Public transport fiascos have become part of life for Sydneysiders

If ever there was a topic to get a Sydneysider’s blood up, it would have to be public transport and its manifold woes (“Why Sydney’s suburban trains have become so unreliable”, May 19). We have new ferries that bend in the middle and pop their windows in a big swell. We have trains that must crawl through tunnels in the Blue Mountains because they are so big. We have an eastern suburbs light rail network that took forever to complete and another on a similar trajectory in the west. The costly Opal travel payment system introduced in 2012 is already set for retirement. We have a shiny new airport soon for completion but with a hopelessly inadequate rail link. And now we have a tale of woe about even more cost over-runs. Has the notion of “on time, on budget” become a quaint anachronism when it comes to infrastructure? Always there are excuses: geo-technical challenges, labour force troubles, materials, costs, weather – even the pandemic still gets trotted out. The Minns government should establish a dedicated department to do a deep dive into these cost and time over-runs, which must surely stymie grander visions for our infrastructure dollars. Bradley Wynne, Croydon

Your article on train delays within the Sydney network is timely, but also it is not only Sydney trains that are unreliable. Try commuting to the Illawarra. Plans are afoot for 10-carriage trains between Sydney and Kiama. Why 10 carriages? Currently peak hour trains have eight carriages and off-peak trains have four, which can get quite crowded. How about providing six or eight-carriage trains but more frequently than one an hour? It is an appalling service considering the size of the Illawarra area, plus the trains are frequently late. I seem to remember before the Labor government was elected we were promised a new timetable. No sign of it yet, just the same appalling timetable introduced by the former Liberal government. Wendy Cousins, Balgownie

Missing values

Oh dear, where to start on the fanciful musings of George Brandis (“Ley can learn from past Lib leaders”, May 19)? How about his assertion that “alone among the big parties, it is the Liberal Party that is held together by values”? Well, thanks George, you might as well call the rest of us a basket of deplorables. And then there’s his claim that Tony Abbott brought his “excellent mind” and “intellectual depth” to his role as PM. Never mind that Abbott’s allegiances, to this day, lie with climate change deniers who seem to believe in a different science than the rest of us, including the United Nations and our own CSIRO, and those who seek to weaponise gender and race at every opportunity. Yes George, if only those pesky rainbow people would give up their plans to spread their subversive ideologies and take over the world. Spare me. Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown

What rich entertainment George Brandis’ column provides. His claim that Tony Abbott’s enemies “failed to appreciate Tony’s intellectual depth” had me guffawing. Is this the same Tony who dismissed climate science as “crap” and who knighted Prince Philip? Even Abbott’s supporters could be forgiven for failing to see intellectual depth there. Ray Morgan, Maroubra

George Brandis writes that the Liberal Party is a party defined by its values and that Labor is sustained by the union movement. I can think of two caveats to that observation; whatever those Liberal Party values are, they have been missing in action for at least the last three elections and, not stated by Brandis, the Labor Party’s core value is social justice for all citizens. Perhaps this a contest between philosophy and pragmatism. Grahame Riethmuller, Redbank

Gaza outrage cannot be justified

Which universe does Jamie Hyams and the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council inhabit (Letters, May 19)? Faced with overwhelming evidence of Israeli atrocities, as well as letters of support for Jewish columnist David Leser, Hyams inverts reality by asserting that there is no apartheid, genocide or deliberate starvation. His claim that Israel evacuates Gazan civilians for their safety would be laughable were it not an egregious untruth. Michael Kozlowski, Orepuki (NZ)

I don’t know what to say to Jamie Hyams’ claim that “Hamas steals the aid” but it’s okay “deliveries will resume soon”. Thousands are on the brink of starvation in Gaza, and many have already died. Is this all you can say? I am speechless. Lisa Dixon, Croydon

Jamie Hyams, are you justifying the Gaza bombings by saying that Hamas is hiding under every bed, in hospitals and homes? Please don’t take the Australian public for fools. If you are so incensed I suggest you show your support of Israel by going there to see for yourself. Or would that be too close to the action for you? Janet Cook, Waverton

Hyams paints an unduly sanguine view of the state of Israel. I would be interested in hearing his views on a range of humanitarian concerns as documented by organisations such as B’tselem, the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights. These include the use of planning laws to displace Arab populations in the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem, the detention without trial and torture of Arabs in the West Bank and the failure to prosecute Jewish “settlers” for attacks, including murder, against Arab populations. John Storer, Bulli

Jamie Hyams should think about furthering his career as a comedian. Having recently read John Lyons excellent book Balcony over Jerusalem, about the power of Israeli propaganda in Australia, I suggest his days in PR for the Jewish state should be numbered.
Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla

Some of your correspondents endorsing David Leser’s article think that fear of being labelled antisemitic prevents many from condemning Israel for its actions in Gaza. I suggest these people simply have a more informed understanding of what’s really happening there. From Hamas stealing food aid and charging extortionate prices or simply using it for extortion, to using Gaza’s civilians as human shields, it is the terrorist group that deserves to be condemned for the misery in Gaza. Meanwhile, military experts who have analysed Israel’s measures to protect civilians, including the evacuations and warnings, say these efforts are unprecedented. Mark Kessel, Caulfield North (Vic)

Correspondent Simon Tedeschi writes of the tragedy in Gaza that: “Jews and Palestinians are related peoples, both indigenous to the land” (Letters, May 19). But this doesn’t preclude conflict. Psychologist Sigmund Freud observed that the most intense enmity occurs not between strangers but between people(s) with a great deal in common, with a major point of difference. Thus, fierce hostility occurs as family feuds and wars along borderlands, such as the Anglo-Scottish wars. Freud argued that the smaller the difference between two groups, the greater that difference looms in their imaginations, with a propensity for intense hostility. While history and geography support Freud’s theory, it references patriarchal power and surely doesn’t take account of the depth of maternal love. It’s inconceivable that any mother in a war as devastating as Gaza’s would not wish for immediate peace so their children can live. Barbara Chapman, South Yarra (Vic)

Calling those who criticise the war crimes of the current Netanyahu government antisemitic is nonsense. If Denmark had colonised Palestine against the will of the Palestinians, would we call critics of Denmark anti-Christian? Brenton White, Mosman

Israel’s Declaration of Independence in 1948 guaranteed complete equality for “all its inhabitants”, Jewish and Arab. In 2018, the 1948 Declaration was overturned when Netanyahu passed “Basic Law: Israel – the Nation State of the Jewish People”, defining Israel as a Jewish state. Netanyahu called the law “a defining moment in the annals of Zionism and the history of the state of Israel”. It seemingly gave legal status to the steady Jewish encroachment on Palestinian lands, as well as removing other protections for non-Jewish minorities, and underlies the suffering in Gaza today. Being Jewish, not antisemitic, I feel entitled to state these facts. Anne Horn, Wangi Wangi

The people in Gaza are starving. Children, women, men, aid workers, health workers and the remaining hostages. There is no discrimination when it comes to starvation. Benjamin Netanyahu is old and will be gone soon. The younger men and women who choose to follow Netanyahu’s orders will carry the responsibility for the starvation and suffering for as long as they live. Jo-Anne Peters, West Ryde

Illicit tobacco

Today’s article about illegal tobacco highlights the many areas where laws that are not enforced (“60 tobacconists for every McDonald’s”, May 19). This includes the laws about recycling, electric cycles, pollution etc. This should become a real political issue rather than considering more laws, which will become meaningless if this trend continues. Brad Elliott, North Rocks

Unlike drug dealers, tobacconists are in a fixed location with their contraband products on site. Why is enforcement so difficult? A large police team is not required. If just a few tobacconists are fined and any contraband confiscated, the rest will get the message pretty quickly. Chik Foo, Burwood

Could it be that the unsaid reason for the proliferation of empty-shelved tobacconist shops stems from the reduced scope for laundering of ill-gotten gains through the pokies? Peter Singh, Dubbo

Fishy figures

Australians want to know how much tax the foreign-owned salmon industry pays each year, but the companies’ complex tax structures raise questions of transparency (“Does the Tasmanian salmon industry pay tax?“) While the Herald is obviously free to base its conclusions on the unpublished claims of a consultant like PwC, at The Australia Institute we prefer to base our research on reliable public sources. The salmon industry could easily silence its critics by simply publishing how much tax it does pay. If the industry provides evidence that they pay tax, we would happily update our research. Regardless of the amount of tax the salmon industry does, or doesn’t pay, it is remarkable that in Australia we are debating tax transparency rather than the morality of subsiding an industry which is the biggest threat to the critically endangered Maugean skate. This is a fish species that has survived since dinosaur times but might not survive the successful PR strategy of the foreign owned salmon industry. Dr Richard Denniss, executive director, The Australia Institute

Water damage

Thank you Carrie Fellner and the Herald for exposing and reporting on the PFAS contamination of Blue Mountains water (“Forever chemicals in water report leaves many unanswered questions”, May 19). For us long-term residents who have been drinking contaminated water for decades, it is hard to understand the silence and cover-ups. This situation is a massive crisis and the response of Sydney Water and Water NSW has destroyed whatever trust we might have had in government and public authorities. It was a relief to read today’s editorial calling out water authorities as “stonewalling bureaucracies defending their territory”. I need to add NSW Health to that. Minister Ryan Park has continually tried to shut the issue down. His latest misleading statement disputing the need for blood testing claims “low-level exposure is not likely to lead to significant health problems”. Our exposure is not low-level and adverse health outcomes have been documented. Park should resign. We need a health minister who actually knows something and who cares for the health of the people of NSW. Catherine Kennedy, Katoomba

Fossil fuel strategy

Correspondent Karen Lamb raises the issue of new Environment Minister Murray Watt not renewing fossil fuel leases for export in the future (Letters, May 19). Surely, though, we don’t believe it will cause countries like China and India to stop using oil and coal immediately. They will keep using them and just buy them elsewhere. So why would we cut off supply and forgo the export revenue and the ability to potentially influence their energy production mitigation policies? Australian coal is often more efficient than lower grade coal from other countries, so there is a benefit to its use, recognising that other countries are going to burn coal and gas whatever principled stand we take. The export revenue could be pumped into accelerating our move to renewables and net zero. Dale Bailey, St Leonards

Girl (brain)power

I read with interest the article about the court case regarding Newington College and the possible admission of girls (“Private school’s co-ed fight hinges on definition of ‘youth’ “, May 16). Back in 1868, an ancestor of mine was a founding trustee/regent of the University of California at Berkeley. The university trustees debated the co-educational issue and were told succinctly by the head of a local girls’ school that co-education “will improve the boys and not hurt the girls”. Berkeley opted to admit young ladies, and has done rather well since then. Harper Wright, Bowral

It’s not democracy

As eyebrow raising as “progressive patriotism” was (Letters, May 19), the prime minister’s ambition for Labor to be the “natural party” of government raised mine more. As thrilled as I was with the election result, no political party should ever be the “natural party” of government in a democracy, or even think such a thing is desirable. It implies reaching a state where a choice becomes default. Governments need to earn their election or re-election through their hard work, achievements for the public, and vision for the country. Every single time. To think otherwise is a very slippery slope. Brendan Jones, Annandale

Save our heritage

We have just had the 2025 Australian Heritage Festival and now comes the latest news about the Paragon Cafe in Katoomba (“The plan to protect Sydney’s heritage buildings”, May 18). It’s time for heritage legislation with teeth and the creation of partnerships between government, heritage bodies, owners of heritage properties and the heritage construction industry to preserve, conserve and revitalise Australia’s built heritage. Serious funding is needed – maybe Heritage Lotteries? It’s happened overseas. We’ve lost too much over the years. Peter Kahn, Coogee

Unholy hat

How cringeworthy was the sight of our prime minister wearing an oversized Akubra looking like Bazza McKenzie among world leaders at the Pope’s inauguration? I’m surprised he wasn’t handing out jars of Vegemite just to complete the embarrassment. Martin Walton, Upper Kedron (Qld)

A new pope has been inaugurated and followed tradition by taking a new name. I, for one, am disappointed that he did not stick with Robert. Robert Wheeler, Ermington

May I share the rumour that Mr Albanese, having met the Pope in Rome, will not be riding to work at Parliament House as usual. Instead, he will take the shortcut and walk to work across Lake Burley Griffin. Les Sisley, Kelso

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