Unfortunately such articles appear to be common in today's Australia: there may be good news, but concentrate on the dark background!

The dark background makes up the heading of "MP has ties to anti-gay African church." The article points out that large-scale support from Australian Pentecostals involving MP Stuart Robert helps the Watota church, described as a "popular force in Uganda, preaching to 24,000 people across 11 churches and helping children orphaned by war and AIDS".

Seems like a force for good to me ... however, Gartell goes on to say that this group is virulently anti-gay and condemns that out of hand. This attitude may be deplorable to many of us with our wonderful liberal way of thinking, but it is a deeply held African belief that one can but hope will gradually disappear.

Gartrell's views are sadly typical of Western arrogance, where our way is the only way.

To me, African morality is their business, not ours, and they see the light this church brings and rejoice in it.

Intolerant articles like this one contribute to the miasma of negativity that seems to weigh unrealistically heavily on society in this wonderful country of ours.

Neville Exon, Chapman

Robert Willson (Letters, October 2) , is clearly against both same-sex marriage and a republic (as is his right) but he is correct when he says "both issues will be divisive in society".

While Robert, to his credit, is one who engages in a civil debate, we are already seeing the emergence of divisive language from ultra-conservative politicians and their supporters. And it will only get worse, despite Turnbull's assertions to the contrary.

Robert also quotes Tony Abbott whom, he says, was not being devious in pushing for a plebiscite.

Robert says Abbott asked, "What could be fairer?" The answer is easy. As PM, Abbott could have brought on one of the existing private members' bills; it could have been voted on by all MPs and been done with little cost and much less angst than the plebiscite will generate. Ironically, it might also have created enough public goodwill for Abbott to have kept him in the prime ministership.

Eric Hunter, Cook

Recent articles in The Canberra Times complained that inadequate funds were available for schooling. However, on October 2 three articles (pages 1, 5 and 13) recommended that fees for foreign temporary residents being schooled in government schools be waived.

Two articles were based on illogical sob stories of a temporary resident from Bhutan who asked for free education for her daughter. The mother, a teacher, came to Australia to study a master's degree (now completed) and argued that she originally was forced to leave her daughter behind because she could not afford the cost of educating her in Australia.

Now she wants Australian taxpayers to meet that cost. Why should they?

This single example is bad enough, but the bigger picture, of a massive rort on Australian taxpayers by temporary residents, is disturbing. One article explained that the ACT had given 395 temporary residents free education this year [at a cost to taxpayers of about $5million. Extrapolated across Australia, this indicates that Australian taxpayers might be out of pocket by more than $200million per year, for 20,000 foreign students, because of this rort.

My criticism is levelled at the bleeding-heart Australian politicians and bureaucrats allowing these rorts to take place.

I am particularly critical of the ACT Human Rights Commissioner who opined that under the Human Rights Act Australian taxpayers have an obligation to fund the education of foreign children.

She should instead be fighting for the rights of Australian taxpayers.

I recommend that Fairfax journalists comprehensively analyse this matter.

Robert James, Melba

Paranormal twaddle

Last week's Sunday Canberra Times carried an advertisement for a forthcoming talk on "The how, why and wonder of spiritual healing".

It is to be given in the Legislative Assembly Building, suggesting that the ACT government endorses paranormal twaddle.

Alternatively, it could imply that the Assembly has failed to rectify its defects by rational means.

Colin and Phyll Groves, O'Connor

When Barnaby Joyce was criticising Sam Dastyari, Leigh Sales asked Joyce what Gina Rinehart expected in return for her $2 million donation to his party.

I wonder if Gina was pleased with the way the Federal Government tried to use the South Australian storms as an excuse to slow the progress of renewable energy.

Pity that Gina's $2million couldn't help pay for the spin doctors in the Department of Immigration and Border Control ("Dutton's $8m spend on spin", October 2, p7). Guess we'll just have fix the budget by attacking welfare recipients again.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston

It has been 11 months now since the draft Curtin Group Centre Master Plan was released.

The draft was well received, not least because it seemed the planners had listened to the people's concern to retain the urban village atmosphere of the shops with their sunny aspects and human scale.

Months then passed and while we waited in vain for the finalisation of the Master Plan, a proposal emerged for the redevelopment of the shops on the western side of the central courtyard.

With regard to scale, height and shading, this proposal starkly contradicted the recommendations in the draft plan.

Yet if a development application for this proposal is lodged before the plan is finalised and the Territory Plan amended, it is possible it may be assessed as if the work of the Master Plan had never occurred.

Is it too much to hope that the government which emerges after October 15 will heed the views of its planners and of Curtin residents and move speedily to finalise the Master Plan and adopt its recommendations?

Evan Mann, Curtin

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