It continues to emerge that the whole process of the "Mr Fluffy" fiasco has been poorly handled and a full inquiry is needed to sort out the tragic saga.

The article included a quote from the Work Safety Commissioner, Greg James: "Each demolition is its own little project and a judgment is made based on each individual demolition."

This supports a view that each of the over 1000 contaminated houses could have been judged individually in the first place rather than a one-size-fits-all approach concluding all homes be demolished.

Now it would seem they are not even being demolished with stringent safety measures.

Some houses showed no asbestos in the living areas and yet were treated the same as houses which had missed the asbestos removal program in the early '90s.

Surely some houses, with some remediation, could have been saved, causing less exposure to the general public, less impact on the environment and less trauma for owners who wanted to stay in their homes.

Only a full board of inquiry will answer this and many other failures that continue to arise.

M. McConnell, Giralang

With the constant threat of fires every summer, it amazes me gum trees are still being planted.

They are flammable and lower the water table, effectively producing dry, infertile ground. In the Everglades and South Africa they are being pulled up as fast as they can because they are ruining the hydrology of the ecosystems.

Deciduous tree improve soil quality and raise the water table. Deciduous trees are fire retardant and have been known to protect regional towns from devastation. They are "green stick" configuration within, which makes them moister, more flexible and less likely to drop random branches as do gums.

If numbers were planted around the perimeter of farms then there is a good chance that they could deflect fires and if allowed to venture into bushland are a good buffer in times of fire to reduce the force and devastation due to their fire retardant qualities.

Deciduous trees become dormant in winter and do not use any water whereas gums use water all the time. Deciduous trees raise the water table , gums lower it.

It is time the high and mighty gum tree advocates woke up to the benefits of deciduous trees.

Margot Sirr, Gowrie

Reflecting on forthcoming Australia Day celebrations, it is important to remember that, after Britain invaded Australia ahead of other imperialist powers in 1770, ownership was claimed under the doctrine of terra nullius (empty land) despite the obvious presence of Indigenous people.

This blatant falsehood was, in time, to have disastrous consequences for the many Indigenous people scattered throughout the land, who had lived in Australia for a now-estimated 50,000 years.

Then, as is well known, settlers moved in and were granted land. Conflict developed as Indigenous people were driven off their traditional lands to make way for sheep and cattle.

Massacres of Aborigines took the form of reprisals if cattle were speared. Then, as the years passed, Indigenous people were used in the cattle industry and elsewhere as a cheap labour force.

As for the children of the displaced Aborigines, who became fringe dwellers, many were forcibly removed from their parents.

Then, when the Indigenous population was rapidly declining, the response from the white authorities was to "smooth the pillow".

Finally, in the absence of a treaty, the High Court upheld native title to land after a long and bitter struggle, and granted long-awaited land rights to Eddie Mabo and other Indigenous people.

A treaty with Indigenous Australians must be signed in the near future.

The people of New Zealand signed a treaty in 1840. Why can't we in 2017?

Keith McEwan, Bonython

Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform (FFDLR) applauds the Capital Health Network (CHN) for making a detailed study of ACT suicide prevention services.

Marginalisation is at the heart of suicide and self harm. CHN will do an inestimable service to the ACT community if it casts a light into the darkest and most challenging corners of ACT policies that create and intensify the conditions of anomie linked to mental health issues and suicide.

CHN's Gaylene Coulton is absolutely right that priority should be given to hard-to-reach clients and the services, such as for drug and alcohol abuse, that are most likely to have contact with them: heavy drinkers – 3.5to 10 times depending on the seriousness of the disorder; opioid users – 13 times; intravenous drug users – 14 times; and poly-drug users – 17 times.

There are also prisoners at least two-thirds of whom suffer from both a substance abuse disorder and other mental health conditions.

Suicide in prison is now physically difficult but jumps sky-high in the first two weeks after release, which means the suicide rate of Indigenous Canberrans, over-represented in the correctional system, is disproportionately high.

Bill Bush, Turner

I can still taste my first Dairy Queen from the Downtown Milk Bar – what a treat they were! Vale, Peter Samios (Canberra Times death notices, January 21, 2017, p.81).

Lesley Fisk, Barton

The article "Time's up for old school parking meters" (January 21, p.2) compares the 20 cents per hour parking meter charge when they were introduced in 1972 ($2 after allowing for inflation) with current parking charges of $3 per hour.

However, I recall paying the same 20c per hour (indeed, 10c per half hour) when I arrived in 1985, at the boom gates of the Civic open air carparks (now built over by the Canberra Centre extensions).

This converts to only 50 cents per hour using the RBA inflation calculator.

Given the advantage of paying on exit (no need to buy extra time 'just in case'), I doubt the kerbside rate would have been higher.

I similarly discovered, after trudging through the hot sun from the distant free carpark, that the same price applied at the airport; ie, I'd saved myself a mere 10 cents when collecting an arriving friend (in the days when passengers picked their baggage off the cart on the tarmac).

By the mid-90s, the minimum airport charge had skyrocketed to $1.

Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra, NSW

I've noticed that our sports journalists have finally realised that unbeaten series wins are not "whitewashes", but it seems many still fail to understand that the four top tennis tournaments are not each "grand slams".

Innumerable such mis-calls have been made already during the first week of the Australian Open (including by some ex-players turned commentators who, of all people, should know better).

A player has to win all four majors in one calendar year to be worthy of the title "Grand Slam winner".

Thus, not one of our present players, male or female, is eligible for this prestigious title. Steffi Graf was the last to achieve the honour; in 1988 winning all four majors, plus the Olympic singles, which also makes her the only player to have so far won the "Golden Slam".

If simple sports fans like me know the difference, how hard is it for the so-called experts to also get it right?

Eric Hunter, Cook

It is high time that Ian Warden handed in his quill and returned to his previous occupation as a kennel maid. He is no longer evenly mildly amusing and his comparison of that sublime artist Maria Callas with the juvenile and vulgar shenanigans of Mr Kyrgios ("Of geniuses and cabbages", January 21, Panorama, p.2) demonstrates clearly what an ill-informed, opinionated, old windbag Mr Warden has become.

P. O'Brien, Watson

I'm terribly sorry AFP, Victoria Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Defence Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Tasmania Police, but, despite the estimated 180 kilos of cocaine on board, in boarding the Kaiyo Maru No.8, which had neither entered Australian territorial waters nor those of its Exclusive Economic Zone, you have committed an act of piracy.

You cannot enforce the law by breaking it. I trust that the judge will throw this out of court and order compensation for the arrested crewmen for their illegal arrest and detention.

Further, I urge the judge to recommend that charges be laid against all those involved in this act of piracy to discourage further acts of adventurism on the high seas by Australian authorities.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

Preparing a nomination for recognition within the Order of Australia is an intensive and exhaustive, yet worthwhile, process ("Australian honours system needs reform, with the Council 'acutely aware' of the problem", canberratimes.com.au, January 21).

To date I have nominated four people for their eminent service to Australia.

One, a woman, has already been invested into the Order and three are currently the subject of the Secretariat's independent research and assessment process, which it advises may take up to two years before a nomination can be submitted to the Council for review.

The most challenging aspect to the process is developing a narrative and then providing sufficient personal data to enable the dots to be joined, all without alerting the nominee.

As the Member for Fenner, the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh points out, too often we overlook important backroom people, frequently women, vital to the running of an organisation.

Having seen the joy and excitement the unexpected offer of an award within the Order of Australia can bring to a nominee let's think about the women and men making a real difference in our communities.

Andrew Heslop, Kingston

As we see the emergence of the AFL women's tournament, the success of the Australian Women's Rugby 7s team in the Olympics, the progress in the W-league competition, it is an exciting time in Australia for women's sport.

I think it is important to recognise that football (soccer), and to a lesser extent Rugby, provides so much more that AFL and Rugby League can never provide — internationalism. The W-league is littered with international players. Sport is a great way for Australia to build connections with its Asian neighbours and more broadly. Football (soccer) and Rugby Union are the football sports of the future.

Damien McGrath, Kaleen

The clarity of many discussions is affected by the way the fundamental terms of the discussion are defined.

A same-sex relationship, like heterosexual cohabitation, can be classified as an indulgence. Traditional heterosexual marriage can be identified as a demanding and character forming institution formative of social relationships.

The debate on marriage is muddied by the way some people use heterosexual marriage.

Some regard heterosexual marriage as a rite of passage. One outcome is the five-year marriage. Then there are those who treat heterosexual marriage as an indulgence. This appears to be true of the marriages of some celebrities. It is hardly surprising when such marriages end up in the divorce courts.

Frank Mines, Nicholls

BAILING OUT

At least five dead in Melbourne, weasel words from our leaders. Why was he out on bail that the police opposed?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

Bail Justices. An oxymoron?

Chris Lathbury, Chisholm

ANTI-TRUMP ANARCHISTS

It would appear that some of the anti-Trump rioters have a problem distinguishing between democracy and anarchy.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

Melanie did it to Michelle, Donald did it to Adolf.

Chris Klootwijk, Macarthur

BAA HUMBUG

It seems many Aussies are sheepish about Australia Day, while others go "baa humbug".

Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman

I enjoyed the historical sketch given by Ann Moyal in her letter (Letters, January 20). Her suggestion to use February 7 to celebrate the birthday of our nation is a good one.

Evelyn Bean, Ainslie

PRAYER PAY-OFF

With regard to Kevin Andrews' prayer breakfast mentioned by W. Book (Letters, January 22), I think the taxpayer should know what was being prayed for and what was the result of said prayer.

Juha Turunen, Queanbeyan

PM FLICKS SWITCH

SA power was knocked out by yet another storm, but the traditional Turnbull rant against renewables hasn't eventuated. Has he lost power?

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

TITANTIC, 2017 STYLE

The RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912 (Letters, January 23).

In the northern hemisphere that's mid- to late-spring. Anthropogenic climate change means there won't be so many icebergs around there in spring 2017 as there were in spring 1912.

Peter Marshall, Captains Flat, NSW

ROOTED IN VARIETY

Dave Rowell suggested (Letters, January 19) "a bit of variety" in the replantings along Northbourne Avenue could be the solution.

He favours a Brachychiton. Possibly the odd Brachychiton acerifolius (Illawarra flame tree) could be thrown in for a bit of colour.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

PREDICTABLE SEXISM

Don't worry about Jones, Gladys.

His sexism is as irresponsible as it is predictable.

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

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