Hunter mobile reception is phoning it in, even close to the city

HOW well have the citizens of Newcastle adopted the kerb pick-up initiated by City of Newcastle? Is it working?

I'LL be celebrating Australia Day by watching our national sport; horse racing.

MIRACULOUS! A Jets crowd of more than 5000 people turned up on a Tuesday night, and the team secured a win at home, a missed penalty notwithstanding, and after too much negotiation by the Roar with the referee. Clearly Piscopo needs the zero on his shirt fashioned into a target; he is surely the most fouled player in the A-League. Clever players cut down without harsh response from the man with the whistle.

SO City of Newcastle sees fit to spend $54 million plus to house some old paintings ('Council yet to draw a line under art gallery project costs', Newcastle Herald 24/1)? How about they spend $54 million on housing some people?

I AGREE with Matt Canavan and Peter Dutton that voters and not corporations should be setting the agenda in Australia. So, I've decided to boycott Matt Canavan and Peter Dutton.

THE annual arguments about Australia Day have arrived once again. While an increasing number want to change the date (and understandably so), I have yet to hear any offer of a satisfactory alternative. Finding an agreeable compromise is difficult. Any date from the calendar brought by the British will be problematic. Perhaps a date provided by nature is the answer. I suggest the first day of spring each year for Australia Day, symbolising a new beginning for all Australia, whatever their culture. Such a date is independent of politics and human history. I hope the powers that be are listening.

I AM a proud Australian who will be celebrating my day with a nice barbecue in the backyard, weather permitting. Those who want to accuse me of invading this country, need to think again. I worked for a long time and enjoyed the fruits of my labour and am grateful to have been born here.

Those who complain about our day of celebration get to enjoy all the benefits that come with being Australian. If there are genuine complaints then I suggest they get in touch with the royal family. Those people have direct links to making our nation what it is. It's a great country. Just sit back and enjoy all the benefits that this country has given you.

JANUARY 26 has become an inauspicious and divisive date to celebrate Australians' unity, patriotism and nationalism. Indigenous Australians strenuously reject January 26, describing the date as Invasion Day. In deference to these Indigenous sensibilities, many councils hold their citizenship ceremonies on various other days.

Much as I hate the droning repetition of the ABC's song We Are Australia, I think that the sentiment expressed in the song is appropriate. If Australians are ever to achieve a semblance of unity, we need a new date that most of us can accept.

I suggest that a bipartisan committee, after a period of receiving representations from the public, should suggest various alternatives in a referendum. I favour September 1, the first day of Australian spring which represents renewal and new hope.

TO those who would call Australia Day Invasion Day because of what they would call the suffering of Indigenous people over the past 200 years, I ask: why?

In my opinion, colonialism has provided Indigenous people with welfare, housing, education, health and government job opportunities, possibly more than anyone else. Yes, the system is not perfect, but I believe life must be much better now than before colonialism. Maybe some should look on the bright side rather than dwell on the negative side.

After all, we all have our problems. Why should Indigenous people be any different? Are we not all Australians?

TO our local Labor Party branch members, with the preselections for September's local government election taking place shortly, can we as a community ask that you endorse some new people into the four wards?

I believe that the Newcastle LGA has really had enough of these current councillors with the antics that have happened, and are still happening, so we are asking for a change.

It's your votes that give us the candidates that we then all get to vote on in September. I believe these current councillors do not have the support of the general public. In my opinion, we need to see and have a change, with new councillors that have the ratepayers front of mind. I think that's what is required to retain the support of the whole LGA.

Your voting in this round for Labor preselections in the branches is so very important, so let's vote for change together.

I WOULD like to nominate a couple of our regular contributors to this page for an Australia Day award, both for their dedicated service to the Labor Party.

John Arnold, for his capacity as chief headkicker to anyone and anything to do with the Liberals. One thing that can be said about Mr Arnold is the consistency of his letters; very rarely does he stray from the subject of politics. Also an award Mac Macguire, in his capacity as head cheerleader and knocker of anyone who dares to disagree with his opinion, particularly the "no" voters in the failed Voice referendum, even though it is dead and buried. There are other worthy nominees for such an award, but space is limited. More seriously, keep the letters coming - variety is the spice of life.