Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au.
Monday February 2
The prospect of a rate rise
“Mortgage holders are again having to worry about an interest rate rise made likely by the government’s failings. I hope our media holds them to account for this and doesn’t simply let them slate it down to the independence of the Reserve Bank.”
Lynda Paterson, Eden 
Keeping cool
“Elmira Jamei rightly calls for stronger government action to cool our cities. Meanwhile, individuals without air conditioning can take low-cost actions to cool themselves. Portable fans are cheap to purchase and operate. Although they cannot cool a room, they are effective at cooling people in temperatures up to about 35°C by facilitating the evaporation of sweat. (At higher temperatures, they can increase heat gain in people who do not sweat sufficiently.) Their effectiveness can be increased by wetting skin. Portable evaporative coolers are suitable for cooling rooms. Although more expensive than fans, they are much cheaper than air conditioners.”
Dr Mark Diesendorf, Berowra Heights
Summer migraines
“Interestingly, I used to have a severe migraine at least once in the December-January period. I often attended hospital due to the severity. Finally, I decided I have got to work it out. Thinking about what I did differently in this period, I realised the only thing was that I was drinking alcoholic beverages more often, because of the holiday season. So the next year I stopped drinking alcoholic beverages. No migraines!”
Jenni Reside
Tuesday February 3
Life as a principal
“A year as relieving principal in a large primary school with over 600 students on two sites convinced me I didn’t want the position. With verbal attacks from parents and children (being told to f— off by a 5-year-old is not pleasant) I decided that I wanted to enjoy retirement, I didn’t want my health broken by my job!”
Elaine Langshaw
Dingoes on K’gari
“Some years ago I spent a fortnight at a resort on K’gari island with my family. Nearly every tourist left uneaten food on plates as they left the pool area, which of course attracted dingoes. This led to many potentially dangerous interactions between people and dingoes. As we understood it, the problem was entirely one of poor human behaviour. As the authors explain, it is much the same as with sharks, of naive humans behaving poorly leading to calls for killing sharks that are just doing what is natural for them.”
Robert Bender, Ivanhoe VIC
The Voice in retrospect
“I always felt the fatal flaw with the Voice referendum was the failure to road-test the wording of the question. If the proposed text had been rigorously vetted in scores of diverse focus groups, I believe its inherent unacceptability would have been exposed and the government could have adopted a different approach. It’s one thing for the wording to suit the proponents, it’s another to secure widespread backing within the population at large.”
Richard Goodwin, Doubleview WA
Wednesday February 4
Life as a principal
“After serving as principal in three regional schools I was emotionally and physically exhausted. The abuse I experienced led to PTSD; my doctor advised early retirement. I returned to schools three years later in backroom administration roles only. Would I recommend teaching and the principalship in particular? It is the best and worst of roles: so much brokenness, such high – and frequently contradictory – expectations and so few resources. A role only for the strongest of hearts and most resilient of constitutions. I hope that’s useful.”
Chris Pitt, Shell Cove NSW
The Coalition question
“Rebuild the coalition? Let’s not do it. In the last Federal election, the biggest swing was towards independents and cross-benchers. Because voters are sick of the cosy duopoly who are much more alike than they are different. We need to have no parties, but until we can bring that about, more parties and minority governments should be the objective.”
Glen Davis
Should de-extinction go extinct?
“You can bring back an individual or two but that does not bring back a gene pool. Bringing a species back from extinction is a smokescreen for unspeakable crimes to the environment.”
Shaun Ashcroft
Thursday February 5
Protect our principals
“Violence against school principals is not unique to our government schools. Working in the education sector for 25 years, I have heard of increasing incidents regularly across all education sectors. If violence is not acceptable against our police or ambulance staff, why do parents, students, and some staff think it is okay to direct violence upon school principals? Higher fences, more security and locked gates around schools will not fix this issue. Looking upstream to the causes of violence and resourcing violence prevention is critically important.”
Jacqueline Van Velsen
Where’s the support?
“I am sad to read the stories of people broken by school principalship. I wonder if good support is still available to school staff. There used to be colleagues and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). There were appropriate Staff Welfare Officers to provide advice and information and promote services alongside capable people in regional administration. I know that a lot of disruption was made in the late ‘90s. What is the situation in 2026? What is being done?”
Allen Hampton OAM, Coburg
The Voice, again
“It seems the further away from the Voice referendum we get, the more its failure is romanticised by the left: ‘The Voice would have renewed Australian democracy. Its failure leaves us all worse off’. I voted No for the Voice, not because I oppose a real Aboriginal Voice in Australian politics, but because what was on offer was a cynical exercise in white politics that was concocted to give the appearance of giving a voice to Aboriginal people (thereby appeasing Labor and Green supporters) while in reality doing nothing at all (thereby appeasing conservatives). Before any real Voice can be set up, a Treaty is needed. Sadly, given the way the Australian political system is set up, this will never happen.”
Gavin Oakes, West Melbourne
Friday February 6
Victoria’s Treaty
“Regarding The Voice comment in your say 5 Feb, Victoria signed a treaty only last year, built on extensive negotiation and work. We readily forget that invaders here landed in a world of Indigenous nations with unique languages and customs. You know, a bit like Europe, only way older. It heartens me when we can grow worthwhile changes such as our local treaty from the grassroots.”
Hilary Sage
Menopause marketing
“Your article on menopause highlights the many challenges for women navigating this time. I would also add that even well-meaning GP’s have insufficient training and understanding of the impacts of supply issues for HRT and the exhaustion of panic attacks, anxiety and poor sleep. At a time when you should be consolidating your career path, you’re faced with occasional brain fog, tiredness and the inevitable misogyny and ageism that women experience in the workforce. It’s no great mystery that women are still worse off for housing and financial security when there is so little support, understanding or respect for women who are navigating menopause.”
Jane Davis
Unjustified price hike
“Just received my car insurance reminder. Last year it was $720 and now it’s $850 this year. I have a two-year-old vehicle and have never made a claim. How can they justify an almost 20% rise? No wonder we are experiencing inflation. Something’s gotta give.”
Amanda Fox