• FEBRUARY 25

Do we have record low interest rates? Tick. Stagnant wages and chronic underpayment of workers? Definite tick. Added to that, wages for many actually will fall thanks to the Fair Work Commission decision on Sunday penalty rates ("Paying the penalty: thousands face wage cuts", February 24).

With Israeli PM [Benjamin] Netanyahu now in Australia, it appears that Australian political leaders are almost falling over themselves in professing their solidarity and affection for the the state of Israel.

• COMMENT

When the re-education camps are being built to handle the grammar miscreants, could an additional wing be added to the "fewer/less" cell blocks? This will house those who talk about "the amount of people here today". Yes, sports reporters for commercial TV stations, I'm talking about you. Come the revolution we have a list and your names are at the top.     Ian Morris 116 Homebush Rd Strathfield   

• COMMENT

As a former manager of English for the NSW Department of Education and a passionate English teacher for over 30 years,  I welcome the continuing affirmation of the joy and power of the English language in the new Stage 6 English Syllabus.

 As a lesbian Jew I share Michael Danby's approval of Israel's gay pride march and its thriving democracy.

• February 22

Those of a certain age will recall all too vividly when the concept of matriculation was dumped unceremoniously in the1960s.

• FEBRUARY 19

Some politicians are heartbroken they are losing their gold pass. I feel your pain.

• February 21

The damaging impacts of coal mining activity on land and water are anything but clean.

• February 20

Thank you, Fairfax, for implicating sugar in Australia's obesity problem, but it's a mistake to think that a tax on sugar will solve the problem. It just isn't that simple.

• FEBRUARY 18

Religious education is properly the province of a child's parents, not the state, and it is entirely inappropriate that the State should intrude.

It’s not that easy to get a letter published in the Herald, but things could be worse.

As a sign of how much readers care about dear old Granny, it was heartening to see the strong response to Alan Stokes' column which canvassed a new way of customising and consuming the Herald. Not that the idea received much endorsement.

• COMMENT

If we have to have scripture classes make it about comparative religions, taught by qualified teachers.

• COMMENT

Premier Berejiklian says she "listens to the people" but on Tuesday she showed how little she cares for them.

• February 15

Pitching those with disabilities against those welfare recipients targeted for cuts in their latest ill-fated tranche of legislation is so crass it borders on the unbelievable.

• February 14

Letters

The front page picture of Ross Cameron ( ("Vitriol, far right style", February 11-12) conveys a disturbing, fanatical hatred. The appalling slurs unleashed at the so-called Q Society rally make laughable complaints about lack of free speech made by the likes of Cameron, Pickering, Hanson, Christensen, Kirralie Smith and Bernardi. Cameron no more represents the Christianity he hypocritically flaunts than paedophile priests represent Catholicism or IS the large majority of Muslims. Hanson, now strutting her loathsome stuff again courtesy of Turnbull's political naiveté, first castigated aborigines, then Asians, and now Muslims. Despite the noise this extremist mob makes and the media attention they crave, they are a small minority repulsive to the many who understand that it is not tribalism, toxic intolerance and irrationality that make for progress but co-operativeness, forbearance and reason.

Vast tracts of NSW are now classified as "Fire Risk: Catastrophic" ("Sports off, hospitals brace for sizzler", Febraury 11-12). Penrith had its hottest ever day at 47 degrees on Saturday.

• February 12

A day at the zoo can be an expensive exercise at the best of times ("Taronga Zoo's harbourside eco resort plan slammed", February 5). Granted to cost of upkeep for our iconic 100 year old institution would be high, although one wonders whether the cost of admission may restrict some visitors. If the zoo's management and board have sufficient capital to undertake the proposed works, then the question must be asked why can't that be reinvested into improvements consistent with its central purpose, a zoological park? Pandering to a demographic looking for a high cost experience does nothing to accommodate those who want to live the experience of the pleasure of a day at the zoo.

• FEBRUARY 11

Malcolm Turnbull's loud tirade against Labor's "clean energy 'ideology'" is an attempt to show leadership to his right wing, and to claw back voter popularity.

We received the most charmingly addressed letter this week from a 91-year-old reader in Deniliquin,  addressed: To- The Editor, Sydney Morning Herald,Perhaps Pitt St, Sydney GPO NSW 2000. Clearly the postie who delivered it is working hard for his money - but many letter readers think this is not so for his boss Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour. HIs $5.6 million pay packet was the subject of many angry letters this week. Last week we were inundated with letters from America to Australians -apologising on behalf of their president for his phone manners and behaviour in general. This is unprecedented for us here at the letters page to have so many American readers seek us out to write enraged by their leader. This outpouring on our letters page even made it in the US press. Next stop Hollywood letter writers!  As Carolyn Richard of Enmore joked this week: "It  looks as though the Beverley Hillbillies have taken over the White House - no-one seems to know how to behave." Nonetheless - as our regular correspondent from Georges Hall, Rosemary O'Brien points out there still remain many Trump fans. "Jeff Swanson (Letters February 10) writes from Washington to tell us not to fret, and that he has no time for Trump. I have friends in Arizona who think Trump's the ants-pants. Doesn't prove much, eh?" Thanks to all who wrote in response to our request for examples of letters that changed lives. They were funny, inspiring and one - Peter Skrzynecki's bought this tough cold-hearted editor to tears. Which brings us to the question raised by our 91-year-old Deniliquin writer's correspondence. Has anyone every tried to write to the managers at Facebook, Google or Twitter (either old school snail mail or email) and got a real life response? 

• FEBRUARY 10

Nice try, Mr Turnbull, and rather nicely choreographed too, but as football coaches tell their slower learners: "play the ball, not the man" – it was pretty poor technique ("PM unleashes his inner attack dog", February 9). Yes, we did want to see that you could speak passionately, forcefully, and even aggressively about policy issues (perhaps climate change or asylum seekers?), but we also agreed with you when you said that the Parliament needed to restore civility in debates. The likely place for heated personal invective is in your cabinet room, not in our Parliament's chambers. Oh, and the "sycophantic social climber" tactic (better known as "duchessing) was an old and overused British Tory's insult to Labour politicians thought to be "rising above their station". If you still really want to be like Keating, at least come up with some original forms of abuse. Peter Russell Coogee

• January 9

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has brought to light thousands of incidents of sexual abuse of children by people in authority in the Catholic Church.

• January 8

It should have been Malcolm Turnbull to form a new, enlightened and progressive "coalition" of like minds.

• February 7

Another politician voted in as the candidate for one party leaves to join another or set up their own party or become an independent. This is not right. It is an abuse of the electoral system and the voters.

• FEB06

Donald Trump is correct to describe the deal done between a politically expedient Australian prime minister and an outgoing American president who did not have to concern himself with political consequences as a "dumb deal".

In light of Donald Trump's fiery phone call with Malcolm Turnbull, we have received an unprecedented number of letters from Americans apologising for their president.

• FEBRUARY 4

As a citizen of the United States, I apologise for the nature of the telephone call from our president, but that would become a full time job.

In a week in which President Trump gave Australia a stark demonstration he isn't going to play by the rules, it seems apt that we reconsider one of our conventions.