Congratulations to Mike Kelly on regaining the seat of Eden-Monaro. Congratulations to the other candidates, you believe in our parliamentary system and have the conviction to stand up and be counted. You are prepared to "have a go", the Australian way. We do live in the greatest country on earth and the Eden-Monaro is one of our nation's oldest and most diversified regions.

I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to throw my hat in the ring, thank you.

David Sheldon, independent candidate for Eden-Monaro

Editor's note: As of Monday afternoon, the final result of the election in Eden-Monaro had not been reached, although Dr Kelly was still leading on a two-candidate preferred basis.

Education in general has got the cart before the horse. Student wellbeing needs to be addressed before quality education can occur. Teachers need to be a quality person first before they can become a quality teacher. I strongly believe teachers all chose their vocation because they wanted to make a difference for the kids. Happy content kids learn far better than stressed, unengaged ones.

Education should be fun, it's not about who's the boss. Kids who are happy in class and like their teacher as a person don't tend to be a discipline problem. There are times when a child has to be pulled into line but don't shame them when you are doing it. Children appreciate explanations just as much as we do. "Because" or "because I say so" is just not good enough. Explain to them calmly but firmly why their behaviour is inappropriate or dangerous to themselves or others.

It is usually best not to do this in front of others unless it is a situation of immediate danger. I am sure you don't like to be screamed at by your boss in front of others. The best and most successful students are those that are happy at school. The learning needs to be made relevant to them.

In a perfect world I would have teachers spend the first two weeks of each school year getting to know their kids before they got down the educational aspects. Share a little of your story with the kids. Tell them about your family, especially the funny members of your family. Tell them about some of the small mistakes you made and what you learnt from them.

During this two weeks don't talk about school if you can avoid it. Then in a roundabout way get each one to tell you about their family, what they do for fun, what sports they like etc. Schools and particular classrooms need be a safe environment where kids want to be. What I am probably trying to say in a roundabout way is that classrooms need to feel like an extension of a child's family. Teachers need to become their unofficial aunty or uncle

Frank Pearce, Bega

A fair go from Labor! When I saw these words on a political placard I nearly wept. At current international bank interest rates, the government's aged pension payment is equivalent to dividends on savings of a greater amount than my wife and I hold in our self-managed super fund. With our modest savings, on bank interest rates, we would receive less than the aged pension. By necessity our retirement income is made up of bank and Telstra dividends and included franking credits. Taking away the value of the franking credits is for us a whopping 30 per cent tax. Labor's catch-all is that we have not paid tax on the franking credits and so are not entitled to a refund of their value. Wrong! Ownership of shares in a company that pays dividends with attached franking credits is exactly that, a credit for tax already paid and held by the ATO.

Chris Young, Tura Beach