Tough situation made harder for inmates
I SHARE Doug Hewitt's horror that of the 1710 adult males (including young adults) held in Hunter correctional centres, 436 are Indigenous (Letters, 16/3).
Mr Hewitt makes reference to the proportion of Indigenous people in the Hunter, however the fact is that inmates at Hunter correctional centres would come from all parts of NSW, including Bourke, Walgett and Wilcannia in the north-west, Dubbo and Wellington in the central west and perhaps as far away as Dareton in the south-west.
This would be particularly oppressive for young Indigenous prisoners as it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for family and other influential adults to visit regularly, leaving the young prisoners vulnerable to depression, disillusionment and the negative influence of more hardened Indigenous and non-Indigenous inmates.
No doubt there are Indigenous prison staff and welfare officers doing their best to support Indigenous prisoners, but nothing they could do would atone for the lack of family support. Mr Hewitt is correct; prison is not the answer.
Governments should be willing to invest in diversionary programs that have already been tested and proven effective, but have fallen by the wayside for lack of long-term government support and investment.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
Catastrophic flow-on effects
WHEN Darren Brollo (Letters, 15/3) called groups of feral cats "community cat colonies" I almost fell off my chair laughing.
So, what next? Community camel colonies, community cane toad colonies, community rabbit colonies, or horses, deer, dogs, foxes, buffaloes? Those and many others are all feral animals, i.e. introduced species, not native to Australia, for those that claim the cats on the breakwall are not feral. All of those species create havoc and decimate countless species of fauna and flora.
I imagine wildlife care and preservation groups would be horrified that the Animal Justice Party is advocating for any destructive feral species.
To intimate that 90 per cent of the cats on the breakwall being de-sexed is a good thing is irresponsible - the ongoing effect of party time for the remaining 10 per cent will be considerable in the short term and catastrophic in the long term.
The figures quoted from World Wildlife Fund Australia are also catastrophic, but where are the statistics on the numbers of native fauna and flora killed and/or eliminated by feral fauna? Cherry-picking statistics can be misleading, and does no good for the well-meaning (but I believe misguided) people tending the cats.
Doug Hoepper, Garden Suburb
Stray cats are major killers
IN reply to Darren Brollo, Letters, 15/3. I have to agree and disagree with your comments on Rochelle Wood and the Stray Cats Project.
You say they have done a good job. I agree it was very good that this group captured and de-sexed the cats. But, it is highly immoral that, once they had this murderous species in their control they released them against community concerns, back to the breakwall - that is despite the number of supporters they say that they have that could have housed these animals.
It is highly immoral because this pest species, according to the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), "is estimated... in Australia, can kill up to 75 million native animals every night".
PETA also says Australia's feral cat colonies didn't just spring up out of nowhere. "They're the direct result of the irresponsible actions of people who... allow them to roam outdoors unsupervised". "Most cat guardians are in denial about the number of animals their cats kill."
"Unfortunately, many cats spend a great deal of time playing with their dying, convulsing prey, whose suffering is intense. Many of these animals are then left to die slowly."
And, under what to do, PETA says: Never leave your cat outdoors unattended, even for "just a minute".
Glen Wilson, Cardiff
It's time for a just transition
MANY thanks to Tony Wolfe for highlighting the need for honesty and a just transition for our mining communities (Opinion, 15/3). Research conducted by the Clean Energy Council has found that renewable energy currently already employs more people than the domestic coal sector, and can play a significant role in the transition for coal regions. However, a comprehensive plan is required to create these opportunities for our current coal workers, which includes for industry diversification, renewable planning and investment.
We have to accept that the world is shifting away from expensive and carbon-intensive fossil fuels. Energy generation from coal and gas no longer play a role in Australia's future. But we are also Aussies, and we look out for each other. This means that we will not leave the good people from our mining communities behind; they have kept the lights on for Australia for decades, and rightly deserve honest answers and support as they are transitioned from the coal and gas industry.
Albert Smith, Tighes Hill
Public inquiry into war needed
AUSTRALIA joined the United States and Britain in a military invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003.
This invasion of a sovereign country, 18 years ago, was a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter: the United Nations Security Council had not authorised it and the invaders' justification was based on lies. The subsequent war devastated Iraq, causing the deaths of more than 500,000 Iraqis and destroying civil infrastructure, including homes, schools and hospitals, and led to the loss of electricity and water supplies and a refugee exodus from Iraq numbering hundreds of thousands.
The invasion was based on lies that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that threatened his neighbours and the US. PM John Howard repeated these lies in sending Australian troops to join this illegal war. While Britain has had the Chilcott Inquiry into the UK's involvement in this war, Australia, despite calls for it, has never had such an inquiry. With war clouds gathering in the Taiwanese straits and South China sea, Australia urgently needs this inquiry to avoid making the mistake again of joining the US in another disastrous war.
Bevan Ramsden, Lambton
Denials don't pass pub test
IN response to Dennis Kershaw, (Short Takes, 15/3), no, Milton Orkopoulos' denials would not and did not pass the pub test. The big difference was that the political party that Orkopoulos was a member of, the Labor Party, did not try to protect him or sweep the matter under the carpet.
As with other Labor Party politicians who have been found to be law breakers, the ALP have in fact supported the action against them. Nobody in the Labor Party denies the fact that some in their ranks are not above breaking the law to take advantage of opportunities that present because of their position. I'm not sure that all other parties can make the same claim.
Fred McInerney, Karuah
SHORT TAKES
MAC Maguire (Short Takes, 16/3), you have missed the point completely. If our PM would have participated in the march it would have turned to be what you have insinuated - political! The march should never have been about politics. It was something more important than that - women's safety! And with Janine Hendry refusing to meet our PM, she has made it political. Her leftest views are well documented and ScoMO did the right thing.
Don Fraser, Belmont
SO Scott Morrison has declared he doesn't attend rallies and marches. The ignored struggling ADF veterans would be pleased to hear this as he probably won't attend Anzac Day ceremonies if this is the case.
John Bonnyman, Fern Bay
I RECENTLY advertised a house for rent. Of the 56 applicants, I gave 13 groups the chance to inspect and formally apply. Of those, five turned up. All 56 applicants claimed to be desperate. Go figure.
Gary Charlton, Raymond Terrace
WHY would our government allow a Chinese mining company a lease to mine on Cockatoo Island in Western Australia after their arrogance in strangling our wine, seafood, barley, meat and coal exports? To allow a Chinese consortium mining company to mine iron ore on an island that is next to our military base in Yampi Sound, close to our oil rigs and our pristine Kimberley region, it just doesn't make sense. I'm lost for words. Our federal government and the Western Australian state government have lost the plot. Seriously this debacle needs to be reviewed when parliament sits again. Maybe the people of Australia need to raise their voices, loudly.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
OUR Attorney General has decided the best defence is offence and has launched defamation proceedings against the ABC. As far as i know, in all the information published about this incident, there were never any names mentioned. A prominent cabinet minister in the Morrison government was the only clue. Three or four ministers could have fitted the bill. The Attorney General outed himself when he gave the press conference to the nation and declared he was the person alleged to have committed the offence.
Darryl Tuckwell, Lambton
COULD John Arnold share with us his vision for Indigenous Australians under Chinese rule?
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
STEVE Barnett (Short Takes 16/3), on his perceived impending war with China and West Australia's iron ore dependency can only be responded to as Fawlty Towers' Manuel would; Que?
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