Several local Canberra veterinary practices had been contacted, and not only were they unwilling to budge at all on brief consultations (with very basic medication) at a likely $150-plus, the frequently very young receptionists – and, for that matter, those veterinarians who happened to answer the phone themselves – appeared entirely unmoved by his predicament.

Even the RSPCA has no current arrangement for a concessional "vet" clinic.

Being a soft touch where felines are concerned, I was able to help out my friend.

Sure enough, the brief consultation and a few injections not only brought almost immediate relief for the cat but cost a tidy $225.

(One of the drivers of the high cost appears to be the fact that "vets" provide – in seemingly compulsory fashion – their own top-dollar pharmacy service.)

But all this got me thinking how much suffering and upset must be around us (usually unspoken) with vulnerable people on very low incomes being prevented from accessing help for their beloved and supportive companion animals by what appears to be the callous business model of most veterinarians.

Indeed, these "friends of the animals" appear to be part of a fairly exclusive system where deeply middle-class folk pass money between themselves.

Even if some of us care little about animals, the feelings of helplessness and humiliation felt by owners of ailing pets on society's margins might make us look for a way to offer them just a little compassion.

Ross Kelly, Monash

Peter Martin's article ("Low pay rises are now routine. Here's why", December 14, p21) is correct as far as it goes; although jobs are being created, fewer than in the past offer the prospect of long-term careers and, hence, form a sensible foundation for planning or investment, such as starting a family or buying a house.

Instead, by minimising their wage demands, people are trying to ensure that they will have a job to retain at all — just ask journalists!

But even if people do get a wage increase which approximates to "inflation", in the form of CPI, they find that they can't afford the things that once made up their standard of living.

As they have little choice, they cut their spending to fit their budget and, because of their level of personal debt, try even harder to secure their jobs by minimising their wage demands.

As their standards of living still mysteriously fall, even despite any wage increases that approximate to what they understand to be "inflation", ie CPI, who should they blame?

Mr Martin could have usefully referred to the effects of the US Boskin Commission's report of 1995-96, subsequently adopted by economists and statisticians worldwide.

At a time of high inflation, it attempted to lower CPI expectations and, thus, moderate wage claims, by playing with the statistics. Well, they've really gone and done it this time, haven't they?

Richard Griffiths, National President Australian Council of Public Sector Retiree Organisations, Farrer

I would like to reiterate for Johann Sheller (Letters, December 14) that churches already have the freedom to deny a religious ceremony to whomever they please. The whole point of this exercise was for any two people to be able to have a legal civil ceremony.

M. Jackson, Kambah

I keep seeing references to "overwhelming" yes votes in the recent plebiscite.

In fact, less than half (49 per cent) of eligible voters voted "yes", and 51 per cent either abstained or voted "no".

And it is forbidden for anyone involved to talk about the process of tallying the votes or any irregularities they may have observed.

It seems to me that the whole process, and its outcome, was a sham. We were always going to have this SSM concept forced upon us.

Still, civilisation had a good run.

T. Leslie, Curtin

Reports regarding graffiti on the new tram are a reminder of the poor security provided and the sheer stupidity of the graffiti vandals in this city.

If there is a specific tag on the tram, then this should be published for all to see and a reward offered for the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

This kind of stupidity has bragging rights in the graffiti community, someone will know who is responsible for this sheer act of vandalism because those who are responsible will not be able to keep it to themselves.

Graffiti vandalism in the ACT costs the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in clean-up costs.

These costs should be passed on to those who are caught and convicted of these acts of vandalism.

Warwick Priestley, Amaroo

I turned our car's ignition on one evening after our child had borrowed it and the wireless came to life. It was not the inane, digital-assisted delirium I often hear, but – wait for it – the signoff for PM on our ABC.

A discreet inquiry elicits that many kids had actually started listening to the ABC/BBC during year 12 – but few admit it.

I put it to you, Judith Whelan ("Changes are not dumbing down ABC", canberratimes.com.au, December 11), that you have an obligation – a "sacred trust" – in nurturing Australia's public broadcaster.

Families across Europe risked execution if anyone had reported hearing those magnificent words of hope "this is the BBC London" on their radios in the 1940s.

So too, reception of Radio Australia, the BBC World Service and Voice of America was jammed on shortwave around Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests in1989.

Our ABC must not dumb down to appease or entertain what Rita Panahi describes as a "snowflake generation of insufferable idiots with the coping skills of overtired toddlers".

Recognise that, within the petabytes of glittering and enticing "content" circulating on the WWW, a young intelligent (undetectable) audience gravitates back to our staid and trusted ABC as their reference point.

Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Vic

Some gender inequities disadvantage males, who for example live shorter lives on average than females, are jailed at a much higher rate, commit suicide far more than females, almost exclusively die in workplace accidents, and drown at a higher rate than females. How about closing those gaps?

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic

The Nobel peace prize this year was won by ICAN, an organisation born in Australia that became a powerful international pressure group.

ICAN's aim was to persuade the world, and the United Nations organisation in particular, that nuclear weapons were on a par with other weapons of mass destruction, the chemical and biological weapons, and should be similarly stigmatised and banned.

On December 13 a meeting was held in the National Assembly Conference Room to celebrate ICAN's success in achieving its primary goal, a UN treaty banning nuclear weapons, to which 122 nations, the great majority of nations, have signed up, and this extraordinary success had impressed the Nobel committee.

The meeting was hosted by ACT Climate and Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury. Dr Sue Wareham, vice-president of ICAN, presided.

The room was packed, and representatives of the embassies of South Africa, Brazil, Ireland, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nigeria, Austria, Thailand, Peru, Norway and Switzerland were present.

It was mentioned that the Prime Minister had not sent a letter of congratulation to ICAN. The news was greeted by cries of "shame!" from the audience, though it must be said that Malcolm Turnbull was in a difficult position. Our ally the United States, along with the other members of the nuclear "club", campaigned unsuccessfully against the treaty, and so Australia did too.

It was mentioned that most Labor MPs are anti-nuclear, though it must be said that Bill Shorten sent no letter either.

Harry Davis, Campbell

So the APVMA move is all part of the Don and Barnaby Show. From the ACT to Joyce's backyard.

P. Hallam, Gungahlin.

As young people graduate in 2017, I remember my graduation in the 1970s.

Most of my generation could easily find work and places tolive.

Now those golden years are over.

Housing is quarantined for investment purposes as homelessness increases.

Ever more qualifications are required for fewer job opportunities.

People wait for hours in the emergency wards at hospitals.

TAFE once enabled the poor to access useful, well-paid work but it is starved of funds.

The intricate biosphere of our planet is being seriously injured by pollution.

Our democracy is threatened by the financial starvation of the ABC.

We never know if government decisions are decided by the invisible hands of either rich companies or foreign powers.

However, it is clear that the invisible hands are not connected to the kind of brains that believe that looking after a nation fairly will create a peaceful, well-run community and that should be good for business.

I suspect that those invisible brains believe that it is convenient for the rich to have a large pool of people who are desperate for work.

However, the homeless rapidly become unemployable, and unemployed people start forming themselves into disruptive, racist groups.

Perhaps the Fairfax press should start identifying some of the invisible brains and asking them about their beliefs and intentions, given that we have to live with the results.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston

The ACT government's Housing Choices discussion paper competently raises issues associated with increasing the quality and quantity of housing in existing suburbs.

An exploration of housing choice also needs to look at transport, employment location and the factors reducing housing affordability.

Accessibility to employment is a major consideration in housing choice.

Canberra's historical development strategy, based on new towns, each with a major employment centre was an attempt to reduce travel and to meet the population's then overwhelming preference for low-density living.

While the ability of the ACT government to influence employment location is primarily limited to ensuring sites are available (although it should be doing much more to engage the Commonwealth to locate in the town centres, including Gungahlin), it can increase accessibility to employment by improving transport infrastructure.

Unfortunately the government's urban management is leading to car-dependent new suburbs, a congested inner city and increased housing prices.

There is an urgent need to improve the accessibility of the developing suburbs by increasing the frequency and comfort of public transport services.

The obsession with light rail will limit the improvement in transport services possible.

I fear the increase in demand for higher-density dwellings is being driven as much by increasing congestion and housing unaffordability as changing lifestyle preference.

The issue needs to be looked at in detail in the delayed review of the ACT Planning Strategy.

Mike Quirk, Garran

The trend followed by Jens Swensson (Letters, December 13) of defacing urban rooftops with solar panels supplemented by battery storage is a bad option.

People who follow this course "might need some power from the grid in winter", but are they entitled to it?

After all, they are making a buck out of selling seasonal excess energy as a result of the "generous offer" from our ideologically driven ACT government.

Should they have the right to draw energy from the grid on which the economy depends and which the rest of us subsidise on a daily basis?

The right place for solar panels is in solar farms where they do not disfigure the urban landscape, economy of scale applies, investment options are open to everyone, and the grid performs its essential function.

Similar comments apply to the fantasy that the ACT government promotes about 100per cent renewable energy by 2020. This is also dependent on there being coal-fired power stations and the national grid.

John L. Smith, Farrer

WE SHARE THE GUILT

This royal commission has authoritatively exposed institutions that condoned, fostered and protected evil individuals who ruinedthe lives of countless children trusted to their care. Cloaks of respectability and religious freedom are clutched by the hierarchy of those institutions. Until governments and taxpayers cease subsidising these institutions, we share a portion of theguilt.

Don Burns, Mawson

SOUND AND LIGHT

Greg Cornwell is correct to point out that the background music on TV is too loud (Letters, December 13). The pictures move too fast as well. Can the TV stations be asked to do something about this also?

H. Simon, Watson

TRY TO KEEP UP

Which century is Philip Benwell living in (Letters, December 15)? He claims that our constitution is based on the Queen and is therefore insulated from political control. The Queen's vestigial powers are, in fact, exercised in accordance with the advice of our Prime Minister or government and are therefore clearly subject to political control.

Frank Marris, Forrest

REFORM REQUIRED

All federal parliamentarians must affirm true allegiance to the Queen, who is also an integral part of Parliament. These facts establish Australia's colonial regime. That we are thus ultimately subservient to a foreign monarchy symbolises the necessity of republican constitutional reform as pledged byLabor.

Bryan Lobascher, Chifley

KEEP ON THE GRASS

Further to my letter "Grass needs mowing" (Letters, December 14), credit to Mick Gentleman who took the time to personally phone me and let me know where things were at with grass mowing in Tuggeranong. And yes, there is now evidence of mowing throughout the Tuggeranong area.

J. Bodsworth, Phillip

MANUS A TRIPLE DISASTER

Leaving the future of the people in detention on Manus to the ego of Peter Dutton, the lost leadership of Turnbull and the mental instability of Donald Trump is a national disgrace. Set them free!

Gerry Gillespie, Rural Australians for Refugees, Queanbeyan

TOO MUCH TO ASK?

Same-sex marriage, then the banking inquiry and now the possibility of a federal anti-corruption watchdog to complete the trifecta. Is it too much to hope for a climate change/greater income equality quinella as well?

Dick Varley, Braidwood, NSW

LEST WE FORGET

G. Wilson (Letters, December 14) criticises Peter Costello's tax cuts. He obviously forgets Mr Costello's budget surpluses.

M. Moore, Bonython.

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