SO Newcastle has stolen the very successful Groovin the Moo festival from Maitland. Newcastle's lord mayor once again told us in media comments that details were commercial in confidence, and for those who don't know, that means that the exact cost of this is hidden once again. Just like Supercars. It's ratepayers money, but we can't know how our funds will be spent.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Newcastle
Don't bail on snail mail
MY red post box is gone. I'm losing a lot of things at my age (89), but I didn't expect this one. Cost to Australia Post is no doubt the cause and I understand, I really do; but I'm sad. Just around the corner from my house it was a physical connection to the friends and relatives far away whom I can no longer visit. Yes, we all use iPads and iPhones, but a postcard or a note has been written by my hand to theirs and no-one can say they don't get a lift on the day they find one in the letterbox.
Gwen Collis, Mayfield
Call time on daylight savings
THE hottest summers on record and they're only going to get hotter, yet we still have "daylight time" which exacerbates the heat in the afternoons and evenings through the hottest months of the year. It's time the powers that be reassessed the practicality, usefulness and the need for this phenomena, which year in year out is taken for granted.
Steven Busch, Rathmines
Give Bancroft an opening
I'M over listening to Smith telling us how good it is to be opening when the top run scorer in Shield cricket is left out.
Bruce Cook, Adamstown
Unite round divisive for Jets fans
UNITE Round; yet another Sydney-centric caper without utility which saw the Jets, again, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A home crowd may have saved the day, who knows? With the next home game on a Tuesday night, crowd numbers are not likely to improve. At least this year's competition has seen many goalfests. Very entertaining.
Stephen Willmott, Maitland
Leaders were gullible at best on Iraq war call
JOHN Howard, when our prime minister, put flesh to the bones of the saying that the first victim of war is the truth. I believe he deliberately lied to get Australia involved in its longest ever foreign conflict. That widening conflict which has caused massive loss of civilian lives and has led to the destabilisation of the Middle East.
Proof of Howard's culpability exists in the recently released 2003 cabinet documents. The absence of any written cabinet submission establishing the pros and cons of invading Iraq among those documents suggests to me that Mr Howard was perhaps concerned an official paper trail would be a problem for him. Instead, he gave his cabinet an "oral briefing" of the "intelligence information" US president George W. Bush and UK prime minister Tony Blair had shared with him about the extreme need to invade Iraq.
Mr Howard also falsely claimed "disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction would be consistent with Australia's obligations under international law". Tragically, Australia was taken to war with Iraq based on such arguments. History proves that at best, the 2003 Howard cabinet was incompetent and gullible.
Barry Swan, Balgownie
Protest, but stay out of the way
IN reply to Joe Hallenstein "I'm an electrical engineer and this is why I broke the law" Opinion 12/1, nobody denies your right to protest. What he and others were arrested for was disobeying police direction at the time.
Joe and his friends could have stood on the shore and protested all they wanted, but disrupting the legal business activity of the port and the expense and nuisance that the protest activity then caused was not your right.
In my opinion you were lucky to get off with a slap on the wrist but port blockades and blockades on railway lines, coal loaders, coal mines, public roadways etc costs other people money and greatly disrupts their working or business lives. You and your friends never wear those costs, and I believe that is conceit and arrogance on your part. Such hubris deserves to be penalised by the law.
Peter Devey, Merewether
National days are important
WHAT is it about some in Australia who want to tear us apart as opposed to bring us together? By their standards they apparently want to cancel days such as Australia Day, January 26, and ANZAC Day. These are days that should unite us and bring us together as a nation. These are days to celebrate this great nation, or a day to reflect on those who paid a heavy price for our freedoms.
Every year we have those in councils, state and federal governments, and now big business who want Australia Day gone, to be replaced with what? A day of national self-loathing. It is not the date that is the problem for this group of business or individuals, it's what it represents. I believe they are haters of Australia, and to them I say find a better country if you can. I'm sure you will be welcomed with open arms.
As to Woolworths' decision not to stock Australia Day paraphernalia, I would agree if the demand is not there then they should not be forced to stock it.
I just wonder why Woolworths would continue to carry meatless meat products, tofu and many other food items that very few purchase. If the criteria is to only carry a product that sells large volumes, why do they carry those items at all?
My vote at the next election will go to the person or party that wants to bring this nation together, not tear us apart. At the next election, be it council, state or federal ask your local candidate do they love and support Australia and does that include Australia Day? If not, find another candidate worthy of your vote. I for one am fed up with big business, government at all levels in particular local councils wanting to tear us down, not build us up.
Andrew Hirst, Beresfield
Is merchandise truly dinki di?
FEDERAL Opposition Leader Peter Dutton continues to astonish me with his political rhetoric. I was amazed with his "the drums of war are beating" statement, and then I was bemused by his "If you don't know, vote no" when it came to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
Now it's become laughable with his latest outburst, urging people to boycott Woolworths over their decision to limit the sale of Australia Day paraphernalia.
I would imagine the giant supermarket's decision would have been made 12 months ago with a downturn in sales.
It appears now that we'll have to boycott Aldi as well. The Irony in all of this is that most of the Australia Day paraphernalia is made in China! Good luck with this one, Mr Dutton.
