Quoting deaths per population is the current fad but the optimum figure is per 100 million kilometres travelled as it takes account of exposure rates.

Each jurisdiction has many different issues affecting the outcome, one example is that in cities medical help will be there in 15 minutes but in remote areas it will take several hours – the first hour is critical.

Claims are often made that rules and enforcement have reduced the toll from the highs of the 1970s to the current low levels.

However the trend in the last three years in the major jurisdictions has been upwards which is a good indicator that this regime is not working as well as is claimed.

Crash causes must be properly examined. The UK has the best practice.

NSW blames speed for 42per cent of fatals, Queensland 25 per cent, Italy 10 per cent, UK first responders 14 per cent but full examination 5 per cent.

A Monash University study of GPS -controlled speed showed an 8 per cent benefit.

It is the other 90+ per cent of causes that we should be concerned about.

Michael Lane, St Ives, NSW

Eryk Bagshaw reported the bill of rights has now joined religious freedom and various constitutional amendments hiding behind gay marriage ("Same-sex marriage law sparks push to bolster freedoms", December 27, p9).

Bagshaw wrote, "Australia only has five explicit individual rights contained in the constitution, the right to vote, protection against acquisition of property on unjust terms, the right to a trial by jury, freedom of religion and prohibition of discrimination on the basis of your state."

In fact there is another right beside freedom of religion: freedom from religion.

Of the "religious freedoms" being used "to build momentum for an Australian bill of rights", the most important is the clergy's tax-free earner as licensed marriage celebrants.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

It's a shame Chris Uhlmann didn't have the opportunity to demonstrate his true versatility with a few hard-hitting, real political issues during his two week at the desk ("The thinking man's Karl Stefanovic", Private Capital, December 23). Karl "might" be popular, however, despite that popularity he seems to lack to depth of exposure to the cut and thrust of the day-to-day interactions with political leaders. Maybe a stint in Canberra would show Karl that life is more than just light entertainment, and political analysis and in-depth interviews are skills developed over many years.

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

I for one would be far more impressed by the Prime Minister playing the role of "everyman" on Christmas Day, if the plight of the homeless in our society wasn't simply reduced to a cheerful inconvenient truth on one day of the year ("Malcolm Turnbull joins in the dancing at the Wayside Chapel's Christmas Party", canberratimes.com.au, December 25).

If Malcolm Turnbull's government used the other 364 days of the year to demonstrate its real and practical commitment to responding to the root causes of disadvantage in our society, rather than trumpeting new and novel ways of compounding that disadvantage, perhaps we would have reason to be a whole lot less cynical?

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Malcolm Turnbull is now claiming the byelection victories of Barnaby Joyce and John Alexander are ringing endorsement of his leadership and Coalition management of the government and the economy. Hardly so. Alexander and Joyce are innocent victims of "section 44c" of our constitution. The electorates didn't want to punish them for nothing. It would have been interesting if it were the next federal election.

So far our Prime Minister has not done anything on his own initiative. He has moved only when pushed.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

Barnaby Joyce started the big pork barrel rolling by coming up with a ludicrous policy to create jobs in the bush by moving government departments to the regions and started with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

Moving the APVMA to Armidale was going to create jobs in the bush and reinvigorate rural Australia. Or so he said.

All cost-benefit analyses said this was not the case but Malcolm Turnbull couldn't stop his lesser Coalition partner from the stupidity that saw 90 per cent of the staff of the APVMA say "No way" to moving to Armidale.

Now the APVMA admits it is going to have to look overseas to fill most of its positions.

Jobs for the regions? Which regions? Guangdong Province? The European Union? The United States of Trumpist Lunacy?

What a farcical exercise in pork barrelling. The same clown who came up with the APVMA move is Infrastructure Minister.

Observe with wonder the creation of jobs and growth with fiscally responsible governance.

All roads will soon lead to Armidale.

Rory McElligott, Nicholls

Neil James spruiks monarchy as "preserving democratic stability and continuity" in all current monarchies (Letters, December 27).

Thailand, featuring regular military coups justified as supporting the monarchy, and suppressing popular government on the same basis, hardly supports his argument.

Japan may currently enjoy democratic stability and continuity. But the monarchy, which supported, endorsed and justified the anti-democratic military authoritarianism through the

'30s and '40s, doesn't safeguard or protect democracy there.

The Italian monarchy subverted democracy and supported Mussolini's coup and government: hence its ouster after World War II.

It's hard to miss the myriad other instances.

Preserving democratic stability and continuity is a fine thing. Great power intervention is probably more likely to destroy it than royal machinations alone. But royal machinations are a real risk, as succeeding monarchs seek real power.

Christopher Hood, Queanbeyan

The article "Fraud probe at Defence" (December 26, p.1) is just another reason why the Department of Defence should be forced to pay an 'efficiency dividend' just like all other federal government organisations. Why this department has been given open slather is beyond me.

Roger Terry, Kingston

In recent times I have received several emails from the Brumbies asking me to renew my membership. I will not be doing so, though this has little to do with the club.

My decision is all to do with the ARU's focus on attracting the almighty TV dollar rather than supporting club membership.

In recent times the kick-off has become later and later. In most other winter sports, mum and dad can watch the youngsters play sport on a Saturday morning, head to the ground to watch a favoured team play rugby, league, soccer or Australian Rules, and the be home in time for dinner. Not so with Super Rugby (at least in Canberra), where the kick-off has blown out to 7.50 pm.

If the fans are lucky we get one afternoon match per season.

Another drawback is the state of Canberra Stadium where, if one is seated high in the stands, one needs a cut lunch and compass to get food or a draught beer. The toilets are also in the dim distance.

The one positive of Brumbies membership is the excellent service provided by ACTION busses, although on one occasion I was forced to ask the driver where he thought the match was being played as the bus from Civic approached Exhibition Park.

If the Brumbies are serious about expanding their membership, the club needs to take a firm stand against the ARU's 'TV monies at all costs' approach and improve the facilities for Canberra Stadium patrons.

Chris Hunter, Farrer

Kevin Cox (Letters, December 24) doesn't appear to like Max Flint and Max is probably not going to use the tram.

In fact, not many of us will, because the tram's catchment only includes 2-4 per cent of the city's population. The rest of us can't use it because it isn't where we are.

Cox claims 'we can have light rail and the money to use for other purposes if we, the users of light rail, invest in it ourselves'.

Then he says the users should be able to invest in the tram and, when they do, they will get their money back plus a good return. Wow!! I can't wait. He seems to have forgotten that it was the Auditor-General who said that the benefit cost ratio for the tram is 0.47 i.e. we, the people of Canberra, will only get back 47¢ of every dollar invested.

So, Kevin, I would love you to invest your own money in the tram, all of it in fact.

I would like its two fathers, Shane Rattenbury and Andy Barr, to do the same.

That would go some small way to filling the black hole of debt that the government's own figures predict we are about to get.

You wouldn't get a return on your money, Kevin, you wont even get it all back.

Half of it will go down the hole.

Stan Marks, Hawker

The Coalition government's reworking this week of 'jobsngrowth' into 'Let's get Australia working' suggests this country is full of slackers who will cause every economic ill about which the government might become nervous in the lead-up to the next federal election.

I refer to the article: "Labor open to forcing employers to convert casuals to permanent staff after six months" (Canberra Times online, December 27)).

Such a slogan, that seems to imply that workers should be whipped into action as some sort of national solution to undefined problems or as a prop for unstated goals, is misplaced if not sadly ironic.

Tens of thousands of wage-rise free workers, especially in Canberra, and the many underemployed and unemployed across this country will wonder why the plethora of budget handouts, concessions, rebates , lower tax rates, write-downs and other costly incentives to business has not delivered the oft-promised trickle-down effect of increased wealth to those who provide the labour and to the economy generally.

Isn't this never-ending flow of government largesse meant to 'get Australia working'?

Sue Dyer, Downer

The appointment to plum diplomatic postings of politicians who want a career change (or sinecure), or who have outlived their usefulness in parliament ("Diplomatic posts should be for the professionals not politicians", Letters, December 23) seems to me to be a sort of oxymoron.

The often highly adversarial nature of our federal parliament, with the slanging matches into which it frequently degenerates, fosters quite the opposite of the calm and reasoned discussions and negotiations that are typically required of diplomats.

George Brandis, while not always exactly sweetness and light, is far from being the most pugnacious of or federal politicians. If the Prime Minister wanted "a beast" to represent us in London, he could have done no better that to have picked Tony Abbott – if Mr Abbott were willing to go back to the land of his birth. But I should have thought that "a beast" was the last type of representative that we need in London.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

The inconvenience of ACTION's reduced service over the two weeks straddling Christmas and New Year is increased by numerous changes to weekday timetables.

ACTION cites significantly reduced patronage to justify its cuts over the two weeks, apparently not caring about those who have to continue to work or who have other commitments.

But even if cuts are justified, surely people should not have to contend with, in some cases, completely rejigged timetables.

Route 1, for example, normally has a 30-minute frequency outside peak times.

The reduced service is only every 60 minutes. Instead of simply removing every second service, the brains trust at ACTION adds to passengers' inconvenience with a completely different holiday timetable.

Holiday timetables for numerous other routes have adjustments of four or five minutes – just enough to catch the unwary traveller.

If our city's rulers had to put up with this ramshackle approach to public transport they might insist on greater consideration for folk who, unlike them, do not have private transport provided at public expense.

Graham Downie, O'Connor

TRAM COST

Will the ACT government add the $1.4million or so, forgone as a result of a non-operational red light/speed camera on Northbourne Avenue because of light rail construction, to the overall cost of the tram? This is but one of many opportunity costs which I am sure have not been included in the cost/benefit analysis.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

DUTTON'S DISGRACE

When is Peter Dutton going to step up to the plate and stop using genuine refugees as election fodder?

It is un-Christian.

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

UN SHAME

The Turnbull Government abstaining from the UN vote of disapproval of the US moving its embassy to Jerusalem pours shame upon us all. The PM has endorsed a spiteful act by an arrogant US President, the result of which can only be more death, terror and hatred in the Middle East.

Gerry Gillespie, Queanbeyan, NSW

CHAOS SUMMARY

If anyone needs to understand the current chaos in Canberra, the letters from Graham Downie, M.Flint, Patrick Troy and Jack Kershaw (Letters, December26) provide a comprehensive summary. How long before sanity returns?

Merrilyn Fahey, Reid

RELIGIOUS SUPPORT

Scott Morrison has decided to stand up for people of faith. Does he intend to comment when members of his political party vilify followers of Islam? Is it only Christianity he intends to defend, or is he willing to object to politicians using innocent Muslims or followers of other faiths as convenient bogeymen?

Meg Gale, Palmerston

ORDINARY POWERS

Britain and France still bask in the afterglow of their global empires, and the French in particular wish France was great again. Both should be ejected from the UN permanent Security Council, for no longer being superpowers.

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic

MENZIES REVISITED

Peter Dutton has signalled that his Home Affairs force will boost its espionage focus. My prediction: about two months before the next election, Dutton will announce that his minions have uncovered an enemy agent, Kim-Jong Petrov, working in the office of the leader of the ALP. The ploy worked for Menzies, so why not try it again?

Tony Weir, Melba

STUMP CALL

After watching Test cricket for many years, I think the game's administrators should consider having a fourth stump and/or higher stumps to get bowlers to attack the stumps and to make batsmen more reluctant to leave the ball.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic