Interest Rate Instability !

It looks likely that tomorrow the Reserve bank of Australia will again cut interest rates.  We have a sluggish economy and the thinking is that an interest rate cut will pass on to the rate banks charge their home mortgage customers.  With more money in their pockets it is expected we will see a spending spree that invigorates clothing retailers and the restaurant trade and creates a surge in at least casual work opportunities.

We are perilously close to the point when our modest savings will earn no interest and that brings the danger that desperate people will look for riskier investments to try and claws back some of the income that underpins their standard of living.   In particular, self funded retirees often have too much money to draw the age pension, but will quickly dissipate their nest egg if they draw from it to pay everyday expenses.

We have been experiencing a string of interest rate cuts that have not delivered a spending boom.  Few have opted to reduce the payments on home mortgages and instead simply pay the same amount to lower the period of the loan.   The most popular form of saving investment in Australia is money held in a term account with a bank or a building society.   In the past that has delivered an acceptable rate of interest with the saver negotiating a fresh term each time that becomes due.

The closer interest rates come to zero, the more savers will look to riskier options such as the stock market, and that is running at an abnormally high level in anticipation.  Money flowing into stock purchases are pushing prices higher and usually those stock prices have little relation with dividend earnings.   The pundits warn that share prices are well in excess of dividends in many market areas.

Another option is the housing market.  Buy a home and become a landlord, collecting rent to supplement your income.   Sydney house prices have just suffered a fall and appear to be heading back to buoyant heights, but all it takes is a rumour to see the buyers desert the market in droves.  The wise would insure their rental investment and that together with rates and routine maintenance will quickly eat into the rental return.

The biggest danger to this huge savings pool that faces dwindling interest returns is the certainty that new investment opportunities will appear in the market place.   They can take many forms and they usually appear to offer a rewarding return for those who get in at an initial stage.   It can take the form of tree planting on degraded land to ultimately supply timber needs, to Llama  studs or the growing of some miracle vegetation that will become an industry essential.   Usually the associated costs quickly overwhelm the proposed profit prediction.

The pundits predict that interest rates will eventually return to normal levels.   In its wisdom, the Reserve bank of Australia has the task of guiding this country's economy.   Unfortunately its decision to artificially lower interest rates will put at risk the savings of middle  Australia.   When interest rates do return to normal if will be a moot point what remains of the savings pool that delivered retirement stability.

The Need for " Speed " !

We fondly remember the days when the Concorde jet offered the fastest journey across the Atlantic ocean for those prepared to pay the premium price for a seat.   The national airlines of Britain and France offered this service from 1976 until 2003 and it delivered the thrill of travelling at a speed of Mach 2 - 2180 kph when the plane was high over the ocean.

Unfortunately, in all those years Concorde never turned a profit.  It was a small plane by todays standards and only carried between 92 and 128 passengers each trip, depending on the seating arrangements.   It was more a venture to enhance the technical reputation of the British and French nations by using military technology to create the lure of high speed travel.  Its competitors opted for "bigger and slower " which delivered more seats and lowered travel costs for the tourist industry.

Eventually a horror crash revealed the thin safety edge needed to achieve this sort off speed and Concorde lost its allure.  These magnificent aircraft have been retired to museums and today the competition hinges on the " jumbo jet " and its load capacity that underpins the tourist trade.

Once again the aircraft industry is looking for speed in the race to develop and sell new aircraft.  Military technology has advanced a long way since Concorde and it may be possible to more than halve the flight time that era offered.  That would probably mean premium seat prices but the crystal ball gazers seem confident that the upper end of the market would support a faster journey between nations.

This new edition of the speed race in the skies is coming at the worst possible time.   The jet engine was a big advance over the propeller but it also delivered air pollution and the amazing increase in air travel is delivering pollution high in the skies that is one of the reasons we face a hotter planet.  The jet airplane is now firmly in the sights of those pleading for action to save the Earth from rising sea levels and economic catastrophe.

Taking an overseas holiday on a jet plane is fast becoming socially unacceptable for those who claim to be good citizens and aim to erase the footprints they leave on planet Earth.  Concorde was a polluting monster in its time and it is evident that faster travel times envisaged by the new breed of aircraft on the drawing boards will sharply increase that danger.

It seems that technology will always find favour even when the overall outcome is unacceptable.   There is no prospect of air travel diminishing and we appear to be on the cusp of a new era of supersonic travel.

Legal " Pot " !

It looks like Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory is about to be the first in this country to legalise Marijuana for personal use.  It will still remain a prohibited item under Commonwealth law but local jurisdiction law will allow citizens to grow two Marijuana plants in their garden, with a limit of four plants per household.

That is a bold step forward and reflects an international trend but it will certainly create problems for the police.  We are yet to see the actual wording of the act that creates this anomaly but it is rumoured that hydroponic cultivation will still be outlawed to prevent commercial growers from establishing an Australian base.

It is certainly interesting to muse on the possibilities this will offer.  A pensioner  couple struggling on the age pension would see this law change as a bonus.  They could legally grow four Marijuana plants at their home to provide a very substantial income.   The passing traffic from Victoria and New South Wales would be very interested in that merchandise and no doubt their state police would create car search roadblocks outside the ACT borders.

This law gives the green light to people seeking a " high " to smoke a " joint " and some medical specialists claim that this is far safer than using alcohol.   Unfortunately, the over use of alcohol kills many Australians every year and Marijuana is not a substance subjected to overdose death like heroin or incorrectly formulated Ecstasy pills.   Patrons at music festivals would be far safer enjoying a joint than seeking a high from the weird brews on offer from the illegal drug industry.

Seventy years ago Marijuana was openly grown and used by Australia's " hippie " community and it got swept up in the furore when heroin started creating deaths amongst a small coterie of users.  From there Marijuana gathered a cult following and it gained wide acceptance within the military during the Vietnam war years.  It is the biggest illegal drug grown illicitly in Australia and most people have little problem finding supply on Australian streets.

This Canberra initiative has the potential to pressure the other states to legalise Marijuana. Logically, it would be better grown as a commercial crop and distributed through retail outlets in the same way as alcohol - and subjected to sales tax to provide a government revenue source.  The glaring anomaly in this Canberra scheme is the fact that it will become a source of untaxed revenue in the hands of the public.  It is inevitable that will become the source of supply to the other states where it remains a prohibited product.

It will also have to survive the over riding power of the Commonwealth government.   Only states have the right to pass their own laws and in the past the " Territories "  have had euthanasia laws struck down when they have been enacted locally.    This Marijuana ordinance may be holding a straw in the wind to gauge what reaction it draws from the Commonwealth.

This is the first time common sense has been applied to the failed attempt to isolate Australia from the drug epidemic that has been sweeping the world.  We will just have to wait and see how it works out  !

The " Honey " War !

We are heading into a spat with our neighbour across the Tasman over the use of the word " Manuka honey " in the important Chinese export market.  New Zealand is claiming exclusive right to that word because it  is intrinsically connected to the Maori people.

Manuka honey is claimed to have antibacterial properties which is not present in regular honey.  If this name is protected to the New Zealand producers, the Australian bee industry would be locked out of the ever growing Chinese market.  The Kiwi's are planning to spend six million dollars to finance their campaign.

Commercial honey production in the southern hemisphere started when European honey bees were   introduced to both Australia and New Zealand with the arrival of early settlers.  Manuka honey is produced when the bees visit the flowers and collect nectar from Leptospertmum  Scoparium trees that are common to both Australia and New Zealand.

" Manuka " is the Maori word for " honey " but this word has also been used to describe honey in Tasmania since 1884.  It is now sought after because of the belief that it contains antibacterial properties that are not present in other forms of honey.  That has established it as an important ingredient in the expansive Chinese pharmaceutical market.

This claim is being made by the Manuka Honey Appellation  Society (MHAS ) which represents a New Zealand group of bee keepers and honey packers, on the grounds that the word description is the property of the Maori and is connected to the New Zealand  consumer psyche.

The Australian Manuka Honey Association weighs in with a statement that  the industry is not restricted from using the word " Manuka " to describe honey because the plant is exactly the same as the one they grow in New Zealand and the honey produced is the same, and that has been scientifically tested independently.

Rather strong language has been flowing across the Tasman in support of this claim.   One Kiwi minister has accused Australia of " economic larceny ".   It is thought that European bees arrived here about 1822 and the Tasmanian honey product came to be known as " Manuka " from 1884 to describe the honey collected from bees that visit this particular tree, which is common on both sides of the Tasman.

It might be in the interests of both parties to call a truce and seek to protect that word - " Manuka " - to the product of both the antipodean countries, from other parts of the world which do not have the tree growing naturally, producing both the individual flavour and the medical properties that add to its value.

The amount of honey produced in either country is finite and unlikely to ever completely satisfy the giant Chinese market.   That six million dollars would be better spent developing a world market for this remarkable honey which is collected from trees which fortuitously only grow in Australia and New Zealand.

Setting a " Precedent " !

An interesting question that all apartment owners living in tower blocks will be asking themselves ?
If a building fault developed that forced them to vacate, could they manage to pay a repair bill of somewhere between five thousand and fourteen thousand dollars per month - for the next  nine months  ?

That is exactly what the owners of apartments in Mascot Towers in Sydney are facing and there is the added impetus that if this work is not carried out before the heat of summer the situation will worsen.  The engineers are warning that summer heat will exacerbate the existing problems and further increase the repair costs.

The obvious answer would be for the government to arrange a low interest loan so owners can spread the cost of repairs over a nominated period of time, but the government is wary because this problem at Mascot Towers could be just the tip of a building fault iceberg,  Once a precedent is set owners faced with a similar problem will expect the same remedy to apply.

From the legal point of view, this Mascot Towers problem is a complex can of worms.  The building has been in place for a number of years without incident and this shifting only commenced when work started on a site next door.  It is yet to be established whether the problem is caused by ground movement or if the material used in its construction has developed a fault.   That is unlikely to be identified in the short term and finality will only occur when it is determined in a court.

The owners of apartments in Mascot Towers are the usual cross section of Sydney society.  Some have had the good fortune to be able to purchase their home outright while others have scratched together a deposit and are committed to repay a loan to a bank over a period of time.  If these repair cost payments are agreed by the body corporate and individuals fall short in meeting their obligations they will be forced into bankruptcy.

There is the very real prospect that some people will face financial ruin by a problem which is not their fault.  In many cases age will prevent them amassing the necessary deposit to start again and they will be forced to rent for the remainder of their lives.   This is a threat hanging over the heads of all who live in high rise apartments.  The latent fear that a fault may develop that imposes a financial burden beyond their ability to meet rectification costs.

Unfortunately, just such a situation is both evident and real for the people who live in tower blocks clad with the type of material that caused the Grenfell Tower disaster in London in June, 2017.
That fire escaped from a burning apartment and cascaded up the face of the building, resulting in the death of seventy residents.  Similar cladding in use around the world needs to be removed and replaced, but that will run to millions of dollars and it seems that apartment owners will be the ones to foot the bill.

It is a sobering thought in an age when a conventional freestanding home is beyond the financial reach of many families and the only option is high rise.  It seems that Mascot Towers is about to set a precedent.   How this situation is resolved will set in stone the expectation that will apply to the high rise industry that is certain to become the main form of housing in crowded Australian cities.

Coming Postal Chaos !

Have you ever wondered how it is possible to put an Australian stamp on a letter that will eventually end up in the letterbox of some house on the other side of the world ?  Our postal service is owned by the Australian government and the stamps they issue are simply another means of government revenue.

World wide mail delivery is governed by a 144 year old treaty between  192 member countries that ensures that the stamp from each country is honoured by way of universal mail delivery, but that does come at a cost.  Each of those countries contributes a fee that was set in the 1960's on the basis of each country's population and economic development - and that has been unchanged since.

That agreement will be subjected to a regular meeting at the end of this month and Donald Trump is threatening to withdraw the United States unless member fees are brought into line with current member status.  It is obvious that his target is China.   In 1960 China was emerging from a civil war and had a vastly agrarian economy, causing the Chinese contribution to be set at a very low figure.

In todays world, China is emerging as the world's greatest economy and this electronic era sees much commerce travel to its destination through the mail system.   China now enjoys a big advantage at the cost of other developed nations.  If America withdraws, other nations seem sure to follow and a new system will emerge where individual postage will be required for each world country.

It will probably involve a visit to the post office to have them issue a stamp from the delivery nation involved to cover the cost of their postal service accepting and delivering that letter item.  It is a fact of life that both internal and international mail volumes are constantly falling as electronic communications fill the gap.  Adding inconvenience to the post will enhance that trend.

We are noticing that the mail is getting slower.   What used to be an overnight service now takes several days and if this international treaty lapses this delay will lengthen.  Ending a swift and reliable overseas mail exchange will create a new problem where overseas residents have the right to cast a vote in elections where they still hold citizenship.

Electronic voting is not permitted in many jurisdictions and the system in place requires official voting papers to reach that voter, be actioned and returned before a nominated cut off date.  In such instances where timing is critical voters may find themselves disenfranchised simply because the mail system is slow.

Australia is a country that has welcomed many migrants and many enjoy the benefits of joint citizenship.  That contributes the ability to cast a vote in their old country and that vote is required to meet the requirements set by that country's legal system.  Australian citizens who are overseas at the time of an election usually  cast an absentee vote.

If America withdraws from this postal agreement a collapse seems inevitable.  What is now simple and efficient looks likely to deliver postal mayhem on a troubled world  !

Police Powers !

In any confrontation with the police, the citizen is at a disadvantage.  All the power is in the hands of the police and this is stipulated by law.  If you do not cooperate you may find yourself facing a magistrate to answer a charge of " resisting arrest ".  That is a delightfully vague definition that is often used as a threat by the police to extract information.

 The relentless pressure to shut down the drug trade has resulted in the police gaining a new and very terrifying power.  They can opt to carry out a " strip search " and you are required to shed all your clothes and stand naked for a body search.  That can include the humiliating requirement that you squat, spread your legs - and cough.   The policer are searching for drugs secreted in the natural body cavities.

The outcome of body searches is predominantly " innocence ".   No drugs are found and the person searched it allowed to resume their clothes and go on their way. Usually these strip searches are carried out on the crowd entering music festivals where sniffer dogs can indicate candidate selection.

The police are instructed to carry out strip searches with regard to the privacy and dignity of members of the public, but that interpretation can vary widely.  To many people the act of stripping naked in front of strangers is something they would normally only endure in a consultation with their doctor.

This police power is now under investigation by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission ( LECC ) and one specific incident being scrutinised occurred in 2018 at the " Splendour in the Grass " music festival at Byron Bay.    A sixteen year old girl was selected from the line of people waiting to enter the festival despite the requirement that minors require the presence of a parent or guardian.  The police are only able to disregard that requirement when an immediate search is necessary to protect the person or to prevent the destruction of evidence.  The law does not allow children under ten to be strip searched.

The LECC will also examine a claim by a 28 year old woman strip searched at a Sydney music festival.  She claims that the female police officer threatened to make the search " nice and slow " if she did not reveal the presence of drugs voluntarily.   It is often claimed that facial expressions make it obvious that some police get personal satisfaction from their involvement in strip search procedure.

This power to order a strip search certainly puts the choice to inflict personal humiliation into the hands of individual police and often in circumstances where a suitable venue to ensure modesty from other people is not available.   The LECC enquiry will determine if this power is being misused and whether further protection changes are necessary.

The use of sniffer dogs is particularly controversial.  Often the sight of police and dogs at festival entrances causes patrons with drugs to drop them, allowing the feet of innocent people to be contaminated and this  draws the attention of the dogs.

It is obvious that despite this terrifying power to order strip searches, drugs are freely available within music festivals.  Perhaps the question to be asked should be :   " Do strip searches deliver a significant outcome in preventing drug use at music festivals  "  ?

The " People Power " Effect !

One of the main reasons that we are seeing little action to stop global warming is the propaganda war being waged by vested interests in the mining and oil industries. Big money interests can usually find highly qualified people with a string of letters after their name to espouse the " global warming is crap " sentiment.  Money is also the motivating factor which influences how politicians vote on issues.

This week a new world leader emerged in the fight to save the planet.  Greta Thunberg is a Swedish teenager and her message brought thousands of children and their parents onto Australian streets. No doubt some of this action is copied from the news coverage of events in Hong King where student led demonstrations have paralysed this huge Asian city over their demand for democracy.

The kids walked out of school and took to the streets because they see with their own eyes the changes that are happening to planet Earth.  The nightly news brings pictures of the ice melting in the arctic and the Antarctic. The storms that are called cyclones/hurricanes/typhoons in different parts of the world are getting bigger and more destructive. The rainfall patterns are changing, bringing a mix of floods and drought to the world.

Those vested interests will dismiss this weeks demonstration as "kids using an excuse for a day off school " but pictures of the crowd give a very different impression.  It was a wide cross section of society.   Three hundred thousand Australians took to the streets and that sort of voting change is something politicians fear.   We are very near the tipping point where global warming can not be halted.  It seems that a mass movement for change is erupting on a world wide basis.

It looks like three basic changes are needed to tame the epidemic of carbon we are spewing into the atmosphere.  Fortunately, we seem to be on the cusp of replacing the internal combustion engine with electric cars and this will sharply decrease the demand for oil.   Most of the world electricity supply is generated from coal burning power stations and we may need to turn to the nuclear industry to ensure base load is met.  Fortunately, coal is fast being replaced by both wind and solar power generation and it is only fear about nuclear that is preventing the coming change.

Perhaps the most widely felt change will be a necessary modification to our food supply.  Meat - in its many forms - is a luxury we can not afford.  The use of both land and water for meat production is unproductive and the animals exhale vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane.  Fortunately, science has developed a meat substitute from vegetable matter that is both tasty and nutricious, but we need to stop destroying trees as we clear land for additional food production.   We urgently need to develop what we eat from non traditional food sources.

Making the changes to stop the planet over heating will not be without pain.  There will be a vast loss of well paying jobs in the short term but the innovations needed will create new job opportunities.  It took the kids of this world to bring the adults into the streets in a massive mood change.  Hopefully, the impetus will be maintained to the extent that the politicians will be forced to make the changes that will save the planet.

What we saw across the world this week was the emergence of " people power "  !

Farewell to Bali ?

Bali is undoubtedly Australia's favourite holiday destination.  It is close to our north and only a cheap air fare away and so over a million Australians holiday there every year.  The Indonesians are intolerant of illicit drugs but otherwise it is a freewheeling island and the tourist trade is an important cog in the Indonesian economy.

The main religion in Indonesia is Islam and lately Islam has been taking a stronger hold in the political spectrum.  Some parts of Indonesia are ruled under Sharia law and new laws being considered by the parliament could have a dramatic impact on Australian visitors.

One such law that seems likely to gain assent would make it a crime for unmarried couples to engage in sex.  That would be punished by a prison term that could range to either six months or a year behind bars.  If this is applied to tourists it could mean any couple sharing accommodation in Bali would need to pack their marriage certificate to avoid summary arrest.  According to the proposed wording, sharing a room together is regarded as synonymous with sex.

Such a requirement would seem prudish in modern day Australia.  Wedlock is no longer fashionable and many couples live together without the blessings of a church.  Quite a high proportion of couples taking a holiday together are unmarried and accept their right to having sex together as a custom protected by the laws in force in Australia.

In some Muslim countries the moral laws are enforced by the dreaded " vice police " who also check that attire meets the required religious standards.  Fortunately, there are many laws in Indonesia that are not actively enforced and we will need to wait and see what emerges when the parliament deals with this law change.

Unmarried couples would be wary about visiting Indonesia if this law makes it onto the law books.  It could open the door to entrapment.  Corrupt police could accuse couples innocently holidaying together of breaching the sex law and seek bribes.  It would certainly represent danger to any couple who were not legally married, and who could not produce the necessary marriage certificate,

This law against unmarried sex is embedded in a raft of new law provisions.   It will also be unlawful to criticise the Indonesian presidcent, or espouse Communist ideology.  It will be a crime to display or provide contraception to minors and new regulations will outlaw the spreading of fake news, bestiality or details about the use of black magic.

Of course, these new laws will apply to the rest of the world, not only Australia and there is every chance that if they are applied the tourist trade that keeps the Indonesian economy afloat may vanish. That is a a good reason why the island of Bali may be exempt from what is practised in the rest of Indonesia,but an unenforced law would still be a threat that would make wise people hesitate to chance a visit.

If Bali cuts its own throat with an unacceptable law it delivers a tempting opportunity for other south Pacific countries to step into that gap.  In an era where interest on savings is lacking there would be no impediment to finance to create the infrastructure of a new tourist hub around golden beaches somewhere else, and that is something the Indonesian parliament may ponder when they consider this law change  !

Our " Weird " World !

Canada will shortly have a Federal election and Justin Trudeau, its prime minister has been getting a bad press because of a revelation that he once breached the " colour code " by attending a social event in what is termed " brownface ".

It seems that a yearbook photo has emerged that shows the then 29 year old teacher at an "Arabian Nights " themed  party with his face, neck and hands covered in black makeup.  This complimented the turban and robe he wore to the fancy dress themed party at West Point Grey Academy in British Columbia,  a private school where he served as a teacher.

Incredibly, this happened in 2001 and it is quite possible that voter backlash may end his political career.  So sensitive is the division between the white and the coloured races that the media choose to refer to this incident as " brownface ".   Every a cursory glance at the photo shows that Trudeau's makeup was unmistakably black.

It is hard to put a time or date of when this rejection of a white person appearing as a person of colour originated.  For many years Al Jolson made a spectacular living in blackface and received enthusiastic applause from both sides of the colour divide.   Here in Australia the cartoonist Joliffe depicted life on the farm between a white farmer and his Aboriginal colleague, until its rejection over the colour issue.  Strangely, indigenous people were supporters of this art form.

Precisely why is a white person appearing in black or brown makeup considered derogatory  ?   In the world of art, to be copied is considered a great compliment.  It seems completely unrealistic to transpose this blackface rejection to an earlier era where people now in politics or business can be undone by a revelation of what they wore to festive event in their youth.

Prince Harry once drew venomous criticism when he attended a fancy dress party at a Nazi brownshirt - with a swastika on his arm.   Anything pertinent to the Hitler era is considered an insult to Holocaust survivors unless it is part of a movie concerning the war years.   That swastika incident haunted Prince Harry for a long period of time, despite his apologies.

Most countries of the world have become a homogenous stew of colour as immigration delivers a mix of races.  There is still a way to go before we achieve equality, but that is certainly attainable.  It is just hard to understand what is hoped to be achieved by career ruin as the result of innocent photographs appearing from masquerades when such things were considered perfectly normal.

It does not seem helpful in achieving race harmony  !

Oil at the Crossroads !

When one country launches an attack on the industry of another that is usually regarded as the first strike in an undeclared war.  The world's biggest oil field is in Saudi Arabia and this week a missile attack sent shock waves through financial markets at the prospect of an interruption to the fuel supply became a growing concern.

It was first reported that the strike had been caused by drones and very quickly the Houthi rebels in Yemen volunteered the confession that they were responsible.   World analysts judged that as unlikely because the Houthis lack the sophistication to have such weapons and it seems more likely that the attack originated in Iran.   The United States claimed it was a mix of drones and cruise missiles and named Iran as the aggressor.

Saudi Arabia claims that the damage is under control and that the reduction in the world oil supply is only five percent, but that comes at a time when spare world capacity is measured at just two percent.  As a result, the oil price increased sharply and here in Australia motorists are facing more to fuel their cars until full capacity is resumed.

This attack was a slap in the face to the Saudi's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and we await the Saudi response.  The attack delivered proof that the aggressor has the capacity to circumvent the Patriot and Hawk missile defences bought from the United States.  That could spark a new arms race in the middle east to bolster defences.

Unfortunately, this brinkmanship between Saudi Arabia and Iran comes at a time when an election in Israel looks like delivering uncertainty.  Long serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival  Benny Gantz each won thirty-two seats in the Knesset.  Netanyahu is facing corruption charges and the government will be decided by where Avigdor  Lieberman places his support.

Netanyahu tried to rally last minute support by promising to annex most of the west bank  won from the Palestinians in the six day war and that would finally end all hope of ever establishing a Jewish and Arab state living side by side in the area.  Government uncertainty in Israel would not be helpful when cool heads are needed to contain this clash between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The puppet master in this clash between two middle east countries is obviously Donald Trump.  His distaste for Iran is palpable.  Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement despite Iran meeting the terms and he has reimposed the sanctions that are crippling the Iranian economy.   The only saving grace is that he must measure how his actions in the middle east will sit with the voters when he faces re-election next year.

Perhaps this uncertainty in the oil industry may be the deciding factor in convincing the car industry to seriously churn out electric cars - and get the public to buy them.   Both the Saudi's and Iran are oil giants.  A destructive war on their assets could prove to be a Pyrrhic victory  !

Putting Things Right !

Prior to 1975, gaining a divorce in Australia was usually a messy affair.  The law in place insisted that marriage breakdown needed to establish a " guilty party " to take responsibility and that person needed to be punished in the asset distribution.  It quickly became apparent that the fast way to a decree nisi was to prove that one partner had been sexually unfaithful.

That opened the door to an era of private investigators with cameras snooping around bedroom windows and this became the fare of the " yellow press ".  Being named the " guilty party " was anathema to either partners career prospects.   Getting divorced was seen as a " social sin ", only partly alleviated if the divorce took the " abandonment "course and both parties lived apart for seven long years.

In 1975 Australia gained "no fault "divorce to be arbitrated by a new institution called "the Family Court ".   The idea was that a just and impartial family court judge would grant a divorce on the basis that the couple had irreparable differences and needed to make a fresh start.   The court would tend to the welfare of any children of that marriage and would ensure that assets were fairly divided.

Unfortunately, this impartiality has tended to anger those who insist that the guilty party should be named and shamed and this resulted in bombing attacks on family court judges.  The government  now intends to set up a fresh enquiry into the running of the family court and the main instigator of that enquiry has been Senator Pauline Hanson.  She insists that she should be named as co-chair on the enquiry alongside  social services minister  Kevin Andrews.

Senator Hansen has long campaigned for changes to the family court.  There are claims that its decisions heavily favour women in asset distribution and these decisions are biased against men.  It is also claimed that the family court seems powerless to protect women against domestic violence.  It is the family court that decides access to children after divorce and once again whatever is decided is bogged down in dispute. Rarely is the decision reached agreeable to both interests.

The cost is also a matter of contention. It was intended that the family court would remove divorce from feuding teams of barristers seeking advantage for their client but now there are claims that untruthful evidence is being placed before the court because of this lack of legal accountability. One of the problems facing the political establishment is the uncertainty of just where such an enquiry may end up heading.

Senator Pauline Hanson is a political maverick.  She has been a thorn in the side of both sides of politics since she gained a seat in Federal parliament in a wave of support for her views on immigration from Asia.  Many people disagree with her views, but on this issue her voice should be heard.

It is quite evident that the family court would be better received as the divorce arbiter if its powers enabled it to widely examine the surrounding spectrum that includes parents and grand parents when deciding the best interests of the children involved.   It should also be in the power of the family court to approve the issue and implementation of AVO's where violence is an issue.

This enquiry should not be impeded by political delicacy.  The very step of no fault divorce was a huge stride back in 1975.   Fine tuning now may make some aspects of politics uncomfortable, but they are urgently needed to achieve a more harmonious society.  Senator Hansen should be granted that co-chair position.   If this enquiry takes us out of our comfort zone - so be it  !

Recalibrating Education !

Mining is likely to be the growth industry in Australia and a report by the Australian Resources and Energy Group  (AMMA ) predicts that mining will require 20,767 more skilled workers in the next five years.   The public perception of a " mine worker " seems to be that of a male, clad in boots, shorts and a hard hat, equipped with a pick and shovel.  In other words - a " labourer " !

AMMA has broken down those job requirements into specific sectors. By 2024 the mining industry will be needing 8660 plant operators,  2847 heavy diesel fitters, 4110 supervisors and other white collar roles, 4180 engineers, technicians, geologists and related roles and 970 other assorted trades such as electricians, mechanical and maintenance workers.

It is expected that there will be a dire shortage of people with the necessary skills and as a consequence employers will be forced to offer high salaries to fill vacancies.  If these job positions can not be filled with Australian workers there will be pressure for migrant quotas to be relaxed to gain these skills.

One of the things that is absolutely certain is that most of these jobs will involve travel to mine sites outside of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.  Some of these jobs will involve settling in a town adjacent to a mine but others will be on what is called a " FIFO " basis.   Workers fly in for a continuous shift of several days and then fly out to their home base for a similar period of leave. That is fast becoming the preferred method of staffing the mining industry.

There is now little work available in the mining industry for the unskilled.  Knowing what jobs are coming online is valuable knowledge for those leaving school and making career choices.  It delivers the choice to think ahead and get the right training to access those well paying and highly skilled jobs that are the future for many Australian workers.

This is also a challenge for the Australian education system.  In the past it was the custom for mechanical skills to be learned through the apprenticeship system but many employers no longer offer this avenue of advancement.  It used to be complimented by the TAFE system which was designed to teach mechanical skills independently to a level where students were attractive to employers.  TAFE has long been in sharp decline.

 Knowing the type of work that will be offering in the near future is a challenge to the people who plan our education system.   If what we are offering does not meet the needs of the future then we are failing our young people.  Education is about learning skills.  It would make sense to direct those skills towards the jobs that will be readily available in the future.

Resurrection Brewing to the South !

The southern end of the West Connex road system is planned to create a distribution hub at St Peters and this will contain a massive terminal to consolidate freight from Port Botany and the southern sea terminal at Port Kembla.  What is missing is the proposed link, which was termed the " Sydney Gateway " to connect this terminal with Port Botany and take trucks off the southern suburbs local roads.   This was discontinued on the basis of cost when the estimate came in at $ 2.6 billion.

The people who live to the south of Sydney have every reason to feel they are the " poor relations " when it comes to government spending.   The glaring anomaly is the missing link to connect West Connex with the existing F6 divided road expressway that runs from Waterfall to Wollongong.

Sydney is connected to the north and the west by such an expressway system but to the south it remains a protected piece of reserved land with no commencement date for work to begin.  The southern commute into the city has to crawl along the old Princes Highway and General Holmes Drive.

It gets worse going south past Wollongong.   The Princes Highway that connects to the Victorian border is basically a meandering strip of bitumen offering a single lane each way and that is the only access for residents of the burgeoning array of holiday resorts and farm communities that cling to the ocean seabord of this state,

There is a rail connect from Nowra to Sydney but that is little changed from the days of steam trains. The electric trains have to climb over the escarpment north of Wollongong and that is a system constructed with pick and shovel, horse and carts in an earlier century.  The trains slow to walking pace as they cross deep gorges and travel through tunnels.

Sydney is getting new light rail trams and a new transit rail system, and giant boring machines are constructing tunnels under the harbour and between suburbs, but there are no plans to create a tunnel through the escarpment to create a fast rail link to Sydney.

The reason the south misses out on government spending is classical politics.  In the past, the vote for the Australian Labor party in the Wollongong electorates was overwhelming.  When the Liberals were in office, spending there was simply unproductive.  When Labor was in office they could see no gain because they had the vote from there anyway.

Perhaps the politicians need to have another look to the south. The city of Shellharbour is expanding at an amazing rate and farmland near Jamberoo is disappearing under new housing suburbs.  The politicians ignore these growing numbers at their peril.

Dumping massive truck movements on the suburban infrastructure of council roads in the south could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. This massive population surge and its housing component is well on the way to creating a new voting pattern.

A Coming Flood !

The amount of water on planet Earth is constant.  It is the same now as it was a thousand years ago - or ten thousand years - or a hundred thousand.   The only thing  that changes is the actual composition of that water.  Where more is locked away in the form of ice, the world sea level falls. When the ice melts, the sea level rises.

Just stand in front of a world map and a very evident feature is clear.  A massive amount of the world land mass is north of the equator and in the northern hemisphere.  In comparison the southern hemisphere contains about two thirds of South America, about a third of Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and a  scattering of Pacific ocean islands.  A huge amount of the world population lives north of the equator.

Another of Earth's peculiarities are the polar regions.   There is not a continent resting under the north pole in contrast to the massive land mass under the south pole.   If that ice at both ends of the poles melts we will have a massive rise in sea levels and that is what the global warming people are frantically warning us is about to happen.

The planet is warming because our use of fossil fuels is releasing more carbon dioxide into the air and this is creating a " greenhouse effect ".   As a result, the world weather is changing and many parts of the world with bountiful rainfall are suffering drought.  The other peculiarity is that when other parts of the world do get rain it is often in the form of a destructive flood.   Such an event is now afflicting both India and Spain.

Mother Nature has provided a very efficient recycling system to manage the world's water.  The heat of the tropics cause it to evaporate and form clouds which are moved about the globe by the jet streams.  Eventually, this falls back as rain and that nourishes the food production centres which allow about seven billion people to live on this planet.  Unfortunately, this " greenhouse effect " has changed the weather patterns and our weather is now less predictable.

Australia has always suffered cyclical droughts - and floods.   The present drought has decimated the eastern states and has greatly reduced the grain crops for several years.   This drought will eventually end because that is the nature of things, but somewhere in this water cycle we can be assured that water on the planet will find its equilibrium.   In the near future we face the prospect of a massive flood.

That coming flood represents opportunity - if we are wise and implement plans to retain water to sustain the population growth that is inevitable.  It would be negligent to simply let this bountiful water run to waste into the ocean and be lost.   We can not drought proof Australia against future lack of rain, but we can assure residents of cities and country towns that they will have adequate access to drinking water.

That is the absolute certainty that Australia will face a massive flood some time after this drought ends.

Heritage Listings !

The ultimate disaster for many people is to find that the local council has slapped a heritage listing on the home they occupy.   That prevents them making any sort of alterations and in most cases even dictates the colour of paint they may use.  A heritage listing does not prevent it from being offered for sale, but it usually does reduce both price and interest sharply.

The residents of one Sydney suburb were surprised to find that a heritage order suddenly applied to a whole street of houses.   They were identical clones originally built by the Housing Commission and someone on council thought that an example of the architecture of that period should be preserved for posterity.

There is no compensation for having a heritage order imposed and multiple risks apply.  The home may have been designed by an architect who is now considered famous and an example of his or her work needs to be preserved.   A former owner or tenant may have been a notable general, prime minister or even a notorious underworld figure who enhanced the history of this country.

Few would disagree that the famous sandstone warehouses located at " the Rocks " in Sydney should be protected  by such an order but it now seems that this attempt to " stop the clock " is being extended to architecture in the city centre.  To their dismay, the owners of Sydney Masonic Centre, the County Council buildings in George street and the William Bland Centre in Macquarie street are all being considered for this listing.

They are deemed to be examples of the "Modern Movement Architecture " that some boffins claim we need to preserve and this could ever widen.  There is conjecture that a similar heritage listing may be placed on the massive MLC building in the centre of the city.

What is different is these proposed listings take on the big end of town.   The land value in the heart of Sydney is worth a fortune and many of these buildings will ultimately face demolition to make way for new skyscrapers when Sydney airport moves to Badgerys creek.   At present, the airport at Mascot imposes a height limit on the centre of the city.

Building owners have conducted their own report and this claims few of the buildings proposed for listing are in " opriginal " condition.  Most have had lightweight cladding added and paint has been applied over the raw original concrete exteriors and the interior layout no longer meets the standards required for office accommodation.

It seems that an interesting fight is brewing.  Sydney is under challenge from a fast developing Parramatta and if the brakes are put on inner city development the heart of Sydney may move to the west.  This will clash with big money interests - and the power they wield.  This is now something that will be decided in the political arena.

Unfortunartely, for the person in the suburbs with a home subjected to a heritage order that solution is not usually available.

Discretionary Spending !

The " age of maturity " used to be twenty-one at which time a citizen could marry without their parents consent and gain the legal access to both alcohol and gambling -  and a vote to send their choice to  represent them in parliament.   Conscription during the Vietnam war changed all that. Simply attaining their eighteenth birthday meant a citizens name could be drawn and they could be issued with a rifle and sent to war.   That age of maturity was reduced to eighteen.

It seems that word - " Maturity " - is again under assault.    The National party is urging the Federal government to impose a cashless debit card on all citizens under thirty-five who receive any sort of government benefit.  Not only would this apply to the dole and parenting payments but also to the myriad benefits covered by a wide range of legislation.

The claimed purpose is to isolate government money from the evils of alcohol, tobacco, gambling and drug use.  The thinking seems to be that people under thirty-five are irresponsible and lack the wisdom to manage money, so the wise government will " manage " it for them  !   That ignores the reality than many thirty-five year olds are in a relationship that includes children, are paying off a house mortgage and aptly managing the benefits paid directly into their bank accounts.

It is not a wide stretch of the imagination to see this sort of thinking extended to recipients of the age pension. The elderly are often enthusiastic players of poker machines and the government could claim a responsibility to save them from this folly.  There are obvious health benefits by limiting the exposure to alcohol and tobacco, but that comes with the withdrawal of " choice " which we associate with discretionary spending.

The only way the government can exercise control over debit cards is to restrict their use to stores like the Coles/Woolworths duopoly.  If spending is allowed in a wide range of traders it is inevitable that subterfuge will quickly follow.  " Cash out " will be masked by adding an imaginary approved item to the bill or alcohol or tobacco will be covered by a different description.

The law of " supply and demand " is paramount in the market place.   Where there is " demand "  it is inevitable that " supply " will follow.   Where an obstacle is placed to stop supply that becomes a test of ingenuity to circumvent the restriction and we humans have an uncanny ability of creating ways and means of achieving our desires.

Like most well intentioned gambits the imposition of debit card restrictions is likely to fail.  That old maxim of " where this is a will, there is a way " applies.   Unfortunately, the government can spend a lot of money trying to put in place unworkable objectives.   Wisdom is in understanding the limitation that are possible  !

Dumping Radioactive Waste !

In 2011 the world watched in horror as Japan experienced a massive offshore earthquake that triggered a tsunami that washed ashore and killed thousands of people.  These walls of water overwhelmed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing three of its reactors to melt down and release radioactivity that poisoned surrounding farmland and caused the evacuation of residents.

That calamity has been ongoing. Not only are contaminated villages still uninhabited, the government has been systematically digging out and removing the top soil.  This is being bagged and stored in dumps for the hundreds of years before natural attrition reduces the radiation to a safe level.

The wrecked reactors still contain partially melted fuel rods and these need copious amounts of water to keep them cool.  That - and the water used to put out the fires - is highly radioactive and is being contained in steel reservoirs on site and now this containment is running out of room.   It is estimated that the Fukushima site contains a million tonnes of this contaminated water.

The Japanese government is waiting on the report from an expert panel to decide how to dispose of this water.   The only practical option seems to be dispersing it in the Pacific ocean.  In comparison with the water contained in the Pacific that million tonnes would be a mere drop in a bucket, but such a plan would draw a negative response from neighbouring countries.

Even if it were carried in tankers and taken to a remote part of the Pacific ocean there is the danger of schools of fish swimming through it and becoming contaminated.   The world fishing fleet ranges widely and such a plan would bring fear of contamination of the food chain.  Deliberately disposing of radioactive matter in the ocean would probably be condemned by the United Nations.

The problem is that this accumulation of radioactive water will continue indefinitely.  More water is required to keep those fuel rods cool until a method can be devised to dismantle the wrecked plant.  Even if the existing steel reservoirs are emptied this cooling process means more water will be contaminated and in need of storage.  In a few years, we will again face exactly this same problem.

In a normal, functioning nuclear facility removal of fuel rods is a relatively safe and easy process, but the explosions that accompanied the meltdown at Fukushima buried the core under steel and rubble that endanger humans working on the site.  It will probably take the development of robotics and artificial intelligence to create the safety aspect which will allow penetration and removal of the rods to bring the danger to an end.

Hopefully, this dilemma will bring world attention to the unresolved question of what to do to dispose of the radioactive waste generated by the nuclear industry.  We are still searching for a site to build storage for the waste from  the tiny nuclear reactor we run at Lucas Heights in Sydney.  Many countries draw electricity from nuclear reactors and a world dump to contain nuclear waste is becoming an urgent necessity.

This Japanese dilemma illustrates a world problem  !

That " Brexit " Mess !

To the rest of the world Britain has become something of a laughing stock.  Here we are - less than fifty days from the nominated withdrawal from the European Union and its parliament has been dissolved and its prime minister seems powerless to either make a " no deal " exit or settle the issue by calling a snap general election.

All of this was sparked by a former prime minister calling for a referendum on leaving the EU and charting a new course as an independent nation.   That delivered a small win for the " leave " supporters, but the voters were assured an orderly exit could be negotiated and Britain would regain control of its borders and be free of the dreaded European court of justice.

Years of endless negotiation have been unproductive.  One of the critical issues has been the customs barrier between Ireland - which remains in the EU - and Northern Ireland which remains staunchly British.  If that is not solved it could light a match to resumption of the terrorist war the IRA waged to achieve a united Ireland.

What is perfectly clear is that the British people are far from consensus on what they hope to achieve. The biggest market for the goods that Britain manufactures is across the English channel and some sort of customs arrangement is essential to stop industry grinding to a halt.  What negotiations have so far disclosed is the extent of how intertwined the British and the European market has become in the supply of commerce, food and pharmaceuticals and how difficult it will be to exit the EU without some sort of customs agreement being in place,

A disorderly exit could be an absolute disaster for the Europeans now living in Britain and the British retirees scattered across the member countries of the EU.  Would reciprocal pensions continue to be paid ?  Would the right of residence be discontinued ?   The lives of hundreds of thousands of people would become an unanswered question.

Failure to get parliamentary approval for the deal she had negotiated forced prime minister Theresa May to tender her resignation and she was replaced by Boris Johnson who favoured crashing out of the EU by a withdrawal on his own terms, but he has been quietly snookered by the various factions and now seems powerless.   His ploy to prorogue parliament and simply send the members back to their constituency was planned to deliver power into his hands, but legal moves have tied his hands and he is even prevented from calling a snap general election to resolve the matter.

Achievement of an exit plan by October 31 seems unlikely and technically the EU could expel Britain on that date, hence a " no deal " exit may happen automatically.  The logical way to extricate Britain from this conundrum would be another referendum now that the full implications of withdrawal are known, but even that seems hopelessly mired in controversy.

The only positive outcome is that several other countries were agitating for withdrawal from the EU and this British discord has put those plans on the backburner.  It seems that this British debacle is destined to be decisive in setting the future for both the countries of Europe and the small island that once ruled the world.

We will have to wait to read the history books to see how this situation ends.  This inglorious finality will certainly be performed in front of a world audience.

Police Compliance Checks !

A notorious paedophile responsible for the abduction and death of a schoolgirl in 1986 walked free when the state failed to gain court approval for an extended prison term.   This man shows no remorse for the crime he has committed and he is now free because he has served the sentence imposed by a judge at his trial.   The prison authorities responsible for his care during confinement warn that he is unrepentant and is likely to again reoffend.

That release was not unconditional.   He is required to wear an identity bracelet at all times and that enables his supervisors to monitor his exact location on a twenty-four hour basis.  His movements are restricted and he may not visit certain suburbs or places where children tend to congregate.  He must live at an approved address and at present that is a half-way house.

We are well aware of instances where those under curfew have removed their security bracelet and gained the ability to commit further crimes.  As a consequence, the police have the legal authority to check compliance and that includes making a visit to the nominated address at night to gain assurance that the subject is complying with the court order.

A hearing into police conduct is hearing complaints that offenders are being interrupted many times a night and this constitutes harassment.  Not only the person under sanctions but the entire family may be awaken when police come to the door and demand the person prove that they are in residence and complying with the court order.

Should that knock on the door go unanswered, the police may shine torches through windows or light the home by the beam from their police vehicle and this draws the attention of neighbours.  The enquiry heard evidence from an indigenous man living in Newcastle that this check took place five times on one night and constituted harassment.  In that case the charges were dropped after a long period of excessive monitoring.

The police gave evidence that making a check at a constant time was unproductive.  The subject simply made sure he or she was home at that time and scheduled criminal activity accordingly.
Checks were made according to the time police were available from other duties and several patrols  might have that task on their work sheets.

Police training now includes measures on waking people for identity checks at appropriate intervals and on the shining of lights on the property, leaving the property when asked to do so and making sure that multiple visits are appropriate.

While it may be unpleasant for the person under scrutiny, the public will be relieved to know that the orders imposed on release are being enforced.   Having to appear and be identified  seems a very reasonable  imposition when compared with the alternative.   Spending the night locked in a cell in one of the states prisons.

Many parents will get a better nights sleep knowing that these conditions apply to a man who murdered a child, and who many believe should not have been released  !

Ending the Lockout Laws !

Every major city in the world has an entertainment district that is ruled by underworld figures and has a sleazy reputation that attracts vast numbers of visitors.  In Sydney that was undoubtedly Kings Cross.  In fact, Kings Cross was probably the unique entertainment metropolis that outshone the other Australian capital cities.  It attracted visitors on a world wide basis.

It took many decades for that reputation to build.   Originally Kings Cross was Sydney's " bohemian " suburb where sex for sale was prevalent.   The years of the Vietnam war saw it become the R and R centre for Australian and American troops and its entertainment venues expanded accordingly.  That success eventually became its undoing.

This Kings Cross phenomenon began to attract awesome numbers of people and competing entertainment saw vast crowds surging between shows, resulting in crowd violence.  It became synonymous with drunken people fighting in the streets and order was slipping out of police control. This resulted in the " lockout laws " and of a consequence most of the shows closed their doors as patronage plummeted - and Kings Cross " died "  !

The " heart " of Sydney died with it, and now there are moves to repeal those lockout laws to renew Sydney as a place that again welcomes the world, but that ban will remain on Kings Cross.  The underworld still retains property there and the government is determined that it will not regain its former glory.  Without the lockout laws a more diverse entertainment district will emerge.

Sydney is undoubtedly a " world " city and it is a fact of life that many people like to drink into the small hours of the morning.  The closure of Kings Cross created a vacuum and that law repeal will enable an equilibrium to find its own level.  That repeal is finding opposition from both medical people and the churches but it is unrealistic to expect the restrictions of an earlier age to apply to the biggest city in Australia today.

Those lockout laws were intended as a temporary restriction to tame a problem of excess.  They have done that, and their removal is overdue.  Hopefully, Sydney will merge its new entertainment more widely across the city rather than concentrate it in a single suburb but that will depend on how the entertainment scene formulates itself - and what becomes popular.

At the moment, Sydney is not attractive to the world audience because it lacks the entertainment depth constricted by those lockout laws.  It is the special magic of entrepreneurs who create the scene that gains the appeal of the people that will emerge once those laws are repealed and we will just have to wait and see how that is configured.

Sydney is a blank canvas, waiting for its entertainment future to arrive  !

Bushfire Disaster Coming !

Raging bushfires in northern New South Wales and Queensland envisage what is to come if the drought persists and this big dry continues.  This is the earliest start of the fire season on record and it is ominous that discontent in the ranks is causing some of the volunteer firefighters who give their time saving lives and homes to refuse to answer the call out.

Those volunteer fire fighters are an Australian legend.  Countless fire catastrophes over the years have seen homes destroyed and lives lost but without the help of the volunteers the fires could not have been finally checked.   It is men and women from all walks of life who train to get the skills needed and give of their time when an emergency happens.   That is not without personal danger. A sudden wind change or falling trees can result in loss of life or severe injury.

The government contributes equipment to the Rural Fire Service but those volunteers are unpaid and this contrasts with city fire brigades where the crews that turnout are permanent paid employees.  This does create problems where city fire crews and the Rural Fire Service find themselves both working a fire on the outskirts of a city.

This sometimes sees a clash between what some see as " professional " and " amateur " fire fighting methods.  That resulted in newspaper headlines when a tragic fire at Tathra swept through the community because the two services had difficulty working together.

It has been clear for some time that there is a toxic relationship existing within the higher ranks of the Rural Fire Service.   We are hearing whispers of bullying, harassment and  intimidation in the agency and  ineffective processes in place to address it.  Members tell of repeated and constant acts of bullying, intimidation, sexual misconduct, verbal and physical abuse and exclusion.

That has now reached the stage that some volunteer fire fighters are walking away from giving service.   This toxicity is destroying the camaraderie that was such an integral part of rural fire service membership.  That could be disastrous when we are probably facing the most damaging fire season we have ever encountered because of a mix of global warming and a prolonged drought.  A hotter Australia will produce more lightning strikes and this could be a summer that breaks records.

If upper management has become autocratic and unbearable the government would be wise to listen to the rank and file and take the necessary action.   There simply is no other response possible to the fire danger we face.  It is the RFS which has the equipment and the skills to tame bushfires and it is reliant on the huge workforce of volunteers who spring into action when there is an emergency.

Those incredible people who willingly walk away from jobs and family and put their lives on the line as an unpaid civil service deserve better than abuse from the hierarchy.   Time is now short for the government to get this problem sorted - and fixed  !

Dole Bludgers !

This move to force new applicants for the youth allowance and Newstart to be tested for drug dependency simply revives that old theory that we are supporting legions of " dole bludgers ". What is laughable is that should someone's test show that they have used marijuana in the past few weeks we will immediately place their welfare income under " management ".

We will take the few miserable dollars they receive out of their hands and place it on a card which can only be used for what we deem " essentials ".  Theoretically, they will be unable to spend their money on alcohol or tobacco - or drugs.   In the event that they fail a later second testing, they will be placed in the hands of a doctor and they will need to commence addiction  recovery.

Specifically, this testing will initially be confined to a small area in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia, all of which have a high incidence of applicants being sustained by either youth allowance or Newstart.  What is not explained is the thinking as to how this measure is supposed to move these people into paid employment.

The sad thing is that we actually have a skills shortage in Australia and our education system is turning out kids who lack the training to be attractive to employers.  Some are leaving school without the ability to either read or write the English language and the best job they can hope for is in the labour force - and that is rapidly decreasing in this age of automation and artificial intelligence.

This draconian testing regime also takes the old " hard line "attitude to drugs. Marijuana is now legal in many parts of the world and here police simply issue a " caution " when they discovery small personal quantities.  Some people have become users of marijuana in preference to expensive alcohol or tobacco, and vast quantities imbibe methamphetamines at music festivals.  These can be detected in the bloodstream for days after use, hence the casual user will become a victim of these tests.

The real reason this insane idea is being pushed in parliament is because we are teetering on the edge of a recession and the government wants to draw pubic attention away from the probable outcome.  We will need to stimulate the economy - and that will involve spending money we do not have.  The surplus we have been promised will have to be delayed.  No mention is made of the vast army of civil servants who will be needed to both conduct the tests, evaluate the results and supervise the addiction reduction programmes that will be the outcome.

All that money would be better spent on a revival of TAFE to teach practical skills that would equip young people - and the mature that are finding job opportunities receding out of their grasp - the practical skills that are now eluding many potential employers.

Fortunately, the cross bench in parliament is showing caution.  Wise heads will see that this is an impractical idea that is unlikely to deliver a tangible result.

Liberalising " the Pill " !

How strange that people who suffer from a runny nose and weeping eyes caused by pollen in the air can walk into a pharmacy and choose from a wide array of medication without the need to consult a  doctor. In many cases they ask the advice of the pharmacist because they want to avoid side effects such as drowsiness.

Just such a choice is not available for the contraceptive pill that Australian women use to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Even when they are using this contraceptive long term, they need to make an appointment with a general practitioner to obtain a prescription repeat.  That situation seems peculiar to Australia.  In the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand the contraceptive pill is available over the counter without the need to see a doctor.

The medical profession has a strong lobby and they are steadfastly opposed to any easing of the law that protects their franchise.  They argue that the need to consult a doctor to renew prescriptions has the benefit of that consultation discovering hidden health conditions.  This ignores the reality that there is often a long wait to get an appointment with a doctor and in some country towns it requires out of area travel.

That contraceptive pill has caused many newspaper headlines since its arrival on the health scene in the early 1960's.  It contravened the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and at that early stage supply was refused by some Catholic doctors and chemists.  Then there was the moral issue of teenage girls obtaining supply without their parents permission.

In that 1960's era the condom was restricted to a chemists only supplied pharmaceutical that could not be displayed or advertised.   It was an " under the counter " item that had to be specifically asked for and many chemists chose not to stock them on moral grounds.   How different today, when they are openly displayed and sold in supermarkets and in dispensers in many places of entertainment.

It could be argued that this prescription requirement for the pill is another shackle on the ability of women to manage their reproductive health.  The male sheath is readily available, but the supply of female protection is entangled in protocol that not only costs money but also introduces a delay factor.  At best, a woman can obtain a four month supply with three repeats which then requires a doctor consultation for renewal.  That delivers a year by year ordeal.

The Pharmacy Guild is calling for chemists to have the right to prescribe the pill and this is covered by state legislation.  This will go on the agenda at the next Council of Australian Government ( COAG ) Meeting but NSW is showing little interest in creating change.   In the world of politics, the medical profession is adept at protecting its turf  !

A " Concession " in Hong Kong !

It seems like Hong Kong's "  Umbrella Protest " movement has won a major victory.  Carrie Lam has bowed to pressure and announced that the proposed extradition law will be withdrawn.  She is the chief executive appointed by Beijing and it is unlikely that she would make that concession without the nod from her masters.

It seems that China is stepping back from sending in the PLA and possibly repeating the 1997 Tiananmen Square massacre in front of the world's cameras.  When about half the population of Hong Kong took to the streets in lively protests it seems to have unnerved Beijing, but it is unlikely that this concession will end the unrest.

This former British trading city in Asia has been suffering creeping imposition of authority from Beijing.  The leaders of the protest movement are unclear about what they hope to achieve but it seems likely that China will play the " long game " because the " One country, two systems " concession to ease the takeover had a lifetime of fifty years - and it will end in 2047.

Back in the days of the cold war the Soviet Union tried to block all forms of communication with the west.  Jamming stations on its borders tried to use static to prevent both the BBC and Voice of America from breaching the iron curtain and China's Communist masters still impose restrictions of what appears in newspapers and on the media.  This Hong Kong protest is being presented as interference in Chinese affairs by western powers.

During the time Deng Xiaoping ruled China it became a Communist country with a capitalist economy and now Chinese people are the biggest tourist component travelling the world.  It is inevitable that what happens in Hong Kong can not be totally suppressed within that country and freedom in Hong Kong can whet the appetite of mainland Chinese for similar freedoms - and then there is the question of Taiwan !

The danger in the Hong Kong unrest is that the movement is being led by young university students and they may push their demands to impossible lengths and the end of most deals is usually negotiation..  It is hoped that they have the maturity to know when is the right time to sit down and negotiate with Beijing and not keep trying for an impossible dream.

The removal of that extradition law was a major concession by Beijing.  The world economy is at knife point because of the tariff trade war in progress and anything that removes a focal flash point is welcome.  It remains to be seen if the protest movement has the good sense to bring the city back to order and negotiate a reasonable settlement with Beijing  ?

" Cat and Mouse " Game !

This week the prison gates will shut behind a released prisoner who has completed  the  seventeen year sentence for the manslaughter of five year old Samantha Knight in 1986.  He has never disclosed how and where he disposed of her body and the charge of murder was reduced to manslaughter when he claimed the victim died as a result of a drug he administered.

Michael Anthony Guider is now sixty-eight years old and he will not have unlimited freedom.  An attempt to keep him in prison for a further year failed and he will be released on a five year extended supervision order.  Under that order he will be forced to wear a bracelet that will  enable his whereabouts to be constantly checked by his supervisors and be barred from certain suburbs and places which children frequent, such as cinemas. There will also be limitations on his internet access.

There are over fifty other stringent release conditions that will apply.  He will be medically monitored and will be required to furnish his schedule for each coming week for approval by his supervisors. He will be required to live in an approved place of residence.

Despite those precautions, a man known to have a predilection for children will pose a risk for the kids that he must pass in the streets of Sydney.  When that five year supervision order expires he will have unlimited freedom because he served the entire prison sentenced ordered at his trial.  As a consequence, his release  is not because he is deemed rehabilitated but because he has simply served out the legal time imposed by the court.

Our legal system is based on rewards for good behaviour.  Obeying the rules can deliver early release and few prisoners serve the entire length of their sentence.  It helps if they show remorse for their crime and part of rehabilitation is the disclosure of where the victims may have been buried.  This was not forthcoming in the Samantha Knight trial and the convicted has since remained silent.

Because our justice system imposes both a maximum prison sentence and a period after which release on parole may be considered, freedom is eventually guaranteed. The citizens of Sydney have the unnerving experience of knowing that a potential threat to their children is about to walk the streets of this city.

Obviously, Samantha Knight's body was disposed of somewhere and recovery would give her family closure. Perhaps we should consider amending the legal system to impose indeterminate sentences which depend on truthful disclosure that allows body recovery of the deceased.  A person who wilfully refuses that information can not be considered rehabilitated.

Now the law begins a dangerous " cat and mouse " game.   The " watchers "  must use the limited powers at their disposal to maintain control.  Failure could cost another child's life  !

Diseases Rife in Prisons.

The purpose of sending offenders to a term in prison is supposed to be rehabilitation so that they emerge conditioned to re-enter society.  Unfortunately, the prison system is infiltrated with drugs and those dependent on Ice seem to have no trouble continuing to gain access.  The " law of supply and demand " applies.  It is estimated that at least fifteen percent of prisoners continue to use Ice behind bars.

In the civil society from which those prisoners came we ensure that there is a ready supply of clean sterile needles for use by drug users.  That is to try and stem the spread of blood borne diseases that are so rife amongst drug users.  Surprisingly, that is implacably opposed by the prison authorities. Instead, prisoners are supplied with a disinfectant called " Fincol " to clean the needles circulating within the prison system and this is dubious in achieving that aim.

Quite apart from the continued use of drugs, the prison system is a cesspool of hepatitis C contamination. About thirty percent of prisoners have hepatitis C compared with one percent in the civilian population.   That is not surprising when at least ten prisoners share the contraband needles circulating within the prison system.

Justice Health New South Wales, the government agency in charge of prisoners health needs is pushing for sterile needles to be available to stem the spread of blood borne viruses as well as bacterial infections.  There is no doubt that prisoners can access any drug they want if they are prepared to pay the right price, the enquiry was told.

Corrective Services remain opposed to the supply of sterile needles and this runs contrary to experience overseas.  Not only does the UN support giving clean needles to prisoners but where this has been implemented prison authorities soon find the procedure acceptable.

This refusal seems to be consistent with the attitude towards drugs generally present in the prison system.   Even those held on remand are denied  access to rehabilitation services as are prisoners ending their sentences and leaving prison for life in the general community.  An obvious opportunity exists for drug rehabilitation when prisoners are forced to endure the close supervision that exists within a jail.

The fact that a detergent supposedly capable of  cleansing needles is made available is an admission that drug use is present in the prison system.  This refusal to supply sterile needles does nothing to stem drug use within prisons  other to ensure that most users will leave corrective services with life threatening diseases.

That sounds suspiciously like the return of the death penalty - by other means !

Forensic Flaws jail Innocent People !

A leading  Australian appeals judge has issued a warning that forensic evidence used to gain a conviction in many prosecutions lacks the reliability the technical experts claim.   This is particularly evident where it involves gunshot evidence, footprint analysis and bite mark comparison.  We are putting too much faith in these techniques in sending people to prison.

Justice Chris Maxwell. President of the Victorian Court of Appeal  cited two American reports that have found that DNA analysis is the only reliable forensic evidence that should be presented to juries. " There have been a string of wrongful convictions around the world," Judge Maxwell said.

These two critical American reports, published in 2009 and 2016 led to major changers in the US and British legal systems, but not in Australia.   With the exception of DNA, no other area of forensic science has been shown to reliably  connect a particular sample with a particular crime scene or perpetrator.

Now Daniel Gurvich QC, Chair of the Criminal  Bar Association of Victoria has called for the Victorian government to establish an enquiry into the accuracy of forensic evidence, calling it " a matter of great concern in the administration of justice ".

A 2016 Australian High Court ruling  found that judges can not stop evidence being shown to juries over concern for reliability.  Individual jurors must make up their own mind on the reliability of the evidence put before them.

People are called upon to give jury service by random selection from the voting rolls and consequently we have a cross section of our society empanelled.  As a consequence, many are probably patrons of such television shows as CSI and NCIS which rely heavily on forensic wizardry to embellish their story line. In the public mind, the reliability of forensic evidence becomes paramount.

Many Australian controversial convictions have relied heavily on forensic evidence.   In 1995 David Eastman was convicted by a jury of the murder of ACT police chief Colin Winchester because gunshot residue found in his car matched that found at the crime scene.

In 2014 an enquiry found the forensic evidence " lacked a proper scientific foundation " and recommended that the conviction be quashed.   By that time, Mr Eastman had spent nineteen years in prison.

It is clearly evident that much of the evidence used to convict people in Australia lacks the credibility that would be required in other countries.  Trial by comparison with television shows is not how " justice " should be decided  !

Water Safety !

The law today is very tough on boat users. There is the expectation that a water police patrol boat may come alongside  and the officers will ensure that everybody has a life jacket and that the boat carries the required safety equipment. The same restrictions on alcohol apply to those in charge of a boat that are enforced on car drivers.  Testing for alcohol or drugs is mandatory under this law.

Despite this, people still get in trouble on the water and when that happens a well oiled rescue operation swings into action.  Both the surf lifesaving people and the water police risk their lives in hazardous conditions to save lives and helicopters usually take part in search operations.  The cost is horrendous and much of this is paid for by public donations.

We have just had a massive low pressure incident form in the Tasman sea and that piled massive surf along the entire Australian east coast.  Once again, several people fishing from rocks on the coastline were swept into the sea and drowned.  Reports of a missing fisherman result in a recue mission being mounted and later this degenerates into a body recovery.  Boats and helicopters search the sea long after hope is abandoned.

What is astonishing is that people continue to fish off rocks when the risk of drowning is so glaringly apparent. By rule of thumb, every seventh wave is bigger than its predecessors  and the ocean regularly delivers " rogue " waves that reach new heights.  The law requires those fishing from a rocky shoreline to be wearing a safety device but a visit to any popular shoreline shows this to be lacking.

A safety vest is an incredibly cheap safety option, and yet the vast majority of people who fish refuse to adopt this safety measure. Many claim it is not " necessary " while others complain it is restrictive - or " uncomfortable ".  Most modern jackets are worn deflated and inflate automatically once the wearer is in the water.  It is very apparent that a sight of a fisherperson in a life jacket is a rarity.

It is time that the measures employed to keep boast users safe were extended to rock fishing.  Given the extent of the Australian coastline this would be better enforced by individual councils and their rangers should be authorised to issue fines to those fishing without the required safety measures.  Not only would this deliver a saving in rescue costs, the income would be valuable for struggling country municipal councils.

This drowning tragedy is bringing heartache to many families.  The wearing of a flotation device is a reasonable requirement to impose of people at risk from rock fishing and it is time that it becomes legally enforced.  It seems the only way to save some people from themselves - and their families will obviously appreciate the lives saved !

Offensive Language !

When the film " Gone with the Wind " was released in the late 1930's the churches protested that Rhett Butler's line "  I don't give a damn " was an offensive swear word.  At that time the police were likely to arrest a  citizen using the word " bloody " in a public place.  In that age before television the radio stations were forced to ensure that nothing unseemly went to air.

Similarly the print media obeyed identical rules.  When reporting evidence given in court that contained a reference to human body waste they were careful to use just the first and last letter of that four letter word and fill in the middle with dots and dashes.  That was said to be a kinder, gentler age.

For a very long time we were amazingly reticent about using the " F " word.   It might come into the conversation if a group of men were having a beer together in a pub, but it was definitely not something to drop in mixed company.   Using it in a public place would certainly get you to see the inside of a police cell.

How different it is today.   The " F "word is frequently heard in mixed conversation and the newspapers report court evidence verbatim.  The vernacular of Australia has certainly changed over recent decades and many people think that is a healthy move that brings an improvement in clarity.  That charge of " offensive language " still exists on the law books but is now rarely used.  There is the obvious difficulty in finding a magistrate still clinging to the lexicon that existed in yesteryear.

There is still a four letter word that refers to the female anatomy that the media seem reluctant to print.  It is often used openly on protestors signs where deemed appropriate but people seem hesitant to include it in general conversation.  Surprisingly, it recently had its day in court when an attempt was made to restrict its use.

Sydney has a seventy year old character who often appears in public displaying sandwich boards strapped to his front and back displaying a political message.   Back in the time when Tony Abbott was our prime minister these sandwich boards carried a message that one woman pedestrian found offensive and who reported it to the police.

The sandwich boards wearer was arrested and later given a five hundred dollar fine in a local court for " offensive behaviour. "   That magistrate found that the law was concerned that message would offend the " hypothetical reasonable person ".

The sandwich board wearer appealed and in 2017 a district court judge set that conviction aside.  The sign he was wearing said "  Peace  Smile. People can change.  Tony you cvnt.  Liar.  Heartless Cruel.  Peace be with you ".

The fact that the intended word was misspelt harks back to when dots and dashes obscured the real meaning, but its intent was crystal clear.   It seems that the lexicon of Australia is still a work in progress !