There is widespread feeling that both NSW state and federal politicians are directly implicated in what will reveal itself in time to be a criminal misappropriation of taxpayer’s money.

Remember, when vested interests were asked about the need for an inquiry into the banking system they arrogantly and dismissively replied  “that it wasn’t necessary”.

The fact is, you can’t spin the death of over a million fish.

You can’t make it look good or explain it away simply as ‘the drought’ – as the big irrigators and the former Deputy Prime Minister have done.

When asked what people can do about this catastrophe, Barnaby Joyce typically prevaricated by recommending that Australians, “go to church and pray for rain”.

The vested interests will be praying, I’m sure of that – praying that there is no Royal Commission into where $13 billion dollars went.

Dr Rob Goodfellow, Wollongong

A dog whistle in political terms is widely defined as: “political messaging employing coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has an additional, different, or more specific resonance for a targeted subgroup”.

It certainly sounds like something from the world of the old TV political satire Yes, Minister.

In the lead up to the 2019 Federal elections this term appears to be given a new meaning by those on the Labor side.  

It now seems to be applied to any action the Coalition intends to take that sounds sensible, necessary, and a likely vote winner.

I doubt if parents, who either have had their child murdered by a child sex-abuser, their child’s mental state and life ruined by sexual abuse, or are simply terrified of their child ever coming into contact with a sexual abuser of any kind, would think for a moment that the announcement by the Coalition about a national register of sexual offenders was “trite” and a “dog whistle”.

Barry Swan in his comment ‘Late to the party’ (Illawarra Mercury, January 18, 2019) in true Labor fashion is comparing apples with oranges.   

Gillard was virtually forced into instigating her Royal Commission because of “explosive” allegations by a senior NSW police investigator against the Catholic Church.

The commission was concerned with institutional child sexual abuse.

It was not concerned about the thousands of pedophiles and other unpredictable sex offenders slinking around out there in the wider community.

Richard Burnett, Wollongong

Well done Wollongong City Council only just over a month ago your mayor was congratulating Bulli SLSC and now your rangers are booking the same members for parking where they’ve always parked.  

The club parking area should be restricted to members only - SLSC people who are patrolling the beach (volunteers who give up their time) and parents of nippers who support the club - future lifeguards.  

Great way to thank all these volunteers WCC.

Marylin Hammersley, Woonona