Ringing Opal inquiries takes time, as this obviously understaffed  department proves to be often of no help at all.

Any transport minister with an ounce of brains would have a card use statement posted out to the card holder every three months.

   Until the card user gets a statement there can be no accounting of money deducted.

Since paper tickets and pay-as-you-enter are no longer in use on our buses, a system failure in the middle of a journey means that no ‘‘tap off’’ can be recorded and the maximum fare will apply to the journey. A rort by any other name equals Opal.

Dave Cox, Corrimal

After many years of uncertainty, absolute neglect and unprecedented corruption, NSW has rebounded with renewed invigoration. I really do not care about the political affiliations, I care about NSW and its need to be the powerhouse of the Australian economy. 

I am a predominantly Labor voter from my upbringing and the ideals I saw with the Hawke/ Keating years of reform and management. I reward good government because it is scarce as rocking horse poo at this stage in Australia.

 I will support Mike Baird because my future has the certainty of this government’s ability to do a good job. By the way, I also employ 70 staff and have had a healthy relationship with trade unions since 2002. 

Political affiliation is an ideal, political certainty with either side is our ability to set the agenda for our future through our right to vote for competent government. Let’s not blow it. 

Mark Wroblewski, Mount Pleasant

 The possible issue of a credit card instead of cash in order to control the abuse of drugs and alcohol by welfare recipients is a good start. There needs to be a further stipulation by ensuring that those that have a substance abuse issue be drug and alcohol tested before they receive benefits.

 If they fail these simple tests more than twice their benefits are stopped for three months and they must be sober before benefits are resumed. If they have   unsatisfactory results then their benefits are stopped for 12 months.

 The cost of the tests should be borne   by the recipients and upon having a clean result the money is reimbursed.

 The taxpayers should not be funding drug and alcohol abuse by welfare recipients.

John Ernst, Kanahooka

 I recently returned from Singapore to find roadworks which had started around Christmas only just completed.

 While overseas, work on the road in front of our hotel was started in the morning – and that included digging out the old road – finished completely when we returned in the afternoon.

They could do in one day what takes about eight weeks here.

Janette Cooper, Figtree