If I'm having a problem with the system, what hope for those who can't comprehend what it's about? According to the ABS, which manages the census, up to 25 per cent of Australians have low general or technical literacy, and are therefore unlikely to be able to complete the census without assistance. Andrea Cooper, Elsternwick Data on seniors will not be accurate The 2016 census is not seniors friendly. Seniors have to phone the automated help line and enter their 12 digit code to request a hard copy form. Talkback radio confirms that the line is experiencing problems. One caller has tried to get through 10 times while another managed to get through late at night, only to have his code rejected twice as invalid. It would be naive to think these were isolated cases. It seems many seniors may not be included in the census, which will distort the data needed to estimate the needs of an ageing population. Further, many seniors who are experiencing difficulties with the census may now be in fear of attracting fines of $180 a day for not completing a form. Gary Roulston, Endeavour Hills

Employed? Barely This census privacy thing leaves me conflicted. My desire for privacy is greater than my perception of the government's need to track me. Therefore, my census response will be as follows. Name: Jobson Growth; Address: under the bridge down at the Yarra, but me landlord isn't happy; Racial profile: other (Klingon); Religion: decency; Income: same as it was 10 years ago; Employment: barely, but the big boss said we're living in the most exciting of times, so I've got me fingers crossed. Jobson Growth, Melbourne THE FORUM Slow ride a fairer ride

As the Chinese very fast train sped from one glittering city to another, it seems Ross Gittins did not get to look at the faces of the millions of impoverished and dislocated slave labourers, most with no rights to participate, who have made possible China's rapid progress (Comment, 3/8). A one-party state, China can do whatever it wishes to its citizens. This has enabled China to embrace capitalism in a manner that benefits the powerful elite and the economically privileged. The goal of the system appears to be personal wealth rather than its equitable distribution. The poor are taken advantage of, and the environment degraded almost to the point of becoming uninhabitable. Once a personal fortune is made, the riches are sent offshore, allowing the owners to buy citizenship in cleaner democratic countries that abide by the rule of law and have more equitable social policies. Australia's trains might run a bit slower and we might need a few lessons in how to further develop a vast country with a small population. But unlike China, our progress has enabled universal healthcare, welfare, education and a workforce protected from exploitation. Our slower journey has left few behind. The rising tide should float all boats. Graham Cadd, Surrey Hills

Let's band together I stand with "don't count me" (Letters, 3/8). I am 50, have recently graduated with an accounting degree and am trying to find my way into the profession. I have sent off 200-plus applications to advertised graduate positions. I have received maybe 10 responses, all saying "no". Don't misunderstand me. I'm not complaining. But we "irrelevants" ought to band together and start our own economy. We would trade and hire our own kind; we could identify them by their interesting facial lines, their ability to spell and their pragmatic, empathetic and calming dispositions. Occasionally we could admit a "youth", but only as a curiosity, a peculiarity. Their ideas and suggestions would have tremendous novelty value. But no, I'll go back to driving buses – my former life – and let the "youth" inherit the Earth. After all, why would anyone choose an articulate, mature, character-rich person when they can have someone who is simply under a certain number. John Christiansen, Carlton Hospitals not so safe

I read the article about the young man sexually abused by his doctor ("Sex abuse doctor kept seeing patients", 2/8) – or I tried to. It filled me with despair because I dare say many similar stories are never brought to light. Some 2 years ago I was raped and sexually assaulted while in a Melbourne hospital being treated for a life-threatening illness. My efforts to report the incidences came to little, as I didn't have the required "evidence". I was eventually allowed to make a statement to police about the first incident, but the second (in the intensive care unit of a major hospital) was considered beyond their jurisdiction and a hospital matter. This left me with no recourse to justice. I now know why people don't report such crimes. I pursued all available avenues and made my official statement in the hope of one day helping someone who does have "evidence". I appreciate your article for exposing the fact that hospitals are not always the "safe places" we are taught to believe. Name and address withheld

Solidarity signposts Anson Cameron's article "Prepare to take offence ... ", Spectrum, 30/7) highlighted an issue that universities are confronting: how to present "triggering content" to students while maintaining open dialogue about troubling issues in society? Trigger warnings play a far greater role than just alerting students to triggering content. They serve as a coded gesture of alliance to victims in the classroom. A lecturer saying: "Just to let you know, we're about to talk about X, and X is not OK," says to victims: "It's all right, I'm in your corner. This behaviour exists but is not OK. I'm your ally." Regarding the pastoral care role that educators serve for students, this is a very important signpost. They additionally serve to tell a potential perpetrator that X behaviour is not tolerated. It is socially important that respected community members condemn problematic behaviour, especially as society often fails to listen to a victim's story without placing a caveat on it. Trigger warnings are solidarity signposts and conversation starters. That's why they are important. Christine Robinson, Fitzroy North

No choice for homeless I commend The Age for highlighting the issues of homelessness and housing affordability. Sadly we, the voters, didn't push the politicians to treat them as priority issues during the election campaign. Even economic rationalists would have to be impressed with analysis by SGS Economics that demonstrates a saving of $7 for every $1 spent on affordable housing in the right locations. We should hang our heads in shame knowing that 7200 Victorian children were counted homeless in the year to mid-2015, according to Council to Homeless Persons chief Jenny Smith. People don't choose to be homeless; our greedy, selfish, heartless society offers them no other choice. Father Kevin Burke, Eltham Show a little bit of grace

When Christopher Pyne compared the Coalition with Hawthorn he meant it with all his heart. For him and Barnaby Joyce politics is a game where the final siren never goes. They are relentless. In a world in which we daily wake up to mayhem and despair – in a country with so much going for it – we are desperate for just a sign, a hint of generosity, a tiny bit of grace. Tony Newport, Hillwood, Tas Empty trade promises Jenny Henty (Letters, 2/8) is absolutely right. What criminal lunacy it is that Australians are now paying, and will continue to pay, gas prices far higher than those paid by the countries to which our resource has been so stupidly exported. Long-term contracts are causing domestic shortages, and that means all of us are paying through the nose for what is an essential utility. The genial but ineffectual Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg must urgently institute a gas reservation policy, whereby we can obtain at reasonable rates what is, after all, our own property, and put a price on carbon. The election results show Australians are looking to government to serve them here at home, not just through empty trade deals and mythical trickle-down effects.

Darryl Cloonan, Ballarat Free to be obnoxious David Oliver (Letters, 2/8) could inform his Malaysian friends that unlike Malaysia, where free speech is repressed, Australia is a fully democratic country, where even someone like Pauline Hanson can air their obnoxious views. Mike Puleston, Brunswick Robots line up for jobs

There is at least one good reason for accounting students to pay more than engineering students (The Age, 2/8): we need fewer accountants and more engineers. Engineering graduates fill only 40 per cent of our demand and Australia now has more overseas-born engineers than Australian-born engineers. STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are required for 75 per cent of the fastest-growing occupations. On the other hand, Bill Gates predicted that accountants are one of at least a dozen job types that will be taken over by robots in the next 20 years. Neil Lennie, Box Hill North Victims of sell-offs Irene Goldwasser (Letters, 3/8) is right to ask for more money to be put into apprenticeship training. But we need to bear in mind that the collapse in apprenticeships is a direct result of the privatisation of our large utility companies. Some 25 years ago the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, the State Electricity Company, the railways and what was then Telecom used to train thousands each year. After privatisation this training was regarded as a cost, rather than a gain to society, and so was severely cut back.

In the interests of having a sufficiently trained workforce to fulfil society's needs, it is essential that governments mandate that the privatised utilities begin training apprentices again. Not only will this result in many more qualified tradespeople, it will also increase the general stock of knowledge. Greg Bailey, St Andrews Enough said of Hayne If I had $1 for every time Jarryd Hayne has been mentioned in the sports news in the past few months, I would be a millionaire by now. Who is so interested in him that we must hear about him all the time?

David Ginsbourg, East Bentleigh AND ANOTHER THING... Donald Trump's tactic of abusing everyone in sight may be starting to pay dividends, albeit negative ones. John Walsh, Watsonia

Politics Now that the Reserve Bank has dropped the cash rate to the lowest ever, will ScoMo drop the top deeming rate for pensioners from the 3.25 per cent it was set at in March last year? Terry Leith, Brighton East Cory Bernardi is just the man to sit in judgment on Kevin Rudd. Alan Cotterell, Benalla

Rudd wasn't asking the Coalition for a glowing reference, just clearance to put in a job application. Ian Powell, Glen Waverley Rudd is being generous in describing Turnbull as a "brick wall". The PM's recent decisions make him look more "brick veneer" (The Age, 2/8). John Byrne, Randwick, NSW Poor Malcolm in the middle. Damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.

Barbara Abell, Ringwood North And we were assured that Turnbull would be a better Prime Minister after he won an election. Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick Elsewhere With our human rights abuses of Aborigines, youths in detention and asylum seekers, we're lucky to be a UN member.

Alma Ries, Mount Eliza I hope Amanda Vanstone (Comment, 1/8) crosses herself to ward off the Devil when she refers to "unions". I do the same for "businesses". Geoff Champion, Mount Dandenong Perhaps standards in our schools are not improving because the art of teaching has got lost in the science. Joan Segrave, Healesville

I now understand why travellers to Latin America are advised: "Don't drink the water, drink the margaritas" (The Age, 3/8). Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld The Rio Games: "Faster, higher, stronger"? Or "Slower, lower, weaker"! Myra Fisher, Brighton East Click here to submit your letter to the editor