That prosperous ACT has the highest rate of Indigenous incarceration and the second highest rate of Aboriginal children in care and protection in Australia, is not just a sign that current policies in the ACT are failing Aboriginal people but is a matter of national shame.

The ACT government has just announced another inquiry into why the current policies and programs in the ACT for the care and protection of Aboriginal children continue to fail. It is beyond dispute that one of the major reasons for that failure is the refusal of the ACT government and its public service to work with or engage in a meaningful way with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service delivery organisations such as Winnunga Nimmityjah.

The ACT child protection service, Step Up for Kids, is the only state or territory-based service in Australia for the support of Aboriginal families and children at risk that is managed, led and run by non-Aboriginal, mainstream organisations without involvement of the local Aboriginal community. If the ACT government is seriously looking for a reason for its consistent failure to address Indigenous disadvantage in Canberra that would be a good place to start.

Julie Tongs, CEO Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Service

Gary Wilson should have read the article on the unfortunate incident where the wounds of a nursing home patient were found to be maggot-infested a bit more closely. He suggests that any doctor responsible for such "unconventional treatments" would be debarred if found out. Had he used Google a bit more widely he would have found that maggot debridement in Australia can be prescribed legally. The "call for the government to investigate" is not about the use of an unapproved treatment by a doctor, as Wilson has it, but rather the concern of Canberra Hospital about whether the presence of maggots arose from a properly prescribed treatment by qualified persons.

David Roth, Kambah

Calls for a federal ICAC are not because of the Australian Public Service. It's because when making official decisions politicians and their staff are clearly influenced by who has given them or their party money. The purpose of a federal ICAC will be to stamp out any monetary influence, however indirect, on official/political decision making.

Christopher Budd, Turner

The Australia Institute noted that the NSW ICAC has pursued investigations into major parties taking illegal donations (Jack Waterford article, July 1, Forum p1).

Even if the ACT establishes an ICAC, our politicians have ensured they have nothing to fear in this respect.

In 2015 the ACT Legislative Assembly abolished all controls over political donations.

Sixteen of our then 17 MLAs supported this disgraceful move, being all the Labor and all the Liberal members, with Shane Rattenbury alone, to his credit, opposing it.

So now unlimited political donations from any source are allowed in the ACT. Just like many corrupt tinpot regimes.

Hugh Dakin, Griffith

Scott Pruitt, whom Donald Trump somewhat cynically assigned to head the US Environmental Protection Agency, wants to "test the idea that human activity is the main driver of recent climate change" ("Trump's man seeks 'review' on climate", June 3, p11).

Pruitt reportedly said that "the American people deserve ... a true, legitimate, peer-reviewed, objective transparent discussion about CO2".

That is exactly what has been happening in climate-related science for about 80 years, and especially over the last 20 years, and an overwhelming majority of scientists agree that human generation of CO2, mainly by burning fossil fuels, is warming the global climate.

How much more testing will it take to convince people like Mr Pruitt? An infinite amount, I suspect, because their minds are already made up.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Amanda Vanstone ("Lessons for Catholics", July 3, p14) tells us that she is a non-believer who lives as best she can by Christian values. This raises several interesting questions. When she describes herself as a non-believer she obviously means that she does not believe in any religion, but what, in fact, does she believe in? We all believe in something, even if it is just ourselves.

Second, she states that she tries to live as best she can by Christian values. Where does she find them spelt out? Surely in the New Testament, where the teaching of Jesus Christ is documented. From Amanda's education in an Anglican school she would have heard that one great commandment of Christ was to love your neighbour as yourself. Even an atheist like Amanda would agree with that.

But Christ gave us another great commandment: to love the Lord your God with heart and mind and soul and strength. No atheist could accept that commandment of Christ. Surely we must accept all of the Christian values that Christ gave us, and not try to cherry pick the ones we feel comfortable with, and ignore the others. Some of the words of Christ are mysterious and disturbing, but following Christ is never easy.

As G. K. Chesterton said: Following Christ has not been tried and found wanting. Rather it has been found hard and not really tried.

Fr Robert Willson, Deakin

Donald Trump is quickly overtaking the Boris Yeltsin legacy of an international buffoon. It could be claimed as a defence for Yeltsin that he appeared to be perpetually drunk.

Ronald Hawke, Watson

There may be "ignorant and ugly: Australian attitudes to an African crisis" (July 4, p6) and it is "a tough journey for wellbeing" (June 6, p2), especially for good health among the 767 million people living in extreme poverty on less than $US1.90 a day in 2013.

Part of Sustainable Development Goal 3 aims to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age, by 2030. A mother can increase her child's chance of survival by attending antenatal care consultations, being immunised against tetanus, and avoiding smoking and use of alcohol.

However, the proportion of Australia's aid budget spent on health investments has decreased from 16 per cent in FY2014-15 to 14.3 per cent in FY2015-16, alongside a substantial reduction in the overall aid budget. Our budget should not be balanced on the backs of the world's poor. There are successes. The first Millennium Development Goal, of cutting 1990 poverty in half by 2015, was reached five years ahead of schedule in 2010. Please, Julie Bishop, celebrate these successes. For all of us.

Peter Graves, Curtin

I am disappointed at the critical tone towards Australians' response to the East African famine ("Ignorant and Ugly: Australian attitudes to an African crisis", July 4, p6).

Listed are eight famine "fallacies", only three of which I support. Overpopulation is a cause because when civil war, drought and economic collapse occur the problem is exacerbated by too many people. Similarly donors are suspicious of misdirected funds in what seems a never-ending demand for more and more aid across the continent — and the refugees risking the Mediterranean do nothing to improve the images of the countries they flee.

People in Africa should help themselves by getting rid of the ruling dictators and despots (often supported by Western nations) personally exploiting rich natural resources in the comfortable knowledge sympathetic Western charities will look after their populations.

If we really want to help, then forget post-colonial guilt, abolish the scattered handouts and take firm, positive United Nations action.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

It is a short extrapolation from the scene described by A. Whiddett (Letters, July 4) to contemplate what process is available to citizens should the territory government ever go rogue. And how long would it take "this undiscerning Labor town" to know, with some certainty that its government had gone rogue?

We are familiar with Australian state governments' powers to sack local councils that have gone off the rails, but what similar safeguards does the Capital Territory have? It is claimed that the administrator of the Northern Territory could have sacked Adam Giles, its then chief minister, if the leadership impasse of 2015 had not been resolved. The ACT does not have an administrator. However, we do have the Governor-General, as the Queen's representative in the Capital Territory, for what that is worth.

Nevertheless, under the ACT Self-Government Act of 1988 it appears that reserve powers are vested in the Federal Minister for Territories, who may dissolve the ACT Assembly, in extraordinary circumstances.

That could make for most interesting times.

Penleigh Boyd, Reid

There is nothing " presidential " about Donald Trump's attack on the media. It's very undignified.

It is, in fact, shameful that the leader of the democratic world should vilify one of the main pillars of democracy. This is further proof – after his attacks on the judiciary – that Trump does not have an abiding belief in the foundational precepts of democracy.

And that is proof that he is unfit to be the president of that great country.

Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW

So Peter Brassington (Letters, June 29) doesn't like the arguments Max Flint, formerly of Can the Tram, uses to demonstrate the effect of this folly on the pockets of ordinary Canberra residents.

Well, he can never get away from the fact that, in the end, the citizens of this city will have to pay for it and the cost is immense.

It was the Auditor-General, not just Can the Tram, who said that the tram had a benefit cost ratio of 0.47, i.e. that only 47 per cent of the money it will cost to build and operate the tram will come from the fare box. The rest will come from you, me and Brassington, whose government charges, including rates, will have to rise to cover it.

He can divide the money up how he likes. At the end of the day there is no way around that. We have had several letters recently from people arguing that the decision has been taken and that opponents have to accept this democratic outcome.

Partly. But the other fact that remains is that, although the decision has been taken in principle, to build Stage 2, it hasn't happened yet.

If stage 1 was mad, stage 2 is insane. It will have an indirect route and can never match the speed of the express buses between Woden and the city.

The government is plunging headlong down the same route as before, deciding to proceed before they even know the cost of the work, let alone any real idea of patronage etc. All they have is green ideology from Rattenbury and co; and the realisation that, if they don't proceed, it will look as though they are admitting that stage 1 was a mistake.

We probably won't stop them, but we will try. So, people will hear more from those of us who know something about transport and love our city.

Stan Marks, Hawker

CONTAIN YOURSELVES

Those criticising the proposed container deposit scheme (Letters, June 29 and July 1) should look beyond their own wheelie bins to what is happening in the wider world.

Reference to the Boomerang Alliance website and the recent Senate report on marine pollution will emphasise how action is needed to combat all littering, including drink containers.

Ted Lilley, Aranda

SHAME BY PLAN

What an ugly sight the apartment blocks opposite Bunnings in Tuggeranong are. What were the planners thinking when this was approved ? You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Wendy Cook, Monash

OUCH, NEVER AGAIN

Abbott for PM? No way – once bitten, twice shy.

Tim Terrell, Farrer

INFORMED OUTSOURCES

If the ACT is content, and we're told well-served, with outsourcing our local policing service to the AFP, why would we not be equally content and well-served by outsourcing our Independent Integrity Commission to NSW's ICAC?

John Clarke, Pearce

PAIN AND MONEY

Re Bronwyn Bishop's infamous kerosene baths (February 2000) for maggot-infested wounds, little has altered ("Family's agony over father's treatment in aged care", July 3, p1).

"Staff" – unqualified now – are even fewer, aged care registered nurses are practically extinct, the accreditation authority ineffectual, but profits are growing, substantially.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

SHIPS AHOY

The federal government appears to be a danger to shipping, particularly apprenticeships, traineeships, cadetships, and internships.

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Victoria

WELL MATCHED

Bring back Tony Abbott!

A Tony-Donald duo will give us an ANZUS Treaty like never before. We'll shirtfront President Xi, we'llmake Elizabeth II a Dame of Australia.

We'll turn on wrestling matches between "the Don" and "the Tone". People will pay millions to watch. So Turn out the Bull, bring in the good ol' Macho Man.

Just be careful what you ask for, folks.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

LETTER PERFECT

The new President of France, Emmanuel Macron, wants to cut the size of his Parliament by a third. Let's follow suit in Australia, preferably in alphabetical order.

Wendy Rattigan, Weston

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