Ignoring the law !

A case before the courts illustrates what little power exists when it comes to repeat offenders. This person describes himself as a truck driver, yet when police pulled him over for a minor speeding offence they discovered that he was a banned driver - banned until 2022 - and that he was already on a periodic detention order for driving unlicensed. This 38 year old is not a young offender - and at the time of arrest he was driving a commercial truck. Obviously someone has employed him as a truck driver, either knowingly or carelessly ignoring his lack of a driving license. He was refused bail because it was obvious that he had no intention of following court orders - and the only logical outcome will be a prison sentence - and in all probability - his driving ban will be extended by a few more years. This seems to be a case of no progress on an ever developing merry-go-round. Each offence brings a longer disqualification period. These are studiously ignored - and eventually attract increasingly long prison sentences - at the public expense. And hidden in there somewhere is a time bomb. If this person gets involved in an accident in which some other person is injured - the fact that he is driving unlicensed voids the cover provided by that vehicles green slip. There are no winners in that scenario !

Diving regulations change !

Commercial divers work is a dangerous medium. There are many unknown hazards beneath the waters and conditions range from clear water to so murky that ones hands can not be seen before their eyes. Safe Work Australia is proposing a new set of regulations that clears away many of the legislative requirements that divers rely on to survive. There will no longer be a need to have a first aid kit on hand - nor a person trained in safety work such as rescuscitation. One of the critical present regulations requires a trained supervisor to be present at each dive. This person understands rescue technique - and this is essential if danger strikes with a critical time limit involved in the remaining air supply. Supervising qualifications are being significantly downgraded. It seems possible that the new regulations would allow amateur divers to enter the commercial field and compete with trained professionals for the work available. The commercial diving industry claims that this legislation has been quietly introduced under cover of the state election - and Federal attention focussed on the carbon tax issue. As such, it has escaped media scrutiny - and unless challenged will lead to a vast drop in water safety for those who make their living in a risky profession.

Misery at "Surfrider ! "

It seems incredible that a week after floods devastated the Illawarra neither the Federal or state governments have made any move to provide relief to the victims. In particular, the residents of Surfrider caravan park are sleeping in saturated vans because they lack the money for any other type of accommodation. Their only relief has come from the public - who have been generous in providing food, clothing and donated furniture - but none of this even approaches their real needs. They are studiously ignored by the Federal government which handed out thousand dollar emergency relief grants to flood residents in Brisbane and in Victoria. As usual, the Illawarra is out of sight - and out of mind when it comes to Federal process. State relief involves a long and arduous application process - which is means tested for income and assets. Those with any sort of private insurance are automatically excluded from any benefits. It is an unfortunate matter of timing that this flood occurred within a week of a state election - which brought a change of government. Not the ideal time for state apparatus to swing into action. But - the election is over - and a new premier has been sworn in. High on the list of waiting priorities should be a cash handout to relieve this festering problem at the Surfrider !

The twists and turns of politics.

The ghost of an administration past - as a result of Saturday's election - is hovering over the resident's of Shellharbour's Oak Flats. Last year a new Police headquarters was opened at Oak Flats - amid much controversy. When the plans were initially submitted the council required that there be sixty-one on site parking places provided. The Police refused - and the then Labor government used it's planning powers to force the development through council. This Police headquarters involves two hundred and fifty staff - and with no parking provided in the new building - they have taken over the Oak Flats railway station commuters car park. Rail commuters are now locked out of the " park and ride " arrangements intended to coax travellers back onto trains. No doubt the member for the seat of Shellharbour will be screaming for the incoming administration to spend money to create additional parking to alleviate this problem - and this could be an early test of how the Illawarra stands in the eyes of the new premier. Despite the massacre of Labor held seats, Shellharbour returned a Labor candidate at Saturday's election. The incoming administration could take that as an indication that the voters of Shellharbour heartily approved of the actions of the previous government - and were in accord with forcing the construction of a new Police headquarters without on site parking. That being the case, the new administration would be loath to interfere with their wishes by foisting additional parking on them. It will certainly be interesting to see where this problem slots into the table of priorities !

" Throw the bums out ! "

Last night the voters of New South Wales did precisely what the polls have been predicting for months. When the ballots were counted the Australian Labor party was reduced to a rump - as Kristina Keneally faded into oblivion and Barry O'Farrell was tasked with leading this state.

There is no point in listing the sins of Labor. They were no longer a government - merely a disgrace masquerading as a responsible body of management. The disgrace was so deep that even rusted on supporters despaired - and in many cases abandoned the Labor vote for the first time in their lives.

Today is the start of a new era. It is likely that Barry O'Farrell and his new crew will think long and hard before implementing each measure of change. An incoming government starts with a blank page - and the opportunity to be pragmatic and not dictated by political dogma from past years.

Labor will lick it's wounds and face the reality of - perhaps a long time on the opposition benches.
It is vital that the party rebuild itself from within because it is a fact of good government that those with their hands on the tiller need a strong alternative government standing in the wings to keep them honest.

For the people of New South Wales these will be exciting times. So much needs to be done and so many messes sorted out that a fresh breeze blowing through the musty corridors of power will be exhilarating.

The cry of " Throw the bums out ! " has been answered. Now it is up to the incoming crew to deliver the goods !

A distant head of state !

The news that Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip will visit Australia in October is a rare occasion. The Queen took the throne as a very young woman and she has served with distinction during a very long life - and during that time she has visited this country just sixteen times.

The reason for this visit to Perth is to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting ( CHOGM ) which will be a meeting of most of the leaders of countries that form our Commonwealth of nations.

Queen Elizabeth has led an exemplary life. Despite scandals and divorces by other members of the royal family she has performed peerlessly in her job - and she has the affection of most of her subjects. What is in question is the continuation of a distant head of state once her reign finally ends.

The citizens of Australia were once primarily sourced from England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. There was a strong link to the United Kingdom - and in those days all Australians had an automatic right of entry to that home country.

Times have changed. The United Kingdom is now a member of the European Union. Citizens of a host of European countries enter Britain without the need of a visa. Australians are required to form a line under a sign that describes them as " foreigners ".

The mix of nationalities that is Australia is no longer so heavily " British " ! With it comes the question of why we maintain a woman who rarely visits this country as our head of state ?

That question will probably lay dormant while Queen Elizabeth enjoys her final years, but it will certainly resurrect once she is deceased.

She will be warmly welcomed in Perth this October - but it seems that the days of a distant monarchy are coming to an end. It may well be that Elizabeth II may be the last queen of Australia.

Politics - and flood compensation !

It is often claimed that Wollongong's voting loyalty to Labor delivers indifference to our needs in comparison to what is showered on swinging seats. That seems to be the case in the aftermath to this weeks floods.

When Queensland and Victoria suffered horrific floods the Federal government quickly provided disaster relief in the form of an immediate cash grant of one thousand dollars to each affected family. There were no if''s, but's or maybe's. This was money to buy some dry clothes, get emergency accommodation and replace essentials.

This weeks Wollongong floods brought the same hardship. Saturated furniture and personal affects. Unlivable accommodation. Written off cars.

But - no offer of Federal emergency funds - just this area flick passed to State government emergency relief - which will only swing into action after a lengthy application process - and which will be means tested for assets and incomes.

As a result, many flooded residents are trying to survive in homes considered unlivable because of water damage and without transport or funds to replace essential necessities - because they have no money.

It seems to be a case of being taken for granted because of past voting trends - and just unfortunate timing. Right in the same week as a state election !

A strange message !

The frenetic flow of Labor party advertising in these final days before the state election sends a very strange message.

It does not implore voters to vote Labor. It begs them to vote anywhere other than Liberal - and it seems to concede that Labor will be defeated. Labor seems terrified of a huge Liberal landslide and seeks to promote all manner of other parties to diffuse the vote.

If this election is a lost cause for Labor, then some may question the sheer volume of money being spent in the final days on an attempt to reduce the Liberal vote - rather than increase the Labor vote.

Obviously the tacticians have a plan, but surely if their polling tells them that this election was lost months ago it would be wiser to hoard their cash reserves and plan ahead for the hard work that will be needed to rejuvenate the party in opposition - and get ready for another tilt at power further down the track.

This advertising blitz could be counter productive. There is already a strong suspicion that the Labor government was big in exchanging project approvals for hefty campaign donations. Some will question where this advertising money is coming from.

It could be another case of being very careful about what you wish for !

Scaveging - and the law !

" One man's rubbish is another man's treasure " is the adage applied to junk put kerbside for the council free annual pickup. Unfortunately in one case removing a used vacuum cleaner from the pile led to the scavengers arrest !

In that incident the police assumed that the vacuum cleaner had probably been stolen. They are now satisfied with the explanation - and the matter will not proceed further.

Scavenging is prohibited at most council tips, but no such law applies to the contents of wheelie bins - or material in the annual council clean-up - but we are all responsible for providing evidence of lawful possession for items in our possession.

The wise keep receipts when making purchases - but clearly some sort of statute of limitations must apply. Could any householder reasonably be expected to produce receipts for every item of furniture and every appliance present in their homes - some of which might be approaching antique status ?

And if something put out for council pickup attracts your eye - keep in mind that it might be a good idea to make note of the house number and street name from which it came.

Just in case it's status is challenged at some future date !

The great flood !

Yesterday Albion Park and the southern suburbs of Wollongong got the greatest drenching since the calamity of the 1998 flood rains. Roads were cut - there were landslides - the trains stopped running - homes were flooded and cars inundated.

Mother Nature went on the rampage and delivered months of rain in just a few hours - and we should use this experience to live and learn.

We are about to release huge tracts of land at Calderwood and west Dapto for new housing. Now would be a good time to see how this land was affected by yesterdays event - and how it's servicing by road and rail would suffer in a similar event.

If we are not careful we will set in motion a future financial disaster. If we allow people to build on a flood plain there will be times when their losses will impact on insurance rates - and inevitably there will be uninsured people who will need help from the public purse.

What happened yesterday should guide the regulations that govern what type of housing should be permitted in a known flood area. Perhaps elevated housing should be mandatory. More expensive to build in the first place, but flood free until the waters subside.

It would be tragic if yesterday's lesson went unheeded - and certainly the flooding of the only access road should deliver a clear message on the need for a flood free access.

The Libya dilemma !

World leaders could well look at the Libya situation and ask - " where do we go from here ? "

They have applied a " no fly " edict to prevent Gadaffi from bombing his own people, but there is no suggestion of committing ground troops. Gadaffi has threatened to open his weapons stores and arm civilians to protect his regime - and in retaliation the west may supply heavier weapons to the rebels to even up the contest. That would be a sure recipe for civil war !

We could end up with a split country. Gadaffi and his thugs ruling half the country from Tripoli - and a rebel regime operating out of Benghazi.

It would be wise counsel for the west to pass the problem to the Islamic nations of the region. Western involvement will be met with suspicion by many Islamists and if troops are needed to settle the matter, surely Muslims settling a Muslim dispute would be preferable to soldiers of other religions fighting on Muslim land.

But - that presents another intractable problem. Muslims of what creed ?

Islam is not a united religion. Sunni and Shia are just as opposed as Protestants and Catholics used to be - and each country has some sort of mixed balance. Making the wrong choice of troops could simply widen the civil war - into a regional war between the two branches of the one religion.

Add politics to the religious divide - and you have a sure recipe for an ongoing disaster !

DNA testing backlog !

DNA is a huge benefit - or a tragic curse - depending on whether you are innocent or a criminal.
It allows the police to accurately determine if a suspect was present at a crime scene, and this can go a long way in proving guilt or innocence.

Crime scene investigators are constantly upgrading their skills to detect DNA evidence, but there has not been a corresponding increase in DNA testing staff at the state's crime laboratories. This backlog has increased from 6,400 cases waiting in November 09 - to a whopping 7,600 cases today.

This backlog can have tragic circumstances. People can rot in gaol awaiting evidence that will clear them of crime. In some cases, evidence collected before DNA testing was developed is waiting to either prove or disprove that a convicted criminal was responsible for the crime.

In other cases, people remain in gaol on remand and the case can not proceed because it hinges on DNA results that are mired somewhere in that incredible backlog of evidence awaiting examination.

To achieve justice the entire legal system must run smoothly and any bottleneck needs to be eliminated. In an ideal world evidence would be quickly collected - the case would go before a court - and a positive or negative result would settle the matter.

It seems to be the inevitable obstacle of money. More DNA technicians need to be trained - and money allocated to hiring them to staff expanded DNA laboratories. This seems low on the scale of priorities. When it comes down to items that draw public attention - things like gas heaters in schools and fixing the road system comes a long way ahead of making the legal system faster and fairer.

Unless that happens to include a person unfairly accused of a crime !

Influencing young minds !

Many people must wonder how children would interpret the message contained in an advertisement running on current television.

This advertisement depicts a couple contemplating buying a lounge. They want the bigger unit, but they can only afford the smaller one. The man switches the price tags - and the impression is given that he succeeds in swindling the store by buying the dearer item at the cheaper price.

Of course, to the adult mind this is pure humour. It depicts a farcial situation that would be unlikely to happen in the real world and it is intended to draw attention to an offer a store is making - to upgrade sales items at no extra cost.

But to a child's mind this seems to give approval to something akin to shoplifting. An attempt is being made to trick the store staff and reward the buyer with an item that - while paid for - is not at the required price level.

There is obvious difficulty in balancing advertising content to catch the interest of viewers but not deliver a message that can be misinterpreted by young minds.

Switching the bigger chocolate bar to the display with the lower price could be the start of a shoplifting trend if this advertisement was taken seriously by juvenile viewers.

Those that design advertising should think long and hard at the message content they are delivering !

A broadband monopoly plan !

A Labor chaired Senate committee is proposing that competitors be prevented from laying fibre optic cable and providing broadband services until after NBN has completed it's national rollout.
The thinking behind this is to prevent rivals " cherry picking " the most lucrative, high density take up areas and leaving NBN with the less profitable, distant and more expensive to service options.

There is one glaring problem with this suggestion. If it is adopted it will hand NBN a monopoly.

Government services are not very good at competing in instances where they face commercial competition. Inevitably the cost blows out and huge time over runs occur - and in the end the price of that service bears no relation to reason.

Older Australians will remember the phone service just after the end of the second world war. Providing phones was then a monopoly provided by the Postmaster Generals department ( PMG ) and the wait for a phone installation was measured in years. We even had such archaic practices as " party lines " foisted on the public as a remedy for the government's inability to provide services.

The only way NBN will be up to scratch in laying cable and providing broadband at a rate comparable with world prices is if it has a competitor breathing down it's neck. Give it a monopoly and we can expect sloth and the dead hand of government to turn this $ 36 billion investment into a nightmare.

Not much point in the government getting involved in broadband unless the end product is competitive - and in a monopolistic scenario - that never happens !

A crushed dream !

Slowly but relentlessly the dreams of the people of Libya to remove a tyrant and usher in a new way of life are fading. Enthusiastic amateurs are facing the heavy weapons of a well trained and disciplined army - and they are being pushed back with only their base at Benghazi the remaining stronghold.

It all looked so promising. Tunisia and Egypt had succeeded in expelling dictators by sheer people power and the public unrest in Libya soon spread to over half the country. It seemed that Gadaffi's exit was imminent - but then he unleashed his army on his own people.

And what of the rest of the world ? And what of that supposed " world policeman " - the United Nations ?

Endless jaw boning at endless meetings - and absolutely no action. Talk of imposing a no-fly zone to ground the Libyan airforce and stop them bombing civilians. Demands that there must be uniform approval by all parties before intervention is even considered.

Self interest by many countries condemned Libyan freedom fighters to defeat - and the inevitable repression and revenge that will follow.

People power in places like Tunisia and Egypt and Libya frighten hell out of leaders of countries that suppress freedom of speech and political plurality on their own people. If it can happen there - it could arise to try and topple their hold on power.

Sadly, a movement likely to spread light and freedom throughout the entire Middle East will be short lived - because the world was timid when bold action was needed !

Call to scrap bulk billing ?

Many people would be bemused by the call from Dr Jeremy Sammut of the think tank - Centre for Independent studies - to scrap bulk billing and make all patients either buy medical insurance or pay for visits out of their own pockets.

Dr Sammut contends that bulk billing ensures that those with the greatest medical needs queue at the emergency department of hospitals - while those with minor ailments get free or highly subsidized services or GP visits on demand.

Reality is just the opposite. If it wasn't for bulk billing the vast number of low income people who are serviced by their local doctor would be forced to rely on their hospital emergency department for medical treatment.

In fact, the long waits at emergency departments are often caused by a lack of local doctors offering bulk billing - and the government is encouraging new clinics to take up the slack and bulk bill to relieve pressure on hospitals.

This call to end bulk billing flies in the face of the original concept of Medicare - which was to provide medical services to all citizens. Those who can afford it were encouraged to take out private insurance - but free emergency rooms in hospitals and doctors who provide bulk billing consultations ensure that all have access to medical treatment when that is needed.

To ban bulk billing would be to return to the dark ages of a distant past !

Where angels fear to tread !

Ken Ring is a highly respected New Zealand long range weather forecaster - and he has predicted that Christchurch will experience another major earthquake sometime this coming Sunday.

There is a wide school of thought that suggests that earthquakes can not be predicted, and to thumb their noses at Ken Ring a big group of geologists, politicians, engineers and broadcast people plan to hold a long lunch in one of the city's biggest stone buildings.

It will be interesting to see what odds the betting agencies give on this earthquake happening - and precisely what criteria meets the definition of success.

Christchurch has had severe after shocks every day since the big one, and there is every chance that another may occur on Sunday. At the same time, having lunch in a building prone to extreme damage because of it's construction style would not be a good idea for any sane and sober person.

If Sunday passes without even a minor tremblor Ken Ring's reputation will suffer serious damage, but if the ground shakes and those people at lunch get buried under rubble he will be dubbed " a guy who made a lucky guess " by some cynics - and the " greatest forecaster of all time " by most other people.

What Christchurch people choose to do this Sunday depends on whether they believe in lucky four leaf clovers - or whether they are fatalists.

It will be interesting to read the results in the following days newspapers !

Scorched earth policy.

It seems that the Labor party has finally faced reality and accepted that they will be turfed out of office at this election. With that acceptance comes the reality of covering their tracks and hiding greed and incompetence from the public.

At most elections the outcome hinges on last minute voting decisions, hence a sitting government is loathe to destroy records because they may be re-elected. When even the chance of a miracle fades, the shredder works overtime to ensure the cupboards are bare of secrets - and a " scorched earth policy " puts obstacles in the way of the winner setting up an administration.

Many voters will bemoan the fact that Labor incompetence will not be brought to book and the guilty will not be dragged kicking and screaming into public view to answer for the damage they have inflicted on this state.

It will be a better outcome if the incoming administration seeks to put decent policies in place and reverse the stagnation that has afflicted this state - rather than seeking vengeance for past misdeeds.

The past has been and gone. The future is yet to come. All the blunders of the past only serve as a template to be avoided when making the decisions that will distance the new regime from the old.

In many ways, a scorched earth is the perfect place to plant new growth - free of the dead wood !

" Twilight " sedation !

Every year the number of Australians undergoing a colonoscopic examination of their bowel to detect bowel cancer increases. This is conducted under a regime known as " Twilight sedation " - not a full anaesthetic but sufficiently sedated to remove any pain or fear from the procedure.

It seems quite logical that this form of anxiety relief should be extended to other procedures that instill terror into most people - the dreaded visit to the dentist !

But - there is a problem. Twilight sedation is a medical procedure and it is not without risk. It needs to be carried out by a qualified person and it seems that in the rush to keep abreast of colleagues some dentists are rushing into pain relief without adequate training.

Bowel examinations are usually performed either in hospitals with full medical staff, or in private clinics specifically set up and staffed for that purpose. It is highly specialised work which is not included in the training of either dentists or their dental assistants.

Anything that induces people to bite the bullet and seek dental treatment is a gain over the fear that makes this country one that avoids dentists - but safety must be the first concern.

Patients offered pain free dentistry would be well advised to question the practitioner about relevant qualifications in that field - and the health system should be able to confirm that individual dentists are qualified to perform that procedure.

Instant peril !

For a few hours last night people living on the Australian east coast were unsure whether they would be wise to flee inland - or whether a tsunami caused by a massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale would crash onto our shores.

That Japanese quake was one of the world's biggest. Television pictures graphically illustrated the damage caused by a tsunami on the Japanese mainland and the tsunami centre in Hawaii predicted waves of varying height heading to many Pacific ocean destinations.

Later - we were given the " all clear " - but what could be described as a " near miss " invites a question.

Had bad luck delivered a ten metre tsunami - what procedures are in place to evacuate the eastern sea-board - and what warning systems would alert the population to the coming danger ?

New Zealand recently had an off-shore 6.3 earthquake. It is possible that in future a much larger quake could result in a tsunami and because of the close proximity we would not have a huge time gap to act.

So - more questions ! Who has the responsibility for such a disaster ? Is it state ? Or a Federal matter ? And what systems exist to evacuate citizens from the danger zone ?

Election promises !

The tactics employed by political parties will vary widely in the runup to this months state election.

Barry O'Farrell will keep his powder dry and promise little because this election is not about a comparison of the better likely government. It is a stampede to get rid of a bunch of incompetents, riddled with factional fights that have led to financial disaster for this state.

On the other hand, Kristina Keneally can safely promise anything - because the odds favour her party heading for opposition - and therefore she will not be called upon to make good on any of those promises.

In the unlikely event that the voters had a change of mind and the government was returned, Keneally would have a new problem - but that could be easily resolved by doing what Julia Gillard did with that " no carbon tax " promise.

What we are seeing is a natural political cycle running it's course. Whatever government is in power declines in efficiency over a period of time - and is then replaced - and so starts a new cycle.

It is unlikely that election promises will swing the result either way. By now those swinging voters who decide elections will have already made up their minds - and being cynics - they will treat the flurry of promises with the contempt they deserve !

Free money !

Yesterday the Commonwealth bank's ATM system ran amok. It started handing out money to bemused customers. Some people trying to get an account balance or to pay a credit card bill suddenly found cash coming out of the chute. The machines ignored account balances, and like a generous uncle at Christmas - delivered whatever was asked for.

This caused a run on the machines, until the bank closed them down. Now comes the time of recriminations - and finger pointing.

The bank says the problem was a software malfunction - but that they know who got what amount of money from the ATM's. The police got in the act with a public statement, advising that anybody receiving cash that they knew to be in excess - and which they kept - was committing a felony and could be charged !

How much is truth - and how much is bluff remains to be seen.

To access an ATM a customer needs an access card with the correct magnetic strip that provides identification - and the current PIN. Therefore the bank knows who used the machines during the problem period. The machines also provide a photographic record of the person standing at the machine at that time.

What is unclear is the type of malfunction within the bank network. Whether the machines accurately recorded the exact amount of cash dispensed at each transaction is unclear.

Naturally the banks are going to claim that they have this knowledge, because they will otherwise have problems recovering their loss.

The chances are high that the fail/safe mechanisms in place did keep accurate records - but on the day many people thought that they were getting a bonanza of free money.

That's a bit like still believing in the tooth fairy !

The blame game !

Finally - after years of disputed designs, scandal and lurid sexual escapades - work is soon to start on the conversion of Wollongong's bathers pavilion.

Whatever emerges will surely please some people - and be treated with horror by others. So many factors converge that it will be impossible to reach common ground.

The first basic was whether the old building was worth saving. It belonged to a past era and it was in incredibly poor shape. Perhaps an option would have been to put the bulldozer through it - and start from scratch with a new design that would fit into the twenty-first century.

Nostalgia won out. For some reason many felt that this ghost from the past was worth saving, and so we will have the difficult task of maintaining it's ancient image, while tacking on some sort of restaurant and delivering all the goodies that modern beach users demand.

The main objections to the project remain unanswered. There is still a problem with access for rubbish removal and parking is a perennial problem near any beach.

Hopefully, the calamities that have plagued the bathers pavilion have been laid to rest - but what finally emerges will have cost the city a mint of money. Let us hope the majority of people give it the nod !