Dr Katherine Harper’s reason for voting “no” is pretty thin. (“Everyone is expecting me to vote yes. But I won’t be”, Comment, August 25).

It seems to be based on a decline in religion, and that this will threaten values of “hard work, selflessness and community”. 

Since when have these values belonged only to Christians?

Is she suggesting that we need to declare a Christian affiliation to have these values? 

What an insult to all other religions and atheists!

If Katrina Hodgkinson hadn’t resigned and forced a by-election, the directive to overturn the closure of Temora’s operating theatre – plus the approval of medical imaging (which sat unused for 12 months) – would not have occurred.

This tells me that this is a government only interested in personal employment and political survival, not about governing for everyone and the greater good of the community.

It appears there must be a directive to NSW Health from this government to close down health facilities across regional NSW and do it by stealth.

If it is not the case, NSW Health would have a directive to ‘’not’’ close facilities, and where needed, maintain and upgrade hospitals etc accordingly.

I, like many, thought we lived in a First World nation, however, there have been closures of facilities over the years across the Cootamundra electorate, ie Ungarie, West Wyalong theatre, nearly Temora and the recent debacle of Gundagai.

The Nats gave the people of Gundagai a guarantee to retain the old facility upon closure of the old hospital, then reneged as usual (mustn’t have been a by-election), leaving the people hanging.

The property was sold to a Sydney developer for far less than the people of Gundagai personally raised and offered.

Of course, the Nats only reward those that support them and are great believers in pork barrelling, such as rewarding Dubbo with a rail maintenance facility that was slated to go to Orange.

This is a reward for the architect of the greyhound fiasco, Troy Grant (Nationals), with this facility for his electorate, not those people who dared to speak out in a democratic manner in Orange. Be assured, the Nats listened and punished them.

That doesn’t mean ‘’be afraid’’, to me it says to send them another message and vote them out again.

The local member is meant to represent the people to the government, not the other way around and then offer paltry crumbs that fall from the table and expect the people to reward them.

I, therefore, ask the question: what about Junee and Cootamundra with the rail infrastructure and facilities we have there?

Therefore, thank you Katrina for resigning, which has created, as usual, reactive, catch-up politics.

As the council elections are coming up, all electors should interrogate their candidates as to whether they intend to take the ridiculous step, as some councils have done, to no longer recognise January 26 as Australia Day.

Don't vote for any candidate who wants council to boycott Australia Day.