We have come a long way in my lifetime, from a time when married women were barred from many work situations to a place when - legally, at least - women have equal opportunity. The reality is different: women are still clustered in lower paid occupations; often it is low pay because the work is done by women. My understanding is that nursing salaries increased only when men entered this occupation. Domestic violence is still rife and the value of women's caring and volunteer roles is ignored.

Women can aspire to and achieve the highest offices in the land, but once they get there they are treated very differently by their peers and the media. I well remember the furore over Julia Gillard's empty fruit bowl and her relationship.

I cannot imagine how the Premier could organise a private relationship given the demands on her time and the media scrutiny she faces. I believe it was almost inevitable that she would find that relationship in a parliamentary colleague. Her error of judgment seems to have been not paying more attention to his alleged extra-parliamentary activities. Sadly, not every elected representative is squeaky clean, and I believe some instead see their position as an opportunity to improve their financial situation.

GLADYS Berejiklian has my support. Throughout all of the disasters that have happened she has admitted to wrongs (''I stuffed up': Gladys', Herald 13/10). She's not like the Victorian Premier, who "couldn't remember." This is a personal problem; most of us have had a relationship problem in our lives. I feel sorry for her. I don't support the Liberals in general, but I like her politics.

DIANA Taafe (Letters, 9/10) wonders what we have done to our former beautiful cityscape when viewed from Newcastle Harbour. Well, I remember crossing the harbour on the ferry in 1953, on my way to a hockey match at Stockton. Looking from the stern, I thought it was a disgusting sight.

I remember thinking the Queen and Prince Phillip were coming here next year and when the Royal carriage is due, I can't imagine what she would think gliding past the graffiti covered dilapidated buildings that would welcome her arrival.

Actually, her visit was a resounding success and the presence of thousands of worshipping fans took the focus off any of the city's shortcomings at the time. It certainly is a little surprising to me, that anyone could not be impressed with the development of the foreshore and it's surroundings over the past ten years. It is simply magnificent.

THE Anthony Albanese roadmap to the nation's economic and social recovery given during his budget reply speech ('Build them here: Albo', Newcastle Herald 9/10) in my opinion possessed a clarity absent from that of the LNP. It was constructive, forward thinking and achievable.

The Albanese roadmap committed to providing equitable recognition to all Australians irrespective of gender, race or creed, an initiative not given proper thought in the 2020 Budget. Would-be Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledges to deliver Australia out of the recession by way of providing opportunities for businesses large or small to flourish and importantly, create additional employment.

His roadmap includes providing the 51 per cent of Australians (women) the equity in employment that for far too long they have been denied. By contrast, Scott Morrison and his treasurer absolutely ignored addressing that in their budget.

The value of women to Mr Morrison and his predominantly male counterparts was exemplified by his sending minister for families, Anne Ruston, out to explain the party's position on women's equity ('Ministers deny women overlooked in budget', Herald 8/10). Ms Ruston's bizarre explanation being that women can take advantage of driving on new roads and infrastructure. What more needs to be said about the LNP attitude toward women?

GREAT sentiment, Albo ('Build them here: Albo', Herald 9/10) and I'm sure the party faithful are still cheering you on.

What you have failed to mention though is, how you will produce enough base load power to supply the high demands on our already stressed electricity grids at a price that is low enough to make Australia a competitive place to manufacture now and into the future.

Given the Labor Party largely don't want nor will they emphatically support nuclear, coal or potentially even gas-fired generation of electricity, where is the needed base load power coming from in Albo's world? Are we only going to manufacture on sunny and windy days in years to come? If Labor is genuine about bringing back manufacturing and getting back to their roots, and eventually back into government, Labor needs to get real about base load generation of electricity. I believe Albo, like many from the left, lives in fantasy land, just as anyone else who believes manufacturing on a grand scale will ever come to fruition in this country without dependable base load power.

Have a look around the world and tell me which countries are heavily into manufacturing without genuine base load power generation from nuclear, coal or gas.

AMONG my earliest memories as a child at RAAF Base Rathmines are hazy recollections of Catalina aircraft scattered around the foreshore of Lake Macquarie.

Not until late last year, while attending a Catalina Week commemoration at the Australian War Memorial, did I realise the contributions these unique aircraft made towards the defeat of the Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific.

Why was I not aware of the nature and perils of the missions flown? My father had participated as a pilot. And many of his colleagues were known to me through the camaraderie and lifelong bonds formed from their wartime experiences.

I now suspect the answer lies somewhere in the mix of the secrecy of the missions flown, memories of comrades lost in action and, no doubt, the natural instincts of survivors to retain their experiences between themselves. Now that they are gone, it would be wonderful to commemorate their actions by the preservation of a restored Black Cat aircraft at Rathmines, appropriately displayed in an interpretation hangar at their former home base. I am sure our grandchildren will be proud.

I WATCHED 60 Minutes on Sunday night and was very pleased to see Erin Molan and Anthony Seibold speaking out about those that inappropriately use social media and indeed their horrific experiences. Erin's description was spot on. These people are the scum of the earth and should be jailed. Well done, Anthony and Erin.

AS someone born and bred in Newcastle, I take umbrage at Peter Philiss (Letters 9/10) and his "carry on" about his right regarding all things pedestrian in his hood. I hope you stay the age you are, never need a scooter, and by the way as a scooter owner in Queensland, I don't know the law there, but we are not allowed on the roads. So take a chill pill; we are all in it together.

WE seem in an abundance of unprecedented times. I think we need Shakespeare to help write some of those virus campaign reports. Within a bland life of semi isolation we hear the news only to be inundated by more of the same. An abundance of caution with brave efforts by all but the numbers are still not coming down. "Alas! I knew poor Donald well", perhaps? Or even revisiting Churchill; "We shall fight them with the bleaches." We do have 200,000 words to choose from.

OUR primary schools must give due attention to the teaching areas of the arts and sport. Our high schools need to prioritise the teaching of art, music, drama and physical education. Our university needs to reinstate enrolments in creative arts. We need to be a society and a community, not just an economy.

WELL that was worth the money, Sonny Bill Williams. In my opinion the Roosters are a disgrace. That amount of money could have given a couple of young blokes a crack at the big time. Instead Williams played around 60 minutes in two games to be beaten by the Raiders in Friday night's finals clash. Justice served.

GREG Hunt (Short Takes, 9/10), people of low lying south pacific nations are being displaced due to sea rise; streets in Miami are being flooded every high tide due the sea level rise; Inuit Indians who have relied on sea ice forming to hunt can no longer hunt enough food for the year due to the season being dramatically shorter; grizzly bears are moving north and breeding with polar bears for the first time in history due to the climate being warmer. I can go on and on, but I won't as an old dog can't change his spots. The world is a much bigger place than Newcastle West and Australia for that matter. You asked how the predictions have been, pretty spot on I'd say.

MINISTER for Families Anne Ruston's suggestion that women benefit from the federal budget because they can drive on new roads ('Ministers deny women overlooked in budget', Herald 8/10) ignores a big question. After paying for childcare, rent and power bills, where's the money to buy a car?