It was also an idea championed by the 1960s series creator Sydney Newman himself.

Why can't a two-thousand-year-old time and space travelling alien who can totally change his (or her) appearance also change their gender? As the 12th doctor, played by the wonderful Peter Capaldi, said recently, Time Lords are 'billions of years beyond [our] petty human obsession with gender and its associated stereotypes'.

Personally, I'm thrilled that brilliant Broadchurch actress Jodie Whittaker will be the 13th Doctor and I have not felt this excited about the show since I started watching as a small boy in the 1970s.

Considering the amazing 16million plus hits her online video introduction has received, and the overwhelming positive reaction on social media to her casting, I know I am not alone feeling this way. Bravo Jodie, the new Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall and the BBC!

Adam Kirk, Braddon

As Richard Denniss points out ("Nationals' shifting game", Forum, July 15, p 10), the Nationals' Minister for Northern Australia, Matt Canavan seems hell bent on supporting the redundant Adani coal mine in the Galilee Basin to the tune of $1 billion.

This is at the expense of production and jobs in the central-east Queensland Bowen Basin and the NSW Hunter Valley, and the proposed coal mining in the Surat Basin of southern Queensland.

At the same time, global demand for coal is dropping asinvestment in renewable energy increases, making the support of Adani look like a risky move.

To make matters worse still, Adani is now talking about its Galillee Basin mine (or mines) producing about 40 per cent less coal a year than originally proposed, and making the entire operation, from mine site to ship-loading facility, entirely automated: there won't even be the paltry 1464 jobs (of which 1200 were to be in Queensland) – there will be virtually none.

This all seems to me a very expensive – and destructive if potential further damage to the Great Barrier Reef is considered – way of pork barrelling and waving the ideological flag.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Letter writers have scoffed at Craig Kelly's comment that people will die due to the payment of subsidies for renewables.

The following study, found at The Lancet site, might help to acquaint you with some facts: Dr Antonio Gasparrini study – 'Mortality risk attributable to high and low ambient temperature: a multicountry observational study'.

Some scoff at the idea that rising heating costs will kill people. But check out the number-one temperature-killer in 74 million deaths across 13 countries in the study.

It's not the extremes that we need to worry about, the deadly phrase is "mildly suboptimal temperatures".

Craig Kelly is correct on this point. It is an unfortunate fact that wind turbines often produce little electricity during very cold or very hot weather. There is no need to reduce fossil-fuel use. Even SA has finally realised that renewables can't do the job and are installing over 200MW of diesel powered generators as an interim measure and are planning to build a new gas fired plant in an effort to stabilise electricity supply in SA.

Too little too late, I fear.

John McKerral, Batemans Bay, NSW

The report of the Indigenous Referendum Council, tasked in 2015 to come up with a workable proposal on constitutional recognition of Indigenous people, was released by the Prime Minister on Monday, July 17.

Instead of proposing a pathway to constitutional recognition, the council has instead recommended holding a referendum to amend the constitution: "To provide in the Australian Constitution for a body that gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a voice to the Commonwealth Parliament."

The Prime Minister is said to have described the recommendation as a "big idea" short on detail.

Mark Leibler, co-chairman of the council, is reported to have said that "some details of how the representative body would operate needed to be fleshed out before a referendum was held, but most could be finalised afterward".

Mr Leibler, that is not the way Australian referendums work. The full detail of any constitutional change and the implications of that change must be advised to the Australian people before they are asked to vote. However good the intentions may be, voting on something with details "to be finalised afterward" could well see a powerful body incorporated into the constitution alongside the Parliament with eventual powers that may totally undermine our Westminster system of Parliamentary democracy.

Come up with the full details of your proposal prior to any vote. 'We'll sort it all out afterwards' simply won't do.

Philip Benwell, National Chair Australian Monarchist League

Bill O'Chee, former Nationals senator for Queensland, wrote a hard-hitting article about Greens Senators Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters both forced to resign because of their dual nationality ("Great Senate electoral fraud: Voters have been duped", canberratimes.com.au, July 18).

Section 11 of the backgrounder provided to prospective candidates and referred to by Mr O'Chee states: "Division 137 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) (the Criminal Code) makes it an offence to provide false or misleading information or documents in purported compliance with a law of the Commonwealth, with a maximum penalty of 12months imprisonment."

I can see no reason why this pair should not face the full weight of the law.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Malcolm Turnbull will pay a princely sum for selling his soul to Peter Dutton. And the country will be the poorer in the longer term.

D. J. Fraser, Currumbin, Qld

In the same week in which Reuters published Philip Morris' leaked global plan to thwart effective tobacco control, we get a letter from Associate Professor Colin Mendelsohn suggesting that the company really wants to help smokers quit and switch to e-cigarettes.

Philip Morris, like all transnational tobacco companies now investing in e-cigarettes, continues to oppose all tobacco control policies known to deter smoking (eg, tax, graphic health warnings, plain packs).

Its interests are in smokers not quitting instead of smoking but vaping as well as smoking.

Professor Robert West, arguably England's most senior researcher in smoking cessation, has calculated that in one year some 16,000-22,000 English smokers who would not have otherwise quit did so because of e-cigarettes. In a population of 8.46 million smokers [see http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.13343/full]. This tiny increment is not remotely compatible with the breathless promises that have been made for e-cigarettes by people like Dr Mendelsohn.

Australia's alleged failure to see smoking decline in three years is largely explained by the tobacco industry engaging in huge price discounting and promoting cheap roll-your-own tobacco, and the gutting of the national quit campaign.

Many nations have ratified the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Article 5.3 of that Convention warns against involvement of Big Tobacco in any aspect of tobacco control. Dr Mendelsohn seems to know better. It has been many years since we saw a doctor in Australia cheering on a tobacco company.

Simon Chapman AO, Emeritus Professor of Public Health, University of Sydney

I read John Coyne's article about Australia's counter-terrorism mechanisms ("Army no magic bullet", July 18, p.16) and in particular his comments about police capabilities with interest.

I have been teaching people – including police and defence personnel – to shoot, for close to40 years.

My observation over that lengthy period is that police officers, as a class, including "tactical" officers, are poor shooters.

This is not, I must stress, because they either can't or won't learn to shoot, but because their masters, almost universally, will not provide the time and resources necessary for them to achieve and maintain appropriate levels of skill.

Peter Moran, Watson

John L.Smith (letters, July 14) denigrates the concept of higher density development along tram routes but finds the idea of densification within 300 metres of every suburban centre "attractive".

He may not know, or have forgotten, that no lesser planner than Walter Burley Griffin in his plans for Canberra proposed higher density development along the main avenues which were also to be the tram routes (see "The Griffin Legacy", NCA,2004).

Regrettably later planners departed from this sensible approach. Also, the ACT Planning and Land Authority introduced the concept of higher density development around suburban centres more than 20 years ago.

Of course, it was hotly opposed at the time but remains a policy of the Territory Plan to this day.

Richard Johnston, Kingston

So Clubs ACT wants a gambling intervention officer (only one?) to monitor and deal with problem gamblers ("Clubs ACT call for territory-wide exclusions for problem gamblers", July 18, p2).

The real problem – about which no information has been provided – is exactly how problem gamblers will be identified.

It is not always easy to identify problem gamblers from their personalities and behaviours.

Once identified, how will these gamblers be encouraged into treatment for their addiction rather than just being banned from venues?

Yes, reduce access to cash. However, responsible gaming officers in ACT clubs have told me that they do not even have information about gambling expenditure by their members, much less know how much any individual can afford to lose.

Clearly, much more could be done, with options including a Territory-wide linked club card; setting a maximum monthly loss limit; programming poker machines to track gambling losses and provide on-screen displays of time and loss information; programming machines to make gloomy, unhappy sounds to coincide with losses rather than just "happy" sounds to accompany "wins"; and programming the machines to automatically shut down after every 20 minutes.

Karina Morris, Weetangera

As a lifelong rail fan, I have read the letters on high-speed rail with interest. I am probably unique in this city, having travelled in the cab of a TGV, the French high-speed train, from Paris to Lyons and Geneva with the driver at 270km/h.

My companion on that day in 1995 was the International General Manager of the French National Railways. He didn't think we have the population in Australia for high-speed rail, especially given the distances, and he would know.

I am not surprised it hasn't eventuated. Various instances have been quoted of where high speed rail has worked, eg, South Korea, China, but their circumstances are vastly different.

The closest parallel is probably Canada where, in the 1990s, it was considered for Montreal-Toronto.

They found it wasn't a goer and implemented an upgraded conventional service instead.

If the conventional service between Canberra and Sydney ran express (no stops), like the buses, it would be just as fast.

Stan Marks, Hawker

As the Greens Senator Scott Ludlam announced he was leaving politics because he was not eligible to be in parliament, he indicated there were other ways to "make trouble". Good to see the Greens' true agenda being made public. We all know they are not there to help improve the country.

Anthony Reid, Murrumbateman, NSW

I wondered how long it would be before someone came out to protect poor Yassmin. (Julia Baird, July 15, p.10).

Julia, Yassmin "reaped what she sowed" and I reckon most people think the opposite to your comments.

Mark Urquhart, Palmerston

No doubt Kelly Slater's broken foot is very painful ("Slater describes pain of breaking foot", July 19, p. 35) but to equate it to the pain of childbirth is stupidly arrogant. How could any man possibly know?

Frances Cornish, Spence

If Messrs. Turnbull and Dutton are looking for a suitable place to launch their new national security super department, opening night of 1984 is on at the Canberra Theatre on Tuesday 25th.

Maria Greene, Curtin

Hear, hear to Neville Barry (letters, July 17). Having come to Australia 49 years ago escaping from a military dictatorship, it saddens me to see our PM militarising our police. Please Mr Turnbull let our civilian police ensure the safety of our streets and the ADF defend our borders.

John Rodriguez, Florey

Unfortunately with the passing of Val Jeffery, the current management of the ESA and RFS will not realise what they have lost with his death. As Val has told you many times, "the greatest threat to the ACT is and will always be from bushfire, coming from the west".

Pat Barling AFSM, Holder

I share Sue Wareham's dismay (Letters, July 18) at the loss of Scott Ludlam from the Senate. And now Larissa Waters.

Both were shining lights in Parliament. It is disastrous that they have gone.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW

Call people with different opinions, delusional (Malcolm Turnbull) or deplorable (Hillary Clinton); you still end up in tears when the votes are counted. When the argument is weak, revert to name calling.

Jeff Bradley, Isaacs

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