However, the report that "Anybody caught in defence workplaces with material that is offensive or belittling to minority groups will be in trouble" is contentious. Quite aside from David Pope's "He drew first" cartoon, I can imagine a woman who has just suffered a miscarriage being sorely upset by a colleague's photograph of his or her children on the adjoining desk.

The only impartial solution is to ban display of any personal items in the workplace. All else then becomes a matter for the vetting authorities.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

After reading the article "Defence Department cracks down on office 'extremists"', I learnt that defence public servants have been told they cannot belong to extreme political groups at work or in their spare time.

I presume the order came indirectly from their minister, Kevin Andrews, and our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.

It's fair enough that staff not associate with political groups at work, as they should be working, and it's fair enough that they not belong to extremist groups that want political change through a non-democratic process, as that is illegal.

However, it seems Andrews and Abbott are also demanding that staff not belong to political groups that are, in the opinion of Andrews and Abbott, extreme, even if the subjectively extremist groups only want change through the democratic process.

This matter should be clarified as soon as possible, because, if this is the case, we are in very dangerous territory and no longer have the right to call ourselves a true democracy.

Maybe those who want to deny public servants the right to take part freely in certain legal political movements would feel more comfortable finding a position somewhere in the Middle East within a military dictatorship.

Paul Remington, Gordon

It was gratifying to hear US President Barack Obama say categorically: "No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change ... I've heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying 'we're not scientists'. I'm not a scientist either, but ... I know a lot of really good scientists ... and the best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate ... The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it." ("Aggressive Obama lifts Democrats", January 22, p8.)

Would that our own national leader take this position and "act forcefully" instead of pussyfooting around with his "direct action" policy, which is yet to produce anything like the reduction in greenhouse gases that the carbon price and the renewable energy target produced in the short time they were in effect.

Margaret Lee, Hawker

Discussions about a right to free speech and ergo a right to offend get very entangled and lose sight of what differentiates a civil society from a barbarian society.

If a society maintains a right to offend and the right for a bigot to express that bigotry, it can descend into a barbarian rabble.

Being civil means being respectful and courteous to each other, regardless of what we may think of the other. This is part of the "warp and weft" of living together.

Being a civil citizen in a democracy enables rights and also requires accompanying responsibilities. The right to free speech is accompanied by the responsibility to be respectful to others.

As for sticks and stones, we all know jibes and names do hurt and are rude.

Let's encourage civility.

Marguerite Castello, Griffith

While Stephanie Peatling's call for Australians to embrace the "better politics" espoused by President Barack Obama might be noble and high-minded, it surely ignores the root cause of our current political malaise ("Politics is failing us, but we can fix it", online, January 22).

Recent Australian National University research found almost 60per cent of Australians believed it made no difference which party runs our federal government, suggesting a strongly held conviction that our political system had become the plaything of narrow sectional interests and that the interests of most Australians were no longer regarded as paramount by our political leaders.

On that basis, our political system will never produce leaders who will genuinely champion "better politics", simply because that would be contrary to the interests they really serve.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Your article "Tattoos out for UK spies, but ASIO has open mind" (January 22, p5) mentioned that the Australian Federal Police bans facial tattoos on its officers unless they relate to religious beliefs or practices.

I would be interested to know why the AFP believes this rule is not barred by section 116 of the constitution, which prohibits the Commonwealth from making laws that require a religious test as a qualification for any Commonwealth office. On the face of it, the rule seems to say that facially tattooed AFP officers must have a particular religion.

Greg Pinder, Charnwood

Philip Bewley (Letters, January22) and others have commented on options for meeting the costs associated with a range of "public" services, including various levies and co-payments.

Surely it's only government weasel wording that prevents these charges being called what they really are: taxes.

Let's get rid of all these miscellaneous and misnamed charges and set tax rates that cover the whole range of services the community demands.

The tax system provides very effective mechanisms for taking from those who can most afford it, while ensuring relief for those least able to pay, so let's grasp the word "tax" firmly and simplify the whole damned system.

Roger Dace, Reid

Philip Bewley points to the corrosion of Medicare. Conservative politicians have long opposed universal healthcare schemes.

In 1952, a rising British Tory MP detected socialism in the popular National Health Service. His name? Enoch Powell, a man whose other policy positions find echoes in these times.

Paul Feldman, Macquarie

I noted some inaccuracies in the article "Uni music school facelift offers new culture space" (January 15, p3).

The head of the school, Peter Tregear, said the "Llewellyn Hall complex" was "almost 40 years old and had not undergone any substantial work in that time".

Not so. After the supercell storm that devastated much of central Canberra in 2007, major repairs and a significant upgrade were carried out to Llewellyn Hall in 2008.

The former Sir Richard Kingsland Room, often called Rehearsal Room 3, recently received a major refurbishment and was renamed the Larry Sitsky Recital Room.

The Peter Karmel Building was completed in 2001 to accommodate the jazz department.

Regarding the conversion of the former music library into an entertainment venue, it's now clear the ANU wanted all along to commercialise this space, and not to use it for educational purposes, as it said at the time. There seems to be some collective amnesia around.

Angela Giblin, Lyneham

The ability of "prime minister" Clive Palmer's PUP party, abetted by Labor and the Greens, to dictate the legislation passed by the Senate highlights the need to review the constitution.

Such a review should consider all options, ranging from altering Senate election rules so that preference voting cannot be manipulated to enable candidates with less than 1per cent of the primary vote to be elected, through to eliminating the Senate (which focuses on party politics rather than state issues).

Ed Dobson, Hughes

The article "Northbourne gums replaced in rail revamp" (January 22, p1) mentioned companies interested in building light rail in Canberra.

The community's main interest is in how much they will charge.

Surfers Paradise light rail was fully funded by the Queensland government, Infrastructure Australia and Gold Coast councils from the outset.

When you compare that with the ACT government trying to finance our light rail with private capital, it begs the question: what will the total cost be over the 20-year time span mentioned?

The ACT government is determined to keep the total price concealed as commercial in confidence.

The ACT Auditor-General should have the right to scrutinise the financing and make it public before contracts are signed.

If it is as expensive as many of us think, many worthwhile projects, such as public housing, will go to the wall.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

It is things like the letter from A.Smith (January 22) explaining in clear and eloquent terms the rationale for opposing the proposed light rail (e.g. public transport "should be about developing public transport to serve the unique urban form of Canberra"; "make every suburban centre the focal point of a compact and 'vibrant' community") that convince me it should not be that difficult to find 17 members of the community who could do a better job of making decisions on our behalf than the 17 who currently claim that privilege

Karina Morris, Weetangera

By the sheer number of letters that The Canberra Times is receiving about the proposed tram/light rail between Gungahlin and the city, it is becoming obvious to all except the ministers concerned that it will be a white elephant.

If the Labor government was serious about governing for all, it would delay implementing/signing construction contracts until after the next election. This would give Canberrans their democratic right to veto or approve the proposal.

If Labor loses the next election, and there is an even money chance it will happen, this will then give the incoming government the necessary tools to extricate itself from committing ratepayers to a huge burden that will take a decade or more to recover from.

W. G. Priestley, Amaroo

There are four flaws in the ACT government's tram plan.

1. It services one town centre. Canberra has six.

2. The cost far outweighs commuter benefits.

3. It uses stop-start trams, not fast non-stop trains.

4. Its route slows traffic across Northbourne Avenue.

The solutions? Use buses for inner-city commuters.

Use Sullivans Creek for fast, non-stop trains north. Use bushland for fast trains to other town centres.

Use buses from town centres to outer suburbs.

Build a train network progressively as funds permit.

The tram plan lacks what Canberra needs: vision.

Graham Macafee, Latham

It is rather sad to see comments like those of Judy Bailey (Letters, January 20) supporting the light rail project even though she "will never see it completed".

She, like many others, do not appear concerned about the increased taxes and charges that will be placed upon their children and grandchildren should they stay in the ACT.

I suggest these people read the Productivity Commission's report on the costs and benefits of the proposal before they subject their descendants to paying the price of this monument to Shane Rattenbury and Simon Corbell.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

Despite public opinion, Simon Corbell is so obviously determined to have trams or trains in the ACT that one starts to consider why.

Is it a fear of buses? Or perhaps he never had a toy train set.

P. J. Carthy, McKellar

I have followed the tsunami of letters debating the pros and cons of the light rail project. Peter Sherman's letter (January23) crystalises how our local politicians just don't get it in terms of priorities.

A few kilometres east of the proposed light-rail line is an example – the new airport and shopping precinct – of what can be achieved by a pragmatic entrepreneur in value adding to the Canberra community.

How much better off Canberrans would be if we replaced our 17 MLAs (soon to be 25) with Terry Snow.

Brendan Ryan, Mawson

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said in a letter to a constituent (January 5) that "patrons will be able to take their bicycles with them on the Capital Metro vehicles", and Attorney-General Simon Corbell said light rail would be disabled-friendly.

As bikes and wheelchairs would be incompatible alighting and departing the same carriage, will Capital Metro provide separate bike and wheelchair carriages and/or will these commuters be restricted from travelling during peak hours?

Ed Dobson, Hughes

PLAN FOR LONG HAUL

Do Canberra Airport's managers really think demand for cheaper fuel will reduce any time soon ("Majura Park drivers forced to take a detour to get cheap petrol", January 22, p2)? I suggest they make their new service station queuing system permanent. We Canberrans quite like saving 30¢ or 40¢ a litre on petrol. The trip out and the 45-minute wait are worth it.

Dale Fletcher, Kambah

CUP FOOD AN OWN GOAL

It has been a sporting pleasure, as Margaret Tuckwell so nicely describes (Letters, January 22), but the food on offer did not match the Asian in Asian Cup. No Asian or Middle Eastern food; instead chips, pies, sausage rolls, fish and chips, kranskies, burritos or hot dogs. When will we learn to cater for our guests?

S.Engstrom, Deakin

KEEP TABS ON TERROR

If electronically surveyed, a firebrand has nothing to fear if frequenting only appropriate people and places ("How we can keep track of potential terrorists", January 15, Comment, p5). Let's save lives by facilitating the use of this guaranteed sanction on people likely to threaten us.

Hugh Jorgahan, Lyons

KYRGIOS VERDICT IN

I feel sure many Australian Open viewers were disappointed with Nick Kyrgios' demeanour on the court last Monday night ("The Kyrgios conundrum: confident or just cocky?", January 23, Sport, p20). The tennis world has had one McEnroe; it doesn't need another.

N.Russell, Gowrie

LONG TIME IN POLITICS

Joe Hockey and his 150 years ("Treasurer's critics scoff at 150-year 'brain snap"', January 20, p4). Is that really how old the Abbott government's policies are or just how long it feels since it was elected?

Linus Cole, Palmerston

WAIST-DEEP WEED FARM

I wonder when the residents of Belconnen will be officially informed that their suburb was selected to become the weed cultivating capital of the territory. One just has to drive around our main roads to view the waist-high weeds on the median strips and bask in the glory of the government's gold-medal successes.

A.Casey, Belconnen

SUB PLOT THICKENS

No one at large thinks that Harold Holt was abducted by a Russian submarine, Mike Reddy (Letters, January 22). However, some think he was abducted by a Chinese submarine: probably a version of a new American design from plans stolen and forwarded by the Rosenbergs.

Christopher Smith, Braddon

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).