They are protecting themselves. Barnaby Joyce requires his department to relocate some key functions to the country to connect more closely with the issues facing rural communities, not an unreasonable political requirement.

The policy minds are convinced it should not be them and the APVMA and other agencies on the fringe of the department are offered up as sacrificial lambs.

The individuals who, arguably, should be in the country are those responsible for addressing the issues faced by rural communities, namely drought assistance, water management, rural environmental, rural employment policy and so on.

The APVMA is not directly concerned with rural issues.

Its role is to ensure chemicals used in Australia are safe, environmentally clean and effective.

Its main clientele is the chemical industry and other government agencies in Canberra who can help the APVMA stem that tide of dangerous products.

It needs to remain in Canberra.

Malcolm Robertson, Chapman

When are we in Australia (including Canberra) going to get a media break from Don Burke?

Canberra was set up specifically for a public service, to service parliament and Australia.

The drivel peddled by Don and Barnaby re the Veterinary Medicines and Pesticides division is both nonsense and shameful.

Aren't we Canberrans Australian too?

Aren't we entitled to a bit of respect as well?

Barnaby's pork barrelling is disgraceful.

E. R. Moffat, Weston

Joyce's behaviour is evidence he is little more than a "hick from hicksville" – but a self-serving hick.

The Prime Minister has been asked to intervene and put the interests of the nation ahead of Joyce's interests. Fine, but Labor (and the Greens) can also take a stronger stand and announce that with a change of government they will move the APVMA back to the ACT where it properly belongs.

Jeff Hart, Kingston

Barnaby Joyce, and his sidekick Don Burke, seem conveniently ignorant, or are overlooking the fact, that APVMA assessment has as much, or more, to do with public and environmental health and safety as the agricultural efficacy of the products, for which Armidale has questionable "centre of excellence" credentials.

Keith Hyde, Aranda

Saw Barnaby Joyce on ABC's 7.30 Report. The bigger the hat, the smaller the brain.

Peter Moran, Watson

Backslide on climate action

Bravo Julian Cribb for pursuing a carbon levy on most American exports should the US fail to pull its weight on climate mitigation ("Putting American climate denial to good use", Comment, December 7).

The suggestion the US has the potential to be a "rogue state, worse by far than North Korea" is shocking but unfortunately correct. As Cribb notes, should the US backslide on climate action, it may encourage others to do likewise.

In Australia, the events of this week with the awarding of Adani $1 billion for mega-coal mine infrastructure and the total backflip on an emissions intensity scheme, indicates this is already the case.

Former Liberal Minister Philip Ruddock on ABC's The Drum made fatuous comments about Australia not taking strong climate action if it endangered our economy.

Do Ruddock and the likes of Cory Bernardi not understand the costs of climate change itself are potentially huge, not least the health costs Cribb mentioned?

If we have two degrees warming, the Great Barrier Reef will be largely gone.

If we have four it's the end of Australian mainland agriculture.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW

Julian Cribb describes himself as a "science writer" but his article is full of unscientific assertions, bordering on the hysterical.

Can he provide some evidence for the claim chemical exposure from the petro-chemical and coal industries is responsible for "the rising waves of autism, reproductive dysfunction and mental disease" ?

Dr Alan N. Cowan, Yarralumla

Brexit now in a muddle

The vote for Britain to leave the European Union has created a complete muddle. The conservative prime minister wants to have a "red, white and blue" departure because "the British people have spoken".

This ignores some important aspects of the referendum result: the Scottish people voted not to leave; the people of London did the same; one entitled quarter did not vote at all; the people of Northern Ireland voted along sectarian lines but with a majority to remain.

Most importantly, any free vote in the House of Commons would favour remaining, unless most Conservative MPs change their previous minds.

A parliamentary debate and vote seems the only way to get a constitutionally valid result, which will resolve tense feelings all round.

James Jupp, Hughes

It just doesn't add up

Your article "Students going backwards" (December 7, p1) contained some worrying statistics.

None more so than in the first paragraph:

"The average ACT 15-year-old maths student is now 1 years behind where they were in 2003".

In 2003 these 15-year-olds were two years of age.

1 years behind that means they were six-month-old babies.

Adrian Sever, Hawker

Oh Malcolm!

I had high hopes for Malcolm Turnbull if for no other reason we were shot of Abbott.

Malcom where did it go wrong?

Your comm car swerved violently to the right ?

Linus Cole, Palmerston

Kristine Klugman's report of the public hearing on water tariffs (Letters, December 8) shows there is either total confusion on responsibilities and objectives, or wilful buck-passing, among the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission, Icon Water and the ACT government.

The government says water pricing is Icon's responsibility, Icon says it's the ICRC's and the ICRC says it's just following the legislation, which is determined by the government.

The ICRC's reference to high water users "evading" using water because of Icon's "excessive" charges suggests the ICRC thinks the legislation requires it to maximise the use of water, regardless of whether poorer people can afford it.

The situation should be simple: clean water is essential for human life; water is a scarce resource in this part of Australia and is likely to become even scarcer; the reliable supply of clean water at prices affordable by all users is therefore an essential service; this service is a responsibility of the ACT government; the "framework" (to use ICRC's preferred term) for pricing should ensure all users can afford at least the minimum amount of water needed to live decently, while encouraging all users to be frugal.

Would the responsible ACT ministers confirm this is, should or will be, the basis on which water will be provided in the ACT?

Chris Ansted, Garran

Open mind needed

Josh Frydenberg recently said, "We know that there are a large number of bodies that have recommended an energy intensity scheme, which is effectively a baseline and credit scheme ... we want to hear from the experts as to the lowest cost of abatement. That's what we owe the Australian households and Australian businesses."

He later denied this, saying "I didn't mention emissions intensity scheme – it's not in any document that the Commonwealth had put out in relation to this review".

Energy Networks Australia, backed by the CSIRO, recommends an energy intensity scheme for the electricity sector, as did the Climate Change Authority.

Turnbull used to support renewable energy, but now considers those who support a substantive move to renewables to be "ideological".

The government risks increasing uncertainty and rising prices in the electricity sector, as well as blowing Australia's "fair share" carbon budget to keep average global temperature rise within the 2 degrees limit of the Paris Agreement.

If the 2017 climate policy review is to mean anything, the government must keep an open mind on what experts and the community have to say.

Darryl Fallow, Stirling

Changes concerning

Emma Alberici is correct in saying: "When things change it's unsettling, but to not change would be dangerous for an organisation like ours" ("Divisions emerge over ABC changes", December 6, p4).

[But] what are the changes, such as axing Catalyst, designed to achieve? If they are to genuinely broaden the diversity of ABC programming, then well and good but if they are mainly to attract younger audiences (i.e., better ratings), then there are clear dangers.

I was part of the ABC of the '60s when it introduced the most exciting changes in its history.

Across current affairs, comedy, popular music, drama and children's programs, ABC TV sought to broaden its appeal through imaginative programming.

We won through, because the new philosophy was based on the highest production quality.

Today's production standards are less rigorous than they should be, especially within ABC journalism.

If changes create an impression [the] ABC is "dumbing down" to gain better ratings, it could be in real trouble.

Eric Hunter, Cook

Nurses have a point

It should come as no surprise nurses at Canberra Hospital have expressed urgent concerns over staff shortages and work fatigue, which they say are putting patients at risk ("Nurses at breaking point", December 3, p1).

The response by ACT health Minister Meegan Fitzharris, that the government will not support the nurses' request for an independent review, is disappointing.

As a recent patient, it is my clear impression the nurses' concerns are fully justified.

The nursing and medical staff are having to work in often overcrowded conditions in buildings which are antiquated and inadequate.

I am not a member of the Liberal Party, but I note that at the recent ACT election the Liberals promised to build a new hospital and immediately increase medical and nursing staff numbers.

The voters turned this down in favour of funding the Gungahlin tram. I fear we are now beginning to see the results of this decision.

Peter Trickett, Fraser

Attack spiteful

A good example [of arrogance] in the context of the Canberra Times letters page would be launching a spiteful and unprovoked attack, containing false assumptions concerning someone one has never met, on a letter writer who has tried to address the issues being debated.

My letter of December 6 pointed out over-use of bicycle bells makes them ineffective because pedestrians do not realise a particular ring is intended for them. One might reasonably disagree with that point, but Robert James (Letters, December 8) chose not to debate it, preferring insult to intelligent discussion. His letter illustrates why reasoned debate on an important safety issue can be difficult to have.

Terry George, Kingston

Urban design lacking

What happened to urban design in Belconnen Town Centre? ("Belconnen boomtown", December 3, p1)

The mishmash of high-rise buildings overlooking, overshadowing, and overcrowding each other, degrading the rest of the main urban area, and yet again commandeering the public lake shore, is a graphic indictment of the current ad hoc "land-economics" approach to planning.

High rise should have been restricted to the north-east-facing high ground, along and in from Belconnen Way, say from Bunnings west. Well detached Macquarie to the south would not be adversely affected.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

UNNECESSARY ACTIVITY

The economic downturn broadcast by federal Treasurer Scott Morrison must not be seen as a reason to justify ACT Labor's tram as a much-needed "investment". Substituting fixed-line corridors for flexible bus services is more like an unnecessary make-work activity at huge extra cost.

I doubt Scott would fork out for that.

Bryan Lobascher, Chifley

LET'S TRY LAND MINES

I can go one better than Gerry Murphy (Letters, December 6) by proposing to install land mines on the perimeter of Parliament House's grassed areas. This would be aesthetically acceptable, provide the army with an excuse for its existence, and be a deterrent to would-be trespassers, protesters, and terrorists.

Mario Stivala, Spence

TURNBULL A DITHERER

Malcolm Turnbull is dithering, not governing. Unless he starts acting for the nation and not just on behalf of the ultra-conservatives, history will record him as a dud.

Patricia Saunders, Chapman

EMISSIONS U-TURN

Gee, the Cory Bernardi/George Christensen government really is warming to the task ("Government makes U-turn on emissions policy", December 8, p4).

John Passant, Kambah

VANISHING PENSION

John Davenport (Letters, December 7) complains his pension is reduced. We've just found out ours is gone.

Merry Christmas but not a happy new year, Malcolm.

Alan Boyd, Yerrabi

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.

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