The share of Canberrans taking ACTION to work has decreased from 7.8per cent in 2011 to 7.1per cent last year, despite a disproportionate increase in expenditure, which puts into question the government's "2012 frequent public transport network".

Before self-government, we enjoyed two bus services an hour, out of commuter peak services; now we make do with half those services (country towns do better).

Successive ACT governments have shown their inability to manage a bureaucratic public transport system efficiently.

So what is the government's reaction to the Perth-Adelaide models outlined by MRCagney "to improve the financial performance by ACTION" – by $27million in 2018-19 and by up to $46million a year by the mid-2020s? It proposes to "rail-road" ACTION to be subsumed by an as-yet-unnamed PPP company syndicate by the start of next financial year.

Tom McIlroy needs to question the government's management of ACTION and how it can justify such an extraordinary public-private hybrid proposal without consultation of ACTION employees or ACT ratepayers.

In the meantime, we should encourage Dr Cooper and her office to review the government's accountability and transparency in the $783million light-rail proposal. Were any other more cost-effective solutions considered as an alternative to light rail and, indeed, has any 21st-century solutions to "commuter congestion" been considered?

David Dickson, Kaleen

It was very disappointing to read of the catastrophic cuts to staff and funding faced by the College of Asia and the Pacific ("Language school staff face axe", November 4, p1). Long a centre of excellence for the ANU, it seems to have been a victim of its own success in much the same vein as the ANU School of Music.

If the ANU persists with its "bums on seats" formula for success, rather than continuing to celebrate research excellence, it will soon find itself a well-funded centre for mediocrity. Singling out individual schools within the ANU and effectively destroying them devastates morale and lowers the overall standard of the institution. In doing so, the ANU shoots itself in the foot.

The ANU, like other high-ranking institutions, attracts students (particularly high-fee-paying overseas students) on the basis of its overall research excellence and high standing. Having high-achieving individuals within the ANU (including Nobel Prize winner Brian Schmidt) raises its profile and status, as does having a college such as this with four ARC fellowships, seven Future Fellows and numerous other grant winners.

In much the same way as Australia seeks to raise its profile by putting money into winning Olympic medals, universities raise their profile by having excellent researchers and research outcomes.

Let's hope the incoming vice-chancellor, the afore-mentioned Brian Schmidt, has the insight and courage to overturn this decision and ceases the current ANU policy of exchanging common sense for dollar signs.

Nicola Watson, Turner

Recently, I received the ACT government's newsletter "Our Canberra" Tuggeranong edition for November 2015. One article refers to the Ashley Drive duplication from Erindale Drive to Ellerston Avenue, a distance of a little over three kilometres. An extra 500 metres would complete the duplication to Johnson Drive.

I would guess that a large proportion (one-third or more) of traffic using Ashley Drive would enter from or exit on to Johnson Drive. So why not finish the job off?

The last section will have to be duplicated sooner rather than later and doing that as a separate project will cause further disruption and, I'm sure, be much more costly than including it as part of the 2016 construction.

Brian Bell, Isabella Plains

What transport design expert allowed all major routes out of Gungahlin to be "reconstructed" at the same time, causing commuter chaos. I'm sorry, but I am truly at a loss on this one.

Linus Cole, Palmerston

The forthcoming ACT election fills me with despair. The incumbent Labor government is woefully out of touch, with an arrogance that defies description. The opposition is totally lacking any inspiration, aside from the fact they are not the government. The Greens? We can thank them for the tram we can't afford.

Makes me think of the referendum we once had where we voted for the status quo of no self-government to continue.

I've been racking my brains for the benefits that self-government has given to the ACT. I can't think of anything, but at the next election, our taxes are going to deliver us more self-serving politicians!

Can we please go back to being administered by the feds? Please?

Kim Fitzgerald, Deakin

The word that came to mind as I reacted to Patrick Jones' criticism (Letters, November 6) of my claim about the use of "pedanticism" was "underwhelmed". But it's not in my dictionary, so I can't use it.

My authority for saying that "pedanticism" has an established usage and pre-dates "pedantry" is Dictionary.com, where that fact is clearly described. It's also supported by the French "pédantisme", a variant. I concede that the word is not widely used, which is why I encourage everyone to use it daily to keep it alive.

It would be sad if through neglect we extinctified our "pedanticism".

Philip Telford, Tarago, NSW

The previously unknown but now released Trans-Pacific Partnership text is finally in the daylight. The assessment of the majority of the 12 nations involved seems clearly to be: it is far worse than expected; it is an obvious act of climate denial; it is a glaring sellout to large agricultural business; and, finally, it will see the end of the open internet as we all know it today.

In the fine print, but jumping out on every page, is the blatantly obvious manipulation by hundreds of US trade advisers representing their own corporate interests, such interests clearly the obvious clauses in this document. TPP is a one-way arrangement, designed for the US, by the US.

It should not be ratified.

Rex Williams, Ainslie

I spent much of my working life supporting Australian industry, including farmers, adopting new practices to improve their environmental performance. Most of the time, such changes resulted in better economic outcomes.

Those farmers who embrace change and make improvements, such as the Davy family have done, should be applauded rather than condemned ("Bungendore family fights to avoid a creek tragedy", November 7, p1). The "natural sequence" system they have established on their creek is not water storage. It is a system that enhances the performance of creeks in all ways, including more efficient water flows through the catchment. It is much better than the status quo of dry and eroding gullies devoid of life, releasing undesirable sediment flows. Natural sequence returns waterways closer to their natural state before the introduction of livestock.

The NSW government stands condemned, firstly for not understanding what is happening here and secondly for not initiating proper long-term independent research on natural sequence before making threats of litigation. This issue highlights the fact, yet again: most of the small waterways in rural areas have been degraded, eroding gullies, ongoing decade after decade. Why waste taxpayer funds on litigation? The government should rather join in and support the Davy family.

Gus Sharpe, Lyneham

I am appalled to read of the Davys' fight with the NSW Office of Water, which shows nothing changes. For a long time in the 1970s, the office or one of its earlier incarnations fought the Klinberg family, of Jindera, near Albury, over their keyline dams. After every win by the Klinbergs, the department appealed. When it had exhausted all avenues, it still harassed those efficient farmers.

I wish the Davy family well, but with foreboding.

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

Professor Ross Garnaut commented at the Melbourne Institute last Thursday that "democracy" was increasingly being put at risk by greedy rent-seeking behaviour and pushes for changes in taxation and public expenditure policy by and for corporate interests.

Without being explicit, he pointed to the fate of the Abbott regime as a sign of this phenomenon.

The ALP, the so-called "friend of the working man and woman", has been just as guilty as the Coalition of pandering to corporate interests.

Once every three or four years, the serfs, or voters, get to pick their overseer from two choices, with the odd fringe party, such as the Greens, to add colour and movement and to further provide the illusion of choice. This system itself does not change one iota.

Reports over recent years have noted that people around the world are losing faith in "democracy". Perhaps that is because they are finally seeing through its rhetoric and the contrived drama provided by the 24/7 news cycle and seeing it for what it is: the same old feudalism, but with a better marketing department.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claims "everything is on the table" when it comes to tax reform, he neglected to mention the fact that a very efficient "lazy Susan" is mounted on his table ("The 'institute' with no members embarrasses Senate committee", canberratimes.com.au, November 9).

The success of the Family Office Institute Australia in persuading a Senate committee to oppose legislation that would have allowed the disclosure of tax paid by private companies with revenues of more than $100million says everything about the power of the top end of town in influencing the actions of government, as well as the ignorance, stupidity and cynicism that so often informs the behaviour of our so-called political representatives.

While those responsible wring their hands at their embarrassing ineptitude, they nevertheless seem totally impotent when it comes to fixing the problem of the lazy Susan.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

"Everything is on the table" ... Really? All tax loopholes, including MPs' perks and over-generous and much envied pensions and conditions? Multinational and big company taxes, and at the Treasurer's "upper end of the spectrum"? Negative gearing; capital gains; primary producers, hobby/family farms; and the great big, never mentioned but very lucrative, tax minimiser, used by the very rich – family trusts?

As usual, average taxpayers were not invited to participate at the recent "round table". Fix the top end of town first, before you hit poorer tax payers with more austerity measures (GST). Do this first and now, and the public may even perceive that there is fairness!

P.R.Temple, Macquarie

So, Bill Shorten has been cleared by the royal commission of any wrongdoing and, as such, has again slammed the commission as being politically motivated for delaying until late Friday night this announcement.

However, one thing is for sure and that is that the commission has exposed in no uncertain terms the corruption, bullying tactics, coercion and misuse of union funds running rife throughout many areas of the union movement and which have been suspected by many Australians for decades – ever since the reregistration of the BLF.

It would be more beneficial, rather than criticising the commission, if Mr Shorten appreciated the commission's exposure of the criminality and joined with the government to eradicate such practices. However, having become somewhat beholden to the unions which assisted his election to Parliament, it is unlikely this will occur.

N. Bailey, Nicholls

That the Leader of the Opposition found out through the media and in the dead of the "news night" that he had "effectively been cleared of any wrongdoing" while he was boss of the Victorian Australian Workers Union has ensured the the public will be deeply sceptical of all such future inquiries.

For this, Mr Abbott and Mr Heydon and Mr Stoljar can take responsibility.

Abbott's release of cabinet documents to previous royal commissions is also an affront to our democratic processes and should be condemned by all.

Roger Terry, Kingston

Bill Shorten being cleared of any criminal or unlawful act is good news for him and Labor, but does not negate the fact he accepted payment for the services of a campaign manager off a firm with whom he was negotiating on behalf of his members.

There are no free lunches in the business world. If you accept a favour, you are expected to reciprocate.

I would say most Labor voters have made up their mind about Bill, which explains his abysmal opinion polling.

He should face the obvious and, for the sake of the Labor Party, resign.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

Letters by Jenny Goldie (November 6) on overpopulation reminds me of old-school preaching. "A quarter the number the humans we have now." How disappointing for her if her parents had decided on that option.

So which one of my children would you suggest we should live without? Stop preaching and scaremongering; it's boring.

Richard Philippa, Theodore

Cosmic coincidence

I must thank Father Robert Willson (Letters, November 7) for bringing Monty Python's version of All things bright and beautiful to my attention. I would have quoted it had I known of it.

However, I should have been a little more specific in my letter (October 31). I could just as well have used the wonders of creation to make the point that I firmly believe (rather than prefer) that the creation of the world – evolution as we know it – is a proven event that is, on currently existing knowledge, a cosmic coincidence rather than a creation by a supernatural force or being.

Murray Upton, Belconnen

NAMING THE SHAME

An "illegal maritime arrival" has escaped the Australian government concentration camp on Christmas Island and lost his life. "You won't have a name when you ride the big aeroplane; all they will call you is just deportee". I am ashamed to be Australian tonight.

Peter O'Dea, Oaks Estate

F-35 JET A LEMON

I agree with Barbara Godfrey (Letters, November 9) that Australia, like Canada, should dump its commitment to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. I don't agree with Ms Godfrey's reasons to do so. We should dump the F-35 because its delivery is years behind schedule, its cost continues to soar, and it has majorperformance problems. It's a lemon.

Peter Moran, Watson

FREE OF CONSEQUENCES

The US, Britain and Australia – the three countries that broke the Middle East by invading Iraq – can sit back comfortably observing the 3million refugees pouring into and about to pour into the EU. The three lucky countries are all girt: US girt by oceans, England girt by channel, Australia girt by sea. Peter Dutton is lucky his country isn't girt by Turkey.

Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor

A PRINCELY PUNT

Last Tuesday, I had a small wager on Prince of Penzance in the Melbourne Cup, because his form line coming into the race reminded me of Macdougal's form line before he won the Cup in 1959. And Prince of Penzance's jockey? I never gave it a thought. Only good jockeys get a ride in the Melbourne Cup (do I still have to get stuffed?).

R.J.Wenholz, Holt

MORAL BANKRUPTCY

Patrick O'Hara's assumption (Letters, November 8) that I was commenting on his party affiliation has let him down. I was actually suggesting that none of the major parties had a monopoly on moral bankruptcy. For example, in relation to his own support for the Greens, how much morality was displayed by Sarah Hanson-Young in attempting to make use of the Ombudsman in Senate hearings, which resulted in him having to give up his position?

Ric Hingee, Duffy

BESET FROM THE SIDE

Whilst I wholeheartedly applaud the ACT government for reviewing cigarette smoking in more public places, might I encourage them to add to their list side-stream smoking from apartments. Living near a smoker who obviously can't smoke inside her apartment and who smokes outside is unhealthy and annoying. This, too, needs to be reviewed.

Jan Gulliver, Lyneham

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