The adult imprisonment rate has increased 72 per cent between 2000 and 2019. Children in "out of home" care has tripled in the past 15 years. Add to that a 40 per cent increase in suicide and self-harm in a decade, and youth detention almost 22 times more than non-Indigenous youth.

Although there are some positive improvements in some areas, they are still embarrassing statistics. All the enthusiastic "closing the gap" targets and COAG commitments seem to be distant aspirations and rhetoric. Can the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a Constitutional/legislative voice, truth telling and treaty be the saviour or at least go some way to improving the lives of our Indigenous citizens?

We live in hope. The government's policy responses to date have been premised on funding, grants and basically a "cash splash". They have clearly been hopelessly ineffective.

Re: "Indigenous anthem strikes chord" (canberratimes.com.au, December 7). Indigenous recognition is very important but I disagree strongly with those promoting the singing of the national anthem in an Indigenous language as a permanent practice at international events.

Such singing would be a racist, politically correct, and divisive.

I am not opposed to regular singing of an anthem in a language spoken regularly by a large minority of the population (as in Canada and New Zealand) but I suspect that less than one hundredth of one percent of Australians would be fluent in the Indigenous language sung on Saturday. Such use of a language is fraudulent.

Australia should have one national anthem, sung by all Australians, in the only language in which almost all Australians are fluent. Similarly, Australia should have only one national flag which is representative of all Australians, not many flags representing many cultures. It is ironic the television coverage of the singing of the anthem in an Indigenous language had as a backdrop a grandstand which seemed to be covered in Union Jacks.

One national anthem and one national flag are important promoters of national unity.

Re: "Sydney harbour to LBG; It's plane sailing" (December 8, p3). Your reporter said this would be the first time a seaplane has landed on the lake.

That is not correct. During a Canberra Festival years ago, in the glory days when we used to have things like the bird man rally, a de Havilland Beaver came to the lake. I think the pilot was Vic Walton, well known locally and who ran a seaplane business in Sydney. I wish reporters would be more careful when making statements such as "for the first time ever..."

Destined to become the Barr legacy and Gentleman's swan song is the waste hub on Ipswich St (due for notification over the festive holiday period).

Already approved is Gentleman's dream of a rail freight terminal to be used for waste to Woodlawn landfill and Port Botany. The ACT guideline of 500 metres from residents has been ignored to accommodate the CRS-associated toxic metal fragmentising.

On the very same block concrete crushing emits silica dust over the surrounding area. It is grim for the 200 or so long term occupants of the Southside Village at Symonston who live closer than the 500m.

Located on Lithgow Street, adjacent to the waste hub proposed by associated company CRS is a metal fragmentising operation that will be served by the approved CRS waste train.

Had the ACT Planning and Land Authority undertaken assessment in the more rigorous impact track for these very noisy open-air fragmentisers emitting toxic particles, then, by law, residents would need to live more than one kilometre away.

All of this justifies Minister Steel's call for the location outside of Fyshwick of such major waste recycling and processing facilities.

Re: John Gorton Drive bridge.

The federal government has stumped up $85.7 million as encouragement to the ACT government to get a wriggle on and build this vital piece of infrastructure to serve our community.

The pounding the existing road pavement is experiencing from heavy civil engineering traffic is asking too much of this "country lane" piece of roadwork. Build it soon.

On the nature strip that runs from London Circuit to City Hill must be the healthiest population of rabbits in Canberra.

In the afternoons I have counted about 12 just laying back enjoying the sun, or gambolling about, oblivious to the cars passing nearby.

A few were within 10 metres of London Circuit. While some are the usual grey colour, there are several light brown ones. Perhaps a recently minted "ACT Minister for Rabbit Control" could hop over and consider what action should be taken to remove them. Otherwise they may break out into plague proportions... perhaps they may invade the House of Assembly.

Surely, after the latest evidence-free, delusional rant by Donald Trump about the "fraudulent" 2020 Presidential election, it is time for Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet (especially Attorney-General Barr) to invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, and remove this dangerous buffoon from the Presidency, until the adults take over on January 20th, 2021.

If the Chinese want a trade war with Australia we are in big trouble. They can stop buying anything we produce and cripple supply and manufacturing in Australia one industry at a time.

If that is a worry, remember they also make our taps, our tools, our locks and latches, power-points, fixings and fasteners. Within six months the Chinese could stop all building projects in Australia.

"Scotty from marketing" is already in trouble trying to sell our stuff. He would need to retrain to become "Scotty from purchasing" just to keep us buying the stuff that we once made ourselves.

This week is book-ended by two memorable dates; December 7, the anniversary of the Japanese Navy's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and December 12, the day the Chinese city of Nanking fell to the Japanese Army in 1937.

More people were killed in Nanking than at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. They did not perish in seconds. Over the next three weeks men, women and children, whether they be civilians or prisoners of war, were massacred by the Japanese Army using every refinement of atrocity that they could imagine.

So I guess we can expect the Japanese Ambassador to take some occasion some time this week to sound the Nara Peace Bell again, just to remind us what happens in war. Yeah, sure.

Re: "It doesn't get any better than this", (December 7, pp16-17).

Nicholas Stuart's sentence "it doesn't get any better than this..." leaves it open to anyone to provide a different ending. Maybe we could say "It doesn't get any better" for Chinese propagandists when Stuart compares a single trip by the Prime Minister and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping's travel to every state in Australia.

Maybe we could finish the sentence with "for Morrison's massive lead in the polls". Or, perhaps, "when every Australian is free to vote for their government of choice". Or, "when Chinese students come in their thousands to attend our universities". Or that "Australia is a democratic country with the rule of law; not an arbitrary dictatorship".

Stuart's article is reminiscent of the type of propaganda that was disseminated by our enemies during World War II.

When commenting on Zhao Lijian's SAS-centered meme, which proved exquisitely targeted, as demonstrated by triggering a hyperbolic, apoplectic marketing effort from Morrison, China's Deputy Ambassador perceptively observed, "the leadership...have been ill advised by people who consume tax". ("PM 'overreacted' to post: Chinese diplomat", December 5, p29).

Has anyone rung a call centre and not been asked to "Please listen carefully as our options have recently changed"?

A lovely ending for Speck the wandering pup from Yass. But it should not have come down to social media to locate her owner. Microchipping should be made mandatory.

Uplifting to see the Wallabies team singing the first verse of our national anthem in the Eora language. We'll never hear an AFL team do that. They can't sing it in English.

Owing to President Xi Jinping's recent actions on trade with Australia, I will now, for the first time ever, be able to afford the luxury of lobster this Christmas. Thank you Xi, have a happy Christmas.

China has played down the doctored image as the work of an "artist". We should unleash our cartoonists on them and see who will have the last laugh.

The breach of border security involving a couple of tourists flying through Sydney to Melbourne in breach of quarantine could cause another Victorian lockdown. Where's Josh? The self-appointed critic of such things is being very quiet.

Donald Trump once said that if he lost the American Presidential election, he may leave the country. Is Scott Morrison prepared for the possibility that he might come to Australia?

Nicholas Stuart's column "Scott Morrison's China response framed with a simple message" (December 7, p16) dripped with vitriol and bile. He must suffer from David Pope envy when it comes to the PM. Is there no editorial oversight of the opinion pages?

In saying the United States is a nation in which elections are "rigged" President Trump has wounded America more than its enemies have managed in 50 years. There must be a word for it.

Australia's COVID-19 death tally should be adjusted. I imagine it would be much greater if we included the COVID-19 deaths of Australian citizens who have been stranded overseas.

Australia is about to be reminded just how difficult Chinese characters are to read, especially in the context of kowtowing. It's not so much inscrutable as excruciating.

Having worked in the international civil service, I learnt long ago a good politician thinks twice before saying nothing. It seems our PM is yet to learn this lesson.

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