SMALL, USEFUL STEP
Having weighed up the arguments for and against changing the date of Australia Day, I have formed the view that it should be changed. If we don't change the date, we might as well change the name. I would suggest Groundhog Day, because the acrimonious dissension that takes place every year around January 26 is not going to go away. Let's face it. We did invade a country where the occupants had an established culture which had stood them in good stead for 50,000 years.
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They led happy lives. Our uninvited arrival on January 26 1988 was the harbinger of massive changes which have proved to be to the disadvantage of many of the original inhabitants. The statistics speak for themselves.
It is completely understandable that the rejoicing that takes place on the anniversary of our arrival is not shared by all. There are many other days that could provide all Australians with an opportunity to celebrate the present whilst acknowledging the past. Reconciliation will one day become a reality and changing the date of Australia Day would be a small but useful step in the right direction.
John Martin, Woonona
POWER-FUL ARGUMENT
Dave Cox’s comment ‘Not switching off (Illawarra Mercury, February 5, 2019) should cause everyone reading it to think. I know I did. Are we in this country in 2019 expected to ration our electricity use? Have we been so conned by the new leftist religion of man-made Climate Change (MMCC) that we are prepared to slowly slip back to the dark ages?
Business operations, including main street shops, that were all in the dark by 8 pm years ago now must exist in an environment of rampant crime and vandalism. Lights are kept on in many instances for security and public liability reasons. The general public is also better protected by being able to move around in well-lit areas rather than in the dark. As well, whether power costs are tax deductable or not for business, it is in business’s interest to keep these costs as low as possible, because they lessen profit.
And whether you like profit or not it is the lifeblood of all businesses, and without it, they won’t survive and there will be a lot less employment. If the disciples of MMCC are so concerned about an overuse of power, wouldn’t holding the country’s population growth at the lowest possible level be a good idea?
Richard Burnett, Wollongong
FIGHT FOR TAFE
State MP for Wollongong Paul Scully's commented: "You can't trash something, get a small increase and then claim a victory" is on the ball. However, the comments also apply to Labor.
For almost three decades the major political parties have encouraged high school students to complete year 12 and look at a university degree. There is nothing wrong with Academic study and earning a degree, but TAFE and trade qualifications have been left behind. Not everyone is meant to be a tradesman, just like not everyone is meant to be an academic. Our region was founded on heavy industry and TAFE has contributed to producing skilled workers. Yet, local state and federal Labor MP's have done little to fight and maintain our local college.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
