In all cases ministerial staffers were involved in putting together documents etc (McKenzie said the she never saw or was unaware of the coloured coded spreadsheet, it was done by her staffers).

The same seems to apply to the origins of the letter signed by Taylor. In the PM's case it appears an error of omission by his staffers in not making public the timing of his holiday.

To the person in the street ministerial staffers are mostly unknown or "faceless" people who can exercise considerable influence on decision making outcomes.

They are employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984. Their remuneration is set out in an Enterprise Agreement, currently the MOPS EA 2016 -2019 with salaries ranging from $50K to $269K.

While there is a Statement of Standards for Ministerial Staff to abide by, there are no specified procedures for determining or investigating a breach. Given their influence and remuneration packages, ministerial staffers, like public servants, should be subject to procedures to determine and investigate any work related breaches.

They should also be required to appear before Senate committees as necessary. That only seems fair and reasonable.

It seems amusing our current Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, is "angry" at Holden being shut down by General Motors. Maybe he should talk to Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister, who cut all the government funding keeping the industry alive here.

Abbott later reversed some of that because it was hugely unpopular. But what's Scotty from marketing going to do? Come up with a billion dollar buy-back of Holden so it can be Australian owned and run again?

Why not try though? Some of those jobs being lost are in marginal Liberal or National seats. Maybe they can apply for a female toilet block or sports oval? Maybe they can have a $4 million feasibility study to find out whether the car industry is viable in Australia these days? Maybe Matt Canavan can get a plant moved to his electorate?

The real reason the car industry in Australia has died is because it still believes that V8s and utes are the only cars Australians want.

I feel sorry for the workers losing their jobs. That said, the writing's been on the wall for a decade. Good luck getting retraining grants.

The AFP can find enough firm evidence to justify their raids on journalists reporting something clearly in the public interest and so win a Federal Court case. But they don't have enough evidence, manpower, data, information or initiative to maintain an inquiry into the source of the false information contained in Angus Taylor's letter (and exclusive press release) intended to denigrate Sydney's Lord Mayor.

Will I ever cease to be amazed?

Much of Canberra's bush surrounds were closed before Christmas and remain closed indefinitely "for safety reasons".

When did the ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna become responsible for public safety?

Is this just another example of monumental bureaucratic overreach?

I'm old enough to remember when Australia was a free country.

Are Australians really no longer able (or allowed) to take individual responsibility?

Anyone interested in outdoor pursuits must travel into NSW and beyond.

The ACT is closed for business, closed to tourism, and closed to anyone interested in an outdoor lifestyle.

But of course the bush is so unsafe we must turn it into high density developments, a la Wright and Denman Prospect.

I used to enjoy walking and cycling in Deek's Forest, back when Canberra was open. But, sadly, the "Bush Capital" is no more.

Watching the Firefight Australia concert, I wondered about political leadership; especially Scott Morrison, and then I recalled the words of Hughes Mearns:

"Yesterday upon the stairs

I met a man that wasn't there

He wasn't there again today

I wish, he'd go away".

Rob de Castella disputes the Australian Institute of Sport's allocation of funds ("'Staggered' de Castella takes aim at AIS", February 15, p58).

Among several objections, Mr de Castella queries the level of investment placed on the quest for medals at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, as compared with that provided to promote grassroots sports.

Olympic medals tend to be won by elite athletes trained at great expense under regimes and facilities largely inaccessible to the average person.

Never mind if this gold, silver and bronze reflect just an ephemeral glory on the masses.

Why bother taking up any form of exercise when we have generously sponsored this group of super humans whose sporting achievements we could never dream of attaining ourselves but can still bask on?

Unsurprisingly, our bloated, lethargic, gadget and device addicted populace is in dire need of shaking off the flab while clamouring for more meaningful, healthier outcomes.

A proven, age-old remedy may need revisiting.

Many of us armchair athletes are more likely to get moving and fitter if options are routinely available for modest but readily accessible, affordable sport activities such as those provided by the likes of Rob de Castella with his successfully implemented programs within indigenous communities.

Your editorial of February 12 ("October election surely Labor's to lose") is well balanced and to the point.

But praising Mr Barr on his bushfire effort is a bit over the top considering he was on holidays for half of it. When he did show up he stood in the background while the real front line people of the ESA plus Georgeina Whelan ran the show.

You would have thought that after so many years in government Mr Barr and his mates think the ratepayers of Canberra have IQs around zero.

All of a sudden in a election year Mr Barr has found a money tree in his backyard and is handing the pickings around his Labor and Green ministers to fix up problems which should have been done years ago.

He is promising more if elected again. Give us a break.

We are still waiting for him to deliver what was promised at the last election. Light Rail does not count. It will be a white elephant within 10 years.

I hope Icon Water is actively considering using the Murrumbidgee to Googong pipeline given the recent rains and that Canberra's combined dam water levels are down to 44.9 per cent capacity.

The $140 million pipeline is supposed to be used when the combined dam levels fall below 50 per cent capacity.

In considering this matter Icon Water should also consider triggering its financial arrangement with NSW to release water from the Tantangara Dam in the Snowy Mountains into the Murrumbidgee River.

Over to you, Icon Water.

It seems the more Bridget McKenzie and Prime Minister Morrison struggle to justify their actions in the sports rorts affair, the deeper they sink into a mire of their own making ("PM's office's direct role in grants", February 14, p5). Now it appears that, according to Brian Boyd of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), the PM's office interfered in the sports organisation grants by exchanging "dozens" of email messages with then sports minister Bridget McKenzie.

The final result was 290 applications for grants (or 43 per cent of the total) being successful despite their ineligibility - due either to late submission or changed circumstances at the time.

It was also despite Mr Morrison's telling the Press Club on January 29 that the auditor-general did not find that there were any ineligible projects that were funded under the sports grants scheme.

Not even the Auditor-General has been allowed to see the report from the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Phil Gaetjens, which allegedly dissents from the PM's version of the affair.

The sports rorts affair is beginning to smell like a bad case of athlete's foot.

Celeste Barber is having trouble donating the $51 million she raised for the RFS because it has to fit one of three categories; equipment, training and/or resources. Why not use the money to buy one or even two "Elvis" super water bombers? Then it wouldn't be necessary to hire them from the USA.

Given government ministers' robotic non answers to questions raised at question time in the Parliament, and doorstop questions raised by journalists, the term "machinery of government" takes on a whole new meaning.

What does a miracle cost? Answer, $102 million sports rorts funding, $150 million female facilities water safety stream fund, $272 million Regional Growth Fund, $841 million Building Better Regions Fund and $200 million in taxpayer funded political advertising. Throw in a deal with Palmer who spent $84 million and it's hard to believe in miracles.

Mr Morrison's claim to have a "thick skin" shows, once again, he fails to understand his role. It's his job to take on board criticism from the electorate and develop the policies people need; not to shrug off their valid concerns.

I assume this caring government will give the sacked Holden workers cashless welfare cards so they can't squander their Newstart largesse on drugs and liquor.

Support for a coal fired power plant is strong among the Liberals and the Nationals. Scott Morrison is a strong supporter of coal. The Coalition needs a leader like Malcolm Turnbull to educate them on the harmful effects of coal fired power plants and the benefits of renewable sources.

One of Australia's most iconic and proudest corporate names has been given the boot and 600 employees are to be shown the door. February 17, 2020 is one of the blackest days in our once proud history of manufacturing. RIP Holden and the lion.

Cars are not the problem, Professor Auty, but their polluting petrol and diesel engines are. ("Canberra's love affair with cars - but now it's going diesel", February 14, p3).

Bigoted Australians are reportedly harassing Australians of Asian descent and Asian visitors about the coronavirus. These racists will use any excuse to show their hatred of anybody who doesn't look like them. I'm sure our Asian citizens and visitors are as concerned as anybody and don't need an ugly mob blaming them for it.

Donald Trump often extols the virtues of "high energy". He doesn't know decency maketh the man, and the woman.

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