Letters and short takes August 8 2023

All animals in captivity should be able to perform at least some of their essential activities. In my opinion keeping a wombat in these conditions amounts to animal cruelty. There is no excuse in my view, and I believe the wombat should be retired immediately.

"WE are a much unloved people. We are perhaps the ethnic group Australians feel least connected to. We are not popular and we are not personally known to many Australians. Few have met us and a small minority count us as friends. And despite never having met any of us and knowing very little about us other than what is in the media and what (anthropologist) WEH Stanner called 'folklore' about us, Australians hold and express strong views about us, the great proportion of which is negative and unfriendly.

"Unlike same-sex marriage there is not the requisite empathy of love to break through the prejudice, contempt and yes, violence, of the past. Australians simply do not have Aboriginal people within their circles of family and friendship with whom they can share fellow feeling."

These are the words of Indigenous lawyer and academic Noel Pearson in November 2022 as he delivered the annual Boyer Lecture. Is he right? I do not recall seeing any expression of empathy or support for First Nations people among those who have publicly expressed their opposition to constitutional recognition through a First Nations voice.

It is as though they are putting their views as part of some abstract, hypothetical debate, not a real issue that will have real impacts on real people. The referendum is not about Anthony Albanese, or Peter Dutton, or Warren Mundine, or Jacinta Price. It is about Indigenous Australians across Australia and the Torres Strait; their future, not ours. We must not lose sight of this.

THE passing of former Hunter politician Richard Face has jogged a few memories, including mine ('Carr pays tribute to former Charlestown MP', Newcastle Herald 3/8). I first saw him in the early 1950s in the days before television arrived in Australia; a teenage "lolly boy" at the Star Picture Theatre at The Junction. He would stand in the foyer during intervals in a smart maroon jacket with gold buttons and a leather strap around his neck, which supported a large tray of refreshments for customers to buy. In later years he could be seen in his kilt and full regalia, marching with the police boys pipe band on special occasions. In the mid 1970s he came into the old Newcastle Police Station in Hunter Street with copies of his first speech to parliament, to show some of his former colleagues. I was at a desk with a sergeant who was a good street cop but didn't stand on ceremony.

As Richard placed a copy of the speech on our desk, the sergeant said to me, "Dave, have you met Dick Face"? As I shook hands with the new member of parliament, I squirmed at the sergeant's lack of tact because he would have known Mr Face did not like being called Dick. Sometimes it's the little things we remember most.

I AGREE with Mr Dunning ("What will more bureaucracy do?", Letters 3/8) that $40 billion spent on Aboriginal services in one year is a huge sum. However according to the Productivity Commission the figure is about $5.6 billion. Apparently some goes to government business. We need good fact-checking and transparency to enable us to know how our money is spent.

I am voting 'yes' to the Voice because what we have now is not working. This whole debate has thrown a light on the failures of the past, and while we're talking about failures of the past, don't get me started on the subject of the big four consulting firms.

ANOTHER great read from Michael Parris, Donna Page and Sage Swinton ("Road to ruin", Herald 4/8). It looks to me like cracks are appearing in Gotham City, so maybe Batman might be needed.

THE new state government decided to replace the regional seniors travel card with a 4c/litre fuel discount. The $250 travel card was of great help to people travelling from regional areas to the city for medical treatment. Whilst it may have not covered all expenses, it helped many people who had chronic and serious illness obtain medical care. The Clayton's replacement, I have no doubt, will be like the supermarket ones where they add 15c first. This is how they treat some of the most vulnerable.

PHEW! Just got there, Knights ('Hot August Knights', Newcastle Herald 7/8). In the top eight; well done.

AMAZING! Fitzgibbon is sinbinned for a hip drop after an Oscar-worthy performance by Isaako, who then scores a hat trick in Fitz's absence.

IN response to Clive Jensen ("Who should define Aboriginality?", Letters, 5/8), I'm pretty sure the Aboriginal community have a set criteria on who is eligible to identify as Aboriginal, a little research would quickly squash another scare myth and set his mind at ease. I also ask that Mr Jensen research all other colonies around the globe to see how many others do not recognise the original inhabitants of their lands; my understanding is that Australia is the only one.

AFTER reading a letter from Kerry Vernon ("UFO frenzy is an alienating waste, Letters, 5/8), a few historically-documented encounters came to mind with the gods who resided in the Amarnath Cave in modern day Northern India. Also documented is the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda, the Annunaki, Lord Vishnu, and most notably the 1947 Roswell crash. I won't mention the god Yaweh who Moses spoke to near Mt Sinai.