STAYING THE SAME
Post-election wash-up. Scott Morrison election policies: Scott Morrison's slogan. "If things don't change they'll stay the same as they are".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
John Macleod, Berry
NEW ROUTE NEEDED
It was good to read in the Mercury of June 1 that the South Coast Line will share in the benefits flowing from the next generation of Intercity trains. But there are two major handicaps still to overcome before the Wollongong-Sydney service reaches even the modest goal of 80 in 60 (i.e. 80 km in 60 min.). The first step would be to finish the Maldon-Dombarton Line and divert all freight traffic to this line, thus clearing timetable slots for additional passenger trains. Road travellers might also benefit from this change as it should reduce the number of car-laden semi-trailers using the Princes Highway.
However there is an even greater challenge for the State Government to meet on the section of rail line between Thirroul and Waterfall where there are so many tight curves that will always restrict the safe speeds of any train. Only a new route can overcome this artificial speed restriction which was imposed by the "improvements" of the 1920's. What's needed to achieve real improvements and reach the 80 in 60 is commitment to this region by the NSW State Government.
Les Gapps, West Wollongong
URGENT OVERHAUL REQUIRED
It has now been more than two weeks after the Federal elections and no firm results have been formally issued by the AEC. From what I understand some of the Senate results will not be finalised until the middle of this month. Australia is supposedly a "first world country" yet our method and technology of voting is worse than third world.
Firstly, the stupidity of the voting system called "preferential " is set up to elect politicians that are duds and we have a ship load of those. Why is it when a person gets the majority of votes and yet misses out of a seat in Parliament compared to another person who gets dragged in by preferences is so unfair. The system is just wrong. Then we have a problem with people voting multiple times because we don't have to produce identification as to who we are, just dumb. We have a compulsory voting booth attendance system, where a lot of voters don't know the political system, who they are voting for or what they stand for, total apathy, creating a parliament of duds as we have now.
We need an urgent overhaul of the AEC and their rules but don't hold your breath because we are too busy worrying about gender bias, gender equality, racial discrimination, climate change and a whole lot of other garbage.
John Ernst, Kanahooka
BITTER, SULKING, VINDICTIVE
In response to the letter by Barry Swan "The Usual Suspects' (Illawarra Mercury, Thursday May 30, 2019), what a tremendous example of the bitter, sulking, vindictive and nastiness of the atheistic socialist-left. Why is Mr Swan raising the offensive "ditch the witch" campaign labeled at Julia Gillard, when neither that campaign nor this person had any relevance in the 2019 election? The hate and vile from the left is helping to confirm why Labor lost this election and will lose the next.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow