Compassionate Premier is what NSW needs

However, when you read that this Catholic supports Trump and regards welfare as a waste of funds, I am sure the Sisters at St Patrick's Orphanage, Armidale, would be spinning in their graves for the care and welfare that was given to me and my siblings following the death of our mother and health collapse of my father back in 1931.

With the depression raging, without the care of the nuns and small welfare payments of the state, our lives would have been the same as tens of thousands of children who for no reason of theirs or our parents were pushed into poverty.

Today the inequality has never been more apparent and the Premier would only have to move out of his privileged circle and speak to organisations like his church's charity groups like Vinnies and he might be educated in the poverty of the real world.

If the Premier changes to the Catholicism of the nuns who cared for us I am sure he would earn the respect and inspiration like we had for the nuns as we used their example of service to others as my beloved sister was awarded two Orders Of Australia, OA and AM my brother's as caring obstetrician and my OAM for services to the community as we followed their examples.

If the new Premier displays the same generosity I will be the first to say he is a good Catholic and Christian.

IAN Kirkwood, ("The Catholic question: When in Rome: new report, same old story", Opinion, 9/10), fails to convince me of a clear cause and effect connection with the "burden" of Catholic clerical celibacy and clerical child abuse.

Undoubtedly the latest French revelations of historic child abuse are another damning indictment of the Catholic Church's failings in this area.

Nevertheless, the French report makes it clear that, like elsewhere, "the vast majority of sexual violence against children was perpetrated by family or friends" (3.7 per cent of children by a family member, 2 per cent by a family friend, 1.8 per cent by a friend or acquaintance), as opposed to Catholic clergy and religious (0.82 per cent). Moreover, "more than a third of sexual assaults within the Catholic Church were committed, not by clergy or religious, but by lay people".

Roughly 3 per cent of French clergy during the last 70 years were offenders, much less than corresponding figures for other countries.

And how does clerical celibacy explain the fact that most of the abuse happened before 1970?

I have not read Frederic Martel's "In The Closet Of The Vatican", but I note one reviewer's comment (Catholic World Report) that it presents innuendos, but not evidence or documents, that it is gossip-filled and romanticized, neither scholarly nor objective.

RAY White, ("Liquor law sanctions needed", Letters, 9/10), I definitely agree with you that Newcastle's liquor restrictions are akin to the Prohibition Era.

In my opinion, both sets of laws led people to partake in unlawful behaviour, such as sneaking in alcohol, and/or drug use. I don't, however, agree with you on the restriction of any drinks until midnight, as I don't see why all pub and club patrons should be tarred with the same brush and punished for the actions of a very small percentage of troublemakers. The vast majority of people who drink can behave themselves, and the proof can be seen on any given night out in any of Newcastle's licensed premises. As you said, there needs to be tougher enforcement on public drunkenness by police.

It can sometimes be hard for staff in venues to determine whether a patron has preloaded on drinks or not, but once it's determined that they are intoxicated, the legal obligation is to kick them out. But what then? With a strong police presence doing foot patrols, there is a strong chance of little to no violence on the streets, and any individual troublemakers can be punished, rather than all of society.

THE future is all around us.

Our parks and local beachside amenities have been booming during the lockdown. People are everywhere - on bikes, skating, picnicking, walking and discovering what's in their own backyards. I've discovered we even have our own local tourism companies promoting our heritage and local Indigenous history.

Like many, I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude that we live in a city with these wonderful natural attributes. It makes me more determined than ever to protect them against invasive major events and insensitive developments promoted by those with a vested interest in turning Newcastle into a generic 'global city'.

It will be harder in the future for the international hotel chains working closely with local and state government tourism bodies to convince Novocastrians that bigger is always better.

My hope is that our political leaders will learn from the experience of COVID and promote our own local events and those tourism industries that value our history and respect our natural environment.

NEWCASTLE federal MP Sharon Claydon is critical of Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 (PEP-11) ("PEP-11 about politics, not public interest, Opinion, 9/10).

Under this proposal, Advent Equity, an international company, would explore for undersea oil and gas between Port Kembla and Newcastle. If undersea oil or gas was discovered, and the field was approved for exploitation, we would have off-shore oil or gas rigs off our beaches. Oil or gas tankers would be filled and sail between the rigs and an onshore terminal. Apart from the eyesore of oil or gas rigs off our beaches, there would be a real danger of an oil spill - as is occurring right now along the coast of California.

Claydon accuses federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt of playing politics on the proposal. Some of Pitt's Coalition colleagues want the proposal to go ahead, but many think that an approval would be electoral poison. Apart from the risk of environmental disaster, the world is switching away from fossil fuels. So, rejecting the proposal is a no-brainer.

So why is Pitt delaying his rejection of the proposal? Could it be that his decision has been delayed because he is awaiting a final decision by PM Scott Morrison? Morrison himself wants to own and time the rejection decision leading up to the 2022 election in order to achieve maximum votes for the Coalition.

AMONG Morrison's excuses for not going to Glasgow is that our country is in COVID crisis. The catastrophic bushfire crisis didn't stop him from going to Hawaii.

IF Australia wants to send a message to China about their attitude towards trade, Taiwan, its lack of ownership and transparency around COVID and their sheer arrogance, Australia and other countries affected by COVID should boycott the upcoming winter Olympics in Beijing.

IAN Kirkwood sees "a sliding scale from the closeted (homosexuality).........to the indefensible violence of clerical child abuse", ("The Catholic question: When in Rome: new report, same old story", Opinion, 9/10). I would suggest a moral abyss rather than a sliding scale. Child sexual abuse by anyone is an horrendous evil denying the individual any unique human value.

I ALWAYS look forward to Deborah Richards' ("Perspectives" Weekender, 9/10), great sense of humour. Her amusing article on muscular problems, champagne shoulder in particular when using power tools reminded me of my dilemma with our lockdown. I seem to be suffering from the dreaded COVID constipation. Although fully jabbed and eager to get out, my wife and I will be cautious of the new road map to freedom.

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about! Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce are fighting against a NSW-style ICAC. Why? The argument that you can vote out people if you don't like their decisions is a smoke screen. Corruption is corruption. Surely, the federal government has nothing to hide!

WE need a lack of integrity commission. The reasons the Morrison government won't establish a federal ICAC are twofold. ICAC would expose their corrupt practices. ICAC would prevent them from continuing their corrupt practices.

OUR car race should not be around the narrow streets but should be around Kooragang with wide streets for adequate passing.

ADZ Carter, ("Why pokies and ponies aren't treated same", Letters, 7/10), said "problem gambling should be viewed as a completely separate issue, rather than viewed as a direct result of alcohol". I'll drink to that Adz. And if anyone disagrees, then let them put their money where their mouth is. I've got $10 to bet that you're wrong.

THE existing structure at All Saints' College has benefited thousands of local young men and women for decades. Why overhaul something that works so well? Education executives should focus more time on improving academic outcomes across our region rather than trying to develop their own business acumen.