It is not difficult to understand his frustration and anger over this classic problem known as theodicy, which is the attempt to reconcile the existence of a loving God with a world where evil also exists.

As a believer, I too cannot give a definitive answer to this problem. I cannot understand how such scourges as viral pandemics can place the whole of humanity in mortal danger.

I cannot understand how difficult it must be for a husband to witness his wife slowly destroyed by cancer to the point where she is begging to die.

And I cannot understand how the indiscriminate cruelty of war can be reconciled with our claim to be civilised.

But what I do understand is that whatever the evil may be, we must always try to be part of the solution and not the problem. As the New Testament reminds us: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

In this respect, I fully agree with Crispin Hull that this pandemic may indeed awaken our collective conscience to also work together in solving other problems such as climate change.

Reverend Dr Vincent Zankin, Rivett

At last, justice has been done with the acquittal of Cardinal Pell. His conviction must be one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Australian legal history. A great wrong has now been righted, although this elderly and sick innocent man has been wrongfully imprisoned for a year.

The case against him was always manifestly unsound but we must give thanks for minority appeal judge Mark Weinberg who showed how the prosecution sought to turn the law upside down, substituting a presumption of guilt for one of innocence.

Alan N Cowan, Yarralumla

Gideon Rozner from right-wing thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs has said: "Our response to the coronavirus outbreak has decimated our society, ruined thousands of lives, turned Australia into a police state and, worst of all, put hundreds of thousands of Australians out of work" and wants the restrictions eased "do it now, not in six months, not in one month".

All the conditions Rozner mentions are better than being dead. Rozner and his friends seem more concerned with the shrinking contents of their over-stuffed wallets than they are with people's actual lives. Maybe they have shares in the undertaking business space and can foresee a quick return on investment.

Rory McElligott, Nicholls

Oh, Mark Pierce ("Suddenly old", page 4, April 6), it sounds as though you are wallowing in self-pity! You do not live in Italy, Texas or Britain, so do not concern yourself with limitations currently imposed on old people in those places.

Like you I am 'old', i.e. over 70, and I also have a broken arm as an added restriction on my activities. I sorely miss my (almost) daily run, but manage to take walks around my neighbourhood enjoying the sunshine and the rain and seeing things I had never noticed before. I call in to my local shop in search of essential items, including toilet rolls. Apart from that, there are household chores to attend to, and many of the benefits of retirement are still open to me, e.g. much great music to listen to and many books to read, to say nothing of the learning opportunities and entertainment offered by the internet.

Put it into perspective - there are surely many who are currently in far more serious circumstances than you or I.

Alan Wilson, Yarralumla

Who would have thought the ACT Government had so much money, that it can splurge on infilling 3.8ha of Lake Burley Griffin and build a promenade when the world is rocked by coronavirus.

It must be understood that this splurge is covering just the tip of what ratepayers will need to fund. There is the double road entry to West Basin, the bridging of Parkes Way for people access, road works, a bike track, landscaping and services costing many millions to be paid from the public purse.

But Andrew Barr is at breakneck speed to tender for the lake infill to ensure the community's prime land and parkland will be well locked in place for developers while the community is seriously handicapped with extreme financial stress, virus health rules and the unknown virus consequences yet to happen.

In the usual ACT manner the project is shrouded in spin with the public being led to believe there will be increased parkland. The 2000 apartments will extend over all the existing parkland and into the existing lake water area except for a token pocket park like Henry Rolland.

Juliet Ramsay, Burra

David Denham (Letters April 6) raises the question of the whole land swap deal of valuable community recreational land as bizarre. More bizarre indeed is the gift by the Barr Government of a hectare of strategic public rail corridor for the sole benefit of waste company proponents of a waste train to Woodlawn.

The concrete slab is 440m long and extends 18m into the through rail area at Ipswich St Fyshwick. This freight terminal now approved has the capacity to transfer some 400,000 tonnes of waste annually according to the company's 2017 Environmental Impact Statement.

For proponents of light rail to Queanbeyan or even any further public use of the ACT rail corridor, think again. The only bulk rail freight produced in the ACT is waste. Woodlawn landfill levies are cheaper than the ACT Government's at Mugga Lane.

B Moore, Kingston

The inherent rental value of a commercial premises is zero. Demand for commercial premises is a derived demand, arising only because of customers' demand for the goods and services sold by tenants' businesses. The property has a rental value only because there are businesses that can use it to make money supplying their customers.

It is unreasonable for landlords to continue to expect rental payments that were negotiated in an essentially free market, now that governments have largely or completely eliminated the profits from which demand for the premises was derived.

The fair rental value of those premises is now reduced - possibly to zero -- in relation to the resulting drop in the profitability of tenants' businesses. A corresponding reduction in rents is warranted; a mere moratorium on payments (with arrears accruing) would make no sense.

The exception might be where an alternative tenant is available (in which case it is mutually beneficial to break the amended lease without penalty).

Commercial rates, etc, should also be reduced, given that government dictates have reduced the fair rental values from which those charges were derived.

Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra

Sally Whyte's article 'Cut public service pay: Alan Jones' suggestion' (4 April, 2020, pg4) is a reminder of the pettiness and opportunistic behaviour of Alan Jones. To drag into the public domain the salaries for politicians, public servants and the ABC is mischievous.

As the Prime Minister rightfully suggested, public sector wages are only a small portion of the government's overall budget. If Alan Jones is suggesting a 10% wage reduction of public sector workers, earning in excess of $100,000, then I'd be interested to know if he thinks the same rule should apply to corporate sector high flyers, including himself.

Furthermore, Alan Jones fails to understand the workings of the public service and other publicly funded instrumentalities, and how they interact with governments in power. He also fails to grasp that public administration expertise and the role of the public sector, is fundamental to governments responding to catastrophes that have national and global consequences.

Thomas Natera, Ngunnawal

The nation has been disrupted in more ways than one in its political and fiscal ideology, judicial practices, educational institutions, social constructs, labour markest to name a few. The one that concerns me the most is the seemingly unavoidable reliance on technology for social interaction, work and education, particularly effect on the children; "the new normal".

As if the populace wasn't already physically and emotionally attached to its devices, it does not bode well for the future. The last thing we need, re-emerging from this crisis, is an anti-social and insular society. I remain optimistic.

In the interim, let's take on board the Queen's exhortation of self discipline, quiet, good humored resolve and fellow feeling.

Angela Kueter-Luks, Bruce

Gladys Berejiklian said social distancing is the new normal and Australians should buy treadmills instead of going on holidays. Good advice - rats in a cage need exercise.

D.Zivkovic, Aranda

There seem to be lots of vocal support for the elderly, the under employed, for the mental health of all of us who are in lockdown, but I have heard absolutely nothing of the fate of the homeless. How do they "stay at home"? Do they receive the payment we all got as a one off? How about other financial help? Are the police simply moving them on whenever they are spotted? Or are they just dying under our hedges?

George W Gerrity, Campbell

Good old Doug Hurst (Letters, April 6). He says he's stopped listening to "nit-picking, point-scoring" journalists and only heeding what comes out from government. That may account for the narrow views Doug so often espouses. In fact, I suspect Doug subscribes to the old injunction: "Trust me, I'm from the government".

Eric Hunter, Cook

There is no evidence of COVID-19 transmission out of doors. People catch it from family members, relatives and friends with whom they are in intimate contact. It is also caught in medical settings by close contact with patients, and in closed environments from those incubating the disease -- as demonstrated on cruise ships. The safest place to be is in a park or on a beach.

Dr John Doherty, Gungahlin

Referencing the demise of milk and bread deliveries (Letters, April 6) the suburb of Campbell is in the fortunate position of having regular milk and egg deliveries by Michelle Priest based in Pialligo.

We have used Michelle's service since arriving in 1989 when our sons were 1 and 4. Michelle later employed them in their teenage years. The service was even more welcome when we were quarantined.

Janet Gahan, Campbell

I note that Crispin Hull (p23, 4 April) describes aspects of the PM's religion as drivel. Whether you agree with the PM or not, in this era is has been battered into our heads that you are not allowed to describe other people's beliefs like that.

Stan Marks, Hawker

Just heard an ancient old woman from a northern hemisphere country telling me that everything will be ok. Now I'm reassured.

Doug Hodgson, Pearce

I certainly hope that Barnaby Joyce has not been invited to attend this week's one day sitting of Parliament. Late last year Barnaby declared that "he wanted government out of my life".Surely it is well past time for Barnaby to do us all a favour and "Get himself out of the government"?

Lawson Lobb, Kingston

I have searched for a small book, The Life and Work of R.J.Tillyard by Evans. Tillyard, a fine entomologist, has a memorial and his grave at St John's. Perhaps someone in Canberra has a copy they might sell.

John Bunyan, Campbelltown

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