Political Free Choice !

When Australians who have attained their eighteenth birthday are handed a voting slip and walk into the privacy of a voting booth the choice of who they vote for is guarded by stringent election laws.  The winners of elections are not known until the votes are counted and that system is the cornerstone of our democracy.

There are rules in place to govern the advertising political parties use to influence the vote and that is influenced by whichever political party is holding office when the election is called.   The Conservative parties hold office in New South Wales and with a state election due this year they had passed a law restricting the union movement from spending $ 1.28 million on electioneering advertising in the six months before an election.   This legislation reduced that figure to just $500,000.

The problem was that unions support just one side of politics.  Their influence on the policies of the Australian Labor party is such that many union figures have gravitated to the status of endorsed candidate for the Labor party and now hold office as elected representatives in both the state and Federal governments.   The aims of the Labor party and the unions appear nearly synonymous.

This week, that legislation was struck down by the High Court.  In its judgement it ruled unanimously that the law breached  the implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.  The unions are now free to combine their funds in a collective campaign which the smaller parties think may " drown out " the advertising message they can put to air.   This volume would seriously disadvantage independents.

There is another consideration that needs to be taken into account with union influence on the outcome of elections.  There is a close association between union leaders and the hierarchy of the Labor party which results in union leaders gaining endorsement for safe seats when they relinquish union office.

The rank and file of union membership covers a wide political spectrum.  Their funds collected by the union will be used to support a political party that they may not vote for when their exercise their choice within the voting booths.   In fact, the advertising the unions may be using to influence the vote may run diametrically opposite to the thinking of their personal opinions, but they are not asked for that opinion nor given any choice on how their funds are spent.

The unions justify this lack of choice by citing comparison with the big end of town.  The aims of major corporations usually mirror the policies of the Conservative parties and they do not shrink from making donations to assist those parties in winning office.   The wide spectrum of people working for those entities are not consulted about how those funds are directed.

As with all aspects of politics,  how the system works is an emotive issue.  We grizzle and grumble about the restrictions in place according to our political views but the outcome is usually decided by the thinking of individuals.   The vast majority put their pen to paper and express the choice that determines the outcome.

The common wisdom usually delivers the right choice at that time.

The " Grim Reaper " Beckons !

One of the most respected medical journals in the world is " the Lancet " and it has just released a warning that humanity faces three threats to its long term survival.   It brought together a consortium of forty-three of the world's leading experts on agriculture, economics, human rights, which all interplay in the fields of obesity, undernutrition and climate change.

Put simply, what we are doing now is unsustainable.  Obesity is responsible for four million deaths each year and 815 million of this worlds population are chronically undernourished.  Our inability to manage the food supply means that malnutrition - either undernutrition or obesity - is the biggest cause of ill health and premature death globally.

Here in Australia where we claim an advanced standard of living almost two in every three adults and one in ever four children are overweight, according to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.   This problem is exacerbated by inaction by the policymakers who are influenced by profit seeking food companies and a lack of demand for change from the public.   The soft drink industry has lobbied to water down a move to sugar taxes on soft drinks.  A 2017 study found  that food lobbyists were potentially swaying health policies in favour of their corporate bottom lines at the expense of public health.

One of the problems facing the world has been drawn to our attention by the global warming people.  In recent decades many millions have been rescued from poverty as manufacturing moves into countries with the offer of a cheap labour force.  Subsistence farmers earning less than two dollars a day have seen their income increase - and along with that has come a vast change in their diet.

With prosperity comes a demand for - meat.  The undernourished forced to subsist on a vegetable diet quickly develop a taste for meat in its many forms and unfortunately agriculture is responsible for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and of these cattle are responsible for half of this total.  We simply can not continue to expand the meat industry to meet growing world demand.

The warnings are becoming strident on many fronts.  The amount of CO2 in the air is increasing and warming the planet and it is evident that we are unlikely to hold the world temperature to just a 1.5% increase.  We will have to learn to live with a warmer world  and it is now clear that one of the things that must change is the food we eat.

In all probability we will continue to resist change strenuously until a world food shortage makes a diet change imperative.  But if we continue to abuse our bodies by the obesity that is so prevalent in the richer world, at least there will be fewer mouths to feed when that day comes.

Our Precious Drinking Water !

If the pundits are right, one of the aspects of global warming will be a reduction in the rainfall pattern across Australia. Much of New South Wales at present is either in drought or starting to recover from one of the driest periods in history.  The television news has featured huge convoys of hay trucks bringing in feed from other states to try and keep sheep flocks and cattle herds alive in their parched paddocks.

This week Sydney faced the ominous news that the mothballed desalination plant at Kurnell was being reactivated.   This is an automatic decision when the level of Warragamba dam falls to sixty percent of capacity.  It ticked over 59.9% over the long weekend.   The plant was built in response to the Millennium water shortage at a cost of  $ 2.3 billion.   It ran from 2010 to 2012 during its last operation and ensures that Sydney will never completely run out of drinking water.

A desalination plant take salty water from the sea and runs it through a process called reverse osmosis.  What emerges is fresh water that is then treated to reach the standards contained in drinking water guidelines and has a small amount of  fluoride added to prevent tooth decay.   This plant has the capacity to produce  250 million litres of drinking water per day and that is about one sixth of Sydney's entire needs.

Obviously, the cheapest water is that stuff that falls from the sky and running the desalination plant will increase the average water bill by about thirty-five dollars a year, but that input will make the water stock contained in Warragamba dam last years longer as water rationing reduces wastage by hosing pathways and keeping lawns green.

We are seeing an emerging water problem in the towns of inland Australia.  Civilized communities demand reticulated water and it is obvious that our inland river system can not deliver the quantity being drawn for both household use and crop irrigation.   As the taps run dry we are facing a problem that global warming is likely to exacerbate.

The original farming families practised water conservation.   Their water supply depended on the rain falling on their roof being collected in water tanks and this was carefully used.  The family bath routine was often on a weekly basis and water for stock use was often carted from the nearest river.  The great Australian artesian basin delivered bore water that eased that problem but today too much is being drawn from that source.

It seems likely that many coastal cities will need to install desalination to meet their water needs because we are well served by the surrounding sea, but inland Australia can not continue to consume water at the present rate and change is necessary.  We are fortunate that our tropical far north is served by the annual monsoon and we need to design and construct water retaining schemes so that more of this water can be retained and pumped south to renew the inland river system.  It will be costly but that is the only way the inland river system can be made sustainable by way of regulated output and an enhanced flow to serve all the states reliant on the rivers for water.

Such a water retention scheme in the far north could become our premier engineering project for the balance of this century.

A Trump Defeat !

Donald  Trump had put his reputation as the greatest dealmaker of all time on the line when he refused to sign the money bill that would keep the American government running unless it contained billions to build the wall he wants on the Mexican border.

For thirty-five days - the longest is US history - eight hundred thousand American government workers have been on furlough.  National parks and tourist icons such as the Statue of Liberty have been shuttered and rubbish collection has ceased in many cities.  The second pay day has passed with no money flowing into worker bank accounts.

Perhaps the key to Trump's abject surrender was the fact that the air traffic controllers at American airports were part of those eight hundred thousand laid off.  They are an essential service and by law they must remain on the job but controllers calling in sick began to fray safety and should a plane crash be blamed on controller error the public would be unforgiving.

Trump has opened the money spigot - for just three weeks.  If the Democrats refuse him money for his wall he threatens to implement another shutdown or declare a national emergency and take those funds from the defence budget.  What is missing from this debate is Trump's promise that Mexico would pay for the wall.  Trump has conveniently ignored that key item from his vote winning agenda and is now demanding that the American taxpayers foot the bill.

It seems that a wall between America and Mexico is something most Americans think is not needed - and not wanted.   Trump has ignored statistics to incorrectly claim that most of the drugs entering America are smuggled over this porous border and that Mexican immigrants are all rapists, thugs and murderers.

Trump staked his presidency on building that wall and now the Democrats are able to call his bluff.  If he takes the course of declaring a national emergency and taking the funds to finish the wall from the defence budget he will be simply reducing America's ability to defend itself in an increasingly hostile world.

Any president who loses the support and goodwill of the vast American defence establishment and the CIA is in peril.  Americans are proud of the men and women of the armed services who have shielded the free world under the American nuclear umbrella since the end of the second world war.  Taking money from defence must mean reduced defence ability and that would be unthinkable to the American people.

It seems that Donald Trump has managed to catch a tiger by the tail.   That promise about building a wall was the pivot that got him elected to office.  His inability to deliver will probably be the issue that destroys his tenure as the resident in the White House.

In Praise of " Gongs " !

One of the uplifting things about " Australia Day "  is the announcement of who has been granted an achievement award for their services to this nation.  What is unique about this honour is that the recipients are nominated by their fellow Australians and each award expires automatically on the death of the award holder.

When the leaders of the Australian colonies met to discuss the possibility of Federation into a distinctly separate nation just before the start of the twentieth century they obviously looked to merry olde England as a possible template.   They disliked what they saw !   That land on the other side of the world was a place of privilege, beset by titled people who  claimed their elevated status on a hereditary basis.   It was beset by princes and dukes, earls and barons and a descending order of titles where people sat in the house of Lords in a law making role without being elected by the men and women who chose the government.

Australia had the advantage of writing the first chapter in its history book and it decided not to follow that line of lineage.   In the past thousand years Britain has had a troubled history and much of that involved civil war.   The right to wear a crown was often up for grabs and sometimes the loser was executed or banished overseas.  The reward for nobles that backed the winning side was  elevation in the rank of peerage and a grant of the loser's lands and property.   These riches bestowed were held in perpetuity.

It seemed grossly unfair that today the distant heir of someone who simply fought for the winning side a few centuries ago is living a life of wealth and privilege, and on their death that honour will pass to their eldest son.   It takes no heed of achievement or even intelligence.   By sheer chance such a titleholder today could have the intellect of a village idiot.

In the early years of the Australian nation the highest honour that could be bestowed was a knighthood, but this was wisely limited to the lifetime of the holder.  It can still be technically awarded in special circumstances, but today the Australian award for personal excellence is encompassed in the varying grades of the Order of Australia.

A wisely chosen selection committee views nominations from all walks of life, city and country and those overlooked this year may come up for further consideration in future years.  It seems inevitable that some time in the future this nation will become a republic.  When that happens, the highest honour that is attainable will be for some Australian to win presidential office.

The Chicken ? Or the Egg ?

The news that " affordable housing " is going to be concentrated in the Sydney suburb of Waterloo is alarming.  There is a distinct impression that Waterloo is going to look something like Manhattan with seven forty story towers and another twelve climbing to thirty-two stories - and all this crammed into just twenty-two hectares.  That delivers about half the parkland and recreational space of that other concentrated living area - Green Square.

The rationale is simple. It is more economical to provide electricity, water and sewage to an existing inner suburb than to create new suburbs on the city perimeter and Waterloo will be served by the new train and tram services that are part of our transport expansion.  These are bold experiments but caution is urged because similar moves have backfired badly in other world cities.

Our television news shows rioting in the streets of Paris - the " City of Light ". The French built mass affordable living towers on the city perimeter and these were quickly snapped up by the poor and immigrant communities.   They are referred to as " Banlieue's " because that is the French word for " suburb " and they have become centres for discontent.  The Banlieue is now synonymous with that other emotive word -" unemployed ", and both are associated with that other dreaded word - " Terrorists ".  We would be wise to remember the public disdain for those existing public housing towers built decades earlier in Waterloo.

There is a growing school of thought that contends that Sydney is simply becoming too big.   We are ever encroaching on valuable farmland on our perimeters and despite vast new road systems the daily commute traffic flow is consistently slower.   It has been the dream of city planners for years to accelerate movement out of the city and into the surrounding country towns where a more relaxed style of life is possible.  The stumbling block is job opportunities.   The beating heart of this city is its job situation and we have an unemployment rate at present of just 4.3%.

There is no doubt that many city people would be attracted to life in a country town if affordable housing was coupled with the reality of job opportunities offering.  It seems to be closely associated with that old " chicken and egg " conundrum.  Which came first ?

If we build affordable housing in country towns, will the people come ?   Or must industry be in place with job opportunities offering before that move will be considered ?   There is a third option.   What about the fast transport option that would allow country living to be combined with city job opportunities  ?

Just such an opportunity exists to the south of Sydney.  The towns of the south coast have no rail service past Nowra and are basically connected by a single lane each way blacktop with a shocking accident record.  They are in that moderate temperature zone where proximity to the sea avoids frosts in winter and the sea breeze  delivers relief from the ever increasing summer heat.  Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Nowra are fast expanding and land is available to expand the existing settlements further down the coast.

This Waterloo development is long term and will proceed over decades.  Perhaps the capital intended to create Sydney's " Banlieue " might be better directed at attracting people and industry to where a more relaxed lifestyle is still a possibility.

The Facebook Threat !

When Mark Zuckerberg came up with the idea that became Facebook his intentions were probably honourable.  He certainly intended for it to make money but it caught the public imagination and quickly spun our of control.  It attracted so much money that its monopoly status is being preserved by buying up any new ideas that emerge that might just be the " next big thing ".

There is an amazing correlation with the early days of the American nation.  A half dozen families achieved amazing wealth when they gained control of the oil, railroad and steel industries.   The names Rockefeller and Carnegie were almost as powerful as the government in Washington.  Oil brought kerosene lights to the homes of the nation, the railroads opened up the interior and steel replaced brick to introduce the skyscraper era to American cities.

The government realised that too much power was in too few hands and legislated to breakup these monopolies.  In this world of today that " robber baron " creed has re-emerged in the form of Facebook and Google.

We have long defended the free press as the guardian of our civil liberties, but now newspapers are in decline.  Facebook has replaced the press as our news source and this has introduced what we term " fake news ".  The world was quick to learn that people avidly read news that agrees with their own point of view and Facebook quietly removed any contrasting arguments.   Foreign governments were quick to seize this opportunity for mind control.

The emergency of Twitter seemed a threat to Facebook, but it was quickly brought under Facebook control.  We have learned the manipulative power of data to set markets in the direction of their choice and Facebook delivers an inexhaustible flood of data that is freely given by its users.  The people who control Facebook now have the power to direct market trends and to influence the outcome of government elections.

This divergence of money away from the press is to our detriment.  Journalism was the creative force that exposed wrong doing and that diversity of views helped us form our own opinions.  We are now at the mercy of mind manipulation by outside forces cleverly using fake news in such quantities that we accept its veracity.

Google is the other entity that is suppressing competitors and has emerged as the world's premier search engine.   What we see and learn is what Google chooses to make available.  The power this delivers is enhanced by the ability to use its vast wealth to buy any likely competitor before it fully emerges.

It is essential that world governments react to breakup these monopolies and introduce an element of competition between their components.  We are fast entering the dangerous situation where Facebook fully controls the news flow and Google directs our attention in directions that suit the view of its management.

We have created monsters with the ability to direct the way we think - and the way we vote.  That is not necessarily in our best interests !

Bribery and Corruption !

The one thing that emerged crystal clear from the banking Royal Commission was that the action of the banks to inflate their profit margins by both illegal and underhand methods was not impeded by the regulatory authorities tasked with preventing this happening.

The Federal regulators - ASIC, ACCC, The Tax office and the banking regulator are government instrumentalities which are on the public payroll.   Just as much as the banks behaved like a bunch of criminals, the watchdogs stayed in their kennels and did nothing to prevent this criminality from happening.

A few obligatory heads rolled in the banking industry as a result, but mostly the outcome was the imposition of fines which hurt the shareholders much more than the banking hierarchy.  Very little seems to haver been done to separate the close association which has emerged between the regulated - and the regulators.

We now learn that a very cosy arrangement exists between the entire business community and the regulators who are supposed to keep them on the straight and narrow - and that mostly takes the form of a gift exchange that is little short of outright bribery and corruption.   Meetings between the two often take the form of a meal in which exotic food is accompanied by the best of wine and spirits and regulators are often guests in the corporate boxes that companies sponsor at leading sporting events.

Christmas is the gift season and many companies reward the regulator with whom they have contact with expensive bottles of wine or company logo branded wireless headphones.  It is not unusual for companies under the regulators watch to pay air fares to industry conferences or influence an airline seating upgrade to win favour.

Gifts and hospitality are not given for reasons of altruism.  Implementing the laws that regulate business involves the interpretation of those laws by an individual and the closer the relationship the better the outcome for the company.  Hence the custom has evolved of wining and dining both regulators and politicians in the hope that both legislation and its implementation will be lightly enforced.

All these regulating authorities maintain gift and hospitality records but do not regularly publish them.  The ATO encourages staff to " politely decline any offer of gifts or hospitality " where this can be done without causing offence.  This is much more heavily controlled within the Police force.  A Police officer in receipt of a gift from the public is in danger of dismissal and this is considered a necessity to stamp out criminality.

Many people remember the recession in 2008 which rocked the securities market.   Housing mortgages were packed into instruments called " Derivatives " and accorded triple A security listing by the industry that rated investments.   When this investment crashed those regulators simply walked away whistling Dixie - and today precisely the same firms are putting their stamp of approval on investment security ratings.

That banking Royal Commission will have only done half its job unless it severs the cordial "scratch my back and I will scratch yours " relationship between the regulators and the regulated.  The fact that banking degenerated into the unhealthy mess this Royal Commission revealed is mainly because the banking regulatory industry failed to do its job,.

Nothing will really change until the regulators are called into account - and made to be fully accountable for their actions.

Our Unsafe Streets !

A murder on the streets of Melbourne caused a huge number of total strangers to bring flowers and create a memorial to a young victim who was robbed of her life in an unprovoked attack.  Aiia  Maasarwe was from Israel and was here on a student visa.   She had attended a gig at the Comics Lounge in north Melbourne and caught a tram home to her residential suburb.   On the short walk through a shopping centre to her home she was talking on the phone to her sister in Israel when a 20 year old man intervened.   The details will be part of the prosecution when he faces court but the outcome is a charge of rape and murder.

This hideous crime will refresh memories of the rape and murder of Jill Meagher who lost her life in similar circumstances on a Melbourne street.  She was returning alone from a night out with friends when she was accosted by a stranger, dragged into a dark lane and raped and murdered.  Her killer is serving a life sentence in prison.

Many people will compare these crimes to the death of Anita Cobby in Sydney some years previously.   Another young woman innocently walking home late at night and dragged into a car by a bunch of hoodlums driving around seeking a woman to abduct.

The men convicted of these crimes pose a severe problem for the prison authorities  charged with keeping them safe.  Their fellow prisoners have wives, sister, daughters and such a killer is both ostracised and marked for retribution.  Solitary confinement may be necessary to ensure their safety in the prison system.

We know little about that twenty year old man accused of raping and murdering Aiia Maasarwe beyond the fact that he is a rapper and is of Aboriginal background.  No doubt his life history will be closely examined by both the prosecution and the defence when he appears in court, but the fact remains that hormonal impulses caused a young man to think he could force sex on a stranger and the force necessary to achieve that objective caused her death.

That is a fear all women face when they walk alone on a deserted street at night - and on some occasions they may be accosted in broad daylight. Fortunately, death is a rare outcome but most women can remember experiences where they felt distinctively uncomfortable with events that were unfolding nearby.  Perhaps someone seeming to be following them, or just the way a passing stranger took notice of their appearance.   At such times the fate of Aiia Maasarwe, Jill Meager and Anita Cobby come to mind.

While it is reassuring that while untold Australian women end their journeys in safety the risk of attack will never be entirely eliminated.   Civilized men do not attack and rape women, but there will always be a few with mental abnormalities or who are affected by drugs or alcohol.  That is simply a fact of life and women would be wise to practice defensive safeguards.

Demanding safety on the streets is not as practical as taking a final cab ride to avoid an area thought to pose a danger.  Realism is accepting where danger can be avoided and making plans accordingly.

Music Festival " Licenses " !

Not long ago the New South Wales government was threatening to ban music festivals as its favoured remedy to prevent deaths from drug overdoses.  It is rare for one of these to conclude without at least one death in the crowd and a few dozen people needing attention by paramedics because of very adverse reactions to the drugs in circulation.

This is despite a heavy police presence with drug sniffer dogs monitoring the incoming crowd.  This ignores the fact that a high proportion of fans who attend music festivals actively want the " high " that Ecstasy provides and these deaths can be mainly attributed to illegal concoctions put together to supply a willing market.  Despite police efforts, those with the money will easily find a supplier wherever there is demand.

This is an election year and banning music festivals would bring an adverse response from young people, so the government has decided to slap a new license requirement on the organizers of these events.  This will be almost identical with the liquor license necessary before a pub or a club is legally able to operate and the granting of that license will be subjected to approval by a panel of experts.   This will include representatives of NSW Health, NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and Liquor and Gaming NSW.

It seems that drug testing is off the table as a health measure and granting a music festival license will depend on the organizers providing whatever measures this committee demands.  No doubt that will stipulate the size of resuscitation facilities and paramedic numbers provided relating to the crowd numbers and " chill out " areas where recovery can be assisted.  All this comes at a cost and obviously that cost will be reflected in entry prices.

There is a similar correlation between the supply of drugs in NSW and the American attempt to impose prohibition on alcohol.  The demand for illicit alcohol was so huge that it ushered in the gangster era and that is precisely what we are encountering here with drugs.  Lethal combinations are being put together to cash in on this demand and that is what is killing people at music festivals.

This demand for Ecstasy will remain because the vast majority have successfully achieved the desired " high " on other occasions without incident.  The losers will be first time users who encounter a rejection by their metabolism - or who have the misfortune to buy the product of a totally incompetent drug cook.  The best this new license can provide is perhaps a quicker medical response when an adverse drug reaction becomes apparent.

This license imposition may save a few lives, but the drug war was lost a long time ago.  The safety aspect can be better achieved by regulating what is legally available and leaving the choice to individuals.  At least such choice removes the " forbidden fruit " syndrome  !

A Terrorist Walks Free !

It is seventeen years since Islamic terrorists bombed a nightclub in Bali that killed 202 people, of whom 88 were Australian.  That was the work of a militant Islamic sect known as Jemaah  Islamiyah and this week its spiritual leader will walk free from an Indonesian prison.

Abu Bakar Bashir is easily recognisable because we have seen his face on television many times.  He is now 81 years old and his release is termed an act of clemency.  This is an election year in Indonesia and as it is an Islamic country there are votes to be gained from freeing this man.  Political expediency is practised widely in most parts of the world.

It is important to understand exactly what Abu Bakar Bashir was doing time in prison for when considering this release.  He was originally convicted of  conspiracy over his role in the bombing and he spent twenty-six months behind bars before that conviction was overturned on appeal.  Then in 2011 he was charged with inciting terrorism and funding an Aceh cell which was providing military training for terrorist recruits.  He was sentenced to nine years in prison and he has now six years of that term remaining.

Abu Bakar Bashir is unrepentant. He is a firebrand cleric and on release he is expected to return to the pulpit and continue his sermons of hate.  He does have a following but terrorist activity in Indonesia is now subdued due to a crackdown by the security forces.  The actual conspirators who built the bomb have either been executed or are serving life terms in prison.

Bali and other Indonesian holiday resorts are once again packed with Australian tourists and visitors from the rest of the world.  That would not be happening if visitors were feeling unsafe and most people think that Indonesian security forces have the situation well under control.   It will be irritating to many to hear that Abu Bakar Bashir has regained his freedom but is  unlikely that this will have any change in the safety aspect in Bali.

No doubt Australian politicians will remonstrate with Indonesia's president Joko Widodo but that is unlikely to change the situation because the election will be held on April 17.  Islam is the religion most widely practised in Indonesia but that 2002 bombing was a wakeup call that religious fanatics were stirring trouble that was not representative of the vast majority of Indonesian citizens who practised their religion peacefully.   A very active security force is making extremism difficult and Bashir will be closely monitored after he is released.

The best that can be said is that he is simply a bitter old man who finds himself out of step with the rest of the world.  He has had his five minutes of fame, and now it is just a matter of waiting until death claims him.  Survivors of the Bali bombing will receive that news with pleasure !

The Coming " Aged Care " Crisis !

The Royal Commission that will probe deeply into the aged care industry in Australia will soon begin taking evidence in Adelaide before it moves widely across the country.  We have an ageing population and it is essential that the care provided in what is expected to be a fast growing industry achieves a measurable standard of care proficiency.

The early indications are not good.  There are about two thousand aged care providers in Australia and so far just four percent have responded to a call for submissions which will indicate the problems that exist.  The Commission has been forced to remind the industry that it is the hallmark of a civilized society the way it treats its most vulnerable people.

Even before it gets properly under way it has issued a warning that it is unlawful for a care provider to take punitive action against an employee or a former employee who assists the Commission and who instructs staff to withhold evidence or not cooperate.  It was made clear that submissions would be accepted anonymously.

Aged care is a mix of charitable and" for profit " providers and its services range from virtual retirement villages for the mobile and healthy to nursing home beds for those enduring their last stages of life.  The standard of care varies across such aspects as staff ratios and meal standards and it is the hope of this Royal Commission that a degree of uniformity can be achieved industry wide.

Aged care is a constantly changing demographic.  In the early years of last century most families lived in a suburban home and a " Granny flat " in the backyard was common.  Age care was family business, but today the residence is more likely to be a city apartment and families are scattered widely in diverging career paths.  There is the expectation that aged care will be the growth industry of the twenty-first century.

Unfortunately, we regularly encounter horrifying instances of aged care that falls short of expectations.  Patients with bed sores because of lack of staff to adequately care for them. Skimpy meals or food provided and uneaten by patients unable to feed themselves.  Over medication or restraints used on patients considered " difficult " and undecipherable costs and charges appearing on the fee structure which deplete patients assets.

It is clearly evident that aged care needs to be a regulated industry.  Along with the license to operate should come a regimen of inspections and standards which must be retained.   The relatives of the aged seeking such accommodation for loved ones need the assurance that this industry is closely monitored and the safety aspect is paramount.

Hopefully, from this Royal Commission there should come recognition that aged care is a profession that delivers a career path with promotion prospects.  In an era where many job opportunities are dwindling because of computers and automation it is encouraging to find a growth industry that is under resourced.   All it needs is for this Royal Commission to deliver predictability and reliability to this new essential.

Whats in a Name ?

It sounds like a new trade agreement between Australia and the EU is getting bogged down in a fight over the use of the names commonly used to describe food types - and their origin in certain European countries.  This follows an earlier agreement that the word " Champagne " can only be used on the label of wine produced in the traditional wine growing areas of France where this originated. Foreign wine that have the bubbly character and taste of champagne must either find a new description or be labelled " Champagne like ".

In particular, this new claim relates to both our wine industries and to the marvellous variety of Australian made cheese which we consume locally  and export to the world.  Descriptions such as Moscato, Feta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Pecorino, Gruyere and Roquefort are claimed by various localities in Greece and Italy.

It can be argued that the origin of these food types was derived so long ago that they have passed into the generic of common world language.  In many instances, what is on the shelves today is different from the original because it has been adapted by local manufacturers to cater for changed tastes.  All these product names would be more than a century old and many would date back many centuries.

This claim opens the door to a very wide area of name protection.   There is hardly an item in common use that was not first developed and used in some other part of the world and been absorbed into the vocabulary.  This move to claim name protection sounds suspiciously like a tactical move to disadvantage competitors  and steal a branded share of world markets.   It would change what is now generic into the product of a small group of manufacturers.

It also runs contrary to commercial practice.  When something new is developed it is usual to apply for a patent and if granted that patent prevents competitors copying that product - and usually that is for a term of twenty years.  It is generally contended that when the patent expires the world is free to make use of what has been patented without further hindrance.   It seems some localities are demanding that such a patent like protection  on their product exists for eternity.

Where we have branded cheeses with a popular taste we have wisely used their geographic location moulded into the description - hence Bega Cheese and King Island  Dairy products.  In this way the use of a generic product name has been avoided.

This trade agreement being negotiated is due to come into practice in 2021.  It is hoped that this attempt to turn back the clock will be successfully resisted.  It is simply too late to adopt a restrictive manufacturing label to what have become the synonymous descriptions of food that is manufactured in a variety of countries.

It should be a matter of pride that such products now have world wide recognition.

Litigation - The Long Road Ahead !

Sydney is a city built on a sandstone base and this is the ideal medium through which to build the tunnels needed for a modern rail and road system. Once these tunnels would have been constructed by the pick and shovel method but today we have giant mechanical boring machines working away quietly as far as forty metres below the surface.

It quickly became obvious that existing homes above these tunnels  were experiencing significant wall cracking and foundation movements.   Owners were assured that they would be compensated but so far claims for damages are being flatly rejected.  The tunnel builder claims that monitoring equipment in place to detect movement caused by tunnelling is finding no evidence of damage caused and the wall cracking must be a result of unusual weather patterns.

We have just experienced both a record drought and the hottest year since recording temperatures  began.  It is evident that the legal profession is gearing up for a litigation fight and it can be argued that the lack of moisture in the soil will have an effect on the building materials used in older homes.  Many of the affected structures are over a hundred years old.

What home owners are experiencing here is the classic legal defence.  Deny liability and put the onus of proof back on the claimant.  The stage seems set for a battle between various experts who will claim expertise in land movement and the monitoring equipment which will be vital in deciding on how movement outcomes will be judged.   Like the outcome of all cases decided in the law courts, the final decision handed down is not predictable.

Many affected home owners complain that the system is rigged against them.   Legislation intended to decide compensation for damage caused by the tunnelling requires a post construction report from engineers engaged by the tunnelling company.  This report then goes to Roads and Maritime Services for an independent review of the claim.

Owners would be well advised to form an association to fight as a united body rather than proceed as individual owners.  The legal costs will be daunting for both sides and many individual homes have repair quotes that run to more than a hundred thousand dollars.   The charm of these older homes is often their high ceilings and graceful architecture and they were constructed of materials not used in the building trade today.  If the builder loses the case, the financial outcome will be massive.

The fact that this damage seems restricted to older houses will probably raise the issue of the life expectancy of structures.  While these old homes have charm, they are difficult to heat in winter and have poor sound proofing in this noisy age.  The value to the owner is usually exceeded by the value of the land they are sitting on.  We are fast entering the age where demolition and rebuilding is a better option than repair.

What is very obvious is that this issue will not be settled easily - or quickly.  The people involved can expect a long fight in the courts and probably a continuation in the appeals courts, irrespective of which way the decision goes.  Pig headed people on both sides are unlikely to agree to any form of a negotiated settlement.

" Heat Wave " Dangers !

Every summer we face a few days of what the media describe as " heat wave conditions ".  Inland the temperature can reach near fifty degrees and usually the coastal regions get a little relief from the sea breeze but it is a time we need to drink plenty of water to retain hydration and take care of children and the elderly.

This summer we are facing an unusual heat related phenomenon in our inland river system.  Because of the drought the water levels are unusually low and there have been outbreaks of green algae in which oxygen levels of the water have been depleted.  The end result is a massive fish kill and the nightly news shows horrifying pictures of thousands of dead fish clogging waterways.

Blame has been levelled  at the agricultural industry with claims that irrigators are illegally taking water beyond their allotted quotas and in particular our massive cotton crops are being singled out as the main culprit.   Cotton is regarded as a particularly " thirsty " crop and our ability to grow this valuable export income earner is being questioned.

The inland river system supplies the drinking water for many towns and as they expand their needs multiply and to complicate the issue these rivers serve several separate states on the eastern seaboard.
Water allocation is seen as a state matter and this inevitably brings political considerations into the argument.  It is obvious that our inland river system can not meet the demands of both irrigators and population centres without severe rationing.

Now a new danger has arisen that is directly related to the high temperatures we will experience in the next few days.   Australia is home to massive colonies of fruit bats which serve a very useful purpose in the pollination of our agricultural crops.    The summer skies are darkened  by bat numbers leaving the caves, trees and other roosting places to access fruit crops at night and this high heat plays havoc with their navigation systems.   It is not unusual to encounter bats that have the misfortune to be tangled in wire netting, fences or similar obstacles.

They are a cute little animal but there is a danger in the public handling them and trying to ensure they escape whatever they are entangled in.  Bats carry a deadly virus and this can be transmitted to humans through infected saliva from a bite of scratch, or if a human has the saliva transfer to their nose or eyes, or come in contact with a cut on their skin.

So far this year eight people have been infected in the Sydney region and a further seven have needed urgent treatment in the Hunter and New England areas.   The fact that bats carry lyssavirus make it imperative that they are not handled without protective measures in place and this is best carried out by the medical teams that serve that purpose.

In particular, it is important that children be made aware of the danger that bats pose.  The dislocation they suffer in extreme heat makes it likely that distressed bats could be found in suburban gardens and that danger is obvious.

A " Bigger " Australia ?

Polls show that support for increased immigrant numbers being admitted to Australia is weakening. An ANU poll found that just three of every ten Australians now believe the nation needs more people.   This has slipped fifteen percent from the poll figures that applied in 2010.

It seems more people are siding with the view that our major cities are becoming dangerously overcrowded and that it is migrants that are pushing up house prices.  This is an election year and the government is looking at reducing the present 190,000 intake to 160,000 to fit in with the attitude that prevails.

We might do well to remember the mantra that took hold at the conclusion of the second world war.  "  Populate - or Perish "  was the reason we opened our doors to a flood of war weary Europeans because we had just had a very bad scare.   Japanese invaders were in New Guinea and Britain had written us off.  Fortunately, that brought the Americans into the war and with their help that invasion moved no further south.

By the middle of this century this planet will have about ten billion people and to others Australia will be seen as the last " empty continent ".   At present we number a little over twenty-five million and it is the lack of numbers that are retarding the progress we envy in other parts of the world.  We have only just completed a multi lane divided highway linking Sydney and Melbourne and any thought of a very fast train link is well into the future.

We recently went through a period when " boat people " were landing on our shores unannounced and that has only just tapered off in what was happening in Greece and Italy in Europe.  There are now huge masses of people in holding camps that face closed borders because they are unwanted in many countries.  At some time in the future it is inevitable that Australia will again face displaced people desperately trying to find a new home in an unwelcoming world.   Other countries are unlikely to help us stem that flow.

We have a very capable defence force, but Australia is a minnow in a nuclear world and it is a nuclear armed India and China that will face an overcrowding problem in the near future.  If they demanded we accept migrants from their country, the military option would not be in our favour.  The type of country to which Australia evolves in the future will depend heavily on decisions we make now.

Our track record is magnificent.   We have absorbed migrants from all over the world very successfully and this is a multicultural country.  We need to think long and hard before we make irreversible decisions on our migrant intake because what we decide now will have a big effect on the Australia our children and grand children inherit from us.

Picking " Lucky Numbers " !

Remember those days so long ago when the only choice for the suburban gambler was to buy a ticket in the lottery at the newsagency.   The number on that ticket was sheer random choice and when the lottery was drawn the results were published in the newspapers.  It was the custom to preserve the ticket and check the result to see if you scored even a small win.  Much of the money to build Sydney's Opera House was gained from such a special lottery.

The first move to widen gambling horizons came when Australians were permitted to bet on " the Pools ".  This was a form of betting that revolved around the results of English soccer games and the results were determined not only by the winning club but by the margins by which they won or lost. For many who did not follow soccer it became a random number pick and like the results of all forms of gambling, a win became a matter of sheer luck.

Then came the introduction of Lotto in Australia.   The big difference was that the player had the choice of picking their own numbers - and so began the era of many people betting week after week with their own " lucky numbers ".   Players were offered a choice.  Pick their own, or have the computer generate random numbers and of course the numbers that won the major prize were also selected by that same method.

Today, Lotto takes many forms and there is a distinctly separate game drawn on just about every night of the week.  In each case, a smaller number of options are available from which to make a choice.  Those options are displayed on numbered balls and when the draw takes place the winning six number collation decides the major - and lessor - prize winners.  How those numbers are drawn depends on the style of play and that is what attracts individual players.

All this has come a long way from the days when the state lottery draw was open to the public and they watched as a huge barrel was produced containing thousands of glass balls, each of which contained a number which corresponded to every ticket sold in that lottery.   It was a time consuming spectacle because a rod was thrust into the barrel and on withdrawal it contained the winning number for every prize on the nominated list of rewards.   In todays computer era, once the winning numbers are selected, the computer can instantly name the ticket holders on which luck has bestowed its favour.

Now the Lotto people are introducing a new competition and that has several of the gambling regulators worried.   This is termed " Jackpot Betting " and the winning numbers are derived from a complex of extracting  specific movements in world finance markets which will be tabulated into a very long number - from which those winning numbers will be extracted.    Somewhere in that maze it seems that random choice " Jackpot " prizes will occur.

It is quite possible this contravenes some of the law that pertain to gambling but the main objection is that how the winning numbers are obtained is no longer crystal clear to the participating public.  The fairness of that giant barrel with thousands of numbered balls was evident for all to see.   The present Lotto - in all its forms - has similar clarity.   The gambling regulators are very keen to keeping it that way !

Solar Panel Threat !

About two million  Australian homes have solar panels on their roof and this is still a fast increasing industry due to the ever rising cost of electricity.  We have just had severe early summer electrical storms and one of the damage factors was an unusually prevalent amount of hail damage.  For the first time the nightly news has featured rooftop solar with gaping holes where hail the size of cricket balls has punctured panels.

People with insurance cover have the expectation that those damaged panels will be replaced, but that does raise the question of those old damaged panels finding their way onto the country's landfills.  If that happens, we will be committing an act of serious pollution because solar consists of hazardous material such as lead, copper and zinc.  We already have recycling in place to deal with discarded television sets and computers but until now there has not been a need to think of recycling solar.

Apart from the phenomenon of hail damage, solar has a working life capacity of about thirty years and some of our earliest use of photovoltaic electricity generation are close to reaching their " use by " date and their disposal is about to become an important question.  There simply are no laws in place to regulate the disposal of redundant solar panels.

In 2011 the national television and computer recycling scheme required manufacturers and importers to participate in industry funded collection and recycling.   It is now rare to see that type of material in an Australian landfill.  In fact, the recovery rate of the metals used in their manufacture makes this recycling profitable and the very nature of solar panels suggests that similar rewards would be forthcoming.

A long time ago car tyres were dumped on landfills but now we are charged a small fee when replacement is due and those same tyres are shredded and make a valuable contribution to road base. In cases where disposal of potentially hazardous material is covered by a compulsory recycling scheme the recovery cost is compensated by the value of the parts recovered.  A survey by the International Energy Agency suggests that recovery of  material from photovoltaic panels could deliver a potential value of $15 billion by 2050.

Probably few people considering going solar take into consideration that the system they buy is likely to have a working life of about thirty years.   But the efficiency of the panels is ever increasing and the price charged for a photovoltaic array is decreasing at an even faster rate.  It is highly likely that existing panels will be scrapped far short of their rate of redundancy just to increase the power generated by the newer installations.

This hail damage is sounding an early warning.  We need to put legislation in place to ensure solar disposal is by way of recycling or we will be faced with contaminated landfills.  Such is the challenge that needs to be addressed in the creation of all new industries.

Linking Research and Treatment !

What happens if you find you are suffering from some rare medical condition and it is highly likely that you are one of just a handful of people known to have this complaint ?  For a start, it will be difficulty to find a specialist doctor with the skill to start treatment and it is very likely that whatever medication that would be helpful is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme.

That is the medical nightmare that is all too common.  The unfortunate patient starts an almost endless search for relief from a medical system that is tuned to deal with diseases that are common across all sections of society.   In many cases, a cure is rumoured to exist in some other part of the world and the patient's wealth is decimated in a desperate search for treatment.

For the first time a specialist approach will be put in place by the government with the aim of directing patients to where research and emerging medicine may  offer the chance of relief.  Funding has been approved to appoint ten telehealth specialist nurses who will be located within charities that support people with rare and complex medical conditions.

This three year trial will encourage these specialist nurses to research medical breakthroughs of unorthodox treatments and in particular, clinical trials of new drugs and treatments that are specifically directed at newly discovered medical conditions.  It has the potential to deliver the " missing link " that connects patients with rare diseases to emerging tests that involved medical trials of promising new treatments.

We are encouraged by news stories where patients with a malignant disease have been included in clinical trials of a new procedure - with amazing results.  Often the drug involved would have a cost of thousands of dollars, but was provided free as part of the trial.  Hopefully, these telehealth nurses will be deeply involved in liaising with drug companies and medical researchers to evaluate what research is under way and how this can be coordinated with the rare medical conditions found in Australia.

This is the type of coordination that could bring promising results.  It opens a door to an area of expertise where the evaluation of what research is in progress across the world can be cross checked with people who need treatment for diseases outside the scope of conventional medication.  There is a mutual benefit for both the patient and the research company.

This is indeed a very new approach.  Specialist nurses who provide a conduit to emerging medical research should be a welcome referral by doctors faced with an ailment for which there is no known treatment.  For patients, it offers their last hope of a " medical miracle ".

Rental Reform !

New South Wales rental reform laws will come into effect on February 28.  Rent price increases will be limited to once in each twelve month period and there will be control measures which will set the expectation which rented promises must meet and these include access to adequate electricity and plumbing.  All too often existing premises are illegally subdivided with the result that the portion let lacks either a kitchen or a bathroom, and in some cases - both !

These new laws also take a more open approach to tenants putting their individual touch to what is their " home " for the period of the lease.  Lease conditions that prevent pictures to be hung on walls and the use of curtains to screen windows have been outlawed.   The ban on keeping pets of any kind has also been lifted.

Rented premises must meet acceptable living standards and the fees that can be charged for breaking a fixed term lease will now need to meet guidelines.  What this law change has greatly improved is the terms that will apply when a tenant needs to break a lease because of domestic violence.

In the past, should a women need to vacate rented premises to escape domestic violence she was often responsible for any damage caused by her partner and if the lease was in her name she could be put on the bad renters list and denied other rental opportunities.   In many cases, such women were sometimes forced to adopt the homeless situation of living on the streets.

The changes mean a domestic violence victim can break a lease immediately without penalty if they have either a AVO in place or a statutory declaration from a doctor.  Such victims are also protected from being listed on a data base by agents or landlords where a debt or property damage is caused by a violent partner.

All this is part of the reforms that better balance the needs of both tenants and landlords.  Work is in progress to improve the speedy availability of bond money when a lease ends and when a new lease on a different property is being negotiated.

This bond is a surety held against property damage occurring during the lease or the tenant absconding with rent owing.  Because the property needs to be inspected and clearance given the outgoing tenant is often expected to provide the money for a new bond up front and this can be a financial hazard.

The letting agent would surely know if the rent is up to date and the industry is looking at the issue of a partial bond certificate prior to the damage inspection.  This would remove the cumbersome method of a cheque issued by the Rental Bond Board being received by the real estate agent and cash handed to the outgoing tenant.   The paper certificate would serve as the payment passing between the two landlord agents.

There is no doubt some landlords are avaricious and some tenants are both indifferent with care of the property and slow to pay the rent on time.  This government legislation is intended to sort out the differences and grant equity to both sides.

Promises - And Reality !

In 2016 candidate Trump promised the American people that if elected he would build a big, beautiful wall on the border between America and Mexico - and Mexico would pay for it.
Donald Trump was elected president, but things have changed.  Now he has shut down the money spigot and put eight hundred thousand American employees of the government on furlough  because he demands that the American taxpayers contribute billions of dollars to complete building that wall.

A few decades ago we were disparaging the Communist countries of eastern Europe for building walls to keep their citizens from escaping to the west.  Today, Trump wants to build a wall  to prevent people from Mexico and other parts of South America from crossing the border and applying for the right to migrate to the United States.   He claims the masses huddled at the border are rapists, thugs and drug smugglers.

There is no suggestion of building a similar wall between America and Canada.  Trump wanted to build that Mexican wall in concrete and now he has changed his appeal to the American steel industry and demands it be a steel wall.  He seems to have conveniently forgotten that promise that it would be paid for - by Mexico.

We are now entering the third week of a shutdown which is very selective in its outcome.   The American armed services and most government employees are still at work and receiving their pay cheques.   The people missing out collect garbage and staff the country's museums and a host of tourist attractions.  Most national parks are now closed, but the air traffic controllers are an essential industry and are forced to work without being paid.  Uncollected garbage on the streets of America is creating a rat plague.  This strike by the government is quickly becoming a health issue.

It all boils down to politics.  The Democrats are in opposition and withholding their vote on the money bill which Trump has tied to releasing the billions he needs to build that wall.  He is promising to continue this shut down indefinitely, possibly running it for years.  It is sheer brinkmanship and both Republicans and Democrats are becoming nervous about the damage it is inflicting on citizens lives.

Many people live from pay day to pay day and this money shortage will be a disaster. Rents will go unpaid and unpaid bills will quickly mount.  No doubt the tension will end some marriages and the people on the receiving end of this pay strike by the government will find themselves with adverse credit ratings.

The America that was long the champion of world freedom seems to have retreated into isolationism again.  Between the two world wars it refused to take its place in the old League of Nations and now it seems to be rejecting those who speak Spanish and have a brown skin from crossing its southern border.

The Trump white house is certainly a retreat from the America that claimed leadership of the free world.  No improvement seems possible until the dysfunctional Trump leaves office. Sadly, two years remain until the resident in the oval office faces the voting public.

The Age of " Innovation " !

There seems little doubt that the Twentieth Century can be claimed as the " American Century ".  Right from the start, innovation was constantly coming from America and that innovation covered all walks of life.  Music - films - the amazing things we could do with electricity - made it the age of the entrepreneur even as we disparaged their lack of modesty.

It also created a nation of wealth - and later unbridled power.  America was not directly involved in the early years of either the first or the second world war and its industry made a fortune supplying war materials to the conflict.   When it did become involved that industry was decisive in winning both wars - and America reached the halfway mark of the century as the most powerful military force on the planet.

Since the end of the second world war when we think of America three innovations stand out.  The computer.  The microchip - and the Internet.   Our present world would be unthinkable without the changes those three instrumentalities have delivered.

The Americans created a formulae that allowed this to happen.   They created a triangular alliance between government, academia and private business that was centred on their great universities. The American government lavished money on research and from this creative minds developed business models that opened new frontiers.  The world sent its best and brightest to American universities and consequently innovation spread on a world wide basis.

Today, that concept has changed.  The flow of American seed money to university research is declining. Between 2011 and 2015 Federal investment in university research declined by 13 percent. To some degree, this is because China's theft of intellectual property is devaluing the rewards this money delivers.  Without this seed corn to be harvested into new ideas the American economy is becoming stagnant.

The centralised Chinese government was quick to copy this strategy from American success.  China has embarked on a series of five year plans specifically aimed at making that country the world leader in selected areas of innovation - and topping the list is artificial intelligence.  A fund of five billion dollars has been specifically directed to make that happen by 2030.

Unfortunately, we are seeing one way traffic in this ideas flow.  Chinese students are flowing into universities in the western world, but that is not being reciprocated in reverse.  Much of this Chinese innovation in artificial intelligence will be conducted internally and its secrets will not flow within the international community.

This vitally important area of research is fast developing into a contest between an open and a closed society.  China is creating a regime where intellectual property from outside China is not respected, but Chinese development is conducted behind a wall of silence.  It is the Chinese diaspora which is giving China the edge in this collective gathering of vital information.

This puts Australia in a pivotal position.    The education industry is one of our major areas of commercial gain and our universities are a magnet for overseas students.  It is almost impossible to safeguard intellectual property while that form of academic research is conducted in the university sphere.  Perhaps some aspects of university life may need to be closed to foreigners.

A Cry For Help !

A young Saudi woman is barricaded in a hotel room in the Thai capital as her family try and force her return to the strict religious conditions that apply to women in that desert kingdom.  She was a reluctant member of a family holiday party visiting Kuwait when she escaped and began a journey to Australia where she intended to seek political asylum.

She was a transit passenger when her plane landed in Thailand and she claims she was forcibly removed and her passport confiscated by a Saudi official.   She has been told she will be put on an aircraft and returned to Kuwait and if that happens she fears that the family " honour " system that prevails in her home country will result in her death.

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun  is eighteen years old and an adult in the eyes of the international community.  She claims her passport contains an Australian entry visa and this is not disputed by Canberra.  It seems fairly evident that she is rebelling against the laws and customs that prevail in Saudi Arabia in relation to the freedom of women.

Qunun makes a compelling case when interviewed by Thai human rights workers. She claims to have been locked in her room for six months when she had her hair cut against her family's wishes. She is forced to pray and wear a hijab and her reluctance to abide by religious convention has resulted in her brother beating her.   She is an independent minded young woman who seems determined to make a new life in Australia.

Perhaps her best chance of a favourable outcome is the fact that her plight has made world headlines. Feminist movements will spring to her aid and questions are being asked in international circles, questioning how Saudi officials could have been allowed to enter restricted areas of a Thai airport and physically seize her passport.  This will be compared to a Chinese woman recently  taken off a transit flight in Canada and served with an American extradition order.

Australia is not involved in this scrimmage.   It is a fight between the Saudi's, Kuwait and Thailand over what law applies to transit passengers and whether this young woman has the legal right to continue her journey unhindered.   No doubt this will rekindle memories of an event last year when Dina Ali Lasloom found herself in a similar position in Manila.  In that case, she was bundled onto a plane and returned to Saudi Arabia - and has been unheard of since.

If Qunun does make it to Australia her plea for political asylum will no doubt stir trouble in our political arena. Her rebellion against being forced to follow Islamic tradition will not go down well with some Islamists here and she could become an IS target.  If she is granted asylum a name change would be provident.

Nazi Salutes - and the Far Right !

When Queensland Senator Fraser Anning flew to Melbourne at government expense to join a far right demonstration that supports violence against immigrants from Africa and all things Jewish, it brought the sight of Nazi salutes on Australian soil.

It is interesting to follow the career of this man who now represents the people of Queensland in the Australian Senate.  He was born in 1949 and later stood as a candidate for the senate under the banner of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.  He was an unsuccessful candidate, receiving just nineteen votes.

The issue of eligibility to sit in the Senate because of citizenship issues unseated the successful One Nation Senator Malcom Roberts in 2017 and this necessitated a count back which elevated Fraser Anning to the position held by Senator Roberts, but he fell out with Pauline Hanson and took his seat in the Senate as an independent.   In his maiden speech he angered many with support references to " the final solution " which was Hitler's code word for the Holocaust.

Senator Anning's  party affiliation changed in June 2018 when he joined Katter's Australian party, but his vindictive racism was too much and he was expelled in October, 2018 and has since resumed his seat as an independent.

We are seeing a resurgence of the far right philosophy on a world wide basis and particularly in Europe.   Political parties with Nazi roots have gained representation in Germany and Austria on the wings of unrest about excessive immigration numbers flowing over their country's borders.  They are reviving anti Jewish rhetoric and uphold white supremacy.  This movement is gaining a toe hold in Australia as that rally on a St Kilda beach demonstrated.

One of the freedoms we enjoy in Australia is the right to choose the brand of politics that suits our outlook.  This Nazi philosophy is the shortened version of " National Socialism " which ravaged the world during the second world war and killed millions of people.  It is violently anti Jewish and upholds racial purity which excludes all who lack a white skin tone.  It seeks to impose its outlook on the community with violence.

This Australian Nazi manifestation seems centred in Melbourne and claims to be concerned at gang violence from youthful immigrants from Africa.  This is probably exaggerated but young people from Africa are easily identified by their skin colour and all immigrant groups bring with them some degree of crime.   In the past the Mafia arrived with immigrants from Italy and the Triads with the influx from Asia.  It would be unusual if immigration from Africa was crime free.

Senator Anning is a phenomenon that will probably disappear at the next election.   It is plainly laughable that we have a Senator who enjoys the salary and privileges of the Senate who attracted the vote of just nineteen voters.  His unwinnable position on the One Nation ticket was transformed when a High Court decision displaced the voters choice and resulted in the elevation of a losing candidate.

Now it is up to the rules of the Senate to decide if the air fares and use of a Commonwealth car to transport a Queensland Senator to a far right rally in Melbourne is a justified expense. That cost the Australian taxpayer a little over three thousand dollars and it is up to Senator Anning to  explain how that relates to his duties serving the electors of Queensland ?

As for the rise of the Far Right in Australia ?   We live in a troubled world and some see answers by circling the wagons and looking inwards.  National Socialism was a disaster for Germany - and for the rest of the world.   We would be wise to remember the concentration camps and the ghettos when we see those Nazi salutes.   Something that ended very badly !

Safety - versus Prevention !

It seems that many politicians have retreated behind the " Just say no " mantra when it comes to any concession that might lower the death of young people at music festivals.  For a politician, being thought " soft " on drugs could have repercussions at the ballot box.  Despite the strident opposition to its implementation that supervised drug taking facility at Kings Cross has been a success and deaths in that city precinct have dropped sharply.

There is one glaring anomaly with the drug scene at music festivals.   The drug of choice is what is known in one form or another - as " Ecstasy ".  Basically, it is an amphetamine but what is on offer is usually a hybrid mix of what some enterprising drug cook can put together. Its formulation and strength factor is a complete mystery.

This is a drug that has replaced alcohol in many young minds.  They are seeking the " buzz " that makes them feel good and avoiding the slurred speech and incoherence that goes with alcohol.  Ecstasy has the added benefit that when they return home all traces of that drug will have disappeared.  Parents will be mollified.

This drug culture is strengthened by past experience. Many of those at music festivals have had a pleasant previous drug experience and probably obtain their supply from a reliable source.  When the police successfully shut down an illicit drug lab they often throw its customers on the mercy of new suppliers and with it the danger of a vastly different product mix.  The danger is that drugs being sold within these music festivals are usually  from a new drug laboratory seeking to break into the trade.

On site drug testing can not deliver the precision of a fully equipped forensic laboratory but it can weed out the lethal drug varieties produced by incompetent drug cooks. Most suppliers to the drug trade are there for the money and have no compunction in offering a product that they have cobbled together from a wild mix of ingredients.   They are anonymous  in the crowd and disappear when they have exchanged their merchandise for money.

It is quite possible that the tactics police use to stop drugs getting into music events may be increasing this drug danger.   The sight of uniformed police and their sniffer dogs at the entrance to music festivals is daunting to young people with a pill in their pocket.   The thought that they may be stopped and searched - and possibly arrested - induces panic.  Some may try and drop that form of incrimination in the gutter, but others may hide the evidence by simply swallowing it.   The chance of an overdose increases if they have more than one tablet.

We seem to be now facing the contradiction of drug safety compared to drug prevention when it comes to music festivals.   That argument was decided in favour of safety when we legalised that drug taking facility at Kings Cross for heroin users.

When it comes to drugs it seems to be a case of an unstoppable object coming into collision with an unmovable obstacle.  Its time common sense came to the fore.

Sex Tourism !

It is said that prostitution is the " oldest profession " on this planet and there is no doubt that sex for sale is rampant in just about every country on Earth.  In the western world it has emerged from prosecution by the law in many countries and here in Australia we have legal brothels in most communities.

Despite legal recognition, women who work in the sex industry are usually not keen to disclose their profession. We still have a quaint notion that marriage and virginity go together and someone who works in a brothel is not considered an ideal marriage partner.  No such stigma sticks to the man who occasionally  visits brothels as a customer.

But buying sex is still a matter that is best served with discretion, and that is the reason many men prefer to indulge their fantasy during the anonymity of an overseas holiday.   There are many destinations where sex is available from very attractive women who supply their services willingly - for a low price.  Sex tourism is a growing industry.

It is a fact that many women are driven to prostitution by sheer necessity.  It is the only way they and their family can financially survive and often they are mere pawns in the hands of the criminal fraternity.  The average male tourist is probably reasonably safe using their services, but those with a professional career are finding it an image shattering trap.

Consider the experience of married National party MP Andrew Broad who was enticed by a  website promising to connect wealthy men with attractive young women in what was termed a " Sugar Daddy " relationship.  It suggested that such young women would be ready to exchange sexual favours for wining and dining - and perhaps " gifts " from their older male benefactors.

As a result of such a liaison,  Andrew Broad found himself featured in an Australian women's magazine which ran a sensational story with interviews and texts from the woman he met in Hong Kong through this Sugar Daddy website.  The uproar was so divisive that he was forced to relinquish his ministry and he will not contest his seat in Federal parliament at the next election.

The majority of people would agree that a married man should not cheat on his wife by having casual sex on an overseas holiday, but prostitution is perfectly legal and it seems that a double standard applies.

It does raise the question of whether sex is such a big deal in today's permissive society.  The Family Court no longer requires it as a reason to dissolve a marriage and what used to be called " de-facto " relationships are common.  It seems strange that any story that has a sex connection has us glued to our newspaper report or our television screen.

Perhaps because it still retains that mystique that is the base of human curiosity.  We are agog to know who is doing what with whom.   Instilled too deeply in the human psyche to ever be fully erased.

Insurance - And Storm Damage !

In December, Sydney was hit with a very severe summer storm that caused trees to collapse onto houses, flooding that closed roads and in some areas hail as big as cricket balls.  The insurance industry is still receiving claims and the final damage bill will run to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Similar summer storms are a regular event here in the sub-tropics but global warming has the capacity to make them more severe - and more often, and there are changing factors that increase the damage bill.  The number of homes with a solar collector on the roof increases steadily and hail damage will bring an increase in replacement costs.

There has been a marked improvement in the Australian car fleet since the last severe hail event.  We are driving newer cars and it seems this newer technology is more prone to flooding.  By rule of thumb, a car that is even partially submerged in a rain event is a write off. Similarly, hail damage is near impossible to restore to new condition.

It is surprising the number of homes and cars in Australia  that are not covered by comprehensive insurance. To many owners, that is an acceptable risk factor.   This summer storm concentrated the damage into half a dozen suburbs with most of Sydney very lightly affected.  The average householder can recount years of experience in which their property has survived weather events damage free.

That is - of course - the very reason that insurance exists.   The greater number of people who are damage free pay a premium to cover the few who have the misfortune to need costly repairs or replacement.  Unfortunately, as the price of insurance rises a greater proportion cease to pay for cover.  In some cases this is sheer necessity.   They lack the money and have no other option than to take the risk on their own shoulders.

The cost of the fire brigade and other fire services is unfairly levied as a tax on each insurance premium.  Emergency services respond to every call out without discrimination and therefore the uninsured get their protection without any form of compensation for services rendered.  It would be much fairer if all homes were given a basic insurance cover and the premium added to the council rates bill.

Such cover would protect dwellings from fire, flood and storm damage but residents would need to make their own arrangements over burglary and contents damage.  Rental homes would receive this same basic cover and owners could add further insurance to cover tenant out of pocket expenses if they so desired.

The big gain would be a reduced premium if insurance covered all homes in a statistical area.  It also ensures that fire and emergency services are fully funded to provide the cover needed.  That December damage bill will ensure that premiums will continue to rise with inflation and homes covered will drop further.   The cost will become prohibitive unless a fairer distribution of costs replaces taxing insurance premium renewals.

That " One China " Question !

The future of the island of Taiwan rests entirely in the hands of the Communist party rulers of China in Beijing.  If and when China decides to unify Taiwan with the mainland it would bring about a confrontation between the armed forces of China and America which many people believe could be the start of the third world war.

When the second world war ended in 1945 China suffered a civil war between Mao's followers and nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-Shek.   That war ended with the nationalists defeat and they moved to the island of Formosa, offshore.  Formosa was renamed Taiwan and American opposition to Communism resulted in Taiwan receiving American military protection.  That was sufficient to deter any thought of an invasion by the People's Liberation Army.

Over the years there have been numerous confrontations.   America has sent warships through the Taiwan strait to deliver warnings and China's growing commercial power has caused many nations to break relations with Taiwan as a requirement for trade with the vast Chinese mainland.  Taiwan has a population of just twenty-three million people, compared with over a billion in mainland China.

When Hong Kong was handed back by the British the concept of a " One country - two systems " regime seemed to present a role model for the eventual reunification of the " two Chinas ".  It has since become very clear that Hong Kong has not gained the degree of self rule that this system envisaged.

Now Chinese supreme leader Xi Jin-ping has signalled that this seventy year dispute must end with China and Taiwan being united into one nation. He has made it clear that if this is not achieved by negotiation, then " force will be necessary ".   The people of Taiwan have elected a president who shares their desire for independence and Taiwan is heavily armed with its own defence system.  It is now facing a China which is rapidly expanding its military to a similar capacity to the American forces.

Back in 1949 when Chiang Kai-Shek established a nationalist regime on Taiwan it was recognised as independent by most of the rest of the world.  As mainland China rose in commercial power it required other nations to choose between the two regimes and now only a handful maintain diplomatic recognition with Taiwan.  China's claim that Taiwan is simply a renegade state that requires unification seems to be acceptable by most of the rest of the world.

Commercially, the world can not do without the trading power of mainland China and self interest has changed the equation.  Taiwan and the matter of illegal Chinese island fortifications in the South China sea are in close proximity to one another and eventually some sort of military confrontation between the two powers seems inevitable.

That will not happen until Xi Jin-ping decides that the outcome will be in Chinas's favour.  If it comes to a choice between sacrificing Taiwan's independence or going to war it is not hard to determine the outcome.

Precription Incompatibility !

There is rising concern that the ever increasing new or improved medication reaching the market may cause incompatibility problems with the medication patients are already using.  This is supposed to be covered by the consumer medicine information documents ( CMI's ) supplied with the product. In many cases these are now simply an instruction on the outer package to read these instructions online. That poses a danger for the elderly who may not be connected to the internet.

Where useful information is provided with the product it is often a number of finely printed pages heavy with medical terminology which makes them hard to read and understand.  In the vast majority of cases, the patient discards them unread.  This can cause danger and distress if there is an unexpected reaction with another medication that patient may be taking.

The Consumer Health Forum of Australia has warned that patients are not always being given consumer medicine information documents (CMI's) which pharmaceutical companies are required by law to make available.

Several illustrations of the problems possible were provided.  One patient taking a common prostate medication found it caused severe constipation, interfering with a medical procedure.  This man complained that he was not told of the side effects by either his doctor or his pharmacist, or that the medication could be harmful to those with liver damage.

The CHFA has previously issued a warning about asthma medication.   In a number of cases families have reported side effects where it has induced suicidal thoughts in children. An improvement in how warnings are provided to users is urgently needed.

There is a call for this health information to be printed by the chemist and handed to the patient with the medication, and it is suggested that this be brief, concise and in easily read form.  It is contended that sixty percent of Australian consumers have a low health literacy and it is necessary to bring these dangers explicitly to their attention.

There are two obvious opportunities to ensure that product information reaches the patient.  One is when the doctor writes the script and hands it to the patient, and the other is when that script is processed by the chemist and the medication is handed over the counter into the patients care.

In both instances, the server should be aware of what other medication the patient is taking and these are ideal opportunities to avoid incompatibility.  The other issue is to ensure that the warning is clear, precise and in terms the patient can easily understand.

A " Sugar Free " Future !

It is a sad fact of life that obese kids usually go on to become obese men and women with shortened productive lives.  Each generation has had the good fortune to extend the human lifespan and there is a real risk that the amount of sugar in our diet may bring that to an end.

One of the problems is that both sugar and salt create " taste " in the food we eat and food manufacturers are in the business of making a profit.  That is the reason that - week after week - the same customers troop into the supermarkets and buy exactly the same products for their families.  If a product is favoured by customers and sells well there is little incentive for the manufacturer to make a change that may slow sales.

Here we are at the start of a hot summer and shoppers are about to find claims of " reduced sugar " on many product lines that still have a sugar content that is way beyond recommended health guidelines. It is encouraging to find that an Australian entrepreneur has had the courage to invest his money and successfully launch a sugar free product that has become an instant sales success.

That product is the kids favourite summer ice treat known as " Icy Poles."   This Melbourne manufacturer has his product selling nationally in the Woolworths network and in the first month it achieved a $200,000 turnover.    It sells well alongside competitors which are literally loaded with sugar.

This line of commerce is titled "Sugar-Free-zies " and the manufacturer is now investing a further $750,000 to import machinery to expand the range and supply the huge number of independent shops that cater for the summer treat trade.   In place of sugar, Free-zies contain the alternative stevia.

This gives the buying public a real alternative to products that claim to be sugar reduced.  If it has the same taste appeal to the kids and the price is similar to the sugar laden product it presents the answer to parents fighting this frightening weight epidemic.  It also opens a valid marketing opportunity to crack the high volume breakfast product monopoly held by the big brand companies.

The world brand companies are not going to eliminate sugar unless they are forced to make a change by legislation, and that is slow to happen, but they are vulnerable to a sugar free product on sale as competition.  This opens an opportunity for small manufacturers to get the taste right and gain an expanding toe hold in the breakfast trade.

It seems that the duopoly that claims a major share of the grocery trade is open to change.  When that Sugar Free-zies product was offered space was made available in Woolworths because it was quite clear that customers were looking for a sugar free product and the chance of sales success was high. That same opportunity is waiting for the entrepreneur who can market a sugar free breakfast cereal.

The big brands will only grasp the sugar nettle when they see their sales dwindle because of the success of a sugar free competitor.

New Year !

Last night a lot of us stayed up past midnight and watched the fireworks bring in a new year. If we are expecting much to change we will probably be disappointed. The scenario opening up before us does not look promising.

It looks like Donald Trump is renouncing America's world leadership in favour of internal interests and by pulling troops out of Syria he has created a vacuum which will be quickly filled by Russia, China and Iran.  A lot of countries that sheltered under the American nuclear umbrella are having second thoughts about their security.

China's growing annexation of the South China sea presents us with a flash point right on our doorstep.  It is an important international trade route and China has gained control by sheer force of arms. China's intentions are unclear, but with this trade war brewing any form of shipping control would bring great power rivalries to a head.

Early in this new year Britain will leave the EU and it looks like the departure will be without a deal. That is a step into the unknown and the sorting out will be chaotic.   Europe seems to be heading into an era of illiberal governments and the  riots on French streets show little signs of settling down. The utopia of a combined Europe where travel between frontiers needed neither passports or visas - or changing currency - is under stress because of migration problems.

Perhaps the most pressing international problem is climate change.  Some world leaders deny there is a problem, but even those who do are not making the changes necessary to avoid disaster.  If we intend to stop the planet heating beyond 1.5 degree we need to make changes that will seriously change lifestyles and world leaders fear the outcome.  It should be clear to any thinking person that we are just going to have to accept the reality of a hotter earth.

This new year is the time for both a Federal election and a state election in New South Wales.   On the Federal scene it is a matter of either " more of the same " - or give the Socialists a term at the helm.  The present government is riven by factions and has made leadership changes that unsettle the public.   The opposition seems composed of mainly trade union bosses who have gravitated to a parliamentary seat and their impact on the commercial world could be unsettling.

There is a very good chance that we could be heading into a period of unsettled government.  Both the major parties are falling out of favour and should independents gain the balance of power we could be upset by rapidly changing alliances - giving indecisive government.   Such has been the scene in several European countries with disastrous outcomes.

So we welcome 2019 with trepidation.   It seems to be a case of wish everybody a Happy New Year - and hope for the best !