Any decisions to go to war should be made by the Parliament

I think most Australian citizens are particularly ready to support such legislation right now for three reasons.

Firstly we have had our suspicions about the decision to go to war in Iraq. The needless death of countless of its citizens was sold to us on the false grounds of its possession of weapons of mass destruction.

Secondly we are deeply distressed at the ever-more graphic revelations of wounding and death of thousands of women and children and needy people in Gaza and in Ukraine.

And thirdly, we are reading that experienced defence analysts like Hugh White think that the AUKUS submarine collaboration will never happen, despite its costing gross amounts of our national resources.

Such monies are now urgently needed for the food and housing of our own less advantaged friends and neighbours in Australia, let alone the way they are needed to tackle our climate emergency.

Surely we don't want the immense decisions about going to war left to just one person's whim. And this might well be in conjunction with another nation's leader who might possibly be a Trump.

Eminent Australian lawyer Professor Hilary Charlesworth AM, judge of the International Court of Justice, has the chance to radically affect the course of the armed conflict in Gaza.

The court is sitting to hear South Africa's application, citing the international crime of genocide and related offences, for an immediate injunction ordering Israel to halt its military assault on Gaza.

Judge Charlesworth was sponsored to the court in 2021 by the Australian government but there is no formal requirement that the judge should tailor her influence on the court's decision to accord with government policy. The upshot could be "interesting".

Recent proposals for a national school meal system took me back more than 60 years to my school days in England.

I was educated in three state schools. Every Monday morning each child brought their "dinner" money to pay for their five hot, two-course lunches. Each school had a commercial-sized kitchen where all the food was prepared and cooked.

The pupils were fed in two shifts. The largest school that I attended had more than 700 students, so feeding them all a hot lunch was no mean feat.

There were rules, of course. There was no menu and no option; we had to eat everything on our plates. If there was something that we didn't like, we could ask for a small helping, but we had to have some of everything that was offered.

The advantage of the system was that every child, no matter what their home circumstances, had at least one good meal a day. Also, it taught us not to be fussy eaters.

My worry is the government would not go to the expense of having meals freshly cooked at each school. For reasons of economy many aged care homes have their main meals delivered frozen and merely heat them up.

It would be a pity if our schoolchildren were "condemned" to years of microwave meals.

It's Summernats time and obviously it's about having safe fun, enjoying the event, and watching a drifty or two.

That said, Acting Inspector Mark Richardson said an IQ testing station at the border "would probably halve the problems" of anti-social behaviour.

In my opinion if that's just half the problem then the other half results from the actions of those who should know better and are not necessarily morons.

Now Summernats is over for 2024 the perennial question of its value to the Canberra community is again front of mind.

The government suggests it brings in approximately $40 million dollars every year. Does that factor in the cost of extra policing?

Canberra, the community with the highest level of education in the country, seems like a strange place to hold it.

Acting Inspector Mark Richardson will no doubt receive enormous flak for his controversial comments.

He went on to discuss burnouts in areas not intended for them and the extra policing required to make Canberrans safe.

My sympathies are with the police on this issue. Drivers doing illegal burnouts should have their cars confiscated, sold and the proceeds given to agencies to promote safe driving.

Summernats is intrusive for those not wanting anything to do with it. The noise level in places like Braddon was appalling.

I fail to comprehend the delights of burning rubber. Does Canberra really need a mullet competition?

How much value does Summernats really bring to Canberra?

Recent letters to the editor suggest Zionism is simply the belief that Jews have a right to self-determination in the Jewish homeland - Israel.

There seems to be a view that Jews have a strong connection to Israel from historical and religious roots, despite it having had an overwhelming Palestinian majority for many hundreds of years.

I am sure this reasoning would be wholeheartedly endorsed by the First Nations of Australia, who may also ask the United Nations to have their country back.

The front page headline "Suburban Goldmine" (January 6) perfectly captured the fact housing has become Canberra's largest extractive industry. The ACT government and the developers are the miners. The residents the mine.

Over the past 20 years the government has pulled every policy lever at its disposal to ensure that house prices grow rapidly. During this period house prices have gone up over four times, along with the cost of land and rates. Canberra competes with Sydney for Australia's highest priced housing.

The cost of housing has become unaffordable for most Australians, particularly single income households, millennials and Gen Xers. Most have missed the boat in being able to build enough equity to get into the property market.

During those 20 years the price of a house has increased from 3.5 times average household income to nine times.

ACT Treasury analysis shows that the government's latest planning effort will increase the value of suburban blocks with development potential by over 20 per cent guaranteeing that housing will be even less affordable.

If the ACT government wanted to something about the cost of living, housing crisis and the economy they should look at policies to reduce the square metre cost of land by more than 20 per cent (and all the charges tied to it).

I applaud Acting Inspector Richardson for speaking up about hoons.

It is not just burnouts but bullying behaviour on the roads that needs to be called out. I recently experienced (and reported to police) a road rage incident where the male driver in a "black beast" pushed me to drive faster by snaking in behind me and driving too close.

When he couldn't get me to break the speed limit and we were then in two lanes he swerved into and out of my lane to try to force me to panic and drive off the road.

When will young male drivers learn their car is not an extension of their genitalia but a lethal weapon.

Kathryn Kelly (Letters, January 6) claims most Palestinians killed in Gaza were women and children.

But that so-called information comes only from the terrorist group Hamas, which demonstrably fudges its figures for maximum propaganda effect.

She says Israel's government has lost its moral right to govern a state. Hamas has been deliberately targeting civilians for 35 years, including through suicide bombings, tens of thousands of rockets and, of course, the October 7 atrocities.

It constantly uses its own civilians as human shields. These are all clear war crimes. Yet she demands a ceasefire that would allow it to continue ruling Gaza.

What sort of warped morality deems an Israeli government conducting a war of self-defence in accordance with international law too immoral to have the right to govern, but demands this terrorist Hamas government be permitted to stay in power?

Dutton underestimates us if he believes we need encouragement from supermarkets to enjoy the Australia Day long weekend. We did so long before supermarkets were invented. My favourite way is watching a surf carnival. What's yours people?

Dutton's latest brain explosion calling for a boycott of Woolworths again demonstrates that he is a negative reactionary not a forward planner with vision for our country.

If the date of Australia Day is changed, will there still be people campaigning against it because the establishment of Australia itself causes them grief or anger? There are some people who will never want to come together, even for a lamb barbecue.

Acting Inspector Mark Richardson is onto a good thing. Not only test IQ at road borders but also at airports. At the next sitting of Parliament the House of Representatives reps will be quiet and the Senate will be deserted.

So South Africa is taking Israel to the International Court of Justice claiming that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This is the same South Africa that refuses to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its atrocities there, while claiming to be neutral. South Africa's hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Doctors, nurses then these incredible people called wardsmen and women. Without these people the hospitals would not work efficiently. I thank you my friends for a job well done and making my stay a little less painful. To the men and women in black I salute you.

The fast growing and expensive renewable energy plan being implemented by the ALP is a significant financial and strategic asset for China.

Blinken is either being cynical or dissimulating when he states "Palestinians must be able return home". The IDF has reduced Gaza to rubble. They have no homes to return to.

Kym MacMillan (Letters, January 9) reckons it's perfectly okay for armed thugs to take over Palestinian farmers' land just because some Jews may have lived nearby thousands of years ago. Try applying that thinking to your own house.

Candidates who attempt the Australian citizenship test apparently are doing worse. This may indicate poor knowledge on arrival or bad study skills. But would existing citizens do better. Sharpen your knowledge with the online Australian citizenship practice test (just click on the hyperlink) between now and January 26.