Would it not be far, far better to build more and more infrastructure, which would put people to work immediately and produce long-term benefits to the economy and to the amenity of local communities? Locally, such ready to go projects could include Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange at Glendale, Newcastle Airport's runway upgrade, the highway bypass from Beresfield to Raymond Terrace, social housing construction, extension of the light rail or construction of a cycleway or walkway between Fassifern and Booragul. We could then move on to more medium to long term projects such as building rail and light vehicles rail fit for purpose in Australia.

AFTER watching the Treasurer's budget speech and then the Opposition Leader's reply, I was yet again shocked with the behaviour of our politicians.

During the opposition reply our PM rarely looked at Mr Albanese, which in any normal workplace would not be tolerated.

This type of behaviour can't be tolerated particularly when they are deciding on a debt of $50,000 per taxpayer. All thoughts or criticisms of all our representatives should be considered.

I often view our politicians not even sitting in their seats when important legislation is being discussed. Again this would not be tolerated in any normal workplace and usually not paid if not at work.

We have briefly seen how our politicians working together have successfully controlled the COVID virus. They can work together for best outcomes.

It is now time for our politicians to be held to account for their bad behaviour or lack of integrity otherwise we will end up with a dysfunctional, divided country.

RECENTLY there was a horse running at Moonee Valley called Ponga. It was 23/1 in the betting, but had fair form so I had a dollar each way for interest. In the early part of the race it was up in the first four, but when they hit the straight it appeared to run out of gas.

Back to the Knights' final game, we started like a house on fire with Souths making the errors and us capitalising for a 14-0 lead. All of a sudden our Ponga decides to keep playing brash football and throws a wild pass out wide which is dropped. Souths surge back into the game from there.

I am not trying to ridicule Ponga, but in my opinion he needs some coaching into how to manage a game. Coach O'Brien thought he had a hard year this year, but I can see 2021 being a lot harder as there are teams like the Titans coming on and there will be less easier games next year.

SIR David Attenborough has a new documentary currently showing. It is called A Life on our Planet and is well worth seeing. It begins with the rebirth of Chernobyl which, due to the absence of destructive human occupation, has managed to flourish with forest regeneration and a subsequent abundance of wildlife.

It then goes on to show how we are rapidly devastating this precious planet. The projection of future life on earth is confronting and shows that if we choose to do nothing, we are heading towards a world devoid of all trees, an apocalypse where nothing can grow because the earth has been poisoned; an ocean which is devoid of all life and rising.

We can carry on with our entitled existence, ignoring the science, or we can take steps to turn things around. The clock is ticking towards disaster, please watch the movie then make your choice.

TRUER words were never spoken than "you can't put old heads on young shoulders". More the pity it seems at present, it is not only the young but middle aged people's shoulders this also applies to, who are making important decisions to guarantee the future of the planet, and enough citizens who have learnt what to do.

The "complex situation" we hear our leaders repeat over and over is no longer an excuse. The world has enough brilliant minds that are cognisant of the dire future if radical changes aren't made. Of course the elephant in the room is money and those who have lots of it want to hold onto it, and more. The plain old word greed is alive and well as never before. How can we, the means by which these people acquire their greed, bring about the importance of what is at stake if the challenge to do whatever it takes is not considered?

Frankly I am over the day to day squabbles letter writers indulge in. The topics are of little to no relevance regarding what is needed to halt the "world from burning". It is very apparent that no institutions have the fortitude to tackle the problem they have been instrumental in creating. The first major hurdle will be reaching out to Australia's first nations people, and being guided by them to at least try to bring our country back to what they looked after for 60,000 years. At least Australians could swallow their pride and have the honour of having tried.

GREG Hunt (Short Takes, 9/10) it's about warning us to not run enormous, endless risk rather than predictions. Civilisation's losing control, with grave consequences. It was known that Titanic's route, throughout its intended life of trans-Atlantic crossings, would take it through iceberg infestations. Yet it sailed with a great deficiency of lifeboats, albeit within regulations. Such risk should not be run.

As the vast, scrupulous, protective scientific body the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, of US commerce, warns, there is no alternative. Do not run the risk, is the warning to be heeded. Leadership acts on this. The US body is far better informed than the public, which described the ocean liner as unsinkable. I learned of emissions risk at the top of the energy industry, in the 1980s. Scientific, in-the-field tracking of 30 years since puts us in the "iceberg infestation". Thirty years for adjustment have been lost.

It is about heeding one deadly serious warning, of the best, on risk. Gas for "harmless" spray packs and refrigerants punched a huge hole in the protection from dangerous ultraviolet light ozone layer. Civilisation could not fix this. Fortunately, by ending the gases' use, the ozone layer is expected to mend itself, although that is not a certain prediction, sometime in the 2060s after 100 years. This is a good example of effecting change that, ,although not being in control, we can do more than be simply forced to hope for the best.

AS always, the budget speech is delivered by the Federal Treasurer on a Tuesday night. Then the reply speech is delivered by the Leader of the Opposition on Thursday night of the same week. The reply speech is never delivered by the Shadow Treasurer. Why?

HAVE a heart, Annastacia, and stop being a dictator. I believe you have displayed on several occasions your heartless and demeaning outlook and unsympathetic views and decisions regarding many Australians who should have been granted leniency and exemptions. You are treating deserving, well-meaning people with the same unkind attitude that you have displayed towards your so-called Queenslanders, who you believe you are looking after their best interests. Have you recently looked at your current unemployment or your number of suicides in your state? Come your elections I believe you will find out exactly how much your constituents appreciated your tyrannical leadership and uncaring attitude. Please pull down your walls of anarchy and self indulgence.

CARL Stevenson (Letters, 8/10) coal no longer provides 90 per cent of our electricity. In September coal provided 65.4 per cent and gas just 4.9 per cent. Renewable energy provided 30 per cent, but for renewable rich South Australia the figure was 73 per cent of their demand, importantly at a very low $14 per megawatt hour. Coal fired power can't come close to that price, with the cost of the coal alone about $40 per megawatt hour. Nor can your other alternatives match renewables' combination of affordability, cleanliness and reliability. Gas is dearer again so, while it is cleaner than coal and able to be rapidly ramped up and down to supplement variable renewables, price will ensure it only ever plays a minor part in electricity generation. Nuclear may provide low emissions but it is significantly dearer. Investors will continue to favour renewables, and electrification of transport can be easily catered for. Its irregular demand can be designed to actually benefit from renewable's variability.

SURELY with the erosion of Stockton beach and our pool shut for seven months, the council could have had the work finished for the school holidays? My family have been swimming at Lake Macquarie pools since COVID restrictions ended. Come on City of Newcastle, catch up

HOW could the Lake Macquarie councillors approve a new boarding house just a short distance from Cardiff North public school? Once approved, I fear the boarding house can be used to house anyone. In my opinion it's disappointing and potentially scary voting by our councillors.