The kangaroo was alive, conscious and alert but couldn't move. I stood in front of it to alert traffic it was on the road and hoped for an offer of help to move it off the road.

I received abuse from one woman who didn't want to divert around it onto the median strip and demanded I move so she could drive over it ("it's just a kangaroo").

Another woman waited and gestured for me to move out of the way.

A man informed me it would just have to be put down anyway.

I am saddened and sickened by the number of people who think it's OK to drive over a live and injured animal.

I thought cruelty was the evil of a few.

Thank you to the woman and man who did finally stop, called for the appropriate help and lifted it off the road.

Danielle Stevens, North Lyneham

Armchair critics of the light rail who are unable to visualise what's facing our decision makers, should huff and puff their way up One Tree Hill and observe what's coming down the track.

Look south and you'll see the new suburbs of Throsby, Taylor and Moncrieff. And Jacka. And the ever-expanding Bonner.

Gungahlin is one town where growth has been 70 per cent before these brand new suburbs have even been established. Gungahlin will be hub one of many, over this century.

The legion of the unimaginative should also peruse the plans to make the inner rings of our ever-growing city more taut and pert with high-density corridors. Light rail is not a big pull on the budget when spread across decades.

Light Rail will be powered by renewables. The city is expanding and prospering. It makes complete sense that infrastructure for 100 years hence should be commenced.

If the "tram" is canned on Saturday, the plan will have to be revisited in less than a decade.

Colly Campbell, Lyneham

Contrary to Geoff Barker's poisonous diatribe, there is a 4000 year unbroken link between Israel and the Jewish people.

It is a spiritual, cultural and historical relationship akin to that between Australia and its own Indigenous peoples (Letters, Oct. 10).

The world has long recognised this fact and their right to self-determination in Israel.

Mainstream Zionism has always acknowledged the land would have to be shared with its Arab inhabitants.

It was the Arab rejection in 1947 of the UN Partition Plan to divide the land into two states and the launching of a war to destroy the Jewish state in 1948 that caused the displacement of Palestinian Arabs.

Israeli Arabs enjoy the full range of rights as citizens and are doctors, lawyers, MPs et cetera. On the West Bank 95 per cent of Palestinians are ruled by their own elected officials.

Barker can only see the "Jews of Israel" as the aggressors.

Alan Shroot, Forrest

Robyn McIntyre (Letters, October 11) has been seduced by the ACT Liberal's $14billion falsehood.

They claim a magic pudding will become available from cancelling the light rail project.

They obfuscate when it is mentioned that, in current year dollars, less than $1billion has been committed over 20 years.

Those, including myself, who think more funds should be available for the homeless may achieve a better outcome by pressing the ACT government to introduce a scheme that requires part of each new Government building be allocated to a homeless shelter.

This could start with the public service building and the stadium proposed under City to the Lake.

Bill Gemmell, Holder

Eric Hunter is only partly right (9 October) in saying that a parliamentary vote would create less dissension than a plebiscite because, whichever position wins a parliamentary vote, the losers will rant on for the next decade about the evils of what was decided and, in particular, they will say that the people think differently.

It has another downside: while the proponents of a parliamentary settlement talk about a conscience vote, it will be nothing of the sort. It will be a vote by a group of people many of whom, no matter how they think, will vote for gay marriage simply because they don't want to be labelled anti gay. We could, however, have a referendum to insert a definition of marriage into the constitution and then it would not need to go back to the Parliament.

Stan Marks, Hawker

Could a vote for gay marriage bring an invader to Australia's shores? The answer has to be "Yes".

Historically when civilisations adopt unscriptural behaviour they fall.

One could easily say that God brought judgment to them.

God might just turn Australia to an invader out of the east.

There are many dreams, visions and prophecies on this. Let's pray for Australia.

Graeme Gibson, Caringbah, NSW

I'm drafting a speech for whoever wins the forthcoming ACT election. I've put in the bits about coyness as to the honour afforded, humbleness, indebtedness to Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all, plus the centrepiece fib, to govern for all constituents. That just about covers it.

M. F. Horton, Adelaide

ACTION buses provide 18 million passenger movements a year and generate $25 million in ticket sales.

They cost about $137 million a year to operate.

This $112 million net loss amounts to about $700 per ACT household a year.

A future Labor/Green government has promised to extend the light rail network prior to evaluating the benefits of the Gungahlin stage.

The $14 billion predicted cost for the full light rail project equates to $700 million per year over 20 years.

Assuming the trams are no more profitable than the existing Action buses we can expect the $700 million to be comprised of $128 million ticket revenue plus $572 million subsidy. This, together with the current ACTION subsidy of $112 million, equals $684 million per year.

This amounts to a future subsidy to public transport of $4275 per household per year for ever.

If one decides to vote Labor or Green that would be similar to signing a binding contract to buy a Ferrari when you still owe the bank money for your family car. While the thought makes the heart race, the future pain is insufferable.

Stuart Rogers, Red Hill

Ian Ruecroft's letter (The Canberra Times, October 10) claiming a vocal minority on rail is an insult to those who actually know what they are talking about.

Surveys (including one by UnionsACT) have shown some 65 per cent of Canberrans are against the tram.

There is no valid comparison between the Gold Coast's G-Link and the travesty that the Rattenbury/Barr government intends to inflict on all Canberrans. The only similarity is that they are both about 12 kilometres long.

G-Link advertises it takes 33 minutes each way, yet the ACT government insists unrealistically and immorally that the trip time from Gungahlin-Civic will be only 24 minutes. Independent modelling has put this trip time at an average of 33 to 35 minutes. It has been obvious over the past 18 months that pro-trammers have nothing to argue for the tram except "wouldn't it be wonderful!"

M. Flint, Erindale

The announcement the Labor Party "will spend $25 million on design and scoping work for the second stage of its light rail project if it wins government" must leave those with any feel for transport engineering or economics aghast.

The consultants (Scrafton and Vickerman) paid by the Barr government to evaluate stage 1 damned it with faint praise. Every other independent commentator panned it and the community is deeply divided.

A review of the whole concept of trams in Canberra is demanded.

A. Smith, Farrer

What are the current and future residents of the streets adjoining the planned Gungahlin-Civic corridor going to say to a Labor government, especially if they have children, when the rat-running starts in your street each morning and afternoon?

There will be major rat-running in your streets to avoid the increased congestion on Northbourne (predicted by the government's own reports) and the only way to prevent it is not to have another Labor/Green government.

M. Silex, Greenway

The Canberra Liberals have previously supported the sale of the ACTION bus network. They now propose an expanded network, more buses and bus lanes down the middle of Northbourne Avenue. Could the real Liberal transport policy remain the privatisation of ACTION?

Noel Bexendell, Macgregor

So what matters of importance received scant or no attention by the major parties and media ahead of the ACT election?

Mental illness, homelessness, youth unemployment, [and] the inability of our young to afford the deposit on a home and suicide would be among the most important.

Unfortunately they appear not to be sexy enough to draw media attention.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

Prior to the recent long weekend two election signs appeared on parkland opposite my home on a quiet side street in Greenway.

These disappeared. On the Wednesday morning, I heard hammering. They had been replaced.

I am a spinal cancer survivor, take great pride in my garden, and have to rely on a paid gardener to care for it.

I would like to advise the person responsible for replacing Andrew Wall's signs that while doing so they parked on my nature strip, leaving deep gouges owing to the heavy storm aftermath.

I now have to organise my gardener to repair the damage.

My vote will not be heading his way.

Heather McMillan, Greenway

Sharon Eaton (Letters, Canberra Times, October 8), even though you are not a "hospital person" (whatever that means), give a thought to the cancer sufferers, the dialysis patients, the sick children, etcetra and stop thinking of yourself just because you think that a tram will serve more people.

As a new resident to Canberra, you obviously think that the city is full of people who don't care about each other — well, the greater good is what's important.

I'd rather support sick people than a tram any day. You might think differently when you become ill.

Janet Fletcher, O'Connor

With the election focus on health and hospitals in the ACT and many promises being made by both sides of politics about increased and improved facilities, I would like to say, from recent experience, how caring and professional the existing medical staff are.

I was a patient at Calvary John James Hospital.

I could not speak highly enough of the hospital's management and of its medical staff who made my stay as comfortable as possible.

The meals were nutritious and delicious. Morning and afternoon tea were also served.

John Milne, Chapman

FLORIADE GREAT

All visitors to Floriade who have criticised it need to return before the last day on Sunday, October 16. Almost all of the thousands and thousands of flowers are blooming and glowing after the substantial rains. The forecast is fine.

Karen Dahl, Forrest

AGE BRINGS WISDOM

I wonder if Mr Barr learns from experience and whether he will become wiser as he becomes older?

R. I. Boxall, Hawker

CONFLICT LOOMING

Kenneth Griffiths (Letters, October 11) thinks that Hillary Clinton, when elected, will start a war with Russia. I think it much more likely that she'll start one with Iran — and much sooner.

Peter Moran, Watson

WINNING COMBINATION

Playing good tennis and controlling his emotions and temper has helped Nick Krygios win the Japan Open. It is to be hoped he learns good sportsmanship combined with good tennis will win him more competitions.

Alan Leitch, Tasmania

ANALOGY FLAWED

Argument by analogy can be a trap for fools. Comparing Canberra either to Sydney or Bergen, to argue for trams here, is blindly ridiculous. That is, unless the purpose is to destroy the successful reality of our satellite-city system, and thus allow foreign capital to profit from centralised land grabs.

Bryan Lobascher, Chifley

CAPPING CARS

Bergen does have a successful public transport system however it is in combination with an electronic CBD cordon congestion toll of $7.30 at peak hours and $3 off-peak.

If each commuting vehicle in Canberra contributed $14.60 a day it would pay for our whole light rail network and reduce congestion too.

Chris Emery, Reid

ENOUGH ALREADY

We have been bombarded by political leaflets in our mail box, even though we have a No Junk Mail sign. Thereare signs around the streets and letters in the mail. Now we are getting recorded messages on the phone and at meal times. Enough is enough.

W. Johnson, Kaleen

SCARY PRECEDENT

Might the ACT Liberal Party's policies on Canberra light rail result in the same shambles the Liberal federal government's National Broadband Network did? What we need is solutions for future traffic congestion.

Susan MacDougall, Scullin

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.

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