Far from subjugating, oppressing and silencing me, Sydney Anglican men have played a crucial role in encouraging, equipping and supporting me to become all the things I am today. Certainly, there have been a significant number of very important female Christian mentors in my life. But it was a Sydney Anglican man who first encouraged me to consider pursuing full-time Christian ministry. It was a Sydney Anglican man who ordained and licensed me as a member of clergy. It was Sydney Anglican men who recruited me to the various committees and councils I am on. It was a Sydney Anglican man who emailed me out of the blue to suggest I undertake a PhD in theology. It is Sydney Anglican men who have encouraged and helped facilitate my return to full-time theological study. It is Sydney Anglican men who contact me nearly every week asking for advice on how they can do a better job in their churches in my area of research. It is Sydney Anglican men who ask if I’m available to visit their church services on Sundays to share some of the results of my labour with their congregations. Who am I? I am a woman who is tried of being caricatured, oppressed, silenced and made to feel invisible. But not by Sydney Anglican men. By Julia Baird. - Reverend Danielle Treweek, Summer Hill Over many decades I, too, have indulged in lampooning the fundamentalism of the Sydney Anglican Diocese. The institution is a satirist's paradise. A year ago the diocesan synod debated the eligibility of divorcees, who had been victims of domestic violence, to remarry in church. The patriarchal language used by influential opponents of change was not a source of hilarity but highly disturbing. I concluded that the diocese has evolved into a pernicious entity which survives solely from ingesting its own doctrinal entrails. I had no option but to later inform my local rector that my ties were cut and I had connected with a parish in another Australian diocese where a healthy divergence of views flourishes and is respected. - John Williams, Balmain I've sometimes wondered what would happen if women took St Paul's injunction to cover their heads and be silent in church seriously. It would mean a lot of labour would have to withdrawn, from praying for the people, reading the Bible and leading both the service and the singing. I suppose we could still serve morning tea and count the money. - Vivienne Parsons, Thornleigh

When I was made a deacon in 1996, I was in my mid-50s after a career of science teaching. Many young men who were ordained with me went on to become priests and archdeacons, deans and bishops. The women were mostly in churches where they would not be able to preach to men. I subsequently was assistant minister at Paddington church and was given as full a ministry as was possible. But, as Julia says, Sydney Diocese is "bonkers" about women being priests and preaching. - Reverend Sue Emeleus, Ermington Men are Anglicans, women are Anglicants. - John Bailey, Canterbury Scomo may have become Slomo Peter Hartcher hits the prime ministerial nail on the head. ("Arise, Prime Minimal, your country needs you," October 26). Not in living memory have we seen such a deliberate, glacial response or indifference by a prime minister to the real crises facing Australia. Crises such as the increasing desertification of our country and a stumbling, insipid economy underwritten by a 19th-century energy source. By saying nothing and doing little, ScoMo has quickly morphed into SloMo. - Peter Butt, Lilyfield The Coalition's lack of any policy that endeavours to create a more decent society is depressing and scandalous. Scott Morrison, in combination with News Corp and Clive Palmer’s millions, managed to convince just over half of the public to vote for the Coalition, despite it having nothing to offer beyond questionable tax cuts and encouragement of the fossil fuel industry. We can only hope that in the next round, the threadbare nature of Morrison’s offerings will become blindingly apparent, so that Australia can possibly again be a country that other countries look to for policy innovation and progressive ideas. - Alan Morris, Eastlakes

Those people who voted for Morrison and Gladys Berejiklian earlier this year must be regretting their choices. In Morrison we have 'little Donald', with little clue and little understanding. In Berejiklian, we have 'the developers friend' with no sign of a developing understanding of what NSW really needs. Oh well, look on the bright side … Australia has a surplus in Canberra and NSW has a hole in the ground at Moore Park. Maybe the surplus can be used to buy some rain and the hole can be used to store it. - Paul Ettema, Riverview Peter Hartcher writes that “no problem is so important that it can’t be met with feeble response”. This article disregards the major effort that the government is putting in to repealing Medevac and protecting freedom of religious discrimination. I’m sure we all agree those two issues are far more deserving of the government’s time and effort than tackling climate change and the faltering economy. - Paul Attfield, Mount Colah Peter Hartcher attributes the pathetic performance of Morrison to the drought and the economy. But then defends Morrison for not declaring “an economic emergency just now”. It took the farmers and the rural communities to declare that there was a drought emergency that needs a plan now. So do we have to wait for Morrison to declare an economic emergency when there is one and it's too late for action? - Reg Wilding, Wollongong Drought of ideas about future of water Peter Hannam’s article ("Drought and nuts kill off dairy farms", October 26) just highlights the chronic indifference state and federal governments have demonstrated on a number of fronts, particularly environment and water management, drought response and to the communities that are slowly dying as a result. Australia has never been more desperate for an empirical and cohesive water harvesting and management strategy. The time has come when we need to seriously look at other ways of securing a more reliable water supply for our rural sector, probably on scales never attempted in human history.

I am no expert but one possibility is to pipe wet season water from the Top End to the more populous areas; similar to the Alaska gas pipeline which extends 2700 kilometres from Alaska to the mainland United States. The easy alternative would be to simply increase importation of food and just allow our rural sector to die. Ian McKenzie, Mt Annan I wonder how much precious water is being used each day by the mining industry in towns such as Orange and Muswellbrook. While I realise jobs are of great concern, there will be no jobs for anyone when there is no water. Cherri Browne, O’Connell Maybe water is too cheap.

John Whiteing, Willoughby Not drought but blueberries have killed off the farming industry west of Coffs Harbour. Hundreds of hectares have been clear-felled, ugly igloos, toxic sprays and fertiliser run-off is taking over the once peaceful countryside. What happens to these eyesores when the bottom falls out of the oversupplied blueberry market is anyone’s guess. Chris Tiley, Nana Glen Hockey only half right Joe Hockey and others like him – who are on record saying it's not about how you divide the pie, it's growing it that matters – only understand the half of it ("Joe Hockey denounces key Donald Trump policies in scathing speech", October 26). He doesn't understand, or won't admit, that the "sensible middle" of society hasn't become significantly richer with free trade. It's typically people like him – the wealthy – who have become richer.

Brenton White, Mosman Joe Hockey lecturing Donald Trump about economics seems like a brick trying to teach a lead weight how to swim. Anyway, cigar anyone? Peter Bower, Naremburn Police are the threat After last week's revelations regarding the questionable behaviour of members of the NSW Police ("Seven children strip-searched at Splendour in the Grass", October 21), parents like myself must be having serious doubts on whether it's safe to let our kids visit the Byron Bay region any time soon. Being strip-searched and humiliated for no other reason than a dubious drug detection dog rubbing against you is despicable.

Paul Taylor, Murwillumbah Above the law, minister? "Journalists need to remember nobody is above the law" - however, if you're the Flat Earth Society's accident-prone climate-change-denying henchman Angus Taylor, you can hurdle ScoMo's lofty bar of integrity, stick your head in the sand and not give the rule of law a second thought ("Taylor accused of relying on fake documents to attack Moore", October 25). Simon Pitts, Riverview It seems like Angus Taylor's figures were a bit off this time but I'm sure that won't stop him pursuing the point. His staff are probably scouring the annual reports of a wide range of businesses whose CEOs can shortly expect to receive a stern letter castigating them for excessive use of air travel.

Ken Ryan, Clovelly Interesting to see Angus Taylor getting off scot free, no accountability with the apparent protection of the Prime Minister sending the message loud and clear to the rest of us that there is one rule for this government’s ministers and another rule for the rest, including whistleblowers and journalists under threat of prosecution for doing their jobs. Linda Shaw, Braddon, ACT Cheap political mileage If the PM can unilaterally rewrite the acknowledgement of country ("PM tacking military onto Indigenous nod mirrors Trump", October 25), then we can rewrite the Protestant Lord's Prayer that conservatives insist should continue to open Parliament. Any suggestions? - Samantha Chung, Newtown

My grandfather was killed in World War I. He is buried in France. I resent intensely Scott Morrison making cheap political mileage out of his sacrifice. - John Campbell, South Golden Beach You could take Jenna Price's argument further. How would it go down if we did the same with Remembrance Day. We could add a "lest we forget the dispossession of the Indigenous Australians". - Nils Hanson, Moss Vale As an Indigenous Australian with military service in World War II, I was neither "tainted" nor "insulted" by the Prime Minister's "opportunistic tactic". - Ron Elphick, Buff Point Not new to teachers It is reported that Professor Geoff Masters has suggested that “students will still be grouped by age and could work in the same topic area, but their individual tasks will have varying levels of sophistication”. (“Class Acts”, October 26). When I was a trainee teacher 50 years ago, these “varying levels of sophistication” were called “catering for individual differences”. There is nothing new under the sun. - Greg Partington, Quakers Hill

Cost of secrecy Australian Taxation Office commissioner Chris Jordan ("ATO commissioner doubles down on his abuse of parliamentary privilege", October 26) told staff much of the public commentary had been misleading, unbalanced and at times untrue. Maybe so, but if you continue to prevent press access to valid inquiry, and redact much of what you will release, what else can you expect? - Roger Lee, Raworth Addicts pay the price How many lives of addicted gamblers and their families have been ruined to boost the profits of NSW pokies to a level rivalling Fiji's GDP ("NSW pokies profits now rival Fiji's GDP", October 26-27)? - Anne Ring, Coogee Figure this out

Lorraine Hickey (Letters, October 27) tells us, apropos this Sculptures by the Sea display, that it brings in "$40 million and 450,000 visitors per year" and so "it seems a no-brainer for Waverley council, NSW government and business". Gosh, Lorraine! Did these figures by any chance come from Angus Taylor's office? - Ian Usman, Kentucky Undercover as au pair? If only Mimi Mefo had been an au pair! (‘‘Journalist barred from Australian free speech conference’’, October 24). - Jeremy Eccles, Clifton Gardens Intellectual drought Halfway through a visit to Germany, I am so dreading returning to what is, by comparison, a drought as much intellectual as meteorological that I am very tempted to seek asylum here. - Gayle Davies, North Sydney