I wrote to the bank about this, and I got the (unsurprising) reply that the closure was due to reduced customer traffic. My response to the CBA was that the excuse was not surprising given that, over the years, the CBA has actively deterred face-to-face contact.

It's disingenuous to indicate that CBA is responding to customer preference, when it's actually CBA that is actively discouraging customers from attending branches.

As for traffic at Mawson branch, I find CBA's claims remarkable, given that plenty of times I've walked in to the branch, turned around, and walked out again because of queues.

If things were tough for the CBA financially, most of us would be more understanding about some belt-tightening here and there. However, the bank's enormous profits continue to rise, and such cost-cutting only serves the executive and the shareholders — not customers.

There is a small branch of a community bank just down the road from me. It has kept that branch running well for quite some years now, and, whenever I have visited, there have been two tellers available, and no queues. Following the closure of Mawson, I opened up an account there, and, as a customer, I cannot discern anything that the CBA can do that this branch cannot do!

I am also not asked to explain myself for having the temerity to visit the bank in person, as was the case at CBA.

Gordon Fyfe, Kambah

Just when one wonders how much more Australia can do to hinder peace in the Middle East, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop provides the answer.

Australia's position as one of only two countries — Israel's other protector and us — to vote against a UN Human Rights Council resolution to investigate Israel's large-scale killing of unarmed Palestinian protesters ("Bishop defends vote against UN probe", Canberra Times May 20) beggars belief.

Yes, we know that if unarmed people exercise their right to protest an illegal occupation, it's their own fault for getting killed Minister Bishop, and there's not really much else that brave soldiers could do but shoot them, but please stop pretending that Australia cares about the "rule of law" — that useful phrase that you call upon when convenient — any more.

It's becoming sickening.

Thank you, David Pope; your May 18 cartoon said it all.

Sue Wareham, Cook

When Richard Nixon fired Special Prosecutor, Archibald Cox, he received 50,000 telegrams of protest from concerned Americans in a single day. He was gone in ignominy within a year.

Close to 40 per cent of Australia's 8 million households own a dog. Apart from the small number who treat their dogs brutally, that suggests more than 3 million households, well over 5 million people, might have some feelings of respect and affection for a fellow mammal.

If this week, even a representative 1per cent of dog owners (50 000) sent Malcolm Turnbull an email of protest about the barbarity and pointlessness of the live animal export trade, I can't doubt either he would be gone, or the live animal export abomination would be on its way out, within the year.

I have sent him my email. I know that responsible Australian dog owners are disgusted by live animal exports and I urge them to protest accordingly.

P. O'Keeffe, Hughes

How nauseating to learn that, just one day after announcing the live export review recommendations, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has rushed off to Qatar and Kuwait to assure importers they'll continue to have an uninterrupted supply of our live animals.

Could he not have telephoned or emailed them instead of squandering taxpayers' money by flying? Especially since the majority of taxpayers want live export banned.

Why is our government grovelling to countries that have a record of mistreating our animals? Only a month ago footage emerged of our sheep being beaten and hurled around like rag dolls at a Qatar abattoir. And, less than a year ago, investigators discovered that, in Kuwait, hundreds of our sheep were being illegally sold to private buyers, shoved into oven-like car boots and abused.

Besides this, two of our parliamentarians claim many of our exported sheep are fattened up then sold to other countries. Even if the sea journey was made less gruelling, animals could end up aboard another, even worse, vessel bound for a worse, fate.

Jenny Moxham, Monbulk, Vic

Your columnist Catherine McGregor must be a very bitter person ("Folau raised the question of hell", canberratimes.com.au, May 17), wishing that Israel Folau will burn in hell for responding on his own social media site to a question from a fan.

Seeing as most of the people upset with Israel's answer don't believe in heaven or hell, unlike McGregor, I wonder why they are so bothered with his quote from the Bible. Also, Israel is just a footballer, not some high-ranking politician or journalist. Is what he says on his own private website in response to a question really worth the outrage from people like McGregor?

It amazes me that there is not more outrage from these people when there is a child on their parents shoulders in a public area in our biggest city displaying for everyone to see a sign saying "Behead all disbelievers of Allah".

Where are the critics of Islam then?

Another case of Christianaphobia, I guess.

McGregor also references Indigenous beliefs and migrants who brought their beliefs with them. Has she questioned what Aboriginals and Muslims think about homosexuality? Possibly not. When a Christian does, well you know the answer by now.

Ian Pilsner, Weston

So, there's obviously nothing to celebrate in Gungahlin right now – despite the moving road block that is creeping towards Civic. ("Celebrate Gungahlin festival canned", May 19, p.16). No surprises there.

N. Ellis, Belconnen

David Smith is wrong when he asserts: "The British Queen has absolutely no constitutional connection with Australia" (Letters, May 19).

Under our constitution, "the Queen" is a constituent part of the Australian Parliament and the person in whom the executive power of the Commonwealth of Australia is vested. Our constitution makes it clear that references in it to "the Queen" are to Queen Victoria and her heirs and successors in the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.

Smith also asserts: "The Australian Queen is Queen of Australia by virtue of a title conferred on her majesty by the Australian Parliament in 1973."

Wrong. The Queen was Queen of Australia (as well as the UK, Canada, New Zealand, etc) both before and after 1973; our Parliament simply altered her nomenclature, by substituting "Australia" for the UK, to give it a distinctive Australian flavour for Australian purposes.

Finally, Smith asserts: "Australia's head of state is the Governor-General, by virtue of a decision of the High Court of Australia more than 110 years ago." Wrong. The decision, to which Smith fondly refers time and again, actually had absolutely nothing to do with the question of who our head of state is.

The true legal position was enunciated by Justice Stephen Gageler of the High Court in 2016 in the case upholding the legality of our offshore detention system.

He made it clear that the Queen is our head of state and that the Governor-General is the Queen's representative in the Commonwealth of Australia.

Frank Marris, Forrest

David Smith (Letters, May 19) promotes the utter nonsense of which he accuses others. The Queen's role in our constitution is by right of her undemocratic hereditary role as the Queen of the United Kingdom, not under her separately legislated Australian courtesy titles.

That is what our constitution says, in the literal black letters that the High Court seems to rely upon. The High Court did not "decide" that governors-general are Australia's heads of state. It merely observed, without binding or constitutional effect, that they are the "officiating heads of state".

And so they are — explicitly officiating on behalf of the Queen and as her agent, not directly on behalf of the Australian people. The Queen herself claims to be our head of state.

Only when we can appoint our heads of state without going cap in hand – even procedurally – to the UK monarchy can we be freed of this archaic colonial overhang to our independent national governance.

Mike Hutchinson, Reid

Who are the brilliant minds that decide how road/footpath signs should be written and what they "need" to address??

At numerous places in Dickson (possibly elsewhere in Canberra), we now have signs stating that only rain water is to go down the drains and that they (the drains) flow into Lake Burley Griffin.

With all of the leaves, bits of branches and rubbish (coffee mugs, paper etc) now in the gutters (rarely cleaned – to save money, very few bins for rubbish — also to save money?), the signs seem to be of curious advice.

My other query is why are some road signs written so that they can be read from the bottom upwards (you are driving towards them) whilst others have to be read from the top down — somewhat distracting if you're trying to concentrate on driving correctly.

Raylea Rudov, Dickson

I strongly agree with A.C. Garrett (Letters, May 19) about the Aboriginal tent embassy being an eyesore.

We must get rid of it but I can't see it happening before the next ACT election. We can do this by voting out Shane Rattenbury, Caroline Le Couter and The Greens.

I have very happy memories of The Lobby Restaurant some years ago when the Liberal Party used to have lovely breakfasts there.

I don't know what happened to The Lobby Restaurant but we certainly must not give it to the Aboriginal tent embassy.

If the Aboriginals want some land to set up shop, it may be worth considering giving them some land on the outskirts of Canberra to do so. It may become a tourist attraction. But not near Old Parliament House.

Anne Prendergast, Reid

On Friday (May 18), a 17 year-old student, who was apparently obsessed with guns, shot and killed nine of his fellow students and one teacher in a Santa Fe High School classroom.

He then shot and, thankfully, only wounded a retired police officer ("Never again, until the next time", May 20, p13).

This sort of thing has become virtually routine in the US, and it is increasingly difficult to believe that the federal government hasn't the will to at least try to put an end to it.

But then all US administrations seem to be unduly beholden to the National Rifle Association (NRA) and mesmerised by the Second Amendment.

I can't help but be reminded of the song Where have all the flowers gone?, written by Pete Seeger and made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, which includes the line "When will they ever learn?"

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse's submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly's hearings into assisted dying should be recognised as a blatant attempt by self-appointed morality-police to impose religious beliefs on the rest of society.

The Australian Catholic Church stands to lose billions in annual revenue from their extensive aged-care operations if assisted dying is legalised and competition for places at aged-care facilities is reduced.

These facilities are very good at doing one thing — appropriating significant portions of one's accumulated life savings in order that one may sit and wait patiently for one's own death before being allowed to bequeath anything that remains to surviving family members.

Archbishop Prowse and friends, despite the church being implicated in multiple sexual abuse scandals, claim to speak from a position of moral authority on behalf of the weak and vulnerable, without a trace of humility or contrition.

James Allan, Narrabundah

If, as claimed by Danny Samuels (Letters, May 18) and Israeli spokesmen, Hamas is organising Palestinian border protesters to hide terrorists and armed insurgents, why are not the Israeli armed forces using their vastly superior technology and firepower to target those insurgents, rather than the civilians they claim have been coerced into providing a soft target?

G. Williams, Gowrie

WINNING KEY ISSUE

So much has been said and written about the popularity of the Brumbies and the competition in Canberra. It's so basic. If the Brumbies started to win, the crowds would start to return, regardless of venue considerations, rules, and everything else.

Bruce Kennedy, Melba

NOTT NOT BEAN

Re the electorate debate: Not Bean. It should have been Nott.

Bea Duncan, Barton

ABC CAN'T WIN

No doubt if the ABC had not sent anyone to cover the royal wedding Mr Bolt and his commentariat friends would have seen it as Ratbag, Republican, royal-hating, left-wing political correctness gone mad.

Peter Edsor, Bungendore

COLOUR CODE

I wonder if the Queen realised she was paying a tribute to Meghan by wearing the colours of the women's movement at the wedding, ie green and purple. If so, well done her majesty.

Mary Robbie, Aranda

HOT STUFF

Re the wedding: It was hot gospel from a "hot curry" preacher.

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

SUN JOINS FESTIVITIES

Re the wedding: I thought the sun never really shone in England.

Mokhles K Sidden, South Strathfield, NSW

FOOD SWAP

Throwing fast food wrapping out the windows of motor vehicles is a testimony to stupidity. It would be more nutritious to eat the wrapping and discard the contents.

Matt Ford, Crookwell, NSW

EBOLA THREAT

For all our sakes let's hope the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be contained.

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic

ISRAEL'S STANCE

What is Israel meant to do, to avoid a so-called "disproportionate" response to Hamas stirrers? Get the Israeli army to burn tyres and hurl rocks? Fair go. This is a war!

Percival Vere, Dickson

NO. 1 PRIORITY

Yes, Ross Kelly (Letters, May 19), PM Turnbull's actions are only ever about Malcolm Turnbull.

Patricia Saunders, Chapman

STEP UP SECURITY

The obvious way to stop mass shootings of students is to have airport-level security at every school.

Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor

LOSING SIDE

So, after the Victorian debacle and Mr Lomax's payout it's CFMEU 3, Trade Union Royal witch-hunt 0. Nice work Tony.

M. Moore, Bonython

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