When we were children, our parents taught us to say “sorry” upon wrongs we had done against others. This is universal and not unique to the western culture. Australia and other modern nations have in the past conducted reconciliation processes in our efforts to reunite peoples previously divided by their actions and understandings. Some have even been successful in bringing justice and peace to those previously oppressed and victimised.

It is impossible today to imagine an Australia that is mono-cultural. Out of the 195 nations across the world, immigrants have made Australia home for centuries.

Even after apologising for his racist remarks, there have been news reports that John Mangos was sacked by SkyNews on Friday, 17 June 2011.

This may have followed since his on-air comments on 3 June 2011 that would be regarded by many Chinese-Australians (and Chinese across the world) as inappropriate and offensive.

HousingNSW intends to construct a staged 3 storey residential flat building complex containing 106 apartments over basement car parking. This is despite the fact that Council has zoned this land for single dwelling residential homes. Lodged on 2 July 2010, estimated to cost over $6m, this proposal is being assessed by the previous NSW Government’s Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) instead of Parramatta City Council because it is worth more than $5m. The JRPP comprise 5 members, of which 3 are NSW State Government appointed, and 2 are council nominees.

Parramatta has embarked on yet another major aspiration to transform one of its undercapitalised sites to one of Australia’s most celebrated river foreshore destinations.

On 14 March 2011, Labor Councillors and two independent Councillors (total 8 out of 15) voted to reinstate car parking restrictions for the Parramatta City Centre. These unreasonable car parking restriction were first introduced in August 1999, and has been in effect for over 10 years, through the law called Sydney Regional Environmental Plan No. 28, and reintroduced via the newer law called the Parramatta City Centre Local Environmental Plan 2007. And there has not been sufficient political willpower to overcome the shortsightedness of this car parking restriction.