Marg D'Arcy, Rye

Yes you are right about Australia's deep shame, Loucille McGinley (Letters, 17/2). Surely everyone finds the government's inaction on the plight of the Australian children in the al-Hawl camp in Syria sickening. The Christians in our government could look up their Bible on widows and orphans and how a millstone around the neck is better than hurting little children.

Dorothy Woodward, Ivanhoe

There can be no doubt that the women and children in the al-Hawl camp in Syria are caught up in an appalling situation, victims of every kind of trauma, and suffering in freezing conditions ("Raids as families plan to flee al-Hawl", 16/2).

Instead of being their strongest advocate for a return to normal life, our government has made them political scapegoats in the belief that they pose a security threat, which surely can be defused in a calm and non-threatening environment by the requisite experts, rather than having police conduct heavy-handed raids.

Helen Scheller, Benalla

The Australian government could respond to the families of Islamic State fighters in a Syrian refugee camp in two possible ways. They can maintain their harassment and continue to look for evidence to support their treatment as possible terrorists, or they could do what many people seem to be able to do, visit the camp and rescue them from a terrible, hazardous situation. Once back home they could then maintain continuing support and conversations about how the families can work towards a hopeful future.

The narrow and distrustful current strategy will make it more likely that the families develop or maintain very negative attitudes towards the West. They will certainly give current terrorists, and others who are vulnerable to their voices, plenty of ammunition in the war for minds.

The more naturally humane strategy may seem naive but it has a much better chance of creating a more positive environment for engagement with the "persons of concern".

Howard Tankey, Box Hill North

You report on your front page (16/2) that Australian police have "stepped up investigations" into Australians 67 women and children freezing in the al-Hawl refugee camp in Syria as some may try "to flee and make their way home as conditions deteriorate in the camp". In the same article the government is quoted as having "no plans to rescue the Australians because ... many of the women and families pose an ongoing security risk."

It beggars belief that our security systems could not manage the problem of such a small group, many of whom are little children, living in Australia under surveillance if they were returned here under humanitarian consideration. They are our people, they are Australians for god's sake.

This cold-blooded government prefers to leave them in the mud, sewerage and ice of the camps. I am ashamed to be an Australian at the thought of this. Bring them back now.

Conn Constantinou, Sandringham

Basic arithmetic tells us the abolition of stamp duty ("Ex-Treasury heads slam stamp duty", The Age, 17/2) will not cut the cost of housing.

If you can raise $739,000 now, you can spend $700,000 on a house and pay the government $37,000 in stamp duty (there are some small other costs). If there were no stamp duty, you would still be able to raise the $739,000. The only difference would be you would give an extra $37,000 to the vendor. It is simple supply and demand.

The only reason for the business world to support the replacement of stamp duty with land tax is to force low-income retirees out of their homes so that they can be bulldozed and replaced with apartments as part of the insane notion of squashing 80 per cent of Victorians into the just over 1 per cent of Victoria that makes up urban Melbourne.

Chris Curtis, Hurstbridge

As a Catholic priest for almost 50 years, I'm surprised and disappointed that the forward-looking Pope Francis dismissed the proposal of Latin American bishops to ordain married men in the Amazon so that Catholics in remote areas would have the opportunity to celebrate Mass rather than waiting for years.

I really believed that Pope Francis, being a man of and for the people, would take the relatively small step of ordaining those men who are married deacons in that area of South America, where priests are scarce.

Regular access to the Eucharist is a fundamental right for all Christians and the church has a heavy responsibility to facilitate this. In all sorts of ways, celibacy is breaking down and it's time we trusted in the Spirit and got real.

Marriage won't be compulsory, but it should be an option.

Kevin Burke, Sandringham

I completely agree with Bill Mathew (Letters 17/2) that population growth is missing from the climate debate. But population growth is not just a factor, it is the core problem.

Our domestic economy is hugely dependent upon population growth ... everything from building activity to retail sales and general consumption.

So how is it that Scandinavian and other European countries manage good economies and lifestyles without our sort of population growth? Is there a lower greed factor?

Brian McKay, Albert Park

My Aged Care was established in 2013 by the federal government as a "one-stop aged care shop". It has been such an unmitigated disaster that six years after it was introduced, an Aged Care System Navigator was designed to help people "navigate" the aged care system. The absurdity of needing a second service to assist people to use the first service brings to mind an episode of ABC's Utopia.

"Navigate" has become the new buzzword in aged care. The first discussion paper from the royal commission is titled: Navigating the maze: an overview of Australia's current aged care system. But it was not a maze when local councils, the Royal District Nursing Service and other not-for-profit and for-profit organisations delivered services to older people in their home.

How did the aged-care system become so complex that older people and their family need help to navigate it?

Sarah Russell, director, Aged Care Matters, Northcote

Let's have some clear thinking and cut the hypocrisy involved in criticism of the religious freedom bill.

The LGBTIQ lobby and others claim it gives religious organisations the right to discriminate, but would they employ someone in their organisations, whatever these be, who held views opposed to theirs?

Likewise would the Labor Party employ a Liberal Party member in their offices, and vice versa? And it should be asked what would the motivation be for someone to seek any such employment?

Why, then, should it be OK to impose an LGBTIQ or other opposed person as an employee on a religious organisation? In regard to "hate speech", some things LGBTIQ people say are deeply offensive to Christians, but who condemns that?

John Weymouth, Ringwood East

China is rightly praised for its herculean effort to contain the coronavirus and with the vigour perhaps only possible in a one-party state. However, its authoritarianism is precisely why such precautions are now necessary to check the global cost of Covid-19 in deaths, disruption to daily life and incalculable financial loss to economies, business and individuals.

Had the brave doctors who first raised the alarm not been silenced and forced to confess to spreading rumours, the outbreak may have been contained to the 11 million epicentre of Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. Before the rise of Xi Jinping as leader for life over China's 1.4 billion people , the country was opening up, censorship relaxed, some freedom of speech tolerated and parts of the press permitted to uncover stories, rather than cover them up. President Xi reversed that and tightened the clamps.

With the spread of Covid-19 to Africa, his Belt and Road has expanded beyond his "Chinese Dream".

Helene Chung, Melbourne

The Coalition's ministerial response (Christian Porter and Peter Dutton) to the High Court's decision that an Aboriginal person can't be an "alien" is yet another example of this government's antagonism to Indigenous people.

It would be a relatively simple matter to accept the High Court's decision and legislate that anyone of Indigenous descent to a prescribed level of proof was automatically an Australian citizen.

Surely there are members of conscience in the Liberal Party who will speak out on matters such as this, and climate change, and not be silenced by narrow-minded conservatives.

Rodney Syme, Yandoit Hills

As a resident who lives close to the Clarinda recycling facility, all we ask is that Alex Fraser Group abides by the original conditions of the permit which, was time limited to 15 years to coincide with the phasing out of waste/landfill activities in the area after decades of sand mining ("Minister called in on recycle battle", The Age, 17/2).

Both the local City of Kingston and the state government have committed to the rehabilitation of this area to a long-promised Chain of Parks. This state government commitment has come in the form of a change to the planning scheme (which now prohibits waste activities) and also funding promised by the Andrews Labor government in the last election to commence development of the Sandbelt Chain of Parks.

The minister should call in the application to ensure that these promises are kept.

Silvana Anthony, Heatherton

Long-term plans on how to transition to a coal-free future? Really, how hard is it for a national government to produce a road map?

The Whitlam government in the 1970s established the Industry Assistance Commission to examine issues like structural adjustment and alternative employment for workers transitioning into new employment opportunities.

That was more than 40 years ago when planners had nothing like the data and computing available today.

David Fry, Moonee Ponds

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg states "you're not going to hold a telco responsible if someone says something harmful on a phone line", but the comparison between Facebook and a telephone conversation could not be more dissimilar.

A phone conversation is normally a dialogue, whereas a Facebook post has the potential to reach millions. He needs to accept responsibility and remove misleading, offensive or libellous comments when requested to do so.

Alan Inchley, Frankston

Peter Hartcher's article expressed concern that a recent High Court judgment creates two classes of citizens ("High Court opens Pandora's box", Comment, 15/2). I would like to note that there were already two classes before this judgment those that could have their citizenship stripped from them and those who couldn't.

The ability to take an Australian citizenship away in some circumstances if the person had citizenship rights in another country was introduced a few years ago with little concern expressed. Peter Dutton has obviously (and conveniently) forgotten his work on that change if he thinks another class of people "is a very bad thing".

Keith Wilson, Rye

John Capel is right about Victoria's need for enlightenment about the the cruelty of duck shooting (Letters, 17/2)

The Andrews government must realise that only a handful of Victorians pursue this blood sport. Most of us enjoy seeing our ducks thrive in peaceful surroundings.

Jan Kendall, Mount Martha

Thank for your letter, John Capel. I had a similar one published by The Age some 20 years ago and have attempted with follow-ups.

How could any responsible government still allow this primitive, cruel practice masquerading as sport to continue, particularly after what has happened to us recently? I despair.

I guess the simple answer is that this is not a responsible, enlightened government.

Roger Vincent, Fitzroy, SA

I can only concur with Rosemary Taylor, who writes congratulating MPs Andrew Wilkie and George Christensen for their planned visit to Julian Assange in prison (Letters, 16/2).

I would add, as a once rusted-on Labor voter: ALP, where are you ... Hello ... Hello?

Vaughan Greenberg, Chewton

Don't be too hard on Scott Morrison, he's just trying to keep it simple. Doing something just complicates things.

Bill Trestrail, St Kilda

The (Queensland) Nationals tail is wagging the (Sydney) Liberal dog.

Greg Curtin, Blackburn South

Truth in politics: It's a Liberal minority government in Canberra, precariously partnered by FIFO members of the so-called National Party. Expect woeful governance.

Frederika Steen, Chapel Hill, Qld

In order to reduce the childish point scoring during question time in Parliament, maybe it should be called "question and answer" time.

Ian Dale, Rosebud

With the dismal lack of leadership across all the major parties, perhaps it is time to try out the Millennials.

Joan Segrave, Healesville

For ducks' sake, cancel the shooting season.

Margaret Ward, Eltham

By accepting the findings of Phil Gaetjens' report over that of the National Audit Office, Scott Morrison is effectively signalling a vote of no confidence in the Auditor-General. There is no other way of looking at it.

Garry Meller, Bentleigh

Should farmers unsuccessfully applying for federal bushfire relief have asked for a swimming pool?

Hans Paas, Castlemaine

I just joined ABC Friends. Under this government they need all the friends they can get.

Carol Reed, Newport

So, the wholesale cost of P2 masks goes from $2.50 to $38.50 a unit. Seems there will always be someone who will recognise any opportunity to cash in on a crisis.

Marie Nash, Balwyn

You're not taking the Kingswood! RIP Holden.

Ed Veber, Malvern East

Coal is OK, cars are not.

Les Anderson, Woodend

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Give these children a chance to have a life - The Age