Mr Denniss strenuously warned against the public-private-partnership model used in this project three years ago ("If we build it, they will come, and take the profit", Forum, June 22, 2013, p9), as an exercise in "rubbery accounting" where "you pay someone to hide the debt for you" whilst that someone is "lining their pockets".

He must understand that economics is about choices. Infrastructure to improve well-being and productivity is desperately needed in Canberra. Waiting times for high needs and standard public housing exceed two years, with over 1800 in the queue. Elective surgery waiting times are amongst the worst in Australia. ACT Public Advocate and Children's Commissioner, Jodie Griffiths-Cook states her office is dangerously overworked and under-resourced, yet the relevant Minister claims to be "unaware" of the problem.

Given just these claims for improving the fabric of our community, a tram which worsens transport infrastructure is not just a folly, it is immoral.

Kent Fitch, Nicholls

In his article, Mr Dennis is identified as the chief economist of the Australia Institute. But it might be relevant to note that Mr Denniss is also a former senior advisor to Greens leaders Bob Brown and Natasha Scott-Despoja.

Given the critical involvement of the Greens in the the tram project, his contribution should be seen as political campaigning rather than disguised as independent commentary. His political alignment might also help explain why he just can't understand the strength of opposition to the tram.

Kym MacMillan, O'Malley

Richard Dennis argued that Canberra is rich enough to build a tram and that residents are only complaining about the tram because we have nothing else to worry about. If Richard undertook some proper analysis before putting pen to paper, he might have discovered that Kambah, Wanniassa and Oxley residents were found by respected economists at Digital Finance Analytics to be the most mortgaged-stressed suburbs inAustralia, that Kambah's unemployment rate has doubled since 2008 and that banks make it harder for these residents to get a home loan purely based on their postcode.

He should explain to the working poor residents of Kambah facing skyrocketing annual rates and reduced government services why he thinks they have nothing to worry about other than the tram proposal.

Richard also needs to argue the economic benefits of Light Rail with well-considered facts, not general self-opinionated rhetoric. The ACT Auditor General, Infrastructure Australia and independent experts in Light Rail have all questioned the economic return of the Phase 1 proposal.

Perhaps Mr Dennis can argue why they are wrong to question the economic benefits of the build in comparison to alternative approaches to improve Canberra public transport.

Brendan Halloran, Wanniassa

Saturday was a beautiful spring day. Near Tharwa, only 30 minutes from the city centre, we walked along the Murrumbidgee.

Birds, bees and butterflies abounded; frogs sang in chorus, and a wombat grazed undisturbed. For three hours we had nature to ourselves. Where were the other 399,998 Canberrans?

Then we remembered. It was a long weekend.

David and Elizabeth Teather, Reid

It is deeply gratifying to see the Australian War Memorial's new and welcome emphasis on the important role played by Indigenous service personnel ("Indigenous war history on display" September 23 p8) in Australia's military history. I continue to look forward to the day on which the AWM under Dr Brendan Nelson finally recognises the existence and the importance of the Australian frontier wars of the nineteenth century.

New Zealand Aotearoa for years has had no difficulty recognising the comparable Maori Wars and there's never been any substantive reason why we should not do the same in regard to our own frontier conflicts (in which war was officially declared on several occasions).

Geoff Page, Narrabundah

Ian Warden has bemoaned the fact that Australian football crowds do not sing at football games. ("Imagining Raiders' matches alive, with the sound of music", Panorama, September 24, p2).

Soccer as a game provides so little entertainment on the field that the crowd has to entertain itself. Australian football codes on the other hand, provide so much entertainment on the field there is no need for the crowd to provide the entertainment. Simple really!

Peter Stubbs, Gungahlin

In response to R. Wright (Letters, September 21), I'm proud to say that I and ACT Labor have been working hard for Tuggeranong over our term in government. A list of what we have achieved for Tuggeranong, as well as individual projects, can be found on my Facebook page.

Mick Gentleman, MLA

I was buoyed to hear our otherwise lamentable Prime Minister echoing the words of the prescient Tony Abbott in his speech to the UN on asylum-seekers. Better still was his withering put-down of Labor policy in this area during the Rudd Gillard era.

He could also practice his lines on other issues that need some prime ministerial clout, for example championing freedom of speech and the repeal of section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act, denouncing the bizarre safe schools program, censuring the bigotry of the gay community on the plebiscite for gay marriage and some firm words on the responsibilities of new arrivals to their adopted country.

A little flirtation with leadership might strengthen Malcolm Turnbull's resolve to start addressing the really difficult and pressing economic issues faced by this great nation. One can only dream.

H.Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

One read the entire article on the Prime Minister's principal advisor, Sally Cray ("The most powerful woman in Australia you've never heard of", Forum, September 26, p6), vainly seeking enlightenment on the obvious question: what has she been doing for the past 12 months? The article appeared to subscribe to the view that achievement consists in getting a job, not in what you do in it. Remind you of anyone?

H. Simon, Watson

No, S. Kennedy (Letters, September 24), I am not surprised that almost half the population oppose Muslim immigration either. After all, for 200 years a significant proportion of our population has worked diligently – like reactionary xenophobes everywhere – to prevent the dilution of our racial and cultural identity. It is an Australian tradition now: to be a true blue, dinky-di proud Australian is to keep Australia to ourselves, and to believe in our innate superiority over the rest of the human race. But what a sadly pathetic, sanctimonious, self righteous delusion it all is! I am Australian, and of Anglo-Saxon origin too. But I am not a proud Australian. I am an ashamed Australian.

Disgusted by the rantings of Pauline Hanson, and indeed yours also, S. Kennedy. Appalled at the suffering we inflict upon asylum seekers while our political leaders laud themselves for their charity and humanitarian ideals. Embarrassed by our immature and sycophantic posturing on the international stage that sees us engage militarily in conflicts that have nothing to do with us and then exclaim our shock/horror when we are threatened or (rarely) attacked by terrorists. Grow up Australia!

The enemy is not Islam, or Muslims any more than is Christianity or Christians (who do, incidentally, commit acts of terror – ref: child sexual abuse by priests and others). The enemy is ourselves, or at least that half of the population who are blind to the reality of their own ignorance.

Rob Westcott, Reid

Surely we should be saying who we do want to immigrate here – that is, people from places that are open, egalitarian, educated, fair and secular – at least to the extent that Australia is itself.

Any immigrants, if indeed any more are ever needed, will be expected to improve our country's society, not detract from it. Also, migration studies and reports have produced plenty of evidence demonstrating just how well people from different countries have done (or haven't done) after immigrating here in the past. Why not use it?

M. Aken, Holder

It is a tragedy that the RAAF bombed civilians in Syria. It is obscene that they are still doing it. To quote Tony Abbott's aphorism, in the Middle East there are only "Baddies and Baddies". The trouble is, we don't know which are our Baddies!

Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop have called for a cease-fire in Syria. So why are we still dropping bombs?

The RAAF should come home and defend our country from any possible attack. The last one was in 1942, but you never know!

Richard Keys, Ainslie

No Chris Smith (Letters, September 24), Bob Menzies had nothing to do with the so-called "Brisbane Line" . The concept for the line, for the defence of the vital Newcastle, Sydney, Port Kembla and Lithgow areas, should the Japanese invade Australia, was designed by Lieutenant General Iven Mackay and he presented it to the Labor government of Prime Minister John Curtin, not to Menzies' United Australia Party (Menzies resigned from the office of prime minister some four months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour).

The government rejected the proposal, but at the time and with the given circumstances, it would have been irresponsible for such a plan to not have been considered.

Christopher Jobson, Monash

I congratulate Noel Towell on his recent article relating to the decline of technical services provided the Navy Technical Bureau ("Just one naval architect for subs project", September 2, p6). When I arrived in Canberra in the 1970s the Navy Technical areas had seven floors of engineer/technical officers and even serviceman to provide technical and engineering advice to Navy operators and Defence projects.

Over many years since Defence/Navy has systematically been de-skilling those technical areas to the point where there are only chiefs and no indians to provide advice to defence projects, EL2s with no staff. When I was a member of the then submarine section we had four naval architects and up to eight technical staff to provide advice, there were also mechanical and electrical areas with similar staff numbers. Defence/Navy haven't got a clue as to the amount of training that it takes to train the technical/engineering staff in such a specific field of submarines, it takes years of on-the-job training and does not always come out of a text book or university degree.

Defence must restart there in house training program to ensure a good in house knowledge base.

Ken Barrs (retired technical officer), Stirling

C-GRADE PRESIDENT

There has been a B-grade actor as president of America , now we have two C- grade applicants for the job.

Pat Tracey, Chisholm

LEE DISAPPOINTS

The Raiders' loss to the Melbourne Storm in their preliminary rugby league final can be summed up in two words: Edrick Lee.

In my 76 years of watching rugby league finals, I cannot recall a more inept display by a winger as Lee put in on Saturday night. His handling was pathetic and it must have been an enormous disappointment to his team mates.

Nev Ridge, Bowral, NSW

PLEBISCITE VOTE

Will voting be compulsory should the plebiscite come to pass? And what will be the fine should you decide to abstain on the basis that it is utter nonsense, a complete waste of money, and more over, will divide the nation?

Norman Lee, Weston

PRIVATE LEVY

No, Roseanne Byrne (Letters, September 23) the ACT government will absorb the domestic violence levy from exempt public housing tenants rather than raise the public housing rents to compensate for the private levy and stop patronising many tenants who want to contribute on such an important social issue.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

AIRPORT CURFEW

Elizabeth Chisholm (Letters, September 23) calls for a curfew at Canberra Airport. The flight paths for the main runway are noise shielded from residences by Isaacs Ridge and the Mt Majura-Mt Ainslie ridge. There's no need for a curfew so long as we do not build under the flight path.

Les Sullivan, Cook

LIVING TOGETHER

Barrie Smillie (Letters, September 24) complains that Muslims do not "join in" or "integrate" .

I would question whether we any longer have a mainstream culture for people to join or integrate with. These days everyone has their own culture. And what is wrong with that, provided the various cultures can accept and respect each other?

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

INTOLERANCE CLAIM

John Richardson, always politically correct, claims (Letters, September 24) that the fact that 50 per cent of Australians would like to stop Muslim immigration illustrates that the real problem is "our own intolerance".

It amazes me that anyone could make that claim. All the poll shows is an outcome; it says nothing about the reasons for it.

Stan Marks, Hawker

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