There is a tourism strategy, a local government strategy, ecological strategy, information sharing strategy, OH&S strategy; counter terrorism strategy and a national binge drinking strategy but no overarching corporate strategy or plan to achieve a cohesive outcome for Australia's future as outlined by Quentin Grafton ("Time to demand coherence", Times2, May 6, p4).

The United States uses input/output analysis to marry up different but related sectors of its economy and does this efficiently and effectively and has done so for at least the past 30 years.

Just imagine the benefits that would accrue to Australia if our politicians were competent to replicate the experience of the US. Australia currently has a "mine is bigger than yours" mentality when the goal should be "mine is better than yours".

Les Brennan, Sunshine Bay, NSW

Quentin Grafton suggests that with the election not that far away we the voters ought to hold our politicians to account for their decisions that are made on our behalf .

I believe that such responsibility is that of experts like Professor Grafton who are able to identify the flaws in the politicians' policies. Therefore, these experts ought to speak on behalf of the voters, most of whom cannot make sense of what the politicians are rambling on about, except the contempt for their opponents.

Looking back at the election time in Britain, I recall that voters openly supported those politicians who would promise them a better pay packet. Surely, that is not unreasonable if people were treated equally.

Sam Nona, Burradoo, NSW

I have the feeling that 99 per cent of voters will have already made up their minds as to which party they will support in the coming election. Thus perhaps it would be a good idea to bundle Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten (together with their wives) off on a six-week cruise, all expenses paid.

They could come back completely refreshed for a final week of politicking whilst we would be relieved of the tedious interviews that the media have no doubt already scheduled. If they happened to be on the same cruise for six weeks then perhaps they might even come to some agreement on various policies and thus save the eventual winner a lot of angst in the future.

Baden Williams, Lyneham

So Bill Shorten is going to run an election campaign based on the politics of envy. Would the Labor Party please provide a list of all current and former ALP parliamentarians and their partners (both State and Federal) who: 1) have ever owned investment properties, or 2) are currently multi millionaires (for example, Paul Keating, Graham Richardson, Neville Wran, Eddie Obeid).

I have no objection to politicians or anyone else getting ahead either through hard work or investing in the economy. I also believe we should do much more to assist those who are doing it tough.

It is the hypocrisy of Labor politicians I cannot abide – claiming to fight for the underdog while they are the ones who appear to get ahead.

Les Neulinger, Farrer

Tentative tinkering by the budget around the core issues lifts my electoral policy rating for the Coalition from 0/10 to 0.2/10 and Labor's response gives them a little lift from 2/10 to 2.5/10. The Greens remain far ahead at 9/10. Let the competition for best policies now begin. My tests for credibility, honesty, rationality and obfuscation will start to kick in and adjustment factors to the policy ratings will now be applied.

Peter White, Flynn

The CT editorial "Trump divides but he could still conquer" (Times2, May 6, p2) argued that the Republican Party's biggest fear is that Donald Trump "will lose November's presidential poll comprehensively and in the process cause it to lose its hold on Congress." That's likely because I have yet to see it suggested that the Republicans have any chance of winning this presidential election in the USA.

It's quite probable that Trump's just running interference for his old mate Hilary. Sure, he's spending a lot of money to do that but he donated to her 2008 campaign and raved about her credentials.

As he explained to The Wall Street Journal last year, "very important people, when you give, they do whatever the hell you want them to do. As a businessman, I need that."

Presently, it doesn't look as though the Clintons have any real competition.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Our Immigration Minister sent an asylum seeker from Nauru to PNG for an abortion. Is he insane? Abortion is illegal in PNG! A month passed ... and with further expected delays, the danger to the woman's life increases.

The woman has special medical needs and severe mental health issues; she has attempted suicide, has uncontrolled epilepsy, and was raped while under our duty-of-care. Australia's duty-of-care. Our Immigration Department's duty-of-care. Minister Dutton's duty-of-care.

Rape is a horror of its own; no amount of "semi-consciousness" can diminish it. The woman knows, and she knows that something grows inside of her, something that she's made clear she doesn't want. Something that a judge has asserted must be addressed.

Instead of providing the woman with a legal, safe procedure, the minister plays political football with her fragility. I no longer hope Dutton has any heart or humanity in him; I pray he can still find some modicum of self-respect to ensure Australia complies with all obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and other international humanitarian agreements.

Judy Bamberger, O'Connor

Simon Corbell's reported announcement that the move to 100 per cent renewable energy will cost the average household an extra $290 a year ("Decade lopped off renewables target', May 7, p5) could be true, but only if the cost of the target to businesses and government is met by money growing on trees.

Perhaps money will grow on the new trees to be planted on Northbourne Avenue? If not, households will certainly eventually pay more than $290 extra per year – at least for the government's share of the cost.

It is time for more transparency and integrity in government in the ACT.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

The ACT government has recently been promoting the likelihood of the ACT being reliant on 100 per cent green electricity by 2020; an initiative I applaud.

However, as has been discussed in recent Letters, one of the key arguments for retaining fossil fuel generation capacity is the inherent lack of reliability of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind.

There have been counter arguments that developing options, such as battery systems and molten salt systems will eventually become reliable and economically viable, yet there does not appear to be any evidence these systems are able to provide consistent grid power for a significant period, such as several days to a week.

In a presentation I attended last year, Professor Andrew Blakers, director of the Australian National University's Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, discussed the idea of pumped water storage, ie, the pumping of water from a low level reservoir to a high level reservoir so that the water can be reused to generate hydro-power.

There are two examples of pumped storage in the local region; Origin Energy's Shoalhaven scheme, near Nowra, and Tumut3, in the Snowy Mountains. Both use excess coal-derived energy at night to pump water back to the upper storage. However, Professor Blakers view is that this should be reversed, using plentiful wind and solar during the day to pump water for later use at night. A system of paired pondages along the east coast, with storage to provide several days' power, could provide the reliability of supply needed to reduce or negate the need for fossil fuel generation.

There may be grounds for the ACT government exploring the concept for possible adoption as a potential policy for eliminating fossil fuel power generation in addition to its promotion of home batteries.

David Wade, Holt

John Clark (Letters, May 7) reminds us of Kate Carnell's derogatory identification of Canberra as the BANANA capital (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone). Our current Chief Minister may share her views.

Unsolicited proposals by inter-state football teams and developers, often grossly over sized ambit claims, seek to destroy our neighbourhoods to maximise their profits. These folk care little for the planning headaches they might inflict on residents and governments and offer snake oil proposals attractive to politicians. They seek to Bugger up Your Back Yard (BYBY) with no responsibility except to extract maximum profits. So to them I say BY BY!

Nick Swain, Barton

H. Ronald (Letters, April 30) referred to a report by Ontario Professional Engineers but fails to take account of the difference between Ontario and Australia. Coal provides the bulk of our electricity so an effective way of reducing our carbon footprint is to reduce our dependence on coal. Ontario uses very little fossil fuel for electricity generation, using instead a combination of hydro and nuclear power with some solar and wind.

To reduce its carbon footprint Ontario must look elsewhere, such as transport, heating and manufacture of steel. Much of the engineers' study deals with ways in which this might be done. Ontario's diverts water from Niagara Falls to gain hydro power. There is little water storage so if turbines are turned off water is wasted. In Australia hydro power is generated from water held in dams and released through turbines when needed. Electricity from wind and solar reduces demand for hydro and the water can be retained for a cloudy day. Here wind and solar work well with hydro power.

Mainland Australia has insufficient hydro power to provide reliable backup. Geographic spread of renewables helps maintain supply and gas turbines can provide backup. Gas turbines are easy to turn on or off and have low capital cost. In the longer run pumped hydro and battery storage may help.

Ronald doubts greenhouse gasses are dangerous. The Royal Society, the US Academy of Sciences, the Australian Academy of Science and virtually every other peak science body say they are.

Paul Pentony, Hackett

Chief Minister Barr and Grocon/GWS Giants laud themselves with the public deception that the heritage blocks of the Manuka Circle Park will be preserved with the inclusion of 1000 apartments, two-storey shopping mall, 450 space paid parking and a 160-bed "boutique" hotel. How can this be so? Did no one check the heritage? Did no one tell them that heritage is about keeping history alive and includes parkland with trees and not simply the structures? Manuka Circle Park has for recreational purpose and historical value rightly been listed on the ACT Heritage register.

The site of the former Manuka Services Club outside the Manuka Oval has been excised from this park heritage following demolition of the building. Yet the site of the former Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station has in 2016 rightly received heritage recognition 24 years after the buildings were demolished. Valuing heritage is not about cutting and chipping for development dollars.

Barbara Moore, Kingston

Norman Lee's protest (Letters, May 5) had some merit. I imagine if Lord Cardigan had a letter to The Times of London commenting on its criticism of his wisdom in charging 600 Lancers at a battery of field artillery and killing most of them, the deletion of his rank would have been galling.

Perhaps Commodore Lee would have been better leaving out mention that he could have been taken for a stoker (second class). In a egalitarian society like ours and with some having poor educational opportunities I could well imagine a stoker having as good a brain as Norman Lee.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

I suppose Shmuel Ben-Shmuel ("Bringing down Israel is not helping Palestinians", Times2, May 4, p5) is just doing his job as Israel's ambassador to Australia in writing as an apologist for land-stealing and the deaths of Palestinians.

Firstly, my dad was a 1938 Jewish refugee from Austria, so perhaps I can be spared his suggestion that I am in the realm of hate-driven bigotry.

Perhaps the reason that Israel gets the attention it does is because the US pays for the atrocities it commits. The US foots the bill.

And, in a way, we all foot the bill because Palestine has become the cause celebre of the Middle East; the epitome of Western interference, colonisation and blood-letting.

Shmuel's article makes out that Israel is some sort of paragon of virtue, which is laughable. Israel never misses an opportunity to steal more land. One piece of advice I would give Israel and its wretched "settlers" is "STOP STEALING LAND".

We enter the realm, not of hate-driven bigotry, but of Alice in Wonderland satire for much of the article. One example: Shmuel states that no other comparable country has taken more risks for peace. I repeat, "STOP STEALING LAND".

This is happening not only in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, being smothered in Jews-only colonies and their infrastructure, but in what is called Israel, with the regular demolition of Palestinian houses.

To think, Israel could actually be a country for all the people who live there, not a White Australia-style "Jewish State"; not an ethnocracy. Perhaps one day it will be. But not while people like Shmuel Ben-Shmuel are in charge.

Stephen Langford, Paddington, NSW

When seeking donations, it should be compulsory for all charities to reveal how much of each dollar goes towards the purpose of the charity. Too many seem to be spending on "gifts" and printing.

Dianne Garner, Waramanga

TO THE POINT

The Canberra Times wants to hear from you in short bursts. Email views in 50 words or fewer to

letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au

LEADING TO PLEADING

The election's on and as quick as a flash our "leaders" become pleaders.

Peter Moran, Watson

TIME TO MIND THE GAP

Malcolm Turnbull's core policies focus on business and higher income earners, telling us that increased prosperity for the top end will bring better jobs and wages for all. Why is it then that as Australia has grown much more prosperous over the last couple of decades, the gap between the rich and the poor has grown so strongly as well?

David Grant, Murrumbateman, NSW

IN NATIONAL INTEREST

It's all about Malcolm: changes to the Senate voting system; proroguing and recalling parliament to secure a politically advantageous double dissolution trigger; an early budget that favours predominantly Coalition supporters; the calling of a double dissolution election. When will our politicians put the national interest ahead of perceived personal political advantage?

Patricia Saunders, Chapman

WINNING THE WAR

When Malcolm Turnbull accuses Labor of class war, he should remember what Warren Buffett – a much smarter and much richer man than he is – said: "There's class warfare, allright, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning."

Phil Teece, Sunshine Bay, NSW

WORTHWHILE READ

I like the article by ex-Liberal Senator Amanda Vanstone ("Why the PM choice is clear", Times2, May 9, p1). I particularly like the section where she points out that "Turnbull made his own money. Shorten has married it. Twice." The whole story is short, to the point and is a very worthwhile read.

Anne Prendergast, Reid

AT ONE ON SUBMARINES

Ah, Norman Lee (Letters, May 5) – you and I are probably the only people in Canberra who have ever known ship's stokers, so it would have been better if you had just left out that little jibe. Anyway I agree with you about submarines.

John F. Simmons, Kambah

HARMONY REQUIRED

Senator Michaelia Cash is charged with the task of taming the unions and ridding the world of penalty rates. Like Canberra's cockatoos, she screeches a lot, and quickly loses your attention, but not before you realise that what she is proposing will contribute nothing to the economy or industrial harmony.

John Drysdale, Clunes, NSW

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.

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