Illustration: John Shakespeare If one wants a case study for the parlous state of Australian governance, then electricity policy under the Turnbull government fits the bill. It is messy and beset by division, as the baying right have made a religion of coal. Rationality is dispensed for scare campaigns about the lights going out. Plenty of sulphurous hot air and muddying of the waters. It is absurd a rich country with superb renewable resources and good engineers has to extend filthy, unreliable Liddell. Nick Wilson, Palm Beach Let's not be stupid about coal. It was one of the country's first resources to be exported and put us on the economic map. It guaranteed us cheap power for many years. If we must go on using it for another few years until renewables clinch their spot, so be it. Thank god we have stuff we need and others still want. We'd be in desperate straits without it.

Robin Hutcheon, Randwick Why don't solar companies give parliamentarians Craig Kelly, George Christensen, Barnaby Joyce and Tony Abbott free solar panels and batteries.They then could not deny how it chopped their power bills by as much as 80 per cent, as has happened to me. The only power I buy is after midnight, if we have not had a sunny day. I have not bought power at the peak rate in over a year, since my battery installation. Happy to show my power bills to anyone. Neil Duncan, Balmain We are using, and will continue to use, more power every year than we can possibly provide with renewables, certainly as far as solar and wind components. Who in this big city has done away with their airconditioner, their dishwasher, and various other creature comforts, even as they renew faux vows to keep the planet green? I'd venture very few, if any. If Liddell were throttled, would our contribution to the world be more noteworthy, and would Paris be happier? Rosemary O'Brien, Georges Hall

What chance this Monash group will be on the right side of history in championing a new coal-fired power station in the Latrobe Valley (Letters, April 5)? I would say zero! Why am I so certain? Well, this ragtag group of right wingers always back the wrong horse in serious matters. Ask them where they stood in our military intervention in Iraq and Vietnam. Did they support the apology to our Indigenous citizens? How about marriage equality? Were they supporters of that apartheid regime? Did they want to dam the Franklin river? Their stance on climate-change action will add to this shameful liturgy of policy disasters. Why oh why do we tolerate them? Jim Lavis, Raglan Bridge reaction indictment of attitude to mental health

It was saddening to see in the aftermath of the incident on the Harbour Bridge commentary focusing upon the economic, rather than human elements of the event ("Penalty on climbers could triple, says minister", April 5). The incident should have been an illustration of the need to invest more in mental health services to prevent events escalating to the state reached, but an analysis of the $10 million loss to Sydney GDP was the focus. The government saw it is as a time to talk about "people doing stupid things", as though the thought process of the individual were akin to that of some drunken fool invading the pitch at the SCG. It is a sad indictment on the way elements of our community still choose to stigmatise and trivialise mental health issues. Matthew Joyce, North Rocks How would tripling the fine for climbing illegally on the Harbour Bridge stop a mentally ill person from doing so? Norm Neill, Darlinghurst

Bah, tripling the penalty is peanuts compared to the colossal price paid by the public for the massive disruption and enormous inconvenience suffered as a result of these climbs. It's an utter insult! Slap offenders with a mandatory minimum 12-month prison sentence. Edward Loong, Milsons Point With all that traffic chaos on the bridge on Wednesday, wouldn't it be nice if there was some alternative form of transport. Perhaps bikes that could be hired and left at your destination. Todd Hillsley, Homebush

Amidst all the finger-pointing about the response to the bridge trespasser on Wednesday, I could only reflect on the difference in the police response to this mentally-ill individual compared with the footage from NSW and Victoria that has recently focused attention on the actions of officers. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls The response of Roads Minister Melissa Pavey to Wednesday's traffic gridlock is as irrational as it is typical of government ministers. She stated that the penalty for trespassing on the Harbour Bridge would be tripled. She went on to say: "We need to send a message no matter how sad their personal circumstances maybe". Does Ms Pavey really think that seriously mentally persons will check the penalties in the legislation before engaging in such acts of dangerous misadventure? Tom Kelly, Potts Point

I counted 25 officially badged police vehicles, plus several large unmarked white vehicles, which closed two lanes on the bridge, around 9am on Wednesday. For one confused man? Don't they have anything better to do? Who is answerable for such mismanagement? Helen Wright, North Willoughby Idea of Costello return shows Liberal leadership void If senior Liberals are considering a Peter Costello comeback to federal politics it could only mean that the party Costello refused to lead in opposition has not since been endowed with better leadership ("Costello 2.0: the former Treasurer could be the man to unite the coalition", April 5). Costello was a successful Treasurer, albeit with the good fortune to be in office during the mining boom and before the Global Financial Crisis.

The fact that a Costello comeback is now being considered while the party is in government simply compounds the leadership void. A void that is not unique to the Liberal Party. Shane Joseph, West Ryde Donald Trump is President and Bob Dylan a Nobel laureate, so sure why not bring back Peter Costello? While we're at it let's make Sophie Monk Reserve Bank chairman and David Warner a High Court judge, too. Jack Robertson, Birchgrove While conservatives may have nostalgia for Peter Costello as their saviour most voters will remember that he was the architect with John Howard of the policies which created the catastrophe in the housing market, negative gearing and capital gains tax discount on investment properties. Costello was also the Treasurer who set up the superannuation system allowing the wealthy to shovel up to $1 million into their super funds at low tax rates to later become tax-free funds.

Bruce Donald, Waverton Imre Salusinszky's musings on the return of Peter Costello are pure genius. If ever there was a time for our most trusted Treasurer to return, it is now what with all the petty squabbling going on in the party room. The Labor Party will be horrified by such a move but it would be in Australia's interest and we all want that. Alastair Browne, Cromer Heights Easter has come and gone. I see no reason to resurrect Peter Costello. Bill Carpenter, Bowral

Gillard's honest self After a prime ministership that defined the Opposition more than it defined her leadership, Julia Gillard is to be congratulated on showing grace to a former political opponent, securing a prestige appointment as inaugural chair of the first Global Institute for Women's Leadership with King's College, London, and being a positive role model for men and women alike ("Gillard's next move: equality for all", April 5). Neither a Madonna figure nor a she-wolf. Just her honest self. Pam Connor, Mollymook Beach It is rather ironic that Julia Gillard is launching the Global Institute of Women's Leadership at Kings College London. Sally Spurr, Longueville

First Peoples lead the way Queensland's opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games did them and Australia proud. Yes, the technologies were remarkable – but the outstanding feature was the emphasis on our Indigenous heritage ("Indigenous cultures star in opening ceremony", April 5). Now our politicians only have to finally recognise there is, has always been, a deeper message from our First Peoples; our leaders need to accept that we are mere custodians of this earth, transients who have a duty to only take what we need and to protect this treasured land for our future generations. And there's the rub. We, the Australian public, are fed up with the juvenile, short-term gratification that drives the decisions of our present leaders as they put our nation up for sale. We have so much to learn from our First Peoples in protecting what we have for our children's children. Bert Candy, Glenvale

Great to see the Commonwealth Games began with Jack Thompson tampering with a ball during the opening ceremony. Can there be anything more Australian? Nick Andrews, Vaucluse Was I seeing things or did the Prince of Wales ask our Prime Minister the time during the opening of the Games last night as the Duchess of Cornwall was busy reading something ("The Games open in style", smh.com.au, April 5)? I am sure the PM looked at his watch. These cameras don't miss much, as we recently found in South Africa. Carmel Kenniff, Randwick Congratulations to Commonwealth Games organisers for the grand and beautiful opening ceremony at Gold Coast apparently watched by about 1.5 billion people around the world. Imagine the tourism advertisement that will bring tens of thousands of people rushing to Gold Coast for holidays.

Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill Developments squeeze roads A major consideration being completely ignored by state and local governments when considering major developments ("Big projects to face new design panel", April 5) is the effect on traffic. Throughout Sydney metropolitan areas rampant increases in residential densities are already causing major traffic problems. Even "minor" developments we see throughout the area put excessive loads on already inadequate roads and public transport systems. Preference for mass and public transit corridors and systems need to be a major component of these plans.

Alan Slade, Dover Heights Sharing roles in family life As is often the case, a pie graph is instructive but can present an over-simplified picture ("Stay-at-home dads 'unmanly'", April 5). It would be interesting to further examine what is happening in the grey area: 60 per cent "both working" in two-parent households. My daughter and son-in-law are both in the paid workforce and are both carers of their children at different times during the week, doing school drop-off and pick-up, after-school activities, cooking, cleaning and supervising homework. It is an arrangement that requires creative thinking, flexibility, co-operation and good communication. It can be stressful, but overall makes for a richer, broader view of family life, responsibility and relationships.

Meredith Williams, Dee Why In the early 1980s when my husband was looking for work after being a stay-at-home dad for two years, he learned very quickly to say in interviews that he had been self-employed rather than a full-time dad. It's disappointing that attitudes still haven't changed much. Margaret Grove, Abbotsford Monash looked to future I am intrigued to see the descendants of Sir John Monash have requested the so-called "Monash" group of coal-embracing politicians cease and desist using the name of their ancestor (Letters, April 5).

They make the point that Sir John Monash had an intellectual and scientific mind and would have embraced renewable technology rather than support the "horse and buggy" technology of 100 years ago. It is to be hoped that the Monash Group respect the wishes of Sir John's family and change their name – perhaps to the more appropriate "Horse and Buggy" or "outmoded technology" group. Pam Hawkins, Lakemba Opiate overdose If religion is the opiate of the masses, then I'd say Israel Folau has indulged a little too heavily ("Hell's wrath", April 5).

Philip Sprott, Newcastle Abbott on the outer The Liberal Party, supposedly, is the champion of small business and small government, while fostering informed policy debate with a political 'broad church'. Tony Abbott, none of this describes you. Please go and join Cory in relative obscurity and leave the Liberal Party - and the rest of us - in peace. Jeremy Smith, Armidale Ugly truth to Trump

Yes, George Fishman Fred Strassberg, Belrose Latin's rich history As Dr Matters writes, Latin is one of the most enriching subjects for academic students (Letters, April 5). To study it at school you have to go to a private school which costs $30,000 a year. Keith Johnson, Yowie Bay

Cheaper option As a public service, my wife and I are prepared to run the NBN for a mere $1million annually ("NBN boss to step down", April 5). Peter Copleston, Westleigh