end with the Armistice. The cost to the nation of any war must never be defined by the casualty death figures at its end.

Anyone who asks how many have died, after the end of the Vietnam War, from wounds they received, is told that such "information is not available". While, at its end, 521 Australian service personnel had lost their lives and more than 3000 were reported as wounded, it is time to acknowledge that the casualties among veterans and their families continued to mount, with more wounds becoming apparent and more deaths resulting every day.

Bruce Cameron, Campbell

Will the National Capital Authority agree to the resale of one of our most important sites, Section 63, City Hill, to a local developer? ("Undeveloped car park to be bought by Morris group", March 17, p.10).

The NCA, which has planning control over this Territory Land, should be extremely concerned, because nothing has happened on the vast western car park site located between London Circuit and Vernon Circle (including the footprint of Edinburgh Avenue extended up to Vernon Circle) since the ACT government controversially auctioned it off nearly 11 years ago.

Did the purchaser pay too much ($93 million back then), or is it a case of "land banking"?

Shouldn't the ACT government and the Commonwealth be stepping in to get this key land back into public ownership, so that its development can be more assured of probity, and the highest quality architectural and civic/national-capital outcomes?

A good way to do that is for monetary bids for the site to be accompanied by a design, prepared in accordance with a strict set of conditions, in which the best design wins and is mandatory.

Section 63's development must be got right.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

John Davenport ("Critics miss their tram", CT letters, Mar 19) says that we "doomsday" critics of the Canberra light rail project seem to be "out of step with planners and citizens of other smaller Australian cities".

He cites the existing (and soon to be extended) Gold Coast system and the planned system for Newcastle. Dealing with the latter city first, the planned light rail system is only a replacement, by light rail, of part of a standard rail system which served Newcastle well for a very long time! It reminds me of the Croydon Tramlink system in south London.

The Gold Coast system ("GLINK") is a new system, planned properly. It starts in the northwest, at Helensvale rail station (trains to and from Brisbane, including Brisbane Airport), serves the Gold Coast University Hospital complex and then winds its way southwards through the main centres of attraction (for the locals and the myriads of visitors) of Southport, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

As noted it is to be extended to Burleigh Heads – hopefully it will be extended further south again to the Gold Coast Airport!

The (positive) business case for the project was real, unlike the piece of fiction served up for the Gungahlin tram!

The circumstances of both the Gold Coast and Newcastle, in respect of light rail systems, do not and probably will not ever exist in Canberra — so being "out of step" with the good burgers of both cites is not an issue. Getting the right public transport system for Canberra and all its citizens is!

Paul E Bowler, Chapman

Authorities continue to state unequivocally that it is unsafe for evacuated residents to return to Tathra because of fallen power lines, unsafe structures and trees as well as the possible presence of asbestos fibres in the air.

How then is it possible for approval to be given for the media and others not involved in making the fireground safe to have had access to Tathra since Monday with possible compromise to their own health and safety?

Surely the first priority needs to be afforded to those sitting in evacuation centres left wondering how they may be forced to resume their lives long after the cameras and microphones have departed.

Brian Rowe, Campbell

It beggars belief that the Australian government is considering withdrawing the aerial assistance it has provided to Papua New Guinea within a month of the devastating earthquakes in that country.

And this at a time when the government has provided more than $40 million to support the Philippines president, who has boasted of being a murderer and has done away with the rule of law, leading to thousands of extra-judicial killings, including of patently innocent children and young people.

The miserly response of Australia to the plight of our nearest neighbour shows the government has not only lost its moral compass, but is plainly against our national self-interest: who will benefit when "another power" replaces us as their "best friend"?

Ric Innes, Weetangera

Richard de Natale is blaming "climate change" for the fires at Tathra. He also believes stopping the Adani mine would help the Great Barrier Reef. Wrong. The Indians need coal, so they would just buy it from Indonesia, and we would miss out on the jobs and the revenue.

There is only one atmosphere, and that means that actions taken by other countries have an effect on the world.

The US has not signed up to the Paris agreement.

Given that solar and wind cannot deliver guaranteed base load electricity we also need to have a backup in the background, which can only be hydro, nuclear or fossil fuel. Or expensive batteries, or diesel generators, lasting a few minutes at best. So, you pay twice.

Why are we spending billions on this climate change "hoax"? We need more coal-fired power stations.

John Burns, Hall

ALOHA, CHIEF MINISTER

We've just returned from two weeks on Oahu and Maui where we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of litter and graffiti. Perhaps the Chief Minister should use ratepayer funding to take himself on a study trip to Hawaii to find out how it's done.

B. J. Millar, Isabella Plains

BASTIONS OF FREE SPEECH?

Are the ANU and Canberra Airport bastions of the free expression of views? Just ask Odette Shenfield and the ACTU.

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

AND TEMPERATURE IS ...

While lauding the ACT government's progress in meeting its self-imposed renewable energy targets, your editorial (March 21) did not mention by how much the RET had reduced the global temperature. Isn't that the main aim of the policy?

Owen Reid, Dunlop

NO MORE VETERANS

March on D. Fielding (Letters, March 21) with our thanks and respect. We all hope that one day, before too long, there'll be no veterans left to march.

Keith Hill, Kaleen

PEN MIGHTY AS A SWORD

So credit card knives have been banned? You'd be lucky to cut the eyes out of a potato with a credit card knife; you could do more harm with a ballpoint pen. Will the latter be next on the banned "weapons" list?

W. Book, Hackett

DROP CROKER

The Raiders can never be successful until Ricky Stuart drops Jason Croker.

Mike Sargent, Raymond Terrace, NSW

STEALING FROM THE MEEK?

In winning the South Australian election, the Liberals promised the earth. But the earth has already been bequeathed to the meek.

M. F. Horton, Adelaide, SA

ASHLEY DRIVE A SAGA

I will not be surprised if the light rail service reaches Woden before the Ashley Drive upgrade is finished. Why aren't the grumpy old men out protesting?

Anthony Langer, Chisholm

RESOUNDING MANDATE

With the reports of forced voting and ballot box stuffing in the Russian election, Vladimir Putin could end up with 107 per cent of the vote.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

FEDS HOLD ALL THE CARDS

So "Australia's smallest jurisdiction, the Australian Capital Territory, is threatening to kibosh the Turnbull government's signature energy policy" ("ACT holds key to national energy plan", March 20, p9). ACT and NT legislation exists only at the sufferance of the Commonwealth, witness euthanasia and gay marriage. Why the Commonwealth needs the ACT's approval for anything beats me.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

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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