THE government wishes to stimulate the economy. Well, how about low-income earners? They can be identified by the ATO and not pay tax until they reach the tax-free threshold of $18,300. This would save them from paying the tax up front and then having to claim the tax paid at the end of the financial year. I'm certain that the money retained would be spent, assisting the economy.

I DON'T know how Andrew Collins (Letters, 3/7) compiled his list of organisations which he claims are subsidised by City of Newcastle. I can advise him that the Older Women's Network disbanded in 2017 and during the period when we met in The Loft we paid a commercial rent for the hire of the meeting room. When The Loft closed, we gratefully accepted free use of space at Adamstown RSL and later at Sydney Junction Hotel. It was a case of support from the community, not the council.

WHOOP-de-doo, Parliament on Wednesday marked their eighth sitting of the year. What a bunch of overpaid bludgers and leaners.

IN reply to Steve Larsen (Letters, 3/7) he asked if anyone knew of any reliable communication service providers. Without sounding like a plug, I can only relate that I have been with an Australian company for just over 12 months (Aussie Broadband). They are based in Victoria and I find them to be great. They do have landline phones which are VOIP, and do offer great packages as far as any communication needs. The technical support is second to none and you actually speak to someone you can understand. I do recommend Mr Larsen makes enquiries and they will tell him up front if their service is suitable for his area.

REGARDING Mark Creek (Short Takes, 2/7), and while not condoning any vandalism of parkland, I believe most reasonable people would agree that chopping down trees, concreting and locking up our foreshore park for the Supercars fiasco constitutes a much greater vandalism than any short-term damage to a small area of grass, which in my opinion recovered much faster than the foreshore park does after the Supercars fiasco. The sooner we get this ratepayer and taxpayer subsidised private company out of our residential streets, the better. Our council signed a secret agreement with Supercars (V8s race deed kept secret', Newcastle Herald 9/6/18), in my opinion essentially handing over Newcastle East to a private company for three months of the year. Why the secrecy? Why do we need freedom of information requests to find out about these things?

TONY Gibbs (Short Takes, 3/7), Popeye the Sailor always showed us spinach was super food which was good for our body. He also smoked a pipe, which is less healthy.