Mr Rudd's first prime ministership achieved exactly nothing and his legacy of failure dogged and ultimately doomed the Gillard government. And here we are in 2013, almost two elections later, and Mr Rudd is back with a mix of cynical hypocrisy and shonky quick fixes hoping to clean up the mess that still lingers from the last time he was in charge.

If the prospect of a second Rudd prime ministership is so distasteful to so many of his senior colleagues that they would rather quit Parliament than serve in government with him, Australian voters should think carefully before putting a phoney like Mr Rudd back into the Lodge.

Paul Pedersen, Reid

Alistair Nitz (Letters July 24) and I pay tax to provide the services we use equally, although I may only infrequently use the $600 million tramway, which will be available to him. Perhaps he will inform readers what percentage of my contribution he made this year. My 7 per cent increase followed a 25 per cent increase last year. This somewhat acrimonious exchange illustrates why we need to completely change the way money for local services is calculated.

Personal wealth and ability to pay is not confined to the notional value of the land one leases from the territory government.

Steve Thomas, Yarralumla

Professor Meredith Edwards is kidding if she thinks that having lots of female senior executives working part-time is the answer to some important question (''PS fails to put women in top jobs, study says'', July 25, p3).

The 5 per cent of executives now doing this are already a problem. Consider the logic. There's a big team working flat-out to complete an important, complex, time-sensitive task; a task typically involving negotiation and liaison at senior levels across departments and states.

And the boss of this exercise only comes to work three days a week? Or she knocks off at 3pm each day, to be with the kiddies after school? It's a recipe for institutionalised inefficiency and failure. Such women will soon find themselves only ever put in charge of stuff that doesn't really matter. And how much of that should there be?

Veronica Giles, Chifley

If my memory of disclosures in The Canberra Times is correct, Jack Waterford originally castigated David Eastman. Now, having studied the case over time, he is a slowly leaking repository of exculpatory facts. The latest is the relevance of the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence (''Duggan drops his whip'', Times2, July 24, p1).

More proximate is his amazement that it did not previously occur to Duggan ''that he might be in a conflict'' himself. Jack's slow leaks may yet dampen down all the establishment's flaming obstructions to an honest re-appraisal of the conviction.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

The birth of the royal prince brings back memories of the birth of his father, Prince William, and his first trip to Australia as a baby with his parents in 1983. All the main dailies carried photographs sponsored by Benson & Hedges. This led to a complaint from Buckingham Palace and the appearance of the photos in The Canberra Times was the catalyst for the formation of Canberra ASH (Action on Smoking and Health).

Because of (or in spite of) Canberra ASH, the rate of tobacco usage in the ACT since 1983 has plummeted. However, the tobacco industry still exists and never misses an opportunity to try to promote its lethal product.

Dr Alan D. Shroot, foundation president, Canberra ASH

In 18th-century Britain there was chronic tension between successive Princes of Wales and Hanoverian monarchs. This resulted in regular political crises.

We are now not only blessed with a Prince of Wales but also have two other future kings in waiting as well. In past times such an overabundance of unused royal talent would not bode well for political stability.

Happily the monarchy no longer has a political role.

Stephen Holt, Macquarie

I thank Graham Downie (Letters, July 24) for pointing out that it is systemic issues in aged care that underlie the Anglicare board's decision to seek a new aged care provider for our five residential aged care facilities.

I wasn't in Canberra in 2009 when the divestment option was first discussed, but I do know the shape of the sector has changed significantly since then. Indeed, the recent aged care reforms have made it more difficult for medium-sized operators such as Anglicare and the expectation is that there will be significant consolidation across the nursing home industry. This was a key issue in our decision-making.

The fundamental point however, is that Anglicare is not a specialist aged care organisation and so we want to ensure that vulnerable people in our community continue to receive the best care available.

Firstly, we will find an aged care provider who can deliver quality care to the residents of our five nursing homes into the future.

Secondly, it puts Anglicare in a stronger financial position to deliver on its core mission of caring for people experiencing crisis. We will be in a better position to provide all our other services including retirement living, early childhood services, disability services, homelessness services, foster care and services for youth and families at risk.

It is also important to point out that when Anglicare fundraises for a program, people can have confidence that their donations go to that purpose.

Bishop Stephen Pickard, interim CEO, Anglicare NSW South, West & ACT

I see local Labor member Andrew Leigh is again crying crocodile tears, this time over the deportation of asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea (''Leigh accepts asylum policy is best of bad lot'', July 24, p11).

The last time I saw crocodile tears, Andrew was outside his office with over 100 other students protesting against his government's $2.8 billion worth of cuts to university funding, cuts which are now destroying employment and courses at the ANU, his former alma mater. Politics is about tough choices, Andrew says. Funny how those tough choices by Labor are always to attack the poor, the vulnerable and the defenceless. Single mums, university students, asylum seekers all come to mind.

Here's a tough choice, Andrew: instead of vilifying refugees and punishing them for seeking asylum, your government could of course hire a few Qantas planes and bring the 6000 or so asylum seekers in Indonesia to Australia for quick processing. None would then drown or have their lives further destroyed by being deported to PNG. If readers want to show the Labor Party how disgusted they are with the ALP's disgraceful and racist PNG policy, I would urge you to join me and hundred of others at noon on Saturday at Woden Square at a demonstration in defence of refugees called by the Canberra Refugee Action Committee.

We will be marching to a nearby ACT ALP conference to let them know we oppose this disgusting policy.

John Passant, Kambah

The subtitle to Hannah Arendt's classic philosophical reflection Eichmann in Jerusalem is A Report on the Banality of Evil. In her troubling account of the banality of the administrative role of Adolf Eichmann in Hitler's ''final solution'' Arendt draws our attention to the great evil that came of what was essentially Eichmann's efficiency in administering government policy.

Readers are confronted with Arendt's implicit demand that all citizens ask the question of the potentially evil consequences of complying with government policy in the belief the government is always morally justified.

The recent claims by Rod St George on SBS Dateline about conditions at the Manus Island detention centre challenge Australians to question whether current government policy on the processing of asylum seekers is making all of us as Australian citizens complicit in a great moral evil. Many of us feel helpless to do anything about it. But, to quote Arendt, it is time for Australians to ''test the uselessness of words'' and to collectively resist the policy of this government by demanding they have the courage to treat asylum seekers humanely in every instance.

Rev Christopher Turner, Canberra Baptist Church

Just when we thought our refugee policies couldn't get any harsher up pops Tony Abbott demanding new arrivals be sent to Manus Island immediately. This rules out the health checks and vaccinations which the government has said must be performed before anyone is sent. Then there is the matter of the period after vaccinations are performed before they are effective, in some cases up to 14 days, I believe. Thinking, or doing a little research is always a good idea before making public pronouncements, Mr Abbott.

Anne Waight, Macquarie

The article ''Refugees eke out a life at Port Moresby's edge'' (July 22, p2) reveals the awful plight of West Papuan refugees in Port Moresby.

If Australia sends refugees for resettlement in PNG it will have to commit to raising standards for all refugees in that country. If not, there are only two alternatives - both untenable. The first is providing standards of accommodation, health care and education for refugees sent by Australia which compare with those provided in Australia. Such conditions are superior to standards for many ordinary citizens of PNG.

The social tension created by such an arrangement is obvious. The other alternative is to provide standards aligned with PNG conditions. This would involve abrogation of the Minister's obligations to refugees who are unaccompanied minors.

Bob Turner, Canberra City

In view of the hundreds of letters published in recent years about wind and solar power and the resulting false impression about its significance in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, I suggest all future letters on the subject must begin with the code IHREWP (I have read the Energy White Paper, published by the Australian government in 2012 or a sequel, ret.gov.au/energy/facts).

The comprehensive diagram provided by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences at Figure 2.2 shows less than 23 per cent of our energy consumption in 2010-11 was delivered in the form of electricity. The white paper predictions are this proportion will drop to about 20 per cent by 2035, with about half of all electricity generation coming from renewables.

The holy grail of wind and solar electricity generation is grid energy storage (Doug Hynd, Letters, July 20), but the only proven large-scale energy storage method is pumped-storage hydro and the prospects in Australia are dismally small. Unless there is a breakthrough, the amount of wind and solar electricity generation is predicted to level off in 2035 at about 25 per cent of Australia's electricity generation.

In this time frame, the most important question in the energy sector pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions is to what degree the primary energy sources of coal and oil, that are not being used for electricity generation, can be replaced by natural gas. The fracking of coal seam gas without environmental impact is a make or break issue.

Les Broderick, Farrer

The ACT government has elected to close the MyWay Shopfront in Civic with scant regard for the elderly, the disadvantaged, tourists and anyone without access to a computer or a smartphone. This seems an extraordinary step for a government encouraging use of public transport. Where do potential patrons in Civic go for advice on bus routes and printed timetables? Of the two recharge agents nearest the bus interchange, one of the newsagents does not stock printed timetables and the other has a limited range. The nearest government shopfront (which is supposed to stock timetables) is at Dickson but how does one find which bus to take to get there? It seems unreasonable to expect a visitor to the city to go all the way to Dickson to get a timetable to visit the parliamentary triangle, for example. The inner city is increasingly poorly served with the closure of the ACT government shopfront, the Medicare Office and now the MyWay Shopfront.

Carol M. Keil, Ainslie

Our brave efforts to help other nations to battle climate change are being undermined by those who say they believe that invisible gases do no harm (Abbott howled down on carbon, p1, July 16). So let's overload a room with carbon dioxide and methane and invite some people to spend a day in it - people such as Tony Abbott, Alan Jones, Ray Hadley, Chris Smith, Andrew Bolt and Piers Akerman. Doctors can measure their health before and after the 24-hour period, thus providing useful data for when our entire planet could be wrapped in a similar invisible atmosphere for much, much longer than 24 hours.

I think the most dangerous gas is the hot air that these men emit. Homes and businesses are destroyed and people die in the ever wilder weather caused by climate change. Are the big polluters paying for this climate change scepticism? Surely they wouldn't be so irresponsible. After all, they, too, have to live on this planet which we are at risk of destroying.

We will all pay dearly if the misinformation that these careless men pump out drives government policy.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston

Plebiscite on refugees

We've heard from those who might have their incomes reduced by Our Kev's PNG solution, viz people smugglers and human rights (sic) lawyers. How about including as part of the the referendum on federal election day a question about asylum seekers so that for once the silent majority can have its say on refugees.

M.K. Macphail Aranda

Sad situation

First, the Malaysian Solution, next the PNG Solution. What are we going to see next - the Final Solution? When - if ever - are our politicians going to display empathy and humanity to the sad people who seek asylum on our shores?

Professor Michael Dopita, Mount Stromlo Observatory, RSAA The Australian National University

The prince and the bilby

I think a cuddly bilby would be an appropriate toy for a prince from his subjects (''One jump ahead with a toy bilby'', July 24, p5). But I love the idea of accommodating the prince at the zoo when he visits us when he's older.

W. Book, Hackett

Wave of discontent

When Michael Jordan (Letters, July 22) and his surfing mates pay an annual licence to go surfing, he can have his own ''surfing reef''. I don't want my fishing licence money used for enhancing anything other than fishing, thanks.

Shane Jasprizza, Dunlop

Wooden hearts

For the information of R. Moulis (Letters, July 25), the company responsible for cutting down trees and killing koalas - as reported on the ABC - is predominantly American and the timber is shipped overseas.

But, perhaps the question that should be asked is, which Australian federal, state government or council agreed to a predominantly American company conducting this type of business in Australia?

P.J. Carthy, McKellar

Tolled you so

I have read it twice now in The Canberra Times that the bells of St John's will ''toll''. In Wednesday's paper, the bells were said to have ''tolled'' after the birth of the prince. Church bells ''peal'' or ''ring'' for a happy occasion, usually with several bells. A single bell is tolled for a sad occasion or a death! Let's keep it happy, thanks.

Pamela Fawke, Dunlop

The headline ''Capital tradition reborn in a young heart as St John's bells toll for he'' (July 24, p3) had one of the worst solecisms I have ever seen in print. The bells of St Johns did not toll for ''he'', they tolled for ''him''.

Joan Stivala, Spence

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).