Obviously, as elitists, they too feel the need to keep safe from children enjoying themselves rolling down the grass slopes of Parliament House.

What next? Will the public galleries be glassed in? Will the viewing of Parliament be by "invitation only"? Will the public be banned from visiting at all?

Maybe super glue will be banned from Canberra stores or those with dreadlocks or hairy armpits will be refused admission?

The 15 years of incremental security upgrades at the cost of millions of dollars did not stop a handful of protesters exercising their democratic rights.

Parliament House was once a popular events venue. It has become a non-event place and a financial disaster for caterers, event management companies and the government itself. Maybe that is what elitists prefer?

Bruce Clarke, Pearce

Mr Fluffy not all bad

Recent letters in The Canberra Times from unhappy Mr Fluffy owners prompted me to recount my experience as a former owner of a Mr Fluffy house in Lyons. When I bought the house in the late 1990s I was aware that it had been insulated with an asbestos product and made a calculated gamble that the amelioration process carried out before I bought it had made it safe. I was a bit like a person that buys a house believing it is no longer infested with termites. In mid 2015, after it was discovered that asbestos was still present in some Mr Fluffy houses, I sold the house to the ACT government as part of the buyback scheme.

I was satisfied with the purchase price. Given that Lyons is an increasingly popular suburb, I was not surprised that buying back the cleared block and rebuilding was beyond my means. I was, in fact, in a very similar position to someone who lives in a house that needs to be demolished (because of an uninsured or uninsurable event) and must relocate to a cheaper suburb, downsize, or rent.

I consider that I was treated ethically through the process and was not ripped off. I thank the staff of the Asbestos Response Taskforce who allowed me to make up my mind without pressure and treated me with respect and courtesy over a two-year period.

Mike Reddy, Curtin

A failure to provide

On moving to my new NBN-enabled apartment, I engaged iiNet as service provider. Thus begins my sorry tale. iiNet initially promised, then failed, to transfer my old phone number to the new service. Then they refused to fix the unusable voicemail system that instructs callers to press the (non-existent) "pound" key on their handsets.

Finally, despite assurances over the past month from numerous people in their South African-based call centre, they failed to halt scheduled payments from my account for the cancelled service provided to my previous address. I would like to know why this has happened to what was once a friendly, local company with a culture of good customer service. Even now, I doubt the existence of the "GM customer service" identified in their auto response emails.

Dr Jim Ennett, Hughes

Ring those bells

I see that the thorny issue of pedestrians v cyclists has arisen again ("Cycling boost for elderly activity", December 1, p16-17).

I have been walking my dog in Calwell along shared paths for 11 years, keeping to the left, with my dog on her lead. I could count on one hand the amount of times a cyclist approaching from behind has sounded their approach and slowed down, and they were women. Sorry guys, but it is the fact. Men go flying past us with their heads down and I've never heard a bell or horn. I find myself wondering if they realise that it is the law to have such a device.

Perhaps we should all brush up on the Australian Road Rules. Rule 250 "Riding on a footpath or shared path" states: "The rider of a bicycle riding on a footpath or shared path must ... (b) give way to any pedestrian on the footpath or shared path." Note 2 says "give way means the rider must slow down and, if necessary, stop to avoid a collision".

Rule 258 "Equipment on a bicycle" states: "A person must not ride a bicycle that does not have: ... (b) a bell, horn or similar warning device, in working order." The ACT Road Rules Handbook, under the heading "Cycle Paths" states: "If approaching pedestrians from behind, ring your bell to let them know you are coming, slow down as you pass and give them right of way."

Patricia Worthy, Calwell

Invaluable courses

As a peer leader (a person living with chronic conditions), I have been co-leading courses with health professionals since 2002. During that time I have seen enormous gains made by people living with chronic conditions.

We teach simple tools about the value of exercise, eating well as well as other tools which can assist us in living a quality life despite our conditions. It has come to my notice that ACT Health is no longer committed to providing such courses in our community.

Paula Calcino, Oxley

Right to rage remains

Long-time contributor R.S. Gilbert announced his retirement as correspondent in the Letters pages last week. Appropriately, his retirement was noted by Megan Doherty ("After 21 years ... one last letter to the editor", December 1, p19). In the article, Ron said "Even this week, I've read things and thought, 'Well, that's nonsense."'

I really can relate to that. There is much nonsense written and spoken. That, though, is the nature of democracy.

Everybody has the right to be wrong. If rage at these misguided twits gets too much, Ron, you can always stage a comeback.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

AGL is suggesting it may need to spend $300million on a gas import facility to reduce risk from a coming shortage of gas for domestic users. This is at the same time Australia is to become the world's largest gas exporter.

Only in Australia would the government allow multinational companies to export all the cheap gas, avoid paying company and resource rent taxes, and leave a shortage of expensive gas for domestic users.

Experts are predicting domestic gas prices north of $10 per GJ during this shortage. Most of our gas power stations will need to sell at prices higher than $100 per MWh just to pay for fuel.

The ACT government's decision to lock in 100per cent renewable electricity at prices as low as $73 per MWh, fixed for 20 years, is looking smarter by the day.

If only the ACT government could help our federal leaders develop some smart energy policies.

David Osmond, Dickson

Beginning of the end

Whilst I may not agree with much of their politics, the ACT is (with one notable exception) represented federally by politicians who seem quite reasonable and empathetic, and if not naturally intelligent, at least curious.

Whilst I disagreed with a lot of what he stood for, it's a shame Gary Humphries, one of the most decent representatives we'll ever have, had retirement forced upon him.

How frustrating then it must be to be a thinking person in Queensland! George Christensen, Malcolm Roberts and the rest of the One Nation rabble immediately come to mind.

This is what the beginning of the end of democracy looks like, and I hope the rest of Australia takes heed.

James Allan, Narrabundah

Soccer makes sense

Jack Egerton (Letters, November 28) complains that the Canberra Times refers to one code of football as "soccer".

Like it or not, in Australia, everyone knows what is meant when someone talks about "soccer". Referring to "football" requires clarification. "Soccer" is an accepted term internationally, and not just in countries such as the US: the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, for example, was played at Soccer City.

Other countries use terms other than "football" – Italy says calcio, Korea says chukku and Japan says sakka. The word "football" does not belong to just one code – clubs styling themselves "FC" play all codes – soccer, rugby, rugby league, American, Canadian and Gaelic.

Even in England, an FC can play either of the rugby codes. Of the 10 oldest FCs in the world, five play rugby and five play Australian football. So congratulations to the Canberra Times, keep up the good work. And no, I'm not anti-soccer. I've been following it since I was at school in the 1970s when the top level teams in Sydney were APIA Leichhardt, Hakoah, Pan Hellenic, South Sydney Croatia, St George Budapest and Yugal-Prague.

Fintan O Laighin, Narrabundah

Keen mind lacks facts

With no discovery of the Higgs boson or gravity waves to prompt him, Father Robert Willson (Letters, November 30) delves deep into history to unveil a saying attributed to atheistic poet/philosopher to prove, yet again, that "God" exists. Try as I might I couldn't keep up with his nimble leaps from one non-sequitur to another to be able to share his conviction that he had indeed demonstrated the "reality" of a "creator God" or, more mundanely, the existence of "an intelligent world" – whatever that may mean.

Willson delights in flaunting his theist beliefs in letters carefully crafted to appear as if the justifications he proffers have the kind of rigour and credibility usually associated with science and facts. Invariably, they have neither. It saddens me that a mind as keen as his obviously is cannot distinguish between myth/faith/belief and knowledge.

Bronis Dudek, Calwell

A theory until proven

Peter Campbell (Letters, November 29) misses the point in my letter (November 28) that science is not done by consensus. It does not matter how many scientists believe a theory, it's still just a theory until proven correct. All the highly credentialed and famous scientists of Galileo's day thought Earth was flat; all were ultimately proven wrong by the evidence.

Matt Andrews (Letters, November 29) misrepresents my position as being a climate-change denier to create a straw man to attack perhaps indicating his own ideological bias. The link Matt provided is to a political site rather than scientific, just like the IPCC is a political body and not a scientific body; both have a political agenda not a scientific agenda.

Leaving aside data purification (cleansing and standardisation of the data) issues the problems with the IPCC model is in the mathematics or more precisely the mathematics of the feedback multipliers. The greenhouse effect of CO2 is known empirically; to get a runaway greenhouse effect multipliers must be added to the empirically measured effect of CO2.

These feedback multipliers have been modelled incorrectly as evidenced by the less than 0.5 degree measured change and the reducing rate of change versus the 0.5 to 1.5 degree of change and increasing rate of change predicted by the IPCC models. I understand a scientific paper which has identified the actual mathematical errors is currently undergoing peer review and will hopefully be published soon.

Damon Fraser, Weetangera

Knowledge gap

Damon Fraser (Letters, November 28) advocates that if a model, such as a IPCC climate model, is provably wrong then it needs to be abandoned. All models of natural systems are only approximate representations of reality.

We know, a priori, the model is wrong. The important thing is for the model to be fit for purpose.

If the model predictions fail to be acceptable, then the likelihood is that the model will be modified rather than abandoned.

Models are based on a knowledge of known processes. They do not increase our knowledge of those processes but may point the way to gaps in our knowledge.

Peter Snowdon, Aranda

MISSING THE POINT

What's next at Parliament House? Machine gun emplacements? Concreting over the grassed areas?

Our federal politicians are so self-important they can't see the inevitable results of security fences and barriers.

Ray Barnett, Ainslie

It's nice to know our pollies will be safe from the hordes of children marauding over the grassy roof when Parliament next sits. With ASIO's headquarters dominating the central axis of Canberra and Border Farce protecting our coastline, the Kiwis and the Brits must be wondering how they've escaped the terrorist nightmare.

Garth Setchell, Mawson

ACTIVISTS AT FAULT

I am appalled at the disgraceful behaviour of the activists who disrupted Federal Parliament on Thursday. Have they personally opened their doors to "refugees/asylum seekers" and offered hospitality to them?

If these protesters really cared, they would involve themselves on a personal basis with these people.

Harold Gotting, Casuarina, NT

FLUFFY PROBE OVERDUE

I congratulate Katy Gallagher for her support in setting up a Senate inquiry into competition within the banking sector. Now, Senator Gallagher, how about getting behind an inquiry into the Mr Fluffy home buyback debacle?

Benjamin Leomar Carvalho, Lyons

PLUM JOB

Re your article "Process to hire Smyth lacking in transparency" (December 1, p2). In my book, the name Brendan Smyth is now synonymous with "rat", "sinecure" and "opportunist".

John Galvin, Weston

COURTESY LACKING

I agree with David Stephens (Letters, December 1) about cyclists on "shared" pathways who do not indicate adequately when coming from behind you. It is dangerous and arrogant and rude. When a cyclist rings his bell I always acknowledge, say thank you and wave my hand. When they just speed past I say something different.

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

THE BLIND SIDE

Mark Chapman (Letters, November 30) is right. There are none so blind as those educated in geology and geophysics.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

RETIRING THE PEN

I wish R.S. Gilbert ("After 21 years ... one last letter to the editor", December 1, p19) and John Farnham well in their retirements.

Leon Arundell, Downer

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