The proposed route via Commonwealth Avenue and State Circle is a quick walk from residences only in a short section between Hobart Avenue and Adelaide Avenue.

Similarly, it is close to residences in the section along Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen only between Hopetoun Circuit and Kent Street-Novar Street in Deakin and Yarralumla.

These facts indicate that there would probably be few, if any, people wanting to board the train except at either end of the route. For these people, the existing 300 series Action bus route provides a direct and quick link between Civic and Woden every three to eight minutes.

I suggest that there are much better ways to spend up to $1.6 billion of ACT taxpayers’ money.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

The article by Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed ("Bad News then worse; ACT budget through lens of ex Treasury boffin", canberratimes.com.au, March 9) indicates that the ACT government is now borrowing for recurrent initiatives and changes in other operating costs and more.

This should be very disturbing to all Canberra residents and business owners.

The normal budgetary practice is for governments to borrow for items such as capital works, which by their nature can increase employment, generate multiplier benefits for industries, improve productivity, increase efficiencies and provide a benefit for future generations.

These aspects compensate and offset for the additional interest from these borrowings which current and future Canberrans have to pay back through their rates, taxes and fees.

There are conceivably no benefits for Canberrans when the Barr government is now apparently borrowing for the actual day to day operating costs of government.

How parlous then is the real state of the ACT budget under the Barr government? The Stanhope/Ahmed article suggest that it has significantly deteriorated since the last budget update.

This is despite the massive year on year increases in residential rates (for houses and apartments), commercial property rates, and other taxes, fees and fines.

Given this worsening budget situation, one would have to seriously question why the Barr government is still progressing stage two (Civic to Woden) light rail with its estimated lowest cost estimate of $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion.

Whilst there are benefits to the community from capital works as outlined above, this project should surely now be deferred until the ACT government budget situation improves.

Ron Edgecombe, Evatt

Please, Mr Barr, give up the idea of a southbound stage of the light rail just at the moment.

Instead do the west-east route – Belconnen to airport.

A much better chance of viability, servicing universities, schools, shopping centres, War Memorial, government offices, markets, light industrial area of Fyshwick, Majura Park and business hub and the airport.

Let us stop squandering space for the provision of Wilson carparks to accommodate the rapidly-growing number of cars by providing a workable alternative means of travel.

No doubt, the taxi companies, Uber drivers, Sun Hung Kai Properties (aka Wilson Parking) et al will complain but they will adapt – there will always be some travellers preferring private transport to and from the airport.

Patricia Watson, Red Hill

Our semi-perpetual Labor-Greens administration seems consumed by the need to create some big, tangible, quasi-impressive "innovation" to make them feel "with-it" and contemporary, even forward-looking.

Sadly, the very opposite is the case as they wade ever deeper into folly with their outdated, inflexible and vastly expensive tram system. It is patently obvious that, for an efficient transit system, what this beautiful, developing city needs is a network of electric buses, battery-powered, and modest-sized which can be deployed where and when needed.

That, to me, would be a modern, technically and socially attractive public transport system of which we could all be proud, and thus would go a long way to encouraging us to leave our cars in the garage.

The thought of a tramway coming south over Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, pushing into Parkes and Barton and ripping up the beautiful, venerable trees on that fine avenue fills me with horror.

The extravagance of stage one of the tramway, in the face of repeated, well-founded technical and financial advice to the contrary, is now tragically a fait accompli. Let it proceed no further.

Sandy Paine, Griffith

So, Mr Shorten is promising to contribute $200 million to Stage 2 of Canberra’s light rail.

This may sound a considerable sum but is not much in the context of the overall project cost, for construction and the 20 years to pay for and operate it.

The government has given estimates of $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion for construction.

Because these figures are taken not to include the interest cost of capital, independent estimates for the minimum contract cost are in the order of $2.6 to $3.2 billion.

Stage 2 would impose a huge and untenable burden on the ACT budget at $130 million to $160 million per annum for 20 years, on top of the minimum average $49 million per annum already committed for Stage 1 (all costs in today’s money).

Given a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract, as for Stage 1, the $200 million will just about cover the interest cost that the ACT government could have saved taxpayers by borrowing the money itself at bond rates to pay the capital cost of construction.

M. Flint, Smart Canberra Transport, Erindale

Visiting Canberra several months back, I was shocked and disgusted that trams were being installed along the "main drag", Northbourne Avenue.

All very well but in doing so all of the beautiful trees have been removed along the centre of this road. As a former resident I consider this to be a national disgrace.

I say a pox on those who decided to go ahead with trams down this former wonderful tree-lined avenue. Where were the "Greens" when this idea was first mooted?

Buses, as previously used, can alter routing unlike fixed route trams.

Peter Johnson, Robina, Qld

Apparently, the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, believes that "at the moment Britain’s best friend in the world is Australia" ("Budding friend of May, Brandis pleads to keep job", March 10, p9).

I don’t think so. As a best friend, the Australian government would have told the Brits, again and again, to wise up and have a second, honest, referendum about their witless decision to leave the EU, since the first one was based on xenophobia, outright ignorance, false advertising, and calculated lies.

A best friend would have told them, again and again, that they shouldn’t welsh on their Good Friday international agreement with Ireland which guarantees open borders with the British-controlled north of Ireland — this is the so-called back-stop that Perfidious Albion wants to be rid of.

But I doubt that the Australian government could keep a straight face if it were to chide the Brits about xenophobia, outright ignorance, false advertising, calculated lies and welshing on international treaties with small nations like Ireland, or East Timor.

Fortunately, Ireland has gallant allies in Europe. Unfortunately (for Australia) the Indo-Pacific minnows may well have communist China unless the Australian government learns from the Brexit debacle the power of small nations in big alliances, and the dangers of pandering to xenophobia.

P O’Keeffe, Hughes

As a long-standing member of the Liberal Party, I noted the cartoon on page 18 of The Canberra Times (March 10) entitled "Life of Liberals" was very cleverly written, particularly where one of the victims says "I could’ve beaten Bill ... and so could my wife." This cartoon would have been funny if the victims were marching off to the Alexander McConachie Centre or Long Bay Jail, but as it represents the Crucifixion, particularly during Lent and leading up to Good Friday, it is in bad taste.

Anne Prendergast, Reid

Had the various major international airline crashes in the past several months involved Ilyushin planes, we’d have been reminded at every bulletin that they were "Russian-built", lest we forget how incompetent and useless Russians are.

But being Boeings, there’s no need to mention design and manufacturing origin. Like there never is in Airbus crashes.

Everyone evidently knows. Just as, as it turns out, a surprisingly high proportion of Australians can’t say who Scott Morrison is or recognise him from a photo.

Where would we be without subtle, pervasive mind-control propaganda?

Alex Mattea, Sydney, NSW

Owen Reid (letters, March 8) raises an interesting point about a viable alternative party to vote for.

In the UK, desertions from the major parties have forced Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to shift ground on positions they previously claimed were inviolable. Unfortunately for the rebels, they are now hung out to dry; probably politically dead unless their electors reward their stand at the next election, which may or may not be years away.

Recent Coalition retirements and resignations don’t seem to have had the same effect, only leading to even more frenzied extremism.

S. Davey, Torrens

T. Henderson of Holder is right when he refers to the danger if small children ingest nicotine, (Nicotine dangers, Letters, March 8), but the home is a disaster waiting to happen for most small children.

Think tiny batteries being swallowed, burns from fires and ovens, ‘trying’ adult medications, unsupervised swimming pools, etc.

As it is impossible to remove all risks, greater responsibility must be taken by parents and other adults.

It is naive to imagine that ‘just quit’ is the answer for those who have a nicotine addiction: some may be able to, many can’t.

Roger Dace, Reid

Having read "An open letter to Canberra families" (advertisement, March 8, p9) Iquestion what the signatories and we, as a community, have learnt from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

This letter seems to place the reputation of the institution, in this case public schools, ahead of its responsibility to protect, from sickening abuse, the children committed to its care.

It also seems to diminish (if not dismiss) those parents making a genuine complaint, and in desperation going public, by conflating them with "a small number of people at any point in time who are dissatisfied".

They are defending a process for dealing with complaints which the minister, by calling for a review, has shown is clearly not working in far too many cases (if reports in The Canberra Times are to be believed).

There is no hint of sympathy for the victims or anything that offers them and their families an apology.

The final irony is to say the process for dealing with abuse claims at public schools should be conducted in-house under the veil of secrecy to avoid placing "significantly greater stress on people who are already in a stressful situation".

This puts concern for their wellbeing ahead of recognising and responding compassionately, promptly, effectively and transparently to the trauma endured by the victims and their families.

David Swan, Holder

When our children head off to school each day we remain responsible for the way they conduct themselves in the classroom.

We do not hold their school responsible for their core values.

The role of the school is to complement what we do at home and help build skills and knowledge for their future.

There are many children from difficult family circumstances who need guidance, care and compassion that they do not get at home, but their circumstances are the exception.

Parents parent. Teachers teach. Children learn.

We fail our kids if we abrogate our obligations to others.

Mark Slater, Melba

LOCAL LIBS NO BETTER

One of the saddest things about the drone invasion is Liberal Party members in the Legislative Assembly seem just as much in favour of it as the Labor Party. The Labor-Greens government, pathetic as it is, will keep getting elected unless the Liberal Party can stop being so ideologically driven and start trying to find out what the Canberra community actually wants from a government.

D. Edwards, Weston

GET OVER IT JOYCE

So now Barnaby Joyce is bleating about how he is really "the elected deputy prime minister of Australia". My head hurts, badly.

Sue Dyer, Downer

OUTRAGED AGAIN?

I note the ACT Minister for Outrage, Bec Cody, is at it again.

Now she’s outraged by senior public servants’ wage increases.

I would really like to know what she does between outrages.

T. White, Evatt

REVOLVING DOORS

It was only in 2013 that the current Federal Government was elected, promising stability. Since then this same government has foisted upon us no fewer than three prime ministers, three treasurers, three environment ministers, two deputy prime ministers, two ministers for foreign affairs and trade ... and the list goes on. What’s next? A partridge in a pear tree?

Annie Lang, Kambah

TRAMS NOT THE PROBLEM

We do not need barriers to stop stupid people from getting hit by the tram. The person who was hit was wearing ear phones and crossed against a red signal. What happened to parent and school training of kids on road safety? I feel for the driver. The person who walked in front of the tram needs to get a licence in how to cross roads.

V. Harris, Yass, NSW

NOT THE SMARTEST MOVE

At the reopening of Christmas Island the PM referred to himself as a "brick wall". Was this a reference to his physique or an an acknowledgment he is as thick as a brick? Many in the electorate have already settled on the latter explanation.

Howard Carew, Isaacs

JESUS SAID

Peter Ellett (Letters, March 12) is confused about where the values underpinning his "civilised response" of mercy towards Islamic State’s Shamima Begum have come from. It’s not the enlightenment, as Ellett purports, but from the teaching of Jesus to love your enemies.

Richard Rowe, Isaacs

A HEAVY TOLL

By the time we finally get to the NRL Grand Final this year are there going to be enough players from the two last teams still standing to actually play the game?

N. Ellis, Belconnen

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.

Keep your letter to 250 or fewer words. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).