I WOULD like to thank the Newcastle Herald for Ian Kirkwood's article on Thursday ('What hope did children have?', Herald 20/8) that shows photographs of Andrew Nash, Steven Alward and a young Father Glen Walsh, just three of the sexual abuse victims dead by suicide.
I would suggest everyone take a long hard look into the faces of these children and see the child behind the photograph, the child whose parents trusted the church with their care. Not only were they harmed in what should have been a safe, caring church setting but the same church enabled further abuse to happen by harbouring and protecting paedophile priests and brothers.
I believe that all along the church's sole consideration has not been the damaged child but the preservation of its name, power and wealth. In my opinion a police investigation into the death by suicide of Father Glen Walsh needs to happen.
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
Lifeline - 13 11 10
Joel's coal divide crucial to power
IT'S a shame Joel Fitzgibbon will never be able to convince Labor to back common sense ideas because they're beholden to the greens and the inner-city NIBMYs to get across the line on preferences ('Talk of split is risky: expert', Herald 21/8).
Mr Fitzgibbon is talking sense on energy, after his scare at the polls last year. But we're seeing a lot of tension federally for Labor's sensible MPs and I wonder, if Anthony Albanese takes up Adam Bandt's formal offer of support, what this will do to resource regions like the Hunter Valley.
There's a huge divide between the East End latte set and the common sense working people of the Hunter, and pretty soon Mr Fitzgibbon will need to put his money where his mouth is and walk away from Labor. Otherwise I expect more people in the Hunter will choose a party like the Nationals, who put jobs before preference deals, who nearly took the seat from Mr Fitzgibbon in 2019 on a two-party preferred basis.
James Thomson, Cameron Park
Expert opinions carry more weight
I'M not sure what Joel Fitzgibbon's tertiary qualifications, experience, and expertise are in chemistry but it's very comforting to know that we have nothing to worry about regarding the storage of ammonium nitrate at Kooragang ('Fitzy's 'explosive' claim', Herald 21/8).
His mum may live nearby but, as Joel puts it, it's all about the Hunter economy. Is there a world's best guide for the storage distance of this chemical from built-up areas?
Keith Parsons, Newcastle
Some were truly on side of angels
EVERY time I read a story about the abuse of children by the men of the church I feel so sad that the Sisters at St Patrick's Orphanage Armidale, who took me and my older brother and sister Joan into care following the death of our mother and the collapse of the health of our father, are other tarred with the same brush. This took place at the height of the depression in 1931. As the nation was all doing it tough; it was definitely a no frills life, but we are safe and cared for and enjoyed a Huckleberry Finn style life.
Whatever the shortcomings of our life, we were all instilled with the example of our duty to care for others less fortunate that guided us all through life. My beloved sister devoted her life to the promotion of women in society, politics and education. My brother became a caring obstetrician and I became a community activist.
The example of care for others so evidenced by these women even continued after my sister's death as she established a scholarship to assist mature aged women to complete their degrees. I am proud that the first scholar is a Newcastle woman who on completion of her degree now does great work at Calvary hospital.
I am indebted to these women, as I am sure are so many others.
Frank Ward OAM, Shoal Bay
Uranium ban brought us benefit
THE state government's proposed removal of a long-standing and popular ban on uranium mining in New South Wales flies in the face of evidence, community interest and market reality.
The global uranium price remains depressed following the Fukushima nuclear disaster and is not likely to recover. The uranium market is over supplied and existing producers are shelving projects across Australia and around the world.
In November 2019 the CEO of the world's largest uranium miner, Canadian company Cameco, stated that "not only does it not make sense to invest in future primary supply, even the lowest-cost producers are deciding to preserve long-term value by leaving uranium in the ground."
The ban has served NSW well. It has provided policy certainty and avoided the radioactive waste and legacy mine issues affecting other places, including Kakadu, where a massive $1 billion clean-up is underway at the former Ranger mine.
This poorly conceived piece of gesture politics could lead to lower tier and inexperienced mining companies cutting corners and increasing environmental and community risk and it simply makes no sense for NSW to jump aboard a sinking nuclear ship.
NSW's energy future is renewable, not radioactive.
Dave Sweeney, Australian Conservation Foundation
Don't force issue, make the case
AS we move towards a vaccine for COVID-19, I found Thursday's language from the Prime Minister about making a vaccination "as mandatory as possible" very concerning. While I am not opposed to vaccines as such, I am concerned about many of the ingredients in some of them. I am concerned by the use of some heavy metals, and other materials, in some vaccines as well as the use of embryonic material.
There are many with religious concerns and right to life concerns related to these matters. I think there need to be strong consideration related to the whole of the vaccine issue.
There are many in our country who value the right to choose as a massive right, and as a free country such a right ought to not be taken away unwisely. Governments and the health departments in Australia, in my view, have the responsibility to mount a strong argument to persuade people to voluntarily sign up for vaccines; and not to be lazy and just run with threats to prevent Australians from activities including the right to mix, to travel, to visit, or to receive funds from any government programs.
A part of the process of rolling out a vaccine must be to mount such an argument by clearly explaining to all Australians everything, including all of the ingredients and how they are obtained that go into the vaccines as well as all the research data. This includes the active and inactive ingredients. I believe failing to do this creates a massive barrier that many will hide behind, and that ought to be fully justifiable.
Milton Caine, Birmingham Gardens
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name, suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words and Short Takes fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
AS a bike rider and a walker I would like to raise a point concerning the photograph accompanying your story on the Watagan Track closure ('Lakeside path to close at night for works', Newcastle Herald 21/8).The two people who have stopped for a chat on a narrow section of the path have left little option for any rider, walker or jogger approaching from behind but to move into the oncoming lane. A shared path requires consideration by all users.
Col Tagg, Fullerton Cove
SEEING as McDonalds is a Knights sponsor, how about next week the boys run out in red and yellow Ronald clown suits? It would be just as weird as orange fluoro of the club's mining jersey. Bring back the bonding red and blue team colours!
Greg Powell, Valentine
IF I was Joel Fitzgibben ("Mum's the word on Orica risk", Herald 21/8), with my electorate office in Cessnock, I would be super enthusiastic about keeping the potentially explosive ammonium nitrate in Newcastle.
David Rose, Hamilton
SO, are retirees better off? As one, and having spent the last six months in almost total isolation and hardly ever leaving home, I found it gratifying tonight on the news when I heard that we as a group were better off and partly due to lower fuel prices. I reckon I've used two tablespoons since we were psychologically locked up. Who is trying to kid who here, and why? My current amusement is writing to and reading the Newcastle Herald, and particularly the contentious arguments on the letters to the editor page. I don't really think any of us truly know what hands this virus is yet to deal, but being together on this definitely beats being apart. That's why my vote for today goes to Chris Bowen after I saw his afternoon TV interview regarding an apolitical approach. I almost couldn't believe it. Of course, tomorrow could be different.
Vic Davies, Tighes Hill
THEY must be getting desperate regarding a container terminal in Newcastle with the promise of 15,000 jobs ('Port argues diversification is the key to boosting performance', Herald 20/8). BHP in full production only employed 12,000 people. With a projected 1000 containers being processed every day, I believe keeping 15,000 people in employment would send any company bankrupt overnight. Please give a detailed breakdown of local jobs and numbers required, not transport companies operating from Sydney. More importantly, who has estimated these numbers; a company who will run this terminal or the harbour's operators?
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
GEE, Greg Hunt wins the game of denialist bingo (Letters, 20/8). He's got catastrophist, alarmist and Tim Flannery all in one paragraph. But to answer his question about what we realists think when Warragamba Dam is full, it's easy - exactly what we thought last year when it was running dry, when unprecedented bushfires were raging and drought was scorching the inland. You see, Mr Hunt, climate scientists are quite aware that it rains sometimes, even as their work exposes the runaway global heating that threatens the planet.
