THE overturning of abortion rights in the US has generated considerable comment from pro-abortionists in Australia ('Rally for abortion access', Newcastle Herald 30/6). They seem to argue abortion is their right, however the pro-life lobby argues they are defending those who don't have a voice, the unborn children.
The problem I have is that while it is hard to argue against abortion in cases of violent conception, i.e. rape or incest, my concern is abortion on demand.
My belief is that more people, in particular men, should take responsibility for their actions. Maybe then a lot of these disturbing situations that women face too often wouldn't happen.
Peter Sansom, Kahibah
Adelaide shows race's true value
THE Newcastle Herald reported in 2019 and many times since that the full cost to ratepayers of Supercars' Newcastle 500 race is $1.6 million. That cost is a combination of a cash payment to the NSW government to support their much larger sponsorship of the race, as well as all associated work undertaken by City of Newcastle in the bump in and bump out of race infrastructure.
The claim by Dr Christine Everingham ('18 million reasons we should be concerned', Letters 28/6) that ratepayers do not know the actual cost is false.
The fact that Adelaide's Supercars race costs approximately $18 million to stage ('Race calendar fills up', Herald 24/6) provides an excellent indication of how much money is invested by Supercars and the NSW government annually to ensure Newcastle continues to be promoted to a national and international audience of many millions of people.
Separate work orders are set up by City of Newcastle for every item of work it undertakes associated with the staging of the Newcastle 500. This is how the total cost to ratepayers of $1.6 million is accurately costed. This total includes rehabilitation costs on Foreshore Park incurred post the race caused by the infrastructure and foot traffic of more than 150,000 people over the three-day period, as well as work undertaken on the park preparing it for the race.
It appears that Dr Everingham's continuing claims of hidden costs is an admission that the actual cost to ratepayers of $1.6 million in return for being a Supercars city is exceptional value for money.
City of Newcastle will next year consult with the community on the merit of extending the Newcastle 500 agreement for a further five years. It is critical that all debate around the matter be accurate.
I call upon Dr Everingham as a leader in the small but vocal anti-Supercars community to refrain from further false claims.
Jeremy Bath, City of Newcastle CEO
Wield more than power spruik
ONCE again the good folk of the Hunter have voted for their favourite sons and daughters to represent us in the federal parliament, only this time I fear the electorate may have voted many of their friends out of a job. We have seen the first of these shifts with the planned 2030 closure of the Mount Arthur mine, with an estimated loss of about 2000 jobs. Its ripples may cost another 2000, and there are likely more to come.
Does anybody really believe that Tomago Aluminium, with about 1100 jobs, can continue with the closure of Eraring and Liddell power stations, a total loss of about 4500 megawatts from the grid? Wind and solar cannot reliably replace this loss 24/7.
We are constantly told the greening of our power supply will create many thousands of jobs. Please can somebody be specific and tell us exactly what they are? A container handling facility, which may or may not be built ('Bedwetters', Herald 30/6), will not create the 18,000 jobs we need. It has been spruiked, but again, what are these jobs?
Green hydrogen production, the saviour, needs massive amounts of power. Where is it coming from? Green steel using hydrogen, in commercial quantities? Tell them they are dreaming. If today it was decided to build a hydrogen facility it would be 10 years before it became operational, if ever.
Our local politicians are all ready to stand up for us. To quote Mr. Repacholi, "I am going to be a big voice for the Hunter", so we should be ok. But quoting a recent editorial, "all backbenchers have to do is be present for the divisions" ('Albo's staff cuts a needless distraction, Editorial 28/6).
Raymond Stewart, Charlestown
Census interpretations incense
IT is interesting to note how the results of the 2021 national census have been reported by the media. The average household income is reported to be approximately $156,000 per annum. A more realistic view of the state of the nation is to understand that the median double income household receives $82,000 per annum. The reporting of an average situation does not properly represent the true bimodal identity of this country. This situation has developed due to Howard government industrial relations and taxation policies. These were not repealed by the Rudd Labor government.
People are rightfully concerned about inflation because the more expensive goods and services become, most become 10% automatically more expensive, further "fuelling" inflation. On the subject of fuel, GST is payable not only on the fuel itself but also on the excise the fuel attracts. This reality puts "breaking the chains" and the 30 per cent wholesale tax versus the 10 per cent retail GST on a teddy bear pre-election advertising for the 1998 federal election into perspective. Now tell me "taxes will always be lower under an LNP government".
Marvyn Smith, Heddon Greta
It pays to know what wages are
AM I the only one who would like to know the basic wage for various careers? How much do public servants and MPs get, and what do government workers like police, teachers, firefighters, nurses start at? We have to acknowledge that we have become a two-tier society and those on the higher rung probably have no clue what others get.
I started thinking about this when I spoke to a retired person who questioned me about the need for nurses, teachers and others to get a higher wage. When we looked up the starting wage of these professions, he admitted his superannuation pension was higher than some of them.
Kathryn Bow, Wallsend
Gas bagging is getting warmer
PETER Devey (Letters, 29/6) correctly points out gases don't retain, but radiate it out immediately. Although he suggests this disproves a mechanism for global warming it is exactly this phenomenon which causes the problem; half of the heat energy which was leaving the earth is now pointing back towards the planet.
This science teacher is now ready to make a hypothesis about Peter Devey. It is this: Peter Devey is a keen science researcher who appears to have a preference for practitioners and conclusions which do not challenge his conviction that 99 per cent of climatologists are wrong. I await the result of this little experiment in correction before I publish and ask for peer review.
Lesley Walker, Northcote
SHORT TAKES
In reply to ("Rate rise doesn't pass the test", June 28). Maybe name and suburb withheld, should ask the person who is renting her mother's investment property how they are coping? What an entitled attitude.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
KALYN Ponga can certainly play the game all right. How does he keep playing State of Origin when he is too injured to play for the Knights? In my opinion, they should rethink his contract.
Margaret Allen, Whitebridge
GREAT research by the award-winning Institute of Public Affairs again shows just how brain-dead climate protesters are. Calculations of traffic movements in Sydney last Monday show as much as 22 extra tonnes of emissions were pumped into the air by cars reduced to idling while obstructed by these morons. Talk about destroying your own purpose, and I saw one of them interviewed saying they were educated.
Greg Hunt, Newcastle West
MY great sadness for Nick Kyrgios' recent wins and bad behaviour at Wimbledon is somewhat alleviated by my happiness for Kyrgios' very unwell, lovely mum's great happiness over her son's success.
Howard Hutchins, Chirnside Park
FOR those advocates of big batteries that will keep the lights on when the wind goes on holidays and the sun goes to bed, please note: South Australia's world-first big battery owners have been fined $900,000 for not providing back-up supply to the power grid in October 2019 when needed, when they said they could and despite being paid to do so. It looks to me like we will have to find another futuristic solution if we want 100 per cent "ruinables".
John Cooper, Charlestown
PETER Doolan (Letters 29/6) likens climate sceptics to Galileo, Copernicus and Kepler. I liken them to flat earthers.
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
BIKIE gang wars have got out of hand, and it won't be long before innocent bystanders will be caught up in this carnage. One of the rules set down by the Queensland police is that there shall not be any group gatherings of gang members. Why do governments still allow bike club houses to exist? Get rid of these club houses, and the police might just have a chance in quelling these drive-by shootings and assassinations
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
WOOLWORTHS can't decide whether it's selling chicken Kyiv or chicken Kiev. The name seems to keep changing depending on who is currently winning the war.
Peter Moylan, Glendale
HALF a million in salary for a trade commissioner? No wonder government charges in this state are charged at maximum.
