Last Post February 26

Let Ita Buttrose chair the ABC, someone we like and trust.

Ita Buttrose would be a brilliant choice to chair the ABC: a person with a mind of her own, not a herd follower or a politician’s donkey; successful in media; respected throughout the community; compassionate; and with a sense of humour. Someone Australians like and trust; a natural leader.

John Dobinson, Herston, Qld

As your editorial writer should know, the finding that “57 per cent of Democrats support ‘socialism’” is virtually meaningless (“Illusion of presidential grandeur”, 25/2). In the US, “socialism” can mean anything from a humane health care system to armed hordes from Washington coming to burn down your farm.

Derek Allan, Southport, Qld

All these years the coalition has fiddled around on the topic of climate change (“PM’s $2bn climate pledge”, 25/2). Now they find money for action; presumably because an election is in the offing and they are starting to realise a lot of people are concerned about the climate.

Ian Pollock, Maleny, Qld

The greatest threat to a coalition re-election and in fact to the future of Australia might be if Labor made an opportunistic decision to remove the proposed retirement tax.

Ian Bernadt, Swanbourne, WA

All the money Australia commits to carbon reduction should be spent on cleaning up rubbish in our oceans and rivers. More damage is done to our environment by human waste than could ever be done by CO2.

Juanita Wood, Mudgeeraba, Qld

If the French wish to move the Anzac Day service to a 10am start, shouldn’t we respect their wishes? I had an uncle killed on the Western Front but that doesn’t give me the right to dictate to our French hosts. I have attended dawn services in three countries; the time and location is irrelevant when remembering those who went before us.

David Crommelin, Strathfield, NSW

Karl Lagerfeld’s genius was in recognising designer Coco Chanel as the greatest of all (“Rise of fashionistas: the biggest names in style are now no longer men”, 23-24/2). There is no other designer whose work is, or has ever been, as instantly recognisable.

Marina Hamilton-Craig, Encounter Bay, SA

As faithful members of an institution that may well have had its day, average Catholic punters have had to bear the brunt of public shaming and humiliation of it all in an overwhelmingly secular, anti-Catholic media (“Catholic Church ‘must win back trust’”, 25/2). With clear evidence that reform is underway, it is time to turn attention to the reform of abuse in other areas such as the education system, child care and aged care institutions.

John Bell, Heidelberg Heights, Vic