The Prime Minister again claimed, wrongly, that the proposed Indigenous advisory body, would "inevitably" become a "third level of government".

The Uluru statement simply calls for a constitutionally guaranteed Indigenous "voice" to Parliament.

Why does the government so arrogantly misrepresent this request?

What other advisory body ever morphed into "third-tier" status.

Besides, Noel Pearson has said, much more clearly than the Prime Minister seems able, that it is up to government to work out the details of the "Voice" body, its structure and its functions.

Then, in an undignified attack on the eloquent young woman who posed the Q&A question, the Prime Minister responded that the Parliament already has Indigenous representatives in Parliament, conveniently ignoring the fact that MPs represent their entire electorates, not just one group with whom they may have special ties.

I can imagine the outcry from the Liberals if Anthony Albanese decided to focus only on the Italians in his electorate.

Finally, just because the Prime Minister doesn't think the Voice proposal would get through a referendum, why doesn't he show some respect and work out how it could, instead of, once again, walking away from our responsibility to enshrine our First Australians in the constitution.

Eric Hunter, Cook

During the recent Women's Big Bash League cricket match between the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder, a player was given out caught despite the replays indicating that the ball had touched the grass before being claimed by the fielder.

My copy of the Laws of Cricket states that a batter is out caught if (among other things) the ball does not touch the ground, even though the hand holding it does so in effecting the catch.

In this instance the replay appeared to indicate that the ball momentarily "bobbled" from the fielder's hand/wrist onto the field and was then taken in hand by the fielder.

The Laws of Cricket, taken in this context, appears to suggest that the ball need only touch the grass (or even a blade of grass) before being claimed by the fielder, to be regarded as not a valid catch.

The spirit of the Laws of Cricket has, for as long as I can recall, maintained that, where any doubt exists (no matter how minor) the benefit of the doubt should always favour the batter.

Perhaps we need to ascertain whether the technology presently available to the third umpire or official is capable of, or should be modified to include a camera incorporating a microscopic lens along lines similar to the ball-tracking device.

The lens should be capable of indicating whether or not the ball touched the grass before being claimed as a catch.

Andrew Rowe, Florey

Where do we prepare our youth for a dynamic democracy? In the public schools.

We need to support quality public education for all. We need the diversity of all types of people, all socioeconomic classes, all religions to learn together in the public schools.

That is where the future leaders of all aspects of our society will be developed.

Gonski originally had the vision of bringing more equity into public school funding. This has not happened.

Instead the so-called Gonski 2.0 put forward by the Coalition government favours the private elite schools and religious schools. (The Canberra Times, "Gonski 2.0 is no win-win", December 11, p14).

Gonski 2.0 furthers inequality and divisions within our society. Overfunding private and religious schools is undermining our democratic future. If families want to send their children to private or religious schools they should pay and the schools should fundraise to provide scholarships.

Paying for private and religious schools from taxpayer funds is not an obligation that any democracy should undertake.

We are then paying with our taxes to undermine the future of our democracy.

Pamela Collett, Narrabundah

I agree with Trevor Cobbold of Save Our Schools ("Gonski 2.0 is no win-win", December 11, p14) that under Gonski 2.0 public funds won't go where they are most needed.

The distribution of funding between public vis a vis Catholic and independent schools demonstrates the power of lobbyists and parents with influence.

However, the school's sector also protects its own interests – for example don't expect it to raise the prospect that public funding would be even better spent on pre-natal services and pre-school age children – particularly those who are at risk.

Governments and all members of our parliaments should be taking a far more critical view of lobbyists and sectional interests and practising evidence-based decision-making in order to improve the outcomes for the overall community.

Instead they generally are happy to do special deals in exchange for a quiet time and support at election time, and then try to hide the evidence behind Freedom of Information law.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

As Australia heaves a collective sigh of relief at the overdue removal of legislated marriage discrimination, we should remember that a nice 91-year-old woman living in London has the unfettered legal power for the next 12months to annul the law.

This is a woman once described by a leading British royal historian as an uneducated Philistine.

She has no democratic legitimacy or real connection to Australia. The black letter of s59 of our constitution gives her this power. The prevailing black letter brutality of our High Court indicates that its exercise would be valid. Unthinkable? Yes. Improbable? Yes. But possible and lawful? Certainly.

It is past time to excise this antidemocratic institution and its outdated, if disused, powers. We could fix s44 at the same time.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

Get solar panels and a battery set up. The ACT has a very generous offer at the moment.

I produce more energy than I use at the moment and sell it back to ActewAGL .

I might need some power from the grid in winter but I should now be able to afford to buy green-energy from some of the windmills around here.

Coalmines and coal powered power stations might have to stay a bit longer but we do not need any new mines, just more solar systems with batteries.

Jens Svensson, Chifley

Sam Dastyari: Malcolm Turnbull's most unlikely saviour strikes again.

M. Moore, Bonython

The article "Canberra teachers to learn to spot student extremists" (canberratimes.com.au, December 9), along with its headline, is inaccurate.

Teachers in public schools will not be taught anything of the sort. What will happen is that some school leaders will be routinely briefed on a range of materials available to them to use as they see fit, and this briefing happens to include some of the Commonwealth's student radicalisation fact sheets.

These fact sheets were conceived during the brief prime ministerial reign of Tony Abbott and reflect the alarmism of the time.

I don't expect teachers will place much stock in them at all because they amount to a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

Teachers will do what they always do and professionally monitor student wellbeing, using the resources already at their disposal.

More mental health experts would assist, not politically motivated fact sheets from the Commonwealth.

ANU counter-terrorism expert Clarke Jones is spot on: such programs are unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Glenn Fowler, secretary Australian Education Union – ACT

As the editorial (December 11) pointed out, the two main political parties have "agreed to ban political donations from foreign organisations and non-citizens. Yet this ... won't stop multinationals or foreign-owned companies from donating to Australian politicians via Australia subsidiaries or Australian third parties".

The ban has so many loopholes that it is no more than another misleading scheme which avoids continued demands for full and timely disclosure of electoral funding and lobbyists.

Even that would have loopholes but would improve political transparency even though parliamentary staff and research grants to academics and research institutes alike would largely pass through the net.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Like P. Snowdon (Letters, December 8) I agree that cyclists are responsible for road safety too, including the fact that during the two-year trial and now, continuing on, the law states that they must slow down to a maximum speed of 10km/h when riding across a pedestrian crossing.

In the ACT licence handbook (p100) it states "The rider must slow to 10km/h on the approach to the crossing and check for any approaching traffic and be prepared to stop. This will allow motorists to see and respond to the cyclist before they make the crossing" .

Most cyclists I have encountered using pedestrian crossings, don't seem to understand the concept of this limit and ride across these crossings without slowing down at all.

I'm sure if they had to display a registration plate enabling police to track them down for traffic law breaches such as speeding across pedestrian crossings (and running red lights), they would consider slowing down and also observe all of the other road rules they consider not relevant to them.

If they consider it too hard to estimate their speed (10km/h) perhaps it should become mandatory that their bike be fitted with a speedometer to assist them.

Please slow down and give drivers a chance to see you and let you cross the road in safety.

G. Evans, Kaleen

Just finished reading the foreign policy white paper – I was hoping for a hot, sweet, double-shot espresso to bring the international development assistance program back to life – but all I got was a lukewarm decaf soy latte with artificial sweeteners – what a disappointment.

David Bailey, Kambah

If the PM is so concerned about foreign influence in this country, he could take a look at the institutions in Australia that accept money from foreign weapons companies, including think-tanks that pass themselves off as "independent".

He could fund our schools and universities properly so that they are not tempted to accept funding from these same weapons companies.

He could remind himself that even our pre-eminent war memorial in Canberra has allowed its theatre to be named after Britain's biggest weapons manufacturer BAE Systems. He could ban parliamentarians from going on Israeli-sponsored trips to their country that are used to help counter the global condemnation of Israel's occupation of Palestine.

He could immediately sign the new Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which is in Australia's and everyone else's interests but rejected by our great ally.

He could also wander by the Parliament House offices of his Coalition colleagues who have the names of leading US political figures, past or present, displayed in their windows There's no shortage of foreign influence here, subtle or overt, but the PM is likely to be extremely selective in what he finds objectionable.

Sue Wareham, Cook

Malcolm Turnbull is claiming that his government has delivered all promises it had made. Some of us have doubts about this statement.

It is good that the Same Sex Marriage Bill has passed. But in what a way? He had to give his caucus colleagues a free vote. He had done so after spending close to $100 million. He could have done it without a postal ballot which was not binding.

His promise to put more money in our pockets has not worked very well. He has picked the pockets of many ordinary Australians by reducing the weekend penalty rates. Now he is embarking on reducing the corporate tax rates.

He is hoping that will translate into more business activities, more jobs and more money in our pockets. If he cares to read Peter Martin's article ("Taxing questions: Big firms paid little or no tax in 2016", December 9, p6) he will know that big corporations didn't pay much or any tax at all. So why give them a tax break?

On the question of Indigenous Australians his policy has been a complete failure. We had a summit spending a lot of money. But he didn't accept its recommendations. We do not know what he is doing about it or whether he will do anything at all.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

REAPING CONSEQUENCES

So Joe Hockey warns the North Korean crisis has come to a head, that the North Korean leader is unhinged and Australian cities are targets. What he doesn't say is our cities will only be targets if the Liberals commit us to join a flimsily justified US attack on a sovereign nation – to prop up an unhinged US president.

Paul Strutynski, Buckajo, NSW

SINKING FEELING

Planning a swim at Cheviot Beach soon Sam?

Brendan Dobson, Macgregor

THE CHINESE 'THREAT'

I have to agree with Andrew Robb; Australia is suffering from China phobia. If the alternatives are the Chinese Communist Party or a cabal of plutocrats like the Koch brothers and Robert Mercer I would prefer the CPA. China is producing plutocrats faster than the US, but it's not yet evident they are running the joint.

S. W. Davey, Torrens

GOOD VALUE?

Hopefully Mr Huang's $55,000 luncheon with Mr Shorten included pre-luncheon drinks.

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

SOUNDING OFF

Your crunchy food noise article ("When picture theatres have to ban crunchy foods we've clearly crossed a line", December 12, p20) resonated. Could the TV stations decrease so-called background music so the program can be heard?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

DIVIDED LOYALTIES

It's odd that M. Moore, (Letters, December 9) thanks Almighty God for the victory of SSM. His minions marched against it.

Richard Dixon, Lyons

ILLOGICAL

Jeff Day's (climate change) syllogism (letters, Dec 8) goes as follows:

On December 6, 1985 between 12am and 11.59pm I was fine and healthy.

On December 5, 2017 between 12am and 11.59pm I was fine and healthy.

It can be safely assumed that I am, therefore, immortal.

Right.

Luca Biason, Latham

DASTYARI NOT WELCOME

Shorten and the ALP would have come out the Dastyari affair a lot better if the alternative PM had sacked his influential mate when this broke. It has dragged on too long and the fact Sam, not Bill, made the final curtain call is very significant.

J. Trethowan, Belconnen

SAME-SEX BILL

This same-sex marriage law should have been passed years ago when Labor first put the bill up to allow it but the Liberals prevented it. It is not a Liberal Party win.

This is something it did not want but ended up having no choice about.

Ken Morehouse, Wangaratta