THE Illawarra must not be allowed to lose its last remaining national sporting team, the Wollongong Hawks, a team that are our ambassadors promoting Wollongong as a tourist destination to the rest of Australia, a team that gives their time advancing basketball and a healthy lifestyle to the community and schools for free, a team that fills the pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants 14 weekends a year (yes, 14 not four), a team that puts smiles on the faces of children every home game, a team we all love and are proud of.
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James, Kim, Gordie, Oscar and Tim are trying their hardest to keep the Hawks alive, but we need all the local businesses, big and small, to get behind the Hawks before we lose them forever after 36 years being part of the Illawarra.
The NBL, WIN Corporation, Destination Wollongong, Illawarra Mercury, councils, Wollongong University, fitness centres, hotels, clubs, restaurants, banks, airlines, sporting clubs and major organisations, anyone who has a business will benefit from sponsoring the Hawks. We cannot let the Hawks die, so businesses get behind the Hawks now before it’s too late, and if they won’t or can’t, than maybe it’s time for the community to pull out the buckets again like we did with Mat Campbell a few years ago and start donating.
Chris Eagleton, Barrack Heights
I FULLY support the government’s efforts, in the name of anti-terrorism, to dissuade young Australians from becoming involved in the sectarian violence in the Middle East.
I would further argue that this policy of non-involvement should be extended to include Australia as a whole. The more we try to take sides in a conflict where there are no clearly established sides, the more we will be seen as “the enemy” by some of the protagonists and the greater will be the terrorist threat to Australia.
There are a multitude of rebel movements in the Middle East, many barbaric in the extreme, opposing various regimes that have been equally cruel and uncompromising in their treatment of those in rebellion.
It is tragic that the region is again in turmoil, but ingenuous, to say the least, to think that we can fix it. Just check out the history of conflicts in the Middle East over centuries.
The best and certainly most cost-effective way we can reduce the terrorist threat to Australia is by disengagement. It’s not our problem unless we make it our problem.
John Martin, Woonona
IT’S important to note that inappropriate spending by Transport Workers Union officials in Western Australia (‘‘Union car cost three times more than usual’’, Mercury, May 12) was uncovered not by the royal commission, but by the union’s rank-and-file committee members in WA.
The matter was fully investigated by an independent QC and referred to the commission and the Fair Work Commission.
The TWU has now commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Court and we will not rest until every legally recoverable dollar is taken back.
Michael Aird, NSW Secretary, Transport Workers Union
IT will be interesting to see what sort of a crowd the Dragons pull at WIN Stadium on Sunday, given their form this year. A word of warning: there is a major concert at the entertainment centre next door due to start at the same time as the footy. Get there early.
Dave Jennings, Towradgi