Why has it taken the Liberal Party so long to declare that it will place One Nation below Labor on their how-to-vote cards? It is simply because the electorates where this might have real consequences are held by the National Party. - Donna Wiemann, Balmain Whether the One Nation "sting" was entrapment or not, the fact is Hanson, James Ashby and Steve Dickson are condemned by their own words (Letters, March 29). No one forced them to say what they said. They can't pretend otherwise or think they can escape accountability by blaming the booze. - Brendan Jones, Annandale Despite Hanson's denial, the camera does not lie. - Marli Davies, Wentworth Falls The gun lobby often says: "guns don't kill people, people kill people". I would be more specific. Idiotic fringe politicians travelling to the US to get funding from the NRA to use these foreign donations to elect more of their kind, to deceive the nation by watering down the gun laws, to allow more guns into our society - it's these people who will inevitably kill innocent Australians. - Paddy Breslin, Parramatta Treason: the crime of showing disloyalty to your country, especially trying to overthrow its government. - Peter Noone, Meadowbank

Ashby and Dickson should both be charged by the authorities. I'm suggesting "embarrassing displays of delusions of grandeur" could be appropriate. They're actually both just two bit players in a two bit outfit. - Peter Bower, Naremburn One Nation done and dusted. No explanation or deflection will cut it. - Robyn Cupitt, Cordeaux Heights Liberals' dark heart in question On Q&A, it was easy to deduce that Teena McQueen is actually a brilliant Labor infiltrator of the Liberal Party ("The risible rise of Teena McQueen", March 29). She's Labor's strongest card yet. - Wendy Crew, Lane Cove North Liberal Party federal vice-president Teena McQueen. Credit:ABC

David Crowe's analysis of McQueen's Q&A appearance ignored relevant detail and was one-sided, demonstrating once again that many are clueless as to the thoughts of grassroots Liberal supporters. The reason Q&A could find only McQueen as a replacement for Craig Laundy was because conservative politicians who don't enjoy public lashings refuse all Q&A invitations. Crowe also leapt at the chance to criticise her selection as a party vice-president. Admittedly, McQueen was unprepared for her public mauling, a veritable lamb to the slaughter. Her various comments, minus the virulent Crowe lens, while often unexpected were perfectly reasonable. Could anybody have made a praiseworthy Q&A appearance when surrounded by a phalanx of ill-mannered, bullying fellow guests, monitored by its oily and manipulative host, and to the scornful laughter of a baying audience? - Rosemary O'Brien, Georges Hall More than 600,000 people watched McQueen on Q&A on Monday but how many more like myself and my partner have watched on iView? Thank you Q&A for exposing this excruciating yet strangely comedic Liberal senior office bearer. Best Q&A for a long time. - Andrew Nelson, Chatswood West Far from misrepresenting the values of the Liberals, McQueen has given us a glimpse into the dark heart of the party. Liberal moderates may well be dismayed, they have allowed themselves to be marginalised to the point where they are all but invisible. McQueen has made the political mistake of saying what the party leadership think. - Colin Stokes, Camperdown

Art of deception With respect to your correspondent, our current federal political leaders are not merely practising to deceive – they have turned it into an art form (Letters, March 29). - Barry Ffrench, Cronulla There is one major difference between the Keystone Cops and the Canberra Clowns – the Keystone Cops were professional comedians, the Canberra lot are supposed to be running the country. And may I add one more name to your correspondent's list of politicians with "noble ideals and public service": the late Peter Andren, who was the independent Member for Calare. - David Clark, Springside I'd add John Faulkner to that list. - Adrian Connelly, Springwood I would place Marie Bignold in that select group with "noble ideals and public service". - Jane Norman, Kotara South.

Similarly principled today is Linda Burney, a politician with values, compassion, wisdom, honesty and kindness. - Margaret-Anne Hayes, Turramurra Green light Why is it OK for the Liberal Party to be in a coalition with the National Party but howls of protest are sparked whenever there is any hint that the ALP is cosying up with the Greens (Letters, March 29)? - Con Vaitsas, Ashbury Way with words Peter Hatcher, you have the best words. And "like a carbonaceous crucifix" were the bestest (Letters, March 29). - Alda Rudzis, Moruya

Education elitism to blame for enrolment fraud All our children attended Cherrybrook Technology High School, because we were in the zone ("Schools pick up detective tricks to stop enrolment fraud", March 29). However, as a "highly sought-after" public school, I recall historical issues with potential "enrolment fraud". I, and others inside the zone, had experience of people door-knocking seeking to use our addresses to get into the school. The school opened in 1992 as a comprehensive high school with an investment by IBM to increase technological resources, built for a student population of about 900. We've seen it expand to more than 2000. While there have been building and demountable modifications to manage this, the issue is self-perpetuating because more people are attracted to the area. This also absurdly elevated property values. However, "enrolment fraud" is another manifestation of the misguided NSW investment in education elitism. All public schools should be "sought-after", and out-of-area applications abolished, so schools reflect their actual communities, with a normal mix of students, and resources allocated according to need. - Robyn Dalziell, Kellyville While it is unfortunate to hear of parents gaming the system that prevents children out of area attending a school, it might be a generalisation to say that parents are only doing this to secure a place in a sought-after school. It would be interesting to know the back story of each case. The flip side to this issue can be that schools can inflexible when there are special circumstances that might justify allowing a child out of area to attend the school. - Barry O'Dwyer, Earlwood

NZ offers hope If this world ever reaches a global peaceful compromise of faiths, all of us can be eternally grateful to the people of New Zealand and their wonderful leader (" 'It's going to take a long time for people to get over it': survivors humbled by support", March 29). - Max Clayton, Glenhaven Fifty Muslims were gunned down at prayer in Christchurch. Jacinda Ardern proclaimed, "they are us and we are them". Profound action. When anyone suffers we all suffer. - Michael Kennedy, West Pymble Cometh the hour, cometh the woman. Outstanding. - Greg Horan, Breakfast Point The Romans had a phrase for it "damnatio memoriae". The result was that all trace of the persons name and life was eradicated. We should apply this to the Christchurch terrorist as the New Zealand PM has requested. - Cornelius van der Weyden, Balmain East

Help our sick planet Millions affected by extreme weather, ice shelves melting at six times the rate of the 1980s, soil on east coast driest it has ever been on record, coal the main cause of global warming ("Extreme weather affect on 62 million people", March 29). When is the government going to invest in and support renewable energy programmes creating business certainty, jobs and hopefully the survival of this planet? - Jill Stephenson, Woolwich Shakespeare in Canberra The article analysing Peter Dutton's rise makes fascinating reading ("Dutton's patient, careful game as part of Turnbull's inner circle" , March 29). Shakespeare would not be embarrassed to own the plot. - Judy Sherrington, Kensington

No Plan B for airport It won't do Australia's image much good. Sydney Airport, our top gateway, has no emergency control tower facility ("Flights delayed at Sydney Airport after smoke detected in control tower", March 29). The epitome of laid-back perhaps? - Paul Everingham, Hamilton A win for unions To those people that say that unions are no longer relevant in the 21st century, please take note of union activism that secured Chemist Warehouse workers a substantial pay rise ("Win for Chemist Warehouse workers", March 29). Well done to those workers who stood up to their employer and demanded a reasonable wage. - Paul Townsend, Narara

Memorial ignores history It sounds as if the Australian War Memorial's new space commemorating the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a worthy nod in a "let's all feel good" direction ("Australian War Memorial sculpture reflects on Indigenous service", March 29). Artist and designer Daniel Boyd said he was motivated to understand the perspectives, or narratives, of how people relate to the country. Credit:Karleen Minney However, it nicely evades what should be the very first experience for visitors to the AWM:, the telling of the many stories of the first Australians' fight to defend this country, the stories of Pemulwuy, Jandamarra and many others. The AWM will only ever be telling half of our rich history while it ignores the frontier wars. Isn't it time we grew up? - Susan Newman, Mona Vale

Our plastic, our problem The recycling crisis largely ignores a couple of large elephants in the room ("India bans our plastic waste imports", March 29). Firstly, we shouldn't be foisting our problems onto others; we should seriously invest in taking responsibility for them ourselves. Secondly, we need to address the problem at its source; as long as there's no incentive for retailers and online suppliers to adapt their packaging so that it is more environmentally aware, they'll continue doing what is convenient, profitable and irresponsible. - Bruce Hulbert, Lilyfield Britain needs a Bex Having failed on eight alternative proposals it is now abundantly clear that both the executive and the legislature of Britain are bereft of any coherent strategy for Brexit ("May vows to quit if Brexit deal passes", March 29). With the ship of state now adrift, rudderless, leaderless, spiritless and in the doldrums, perhaps a Bex, a biscuit and a good lie down (horizontally speaking, not political speaking) is metaphorically needed, before the next round of airy aimlessness recommences. Surely the land of Shakespeare, John Stuart Mill and Adam Smith can come up with a better Brexit deal. - Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga

Return of the King Your correspondent asserts that Elvis is alive and has teamed up with Princess Diana to run a roadside diner in Montana (Letters, March 29). This information is at odds with what H G Nelson told radio listeners many years ago on This Sporting Life. The good oil was that the King was indeed alive and that he was working as a barber in Blackheath. - William Galton, Hurstville Grove Don't bank on change Visited my long-term bank. Which bank you say? I asked for a $20 pack of $1 coins and was informed it would cost me a service fee of $2, a 10 per cent gouge (Letters, March 29). After the royal commission revealing what we already knew, that the banks are bastards, all of them, as well as being crooks. Can I change banks? In our cartel system of banking, probably no point. Has Hayne been all in vain? I fear so. - Richard Hambly, Potts Point

Birds in a flap We successfully moved cockatoos on from our house by squirting them with a water pistol (Letters, March 27). It was harmless to the birds, but an effective deterrent. - Olga Pasfield, Queenscliff Postscript "I was greatly surprised by the overwhelming negativity of fellow letter writers after the LNP's election victory," wrote Mitchell Beston, of Woy Woy. "Surely progressives are supportive of the first woman, and one of ethnic background to boot, to be voted in as Premier of NSW?" Indeed we were at a loss last Sunday to find a letter offering unabashed congratulations to the Premier. William Lloyd, of Denistone, explained it so: "Some women would appear to be more equal than others."

Letters writers became more reflective as the week's big breaking news continued. "Good God! It's endless – the indiscretions by our current set of politicians. How has it come to this?" wondered Stewart Copper, of Maroubra. "The problems today are the result of no forward thinking by governments over many years," Fran Kirby of Castle Hill opined, while for Janice Creenaune, of Austinmer, it's simply about "narcissism". On a positive note, Peter Russell, of Coogee wrote:: "What a week it has been! Theatre folk talk of 'glimpses behind the curtain' just as we plebeians dream of seeing politics behind the spin. This week our dreams came true." He lists "Teena McQueen's 'bubble view' of the world according to usually veiled Liberal Party perceptions of reality", "Peter Hartcher's credible answer to why Morrison, not Turnbull, is contesting the coming election", and "then the icing on the cake with a frightening peek into One Nations' very unattractive underbelly". He adds that "a week is indeed a long time in politics, but this week's glimpses, in the mist of spin, were rare revelations".

​Keep reading and keep writing to this page. Mark Sawyer and Pat Stringa, Letters co-editors To submit a letter to The Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.​