Take Canberra's light rail, for example. The Labor government has effectively issued a prospectus extolling the advantages and cost benefits of light rail. If such promises were made in a business prospectus, to lure investors, the directors of the company would be liable to prosecution should the business fail and subsequent investigation showed that misleading or inaccurate information was contained in the prospectus.

However, if such promises are made for a political enterprise, to lure voters, there is no legal comeback should the promises fail to deliver on time or within budget. The only recourse the duped voter has is to maintain their rage at the next election.

This is just not good enough. For ACT Labor to retain credibility at the coming election they must give a pre-election pledge to resign office should they be re-elected and the light rail project not perform to budget and time frame. The standards we demand of business should also apply to government.

Penleigh Boyd, Reid

Ian W. Morison's comments (Letters, July 20) deliver the most telling cost-benefit analysis of this ludicrous Gungahlin light rail proposal that ACT ratepayers have seen. Surely, it's now time for self interests to be put away, the interests of ACT ratepayers across the board to be prioritised and respected, and the project shelved!

Michael Doyle, Fraser

I can only agree with the negative reaction of previous correspondents to the appointment of Brendan Smyth as the ACT's first "Commissioner for International Engagement" ("Brendan Smyth taken out of race in government appointment", canberratimes.com.au, July 15).

Such a cynical act could not occur in a mature democracy where politicians respect their role as custodians of the public interest, morally and financially.

I am disgusted that the government chose to abuse the community's trust by using public funds to secure an electoral advantage. I am doubly disgusted that the Opposition applauded the appointment and endorsed the government's shoddy offer.

Rather than congratulating Mr Smyth for walking out on the party when it has its best chance of electoral victory since 1998, Jeremy Hanson should have condemned the appointment for what it was. He had a choice – stand up for integrity in government or be complicit in a grubby episode that has demonstrably served to further alienate public confidence in our elected representatives. Sadly, he took the low road and chose the latter.

Gary Kent, former president, Canberra Liberals Griffith

One expects ill-informed anti-renewables misinformation from the Murdoch press, but it is disappointing to find the Canberra Times editorialising the same myths. ("Sunny days turn cloudy for renewables", July 20, p14)

South Australia has always had the highest electricity prices in Australia and the installation of increased amounts or renewables has actually reduced the frequency and extent of price spikes.

The current, temporary supply problems relate mainly to the upgrade of the interconnector, which the electricity retailers had been warned about for 12 months but failed to take action to cover. The cost problems are aggravated, if not largely caused, by excessive gas prices, required to meet export cost parity. Sufficient and efficient local gas-fired back-up is available and could cost-effectively address intermittency while the interconnector is being upgraded if gas prices were kept reasonable in the national interest.

The SA government is, very wisely, pushing ahead with plans to further develop renewables while simultaneously strengthening interconnecting networks, to enable their excess energy at times of high wind and sun to help the rest of the South-East Australian grid, but also to be able to import energy during occasional lulls.

Given the gravity of the climate change problem we face, bitching about renewable energy, rather than working to improve its effectiveness within a rational grid, is unimpressive and far from being economically responsible, as implied.

Felix MacNeill, Dickson

Recently, the UN released its draft report card on its Sustainable Development Goals.

Australia ranks 20th in the world, with Sweden at the top, and most western European countries ahead of us. This is because, despite our overall affluence and good health, we have continued to trash our environment and ignore our responsibility towards our biodiversity and the world's climate. Our sole goal seems to be to cram as many people into our bursting cities, and maximise profits for developers. Most of us have lost touch with the natural world, on which we ultimately depend. It is time to replace GDP with the Sustainable Development Goals as our national objective.

Dave Kelly, Aranda

Cory Bernardi, Peter Dutton, et al, who are attempting to block Kevin Rudd's nomination to the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations ("Rudd UN nomination divides coalition MPs", canberratimes.com.au, July 19) should reconsider their position.

Most civilised democracies treat their former leaders with a modicum of respect. Barack Obama, for example, has shared the stage with George W.Bush on important occasions, most recently when honouring the victims of the Dallas shootings. Leaders of sham democracies treat their opponents differently, throwing them into jail for trumped-up charges of fraud, sedition, and sodomy. Before Tony Abbott's administration, Australia took the civilised route with (outside the theatre of Parliament) the conventions of good behaviour generally observed between the leaders of the major parties.

Forcing two former prime ministers and a current ALP leader to sit in the the dock of his royal commissions, Abbott signalled that he preferred the intensely partisan approach. He probably thought he could get away with such behaviour because of his convincing victory in the 2013 election and Labor's disarray.

Malcolm Turnbull has no such luxury. He has a wafer-thin majority in the Reps and the make up of the Senate means that he will often have to seek ALP assistance to get legislation passed. Blocking Rudd's nomination will make it much harder for Turnbull to foster the good will he will rely on to govern.

Mike Reddy, Curtin

Recent letters to the editor on the subject of Medicare all avoid what I see as the elephant in the room: the entitlement to receive bulk billing. Surely, if recipients of bulk billing were means-tested, doctors would be able to recoup a greater proportion of their set fees. Hopefully this would delay a rise in such fees and make the Medicare rebate freeze more palatable.

I believe a minority of people in the ACT receive the benefit of bulk billing, apparently due to the shortage of doctors in our area. Relatives and friends who live in NSW, all in good financial circumstances, take bulk billing to be "the norm", and are amazed to hear so few Canberrans receive this benefit. They also agree that they can afford to pay a full medical fee, and be content with the Medicare rebate. Bulk billing should be a benefit to those on lower incomes, and not a right for the wealthy.

(Mrs) Maureen Blackmore, Pearce

Rod Holsgrove (Letters, July 20) is concerned that the change from a stand-alone Environment Department to a combined environment-energy super-portfolio will downgrade the environment section. The new minister, Josh Frydenberg, is Minister for Environment and Energy (note the subject "environment" comes before "energy") and it is to be hoped that good energy policy will contribute to driving good environmental outcomes. Environment need not be subservient to energy, provided that the minister oversees a transition away from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy that will reduce GHG emissions over time. Australia will need to do much more if it is to do its equitable share towards the Paris goal of limiting average global warming to not more than 2 degrees.

During the election campaign, Malcolm Turnbull was of the view that Australia needed to negotiate future targets with other countries. But the Paris Agreement requires countries to set their own targets and expects advanced countries to take a lead. The new arrangements Mr Turnbull has put in place provide a golden opportunity to show leadership and provide innovative changes that will result in improved environmental outcomes. Minister Frydenberg has a complex and challenging portfolio to manage. But with strong support and leadership from Mr Turnbull, good outcomes can be achieved in both the environment and energy sectors, provided there is the political will to do so.

Darryl Fallow, Stirling

J.J.Marr (Letters, July 2) claims that Pauline Hanson's success highlights a Muslim problem in Australia. This is inflammatory. Hanson's only success is to play to the fears of the narrow-minded, and you've been played. Like Hanson and her supporters, you unfortunately conflate radicalised terrorists with all Muslims.

You must understand that your words cause harm, that your attitude damages our society; it reduces all of us. You say that Muslims should bend themselves to interact, and that they should adopt a Western dress. How should they bend? Should they bow to you? I say they shouldn't bend or bow or dress in chinos and sportscoat. Our free society allows us to dress and bless however we like. I implore you to open your mind and allow Muslims to colour and enrich our society like so many people of different faith and culture have done before them. Just don't get played by Pauline.

Wayne Strudwick, Weetangera

SHOUT (Self Help Organisations United Together) may also be a casualty of NDIS (Letters, July 21). It is an umbrella organisation providing resources, assistance and a central contact point for a number of self help/mutual support groups, some funded, some not. It has existed in our community for over 30 years.

We may have to close our doors as early as March next year because our funding ceased at the end of the financial year. Several member organisations have already indicated that they will also cease to operate if there is no SHOUT. It is simply too hard to operate a community group from a dining room table with limited access to equipment and affordable meeting room hire which SHOUT currently provides.

Having faced two potentially life-threatening conditions as well as other chronic conditions, I cannot speak more highly about the support I received during those dark times on my personal journey. I support the principles of NDIS but there is another element to making life better for those who need it, and that is the support and understanding of people who have experienced at first hand the impact of serious health issues for the individual and their families.

Paula Calcino, Oxley

TURKEY'S CRACKDOWN

Army officers. Teachers. Judges. Police. Journalists. University deans. Not killed, not yet in the aftermath of Turkey's abortive coup. Justice? Or political house-cleaning? Surely not, Turkey doesn't do that, does it? Yeah, right. Just ask the Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Maronites, Kurds.

R. Neville, Fraser

SHOOT THE MESSENGER

The Barr government must be floundering if it thinks it is important that public servants must identify fellow workers who criticise government ("Dob in your colleagues", July 21, p1).

It is a pity that priority cannot be given to establishing an independent anti-corruption commission and requiring public servants to refer to it suspected corrupt behaviour.

Criticism trumps corruption.

Tony Harris, Narrabundah

Will ACT public servants be allowed to criticise the government if the Liberals win the upcoming election ("Dob in your colleagues", July 21, p1)?

Brian Hale, Wanniassa

CLEAR THINKING

Colin Rubenstein's opinion piece "Want to fight xenophobia? Then speak clearly about Islam" (canberratimes.com.au, July 20) is a piece of clear thinking which actually proposes a starting point for achieving a solution.

It should be recommended reading to the policy and decision makers in the 45th Australian Parliament.

George Greenberg, Malvern, Vic

DEAD END TO HABIT

Ross Fitzgerald ("Why more drug consumption rooms are a must", Opinion, July 20, p16) is right. Helping drug users to stay alive for longer increases their chances of recovery. Dead users never kick the habit.

Dr Peter Smith, Lake Illawarra, NSW

Ross Fitzgerald understands that waging a war on drug users simply results in the deaths of more of our sons and daughters. Drug consumption rooms give them a chance to survive and get over their addiction.

Sophia Yates, Parkville, Vic

LIGHT CANBERRA UP

Having had to drive more in the evening this winter, I am amazed and appalled at the lack of street lighting on some of the suburban roads, major roads and even the parkway here in Canberra. This city is the capital of Australia; so how about the appropriate authorities taking steps to light it up a bit more and making it safer for pedestrians, motorists, cyclists and tourists.

Pauline Vincent , Wanniassa

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).