I am in my mid 70s and am having trouble with my speech similar to Jai Arrow, who I saw on TV. My doctor suggested we do a brain scan. I told him I couldn't afford the $300, so he wrote on the referral a request that they 'please bulk bill'.
I had a message on my phone virtually instantaneously when he sent the request. I had a call from a very abrupt woman from the imaging place who told me it couldn't be bulk billed as my doctor was not a specialist and the cost would be $300. I told her I could not afford that, and we left it at that.
My family disagreed and told me I had to have the scan and they would pay for it. I rang and booked an appointment for 7am, and was told by the receptionist that because it had 'constant headaches' written on the referral it would be bulk billed.
Prior to my appointment I had another call from the abrupt woman who again told me it would cost $300.
The scan came back clear and my doctor said we would do a nerve conduction study that would be bulk billed. I rang the place to book an appointment and was told they no longer bulk bill that particular study and it would be a $50 deposit (before the booking could be made) and then $300 on the day. They said the next available appointment is September 29.
With the government spending billions on submarines and millions returning ISIS brides and kids, not to mention $500 million to start a rugby league club in Papua New Guinea and many other dollars wasted on other things, I ask you, is this the lucky country?
I was in Newy in 1985. I saw things happen and could give names and addresses.
Negative gearing stopped. Some friends had investment properties mortgage repayments increased by the lost tax deduction. They had to increase rent, and tenants left. They had to sell the properties. More properties for sale house prices forced down.
Some friends' property devalued to below the value of the mortgage and the banks issued a margin call. They could not afford to pay this so had to sell at a loss.
In the end a lot of young people were financially ruined and took a lot of years to recover. Our ABC still claims that all this didn't happen and the gearing plan was a success. It wasn't and won't be. I believe that more financial cohorts could have bought properties cheap. It is another disaster waiting to happen.
I have been disturbed in recent times to see how protestors are welcomed to Newcastle, and allowed to bring their disruptive and at times dangerous behaviour with them, especially to Newcastle harbour.
I believe Newcastle council giving permission to groups such as Rising Tide to camp on public parkland virtually gives them permission for other irresponsible activities.
I think that City of Newcastle should look at the the risk of physical harm to protestors in small boats as they challenge large ships.
They also need to consider who are the protestors going to sue when one of them is seriously harmed, the cost of having police in attendance to control those who are breaking the law, the millions of dollars of court costs dealing with prosecutions, and the real risk of a huge ship running aground and/or having a large fuel oil spill into Newcastle harbour.
I imagine these events are causing deep distress and anxiety to the authorities who are trying to keep the harbour operating efficiently and safely
Personally I believe the City of Newcastle is being ridiculed because of what has been allowed to occur.
I would like to correct Terry White ("Social licence may not linger", Letters, 1/6), on his claim "that coal burning is the major source of the extreme weather". There is no evidence of that, and it is purely a hypothetical claim.
The total weight of coal burnt in the world in 2025 was projected to be approximately 8.85 billion tonnes. Newcastle port's export of 185 million tonnes is a mere 1.7 percent of that total, so how could we be making a significant contribution to coal burning even if it was a cause of extreme weather?
Also, what is "attributional science"? Is that a guessing competition? I must have missed that in my scientific training. And why does the Port of Newcastle need a "social licence" to export coal? Is that derived from social media? Kids getting a small plastic toy from the bottom of a cornflakes packet might have more credibility.
I was disappointed in Maitland mayor Phillip Penfold's words after the opening of the new bridge at Melville Ford ("In action: first cars cross new 'flood-proof' Melville bridge", Newcastle Herald 11/6). He said that they consulted with the daughters and Kay Sharp, former secretary of the late Milton Morris, before naming the bridge. The council also consulted with residents on the name for the bridge. At the end of consultation, 87 per cent wanted the name to stay "Melville Ford bridge", yet the Penfold majority decided to name the bridge for Milton Morris. When we get the new flyover at Maitland Station, will we will have two Milton Morris bridges in Maitland? The state government has decided the name there. The bridge has been called The Melville Ford Bridge for 150 years, so why change it?
Can anyone believe that both the ALP and One Nation are asking the public to donate money toward fighting each other? Are they unaware of the cost of groceries and petrol? They have to be kidding.
Australians have one of the best health systems in the world, whether or not they use it. That's even after years of conservative governments and a hostile senate that opposed many of the benefits we now enjoy: cheaper prescriptions, bulk billing, free immunisation.
What can we learn from comparing genocides, and why is there the chilling of free speech when it comes to comparing the genocide in Gaza to other genocides?
Let's hope that common sense prevails at the next federal election. We need a good, cohesive, experienced government that actually has policies. Unfortunately, One Nation does not fill those requirements.
