The LNP and ALP have been in power for 75 years and we have a constitution that is way out of date.

Along with very poor and/or lack of good legislation, they are making our populace doubt the fairness of our democracy.

A rewrite of the constitution is imperative and urgent and should address the question of a republic.

But there are many other considerations such as: failure of the party system, the necessity of three arms of political government, the democracy destroying, corruption-riddled donations and "jobs for the boys".

How is this going to happen under the LNP/ALP cartel? It isn't. They are happy with the status quo.

Maybe if donations were stopped, political parties would disappear and constitutional reform would be implemented under an independent and co-operative parliament.

How good would 150 Andrew Wilkies, Tony Windsors or Rob Oakeshotts be?

Throw in your favourite politician (or ex) unencumbered by a party. Voila! Utopia.

Edith and Max Jensen, Chifley

The War Memorial is bringing in some virtual reality immersive experiences ("War Memorial explores artefacts with augmented reality," November 25, p.10).

It is to be hoped the exhibits show the impacts of this lethal technology on human beings. For example, there will be a look inside the World War II bomber, "G for George," which already features in a short film at the Memorial.

The film depicts the brave and highly dangerous work of the men of Bomber Command, but almost completely ignores what happened to the German civilian victims on the ground as the bombs fell (about 150,000 Germans were killed, including about 43,000 in Hamburg in a week in 1943 and 25,000 in Dresden in two nights in 1945, including thousands of children).

The virtual George should do better than this.

The Memorial is very good at presenting ever more slick versions of the same military history (interactive map of Gallipoli as well as dioramas, names of dead men and women projected on the walls as well as in bronze on the Roll of Honour, interactive experience with warships, not just photographs) but it has always been weak at presenting the broader, non-Australia centric view.

Wars have at least two sides; our common humanity demands that we give attention to them all, not just the Australian side.

Doing that would deliver real empathy.

David Stephens, Bruce

I laughed when I read the comments made by Nationals MP George Christensen in the aftermath of the Queensland state election: "I'm sorry that we in the LNP have let you down and now we need to listen more, work harder, stand up more for conservative values ... "

If the repudiation of "conservative values" in the same-sex marriage plebiscite results weren't enough for Mr Christensen to realise that his brand of politics are what's costing his party votes, not the more reasonable, centrist leanings of the embattled Prime Minister, then it's difficult to imagine a less representative representative.

James Allan, Narrabundah

Totally absent in the euthanasia discussion (Editorial, November 27, p.16) is any concern about coercion by those who benefit from the premature death resulting from "voluntary" euthanasia.

The coercion, real and imagined, will come from carers finding coping difficult, heirs who see their inheritance wasted on medical procedures and, most ominously of all, from a government attempting to reduce the cost of medical and pharmaceutical benefits.

By the time you might need euthanasia, you will not be competent to volunteer, and the decision will be made for you. Is this what you want?

Bruce A. Peterson, Kambah

The day after we see innocents being battered by thugs in an illegal Australian-run prison on PNG The Canberra Times thinks it's grand to publish Trevor Willis' (Letters, November 27) hateful rant. There is no such thing as an illegal immigrant under Australian law, there is no such thing as an illegal entry to seek protection — the only people acting outside the law are the Australian government.

This disgusting notion that people can be jailed, abused, tortured and even murdered because some racist claims they "are not refugees" should never be peddled in our papers again.

Marilyn Shepherd, Angaston, SA

Julie Bishop confirmed that the cabinet is leaking, called for an investigation into her cabinet colleagues and reminded them that leaking from cabinet was a serious criminal offence.

The leaks have been confirmed by Treasurer Scott Morrison.

Minister Peter Dutton said he had a "gut feeling" who was leaking but did not name the colleague.

Does this mean Dutton will face charges of obstructing justice if he doesn't name the "criminal" offender and what happens if Bishop's investigation results in a criminal conviction against a cabinet minister.

Would they still be eligible to sit in Parliament or would they join the growing conga line of MPs who didn't bother to check their now-false declarations before commencing their lucrative (and currently underworked) careers.

Bruce Minerds, Macarthur

Mike Shaughnessy's very thought-provoking letter ("Humans, not dogs, the issue," November 25, Forum p.8) made me think of cruel puppy farms, pet shops and impulse buying of cute puppies and kittens.

We become their custodians. Unless we are prepared to fill their needs, food, shelter, comfort, exercise and vet care, we should never take on an animal.

These animals are natural carnivores. Every time we open a can of dog or cat food, we are reminded another animal died, in order for them to be fed.

Mike Shaughnessy is right, we must carefully consider re-homing an animal and support shelters, to stop the indiscriminate breeding of "pets".

Phil Cornelius, Seacliff Park, SA

Thank God for freeview TV

I get to choose between 10 to 20 year old programs, watch overrated TV celebrities with forced smiles and non coherent chit chat, whilst I consider the self gratification of upcoming programs interspersed by thousands of commercials broadcast at a higher decibel then normal programming.

Thank God for free to air radio.

David McVeigh, Lyneham

I stopped reading Ian Warden 20 years ago, but was tipped off about his comment that "Calling a tram the Red Herring could humour the anti-tram troglodytes by hinting at the ways in which the ACT government has allegedly misled us about the light rail's breathtaking costs" ("A streetcar named Desiree", Panorama, November 25, p2).

Mr Warden, the costs are indeed 'breathtaking', for 12km of track, at $1.4 billion (2016 prices) even though the government insists it is only $939 million, through use of a dubious costing practice.

Mr Warden and others seduced by the romanticism of European trams, love to call themselves "progressives" but what is progressive about wasting so much money on a technology rapidly being overtaken by new modes of transport?

M. Flint, Erindale

The Canberra Times is complimented for its May-June coverage of the failure of ACT clubs to respect laws regarding gamblers who cannot keep their spendthrift habit in check.

The Racing and Gambling Commission has now given the Raiders a well-deserved bullocking ("Raiders lose ruling in problem gambler case", November 25, p2).

Nonetheless, my concern continues to be Professor Brown's apparent failure to accept any responsibility for $226,050 in losses she incurred at the pokies.

Patrick Jones, Griffith

Canberrans are fast losing faith in both Qantas and Virgin to get them to and from Sydney on time. Cancellation of flights is unnervingly common ("Sydney to Canberra flights cancellations remain high in October", canberratimes.com.au, November 23) and no compensation or sympathy is offered for missed connections and appointments.

The train may be painfully slow, and the bus not much faster, but for a quarter or less of the airfare, at least we can be more confident of planning our days or onward travel from a set arrival time.

Which is why some train trips are now booked out. If ever we get a faster train, the airlines are really going to have to lift their game.

Tim Macnaught, Narrabundah

The colours of the rainbow painted on the Braddon roundabout are disputed by Don Sephton with the colours of the primary rainbow (Letters, November 25).

Since 1979 the LGBT community has used six colours for its rainbow to represent diversity in its gay community. The colours are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

Famous scientist and author Isaac Asimov says "It is customary to list indigo as a colour lying between blue and violet, but it has never seemed to me that indigo is worth the dignity of being considered a separate colour".

Kathryn Featherstone, Plympton SA

Is it not strange that abuse of the elderly in nursing homes seldom gets reported to the police, or brought to the notice of the media.

Some seniors who arrive at these so-called nursing homes have their lives shortened and have died partly due to neglect, abuse, and inadequate medical care.

I would like to point out to nursing home managers and health bureaucrats that your silence to these problems and abuses, or turning a blind eye, gives consent, for these abuses to carry on without fear of being reported to police.

Who does the lonely senior, turn to for help, who may not even have one visitor for the last 12 months, and no one cares?

What a sad sorry state of affairs for these mature Australians, to be treated like this, shown no respect or care. The shame of it all.

Richard Ryan, Summerland Point, NSW

The extent to which the Turnbull government is prepared to go to protect the big four banks is again on show ("Scott Morrison working on compensation scheme for bank victims", canberratimes.com.au, November 25).

The ALP, crossbench, and now some Coalition bankbenchers all want a royal commission or commission of inquiry to examine unethical or unlawful conduct by the banks and other financial institutions.

Such an inquiry would allow Joe and Jane Citizen to, under oath, present their grievances before an independent umpire. The unethical and unlawful conduct uncovered may (as in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse) lead not only to compensation for the wronged, but also dismissal and/or prosecution of the wrongdoers.

On cooking up his compensation scheme, Scott Morrison "held high-level discussions with the heads of Australia's major banks".

In other words, the banks are helping design the compensation scheme that will respond to their own wrongdoings.

How would have child sexual abuse victims felt if Julia Gillard had sat down with the heads of the churches to head off a royal commission into their wrongdoings?

Ripped off, just like the victims of the banks feel now. Hopefully, a couple of Coalition bankbenchers will cross the floor to enable Senator O'Sullivan's proposed commission of inquiry to go forward and for the banks to face a blowtorch and not a feather duster.

Mike Reddy, Curtin

In an otherwise excellent piece on defamation law's muzzling effect on journalism ("Silenced is not the greater good", November 25, Forum, p12) Jacqueline Maley repeats Yassmin Abdel-Magied's claim she was forced to leave Australia.

Abdel-Magied's overseas trips, including a recent return, are entirely of her own choosing.

This phony banishment had everything to do with Abdel-Magied's propensity to exaggerate her sense of victim-hood including her remarkable claim to be Australia's most hated Muslim.

Peter Robinson, Ainslie

Pauline Hanson: "Labor ran an effective scare campaign against us" (November 26).

Response: "We have every reason to be scared of her."

Pauline Hanson: "One Nation is not going anywhere."

Response: "Correct, and the sooner people stop voting for this stagnant pond, the better off we will be."

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

Since the US softened its approach to drugs, overdoses have soared. They're up 31 percent in just the last year.

Linda Vij, Mascot, NSW

The Canberra Times wants to hear from you in short bursts. Email 50 or fewer words to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au.

STOP THE CRUELTY

The UNHCR and Tim Costello have both said that the (resettlement) facilities (on Manus Island) are not ready. There is no work in Manus.

Medical facilities cannot cope with the local population already.

Peter Dutton has not come up with any real solutions. What other countries have been approached? Nauru and Manus are not options.

Sue Cory, Qld

VALE STEVE DOSZPOT

The contribution to the ACT and region by Steve Doszpot should be forever remembered. A genuine individual who in the end fought the good fight, to Maureen and family we send genuine condolences.

Linus Cole, Palmerston

RAMSAY NOT WELCOME

Once again an unaddressed item has been placed in my letter box, despite there being a "no junk mail" notice on the box.

This time Gordon Ramsay was spruiking about his portfolios in the ACT government and his curriculum vitae, carefully omitting the fact that he had tenure as Minister at the Kippax Uniting Church for many years.

Is he trying to forget that appointment?

Ken McPhan, Spence

GIVE A.C.T. ITS RIGHTS

The editorial "ACT deserves right to legislate its own voluntary euthanasia laws", November 27, p.16) seems to be arguing that the ACT become a state with state rights.

Conversely, I would argue that the ACT be given its democratic rights under the referendum on self-government and the relevant legislation be repealed to remove all state-like responsibilities from our town council.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

YIANNOPOULOS DIVIDES

I learn with great concern that Senator Leyonhjelm intends inviting Milo Yiannopoulos to Parliament House for a question and answer session. Why on earth would the senator invite this awful man to our Parliament House? He is a divisive figure and should not be allowed in our Parliament House.

Jan Gulliver, Lyneham

NOT PLAIN SAILING

Hearing that Malcolm Turnbull had cancelled the week's sitting of the Parliament my first thought was that Australia must have won the America's Cup again, and the Prime Minister was giving us all the day off.

Annie Lang, Kambah

OPERATION OUCH

Did Trevor Willis (Letters, November 27) have his compassion bypass on Medicare or was it self-funded surgery?

M. Moore, Bonython

LOCALS ONLY

Let me hazard a guess: As the conservatives were routed in the Queensland election Malcolm Turnbull thinks it was fought entirely on state issues.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove