In this highly connected electronic world the opportunities for business crime seem boundless. It is not uncommon for billions to mysteriously disappear from the trading accounts of nations simply because someone has discovered a means of by-passing the security checks that prevent such happenings. Price gouging and the padding of contracts to reward " enablers " is common in many industries and some products perform well below their advertised claims because of deliberate intent.
The best defence the public have against this sort of crime is the " whistle blower ". Usually an insignificant cog somewhere in a position to see something that is very wrong and who takes the risk of making that known to someone with the ability to create change - and very often that means someone totally extraneous to the company or industry involved.
So often today, the choice of confidante the whistle blower chooses is a journalist, and very often supplying that vital information puts the informant at risk. By law, journalists have the right to protect the identity of their information sources and all information is jealously guarded. Sometimes very powerful people are involved in some of these crimes and they are prepared to go to extreme lengths to avoid the disclosure that will see them face prison.
In recent times, governments and their agencies are facing the threat of terrorists and the advanced need to track their activities. Laws have been passed to require the communications industries to retain and store the metadata arising from phone and computer communications. Specific laws are in place to prevent the police being able to spy on journalists to learn the identity of their informants. The Federal police have come forward to confess that on one occasion they inadvertently broke that law.
They blame that omission on human error. The fact that they self reported it makes it unlikely to result in any punitive action, but it is of some concern that the individual journalist concerned has not been notified of the breach. Whatever work he or she may have been doing may have been compromised by putting the identity of their informant at risk and they have not had the opportunity to warn that person.
What is also making some aspects of the media nervous is the provisions that allow for judicial officers to gain a warrant to access a journalists metadata if a breaking terrorist matter makes that imperative - and that intrusion to be kept secret.
Judicial officers appointed by the Attorney-General would make that decision which would pass through the hands of " public interest advocates " - also appointed by the government. It seems that " secrecy " is the prerogative decision of two sets of officers who have every reason to do the governments bidding - and their decisions alone determines whether that journalists phones, computers, laptops and other devices can be accessed and their contents examined.
What will have many people wondering is what happens when the subject matter under investigation by a journalist happens to involve illegality - by the very government who instructs those people who approve secret searches ?
Sunday 30 April 2017
Saturday 29 April 2017
That " Umbrella " Joke !"
It is often said that the banks are ever ready to offer you the use of an umbrella on a fine, sunny day - and demand you hand it back immediately it begins to rain ! Such is the fine print attached to most small business loans and now at least the Commonwealth bank has agreed to cease such practices on most loan borrowings up to three million dollars.
The contract provision which few people notice when perusing the fine print was the inclusion of what was termed a " financial indicator covenant ". It was quite possible for the bank to declare a loan in default despite the customer meticulously making all and every repayment in full and on time
One of the methods used is for the bank to call for a re-evaluation of the assets under pinning the loan. They can put the loan into default if the " loan to value "ratio falls below a certain level. This is particularly galling to farmers who may have arranged the loan to cover a poor season or to increase herd numbers to meet market expectations.
The Small Business Ombudsman has called for this contract term to be removed from all business loans below five million dollars and the Commonwealth bank has agreed to meet that request to the three million dollar level. It is estimated that this will then apply to ninety-five percent of business loan contracts.
In the past, the business world had reason to worry any time the Federal Treasurer expressed concern about national debt levels because the leaders of the big banks send word down the line to tighten the screws on lending. Not only are new loans much harder to arrange, existing loans come under the microscope and often performing loans are called in just to meet the required new standards.
The business world will await the reaction of the rest of the banking fraternity. The Commonwealth bank is leading the way in removing this clause and there is the expectation that the others will quickly follow.
Banking is - by its very nature - a business of risk. It loans money to people in the expectation that it will get that money back and make a profit on the transaction, but market forces ensure that a proportion of those loans will fail. In many cases this will be because of no fault of the borrower. The expectation was solid at the time of the loan, but conditions change and new innovations quickly alter existing demand.
The biggest employer of people is small business and many of the jobs they offer are off the lesser qualified categories. A business loan is required to establish most new activities and in todays costings most new loans for that purpose are in excess of a million dollars. It is not encouraging if such loans can be capriciously called in despite meeting the objectives set at the time of the loan.
Obviously, bankers need to be careful with their money, but fairness is essential if the small business world is going to serve the nation as it has done so well in the past.
The contract provision which few people notice when perusing the fine print was the inclusion of what was termed a " financial indicator covenant ". It was quite possible for the bank to declare a loan in default despite the customer meticulously making all and every repayment in full and on time
One of the methods used is for the bank to call for a re-evaluation of the assets under pinning the loan. They can put the loan into default if the " loan to value "ratio falls below a certain level. This is particularly galling to farmers who may have arranged the loan to cover a poor season or to increase herd numbers to meet market expectations.
The Small Business Ombudsman has called for this contract term to be removed from all business loans below five million dollars and the Commonwealth bank has agreed to meet that request to the three million dollar level. It is estimated that this will then apply to ninety-five percent of business loan contracts.
In the past, the business world had reason to worry any time the Federal Treasurer expressed concern about national debt levels because the leaders of the big banks send word down the line to tighten the screws on lending. Not only are new loans much harder to arrange, existing loans come under the microscope and often performing loans are called in just to meet the required new standards.
The business world will await the reaction of the rest of the banking fraternity. The Commonwealth bank is leading the way in removing this clause and there is the expectation that the others will quickly follow.
Banking is - by its very nature - a business of risk. It loans money to people in the expectation that it will get that money back and make a profit on the transaction, but market forces ensure that a proportion of those loans will fail. In many cases this will be because of no fault of the borrower. The expectation was solid at the time of the loan, but conditions change and new innovations quickly alter existing demand.
The biggest employer of people is small business and many of the jobs they offer are off the lesser qualified categories. A business loan is required to establish most new activities and in todays costings most new loans for that purpose are in excess of a million dollars. It is not encouraging if such loans can be capriciously called in despite meeting the objectives set at the time of the loan.
Obviously, bankers need to be careful with their money, but fairness is essential if the small business world is going to serve the nation as it has done so well in the past.
Friday 28 April 2017
The " Humanity " Factor !
We are well aware that the prisons in some overseas countries are described as " Hell Holes " from which few long term prisoners emerge alive. We like to think that there is at least some degree of " rehabilitation " in the form of incarceration practised here. Prison is supposed to improve educational standards and train people with some sort of useful skills for when they are released into society.
Justice Peter Hamill has been considering his options in deciding the sentence to impose on three of the notorious members of the " Brothers for Life " crime syndicate. Two older members have been convicted of a string of violent crimes which include the murder of a debt collector and the manslaughter of another man. The prosecution is calling for both to serve a life sentence.
Justice Hamill is musing the fate of the youngest of the three, aged just twenty-five. He has been convicted of lesser crimes and the prosecution is calling for a " substantial prison term " to be imposed. How that term will be served is the issue troubling the judge.
During sentencing submission this younger man described the conditions under which he had been held on remand at the Silverwater Correctional Centre. He claimed he spent three and a half years waiting for his case to come before a court and during that time he was mostly kept in his cell twenty-four hours a day because there were other Brothers for Life members within the prison population and it was deemed unsafe for him to mix in the general population, use the library or educational facilities or gain paid employment within the correctional centre.
For the past two years he had been in segregation, he said. His cell had a two metre by two metre " yard " which consisted of a concrete floor and concrete walls with bars. It was not large enough to run and he could only take three paces before meeting an obstacle. He was usually handcuffed and locked in a " glass and metal " cage when he met his lawyers.
It was obvious that the judge was wondering under what conditions whatever sentence he imposed would be served and whether similar conditions to those that applied in remand would apply ? It would be up to the prison authorities to determine the safety of prisoners under their control and if there was a continuing vendetta against former members of the Brothers for life fraternity then precautions would need to be taken.
That is one of the problems of our justice system. Each segment of the process is a separate function operating within its own rules and regulations. Each makes its individual contribution, but without any real influence on the final outcome - which is usually determined by whatever set of circumstances applies at that time.
The police investigate a crime and catch an offender. A prosecutor decides the charges and prepared the brief for a court. The offender awaits an appropriate opening time in the court calendar - and an impartial judge is appointed. Lawyers for the prosecution and the defence use their skills to influence the outcome - and if guilt is established - a sentence is decided. How that sentence is served is entirely in the hands of the prison authorities.
What is unhelpful is the attitude of the public - and that depends on the crime committed. If it was of a nature that caused public outrage there are calls for a severe sentence and the hope that the conditions imposed are the harshest. The " Lock them up and throw away the key " mentality emerges.
If a harrowing and unjust tale of institutional cruelty emerges that same vindictive mob will turn on the entire justice system and seek to tear it apart. No wonder judges weigh up the " humanity factor " when trying to balance the punishment against the crime !
Justice Peter Hamill has been considering his options in deciding the sentence to impose on three of the notorious members of the " Brothers for Life " crime syndicate. Two older members have been convicted of a string of violent crimes which include the murder of a debt collector and the manslaughter of another man. The prosecution is calling for both to serve a life sentence.
Justice Hamill is musing the fate of the youngest of the three, aged just twenty-five. He has been convicted of lesser crimes and the prosecution is calling for a " substantial prison term " to be imposed. How that term will be served is the issue troubling the judge.
During sentencing submission this younger man described the conditions under which he had been held on remand at the Silverwater Correctional Centre. He claimed he spent three and a half years waiting for his case to come before a court and during that time he was mostly kept in his cell twenty-four hours a day because there were other Brothers for Life members within the prison population and it was deemed unsafe for him to mix in the general population, use the library or educational facilities or gain paid employment within the correctional centre.
For the past two years he had been in segregation, he said. His cell had a two metre by two metre " yard " which consisted of a concrete floor and concrete walls with bars. It was not large enough to run and he could only take three paces before meeting an obstacle. He was usually handcuffed and locked in a " glass and metal " cage when he met his lawyers.
It was obvious that the judge was wondering under what conditions whatever sentence he imposed would be served and whether similar conditions to those that applied in remand would apply ? It would be up to the prison authorities to determine the safety of prisoners under their control and if there was a continuing vendetta against former members of the Brothers for life fraternity then precautions would need to be taken.
That is one of the problems of our justice system. Each segment of the process is a separate function operating within its own rules and regulations. Each makes its individual contribution, but without any real influence on the final outcome - which is usually determined by whatever set of circumstances applies at that time.
The police investigate a crime and catch an offender. A prosecutor decides the charges and prepared the brief for a court. The offender awaits an appropriate opening time in the court calendar - and an impartial judge is appointed. Lawyers for the prosecution and the defence use their skills to influence the outcome - and if guilt is established - a sentence is decided. How that sentence is served is entirely in the hands of the prison authorities.
What is unhelpful is the attitude of the public - and that depends on the crime committed. If it was of a nature that caused public outrage there are calls for a severe sentence and the hope that the conditions imposed are the harshest. The " Lock them up and throw away the key " mentality emerges.
If a harrowing and unjust tale of institutional cruelty emerges that same vindictive mob will turn on the entire justice system and seek to tear it apart. No wonder judges weigh up the " humanity factor " when trying to balance the punishment against the crime !
Thursday 27 April 2017
The World Holds its Breath !
The fate of the EU rests in the hands of the people of France. Their final choice when they elect a new president on May 7 will be between Marine Le Pen of the United Front and Emmanuel Macron who is described as an " independent centrist ". Neither represents the old parties of left and right that have ruled France for many decades.
The EU was the dream of far sighted Frenchman Jacques DeLors who foresaw that the only way to end interminable European wars was to bind the countries of Europe into a " United States of Europe " where all shared a common nationality. It started as a " common market " idea to promote mutual trade between the founding countries, but it grew quickly and perhaps unwisely adopted the Euro, a common currency that exacerbated problems between rich and poor countries. It also quickly featured a guiding bureaucracy centred in Brussels that became dictatorial and drew the ire of many with its countless rules and regulations.
Britain has started the process of withdrawal. It was not an original member and it was never a comfortable fit because the British have never considered themselves " European ". Unfortunately, withdrawal is also a growing trend within the rank and file of other member countries and Marine Le Pen's National Front clearly intends to withdraw France from both the EU and NATO if she is elected as France's president.
Two countries are the basic anchors of the EU. Without France and Germany, it could not exist. We are already seeing a fragmentation amongst other member states who have elected leaders who no longer swear allegiance to the common unity and implement their own selfish regulations when it comes to the dispersal of the refugee streams pouring out of Africa and the Middle East. Once again the basis of " nationalism " is rising in Europe and the stress between neighbouring countries is starting to show.
The EU can survive without Britain. The question seems to be whether the British union can survive without the EU. Now the fate of the consensus that healed Europe after the second world war and kept the peace in that fragmented part of the world rests on the choice for president in the Ulysses palace. If Marine Le Pen wins withdrawal may be unstoppable. Emmanuel Macron is the wild card. He is a man who has held no national political office and his inner feelings are unknown.
Many would fear a Germany not contained within EU membership. Clearly, Germany is the most successful trading nation in Europe and twice in the twentieth century it took the world to war. Without the constraint of moderation we may even find ourselves returning to religious conflict. The world of Islam has become restless and events in Turkey may unleash a new nationalism that spills over into the former Christian states.
A breakup of the EU would clearly delight Vladimir Putin's Russia and Xi Jinping's China. It would isolate the United States and embolden both countries to show more aggression in extending their borders ever outward. The leaders of the countries of Europe should remember a very old maxim that has never been truer. " United we stand. Divided we fall " !
The EU was the dream of far sighted Frenchman Jacques DeLors who foresaw that the only way to end interminable European wars was to bind the countries of Europe into a " United States of Europe " where all shared a common nationality. It started as a " common market " idea to promote mutual trade between the founding countries, but it grew quickly and perhaps unwisely adopted the Euro, a common currency that exacerbated problems between rich and poor countries. It also quickly featured a guiding bureaucracy centred in Brussels that became dictatorial and drew the ire of many with its countless rules and regulations.
Britain has started the process of withdrawal. It was not an original member and it was never a comfortable fit because the British have never considered themselves " European ". Unfortunately, withdrawal is also a growing trend within the rank and file of other member countries and Marine Le Pen's National Front clearly intends to withdraw France from both the EU and NATO if she is elected as France's president.
Two countries are the basic anchors of the EU. Without France and Germany, it could not exist. We are already seeing a fragmentation amongst other member states who have elected leaders who no longer swear allegiance to the common unity and implement their own selfish regulations when it comes to the dispersal of the refugee streams pouring out of Africa and the Middle East. Once again the basis of " nationalism " is rising in Europe and the stress between neighbouring countries is starting to show.
The EU can survive without Britain. The question seems to be whether the British union can survive without the EU. Now the fate of the consensus that healed Europe after the second world war and kept the peace in that fragmented part of the world rests on the choice for president in the Ulysses palace. If Marine Le Pen wins withdrawal may be unstoppable. Emmanuel Macron is the wild card. He is a man who has held no national political office and his inner feelings are unknown.
Many would fear a Germany not contained within EU membership. Clearly, Germany is the most successful trading nation in Europe and twice in the twentieth century it took the world to war. Without the constraint of moderation we may even find ourselves returning to religious conflict. The world of Islam has become restless and events in Turkey may unleash a new nationalism that spills over into the former Christian states.
A breakup of the EU would clearly delight Vladimir Putin's Russia and Xi Jinping's China. It would isolate the United States and embolden both countries to show more aggression in extending their borders ever outward. The leaders of the countries of Europe should remember a very old maxim that has never been truer. " United we stand. Divided we fall " !
Wednesday 26 April 2017
End of the "HECS Holiday " !
Thousands of Australians long ago discovered that repaying their HECS bill for the time at university to obtain degrees could be permanently avoided if they decided to live and work overseas, out of reach of the Australian tax office. The government had made university study possible for low earner families by folding tuition fees into what was then known as a "HECS "loan - later renamed to " HELP " - which would start being repaid when their earning level reached an agreed minimum. The weak point was that they needed to remain working in Australia for that to happen.
A law change means that Australians with HECS or Help loams or who have accumulated Trade Support Loans ( TSL ) will now need to report their global income to the Australian Tax Office each year. If they have earned more than $ 53,000 they will have to start paying back their loans under legislation that is now law.
Unpaid HEC loans are becoming a drag on the Federal budget. A 2016 report predicted that nineteen percent of the total are "doubtful " or unlikely to be repaid and that this is likely to rise to twenty-two percent by 2025-26. Two billion worth were being written off each year and this could increase to four billion by 2026. This puts the continuation of the entire debt deferment scheme in doubt.
Australians debt dodging overseas have reason to worry. The ATO has nineteen thousand public servants at its disposal to start chasing the money. At present, social media is being used to widely disseminate the information that this new law extends the ATO reach. In particular, those living in the UK, Japan and Canada are definitely on the hook for their HEC debts because Australia has reciprocal tax arrangements with those countries. Debt recovery action is possible immediately.
This law change alters the entire complexity of having Australian citizenship. The protection of an Australian passport brings with it the responsibility of living with Australian law while that person resides in another country as far as finance reporting is concerned. Prior to the law change, this was a grey area. Now failure to report overseas earnings is a crime of the same magnitude as an Australian living in Australia failing to lodge an annual tax return.
A person who fails to comply risks being served with an arrest warrant the moment they step off a plane on returning to Australia. What was seen as a "legal tax dodge "in the past has taken on new meaning. It is now an offence under the criminal code and it can be punished accordingly.
In many cases, failing to repay HECS seems to be "opportunistic ". There is no doubt that some people duck off overseas with the main intention of avoiding the debt that allowed them access to a well paying job and a high degree of social success, but many others are seeking a broader experience and the advancement opportunities that are lacking in Australia. Their delay in repaying what they owe is more an "interruption " rather than a "denial ". It is their intention to eventually return to Australia, at which time they will begin to meet their obligations.
It seems that the Australian government is serious about collecting the money owing and we can expect that the diplomatic service will seek to extend reciprocal tax arrangements with many other countries. The net will tighten further and it is likely that public opinion will harden. Putting the opportunity for a university education at risk for following generations may quickly become an unacceptable social crime !
A law change means that Australians with HECS or Help loams or who have accumulated Trade Support Loans ( TSL ) will now need to report their global income to the Australian Tax Office each year. If they have earned more than $ 53,000 they will have to start paying back their loans under legislation that is now law.
Unpaid HEC loans are becoming a drag on the Federal budget. A 2016 report predicted that nineteen percent of the total are "doubtful " or unlikely to be repaid and that this is likely to rise to twenty-two percent by 2025-26. Two billion worth were being written off each year and this could increase to four billion by 2026. This puts the continuation of the entire debt deferment scheme in doubt.
Australians debt dodging overseas have reason to worry. The ATO has nineteen thousand public servants at its disposal to start chasing the money. At present, social media is being used to widely disseminate the information that this new law extends the ATO reach. In particular, those living in the UK, Japan and Canada are definitely on the hook for their HEC debts because Australia has reciprocal tax arrangements with those countries. Debt recovery action is possible immediately.
This law change alters the entire complexity of having Australian citizenship. The protection of an Australian passport brings with it the responsibility of living with Australian law while that person resides in another country as far as finance reporting is concerned. Prior to the law change, this was a grey area. Now failure to report overseas earnings is a crime of the same magnitude as an Australian living in Australia failing to lodge an annual tax return.
A person who fails to comply risks being served with an arrest warrant the moment they step off a plane on returning to Australia. What was seen as a "legal tax dodge "in the past has taken on new meaning. It is now an offence under the criminal code and it can be punished accordingly.
In many cases, failing to repay HECS seems to be "opportunistic ". There is no doubt that some people duck off overseas with the main intention of avoiding the debt that allowed them access to a well paying job and a high degree of social success, but many others are seeking a broader experience and the advancement opportunities that are lacking in Australia. Their delay in repaying what they owe is more an "interruption " rather than a "denial ". It is their intention to eventually return to Australia, at which time they will begin to meet their obligations.
It seems that the Australian government is serious about collecting the money owing and we can expect that the diplomatic service will seek to extend reciprocal tax arrangements with many other countries. The net will tighten further and it is likely that public opinion will harden. Putting the opportunity for a university education at risk for following generations may quickly become an unacceptable social crime !
Tuesday 25 April 2017
The " Little Guy " Wins !
There would have been quite a celebration in one Sydney household this week. A former Vietnamese migrant with poor English speaking skills finally won an action against one of this city's largest law firms. In a scathing finding Supreme Court justice Monica Schmidt ordered them to pay most of its clients legal bills from action he took to try and obtain an itemised account of what they charged him for their services.
This firm specialises in personal injury claims and appeared for this client in an action in a District Court case. At its conclusion, they handed him a lump sum bill for $ 304,688 - which he questioned. After a year of fruitless negotiations he asked for an itemised breakdown so that he could refer the bill to a court assessor so that he could have its merit determined, and this former legal provider refused the request on the grounds that a twelve month time limit had expired - and claimed that it had " lost his files ".
This Vietnamese speaker was a very determined man and in March 2015 he took action in the Supreme court, and obtained a ruling from that same Justice that his former lawyer handover an itemised account, which was not forthcoming. Perhaps a law firm is both foolish and arrogant to ignore the order of a Supreme Court justice because when this matter appeared before her again she decided to implement a change and issued a new ruling under an " indemnity basis " which is higher than the usual costs awarded in litigation. The ruling would cover his entire legal bill.
She also blasted that law firm for " entirely cynical " behaviour . She noted that they were aware that their client had limited English skills and should have assented to his request to have the bill assessed. She ruled that their failure to comply with her earlier order was based on " hopeless technical points " which had been rejected in the former application. As a result, their client incurred additional costs in these proceedings.
It is an exceptionally brave person who decides to go head to head with a major law firm over any sort of injustice. The nuances of the law are many and varied and all the guns are pointing outward from that legal fortress. It is rare to find a legal firm of substance prepared to take on such a litigant as a client unless he or she can clearly demonstrate that they have the ability to settle whatever bill arises from a loss.
In todays world, some legal firms advertise a " No win - No bill " policy but that can be a trap for those ignorant of the law. Usually, such firms are very selective about the merits of cases they accept. They only undertake those with a clear path to victory and because of this " No Bill " risk factor, their charge for winning is usually higher that the normal rate scale. Some even negotiate a percentage of the amount awarded as their fee determination.
Clients court financial disaster if the case ends in a loss - and the other party lodges a request for their costs to be paid by the losing litigant. Whilst there will be no bill from the firm that represented them, they are entirely responsible for the costs of their adversaries lawyer - and that can run to thousands of dollars.
Many people will be heartened by this " David and Goliath " battle in which the " little guy " wins, but mostly the courts are a battleground in which the odds are stacked against us. We enter those hallowed doors - at our peril !
This firm specialises in personal injury claims and appeared for this client in an action in a District Court case. At its conclusion, they handed him a lump sum bill for $ 304,688 - which he questioned. After a year of fruitless negotiations he asked for an itemised breakdown so that he could refer the bill to a court assessor so that he could have its merit determined, and this former legal provider refused the request on the grounds that a twelve month time limit had expired - and claimed that it had " lost his files ".
This Vietnamese speaker was a very determined man and in March 2015 he took action in the Supreme court, and obtained a ruling from that same Justice that his former lawyer handover an itemised account, which was not forthcoming. Perhaps a law firm is both foolish and arrogant to ignore the order of a Supreme Court justice because when this matter appeared before her again she decided to implement a change and issued a new ruling under an " indemnity basis " which is higher than the usual costs awarded in litigation. The ruling would cover his entire legal bill.
She also blasted that law firm for " entirely cynical " behaviour . She noted that they were aware that their client had limited English skills and should have assented to his request to have the bill assessed. She ruled that their failure to comply with her earlier order was based on " hopeless technical points " which had been rejected in the former application. As a result, their client incurred additional costs in these proceedings.
It is an exceptionally brave person who decides to go head to head with a major law firm over any sort of injustice. The nuances of the law are many and varied and all the guns are pointing outward from that legal fortress. It is rare to find a legal firm of substance prepared to take on such a litigant as a client unless he or she can clearly demonstrate that they have the ability to settle whatever bill arises from a loss.
In todays world, some legal firms advertise a " No win - No bill " policy but that can be a trap for those ignorant of the law. Usually, such firms are very selective about the merits of cases they accept. They only undertake those with a clear path to victory and because of this " No Bill " risk factor, their charge for winning is usually higher that the normal rate scale. Some even negotiate a percentage of the amount awarded as their fee determination.
Clients court financial disaster if the case ends in a loss - and the other party lodges a request for their costs to be paid by the losing litigant. Whilst there will be no bill from the firm that represented them, they are entirely responsible for the costs of their adversaries lawyer - and that can run to thousands of dollars.
Many people will be heartened by this " David and Goliath " battle in which the " little guy " wins, but mostly the courts are a battleground in which the odds are stacked against us. We enter those hallowed doors - at our peril !
Monday 24 April 2017
The " Parallel Economy " !
There is a clear pattern starting to emerge when it comes to the job market in Australia. We have had the Seven Eleven pay scandal and the Caltex Service Station need to underpay to remain in business and now the spotlight is shining on the security industry.
It seems that there is a new expectation in the minds of the countless young men and women who have left school without earning a qualification that the type of jobs offering for them will involve a rate of pay below that stipulated by law. The people who will attain the legal pay standard are those lucky enough to find work with a government entity or big business, but which are selective and tend to recruit from those who have at least a minimum level of tertiary education.
So many of the casual jobs offering are simply basic. They require a person to stand behind a counter and receive money for displayed goods, punch the price and the note offered into a register which calculates the change or watch them tap a card on a card reader.. Serving in a café or coffee shop may involve just the transport of food and beverages from the kitchen to the diners table. The rate of pay usually little differs from one place of employment to another.
Unfortunately, franchise agreements pit many businesses in direct price competition with one another and the wage bill is often the determining factor in making a profit - or a loss. We have recently seen casualties in the Pizza industry as this product has waged a price war to try and obtain market share. Even a company displaying a world brand name and trading under that franchise is not immune from under paying employees. Each outlet is an individual business and its success or failure depends on keeping management costs under control.
A news story has emerged that one of our best known security firms is owned by a leading singer and her husband. Her fame put her in a position of influence in selecting security for a country music festival and gained access to the " commercial and in confidence " quotes from rival security firms tendering for this $ 120 million event. Not surprisingly, her firm was successful and this has resulted in it being forced to sign an enforceable undertaking to pay its employees what they are rightly entitled to receive.
The job market is a parallel economy. Those negotiating work now expect to enter into an "understanding " with their boss. That may involve a degree of overtime which will not appear on the books and will not be paid for, or the pay slip may record a very different number of hours and rate of pay to what is actually received. Job scarcity means that most recipients are reluctant to complain because this has become the norm in this parallel economy.
The government is systematically investigating industries rife with this practice but it would do well to remember an imbalance back in those days when weekend trading was strictly controlled. In particular, Hardware stores were not permitted to open on Saturday afternoon or at all on Sundays with paid staff. They became the province of migrant families with many children and did a booming business while their competitors were forced to close their doors.
Perhaps industry is adept at finding the level of pay that is appropriate for the task required. The notion of an umpire determining what people shall receive has strayed a long way from the system that has persisted for many centuries !
It seems that there is a new expectation in the minds of the countless young men and women who have left school without earning a qualification that the type of jobs offering for them will involve a rate of pay below that stipulated by law. The people who will attain the legal pay standard are those lucky enough to find work with a government entity or big business, but which are selective and tend to recruit from those who have at least a minimum level of tertiary education.
So many of the casual jobs offering are simply basic. They require a person to stand behind a counter and receive money for displayed goods, punch the price and the note offered into a register which calculates the change or watch them tap a card on a card reader.. Serving in a café or coffee shop may involve just the transport of food and beverages from the kitchen to the diners table. The rate of pay usually little differs from one place of employment to another.
Unfortunately, franchise agreements pit many businesses in direct price competition with one another and the wage bill is often the determining factor in making a profit - or a loss. We have recently seen casualties in the Pizza industry as this product has waged a price war to try and obtain market share. Even a company displaying a world brand name and trading under that franchise is not immune from under paying employees. Each outlet is an individual business and its success or failure depends on keeping management costs under control.
A news story has emerged that one of our best known security firms is owned by a leading singer and her husband. Her fame put her in a position of influence in selecting security for a country music festival and gained access to the " commercial and in confidence " quotes from rival security firms tendering for this $ 120 million event. Not surprisingly, her firm was successful and this has resulted in it being forced to sign an enforceable undertaking to pay its employees what they are rightly entitled to receive.
The job market is a parallel economy. Those negotiating work now expect to enter into an "understanding " with their boss. That may involve a degree of overtime which will not appear on the books and will not be paid for, or the pay slip may record a very different number of hours and rate of pay to what is actually received. Job scarcity means that most recipients are reluctant to complain because this has become the norm in this parallel economy.
The government is systematically investigating industries rife with this practice but it would do well to remember an imbalance back in those days when weekend trading was strictly controlled. In particular, Hardware stores were not permitted to open on Saturday afternoon or at all on Sundays with paid staff. They became the province of migrant families with many children and did a booming business while their competitors were forced to close their doors.
Perhaps industry is adept at finding the level of pay that is appropriate for the task required. The notion of an umpire determining what people shall receive has strayed a long way from the system that has persisted for many centuries !
Sunday 23 April 2017
Beware ! TAG is Coming to Your Door !
Like most states, New South Wales has a Trustee and Guardian ( TAG ) trust which will step in and manage the financial affairs of those who lose the ability to manage their own money. In the past, it relied on referrals from medical and legal bodies who perceive that a patient or a client is at risk of being taken advantage of because of reduced mental capacity.
In particular, our hospital systems are known to call in the TAG when a person of affluence slips into a state of dementia and they see feuding relatives gathering like vultures to feast on that persons estate. In particular cases, the TAG acts when an elderly hospital patient is judged as unable to return and live in their own home and requires the services of a nursing home. In todays world that usually requires the sale of the family home to fund a nursing home bond payment.
We are now seeing a change of thinking on the part of the government. There are three thousand five hundred people in this state who have received some sort of compensation payment for medical injuries or for trauma suffered in road accidents. In most cases this is administered in a trust managed by their parents who carefully invest the capital so that there will be a continuing income stream long after they are deceased.
Some are now suffering the intrusion of TAG and receiving demands that the capital be subjected to its new surety bond scheme - which carries a fee. In some cases, this can amount to $ 12,000 each year. Basically, TAG is muscling in and demanding to manage the money to prevent the vulnerable from being " ripped off " !
It is a mortal insult to many parents who have been successfully managing the affairs of their disabled children for many years. If this succeeds, they will find themselves in the hands of a panel of bureaucrats who will make the decisions on what spending will be allowed and what choices will apply. Most families are well aware of the huge discrepancy in rationality that occurs when decisions are in the hands of a " committee " !
What is uncertain is whether the government has the legal ability to impose this demand across the board to require parents to obtain a security bond. It has hit a hurdle with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruling - in a case involving a private manager - that it would not refer TAG's question of law to the Supreme Court.
Expect a flurry of private activity in legal circles to safeguard these funds by placing them in various legal trusts that will take them beyond the reach of TAG. The sticking point with the government seems to be power resting in the hands of parents to manage money. It is insulting to suggest that they would seek to defraud their own child or to infer that a panel of faceless bureaucrats would do a better job of investing their money.
We wait to see whether the politicians will back off and leave this alone, or if the lure of the fees and charges they can apply will force this measure by special legislation !
In particular, our hospital systems are known to call in the TAG when a person of affluence slips into a state of dementia and they see feuding relatives gathering like vultures to feast on that persons estate. In particular cases, the TAG acts when an elderly hospital patient is judged as unable to return and live in their own home and requires the services of a nursing home. In todays world that usually requires the sale of the family home to fund a nursing home bond payment.
We are now seeing a change of thinking on the part of the government. There are three thousand five hundred people in this state who have received some sort of compensation payment for medical injuries or for trauma suffered in road accidents. In most cases this is administered in a trust managed by their parents who carefully invest the capital so that there will be a continuing income stream long after they are deceased.
Some are now suffering the intrusion of TAG and receiving demands that the capital be subjected to its new surety bond scheme - which carries a fee. In some cases, this can amount to $ 12,000 each year. Basically, TAG is muscling in and demanding to manage the money to prevent the vulnerable from being " ripped off " !
It is a mortal insult to many parents who have been successfully managing the affairs of their disabled children for many years. If this succeeds, they will find themselves in the hands of a panel of bureaucrats who will make the decisions on what spending will be allowed and what choices will apply. Most families are well aware of the huge discrepancy in rationality that occurs when decisions are in the hands of a " committee " !
What is uncertain is whether the government has the legal ability to impose this demand across the board to require parents to obtain a security bond. It has hit a hurdle with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruling - in a case involving a private manager - that it would not refer TAG's question of law to the Supreme Court.
Expect a flurry of private activity in legal circles to safeguard these funds by placing them in various legal trusts that will take them beyond the reach of TAG. The sticking point with the government seems to be power resting in the hands of parents to manage money. It is insulting to suggest that they would seek to defraud their own child or to infer that a panel of faceless bureaucrats would do a better job of investing their money.
We wait to see whether the politicians will back off and leave this alone, or if the lure of the fees and charges they can apply will force this measure by special legislation !
Saturday 22 April 2017
Dealing With Reality !
A Royal Commission is delving into events that happened at facilities provided for the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory. Viewers of the television programme " Four Corners " were shocked last July to see footage of a seventeen year old boy in a restraint chair, hands strapped to its arms and his head covered by a hood.
That young man was Dylan Voller and this week he was being questioned by Sonia Brownhill SC, Solicitor General for the NT Government. He was asked about incidents in his life since he first attended - and was expelled - from primary school and gradually progressed through various forms of correction until he ended up at Aranda House Youth Detention Centre in Alice Springs.
Counsel carefully took him through his erratic behaviour in primary school when he attacked fellow pupils, failed to take part in class and refused to take the drug Ritalin. As with most questions, Mr Voller answered with the reply . " I don't remember " ! He also didn't remember tearing off protective clothing when he was deemed at risk of deliberately injuring himself.
The questioning became more vivid when he was asked about the evidence given by staff at Aranda House. He was accused of threatening to rape the children and grandchildren of carers and to burn down their homes - with them inside. He used the phrase " I don't remember ! " twenty-five times as Ms Brownhill described a lexicon of incidents. It was a harrowing listing of aberrant behaviour , futile bravado and madness and he frequently urinated and defecated in his allocated room and used this to write messages on the walls.
This is probably the extreme end of the scale that most school teachers have to cope with across the Australian education system. They usually encounter a small percentage of children who strenuously object to attending school and are determined to learn nothing. To their credit, they usually manage to " tame " such rebels but some go on being handed from school to school until they eventually become delinquents and receive the attention of the police.
What really attracted the attention of the Australian public - was the fact that Dylan Voller is Indigenous ! We white Australians have a guilty conscience because for a long time the Aboriginal people were virtually ignored, and now we want to makeup for that neglect. The first thing that happened when these pictures hit the screen on Four Corners - was the close down of Aranda House. The whole purpose of this Royal Commission - is to allocate guilt !
We were shocked that an Aboriginal boy could be subjected to extreme physical restraint and the vast majority immediately assumed that this was unwarranted. So many people with left wing views automatically take the side of the prisoner and heap blame of those tasked with the unpleasant duty of even preventing self harm. The verdict is clear in the minds of many people - before the first scintilla of evidence is given !
The finger of blame can be pointed in many directions. Is it " the system " that is letting down Indigenous kids ? Is it Aboriginal parenting failing to give them direction to the opportunities offering ? Or are some juvenile minds so auto programmed to rebellion that self destruction is inevitable ?
Unfortunately, the influence of politics make the outcome of such enquiries very predictable !
That young man was Dylan Voller and this week he was being questioned by Sonia Brownhill SC, Solicitor General for the NT Government. He was asked about incidents in his life since he first attended - and was expelled - from primary school and gradually progressed through various forms of correction until he ended up at Aranda House Youth Detention Centre in Alice Springs.
Counsel carefully took him through his erratic behaviour in primary school when he attacked fellow pupils, failed to take part in class and refused to take the drug Ritalin. As with most questions, Mr Voller answered with the reply . " I don't remember " ! He also didn't remember tearing off protective clothing when he was deemed at risk of deliberately injuring himself.
The questioning became more vivid when he was asked about the evidence given by staff at Aranda House. He was accused of threatening to rape the children and grandchildren of carers and to burn down their homes - with them inside. He used the phrase " I don't remember ! " twenty-five times as Ms Brownhill described a lexicon of incidents. It was a harrowing listing of aberrant behaviour , futile bravado and madness and he frequently urinated and defecated in his allocated room and used this to write messages on the walls.
This is probably the extreme end of the scale that most school teachers have to cope with across the Australian education system. They usually encounter a small percentage of children who strenuously object to attending school and are determined to learn nothing. To their credit, they usually manage to " tame " such rebels but some go on being handed from school to school until they eventually become delinquents and receive the attention of the police.
What really attracted the attention of the Australian public - was the fact that Dylan Voller is Indigenous ! We white Australians have a guilty conscience because for a long time the Aboriginal people were virtually ignored, and now we want to makeup for that neglect. The first thing that happened when these pictures hit the screen on Four Corners - was the close down of Aranda House. The whole purpose of this Royal Commission - is to allocate guilt !
We were shocked that an Aboriginal boy could be subjected to extreme physical restraint and the vast majority immediately assumed that this was unwarranted. So many people with left wing views automatically take the side of the prisoner and heap blame of those tasked with the unpleasant duty of even preventing self harm. The verdict is clear in the minds of many people - before the first scintilla of evidence is given !
The finger of blame can be pointed in many directions. Is it " the system " that is letting down Indigenous kids ? Is it Aboriginal parenting failing to give them direction to the opportunities offering ? Or are some juvenile minds so auto programmed to rebellion that self destruction is inevitable ?
Unfortunately, the influence of politics make the outcome of such enquiries very predictable !
Friday 21 April 2017
The " Citizenship Lie " !
The Australian government is still wrestling with the imperatives that underline the reason that intending migrants seek that all important certificate of Citizenship. It is the safety mechanism that protects them from deportation, nomatter how blatantly they break the laws they promise to obey when they recite the required oath.
Under the existing system, migrants enter the country subject to a wide variety of Visas. They can move on to become " permanent residents " but have to wait another year before their application for citizenship will be considered. One of the proposals being evaluated would extend that waiting period - to four years.
There are suggestions of testing to evaluate suitability for the Australian way of life and these may include questions on their attitude to female genital mutilation or whether it is acceptable to strike a spouse in an argument. During this waiting time their way of life would come under close evaluation. Do they send their children to school ? What sports they follow ? What civic organizations they have joined ?
Australian citizenship is surrounded by a huge range of ethnic advisors from each national group with intimate knowledge of the law. Intending citizens with attitudes that do not fit the parameters are carefully coached on how to present at interviews and to maintain living arrangements that would earn approval. Attempting to master the English language would rate highly on that listing, as would membership of any of the service clubs that do public good.
Gaining recognition as an Australian citizen is the ultimate prize in the eyes of those who have suffered the loss of their country due to civil war or invasion and have spent years in the misery of relocation camps. It allows them to put down roots and ensures their personal safety. The vast majority become good citizens and add to the pattern of Australian life that has emerged over the years.
Unfortunately, a small percentage settle here with no intention of integrating. They wish to impose their religion and the old hatreds that have roiled their former country in this new land and they are prepared to shamelessly lie to gain the protection of citizenship. Unfortunately, skilled help enables them to present extenuating appeals through the court system, and our courts are inclined to extend the vale of the doubt in their favour.
When we grant " permanent residency " without the deed of citizenship what we are really offering is a sort of " provisional citizenship ". It delivers most of the rights - but without that final shield of deportation should the holder seriously break our laws. By International law, once citizenship has been granted it can never be rescinded.
Perhaps we already have the answer to this problem. There should be no actual time limit on this citizenship issue. If a migrant is judged to be not suitable for that final step but behaving in a manner acceptable to being allowed to remain, that " provisional status " should remain in force - indefinitely.
That old maxim of " If it "aint broke, don't fix it ! " should apply !
Under the existing system, migrants enter the country subject to a wide variety of Visas. They can move on to become " permanent residents " but have to wait another year before their application for citizenship will be considered. One of the proposals being evaluated would extend that waiting period - to four years.
There are suggestions of testing to evaluate suitability for the Australian way of life and these may include questions on their attitude to female genital mutilation or whether it is acceptable to strike a spouse in an argument. During this waiting time their way of life would come under close evaluation. Do they send their children to school ? What sports they follow ? What civic organizations they have joined ?
Australian citizenship is surrounded by a huge range of ethnic advisors from each national group with intimate knowledge of the law. Intending citizens with attitudes that do not fit the parameters are carefully coached on how to present at interviews and to maintain living arrangements that would earn approval. Attempting to master the English language would rate highly on that listing, as would membership of any of the service clubs that do public good.
Gaining recognition as an Australian citizen is the ultimate prize in the eyes of those who have suffered the loss of their country due to civil war or invasion and have spent years in the misery of relocation camps. It allows them to put down roots and ensures their personal safety. The vast majority become good citizens and add to the pattern of Australian life that has emerged over the years.
Unfortunately, a small percentage settle here with no intention of integrating. They wish to impose their religion and the old hatreds that have roiled their former country in this new land and they are prepared to shamelessly lie to gain the protection of citizenship. Unfortunately, skilled help enables them to present extenuating appeals through the court system, and our courts are inclined to extend the vale of the doubt in their favour.
When we grant " permanent residency " without the deed of citizenship what we are really offering is a sort of " provisional citizenship ". It delivers most of the rights - but without that final shield of deportation should the holder seriously break our laws. By International law, once citizenship has been granted it can never be rescinded.
Perhaps we already have the answer to this problem. There should be no actual time limit on this citizenship issue. If a migrant is judged to be not suitable for that final step but behaving in a manner acceptable to being allowed to remain, that " provisional status " should remain in force - indefinitely.
That old maxim of " If it "aint broke, don't fix it ! " should apply !
Thursday 20 April 2017
He Who Hesitates !
The threat posed by North Korea is a holdover from another era. When the world was settling into a land grab between the western powers and the advance of Communism at the end of the second world war the carve-up of Korea resulted in the Kim family establishing their own little empire which was adept at playing off the rivalry between Russia and China.
The " Big Five " countries - America, Russia, Britain, France and China decided to restrict the atom bomb to their countries and put in place both threats and incentives to stop the rest of the world developing these weapons - with limited success. Both India and Pakistan have the bomb and it simply serves as the deterrent that makes war impossible between two rival religions. We know the Israeli's have a few nuclear warheads, but they play the numbers close to their chests - and a few other countries have advanced some of the way towards the technology needed to join the " nuclear club ".
The enigma has been North Korea. It tried to annex the entire Korean peninsula by direct invasion and this led to the Korean war, which ended in stalemate. The two sides are separated by a neutrality zone and the United States keeps a standing army in South Korea to maintain the peace. North Korea became the " hermit kingdom ", declining contact with the rest of the world and raising and equipping
one of the worlds biggest military forces. It derives an income by counterfeiting other countries money and by the illicit distribution of narcotics on the world scene.
The Kim family managed to create a dynasty and rule has passed through three generations and had clear intentions of becoming nuclear armed. They have successfully carried out a number of test firings and are well advanced on the development of delivery systems. They are able to fire missiles from submerged submarines and it seems inevitable that they will shortly test fire what can only be described as an ICBM capable of reaching targets anywhere in Europe or on the North American continent. They propose all out nuclear war if threatened.
It is not believed that North Korea has managed to achieve the technology breakthrough to go beyond the type of atomic device used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nor is it fully certain that they have been able to miniaturise it to fit on a warhead, but eventually they will no doubt achieve the capability of building a hydrogen bomb. Their threat of making nuclear war on America has stayed the hands of presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barak Obama and each time the North Korean capability to inflict damage on the rest of the world has become enhanced.
This latest US president - Donald rump - does not come from a dedicated school of diplomacy and he appears to take the North Korean threat at face value. He has made it clear to both Russia and China that he accepts the challenge and he has moved a carrier task force to where an American strike can be quickly delivered. There are no threats coming from China's leader, Xi Jinping and neither has Russia delivered any ultimatum.
North Korea is believed to have about nine operating nuclear weapons. There is a chance it can deliver death and destruction to a South Korean city such as Seoul and possibly an American base such as Guam but a full scale American nuclear strike would make that country virtually disappear. In the past, indecision has resulted in the North Korean arsenal expanding and achieving the capacity for greater destruction.
History tells us that both the first and second world wars might have been prevented had world leaders taken remedial action to prevent war becoming an eventuality. Just exactly the same scenario seems to have been developing for decades on the other side of the Korean demilitarised zone.
Far from being dangerous and provocative, perhaps Donald Trump is taking the action that may save the world from a far greater and more destructive cataclysm further down the time track.
The " Big Five " countries - America, Russia, Britain, France and China decided to restrict the atom bomb to their countries and put in place both threats and incentives to stop the rest of the world developing these weapons - with limited success. Both India and Pakistan have the bomb and it simply serves as the deterrent that makes war impossible between two rival religions. We know the Israeli's have a few nuclear warheads, but they play the numbers close to their chests - and a few other countries have advanced some of the way towards the technology needed to join the " nuclear club ".
The enigma has been North Korea. It tried to annex the entire Korean peninsula by direct invasion and this led to the Korean war, which ended in stalemate. The two sides are separated by a neutrality zone and the United States keeps a standing army in South Korea to maintain the peace. North Korea became the " hermit kingdom ", declining contact with the rest of the world and raising and equipping
one of the worlds biggest military forces. It derives an income by counterfeiting other countries money and by the illicit distribution of narcotics on the world scene.
The Kim family managed to create a dynasty and rule has passed through three generations and had clear intentions of becoming nuclear armed. They have successfully carried out a number of test firings and are well advanced on the development of delivery systems. They are able to fire missiles from submerged submarines and it seems inevitable that they will shortly test fire what can only be described as an ICBM capable of reaching targets anywhere in Europe or on the North American continent. They propose all out nuclear war if threatened.
It is not believed that North Korea has managed to achieve the technology breakthrough to go beyond the type of atomic device used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nor is it fully certain that they have been able to miniaturise it to fit on a warhead, but eventually they will no doubt achieve the capability of building a hydrogen bomb. Their threat of making nuclear war on America has stayed the hands of presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barak Obama and each time the North Korean capability to inflict damage on the rest of the world has become enhanced.
This latest US president - Donald rump - does not come from a dedicated school of diplomacy and he appears to take the North Korean threat at face value. He has made it clear to both Russia and China that he accepts the challenge and he has moved a carrier task force to where an American strike can be quickly delivered. There are no threats coming from China's leader, Xi Jinping and neither has Russia delivered any ultimatum.
North Korea is believed to have about nine operating nuclear weapons. There is a chance it can deliver death and destruction to a South Korean city such as Seoul and possibly an American base such as Guam but a full scale American nuclear strike would make that country virtually disappear. In the past, indecision has resulted in the North Korean arsenal expanding and achieving the capacity for greater destruction.
History tells us that both the first and second world wars might have been prevented had world leaders taken remedial action to prevent war becoming an eventuality. Just exactly the same scenario seems to have been developing for decades on the other side of the Korean demilitarised zone.
Far from being dangerous and provocative, perhaps Donald Trump is taking the action that may save the world from a far greater and more destructive cataclysm further down the time track.
Wednesday 19 April 2017
Walking Away from Democracy !
It sounds almost unbelievable that the proud and noble people of Turkey would willingly dissolve a parliamentary democracy and hand ultimate power to a man who wants to impose Islam as a national religion. After the end of the Ottoman empire a forward thinking Kemal Ataturk dragged a backward Turkey into the Twentieth Century by making it a secular republic. It is governed by a parliament elected by a popular vote.
Modern Turkey has become the bridge between Asia and Europe. As a member of NATO it is allied with the west and it had aspirations to join the EU, although that has dragged on for years. Holding power has been an ongoing tussle between parliament and a powerful military and military coups have seen the men in uniform running the country from time to time. A Kurdish minority has long cherished carving out a homeland within Turkey, resulting in a protracted civil war and the EU has demanded improved civil rights improvements as a condition of EU entry.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan fought his way from mayor of a major city to leader of the AK Party and eventually became the country's president. He was an authoritarian figure that began amassing power - and using it to crush any form of opposition. Rival politicians were simply jailed on trumped up charges and newspapers and journalists that did not toe his party line faced personal danger - and closure. A coup attempt was quickly crushed and Erdogan used this emergency to grant himself exceptional powers which he has used ruthlessly.
He proposed a referendum to grant him executive power to make decisions unilaterally and without the assent of parliament. He demanded the power to appoint and sack the judiciary and similarly appoint or dismiss the ministers who would run the country under his direction. It became clear that at heart he was an Islamist and that he would institute Sharia law. He is proposing another referendum, this time to reintroduce the death penalty.
The discussion period before that referendum was a sham. All newspapers and television channels were in government hands and supported a " yes " vote. Leading figures advocating a " no " were simply rounded up and imprisoned on spurious charges. Opinion polls predicted a close vote and the government announced that Erdogan won by twenty-five million votes, representing a 51.5% margin. Calls for a recount were dismissed. It seems that Erdogan will achieve the unlimited powers he sought from the 2019 election, when he will appoint the cabinet and an undisclosed number of vice presidents, and have complete personal control over the civil service and judiciary.
Basically, the AK party claims that Erdogan has been granted unlimited power to take the country in whatever direction he chooses. He is now the supreme dictator, and we have seen the way supreme power corrupts in so many instances before. Half of the civil wars in Africa have evolved from elected rulers who have refused to accept election defeat and have simply used their armies to hold on to power with added authoritarian tendencies. We also remember the outcome from both Hitler and Stalin.
The outcome will probably be a surge of secular Turkish migrants flowing out of that country as moderate followers of Islam decline to live under a harsh regime that imposes death by stoning for adultery and the amputation of hands for theft. It seems that a nation of moderate Islam as a beacon to the world has been lost and the views of Erdogan may have more future affinity with Islamic State.
Perhaps the emergence of an authoritarian Islamic state on their doorstep may induce the countries of the European Union to settle their internal grievances and achieve a new solidarity !
Modern Turkey has become the bridge between Asia and Europe. As a member of NATO it is allied with the west and it had aspirations to join the EU, although that has dragged on for years. Holding power has been an ongoing tussle between parliament and a powerful military and military coups have seen the men in uniform running the country from time to time. A Kurdish minority has long cherished carving out a homeland within Turkey, resulting in a protracted civil war and the EU has demanded improved civil rights improvements as a condition of EU entry.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan fought his way from mayor of a major city to leader of the AK Party and eventually became the country's president. He was an authoritarian figure that began amassing power - and using it to crush any form of opposition. Rival politicians were simply jailed on trumped up charges and newspapers and journalists that did not toe his party line faced personal danger - and closure. A coup attempt was quickly crushed and Erdogan used this emergency to grant himself exceptional powers which he has used ruthlessly.
He proposed a referendum to grant him executive power to make decisions unilaterally and without the assent of parliament. He demanded the power to appoint and sack the judiciary and similarly appoint or dismiss the ministers who would run the country under his direction. It became clear that at heart he was an Islamist and that he would institute Sharia law. He is proposing another referendum, this time to reintroduce the death penalty.
The discussion period before that referendum was a sham. All newspapers and television channels were in government hands and supported a " yes " vote. Leading figures advocating a " no " were simply rounded up and imprisoned on spurious charges. Opinion polls predicted a close vote and the government announced that Erdogan won by twenty-five million votes, representing a 51.5% margin. Calls for a recount were dismissed. It seems that Erdogan will achieve the unlimited powers he sought from the 2019 election, when he will appoint the cabinet and an undisclosed number of vice presidents, and have complete personal control over the civil service and judiciary.
Basically, the AK party claims that Erdogan has been granted unlimited power to take the country in whatever direction he chooses. He is now the supreme dictator, and we have seen the way supreme power corrupts in so many instances before. Half of the civil wars in Africa have evolved from elected rulers who have refused to accept election defeat and have simply used their armies to hold on to power with added authoritarian tendencies. We also remember the outcome from both Hitler and Stalin.
The outcome will probably be a surge of secular Turkish migrants flowing out of that country as moderate followers of Islam decline to live under a harsh regime that imposes death by stoning for adultery and the amputation of hands for theft. It seems that a nation of moderate Islam as a beacon to the world has been lost and the views of Erdogan may have more future affinity with Islamic State.
Perhaps the emergence of an authoritarian Islamic state on their doorstep may induce the countries of the European Union to settle their internal grievances and achieve a new solidarity !
Tuesday 18 April 2017
Safe Rail Bridges !
The New South Wales rail system began to serve this state back in the steam age. Steam trains were then breaking edge technology and one of the early lines was the slow and dangerous link between Sydney and Wollongong that enabled coal to serve the new colonies energy needs. Today that line follows much the same alignment with electrification replacing steam trains.
We were assured that Transport NSW had in place a Bridge Management System ( BMS ) to maintain checks for load capacity on the entirety of the rail bridges across this state. It came as a shock to discover that there are gaps and that of the 825 bridges listed, no report s available on 207 such structures. Without relevant information on what is needed, the works programme to repair and replace bridges is simply without credibility.
NSW rail lines share the traffic load between the commuter passenger trains and the movement of heavy freight and those bridges vary from mammoth structures crossing rivers to very tiny crossings spanning gaps across mere creeks. Changing industry needs means that the mix of rail freight is ever changing and it is important that rail bridges are capable of handling whatever load is imposed. At the moment that can not be guaranteed.
In particular those regular commuters who ride the trains between Wollongong and Central on the Illawarra line have good reason to wonder how safe the bridges over which they travel really are. At one stage, all trains cross a massive viaduct and that is never attempted at anything above walking speed. They also know that the line is subjected to slippage after even moderate rain, and without warning rail movement is cancelled and replaced with buses, making the journey even longer. We are asking a rail line constructed in the pick and shovel era - when the overburden was moved with horse and cart transport - to keep serving with modern carriages capable of higher speeds.
The ultimate nightmare would be the derailing of a packed commuter train because of a bridge failure. The worst accident was the Bold street bridge disaster, when a commuter train brought down a road bridge on top of a passing train and crushed several carriages. When the Sydney Harbour bridge was completed the state demonstrated its capacity by bringing a huge mass of trains to a halt on the rails crossing the bridge to give a visual demonstration that impressed most people.
Bridge certification inspections must now be urgently carried out on those bridges which lack current paperwork. Replacement of the Illawarra line is long overdue and it will be costly. It w ill require a very long tunnel through the escarpment to achieve the grade and capacity for speed necessary to serve the twin cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and their growing hinterland.
Discovery of over two hundred rail bridges lacking oversight should be a wakeup call. What else has a question mark hanging over it ? Perhaps this is a good time for a long, hard revision of how we check safety on the entire rail system to find any other loose ends that need to be tidied up !
We were assured that Transport NSW had in place a Bridge Management System ( BMS ) to maintain checks for load capacity on the entirety of the rail bridges across this state. It came as a shock to discover that there are gaps and that of the 825 bridges listed, no report s available on 207 such structures. Without relevant information on what is needed, the works programme to repair and replace bridges is simply without credibility.
NSW rail lines share the traffic load between the commuter passenger trains and the movement of heavy freight and those bridges vary from mammoth structures crossing rivers to very tiny crossings spanning gaps across mere creeks. Changing industry needs means that the mix of rail freight is ever changing and it is important that rail bridges are capable of handling whatever load is imposed. At the moment that can not be guaranteed.
In particular those regular commuters who ride the trains between Wollongong and Central on the Illawarra line have good reason to wonder how safe the bridges over which they travel really are. At one stage, all trains cross a massive viaduct and that is never attempted at anything above walking speed. They also know that the line is subjected to slippage after even moderate rain, and without warning rail movement is cancelled and replaced with buses, making the journey even longer. We are asking a rail line constructed in the pick and shovel era - when the overburden was moved with horse and cart transport - to keep serving with modern carriages capable of higher speeds.
The ultimate nightmare would be the derailing of a packed commuter train because of a bridge failure. The worst accident was the Bold street bridge disaster, when a commuter train brought down a road bridge on top of a passing train and crushed several carriages. When the Sydney Harbour bridge was completed the state demonstrated its capacity by bringing a huge mass of trains to a halt on the rails crossing the bridge to give a visual demonstration that impressed most people.
Bridge certification inspections must now be urgently carried out on those bridges which lack current paperwork. Replacement of the Illawarra line is long overdue and it will be costly. It w ill require a very long tunnel through the escarpment to achieve the grade and capacity for speed necessary to serve the twin cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and their growing hinterland.
Discovery of over two hundred rail bridges lacking oversight should be a wakeup call. What else has a question mark hanging over it ? Perhaps this is a good time for a long, hard revision of how we check safety on the entire rail system to find any other loose ends that need to be tidied up !
Monday 17 April 2017
Return of the " Tram " !
There was a time when the biggest single mover of people within cities was the Tram. In never lost favour in many parts of the world, but where governments encouraged the mass production of cheaper motor cars city traffic between car and tram became a nightmare. The two forms of transport were competing for the same area of roadway and modernity demanded that the old ways give way to the new.
The problem was that the trams ran on fixed rail lines in the middle of the road and at regular intervals they were obliged to stop to take on and unload passengers. A great mass of people were then congregated in the roadway and all other forms of traffic came to a complete stop. Most city streets were limited to a single lane of motor traffic in each direction and it was claimed that traffic would move faster if the trams were removed.
There was also a safety and convenience factor. In some European cities, the earliest trams had been horse drawn and the newer electric models retained their characteristics. They were partly an enclosed cabin and partly what were termed " toast rack " seating, open at the side and exposed to the elements. These trams also had long lengths of boarding steps and it was quite normal at peak times to see passengers clinging to the sides and riding exposed on these platforms - which would be a huge safety infringement today.
At the time of discontinuation, many cities opted for replacement with Trolley buses. These were similar to a conventional motor bus but with power served by a pantograph on the roof drawing electricity from overhead fixed power lines. The advantage was that they could travel like an ordinary bus because that pantograph had the mobility to allow them to move to the kerb and stop to load and disgorge passengers. They no longer interrupted car traffic, but they sadly lacked the ability to move huge numbers of people in the manner demonstrated by the trams.
The planning of cities has changed and we are no longer subservient to the car. In fact the car is being banned from city centres and we now encourage vast open spaces for pedestrians and once again the tram is returning as the preferred mode of transport. Of course it is no longer termed a " Tram ". The modern expression is " Light Rail " and this form of transport is a longer, sleeker design with all passengers inside and protected from the weather. Those old " toast racks " are a thing of the past and the accent today is on speed and comfort.
The mode of manning has also changed. They no longer have a " Conductor " and fares are not collected from each passenger on each trip. Instead the " Opal card " deducts the fare from the customers account as it is swiped across a " reader " when entering and alighting - and this now serves across a wide range of public transport.
Gradually, the line length of these new trams will extend as new suburbs house people and they have a need to travel to their jobs. It seems that the modern city will become a mix of suburban rail serving the far outer suburbs with both metro lines and trams handling the distribution of people where the numbers are both compact and in need of speedy movement. It seems that the car with a single occupant has slipped lower in the pecking order !
The problem was that the trams ran on fixed rail lines in the middle of the road and at regular intervals they were obliged to stop to take on and unload passengers. A great mass of people were then congregated in the roadway and all other forms of traffic came to a complete stop. Most city streets were limited to a single lane of motor traffic in each direction and it was claimed that traffic would move faster if the trams were removed.
There was also a safety and convenience factor. In some European cities, the earliest trams had been horse drawn and the newer electric models retained their characteristics. They were partly an enclosed cabin and partly what were termed " toast rack " seating, open at the side and exposed to the elements. These trams also had long lengths of boarding steps and it was quite normal at peak times to see passengers clinging to the sides and riding exposed on these platforms - which would be a huge safety infringement today.
At the time of discontinuation, many cities opted for replacement with Trolley buses. These were similar to a conventional motor bus but with power served by a pantograph on the roof drawing electricity from overhead fixed power lines. The advantage was that they could travel like an ordinary bus because that pantograph had the mobility to allow them to move to the kerb and stop to load and disgorge passengers. They no longer interrupted car traffic, but they sadly lacked the ability to move huge numbers of people in the manner demonstrated by the trams.
The planning of cities has changed and we are no longer subservient to the car. In fact the car is being banned from city centres and we now encourage vast open spaces for pedestrians and once again the tram is returning as the preferred mode of transport. Of course it is no longer termed a " Tram ". The modern expression is " Light Rail " and this form of transport is a longer, sleeker design with all passengers inside and protected from the weather. Those old " toast racks " are a thing of the past and the accent today is on speed and comfort.
The mode of manning has also changed. They no longer have a " Conductor " and fares are not collected from each passenger on each trip. Instead the " Opal card " deducts the fare from the customers account as it is swiped across a " reader " when entering and alighting - and this now serves across a wide range of public transport.
Gradually, the line length of these new trams will extend as new suburbs house people and they have a need to travel to their jobs. It seems that the modern city will become a mix of suburban rail serving the far outer suburbs with both metro lines and trams handling the distribution of people where the numbers are both compact and in need of speedy movement. It seems that the car with a single occupant has slipped lower in the pecking order !
Sunday 16 April 2017
Humans - the " Stupid " Species !
Every time we turn on the TV we encounter horror stories of refugee families on the move because of war and tribal fighting. The spectre of mass starvation haunts parts of South Sudan and Somalia and civil war is raging in Nigeria, Yemen and Libya. The United Nations has requested $ 4.4 billion from international donors - including Australia - but so far only a trickle of about $ 984 million has been forthcoming. The world is suffering " donor fatigue " !
Front and centre on the news is the slaughter taking place daily in Syria and Iraq. These are the refugees that have overwhelmed Turkey, Greece and Italy and caused much of southern Europe to close their borders and refuse to settled even a few families. Hearts have hardened and basically the referendum decision in England to leave the European Union was a rejection of the EU basic principle of free movement of people across open national borders. There is a very real prospect that the EU may disintegrate if populist politicians get elected to office in some countries.
There is one aspect of these refugee hordes that stand out in stark clarity. So many families have an overwhelming number of children - usually one for every year they have been on the move. In their settled life most were barely able to feed the number they produced and many were destined for an early death, but despite this they continued to churn out new babies, year after year. For women in these benighted countries life seems to be nothing other than ever enduring pregnancy.
What seems to astonish people of the western world are the obstacles put in place to prevent world agencies distributing contraceptives and giving advice to enable these numbers to become manageable. Religious leaders in western countries have managed to place such an embargo on foreign aid and in much of what we term the " undeveloped world " a patriarchy is in place which denies women any sort of control over their sexual lives. Sadly, when such refugees do find a home in a western country nothing changes in that procession of churning out babies.
This has produced a " fear factor ". Despite clear evidence that education is bringing vast changes to the new arrivals living amongst us those that arrive with a tribe of kids are shunned. They struggle to learn English and find a job, despite similar fears, earlier waves have undergone this transformation and are now indistinguishable within the broad community spectrum. It is the kids who are the ones that eventually manage to bridge this tribal gulf.
We are certainly selective with our aid donations. When a cyclone hit Vanuatu in 2015 the outpouring from ordinary Australians was thirty times greater than the present relief for Africa and the Middle East. Vanuatu is one of our holiday destinations and we have an affinity for its people. Sadly, many see the people of Africa and the Middle East as a potential enemy who we may need to fight for survival in a generation or so ahead.
It would be helpful if this contraception and family planning stigma could be eliminated from our aid programme. Our national animal - the Kangaroo - has an instinct which allows it to cease reproduction when a seasonal famine makes food scarce. Unfortunately, such a safety procedure does not transfer to the human race and we go ahead exacerbating the numbers even when proven control measures are readily available.
Despite the wonders successive generations have contributed to our world of knowledge and we have managed to walk on the Moon we still seem determined to inflict other old sexual shibboleths on the emerging tribes still afflicted with the customs of the dark ages.
It seems that we jealously guard our sexual freedom, but deny the lifestyle changes it brings to those who still live in repression. Perhaps one of the main reasons they are forced to emigrate !
Front and centre on the news is the slaughter taking place daily in Syria and Iraq. These are the refugees that have overwhelmed Turkey, Greece and Italy and caused much of southern Europe to close their borders and refuse to settled even a few families. Hearts have hardened and basically the referendum decision in England to leave the European Union was a rejection of the EU basic principle of free movement of people across open national borders. There is a very real prospect that the EU may disintegrate if populist politicians get elected to office in some countries.
There is one aspect of these refugee hordes that stand out in stark clarity. So many families have an overwhelming number of children - usually one for every year they have been on the move. In their settled life most were barely able to feed the number they produced and many were destined for an early death, but despite this they continued to churn out new babies, year after year. For women in these benighted countries life seems to be nothing other than ever enduring pregnancy.
What seems to astonish people of the western world are the obstacles put in place to prevent world agencies distributing contraceptives and giving advice to enable these numbers to become manageable. Religious leaders in western countries have managed to place such an embargo on foreign aid and in much of what we term the " undeveloped world " a patriarchy is in place which denies women any sort of control over their sexual lives. Sadly, when such refugees do find a home in a western country nothing changes in that procession of churning out babies.
This has produced a " fear factor ". Despite clear evidence that education is bringing vast changes to the new arrivals living amongst us those that arrive with a tribe of kids are shunned. They struggle to learn English and find a job, despite similar fears, earlier waves have undergone this transformation and are now indistinguishable within the broad community spectrum. It is the kids who are the ones that eventually manage to bridge this tribal gulf.
We are certainly selective with our aid donations. When a cyclone hit Vanuatu in 2015 the outpouring from ordinary Australians was thirty times greater than the present relief for Africa and the Middle East. Vanuatu is one of our holiday destinations and we have an affinity for its people. Sadly, many see the people of Africa and the Middle East as a potential enemy who we may need to fight for survival in a generation or so ahead.
It would be helpful if this contraception and family planning stigma could be eliminated from our aid programme. Our national animal - the Kangaroo - has an instinct which allows it to cease reproduction when a seasonal famine makes food scarce. Unfortunately, such a safety procedure does not transfer to the human race and we go ahead exacerbating the numbers even when proven control measures are readily available.
Despite the wonders successive generations have contributed to our world of knowledge and we have managed to walk on the Moon we still seem determined to inflict other old sexual shibboleths on the emerging tribes still afflicted with the customs of the dark ages.
It seems that we jealously guard our sexual freedom, but deny the lifestyle changes it brings to those who still live in repression. Perhaps one of the main reasons they are forced to emigrate !
Saturday 15 April 2017
Intellectual Property Theft !
An evolving case of intellectual property theft highlights the problem for Australian inventors who dutifully patent their inventions on world markets before putting them into commercial production, only to find a copycat version suddenly appearing from China.
The production of honey by bee keepers has for centuries followed a very predictable method. The bees are contained in a hive close to the flowers from which they draw nectar to make honey. At time intervals, the bee keepers wear protective clothing - and use smoke to pacify the angry bees while they open the hives and extract the honeycomb and remove the honey. It is a labour intensive process.
This Australian inventor - Cedar Anderson - called his invention " Flow Hive " and spent years perfecting its method of allowing the honey to flow through the honeycomb and collect via a spigot at the front of the hive. This took more than a decade and during that time test hives were under close examination by bee keepers in Tasmania and later in other states.
Anderson - and co inventor Tom Kuhn - brought their idea to commercial fruition by appealing for development funds on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The method is now successfully in use in over a hundred countries.
Suddenly, what appears to be a direct copy and called " Tapcomb " appeared on the market in direct competition. It makes similar claims, using identical terms and the Australians can find no evidence of any attempt to secure a patent, either here or overseas. It has also proved impossible to discern the exact place of production - except that it is coming from somewhere in that great mass of small manufacturers that exist on the Chinese mainland.
Making a case and finding someone to sue in China can be a nightmare and that is not helped by the Chinese government which seems to have a problem understanding the concept of " intellectual property ". It seems to be a matter of a small Australian company with limited finance faced with a invisible opponent which can continue to garner market share indefinitely by avoiding the protection that the patent confers.
Flow Hive may be able to influence the large companies in the honey business from using this patent intrusion but honey collection seems to be the prerogative of many thousands of small independents who are classed as hobby farmers. Even at price parity, this unwelcome interloper can be the difference between success and failure for their business venture.
These Australian inventors have the right to expect the Australian government to act on their behalf and take this up with the government of China. Commerce will become lawless unless patent rights are observed - and eventually China will suffer a similar fate with Chinese patents ignored unless they adopt the rule of law.
The production of honey by bee keepers has for centuries followed a very predictable method. The bees are contained in a hive close to the flowers from which they draw nectar to make honey. At time intervals, the bee keepers wear protective clothing - and use smoke to pacify the angry bees while they open the hives and extract the honeycomb and remove the honey. It is a labour intensive process.
This Australian inventor - Cedar Anderson - called his invention " Flow Hive " and spent years perfecting its method of allowing the honey to flow through the honeycomb and collect via a spigot at the front of the hive. This took more than a decade and during that time test hives were under close examination by bee keepers in Tasmania and later in other states.
Anderson - and co inventor Tom Kuhn - brought their idea to commercial fruition by appealing for development funds on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The method is now successfully in use in over a hundred countries.
Suddenly, what appears to be a direct copy and called " Tapcomb " appeared on the market in direct competition. It makes similar claims, using identical terms and the Australians can find no evidence of any attempt to secure a patent, either here or overseas. It has also proved impossible to discern the exact place of production - except that it is coming from somewhere in that great mass of small manufacturers that exist on the Chinese mainland.
Making a case and finding someone to sue in China can be a nightmare and that is not helped by the Chinese government which seems to have a problem understanding the concept of " intellectual property ". It seems to be a matter of a small Australian company with limited finance faced with a invisible opponent which can continue to garner market share indefinitely by avoiding the protection that the patent confers.
Flow Hive may be able to influence the large companies in the honey business from using this patent intrusion but honey collection seems to be the prerogative of many thousands of small independents who are classed as hobby farmers. Even at price parity, this unwelcome interloper can be the difference between success and failure for their business venture.
These Australian inventors have the right to expect the Australian government to act on their behalf and take this up with the government of China. Commerce will become lawless unless patent rights are observed - and eventually China will suffer a similar fate with Chinese patents ignored unless they adopt the rule of law.
Friday 14 April 2017
Gaining " Instant Money " !
When a government sells one of the assets it owns something that once belonged to " the people " passes into other hands. When that same asset is leased for a period of time, it delivers instant money but will return to public ownership once the lease expires.
Such is the case with the one hundred and fifty year old Land Titles Registry office. This government instrumentality provides certification of land title that is essential to legally complete the transfer of property from one person to another in this state. It is the Land Titles Registry that collates past ownership of all parcels of land and records all future events that may have a bearing on the use to which that land may be subjected. It will make a buyer aware that it is subjected to easements or other legalities by other outside interests.
Having the Land Titles office pass out of public hands has been criticised by the Law Council of Australia, the Law Society of New South Wales, the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales and the Institute of Surveyors, which question why the government would privatise an asset that delivers them a profit of $ 130 million annually.
The reason for that decision is easy to see. The successful bidder will hand over a sum of $ 2.6 billion in exchange for that lease and this will enable the government to fund the upgrading of Parramatta and ANZ stadiums and the refurbishment of Allianz stadium. In addition, $ 1.6 billion will be deposited in the Restart NSW fund for future projects and about a third will be spent in regional areas. The state will be able to immediately fund urgent works that are otherwise out of financial reach.
There is no doubt that the successful bidders are reputable organizations.. Australian Registry Investments ( ARI ) is eighty percent owned by Australian shareholders ( Including Hastings and First State ) and twenty percent by RBS Pension Trustees of London. It is also evident that they expect to make a profit from this investment.
The objections are based on the possibility that the fees to obtain this vital information to allow conveyancing to proceed may rise sharply and the new ownership may fail to pass on pertinent details not directly related to title. For instance, if the owners are a married couple going through a divorce action the apportionment of ownership may be decided by that court and must delay granting of clear title.
In thirty-five years the Land Titles Registry office will again revert to state ownership. In 2052 whatever government is holding office will decide whether to offer it for lease for a further period, or to remain as a revenue source contributing to the running of the state.
Such is the ever changing face of politics. Whichever party is in office is judged by the benefits it delivers and what can be clearly seen in place and working on voting day is usually what impresses the voters. There is a very big incentive to bring projects to visible maturity within each election cycle without piling up additional debt. Leasing an asset is an obvious source of such " instant money " !
What decision is made in 2052 will be determined by whatever political view is in vogue at that time.
Such is the case with the one hundred and fifty year old Land Titles Registry office. This government instrumentality provides certification of land title that is essential to legally complete the transfer of property from one person to another in this state. It is the Land Titles Registry that collates past ownership of all parcels of land and records all future events that may have a bearing on the use to which that land may be subjected. It will make a buyer aware that it is subjected to easements or other legalities by other outside interests.
Having the Land Titles office pass out of public hands has been criticised by the Law Council of Australia, the Law Society of New South Wales, the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales and the Institute of Surveyors, which question why the government would privatise an asset that delivers them a profit of $ 130 million annually.
The reason for that decision is easy to see. The successful bidder will hand over a sum of $ 2.6 billion in exchange for that lease and this will enable the government to fund the upgrading of Parramatta and ANZ stadiums and the refurbishment of Allianz stadium. In addition, $ 1.6 billion will be deposited in the Restart NSW fund for future projects and about a third will be spent in regional areas. The state will be able to immediately fund urgent works that are otherwise out of financial reach.
There is no doubt that the successful bidders are reputable organizations.. Australian Registry Investments ( ARI ) is eighty percent owned by Australian shareholders ( Including Hastings and First State ) and twenty percent by RBS Pension Trustees of London. It is also evident that they expect to make a profit from this investment.
The objections are based on the possibility that the fees to obtain this vital information to allow conveyancing to proceed may rise sharply and the new ownership may fail to pass on pertinent details not directly related to title. For instance, if the owners are a married couple going through a divorce action the apportionment of ownership may be decided by that court and must delay granting of clear title.
In thirty-five years the Land Titles Registry office will again revert to state ownership. In 2052 whatever government is holding office will decide whether to offer it for lease for a further period, or to remain as a revenue source contributing to the running of the state.
Such is the ever changing face of politics. Whichever party is in office is judged by the benefits it delivers and what can be clearly seen in place and working on voting day is usually what impresses the voters. There is a very big incentive to bring projects to visible maturity within each election cycle without piling up additional debt. Leasing an asset is an obvious source of such " instant money " !
What decision is made in 2052 will be determined by whatever political view is in vogue at that time.
Thursday 13 April 2017
The " Scripture " Question !
Australia is a country that adopts no individual religion as a state religion. All and every citizen is free to follow the religion of their choice and in fact all religions get a host of benefits from the various levels of government that do not apply to commercial enterprises. They do not pay council rates on churches and as a registered charitable organization they are not taxed on the money they raise.
One issue that is raising many questions in the minds of non religious people is religious teaching in our vast public education system. State Religious Education ( SRE ) as it is called has a seventy-one percent attendance in primary schools, but this falls away to less than one third voluntarily attending in high schools. There is no compulsion for attendance figures to be collated and monitored, as is the requirement for all other school activities. Parents may excuse their children from attending SRE by providing a signed note to that effect.
A $ 300,000 review of SRE has finally been released by the state government after remaining dormant for almost eighteen months. One of its recommendations has been rejected and this called for students who do not attend SRE to be allowed to continue their normal class work. At present, those who opt out are permitted to use the time to do homework - or to simply read a book.
In 2015 this SRE subject was raised in the state parliament when some politicians with strong religious views succeeded in having an alternative to SRE banned. This was the alternative to religious instruction being a replacement that teaches " ethics " as living standards. Politicians holding the balance of power were able to scupper that and insist that SRE remain unchanged.
There are many SRE matters that lack clarity. It seems that in most schools the selection of who shall be selected to run the SRE programme is entirely at the discretion of the head teacher, and given the multitude of actual religions and their varied interpretation of religious matters exactly what is being taught remains something of a mystery. Religious teachers simply self approve the content of their lectures at six monthly intervals.
It is unclear exactly what criteria can result in a religious teacher losing status as a SRE provider nor is there clarity about what age related standards apply to curriculums. Given the width and breadth of religions, it seems unlikely that whatever an individual selects will be universally accepted by all religious bodies.
It seems obvious that SRE lacks accountability and transparency. It arouses religious passions within the parliament and getting the numbers to institute reform is difficult. At the same time, Australian education standards are slipping in world comparisons and it seems a waste of education time for those not attending SRE to be prevented from continuing their studies.
Religion is a deeply divisive subject. Because it is so divisive, perhaps it would be better left to the various religions to revert to that old practice of holding Sunday school on Sunday mornings before church, to provide religious instruction to the young. In such circumstances, they are assured of the attendance of those volunteering to learn, and what is taught is relevant to their individual beliefs.
One issue that is raising many questions in the minds of non religious people is religious teaching in our vast public education system. State Religious Education ( SRE ) as it is called has a seventy-one percent attendance in primary schools, but this falls away to less than one third voluntarily attending in high schools. There is no compulsion for attendance figures to be collated and monitored, as is the requirement for all other school activities. Parents may excuse their children from attending SRE by providing a signed note to that effect.
A $ 300,000 review of SRE has finally been released by the state government after remaining dormant for almost eighteen months. One of its recommendations has been rejected and this called for students who do not attend SRE to be allowed to continue their normal class work. At present, those who opt out are permitted to use the time to do homework - or to simply read a book.
In 2015 this SRE subject was raised in the state parliament when some politicians with strong religious views succeeded in having an alternative to SRE banned. This was the alternative to religious instruction being a replacement that teaches " ethics " as living standards. Politicians holding the balance of power were able to scupper that and insist that SRE remain unchanged.
There are many SRE matters that lack clarity. It seems that in most schools the selection of who shall be selected to run the SRE programme is entirely at the discretion of the head teacher, and given the multitude of actual religions and their varied interpretation of religious matters exactly what is being taught remains something of a mystery. Religious teachers simply self approve the content of their lectures at six monthly intervals.
It is unclear exactly what criteria can result in a religious teacher losing status as a SRE provider nor is there clarity about what age related standards apply to curriculums. Given the width and breadth of religions, it seems unlikely that whatever an individual selects will be universally accepted by all religious bodies.
It seems obvious that SRE lacks accountability and transparency. It arouses religious passions within the parliament and getting the numbers to institute reform is difficult. At the same time, Australian education standards are slipping in world comparisons and it seems a waste of education time for those not attending SRE to be prevented from continuing their studies.
Religion is a deeply divisive subject. Because it is so divisive, perhaps it would be better left to the various religions to revert to that old practice of holding Sunday school on Sunday mornings before church, to provide religious instruction to the young. In such circumstances, they are assured of the attendance of those volunteering to learn, and what is taught is relevant to their individual beliefs.
Wednesday 12 April 2017
A Clever Computer Scam !
Australians logging onto Facebook from their computers on recent Sunday mornings are likely to find a message on their screens warning them that their system has been invaded by a virus and that it is imperative that they call an 1800 number to stop further damage and loss of data. There is every indication that this warning originated from Microsoft, the maker of the systems installed on most computers.
This message goes on to warn that if this action is not taken, Microsoft may need to shut down your computer system to prevent it further contaminating the rest of the system, in which case it will be costly and difficult to reinstall and many files may be lost.
Those who react by calling that 1800 number receive a very professional reception and are quickly transferred to a " technician " who is a smooth talker in explaining the problem. He requests that you grant " remote access " to your computer system to allow work to be done to fix the virus invasion and when this is granted you see the cursor moving about the screen under the control of this person you have engaged to fix your problem.
After some minutes this technician advises that he will be able to successfully carry out a repair and the cost will be the standard US $499 fee. He will require your credit card details, and he then goes on to say that unfortunately the hacker may strike again, but he can install a permanent patch to ward off future intrusions and that this comes with a three year guarantee. You are urged to make this investment for a further fee of US $ 1458.99.
The hackers have done their investigative work well. This message seems to be concentrated on the screens of computer owners who are aged over forty-five and who are gauged to be most likely to respond positively. Judging from the volume of complaints lodged through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about three hundred people a month are suffering these scam losses.
The unknown factor is exactly what malware may have been installed on the users computer while it was in the hands of a remote access scammer conducting this supposed removal of a virus. This may be a new scam that lays dormant for months or years and it may be silently accessing banking details and passwords and relaying these to the scammer.
When this message appears, it is often accompanied by the close down key becoming inoperative to give the impression that the virus has complete control of your computer. You can clear this by manually closing down the computer and restarting and before any remedial action it would be wise to make contact with the supplier of the protection system you have installed in place. They are well placed to check the authenticity of any such demands.
This message goes on to warn that if this action is not taken, Microsoft may need to shut down your computer system to prevent it further contaminating the rest of the system, in which case it will be costly and difficult to reinstall and many files may be lost.
Those who react by calling that 1800 number receive a very professional reception and are quickly transferred to a " technician " who is a smooth talker in explaining the problem. He requests that you grant " remote access " to your computer system to allow work to be done to fix the virus invasion and when this is granted you see the cursor moving about the screen under the control of this person you have engaged to fix your problem.
After some minutes this technician advises that he will be able to successfully carry out a repair and the cost will be the standard US $499 fee. He will require your credit card details, and he then goes on to say that unfortunately the hacker may strike again, but he can install a permanent patch to ward off future intrusions and that this comes with a three year guarantee. You are urged to make this investment for a further fee of US $ 1458.99.
The hackers have done their investigative work well. This message seems to be concentrated on the screens of computer owners who are aged over forty-five and who are gauged to be most likely to respond positively. Judging from the volume of complaints lodged through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about three hundred people a month are suffering these scam losses.
The unknown factor is exactly what malware may have been installed on the users computer while it was in the hands of a remote access scammer conducting this supposed removal of a virus. This may be a new scam that lays dormant for months or years and it may be silently accessing banking details and passwords and relaying these to the scammer.
When this message appears, it is often accompanied by the close down key becoming inoperative to give the impression that the virus has complete control of your computer. You can clear this by manually closing down the computer and restarting and before any remedial action it would be wise to make contact with the supplier of the protection system you have installed in place. They are well placed to check the authenticity of any such demands.
Tuesday 11 April 2017
The Future of Wollongong !
Wollongong is the third largest city in New South Wales - and it has an identity crisis ! Is it to become a leading city in its own right, or is it to become an appendage of Sydney, simply a dormitory where workers sleep before making their way to jobs in the city of the Harbour bridge.
When the first fleet arrived in 1788 one of the first challenges was to find a source of energy. Survivors of a shipwreck found a seam of coal protruding from the cliff face at what is now Coalcliff and a rough road was punched through the bush to get this important mineral to Sydney. The rich agricultural land of the Illawarra was quickly settled and as coal mining flourished it became the logical site for our first steel manufacturing industry.
Topography put limitations on access. The Illawarra sheltered behind a massive escarpment and in the early days a winding road down Bulli Pass was the main access road in and out. This limitation caused the state government to implement a rail link between the coalfields and Sydney, but this combination of viaducts and tunnels could never deliver speed and the rail journey between the two cities, just a distance of eighty kilometres - often takes two hours.
The second half of the twentieth century duplicated the single lane each way Princes Highway with the F6, a divided carriageway multi lane highway linking Waterfall and a notorious descent down the escarpment called Mount Ousley. An extension from Waterfall into the heart of Sydney was planned, but never built, although a land corridor has been maintained and it is again on the drawing boards.
Several times exciting plans to link Sydney and Wollongong by high speed rail have emerged and been discarded on cost grounds. It would only be feasible to punch a long rail tunnel through the escarpment and the alignment is wrong for it to form part of a Sydney/Melbourne high speed rail link. Now completing that divided, multi lane road link from Waterfall to the city to complete the old F6 concept is again being considered.
Wollongong has expanded from the sleepy little mining village of the 1800's and this expansion on the southern side of Lake Illawarra is now the twin city of Shellharbour. There is the expectation that further growth will eventually link these two cities with the expanding city of Nowra in the Shoalhaven. Sydney is prevented from any further expansion south by the barrier of the Royal National park.
One of the decisions that will seal the fate of Wollongong and its hinterland is whether the choice is a high speed rail connection - or completion of the road link between Waterfall and the city. Both will be needed, but the time separation will be critical. A high speed rail link has the capacity to move a huge number of people very quickly and if that takes precedence Wollongong will become a dormitory city feeding Sydney's rapacious need for a workforce.
What has become noticeable is the change in road traffic. Several decades ago the commuter stream was predominantly inwards to Sydney. Today the flow of Sydney residents travelling to jobs in the Illawarra tells a different story. The price of housing once had a wide disparity, but now there is vast similarity between suburbs of comparity.
Sadly, that transport decision will be taken by people with no direct connection to this area.
When the first fleet arrived in 1788 one of the first challenges was to find a source of energy. Survivors of a shipwreck found a seam of coal protruding from the cliff face at what is now Coalcliff and a rough road was punched through the bush to get this important mineral to Sydney. The rich agricultural land of the Illawarra was quickly settled and as coal mining flourished it became the logical site for our first steel manufacturing industry.
Topography put limitations on access. The Illawarra sheltered behind a massive escarpment and in the early days a winding road down Bulli Pass was the main access road in and out. This limitation caused the state government to implement a rail link between the coalfields and Sydney, but this combination of viaducts and tunnels could never deliver speed and the rail journey between the two cities, just a distance of eighty kilometres - often takes two hours.
The second half of the twentieth century duplicated the single lane each way Princes Highway with the F6, a divided carriageway multi lane highway linking Waterfall and a notorious descent down the escarpment called Mount Ousley. An extension from Waterfall into the heart of Sydney was planned, but never built, although a land corridor has been maintained and it is again on the drawing boards.
Several times exciting plans to link Sydney and Wollongong by high speed rail have emerged and been discarded on cost grounds. It would only be feasible to punch a long rail tunnel through the escarpment and the alignment is wrong for it to form part of a Sydney/Melbourne high speed rail link. Now completing that divided, multi lane road link from Waterfall to the city to complete the old F6 concept is again being considered.
Wollongong has expanded from the sleepy little mining village of the 1800's and this expansion on the southern side of Lake Illawarra is now the twin city of Shellharbour. There is the expectation that further growth will eventually link these two cities with the expanding city of Nowra in the Shoalhaven. Sydney is prevented from any further expansion south by the barrier of the Royal National park.
One of the decisions that will seal the fate of Wollongong and its hinterland is whether the choice is a high speed rail connection - or completion of the road link between Waterfall and the city. Both will be needed, but the time separation will be critical. A high speed rail link has the capacity to move a huge number of people very quickly and if that takes precedence Wollongong will become a dormitory city feeding Sydney's rapacious need for a workforce.
What has become noticeable is the change in road traffic. Several decades ago the commuter stream was predominantly inwards to Sydney. Today the flow of Sydney residents travelling to jobs in the Illawarra tells a different story. The price of housing once had a wide disparity, but now there is vast similarity between suburbs of comparity.
Sadly, that transport decision will be taken by people with no direct connection to this area.
Monday 10 April 2017
Unpredictable, Sudden Death !
It seems that a new form of unpredictable death is being visited on the citizens of the western world. That servant of the people - the motor vehicle - is being used to deliver death and serious injury when an individual decides to follow the dictum of religious zealots who are waging war on the rest of the world.
They cleverly use the Internet and the media generally to disseminate propaganda designed to radicalize receptive minds and they promise rewards in an afterlife for those who do their bidding. In the past they were determined to recruit suicide bombers, but that required access to explosives and the technical knowledge to wire up a bomb encased with death dealing projectiles. That imposed limitations and usually involved a hard core of hidden supporters to gather together the means of achieving martyrdom.
This newer form of dealing death requires no special knowledge. It simply requires the martyr to obtain the use of a motor vehicle - and the bigger the better. The attack on Bastille day celebrations in Nice, France involved a semi-trailer and deliberately running down men women and children left over eighty dead and scores injured.
The attack on London's bridge and parliament building was carried out with a common SUV and the number of dead and injured was accordingly lower, but the principle was the same. A vehicle was calmly and deliberately used to run down innocent people on a public street with the intention of causing death or serious injury.
Now this same horror has cut a swathe through innocent people in that quiet Scandinavian city of Stockholm in Sweden. The driver of a heavy brewery truck making deliveries was confronted with a stranger who stole the vehicle and swerved from side to side in the heart of the city to hit as many pedestrians as possible - before ramming the vehicle into a major department store. Four people died and fifteen were badly injured. The driver jumped from the crashed vehicle and ran into the crowd, but has since been arrested.
There is every expectation that this form of madness will continue. Unfortunately, the publicity it attracts appeals to minds that seek fame and so often religion is the lesser driving force.. The motivation is often unclear but there is an assumption that these deaths are a product of Islamic Jihad. Perhaps some of those attracted to jihad are cloaking their actions in religious bias when the true motivation is to indulge in the satisfaction that bestowing violence delivers. This seems particularly likely when the culprits are of tender age.
No doubt we will see public places protected by bollards and barriers but it is impossible to cover every eventuality. Risk will be reduced where possible, but the public will develop a sense of personal safety. We will become very conscious of strange vehicle behaviour. We will probably be aware of possible escape routes when we are in public places. There will be a higher degree of risk awareness whenever we move in crowds.
. In reality, the odds of becoming a victim of motor jihad pale into insignificance. We are more likely to die from a lightening strike or getting hit by a meteorite than falling victim to a deliberate car weapon. The " novelty " aspect that made it front page news is wearing off and so does its appeal to the publicity seeker. It seems that jihad has become just another of the many risks we face living in this twenty-first century world !
They cleverly use the Internet and the media generally to disseminate propaganda designed to radicalize receptive minds and they promise rewards in an afterlife for those who do their bidding. In the past they were determined to recruit suicide bombers, but that required access to explosives and the technical knowledge to wire up a bomb encased with death dealing projectiles. That imposed limitations and usually involved a hard core of hidden supporters to gather together the means of achieving martyrdom.
This newer form of dealing death requires no special knowledge. It simply requires the martyr to obtain the use of a motor vehicle - and the bigger the better. The attack on Bastille day celebrations in Nice, France involved a semi-trailer and deliberately running down men women and children left over eighty dead and scores injured.
The attack on London's bridge and parliament building was carried out with a common SUV and the number of dead and injured was accordingly lower, but the principle was the same. A vehicle was calmly and deliberately used to run down innocent people on a public street with the intention of causing death or serious injury.
Now this same horror has cut a swathe through innocent people in that quiet Scandinavian city of Stockholm in Sweden. The driver of a heavy brewery truck making deliveries was confronted with a stranger who stole the vehicle and swerved from side to side in the heart of the city to hit as many pedestrians as possible - before ramming the vehicle into a major department store. Four people died and fifteen were badly injured. The driver jumped from the crashed vehicle and ran into the crowd, but has since been arrested.
There is every expectation that this form of madness will continue. Unfortunately, the publicity it attracts appeals to minds that seek fame and so often religion is the lesser driving force.. The motivation is often unclear but there is an assumption that these deaths are a product of Islamic Jihad. Perhaps some of those attracted to jihad are cloaking their actions in religious bias when the true motivation is to indulge in the satisfaction that bestowing violence delivers. This seems particularly likely when the culprits are of tender age.
No doubt we will see public places protected by bollards and barriers but it is impossible to cover every eventuality. Risk will be reduced where possible, but the public will develop a sense of personal safety. We will become very conscious of strange vehicle behaviour. We will probably be aware of possible escape routes when we are in public places. There will be a higher degree of risk awareness whenever we move in crowds.
. In reality, the odds of becoming a victim of motor jihad pale into insignificance. We are more likely to die from a lightening strike or getting hit by a meteorite than falling victim to a deliberate car weapon. The " novelty " aspect that made it front page news is wearing off and so does its appeal to the publicity seeker. It seems that jihad has become just another of the many risks we face living in this twenty-first century world !
Sunday 9 April 2017
A " Cynics Response " !
There is no doubt that Barak Obama's " red line " warning to Syria on the use of chemical weapons and his lack of action when they were used put a huge dent in American prestige. It seemed that the American president had " blinked " and this caused several world leaders to question the integrity of the " nuclear umbrella " under which they sheltered.
Since then the Middle East has become more dangerous. Islamic State has waxed - and waned - and both Russia and Iran have become bolder. China is becoming more assertive in the South China sea and the hermit kingdom in North Korea is dangerously close to developing an ICBM that can carry a nuclear warhead on a world strike mission.
Intruding on those scenarios came the distraction of a United States presidential election. Usually this involves the contraction of a wide field of candidates until both the Republican party and the Democrats settle on their champion and on a day in November the people decide. For an entire year this winnowing process eliminated likely contenders until it became a contest between :" The Donald " and Hillary Clinton.
The fact that Donald Trump took the prize not only shocked America, it also astonished the world. This was a man careless with the truth and with absolutely no experience of holding any sort of elected office. He appealed to a red neck element tired of the inertia that had gripped the country and swayed by promises that realists could not envisage happening. When he sat in the oval office and received the nuclear codes the world held its breath - and waited to see what would happen.
President Trump suffered a spectacular defeat when his own Republican party refused to endorse the plan he put forward to replace Obamacare. Clearly this legislation failed to meet the promise he had held out during the campaign and in fact over twenty million Americans would lose the cover that they now have under this new plan. This rejection threatened to destroy Trump's image as the " Deal Maker " who would bring business practice to the issue of governance.
Cynics may see this sudden missile strike on the Syrian air base from which the chemical attack originated as a bold move to regain the initiative and draw attention away from the failure of the Obamacare move. The timing was certainly fortuitous. He was entertaining Xi Jinping, the ruler of China as his guest and it seems that he advised the Russians when the Tomahawks were in the air and on their way. He achieved the element of surprise, and the American military were very careful to avoid that portion of the base used by the Russians.
World attention is now concentrated on the " bold President Trump " and his use of force to punish the Syrians for their use of banned chemical weapons on the civilian population. The reaction of most world leaders is positive. Grumbles from Russia and Iran can be safely ignored and his standing amongst Trump supporters in America has been restored.
Trump may have learned from Vladimir Putin's popularity with the Russian people following his annexation of Crimea and his push into Ukraine. Russian " Nationalism " replaced street protests against the corruption in Russian society and a danger to Putin's rule has been averted. Now Trump has wrapped himself in the flag and is using American military power to restore his image.
Those same cynics may wonder - what comes next ? North Koreas seems the next contender likely to challenge the world order and it has begun to seriously annoy it mentor - China. A lot depends if Trump needs a distraction from another policy failure. North Korea certainly provides enough provocation to justify the sort of strike launched on Syria.
The only difference is that Syria would be suicidal to launch a retaliatory chemical warfare attack on the United States or Europe. North Korea is equipped with nuclear weapons - and we are unsure of its capabilities. The problems with " Nationalism " is that it tends to swiftly run out of control !
Since then the Middle East has become more dangerous. Islamic State has waxed - and waned - and both Russia and Iran have become bolder. China is becoming more assertive in the South China sea and the hermit kingdom in North Korea is dangerously close to developing an ICBM that can carry a nuclear warhead on a world strike mission.
Intruding on those scenarios came the distraction of a United States presidential election. Usually this involves the contraction of a wide field of candidates until both the Republican party and the Democrats settle on their champion and on a day in November the people decide. For an entire year this winnowing process eliminated likely contenders until it became a contest between :" The Donald " and Hillary Clinton.
The fact that Donald Trump took the prize not only shocked America, it also astonished the world. This was a man careless with the truth and with absolutely no experience of holding any sort of elected office. He appealed to a red neck element tired of the inertia that had gripped the country and swayed by promises that realists could not envisage happening. When he sat in the oval office and received the nuclear codes the world held its breath - and waited to see what would happen.
President Trump suffered a spectacular defeat when his own Republican party refused to endorse the plan he put forward to replace Obamacare. Clearly this legislation failed to meet the promise he had held out during the campaign and in fact over twenty million Americans would lose the cover that they now have under this new plan. This rejection threatened to destroy Trump's image as the " Deal Maker " who would bring business practice to the issue of governance.
Cynics may see this sudden missile strike on the Syrian air base from which the chemical attack originated as a bold move to regain the initiative and draw attention away from the failure of the Obamacare move. The timing was certainly fortuitous. He was entertaining Xi Jinping, the ruler of China as his guest and it seems that he advised the Russians when the Tomahawks were in the air and on their way. He achieved the element of surprise, and the American military were very careful to avoid that portion of the base used by the Russians.
World attention is now concentrated on the " bold President Trump " and his use of force to punish the Syrians for their use of banned chemical weapons on the civilian population. The reaction of most world leaders is positive. Grumbles from Russia and Iran can be safely ignored and his standing amongst Trump supporters in America has been restored.
Trump may have learned from Vladimir Putin's popularity with the Russian people following his annexation of Crimea and his push into Ukraine. Russian " Nationalism " replaced street protests against the corruption in Russian society and a danger to Putin's rule has been averted. Now Trump has wrapped himself in the flag and is using American military power to restore his image.
Those same cynics may wonder - what comes next ? North Koreas seems the next contender likely to challenge the world order and it has begun to seriously annoy it mentor - China. A lot depends if Trump needs a distraction from another policy failure. North Korea certainly provides enough provocation to justify the sort of strike launched on Syria.
The only difference is that Syria would be suicidal to launch a retaliatory chemical warfare attack on the United States or Europe. North Korea is equipped with nuclear weapons - and we are unsure of its capabilities. The problems with " Nationalism " is that it tends to swiftly run out of control !
Saturday 8 April 2017
The Slow Wheels of Justice !
Defrauding the Commonwealth is seen by many as a "victimless "crime. Many are receiving benefits for which they are not entitled and very well paid people make a living devising the ways and means of avoiding paying the tax that is legally due on the earnings of others. From time to time a case of outright blatant criminality makes the headlines and it seems to take years for that to wend its way through the courts.
Last year, a twenty-nine year old woman was fond guilty after a lengthy trial of falsely claiming millions of dollars in government benefits. She ran a childcare centre in a country town and a jury found her guilty of eighty-one offences, which included sixty-six counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, fourteen counts of using a false document and one count of dealing with the proceeds of crime in excess of a million dollars.
This woman protested her innocence and claimed that she had no idea how or why a jury had found her guilty. They had heard compelling evidence that she had lodged fake claims for special childcare benefits for children who were experiencing or were at risk of abuse or neglect. She claimed an inflated rate of up to $ 180 an hour for fourteen children who were not at risk and in some cases claimed for children who did not attend the centre.
Her criminality was certainly rewarding. She gained $ 225,000 a month for a two year period between 2013 and 2015 and the court confiscated her bank account containing $ 2,250,000 and seized a $ 90,000 car when she was arrested by Federal police in March 2015..
It will amaze some people that during the arrest and the period of trial she has enjoyed the freedom of being on bail. The prosecution claims she is a flight risk and now that bail has again been extended. She is due to be sentenced on May 26.
What must draw attention in legal circles is the ease with which this fraud persisted for two long years. Government regulations are by their very nature complex and framed to cover a range of eventualities. In this case, claims were made within the law but to persons who did not meet the criteria to which that law applied. We are unsure how - or why - this came to the attention of the department involved and whether it applies in a wider context across Australia.
It also remains to be seen what sort of penalty will apply to this sort of crime. The prosecution is worried that this bail extension may be used for flight and will no doubt ask that precautions be put in place, but there have been plenty of cases where a wanted person has slipped through customs using a borrowed passport.
Robbing the government is far from a "victimless "crime and yet there seems to be a segment of society that greets it with enthusiasm. Unless retribution is delivered with speed and a degree of certaincy the temptation to manipulate government regulations for personal gain can make society unworkable.
Last year, a twenty-nine year old woman was fond guilty after a lengthy trial of falsely claiming millions of dollars in government benefits. She ran a childcare centre in a country town and a jury found her guilty of eighty-one offences, which included sixty-six counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, fourteen counts of using a false document and one count of dealing with the proceeds of crime in excess of a million dollars.
This woman protested her innocence and claimed that she had no idea how or why a jury had found her guilty. They had heard compelling evidence that she had lodged fake claims for special childcare benefits for children who were experiencing or were at risk of abuse or neglect. She claimed an inflated rate of up to $ 180 an hour for fourteen children who were not at risk and in some cases claimed for children who did not attend the centre.
Her criminality was certainly rewarding. She gained $ 225,000 a month for a two year period between 2013 and 2015 and the court confiscated her bank account containing $ 2,250,000 and seized a $ 90,000 car when she was arrested by Federal police in March 2015..
It will amaze some people that during the arrest and the period of trial she has enjoyed the freedom of being on bail. The prosecution claims she is a flight risk and now that bail has again been extended. She is due to be sentenced on May 26.
What must draw attention in legal circles is the ease with which this fraud persisted for two long years. Government regulations are by their very nature complex and framed to cover a range of eventualities. In this case, claims were made within the law but to persons who did not meet the criteria to which that law applied. We are unsure how - or why - this came to the attention of the department involved and whether it applies in a wider context across Australia.
It also remains to be seen what sort of penalty will apply to this sort of crime. The prosecution is worried that this bail extension may be used for flight and will no doubt ask that precautions be put in place, but there have been plenty of cases where a wanted person has slipped through customs using a borrowed passport.
Robbing the government is far from a "victimless "crime and yet there seems to be a segment of society that greets it with enthusiasm. Unless retribution is delivered with speed and a degree of certaincy the temptation to manipulate government regulations for personal gain can make society unworkable.
Friday 7 April 2017
A " War Crime " !
The last combatants of the First World war are all now dead and memories of what was called " The Great War " are reduced to sketchy movie technology and photographs locked away in ancient family albums. That was the war when the soldiers of both sides faced the horror of gas warfare !
At the time, the authorities heavily censored newspaper reports because of its effect on public morale but there was no disguising the " gassed " survivors who were repatriated home. Their lungs were scarred and the effects of mustard gas on their bodies was evident until the day of their death and for many that was a merciful release.
Gas was an insidious weapon. Odourless and colourless, the victim was unaware of its presence - until the throat rasping commenced and the itching - and by then it was too late. It was heavier than air and it collected in the bottom of trenches. It could go on killing, long after the " all clear " had sounded.
The old League of Nations declared poison gas a prohibited weapon and its use would constitute a war crime. That prohibition mercifully held during the years of the second world war and the gas stocks held by both sides remained unused. The development of nuclear weapons has prevented another world war, but the proxy wars that have pitted guerrilla armies against one another are now being conducted with a savagery we thought ended in the middle ages.
Poison gas was used in the war between Iraq and Iran last century and now we have another war in the Middle East as Islamic State attempts to carve our a new caliphate. The new killing field is Syria, where dictator Assad is facing a rebellion - and once again the spectre of chemical warfare is releasing the horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Warplanes from Assad's air force - or from his Russian ally - bombed the rebel held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province and civilian residents died, foaming at the mouth from some form of poison gas. Sixty-nine people died and children were amongst the dead. Both sides claim innocence - and blame each other.
In the confusion of this civil war it is almost impossible to accurately apportion blame. Assad's forces claim that their bombers hit a warehouse where the rebel side had stores of poison gas and consequently its release was accidental. There is no doubt that the fear of future gas attacks will increase the flow of refugees pouring out of Syria.
The danger is that all restraint may now evaporate and gas become the weapon of choice on civilian populations. It is readily available - and cheap. The affect on a densely populated city would be catastrophic, and there really is no effective defence. Gas masks are useless against modern nerve gases.
Western governments are threatening reprisals, but the " how " and the " where " are elusive. Now that a line has been crossed - there may be no way of turning back !
At the time, the authorities heavily censored newspaper reports because of its effect on public morale but there was no disguising the " gassed " survivors who were repatriated home. Their lungs were scarred and the effects of mustard gas on their bodies was evident until the day of their death and for many that was a merciful release.
Gas was an insidious weapon. Odourless and colourless, the victim was unaware of its presence - until the throat rasping commenced and the itching - and by then it was too late. It was heavier than air and it collected in the bottom of trenches. It could go on killing, long after the " all clear " had sounded.
The old League of Nations declared poison gas a prohibited weapon and its use would constitute a war crime. That prohibition mercifully held during the years of the second world war and the gas stocks held by both sides remained unused. The development of nuclear weapons has prevented another world war, but the proxy wars that have pitted guerrilla armies against one another are now being conducted with a savagery we thought ended in the middle ages.
Poison gas was used in the war between Iraq and Iran last century and now we have another war in the Middle East as Islamic State attempts to carve our a new caliphate. The new killing field is Syria, where dictator Assad is facing a rebellion - and once again the spectre of chemical warfare is releasing the horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Warplanes from Assad's air force - or from his Russian ally - bombed the rebel held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province and civilian residents died, foaming at the mouth from some form of poison gas. Sixty-nine people died and children were amongst the dead. Both sides claim innocence - and blame each other.
In the confusion of this civil war it is almost impossible to accurately apportion blame. Assad's forces claim that their bombers hit a warehouse where the rebel side had stores of poison gas and consequently its release was accidental. There is no doubt that the fear of future gas attacks will increase the flow of refugees pouring out of Syria.
The danger is that all restraint may now evaporate and gas become the weapon of choice on civilian populations. It is readily available - and cheap. The affect on a densely populated city would be catastrophic, and there really is no effective defence. Gas masks are useless against modern nerve gases.
Western governments are threatening reprisals, but the " how " and the " where " are elusive. Now that a line has been crossed - there may be no way of turning back !
Thursday 6 April 2017
The " Black " Economy !
The government knows that a staggering amount of money is in circulation funding the " black " economy and dodging the best efforts of the taxation department to gain a legal share of what we earn. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the average Australian, avoiding paying tax is something akin to a national sport.
It starts early ! A Saturday night celebration for someone's birthday. You need a babysitter for a few hours - and that nice high school student from up the street is offering - and when you return home it is clearly understood that she will be thanked and sent on her way with a cash payment.
You need some work done around the house. You get several quotes and the asking prices frighten you. You dicker and bargain, and a small contractor asks what method of payment you intend to use. You suggest " cash " - and suddenly the price drops magically. You understand that the people who will do the work will not be paying tax and your money will go to reimbursing them on a cash in hand " basis.
This " cash in hand " economy operates across all walks of life. So many restaurants, coffee shops, small stores and service stations employ people who are getting paid well below the award rates that apply because unemployment has depleted their bargaining power. There are plenty of others ready to take their place if they refuse.
Some of the politicians rant on about how honest workers are being " robbed " of their just rewards, but the rules put in place by both the Federal and State governments enhance the black economy. Unemployment benefits are deliberately meagre by intent to provide an incentive for the unemployed to make every effort to find a job. Those living in public housing have their weekly rental dictated by what they earn. There is a positive disincentive to earn more and many turn to the black economy to supplement a comfortable life style.
The government has announced that it will implement measures to wind back this cash economy. In the past, the villain in their sights have been the employers. Heavy fines and even prison are the deterrents imposed on those caught deliberately underpaying workers. It is likely that we will see a law forbidding settling bills above a certain level - possible a thousand dollars - in cash. There are already reporting laws where cash above ten thousand dollars is banked. That will also probably trend lower.
The government may even take out a measure adopted by the Indian government, which withdrew all high denomination banknotes from circulation. Should the Australian government withdraw all hundred and fifty dollar bills and make the twenty the highest denomination in circulation, paying in cash would become a tedious affair. Even worse, if the five dollar bill became the only form of paper money. The black economy would evaporate if electronic payment was forced on the public.
That is a natural trend that is fast finding favour. Withdrawals from ATM's are diminishing and young people now pay for incidentals with their smartphones. In fact, cash is becoming a cost in the commercial world as the banks refuse to accept and count it - free of charge. We seem to be heading towards a cashless society.
Expect ramifications in not only the way we do business, but also in the laws that apply to commerce as the Mandarins of Treasury do battle with the Australian psyche and try and reign in the cash economy.
It starts early ! A Saturday night celebration for someone's birthday. You need a babysitter for a few hours - and that nice high school student from up the street is offering - and when you return home it is clearly understood that she will be thanked and sent on her way with a cash payment.
You need some work done around the house. You get several quotes and the asking prices frighten you. You dicker and bargain, and a small contractor asks what method of payment you intend to use. You suggest " cash " - and suddenly the price drops magically. You understand that the people who will do the work will not be paying tax and your money will go to reimbursing them on a cash in hand " basis.
This " cash in hand " economy operates across all walks of life. So many restaurants, coffee shops, small stores and service stations employ people who are getting paid well below the award rates that apply because unemployment has depleted their bargaining power. There are plenty of others ready to take their place if they refuse.
Some of the politicians rant on about how honest workers are being " robbed " of their just rewards, but the rules put in place by both the Federal and State governments enhance the black economy. Unemployment benefits are deliberately meagre by intent to provide an incentive for the unemployed to make every effort to find a job. Those living in public housing have their weekly rental dictated by what they earn. There is a positive disincentive to earn more and many turn to the black economy to supplement a comfortable life style.
The government has announced that it will implement measures to wind back this cash economy. In the past, the villain in their sights have been the employers. Heavy fines and even prison are the deterrents imposed on those caught deliberately underpaying workers. It is likely that we will see a law forbidding settling bills above a certain level - possible a thousand dollars - in cash. There are already reporting laws where cash above ten thousand dollars is banked. That will also probably trend lower.
The government may even take out a measure adopted by the Indian government, which withdrew all high denomination banknotes from circulation. Should the Australian government withdraw all hundred and fifty dollar bills and make the twenty the highest denomination in circulation, paying in cash would become a tedious affair. Even worse, if the five dollar bill became the only form of paper money. The black economy would evaporate if electronic payment was forced on the public.
That is a natural trend that is fast finding favour. Withdrawals from ATM's are diminishing and young people now pay for incidentals with their smartphones. In fact, cash is becoming a cost in the commercial world as the banks refuse to accept and count it - free of charge. We seem to be heading towards a cashless society.
Expect ramifications in not only the way we do business, but also in the laws that apply to commerce as the Mandarins of Treasury do battle with the Australian psyche and try and reign in the cash economy.
Wednesday 5 April 2017
Medical Fraud !
The strange case of Doctor Sarang Chitale - or was that Shyam Acharya - has thrown the spotlight on a deficiency in the Australian health system. A fraudster managed to steal the identity of a doctor legally certified to practice in England and assume his identity to work as a certified medical practitioner here in Australia. From 2003 to 2014 he managed to hold down jobs where he treated patients in public hospitals in Manly, Hornsby, Gosford, Wyong and Moss Vale.
As far as we can determine, he appears to have done no harm. There have been no suspicious deaths under his care, but patients remember him as being rather aggressive and unwilling to communicate with them. He would most certainly have had the authority to order the administration of drugs and carry out procedures of a nature that can only legally be undertaken by a person with medical accreditation.
Eventually, this bogus doctor moved on to a position of medical director of a research company and in this elevated position his qualifications came under scrutiny from colleagues, resulting in a more detailed background check. It was then discovered that the real Doctor Sarang Chitale was a medical professional in Britain and Shyam Acharya was a fraudster,. The bogus doctor fled this country and is now hiding out somewhere in India.
It seems that between 1999 and 2000 these two men lived in the same house of Doctor Chitale's grandmother in India and obviously it was here that Shyam Acharya got the ability to trace the medical accomplishments he intended to steal. When he moved to Australia his medical history accurately duplicated the path the genuine doctor was following in Britain and Australian authorities had no reason to question their accuracy. It was assumed that this was just another routine case of a British registered doctor seeking a new life in Australia.
There is obviously more to learn. Somewhere Acharya must have had exposure to drug names and medical procedures because he worked a s a senior medical registrar at various intensive care units. It is unlikely that he would have survived in such a position without at least a working knowledge of the drugs commonly used, their dosage strengths and applications. The thought of the disaster potential of having an untrained person dispensing such drugs must send a chill down the spine of hospital administrations.
What also seems amazing is that posing as a doctor does not constitute a serious crime here in Australia. The fraudster has been fined $ 30,000 in abstentia and has a liability for another $ 22,000 in prosecution costs, but if he is arrested and returned to Australia he will not serve time in a prison.
This case should serve as a wake-up call. Time the politicians made posing as a doctor a serious criminal offence and the background check on those coming to this country got tightened.
As far as we can determine, he appears to have done no harm. There have been no suspicious deaths under his care, but patients remember him as being rather aggressive and unwilling to communicate with them. He would most certainly have had the authority to order the administration of drugs and carry out procedures of a nature that can only legally be undertaken by a person with medical accreditation.
Eventually, this bogus doctor moved on to a position of medical director of a research company and in this elevated position his qualifications came under scrutiny from colleagues, resulting in a more detailed background check. It was then discovered that the real Doctor Sarang Chitale was a medical professional in Britain and Shyam Acharya was a fraudster,. The bogus doctor fled this country and is now hiding out somewhere in India.
It seems that between 1999 and 2000 these two men lived in the same house of Doctor Chitale's grandmother in India and obviously it was here that Shyam Acharya got the ability to trace the medical accomplishments he intended to steal. When he moved to Australia his medical history accurately duplicated the path the genuine doctor was following in Britain and Australian authorities had no reason to question their accuracy. It was assumed that this was just another routine case of a British registered doctor seeking a new life in Australia.
There is obviously more to learn. Somewhere Acharya must have had exposure to drug names and medical procedures because he worked a s a senior medical registrar at various intensive care units. It is unlikely that he would have survived in such a position without at least a working knowledge of the drugs commonly used, their dosage strengths and applications. The thought of the disaster potential of having an untrained person dispensing such drugs must send a chill down the spine of hospital administrations.
What also seems amazing is that posing as a doctor does not constitute a serious crime here in Australia. The fraudster has been fined $ 30,000 in abstentia and has a liability for another $ 22,000 in prosecution costs, but if he is arrested and returned to Australia he will not serve time in a prison.
This case should serve as a wake-up call. Time the politicians made posing as a doctor a serious criminal offence and the background check on those coming to this country got tightened.
Tuesday 4 April 2017
A " Preventable " Disease !
Most women would be very worried if told that there was a chance that they could become infected during pregnancy with a disease that may inflict a permanent disability on their new born. That disability could include hearing and vision loss, developmental delays, intercranial calcification, Microcephaly - which results in a small head and brain - cerebral palsy and epilepsy. In a small number of cases this disease can be fatal.
The name of that disease is cytomegalovirus but it is commonly referred to as " CMV ". Just as strangely, the International guidelines do not recommend routinely warning women about CMV on the grounds that it would unduly worry patients - and there is no vaccine.
What is frightening is that each year over two thousand babies are born in Australia with CMV and roughly 380 of these will go on to have a permanent disability. There are clear guidelines to follow for those who adhere to the usual precautions during pregnancy of avoiding the use of alcohol, giving up smoking and following a careful regimen of diet and exercise.
What women need to do to avoid becoming infected with CMV - is to avoid contact with children during their pregnancy. The statistics tell a grim story. I is likely that that two percent of pregnant women will contract CMV and of those one in three have a chance of passing on CMV to their unborn child. Fifteen percent of those children will develop a disability before their fifth birthday.
Sadly, the reservoir from which CMV is drawn - is the general community of children and this is passed amongst them by their time at childcare - and later at school. There is a very good chance that the existing children in most families already carry the CMV virus and this can be passed to their pregnant mother by the exchange of body fluids.
The precautions that need to be taken are frightening. No more " wet " sloppy kisses between mother and child - or child and mother - and how do you prevent that ? No more sharing of food, bowls and utensils. How many mothers get a reluctant child to eat by showing baby how good it tastes by example ? Avoidance of the use of " dummies " and an end of co-sleeping in the same bed - and most importantly - the wearing of gloves during all nappy changes.
That sounds an almost impossible infection reduction routine and yet it is something that those intending a pregnancy need to ponder. In particular, it is of high importance to the huge number of young women who work in the childcare industry and are in contact with children on a daily basis. Those contemplating starting a family might be well advised to return to academia and earn further credits until their pregnancy has a happy outcome.
For the average person the warning is clear. Be aware and take reasonable precautions, and increase the hand washing routine to avoid infection. At best, for existing families it is better to adopt a " low risk " if a " no risk "is impossible. Just part of the odds of living in an interconnected world !
The name of that disease is cytomegalovirus but it is commonly referred to as " CMV ". Just as strangely, the International guidelines do not recommend routinely warning women about CMV on the grounds that it would unduly worry patients - and there is no vaccine.
What is frightening is that each year over two thousand babies are born in Australia with CMV and roughly 380 of these will go on to have a permanent disability. There are clear guidelines to follow for those who adhere to the usual precautions during pregnancy of avoiding the use of alcohol, giving up smoking and following a careful regimen of diet and exercise.
What women need to do to avoid becoming infected with CMV - is to avoid contact with children during their pregnancy. The statistics tell a grim story. I is likely that that two percent of pregnant women will contract CMV and of those one in three have a chance of passing on CMV to their unborn child. Fifteen percent of those children will develop a disability before their fifth birthday.
Sadly, the reservoir from which CMV is drawn - is the general community of children and this is passed amongst them by their time at childcare - and later at school. There is a very good chance that the existing children in most families already carry the CMV virus and this can be passed to their pregnant mother by the exchange of body fluids.
The precautions that need to be taken are frightening. No more " wet " sloppy kisses between mother and child - or child and mother - and how do you prevent that ? No more sharing of food, bowls and utensils. How many mothers get a reluctant child to eat by showing baby how good it tastes by example ? Avoidance of the use of " dummies " and an end of co-sleeping in the same bed - and most importantly - the wearing of gloves during all nappy changes.
That sounds an almost impossible infection reduction routine and yet it is something that those intending a pregnancy need to ponder. In particular, it is of high importance to the huge number of young women who work in the childcare industry and are in contact with children on a daily basis. Those contemplating starting a family might be well advised to return to academia and earn further credits until their pregnancy has a happy outcome.
For the average person the warning is clear. Be aware and take reasonable precautions, and increase the hand washing routine to avoid infection. At best, for existing families it is better to adopt a " low risk " if a " no risk "is impossible. Just part of the odds of living in an interconnected world !
Monday 3 April 2017
The " Dearly Departed " !
When we take a weekend break from our city jobs and suburban homes it often entails a visit to a historic country town where little has changed in the past century. There is much to see and photograph and one of the sights that attracts us are magnificent old churches, often larger and more ornate than we would expect in such a small community.
In many cases they have extensive grounds and we are mesmerized by the English custom of tombstones scattered haphazardly at odd angles and the faded etchings that record the death of citizens of a bygone era. The early settlers that came to this land were quick to establish their faith by the construction of a church and its hallowed ground became the resting place for the generations that followed. It was possible to follow a family line of gravestones that depicted how individual families became the cornerstone of life in little country towns.
As happened in England, in time the burial space surrounding the church became exhausted and land far away was ordained for a local cemetery, and here change became evident. Burial sites were allocated in neat rows and family mausoleums began to appear. The richer and more prominent the family, the larger and more ornate they became. Glorifying the family dead became a custom of the living and the upkeep of graves became a family tradition.
Eventually, such cemeteries in cities became a problem. As Australia aged, the distance between those buried and those that remember them widened and now some have become forgotten relics, ignored by all and a forgotten part of a distant past. Often they occupy a prime site with glorious sea views and the last burial conducted there happened many decades ago, but we are reluctant to send in the bulldozers and turn them into communal parks.
The new burial grounds are far from city centres and the way of death has changed. Today more than 67% of our dead are cremated and with the rapidly rising cost of a traditional funeral and a burial plot, that is likely to further increase in the years ahead. There is no longer an expectation that people will live their lives in close proximity to their parents and grandparents. That has become evident where sixty percent of the ashes of those cremated remain uncollected in the storage rooms of crematoriums.
Death has become an event that most people have covered by a form of insurance. That insurance cover picks up the tab for the crematorium's services and allows for a public service and the ministration of either an ordained priest or a celebrant. In many cases it includes a fee to have the ashes either scattered in a rose garden - or interred in a brick wall with a small name plate affixed. That custom now applies to a third of all cremated ashes.
It is not unusual today for some people to use their will to instruct on the dispersal of their ashes. Many with a connection to the ocean may require that they be scattered at sea while others require that they be scattered in some remote part of the country that was once part of their way of life. There are even instances where ashes have been deposited in outer space.
To others, that connected with the departed sees ashes take pride of place in a jar on the mantelpiece, or in some cases constantly carried about with that person. Sometimes they mystify others when they turn up in a lost property auction. The custom varies from country country and from religion to religion.
Treasure those visits to quaint little churches in remote places and their surrounding graveyards. That is a way of life that is now gone - forever !
In many cases they have extensive grounds and we are mesmerized by the English custom of tombstones scattered haphazardly at odd angles and the faded etchings that record the death of citizens of a bygone era. The early settlers that came to this land were quick to establish their faith by the construction of a church and its hallowed ground became the resting place for the generations that followed. It was possible to follow a family line of gravestones that depicted how individual families became the cornerstone of life in little country towns.
As happened in England, in time the burial space surrounding the church became exhausted and land far away was ordained for a local cemetery, and here change became evident. Burial sites were allocated in neat rows and family mausoleums began to appear. The richer and more prominent the family, the larger and more ornate they became. Glorifying the family dead became a custom of the living and the upkeep of graves became a family tradition.
Eventually, such cemeteries in cities became a problem. As Australia aged, the distance between those buried and those that remember them widened and now some have become forgotten relics, ignored by all and a forgotten part of a distant past. Often they occupy a prime site with glorious sea views and the last burial conducted there happened many decades ago, but we are reluctant to send in the bulldozers and turn them into communal parks.
The new burial grounds are far from city centres and the way of death has changed. Today more than 67% of our dead are cremated and with the rapidly rising cost of a traditional funeral and a burial plot, that is likely to further increase in the years ahead. There is no longer an expectation that people will live their lives in close proximity to their parents and grandparents. That has become evident where sixty percent of the ashes of those cremated remain uncollected in the storage rooms of crematoriums.
Death has become an event that most people have covered by a form of insurance. That insurance cover picks up the tab for the crematorium's services and allows for a public service and the ministration of either an ordained priest or a celebrant. In many cases it includes a fee to have the ashes either scattered in a rose garden - or interred in a brick wall with a small name plate affixed. That custom now applies to a third of all cremated ashes.
It is not unusual today for some people to use their will to instruct on the dispersal of their ashes. Many with a connection to the ocean may require that they be scattered at sea while others require that they be scattered in some remote part of the country that was once part of their way of life. There are even instances where ashes have been deposited in outer space.
To others, that connected with the departed sees ashes take pride of place in a jar on the mantelpiece, or in some cases constantly carried about with that person. Sometimes they mystify others when they turn up in a lost property auction. The custom varies from country country and from religion to religion.
Treasure those visits to quaint little churches in remote places and their surrounding graveyards. That is a way of life that is now gone - forever !
Sunday 2 April 2017
The " Practice " of Medicine !
Through the centuries when what were really " Shamans " who mixed herbs to treat patients grew into the medical profession we know today and medical history is dotted with courageous men and women who have dared to step outside the guidelines and prove medical theories that have brought scorn from others.
There was a day when few medicos bothered to wash their hands between patients, and consequently a lot of people died from cross infections delivered by the very people they were consulting to save their lives. The standards that apply to medicine are unforgiving and even today those that encroach on the boundaries do so at great personal risk.
Just such a situation is unfolding within a medical investigation of a clinical oncologist and haematologist accused of practicing outside clinical guidelines. It is claimed that fourteen of his patients were harmed or vulnerable to future harm because of his treatment decisions. The public gallery was packed with a hundred and eighty supporters who contended that his innovations had succeeded in relieving their illnesses.
The issue under the spotlight - is chemotherapy. This is a treatment for cancer and the specialist is accused of varying the dose and time factor from the approved guidelines that apply. Chemotherapy has a notorious history of delivering hair loss, vomiting and unpleasant reactions to patients and in some cases cancer patients refuse to be treated because of these conditions.
The accused specialist claimed that he had been " thrown under a bus " by the Health Minister because she was battling another matter publicly at that time and he was asked by a committee member " how many of his patients had died ? " " We cannot cure everybody with cancer, " he replied. " And some die from it. ". He was often left to work on his own at night and during weekends because others did not wish to work at that location and as a result he felt some colleagues disapproved of him.
It is evident that this is developing into a divergence of opinion on what latitude should be in the hands of a treating doctor when it comes to evaluating individual circumstances. There would be little to gain from subjecting a very old patient in the final grip of cancer to high dose chemotherapy with all its side effects. In other cases, a treating doctor may decide that a lower dose may be more appropriate to an individuals situation. It can become a clash between rigid guidelines and the opinion of the treating doctor.
How this case ends will have a big bearing on the political climate prevailing and whether others in his profession decide to be merciful. In so many instances what is condemned and vilified at that time later becomes not only the accepted standard, but the professed gold standard for others to follow. It is a brave soul who accepts the mantle of leadership !
There was a day when few medicos bothered to wash their hands between patients, and consequently a lot of people died from cross infections delivered by the very people they were consulting to save their lives. The standards that apply to medicine are unforgiving and even today those that encroach on the boundaries do so at great personal risk.
Just such a situation is unfolding within a medical investigation of a clinical oncologist and haematologist accused of practicing outside clinical guidelines. It is claimed that fourteen of his patients were harmed or vulnerable to future harm because of his treatment decisions. The public gallery was packed with a hundred and eighty supporters who contended that his innovations had succeeded in relieving their illnesses.
The issue under the spotlight - is chemotherapy. This is a treatment for cancer and the specialist is accused of varying the dose and time factor from the approved guidelines that apply. Chemotherapy has a notorious history of delivering hair loss, vomiting and unpleasant reactions to patients and in some cases cancer patients refuse to be treated because of these conditions.
The accused specialist claimed that he had been " thrown under a bus " by the Health Minister because she was battling another matter publicly at that time and he was asked by a committee member " how many of his patients had died ? " " We cannot cure everybody with cancer, " he replied. " And some die from it. ". He was often left to work on his own at night and during weekends because others did not wish to work at that location and as a result he felt some colleagues disapproved of him.
It is evident that this is developing into a divergence of opinion on what latitude should be in the hands of a treating doctor when it comes to evaluating individual circumstances. There would be little to gain from subjecting a very old patient in the final grip of cancer to high dose chemotherapy with all its side effects. In other cases, a treating doctor may decide that a lower dose may be more appropriate to an individuals situation. It can become a clash between rigid guidelines and the opinion of the treating doctor.
How this case ends will have a big bearing on the political climate prevailing and whether others in his profession decide to be merciful. In so many instances what is condemned and vilified at that time later becomes not only the accepted standard, but the professed gold standard for others to follow. It is a brave soul who accepts the mantle of leadership !
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