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With the ACT elections only months away the local Liberals must be feeling despair at the behaviour of their Federal counterparts. "Scotty from marketing" is simultaneously trying to convince the public his climate policy will evolve and to convince his climate change-denying colleagues and radio shock-jocks that nothing is going to change. Angus Taylor is being investigated by the Federal Police for falsifying a document about the Sydney City Council travel expenses. And now the extent of Bridget McKenzie's blatant partisan rorting of a sports grants program in the lead up to the last election has been revealed by the Auditor-General. Is there anything guiding these people other than narrow self-interest? What happened to the principle that a government governs for all in the national interest? These people are an absolute disgrace. I think we are stuck with Scotty for a couple more years, but Angus and Bridget should both resign immediately. Re your editorial: "Taiwan's position on China will affect Australia" (canberratimes.com.au, January 15). This editorial seemed like it could have been written by members of the CCP; or by an Australian journalist who has had an all-expenses paid junket to China. In particular: "China has shown great restraint over Hong Kong to date. It will soon face additional provocation from Taipei. We can act as a bridge between Beijing and the US but only if we work hard to maintain a strong working relationship with the Middle Kingdom". China has not showed restraint; it is crushing citizens who rightly dissent against an anti-democratic violent authoritarianism. Taiwan does not provoke the CCP by asserting the fact of its sovereignty and independence; again you side with the authoritarian regime. The reference to the "Middle Kingdom" is written to flatter the CCP and its view of itself. "Working hard on a relationship" is a weasel phrase, routinely used by CCP propaganda, which means "respect". This, in turn, means toeing the CCP line on their "sensitive" issues. The sensitive issues being it is an authoritarian regime with a terrible record on human rights abuses. The bushfires have had a devastating impact on communities throughout Australia. As we count the cost on these communities and our way of life the scale of destruction on our environment is only now becoming apparent as brave people venture into burnt out forests to assess the damage to endangered plants and animals which are in danger of becoming extinct. This issue is a matter of urgency. Even before these bushfires Australia had a terrible environmental record in terms of species lost since European settlement. Loss of habitat, introduced and feral animals, invasive plant species and a general lack of public awareness of our unique flora and fauna (apart from well known marsupials) have all contributed to this. In regard to this last point, our natural history is unique and yet there is no national institution that tells this story of our past, our present environment and, most importantly, what we must learn for the future. Last year the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories held an Inquiry into Canberra's national institutions. It recommended the government develop a business case for the establishment of a natural history museum in Canberra. While not as important as the rebuilding of lives and towns throughout Australia, the Commonwealth government does need to expedite this business case in conjunction with the ACT government. Anyone not sure how they should invest their money in these turbulent times may like to consider this. The new ACT Library online system now requires a 13 digit password! My bank only requires seven. I know people steal money from banks. Hence banks take precautions. With that level of security the ACT Library must be expecting book theft on a grand scale. They must know something we outsiders don't. I suggest astute investors will be stocking up on books. Having returned from overseas last weekend with a "slight cold" I awoke on Sunday, January 19, with an an uncontrolled coughing fit and suffering shortness of breath. When the symptoms did not abate after a few minutes my partner took the very important decision that he should drive me to the Emergency Department of the Canberra Hospital. We arrived at 2.35am. I want to thank the Canberra Hospital, and in particular its Emergency Department and all its staff, for their thoroughly professional treatment of my illness and their friendly and helpful manner. When I was seen very quickly indeed I said that it must be a quiet night. But no, it was rather that my symptoms required an immediate response. After a period of investigation and treatment I was able to be discharged at about 9.30am. This was my first visit to the Emergency Department as a patient and, while naturally I have no wish to return, I was very greatly comforted by my experience. A number of your correspondents have questioned the apparent lack of presence of the Governor-General during the current bushfire crisis. Via a social media post I note with pleasure that His Excellency and Mrs Hurley spent a day "thanking the incredible men and women of the NSW RFS and community organisations such as BlazeAid for their response to the bushfire crisis". They stopped in Braidwood, Queanbeyan and Araluen. During the visit the Governor-General had a simple message for the broader community: "keep supporting towns and communities impacted by the fires". He has also visited Kangaroo Island and North East Victoria. The response so far has been overwhelming and generous and the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley encouraged all Australians to visit, buy from local shops and do whatever they're able to continue to support our communities. I am more than confident that we have a Governor-General, supported ably by Mrs Hurley, who cares deeply for the nation's people. I feel Stan Marks (Letters, January 14) misses the point. Morrison vilified Police Commissioner Nixon in Victoria when she choose to dine out, phone in hand, while fires raged, leaving the fire management to the professionals. He deserved what he got. As to the Hawaii location, that was just poor judgment and involved Mr Morrison's well known "tin ear". PMs are entitled to take holidays, but why somewhere where there were no direct daily flights from Australia, particularly as the crisis started in September. And then there was the handling of media questions by his back-room minders. Morrison exacerbated the situation by turning up at fire ravaged sites and engaging in "marketing". Bad move. He had one thing to do - turn up (preferably without media) and ask one question: "How are you doing" and then shut up and cop it, good or bad. That's leadership. The "tin ear" was in evidence yet again with the Liberal Party twitter video. Robert Lehane (Letters, January 14) speculates the summer of (January) 1967 must have been wetter than this one. I don't know about that, but I do recall that 10 months later we were into a hot dry summer with water restrictions that permitted watering of gardens by hand only. It was the summer PM Harold Holt went missing while diving off Portsea. As an eager 14-year-old I was engaged by one of my teachers to water the lawns of his mother's home in Braddon. I did so every evening through December and January, but despite my best efforts, and to the grave disapproval of my teacher, I couldn't keep the lawns green, let alone at a mowable length. I was, however, paid as promised and to this day still harbor a sense of guilt for my failure. Now that Tasmania has a new Premier I hope he will correct the pronunciation of the island State. It should be pronounced "Tasman-ia", as in Tanzania. To pronounce it "Tas-mania", as if it is a craze, is completely wrong. After all, it was named after the Dutch explorer Tasman. I long for the day when news of the royal family disappears from the front pages and news bulletin headlines. Royalty has no place in any form of government in the 21st century. It is an anachronism. What we didn't hear from any firefighters: "I am less than two per cent of the effort. So what I do will make negligible difference and I may as well not bother". My first reaction to Tony Judge's suggestion the US is under the reign of Caligula (Letters, January 20) was that at least the current incumbent hasn't appointed a horse as a senator. Then I remembered Mitch McConnell. How odd, in spite of all the crowds protesting and blaming the Prime Minister for something he has no control over, humanity still has to look to the heavens for water, rain and everything we need. Only God dispenses the necessities. As an old Anglo Australian I have lost interest in Australia Day. There will never be agreement on another day so forget about trying. I have my personal days, Anzac Day, and as a veteran, June 27, Korea War Day. Meghan Markle, the Yoko Ono of the Royal family. Mark Sproat (Letters, January 20) just demonstrated why Harry and Meghan would leave lives of privilege in the UK to live in Canada. Yes, it's a clever play on words, and mild compared to some of what they've endured. Personally I give them an A for taking a stand. And before you ask, I am a republican. It is to be sincerely hoped the legion of pen wielding trolls who have blamed Scott Morrison for the drought and bushfires will now give him credit for the rain which has fulfilled Dorothea Mackellar's prophesy of flooding rains as well as droughts. Why, when we should all be trying to save energy, are developers permitted to construct high-rise residential buildings with floor-to-ceiling windows facing west? It creates unbearable hot boxes costing a fortune to cool. Solid walls with window sills at desk height reduces energy loss by 25 to 30 per cent. Poor Canberrans. Weeks of inhaling noxious ash and then clobbered by devastating hail. So, is this is what the scourge of "smoking ice" is all about? Sounds plausible Ronald Elliott (Letters, January 21). A Mayfair-dwelling, social climbing, Hooray Henry - or Henrietta. Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attachment. Fax: 6280 2282. 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