The unfair, illogical and unrelenting attack mounted on the chairman of selectors unfortunately achieved its misguided aim by ignorant cricket journalists.

The new team selected for the successful Third Test has been incredibly lauded by the same journalists as a turning point in Australian cricket.

The facts are that the Test was won by the improved performances of the experienced core of players and definitely not the newcomers.

THANK you Tony Smith for your letter in The DA, which you put quite a number of well founded questions to me.

My letters frequently exceed 300 words and are often trimmed back, which is the editor’s rights.

One of your questions I’ll answer now.

The increase in the number and severity of other natural disasters and their influence on the climate are for instance major volcanic eruptions, out-of-control bushfires, man-made disasters, atomic warfare, which realistically speaking is on the cards by regimes such as North Korea.

I always endeavour to base what I write on facts and not on biased thinking or theories or flawed computer models.

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has committed suicide because, according to his mother, he was bullied for being gay.

That’s very sad.

We need school programs to curb bullying, whatever its context – race, body image, religion or whatever.

But this poor lad’s death is now being politicised by activists determined to infiltrate schools with programs teaching that homosexual acts are normal, that one’s gender is changeable at a whim and that sexual activity needn’t be related to marriage between a man and a woman.

Such politicking can only make matters worse.

If we teach the young in school that traditional marriage is irrelevant and that it’s appropriate to do whatever turns you on – how can things get better?

FROM July next year, the NSW Liberal and National government want every local council to collect a new land tax for them – the Emergency Services Property Levy.

The new state government tax will be included on all council rate notices.

But Premier Baird won’t put the legislation to parliament until the very last minute to avoid a community campaign against this new tax.

Parliament doesn’t even sit again until next February.

The devil will be in the detail, and it is all being kept secret behind closed doors in Macquarie Street.

There could be different tax rates for commercial, residential and rural properties.

Some groups are worried that the tax could shift costs from metropolitan or commercial classifications onto residential and rural landowners.

The government has refused to say if it will compensate councils for the cost of collecting the new tax, or if local ratepayers will also be hit with this extra cost.

The community and local councils have a right to know. After all, residents and small businesses will have to find the money to pay it.