I AGREE with much of what Roland Bannister wrote ("City's two missed opportunities", Letters, 13/6), about our Newcastle foreshore and how it could have been done better. While I agree that it could have been done even better, it looks in some places better than it has ever before.
Does anyone remember how it once looked before all the changes? Many years ago I worked at Newcastle Post Office and I drove up Wharf Road five days a week and parked just metres from the water while the salt slowly ate my old car out with rust. Then I dodged trains as I wove my way across the tracks to the post office. The harbour and the wharf were badly neglected with little or no connectivity to the city itself.
The light rail could have been better in its planning and destination, but the connectivity has definitely improved. In my working life I rarely glanced at the harbour but now I marvel at just how beautiful it is as I drive up Honeysuckle Drive. I see between buildings our glorious harbour and our historic industrial heritage, and I smile.
I rode my disability scooter most of the way up the stretch from the footbridge to Pacific Street on the recent public holiday and admired the improvements there. Many happy families were enjoying the view and the facilities, including barbecues, seating and toilets both clean and open. Children were enjoying the play equipment too.
None of these things were there pre-renovation. As for the countless large blocks of apartments, that was always on the agenda and there is no doubt that we are in need of more housing, but perhaps some of it could be more affordable.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Newcastle
Accused aren't alone in woes
ALAN Hamilton (Short Takes, 16/6), you have commented that Ben Roberts-Smith and Bruce Lehrmann have been hung out to dry by the legal system. I think this is a very unbalanced comment, as there are plenty on the other side of those legal battles that have also been hung out to dry as well.
Ben Roberts-Smith has allegedly used his considerable previous power (as head of a regional of Kerry Stokes powerful media empire) to have private investigators dig deep into SAS soldiers and their families' private lives. It allegedly triggered a police raid on one of those SAS soldiers, and in my opinion threatened the rest of the SAS with the same actions if they didn't fall into line. No doubt this would be very stressful.
There are also the victims that are the families of those that he allegedly killed in cold blood without provocation or any possible need for self-defence, citizens of the same country he was supposed to be fighting for and with.
Regarding Brittany Higgins, juror misconduct resulted in an aborted trial. With the legal system now saying she is so stressed out that another trial will be too detrimental to her health to proceed, there is equally no justice for Ms Higgins without a clear resolution. I believe this also impacts on victims of sexual abuse watching on that are stressed out about seeing this all unfold - in many cases they will think it is not worth reporting those assaults. So, Mr Hamilton, I think we need to consider all those "hung out to dry" by the legal systems in these cases, and not just the accused.
There are often no winners in legal battles.
Glen Wilson, Cardiff
Both sides are failing to impress
OH, for a return of the good old days when our politicians were respected, civic-minded members of the community. For the most part, I believe modern era pollies are only interested in feathering their own nests. In my opinion, the federal opposition is devoid of talent and with a leader who is totally unelectable. He has about as much personality and public appeal as Bill Shorten; and I'd say that's nil.
I'd argue the federal government consists mainly of ex-union hacks who have never had a real job in the real world; a pretty sad state of affairs all round. Then we allegedly have these blokes who think they are chick magnets who can go around pinching women on the bum, making sexist comments and supposedly propositioning their colleagues. It's hardly appropriate behavior from highly paid, taxpayer funded elected representatives who are entrusted with running the country. Is it any wonder that politicians are at the bottom of the list when it comes to trustworthiness when we have the likes of Eddie Obied, Ian MacDonald, Craig Thomson, David Van and more hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons? Surely we deserve better.
Ian King, Warners Bay
Why aren't Labor doing more?
I HAVE coffee with a former federal Coalition MP who served during the 1980s, '90s and 2000s every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. During that time we discussed all things political. The one insight this gentleman has taught me is that, because of the close association of Labor with unions, Labor can be progressive in ways the Coalition can not.
Labor was able to float the dollar, reform the economy and introduce policies to reform workplaces. If the Coalition government had introduced these reforms, it would have resulted in a bloodbath for them. Sadly, after just one year in office, I fear this federal Labor government doesn't seem to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are. They appear to lack leadership and have fallen back to their socialist base and just bobbing in the water.
We could be witnessing massive reforms of the housing market under Labor, but we are not. We could be seeing massive changes to taxation, but we are not. We could be seeing methods to improve our society no Coalition government has the capacity to deliver, but we are not. Effectively we have been stuck with a Liberal-style government that doesn't seem to understand why people elected them. As a Coalition supporter, I just want Labor to focus on delivering the needed national reforms which improve our standard of living. I for one would like to see the Labor government working with the Coalition to identify exactly where they can be improving our society.
Greg Adamson, Griffith
We should fight all calls to war
HOLY crusades have occurred since 1095, sacrificing and the spilling blood of the common soldier for religion, trade, rulers and their gods. I believe past and present religious politicians had no right to send soldiers into Afghanistan because it was a holy war. All lines were blurred; soldiers are trained to seek find and kill. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. While the religious politicians sit back in comfort and when the war is over, in my view they transfer their guilt by having their sacrificial lambs.
After all wars, history has shown politicians give very little support to our worn and torn brave armed forces. I believe when some people sit back and criticise in the comfort of their lounge rooms and computer desks, they should first put a heavy backpack on, run 15 kilometres non-stop in all weather and then be confronted with a gun in their face. There is no fair play in war; war is a dirty game, and the odds of death are high. I think the only war policy for Australia is to keep independent and not be drawn into foreign wars by virtue of having a strict defence policy.
Maureen O'Sullivan Davidson, Swansea
SHORT TAKES
MINNS and Mookhey; what a double act. We're in power, now let's see who we can pick on to scrounge some cash from. Why don't we start breaking election promises and take the $100 back from parents struggling with their budgets already ('Sporting groups slam move to cut vouchers', Newcastle Herald 17/6)? You have got to be joking. Scrooge had nothing on you. The kids can't vote, but the parents can. Let's hope they don't forget. I certainly won't, you penny pinching rattlesnakes - my vote, never again.
Rick Johnson, Tuncurry
FOR those advocating or thinking about voting 'yes', I would refer them to Senator Kerrynne Liddle's speech to the Senate on June 16. In regard to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the speech includes the words of Murray George, a senior custodian of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta: "that canvas is causing a lot of problems for us. If I could only get my hands on it I would burn it". He, and other senior custodians of Uluru-Kata Tjuta, "are gutted that their most sacred place continues to be used for political and promotional purpose" The speech also includes some of the many other reasons why I and many others will be voting 'no'.
Clive Jensen, Merewether
DAVID Stuart's letter on blackouts ("The power to prevent blackouts", Letters, 17/6) reminded me of a 2015 storm where trees were blown down. In our street a tree was on the power lines, so we had no power for seven days. We used a two burner camping stove and an esky with ice to get by. We had a car battery with a 240-volt inverter to power a small lamp for light. We also used the car battery to power a laptop and watch DVDs. To get the internet we used a USB modem on the laptop. We had an older mobile phone to get by with. The nights would go down to 14 degrees, so the doona came in handy. A bit of washing got done in the sink, but all in all we did not do too bad with no power.
Agner Sorensen, Teralba
MICHAEL Hinchey ("Empathy is the rightway to go", Letters 15/6): you are correct. Not all rights are "found in statute books", but it seems in your world retail workers, employers, rental agents, cops are just some of those who blatantly discriminate against Indigenous Australians. Personally I would say your comments are 40 years out of date. You challenge us to "walk a mile in another's shoes". I have a brown-skinned wife and many friends from minority groups who would also face similar issues to those of Indigenous Australians, yet I find myself repeatedly asking that we stop the emotional blackmail and tell us how and why a Voice will magically change things.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
A HYDRO power project is reported to provide up to 900 jobs and produce 2000 megwatts over eight hours. By my calculations this requires around 2600 megawatts to pump the water back uphill, making it a negative power supply. However, if it can save 900 existing jobs that would need to shut down during peak demand because of insufficient power supply, I see a purpose but you can't keep running a country on a negative power supply.
