Prime Minister Scott Morrison's establishment of the national cabinet in the early days of the pandemic seemed inspired and worked well until he and his ministers resumed politics as normal with their political grandstanding. Imagine the potential if the earlier national cabinet approach was taken to other major issues such as economic reconstruction, social equity, the Uluru Statement and climate change.

Apparently such collaborative leadership is beyond the capacity of this federal government.

WE Australians are world champion whingers, and our response to government actions on COVID-19 has been no exception. But the statistics do not lie.

Every day Worldometer updates reports from all countries' health authorities on COVID-19 cases and deaths, as reported. What do the figures show? Of the 37 countries in the OECD we are doing better than all but Iceland and South Korea.

We have had 35 deaths per million people. Compared to us, the whole of western Europe and the Americas (north and south) are in a mess. Spain tops the list with 755 deaths per million, with the US second worst at 700. Again, we are at 35 with one twentieth of the US figure.

They may have problems on other fronts, but on COVID-19 Annastacia, Gladys, Dan, and the health bureaucrats who advised them can take a bow.

THERE have been some very interesting reports in the Newcastle Herald over the last couple of days regarding Newcastle council financial activities. On October 22, it was reported the council posted a $3.6 million deficit in 2019-20 ('City posts deficit as income drops', Herald 22/10) citing a number of odd reasons, one being a $13 million increase due to rate increases from the previous year, but expenses rose by $9 million mainly due to $5 million increase in employee costs.

In June the council approved the 2020-21 budget which included a deficit of $22.7 million and a record $116 million capital works spend.

Two days later, a wording change wipes $101 million off infrastructure maintenance backlog ('City wipes $101m bill', Herald 24/10). The revision means a drop from $45.6 million to $1.8 million on sealed roads, and footpath maintenance down from $4.8 million to $105,000.

In my opinion failure to maintain these assets on a regular ongoing program is certainly not best practice as stated, or in the best interest of ratepayers. In the long term it will only increase the ultimate cost of rectification.

A council spokesperson said council was responsible, taking into account its asset management plan and community consultation to measure against the Office of Local Government's scale of the asset poor, very poor, satisfactory, good and excellent in the revision of these assets.

Given the current state of the council's finances, I think proposed capital projects such as the skate bowl at south Newcastle beach ('Waves no worry: council', Herald 28/10) and the bike road from Bar Beach to the Junction ought to be postponed.

THE population of Shortland is one of the oldest in Australia. It was, therefore, reassuring to hear from the Minister for Aged Care in Senate estimates this week that the government is investing $4.6 billion into home care packages in the coming financial year. It was also great to hear that the waiting list for these home care packages has continued to decrease over the last 12 months.

This kind of care allows our treasured seniors to remain in the familiar environment of their own home for as long as possible. The mental and emotional benefit of being able to age at home, where possible, is invaluable.

REGARDING the proposed closure of Kurri Kurri hospital rehabilitation unit ('Closure fears at Kurri are heating up', Herald 27/10), again we have a perceived threat to a valuable service of the community.

This unit is an important link in the rehabilitation of patients from this area. With more residents moving to the area and housing being developed, I would have thought that expanding the facility and its capabilities would have been more of a priority. This facility is a very much valued asset of the community. I ask why support from Maitland doctors has been withdrawn from this facility.

I note in your report that Karen Kelly, executive director of Greater Metropolitan Health Services, said that there were no plans to close the unit or to absorb into another unit, but if you do not have the resources that were coming from Maitland then it's future does look doubtful on the face of it.

What consultation with the local community has been done or planned? This could be another example of the loss of people's community assets, that for the sake of saving a dollar will cost the community greatly.

If this goes ahead I believe it shows more short-sightedness from those that make decisions that affects communities.

WHILE I do not pretend to know the pressure that has been placed on Professor Tom Walley ('Research ructions', Herald 27/10), I believe it is clear that perhaps some of the influential people around the Hunter Medical Research Institute have not agreed with the restructure that was happening. In my opinion the full truth of the situation will not be gleaned for some time.

I have served on boards where reform is needed and while in principle all stakeholders agree with reform, they do not get into the paddock wrestling one another to nut out the reform needed because they want other people's to change, believing that their part of the kingdom where they feel comfortable in is perfect.

Major changes and restructures are not often delivered by one outsider because others always have the out that he/she did not understand everything because they were an outsider. At the same time, no insider will be trusted to drive the reform.

Will the full detail of Professor Walley's departure ever get out? Possibly not for a long time, and by then the bad habits will be more difficult to get rid of out of the whole institute.

I BELIEVE the Brandy Hill koala debate ('Rocked', Newcastle Herald 29/10) has been decided by the golden rule: those with the gold make the rules.

MICHAEL Gormly (Short Takes, 27/10) your research skills in my opinion seem to be lacking. You only have to look for Tim Flannery's gems such as in 2005 "drought could leave Sydney's dams dry in two years", or in 2007 "even the rain that falls isn't going to fill our dams". He also quoted NASA Professor James Hansen in 2006, who said "we have a decade to avert a 25-metre rise of the sea". There's plenty more. This is a man who was paid handsomely as climate commissioner, so is it any wonder people mock science?

CAN someone tell me where the federal environment is to need a minister? It seems quite an exclusive territory not dissimilar to the United States of America. Poor old koalas and poor old us ('Who's going to stand up for our icon?', Herald 29/10). Gas and the wrong kind of wind seem destined to frack on! And currently no one seems at fault. Brings the Murray Darling to mind does it not?

I REMEMBER watching a doco on fur trade where skin was ripped off live animals. This fur was apparently used as faux fur. Newcastle needs to make this stand ('Fur ban call in Newcastle', Herald 24/10) and if 'it simply doesn't occur' then it should be an easy stand to take. Deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen, I'm sure many, like me, are just as disgusted in you as in this vile fur trade.

I AM just writing to express my disappointment in the response Cr Declan Clausen had to Mr Brollo had over the weekend ('Fur ban call in Newcastle', Herald 24/10). To suggest Mr Brollo's efforts are a "profile-raising campaign", especially when the petition has seen strong support, is in my opinion just poor form from someone of Cr Clausen's position.

GEORGE Garnsey (Short Takes, 28/10), there are thousands of jobs for unskilled Australians out there; sadly sloth, drugs and alcohol are the reason some people choose to live on the breadline as well as generational welfare addiction. National service would soon fix this problem. While people get money for nothing, they will do nothing.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has bagged the crap out of Victoria and their premier, and now she is saying she will be cautious about reopening our borders. What a hypocrite. Let another cruise ship in.

I BELIEVE that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's carbon emissions targets separate us from advanced nations. With no transition policy for our region, Mr Morrison has not only relegated our nation; he has also let down the people of the Hunter.