The underlying sentiment that anyone living in public housing is of a lower value than someone else is disgusting. We are all people who eat, breathe and love. Pick up a mirror, Australia – the toxicity of the subtle class system, racism and ignorance we quietly tolerate everyday is making us ugly.

Justin McKee, Dulwich Hill, NSW

Nimby attitudes are pretty common in Canberra but the objections of Nicholls residents to (shock horror) 14 public housing units seem to be pretty extreme.

One of them, Natasha Connell, is quoted saying "I am baffled as to why the government thinks this would be a good idea to put possibly drug addicts, paedophiles and other people with mental disabilities within the same precinct," and considers that public housing would be "a threat to the lifestyle that we had envisaged for our children".

I would suggest to the Nicholls objectors that their children may get a more rounded view of the world when they discover that not all Australians drive BMWs, live in MacMansions, and go to private schools.

And by the way Mrs Connell, according to evidence given at the Royal Commission into Institutional child sexual abuse, paedophilia is not an affliction confined to the lower classes.

The named perpetrators have included doctors and private school teachers some of whom may even have lived in "prestige suburbs" just like Nicholls.

Mike Reddy, Lyons

I have lived for 30 years in the Emu Ridge area of Belconnen, which has large numbers of rental properties and public housing, and have never felt threatened in any way by "drug addicts, paedophiles and other people with mental disabilities".

For Doug Fox to be labelling public housing as dirty washing and for Janice Dalton to say local services couldn't cope (with 14 extra homes?) and that drug use and crime could rise, and for Jayleen Chen wanting to keep the suburb for high income people shows how limited their understanding of the human race is and how lacking in compassion they are.

Gwenyth Bray, Belconnen

Public housing tenants are as diverse as any private tenant or home owner. Or to put it another way "drug addicts, paedophiles and other people with mental disabilities" (to quote from a Nicholls resident in the article "Residents rise up against

planned public housing") – and let's throw in perpetrators of

domestic violence, for good measure – are already living in our communities. Many of these miscreants don't live within cooee of a public housing property.

ACT Housing want to build 14units which will house around 0.4percent of Nicholls' population. At least give this tiny handful of people a chance. They are not as different from you as you may think.

Make them feel welcome and they may end up appreciating living in your suburb as much as you do.

Iven Spicer, Ngunnawal

Courtney Leiba (Letters, May 18) is tired of people attacking the economics of light rail in Canberra, because the one at the Gold Coast is attracting 17,800 riders a day. (Of course, that says nothing about its payback period or operating subsidy.) In any event, their substantially state-tourism-subsidised, billion-dollar line facilitates that region's fly-in, fly-out tourists getting from their casino up to their dolphin-show and back, right past all the massive tourist-accommodation apartment blocks and shops.

Ours will require a lot more Gungahlin residents than that, to undertake a mostly two-stage commute to Civic and back, right past hardly anything. When Gungahlin's buses dry up, and public transport users – who used to walk to a nearby bus stop – are forced to drive their car to the central parking station, it won't just be the rest of Canberra calling it expensive Green self-indulgence.

Michael Jordan, Gowrie

The website, ridetheg.net, shows the Gold Coast light rail or G:Link is in some respects similar to Canberra's proposed light rail, it's 13kilometres long. In all other respects the G:link is not the same. The G:Link services a route covering a hospital, a university, major tourist attractions and shopping centres. The G:Link's passenger numbers are high because it meets a strong demand taking people where they want to go.

The Canberra light rail does none of these, it takes people between Gungahlin to Civic; that's all. I suggest Courtney Leiba searches "light rail disasters" and "light rail successes" on the internet.

There are few successes and many disasters.

Some light rail systems are so poorly patronised they cannot cover their maintenance costs; in others today's cost of maintenance is more than the initial cost of construction. Will Canberra's system go the same way in 20 years time?

Colin Whittaker, Torrens

The depth of opprobrium directed by graduates of the Australian Catholic University at its vice-chancellor who announced scholarships honouring Chan and Sukumaran clearly has eluded Canberra's Catholic hierarchy. The local cathedral's parish notices for Sunday, May 17 associated these drug-runners with others separately deceased who must be regarded as having been solid citizens: not persons knowingly identified with a most evil commerce.

Mercifully, the cathedral's 8am congregation was not afflicted during the "prayers of the faithful" with any reference to the two executed felons.

We're not talking about young spendthrifts who boozed, gambled, womanised; came to their senses and inspired the classic "prodigal son" homily. Chan and Sukumaran must be remembered as evil men who ruined many hundreds, indeed thousands, drug users' and parents' or siblings' lives.

The myopia afflicting elements of Canberra's Catholic clergy doesn't quite match the stupidity of the ACU's Professor Craven. Nonetheless, Archbishop Prowse must excise reference to Chan and Sukumaran who "got religion" only when faced with the democratically legislated prospect of meeting their maker before the usual allotted life span.

Patrick Jones, Griffith

John Menadue (Vested vs public interest", Times2, May 18, p1) has nicely encapsulated one of the most disturbing features of modern Australian democracy; the corruption of the public interest by the overwhelming lobbying activities of private interests.

Nowhere is this more terrifying than in relation to climate change policy. Politicians from the Coalition and the ALP are either ignoring or paying inadequate attention to the need for drastic reduction of carbon emissions when the clear consensus of scientists around the world is that human future depends on it.

Both parties remain supportive of the coal industry while the science tells us it should stay in the ground. We are entitled to know more about the lobbying and funds transfers between the fossil fuel industry and our political representatives.

Neither Joe Hockey nor Bill Shorten gave any recognition in their budget speeches that a proper response to climate change demands radically new economic thinking about our relationship to the environment.

We have come to expect climate scepticism from many members of the coalition and their advisers but I had hoped for something different from the Labor Party, which claims to be taking climate science seriously. Shorten and Hockey completely ignored the "greatest moral challenge of our time".

Bob Douglas, Aranda

Many thanks to John Menadue for his clear analysis of reasons public policy is going to hell in a handcart. Lobbyists ("Vested vs public interest", Times2, May 18, p1).

Pollies captured by vested interests. Or in economic parlance, the ravages of rent seekers.

This corrosive pressure on the system, and the concomitant political capture of news media and dumbing down of the APS, are bringing democracy into global disrepute. Notions of policy made in the "national interest" can't survive the onslaught. No wonder fascist Chinese and caliphate models attract increasing support.

But, I hear you say, surely our system merely facilitates us getting the pollies/policies we deserve. Surely, it's the voter's fault? After all, votes are the relevant currency of influence. Our increasingly careless votes are easily bought by targeted ad campaigns and sustained media-owner (esp shock-jock) propaganda. Money from vested interests, or the threat of their attack money, equals votes.

Fixing that is a priority.

Veronica Giles, Chifley

Robert Willson's understanding of history (Letters, May 15) needs to be based on more than Coalition press releases. The Howard, Rudd, Gillard and Abbott governments have contributed to the long-term deficit: Howard for middle class welfare; Rudd to ward off recession during the GFC and for long-term infrastructure; Gillard for social capacity building and social justice (e.g. education, health, NDIS); Abbott for – well, who knows!

Hard to understand what purpose expenditure on searching for a lost Malaysian plane in the Indian Ocean, $100million for a World War I war memorial in a foreign country and excessive contribution to war in the Middle East serves Australia.

Going into deficit to invest in the productive capacity of the nation – both physical infrastructure (roads, ports, schools etc) and social capital (education, health etc) is generally good, while borrowing for consumption (i.e. tax cuts and middle-class welfare) is generally bad.

Jeanette Handke, Kambah

On May 13, 1939 the St Louis left Germany with more than 900 German Jews on board, fleeing the Nazis. Cuba refused them entry. The US turned them back. Canada ignored them. The ship returned to Europe. As a result, more than one-quarter of those on board died in the Holocaust.

Today, other boat people need our help. The Rohingya are dying in Burma and at sea. Let's not remember the St Louis by creating more. Rescue the Rohingya and resettle these oppressed people here and in other wealthy countries.

John Passant, Kambah

It is unfortunate that P. Edwards (Letters, May 18) has sought to misrepresent my words, which aimed to provide a Muslim perspective on Australia's asylum seeker policy, to espouse his grossly warped and misinformed opinions on Islam.

The point I was making on the issue of Australian Muslim identity was to show the absurdity of forcing Muslims to choose between their religion and their country; symptomatic of a wider discourse which fundamentally does not recognise the multifaceted nature of identity as a concept. It is precisely the divisive attitude displayed by P. Edwards that perpetuates this problem.

The notion that exclusivity is a "Muslim problem" is ludicrous as members of any of Australia's minority groups, particularly our Indigenous population, would attest. This sideshow should not remove the spotlight from the broader issue of Australia's abhorrent treatment of asylum seekers.

Sama Khan, Gordon

I fear that Michael West's hopes that Chevron Australia will come under criticism at its AGM for its attempted scam of Australian taxpayers will be as futile as the pitiful efforts by the Australian Taxation Office to bring the company to account ("Chevron parents leave ATO an orphan", canberra times.com.au, May 18). While our political "warrior princes" in Canberra can muscle-up in minutes to threaten the existence of a couple of miscreant pooches caught threatening our nation's bio-security, they cower in fear in the face of the organised crime antics of our so-called "special friends".

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Bronis Dudek's letter (May 20) on the defence budget asked "What possible connection is there between Australia's defence needs and the GDP? If we're richer, do we need more defending? If we're poorer, do we need less?"

In a word, "yes".

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

Something that has been going for more than a decade and recently at an increasing rate isnow measurable. The government has gradually abandoned the polycentric layout of Canberra in favour of a conventional central business district ("Commuting times on the rise as capital's population grows", May 18, p3). The towns are set to become little more than dormitories for commuters to Civic and theairport precinct.

To add to the insult, a light-rail line is to define a high-rise concrete canyon between Gungahlin and Civic.

A study of the Melbourne tram network shows that light rail will never be a prospect for most of Canberra's suburbs.

The Melbourne network islargely contained within a 10-kilometre radius of the CBD. Moreover, 22 of the 24 routes are focused on the CBD.

The only light-rail plan that is consistent with Canberra's polycentric design would have six different networks, each focusing on one town centre.

The light-rail plan for Canberra and the population intensification is a blatant move to change the layout of Canberra into a conventional big-city urban design.

The government may argue the semantics of its 2012 election platform on light rail, but it has no case against the charge of long-term deceit in undermining the concept that made Canberra a unique and much admired city in the world.

A. Smith, Farrer

Congratulations on presenting three excellent articles in Times2 on May 18: "Vested vspublic interest" , by John Menadue (p1), "Keating's words of wisdom" by Mark Hearn (p4), and "Officials beat armchair assumptions" byRoss Gittins (p10).

With such quality reading material, it is no wonder the people of Canberra continue to be so well informed on the vital issues facing our nation.

Lorraine W. Ovington, Fisher

GIVE US THE FACTS

I was glad to see Bill Shorten (Letters, May 19) is keen to ensure that any debate about his policies is informed by the facts and the costings underpinning them. I therefore look forward to him responding to my email of four weeks ago requesting details and costings of his new superannuation tax policy.

Michael Plummer, Watson

TEACH THE POLITICIANS

In his budget reply speech, Bill Shorten called for more science education for schools. He should have included politicians in his target, following the truism "None so blind as he who will not see".

Bryan Furnass, Hughes

REFUGEE CRISIS

The refugee boat crisis in Indonesia reminds me that in the 1880s, the Duke of Clarence in the movie Amazing Grace justified his purchase of a slave to William Wilberforce by saying that it would save his life from certain death in a plantation in Jamaica. This is as unjustified as Tony Abbott's support for turning back refugee boats to save drownings. May Tony Abbott feel shamed every time he hears or sees Amazing Grace.

Ken Helm Murrumbateman, NSW

Johnny Depp's dogs fly home in a private jet. Hundreds of refugees face starvation adrift in Asian seas. Who'd be a human?

Michael Duffy, Curtin

WOMEN PLAY SPORT TOO

Don't Aussie women play sport? Not if you read The Canberra Times. Monday, as usual, contained virtually no pictures of women in the sport section. Even the article about the National Capital Rally, won by Molly Taylor, is headlined "Rally legend's son on podium" (May 18, p16).

Robyn D'Arcy, Carwoola, NSW

HOW LOW CAN THEY GO?

Further to Peter Grabovsky's letter (May 18) suggesting ministers perform the twist at their next press conference, ministers could also perform in respect of their budget deficit estimates. The perfect dance would be the limbo ("how low can you go?" ).

Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW

LIGHT RAIL RESEARCH

Courtney Leiba (Letters, May 18) talks of the "positive example" of the Gold Coast light rail system, especially as it carries 17,800 passengers a day. A little research suggests otherwise. The business case for the Gold Coast light rail project had a cost estimate of $316 million with passenger predictions of 45,000 passengers per day. The actual cost was 600percent higher and it carries only 40percent of the passengers.

Jeff Carl, Rivett

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