In those days, the government invested in education; there was no ugly HECS debt hanging over your head when you graduated; rent was cheap (I paid $70 a week in a share house); and part-time jobs were plentiful.

Whatever degree you undertook, there were truckloads of opportunities.

Compare that to today with graduates lumped with a bill of $25,000, with rents through the roof, part-time jobs decreasing and penalty rates receding.

It's a grim outlook and, frankly, it's really not fair that so many of us had a free education but now young people are harshly penalised.

And where are the jobs these days? The career prospects? The certainty of employment? Who knows what professions the robots will infiltrate in the coming years?

The government talks a lot about transition, but no one ever says what we're transitioning to. Is there a plan?

The divide is getting wider. It will not end well unless we start addressing that disparity. I don't hold out much hope that Scott Morrison will have the answers next Tuesday. But the budget would be a good place to start.

Robert Beattie, Queanbeyan, NSW

So, the government only wants those who share Australian values. By government dicta these values would include denying the poor, the weak, the aged, the infirm, the unemployed and the disabled fair and equitable access to quality education, healthcare, welfare and basic housing.

Overlaying these values are imposing taxes and imposts on those least able to afford them, while providing tax benefits to those individuals and corporates at the higher end of the income scale.

An inherent value is the denial of entry to our shores to any whose views or beliefs differ from the coterie of Christian comfort afforded by the majority of our political leaders – a leadership that denies access to information and ministerial communication to those in the media whose views agree with government.

When I was young, I was brought up to believe I lived in a country where people were to be respected regardless of their beliefs and opinions, and governments were elected to serve all members of the community without fear or favour. I've grown up now.

James Grenfell, Spence

It's unfortunate that Mr Agnew couldn't debate the technical point about which of the Kokoda Track and Coral Sea battles could more accurately be said to have "saved Australia" without working himself into a lather (letters, May3).

He goes too far in saying that the Kokoda success is "swept under the carpet".

The debate is moot, as the (Japanese) army plan to capture Port Moresby was advanced as a rejection of a (Japanese) navy plan to invade Australia.

We should avoid any implication that the merits of anyone's war service depend on whether they, personally, were directly involved in preventing a successful invasion of Australia – a view which would seem to impugn the Anzacs themselves.

Australia's security was a much broader and more complex matter than preventing invasion, as it is today.

Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra, NSW

Mr Agnew has rewritten history in his letter "PM insults our heroes" (letters, May3).

Australia was never saved from invasion mainly because the Japanese, after some earlier consideration of the idea (by the Japanese navy) abandoned any likelihood of an invasion attempt well before the Kokoda campaign.

Japan's aim in the South Pacific was to isolate Australia from the US and to utilise Port Moresby as a base.

This plan was abandoned following defeat in the Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway.

Contrary to popular belief, Australians were not the first to inflict a land defeat upon the Japanese.

This distinction belongs to the US Marines, who defeated the Japanese (naval troops) at Tulagi in May 1942.

David J.Richards, Moruya NSW

Zed Seselja describes Anzac Day as "sacred" ("Zed Seselja criticises Yassmin Abdel-Magied over Anzac Day Facebook post", canberratimes .com.au, May 3).

What we used to regard as sacred was such Christian precepts as, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself", and "Love your enemies". It is a pity if we have transferred our notion of what is sacred to the celebration of war and killing the enemy.

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

Nice story from Megan Doherty about the $100million Monash centre in France ("Canberra family's big build in France," April29, p6-7 ).

Perhaps she could do a further story quoting officials from veterans' organisations who believe the money could have been better spent on services to PTSD sufferers and amputees. The Villers-Bretonneux extravagance is the largest component of Australia's $600million spend on commemorating the Great War.

The Monash centre is Australian boastfulness on a grand scale.

David Stephens, Bruce

The AMA medical unionists (GPs) are displaying some resistance to prescribing generic drugs instead of the fancy brands pushed by the big drug companies.

The GP-prescribed pink pill is better than generic blue pill with identical ingredients.

The money that big pharma spends on their salesmen – the ever-willing, most obliging GP – makes the GP a very enthusiastic part of the pharmaceutical profit stream around the world.

Rex Williams, Ainslie

Criticism of John Coates holding dual positions with Australian and international Olympic committees are out of step with international sporting protocol.

Membership of the International Olympic Committee mandates membership of the relevant national body.

Peter Conway, Braddon

I sympathise with Peter Fogarty (letters April 28) who writes sensitively in requesting a "foot track" through the "near impenetrable scrub" in Namadgi wilderness.

The walk to Namadgi's Mt Kelly is one of my favourites but scrub is making it increasingly arduous. The problem is that once a track is made, commercialisation will follow.

Commercial operators and maybe our very development-oriented Chief Minister will push ruthlessly for profits. How about expensive glamping and luxury cabins en route to Mt Kelly?

Another problem is that made tracks are incompatible with wilderness values.

Commercialisation is hammering Kosciuiszko National Park (KNP) with expanding resorts (Perisher Valley for example) and catering for high impact recreation. Horse riding now occurs in KNP, causing damage to watercourses and fragile areas unsuited to hooves.

While many appreciate these experiences and it's wonderful they do, it comes at a price.

Increasingly our national parks are becoming commercial enterprises. Please let's have national parks where we can just be and let nature be.

Judy Kelly, Aranda

Every death in war is a tragedy, including that of Corporal Cameron Baird VC ("More than a game," May 4, p.1).

And we should wish Corporal Baird's charity, Cam's Cause, every success.

That said, it is inappropriate in the extreme for the best player in the Anzac Test to receive a miniature statue of an armed Corporal Baird. Sport is not war and war is not sport.

It was always wrong for the NRL to attach the "Anzac" label to a football match; Corporal Baird's motto, "Aspire to inspire", should be powerful enough without having to be clothed in khaki.

The Anzac Test should pass unlamented into history. On the other hand, the likelihood of wars going the same way is slim.

Facing the further story about Corporal Baird ("The statue that shows why the Anzac Test matters," May 4, p.6) there is a full page advertisement for the defence industries of Victoria.

We might yearn for an end to war — because war chews up young men like Corporal Baird — but arms manufacturers and the eager buyers of arms in the military and in government will always be working in the opposite direction.

Wars are the best testing grounds for new military kit and they are the prime source of profits for arms manufacturers.

David Stephens, Bruce

Light rail is premature for Canberra (I'd stop the current works at Dickson). But, if we're looking at long-term Civic-Woden routes ("A bridge too far?", May 2, p.1), then consider this.

Like the NCA apparently, I'd worry about tracks intruding on the fine Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. So, I'd avoid it (and the converging Kings Avenue one) and any associated difficult Parkes Way and London Circuit intersections.

I'd examine a more useful two-way south-side route, firstly extending from Civic to Russell along Constitution Avenue (as already envisaged); down to the Menindee Drive/Boat House precinct; onto a new eastern lake crossing (a low-impact trestle for rail, pedestrians, and bikes only, with a cafe on it) close to Griffin's causeway line; connecting to lively Kingston Foreshore at busy harbour-side Honeysett Street (with maybe a branch line into the Parliamentary Zone); on to the railway station; then south on splendid axial Sturt Avenue (a future development corridor); on to sweeping Captain Cook Crescent (a similar corridor); into busy Manuka; along Canberra Avenue past upgraded Manuka Oval; along the edge of the Barton hotels and offices; on to State Circle and Parliament House's south entry; up land-axial Melbourne Avenue (a logical future development corridor); into a fast tunnel direct to Canberra Hospital; and then surface to Woden Town Centre — notably, avoiding Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen, thus protecting their magnificent sylvan settings from "light-rail-land-capture" high-rise flats.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Yes Murray May (letters, April 28) the Gold Coast Light Rail is certainly successful because it links major urban tourist destinations.

It (stage 1) covers a 13km route connecting Southport (CBD of the Gold Coast), with Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, stops also including Griffith University, University Hospital, Broadwater Parklands, GC Aquatic and Convention Centres.

Interestingly, the Gold Coast is a large local government area which includes 81 "suburbs" — separate townships such as Burleigh Heads, Currumbin, Mermaid Waters, Nerang, Oxenford; and three major urban towns — Coomera, Southport and Robina.

Buses and Rapid Bus networks provide the regular high frequency transport services between all of these. (With some heavy rail).

These "suburbs" are separated by distances comparable with those between Canberra's town centres. The trams which come to Canberra will be modern and whizz bang, but as a transport system, light rail is not modern, nor as cost effective as Rapid Bus systems in linking up decentralised areas.

Hopefully this fact is being given due consideration by those in charge of Canberra's future transport services.

A. Curtis, Florey

I would like to assure M. Flint (letters, May 5) I have no strong feelings one way or the other about the tram. If people want to repeatedly beat their heads against a brick wall it might be more useful to do so over a more important issue than one that has already been resolved.

Steve Ellis, Hackett

AUSTRALIAN SUCCESS

Imperial Japanese forces were defeated by Australian troops at Milne Bay in 1942. Although US army and marines were heavily engaged at Guadalcanal, the US army's 101st artillery and 46th combat engineers battalions fought in the PNG battle. Australians, who suffered the most casualties, and Americans beat the enemy by a pincer movement.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

COME TOGETHER

How we yearn for some cooperation between people who share a Gonksian attitude to fairness in education.

Surely this is a moment when Malcolm and Tanya should put down arms and work out a bi-party plan to benefit all our children.

Don't let's miss this chance for a civilised conversation.

We are starved for it and don't need a fight over who owns which idea.

Jill Sutton, Watson

SAVING CANBERRA

I cannot leave Canberra, Robin Poke (Letters, April 29). I have a responsibility to help save this community from socialist rule, for example like compulsorily relocating residents (Northbourne Avenue), moving to public transport (The Tram) and legislating against religious opinions (abortion) being demonstrated.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

THE REAL ROBBERS

More and more people are starting to realise that bank robbers now reside inside banks. Unfortunately, this ever-increasing scourge has escaped our government and hence its refusal to immediately implement a Royal Commission into banks and the bank robbers therein.

Jon Jovanovic, Lenah Valley, Tas.

ABBOTT'S JOB TRAUMA

Poor Mr Abbott, he still has hopes to get back his job or at least a cabinet position. Given that this might never happen, it looks like Mr Abbott's trauma is irreversible.

Mokhles k sidden, South Strathfield, NSW

DISPLAY NEGLECTED

Why is the key to the Old Parliament House only on loan for the first six weeks of the Museum of Australian Democracy's exhibition?

Surely it belongs in the Old Parliament House and not behind locked doors on the Office of the Speaker? These kinds of exhibits should be on display for all Australians to see.

Helen M Goddard, Turner

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Saw a visitor from Gladysland driving through our national capital yesterday.

The licence plate slogan on the car stated "NSW — Towards 2000".

Pretty much sums it up.

Phil O'Brien, Flynn

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