I arrived to Australia in June 1974 with my wife and our first son. In July, we applied for a Housing Commission house. Within less than two years we were offered a sparkling, newly built house to rent for affordable sum. Later on, the government offered us the opportunity to purchase of this house. This we did.

Thanks to government policy on affordable housing my wife and I were able to begin a meaningful and productive life in the "lucky country".

It is time to keep all the election promises trumpeted by the current and former Prime Ministers to provide affordable and quality housing for low income, unemployed and homeless people.

This would inject new energy into our economy.

In "The TV networks holding back the future", (canberratimes.com.au, February 17) Peter Martin makes it sound as though broadcasters are making foolish financial mistakes by rejecting the federal government's overture to buy their spectrum.

The idea is broadcasters will all eventually go online. This presumes everyone has a smart television or device that could make this feasible. It neglects the realities of the elderly on limited incomes and people who live in regional areas where internet speeds are still a joke.

Unlike the introduction of digital TV broadcasting, there is no plan to subsidise set-top boxes or devices for the elderly. However, I would not mind betting that this Murdoch-friendly government would find a way to bring Foxtel into people's homes as a stop-gap using taxpayers' money.

Regional broadcasters should be applauded for rejecting this so-called "opportunity". For the time being no one will be left behind.

Barnaby Joyce wants the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to fund high-efficiency low emissions (HELE) coal-fired power. ("Barnaby hijacks govt bill for coal", February 18, p14). He ignores the fact that coal-fired power, including HELE, is adding to Australia's carbon dioxide emissions when they should be reduced net zero by 2035, or 2050 at the latest. This is a clear case of a fossil fool promoting the continued use of a fossil fuel that does not belong in the 21st century.

"Millennials 'shelter in jobs' due to virus" (canberratimes.com.au, February 18) refers to Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Z and Millennials. The baby boom lasted for 15 years from 1946 to 1961.

Is the same true of the generations that followed: 1962 to 1977, 1978 to 1993 and 1994 to 2009?

If so, whatever became of Gen Y?

I'm unable to fathom your paper's decision to give so much space to the portion of the population that believes cats owners rights are being infringed unfairly by the proposed extension of cat containment laws.

I live on the edge of a reserve in a non-containment area. Each week I see the deadly impact cats have on the ground-dwelling birds.

On my daily walks I will often find evidence of the previous night's battles. Scattered feathers are all that remains of the victims.

Over the past breeding season I have personally taken to our local vet a series of mauled fledglings of several species. I also fed two while their wounds healed.

Pet cats are often as guilty as the ferals of this constant onslaught on our native wildlife. Owners often mistakenly think that a belled collar provides a warning to wildlife. It does not.

The ACT government is to be congratulated on addressing this issue with some urgency.

Updated current cat containment legislation is essential if we are to halt this devastating loss of our precious wildlife.

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