The ACT government must reconsider this project, and not spend valuable funds locking us into a system that is inflexible and not state-of-the-art. Smaller buses, twice as many them, enabling a greatly expanded network, seems to me the way to go, especially as battery-driven electric propulsion must become feasible for buses in the fairly near future.

Sandy Paine, Griffith

The RATP – the public entity that runs not only the Paris Metro but also the extensive Paris bus network – has announced that it will be progressively replacing its 4500 diesel buses with electric-powered vehicles, which, by 2025, will constitute 80per cent of its fleet.

Bus routes are flexible; light rail is not. In its unseemly haste to burden ACT ratepayers with a light rail service, which will require exorbitantly expensive infrastructure work and which may well prove to be economically unviable, was the environmentally friendly option of electric-powered buses ever given serious consideration? And if not, why not?

Maurice Devèze, Red Hill

Hooray! A common-sense statement about the future of public transport in Canberra. Listen to Sunday morning's Ockham's Razor (ABC Radio National). Arthur Davies, a visiting fellow at ANU, proposed a maglev monorail system, capable of moving people between any two points in Canberra in a fraction of the time taken by a bus or a tram, and at half the cost of establishing a tram network.

Can we please have bipartisan, or even tripartisan, support to investigate the feasibility of Mr Davies' proposal, and any other futuristic, but viable, transport options, before Canberra is committed to a slow transport technology that originated some 130 years ago.

David Wade, Holt

S.Redston (Letters, June 12) is correct in concluding "homeless people deserve more than a Band-Aid" but doesn't seem to understand the role of Band-Aids. Band-Aids are a short-term, emergency response; without them, the injured person may die before a long-term solution can be effected. So it is with homelessness. Getting and keeping the homeless off the streets and into somewhere safe and warm is a necessary first step; only then can our society take the next steps.

It's a bit unfair to say "our politicians have the capacity to rid our country of this scourge"; perhaps we all do, if we work together, but it's not just a problem for our politicians. Hence, the St Vinnies Sleep Out has its role in raising awareness at the top end, just as Safe Shelter offers a Band-Aid of some safe, warm shelter in Canberra City.

If S.Redston would like to learn a little more, he or she would be very welcome to attend the next training course for Safe Shelter's volunteers on July 7-8.

Richard Griffiths, Safe Shelter management committee

This year will be my third year participating in the CEO Sleepout, and to date have raised in excess of $25,000 for this very worthwhile cause. Before my first CEO Sleepout, I was somewhat unaware of the issues surrounding homelessness in Australia and particularly the Australian Capital Territory. By working with Vinnies with fundraising efforts, I have met and heard from those whose voice is often lost in the hustle and bustle of my working life.

Through my association with the CEO Sleepout, Aspen Medical, via its subsidiary Aspen Corporate Health, partnered with the St Vincent de Paul Society this year to deliver a free flu vaccination programme to the vulnerable in both Canberra and Perth. We are also investigating other health initiatives we can undertake in partnership.

While the CEO Sleepout itself is just one night "sleeping rough", the understanding of the issues that is gained through participation surpasses anything that could be learnt from reading about it..

Mark Ellis, Aspen Medical general manager, Australian subsidiaries, Deakin

Why does Jane Goffman believe that naming a street in Dickson after Hanna Enders is inappropriate ("Proposed name for Dickson street open to misinterpretation" (June 12, p1)? My grandsons, who are adept at seeing humour in many names, couldn't enlighten me. We were happy to read subsequently ("Mountain out of an Antill ... bemusement over Enders street name proposal", June 13, p5) that others shared our puzzlement. The chairman of the place names committee, David Headon's, statement, reported in the article, is spot on. Hanna Enders was a wonderful advocate for the northside community and her work should be honoured by naming a street in Dickson after her. I suggest those who oppose it need to get a grip and return to their good work focusing on the real planning issues in Dickson.

Gina Pinkas, Aranda

If Jane Goffman really cared about dignity and preserving legacy, perhaps she might like to know that in three generations, she's the first one to "ridicule" our name. My family and I find that "short-sighted" and "disturbing", not to mention "noxious" and "harmful".

Jessica Enders, granddaughter of Hanna Enders, Melbourne, formerly of Monash

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has announced that in 2016 developers will not have to provide the set number of car parks required under the territory planning codes if they make a contribution to a government fund ("Bid for cheaper city housing", June 13, p1). Some of the donations would go towards "sustainable travel initiatives like improved public transport". It looks to me like the government is soliciting money to pay for the tram.

Surely, a simpler way to reduce the cost of an apartment is to sell the car space separately. Those who have no need for a car space will pay less, while some others may even want two spaces or sell the unwanted car space to a non-resident.

John Simsons, Holt

Ross Peake in ("Resus Annie goes to Tonga", Forum, June 6, p3) describes the University of Canberra's program to upskill nurses in Tonga from diploma to university standard.

While none would deny that this is a great initiative and the best way forward for nurses today, given the complexity of technology and today's management practice, I must take issue with his words, "because university-educated nursing staff are trained to think, to problem-solve, to use their initiative". This implies that diploma nurses didn't think, problem-solve, or use their initiative. I think that is rather insulting.

Diploma-trained nurses have always problem-solved and used their initiative – they had to. For example, as second-year nurses on night duty in charge alone on a 40-bed surgical ward, one certainly had to use one's initiative or patients would come to harm.

Working on remote Aboriginal communities in the 1970s without a doctor when Australia had the second-highest infant mortality rate, nurses had to think and quickly. With a half-dead baby in the truck, one had to make a decision either to drive from Ali Curung to Tennant Creek (145 kilometres) or down to Alice Springs (365 kilometres), which took twice as long but where medical services were more adequate. Certainly, a problem to solve.

I am not against university training, having two university qualifications myself. However, having worked in many areas of community nursing in urban remote and rural areas, education and research over 25 years, I can say firsthand that it would have been impossible to do my job in the past if I didn't think, problem-solve or use my initiative.

Please give credit where credit is due.

Gillian Phillpot, Chapman

Australia is becoming one of the world's worst global citizens. This rich, uncaring nation pushes refugees back out to sea, back to other poorer countries in the region – not our problem!

Similarly, we create more carbon pollution per capita than any other nation, but push back responsibility for climate-change action – and boatloads of coal to boot – on to the rest of the world.

Next, instead of bringing our own jihadi fighters back before our courts to be held accountable, we will be pushing them off too – to anywhere else. The irony is that it's not protecting Australian citizenship. Rather, to our shame, it's degrading it.

Richard Palatino, Araluen, NSW

There was a time when we said Australia rode on the sheep's back. Now we ride on the backs of the poor and vulnerable, both in Australia and in the poorest Third World countries. We cheat Timor Leste out of its oil. We bribe PNG, Cambodia and Nauru with billions to take our share of the world's refugees. We cut millions upon millions of dollars of aid to the poorest nations, causing people to die.

We fund the multinationals and industries that pollute our planet, when there is evidence the gains do not trickle down to our poorest but only allow the gap between our rich and poor to widen each year.

We cut aid to Indigenous, welfare and disabled programs and education and hospitals.

We make it easy for migrants with money to come here, but impossible for refugees and poorer people.

We are becoming the most morally bankrupt nation of the Western world. I am so ashamed of Australia. This bodes very badly for our children's future. It's time to stand up for just plain decency.

Jane Keogh, Downer

Isn't paying bribes by corrupt governments a criminal offence? Someone is being very liberal with taxpayers' funds and, if true, needs to be taken to task immediately. Where did the funds come from?

Was it from Defence funds, or is it classified as foreign aid? If the people smugglers were paid in Australian waters, is Treasurer Joe Hockey going to declare it as earnings and ask them to pay income tax? What on earth does this government think it is doing? Stopping the boats by being secret and breaking the law. Come on.

Allan Mutch, Nicholls

If an "overlooked" $3000 bottle of Grange can oust a state premier (Barrel-o-fun O'Farrell), then perhaps – just perhaps – a $5000 bribe can oust a prime minister. Hell no! That most good and truthful man, Tony Abbott, knows (taking a leaf out of The John's "children overboard" book) that you are not guilty until proven so beyond unreasonable doubt.

"I'm not going anywhere!" one hears Canberra's King Canute of Climate Change declaring, as he sits astride his noble steed, Rocinante, and charges off at a few more wind turbines.

Clint Wright, Macquarie

What short memories we have. In 1973, Australians' British passports were cancelled by the Whitlam government and replaced with Australian passports.

Australian citizens of many generations had no redress and no law courts were consulted. Australians had committed no crime or lack of loyalty to the crown or Australia.

The government decided and had the power to cancel our British passports based purely on their political attitudes. Why now, do people like Gillian Triggs say the judicial system must decide who loses their dual passport and citizenship when such a person presents a serious threat to Australia and people overseas?

Penelope Upward, O'Connor

In 2003, Dr Laurence Britt, after studying fascist regimes of the 20th century, listed the 14 defining characteristics of fascism as: powerful and continuing nationalism, disdain for recognition of human rights, enemies/scapegoats as unifying cause, supremacy of the military, rampant sexism, controlled mass media, obsession with national security, religion intertwined with government, protection of corporate power, suppression of labour power, disdain for art and intellectuals, obsession with crime and punishment, rampant cronyism and corruption, smear campaigns.

Just saying.

David Kindon, Merimbula, NSW

J.B.Windeyer (Letters, June 12) applauds Edmund Burke exercising legislative judgment, concluding that modern focus groups and opinion polls haven't improved the political process.

The "passing fads" of individual electors continue to be ignored: but not by our representatives exercising superior judgment. Our pollies know that the views of the great-unwashed can be safely ignored, much preferring their actions be guided by well co-ordinated, campaign fund-contributing pressure groups.

So we see, for example, 80per cent of Australians regularly say they're in favour of well-crafted voluntary euthanasia laws (even more support if the opinions of under-35s, who still think they may live forever, are ignored). But such big numbers don't impress our judgment-exercising elected representatives.

What they're really doing, of course, is responding to the political threats of a well-funded pressure group: the Church. Worse, they're squandering what little anti-Church political capital they have on an essentially marginal issue in these divorce-obsessed times: the gay-marriage debate.

Cuthbert Douglas, Bonython

Sheila Duke (Letters, June 8), musing on the severe frosts, seems to have touched a raw nerve with some of your correspondents. But now we know where we are: "global warming" is no longer politically correct. "Climate change" is all the go now and Dan Buchler (Letters June 11) helpfully explains that it means more variability and "an overall warming trend". Apart from the fact that evidence of the "overall warming trend" seems awfully hard to find, that leaves us with any kind of weather as evidence of impending disaster. I suspect there might have been some funny weather before.

Alan Cowan, Yarralumla

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

Watching the men's FIFA World Cup soccer, I noted the aggression, abuse, histrionics, writhing in agony and playing dead. In contrast, the women currently playing in the FIFA tournament just seem to get on with playing soccer.

Ian Pollock, Maleny, Qld

DREAMS CHANGING

The dream of the older generation was to pay off a mortgage. The dream of today's young families is to get one.

Holly Berry, Bungendore, NSW

SUITED TO DIPLOMACY

Attorney-General George Brandis has a right to read poetry if he likes, be a bigot if he likes, be IT illiterate if he likes, and buy bookcases if he likes, to house his increasing collection of unread books. Now perhaps someone may like to consider George suitable for a far-flung diplomatic post where eccentricity is encouraged. The UK, perhaps?

Roy Darling, Florey

WHERE LIKENESS ENDS

I was going to write a witty letter comparing Messrs Abbott and Hockey to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. But I realised that although also misguided, Cervantes' characters were essentially well-meaning and benign.

Maria Greene, Curtin

TOO QUICK TO CRY FOUL

Joe Hockey laments that the media is "playing the man" but is silent whilst his colleagues Abbott, Brandis and Dutton "play the women" in Gillian Triggs and Sarah Hanson-Young. Fair play or foul play?

Graeme Rankin, Holder

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK

Doesn't Tony Abbott realise that "by hook or by crook" means not only "by one device or another" (by fishhook or shepherd's crook) but also "by fair means or foul" (by honest or crooked methods)?

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

NO ONE ABOVE LAW

The Magna Carta is often described as saying that no person, not even the king, is above the law. No doubt the Australian Federal Police are this very minute thoroughly investigating King Tony and the Immigration Baron for their possible crimes in allegedly paying people smugglers.

John Passant, Kambah

ALIEN ROAD MARKERS

There are orange posts with numbers on them on many NSW rural roads. No matter how I search for their meaning, I cannot find it. I can only think visiting UFOs have marked the places from which people have been taken. Aliens must have landed and staked claims to NSW rural roads.

Richard Horobin, Curtin

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