First he sold off the Port to fund roads to get people into Sydney CBD, then he sold off the poles and wires to spend on roads to get into Sydney CBD.

He sold out the key industries and local jobs to South Korea to make available extra people to travel to Sydney CBD.

He is planning to sell off Government business in the Illawarra (Pillar) to spend on roads to get people into Sydney CBD.

He is planning to sell off local hospitals as he has not got the money to upgrade them because he has spent the money on roads to get people into Sydney CBD and now he has taking away local elected representatives so the area can be managed by officials appointed by the government in Sydney CBD.

He sees no need to worry about industries (steel etc) that support the Illawarra because that industry cannot operate in Sydney CBD.

Clearly he has no empathy with the Illawarra community shutting down greyhound racing at the home of greyhound racing in Australia or refusing to correct injustice to people with a disability to access Unanderra Station, convention centre, just to name a few.

Ian Young, East Corrimal

In his getting tough on borders at the UN Summit on refugees and migrants, Malcolm Turnbull urges world leaders to look at us.

With our record on the treatment of refugees, his suggestion the summit should focus on humanitarian assistance, provide generous and effective support to refugees along with mutual respect and the rule of law, I could imagine much shaking of heads at the UN Summit. 

Brian Johnson, Gymea

Mr Devlin (Illawarra Mercury, September 9, 2016) like most conservatives when they run out of logical debate they turn to emotive language and personal attacks.  

I wasn't going to respond to his ranting but after reading Dr Anh Nguyen' attack on Mr Ben Morris I felt the need to add some balance to the debate.  

First I must reinforce that in my letters I have stated that "no one could deny the human rights violations of the communists...... Nor could any fair minded person deny the violations committed by the ....South".

Dr Nguyen has forgotten the senior military officer who shot dead a prisoner of war in front of the media; the American soldiers holding the three severed heads of Vietnamese citizens; the burning of villages and killing of civilians; the 2 million tons of bombs dropped on the North and so on.

That's war. It is cruel and the acts of atrocities are not confined to one side. The Australian Vietnamese community will, as is right and proper, decide the purpose of the proposed memorial/shrine.

Obviously emotions still run deep within the community.   However, having flown with the hundreds of first and second generation Australian Vietnamese who visit family and friends in Vietnam I have found them to be a very compassionate and forgiving people.  

Ken Bone, Conjola Park

I was told our beloved Friday markets in Crown Street mall won't be operating next week because the new managers haven't informed stallholders what's going on. 

When and in what format did the council inform the community about the need to change the management?  What were the issues informing council's decision?  When did the period of community consultation expire?

The deafening silence on all the above proves that local councils' push against amalgamation because they “engage with and listen to their local communities” is mere rhetoric. 

Jennie Morris, Wollongong