Medicare and other health policies are investments in the health (and productivity) of all Australians. Likewise, welfare should never have been regarded as purely a cost to the taxpayers, but an investment in the better future (and productivity) of the less fortunate.

Justice and Defence expenditures are investments in our safety. Infrastructure is absolutely no different – it is an investment in the productivity of the nation's people.

The real issue is getting the right balance between all these interests.

The argument that all government expenditures are "costs" has long been promulgated by free-market economists who believe that governments should do nothing but regulate – and even then, only regulate the people, not the market.

John Walker, Queanbeyan, NSW

Social Services Minister Christian Porter invokes the "mutual obligation" card to invade the personal privacy and human rights of welfare recipients by instituting random drug and alcohol tests as a condition of receiving benefits.

I expect Mr Porter will have no problem with the same tests being applied to members of Parliament. After all, MPs and senators are also recipients of taxpayer-funded largesse (and at a much grander scale than welfare recipients, I might add) and the Australian public deserves to be assured that at all times our politicians are completely clear-headed when representing those who have elected them to act on our behalf.

First-time offenders will be counselled; second-time offenders will receive their salary and associated perks on a cashless debit card; and third-time offenders will be dismissed.

What is right for the goose should be right for the gander.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

I find it ironic the big banks cannot absorb a measly 0.06 per cent levy considering the way they act towards their customers.

In my case, I brought a townhouse in early 2013 at the age of 22 with a mortgage from Commonwealth Bank.

I worked a minimum of six-day weeks and always needed to work more than one job just to keep up with the mortgage repayments. I almost missed four repayments and had to borrow thousands of dollars from my family which I then repaid.

By 2016 I had had enough and sold my property. Of the $150,000 I invested into the house I discovered I had (only) paid a measly $40,000 off my home loan. The rest went to propping up Commonwealth Bank's profits via interest.

For any young person considering buying a property I recommend that they remain wary. Especially with the current destabilisation of the workforce and the lack of permanent jobs.

It would also be useful to note that the word mortgage is Latin for death pledge.

Needless to say, I will never again take on a mortgage unless significant reforms occur within the banking sector.

Tom Quinlan, Batemans Bay, NSW

Whether you loathe them or hate them, it is easy to understand why the banks are upset about the new "super tax" targeting them.

Perhaps they are an easy target because their profits are not as well hidden of those of major multinationals which pay little or no tax.

If being an easy target is not behind the government's targeting of the banks, then is it safe to assume that tax avoiding multinationals will soon be paying a similar levy (or any tax at all)? Or is this still in the too-hard basket?

In any case, the government will not raise the $6 billion out of bank profits over four years. This amount will come off banks' net profits.

This means the banks will pay less tax. Hence the net gain will be less than the $6 billion the government has budgeted for. If the banks wish to maintain shareholder value, including dividends, they will have little alternative but to slug their customers.

They will need to generate revenues many times greater than the $6 billion lost from their after-tax profits. Watch and budget carefully as your housing interest rates and bank fees rise sharply as a result of this lazy tax policy.

Harry Samios, O'Connor

Is the federal government committed to borrowing to provide worthwhile infrastructure? Many of the banner projects including the second Sydney Airport and Snowy Mountains Scheme 2.0 have not been subjected to benefit-cost analysis while the Brisbane to Melbourne freight railroad has been assessed by Infrastructure Australia (IA) to have a marginal benefit to cost ratio of 1.1.

Without objective independent assessment of infrastructure projects there can be no confidence that the projects are improving the nation's productivity.

Politicians are tempted to ignore analysis if it does not meet their political objectives.

This was recently demonstrated by the decision of Barnaby Joyce to ignore the analysis showing their was no benefit in relocating the Australian Pesticides, Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale, giving a new meaning the Keating phrase "bringing home the bacon".

The ACT government is open to the same criticism in relation to its support of light rail.

The Grattan Institute found virtually every time a politician announced a project before an independent cost-benefit analysis was done, the project ran grossly over time and grossly over budget.

The resources of IA need to be increased and it should mandatorily be required to assess major infrastructure projects.

Mike Quirk, Wanniassa

I strongly agree with the letter by Rod Matthews about government funding to private schools (letters, May 10). It has always been a mystery to me why the Australian taxpayer should pay for private schools.

A. V. Peterson, Kambah

Such is the Australian commitment to the sanctity of its martial myths that an earnest employee of the National War Memorial finds it beneath the institution's dignity to display a gold-plated AK-47 acquired in the course of an "illegal war".

Illegal the Iraq War may have been. Tragically foolish it clearly was. Yet the fact remains that Australia went along willingly. Its Diggers served there willingly. It stuck with it longer than virtually any other American ally. And what does Australian society have to show for this endeavour?

A gold-plated rifle may well be the most valuable thing.

Donald Trump, after all, seems much less committed than his predecessors to the "special relationship" Australia sought to reconfirm in Iraq. But he is known to have quite a taste for garish home decor. Perhaps Australia can trade him its gun?

Michael Gisick, Canberra

The Times reports that Professor Laurie Brown racked up pokies losses amounting to $230,000 at Belconnen Raiders, and that Andrew Wilkie MP and Senator Nick Xenophon argue the club should pay back her losses (canberratimes.com.au, May5). They cite legislation which is supposed to protect gamblers from themselves, and impose restrictions on clubs that exploit players who can't accept responsibility for their own actions. The gambler herself admits her obsession cuts into her retirement arrangements.

Professor Brown's partner DrJohn Formby claims no one is proposing gamblers' losses should be repaid to them (canberratimes.com.au, May9).

Poppycock. That's exactly what the media-savvy parliamentarians are suggesting.

Come Professor Brown's retirement, the ordinary taxpayer will have a brutal encounter with reality when her pension must be funded.

Patrick Jones, Griffith

Yes, Peter Dawson, (letters, May10), Amanda Vanstone was unnecessarily harsh in her comments on Yassmin Abdel-Magied.

However, she has in fact copped her own share of abuse and bullying from her parliamentary colleagues.

Over two decades ago, I heard her talk at a function in Adelaide. She said that colleagues were frequently commenting negatively about her size.

Her response?

"Better broad in the beam than bulldust for brains."

Classic! I have liked her ever since.

Morgan Kernow, Swinger Hill

In another of his insightful articles, "War is too big a thing to be left in the hands of the executive. Let the people, via Parliament, decide" (May8, p14), Julian Cribb makes some very good points.

What bounced out of the page for me was that, constitutionally, the "war prerogative" rests with the Governor-General as the commander in chief of the Australian Defence Force.

In the meantime, comment has been made in the Sydney media and briefly in an ABC interview, that if Mr Abbott was offered the Governor-Generalship, he would be unable to continually undermine the Prime Minister.

Mr Abbott has apparently refused overseas postings, so the Queen's representative may be the only position left to tempt him.

Therefore, the "war prerogative" would ultimately rest with the former PM. I'm not sure if I am totally comfortable with this scenario.

Digby Habel, Cook

So, France has voted for the centrist, same old same old, comfortable, predictable candidate. I believe that this is a mistake.

Like the euphoria that greeted Neville Chamberlain with his "peace in our time" fantasy, Winston Churchill was the necessary ingredient then.

I am sure that Marine Le Pen is the one France needs now.

Europe seems to be in a hypnotic state as Islam creeps up on it like the Mr Wolf of the children's game.

Le Pen would defend France as Churchill defended England.

Not pretty, but Islam fights dirty and "the people" must wake up and fight back, as England et al did, at the last moment, nearly too late.

That's why Donald Trump is in the White House – not pretty, but he knows how to fight.

The American people must wake up, too.

He can't do it by himself.

J.Halgren, Latham

Like G.T.W.Agnew (letters, May 6), I also heard Richard Di Natale say on Radio National that Australia had followed the US into every war since World War I.

Unlike Mr Agnew, I took it not as a lie but as a slip of the tongue in a live interview, an Abbottesque "shit happens" moment perhaps.

If Senator Di Natale had simply added "or the UK", or said "World War II" instead, it would have been accurate.

His basic premise remains correct – that Australia needs an independent foreign policy, notone where we meekly follow others regardless of their motives.

Peter Marshall, Captains Flat, NSW

Gonski seems to be based on two premises.

The first is, if there's a problem, throw money at it and it will go away.

The only problem is how to prioritise the problems.

The second is one size fits all.

Whatever the problems of individual students, they should all go to similar schools.

Both premises sound like ideological presuppositions to me.

Gary J.Wilson, Macgregor

RACISM ON DISPLAY?

I am puzzled by the fuss over comments by Yassmin Abdel-Magied regarding Anzac Day, Manus Island and Nauru. If I had made these comments (would) the criticism would have displayed as much dyspepsia? Perhaps many of us vilifying the young lady are simply displaying our racism?

C. J. Johnston, Duffy

VICTIMS PUNISHED

The O'Loughlin's letter (letters, May 11) demonstrates how victims are punished in Canberra while government authorities take no action. Are they incompetent or politically hamstrung?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

POSSIBLE AMBASSADOR

Our government must make use of Ms Corby when she comes back from Bali. She is the best ever ambassador to advise young Australians on the consequences of carrying drugs while in foreign countries.

Mokhles k Sidden, Sydney, NSW

STORY FOR SALE

If alleged drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury or her family get paid for her story, the federal government should not provide financial assistance. Seems a bit quick to be selling her story.

Alan Leitch, Austins Ferry, Tas

BUDGET EUPHEMISM

For zombie (budget measures) read fake!

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

EUROPEAN INFLUENCE

How patronising (Patricia Saunders, letters, May 10) to suggest Donald Trump might not even know where Australia is. I have it on authority that when he travels here he hopes to meet the actual von Trapp family members.

Linus Cole, Palmerston

Was ousted FBI Director Comey's dismissal notice written in Russian?

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

ON WRONG TRACK

Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail, distance 1700km at a cost of $10billion ($6 million/km); Civic to Gungahlin light rail, distance 12km at a cost of $1 billion ($83 million/km). Are Canberra citizens being ripped off?

Keith Pantlin, Downer

To the builders of the Tram. Please assure me that provision has been made for wheelchair users to be able to easily wheel onto the tram.

D. Dickson, Belconnen

SCRAP LEVIES, RAISE TAX

Medicare levy. Disability levy. Debt recovery levy. Clean energy levy. Levies for everything. Just scrap them all and raise the tax rates. More tax revenue. Better services. Simples.

Anne Willenborg, Royalla, 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).