Whether it is the anal rape of young boys or the vaginal rape of young girls, when a rape accusation surfaces in the media it immediately generates headlines. What is surprising is how few such prosecutions go to trial and those that do usually receive far less punishment than the public expects.
At the moment, the "Girl X "case is ruffling feathers in New South Wales. Back in 2012 this fourteen year old was a resident in a care home because she had "needs ". She worked part time for a local cafe owner and she told her boss of being regularly raped by a twenty-six year old care attendant, who regularly stayed overnight on "sleepover "shifts. Her boss phoned the Care home and reported this claim to management, but it seems that no action was taken and the matter lapsed.
Sadly,when her increasing age removed her from the protection of a care home she gravitated to the use of illicit drugs, and she has subsequently died of a drug overdose. However the DPP have DNA evidence that links one of two care workers to the alleged rapes and it seems that this offence may be wider spread. The police also recovered explicit photos of other girls in the care home. The scientists claim that this DNA proves guilt on the basis of a hundred billion to one - and yet the DPP has refused to take the matter to court.
What is unclear is whether this rape was forced upon this young girl or whether a twenty-six year old male in a position of authority groomed the girl for sex and ran something of a harem in the care home. What is important is that a ward of the state below the age of consent was subject to illicit sex by an employee tasked with her protection.
We have seen a litany of those in authority choosing to look the other way when sex is concerned. All the churches have a shameful record and it is still not positively clear that future offences will be automatically referred to the police. It is quite probable that many sex offenders take the risk of satisfying their sexual needs on those under their care simply because the odds of getting away with it are in their favour.
That is why it is important that the DPP take all and every opportunity to bring these cases to court. Sex is one of the prime motivators of the human race and we will never totally stop sexual abuse, but the knowledge that offenders will face the full force of the law and receive consistent punishment may cause many to have second thoughts.
It is quite probable that the DPP is receiving pressure from the government to hold back on prosecutions. We have a vastly overcrowded prison system and sex offenders usually need separation from the general milieu. In many cases prosecutions now involve very old men who have offended in their youth and housing them creates problems. Sentencing is evolving towards short time in prison followed by a lengthy rehabilitation curve.
In this lurid rape of "Girl X "in a care home the lack of a prosecution despite ample evidence is not delivering the hoped for message to other young men who find they have compliant young girls at their mercy as part of their job procedure.
Wednesday 24 August 2016
Tuesday 23 August 2016
Sexism In The Dress Code !
One Sydney school insists that its summer dress code for girls is a dress and in winter they may choose a tunic, but trousers and shorts are barred all year. This throwback to an earlier age seems to have missed the attention of the feminist movement. It seems that this edict is the wish of the schools P & C decision making body.
The mother protesting for change took the matter to the Education Department, and they ducked for cover. They declined to intervene on the grounds that the school had granted an exemption to the ruling and this individual pupil was free to wear trousers or shorts.
That sounds like a victory for common sense, but a lot depends on what attitude is forthcoming from the school teaching staff and how the decision is treated by conservative parents. Those who pioneer change and consequently stand out from the crowd are not always welcomed by their peers. This decision could result in a host of others seeking similar exemptions, or a closing of ranks and trousers seen as a breach of the uniform code.
Perhaps that schools P & C are imposing their dress code as a subtle way of warning that dress codes still exist in the wider business community. The female "business suit " is widely accepted across a range of professional disciplines but there are a surprising number of offices where all the female staff are attired in a dress. Often, these have what is unofficially termed a "glass ceiling ". No women attain executive rank.
The feminist movement has been agitating for an equal mix of the genders in parliament and for more women to sit on the boards of leading companies and this is achieving success, but there are a surprising number of holdouts who cloak their sexism by appointing what is often termed the "token " female executive.
A company with a male heavy executive staff which fears to attract media attention will often decide to rectify the situation by creating a high profile position and filling it with promotion from within. The title appended to this position will be indicative of seniority but in fact the tasks required will have little relevance to actual management. The main objective will be to prove that this company is following the dictates of gender equality as demanded by society.
It is surprising the number of big name public companies which still require a dress code in their head office. This is usually subtly put in place. It does not appear in the interview to select a new applicant and usually it is the task of the most senior woman in the office to gain attire acceptance before the offer of employment is confirmed.
Unfortunately, many school leavers fail to understand the importance of dressing accordingly to the type of job interview they are about to attend. It is not a good idea to front in clothing more appropriate for the beach, nor to be heavily adorned with pop culture icons. Where possible, tattoos should be kept out of sight and an applicant would do well to observe the attire of the other workers in the place where they are seeking employment.
Dress codes may seem a relic of an earlier age, but they do exist in many workplaces and quite a few of these are under the control of a female boss. The applicant who demands the right to wear what they choose and to exhibit the freedom to represent the current fad culture is likely to remain in the ranks of the long term unemployed !
The mother protesting for change took the matter to the Education Department, and they ducked for cover. They declined to intervene on the grounds that the school had granted an exemption to the ruling and this individual pupil was free to wear trousers or shorts.
That sounds like a victory for common sense, but a lot depends on what attitude is forthcoming from the school teaching staff and how the decision is treated by conservative parents. Those who pioneer change and consequently stand out from the crowd are not always welcomed by their peers. This decision could result in a host of others seeking similar exemptions, or a closing of ranks and trousers seen as a breach of the uniform code.
Perhaps that schools P & C are imposing their dress code as a subtle way of warning that dress codes still exist in the wider business community. The female "business suit " is widely accepted across a range of professional disciplines but there are a surprising number of offices where all the female staff are attired in a dress. Often, these have what is unofficially termed a "glass ceiling ". No women attain executive rank.
The feminist movement has been agitating for an equal mix of the genders in parliament and for more women to sit on the boards of leading companies and this is achieving success, but there are a surprising number of holdouts who cloak their sexism by appointing what is often termed the "token " female executive.
A company with a male heavy executive staff which fears to attract media attention will often decide to rectify the situation by creating a high profile position and filling it with promotion from within. The title appended to this position will be indicative of seniority but in fact the tasks required will have little relevance to actual management. The main objective will be to prove that this company is following the dictates of gender equality as demanded by society.
It is surprising the number of big name public companies which still require a dress code in their head office. This is usually subtly put in place. It does not appear in the interview to select a new applicant and usually it is the task of the most senior woman in the office to gain attire acceptance before the offer of employment is confirmed.
Unfortunately, many school leavers fail to understand the importance of dressing accordingly to the type of job interview they are about to attend. It is not a good idea to front in clothing more appropriate for the beach, nor to be heavily adorned with pop culture icons. Where possible, tattoos should be kept out of sight and an applicant would do well to observe the attire of the other workers in the place where they are seeking employment.
Dress codes may seem a relic of an earlier age, but they do exist in many workplaces and quite a few of these are under the control of a female boss. The applicant who demands the right to wear what they choose and to exhibit the freedom to represent the current fad culture is likely to remain in the ranks of the long term unemployed !
Monday 22 August 2016
Aged Care Risk !
There are eighty thousand aged care workers in Australia - and they are predominantly women. Caring for the elderly is not one of Australia's highly paid industries and the work is often stressful. It seems to attract dedicated workers who are aware that their absence will create problems in a nursing home if they take sick leave. Consequently, they are more likely to "soldier on " if they contract a dose of the flu !
The annual influenza season is something nursing homes dread. Last year the flu was linked to the death of forty-five of those in residential care, and yet statistics reveal that only forty-four percent of aged care workers are protected by the annual flu jab.
We seem to have some strange variations in our mandatory health laws. Aged care workers are required to be immunised against Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Whooping Cough - but there is no requirement for an annual flu jab.
That flu jab is free to all those over sixty-five, but all others outside that age group need to consult a general practitioner and buy the vaccine from a chemist. Each year the flu jab contains hopeful protection against the main variety of flu infections expected but there are no guarantees. The public is warned to maintain regular hygiene and wash hands before preparing food - and most nursing homes plead with relatives not to visit if they are suffering the flu.
Now the health people are sitting up and taking notice that we have this great extraordinary gap where only forty-four percent of those who work in nursing homes have had their annual flu jab. More than half the people attending to the elderly are probably contaminated and their presence could be the main source of flu infections that plague the nursing home industry.
Some nursing homes pick up the tab for getting their workers a flu jab but many others stick carefully to the award, and it makes this optional. At the very least, flu protection needs to be added to the vaccination chain that already applies to all those working in nursing home care.
Surely, this makes common sense. Nursing homes are a concentration of elderly people who mostly lack the health and vigour of the average citizen to ward off infection. Very strict legislation applies to every aspect of the building and its services. Fire sprinkler systems are required and evacuation procedures are tested on a regular basis. Meal preparation must meet exacting health standards.
It seems to be a strange anomaly that nursing homes that close their doors to all visitors when a flu outbreak strikes also have the vast majority of their care workers potentially spreading the infection because they lack that simple annual flu jab.
Something that can be solved by the stroke of a bureaucratic pen !
The annual influenza season is something nursing homes dread. Last year the flu was linked to the death of forty-five of those in residential care, and yet statistics reveal that only forty-four percent of aged care workers are protected by the annual flu jab.
We seem to have some strange variations in our mandatory health laws. Aged care workers are required to be immunised against Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Whooping Cough - but there is no requirement for an annual flu jab.
That flu jab is free to all those over sixty-five, but all others outside that age group need to consult a general practitioner and buy the vaccine from a chemist. Each year the flu jab contains hopeful protection against the main variety of flu infections expected but there are no guarantees. The public is warned to maintain regular hygiene and wash hands before preparing food - and most nursing homes plead with relatives not to visit if they are suffering the flu.
Now the health people are sitting up and taking notice that we have this great extraordinary gap where only forty-four percent of those who work in nursing homes have had their annual flu jab. More than half the people attending to the elderly are probably contaminated and their presence could be the main source of flu infections that plague the nursing home industry.
Some nursing homes pick up the tab for getting their workers a flu jab but many others stick carefully to the award, and it makes this optional. At the very least, flu protection needs to be added to the vaccination chain that already applies to all those working in nursing home care.
Surely, this makes common sense. Nursing homes are a concentration of elderly people who mostly lack the health and vigour of the average citizen to ward off infection. Very strict legislation applies to every aspect of the building and its services. Fire sprinkler systems are required and evacuation procedures are tested on a regular basis. Meal preparation must meet exacting health standards.
It seems to be a strange anomaly that nursing homes that close their doors to all visitors when a flu outbreak strikes also have the vast majority of their care workers potentially spreading the infection because they lack that simple annual flu jab.
Something that can be solved by the stroke of a bureaucratic pen !
Saturday 13 August 2016
Ausgrid - and Security !
The New South Wales government made a brave decision to lease the poles and wires that distribute electricity in this state to the highest bidder to freeup billions of urgently needed upfront dollars to provide the vital rail and road networks and other public works we so desperately need.
The negotiations have been long and tedious and two front runners have emerged. One is a Chinese company tightly connected to the Communist government and the other is a private enterprise outfit based in Hong Kong. Suddenly, the Federal government has nixed this ten billion dollar deal on the grounds that it infringes national security.
A lot of people agree with that sentiment, but it seems to run counter to what is happening in other areas of infrastructure which are now in foreign hands, much of which is of a Chinese character. For instance, the entire South Australian electricity supply is leased to CKI which is the Kong Kong based applicant just knocked back for the NSW poles and wires.
Many of our ports are foreign run and we welcome investment in this country. There was a time when the money flow came predominantly from Britain but after the end of the second world war Americas was the richest country in the world and it was feared that America was "buying "Australia. We have become sensitive to foreign ownership of farmland and now it is money from all over the world that keeps our economy humming along.
Perhaps there is a degree of confusion between "ownership "and "leasing "of infrastructure. The NSW poles and wires will never leave Australian ownership and for a number of nominated years they will be leased by the successful applicant who will be responsible for maintenance. Obviously that company expects to make a profit on the deal.
There is every expectation that the Australian work force presently maintaining this poles and wires operation will continue to do so. There will obviously be top management changes but the management of poles and wires will still be within the reach and overview of the Australian government. Some may wonder if this security concern is over rated.
We now live in a very inter connected world. The very presence of nuclear weapons has kept the major powers from waging direct war for nearly a century and there is every prospect that this situation will continue. Foreign investment is now viewed as coming from a "friendly "country or from a nation that we view as a potential threat to our future. China has been emerging as an Asian giant with military aspirations but is also one of our foremost trading partners. If we ever find ourselves at war with China it will undoubtedly be allied with another similar power.
In the event of a military clash with China there seems little doubt that Chinese hackers could quickly damage our economy. Perhaps the greatest protection against economic intrusion could be the risk to existing Chinese investment suffering loss in such an event. There is an old saying that if you owe the bank a hundred dollars the bankers have you in their pocket, but if you owe the bank a few
million dollars - you have them in your pocket !
Chinese investment in Australia is a double edged coin . We would do well to think this through carefully before making a final decision !
The negotiations have been long and tedious and two front runners have emerged. One is a Chinese company tightly connected to the Communist government and the other is a private enterprise outfit based in Hong Kong. Suddenly, the Federal government has nixed this ten billion dollar deal on the grounds that it infringes national security.
A lot of people agree with that sentiment, but it seems to run counter to what is happening in other areas of infrastructure which are now in foreign hands, much of which is of a Chinese character. For instance, the entire South Australian electricity supply is leased to CKI which is the Kong Kong based applicant just knocked back for the NSW poles and wires.
Many of our ports are foreign run and we welcome investment in this country. There was a time when the money flow came predominantly from Britain but after the end of the second world war Americas was the richest country in the world and it was feared that America was "buying "Australia. We have become sensitive to foreign ownership of farmland and now it is money from all over the world that keeps our economy humming along.
Perhaps there is a degree of confusion between "ownership "and "leasing "of infrastructure. The NSW poles and wires will never leave Australian ownership and for a number of nominated years they will be leased by the successful applicant who will be responsible for maintenance. Obviously that company expects to make a profit on the deal.
There is every expectation that the Australian work force presently maintaining this poles and wires operation will continue to do so. There will obviously be top management changes but the management of poles and wires will still be within the reach and overview of the Australian government. Some may wonder if this security concern is over rated.
We now live in a very inter connected world. The very presence of nuclear weapons has kept the major powers from waging direct war for nearly a century and there is every prospect that this situation will continue. Foreign investment is now viewed as coming from a "friendly "country or from a nation that we view as a potential threat to our future. China has been emerging as an Asian giant with military aspirations but is also one of our foremost trading partners. If we ever find ourselves at war with China it will undoubtedly be allied with another similar power.
In the event of a military clash with China there seems little doubt that Chinese hackers could quickly damage our economy. Perhaps the greatest protection against economic intrusion could be the risk to existing Chinese investment suffering loss in such an event. There is an old saying that if you owe the bank a hundred dollars the bankers have you in their pocket, but if you owe the bank a few
million dollars - you have them in your pocket !
Chinese investment in Australia is a double edged coin . We would do well to think this through carefully before making a final decision !
Friday 12 August 2016
A Timely Warning !
On Census night the server crashed and a vast number of people were not able to enter their Census details on line. That was a rather predictable result considering that more people are now expected to be computer savvy and use this media than those still beavering away with a pen on a paper form.
Every one of the twenty-four million residents of Australia who are in this country on Census night need to be counted and this was undeniably the biggest test of a mass computer use yet to be devised.What is incomprehensible is the total lack of coordination and ability to provide a logical explanation of the problem when the service went down.
Users were urged to "keep trying "long after the service had been deliberately taken down and a litany of excuses was forthcoming, including the story that the Census had been hacked by foreign unfriendly governments. Even now a mix of stories are still doing the rounds, but we are assured that the details we submitted were not put at risk.
This fiasco simply underlines the risk factor that the age of the computer has delivered to the world economy. Every aspect of our lives is controlled in some way by computers and the way to bring about disruption to services is a war aim in just about every country on Earth. A cyber attack is high on the list of priorities when any country tries to do harm to another and many cyber warfare units are eternally on standby with that aim in mind.
Computers are so integrated in every essential service that a disruption would stop the economy in its tracks. If hackers managed to cripple the banking system - taking ATM 's and card payments off line - we would be reduced to whatever cash we had in our wallet or purse. Should a computer attack bring down the electricity supply our world would come to a stop. The reticulation on water and pumping of sewage would cease - and we could forget filling up with petrol at service stations.
We worry about a sudden nuclear exchange if a rogue nation decided to press the button, but an attempt to shut down a nations computers is a much more likely scenario. We could not even be sure of the origin of that attack and one of the outcomes would be a total communications paralysis.
In the edgy world of espionage we know that certain competitor nations are constantly probing our computer systems by way of hacking teams trying to gain entry and secure secrets. Our own cyber people are responding in kind and in the event of a cyber war there would be failures and successes on both sides. What seems assured is that no nation has a sure fire defence in place to stop widespread damage should a serious attack take place.
That Census fiasco throws light on the suggestion that we move to computer voting at coming elections. Will the servers ever be capable of handling the volumes that Census delivered and will we ever be free of interference from foreign sources ?
We might do well to plan a quick way to get finances, electricity and general services up and running in the event of a computer failure rather than fine tuning against a form of penetration that is impossible to control.
Perhaps that Census fiasco delivered a timely warning !
Every one of the twenty-four million residents of Australia who are in this country on Census night need to be counted and this was undeniably the biggest test of a mass computer use yet to be devised.What is incomprehensible is the total lack of coordination and ability to provide a logical explanation of the problem when the service went down.
Users were urged to "keep trying "long after the service had been deliberately taken down and a litany of excuses was forthcoming, including the story that the Census had been hacked by foreign unfriendly governments. Even now a mix of stories are still doing the rounds, but we are assured that the details we submitted were not put at risk.
This fiasco simply underlines the risk factor that the age of the computer has delivered to the world economy. Every aspect of our lives is controlled in some way by computers and the way to bring about disruption to services is a war aim in just about every country on Earth. A cyber attack is high on the list of priorities when any country tries to do harm to another and many cyber warfare units are eternally on standby with that aim in mind.
Computers are so integrated in every essential service that a disruption would stop the economy in its tracks. If hackers managed to cripple the banking system - taking ATM 's and card payments off line - we would be reduced to whatever cash we had in our wallet or purse. Should a computer attack bring down the electricity supply our world would come to a stop. The reticulation on water and pumping of sewage would cease - and we could forget filling up with petrol at service stations.
We worry about a sudden nuclear exchange if a rogue nation decided to press the button, but an attempt to shut down a nations computers is a much more likely scenario. We could not even be sure of the origin of that attack and one of the outcomes would be a total communications paralysis.
In the edgy world of espionage we know that certain competitor nations are constantly probing our computer systems by way of hacking teams trying to gain entry and secure secrets. Our own cyber people are responding in kind and in the event of a cyber war there would be failures and successes on both sides. What seems assured is that no nation has a sure fire defence in place to stop widespread damage should a serious attack take place.
That Census fiasco throws light on the suggestion that we move to computer voting at coming elections. Will the servers ever be capable of handling the volumes that Census delivered and will we ever be free of interference from foreign sources ?
We might do well to plan a quick way to get finances, electricity and general services up and running in the event of a computer failure rather than fine tuning against a form of penetration that is impossible to control.
Perhaps that Census fiasco delivered a timely warning !
Thursday 11 August 2016
Pleasing the Factions !
Untold books and movies have depicted the home town hero who has stood for elected office against all odds - and won a magnificent victory. In real life, the chances of that happening are becoming ever slimmer. In today's world of politics getting endorsed to represent a political party with a chance of winning the poll is very much a " numbers game " !
That is very much the subject of hype here in Wollongong at the present time. A state office holder is standing down and what is regarded as a " safe " Labor seat is up for grabs. The big question awaiting answer is whether the local branches will select the candidate who will run for office under Labor endorsement, or whether that will be decided far away at Labor head office.
There seems a chance that a labor luminary will be " parachuted " in to claim this prize. That has happened many times in the past. It is usually the outcome of a " factions " brawl in which the squaring up of the factions balance is necessary to achieve a voting balance.
Even if head office takes a neutral stance, the selection of a branch candidate can encounter heavy going. Those " factions " exist within the branches and it is not unusual for a spate of " branch stacking " to try and influence the outcome. Many branches disenfranchise the vote of new members to try and counter a suspicious rush to join once a poll is announced.
Sadly, the men and women who beaver away doing the mundane work that keep the branches alive are usually the last to get recognition and an opportunity to serve. Politics is the art of spruiking an appealing message at just the right time and there is always an opportunist waiting in the wings to grab public attention. If the timing is right this will garner support and quickly lead to an endorsement by the branches.
This contest for the Wollongong seat is fast developing into a tactical battle. It is likely the state government will not field a candidate, opening the way for an appealing independent to garner voter disenchantment. Several contenders have put up a hand for the job and back room deals are hoping to solidify the vote under a single candidate.
One of the issues that may be decisive in this poll is the decision by the state government to ban Greyhound racing in this state. Wollongong is one of the centres for this sport and the " Dapto Dogs " are a prime racing venue. The Labor opposition have come out in support of retaining dog racing and the public attitude seems evenly split.
Wollongong is a fast changing regional centre which is retreating from the days when it was just coal and steel. Coal mining is coming to an end and the future of the steel plant is far from certain. It is developing a manufacturing capacity around an innovative university and its eighty kilometre distance from Sydney means a fast commute for many. Its mild winter and plentiful beaches are an appealing alternative to westward expansion in Sydney.
The rail link between Wollongong and Sydney is in urgent need of high speed replacement and the F-6 multi lane expressway is missing the link from Heathcote to St Peters. Those are the issues that could well determine who becomes the new member for Wollongong.
That is very much the subject of hype here in Wollongong at the present time. A state office holder is standing down and what is regarded as a " safe " Labor seat is up for grabs. The big question awaiting answer is whether the local branches will select the candidate who will run for office under Labor endorsement, or whether that will be decided far away at Labor head office.
There seems a chance that a labor luminary will be " parachuted " in to claim this prize. That has happened many times in the past. It is usually the outcome of a " factions " brawl in which the squaring up of the factions balance is necessary to achieve a voting balance.
Even if head office takes a neutral stance, the selection of a branch candidate can encounter heavy going. Those " factions " exist within the branches and it is not unusual for a spate of " branch stacking " to try and influence the outcome. Many branches disenfranchise the vote of new members to try and counter a suspicious rush to join once a poll is announced.
Sadly, the men and women who beaver away doing the mundane work that keep the branches alive are usually the last to get recognition and an opportunity to serve. Politics is the art of spruiking an appealing message at just the right time and there is always an opportunist waiting in the wings to grab public attention. If the timing is right this will garner support and quickly lead to an endorsement by the branches.
This contest for the Wollongong seat is fast developing into a tactical battle. It is likely the state government will not field a candidate, opening the way for an appealing independent to garner voter disenchantment. Several contenders have put up a hand for the job and back room deals are hoping to solidify the vote under a single candidate.
One of the issues that may be decisive in this poll is the decision by the state government to ban Greyhound racing in this state. Wollongong is one of the centres for this sport and the " Dapto Dogs " are a prime racing venue. The Labor opposition have come out in support of retaining dog racing and the public attitude seems evenly split.
Wollongong is a fast changing regional centre which is retreating from the days when it was just coal and steel. Coal mining is coming to an end and the future of the steel plant is far from certain. It is developing a manufacturing capacity around an innovative university and its eighty kilometre distance from Sydney means a fast commute for many. Its mild winter and plentiful beaches are an appealing alternative to westward expansion in Sydney.
The rail link between Wollongong and Sydney is in urgent need of high speed replacement and the F-6 multi lane expressway is missing the link from Heathcote to St Peters. Those are the issues that could well determine who becomes the new member for Wollongong.
Wednesday 10 August 2016
Those " Greyhound " Issues !
When Mike Baird made a decision to close down the entire $350 million Greyhound racing industry in New South Wales it seemed a knee jerk reaction to a small number of glaring cruelties. Standing head and shoulders above the rest was the practice of " live baiting " to improve the killer instinct in Greyhounds and make their pursuit of the hare more powerful.
Many old time trainers believe that this is essential to breed a prize winning dog. It is usually conducted on secret bush tracks where a live rabbit, chicken or other small animal is attached to the lure. The dog in training is allowed to " catch " the lure and tear this animal to pieces to generate a " blood lust " that applies to its attitude to future lures.
The other industry practice that horrified the Premier was the number of Greyhound puppies that met an early death because they were just " too slow " to win races. Over half of all Greyhound puppies born each year never race and only a small percent actually achieve fame as race winners. There is some evidence that callous owners and trainers have engaged in the mass put down of unwanted dogs in cruel circumstances. There are claims that some mass graves have been discovered.
It seems that the Greyhound racing industry is so fragmented that the government is convinced that a degree of control is impossible, hence the heavy handed approach to simply legislate it out of existence. That is not an approach supported by the other states and it seems that this orphan ban will only apply in New South Wales.
It seems that many parliamentarians are having second thoughts. This seems to be one of those pieces of legislation that comes under the heading of " be careful what you wish for " ! The legislation does not ban the Greyhound breed of dogs in this state. It merely makes it a criminal offence to engage them in racing. There is a very real threat that Greyhounds will continue to be bred and trained here - and raced in other states.
It is also drawing a very long bow to declare that this is an industry that is impossible to control. It is quite clear that many owners love and cherish their dogs and are appalled at the small number of trainers who stick to methods that give the entire industry a bad name. The very threat of legislating it out of existence should be enough to raise the stakes sufficiently to have the industry enact draconian controls to satisfy the government.
There has to be give and take on both sides. The horse racing industry also relies on fast horses to win races - and not all yearlings become champions. Many rats face an unpleasant death in medical laboratories. Sometimes chicken farms are ravaged by a disease and all the hens need to be slaughtered to stop the outbreak. Sometimes death is a necessity. Surely the best legislation is to ensure that it is delivered as humanely as possible.
The government might be wise to listen to the industry and hold back on that death sentence. It is the insiders within who know precisely who is breaking the law when it comes to live baiting and if the industry is to be saved it will be the combined actions of the men and women who are the industry that will put in place the measures that are effective - rather than the police.
Like the Sword of Damocles that threat of extinction hanging over the industry is more likely to achieve compliance than the threat of prosecution by the police. This is make or break for the industry and the incentive exists to turf out the troublemakers and make dog racing a squeaky clean industry.
Many old time trainers believe that this is essential to breed a prize winning dog. It is usually conducted on secret bush tracks where a live rabbit, chicken or other small animal is attached to the lure. The dog in training is allowed to " catch " the lure and tear this animal to pieces to generate a " blood lust " that applies to its attitude to future lures.
The other industry practice that horrified the Premier was the number of Greyhound puppies that met an early death because they were just " too slow " to win races. Over half of all Greyhound puppies born each year never race and only a small percent actually achieve fame as race winners. There is some evidence that callous owners and trainers have engaged in the mass put down of unwanted dogs in cruel circumstances. There are claims that some mass graves have been discovered.
It seems that the Greyhound racing industry is so fragmented that the government is convinced that a degree of control is impossible, hence the heavy handed approach to simply legislate it out of existence. That is not an approach supported by the other states and it seems that this orphan ban will only apply in New South Wales.
It seems that many parliamentarians are having second thoughts. This seems to be one of those pieces of legislation that comes under the heading of " be careful what you wish for " ! The legislation does not ban the Greyhound breed of dogs in this state. It merely makes it a criminal offence to engage them in racing. There is a very real threat that Greyhounds will continue to be bred and trained here - and raced in other states.
It is also drawing a very long bow to declare that this is an industry that is impossible to control. It is quite clear that many owners love and cherish their dogs and are appalled at the small number of trainers who stick to methods that give the entire industry a bad name. The very threat of legislating it out of existence should be enough to raise the stakes sufficiently to have the industry enact draconian controls to satisfy the government.
There has to be give and take on both sides. The horse racing industry also relies on fast horses to win races - and not all yearlings become champions. Many rats face an unpleasant death in medical laboratories. Sometimes chicken farms are ravaged by a disease and all the hens need to be slaughtered to stop the outbreak. Sometimes death is a necessity. Surely the best legislation is to ensure that it is delivered as humanely as possible.
The government might be wise to listen to the industry and hold back on that death sentence. It is the insiders within who know precisely who is breaking the law when it comes to live baiting and if the industry is to be saved it will be the combined actions of the men and women who are the industry that will put in place the measures that are effective - rather than the police.
Like the Sword of Damocles that threat of extinction hanging over the industry is more likely to achieve compliance than the threat of prosecution by the police. This is make or break for the industry and the incentive exists to turf out the troublemakers and make dog racing a squeaky clean industry.
Tuesday 9 August 2016
The Census !
A lot of meticulous people will not fill out the Census form until today because the whole purpose of a census is to establish exactly where the twenty-four million people that call Australia home will sleep on census night. In practice, many forms will be filled in days in advance and more will follow until the deadline for lodging arrives next month.
It really is an innocuous document. It simply wants to know who you are and where you live and it helps to know a bit about your background. Were you born in Australia and what overseas family background relates to your family. That can be very important to the medical people in screening out diseases that are relative to national groups and we do need to know how and where out indigenous people are located in this great land.
There is a degree of hysteria from the people who see a government spy behind every tree. Past census papers were shredded after eighteen months and this census will be kept longer. The boffins think they can extract more analysis and they do promise that the actual names and addresses will be discarded before this fine tuning begins.
One question may result in some navel gazing. The census wants to know how much we earn ? The form offers a range of weekly amounts that add to an annual total and that certainly suits those who get a weekly pay packet, but it will probably confuse pensioners - who get their pension fortnightly. Many of the self employed may also fill in that question - with the proverbial grain of salt !
The census also provides a working snapshot of how we are housed, and that can be very valuable to those tasked with making more land available for housing and allocating city densities in relation to transport. There is no doubt that what this census reveals will be worked over by numerous Federal and state government depatrtments - and that worries some people.
We now live in the information age and few people are spared a constant barrage of letters through the mail soliciting donations for worthy charities. Despite " Do not call " registers we are constantly having meals interrupted by inward phone calls offering unwanted services and many of these are impossible to end with a firm refusal.
We hope that this census does not result in an avalanche of government department mailouts seeking to correct anomolies that have been discovered in the census. Many people are cautious about giving personal information because the age of the computer has become an information sorting house that feeds into commercial applications by cross checking to develop ever accurate mailing lists.
Hopefully, the personal information we reveal in this census will retain the promised confidentiality and not leak into the commercial sector.
It really is an innocuous document. It simply wants to know who you are and where you live and it helps to know a bit about your background. Were you born in Australia and what overseas family background relates to your family. That can be very important to the medical people in screening out diseases that are relative to national groups and we do need to know how and where out indigenous people are located in this great land.
There is a degree of hysteria from the people who see a government spy behind every tree. Past census papers were shredded after eighteen months and this census will be kept longer. The boffins think they can extract more analysis and they do promise that the actual names and addresses will be discarded before this fine tuning begins.
One question may result in some navel gazing. The census wants to know how much we earn ? The form offers a range of weekly amounts that add to an annual total and that certainly suits those who get a weekly pay packet, but it will probably confuse pensioners - who get their pension fortnightly. Many of the self employed may also fill in that question - with the proverbial grain of salt !
The census also provides a working snapshot of how we are housed, and that can be very valuable to those tasked with making more land available for housing and allocating city densities in relation to transport. There is no doubt that what this census reveals will be worked over by numerous Federal and state government depatrtments - and that worries some people.
We now live in the information age and few people are spared a constant barrage of letters through the mail soliciting donations for worthy charities. Despite " Do not call " registers we are constantly having meals interrupted by inward phone calls offering unwanted services and many of these are impossible to end with a firm refusal.
We hope that this census does not result in an avalanche of government department mailouts seeking to correct anomolies that have been discovered in the census. Many people are cautious about giving personal information because the age of the computer has become an information sorting house that feeds into commercial applications by cross checking to develop ever accurate mailing lists.
Hopefully, the personal information we reveal in this census will retain the promised confidentiality and not leak into the commercial sector.
Monday 8 August 2016
Robbing The Elderly !
There has been a very noticeable uptick in assaults on the elderly which involve robbery in recent months. This manifests itself in elderly women having their bag snatched as they walk home from the supermarket and elderly men being accosted in the street and made to hand over their wallet. The degree of violence varies, but some of these thugs take no account of the physical condition of their victims.
The problem is that many of our elderly are now standing out from the herd at a time when the attitude of the herd to money is fast changing. The electronics industry and the banks are promoting all sorts of ways for paying for small purchases without the need to count out money. We simply tap a credit card or our Smartphone on a terminal at the pay desk and those cups of coffee or sale items are paid electronically.
The elderly are usually the last to take up these new innovations. They are fast becoming the main section of the public still drawing cash from ATM's and many still insist in paying their household bills in cash. It is not unusual for some pensioners to draw their entire fortnightly pension in cash and use it to pay their way until the next installment is due.
Before the days of ATM's most pensioners banked with a savings account and on pension days there were vast queues at bank counters as they made withdrawals. When pension cheques were replaced with automatic account transfers pensioners were forced to use access cards and now the main grocery stores serve as providing money top ups at the check outs.
Unfortunately, the low life's of this world are equally cunning. Standing as an observer near an ATM or watching the line processing through a supermarket checkout can deliver likely targets. It is a very open process and the transfer of cash is obvious. In so many cases the elderly person has completed their shopping and they start the journey to walk home alone.
Their main danger is from drug dependent thugs who are desperate for their next " hit " ! They do not expect to score a large amount of money, but they see the pensioner as low risk and liable to divulge enough to take care of their immediate need. In many cases the violence used is way out of proportion to the money involved. An old person shoved to the ground may suffer injuries that are life threatening.
Unfortunately, convincing many elderly to adopt new methods and take safety precautions is fraught with rejection. Most are reluctant to abandon the " old ways " that have served them so well. In some cases their carers may be more successful in convincing them to adopt a " shopping in company " approach to safety.
A small group of friends may be convinced to share their shopping experience and enjoy the trip home with a communal cab ride. At least it removes the risk of being alone and vulnerable - on a public street.
The problem is that many of our elderly are now standing out from the herd at a time when the attitude of the herd to money is fast changing. The electronics industry and the banks are promoting all sorts of ways for paying for small purchases without the need to count out money. We simply tap a credit card or our Smartphone on a terminal at the pay desk and those cups of coffee or sale items are paid electronically.
The elderly are usually the last to take up these new innovations. They are fast becoming the main section of the public still drawing cash from ATM's and many still insist in paying their household bills in cash. It is not unusual for some pensioners to draw their entire fortnightly pension in cash and use it to pay their way until the next installment is due.
Before the days of ATM's most pensioners banked with a savings account and on pension days there were vast queues at bank counters as they made withdrawals. When pension cheques were replaced with automatic account transfers pensioners were forced to use access cards and now the main grocery stores serve as providing money top ups at the check outs.
Unfortunately, the low life's of this world are equally cunning. Standing as an observer near an ATM or watching the line processing through a supermarket checkout can deliver likely targets. It is a very open process and the transfer of cash is obvious. In so many cases the elderly person has completed their shopping and they start the journey to walk home alone.
Their main danger is from drug dependent thugs who are desperate for their next " hit " ! They do not expect to score a large amount of money, but they see the pensioner as low risk and liable to divulge enough to take care of their immediate need. In many cases the violence used is way out of proportion to the money involved. An old person shoved to the ground may suffer injuries that are life threatening.
Unfortunately, convincing many elderly to adopt new methods and take safety precautions is fraught with rejection. Most are reluctant to abandon the " old ways " that have served them so well. In some cases their carers may be more successful in convincing them to adopt a " shopping in company " approach to safety.
A small group of friends may be convinced to share their shopping experience and enjoy the trip home with a communal cab ride. At least it removes the risk of being alone and vulnerable - on a public street.
Sunday 7 August 2016
Return Of The " Wet Nurse " !
In the early days of Australia childbirth killed many women. Those were the days of big families and medical knowledge was extremely limited. The attendance of a doctor was rare and the birthing process was generally in the hands of " midwives ".
It was not unusual for a woman giving birth to find that she was unable to generate sufficient breast milk to satisfy her baby. The solution to that problem was to find another young mother with an adequate supply of breast milk and make an arrangement for her to serve as a " wet nurse " !
This " wet nurse " vocation was widespread and some higher income households engaged a local girl as a matter of course to allow the mistress to quickly regain her figure and engage in the social scene. It was a honourable arrangement and usually involved some form of compensation which was very welcome in those early days.
It seems that the concept of the " wet nurse " has reemerged in this twenty-first century. Many women are deeply convinced that rearing a child on " formulae " is inferior to the natural nourishment of breast milk, but breast feeding is now becoming a barrier to women who wish to also have a business career. Even those who take a long maternity leave sometimes find that their production of breast milk is inadequate.
Somewhere along the way a conduit has formed where women with a breast milk surplus are expressing this and supplying a ready market suffering a breast milk shortage. It seems to be totally unofficial with the word spread on social media and the hookup between receiver and supplier being arranged between friends.
The medical people have issued a warning. There is a definite risk that blood borne viruses may be transmitted to baby's who have no natural defences in that pre vaccination period of their lives. There is also the issue of safety storage. In some cases private arrangements mean that unpasteurised frozen breastmilk is passing between donor and user without any form of control.
Obviously, this very bright idea is in its early stage. In many cases, the exchange is between women who are known to each other, but it certainly has the potential to gain a life of its own and become an underground industry if it falls into the hands of " fanatics " who refuse to accept that dangers exist.
The risk factor will increase exponentially if an underground network supplying breast milk as a commodity establishes as a means of compensating donors for supplying what is otherwise an impossible to obtain product. It could end up like the situation with blood donations in the United States. The down and out can generate a few dollars by donating their own blood because that is a sought item.
The last thing we need is drug affected women selling their breast milk for a profit to feed their drug addiction. It all depends if a screening process is possible so that legitimate breast milk donations can be cleared of risk and deliver a known safety factor.
It seems that a very old idea is getting fresh attention because it is the answer to a need. Whether it develops along legal and legitimate lines may depend on whether adequate screening is possible - and if the method of collection and supply follows commercial practice.
It was not unusual for a woman giving birth to find that she was unable to generate sufficient breast milk to satisfy her baby. The solution to that problem was to find another young mother with an adequate supply of breast milk and make an arrangement for her to serve as a " wet nurse " !
This " wet nurse " vocation was widespread and some higher income households engaged a local girl as a matter of course to allow the mistress to quickly regain her figure and engage in the social scene. It was a honourable arrangement and usually involved some form of compensation which was very welcome in those early days.
It seems that the concept of the " wet nurse " has reemerged in this twenty-first century. Many women are deeply convinced that rearing a child on " formulae " is inferior to the natural nourishment of breast milk, but breast feeding is now becoming a barrier to women who wish to also have a business career. Even those who take a long maternity leave sometimes find that their production of breast milk is inadequate.
Somewhere along the way a conduit has formed where women with a breast milk surplus are expressing this and supplying a ready market suffering a breast milk shortage. It seems to be totally unofficial with the word spread on social media and the hookup between receiver and supplier being arranged between friends.
The medical people have issued a warning. There is a definite risk that blood borne viruses may be transmitted to baby's who have no natural defences in that pre vaccination period of their lives. There is also the issue of safety storage. In some cases private arrangements mean that unpasteurised frozen breastmilk is passing between donor and user without any form of control.
Obviously, this very bright idea is in its early stage. In many cases, the exchange is between women who are known to each other, but it certainly has the potential to gain a life of its own and become an underground industry if it falls into the hands of " fanatics " who refuse to accept that dangers exist.
The risk factor will increase exponentially if an underground network supplying breast milk as a commodity establishes as a means of compensating donors for supplying what is otherwise an impossible to obtain product. It could end up like the situation with blood donations in the United States. The down and out can generate a few dollars by donating their own blood because that is a sought item.
The last thing we need is drug affected women selling their breast milk for a profit to feed their drug addiction. It all depends if a screening process is possible so that legitimate breast milk donations can be cleared of risk and deliver a known safety factor.
It seems that a very old idea is getting fresh attention because it is the answer to a need. Whether it develops along legal and legitimate lines may depend on whether adequate screening is possible - and if the method of collection and supply follows commercial practice.
Saturday 6 August 2016
The Obvious Solution !
The problem with the banks is that they have formed a monolithic block of four which march in lockstep and they fully dictate the terms of trade they offer the public. They seem to have got away with whacking immense " fines " on customers a day late in settling their Visa or Mastercard payments and now they are ignoring the government's demand that they fully pass on this latest interest rate reduction.
It was not always this way. Older folks remember when there was a different bank branch on just about every city street corner and many of these originated from the United Kingdom. Those were the days when banks valued their customers and the entire banking system ran on a series of stratas. Customers had the choice of banking with one of the big International banks, or perhaps with the state bank branches present in each state. Those that were served by what were called " Saving bank accounts " in that era usually banked with the mighty Commonwealth Bank which seemed to have a branch in every town and village - and handed out money boxes to school children to expand the " saving " ethic.
Credit Unions and Building Societies existed in that era, but the biggest competitor to the Commonwealth Savings bank was the friendly St George Building society branch that was more relaxed at granting a home loan than the bigger institutions.
That all went wrong when the banks engaged in a takeover fury. Bigger banks absorbed the little guy and then this greed passed to the building societies. So many people kept a few dollars in a " rainy day " account were horrified to find monthly charges applied. Instead of accumulating a little interest, many neglected accounts soon ran a negative balance.
It all came crashing down in 1995 when the government decided it had no business in banking - and sold the Commonwealth Bank. Up to that time it was the edicts of the mighty Commonwealth bank that dictated the terms that applied to the entire banking industry - but when the Commonwealth became a private bank owned by its shareholders it sold out and joined the " Big Four " in exploiting its power to make billion dollar profits.
Just look at the situation today. The " Big Four " banks thumb their noses at the government and rake in billions by bashing their customers. There is talk of a Royal Commission but this has been watered down to an " annual enquiry " which will lack the teeth to bring the banks under control.
The answer to this banking dilemma is - competition ! Some of the building societies and credit unions have morphed into banks, but they lack the fire power to take on the big four. What we need is a new government bank that can deliver serious opposition to this banking cartel and rule the roost when it comes to setting charge limits and banking rules.
The obvious answer is to convert the rapidly failing postal service into a bank. The spread of post offices across the country are ideally suited to deliver the savings bank component and the power of the Commonwealth government of Australia to engineer the electronic banking would deliver a real choice to the customers being ripped off by the cartel.
As is usually the case, all sorts of weird and wonderful solutions to the banking problem are being considered - when the obvious solution in staring the government in the face.
It was not always this way. Older folks remember when there was a different bank branch on just about every city street corner and many of these originated from the United Kingdom. Those were the days when banks valued their customers and the entire banking system ran on a series of stratas. Customers had the choice of banking with one of the big International banks, or perhaps with the state bank branches present in each state. Those that were served by what were called " Saving bank accounts " in that era usually banked with the mighty Commonwealth Bank which seemed to have a branch in every town and village - and handed out money boxes to school children to expand the " saving " ethic.
Credit Unions and Building Societies existed in that era, but the biggest competitor to the Commonwealth Savings bank was the friendly St George Building society branch that was more relaxed at granting a home loan than the bigger institutions.
That all went wrong when the banks engaged in a takeover fury. Bigger banks absorbed the little guy and then this greed passed to the building societies. So many people kept a few dollars in a " rainy day " account were horrified to find monthly charges applied. Instead of accumulating a little interest, many neglected accounts soon ran a negative balance.
It all came crashing down in 1995 when the government decided it had no business in banking - and sold the Commonwealth Bank. Up to that time it was the edicts of the mighty Commonwealth bank that dictated the terms that applied to the entire banking industry - but when the Commonwealth became a private bank owned by its shareholders it sold out and joined the " Big Four " in exploiting its power to make billion dollar profits.
Just look at the situation today. The " Big Four " banks thumb their noses at the government and rake in billions by bashing their customers. There is talk of a Royal Commission but this has been watered down to an " annual enquiry " which will lack the teeth to bring the banks under control.
The answer to this banking dilemma is - competition ! Some of the building societies and credit unions have morphed into banks, but they lack the fire power to take on the big four. What we need is a new government bank that can deliver serious opposition to this banking cartel and rule the roost when it comes to setting charge limits and banking rules.
The obvious answer is to convert the rapidly failing postal service into a bank. The spread of post offices across the country are ideally suited to deliver the savings bank component and the power of the Commonwealth government of Australia to engineer the electronic banking would deliver a real choice to the customers being ripped off by the cartel.
As is usually the case, all sorts of weird and wonderful solutions to the banking problem are being considered - when the obvious solution in staring the government in the face.
Friday 5 August 2016
The Hero - And Fan Fury !
Jarryd Hayne is a name well recognised in sporting circles. Initially, he was a star Parramatta Eels full back until he was lured away with a chance to star in the much bigger American NFL football franchise. Suddenly copies of his number 38 jersey were selling like hot cakes in Australia and every time he entered the field of play his moves got air time on Australian television.
Sadly, it didn't work out and Hayne was considering many offers to continue his playing career. His old club Parramatta was going through hard times because of salary cap violations and it had been stripped of the twelve points won this season. There was talk of renewal and when Hayne had left to join the American NFL some considered he had an obligation to return to his old club because of their leniency in cancelling his contract to allow the American move.
Hayne returned to Australia - and kept the fans guessing. It seems that the Parramatta Eels were devastated when it was announced that he had signed with the Gold Coast Titans - for a $ 2.4 million contract spread over two years.
The reaction was swift - and furious. Anything to do with Hayne's was promptly discounted, including the famous 38 jersey he wore in NFL games. There are cat calls of " Traitor " and threats of crowd violence whenever he runs on the field in a Titans jersey to play Parramatta. The fact that Parramatta fell short of the Titans bid is no consolation to fan fury.
Unfortunately, the expectations fans make of their favourite players are not realistic. Fame and glory are usually short lived and a wise player milks that opportunity to the full to gain the comfortable lifestyle that sport has placed within his grasp.
Australian footballers - both Rugby League and Aussie Rules - are well paid but their rewards pale into insignificance in comparison to the salaries of the American NFL. It stands to reason that Australia with a total population of twenty-four million people have a much smaller sporting audience than the three hundred million Americans.
A similar comparison exists with Soccer. A top player with a big name club draws an absolute fortune and is part of the national culture. Their rewards are legendary and many retire to fabulous country estates more suited to the British aristocracy.
In comparison, any Australian footballer of either code who has the good fortune to achieve fame knows that he lives just a hairs breadth from misfortune. A very ordinary knock on the field may take time to heal and fame only is retained while the star and his team are still winning matches. The fans are fickle - and the hero of yesteryear is soon forgotten.
Unfortunately, not all sporting stars are wise. Some waste their money on the high life and end up pathetic drunks - and broke. It seems that Hayne's has been granted the wisdom to reach for the stars and he is determined to make the most of his earning ability while good health allows that to continue.
A decade or so from now, it will probably be a Jarryd Haynes who sits in the commentary box and opines on the games being played. The skill on the field is finite. The clever ones are those who use their time in the spotlight to safeguard their future lifestyle.
Sadly, it didn't work out and Hayne was considering many offers to continue his playing career. His old club Parramatta was going through hard times because of salary cap violations and it had been stripped of the twelve points won this season. There was talk of renewal and when Hayne had left to join the American NFL some considered he had an obligation to return to his old club because of their leniency in cancelling his contract to allow the American move.
Hayne returned to Australia - and kept the fans guessing. It seems that the Parramatta Eels were devastated when it was announced that he had signed with the Gold Coast Titans - for a $ 2.4 million contract spread over two years.
The reaction was swift - and furious. Anything to do with Hayne's was promptly discounted, including the famous 38 jersey he wore in NFL games. There are cat calls of " Traitor " and threats of crowd violence whenever he runs on the field in a Titans jersey to play Parramatta. The fact that Parramatta fell short of the Titans bid is no consolation to fan fury.
Unfortunately, the expectations fans make of their favourite players are not realistic. Fame and glory are usually short lived and a wise player milks that opportunity to the full to gain the comfortable lifestyle that sport has placed within his grasp.
Australian footballers - both Rugby League and Aussie Rules - are well paid but their rewards pale into insignificance in comparison to the salaries of the American NFL. It stands to reason that Australia with a total population of twenty-four million people have a much smaller sporting audience than the three hundred million Americans.
A similar comparison exists with Soccer. A top player with a big name club draws an absolute fortune and is part of the national culture. Their rewards are legendary and many retire to fabulous country estates more suited to the British aristocracy.
In comparison, any Australian footballer of either code who has the good fortune to achieve fame knows that he lives just a hairs breadth from misfortune. A very ordinary knock on the field may take time to heal and fame only is retained while the star and his team are still winning matches. The fans are fickle - and the hero of yesteryear is soon forgotten.
Unfortunately, not all sporting stars are wise. Some waste their money on the high life and end up pathetic drunks - and broke. It seems that Hayne's has been granted the wisdom to reach for the stars and he is determined to make the most of his earning ability while good health allows that to continue.
A decade or so from now, it will probably be a Jarryd Haynes who sits in the commentary box and opines on the games being played. The skill on the field is finite. The clever ones are those who use their time in the spotlight to safeguard their future lifestyle.
Thursday 4 August 2016
Probing The Limits !
Australian IVF Clinics apply a " responsible " limit of 53 years of age beyond which they will not attempt to produce a pregnancy. They were therefore shocked to learn that an Australian Mum has just given birth at age 65 and whose partner is aged 78.
A closer examination reveals that this is not all it seems at first glance. This was a donor assisted pregnancy that was conceived overseas and the woman returned to Australia to receive an emergency Cesarian birth at a private hospital. She successfully gave birth to a baby girl.
The Gynaecology people have very clear ideas on age and childbirth. The human body " wears out " as it ages and there is a natural limit beyond which pregnancy is pushing the limits. The ideal ages for women to have children is between 18 and 25. While it is possible to give birth later in life this enters the argumentative divide between what is " possible " and what is " desirable " !
In today's world, a lot of couples consciously decide not to have children. In many cases this is because they are not prepared to have their offspring face the risks and dangers that a grossly unfair world has in store for its future citizens. We live on the threshold of a nuclear apocalypse and there is a very real doubt as to whether planet Earth is capable of feeding the numbers anticipated by mid century.
There is also the issue of parental responsibility. If we produce a child we are legally responsible for providing adequate shelter, clothing, food and care. If we fail to meet that obligation the state may intervene and take the child into care and even declare it a ward of the state and hand it to another family to legally adopt. Bringing a child into the world entails a degree of responsibility until that person achieves the age of eighteen, whereupon they are deemed to achieve an adult responsibility for their own welfare.
Having children later in life extends the natural life cycle where parents and their children enjoy a degree of interaction with others of similar age group to achieve a similar lifestyle, but that only applies within limitations. We all adopt a generational change as we age and it becomes less likely that juvenile tolerance will prevail the longer that age cycle is stretched.
The problem is that while IVF facilities in Australia are firmly within the grasp of Federal government regulation, that is not the case with facilities provided by our near neighbouring countries. Now that an older mother has been successful in producing a child many of the " for profit " laboratories may use social media to tap into the latent demand that career advancement is inflicting on modern women.
What worries many concerned with child care is the age demographics the birth of this little girl will impose on her childhood. When she reaches the age of eighteen, her mother will be be 81 - if she is still alive, and her mothers partner will be 96. Even given the advancing life expectancy of the twenty-first century, it is unlikely that the teenage years will be harmonious.
That seems a very good reason that Australian IVF clinics will not extend their deadline beyond the present 53 year limit !
A closer examination reveals that this is not all it seems at first glance. This was a donor assisted pregnancy that was conceived overseas and the woman returned to Australia to receive an emergency Cesarian birth at a private hospital. She successfully gave birth to a baby girl.
The Gynaecology people have very clear ideas on age and childbirth. The human body " wears out " as it ages and there is a natural limit beyond which pregnancy is pushing the limits. The ideal ages for women to have children is between 18 and 25. While it is possible to give birth later in life this enters the argumentative divide between what is " possible " and what is " desirable " !
In today's world, a lot of couples consciously decide not to have children. In many cases this is because they are not prepared to have their offspring face the risks and dangers that a grossly unfair world has in store for its future citizens. We live on the threshold of a nuclear apocalypse and there is a very real doubt as to whether planet Earth is capable of feeding the numbers anticipated by mid century.
There is also the issue of parental responsibility. If we produce a child we are legally responsible for providing adequate shelter, clothing, food and care. If we fail to meet that obligation the state may intervene and take the child into care and even declare it a ward of the state and hand it to another family to legally adopt. Bringing a child into the world entails a degree of responsibility until that person achieves the age of eighteen, whereupon they are deemed to achieve an adult responsibility for their own welfare.
Having children later in life extends the natural life cycle where parents and their children enjoy a degree of interaction with others of similar age group to achieve a similar lifestyle, but that only applies within limitations. We all adopt a generational change as we age and it becomes less likely that juvenile tolerance will prevail the longer that age cycle is stretched.
The problem is that while IVF facilities in Australia are firmly within the grasp of Federal government regulation, that is not the case with facilities provided by our near neighbouring countries. Now that an older mother has been successful in producing a child many of the " for profit " laboratories may use social media to tap into the latent demand that career advancement is inflicting on modern women.
What worries many concerned with child care is the age demographics the birth of this little girl will impose on her childhood. When she reaches the age of eighteen, her mother will be be 81 - if she is still alive, and her mothers partner will be 96. Even given the advancing life expectancy of the twenty-first century, it is unlikely that the teenage years will be harmonious.
That seems a very good reason that Australian IVF clinics will not extend their deadline beyond the present 53 year limit !
Wednesday 3 August 2016
Not Their Finest Hour !
Nineteen months ago the Lindt Cafe siege brought terror to the streets of Sydney. An inquest into that event has been slowly and methodically examining how the response was put in place by the New South Wales Police who were tasked with bringing it to an end.
It is now clear that the snipers and the assault team carried out their duties in difficult circumstances bravely and to the best of their abilities, but that the Police command structure was little more than a shambles, lacking clear lines of authority and were totally unprepared for such an event. It must be clear to all who have closely followed this inquest that this was " not their finest hour " !
The very purpose of an inquest is to identify weaknesses and bring improvements so that we are better prepared should a similar event strike this city. Judging by the spread of terror across the western world that seems to be more a matter of " when " rather than " if " and one striking need seems to be sitting in limbo and receiving scant attention.
Early in this inquest it was noted that New South Wales was the only state lacking a police mobile command centre. Because of this, the first three hours of the siege saw the response tasked from a four wheel drive utility vehicle before being moved into a small room with a single working phone connection in a Leagues club. As a result, hostages were often unable to communicate vital intelligence to the police on their mobile phones and general communications were at best - patchy.
The Federal government had donated a fully equipped mobile command centre to each of the states and each of these contained multiple communications and whiteboards and similar equipment to enable response planning. It seems that the New South Wales vehicle suffered a lightning strike in 2011 and spent until 2014 sitting in a garage unrepaired. Eventually, it was sent to auction - and not replaced.
The early days of the inquest highlighted how the lack of a dedicated command centre adversely affected police siege planning and it was expected that this would be immediately remedied. It seems that it took until March 2015 for a new mobile command vehicle to be even ordered and today its chassis is awaiting fitting out sitting on the wharf at Port Kembla.
Even if replacing this essential vehicle gets top priority it is going to take many more months for the fitting out to be completed and this state again have a mobile command vehicle ready to roll into position the moment terrorists strike. Considering how this lack affected the Lindt siege it seems the height of absurdity that the police command structure took so long to rectify what was a glaring omission in police readiness.
What is clearly emerging from this inquest is dysfunction in the upper echelon of the police command structure. The Police Commissioner has delayed his retirement and there seems to be heated contention amongst those who have reason to be considered for elevation to the top post. Manoeuvring for position seems to be pitting senior officers against one another rather than delivering the certainty we expect from the Police.
The delay in replacing that essential mobile command vehicle is symptomatic of the inertia affecting police morale !
It is now clear that the snipers and the assault team carried out their duties in difficult circumstances bravely and to the best of their abilities, but that the Police command structure was little more than a shambles, lacking clear lines of authority and were totally unprepared for such an event. It must be clear to all who have closely followed this inquest that this was " not their finest hour " !
The very purpose of an inquest is to identify weaknesses and bring improvements so that we are better prepared should a similar event strike this city. Judging by the spread of terror across the western world that seems to be more a matter of " when " rather than " if " and one striking need seems to be sitting in limbo and receiving scant attention.
Early in this inquest it was noted that New South Wales was the only state lacking a police mobile command centre. Because of this, the first three hours of the siege saw the response tasked from a four wheel drive utility vehicle before being moved into a small room with a single working phone connection in a Leagues club. As a result, hostages were often unable to communicate vital intelligence to the police on their mobile phones and general communications were at best - patchy.
The Federal government had donated a fully equipped mobile command centre to each of the states and each of these contained multiple communications and whiteboards and similar equipment to enable response planning. It seems that the New South Wales vehicle suffered a lightning strike in 2011 and spent until 2014 sitting in a garage unrepaired. Eventually, it was sent to auction - and not replaced.
The early days of the inquest highlighted how the lack of a dedicated command centre adversely affected police siege planning and it was expected that this would be immediately remedied. It seems that it took until March 2015 for a new mobile command vehicle to be even ordered and today its chassis is awaiting fitting out sitting on the wharf at Port Kembla.
Even if replacing this essential vehicle gets top priority it is going to take many more months for the fitting out to be completed and this state again have a mobile command vehicle ready to roll into position the moment terrorists strike. Considering how this lack affected the Lindt siege it seems the height of absurdity that the police command structure took so long to rectify what was a glaring omission in police readiness.
What is clearly emerging from this inquest is dysfunction in the upper echelon of the police command structure. The Police Commissioner has delayed his retirement and there seems to be heated contention amongst those who have reason to be considered for elevation to the top post. Manoeuvring for position seems to be pitting senior officers against one another rather than delivering the certainty we expect from the Police.
The delay in replacing that essential mobile command vehicle is symptomatic of the inertia affecting police morale !
Tuesday 2 August 2016
The Principle - Or the Money ?
Medical authorities were becoming alarmed because diseases that had long been vanquished by vaccination were starting to reappear. Decades earlier the benefits of vaccination seemed clear to most people. There seemed no hesitation in presenting at the child health centres scattered about this country and we were achieving the ratio of cover that gives protection to " the herd " !
It is marvellous how a simple rumour can achieve a life of its own. It began as a whisper in the magazine world when a claim surfaced that child vaccinations spread autism in children. One of the problems with autism is that it often only becomes recognised several years into the life of a child and this seemed to authenticate the link between the disease and vaccination.
Several books were written on this subject and the case was taken up by some prominent women who had the admiration of their peers. Very quickly an association was formed and we had an active body advocating the refusal of any form of vaccination because this rumour was now including all sorts of diseases which it claimed was spread by vaccination.
There is no medical intervention that is entirely risk free and the medical professionals who publicly claimed that no link existed between autism and vaccinations were disbelieved. In fact, some vaccination denier fanatics claimed that it was a medical coverup and there were sinister undertones. It was sufficiently believable to throw a doubt in the mind of many very intelligent mothers - and cause them to at least delay vaccination as a safety precaution.
We were facing down a very real health danger. To cover the entire population and that includes new born babies too young to be vaccinated we need 98% cover - and the statistics showed that we were falling far short. The health authorities launched a publicity campaign to try and improve the vaccination rate and this caused the anti vaccination brigade to actively collect money and put together a paid opposition with spurious claims of the danger vaccination presented.
It looked like an unwinnable battle. A doubt had been planted in the mind of many mothers and the instinct to protect their children was paramount. The hard core anti vaccination people had convinced themselves that they were right and the entire medical profession was wrong, and this looked like developing into a fight to the death.
In an attempt to improve the vaccination rate, the government made it necessary for parents to present an up to date vaccination ticket when booking their children into day care centres. No vaccination ticket ? No admission possible. The vaccination rate quickly improved.
Australia welcomes our growing population of children and we encourage families by providing incentives to share the load of the costs involved. To the average parent, this can deliver a benefit of around fourteen thousand dollars a year. As a last resort, the government began withholding this benefit from those with un-vaccinated children.
It quickly became a test between the principle - or the money. When put to the test, the authenticity of the anti-vaxxers fell far short of the claims by the entire medical profession and wise decisions were made. We have now reached 95% cover and that magical 98% is in sight.
There is still a hard core refusing vaccinations, but in many instances these are people who earn in a professional field and to who the child benefits provided by the government are not significant.
It is marvellous how a simple rumour can achieve a life of its own. It began as a whisper in the magazine world when a claim surfaced that child vaccinations spread autism in children. One of the problems with autism is that it often only becomes recognised several years into the life of a child and this seemed to authenticate the link between the disease and vaccination.
Several books were written on this subject and the case was taken up by some prominent women who had the admiration of their peers. Very quickly an association was formed and we had an active body advocating the refusal of any form of vaccination because this rumour was now including all sorts of diseases which it claimed was spread by vaccination.
There is no medical intervention that is entirely risk free and the medical professionals who publicly claimed that no link existed between autism and vaccinations were disbelieved. In fact, some vaccination denier fanatics claimed that it was a medical coverup and there were sinister undertones. It was sufficiently believable to throw a doubt in the mind of many very intelligent mothers - and cause them to at least delay vaccination as a safety precaution.
We were facing down a very real health danger. To cover the entire population and that includes new born babies too young to be vaccinated we need 98% cover - and the statistics showed that we were falling far short. The health authorities launched a publicity campaign to try and improve the vaccination rate and this caused the anti vaccination brigade to actively collect money and put together a paid opposition with spurious claims of the danger vaccination presented.
It looked like an unwinnable battle. A doubt had been planted in the mind of many mothers and the instinct to protect their children was paramount. The hard core anti vaccination people had convinced themselves that they were right and the entire medical profession was wrong, and this looked like developing into a fight to the death.
In an attempt to improve the vaccination rate, the government made it necessary for parents to present an up to date vaccination ticket when booking their children into day care centres. No vaccination ticket ? No admission possible. The vaccination rate quickly improved.
Australia welcomes our growing population of children and we encourage families by providing incentives to share the load of the costs involved. To the average parent, this can deliver a benefit of around fourteen thousand dollars a year. As a last resort, the government began withholding this benefit from those with un-vaccinated children.
It quickly became a test between the principle - or the money. When put to the test, the authenticity of the anti-vaxxers fell far short of the claims by the entire medical profession and wise decisions were made. We have now reached 95% cover and that magical 98% is in sight.
There is still a hard core refusing vaccinations, but in many instances these are people who earn in a professional field and to who the child benefits provided by the government are not significant.
Monday 1 August 2016
A " Hissy Fit " !
Kevin Rudd clearly demonstrated why the Australian government decided not to put his name forward as a possible Secretary General for the United Nations. The reversal sent him into a blistering rage attack in which he released confidential papers and began apportioning the blame for his defeat. The problem is - Kevin Rudd is a politician and the United Nations job calls for an ambassador.
Ban Ki-moon was an inconspicuous little Korean who took countless rejections in silence. Over the years of his tenure he had many successes - and many failures. He was adept at dealing with people who exercised great power - and who were motivated by great ego. He was a master at compromise and this required the ability to walk away from savage confrontations without burning bridges. He endured insults with a ready smile - and always left the door open for another later round of new negotiations.
Even the Australian Labor party could not stand the micro managing Kevin Rudd in office and promptly dumped him. He burned through advisory staff at a rapid rate and many found his decision making mercurial. Insiders frequently learned of new decisions taken when they read the morning newspapers.
There is no doubt that Rudd was good at selling himself to the general public. That boyish, friendly smile went over well but his extrovert personality called for the spotlight to be shining on him - and him alone. The United Nations Secretary General job called for very different skills and both sides of politics had doubts that Rudd was the right person for that job.
Rudd is now seeking to exploit differences of opinion from those who initially gave tacit support to his putting his hand up for the UN job. This is where the politician diverges from the ambassador. Worse, Rudd is now admitting to openly coercing losing past politicians to jump ship by way of offering access to plum administrative posts overseas. This will certainly open an area of conjecture ranging back over his term in office.
Asking the Australian government to put forward a name as a possible contender for the office of United Nations Secretary General is to fix it with a seal of approval. The Commonwealth of Australia is virtually certifying that in its opinion this person is not only suitable for the job but enjoys the confidence that he would serve with distinction. If either is lacking, such a proposal puts the good name of this country at risk.
Of course, the very nature of politics now comes into play. Despite the histrionics of Rudd's two terms in office and his inglorious defeat his old political party has no option other than to close ranks behind him. Those who detested him in office must now bestow the laurels of a conquering hero and applaud his claim to a post on the world stage.
The " Hissy fit " with which Rudd greeted his rejection probably cemented in many minds his unsuitability for the job. Had he accepted rejection with silence and aplomb many may have wondered whether the passage of time had tempered the man and improved his skill set.
Ban Ki-moon was an inconspicuous little Korean who took countless rejections in silence. Over the years of his tenure he had many successes - and many failures. He was adept at dealing with people who exercised great power - and who were motivated by great ego. He was a master at compromise and this required the ability to walk away from savage confrontations without burning bridges. He endured insults with a ready smile - and always left the door open for another later round of new negotiations.
Even the Australian Labor party could not stand the micro managing Kevin Rudd in office and promptly dumped him. He burned through advisory staff at a rapid rate and many found his decision making mercurial. Insiders frequently learned of new decisions taken when they read the morning newspapers.
There is no doubt that Rudd was good at selling himself to the general public. That boyish, friendly smile went over well but his extrovert personality called for the spotlight to be shining on him - and him alone. The United Nations Secretary General job called for very different skills and both sides of politics had doubts that Rudd was the right person for that job.
Rudd is now seeking to exploit differences of opinion from those who initially gave tacit support to his putting his hand up for the UN job. This is where the politician diverges from the ambassador. Worse, Rudd is now admitting to openly coercing losing past politicians to jump ship by way of offering access to plum administrative posts overseas. This will certainly open an area of conjecture ranging back over his term in office.
Asking the Australian government to put forward a name as a possible contender for the office of United Nations Secretary General is to fix it with a seal of approval. The Commonwealth of Australia is virtually certifying that in its opinion this person is not only suitable for the job but enjoys the confidence that he would serve with distinction. If either is lacking, such a proposal puts the good name of this country at risk.
Of course, the very nature of politics now comes into play. Despite the histrionics of Rudd's two terms in office and his inglorious defeat his old political party has no option other than to close ranks behind him. Those who detested him in office must now bestow the laurels of a conquering hero and applaud his claim to a post on the world stage.
The " Hissy fit " with which Rudd greeted his rejection probably cemented in many minds his unsuitability for the job. Had he accepted rejection with silence and aplomb many may have wondered whether the passage of time had tempered the man and improved his skill set.
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