Inconvenient truth: Rising Tide protests hurt more than our coal trade

Thomas Levick ("Rising Tide demands get bad wrap", Letters, 20/6), you didn't just fail to recognise some of the genuine complaints levelled at Rising Tide's activities in Newcastle harbour, but labelled the opposing arguments ignorant and stereotyping.

I have a few genuine complaints, but my number one gripe is, could Rising Tide stop harming the rollout of renewables that will replace fossil fuel electricity generators?

In particular, they have stopped a number of non-coal ships in recent years including I believe stopping a ship bringing in renewables on May 24, and also have completely blocked the port to all ships. To state the obvious, if you stop non-coal ships from entering the Port of Newcastle you damage the brand of the port. The shipping companies advise this affects their confidence in using Newcastle to bring in cargo including the raw materials for renewables projects. They ask why they should bring renewables to Newcastle if the ship is going to be blocked from entering. Why won't you recognise that blocking that ship carrying renewables is a genuine argument that rightly points out the negative actions of Rising Tide in the fight against climate change?

Glen Wilson, Cardiff

Monoculture means lack of choice

Should One Nation be elected to govern, they apparently aim to make Australia a monoculture. One of the few countries to achieve this is North Korea, so I am very interested in how this is going to be enacted.

North Korea has a sorry story of inhumane and cruel treatment of its citizens. I am a fifth-generation Australian and would share almost no cultural identity with One Nation. I married into an Asian culture and my family happily adopted practices from both. My children and grandchildren identify where they see fit. My ancestors arrived here from Scotland to a vibrant and long surviving Indigenous culture. Despite many efforts to destroy it, it survives. Growing up in the 1950s and '60s, I applauded the end of the White Australia policy and welcomed the changes migration brought to our daily lives. I benefited enormously from changes to the status of women.

We cannot go backwards. Australia never was and never will be a monoculture. What are One Nation going to do with the millions of us who now live in this multicultural society and have no wish to change? One of the cultural norms that may be enforced is the Judeo-Christian religion as the only one. My reading of this faith is to embrace our fellow humans with love and compassion. Division and racism have no place. It would require the iron fist of a dictator to unravel the choice of religions and cultural practices. Pass.

Sarah Taylor, Merewether

It's not that hard to sack people

Politicians are often criticised for being out of touch. I believe Pauline Hanson displayed a lack of understanding spanning 30 years at her National Press Club address last week. She wants to overhaul the industrial relations system "because it is too hard to sack people".

It isn't. All that is necessary is to hand an employee a redundancy letter, whether they are or not. Thirty years ago, the term "retrenchment" was eliminated from legislation and replaced with the universally-euphemistic term "redundant".

Who is she trying to impress? Many Australians are employees not employers. A vote for One Nation by all the Australian CEO's, the ones that are Australian citizens anyway, are not going to promote her into government. In addition, Pauline, small business experience does not necessarily make one suitable for government. Just look at the USA where complex international agreements have become "deals".

Marvyn Smith, Heddon Greta

Protest votes have consequences

I wonder how many people have really thought about the consequences of voting for One Nation, especially those with multicultural heritage.

Yes, the government has been making some harsh changes, many of which had to happen, and now many think that voting for One Nation will get them somewhere.

Really? Since when has Pauline Hanson been a champion of the working class people of Australia? She believes you should not be getting pay rises. She thinks that childcare workers should not get a pay rise, and that the recent pay rise for Australia's lowest-paid workers should not be given.

Let's look at classic monocultural societies like communist China, North Korea or Nazi Germany where Hitler forbade you to speak other languages and practice multiculturalism. Then women should be very worried too. Ms Hanson has some very controversial conservative ideas, so think before you vote.

Colin Rowlatt, Newcastle

Auction shift lays property bubble bare

Recent news of auction clearance rates plummeting seems to indicate the housing market was full of speculative investors. How would you have guessed that youth housing affordability was impacted by a speculative market bubble? To be clear, that's sarcasm. At least that distortion has finally been addressed.

Greg Adamson, Griffith

Would Hanson back workers?

I'd say it's pounds to peanuts that Pauline Hanson would be on Peabody's side versus miners at Wambo. Workers should take note. She'll go with the multinationals and the billionaires every time.

Mac Maguire, Charlestown

Power bill cuts out of sight

Michael Hinchey ("One Nation record speaks volumes", Letters, 19/6), certainly gets stuck into Pauline Hanson. I must correct the assertion power bill cuts are coming in July. Our supplier has notified us that all the rates are going up from the first of July, with the daily supply charge increasing from 76.043 cents to $1.31.30, a jump of some 55 cents per day. Hardly a reduction! Perhaps Mr. Hinchey could, to quote Pauline, please explain.

Ian King Warners Bay

Climate stance cannot stand

Why are Pauline Hanson and One Nation lying to us about climate change ("Let's speak some truth to Pauline", Newcastle Herald 19/6)? The vast majority of scientists tell us that climate change is real and that it's human-induced. We don't need to look far to see the evidence for ourselves. Who can forget the devastation of the Black Summer fires, or the destruction of the Lismore floods? Disasters are becoming more intense and frequent, and our communities are paying the price. We are already paying higher insurance and our taxpayers are footing the bill for climate damage, yet Ms Hanson and One Nation have no plan to cut pollution and protect us from the worst effects. This party doesn't have ordinary Australians' best interests at heart.

Anne O'Hara, Wanniassa

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