This cannot mean that Senator Gallagher thinks the Commonwealth has been unfair to the residents of the contaminated houses. At the Public Accounts Committee hearings on the clean-up, Ms Gallagher said: "On one level, to be fair to the Commonwealth, we provided them with draft guidelines of how we saw a buyback scheme working, and it was not any different to what we have gone out with".

She also said: "The proposal we put to them is the scheme we now have."

In answer to the comment, "The scheme was not going to vary based on the Commonwealth's contribution. Essentially, the effect of the Commonwealth's contribution is on the ACT budget," Ms Gallagher answered "Yes".

So, irrespective of the Commonwealth's contribution, the ACT government always intended to acquire the blocks, compulsorily if necessary, and sell them again years later on the open market at the highest achievable price.

This scheme makes it very unlikely that the people affected will ever be able to return to the place where they have been living.

John Kilcullen, Macquarie

Ben Westcott's article "One pensioner fined every day since Canberra library penalties introduced" (Sunday Canberra Times, February 15, p9) raises a disturbing issue.

A pensioner who overlooks returning books on time, or for some reason cannot do so, could easily incur a significant penalty. For someone on a tight budget, as many pensioners are, this could be a serious matter.

It seems to me that the practice of imposing so-called fines is dubious, not only ethically but legally. A search through ACT legislation (on the AUSTLII system) has failed to reveal any legal basis for the practice.

I call upon the library service to explain what the legal basis is. In the meantime, I suggest that refusal to pay would be eminently justifiable. A library decision to prevent a person who refuses to pay from borrowing further books may well be open to review by the ACT's tribunal (ACAT).

No costs would be payable, and a pensioner seeking review might well be eligible for waiver of the application fee.

Alvin Hopper, Dickson

One pensioner fined every day since Canberra Library penalties introduced?

This doesn't surprise me and I would like to see how the rest of the population is faring.

I have often found myself in the middle of a book when it is due. The spokesperson neglects to mention that you cannot renew your book if another person is wanting to read it. Two weeks to borrow and read a book is not enough time, especially when you have several to read at once.

It sounds like they think all default borrowers are being careless about returning their books, when I bet that most borrowers like me are struggling to keep up with the two-week borrowing time and an ever-growing pile (you can borrow as many as you like and the library doesn't stop sending until you are overdue).

The library should look at a person's borrowing history before issuing a fine. Mine, for example, would show that I return and borrow books weekly and only ever have overdue books that I am not allowed to renew.

Bring back the rule that you can be overdue by one week before a fine issued.

Vicky Scipione, Monash

Jack Kershaw was interviewed again this week by Tony Trobe for his weekly architect's piece, "Development proposals for Woden ignored time-honoured urban design" (Sunday Canberra Times, February 14, p23).

I fail to comprehend the logic of this erstwhile designer of police stations (and "one substantial new court house") as, in retirement, he continues his town planning commentary.

His advocacy of high-rise residential development flies in the face of international findings. Such buildings are energy-inefficient and incubators of social dysfunction, even if initial money-spinners for the developers.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

Jack Waterford's excellent article (Sunday Canberra Times, February 15) querying whether police had adequate training in proper use of their weapons raised many good points. From most of the Australian fatal shootings reported, they seem to have been trained to follow American Federal Bureau of Investigation methods.

FBI agents are taught to shoot to kill once they have drawn their weapon. They give no warning before firing and they shoot at the largest target, the chest.

If there is more than one of them involved, they all shoot as simultaneously as they can. This means that it is almost impossible to determine who actually killed the victim.

A classic Australian case was Tyler Cassidy, the 15-year-old killed by police in Melbourne.
Four police fired seven shots at him at the direction of the police sergeant in charge.

I suppose the police felt justified, but I cannot imagine Clint Eastwood doing it to a 15-year-old who was obviously psychotic.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

Paul Malone (Sunday Canberra Times, February 15, p21) spoils a good article by this paragraph: "The one thing no politician will ever say publicly, but I can is: the swinging voter is an idiot – someone who has no idea where he or she stands and who wants the government to solve all life's problems. The swinger these days flips or flops on the merest breeze."

I fear that what politicians really think, but won't say, is that most of the people who don't vote for their party are idiots.

I do not change my vote at every election, but I do not religiously vote for the same party. I consider myself to be a "thinking voter" and suggest that if politicians and journalists used that term instead of the pejorative "swinging voter" they might get a bit more respect from the few people who are likely to sack them.

Unfortunately, I am one of the majority of voters who have never lived in a marginal electorate.

John F. Simmons, Kambah

Ed Dobson (Letters, February 15) asks whether a yes vote in the republic referendum would have abolished our constitution.

The answer is no, and the dire consequences envisaged by his other questions would not have eventuated.

Frank Marris, Forrest

While I strongly support initiatives that combat problem gambling, it is difficult to see why there should be a fuss about Casino Canberra trading until 4am ("Anti-gambling groups criticise casino hours", Sunday Canberra Times, February 15, p3) when every major licensed club in the ACT already does exactly that.

If 4am closing is a problem (as it most likely is), then it is a problem for all gaming venues.

Karina Morris, Weetangera