Watching an election advertisement from Mike Baird I felt myself wondering which state this bloke was talking about. Supposedly we’re able to feel something in the air on our way to a private-enterprise nirvana.
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I can assure Mr Baird that, as a small-business person, things are not as rosy as he would present them. About last May, after his mate Tony torpedoed the economy, the phone stopped ringing. My suppliers are the same, there are vacant shops all over and business and consumer confidence is falling.
So, Mr Baird, maybe things in the real world need more attention than your ideological drive to destroy public services and look after your big-end-of-town mates.
Andrew Sefton, Thirroul
Thank goodness there is an independent candidate standing for the seat of Shellharbour. Like Mr Quinn, I think party politics has had its day.
Unfortunately there is a perception that having an independent representative puts the electorate at a disadvantage because he or she has no influence on the government, or that there is some hidden agenda of support for one party or another.
But there have been at least two independent members of the NSW Parliament who were men of integrity and whose actions matched their words: Ted Mack (North Sydney 1981-88) who retired a few days short of being eligible for parliamentary pensions in protest about their exorbitance, and John Hatton (South Coast 1973-95) whose dogged determination saw the establishment of the Wood royal commission into corruption.
If Mr Quinn can emulate these men the people of Shellharbour will be well served.
Barbara Sawtell, Oak Flats
Very nice of Mike Baird to promise country people faster train services by providing super brand new XPTs with money from the sale of our poles and wires.
However, the current fleet of XPTs are capable of much faster speeds, but are slowed by speed restrictions due to poor track conditions.
The new trains would be unable to go any faster than the ones we have, without massive investment in infrastructure.
No mention of that.
In another move the Liberals intend to reintroduce cable logging on the hillsides of the North Coast, thus totally stripping these hills of any greenery and leaving the wildlife nowhere to go.
But wait, all is not lost.
To appease their National Party mates, the Libs are not selling the poles and wires in the country areas, so at least the birds and wildlife may be able to make new homes on the electricity poles when all the trees are gone.
David Taylor, Horsley
What is the attraction that is luring Islamic converts and those of Islamic Australian descent to venture to a foreign country and do the bidding of Islamic zealots?
What causes these impressionable young men and women to become extremists and to put their lives on the line?
How are the Islamic people in Australia coping with the extremists who are tarnishing their faith?
What a terrible state of affairs when young Australians need to venture to other countries and follow the biddings of those in power to create atrocities on the unsuspecting.
Tony Dunn, West Wollongong