Smoke so thick that the Brindabellas are obscured, and even the Telstra Tower is cloaked in haze for days on end. All the result of fires deliberately lit by the agencies that are supposed to be protecting the population, and instead ensure we are subjected to poisonous pollution for weeks on end, year after year.

What is the point of taking action to limit our carbon emissions, if our own government agencies simply dump all the carbon stored in bush vegetation back into the atmosphere every autumn?

Why do we bother phasing out wood-burning heaters, if autumn back-burning ignites 10 times the amount of wood all the wood stoves in Canberra could possibly consume? Why invest in zero-emissions cars, if the government agencies undertake maximum-emissions burns in the forests?

Why clean up a few hundred asbestos-contaminated houses if we then contaminate the air in every single house with poisonous smoke? Canberra used to pride itself on how clean our drinking water was, what does it matter if every lungful of air is thick with toxins?

Maybe these activities reduce the chance of material losses once in 50 or 100 years, but they definitely expose the entire population of the city to serious health risks — every single year.

It's incredible that the autumn burn-offs are allowed to continue.

Jon Smillie, Duffy

The delay in passing the government's "flagship" tax package provides the opportunity to pause and reflect ("Coalition forced to pull flagship tax bill", March 28, p1).

The government can now consider lowering the tax cut to big companies and allocate the increased revenue available to areas of greater need. The boost to the economy will be much the same, as will the trickle-down effect, which is usually less than the government estimates anyway. Part of the increased revenue can be used to lessen the effects of the Welfare "Reform" Act and to increase the level of unemployment benefits.

The increase of 50¢ a week provided to single people, for example, is scandalous ("Sympathy's owing to truly poor", March 26, p39).

Herman van de Brug, Kaleen

Since the ACT government is keen for many more Canberrans to make apartments their principal place of residence, it needs to act to recognise the problems that have been reported for years and restore the community's faith in its ability to manage the future development of our city ("Developer settles dispute over defects in Braddon apartment complex", canberratimes.com.au April 23).

Many wishing to downsize, for example, will be loath to make any moves until they can be assured of being able to reside in a high-quality, stress-free environment.

The ACT government could recognise growing community concern and the need for up-to-date information about building quality by:

1. giving the 2019 Canberra Citizen of the Year Award to the body corporate and residents' committee of the Lagani Apartments in Braddon for their outstanding service to the community in revealing the worrying issues and impacts concerning their decade-long battle through the courts to achieve funding for the rectification of major building deficiencies in their complex.

2. reimbursing all government rates and fees paid by owners of deficient buildings, including both houses and apartments, calculated from date of occupation to the satisfactory rectification of defects.

3. establishing a publicly accessible list of all future building developments and those that have been constructed over the past 20 years or so, containing key developer and builder details, any subsequent changes of name or liquidations of companies involved in construction, and links to the means of discovering whether action is being taken to rectify major defects.

Sue Dyer, Downer

Max Flint (Letters, May 17) made several unfortunate claims and smears against UnionsACT and our affiliates.

Mr Flint has spent several years heading up the "Can the Tram" group.

He now goes under a new badge, but has not stopped his light-rail bashing or his union bashing.

The truth is that UnionsACT does not have a veto over ACT government contracts.

This is a fever-dream imagined by Michaelia Cash and the Canberra Liberals.

UnionsACT supports light rail because it creates secure local jobs, improves public transport services, and stimulates the local economy. However, Mr Flint insinuates that we receive a benefit ("gravy train").

He is wrong.

Mr Flint also suggests that I am lying about the results.

He is wrong. I provided the results to The Canberra Times, including the question.

The results are also on our website.

The sampling methodology is well known and performed by Reachtel, a respected polling company.

It is sad that Mr Flint still cannot accept that most Canberrans supported light rail stage one.

It is even sadder that he refuses to accept that most Canberrans support stage two.

Alex White, UnionsACT, Canberra

Most respondents who supported the light rail expansion in the UnionsACT poll on light rail conducted on March 16 were undoubtedly sold a pig in a poke.

("Half of Canberrans support light rail expansion: union poll" April 9).

If, as I feel sure, the participants were not made aware that the vast majority of experts believe that a bus system is a far more cost-effective public transport investment for the entire Canberra region, and that driverless vehicle technology is predicted to deliver vastly improved public transport within a decade, then only 51.5per cent of respondents supporting light rail is a damning result.

If Senator Seselja can bring about a federal parliamentary inquiry into the construction of light rail stage two in which these wider issues can be fully exposed, he will be doing a great service to all Canberra citizens.

John L Smith, Farrer

Reports that our PM in private debate endorsed the UK royals as permanently heading the Commonwealth need his explanation.

If true they are neither democratic nor republican.

Bryan Lobascher, Chifley

The Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel, argues for mathematics as a prerequisite for university entrance ("Review to bring students back to STEM", CT 21 April, p.16) but we really should go rather further if we are to have a genuinely educated population.

When I was at school in England some 60-odd years ago, we had to have mathematics, a science, English, a foreign language and an "unrelated subject" (often current affairs but most had history and/or geography and maybe some other subjects) at General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level as well as several Advanced Level subjects to enter university.

Would-be humanities undergraduates had to have two foreign languages – one modern, one classical. As far as I can estimate GCE O-level was roughly equivalent to year 11 in present-day Australia – maths, for example, included differential calculus.

In year 12 I was tackling 2nd-order differential equations, something maths student now don't meet until second-year university.

Alan Finkel is right in demanding more mathematics (including statistics) and at a higher standard but this should be for all university entrants, not just the scientists.

All students should be versed in STEAM — science, technology, engineering, ARTS, and mathematics. Only then can we expect graduates, once they enter the workforce, to make reasoned decisions about, for example, the ethics concerning driverless cars, the balance between jobs and greenhouse gas emissions, the implications of social media, and the many other questions of the day that require knowledge of both science and the humanities.

John Rogers, Cook

"Lest we forget" comes from the Old Testament: "Lest we forget the Lord brought us out of the land of Egypt ... " [Deuteronomy 6:12], a phrase we Jews include throughout our Passover Seders, emphasising we should embrace God and not forget God's gifts.

Lest we forget: "Lest we forget" was "secular-ised" via Rudyard Kipling's poem Recessional [1897, Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee]. And was sung by "victorious" British soldiers after a 1900 Boer War battle. Kipling intended the poem to remember Christ's sacrifices and caution against jingoism [http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk], but from 1900 forward, it was used differently. And became used "as a plea not to forget past [war] sacrifices" across Commonwealth nations [alldownunder.com].

Which brings us to today ... when "lest we forget" is linked inextricably to Anzac celebrations like some sacrosanct mantra, and those who violate this sanctity, regardless of honour or respect, are threatened and vilified.

"LEST. WE. FORGET. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine ...)" [Y Abdel-Magied, Anzac Day 2017].

"What if thousands of us all tweeted 'lest we forget (Manus)' next week on April 25th ... " [S Rugg, April 20] Or replace Manus with Gaza, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Indigenous Reserves, The Holocaust, or ...

We courageous women must continue speaking, writing, tweeting honourably and respectfully, bearing the torch and reminding, "lest we forget".

For as mothers, sisters, aunties, and more, we bear a disproportionate amount of suffering and grief from Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine, etc.

Judy Bamberger, O'Connor

Re Karen Hardy selects "10 great war movies to watch after the Anzac Day march" (Relax, April 22, p.3).

Seven out of the 10 are entirely American and have no Anzac relevance, Australian, New Zealand or even any other Commonwealth link whatsoever.

Even out of the last three, one, The Great Escape, has a ring-in Yank whose presence made my wife's late uncle AVM Eric Stephenson, who actually was in Stalag Luft III, cringe every time the film was mentioned.

With so many films (films, please, not movies, we're not all Yanks yet no matter what Ms Hardy would like) with Anzac significance to chose from, let's start with 40,000 Horsemen and Rats of Tobruk, both classic Chips Rafferty films.

Then The Dam Busters, The Battle of Britain and even 633 Squadron, all with RAAF aircrew depicted in the screenplay. The Navy's here with Sink the Bismark and The Cruel Sea – though the RANVR gets a bit of a rough trot with one character in the latter.

OK, I'll pay Gallipoli and The Bridge on the River Kwai out of Karens's suggestions, but lets add The Lighthorsemen, Below Hill 60 and most definitely The Odd Angry Shot.

Len Bowen, ex-RAF/RAAF, Canberra

I write in reference to the Fair Work Commission's deliberations concerning the Department of Home Affairs.

Given that the current agreement expired in June 2014; and the last pay rise was 2 per cent in July 2013, it is no surprise this workforce is frustrated by the slow process.

FWC began hearings into this matter in October 2017; more than a year after it halted industrial action for the workforce of 13,500. Although Home Affairs identifies a range of challenges, it disregards the fact that a key objective of the Fair Work Act is "achieving productivity and fairness in the workplace through the implementation of collective bargaining underpinned by simple good faith bargaining obligations and clear rules governing industrial action".

The federal budget may be better off by delaying departmental agreements, but the loss of trust does not come cheap.

If our government and department heads are sending the message that it is easy to delay Enterprise Agreements for years and just pocket the saving; how can we expect private enterprise to implement collective bargaining fairly and reasonably.

Ian Ruecroft, Belconnen

Oh Joyce! Barnaby's obviously feeling overlooked and ignored at the moment.

Has he learnt nothing from his experiences of the past six months?

With friends like him and Tony, Malcolm doesn't need enemies.

M. Moore, Bonython

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

There needs to be support for the younger generation of hockey players in the ACT by providing them with a world-class facility such as was promised by Andrew Barr in the 2016 ACT election. Philip Ice Rink is well past its use-by-date. The pledged new ice rink has not been delivered.

Alena Almassy, Lyneham

BARNABY'S FAVOURITES

What is it about "nepotism" Barnaby doesn't understand?

Ric Hingee, Duffy

BAGS NOT

Cook and Aranda residents would be pleased if the person who puts their dog's droppings in plastic bags and then scatters the bags near the Cook shared pathway realised if they left the droppings alone they would disappear in a few days. In plastic they last for months.

John Rogers, Cook

A FAIR COP?

Wow, now when ASIC takes no action the penalty not imposed will be bigger.

Peter Edsor, Bungendore, NSW

JUSTICE FOR ALL

If an Aboriginal kid steals an ice-cream he is likely to end up in jail. If a banker cheats, lies and "steals" from the dead he is likely to get a slap on the wrist. I look forward to the day when 25 per cent of our prison population is made up of bankers.

John Galvin, Weston

DEADSET STEALING

The old saying was that "Shrouds have no pockets". Apparently in Australia they do and they are deep enough to tempt the Commonwealth Bank's tomb robbers. Is nothing sacred?

Phil O'Brien, Watson

WATCHDOG NEEDED

Now that we are seeing what is coming to light in the "unnecessary" banking royal commission, I must wonder what we might see if we were to establish a Federal ICAC.

Warwick Budd, Nicholls

WHAT A LOAD OF BOLLARDS

We should never be cowed and should never bow to terrorism. Why then are we putting up bollards for ANZAC Day? Isn't that a sign of surrender? If we must have bollards then at least shape them like flags and paint them white?

Bill Dobell, Sebastopol, Vic

KEEP IT GREEN

Your April 21 issue had several letters decrying the lack of green spaces in the ACT. Hurrah. If it were not for land sales and other profits from overdeveloping, the ACT government would not survive.

Freesia B Orlzov, Flynn

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Phew, for a moment I thought this could mean the end to the Allen Key ("IKEA Chair Robot Assemblers Pose Little Threat"; canberratimes.com.au, April 22).

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

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.

Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).