Letters and short takes February 4 2023

As victim survivors watched from across the road and the country, the high priests of the Church staged an event designed to announce to them loud and clear: "We may have been forced to finally deal with you, but our first allegiance will always be to the power and status of our institution."

Over two and a half hours, the full panoply of ritualistic church grandeur was deployed. There was no sign of chastened restraint, only defiance.

Eulogists were I believe carefully selected to loudly declare Pell's innocence, and as a man with nothing to answer for. They did so in spades.

Tony Abbott, overcome by the loss of such an effective right wing political operative and culture warrior, again called Pell a saint, which must surely border on the obscene. I myself wondered: if Jesus could have spoken instead, would he have said the same?

The spectacle was crowned by Pell's solemn interment in a place of the highest possible honour, a crypt in the heart of Australian Catholicism's "Mother Church". The Church must surely have known how all this would be perceived by victim survivors: as an insult, even an act of hostility, as it was ('Service opens old wounds', Herald 3/2).

The Church offers forgiveness for all sins except one - threatening its power and status by trying to hold it to account.

YES, Jim Irwin, ("Erosion not breakwall's fault", Letters, 27/1), I partly agree that perhaps there's been a movement in tidal currents over a long period of time (just like climate change), but the answer now to curb this movement is to place a false bottom out about 300 or 400 metres off Stockton's beach front to force a wave break out there prior to a lesser build-up of water volume to hit the beach. I reckon this would work.

Whilst waves continue to hit the beach with the force they now do, there will never be a beach as every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In this case that is to drag the sand back off the beach just for the current's movement to carry it away.

We need the brains trust or powers that be to come up with an environmentally acceptable (it might have to be not entirely environmentally friendly) material to build such a bank suitably out off the beach to force this first wave of water to break. I cannot see how on earth any complaint can be made by environmentalists to such a scheme if we consider the acceptance of the imminent building of some 100-plus wind farms off our coast with some 500-odd holes having to be drilled for chain attachment.

Ask any Stockton old timer about there being two breaks at Stockton, one out and then one closer in after the second build-up of water volume. We need a physical barrier though, not one made of shifting sand.

AFTER reading Tony Brown's latest article, ("Truth of alcohol harm can't be whitewashed", Opinion 2/2), I'd once again put it to him that he is off the mark. Regarding Mr Brown's assertion that the lockout laws "can actually enhance business prosperity and live music", I can honestly say that in all my years working in the music industry (rather than someone standing outside looking in), I have never seen any evidence whatsoever to suggest that these laws did anything but cause financial harm to live music venues, and the entire industry itself.

There may have been a 72 per cent reduction in reported non-domestic assaults on weekend nights, as he states, but on the other hand pub and club patronage was also down by up to 84 per cent in parts of NSW. Also, assaults in the outer suburbs, and domestic violence, increased, as many experts said was likely to happen. As I've also pointed out previously, the former NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics Director Don Weatherburn questioned the supposed success of the laws for the use of "dodgy data" and "misleading figures".

I'M glad Adz Carter has accepted that the sensational 'myth' about Little Richard throwing his jewellery into Newcastle Harbour in 1957 is indeed true ("Good golly, what a story", Letters, 27/1). It was even reported internationally at the time, as Roland Bannister and Gionni di Gravio recently proved.

I think perhaps it wasn't reported in the local media at the time because the harbour would have been swamped with searchers. As Rick Pointon said, it is a great story and should be commemorated. He suggests a plaque, but I think a life-size statue prominently on the harbour shore would be better. Inevitably tourists, especially those on cruise ships, would queue to take selfies. Maybe tribute concerts or buskers could be part of it. All good fun.

I'm not sure how much a statue costs these days, but I'll put in a grand. All together now: wop-bop-a-loo-mop-lop-bam-boom!

NATIONALS leader David Littleproud advocates for a 'no' vote for the Voice after listening to the views of Aboriginal senator, Jacinta Price. Likewise, former deputy PM John Anderson and former Labor politician Gary Johns have chosen to listen to the opposed views of the aspiring politician and high-profile Aboriginal man, Warren Mundine. And therein lays an historical problem that a Voice to Parliament would eradicate.

When politicians are left to choose the Indigenous representatives they are going to listen to, I believe they tend to get it terribly wrong.

Politicians like to hear what matches their ideology. However, an official Voice would mean politicians can't pick and choose which Indigenous people they would get advice from. Indigenous Australians would choose their own Voice panel.

Remember, no matter how high-profile they are, Price and Mundine are a part of only 10 per cent of Indigenous people who are advocating for a 'no' result. They do not represent the overwhelming majority.

ANYONE who opened Microsoft Edge today was confronted with the following headlines: "Proudly ignorant: Penny Wong blinded by 'woke prejudice'"; "Penny Wong has beaten the drum of the Chinese Communist Party" and "Migrants will decide if constitution will change for 'Indigenous voice'". There were more.

Now who would spend so much of their time denigrating members of our current government?

Hard to believe that some still do not believe that Sky News is a rabid right-wing voice directed by Murdoch.

HOW about putting that 24 hours a day Supercars construction permit to good use and have them complete the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrade, construct some change rooms at Nobbys beach and knock up a new skate park too for good measure?

ONE sure mark of the false prophet is that all people speak well of him. In death, as in life, Cardinal Pell has triumphantly escaped such a fate ('Tears, protests at Pell's farewell', Newcastle Herald 3/2).

WHY take the Queen of the $5 note ('King Charles bumped for Indigenous design on new $5 notes', Herald 3/2)? Why, when she has served us well? Is there any live person on our notes? If not, why take the Queen's face off? Why are we replacing her at all? This country is becoming so woke. Leave Lizzie on the note, as I can't think of any person more respected in the world.

REPUBLICANISM by stealth: it starts with the captain's call on the currency, but what will be next? Our flag? Eroding our free choice as a nation to choose our direction is a scary precedent to set. Simply put, I believe this whole thing is a vested interest masquerading as a moral cause.

IF Peter Dutton knows the silent majority don't agree with having King Charles' picture on the $5 dollar note then how does he know? Are they only talking to him?

HAVING read Greg Mowbray's article, ("Knights' silence deafening, their arrogance breathtaking", Opinion, 1/2), I believe the solution to our club's woes would be to win more games in the coming season. All would soon be forgotten if the team can string some wins together. Nothing succeeds like success. If the club requires professional help then, lo and behold, Mr Mowbray seems to hold the qualifications required. Perhaps his article could be mistaken for a job application rather than a critique of the club's administration.

WITH these hot summer days this year I've noticed a lot of air conditioners being used. It's a nice modern convenience. If people keep opposing gas to be used for peak power periods you won't enjoy such modern appliances. At least the generators are ready at the hospitals and major supermarkets. Maybe they're preparing for a future of more power supply disruption.

PETER Dutton will win in a landslide if he proposes a minister for beer at the next election instead of a poet lorikeet or whatever Albo's got going on. Fix the beer prices, Mr Dutton and fix this Albo-trocity.