The Lyons public/private development joint venture puts the ACT Government in an undesirable conflict of interest position.

We elect/appoint (and pay) our Government to run the ACT for the general good. This includes controlling development. If the Government makes common cause with a developer, the public interest could come third.

A developer may welcome the Government as a powerful partner, but the Government serves the community better by sticking to its single and proper role of arbiter rather than becoming a bit-player as well.

If the Government wants units in the project, it can buy them like anyone else.

Hugh Dakin, Griffith

Stalled again

Once again the Stanhope Government has displayed via the Andrew Barr-Katy Gallagher combination matchless conceit in the way they have handled the proposed nine-storey car park at Canberra Hospital.

Barr says that he feared the criticism of one person, said to be Jack Kershaw, an expert in planning and construction.

Perhaps it is a fear shared by Barr's advisers, too.

While it is possible that there would be criticism of the car park plan, there would just as likely have been some helpful ideas from other people.

Barr was even fearful of spending what might have been a revealing hour or two at a special estimates hearing of the Assembly to justify his decision to call in the Canberra Hospital car park.

Once again, the Labor Party ministers show why they are a tired and haughty lot who prefer secrecy to transparency in the way they deal with Canberrans.

Greg O'Regan, Farrer

Scoring own goal

A Canberra team in the football A-League is a matter of ''when, not if'', according to the bid leader, Ivan Slavich, and it's coming whether the bulk of the populace want it or not.

Today I received a letter from Mr Slavich, who this time was wearing his other hat, as the chief executive officer of TransACT.

It seems that TransACT are having to tighten their belts, and having absorbed rising costs in the provision of telephone services over the past three years, the time has now come to pass these increases on to me.