Canberra Times Letters to the Editor: Just like Menzies, Turnbull uses information as a political weapon

This is so. However this did not stop Robert Menzies from utilising much of the information obtained for purely political purposes against the ALP.

The reason why most Australians today are highly cynical of our government and security issues is similarly exemplified by the use of information about the Dastyari "affair" by Malcolm Turnbull and his colleagues again, for political purposes.

In fact so cynical has the electorate become that the majority were not concerned about the "Chinese" aspect of the senator's problem but just how the information was "leaked" to Fairfax media and the ABC and who was responsible for this — questions that have not been faced by the government.

Our cynicism is perfectly illustrated in a letter by Tony Weir (December 29) in which he predicts that about two months before the next election Peter Dutton will announce that "his minions have uncovered an enemy agent, Kim-Jong Petrov, working in the office of the leader of the ALP" adding "The ploy worked for Menzies, so why not try it again?"

Until the government is prepared to get "fair dinkum" with the public about security issues I, for one, have no interest in anything Turnbull, Brandis, Bishop, Dutton have to say about it.

Roger Terry, Kingston

The Rohingya crisis needs to be resolved immediately.

The Rohingya cannot be returned to Myanmar. Therefore, the entire population needs to be resettled in other countries.

That task can be achieved relatively easily. If most rich countries each accepted a number of refugees equal to just one thousandth of its population, the crisis would end.

Australia's share would be about 25,000. Leadership is required, and Australia could provide it.

If our Prime Minister were to unilaterally accept 25,000 refugees he could persuade other countries to also make commitments.

It is unlikely that any Australian political party would oppose such a commitment.

If 25,000 were spread throughout Australia's cities, Canberra's share would be only a very manageable 500.

Urgency is essential. If another Cyclone Tracy were to occur, 25,000 northern Australians could be evacuated in a week; similarly, 25,000 Rohingya could be evacuated to Australia quickly.

Just as after a cyclone, the priority is to act first and leave the minor administrative matters to later.

The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of goodwill. It is an ideal time to show the world that we are a nation of goodwill, and a can-do nation.

In doing so we would not only help people in desperate need, but simultaneously enhance our own reputation and influence.

Robert Salmond, Melba

Neil James (Letters, December 27) has a very rosy picture of constitutional monarchies.

He conveniently forgets that Italy was a constitutional monarchy until 28 October 1922 when Mussolini staged his march on Rome.

The then prime minister attempted to declare a state of siege, but the king refused to sign the necessary document and the army refused to act without the king's signature.

The next day the king appointed Mussolini as prime minister and the rest is history.

Not surprisingly the Italian people decided to form a republic after the war.

Japan has been a constitutional monarchy since 1889.

Nevertheless, it joined Germany and Italy as the Axis Powers in World War II and committed heinous war crimes.

Thailand's status as a constitutional monarchy has not prevented a steady succession of military coups.

Even the British Empire had a Nazi sympathiser as monarch for a few months in 1936.

The preservation of democracy depends much more on national culture, including the culture of the armed forces, than it does on whether a country is a republic or a monarchy.

This is fortunate for us because Australia is a de facto republic — the main difference being that when our Governor General travels overseas he is not treated as a head of state.

Paul Pentony, Hackett

In his letter of 27 December 2017, Neil James sets out the textbook theory of constitutional monarchy.

Meanwhile, in the real world, things operate somewhat differently.

For example, British constitutional expert Professor A.C Grayling has recently pointed out that in the UK, home of the "mother of Parliaments" and of our constitutional monarch, the executive with its subservient voting block in the House of Commons has absolute power; the powers of the Crown and the House of Lords have become all but nugatory; and the power of the courts to check the executive increasingly limited.

Mr James refers to events in 1653, but more profound are the developments post-1688 when Parliament became sovereign and the monarchy was relegated to a merely symbolic — more lately tourist attraction — role.

Unlike the UK we have a written constitution, but would its reliance on a powerless, distant Crown prevent an authoritarian regime from merging here?

I stand by my earlier comments that it's time to acknowledge political reality, abandon the myths about the Crown guaranteeing freedoms and political stability, and start work on a modern Australian constitution with effective checks and balances against oligarchy and corruption.

J.Adamson, Flynn

Since Cricket Australia introduced the Big Bash League it has become one of Australia's most popular sporting events. It attracts large crowd attendances and has high TV ratings.

The Big Bash League has attracted international interest from nations like New Zealand and Singapore who would like to have a team in this series.

Why not create a new international version of the BBL — the Asian Big Bash League? The Asian Big Bash League could be operated and administered by Cricket Australia and it could consist of maybe 10 teams.

An Asian Big Bash League could have two teams from Australia, two teams from India, one from Bangladesh, one from Pakistan, one from Sri Lanka, one from Singapore, one from Malaysia and one from New Zealand.

An Asian Big Bash League would be a great way to get the region to come closer together.

Malcolm Webster, Boronia, Vic

The smart ad agency responsible for the nagging wife "that was smart, dear" ads which have been polluting commercial TV lately really need counselling.

Isn't the present theme for people in relationships to support each other rather than causing antagonism by making smartarse comments from your lounge chair?

If this happened to me, my DIY input to our household would immediately diminish to zero and I'd spend lots more time at the club with my mates rather than a nag at home.

Let's see the reaction from the feminist lobby if these "smart" ads were reversed with the male partner making smartarse comments about the sub-premium efforts on the other side ... "that was smart dear, this dinner is crap!"

Juergen Voss, Scullin

A big thank you to Stuart Rogers, convenor of the Red Hill Action Group, for his and the group's untiring and very detailed research of and guidance through the multitude of detail on the re-development of the Red Hill Precinct on behalf of the residents of this suburb.

We are indeed fortunate in having such a group willing to oversee the formulation of such a complex documentation process and can only hope that other suburbs facing similar re-development are as fortunate as we in Red Hill have been.

Pat and Brian Watson, Red HIll

With a flood of media messages about the increased presence of police on our roads filling my mind, I drove the Canberra/Sydney/Canberra route in thelead-up to Christmas.

Ever alert for roadside cops, I completed the 600 kilometres without seeing one ACT or NSW police car or motorcycle, even when specially alert for the behind-the-bushes vehicles.

I am convinced that governments have installed cameras and roadside warnings about double demerit points to virtually replace what was a deterrent police presence.

An often-heard complaint in our cities is there are not enough cops to be seen on our streets.

It has now spread to our motorways. Clearly our communities need more police.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

During World War II, when Britain faced imminent invasion, road signs and noticeboards were taken down to confuse and delay the enemy.

A similar strategy seems to have occurred to ACTION Bus management, as all signs at the Woden terminus seem to have been removed.

Is this an ominous indication of things to come or preparation for the new rail network, which we are now told will not be coming to Woden Hospital?

In either case it leads to confusion and annoyance for travellers who can no longer, with any certainty, discover where their bus will be going.

Please, ACTION, rectify this situation — hopefully with immediate action ?

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

So a climate change poll finds that eight out of 10 Australians think that human activity is contributing to climate change ("Climate change still hot but baffling", canberratimes.com.au, December 26).

I am surprised there was not a much higher figure.

Of course the really important question is how much does human activity contribute, are Australia's emissions contributing in any material way to the change in climate and are our efforts in dealing with climate change of any consequence?

Most of the people polled would not have a clue.

Handy for conniving politicians to know but otherwise utterly useless information.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

As an opponent of light rail, I'm saddened and alarmed that the first tram has been vandalised and the Canberra Times saw fit to publish Bryan Cossart's letter (Letters, December 22) joking about the incident.

Now that the Gungahlin-Civic segment is literally cemented, surely it's in all our interests that this section is built well at minimum cost and maximum speed.

Anyone with a further axe to grind, and I include myself, should direct their energies at preventing the ludicrous Woden section and the foolish decision to deny Mitchell a stop on the existing section.

Peter Robinson, Ainslie

Leon Arundell is right about the advantages of bus rapid transit over light rail for Canberra (Letters, December 28). One critical factor affecting travel behaviour is convenience.

Leon refers to the lack of a stop at Mitchell for example. How convenient is that?

Add to this just getting to the tram in the first place, having to change to buses, overall trip time, two-thirds in the tram standing rather than sitting.

To increase the perceived benefits, public transport must meet people's needs well.

As inconvenience factors mount up, avoidance is the result.

Murray May, Cook

As we move into the New Year, all those who stridently oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, including the Prime Minister, could re-consider.

In 2017 we asked Indigenous Australians what they wanted.

They told us, but from our positions of white privilege we rejected them.

The most inexcusable reason was that it is all too fraught – an admission that we are not smart enough or worse, do not care.

It is not too late; if we have the will, we can find a way in 2018 to make the voice a reality and enshrine it in the constitution, but the leadership must come from the Prime Minister.

He might start by adopting the optimism espoused so eloquently by the late Robert Kennedy: "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation".

Eric Hunter, Cook

Things are crook. The Nationals are running the Coalition and, despite his recent successes, the PM is still a prisoner of the lunatic right rump of the Liberal Party.

M. Moore, Bonython.

I note Adrian Jackson's description of George Brandis as "a rational small-L Liberal in a cesspit of conservative thought" (Letters, December 27). I disagree. George Brandis should be classified as a miniature-l Liberal and should have never been given the portfolio of Attorney-General.

I hope our new Attorney-General will be more to the right.

Anne Prendergast, Reid

JUST NOT CRICKET

On Wednesday I heard some cricket commentators talking about the performance of the English cricket team. Some of them wrote Alistair Cook off. Commentators are entitled to their opinions but cricket should be played on the field; not off the field by the commentators.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

CAUGHT DOWN LEG

Dan Stephens (Letters, December 28) claims Starc's delivery to be a leg break because it moved from the batman's leg stump to his off stump. This would be correct if delivered by a right arm bowler. However, leg or off break doesn't refer to the direction the ball moves, rather, the action of the bowler. Starc, being a left arm bowler, delivered the ball in classic off cutter style – out of the front of the hand, not out of the back.

Michael Hancott, Lawson, NSW

SKILLS A WORRY

Roger Quarterman thinks cyclists traversing pedestrian crossings – those things marked out for easy identification by signs and big stripes on the road – at 10km/h (jogging speed) are moving too quickly for drivers to handle.

Is he reflecting on his own driving skills or those of Canberrans in general?

Either way, it's a worry.

Matt Gately, Rivett

HOISTED WITH OWN PETARD

Michael McCarthy (Letters, December 20) writes that the terms "husband" and "wife" (male and female spouses) are gender-specific, but goes on to state that "husband" and "wife" are not "explicitly heterosexual". The latter statement appears to contradict the former.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

CHRISTIAN CHERRY PICK

Our Christian politicians seem to have missed Matthew 2:14 where the newborn became a refugee, but rather have focused on Matthew 13:12 "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

It's a wonderful thing, being a Christian, when one can cherry pick.

Jeff Bradley, Isaacs

SELECTIVE SLEDGING?

At the MCG cricket Test Dave Warner read out the code of conduct – basically don't pick on anyone and be nice. Does this only apply in the stands or on the ground as well?

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic

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.

Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).