Illustration: Cathy Wilcox Garth Clarke North Sydney I'm a typical Australian citizen, who, according to the Coalition government, is only capable of understanding three word slogans, repeated ad nauseam. So, I'm very confused. On the one hand, Joe Hockey is telling me that we now have a debt and deficit disaster, and we all need to be lifters not leaners. Accordingly, I am not spending my reserves, but saving them for that infamous rainy day. Now, to my confusion, Hockey, our mature and adult Treasurer, is telling me to go out for Christmas and spend, spend, spend for the sake of the economy. What is the answer, Mr Hockey – in three words or less? Craig Duckmanton Stanmore

The net worth of just one Australian (Gina Rinehart) represents a third of the value of the Australian budget black hole and the combined net worth of seven of Australia's wealthiest citizens is equivalent to Australia's entire budget black hole. At the same time there are 2.5 million people living in poverty in Australia. And to think we have all these highly educated politicians and public servants scratching their heads about the structural problems of our budget and proposing to further drive inequality. Inge Close Manly And the Christmas message from the Jesuit-educated Joe Hockey? Spend! Spend! Spend! He's beyond crass. Joan Kunze Penrith No, Anthony Horan (Letters, December 4), we are not the problem. There is a budget problem. Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott proposed solutions that were unfair, unannounced, not voted for, unpopular and unworkable. If I tried to sell you a lemon, is it your fault if you don't buy it? The problem is clearly the inability of said government to understand this and rethink its plan.

Roger Clark Five Dock Australian families have the highest ever debt and yet Treasurer Joe Hockey has advocated "we want Australians to go out there and spend" during Christmas, these seem again to be out of touch remarks by a Treasurer. Furthermore, it is time Hockey and Tony Abbott realised that the average Australian will be happy to work with them if they truly spread the heavy lifting to mining companies that pay little or no tax, wealthy individuals using trusts to avoid taxation, companies that pay no tax, overseas conglomerates that pay little or no tax, and those who use negative gearing to reduce their tax. If these measures are introduced, perhaps the unemployed, the sick, disabled and elderly will be happy to share their portion of the load. Lyne Dobson Waterview Heights When will politicians and economists realise that growth is the problem not the solution? Tony Hunt Gordon

Do you remember (sigh) when all you needed to know about a Federal budget was: "Beer up, Cigs up"? Richard Mason Newtown Pocock's gutsy off-field stand raises the stakes How refreshing it was to read former Wallabies captain David Pocock's comments on the need to take action against climate change ("It's worth the risk of arrest to stop coal mining at Maules Creek", December 4). Wouldn't it be enlightening to see our highly paid politicians take such a brave stance instead of protecting their careers by hiding behind party policy and political spin?

Pocock has passionately demonstrated, by his actions, that a healthy future for our planet must take priority over self-interest and the financial rewards to the multinational fossil fuel industry. It is very rare to see someone who is perceptive enough to risk more than most of us to uphold his beliefs. The Australian Rugby Union and other community representatives should be very proud of him. Bob Harris Sawtell I have always admired David Pocock on the rugby field, but never more so than in this last week with his display of activist camaraderie with farmers. Pocock's leadership and the farmers staunch resolve are a winning team formula. DP 4 PM. Janice Creenaune Austinmer David Pocock is both green and gold: an inspiration both on and off the rugby field.

Roger Bell Greenwich David Pocock's "direct action" should be lauded by conservative governments. It is encouraging to see a sportsman with a clear vision. This action was condemned by Stephen Larkham as illegal but not a word came from Larkham on the Wallabies smashing up hotel rooms in Ireland or Kurtley Beale's unacceptable behaviour by text message. At last there is someone in rugby who might be justly described as a "role model" and he gets damned. Finbar O'Donoghue Telopea Pyne degrees will waste our talent

No, Christopher Pyne, no! Cease and desist with this madness of promoting $100,000 degrees ("Pyne mulls campaign to sell university fees", December 4). It is an ideologically driven goal that will ensure only two things. First, that the brightest and best of our youth will not have access to a quality tertiary education unless they also have access to a large sum of money; the two are not a mutually compatible given. Second, it will minimise any prospect of Australia achieving or maintaining a Clever Country status by damning future generations to intellectual poverty. So I implore you to start behaving in a rationally responsible manner, abandon this legislation, and give our youth and country a fighting chance. Michael Honey Wentworth Falls We must never forget Phillip Hughes

At every level of the game from now on, whenever a batsman reaches 63 we the spectators should stand and applaud ("Long march to say goodbye to the hero of Macksville", December 4). When in years to come a child asks why we do this, we remember and explain. John DeCourcy North Rocks The passing of Phillip Hughes may have been a tragic event and one can only sympathise with his family and friends. However, after all the media saturation so far, can Andrew Webster explain what makes him a hero. The plain and sobering facts are that Hughes ducked a flying cricket ball and got it wrong. Hans Mueller Coomba Bay The Hughes funeral demonstrated yesterday the value of a school hall to a small country community. It seems the much maligned decision of Labor to build school halls as a Keynesian economic "pump primer" in a time of world financial crisis was perhaps worth more to small centres and to the nation than people realise.

Frank Catt Port Macquarie Heritage for sale Nothing betrays the tragically short-sighted bankruptcy of government thinking quite so much as the mean selloff of the Bridge Street sandstone precinct ("Sandstone sell-off betrays public legacy", December 4). Sydney's two chief glories, its harbour and its rugged sandstone topography, made all the more wonderful by the high design and remarkable stone carving of 19th century stonemasons, many newly arrived, are to be plundered for what? Short-term budgetary expediency. Repeated planning failures have caused their facades, intended to be seen in full sunlight, to be lost in gloom. Have we not the wit, the intelligence and foresight, to preserve and enhance such irreplaceable heritage? Are we so focused on selling everything of value, we esteem nothing? Philip Drew Annandale

Missing minister As the Australian government resisted climate change being discussed at the most influential economic forum, the G20, and now sends the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Trade Minister to the Lima climate change talks, the Minister for the Environment appears to have disappeared into insignificance ("Lack of trust between Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott could spark a bushfire", smh.com.au, December 4). Or has the role been reduced to seeking de-registration of World Heritage forests and approving dumping which may affect the health of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park? Michael Wright Northbridge Time is up, boys As Paul Sheehan so rightly observes, Julie Bishop v Tanya Plibersek would be a match made in heaven and one welcomed by the electorate ("Time for Hockey and Abbott to tell the electorate a new story", December 4). The Coalition, again so accurately assessed by Sheehan is flatlining its way into economic and political oblivion and apparently they are quite prepared to take us down with them.

As Australia continues to meander aimlessly and apparently without a strategy or plan for our future, the posturing continues and policies without merit or benefit continue to dominate our parliamentary minds. Failure to engage with the electorate will ultimately bring about the Coalition's demise. The question is how much pain and suffering is their arrogance prepared to put us through before we have the chance to deliver the ultimate response at the next election? Australians across the board deserve honesty, engagement and acknowledgement from both sides of Parliament. Mike Logan Errowanbang Madge blurs message So now we are encouraged to applaud brave Madonna for exposing her feminist credentials and her perfect, eye-popping, wrinkle-free, 56-year-old chest protuberances in the December issue of Interview magazine ("Madonna's topless photos are a triumph for all women - whatever their age", smh.com.,au, December 4).

I can't help thinking the pop star's implied message, according to the writer from London's Telegraph newspaper, "Here I am, take me or leave me", could have made more resonance in the feminist manifesto if the vast army of makeover artists, construction workers, scaffolders and photoshop experts had been excluded from the shoot. Max Fischer Scarborough Double standards Thursday's Herald has an interesting juxtaposition of articles on page 6 - one about Senator David Johnston's office spending up to $190 a bottle for wine and $300 per head for a restaurant meal on expenses ("Chaos in Johnston's office as two staff ejected", December 4), and the other with a rather forlorn Joe Hockey warning that our living standards may fall. Perhaps if Hockey is looking to balance the budget, a start might be made with these parliamentary member's privileges. I don't know about others, but this Herald reader's living standards don't come up to those of Senator Johnston and his staff.

Lyn Fletcher Eastwood Grand Theft Auto ban is victory for decency Congratulations to Target on their decision tostop stocking Grand Theft Auto ("Grand Theft Auto and the problem with banning 'violent' video games and media", smh.com.au, December 4). There is no place in a civilised society for such violent, sexist filth. Andrew Stark East Gosford Wolf in fool's clothing

I am in awe at the genius of Clive Palmer. This capitalist masquerades as a friend of the underdog until the inevitable backflip reveals his true agenda. And it's all excused because he's such a lovable old buffer ("Morrison tries last-minute sweeteners to woo support for migration change", December 4). John Christie Oatley Right royal gene pool As a man, it's heartening to know that the crucial task of adding vitality and intelligence to the genetic make-up of our rulers and betters has not been entirely left to the distaff side of the population - though perhaps an enterprising woman colluded in the deed ("Richard III gene test casts doubt on royal blood line", December 4)? Graham Thorburn Woollahra

Feral cunning abounds Artificial intelligence is all very well (Letters, December 4), but I would like to see some more signs of human intelligence. Most of what I see is simply feral cunning at a new level. Christopher May Balgowlah