I drove down the ramp as the ABC 6o’clock news was starting. I took my ticket and parked my car. When I went to exit the car park later and inserted my ticket at the boom gate the machine asked me to pay $2. Why? I pressed the button and was answered by an unhappy attendant in Sydney.

 I explained my predicament and she demanded I pay the money. She told me to remove my ticket and have a look at the time stamped on it. The time stamp did indeed say 17.59pm. So the question is, was the ABC news time correct or was the parking station clock set to the correct time? Either way it is logical that the discrepancy was somewhere between one and 60 seconds for which this person was going to use her power to extract my $2.

 It was only when the traffic behind me was building up and I continued to refuse to pay did the jailer of my car release me with a warning it would not happen again. The next time I park there I will stop at the entrance and wait for the clock to tick over before I take my ticket.

Andrew Reveley, Keiraville

I cannot find a single example of where global trading has done Australian industry any favours at all with any long-term benefits.

China couldn’t care less about Australian manufacturing industry and has all our politicians chasing the Dragon in the false belief that nothing but good will come from the recent trade agreement. Perhaps Coalition politicians could explain to me why the major modern teaching facility which was Dapto TAFE, located in the centre of mass unemployment and hardship, cannot be brought back online to fulfil the purpose for which it was built.

Tony Abbott is absolutely obsessed with destroying Australian industry and gloats over every deal he does with overseas interests.

Not one Australian worker has benefited from Abbott’s term as Prime Minister, and not one pensioner has gained anything in two years.

The only way Australia stands a chance is to export Abbott and his supporters.

Dave Cox, Corrimal

In a recent edition of the Mercury the council and Ryan Park were getting excited about attracting tourists to the Blue Mile with a moveable kiosk near the harbour.  I wonder if they have ever walked from Stuart Park to Flagstaff Hill and had to avoid footpaths covered in dog poo!  There is no way you can walk and look at the glorious scenery at the same time because you risk slipping on the mess, it’s an absolute disgrace and an embarrassment.

  Dog owners you should be ashamed of the mess you leave when there are bags provided.  Clean up your act Wollongong!

Debra Evans, Gwynneville

So the government wants to deport an Aussie vet who has been in this country for yonks because he has a few health issues. There is a few other people that I can think of that need deporting before him.

Warren Fleming, Balgownie