Newcastle Herald Letters to the Editor: Wednesday, March 7, 2018

The valley immediately to the north of the Glenrock valley has an ideal terrain for setting up a glamping establishment. It has an ocean frontage. A 10-minute walk in. A 10-minute walk over a slight incline to the lagoon and the main north-side walking rail. There is a sealed road already in place that only would require a short extension to low vehicular access directly to The Glamp. Best of all, it would be out of sight of the lagoon.

Some would say that this option is on the nose, but The Leggy will always be The Leggy to many, many folk. Sure it could bring dollars into Newcastle, and I am all for that.

Glamping is OK in the correct place (like over that rise to the north!). It is such a wonderful place to wander through (as an old Boy Scout, I have been going there for just under 60 years, I have taken my son and now enjoy it with my grandson) and always meet the nicest people along the way.

Whatever is done to Glenrock, please do not alter its natural appeal. Some tourist paths could be added, but please leave those wonderful existing trails as they are. And please, please, whatever happens, if glamping should go ahead, please keep it out of sight of that sacrosanct place – The Leggy.

I WAS of the understanding that the governing body of football, many years ago, announced a crackdown on one of the most un-sportsman like behaviours that had grown like a cancer in the game – that being players taking a dive for a reward from the referees. Can someone explain to me why that Sydney player should not be suspended for his appalling display which saw him rolling around on the ground as if he'd been shot in the head by a sniper in the crowd? I'm not a massive fan of the game and when I do watch it, I expect to see a fair contest but disgraceful incidents like that must turn people off it.

Please, if they can't play the game without resorting to garbage like that, then perhaps they should seek another career, like acting – but they would need some serious training in that field going by their present efforts.

I WAS appalled to read Letters (5/3) and the comments made by one of the regulars at Merewether baths of those who swim at Merewether only when Newcastle Ocean Baths are closed for cleaning: “All the fat ladies turn up at Merewether.”

I applaud Jan Caine for her comments and for her defence of Newcastle baths and the friendly people who swim there. It has always puzzled me as to why Merewether swimmers have that feeling of superiority as there is no better equaliser than to strip down to our cozzies and enjoy what others enjoy and that is the joy of being in salt water. I grew up at Merewether Ocean Baths, but swim these days at Newcastle baths where I feel the swimmers are happy and welcoming. All shapes and sizes.

Discrimination comes in so many forms, race, religion, sex and colour have all been addressed in recent times but the old “fat people are inferior to slim people” never seems to go away. Shame on the person who said that and I would like to remind them that it doesn’t matter what suburb you are from or what car you drive and what your occupation is or your age as we are all out there exercising, socialising and having a good time. There are no weight checks for swimmers at Newcastle baths. Why does a woman’s weight matter so much? I note that when Merewether Ocean Baths had its very expensive upgrade many swimmers came to swim at Newcastle, among them were several chubby men. And they were welcomed.

READING Mark Kenny’s opinion piece (‘Grave new world as MPs slip into the gutter’, Herald, 5/3) I felt I was not alone in my feeling of disgust at the tone and content that goes as political discussion in today’s Federal Parliament. As near half of Australian marriages fail, including my own, to turn the tragedy of these personal events into a cause to distrust the integrity of our parliamentary representative is a new low in a profession already at the bottom of the heap as far as public opinion is concerned.

As the details of Barnaby’s life were spread across the papers I had to feel so sorry for those reluctant participants, his new partner and child, his former wife and family who for no reason other than their association with a MP, are thrust in the limelight.

As a counter for any perceived damage to the Turnbull government, it appears Turnbull has unlocked his attack dogs to cast implications over the Opposition and their staff. Cash’s statement from the cowards’ castle of Parliament implying misconduct by members of the female staff of Mr Shorten’s office and Minister Dutton’s sleazy remarks that implied that because some members of the Opposition had marriage breakdowns they could not be trusted not to be a philander, were two of the lowest actions I have seen in observing our Parliament over 60 years. It appears the Turnbull Coalition has only one policy and because giving big tax cuts and lurks to the rich is not being accepted by the voters, they have embarked on sleaze in their “Kill Bill” campaign.

Turnbull should ask his slime merchants to say their lies outside the cowards’ castle so that the slandered staff could sue, or tell his mates to get back to working for the people who elected them.

OUR Prime Minister and Treasurer are telling us the benefits of tax cuts for the rich and big business that, their extra money would trickle down creating jobs and pay increases for low-paid workers. What would happen if they gave these tax cuts to the working poor people who must spend all their pay to survive? The first pay after the cuts there would be a massive injection of cash into our financial system with these people being able to buy an extra 500g of mincemeat, milk or pay it off their electricity bill – you can be sure it will be spent and, instead of a trickle down of money, it would be a flood rising into the system which will help small businesses and supermarkets to increase their profits and workforce. The government gets extra GST and tax from more employment, supermarkets and big business profits will rise and CEOs and board members can give themselves a massive pay raise for doing such a good job.