Your Letters

Newcastle Herald

Monday August 20, 2007

GR

This week the letter judged the best, most succinct and interesting will win a double pass to a Knights game, courtesy of The Herald. The winner will be announced on Saturday on this page.

Land is thirsty for money

PRIME Minister Howard's latest legislation allowing the Federal Government to seize control of water in the Murray-Darling Basin from the states will, in my opinion, finalise the privatisation of water started by former ALP Prime Minister Paul Keating.

In 1994 he set up the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) as part of the National Competition Policy, which led to the privatisation of gas, electricity, transport and telecommunications.

Since then water supplies to farmers have been shrinking.

Sure we have had a drought, but I believe it's more due to the Government decreasing water allocations and diverting ever-larger quantities into environmental flows.

The scarcer a commodity is the more valuable it becomes, and privatisation is about making money.

Compound rising water costs with the those associated with satisfying carbon emissions another money-maker for the financial markets and farmers are threatened with extinction while Australia will be forced to become dependent on multinational agribusiness for its food.

The Murray-Darling Basin is the breadbasket of Australia and accounts for 71 per cent of all irrigated crops. It feeds 61 per cent of all Australians.

What about national security of food supply?

Ann Lawler

Farley, August 17

Good coaches can

make a difference

IN response to Josh Reid, ("Knights history Repeats" Herald 13/8) did Jason Taylor not inherit Brian Smith's side midway through 2006?

Or did Brad Fittler not inherit Chris Anderson's Roosters this year?

There does need to be a relationship between players and coaches and coaches and players.

Players at times cannot be inspired by their given mentor.

There can be a distance between coaches and players that creates a communication barrier, or the opposite, which can lead to harmony.

We will not know whether Warren Ryan could have brought the best out of his created side of 1996 in 1997, but let's give Mick Hagan some credit.

Maybe he was the Jason Taylor of the Eels last year or Freddie Fittler this year.

I am a bigoted Knights fan, but a coach needs players and players need a coach.

A board of directors and supporters need to be as united as the coach and the players for a team to be something of which to be proud.

Warrick Lilly

Corlette, August 17

Greater need in

non-safe seats

GORDON Pears ("Labor's loved larrikin warms up for Combet" Herald, 16/8) makes the point that Greg Combet encouraged all who attended the recent fund-raising dinner to get behind all ALP candidates, especially those standing for Paterson and Dobell.

It's very easy for Mr Combet to take this stand when he does so from the safety of a seat as strongly Labor as Charlton.

If there is such a need for Labor support in Paterson and Dobell, why did he not seek to stand as the ALP candidate for those seats?

Surely a candidate with the qualities of Mr Combet would stand a much greater chance of winning Paterson or Dobell.

There is really no need for such a strong and high profile candidate in Charlton.

I believe Greg Combet's candidacy for Charlton is more about getting him safely into Parliament than it is about serving the people of Charlton.

Daryll Hadfield

Belmont, June 16

I ALMOST felt sorry for Greg Combet last Saturday ("Past leader backs "good bloke" Combet for the future" Herald 11/8).

Having the two Bobs, Hawke and Carr, as your biggest supporters is enough to depress anyone.

I believe one got the boot from the job of prime minister by his own party before the country had the chance to do it, while the other bolted before the party and the state had the chance to give him the boot as well.

With supporters like them who needs critics?

Stephen Smith

Aberglasslyn, August 16

Small group makes

city a war zone

WOULD someone kindly explain why Sydney has to be turned into a war zone because our allied countries are holding a meeting in the city?

The participants in the conference will obviously restrict their infighting to behind closed doors.

Prime Minister John Howard and his government colleagues are highly unlikely to launch a rocket attack on the convoy of cars and helicopters conveying the delegates to the meeting place.

So the millions of dollars being spent on security, additional police, helicopter patrols and the days of inconvenience being imposed on Sydney residents is, I believe, being determined by a small but very well organised group of national and international protesters who have been allowed to run riot, literally, at previous conferences around the world.

What annoys me most is that our intelligence organisations, police forces and media all have prior warnings about the how, where and when these protests will take place but do little to stop the action.

Why doesn't Mr Howard take a leaf out of Labor's book?

They used to avoid protesters by holding their national conferences on an island.

Grant Watt

Glenning Valley, August 17

Miscarriage of service

CAN someone tell me when passenger train drivers turned into robots maybe somewhere in between the red rattler and the new you-beaut computer version of today?

There was a time when a person running for the train with seconds to spare, landing on the platform when the train was at the station, could rely on the driver or the guard saying "come on love, you'll be right".

Not anymore, now the whistle blows, the bell rings and the doors close in your face.

To the driver of that train thanks for nothing.

Jill Wood,

East Maitland, August 17

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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