Marilyn Shepherd writes: Re. “Rundle: Manus Island is a catastrophe five years in the making” (yesterday). I would suggest you read the human rights reports going back 20 years on this inhuman policy that our racist media all support along with the ALP/LNP racist cartel. It’s always been brutal and depraved from the story of Villawood where young mothers were forced to have abortions, or young mums were bashed by guards.

I have all of the Woomera report files – files of rape, beatings by guards, a three year old left unattended by doctors for 2 days with two broken legs after falling from a dangerous bunk bed, a young boy disabled when a fence fell on him, a 6 year old Iraqi kid left needing heart surgery for 6 months and the hand cuffing of anyone who had to leave the centre even to see the doctor.

The Woomera lawyers worked free and were libelled and abused by Ruddock and co and where were the ALP during all those years cheering.

Peter Wileman writes: All of the people in Australian concentration camps should have been settled in Australia years ago. Now that a large proportion will inevitably be suffering mental problems, the solution will be more expensive to cure (but we have caused those problems). Cut Trumpland out of the equation. In fact, it’s a good opportunity to release Australia of its sycophancy towards the US. Settle the poor bastards in Oz now and be done with it.

Mr Potatohead can attach all the threats that he likes to their settlement to ‘Stop the Boats’. And while we’re at it we might, just, expunge our history of Howard’s ‘Kids Overboard’ fiasco. Australia deserves better leaders, but we all have to accept responsibility.