TODAY I received a parcel, an online purchase, manufactured in China which got me thinking. Was it made in Hubei Province (a major electronics/manufacturing area)? I don't know. Was anyone on the production line, the quality check, packaging or transport chain infected with coronavirus? I don't know.
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Wuhan is a major political, economic, cultural and educational centre in central China. It attracts a lot of investment including from France. Renault and PSA have manufacturing bases there. Will the air-conditioning unit of your new car blow coronavirus at you? I'm not raising this to be an alarmist. Hopefully the coronavirus can't be transmitted from imported goods like I question, so all concerns can be safely dismissed on technical grounds.
My point is simply that our global economy brings China's problems into our homes and we can't afford to treat this virus as "not my problem". It may well be.
At the very least we need to be more empathetic towards those already directly affected. I would not like to be a nurse or doctor in central China right now.
Steve Rayfield, Warners Bay
Skyline worth saving
THE proposal to build a Cathedral Centre at Christ Church Cathedral, now before Heritage NSW, is deeply disturbing ('Reaching for the heavens', Newcastle Herald, 29/1). It includes the construction of a major multi-purpose venue in front of the cathedral and the erection of a spire on the cathedral's tower. If approved then Newcastle's city skyline will change dramatically along with the day-to-day function of the cathedral itself.
Christ Church Cathedral is Newcastle's most important and iconic building. Yet citizens have only until February 5 to make submissions to Heritage NSW about the project. Newcastle Inner City Residents Alliance (NICRA) readily acknowledges that the cathedral is expensive to maintain and the trustees must plan for its future. But before this happens they also have a civic duty to discuss the proposal with the citizens of Newcastle.
NICRA strongly urges that the submission date be extended by at least one month to March 5. NICRA also commends that a public consultation process takes place to fully explain the proposals, their impact on the wider community and, thus, to provide an opportunity for residents to accurately express their views about the proposal.
Lyndall Ryan AM, Secretary NICRA, The Hill
Conference at City Hall
I COULDN'T agree more John Beach on your assessment of our council's spending (Letters, 27/1) and now we learn there is to be a "conference" of our councillors at Port Stephens costing ratepayers around $10,000 ('Council meeting split', Herald, 28/1).
Thanks to John Church and the independent councillors who are boycotting the event it has been brought to light. Why couldn't it be held in our refurbished City Hall? Perhaps even in the rented new super building at Newcastle West?
After last year's disgusting behaviour and treatment of John Church I'm not surprised that the independents do not wish to attend.
I attended a council meeting last year and I witnessed that most of what was said by independents did not appear to have any respect from the Labor group, including our lord mayor and deputy lord mayor. And they have the numbers.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Mayfield
Money belongs to victims
I WAS living in Orange when the Newcastle earthquake occurred. Having grown up in Newcastle, I was horrified. I willingly donated money to help the victims.
Now we learn that all of this money was not distributed, but that some people have been sitting on funds for 30 years. I donated this money in good faith to go to the earthquake victims. If that is not happening, then I want my money back, with interest please.
One can only hope that this doesn't happen in the wake of the bushfires. I have heard one charity already saying they want to keep some back for the future. I think some of these charities see such funds as a huge windfall to be spent as they see fit. Not always what the donors intended for their money to be used for.
Ruth Burrell, Merewether
Short-changed by cash cap
WILL the Labor Party stop this? Most Herald readers are represented by a Labor Party Member of Parliament. The Morrison government is trying to ban cash. They have a bill before Parliament that starts with transactions above $10,000, and the people pushing this have already said they want to reduce the limit to as low as $2000.
Why? Treasury claims such a bill is necessary to combat the "black economy" - supposedly small businesses avoiding the GST and criminal gangs laundering money. Questioned during the December 12 Senate hearing into the bill, I understand Treasury and other government agencies admitted they had "no actual evidence" that banning cash will stop tax evasion and money laundering. Excerpts of their responses can be found on YouTube.
Published research by the International Monetary Fund shows that Australia's black economy is not large and is in fact shrinking - without a cash ban - and countries with cash restrictions have much larger black economies.
I believe this bill would benefit the banks only: forcing people to transact through the banks attacks our right to financial privacy; with negative interest rates touted, force us to pay the bank to hold our money and; under the 2018 bail-in law, allow the banks to use our deposits to prop them up.
Your MP can stop this.
Ann Lawler, Australian Citizens Party, formerly Citizens Electoral Council of Australia, Maitland
Why grants grate
I HAVE to to disagree with Garry Robinson (Short Takes, 27/1) saying that "the Labor party are playing petty politics over community sports grants". I understand it has come to light recently that in the lead up to the election last year, sporting clubs in marginal electorates were specifically targeted with the focus being on trying to keep the Coalition in government. In other words it was blatant "pork barrelling".
How else do you explain the rugby club in the marginal seat of Sturt in Adelaide receiving a $500,000 grant for women's changing rooms when they currently do not even have a women's team?
Meanwhile many sporting clubs around the country including many in the Hunter have missed out.
One would've hoped that the system of allocating sporting grants would be done in a fair manner, adhering to the criteria guidelines set out by Sport Australia. Instead I believe we saw an unethical vote-winning exercise. A federal ICAC needs to be set-up and a full investigation implemented so that taxpayer's money cannot be used in this way again.
Ivan Hecimovic, Lambton
Short Takes
IF the government is really serious about the health of Australians then they should immediately ban all incoming commercial flights from China.
Alan Kendall, Neath
INTERESTING comments from our deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen in regard to the independents objecting to the expense of the upcoming Newcastle council strategy session: "Nothing more than a cheap, rinse-and-repeat PR stunt'' ('Council meeting split', Newcastle Herald, 28/1). Certainly don't think the intended venue will be "cheap'' but anyway, look forward to another rate rise soon.
Col Perkins, Wallsend
MIKE Sargent said it all: "If you tell the same lie time after time the mug public will eventually believe you are telling the truth" (Letters, 28/1). How right you are Mike, but that goes for climate change activists as well as the few deniers you quote.
Phill Payne, Gateshead
IT was good of John Ure (Letters, 26/12) to prove my point that those demanding an end to coalmining have no alternative plan. Vague statements about "orderly transitions" and "clean industries" won't put money in the bank. Certainly not the $140 billion a year that coal and iron ore bring in. If the opportunities beyond coal are so plentiful, where are the investors lining up? How many jobs will they provide? What makes Australia more attractive to these businesses than other countries? I eagerly await a detailed reply from, well, anyone.
Scott Hillard, New Lambton
NOT one member of the federal Liberal Party has the courage to call Bridgette McKenzie and the sports grants scandal what it is, a bloody disgraceful rort. Not one member of Newcastle council's Labor bloc has the courage to call the planned Port Stephens junket what it is, another bloody disgraceful waste of money. And they all wonder why many of us hate party politics.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
GUN toting Senator McKenzie seems to have shot herself in the foot.
Peter Hay, Islington
MILLIONS of taxpayer dollars are being wasted keeping the Biloela family on Christmas Island and now providing armed guards so their little girl can go to school. They could be at home in Queensland contributing to the local and national economy. How good is economic management?
Peter Ronne, Woodberry
OH look, it's the Clown Church Cathedral ('Reaching for the heavens', Herald, 29/1).
Samuel Rogers, Redhead
I BELIEVE Keith Parsons' Short Takes contribution puts Paul Scott's "the Hunter's most miserable man" in a lot of danger.
Brennan Turnbull, Newcastle East
IT'S reported "Armed guards will escort" the daughter of the Biloela Tamil family detained on Christmas Island to her first day of school. Armed guards for a four year old? I have never been so proud to call myself a citizen of this country. How good's Straya?