Newcastle's National Park has been off limits for council upgrades too long

Newcastle council signage states that the primary objective of the works is to improve the playing surface and that the fields would be ready for use in October 2021. Council workers carry out work on the park irregularly; often no work is carried out for lengthy periods of time. National Park was given to the people of Newcastle by the Australian Agricultural Company for use as a recreation area, so it is very disappointing that Newcastle council have seemingly paid such little attention to the upgrade works that park users have locked out of the park area for some 15 months.

AFTER the Sunday display by the Knights it is quite clear that they need the coach of the ladies entertainment group to take up their reins. This determined and professional group of young women were in perfect harmony with each other; they had discipline, an obvious passion for what they were doing (an entertaining performance), they were fit and played from start to finish! Obviously an embedded culture to succeed and blessed with talent.

What a difference to the lacklustre, no grit, no pride performance of our town's NRL players, and especially on an Anzac Sunday. Their opposition ran up hard, had a plan but hardly had to get out of second gear to accomplish it. Along the way Parramatta scored several 'soft' tries. The Eels didn't have to struggle to make yards out from their end; they just kept coming and, even after gaining a healthy lead, they continued to make our professionals look like second graders. Next weekend's real test, against Melbourne Storm, is yet to come.

I AGREE with your letter writer, that Katherine Deves' offensive tweets should have disqualified her as Prime Minister Scott Morrison's 'captains pick' as Liberal candidate standing for the seat of Warringah, (Letters, 25/4). The whole trans issue is in my opinion a storm in a teacup. I coached a junior soccer team in which two larger, stronger, faster and better coordinated girls starred. None of the boys who competed with or against the girls, or their parents, ever suggested that the girls' participation was inappropriate.

There must be an infinitesimal number of trans people who are good enough at sport to compete at an elite level. As your writer points out, under the Sex Discrimination Act, sports officials already have the power to disqualify trans competitors if they decide their physique gives them an unfair advantage, so why is Morrison antagonising 'progressive' voters and Warringah Liberal Party members by parachuting in Deves if she has no chance?

I suggest that Morrison has already abandoned a number of city seats including Warringah, to the 'teal' independents. But Morrison hopes to gain some marginal seats in other parts of the country by gaining the critical votes of religious conservative voters in these seats.

Will our PM's cynical strategy work or will it backfire when voters see through it?

IN response to Michelle Grattan, ("Morrison is failing the 'character' test", Opinion, 23/4). Unsavoury? Offensive? What about the offence being dealt out to women and girls? The complete rewriting of our language, being called people who are pregnant, menstruators, cervix havers, chest feeders and the like. How grossly offensive are these terms? Yet transgender activists expect 51 per cent of the population to think these terms are acceptable and that those who object are labelled hateful and bigoted, with no debate allowed.

I believe men expect women to give up their opportunities to win medals in elite sport because of the 'feelings' of men, rather than consider the lived reality of the female competitors and the fairness to female sport. What about the dignity and safety of women? Why should women just move over?

Just this weekend, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has announced plans for an inquiry into gender hormone treatment for children, stating that the system is 'failing children'. He has likened political sensitivities over gender dysphoria to the fears of racism in Rotherham over grooming gangs.

Children who are put on puberty blockers and hormones can end up sterile. My own teenage son received an email from his high school last year promoting Wear It Purple Day. A link on that page leads straight to the story of a young female with photographs of her elective double mastectomy. We found that an absolutely inappropriate image to be promoting to teenagers. Puberty is not a medical condition. Sometimes shocking situations call for shocking analogies. It's easy to shoot the messenger.

YOU have got to admire the selective wisdom of individuals. Andrew Spannenberg, (Letters, 25/4), postures that it is a failure of our education system that "human induced climate change is so poorly understood in the public". Could I posture that it is indeed our education system that has contributed to the misinformation and misleading messages on so-called human induced climate change? If all the people who believe humans are having a major impact in changing the climate then it is logical that they should be advocating for the mitigation of the problem, i.e. limit or reduce the number of people in the world.

My comment, (Short Takes, 20/4), on cows' contribution to atmospheric contamination was meant as a joke.

THE former Quarantine Act 1908, now the Biosecurity Act, originally applied to the regulation of exotic diseases of animals which may endanger human health and was regulated by the Minister for Agriculture. In 2015 it was amended to apply to humans and was broadened to be operated by the Minister for Health. Early in 2020 a gentleman died with the new COVID-19 virus. As a person had died, on March 17 2020 the government declared a pandemic and had the Governor General activate the Biosecurity Act. It has been extended every few months since.

Currently we see most of the onerous restrictions lifted in this time, but the government continues to extend the Biosecurity Act. I believe this act gives the Health Minister unbridled powers to override our Constitution and any other laws of this land. It's time overdue that the BioSecurity Act was allowed to self terminate, and our country returned fully to the sanity we were accustomed to before March 2020.

The latest changes to the COVID rules, combined with current high case numbers, mean that your chances of catching COVID-19 are now higher than ever. If you're over 50, or at risk in any other way, it's not too late to apply for a postal vote.

WITH all the help from Andrew Johns I cannot foresee Newcastle winning a premiership under the present coach.

WARREN Deans, (Letters, 25/4), how do you know I don't understand the issues surrounding transgender participation in female sport? I believe all that needs to be understood is that biological males should compete against males and biological females should compete against females. What if it came down to Olympic selection and a trans person gained the position on the team over a biological female? Sometimes people like to complicate issues so that the actual facts are lost on the majority and the minority will be appeased. I like the KISS theory myself: keep it simple.

TWO weeks ago I stated in a letter to this newspaper that there were 2 million people living in poverty in this country. I made a mistake, actually the official number of people living in poverty is 3 million and 740,000 of those are children. In real terms, 13 per cent of the population. Yes this is indeed the lucky country; lucky for some. Now is the time for a change or hang your heads in shame.

PORK again - these thoughtful people don't know what help they are distributing.

I DON'T think Australians realise that the Solomon Islands are only just over 2000 kilometres from home. New Zealand is just over 3000 kilometres away; nearer than you might think. And in reply to Marvyn Smith, (Short Takes, 21/4), blaming the refereeing for the Knights loss is just bad sportsmanship.

HERE we are, in the third decade of the Chinese century, and Australian politicians worry over Chinese expansion into the Pacific. What did they expect, what with withdrawing from the Pacific while joking about rising sea levels and signalling they will not accept environmental refugees? I imagine we will be seeing more of China in the region. I remember when the USA was the dominant Pacific power; people are still dying from the radiation.

I RECKON the owners of Singleton's Caledonian Hotel can paint whatever they want on the roof; they own the building. I can't wait to see the rainbow flag on the roof from the freedom pub when Mardi Gras comes around.