Bill trumpets he is the workers' friend. With friends like Bill, they sure don't need enemies!

John Shailer, Forrest

Would it be asking too much of Labor's faction war lords to put an end to self-interest and act in the nation's interest for a change by replacing Bill Shorten with someone who is prepared to take the fight to Tony Abbott? He might be a nice bloke, but Bill is just not up to the job.

D.J. Fraser, Mudgeeraba, Qld

So the Australian Workers Union accepted $300,000 from Thiess John Holland, which, in turn, saved the company $100million ("Builder paid Shorten's union $300k and saved $100m", June 18, p1). Why aren't questions being asked about the big end of town's similar scant regard for ethics and transparency?

E.R. Moffat, Weston

It appears that the previous Labor government probably paid money to people involved in people smuggling. Not knowing the circumstances of any alleged payments by either government, I have no particular concerns understanding that in the murky world of people smuggling there are any number of measures that would upset the chattering classes.

However, the virulent partisan outrage on this matter and the curious tactics by the opposition that draws attention to their most egregious policy failure is astonishingly stupid.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

Among a raft of other promises broken, the federal Coalition promised us an "adult" government. An "adult" government, when caught out breaking Australian and international law, does not attempt to deflect or minimise culpability with shrill cries that their predecessors did it, too.

The actions of others is immaterial to one's commission of an offence. Unfortunately, the cabal of petulant private-school boys that is the Abbott regime is still in the schoolyard, perhaps even the kindergarten sandpit.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

Paul Pollard (Letters, June 17) makes the salient point that the ACT government's own benefit-cost analysis employs too high a discount rate at 7per cent. Benefits are thus underestimated.

The point is reinforced when the potential range and size of benefits of the proposed light rail are taken into account. Most opponents of light rail who address the benefit-cost assessment typically omit any reference to climate change. They tend also to emphasise the costs of the project without consideration of the prospective opportunities for low-interest capital raisings for the partnership developers.

Most remarkably, these opponents seem at pains to play down the transformative impacts of light rail. Canberra's car dependence is unsustainable, yet past planners wisely allowed for tramway routes as a component of an integrated transport system. Adaptation to climate change is an imperative, as well as incentive, for a smart and resilient city. The benefits and the transformation of land use and development due to light rail are envisaged over a long term, appropriate for the making of a modern, efficient and prosperous city. The magnitudes of these foreseeable changes are huge, and amply warrant the favourable benefit-cost ratios for Capital Metro.

Brett Odgers, Swinger Hill

Great exposé from Keith Croker (Letters, June 17) about the behaviour of the Abbott government and its inability to govern in Australia's interest. He could have added that their knowledge of maths and economics is limited to basic arithmetic.

A little while ago, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann stated a couple of nebulous figures telling us that we can buy a submarine from Japan for $1billion, while to build it in Australia would cost $3billion. Why part with $1billion of our revenue to boost the Japanese economy, when the $3billion will benefit and stay in Australia.

Thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created and after including the multiplier effect, the benefit to the Australian economy will be of the order of $15billion. Added to this is the immeasurable security benefit of having control over the design and construction of such an important defence weapon.

John Vincent, Wanniassa

Well said, Bob Gardiner (Letters, June18). I, too, was astonished that the Canberra Times and ABC did not cover this important lecture. We, too, were turned away. I have an apology from the Museum of Democracy for their mismanagement, and a copy of the video.

I understand Professor Triggs got a standing ovation for her most impressive address. I call on all people of conscience to express support for her courageous stand.

Dr Kristine Klugman, president, Civil Liberties Australia

ACT Parks and Conservation director Daniel Iglesias claims ("Kangaroo cull photo sparks war of words", June17, p3) he is giving the community the facts when justifying the kangaroo cull. If only he would. Daniel is the government spokesman who said we must kill kangaroos because they might starve in the future.

When Territory and Municipal Services comments, "it is not normal behaviour for a kangaroo to try to crawl under a fence", they are dead wrong. This is actually a common occurrence.

And when Daniel says there are thousands of kangaroos killed on the ACT roads, this, too, is misinformation. The ACT government annual crash reports suggest there are about 200 vehicle crashes due to animals being struck.

It would be good if the ACT government got back to basic, rigorous, scientific research to convince all of us we are not making a huge mistake. A moratorium on the culling of kangaroos and an independent scientific review is needed.

Philip Machin, Wamboin, NSW

Boris Johnson ("Oh for crying out loud", Times2, June 17, p1) says a statement being true should be adequate defence against charges under the Offences Against Feminist Political Correctness Act. So he demands an eminent British scientist, sacked because he joked that women cry a lot more (true), be reinstated. Boris is naive. Political correctness sees truth as a useful but unnecessary precondition for its tenets to exert power. Next he'll be suggesting that women, on average, being paid less and having lower representation among senior management ranks has something to do with most of them taking off slabs of time through their key management-training years, to have kiddies. True, but irrelevant.

Then he might even (foolishly) suggest that the current, PC policy response to such "problems" – allowing lots of female senior managers to disappear from their harassed teams at peak times because they only work part-time – seems seriously inefficient. Silly Boris.

Veronica Giles, Chifley

I'm sorry, Felix MacNeill (Letters, June 17), you'll have to spell it out for me. If, bent on mischief, I were to stand with a can of paint in my hand below an "Enders Street" sign, what would I need to do to cause an affront to the community at large and to the Enders family in particular?

I have tried prefacing "Enders" with every letter of the alphabet and I can't come up with anything particularly racy or undignified. I have dropped the "-ers" and inserted a word to create a potentially misleading "Dead End" sign, but if I were so minded, I could have done the same already to the signs for Endeavour Street in Red Hill, Enderby Street in Mawson or Endrick Street in Kaleen. I feel I am missing something here.

Marlene Hall, Kingston

I'm beginning to think the Canberra Times writers are just enjoying a good giggle (Letters, June 16). For the life of me, I can't figure out what the problem is with "Enders" nor why the street running east/west makes a difference. Is the word we're not allowed to say "Benders"? Is the direction of the street a reference to the Pet Shop Boys' song Go West? Do I get a prize if I guess correctly? When will this end?

Alex Cassie, Turner

Braddon Forum director Peter Conway has suggested a two-level parking station "adjacent to" Haig Park ("Call for more off-street car parking at Haig Park", June 15, p7). I hope he is not suggesting this be in the park or in one of the existing parking areas, which have been excised from the park. Residents in RZ1 areas of Braddon are not allowed to subdivide their residential blocks due to the Garden City plan. Parks must be an essential part of the Garden City.

Surely, planning for parking should have been part of the approval process for the redevelopment of Lonsdale and Mort streets. Parking is certainly a problem in this area.

Wendy Dodd, Braddon

If the Brumbies have to play a South African team over there, why has a South African referee been appointed to the game? For an important match like this, surely there should be a neutral referee from New Zealand. There are, after all, only two games being played this weekend, so no shortage of referees to choose from. Go the Brumbies.

Lorraine Buckley, Duffy

WAIT FOR THE FACTS

US bank notes are readily obtainable throughout the world; as are phone cameras. Could it be that the banknotes pictured in the article "Police chief's boat cash claim" (June 17, p1) were given to the smugglers as a payment for their transportation by the very people being transported? I think we should be careful not to accuse until all the facts are known.

P.L. Perman, Yarralumla

IRONY ABOUNDS

Australia has put much commendable effort into imparting the principles of good governance to at least one generation of visiting scholars from our near neighbours to the north. Bribery is seen as not acceptable. It is therefore ironic and disappointing that we now fail to live up to these principles in our treatment of both "people smugglers" and refugees.

Isobel Crawford, Dickson

WHERE'S THE DEFENCE?

Why have none of your correspondents sprung to the Prime Minister's defence in the latest people smuggling affair? Come on, H.Ronald, where are you?

John Monaghan, O'Connor

SOBER JUDGMENT VITAL

The decision to revoke a person's citizenship is of such seriousness that it needs to be taken in a spirit of soberness and dispassion and with respect for the rules of evidence. This is a job for the judiciary, not for a minister who, in his public utterances, appears to edge closer and closer to the verge of hysteria.

Andrew Stewart, Campbell

CLUMSY HANDLING

While I had to reach for my dictionary to understand "maladroitness" with regard to Joy Burch as was mentioned in your editorial ("Burch's talent for causing controversy", Times2, June 18, p2), I find it hard to disagree.

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

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