I have never understood why the cycling fraternity demanded on-road cycle lanes from an amazingly compliant ACT Government rather than more off-road paths and improvements to the existing networks. Must be the adrenaline rush in a otherwise dull life.

W.A. Brown,

Holt

FASHION COMES LAST

I am as unimpressed as Kerry Cue is with ''fashion'' at the races (Times2, November 11, p2).

Is there anyone, anywhere, who, looking at the fashion dished up to us by the media, actually says to themselves, ''I gotta get me one of those outfits''? Is it just a media-concocted ''story'', or are there really thousands of people across the country sitting in front of the telly saying to themselves: ''noice, noice''?

The whole palaver, which went on day after day, was so ubiquitous it was impossible to avoid. Next year, I gotta get me a desert island.

Gordon Fyfe,

Kambah

NO BOOK PRIZE

I read with interest that the Federal Government decision to reject the Productivity Commission's decision on parallel imports (''Publishers win cheap book imports'', November 12, p4) was hailed as win for publishers and independent booksellers.

What about consumers in this debate and the possibility of cheaper books, which would stimulate increased demand for book sales. With this decision, I will continue to buy my books over the internet, where savings can be up to 50 per cent, rather than buy these books locally. Not such a boon after all.

Assunta Corrado-Nitz,

Franklin

OLD TRAPS ON BELIEF

Your reviewer Geoff Page (Panorama, November 7, p19) falls into a familiar trap in his review of Tom Frame's Losing my Religion, when he asserts that anti-theists and religious fundamentalists are ''two of a kind really''.

No, really, they are not. Fundamentalist Muslims are ''two of a kind'' with fundamentalist Christians, or fundamentalist Hindus. Unbelief is not the opposite of belief, it is the lack of belief. As an unbeliever, I state that I have no belief at all, in any of the various gods or fairies or other supernatural entities. I may be more or less militant in my unbelief, but that does not somehow convert it into a belief.

Page approves Frame's quoting of an Italian archbishop who asserts that non-belief is the fruit of the non-believer's struggle with God ''true non-belief is not a facile denial with little effect on the person concerned''. In my view, it is exactly that.

Because I don't believe in Father Christmas, Father Christmas has no effect on my life (except for slight passing irritation at certain times of the year).

Nick Goldie,

Michelago, NSW

PLASTIC BAG BLUES

Recently I went into a large retail store in the Tuggeranong Hyperdome and was charged 10c for a plastic bag to carry a purchase. The shop assistant apologised and I said I didn't consider she was to blame for the charge.

If large retail (and hardware) organisations are so concerned about the environment, and also wish to provide an acceptable level of customer service, they should look at alternatives to plastic bags, including paper bags that are environmentally friendly.

Retailers should also, if a principle is involved, look at not stocking any goods that are over packaged. Some chewing gum has an outer layer of cellophane, a cardboard box lined with silver paper and then individually wrapped pieces of gum.

Other products, including batteries, are heavily packaged and in quantities that always leave spares that are useless by the time they are required.

Hardware stores pre-package nails, screws and other items and you have to buy, say, 10 items when you only require one.

I somehow think that shareholder returns come first, executive bonuses second, daylight third and somewhere after that customers and the environment.

Les Brennan,

Bonython

MORE HOLLOW PROMISES

How typical of politicians. It is interesting to see Kate Lundy, Mike Kelly and other local politicians becoming publicly vocal in support of Commonwealth superannuants and their pension entitlements.

One might suspect they are moving into election mode and trying to garner support for their personal re-election.

I can assure them that Commonwealth and Defence superannuants will not fall for the same hollow promises by Labor at the last election. Fix the problem before the election or be voted out.

Bob Hancock,

Jindabyne, NSW

NOT RUDD'S FAULT

According to United Nations data, between 2007 and 2009 applications for asylum in Australia have increased by 28per cent. Critics say this is the fault of the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

The problem with this argument is that in the same period applications have been increasing almost everywhere else too. And by bigger margins. Examples include: Belgium (30per cent), Austria and France (32per cent), Britain (39per cent), Germany (46per cent), Switzerland (59per cent), Canada (65per cent) and Denmark (71per cent). Is this also Rudd's fault? Replacing mindless Howard-hating with ignorant Rudd-rubbishing on this matter serves the interests of neither Australia nor asylum-seekers. The problem is much more complicated than that.

Phil Teece,

Sunshine Bay, NSW

Human rights flow from the human person; they are not the gift of governments or parliaments.

Human rights charters could negate the rule of law and repress fundamental human rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom of belief. For example, remarks made behind closed doors by members of a community organisation might be protected by qualified legal privilege in a court of law, but be found by a human rights commission to be a breach of a charter of rights.

The best protection of human rights lies in the activity of the intermediate organisations of civil society, such as trade unions and interest groups.

Frank Mines,

Nicholls

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

I watched two very obese individuals walking along last weekend. They had matching outfits advertising a well-known doughnut brand. I wondered if in fact it was one of the brand's competitors doing some ''anti'' advertising because the visual results of eating the product did not help the brand's image.

S. Thompson,

Deakin

OIL-RIG PROBLEMS

Will we ever get the full story on the oil-rig disaster in the Timor Sea?

I recall mention of a thing called a blow-out preventer in the context of drilling new oil wells. Was one used and, if so, why was it not effective? Second, why was not the oil, at an early stage, contained and its spread prevented by a floating oil barrier? It can be shipped by air in a ''concertine'' form and quickly deployed. There is not much you can do with the fugitive gases which probably contained toxic constituents that would be ''flared'' on a working oil platform.

After this disaster we obviously need closer official supervision of oil-drilling activities and better provision for emergencies. What will happen to the oil rig itself? It is obviously useless, even a danger, and it can't be just left there. After his recent reassurances, Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson owes us a full explanation.

Colin P. Glover,

Canberra City

RIGHT ON RELIGION

The ACT Government is to be commended for banning entry of the group Focus on the Family to schools (''Govt bans Christian group from schools'', October 31, p3).

However, it is concerning that this group has apparently been operating in ACT schools for some tome without proper vetting or supervision.

As a former teacher I recall that there were pretty strong limits on who could come into a school to address students and the content of such an address.

In all cases it was the responsibility of the school leadership to vet the content of what would be said/demonstrated and attendance of students would be by explicit agreement of parents. As well teachers were always present, even when the visiting lecturer was a local police officer promoting road safety. This presence was a protection against just the sort of situation which seems to have arisen at Canberra High School.

The only time teachers were not present was in the weekly sessions held by visiting ministers of religion. These were organised on a denominational basis, with attendance confined to students whose parents had authorised such attendance in writing. Given the agenda of some of the present so-called ''Christian'' groups, nothing less should be required in ACT schools.

E.L. Fisher,

Kambah