A STANDING ISSUE
The front page of the Illawarra Mercury (July 25, 2017) showing people trapped in like sardines on Sydney bound trains will only get worse when our line is privatized.
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Andrew Constance claims privatisation is necessary because of large number of complaints about public services but there is no evidence that private operations would be superior.
It will just increase profits for private firms. Large parts of Sydney''s public transport system have already been privatized.
The operation of Sydney ferries was sold off last year to transport corporations Viola Transdev and transField services. Sydney’s airport railway stations were privatized several years ago.
Passengers travelling from central station now pay about five times as much at airport stations as it cost them to travel on equivalent number of stops at a government operated station elsewhere in the city.
I have said before once a month I get the train to Sydney mainly on a Sunday and every time myself and other commuters stand, making it extremely claustrophobic and may I say very dangerous.
Matty Ryan, Fairy Meadow
PETROL CONTAMINATION
On 14 May 2017 I filled my car with petrol.
My car subsequently broke down, was towed to the relevant service centre and I had to foot the bill for repairs to my vehicle due to contaminated petrol. I was given a sample found in my tank and a comparison sample of good petrol.
The relevant supplier of course denies any responsibility, as does the particular service station. However, I heard third hand from another service station attendant that the particular service station where I purchased the contaminated petrol was known about by others: ie that petrol with water in it had occurred.
I am interested to know if others in Wollongong have received contaminated petrol around that same date?
Sadie Spencer, North Wollongong
NOT THE SOLUTION
In response to the page 8 article "Shorten calls for four-year federal terms" (Illawarra Mercury, Monday, July 24, 2017), the current three-year term that has served us since the opening of the Parliament of Australia is fine.
Four-year terms will not for example solve the current political situation where the Coalition was elected (albeit by one seat) and is obstructed by a hostile Senate run by Labor and the Greens.
Democracy works whether you win by one seat or 15, and if Labor had of won the last election by one seat they would have been implementing their election promises.
Four-year terms are not going to produce better political representation, better government and/or better policy outcomes for the Australian people.
Shorten's suggestion about four year terms and Turnbull's support for it just demonstrates that both men lack the ability to address the concerns of pensioners, low income earners, workers, businesses and our nation's economic stability with regard to affordable and reliable base load electricity.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
SHOW ME THE MONEY
More than $25 million was spent on the New South Wales Government’s dumped fire and emergency services levy. Where did the money go?
Recent documents show $11.14 million was spent on grants to implement the levy. Another $7.76 million on Treasury functions, including staff and contractors, advertising and council software revision.
A further $3.49 million on salaries and customer analysis; and finally $2.32 million on the implementation costs of software and system changes. All wasted—except for those fortunate to dine as guests at the Premiers table.
John Macleod, Berry
