To maximise congestion:

To minimise congestion:

We can combine the best Canberra has to offer, physically and intellectually, with the latest technologies to create an intelligent and sustainable city.

Alternatively we can watch on as self-interest is placed ahead of community wellbeing. If this is the case, increased congestion will be just one of the many prices we pay.

Andrew Roberts, Kambah

Keep the eucalypts

Has anyone had the great fortune to witness the beautiful eucalypts in an abundance of cream blossoms, along the centre of Northbourne Avenue?

Whoever planted these beautiful gum trees — thank you!

It is these trees, the ACT Labour government wants to cut down and replace with trams.

No one realises, the entrance to Canberra will be 12 lanes of traffic with high rise buildings either side: two bike lanes, eight lanes for cars and two trams down the centre. (I presume there will be trams going each way).

Alternatively, the Liberals have promised to keep the trees and make a cycle path down the central median strip leading into the city. To do so they will employ the same group Labor has contracted to build the tramline.

I cannot imagine anything more beautiful than being a cyclist pedalling along into Canberra under the beautiful, flowering eucalypts.

Bravo Liberals! Unlike Mr Barr and his merry men (and ladies) you have a vision for Canberra that is beautiful.

Let us hope the Liberal party wins.

Penelope Upward, O'Connor

Bhutanese student Peymna Choden was allowed to bring her husband with her so he could work and support her further education with money earned here.

Then she brought her daughter here and complains because we do not school the girl for free ("Taxing times for working visitors", Canberra Times, October 2, p5).

Now that she has reached "her 'land of dreams', looking to improve her career options with a masters in education", I suppose that we can expect a report, in a year or two, of her appeal against the inhuman cruelty of sending her and her family back to Bhutan.

The ambiguously headed editorial of the same day, "Education key to prosperity", considered that by agreeing to allow her family to come here, we owe a duty of care to that entire family.

That smacks of the emotional bribery that other immigration aspirants have rightfully been accused of employing in their efforts to gain access to our relatively affluent welfare society.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

Rob Westcott correctly quotes the great British statesman Edmund Burke as saying that "superstition is the religion of feeble minds" (letters, September 30, p 14) Then Rob proceeds to twist Burke's words and put into his mouth something he certainly did not say.

Burke would never have said "religion is the superstition of even feebler minds". Rather, what Burke actually said, in his famous speech on Conciliation with America in 1775, bears thinking about.

The great man said: "Freedom and not servitude is the cure of anarchy; as religion, and not atheism, is the true remedy for superstition."

A quote should be used honestly, not twisted for polemical purposes.

Father Robert Willson, Deakin,

Michael Moore says our health system is about "the greatest health benefits ... with the least amount of harm" ('Lobbyists to delay codeine ruling' Canberra Times October 3, 2016), which is good to hear, and that maintaining pharmaceutical profits is not a pillar of good public health policy.

But let's look again. "First do no harm!" That is the pillar of our medicine.

With all the advances in medical technology, and all the millions spent on research, surely we can expect our drugs to be actually safe. Safe means "no harm", not some washed-up "only a bit of harm" or "only serious harm to a few people", or "codeine-related deaths have only doubled between 2000 and 2009" result.

Backroom deals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration have the potential to reverse decisions made on sound science.

This is another example of the need for a Federal Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Well done, Canberra Times for bringing this to our attention.

Jennifer Heywood, Spence

Bit of a giggle to read in the Canberra Times, Saturday 1 October, that NRMA's Peter Khourey reckons Canberra's average petrol price was far cheaper than Sydney at 115.7! Gee, Peter, apart from a couple down airport way, most servos' electronic billboards have been glued on 119.9 since forever. I reckon even a heavy dose of WD40 wouldn't budge them — unless in an upward direction!

Bit of a worry to have our so called guardians of motorists' hip pockets quoting what may be closer to the price after supermarket discounts of 4¢.

Len Goodman, Flynn

Surely it's time for the Barr government to go. The latest revelations about the dubious and secretive process to appoint Brendan Smyth as Commissioner for International Development show a government, and Barr in particular, prepared to do almost anything to stay in power.

This coupled with the Auditor General's scathing report on the Land Development Agency's actions, her questions on the Light Rail which most economists have shown to be an uneconomic proposition, and in a similar but less significant vein the million dollars spent on the ugly container terminal by the lake show a government arrogant by being in power for too long.

One bright light is the inauguration of the first international flights which the Barr government and the de facto chief minister, Rattenbury, should, at least metaphorically speaking, take a one way ticket on.

Eric Hodge, Pearce

Michael and Christine O'Loughlin (Canberra Times Letters, October 2) seem to be engaging in ideological hypocrisy. A bold statement like "we do know for sure that they are substantially more expensive" carries with it the the credibility of its author(s), so should be used sparingly and actually verified to be true.

The O'Loughlins might be interested to discover that electricity from wind generation has been cheaper to supply in Australia than electricity from either coal or natural gas for several years, and large scale solar is expected to undercut coal and gas by 2020. A 2013 report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance found that electricity could be supplied from a new wind farm in Australia at a cost of $80 per megawatt hour compared to a new coal-fired plant at $120 per MWh and a new gas-fired plant at $93 per MWh. The cost of wind and solar energy have been steadily declining as the relatively young technologies mature and economies of scale take effect, and the cost of building fossil-fuelled plants has increased as the cost of financing such risky investments sky-rockets, emitting carbon and complying with stricter regulations are becoming more expensive, and in the case of coal generation, the scarcity and cost of the vast quantities of fresh water needed continue to rise. When ideology replaces objectivity, sensible debate becomes impossible.

James Allan, Narrabundah

Robert James (Canberra Times, Letters, October 1) has really brought the government spin hasn't he? The refugees on Nauru and Manus were illegally kidnapped at sea by Australia, trafficked to those islands in handcuffs by Australia, and jailed in prisons by Australia.

No other nation on earth does such things to refugees yet somehow James thinks it's practical on the grounds that some other refugee who didn't ask us for help might be worse off.

Under refugee law all signatory states must assess the claims of every refugee who arrives at their border no matter how they do it, they must not discriminate, they must not send them away or expel them for any reason without due process yet James thinks its rational that we do so.

We have wasted almost $10 billion over three years while in those same three years 24 million kids under 5 starved to death or were killed in wars, nine nations have been at war and we are involved in the main in three in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Every day 35,000 more refugees flee for their lives and last year just half of one percent of them were "resettled" by nations like us.

I am so sick of this cruel racist nonsense. The people on Nauru and Manus are owed a life by us and no-one else, they are not trade objects.

Marilyn Shepherd, Angaston

Terry George ("How does rise rate?" (Canberra Times Letters, 3 October) contends any rate rises that did not match the Liberals' claim that rates would triple invalidates those claims.

He also claims his rates since 2012 had risen by a fraction of the forecast rise.

Between 2008 and 2011, our rates bill rose, in total, by less than 5 per cent overall. From 2012 to 2015, they rose 18 times faster or by 90 per cent. Add in the 2016 rise and this becomes 105 per cent, more than 2/3 of the way to the Liberals' forecast tripling.

Terry, we live in a suburb that adjoins yours and that's our "fraction". What's yours?

Michael and Christine O'Loughlin, Griffith

Critics of the light rail project appear to be basing their calculations on a life span of 20 to 30 years.

However railways and tramways, both the "permanent way" (to quote a railway expression) and rolling stock last almost indefinitely. Some railway tracks in Australia are still active after 100 years. In Adelaide, some "H" class trams which cost 5000 pounds in 1929 are still in active service. Benefits accrue from railways and tramways over a very long term.

William J. Fraser, Holder

It's about time we put this oft mentioned myth regarding light rail to bed.

M. Flint (Canberra Times letters, Sept 18) asserts that the only reason we have light rail is due to the demands of Mr Rattenbury after the election, as a condition of forming government. How does he reconcile this argument with the documented fact that light rail was an express commitment of the Labor party prior to the election. Long before the makeup of the current government was known. I find it remarkable that this, along with many other half truths and distortions are allowed to be perpetuated by both the Liberals, and the Can the Tram group of prolific letter-writers.

Peter Brassington, Coombs

TO THE POINT

RAIL AND RATES

Clearly the Canberra Liberals are unaware that none of the cost of the Light Rail will come from rates. The city is plastered with signs connecting LR and increased rates. They surely would not make this up in their efforts to be elected.

Scilla Woolley Rivett, Canberra

DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGE

Canberra's demographics are also being changed by its growing tertiary institutions, very strong interest in its tourism potential from China, and in the shorter term, Indonesia, as well as underserved growing demand for outbound international trips from Canberrans and those within a two hour driving radius of its airport.

Thank you Andrew Barr.

Ken Morehouse, Wangaratta

RENEWABLE POWER

Thank you Lud Kerec for the clarification, [Letters Sunday October 2].

I thought the Prime Minister et al were talking about the high number of renewable power pylons.

John Simsons, Holt

RELYING ON GOD

Well might we say God save our finances, because nothing will save our treasurer, only relying on God to do his bidding, whilst beholden to the right wing of his party.

Jon Jovanovic, Lenah Valley, Tasmania

INTERNET CONNECTION

No problem with this internet connection ("NBN chief executive earns $3.6 million, as company reaches nearly 5000 employees", Canberra Times, September 26th).

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

TAKING THE TRAM

How many people will be convinced to change to using the tram to Woden, as they overtake the trams comfortably seated in cars and buses doing 80 to 90 km/h, while the trams are limited to 70 km/h by the manufacturer. Also 70 per cent of the tram passenger capacity will be standing.

Chris Emery, Reid

POWER LOSS BLAME

Many regard as crass the politicians and others who blame renewable energy policy for SA's loss of power from downed electricity towers. Eventually they must look at the construction standards of the failed towers. Australia could face a massive bill to upgrade towers if they met national standards.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

FAIRY TALE WINNERS

The Western Bulldogs win only their second AFL premiership after waiting 62 years. The Sharks their first NRL flag after 50 years. Fairy tales are real.

Alan Leitch, Austins Ferry, Tasmania

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