Creeping paralysis !

Have you ever noticed how swiftly new ordinances come into effect - and how slowly relief from change is implemented ?

Way back Wollongong police station required rebuilding and the cops moved to temporary premises further down Market street. Within hours the northern side of the new Market street headquarters was plastered with " Police vehicles only " signs - but of course the old " Police Vehicle only " signs remained outside the building to be renovated.

Then - when the renovations were complete and the cops were back in their shiny new headquarters - what happened to the signs restricting parking outside the now abandoned temporary offices ?

It took almost a year before they were finally removed - denying Wollongong drivers valuable parking space.

Now we have a new example of " creeping paralysis ".

The Princes Highway through Woonona is subjected to clearway zones to help move traffic at peak - except that for months Woonona has been by-passed by the Northern Distributor extension.

Finally - the restriction signs will come down and parking will be permitted at former clearway times - but that won't happen until the end of August.

Just how much time does it take for a guy with a screwdriver to remove a few signs attached to poles kerbside ?

It's not the guy with the screwdriver that is the problem. It's the bureaucrats with creeping paralysis minds - and the politicians that instruct them - that slow progress !

Another mad medical decision !

What do you do if a family member gets sick over the weekend, when doctor's surgeries are closed ?

You phone the Radio Doctors service - and one of the rostered local doctors makes a house call, treats the patient - and bulk bills the call.

What do you do if the Radio Doctors service closes down ?

Call an ambulance - or put the sick person in the car and take them to the hospital's emergency department.

We have emergency departments groaning under the pressure, and yet NSW health is planning to cut funding for the Radio Doctors service for a two year period - meaning it will be financially unviable - and will probably be disbanded.

The work carried out by Radio Doctors will pass to the new " Medicare Locals ", supposedly working out of the new Superclinics - but this will not get under way until 2013. - and there are indications that these Superclinics will not operate 24/7.

It simply goes to show that the opinion held by many people is correct.

The mob we have running health would not be capable of successfully raffling a duck !

Gun at head tactics !

Wollongong council appointed a Parking Review Committee to try and unscramble the mess that it has created by installing parking meters against the wishes of the citizens of this city.

They were unwanted - and unneeded - and now they are sending the retail hub broke because people no longer drive into the city to shop.

The idea was to hear from the community and seek ideas that might resolve the issue - but yesterday the council emailed committee members to tell them they were sacked. The council is not interested in their input - because it differs from what the council wants to happen.

Council wants to tinker around the edges, reduce the fee for time parking - and keep those meters pouring money into council coffers.

The committee people want to save businesses by imposing a three month moratorium - while the whole subject of parking meters is examined. It could well be at the end of that period the decision is to " rip 'em out " and suffer the loss that originated from a bad decision.

Council didn't like the message the community representatives were bringing - so it simply shot the messengers !

So - without community input we will have only one area of decision !

The council point of view !

So much for democracy !

Sandon point - a lost cause !

It seems that no amount of lost court cases can convince those opposed to housing at Sandon point that they are pursuing a " lost cause ".

The " tent embassy" has been burnt down and resurrected - and now another epic fight has been lost in the Land and Environment court - and there is talk of taking the issue to the High court of Australia.

Court action is expensive - and what is never explained is just where the money comes from to finance all this court action.

Taking a case to the High court is well beyond a few well meaning people chipping in a few dollars for a good cause. It raises the suspicion that somewhere there is a hidden agenda - and that is financed by someone with very deep pockets.

It is about time the real reason for the opposition to Sandon point was made clear - and just where the money is coming from revealed !

Shoot - or surrender ?

We issue the security guards who protect our money with guns - and then we impose all sorts of crazy rules to prevent them doing their jobs.

On June 7 three bandits tried to holdup an armoured car crew in the CBD. A guard trying to defend the money was shot and killed.

Yesterday another armoured car crew were transporting money at Dee Why when bandits struck. This time one security guard got a shot away - and the robbery failed - and one of the bandits was killed.

Medals and commendations for the guard who put his life on the line protecting the public's money ? No ! Instead the suggestion that this guard may face charges - for killing a bandit !

Just what sort of confidence does that give security guards - who are not exactly overpaid for their dangerous work ?

It seems just one more example of the " Nanny " laws politicians enact to protect the " bad guys " - and impose impossible restrictions on those who are tasked with a legitimate job.

Time the law made it clear that if you carry a gun - and attempt a holdup - then it is open season and if you end up dead it is your problem !

Anything less is a simple distortion of justice !

An exercise in " sterility " !

The " Great Debate " ! What debate ?

Last nights confrontation between two political leaders was as tame as a meeting of intellectuals. Both were desperately trying to avoid saying anything that could be regarded as a gaffe - and therefore the " debate " became a colourless repetition of the political points that had been rehashed so many times before.

At least they were civil to one another. The fact that one was a man and the other a woman inhibited any kind of debate where " sex " reared it's ugly head, but being scrupulously polite and dodging the main issues did little to allow those watching to reach a judgemental conclusion.

The only real issues for this election now seem confined to the advertisements being aired on TV.

The opposition are hammering the appalling record of the Rudd government in broken election promises on fuel-watch and grocery-watch, and the abysmal waste on money and lack of supervision from the insulation debacle and school building programme.

The government is trying to distance itself from these horrors - and to insinuate that they were Rudd blunders. The main attack is a scare campaign that if the opposition win - they will reinstate Work Choice.

Last nights debate was sterile - and only served to prove that the real issues in this election will be hidden behind a smokescreen of good manners.

No wonder it will be one of the shortest political campaigns in the history of politics !

Insider trading trap !

Interesting case in the courts this week that would send a shiver of fear down the spine of many investors.

A guy with a few shares in a seafood business had a friend who was an employee of that firm - and he commented that his employer was " on the skids " financially - and that it was common knowledge that the bank was about to call in their loan.

Quite reasonably the owner of shares rushed to his stockbroker and ordered him to sell the stock - confiding what his friend had told him.

The stockbroker did what he was told - and then informed the people who oversee the share business of this conversation - and the guy with the shares was arrested - and charged with insider training. He was convicted - fined $ 20,000 and put on a twelve months good behaviour bond.

Most people think that insider trading is where a person in high office gets privileged information - and acts on it to their advantage.

Wrong ! Even scuttlebutt from a friend can be interpretted to bring you into conflict with the law - and in this case his error was to disclose the reason for the sell order to his stockbroker.

A wise reason to choose your stockbroker carefully - and keep your mouth shut at all times !

Needle safety !

A Wollongong family will have a traumatic six month wait to see if their six year old daughter has contracted a blood disease such as HIV following a needle stick injury in a McDonalds play park.

This little girl used the slippery slide when she came into contact with a needle discarded by a junkie. The mentality of a person who would toss a used needle into a kid's play area can not be described.

We hear a lot about the war on drugs - and the exchange of disease between drug users because of needle sharing, but there is already an answer to these problems.

Over the years several brilliant people have designed needles that can only have a single use - and when used automatically prevent the sharp end from protruding to deliver a needle stick.

Why are we still manufacturing old fashioned needles that pass disease between users - and deliver needle sticks to nurses, people on beaches, - and innocent little children ?

The obvious answer is - cost. The simpler and less complicated the design the lower the cost and that is what the bottom line is about these days.

Surely the health savings by eliminating cross infection to users - and the total elimination of needle stick injuries to the public would be warranted by a few cents increase onto the billions of needles that are manufactured each year - and would warrant the total banning of unsafe needle products in this country.

All it would take would be an act of bravery by those in government to force a change in needle design and production.

Unfortunately, bravery is not a known ingredient of our politicians !

The end of opportunity !

It got just that much harder to start a new band in Wollongong with the closure of the Oxford Tavern.

This was one of the few remaining places prepared to host live gigs - the life blood of new bands as they try to attract a following - that will hopefully see them established on a selling label on their way to fame and fortune.

The demise of the Oxford Tavern is a result of the owner's bankruptcy and a decision by the administrator to close it down. Like many other live gig venues the question of noise was also threatening. Nearby new apartment blocks inevitably start to agitate for noise suppression - despite the fact that the source was there before the new apartments were built and tenanted.

This is a new and common threat to any live entertainment venue - as evidenced by the experience of Luna park in Sydney. Despite Luna park being a fun place for decades, developers built high cost apartments nearby - and then agitated to close down the fun park - because of noise !

They succeeded in having the " Big Dipper " banned and Luna park is now a mere shadow of it's former glory, and will probably end up closed and converted into offices - or perhaps more high cost apartments.

To aspiring young men and women with the talent to create a popular band the way ahead is littered with obstacles placed by both government and council - and those nearby residents who consider your music " noise ".

It seems we may never gain new artists like " The little river band " or " The Seekers " in the future because the time honoured way of impressing ever growing audiences is closing fast.

It seems that " opportunity " is fading for Australian talent.

Financial planning farce !

So you need advice as to how best plan your superannuation and retirement income ?

Go see a financial planner and get good advice ! Right ?

Wrong !

At present the financial planner you see may be legally entitled to accept commissions to steer your money into a dodgy investment scheme - because that will put more money into the investment planner's pocket.

The financial planner is not even obliged to " act in the best interests of the client ".

That doesn't happen until 2012 !

This says a lot about the financial planning industry, the prudential regulating authority that oversees planners - and the government which has allowed this farce to rob investors and ruin people's lives.

And the fact that the bad practice will be allowed to continue until 2012 so that the industry can have time to " cook the books " - and develop new strategies to bypass this law.

Time to use an election to create a level playing field !

Good fish ! Bad fish !

There is something weird about the attitude we exhibit towards the fish that swim in the sea.

On the one hand we are praising an eleven year old schoolgirl who caught a Mako shark on a six kilogram fishing line - fifty kilometres off the coast of Wollongong. She achieved this unassisted and as a consequence her name will be recorded in the record books and she will become a minor celebrity.

The Mako shark is considered aggressive and has a habit of turning on the boat from which it is hooked. This shark recorded a weight of I8I.I kilogram - when it's dead body was hoisted onto the scales for public display.

Compare that with the Japanese " scientific " harvesting of whales. Instead of using a line and bait, Japanese whalers fire a harpoon with an explosive power head into the body of the whale. Its a gory business - and the body is hauled aboard a factory ship and dismembered. It's hard to see where scientific research comes into the picture - because clearly the Japanese only want whales for the dinner table.

So - we seem to have a " good fish - bad fish " attitude to denizens of the deep.

It's OK to butcher sharks because they are bad lads - but whales are our friends.

There must be some sort of rationale in there somewhere. But just at the moment it is a little hard to see !

The danger down below !

The hunt for new sources of energy is relentless - and coupled with danger, as the deep drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico illustrates.

Coal has been mined for centuries and still remains one of the world's most prolific energy sources, and as any coal miner knows - a great danger is the chance of a fire breaking out in a coal mine. Such a happening would not be easy to contain - and it could go on for years - and even centuries.

Now we are deliberately setting fire to coal seams under a scheme labelled " underground coal gassification " ( UCG ) - under test in Queensland.

This method leaves the coal in place deep underground. It is burnt in situ using heat, pressure and water to create a synthetic gas which is pumped to the surface - and used to fuel power stations.

In theory, this eliminates the need to create a coal mine, extract the coal and build a plant to turn this coal into energy. The problem is that the method can contaminate ground water with carcinogenic material - benzene and toluene.

There is also the danger that once a coal seam is fired it can spread to a vast network of other coal seams - and destroy most of the state's groundwater system.

We need new energy sources - but we also need to know what tests have been carried out - and what guarantees of safety exist - before we jump from the frying pan into the fire !

The " unlucky Australian ".

David Hicks admits that he had sympathies for the Taliban - and he further admits that he received military training while he was in Afghanistan - but at that time neither act broke any laws in either America or Australia.

Despite this, when he was captured by coalition forces in December 2001, he was shipped off to the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and held there as a prisoner for five years without charge.

Eventually he became an embarrassment to the United States government - and a deal was set. He agreed to plead guilty to " material support for terrorism " - and was handed over to Australian authorities to serve a few months in an Adelaide prison - before being released.

The sticking point is that Hicks broke no laws in place when he spent time in Afghanistan - and the law he agreed to accept in return for his release is both retrospective - and probably illegal !

It seems Hicks is " the unlucky Australian ". He has spent more time in prison that the offence warranted and now he is caught under the " proceeds of crime " act from gaining any benefit from a book on his experiences.

About time his case went back to court for justice to apply !

An end to native birds.

The humble Sparrow is not an Australian native bird. Like many other birds and animals, it was imported from England by the early settlers, no doubt hoping to introduce a little cheer from home.

The Sparrow lived peacefully alongside the existing birds of Australia and in time became a very welcome migrant in our gardens. It is distressing to find that they are now rare - and with them the vast assortment of small birds that lent colour to our gardens.

Ever growing gangs of Indian Mynah birds are changing the bird scene in Australia. This import is aggressive and attacks other birds, destroys their nests and has no concept of sharing territory. In many suburbs, all other forms of birdlife have disappeared.

Indian Mynah birds have been declared noxious pests, but there is little action being taken to curb their numbers. If this continues, we face the prospect of species loss - as has happened to many other species of Australian animals since the arrival of European settlers here.

Tomorrow may be too late. What we need - and need on a most urgent basis - is a trapping programme to reduce the numbers of Indian Mynah birds present in our suburbs, followed by council action to destroy their eggs and nests to eliminate future generations.

It is unlikely that this will fully succeed, but at least a reduction in numbers will give the native bird population hope of survival.

Death of a million trees !

If - as expected - the prime minister calls on the Governor General this morning and calls a Federal election - the scene will be set for the vast expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars to try and secure your vote !

During the course of the campaign your letterbox will be stuffed to overflowing with campaign material. Listen to radio or watch TV and you will be bombarded with political advertisements exhorting you to cast your vote for one of the major parties - or perhaps for one of the hopefuls inhabiting the fringe.

There will be debates. There will be public meetings in town halls. There will be rallies in public places. People will come knocking on your door to deliver a spiel.

In the end, the result will be delivered by a small number of people - those who actually are politically impartial and make up their minds after giving the issues due consideration.

For the rest, their vote will depend on into which family they were born !

Political alliance - just like religion - mostly depends on our early days brainwashing. Children absorb the political credo of their parents, just as the religion of those parents depend on which church they attend.

The pity of it all is that huge forests of trees will be turned into wood chip to feed the presses that will churn out political material that few will actually read.

Lets hope that those thinking few arrive at a wise conclusion !

The " Moped " battle revisited.

Shortly after the end of the second world war the " Moped " emerged in America - and became the choice means of transport for thousands. The Moped was an ordinary bicycle - fitted with a tiny little motor to assist when climbing hills. In most parts of the world it required neither registration or insurance.

Not so here in Australia. The powers that be in all states insisted that it was a " motorcycle " - and would be required to comply with all the laws and licenses that applied to a motorcycle.

That killed the Moped dead in this country.

Sixty years on - and we have had a change of thinking.

Bicycles are now politically correct as a preferred means of transport - and the opposition to a small motor assistance to the rider has become legal - as long as that motor is no more than 200 watts.

But once again the heavy hand of the law seems determined to stamp out the Moped. A rider - who presented his Moped to the Roads and Traffic Authority ( RTA ) and was assured his bike was legal - has been fined by the police and handed a $ 1000 fine - because they consider that the motor exceeds 200 watts. Consequently, the police claim the Moped must be registered and insured as a conventional motorbike - and the rider requires a rider's license to operate it.

It seems that this should be a matter to be settled between the police and the RTA.

As usual the poor member of the public is left out there in no man's land. Both the police and the RTA retire behind their legal barricades and leave this unfortunate to shoulder the work - and costs - to prove himself innocent.

About time the government stepped in and kicked a few bums to sort this out !

Rip 'em out !

The consequences of that disastrous decision to impose parking meters on the citizens of Wollongong is now becoming apparent. The beating heart of this city is dieing ! We have an under performing Mall surrounded by a contingent of small businesses that have seen their customers decrease - and profits drop - since those meters became operational.

In sheer desperation the council is tinkering around the edges. There has been fine tuning of allowed timing. Now the move is away from that flat $2 fee to a more rational fee for time parked system.

It must be remembered that installing parking meters in Wollongong was not the product of a decision by an elected council. It was a decision made by a trio of flunkies appointed by the state government. These " administrators " were not of this city - and as " outsiders " they had no obligation to listen to the residents wishes. In all probability - an elected council would not have even considered installing parking meters.

It is clear that what is tolerable in metropolitan Sydney does not work in regional cities - as evidenced by the business downturn in Newcastle - which was similarly inflicted with parking meters and is fast become a " ghost city " of failed businesses.

Its time to " bite the bullet " and face reality.

Parking meters are a disaster in Wollongong and there is really only one solution - and that is to " rip them out ! "

Sure - we will face a financial loss, but it is better to face something that was forced upon us and rectify it - than to see our city centre fade to zero !

Fiji - an emerging terrorist state ?

Our troops are fighting in Afghanistan to stop the Taliban from imposing a draconian religious autocracy on it's citizens, welcome terrorist training camps on it's territory and attack it's neighbours in a bombing war - and yet we have an emerging state with similar potential on our own doorstep

The media refer to Frank Bainimarama as the " Fiji prime minister ". In fact he is a military dictator, who seized power by force and has progressively transformed his country into a lawless fiefdom since his 2006 coup.

No form of dissent is permitted. The country has been expelled fro the Commonwealth and the Melanesian Spearhead group. Judges have been dismissed and laws passed to shut down newspapers and other media, and diplomats - including both the Australian high commissioner - and now the acting high commissioner - have been ordered out of the country.

Democratic elections are promised for 2014, but these are now unlikely.

So - What is the future for Fiji ?

Obviously this degeneration of human rights will eventually cause the world to stop the inflow of tourist traffic. It will be just too dangerous to allow our citizens to visit such an unstable country - and with the cessation of air traffic Fiji will be left to stagnate.

History tells us that the last resort of dictators is usually to turn their country into either a narco state - or become the source of income by welcoming terrorist organizations to bankroll in return for terrorist training facilities.

The time is fast approaching when the democratic countries of the Pacific must face the fact that a serious threat is emerging in our region. If we do nothing now - the future may be as bleak as the present conflict in the Middle East !

" Nanny state " laws !

There is constant friction between those people who believe in personal freedom and state legislators who insist we must protect people from themselves.

When we drive a car we must fasten a seat belt and refrain from speaking on a mobile phone. Ride a motorbike - or even an old push bike - and you need to wear a helmet to avoid a fine.

The list seems endless. Even a walk in the city involves waiting at the traffic lights for the signal to cross the road - and now the recreation of dropping a line in the sea to cash a fish for supper is under attack.

In the past ten years nine people drowned when washed off rocks while they were fishing. We already have a new law that requires children under twelve to wear life jackets when in any sort of boat - and all to wear life jackets when boating at night or in hazardous conditions. It is proposed that the compulsory wearing of life jackets be extended to all rock fisher folk !

To some that may seem a reasonable extension - but to others it is just one more restriction imposed by a " Nanny state " seeking to impose total control over it's citizens.

The state government has decided not to proceed with this plan. It is on the nose with the voters and an election looms - so controversy is to be avoided. Instead - the government will shell out $ 90,000 to provide another forty new " Angel Rings " to protect rock fisher folk washed into the sea.

Such compromise is the art of politics !

The cost of war !

For nine years Australia has joined others in fighting a war to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan - and in that time we have taken the death of seventeen of our soldiers.

The philosophy of the Taliban prohibits the education of women, bars it's citizens from pleasurable activities such as watching television - listening to music - dancing - or even kite flying. It imposes strict Islam at the point of a sword - and supports acts of terrorism such as the Bali bombings.

Bob Brown and his Greens want Australia to walk away from the war in Afghanistan and for the Australian troops there to be withdrawn - and brought home.

He says that this will be a crucial plank of his party at the forthcoming election.

An interesting question voters should ask Bob Brown is his attitude to future wars - and just what criteria he holds that must exist before Australian troops are committed !

If Bob Brown and his Greens are pacifists - who deplore war and would not under any circumstances defend Australia if it meant putting our troops into combat against an invader - then let him be crystal clear about his policy.

During the second world war such people were called " Conscientious objectors " - and were reviled.

Time to nail your colours to the masthead !

A new " Pacific Solution " !

Julia Gillard is desperate to remove the " boat people " as an issue so that she can call a quick election. Her timing was way off when she announced that East Timor would be the evaluation centre - before it's prime minister had done more than agree to consider the proposal - and before the president had been even consulted.

East Timor owed Australia a few favours for it's help in gaining independence from Indonesia - and it's leaders would bend over backwards to help - but dumping our rejects on their doorstep is unlikely to meet with wide public approval there.

Basically, Julia Gillard has simply rebadged John Howards " Pacific Solution " - and claimed it as her own plan.

The sad thing is that just the facility she has in mind presently exists in Nauru - bought and paid for by the Australian taxpayer - and it has wide support from the Nauru population because it provides an income to a poverty stricken island nation - and work for it's citizens.

The problem is politics ! The Gillard solution must be clearly different from the Howard plan - and sending boat arrivals to Nauru would be too close an association.

If East Timor ends up declining the offer, Gillard may have no choice other than Nauru - in which case she may insist that Nauru adopt a change of name so that the Howard connection is obliterated.

It doesn't seem to matter which party is in power - or who sits in the prime minister's chair - dodging the issue and bending the rules replaces logic in finding solutions.

It's called - politics !

Another financial disaster !

The sudden collapse of investment firm Trio Capital will leave many people on the south coast of New South Wales financially ruined. This firm held investment funds ranging from $ 50,000 to $ 500,000 from individuals, and was also the repository for a number of Superannuation accounts.

The details are murky - but it seems that $ 180 million is missing, supposedly somewhere in a complex web of hedge funds located in foreign tax havens. Any substantial recover is - doubtful !

It seems to be a case of " here we go again ".

The inevitable clash of grand promises coinciding with investors need for better returns on their money. Unfortunately money safety contrasts with risk and we have some very appealing money managers who can present what looks like " sure fire " investment plans - some of which are simply Ponzi schemes.

There are regulatory bodies tasked with keeping our money safe, but these are administered by the government - and the government has never been known for achieving financial accountability - or even having an ability to manage our own tax money - for that matter !

Time for a new regime. Any investment company must be required to take out insurance cover to guarantee every last cent back to investors in the case of misfeasance !

In return for accepting this risk you can be sure that the insurers will demand it's people engage in minute by minute surveillance of each and every investment decision - and the insurance industry is savvy in a far more effective way than regulatory government entities.

And there would be another benefit.

Investment firms that fail to convince an insurer to issue a policy would not be allowed to engage in the market place - and hence the shonks would not get a chance to plunder family savings - and ruin honest people !

Private hospitals - public patients !

The Federal government plan to have Medicare funded elective surgery performed in private hospitals raises some interesting questions.

What standard of service will apply ? The people who pay for health insurance expect a little luxury when they need to go to hospital. If public patients are enjoying exactly the same standard of care, then surely this must be a great turn-off - and result in some people dropping their private insurance cover.

What criteria dictates bed availability ? Will this mean a privately insured patient will be shunted to the end of the queue because a public patient had an urgent and painful need of attention ? The main purpose of taking out health insurance was to guarantee prompt attention rather than languish in a long public health queue.

The government will spend fifty billion dollars bringing public patients into private hospitals for Medicare funded elective surgery - but this will not start until July 1, 2012.

A question that needs to be answered is why tossing another fifty billion dollars at the public system would not achieve exactly the same result ?

Hell's Angels ban !

The state government is stepping into uncharted territory with it's plan to ban the Hell's Angels motorcycle club.

At best this will prevent them openly wearing their " colours " and at worst it will drive them underground. At the moment the police have a huge advantage in that they are easily recognised - and they congregate at their club - which can be kept under surveillance.

Clever crooks can easily keep one step ahead of the law by resigning from their club, dispensing with their colours - and adopting a new name. Each time they do that the law is forced to go to court to try and play catchup !

The government would be well advised to remember the days of the Mafia and the town of Griffith.

This was out of sight crime - yet Marijuana was grown openly on dozens of farms and the criminals wore expensive suits and consorted with the police.

It took a prominent murder to bring the attention of the media. Hiding crime is not the way to dispense justice !

Offshore migrant processing.

Julia Gillard quickly adopted Tony Abbott's plan to process asylum seekers offshore - because it has the " out of sight - out of mind " factor.

It is clear that the steady stream of refugee claimants arriving on our shores is a vote loser that would have a profound effect on voting intentions at the coming election - so now both sides of politics has adopted the " quick fix " solution.

Tony Abbott has the advantage that processing asylum seekers in Nauru has the approval of that island's government, while Julia Gillard may strike trouble negotiating such a scheme with the government of East Timor.

Nauru and East Timor are both in desperate need of industry, and setting up migrant detention and processing centres will create jobs for locals - and ensure a steady income stream. In the case of Nauru - the centre is already up and running - hence Abbott's proposal has the advantage.

What is new is the condition that new arrivals who have destroyed all forms of identification will not be even considered for residence, but immediately moved offshore.

The whole point of engaging a " people smuggler " to get to Australia was the notion that once they arrived here they jumped the queue - and their status would be decided sooner than those waiting in camps elsewhere for classification.

Once the incentive to pay money for illegal passage is removed - the people smugglers are put out of business - and the boat arrivals stop.

And that is precisely what the voters demand !

A recycling charge.

Plans are being considered to impose a national deposit/recycling scheme on bottles, cans and all manner of containers - similar to the ten cent laws that apply in South Australia.

What works in a relatively small state may not be so manageable in large cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

It is said that those who ignore history are destined to repeat it - and a deposit on containers is not new. We had such a scheme in place just after the end of the second world war - and it was dropped because it was a failure.

At that time, the retailer was responsible for repaying the deposit and collecting the returned containers until they could be returned to their manufacturer. This resulted in valuable retail space being lost - and an unsightly and unhygienic mess at supermarkets and corner stores.

The theory was that parks and beaches would become pristine because kids and teenagers would happily collect discarded containers - and return them to gain extra pocket money.

That completely ignored the whims of child minds. It became " uncool " for kids to cash in discarded containers - and most kids would not be seen dead by their peers heading to the shop with a pile of discards.

Being " cool " is almost a cult similar to religion. When did you last see a kid wearing a regulation school hat ? Or wearing a raincoat on a wet day ?

Deposit/recycling may be possible, but it will require more than just casual thinking to create a system that actually works - and creative thinking is not the usual way that government bodies go about doing things !

" Ambience " - at last !

There is nothing more dismal than a partly built structure abandoned in a busy shopping centre. The good news is that " Ambience " - that forty million dollar shopping/residential complex is Fairy Meadow is up for sale.

" Ambience " was the factor planned to rejuvenate Fairy Meadow. It was contracted to have a Coles supermarket as the key tenant, surrounded by sixteen speciality shops, a floor of office services - and thirty four residential apartments.

The construction is two thirds complete - far too advanced for anything other than completion to be considered.

All the advantages exist for the new buyer. The complex will probably go for a fire sale price, leaving only a modest injection of capital to create a magnificent finished object that will result in a good return.

It's completion will also guarantee that the Fairy Meadow shopping precinct will not be swallowed up by the expansion of Corrimal. Without " Ambience " - a similar fate to what has happened to Woonona shopping centre is on the cards !

The con artists !

There is an interesting little book being mailed to selected people which claims to have the cure for almost every ailment known to mankind. It suggests that the pharmaceutical industry is deliberately keeping these cures secret - because they can not be covered by a patent - and therefore they have no profit potential.

The book suggests that if the reader cares to subscribe with a hefty payment the keeper of this secret will provide a whole series of booklets describing how the use of a cheap and easily obtained herb will cure everything from heart disease, diabetes - and cancer.

Obviously this is a get-rich-quick scheme, but unfortunately there is a grain of truth embedded in medical hocus-pocus.

It is a well known fact that aspirin - a medication that was discovered centuries ago and on which the patent has run out - can have magnificent medical effects if taken on a daily basis.

Statistical evidence shows that aspirin thins the blood - and as a result those who take it have less chance of death from heart disease or bowel cancer.

Strangely, aspirin is rarely proscribed by the medical fraternity. Instead they proscribe a whole range of medication which is only available by prescription - and which costs a lot more money.

The big pharmaceutical companies have been successful in brain washing doctors and patients into ignoring something that is low cost and using a product that makes them a handsome profit - but achieves the same result.

A curious case of con artists working both ends of the medical scale !

A dispute is settled !

The mining super tax dispute is over - but whether that resolution is a cave in or a brilliant bit of diplomacy depends on the political view prevailing.

In a democracy a major taxation change requires intense negotiation. Kevin Rudd tried to force his view without any form of compromise. It was a " crash through - or crash and burn " approach. Rudd is now a smouldering pile of ashes !

The solution leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

The tax now only applies to two commodities - iron ore and coal

There are 320 companies in Australia mining coal or iron ore, and Julia Gillard only bothered to talk to three of them - and obviously these were the largest operators. The other 317 have every right to feel ignored !

Of course solving this problem was in need of speed - and consultation with three hundred people would take time.

Julia Gillard is desperate to get some quick runs on the board - and then call an election while there is still bounce in her approval rating during this honeymoon period.

Pity that immigration and the " boat people " can not be so easily solved !

New Real Estate emerging !

If the global warming people are right, within a decade or so both the Arctic and the Antarctic will be ice free in summer ! That will raise the thorny question of - ownership !

Half a millennium ago that was clear. The first explorer to find new territory simply planted his country's flag on the beach - and proclaimed it the property of his king, emperor or president.

Nobody bothered with the frozen lands at both the poles because it was so covered in ice to be uninhabitable - but that is about to change.

If the ice retreats it will leave a land with the potential to be a rich source of various minerals - and possibly oil !

Perhaps now would be a good time for the United Nations to plant the world flag and claim these territories, under the jurisdiction of the International court of justice.

At least that would be the first step to getting the various countries of the world to recognise the United Nations as the supreme authority - something that has been sadly lacking since it's inception !

Winners - and losers !

Welcome to the first day of a new financial year !

Let us have a look at what the balance sheet offers !

Electricity and gas will cost 13% more from today - and water will increase by 7%. When car registration comes round, expect to contribute somewhere between $5 and $ 30 for this new motor vehicle weight tax - and traffic fines will also increase by an amount to be announced. Council rates will also increase, depending on where you live.

And now for the good news ! The third round of tax cuts will cut in today - and low income wage earners will make a saving - of just three dollars a week !

Many people will hoard this largess to pay for all the price increases, but some will be less thrifty and blow the lot.

If they are careful and shop around they may find a cheap cafe somewhere offering a cup of coffee - once a week - in exchange for that three dollars.

But don't look for a sandwich or piece of cake to go with it !