In my email, I wrote as someone who is supporting a family of four on nothing but the Newstart payment ($601.10 per fortnight, excluding Family Tax Benefit which all families receive). We are struggling to provide our children with what might be considered a normal childhood. I am concerned they will grow up stigmatised by deprivation and inequality.

During the recent school holidays, while other families were enjoying the many free holiday activities organised for school children, we could not even afford the cost of public transport to these places. We cannot afford to own or run a car.

On July 15 our youngest child turned eight, which resulted in our support payment automatically changing from the parenting payment to Newstart. Newstart is $175 a fortnight less. Why does the government think that it magically costs $175 a fortnight less to provide for a family when the youngest child turns eight? This reduction is around 45 per cent of our weekly spend on groceries.

I am currently unable to work due to medical reasons. Our family is being forced onto the Newstart benefit, being told that I am expected to take up employment, yet I may have to wait years for the treatment necessary before I can be fit for work.

Newstart is not a viable amount when the median rent in Canberra is $560 a week. We are fortunate to live in community housing, but it is transitional. Will our children ever be able live in a house our family can regard as a home? Rental affordability is not only an issue for the unemployed.

The ACT government's position on the bill proposing legalisation of cannabis for personal use is in a state of discombobulation. On July 29, I received an email from the Chief Minister (without public disclosure caution) which said: "The ACT government does not condone or encourage the recreational use of cannabis or other drugs." If that's the case, then the bill should be withdrawn because with greater availability, greater use follows.

Just one example: a study released on March 26, 2019 in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that the rise in marijuana use in Colorado since the state legalized the drug led to a three-fold increase in marijuana-related emergency room visits to 9,973 between 2012 and 2016. Given the current heavily criticised state of our hospital emergency service areas what would be the unacceptable consequences for both users and non-users in Canberra seeking emergency services at our hospitals?

The Institute of Health and Welfare conducts the National Drug Strategy Household Survey every three years. In 2016 the large sample survey revealed 86 per cent of Australians did not approve of the regular use of cannabis.

Kevin Sabet, former senior drug policy adviser to the Obama Administration said, "Evidence continues to build the case that marijuana legalization results in harmful impacts on public health and safety."

Your article, "Collaery and Witness K 'national heroes'" (July 30, p8), was long overdue. It came as a result of a comment by Senator Nick McKim from the Greens to that effect. When will this country realise that criminal actions by this and previous governments do not deserve to be swept under the carpet. The spying on East Timor was a criminal act.

Perhaps many more Australians may be better acquainted with the motivations of this current government after this airing. "Closed court hearing"? Not in this so-called "democracy", I trust.

I have been given a copy of part of "Ode to Anzac Park East Building" (Panorama, June 1, p11).

I echo remarks made by Stewart Needham, the geologist who worked for the Bureau of Mineral Resources. I too worked for the bureau for over 10 years with the petroleum technology section, recording the progress of the search for oil under the Petroleum Search Subsidy Act. I still hold a copy of a publication named "Wells & Footage Drilled 1964" by myself and John Henry, my supervisor. He, like Steward Needham, was a graduate of the University of London.

I am appalled, to say the least, that a "wrecking ball" is to be used on this soundly built and elegant building.

Who wants the building destroyed to build another building? It is apparent that they have nor egard to tax payers whose taxes paid for it to be built.

As one who moved to Canberra in 1948, when the city only had a population of 26,000, I wonder what building will be next. Perhaps Black Mountain tower? Many wanted it moved to Crace out near the racecourse so it didn't blight their eyes from their homes, or perhaps the War Memorial that I passed every day when I worked at the Bureau of Mineral Resources.

Scott Morrison has accused the Labor Party of unfunded empathy in relation to its suggestion that the Newstart allowance be increased.

This is in contrast to the vacuous empathy displayed by Mr Morrison and members of his government, an approach that, given their recent track record, will shortly be adopted by the Albanese Opposition. Another empathetic example is carbon emissions empathy where it is stated vehemently that emissions are falling when evidence shows they are actually on the increase.

I was disgusted to read Jamila Toderas' "Alone in India, land of contradictions" (Relax, July 28, p22). This article contained every ill-informed portrayal of India imaginable. Toderas paints a picture or describes her preconceptions of Indians being scamming, groping, murdering and uncivilised. Despite being so scared of us, Toderas gladly consumes our culture through yoga, meditation and shopping. She seems happy to take photographs of us, as though our sole purpose is to cater to her Western gaze. Why is it noteworthy that a country of 1.3 billion people isn't the stereotype that an Australian woman imagined when she was "drawn to this country"?

Toderas' article is a superficial and ignorant reflection of India. Toderas completely overlooked the reason why she sees "wealth and poverty from [her] bus window". India was colonised for 200 years. Our country was divided, and our wealth stolen, leaving us to starve to death. According to Toderas, however, beggars and slum-dwellers are just out to scam Western tourists.

In Canberra, brown-skinned people "stick out like a sore thumb" every day. We are othered but tolerated when we put on a costume and dance to an "exotic" song. We watch you pillage our culture through yoga, namastes and "chai tea", just to have you go to our motherland, gawk at us from the window of a bus and complain that we don't "function".

Music venues are worried about complaints due to making noise over 60 decibels. But there is a simple tech solution: give their customers wireless headphones (preferably adjustable, so that they can turn them down to talk and order drinks).

For live bands, this means no need for mega-amplifiers on stage: it would be done wirelessly. And nearby residents can sleep. The only thing lost would be the actual physical sensation of heavy bass, although a low frequency sub-woofer might compensate for this.

I worked for one day at the federal election and was told that $51 will be deposited in a super account as part of my wage package. I explained that I did not have a super account as I was retired and have been doing volunteer work for the past 35 years.

I was told that I did not have any choice and that the super would be placed with the default provider, Australian Super.

I rang Australian Super on a regular basis to try and get the money released. I was told that it had not yet been deposited by Australian Electoral Commission and that I would be notified when it was deposited.

When I rang on August 1, I was told the money had been deposited on July 22 and yet I was never notified.

I asked how I could get the money out of the account only to be told that with insurance and fees there was now a zero balance in the account.

I was told that legislation requires that the super fund must take out an insurance policy even though I already have insurance.

I don't know what can be done about this as I believe that Australian Super did everything that they were required to do and allowed to do.

I think it is about time somebody takes a look at the legislation and realise that it is not serving the customer.

The territory sanctioned slaughter of healthy eastern grey kangaroos is over for yet another year. The acting director of ACT Parks, Justin Foley, claims that kangaroos are "a really important part of our ecosystems" and that they are "valued". That view is incompatible and inconsistent for having just overseen the biggest cull Canberra has ever seen.

Philip Machin's compassionate letter (Letters, July 31) highlighted that after ten years of culling, no government research has been done. This is appalling. Yet the acting director of ACT Parks, Justin Foley, has announced another cull, this time of 4,035 eastern grey kangaroos ("Over 4000 roos culled in Canberra", July 27, p6). The necessity of this wholesale slaughter of our iconic kangaroos has been dispelled by many scientists, researchers and ecologists making this travesty a farce. As a nation we should hang our heads in shame at the way we treat our unique wildlife.

I think that I shall never see a hotel lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the hotel falls, I'll never see a tree at all. (Apology to Ogden Nash)

Those controversial Manuka trees are a real burden, aren't they ("Manuka tree removed from Franklin Street after controversial decision", canberratimes.com.au, July 31)? I don't suppose that it was the development that required the removal of the tree and brings little if any community space, beautification and benefit that may be what is to be labelled controversial. Words, and the way that they are put together, matters.

Joanna Nelson totally misses the point about cyclists on pedestrian crossings (Letters, August 1). The nominal speed limit for them on crossings is twice normal walking pace, many will be much faster. The only way that cyclists can be restricted to walking pace, which is safe for all users including motorists being able to stop, is to ensure that they dismount and push their bicycles across. Rescind the rule that allows them to ride across and the problems are solved.

At last, on August 1, the Canberra Times editorial (page) has moved to the right.

Another editorial written by Rip Van Winkle ("Good noise rules for a harmonious city", August 1) refers approvingly to noise allowed to 12pm and 11pm in major centres. Good grief, people are only arriving at 11pm. They will be greeted with "closed" signs. Andrew Bar has only two constituents: the unions and the developers. Shift these two out of the city and let the noise go free. This silly, quaint noise rule is all because Geocon has bought a site near Garema Square. Buy it back and plant grass, with perhaps a dance floor.

Will the Chinese kill their own people again, this time in Hong Kong? Is this Tiananmen II? The world is watching Mr Xi.

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 186, Fyshwick ACT 2609.

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 (only suburb is published).

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