Bill Shorten and Tony Burke in particular sneered at any suggestion the ALP could be caught up in questions over its politicians' citizenship. Their certainty on this matter was based on careful checking by the party's lawyers.

While there are decent lawyers, their profession is largely made up of hired guns who support the cause of the individual or entity who pays them without care whether that cause is just or fair.

For many lawyers, the law is a plaything to be manipulated to achieve a win for a client, not a fair or reasonable outcome. And the law itself, as illustrated by the citizenship debacle, can be so vague as to give no certainty of how it will be interpreted.

It seems unlikely Ms Gallagher would want her former job back. And given her genuine care and support for everyday Canberra citizens, she would probably find it difficult to fit back into the ACT government, driven by its obsession with development and its arrogant disregard of the views of residents.

It is to be hoped she finds a role free of the strictures of politics, in which she can exercise her human understanding and care for this city.

Graham Downie, O'Connor

The issue of the dual citizenship of politicians in the federal parliament presents what seems to me a very odd situation.

My understanding of Section 44 of the Constitution is that it was originally intended to prevent people with citizenship of nations that may be regarded as unfriendly or hostile from sitting in federal Parliament because they may represent a security risk.

The majority of those members and senators found by themselves or by the High Court over the past few months to be ineligible to occupy their seats are from either the UK or New Zealand.

Australia's head of state is the British Queen, and Australia is a member of the British Commonwealth. I fail to see how the UK could be regarded as an unfriendly or hostile power.

New Zealand is also a member of the Commonwealth, and it enjoys a very friendly relationship with Australia, including free trade and free movement of people between the two countries. It seems to me that New Zealand certainly could not be seen as a hostile power (except perhaps during some sporting events) nor politicians with joint New Zealand citizenship a security risk.

It is well past time that Section 44 was brought up to date. Doing so much earlier would have saved Australia and some Australians a lot of unnecessary angst and expense.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

So, while defending its right to detain people for questioning, ASIO claims that it has not sought a questioning warrant since 2010, partly because of the allegedly slow process to obtain approval ("End ASIO's detention powers, parliamentary committee says", May 12, p2).

If ASIO believes that it is acceptable not to pursue a warrant to question someone simply because the process to obtain approval is too slow, surely it is even harder to accept that it had a sound reason to do so in the first place.

ASIO's attitude seems more typical of an agency consumed by an ambition to acquire power for its own sake rather than to fulfil its lawful functions.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

I suggest the Prime Minster should advise Parliament that, unless his full budget is passed straight away, he will call a half Senate election at the same time as the byelection for the five MPs who have now resigned because of their dual citizenship or for personal reasons.

This will focus the attention of the 20 crossbench senators because most of them will face re-election because they won with relatively low quotas and it is likely they would be wiped out in a half Senate election, which requires a significantly higher quota.

Similarly, it would focus Labor because, even if it gained more senators than the government, the half election would push the vote for the House of Representatives as far back as November 2, 2019, enabling the government to bring a budget that will be in surplus, as well as more time to discredit Labor policies and its unpopular leader.

The Prime Minister can justify the cost on the basis that we are already have to pay for five byelections and combining these with a Senate half election is a cost-effective way to realign the election cycle of both houses.

Albert Oberdorf, Lyons

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should call an election now.

The combination of the federal budget and the High Court decision on dual citizenship provides an opportunity to provide clarity and certainty to national leadership.

The budget and Opposition response makes it clear what the choice is before the electorate.

The conduct of four byelections will merely prove a costly and time consuming rehearsal for the election that needs to be held next year.

So rather than spending the months ahead on byelections and squabbling our way through the rest of this year and into the next please sort it all out now.

Stewart Sweeney, North Adelaide, SA

The re-imposition by the US of sanctions on Iran following Trump's pull-out from JCPOA represents Europe's "Suez Moment".

Just as it was for Britain in 1956, the heart of the problem is the US dollar. The US Treasury has the European banks in a vice.

If the European banks are squeezed, the hearts and minds of European politicians will do whatever Donald Trump orders.

What can the poor European helots do?

They can close US bases; they can close down US missile sites; they can close down US spy-satellite stations. That way they can hit Mr Trump where it really hurts.

But more to the point they have to get out from under the US dollar.

Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor

Several recent Canberra Times letters correspondents seem very concerned at the lack of toilets at the new West Basin recreation area.

I can't see the problem. The site has numerous water birds residing or visiting there and they just "do it" wherever they like on the grass, seating and boardwalks. No problem for them.

When in Rome, do as the Romans (birds) do.

PS, it seems very strange (and dangerous) that the planners retained a roadway (for cars) through the park.

John Mungoven, Stirling

I hope that the respected voice of the National Trust ("National Trust calls on government to save Gold Creek Homestead", May 6, p3) will be heard by the Suburban Land Agency before the Gold Creek Homestead, a site of great local significance, is reduced to rubble.

Whilst it is astonishing that ACT Heritage Council failed to preserve it, the Suburban Land Agency still has the capacity to do the right thing and include the retention and adaptive reuse of the homestead in the conditions of sale for the land on which it stands. As a descendant of the Rolfe family, the original owners and builders of the homestead, I am deeply saddened that this reminder of Canberra's humble beginnings could be lost forever.

Sally Bond, Willoughby, NSW

I strongly agree with the letter writers opposing the annual slaughter of Canberra's kangaroos. Especially with their criticisms of the government's rationale justifying it on environmental grounds. Protecting the grasslands and threatened species? Indeed, along with the full-on grazing by cattle and sheep, regular clearing of any eco-system supporting understory shrubs, blanket razing of new land releases by developers, and repeated over-frequent hazard-reduction burns of existing nature reserves?

Has there ever been any study of kangaroo populations and movements in the ACT and surrounds?

Knowing that most farmers have open season on shooting roos, isn't it possible that the numbers that congregate in Canberra are refugees from surrounding farming areas? Feeling they're safe here as the shoots are annual instead of weekend sport. Returning to Canberra on bus trips from the coast at twilight, I have only ever observed very small numbers of roos, and those exclusively on rural properties which are obviously no longer being grazed.

It's possible that the main reason behind the cull, is the government's need to protect itself from culpability and possible litigation, arising from motorist collisions with roos crossing our roads. This rationale however certainly doesn't justify the scale and brutality of the killings. Surely there needs to be some more humane, research-based solutions? Fertility control, yes. The odd strategic wildlife tunnel under major thoroughfares, with attention given to access to the lakes and other water supplies?

A. Curtis, Florey

Aside from the legitimate moral concerns and the broader vexed issue of "historical contextualisation" already raised in these columns and elsewhere about the appropriateness of naming the new ACT seat after Charles Bean, the Electoral Commission should not underestimate the obvious opportunities around Australia (especially by politicians) for mischievous, even spiteful, satire and ridicule arising out of the association of "Canberra" and "bean".

Less controversial would be the distinctive, prominent and distinguished ACT name "Stromlo".

Bureaucratic issues with this being a Canberra district should not be difficult to resolve.

There is also merit in the suggestion by Kim Fischer (Letters, May 10) for Cullen, to honour Ngingali Cullen; a woman, Indigenous, worthy in her own right to negate tokenism and someone who spent a significant period of her life in Canberra.

Warwick Williams, Nicholls

I can't believe the extraordinary time being taken to duplicate the section of Gundaroo Drive between Gungahlin and Mirrabei drives. The works have seemingly been going for more than a couple of years. Are the workers on an hourly rate, or is it on a deliberate go-slow ploy just to irritate all those travelling along it. And when it seemed to be finally getting close to completion, further fronts of work have opened up adjacent to the duplicated roadway.

Surely the project co-ordination could have been better planned with all of the site works being done concurrently. At least the roadworks along Horse Park Drive are progressing at a much greater pace.

Disgruntled? Certainly.

Lud Kerec, Forde

I think most of we thoughtful white Anglo/Saxon/Celtic men would be grateful if various recent correspondents and your May 11 editorialist could cease using our skin colour, ancestry, sex and sometimes decease as pejoratives. Nobody categorises dead or living females or racial minorities in such terms. Some fools, never having worked for a "meals on wheels" charity, have also gormlessly referred to us as being "privileged".

People who are fond of referring to "dead white males" might usefully ponder on the ageism, racism and misandry that comprise elements of their bigotry.

Bill Deane, Chapman

It is all very well for Malcolm Turnbull to boast about how many jobs have been created in the last year but I would like to know:

I would also like to know how many jobs have been lost during the same time period. A number of industries have been closed, the retail industry is laying staff off, small business is struggling and of course the federal government is itself reducing its workforce!

We are not all as gullible as you might like Mr Turnbull.

Gay von Ess, Aranda

LOADED WORDS

Why is it that North Korea and Iran have "regimes" but the US has something called "The Trump administration"? Iran is a democracy, no less dodgy than the US.

Bernard McMinn, Mawson

PAY DISCREPANCY

So the government proposes to tax someone who earns $40,000 a year at the same rate as someone paid $200,000 — that is, who earns five times the first person's income. Seriously? And this is progress?

Ric Innes, Weetangera

THE TAX ISSUE

A good cartoon in Saturday's Canberra Times.. I think a flat tax would work well if it was applied to every individual's gross income, including the value of income-in-kind, eg fringe benefits and politicians perks.

Until that unlikely tax reform, we need more, not fewer, tax brackets.

John F. Simmons, Kambah

MOTH'S CANNY TRICK

Holy Bogong Batman, the letter from Lex Hodge, "Moths forced to adapt" (May 11), jolted me to attention.

Who could have imagined our little Bogong to be so interesting. I have read Lex's letter over and over again and still don't know what to make of it.

It's one ripper of a story though.

P Stanford, Queanbeyan

FARCICAL PLAN

Beleaguered ACT denizens see shades of deja vu in proposals that a public-private partnership construct a roofed stadium ("Covered stadium push", May 12, p1).

Why go through the farcical charade of private input when ratepayers will have to pay many times over, financially and sacrificing of site amenities?

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

GET RID OF SECTION 44

If one is eligible to vote at a federal election surely that person should also be eligible to nominate for Parliament. Get rid of Section 44.

I wonder how many former PMs since Federation had dual citizenship.

Bruce Glossop, Holt

STUFFING UP

No, Vicki Dunne, the Legislative Assembly didn't stuff up, Ms Gallagher and Labor did, and what's done is done ("Ex-speaker admits ACT 'stuffed up"'. May 11, p4).

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

Colin Toll of Bywong seems unduly exercised by the thought of foreigners in the ACT Assembly (Letters, May 11). He wants to bring the joys of Section 44 to a whole new level of government.

I can see that being very popular all around the country, as long as it's only applied in the ACT. Really just another chance to stick the boot into Canberra. Haters gonna hate.

SW Davey, Torrens

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