This hardly raised a comment from some in the media particularly when an inquiry found no one knew who was responsible and no one made the fateful decision about security. Two senior people fell on their sword. Now there are zero locally acquired cases in NSW in the last 24 hours with 7 new cases Australia wide.

Yet some in the media, and some politicians, bemoan a slow progress of the vaccination program. Even if every person was fully vaccinated tomorrow it is hard to see how zero cases could be improved upon.

I FIND it absolutely ridiculous these laws are being changed ('Worth a shot', Herald 1/4). Police, paramedics and hospital staff do not want to go back to the violence of the old days. In my opinion the Australian Hotels Association has got its way - how much money does this organisation pay the politicians ('Hotel industry generous political donor', Herald 3/2)?

I am over 70 and was afraid to go out at night prior to the introduction of these laws. I go to live music shows that do not need to go to all hours of the night. If people need to drink until all hours of the morning, go home and do it and stop the alcohol and drug-induced violence.

LOOKS like Tony Brown ("Why let a drunken bloody nightmare recur?", Opinion, 3/2) is flogging the same dead horses again. We've heard over and over for about 13 years now how the lockout laws are in place as a result of "evidence-based research". But it seems that this research always leaves out key evidence, such as the big role that initiatives by the pubs and clubs themselves (such as ID scanners) played in reducing night time violence, and the big role that drugs play in increasing night time violence.

We've also heard ad nauseam about the supposedly "powerful alcohol lobby", but I question how much power they actually have, considering that one brand new set of laws introduced in 2008 were able to wield an immeasurable amount of power over the entire industry. There has also been talk about a lack of community consultation with the decision to remove the laws. However, there was zero consultation with the community when the laws were put in place, nor were the likes of Mr Brown ever elected to any position of power.

IN his article about the Knights and Dragons clash on Sunday ('Knights in selection crisis', Herald 5/4) Barry Toohey writes that the referee didn't give the Knights a fair go. The official penalty count was five to one.

David Klemmer was put on report twice and Mitchell Pearce was penalised for a high tackle; that's three of the five penalties, so I think a penalty count of two to one in open footy is pretty reasonable. If the visiting side is getting away with being inside the ruck area, you can bet the home side is as well. Newcastle received the six-again advantage seven to one in the first half. Some were admittedly on the first tackle, but most came on the third or fourth tackle, yet only led the match 7-6 at half-time.

IT seems that Greg Hunt is still playing the victim (Letters, 5/4). Aside from misquoting previous correspondent Merrie Carling (Letters, 1/4), he continues to demand "an explanation of, or a defence of, or .... an apology for the outrageously offensive message on that shirt at the recent women's march". In the absence of a personal response to his demand (centred around a T-shirt worn by one woman at the march) he now asks the extraordinary question: "are we to assume that most women think that we ageing, straight, white men are the cause of all their problems?"

With the exception of a significant number of federal and state parliamentarians, I would suggest that this group would be down (but certainly not excluded from) the list of suspects. But instead of being defensive, I suggest Mr Hunt try to gain some perspective and empathetic understanding. Not all men are guilty of mistreating women and I have not heard anybody, male or female, suggest that they are. But too many men are, and we need to confront and deal with that reality. Denial and defensive attack, as exercised by many men including Mr Hunt, simply deflects attention and does nothing to address the problems of the inherent inequality between men and women, the obstacles that currently stand in the way of women achieving equality and the sense of entitlement that many men feel in their relations with women.

AFTER the game against the Dragons ('Knightmare', Herald 5/4) I believe coach Adam O'Brien has proved he is no Bellamy clone. His attack is non-existent; all it is is one out and charge up the middle for five and then put the ball in the air and hope the opposition drop it. When he was recruited, in my opinion, he should have brought 17 forwards to the club because under this system there is no need for backs. Even Phil Gould was critical of his tactics. He wants to get some of these blokes out of the casualty ward quick, or otherwise this season could be over quicker than he thought.

FAR too many magnificent trees are being pruned beyond recognition. We need to act responsibly to preserve trees for a number of reasons: to retain canopies for shade, to retain habitat for wildlife, to retain carbon absorption, and to retain our wellbeing. Looking at the branches of a beautiful tree and listening to the birds that live in that tree is very therapeutic. Concrete and clay as an alternative is very depressing.

HAVING complained about everything else, Michael Hinchey (Letters, 6/4) is now upset about the colours worn by a footy team. Parties at his place must be a hoot.

WHEN Tony Brown writes ('Why let a drunken bloody nightmare recur?', Opinion 3/4) that Newcastle CBD has three times more non-domestic violence assaults than the state average, is he saying that all these assaults are alcohol-related? I believe this is not quite correct and is skewed to confuse the average reader. Any comparison with the broader area of NSW is going to be highly inaccurate and is also further blurred with drug-related violence and other forms in a concentrated area.

This is further exacerbated by lack of police on the streets to at least control these assaults. Back in the 1970s, '80s and '90s police were a constant addition to the vibrant inner city lifestyle, nipping problems in the bud. Victor Dominello, thank you for attempting to bring a bit of spark back to the inner city. Most of us appreciate it.

ANYONE foolish enough to believe that the One Nation party was anything other than a lap dog for the LNP need look no further than the recent vote in federal parliament on casual workers ('Miner shaft', Newcastle Herald 24/3). They're no more likely to side with the workforce than I am of flying to Venus tonight.

BRUCE Cook (Letters, 6/4) there is no chance your increased health fund premiums will be returned to you by way of increased benefits. NIB is a profit-driven corporate listed on the ASX. It must return dividends to shareholders first and foremost. I suggest you switch to a not-for-profit health fund who have no obligations to shareholders, but just to members.

IT'S time the government looked at the pros and cons, benefits, non benefits and if there are any savings on power consumption with daylight savings in operation these days, particularly when it runs for six months of the year ('Time for debate as clocks wind back', Topics 3/4).

HA! If you ask me the Knights' game plan was boring, got themselves absolutely belted and didn't even try to change it ('Knightmare', Herald 5/4).

I'M enjoying a bit of an extended stay at John Hunter Hospital at the moment. The beef and vegetable soup is very nice. Good every time. Thank you to the kitchen staff.

THE editorial about daylight savings ('Pros and cons of daylight savings', Opinion 5/4) missed one important point. As every Queenslander knows (thanks to the wisdom of ghastly Sir Joh) it causes the curtains to fade.

IT is now more than two years since the tram service in Newcastle began operating. Yet there are still two roadside trailer-style electric signs alerting us to the existence of the traffic lights for the tram crossing ahead. As these signs are on periodic hire, surely after more than two years, this is an unnecessary expense for whoever is footing the bill. Why were they necessary in the first place? Traffic lights by their very existence are indeed more than obvious.

HOW can a person with an intellectual disability accurately answer questions about that disability ('New asessments are 'demeaning' for NDIS, Herald 5/4)? If they understate or even overstate their difficulties, because they either don't understand the questions or don't understand the extent of their difficulties by any objective standards, how does this give a meaningful assessment which then determines their lives for the foreseeable future?