LETTERS, FEEDBACK AND OPINION

Israeli Settlements

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a series of punitive steps against the Palestinians, including plans to beef up Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has been doing this since 1948, when the terrorists of the stern gang went on a killing spree throughout Palestine, well before the state of Israel was established. That’s why the stern gang, who were funded and supplied arms by the American Jews.

Now Netanyahu, who should be in jail for corruption? Wants to go in harder into the West Bank against Palestine’s who are trying to protect their homes. I don’t support one side or the other when it comes to one side shooting & bombing the other. Even though Israeli Settlers on the West Bank can obtain weapons & shoot Palestinian, just like the Stern Gang did back in 1948, when the British left them to it.

Paul Brecht Location withheld

Pell And The Illegal Document

I was astonished to see the pomp and ceremony given to such a person as Pell, whose first consideration appeared to be to the wealth and wellbeing of the Catholic Church. I am astonished that there is no legal action taken by government against the document he drew up with the Catholic Church legal team, where children victims were given money if they signed a secrecy pact. How is it possible that illegal action be kept hidden by the offenders in exchange for money? There is printed evidence that this document existed and was used, and this document is an insult to the victims and yet no legal action has happened against the church. Surely, we need to question why the church is protected for producing this document, it is surely as illegal as the acts that happened to the children? Not only to coverup but it allowed the paedophile acts to be kept secret and so prolonged further illegal acts against new victims, when offenders were moved to a new area. This document is evidence that keeping the church protected far outweighed the protection of victims and I plead that legal action be taken to address this seemingly overlooked illegal document. Why have both sides of government overlooked this one document that Pell instigated, is it helping to protect religious organisations? As far as I’m aware Pell never apologised for this document and now, he never will. This has bought a stain against the church and Pell that can never be erased but surely must be fixed. How many others will use a similar document to coverup illegal acts in exchange for money? Do we have an honest legal system, is there true justice or is it only just us? The document shows that a precedence has been set by a global organisation who aspires to be worshiped, honoured, and obeyed, with what surely must be an illegal agreement. It’s way past time illegal documents like this are challenged by government, if not by the church itself. We deserve better behaviour toward victims of crime.

J Hunt, Alstonville Plateau

Dirty Deals

I see that a dirty deal between the state government and Byron council has been done to use disused rail land for housing even.

Which is outrageous considering the plans to extend the solar railway to yelgun to cater for music festivals. Furthermore the fact that Byron bay and Mullumbimby both are two of the biggest tourist towns in Australia with train stations in the centre yet no train is insane furthermore extending the solar to train south would benefit Lismore in their flood recovery.

The fact that the landscape has changed since the railing was closed and thousands more live in the northern Rivers and millions more visit is insane not to have a railway to assist locals tourists and freight. We can only hope if labour win the next election they overturn this dirty deal.

Alan Mosley Yamba

Electric Vehicles

I don’t agree with our NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister, Matt Kean’s spending incentives for businesses to buy Electric Vehicles as I think it is a waste of money trying to reach zero carbon emissions, see NRTimes 9/2/23, page 4 for article.

I’d rather see Matt give incentives for people to buy diesel vehicles than EVs as diesel vehicles are cheaper, can go long distances and carry heavy loads without refueling and don’t need a battery costing around $10,000 every 100,000+ kms like EVs do, however, the price of EVs usually determines these factors and how far they go on one charge.

EVs may not pollute the air like other vehicles but their batteries cost more to make as they use precious mined metals such as cobalt, nickel and manganese and then once their life is over, they have to be recycled otherwise they will pollute landfill. One study says that building a 500kg EV car battery or bigger will result in 74% more carbon emissions than producing a traditional vehicle.

Matt thinks that if corporate and govt fleets have incentives to buy EVs then when these vehicles are sold second hand will make it affordable for more private buyers to buy them. But look at LPG vehicles today, LPG was supposed to be a cheaper and cleaner fuel but you don’t see many LPG vehicles anymore.

EVs may be ok for around town/cities as they can be recharged from home but unreliable if the power goes off and where does Matt think all the extra electricity is going to come from to power these vehicles? Hopefully from roof top solar panels and their storage batteries rather than more solar and wind farms that cover our valuable farmland. Otherwise, I hope charging EVs doesn’t make the lights go out.

Lynette Evans NUMULGI

A History

LESSON

Australia’s history on colonization is not pretty, from 1788 onwards the longest continuous culture in history began a rapid decline, Aboriginal people lost their entire way of life and suffered horrific injustices and it’s time all Australians recognize that. But the reality is that Australia is now a shared country and it’s going to stay that way no matter what radicals on both sides say, going back to the of the pre-colonial world that once existed is not an option for anyone, so solutions have to be found to make it work where Aboriginal people are awarded equal status and equal opportunities in