It trumpets loudly about human rights but tramples over the rights of others. It terrorises the primary producers who supply us with food, frightens school children to tears and enlists them in protests for political gain.

It has used wealth, power and influence to debase the reputation of Margaret Court and to destroy the career of Israel Folau for daring to hold opinions not to its liking.

It uses the law to prosecute compassionate people who dare to publicly mourn the countless thousands of unborn infants sacrificed on the altar of "convenience".

It talks of stopping bullying in schools but only really cares about a tiny minority of victims.

It also hopes to use taxpayer dollars to socially engineer our society and push children down a path they would not otherwise follow.

The first thing Hitler did when he gained power was to muzzle the press. This was, and is, the trademark of a totalitarian government. The recent raids on a News Corp journalist and the ABC are not only an attempt to muzzle the whistleblowers but also to control the media.

If you take away their anonymity their careers and lives can be irreparably damaged.

I recall Julian Assange saying that in all cases it is better if the truth comes out. Whatever his personal shortcomings in his private life, he has suffered disproportionate punishment.

Most of us find it hard to believe our government did not know about, and authorise, these last two raids. Most would believe they were timed for after the election.

Most would also believe if they are allowed to get away with this they will have achieved their goal; to frighten off potential whistle blowers.

Blame does not lie with our government alone. The Catholic Church has used every legal method it could, including some dubious methods, to silence its whistle blowers.

Most of us would believe any society that fails to protect people who expose wrongdoing deserves the consequences.

Australians are often critical of some elements of law enforcement in the USA but the events of the past couple of days demonstrate that we could learn a lot from our American cousins.

Since the beginning of the Trump presidency two American public servants have relentlessly pursued truth and justice and resisted the pressure of the executive branch of government to stop them doing their jobs.

Head of the FBI, James Comey's, refusal to bow to presidential pressure cost him his job.

Special counsel Robert Mueller doggedly sought the truth about Russian interference in the 2016 election despite a campaign by Trump to thwart, discredit and ridicule him.

By contrast, the Australian Federal Police appears to have become a partisan arm of executive government and stands accused of acting more like a praetorian guard than a police force.

This week's heavy-handed raids on the ABC's Ultimo offices and Annika Smethurst's Canberra home have nothing to do with protecting national security.

They are a blunt message to journalists and whistleblowers that publication of material that is embarrassing to the government is likely to lead to those responsible going to jail.

We should do our utmost to resist this assault on our rights as citizens in a democracy.

In defending the AFP raid on Annika Smethurst Scott Morrison said: "all Australians must abide by national security laws".

Perhaps he could explain why the number one priority in upholding our nation's laws appears to be to intimidate, persecute and prosecute those who have the decency and integrity to expose the criminal behaviour of our government on the one hand, while ignoring its behaviour and that of its servants, including senior ministers and heads of its so-called "intelligence" services on the other?

The Treasurer reportedly met with the banks prior to the Reserve Bank cutting the base interest rate and told them to pass on the full cut.

Two of the major banks have decided not to pass on the rate cut. The Treasurer now states there is nothing the government can do about it.

He advised customers to shop around.

Given the federal government issues all bank licenses surely it could impose conditions on them requiring the banks to pass on all base interest rates cuts in full.

All that is lacking is the will to do so.

A recent UN report revealed a million of the world's species are threatened with extinction. The chief reasons for this include habitat destruction on an enormous scale, and out-of-control hunting.

We are losing some of our most valued, loved and iconic species.

The most endangered species include: Javan rhinos (60 still survive); Sumatran rhinos (about 100); the black rhino (critically endangered); the Qinling panda (fewer than 350); the South China tiger (not seen for 50 years); the Sumatran tiger (fewer than 500); the Sumatran elephant (fewer than 2000); and the Sumatran orangutan (about 6600 still survive).

Of the gorillas, 200-300 of the Cross River subspecies and 900 Mountain Gorillas are left in the wild. And a mere 70 Amur leopards still exist, due mainly to hunting for their beautiful fur.

The koala is suffering badly from land clearing, habitat fragmentation and increasingly intense bushfires. Between 2.5 and three million koalas were shot for their fur during the late 1800s and early 1900s. As few as 43,000 survive in the wild.

We should be reining in deforestation and ending hunting animals for making trinkets or for use in Chinese "medicines".

There's a group in Canberra calling themselves "Vintage Reds". They are a group of "active retired unionists" and may enjoy watching Dame Judi Dench in the new movie Red Joan.

Dench plays Joan Stanley, a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs who is arrested by the British Secret Service and charged with providing classified scientific information - including details on the building of the atomic bomb - to the Soviet government.

Everyone who lived through, or has read about those post-World War II years would be moved by, if not necessarily enjoy, this film.

Ten years ago the Territory Plan had 1745 pages, 14 precinct codes, and no "precinct maps".

In 2011 Ben Ponton, the director general of the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, signed off on 62 new precinct codes. Only two complied with the Planning and Development Act.

He addressed this problem with a 1000 page Territory Plan variation. It created new codes. It created a new type of planning instrument, called a "precinct map". It authorised precinct maps to permit or prohibit land uses.

It also created a layer of 19 district precinct maps that collectively covered the entire ACT. It also created an overlying layer of more than 100 suburb precinct maps. Some of the precinct maps merely prohibited retirement villages and supportive housing on specific blocks of land. Many served no discernible purpose.

When asked about making such major changes without informing the planning minister, Ponton claimed the variation "merely relocated provisions".

That claim remains uncorrected. He now refuses to clarify whether the variation created codes.

When I told a meeting the Territory Plan had become too complex, an official said our planning system was the "envy" of other jurisdictions. As I recall, that official was the chair of the meeting, Ben Ponton.

Last year he proposed simplifying the Territory Plan to a single page. His latest "You're Canberra" message says, "the Territory Plan has become complex and multi-layered - it's more than 2700 pages long."

Am I the only one who thinks that the ACT's slow march towards legalising marijuana production and consumption is going to end very badly for many people?

With the ACT government's decision to replace the name of "William Slim Drive" due to what remain allegations and nothing more, can we also change the meaning of "shorten" in the English dictionary. The word sends me into uncontrollable spasms with visions of Australia being controlled by socialist, Marxist thought police.

It's high time we take the spotlight away from Libby Lyons, chief executive of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, who can't tolerate that men are better represented when it comes to Queen's Birthday honours, despite women doing more unpaid work. If some poor men need to be patted on the back, what does it say for the women who envy them?

We must accept the recent AFP media raids were not mandated by ministers. They said they didn't and they are honorable men. Henry II didn't order the murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. He asked, rhetorically, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" His sycophantic servants thought they knew what he really wanted.

Now we are on such good terms with the Chinese navy could they lend us some crew so our navy can go to sea?

In the future, Reserve Bank board meetings risk being cancelled for lack of interest.

Yes Rod Holesgrove (Letters, June 6) they have. Three years of Coalition government will make no difference to the environment because of Australia's minute contribution to global greenhouse emissions.

On Monday, June 3, the ABC broadcast its expose of the Tiananmen Square protests. Two days later the AFP raided the ABC in a move China's leaders, then and now, would applaud.

The lyrics of Advance Australia Fair were changed from "Australian sons let us rejoice" to "Australians all let us rejoice" to be inclusive. What's the big deal about changing "we are young and free" to "we are strong and free" for the same reason?

It is now a crime not to report serious criminality by church officials. It is also now a crime to report serious criminality by government officials. While the churches are being forced to reveal criminal acts committed by their own, the government prosecutes whistleblowers, not those they have exposed.

It beggars belief the government is not implicated in the AFP media raids. With every passing day, whether it be Angus Taylor (emissions), Barnaby Joyce (water), Peter Dutton (every word), the elusive Melissa Price or Morrison himself, the duplicitous nature of the government is exposed.

Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attachment. 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).

To send a letter via the online form, click or touch here.