Already we are hearing people like Casey Chambers (Executive director of Anglicare) explaining how her organisation favours a guaranteed minimum income (GMI) as a way forward out of our desperate income struggles recently highlighted in public debates.

In a recent episode of RN's Soul Search, (June 19) Meredith Lake interviewed Ms Chambers who argued, alongside many other social researchers, for "an unconditional, permanent, adequate income that would cover all your basic expenses".

There are studies that suggest it can work and just think of all the time-consuming and humiliating social welfare administration it would save.

It would also save the health costs of depression and anxiety suffered by folk who, through no fault of their own, don't have a job.

It would allow unemployed people the time and energy to explore new skills and opportunities and it would save whole families from reverting to unsatisfying escapist activities like drugs or gambling when they discover themselves in intractably difficult situations.

The research and recent COVID income support experience has not shown that it persuades us to sit about and do nothing.

I remember reading about this GMI idea when I was a child in the writings of the famous economist JK Galbraith.

I loved this reasonable, creative and generous idea then and I still love it now!

It shouldn't have needed an earthquake to remind us to "Forget the Taliban, Afghans need help" (editorial, June 24). Their suffering has gone on too long and Australian assistance with basic needs should be made now.

We are rightly helping the people of Ukraine - in their country or outside. We should also help the Afghan people - left behind in the chaos of Kabul Airport, or those who made it safely to Australia. Lest we forget.

When the federal parliament overthrows the bill that prevents the territories from legislating on the issue of voluntary assisted dying, as it almost certainly will in coming months, our ACT legislators should convene a citizen's assembly to help them develop the ACT approach to this issue.

My own hope is that our approach to this topic will deal with the issue of dementia, which no other Australian legislation does.

In my own advanced care plan I have made it clear that if I develop dementia I want the person who I have designated as having the power of my attorney to decide when precisely to end my life. I hope that the ACT legislation would make that possible.

I write in support of Jenny Goldie (Letters, June 22) against claims made by Michael Lane (Letters, June 24). Ms Goldie does not "lack ... comprehension" of electricity supply "issues". Anyone with knowledge of renewable energy systems knows what "efficiency" means.

How does Mr Lane know that Ms Goldie "has no comprehension of the costs and limitations of Snowy 2, or the transmission from, and vulnerability of, electricity transmission lines"? Ms Goldie lives in Cooma, headquarters of Snowy Hydro, and on the doorstep of the Snowy Hydro dams and electricity generators array: she knows at first hand the costs of construction and of losses in transmission.

Ms Goldie used the Hornsdale Power Reserve as an example. There are numerous other 'big battery' arrays, at various scales, in South Australia, Victoria, NSW, and also in the ACT. They all provide valuable backup to prevent "brownouts" and unscheduled blackouts.

Mr Lane claims that "'green' hydrogen is expensive to produce (and) is of low calorific value". It costs nothing to produce hydrogen if solar energy is used to power the electrolysis process. Compared to fuels such as coal or natural gas, the calorific (heating) value of hydrogen is exceptionally high. The heating value (the energy content) of petrol is 43.6 megajoules per kilogram: the heating value of hydrogen is 120.

Julia Richards (Letters, June 24) is correct that an ordinary power point and the portable charge cord usually supplied with an electric car is often all that you need. I have owned electric cars since 2009 and most of their charging was from an ordinary power point. Trickle charging at 10 amps can add 150 to 200 kilometres of range overnight or through a day.

Fancier home charging arrangements can provide benefits. Faster charging outlets can help to fit charging into the shorter off-peak windows offered on some tariffs. Some smarter charging outlets vary the rate of charging to maximise the use of home solar and minimise the use of imported electricity.

Don't feel you need to rush a decision about charging arrangements before getting an electric car if you have access to an ordinary power point. It will be good enough to get you started while you work out if you want or need anything fancier.

With regard to my letter of October 13, 2020: "Oh no! Trump's gonna win again - Malcolm Mackerras predicts otherwise" the words "Oh no!" did not appear in its reference by Ian Pearson (Letters, June 23). That may have been to try and make me look like a Trump supporter. Strewth. I'm clearly not. Anyway, apologies to Malcolm Mackerras if my tongue-in-cheek comments 20 months ago caused offence.

We do loved being invited into Eurovision as a permanent guest. And now we are allowed into the NATO summit in Spain. Albo will meet leaders like Macron on the sidelines and maybe even Zelenskyy on the frontlines!

With this Euro-bromance, and with Australia's historical English connection looking increasingly out-of-date, if not an impediment on the pathway to reconciliation, perhaps we could replace the Union Jack in our national flag with 12 gold stars on a blue background?

Was it a mistake to award a Logie to The Project when it led to Lisa Wilkinson changing the timeline of a high profile court case?

Also, when thousands of people were cheering and enjoying the Queen's platinum jubilee celebrations, The Project subjected some of the events and the Queen to ridicule.

The Queen is a 96-year-old lady who has worked for 70 years.

It doesn't matter if its the Queen of England or your own mother, subjecting old people to ridicule is elderly abuse.

The Project is very good at this.

The west basin shoreline seems to be coming along nicely. But one wonders if it will post a dilemma for any self-appointed guardians of the lake. Should such guardians demand a revanchist return to the previous (entirely artificial) shoreline, or should they now switch to vehemently defending the new (equally artificial) shoreline?

Recent discussion about not enough people riding bikes to work ignores the difficulties for people trying to walk to work in a city that lacks sufficient pedestrian crossings.

Try getting across Canberra Avenue from Kingston to Griffith in peak hour.

Kids from St Edmunds and St Clares play chicken with the traffic if they're not driven to school. Note the cars near the schools, both those of parents dropping off and picking up kids as well as those of older students who drive themselves. Our lack of pedestrian crossings discourages kids from walking to school and older people from walking in many parts of this town. It's time to modernise the roads, so all people can get around, not just those driving cars.

Imagine if we could all walk around our beautiful city without fear.

Thank you for Graham Downie's letter (Letters, September 22) about Shane Rattenbury conceding that much of the power consumed in the ACT in fact comes from grid.

While the ACT does buy 100 per cent renewable electrical energy from around the country, including from South Australia and NSW, as well as from solar farms and rooftops in the ACT, in 2020 the ACT's demand for electricity was met by 37 per cent renewable electricity (10 per cent locally generated but 27 per cent externally), with the remaining 63 per cent of demand being met from fossil-fuelled generators outside the ACT, through the NSW grid.

While many of us would like Julian Assange to be free the rest of the world could point their fingers at our treatment of Bernard Collaery. We should keep our hands clean.

D Zivkovic's letter on the economy (Letters, June 21) is a great read. It brought back memories of the gold standard; a system the Russians could still have in place.

Wow, the tall residential buildings are being packed into Woden. Where are the parks and gardens between them we were promised? Green spaces are essential for kids and adults to play socialise in, and for the environment to breathe. Why not turn what is left of the Pitch 'n' Putt into public parks and gardens?

Having topped her tank with $103 worth of petrol, my wife gave thanks to Putin, Biden, Bowen and Albo and their ilk for their contribution to the cost. It was, after all, the only right and proper thing to do..

Is the Ukraine war a slow-burning fuse that might culminate in a nuclear exchange between Russia and the US?

Despite Peter Marshall's concerns (Letters, June 22) that the appointment of Mr Barilaro to New York (if it proceeds) puts tourism at risk, there is no threat at all. The large number of Americans I know (having lived there for several years) have never heard of Mr Barilaro and couldn't care less about his appointment.

Some of your readers need to do homework at the National Archive or a library.

Mr Menzies changed the flag from red to blue in 1953. In World War I we used the British flag [and the red and the blue ensigns].

I cannot recall ever fully agreeing or disagreeing with Amanda Vanstone's opinions but on Thursday she got me to within a smidgen with one caveat. Subject specialists should not be pigeonholed only to be consulted on their speciality, they can and often do have valuable insights into fields other than their own.

David Littleproud attributes the fruit and vegetable supply chain issues on Labor's shift away from the Morrison-Joyce government's agriculture visa program. Really? After just under five weeks in government? The post-election take-home message is that the electorate's seeking accountable and transparent communication from our politicians, not "alternative facts".

1080 poison is so cruel it has been banned in most countries. But it is being used in Canberra's national parks against wild dogs, dingoes and foxes. One could argue its use is to please farmers unwilling to try more humane ways to protect their livestock.