Keep in mind from January 4-8 suburbs in Sydney and outer regions were soaked with well over 200mm of rain.

Since December 21, 2015 to January 9, this year our temperature at night has been as low as 13.4 degrees and day temperature as high as 27.8 degrees.

The average day temperature was 21.2 and coldest day was 18.6 degrees which challenges the theory of man-made global warming and exposes the science on climate change, as neither perfect nor settled.

Warragamba Dam is at 94.8 per cent, Avon Dam is at 92.3 per cent, Cataract Dam is at 88.6 per cent and Brogo Dam is at 100 per cent yet we were told by self-appointed climate prophet Professor Tim Flannery in 2007 ``that Sydney's water supply will dry up by 2009 and we will need a desalination plant’’.

Yet, in 2012 the greater area of Sydney was soaked with rain and Warragamba Dam overflowed with water.

Water consumers have paid $535 million to keep the Sydney desalination plant in what its operators describe as a state of ``hibernation’’.

Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow

Conservative governments are dictatorships really?

I must disagree with John Mcleod’s diatribe that ``people do not count’’ when we have conservative governments (Illawarra Mercury, December 7, 2016).

Let’s look at the achievements of the Howard government, some of which were: The liberation of the East Timorese, the gun buy back, the completion of the rail link to Darwin, the chronic diseases dental program, funding 20 sessions of allied health services through medicare, the small townships grants that funded free counselling and other allied health services to rural communities and producing a surplus which would have removed the future burden of government debt from our children.

I think this record of what John calls a conservative government demonstrates great concern for the wellbeing of Australians and a neighbouring people experiencing hideous oppression.

Facts, John, unpalatable to you but facts nonetheless.

Andrew Humphreys, Narrawalle

The investigation and then imprisonment of former HSU and ALP President Mike Williamson predated the Royal Commission into union corruption.

Another senior union official and ALP MP awaits sentencing.

The vote of the Hon. Mr Thomson kept the catastrophic Gillard government in power and denied the people a chance to pass judgment on that rabble.

Further senior union officials will most likely be prosecuted and proceed to jail not just ``a couple of bad eggs’’.

We have two major parties in this country unfortunately one (the ALP) resembles a criminal conspiracy controlled by thugs and nongs.

What documents does Matt Ryan think the CFMEU was shredding before police could seize them? 

Last year’s Christmas cards?

Punishment of corporations and executives who made corrupt payments should be more lenient than that of the union officials who sought payment because the businesses are the victims of blackmail not the perpetrators.

For the record I have been a union member all my working life but I don’t vote Labor anymore.

Andrew Humphreys, Narrawallee