All readers, when next visiting the Exhibition Centre at Regatta Point, should pause before entering, to examine Griffin's plan that is tiled into the paving there.

They will quickly observe his "third" (still non-existent) foot bridge across the lake — from the museum on Acton Peninsula directly across to the south side.

You see the suggestion, made about a decade ago, for an "Immigration Bridge", was based on Griffin's grand scheme and should have gone ahead.

Pity that it hasn't as residents (and visitors to Canberra) would not only enjoy the bridge but would find it just as enjoyable as the residents of Adelaide and Brisbane have found their foot bridges in providing them with an alternative conveyance across their rivers.

P. M. Button, Cook

Super Unions such as an amalgamation of the MUA CFMEU and the TCFU is fine and dandy by me, particularly if it encourages Australian employers to buy work uniforms from Australian companies.

It beats me why they don't already, given uniforms are a tax deductible item.

Perhaps It's because fluro singlets are being purchased from subsidiaries in the Bahamas for the price of an Armani suit.

However union membership has dropped from 40 per cent to 15 per cent in 20 years, inversely proportional to the increase in contractualization and casualization of the workforce. This highlights that the current ACTU model of distinct unions is super useless for this class of workers.

Matt Ford, Crookwell, NSW

The Canberra College data of December 13 would suggest that Rosemary Follet's suspicions may be correct, in her article "Extension of moderation", December 13, pp. 22-23) regarding equity in Canberra schools.

Looking at the data, the top-performing Canberra schools (with the exception of one), had students attending from year seven to year 12. It would be my guess that these schools have one clear advantage, that of continuity.

In these higher-performing schools, year eleven and twelve teachers understand the skills required by the Board of Senior Secondary Studies, and can easily communicate with their junior school colleagues as to how best prepare students in the transition from year 10 to year 11.

The opposite experience, of students jumping from one school after year 10, to a new school environment in year 11 presumably will result in a disconnect.

The first hurdle presented is the new expectations of the college assessment, in line with the BSSS. The second hurdle, the new environment and associated challenges.

While both high schools and colleges are technically a subsection operating under the Australian Curriculum, there is still a clear disconnect between high schools and colleges, which will cause transitional hiccups for students.

If Rosemary Follet is correct in identifying this as an issue of equity, then it is clear that the next step is to ensure this disconnect is rectified to ensure greater parity.

Jess Henry, Higgins

Pamela Collett (Letters, December 13) makes assertions about private schools which need to be challenged.

She implies that only public schools prepare young people for democracy and community leadership and that private schools are elitist and unworthy of taxpayer support.

Governments have an obligation to financially support all school students, whether they attend public or private schools.

If parents choose to pay extra for their children to attend private schools, that is their democratic right. If Ms Collett is genuinely concerned about quality of educational outcomes she should be happy that private school students receive an excellent education in Australia.

Far from undermining the future of democracy, government funding of private schools strengthens democracy because it embraces choice and freedom.

The political alternatives, dictatorship, socialism, communism are the antithesis of what this country represents.

Australian students learn this basic tenet of liberty every day, in public and private schools.

Mark Slater, Melba

"Rome has fallen into disrepair and degradation in recent years, with streets full of potholes, and neglected public gardens full of weeds" according to Reuters; and the Pope claims "resignation to environmental and ethical degradation" and "contempt for the common good" as causes. Looking at the present state of the Belconnen town centre, especially the Lake Ginninderra promenade and the wetlands between the University of Canberra Senior Secondary College and Soundy Close one could believe he was talking about Canberra.

The causes cited are no doubt the same too.

Murray Upton, Belconnen

Jessica Irvine, in her article on company tax ("One in three companies pay no tax", December 11, pp. 14-15) asks if it is "fair" that one in three companies operating in Australia pay little or no tax.

Of course it's not "fair", but these companies can afford to pay for the very best accounting and legal advice, are the beneficiaries of particular circumstances that allow for the legal minimisation of company tax, or perhaps have slightly wonky moral compasses ... or some combination of those three factors.

In the meantime, as ever, it's the mug PAYE income taxpayer who forks out the lion's share of tax to state and federal governments.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Thank you to Martin Klein (Letters, December 14) for advising of the death of Bill Smithies.

A former diplomat and passionate activist against compulsory voting, the colourful Mr Smithies did indeed contribute significantly to many entertaining stories in The Canberra Times over many years.

It's so sad he couldn't dodge the ultimate compulsion of death but I doubt he would let such an inconvenience slow him down.

I can see him arguing the point with the grim reaper as we speak.

Frank Cassidy, Kambah

The Americans are so full of themselves that they will probably start calling the language American, and they will insist that we all have to speak American or die by drone.

Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor

The pre-resignation comments of Senator Sam Dastyari indicate what is wrong with the Parliament and indeed politics in general.

The Senate was established to represent the interests of the states in a federation. This is why each state elects 12 senators regardless of its population. This is why Tasmania, with a population of only 515,000 is able to elect the same number of senators as NSW with a population of 7,554,000.

The comments of Senator Dastyari were all about what is best for the Labor Party whereas any politician should be talking about what is best for the national interest and senators should also be talking about what is best for the state they represent rather than the political party they belong to.

Adversarial politics as opposed to all elected politicians working for the national interest are damaging the way in which our system of parliamentary democracy is working.

Australia is saved from the worst influences deriving from the resulting chaos because our constitution is based on the Crown and therefore insulated from political control.

Every politician elected to office must be reminded they are there to serve the people first and foremost regardless of party affiliation.

Each federal politician is required to swear or affirm true allegiance to the Queen and to the constitution before taking their seat.

Allegiance to the Queen is allegiance to the Crown and through the Crown to the people. Most politicians, however, treat their oath or affirmation as mere words. How then, can we expect such politicians to be allegiant to the people who elected them in the first place?

Philip Benwell, Australian Monarchist League, Sydney, NSW

Yes, Mr Costello enjoyed 10 years of budget surpluses but it is the manner in which the incumbent arrives at those surpluses that defines the man.

His surpluses were arrived at via mass sackings, selling off our most valuable publicly owned assets including our gold reserves for a song and record high taxation.

Mr Costello also enjoyed rivers of revenue that no other treasurer before him ever had, including a $320 billion resources boom windfall.

If Mr Costello had to deal with the same fall in revenue Mr Rudd experienced nine of his 10 budgets would have been in deficit.

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

James Allan (Letters, December 5) seeks to perpetuate the myth renewable energy is now cheaper than that produced by coal or gas.

It is not. The renewable sector receives annual subsidies of in excess of $3billion to produce 7per cent of our energy. This production is intermittent, unreliable and not capable of providing base load power.

As to the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. 410ppm represents .041 per cent of the earth's atmosphere and is considered a trace element.

It almost does not exist. However, James, without it we would not exist.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

If you use a tax agent, here's something to ponder. The latest taxation statistics (2014-15) show 9.76million people lodged via a tax agent, compared to 9.6million in the previous year.

But only 6.2million returns claimed a deduction for the cost of managing tax affairs in the previous year. Did 3.4million taxpayers miss out on a deduction, or is something else at play? I can't imagine that many returns being lodged for no fee in the previous year. Is it possible that tax agents are putting the deduction somewhere else, thus lodging a false tax return?

Chris Mobbs, Torrens

Adani seems determined to press on regardless with its proposed Carmichael mine despite newly re-elected Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk sticking with her promise to veto the $1 billion federal government loan ("Pledge to veto Adani loan kept", December 13, p11).

It's difficult to see how Adani is going to manage this, with all four big Australian banks, and several multinational banks operating in Australia refusing to fund the project, with India not wanting Carmichael coal, and China showing strong signs of distancing itself from the project.

Let's hope, for all our sakes, and the sake of the planet, that the mine doesn't go ahead.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

How sickening is all the spin about Chinese interference in our "democracy" when the US has interfered with regime change in the Middle East and in the whole of South and Central America, not to mention Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and East Timor with Australia's willing help.

Since WWII the US has "interfered" in the deaths of 30million people ... and Australia has a lot of that blood on its hands.

Besides, Australia and the US are pretty cocky about being anti-China when China has both by the financial scrotum.

Dr Vacy Vlazna, Collaroy, NSW

It seems in the citizenship debacle we are expected to let Josh Frydenberg "off the hook" because his mother was a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust. Meanwhile, we still have hundreds of refugees languishing on Manus Island because the Australian government is not prepared to accept these refugees into Australia.

If Josh Frydenberg had learned any principles or ethics out of his mother's experience he should be leading the charge to bring the refugees to Australia.

Jane Timbrell, Reid

Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur ("Shelter closure spurs call for funding review", December 11, p2) says, "Our public housing and affordable housing is not keeping up with the population growth in the ACT."

Stop the unnecessary and costly light rail project, and use the money where it is needed. That is, for constructing public housing, so women and kids won't have to sleep in cars. Then the government will be getting its spending priorities right.

John Milne, Chapman

The ABC, Fairfax and News Corp all doing puff pieces on PM Turnbull.

Apart from Q&A, there didn't seem to be many hard questions asked, for example why under his government have Australia's greenhouse gas emissions been going up since the abolition of Labor's carbon trading scheme? And even more strikingly why under Mr Turnbull, are emissions even higher than under former PM Abbott?

Rod Holesgrove, O'Connor

DOING NOTHING

Poor Zed. He did the only politically expedient thing – nothing.

Alex Wallensky, Broulee

A MATTER OF WORDS

Now that same-sex couples have gained the right to marry by changing the meaning of the word "marriage" I wish them well for ongoing happiness long after the initial euphoria has worn off. I also wonder if it is too much to ask that they respect the integrity of the explicitly heterosexual, gender specific words "husband" and "wife".

Roger Quarterman, Campbell

EULOGIES DECEPTIVE

The eulogies for Sam Dastyari (not least his own) suggest that he'd make an excellent Labor senator.

M. F. Horton, Adelaide, SA

AND THEY'RE RACING

By Paimai Bill, out of Ochlocracy, shedding hooves everywhere, coming into the South China Straight the Dastyari donkey still puts on a sprint, even though the knacker's yard awaits.

Put down your glasses!

Roy Darling, Florey

SEAT IN THE OFFING

There has been some speculation about what Kristina Keneally's future might be if she does not win Bennelong for Labor. There will be a third House of Representatives seat in the ACT created after the Australia-wide redistribution takes effect, sometime before the next election. Just saying.

John Passant, Kambah

INACTION GALLING

Peter Dutton's lack of compassion continues to endanger people's lives on Manus Island and Nauru. Bad things happen because good people do nothing. Please speak up.

Marie Tom, Holder

HITTING THE FIGHT NOTES

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is now playing his band with the right notes the Opposition Labor, Greens and some crossbench members have been playing for a long time. He is finally thinking (aloud) about a federal anti-corruption body. Better late than never. The electorates will approve it.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

SEND IT BACK

How dare the Transport Minister, Megan Fitzharris, say the first tram carriage is "a nice Christmas present for the city" when we are all paying through the nose for it!

Felicity Chivas, Scullin

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