Last Post, January 29 - The Australian (blog)

REGARDLESS of what decisions are made by Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam operators and others in times of flood crises, there will always be lawyers who, with 20/20 hindsight vision, are able to point out where those decisions were wrong.

Col Douglas, Narangba, Qld

Nicola Roxon's controversial anti-discrimination legislation must be extended to include other species. It is appalling that Robert Marchetti, who said "the government are (sic) a bunch of monkeys", will get away with this heinous denigration of other primates ("Penalties blamed for taking high-end dining off menu", 28/10).

F. W. Anning, Ascot, Qld

First we had the cultural cringe, now we have the invasion cringe. Richard Slater is right (Letters, 28/1). Let's celebrate the day when all the colonies came together on January 1, 1901, to form the new nation called Australia.

June S. Turner, Shenton Park, WA

Combining New Year's Day and Australia Day? That's like being unfortunate enough to be born on Christmas Day. No thanks.

Keith Parsons, Newcastle, NSW

In the 1980s and 90s it was Paul Keating. Now it is Wayne Swan. Whenever Labor thinks it is in trouble, it brings up the republic. It is intended to unite the Labor Party and to divide the Liberals and the Nationals. More than 13 years after the referendum, it does neither.

Peter Wall, Ascot, Qld

I read Cut & Paste on the budget surplus with interest (28/1). I wonder where the nation would be if the Coalition had won the past two elections. I doubt we would have a $200 billion debt. And we wouldn't have a Treasurer making promises he knew he could not keep.

Graeme Weber, Malvern, Vic

Thanks to Stuart Bennett for his perspective on Greg Combet (Letters, 28/1). It reminds me of 1998 when unionist Combet was fomenting anti-business disruptions on the waterfront with the statement: "The laws were made against workers and bad laws have to be broken."

Grant Gascoigne, Mitchelton, Qld

I'd like my nail scissors back too, please (Letters, 28/1). What annoyed me was the weight of the cutlery we were given on the plane which would have made a fine knuckle-duster should anyone have been so inclined.

Helen J. Wilson, Fernleigh, NSW

Is there a warehouse in Canberra full of nail scissors confiscated from airline passengers? How did this silly edict come into being? Let me guess: a meeting of highly paid pen pushers.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld