DEAR Prime Minister, please stop and listen. The women of Australia have been asking you to stop talking and listen to them. They have waited too long for action on gender justice and it is now time for you to listen.
I want to ask you to stop and listen to another group of Australians. The First Nations people, who now number almost one million of our population, have been asking you for a long time to listen to what they have to say. The Uluru Statement from the Heart has been one of their attempts to speak to you, but you have ignored what it really says. In a public lecture last week Noel Pearson, pictured, was another voice whom you failed to hear in your curt dismissal the next day of his very moderate suggestions.
As you tell us you are now willing to sit down and listen to the women of Australia, will you pay the same courtesy to our First People? I know that your ancestors have been in this land for generations, arriving as some of mine did with the First Fleet, but the Indigenous Australians have been here for at least 200 generations. In the Statement from the Heart they have issued a very generous invitation which you must accept. If Queen Elizabeth invited you and your wife Jen to sit with her, would you refuse? The First People of this land are giving you such an invitation. Please sit with some of their elders and really listen to what they are saying. They have waited long enough. Please accept their invitation and stop to listen.
Doug Hewitt AM, Hamilton
Nobody should be above the law
IT'S about time justice was done against the boofhead rugby league players that think they are above the law by having a total disrespect to women. I take my hat off to the jury in the Jarryd Hayne case (''Jail 'inevitable': Hayne found guilty of sexual assault', Newcastle Herald 23/3). Huge congratulations must be given to this woman for standing up. Just because you think you are a rugby league god, it doesn't give you a licence to disrespect women.
As father of a daughter and a brother of two sisters, to hear that a man has a taxi waiting out the front of a house - what has he come for? How degrading to a woman, or any person for that matter, to rock up to someone's house with a taxi waiting out the front.
When are these boofheads going to get it? When are these men going to realise that they are not god's gift to women and think that they can get away with whatever they want. When for that matter are they going to show some respect? It is a mentality that has been passed on through the generations of league players, but news flash to you all: you cannot treat women this way.
A reality check for you all would be, what would your mother think of your actions and what actions would you take if someone did this to your mother? I bet you would all be out for blood, but then again that is your boofhead mentality.
Wake up and show some respect toward women like the respect you show towards you teammates, coaches and administrators.
Over to you and your thoughts on this matter, Mr Gardner.
Groiden Schammell, Hamilton North
Give respect a sporting chance
I THOUGHT we were moving away from objectifying women in sport? The recent Sydney Super Fight stood down ring girls and they were replaced with males who copped booing. They then decided to bring the girls back out and the scantily clad girls stole the show. Men are wondering why they are targeted; this is a prime example. Obviously the lecherous crowd only cared about leering and ogling young girls. If the sport had any merit on its own it would survive without token trophy girls. Sonny Bill Williams is the one exception.
Joanne Lowther, Wallsend
Dispossession isn't hypothetical
STEVEN Busch (Short Takes 25/3), some friends and I are planning an expedition to Rathmines, a tiny part of a huge country we understand, we have never been so it is hitherto unknown to us, as I understand your logic we can feel free to disregard the existing inhabitants. We intend to start a colony and impose our will and laws on any existing inhabitants, as they are hitherto unknown to us we will ignore any existing 'customs' or 'property rights'. But please don't worry we come in peace. Naturally, our personnel include some military folks who are well armed of course and prepared to cut down anyone who dares object to our peaceful colonisation. But don't worry, Mr Busch, an open-minded individual such as yourself has nothing to fear from such a peaceful bunch as us; just be sure not to cause a fuss when we move you on from your home. Oh, we may also carry some diseases hitherto unknown to the existing inhabitants so a pandemic amongst those folk appears pretty likely, but we are a peaceful bunch. Just a colonisation old boy, no invasion to see here.
Dane Linde, Newcastle West
Culling animals has its place
I REFER to the letter from Wal Remington (Letters, 25/3). There is no point in attributing blame to humans or animals for the damage to our native wildlife and environment caused by introduced species (not always feral animals). What is at issue is how we deal with the situation we find ourselves in. Of course, all animals will do all they can to survive. That is the problem.
The first cats probably came with the First Fleet. The people who introduced rabbits, foxes, water buffalo, cane toads and allowed camels, horses and dogs to escape into the environment probably had no idea of the havoc they would cause.
These our are alternatives: we can do nothing and let nature take its course and accept the inevitable extinction of more of our native animals and the ever-increasing damage to our natural environment, and in some cases farm land, or we can try to limit the damage. It is impossible to remove most of these animals (at least on the mainland) but it may be possible to eliminate them from some areas and otherwise to try to reduce populations. Unfortunately this means culling. I do not understand why people have a problem with this. Surely no one objects to killing cane toads, or poisoning the rat infestation in the roof, or poison baiting the feral dogs ripping lambs apart, and yet we get all squeamish when it comes to cats and brumbies. Of course culling should be done as humanely as possible but the reality is that this is often brutal, just as is the slaughter of cattle, pigs, fowl and other animals for human consumption.
Robert Muir, Fennell Bay
We can't ignore injustice any more
I AM totally disgusted with past and present governments. First of all the present government for not understanding women's needs and also cutting JobKeeper when it is most needed in regional Australia, and the disgust I have for companies that have not returned JobKeeper payments that weren't needed to keep the business going.
Secondly for not understanding the First Australians ('Why recognition is a national imperative' Opinion, 26/3) and doing something, or nothing, about recognising them in the constitution and all the things brought to light in Hewson's article.
I hate saying this, but it's not rocket science. Lets get it done and let's get on with life knowing we have done the job.
Peter Selmeci, Murrays Beach
SHORT TAKES
AMAZEMENT is the first word which comes to mind, along with stupid, idiot and others, when I see the number of people driving through floodwaters. Why are these people so dumb that they risk their own lives and the lives of the rescuers who save them? My belief is they should be made to pay for the cost of the rescue and lose points off their licence. Maybe the government could introduce an I.Q. test when people sit for their licence. I'm sure there would be a lot less idiots on the road.
Bob Barber, Mount Hutton
I'M relieved the rain has gone for the moment. I was starting to get cabin fever. After several days of rain and no sunshine, it wears a bit thin. I remember a few years ago, talking on the phone to a friend in London. He worked for Thames Water as a maintenance man. He said Londoners were under severe water restrictions as there was a drought. "We are not even allowed to use the hose-pipe to wash the car". When I asked him how long it had been since they had rain, he said it had been over a week. It seems that Brits rely on it raining every other day to keep their catchments full. I'm pleased I live here.
Les Field, Wickham
I WISH sports journalists would stop referring to footballers as legends and superstars. Just describe them as good footballers and nothing more.
John Keen, Gateshead
THE other day I happened to see a news article about the flooding down at Windsor. One thing I noticed was that the new bridge built by Transport NSW went under water. What a joke. You would think with $137 million that it cost the taxpayer they would have made an effort to flood proof it. Here's an idea; why didn't they arch the bridge above the old bridge to make it accessible in all kinds of weather including flooding? What a waste of money. Personally I wouldn't trust Transport NSW with the tuck shop takings.
Philip Carter, Metford
IF City of Newcastle council as reported wants more Supercars ('Council eyes longer deal', Herald 25/3), let them go past their front door and tell us ratepayers exactly how much it cost. I really feel for people living there, being told when they can come and go and having thunderous noise metres from their house.
Bruce Cook, Adamstown
YOUR editorial ('Australia deserves better leadership, Opinion 25/3) represents, for me, a fine moment for this paper. ScoMo has had his moments, but also badly let us all down. Anyone who thinks they can say these things and that a weak apology would suffice clearly doesn't belong anywhere near a government or leadership role. The next step, no doubt, would be to take mental health leave due to all the self-induced stress. He has a long way to go cleaning up after his flood.
