In the area of public health, for example, the scope for food and beverage companies to influence decision-making on issues impacting on the wellbeing of ACT citizens by making donations to political parties has been significantly enhanced.

And if one extends the notion of public health to the pervasive impacts of the gambling industry and despoilers of the environment, the range of cashed-up lobby groups whose influence will be enhanced can be extended to licensed clubs, mining companies and property developers. We should all remember this decision and its influence on our democracy when the members of the Assembly face the voters next year.

Russell McGowan, Public Health Association (ACT)

One of the reasons I support the Heritage Council's decision to keep a representative sample of the public housing along Northbourne Avenue is that these dwellings were considered big enough to live in only 50 or so years ago.

Today there is a chorus of people lead by Andrew Barr and the Property Council saying that no one could possibly live in such small spaces. On the contrary, I think these dwellings can help us see how we can change from having some of the largest new houses on the planet to a more sustainable size and future. For this and other heritage reasons I am dismayed at the campaign to get rid of all the public housing along Northbourne Avenue. Yes they are in poor condition. That is due to government policy and can be fixed. The buildings can be insulated and the asbestos removed. They don't have Mr Fluffy. As we have seen in New Action and Kingston foreshore, good planning can make heritage buildings an integral part of vibrant new precincts. Why can't that happen in Northbourne Avenue?

I understand that less than half of the dwellings will be kept under the heritage council's listing, giving ample scope for creative new design. The original buildings were designed to provide a graceful entrance to Canberra as well as dwellings for us. They can still do that.

Caroline Le Couteur , Downer

Ken Taylor's defence of the ACT Heritage Council's decision to list the Northbourne Public Housing blocks ("People trump bricks, mortar", Times2, February 20, p1) is interesting.

He says the council consists of dedicated expert people. The council obviously does not include any engineers, architects, energy assessors, valuers or anyone else that understands sustainable residential accommodation.

D. Capezio, Griffith

In 19th century Australia between half and three-quarters of all the fresh vegetables came from Chinese market gardens using much the same methods as those criticised ("Hep A victim angry over import testing", February 20, p3).

Virtually every settlement had its own Chinese gardens and major towns like Melbourne and Sydney were supplied by door to door vendors at excellent prices.

It is nonsense to suggest that food from China or Asia generally is inherently more dangerous than that grown elsewhere, including Australia where mass use of chemicals is possibly riskier to our health than liquified human waste.

The kind of pollution reported in regard to imported berries lies not in the growing cycle but in the processing.

The issue is not so much where our fruit and veg is grown but how it is packed and supplied. The standard of inspection by importers and authorities in Australia is clearly substandard if polluted food can be put on public sale.

Dr Ian Welch, Mawson

Harry Jakobasch (Letters, February 19) makes a valid point re "climate change believers" and "deniers". His case was that deniers' views are as valid (or invalid) as those made by the believers, where both are unqualified and/or do not understand the relevant science.

To be fair to Hugh Jorgahen (Letters, February 16), that writer did not ask if the climate change protagonists were suitably qualified; it was just a dig at "deniers" such as J. McKerral who in Hugh's view seem not to be scientists of particular note. I am unsure what Harry meant by "unqualified assumptions" which I think is a tautology, unless the adjective was meant for Andrew Leigh.

Dr Leigh is hardly unqualified, and given his intelligence, his views on climate change I would not dismiss in the first instance, albeit he is not a climate scientist. But he is now a politician, and their highly uninformed or

more likely don't-want-to-know climate stances are well known!

Greg Jackson, Kambah

Is there a greater measure of the poor state of our political discourse than the willingness to throw good people and charities under the bus?

I was disappointed to learn that Menslink and their CEO, Martin Fisk, have been caught in the crossfire of political mudslinging. Getting to know Martin and learning about the invaluable work that Menslink contributes to our community has been genuinely inspiring. I can only hope that the events of the past month have not created a false impression of Martin or Menslink. Martin's character and leadership are evident throughout Menslink and I am a strong advocate of both.

Clyde Rathbone, Deakin

I'm surprised at the frequency with which I have read recently that Menslink is in turmoil at present. I have been proud to be a volunteer part of the organisation for about 10 years now, much longer than any of the current staff. I have seen the organisation grow, and learn along the way. It continues to provide invaluable support to a wide range of young men in the Canberra region through its mentoring program, its free counselling service and its "Silence is Deadly" program. Judging by the response received by Menslink's team of volunteers at the multicultural festival a week ago, I believe it continues to enjoy high levels of support.

I, as one small part of the organisation, am not in turmoil. And I'm not leaving.

Graham Hannaford, Ainslie

Whatever the merits of conserving the Dickson housing precinct, Ken Taylor ("People trump bricks, mortar", Times2, February 20, p1) does his cause no favours with his article. Misdirected irony is no substitute for logical argument. His reference to "the usual suspects" is an unwarranted slur and inappropriate when it includes the responsible minister, who is surely entitled to, and expected to have, a view. Apparently critics should "look instructively". Is this even English?

His dismissal of aesthetic considerations would appear to condemn us to living in a visual dystopia. Apparently the "negative criticism of the visual attributes of the Northbourne housing is [...] mindless when one compares it to some of the dull, boring corporate architecture one sees in Canberra".

Leaving aside the question of how one can compare criticism to architecture, surely he can see that the fact that some modern buildings are ugly does not constitute an argument to conserve any specific existing buildings. Apparently the buildings should be conserved because there are "human beings for whom the buildings hold memories". One could say this for all buildings: should none ever be replaced?

Professor Taylor's argument seems to be that these matters should be left to the experts. On the basis of this article, one is not inclined to do so.

H. Simon, Watson

If the ACT government ever decides to hold a survey of residents and visitors regarding whether the Dickson Towers have sufficient aesthetic and heritage value to be protected, I predict the majority response would be "No", as these buildings are ugly and completely unsuitable for our main gateway. Planners and decision makers, please do everything possible to make Northbourne Avenue a gateway to Canberra that we can be proud of.

Peter Sherman, Aranda

The continuing saga surrounding the selection of a class of submarine for the navy should by now be focused on building a Mark II Collins Class for no other reason than no country in the world builds a submarine of the tonnage required by the Royal Australian Navy.

According to the experts, the Collins Class tonnage is what the RAN requires to carry out missions within their operational command, yet nobody builds a conventional submarine of that tonnage. However, six Collins Class submarines have already been built by ASC Adelaide, fitted with American specified offensive/defensive equipment. A land base test site has been established, to sort out Collins Mk I equipment weaknesses and, with the wisdom provided by Electric Boat at Groton, Connecticut, not to mention the Hawaiian facilities, USN/RN assistance, and the relentless march of technology, should ensure an enhanced Mk II Collins Class submarine is a world-class leader exceeding RAN operational objectives.

ASC Adelaide has already built six Collins Class submarines, and that's six Collins Class submarines more then any other shipyard in the world. The knowledge and expertise gained building Collins Class Mk I should ensure ASC provides the RAN with the best conventional submarine in the world by way of Collins Class Mk II. The interoperability of logistics and training and operational capabilities between Mk Iand Mk II will no doubt save untold millions of dollars.

So, rather then reinventing the wheel and confronting zillions of known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns, build the Collins Class Mk IIs at ASC Adelaide. It should lessen the risk factor considerably, and it makes sense morally, economically, socially, operationally, logistically to build in Australia. The cheapest part of building submarines is that the big money occurs logistically/operationally over the next 25 years of service.

David McVeigh, Turner

Tony Abbott has promised a few hundred jobs for Australians in roles created in the submarine program ("PM promises submarine jobs", February 21, p4) While the winner of the competitive evaluation process hasn't been declared at this point, any thinking or betting person will agree Japan is the front runner.

Some suspect that the decision was made long ago, at the time of the signing of the Japan-Australia free-trade agreement, and that there is no way out for the Australian government. That agreement is so secret that we don't really know whether Japan would be able to sue Australia for breach of contract if Germany or France offered a better deal, but we have our suspicions.

W. Book, Hackett

We are not surprised if a federal treasurer or finance minister thinks a cross-tabulation has angry numbers, or a prime minister gets confused by talk of surveys producing "accurate" data on population numbers. But we should expect more from the nation's chief statistician. The stunning quote from David Kalisch in the Canberra Times editorial "Easy saving now could cost in future" (Times2, February 20, p2) should make us all pause: "the census only provides a snapshot of Australia for one day every five years". This from the person charged with carrying out the most important data collection a modern nation carries out.

There is much more to a census than a "snapshot". Sample surveys cannot capture information on small population groups in the same way that house-to-house, and block-to-block enumerations can. Without regular full enumerations, the "frame" for selecting samples deteriorates. Who is missed? Generally the poorest, most mobile, and most resistant residents.

The census makes the effort, and largely succeeds, to make everybody count. That can be discomforting for governments who want to sweep embarrassing information under the carpet. Unfortunately, the census-cutters find allies in people who think any question is an intrusion on their freedom.

In my presidential address for the Australian Population Association a decade ago, I argued that the record of individual citizens in the regular census count is both a right and a great benefit for a democracy. Australia destroys the records after each enumeration – unlike the examples of the UK and USA, where census forms are embargoed for a period, but then become open for historical, economic and personal genealogical research. Who Do You Think You Are is not just a popular TV show; it is a pertinent question for all Australians. The census helps to answer this question for all of us. Save the census.

Terence Hull, Aranda

I was appalled to read the various reports in the media stating that the government/Australian Bureau of Statistics was considering either cutting the census or making it a 10-year collection. The Australian Statistician has been reported as saying the census only provides a snapshot of Australia for one day every five years. If reported correctly, this shows an incredible lack of understanding of the richness of census data and the important information it provides about small geographical areas and small population groups. This cannot be provided by surveys. The full impact of these proposed changes, both on census data and the range of surveys that rely on small area information from the census, need to be clearly explained by the ABS.

Norah Sloane, Florey

Norman Lee (Letters, February 19) thinks it is unimaginable to ask Indonesia for compassion and remind them of our generous aid package in their time of need. I would hope that if I gave my nearest neighbour $1billion to put towards rebuilding infrastructure, homes, hospitals, schools, supplying food, medicine, healthcare etc, it wouldn't be too out of place to remind them of this and ask for two lives to be spared.

I'm guessing if a relative of Norman's was in a similar situation, or if it had been a Labor prime minister asking, he might not be so outraged.

P. Kramaric, Jerrabomberra, NSW

AWAITING AN APOLOGY

Manifestly political and grossly unjust: Haneef, Habib, Hicks. When will some genuinely "small-l" Liberal apologise for this disgusting travesty? Oh, I know John Howard does not do apologies, but then he does hold the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and is a member of the Queen's Order of Merit.

Dennis Hale, Beecroft, NSW

CREDENTIALS PLEASE

I endorse Hugh Jorgahan's proposal for climate change deniers to disclose their qualifications (Letters, February 16). To progress, science requires constant challenging, questioning and scepticism (particularly when there is a growing disparity between ongoing observations and model predictions) rather than advocacy, authoritarianism or alarmism.

John Morland, Curtin

THE FALL OF SINGAPORE

While the media has been focused on events in Indonesia and Gallipoli, another date of great importance has slipped by without notice. I refer to surrender of Singapore on February 15, 1942, which resulted in many Australian lives lost and others changed forever.

Derek Holyoake, Karabar, NSW

BAN DOG RACING

Greyhound racing is not a sport in the sense that football and cricket and athletics are, contributing to the health and fitness of the players.

It is no more than a way to gamble, like a roulette wheel or a poker machine. At least, horse racing helpskeep the jockeys fit and is not cruel to the horses. Live baiting of dogs is atrociously cruel to the baits and is ample reason to ban dog racing.

Michael Travis, Bruce

A BETTER SYSTEM

The childcare funding system recommended by the Productivity Commission is essentially a return to the system I helped administer 15 years ago, with one change to simplify – and so improve – it. There was no problem administering that system, and it targeted well those with the greatest need for childcare. If the introduction of the proposed system is cost-neutral, I have no doubt the new system will be much better than the one it replaces.

Allan Doobov, Griffith

INFLUX OF NANNIES

Here come the 457 visa nannies.

Peter Conway, Braddon

RECIPE FOR RADICALS

What better way to encourage the radicalisation of Muslims – especiallythe young – than to treat them like pariahs and to lock them up for years in appalling conditions with no hope?

S. E. Ramsay, Torrens

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