I expect most Canberrans would be prepared to have a levy included in some part of the economy (rego, insurance, or whatever combination) to fund the Mr Fluffy clean up rather than stopping projects that will help sustain our economy.

C. McKew, Forrest

None of us could argue with our government prioritising helping owners of Mr Fluffy homes. What we can argue with, is the decision not to cancel the building of light rail (''Mr Fluffy to put brakes on key projects'', September 13, p1).

Looking at the case for it with eyes wide open, it's a very weak one. We will be spending about $1 billion to replace an efficient bus service.

ACTION will lose money because part of its revenue will disappear. Ratepayers will face higher rates and years of inconvenience while it is being built. At the end of the day we will have a tram line from Gungahlin to Civic that will have a finite capacity to carry 4000 passengers per two-hour peak period. ACTION, with an express transit lane, can [transport] more than that number with ease.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

It is now very obvious that the ACT government has already made up its mind to go ahead with Capital Metro, while shelving other major projects because of the potential Mr Fluffy liability. Shelving these projects is understandable but it is also obvious the government could not care less what is said in the business case for stage 1 of Capital Metro, and will simply go through the farce of pretending to address it.

By continuing to withhold the content of the business case for the project, the government is showing utter contempt for taxpayers who will have to foot the bill for huge capital costs and subsidies.

M. Silex, Greenway

Once again we have Tony Judge (Letters, September 12) rolling out the old chestnut in defence of the retention of the penalty rate because people are working what he deems unsociable hours.

We live in a 24/7 world. In the service industry, operators of cafes, restaurants and bars [are] closing on Sundays and public holidays because you cannot make any money when paying the exorbitant rates demanded under the current system.

People who would get work at a reasonable rate end up getting nothing. Not a great result.

Mark Sproat, Barton

For many years, residents of Weston Creek have had a poor bus service, hence poor patronage and hence further reduced services. Under the ACT government's determination to promote a tramway between Civic and Gungahlin, resources - human and financial - have already been diverted from ACTION to Capital Metro and if that project goes ahead, bus commuters can expect further cuts.

Unfortunately, under the Labor government, many bus services have been progressively reduced, making it now effectively only a peak service. Promises over at least the past eight years of better connections is little more than mantra. Until these ''better connections'' are shown on timetables they are meaningless because there is no mechanism to ensure people can depend on them.

Meanwhile, with many demands on its budget, the government policy seems to be that bus services with limited patronage will be removed. Hence, the overall service will be reduced to help to pay for the Gungahlin tramway with a consequential increase of private motor vehicles in the rest of Canberra.

In 2005, Planning Minister Simon Corbell said he hoped to be able to outline a proposal in about six months for a multi-million-dollar Northbourne Avenue busway. That project should have gone ahead with the capacity to add light rail when or if required. Instead, based more on political expedience, Corbell is now hell bent on a rail service that promises almost no improvement to travel time and the inconvenience of all passengers having to change in Civic if travelling further.

The irony is that people who depend on public transport, cyclists and pedestrians generally, will pay the cost of the tramway if it goes ahead. Indeed, some already are.

Graham Downie, O'Connor

The new ACTION 2014 timetable/routes that are supposedly designed to improve services have done nothing for those living in Macquarie, who in previous years were served by a quite direct service to Civic (route 40), only to be replaced with route 10 that meandered indirectly through many Belconnen suburbs, and indeed headed away from the City. ACTION's current view for improving this illogical and time-consuming route 10 is to change the number back to 40 - no other changes. What genius thought of this?

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

Moves to increase cyclist safety and reduce their vulnerability (''Safety zone advocated as cyclists face threat'', September 9, p3) sound fine provided that cyclists agree to obey basic road rules and traffic lights. In my estimation, only about 1 in 10 Canberra cyclists bother to do so. Seems many riders believe that wearing Lycra makes them invulnerable, like superhero characters portrayed on screen.

David Hall, Kingston

Owen Richardson's review of The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis (''Bogged down by the bizarre'', Panorama, September 13, p20) details the character Paul Doll, a dreadful Holocaust figure. This recalls the short stories of Kingsley Amis about life in the WWII army. They are the most insightful perceptions of that era. In I Spy Strangers, one of Kingsley's memorable characters, Sergeant Doll, discusses demobilisation to England with a Labour government: ''I think Africa … a place where there's still room for initiative and where a determined man can still make his way. Kenya perhaps, or one of the Rhodesias.'' Kingsley, the master.

Jack Palmer, Watson

Bravo to the ANU researchers who won the Eureka Prize for innovative use of technology (''ANU focus on smartphone wins Eureka prize'', September 11, p8). It is a light at a time of darkness in science in Australia. The innovation involved recognising the optical properties of a droplet, forming such a drop with a polymer, and realising that an additional lens in front of the lens of a smartphone would give magnification.

The October 1947 magazine Hobbies Illustrated described in glowing terms how to make a microscope using a droplet of water as a lens to give a magnification of 60 diameters. Back in those days, I followed the instructions and made my own microscope and, as a young person, I used it often. It now resides with my grandchildren.

Grandparents will find this project on page 85 of the magazine, which is in the National Library.

If only polymer had been available in 1947, I would not have had my lens continuously evaporate.

Christopher Dorman, Aranda

My family and I moved to Canberra 2½ years ago. During the time we have lived here, a highlight of our regular trips along Majura Road has been checking out the ''costume'' of the Santa Log. This is a log located near the entrance to the AFP compound that is usually attired in a Santa Claus suit, but often changes to bunny ears around Easter and has even been known to wear a construction helmet during the recent road works.

About three weeks ago, the Santa Log suddenly lost his costume, returning to his more mundane personality of a ''regular log''. We are all most distressed about his loss. Please, whoever has been responsible for the regular costume changes of this much-loved attraction, return our Santa Log to us.

Lee Revell, Harrison

John Blaxland brings some welcome sanity to bear on Tony Abbott's war-mongering in his article ''No conflict in our backyard'' (Times2, September 12, p1). Mr Abbott's stance on intervention in Iraq surely increases the chances of home-grown jihadist attacks because of our participation in the ''crusader'' force, at a time when Australian jihadis are less able to leave to go and fight their vile little war overseas. As many commentators like Blaxland are saying, only the nations of the Middle East stand any chance of sorting IS out successfully.

By the way, whatever happened to the Great Budget Crisis of 2014? Did it outlive Mr Abbott's attention span? Or wasn't it a crisis? Wars are a lot of fun for principled blokes like Tony who don't have to fight them, but they are never cheap. Maybe he thinks we just won't notice a sudden, extra, and open-ended commitment of billions.

Rather than bombing people we know nothing about, the money would be better invested in foreign aid to help reduce the causes of conflict. I know - how boring.

I hope there are enough adult Cabinet members still living on planet Earth to talk Tony out of his excellent adventure.

Michael Williams, Curtin

It is remarkable what passes unscrutinised for serious management of the nation and is not exposed as evident political propaganda. Any public announcement of a ''raising of the terrorism threat level'' could only ever alert an enemy and obviously be detrimental to any attempt to actually stymie a threat to the nation, if indeed one existed.

There were no such self-serving announcements once upon a time, when threats were very real and handled with deadly seriousness, such as in the two world wars.

There is only one reason for a bizarre press conference such as the Prime Minister held last Friday - feigning great gravity on the pretext of national threat, when in fact by definition clearly announcing the opposite - and it is this: to distract the nation from his scandalous domestic policies and to attempt to fabricate a political focus based on insecurity and fear.

Alex Mattea, Kingston

With Australia's internal security scare meter now set at ''high'', I just assessed my personal security. The last time I flew on an aeroplane was in 1987 and I am not likely to fly again (tick). I have only travelled on a train about 20 times my in 62 years (tick). I do use trams but only about 20 times a year (tick). That is why I drive a car in my neighbourhood where there is no risk. I don't go to mass events like the football (tick). I always feel safe regardless and I will not ''duck and cover'' when the silly hype in TV from ASIS and the government is broadcast.

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

Bruce Haigh (''The Abbott Doctrine - a rush to the [edge] of the cliff'', Times2, September 11, p5) refers to Australia's ''lemming-like rush to follow America'' into war. In 1944, Charles Wilson (then chief executive of General Electric) and others strongly advocated a ''permanent war economy'' for the US. The military-industrial complex would keep humming along, producing armaments for anyone who would buy them - friend and foe alike - and would rake in enormous profits.

This philosophy met with some opposition, but continues to this day with Republicans, and is gospel to the Tea Party. [Opponents] sometimes receive very harsh treatment.

We should be wary of being drawn into more wars on the other side of the world alongside the US, when it is evident that the loudest call for this is at least in part driven by a desire to distract us from budgetary blunders at home and to be seen as a ''strong'' leader on the international stage - Australia' s version of Thatcher 1982.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Peter MacLeod (''Scotland must brave independence'', Times2, September 12, p5), gives a splendid call for his native Scotland to vote for independence in the September 18 referendum. He suggests that Scotland and Australia are natural allies and that the mateship, informal culture and general disdain for authority show a strong affinity between the two nations.

But Australia's debt to Scotland is much deeper than that. Our Irish convict heritage has tended to overshadow the rich contribution of Scottish pioneers to this nation. Few Scottish convicts were transported to Australia. But Scottish settlers brought that characteristic love of education and learning, together with energetic commercial enterprise. In the political sphere Scotland gave us one of our greatest republicans, John Dunmore Lang, and our longest serving prime minister, monarchist Robert Menzies.

Remember the old joke. There are three types in the world, the Scots, those who would like to be, and those who have no ambition.

Robert Willson, Deakin

Police believe ''unbearable strain and hardship'' brewing within Geoff Hunt caused him to murder his three children and his wife (''Dad snapped under strain, say police'', September 12, p9). If this had been a terrorist murdering children, no such rationalisation would have been proffered. He would have been labelled as evil. If Hunt snapped and committed suicide that would be a tragedy but he chose to murder his children and his wife as well - even apparently shooting the family pets. That is a killing spree, but police seem to have provided a tacit justification for this heinous act.

It fits with the dominant socio-cultural paradigm that domestic violence is somehow different to other forms of assault and murder. The fact that violence and murder committed in the home receive nowhere near as much attention as a ''terrorist act'' (none of which have happened on Australian soil) perpetuate the myth of women and children being the possessions of men. Mr Hunt may just as well have strapped a suicide bomb on his body and walked into a market: the effect is just the same.

D. Shirley, Narrabundah

FOREIGN RINGMASTER

It is sad that under our Dear Leader there is so little change in Australian foreign policy. As ever, we wait eagerly to jump to heel at the call from our lord and master. The Republic debate is irrelevant. When, oh when, and under what form of government is Australia going to declare independence in its foreign relations?

Harold Brookfield, Cook

TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM

We've been urged to support Team Australia, but it seems that our PM doesn't have much faith in the team after all. Is that why he's keen to have our submarines built in Japan and to outsource the backroom functions in taxation and health to India and the Philippines? C'mon Tony, where's your patriotism - keep the jobs here or Australia will only be able to field a reserve-grade team in the future.

Barbara Godfrey, Lyneham

IN GOOD COMPANY

At last, from Peter MacLeod (''Scotland must brave independence'', Times2, September 12, p5), some perspective and financial reality on the Scots' referendum question to counter the establishment bluff in most of our press. Further to his argument, so far we have seen no mention in the debate of how it is that Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland and Slovakia - each with similar population size to Scotland and not all with oil - have viable economies.

David Mackenzie, Chapman

RUDD'S ALL TALK

How unsurprising to see the warning about climate change from Kevin Rudd. As Prime Minister he loudly proclaimed that climate change is the greatest moral challenge of our time, but then squibbed the opportunity to force the issue via a double dissolution. Obviously lecturing comes easier that acting.

Graeme Rankin, Holder

FALLBACK: BOMBS AWAY

Those of us who doubted if the US did have a plan to deal with the Islamic State militants have been proven wrong (''Abbott expecting the call from US'', September 12, p1).

Obama's long-awaited master plan is nothing less than to bomb the militants out of existence.

After more than a decade's experience of trying to outsmart the terrorists, the recent declaration by the US President hardly constitutes a thoroughly thought-out and novel approach.

Sam Nona, Burradoo, NSW

CRYING WOLF

Can some adult be found in Parliament to read into Hansard the story of Peter and the Wolf (''Lone wolf fears spark 'high' terror alert'', September 13, p1)?

F. L. Moore, Melba

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