Such a wonderful crowd of people and so many young ones attending, Yes, I feel so proud of how it was all arranged. I pray I will be able to attend next year when I turn 93.

Bette Ackroyd, Oak Flats

While I make no apology for supporting the construction of a new coal-fired power station to both make electricity cheaper and more reliable, I congratulate Mr Macleod on his latest letter to this paper.”

Yep! I just put a cross on the wall. The muddle-headed Adrian is full of surprises.

John Macleod

“IS HE TURNING GREEN” (25/4/18) was meant to be controversial and as expected it has started to solicit the expected biased responses. However, it would take too many words to respond, so instead I will make the following comments:

The “Gong shuttle” is not free. It is paid for by all NSW tax payers, even those who lose out because of opportunity costs - people who will never be able to use the service, even if they “could ensure a seat” on it but could have benefited if the money had been used for a more universal benefit”.

The cancellation of similar free buses should occur throughout the state. Surely the day has come when Australians lose their voracious appetite for more and more free services/concessions from government that only benefit select groups.

Around 80 percent of the tax collected by the Australian Government is spent on Social Services; we need to attract 200 – 250 thousand immigrants each year to help meet future, positive budget predictions; and the Government needs to keep borrowing.

I constantly keep hearing statements such as “we must ensure that our children and grandchildren can get jobs and be able to buy their own homes”. However, this is not going to happen if we continue down the current road. This desire requires a change in people’s attitudes as much as changes in governments.

Richard Burnett, Wollongong

Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled a news report by ABC’s political editor, Andrew Probyn, breached the ABC’s code for impartiality because he noted that Tony Abbott was “the most destructive politician of his generation”. It’s odd that a champion of free speech like Mr Abbott is not outraged by this decision. Mr Abbott and supporters are always demanding that their right of free speech not be restrained or restricted, why would they not support the right of a journalist to tell the truth?

Doug Steley, Heyfield

The latest My School data  exposes the gross inequities in Turnbull 's education funding system, elite private schools are spending millions of dollars on wellness centres, rowing tanks, ballet studios and libraries that look like Scottish castles.

They are getting more and spending more that they are entitled to, enrollments in NSW public schools are expected to grow by 21 per cent by 2031. They need infrastructure and resources right now to unfortunately support an increasing population.

Years ago public schools served their local communities, but unfortunately we have no strong leaders in the Labor Government anymore. We don't have to have schools where their libraries look like castles and ballet studios and orchestra pits.

The two governments should work together on this to reduce educational iniquity and make a new system for public schools before it's too late, all Australian born students deserve safe,comfortable learning facilities. 

Matty Ryan, Fairy meadow