What outage?

Echo News,

Apparently, there was a big Optus outage last week and customers had no service.

We knew nothing of this in Gooseberry Hill (and in many, many other hills telecommunication black spots) because we haven’t got service anyway.

N Dickinson

Gooseberry Hill

Green corridors wanted

Dear Echo News,

After walking across the Midland Guildford ward, I am more convinced in our city’s ability to adopt a ‘green corridor’ policy.

This will improve connectivity – such as walking and riding between the suburbs and to Midland.

Unlike other metro suburbs needing to ‘plant an urban forest,’ today at this point in time we do have an existing tree canopy – the wetlands, established in Swan View through to Hazelmere and beyond.

This push of sprawl development is removing this potential for the future. I urge the new council to investigate green corridors and be ahead of the game in addressing climate change and liveability.

L Deering

Woodbridge

Elected voices

Dear Echo News,

I write in response to Mourning Increased (Echo News, November 3).

Before the referendum my thoughts were if the vote is Yes nothing will change and if the vote is No nothing will change.

I quote S Braun “this is because the Indigenous people themselves have the relevant knowledge for how to improve the lives of their most own vulnerable Indigenous people.”

A referendum will not change anything. I entirely agree with Jacinta Price, but now action needs to be taken to involve Indigenous people with changing their situation.

It should also be noted that Indigenous Australians represent 3.4 per cent of the population, but their representation in federal parliament is 4.8 per cent.

So, they already have an elected voice to parliament.

S Chapman

Jane Brook

Change the flag

Dear Echo News,

To all those Yes voters who claim that the No campaigners are racist.

I can only say that the Yes campaigners simply did not understand what was proposed by a government trying to make themselves look like they were doing Indigenous Australians a service – but in reality – offering absolutely nothing.

I voted No and I am probably one of the least racist people in Australia.

I was arguing to the federal government back in 1965 to get the immigration policy changed so that people of any race ‘that could benefit Australia’ could apply for residency and later citizenship.

This in turn helped  make the White Australia Policy obsolete and hence had it abolished a few years later.

My life-long friends are all Asian (and absolutely the best) – so do not call me racist.

I am the first to agree we need to look after all the disadvantaged people in our society, but not just of those of Aboriginal descent.

The days when Australia was a colony of Britain are long in the past. As the song says, “we are Australian” – regardless of colour or where we, or our ancestors, came from.

The so-called Voice was nothing. It was just a name, it had no rules or guidelines to help anyone. All it did was divide, not only Australians, but the Aboriginal community.

The government should have listened to No campaigners Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine.

They supported the No campaign, not because they don’t want help for the Aboriginal poor, but because they can see both sides of the coin – no doubt having felt the impact of racism during their lives.

We are all Australians, and governments should work to help all who are underprivileged, regardless of race or skin colour.

They should not try to bolster one while others fall by the wayside.

One thing the government could do to bring Australians together is to change the Australian flag, by developing one that would bring together all Australians – regardless of race and regardless of the past.

The past is the past and should be left there. What matters is the future.

We need to help all disadvantaged, not just Aboriginal, and lift their life expectancy and well-being to those of us who are able to live more healthy lives.

S Oliver

Ellenbrook