The Radburn design is supposed to enable residents to access facilities by pathways but what facilities are there on offer for this community?

For about 12 years we have as our community centre a derelict, burnout building, then a demolition site and now a part-built centre that has not seen construction activity for over a year.

The Giralang saga is nasty – it involves political donations, family squabbles, abuse of legal processes including the establishment of a bogus community group and the lack of initiative by local members especially the now Leader of the Opposition, Alistair Coe. Only Simon Corbell was brave enough to try to resolve the issue when he was prepared to use his call-in powers to find a way forward.

As you are our local representative, Suzanne, the Giralang community is looking to you for leadership to find a solution to a problem that has denied residents decent community facilities for almost a generation.

Chris Aulich, Giralang

Bullying by staff at ACT Corrective Services ("Staff at risk of suicide", December 24, p1) requires an immediate inquiry by Corrective Services and an open, detailed report to the public if such staff bullying allegations by management are proven.

Most of us have only a vague understanding of the role of corrective service personnel who perform the difficult task of assisting people under court orders to conform to tasks and practices that will assist them in various rehabilitation measures, to get their lives back on track, especially if there is a rigid timetable to meet.

That some staff members are in such trauma from bullying , that they are contemplating suicide, should alarm us all to demand immediate action by the appropriate government authorities. Let the public be told who will conduct this vital inquiry.

Who are the members of the Professional Standards Unit and who are the independent external consultants? And what will be the timetable for such an important inquiry.?

It is disgraceful ,that in today's more established working-place relationships throughout society, a section of workers performing essential public-service roles, are driven to contemplating suicide due to feelings of hopelessness. Way back in my working life, we turned to the union and fostered industrial awards as we battled for just working conditions.

Why then is Corrective Services lagging so far behind?

Keith McEwan, Bonython

Those pesky old people are at it again – this time it's retired public servants taking too much of "our" money for "their" superannuation ("ACT's super-sized bill", December 28, p1). The article is a report of the Auditor-General's annual audit of government financial statements, which contains nonjudgmental factual information.

Unfortunately the CT reports it in such a way as to cause the reader to conclude that these retired public servants (our fellow citizens) are unreasonably "costing us" too much. There is no recognition that they have earned this superannuation, have complied with government requirements to accumulate it and that many will probably make no further claim on the public purse because of their prudence. Is it not time that some in the media stopped continually reporting material relating to older Australians in negative terms?

Sue Schreiner, Red Hill

Whakatane, New Zealand – population 18,750 – is switching from copper to fibre optic cable. It will be offered to up to 400 households on selected streets where the main cable has been laid, and householders will be able to select which day of the week they want the installation.

Apart from being free, households will be offered a $100 bonus to switch over. If only Canberra people could be so fortunate. We have recently had to "downgrade" from Transact fibre to copper – albeit VDSL2.

Roll on NBN!

J. Sutherland, Holder

As the anti-cyclist fraternity mounts, or dismounts its campaign, from my perch as a cyclist of little note or ability I have experienced great joy sharing my cycle-ways with hordes of early morning walkers invading my personal space.

With great pleasure we exchange pleasantries as they frantically dive off the pathways in their futile attempts at self-preservation. The revelling of friendly banter and single digit acknowledgement of my rights to exclusive pathway access, is second only to poisoning pigeons in the park and will increase five-fold when I take to the pathways in a Segway!

James Grenfell, Spence

David Hobson (Letters, December 26) asks why a flyover was not built at the William Slim/Gundaroo Drive/Barton Highway intersection.

The answer, unfortunately, is all too simple. Andrew Barr was beholden to the Greens when the decisions were taken on this, and he is still in bed with them. The Greens won't spend a cent more on roads than they must though roads are, and will continue to be, the major means of transport in the ACT for the foreseeable future. If these ideologues want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they need to improve the efficiency of the road system. But then we need to find billions to build our current tram and extend it to Woden and beyond.

The Greens should change their credo from "saving the planet" to "ideology without common sense".

Stan Marks, Hawker

Urgent memo to the International Cricket Council.

Could you please do something about the recent and annoying practice of players, specifically fieldsmen, engaging in what appears to be passionate embraces when the team does something spectacular on the field.

I have no problem whatsoever with traditional and accepted expressions of solidarity and support when a bowler takes a wicket or a fieldsman makes a brilliant save or pulls off a spectacular catch. A pat on the back, or a quiet word or even a couple of "high fives" are always appropriate, and are usually welcomed and appreciated. However, Lambada-like embraces similar to those I have witnessed in recent first class matches have never been, and should never be seen to be a part of the game of cricket. It has reached the stage where sometimes I am not sure if I am watching the cricket or an episode of The Young and the Restless.

Andrew Rowe, Florey

It seems to me that the important work of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority in ensuring safe use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals is being jeopardised by the relocation to Armidale. There is a strong case for the authority to remain in Canberra.

Among other adverse consequences, including the loss of regulatory scientists with valuable skills and experience and the outrageous costs of the move ("Bonus Plan for Armidale", December 27, p1), threats to Australia's food safety and the environment are of major concern. Let's hope it is not too late for the government to reconsider this move.

Elizabeth Taverner, Turner

Julian Robinson (Letters, December 28) provided cogent reasons for taxing high-frequency equities trading. Unproductive to anyone except the traders, such trades could instead produce $1 billion in extra government revenue.

Such revenue helps provide services to the people of Australia and an Australian Government would find the income to do this. Not cut the aged pension, while ignoring multi-nationals shifting their profits overseas through transfer pricing and cutting Government revenue through cutting company tax.

Government revenue provides an equitable society: for our education, aged care, health care and foreign aid. Taxing equities helps our national equity.

Peter Graves, Curtin

There is a disturbing number of Australians who hate our flag, hate our history, hate our constitution and obviously hate our culture.

I am offended! It was not Aboriginal, Islamic, or an Asian culture that gave us our democratic Westminster system of government, a civilised rule of law, or freedom of speech. It was the Anglo-Celtic Christian culture with no 18C.

Our culture is continually sneered at and treated with the same contempt that the appeasers display, to be diluted and hidden like an embarrassing illness. One might expect it from outside borders but this comes from within our own country of Australia. The enemy who openly support this "new culture" need to get us to a referendum quick smart to find out what Australians really think of this creeping disease. If recent arrivals dislike Australia so much, they are welcome to go elsewhere.

Marilyn Quirk, Heybridge, Tasmania

Thank you for publishing Ross Fitzgerald's article "The fiction around moves to decriminalise marijuana: is it about individual liberty or corporate profits?" (December 28, pp18-19). Fitzgerald's thoughtful piece vividly reminds me that Ireland, the lawless land from which I hail, is destroyed with drugs and some of the biggest cartels are run by the coppers or Garda as we call them. They turned a blind eye to the drug barons and 11 drug murders in a few months, which makes Melbourne look like Lourdes. The place is rotten with corruption and all they have to do is legalise the drugs and it falls away. Like Professor Fitzgerald says, bent politicians and bought judges would then lose much of their power. Yet currently drug money abounds and the country is in chaos.

Ireland, once know as the land of saints and scholars, now is the land of drug addicts and alcoholics.

How do I know? Because I am a product of that green Isle and ran away to get sober in Australia 30 years ago.

Robbie Dunn, Manly, Queensland

Now that the day has passed, it might be time to remind people that Jesus was not born on December 25. The "shepherds who watched their flocks by night" would not have been in the Hills of Palaestina (the Roman Empire province) in mid-winter. They, and their flocks, would have been in their villages safe from snow fall and exposure. The early Christian church claimed December 25 to subvert the Roman Empire celebration of Saturnalia.

The early church was adept at co-opting pagan celebrations and holy places in order to supplant various pagan beliefs and ceremonies with Christian ones.

This shows how flexible the early church fathers were in observing and promoting their religion. This was very much in keeping with the ancient Jewish religious leaders, in exile in ancient Babylon, who co-opted stories from various Mesopotamian peoples, such as replacing Ut-Napishtim with Noah in re-telling the Flood story taken from the Epic of Gilgamesh, when compiling the "history" of the Jewish people. To catalogue all the borrowing and inventions that fill the biblical pages would take far more than 200 words. Instead may I wish all CT readers a joyous Saturnalia.

Rod Olsen, Flynn

Amin Saikal ("Latest resolution is a slap in the face for Israel", December 28, p19) believes Arab leaders have "colluded with Israel" against a just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.

If that is so, could it be that these Arab leaders, along with Israel, do not wish to see the newly created Palestinian State being dominated by the Hamas Islamist faction, which could add to the region's present chaos – that generated by IS.

One wonders if the Palestinians have given up hope of ever living freely in their own state.

Sam Nona, Burradoo, NSW

AGE OF ENTITLEMENT

What was that about the age of entitlement being over ("Millions goon politician study tours", December 28, p4)?

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Queensland

OBAMA'S NONSENSE

So Barack Obama claims that he would have defeated Donald Trump if he'd been allowed to seek a third term in the White House ("I would have beaten Donald Trump", December 28, p14). Nonsense. He is one of the elitists that voters are now sick of, and he would never have been re-elected.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

PALESTINE POSER

With Benjamin Netanyahu still simmering about the United States abstaining from a UN security council vote critical of Israel's settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, I am left asking what has Israel done to make the world a better place? Because it certainly hasn't made Palestinian lives a bed of roses.

D.J. Fraser, Currumbin, Queensland

STRONG REBUKE

US Secretary of State Kerry is to be congratulated for his strong rebuke of the Israeli government concerning illegal settlements on Palestinian land. Will Australia follow the lead of New Zealand and rebuke Israel or will the weak Australian government and opposition kow-tow to the Australian Israel lobby as usual?

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

SIGNIFICANT SWINDLES

The conga line of crooks and swindlers, who find complying with Australian labour law too onerous and insufficiently profitable, grows ever longer ("Swim school network in pay scandal", BusinessDay, December 28, p23). In this instance the sums quoted – $120,000, $130,000, $250,000 – are extremely significant, especially to mere mortals on base pay rates.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW

TALKING HEADS

Timothy Walsh (Letters, December29) wonders whether Don Burke works for Sefton's, the public relations firm engaged to deodorise federal Coalition efforts to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale.

With exercises like this, it's standard practice to enlist a celebrity to talk up the client's case.

Sportsmen and women are favoured, as are TV personalities.

The talking head need not know anything about the matter in hand, just smile engagingly and stick to the script.

Burke might not be on Sefton's payroll, but a fee plus expenses wouldn't be unusual.

Peter Fuller, Chifley