Anzac Day: Keep the spirit of the day for honouring the date

Mike Puleston, Brunswick

History is more nuanced than this

Pity the country that needs heroes. Do we really need another pre-Anzac Day piece ("The battle that turned the tide", The Age, 21/4) telling us how our Diggers were "special"? That in a few battles they bested the Hun and changed the flow of WWI? That our generals were a cut above all others? We need to reflect on more nuanced historians like Bill Gammage who show our troops as frightened, robust, confused, intrepid, angry, cruel and compassionate – in fact, like all other men who go to war.

Kevin Summers, Bentleigh

Do not do a disservice to the memory

With the forthcoming centenary celebrations at Villers-Bretonneux (pictured), expect to hear that the Diggers stopped the German onslaught on the Western Front virtually singlehandedly – a view seemingly expressed by Jonathan King ("The battle that turned the tide").

Troops commanded directly by Monash took no part in the counterattack of April 25, so Sir John could hardly give a pre-battle pep talk. Similarly, Pompey Elliott leading his soldiers into battle sounds grand, but it never happened. Elliot was brave, but he wasn't stupid. He stayed at his command post in the rear, where he effectively coordinated his brigade's attack.

Less than 300,000 Australian troops served on the Western Front as part of a 16 million-strong allied army. By 1918, the Australians were tough and experienced, but there were simply too few of them to defeat the German Army singlehandedly. Such a view, whether expressed by Dr King or by politicians later this week, does a disservice to the memory of our troops.

Nigel Pratt, Malvern East

Less on memorials, more on returned soldiers

I made a contribution to the Anzac appeal. I requested that it be spent on returned soldiers and not on memorials.

Bill Henshall, Springfield

The words that fit the battle

I commemorate our war history like most Australians, but when politicians and other pomposities wish to improve history, two quotes come to mind.

Shakespeare's Henry V's St Crispin's Day speech: " . . . And gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves accursed they were not here . . ." and Anon: "The further the front, the greater the hero."

Don Hampshire, Sunbury

FORUM

Poor legacy

As we watch the Coalition government squirm in the face of the banking royal commission, it is interesting to note that the government was eager to finance and hold a commission into trade union thuggery to try to embarrass Labor, which it did. But when compared with the reports of financial impropriety from the current commission it was very small bickies.

In relation to the energy industry, the government wants to shore up the outdated coal industry instead of seriously looking at renewable alternatives. There is also the disgraceful treatment of refugees. Spurious claims are made by ministers about Australia's generosity towards refugees, yet smaller countries in the Middle East are accepting and feeding millions of their displaced neighbours.

The mantra before the last election was "jobs and growth" – the reality was the closure of the motor car manufacturing industry, cuts in the renewable industry, and silly policies and sword rattling towards China.

Cuts to education and health, continued displacement of the first Australians – and so the miserable legacy goes on. Australia deserves better – we need a government of vision that will seriously tackle these problems before it is too late.

Sigmund Jorgensen, Eltham

Shear disbelief

Does Deputy PM Michael McCormack really believe South African farm owners will give up their farms and migrate here and take our low wages to pick fruit and shear sheep?

Lindsay Donahoo, Wattle Glen

Looking for a problem

So South African farmers are going to line up to pick fruit and vegetables for slave wages and share accommodation with backpackers working on temporary visas. Peter Dutton is blatantly searching for a problem that he can convince us the South African farmers will solve.

Gary Sayer, Warrnambool

There is a solution

Does it not occur to "the powers that be" there would be among those on Manus and Nauru, people happy to accept employment as farm workers?

Pat Lightfoot, North Melbourne

No role models

Stephen Bartholomeusz (Comment, 20/4) laments that so many executives "park their ethics in the driveway as they go to work". Unhappily, they have few appropriate role models among politicians. Committed, decent, conscientious and competent politicians must sometimes wonder why they ever signed up. Too many of their colleagues park their previous convictions and self-respect at the partyroom door. Too many are preoccupied with the next election, sometimes at the expense of good government.

Norman Huon, Port Melbourne

Rethink time

If we are unable to have a genuine debate on Australia's population intake, at least let us have the facts. Starting with size, or sprawl in Melbourne's case. Melbourne is geographically as large as both London and Paris, but has less than half their population. I'm not suggesting households in inner city suburbs should share the burden of curbing this neverending sprawl with more apartments or blocks of flats. Neither do most Australians want to see an unending sea of housing stretch over productive farmland or satellite cities that are nothing but Melbourne-centric commuter belts. Melbourne's population of 4.5 million sprawls across roughly 130 kilometres end to end. Isn't it time to have a rethink?

Shaun Dumbrell, Williamstown

Nationalise the banks

After the misbehaviour of the banks during the Great Depression, Ben Chifley tried and failed to nationalise them in the 1940s. Maybe the time has come again. Like water and power, money is an essential commodity; its management should be in public hands. Those banks that were privatised should revert to government ownership.

Roger Boyce, Yarraville

Graduates logjam

The oversupply of medical graduates is already upon us, with an unjustifiable number of graduates spending years in unaccredited positions without being able to specialise. The training program for general practice, the stalwart of our healthcare system and once considered a "sure bet" for specialisation, is now rejecting hundreds of applicants a year.

Increasing the number of medical graduates has solved nothing in terms of doctor shortages in regional communities. The enhanced competitiveness of medical training means graduates want to be in the city where their name and reputation can grow – this is a huge disincentive from rural practice. Decentralisation of healthcare with expanded regional facilities allows graduates to train in a wider number of specialties without needing to be in the city. Spend the money reorganising the structure and delivery of healthcare and medical training programs, not opening a new medical school.

Anita Stubbs, Balwyn

NZ, can we swap PMs?

Could we humbly ask New Zealand for a swap in PMs for a little while just to sort out a few things, including some national pride in what we do as a nation – I'm sure a few of our traditional owners could see their way clear to lending her a possum skin cloak as she explains to Parliament the importance of "the people, the people, the people".

Laurie Mason, Fairhaven

Cold comfort

When Israel Folau stated publicly that all gay people were "going to hell", Elizabeth Farrelly (Comment, 21/4) believes it was defensible as "he didn't say that gay people should go to hell". Sorry, but I doubt the gay community will feel less vilified knowing that Folau was "simply stating what he believes to be the case".

Justin Shaw, Ringwood East

Bad advice

It is not the ATAR that stinks ("ATAR system on the nose: chief scientist", The Age, 21/4), it is the advice given to students. The ATAR makes 80 per cent in Further Maths (the third maths) worth less than 56 per cent in Specialist Maths (the top maths). The Specialist mark is not only worth more, it is much easier to attain as less than one in 10 can score 80 per cent or more whereas about two out of three score at least 56 per cent. The bonus is that Specialist Maths will improve Maths Methods as the same major topics are covered in more depth. Too many school teachers simply do not understand the ATAR system: probably because they did not take enough maths at school.

Neil Lennie, Box Hill North

Phone, what's in the fridge?

In a local paper a full-page ad for a very expensive refrigerator (about $5500) stated it had "built-in cameras" so that your smartphone could "know what's inside". I usually find out by opening the door and writing out a list. Technology should help us to improve our lives but not make us do stupid things including ringing our fridge.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill

Gender debate

While gay conversion therapy and treating homosexuality as a disorder is certainly wrong, the counselling of people on gender identity is not. There is considerable debate among psychologists and psychiatrists about the nature of what used to be called gender dysphoria and its permanence. Indeed gender fluidity, where one's identity can change back and forth is now at the cutting edge of "progressive" thought on this matter.

There is clinical evidence that some very young children "grow out of"' the condition. The problem is that the end of this journey can mean irreversible hormone treatment and, ultimately, surgery for people. Some regret this decision and for many others it does not reduce their psychological distress. Drug treatment is given to children to prevent the onset of secondary sex differences which contradict their current gender identity.

Certainly no person should suffer any kind of discrimination because of their choice of gender identity and their choice should be fully accepted, but refusal to consider scientific investigation of, or accept unwelcome conclusions from such studies for ideological reasons, is no more acceptable in this area than in climate science.

Philip Shehan, Brunswick

Channelling Maxwell

In his address to the media on Friday, Scott Morrison should have resorted to the Maxwell Smart approach with "I hope I wasn't out of line with that crack about not needing a royal commission".

Vivienne Bond, Warburton

Save the forests

The article "Fight over the forest"' (21/4) discussed the imminent clearfelling of 150 hectares of the magnificent forest giants at Noojee – a town of "natural beauty" with "lush fern gullies, bubbling rivers and tall mountain ash trees". A spokesman for the Andrews government concluded: "There is still a high demand for beautiful, natural, locally sourced native forest hardwood timber."

Let's chop off his last two words instead. Victoria's habitat-friendly, carbon-friendly, water-friendly and fire-friendly mountain ash trees are also beneficial to human health. We need them intact for a joyful future.

Linda Zibell, Mount Helen

Religion and cruelty

In the live animal export debate, the elephant in the room is Islam. Australians are entitled to know why terrible animal cruelty is being allowed, in order to pander to one religion's ritual slaughtering protocols. And in a related issue, at least eight abattoirs in Australia are allowed to conduct halal slaughter, which does not involve prior stunning. The RSPCA "is strongly opposed to all forms of slaughter that do not involve prior stunning of the animal", and "is opposed to a practice we believe is cruel". This cruelty is happening every day in Australia.

John Christiansen, St Kilda

AND ANOTHER THING

Refugees

So the "South Africa problem" is something Australia should solve yet we can't solve our refugee "problem"? This is ridiculous. If there's room for refugees here get them off Manus not from Cape Town.

Megan Peniston-Bird, Hawthorn

Finance

Scott Morrison; bandwagon.

Peter Knight, St Arnaud

Can we really bank on belated legislation to impose morals and ethics? Or will the finest legal minds be engaged to ensure that unfettered greed can continue?

Wendy Knight, Little River

The banks are all in this together.

John Bowman, Ocean Grove

It appears that many moral compasses have been sent to landfill.

Rod Matthews, Fairfield

Oh! what a tangled web we weave/When first we practise to deceive. (Marmion, Sir Walter Scott)

Jim Spithill, Ashburton

Methinks you were just about better off getting charged for getting no services than being charged and getting advice.

Luise Mock, Tawonga South

Given the exposed greed and immorality of banks and big business, what hope is there of "trickle-down" economic benefits?

Jon Smith, Leongatha

Fee for no service? Is this a fancy term for theft?

Mary Dow, Blairgowrie

Ironical, really, banks were invented to give us a place to put our money where nobody could steal it.

Tony Haydon, Mentone

Furthermore

Thanks to John McDuling (Comment, 20/4), I now know who Israel Folau is. He plays football. With all the fuss, I thought he must have been important.

Doug Tipping. North Ringwood

Things have come to a pretty pass when DA's Quick is harder than his Cryptic.

Aitor Orive, Hampton East