Take his comment ("Opposition to social housing flats strikes 'very sad' raw nerve", May 6, p.4) that "I just fundamentally reject some of the assertions that have been made by some in this debate that all public housing tenants are terrible people, that's very sad".

Mr Barr may have heard some say that (but) in 50 years in Canberra I have never heard anyone say all public tenants are bad.

As a resident of Wright, I would welcome people requiring public housing into the Wright community.

What the residents in Wright want is that public housing tenants in Wright, along with those otherwise accommodated, will have access to the broad range of services that would be provided on the site zoned for community use.

What Mr Barr has set in motion, through his proposals and comments, may make those in public housing in Wright feel they are not welcome in the community. Rubbish, this is far from the case. What is not welcomed in Wright is the Barr government's proposal to resume a site set aside for community facilities.

That is the issue under debate. It is not public housing.

(It is) Mr Barr (who) has introduced the concept of badness, attaching that to public housing tenants. He has also implied badness attaches to those who wish to preserve community use zones in Wright.

Perhaps the concept of badness is better attached to the Chief Minister's proposals and his derogatory comments against those whose community spirit has resulted in their opposition to an initiative to compromise community services in Wright.

Ken Brazel, Wright

Last Friday, on the ABC's Chief Minister Talkback, Mr Barr identified the importance of the provision of government housing and disclosed that the extension of light rail to Woden would proceed, as it was a commitment made at the 2016 election.

His stress on the importance of public housing as a policy objective should be supported on social justice grounds.

The public housing share of the ACT housing stock has fallen from 12 per cent at the time of self-government to around 7 per cent today.

This fall is a major contributor to housing stress in the Territory.

The depth of the commitment of the Barr-Rattenbury government to addressing the housing needs of the disadvantaged must be questioned if it does not increase the supply of social housing in the Territory.

The government has limited funds. How can the government devote funds to the extension of light rail to Woden, even before a business case has been undertaken, let alone assessed?

Its commitment demonstrates the misplaced priorities of a government pre-occupied with political success at the expense of meeting the urgent and increasing social needs of the community.

Mike Quirk, Wanniassa

In your report on Andrew Barr and his intentions on public housing ("Opposition to social housing strikes 'very sad' raw nerve", May 6, p.4) you left out a few facts.

Under successive ACT governments, available public housing units have dropped from more than 13,000 to about 10,000.

The public housing housing flats being demolished are being replaced by high-rent units.

Mr Barr promised last term to build 300 affordable houses and 300 public houses. That never happened.

Mr Barr is suddenly putting effort into public housing (because) if he does not, Infrastructure Australia will not give him the $60 million for the sale of public assets he is after.

Also, under his government, the price of land has risen beyond the reach of most first home buyers.

ACT governments should go back to selling land over the counter at reasonable prices. Selling at land auctions pumps up prices.

Mr Barr makes much of his upbringing and interest in public housing. The number of homeless people in Canberra prove his words do not match his deeds.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

Andrew Barr misses the point when he labels critics of the ACT government's latest public housing proposals as those who don't support public housing.

The problems in the past with ACT public housing have been poorly managed and sited public housing.

Baringa Gardens Melba, Fraser Court Kingston and Burnie Court Lyons were all examples of badly managed and poorly sited public housing.

All of these developments were demolished at great public expense.

What is announced by the ACT government is a presentation of public housing development across five Canberra suburbs with no community consultation.

What is also presented by the ACT government is public housing which is not mixed with private development. This becomes a sure-fire recipe for future ghettos.

Frank Boddy, Lyons

Some Weston Creek residents have recently marched on the ACT government to protest the proposal to place a small public housing development near Kathner Street and Darwinia Terrace in Chapman. They say the area is a bushfire zone and it is too dangerous for social housing there. Possibly true.

However, I think that if the current residents there are in such potential or imminent danger from bushfire, the ACT government has a responsibility to resume their land leases and compulsorily relocate them to a safer location.

The ACT government is quite adept at doing that to Canberra residents.

John Mungoven, Stirling

The use of Australia Day and Anzac Day by fringe elements to stage demonstrations is now practically a tradition.

One can think of several other public holidays likely to be commandeered.

One can only hope we do not still have blasphemy secreted as a crime in our statute books.

Stephen Fry, well known as the host of QI (Quite Interesting), is being investigated by Irish police for just such an offence ("English comedian facing blasphemy accusation", May 8, p.9).

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

The CEO of Raiders Clubs Simon Hawkins claims that my partner, Professor Laurie Brown, "had shown no signs of addictive gambling" ("Gambler's secret life stripped bare", May 5, p.1).

He should be aware of the Gambling Behaviour Checklist, based on a 2014 research paper "Validation Study of In-Venue Problem Gambling Indicators".

When playing EGM's at Raiders Belconnen, Laurie showed 10 of 13 signs classified as "gambling problems probable".

They included gambling for long periods without a break, getting cash out on two or more occasions from ATM or eftpos, betting large amounts per spin and gambling intensively without reacting to surrounding activities.

Club staff are required by law to report these signs to the club's Gambling Contact Officer.

But Laurie was allowed to continue gambling at Raiders Belconnen without staff intervention for more than 17 months. Although presented with a spreadsheet detailing Laurie's cash withdrawals at the club, Mr Hawkins claims he has not seen evidence the money was spent at the club.

Where else would repeated withdrawals of up to $5600 per night between 10pm and 4am bespent?

Mr Hawkins puts the argument that "we wouldn't be in business if everybody who came to the club, if they did make a loss, they turned around and asked for their money back".

No one is proposing this. Butpoker machines are designed tobe addictive.

Addictive gamblers like Laurie need the protections afforded by the Gambling and Racing Code of Practice to be enforced.

Dr John Formby, Bungendore

As a long-term resident of Sundown Village in Symonston I wish to express my disgust at your inaccurate story ("Park residents concerned for future", May 5, p.10).

Sundown Village is not and never has been a caravan park.

It is a village of manufactured homes.

If someone is paying $280 per week, as was claimed, they do not own the house but are renting it privately from the owner.

I know how to pay my rent. The information is freely available at the office. It makes sense that if you want to know how to pay rent you ask at the office.

Rents will no doubt go up. Doesn't everything? We have not had an increase in our rent since August 2012.

Contrary to what you have been told, we have been promised improvements by Gateway Lifestyle. Your informants were at the same meeting I was on April 19 when the regional manager of Gateway introduced himself to all the residents.

He promised there would be improvements but advised it will be gradual.

The comments about water meters are false. The charge of $350 per annum is for water supply and consumption. This I feel is very reasonable compared with what people in the suburbs tell me they are paying.

I find it very disappointing this article appeared the very day that Gateway has taken over Sundown Village.

I (together with many fellow residents I have spoken to) am very excited about the direction the village is taking under the Gateway ownership.

Sandra McKay, Symonston

In response to Jack Wiles (Letters, May 6) the current situation and the next stage towards resolving his questions about responsibility for automated vehicles are clear.

The existing policy position is that the human "driver" remains in full legal control of a vehicle that is partially or conditionally automated.

The National Transport Commission has issued a discussion paper titled "Clarifying control of automated vehicles" (see www.ntc.gov.au).

Submissions are invited with the aim of finalising national guidelines in late 2017.

Every state and territory in Australia except the ACT has already conducted trials in connected and automated vehicles, or has plans to do so.

Our dark-age government is still firmly committed to a policy of building light rail to promote urban development.

This policy is going to waste billions of dollars and ensure that Canberra becomes an impossibly expensive city ("A tale of two Canberras", May 6, p1).

Meanwhile, it is becoming clear automated vehicle technology will enable the current urban form of Canberra to prosper without any expensive infrastructure investment.

John L. Smith, Farrer

Simon Mead (Letters, May 5) missed the point about the gold-plated sub-machinegun at the Australian War Memorial.

Charles Bean's vision was to tell the stories of, and commemorate the sacrifice and contribution of, Australian soldiers at war.

A gold-plated weapon issued by Saddam Hussein to his palace guards and captured by American troops does not fit this vision in any way.

The public display of this weapon trivialises and devalues the contribution of all those names displayed on the Roll of Honour.

The AWM has not been politicised by myself, nor by Toni Hassan, it has been politicised and devalued by politicians, for purely political reasons.

Patrick O'Hara, Isaacs

In ancient Athens, "home-grown corn, though barely sufficient for the nation's needs, was nevertheless exported by profiteering merchants", writes C. Robinson in A History of Greece. Solon, the lawgiver, greatly admired for his wisdom, introduced export restrictions.

That was about 2700 years ago. Today, our concern is not corn but natural gas. Will Mr Turnbull emerge as a new Solon?

Thomas Mautner, Griffith

WA MISSES OUT ON BOOM

Why has Western Australia fallen into serious decline? It has had a massive mining boom for decades. Gina Rinehart alone is worth almost $19billion.

Who got away with not paying proper taxes? How many square miles of the environment have been destroyed by mining?

How long was the Liberal government in power in WA while this wenton?

P. A. Upward, O'Connor

SPINNING A LINE

It was admirable that Prime Minister Turnbull evidently held his ground against a displeased President Trump in their infamous January phone conversation. But how disappointing now to see Turnbull's sycophantic agreement with Trump's current spin that it was really a "great call".

C. C. Kenna, Murrumbateman

Pyrrhus, defeating the Romans at Asculum, lamented: "Another such victory and I come back to Epirus alone." Trump's Obamacare "win" must similarly haunt the spirits of the 20 million Americans who obtained health insurance under Obamacare.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW

FAIR'S FAIR

Why does the government need to justify funding changes made to bring Catholic school funding into line with the resourcing standard? Why is it not for the Catholic schools to justify their continued (and past) relative over-funding? Fairness of the outcome, not merely of the change, should prevail.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

SHOWING RESTRAINT

Adam Owens ("A tale of two Canberras"; May 6, p4) might find it a bit less difficult to make ends meet if he gave up smoking.

Fred Roberts, Hughes

JOYCE ENJOYS A JOKE

Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce when appearing on TV seems very keen to laugh at his own jokes. Just as well I guess, because no one else does.

Eric Hunter, Cook

FUNDING ANOMALY

Government funding to private schools, especially religious schools, should be gradually phased out. If parents choose to send their children there they should bear the total expense.

Rod Matthews, Melbourne

ADVICE NOTED

The American people did not follow Mr Obama's advice to vote for Mrs Clinton. But the French followed his advice and voted for Mr Macron. "A prophet is not without honour except in his own country."

Mokhles K. Sidden, Sydney

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