Having mates and political toadies as advisers is a sure way of instilling in a politician a dangerous sense of infallibility, an intolerance of contrary opinions, and contempt for the public.

Jenny Stewart recalled how self-government drastically changed the planning and development equation for Canberra.

Before self-government planning and development was solely a federal responsibility and more likely to be executed by detached, arm's-length people who would respect the Griffin legacy and, importantly, understood the important distinction between public duty and private interest, and how perceptions as to the impartiality and independence of decisions affecting citizens are not to be underestimated.

Canberra was supposed to be a unique city, an exemplar internationally, with an emphasis on generous public spaces, eschewing the grey, claustrophobic clutter of so many other cities. Our local politicians are merely the fleeting custodians of Canberra; they come and they go on the political stage. It is not for them to sell Canberra and the rest of us out to the highest bidder.

A. Whiddett, Yarralumla

Professor Jenny Stewart ("No transports of delight", Forum, April 16, p5) reminds us that spending $800 million plus to install old technology serving only part of the Canberra community and for the benefit of a few developers seems short-sighted. Transport technology and car ownership is changing quickly. Where is the urgency?

There is an argument for slowing down the decision on light rail for three to five years. I have seen transport modelling showing that a mix of 23,000 electric/driverless vehicles and small bus rapid mass transit can handle all the transport and delivery needs for Canberra. If Canberra is to be a truly world leading agile city perhaps the best solution is to do nothing for a while.

I hope the ACT government is not simply being impulsive and trying to create a short-term make-work project for the construction industry while simultaneously ruining the Northbourne Avenue corridor forever and sending us broke. Wouldn't it be nice to have a vibrant, forward-thinking almost carless city that functions brilliantly that the rest of the world would come to see and copy.

Dr George Bell, Holder

Now that the light can be turned out on the business case for the Gungahlin-Civic light rail, it is worth considering the master plan for light rail in Canberra ("First look at new 25-year tram plan", October 26, 2015, p1). In a city which owes so much until recent times to its planners (Ann Kent, April 14), the case should have always been made for the light rail master plan, not some element of it.

I will leave it to others to develop a business case for this 25-year concept, but the statement made by Jenny Stewart ("No transport of delight', Forum, April 16, p5) is a good starting point: "we are really talking about planning, rather than tramming". So let's have a debate and some expert consultation about what form we want to plan for our city. As previously stated (Letters, April 11) I will argue for emphasis on the towns.

Contrary to Jenny Stewart I see no problem with "multi-nodal Canberra extending almost indefinitely" and finding sustainable transport technologies that can serve such a city of a million people. It should be noted that our recent planning legacy comes from Jarrett Walker, the public transport consultant hired by the ACT government in 2007.

Walker's reputation came from his design for several small US transit systems based on a corridor scheme for increasing patronage on public transport — hardly a principle for urban design!

A. Smith, Farrer

Monday, April 18, marked my fifth cancelled appointment to be connected to the NBN since my area was provisioned last July. On each occasion after waiting four hours or so I have contacted my ISP and NBN Co only to find that my appointments have been cancelled due to infrastructure or other technical issues without any prior notice, apart from my second-last appointment for March 17 when the contractors Tech2Home called me at 4pm the day before to cancel.

My fellow residents at The Ridgeway NSW have had similar experiences with NBN Co. As I write this my ISP has just contacted again to say I have been booked for my sixth attempt to get connected this Friday between 8am and noon.Perhaps my experience sheds some light on why the current government's "Fast Affordable Sooner Plan for the NBN'/ has blown out from their projected $29.5 billion.

Jari Hentila, The Ridgeway, NSW

According to Professor Bowden ("Jury out on Lyme disease. No evidence of Australian cases, says expert", April 16, p5) Lyme disease is not present in Australia. Many people report extensive swelling of tissues, rashes, fever and other often persistent symptoms following tick bite. Presumably, some of these cases have been investigated microbiologically.

Would Professor Bowden tells us the identity of the microorganisms in Australia that cause these Lyme disease-like symptoms? Could he also tells us how people with Lyme disease-like symptoms should be treated if antibiotics are inappropriate ("Age of antibiotics is ending", Forum, April 16, p3).

Jack Simpson, Narrabundah

The statement attributed to Port Adelaide president David Koch that on the last occasion Port Adelaide played at Manuka "there was no hot water and they flew home dirty" ("Koch backs Manuka Green plan – as well as hot showers", April 17, p3) deserves comment.

I remember that day. The maximum was about 6 degrees. Everything in Canberra was bloody freezing. Anyway, I find it difficult to have much sympathy for the Port players.

One would hope that, given the way they played in this most recent excursion, the Port players would have been forced to take a cold shower.

Peter Crossing, Curtin

It is good news indeed that aCoalition government is taking action to secure the entitlements of workers made redundant by the collapse of Queensland Nickel.

This collapse is just the most recent of a long chain of scandalous events in which acompany has gone belly up and there has not been enough money to pay workers their entitlements, like wages and accrued holiday pay, because it has been spent on other things.

The time has come for the government to make it mandatory for all employers to ensure that all monies owed to employees are quarantined, so that in the event of bankruptcy, they can be paid in full from funds that have been assigned for this purpose, rather like asolicitor's trust fund.

Roger Quarterman, Campbell

Suddenly the Liberals have turned on their own. It was only recently that Clive Palmer was lauded as the biggest contributor to Liberal Party election funds. He reportedly donated millions of dollars to support his side of politics. Suddenly all has changed. TheLiberals have disowned hisgenerosity and swear to hunt down their erstwhile benefactor to get their hands on whatever money he has left.

To overcome their crocodile-tear-shedding defence of the workers in Townsville, the Liberals Party could return the millions of dollars he paid to it. It would be a wonderful fillip tothe entitlements owed to theformer employees of the Palmer mine. What a gloriously noble gesture that would be.

Brian Hungerford, Curtin

Every time there is an unseasonably cold day, a letter commonly appears in these pages wondering whether we still insist climate change is real. Curiously enough, these same writers don't seem to have noticed the current run of unseasonably warm weather, or wonder what that might say about climate change.

Michael Williams, Curtin

Malcolm Turnbull claims the Governor-General is above criticism? Certainly that role should be above politics, but that is not the same thing. In ademocracy, should anyone be above criticism? It sounds like a kind of "benefit of clergy", which was always a dodgy way to avoid punishment by secular courts.

It has been argued that SirPeter Cosgrove's snub ofthe Deputy Leader of the Opposition was not a vice-regal snub as such. That's nonsense. The occasion was an official event. Was he suddenly not the Governor-General just when Tanya Plibersek stepped forward and offered her hand?

While the protocol for that occasion only required the Governor-General to greet the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, under the circumstances, it would have been simple good manners to extend that greeting to Ms Plibersek.

To snub the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and then to shake hands with the Deputy Prime Minister turned it into something worse. It was bad manners and bad judgment, and gave the impression of political bias and sexism.

R. Neville, Fraser

No one should be surprised when Malcolm Turnbull calls an early election, as he is pushing to get this out of the way before we feel the financial pinch. His predecessor, Tony Abbott, passed financially penalising changes that will not come into effect until the next financial year, so there is no way he can put it off, even if his polled popularity is falling, as it will only worsen his prospects.

Mr Turnbull has successfully provoked the Senate to provide him with the trigger, so expect an election as soon as he can set it, although he will probably leave this announcement until the last possible moment.

Simon Scott-Findlay, Forrest

Senator Michaelia Cash ("HowMichaelia Cash became the new Eddie Everywhere ofAustralian politics", canberratimes.com.au, April19) is emblematic of today's political class, cynically concerned only with how issues can be used as opportunities for self-indulgent selfies, while showing yet again that empty vessels make the most noise.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Well said, Damon Fraser (Letters, April 16). I, too, wasbemused that the ABC's 7.30 Report and a number of intellectually fragile feminists would find bawdy songs worthy of outrage.

There seems to be a growing epidemic of infantile nonsense emanating from our great institutions of learning. Trigger warnings with safe rooms complete with kids' toys to soothe the minds of brittle activists, not to forget intolerance and bigotry towards anyone who does notshare their view. Indeed, even university authorities areinfected, setting out appropriate positions and terminology when discussing for example, Indigenous affairs. So much for an open and robust exchange of ideas.

Now, a silly but age-old rite of passage, the bawdy rugby song, is in the sights of those cosseted prats who would arrange our lives. These people need therapy, rather than attention. Of course, the universities are not alone. TheVictorian government isredoubling its efforts to promote LGBT agendas above other social studies and even the Leader of the Opposition stooped to calling Senator Cory Bernardi a homophobe for raising concerns about these initiatives.

The Catholic Church in Tasmania is facing legal action for respectfully defending itsancient position on gay marriage, which is a foretaste of what to expect when discussion of the gay marriage plebiscite is in full swing.

Too many politicians are weak and show no leadership on these issues. PC rules their lives. My only hope is that with the aid of a few prominent voices, people will eventually come to their senses and fight back against the purveyors ofthis demented tripe.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra,NSW

Many thanks to David Ellery for his moving piece, "Last muster for WWII vets looms", (April 16, Forum 1). It gives us food for thought as Anzac Day comes again. If you had asked the generation who went off to war why they were enlisting, you would have received many answers , but Australian freedom was a central issue, however they expressed it. They wanted to preserve thefreedom to think for themselves and make up their own minds about God, the purpose of human life and how to behave in society. Seventy years after the end of World War II, are these freedoms under threat?

Letter writers to The Canberra Times seem to be saying that if a person has Christian convictions about many moral and spiritual issues, that person should keep such convictions very private. Only politically correct views should be expressed in public. Traditional moral values must not be taught in our schools, but alternative lifestyles are tobe encouraged.

Is this the freedom for which the Diggers went off to serve?

Robert Willson, Deakin

Not long ago, a mate of mine had a week's holiday on Norfolk Island. He did his bit helping the island's economy by buying two two-litre bottles of malt and half a dozen Pringle jumpers. I suspect the value of those purchases was greater than the $740 duty-free maximumwe are allowed.

At Sydney he declared thepurchases, but his bags weren't searched. He came home to Canberra, but has since been racked with guilt that he may have cheated the system. I consoled him as best Icould – a couple of glasses of malt did the trick, but he still sometimes suffers flashback post-traumatic stress disorder.

In light of the article, "Embassy party games: booze and cigs galore" (April 18, p1), and the revelation of the quantities of booze and fags imported by foreign missions, Ithink my mate will finally find his peaceful place and enjoy sipping the malt and wearing the Pringles. He has never smoked. Would that be a discounting, redeeming factor?

Ray Atkin, Gungahlin

IN MOURNING

I saw the first tree brought down on Northbourne Avenue on Monday. I cried.

Margaret Ryan, Turner

MISSING IN ACTION

So, Clive Palmer has truanted from Parliament for "almost 100 days" ("A tarnished living treasure: Palmer's spectacular fall from grace", Forum, April 16, p3). But what about another inglorious political fizzer? How many days has Tony Abbott been off preaching and pontificating elsewhere, instead of representing his electorate?

C. C. Kenna, Murrumbateman , NSW

SIMPLY WRONG

How sad to read Trevor Willis's views (Letters, April 19) on indigenous imprisonment rates and law-breaking. Sad because it is hard to see how any person could be so biased and ill-informed to be able to even suggest that there is any credibility in what he says.

His arguments are just simply wrong. In fact, l don't think there was any truth in any of his statements.

Geoff Barker, Flynn

A PLEA TO POLITICIANS

Like Bob Hawke ("Hawke blasts lack of will on euthanasia", April 15, p4), I want to know when will sitting politicians support dying with dignity, as they have same-sex marriage?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla Anne Prendergast's concern about the legality of Bob Hawke's support for euthanasia (Letters, April 18) falls below Team Pedantry's alarm at his comment that the case was "unarguable" (meaning no supporting argument). Methinks he meant "indisputable". A Freudian slip, or a touch of gaga?

Philip Telford, Tarago, NSW

COLLINGWOOD A JOY

Never has an AFL team given pleasure to more fans than Collingwood. When they win, their thousands of fans are delirious, and when they lose, an even greater number of opposition fans are ecstatic.

Alex Wallensky, Broulee, NSW

NOT SO TOUGH

No hot water at Manuka for Kochie's team ("Koch backs Manuka Green plan – as well as hot showers", April 17, p3)? Had to fly home dirty? Silly me; I thought Aussie rules was played by real men.

Philip Winkworth, Campbell

CONROY'S OUTBURST

The many pronouncements about Senator Conroy's outburst in the Senate on Monday are redundant. He simply reminded us what we already know about him.

Ian Pearson, Barton

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