Asylum seekers are legal, no threat, their numbers are modest, and they are not a major problem for Australia.

Our major parties and mainstream media have refused to stand up and speak these simple truths. They prefer to pander to the ignorant shock-jock fear mongers.

I know there are still many decent Australians who have the will to find out the truth and the courage to speak up for it.

Human rights lawyer Julian Burnside has shown the way.

I'll do my bit to see we get real, positive alternatives instead of the despicable, cowardly swill that is served up.

We used to be a generous country and we can be again, but we must find the collective will to rid ourselves of those who are driven only by ignorance, fear and profit.

Geoff Davies, Braidwood, NSW

Strip away all the commentary about Papua New Guinea and the take-home message from Labor's new policy is: if you arrive by boat, regardless of your status, you will never be resettled in Australia.

While I have serious reservations about the actions proposed by both sides of politics in this area, you do not have to be a genius to work out this approach destroys the people smugglers' business model by taking away the product they are selling.

Their only hope is to convince their customers that the government will not be able to implement the strategy.

Given that, why would Scott Morrison and his Coalition colleagues be so quick to provide them with the sound bites needed to support their new marketing strategy?

Bart Meehan, Calwell

Kevin Rudd and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill won't have to worry too much about huge numbers of boat people now.

It'll be mossies not Medicare up there, and the cost of all those ships and planes will fall away dramatically.

Rudd, you've got Malaysia Plan B - and it will work.

Ned Ovolny, Duffy

You can read between the lines with this Papua New Guinea solution. That country is as bad as the ones the refugees have come from.

So why would they come and have to live in a crime-ridden place with no job and low education and health facilities?

In time they just won't come.

Smuggler problem solved?

I'm a Liberal voter but I must say that Kevin Rudd's won me on this one.

Let's hope he sticks to his guns and shepherds off all the threats of legality challengers and moaning libertarians.

Joseph Bayre, Higgins

Kevin Rudd says no asylum seeker who comes by boat will ever be resettled in Australia.

I would be a lot more comfortable with this declaration if it also applied to the tens of thousands of so-called asylum seekers who fly in each year on tourist visas and then simply disappear.

If our priority is to help those genuine asylum seekers who languish helplessly but obediently in camps around the world for years, waiting for their application to be processed, then surely we should be stopping the flights, not only stopping the boats?

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

While many commentators are rightly drawing parallels between John Howard's Tampa and Kevin Rudd's Manus Island, there is a major difference: Howard was gifted Tampa; Rudd engineered his policy.

In the lead-up to the 2001 election, opinion polls were unanimous in declaring a Labor victory.

This changed almost immediately when the Tampa sailed over the horizon.

Though Labor's re-election prospects have soared since Rudd's resurrection, the unprecedented level of boat arrivals continued to be a major inhibitor to his chances.

Successfully negotiating with the Indonesians to make it more difficult for Iranians to transit through their ports, plus the Manus Island factor, demonstrate Rudd's ability to manufacture a politically popular outcome.

Whether this strategy will prove to be as electorally successful as Howard's good luck and clever political manipulation of public opinion remains to be seen.

Ian De Landelles, Hawker

Kevin Rudd's Papua New Guinea solution to combat people smugglers and asylum seekers seems to have been as well thought out as all his other failed policies and programs.

Think through this idiotic idea. The Queensland islands of Saibai, Boigu and Dauan are only a stone's throw from the Papua New Guinea mainland. All the boat people sent there need to do is head to Daru and make their way across the Torres Strait to Queensland and into Australia. No more lengthy voyages to Christmas Island in leaky boats: just grab a canoe.

The people smugglers in Indonesia must think their Christmas has come early this year.

Rob Hanna, Gowrie

Kevin Rudd said that he had changed and Labor MPs and senators believed him.

True to word his word, Rudd has changed into a megalo-maniac with a zero tolerance for any who defy His Majesty and his royal proclamations.

Mad King Kevin has torn up the Magna Carta and habeas corpus.

Next to go will be the United Nations conventions on the rights of refugees, prisoners and children.

Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot: eat your hearts out. Tyranny is alive and well in Kevistralia. Never was there a greater need for a balanced man (such as Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull) to make a move.

Otherwise Australia will be a gated community run by mad Tony or the even madder Kevin.

Graham Macafee, Latham

In the light of the government's announcement of its latest policy on asylum seekers there is a pressing need to rewrite the second stanza of the national anthem.

The lines ''For those who come across the sea, we've boundless plains to share'' are clearly an incentive to ''people smugglers'' and must be dispensed with immediately.

I look forward to an immediate joint announcement on a competition to find new lyrics from the Labor Party and the Coalition, given their bipartisan policy stance.

Doug Hynd, Stirling

Kevin Rudd may be ''inexhaustible'', Jack Waterford, but I doubt that he's ''unshameable'' (''Is Abbott fighting the wrong election?'', July 20, Forum, p1).

I haven't met him, but I get the strong feeling that Rudd is just good at giving the impression, at least, of being mentally capable, unflappable and, to a degree, pragmatic.

He's also better than most present-day politicians at getting his mostly positive ''messages'' across to a very broad spectrum of society.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

So Shoalhaven is to get an expensive artificial reef, following the success of one off Sydney (''Man-made reef plans for Shoalhaven'', July 20, p5).

What I've never understood is why surfers' interests are never included in beach-protection or fish-habitat artificial reef projects.

Australia is all about the coast. It's where we all live.

Creating more surfing hot spots has the potential to make Australia the surfing capital of the world, with all that entails for national image and associated tourism.

This could be readily achieved if some of the many flawed, almost-impossible-to-ride point-breaks each had a few bits of concrete fish-habitat lowered into key places, changing that break from flawed to fabulous.

Local surfers know where they are.

We've got cities covered with barely used bowling clubs, cricket/footy grounds, boat-launching ramps and golf courses.

But apparently doing anything for the iconic Australian sport of surfing is too hard.

Michael Jordan, Gowrie

Jacqueline Maley conceded that women's decisions to make families, taking time off to do so during critical years for management training/experience, and, thereafter, remaining more interested in getting home than getting ugly jobs finished, tends to erode the share of female senior executives everywhere (Canberra Times online, July 20).

But she also identified modesty/risk-aversion in the workplace as another factor holding women back.

Surely making such a broad generalisation about gender is sexist?

But if it's true that relatively more women are wimpy, and employers tend to promote confident risk-takers willing to successfully back their judgment, then it is not an irrational gender-bias issue at all, is it?

Maley also pointed out that women comprise 57 per cent of the Australian Public Service workforce.

Clearly that constitutes an anti-male gender bias in recruitment that needs urgent attention.

She didn't address that.

Veronica Giles, Chifley

Philip Machin (Letters, July 20) continues with his defence/obsession with the protection of kangaroos, and his statement that the NRMA accident statistics are not correct.

Why wouldn't they be?

There are a large number of kangaroos that are in the suburbs.

Just ask any Canberra Times delivery driver how many they have hit - I know one who has hit 13.

Perhaps we could relocate all the roos to his property in Wamboin but then again, his neighbours would just shoot them as they eat the grasslands that their livestock rely on.

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

I am with Ben Mowen all the way (''Calling all fans: now's time to turn up'', July 20, Sport, p6). The Brumbies have done their job in gaining their first finals match in nine years. Now it's up to the supporters.

We had our tickets two weeks ago before the finals date was known.

The only thing that will stop us getting to the game is if it snows and the roads aren't driveable.

I know a lot of diehard Brumbies supporters feel the same way.

On the issue of low ticket sales, being a supporter since 1996, I was dismayed when we changed our name from the ACT Brumbies to just the Brumbies.

In our conference, we have the Queensland Reds, the NSW Waratahs, the Melbourne Rebels and the Brumbies.

Could we have lost our identity with losing the ACT in our name?

Has this led to a disassociation with the team by Canberrans (and the surrounding population)?

John Chudzinski, Conder

Noel Towell cautiously enthused about new whistleblowers legislation in ''At last, from shadows to safety'' (July 20, Forum, p3).

He wrote it would make disclosure ''at least more acceptable''. He did note that ''not everyone is thrilled''.

The legislation does nothing to constrain our spooks or give ''cash incentives for exposing rip-offs''. The University of Canberra's Howard Whitton considers ''it may be some time before the … rank and file finds the courage to … speak out''.

The final word went to retiring member for Lyne Rob Oakeshott: ''I'm really pleased we've sneaked it through in the dying days.''

Frankly, it reads like an obituary for a rather nasty piece of work which only awaits cremation.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

Is Ron Theory (Letters, July 19) truly unaware that there is already a liberation movement for public servants, among other workers, and it has been around for a very long time? It is called the trade union movement.

Less than 200 years ago, people were being imprisoned and sometimes killed for standing up to bosses and governments in their struggle for pay to feed themselves, and non-lethal working conditions.

If public servants have allowed the power of their own union to be eroded away the last few decades, unlike the ACT's kangaroos, they only have themselves to blame.

Frankie Seymour, Queanbeyan, NSW

I was shocked when I contacted my insurance company APIA about the article ''Drivers pile in to select third-party insurers'' (July 16, p2).

I was told that rebates are only for those aged between 30 and 69 years.

Having never claimed on my comprehensive insurance in 40 years, I was told I am in the category of a good driver, but I am too old!

So if you are over 69, forget about a rebate!

Barrie Cooke, Latham

This week, I received my rates notice for $3552, an increase of $244 from last year.

Clearly, the new system for calculating this local tax is unsustainable.

The effect of the different multiplier applied last year will, in a short period of time, spread the amount paid for local services to such an extent there will be a political backlash.

As more and more long-term residents of inner suburbs are forced to leave the family home, even the rusted-on will vote for change.

In mediaeval times, with quill pens, land was a fixed asset that formed a stable database.

Today, with powerful computer databases, we could develop a far more equitable system to collect the revenue required to provide the services we demand, which are and should be provided equally throughout the territory.

The issue becomes even more pertinent when one thinks of the amount of money to be spent on light rail, the Cotter Dam and the proposed increase in the number of politicians.

Steve Thomas, Yarralumla

ANTSY ABOUT SALE?

The recent report that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's house in Yarralumla has been taken off the market is intriguing (''Rudd house off market'', July 18, p2). Perhaps it indicates the discovery of white ants previously intended for use against Julia Gillard.

Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW

LOSE THE ENTOURAGE

Why in heaven's name is it necessary these days for politicians to have one or more people standing behind them when they speak to TV cameras? I suspect these people have been told to stand there, not move and try to look intelligent. They add nothing to the subject the politician is speaking about - they just look ridiculous.

Trevor Shumack, Garran

AN ACT OF KINDNESS

I would like to thank the two young people who stopped their car and gave my husband and me a lift to Woden on July 20. We were waiting at Rivett for the bus in the pouring rain and they went out of their way to do this for us. Their kindness is much appreciated.

Lorna Daly, Rivett

NO QUEUES FOR CARS

So tell me. If the government announces a change in the fringe benefits tax for cars, starting in April next year, why is there not a rush to get a car now (''Taxing times ahead as FBT vehicles driven from the field'', July 19, Business, p10)?

D. Castle, Griffith

RIGHT TO RIOT

It is morally right for the imprisoned to burn down Australia's offshore and onshore concentration camps (''Riots flare on Nauru'', July 20, p1).

John Passant, Kambah

ADS OFF TARGET

The full-page ads featuring the slogan ''You won't be settled in Australia'' are an abject waste of taxpayers' money by the Rudd government (''Loud and clear: taxpayers to pay for ad blitz'', July 20, p4). Just how many potential refugee boat arrivals in Indonesia or Sri Lanka are likely readers of Australian newspapers?

Michael Adler, Gungahlin

PNG UNPREPARED

What a wonderful idea (''Rudd goes hard on refugees'', July 20, p1)! Let's send traumatised men, women and children who are fleeing torture, violence and oppression to a country that is struggling with endemic violence and has no systems in place to deal with such traumatised people.

Dr Sue Baglow, Evatt

ALL TOO FAMILIAR

Well done, Kevin Rudd! Well done, Andrew Leigh! Well done, Kate Lundy! Tampa on steroids.

Jim Jones, Charnwood