The LNP and the Greens, in conspiring to amend the electoral protocol of the Senate, did so not for any high-minded principles, but entirely for a grubby political purpose.

The consequence of the LNP/Greens conspiracy has been the re-emergence onto the Australian political scene of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party.

A political “stalking horse” initially created to provide a home for the insecurity, hatred and xenophobia of an unsavoury element of Australian society.

An element of society which terrifies even the most extreme of “nut jobs” within the LNP.

It’s leader Pauline Hanson, a self-appointed Australian messiah, has added followers of the Islamic faith to her list of xenophobic hatreds by declaring Islam not to be a faith.

The over 300 million followers of the faith of Islam residing less than four hours flying time from Australia evidently hold a different view.

Never noted for her intellectual capacity, Ms Hanson’s ill-informed commentary may well affect Australia’s foreign affairs, trade and defence ties in the region.

In that circumstance it should be Senator Hanson who is asked to “please explain”?

Barry Swan, Balgownie

Visiting Shellharbour Centrelink last Tuesday to collect paperwork regarding Job Search I was directed to the computer to file an application online. What an experience.

There were several people beside one another and one wonderful patient lady to advise us all.

One particular young girl was with newborn, her mum and I presume sister.

She was rude, impatient and swearing.

What I would have liked to tell her was she was me 45 years ago, aged 17 with a newborn.

How does she want her daughter to grow up I wonder?

Will she have manners or be taught to expect something for nothing and be an ungrateful person who is rude and vulgar to people trying to help her?

Maybe this mother will learn to stand on her own two feet, as I did, move out of mum’s public housing, get a job and work for what she receives? I wonder.

In 1971 this is what we did, we married, worked hard and saved for what we have today .

I passed this on to my baby girl. I am grateful there is a backstop for the unemployed and elderly, that's one reason we pay tax.

Moral of the story is we have become a society of takers and expect something for nothing.

Yay of the day to the staff at Centrelink Shellharbour .

Julie Wicken, Gerringong

I would suggest the members of the Liberal Coalition should be admitted the public hospital system and they would discover why many voters were influenced by the medicare issue.  

It is a compassion issue not a police one.

Ben Morris, Wollongong

I concur with the recent spate of letters re Telstra's poor service.  Our phone has not worked for over a month now and all we get is revised dates for rectification which come and go while still being billed for the full service.  

I registered a complaint on the Telstra website a week ago and the only response was to send me an email giving a phone number I could ring for an update toll free on my fixed line phone which has not worked for a month.

Keith Partridge, Shell Cove