Our house is in vocal lockdown with speech solely being limited to embracing the election promises and analysing the very latest tax reforms; possibly superseded as l write.

Tony Abbott claims he has made the campaign easy. Mal only has to build on his policies, the same ones that cost him his PM job. He said there will be a continuation of his policies. Both are on the same slippery dip; irreversible and inevitable, if bereft of decent policies. If good men do nothing, a country declines. If not-so good men do everything; ditto.

Polls come and go like PMs, but even Tony must be slightly suspicious of 30 bad polls in a row. Mal's mistake was to not call an election early in his 'honeymoon days'; albeit short-lived. The air was electric with his almost-new promises of innovation, jobs, economic prosperity and putting us first. Diehard ALP voter me fell for trusting him and his magical convincing way with words.

I now re-enter cynical political reality. The major parties are locked into a race to the bottom. This is being slowed, hamstrung by large doses of decency and democracy from the independents; our last bastion of hope.

- Colin Holmes, Ballarat

HOW lovely it has been to see hundreds of families enjoying the wonderful new play and picnic area at Victoria Park. Congratulations to the Ballarat City Council and the various sponsors responsible for this fantastic facility. Another great spot to visit in Ballarat.

- Loris Quick, Alfredton

ON EDUCATION, some politicians say we need to fund schools to send every student to university.

Let's look at reality with what happens in the life of our school children. Some will become carpenters, some bricklayers or brick-makers, some plumbers, concrete workers, roofers, painters. Some will become policemen, wardens, army personnel, tram drivers, train guards, truck drivers, chefs, telstra workers, farmers. Many will become shop-workers, forest workers, council staff, gardeners, child minding and motherhood; also manufacturing still takes a lot.

Now at school, the children have spent years trying to be in the top 10 per cent with university in mind. Reality feeds about 70 per cent of them into careers in the above jobs.

Then real education starts when they leave school. They do not need an arts degree in the above jobs. In fact, an arts degree is seen as a negative by most bosses.

The above jobs are the nuts and bolts that make our community work, and we need our schools to feed replacements into them. The need for doctors, lawyers, nurses, accountants, dentists, bank managers to have top-grade university schooling, but this only takes about 20 per cent of the brightest.

The universities will find a need for every taxpayers dollar they can get, as they are in business. Universities must be top rate, but choose need above greed. Taxpayer dollars are limited and the community needs are many, with no easy solutions, eg duplication of the rail line to Melbourne and our hospitals need more funds.

- D. Woodward, Brown Hill

MY SON committed suicide only six days after taking medication for anxiety.

The doctor was horrified, as he said my son was not suicidal. He reported the medication to the Adverse Drug Reaction Committee. I hope the coroner is examining every incident of suicide to check if medication was the cause.

I would like better warnings given to close family members when a drug likely to cause suicide is prescribed. It is not sufficient to only warn the patient, since their thinking becomes altered and unsafe.

- Ella Smith, Wendouree