Unfortunately the attitudes and behaviour of our current president are not consistent with this long history. Please understand that many Americans are as perplexed and upset as many Australians must be by the recent phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Turnbull. Governments come and go, but I sincerely hope the warm relations and friendship of the American and Australian people will endure.

John L. Heywood, Worthington, Ohio, US

As an American, I want to apologise for the boorish behaviour of Trump. Moreover, he continues to tell a lie that the American press doesn't seem to want to correct.

He constantly brags about his great electoral victory. Out of the 58 presidential elections, Trump comes in at No. 46. I am tired of him comparing himself to Ronald Reagan, who came in at fifth and ninth. President Obama came in at No. 32 and 37.

Benyamin "Ben" Abrams, Marshfield, Missouri, US

Serves Turnbull right for keeping refugees in abhorrent conditions in Manus, in which Labor has also had a part, and for believing that Trump would "honour" the deal in the first place. Talking about "honour" and such a "deal" is a gruesome form of tautology.

The whole business has become tangled and twisted with the focus on Trump's dissembling when the focus should be on treating refugees humanely, not like export cargo.

Shame on the Liberal and Labor governments for creating such a situation with refugees and for giving Trump oxygen for his toxicity.

Judy Kelly, Aranda

Malcolm Turnbull is in a bind regarding our relationships with the United States. Those relationships are important, but Donald Trump behaves as if he is mad, bad and dangerous to know. When Prince Charles warned that we might be forgetting the lessons of World War II, his main message was that we should help refugees, and not tolerate the persecution of people on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity.

Perhaps he also meant that we shouldn't appease evil crazies. Mr Turnbull should take note of those lessons, and not be surprised that he got his head bitten off.

Perhaps now he will realise that he's trying to deal with a bully, not an ally. While alliances are important, being completely dependent on one nation, especially one with a dodgy leader, is unhealthy.

R. Neville, Fraser

Perhaps Donald Trump should be reminded that we "welcome" 1250 American Marines and plenty of military hardware in Darwin, in rotation, every six months and have a agreement to do so for 25 years.

Debbie Cameron, Ainslie

What sort of "dumb deal" was it for Australians to die in the Vietnam War? Or to host American ships and planes? Time to stop US access to Australian defence bases, scrap ANZUS and find some better allies.

C.C. Kenna, Murrumbateman, NSW

Malcolm Turnbull's public comments in relation to Donald Trump provide a further example of how Malcolm's evasions, distortions and contortions are becoming more and more embarrassing. Other examples include his approach to dealing with climate change and to gay marriage. He is looking like a possum stuck in the spotlight. How about some good honest leadership and judgment.

Little did I suspect that the justifiable removal of Tony Abbott would result in the manifestation of Malcolm Turnchicken.

E.J. Rojahn, Calwell

With the advent of Donald Trump, Owen Reid (Letters, February 2) asks how long it will be before "Trump-hating Clinton luvvies accept the legitimacy of the election". Don Sephton (Letters, February 2) advises Americans to "take a deep breath and remember that they voted him into office".

Given Hillary Clinton won almost 3 million more votes than Trump, your two correspondents seem to be followers of a famous Central American dictator who remarked "You won the election, but I won the count".

(Dr) William Maley, Reid

Jennifer Saunders (Letters, February 2) claims that "there can be no such thing as "overblown" when it comes to Donald Trump). I beg to differ!

After conducting rigorous and infallible research (a quick rummage through my compost pile of copies of The Canberra Times from the past few days, I found that in the World section there were roughly 17 stories concerning Trump and only around nine for the rest of the world. This preposterous number excludes the opinion pieces, commentary and the daily hysteria that was once the Letters to the Editor section. Does American domestic policy really affect Australia that much? Or is it a case of lazy journalistic practices feeding the ever-vocal bleeding hearts brigade?

(P.S. I'm still a big fan of the paper and thank you for your services to the community.)

Pat Crowley-Bacon, Carwoola, NSW

Malcolm Turnbull's $1.75 million donation to the Liberal Party has to be most expensive and least cost-effective job creation scheme in history!

A truly philanthropic gesture by Prime Minister (and former communications minister) Malcolm Turnbull would have been to donate his loose change to the ABC rather than the Liberal Party. By doing so he could have saved the national broadcaster's vital shortwave radio service to the remotest parts of the Australian outback and south-west Pacific.

Nigel Thompson, Queanbeyan East, NSW

I hope the "Curtin shops stand-off" (February 2, p1) is the catalyst for the "debate that Canberra needs to have" ("Destroying Canberra to save it", Editorial, January 12, p16).

My question to the residents of Curtin is: are you opposed to infill around your shopping centre or are you only opposed to the architectural and planning aspects of the current proposal? The location of the Curtin shops, about 400 metres from the likely route of the Woden tram, muddies the water.

Any development would suit the Barr government's predilection for trams and infill along the routes.

Infill around all suburban centres (large and small) is the only realistic alternative to tram corridor development. I favour the former because it would be consistent with building the economy of the towns and it would offer the families, who are the backbone of society, convenient access to a wide range of services and entertainment.

Mr Barr's vibrant Civic is for the tourist industry and those without responsibilities.

A. Smith, Farrer

We now know that the big three parties spent on average about $11 for each vote they received at the ACT Assembly election ("Big three parties shell out $2.54m on campaign", February 2, p2).

Taxpayers have, under the law pushed through by Labor and the Liberals, paid them and the Greens $8 for every vote they received. Meanwhile, the Independents and minor parties, who in total got about 40,000 votes, have, with very few exceptions, not received a cent from taxpayers (reflecting they have to individually get about 2000 votes before receiving any funding).

This situation is like only subsidising Coles and Woolies advertising. While this is perfectly understandable, since their political equivalents have set the rules, it is definitely not equitable and probably not good for our democracy.

It's time for Canberrans to push the Assembly to reimburse all candidates for each vote they receive.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

Your article on the proposed Geocon Abode Hotel in the Kingston Centre ("Boutique Abode hotel planned for Kingston", February 2, p8) was misleading.

Community feedback was certainly not all that rosy. From the invitation and at the Elton presentation on December 15, 2016, attendees were informed the proposal was for 61 rooms (not 55) with a mere 21 car spaces. Either figure fails to comply with government regulations for parking.

There was no parking provision for taxi, disability access or a shuttle bus as would be expected. Parking is at a premium in Kingston and this development with insufficient spaces will simply take over the adjacent 15public spaces on Kennedy and Eyre streets with negative implications for commercial and residential sites nearby.

The hotel wraps around the corner with zero lot line on the tiny 808sq m (not 900sq m site) site. Most importantly Geocon intends to appropriate the public lane behind the site which is a dangerous exit into Eyre Street, having limited vision. No mention was made of submissions by a set date and of course the timing took in Christmas and new year holidays. If this DA sails through, chalk it up as yet another appalling balls-up for urban planning in the ACT.

B. Moore, Kingston

I wonder who the road planning "guru" is at Transport Canberra and City Services.

Whoever they are, they have shown complete contempt for ACTION's passengers and Weston Creek's residents.

It beggars belief that we need to have road works scheduled simultaneously for Cotter Road and Hindmarsh Drive, the two major routes out of Weston Creek, just when families return to work and school.

Why couldn't the Hindmarsh Drive works have been completed over the Christmas/new year period when we have very low traffic volumes and minimal disruption to ACTION services?

Jeff Carl, Rivett

As I read that the ACT government apparently now has technologies to 100 per cent clean out Mr Fluffy asbestos from the Ainslie shops giving it a "clean bill of health" ("ACTgovernment finally moves to rid Ainslie shops of loose-fill Fluffy asbestos", canberratimes.com.au, February 1), all I can think of is that Barr is much like a Trump Trainwreck.

How does the ACT government then justify demolishing 1023 homes that no longer have the asbestos insulation in their homes?

Why can they not apply the same methodology and technology to residential homes?

It appears the Mr Fluffy Fiasco is the biggest land grab to take place in Australia, displacing thousands of law-abiding and tax-paying citizens. And Barr is too spineless to call a board of inquiry.

K. Grant, McKellar

When will the law stop using the word "alleged" for people whose crime was committed in full view of many witnesses?

How much less would the family of victims suffer without the further agony of a long trial? Investigating the background of the perpetrator for possible extenuating circumstances is all that a judge would need to base sentencing on.

Eva Reid, Farrer

I believe it was Albert Einstein who remarked that one definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

As the inevitable results of the global lurch to the right begin to impinge on even the uninterested, voters have repeatedly opted for not only more of the same, but for even more extreme forms of the same – and seem to be surprised when the result is just more extreme forms of the same.

Now, finally, a group of young people seem to be waking up. Unaccountably, they've done so within the structure of the Greens, a party which, unsurprisingly, hasn't welcomed their epiphany. They'll need to distance themselves from the three major parties if they're to bring about the change that's needed. I wish them every success.

Fred Pilcher, Kaleen

ADVANTAGE, NOT COST

Canberra has the best funded public school system in the country with the highest teacher-to-student ratios – and The Times spins this into a negative headline ("Schools cost more to run in Canberra", February 3, p2).

Paul Haesler, Gordon

HIGHLIGHT THE NEGATIVE

If all current federal MPs were required to declare the negative gearing of their investment properties then, perhaps, we could be afforded a transparent debate on whether negative gearing should be abolished.

D.N.Callaghan, Kingston

WAY TO GO MALCOLM

If President Trump did indeed describe his phone conversation with Malcolm Turnbull as "the worst by far", that tells me at least our Prime Minister is doing something right.

John Howarth, Weston

NEVER A TRUER WORD

Whoever first conceived the Middle English word trumpery was evidently prophetic.

Michael Lacey, Hughes

US TRIUMPHS ABOUND

Ah, Ukraine. Another triumph of American foreign policy.

Peter Moran, Watson

BEST WISHES IN BATTLE

Readers will wish Steve Doszpot well in his battle against cancer. He's just one refugee who has made great contributions to Australian society.

John Milne, Chapman

PM FACES THE MUSIC

It seems like Malcolm Turnbull is trying to buy a Stairway to Heaven ("PM reveals he donated $1.75m", February 2, pp4-5) and apologies to Led Zeppelin!

Fay Feldner, Goulburn, 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).