OVER recent weeks, we have seen a massive campaign promoting "the bush" and the need to visit our own backyard, and it is all very welcome. However, country towns really don't want to be known for blacksmith shops that operated in the early 1900s and quaint streets with rows of old wooden buildings where almost no one lives.
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Some 400 years ago Francis Bacon suggested the key to a prosperous community is "a fertile soil, busy workshops and easy conveyance for men and goods from place to place." I believe that with the bulging masses and increasing costs in our major cities, it's time (after decades of talk) to take business to the bush.
We all look forward to the resurgence of manufacturing in Australia located throughout rural and regional Australia, proving high skilled, long term employment where people in "the bush" can be proud of their contribution to wealth and well being of all Australians. We can solve the problems.
Kevin Doherty, Muswellbrook
Off the rails, and never better
I CAN'T believe people are still complaining about the removal of the train line in Newcastle (Peter Sansom, Letters, 17/10) .
We now have a clean light rail that comes every seven and half minutes instead of a train puffing smoke every 30 minutes along a dirty wasteland in the city.
Hunter Street is looking a lot nicer than ever before. And yes, I think the decision to put the light rail on the street was the right decision. The old station area is nearly finished as the final touches are being made. The ability to walk between the harbour and Hunter Street over a green lawn instead of a filthy walk bridge is a testament to our politicians' vision. Thank you Gladys.
Andrew Whitbread-Brown, Cardiff Heights
The private is public for pollies
SCOTT Morrison's signature saying that will be remembered by voters, when he is just another portrait on Australian Parliament's rogues' gallery of ex-PMs, will be "now is not the time". Joh Bjelke-Peterson's equivalent saying was "don't you worry about that" when parrying a journalist's difficult question. So, when will it be a time for a federal ICAC with real teeth and integrity that acts for voters?
Victoria's IBAC is busy probing the actions of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews over his handling of COVID quarantining. NSW's ICAC could well end the political career of Premier Gladys Berejiklian. I imagine both of these watchdog organisations will be sending shivers down the spines of many federal politicians.
Voters require the highest level of integrity from the politicians whom they elect. It is a false dichotomy to say that a politician is entitled to a separate private life. Private lives spill over into public lives. Private lives reflect a person's integrity. Without knowing specific details of politicians' private lives, it is reasonable for voters to ask, if politicians act dishonestly, corruptly or foolishly in their private lives, can they be trusted to act with integrity and good judgement?
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
We don't want the same old story
I CARE for my elderly mother, who is aged in her 90s and is very fortunate to receive an aged pension. For most of her adult family life she has managed to live in the same humble abode which happens to be one of those very mouldy old social houses which was written about in the Herald ('Labor calls for spend on social housing', Newcastle Herald 17/10)
I'm certain that her present health situation, which is slowly deteriorating, would improve immeasurably if the mould and other issues in and around the house were dealt with straight away.
My mum has lived in the same cottage for some years, and experienced a lot; sad and happy times and just like many other people who struggle to live in dilapidated social housing all around the country. Most are able to still vote.
Now think about that, Mr Prime Minister and other politicians when you're wasting taxpayers' hard earned money to fund redecorating the Parliament building or something similar. People should be outraged that elderly Australians are being so disrespected.
Peter Charlier, Wallsend
Don't unite all kids at uni
RECOGNITION of shortages of at least 140,000 apprentices and trainees in the workforce and the dire need for vocational education is an admission of past narrow governmental attitudes towards tech education and its effect upon school leavers as a whole.
Senator Susan Ryan was rightly lauded for her advocacy for the betterment of girls in the workforce: the encouragement of all towards tertiary education, resulting in the school leaving age being raised to 17. The effective demise of the once School Certificate or its like at the completion of four years of secondary schooling resulted.
Many kids towards their mid-teens have an idea of direction with approaches toward vocational careers advocated. Usually an apprentice had an overseer or mentor in the workplace, reinforcing the TAFE program to advantage.
Initially Hunter TAFE had more courses dropped than other institutions due to budget cuts, and sweeping staff retrenchments. Other TAFE centres were similarly affected leading to ongoing undermining of TAFE education, to the disadvantage of many. The demise of TAFE and the boosting of university pathways has led to current dysfunction.
Submitted university course fee designs are queried; should humanities course costs double to the advantage of nursing, teaching, health, mathematics, agriculture? Uni fee projections are deemed unfair, especially for "poor kids and poor parents" according to Senator Jacqui Lambie. Government rejuvenation of certificate and diploma pathways would be apt.
Robert Allen, Hawks Nest
Isolation comes home to roost
I AM a consultant psychologist. I had cause last week to ring a firm concerning a case, and the conversation should have taken a minute or two including pleasantries. It lasted 35 minutes.
The manager disclosed she was working from home, a bedsitter at a relative's place. She usually works for a company in a building with a beautiful view. In a word she was lonely; she missed the water cooler, the "durrie" with friends and the connection.
We need to be mindful that while working from home has its benefits; it also pulls us away from the connectivity that is so crucial for human growth. I fear that many companies will first see the financial, even productive use of working from home, but for some, this will mean isolation.