The special problem raised in your issue of October 20 ("Tomato tears: hospital food raises alarm with patients", October 20, p2) should not reflect upon their normal menu.

After spending three weeks in hospital I found the standard was exceptionally high and the kitchen should be given nothing but praise.

Great care is given to vegetarian meals and fresh green salads and fresh fruit were always available.

They try hard to cater for a wide variety of needs and tastes and set an example for how good hospital food can be.

Thanks to the whole crew.

Judith MacDougall, Kingston

I have just had a total knee replacement, a second, so I knew what I was in for.

The operation itself was performed in the Calvary Private Hospital, Bruce.

What a delightful (as far as it could possibly be) experience — a lovely atmosphere, fuelled by happy, helpful and knowledgeable staff.

The food, which is always a major concern when hospitalised, was of a most reasonable standard. I was the patient and I was treated as such with care and dignity.

On the fifth day post-op, I was then transported via "patient transfer" for rehabilitation. The transfer itself was delightful with the most personable transfer staff. My rehab location was Canberra Private Hospital, located in the Equinox Business Park at Deakin.

I really didn't think that my initial experience could be bettered.

Well, all of the above plus more.

I could have easily stayed another week, so that I could work my way through the menu, which is prepared in the on-site kitchen — absolutely delicious, restaurant standard.

Of course the medical staff are of equal standard. From the cleaning staff, administration, nurses, physios, doctors, chefs, occupational therapists — a most harmonious atmosphere totally enjoyable — even with the discomfort of a "new" knee. I felt a need to make my experience known as far too often hospitals and all of their staff get such a bad rap and it's not always the case.

Merran Hunter, Fraser

The ACT Liberals want to make dog legislation even more draconian. The ACT government, through City Services Minister Chris Steel, says the Libs' draconian proposals are not needed because "the bipartisan dangerous dog law reforms passed last year were working, with a significant increase in dogs impounded and three times as many dogs destroyed as the previous year".

So the measure of success for the ACT dog control legislation has become how many dogs are killed by the government: the more the better, according to this ACT government. And the opposition apparently wants to kill even more dogs.

I love my dog. And many other people's dogs.

Bruce Wright, Latham

A dispiriting example validating Jack Kershaw's concern with developers invoking commercial zoning provisions to ignore the Territory Plan's residential solar access rules (Letters, October 22) is the Art Group's response to planners in their revised development application for the Northbourne SOHO project.

Only 15 per cent of the proposed units has a northerly aspect. Even fewer units meet the requirement for natural cross-ventilation, yet the developers blithely claim "Criteria met ... cross ventilation has been addressed through providing the maximum spacing between operable windows".

To the planner's requests to improve clotheslines screening they responded: "Clotheslines have been removed with this amendment, as driers are provided".

In response to concerns about inadequate residence and visitor parking, the developers deleted an entire level of parking, reducing the already deficient provision by a further 37 per cent, but claim that's OK as "there appears to be a pool and resource of under-utilised public street parking at present" in an area extending as far as Guthrie Street, and that in any case, less parking is required because the three-kilometre round-trip to Dickson shops "is within easy walking distance".

To the Tree Protection Unit's refusal to endorse the removal of eight protected trees, the developers assert that retaining them "would result in a significant loss in development yield (83 apartments or 23 per cent of yield) and render the site commercially unviable".

It seems their commercial plans assumed planning regulations, legislation and negative, enduring societal externalities can all be ignored in the name of profit and imprudent "urban renewal".

Kent Fitch, Nicholls

In First World regions such as Australasia, North America, Europe, South Africa, Singapore, South Korea and Japan advanced economies allow governments to provide welfare for the poor.

This includes unemployment benefits, pensions, child endowments and other payments.

In Third World nations, predominantly in Africa, governments do not provide welfare for the majority poor.

Most Third World poor are farmers. If their crops fail due to drought, flood or other causes they suffer and starve.

There are kind-hearted, good-natured charities like World Vision, Plan International, Care Australia, the Fred Hollows Foundation, Community Aid Abroad, Oxfam, Australian Red Cross, UNICEF, Compassion, church charities and other charities that help the Third World poor.

If you have not got a good soul, a good heart and a good conscience to give to those charities that help the Third World poor, consider this about the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Over the past 25 years, more than 2.5 million people in the Third World have had their sight restored by the foundation.

There are 36 million people in the Third World still blind. Four out of five do not have to be. Every $25 you give to the foundation will restore the sight of one.

Dr S. Harris, Heathcote, NSW

Those attempting to bring the former foreign minister to heel may be doing serious soul searching.

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

If government senators voting for 'It's OK to be white' suggests racism (Letters, October 19) what does NSW Labor's failure to support a motion on the Invictus Games suggest?

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

John Milne (Letters, October 22) says: "Prince Harry as the next governor-general of Australia?" The short answer is "no".

Paul Bolitho, McKellar

It is plainly ludicrous for anyone to claim that Malcolm Turnbull should have joined the campaign to elect Mr Sharma in the former seat of Wentworth, recently vacated by Turnbull.

What would he say: "I am pleased to have been removed as PM".

The Coalition has been a nightmare since Tony Abbott started his negative campaign in 2010 and a cast of fools have behaved like spoilt brats, clearly believing they are born to rule we peasants.

Abbott's behaviour after his removal as leader has probably exceeded but certainly matched that of Kevin Rudd.

After a lifetime as a Liberal voter I am looking forward to the ALP taking over, the sooner the better.

With luck there will be another 20 Kerryn Phelps taking over the seats occupied by the dinosaurs.

The Coalition has let voters down over climate change in particular.

The Liberals have also let voters down by turning on Turnbull.

Indeed it can reasonably be noted that Turnbull let us down by letting go the intelligent thoughtful person who was shut down by terrible compromises apparently required to become PM.

It was not worth it.

Perhaps thoughtful Malcolm will one day be seen again on Q&A.;

Warwick Davis, Isaacs

After the Wentworth by-election, is there any truth to the rumour that the Liberal Party is nominating to be classified as a "critical endangered species" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act?

There will be some interesting challenges for them. The guidelines require that the "Nominators need to provide a description of the threatening process that distinguishes it from any other threatening process, by reference" to biological and non-biological threats.

· A biological threatening process refers to any threat the primary component of which is a biological entity (e.g., a feral species, a pathogen etc.).

· A non-biological threatening processes may encompass natural or human-activity-driven phenomena that could be a threatening process (e.g. habitat fragmentation, deforestation, pollution, climate change, fishing and hunting practices, collection, commercial demand etc.)."

For biological threats of feral (invasive) species, I suggest certain members of the media such as the Alans, Petas and Rays et al over the past 12 months.

For pathogens, there are so many to choose from.

How about three MPs whose surnames begin with 'A' and those who pushed 'Peter for PM'?

Last week it would have to be the Nationals with talk of yet another leadership spill.

For the non-biological threats, climate change is the most obvious; for the Liberals, more a case of denial.

Chris Mobbs, Hackett

While some will obviously be tempted to blame Peter Dutton for the catastrophe that has overtaken the federal Liberal Party, that would be way too easy.

While Dutton's ambition succeeded in replacing an ineffective but likeable Prime Minister with an even less effective caricature, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact it has always been the inflated egos and shallow ambitions of Tony Abbott and others to drive the Liberals even further to the right that ultimately gave rise to the rout.

Apart from apparently producing a first-class local member for the federal seat of Wentworth, perhaps the result might signal a long overdue push back against the takeover of government by business that could finally see all Australians regaining a seat at democracy's table.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

I love the fact that in the wake of their disastrous stand in Wentworth, the Liberals' right-wing rump has come out and blamed everybody and everything but those who were truly responsible.

The best way for Abbott, Dutton, Cormann and co to identify the true architects of their misfortune would be to take a group selfie - preferably on the listing deck of the Titanic.

M. Moore, Bonython

I think for me the best part of the Wentworth byelection was that on Saturday night the hopes and prayers for a miracle for Prime Minister Scott Morrison were crushed.

Then on Saturday morning the hope of a miracle was rekindled and it looked like his prayers and the prayers of his followers may have been answered!

Except they were just crushed again, it was Schadenfreude overload for me.

Mr Morrison and followers believe that if you are a good person and God loves you, he can do anything for you.

At least at the very worst Mr Morrison will not end up being an innocent person locked up in indefinite detention in some hellhole.

So I guess he should be thankful for that.

Doug Steley, Heyfield, Vic

After reading the report "PM demands price cuts with threat of regulation" (October 24, p6), I found Gary Frances' comment (Letters, October 24) – about a cartoon depicting Mr Morrison sitting on a pile of rubbish in a desolate landscape and saying "Well, at least we lowered electricity prices" – particularly appropriate.

Prime Minister Morrison and Energy Minister Angus Taylor are adamant that we are on track to meet our Paris accord commitment because of strong investment in renewable power.

This is despite the fact that they are still advocating the use of fossil fuels for energy production, which sends entirely the wrong signal to the renewable energy industry.

Australia's greenhouse gas emissions have been increasing steadily after having decreased relatively rapidly while Labor's carbon price was in force.

The Morrison government's policy makes it more likely that this trend will continue.

Mr Morrison's determination to achieve lower electricity prices above all else is shortsighted and dangerous.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

THE OIL QUESTION

Now that Saudi Arabia has turned really nasty, Australia would be wise to follow the example of the United States and make ourselves independent of Middle Eastern oil. Fortunately for us, we are in a much better position to do this than most countries.

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

JOBLESS FIGURES

Five per cent unemployment is now considered to be "full" employment.

Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic

SMART BIRDS

As an 82-year-old watcher of magpies and ravens (crows) I have found that fake hawks and other birds of prey do nothing to discourage magpies or ravens.

They will even perch on them.

These birds are a lot smarter than many politicians.

Ken Wood, Holt

GOVT FLATTERED

Perhaps the only surprising thing coming out of the Wentworth byelection is that despite the shambles that currently passes as our federal government, the Liberal candidate still managed to poll around 40 per cent of the primary vote. The government doesn't deserve to be that close.

Rob Ey, Weston

HELP AT HAND

Another doctor in the house providing an independent assessment.

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

WIPEOUT SPEECH

I listened to Morrison's amazing speech at the Wentworth wipeout. If Morrison had been captain of the Titanic he likely would have told the passengers he was stopping to take on ice.

T. Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

BIT LATE NOW PM

Morrison encouraged voters to vote for his Wentworth candidate by pleading for stability. Shouldn't the Liberal Party have considered this before dumping Turnbull?

D. Perry, Amaroo

TYRANNY ON THE CARDS?

So how do the political theorists feel about the Wentworth result? Is this the tyranny of the majority which they fear?

G. Wilson, Macgregor

MP SPRUIKERS

If it sounds like a used-car salesman, looks like a used-car salesman and acts like a used-car salesman, it probably is a used-car salesman; and there is no place in our Parliament for used-car salesmen.

Murray Upton, Belconnen

SWINGING IN THE WIND

An historic swing of 20 per cent against the Liberals in Wentworth, follows a 30 per cent swing in the state seat of Wagga. Is this the beginning of the end of the Liberal Party?

Richard Keys, Ainslie

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