Here we are talking about the need for a royal commission into suicides amongst our veterans and the lack of support services they have available to them, and we are spending $500 million on what is effectively the Brendan Nelson Memorial Hall.

Friday's comments from Matt Anderson ("Australian War Memorial expansion will increase heritage value says director", canberratimes.com.au, April 9) were nothing but a repeat of Brendan's twaddle.

It is pure cultural and environmental vandalism.

While we're working on those COVID-19 vaccines could we also distribute a "chill pill", washed down with a dose of reality and bit of common sense, to be given to all those rushing around like headless chooks complaining about the vaccine rollout?

There are multiple vaccines and multiple supply sources coming online. I have no doubt that soon there will be no waiting lists and no shortage of options to get the vaccine.

Just this week I had my normal flu shot, a vaccination that also is determined by age and by supply schedules every year. I haven't seen letters flooding in about why it wasn't available weeks ago, or why people of a certain age had to wait for their particular vaccine.

Given the total absence of COVID-19 risk in our community with no community transmission, people should be taking the same sane and rational approach to the COVID vaccine: get it when it's available.

I refer to the article entitled "Australian not-for-profits: commission shouldn't be granted extra power" by Denis Moriarty, (canberratimes.com.au, April 7) which contains numerous errors.

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is the national regulator of charities and has no role in the regulation of not-for-profits generally.

Where I or the ACNC is called upon to assist the courts, we always fulfil our duty. In fulfilling our obligations, we also consider the role of the Attorneys-General and their power to intervene to deal with abuse of charities and protect charitable assets. Where matters related to a charitable trust come to our attention because of a court case, we always consider any matters that may affect the charities' obligations.

Where members of the public have information relevant to an entity's entitlement to registration as a charity, they should bring this to our attention as this is in the best interests of the public and the charity sector.

Australia has been at war for over a year. The war on terror, the war on drugs, and indeed, actual wars, are mere skirmishes fought for lesser goals and with far smaller consequences than the war on COVID-19.

Thousands of Australians are still stranded overseas and an even bigger number who want to leave are trapped here against their will in contravention of international human rights law.

State governments have used unprecedented emergency powers to close their borders and to confine healthy people who have committed no crime to virtual house arrest. Our national debt has grown dramatically and will have to be repaid.

There was one ray of hope for ending the war; the rapid deployment of an arsenal of weapons that were developed in a monumental global effort the like of which has never been seen.

Our government botched that spectacularly. While comparable countries are well on the way to vaccinating everyone who wants to be vaccinated, we have barely started. It now seems unlikely that every Australian will have access to a vaccine until well into 2022, because one death per million is no longer an acceptable risk.

That means snap lockdowns and border closures for at least another year, probably much longer. Sure, we'll be "safe" on our island prison, but we will soon come to realise temporary safety comes at a massive cost, and not just a monetary one.

The Prime Minister and the Health Minister should accept responsibility for their catastrophic failure and fall on their swords.

The only thing worse than being homeless would be to finally find a good home, and then be kicked out again. That is the situation for thousands of dogs and cats as the post-COVID-19 "new normal" sends people back to work and leaves them no time to look after the new family member obtained during lockdown.

Shelters are filling to capacity, with the RSPCA in NSW reporting recently that they are at 95 percent capacity for dogs and 125 percent for cats.

Some of these animals will have been adopted. Others will have been bought from unscrupulous breeders. Puppy farms were keeping dogs and cats pregnant to cash in, and now the payoff is misery for the animals.

Around 200,000 dogs and cats are euthanised in Australia every year, simply for lack of good homes.

If you can find space in your home and your heart to look after a new arrival, and you have the time and resources to devote to him or her, please consider adopting. Never buy a dog or cat. Buying a puppy or kitten is a death sentence for a dog or cat in a shelter.

Rod Holesgrove (Letters, April 9) notes that the concentration of carbon dioxide - the chief driver of global warming - was recorded at 421.21 ppm (parts per million) on April 3 at the US NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency) Mauna Loa observatory, and "that is the highest level ... recorded". Unfortunately, Mr Holesgrove makes no mention of a time frame.

In fact, the last time atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration reached 421.21 ppm was during the Pliocene Epoch, 2.58 to 5.33 million years ago, long before we Homo sapiens existed.

To make matters even worse, there is no sign of a slowing of the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, let alone a decrease, despite all attempts to rein in emissions.

The message is clear: there must be immediate and concerted global action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2030; not Mr Morrison's "preferably by 2050".

Over the last few years the threshold for families to qualify for the Medicare safety net has been increased by the Morrison government from $1200 to $2184.

The government has increased the burden on families by nearly 100 per cent. Predictably there was no press conference by Scomo to announce this kick in the guts for struggling Aussie families.

They were just hoping no one would notice. Families with multiple medical problems have to bear more of the burden under the Morrison government.

The NSW government appointed Malcolm Turnbull to advise on environmental issues and then disendorsed his appointment quickly.

I am disappointed but not surprised.

The Coalition of the Liberal and the National parties is a marriage of convenience, and some of its members are not very pragmatic in regard to environmental issues.

Malcolm Turnbull has been treated very badly by the Coalition in the past on environmental issues, including while he was leader of the opposition and also as prime minister.

Sometimes I didn't like the way Malcolm surrendered to his opponents. But he is an honest voice. He showed his true Australian spirit when he was given the job to lead the republican movement.

I would hope any future committee on the environment at the federal level would include Malcolm Turnbull.

I am happy to see the letter from Barbara Fisher (Letters, April 9) about the Pope cartoon of April 6. It is appalling that two little children have been kept on Christmas Island for so long. No one to play with. How damaging to their development.

They want to go back to Biloela. The community wants them back. They have done no wrong. Let that family go back to Biloela.

Mr Morrison said we secured an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be received by end of 2021. How funny. By then, there could be dozens of new vaccines for more new variants. And hopefully he will no longer be Prime Minister.

It's nice to know that High Court justices favour the PM who appointed them. ("High Court justices favour their appointing Prime Minister, but not political party: study", canberratimes.com.au, April 8).

I am really looking forward to Frank Breglec eating haggis (Letters, April 7). Unfortunately, as we saw with the election of Trump, the average voter can be swayed by spin, marketing and social media so that elections nowadays are more a gamble that benefit bookmakers rather than citizens.

If, as our ministers keep telling us, renewable energy is cost-competitive with coal-fired energy, then why the huge increase proposed for our electricity bills ("ACT targets, taxes blamed for proposed bill increase", April 7, p1)? And as for the feeble suggestion that COVID-19 is partly to blame; pull the other one.

If we are to set up mass vaccination centers, they should be clearly and unmistakably sign posted. I suggest signs pointing to "Jabber the Hut".

Training courses on how to act with human decency for adults who hold positions of responsibility? What's new?

"Crocodile tears" doesn't come close to describing Scomo's "I've been listening" presentation when we now know Christine Holgate was absolutely undeserving of Scomo's earlier bully-boy antics in Parliament. Even worse is the hypocrisy of he and Frydenberg now pretending all's well, and they had nothing to do with her departure.

Breaking news: federal government amends Sex Discrimination Act to include politicians. Right-wing pollie sues feminist for calling him a misogynist.

Mike Steketee's article on Robert Askin ("Was Askin corrupt?", canberratimes.com.au, April 9) analyses claims about Askin and corruption. One claim about practices in NSW under Askin I can confirm. My father, at the time of Askin's premiership, was offered (unsolicited) a knighthood in exchange for a large donation.

The latest entry in the PM's word salad compendium is "draining the reservoir of respect".

May I ask, who writes this drivel?

The latest COVID-19 vaccination recommendation that under-50s get a Pfizer vaccine won't matter, as most of them will be over 50 by the time they get vaccinated.

Parking ample, facilities excellent, staff exceptional, jab right on time and I have no problem with AstraZeneca. Thank you.

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