It doesn't matter that her finding is right or wrong.

From the government's perspective, she has indicated she is not part of "Team Australia" and, in the narrow, corporatist dimension in which our government operates, that means the professor is "against us".

The strategy adopted by members of the government is therefore an attempt to discredit the professor, so we will be understanding when they try to "shut her down".

Unfortunately for the government, Triggs has much greater credibility than any of its members, particularly its ministers, who would be well advised to sign up for some tuition in human rights, ethics and morality under the professor.

W. Book, Hackett

Well said, H.Ronald (Letters, January15).

Yes, our Lycra-clad, cycling, budgie-smuggler-wearing, surfing, shirt-fronting, ex-boxing, blue Prime Minister not only turned to water when elements of the community urged that section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act not be repealed after he promised to do so. He then had the gall to tell us we "certainly shouldn't be cowed" after the Paris violence and "the cornerstone of progress is free speech" ("Australians should not be cowed by fear: PM", January 11, p5).

Unfortunately, quite a few people recently published on this letters pages are cowed by fear – two appear on the same page as Ronald's letter – which they disguise as pleas for prudence and tolerance, disgust with taking excessive licence, and questioning the value of crude and divisive denigration of religions.

One can hardly blame them when there is a risk of having your throat cut by some maniac who disagrees with you.

But they should also acknowledge that such risks breach the freedom of speech ethos espoused by Voltaire, who in effect said we had to tolerate the expression of bigotry, even if we didn't agree with the bigot.

Bill Deane, Chapman

The semantic quibbles from Tim Soutphommasane's letter highlighted in the editorial (January 14) contest Tim Wilson's assertion that section 18C of the federal Racial Discrimination Act would see Charlie Hebdo banned in Australia.

Soutphommasane distinguishes between "race ... or national or ethnic origin [and] issues of religion". There is no such distinction in common, and arguably in legal, usage. Section 18C should be repealed.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

Many will agree with Jack Waterford's analysis of the ghastly events in France ("Being fed up is not enough", January 14, Comment, p1), as well as his list of "other fundamental problems with a significant moral dimension": the Middle East crisis, world poverty, the unequal distribution of resources, climate change, stagnation and debt.

He made no mention, though, of the most fundamental problem of all: human population.

Waterford seems to have a blind spot, which he shares with many politicians and world "leaders".

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

As creative as Peter Toscan's latest anti-light rail letter is (January 15), his central premise is mistaken.

Every new suburb built on the edge of Canberra bulldozes over native habitat, home to animals, birds, insects and a range of plant species.

In contrast, Northbourne Avenue is already a highly developed environment.

Redeveloping here provides the opportunity to build modern, energy-efficient buildings to help accommodate Canberra's growing population with significantly less impact on our "trees, flowers, butterflies and birds".

A key value of light rail is that it will increase density along a quality public transport corridor and save us the costs and impacts of a city whose fringes expand endlessly, even across the NSW border.

Without light rail, the fair citizens of "Camberlot" would end up grumpy and stuck in traffic as the ever-expanding villages sprawl further and further away from the "palace", destroying the once-beautiful surrounds.

The future I imagine for our growing city is one that is environmentally friendly with efficient, clean and well-planned transport and smart development for the decades and centuries to come.

Shane Rattenbury, ACT Greens MLA

So the Australian taxpayer is paying "at least $500,000" for an armoured limousine to ferry Tony Abbott around town in safety and comfort ("Designed to resist AK-47s: Tony Abbott's new bulletproof BMW", January 14, canberratimes.com.au).

If I am to accept that this represents valid and necessary spending of public funds in these fiscally constrained times, then logically I will no longer see footage of Abbott, tootling along, Lycra-clad on his bicycle without any form of protection other than a plastic helmet on his pin head.

Phil Johnston, O'Connor

In the case of Joy Burch's underhand, incompetent poker machine debacle ("Corbell played pokies hand", January 15, p1), Simon Corbell's spokesman says: "The relevant portfolio minister is responsible for recommending a regulation be made. A second signature is then obained from the next available minister."

If Corbell (the new Deputy Chief Minister) happened to be the "minister available", surely it was incumbent on him both to verify the content and question any associated detail of the document he was to sign before he signed it into law as the mandatory second signature?

Is this a casual and slapdash approach to standards of efficiency; symptomatic of the way the ACT Labor government takes its citizens (and voters) for granted; or both?

Margaret Rowe, Hackett

I wish to applaud the article by David Campbell ("I'm old, grey and retired: now hear me roar, Jolly Joe", January 8, Comment, p5).

I have spent my working life paying taxes (direct and indirect) and contributing to my superannuation fund.

The end result is my super payments are minimal but just high enough to prevent me from receiving a full age pension benefit.

Jolly Joe wants me to pay more for my medical expenses and to pay extra sales tax until I am carted away to the funeral parlour.

He probably doesn't understand how unfair a sales tax is when compared to personal tax, which is based on your income rather than everyone paying the same tax, from high income earners to low.

Jolly Joe, stop blaming the previous government for all of your budget difficulties.

If you want more income, increase personal income tax and reduce your own and the Prime Minister's spending.

Keith Crowley, Chapman

It would be disingenuous to be outraged at the defining of manliness expressed by one religiose individual for another recently dead one, given the track record for rebarbative opinions of the admirer (Editorial, January 16).

But it does raise the spectre of Fred Nile and senator David Leyonhjelm partnering to lobby for citizens' rights to bear arms, thereby enabling us all to emulate Man Haron Monis' manliness.

Hugh Gibbon, Pearce

I read with interest the commentary by J. Heywood (Letters, January 14). The general tone of the comment was suspicious of the way clinical investigations are conducted.

I wish to reassure Heywood on a couple of points.

First, there have been countless clinical trials of statins.

The 27 studies selected for analysis were chosen because these trials satisfied the eligibility criteria as defined by investigators when preparing this meta-analysis.

This is standard practice, as it is impractical and nonsensical to review all literature.

Thus, research of interest (that is, assessing particular outcomes or conducted in particular groups of patients) is carefully extracted out of all relevant studies.

Second, I believe it is naive to suggest that statins have never been assessed for carcinogenic effects or effects on fertility.

As part of longitudinal drug trials, many outcomes (including ones related to cancer and fertility) are recorded during patient follow-up.

As it is impossible to record all outcomes in every study (for example, hospital records may be incomplete, contributing to limited data), not every study would detail a comprehensive list of the incidence of every particular outcome and this is usually acknowledged in study limits by the authors.

Also, in terms of fertility complications, for the most part statins would be prescribed (and trialled) in post-menopausal women and in men who would probably not be contemplating fatherhood.

Finally, the meta-analysis that has prompted this commentary was publicly funded.

Alexander J. Rodriguez, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University

SBS news recently showed a dog riding alone on a Seattle bus.

In Britain recently, I noticed dogs on leads on intercity trains, the London Tube and on underground escalators. In fact, dogs on public transport are a common sight in many countries.

While I am not suggesting dogs should travel alone on ACTION Buses, why can't well-behaved dogs on leads travel on them?

Perhaps there could be a designated dog area and the driver could have the discretion to evict badly behaving canines.

Felicity Chivas, Scullin

The proposed NSW and ACT container deposit scheme is a very good idea ("ACT eyes state's recycling scheme", January 6, p1).

We have a litter problem in Canberra and recyclable bottles and cans constitute a significant component.

I walk from Dickson to Civic every morning and, once a week, I take a re-usable shopping bag and pick up bottles and cans from the streets and the otherwise beautiful Haig Park. That bag is invariably overflowing by the time I get into town.

A deposit won't magically solve the litter problem but it would provide a real incentive.

The recycling bin at home will still operate, so we will still be able to have bottles and cans recycled conveniently. It will simply be possible to take them to a depot and collect the deposit, if you think it's worth your trouble. Either way, the bottles and cans will be recycled.

Packaged drinks create health and environmental problems. Bottled water is no better than tap water and soft drinks are very unhealthy – even many fruit-based products are of dubious merit. Alcohol is too obvious to require discussion.

The effects of processing, packaging and transporting bottled water, when a better alternative is available through any tap, constitute environmental vandalism. As durable and inexpensive reusable bottles are readily available and taps are everywhere, this is inexcusable.

So a price-based disincentive is more beneficial than harmful.

For those occasions when you forget your reusable bottle or genuinely have no alternative, a small refundable fee is not unreasonable.

Felix MacNeill, Dickson

R. Dunstone (Letters, January 15) appears to think that because modern medicine is yet to produce an effective treatment for Ebola, we should resort to a completely ineffective "treatment" like homeopathy.

There is a reason that sceptics support World Homeopathy Awareness Week.

Any rational person aware of the facts that homeopathy was invented before the discovery of germ theory, that like does not cure like, and that diluting a substance until not a single molecule of that substance remains in the final 24-degree homeopathic preparation can tell that it is pure nonsense.

Even homeopaths cannot explain how it "works".

Statements about it working on the immune system or the body's healing energies merely display a profound ignorance of biology and physics.

To make it clear: homeopathy is just plain water.

Do not get me wrong: I am sure homeopaths want to help people, but they have been deluded by confirmation bias.

Most of the people they treat suffer conditions that, given time, will correct themselves.

They then attribute homeopathy for curing these self-limiting conditions.

However, Ebola is not one of these conditions and treating sufferers with homeopathy will only ensure a quick death.

Mark Dawson, Gordon

No, Geoff Davidson, "staying left" is not necessarily "better", nor even safe for some (Letters, January 14).

I often use the pedestrian/cycle paths in my area of Canberra, and make a point of walking on the right, to face oncoming cyclists.

I am stone deaf and cannot hear bicycle bells behind me, so it is safer for me and cyclists that I can see them coming, and stay safely – and courteously – to the right, where I can take avoiding action if cyclists are not equally considerate to me.

Frequently, they aren't!

Derek Strange, Hackett

Tom Dawes (Letters, January 15) and others have highlighted road access issues in and out of the Lanyon Valley, which could have tragic results if Tharwa Drive was closed and a bushfire emergency arose.

The Tuggeranong Community Council has its first meeting for 2015 on February 3, upstairs in the Tuggeranong Southern Cross Club, starting at 7.30pm.

Lanyonites are invited to attend and discuss what occurred and identify lessons learnt, including any shortcomings in current roads.

The Emergency Services Agency project manager will be there as well as, I hope, a representative from Roads ACT.

Hopefully, most/all of the Brindabella MLAs will also be there.

Eric Traise, president, Tuggeranong Community Council

ROAD TO SURPLUS

If the ACT government used the revenue generated from illegal parking in Campbell, especially along Blamey Crescent and Watt Street, they could fully fund light rail and probably have a surplus. It has already paid for signs declaring the parking illegal. Now to get a return on its investment!

J. J. Powers, Campbell

ABOARD THE RATTLER

A name for the tram; let's call it the Rattler. Historically, this will commemorate the famous (or infamous) Bondi tram of a century ago, and will forever remind us of the name of the person who saddled us with an enormous increase in our taxes.

Norman Lee, Weston

BARR'S SACK RACE

Chief Minister Andrew Barr now has a conundrum: if he sacks Joy Burch for her $50 poker machine bungle, he must sack Simon Corbell, who co-signed the regulation ("Corbell played pokies hand", January 15, p1). Rumour has it the regulation was tabled in cabinet; if so, does he sack the full cabinet?

Ed Dobson, Hughes

CAPTAIN SENSIBLE

Congratulations to Chief Minister Shane Rattenbury for seeing commonsense and reversing Joy Burch's ill-conceived $50 gamble.

Byam Wight, Jerrabomberra NSW

JE SUIS BRENDAN

Australia may lack satirical magazines but do we need one when we have the brilliant satire of people like Brendan Ryan (Letters, January15)? No cartoonist could have better caricatured the views of some intolerant sectors of the Australian population. Bravo.

Peter Marshall, Captains Flat, NSW

MORRISON THE MYTH

Brendan Ryan (Letters, 15 January) is right. If you can see past the brutalities of our boat people solution, Scott Morrison starts to look more like Hercules and less like Cyclops.

Paul Feldman, Macquarie

FAIR GO, JACK

Geez, Jack Waterford, can't you just let a nation mourn ("Being fed up is not enough", January 14, Comment, p1)? Humans feeling for humans. If there were "unsuitable" marchers at the front, well, who cares? Yes, France is a privileged nation but, no, this is not the time to address world poverty, etc. I for one am not "distracted" from wider issues.

Jo Whithear, Bruce

GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY

Does your god mean more to you than your fellow citizens do? Then, whatever your beliefs, please go and live somewhere else.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

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