DEAR WEEKENDER

NEWS@WESTERNWEEKENDER.COM.AU

SUITE 2, 42-44 ABEL STREET, JAMISONTOWN 2750

Welcome To Country not welcome When I was a teenager in the UK, we used to scurry out of the cinema before they played ‘God Save The Queen’ at the end of the movie. If we weren’t quick enough, we’d have to stand to attention in the aisle until it finished or risk the wrath of any adults who would be dutifully standing hand on heart. Thankfully this practice faded out in the 1970’s. Then at school assembly every day we’d all have to chant the Lord’s prayer, whether or not we believed a word of it. This was (and is) mandated. In England and Wales the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 states that all pupils in state schools must take part in a daily act of collective worship, unless their parents request that they be excused from attending. No separation of State and church there. The same thing happens in the NSW Parliament. Fortunately I no longer have to endure either of these examples of brainwashing, but I can’t escape the latest version, which is the ubiquitous Welcome To Country. How many hours are being lost in Council meetings, school halls, Probus meetings, and at football matches, and public meetings because of this? It appears that nobody can address any kind of meeting without first telling us how they’d like to pay their respects to elders past and present. The reason is obvious, if something is said enough times we’ll believe it. Who is driving this, and is it just a coincidence that a referendum is approaching?

Please stop.

DAVID DAVIS, VIA EMAIL

Post office closure

The closure of the Westfield Penrith post office is a ridiculous decision by Australia

Post and obviously profit motivated (Post office furore, Weekender August 11). What post office hasn’t recently experienced a downturn during COVID etc? Maybe the post office at the eastern end of High Street should be closed due to its poor location. The western end of High Street is where the major offices and shopping is located plus there is a lack of parking at the top of High Street. The other question is what is Westfield doing to try and retain the post office especially as they are proposing a major hotel and office tower for the centre. How can they call Westfield Penrith a major centre when it lacks basic services such as a post office?

BRIAN REES, CADDENS

Service should remain open

Troy Dodds, the Editor of the Western Weekender, said it best when it comes to serious comments in regard to the impending closure of Westfield Penrith Post Shop. In his opening comments for Friday, August 11, he states, “The decision by Australia Post to close its Westfield Penrith branch is a slap in the face to many local residents.” He went on to say that “it is clearly a decision made without any serious local, on-the-ground knowledge”, and added that, amongst many other absolute truths, a “serious re-think is needed here”. I have not always agreed ‘eye to eye’ with Troy, who runs a very fair newspaper, but on this occasion he clearly ‘knocked it out of the park’.

DAVID BURT, KINGSWOOD

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