A more likely explanation is that funds to improve water quality have been diverted to a more urgent ACT government pet project.

No project, in my view, for this national capital is more important than the maintenance of water quality in its lakes; in particular Lake Burley Griffin.

The fencing around the current destruction of West Basin by infilling with hundreds of cubic metres of crushed granite is embellished with the spin message: "Bringing the city and its people to the water".

Currently that water " stinks'' with a toxic odour and colour from probably the worst outbreak of algae ever. It is certainly the worst I have encountered in 40 years of lake swimming.

While the ACT's "Healthy Waterways" blames the outbreak on higher than usual rainfall BOM records note the three month summer rainfall was close to average.

Greater pollutant loads from urban density could be controlled by restarting the stalled Urban Lakes Program or upgrading inefficient Gross Pollutant Traps such as the one at Sullivans Creek. It is now a green soup awaiting a storm.

If these fail then the introduction by the government of dog poo bag dispensing in parks is next. That could be followed by the complete infill of West Basin

Senator Katy Gallagher has called for an overhaul of the way Federal Parliament sits and for a move towards a more flexible workplace. The question is, how will going to the media achieve anything but personal publicity? There are only 227 senators and MPs.

Why doesn't the senator write to each of them setting out her concerns, suggest how the Parliament might drag itself into the 22nd century, and seek cross-chamber and cross-party comments?

Many of your readers may not be aware but the seat that I represent in the Australian Parliament, Bean, includes Norfolk Island.

It is likely some readers have seen the adverts, showing just how beautiful a spot in the South Pacific it is. But as outlined in a recent article "Food shortages on Norfolk Island" (canberratimes.com.au, March 17) not all parts of the local economy move smoothly all the time.

Sea freight is one such issue. Meeting the challenges presented by getting bulk items, including food staples, onto the island in a reliable, timely and affordable way, is one area where a good outcome has taken too long.

Last week, as the issue of supplies on island flared again, I sought feedback from business on the struggles they face. The correspondence that flowed highlighted issues in relation to getting feed on island to support the island's egg and cheese production; resupplying the basics in the supermarket; restaurant supplies that support the tourism sector and the cost of freighting flour to make bread for the island. It's more than the locals "not being able to get a muffin".

All of these freight issues relate to the unique challenge of irregular sea freight and the inability of air freight to make up the difference, let alone match the cost. I want to assure all residents that I will make representations on this challenge and ensure that we work to find a manageable and sustainable solution to supplying this island jewel of the electorate of Bean.

Your story "Manuka Pool and vintage swimsuits ..." (canberratimes.com.au, March 14) provided excellent historical coverage of our iconic Manuka Pool. The pool managers since 1931 have been an important part of the Manuka Pool story. You mentioned the long and dedicated management by the Taverner family.

What was missing though was any mention of the outstanding management of the pool for the past nine years by Bryan Pasfield. Bryan's empathetic management and the government's acclaimed restoration of the art deco pool continue to make Manuka Pool the place to be every Canberra summer.

Canberra drivers are well used to coming across roadworks signs lowering the speed limit to 40km/h.

They're also used to seeing signs but no roadworks, or a roadworks site but nobody actually doing any roadworks, or no roadworks but an adjacent construction site where lollipop people wave "stop" and "slow" signs to facilitate traffic in and out of the site and the signs remain when work has stopped for the day.

Drivers will also be used to feeling peeved and ignoring the speed limit if they can't see any real reason for it.

This theatre of the absurd reached new heights last week in Bunda Street where lollipop people had put out 40km/h signs while they moved traffic in and out of a laneway.

The only problem was that, as Bunda Street is a dual-use zone its speed limit is 20km/h. They'd actually doubled it.

It is ironic the federal Nationals and Labor leaders in some states share a common interest in supporting the fossil fuel industry, at the expense of our nation's food security.

Deputy PM Michael McCormack has finally conceded that we may need a net zero emissions target but states that "we don't have to wipe out whole industries just to allow farmers to improve their soils".

To which industries is he referring? In the same vein, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to support coal-mining projects in sensitive areas such as the Galilee Basin for the sake of her own political advantage.

As Alana Mann states, such decisions "dismiss the reality that our agriculture competes for water with coal mining and shale and coal seam gas fracking" ("Food, water practice key to 2050 target", March 15, page 16).

It is about time political leaders from both sides of the fence started to put our need for a safe climate and Australia's food security before their own self-interest.

The G7 has acted unprofessionally, undiplomatically and unethically in copying US propaganda by "calling on China and Hong Kong authorities to end the unwarranted oppression of those who promote democratic values and the defence of rights and freedoms".

Perhaps China should create a C7 of the seven most populated Chinese provinces (populations 110 million to 70 million) or better still a C7+4 by adding the four major cities not included in the provinces (Chongqing 29 million, Shanghai 23 million, Beijing 19 million and Tianjin 13 million). This grouping would have about the same population as the G7.

The C7+4 could then call on the G7 to stop devastating world health as it has done during the COVID-19 pandemic (every prospective C7+4 member seems to have performed much better than every G7 member) and call on the G7 to stop hampering world growth (for the past 20 years every C7+4 member seems to have performed much better than every G7 entity, and in doing so has greatly raised the standard of living of not only China but also the entire world). Consider how Australia has benefited from China's growth.

It could also point out China's communist system has provided more benefit than has the "democratic" system the G7 espouses, and that for poor countries freedom from hunger is more important than freedom of expression.

The tragic thing isn't whether or not the federal Coalition government intended to favour non-Labor holiday destinations in its "half price airfare sale", but the fact that, on form, it was inevitably, immediately and quite reasonably suspected of this.

Thanks to the Morrison government's routine shenanigans we're at risk of joining the many - including "advanced" - nations where systemic politico-administrative corruption is believed to be lurking at every turn.

Even worse, for those of us who care about political fraudulence, this then inevitably leads to such widespread jaded resentfulness and cynicism as to, inversely, end in shoulder-shrugging acceptance of serious political malpractice as the norm.

This is no doubt the long-term strategy of the radicals who now rule the right in Australia.

The first step is to get people used to scandalous political behaviour as their lot. Then slander any actual fourth estate remaining to challenge it; that is any media organisation that isn't merely a Coalition propaganda organ.

You recently reported "White hot fury" was on display around the country (March 15, p4).

Perhaps that's a wee bit exaggerated.

Clearly the only time that level of sheer violent emotion surfaces in Australia is at the Boxing Day sales, in the toilet paper aisle, or when the referee reverses a six-again call.

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