As a 93-year-old, I don't have time to spare and I too demand the new government acts fast on its promise to reform the aged care industry that was completely ignored by Morrison.

I and my fellow aged were hopeful when the Morrison government was given the report of the royal commission and Morrison promised urgent action to reform the aged care industry, but then promptly put the report in the bottom drawer.

Despite being left a trillion dollars of debt, I am hopeful that the Albanese Labor government will leave the legacy of reform in an aged care industry that is something all Australians can be proud of and our aged welcome.

WHILE Albo is basking on the international stage, upon his return, he may well regret that he ever won the election.

What with cross-bench independents and Greens demanding the closure of the fossil fuel industry, the practical day-to-day realities seem to be about to bite with Weston Energy, a local business, having been suspended by AEMO from the gas market from the 24th May 2022. This means their 400 large customers (on the Weston Energy website they say they will only supply large customers with more than 10,000 GJ/Year and some small customers with more than 2000 GJ/Year).

So, a number of major employers in the region and around Australia will be scrambling to access gas.

But the problem looks catastrophic mainly caused by the actions of the Victorian and NSW governments banning on-shore gas developments.

In VIC the government has locked up enormous reserves of conventional gas in East Gippsland. So now the chickens are coming home to roost with prices as I write this letter siting at $38 per GJ in Sydney, on the same day in 2019 they were $9 per GJ, in 2020 $4.30 per GJ, in 2021 $7.57 per GJ and now forecast to reach $40 per GJ in the next two days. Even on the April 30 they were $17 per GJ.

This is only the first of many problems that will make many of Labor's policies unworkable and deliver only serious harm to the economy.

WELL said Peter Mullins ('Why I'm switching off a game I used to love', Letters, 25/5) on the rules inhibiting the game of rugby league.

As he stated, the rules of the game were changed and are still being tampered with to improve the game and make it faster and more enjoyable for the spectators. In my humble opinion the rule changes have reduced the game as a spectacle and have had the opposite effect to their original intent.

The 10 metre rule is the main reason the game has deteriorated. To allow players time to "get back onside", it is necessary to hold the attacking player down otherwise the defending side will be constantly penalised. The 10 metre rule has also manifested the barging forward to dominate the game, turning it into four boring tackles and then kicking the ball, mostly indiscriminately, exactly the opposite to the intent of the rule.

The scrums and the term "hooker" applied to number nine on the field is a joke. Put the ball in the middle of the scrum, adopt a five metre rule, call held when the attacking player's forward motion is stopped and we may see some entertaining rugby league again. Oh, and also get rid of the bunker.

CATASTROPHICALLY, David Rose, you are abundantly right ('Back to the future', Letters, 5/25).

Gina Rinehart owns the minerals, once held for the people by the then WA state government, given to her father, in 1952; everywhere else governments still hold our minerals, for all of us. They can only be worked.

The measure proposed by the Rudd government, the great big "mining tax", sunk by Mr Abbott, was to stop our mineral wealth being given away. The continuing loss to this nation is incalculable.

THE ex-PM, Scott Morrison may have done Novocastrians a favour by reneging on a promise to build a container terminal at Mayfield. Morrison promised to fund a 'green energy hub' instead ('That takes the cake', Herald, 25/5).

With hindsight, both projects were electioneering promises that were unlikely to be fulfilled. The new Labor government could have other ideas. So, all bets are off. Newcastle council and Newcastle Port Authority will need to nag the incoming federal Labor government for funds for either project.

No investment in a container terminal should be undertaken until the ACCC and the High Court give the green light. As things stand at present, a container terminal would not be commercially viable, if the operators needed to pay $100/container to the Port Botany leaseholder. Obviously, this is an anti-competitive obstacle, but, unfortunately, the NSW state government has set this arrangement up, and it may have a sovereign right to enforce it.

Realistic cost and benefit analyses and return on investment sums would need to be done for each project. Costs would need to include all costs, including environmental costs.

Revenue projections would need to be done for each project. What would be the average revenue for handling, storing and transporting a container? How many containers p.a.? For the hub, how much could the operator charge per kilowatt/hr for power generation? How much power would be generated p.a.?

Costing the container terminal project would be difficult. Would such a terminal mainly deal with containers bound for South West Sydney? If this were the case, there would be a huge cost of container truck damage to the roads. Who pays? Also, when coal exports end as they surely must within several decades, could the container terminal operator bear the costs of dredging Newcastle Harbour to accommodate big container vessels?

Costing the green hydrogen hub project is even more iffy. Presumably, the hydrogen would involve electrolysis of rainwater which may need to be purified. Power would need to come from solar panels and wind turbines located further up the valley. The existing power grid may need to be upgraded to accommodate this.

Also, when I last looked, a hydrogen hub of this type isn't commercially viable. Has technology improved?

MY iPad data plan went up 300 per cent without any change in my usage. This saddens me, as I think of how the service provider has just trashed thousands of dollars of brand positioning and attempts to keep my loyalty. I doubt they have calculated my lifetime value. As I look forward to participating in an intentional urban community of 28 households, who are quite likely to bulk buy services like ISP. I hope that you realise what a colossal mistake you have just made, Telstra. I refuse to be a quiet Australian.

YOU might not like the rise of the smaller parties or independents Mike Sargent (Short Takes, 24/5), but you are going to have to get used to it. The two-party system has been destroyed by self-serving career pollies for whom it is all about winning. Petty point scoring and rubbishing their opponent is far more important to them than good governance. They try to be all things to all people in the hope that they can scrape together enough votes to win, win, win. Does anyone actually believe that any of the local Liberal or Labor pollies who contested the recent election would put the interest of their electorate ahead of their party or career? That would be career suicide.

MUCH is being said about what the Liberals will need to do to bring people back to the tent. I'd suggest that at future initiations of new members that they no longer remove the conscience, heart and moral compass. That would be a starting point.

SO Greg Adamson thinks Sussan Ley should be endorsed as the new opposition leader (Short Takes, 24/5). Is the same Sussan Ley who as I understand used a Commonwealth car and driver to take her from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and back to buy herself a holiday house, such business being of a private nature and nothing to do with her position as an MP? Sorry Greg, but you and I differ on the type of leader I would want.

AT this moment in the history of Australia, I have never been prouder to be an Australian. Given a third choice electors continue the tradition of withholding absolute power from any one self interest political party. The destiny of Australia will be determined by the strength of character of those elected to work together to advance Australia. I don't mind if this letter is not printed, l just felt so good writing it.

THANK goodness I read today's letters section, otherwise I wouldn't have known that the sky had fallen on Saturday.