With such people in control of local government there is an "emergency" of lack of common sense and intelligence.

First we had this brilliant idea of "gay, indigenous and refugees crossings", then we had the idea of testing illegal drugs at music festivals being supported by our Mayor and now these brilliant minds have declared a "climate emergency".

All of these proposals or motions are not only a total waste of ratepayers money but stupid.

What in the world will be achieved by declaring such an emergency, other than being declared out of touch, it cannot achieve anything, is not enforceable, will not change the weather because, bushfires have always been here because of our natural environment, flooding has also been part and parcel for this area (some of it caused by council itself) and drought has been part of the Australian climate forever.

There is nothing Wollongong Council or any other council in Australia can do to change the weather pattern, so this bit of grandstanding to appease the Left and Laborites is a total waste of time.

Glad to see that there are actually some councillors with some intelligence sitting there on Level Nine.

John Ernst, Kanahooka

'The enemy within' (Illawarra Mercury, Tuesday August 13) was just a continuation of Richard Burnett's tedious, anti-ALP and, anti-union line.

The questions to be asked of him include: "what have either done to you to make you such a rabid critic of them? Have you failed to receive the multitude of work-place improvements achieved by organised labour? Or, were you so ideologically driven as to refuse to accept any of those improvements?".

The remainder of 'The enemy within' was just a regurgitation of the criticisms from Mr. Burnett toward the Labor Party.

Not being a member of the ALP, I will leave it up to local ALP members should they wish to make comment.

What I will say however is; that having known opposition leader Anthony Albanese for many years he is far from being the character portrayed in 'The enemy within'.

Anthony Albanese is a strong and purposeful leader, a man of integrity and honesty.

His vision for Australia workers far supersedes the arrogant "have a go get a go" slogans of the LNP.

For unlike many other politicians, Anthony Albanese knows from personal experiences how hard life for the unemployed and under-employed can be and can be relied upon to argue their case.

Barry Swan, Balgownie

Petrol prices: Nothing ever changes in Dapto.

Today I paid $1.229 in Berkeley while Woollies in Dapto charges $1.599.

Talk about daylight-robbery.

I refuse to pay these rip-off artists on principle.

Uwe von der Burg, Dapto