The case of Stern Hu, the Australian negotiator for Rio Tinto arrested for espionage in China, attracted a good many letters this week, but many, if sympathetic to his plight, were less focused on arguing for his immediate release than on what was said to be Opposition hypocrisy in berating the Australian Government for failing to protect him. Analogies tended to be drawn with David Hicks, Dr Mohamed Haneef and James Peng rather than Shapelle Corby the latter once, at least for a loud section of letter-writers, the symbol of unjust arrest, framed charges and ill-treatment by foreigners. Ms Corby's champions have been silent for some time.

The cause of the very fast train has returned to the letters columns after a long absence, if with few arguments not familiar to older readers. Well represented indeed, hardly ever absent were letters on planning issues, city densification, kangaroos, cricket, and solecisms, real and alleged, by reporters. New issues: bottled water and the bureaucracy of getting a passport. The first blowfly of the season was reported, if not this time by our most reliable correspondent on the subject, Dr McComas Taylor of Ainslie.

Letters editor

letters.editor@canberrat imes.com.au