I think the criticism handed out by journalists on the current prime minister buying a house on the Central Coast is so far over the top, they should be condemned for calling themselves journalists ("Albanese spends $4.3m on clifftop Central Coast home", Newcastle Herald 16/10).
In fairness the purchase of a home by our political leader is of public interest, but to keep up with fairness, could we have a list of who owns what among all politicians in regard to real estate?
Another list should also be made on which politicians have, or family members have, or close associates have ever been the recipient of a government grant, for their business or other money making endeavours.
I know there are some although I wouldn't dare name any, regardless of their political persuasion. But if the purchase of a house, albeit an expensive house by a Labor prime minister is something to be attacked and an attempt to turn it into a scandal is fair game, let's have some list of real estate ownership, and any and all grant recipients with close ties to politicians.
I am by the way, a member of the Australian Labor Party and own my own home with my wife and neither of us has ever had the luxury of a grant to help. We also, when we last had to borrow to buy our home, paid 14 per cent interest. A bit tough at the time, but we managed.
Fred McInerney, Karuah
PM mansion buy is out of touch
I AM sure the people living on the street - the women, men and children living in cars, tents and cardboard - are feeling happy for this overpaid, useless prime minister buying his nearly $4 million-home on the cliff and crowing about how well paid he is ("Albanese spends $4.3m on clifftop Central Coast home", Herald 16/10). He has a choice where to live.
Those who have lost their homes and business must be jumping with joy for him and his little lady.
What a money-waster. Could he be any more unthinking about others? He goes on about knowing what it's like doing it hard. What a load of bulldust.
As Australia sinks into a dumping ground and the racist, violent scum in Australia destroy everything the older generations have worked their guts out for and paid for, how about he starts doing his well-paid job and look after the decent, hardworking, law abiding and honest people for a change? Australia used to be a wonderful place to live.
Kayleen Tindall, East Maitland
Put pollie property in spotlight
WHILE the focus is all on Albo's new house, could the property portfolio and holdings of Peter Dutton also be made public?
John Bonnyman, Fern Bay
No place for ego in leadership
I RECENTLY saw that over 90 per cent of people thought that local councils should be abandoned and after seeing what goes on in Newcastle council I would agree. It is about time that political parties and their influence were banned altogether. The councillors have a responsibility to the ratepayers and political interests should play no part. In regards to the lord mayor, perhaps they should accept what people had voted. Maybe they should do us all a favour and take any inflated sense of self worth, ego and seeking of photo opportunities elsewhere. Most would not be missed.
Craig Lancaster, Elermore Vale
Voice defeat nothing to celebrate
GREG Hunt ("Government still not listening", Letters, 15/10), hopes we are all "celebrating" the one-year anniversary of the Voice defeat this week. Certainly the occasion should be marked in some way, and commented on. But why would anyone want to "celebrate" what amounted to a national slap to the face of Indigenous Australians? What an odd thing to say.
As for the "wonderful" Jacinta Price, she's barely been spotted since, and even after a full year to contemplate how best to advance the interests of her people, the only idea she can offer is another "inquiry".
Meanwhile, the inveterate Labor government critic John Cooper ("Misinformation not to blame", Letters, 15/10), claims it wasn't misinformation that caused the referendum defeat. In one sense, I agree.
The biggest single cause, as clearly demonstrated by the history of referendums in Australia, was the lack of bipartisanship. Once Dutton and Littleproud announced their parties' opposition, the proposal was finished. I believe the subsequent torrent of misinformation merely supercharged that inevitability.
Michael Hinchey, New Lambton
Simple cause for declining withdrawals
THERE is plenty of talk from the RBA that cash withdrawals from banks have decreased in recent times, igniting the call for a cashless society. My issue is that due to the very high cost of living we are all experiencing we don't have any money left in the bank to take out - Albo has made sure of that. It seems that they will be driving everyone onto credit cards to pay to exist. I wonder if the folk that come up with these revelations actually think about what is happening in the real world.
Greg Lowe, New Lambton
Positive for negative gearing
SO now that Albo has secured a luxury home on the Central Coast and he is intending to rent it out till he needs to move in, I am thinking that there will be no changes to the negative gearing system any time soon ("Albanese spends $4.3m on clifftop Central Coast home", Newcastle Herald, 16/10).
Greg Lowe, New Lambton
Seating spat speaks volumes
AT the first meeting of the newly elected Newcastle City Council last week, lord mayor Ross Kerridge expressed a desire for councillors to sit with and next to their fellow ward councillors so as to facilitate their focus on the needs and wants of the very people who elected them. Labor Party councillors, however, held him to a promise he'd made to allow the councillors to vote on the seating arrangements, and they pushed for their preference of sitting with fellow party members. In my opinion it showed very clearly that their loyalty is to their political party before their wards. Shame on them.
Christine Jackson, Waratah
Fetch advice from elsewhere
JOHN Hollingsworth ("We chose the chamber the city has now", Letters, 16/10) suggests Mean Girls may have lessons for our lord mayor. So to stop all this drama, someone needs to get hit by a bus? "I just wish we could all get along like we did in middle school. I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat it and be happy".
