CIRCUSES using wild animals were banned in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie years ago on the grounds of cruelty. There are no circuses in Australia using wild animals these days, yet we are allowing professional bull riders to perform in this city on the weekend. Why? This "sport" is banned in the UK, parts of the US and in the ACT on cruelty grounds.
As the RSPCA states, the bulls suffer fear, stress and pain, and buck to rid the rider from their backs and the tight strap round their flanks. Many bulls are injured in these events. I don't believe cruel and violent spectacles using animals should be allowed.
Olga Parkes, New Lambton Heights
Punters are bearing the brunt
THE editorial ("RBA overhaul should begin at the top", Opinion, 18/4) raises the ineptness of the RBA, which clearly has not understood the various dynamics, and of government policies that are budgeting massive increases in immigration.
We have the RBA dampening demand (inflation) with interest rate rises that have been driven around the world by increasing supply chain delays, production delays through the Ukraine conflict and COVID in China. The easy conclusion is that interest rate rises will have minimal impact.
Government immigration will mean more spending to accommodate the increased population, however, the people will drive additional demand. In addition we have climate policies that will drive higher power prices, yet we continue to sell coal, our chief export.
One could surmise that our economic policies are all over the shop, which means the average punter will pay the price for increased government spending with higher taxation. In the end, any government will pay the price of a badly-run economy.
Grahame Danaher, Coal Point
A challenge isn't cancellation
PRESSURE is building for an explosion, we're told. Speech police; power grabs; freedom killers; ruined lives; Stalinists; brainwashing; hate; enemies. Are we talking here about the purges of Stalin and Mao? No, it's Amanda Vanstone describing modern Australia ("It's time to cancel cancel culture", Herald, 30/3). Things are so bad, apparently, the lives and careers of good people are being cancelled "almost everywhere we turn." Really?
I'm particularly intrigued about the "open and frank discussion about Indigenous Australia" Vanstone laments we can no longer have. What does she mean? She doesn't really say, but if the past she looks to is any guide, it would involve unchallenged stereotypes, racist jokes and paternalism, such as telling Indigenous people to take a lesson from Irish and German migrants and get over the past.
Ms Vanstone also says nothing about the bovver boys (and girls) of the right who, in attack mode, make the so-called "woke brigade" look like shrinking violets.
But the basic issue here is not so much hypocritical hyperbole, as woolly-headed thinking. Vanstone and others conflate being challenged with being cancelled. They think they're champions of free speech when, by their own logic, they're just hankering for halcyon days when casual bigotry was freely licensed and conformity was taken for granted.
They aren't being cancelled. Culture and attitudes are changing, and they don't like it.
Michael Hinchey, New Lambton
'Wowsers' have genuine worries
ADZ Carter's reliance on the recent tragic homicide of a young brave father and front-line paramedic in the line of duty in Sydney, to vent against all advocates for evidence-based alcohol harm controls (Short Takes, 19/4) is, in my opinion, deeply disturbing, disconnected and offensive .
These advocates include some distinguished medical researchers, police, paramedics, inner city families living near large pubs and those groups protecting and promoting the safety of women, children and other vulnerable members of society.
While the relentless description of such advocates as wowsers by Mr Carter and a few others may appeal to a very small minority of irresponsible alcohol outlets, it does nothing to collaboratively solve the recent 60-80 per cent increase in reported assaults and drink driving charges in Newcastle's CBD.
I expect it is no coincidence that this escalation in alcohol harms and offences occurred during the recent 18-month trial of weakened alcohol harm controls overseen by the Latham committee.
The permanent removal of these modest controls is likely to be confirmed by the NSW Independent Liquor and Gambling Authority soon.
Tony Brown, Newcastle
No-harm rule may hurt us
THE no-harm rule is a widely recognised principle of customary international law, whereby a state is duty bound to prevent, reduce and control the risk of environmental harm to other states.
Australia is a major exporter of fossil fuels - natural gas and coal - that are well known to be prime causes of human-induced climate change. Also, many Australian corporations that are burning fossil fuels to produce energy have made it perfectly clear that they intend to continue this practice well into the future.
The climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions caused by Australia's massive involvement with fossil fuels would be, without doubt, far reaching across the world.
Bearing in mind the widely recognised principle of international law outlined above, Australia should surely approach the future in relation to climate change with considerable caution.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank
Bickering does nothing for nation
NOW I've heard everything. I always thought Peter Dutton was a comedian, but I'm beginning to think he's a joke. Today when Peter Dutton was making a media speech, he actually said he believed the Albanese Labor government should have been able to fix all the major problems that were there in the Coalition's nine-year tenure in its first year after taking power.
Doesn't this say that the Albanese Labor government is a hundred per cent better than they were?
I think this Labor government has done more in their first year than their Coalition predecessors did in their nine-year tenure. Peter Dutton has now put two first-timers in the shadow cabinet's front bench.
Those two ministers should have learnt the ropes before getting front-bench positions.
As for Michaelia Cash as shadow attorney-general, I think shadow defence minister would have been a better fit as she knows how to march better than anyone. Can you imagine Michaelia Cash in front of her troops yelling her orders, and marching in her special way? We would be the envy of other nations for our very special parading. Let's hope the opposition who were voted in by their constituents get behind what is now the Australian government. They won, you lost. Work together.
Margrietha Owens, Cardiff
SHORT TAKES
DENNIS Crampton (Short Takes, 17/4): governments have no say in a power station closing or not. They are owned by private companies now. Remember when they were sold off to bring more competition to the market, and cheaper electricity to consumers? I can remember when the people of NSW owned the power stations, poles and wires and even the mines to supply the fuel and our dividend was cheap reliable power.
Bob Watson, Swansea
PERSONALLY, Mike Sargent, (Short Takes, 17/4), since COVID, I would be very circumspect about trusting even 99 per cent of medical opinion. And, since I believe we live in a time of universal deceit about many things including climate change, the majority opinion is always subject to scrutiny for me. To what climate change meetings do you refer, and why do China and India continue to build coal-fired power plants?
Peter Dolan, Lambton
IF those who wish to risk their lives and the lives of our service people by stopping one carriage of a loaded coal train then all I can think is that they are delusional. If they were to channel their energies into finding a solution to the fossil fuel problem then there may be some sense to the actions. I have always found that to complain about a problem is futile. Offer viable solutions and someone may just listen. Coal mining to my mind is only the final step to be overcome.
John Bradford, Beresfield
IN response to Jasmine Stuart, ("Why I helped stop a loaded coal train", Opinion, 18/4), how very noble of you to protest against coal. I just hope you and your fellow hypocritical protesters went home and had a cold shower, sat in the dark, didn't watch television or use a computer or mobile device or the internet.
Matt Ophir, Charlestown
GREAT minds must think alike Steve Barnett as I have had the same opinion about Nobbys for decades, (Short Takes, 19/4). My suggestion for the headland would be to build a giant lighthouse similar to a castle on a chessboard. A new castle, so to speak. Keep the old one for historical purposes of course.
Neil Meyers, Warners Bay
STEVE Barnett, why didn't you think of this a couple of years ago?, (Short Takes, 18/4). A structure was dismantled in Newcastle for scrap. With a small amount of modification it would have been ideal, and at little cost. What structure, you ask? The viewing tower known as the penis.
Brian Neal, Elermore Vale
WE'RE going to need a bigger planet to create a bigger landfill to hide the defunct windmills and solar panels. No recycling available just proves pollies and big business have no idea and don't give a damn!
