I NOTE with the passing of Queen Elizabeth and the changing of the federal government the issue of Australia becoming a republic is back on the agenda.
As a much younger person before the last referendum on this issue, I was all for changing the political system and even changing the anthem to the song about the shearer and the jumbuck. I was still incensed that the Queen's representative was able to sack our Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.
I held this view until a chance discussion with an older workmate who pointed out how the Westminster system actually worked and how it was far superior to many of the other systems used in other countries including the USA.
His rational analysis and guidance changed my selection on the day of the referendum. When people consider changing the political system, we should ensure it is going to be an improvement. The change in system for the election of mayors for local councils has highlighted to me that this change did not improve anything.
My view is that it merely allows the various mayors to act like small-time US presidents that have benefited from the change as they appear to hold more power and voting rights on council decisions.
A change in our system may only lead to politicians obtaining more power and increase the chance of corruption, which is an issue that needs addressing.
Steve Larsen, East Seaham
Labor disappoints on environment
AS the Australian federal election grew close earlier this year I gained the strong impression that, at that time, the Labor Party, were strongly in favour of introducing greatly improved legislation, if elected, to better protect animals and the environment in general.
Recently the Albanese Government has announced that 10 new Australian ocean sites covering close to 47,000 square kilometres will soon be open for oil and gas exploration. This news amazed me.
It may not be widely known that seismic surveying is a common practice associated with oil and gas exploration and that this operation can cause great stress to whales including hearing loss, habitat expulsion, disturbed feeding and breeding, and loss of communication between whales. There have even been a number of reported instances where whale deaths have been closely linked to oil and gas operations but to date the cause of deaths are unproven.
The decision by our federal government to open up such a large area of ocean sites for oil and gas exploration, which almost certainly will cause great stress to whales and in fact to many other marine animals, seems to be in direct contradiction to what the heralded intentions of the Labor Party were prior to the election. A great disappointment.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank
Greens' quick-fire was a miss
THE appalling response of Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt, his deputy Mehreen Faruqi and many of their followers virtually celebrating the death of our former head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, within minutes of its announcement permanently in my opinion puts an end to the myth that the Greens are a "humanitarian" Party.
Their behaviour since the announcement of our Queen's death - the very same monarch that they pledged allegiance to when they were sworn into Parliament - is more fitting for a university campus politics club.
Rank ideological politics and the ability to kick someone while they're down apparently rules supreme with these people.
In my view it is nothing short of despicable the way that Bandt and Faruqi have conducted themselves, in a way that is completely unfitting for a Member of Parliament let alone the leaders of a political party. They and the people supporting them should hang their heads in shame. It is completely un-Australian.
Matt Eggleston, West Perth
Penalty payment fails the test
WILTON Ainsworth ('Hunter needs terminal velocity', Letters, 10/9) rightly called the Port of Newcastle container penalty "one of the grubbiest deals done by the government in this country". The state government in fact penalised itself in 2013 for changing its own container terminal policy.
Announced in July 2012, the government's policy is that a container terminal will not be developed at the Port of Newcastle before Port Botany and Port Kembla become fully developed to their capacity.
The Hansard record proves that the Treasurer's decision to penalise the government for changing container terminal policy was intentionally concealed from the public and Parliament. Hansard also reveals that the penalty's existence was consistently denied by the government until it was exposed by the Newcastle Herald in July 2016.
Payable by the government to NSW Ports from May 2013, the penalty is payable to the government by the Port of Newcastle operator, which until May 2014 was the government itself. No Parliament may make a law that authorises the executive branch of the government to penalise the government for changing a government policy. Therefore I believe the penalty is unlawful.
Greg Cameron, Wamboin
Race's place is not in our face
THANK you Michael Parris ('City must have say on new Supercars deal', Opinion 10/9). Your piece certainly brought back the nightmares of the past and what I consider the non-consultation with the community, and it seems like here we go again.
In the past I have been quite vocal in my condemnation of the location of this race, through the streets of historic Newcastle East. In their usual way I believe Newcastle council will sweep aside any community opinions while saying that they are "consulting". Over the years I have written many letters to the editor while I was safely tucked away from this madness in Mayfield. I am now a resident of the East End and although I was aware of the race in 2023 I was hopeful that was the final race. It appears in my opinion that the decision to grant another five years of this race has been made already and the council will push ahead regardless of opinions from others.
In my opinion the council's suggestion that they will consult is insulting, not consulting. To any supporter of the race I would ask you only one question: would you really want it run past your front door? If the answer is yes then put your hand up and we will see what we can do to move it.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Newcastle East
Climate declaration falls flat
PETER Devey, climate change denier, advises that we should read the World Climate Declaration signed by 1107 real scientists, ('Not everyone worried on climate', Letters 12/9). Mr Devey, in the words of recent generations, you have been pranked. An AFP fact-check of the paper you quote reveals it was signed by several scientists who are, or have been, on the payroll of oil and gas companies. Worse, several of the scientists named as co-authors were dead at the time the paper was written.
Mike Sargent, Cootamundra
VALE Alf Carpenter; a grand old man who reached the grand old age of 105 ('Last salute', Newcastle Herald 9/9). A product of his generation; humble, happy with life and someone who served his country with distinction for which we should be ever grateful, as we should be to all those brave men and women who fought for our freedom during World War II. Alf could truly be described as one of nature's gentlemen.
Ian King, Warners Bay
THIS week, King Charles (the person, not the spaniel) became our head of state. We have no say in it. He could be someone who hates our country, wants the Ashes back in England, whatever. It wouldn't matter what his connection to Australia is as we have no say in it. Instead, if we need a head of state at all, we should have the right to appoint someone committed to the enduring interests of our own country. An Aboriginal elder would be the clear choice in my opinion, but we should at least ensure that we select a true Australian. It's time we grew up.
Rick Frost, Mallabula
CHARLES and Camilla as King and Queen Consort of Australia? No thanks. If there was ever a time to cut our ties, it is now. Once the most unpopular woman in England over the Diana fiasco, how could we possibly accept these two as our Heads of State?
Don Fraser, Belmont North
MONARCHISTS have long argued that we don't need a republic because we already have an Australian as our head of state in the Governor General. But over the weekend the King of England was proclaimed as Australia's head of state. How did the Palace get it so wrong?
Toni Lorentzen, Fennel Bay
I TOTALLY agree with recent correspondents regarding newsreaders. The nightly news seems to be nothing but glitches and wrong names on video captions, and do we really need three weather spots during the hour instead of just one at the end of the news? It appears to me that they mustn't be able to find enough news content.
Robyn McAllister, East Maitland
QANTAS CEO Alan Joyce has apparently has received a $287,000 pay rise. In my opinion this is a massive slap in the face for not only the sacked permanent workers from Qantas who were replaced by labour-hire workers who seemingly have no idea what they are doing, and also all the other workers in the country who are struggling to pay their home loans and put food on the table. I believe what this man has done to Qantas workers over the last two years is terrible.
Darryl Tuckwell, Eleebana
I RECKON a giant middle finger on the Caledonian Hotel roof would be appropriate ('Flag fight', Herald 6/9).
