The Age Letters
FEBRUARY 8
CSIRO: Australia to suffer for ignorance on research
Readers express views on the CSIRO, Turnbull, GST, shipping, Nauru, and more.
FEBRUARY 7
Duck hunting: Why consult at all when minority rules?
Open season among readers for outrage and accusation over waterbirds and wetlands.
FEBRUARY 6
Trains: Headaches spread to country school students
Readers discuss public transport, refugee detainees, CSIRO, Dick Smith, and more.
February 5
Asylum seekers: Widening gap between law and basic morality
The High Court has given the green light for the government to continue to use what are essentially concentration camps.
FEBRUARY 3
Tax: And they claim to be on side of working families
The government is surely acutely aware that the vast majority of the 200 biggest companies in Australia that control well over 50 per cent of our economy are not paying reasonable taxes as they exploit our resources.
FEBRUARY 2
Federal politics: Education policy ought to be a vote-clincher
There has never been a more exciting time to be Australian – unless you are a Republican, don't own a house, are fearful of being downsized or are waiting to marry your same-sex partner, according to our readers.
FEBRUARY 1
Modern model failing the test of our times
Readers discuss the modern family, federal politics, Shane Warne, and more.
JANUARY 31
Stoicism is exploited by those born to rule
Readers express frustration with politicians and animal experimentation.
JANUARY 30
Dying: Beware rationality followed to a bitter end
Readers discuss the complex implications of assisted suicide, third-rate internet and far-right thinking.
JANUARY 29
Please allow us some comfort in the final days
Readers on the despair of dementia, dying with grace, Coalition hardliners, and more.
JANUARY 28
Federal politics: PM needs to shape the republican discussion
Malcolm Turnbull can show true leadership by shaping the discussion so we can have an Australian head of government.
JANUARY 27
Republic: A model that reflects Australian aspirations
Readers debate the issue of whether Australia should become a republic.
JANUARY 26
Why my heart and soul belong to Australia
Readers discuss different aspects of Australia Day, including whether January 26 is the best date for our national celebration.
JANUARY 25
Daria, our new role model, take a bow
Readers discuss the Australian Open, including Nick Kyrgios' behaviour, Daria Gavrilova's talent and grace, and the absence of handrails at Rod Laver Arena.
JANUARY 24
Letters: Bottom line always at the top for neoliberalism
Readers are concerned about the social impacts of inaction on economic reforms.
JANUARY 22
A happy marriage of pipes and tree roots
Readers are outraged that trees in St Georges Road in Northcote and Thornbury may not be replaced after a water pipe project is completed.
JANUARY 21
Low pay and low status: what's not to love?
Readers discuss how to attract the brightest and best teachers into Victorian schools.
JANUARY 20
Schools: Jeff Kennett's firesale put us in this pickle
Crammed classrooms, more portables on playgrounds and families turned away are not the only impact of population growth on schools close to the city.
JANUARY 19
Society: Will we ever stand up for fairness and decency?
We need to be more discerning and put sustainability and social justice at the forefront of our choices.
JANUARY 18
Peter and Pat Shaw: An inspiration in life and choosing death
I was deeply moved by Julia Medew's superb account of the lives and, eventually, self-managed deaths of Peter and Pat Shaw, writes one reader.
JANUARY 17
Aged care: Appalling treatment in a high-care centre
Profiteering, misleading advertising and neglect - this is no way to treat our 'beloved elders'.
JANUARY 16
Wye River bushfires: Clear information belies claims of a cover-up
There was absolutely no cover-up apparent in the information presented to Wye River residents and campers at the community meeting held on December 23, writes one reader.
JANUARY 15
Transport: Big new roads take us in the wrong direction
There's an alternative reality where building big roads makes sense: the world of retro-futurist films where everyone drives at 100km/h no matter how big the city that surrounds them, and congestion happens only because of the bad guys, writes one reader.
JANUARY 14
Why was 'laboratory' allowed to flourish?
Readers continue to debate whether 34 past and present Essendon Football Club players deserve to be punished.
JANUARY 13
Over the top ruling and penalty for Bombers
Readers have very mixed views on Essendon Football Club: while some believe the players deserve their punishment, others say they have been treated appalling throughout the saga. Some readers believe the case will be an example to other athletes about the dangers of taking banned substances.
JANUARY 12
Residential aged care: Haunting memory of a mother's devastation
It seems some aged-care operators take little responsibility for the emotional wellbeing of the individuals in their care.
JANUARY 11
Ugly cultural realities must be dealt with
Acknowledging the universality of the abuse of women does not mean that its prevalence is much the same in all cultures, writes one reader.
