We implore our " best and brightest " to step up and seek a role in local government. We need wise heads to make the hard decisions which will take our cities forward. It is often an unrewarding job with plenty of criticism - and it can also send you to the poor house !
Take the case of Shellharbour council back in 2008. This degenerated into an ugly brawl as politics divided into battle lines and councillors fought tooth and nail over every issue. Somewhere along the way, Councillor Helen Stewart was accused of " leaking confidential information " - and unwisely the council decided to take the matter to court.
The legal battle descended into farce. It was so obvious that the charges were more based on " politics and personalities " than evidence, and finally Councillor Stewart had one matter upheld and two matters dismissed. The ridiculous waste of public money on this $ 1.2 million court case was the basis for the council being sacked by the state government - and an administrator appointed.
The sticking point is that Councillor Stewart - who was the only member of the old council re-elected at the election following the restoration of civil democracy in Shellharbour - is faced with a $ 100,000 legal bill.
Apparently, unlike Parliamentarians - who hide behind " Parliamentary privilege " when making statements in the house, there is no obligation for the council to pick up the tab for this bill.
This sort of incident must weigh heavily on the minds of those considering standing for council in all parts of Australia. The risk is there that you could be dragged into some sort of court case if relations between councillors turn ugly - and when the dust settles you could find yourself facing a legal bill that will deliver you into poverty.
If we want our " best and brightest " to accept the challenge we need to set hard and fast rules on who pays the legal bills in these circumstances. Otherwise, we risk our councils becoming the domain of " financially straw people " - because for people of substance the risk is just not acceptable !
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Death - and taxes !
It is said that in this world nothing is certain - except death and taxes !
It was only a few short years ago that the Federal government was subsidising the conversion of cars from petrol to LPG. This caused a flurry in the conversion industry as motor mechanics rushed to get the necessary certification to offer this service, and it also induced Ford to offer the popular Ford Falcon in optional LPG mode direct from the factory.
The incentive for motorists was the huge price difference between the taxes applied to petrol - and their absence from LPG. As a matter of economics, fleets such as taxis and other high mileage users were powered by LPG - and that remains the case today.
The only thing that differs - is the government stance on LPG taxation ! From the start of December this week - a new excise tax will be slapped on LPG. The price will increase by 2.5 cents a litre - and that will happen in every future year by the same amount until excise reaches 12.5 cents a litre in 2015.
It seems that the tax holiday is over ! So much for the master plan to make Australia self reliant on transport costs by converting the car fleet from a commodity that is decreasing and will eventually become an import - to LPG - which we have in abundance.
The government is betting it's future on the hope that the car industry will eventually lick the problems of producing long range electric cars, or be able to convert water to it's two components cheaply to arrive at the hydrogen cell as a fuel.
But - if that happens - the insatiable demand for tax will present the government with a new problem.
Perhaps it is not so strange that both electricity and water are suffering huge price hikes. If either are to become the car fuel of the future, they will need to become much more expensive than they have been in the past.
Which brings us back to that comment - about death and taxes !
It was only a few short years ago that the Federal government was subsidising the conversion of cars from petrol to LPG. This caused a flurry in the conversion industry as motor mechanics rushed to get the necessary certification to offer this service, and it also induced Ford to offer the popular Ford Falcon in optional LPG mode direct from the factory.
The incentive for motorists was the huge price difference between the taxes applied to petrol - and their absence from LPG. As a matter of economics, fleets such as taxis and other high mileage users were powered by LPG - and that remains the case today.
The only thing that differs - is the government stance on LPG taxation ! From the start of December this week - a new excise tax will be slapped on LPG. The price will increase by 2.5 cents a litre - and that will happen in every future year by the same amount until excise reaches 12.5 cents a litre in 2015.
It seems that the tax holiday is over ! So much for the master plan to make Australia self reliant on transport costs by converting the car fleet from a commodity that is decreasing and will eventually become an import - to LPG - which we have in abundance.
The government is betting it's future on the hope that the car industry will eventually lick the problems of producing long range electric cars, or be able to convert water to it's two components cheaply to arrive at the hydrogen cell as a fuel.
But - if that happens - the insatiable demand for tax will present the government with a new problem.
Perhaps it is not so strange that both electricity and water are suffering huge price hikes. If either are to become the car fuel of the future, they will need to become much more expensive than they have been in the past.
Which brings us back to that comment - about death and taxes !
Monday 28 November 2011
Friend - or Foe ?
Once again America has reason to question which side Pakistan is backing in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Allied forces called in air strikes when they came under fire in the lawless tribal belt and " friendly fire " killed twenty-six Pakistani soldiers. An angry Pakistani government has closed the border, disrupting supplies to coalition forces and ordering the closure of an important air base.
The stories are legion of the Taliban firing at our forces from safe Pakistan territory - in plain sight of the Pakistan military - who do nothing. There seems little doubt that the Pakistan intelligence agency - ISI - had full knowledge that Osama bin Laden was being sheltered in a town that housed the Pakistan military academy - and they expressed outrage when US forces crossed the border and took him out.
This seems to be a no win situation. Pakistan claims to be an ally, fully committed to containing religious militancy, and yet sections of the Pakistan army are openly colluding and assisting the Taliban. Each year the American government gives billions of dollars of aid to help Pakistan develop into a modern state, and yet this treacherous ally is actually part of the perceived enemy.
Perhaps now would be a good time to cut our losses. Afghanistan looks like being a lost cause and all coalition troops will probably withdraw within the next few years. Why would we then continue to support a country that is two-faced and hostile.
Pakistan has a natural enemy facing it across a common border. It would make more sense for the free world to embrace India as a friend.
Pakistan could find that it lives in a very lonely part of the planet if it climbs into bed with religious militancy and walks away from the concept of a democratic country offering freedom of faith to all it's citizens.
Right now - it is not worth offering it the handshake of friendship !
The stories are legion of the Taliban firing at our forces from safe Pakistan territory - in plain sight of the Pakistan military - who do nothing. There seems little doubt that the Pakistan intelligence agency - ISI - had full knowledge that Osama bin Laden was being sheltered in a town that housed the Pakistan military academy - and they expressed outrage when US forces crossed the border and took him out.
This seems to be a no win situation. Pakistan claims to be an ally, fully committed to containing religious militancy, and yet sections of the Pakistan army are openly colluding and assisting the Taliban. Each year the American government gives billions of dollars of aid to help Pakistan develop into a modern state, and yet this treacherous ally is actually part of the perceived enemy.
Perhaps now would be a good time to cut our losses. Afghanistan looks like being a lost cause and all coalition troops will probably withdraw within the next few years. Why would we then continue to support a country that is two-faced and hostile.
Pakistan has a natural enemy facing it across a common border. It would make more sense for the free world to embrace India as a friend.
Pakistan could find that it lives in a very lonely part of the planet if it climbs into bed with religious militancy and walks away from the concept of a democratic country offering freedom of faith to all it's citizens.
Right now - it is not worth offering it the handshake of friendship !
Sunday 27 November 2011
Ethics - and food packaging !
The two giant food retailing chains - Coles and Woolworths - are in constant battle with the big food brands to convert sales to their own house brand generic copy of those products. Questions are now being asked about the ethics used in these battles.
One of the tactics used is to try and mimic the packaging of the brand product. Packet size and colour are used to imply that the products may be identical, but there is no obligation for the actual ingredients to be a direct copy. The main purchase appeal is that the generic product is usually somewhere between twenty and thirty percent cheaper than the brand product.
The Supermarket chains have many tactical ploys to influence the buyer's choice. Shelf space at eye level is considered a huge advantage in gaining buyer's attention. This is a constant bargaining point in sales negotiations, and often is gained by a brand that is heavily advertising it's product on TV - with reference to the chain as a stockist.
The two retail giants have " make or break " power on the fate of individual food manufacturers. If they decide to discontinue presenting a manufacturers product on their shelves, the remaining market segment available in smaller grocery chains often makes continued manufacturing uneconomic - and that product is discontinued.
It seems that the growing power of these two food retailers is relentless - and they no longer restrict their operations to food. They have become the major retailer of petrol across the Australian landscape - and their tentacles are fast enveloping hardware, insurance - and they are eyeing the lucrative pharmaceutical industry.
It seems to be a question of " when is such power - too much power ? "
Perhaps a time for legislation to convert "ethics " into " Law " - and curb excess !
One of the tactics used is to try and mimic the packaging of the brand product. Packet size and colour are used to imply that the products may be identical, but there is no obligation for the actual ingredients to be a direct copy. The main purchase appeal is that the generic product is usually somewhere between twenty and thirty percent cheaper than the brand product.
The Supermarket chains have many tactical ploys to influence the buyer's choice. Shelf space at eye level is considered a huge advantage in gaining buyer's attention. This is a constant bargaining point in sales negotiations, and often is gained by a brand that is heavily advertising it's product on TV - with reference to the chain as a stockist.
The two retail giants have " make or break " power on the fate of individual food manufacturers. If they decide to discontinue presenting a manufacturers product on their shelves, the remaining market segment available in smaller grocery chains often makes continued manufacturing uneconomic - and that product is discontinued.
It seems that the growing power of these two food retailers is relentless - and they no longer restrict their operations to food. They have become the major retailer of petrol across the Australian landscape - and their tentacles are fast enveloping hardware, insurance - and they are eyeing the lucrative pharmaceutical industry.
It seems to be a question of " when is such power - too much power ? "
Perhaps a time for legislation to convert "ethics " into " Law " - and curb excess !
Saturday 26 November 2011
Student accommodation scams !
Wollongong is a university city - and as a consequence there are numerous homes that have been converted into unlicensed and therefore illegal boarding houses to meet the student accommodation demand. Most of these are in the suburbs of Gwynville, Keiraville and North Wollongong, close to the university.
Standards vary from quite reasonable - to what is little more than a sleeping pad with both kitchen and bathroom shared by a large number of people. The more unscrupulous landlords charge a small fortune for these facilities and mostly get away with it - because overseas students studying in this country have no other choice.
Control is a council responsibility, but here council hands are tied because they have no right of entry to inspect these facilities. The present law contains " restrictive entry powers " that require council inspectors to first go to court and acquire what is in effect a " search warrant ". To do this, the court must be first satisfied that there is a case to answer, and that means solid evidence has to be collected to present to the court.
The state government is considered freeing up these obligations to make entry easier - and to allow faster prosecutions to clean up this mess. Neighbours are well aware of the location of these illegal boarding houses. A sure giveaway is the number of people entering and exiting daily - and the number of cars parked on the property or in the street outside.
Unfortunately, providing much needed accommodation for students has a downside. When a legitimate development application is lodged to meet this need there is usually an angry protest from nearby residents. It is the classical NINBY syndrome. Everybody agrees that we need decent accommodation to service our lauded tertiary institution - just so long as it is located far from where we live !
For this reason the university has taken a step in the right direction. It's acquisition of the newly built IBIS hotel in the central city will provide one hundred and fifty student beds - and the newly installed free Shuttle bus service has removed the need for student accommodation to be clustered close to the university.
Now all we need is action to get rid of the scam merchants - and Wollongong is on the way to becoming a standards leader in the education field.
Standards vary from quite reasonable - to what is little more than a sleeping pad with both kitchen and bathroom shared by a large number of people. The more unscrupulous landlords charge a small fortune for these facilities and mostly get away with it - because overseas students studying in this country have no other choice.
Control is a council responsibility, but here council hands are tied because they have no right of entry to inspect these facilities. The present law contains " restrictive entry powers " that require council inspectors to first go to court and acquire what is in effect a " search warrant ". To do this, the court must be first satisfied that there is a case to answer, and that means solid evidence has to be collected to present to the court.
The state government is considered freeing up these obligations to make entry easier - and to allow faster prosecutions to clean up this mess. Neighbours are well aware of the location of these illegal boarding houses. A sure giveaway is the number of people entering and exiting daily - and the number of cars parked on the property or in the street outside.
Unfortunately, providing much needed accommodation for students has a downside. When a legitimate development application is lodged to meet this need there is usually an angry protest from nearby residents. It is the classical NINBY syndrome. Everybody agrees that we need decent accommodation to service our lauded tertiary institution - just so long as it is located far from where we live !
For this reason the university has taken a step in the right direction. It's acquisition of the newly built IBIS hotel in the central city will provide one hundred and fifty student beds - and the newly installed free Shuttle bus service has removed the need for student accommodation to be clustered close to the university.
Now all we need is action to get rid of the scam merchants - and Wollongong is on the way to becoming a standards leader in the education field.
Friday 25 November 2011
A tactical victory !
Julia Gillard's Labor government goes to the Christmas recess with an enhanced majority, thanks to a surprise tactical victory that delivered one extra vote.
Speaker Harry Jenkins made an abrupt resignation from the speakership - and he was replaced by Peter Slipper, a defector from the Liberals/Nationals. Jenkins will sit on the backbench and will now be able to vote to support Labor legislation. Slipper's vote will be lost to the opposition as his acceptance of the speaker's role will neutralise it.
This was a carefully crafted surprise move. Labor tacticians correctly surmised that Slipper was ripe for turning. This Queensland National was having trouble retaining nomination to contest his seat at the next election and there had been past acrimony with his party leaders. Accepting the important role of speaker means a huge increase in salary and prestige for a backbencher - and when he eventually retires and leaves parliament his superannuation will be at the level of a cabinet minister.
Labor now has removed the need to retain the vote of all the independents to pass legislation in the lower house. That one additional vote will put the cat amongst the pigeons when it comes to the demands they make for support. Each independent has just lost a degree of power - and it is certain that the Labor numbers people will play off one against another to dilute the demands that most conflict with party dogma.
In particular, it will be interesting to see if there is a resolve slip in implementing the fanatical gambling demand delivered by Tasmanian Andrew Wilkie.
This additional vote also insulates Labor from being " one heart attack " away from a damaging by-election that may have removed it from power. It has greatly enhanced the prospect that the government will go full term.
The move will certainly lighten the mood of the prime minister, but in reality nothing has really changed. The government still absolutely needs the Greens to get legislation through the Senate - and it's dismal approval rating leads directly to policies forced on it by the Greens to remain in office.
The real fate of the Australian economy is still determined by external factors - what happens to the Euro and the EU - and whether the Americans can get their act together and fix their debt problems.
Speaker Harry Jenkins made an abrupt resignation from the speakership - and he was replaced by Peter Slipper, a defector from the Liberals/Nationals. Jenkins will sit on the backbench and will now be able to vote to support Labor legislation. Slipper's vote will be lost to the opposition as his acceptance of the speaker's role will neutralise it.
This was a carefully crafted surprise move. Labor tacticians correctly surmised that Slipper was ripe for turning. This Queensland National was having trouble retaining nomination to contest his seat at the next election and there had been past acrimony with his party leaders. Accepting the important role of speaker means a huge increase in salary and prestige for a backbencher - and when he eventually retires and leaves parliament his superannuation will be at the level of a cabinet minister.
Labor now has removed the need to retain the vote of all the independents to pass legislation in the lower house. That one additional vote will put the cat amongst the pigeons when it comes to the demands they make for support. Each independent has just lost a degree of power - and it is certain that the Labor numbers people will play off one against another to dilute the demands that most conflict with party dogma.
In particular, it will be interesting to see if there is a resolve slip in implementing the fanatical gambling demand delivered by Tasmanian Andrew Wilkie.
This additional vote also insulates Labor from being " one heart attack " away from a damaging by-election that may have removed it from power. It has greatly enhanced the prospect that the government will go full term.
The move will certainly lighten the mood of the prime minister, but in reality nothing has really changed. The government still absolutely needs the Greens to get legislation through the Senate - and it's dismal approval rating leads directly to policies forced on it by the Greens to remain in office.
The real fate of the Australian economy is still determined by external factors - what happens to the Euro and the EU - and whether the Americans can get their act together and fix their debt problems.
Thursday 24 November 2011
Alcohol - and violence !
The level of alcohol induced violence in Illawarra pubs and night spots has dropped sharply after Police established levels at which serving restrictions became mandatory.
The number of times police were called to " incidents " involving patrons became the benchmark. When these reached nineteen or more in one year - the establishment was listed as " Level one ".
Incidents ranging between twelve and eighteen brought " Level two " status.
Police are happy to report that there are now no level one establishments in the Illawarra - and only two now attain the lower level two category.
There is a very real incentive for licensees to upgrade security in places serving alcohol. Attaining the dreaded " Level one " category means serving beer in glass must cease at midnight - and be replaced by the unpopular plastic containers. Restrictions disallow serving spirits in " shots " or " doubles " - and there is a limit of four drinks to each customer at each purchase.
These are measures that are unpopular with customers, so they not only deplete the owners profit margin, they also mean that serious drinkers go elsewhere. As a result, the Illawarra is a far safer place at night.
It is a big improvement on the days when pub brawls were common and closing time disgorged a mob of bawdy revellers onto the streets, with resulting noise and damage to parked cars and public amenities.
The festive season is about to begin - and for many people that means a big increase in the use of alcohol. It seems that venue owners have now got the message that violence is simply bad for business. It is in their own interests to implement security measures to avoid incidents that will surely bring serving restrictions - and lower their profits.
A lot of people living in the vicinity of clubs and pubs will be thankful that message has finally got through !
The number of times police were called to " incidents " involving patrons became the benchmark. When these reached nineteen or more in one year - the establishment was listed as " Level one ".
Incidents ranging between twelve and eighteen brought " Level two " status.
Police are happy to report that there are now no level one establishments in the Illawarra - and only two now attain the lower level two category.
There is a very real incentive for licensees to upgrade security in places serving alcohol. Attaining the dreaded " Level one " category means serving beer in glass must cease at midnight - and be replaced by the unpopular plastic containers. Restrictions disallow serving spirits in " shots " or " doubles " - and there is a limit of four drinks to each customer at each purchase.
These are measures that are unpopular with customers, so they not only deplete the owners profit margin, they also mean that serious drinkers go elsewhere. As a result, the Illawarra is a far safer place at night.
It is a big improvement on the days when pub brawls were common and closing time disgorged a mob of bawdy revellers onto the streets, with resulting noise and damage to parked cars and public amenities.
The festive season is about to begin - and for many people that means a big increase in the use of alcohol. It seems that venue owners have now got the message that violence is simply bad for business. It is in their own interests to implement security measures to avoid incidents that will surely bring serving restrictions - and lower their profits.
A lot of people living in the vicinity of clubs and pubs will be thankful that message has finally got through !
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Police - and the risk factor !
There is no doubt that working in the Police force is a risky job ! Officers are expected to wade in and break up fights - pull people out of car wrecks - and intervene in situations where the risk factor puts their lives on the line. It is inevitable that they will suffer injuries at a far greater rate than the general public.
Unfortunately the level of compensation costs has risen to unsustainable levels and the state government is proposing harsh cut backs - and that could lead to what is almost unthinkable to most people - a police strike !
The police are already talking of limiting the police response to " life threatening " situations only. In the past, they have issued warnings instead of fines to impede the money flow to Treasury - but this state has never had a police strike where officers have completely walked off the job and left the citizens unprotected.
The government is saying it wants to reform compensation to provide incentives for injured officers to return to duty. The unspoken implications seem to be pointing at the difference between physical injuries - and what is referred to as " Post traumatic stress disorder " - which is hard to fully define - and which can last indefinitely.
We can not expect police to suffer extraordinary risk in carrying out their duties of protecting us - and not provide a safety net to cover injuries. It has been suggested that retirement for a 44 year old senior constable with a permanent disability would fall from $ 760,000 to a mere $ 147,000 lump sum - and that is certainly not enough to cover whole of life costs.
It sounds suspiciously like this " argy bargy " confrontation is really about a tactical battle. Both sides stake out a starting point that is far removed from reality - with the hope that the final outcome will end up somewhere in the middle. Grudgingly accepted by both sides.
It is probably true that each year the level of police compensation keeps rising and is - or will - reach an unsustainable level, but the money needed to keep an injured officer at an acceptable living standard can not be reduced to poverty level.
The main danger is the ever rising level of rhetoric. If this inflames passions to the extent that reason flies out the window then the ultimate disaster is possible - a police strike.
A time for cool heads - and less inflammatory language !
Unfortunately the level of compensation costs has risen to unsustainable levels and the state government is proposing harsh cut backs - and that could lead to what is almost unthinkable to most people - a police strike !
The police are already talking of limiting the police response to " life threatening " situations only. In the past, they have issued warnings instead of fines to impede the money flow to Treasury - but this state has never had a police strike where officers have completely walked off the job and left the citizens unprotected.
The government is saying it wants to reform compensation to provide incentives for injured officers to return to duty. The unspoken implications seem to be pointing at the difference between physical injuries - and what is referred to as " Post traumatic stress disorder " - which is hard to fully define - and which can last indefinitely.
We can not expect police to suffer extraordinary risk in carrying out their duties of protecting us - and not provide a safety net to cover injuries. It has been suggested that retirement for a 44 year old senior constable with a permanent disability would fall from $ 760,000 to a mere $ 147,000 lump sum - and that is certainly not enough to cover whole of life costs.
It sounds suspiciously like this " argy bargy " confrontation is really about a tactical battle. Both sides stake out a starting point that is far removed from reality - with the hope that the final outcome will end up somewhere in the middle. Grudgingly accepted by both sides.
It is probably true that each year the level of police compensation keeps rising and is - or will - reach an unsustainable level, but the money needed to keep an injured officer at an acceptable living standard can not be reduced to poverty level.
The main danger is the ever rising level of rhetoric. If this inflames passions to the extent that reason flies out the window then the ultimate disaster is possible - a police strike.
A time for cool heads - and less inflammatory language !
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Power is addictive !
The people of Egypt suffered beatings - and death for many - when they repeatedly gathered in Tahrir square to break the hold of thirty year dictator Hosni Mubarak. The turning point came when the Egyptian army came over to their side - and Mubarak capitulated.
Now those same people are back in Tahrir square - and once again they are facing truncheons and rubber bullets because their glorious revolution is slipping away. Next month they will go to the polls as promised, but this election will not deliver the government they were promised.
It is an all too familiar scenario. It has been said that " power corrupts " - and that " absolute power corrupts absolutely ".
When Mubarak stepped down it was on the understanding that the military would take temporary control. It seems that power is so addictive that the generals are now refusing to hand back full control to a civilian government - and this is a scenario that has been repeated in other countries on so many occasions. Pakistan. Turkey. Burma. - come to mind.
Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi has become the new Mubarak. The election will go ahead as promised and it will create a civilian government, but the military will not hand full control to that elected body. Instead, the military will stand aloof from civil control and it's operating budget will remain under it's control.
It seems that the civilian government will simply be tasked with those annoying functions with which the military can not be bothered - like education, health, transport and the provision of housing.
The real power will reside with the military - and should it disagree with this new civilian government - then it will be the regime commanding the men with the guns.
An interesting situation, which will not be lost on the freedom fighters now planning their future in countries like Libya and Tunisia - and those still trying to escape from tyranny in Syria !
Now those same people are back in Tahrir square - and once again they are facing truncheons and rubber bullets because their glorious revolution is slipping away. Next month they will go to the polls as promised, but this election will not deliver the government they were promised.
It is an all too familiar scenario. It has been said that " power corrupts " - and that " absolute power corrupts absolutely ".
When Mubarak stepped down it was on the understanding that the military would take temporary control. It seems that power is so addictive that the generals are now refusing to hand back full control to a civilian government - and this is a scenario that has been repeated in other countries on so many occasions. Pakistan. Turkey. Burma. - come to mind.
Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi has become the new Mubarak. The election will go ahead as promised and it will create a civilian government, but the military will not hand full control to that elected body. Instead, the military will stand aloof from civil control and it's operating budget will remain under it's control.
It seems that the civilian government will simply be tasked with those annoying functions with which the military can not be bothered - like education, health, transport and the provision of housing.
The real power will reside with the military - and should it disagree with this new civilian government - then it will be the regime commanding the men with the guns.
An interesting situation, which will not be lost on the freedom fighters now planning their future in countries like Libya and Tunisia - and those still trying to escape from tyranny in Syria !
Monday 21 November 2011
Justice - and local law !
An interesting tug of war is developing over the fate of Saif Al-Islam, heir apparent to slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The rebels who overthrew the dictatorship insist that he be tried in a Libyan court in Tripoli, are facing demands from the International Criminal court that he be surrendered for trial in the Hague.
It seems a clear jurisdiction divide. The rebels fought long and hard to defeat a regime that delivered tyranny to the Libyan people. They suffered the death of thousands - many innocent women and children - and when Muammar Gaddafi was captured emotions ran high and he was apparently executed on the spot. That same fate did not happen many days later when tempers had cooled - and his son was captured.
The International Criminal court bases it's demand that Saif Al-Islam be handed over to them on the magnitude of the crimes committed by his family. It puts " crimes against humanity " higher on the list than mere " murder " .
The sticking point for most Libyan people will be the scale of punishment available to the International Criminal court. Execution is not an option - and if Saif Al Islam is convicted the most he will serve will be life imprisonment - in a gaol that meets the standards imposed by the " civilized " countries of the world.
The mood is Libya is to see those who imposed death and terror - and looted the Treasury to indulge in personal luxury - punished by a death sentence. The scale of punishment is surely a matter for each individual free country - and the people of Libya have suffered greatly to achieve just that status.
This seems to be a case where " local law " takes precedence over the International Criminal court !
It seems a clear jurisdiction divide. The rebels fought long and hard to defeat a regime that delivered tyranny to the Libyan people. They suffered the death of thousands - many innocent women and children - and when Muammar Gaddafi was captured emotions ran high and he was apparently executed on the spot. That same fate did not happen many days later when tempers had cooled - and his son was captured.
The International Criminal court bases it's demand that Saif Al-Islam be handed over to them on the magnitude of the crimes committed by his family. It puts " crimes against humanity " higher on the list than mere " murder " .
The sticking point for most Libyan people will be the scale of punishment available to the International Criminal court. Execution is not an option - and if Saif Al Islam is convicted the most he will serve will be life imprisonment - in a gaol that meets the standards imposed by the " civilized " countries of the world.
The mood is Libya is to see those who imposed death and terror - and looted the Treasury to indulge in personal luxury - punished by a death sentence. The scale of punishment is surely a matter for each individual free country - and the people of Libya have suffered greatly to achieve just that status.
This seems to be a case where " local law " takes precedence over the International Criminal court !
Sunday 20 November 2011
" Schoolies " - Decision time !
The past few months must have been the scene of many classic battle of wills between school leavers and their parents. Do children on the cusp of adulthood need their parent's permission to engage in that rite of passage - " Schoolies " week on the Gold Coast ?
The past media coverage of these events is enough to make most conservative parents react with horror. They have viewed scenes on television showing drunken young men and women cavorting on the streets. There have been warnings by the police that drugs are rife - and in particular this gathering attracts big numbers of young men well beyond school leaver age who seek to engage in sexual activity with girls made vulnerable by too much alcohol.
There will certainly be some unwanted pregnancies as a result of Schoolie's week. Many will return home with uncomfortable memories of events they would rather forget. A few physical injuries for some are inevitable - that goes with getting stinking drunk and doing crazy things while in party mood.
Statistics show that the great majority of party goers will survive with nothing worse than the odd hangover. What appears on television is usually " sensationalism ". The media go out of their way to find the extreme images that help with ratings and a surprising number of those celebrating will be conservative in their actions.
It is the parents back home who suffer the most - speculating on what horrors may be happening - and expecting the worst. To many school leavers, participating in Schoolies week is nothing more than bravado. The fact that they were " there " is some sort of badge of maturity - the " Crossing of the Rubicon " that marks the first step on a new, adult life.
In many an Australian household there will be different outcomes. Some parents load their teenager up with alcohol and money - and send them off to have a good time. Others will lower the boom and totally forbid it. There will be tears and tantrums - and some may even defy their parents and go anyway.
Pubs and clubs on the Gold Coast will look forward to super profits over the coming weeks as kids from one state go home - to be replaced with others from a different school time zone. Ordinary citizens will shudder at the disruptions to their lives - and the police will shake their heads at the stupidity they encounter - night after night !
We had better get used to it - because there are no signs that anything is about to change !
The past media coverage of these events is enough to make most conservative parents react with horror. They have viewed scenes on television showing drunken young men and women cavorting on the streets. There have been warnings by the police that drugs are rife - and in particular this gathering attracts big numbers of young men well beyond school leaver age who seek to engage in sexual activity with girls made vulnerable by too much alcohol.
There will certainly be some unwanted pregnancies as a result of Schoolie's week. Many will return home with uncomfortable memories of events they would rather forget. A few physical injuries for some are inevitable - that goes with getting stinking drunk and doing crazy things while in party mood.
Statistics show that the great majority of party goers will survive with nothing worse than the odd hangover. What appears on television is usually " sensationalism ". The media go out of their way to find the extreme images that help with ratings and a surprising number of those celebrating will be conservative in their actions.
It is the parents back home who suffer the most - speculating on what horrors may be happening - and expecting the worst. To many school leavers, participating in Schoolies week is nothing more than bravado. The fact that they were " there " is some sort of badge of maturity - the " Crossing of the Rubicon " that marks the first step on a new, adult life.
In many an Australian household there will be different outcomes. Some parents load their teenager up with alcohol and money - and send them off to have a good time. Others will lower the boom and totally forbid it. There will be tears and tantrums - and some may even defy their parents and go anyway.
Pubs and clubs on the Gold Coast will look forward to super profits over the coming weeks as kids from one state go home - to be replaced with others from a different school time zone. Ordinary citizens will shudder at the disruptions to their lives - and the police will shake their heads at the stupidity they encounter - night after night !
We had better get used to it - because there are no signs that anything is about to change !
Saturday 19 November 2011
Safety- and school buses !
What a strange lot we are ! We are constantly upgrading the law on keeping children safe when they travel in cars. We legislate to specify the type and size of restraint they must have - based on age and size, and now there are laws to prevent people smoking when children also share a car.
At the same time, we condone stuffing kids into school buses - often with more than one to a seat - and send them into heavy traffic without any form of a seat belt. Some people describe school buses as similar to " cattle trucks " - because the number of kids carried bears absolutely no relation to the number of passengers the vehicle is licensed to hold. When all the seats are taken, the remainder are forced to stand for the journey. In country areas, these buses are often travelling at a hundred kilometres per hour.
A review ordered by the previous state government dodges the issue. It seems to concentrate more on the negative side of compulsory seat belts for every child carried.
It raises the argument that the rebellious nature of children means that even if seat belts were provided, few would use them. There would also be a size problem if seat belts were on a " one size fits all " basis, because the present laws would require very small children to have a booster seat to be legal.
Then there is the cost factor. If every child had to be seated and fitted with a safety belt this would limit the number carried on each bus - and more buses would be needed at a big jump in cost. The present arrangement is straining state resources. Any safety upgrade raises the question of where the money would come from ?
Fortunately school buses have an enviable safety record. Crashes are rare, and we put more effort into the safety of kids going to and coming from school than we do on bus travel. Speed limits around school are lowered at the times when kids are entering and leaving - and we are gradually installing flashing lights to remind drivers to slow down and obey the rules.
Statistics show that kids in school buses are seven times safer than those riding to school in cars, thirty-one times safer than those walking to school - and an amazing two hundred and twenty eight times safer than those cycling to school.
The chances are that this review report will end up gathering dust in some bureaucratic pigeon hole because there are only a few fanatics urging the installation of safety belts - and that will probably continue just so long as the school bus safety record enjoys it's present good luck.
Unfortunately, the only way we can reasonably expect to see seat seat belts in school buses will be the outcome of a horror road crash that delivers a lot of dead kids - and changes public attitudes that create the pressure for change.
Until that happens, cost will be the determining factor !
At the same time, we condone stuffing kids into school buses - often with more than one to a seat - and send them into heavy traffic without any form of a seat belt. Some people describe school buses as similar to " cattle trucks " - because the number of kids carried bears absolutely no relation to the number of passengers the vehicle is licensed to hold. When all the seats are taken, the remainder are forced to stand for the journey. In country areas, these buses are often travelling at a hundred kilometres per hour.
A review ordered by the previous state government dodges the issue. It seems to concentrate more on the negative side of compulsory seat belts for every child carried.
It raises the argument that the rebellious nature of children means that even if seat belts were provided, few would use them. There would also be a size problem if seat belts were on a " one size fits all " basis, because the present laws would require very small children to have a booster seat to be legal.
Then there is the cost factor. If every child had to be seated and fitted with a safety belt this would limit the number carried on each bus - and more buses would be needed at a big jump in cost. The present arrangement is straining state resources. Any safety upgrade raises the question of where the money would come from ?
Fortunately school buses have an enviable safety record. Crashes are rare, and we put more effort into the safety of kids going to and coming from school than we do on bus travel. Speed limits around school are lowered at the times when kids are entering and leaving - and we are gradually installing flashing lights to remind drivers to slow down and obey the rules.
Statistics show that kids in school buses are seven times safer than those riding to school in cars, thirty-one times safer than those walking to school - and an amazing two hundred and twenty eight times safer than those cycling to school.
The chances are that this review report will end up gathering dust in some bureaucratic pigeon hole because there are only a few fanatics urging the installation of safety belts - and that will probably continue just so long as the school bus safety record enjoys it's present good luck.
Unfortunately, the only way we can reasonably expect to see seat seat belts in school buses will be the outcome of a horror road crash that delivers a lot of dead kids - and changes public attitudes that create the pressure for change.
Until that happens, cost will be the determining factor !
Friday 18 November 2011
Ranger danger !
A new " money trap " is being set to snare innocent motorists who only want to find a buyer for the car they are driving. Huge numbers of motorists either write on the window glass - or attach a small sign - offering the vehicle for a price and showing a contact phone number.
Park that car in the wrong place - and you could find yourself in court, facing a massive new fine !
Residents around Sydney's Kings Cross have long faced a problem. Backpackers whose stay in this country is ending use the streets as a central market to dispose of the vehicles they have been using. Literally hundreds of cars, utes - and particularly camper vans line the streets in what has become a de facto market. They are careful to swap places to comply with the parking time restrictions, but they remain all day and deny parking for those wishing to visit nearby shops - and cause problems for residents parking.
Kings Cross council is opening a new car exchange market on council land. This will be open 9 am to 4 pm daily - and for the first three months it will be free. To force backpackers to use it and free up the streets, the council will enforce a little used by-law that is tucked away in the fine print that governs council jurisdictions.
All forms of commercial activity are expressly barred in the streets - unless they have council approval. In addition, it is an offence to display an advertising sign, unless this also has council approval.
The council rangers will be merciless in swooping on any car displaying a " For Sale " sign as part of their campaign to force backpackers to comply. From the point of view of the law, displaying such a sign is an invitation to conduct a commercial transaction - and in addition - the sign is illegal advertising if it has not had prior permission from council.
So - beware - if you are planning a visit to the delights of Kings Cross - and you are hoping to attract a buyer for your car by displaying such a sign. That could be a very costly mistake.
Park that car in the wrong place - and you could find yourself in court, facing a massive new fine !
Residents around Sydney's Kings Cross have long faced a problem. Backpackers whose stay in this country is ending use the streets as a central market to dispose of the vehicles they have been using. Literally hundreds of cars, utes - and particularly camper vans line the streets in what has become a de facto market. They are careful to swap places to comply with the parking time restrictions, but they remain all day and deny parking for those wishing to visit nearby shops - and cause problems for residents parking.
Kings Cross council is opening a new car exchange market on council land. This will be open 9 am to 4 pm daily - and for the first three months it will be free. To force backpackers to use it and free up the streets, the council will enforce a little used by-law that is tucked away in the fine print that governs council jurisdictions.
All forms of commercial activity are expressly barred in the streets - unless they have council approval. In addition, it is an offence to display an advertising sign, unless this also has council approval.
The council rangers will be merciless in swooping on any car displaying a " For Sale " sign as part of their campaign to force backpackers to comply. From the point of view of the law, displaying such a sign is an invitation to conduct a commercial transaction - and in addition - the sign is illegal advertising if it has not had prior permission from council.
So - beware - if you are planning a visit to the delights of Kings Cross - and you are hoping to attract a buyer for your car by displaying such a sign. That could be a very costly mistake.
Thursday 17 November 2011
" Never to be released " !
It is the job of a court of appeal to " second guess " the ruling of a trial judge in the light of " changed circumstances ". What those "changed circumstances " mean is open to interpretation. In many cases it seems that a change in public attitude caused by the passage of time is sufficient reason to vary the sentence given. Such a case is now before the court.
On November 7, 1973 two young men kidnapped a woman from an isolated farmhouse and over a period raped, tortured and eventually murdered her. When they were caught and put on trial the judge ordered suppression of the evidence because the details were " too grisly " to appear on the public record. That suppression order still stands.
The judge described the ordeal suffered by the victim so extreme that the perpetrators were " worse than animals ". The statute of " death by hanging " having been removed from options - he delivered the harshest penalty available to him - to be held in prison - " Never to be released ".
One of these murderers - now 64 years old - has gained the right to have his sentence reviewed. Under the " Truth in sentencing " law of 1989 he was automatically eligible for parole in 2003, but each request has been denied. Now that denial will be questioned at law.
This is a matter which will raise a very mixed reaction from the public. Many people will resent interference with the decision of a judge who heard the evidence - and lived with the anguish of those who attended the trial. Others will rightfully claim that we must review punishment from time to time - and that if extreme punishments such as hanging and flogging are removed from the statute books, then perhaps " never to be released " has long passed it's " use by date ".
Whatever the outcome, it will still deliver anguish for many. There are relatives of the prisoner who would welcome his release - and there are relatives of the victim who can never forgive the terrible crime he committed.
What we will never know - is to what extent that perpetrator now feel remorse !
On November 7, 1973 two young men kidnapped a woman from an isolated farmhouse and over a period raped, tortured and eventually murdered her. When they were caught and put on trial the judge ordered suppression of the evidence because the details were " too grisly " to appear on the public record. That suppression order still stands.
The judge described the ordeal suffered by the victim so extreme that the perpetrators were " worse than animals ". The statute of " death by hanging " having been removed from options - he delivered the harshest penalty available to him - to be held in prison - " Never to be released ".
One of these murderers - now 64 years old - has gained the right to have his sentence reviewed. Under the " Truth in sentencing " law of 1989 he was automatically eligible for parole in 2003, but each request has been denied. Now that denial will be questioned at law.
This is a matter which will raise a very mixed reaction from the public. Many people will resent interference with the decision of a judge who heard the evidence - and lived with the anguish of those who attended the trial. Others will rightfully claim that we must review punishment from time to time - and that if extreme punishments such as hanging and flogging are removed from the statute books, then perhaps " never to be released " has long passed it's " use by date ".
Whatever the outcome, it will still deliver anguish for many. There are relatives of the prisoner who would welcome his release - and there are relatives of the victim who can never forgive the terrible crime he committed.
What we will never know - is to what extent that perpetrator now feel remorse !
Wednesday 16 November 2011
The Legendary DHC4 " Caribou "
Yesterday, the Historical Aircraft Restoration society ( HARS ) - based at Albion Park airfield - received two DHC4 Caribou aircraft to add to it's fleet of thirty exhibits.
Many ex RAAF personnel and those who served in civilian rescue organizations will remember the Caribou fondly. They were probably the most versatile aircraft ever to fly missions into places where even helicopters fear to go.
The Caribou was introduced into the RAAF back in 1964 and quickly gained a reputation as " the miracle aircraft ". It's high wing and flaps combination allowed it to land on postage stamp sized places - most of which could not be called an airstrip by even the wildest stretch of imagination - and it's low pressure tyres seemed able to handle any sort of surface.
It was slow - and ugly - but when rescue was needed in some god-for-saken neck of the woods the " only " plane to send on that sort of mission was the Caribou - and they served with distinction.
They were phased out by the RAAF in 2009 as their world war two engines became too costly to service and it was considered that helicopters could duplicate the advantages they had to offer - and so far no aircraft manufacturer has designed a replacement.
One remaining advantage is that the Caribou has a superior operating range to most helicopters. Let us hope that HARS will keep these two old warriors in mint condition - because the time may come when once again a life may depend on their unique ability to get in and out of an impossible location.
There would certainly be plenty of enthusiastic fans ready to fly them !
Many ex RAAF personnel and those who served in civilian rescue organizations will remember the Caribou fondly. They were probably the most versatile aircraft ever to fly missions into places where even helicopters fear to go.
The Caribou was introduced into the RAAF back in 1964 and quickly gained a reputation as " the miracle aircraft ". It's high wing and flaps combination allowed it to land on postage stamp sized places - most of which could not be called an airstrip by even the wildest stretch of imagination - and it's low pressure tyres seemed able to handle any sort of surface.
It was slow - and ugly - but when rescue was needed in some god-for-saken neck of the woods the " only " plane to send on that sort of mission was the Caribou - and they served with distinction.
They were phased out by the RAAF in 2009 as their world war two engines became too costly to service and it was considered that helicopters could duplicate the advantages they had to offer - and so far no aircraft manufacturer has designed a replacement.
One remaining advantage is that the Caribou has a superior operating range to most helicopters. Let us hope that HARS will keep these two old warriors in mint condition - because the time may come when once again a life may depend on their unique ability to get in and out of an impossible location.
There would certainly be plenty of enthusiastic fans ready to fly them !
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Women - and Superannuation !
It is a fact of life that women get a raw deal when it comes to retirement. On average, men retire with a Superannuation payment of $ 198,000 - women with $ 112,000. There are many reasons for this. Women earn less than men and their working career is usually interrupted by having children. There are plans to increase the " Superannuation guarantee " for both sexes to twelve percent by 2019-20, but that still ignores what can only be called " the forgotten women ".
Superannuation only applies to those who hold down a job and are part of the work force. There are still many women who never receive a pay check from an employer in their whole life.
The " working woman " was a phenomenon that appeared after the end of the second world war. Before that, when a couple married the husband became the "bread winner " and the woman became " the housewife ". His job was to earn a living and hers was to raise the children and maintain the home.
Women lived longer lives than men - and still do. A deceased husband automatically conferred the term " widow " on the woman, and she was entitled to support by the " Widow's pension " for the rest of her years.
How different is the regime today. Such a woman presenting at Centrelink is no longer regarded as a " widow ". She is an " unemployed " , to be fitted with a " Job Search " stipend and asked to jump through hoops presenting evidence of job searches at regular intervals to maintain even that small amount of sustenance - which is considerably less than the aged pension.
There are still a large number of women who have never worked in industry to earn superannuation - and eventually they appear in the figures as the seventy percent of pensioners who are single women.
Amongst them will be those women who have stayed at home to care for a child with a disability, and those who have provided unpaid and unrecorded help to a husband running a small business - and there are still a pool of men out there who hold the belief that a woman's place is in the home - and oppose any concept of a " working wife ".
These women are conveniently dropped from the statistics. We now live in a world where women who have never had a job are simply " the unemployed " - and even if Superannuation delivers a real living wage by 2019-20 - it's benefit will pass them by.
This seems to be an issues the feminists and the political parties choose to ignore !
Superannuation only applies to those who hold down a job and are part of the work force. There are still many women who never receive a pay check from an employer in their whole life.
The " working woman " was a phenomenon that appeared after the end of the second world war. Before that, when a couple married the husband became the "bread winner " and the woman became " the housewife ". His job was to earn a living and hers was to raise the children and maintain the home.
Women lived longer lives than men - and still do. A deceased husband automatically conferred the term " widow " on the woman, and she was entitled to support by the " Widow's pension " for the rest of her years.
How different is the regime today. Such a woman presenting at Centrelink is no longer regarded as a " widow ". She is an " unemployed " , to be fitted with a " Job Search " stipend and asked to jump through hoops presenting evidence of job searches at regular intervals to maintain even that small amount of sustenance - which is considerably less than the aged pension.
There are still a large number of women who have never worked in industry to earn superannuation - and eventually they appear in the figures as the seventy percent of pensioners who are single women.
Amongst them will be those women who have stayed at home to care for a child with a disability, and those who have provided unpaid and unrecorded help to a husband running a small business - and there are still a pool of men out there who hold the belief that a woman's place is in the home - and oppose any concept of a " working wife ".
These women are conveniently dropped from the statistics. We now live in a world where women who have never had a job are simply " the unemployed " - and even if Superannuation delivers a real living wage by 2019-20 - it's benefit will pass them by.
This seems to be an issues the feminists and the political parties choose to ignore !
Monday 14 November 2011
Those " disappearing " charity bins !
Have you noticed that the charity bins provided by the Smith Family, Salvation Army, St Vinnies and other welfare groups to gather discarded clothing and family items for distribution to the poor - have become almost impossible to find ?
They used to be everywhere. At most petrol stations. Alongside church halls and even tucked away discreetly on council land in major shopping centres. Perhaps the one thing we do tend to remember about them - is that they were usually surrounded by an unsightly mess.
Many people failed to separate " useful items " from " hopeless junk " and these bins became surrounded by piles of badly soiled mattresses, broken items of furniture - and even refrigerators and washing machines that had long ceased to work. This was exacerbated by predators who dragged the bin contents into the open - looking for treasure - and left it exposed to be ruined by the weather.
The charities faced an ever growing bill for disposing of what was really other people's rubbish. The good hearted businesses who allowed the bins on their land became disillusioned by the unholy mess that surrounded them - and reluctantly withdrew consent - and this valuable charity service died a lonely death.
Now a new problem has arisen !
The change from analog to digital television transmission has induced many people to reject the set-top box option - and buy a spanking new big digital TV set. That raises the question of what to do with that old analog set !
Big numbers of people are taking the " charity " course. Simply dumping it outside premises used by the Salvos, St Vinnies or some other charity. The assumption is that these sets will find a home with the poor - and therefore they are making a valuable " charity " donation.
Unfortunately the numbers are way beyond demand. Somewhere between ten and fifteen TV sets suddenly appear each week - and this and other junk represents sixteen tonnes of rubbish to be hauled to the tip every two weeks - at a cost of about $30 per television. That's money the charities desperately need to help with utility bills and provide food vouchers.
What frustrates the charities - is that this is totally unnecessary. The council has a service to remove unwanted TV's, fridges, washing machines and other junk from people's homes - for free. All you need to do is phone Council - and make an appointment for their truck to call - then put the items kerbside the night before.
What does it take to achieve a mind change in people's thinking ?
They used to be everywhere. At most petrol stations. Alongside church halls and even tucked away discreetly on council land in major shopping centres. Perhaps the one thing we do tend to remember about them - is that they were usually surrounded by an unsightly mess.
Many people failed to separate " useful items " from " hopeless junk " and these bins became surrounded by piles of badly soiled mattresses, broken items of furniture - and even refrigerators and washing machines that had long ceased to work. This was exacerbated by predators who dragged the bin contents into the open - looking for treasure - and left it exposed to be ruined by the weather.
The charities faced an ever growing bill for disposing of what was really other people's rubbish. The good hearted businesses who allowed the bins on their land became disillusioned by the unholy mess that surrounded them - and reluctantly withdrew consent - and this valuable charity service died a lonely death.
Now a new problem has arisen !
The change from analog to digital television transmission has induced many people to reject the set-top box option - and buy a spanking new big digital TV set. That raises the question of what to do with that old analog set !
Big numbers of people are taking the " charity " course. Simply dumping it outside premises used by the Salvos, St Vinnies or some other charity. The assumption is that these sets will find a home with the poor - and therefore they are making a valuable " charity " donation.
Unfortunately the numbers are way beyond demand. Somewhere between ten and fifteen TV sets suddenly appear each week - and this and other junk represents sixteen tonnes of rubbish to be hauled to the tip every two weeks - at a cost of about $30 per television. That's money the charities desperately need to help with utility bills and provide food vouchers.
What frustrates the charities - is that this is totally unnecessary. The council has a service to remove unwanted TV's, fridges, washing machines and other junk from people's homes - for free. All you need to do is phone Council - and make an appointment for their truck to call - then put the items kerbside the night before.
What does it take to achieve a mind change in people's thinking ?
Sunday 13 November 2011
Double standards !
It seems to be a clear case of " double standards " when Australia is urging Indonesian prosecutors to be merciful with a fourteen year old Australian boy, caught buying drugs in Bali - and at the same time we are holding more than a dozen Indonesian children in our adult gaols - because they can not prove their true age.
In each case these children have been recruited as cooks or crew on SIEVS - suspected illegal entry vessels - the boats that are crammed with hopeful asylum seekers which are making rich returns for their criminal " people smuggling " overlords.
Indonesia is a poor country with a huge population and it's social services are not scrupulous on paperwork. Thousands of children are born, given a name - and proceed through life without the benefit of a birth certificate or any form of documentation . Indonesians also tend to be a race of small stature, hence it is difficult to determine age by physical examination.
Australian authorities rely on what is called an " X-Ray test ", but this has been discredited as totally unreliable - and there is also a " political factor " entering the equation. Those children proven to be under eighteen are not charged and are repatriated to Indonesia. Australian authorities fear that if they are too lenient on age testing, the people smugglers will crew their boats entirely with children to bypass our laws.
The fact remains that Indonesian children are languishing in adult Australia gaols and nothing is being done to relieve the situation. A fourteen year old has spent two years in maximum security in Perth, and there are nine likely to be younger than eighteen in Silverwater - and two in Long Bay.
Had the Indonesians challenged the age of the boy held in Bali on drug charges, the Australian authorities would have produced reams of age evidence, including school reports and witness statements. Surely our consular staff in Indonesia could be asked to visit the parents of these boys in their villages and secure statements from officials such as school headmasters, the local police, employers of their parents - that would at least throw doubt on the court claim that those held are over eighteen years of age.
As things stand, these double standards have absolutely nothing to do with the concept of justice !
In each case these children have been recruited as cooks or crew on SIEVS - suspected illegal entry vessels - the boats that are crammed with hopeful asylum seekers which are making rich returns for their criminal " people smuggling " overlords.
Indonesia is a poor country with a huge population and it's social services are not scrupulous on paperwork. Thousands of children are born, given a name - and proceed through life without the benefit of a birth certificate or any form of documentation . Indonesians also tend to be a race of small stature, hence it is difficult to determine age by physical examination.
Australian authorities rely on what is called an " X-Ray test ", but this has been discredited as totally unreliable - and there is also a " political factor " entering the equation. Those children proven to be under eighteen are not charged and are repatriated to Indonesia. Australian authorities fear that if they are too lenient on age testing, the people smugglers will crew their boats entirely with children to bypass our laws.
The fact remains that Indonesian children are languishing in adult Australia gaols and nothing is being done to relieve the situation. A fourteen year old has spent two years in maximum security in Perth, and there are nine likely to be younger than eighteen in Silverwater - and two in Long Bay.
Had the Indonesians challenged the age of the boy held in Bali on drug charges, the Australian authorities would have produced reams of age evidence, including school reports and witness statements. Surely our consular staff in Indonesia could be asked to visit the parents of these boys in their villages and secure statements from officials such as school headmasters, the local police, employers of their parents - that would at least throw doubt on the court claim that those held are over eighteen years of age.
As things stand, these double standards have absolutely nothing to do with the concept of justice !
Saturday 12 November 2011
Emergency phone numbers.
The Australian emergency code of " 000 " to reach Ambulance/Police/Firebrigade is to be expanded by establishing special additional emergency numbers in each of the states and the two Territories.
132 500 will get help for emergencies that do not involve ambulance/police/fire, but which fall within other state or territory jurisdictions, and there will be a non-emergency number - 131 444 - for people seeking non-emergency information.
This has become necessary because at least half of all 000 calls are not true emergencies and this delays access for others trying to report a real emergency. In such cases, the 000 operator will quickly refer the caller to the state number - and it is hoped that callers will eventually learn to use the non-emergency number when seeking general information.
There is another problem that seems to have been ignored. When an emergency number call was established many years ago it was done on a country by country basis. Unfortunately, an opportunity was missed to establish a world wide emergency phone number that would apply in all parts of the world.
Here in Australia, our 000 competes in the minds of many people with the American 911, because so many of our movies and TV shows are American produced and the American emergency number features prominently. There have been cases where confused citizens have faced problems seeking help because they have tried to call 911 instead of 000.
It would be a simple matter to use transfer technology to rout 911 calls in this country directly to the 000 operator. 911 would then be a " silent number " - not featured in the phone directory - but at least it would provide assistance to the great number of tourists we welcome annually - who would not be aware of our 000 service.
Something that could be achieved at little cost - and which could save a few lives each year !
132 500 will get help for emergencies that do not involve ambulance/police/fire, but which fall within other state or territory jurisdictions, and there will be a non-emergency number - 131 444 - for people seeking non-emergency information.
This has become necessary because at least half of all 000 calls are not true emergencies and this delays access for others trying to report a real emergency. In such cases, the 000 operator will quickly refer the caller to the state number - and it is hoped that callers will eventually learn to use the non-emergency number when seeking general information.
There is another problem that seems to have been ignored. When an emergency number call was established many years ago it was done on a country by country basis. Unfortunately, an opportunity was missed to establish a world wide emergency phone number that would apply in all parts of the world.
Here in Australia, our 000 competes in the minds of many people with the American 911, because so many of our movies and TV shows are American produced and the American emergency number features prominently. There have been cases where confused citizens have faced problems seeking help because they have tried to call 911 instead of 000.
It would be a simple matter to use transfer technology to rout 911 calls in this country directly to the 000 operator. 911 would then be a " silent number " - not featured in the phone directory - but at least it would provide assistance to the great number of tourists we welcome annually - who would not be aware of our 000 service.
Something that could be achieved at little cost - and which could save a few lives each year !
Friday 11 November 2011
The end justifying the means !
The Federal government is jumping in the deep end without a life preserver with it's anti-smoking legislation. It seems to be hoping that the health issue will persuade the High court to ignore legal precedent and adopt an attitude that in this case " the end justifies the means ".
The requirement that tobacco be presented in drab coloured packaging containing vivid health warning examples means that recognisable brands cease to exist. The smoker is simply buying " cigarettes " - rather than " Benson and Hedges ", " Marlboro " or whatever brand he or she favours. The tobacco industry has spent billions creating legions of brand customers and they are unlikely to walk away without fighting this issue to the bitter end.
It is certain that some smart lawyer will suggest to the court that finding favour with the government case would open an appalling precedent. Just suppose an election delivered a Federal balance of power to an independent who was a fanatic on the subjects of pollution reduction and accident deaths. Suppose this person decreed that General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi be prevented from badging their vehicles - and in fact by this same law they were prevented from allowing any visual difference by way of design. All their products would be identical in appearance - and just to make them less attractive - bright, shiny colours would be banned and they would all be presented in a dull grey colour.
The rationale would be that this was for the public good. If cars were less attractive, fewer people would buy them, and therefore pollution caused by cars would decrease - and there would be the added bonus of fewer road deaths because of fewer cars.
There seems to be a certain similarity between this piece of nonsense and the recently passed tobacco legislation. The government is tippy toeing through a minefield. About twenty percent of the population smokes, so the backlash is considered too great to slap a total ban on nicotine. At the same time, tobacco farming is a big item of agriculture in northern NSW and Queensland - and while government deplores tobacco deaths - it readily grabs the huge inflow of tax from sale of the product.
The likely outcome of this new law is years of litigation in the courts - which will cost both the government and big tobacco a lot of money - and probably an unfavourable outcome for the government, similar to the Malaysian migrant deal.
The law is very specific on legal precedent - and this piece of legislation relies heavily on the end justifying the means !
The requirement that tobacco be presented in drab coloured packaging containing vivid health warning examples means that recognisable brands cease to exist. The smoker is simply buying " cigarettes " - rather than " Benson and Hedges ", " Marlboro " or whatever brand he or she favours. The tobacco industry has spent billions creating legions of brand customers and they are unlikely to walk away without fighting this issue to the bitter end.
It is certain that some smart lawyer will suggest to the court that finding favour with the government case would open an appalling precedent. Just suppose an election delivered a Federal balance of power to an independent who was a fanatic on the subjects of pollution reduction and accident deaths. Suppose this person decreed that General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi be prevented from badging their vehicles - and in fact by this same law they were prevented from allowing any visual difference by way of design. All their products would be identical in appearance - and just to make them less attractive - bright, shiny colours would be banned and they would all be presented in a dull grey colour.
The rationale would be that this was for the public good. If cars were less attractive, fewer people would buy them, and therefore pollution caused by cars would decrease - and there would be the added bonus of fewer road deaths because of fewer cars.
There seems to be a certain similarity between this piece of nonsense and the recently passed tobacco legislation. The government is tippy toeing through a minefield. About twenty percent of the population smokes, so the backlash is considered too great to slap a total ban on nicotine. At the same time, tobacco farming is a big item of agriculture in northern NSW and Queensland - and while government deplores tobacco deaths - it readily grabs the huge inflow of tax from sale of the product.
The likely outcome of this new law is years of litigation in the courts - which will cost both the government and big tobacco a lot of money - and probably an unfavourable outcome for the government, similar to the Malaysian migrant deal.
The law is very specific on legal precedent - and this piece of legislation relies heavily on the end justifying the means !
Thursday 10 November 2011
A decent burial !
Crime and punishment have greatly changed since 1788 when the first fleet dropped anchor in Australian waters. The law in Australia then was simply an extension of English law - and that was heavy on revenge.
Execution was the outcome for many crimes other than murder - and perhaps the ultimate penalty was that handed down to William Wallace, the man who tried to bring independence to Scotland. He was " Hung, drawn and quartered " - with the extremities of his body buried in unmarked graves in the four corners of merry olde England.
That extreme punishment was never carried out in Australia, but the standard fate of those executed under the law was to be buried in an unmarked grave - within the grounds of the place of execution. Such was the fate of legendary bandit - Ned Kelly.
Kelly fought a battle clad in armour at Glenrowan. He faced many charges - including the murder of three Victorian police officers - and he was dispatched by the hangman in Melbourne gaol in 1880. His body was buried in an unmarked grave in the gaol grounds, where it remained until the gaol closed and it was removed - to be reburied in Pentridge.
Since then this country has removed the death penalty from the statute books. The harshest remaining penalty is " life - never to be released " - and prisoners who die in custody are returned to their families for civil burial.
Ned Kelly was perhaps our most famous outlaw. Many books have been written about him and he has been the subject of films - and once again he is making headlines.
Kelly's body has been retrieved from that unmarked grave and DNA sampling has confirmed it is authentic. A hundred and thirty one years later - it will be returned to his family for burial, probably at the village of Greta, where the local cemetery holds many of his clan.
This has raised a complaint from relatives of the slain policemen. They fear that because of the hero status that has surrounded Ned Kelly in recent years the new funeral and burial will become a media event - and that the crime of murdering police who were applying the law - will be forgotten.
They do have a point - but times have changed and in today's more enlightened age - even the worst criminals are entitled to a decent burial !
Execution was the outcome for many crimes other than murder - and perhaps the ultimate penalty was that handed down to William Wallace, the man who tried to bring independence to Scotland. He was " Hung, drawn and quartered " - with the extremities of his body buried in unmarked graves in the four corners of merry olde England.
That extreme punishment was never carried out in Australia, but the standard fate of those executed under the law was to be buried in an unmarked grave - within the grounds of the place of execution. Such was the fate of legendary bandit - Ned Kelly.
Kelly fought a battle clad in armour at Glenrowan. He faced many charges - including the murder of three Victorian police officers - and he was dispatched by the hangman in Melbourne gaol in 1880. His body was buried in an unmarked grave in the gaol grounds, where it remained until the gaol closed and it was removed - to be reburied in Pentridge.
Since then this country has removed the death penalty from the statute books. The harshest remaining penalty is " life - never to be released " - and prisoners who die in custody are returned to their families for civil burial.
Ned Kelly was perhaps our most famous outlaw. Many books have been written about him and he has been the subject of films - and once again he is making headlines.
Kelly's body has been retrieved from that unmarked grave and DNA sampling has confirmed it is authentic. A hundred and thirty one years later - it will be returned to his family for burial, probably at the village of Greta, where the local cemetery holds many of his clan.
This has raised a complaint from relatives of the slain policemen. They fear that because of the hero status that has surrounded Ned Kelly in recent years the new funeral and burial will become a media event - and that the crime of murdering police who were applying the law - will be forgotten.
They do have a point - but times have changed and in today's more enlightened age - even the worst criminals are entitled to a decent burial !
Wednesday 9 November 2011
The end of blissful ignorance !
A little later today a chunk of rock the size of an aircraft carrier will silently pass between planet earth and the moon. Scientists on this planet will record it's passage with interest and the media will inform the public that earth has just had a " close call " !
That " close call" needs to be referenced to the magnitude of the universe. This asteroid - which has been named 2005 YU 55 - will be no closer than 320,000 kilometres at it's closest point to earth.
The interesting thing is that since humans inhabited this planet space rocks have probably whizzed by unnoticed. It is only in the past fifty years that we have developed the ability to send rockets off earth's surface containing astronauts, satellites, space probes - and even a manned space station. We now monitor space - and we have advanced knowledge of what is heading our way.
Getting hit by an asteroid is not that unusual - given the time that the universe has existed since the " big bang ". We have ample evidence of hit craters from the distant past - and on any night of the full moon those sort of impacts on our sky companion are obvious. It is thought that an asteroid impact killed off the Dinosaurs.
2005 YU 55 would not have destroyed earth had our paths coincided. It would certainly have wiped out a mega city and killed millions of people - and had it hit in the middle of an ocean it would have created a colossal tsunami.
There are probably trillions of similar meteorites orbiting in outer space and eventually one of them might get lucky. The history of mankind on this planet only goes back a few thousand years - and if the scientists are correct - the universe has been here for billions of years.
Someone once said that " ignorance is bliss ". The way science is progressing - if we are destined to suffer an asteroid strike it will come as no surprise. We will have advance warning - and maybe science will be able to devise some way of heading it off at the pass.
As we wave goodbye to 2005 YU 55 - maybe that is not something to interrupt a good nights sleep !
That " close call" needs to be referenced to the magnitude of the universe. This asteroid - which has been named 2005 YU 55 - will be no closer than 320,000 kilometres at it's closest point to earth.
The interesting thing is that since humans inhabited this planet space rocks have probably whizzed by unnoticed. It is only in the past fifty years that we have developed the ability to send rockets off earth's surface containing astronauts, satellites, space probes - and even a manned space station. We now monitor space - and we have advanced knowledge of what is heading our way.
Getting hit by an asteroid is not that unusual - given the time that the universe has existed since the " big bang ". We have ample evidence of hit craters from the distant past - and on any night of the full moon those sort of impacts on our sky companion are obvious. It is thought that an asteroid impact killed off the Dinosaurs.
2005 YU 55 would not have destroyed earth had our paths coincided. It would certainly have wiped out a mega city and killed millions of people - and had it hit in the middle of an ocean it would have created a colossal tsunami.
There are probably trillions of similar meteorites orbiting in outer space and eventually one of them might get lucky. The history of mankind on this planet only goes back a few thousand years - and if the scientists are correct - the universe has been here for billions of years.
Someone once said that " ignorance is bliss ". The way science is progressing - if we are destined to suffer an asteroid strike it will come as no surprise. We will have advance warning - and maybe science will be able to devise some way of heading it off at the pass.
As we wave goodbye to 2005 YU 55 - maybe that is not something to interrupt a good nights sleep !
Tuesday 8 November 2011
A logical decision !
Yesterday, a protest meeting urged Wollongong Council to reject a proposal to site a waste disposal recovery centre in the suburb of Cringila. This centre would process about 70,000 tonnes a year of demolition waste - bricks and mortar - to create road base and useful fill.
Nearby residents are opposed because it will create both noise and dust - and there will be a big increase in truck movements through the suburb, both delivering the waste material and trucking away the product created from it.
In examining this request Wollongong Council would do well to give thought to the future of Cringila as a suburb of this city. It was probably a mistake many years ago to permit residential housing there in the first place - because Cringila is right on the southern perimeter of the steelworks - and as such it is subjected to the pollution from heavy industry.
The residents at this protest meeting admit that they already are subjected to gas, sulphur smells, dust, silver rain - and that their homes and cars deteriorate from the fallout. Breathing this mixture is probably not good for human lungs, hence this is a suburb with dire existing problems.
Cringila is definitely the least sought after residential suburb in this city. House prices are the lowest on offer and those moving there do so as a tradeoff. If the demolition waste facility is approved it will merely add to a noxious environment - for which there is no hope of improvement.
Wollongong needs industrial land on which to conduct unpleasant industries - and the council is stuck with the problem of where to site this much needed waste conversion plant. It obviously has to go somewhere - and for a city constricted by being a sandwich between the escarpment and the sea - that offers limited choice,
Cringila residents made a choice when they bought cheap housing in full knowledge of it's defects. Now would be a good time to ban further housing approvals, and to adopt a policy of resuming existing housing whenever if comes onto the market. We need a policy of moving people out of what has become a noxious industry suburb.
Long ago the council made a bad decision. Now is the time to make a correction. Cringila is simply no place for people to be living.
Nearby residents are opposed because it will create both noise and dust - and there will be a big increase in truck movements through the suburb, both delivering the waste material and trucking away the product created from it.
In examining this request Wollongong Council would do well to give thought to the future of Cringila as a suburb of this city. It was probably a mistake many years ago to permit residential housing there in the first place - because Cringila is right on the southern perimeter of the steelworks - and as such it is subjected to the pollution from heavy industry.
The residents at this protest meeting admit that they already are subjected to gas, sulphur smells, dust, silver rain - and that their homes and cars deteriorate from the fallout. Breathing this mixture is probably not good for human lungs, hence this is a suburb with dire existing problems.
Cringila is definitely the least sought after residential suburb in this city. House prices are the lowest on offer and those moving there do so as a tradeoff. If the demolition waste facility is approved it will merely add to a noxious environment - for which there is no hope of improvement.
Wollongong needs industrial land on which to conduct unpleasant industries - and the council is stuck with the problem of where to site this much needed waste conversion plant. It obviously has to go somewhere - and for a city constricted by being a sandwich between the escarpment and the sea - that offers limited choice,
Cringila residents made a choice when they bought cheap housing in full knowledge of it's defects. Now would be a good time to ban further housing approvals, and to adopt a policy of resuming existing housing whenever if comes onto the market. We need a policy of moving people out of what has become a noxious industry suburb.
Long ago the council made a bad decision. Now is the time to make a correction. Cringila is simply no place for people to be living.
Monday 7 November 2011
Profit from crime !
When a fourteen year old Australian boy bought Marijuana from a dealer on a Bali beach he probably had no idea the storm of controversy he was about to unleash. His tender age brought appeals from Australia for mercy, because under harsh Indonesian drug laws he was facing a six year sentence in an adult gaol if convicted.
The Indonesian authorities have bent over backwards to make concessions because of his youth. He has been held in a police station instead of a gaol and his father has been allowed to share this accommodation to ease his anxiety. An initial hearing was removed from the gravity of a court - and rather incongruously - the office in which it was held was fitted with curtains bearing cartoon characters to lighten the mood.
The stage seems to be set for either a very light sentence - to be served by way of home detention in Australia, or for the charge to be dismissed on the basis of " time served " - and the boy deported.
Then - right out of left field - comes media reports that this boy's story has been the centre of a bidding war by the television industry - and that a deal has been done that will bestow a reward of somewhere between two hundred and three hundred thousand dollars for exclusive rights.
This can only sour the tolerance of the Indonesian judiciary. That sort of money is an absolute fortune in such a poor country and the thought that the prisoner will go home to a life of riches because of his crime will not go down well.
It also raises the question of whether " profit from crime " legislation in this country should be applied to confiscate this television fee. Those convicted of drug trafficking here are routinely financially assessed - and homes, expensive cars, boats, cash and expensive toys are seized by the Crown. Why should this be any different ?
There are people who think that the money is justified because it will help reimburse the legal fees incurred in his defence - but these were services provided by his parents and legally they have no claim on the money coming from the television appearances. The dispersal of that money could well become the subject of bitter legal wrangling further down the track.
This whole distasteful affair smacks of " cheque book journalism ". A crime is committed - and there is an unusual aspect to the criminal. In this case - a young age - that attracts media attention and creates an instant " celebrity " !
Just like a young man who held a party that attracted thousands - which wrecked his family's home a few years ago - the glare of publicity conferred celebrity status and allowed this person to bask in the limelight and draw money from appearances.
It seems that nothing is going to change anytime soon ! The public is fascinated by such stories - and the media is more than willing to pay to feed that interest !
The Indonesian authorities have bent over backwards to make concessions because of his youth. He has been held in a police station instead of a gaol and his father has been allowed to share this accommodation to ease his anxiety. An initial hearing was removed from the gravity of a court - and rather incongruously - the office in which it was held was fitted with curtains bearing cartoon characters to lighten the mood.
The stage seems to be set for either a very light sentence - to be served by way of home detention in Australia, or for the charge to be dismissed on the basis of " time served " - and the boy deported.
Then - right out of left field - comes media reports that this boy's story has been the centre of a bidding war by the television industry - and that a deal has been done that will bestow a reward of somewhere between two hundred and three hundred thousand dollars for exclusive rights.
This can only sour the tolerance of the Indonesian judiciary. That sort of money is an absolute fortune in such a poor country and the thought that the prisoner will go home to a life of riches because of his crime will not go down well.
It also raises the question of whether " profit from crime " legislation in this country should be applied to confiscate this television fee. Those convicted of drug trafficking here are routinely financially assessed - and homes, expensive cars, boats, cash and expensive toys are seized by the Crown. Why should this be any different ?
There are people who think that the money is justified because it will help reimburse the legal fees incurred in his defence - but these were services provided by his parents and legally they have no claim on the money coming from the television appearances. The dispersal of that money could well become the subject of bitter legal wrangling further down the track.
This whole distasteful affair smacks of " cheque book journalism ". A crime is committed - and there is an unusual aspect to the criminal. In this case - a young age - that attracts media attention and creates an instant " celebrity " !
Just like a young man who held a party that attracted thousands - which wrecked his family's home a few years ago - the glare of publicity conferred celebrity status and allowed this person to bask in the limelight and draw money from appearances.
It seems that nothing is going to change anytime soon ! The public is fascinated by such stories - and the media is more than willing to pay to feed that interest !
Sunday 6 November 2011
Postponing the inevitable !
It is hard not to feel sorry for Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreo. His decision to send the bail out plan to the Greek people by way of a referendum generated such fury from the leaders of France and Germany - and from the financial world - that he was forced into a humiliating retreat. He has since barely survived a vote of confidence in his own parliament and has been forced to start negotiations to form a new government of " national unity ".
It is said that those who fail to learn from history pay an even heavier price when they repeat their mistakes.
It is one thing to pass legislation to lower wages and pensions, gut the welfare state and fortify the tax regime. It is something else again to get the people to abide by those rules.
We could see a fairly predictable scenario develop in Greece. Disaffected people find ways to circumvent unpopular measures. A " Black market " develops, where a cash economy avoids taxes and resentment makes disobeying the government a way of life.
A little further down the track, we are back to square one. Greece is again on the brink of default - and another bailout is needed to avoid disaster. The question is - how long can this go on - and will the rest of the world continue to contribute ?
Perhaps we are going the wrong way. Perhaps what is needed is an orderly realignment of the European Union and it's Euro currency. Perhaps now is the time to correct the mistakes of the past.
When the EU was mooted it was a glorious dream of a united Europe, but distrust and suspicion prevented it's countries from progressing to political union, whereby there would be a true " United States of Europe ", with a central power regulating policy, finance - and defence.
The impetus was on expansion. Prudence was thrown to the wind - and yet we now have one of Europe's largest countries banging on the EU door - and being rejected and refused admission.
White - Christian Europe would dearly love to have the Turkish masses added as customers for EU manufactured goods, but they fear the effect of Muslim migration across EU's open borders if Turkey became a member.
World leaders fear the backlash if there is a default by a EU country. What would be more acceptable would be a formal restructuring of the European Union. It would be better to invite those who can not meet the EU requirements for finance to leave voluntarily - re-establish their own currencies - and come to terms with those to whom they owe money.
A smaller, tighter EU is the only hope of preserving some aspects of the EU dream. The bailout course is simply destined for disaster !
It is said that those who fail to learn from history pay an even heavier price when they repeat their mistakes.
It is one thing to pass legislation to lower wages and pensions, gut the welfare state and fortify the tax regime. It is something else again to get the people to abide by those rules.
We could see a fairly predictable scenario develop in Greece. Disaffected people find ways to circumvent unpopular measures. A " Black market " develops, where a cash economy avoids taxes and resentment makes disobeying the government a way of life.
A little further down the track, we are back to square one. Greece is again on the brink of default - and another bailout is needed to avoid disaster. The question is - how long can this go on - and will the rest of the world continue to contribute ?
Perhaps we are going the wrong way. Perhaps what is needed is an orderly realignment of the European Union and it's Euro currency. Perhaps now is the time to correct the mistakes of the past.
When the EU was mooted it was a glorious dream of a united Europe, but distrust and suspicion prevented it's countries from progressing to political union, whereby there would be a true " United States of Europe ", with a central power regulating policy, finance - and defence.
The impetus was on expansion. Prudence was thrown to the wind - and yet we now have one of Europe's largest countries banging on the EU door - and being rejected and refused admission.
White - Christian Europe would dearly love to have the Turkish masses added as customers for EU manufactured goods, but they fear the effect of Muslim migration across EU's open borders if Turkey became a member.
World leaders fear the backlash if there is a default by a EU country. What would be more acceptable would be a formal restructuring of the European Union. It would be better to invite those who can not meet the EU requirements for finance to leave voluntarily - re-establish their own currencies - and come to terms with those to whom they owe money.
A smaller, tighter EU is the only hope of preserving some aspects of the EU dream. The bailout course is simply destined for disaster !
Saturday 5 November 2011
Gang warfare - and drugs !
The movie industry has made a lot of money out of the American era of prohibition - and with it characters like Al Capone and Elliot Ness. Gang warfare in the streets brought the advent of the " Tommy gun " - and this all seemed to be a way of life far removed from Australia.
Not any more ! Each day seems to bring a new case of Sydney or Melbourne homes being sprayed with gunfire - or of rival gangsters being cut down in a hail of bullets. In New South Wales the police are concerned that a burnt out car found near Macquarie Pass may be evidence of an underworld " hit ".
Gangster eras evolved around a common thread. Something was illegal - but desired by the public. There was money to be made by organising to create supply.
In early twentieth century America that illicit item was alcohol. Here in Australia - and in the rest of the world - the present incentive to organised crime - is drugs ! The drug epidemic permeates through every level of society. Some people create " drug labs " in the kitchen of their homes while others convert whole houses into hydroponic Marijuana " gardens ". Governments and police forces lose control of entire countries like Colombia and Mexico. We are now familiar with the phenomenon of the " Narco State ".
This world wide crime wave is dependent on one single aspect - there must be strong demand for it's product.
Perhaps the time has come to re-think the war on drugs. We have been fighting it for decades with little success. Countless villains have been arrested, convicted and jailed - but this has not put even a small dent in the availability of drugs on our streets.
The Americans learned a hard lesson. Their citizens were determined to drink alcohol - and so Congress repealed prohibition - and the guns fell silent. If citizens here are determined to smoke Marijuana, then maybe it is time to control this substance in the same way we control alcohol and tobacco.
Of course we know that drugs injure people's health and overindulgence causes death, but then so does alcohol and tobacco, but we have learned to live with that. That which is forbidden always has appeal. Creating legal supply under strict conditions would certainly spike the guns of the criminals, but it could also cause loss of interest once the " illegal " tag was removed.
We are certainly not winning the drugs war - and the way violent crime associated with it is increasing sends a message that now is the time to re-evaluate our thinking.
Not any more ! Each day seems to bring a new case of Sydney or Melbourne homes being sprayed with gunfire - or of rival gangsters being cut down in a hail of bullets. In New South Wales the police are concerned that a burnt out car found near Macquarie Pass may be evidence of an underworld " hit ".
Gangster eras evolved around a common thread. Something was illegal - but desired by the public. There was money to be made by organising to create supply.
In early twentieth century America that illicit item was alcohol. Here in Australia - and in the rest of the world - the present incentive to organised crime - is drugs ! The drug epidemic permeates through every level of society. Some people create " drug labs " in the kitchen of their homes while others convert whole houses into hydroponic Marijuana " gardens ". Governments and police forces lose control of entire countries like Colombia and Mexico. We are now familiar with the phenomenon of the " Narco State ".
This world wide crime wave is dependent on one single aspect - there must be strong demand for it's product.
Perhaps the time has come to re-think the war on drugs. We have been fighting it for decades with little success. Countless villains have been arrested, convicted and jailed - but this has not put even a small dent in the availability of drugs on our streets.
The Americans learned a hard lesson. Their citizens were determined to drink alcohol - and so Congress repealed prohibition - and the guns fell silent. If citizens here are determined to smoke Marijuana, then maybe it is time to control this substance in the same way we control alcohol and tobacco.
Of course we know that drugs injure people's health and overindulgence causes death, but then so does alcohol and tobacco, but we have learned to live with that. That which is forbidden always has appeal. Creating legal supply under strict conditions would certainly spike the guns of the criminals, but it could also cause loss of interest once the " illegal " tag was removed.
We are certainly not winning the drugs war - and the way violent crime associated with it is increasing sends a message that now is the time to re-evaluate our thinking.
Friday 4 November 2011
A risky business !
The airline business in Australia has had a chancey history. Elderly people will remember the days when Australian skies were ruled by two airlines. Qantas flew overseas routes and domestic travel was provided by Australian National Airlines ( ANA ), a firm started by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.
ANA failed financially and was taken over by a fledgling Ansett Airlines, and then the government stepped in and offered direct competition by starting TAA. There have since been a number of new competitors for Australian domestic air business - and some notable failures - which include East-West, Compass -Impulse - and most recently - the Ansett withdrawal.
It seems that starting an airline is risky business, but on November 15 Air Australia will take to the skies - and offer seats in what has become a crowded airline market.
This new airline is one hundred percent Australian owned and will use the Boomerang motif. It's colours will be green and gold, and it will be flying modern jet aircraft in the medium size range. What has caught attention is the marketing plan. It is not aiming to take passengers off Qantas and Jetstar on domestic routes, but instead intends to create new tourist destinations to the islands surrounding Australia - which are under serviced by existing air services.
It is a fact of life that customers who patronise cruise ships get to visit many destinations virtually ignored by the airline industry. There are plenty of seats to places like Fiji and Bali, but both the South Pacific and Indian oceans have a host of other destinations which are fast emerging as tourist destinations.
What this new airline is offering - is flexibility. It will work with island communities prepared to create the facilities for new tourist trades and offer a new experience for Australian travellers prepared to get off the beaten track.
It is certainly an innovative approach and it is coming at exactly the right time. The recent Qantas interruption to services has soured some customers and if Air Australia plays it's cards right it can gain a new customer base.
It will certainly be welcomes by those island communities trying to reinvent themselves into the ever expanding tourist industry !
ANA failed financially and was taken over by a fledgling Ansett Airlines, and then the government stepped in and offered direct competition by starting TAA. There have since been a number of new competitors for Australian domestic air business - and some notable failures - which include East-West, Compass -Impulse - and most recently - the Ansett withdrawal.
It seems that starting an airline is risky business, but on November 15 Air Australia will take to the skies - and offer seats in what has become a crowded airline market.
This new airline is one hundred percent Australian owned and will use the Boomerang motif. It's colours will be green and gold, and it will be flying modern jet aircraft in the medium size range. What has caught attention is the marketing plan. It is not aiming to take passengers off Qantas and Jetstar on domestic routes, but instead intends to create new tourist destinations to the islands surrounding Australia - which are under serviced by existing air services.
It is a fact of life that customers who patronise cruise ships get to visit many destinations virtually ignored by the airline industry. There are plenty of seats to places like Fiji and Bali, but both the South Pacific and Indian oceans have a host of other destinations which are fast emerging as tourist destinations.
What this new airline is offering - is flexibility. It will work with island communities prepared to create the facilities for new tourist trades and offer a new experience for Australian travellers prepared to get off the beaten track.
It is certainly an innovative approach and it is coming at exactly the right time. The recent Qantas interruption to services has soured some customers and if Air Australia plays it's cards right it can gain a new customer base.
It will certainly be welcomes by those island communities trying to reinvent themselves into the ever expanding tourist industry !
Thursday 3 November 2011
High wire act - and no safety net !
Greek prime minister George Papandreou is a brave man. His decision to put the safety plan for his country to a referendum may decide the fate of the Euro, the European Union - and the entire western monetary system.
The offer cobbled together under the leadership of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is a gift not easily refused. Fifty percent of Greece's massive debt will be forgiven - at great cost to the banks in a huge array of countries. In exchange, the citizens of Greece will be required to accept a harsh austerity programme that will see wages and pensions contract - and the tax system will be revamped to collect the taxes that citizens have dodged for years.
A sizeable proportion of the population has been demonstrating in the streets against the conditions set by the IMF and the World bank. Ancient Greece was the birth place of democracy, hence some will see it fitting that acceptance of this austerity programme will be the subject of a vote by the citizens of that country.
It is hoped that those about to vote have an understanding of what a rejection will set in motion. The finances of Greece are in such a parlous state that without this reduction in debt and implementation of reforms - default is inevitable - and Greece will become bankrupt.
Some may see this as a better option. If Greece becomes bankrupt that entire debt - not the fifty percent being forgiven - will be written off, but it will come at a cost. The country will no longer be able to use the Euro as it's currency - and it may be banished from membership of the EU. It will have to print it's own currency - and that money will be " non negotiable " - not accepted anywhere except within the country's borders. It's exchange rate will plummet - and the expectation is that inflation will sky rocket !
The main advantage is that holidays for tourists will become cheap because of the exchange rate, but the lack of hard currency to buy needed raw materials and finished goods from other countries will see the standard of living fall sharply. It is unlikely that the present welfare system within Greece could survive - nor could public services like health and education be maintained at their present level.
Greece would probably be thrust back into third world status - but there would be implications for the rest of the world if the vote was for rejection.
One of the main reasons that world bodies have bent over backwards to save Greece and keep it within the EU and the Euro zone is because of the " fear factor ". A Greek default could possibly tip Italy, Spain and Portugal over the edge - and bring on not just a repeat of the GFC - but a full scale world depression of the 1929 kind.
Let us hope that the Greek citizens think long and hard before putting pen to ballot paper - and fully understand all the issues involved before they make their choice !
The offer cobbled together under the leadership of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is a gift not easily refused. Fifty percent of Greece's massive debt will be forgiven - at great cost to the banks in a huge array of countries. In exchange, the citizens of Greece will be required to accept a harsh austerity programme that will see wages and pensions contract - and the tax system will be revamped to collect the taxes that citizens have dodged for years.
A sizeable proportion of the population has been demonstrating in the streets against the conditions set by the IMF and the World bank. Ancient Greece was the birth place of democracy, hence some will see it fitting that acceptance of this austerity programme will be the subject of a vote by the citizens of that country.
It is hoped that those about to vote have an understanding of what a rejection will set in motion. The finances of Greece are in such a parlous state that without this reduction in debt and implementation of reforms - default is inevitable - and Greece will become bankrupt.
Some may see this as a better option. If Greece becomes bankrupt that entire debt - not the fifty percent being forgiven - will be written off, but it will come at a cost. The country will no longer be able to use the Euro as it's currency - and it may be banished from membership of the EU. It will have to print it's own currency - and that money will be " non negotiable " - not accepted anywhere except within the country's borders. It's exchange rate will plummet - and the expectation is that inflation will sky rocket !
The main advantage is that holidays for tourists will become cheap because of the exchange rate, but the lack of hard currency to buy needed raw materials and finished goods from other countries will see the standard of living fall sharply. It is unlikely that the present welfare system within Greece could survive - nor could public services like health and education be maintained at their present level.
Greece would probably be thrust back into third world status - but there would be implications for the rest of the world if the vote was for rejection.
One of the main reasons that world bodies have bent over backwards to save Greece and keep it within the EU and the Euro zone is because of the " fear factor ". A Greek default could possibly tip Italy, Spain and Portugal over the edge - and bring on not just a repeat of the GFC - but a full scale world depression of the 1929 kind.
Let us hope that the Greek citizens think long and hard before putting pen to ballot paper - and fully understand all the issues involved before they make their choice !
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Interesting times ahead !
Both the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory are known for thinking differently to the other Australian states, but until now the Federal government has always had the right to curb any legislative excesses - by disallowing any bill with which it disagrees.
That power vanished when the Green coalition forced a bill through the lower house to restrict Federal powers. Legislation can now only be struck down if that is the combined will of both houses of Federal parliament.
This opens the way for ground breaking change to emerge from either of the two territorial parliaments. In particular, three avenues of contention are sure to rise to the forefront. Euthanasia - Same sex marriage - and the legalisation of Marijuana all have adherents and it is inevitable that they will eventually be put to a vote.
All three have been dodged by both of the major political parties. Each side of politics have strident supporters and equally strident opponents and political leaders have avoided these subjects because of the perceived political damage that would emerge from open debate.
That option may soon be unavoidable. If one of the territories moves to make a law change there will be a flowon effect that can no longer be swept under the carpet. Each of these three subjects is now legal in some countries - and while illegal in many more - is common practice while being studiously ignored by church and state.
To many people this will be a sign of progress. We tend to cling to old shibboleths which have long passed their use by date because we fear change. We live in an ever changing world. It seems that this law change will simply move things along at a faster rate !
That power vanished when the Green coalition forced a bill through the lower house to restrict Federal powers. Legislation can now only be struck down if that is the combined will of both houses of Federal parliament.
This opens the way for ground breaking change to emerge from either of the two territorial parliaments. In particular, three avenues of contention are sure to rise to the forefront. Euthanasia - Same sex marriage - and the legalisation of Marijuana all have adherents and it is inevitable that they will eventually be put to a vote.
All three have been dodged by both of the major political parties. Each side of politics have strident supporters and equally strident opponents and political leaders have avoided these subjects because of the perceived political damage that would emerge from open debate.
That option may soon be unavoidable. If one of the territories moves to make a law change there will be a flowon effect that can no longer be swept under the carpet. Each of these three subjects is now legal in some countries - and while illegal in many more - is common practice while being studiously ignored by church and state.
To many people this will be a sign of progress. We tend to cling to old shibboleths which have long passed their use by date because we fear change. We live in an ever changing world. It seems that this law change will simply move things along at a faster rate !
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Decision time for power sale !
Yesterday an enquiry headed by a Supreme court judge handed down a decision on the $ 5.3 billion partial privatization of the electric power industry by the former state Labor government. At that time, the then Opposition described it as a " fire sale " and a " grab for cash ".
Judge Brian Tamberlin QC approved the partial sale - and suggested that there would be merit in proceeding with the sale of the remaining assets.
Despite this finding, there is no doubt that the removal of this state's electricity production into private hands does not meet the approval of the general public. It has resulted in sharp price rises for consumers, and if a further sale includes the poles and wires - and the Cobbera coal mine - which provides heavily subsidized coal for power generation - then further price increases are inevitable.
It seems that the average person in this state has expectations that the state government will provide a range of basic services - and that electric power is one of them. Originally, this power generating industry was created from scratch as a state government function, paid for by the taxes of state residents. When the previous government suggested selling the industry, there was bitter opposition and most people compared it to " selling off the family silver ".
Some people see logic in private partnership with the government to provide services that are otherwise financially out of reach - and the creation of toll roads and tunnels is often cited. The difference is that these are new services that did not previously exist. Electricity generation is already in place. It was in public ownership - bought and paid for by the people of this state.
There probably is no option than to go ahead and complete the electricity sale now that the industry is fragmented and only partially government owned, but what is nagging many people is the thought that other forms of public ownership may now be questioned.
Could we see the public hospital system pass into private hands - and what will be the future scenario for water, education, the railways - and even fire and police services.
We accept the principle that " user pays " -
but that acceptance was always on the condition that the government provided basic services at a subsidized cost as part of the return for the taxes we pay.
We still pay the taxes - but it now seems that basic services will cost " commercial rates " . The principle of
subsidized services is becoming a thing of the past !
Judge Brian Tamberlin QC approved the partial sale - and suggested that there would be merit in proceeding with the sale of the remaining assets.
Despite this finding, there is no doubt that the removal of this state's electricity production into private hands does not meet the approval of the general public. It has resulted in sharp price rises for consumers, and if a further sale includes the poles and wires - and the Cobbera coal mine - which provides heavily subsidized coal for power generation - then further price increases are inevitable.
It seems that the average person in this state has expectations that the state government will provide a range of basic services - and that electric power is one of them. Originally, this power generating industry was created from scratch as a state government function, paid for by the taxes of state residents. When the previous government suggested selling the industry, there was bitter opposition and most people compared it to " selling off the family silver ".
Some people see logic in private partnership with the government to provide services that are otherwise financially out of reach - and the creation of toll roads and tunnels is often cited. The difference is that these are new services that did not previously exist. Electricity generation is already in place. It was in public ownership - bought and paid for by the people of this state.
There probably is no option than to go ahead and complete the electricity sale now that the industry is fragmented and only partially government owned, but what is nagging many people is the thought that other forms of public ownership may now be questioned.
Could we see the public hospital system pass into private hands - and what will be the future scenario for water, education, the railways - and even fire and police services.
We accept the principle that " user pays " -
but that acceptance was always on the condition that the government provided basic services at a subsidized cost as part of the return for the taxes we pay.
We still pay the taxes - but it now seems that basic services will cost " commercial rates " . The principle of
subsidized services is becoming a thing of the past !
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