In 1946, the multiple Walkley Award winner, author and press gallery journalist, Stewart Cockburn, offered the following tribute to Dame Enid: "It's people like you who give us courage – who help us to hope and believe that Parliament and democracy are worth believing in and fighting for. If only one member of the whole Parliament can show that life and experience have not destroyed idealism, sincerity and the spirit of struggle, then Parliament is worthwhile. More than anyoneelse, you have helped me resist the impulse to scepticism."

I wonder if Stewart Cockburn would find anyone worthy of his words in today's Parliament?

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

John Warhurst's excellent article ("Leadership styles and party upheavals", February2, p.19) points out the many divisive problems that beset all political parties and will always do so.

This dysfunctional party system is no more apparent than with the resignation of Senator Bernardi.

I think the problem is that candidates join a party because that is their best chance of being elected, not because the stated present ideology or policies are completely to their liking.

I think this was the case with Senator Bernardi. If the party's policies stray too far from the candidate's basic ideology then dissension follows.

Would it not be better for that candidate to be elected as an independent? Where he can stand up in parliament, without party influence, and debate any issue.

We need to have more candidates stand as independents and for the electorate to seriously consider them when we vote.

The quality of our politicians would improve exponentially.

Max Jensen, Chifley

Malcolm Turnbull could achieve two of his aims – namely, creating jobs and reviewing MPs' entitlements – by stipulating that all living away from home allowances, paid for being in Canberra during parliamentary sittings, be only used for hotel or serviced-apartment accommodation.

This would create/secure jobs in Canberra as well as ensuring that MPs do not rort the living allowance scheme.

Canberrans are frequently disadvantaged by being the location of the federal government – for example, escalating air fares when Parliament is sitting.

It is about time there was some benefit.

Gay von Ess, Aranda

The hypocrisy of the Abbott assassins is breathtaking. It is not Bernardi that has betrayed the party, rather a party that has betrayed its conservative base.

A party led by someone without conviction or principle, and devoid of any political nous.

A party that is no longer a "broad church", and has completely failed to comprehend the Brexit, Trump, Hanson phenomenon.

Congratulations, Cory Bernardi.

Owen Reid, Dunlop

I emailed Cory Bernardi through a comment section in his web page (www.corybernardi.com/contact) to suggest he should resign his Senate seat and recontest it in the subsequent byelection.

I was surprised and upset when the receipt for my comment thanked me for my support.

This is a trick to inflate his support statistics, as I do not support Cory Bernardi's current Senate activity and the dishonest way he has interpreted my comment.

Roland Torrens, Hughes

Please explain, Cory.

You claimed to be guided by God, but precisely which god advised you to betray your parent party after securing a Senate seat for six years?

You claimed to have sanctity for human life, but have you not ridiculed the dangers of life to the immigrants running for their lives from war zones?

Cory, you have lot to explain.

Dr Munawar Rana, Walkerville, SA

Now that Cory Bernardi has returned from New York, I await with anticipation his speech about what he has learnt from being at the United Nations as a parliamentary representative from Australia, and what ideas he has about how we can improve our contribution to its work.

I would like to know that the taxpayers' dollars have been well spent.

David Purnell, Florey

I found it intriguing to hear Bernardi paraphrasing, if not actually quoting, his new hero Mao Zedong in his defection speech: "The longest journey begins with a first step." Perhaps the senator should also take note of another of the chairman's quotes: "All reactionaries are paper tigers."

James Gralton, Garran

Malcolm Turnbull could come up with a win-win for himself, Donald Trump and Australia if, instead of sending the refugees to the US permanently, he sent Cory Bernardi. Malcolm and Australia would be rid of a persistent troublemaker and Donald would have another un-critical follower.

Allan Mikkelsen, Hawker

Bernardi's departure from the Coalition means that the PM has one less dinosaur to deal with. Still a few to go though – Abbottosaurus, Abetzosaurus, Christensenosaurus and so on, so (he) needs a political asteroid impact to get things done.

David Williams, Watson

Could letter writers leave Bernardi alone? If, as federal Liberal Party members keep repeating, the Liberal Party is a broad church, then Cory is exercising his right to come and go through that wide-open church door as he pleases.

Graeme Rankin, Holder

So Cory Bernardi is going to start another Nutters Party. Don't we have enough of those already?

Richard Keys, Ainslie

Professor Jenny Stewart ("Labor rode the rails to election victory", February 6, p.15) was spot on when she said "Labor and the Greens adopt an essentially magic pudding approach to budgetary policy. You can cut as many slices as you want, and there will always be plenty left."

In addition to maintaining essential services, some of the pudding is used to keep the ALP in power.

For example, supporting vanity projects like the tram so as to ensure Greens support in the assembly.

The pudding is provided mainly by the Commonwealth government in the form of salaries to its staff, which in turn supports the rest of the ACT economy. The ACT economy relies solely on us, the ratepayers for its income.

We're in a Ponzi scheme where the government makes money from new capital derived from investors (ratepayers and building developers), rather than from profit earned through legitimate sources.

The territory needs private investment. The government should be looking to attract high tech industry to Canberra by offering low set up and low running costs for the first few years of operation.

They should also be looking at establishing partnerships between industry, government, CSIRO and universities. This is how Silicon Valley began in California.

But it is all a dream, I know that.

At the end of the day, we don't have a government, not a proper one. We have a town council. And, as everyone knows, town councils have small minds, but large appetites – especially for puddings.

Lee Welling, Nicholls

Canberrans should consider if the Barr government's intention to reportedly make "five new senior appointments" in planning related areas in the next few months ("House quits directorate", February 7, p.1) represents value for our money.

We don't need highly remunerated bureaucrats ($300k-$700k pa seems to have been set, simply by precedent, as the going rate) to facilitate filling in open spaces and constructing over the top multi-storey buildings, while ensuring the true cost to the budget and reduced amenity remain hidden.

Our assembly should conduct a transparent and genuinely open inquiry into key planning matters, such as the "City to the Lake" project, construction of which has essentially commenced on the Black Mountain side of Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

There is definitely nothing cool or little about the current or proposed works.

The inquiry should consider the need to preserve open space particularly near built up areas and the appropriate scale of development generally.

It should be informed by impartial expert advice, remunerated if necessary – that is much more likely to add value from a community perspective than the "Labor mates" who often seem to be appointed to senior positions in the ACT public service.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

One has to wonder whether our government-driven police ever target anything else? ("Speeding drivers in sights of ACT police this February", canberratimes.com.au, February 7).

(We were told) "Gungahlin Drive, Majura Parkway, Monaro Highway, William Hovell Drive and Belconnen Way would likely be of particular interest to police as the top five speeding hot spots in Canberra".

Are they also the top five accident hot spots, or merely statistically advantageous revenue potential hot spots?

I have noticed an increasing trend in Canberra of red-light running.

It attracts so few resources people know they can do it with virtual impunity.

The lack of sequencing of lights, and increase in bizarre intersections probably doesn't help.

If February's going to be target speeding month, let's make March target red-light month, April target graffiti month and June target ice month.

J. Coleman, Chisholm

The wording of the headline "Criminals serving sentences out of jails" (February 7, p. 4) was most unfortunate.

It seems to suggest the only place for criminals is jail, but more importantly it disparages one of the most important reforms to the ACT criminal justice system for many years.

The intensive corrections order which was introduced just a year ago can be seen from the data contained in the article to be highly successful with 30 convicted offenders now serving sentences in the community.

There have been some failures, but one of the unique features of this scheme is that both the offender and the supervising authorities know exactly what the consequences will be.

It is no longer a matter of chance or luck.

The ACT government and the ACT community should be proud of this scheme as it is already going a long way to keeping the number of offenders in jail to the lowest number possible, and that has positive economic and social consequences.

David Biles, Curtin

In reference to D. Erikson's claim refugees cease to be refugees once they arrive in Indonesia (letters, February 8, p.15).

Indonesia is not a signatory to the refugee convention, they have never wanted to protect any refugees and Australia only uses them as a dumping ground, prisons which we pay for.

Just in case there is any doubt that I am correct, up until the time Gillard started turning them away 97per cent of those who passed through Indonesia are still here as refugees.

Marilyn Shepherd, Angaston, SA

PRAISE FOR POPE

Your cartoonist (David Pope) was handed a rich palette of material to work with this week, but his latest "Coming to terms with political climate change" (February 7, p.15) is probably his most inspired, satirical, and apt work to date, depicting our curious political land/seascape. He deserves a raise!

Jonathan Mobbs, Malua Bay, NSW

PO PIGGY BANK

Perhaps Scott Morrison should consider finding funds for his deficits at the Australia Post Office. I am sure the King of the Post office will oblige! Ditto Centrelink.

Vanessa Lauf, Bungendore, NSW

ALTERNATIVE FACTS

Alan Parkinson (letters, February 2) congratulates John McKerral (letters, January 30) for his comments about the "real" cost of solar electricity. It seems "alternative facts" are now de rigueur!

James Allan, Narrabundah

NO TRUMP APOLOGIST

Steve Ellis (Letters, February 6) criticised me for "accepting" Donald Trump, even "applauding" him for keeping his promises.

I made no such comments.

Don Sephton, Greenway

BEGONE, BERNARDI

For all it's worth, let me, on behalf of the true liberals within the Liberal Party, say this to Cory Bernardi: "vattene" (begone), as my wife's grandmother would have said.

John Rodriguez, Florey

Slogan for the next election: Cory Bernardi for Cory Bernardi.

Robyn Waddington, Greenway

WRONG BOHEMIA

Sorry, Michael McCarthy and Jack Monaghan (letters, February 7), but you are both off course. Bohemia is a region in the Czech Republic that is famous for its crystal wares; it is not a country in its own right, at least in modern times.

The term "bohemian" referred to by Gerry Murphy in his February 5 letter, has nothing to do with Bohemia, but describes a lifestyle that is "unconventional".

G. Bell, Franklin

OLD POPULISM

Populism is nothing new. Only the media make it so.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

Queen Elizabeth II has been the Queen of Australia for 65 years this week. She is head of a Commonwealth of about 65 nations or one- third of humanity. Long live the Queen and her successors.

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

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