The back-room functions identified include IT services and Commonwealth purchasing functions.

To which (among others) could be added Commonwealth construction and property management functions, the provision of Commonwealth cars for politicians, the administration of politicians' salaries and allowances, the administration of departmental advertising campaigns, and many other such back-room functions.

How strange. I recall that, before its abolition in October 1997, there was a Department of Administrative Services that performed most of these ''back-office'' functions.

Aside from political spite in the aftermath of the ''travel rorts'' affair, DAS's abolition was justified on the grounds that it would deliver budget savings.

So now it is suggested that the establishment of a public service super department - let us call it DAS Mark II - will create the opportunity for budget savings.

As the last secretary of DAS (Mark I), please permit me a very wry smile.

John Mellors, Pearce

I see defence personnel are concerned about their car parking and lack of shops at the Russell offices (''Defence staff up in arms at charge for unsealed car park'', April 16, p3).

I have a solution.

The Townsville City Council has recently proposed the relocation of at least a proportion of the defence bureaucracy to Townsville, the home of the biggest army base in the country and a substantial RAAF facility, and to Cairns, home of our second-largest east coast naval base.

Such a relocation would enable defence people to live in the places most affected by the decisions they make.

As well, they would enjoy our great lifestyle, the Barrier Reef and the rainforests, good fishing, modern schools and hospitals and a wonderful climate with an occasional bit of excitement when a cyclone comes near - although all our buildings are built to withstand such events.

No more cold winters, and no more ripoff parking. Shops everywhere and two car parks for every vehicle.

Now there's a solution that ticks all the boxes.

Ian Macdonald, Liberal senator for Queensland, Townsville

Caroline Le Couteur (Letters, April 10) is obsessed with the single issue of tax on superannuation and seems unable to see the wider picture.

The reduced taxation of super is offset by many benefits to the economy as a whole.

In the accumulation phase, the reduced rate partially offsets the impact of salary sacrifice, thus encouraging provision for retirement income.

The money accumulating in super funds is available for investment, directly and indirectly, over a broad spectrum of opportunities, the vast majority of which are in Australia. As Australia has been dependent on inwards investment, this can only be beneficial.

In the pension phase for those over 60, the non-taxation of income means the recipients have a higher income, thus moving many out of the aged-pension regime to partial or nil levels, which, at the margin, is a saving to taxation spending exceeding the cost to revenue.

At and above this level, the favourable tax treatment means more cash in the hand for superannuants, who are big consumers of services, thus providing employment.

Le Couteur may envy the grey haired in restaurants, having their lawns mowed, houses cleaned, staying in motels, flying in aircraft or cruising the highways in caravans.

Would she prefer the taxpayer fork out for unemployment benefits for all these service providers?

Superannuants must draw a minimum of 5 per cent of the value of their fund as a pension; the non-taxation of the fund income ensures that it will last for longer, with the benefits to the Australian economy described above.

Hopefully, the federal government will remain wiser than those who cannot see the whole picture.

Michael Lane, St Ives, NSW

Tim Wilson's lecture to the great unwashed regarding free speech (''Code of respectful conduct'', April 9, Times2, p1) was illuminating - more for what it tells us about his attitudes than anything else.

His comments regarding ''civilising and normalising behaviour'' were eerie to say the least, nevertheless I'm still hanging out for his treatise on the dangers, or otherwise, of whistleblowing to democracy. We can each draw our own conclusions as to whether Wilson would hold the same views under a Labor administration but that's another story.

I can't quite put my finger on why, but my mind keeps linking Wilson's treatise on why it's reasonable to curb the rights of public servants to publicly express their disgust at government actions with Tony Abbott's suggestion that the ABC should give his government favourable treatment.

Admittedly, it's drawing a long bow, but having already sacked senior public servants for not wholeheartedly embracing his views, presumably Tony Abbott's ultimate aim is to require all public servants to vote conservative as part of their employment contracts?

Jon Stirzaker, Latham

As of July last year, the prime minister's annual base salary was $507,338.

The single aged pension is $20,227 and, for couples, $30,494 (as of March 2014).

That equates to $9756 a week for the prime minister, $389 for a single pensioner and $586 for a pension couple. The prime minister's wage after tax would be $6689 a week.

I would like Tony Abbott and co and the opposition to live a week or maybe two in the shoes of a low-income earner.

Politicians are so far removed from reality it's sad.

Unfortunately, politicians break promises all the time and yet we still fall for it.

And as for Clive Palmer, don't get me started.

V. Harris, Yass NSW

We have long known that once Australia's livestock arrives in its destination country there is no guarantee that recommended animal welfare standards will be respected.

Even if regulations have been set in place, that is no assurance and there is no possibility of enforcement.

Recent footage filmed in Gaza and broadcast this week on ABC's 7.30 joins the extensive, unambiguous evidence collected over many years of cruelty to Australia's exported animals. And yet the suffering inflicted is as bad now as it ever was.

This is a sickening industry and we need our politicians to take the steps now to replace it with something ethically acceptable.

L. Wallington, Yarralumla

The laying of 1080 baits around Lake Burley Griffin is very disappointing.

We expected more of that lovely city we visit often for its great cultural events. Not only is the death by 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) very cruel, but the ingestion of dead rabbits by non-target species produces an equally cruel death.

Eagles and other raptors, dogs, ravens - all those that do us the service of eating carrion - will die a dreadful death for their trouble.

Australian animals are supposed to be protected, but obviously not seriously enough to prevent this secondary effect of the poisoning.

I live in the country and understand that we must control rabbits.

A combination of methods is best: burrow-blocking, ferrets and gassing are all quicker and more merciful than the 1080 poison.

Please reconsider your campaign, and rehabilitate Canberra's reputation as a compassionate and reasonable city.

Wendy Radford,

Mandurang South, Vic

The ABC ran a straw poll (with all the faults of such a poll) on its NewsRadio site, asking whether respondents would like to have the duke and duchess currently visiting become the king and queen of Australia.

Of the 643 respondents (so far), 84 per cent did not want them …

Straw poll or no, many Australians seem to be underwhelmed by the overload of publicity being churned out publicising a nice celebrity couple with a baby boy.

Greg O'Regan, Farrer

The new Fairfax-Nielsen poll showing sinking support for an Australian republic (''Royal rebound sinks the republic'', April 16, p1) only makes official what everyone knows already.

As monarchists and republicans digest these figures, it is clear we will probably never see a republic in Australia.

Could we finally bury, once and for all, the old canard that the failure of the 1999 referendum was all the fault of John Howard.

Some claim that we would have a republic now except for him.

He has been out of power for about seven years and yet the decline in support for a republic has become ever more pronounced over those years.

Republicans should stop blaming Howard and get involved in helping Australians, especially young Australians, to understand our present constitution better.

It has served us well for more than a century.

Robert Willson, Deakin

I know now why we have schools in Australia: it is so that when the royals are on tour there is someone in the streets to cheer them on.

We wouldn't want them to feel so terribly lonely.

G. Coquillette, Spence

WHO'S THE BOSS, TONY?

Well, of course no one in Treasury has seen the Commission of Audit's report. It probably abolishes its reports, as we all know Tony Abbott only needs the advice of Peta Credlin to run the country. Any public servant can do what his Godness Tony tells them to do. They don't need knowledge, for Hockey's sake! It's ''laugh or cry'' time, folks.

Dame Roseanne Byrne, self-appointed by personal edict, Jerrabomberra, NSW

FACTOID NOT FITTING

H. Ronald's factoid of the week (Letters, April 15) is that people who are demonstrating now on the refugee issue were not engaged when people were dying at sea and detention centres were filling rapidly. Thus, all those demonstrators now must be sanctimonious hypocrites. He doesn't waste time and energy on facts; he just focuses on making the argument fit the doctrine. Watching him at work would be annoying if it were not so amusing.

Jim Douglas, Kingston

SENIORS NOT ELDERLY

I am affronted by The Canberra Times' reference to a 61-year-old as ''elderly'' (''Murder charges laid'', April 15, p2). Since when has 61 been regarded as elderly? Please do not put us into that category. It is an insult. There is plenty of time for us to become elderly.

K. Twohill, Duffy

SOMETHING'S FISHY

At the same time the NSW government is proposing to reduce and remove restrictions on commercial fishing (''Fishery reforms hit lakes, estuaries'', April 12, p1), it is proposing to halve the recreational bag limits and increase size limits for many recreational species. How is that fair for the anglers who like to go and catch their own feed of fresh fish?

Shane Jasprizza, Dunlop

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).