The near-constant denigration of the teaching profession – it seems it's all down to teachers whether students learn subjects that require discipline and effort. 

Then we downgrade science in political discussion, so instead of taking scientific advice about climate change we elect people who disparage as "elites" people who study the science. 

And we certainly don't want to alter any of big business' money-making projects just because the science says they will damage the environment. 

We only have to look at the continued assaults on the Great Barrier Reef, which is being degraded by port development, coal shipping and agriculture run off – as predicted by science. 

And we watch politicians ignore the studies of the Murray-Darling Basin system that tell us what we must do to keep the river healthy. And then we sack CSIRO scientists, particularly those who are measuring our abuse of the environment.

Why should our brightest students want to study subjects that are not respected or valued? 

In reply to Robert K Smallpage (“Who takes hospital credit?”, Bendigo Advertiser, November 30) I can understand how you might think a $630 million hospital is better than a $528 million hospital.

However, have you considered that while the Liberal Party was delaying the commencement of the new hospital, inflation rates recorded from 2010 to 2013 totalled 10.4 per cent?

So did we really get a better hospital after all the delays or did the price tag just go up? Delaying the construction of the new Bendigo hospital was not a good move. Tomorrow’s infrastructure is cheaper today.

Interesting to note how fast Jacinta Allan responded to a letter in the opinion page regarding the new hospital, but as yet I have not received a response regarding the justification of Dan Andrews wasting $1.1 billion on nothing.

How surprising is it that youth justice centres cannot cope when my local paper advertises jobs at Malmsbury youth justice "precinct" that require no experience and no qualifications?

The lack of concern about tackling complex behavioural issues is clearly evident in the lack of investment in skilled people to work with these young people.

It seems that the Liberal-National Coalition may have strengthened the unions’ hands with their new Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation.

This new legislation gives the ABCC power to enforce employee entitlements and in the area of work safety.

Workers will not have to prove they are exempt from unlawful industrial action laws if they stop work over a health and safety matter.

It will be up to the ABCC to prove the industrial action was not taken for legitimate safety reasons, making it harder for the ABCC to prosecute cases.

The action to make union representatives more accountable will, it seems, not stop action by unions on safety and health matters. And nor should it.

The other aspect of the ABCC is that it must operate without bias.

Now, that will be interesting.