The environmental disaster unfolding on the Darling River is a national disgrace. The $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been hijacked by vested interests and petty state politics. Daniel Andrews is implicated, with Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville complicit with the New South Wales government in weakening the plan and lobbying against recovering environmental water for the Murray. Her department is more like a "subsidiary" of the irrigation industry. Mr Andrews should restructure the whole mess and replace Ms Neville with someone who will advocate for rivers, rather than just industry. The nation and the world is watching. Nick Roberts, Shepparton A permanent tribute to Barnaby Joyce's reign The front page photo of the kangaroo fatally stuck in mud at Menindee Lakes (The Age, 11/1) should be enlarged, framed and hung in the parliamentary office of Barnaby Joyce, former federal minister for water, as a permanent tribute to his water-management skills. Neil Wilkinson, Mont Albert

When will governments govern for the people? Once again the ignorance of our governments shows in the form of the death of Murray cod in the Darling River system. Something that is irreparable, all for the greed of high-use water consumers. I, too, am disgusted at the level of ignorance shown by those who are supposed to govern for the benefit of Australia and its people. Money and power, not a good mix. Merran Gibson, Newbridge Such widespread evidence of global warming Uncontrolled wild fires are predicted to burn in the Tasmanian south west wilderness for the next two months, destroying 200-year-old trees. Murray cod, 50 to 100 years old, are rotting on the banks of the Murray/Darling. Remnant coral, which has survived repeated bleaching events, are being devoured by crown-of-thorns starfish. Meanwhile, the Coalition government informs us there is no global warming, and no crisis. So put up your feet, and relax, after turning the air conditioning up a notch or two.

Mike Francis, Fitzroy A fine start. Now for the bay and Elwood canal James Newbury, the member for Brighton, deserves praise for raising the senseless, and indefensible, activity of duck shooting in his maiden speech (Comment, 8/1). Brighton voters will be equally pleased when the $5million paid to the Gaming Management Authority each year to manage this so-called pastime can be redirected towards better environmental management of the bay and Elwood canal. Harvey Allatt, Brighton Some erosion – in one small section of the road

The Great Ocean Road is at risk of being washed away (The Age, 11/1)? It extends at least from Anglesea to Apollo Bay, some 75kilometres, most of which is well above sea level. A small section in a town near Apollo Bay is level with the beach and there is erosion. Robert Humphris, Lorne A stampede of ignorance Threatened hooded plovers, plus out of control dogs (Letters, 11/1), plus galloping horses (The Age, 11/1) equals death on the beach. Is this the best we can do? Bron Ives, Fairhaven

THE FORUM Our leaders' shame Only a royal commission, independent of politicians and vested interests, can sort out the disastrous mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin system. Recent events are a clear indication that our political masters, federal and state, are either incapable or are unwilling to address the key issues affecting the system. Leadership is needed urgently to make the hard and perhaps unpleasant (to some parties) decisions in order to ensure the future safeguard of this natural wonder. Michael Vrettakis, Werribee A purchaser's nightmare

The Opal Tower in Sydney, and builder Icon, have been in the news. This is probably the tip of the iceberg regarding property developers and builders.I am purchasing an apartment and, in discussion with the builder on-site, learnt that a creek was discovered during the excavation. The builder rightly pumped out the water, remediated the land and enhanced the structural design. But the developer, when contacted, has been silent – no transparency, no openness, no response to whether an insurance policy will cover such a building. And the purchaser seems to have no recourse. Kathy Duffy, Port Melbourne Who sets these 'rules'? Here we go again. Mathias Cormann spends $37,000 of taxpayers' money to fly from Canberra to Perth via Adelaide so he can lobby two senators regarding tax cuts for big business. As is usual with politicians spending our money for reasons that we would consider outrageous, we get the standard reply: It's within the rules. Most people would agree it is time to change the rules. Eric Butcher, Eltham

The taxpayers' burden How do people who are struggling on $37,000 a year feel about our Finance Minister blowing this amount in a few hours on optional flights? Those with Mathias Cormann's sense of entitlement should be out of Parliament and, instead, impose their expectations on unsuspecting shareholders as a CEO or director of a company. This is an unacceptable impost on taxpayers. Robert Brown, Camberwell Listen to the people Mathias Cormann, I thought the age of entitlement was over. How dare you. This is another sign of how out of touch your government is.

Robyn Lovell, Epping The beauty of silence No, Jill Stark, it is not "turn the volume down just a tad" (The Age, 12/1). It is turn them off in public places. The rot set in with "muzak" in shops and airline terminals. I am sick of it. Listen to the birds, the sound of kids having a great time, the roar of the surf, the roar of the tennis crowd. Do not bring artificial noise into our environment. Peta Colebatch, Footscray Our right to be safe

Some argue that sex offenders have "served their prison time and, hopefully, reformed" (Letters, 11/1), so should not appear on a public register.I work in a maximum security prison which includes a "protection unit" for those convicted of child sex offences or high-profile murders, and those who have provided evidence leading to the conviction of other criminals. Child sex offenders almost universally believe they have done nothing wrong. A person who cannot understand their own wrongdoing but instead dismisses or justifies it, who cannot take responsibility for the suffering and lifetime damage caused by their acts, cannot be rehabilitated to any degree that makes them able to live safely in society. At best, these men know society holds their actions to be wrong, but they do not experience this sentiment themselves. Rehabilitation presumes a person is capable of empathy for the victim/s, genuine remorse and a shift in consciousness that makes such acts abhorrent to them in the future. These men do not experience or demonstrate this. If they cannot recognise and self-manage their offending behaviours, then society needs to be protected by being aware of who they are. Anyone who does not want to appear on a sex offenders register should not offend in the first place. Name and address withheld The sweetness of lemons

In keeping with an Australian tradition, many of us boast a lemon tree in the back yard. If we were to all set up a lemon stall on the nature strip, selling at say 50¢ each, there would be no need for imported ones at $2 (The Age, 10/1). The buyer would be glad to have access to this precious little nugget, and the seller would be glad to unload them because there is a limit to how many lemons can be used at one time; and thumbing a nose at the supermarkets would be, oh so, sweet. Dawn Evans, Geelong So unfair, Mr Shorten Your editorial on Labor's change to franking credits states: "It's hard to understand why 'they' should be entitled to tax free profits" (The Age, 10/1). Surely the benefit of franking credits should be available to, and equal for, everyone, especially as the current tax regime has been in place for over a decade. The proposed changes are unequal in effect. Those who are still working with a taxable income, and those with investments which utilise franking credits, will be unaffected. Fine. But those who do not pay tax ( a large proportion of the half million or so self-funded retirees), and who have worked to set themselves up so theydo not rely on the public purse, will lose 30per cent of their annual superannuation income under Labor's proposal.

David Wright, Albert Park Importance of protection Ask a two-year-old to eat their vegies, a five-year-old to clean their teeth, or a teenage boy to have a shower. Ask a 23-year-old whether they want insurance through superannuation, as per the Productivity Commissions's recommendation that members under 25 should "opt in" to it (The Age, 10/1). All these people will probably say no, with unexpected consequences. We are heading towards an uninsured generation and it will not be pretty. Lucy Torrens, East Ivanhoe The magic of Melbourne

As an avid follower of the housing market, I am not surprised that the rental and sale markets are seemingly out of sync with each other (The Age, 10/1). In my suburb, I am continually surprised at the regularity of properties which have been sold and then make it to the rental pages. My take on it is that there are still many cashed-up old and new Melburnians putting their money into property, knowing it is a good bet. Well, why not? Melbourne is the city of choice for many people, both from a local and global perspective. This makes renters an increasingly large proportion of inhabitants, and they are all looking for a place to bed down. Personally, in terms of the world's future in the medium to longer-term, I cannot think of many places I would rather live. Tania Hardy-Smith, Mitcham Our tough job market

Any job seeker, Millennial or not, would have smiled wryly when reading "Viral ad revealed what's really expected of Millennials at work" (Comment, 1/1). As a digital nomad, over the last decade I have watched job specifications go from a handful of essential skills to a list as long as your arm, even as salaries (in some areas) freeze or drop. This, alongside the increase in low-paid or unpaid internships, has created a huge problem for any job seeker. Those who are aged over 50 – when ageism sadly kicks in – find themselves competing with the same Millennials who may still live at home or, at the very least, have fewer personal/financial responsibilities. All this while CEOs take their bonuses, companies underpay (here's looking at you, ABC) and the retirement age gets pushed further out. Paul Bugeja, Mentone Words can cut deep

Anne-Elisabeth Moutet's article "In France men still behave like pigs" (Comment, 11/1) paints a depressing picture. While people cannot help feeling the way they do – for example, men who prefer good-looking, younger women than those aged over 50 – they can control themselves and not make derogatory and hurtful remarks. To be fair, women who do not like the looks of older men should keep unkind words about this to themselves as well. Rosemary Taylor, Castlemaine AND ANOTHER THING Politics

The public is sick of MPs rorting their expenses. Wake up, you idiots. Ray Martin, Creswick Another foot, another gun, another shot. The Coalition really can't help itself. Erica Grebler, Caulfield North Our politicians don't need advanced counting skills. They're mainly there to look after number one.

Ken Machin, East Geelong The Minister for Money spends $37,000 on a private flight in an effort to win votes. Bruce Dudon, Woodend On your bike, Mathias. We can't afford your wilful waste. Cheryl Toth, Queenscliff

Politicians are abusing the system. They should work to the same standards of the populace they serve. David Cayzer, Clifton Hill Australia ain't gonna cop Clive any more. David Bishop, East Brighton Scott Morrison, will the sex offenders register include priests?

John Nash, Altona Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun can be my au pair. Graham Cadd, Dromana World Westminster is dreaming if it thinks Europe will agree to its divorce settlement, especially when its 27 partners distrust it.

Tony Danino, Wheelers Hill Trump doesn't understand that you cannot fool all the people all the time. Ken Feldman, Sandringham Trump's ability to manage rejection regarding his wall is borderline. Andrew Remington, Travancore

Furthermore Why the fuss about ATARs? It's not the entry score that matters, it's the exit score. Helen Park, Stuart Mill The great game is being diluted into a shallow version: Big Bash. Leo Gamble, East Mentone

Recommended viewing for shooters: the new film, Storm Boy. Tris Raouf, Hadfield Top 10 super funds? Naagh. Will the government be sued if a current top 10 becomes a dud? Chris Waters, Ormond *Sign up to editor Alex Lavelle's exclusive weekly newsletter at: www.theage.com.au\editornote.