I believe that the parents themselves bear an enormous responsibility. It may cost money and time to give the student extra tuition but being able to read is absolutely vital. I have heard it claimed that a million adult Australians cannot read. Do we simply add to this problem or do something about it?

Robert Willson, Deakin

Ted Quinlan's experience ("Quinlan left dangling in the iiNet", November 4, p15) was not the result of some administrative error. We receive our bill either on the due date, or a day or so later. I assume the fact that I pay it immediately saves me from the fate he suffered.

Ringing them and asking for a sensible due date only results in bureaucratic stonewalling; i.e. "It's an accounts matter and we can't do anything about it."

However, when we did lose our internet connection and the operator in Perth could not fix it over the phone, he told us he would have to send out a technician and this would take about three weeks. When I asked to speak to someone else, I was told there was no one available. That is, no supervisor existed.

When I rang again, I got on to an operator in Melbourne who told me the same thing: that a technician would take three weeks to arrive and there was no one else to speak to me. Three weeks to the day later, a technician arrived and found I'd been disconnected at "the box".

He drove off and within three minutes he had flicked a switch or whatever and we were off and running again. I needed a technician again sometime later and, sure enough, it takes three weeks for them to arrive. Obviously it's time for me to change, but I have a good deal (bugger).

K. Bell, Kambah

The Quinlans' experiences with iiNet are widely shared it seems (Letters, November 5). Fixing our modem problem, which originated in South Africa, took weeks despite iiNet's local technicians spending hours phoning, patiently waiting, then talking to Filipinos to sort things out. Problems become almost impossible to remedy when local internet providers sell out to internationals with no Australian "shop front".

Breathe deeply and calm your inner-self before ringing iiNet about a problem.

Pam and Brian Cooke, Waramanga

I, like Janet Thompson (Letters, November 5) share the problems Ted Quinlan had with iiNet. My latest was receiving bills that were received only one or two days before they were due even though the bill was raised weeks before.

Their fix was to send the bills by email. I accepted this provided they sent me the hard copy also as I get very nervous relying on computer services that may or may not work. My nervous state continues as I only get the email copy. I am loath to call them again and just end up in a real mess. Please don't remind me about ActewAGL. It would probably kill me.

Frank Scargill, Macarthur

I don't think anyone would question the need for roadwork speed limits to protect workers or the need for drivers to observe these limits ("Slow down near roadworks or you could pay the price", November 4, p13). However, if their purpose is to protect workers it is perfectly reasonable to ask why they are required when workers aren't present.

I can accept that in some situations limits may still be required but too often there appears absolutely no reason. The approach seems to be to apply the limit to the maximum possible length of road where there is any possibility of work occurring and to leave the limit in place all the time. In addition to monitoring motorists, greater attention needs to be paid to how contractors are using these speed limits. Government contracts should include requirements to minimise the length of road affected and remove speed limits when no work is occurring. Currently these speed limit signs are too often like the boy who cried wolf.

Jim Derrick, Florey

Last Friday, we saw a brown snake just outside our garage. We live next to a reserve. I rang Canberra Connect and was told rangers do not rescue snakes or help householders confronted by snakes. I was advised to leave it alone, that it would return to its natural habitat. I called Wild Life Rescue as advised by Canberra Connect if I am too concerned but the call went to an answering machine. We were left to rescue it by ourselves or wait for it to move on.

With the help of a neighbour we were able to move it to the reserve. It was too risky to leave it where it was. Wild Life Rescue did call me after two hours and advised similar to what Canberra Connect had advised. Brown snakes are the second most dangerous snakes in Australia; the lack of help from ACT Rangers is putting lives at risk.

Zafar Ahmad, Theodore

Jane Caro ("The double standard treatment of Ardent Leisure CEO Deborah Thomas", canberratimes.com.au, November 4) misses the point. I agree that personal threats made against Ms Thomas were inexcusable; the question is did she receive her bonus because of staff and safety audit cost-cutting?

The public service is being subjected to the the same kind of short-sighted management.

Ben Gershon, Lyons

I was surprised to read that Alexander Downer is on the local board of Huawei, the Chinese electronics company linked to the People's Liberation Army that was banned from Australian NBN involvement due to our (and US) security concerns ("Spy fear over China link to NBN", November 6, p6).

Alexander Downer is, of course, our highly paid double-dipping Australian High Commissioner in London. The Huawei connection is clearly not in keeping with his present representative position with the UK – one of our closest intelligence allies, and suggests a disconcerting lack of professional judgment on his part. It must be an embarrassment for the Australian government that one of its highest-paid diplomatic appointees is at the same time in bed with Huawei, a company of national security concern.

C. Williams, Forrest

So the ludicrous, and Federal Human Rights Commission-supported, $250,000 lawsuit under Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act brought by an Aboriginal QUT employee against three non-Indigenous students who had complained that, in effect, having a computer room designated Aboriginals-only was racial discrimination, has been thrown out as not having reasonable prospects of success. Shades of 1950s Alabama – in reverse.

That the case was ever brought reflects little credit on the Human Rights Commission and its apparent role to discourage any trace of individual resilience against the normal slights and disagreements of daily life most of us tolerate without the government interference a kindly HRC seeks to impose on our behalf. There will doubtless be more calls for the resignation of Professor Triggs.

I would also suggest that the tiresome champion of Section 18C and inventor of that existential threat to humanity "casual racism" and which others call workplace banter, Dr Tim Soutphommasane, do us all a favour by resigning and seeking a position more consistent with his positively forensic talent for distinguishing fine abstractions. Picking oakum comes immediately to mind.

Bill Deane, Chapman

I agree with many of Amanda Vanstone's points ("Speaking up is not racist", November7, p12) on having a civilised debate around reform to section 18C. However, I take issue with her view that an "industry" has built up around taking offence and being a victim.

These are usually marginalised members of our society who have no financial backing, particularly Australia's Indigenous people, who are frequently told to "get over it, and move on". That didn't work with the victims of institutional child abuse did it? Any reforms to section 18C must be measured and based on the actual impact on victims.

Lorraine W. Ovington, Fisher

The US election already has an essential take-home lesson for Australia: in the absence of effective education, democracy no longer works. Any society that relies on the power of uninformed prejudice to appoint its leaders is headed for a chasm. The declining standards of education — primary, secondary and tertiary – in Australia are driving us down that same dark path.

The opposition of cynical political parties to the principle of better and more widespread education, their undermining of schools, universities, teachers and science, is because the only way they can be elected is through a majority of Australians being unable to choose between governments or representatives of principle, fact and policy and those of demagoguery and prejudice.

Whether or not Trump succeeds, he has exposed alarming failures in the US education system that weren't there a few decades ago. Ditto Australia.

In geopolitics, globalised economics and human culture, the winners will be those with education on their side.

The losers, as things stand, will be us.

Julian Cribb, Franklin

My father had a saying: a used car salesman will tell you what you want to hear. For the better part of two years Donald Trump has been telling the angry what they want to hear. He has given them people to blame and provided Twitter links to conspiracies that confirm their fears. He has dismissed good manners and civilised behaviour as political correctness and introduced schoolyard bullying and juvenile rhetoric into the political debate.

He has offered the freedom to utter every dark thought and racial, gender or religious epithets that social conventions have kept bottled up. While it's true that Clinton is a flawed candidate, there is no moral equivalency here. This is not a contest between two equally bad choices. Only one of them is calling our better angels losers.

Bart Meehan, Calwell

Ross Fitzgerald ("Abbott in cabinet would be smart move for Turnbull", Forum, November 5, p11) proposes five reasons supporting a restoration by Malcolm Turnbull of a cabinet position for Tony Abbott. There is a sixth.

At the most recent federal election record numbers of enrolled Australians voted informal or did not bother to vote at all: clearly, many Australians have lost faith and interest in our federal political process. Most affected was the Labor Party, which surrendered the support of tens of thousands of formerly committed supporters, former public servants, by voting for the reduction in the quality of their humble lifestyles through pension reductions or removals. The Senate has been rendered unworkable by the number of minor parties now holding seats there.

Tony Abbott is the articulate representative of the conservative views of some millions of Australians. His continued rejection in favour of clearly less-talented people creates the risk of the alienation from their chosen party of very many influential Australians. It is impossible to predict where their support might fall if their alienation is not resisted.

The two-party system has served us well over the decades. It is under threat from those who willfully refuse to unite their political forces, or support the situations of traditional supporters.

Noel Beddoe, Kiama, NSW

RESTORE MINE SITE

The closure of the Hazelwood mine and power station is great news for the environment. It would be even better if its owners now restored the site using local contractors and local staff, and established a solar energy farm in its place.

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

LESS IDEOLOGY?

Now there is a turn-up for the books, H. Ronald (Letters, November 5) calling for "more leadership and less ideology" regarding energy security. Does the archetypical ideologue have another side?

A. Brown, Fadden

'FORMER' AMBASSADOR

Deborah Snow's interview with Kim Beazley ("It's safe to assume a Clinton win", November 5, p14) offers an interesting insight into his views on the coming US election.

However, Ms Snow should be advised that Mr Beazley is the former Australian ambassador to the USA – not the US ambassador.

John F. Janke, Pearce

SUMMER BREAK

It was reported that bogong moths migrate south "to the mountainous regions ... to hibernate" during the hot summer months ("The bush superfood swarming Canberra", November 7, p3). The correct word is aestivate. Creatures hibernate through winter only.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

BE FAIR TO TRUMP

I hold a candle for neither candidate, however the persistent criticism of Donald Trump by Fairfax Media's two correspondents, Paul McGeough and Nick O'Malley, does them no credit as even-handed journalists; and damages the company's claim that it's "independent".

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

PARKING RESPONSE

Mark Boscawen (Letters, November er 6) should at least read our letters (Bradly, Fitch and Smith, October 31) before firing off about the parking of driverless vehicles.

They will be public transport, mostly shared ride.

They will not be parked while there is demand.

A. Smith, Farrer

SHORTFALL PUZZLE

Were Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack able to answer questions, he'd be at a loss to explain why a government instrumentality could be "$36 million in the red" (Cash-strapped ABS forced to cut 150 jobs, November 5, p4)! Obviously, accurate statistics are only relevant to governments with policy, ideals and ideas.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW

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