Barnaby Joyce defends the change because he believes we are becoming too wrapped up incotton wool. ("18C irrelevant to voters: Deputy PM", March 21, p4)

The real message is that it's OK to be nasty to those whose skin is browner than your own, or who are wearing different headgear (except for wedding veils, of course).

It's not the case that 18C has been holding back racist people but rather that now they feel they're getting the wink and the nod from those in power so they'll increase their aggression.

It all goes neatly with those Mussolini-style black Border Force outfits, the cruelty on Manus and Nauru, the harshness to those on welfare and the destruction of the fragile beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.

Everything that overseas visitors have loved so much about our land is being crushed beneath the stamp of jackboots.

Perhaps we should start the ball rolling by insulting those who benefit most by this new harsh nation.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone."

It is not the first stone that crushes the body, nor the last. It is not the boulder, nor the pebble, nor the grain of dust. It is the accumulated effect of all the stones.

And so it is with aspersions.

It is not the first that crushes the soul.

To those claiming free speech each slight is a mere grain of dust blown away in the breeze. But it is the constant drip that wears away the stone; the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 is designed to protect those whose only sin is to be different.

As Mama Cass sang: "Different is hard, different is lonely, different is trouble for you only, different is heartache, different is pain."

Unfortunately there are many amongst us who claim to be affronted by those who are different.

They want everyone to be the same as they; small-minded and lacking in respect. Be brave.

"Rather be different than be the same." Retain 18C.

Peter Snowdon, Aranda

It is not helpful when Denis Woodham's otherwise informative letter (March 22) includes a statement about "400MW of energy". MW is a measure of power not energy.

Australia's electrical energy consumption in 2014-15 was 252million MWh. Snowy Hydro's hydro contribution was2 per cent of this total and Hydro Tasmania contributed 3per cent.

Their importance lies in that they can operate at times of peak demand for energy.

Professor Andrew Blakers, an acknowledged renewable energy enthusiast, has written that it would take nine Snowy Hydro2.0 projects to reach a renewable energy panacea ("Electricity plan chance to create fully renewable power grid" March 21, p4).

The article failed to mention the required investment in new renewable energy plant.

Both Snowy Hydro and Hydro Tasmania are under threat of climate change reducing the amount of snow/water available and this threat would apply to any other hydro site in south eastern Australia.

This is a very serious complication for Blaker's proposal because the relevant rainfall fluctuations occur in at least year-long cycles.

With Snowy Hydro's overriding commitment to irrigators and the river environments, it is likely to have only a minor role insolving the renewable energy enigma.

John L Smith, Farrer

Tasmania has a peak power generation capacity of 2314MW. It has a peak demand of 1700MW. That is, it has capacity to spare.

The Bass Link electricity cable has a capacity of 500MW and is already a low-cost option for energy security for both Tasmania and the mainland.

Tasmanian hydro stations are of two types: run of the river and storage. Fifty per cent are run of the river or the equivalent of intermittent renewables as they only run when there is water in the rivers. The other half comes from large dam storage.

A cheap, quick option to secure continuity of supply is to increase the peak output from dams and to use the dams as a battery for renewables.

Using Tasmanian storage does not require pumping water, but it does require transmission of power across Bass Strait. As Victoria, NSW and the federal government own Snowy Hydro, and as they tried to sell it last year, it may be a good idea for the ACT and South Australia to get together to secure Tasmanian storage by funding one or more BassLink cables and doing a deal with the Tasmanians.

Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal

The PM's pumped storage Snowy scheme will consume more energy than it generates.

If 70 per cent of the summit storage potential energy is converted into electricity and 70 per cent of off-peak electricity is converted into potential energy the scheme will use twice the electricity it generates.

The scheme could be economically viable if the price of peak demand electricity is (guess) five times the price of off-peak electricity.

The scheme would improve the reliability of an electrical system using significant amounts of solar and wind generated power.

To the extent that the off-peak power is generated using fossil fuels the scheme will increase greenhouse gas emissions.

B. Gibbs, Page

Ex-chief minister Jon Stanhope's informative, emotional appeal (for aid for SHOUT) says it all.

Andrew Barr, Rachel Stephen-Smith and Megan Fitzharris, how do you sleep at night with your government's withdrawal of a measly $110,000 from the SHOUT organisation?

God forbid you ever have the hardship and heartbreak of a loved one with breast cancer, down syndrome, motor neurone or a brain-injured child to name a few organisations affected.

These people are doing it bloody tough and you sit in your "ivory tower" unable to find a measly $110,000 from the ACT's $5 billion budget.

Jon Stanhope it's not a shame, it's completely despicable and soulless.

Denise Page, Canberra

In answer to Mr Catanzariti's letter (March 21) criticising Mr Reynolds' letter welcoming the traffic lights at the bottleneck corner of Hindmarsh and Eggleston Cres.

Mr Reynolds is right. Since the opening of the Tuggeranong freeway, traffic from all more southern suburbs wishing to access the freeway have either come through Chifley to Eggleston or turned left at the Melrose/ Hindmarsh lights and exacerbated the bottleneck.

Making egress from Chifley during peak hours almost impossible.

Mr Catanzariti's comments had a suggestion of impatience, which has been the cause of a few accidents at the corner.

Leave earlier, have patience and stop whingeing.

Edith Jensen, Chifley

My normal way of going to Weston in heavy hours is drive to the traffic lights at Melrose Dr and Eggleston and turn left at Melrose and Hindmarsh and then down Hindmarsh Drive to Weston.

The new lights will save me time as I will be able to turn left at Eggleston to Hindmarsh more safely.

So I did have the initiative years ago. So Michael Catanzariti can rest in peace.

I have been in Chifley since 1972.

Ian Reynolds, Chifley

I read Christopher Ryan's letter "Restore constable on the beat" (Letters, March 22), with fear, dismay and indignation.

If, and I have no reason to doubt it, there are major central areas of Canberra that are unsafe due to lack of police presence, this is something to be ashamed of.

I would prefer to believe that this is not a choice made by the AFP simply because they do not care but is an action forced upon them by lack of funding from the ACT government.

Paul O'Connor, Hawker

There have been several letters in this newspaper recently regarding ActewAGL's failure to read meters but rather to charge for gas and electricity based on their "best estimate" of our usage.

This has resulted in overcharging.

I must confess that I, too, was one of ActewAGL's creditors. Bruce Paine (Letters, March 24) now tells us that Mick Gentleman's office states there is no Minister in charge.

To me ActewAGL's action may be tantamount to fraud.

If our politicians have no interest in the matter, surely it should be reported to the AFP?

Meanwhile I suggest we only pay for our "best estimate" of our usage.

C.J.Johnston, Duffy

A tragedy is likely in the competition between bikes and walkers, each of whom believe their group has the right of way on the lake's edge. Riders, in the main, do not ring their bells and ignore the boundary. Death or serious injury is never far away. The law prescribes bells must be rung and walkers should remain within the lines.

Howard Crozier, Deakin

It is less than a week since Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris launched the Public Transport Association of Canberra. My request for information about its constitution has gone unanswered. Does it still exist?

Leon Arundell, Downer

The publication of the World Happiness Report, with Norway rated more highly than Australia as the world's happiest country, comes hot on the heels of news that the Norwegian Future Fund has reached the point where it contains 1million Krone for every Norwegian.

That is because Norway planned to use its finite reserves of oil to preserve prosperity into the future for all of its citizens. In contrast, Australia squanders its resources by practically giving those resources away to multinationals and then lives through perpetual cycles of boom and bust.

We have even managed to give away so much natural gas that we can no longer guarantee supply for our own power industry.

Nobody is happy all the time and we all have tough times, but perhaps Norwegians stay happy by consoling themselves in their tough times by thinking that things could be worse – they could be Australian.

Tony Judge, Woolgoolga, NSW

Many women follow the English tradition of sharing their husband's surname upon marriage; many choose to retain their own (typically patriarchal) surname; while others adopt other approaches, such as double-barrelled surnames, using different surnames in different contexts, and traditions from non-Anglo cultures.

The appearance of children compels further choices.

Joan Webster (Letters, March 22) asserts that those who take the first option "indicate ownership" by their husband. The word "own" has two meanings. The first is her cynical treatment as a chattel. The other is the opposite of "disown"; in this respect I have heard "I give you my name" used in vows by a groom.

She then cites the uncertainty that can arise from a woman changing her surname as a practical argument.

However, the other married-name options create their own uncertainties for others.

Each makes their own choice, balancing the various considerations.

Why jump to judgments about the reason for those choices?

Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra

SECTION SELECTION

I wonder how many of the people posturing on 18C know that 18D protects freedom of speech and ensures that artistic works, scientific debate and fair comment on matters of public interest are exempt from section 18C, providing they are said or done reasonably and in good faith.

Peter Campbell, Cook

Barnaby Joyce's advice to the party room re 18C is 'It will cost us votes'. It seems votes transcend any harm as a result of the abuse, insults and humiliation that may be hurled at people. Is this the standard we want our children to adopt in the land of the fair go?

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

Why is 18D so rarely part of the discussion about s18C? Without it, it is like viewing a picture with half of it obscured.

Sue Schreiner, Red Hill

NOT QUITE THE TICKET

If Susan Ley only breached one of her travel entitlements; then one has to ask questions about the integrity of Parliamentary Travel Entitlements Scheme. Bring on a Federal ICAC.

Jeff Bradley, Isaacs

MOTHER OF SEMANTICS

I would respectfully like to remind our Prime Minister that the Palace of Westminster is not the "mother of parliaments". The phrase (John Bright, January 18, 1865) refers to England itself.

Gail Tregear, Civic

IN THIS TOGETHER

When Malcolm Turnbull's wealthy mates return from the Caymans, will he ask them to contribute to reducing the budget bottom line, as he has already forced pensioners, Centrelink clients and young families to do?

John Davenport, Farrer

WARNING BLUE LIGHTS

My Bupa ambulance insurance is rising. Going from $74.65 with a rebate of $27.35 to $78.20 and rebate of $27.40 per year. There is something wrong with this yet our government with politicians who are quite well off won't do anything to help.

V.Harris, Yass

CLOSE TO THE MARK

Howard Carew is nearly right with his letter of March 23: "The (ACT) government has its priorities hopelessly out of order." It would be more accurate to say: "The government is just hopeless."

Mark Urquhart, Palmerston

DEMOLITION CREW

Heritage is in the eye of the beholder. ("Residents fight CSIRO demolition", March 24, p.3).

M. Moore, Bonython

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