Let us never forget tragic losses of the past, even as war rages

In the words of Pericles in the times of Ancient Greece: "Freedom is the sure possession of those who have the courage to defend it." As relevant today as ever.

Almost 1 million Australian men and women served in the World War II, fighting against that tyranny in Europe, the Middle East including Syria, in North Africa, the Mediterranean and across the Asia-Pacific region in the name of freedom. An amazing generation.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the tragic deaths of the Australian Army nurses bombed and murdered when being evacuated, with women and children, from Japanese-occupied Singapore. Those who didn't perish in the sinking of their steamship, the Vyner Brooke, by Japanese aircraft, made it to shore on Bangka Island.

The nursing sisters, led by their brave matron, Major Irene Drummond, and a civilian woman, were brutalised by the Empire of Japan forces, then herded into the water on Radji Beach and massacred by machine gun fire. A truth so terrible to tell.

According to the lone survivor Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, as they went to certain death, Matron Irene Drummond called out: "Chin up girls! I'm proud of you all and I love you all." Irene Drummond was the first to fall.

Let us never forget them.

I'm no fan of Scott Morrison. Indeed, I think he has been one of our weaker prime ministers, which (when you examine the long list of second-raters who've held that office) is really saying something.

But I don't think he needed to apologise for saying that he and his wife were blessed to have had two able children. He is fully entitled to that opinion. Having a disabled child might still be a blessing, as some have pointed out, but it is clearly not as great a blessing as having an able child. The "dis" in "disability" means that something is missing; the blessing is less. That's why, when Jesus healed the lame, they thanked him for removing their disability; they didn't denounce him for depriving their parents of a blessing.

In giving thanks for his blessings, Morrison should not be taken to be insulting those less blessed. Those who say otherwise are, I suspect, politically motivated.

Most parents when first realising that their child has a lifelong disability, do not think they are "blessed", however much they love that child and want the best for it, knowing that, often, it will get so much less.

Scott Morrison's debate remark that he and his wife were "blessed" with children who were not disabled ("Morrison apologises after criticism of disability comment", April 22) has been misunderstood by those who do not fathom the meaning of prosperity religion. God, you see, blesses such believers with material benefits directly because of their belief, sending them pictures of soaring eagles, winning their unwinnable elections and, of course, blessing them with non-disabled children.

God, it seems, is more circumspect about blessing some others so benignly, including those bewildered by the twists and turns of Christian belief based on the life of a man who owned nothing but the clothes on his back (Matthew 27:35), who advocated the ownership of nothing (Mark 10:21), who was hunted down like an animal (Matthew 8:20), and who was slaughtered like one by those "blessed" with political power.

I wish Morrison would keep his family out of the morass of party politics. Those girls, in time, will not thank him.

In the response to your article "Impact of logging on Black Summer Bushfires disputed" (April 22) by Alex Crowe.

More recently, a further paper on the topic has been released directly refuting the findings of Lindenmayer et al that timber harvesting increases fire risk. Quite simply, there is no academic consensus among Australia's forest scientists and fire ecologists that timber harvesting makes forests more flammable.

Australia harvests a very small percentage of native eucalypt trees; the equivalent of six out of every 10,000 trees each year. We would be far better served if this preoccupation with this small and highly variable relationship between timber harvesting and fire risk was instead focused on evidence-based policy and active and adaptive management of our forests.

As the professional association for forest scientists, managers and growers, we are calling for real solutions to Australia's wicked bushfire problem that incorporate Traditional Owner practices, local communities and scientific management across all our forests to mitigate and manage future fire risks.

In her opinion piece "'He'll go off like a frog in a sock'" (Opinion, April 22) Jenna Price related an "interesting" anecdote. In the final days of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government, Scott Morrison approached independent MP Tony Windsor with an amendment to a bill under Windsor's name. When Mr Windsor refused to sign it, Morrison retorted: "You can go and get f----- then."

Back then, Scott Morrison revealed himself as crude and rude bully. Recent criticism by Gladys Berejiklian, Barnaby Joyce and others shows that he has learned nothing about the art of gentle persuasion.

Scott Morrison, likes to use evidence selectively to suit his arguments, so it would seem some refugees are more acceptable than others, to wit "the migration wave from eastern Europe".

In his usual 'I'm just a dad' manner he reduces complex historical legacies to bullying and coercion; from China, from Russia, and "other nations from time to time".

Notice that he does not mention our "ally" the USA and their long and continuing bellicose imperialism. I can't recall the PM ever mentioning Yemen. However, is it bullying and coercion when we consider offshore concentration camps, our family from Biloela, and the hotel detainees?

So much for the LNP's claim that stopping the boats is a policy about caring for people's lives. For balance, I believe the ALP is as culpable, as it was Paul Keating and Gerry Hand who started the rot.

I read with interest Karen Barlow's article about a leaked email suggesting that Senator Seselja was using "astroturfing" techniques to fake grassroots support for his campaign by getting people to "like" his social media posts and to get people to write a letter to The Canberra Times.

I am only too willing to help. Mr Seselja has a great deal in common with astroturf - they're both artificial. How worried is he if he has to use these sorts of tactics? Surely he can rely on his record. His Solomon Islands trip went so well.

Possibly attempting to represent the views of the majority of ACT residents would be a preferable tactic or being visible and active outside election campaigns.

Roderick Holesgrove urges us to join political parties instead of electing independents (Letters, April 22). It's as easy as joining a party and pushing for good policy, he claims. Trouble is, there are thousands of other members who've been there for years and who have different ideas as to what makes good policy.

We've heard a great deal more from Jacqui Lambie and Zali Steggall during this last parliament than we have from many party backbenchers. I think we should give some of these independents a go and reward the poorly performing parties by not voting for them.

So Claire Doube, co-founder of 'Voices' or proACT is now standing for the Senate with David Pocock (The Canberra Times, April 22). I used to be an enthusiastic supporter of proACT, attending live and Zoom meetings and letterboxing.

Claire repeatedly assured us she had no intention of being a candidate. In a Zoom meeting hosted by Claire, David Pocock was repeatedly evasive when asked about citizenship and party registration. Deception and evasiveness are not qualities that one likes to see in an inspiring politician.

I find the unfolding situation in Ukraine sickening to the stomach and my heart goes out to the Ukrainian people.

One bit of good news is that the malevolent despot Putin has just come out and said that western sanctions are having no effect. Ipso facto, the sanctions must be hurting.

Re the article "Impact of logging on Black Summer Bushfires disputed" (CT, April 22, p18) am I the only reader to get the impression an academic is arguing the fewer the trees the fiercer a fire?

I saw my first Katy Gallagher corflute today after what can only be described as an infestation for Zed. If corflute numbers are any indication of re-election comfort levels, I would have to think Katy is quietly confident while Zed has all the appearance of someone realising his now routine lack of attention to electorate views might not have a happy ending.

In casting aspersions on the bona fides of independent candidates, Roderick Holesgrove writes (Letters, April 22) "A major political party with an active and informed membership is the perfect forum for the development of good policy ideas". Evidence, please.

Scott Morrison is possibly Australia's most obvious example of the adage "Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car"!

Dominic Perrottet believes his opinions on trans children are "in line with fair-minded" Australians". He must be thinking of the boys belching beer down at the public bar or Bettys barking over the backyard fence.

Solomon Islanders may be sceptical of Morrison's and Dutton's awkward declarations of them as "family" when they are required to pay for visas to enter Australia, whereas passport holders from dozens of countries as far afield as Norway and Spain do not. What sort of family members face such obstacles?

Couldn't imagine anything better Barnaby than a Cuba in the South Pacific. They produce the best rums.

With Morrison at a recent press conference attempting to denigrate Albanese's past, voters should be reminded that Morrison was sacked as managing director of Tourism Australia in 2006 with a year left on his contract.

Anthony Albanese supporters are unlikely to be able to keep their fingers crossed all the time until the election.

Jenna Price asks which party will best handle a minority government ("He'll go off like a frog in a sock", April 22, p53). In my view, a person with a union background will handle it better.

Julia Gillard formed the minority government with the independents due to her greater negotiating skills. Mr Albanese also has a union background and in fact styles himself on Bob Hawke.