Similarly, given our Timorese expertise in official eavesdropping on our neighbours, it would suggest we should know when elements of the "armada" set sail. Of course, there is yet another of our "skills" - the stolen generation - yet to be tried: deport the parents to their fate and keep the Australian-born children here. I'm for the simplest and cheaper solution: let them go home to Biloela.

So the reason for spending $6 million to keep the family on Christmas Island is so as not to cause discomfort to Home Affairs Department? Dutton is quoted as saying "... that it would allow them to be flown back to Sri Lanka without protesters putting Border Force officers in a "difficult position'". And four escorts, one for each of the family, to see the children get to school safely? How embarrassing is that?

Recently appointed Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews insists Australia's border protection policies would be jeopardised if we were in any way to relax the cruel treatment of the Murugappan family. She says that she is "not going to have people die trying to come to Australia by sea on my watch" ("Minister rules out Biloela resettlement", June 10). Perhaps Minister Andrews has not been adequately briefed about Operation Sovereign Borders. This border protection operation, led by the ADF, forcibly turns back or takes back any suspected "illegal maritime arrival" and removes them from Australian waters. (Once out of Australian waters, we apparently are not so concerned about whether they die.) This is what has 'stopped the boats' and stopped the deaths at sea.

What a pitiful, frail nation we have become if we believe that cruelty is our only strength and that compassion is weakness.

I refer to "Canberra Liberals claim 'maggots falling from the ceiling' at Reid housing complex" (June 8). What a disgrace. The lack of care, the ineptitude, or both, from this government is further evidence that self-government has proven to be an utter failure in our city. Housing ACT for years has failed to properly maintain its housing stock and has neglected nearby residents affected by recalcitrant housing tenants.

Street maintenance is in sad decline, roads, gutters, inadequate mowing, broken storm water drains, stark examples. Our heavily utilised greens waste tip at Parkwood closing at the end of June with no replacement announced. Long waits at our hospital emergency departments and ugly apartments rushed up at a crazy rate without any sympathy for the surrounding environment. Government decisions made about what environmental amenity we do have left, continues to fly in the face of common sense and the wishes of most Canberrans. We are paying vastly higher rates and land taxes while everything we enjoy and cherish about living in Canberra is disappearing at an alarming rate.

Our capital was managed with far more intelligence and better planning before self-government. The National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) gave us the lake with extensive lakeshore parkland, adopted the Y Plan for Canberra's development, designed and constructed our major institutions and also saw the importance of green recreational centres for our expanding population. It gave Canberra an atmosphere and individuality worthy of the National Capital. Over the decades, self-government has eroded this vision, none more so than the Labor/Greens government with its self-interest and its developers, eating away at Canberra's unique and aesthetic appeal. I voted for self-government and regret that decision more and more every day. I was wrong, we were wrong. Canberra deserves better than this.

Families enjoying the Queen's Birthday long weekend may wish to ponder the value of our civic system, led graciously by a politically neutral sovereign, and the virtue of commending excellence through Order of Australia awards to be granted on Monday. As our first and oldest public holiday, it contrasts with Britain - which does not honour the monarch by holding a bank holiday. Esteem for the sovereign in Australia since 1788 provides remarkable evidence of independent action as early as our colonial commencement.

While I don't necessarily agree with Douglas Mackenzie's claim that "working from home would have led to improved family life and personal relationships" (June 8), nevertheless, Wayne Grant's attack on him (June 11) and his views was irrational and insulting. Yes, family life has changed but Mackenzie was referring to Covid-restrictions last year which affected all families, whatever their make-up. Mackenzie was not trying to "recreate past dreams", he is certainly not a "doddery old fart", and Grant, by using the word "ageism" (discrimination against the aged) rather than "ageing", simply displays his ignorance. Indeed, Grant's attack on Mackenzie was an excellent example of ageism if ever there was one.

I endorse with my unqualified support the letters from Gerry Gillespie "So much for consultation" and Dr Sue Wareham "A sad day for democracy" respectively (June 10, p20), both recording concern at the apparent flick-through approval given by the NCA to the war memorial plans to destroy Anzac Hall to create unnecessary space for display of military weapons. The second and third paragraphs from Gerry Gillespie are admirably written expressions about the consultation process (600 contributions objecting, all disregarded) and the substance of sentiment in those 600 letters that in our country "war memorials ... are places of dedication and sacrament". Gillespie's letter is worth framing. I recommend multiple readings.

In a third letter on this subject of similar sentiment Mario Stivala (ignoring overwhelming opposition) refers to the "nonsensical, unwarranted and very expensive expansion ..." and a fourth letter from David Purnell calls for better scrutiny of arms sales by Australia, amid the growing defence budget ("Politicians need to care about where our weapons end up").

Three letters on one subject and a fourth on a closely related topic is very unusual for our Letters to Editor page, with the long-standing norm of two letters - max - on a topic, rarely exceeded. We are a nation of people with a conscience. If only we could transmit that conscience to the federal government.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to recall the six Collins class submarines cost the Australian Government/tax payers $5 billion each 30 years ago. At the time that was five times what the new Parliament House cost to build.

Now we are told by Defence Minister Dutton the six submarines will be rebuilt to extend the life of the fleet. A cost which Defence says will amount to $6 billion but experts say the realistic cost will be as much as $10 billion. But apparently the life-extension project is a high-risk endeavour because it will entail the complete gutting of the submarines and the replacement and upgrading of all key systems.

I am confused. If the original cost was $5 billion per submarine and now the plan is to completely gut and rebuild the internal infrastructure of six hulls for a total of $10 billion, Defence Minister Dutton might like to explain how can this expenditure be achieved. Or did he mean the cost for each submarine upgrade will be $10 billion?

"Those affected by robodebt" now includes every single Australian who actually pays tax. Perhaps the federal Coalition government accordingly regards these as suckers and not part of its core ideological base, as suggested by having traded hundreds of millions of their dollars for an out-of-court no-admissions--nor-liability settlement that minimises its political embarrassment.

Will we now at least see terminated not just the career of Stuart Robert, as per Westminster convention, but also of the senior departmental bureaucrats involved in this outlandish and illegal administrative scandal? Or do we strongly detect in Josh Frydenberg's and Linda Reynolds' commentary already the outrageous customary Coalition arrogance that eschews all responsibility for anything that doesn't flatter them?

In making its decision on the War Memorial extension, the NCA demonstrated once again its cynical view of consultation: We're happy to listen to what you have to say, but we'll do what we want anyway."

I wonder what's on the song sheet of Nut King Coal at the G7: certainly not Nature Boy, but maybe Straighten Up and Fly Right, and To the End[s] of the Earth has a Pentecostal ring about it. I reckon Don't Blame Me would be a starter.

I've been reading about the Investor-State Dispute Mechanism were are to include in our Free Trade Agreement with the UK. Apparently, because Rio Tinto is listed as a UK company, then if the WA government protects sacred sites that Rio wants to mine, Rio can sue the federal government. Ha ha ha. Go for it, sandgropers.

Where have you been hiding for the past several years Roger Dace (Letters, June 10)? We all have it on good ScoMo authority that he stopped the boats. Refugees now arrive by air.

He doesn't hold a hose, he is slow to act but he can bust criminal gangs!

Re: "Insulting comments on China" ( Letter, June 11), if Bob Salmond is so enamoured with the Chinese way of life and its political leadership, why doesn't he go and live there? I wonder if he would have the freedom to write letters expressing his point of view to the "Peking Times"?

Scott Morrison seems to have learnt one way of avoiding media scrutiny and protect his already damaged image is to periodically exit the country during challenging times and leave your subordinates carry the can for mounting criticism of Team LNP's past performances.

Ben Roberts-Smith does not exude humility. He might well be right. But, if even a single one of the war crimes of which he is accused is proven, he should return all the military medals he has been granted, beg forgiveness from the Afghan people and apologise to the Australian Armed Forces.

It's unfortunate that Eric Hunter has not followed the case put forward by many of the Biloela advocates ('A flawed example', Letters June 11) that because their two children were born in Australia the parents should be allowed to stay. Understand the example now?

Regarding the AWM's insistence that planting more trees to replace the 116 native trees is adequate compensation for an exorbitant expansion that very few support, would they have the same perspective on chopping down the Lone Aleppo Gallipoli Pines and replacing those?

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