How then does Richard Griffiths claim that "the company was still hoping to spend $80 million to $100 million on the stadium, subject to detailed costings' ("Giants downsize plan for Manuka", May 12, p1)?

The touting of such inflated figures to justify alienation of heritage land for private gain does not match reality and appears to be spin. Are we, along with the Barr Government, being taken for mugs?

Paula Harris, Narrabundah

If it is not Andrew Barr letting Dracula into the taxpayers' bloodbank by way of a scandalous memorandum of understanding with UnionsACT, he has now been caught out in a secret video for Chinese consumption in which he delivers a testimonial for a property group known to have made donations to the Labor party.

It is my understanding that "peddling influence" is a criminal offence in France, and should be here too While Mr Barr may not receive the money himself, he certainly does receive indirect benefit, as the whole object of his endorsement is to keep himself in a job. The stench around this Greens/Labor government gets worse every day.

M. Silex, Erindale

Malcolm Turnbull says that if Labor wins but fails to win a majority, it must either form a coalition with the Greens or go immediately to another election. This is nonsense. The winning party could govern as a minority government.

A minority government does not need to make a coalition agreement, or any agreement, with anyone else. There would not have to be another election until the Greens and the LNP combined to defeat the minority government on a crucial matter. That will be Malcolm Turnbull's choice, if he still leads the LNP.

John Kilcullen, Cook

It is good to learn that the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection is drawing on the writing styles of Churchill and Orwell in an effort to extract better prose from his staff ("Immigration boss declares war on poor writing, with tips from Churchill", May 11, p5).

Churchill has much to offer a department that rattles on about "queues" and "queue jumpers". In criticising his socialist opponents in the 1951 British election, Churchill memorably said "We are all for the ladder. Let all try their best to climb. They are for the queue. Let each wait his place until his turn comes." Churchill, it is clear, did not think very highly of people who were obsessed with keeping people in queues.

One weakness Mr Pezzullo did not seem to have mentioned was the euphemism. One of my favourite examples was in a Canberra store, where I asked about a rat trap and was directed to "pet accessories". But the Orwellian language of the Immigration Department is in a class of its own.

Thus, when Immigration tells us that someone has engaged in "inappropriate behaviours in an attempt to secure a preferred migration outcome", it most probably means that a person fleeing persecution has committed or attempted suicide after being locked up in an offshore detention centre to which he or she was consigned by cynical politicians in order to satisfy voters on the far right of the Australian political spectrum. Such euphemisms are surely a good deal more chilling than occasional resort to the passive voice.

(Dr) William Maley, Reid

The crisis of our off-shore detention system looks like being an issue in the election. There should be some clarification from the minister what the outcome is likely to be. PNG clearly does not want the burden to continue.

Australia's attempt to lumber them with the mess is not only absurd but potentially damaging to regional relationships.

Boats have not been arriving because they are turned back, not because we have locked up asylum seekers in remote and unsuitable prison conditions.

Who, if anyone, is advising Mr Dutton about the escalating mess he is heading into? What is the legal basis for denying settlement in Australia to proven refugees? It is simply based on statements by Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, neither of whom now have any right to make them. If this must be an "election issue" could we please have a sensible explanation of what is happening, rather than the customary exchange of insults.

Dr James Jupp, Hughes

I have been a voting member of our democracy for 63 years. This year will be the saddest. Our treatment of boat people has meant, for me, that I cannot vote for either major party. I cannot be part of people, even children, living without hope of any future.

The Nazis murdered the people they found surplus to requirements.

We apparently are to make lives so miserable that they will murder themselves.

Furthermore, governments that take action without addressing the price we will pay, the final consequences, or how it stands with our legal, ethical and humanitarian codes, seem out of touch with how most of us act, and how most of us try to look out for each other.

Nancy Miller, Campbell

Our Keynesian supporter, Phil Teece (Letters, May 12), implies that Churchill went wrong by returning to the gold standard. This is incorrect. Where the British went wrong was in suppressing interest rates in order to prevent gold from fleeing the UK to the USA. This disastrous low interest rate policy was then taken on by the US Federal Reserve in order to stabilise the US and British economies. Instead it caused the deflation leading to the Great Depression. With the RBA and the Fed in full control today, nothing similar could result from today's low interest rate policies – right?

Bruce A. Peterson, Kambah

Leon Arundell's questioning (Letters, May 11) of why Australia chooses to fight Islamist terrorists overseas, and his claim "they pose no threat to Australia while they remain" there, ignore fundamental ethical and legal responsibilities.

Both to the many victims of such terrorism and to international humanitarian law in general.

Where some of these terrorists in Syria and Iraq are or were Australians our responsibility to comply with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions – to stop such terrorist migration to "Islamic State" and to help defend Iraq from that group's many atrocities – is surely beyond any reasonable doubt.

Moreover, if Australian traitors anywhere are hell-bent on killing people here in Australia we also have a practical need to deter, punish and deal with such treachery at source and elsewhere.

Not to pretend that such serious crimes somehow do not matter if they mainly or only affect foreigners.

Neil James, executive director, Australia Defence Association

In the recent tragic case of a life lost on a construction site, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions apparently has again "passed" on the critical discipline of quality assurance "Much rides on Catanzariti inquest", Editorial, Times2, May 11, p2).

QA is often misunderstood, maligned, and relegated. The applicable definition of "quality" extends way beyond superficiality. The DPP had already apparently shied away from QA and related systems in the similar, and also tragic Royal Canberra Hospital implosion case.

There, the apparently inadequately investigated nature of the steel structure to be exploded was a critical factor. QA systems extend back in time, covering the actions of designers, suppliers, and manufacturers of materials, components, and equipment involved in the chain of production, maintenance, etc. Both cases should be reopened.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

I am disgusted that the Asbestos Task Force chooses to employ demolition contractors who appear to have been allowed to rummage, loot and sell surrendered possessions ("Fluffy worker alleges furnishings are being sold on", May12, p1).

It has been horrible enough for us to lose our home and garden of 27 years, knowing we have no possibility of affording to buy our old block back due to changes in subdivision, but the possibility of seeing our memories for sale on Gum Tree or at trash and treasure is just another kick in the guts from the Task Force.

Julie Heffernan (ex Torrens), Isaacs Laudable Tallent

We should celebrate our new Olympic champion, 50-kilometre walker, Jarrad Tallent. He is a towering example of everything the often forgotten Olympic Spirit represents, having been denied gold at the London Olympics by a drugs cheat.

I will be watching in the early hours when Jarrad defends his delayed but not denied Olympic title. Bravo Jarrad.

Rohan Goyne, Evatt

Senator Zed Seselja misled Canberra when he stated in his article "National Capital Plan changes a boon to the ACT" (Times2, May 5, p5) that "The Commonwealth will continue to ... protect the hills and buffers".

Not so. The Commonwealth has not continued to protect the buffer between Belconnen and Gungahlin. The Commonwealth has changed that buffer from "hills, ridges and buffers" to urban to encourage its development.

John Dash, Spence

SUPER BACKLASH VOTE

I consider that Malcolm Turnbull is the better choice to manage the Australian economy in the lower house. But, I will be voting Labor in the Senate to give Bill Shorten the power to block the retrospective super changes proposed in the budget.

Scott Rashleigh, O'Malley

FAST-TRACK POLITICS

When I read his article "It's never too late to make a foray into politics" (Times2, April 11, p5) I was very sympathetic to Ross Fitzgerald's reasons for joining the Australian Sex Party and resolved to consider voting for that party myself. I was, however, surprised to read ("Politically branding parties", Times2, May 12, p1) that Professor Fitzgerald was now the party's NSW Senate candidate in the forthcoming election.

Is this a case of premature escalation?

Alan Robertson, Canberra, City

REEF TRAGEDY IGNORED

There appears to be little concern shown by our political leaders or the printed press on what could be not only an environmental tragedy to the world but also an economic tragedy to Australia's tourist industry.

I refer to the recent coral bleaching of sections of the Great Barrier Reef and on reefs around Christmas Island. The warming is apparent.

Pat Lesslie, Bruce

DON'T LOCK US OUT

In its negotiations with the Canberra Girls Grammar School, the Deakin Residents Association should be beware of locks on gates ("School seeks 30-year lease of Deakin park", May 12, p 5)! Fences can be lived with, it's the padlocks on the gates that lock out the locals from facilities – like the Telopea School Oval and Montgomery Fields – that were in public use for 85 years.

Lesley Fisk, Barton

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