DEAR Mr. Ponga, I just heard the good news that you have signed a five-year contract with the Newcastle Knights ('High five', Newcastle Herald 21/4). As a die hard Knights supporter can I say thanks, mate.
Mr Ponga, can I call you Kalyn? I must tell you how pleased you have made an old bloke. You have so much ahead of you and hopefully I'll last long enough for you to lead the Knights to their third premiership. Kalyn, you are the type of player that comes along all too infrequently. I saw Churchill, Fulton, Gasnier, Raper, Langlands, Lewis, Beetson and Johns all play as I grew up. Some of these blokes played rugby league for two-bob contracts while holding down a day job. The only advice I can give you is to invest wisely. Here's hoping you do run off at a winning grand final with a Knights side.
Wal Remington, Mount Hutton
Those paying price alive today
EVERYONE born this decade can expect to live to the end of the century. The human race like all other species dependent on the biological products of the earth for survival will perish when the source of nutrients runs out. Two things need urgent attention: overpopulation and global warming.
The regulation of population can be achieved by reducing the birth rate. The supply of workers could be maintained by increasing the retirement age since people are healthier and living longer, allow more women to work as well as gender control. The world's wealth must be more evenly distributed and luxury spending on housing, etc to conserve materials.
Global warming has to be reduced by lowering the carbon dioxide and methane in the air. Rainforests all over the world have to be allowed to grow. Coal seams are the results of luxurious growth over millions of years resulting in the steady state existing as the human race developed, oil deposits were the result of decaying organisms on the seafloor. Exploiting these as sources of energy clearly upsets the balance causing global warming.
Climate change with extreme weather events brought on by rising sea temperatures, storms, cyclones, floods due to the higher evaporation rate and fires and droughts and the loss of glaciers and Antarctic ice, due to the higher air temperature will get worse. People's lives will have to change by living more economically, travelling less and encouraging more social activities. The matter is urgent: this century could see great strain put on the human race. It is not difficult to imagine various scenarios.
John McLennan, Charlestown
Work on grid locks in power's cost
I THINK voters should be very careful about believing Labor's claim that its "Powering Australia Plan" will save them $275 per year by promoting renewable energy. The facts suggest Labor is dreaming. I have been monitoring my electricity usage and costs for years and have taken steps to reduce my electricity costs by reducing air conditioner use, hot water usage and have stopped using the clothes dryer. This has reduced my energy consumption from around 20 kilowatt hours a day to seven or eight. However, the other major component of my electricity bill is the network work cost which I cannot control. Since 2009 this cost has risen from $40 a quarter to $85.09.
Why? The culprit is renewable energy, which has forced network owners to spend big on the grid to maintain reliability. In the near future we will be paying even more to build another transmission line to SA, basically to save that state from blackouts. So, if Anthony Albanese implements his policy even more money will need to be spent on expensive transmission and distribution lines, while pushing more fossil fuel plants to close, hence increasing costs. It's a good thing my wife and I have conditioned ourselves to shorter showers because if Labor gets in and implements this policy, we will have blackouts.
John Davies, Newcastle East
PM's ICAC excuse is a cop-out
PRIME Minister Scott Morrison's latest stand-up comedy routine is hilarious: it is Labor's fault that he broke a promise not to establish a federal integrity commission because Labor won't support the universally-condemned, totally inadequate model that Morrison wanted to introduce to parliament, ("PM's broken ICAC promise", Herald 15/4). Apart from continuing his practice of always blaming others for his mistakes and failures, Morrison is conceding that he can't introduce and pass legislation - the primary function of government - without the agreement and support of the opposition. He might as well stop campaigning now, get out of the way and hand government over to Labor so they can get on with the job of governing and establish a federal integrity commission that will actually bring integrity, openness and public confidence back to the parliament and the federal public sector.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
Labor model may not ease cost
LABOR'S centrepiece Powering Australia plan is backed by modelling that shows an 18 per cent fall in prices for households and businesses by 2025 by connecting 25,600 megawatts of new renewable energy, including wind and solar farms, to the existing grid. Labor's 300,000 new jobs are also dependent on assumptions of lower power prices from the entry of renewable generation to the system. Even the Grattan Institute (established by a Victorian Labor government) is questioning the figures eventuating from these plans. Perhaps someone should ask the people of SA, which has the highest price for retail users in the country, why their renewables are so expensive?
John Cooper, Charlestown
Leaders are drawing even
YOU are correct Dave McTaggart, (Short Takes, 20/4), the day after a (supposedly unforgivable) gaffe from Anthony Albanese, cartoonist Pope did draw Scott Morrison in a worse light than Mr Albanese. But I believe some balance was struck when, two days after Mr Albanese's appearance at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, cartoonist Broelman depicted Mr Albanese getting booed by attendees at the festival. However, in footage circulating online of what has been reported as a "hostile reception", the "boos" sounded more like "woos", and also included people shouting out supportive remarks, yet cartoonist Broelman still chose to go in a different direction. Swings and roundabouts I guess.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
Election effort seems subdued
MEDIA baron Rupert Murdoch seems to have given us less advice on the upcoming federal election than in recent years. I believe Mr Murdoch has liked to tell us how to live our lives, here in the United States of Australia, to his requirements. He once had a great hold over Australian and British politicians during election time, with politicians of all creeds in total fear.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Poi
SHORT TAKES
THE Prime Minister declares that he will not do deals to form a government, but I believe this is not correct. First he will negotiate with the United Australia Party and then the Pauline Hanson One Nation party for preferences. Then he will do a deal with the National Party (we voters are not allowed to know the details of this deal) to secure a possible majority. In effect the government just dissolved was a hung parliament with the Liberal Party dependent on the votes of the Nationals in their coalition. The Libs have never governed in their own right.
Paul Sutcliffe, Fern Bay
THE ghost of former British PM Margaret Thatcher has turned up in the LIberal Party in the form of MP Anne Ruston. In my opinion her radical views on Medicare and people on welfare are something out of the Thatcher hand book. No wonder the British people chanted " Ding dong the witch is dead" when she died. These views have no place in our society.
Darryl Tuckwell, Eleebana
IT seems to me that every decent Knights retired player has been given a job. The overheads must be enormous. Wayne Bennett tried his best, but gave up and left. People can't just blame the coach every year. I believe there must be a real problem with the club and culture of the players. Ponga hasn't lived up to all the hype either. Supporters are giving up in droves.
Gayle Gannon, West Wallsend
PETER Mullins, (Short Takes, 19/4), I totally agree with your comments regarding Adz Carter and his vast knowledge on most subjects along with his very obvious dislike for the government of the day and their leader. There was a song written and recorded in 1980 by Mac Davis entitled O Lord, It's Hard To Be Humble. Whenever I read some of Mr Carter's comments, that particular tune and lyrics pops into my head.
Col Parkins, Wallsend
THANKS to Australia's failure, the poor people of the Solomon Islands I'd imagine can look forward to some Hong Kong style treatment in future.
John Bonnyman, Fern Bay
DAVE McTaggart, the correction you asked for, (Short Takes, 20/4). Surely you can't have forgotten the vile, sexist, misogynist Larry Pickering cartoons of then PM Julia Gillard. He actually leapt from retirement to spray his crude hate. In comparison Tony Abbott depicted in cartoons wearing his budgie smugglers was more like just a bit of good old prankster fun between mates.
Glenda Evans, Dudley
The first debate between the Prime Minister and the opposition leader was on Wednesday night, but it did not seem to be on free-to-air TV. Why not?
Peter Selmeci, Murrays Beach
WITH the hypocrisy afloat protesters blocking Newcastle Harbour on Sunday, could we all vote for best dugout canoe? Only environmentally friendly craft are eligible for this prize. Petroleum byproducts, now there's something to protest about. It certainly floats my boat.
