Political rhetoric seldom translates easily into discernible difference at the individual level. When Malcolm Turnbull proposes an increasingly ‘agile’ Australia, what real difference will this occasion in our 21st-century, day-to-day lives?

I grew up in cities, but have lived in the provinces for over 20 years, and find it to be a refreshingly connected place to live. I rail against the snobbery of city folk towards ‘country folk’. We have just as many great ideas and cultural practises as cities do.

Why does Nutella taste so good? Why is Australia going so crazy for it, to the extent that we have it in donuts, milkshakes, brunch items… etc?

Suppression of information is a means of maintaining power structures. Society prefers to pretend we all conform to an imagined standard rather than accept its own diverse nature.

I think men would be better human beings if we could discuss our health and mental issues amongst ourselves (like women do).

When I heard the recent statistics on this it really just took my breath away and illustrates how far women have to go to be empowered and valued.

It horrified people in the 1940s to have packet mixes, because powdered egg reminded them of the Great Depression. Now, people are oblivious, they expect everything to be in packets and forget the chemicals needed to preserve those foods. No more weevils in the flour, but yes plenty of good-fashioned-modern petrol in our flour, sugar, salt, cheese, bread… as well as our bottles of ‘self-care’ products we’re told are ‘necessary.’ You’d think every house-hold was a hotel for astronauts.

It seems as though tips are expected now – even when the service is bad and restaurant wages are liveable.

I was once asked and gave a quick and definite answer. I have, however, wondered about my answer ever since.

There are varying degrees of mental illness – some are profoundly affected where others are not. In the lesser cases, some of these people display signs of a difficult personality or difficult behaviour, but use the label of mental illness. How do we define which is which, and navigate the tricky terrain where their behaviour affects families, workplaces and relationships?