EVERYONE involved with, responsible for, and on hand to deliver Sculpures@Scratchley must be heartily congratulated ('A sight to sea', Newcastle Herald 11/5). This first-rate display in a first-rate location is a credit to the artists and organisers. There were lots of happy and helpful volunteers as well.
City of Newcastle should - must - ensure that this is a regular event and that public art is continually supported. Thank you everyone for an amazing experience.
See it, and support this initiative please.
John Thacker, Newcastle West
Say 'yes' to Voice without fear
I ATTENDED the University of Newcastle's meeting on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament ('University leaders add voices to debate', Herald 18/5). Five Indigenous people spoke about the cruel past and, despite recent advances, the continuing tragedies. Voice to Parliament will be an advisory body, similar to dozens of bodies advising the government, but with two key differences: being mandated by the constitution, it could not be abolished without another referendum and, because it will advise Parliament directly, its advice will be public.
As well as exercising Indigenous peoples' right to be heard, the Voice will accept responsibility for the advice they give and there will be a network of constituent First Nations bodies at state, local government, and community levels to whom the members of the Voice will be answerable. This will become a resource for advice, information, and negotiation for all decision-makers. Once the system is in place, smaller issues can be resolved locally using the same principles. It will not happen overnight, but eventually we will have First Nations solutions for First Nations problems. There is a detailed proposal and a set of design principles for the enabling legislation on the Voice website. Finally, the Federal Parliament will establish the mechanism and composition of the Voice by legislation. There will be no power of "veto", and, as in all democracies, the elected Parliament will always have the final say.
There is nothing to fear and a world to gain by voting "yes".
Aidan Foy, Mindaribba
Why it's a 'no' for me - for now
FOR such important changes to the constitution, I need to understand the political structure for the Voice. How is Aboriginal representation determined? Is the mob of elders (their words) representative of all Indigenous people, or organised on a state basis due to different state demographics?
I imagine that would approximate to two representatives for NSW and Queensland; one each for the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania based on current representative requirements? Will the representatives address the very different needs of city, inner and outer regional and remote/very remote populations in each state? Would the then nine state representatives have two senate equivalent representatives reporting federally? I suspect, if not already formulated, the Voice might become a system not much different from the existing, which is no recommendation based on success.
How will the legitimacy of people claiming Aboriginality be verified? What is the projected future; a treaty, compensation and title claims? Surely all this has been considered by the government think tank, and they have details of the proposed structure. I can easily give a 'yes' to constitutional recognition, but while tied to an unknown representative structure and verification of legitimacy, I am forced to an overall no. No offence intended.
Paul Duggan, Garden Suburb
Private schools carry a public cost
MANY parents are opting for private schools and abandoning state public schools for their kids. Most private schools are richer and provide more than state schools because they receive more money per pupil than state schools. Most of these private schools are religious: Catholic, Anglican, fundamentalist Christian and Islamic.
Parents who send their kids to private religious schools hope that their kids will receive more discipline than they would at a state school. State schools must accept all-comers. Private schools can expel unruly pupils who are damaging the schooling of other pupils.
Some private school parents threaten to withdraw their kids and their fees from private schools if they do not get their way. Their threats are taken seriously, but not because of the piffling fees that most parents pay. Their threats are taken seriously because private schools would lose government subsidies if they lost these enrolments.
In the 2022 Census more than 50 per cent of Australians said that they had no religion. I therefore find it disturbing that private religious schools receive public funding.
Private schools are obviously very good at lobbying politicians and governments.
All parents, whether they like it or not, when they enrol their child in a private religious school, are to a degree, abrogating their responsibility for the moral and religious education of their child.
Usually, when they enrol their kids, they sign a statement of belief, and undertake not to contradict the school's religious teaching.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
The consequences of conspiracies
PETER Dolan ("Questions linger on climate data", Letters 15/5) says the Bureau of Meteorology has "remodelled Australia's official temperature record ... to create the impression of a continuous linear warming pattern from 1910".
It seems clear to me he thinks this is deliberate. In fact, he says the bureau "resists scrutiny" about these matters, insinuating a cover-up.
Effectively, he accuses the bureau of a conspiracy. The nation's official meteorological agency, in an act of institutional dishonesty, is, according to Mr Dolan, cooking the books. That's an extremely serious allegation but, coming from Mr Dolan, not surprising.
He's apparently a fan of conspiracy theories. According to past letters he thinks Cardinal George Pell was the victim of a legal stitch-up. Donald Trump is a persecuted and misunderstood Christian orator. COVID vaccination efficacy is concocted by a Big Brother state. Renewable energy is the vanguard of a leftist takeover. Climate change science is an oppressive pseudo-religion. The Voice is the first step in a plan to impose a treaty under which we'll have to pay rent on our own homes.
Mr Dolan is by no means on his own. Conspiracy theorists appear on this page almost every day. They abound on social media. The Coalition cupboard is full of them. The Institute of Public Affairs calls them "research fellows".
In America under Trump, we witnessed what becomes of a country when facts become fake news, expertise the enemy, science a threat and conspiracy theories routine. The are elements of the political right here that, if allowed, I think would have us go down the same path.
Michael Hinchey, New Lambton
SHORT TAKES
SHORT TAKES
AN interesting story in Thursday's Herald ("Solar sting", Herald, 18/5) concerning the rising cost of energy bills. I had a similar concern with my electricity bill (I don't have solar) and, as suggested in the Herald, I contacted EWON (Electricity Ombudsman), who were absolutely professional and helpful in sorting out my problem successfully. I am very grateful for their help in resolving my issue.
Trish Mackay, Cooks Hill
KALYN Ponga: to put it mildly, one great game for your club is not good enough to stick your hand up for representative football. In my view, as captain of the Knights you should repay the club and team mates, but most of all the spectators' loyalty, by standing aside for State of Origin. With all his off-field dramas and on-field head knocks, it would make him an obvious target in such a brutal game. Kalyn has a lucrative contract from his club, and I think he needs to support them before anyone else. If he plays for Queensland and gets a head knock, I fear that could be the end.
Stephen Smyth, Merewether
APPARENTLY only Sydney FC gets to retake a missed penalty for encroachment, let go by referees all the time. Can't wait for this weekend's hand-out in Melbourne.
Stephen Willmott, Maitland
THANK you Peter Wickham ('Our vision for ocean baths' restoration', Opinion 17/5), for the reminder that we don't need to overload the ocean baths' restoration with further commercial functions. I think the council made a huge mistake when they got rid of the change rooms at Nobbys beach for a gym. Let's hope this time round they focus on maintaining the popular open-air change rooms and providing space for a lockable, more private changing area.
Christine Everingham, Newcastle East
THE reality is there are no pollies, high-flying bankers, CEOs, Reserve Bank "employees" living under bridges or in cars.
Harold Kronholm, Cessnock
REGARDING the housing crisis; the government wants to open up land for new houses. Laudable. Move the estates to less favourable agricultural production regions so we can at least feed the populace. With IT now a thing, and working from home, there shouldn't be a problem. Land and services should be much cheaper. Create some newer communities for the people to enter and thrive in.
John Bradford, Beresfield
I LOOK forward to Geoff Black running for my local seat of Shortland at the next federal election. He seems to be an expert on every topic in the country at the moment with all the answers. I don't know why he hasn't considered running before this, and we wouldn't have to have any discussions on these pages.
Tony Jones, Swansea
IN reply to Mick Porter (Short Takes, 18/5), I have attended nearly every Knights home game for the past 12 years, and quite a few away. Let me tell you, the majority of games have not been close to fair weather.
