His reliance on incorrect, though published, information could be interpreted as damaging our renowned school's stellar reputation.

The glass discipline at our school is not being disestablished, neither are ceramics and glass being merged. We have two outstanding discipline leaders, Rod Bamford and Jeffrey Sarminento, leading separate workshops. We continue to teach across our three degrees and disciplines in innovative ways. We remain committed to studio practice and will continue to deliver a high-quality studio-based teaching and learning experience and "make things".

The change management proposal is genuinely that - a proposal, its premise contested by over 500 submissions, including deeply knowledgeable submissions from committed staff at the school. It makes for compelling reading about the value of art and design and its contribution to cross-disciplinary knowledge at ANU.

As chair of the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS) I have seen first-hand the consequences of widespread institutional integrations of art and design. Australia needs to be mature and address the critical need for a national cultural policy; we have none. The dissemination of conjecture and information that is not fact-checked is neither collegiate nor helpful.

Prime Minister Morrison and his government achieved commendable success in the battle against coronavirus, mainly by following the advice of medical experts. Now the same government is delivering "Deep cuts to ANU science" (December 8, p1,2), specifically to the ANU's College of Science.

The College of Science is currently home to at least 77 projects directly related to climate change. The Morrison government's savage cuts to the College are bound to adversely affect, or terminate, several of these projects.

Given that climate change, unlike the coronavirus pandemic, is a continuing and worsening problem, it makes no sense to even contemplate reducing funding to such a vital area of scientific research.

It seems to me that the Morrison government is ignoring reality and revealing its true attitude: a disregard for scientific advice on climate change action.

Ben Alexander makes some excellent points in his column "We can learn from South Africa" (December 8, p36).

However, in expressing the hope to see an Indigenous captain lead the Wallabies to a World Cup victory, I wondered whether he had forgotten the great Mark Ellla, who captained the Wallabies 1982-1983.

To my mind, Mark Ella was the best Wallaby captain Australia has had in the interval between then and now.

Regrettably Mark Ella did not have the opportunity to hold up William Webb Ellis trophy.

That was because the Rugby World Cup did not begin until 1987 but his record as a player and captain should not be forgotten.

Reports that defence's $3.8 billion helicopter fleet is "plagued with major risks and issues" are hardly news. That is because, as many would be aware, the helicopters were not selected for their military capabilities but on the basis of the alleged Australian industry participation.

This has been a perennial problem with defence procurement in this country despite serious economic studies by the IAC (the forerunner of the Productivity Commission) and the Allen Consulting Group showing that directing work to internationally uncompetitive industry actually reduces overall employment.

Audits by the ANAO have shown there has been no meaningful definition of what Australian industry involvement was. And, in any case, this metric was never assessed as the contract proceeded. Military equipment should be selected on its military capability.

The National Health and Medical Research Council chief Anne Kelso says the latest alcohol consumption guidelines are not about telling people how much to drink; the intent was to provide advice about health risks.

Acting chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the recommendation people consume no more than 10 standard drinks a week meant their risk of dying from an alcohol related condition would be under one in 100.

I can only assume Kelso and Kelly didn't bother to read the modelling, freely available on the NHMRC website, undertaken in developing the guidelines. It suggests the one in 100 risk level is met at a consumption level of 20 standard drinks a week. The marginally lower amount of 18.5 drinks is consistent with a risk of one in 1000.

If we are to believe that these guidelines are not about telling us how to live, could either of them explain the discrepancy between the guidelines and the evidence on which they are supposedly based?

I see the automatic triggering of pedestrian lights is being wound back now that traffic is returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. One might think that pedestrian and bike traffic is likewise returning to normal.

One measure that could be implemented permanently is for pedestrian crossing lights to turn green when the traffic lights are in the relevant configuration. I often come to intersections too late to trigger the crossing light but while traffic is flowing the way it would if the pedestrian light was green, meaning the only obstacle to my crossing the road is a faltering obedience to the little red man.

I don't know how technically difficult this would be, and it wouldn't work at all intersections, but where the light sequence is suitably configured it would improve pedestrian and cycle traffic flow considerably, without costing drivers anything meaningful.

The reported possible closure of the three remaining oil refineries in this country could have disastrous medium to long term social and economic implications for Australia. This island continent would then be totally dependent on imported petroleum products.

What if the supply line is disrupted by war or any other factor in what is an increasingly unstable world? Such an event must considered to be a near certainty; and possibly sooner rather than later.

This country is in serious trouble given on occasion we had only 30 days of fuel in reserve. It is incomprehensible that our major political parties have not reached consensus in this matter, namely that public funds should be used to underpin the continuing operation of oil refining infrastructure in this nation to guarantee reliability of supply,

Few could not have been moved by Olivia Fox's singing of the national anthem in the Eora dialect at the recent rugby Test, and the effort the Wallabies put into learning the words. This was a significant step towards recognising our first people in our national anthem. But, as Latrell Mitchell has pointed out, the words are still inappropriate.

Thanks to the ABC, the chorus of I am Australian has gained a lot of traction over the coronavirus period and it has often been touted as a new anthem. My two-year-old granddaughter can sing it and it is one of the most popular songs for the choir I conduct. I believe it does deserve some consideration. The first verse, give or take a few thousand years, is entirely appropriate, recognising the Aboriginal people as the "first Australians". That opening verse could be sung in a dialect decided upon by a representative group of Indigenous Australians followed by the chorus sung in English. It would need some tweaking but I'm sure Bruce Woodley would be happy to look at that.

Scott Morrison is encouraging us to dip into our superannuation to ease the impact of this recession. What will those without super think when they retire and must rely totally on an inadequate old-age pension?

The Industry Super Funds website tells us: "For most people the old age pension alone is not enough to fund their retirement goals. This is why a healthy superannuation balance is so critical". Will the PM or his successor increase the OAP to compensate, or give those who dipped into their super special extras? I strongly doubt it if the Coalition's refusal to permanently increase Newstart is any guide.

I can see the super-less people being condemned by government for having failed to plan for their futures.

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