Compensation, such as through increasing social security payments and reducing PAYE tax, isn't evenly received by all in the community. Independent self-funded retirees and other low/no tax payers are either missing out or require complicated schemes to bring them into the tent. This compensation also negates a large proportion of the extra GST collected.

So why not adopt the lead of many European nations and increase the GST on discretionary spending items, such as jewellery, restaurant meals, accommodation? Say to 20per cent.

Business costs do not increase as an input tax credit can still be claimed. While this would result in three levels of tax: 0; 10, and; 20per cent, our current system is coping well with two and France manages four tax amounts. Proven functionality, targeted items and no compensation complexity makes a third tier of GST a simple and fair choice.

Tim Herne, Calwell

Win an inspiration

Having keenly followed the "sport of kings" for more than 50 years, never have I seen the out-pouring of emotion there was surrounding the winning of this year's Melbourne Cup.

Trifectas are difficult to pick at the best of times, but what odds would you have been able to get about Prince of Penzance being ridden by the first woman jockey to win the race, being strapped by her brother who has Down syndrome and that they were two of 10 children raised by a single father?

Michelle Payne's victory, coincidentally sporting silks in the colours of the British suffragette movement, showed yet again that woman are as capable as men in any profession provided they are given equal opportunities, her brother Stevie proved that people with disabilities are able to make a significant contribution given the chance, and against all odds, their father Paddy is a great example of how men are capable of raising their families singled handed.

Let's hope these examples of success give great heart to other women, people with disabilities and single fathers, as they strive to do their best in a world that does not always recognise the barriers they face.

Ian De Landelles, Hawker

Wake up, people

So, despite there being a virtual consensus amongst scientists regarding human activity being by far the primary cause of climate change, the CSIRO tells us only a minority of Australians believe this to be the case. And, according to other surveys, far fewer Australians have any idea of the catastrophic consequences of our continuing to increase our population.

Are Australians simply uninformed or are they intellectual cowards unwilling to face reality? Should we blame our education system? Whatever the case, something needs to be done to try and wake people up, and it needs to be done as a matter of urgency before its too late.

Nancy Tidfy, Chisholm

Remarks bizarre

ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja made a puzzling contribution to discussion on climate change when he pronounced on SBS World News on November 4 that climate change was caused by a mix of natural and human factors.

Had he been making a general observation about climate in principle, his remarks would have been merely banal: any high school student could tell you that climate can be impacted by both natural and human forces.

What made his comment bizarre rather than banal was that the topic was current climate change – the exhaustively documented changes over the last century or so and, particularly, the unnervingly rapid acceleration of those changes over the past few decades. As anyone who has done even the most basic homework on the topic can tell you, natural forcings explain very little, if any, of this phenomenon, whereas human forcings account for almost all of the observed changes – indeed human impacts are pretty much the only thing that can explain them.

Under these circumstances, Canberra voters, who also pay taxes, raise kids and have hopes for a decent future, deserve an explanation from the Senator of how his remarks relate to his responsibilities or even, for that matter, to reality.

Felix MacNeill, Dickson

E-cigarettes risky

M. Jarrett (Letters, November 5) talks about possible health risks from personal vaporiser use. Perhaps he should discuss this with people who are already suffering effects from e-cigarettes – the person I met who had suffered an allergic reaction just from being at a bus stop near a user, or the families of toddlers who have eaten carelessly discarded infills.

Perhaps he should query why they are banned on aircraft.

John Snow, a London doctor, stopped a cholera epidemic in 1854 by closing a water pump when everyone was convinced it was miasmas that were causing the problem.

It was not until after his death that science could show what was in the water. Tobacco companies did thousands of studies about cigarette safety but who these days is convinced by them rather than the thousands of other studies proving the contrary?

Already, studies are coming out about the harm from e-cigarettes. In Australia we have a chance to stop the growth of this monster now – and we should do so.

T. Henderson, Holder

Out of balance

Eric French and Les Broderick (Letters, November 4) discussed responsibility for the imperfection of the world. But is it imperfect? It has worked pretty well for billions of years. Things like starvation, disease, and killing each other are part of the balance of life, enabling the coexistence of millions of species.

We label them as imperfections only if they might adversely affect our tribe's survival. If bacteria could think, they might well be discussing why their god(s) (who would presumably take the form of bacteria) created penicillin.

Trying to fix "imperfections" can have unintended results. The current mass extinction is due to the reduction of these factors for humans without a balancing reduction in the birth rate.

Mike Dallwitz, Giralang

In reply to my letter on the theme of science revealing God (Letters, October 28), Murray Upton (Letters, October 31) states that he would prefer to believe that creation was a cosmic coincidence rather than believe that God is responsible for the raft of diseases, pests, parasites, predators and natural disasters that cause such horror. He concentrates on the horrors of the created order but avoids mentioning the wonders of that same creation.

Many of us remember that old hymn: "All things bright and beautiful ..." Murray might prefer the Monty Python version which begins: "All things dull and ugly, all creatures short and squat; all things mean and nasty, the Lord God made the lot." How true.

Father Robert Willson, Deakin

Clean and green

Batteries that store solar energy will give people independence from the electricity grid and the petrol pump ("Full charge into Australia for Tesla", BusinessDay, November 5, p9) As shareholders move from fossil fuels to renewable energy, I think that the Coalition will follow their votes but will do the very least they can get away with because they will still be getting big party donations from the fossil fuel companies.

If Rupert Murdoch switches his shares to renewable energy, will his newspapers change accordingly? What happens when the shock jocks wake up to where the profits are going and, as they are so capable of doing, change their tune without explanation or apology? Tricky times ahead for the COALition.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston

Not our cup of tea

In lauding what he considers to be "observed propriety and public politeness" of the England epitomised by "Downton Abbey", Peter Waterhouse (Letters, November 5) ignores the stratified behaviour at the heart of traditional English society.

It's a form of "cultural superiority" we don't need here. That form of behaviour does not and should not reflect our egalitarian culture, and has no bearing on our honours awards. It is irrelevant to the republic/monarchy question.

Bryan Lobascher, Chapman

Do some research

In answer to Bill Scott's letter (November 2) light rail systems that have failed include San Jose, Portland, Sacramento, Sochi, Buffalo, Phoenix, San Diego; not to mention tramways systems ripped up and long forgotten in many cities.

Interestingly, when I Googled "Edinburgh light rail" I received a page full of links showing that the system was a failure. When I Googled "Edinburgh light rail a success" I received links to the Gold Coast system; nothing positive about Edinburgh's system at all.

Might I suggest to light rail advocates that they take time to read Light Rail Developer's Handbook by Lewis Lesley.

Colin Whittaker, Torrens

What about us?

If the ACT government and its planners can conceive of extending the light rail proposal to Fyshwick, is it to much to ask that they consider extending it another three kilometres to Queanbeyan? Hello Canberra! Hello Queanbeyan Council! Wake up and open your eyes!

The cost should not be too great because the existing heavy rail corridors can be used and financial support may be forthcoming from the NSW government. It might even help the network's viability.

Ding! Ding! Seventy thousand of us (by 2035) are here and waiting at Queanbeyan, Googong, Jerrabomberra, Oaks Estate and Tralee.

Roger Clement, Googong, NSW

COLOURS OF POLITICS

Kate Carnell and the Liberals lost votes because they painted the grass green at Bruce Stadium. The Greens lost votes because of their plastic bag ban. Labor will lose votes next year because of their decision to install nine sets of traffic lights on the Barton Highway roundabout.

Karl Schaffarczyk, Crace

LONG ARM OF UNCLE SAM

The US navy's violation of Chinese maritime claims has nothing to do with upholding international law but is part of Washington's "pivot to Asia" aimed at subordinating China to US interests. What Australia should not do is to fall in behind the warlike US as it spreads its military wings and bullying tactics to the south-ast Asian region which to date has been free of their hegemonic ambitions.

Rhys Stanley, via Hall, NSW

FACELIFT V FUNDAMENTAL

I offer a new word for Australian dictionaries. Malperception: the mistaken belief held by many Australians and most media commentators that replacing the unpopular leader of a regressive conservative government with a better spokesperson will magically assure us all of a bright new future. Alternative definition: consumer preference for window dressing over product quality.

Tony Judge, Woolgoolga, NSW

PROTECT THE PROTEST

I suspect Rita Joseph (Letters, November 3) could do without my support on these pages but her incisive letter on the failure of a high minded Government and their so-called Human Rights Act to protect her right to peaceful protest was a stinging rebuke of both.

That a fundamental right can be so easily discarded without a murmur of protest should bother us all.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

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