The Australian Constitution was written by old English-centric men in a different time without thought for the way our country would change to its modern multicultural format. The failure to acknowledge First Nations people may not have been deliberate, but still had serious ramifications for the original owners and has created the devastating outcome that has brought us to the current situation with a referendum. Australians will demonstrate their true colours in this upcoming vote. I fear the real racism that pervades Australia will emerge and prove we are not the tolerant people we claim to be. Many people I meet are intensely opposed to a 'yes' vote without considering those for whom it was designed. Those who claim altering the Constitution will open the way for political scandal use this to justify the racism I witness every day. My question to them of how many Aboriginal people they have ever met is always received with perceived shock that I should ask such a question.
I plead for the decency and integrity that has always been shown to migrants in our country. Somehow this attitude does not encompass Aboriginal people in the minds of many Australians. I am extremely sad for the many readers of this paper who live on expensive real estate once the home of First Nations people and who have the temerity to encourage a 'no' vote.
Graham Burgess, Speers Point
Who knows what?
LIDIA Thorpe has jumped ship from the Greens Party to represent the Black Sovereign Movement in federal parliament. The definition of sovereignty is the power of a country to control its own government. Thorpe is campaigning for a treaty between First Nations people and the government as a priority over the Voice. Indigenous Labor senator Pat Dobson has said the Voice is about seeking recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. The Prime Minister has said the referendum will have no impact on the issue of sovereignty. Damned if I can follow all of this. As often said, if you don't understand it don't vote for it.
John Cooper, Charlestown
How lucky are we?
HOW lucky are we in Newcastle? On Sunday, January 8, I was one of the thousands of people enjoying our fantastic summer at our beaches and pools. While driving back from the beach on a balmy January evening I heard the sounds of Elton John radiating from McDonald Jones Stadium. I stopped and listened as he entertained not only the crowd inside, but many outside. The mood was jovial. On Tuesday night I attended Elton's concert, and was lucky to listen to the songs of my life. The night had an electric, exciting, and positive vibe, and people of all generations were enjoying his songs. As Elton was singing Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, the sun literally was going down. And as he sang goodbye to his career, Newcastle and the "yellow brick road", Novocastrians went home happy and singing the tunes enjoyed at a great concert. It was wonderful. So, I ask again, how lucky is Newcastle?
Suellen Hall, Wallsend
Narrabri gas unsafe
NSW recently announced a relatively ambitious emissions reduction target of 70 per cent by 2035. Yet, major political parties have provided permission for Santos to continue progress on pipelines for its high-emitting Narrabri gas project. Santos plans to develop about 850 gas wells in the Pilliga Forest, which is the largest remaining temperate woodland in eastern Australia.
The project is estimated to result in 130 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime. That's more than one-quarter of Australia's total annual emissions. It's almost two years after the International Energy Agency concluded that further investment in fossil fuels was not compatible with keeping warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, meaning that the Narrabri gas project is both inappropriate and recklessly unsafe. Unfortunately, major political parties continue to support business as usual over a healthy climate future for our children.
Alice Milson, Calala
Home truths
BETWEEN 1946 and 1979 the UK government built just under 6 million council houses, that is in 33 years. I was born in one in Yorkshire. The semi-detached, two-storey houses were quite comfortable with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs and a separate lounge, dining and kitchen room downstairs. There was a driveway down the side of the house that led to a single garage and a modest backyard, where we had chooks, fruit trees and a veggie garden plus a lawn area back and front. The roads were all paved and a pavement ran the full length of the road. When you consider that all this building went on just after the war, it just showed how determined the British were to re-establish their society.
We might well ask the question, when will our government extract its collective fingers and start providing for the many who are crying out for a roof over their heads?
Alan Kendall, Neath
Economics is not science
IN Year 11 of high school, I dropped the study of economics just weeks into the course, realising it was bunkum. A repository of economists, called the Reserve Bank, has been raising interest rates to curb spending. According to a UNSW study, 3.3 million Australians live in poverty. Ten per cent of Australians share 46 per cent of the wealth. Thirty per cent, presumably the squeezed mortgage belt, 37 per cent of wealth and 60 per cent possess just 17 per cent of all wealth. So where is this alleged spending coming from? Foreign cash? Corporate expenditure? It seems to me that the continued rise in interest rates is destined to create recession conditions. I imagine Marx would view this as a deliberate attempt to relieve more wealth from the masses and funnel it up to wealth and power.
Wealth inequality has continued to increase in this country since Howard's re-engineering of society via what some people know, by lived experience, to be unfair taxation and industrial relations legislation. Broadening the tax base with a GST meant ensuring cradle-to-the-grave taxation and has the greatest impact on those who can least afford it. Maybe it's time to broaden the tax apex?
Marvyn Smith, Heddon Greta
It's a yes vote from many
A BIG yes for doing something positive about youth crime in our country. What's happened to respect, inspiration and moral ethics? Recently, two elderly men in Queensland were robbed, and another, who was under cancer therapy, was beaten at a bus stop by a bunch of heartless youths. If the state and federal governments don't do something soon, we are going to have a split of court cases of people being arrested for protecting themselves, their family, their properties, or good Samaritans coming to the aid of helpless victims. Vote 'yes' for culling these youth gangs and those conspiring with these organised gangs. And we ponder why Americans support the second amendment to their Constitution. Something disastrous will occur if our governments don't act soon.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
SHORT TAKES
So the mayor dressed in pink. We don't care about the Jets. Wouldn't happen if it was the NRL season. The pitch was a disgrace after Elton John.
Bruce Cook, Adamstown
SUZANNE Martin, (Letters, 8/2), I applaud your encouragement of Soul Kitchen's concerts. Like yourself, not all live music suits my taste, but I'm happy that it makes others happy. I just wish that anyone who complains about live music would adopt the same philosophy.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
I THINK Nathan McGeorge (Short Takes, 9/2) might be the one living in Disney's "Fantasia" with his odd non-reply to Mike Sargent (Short Takes, 4/2). Instead of refuting Mike's statements about Sky News, he ignores them, going on an off-topic rant about the ABC. Is Nathan McGeorge tacitly admitting that Mike Sargent is correct about Sky News?
Colin Fordham, Lambton
THE ABC continues with misleading and false news. Now former SAS soldier Heston Russell will have his day in court after the Federal Court found the ABC defamed him. Surely it's time for the ABC to be privatised or the entire board and chair sacked. The taxpayers continue to lose.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
CLUBS and pubs in WA don't have poker machines and survive pretty well. I think they should be banned because they impoverish families and destroy the atmosphere of the space. Who knows, live music might make a comeback too? There are plenty of other ways to keep going, rather than stealing the funds from those who can least afford it. It has also corrupted our political parties and is a way of laundering criminal cash.
David Marley, Waratah
AUSTRALIA is known as the 'lucky country'. Are people flocking here because we are content to sleep a lot?
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
CONGRATULATIONS to Archie Goodwin on his selection in the Australian under-20s football team.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
JOHN Mackenzie and his Green Party are proposing free public transport as part of their policy for the upcoming state elections. If he spent some time travelling on these modes of transport he would realise that the majority of people who do obviously believe it is already free.
Barry Reed, Islington
I NEARLY got run over walking the dog on the footpath by a $4000 e-bike; the ones with long brown seats. If I get hit by one I'm going to sue your parents and I'll be driving their BMW very, very soon.
Michael McQuarrie, Merewether
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