Our education standards have slipped dramatically compared with other countries.

Seems our children will know everything about gender fluidity and climate change, but will know nothing about the important role that coal plays right across the world.

The children obviously don't know that without coal, there is no steel. To make a single wind turbine requires the burning of tons of coal.

Without steel, there are no houses, no large buildings, no cars, trucks, aircraft, trains, buses or ships.

Virtually all household appliances, from irons to fridges, require steel.

And, the little darlings better practise using chopsticks, as knives, forks and spoons are usually made with steel.

Given that Australia's carbon dioxide emissions represent but a fraction of global carbon dioxide emissions, any reductions we make will have a minimal effect.

Why are we destroying our economy when even Alan Finkel, the chief scientist, is reported to have said even if Australia met all its climate change requirements, it would have little or no impact on overall emissions globally.

John Burns, Hall 

Mr McCormack's claim that night sport will end as a consequence of Labor's renewable energy policy ranks with Joyce's $100 lamb roast and Abbott's Whyalla will be wiped of the map in the fear-monger stakes. What next, Shorten is Lucifer? We are in for a devil of an election.

Mike Quirk, Garran

Scott Morrison is parroting a line invented by John Howard; that Australians who joined Islamic State or its precursors should just be abandoned by Australia.

That's what Howard and Abbott did about David Hicks.

The same principle has since been applied to Australian men who fought for Islamic State.

Now it is the turn of the Australian women who married Islamic State fighters.

Morrison effectively says that even though they are Australian citizens we should just wash our hands of them.

That's not the approach we took with George Pell. A lot of effort was put into bringing him home to face justice.

It's not the approach we take with refugees who come here by boat. Even though they aren't our citizens, we spend a lot of money to lock them away on Manus Island and Nauru.

When a Labor government wanted to send some of these people away to Malaysia, the Liberals joined with the Greens to make sure they were kept in detention.

Washing our hands of people is absolutely not the approach we take with refugees who come here by plane.

The current government lets them in and then allows them to stay.

Just a few weeks ago, we made a huge fuss about one of these people who was arrested in Thailand. We went to considerable lengths and expense to get him back here.

So just what is the big danger, problem, or whatever, with Australian citizens who joined Islamic State?

There is ample action we can take once we get these Australian citizens within the reach of our courts.

Grant Agnew, Coopers Plains, Qld

On March 12, 1913, our nation's capital was formally named Canberra.

On April 12, 2005, the ACT Honour Walk, commemorating those who have played an important role in the founding and shaping of our city, was dedicated.

Among the plaques on this Honour Walk is one to James (Jim) Fraser.

The dedication reads in part: "It was often said that Jim Fraser acted not only as the ACT's local Member of Parliament, but as its Mayor, Senator and Ombudsman ... Jim was an advocate for all Canberrans."

Contrast this to those current government ministers excoriated in Jack Waterford's article "Libs dig in to last dollar" (March 9, Forum, p1) in which is detailed the patronage, nepotism, cronyism, stacking of statutory boards and laying of landmines in the form of contracts with massive compensatory clauses should they be revoked in the future.

While elements of this type of behaviour are not absent from the opposition's book of dirty tricks, the current Coalition government has plunged shamelessly to new lows.

Politicians such as Jim Fraser and other decent electoral representatives of whatever political stripe would surely be disgusted with what now passes for public service to one's peoples by those at the highest levels of government.

I know I am.

Ann Darbyshire, Hughes

A living wage is absurd ("Labor prepares to legislate a 'living wage' by changing the Fair Work Act", canberratimes.com, March 13). It costs more to live in Sydney than it does in Mt Gambier. And it is far less expensive to live with Mum and Dad than have a place of one's own.

If politicians and well-paid employers can decide the wages of low-skilled workers, surely low-skilled workers have the right to fix the wages of the meddling classes.

Were that to happen my guess is that well-paid know-it-alls would take a pay cut.

I propose annual salaries for the following vocations according to the good they do to society.

Inventors, innovators and poets: $100,000.

Scientists, pilots, doctors and mathematicians: $90,000.

Corporate CEOs, bartenders and nurses: $80,000.

Drivers, labourers, clerks, prostitutes, fireman and police officers: $70,000.

Politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers, economists, union officials, world improvers and TV presenters: $50,000.

The above list is not comprehensive but it would be a move to a fairer distribution of national income.

Victor Diskordia, McKellar

Every animal lover in Canberra should feel sadness and outrage at the wanton slaughter of Mimosa, a defenceless pet alpaca who was a service animal, by a dog that clearly has behavioural problems and was owned by a man cruel enough to film the attack.

Domestic Animal Services cannot sit on its collective hands and claim it has no responsibility here.

It just isn't good enough for Mr Lantzke, Mimosa's owner, to be told "rangers are collecting evidence".

Vicious dogs and their equally vicious owners have no place in our civil society.

This was a clear case of unmitigated cruelty and the RSPCA should act if DAS is unwilling or unable or too apathetic to act.

Someone knows this person and his dog.

Contact DAS and urge it to act.

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

While Bill Shorten should be thanked for offering Canberra $200 million towards the cost of the tram he also needs to be made aware the funds could be better spent elsewhere.

The ACT government can't adequately fund public housing: provision has fallen from 45 units per 1000 people in 1995 to under 28 now, resulting in rising numbers "sleeping rough", rental stress and the nation's least affordable housing for young people.

The ACT government can't adequately fund public medical services.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported last December Canberra locals have by far the longest waits in emergency departments and that our year-long elective surgery waiting times are four times the national average.

It is also unable to fund mental health services. Only 40 per cent of the people who present receive treatment within the clinically recommended timeframe.

The ACT government can't adequately fund public education. The Grattan Institute recently stated ACT schools "trail the nation" on a like-for-like basis. It said the trend was getting worse.

The ACT government can't fund adequate urban infrastructure. The steadily deteriorating state of our parks, footpaths and public areas is visible to all.

So, before stumping up a fraction of the funds needed to replace a fast and efficient bus route with an outdated and inflexible tram, Mr Shorten should think about the good $200 million could do for Canberrans dependent on public services.

If you insist on spending it on transport, replace the oldest half of the Transport Canberra fleet with modern electric buses and return the operating-cost savings as additional services.

Kent Fitch, Nicholls

Among the many critiques of the Bill Shorten promise of $200 million for the second stage of light rail (Letters, March 14), Douglas Mackenzie thinks there will be few viable stops along Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen.

My fear is the present playing fields along the eastern part of this route will be sold off to help pay for the tramway.

I imagine the government will find such a course well nigh irresistible. In addition to the huge development revenue, there would also be fewer parks to maintain. The fact nothing has been said about these playing fields to date is very concerning.

I, for one, want a guarantee they will be saved for community use.

James Walcott, Mawson

Bill Shorten's premature endorsement of the second stage of the Canberra tram has probably kyboshed the one big chance Labor had of unseating Senator Zed Seselja.

Shorten has been poorly advised in this matter. He does not seem to understand just how on the nose the project is for many Canberrans, particularly in the south which has always been Senator Zed's heartland.

If Shorten had declined to endorse the second stage until a business case had been made Labor would have likely secured more Senate votes, possibly even unseating Zed.

That is an outcome that can't come soon enough for many of us.

Don Sephton, Greenway

I am getting a bit tired of your anti-light rail correspondents, even from the normally splendid Douglas Mackenzie (Letters, March 14).

Their sentiments might have some legitimacy were we not in a climate crisis which demands a rapid shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

This means the electrification of transport and that includes light rail.

Yes, we could go electric buses but the great advantage of light rail is that it carries a lot of people on new carriageways and not on existing roads.

As for the bareness, the trees are in and growing so Northbourne will be green again before long.

I look forward to the opening of the Gunghalin line and the extension to Woden.

Jenny Goldie, Cooma

Canberra Grammar School has added to its already unacceptable daily traffic disruption by creating a second exit from its new car park bordering Mugga Way. The gutter crossing seems designed to block any significant water flow. Was this exit authorised?

John McEwen, Red Hill

Yes I was guilty of delaying NBN connection, but a couple of years ago the last "upgrade" caused no internet, no landline, and the expense of a private "fix-it" man to fix it.

When I received another recorded-message landline call on Friday reminding me that I had but months, I sighed and decided to agree.

The voice said to press 1 if I wished to proceed. I pressed 1. The phone then went dead. There was no one on the other end, ominous?

Kathryn Spurling, Chifley

On farms in Australia any dog attack on stock almost always results in the dog being destroyed on the spot.

That is what should have happened to the dog that attacked the alpaca earlier this week. The owner should also be fined heavily for not having it on a leash, not calling it back and then so disgustingly filming the attack.

Janet Tuckerman, Duffy

Brian Stonebridge (Letters, March 12) used the words "soft racism" in relation to the banning of the Black Magic balloon.

By prefixing "racism" with "soft" he expects to get away with "confronting" racism.

He must know that, by definition, the balloon cannot be racist. Nor is the owner for flying the balloon.

It is typical of the ACT government to have a knee-jerk reaction to one complaint. The decision has costs a business money and impacted on the enjoyment of thousands.

Is the RAAF balloon the next in line. Some may say it looks menacing.

Jevon Kinder, Murrumbateman, NSW

My heart goes out to the people of New Zealand.

M. Moore, Bonython

BLANKET BLACK BAN

The banning of the "Golliwog" balloon by Events ACT must be causing some concern for the ACT library service. What about Conrad's Nigger of the 'Narcissus, Shaw's The Black Girl in Search of God and Waugh's Black Mischief?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

CLOSE CALVARY

If Calvary hospital is unwilling to provide the full range of health services to those seeking them it has no place in the public health system.

Fred Pilcher, Kaleen

SAVED BY INCOMPETENCE

Senator Zed has been copping a bit of flack for being ineffective and not representative of the people of the ACT. His critics overlook his most significant achievement. As Peter Dutton's numbers man in the Turnbull coup his ineptitude saved us from the horrors of a Dutton prime ministership.

Rob Ey, Weston

WINDSOR RETHINK

I have a question for the voters of the federal electorate of New England. On view of recent events was the previous member, Tony Windsor, that bad after all?

Greg Simmons, Lyons

FULL-TIME FOOLS

In the lead up to the budget in April and federal election in May the adage about fooling some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time is once again, becoming a top priority.

What eventuates on election day will demonstrate sufficient people can be fooled all of the time.

John Sandilands, Garran

MONASH MUST STAY

Monash Drive should stay as an option. In 50 years we may all be driving solar electric cars; the costs for trams and buses may have made them too expensive.

John Skurr, Deakin

EMPTY PEWS

John Popplewell (Letters, March 13) asked if if we'd been to church lately. I have. Unlike John, I didn't see "rows and rows of people in pews, a large majority, female". I saw rows and rows of almost empty pews. The few people in the pews were mostly women.

G. Barker, Flynn

FILM THE DOG OWNER

Vale Mimosa, the gentle therapy alpaca that was mauled by an off-leash dog while the dog's owner filmed the attack. Let's see film of the dog owner when he is sentenced.

John Davenport, Farrer

US NEEDS SCOMO

The US government doesn't need to build a wall along its border with Mexico. All they need is ScoMo, the brick wall who stands alone.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

GOODBYE TO THE GANG

The end is nigh for ScoMo and the gang.

N. Ellis, Belconnen

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