Bryan Cossart (Letters, June 11) complains about the ''shivering smokers'' he had to pass in the entryway to the airport after his smoke-free ride in the aircraft, and his smoke-free passage through the terminal.
The smokers had, of course, endured the same thing.
They were exercising the only right they had to remedy their situation to stand in the dubious shelter of an airport entrance in a Canberra winter to inhale a much-needed drag of nicotine before they climbed into a smoke-free taxi.
Where I work, attempts by smokers to shelter from hail and so on in doorways are rewarded by a bulk email around the whole department.
This reminds us of the required behaviour in ''inclement weather''.
That is, smokers have to stand out in the middle of the lawn and cop the full force of nature.
Occupational health and safety is, of course, taken seriously in our workplace except when it comes to smokers.
Now there's a move to prevent people smoking outside cafes and restaurants next time I want a fag after the meal I've paid for I will presumably have to cross the street.
Meanwhile Katy Gallagher has proudly made our hospitals smoker-free.
So lighten up Bryan.
You've got it nearly all your own way now, while life for some of us just gets more difficult.
Soon we'll all be locked up (and we won't be allowed to smoke there either).
M.A. Smith, Kambah
Misrepresentation
Your recent editorial ''Apathy in face of biodiversity crisis'' (June 11) seriously misrepresents my actions on biodiversity loss, and my attitude to transparency and accountability in government. There is no intention on my part to suppress or amend the Australian Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment report. The fact is it has yet to be finalised. The Commonwealth is actively addressing Australia's biodiversity challenges, after 12 years of neglect, through ''Caring for our Country'', by substantially increasing funding for the national reserve system; by adopting clear targets for biodiversity and other environmental assets; and by funding landscape-scale environmental repair.
The threats to biodiversity are significant, but compared to the previous government's Natural Heritage Trust, I believe Caring for our Country will make a real contribution. The report to which you refer will be released in due course and then perhaps The Canberra Times will be able to deal in facts, not rumour and ''reports''.
As with our consultation on the draft National Biodiversity Strategy, if there are ideas for doing better and doing more, I'm very willing to hear them.
Peter Garrett, Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Rethink on roads
Tony Shields' letter (June 15) was well meaning but impractical. If one followed his reasoning we would go back to the earliest days of motoring where a man with a red flag marched solemnly in front of the vehicle. If that occurred we would definitely have no fatalities. The road toll stays obstinately high despite the most strenuous efforts by police and politicians. Where I think we go wrong is trying to modify the behaviour of our most reckless drivers with lower speed limits. Most deaths occur on country roads anyway.
The Northern Territory with Australia's lowest literacy standards per capita has the highest death rate on the roads. I would suggest that safe driving starts in primary school with a special Australia-wide subject called social responsibility. A yearly grading on each child's progress and help for the kids who are walking time bombs would do wonders for roads and crime.
Howard Carew, Isaacs
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