Senator Conroy joins with the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Penny Wong, herself a former CFMEU official, and other former union heavies Bill Shorten, Tony Burke, Mark Butler to name but a few Labor MPs who are out to shut down the royal commission to save their union mates under fire.

Now we see the ACTU dictating to Parliament to move on Mr Heydon in the Senate, by taking over and mounting a legal challenge about his appointment! They cite conflict of interest with him serving because he almost spoke to a Liberal lawyer's dinner, conveniently disregarding the string of Labor judges who spoke to Labor lawyer's functions. Burke's own vitriolic attack on Justice Heydon alleged he was conflicted. The union/Labor alliance has the far bigger conflict of interest, however.

Len Goodman, Flynn

Back in 2002, Justice Dyson Heydon, then a justice of the NSW Court of Appeal, was recorded as accusing the then High Court of destroying "the rule of law".

Some felt his findings subsequent to his appointment to the High Court showed an interpretation of "rule of law" to mean rulers can do whatever they like. Authoritarianism is when governments act above the law and are not accountable to the people for their actions.

Now we see federal Attorney-General George Brandis heading down this path proposing changes to legislation that will limit the rights of those with a community interest as opposed to a financial interest from challenging government decisions.

This has arisen from the Adani/Carmichael mine proposal.

It's curious that there was nary a peep nor a squeak from the Feds when Metgasco successfully challenged the NSW resources minister on his decision to withdraw its licence. It seems if a mining company challenges government where their financial interest is paramount that is not a problem but allowing the same right to community groups needs a change to legislation.

There is a disturbing parallel with the investor state dispute settlement process in the Trans Pacific Partnership agreements that are still under negotiation.

Global corporations can sue Australians sovereign governments if their profits or future profits are likely to be affected by such as environmental or labour laws that are passed.

Ann Darbyshire, Gunning, NSW

There are 50,000 reasons why the Liberal Party is helping Adani Coal gouge a trench through Queensland: unfortunately, none are concerned with jobs or the environment, as The Hindu newspaper has revealed. Why do our politicians sell themselves so cheaply, when they cost us so much? Michael Barry, Torrens

Industry Minister Ian MacFarlane, asked on the ABC's 7.30 Report what right that people living 600 kilometres from a coalmine or a development proposal had to prevent that proposal providing an economic boost to the region.

Unfortunately his comment indicates he doesn't understand anthropogenic climate change.

The whole world's population is affected by climate change fuelled by the carbon dioxide emitted from coal mines.

Felicity Chivas, Scullin

Sobering reality

So, Senator David Leyonhjelm believes "being a victim of gun violence is not a qualification for social policy of any description" ("Walk in my shoes': Port Arthur survivor criticises deal to end ban on shotgun", canberratimes.com.au, August 20).

Apart from demonstrating his own glaring lack of qualification for social policy, in cruelly mocking Carolyn Loughton, a survivor of the Port Arthur massacre, the senator also succeeds in belittling himself, while once again demonstrating that ignorance and stupidity are essential qualifications for politicians.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

In on the joke

Great men such as Charlie Chaplin (The Producers) and Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles) understood that an effective way to confront tyranny was to laugh at it. David Pope's editorial cartoons, and especially his response to the government's ham-handed attempt to deny green groups the right to protest on environmental issues (Times2, August 20, p1), is in this great tradition.

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

Blind to the truth

There is, no doubt, some truth to the article by Noell Towell concerning possible wasteful defence expenditure ("Unions warn staff cuts will cost lives, money", August 19, p7). However he has been less than honest in acknowledging how we got to this position. Where were the AMWU and ex-senator David Feeney (former Parliamentary Secretary to Defence) when Labor reduced defence spending and procrastinated on all major defence acquisitions, particularly the navy, for six years? The current government is attempting to fix some of the issues but it will take time.

What mind blowing hypocrisy we are seeing from the unions and the Opposition. Iguess we cannot let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Howard Thorpe, Redland Bay, Qld

Better with bikes

When we lived in Canberra, Mr Spokes' bike hire business on Lake Burley Griffin was one of the first places we visited as a family. It was an activity we enjoyed so much that we went back many times with our children. However, having read that the Land Development Agency is now planning to redevelop the West Basin site around Mr Spokes ("Mr Spokes to stay after fight for West Basin digs", August 18, p1) this is an activity we will no longer be able to enjoy if construction goes ahead.

It seems all Mr Spokes wanted was a fair and transparent process so they would be given a fair value for a business they have spent many years and a lot of money building up, but now they have been left with little choice: to either accept what the LDA offers or see their business collapse, as who will want to hire bikes in the middle of a construction area?

S. Felton, York, England

No place for trams

As a regular public transport user and tram and train aficionado, I originally liked the tram for Canberra idea very much but I am becoming increasingly concerned that it is not the best solution and it is being overtaken by the many new wireless electric bus options. Unfortunately Canberra is a city designed around the car, which means buses make more sense than trams.

I would have been even happier if Canberra had been originally designed with a light or other rail system, but it wasn't.

Now is the time for us all to decide there are no places to put trams without destroying the natural and built beauty of Canberra.

New electric buses that are charged from under the road are starting to be used in countries such as China and South Korea.

And even the British are about to start a pilot project to allow under-road charging.

Pam Cohen Turner

It goes both ways

Elizabeth Farrelly ("You want a dirty weekend? Get real", Times2, August 13, p3) takes 1000 words to tell us that she'd like to find an unpointed getaway, a locus amoensus or "pleasant place". OK, we get that.

What is less clear is whether she is capable of writing anything at all without male-bashing. A man who tweets "Leave the South Coast for real people" is a "sad no-neck".

A Hunter Valley wine-tasting bus is where "drunk boofheads" spoil the ambience comparing pinots.

How much university education does it take to learn that sexism cuts both ways and that derogatory remarks weaken arguments?

Jenny Wright, Karabar, NSW

Team talk

At the National Press Club on Wednesday, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan rather patronisingly observed that "Canberra have their own team, the GWS Giants". What nonsense.

Canberra's own team would be based in Canberra and play 11 games each year at Manuka. GWS is a Sydney team, dedicated to the Sydney market, which plays four games each year in a lip-service gesture to AFL fans in this region. It is no more Canberra's team than the Sydney Swans.

The AFL has the same dismissive attitude to Tasmania, where Australian Rules has been played for almost as long as the game has existed.

Each year, Tassie AFL fans are handed a few crumbs by the AFL, North Melbourne and Hawthorn, to keep them happy.

The AFL should simply admit that it has no interest in having teams in other than the major city markets, even though Tasmania, the ACT region and the Northern Territory could each support a team with the proper financial model.

Mark Slater, Melba

What's in a name?

It's questionable that ACTEW's name had to changed to Icon to distinguish between ACTEW and Actew AGL, at a cost of $570,000 ("Govt says it's worth it as ACTEW Water rebranding tops $570,000", August 17, p3).

But if it was felt that something had to be done, it doesn't say much for the government's or its bureaucrat's negotiating skill that they didn't get ActewAGL to change its name instead, thus getting AGL to pay half the cost, and save ACT taxpayers (or water consumers) $285,000.

R.S. Gilbert, Braddon

Big government?

Parkinson's Law is demonstrated once again ("Parliament House fit to burst", August 19 p1).

Shouldn't the committee to reduce red tape and duplication have something to say about this?

I wonder how long it will be before someone thinks up the need for a new government department to co-ordinate all this "work".

James Walcott, Mawson

CARTOON IN BAD TASTE

I was distressed on reading Ian Warden's article, "Pallid pins true sign of spring" (Gang-gang, August 19, p10 2015), to see a cartoon with the caption: "A magpie stole my baby" – a reference to Lindy Chamberlain's anguished cry after a dingo took her child. This cartoon is not funny and was in bad taste.

Maureen Dinn, Rivett

LIGHT RELIEF APPRECIATED

Thanks to Hugh Gibbon, Chris Williams, Eric Hunter, Mario Stivala and Patricia Saunders for the chuckle I got from their contributions (Letters, August 19). A bit of light relief goes a long way.

K. Davis, Pearce

TAXPAYER SUPPORT

With the AFL's announcement of a multibillion-dollar broadcast deal, will the ACT taxpayer have to continue to pay the rest of the $26 million the government has promised to play games in Canberra?

K. Coughlan, Chisholm

RENAME MINISTER

Perhaps Greg Hunt should be renamed as the "Minister responsible for making sure that the environment doesn't interfere with whatever the government wants to do".

Barbara Godfrey, Lyneham

EXTEND JUDGES' TRAINING

Domestic violence awareness training for judges is long overdue. It is to be hoped it includes a module about the potential for concocted domestic and family violence claims used to rort family law cases. The training should extend to prosecutors too.

David Stephens, Bruce

MONEY FOR NEW OFFICES

Good to see Finance Secretary Jane Halton ensuring the police don't waste taxpayers' dollars on crime-fighting technology ("Finance pulls plug on $145m AFP plan", August 20, p1). A shame she wasn't so rigorous when it came to the search for Finance's (or her?) new offices.

Stuart Kennedy, Corunna, NSW

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