A person with dual citizenship is currently entitled to fight and die for Australia but not serve in its Parliament.

Huh?

The current opaque and antiquated process could be made simpler by putting it in the hands of the Parliament itself. I would propose that anyeligible voter should be entitled to stand for Parliament without having to go through a labyrinthine process to find out if they are also legally citizens of another country.

Before taking their seat in Parliament each successful candidate should be required to pledge their allegiance to Australia.

This would not only address the dual citizenship issue but also the ridiculous provision that excludes people that "hold office of profit under the Crown", such as university staff.

Hopefully such an arrangement could be waved through by the High Court without the need for a referendum.

Mike Reddy, Curtin

Our constitution was written in the 1890s by British invaders in an Aboriginal land.

They decided not to have Australian citizenship and insisted on the White Australia Policy.

One could easily argue that section 44 is the White Australia Policy at work.

The irony is it was written to keep Australia British with all people as British subjects except for Aborigines.

This was to maintain the absolute whiteness of the new Commonwealth of Australia.

Terra nullius was encouraged and all black, brown and other "coloured" people were entirely excluded.

Now we have the ludicrous place where every person excluded from Parliament has been white and, except for Canavan, British subjects of Canada and New Zealand and England by birth.

If it wasn't so backward and pathetic a cynic would have to laugh.

The drafters must be rolling in their graves at what their racist madness has wrought nearly 130 years later.

Marilyn Shepherd, Angaston, SA

Revelations concerning a foreign "fifth column" in the Commonwealth Parliament via dual citizenship cannot be tolerated.

Also of concern are Australians who are elected to a foreign parliament, like a decade ago in Italy during the Berlusconi era.

There were two Australian men elected to the Italian parliament and they would have sworn allegiance to Italy.

Australians who are elected to an alien parliament should automatically lose Australian citizenship.

Equally any Australian that serves in a foreign armed force (other than an ADF exchange posting with an ally) should be treated like a mercenary and lose Australian citizenship.

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

Some have claimed that verses of the Koran revealed in Medina urged believers to smite the necks and slay the unbelievers.

As an Ahmadiyya Muslim, I want to make it clear that we believe in all the verses of Koran. The concept of abrogation of Koranic verses is alien to us.

Muslims suffered inhuman persecution in Mecca for 13years and they were not allowed to fight back.

Eventually the prophet was forced to migrate to Medina. However, his opponents continued their hostility against him and did not let him live in peace.

At that time, Muslims were allowed to fight back with strict rules of engagement. However, it is clearly stated in the verse 8:62 that "and if they incline towards peace, incline thou also towards it".

The entire situation is clarified from the verse 60:9, which states that "Allah forbids you not, respecting those who have not fought against you on account of your religion, and who have not driven you forth from your homes, that you be kind to them and act equitably towards them; surely Allah loves those who are equitable".

Attia-Tull-Karim Mahmood, South Bowenfels, NSW

Many thousands of Australians would indeed be devastated to hear of the too-soon passing of the accomplished Indigenous and blind musician, Dr G. Yunupingu.

As was affirmed back in 2008 about his sublime singing, his songs changed the way you breathe.

In an industry often dripping with self-absorption, monotonous music and ephemeral performers, Yunupingu's tranquil voice crossed generations and stilled many troubled souls across the nation.

The songs on his recent Gospel Album were testimony to his faith. I give thanks he is now with his Master, enjoying the glory of sight and seeing his Saviour face to face.

Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn, Vic

I have just returned from a two-month winter escape to Thailand and supposed Third World country Cambodia, where Wi-Fi is available free in every hotel, most buses and overnight sleeper trains and internet connections are available within one week.

I am curious. How are our internet connections progressing so far, Mr fist-thumping "Jobs and growth, nimble, agile and innovative" Turnbull? Are we halfway through yet after your solemn promise every household would be connected to the NBN by December 2016?

When Tony Abbott was Prime Minister he told Malcolm Turnbull to kill the existing network plan.

What a splendid job he did, to all our detriment.

P. Philip, Gowrie

Ross Gittins has said that two people died as victims of terrorism in the Martin Place siege.

I assume that Mr Gittins does not count the hostage-taker, Man Monis, as a victim.

That being the case, it's worth noting that the NSW Police accounted for most of the victims at Martin Place and it's worth speculating how many more victims the police might have accounted for had not so many of the hostages freed themselves prior to the police assault.

Peter Moran, Watson

Graham Downie (Letters, July 27) has levelled a number of charges at our re-elected ACT Labor government, including:

■ Rates increases of 55 per cent (you should look at our rates bill, Graham!).

■ Systematically reducing or cutting funds from worthy community organisations and its own agencies.

■ An "ill-advised" billion-dollar tram while more worthwhile services are cut.

■ No apparent improvement to the amenity of the city.

■ Neglect of city maintenance and contempt for the needs of those paying for government waste and neglect.

But you see, Graham, the government has consulted us on all of these things. It was called the 2016 Territory election, which our Chief Minister has been quick to tell us was the most comprehensive consultation exercise it could have conducted.

By appearing to blame an allegedly ineffective opposition for this state of affairs, you only ensure that the government will continue to thumb its nose at you, secure in the knowledge that you and many other complaining Canberrans will continue to vote for it or at least not vote against it.

Perhaps you should resolve to vote for change next time.

Who knows? You may find the change more refreshing than you realise.

Michael and Christine O'Loughlin, Griffith

Re: "Land deals come in for criticism" (Editorial, July 28, p14).

ACT Auditor-General Dr Maxine Cooper knows the score.

Town planning has been taken over by "land economics", as "normalisation" of development sweeps the ACT (particularly and shockingly, in the Central National Area).

This has occurred in the wake of the misleadingly named Griffin Legacy publication by the National Capital Authority.

This was driven by the Canberra Central Task Force of 2005.

The "City to the Lake" plan grew out of that, and the Auditor is investigating related land dealings by the LDA with landowners and developers.

It seems the agency felt it could recover the exorbitant prices privately paid to them for key land related to City-to-Lake infrastructure, when they later line up to buy newly subdivided West Basin lake foreshore land from the government.

This has got to stop, with first, the scrapping of the national-capital-wrecking City to the Lake Plan, and aspects of the City Hill and Constitution Avenue Plans.

The Central National Area is too important to the nation and the world to begifted over to property developers operating under their own rules.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

During an inquiry by the ACT Legislative Assembly Auditor-General Maxine Cooper criticised the Land Development Agency for its "loose governance arrangements and loose management" with respect to millions of dollars the LDA splurged on Glebe Park and West Basin purchases ("Auditor-General lets loose on LDA", CT, July 27, p1).

The LDA's purse strings were even looser and wantonly so. In stark contrast to the Auditor-General, the Chief Minister, who has made no secret of his desire to splurge hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers' funds on his extravagant City to the Lake "vision", has demonstrated a complete lack of concern.

I suggest that ACT taxpayers have every right to feel disgusted about the even more stark contrast between the looseness of the government's approach to expenditure of taxpayers' funds and its flint-hard taxation policies.

Bruce Taggart, Aranda

Isn't it extraordinary how vehement opposition is to expanding the democratic franchise?

Until, of course, it's done, after which point it becomes simply the way things are.

Who of us now could contemplate that women should not have the right to vote?

Who could justify that First Nations people would not be allowed to vote in the country we stole from them?

Who could imagine that, relatively recently, if you didn't own property, you couldn't vote?

The Canberra Times' rather over the top "the sky will fall in" response to a proposal to allow young people to vote fits this mode (Editorial, July 27, p14).

One day, soon enough, it will simply be common sense.

Tim Hollo, executive director, The Green Institute, Turner

Congratulations to the National Capital Authority for the restoration and reopening of heritage-listed Blundells Cottage on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

From 1964 to 1999 Canberra and District Historical Society volunteers managed Blundells, building an extensive museum collection and opening to visitors.

The Society's records show that more than 200,000 people visited in those years, often more than 600 per day during Easter.

Currently a Society volunteer is working through the 20 boxes of the Blundells Cottage records, including comprehensive daybooks, for future lodgment in the ACT Heritage Library.

Julia Ryan, President Canberra and District Historical Society, Curtin

Canberra's Indigenous incarceration rate was 938 per 100,000 in 2015-16. Over two years it had increased 50 per cent.

The male incarceration rate was 194 per 100,000 and had increased by 16 per cent.

The female incarceration rate was 11 per 100,000 and had increased by 25 per cent.

Minister for Corrections Shane Rattenbury successfully moved a motion at this week's Corrective Services Ministers' Conference, for all governments to investigate the increase in women in prisons.

What is he doing to address our higher – and increasing – rates of Indigenous and male incarceration?

Leon Arundell, Downer

DUTTON DRESSED AS SPAM

Some weeks ago, when first canvassing the idea of a department of home affairs, Peter Dutton spoke of his "requirements" in relation to his portfolio's functions.

Who does Dutton think he is? I thought only the deputy prime minister, and perhaps the deputy Liberal leader, has theright to choose their portfolio and itsfunctions (as Barnaby Joyce did lastyear when he secured the transfer ofthe water resources function to his portfolio).

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

ANYONE TAKE NOTES?

Re: "UN Agency says Dutton reneged on refugee deal" (July 25, p3).

Would it be too simple to say that there should be minutes of the meetings that occurred between the officials of UNHCR and Australia, which includes Minister Dutton.

Do both parties have different minutes or is there a return to the whiteboard and no audit trail?

Maybe the minutes were written on a whiteboard. Be professional instead of titfor tat.

K. Downes, Melba

STILL WAITING

Matt Canavan says he never got Italian voting papers sent to him. Australia Post must be worse that I thought.

Thos Puckett, Asgrove, Qld

ALL THINGS MUST PASS

I draw your attention to the old Central Queensland proverb (source anonymous): "The dogs bark and the Canavan moveson ..."

Nigel Thompson, Queanbeyan, NSW

KEEP IT ON ICE

Cool Fyshwick? ("Fyshwick turns cool", July 28, p1). When hell freezes over!

M. Moore, Bonython

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.

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