In a letter to the editor in May 2013, I wrote that the grand National Disability Insurance Scheme was likely to force many small yet important organisations providing care to disabled people to close and that many people would not qualify for any assistance under the scheme.

I also predicted, "many of those organisations which do survive seem destined to significant payment delays for the services they provide as their claims are processed through a bureaucratic maze". The NDIS has merit but is essentially based on individual claims. Payments for these services often do not cover day-to-day costs such as office rental and utilities. The NDIS does not support over-65s, leaving some organisations to meet the cost of helping them.

Nevertheless, the ACT government has withdrawn base funding to many not-for-profit organisations, well knowing NDIS funding cannot sustainthem.

Graham Downie, O'Connor

I spent three days last week attending the inquest of my son, James Hughes (not Jamie). James died from multiple injuries sustained on October 4, 2015 when his motorcycle hit a large pothole at the approach to the new road on Oallen Ford Bridge. The evidence presented at the inquest from independent witnesses and Goulburn Council workers indicated that James came across a very large pothole which in fact took up half of the road.

He lost control of the bike when he hit the pothole and he was thrown over the bridge railing. The pothole was evident as early as September 10, 2015 and attempts to repair it were unsuccessful in the first instance and seemingly ignored on the other instances when council was informed of the road's poocondition.

Stan Marks' comments (Letters, December7) that he drove the road on the day before Saturday, October 4, and there was no pothole is incorrect.

His dates do not align with the accident to James and subsequent repairs to the road. Mr Marks was very fortunate he did not hit the pothole concerned, and I refer him to reports contained in the Goulburn Post, which are more complete than the extract printed in The Canberra Times.

Colin Hughes, Isabella Plains

I can only assume that Gerdina Bryant (Letters, December6) is "having a lend of" your readers! If this be the case, then well done, Gerdina – the whole project is but a parody of transport planning and urban development.

As previously noted, it was suddenly announced weeks out from the recent election, without a skerrick of evidence to show that there was a problem with the current public transit services between Woden and Civic, nor that light rail was the correct answer to any problem which might seem to exist.

Now we are going to pay millions of dollars just to have consultants tell us which route the tram should take – as if that were not somewhat obvious!

Paul E. Bowler, Holder

Gerdina Bryant suggests a competition for the most efficient and effective light rail route to Woden.

Assuming it was not satire, her letter epitomised the wonderfully deluded world of the light rail enthusiast. Gerdina's suggestion of replacing the direct Civic to Woden bus route with a light rail journey traversing Manuka, Mugga Way and then grinding up Hindmarsh Drive may take longer than the meaningless reconstruction of Constitution Avenue.

I hardly think a few quick glances of the Brindabellas from atop Hindmarsh Drive constitutes a tourist attraction, let alone a replacement for our Red Explorer tourist buses.

Warwick Bradly, Weston

I had the misfortune to be photographed exceeding the speed limit by 11km/h in what I thought was an 80-kilometre zone. Fined $257 – thank you.

I had the further misfortune of once again exceeding the speed limit on a street that starts at 80km/h, goes to 60km/h then 40km/h then 60km/h and finally back to 80km/h. Again, I was toddling along at 75km/h, saw the speed camera and thinking I was in an 80km/h zone, continued on.

Is it any wonder visitors clock up enormous amounts of speeding fines when we have roads with multiple speed zones?

Why can't this mickey mouse government have the speeds painted on to the roads rather than on a piece of tin tied to a lamp post and invariably hidden behind a shrub?

David Cook, Evatt

In December 2013, the federal Coalition government announced a royal commission into the home insulation program. The trigger for the inquiry was the deaths of four young insulation installers and the damage to more than 90 homes caused by faulty installation.

By contrast, the use of Mr Fluffy insulation has placed tens of thousands of people at risk of dying of mesothelioma. This paper has already reported several such deaths. In addition, over 1000 homes have been permanently destroyed and their occupants displaced.

Why was a royal commission seen as an appropriate response to the pink batts issue, while the larger Mr Fluffy affair doesn't even rate a board of inquiry?

Why has Andrew Barr advised the Prime Minister an inquiry into Mr Fluffy "isn't a priority"?

Canberrans deserve to know how their lives were placed at risk.

Mike Desmond, Monash

Australian, and ACT, educational results have continued to decline ("Students going backwards", December7, p1). Yet we're pouring more money than ever into education, and raising the bar of formal qualifications (ignoring experience) for teaching staff. It seems we are not getting value for money or effort.

What "clever" ideology encourages my local school students to build a bike track and a garden (which then promptly dies for lack of care), and being indoctrinated by "safe schools", when the evidence indicates they should actually be concentrating on maths, science and reading?

The so-called "clever country" appears to be proving itself to be otherwise, and it's further being eroded from theinside.

J. Coleman, Chisholm

If we really want to improve educational attainment, then the simplest way of doing this would be to base the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank on attainment and discard the current grading process, which is a misguided attempt to provide "fairness".

All high schools and their teachers have as a major objective maximising their students' ATAR results. If we change the system to reward attainment, then schools and teachers will respond.

At present, the ATAR does not do this. For example, a student doing a low-level mathematics subject can obtain a higher ATAR mark in mathematics than a student doing advanced mathematics, who demonstrably has a higherlevel of mathematicalattainment.

Knowing this, schools routinely advise their students to do lower-level mathematics so as to improve their ATAR.

Multiplied many times across Australia, the perverse ATAR signal has made a massive contribution to the dumbing down of our kids and their declining performance on international tests.

Until the ATAR is aligned with attainment, I anticipate that Australian results in international education attainment tests will continue to decline.

Andrew McCredie, Red Hill

We should be disturbed, but not surprised, that Australian students are the equivalent of 18months behind top-performer Singapore's students in science; a year behind them in reading; and 2years behind them inmaths.

The simple fact is that every spare moment many Australian students have they devote to smartphones and similar technology. They would never think of pulling out a book and reading while travelling home on the bus.

For even simple arithmetic they rely on a calculator.

Years ago a cartoon showed two kids on the floor with a book. They held it upside down and shook it. One said: "But I can't find the button to switch it on"!

Unless we can curb our passion for mindless technology we will never improve basic educational standards. Smartphones do not necessarily make smart people.

Robert Willson, Deakin

What is destroying education in Australia is red tape administration. We have great dedicated teachers but when they have to spend all their non-classroom time filling in forms and documenting everything, they have no time or energy left to be creative, be responsive, be able to give that extra assistance to a needy student.

Get rid of the ridiculous, pointless administrative loads our teachers are carrying, let them get back to teaching, and Australia's marks will improve dramatically.

Moir Holmes, Macquarie

Once again the Liberals are tearing themselves apart over a carbon tax. Truth is, Whyalla is still there and a leg of lamb is nowhere near $100! The fear campaign conducted by the Liberals was based on a lie. The economy actually grew during the carbon tax era, and the needy were generously compensated for price increases.

The hypocrisy of the Liberals can be summed up by MrAbbott. In July 2009 he told Sky News: "I also think that if you want to put a price on carbon, why not just do it with a simple tax? Why not ask motorists to pay more? Why not ask electricity consumers to pay more?"

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

Reports the federal government is considering subsidising a railway for the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland raise many questions at a time of budget stringency when many worthwhile government projects are being cut or downsized.

Claimed employment to be generated by the Adani Carmichael Mine has varied widely, but your article "Government eyes $1b loan to Adani" (December5, p4) quoted 1500 – presumably mostly in the construction phase.

The mine will operate presumably for several decades, let's say 30 years. It will then leave behind a hole in the ground, estimated to be equivalent to seven Sydney Harbours, and a derelict railway.

What about remediation? The record in Queensland is woeful, so we may inherit a vast toxic swamp.

What is the public benefit in return for the expenditure of $1billion of taxpayers' money?

The federal and Queensland governments surely owe us anexplanation.

Peter Dawson, Hughes

After the disastrous approval of the Carmichael coal mine, which will increase climate change and wreck what remains of the "Great" Barrier Reef, the Turnbull government is throwing $1billion at Adani for a train line, even though Adani says it doesn't need themoney.

Then there is the plan to expropriate large tracts of fine agricultural land, so the Singapore Army can train for any future war against our major trading partner.

Where does this madnessend?

Richard Keys, Ainslie

The delusional right wing of politics is constantly harping on about how the election victory of Donald Trump "changes everything".

Donald Trump was routed in the popular vote by 2.3million votes. If the reactionary rump of the Coalition government thinks Trump's approach is a promising model for future electoral success in Australia – go for it.

Brad Sherman, Duffy

DESERVED RECESSION

If any leader has earned a recession, it's Turnbull. As night follows day, he is reaping what he sows.

Graham Macafee, Latham

PENSION CHECKED

I just found out that the Turnbull government has reduced my age pension by $3600 a year from January1. I hope Malcolm and Lucy raise a glass of champagne in their harbourside mansion to all us aged pensioners as they wish us a prosperous new year.

John Davenport, Farrer

ON THE FENCE

When President Donald Trump (self-proclaimed expert on walls and fences) pays his inaugural visit to Australia, he can cement bilateral relations by agreeing to declare the soon-to-be-constructed security fence around Parliament House "open" (whoops closed).

John Galvin, Weston

The speed at which the decision was made to fence the "roof" of Parliament House can be readily explained by the lack of thought given to making the decision.

Ted Tregillgas, Flynn

SCRATCH EVENT

To the bike rider who thought it would be a good idea to lean his or her bike against my new car in the ANU Theatre 3 car park this week, which resulted in a scratch: you are an ignorant, uncaring and stupid individual.

What is it about Canberra car parks?

Leonie Cunningham, Queanbeyan, NSW

KEEP RIGHT

When I was a child I was taught that, if walking on a road with no footpath, I should walk on the right-hand side.

This way you can see oncoming traffic and are clear of traffic coming behind you. This rule would be a sensible one for shared cycle/pedestrian paths.

Barbara Fisher, Cook

RINGING ENDORSEMENT

Terry George (Letters, December 6) rails against having to ring a bell to warn pedestrians of his approach. This is a practice that works elsewhere in Australia, including the enlightened parts of Canberra. It is high time Mr George started to show pedestrians the same courtesy he demands of them.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

ZAPPA ZAPPED

To all the left-wing ideologues whom I've offended and triggered, I offer a variance on some Frank Zappa.

Lining 'em up/ Sizing them down/Putting them in a little box/I can sell uptown.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

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