PAT Conroy ('$850m to secure Hunter's future as Defence powerhouse', Opinion, 22/8) has boasted about his government's generosity to a foreign weapons company to build more powerful killing devices.
Is the $850 million that the federal government has found to subsidise the Norwegian company, Kongsberg, to build the Naval Strike Missile at Williamtown being taken from our hospital and school funding?
We are told there is insufficient money to meet the Gonski targets for our public schools, but there is plenty available for more armaments.
These projects require the employment of graduates in science and technology when our schools cannot find teachers of maths and science.
The inducements given to students by these weapons manufacturers to have their university fees paid and receive financial support while studying is very attractive, so who would want to become a teacher? Do we have our priorities right?
Doug Hewitt, Hamilton
Gasworks site makes sense for basketball stadium
IT is good to see that common sense has prevailed and Newcastle council is considering using the old gasworks site on Clyde Street for the new basketball stadium ('New site suggestion for stadium', Herald, 22/8).
This was always going to be the best site.
I hope this decision is based on its own common sense merit rather than the fact that this is an election year.
It would be rather cynical of me to suggest it would not be wise to annoy the residents and a majority of "silent electors" of Ward 3.
I doubt there would be too many objections raised in Ward 1 over the re-birthing of a former derelict industrial site.
Glenn Sullivan, New Lambton
Rail chaos could have been better handled
RECENTLY, with two other couples, we had the pleasure of travelling to and around Sydney for two days.
Having settled into a carriage at Newcastle Interchange we were informed we had to leave the carriage because of some malfunction and the carriage was closed off, being the only of four linked carriages which had a toilet.
Our friends boarded at Cardiff and by Wyong people had to stand or sit on the steps. Also, as there were no luggage racks except for some that were only deep enough for a briefcase or a handbag, this exacerbated the problem.
When we alighted at Hornsby we actually had to fight through the throng to get on the station.
We saw signs that said there were no trains running between Wynyard and Central, also none between Strathfield and Central but we planned our return to Newcastle around that. Or so we thought.
Planning to have a farewell drink and meal with our friends at North Sydney, we saw that due to a major medical issue at Chatswood there were no trains between North Sydney and Chatswood and we would have to travel by bus, which we assumed would be a special. But no, it was the regular service to Chatswood. Two of these buses had been filled with scores of angry people crushing trying to get on.
Then a station employee announced the line to Hornsby was open so another mad rush downstairs to board the train to Hornsby despite a recorded announcement asking people not board this train. Hilarious. Here the circus continued with the destination board showing our location as Killara and travelling to Wynyard.
Some patrons became anxious about where we were heading but most of us had a good laugh, especially when we reached Killara. The destination board stayed the same all the way to Hornsby. Also there were no announcements about each station and some passengers missed their stop.
Surely with at least two hours' notice, special buses could have run. Secondly, surely some human can switch off these announcements and also change the destination board correctly. What a farce!
Sandra Harris and Robert Green, Georgetown
Infighting no reason for extension
JOHN Carr ('Electoral extension', Letters, 23/8) claimed the NSW Electoral Commissioner bureaucratically declined the NSW Liberals' request for a week extension for nominations in September's council elections.
The NSW Electoral Commission is independent and can delay an entire election but it still functions under the Local Government Act 1993, the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 Act and election funding and disclosures laws.
The nominations day, the fifth Wednesday before polling day, is legislated, on the commission's website and sent to candidates and political parties.
There are more election regulations to understand but it's more accessible than when I was a candidate in the paper-based 1990 federal elections.
I assume unless there's a natural disaster affecting elections then there's no reason for any extension or delay just because of Liberal infighting and factionalism.
Kerry Vernon, New Lambton
Quake Mother Nature's play for equilibrium
THE quake that rattled Muswellbrook is just Mother Nature's way of trying to restore some equilibrium to the area. We dig big holes and she tries to fill them in. So is the way of the world.
John Bradford, Beresfield
Funding for missiles
WHILE the bad news is that public education and health remain underfunded and struggling because, we're told, there's just not enough taxpayer dollars to go around, the good news is the Labor government found enough of our funds for the Hunter to make missiles at $4 million each. We're currently witnessing what such missiles do to children in schools and hospitals in war zones. Why try to be a world leader in peace when it's simpler and more profitable to just join in the insane brutality?
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Root of the problem
RELIGION is why the Middle East is the way it is. All sides were a blank canvas at birth until religion called and killed. Nobody is right, but everyone involved is wrong. There is no god or prophet. When humans realise this, humanity will be heaven.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Train testing takes time
SARAH Taylor ('Railing against disgusting trains', Letters, 23/8), the reason the trains are taking so long is because each train has to undergo 500 hours of actual test running on the tracks before being put into service. If any faults are found then the testing starts again - another 500 hours. The last starting estimate was late next year.
Russell Stretton, The Junction
Thanks for the correction
THANK you John Lawton ('Inferring to imply', Letters, 24/8) for taking the time to correct my wrong choice of words. Many would say I need all the help I can get and I wouldn't disagree.
