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 September 1
Gender-affirming surgery
“Considering that people can barely afford to go to the GP anymore because so few bulk bill and it has been years since government funding has matched the costs of the GP, not to mention that Medicare still does not cover dentistry and glasses as if teeth and eyes are completely separate from the body, I really think gender-affirming surgery should be last on the list of medical procedures that are funded by taxpayers.”
Felicity
Turning off AI safety features
“As a driver in rural/remote areas, lane-keeping technology is a nuisance when on unfenced roads where livestock, domestic and feral animals are likely to be encountered and avoided if possible. It is of no use also when on an unsealed road and the smoothest track has to be negotiated. Fine on multi-lane freeways.”
Rory Treweeke, FoTC
Good news?
“I have been reading your daily news feed for a couple of years now, it is my main news source, as I no longer choose to read the Weekend Australian or Courier Mail, or listen to the news on TV (I prefer to watch Antiques Roadshow, which is more joyful, and brings a smile to my face most evenings). Would it be possible to provide some happy, uplifting stories, to balance the gloom and doom at present?Just a thought.”
Lyndal Coutts, Brisbane, QLD, FoTC
Ed: We agree Lyndal, there’s been a lot of heavy news. How about a side of Bluey with your Antiques Roadshow? You could also explore the science of beautiful buildings or do a little armchair travelling to see some extraordinary wildlife.
Tuesday September 2
Gender-affirming surgery
“I was surprised and disappointed to see you publish a reader comment (above) on gender affirming surgery. By suggesting that gender affirming surgery should be ‘last on the list’ for taxpayer funding, the comment positions trans healthcare as somehow less legitimate or less urgent than other forms of medical care. This sets up a false dichotomy: the idea that expanding access for one group necessarily takes resources away from others. This style of argument is not only misleading, it is a well-worn rhetorical tool used in many contexts to justify exclusion – whether against trans people, migrants, refugees, or other marginalised communities.”
Beth Weatherly
“The comment in the newsletter [yesterday] disheartened me. It shows a lack of knowledge about how badly some trans people are affected by gender dysphoria; for one of my best friends, it affects their mental health to such a degree that it’s a matter of life and death. Even aside from that, we shouldn’t have to pick and choose which healthcare people need more or less. If someone needs it, it should be funded.”
Charlotte Somers
Publicly funded “sovereign citizens”
“Sovereign citizens don’t acknowledge our legitimate governments and laws yet are happy to access our health, social security and education systems. How do they imagine these would be funded without public funding?”
Cathy Kubany
Wednesday September 3
Skills crisis
“Australians are right to be worried about mass immigration. This nation does not need more economic migrants arriving with little to offer. What we need is skilled immigration – people who bring the trades and professions that fill the gaps our own system is failing to supply.”
Peter Crawshay-Williams
An alternative view of population growth
“Jane McAdam’s piece on scapegoating immigration, especially by populist politicians, hits the mark. While agreeing with her case, as a lover of wilderness and healthy ecosystems, this nation is struggling to maintain itself. Exponential human population growth means declining wildlife. Economics needs more human activity. Nature suffers from it.”
David Young 
Community support
“Thank you to those who stood up for gender-affirming surgeries in response to a recent comment saying it should be last on the list for Medicare. As a trans person and social worker providing mental health support to my community, the initial comment (above, September 1) disappointed me as it misunderstood how life-saving this care is. Seeing readers stand up for our community during such a difficult and oppressive time gave me hope and brought a tear to my eye.”
Jade Barber
Thursday September 4
Rethinking our approach to multiculturalism
“For decades, we have celebrated Australia as a model multicultural society. The idea was simple — instead of forcing immigrants to abandon their heritage, we would welcome their foods, languages, and traditions. And to a large extent, this has worked. But cracks have begun to show. The government’s multicultural policies, especially through departments and grants for ethnic groups, have unintentionally encouraged separateness rather than integration. Funding cultural groups may seem harmless — even noble. Yet, these grants can foster dependency, isolation, and resentment. Communities that are continually funded to ‘preserve culture’ may have little incentive to mix more deeply with the broader society. Meanwhile, the majority population often sees such support as favoritism. The result? Frustration, division, and sometimes — as we saw on Sunday — public anger. Instead of creating one community enriched by many cultures, we risk creating parallel societies. It’s time for Australia to rethink its approach. That doesn’t mean abandoning cultural diversity. It means supporting it in ways that foster unity rather than division.”
Balvinder Ruby
Friday September 5
Social cohesion
“To enhance social cohesion, it’s useful if most citizens agree on, respect, and live out shared values that transcend differences in origin, religion, culture, etc. A bill of fundamental rights, which is often a cornerstone of a modern constitution, can provide a foundation for this set of values. Unfortunately the Australian constitution is not only outdated and inadequate, but doesn’t include such a bill. I’m not saying that any shortcomings in social cohesion can be directly attributed to the shortcomings of the constitution. However, I am saying that a modern constitution with a bill of fundamental rights could, among other benefits, contribute to improving the situation.”
Dr Brian Harlech-Jones
Future of the CDC
“It seems to me that the CDC will take years, even decades, to recover from the current attacks by Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr. The solution I would suggest is to open a new facility in Europe. Funding should come from the European Union, the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, and maybe even China and India. Smaller nations like New Zealand could contribute if their budgets allowed. Why should the rest of the world suffer at the hands of RFK Jr? It’s time to reconsider our reliance on the USA and stand up for ourselves.”
Jan Mitchell
Back to basics
“Australia needs to go back to the immigration policies of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, when immigration was smaller, non-discriminatory, and based on humanitarian and family reunion concerns. The current immigration settings put economics as the focus. It also emphasises profits rather than people, and has failed Australia environmentally, economically and socially. It has empowered anti-multicultural elements, as shown by the rallies last weekend. It’s time for a fundamental rethink of the bigger-is-better economic rationale of current government policy settings.”
Michael Poole