Sumi Jo, Richard Troxell and Sally-Anne Russell gave the audience an evening of jolly good fun.

Conductor Roland Peelman constantly pleaded with the Voices in the Forest orchestra and the two choirs (Canberra Choral Society and the Woden Valley Youth Choir) to give of their best.

It was a case of an appreciative audience enjoying the enthusiasm of the international stars combining with the talented Canberra choirs and orchestra.

MC Alex Sloan got caught up in the evening's entertainment when Richard Troxell cleverly carried her chair to centre stage.

It was an excellent evening of music and song and lots of laughter, concluding with three encore items.

Michael Dwyer, Melba

When we first built in Canberra we were encouraged to buy an incinerator from the government and then told we were not allowed to use it.

We were told we should buy water tanks because of the water shortage and so we bought four tanks, a pump and a grey water system.

Now we pay higher water rates to pay for the extended dam, which means there is no shortage of water.

We were told it was a good idea to buy solar panels to reduce our power bills.

The beautiful indigenous trees, which we were told we should plant and are not allowed to remove, provide so much shade the solar panels perform poorly.

Then it was suggested we switched from oil heating to gas. We did, only to be told we should now switch to electric heating.

Isn't it nice to have such clear guidance from our ACT government? Now we are told we should ride the tram.

Bob Nairn, Hawker

What a poisonous, butt-covering government ACT electors have just installed.

Now it is blaming Mr Fluffy, together with light rail, for project delays (CT, November 30, "AIS Arena considers scrapping concerts ...").

The previous ACT Labor/Greens government decided on both the Mr Fluffy destruction as well as building light rail.

It's us wicked Mr Fluffy homeowners who are denying Canberrans the bells and whistles "developments" the government wants to undertake.

Hopefully one day they'll reap what they've sown.

Kathleen Read, Watson

The Marxist rode into town, chewing on his cigar and with his gun by his side.

It is all too Graham Greene whether it is Mexico or Cuba; even down to the decay and the loss of morality.

All that is missing is the whiskey priest. Remove the ideology and the proclamation of righteousness and he was little different to Batista, the man he replaced.

Down the track, and as the Cuban missile crisis worsened, Kennedy and Khrushchev desperately sought to extricate their countries from a nuclear precipice by a secret deal.

Castro believed the class war should go further even if it meant Cuba was reduced to a few rocks in the ocean.

Peter McCormick, Chifley

While I am no "red", Castro did replace a bad dictatorship with a much better dictatorship to the extent that Cuba's health and education system is better than that in the US for average citizens.

He also reined in corruption, prostitution and gang violence and kicked the Italian and Jewish Mafias out of Cuba.

Many of the 1 million Cuban exiles in Miami had connection to the deposed dictator Batista, crime, gambling and vested interest so it is not surprising that they hated Castro.

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park

Fortunately, Australia has never had to endure anyone like Castro. Our parliamentary system under the Crown would never tolerate it.

The closest Australia has come to a turbulent period was under Gough Whitlam.

It was a time when Australians were never sure what the next day would bring.

After just three years of Whitlam Australia was changed for ever.

The impetus for a republic leads straight back to Whitlam who discontinued so many monarchical practices which have never been reinstated.

Today many, particularly new Australians, are unaware why Australia is a constitutional monarchy and what it means. Governments today still resile from standing up for the constitution and Crown.

It is time this nonsense stopped and our constitution and Australia Day – the day that the rule of law and order was brought to Australia – was celebrated by one and all.

Philip Benwell, chair Aust Monarchist League

J. Palmer's zany, tongue-in-cheek?, suggestion of substituting great works of art with copies for public exhibition in the pursuit of cost efficiencies defies logic. People want to see the real thing to try to connect with the artist. The life and gloriousness of the paint on canvas of, say, a Van Gogh can never be reproduced digitally or any other way.

William Gray, Bungendore

In response to Frank Cassidy's "Kambah is Sexy!" letter [CT, November 24] I do agree Kambah is the hidden secret of Canberra.

But I take issue with the statement Kambah does not have any representation in the ACT Assembly.

Frank was not at home when I knocked on his door to introduce myself during the campaign to let him know that I'm a proud Kambah resident.

In addition, my Labor colleague Bec Cody MLA lived in Kambah for over 40 years.

Chris Steel, MLA, Kambah

Doesn't add up

The education minister claims he is embarrassed by the results of the international comparisons of students in maths and science. At the same time the government-controlled ABC cancels its science program, Catalyst. This government has absolutely no idea.

E. R. Moffat, Weston

I refer to the article in The Canberra Times (November27, p2) and ActewAGL's reply.

The reason our gas bills are the highest is not because, as ActewAGL claims, "Canberra households use more gas".

ActewAGL do not read the meters any more and sends bills with an estimated reading.

If I had accepted my bills on face value over the past three quarters it would have cost me $360 more. Mr Costello may say their prices are competitive, but if you check the supply charge component of your bill you will find it seems to increase every quarter.

I would like to think we are getting correct value for our money and not estimates. I don't get paid to go out every quarter and read my gas meter and ring through the correct reading.

Errol Good, Macgregor

I find the backpacker tax backdown curious; the result is 50per cent of the government's original decision. Who's kidding who, and where is the solid leadership we were hoping for from Malcolm Turnbull?

I am pleased about the reduction in tax for the backpackers and for the orchardists and farmers. But the process of arriving at this final decision has been an extraordinary process. Please explain.

Judy Angus, Ainslie

I read the statement that the restriction of access to the upper lawns on Parliament House has never eventuated on heritage grounds (Canberra Times, November29 p1) to refer to the proposed "large fence" mentioned later in the article.

I do recall public access to the lawns was blocked off by plastic water-filled barriers for an extended period following the 9/11 attacks.

Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra

The editorial on November26 ("Joyce crusade may be no joy for the bush"), and 13 related letters published on November29, were about a proposed move of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale.

Some of the published arguments are ludicrous; they indicate that despite Brexit and the Trump win, and consequent analyses, many Canberran "elites" still "do not get" that millions of people are rebelling against their ignorance and selfish behaviour.

Over recent decades Canberra has grown faster than the rest of Australia because jobs have transferred here.

Canberra elites accept this as normal.

When there is a suggestion some jobs should be moved out of Canberra, these elites start frothing at the mouth.

Most Canberra workers are employed, directly or indirectly, by the 98per cent of Australians who do not live in the capital.

Employers, not employees, decide where employment will be based.

Ministers elected and appointed by the employers have a right to act on their behalf. Most employees affected by the move will not be forced to leave Canberra. They will merely be transferred to other positions; a common occurrence.

Robert James, Melba

For those who wish to see children continue to roll down the grassy hill covering Parliament House, I suggest they contact Barnaby Joyce.

He could issue a regulatory decree that Parliament House cannot be located "within 150 kilometres by road of Canberra".

He is an expert on these decrees and does not need Parliament's approval; nor does he worry about the cost to the taxpayer.

C.J. Johnston, Duffy

Maybe Barnaby could move to the ACT, with its cafes, galleries, universities and welcoming community and stand for the Senate at the next federal election, thereby saving 356 ACT jobs and more than $157 million. If he failed he could keep his hat on and get a job in a local butcher's shop.

John Milne, Chapman

So now we have our own Donald Trump in an Akubra. Heaven help Canberra (and Australia) if ever Malcolm Turnbull is run over by a Lamborghini in PointPiper.

David Fisher, Curtin

When Malcom Turnbull was in opposition he was forever railing at the Labor government for not doing a cost-benefit analysis on the NBN. Now that such an analysis on the APVMA's move to Armidale has come up negative, all we have from Turnbull is a deafening silence as to its validity. The only question now is who holds the most sway over Turnbull: his own ultra-right Liberals, or never-mind-the-evidence Barnaby Joyce and his pork-barrelling Nationals?

Eric Hunter, Cook

Don Burke has considered and endorsed the move of the APVMA to Armidale.

Maybe the Australian public and the federal government would also benefit from MrBurke's stance on preferred options for superannuation and tax reform, and how to resolve the turmoil in Syria and Iraq?

Gordon Fyfe, Kambah

In politics, once we get to "Zed" in the alphabet, we run out of puff !

Greg Simmons, Lyons

The Australian people's expectations of Malcolm were too high, especially after Mr Rudd and MsGillard.

Malcolm has crushed all our expectations again.

It is like you are very hungry and you patiently prepare and cook a rabbit. The rabbit turns out to be a very salty and a bitter one, so you decide to eat a slowly roasted duck and the duck turns out to be a lame one.

Mokhles Sidden, Strathfield

WALLABIES ABRIDGED

Apropos the Wallabies, Australia couldn't beat me mum's bridge club. Ireckon the old gals might have achance.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

PEDAL PUSHY

What is it about wearing Lycra and riding a 15-speed bike that kills off common sense and politeness? Muttering "coming through" when travelling at 40km/h on a winding common-use cycle track doesn't really cut it.

David Stephens, Bruce

WORDY WORTHLESS

One reason for preferring more words to less (Letters, November28) lies in Ambrose Bierce's defence of circumlocution as a literary trick whereby the writer who has nothing to say breaks it gently to the reader.

M.F. Horton, Adelaide

HIGHS AND LOWS

Michael Costello of ActewAGL (CT, November29) referred to the AER report and stated "the ACT has the third-lowest annual gas bill". As only five markets were reported on, he could have equally well said "the third-highest".

Stephen Horswell, O'Connor

PARKING PROBLEM

What bothers me is the ACT department approving car parks has allowed spaces only suitable for only small cars like the Honda Jazz or Hyundai Getz. A case in point is the Aldi car park in Gungahlin. My small Holden Cruze was hit twice. My children refuse to park at this car park. So do I now.

Nizam Yoosuf, Gungahlin

BETTER DRIVING

I couldn't agree more with Gordon Fyfe (Letters, November29) about roundabouts or his conclusion about driving skills. Focusing on improving driving skills would work better than the ACT government's standard response of lowering speed limits or installing traffic lights wherever they perceive a road safety problem.

Jim Derrick, Florey

TRAM CONUNDRUM

Steven Hawking sees intergalactic travel as the stumper humanity must solve to save itself, but first we must get the tram through the triangle.

Matt Ford, Crookwell

CUBAN SOLUTION

Here's a simple way for President Obama to close Guantanamo.

He's the Commander-in-Chief, right? So he just orders his troops back to the US mainland and his sailors back to their home ports. Leave the cell doors locked or open.

The Cuban people will rescue the prisoners.

Kenneth Griffiths, Tegal, Indonesia

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

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