If I skipped a school day for some reason, I attracted some measure of demerit, unless perchance a parent accepted responsibility via a note to school. This was because every day of schooling is valued by society. Absences must be discouraged and punished.

But if a school wants to punish a student for some perceived sin they can be suspended for a day or more.

In the instance of students caught "vaping" on school grounds we see a reference to suspension being part of a constructive response.

What nonsense. Suspension could well be what students were seeking. After all they have many safer times and places for vaping, including at home in many instances.

Perhaps we should give teachers and principals a few days' suspension so they can reflect on the vapid stupidity of suspension.

How vital are banks for us today? After the terrible things we found out in the Royal Commission, and the Everest-like difficulties we have in getting information from them, they are now still able to increase their dividends.

Difficulties; You ring, does anyone ask what you are ringing for? Oh no. A recording starts giving you a listing, patting themselves on their backs about how wonderful this major bank is, and how helpful they are, and how hard they try etc. etc.

Then do they ask what you are ringing for? Oh no; you are asked to tell them, in words of about one syllable, what you are ringing for, and eventually get a list of numbers to pick from, and you finally, at last, get a number.

You ring, and yet another recorded voice tells you they are frightfully busy, and so, hang on ...

If this is as helpful as the highly paid bank hierarchy can get, who is supposed to improve things? Me? The tea lady?

It's an overcast day; there's some drizzle about and a chill in the air. I rise from my warm bed, have a hot shower, put on clean clothes, and eat a hearty breakfast while I look forward to the day ahead.

Meanwhile there are people sleeping rough out there, in a car if they're lucky enough to have one. There are people wondering whether they're going to be able to feed their kids, let alone themselves, wondering whether they'll eat or pay the rent this week.

There are pensioners hoping that they have enough blankets to keep warm because they can't afford to run the heater.

What kind of country have we become?

We learn from news reports that Indian state officials were warned in early March by a forum of scientific advisers set up by the government of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country.

The government failed to impose major restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. Instead it continued to allow religious festivals and political rallies to be held .

Today India is paying a high price because of the government's failure to do the right thing. It has world-record-breaking cases of the virus with thousands dying daily.

How is one to describe such a government? A government that let its guard down and exposed its people to a life threatening infectious disease. Is it an irresponsible government; a criminally negligent government?

I believe most Indians would describe the government that way. It is not at all hard to see why.

Any suggestion that our travel bans on India are racially biased could be easily overcome by banning travel to and from all countries that have a higher total number of cumulative coronavirus cases per capita than India. For example the USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, most of Europe, most of the Middle East and so on. There are 113 countries with more cumulative cases per capita than India. (Worldometer).

The newspapers frequently report on the increase in median house prices, but a better measurement might be ratios.

When I bought my first house in 1983 it cost three times my annual salary. When we moved 20 years later it cost seven times my salary and just this weekend a modest house across the road sold for seventeen times my salary.

Admittedly teachers aren't that well paid, and their salaries haven't improved much over the years but how will anyone be able to buy a house soon?

My wife and I have had our first AstraZeneca jab because we feel the benefits of avoiding infection, or of having only a mild form, far outweigh the small risks.

However I am concerned that recent cases, some apparently spread by vaccinated carriers, might mean that being vaccinated does not mean the risk of transmission will be eliminated even if the country or the world achieves so-called "herd immunity".

Is there any expert research which shows that people will be able to move about freely or that countries can accept vaccinated travellers from overseas with an acceptable level of risk?

The government says it implemented the Indian travel ban to protect Australians from another pandemic wave, not to show they are tough on border protection. If they are so concerned about us why are they stirring up conflict with China? This may be a popular pre-election strategy but seems like a much bigger risk to us all.

Kieran Pender ("Addressing misconduct should not be a crime", May 3, p29) raises important public sector issues which should be of concern to all Australians. The individuals he names can only be accused of doing their public duty, an obligation for which they should be praised. An inquiry seems warranted given the facts disclosed so far.

For a government to take the individuals to court without determining the grounds, and without an open inquiry, is reprehensible. The article was marred by the reference to the PID Act without explaining what it was. Public interest disclosure, when verified should result in acclaim, not prosecution.

Leading up to the next federal election the number of Australians stranded overseas must be worrying the federal government.

Do they bring them home now during an out of control world pandemic and potentially, jeopardise the health of the nation? Or do they leave them marooned in foreign countries and run the risk of a voting block backlash come election day?

Labor must be quite pleased they lost the 2019 election.

My brother and I recently watched The Father starring Anthony Hopkins. We left the cinema in stunned admiration of Sir Anthony's amazing performance.

Some readers may recall my letter, (Letters, April 2) about my father's losing battle with dementia.

Sir Anthony captured perfectly the essence of my father's experience: the imaginary people in his (or was it his?) flat, their imaginary words; the imaginary music, the mysterious changes in furniture; the increasing confusion, and the loss of grip on reality.

Sir Anthony did not just play the part of Anthony: he became Anthony.

It was the pinnacle of Sir Anthony Hopkins' long acting career. A best actor Oscar award is barely sufficient acknowledgement.

In the Our CBR magazine posted to our letterboxes The ACT government reports: "more than 6200 trees have been planted around the ACT".

For more than two years trees all over ACT have been dying. There is a dead cypress on City Hill and dead trees surround Commonwealth Park and beside the road approaching Commonwealth Bridge.

There are also dead pines around Albert Hall and along the road outside. And that is in addition to the dead fir trees throughout Telopea Park.

There is also large dead gum tree in front of the High Court. This is just to list a few. There are hundreds of others.

So, despite repeated claims our hotel quarantine system is the best in the world and absolutely fit for purpose all it takes is an upsurge in cases in India to prove it isn't.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked British "possessions" in South East Asia in December 1941 Churchill responded by rhetorically asking "what kind of people do they think we are?" I put that same question to the members of the Morrison government.

Re: Rod Holesgrove's letter (Letters, April 30) regarding America's "unrelenting " pressure on Australia to be serious on climate action. Good. He suggests that America is our "great and powerful friend". In my opinion it's time we de-Americanise ourselves and find a better friend than Uncle Sam.

And I used to believe that true democracy separated God from politics. Not anymore apparently.

If Stephen Jones (Letters, May 3) is seriously interested in finding out what will be used for electricity generation in the future, I recommend he reads Alan Finkel's article in The Quarterly Essay: Getting to Zero - Australia's Energy Transition. And it's not snake oil.

Thanks to P and S Redston (Letters, May 4) for nominating Labor's Penny Wong as a preferred PM. If only she'd move from the Senate ... Greg Cornwell (Letters, May 3) wasn't too quick with his "silence" quip. I took this as a reference to the lack of options on the LNP side.

I bet Brittany Higgins will have a go at political career. She seems to be preparing for this now.

Mike Pezzullo won't be sacked, Robert McCauley (Letters, May 5). To have breached that code about public servants blurting sensitive stuff in public he had to be under starters' orders to say what his ministerial masters could not. Look for Mike to end up as head of the Defence Department soon.

Another day and another announcement. This time a new national agency, "Recovery and Resilience", headed by another former Liberal politician. Aren't there others, apart from former LNP pollies, who would have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to be appointed to such bodies?

It is a cruel irony that as the Australian War Memorial conspires with the National Capital Authority to pronounce a death sentence on 100 magnificent, mature eucalyptus, the National Arboretum is to mount an exhibition extolling the benefits trees bestow. ("Exhibition's tremendous tribute to region's treasured trees", May 4, p3).

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