Last Post, October 31 - The Australian (blog)

DON Farrell has bowed to pressure and relinquished top spot on the South Australian Senate ticket to Penny Wong. Is it possible for a faceless man to lose face?

Justin Baulch, Graceville, Qld

Labor's faceless men thought they had found a penny and were playing two-up with the Senate ticket.

Carl Ripphausen, Erina, NSW

Graham Richardson's assertion that Julia Gillard must be innocent of plotting against Kevin Rudd because her veil of loyalty held fast until the last possible moment, is to absolve Cassius of plotting against Julius Caesar because the only evidence against him was a lean and hungry look.

John Dorman, Toowoomba, Qld

I think Maxine McKew now realises she's too independent to be a member of a party restricted by unions and the Labor caucus. She's a leftie Liberal Party type and never knew it.

Judith McPherson, Toowoomba, Qld

By the time our children learn to speak an Asian language, most Asian children will have learned to speak English.

Noel Mulavey, Rowville, Vic

In the commitment to Asian languages, let's not lose sight of the contribution that could be made by many speakers of Asian languages who live here.

Peter Smith, Geelong, Vic

Of course Tony Abbott is sexist. Who else but a gentleman could withstand the constant stream of vitriolic abuse from certain members of the female gender without responding in kind?

Peter Troy, Kingston, Tas

Much has been made of Tony Abbott's distaste for the word chairperson. To me, this does not show resentment of women in authority, it shows a dislike of the bastardisation of our language. I applaud Janet Holmes a Court who is chairman of the John Holland Group.

F. W. Pike, Abernethy, NSW

I look forward to hearing or reading that Bob Carr refers to a number of countries by the name used by the country itself (Letters, 30/10). I am sure the citizens of Deutschland, Sverige, Suomi and Lietuva will be pleased when they hear Carr call their country by the name they call it themselves.

William Coulter, Bendigo, Vic

I now expect Bob Carr to refer to the following countries by the name used by those countries: Turkiye, Cymru, Zhongguo, Espana, Eire, Italia and so on. I also expect him to make representations to the French, Turks and Hungarians to refer to our country by the name we use, rather than Australie, Avustralya, Ausztralia.

Patrick Marley, Glen Waverley, Vic