• January 14

Agreed, Kitty Flanagan ("Why I'd give gift registries the boot", January 7)!  We were married in 1968. If wedding registries had been as ubiquitous then as they are now, we might not have become the proud owners of five coffee percolators, an amber glass "water set" and what appeared to be a recycled bowling club trophy.

• January 11

To contend that selective schools are inherently elitist is a crass, populist throwback to anti-intellectualism.

• January 10

Emily Cole's harrowing experience suggests sexual assault trials should be conducted before judges only.

• January 9

I was horrified to learn while watching the fifth Test cricket match on television on Sunday that the temperature on the pitch was over 55 degrees. My concern deepened when I heard on the news yesterday morning that the English captain, Joe Root, had been hospitalised for severe dehydration.

• January 8

We used to have a good system to enable redress via the Builders Licensing Board.

• January 6

The Berejiklian government is ignoring voters' urgent pleas for sporting facilities that serve the whole community.

• January 5

Australian leaders are seeking to score political points off any issue of public concern.

• January 7

Two photos, sitting side by side, showcased the horror of war and the power of nature.

• January 4

Good to see our Prime Minister showing he's not lost his touch from last year.

• January 3

Anyone concerned about how their taxes are spent should treat the axing of education program funding with deep suspicion.

• January 2

Charlie Pickering on ABC TV Countdown to the New Year's Eve fireworks said it's OK to kill – oops kiss – police. How appalling. These people do such a great job.

It is small wonder that fatalities connected with trucks on the road have greatly increased.

• DECEMBER 31

In the 70 years the bride and I have been together, any day of the year could be Christmas Day chez nous – and so many of them were. It worked for us.

• December 30

Sports fans know who really won the race and it wasn't LDV Comanche ("Sydney to Hobart shock as winner overturned on appeal", December 29). Wild Oats XI won by almost half an hour in record time. To be denied the victory, due to a minor technicality, just doesn't pass the pub test. Did the supposed rules infraction cost LDV Comanche the huge margin they lost by? Nothing like it. So what are we left with? A hollow victory, a false champion and a tainted event. Tim Mullins, Greenwich

• December 29

So it seems that the last vestiges of what made King's Cross the unique jumble of interesting and original night life is about to get the chop.

• December 28

It's in every driver's hands to decide when they get behind the wheel whether to drive carefully or irresponsibly.

• December 27

I would prefer Turnbull put more resources into public and social housing rather than feed the homeless once a year.

• December 26

Various government ministers continue to tell us there are no longer any children in detention. Given the outcry from international bodies such as UNHCR and the United Nations reminding us that this cruel practice is illegal, why are these children, and any refugees made to suffer?

• December 23

There is a relentless attack on basic Christian principles in some of the government's policies.

• DECEMBER 24

I've always thought there's more than meets the eye with the long-acting reversible contraceptives and it doesn't surprise me that doctors are refusing to believe there are side-effects ("Birth control with unusual risks", December 17). I've encountered unusual behaviours from doctors who have pressured me into trying these devices, discounting the basic tenet of informed consent and forcing me to have to stand my ground as they ignore my repeated refusals. And once they realise they have lost the argument, the irate response they display suggests that there must some sort of hidden vested interest in pushing these unwanted devices on to women.

• December 22

Snowy 2.0 is just "fibre-to-the-node" for electricity, and Malcolm told us that that would be a winner too.

• December 21

If Eric Abetz were in private enterprise, he would be counselled for being a micro-manager.

• December 20

How is it that a government elected by the people, and supposedly for the people, persists in going against the people's wishes?

• December 19

It's time Australia stepped up to the task of initiating an International UN response to the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

• December 18

So it seems that the Royal Commission on Institutional Child Abuse has recommended a nationwide reimbursement fund for victims. How to pay for it? May I recommend a small once off land tax on every "religious building" getting tax exempt status. Even 0.05 per cent of the value of the multimillion-dollar churches and other religious buildings,  would pay for every victim to get a life-changing gift from those who, as an institution, affected their lives.  And perhaps leftover funds could be used for counselling, advertising,  and outreach to those still being affected. 

• December 16

Jenna Price's column should be required reading for every parent.

• December 15

Girls have outperformed boys for years, yet boys leave school and eventually make more money.

• DECEMBER 17

Australia being taken to task for its shameful, shabby record re racism is, tragically, nothing new ("United Nations warns racism 'on the rise' in Australia", December 10). It was excruciatingly galling to recently witness our Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, declare with perfect poker face that Australia has the appropriate credentials to nominate a candidate for the prestigious position of UN Secretary-General. Considering the UN job description required a candidate capable of responding to 21st century demands, including that of climate change and handling the influx of refugees, an Australian application would be simply ludicrous.

• December 14

​If, as Jacob Saulwick says in his article, Allianz Stadium is unsafe and non-compliant with safety issues, then why isn't the Trust being prosecuted?