No religion should be included, it's not a religious day. It should be a day for veterans and their families to remember the futility of war. In 1915 ANZAC day was used to raise funds and awareness of the wounded veterans, it should stop being the sideshow it has become and return to the basics and the history of the day.

Let’s focus the day on the often deplorable service from the Department of Veterans Affairs, let’s focus the day on why Australian veterans need charity to support them and to survive after they have been wounded or injured.  Let’s focus on how politicians have been able to change their pensions but for so many veterans pensions and payments are on the poverty line.

Let’s focus on how many veterans now cannot cope in our society with drugs and mental illness taking their lives faster than combat ever did. Let’s focus on the broken families and the wives and children of these dead or broken veterans. Flag waving and drum beating does very little to change the real problems, we have been marching for almost 100 years now and veterans are still dying from neglect.

Doug Steley, Heyfield

Oh joy, oh joy, two weeks out from a NSW State election, and nary a mention from the usual political suspects about the resurrection of a Maldon-Domarton rail corridor. in the hope of garnering votes.

D J Preece, North Wollongong

The time is rapidly approaching when the government expects us do it’s dance called the” Election Shuffle”, where we all quick or slow step off to our local poling booth and cast our vote for the party or independent that we hope will come closest to our expectations of how we want our state and country administered. A thankless task at any time when you consider what feeble returns we have been getting on a political scale over the years.

History is supposed to teach us lessons from past mistakes, so we can avoid making them in the future. Therefore, if we do some research into the achievements, failures and political aspirations of these parties and candidates, we may be able to make a more effective vote and improve some of the negative outcomes we have been exposed to for too long.

Remember, you don’t have to vote for a particular party or person just because you happen to live in a party stronghold area or because your parents have voted a certain way for years. Study up, create your own history and do the “dance” your way.

Steven Thomas, Shellharbour

Letters on election issues must bear the name and full address of the writer. Responsibility for election comment in this issue is accepted by the Illawarra Mercury editor Julian O'Brien. Writers should disclose any alliance with political or community organisations.