Last Post, March 9

Qantas should worry about the weight of its passengers.

Labor’s noble promise to significantly increase our refugee intake fails to take into account the flatlining of the economy (“PM blasts $6bn refugee bill”, 8/3). Foreign aid, refugee intakes, and immigration numbers must always be balanced against our own needs. And government has a responsibility not to disadvantage Australians.

Michael Schilling, Millswood, SA

Qantas should be more concerned about the rising dimensions and weight of its passengers rather than their cabin baggage (“Qantas cabin baggage change worth weight”, 8/3).

Peter Sesterka, Hawker, ACT

For better or worse, the concept of self-determined gender seems to have become accepted. I am not sure what happens when a 15-year-old “female” who is biologically male wants to attend an all-girl’s school. Furthermore, if the gender stated on your birth certificate is now fluid, how long before the birth date also becomes fluid?

Wayne Black, Toowong, Qld

As a non-Catholic, I did not find Frank Brennan’s article on the George Pell case upsetting. The cool, measured presentation by Brennan was a welcome contrast to others in the media. Freedom to comment in such a constrained manner should never be suppressed.

E. Heath, Toorak, Vic

There are still blacksmiths working in the Hunter Valley, Jon Kudelka (Cartoon, 8/3), and they don’t just make horseshoes and fancy iron gates. The hand forging and beating of special metals still happens in heavy industry, as it did at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Keith Russell, Mayfield West, NSW

Jon Kudelka’s cartoon made me laugh but not in a merry way because his imputation we are going back to the dark ages if we get a reliable, clean-coal station is bunkum. In South Australia, we have already gone back to the dark ages by having to rely on renewables with their five-minute battery back-up or the even dirtier diesel generators forced on us by the previous Labor government.

Gerry Jongebloed, South Plympton, SA

Jon Kudelka’s cartoon, while humorous, is built on a false premise. High-efficiency, low-emissions coal-fired generation technology is far more technologically advanced than wind generators and photovoltaics.

Ted Scott, Frenchville, Qld

The Milo Yiannopoulos brouhaha reminds me of H. L. Mencken’s great insight: “The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one’s time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.”

Chris Mangan, Bracken Ridge, Qld