One of the wealthiest countries in the world cannot afford a world-class health system, we're told by the Liberal Party. What does that say about their claims to be competent financial managers?

Peter Hill, Broulee, NSW

Bill Shorten has decided to to allow the leftist media access to undermine offshore detention centres; and 30Labor MPs and candidates actively oppose the Coalition's border securitypolicy.

Despite pre-election denials, there is little doubt a Labor government will substantially relax thepolicy.

Under Labor/Greens, at least 1200 people drowned, and 50,000 boat people supplanted genuine refugees, (including persecuted Christians from Syria and Iraq), with continuing major cost to the welfare budget. There is a stark choice at the election as to whether we again allow the people smugglers to control ourborders!

Johann Sheller, Forrest

It is nice to see Matilda the Donkey, in a fine example of inter-species solidarity, trying to save the koala ("Nothing Asinine about Matilda", Gang-gang, June 15, p8) from the tsunami of humans washing over the world, including Australia.

There is a great silence from the major parties and almost all the media about the mass import of skilled immigrants, which pleases business and allows governments to slash higher education, destroy TAFEand leave young Australians poorly qualified and jobless, as well asputting pressure on our socialand environmental infrastructure.

Since I cannot vote for the Xenophon Team here I shall instead vote for Sustainable Australia, the only nationwide party standing against Kevin Rudd's "Big Australia".

They won't get up of course, this town is sewn up tight by the two major parties, but at least Sustainable Australia will get my vote for Team Matilda. My second preference goes to the least worst of the major parties. I hope those two take note of the popular desire for a sustainable population for this continent.

A. Moore, Melba

We have several anti-Muslim immigration parties running in this election, not that this rates a mention in the mainstream media. One party, the Australian Liberty Alliance, wants to do is discuss Islamic immigration and the long-term consequences for us all. The media, however, seems hell-bent on avoiding that discussion.

Islam has been at war with itself since the day Mohammed died; and it is critical that we debate whether we want to import this religious war intoAustralia.

Peta Betanski, Turramurra, NSW

The Education Directorate has "added" room in public schools ("School capacity figures altered", June 16, p1) Would that be the same as a greedy ship owner moving the Plimsoll line higher? So more costs would be avoided? Could be a bitdangerous.

Ken Wood, Hol

I was disappointed The Canberra Times should print such an ill-informed letter as that from Rod Tonkin about Mike Kelly (June 16). To my knowledge, Mike Kelly served with distinction as a military lawyer, including making outspoken remarks during his time with the UN investigating the horrors of Abu Graib, and in Somalia where as a member of the Australian contingent, he is known to have fought hand-to-hand with anescaped and armed terrorist in thestreet.

He has also served in the Parliament and as a member of the ministry. Regardless of any political view, Mike Kelly is an outstanding Australian, a hero even, and I'd like Mr Tonkin to tell us something of his own achievements in the interests of national and international security. Perhaps he's not too good with a biro.

Peter Reece, Mawson

Martin Stafford-Bell (Letters, June 16) advises that obstetricians "see and deal with" pregnancy hypertension, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia "on a daily basis", and that "this is bread and butter stuff, basic obstetrics". As an obstetrician himself, no doubt Stafford-Bell would know.

However, if the management of these pregnancy-related health concerns is so simple, then why did obstetrician Dr Andrew Foote fail to administer the appropriate treatment in respect of Corrina Anne Medway in 2011 ("Hospital reforms sparked by death", June 11, p1)?

Perhaps Dr Stafford-Bell is right. Perhaps the coroner should not have targeted all obstetricians for further training, but have recommended Dr Foote no longer practice. One preventable death is one too many! Oh, and patient confidence in their health practitioners is vitally important.

P. Redston, Chisholm

Graham Downie's extraordinary attack on the government announcement to fund domestic violence reforms (Letters, June 14) cannot go by without comment.

He seems to base his faux outrage on first, the belief that domestic violence is a result of poor "upbringing" (whatever that means) of both the victim and perpetrator; and second, that government should do nothing aboutit.

Domestic violence has nothing to do with "upbringing" and everything to do with an abuse of power by the (overwhelmingly) male perpetrators; and then to suggest, as he does, that it is a woman's "upbringing" that makes her a victim is simply outrageous.

Domestic violence occurs in all groups regardless of "upbringing"; and governments have a responsibility to both prevent crime and punish perpetrators of crime. Domestic violence is a crime and the government is merely, if not belatedly, doing its job with this announcement.

Patrick Kilby, Lyneham

ACT Cronulla's Wade Graham needs to stop lamenting his lost opportunity to play Origin football ("Questioning the decision", Sport, June 15, p 32) and acknowledge he made a careless high tackle about the neck/head of Johnathan Thurston which had the potential to cause JT serious injury.

Such tackles are banned for good reason, and it was pleasing to see the NRL judiciary penalising Graham for that tackle. Those who decried the judiciary's decision – including Graham – need to recognise that player safety is more important than representative honours.

Don Sephton, Greenway

Tim Herne (Letters, June 14) purported to answer a question about the cost of renewable energy, but the relative cost per kWh of coal-fired and solar or wind electricity generation, and factors that affect the current cost of coal-fired electricity, are irrelevant to the future cost of entirely renewable electricity.

How much would electricity cost if none was generated from coal, gas, or nuclear reactions? The answer would have to include the cost of building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure: the storage facilities and distribution network.

How would the cost change if there were further reductions in the costs of solar and wind generation, for example, if these costs fell to zero? These questions could presumably be answered by people who aremodelling the costs of electricity supply.

Mike Dallwitz, Giralang

There is enormous scope – in fact need – for careful critical debate around the transition from coal to renewables, the best ways to relieve energy poverty in the third world and the most efficient ways for Australia to contribute its fair and not insignificant share of the action required to meet international commitments to control global warming.

But barrages of fragmentary, decontextualised data and gratuitous insults like John Burns's letter (June16) contribute nothing but noise and friction to an already difficult discussion.

We deserve better, we need better, and we are capable of better.

Felix MacNeill, Dickson

In his article on the Prime Minister's Literary Awards (Panorama, June 11, pp 13-14), Colin Steele referred to the "elderly panel for the history and non-fiction awards".

In fact, three of the four panel members are younger than Steele, who still resents being replaced as a judge in 2014.

Steele also asserted that the panel does not contain well-qualified historians. In fact, two judges (Professor Ross Fitzgerald and myself) have PhDs along with well-reviewed history books. Dr Ida Lichter is a psychiatrist who brings medical and scientific skills to the panel. Peter Coleman is a former editor of The Bulletin and a highly regarded writer and reviewer.

For the record, panel members received a very small honorarium for a large amount of work.

Gerard Henderson, chairman PMLA for History & Non-Fiction, Sydney, NSW

In response to Murray May's concerns about mobile phone use and cancer (Letters, June 10) a recent University of Sydney study, published in the June 2016 edition of Cancer Epidemiology, that has found no increase in brain cancer across 29 years of mobile phone use in Australia.

The study's lead author, Sydney University emeritus professor of health Simon Chapman, wrote an article for The Conversation (theconversation.com) in May explaining the study and their findings.

Both these articles are available to read online.

Joan Bartlett, CEO, Cancer Council

SHORT RECORD

Rod Holesgrove (Letters, June 16) notes that Nuuk, Greenland recorded its hottest June day on record this year. Reliable records only began in 1986, hardly a time frame worthy of note. And last June was the coldest June on record. So we have a normal average for a very short period.

Brian Hatch, Berrima, NSW

THE WRITE STUFF

I congratulate you for writing a very balanced editorial ("Dirty tricks on the campaign trail", Times2, June 16, p2). I wish to read more like it.

Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt

BEEF OVER BRADDON

Touche Greg Ellis (Letters, June 14). Actually, your strategy doesn't suit. As far as I'm concerned you can have Braddon, so long as you displace all of the pretentious yuppies. I only live and drink there.

Gerry Murphy, Braddon

INDIGENOUS HERITAGE

Attempts to forge a modern treaty for the present generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not about securing "bargains or a trading of concessions". They are about valuing Indigenous ownership and heritage of country – and about justice and equity for all.

George Villaflor, Ainslie

METRO CONTRACT

The car buyer in H. Selby's example (Letters, June 16) would have got precisely what he bargained for. Capital Metro, on the other hand, would have been aware of the possibility of a legislative termination of its light rail contract by an incoming Liberal government, but would say that the Self-Government Act required any such termination to accord "just terms" in respect of the contract as a whole, not simply compensation for work done prior to the termination.

Frank Marris, Forrest

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