The Liberal Party in government is a minority, held captive by the unrepresentative National Party in regards to climate change. They need to go. The Labor Party is slightly better, but still wedded to fossil fuels. Hopefully with the election of some brave independent women, our parliament will be dragged into beginning a process that will begin to address the dire threat of our planet becoming unfit for human habitation.

CONGRATULATIONS to young couple Andrew Prichard and Georgia Wiebe who recently purchased their first home in New Lambton, ("Home groan", Herald, 12/5). It shows that if you dare to dream, plan, work hard, sacrifice and save, the "declining affordability" of buying a house can still be achieved. It was accomplished after first renting, then living, with Ms Wiebe's parents. They were able to both work to save the required 10 per cent deposit for the purchase in just one year, an admirable achievement in my opinion. Their efforts reminded me of how many of us made a similar start, in days gone by.

FOR the past two decades, many Hunter residents have looked forward to the day when they could cycle, walk or run along completed sections of the 32km Richmond Vale Rail Trail (RVRT) from Shortland to Kurri Kurri, or simply explore the host of adjacent environmental and other attractions.

The initial 13km 'coastal wetlands' section within Newcastle received planning approval in December 2021, while the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the 17km section within Lake Macquarie and Cessnock has just gone on public exhibition (Link: https://www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au/Council/Have-your-say/Richmond-Vale-Rail-Trail-Review-of-Environmental-Factors; with submissions closing on July 3rd, 2022). Please "Have Your Say" and help make the RVRT a reality.

We also need to encourage candidates standing in the federal election to commit to partnering with all levels of government and local organisations to help secure the required funds to complete the detailed RVRT design work and construct the trail.

THE election hysteria can be exhausting. For five weeks we have been hearing about undecided voters, pre-polls, marginal seats and global issues like China, the carbon crisis and rising interest rates. Of course, we have been exposed to a barrage of bizarre ads and those events called "debates".

The media has staged at least two of these events. Now I know the basics of a debate. There are two teams, a government and the opposition. A debate is not a yelling fest with intervention by a biased commentator whose only interest is to increase the television ratings. The topic should have been something like "That the Labor Party will be a better government than the current government". It should not be judged by a narrow cohort of observers who have internet access, watch commercial television, are motivated by a TV station, have no guidelines and are awake at 10 o'clock at night.

I think Scott Morrison won both events. He answered the questions, was informative and made sense. But who cares because the events are not about arguing hardcore and important issues.

As to the ads, what can I say?

An election is about track record and credentials. It is not about emotion or anger. It is pretty easy to overlook that we live in a nation with a AAA credit rating, a low unemployment rate and low interest rates. When it comes to voting, we need to remember that "fools rush in where angels fear to tread".

WITH his use of the word "bulldozer" to define his character, Scott Morrison has provided yet another graphic mind image of him. A mind image of a large and noisy contrivance solely intent upon destroying, irrespective of their intrinsic value to society, anything in its path. Taken separately, the words bull and dozer also absolutely define Scott Morrison. Bull is what he is full of and having a doze is what he has been doing during every national crisis Australia has faced since 2019! Scott Morrison, when launching the LNP election campaign, said he intends to be more sympathetic toward, and consultative with, the growing underclass of Australia's working poor. To them I say, "if you believe that, I can sell you the Sydney Opera House real cheap!"

WE'VE seen over the best part of a decade the price of homes in just about every suburb at least double, some have even tripled. It reached an unsustainable point a few years back, but still prices continued to skyrocket, even during the pandemic.

The price of an average home is out of reach for many now and the inevitable interest rate rises have kicked in along with inflation. Interesting to note the backlash from the Morrison government and the business community over Anthony Albanese advocating for the minimum wage to be increased by 5.1 per cent. The cries of inflation and interest rates rising even more were deafening the past week yet all these years of house prices rising due to so-called "market forces" have been ignored because so many at the top end of town including agents have profited immensely.

MAYBE Newcastle council should rip out a few of its parking meters and replace them with EV charging points. That way, the NSW government might see that Newcastle is serious about EVs and throw some money their way, ("City misses out on EV grants program", Herald, 13/5). As more people acquire EVs, they are more likely to come to town knowing that cheap recharging points are available for their vehicles. A $10/hr charging fee could replace the lost $5/hour parking meter fee. This should make the charging points financially viable.

VERY funny once again Deborah Richards, ("Sole searching", Perspectives, Weekender, 7/5). Being a baby boomer I can totally relate to the podiatrist visits. Guess what Deb, orthotics may be waiting for you down the line, but don't panic, Friday night fight club will just love your bovver boots!

AFTER Mr Morrison's months of electioneering I can barely contain my excitement that he's now launched his official campaign with less than a week to polling day.

NOW I am getting confused. The Prime Minister has spent the past six months, and ramped it up in the past few weeks, telling all what a wonderful job he has done governing the country. Now one week out from the election he says he is going to change. Surely if he has been doing everything so well change isn't necessary.

SO the rail unions want the NSW government to vandalise their own new intercity rail fleet and rip out one billion dollars worth of safety camera equipment and replace it with a human holding a flag. Can this be true?

OPPOSITION leader Albanese announced he wants to put downward pressure on debt. I think there is one way to put downward pressure on debt is not to go down the track of a cashless society. I believe a cashless society will put Australians into a lifetime of debt and a slave to the capitalist system, an inhuman way of life. Convenience and debt go together, cash is king.

NATIONALS MP Bridget McKenzie, has told ABC News "What you would see as pork barrelling is what we in the National Party say is delivering for our electorate". Well, at least she was honest (even if accidentally).

A CHINESE spy ship has allegedly been sighted off the WA coastline. Good timing; last week before the election. Sounds suspiciously like the children overboard scandal thrown at us by the Howard government when they were in danger of losing an election. What next? Chinese sailors reportedly landing off the WA coastline?

THE red wall of Hunter Labor will probably be secure and stronger come Sunday, May 22 and well done to the voters of these electorates if that occurs. The region will have voted prosaically to make sure they have a number of seats at the incoming Albanese government's table and are able to rigorously pursue the best interests of this region. That means building the nation, not bulldozing and bull dust.

IAN Kirkwood disappears down another rabbit burrow of one-world government conspiracy theories ("The great reset", Opinion, 14/5). Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not tryin' to get ya, eh Ian?

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