Very few institutions are static and as society advances, ways of living and thinking generally move too.

I imagine that very few women who now wear an engagement ring would think of it as symbolising "ownership" and "control".

That may well be where the origin of engagement rings lies, but we have moved on, and I am sure that these days an engagement ring is more likely to symbolise commitment and love.

Contrary to Wendy Squires ("Engagement rings sexist and outdated", September 15, p.21) I do not find the concept of commitment "hives-inducing".

I recently lost the stone from my engagement ring and had to have it replaced. I was mortified at the loss as I remembered 46 years ago the love with which it was chosen. It is something I cherish.

I am wondering if Wendy Squires has similar views about marriage equality. Does she believe that the definition of marriage should remain unchanged? If not, then surely she is correct when she states "We women can be a hypocritical lot."

If Wendy Squires' sneering and strident article is indicative of the happiness level of "a strong feminist", then I shall do my best to avoid becoming one, and will continue to wear my engagement ring — a symbol of love and happiness.

Virginia Berger, Barton

Peter Martin criticised the Prime Minister's use of the term "baseload power" as equivalent to "dispatchable capacity" ("Electric lies hide facts", September 14, p14).

The difference depends on the claim, "Baseload power (usually provided by coal) isn't particularly dispatchable. It's always on, whatever the need." Technically, that's true.

Any power generator, including coal, can be "baseload", operating at maximum output or "peaking", operation only at peak demand or "load following", that is producing variable output.

The problem is that in the public arena "baseload" refers to the cyclic demand which cannot be met by the vagaries of wind and solar generation.

Obviously the "baseload" generators would be of variable output and their maximum "dispatchable capacity" of importance.

This terminological quibble aside, it's nice to know that the PM is addressing the problematic capacity and reliability of our electricity grid.

One can but hope that the pricing study that Mr Martin wrote was being developed at the University of Tasmania discloses whether the spot price paid to peaking generators to meet demand surges still flows on to all suppliers during the period.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Greg Cornwall (Letters, September 12) seems to be pointing out what he sees as inconsistency because of the royal Cambridges having received from environmentalists criticism for having their third child and a refugee who has seven children receiving none.

This can be partly explained as a result of nobody having praised the refugee for having seven children, whereas the Cambridges were congratulated for their efforts.

Greg should also note that the critics of the Cambridges have condemned ALL persons who have more than two children, which obviously includes the said refugee.

Greg however, is correct in saying that overpopulation is everyone's concern, and for the survival and wellbeing of future generations, and to set an example to the rest of the world, we need to reduce Australia's population. This means stopping immigration, discouraging Australians from having more than two children and exiting a failed economic system that encourages continual "growth."

Nancy Tidfy, Chisholm

J. Collet (Letters, September 11) criticised my comments (Letters, September 4) about the privatisation of utility assets by the current LNP government.

Yes, J. Collet, I am aware that it was the Hawke/Keating government that privatised Qantas and the CBA as I was in Treasury at the time.

I have no issue with these sales as there was and still is significant competition. With the sale of Qantas there were many competing international airlines (Air NZ, BA, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, to name just a few) and domestically there was Ansett, regional airlines, bus, rail and private cars; the latter a very popular mode of travel.

Also, with the sale of CBA, there were several regional and nationally competing banks (NAB, Westpac, ANZ, St George etc), any number of building societies and other financial institutions. Since then there has been major growth in these services providing even more competition (some 37 Australian banks, seven-plus foreign owned banks, 88 credit unions, 14 friendly societies).

Where there is significant and effective competition, the sale of public assets can be beneficial. However, this is not the case with the sale of essential public utilities where there is only a handful of dominating suppliers who can dictate services and prices.

No, J. Collet, there is no real benefit, if any, in selling public utilities (power, water, sewerage etc) without real and effective competition.

Jack Wiles, Gilmore

The seemingly inexorable push to demonise the British settlement of Australia begs an obvious question.

What is the alternative narrative?

The inhabitants of Australia back in the eighteenth century had unfortunately missed out on several millennia of development and were ill-equipped to withstand the tide of history.

Had the British not settled then the realistic alternatives would seem to be colonisation by some other maritime power, probably European but possibly from south-east Asia or China, or a continuing hunter-gatherer existence like the Lost Tribes of the Amazon.

Would either alternative be preferable?

The debate badly needs an injection of reality and the utopian fantasists who see British settlement as a tragedy need to think it through rather more objectively.

Michael Warrington, Garran

Here we go again. More "improvements" in October 17 to the bus network. I have suffered through three such "improvements" in as many years.

My only available route, the 251/51 has been adjusted each time with services to Casey in Gungahlin always eroded.

Working from 8am to 4pm, my travel from Barton to Casey takes about an hour and a quarter in the afternoon. With the "improvement", this will now increase by half an hour due to the discontinuing of the 251 departing the city at 4.22pm.

I will have to wait in the city for the next service 20 – 30 minutes later.

The 4.22pm service is highly patronised, including numerous schoolchildren, often with standing room only.

I suggest it is one of the more popular and profitable services in the network.

My travel time has increased where it now is a choice between public transport and driving.

Contrary to Mr Stanhope's, and latterly My Barr's, assertions, this Canberran cannot afford to pay more for fuel, parking, high rates and energy costs. I avidly support public transport and whilst I do not support light rail for Canberra I hope the huge investment in light rail succeeds.

Unfortunately, I can't help feeling that planning behind the "improved" timetable, which Transport Canberra informs me is designed to assist with transition to light rail, is flawed.

By discontinuing highly patronised services and continually altering departure times and frequency, the public is required to serve the transport network instead of it serving us.

Mick Armour, Casey

Valerie Baxter (Letters, September 12) highlights the appalling treatment of lower Narrabundah residents with the latest bus changes.

It's a similar story on the west side of Captain Cook Crescent. In 2014 the long-running Caley Crescent route servicing Narrabundah and part of Griffith was removed, with residents having to walk much longer distances to catch a bus. As with lower Narrabundah, many of the locals are elderly and/or in public housing.

The new route will now completely remove buses from running through the area.

Instead of servicing residents, the buses will give priority to green space.

These latest changes a mockery of the policy of having people able to catch a local bus within 500 metres as the crow flies, let alone the good practice of 400 metres on foot.

For many people, the nearest bus will now be about twice that distance. To add insult to injury, the area is steeply hilly. And if you work in Barton, you'll have fewer buses to get to and from work — and you'll have a long walk from Kingston or the National Gallery as well.

Is this any way to treat our less advantaged people in the Inner South and encourage people to use public transport?

Gillian King, Narrabundah

Unions ACT secretary Alex White appears to attribute Canberra households' debt burden to decades of outsourcing, trickle-down economics and employers using tax avoidance and wage-theft as business models ("Beyond our means", September 14, p1).

At least some of this is true.

However, there is no mention of other factors, for example, the union-controlled ACT government's restriction of land supply that raises land prices and forces home buyers into more debt.

Of course, Unions ACT is not the only lobby group peddling one part of the story with the expectation of getting favourable treatment from ACT and/or federal politicians.

The lobby groups do this because many of the politicians we have elected are weak-kneed and legislate and spend money to favour particular groups (who often then make donations to the aforementioned politicians) rather than focusing on the community as a whole.

Voters should not try to hold their breath waiting for the lobby groups and/or careerist politicians to stop feathering their own nests.

However, if enough voters support independent candidates and the like who have spine and are willing to stand up for what is good for the general community we should get better decisions from the parliaments.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

Last Tuesday night (September 12) Ben Ponton, the chief planning executive of the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, told an audience of some 96 concerned residents that the Territory Plan was complex and not easy to navigate.

The overwhelming audience response was that compliance of government, developers and builders was what was required.

So Canberra now has an open mountain of rubbish popped up at Hume with covert night-time deliveries.

Within 300 metres of the proposed East Lake six storeys of residential/commercial development there is an incinerator planned for Fyshwick.

The Sydney-based proponents aim to import household waste from NSW because we don't make enough waste for it to burn.

The zoning in the Territory Plan says it is a prohibited development at that site.

How then do these projects get past the chief planner and all his employees, and indeed the Greens?

B. Moore, Kingston

Old people are being forced to go back to work because young people don't want to.

They would rather the dole.

You're leaving the young ones to be slack and picking on the retired and those over 60 still working. Work will kill us.

Where is the discipline?

Young people have to learn and get into the workforce.

Lynette Baxter, Spence

NO HOLDS BARRED

The vendetta against workers is no holds barred with this government.

It is prepared to get into the gutter by engaging in concealing and condoning illegality, sanctioned by Minister Cash's very own conspiratorial imprimatur ("Backlash for Cash as watchdog boss resigns", September 14, p.4). Adieu, Westminster ministerial responsibility.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW

'TEAR DOWN WALL'

I will know that Canberra is ready to become the capital city of the Republic of Australia when a million people descend upon Parliament House demanding "tear down this wall".

Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Victoria

HALF THE EQUATION

Did Don Sephton (Letters, September 15), who has no issues with Australia Post's standards because he received his marriage law postal survey just one day after it was posted, not notice there was no provision for him to track the return postage of his survey? Receiving the survey is only half of the equation.

Col Shephard, Yamba, NSW

FENCE QUERY

I'm curious as to the purpose of this new fence being constructed around Parliament House. Is it to protect the politicians from the public, or the public from the politicians? Are the politicians inside it just cowards, or are they too dangerous to be trusted?

Paul Wayper, Cook

JOHN WHO?

One positive of John Howard's awakening to fight a rear guard action on same-sex marriage is that many won't even know who he is. And many of those who are old enough to remember him would do everything in their power to neutralise his call for a "No" vote.

D. J. Fraser, Currumbin QLD

COURT THINKING

I'm wondering what the court was thinking in awarding Rebel Wilson over $4.5 million. One possibility is that it divined there is some correlation in Australia between the remuneration of a movie star and that of a poorly paid CEO.

M. F. Horton, Adelaide, S.A

LIKE SCHOOL BOYS

I'd be embarrassed to take my grandchildren to Parliament House to hear the politicians hurling invective against each other like undergrown, debating, school boys. What sort of role model are politicians for our next generation? Is this all about money, power and winning at any cost, regardless of reason and scientifically-based facts, especially when we're facing more frequent, more extreme weather conditions worldwide?

Susan MacDougall, Scullin

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).