They endured bashings, rapes and some were murdered. The passage of the floating jail cells was only possible through knowledge of the natural world, the wind, the sea and the stars.

We haven't learnt, we are now adrift, rudderless. We are without respect for the 'clever men', the scientists and the first peoples.

We are described internationally as being unlawful. We bobble around, rudderless. We commit funding to 'science'. We ignore the findings. We ignore 60,000 years of lived experience on these lands.

The first peoples nurtured their mother, the earth below their feet, the same earth we now all stand upon. That mother, that earth, is now charred from uncontrollable bushfires. We do not heed the signs of the natural world, the world that cradles and nurtures us.

We are in lock down on a vessel controlled by those who won't listen. We belittle a young Swedish woman for telling the truth. We refuse to listen. We pay for a special meeting at Uluru, we still don't listen. We recently invaded Uluru to 'conquer' it before it was closed, we weren't listening.

This country was stolen, as were its people, taken by force, which continues today. We are embarrassing, unlawful and immoral. Treaty and first people's constitutional representation in parliament is the only way forward for this unloved, burnt mother land.

RECENT letters (Ryan Adamson, 17/1 and Michael Hinchey, 25/1) have called on media outlets not to publish or air opinion contrary to the current orthodoxy of climate change.

Mr Hinchey likens such opinion to conspiring with the enemy in wartime since climate change is a national security threat. He says "every expression of doubt about the threat we face weakens our ability and resolve to neutralise it". I say this is not climate science but climate religion. Scepticism advances science, and the media's job is to be evenhanded.

Here's a case in point. Quite a media splash happened in late 2018 when a major study published by the journal Nature showed that ocean temperatures had warmed 60 per cent more than current estimates, and that consequently, emission levels needed to be slashed a further 25 per cent. But the study was wrong. An independent climate researcher and sceptic, Nicholas Lewis, found a mathematical error and the paper was retracted.

Lewis said: "It is very important that the media outlets that unquestioningly trumpeted the paper's findings now correct the record too. But perhaps that is too much to hope for."

He was right. The media who unquestioningly trumpeted the original study were less than enthusiastic about promoting a corrected version, continuing a false impression of the gravity of global warming.

I'VE seen recently in the paper and on NBN, the Newcastle Independent councillors are all boycotting the workshop at Port Stephens due to costs ('Council meeting split', Newcastle Herald, 28/1).

I know councillors aren't entitled to a wage, but I hope all expense incurred by the ratepayer are all correct and above aboard because I would hate to see any sort of "do as I say not as I do" from any of the elected officials.

And I also saw that John Church is still unhappy that remarks he was called last year are still not investigated, I would ask him if council employees are afforded the same demands that you are asking for.

THIS is a letter to all Australian politicians: I write this in the hope that some politicians will heed all of this advice, after having witnessed over 33 related human deaths, three helicopters and one C130 Hercules crashes (with three lives lost), over 2100 homes burnt to the ground and over a billion unique Australian fauna dead, not to mention whole forests and flora lost forever.

I do so due to what we see as a complete waste of time in all of our parliaments when personal attacks on National Party members who cause the government of the people to digress and deviate from how Australia is being destroyed.

We witnessed back-burning as a last resort to try to protect whole towns and villages, sometimes with documented, devastating results.

This archaic method mostly fails significantly and also traps wildlife. As our politicians from the Prime Minister down have ignored retired fire commissioners, since March/April, 2019, we find this abhorrent.

What I suggest is that our RAAF, instead of enjoying a Christmas break, be issued with appropriately-designed four-engined, jet aircraft from either Lockheed or Boeing capable of landing on water, thus being able to scoop water to fill their tanks within seconds, the same as the ex-WWII Martins aircraft (seaplanes) which fill their tanks within 22 seconds.

What we have witnessed with the C130 having to fill up at Richmond Air Force Base, then fly two hours to drop 1500 litres of water or fire retardant, (which has far-reaching poisonous effects on our water and environment) then fly back to base for another two hours. We have the sea, bays, lakes and rivers close to the current coastal fires.

I know that we now need to "think outside the square" and wake up during our current and future summers. The fire season commenced in September and wasn't acted on at all.

These inaccessible fires should have been attacked immediately and extinguished.

PHILL Payne (Short Takes, 28/1) takes issue with the analogy I draw between the fight against climate change and war. Fair enough, even though I think the analogy is reasonable.

So here's another type of comparison to consider. Imagine a legion of writers suddenly start inundating newspapers with letters disputing the existence of gravity.

No one has ever seen it, they say, and enormous amounts of money are unnecessarily spent on measures to deal with it, such as fences at lookouts, and jet fuel to get planes off the ground. Would, or should those letters be published?

There are people who believe in all kinds of things, including pixies, Martians and that Elvis is still alive and running a burger joint somewhere in the US. Are their beliefs worthy of publicity?

The truth is that censorship is practised all the time, about a myriad of beliefs and opinions. As it should be. It's well and truly time we put climate change denial in the basket with them.

WHAT beautiful words Donna Meehan ('A mother's love', Newcastle Herald, 29/1) I read your article with a tear in my eye. Your mum was an amazing woman, but both your mothers were fortunate to have you.

OUR government is taking expert advice to deal with the developing emergency in order to contain the spread of coronavirus. They say they want to protect the health of Australians (not sure Christmas Islanders will feel secure). Why is it then, in order to protect the health of all life forms in Australia, they refuse to accept overwhelming expert advice, and institute necessary measures to deal with climate change? Paying lip-service isn't dealing with this lethal problem which is affecting the planet.

CAN anyone help? Watching Stan Wawrinka v Zverev at the Australian Open. Why do a lot of players need three balls before serving? Good old Stan serves a fault and the ball ends up back with him. He keeps hold of that ball and serves it again. Love it. Is there a difference in the balls used in a game hence players need to pick the good one? Pretentious? To me - just plain crap.

ASH Barty; what a great role model, what a great person, more of us should be like her.

SO Israel Folau has promised the English rugby league he won't post any of his homophobic comments after signing with the Catalans. Sounds familiar.

SO, what I would call two tennis "has beens" are asking Tennis Australia to change the name of the Margaret Court Arena because of her views. McEnroe (who I think is the worst behaved player in history) and Navratilova should go home and leave us alone. They have nothing to do with Australian tennis, and neither have a record even close to Margaret's 24 majors (best in world/men and women). Just butt out.

IN reply to Dan Kirkpatrick (Short Takes, 24/1), I am a very proud member of the silent majority and I am wholly sick of people like you ramming their ideas/beliefs down the throats of other people, like the minorities and "lefties" who demand their "rights" but fail to respect the rights of others. Well here I am, exercising my right to be silent - until the next election when you, Dan, will again hear us loud and clear.

MIKE Sargent (Letters, 28/1), I love Donald Trump.

FORGIVE my ignorance Michael Hinchey (Letters, 29/1), but is jingoism like becoming half man, half dingo? Maybe I can borrow your thesaurus sometime.

I'VE got a novel idea. Hold the councillors' planning workshop in what used to be the lord mayor's reception area at Newcastle City Hall. I attended a few over the years. And please, no CoN spin about the need to be isolated from work and family issues.