Language - and the " Asian Century " !

Many Australians now in their seventies will be bemused by the plan to make learning an Asian language compulsory in all schools.   In their day, learning French and German was the requirement - and few ever made any use of it once their school days were over.

This is a very different age.   This is the age of travel and the vast majority of Australians can expect to have visited another country before their thirtieth birthday.   The business world will see trade opportunities emerge as Asia becomes this century's powerhouse and for those with communication skills - the world will be their oyster.

Along with career choice, selecting the language to learn will become a decision each student must make early in their schooling.    The choice will be Mandarin, Hindi, Indonesian or Japanese.   It will not be an easy choice, because it is not clear which Asian economy will be supreme a decade or so from now.

At the moment, China seems triumphant, but the Chinese one child policy is creating a fast ageing population and rising pay levels may see the same downturn that crippled past economic leader - Japan - to a strange level of  " stagflation ".    India is emerging as the next manufacturing hub and it has the advantage that it's former colonial status has elevated English as a language spoken by many of it's people.

Indonesia is an enigma.   It has a huge, undeveloped potential - and it is right on our doorstep.  There is no doubt that as it creates a new middle class we will see an expansive opportunity to provide services.  It is unlikely that Australian children will learn more than one Asian language.  It seems that the age of specialization will be upon us at an early age.

Ushering in language skills to compete in the Asian century is a daunting task.   Just finding people who speak those languages will not be sufficient.  We need people with the teaching skills to make them interesting. - and challenging enough to hold pupil interest.   Handled badly, this could easily degenerate into a classical failure that simply wasted a lot of money for no result.

Our whole school system needs to be dragged into the twenty-first century because it is fragmented and inefficient.   We still have a different set of standards set by each of the six states and two territories, and we can't even decide on a common " compulsory reading " book list.    Each school system has it's own curriculum - and the efforts to set a common standard have so far failed miserably.

It will be a disaster if each state system is allowed to interpret how this language initiative is to work.  We live in an age when families frequently change states because of work opportunities, and consequently kids move from one school system to another.  As things stand, they are disadvantaged by vastly differing systems - and what education badly needs - is uniformity.

Unless we can solve that problem - learning an Asian language is likely to be just another failed good idea !

A new danger identified !

Electricians are being warned that they face danger working on any house constructed before 1983.   It is almost certain that the backing board housing the electricity meter, switches and fuses contains asbestos.   If they are called upon to make new installations to support the addition of solar energy panels or to simply add new power points to a home, working on this asbestos product delivers a deadly danger to them and their families.

This asbestos product is safe while it remains inert, but the moment work requires drilling or sawing the dust that may be inhaled can cause asbestosis, and even dust deposited on clothing may be carried into the family home and contaminate other members of the family.   No exposure to asbestos is safe and this warning advises that masks must be worn and disposable outer clothing is needed to eliminate dust transfer.

The use of asbestos as meter backing boards seemed sensible before 1983.    The meter box was the joining point for all the house wiring and as a consequence it needed maximum fire safety in case of a short circuit.  The problem is that this dangerous material now exists in most of our housing stock and replacing that backing board will cost a fortune - and be dangerous work for those tasked with the job.

The standard procedure for making products containing asbestos safe is to wet them down to eliminate dust and particles from floating in the air, but water and electricity simply don't mix.  It seems likely that those working to replace asbestos backing board will need to wear a full body safety suit with an independent air supply.     Home owners will shudder at the likely cost of rectifying this new electricity problem.

Unfortunately, this is not something that can be ignored.  We live in an age when the installation of solar energy panels is happening to more homes each year and with global warming home owners are turning to air conditioning to beat the summer heat.   Every time such a sale occurs, changes to the meter box become essential.

This is a headache for the government, home owners, the electrical industry - and most of all - for the electricians who actually need to work on meter boxes.   There is a danger that some " cowboy " types will simply ignore the warning and do this work unprotected, triggering off a new wave of asbestos related claims in the decades ahead.

All the parties involved need to address this problem with a firm set of protocols to regulate the replacement of asbestos meter boards and this probably involves a new category of licensing to ensure that those undertaking this work are properly trained - and equipped - to do the job safely.

The " Obligations " trap !

When Australia signed on to the various United Nations protocols on immigration, they imposed " obligations" that we are bound to follow in dealing with people who claim to be seeking asylum - and demanding entrance to this country.   One of those protocols insists that an asylum seeker shall not be returned to a country which still imposes the death penalty as a punishment.   It is common for arrivals to claim that they face execution if returned.

Many countries - including America and China - still maintain the death penalty as a punishment for major crime and this is a matter for their own government to decide.   When Australia shields a person who may have committed a crime that would bring the death penalty from facing justice in the country where that crime was committed, we are really assisting a felon's escape bid.

Recent events seem to show that Australia's policy on returning asylum seekers has double standards. Sri Lanka has emerged from a long period of civil war and it is claimed that retribution is still a factor in dealings with the vanquished.   Many claim that the risk of summary execution is the reason they have joined groups on refugee boats to seek safety in Australia.

It now seems that we are paying a bounty of $3300 to those who volunteer to be returned to Sri Lanka - at Australian government expense in regard to air fares.  For those from a poor country, this is a worthwhile sum of money and will go a long way in reestablishing a new life.   It seems that monetary reward far exceeds the fear of execution when it comes to a life decision.

There is also a claim that a group of refugees carried out a pirate raid on a fishing trawler and commandeered this ship for their voyage to Australia.   Violence was used to subdue the crew.  Several were thrown overboard and drowned - and there are survivors  who witnessed this event.    Strangely, Australia had no scruples in boarding this trawler at sea off Cocos island and the people aboard were summarily returned to Sri Lanka to face piracy charges.    Surely piracy and murder could result in execution as a likely penalty.

We certainly do not want immigrants who commit piracy and murder as future citizens and yet many of these United Nations protocols tie our hands when it comes to removing suspected criminals from our shores.  It raises the question of whether we should be a signatory to these accords ?    Some seem to be very " civilized ", until we look at the fine print and find that all the rights are on the side of the new arrival - and none are bestowed on Australian citizens to keep their land free of marauders.

It is a sorry state of affairs when we are paying those that force their way onto our shores to go home - and also paying the travel bill for them to do so.   This might be a good time to withdraw from the United Nations accord on refugees - and clearly state Australia's policy on how we will deal with these matters.

Who we permit to live in Australia is an Australian question - and it should be decided by Australians.\ !

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Onus of disclosure !

Those tasked with offering a home for sale have been reminded that by law they are responsible for making all aspects of the former history of the property known to prospective buyers.   The courts have the capacity to declare a sale void and order the return of any money paid if the past sordid history of a property has been carefully hidden away and not disclosed.

Many people will remember a case where a young man brutally murdered his parents and his sister to access his inheritance.   Later, this event was concealed from a young couple who paid a deposit as part of the purchase of the property - and were horrified when the details were brought to their notice.   Unable to even consider living in such an environment, they went to court and succeeded in getting the sale cancelled and this resulted in the selling agent getting fined $ 20,900 for failing to disclose the history of the home.

The onus of responsibility of disclosure does not only apply to any hideous crime that may have occurred on a property.   A buyer has a right to know if illegal extensions have been carried out, whether any form of contamination has occurred by way of the property being involved in illicit drug manufacturing, and if there has been a past history of Termite infestation.

Basically, it is illegal to mask any details that might be a factor in a buyer making a decision on purchasing a property.   Not only could this have a bearing on the market value of the property but it could be ongoing.  In some cases, notoriety sticks and a sordid event can affect the market value of a property for generations.

Once again history comes to the fore.  Many people will remember a case that brought national media attention when a young child was deliberately locked away in a bedroom and starved to death in northern New South Wales.     Years later, the owner of that property was unable to find a new tenant and despite a desperate housing shortage, this house lay vacant on the property market until it's demolition.

Some people are undeterred  by former events that may have occurred but many others would never rest easy knowing that a hideous crime had occurred within those four walls.    The principle of " Buyer Beware " still applies to every commercial transaction - but this disclosure law at least requires that a buying decision is made without subterfuge !

Parliament - and privileges !

The fact that Bob Carr, our Foreign minister - takes his wife with him on official business trips overseas will raise many eyebrows.    Of the nine trips undertaken between March and September this year, wife Helena has accompanied eight times and this has cost the Australian taxpayer $ 828,000, plus an extra $ 8,000 for meals and incidentals.

According to protocol, the spouse of a minister may travel if that is approved by the office of the Prime minister.  The Foreign minister has received this approval and he claims that his wife has enhanced the scope of developing personal relationships by speaking to women's groups and inspected aid projects.  He commented that Helena's ethnic background was helpful when lobbying for the support of Asian countries for Australia's bid for a seat on the UN Security council.

The problem is that this is a departure from previous practice.  Carr's predecessors rarely had their spouse accompany them and when they did it was usually because the host country had specifically issued a joint invitation.  It is inevitable that the fact that Carr has reversed this protocol will be noted by other ministers and their spouses and the practice could quickly become more widely followed.

Members of parliament are privileged people compared to ordinary Australians.    They earn a better than average salary and they get a superannuation entitlement that most people could only dream.  Most ministerial portfolios involve interstate and overseas travel, and ordinary backbenchers are entitled to several " study " trips during the life of each parliament.   Travel standards are set at a " comfortable " level in regard to hotel accommodation - and air travel is usually taken in " business class ", rather than the " cattle class " offered in " coach " or " economy ".

The question that needs to be asked is whether those travelling on parliamentary business should have their full attention focused on the task in hand, or whether the presence of a spouse will simply cause distraction and add to the cost of the journey.    The Prime minister is not accompanied by her partner on every occasion that she travels overseas and that should be at least a benchmark for ministerial travel.

The fact that Bob Carr's travel arrangements have become a news item will cause some spouse resentment at not being offered similar opportunities.   It is important that this whole matter be nipped in the bud because  if spousal travel morphs into general practice the business of this nation will change from serious negotiations - to the level of a " family junket ".

Sharing the blame !

The news that six Italian seismologists have been sentenced to a six year prison term - for not accurately predicting an earthquake in 2009 - will throw the scientific community into turmoil.   This creates a new definition of legal responsibility which could be applied to many avenues of science.

It has been argued that earthquakes are not predictable.  Seismologists have developed an understanding of the many factors that sometimes precede an earthquake, but it has been impossible to predict the time it will occur, nor the magnitude that will be involved.    Now a court has decided otherwise, and the seismologists have been declared responsible for not issuing sufficient warnings to avoid the death and destruction that occurred in the Italian village of Onna in 2009.    As well as a prison term, they have been fined $ 11 million to compensate residents for the damage caused.

Of course, this only applies to the court system in Italy, but scientists in other parts of the world will wonder if this style of thinking will apply to other aspects of science.  Will the people who man SETI be held responsible if space aliens attack earth ?    Will those who search the skies with radio telescopes be gaoled if they miss an incoming asteroid - and it hits this planet ?

Closer to home, will those who watch for a Tsunami forming after an earthquake in Asia be saddled with the blame if their predictions prove wrong - and a tidal wave engulfs thousands ?

There is an obvious safeguard that will occur to the many people who stand guard over our safety.   The wisest course of action will be to err on the side of caution, and that applies to everybody from the people who calculate the daily bush fire danger to the lifesavers who decide whether the surf is too dangerous for swimming.

That will certainly be the case in Italy, given this indication of how the courts are seeking to share the blame. Unfortunately, events of this nature seem to have influence on people's thinking wherever responsibility is involved.   If danger could be more - or less ?   Opt for the worst case scenario because that provides the safety factor.    Of course, that also means constant false alarms !

There will be a degree of consternation amongst the people at the weather bureau.   Those predicting dangerous thunderstorms, gale force winds and events like damaging hail will wonder what personal responsibility applies - and the same will occur to those who determine if a fire danger day is " high " - or perhaps " extreme ".

Hopefully, this Italian verdict is just an aberration by a judge with a peculiar mindset and it will be quickly nullified in the appeals courts.   If it is allowed to stand, it will be the case of ignoring science and apportioning blame according to principles that last applied in the dark ages.

Galileo was an Italian - and he spent the rest of his life in prison for inventing the telescope !

Interest free loans !

It is a sure sign of just how low business confidence has plunged when interest free loans are being offered to move stock.   It started with new cars being offered at a reduced interest rate and this quickly dropped to the double whammy of - no deposit and up to five years interest free.    One Australian made car is offering buyers the same discount it extends to it's own employees.   The only conclusion is that this industry is desperate to move stock and keep the assembly lines moving.

Now we are seeing this tactic reappearing to move " big ticket " items such as mattresses and furniture.  A canny customer can make a big saving if they negotiate a deal to buy interest free - as opposed to making the purchase on a credit card and getting whacked with an interest rate of twenty percent by the big banks.  The problem for the retail industry is that customers are avoiding making a commitment to buy until the financial cloud hanging over Europe and the United States is finally resolved.

It doesn't help when both the Federal and state governments are implementing savage spending cuts to what we term " essential " services such as hospitals and education to try and bring expenditure into line with income.    Australia is luckier than many other countries because of the mining boom, but demand is slipping and we can expect further price cuts to commodities in the months ahead.

It looks like we are entering a new era of fiscal austerity.  For past decades, an income shortfall over expenditure was solved by borrowing, with the result that many countries became hopelessly entangled in debt.   The chickens are coming home to roost - and now interest rates on borrowings are either more difficult to obtain - or only available at an increased rate of interest.     The countries with the worst credit ratings are having to dance to the fiddler's tune to survive.

The problem is we can not be sure if world finances are going to achieve a soft landing, or if the present difficulties are just the prelude to a massive train wreck.    If the Euro countries can hold their nerve and survive as a cohesive unit they will need to take some unpleasant medicine and reform their ways.   If the United States is to ever solve it's massive deficit, both sides of politics will need to compromise and adopt a mix of tax increases and spending cuts.

With a bit of luck, the side effects of balancing the budget will be moderate for the average person.   We will certainly have to pay a little more for services and taxes, and our expectations of what government's provide will see a shortfall.    Our ever expanding way of life will be trimmed to a slower pace - and there will be casualties that affect jobs in many industries.

The world economy is finely balanced between the chance of recovery - and the first step downward on a very slippery slope.   Let us hope that wise heads prevail.   The outcome of wrong decisions are just too awful to contemplate !

First Tuesday in November !

The Melbourne cup is an Australian institution, not matched by any other horse race anywhere in the world.   America has it's Kentucky Derby and Britain has Ascot, but while these create wide interest in the community - neither nation comes to a full stop for the few minutes the race is run.

Visitors to this country who experience the Melbourne cup phenomenon are amazed.   No matter whether you are in a major city of a small country town, the citizens seem to find a pub, club or perhaps a shop selling television sets to satisfy their urge to watch this one horse race.

People who rarely even buy a lottery ticket seem to have a wager on the Melbourne cup and there is barely an office or a factory that is not running a Melbourne cup sweep.   The amount of money wagered on that one race is amazing, and it must be one of the hardest races in the world to successfully pick the winner.

The question nobody can successfully answer - is why this horse race came to be so revered that it completely shades every other event in this country ?     Winning that gold trophy is seen as the pinnacle of success for every horse breeder, trainer , owner and jockey in an industry that employs thousands of people.  There are dozens of prestige races that draw big crowds and are eagerly contested by the industry - but there is only the one Melbourne cup that stops the nation !

Each year the international prestige of this race grows.   It is an integral part of the world horse racing scene and the world's best horses make the long journey to Australia to compete.  It is a standing joke overseas that expatriate Australians " disappear " for an hour on the first Tuesday in November.    They find somewhere to watch this iconic horse race.  That is simply a part of the Australian identity.

 So -  we are on the way towards this years race.   The Caufield cup has been run and the Cox plate will quickly follow..    The days will count down to that first Tuesday in November and then the crowds will congregate across the nation to observe a ritual that is uniquely Australian.

Even those who migrate here from other lands find that it commands an irresistible allure that quickly binds them to their new countrty !

Pool fencing issues !

For decades the safety of home swimming pools has waxed and wained as state governments and local councils argued over who was responsible for policing the fencing issue.   Installing an in-ground pool requires a development application and the provision of safety fencing to an Australian standard forms part of that consent.   The problem is that - in most cases - there is no followup to see that this fencing is properly maintained in later years.

Now a new pool safety issue is concerning the authorities.   Each year more and more inflatable pools are being offered and these do not require any sort of approval - provided the water depth does not exceed three hundred millimetres.     They are often referred to as " splasher pools " - and any depth of water is a deadly danger for unsupervised little kids.   Last year, twenty-one children in the age bracket 0 - 4 drowned in Australian swimming pools.

This year the range of pool offers on the Internet is increasing.   For just a few dollars, families can have a pool in their backyard with a water depth to nearly a metre and few - if any - of these will be installed under the regime of a council DA.  It is proposed that all such pools should have a statutory requirement to include a warning that council approved safety fencing is required.

These pools are manufactured as temporary structures.   Families erect them and fill them with water in the height of summer, and usually empty them and store them away when the swimming season ends.   The danger is that for days - and sometimes weeks - they stand in the yard unfenced and pose a danger to any kid fascinated by the chance to play in water.

This fencing warning is probably a good idea, but the questions remains - How many families will ignore it and fill the pool anyway ?    The answer is - probably the great majority.    We could be on the brink of a sharp increase in child drownings.

There is another problem that is going unnoticed.   The water in swimming pools needs to be carefully conditioned to keep it safe.   Pool water needs to be constantly filtered and have it's ph levels checked and Chlorine added. Most of these inflatable pools come with grossly insufficient filtering equipment and in the smaller pools - this is missing entirely on the assumption that the pool will be emptied after use.   In reality, many of these pools will contain untreated water for days - and even weeks - and pose a health danger to users.

So far, the only reaction by the authorities seems to be the suggestion of forcing pool manufacturers or their distributors to place that fencing warning on the product.    We have come a long way in forcing the owners of both in-ground and above ground swimming pools to address the fence safety issue, but now we are on the cusp of a huge expansion of cheap, inflatable pools.  

Managing this new area of risk to little kids does not seem to be getting serious attention !

The " Black " economy !

All levels of governance are scratching for money.  It is developing into a battle between those seeking new forms of taxation to exploit and those seeking to reduce the money drain by cancelling services.  The Mandarins at Treasury estimate that the " Black " economy is allowing $2.7 billion to slip past the GST tax net - and it overall costs the economy a loss of five billion dollars a year.

When the Goods and Services tax was introduced in July, 2000, the tax level was set at ten percent.   Australia is one of the few countries of the world that has not raised this tax to a higher level to increase the money flow.   It is called by a variety of different names in other countries and in many instances it is now levied at rates of between twenty and thirty percent.

Pressure is building to either raise the scope of the tax - and that means applying it to food for the first time -  or moving the tax upward above that ten percent level.

Perhaps this would be a good time to inject a degree of realism into the argument.   Every country in the world has a black economy, and no country has ever even come close to shutting it down.   In fact, the higher the official tax rate, the greater the incentive to dodge paying tax by operating a " cash in hand " economy.

The tax department conducts an ongoing battle to catch tax dodgers and make them pay their fair share of tax, but in reality it is the black economy that indirectly contributes to the overall strength of the GST.    Dodging paying tax comes full circle when the profit made is spent by the recipient.    If the black economy suddenly ceased - there would be an enormous drop in the level of GST receipts.

Maintaining economic strength is a matter of balance.   The compliance people need to be diligent to prevent the black economy getting out of hand and expanding exponentially.   In many cases, it is the incentive of a lower price because of the tax dodge that makes the job affordable to the end customer.   When people stop spending money, the entire economy suffers.   The black economy is an integral part of that cycle because what is lost in one sector of the cycle is gained in another.

Compared to other countries, Australia has a " manageable " black economy.  In the twelve years the GST  has been in place it has gained wide public acceptance.   Rarely do we hear people griping about it and a ten percent level is seen as " fair ".     Changing that level will set in train a change of circumstances that will certainly have many people rethinking their compliance attitude.   It could well be the start of an ever expanding black economy.

That old adage -  " If it 'aint broken - don't fix it "   comes to mind !

Changed laws !

From November 1, using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle in New South Wales will be subjected to tougher new laws.  The only way to legally make or receive a call will depend on whether the phone is secured in an approved hands free holder.  The practice of the driver having both hands on the wheel but having an operating phone on the passenger seat - or on the drivers lap - will attract a big fine and loss of demerit points.  The only way a driver can legally use a phone not connected to a hands free system - is if the car is parked and the engine switched off.

The vast majority of people agree that using a phone while driving increases the risk of a crash - and yet that same vast majority continues to break the law.  On any day of the week, up to ten percent of other drivers we pass on the roads are using a mobile phone illegally.

The law makers have decided that - like RBT and it's effect on drink driving - the only way to get people to obey a safety law is to impose a " reign of terror ".   Even touching a mobile phone while driving will now be an offence and we can expect that the police will be under pressure to implement this law change without mercy.   There will certainly be a big jump in sales of hands free phone equipment in the days before the start of November.

Another new law change will come into effect on that same day, and this one will leave many motorists totally confused.   The law requires drivers entering a roundabout to signal not only their entrance intention - but also their intention to exit.

That will not be a problem with major roundabouts.  They are big enough to have a raised  centre and a garden  and the distance between entry and exit points allows a change of signalling with ease.   The problem is that town planners have installed roundabouts at many intersections that are so small that the centre is level with the road - because bus and truck traffic can not accommodate such a tight turn they can legally ignore the roundabout requirement.

Trying to implement this legal signalling routine in such a roundabout can only lead to confusion - and the new law contains an " escape clause " when it adds " where possible "    Unfortunately, whenever a law fails to determine the exact requirements of it's implementation, it opens an area of interpretation between the driver and an observing police officer.

This is not a minor matter.  Where this offence incurs a penalty, it involves a fine of $ 165 and the loss of two demerit points.   In some cases, this will be the difference between retaining and losing a driving license.  That should not depend on how an individual interprets the meaning of the law.

The problem could be easily resolved by a slight law change.   All it would take would be for this signalling requirement to be mandatory only in those roundabouts in which the centre is raised above road level !

The " Justice " enigma !

The word " Justice " means different things to different people.   Those who have just endured a vicious civil war and seen loved ones brutally killed are more likely to want the summary execution of those who ordered the killings.   In the rest of the world, the pedantic progress of indicted criminals through the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague offers a more civilized outcome.

We are still clearing up the atrocities that emerged from the Balkans wars when ethnic cleansing led to the wholesale murder of about eight thousand Muslin men and boys in Srebrenica in July, 1995.   One defendant - Slobodan Milosevic died of natural causes before his trial ended and the trials of Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic are either about to start or are progressing slowly.   In most cases, all these trials take years to reach a conclusion - and then comes the sentencing controversy.

The death penalty is not an option to judges in the International courts.   The heaviest penalty they can impose is a determined number of years of imprisonment, and that incarceration will be in a western prison with all the amenities that the United Nations decrees must be available to prisoners.   It certainly bears no relations to the suffering they imposed on their victims when they held the reigns of power and dictated life or death decisions.

Just such a controversy involves Said Al-Islam, son of Libyan dictator Mummar Gaddafi.   The world body demands that he be tried and sentenced in the ICC.  The rebels who emerged victorious in Libya say he will get a fair trial in the country in which he committed his crimes - and the death penalty is a possible punishment if the court so decides.   It is heading into a clash between the right of the International Criminal Court to prevail over the jurisdiction of the court system in individual countries.

So far, no hard and fast law exists.   It is up to each country to make it's own decisions on whether to hand over criminals to the ICC when the world body decides that the crime is of such magnitude that it deserves an international judgement.    Waiting in the wings are legions of cases where rape and murder have been inflicted on civilian populations by those trying to impose religious or political oppression by force of arms.

Civil war is still raging in Syria.   Eventually, it will come to a conclusion and then the winner will try and inflict punishment on those who formed the opposition.   Whether the rebels or the government is the winner, the losers will pay a heavy price.  It is a fact of life that in war - the victor gets to write the history book.

The United Nations could probably declare the ICC paramount if the General Assembly voted along those lines, but getting the world to respect it's decisions is another matter.  As long as just five nations hold the power of veto, it is a very uneven chamber.

The difficulty in resolving the Syrian massacre illustrates this point !

Facing reality !

Australia is not a third world country, but it is a fact of life that a lot of kids go to school hungry because there is not enough money in their household to provide breakfast.  An Anglicare survey reports that at least 45,000 households who access emergency relief  lack the money to adequately feed their families.

It is easy to point the finger and find culprits to blame, but it is not the fault of the little kids who struggle to keep up with their peers in education levels because hunger saps their strength and dilutes their ability to concentrate.   Compassion compels us to roll up our sleeves and do something about it.

A remedy is in place in many below standard living areas.    Sometimes it is the teachers at the local school.  Sometimes members of a concerned welfare group.    Sometimes the more affluent Mums and Dads  band together to provide a school breakfast to put things right - and it costs very little money.

The sad thing is that many of these helpful groups are now being denied a pittance of government support because of the financial situation, and yet it is just a handful of dollars that enables them to buy the basic necessities to make such a big difference.   These people make just a few dollars go a long way, because they donate their time and effort to do the work needed free of charge.

There are many reasons that people find themselves struggling financially.   We do have a degree of unemployment, and the dole falls $225 short of the poverty level.   Some households fall victim to alcohol or drug abuse, and in some other cases mental illness makes a normal life impossible.    What is undeniable is the fact that whatever the cause of lack of money in a household, the little kids who are suffering because of it are not to blame.

We do not want to see a return of diseases like Rickets and children with stunted growth in this country with one of the world's best living standards, but it can happen if we do not take measures to see that those on the fringe of our society get at least one decent meal per day - and the one that will do the most good is breakfast.

Instead of cutting back on help to get a free breakfast operating in disadvantaged schools, this should get a level of encouragement from all levels of state and Federal government.   It is an area where a few dollars judiciously spent can deliver both health and educational rewards !

A United Kingdom breakup ?

The stage has been set for the people of Scotland to decide whether they wish to remain part of the three hundred year old United Kingdom.  In 2014 a referendum will offer a simple " Yes/No " vote to decide the issue.

At this stage, the opinion polls suggest the idea will be heavily rejected.   Only 34% of Scots seem to be in favour and the Brits are even less enthusiastic - at 29%.    Both sides of the argument will deliver impassioned pleas in the interim dialogue period before the vote, but it will be hard to make a compelling case based on statistics.

There is a vast population imbalance.  The 51 million people in England make up 84% of the UK population, the Welsh with 3 million represent 5% - and Scotland's 5 million come in at just 8.5%.   Thinking folk who do their sums on the back of an envelope will wonder how to fit the tax regime of a brand new country into the tax base five million people deliver.

It sounds good to think of breaking free from Westminster and living under the administration of a Scottish parliament, but then that creates the need for a new head of state.   Unless Scotland opts for a king, that will inevitably mean a republican system - and with it - a president.    Many Scots will still have a warm spot in their hearts for the present queen.

Five million people will have to shell out for things like their own embassies in other countries, a place in the deliberations of the  United Nations - and then comes the most horrific cost burden of them all - defence !
It would be unthinkable to imagine Scotland as an undefended country.  We live in a dangerous world and an independent Scotland would need to think long and hard about just what sort of army, navy and air force it could afford.

Those totalling costs on the back of an envelope will be getting dizzy spells when they start to add in all those welfare and infrastructure costs that the residents of independent countries have to face - and that includes financing the old age pension system and the medical services that citizens demand.

It will be interesting to see what odds bookmakers give on this referendum succeeding.  Dumping an arrangement that has served the British Isles well for three hundred turbulent years is not something to be done lightly., specially in a  world that is rapidly falling apart financially.

The Scots are a canny people.   That old thinking about a devil you know - in preference to the unknown - will have a big influence on how they mark that ballot paper !

A " Fun Place " ?

Tired old Wollongong Mall seems beyond redemption.   At the stroke of six pm the traders slam their doors shut - and the place dies.  Apart from the odd wandering drunk, the Mall is deserted and despite the supposed safety of numerous cctv cameras, it is a place ordinary citizens avoid because of it's crime reputation.

We are about to spend fourteen million dollars on a makeover, but once again this plan simply rearranges the street furniture - and does nothing to bring the place to life at night.   What brings people out at night ?   A combination of interesting places to eat, entertainment, music - a scene of frivolity and fun - and that is what is sadly missing in the Wollongong Mall.

Let us hope that GPT, the creators of the new shopping centre across the road from the old Mall will not make the same mistakes.  All the existing buildings have been levelled and the giant crane that will help build a " Greenfield " creation on the site is now in place.   The opportunity exists to create a mix of the right business models to make " Keira street " a " fun place " !

In particular, Globe lane has the potential to become a quirky attraction in it's own right with just the right planning. Melbourne has made great use of it's inner city lane ways, allowing them to develop a mix of small, intimate bars,  specialised eating places and an array of boutiques that are a must for the fashion conscious. It would be a shame if rigid thinking and unbending rules stifled the creativity that such a concept needs.

We have yet to see the layout plans for this new shopping centre.   Hopefully, it has been prepared by people who are " thinking outside the nine dots " and not merely dove tailing retail space to get the best financial return.    Opportunities like the new Keira street centre come just once in a lifetime to most cities.  What a pity if this one passes us by - and is wasted !

A flawed concept !

The New South Wales government is being urged to abate the binge drinking epidemic by pricing alcohol out of reach of many people.  In particular, wine casks are in the cross hairs.   Four litre wine casks are sold on special for about ten dollars -  and it is suggested that there be a minimum floor price on all alcohol - and that these casks be increased in price to fifty dollars.

No government would be so stupid as to go ahead with such a massive price hike, but it would be tempting for a cash strapped government to consider implementing a lesser plan.   Thinking people would  do well to ponder the mechanics of a higher price on wine casks.   If the retail price increases - who gets the money ?

It certainly wouldn't be handed to the people who grow the grapes, and it would be unlikely to remain in the tills of the bottle shops.   The obvious way to increase the retail price would be to slap on an extra tax - and that would send the money directly into the government coffers.

Of course a pious government would claim this unexpected windfall would be quarantined from " consolidated revenue " and it would be ear marked for special services connected with alcohol abuse, but then many people will remember a two cent per litre tax on petrol that was supposed to deliver the nirvana of a decent road system to motorists.   That too was similarly quarantined - until a few years later it simply disappeared into the maw of Treasury's "bottomless pit ".

We should also remember the fiasco of the " Alco-Pops " price hike.   There was alarm that teenage girls were becoming too fond of these alcoholic drinks and a punitive tax was slapped on them to  take them out of financial reach.    Sales of hard liquor increased sharply as the teenagers quickly learned to mix their own cocktails - and in most cases the alcohol content of these was sharply higher than what Alco-Pops offered.

Their is a direct correlation between price and consequences that exists with both alcohol and cigarettes.   Efforts to make people quit smoking saw the price of a packet of cigarettes increase sharply - and some people did quit the habit.   Those that continued to smoke simply paid the higher price and this resulted  in less money to put food on the table for the family .  A sharp increase in the price of alcohol would have a similar effect.   The item highest in demand is the one that gets the money in any household budget - and in many households, alcohol tops that list.

There is also a risk of a crime surge if alcohol offers a rich reward for criminals.  When raids occur on convenience stores a common pattern emerges.   The criminal clears out the till - and then seizes as many packets of cigarettes as possible.   High value in relation to bulk - and easily turned into cash.

It is said that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat those mistakes.   Taking alcohol out of reach of the masses seems to be just a new form of prohibition - and that was an idea that failed badly in another country !

A reducing risk factor !

Every year the number of cars on New South Wales roads increases and yet the statistical chance of getting killed in a car crash declines.   There has been a dramatic drop in car deaths in the past thirty years.    In 1982 this state's road toll stood at 1253 people killed.  In 2011 it was a mere 274.

Many factors have contributed to this improvement, but the single most significant reason we are safer driving cars is the efforts of the police to force drivers to obey the rules.   Thirty years ago many drivers ignored the requirement to buckle seatbelts when driving.   Today - some people still do drive unbuckled - but the numbers are declining and the main reasons are the heavy fines and loss of demerit points that apply.

Another major factor was the lowering of blood alcohol levels to .05 and the introduction of random breath tests.   Before RBT, a driver slightly over the limit needed an unfortunate minor accident to be forced to submit a breath test.   The advent of RBT increased the risk factor exponentially.   We still detect drivers breaking the alcohol rules, but they are ever decreasing in numbers because of the relentless roadside testing that we observe whenever we drive.

The car industry has also contributed to the lowering death toll.   Air bags are now an integral component of all new cars and to achieve sales manufacturers make attaining that five star safety rating an essential goal.  Even cars at the lower end of the price spectrum meet this standard, which now not only applies to the driver and passengers, but to the safety of pedestrians the vehicle may hit.

It seems we have made great progress in reducing the road toll.   People travelling in today's safety advanced vehicles, buckled into their seats and with a legal blood alcohol level, have a very good chance of reaching their destination safely - provided they don't speed.

Speed seems to be the last safety frontier.   An overwhelming number of fatal car accidents seem to happen on country roads - and speed is the determining factor when inquests deliver a verdict.   Speed is often a factor in city accidents and we are seeing an increase in hooning - and young drivers competing to race other cars on city streets.

It took a draconian police presence to get us to buckle our seat belts and observe the alcohol laws when driving.   The scientific world has devised instruments to detect speeding, ranging from radar to time/distance photographic measuring.    It is only a matter of time before exceeding the posted speed limit will bring such certain retribution that only the moronic will take that chance.

The end of an era !

Before the GFC hit jobs and the spending habits of ordinary Australians, we indulged in an era of ever increasing credit card debt.   The house price bubble convinced us we were rich and those insidious little plastic cards made it possible to have it all now - and defer paying until a much later date.

The retail industry is crying poor because we are just not spending like we did in a past era and now the " mechanics of money " have changed in a way reflected in statistics.   For the first time since " Bankcard " burst onto the scene decades ago, the average balance owing on credit cards has fallen - by $ 35.90 to a new low of just $ 3262.30 per person.

Not only do we owe less money, but the number of new credit cards issued has stopped dead in it's tracks, replaced by the popularity of Debit cards, which allow us to access our own money when we wish to make a purchase.   Debit cards use has increased by 6% and it seems that " impulse spending " is on the decline.  As the retail industry ruefully acknowledges - we now tend to think long and hard before we commit to make a purchase.

Debit cards have also ushered in a new way of thinking when it comes to accessing cash.   The days of trekking to the nearest ATM to withdraw cash money are being replaced by using the " cash out " facility attached to Debit cards and this has increased 42.7%.   Unfortunately, not all merchants who accept Debit cards provide this service, but it is universal in all the big supermarket stores and by most major merchants, where it serves the purpose of increasing security by reducing the amount of cash on hand.    When a customer withdraws cash money, that amount is instantly credited to the merchants bank balance.

Of course, the " win some - lose some " rule applies whenever a change occurs in the way we do things.  The banks are seeing the number of cheques written by customers dwindle as customers pay electronically on their computers or make over the counter payments at post offices.    Those same post offices are seeing a huge drop in mail traffic as merchants either bill their customers electronically, or enter into monthly bank payment arrangements to settle bills.

The free spending age came to an end with the GFC and it seems we have gained a new degree of caution when it comes to debt.   Unfortunately, the electronic era has opened up opportunities for the criminal fraternity to circumvent security arrangements and we are constantly faced with new scams to drain bank accounts.   At this stage, the banks are making good on legitimate fraud, but the fast evolving world of electronic access means every card holder needs to understand the system and be aware of risk.

Religious apathy !

It seems strange that a poorly acted short film which contained an insult to Islam's founding prophet would send rioting mobs through the streets of Muslim nations, torching cars and resulting in the death of innocent people, and yet the shooting of a fourteen year old schoolgirl in Pakistan by the Taliban fails to stir a similar wave of indignation.

Why did the Taliban decree that Malala Yousafzai be assassinated ?   Because she spoke out and demanded that girls be educated.    For asking for such a basic right, Taliban assassins waylaid her on her way home from school and shot her in the head and neck.   Fortunately, she is now expected to recover, but most likely she will never be safe again in Pakistan and it will be necessary to relocate her out of that country.

It is true that there was a wave of revulsion near where this atrocity occurred, but in the rest of the Muslim world it passed virtually unnoticed.   Education is still a work in progress in most Muslim countries.   In many cases, the bulk of schooling is provided by religious " Madrases "  which cater only for boys and concentrate on learning the Koran by rote rather than providing an academic curriculum.

The Taliban have extreme views on life in an Islamic society.  In particular, they insist that women be fully covered at all times, never leave their home without a male family escort - and under no circumstances be allowed to either work or gain an education.   Their aim is world jihad to impose this way of life on those liberated Islamic countries where educated women are a normal facit of the work force.

What Malala Yousafzai was seeking is the key to a modern Islam integrated with the rest of the world.   The reason that Muslims are not in the streets protesting this attack on her is because they lack the education to fully understand just what sort of hell the Taliban is trying to impose.   It is the more advanced Islamic countries that have improving living standards and universal education for both sexes, but the Taliban draws it's strength where poverty and ignorance are a way of life.

Malala Yousafzai had great courage for a girl of her age.  She spoke out against the apathy that many of her people seem to feel when religious leaders fail to connect with the modern world, and she understood that it is education that will open people's eyes to a better way of life for all in an integrated world - something that is anathema to the bigoted, inward looking Taliban leaders.

Unfortunately, there will be many more such future leaders who will suffer great harm as they try to change their world !

Win some - Lose some !

The fickle finger of fate will deliver vastly different financial outcomes to women at the close of this year.   For workers in the Social and Community servicing industry it will deliver pay increases of up to forty-five percent, finally bringing this vastly underpaid industry up to parity.

This workforce represents 150,000 people, of whom 120,000 are women.   In the past, they suffered low wages because it was argued that the services they provided could not withstand a pay upgrade because it would move these vital service out of financial reach of families.    The new pay rates will come into effect from December, and they will cost an extra $ 2.8 billion.

Just how this pay rise will be handled is yet to be determined.   It seems inevitable that it will impose new cost pressures on the child industries of kindergartens and pre-school centres, and many of these are on council or government payrolls.   It seems inevitable that we will see fee increases, but the workers in these areas are increasingly required to have professional standards of training.    Not only are the imbalances between male and female pay being steadily reduced but higher training standards require a move to professional pay levels.

As one level of women move up the pay scale, their sisters receiving parent welfare payments will suffer a reverse.    From January 1 the age requirement of children under their care to receive these payments will decrease - to a new level of just eight years of age.

Once the youngest child has an eighth birthday, the mother will move from a parent allowance to that dreaded category of  " NewStart".    Basically, they will be regarded as " unemployed " and be subjected to the dole, with all the reporting requirements and job interviews that entails.

For many, it represents a decrease of $ 140 per week and charities are bracing for a surge i n demand for their services.

There are few winners in the ever tightening regime of " welfare " payments.   The ultimate losers must be those women who came to our shores as migrants and strictly adhered to the standards of their former country.   This required them to to be classified as a " homemaker "by their husband  and be the prime carer of the children they produced.   In most cases they never held a paid job and some never mastered the English language.

What a shock when - a few years short of retirement age - they suffer the bereavement of their husband's death, only to discover that there is no longer a widow's pension, and be subjected to the requirements  of trying to access the work force under the regimen requirements of NewStart.

For some, this twenty-first century brings opportunity and a better life.   For others - sadness for kinder, gentler times !

The " Slow Train " enigma !

Once again the rail connection between Wollongong and Sydney is being examined to see if travelling time and frequency can be improved - without spending the enormous amounts of money needed to construct tunnels and deliver high speed rail.

We salivate over the GTV system in France and the Bullet trains in Japan, but Australia suffers from the combination of a small population and a vast distance between population centres.   In both Europe and Japan you have huge population numbers living within a constrained land mass.   Not only is there an adequate tax base to pay for an upgraded rail service, patron numbers keep the dollars flowing through the ticket office.

The Wollongong-Sydney rail link was an engineering marvel when it was constructed in the 1800's.   Much of it progresses through difficult terrain and this work was done in an age of horse transport and pick and shovel labouring.    Despite electrification, travel time between the two cities is now actually slower than in the steam train era.

Sydney is just eighty kilometres away, and yet this train journey takes ninety minutes - and that is on a good day.   Many regular travellers will attest that two hour journeys are not uncommon.  A lot depends on the weather, the number of train carriages - and whether it is a laughingly called " Express ", or an " all stations " trip.

The other gripe is the ever present overcrowding.   It is no laughing matter to spend ninety minutes strap hanging on a train lurching around sharp curves.    There has been a long wait for the promised new carriages - with functioning toilets and the provision of drinking water.   Unfortunately, even as these arrive the actual carriage numbers do not seem to increase - and hence the overcrowding remains constant.

Before we start tinkering with the system to try and increase speed, perhaps it would be a better idea to find out what the passengers really want.    By far the biggest beef would be the limited carriage capacity, resulting in the lucky few gaining a seat and the majority travelling  " cattle class " !

Our railways system seems to run entirely on either four or six carriage trains.   The argument against additional carriages stems from the short  platforms at stations between Wollongong and Sydney.   If we concentrate on providing an express service to get commuters to and from work at either centre, there should be no limit to carriage numbers - because the trains make no stops between these major destinations.

Journey time would seem to be less of a problem than solving the overcrowding.  The job facing railway planners would be to marshal enough carriages to create these express services, and because most people would cheerfully travel to the starting point of an express train to get a comfortable seat, the " all station "  trains would be less crowded, and offer a better service

This review of planning seems to be putting the cart before the horse.   Instead of just aiming for speed, it would be a better idea to first determine passenger priorities !

" Pay by the month " plan !

The plan to spread the cost of fire services from a levy on insurance policies to a wider collection by way of a levy based on property values was discussed by Wollongong council - and rejected.   Council was concerned that ratepayers would think this was some sort of new council tax if the collection was an addition to the home rating system.

Councils may argue against being the tax collector, but if the state government passes legislation to collect the tax that way - they will be legally stuck with the job.   It looks like that will mean that the average homeowner will need to find about $ 320 extra when the rates bill falls due.

This would seem to be a good time to have a look at the question of how the council rating system works, because it has remained virtually unchanged  for many years.   The biggest modification has been the concession to split annual rates into quarterly payments instead of demanding the whole amount up front.

Council would do well to consider how the insurance industry reacted to the ever increasing size of premiums.   Some enterprising companies introduced " pay by the month " premiums, deducted monthly from the policy holders bank account.    Initially, these attracted an extra charge for the convenience, but competitors saw an advantage in dropping this charge and the practice is now universal.

Isn't it time council offered this same monthly payment system to spread the rates burden, and wouldn't this be essential if the government used it's legislative powers to make councils the collection agent for this new fire services levy ?

We live in an ever changing world.   There could be benefits to council finances if the rates flow changed to twelve monthly dividends in place of mostly quarterly payments, as things now stand.   It would certainly help many household budgets to put council rates in the same category as the monthly automatic bank payments that take care of house and car insurance, mobile phones, and a host of other services that offer this payment method.    In fact, monthly auto payments are gradually becoming the only accepted way of attaining many services in recent times.

Wollongong council is offering a chance in the raffle of a brand new car for those who pay their annual council rates in full instead of opting for the quarterly payment concession.   This seems to be looking to the past - rather than adapting to the present - and much less than what the future seems to hold.

At some point, monthly rates payments seem to be inevitable !

Death by " Misadventure " ?

An inquest into the death of a twenty-one year old Brazilian student, trying to escape arrest by police on the streets of Sydney is raising some interesting questions.   It seems that this usually mild and well mannered young man was having a bad reaction to a LSD tablet that saw him disoriented, suffering delusions and running through the streets bare chested and shoeless.   For unknown reasons, he ran into a convenience store gibbering, jumped the counter and made off with two packets of biscuits, causing the proprietor to alert the police.

LSD is a mind altering psychotic drug which often confers added strength to users.   Police comment that his resistance to their efforts to contain him verged on " super human " and no less than eleven officers tried to bring him under control.   They used capsicum spray, batons - and fired Tasers at him no less than fourteen times.   When he was eventually on the ground and handcuffed, one officer threatened further Taser shots unless he behaved.

Unfortunately, this young man died and despite efforts by paramedics, he could not be revived.  The coroner is now tasked with finding the cause of death and it seems that it may be a combination of his highly agitated state and positioning on the ground causing asphyxia    The precise cause may never be known and this could then be a death by " misadventure ".

The salient point raised by this inquest is the manner in which Taser weapons are now being used by police officers.   When they were introduced, we were assured that they would be a more humane alternative to the use of police firearms.   Critics countered that they would quickly become the " weapon of choice " by the police to avoid the risk of personal injury to officers tasked with taking down a violent offender.    This prediction quickly became fact !

It is inconceivable that given the circumstances of this attempted arrest, the police would have even considered using their firearms - let along blazing away with fourteen shots at an unarmed offender !
In the pre-Taser era, the officers would have waded in with batons and physical force and possibly lost a little skin and hair in the encounter, let alone torn uniforms and damaged equipment. We are now in a  new era.   At the first sign of resistance, the Taser immediately comes into play.

Medical people need to ponder the wisdom of " drive stunning ", the practice of putting a Taser against the skin of a cuffed offender and delivering a high voltage shock to cause pain.  This seems to be a preferred method to abate further resistance, but it is a far extension of Taser use to prevent a fleeing felon from escaping.

This Taser use problem is not restricted to the New South Wales police force.   The increasing use of Tasers  is causing concern in every other Australian state, and in the policing methods of countries across the entire world.

Whatever the outcome of this inquest, the Taser seems here to stay, but it badly needs a firm set of rules to control it's use !

An " Open Door " policy?

A ruling by the Australian High Court has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons when it comes to our security needs.   It singled out a Sri Lankan who arrived on a people smuggler's boat and applied for political asylum. Our migration people agreed that he met the criteria as a refugee, but an investigation by the Australian Security and Intelligence Organization ( ASIO ) considered that he posed a security risk, and as a consequence he was ordered to remain in a detention centre.

This High Court ruling seems confusing.   It seems to mean that because a person is declared a security risk, this must not stop the issue of a visa being granted.   It then creates a murky situation of a person with a valid entry visa being detained, but with that visa holding an authority that the person must eventually be allowed to  reside in this country.    The court did not impose a time limit for detention, nor rule on the matter of " indefinite detention ".

All forms of legality are full of loop holes.  In this case, the court was ruling on our obligations - as they are defined by that court - as expressed in the migration act.    If we do not like the implications arrived at by the court, we need to bring the migration act back before parliament - and change it to express the will of the parliament.   To do that, it will be necessary for the government and the opposition to reach agreement on a common intention.

ASIO has not released a finding on why it considers this applicant - known before the court as M47 - a security risk.   His home country was engaged in a long and bitter civil war and both sides are accused of committing atrocities.   It is quite possible that at war's end, some were not satisfied to leave the matter there and fully intend to remain active in the country to which they have migrated.    We would certainly not wish to  offer an " open door " policy to such people here in Australia.

ASIO is our designated " filter " to screen our migrant flow of undesirables.   By the very nature of it's activities it is essential that it's personnel remain largely anonymous and it's information sources are protected.   It is possible that on some occasions mistakes will be made.   The court system allows multiple avenues for those challenged to have decisions reviewed - and we often see this process drag on for years.

There is an old truism that says " If it " ain't broken - don't fix it ! "     In this case it does need fixing, because the High Court just threw a monkey wrench into the security filter system.    We do need a clear and unassailable barrier to stop those who pose a security risk from entering this country !

The " sticking point " !

Every year the traffic flow at peak times in Sydney gets a little slower.   It is a constant battle between more new cars trying to use existing roads and the impossibility of funding a completely new highway system to accommodate our love affair with the automobile.  Now there is a proposal to try a " carrot and stick " approach to try and vary the times that motorists drive their cars.

This idea proposes a new road toll at peak times, compensated by cutting the registration cost of each vehicle by nearly  half.  The current average registration cost of $ 400 would fall to $ 180, but motorists would be charged a five cent per kilometre toll for driving on arterial roads between 6 am and 9 am, and 4 pm and 6-30 pm.

This principle is already in place on the harbour bridge. Initially, some people tried to vary their driving time to avoid a higher toll, but in a short space of time it became just one more impost - because nothing really changed to make driving at peak time optional.

The sticking point is that we are still stuck with that old pre war - nine to five - mentality.    The morning peak exists because we need to travel to work in shops or offices for the morning start, and when our time at work ends we head home to create the afternoon peak.    If we could somehow spread our travelling needs more evenly over the day - the problem would be automatically solved.

We have come a little way in that direction.   The shops open on Saturday and Sunday now, when in a past era all forms of weekend trading was strictly controlled, but little has changed in the general business world.  If you need to call on an insurance company, visit a lawyer, consult a medical specialist - or do most very ordinary business transactions - you need to be in that nine to five time frame - or you will find a closed door !

We need to think long and hard about how to diversify our travel needs, and it is worth noting that the peak traffic flow eases noticeably whenever it coincides with school holidays.    Is it really necessary for the school day to mesh with the business day ?    What would be the ramifications of a school day that started at 11 am - and finished at 7 pm ?.   Of course there would be problems for some people, but surely we need to give serious thought to making the changes that will solve the problems - not merely throwing an ever increasing amount of money into building more roads.

We are well into the communications age.   Computers in family homes expand exponentially each year and every high school kid now has a personal computer.   Isn't it time the business world came out of the dark ages and made itself available outside that nine to five time frame ?    Do we need a whole bunch of people sitting in a city office for a reduced period of hours ?    Or would it be better to have a rotation of some of those people available online to spread the load ?     With email - and in particular - using Skype face to face conversations via a monitor screen - there is less need to physically travel to do business.

Unfortunately, we are creatures of habit.  More so, new ideas frighten us.   We tend to cling to the past.   It will be a long battle to convince business to change their ways - and an equally hard battle to get customers to use these new methods, but as Confucius once said - " The longest journey starts with the first step ".

If we ever hope to solve Sydney's traffic problems, we will need innovative thinking to even up the traffic flow - and the carrot and stick approach to sell the idea to all levels of society !

Mutual obligations !

People embarking on a career in medicine will be astonished to hear that the University of Wollongong will not offer training for the Midwives certificate in 2013.      The course will be dropped for at least next year while the university ponders whether it should remain in the curriculum- and if so - in what form.

Those seeking this certification will be required to travel to either Sydney, Newcastle or Canberra for the required training and obviously that will impose travel and accommodation costs.   This seems to be an amazing contradiction as trained midwives are in short supply and this is one of the medical disciplines that urgently needs expansion.

This decision seems to fly in the face of the status that has been conferred on both Wollongong and Shellharbour hospitals.    Both have gained the recognition as " teaching hospitals ", with the elevation of their top medical staff to the titles of " Associated Professors " and the recognition that they have the ability to train and certify our future medical doctors and nurses.

It seems inconceivable that one of the most basic skill certificates will no longer be obtainable locally to those who choose to do their training here in the Illawarra, because the university which is supposed to work in lockstep with our teaching hospital status  - has decided to drop that course.

Medicine is a rewarding career, but it requires the men and women who serve as our health guardians to constantly upgrade their skills and enhance the scope of their qualifications.    Those engaged in nursing are constantly seeking to add new skill certificates, and nursing has moved completely out of the " on the job " mode of training.  A university degree is now the basic starting point.

It makes a mockery of upgrading our local hospitals to the status of training hospitals, if at the same time the means of accessing a full range of certification is shrinking.

If nothing else, those in medical training deserve an explanation as to why this illogical decision is being implemented !

The tactics of war !

The civil war in Syria edged up a notch higher when a mortar round hit the Turkish town of Akcakale and killed a Turkish woman and three of her children.   This escalation provoked Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to order his artillery to return fire, and he has raised the question of a NATO response under the terms of the mutual defence treaty binding NATO members.

There is no doubt that the mortar round came from Syrian territory, but precisely who fired it remains a mystery.

The death toll in this civil war has risen above thirty thousand and many of the casualties have been innocent women and children.  President Assad has been relentless in using his mechanised army and modern air force to pound civilian targets.  What he terms " terrorists " are rebels trying to remove a dynasty that has ruled Syria for generations and both sides are engaged in all out war.

The conflict is providing opportunity to a wide selection of people streaming into the country to try and influence the revolution to an end that suits their dogma.    This includes Salafists,  Mujaheddin and the vast array of splinter groups sheltering under the al Qaeda umbrella.     Some of these would like to broaden the conflict to include the entire Middle East.

It is unlikely that Assad would  willing;y provoke Turkey, so that mortar round could be a normal accident by members of his armed forces, or it could be a deliberate ploy by darker forces to promote their own agenda.   NATO is showing no inclination to get involved and Erdogan seems to be satisfied that his gunners have restored Turkish honour.   Provided there are no more " incidents " - the matter seems resolved.

The outcome of the " Arab Spring " is yet to be decided in individual countries.   Tunisia seems to have settled on a secular, democratic form of government, but the situation is far from clear in neighbouring countries.   The shape of emerging regimes is still a battle between those seeking democracy and fundamentalists who demand a theocratic, Sharia ruled state.

The " Middle East " could best be described as a " work in progress ".   This revolution of ideas and power is simmering in a lot of countries not yet involved in direct action and the region will continue to be a powder keg for decades into the future.

What eventually emerges will determine if Islam becomes a religion of peace, or if a dogmatic theocracy tries to force it's adoption onto the rest of the world !

The Hague Convention.

A highly emotional case is reaching finality in an Australian court.    An Australian woman married to an Italian man lived in Italy during the years that they had four daughters together.   The marriage soured, but the father agreed to his wife taking the girls to Australia for a family holiday.   A hidden agenda was involved and the mother refused to return the girls to Italy when the holiday ended.  The sisters were vocal in refusing to be returned to their father.

This incident fell under the protective terms of the Hague Convention.   That is an accord signed by most civilized countries that codifies parental responsibilities and spells out the laws designed for the protection of children.   In broad terms, it outlaws the removal of children from the reach of the courts of their usual place of residence.   It considers the removal of a child by one parent from the care of the other a breach of the law tantamount to kidnapping.

This case had many twists and turns.   The removal clearly invoked the Hague convention and the courts ordered the children to be returned to their father in Italy.   They then " disappeared ", only to later reappear in the care of a relative in another part of the state.   These four sisters - aged between nine and fifteen - were adamant that their wishes were to remain in Australia with their mother.

The court was equally adamant that the law of the Hague Convention applied, and they will shortly be returning to Italy.  Some people complain that the wishes of the girls are being ignored and at age fifteen the decision should be up to the child concerned, but to do that would be to condone.the breach of a law that applies in most civilized countries.

Some people will remember a celebrated abduction case from 1992.    An Australian mother married to a Malaysian prince was granted custody rights for their two children and legally moved them to Australia.   It seemed an amicable arrangement and the mother consented to the father taking them on an Australian holiday.
The prince put in place an elaborate abduction scheme which resulted in the father and the children reappearing in Malaysia.    Several Australian accomplices were charged and one served gaol time as a result.

Malaysia is not a signatory to the Hague Convention and religious laws in that country favour men in their decisions.    Repatriation was refused, and the prince denied access by mail or phone until the children reached the age of eighteen.

Fortunately, there was an ultimate happy ending, and a similar conclusion may apply in this case proceeding through an Australian court.    When these Malaysian children reached their legal age of consent, they defied their father's wishes and happily reconnected with their mother in Australia.

It ias said that time often heals old wounds !

Sharing the load !

When we make a 000 call, different financial outcomes result.   If we need the police they do not submit a bill for their services.   If  we need an ambulance, the service is free for those on a pension, but all others are charged a mileage rate if they are conveyed to hospital.  To avoid this, they need to have their health insurance company pick up the tab.    The anomaly is the funding arrangement that covers the cost of the fire brigade.

Seventy-four percent of the funds needed to provide Fire and Rescue services ( NSW ), the Rural Fire service and the State Emergency service ( SES ) come from a compulsory levy on each and every home insurance policy issued by an insurance company in this state.   The state government contributes the balance.

None of these entities send in a bill when they attend a house fire, work on extinguishing a bushfire, or search for missing hikers.  It has long been a gripe of the insurance industry that this emergency service tax inflates the cost of their policies, but those who do not insure their homes get a free ride at the expense of those that do.

The state government is taking steps to correct this anomaly.   It is proposed that the insurance tax be lifted and replaced with a state wide levy on land values.  As a result, the premium for home insurance is expected to drop sharply, but all owners of property will be forced to share the load of financing a service that covers all property without a direct bill for services.   With lower premiums, many more people will probably insure their homes.

The sticking point seems to be how this tax will be collected.    The logical method would be to have it collected by local councils as an adjunct to rate notices.  The mechanism is already in place to establish each property value and collection would be a simple matter of including the levy in the rates bill.
Councils insist that this would be seen by some people as a council charge and councils would be unfairly vilified.  They want collection to be made the responsibility of the state debt recovery office.

This would add another level to the bureaucracy.  If nothing else, why add a postage charge to every property in the state when each council is already tasked with mailing out rate notices ?  Collecting this levy through the rate system is clearly the most cost efficient way of handling the matter.

This funding change delivers the best outcome for equally sharing the cost load.  It delivers an incentive for people to insure by way of reduced premiums, but it prevents the uninsured from opting out of paying their share - but still availing themselves of the service provided.

Very mixed benefits !

The Reserve banks decision to shave a further twenty-five points off the cash rate - bringing it to 3.25% - is hailed by some economists as " just in time " to save the battling retail industry.    This is now the fifth such easement in the past twelve months, and the benefits may have been overstated.

It certainly means that those people who have a mortgage will be required to make smaller monthly payments to service that debt, but there seems to be an assumption that families will use those savings to go on a spending spree - and that will restore the retail industry to profitability.     The more likely outcome is that many people will continue to pay the same amount off their mortgage in an attempt to see it reduce faster. The future still looks bleak and most people are in saving mode.   There may be a little relief for the retail industry, but those expecting a bonanza will be disappointed.

On the other side of the coin there will be disappointment from the legions of self funded retirees and those who get a part pension because of their investments.   The GFC hollowed out the hedge funds and investment industry servicing those with a superannuation lump sum.   The only safe and certain place for that money is an interest bearing term deposit - but now that return is to take another nose dive.   As these term deposits mature, reinvestment will be at a lower rate of interest and so those retirees counting on returns for their living  will certainly not be going on spending sprees.

There also seems to be an expectation that a lowering of interest rates will see industry seeking loans to expand - and therefore ease the unemployment situation.   At best, this will likely be very selective.  There may be a revival in the housing sector as home builders seek to cash in on the grant preference for new constructions, but the high Australian dollar shows no signs of easing and that makes anything manufactured here uncompetitive as an export.

It is also worth noting that the car industry is now virtually offering interest free loans to move stock.  The money market is predicting another interest rate cut before Christmas and that raises the question of what safety level exists to regulate the mixed interests of the economy.   The fact that just four commercial banks rule the banking industry here means that their attitude to lending will have the biggest impact on which way our economy moves.

The one thing that is absolutely certain - is that our economy is subjected to the whims and pressures that ordinary citizens make in conducting their finances.   No matter how rosy or how pessimistic the gurus of finance see it - what actually happens in the market place will have a lot to do with how ordinary men and women digest this interest rate news - and react !

Interest rates can be a double edged sword.   The Japanese interest rate edged close to zero in recent times - and delivered a stagnant economy that is still struggling.    For us mere mortals, it would seem to be good advice to be very careful about what we wish for !

Unintended consequences !

The rape and murder of ABC radio employee, Jill Meagher in Melbourne touched a nerve with most people in Australia.   It seemed uncanny that a beautiful young woman could disappear without trace just a short distance from her home, on a street that was far from deserted.   There was a steady stream of cars, trams and taxis - and cctv cameras disclosed other pedestrians.

When her body was discovered days later, buried in a shallow grave beside a country road the outpouring of grief from complete strangers was overwhelming.   A massive memorial of flowers started to accumulate at the site of a bridal shop whose security camera depicted the last images of her still alive, and by word of mouth people gathered after a man was taken into custody and charged with murder.   A hundred or so were expected to walk that street in her memory - instead tens of thousands of people turned up in an almost endless stream.   The pictures on television reminded some of the events in London that followed the tragic death of Princess Diana.

Now that sympathy for Jill Meaghers family is turning to rage against the man accused of her murder.  Legal circles are becoming concerned that social media is being used to express that rage in a manner that may prejudice the forthcoming trial.   In particular, comments on Facebook could cause his defence lawyers to claim that a " fair trial " is now impossible because all jurors will have been influenced by the media hype surrounding this case.

Facebook has been requested to withdraw the more sensational posts - and has refused.   It seems that we are seeing the conflict between the principles of free speech - as opposed to the right of an accused to have a trial before jurors who have not been exposed to pre-judgement by media.

Legal proceedings are not expected to get under way until at least next year and the wheels of justice grind slowly.   It would be unfortunate if the public interest that was so publicly aroused by Jill Meaghers disappearance caused events that resulted in the person responsible being granted a mistrial.   That would certainly be an unintended consequence.

The public would be well advised to refrain from direct comment - until that trial is concluded !

Our " Shantytown " slums !

When a woman fell to her death from a fire in a high rise unit in Bankstown, Sydney, it focused the spotlight on illegal renovations to cram more people into existing housing stock.   We deplore the housing conditions we see in the vast slums of many developing countries, but our own cities are hiding a hidden " shantytown " behind the elegant facade of modern buildings.

The Real Estate people are seeing situations where over twenty people are crammed into a two bedroom apartment.  In some cases, extra bedrooms have been constructed by adding partitions, and these have been furnished with triple height bunk beds or even mattresses on the floor to maximise sleeping spaces.   In areas close to universities, " hot bunking " is another option to get more money from a limited area of space.   Residents take turns to occupy a sleeping space at different times of the day and night, hence that bed is rarely unoccupied.

Apart from the health risks, having units subdivided poses a huge fire danger.  Not only are escape routes impeded, but illegal walls concentrate smoke and that can be more deadly than the actual flames. Bedding contains material that releases hydrogen cyanide gas when alight - and bedding is the main furnishing in these illegal dormitories.

It is all a matter of money.  Desperate people are prepared to pay rents of $ 175 a week for a place to sleep, with share access to a toilet, shower  and somewhere to prepare a snack.   It is often a case of accepting this drop in living standards - or join the homeless living on the streets.

This subdividing to create overcrowding is clearly illegal, but privacy laws make it difficult for councils to intervene.   It is only when tragedy strikes that the authorities get the opportunity to make a detailed inspection and order restoration to comply with planning laws.  In the majority of cases, what is now a boarding house is masquerading as the owners private residence.   The onus of proof rests with the council to prove otherwise.

The driving force - is the " Law of Supply and Demand ".    As long as the number of people seeking city accommodation far exceeds the places offered, greedy landlords will meet that shortfall with sub standard facilities that deliver rich rewards.    Perhaps the day is approaching when all habitable dwellings will be required to have an annual fire inspection performed by the fire brigade - to ensure that the dwelling has a functioning smoke alarm and that the interior structure meets relevant fire standards.

Many would regard this as a gross invasion of privacy, but safety laws have consistently surpassed privacy concerns.   We face draconian penalties if we drive our car without a buckled safety belt.  The law requires us to wear a safety vest when on a boat in the water - and we must submit to a compulsory body search whenever we travel through an airport.    All of these requirements were installed in the holy name of - safety !