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Australia has "such a strong egalitarian culture" ? (THES, March 17). According to the United Nation's 1994 Human Development Report, the poorest 40 per cent of Australian homes accounted for 15.5 per cent of national income (compared to 17.3 per cent in class- conscious Britain and 17.5 per cent in Canada) while the richest 20 per cent earned 9.6 times as much as the poorest 20 per cent (Britain 6.8 times and Canada 7.1 times).

Equality is a myth of the modern era. Monarchy is another matter: Australia has been ruled for over a decade by, effectively, one person - and it is not Elizabeth II. In that sense, the sooner the monarchy is abolished, the better.

Richard Jackson

Townsville, Australia