Last Post: Perfect choice for Australians of the Year

What an excellent choice by The Australian for Australians of the Year. These three – Josh Frydenberg, Deborah Conway and Alex Ryvchin – speak for me and, I’m sure, a large majority of Australians.

Peter Edgar, Garran, ACT

Damaging statues of Captain Cook is like blaming the Uber driver for the behaviour of his passengers. Cook was hired to explore the Pacific. He had nothing to do with the founding of Australia.

Janela Jell, Keperra, Qld

The endless rhetoric about Australia Day is tiring. It’s about time we were unburdened by what has been, and celebrate what we have got.

Barry Preston, Albury, NSW

Albo wandering the country, cheque book in hand, brings to mind HL Mencken’s observation that “every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods” (“Billions more for public schools”, 25-26/1).

Shane Hughes, Shenton Park, WA

Anthony Albanese states, “No government is perfect; we do our best”. If that is the best that they can do, why should we give them another go?

Jeremy Lawrance, Balmain, NSW

Yet again our Prime Minister is giving us confectionery to sweeten us before the election.

LM Silbert, West Leederville, WA

Geoffrey Blainey’s article (“Australia was not a utopia before British arrival, but it has gone close since”, 25-26/1), or indeed his books, should be on every school history curriculum. That is, if Australian history is still taught in schools.

Sheila Duke, Bulimba, Qld

Saul Kavonic’s critique of Chris Bowen (“In energy debacle, our biggest power failure is Bowen” 24/1) puts the minister in the same camp as the Prime Minister. Both have done too little too late to repair the damage they have caused.

John Lake, Mosman Park, WA

Chris Bowen certainly isn’t the member for tomorrowland. He’s yesterday’s man.

Alan Goodwin, Clovelly, NSW

The election is a good opportunity to settle the matter of Australia Day, with a simple referendum question: “Do you want to change the date of Australia Day? Yes/No.”

Don McGregor, Baulkham Hills, NSW

There is only one Beatles song title appropriate for our current political situation: Help!

Averil Morphett, Graceville, Qld

If only those in power had as much guts as Donald Trump, who has ordered one flag only on official buildings.

Hans Sander, Gordon, ACT