IF NSW Premier Chris Minns claims council's failure to sign a one-year deal with Supercars was "nonsensical", signing a five-year deal to place the city behind barricades for nine weeks a year for another five years would have been utter madness ("Nonsensical': Minns blasts council stance", Newcastle Herald 19/10). The city's small businesses have suffered through the uncertainty of the past few weeks while both levels of government have indulged in the blame game. In my opinion, our political representatives have failed to take away the real lesson to be learned from the past seven years of community-led protest. This electorate has grown a voice and can no longer be taken for granted.
