Daily Advertiser letters to the editor, August 18

As I understand it, your ancestors walked with megafauna, not dinosaurs.

Senator Nova Peris’s grandfather was not the only one to have “had chains around his god-damned neck” (Daily Advertiser, August 3).

Can we now move on from the Adam Goodes, over politically correct official saga and find a reply to the cheeky haka?

I have been waiting for a reply from Australia. 

The Aboriginal spear dance would be perfect.

Bring it on!

IT IS good to see the issue of ice in our community has been discussed in recent forums and that there are many good people in our community standing up to help fight this insidious drug and its effect on our youth and families. 

Kay Hull is doing an excellent job in charge of the fight and with the usual energy and great intentions for her home town and region.

While the suggested 1800 number would be a good place to begin, it seems that many community members also identified a lack of facilities for the assistance of our youth.

This may include specialised beds in our local drug rehabilitation facilities or even a youth wing at our new mental health unit at the base hospital.

More also needs to be done with education on the dangers of drugs in schools. 

However, one area of the fight that has received little comment of late is the need for a drug squad for Wagga.

During the state election in March, candidate Paul Funnell called for the implementation of a specialist drug squad and state MP Daryl Maguire made the newspaper with comments of his own concerns about drugs in our community, while supporting Mr Funnell.

Mr Maguire went further and said: “But having a dedicated drug squad is something that we should be pushing too.”

Since then there seems to have been very little to no progress on the ground (particularly regarding local young people) and I must say that I am a little concerned that it was all just electioneering.

Are we going to get a drug squad to fight the ice epidemic Mr Maguire?

Or is this like the specialist prostate nurse fiasco with two promises made to talk to the health minister Susan Ley and no meeting ever reported and no feedback on the issue months down the track?

Perhaps Mr Maguire can lobby for a youth drug rehab in Wagga with the same vigour he has in the past on other projects such as the Waui Trade Centre?

The Wagga community will struggle to address youth drug issues if there is no local youth drug detox and rehab.

If this is the best we can expect from our coalition MPs then I say it is time for an Independent to represent this region.

I AM tracing my birth family and would like to get in contact with any members of the Gilbert-Pazzi families.

My grandfather was Alan Semmens Gilbert of Wagga, Ganmain and the Pazzis were from Holbrook. Alan was a storekeeper and active member of these communities up until his death in 1944.

If anyone remembers these families please do get in touch via this newspaper.

BILL Shorten is adamant that as soon as he becomes prime minister, one of the first things he will do is legislate for gay marriage.

With the economy and unemployment and other more pressing issues to occupy his premiership, I would think the matter of gay marriage would be the least of his concerns.

It boggles the mind why the issue of gay marriage has taken on such prominence in recent times. How many votes is there in the gay marriage issue?

Perhaps Bill would like to share with the public how much money the gay lobby is funnelling into the coffers of the ALP. Why doesn’t Bill concentrate on more pressing matters?