Best wishes to the Woden Valley Gymnastics Club as it works towards achieving its aim.

Evelyn Bean, Aislie

It was most surprising to read in Michael Lallo's article that Insiders, televised on Sunday mornings, is now Australia's top-rating morning show.

That could well be the case in the ACT, but one would imagine that many of the breakfast shows on commercial TV stations would have far greater viewing audiences. Perhaps Mr Lallo could enlighten us with some figures to substantiate his claim?

N.Bailey, Nicolls

"Labour splurged $60,000 on a ... new wardrobe for Chloe and Bill Shorten during last year's election campaign" (CT, March 12).

Given Bill ostensibly represents the working class, he should have outfitted himself from the local op shop, while Chloe could have borrowed a few stylish outfits from her mum, the former GG.

Next time I think I'll vote for Mal – at least he buys his own suits.

John Galvin, Weston

In what is essentially an admission that he hasn't listened to or understood any opposing viewpoints, John Popplewell (Letters, March 13) argues vociferously that life begins at conception, as though it was somehow contentious and relevant to the debate over the provision of family planning services.

A single fertilised cell may well be alive, but one thing it most definitely isn't is a human.

It has the potential to become one, but it isn't until about 21 weeks of gestation that a human fetus has any chance of surviving outside the womb.

Aside from the fact that releasing women from the captivity of a never-ending reproductive treadmill is one of the most important steps in enabling developing nations to begin lifting their populations out of poverty, the other significant issue that appears to have eluded Mr Popplewell is the right of women in the ACT to undergo a very private and personal medical procedure without a bunch of maleficent old men leering at them.

His imaginary friend supposedly hears prayers wherever they are cast, so Mr Popplewell's sole purpose for trespassing inside the prohibited zone is to intimidate vulnerable women and make their already difficult situation even more unpleasant.

James Allan, Narrabundah

Rod Matthews is confused (Letters, March 12). North Korea is the belligerent nation, having invaded the south with a massive number of troops on June 25, 1950.

Perhaps Rod might consider the 150,000-plus Koreans imprisoned in North Korean gulags.

May God help Australia should Kim Jong-un's minions develop ICBM technology. In fact, forget God. You'll be praying for salvation from the USAF and USN.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

Housing affordability can seem to be beyond many young couples, but there are solutions. One is for governments to sponsor low-income housing estates.

The houses in these estates could be rented out to suitable low-income tenants. If after some years they have demonstrated their ability to meet the rental payments, they could be invited to purchase the houses with the rental payments they have made to date being consolidated as the deposit on the house. This is not anew idea and has been done in individual cases in the past.

Frank Mines, Nicholls

Every day on the roads we encounter slower vehicles. We overtake when it's safe. We slow to their speed until we can overtake safely. They don't put us in any danger. We put ourselves in danger, if we overtake unsafely. Some slower vehicles are bicycles. We can endanger them with little risk to ourselves, if we are in cars.

Paul Wayper thinks bicycles going up or down Black Mountain are "passing on ... risk to the car driver" and that "should not be acceptable" (Canberra Times, March 16, p15).

He seems to mean nothing less than that cars should endanger bicycles, rather than drive safely. Does he treat other slower vehicles the same way? Are ACT government mowers, or heavily loaded trucks, or earthmoving vehicles a problem for him?

Christopher Hood, Queanbeyan

Waleed Aly is to be congratulated for having the temerity to write the article that was begging to be written, "Phoney crisis a ploy to access off-limits gas" (CT, March17).

He is flying in the face of not merely the Prime Minister and government but of a major global oligopoly, possibly the largest, short of finance itself.

Aly wrote the "rort" is that the petrochemical giants "create a domestic shortage, then demand access to some of our most environmentally sensitive resources as though it's an emergency measure".

Aly's colleagues have been hinting at the scam for some time. The entire fossil fuel industry holds Australia to ransom, refusing to sell us our gas at a reasonable price unless we approve more (and more) fracking. The Prime Minister, ever one to dine at the tables of true wealth, is eager to deliver this boon.

Ross Gittins dropped a hint in "Mining makes our pollies confused about logic of demand and supply" (CT, December 19, p35). Peter Hannam reminded us of the opposition to fracking in "Massive battle: Santos lodges long-awaited plans for controversial CSG project" (canberratimes.com.au, February 3). James Massola brought us up to date on the Prime Minister's posturing in"PM to confront gas companies at crunch meeting" (CT, March 15, p4).

It is time for Mr Turnbull to represent Australians' interests, to revert to the line that the Commonwealth controls exports.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).