THE good folk of Newcastle will have, or maybe not, heard that the state government is currently casting its net for a location for a third overseas cruise terminal somewhere along the NSW coast.
To accommodate the newer and larger ships it must be located on the coastal side of the Sydney Harbour bridge as they will not fit under it. As it is not in the far distant past a decent terminal was promised for our area, surely we should have a good chance this time. With our wall to wall federal and state government reps and ministers lobbying for us, one would think it could be a foregone conclusion this one is ours.
Also bearing in mind our bright and shiny new international airport and the advent of the very fast train to Sydney, this area must be a very attractive stop or embarkation point for the ship loads of tourists landing on or departing from our doorstep. As it appears Newcastle will be the world centre for renewable energy production, as the media ceaselessly reminds us, surely we can use this as a lever to help our case?
Come on, team, start rattling some cages and making some noise where it matters. Alas, due to the political scene in our area, we all know most of what I have written will not happen and I think there is a gold-plated guarantee there will be no overseas cruise terminal built here.
Raymond Stewart, Charlestown
Albo house furore a beat-up
I CANNOT understand the consternation and media pile up on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's purchase of a $4.3 million house on the Central Coast.
"We don't begrudge him buying a house, but it is the optics," they crow. "We are experiencing a cost of living and housing crisis." But they fail to recognise that the government has been endeavouring to implement policies to improve this situation, but they are constantly thwarted by the LNP and Greens.
They also minimise the fact that the government has made great strides in their relationships with the rest of the world including re-establishing economic ties with China which has resulted in improvements in the wine and lobster industries. Plus, we have had back-to-back surpluses. First time in two decades.
The LNP have been strangely quiet. Many with several investment properties, comprehending to criticise would be hypocritical. They surmise there are no votes to be gained. I suspect, come election time, the public also will not give a hoot.
One media personality made the observation that Albanese in his east coast waterfront property, would be relaxing sipping wine watching the sunset, while Australia suffers. Does he realise the sun sets in the west?
Helen Douglas, Stockton
Housing woes aren't Labor's fault
HOUSING affordability hasn't happened while Albanese has been prime minister, it has happened over the past couple of decades. Previous governments of both persuasions have allowed overseas buyers to white ant our real estate, buying mostly investment property and Airbnb creating a shortage of housing for domestic buyers and driving up the cost.
So what is the problem with Albanese buying a multi million dollar property at a fairly modest price compared to the cost of homes these days? How much money have these politicians who criticise Albanese, got invested in real estate? Their homes would likely be in the million dollar range; let alone investment properties they own. What should be criticised is the inflated salaries politicians are on and the outrageous pensions they retire on while people on aged pensions struggle to survive.
Steven Busch, Rathmines
Atheism demands faith as well
BARNEY Langford ("Who gets to pick between beliefs?", Letters, 19/10), suggests that Christian beliefs, like other belief systems, are "unsubstantiated mythical stories".
Does this fairly describe the New Testament texts? The fallacy with Mr Langford's anecdotal discussion between believer and atheist is that there is no evidence for Zeus, unlike the historical Jesus.
Atheism, "the most daring of all dogmas" (GK Chesterton), is also a leap of faith. CS Lewis argued that atheism is too simple: "If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning". I suggest the great French writer Albert Camus as a better starting point for the non-believer than Barney Langford: "Not feeling that I possess any absolute truth or any message, I shall never start from the supposition that Christian faith is illusory, but merely from the fact that I cannot accept it".
Peter Dolan, Lambton
The post-Voice inaction blame falls on Albo
IN reply to Michael Hinchey asking what Jacinta Price has done for Indigenous communities since the referendum ("Voice defeat nothing to celebrate", Letters, 17/10): nothing, but she isn't in government. That then leads me to what have the government's Indigenous ministers done? Nothing, is the answer. They have wiped their hands of it and moved on. Sometimes you biased Labor supporters leave me shaking my head.
Tony Mansfield, Lambton
Bill offers a censorship risk
THERE'S nothing "odd" about celebrating a victory of the silent majority over the loudest voices to defeat the divisive Voice ("Voice defeat nothing to celebrate", Letters, 17/10). As for the "torrent of misinformation" against the Voice Labor's latest attack on free speech, the Combating Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, will take care of that next time. It will empower the government to censor information it does not like on content including "referendum proposals".
Peter Dolan, Lambton
Voice isn't the only option
MICHAEL Hinchey ("Voice defeat nothing to celebrate", Letters, 17/10) thinks it's odd to want to celebrate the fact that Australians voted not to be divided by race. That's an odd thing to say. As for Ms Price not being seen, she has asked repeatedly for an audit into where the money for Indigenous issues is being spent, only to be rebuffed.
Greg Hunt, Newcastle West
Every leader has their flaws
I READ with interest Jeff McCloy's opinion ("Greens, Labor have ;thumbed their nose at the citizens", Opinion, 12/10). I seem to remember he sacked a lot of people and he was not a supporter of heavy rail, didn't want the gallery upgrade and objected to koala protections. If he was so wonderful, why did he only serve part of the four-year term?
Christopher Marley, Adamstown
No winners in raging warfare
REGARDING the leaders of Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran as murderous bastards is neither Anti-Semitic nor Islamophobic.
