As someone who has gambled on racing and sports since I was 17, I am now 64. I am totally in favour of these pushes towards banning all gambling ads on TV.
Gambling ads on TV are to encourage people who don't already gamble to do so.
Any intelligent person knows the next bet could be a loser that's why it's called gambling and a betting company reminding you is completely a joke. If they care about people's welfare, don't put gambling ads on TV. It's pretty simple. Politicians and media executives don't want them banned because they bring in too much revenue. I started gambling before advertising was on TV. If people want to gamble, they will. They don't need the ads, so ban them.
David Bennett, Nelson Bay
Why NAPLAN isn't getting results
NAPLAN results are worse than expected once again, and this year some tell us screen time is to blame. Oh, of course! It's a novel change from blaming the kids, their teachers or parents.
The prime minister is "alarmed" by the results. After 40 years in education, I can assure him that the problem is the system, and until the funding arrangements change, these results will be the norm forever.
As long as his government provides 80 per cent of the federal education budget to 35 per cent of students in non-government education, NAPLAN has no chance of improving.
How a non-government school has enough funding to buy a 49-seater bus while a local public school must go without resources and staff needed to serve the needs of students who have come from socio-economic disadvantage and cannot read and write is beyond me.
Australia has a uniquely apartheid-type system in the developed world. Providing private systems with taxpayer funding is not the norm. Changing this system will be near impossible, though. Taking welfare from the poor is easy because they can easily be demonised, but woe behold the government that tries to prise middle/upper class welfare from those with wealth and power. NAPLAN "failure" is here to stay.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Curriculum step in right direction
STAGGERING statistics show that 33 per cent of students who sat the latest NAPLAN tests performed below baseline standards in literacy and numeracy.
For sure there will be many peripheral reasons given by "experts" for this poor result like lack of classroom discipline, higher pay needed for teachers, better working conditions, smaller classes, etc. as well as the manipulation of statistical results.
To its credit the NSW education authorities have introduced a new curriculum that focuses on precisely what students need to learn to give them the basic skills they need. It gets away from the woke rubbish that distracts them from the realities of life. Let us hope those in the education system give it their full support.
As an aside, in my opinion it is a joke for a country that boasts itself of selling university education to the world when we cannot educate their own kids.
John Cooper, Charlestown
No to Liberal electoral extension
IT'S not the NSW Electoral Commission's fault the NSW Liberals didn't get all their nominations in on time for September's council elections.
The Liberals have been campaigning since last October and should not get an extension when others standing have to abide by electoral commission deadlines. For smaller groups and parties on the left there was no leeway given on these deadlines.
For many years I was involved in helping to register and support minor parties. No extensions were ever given and it was made harder and more expensive to be involved in the democratic process of elections by both the Liberals and Labor.
The Liberals should not get an extension now. That's not democratic, that's special treatment.
Kerry Vernon, New Lambton
Quotes and Hamas
WHILE Peter Dolan ("Humanity in terror is hard to see", Letters, 15/8), quotes Julie Robinson, perhaps he should consider a quote from Israeli journalist Gideon Levy.
"I was thinking as one attack as barbaric as it was, and it was barbaric, if one attack pushes so many Israelis to become inhuman, there's no other word but inhuman, imagine yourself what it does to Palestinians who live under those attacks for decades. And we always wonder how come they hate us and how come they became such monsters and how come they are so violent and how come they are not human. Here is the answer."
Colin Fordham, Lambton
Boat incident by the numbers
FUN fact; the anti wind farm boat that allegedly rocked the Wangi Queen uses 270 litres of fuel per hour.
John McDonald, Newcastle
Leaders are not so different
STEVE Robinson ("No healing in refusal to hear another view", Letters, 15/8), have you seen Albo saying the same thing as Dutton on no Makarrata? What's your thoughts?
Mick Porter, Raymond Terrace
Support made great days for Knights fans
I WANT to thank Cathy and Graham Habgood of Sid Fogg's for all the support and friendship they have given the Newcastle Knights Supporters Club. They gave trips away for our club to raffle. Without it, we would have not been able to support our pathways foundation at the Knights. Thank you and happy retirement to you both. Feet up, now it's time to enjoy.
Marilyn Edwards, Speers Point
Carrington open to all now
MY, how times have changed. We now have Liberal candidates for the local government elections unveiling their policies at Carrington. Years ago they wouldn't even have been allowed to cross the bridge.
Barry Reed, Islington
Race card played too quickly
John Ure ("Kamala criticisms are laughable", Letters, 14/8), several "your contributor(s)" have criticised Joe Biden and the Democrats. In typical Lefty woke fashion you now infer any continued criticism under the new leader is solely because Ms Harris is a black woman. It has taken you all of five minutes to play the racism and sexism cards. Shame on you.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
Division seems to come easily
STEVE Robinson is correct ("No healing in refusal to hear another view", Letters, 15/8). Peter Dutton plays the same divisive race card time after time after time. The only compassion we've ever seen from him was towards a couple of French au pairs.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
No safety laurels to rest on
CONSIDERING how dangerous it is for Aussie women regarding domestic violence and murder, blokes here have nothing to crow about, Peter Dolan ("Humanity in terror is hard to see", Letters, 15/8). Women would have felt very safe in Gaza, though not now with the Israeli bombs.
