Letters

face in persuading people that big houses are bad. Just slapping on make.
anyone sets foot in them: bricks, tiles, glass, floor coverings and metres of cable.

The manufacturing process has used millions of litres of water and emitted tonnes of carbon dioxide. Transporting and constructing those materials compound the figures. Then grows.

The house-buying public needs to reassess its needs. It is not difficult to live in a 20-square house. The only ones who gain from big houses are banks, builders, developers, energy companies and the State Government.

Bernard Ellis, South Yarra
energy efficiency requirements. They will still spew thousands of zero emissions on heating and cooling by 2016. Homes achieving this rating will be exempt from stamp duty.

Thousands of experts around emissions to protect humanity. Victorians should demand that the Bracks Government follows Britain's lead.
Rob Campbell, Beyond Zero Emissions, Fitzroy
when they were introduced four years ago.

The rating is based on benchmark comfort levels, assuming the house is permanently kept within the parameters.
It is important to understand that a 400-square-metre, five-star 200-square metre, five-star one. It will have more lighting, and devices.

Embodied energy in the materials and transport energy for high-performance solutions of eight, nine and 10 (a house that considerations.
preoccupation with "headline" star counts, only distract the public the data generated by the rating model.
David Mulhall, Building Designers Association of Victoria, feature in the same news cycle.

On one hand, acting South Australian Premier Kevin Foley urges us not to regard Hicks, a "supporter" of terrorism, as a hero. Yet there is also mourning and great disappointment that the remains of our cherished bushranger, Ned Kelly, were not discovered in archaeological excavations of the terrorise his victims? Who do we honour?

What do we revere? The Noni Edwards, Cullen Bay, NT
NOW that "our David" is finally home, I can feel an ABC telemovie coming on. Premise: adventurous young scallywag's life cruelly Australian Government.

But our misguided young hero triumphs, at the election.
Peter Worcester, Glen Iris
ONCE more, the issue was never about David Hicks personally; it was about justice, the Government's failure towards an Australian citizen, the use of torture, other human rights abuses and decency. when torture, lynch mobs and kangaroo courts were rife?

Incidentally, justice has not yet been served. John Howard and his Government have much to answer for.
Patricia Philippou, Waverley, NSW
Administration requesting this.

If the assertion is correct, it subjects back quick smart, whereas John Howard was not. Or, Mr Ruddock, were you perfectly happy to leave an Australian Juliet Flesch, Kew
conference. Based on that ratio, it is doubtful the NSW police Ian De Landelles, Hawker, ACT
ABOUT $540,000 for a Parliament House dining-room renovation (The Age, 22/5)?

And after a meeting with the wife of our Prime Minister? This comes, of course, after John and Janette Howard's long-term appropriation of Kirribilli House, said to be for their children's education. Is it time for the real Prime Minister to please stand up?

Joe Harris, Castlemaine
may make politicians and ideologues feel better but, in reality, undermine education.
Jeff Gray, Moe
IF ALL we require of our teachers is that they teach reading, writing and arithmetic, then bring on those new performance-based rewards. If, however, we aspire to have a system that contains (and nourishes) teachers who also impart lessons of dignity, humanity and skills to enable complex problem-solving, then perhaps Ms Lisa Grigg, Red Hill
sad.

Aboriginal people, the Alice Springs Council and the Northern Territory Government would all like the dollars. Tangentyere Council have put up other options, yet Mal Brough does not seem to in it, it creates stress in your life. Aboriginal people need to be address these.

Mainstreaming services to Aboriginal people will make it easier to shove "race relations" under the carpet. Also, Much would be gained if Mr Brough came here, really listened to the Aboriginal people and treated them like equals. Not much will be gained by coming on flying visits, with ideas on how to fix things, and giving people the option of agreeing or losing funding.

about land tenure?"
Peter Hacquoil, Alice Springs, NT
children to school, reducing alcohol consumption and maintaining houses in Hope Vale, Queensland. And the response from Rachelle McIvor, one of the educated (double major in politics, specialising Bosko Marojevic, Oak Park
ELIZABETH McKenzie (Letters, 22/5) asks why atheists make such a noise about God.

One reason may be the push by religion into science. Science is about physical evidence, theory, proof and critically disproof of theories. Religion is about faith where physical evidence does not exist.

When the overwhelming bulk of physical evidence, hypotheses and theories point towards evolution, and religion points in the other direction, it's ludicrous to Also, the right in Australia and some other countries has close ties to evangelical Christian religions. I'm baffled by this, seeing that Jesus had a lot to say about wealth, power and how to treat our fellow humans, and then seeing how different political parties have behaved. It's easy to claim religion before you gain power, but hard to make good on that when you have a budget to balance, foreign policy to write and many interest groups to deal with.

Religion affects society. Atheists deserve to be heard as much as any other group.
Gary Patterson, Windsor
would like to think this included more precise labelling of food, time.

The last ridiculous straw for me was when I wanted leg ham off the bone, only to find it was labelled "made from local and Rosemary Howard, Glen Huntly
I BOUGHT a bottle of Goulburn Valley apple juice recently. You would think this brand name meant it was Australian made, but the ingredients." Another example where the name misleads you into J.

Green, Rowville
55 per cent and 47 per cent above the quoted range. At the first auction, the vendor bid was $30,000 higher than the quoted start massive under-quoting by the agent, whether deliberate or through sheer incompetence? Certainly the bidders and auction crowd were unsurprised by the final result.

Shareholders, superannuants, and bond and cash holders have and competing assets. However, real estate holders or purchasers property sales. It is time that real estate values were available with the same ease as those from other investments.

David Burns, Hawthorn East
will be presented as a Disney spectacular on ice. One thing that has always aroused my curiosity, though. Is the production company Keith Harkin, Cannons Creek
naked woman is pole-dancing.

Her arm barely covers her breasts and do not go to these places. Just because I am watching television a product. How low can we go?

Louise Sadler, Cape Woolamai
and evening phone numbers for verification. Letter writers who would like receipt of their letters acknowledged should send a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Ideally, letters will be a maximum of 200 words.