She referred to a previous article, titled "From Ugly Swampling to our Swan Lake", which was published on June16.

While I have not read that article I must comment on the title.

As an original Canberran since 1937 I have to say I have never seen an ugly swamp where Lake Burley Griffin now lies.

At the western end we had Royal Canberra Golf Course, the Acton racetrack and a nine-hole sand green golf course.

Below the old hospital was the willow lined river in which the nurses used to swim. The adjacent flat was covered with Kilmartin's lucerne paddocks, which provided food for his pigs.

Further along in front of Old Parliament House was a grazing field for sheep and a few cattle, a market garden and Mrs Oldfield's farmland below Blundell's cottage where she lived.

The Molonglo wound its way through this area with its willows and poplars changing colour with the seasons.

The area was never an ugly swampland or even a swampling.

Kevin Mulcahy, Tura Beach, NSW

I share Juliet Ramsay's disgust (Letters, June 19) at the way Walter Burley Griffin's design for our beautiful garden city is being destroyed by the greed of "developers".

But I was even more enraged to read the article about the demolition of Ainslie Village ("Govt looks to alternative for Ainslie Village", canberratimes.com.au, June 17).

How even the greediest politician can contemplate dispossessing this most vulnerable part of the community beggars belief.

The $350,000 so generously earmarked for them (the homeless) works out at about $2000 per head, and is presumably intended to be a "one-off". I would like to know how it is intended to be spent. A sleeping bag each to start with, perhaps, for Canberra's freezing winter nights, and a bus pass for them to get from one part of the city to the other to access medical and other services they need once they have been scattered around town so as not to congregate and frighten the horses?

Doubtless the site of the village has been earmarked for some development or other. To plagiarise Burns, this splendid vision of Griffin's and some of its neediest people are being "bought and sold for developers' gold" by a "parcel of rogues".

Barbara Fisher, Cook

An advertisement by my federal MP, Dr Andrew Leigh (June 19, p3), claims that Canberra is not getting a fair go under Malcolm Turnbull's Liberals.

While many Canberrans might be content to accept Dr Leigh's claim at face value, a 2017 report by the Commonwealth Grants Commission shows that the ACT's per capita share of GST revenue is $3046, more than $500 per head above the state and territory average ($2543). Despite the ACT having the twin advantages of the highest per capita average income and Australia's most compact jurisdiction, its per capita share of GST revenue is considerably higher than New South Wales ($2235) and Victoria ($2322) and almost 3.5 times that of Western Australia ($878).

Given that, first, Dr Leigh's claim seems to be based more on political partisanship than objective economic analysis; and, second, any increase to Canberra's share of Commonwealth funding will necessarily mean reductions for other states and territories (which would be far more likely to cost the ALP votes than win any), it's a fairly safe bet that the ALP won't dare to publish the advertisement outside of Canberra.

Furthermore, I suggest if Labor were to win the next federal election and bestow upon the ACT the sort of funding largesse for which Dr Leigh seems to be contending then surely he and his party would be just as guilty of pork barrelling as Barnaby Joyce.

Bruce Taggart, Aranda

After 17 years' operation the popular Teatro Vivaldi on the ANU campus has been forced to close to make way for unnecessary development.

Vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt and executive director of administration and planning Chris Grange have struck another blow to rip the heart and life out of the university.

This follows demolition of the iconic Bruce Hall, shutting out its own students in the 60-year-old student-run Sports Union and University Union by cutting them out of their core business of building sports centres and running sport on campus and providing services and entertainment through the University Bar.

To top it off, the Student Arts Centre is being demolished and a container village established without any discussion with the local coffee shops and restaurants that also provide life on campus.

Any student considering study at ANU is well advised to look elsewhere for a more alive campus.

Mervyn Aston, Hawker

Every vehicle with wheels on the road should be registered and insured.

Cyclists contribute to pollution. How do they think their Lycra outfits, the carbon steel of their bike frames and the manufacture of the tyres and other fittings including their plastic water bottles, sunglasses and fancy shoes are manufactured?

All from mined resources and petroleum products. Not to mention the carbon dioxide gas and hot air cyclists produce. Get real.

Leslie Barnard, West Belconnen

The latest stage of the David Eastman saga ("Near $30 million set aside to pursue Colin Winchester murder trial", June 20, p1) appears to have little to do with justice.

The fact that, 28 years on, the AFP and the DPP have still not been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt who killed AFP Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester must truly rankle.

I would have thought that these millions could have been better allocated to detecting and preventing crimes of the 21st century.

Mike Reddy, Curtin

The first political suicide bomber on record was Samson against the Philistines.

The Tamil Tigers were the group who made it politically attractive from 1987 – young people queued up to volunteer.

Terrorists who call themselves Islamists have come to use it only recently.

Buddhists have a history as ruthless killers – recently of Tamils in Sri Lanka and of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Christians kill abortionists. Zionists kill Palestinians.

So, James Allan (Letters, June19) Islam is no more a problem than other religions.

Extremists and fundamentalists of all religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism) can end up as terrorists when they focus on the few "killing" words in their holy books.

We must implement polices of equality, peace, love and mercy which lead to a collaborative world with reduced consumerism and sidelining physical resources for gain.

We must take action to support the angry young men (mainly) who feel ignored and powerless.

Only then can we counter the actions resulting in an "eye for an eye" and killing of apostates.

Caroline Fitzwarryne, Yarralumla

Australians are entitled to be angry and disgusted by reports that tourists in Bali are routinely being fed dog meat. Dogs are not on the menu in Australia, and the Bali dogs, according to eyewitnesses, suffer appallingly cruel deaths before being eaten, often sold falsely as chicken satays.

Many are poisoned, adding further risk to the unwitting consumer.

But before demanding that your satays come from another animal, spare a thought for the billions of chickens killed just as inhumanely every year. These chickens endure miserable lives in filthy, overcrowded factory farms and probably never see the sun or take a breath of fresh air until they are put onto trucks and sent to slaughter.

Chickens are genetically bred to grow so large and so fast that their legs, lungs, and hearts often can't keep up – their upper bodies grow six to seven times faster than they would naturally.

Unless they have died from stress and abuse before they're shackled, these animals are still alive when their throats are slit, and die slowly of blood loss. The only safe way to ensure you are not eating dog satays is to request tasty, nutritious vegan food. Each vegan saves more than 100 animals a year, so not only will you be looking after your health, but that of hundreds of other sentient animals.

Ashley Fruno, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Sydney

Re "Dutton blasts law firm after $70m Manus Island deal", (June15, p5).

Of course, Dutton is programmed to blame anyone but himself or the government for the loss of the case. His attempts to foist the blame onto the ALP, again, and to target the law firm because it does a lot of work for the unions and the refugees, sounded very hollow.

Regardless of who is prepared to accept responsibility for the damages incurred and the outcome of the case, it is not a lot of money. Imagine being locked up for five years with others, with all of you experiencing physical and mental abuse at the hands of your protectors, for about $7000 per annum. The refugees cannot be brought here now or even be allowed to move to NZ (who have offered twice to take them in, knocked back by this government both times) simply because the loss of face in the concession required would be too great for any of this government to bear.

W. Book, Hackett

When asked to explain the doctrine of the Separation of Powers (the judicial, the executive and the legislative), then Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen replied, "You tell me what you think it is, and I'll tell you whether you're right or not."

It's the right of citizens to criticise the courts, and if Ministers Hunt, Tudge and Sukkar were ordinary citizens that would be OK. But they're not.

As government ministers they're members of the other two Powers. Anyone criticising the court while holding those positions could be seen to be attempting to intimidate and influence the courts, exactly what the doctrine is designed to prevent.

While Sir Joh clearly did not understand the doctrine, Hunt, Tudge and Sukkar, being lawyers, clearly do. I imagine this also changes the status of any further remarks made by serial contemptor and now senator Derryn Hinch.

Dallas Stow, O'Connor

It's funny to see people bemoan the partisan state of politics, then lay all the blame on one side. ("We should demand more of our politicians", June 19, p15, by Amanda Vanstone).

Amanda, if you want to stop something, the best way to start is to cease your own contributions to it.

Even in an emotive plea for balance, she couldn't do that.

If Amanda really hated negative partisan politicking, she would mention the way Abbott (with help from Rudd, state governments and others) harried Gillard into a state of desperate haste that reduced good policy to on-the-run populism.

Instead, Amanda indulged in a detailed assassination of Labor's character while briefly glossing her side's behaviour as a one-off lapse.

S. W. Davey, Torrens

On TV Oliver Stone tried to catch Putin out but, in general, Vlad (seems) to take far fewer liberties with the truth than our leaders do. Would Stone do a chat like this with our leaders? I doubt he'd bother. The eagle does not catch flies.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The PM claims the threat of terrorism justifies restricting civil liberties. But first let's curtail the uncivil liberties we take such as to bomb civilians, prosecute war without end, exploit, pollute and to persecute the refugees from the consequences of it all.

Then there is our inalienable right to lie and pretend it's normal.

Jonathan Doig, Gymea Bay

PHOBIA AND CRIME

Tony Abbott stated on June 5 that "Islamophobia hasn't killed anyone". What does he call the attack in London where a white man killed an innocent person near the mosque and injured many? Attacks on Muslims are on the rise in the US, Europe and Australia. We need to call these people criminals, not blame the religion.

Aqeel Ibraheem, Blacktown, NSW

LOSS WITHOUT SENSE

The erosion of weekend penalty rates is fast-tracking many Australian workers to be the "working poor" similar to the US. This is increasing the gap between the haves and the have-nots. It is not good economic sense to lower wages when we need retail growth to keep our economy healthy.

Carrie Wright, Watson

THE RIGHT TRACKIE

It's unsurprising that a crackdown on citizenship rights is the latest act of a government desperate to attract the One Nation vote. Any day now expect to see Turnbull and Dutton strutting around in Howard-era green-and-gold Team Australia tracksuits.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

DEUS EX MACHINA

Living in Watson, as one passes daily the progress of the light rail, it is inspiring to see the highly developed machinery (being used). Yet continually there is the Keynesian bleating against the tram in The Canberra Times. No wonder I prefer technology to economics.

Jack Palmer, Watson

SOURCE OF VIOLENCE

The recent van ramming attack on the mosque in Finsbury Park, London, by a white man shows thatterrorism has no religion. It emanates from lack of knowledge, bigotry and mental illness. My heart goes out to all the victims.

Nasir Ahmed, Glandore, SA

MISTY-FIED

It's strange on foggy mornings that the cars that don't have their lights on are likely to be dark or black. Perhaps the drivers of these cars figure that they can see everyone else.

John Skurr, Deakin

UNEQUAL SPEECH

Three federal ministers criticised by the Victorian judiciary for remarks others of us often publicly make. So much for equality before the law.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

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