I look forward to further exposés on economic propaganda in children's books. The Hobbit's Smaug shows us, correctly, the folly of uninvested capital. The Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory suggest, incorrectly, high labour productivity from indentured servitude.

Diary of a Wombat incorrectly depicts no externalities in having eaten all the carrots, without saving some for future investment.

In our zeal for further transparently click-bait articles, may we blame the rise of Trump on adult fiction, as well?

Robert Frost fails to accurately conceptualise opportunity costs and marginal rates of substitution in The Road Not Travelled and The Merchant of Venice unjustly depicts Shylock as an evil capitalist, when interest-bearing loans are an incentive for investment lending, crucial to economic growth.

Clearly Western liberal democracies would be in a better place had Hamlet spent less time on revenge, morality, the nature of consciousness etc. and instead soliloquised on how the absence of constitutional checks and balances on the monarchy of Denmark threatened property rights.

Bernice Chen, Ainslie

Jennie Goldie, Adrian Gibbs and others (letters, April 15) are quite right about the breathtaking foolishness, shown by the federal and Queensland governments, in encouraging Adani to go ahead with its huge Carmichael coal mine.

Of course the (extra) coal from Carmichael burnt in India will add to carbon dioxide emissions, making life even harder for the Great Barrier Reef. The coal from Carmichael shipped to India will not be the higher-grade material but the lower-grade, dirtier material.

Jennie Goldie says the Queensland government has promised Adani unlimited access to groundwater (from the Great Artesian Basin). This is apparently to be free: What about the local graziers?

Vaishali Patil points out that India's energy minister has stated his government's intent to import no more coal within two to three years. The lifespan of the Carmichael mine is estimated to be about 60 years. In the meantime, Adani is investing huge sums in solar energy.

The job figure of about 10,000 touted by both involved governments is temporary, if not imaginary: the real figure, for long-term jobs, is 1500 to 1600.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Don Sephton (letters, April 17) seems to be unaware that the government often provides concessional loans for various projects to aid business and promote Australian jobs.

Of course the revenue from the sale of the coal is important as well.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) provide subsidies and concessional loans to renewable energy projects.

Why aren't you complaining about that as they are a complete waste of money.

Patricia Saunders: the coal from the Adani coal mine will not increase the CO2 emitted because if the Indians don't buy it from us they will buy it elsewhere and burn it just the same. There are plenty of suppliers for that commodity.

I believe that the Adani coal is very high grade and will result in much less genuine pollution than some of the others of lower grade.

The coal from the Adani mine will help lift millions of Indians from the clutches of poverty, malnutrition and early death. Is it so terribly hard for you to feel compassion for these poor people?

John McKerral, Batemans Bay

A letter in your paper of April 17 suggested the proposed Adani coal mine would produce 128.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide per 60 billion tonnes of black coal (assuming it is sub-bituminous, at about 40 per cent carbon).

The word billion is missing in Patricia Saunders' calculation. Also, given carbon dioxide is 3.7 times heavier than carbon, for a 40 per cent carbon level and complete combustion the number should be 89, not 128.4.

I think Neville Exon's letter (letters, April 13) assumed that international coal burners would simply use supplies other than from Australia, hence there would be no additional contribution to global warming.

Greg Jackson, Kambah

Tony Abbott has been doing the pollie pedal for two decades and he has been claiming parliamentary expenses for his "charity" bike ride each time. He has redefined the meaning of charity for every swim or ride. The Macquarie Dictionary will have to include his definition of the term when it updates a future edition.

Those parliamentary expense claims by Abbott and other pollies with big egos are on the public record.

Graeme Brewer, Biggera Waters, Qld

We have often been told of the dire health consequences of the overuse of antibiotics in food (locally produced and imported) and medicine.

However, the national health policy response to this seems to be silence, or just the prospect of "further talks".

It is time the government significantly strengthened controls on the use of antibiotics.

It is not up to patients to "demand" antibiotics. Doctors should reply with a firm "no" when their use is unwarranted.

It is ridiculous that we will shortly be unable to get painkillers with codeine without a prescription (just wait until doctors try dealing with that increase in appointments) while something as potentially disastrous as the loss of infection control has received only a head-in-the-sand response.

Rory McCartney, Holder

I applied for payment from the Pension Bonus Scheme in person at Woden Centrelink Office on January 13. Still waiting for payment more than three months later. Which debt collection agency is available for reverse Centrelink debt collection, Mr Jongen?

A. Roberts, Garran

Re "Barr moots stadium deal", April 15, p1. The government says it will progress plans for a new stadium in Civic.

This is second only to the idea of lowering Parkes Way for the "City to the Lake" brainstorm in the arena of silly planning ideas.

Stadiums need a lot of space, both for the actual facility and for parking.

They also spend a significant proportion of the time not in active use.

Using high-value CBD land for such an application is a poor use of resources.

The previous planners who located the Bruce stadium, EPIC, Thoroughbred Park and the greyhound track (well away from the CBD) were on the righttrack.

If a new and bigger stadium really is needed (and is not just a reflection of Mr Barr's personal interest in AFL) it should be placed in a greenfields site with easy access from an arterial road.

Possibilities include Symonston or Hume, with easy access to Hindmarsh Drive and the Monaro Highway respectively.

This would also help to balance the north/south distribution of facilities, thereby dispersing the traffic going to different activities.

Roger Quarterman, Campbell

The article on the disappointing Friday Easter Egg hunt at Corin Forest (April 15, p.2) reminded me of watching an Easter egg giveaway at Belconnen Mall in1980, which ended in pandemonium when 16,500 Easter eggs were placed on a round stage spelling out "Happy Easter".

According to The Canberra Times of April 3, 1980, before the Easter Bunny had even arrived the children "stampeded and fought to grab free Easter eggs. Onlookers were horrified as the youngsters piled on top of each other, pushing, shoving and yelling."

The chaos continued until nearly all the eggs were crushed or gone.

When the Bunny finally appeared carrying several baskets of eggs, she was "knocked to the floor and all the eggs were snatched by a crowd of children ... people just went berserk".

According to a spokesperson for the mall, the parents were to blame: "If the parents cannot control their children in a shopping centre like this they should have put them in a child-minding centre, which is available at the mall".

Rebecca Reay, Canberra

I hope the pharmacist quoted in Georgina Connery's article ("Flu jab at the pharmacy 'second-best option': AMA", April 18, p.6) has more provision for adverse reactions than simply a place to lie down.

Anaphylaxis does not fix itself by lying down. There is a low but "inherent risk" of this happening and the AMA warns that giving out shots at the pharmacy may result in oversimplification of these risks.

But do you get more information about risks and benefits of the flu shot from the pharmacist or your doctor?

There's a fair bet that patients won't be told by either that the flu shot may be followed by flu-like symptoms.

Whether you choose your doctor or the pharmacist be sure to read up on the product insert before you leave home.

The people giving the shots are unlikely to tell you about the things that have gone wrong in the past and might go wrong foryou.

Jennifer Heywood, Spence

Although not a regular churchgoer, I did oblige a good friend by accompanying her to the Christ Church in Cootamundra to celebrate Palm Sunday.

Long-winded readings from the Bible tend to have my mind drift off to other places, but I was quickly jolted back to full awareness when our minister changed tack and made reference to the Syrian conflict by admonishing President Trump for his retaliatory action against the recent gas attack on innocent children.

"Jesus wouldn't have done that. He would have turned the other cheek."

One wonders how relevant the teachings of the Bible are to our modern world of conflict and hatred-fuelled divisions within religious thinking.

Where would we be if the Free World had turned the other cheek when Germany rampaged its way across Europe, not once but twice. Would Jesus have turned the other cheek to the recent heinous attacks on Egypt's Coptic community?

The attack in Cairo was probably close by to where the holy family, including the baby Jesus, took refuge from King Herod more than 2000 years ago.

Churches, I believe, need to face up to the fact that the times of Jesus are very much different to the unpredictable ones in which we find ourselves today.

Tony May, Pearce

So industry bodies have recommended a 1.2 or 1.5 per cent increase of $8 to $10 per week for the minimum wage and the Turnbull government has urged the Fair Work Commission to take a cautious approach, warning an "excessive" rise in the minimum wage could imperil job creation in a changing economy.

Funny that CEO and senior management wage growth, often "excessive" in comparison, doesn't need a "cautious approach".

Pull the other one!

Peter Dahler, Calwell

Sections of the Australian media whinged incessantly about "boats" arriving here, pretended to give a damn that some people drowned and even when faced with evidence that Australian authorities left them to drown insisted we had to open up camps on Nauru and Manus.

The Manus rampage can be laid at the feet of a media too lazy to publish that it's legal to come to Australia by sea.

M. Shepherd, Angaston, SA

PUTSCH BIKER

Tony Abbott should jump on his bike and back-pedal to Manly where there may be some people who still love him. Alternatively, there's five-star accommodation on Manus where the other guests would welcome him with open arms.

John Galvin, Weston

Abbott's "pub test in Lycra", what a joke. One can only assume it entitles him to a Parliamentary expenses claim for his cycling holiday.

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

Tony Abbott is an ideas-generation juggernaut from the far back stalls, but was awful at implementation when on the front seat.

Graeme Rankin, Holder

FOLKSY CHARM

One of the amazing things about the National Folk Festival is it brings together every demographic, from infants to octogenarians or older, rubbing shoulders, having a great time. This is one of the host of reasons why it is such a wonderful place to be.

Ed Highley, Kambah

HOLY HIATUS

The ABC's new regime removed Four Corners and Media Watch because it was Easter Monday. One has to ask what that has to do with programs normally enjoyed by Australians, week after week. It's time to stop having a whole country controlled by dogmatic ancient religious practices when the majority has no such beliefs.

Rhys Stanley, Hall, NSW

QUIET ALARMS

Do we have a United Nations Secretary-General? Why is the UN so silent in the North Korea saga?

Mokhles K Sidden, South Strathfield, NSW

OPEN SPACE

The worry with President Trump's bellicosity is not so much that power may be going to his head, as that it's not the best of repositories.

M. F. Horton, Adelaide, SA

ON TRACK

APS travel costs can be minimised: don't fly interstate, go by rail. Because a flight was too short I had to prepare my interstate thoughts at weekends whereas train would have been ideal homework time.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

UNBEARABLE

I hope Sam Longman gets her koalas back ("Search for stolen koalas desperate", April 18, p.9). Who would steal from a wildlife carer?

M. Moore, Bonython

TAKE THAT

Re North Korea and Donald Trump: Isaac Asimov said, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."

Neville Pascoe, Barry, NSW

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