Now that would require the sort of stamina

Tony Abbott is a homophobe, and not even his Palinesque ''some of my best friends are gay'' defence deflects from the fact that his religious beliefs will never allow for full equal rights for gay people. Morgan Smallbone Potts Point Lovely set of figures I would be far more impressed with the Opposition Leader if he could produce 3.8 carefully nurtured policy statements a week, spend 180.1 days a year in parliament providing constructive criticism of the government and come up with 42.2 innovative ideas for dealing with climate change. Now that would require the sort of stamina, determination and vision we'd prefer to see in an alternative prime minister. Tim Wilson Neutral Bay End public school blame game I agree with Yola Center that the collapse of the local comprehensive school is a crisis (Letters, March 27-28). And yet I am a teacher and parent in a private school. Like most teachers, I love strong, free, egalitarian, state education, and fret at night about what my professional choices might be doing to inclusive society. If public schooling is to survive as a great social equaliser it must start to care about what drove teachers and parents like myself away. My choice - and that of the families of well over a third of students - has been so far met with contemptuous cries of religious bigotry, classist oppression and neo-liberal radicalism in an increasingly irrelevant attempt to shut the public school gate long after the students have bolted. Until the blame game ends, until there is a real attempt to understand - and ameliorate - why state education lost our love, the stampede will continue, leaving many comprehensive schools in an inevitable spiral of compounding social disadvantage. David Hastie Blaxland East Ocean becomes a giant rubbish bin It seems farcical that householders are busy sorting their rubbish into recycling bins and the former HMAS Adelaide is to be dumped into the easy rubbish bin of the ocean. It comprises more than a few tins and glass bottles. Hardly sustainability and responsibility at its best. Gretchen Wheen Canada Goose jackets Richmond We can do without formula one Ian MacDonald has memory problems if he cannot recall the V8 debacle that cost millions, hundreds of trees and had to be sweetened with a teaspoon of Cold Chisel to get the punters in. Now he wants the formula one race that Melbourne - if truth be known - would pay to have NSW take over. The cost will only be in the tens of millions (if we are lucky), it will cause disruption to millions for negligible amusement for the few and that other dubious and unquantifiable benefit ''international exposure''. If they don't know where we are after the Olympics, they never will. John Glennon Balmain Lives wasted Irrespective of the debate about whether the Bureau of Statistics elects to increase its numbers on the suicides that occurred in 2007 (currently 1881) those numbers remain appalling (''Unfinished data could mean suicide rate higher'', March 27-28). Five suicides a day, with about 25 failed attempts for each death. A death rate more than 16 per cent above the road fatalities that occurred in the same year. Ted Keating Tallai Lead by example The US administration has called upon various Iraqi politicians not to use ''inflammatory'' language in their dealings with each other. One is left wondering whether these same officials ever listen to the political discourse going on in their own backyard? Andrew Sarkadi Double Bay Inkling of stupidity Can someone please tell me what is so Australian about Southern Cross tattoos (''When patriotism gets under your skin'', March 27-28)? It's hardly a unique insignia, since we share it with the flags of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Brazil. Sam Spence Leichhardt Batsmen averse to close shaves In reference to Gordon Ramsay's comments regarding Ricky Ponting's appearance on TV on Tuesday night (Letters, March 26), Ponting is merely observing a long-held tradition among cricketers that players do not shave during Test matches as it is perceived as bad luck.

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