• JANUARY 14

letters to the editor

• JANUARY 13

Approaching Donald Trump's inauguration, one thing is clear ("Stuck in the mud with spies, lies and cries foul", January 12). At no time in modern history has a new American president started his term in office under such a dark cloud.

A sandblast of scorn came through the Letters inbox this week as readers reacted to yet more evidence that politicians are out of step with community expectations on travel entitlements.

• JANUARY 12

Why are we obsessed with politicians' entitlements? Is it because they are not managing the country?

• LETTERS EXTRA

Can we fix it? Yes we can. Herald readers on how to clean up Canberra

• JANUARY 11

Our pollies should be subject to the same "work related expenses" criteria as workers claiming expense reimbursements.

• LETTERS EXTRA

Has anyone else heard the ghost of Peter Finch screaming "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more"?

• JANUARY 10

While I hate Donald Trump and everything he stands for, his promise to "drain the swamp" certainly resonates with me.

• JANUARY 9

It is quite likely that those members of Sussan Ley's electorate who chose her as their representative, are now also of the belief that they have made an "error of judgement"

Mr Turnbull should stop boasting about trivial successes, and start addressing the issues that vitally affect us all. 

No one objects to governments legitimately recovering debt but sooling Centrelink onto society's most vulnerable in the callous, automated manner smacks of the totalitarian state.

Welcome to the first Post Script for 2017. Time to sharpen up your pens and deliver your best short, pithy one-liners.

• JANUARY 6

Peter Martin suggests that we follow the journalists' adage "it's a stuff-up, not a conspiracy" to explain the Centrelink debt debacle ("Centrelink's litany of inhuman errors", January 5). While this adage is usually reliable, I have to wonder whether it applies in this case.

• JANUARY 5

Every NSW student should be exposed to water safety lessons at the very least.

It can't be much longer before we see a celebrating century-maker do a Pat Cash and clamber into the stands to hug friends and family ("High Noon: 100 before Lunch", January 4).

• JANUARY 4

Nothing will change with Sydney's housing affordability until owner occupiers are put on an equal footing with investors.

• JANUARY 3

It's hard to believe I share support for the same political party with Amanda Vanstone.

It's heartening to note from your editorial ("The year when outsiders became insiders", December 31) that your glass is half full.

• JANUARY 1

The danger at the impending Trump inauguration is not that no A-lister will agree to perform.

• DECEMBER 31

So the toadying to Donald Trump begins before inauguration.

Sometimes readers love a letter so much they write to tell us and to declare it their letter of the year.

Nostalgia kicked in as I saw the Herald photo of the five-storey units built plumb against the little semi-detached cottage in William Street, Lewisham ("Tower springs up next to semi in Lewisham", October 25).

Bert Candy's first Sydney Morning Herald letter to the editor appeared on June 1, 2013. He has been published regularly since then. Readers nominated him as Letter Writer of the Year 2016. Here is a selection of some of his 2016 contributions.

• DECEMBER 30

It is no surprise that New Zealand stood up to Israel's cowardly threats when New Zealand sponsored the United Nations resolution critical of Israel building further settlements in occupied Palestine

• DECEMBER 29

Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin you have absolutely nothing to worry about – history has shown that successive Israeli governments, which say they want peace, will continue to build all over occupied land and give little heed to what the world may think.

• DECEMBER 28

I am a doctor in training at a public hospital and worked a horrific roster last summer due to understaffing ("Doctor exodus hits summer holiday peak at hospitals", December 27). But I didn't blame my colleagues for needing time off from such a stressful and relentless job, and the patients we saw were well cared for, as always. The core issue is not doctors quitting, but why they quit.

• DECEMBER 27

Letters to the editor

• DECEMBER 26

Malcolm Turnbull has asked us to "reach out to those less fortunate" ("Peace and goodwill as Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten release Christmas messages", December 25).

• DECEMBER 24

The latest court decision, conveniently announced three days before Christmas, will not save the Baird government in the long run.