Newcastle Herald letters to the editor, Saturday-Sunday, May 30-31, 2020: Prime Minister's Scott a slogan for every job

As Australian Prime Minister and with the nation confronting its worst ever bushfire disaster, his "I will not be holding a hose" is possibly his most insensitive and stupid of slogans. Now with the COVID-19 crisis "Scotty from Marketing" has addressed our nation's problems with a trio of very concise slogans: "JobKeeper", "JobSeeker" and now "JobMaker".

However, with the first two having more pricks than a porcupine for people seeking to access them, what are the odds against JobMaker proving by comparison, "Where the bloody hell are you?" was Logie Award-winning material? Extremely short odds I would suggest. Particularly so if Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business is allowed to become involved.

TONY Brown (Alcohol laws are failing our most vulnerable, Herald, 26/5) it appears that your latest article (which seems to speak of "what if" situations and other hyperbole) has missed the mark, and again I find it necessary to point out the fact that only a vast minority of drinkers cause trouble.

Teachers don't put entire classrooms on detention because of the misbehaviour of one student, so why punish every punter for the actions of a very select few?

I would also suggest that punishing every licensed premises is the definition of overkill when the majority of licensed premises constantly comply with even the most draconian of laws.

Regarding any noise complaints made against licensed premises by nearby residents, I say, on their own heads be it if the licensed premises in question were there first. If I were to move near a highway, it would be downright foolish of me to lodge complaints about the traffic noise and expect the traffic to be redirected elsewhere.

So why should anyone who chooses to move near a long standing licensed premises be able to complain about any accompanying noise and automatically get their way? The world simply doesn't work like that.

I HAVE just read the article about John Barilaro's thoughts on sand dredging.

This is a Band-aid fix and there is nothing to stop this sand being swept away again in the very next storm.

This beach needs a two-pronged system that will fix this issue long term.

A seawall has to be installed like the one offered by Australian Coastal Walls (see www.australiancoastalwalls.com.au) and the sand dredging.

In the long term, this is the only inexpensive way of fixing this problem. You need both the remedies or this will just keep reoccurring at great expense in the future.

I SEE there are still people out there that consider that "little pigs should be seen and not heard" when they express their thoughts about Greta Thunberg.

Whether you agree with what she says or not, she has the right to her opinions and she does not deserve to be ridiculed or censored. And by the way, I feel she speaks the truth and is not influenced by greed and bull and the spin of big business, but is concerned about the future for the young.

I WAS very encouraged to hear that PM Scott Morrison has announced he wants to get unions and business in a room so they can work together to improve IR.

The removal of the "union-busting" bill is welcome but to complete the hat-trick it is necessary to remove the "union-busting" minister Michaelia Cash.

She has done everything in her power to incite unions, for example raiding the AWU, mud slinging and also the name-calling of Bill Shorten in the lead-up to the 2019 federal election as the former leader of AWU.

Christopher Pyne ran the same agenda for many years with his smutty "Kill Bill". We do not need any of these tactics just get down to business with an open mind and fairness for all involved. Our country deserves better for our workers and failing to come to a consensus would be a massive mistake.

Christian Porter has said the government will take legislation to parliament "one way or the other". Sally McManus of the ACTU states there are five hoops for employers to jump through and about 16 for working people when they come to bargain. Sally McManus is the most down to earth, sensible person I have heard speak about IR in a very long time. She talks fairness and sense with a wonderful calm manner, she is a true leader and someone the rest of politics should emulate.

READERS will be aware that those boring, monotonous, corny, and costly level one Hunter Water restrictions ads on TV are still running and are being paid by us. The only ones benefiting are the multi-nationals, as our reservoir levels are now secure, after recent rain.

We read (Herald, 11/3) that our water rates will increase by 0.5 per cent for households and 4 per cent for apartments. With 2.6 per cent CPI, that's 3.1 per cent for households and 6.6 per cent for apartments.

This is unfair and the surplus of profits are returned to the NSW Government.

IT disappoints me to see in various media sources about government employee unions or associations, of which I am a member of one, raising awareness to the NSW Government's deferral of the 2.5 per cent wage increase this year citing it as a "pay cut". With nearly 600 000 Australians unemployed, most of whom are family and friends, in this once in a lifetime pandemic, to demand a pay rise beggars belief.

The government has not said that they will not give us one, but rather defer it. In 12 months' time if the government has not fulfilled their promises, then the unions and associations can have this discussion. To suggest we are getting a pay cut is scandalous and far from the truth.

As government employees, we all should be happy knowing that we have jobs, we can pay our mortgages or kid's educations and live a close to financially normal life. Perhaps this is a case of industrial entitlement moving into industrial greed?

HAVE the maintenance team at Lake Macquarie Council gone on strike or are they only consigned to working on the foreshore of the lake? When you get beyond the foreshore, there's a huge lack of maintenance and grass cutting around the back streets. The roundabout at Hillsborough Road is a prime example. At the moment it's a disgrace, the weeds on High School Corner are at waist height. It seems everywhere you drive around the lake it's the same. Lake Macquarie is a beautiful city, but at the moment it's only skin deep.

ARE churches an essential service when Holy Communion helps viral infections to be transmitted; when all drink from the same cup, the contents may be blessed, but I doubt whether being holy is also infection-free. Does God really need a middle man or an interpreter to preach from the bible when most church goers already possess one? But more to the point does God need someone to act on his or her behalf to administer punishment and forgiveness for sins? Considering the poor records of trust many churches have brought upon themselves, I would consider their service in many cases is only essential to themselves.

I FULLY support a wage rise for our public service people, but why is it reported that "more than 11,400 public servants in the Hunter are facing wage cuts"? (Heroes slam wage 'insult', Herald, 29/5). They aren't at all; they are just not getting a pay rise. Two different things.

ANOTHER shipping disaster off the Australian coast, the second in two years, involving a Flag of Convenience ship, let's hope we don't get another Exxon Valdez.

A $15.5 MILLION dollar plan for changes to Christ Church Cathedral? (Heritage body crosses off cathedral project, Herald, 28/5). Surely the money would be better spent compensating all of the Anglican Church's sexual abuse victims

COVID-19 has been a bit of a pain for most people, no doubt, and some are more frustrated than others at the time it is taking to get back to "normal" whatever that is now. I make no judgments and name no states or people, but it seems some states have handled it better than others. I am however a bit sick of people singling out some of the states that have chosen to keep their borders closed for severe criticism. Even threats and deadlines happening. There are other states that have their borders closed also but it seems that is not an issue with the harshest critics of other ones.

IF we have to choose between Greta and Donald I'm in the market for a one way seat on the space shuttle. Both are divisive extremists who do more harm than good.

I THINK we have reached a new low (Short Takes, 28/5) politicising Anzac Day to push one's own personal agenda.