Letters and short takes November 17 2023

I know you're thinking that's Melbourne Cup Day, but hear me out. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861, well before federation in 1901, and has been part of Australian culture ever since. It has a lot going for it: great weather, and all of the country will have a public holiday along with the Victorians.

While not all Australians are punters, the Melbourne Cup will quickly be seen as just one of many major events happening on that day.

I THOUGHT you might be interested to hear this almost unbelievable customer service from Optus. All day Tuesday I attempted to change my prepaid account with them to have a direct debit. I explained that my mobile was cut off (i.e. disconnected) a few days before the Optus outage. My reasoning was that as a direct debit customer I may get a disconnection warning and at least seven days' warning to pay the bill.

But apparently prepaid customers get no warning. I explained I'm on a disability pension with significant health issues, but was willing to stay with Optus. I can't risk being without a phone. My prepaid is $30 a month and I rarely use the full amount.

With my bank account given, and many hours of ID checks (repeated several times), I was happy to continue, until I was told that my new contract if I proceeded would be $49.

Not only have they admitted they don't warn prepaid customers, and did not warn me, they cut my phone off without warning. Optus could not even tell me how much time would be allowed if banking and direct debit was affected, like Optus caused last week. I'm on a disability pension with health issues and this was Optus' customer response.

YES, Tony Mansfield, "white Australian racism ... is an insult to our multicultural society" ("Voice reprimands do us disservice", Letters, 15/11). So surely, while it continues to exist, we should continue to reject it?

I look forward to a future where we show, and demonstrate, genuine respect for all races and in doing so look to redress disadvantages caused by past wrongs.

Such an approach is in keeping with an unbiased reading of past letters from John Ure, and in fact of all letters that focused on the real issues of the referendum (whatever their perspective). Genuine multiculturalism respects discussion of issues and rejects personal attack and abuse.

I look forward to reading constructive suggestions that acknowledge input from those affected; on how we should redress continuing disadvantage to Indigenous Australians.

JULIE Robinson's letter ("Two former PM's take a trip", Letters, 10/11), suggested that Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson made a "feel good" trip to Israel recently. I doubt that there is anything feel good about visiting the site of one of the most horrific scenes in recent history, where babies were allegedly burned alive and beheaded, young girls raped and parents slaughtered in October.

Boris Johnson was one of the first world leaders to visit Ukraine during the Russian invasion of that country, and he certainly wasn't criticised over that. I don't really think that either of the former prime ministers believed they had anything to gain by showing their support for Israel, but if their presence was appreciated by the local communities over there, then so be it.

THE current furore about the proposed wind farms in the ocean off Port Stephens brings out the usual wildly exaggerated claims that opponents of the proposal peddle. The reason you would put a wind farm in the ocean is because the wind blows most of the time out there.

We are told they are going to disorientate the whale migration, destroy fishing grounds, ruin the local tourist industry, and on it goes. Do people who go to the seashore really stare 10 kilometres out to sea looking for things like wind farms to be offended by? How do they feel about the dozens of coal ships that are constantly on the skyline off Newcastle?

Offshore wind farms have operated overseas for years without any of the predicted disasters. What they will help do is, apparently, generate enough electricity to replace that generated by Eraring and Bayswater, an endless supply of power long after coal and gas reserves are exhausted. So if it doesn't go ahead, and power outages occur, the place to do any load shedding would be the Port Stephens NIMBY areas.

SOMEDAY you may feel strongly enough about an issue to want to protest, Kay Tindall ("Price of protests is too high a cost", Letters 16/11). That right could well be taken from us at some stage and that will be a sad day. Who could not be moved by the plight of Palestinians and all the bloodshed? I am with them in spirit and praying for them.

IT took the Gaza war for me to find out what 'woke' really meant - willingly observe known evil, apparently, which I reckon describes Hamas fans from the alt-left.

AUSTRALIANS should be protesting against the protesters. We don't want this mayhem on our streets or Parliament. Stop before our streets resemble Gaza.

AS each day, each week, and each overseas trip passes, in my opinion it becomes clearer that Mr Albanese and his mob are not up to the task of running the country, and that the sooner we get a Coalition government back down there in Canberra the better off Australia will be.

I AGREE with Stan Keifer about Australia becoming a republic ("King's speech boost for republic", Letters, 14/11). Watching our new King in his $4 billion crown and his ermine cape tell his subjects he had empathy for those doing it tough, I thought, how out of touch is this man? He could do a lot more good if he sold his crown and gave the money to charity.

WELL written, Julie Robinson ("Palestine plight rife with cruelty", Letters, 14/11). Your comparison to a David and Goliath situation is spot on in my opinion, and for all the other reasons you stated. I would recommend anyone to read this as it explains such a complex situation in a well summarised, meaningful and heartfelt way.

REMEMBER, Palestinians, if Israel didn't care so much for the safety of your people the war would have been over on October 8.