Housing ACT constructs around 100 dwellings per year and this provides an opportunity to spend public money on best practice design and sustainability. The building industry will scream improved housing standards will add to the cost. The government can demonstrate sustainable housing is competitive and cost efficient.

There was a crowd of local politicians on August 10 basking in the green glow opening of "Canberra's most sustainable demonstration home" at Ginninderry's Display Village. The solar passive building is a collaboration between Commonsense Sustainability and SEE-Change. It is eight star. Loads of information is available on how anyone can build a similar home. It demonstrates that building sustainably delivers low emission housing and a great environment for residents.

Housing ACT can start this dream by throwing out their current proposal for an unsustainable building in Holt (DA 202240430) on a block ripe for solar passive design. We're spending the money anyway and can do a lot better. Start building a sustainable future - this is the real "win for the community".

I wish to take issue with Pete Howe's assertion "we can't laugh at ourselves anymore" (Letters, August 31).

I suggest that Pete type the words "Collingwood supporter jokes" into his search engine. He can then read a rich array of "jokes" that provide considerable amusement to a large number of Australians. This is notwithstanding the crude vulgarity of these so-called jokes and their unconstrained targeting of alleged social, intellectual and moral shortcomings of a significant group of Australians.

To my knowledge no Collingwood supporter has ever lodged a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. Instead, they are content to let the on-field performance of the men and women in black and white jumpers answer this derisive laughter. Go the Pies.

Bede North's letter (August 29) concerning the London Blitz and bombing's influence or claimed lack of effect could have rounded out the picture a little.

First, the Nazis lacked heavy bombers, which the Yanks and Brits did not. Not as much bang for your buck.

Second, low-lying London with its underground rail network was regularly at risk in many places from severe flooding naturally occurring, threatening a million people at least, the last time being in 1928.

Bombs falling on key places would have been much more serious. Churchill was canny to spend nights during the Blitz on the Air Ministry roof.

Both Bill Deane and Peter Stanley (Letters, September 1) have omitted one of the significant outcomes of the bombing of Germany.

This was that a significant part of the German military effort had to be used on defences against the bombers thus reducing the availability of men, machines and ammunition for the active fronts.

It may be that actual production of war material peaked in 1944 but what is also important is that much was prevented. How much greater would the production of war material have been had it not been for the devastation of the bombing?

It was not only factories that were targeted. Damaging the means of distribution was also an effective outcome. Dresden, for example, was destroyed at the behest of the Russians because it was a distribution centre for men and materials. Its destruction reduced the ability of the German forces to fight the Russians.

Area bombing was introduced because of the inaccuracy of bombing. Under aerial conflict conditions the inaccuracy is understandable.

War is nasty but we should not pass judgement by the standards of today but by the standards and circumstances of the time.

When I first saw E-scooters, I thought they were a delightful idea, and was occasionally disgusted to see ones that had been dumped in the bush (usually without the helmet) or vandalised. I asked a lad I know if he enjoyed riding them and was told "No! They are dangerous". A couple of his mates had had bad falls from them.

The scooters must cost at least several hundred dollars each to manufacture and quite obviously are dangerous, even ignoring the fact that some accidents are caused by careless road behaviour. it makes me wonder who is profiting from the roll-out of the scooters and how.

The article "Federal Court could send DFAT unpaid superannuation case to mediation after Albanese government's 'extraordinary' new laws" (canberratimes.com.au, September 1) seems to perpetuate a view that superannuation is payable on public service allowances.

That has never been the case; nor was it intended to be the case. Superannuation is paid in respect of salary only. Allowances do not attract a superannuation contribution. These were and remain the rules.

It is not extraordinary if laws have to be changed to clarify the matter. This will save taxpayers expenditure where it was never intended and, I would argue, was never expected by the recipients at the time the allowances were paid.

John Smith of Farrer would appear to believe our "native land" causes such degeneration of its human capital that it needs continuous input of ever-increasing numbers of "spirited, and hopeful young people".

They would be coming from places where people, while residing there, do not degenerate to "addiction to affluence" - as they invariably do here? Everyone similar to Smith and myself comes from migrant stock.

An equal two-way migration of people and ideas is enough to maintain Australia's scientific and cultural health on the world stage. Should numbers continually increase, will newbies be safer from exploitation and denial of care than so many already are?

Continuously positive net immigration is a Ponzi scheme. If limited, to what numbers - 50, 100 million? As ecologist Doug Cocks noted in People Policy, 1996, "the consequences of getting it wrong could be quite unpleasant". Subsequent State of the Environment Reports indicate that he was right; as do the problems associated with Housing, education, and infrastructure generally.

One third of Pakistan is inundated, the savage result of an "unprecedented" extreme weather event. Hundreds of thousands of people have had their lives disrupted. There are over a thousand deaths so far and disease will cause more losses.

The damage to the ecology, the economy, and the society of Pakistan is incalculable, as is the cost of reconstruction over time.

The cause of this and similar tragedies throughout the world is anthropogenic climate change, which on current trends will overwhelm all our belated attempts to hold it in check.

What has been Australia's response to the Pakistan disaster? A paltry donation of a couple of million dollars. Our nation, in per-capita terms, is a major generator of greenhouse gas emissions, and should contribute much more than this token figure from the massive wealth derived from exports of fossil fuels.

We have elected a new national government which claims to be committed to effective and sustainable climate change action, but continues to licence further exploitation of natural fossil fuel resources.

It is up to us to tell our elected representatives where their responsibility lies. Let's tell them what we really need to happen, rather than what they decide we need, before we reach the point of no return.

Imagine my dismay at the infliction of a new plague on Australia: the novel Wiggle monarchy Aussie blue-22 variant ("Father-daughter blue Wiggle duo to make debut Canberra performance", canberratimes.com.au, August 30).

In this, Aussie Blue-22 marks the first transmission from parent to child of the dread power to make infants shake fingers, shimmy, babble incoherently, hallucinate fruit salad and - most tragically - hallucinate that they possess a drivers' license.

The horror ... the horror! Many will poo-poo this pandemic, but we must be undeterred. How will the Minister for the Republic save us from this monarchical madness?

Peter Dutton should have attended the jobs summit; after all he will probably need a new one soon.

Regarding the very sad story "Neglect leaves children malnourished" (canberratimes.com.au, August 30) might one ask: Where was the father all this time?

Your correspondent (Letters, August 31) suggests our only option with climate change may be to pray for divine intervention. Since climate change is surely God's plan prayer indeed may be our only hope. That is, if God is disposed to change his all-knowing and infallible mind. If not, we'd better get on with more realistic solutions.

"When events change, I change my mind". Well treasurer, events have changed and you must heed the call of writers to this paper and the growing number of groups and individuals in the community to reverse the legislation that will hand over $188 billion to the richest 20 per cent of Australians. Many of that voter base might not thank you if you do the right thing, but the remaining 80 per cent will.

Re "Win them first" (Letters, August 30), I'm also surprised the government has no laurels to rest upon. They have been cracking it "hardy" for nine years now (or so they say), so they must have picked up some laurels to accompany them.

It's good to see that the Japanese ambassador to Australia is a Collingwood supporter (Picture, August 30, p11). Let's hope he introduces Australian Rules Football as a winter sport in Japan when he returns to Tokyo at the end of his posting.

Why do businesses now expect skilled staff to be magically available when they haven't planned enough, paid enough, or trained enough? Because they now think it is someone else's job to provide those skills.

September 2 marked the centenary of the death of Henry Lawson at the age of 55.

Prime Minister Billy Hughes described him as "poet of the nation. The minstrel of the people".

It would be appropriate to reflect on his life and work, including his alcoholism, by finding a place for him on the education syllabus.

The Voice risks being diminished through being thrust down our throats.

ACT solar rebate schemes favour those who can afford to borrow money (albeit at zero interest). A suggestion for the ACT government: Housing Trust tenants have limited budgets.

Give them a break and contribute to cleaning up the environment. Install solar panels and batteries on every eligible property.