The " Snail Mail " Question !

We seem to have a quixotic situation evolving within Australia Post.   They are about  to expand parcel delivery to a seven day basis while mail delivery contracts to home delivery taking place every second day.  The reason given for this conundrum is the ever depleting flow of letters through the system, counter balanced by the amazing growth of internet shopping.

This is obviously exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown.  The closure of traditional shopping centres has forced customers to change shopping habits but this was a new mood pattern that was quite evident before the virus came on the scene.  In fact there is doubt that when the virus finally departs we may not see the same plethora of shops reopen.   Internet shopping seems to have gained a permanent hold and that parcel delivery flow looks to be permanent.

Initially, the mail system was an integral part of commercial life in Australia.  Most services were billed on a monthly basis and for the cost of a stamp Australia Post would deliver to a home letterbox anywhere in Australia.  This was a high security operation and the public had confidence that money sent as a birthday gift through the post would reach its destination safely.

Because of the volume handled daily, the cost of a postage stamp was low and as the numbers of letters dwindled the stamp cost has risen.  We are fast reaching the stage when changing monthly payment cycles are only made by email billing or payment is demanded by direct debit.  The era of electronic computer contact and cheap phone calls has reduced the personal letter flow to the ever decreasing aged in our communities.

We are fast reaching the stage when delivery speed for letters has dropped by the wayside.  The sheer volume of parcels now handled by the Post Office has reduced the delivery cost to the point where elevating a letter to the priority status of a parcel and ensuring overnight delivery becomes a reality.  It seems obvious that we are heading into an era of first and second class mail.  Eventually, we may see second class mail delivered on a weekly rather than a daily basis.

It all depends on the importance of what is to be delivered.   The Post Office parcel delivery system has the function in place to deliver a " courier " style letter on an overnight basis.  It is obvious that the old overnight postal service is becoming uneconomic because of ever dropping volume and the importance of what is to be posted must be at the discretion of the sender.  It is now evident that there is not a vast difference between the rate for parcels compared with the rising letter rate.

That seems to be the inevitable outcome of this " supply and demand " situation as it evolves further  !

Theft In High Places !

An almost unbelievable story of misfeasance has come from our near neighbour, Malaysia.  In the distant past it was ruled by a testy prime minister who frequently clashed with his Australian  counterpart.   The exchanges between Dr Mahathir and Paul Keating were legendary.

Dr Mahathir eventually retired and in 2009 Najib Razak came to power as the prime minister heading the UNMO party.  He instituted reforms and one of these was the creation of a Malaysian National Futures fund titled IMDR, which accumulated billions of Malaysian ringgits.   There was consternation when evidence emerged of a computer fraud and billions of ringgits went missing.

Under Razak's rule as prime minister the investigation seemed to go in concentric circles that never reached a conclusion, and politics in Malaysia sharpened when the now extremely aged Dr Mahathir emerged from retirement and challenged Razak at the polls.   He swept back into office in a landslide, and now that investigation into the missing money took new impetus.

It was discovered that more than a billion in US Dollar value had found its way into former prime minister Razak's personal bank account.  He tried to account for this by claiming the money was a personal loan from the Saudi Royal family. Najib Razak and his wife were arrested and prevented from leaving Malaysia while an indepth investigation uncovered more of the story.

It uncovered a treasure trove of high value consumer goods stashed away in Razak's former home.  It was like something from the tale of the Arabian Nights and consisted of rings, brooches, tiaras, watches and necklaces which the jewellery trade valued as worth more than $ 273 million.  Most of this had been obtained by internet purchases.

The former prime minister went to trial and now that court has delivered its verdict,.  He was charged with abuse of power, three charges of breach of trust and three money laundering charges. Razak was found guilty on all seven counts and the  High Court judge delivering that verdict took two hours to deliver his finding.

Razak still claims to be innocent and will lodge an appeal.  He is now claiming the fraud is the work of a shonky financial adviser, who has left the country and can not be traced.  The trial has yet to proceed to sentencing and that may cause a few problems because the political balance in the country has again changed.

Razak's political party - UNMO - is again back in power as part of an alliance that has Muhyiddin Yassin occupying the post of prime minister.   It will be interesting to see how this affects whatever sentence is handed down to the former head of the UNMO party.

What is peculiar is that this crime happened in a democratic regime.  Malaysians go to the polls to elect their government and grand theft is usually the preserve of dictators.  In this instance it seems that a legally elected prime minister chose to use the country's Future Fund as his personal piggy bank.

Highway Horror !

A " Tradie " had an unsetlling experience in Queensland this week.  This 27 year old Gladstone man had been working at an outlaying homestead and when the job was finished was heading back into the city in the late afternoon.  He was driving at the legal speed limit of 100 kph when he noticed " movement " on the floor of his ute, and discovered that he had an unwanted " passenger ".

It was a fully grown eastern brown snake, rated as one of the most venemous reptiles of the many types that are common to this country.  His first thought was to stop and get out of his ute, but when he moved his foot to the brake the snake began to coil around his leg and showed aggression by striking at the front edge of the seat he was sitting on.

He grabbed a work knife that was laying on the passenger seat and began a fight for survival with the snake, all the while keeping his foot off the brake and careering down the highway at a hundred kph.  It was an unnerving battle keeping from running off the road while inflicting damage on the snake but he emerged victorious.   He threw the dead snake in the tray and - certain that he had been bitten - took off at high speed to try and get to a hospital which would have the necessary anti-venom on hand.

That ute travelling  well above the speeed limit drew the attention of a highway patrol car and the distressed driver was happy to see flashing lights in his rear view mirror.  The speed cop heard his story and saw the dead snake and used his radio to summon help.  Time is of the essence in dealing with snake bite and an ambulance was quickly summonsed to make a high speed dash to rhe scene.

Fortuitously, the medical examination showed no sign of the telltale punctures a snake bite would have inflicted and it was not necessary to inject the driver with anti-venene.  The police also waived any thought of issueing a speeding ticket and that tradie continued his journey with a story that would leave his family spellbound.

Finding a snake beneath your feet while driving a vehicle would be the ultimate horror most people could imagine.  The Australian continent comes with a big range of venemous snakes of various types and they are known for their curiosity and tendency to investigate cars that attract their attention.

It is not a good idea to park a vehicle with the door open or the windows lowered anywhere snakes may be present.   Even having a picnic with the boot raised is an invitatiion  to a curious snake to climb in and make an inspection.  Most snakes are not aggressive and if left alone will eventually depart, but trying to remove them can easily end in a snake bite.    That Tradie would be well advised to buy a lottery ticket while his luck still holds !

The Rising " Bamboo " Curtain !

A DFAT warning about travel to China should be taken very seriously. China has clearly abandoned the " one country, two systems " deal it struck with Britain when Hong Kong lost its status as a British dependency and became an integral part of China in 1997.  That ushered in a fifty year period when Hong Kong residents were supposed to be free of Chinese government interference.  They would enjoy rule by their own legislature and be subject to the Hong Kong court system.

Beijing has been constantly encroaching in recent times.  It insists on vetting those standing for the city's legislative council, resulting in massive street protests and a growing movement for independence.  Beijing has now imposed new security laws that make it a crime to show any opposition to Communist party rule.  Suspects can be whisked over the border and tried in a Communist court where the rules of law that apply in Hong Kong are disregarded.  Those convicted simply disaoppear into the massive Chinese gulags.

Chinese tactical thinking changed when the chief financial officer for Chinese electronic giant Huawei was arrested in Canada on a warrant from the United States when her plane touched down for a fuelling stop. China responded to the imprisonment of Meng Wanzhow by arresting two Canadian businessmen on a visit to China on espionage charges, and this remains unresolved.

China is using the massive bargaining power it enjoys because of its trade balance with the rest of the world to play tough guy.  It can show its displeasure with another country by simply plucking tourists of that nationality off the street and charging them with espionage.  Short of going to war, there is nothing the arrested tourist's country can do to gain release other than endless negotiation.

Relations between Beijing and Canberra are strained because of Australia's insistence on an independent enquiry into the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China and spread around the world.  Chine is sensitive about its handling of the outbreak and wants to shut down all forms of investigation.  It is actively warning Chinese citizens not to travel to Australia because of claimed hostility to Asians and there is the fear that this could lead to the arrest of Australian tourists visiting China on trumped up charges.

We seem to be fast heading into a similar " bamboo curtain " which is replacing that old " iron curtain " that was the dividing line between the west and Russia.   The massive Chinese middle class was encouraged to travel and became the biggest tourist groups visiting Australia and China was a safe destination for Australians.  That has now changed and that DFAT warning is a clear signal to wipe China off the travel itinerary.

Australians who ignore that warning might find the all important exit clearance blocked and face an inderterminate stay beyond the reach of Australian consular services.  Unfortunately, as China is our biggest trade partner that will not be helpfull in restoring mutual business contact now that the coronavirus is slowly fading as a medical emergency.   Australian businessmen and women who take that risk do so at their personal peril.

Creating Value From Waste !

We Australians generate a lot of waste and in the past it either went to landfills or it was shipped overseas for processing.  The technology exists to turn waste into productive raw materials for industry.   China was the main destination, but  in 2018 Chins imposed restrictions and so did  Taiwan, Malaysia India and Thailand.  Our unwanted waste if piling up in Australia. We are in danger of drowning in a sea of our own rubbish.

Trying to extricate our economy from the damage caused by this coronavirus has made job creation urgent and both the Federal and state governments have contributed to a plan to deal with this waste problem in Australia.  Six hundred million dollars have been set aside to create the necessary waste conversion plant and it is calculated that this will deliver about ten thousand new jobs in a completely new industry.

When this waste goes to landfills it involves three people  to put it in the ground.    The recycling to make usable raw material for industry would expand that to ten jobs and create a new range of professional skills.  This would take waste processing up the scale from unskilled labouring to the trained levels necessary to operate a sophisticated new industry.

The technology now exists to turn waste into high value raw material which is safe for human health and the environment.  That waste we have been exporting overseas has been so processed and usually returns to this country as finished products.  It is surprising how many commonly used items are actually constructed from waste that has been reconstructed back to the state of the same raw material  we mine from the ground.

Work is about to start to build a new recycling plant in Albury, on the New South Wales and Victorian border.   It makes sense to draw the waste from the two sources of high density population on each side of that border and Albury has both the road and rail connection to deliver the newly created raw material to industry in the eastern states.

It will be in the interests of the Australian economy for both the Federal and the state governments to persuade industry to convert to using raw material generated by waste processing.  There will be the usual inertia to resist change but the advent of this pandemic has shaken the industrial structure to the extent that change is now necessary for the survival of many industries.

Both the money and the intent are being concentrated on a serious plan to recycle the waste we generate to flow back to industry as raw marerial.   The options for exporting it overseas are ending and sending it to landfill is fast filling usable sites.  It seems it took a pandemic to undertake what should have been obvious years ago.

Water Safety !

Last weekend three men lost their lives off La Perouse when their fishing boat overturned in moderate sea conditions.  The alarm was quickly raised and the event happened close to where a rescue helicopter is based.   It was in the air in minutes and a recue crew winched the men out of the water but the sea had claimed their lives.

Their boat was washed onto an onshore rock shelf and their fishing gear scattered nearby.  What was apparent to the rescuers was that this was a well equipped fishing boat that met all legal requirements.  It carried safety vests for each on the people aboard and these were clearly visible beside the upturned boat.   The tragedy is that these deaths could - and probably would - have been prevented had the men been wearing these safety devices.

The law is very clear.  When a boat ventures to sea it is the job of the water police to regulary check that it meets the legal safety requirements regarding safety vests, flares and other life saving equipment.  That same safety law now requires rock fisherpeople to have a safety vest but the law falls short of requiring that it be actually worn.

That law does require children carried in a boat to wear a flotation device when on the water but the legislation does not apply to adults.  The sea is an unforgiving enemy or a best friend, depending on its mood and how mariners are prepared.  There is strong opposition from many boat people to a law change to make a safety device a compulsory item of wear on the water.   Some claim they are uncomfortable and restrict movements but the modern version inflates automatically once it comes in contact with water.

Rock fishing is a known water hazard.  Even on the calmest day the sea delivers the odd wave that is much bigger than the rest and this is likely to sweep fisherfolk well above wave level into the water.  The drowning statistics from rock fishing tell an ongoing story of death and people enjoying that sport are warned to never take their eyes off the sea.   That dangerously big wave arrives without warning.

Most deaths by drowning woud be prevetable if the law required safety devices to be worn whenever people ventured aboard boats or engaged in rock fishing.  We regularly hear of miracle events where someone has stayed afloat for days clinging to debris but this is counterbalanced by events where even the quick action of a rescue helipcopter fails to save lives.

It is time the politicians became courageous and passed a law that the water police could implement. Its time we put on a safety vest automatically whenever we ventured onto the water, or decide to fish from the rocky shore.

Double Dipping !

This weekend the long awaited second stage of the WestConnex motorway will deliver a faster crossing of southern Sydney, but it will come at a cost to motorists.   This section will connect Kingsgrove with St Peters at a toll of $6.95 for each car and a higher toll for trucks and buses.  It seems that Sydney is fast gaining the inglorious title of being the highest tolled city in the world.

That is happening because of a change of philosophy.   The daily commute was getting longer and slower and we simply did not generate enough money in this state to pay for the work that was needed.  The state government put a plan to the people that some described as " pawning the family silver " !

At that time, generating the electricity that kept the lights on in New South Wales was a government responsibility.  It was suggested that if this public works was sold to the private sector it would generate the money needed to renew all sorts of deficiencies and usher in a utopia of modernity.  In particular, New South Wales was promised a better road system and an upgrade of the rail network.

A lot of people had reservations about that plan.  It was suggested that selling electricity in the money market would lead to price rises and put the reliable supply in jeapardy.  To make matters worse electricity was generated by old, coal fired power stations at a time when science told us that we needed to stop burning fossil fuels to stop the onset of global warming.

That sale of the electricity supply did take place and suddenly the state was awash with billions of dollars of unemcumbered money.  Improvements were scheduled for the rail system and included a new Metro.   The city regained light rail with trams running in the streets and we are in the middle of an ambitious plan to create a fast road network which features new underground tunnels to speed the traffic flow.

Public thinking at that time expected these improvements to be paid for from the largesse provided by the sale of the elctricity network, but what emerged is something that many now see as " double dipping ".   The moment a new roadway section is completed it is sold off to a finance company which recovers the cost and makes a profit by installing a toll.  As the roadway extends, so does the toll and eventually any journey made in speed and comfort will be at the cost of a toll.

This philosophy is ongoing.  As the road system incorporates a toll, the money it generates is used to fund other improvements that have been left undone because of the lack of money. As a result of that electricity sale, the ownership of the means of generating power now relies on commercial interests and the price per household seems to be ever rising.  There is a real risk that the capacity may not meet demand in the hotter days of the coming summer.

It seems that this is a world trend.  Public assets are passing into the hands of the private sector to generate the money needed to provide public facilities that are otherwise outside of government reach.   Each stage imposes a new debt on the public and increases the cost of living.

This does deliver a tangible benefit in the early stages, but when it is projected into the future the end result is frightening.

Withdrawing a Title !

   Have you ever wondered why some prominent lawyers have the initials "SC " after their name ?   That stands for "Senior Counsel "and a person so designated is known as a "silk "and is highly sought to provide representation in important legal cases.   Such a highy regarded lawyer usually charges fees well above the average for the rank and file.

In the distant past this was formerly known as "QC "which stood for "Queen's Counsel "and it was awarded by the state government on a very limited basis.  Since 1992 the government has withdrawn from that role and that appelation has been awarded by the NSW Bar Association since 1993.

Now an interesting situation is arising with the holder of an SC having been accused of infamy to the point that it is suggested that the appelation be withdrawn.  Dyson Heydon  had the honour to sit as a justice of the Australian High Court, but an internal enquiry also found him guilty of sexually harassing women junior to him in the legal hierarchy.

This is a charge that has unseated men in power around the world.  The directors of major corporations have caused offenders to stand down and in some cases prosecutions have resulted in prison sentences.  Women who in the past maintained their silence are speaking out and the use of power to force sex on women reliant on a man to grant them progress has gained the ability to destroy reputations.

Perhaps Dyson Heydon is seeing the threat to his nomination as a silk.   He has not renewed his barristers practicing certificate this year and that means he is "forbidden "to practice as a lawyer.  The withdrawal of the SC award is somerthing that if it proceeds would break new ground and illustrates the severity with which sexual misconduct is now regarded.

But perhaps we should rethink the purpose of this title.   It is awarded as a result of exemplerary skill in the courtroom, employing new tactics and new avenues of argument which achieve outstanding results.  That skill is not being questioned when the issue is a social matter concerning the morality of his conduct with women.

There are many lawyers who deserve elevation to SC but who are passed over.  Undoubtedly, had this issue with women arisen before Heydon was selected for this honour it would not have proceeded.  It seems that Heydon's action in not renewing his right to appear in court is self serving.  He may be hoping his withdrawal will be sufficient to maintain those letters that proclaim the pinnacle of success in the legal profession.

Jury Trials !

Many would agree with the contention that " the law is an ass. "  As any lawyer will tell you, nothing is settled and the law rests on an ever increasing plethora of judgements decided in our overlapping pyramid of courts.

Just such an issue arose this week in the New South Wales District Court when a sexual assault claim was heard by a jury of nine men and three women.   It was claimed that this hasppened seven years ago between a policeman, on duty and wearing his uniform at that time and a colleague of junior rank.

It is alleged that the policeman went to the womans home, grabbed her by the wrists and dragged her down a corridor to a bedroom and sexually assaulted her.  That jury deliberated for an hour and a half before acquitting the policeman of the charge.

The accused former policeman was in the dock and his accuser was sitting in the public gallery of the court.  The acting judge took the unusual action of addressing the woman from the bench after the jury returned its verdict.

The judge acknowledged that she would likely be disappointed  but she should not think the jury had branded her a bad person or that her character had been besmirched in any way.  He said her offered this comment " as a matter of common humanity ".

The prosecution had argued that the accused would have known the woman was not consenting and her account of events that evening should be believed.   The defence lawyer had claimed exactly the opposite and it seems that the jury had decided that the woman's version of events was in a number of ways strange and hard to accept ".

That is exactly how our justice system was formed when Magna Carta was forced on King John of England in 1215.  Guilt or innocence was placed in the hands of, not a judge but a jury consisting of " those of our peers ".Ordinary men and women chosen at random who needed to be convinced by the evidence presented.

In todays world that justice has been corrupted by the influence of money.   Lawyers with the advanced skills to sway a jury charge accordingly for their services and are out of financial reach for many accused.  Despite that shortcoming, any case going to trial does not have a guaranteed outcome.
The human mind will be the deciding factor between guilt and innocence  !   Just as Magna Carta intended  !

The " Green Ban " Option !

Seventy years ago we saw an interesting collision between the state government and the union movement when union leader Jack Mundey slapped a green ban on a cluster of homes and warehouses scheduled for demolition.  These were amongst the first structures of early Sydney, located in a pocket of land adjacent to the harbour bridge and accessed from the ferry terminal at Circular Quay.

They were to be replaced with housing blocks and this was highly contraversial.  There was a strong movement for conservation which brought groups of protesters for both view into the city and the union ban prevented work starting on any form of demolition.  During this stoush journalist Anita Neilson mysteriously disappeared and that remains an usolved murder.

The preservation of what is known as " The Rocks " was successful and this example of earlier architecture draws tourists today.  Now we have another green ban coming into force to try and save two historical homes at Parramatta which are scheduled for demolition to make way for a new version of the Powerhouse museum.

Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace are stately homes in perfect condition and the CFMEU have stayed the application of the wrecking ball by decreeing that none of their members will report for work to carrty out that task.   There is a strong movement for keeping the Powerhouse museum where it is and the move to Parramatrta will cost several billion dollars which many people feel could be better spent elsewhere.

This is heading for a clash between the government we elected to office and their plans for the city, and a trade group formed to proptect the interests of the workers who earn their pay in the construction industry.  The CFMEU is known as a militant union closely connected to the Australian Labor party and this green ban is probably more connected to party politics than any genuine concern for preserving our heritage.

The state government will be obviously watching voter reaction to the ban and acting accordingly.   If they felt they had public support they could react in kind.   If the CFMEU are not prepared to clear the site then they should be banned from taking part in construction of the new Powerghouse museum which will replace those old homes.

That would be a bold move to disenfranchise the union and support non union labour as a preferred alternative, and it is unlikely to happen.  The more likely outcome is that the Powerhouse museum stays where it is and that move to Parramatta is eventually abandoned.   In this instance the union has correctly envisaged the will of the people and acted accordingly.

The green ban seems likely to be a new force in city planning for the future !

War - By Another Name !

In the distant past a war was a very predictable event.   A foreign army came pouring over the border and we needed to recruit our young men to form a defene force.  The two armies fought battles until one reached a decisive victory that changed the history of nations.

In recent times the development of the nuclear bomb has changed everything.  Opposing nations are now armed with missiles than can deliver a nuclear strike without warning and in many ways that has been a blessing.    The doctrine of " Mutually Assured Destruction " has actually prevented a third world war from bringing national destruction.

We have now reached a new stage when war is an ongoing event between the electronic warriors of opposing nations.  The mechanics of running a country can be disrupted by cyber warfare conducted on the internet and this manifests tself in the penetration of industry to steal intellectual property that gives the aggressor a technical advantage.  The mechanics of running a country have become so comnplex that interference from the internet can cripple the internal structure of a country and bring chaos.

The internet is now so completley integrated into the running of the country that a cyber attack can quickly close down the electricity supply and with that the transport and commerce that keeps this nation trading.  We recently had a warning when action by an undisclosed nation penetrated both government and industry to steal the trove of information that would enable a comnpetitor to have an advantage.  It is clearly evident that Australian industry lacks the siophisticated defences to deter such atrtacks.

Only a limited numnber of countries have the cyber penetration capability to launch such a raid and clearly the blame is directed at China.  The Chinese Communist government is seeking world trading dominance and ignores the trade protocols that usually apply to world trade.  It is rapidly and purposfully building its military forces to replicate the strength of the United States.

The Australian government has signalled its intention to form an internal cyber defence unit and this is long overdue.We need the powerful computers and the skilled people to use them to form a defence against attacks on both our industry and our military forces.  Our potential enemies are equally vulnerable to penetration from an Australian cyber force with the right equipment.

In the world of today, computers and the people trained to use them are as much a necessity for national defence as the army, navy and the air force   We spend billions on equipment for the armed services and now that budget will need to expand to cover cyber defence.  That is a rational decision that deserves public support  !

Crisis Time !

When breaking news brought vivid pictures of a twenty-four story London apartment tower encased in flames in June of 2017 we were blissfully unaware that hundreds of similar buildings in Sydney faced a similar fate.  Grenfell Tower was a concrete building, but its outer surface had been reclad with an attractive urethane and aluminium facing and when fire escaped from a unit it travelled up the exterior until the entire tower was a flaming torch in the night sky.  Seventy two residents were trapped in their apartments and died at the scene.

Very quickly this disaster brought a review of tower cladding in Sydney and it seems that this combustable cladding was common on both new buildings and others that had undergone renovation.  It did not comply with the relevant building code and from a safety point of view it needed to be removed and replaced with a safer alternative.

The stumbling block to furtheer action was the cost.  In most cases the developer had taken their profits and gone and the actual builder didn't have the asset base to deliver a remedy.  The quotes to do what was needeed were running into million dollar figures and it looks like the people who bought in good faith are stuck with the bill.

Here we are, five years after the Grenfell Tower disaster and little work has actually progressed.  Thousands of people are living in what can only be called " fire traps " and now two hundred and ninety nine aparrtment owners are receiving notices from the city fire department.that will end their right to occupy their home because of this fire danger.

This cost spotlighht is now shining on the New South Wales Government.  In Britain the rectification cost is being partly met by the United Kingdom government and in Victoria where similar dangerous cladding is also widespread the state government is also contributing to recification costs.  No such moves are underway in NSW and individual owners are facing crippling bills that run into thousands of dollars and this is coming at the worst possible time with many out of work because of the coronavirus problem.

The NSW approach seems more concerned with improving the building code so that similar problems can be avoided in the future.  The councils which have the job of applying the building code claim to not have the funds to help with this rectification work and many apartment owners are facing penury.  We simply can not let families continue to live in buildings which have the potential to become another Grenfell Tower diaster.

We have been lucky, so far.   Several cladding fires have been caught in time and extinguished, but that luck will not hold indefinitely.  At the very least, the state government is expected to offer low interest, long term loans to spread that rectification cost within the owners ability to pay.   Now that these fire department threats are appearing in letter boxes that relief is becoming urgent.   Only the state and Federal governments have the deep pockets to fund a disaster of this magnitude.