TWO letters in the Herald, one from Geoff Black and one from Barney Langford, illustrate the difficulty that will persist about the proposed constitutional change to enshrine the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Like it or not, Australians have proved since Federation that they do not trust governments when it comes to playing with our Constitution. More often than not, referendums have been rejected.
I fear this proposal will go the same way. Barney Langford attempts to show that we have nothing to fear. Geoff Black explains that the biggest fear people may have is uncertainty.
Leaving it to governments and politicians will not cut it, I am afraid. The level of mistrust and suspicion surrounding politicians and parliament will give those opposed enough leeway to kill this referendum. Those proposing the change have a very difficult task to persuade enough voters in enough states to pass the change.
There does need to be a lot of education and explanation if this change is to have any chance. I'm not seeing examples of this yet, and simply saying 'trust us' and 'fear not' will not get this change over the line.
Daryll Hadfield, Redhead
Is more consultation the answer?
GEOFF Black's comments on the Voice, ('Explain your plan, PM', Letters 16/8), highlights exactly some of the issues that will confront us by amending our Constitution to give one section of Australians preferential status in our constitution.
In 1967 a referendum was held to delete, from the Constitution, all reference to race and thus making all people in Australia equal under Federal law. The result saw the highest yes vote (90.77 per cent) ever recorded in a Federal referendum.
We are now being asked, in effect, to reverse the 1967 referendum and vote for a change to the Constitution to recognise, and give special rights to, one race over others.
If those of us who think "more consultation" is the answer to Indigenous problems then just have a look at the multitude of Indigenous advisory and consultative groups that already exist and ask yourself "is more consultation the answer"?
John Cooper, Charlestown
What will sand plan cost?
USING a sand pipe to move sand from Swansea Channel to Blacksmiths Beach is superficially attractive. It might create longer breaks on Blacksmiths Beach and thereby attract surfers to the beach. It might also attract yachties to Lake Macquarie since Swansea Channel would be more regularly dredged, making Lake Macquarie more accessible to larger boats, ("Sand pipe plan for Blacksmiths revival", Herald, 15/8).
But the local community and the Lake Macquarie council would need to examine the costs and benefits of this proposal. Would it be the best use of taxpayer/ratepayer money?
The sand barrier between Blacksmiths and Belmont, which excludes the ocean from Lake Macquarie, was built up during the last Ice Age, 50,000 to 15,000 years ago. Arguably, with rising ocean levels, this barrier will be eroded and removed by more energetic waves within several lifetimes. If this is so, should we be considering more permanent sea defences?
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
Real action needed on climate
LABOR'S climate bill is set to pass both Houses of Parliament. So how does it compare with the US climate legislation passed last week?
The US Bill introduces historic reforms including major tax credits and rebates for a range of renewable technologies including solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles, plus hydrogen, funded by an increase in corporate taxes.
Australia's legislation by comparison is extremely limited. Without comparable policy reform, we won't meet or beat 43 per cent by 2030, the emissions reduction target that's the main feature of the Australian bill.
Progress involves actual deep decarbonisation of the economy, and support, like WA's Collie Transition Package, for job creation and economic diversification in communities affected by closure of coal-fired power stations.
Jim Allen, Panorama, South Australia
Skipper's action fails pub test
THE NRL is investigating what happened but in my opinion Kalyn Ponga's action at a pub on the weekend definitely doesn't pass any pub test in Newcastle.
For a bloke who is supposed to be looking after himself due to the amount of head knocks he has copped this year he has let himself and the team down, not to mention die-hard Knights supporters who pay their hard earned to go and watch their struggling team, week in week out.
When we see how David Klemmer was treated just for showing passion, it makes me wonder what sort of penalty Ponga faces. Newy is watching and waiting.
Tony Morley, Waratah
Pothole lot of trouble
I REALISE that the excessive amount of rain we have had lately has caused all local councils a real headache in fixing the numerous potholes in the roads. But the number of them on Main Road through Boolaroo and Speers Point to The Esplanade is unbelievable. It really is. I find it hard to understand that these potholes have been left unrepaired for so long, especially in the vicinity of the council chambers when council staff must use this section of the road every day.
Ian King, Warners Bay
Playing political games
LET'S correct a falsehood I've seen in some letters. Political grounds are not one of the three reasons the strike adverse Fair Work Commission entertains unions on or any pretence otherwise. They are safety, workplace agreement negotiations have broken down and the employer agrees. While employers submit objections. It was the Liberals who threw Sydney into chaos for a whole day falsely claiming safety while Dominic Perrottet blamed Labor, who don't concern themselves with internal union business. Cornered by the FWC for evidence, they quietly dropped the matter and ran away. Not big enough to apologise to rail workers or Labor.
Colin Fordham, Lambton
No winners in this game
CONTINUOUS threats and military muscle flexing by China is a mirror image of Russia over Ukraine. This communist nation is one step short of a schoolyard bully, hiding behind his gang of military thugs, giving the rest of the democratic world the bird.
This country needs to look at itself and look at its past history of dictatorship, rather than provoking and prodding the rest of the world into possible confrontation that could only end in catastrophic consequences.
And for what? To teach a small island nation who broke away from the reasons I have previously mentioned.
Leave Taiwan alone and stop pushing your stick into the ants nest. There will be no winners in this, just the annihilation of millions of people and the contamination of this planet's atmosphere.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
SHORT TAKES
I'M starting to feel just a little bit sorry for poor old Peter Dutton. The mess that Scott Morrison has created within the Liberal Party looks like consigning them to the garbage bin of irrelevance for at least a decade.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
I WONDER if Mr Morrison still uses the honorific "Honourable", surely he is not entitled to it. While I don't wish to criticise our Governor-General it could well be said that while Malcolm Fraser was "Kerr's cur", the present incumbent will go down in history as Morrison's "cat paw".
Brian Fennell, Coal Point
THERE is a lie pushed forward by the wealthy and those politicians in their thrall that any tax is theft. The truth is that taxes are an investment. They pay for the common good through health, education, security, and welfare. How can anyone claim patriotism when they baulk at investing in their own country? It is also astonishing that those politicians which declare that the government should be run like a business are immediately anxious to reduce its income stream.
Peter Ronne, Woodberry
WHY do the NRL teams need an independent doctor? Don't they have their own doctor to care about their own players' health? Does the NRL appoint the independent doctor?
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
HOW silly is Labor's Chris Bowen with his plan to build hundreds of wind turbines offshore? It would take around 3000 turbines to power Sydney alone. Each one uses 80 gallons of oil per year. That's 24,000 gallons per annum for one city. The life of a turbine is 20 years. What happens to the gigantic composite blades? Landfill for 9000 of them every 20 years. They are made in China using coal-fired power. Just how eco friendly is wind energy anyway?
Don Fraser, Belmont North
I CANNOT understand all the fuss about David Klemmer's refusal to leave the field, and the subsequent publicity. The decision to remove Klemmer from the field should have been Adam O'Brien's. Hayden Knowles was simply the messenger. The fact that Klemmer would not leave then becomes O'Brien's responsibility. That's it, full stop. Subsequent issues then should have been sorted out between the coach and the player, without any need for publicity.
Derek Thompson, Newcastle West
IT is annoying in the extreme to repeatedly read media reports stating that Australia is, in world terms, only a very small contributor to man induced climate change. As the second largest exporter of coal in the world Australia is, without any doubt, a major contributor to climate change because it mines and exports coal in massive quantities.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited in any form.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
