The admission made by Pauline Hanson that she is taking policy advice from Gina Rinehart should raise serious concerns.
One Nation pretends to be the voice of the Australian underdog, but their close alignment with the country's wealthiest mining magnate is an obvious contradiction to that narrative. Voters need to be certain they are relying on genuine representation, not a political agenda dictated by multi-billion-dollar corporate interests. When a now major political figure starts echoing a billionaire's playbook, the fear is that public interest is discarded. We deserve leaders who answer to us, not to corporate boardrooms.
The mother of all political campaigns has begun against One Nation following Pauline Hanson's recent Canberra Press Club address. This will intensify as other political parties and their supporting media realise their status quo is genuinely under threat.
Traditionally One Nation has been labelled a protest and grievance party, but that is changing. Voters are seeing and feeling their standards of living decline and job opportunities dwindle. They have doubts about personal and national safety. Societal division is growing and national pride is deteriorating. They want change, and many see One Nation as the conduit for it.
Some may disagree with One Nation's policies or ability to govern, but they've seen what the major parties have delivered and they don't like it.
Pursued at scale, a Minns government initiative to accelerate building of modular manufactured homes could be a game-changer for Newcastle, which is now in the top five most expensive housing cities in Australia.
Even two or three-storey townhouses, not just detached cottages, can now be manufactured in factories and assembled on site. Quality workers on production lines can be trained more easily and cheaply than the four years of a building apprenticeship. Once the manufacturing assembly line is set up using pre-approved patterns, we could have homes at Broadmeadow in two years, not 20.
Housing is a human right. It's a fundamental need for people to live, work and participate in society. The NSW social housing waitlist has grown from 57,000 to 68,000 in the time of the Minns government. Promised land audits by both federal and state governments including the Defence department, the largest landowner in Australia, have resulted in few new housing projects.
Building mixed developments of social, affordable and private housing on government land using prefabricated housing will also reduce competition and rents at the lower end of the private rental market. Start today.
I agree that there should be a call for change regarding e-bike riders.
While the vast majority of e-bike riders are responsible, regulations are needed to address the small minority who are not. Without sensible rules and enforcement, pedestrians and the riders themselves alike are being placed at unnecessary risk.
Recently, my elderly mother was almost knocked down by an e-bike rider speeding along a footpath beside a row of shops. The rider made no attempt to slow down or swerve, and I had to quickly pull my mother out of the way to avoid what could have been a serious accident.
I believe it is time to act before more people are injured.
Sensible regulations and enforcement would help protect pedestrians while ensuring e-bikes remain a safe and practical form of transport.
'Novocastrian' is not the most pure way Latin lives on in our city ("Why Newcastle got Latin, and everyone else got leftovers", Opinion, 22/6). The affection with which Latin school mottos are regarded is even more important.
'Remis Velisque' is the most significant of these. It lives on in the motto of Newcastle High School, as the descendant school of Boys High, Girls High, and the first Newcastle High School established in 1906. Literally "with oars and sail", or poetically "with Might and Main", and colloquially "give it all you've got", it has been the banner for 120 years of stimulating free education in the inner city of Newcastle. The words go back to the great orator Cicero in the first century BCE.
Congratulations to bird photographer Steph Owens on the striking image of the South American Cocos booby in flight at Marks Point ("Birdwatchers in a flap over rare sighting", Newcastle Herald 19/6). Thank you for sharing this rare sighting with Herald readers and bird enthusiasts across Australia. The photograph showcases both Steph's talent and the rich birdlife of our region.
Under the new order, I imagine foreign overseas fast food will be banned. Maccas in King Street will start doing overboiled veggies on a paper plate served with a grey piece of sliced something. The Australian food hall once called KFC will have kangaroo and emu steaks caked in some European sauce. Bring on monoculturism.
I agree with Brian Heaton ("Fix graffiti before sprucing signs", Letters, 20/6). Our money needs to be spent on cleaning up the graffiti covering our beautiful city. After travelling in China and Japan, with clean cities, no graffiti or rubbish, Newcastle's graffiti is a disgrace.
Astute commentary, Colin Rowlatt ("Pauline wouldn't be our president", Letters, 22/6). Couldn't have said it better myself. Maybe a civics refresh course is required.
Most Australians embrace refugees and immigrants. They bring many things to enrich our great country. In general they respect our culture and freedoms whilst still keeping their own religion and customs. What most Australians don't welcome or want are those that bring all their homegrown issues to our shores, as well as not making any attempt to respect or assimilate into our culture.
