The " Copycat " Syndrome !

The western world was forced to install street bollards to stop vehicles being deliberately used to run down pedestrians when this became part of the Islamic State playbook.  The massacre of crowds watching a music festival in Las Vegas had nothing to do with IS but you can be sure that they will welcome the scenario because of the scale of suffering it delivered.

Stephen Paddock was a wealthy sixty-four year old retiree who was addicted to gambling.  There are no obvious signs of mental disability and he seems to have been living a normally comfortable life. He had a livein girlfriend, who he sent on a holiday to the Philippines as he put this massacre into motion and it now seems like Las Vegas was just one of the venues that he investigated.

It was a dastardly clever plot,  He amassed over twenty assault rifles and converted most to fully automatic fire.  He booked a room on the thirty-second floor of a Los Vegas hotel with a view of where an open air music festival would be playing across the street.  He setup surveillance cameras to screen the approach to his room and then broke the window and commenced to direct automatic fire onto the twenty-thousand people gathered below.

For eleven minutes he was undisturbed as he either used a fresh assault rifle or slapped a new magazine into others and that unrelenting fire  killed fifty-eight people and wounded five hundred more. He then killed himself as a police SWAT team began to break in to his room.   We do not know what reason drove him to that act of insanity, but it seems unlikely that it had anything to do with religion or was in support of Islamic Sate.

Obtaining even one assault rifle will be more difficult in Australia, but there is a very active arms smuggling operation in place here and we will need to be cautious whenever any event involving mass crowds is planned.  Just as the use of vehicles to deliver mayhem quickly became an item in terrorists minds, the lesson learned in Los Vegas will not be missed by those urging converts to kill and maim in the name of Islam.

For a long time IS was occupied with establishing a Caliphate and capturing territory in Syria and Iraq.  That war is now a lost cause and they are being forced out of their last few strongholds.  To remain relevant, they need to show that they are active and consequently we can expect an increase in terrorist acts in the western world.

Legislation has just been enacted to allow the holding of terrorism suspects in police custody for fourteen days without charges being laid.  Some people claim that this offends our view on civil liberties, but getting killed in terrorist assaults is an even greater infringement on our right to remain alive.

Some people are aghast that this legislation will allow children as young as ten to be scooped up in this detention order.  It must be remembered that IS deliberately targets such young minds and that under Australian law ten is the age of criminal responsibility.  Children in an IS family are likely to be indoctrinated and if we get to them early enough there is a chance they can go on to lead a normal life.

We do not know what possessed Stephen Paddock to commit mass murder in Las Vegas, but he pioneered a new act of terrorism which will attract the " copycat " syndrome.   Unfortunately, the necessity to apply counter measures does contain some elements that restrict our usual application of civil liberties.   That is a safety measure that is necessary.

Awaiting Action !

The Grenfell Tower disaster in London certainly shone the spotlight on high rise building safety but we had already had a taste of this danger with a fire at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne.  Flames raced up thirteen floors of this apartment building which was clad in this same aluminium and polyethylene sandwich.

Now the politicians are rowing about how this material should be controlled.   The Labor Opposition and the Property Council of Australia want it to be declared a prohibited import but this is being resisted by the Federal government.  It is also  being manufactured here in Australia so an import ban would not eradicate the risk, and it does have legitimate uses as the base for signage where  fire is not the problem.

There are two distinctly important problems that the tragic loss of eighty lives in London brought to the attention of the rest of the world.  There are 2500 low rise buildings in New South Wales and thousands more in Victoria clad in this material and firm action is needed to reduce that risk.   At the moment, this seems to remain in place because the responsibility issue has not been settled.

There is no doubt laws have been broken.  It is illegal to clad a building with a flammable material and building specification starts with the architect.  The company erecting the building is required to abide by the law, and before any apartment building can be legally occupied it has to be signed off by the relevant council as having legally met those standards.    The resident owners of such apartments have a very good case to expect the guilty parties to foot the rectification bill.

The cost we are looking at here is massive.   To remove this cladding and replace it could run to millions of dollars and if it is sheeted home to building companies and councils many would be forced into bankruptcy, and if it is not recoverable from those sources, the cost falls on individual apartment owners.  Not only will many be unable to pay, the impost would probably cause the valuation of affected buildings to fall to catastrophic  levels.

It is equally evident that we can not just continue to ignore the risk because if we do it is inevitable that eventually there will be serious loss of life as another Grenfell Tower type incident happens in Australia. That would be just too horrible to contemplate.

The other glaring need is to tighten the building code.  Originally, this aluminium faced product was perfectly safe, but the race for cost reduction saw a flammable core replacing the original inner material.   There is evident weakness in the building code that allowed this downgrading to pass unnoticed.

This has been a wake up call.  Individual building products need to pass a safety evaluation rather than a class of products receiving approval.  The entire architect/builder/council chain of supervision needs tightening if we are to eliminate similar disasters in the future.

The politicians need to do better than this knee jerk reaction to simply slap an import ban on a potentially dangerous product.  We need to settle this cost question of how the rectification bill is settled to allow apartment owners to get on with their lives.   Until we bite the bullet and get the courts to make decisions it is only a matter of time before fate puts an Australian fire horror on the nightly news !

Pawning the Family Silver !

High finance is not something the ordinary citizen understands but - hopefully - the government people who control our finances know what they are doing.   The only problem is that simple minded folk are coming to believe that " finance " really means pawning the wealth earlier generations generated for this state.

It all started with what seemed like a very reasonable proposition.  We badly needed a decent road system to overcome the ever slowing traffic flow in Sydney and the public transport system was not up to scratch.  It was argued that if we sold the means of producing and distributing electricity the billions of dollars it would provide  would pay for this upgrade.

Unfortunately, Newtons law applied.  Work is now well advanced on a splendid arterial road system of widened roads and new tunnels and we have not only returned trams to the streets and complimented them with a brand new metro system to speed the working public to their jobs.  But, of course the investors who bought the electricity system and the poles and wires need to also make a profit, and somehow the price we pay for electricity has gone through the roof.

One of the peculiarities of the road system like the West Connex is that despite it being financed from that electricity sale, the public will still be charged a toll to use it.   What is even more peculiar is as fast as it is being built, it is being sold off to other investors.

The original concept of using tolls to finance roads worked on the principle that this was a temporary charge which would cease once the road was paid for.  The difference now is that another group of investors will pay billions to have toll access to that road and the toll will bring them a profit over a very long period of years.

We now hear that there is doubt about what investors may be prepared to pay for a fifty-one percent purchase of the toll rights for the West Connex.  The final cost of construction remains an unknown factor, but sixteen billion has been suggested as the likely outcome.  It is suggested that this may be sold for a mere five billion dollars - and the lease period may be extended from 2026 to 2060 to sweeten the deal.

The reason given for this lease extension is doubt that  the traffic using the road and paying a toll will be lower than the original estimate.  It seems that nobody took into account how those new trams and the new metro will lower the number of people who choose to drive their car on the daily commute.  The road system and public transport are actually in competition with one another.

Of course, the sale of the West Connex will mean the government is again flush with money, and once again we can expect more wonderful plans of how new infrastructure will improve or lives.
Unfortunately, all this sounds like a new version of the " magic pudding ".   It creates the illusion of a generous helping for everyone - going on forever.

Reality is a little different.  Access to these new improvements comes at an added cost !

An End to the Cemetery !

A hundred years ago there was little other option for the disposal of the dead than to dig a hole six foot deep in consecrated ground.  We called that a " Cemetery ".  The problem is that land set aside for that purpose in Sydney is fast reaching the point where no further burials will be possible.  It will soon reach capacity.

The biggest cemetery in Sydney is Rookwood and the Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust is looking to buy new land to create new burial sites.  One of the sites under consideration is the heritage listed  Fernhill estate in western Sydney and this is bitterly opposed by many people, including the   New South Wales branch of the National Trust.

Fernhill Estate was once the home of colourful Sydney property tycoon Warren Anderson and it contains the Georgian mansion  in which lavish parties were once held.  It is considered iconic and owners of surrounding properties are dismayed at the thought that is may be converted into a panorama of ugly headstones and monuments.   Every second house in Mulgoa road has a  " No cemetery in Fernhill "  sign on its front lawn.

The decision rests in the hands of the Minister for Lands, Paul Toole and it is being opposed by two former Liberal politicians who once held that seat, together with both the present member, Tanya Davies and the Minister for Western Sydney,  Stuart Ayres.   It is quickly building into a movement to end the custom of burials in the confines of greater Sydney.

The problem with cemeteries is - longevity.  Graves that are well tended shortly after burial fall into decay as generations pass and eventually old cemeteries become a wasteland. Cremation  is fast overtaking burials because it is more efficient and cheaper and memorials that were once hugely expensive works of art are now replaced with a simple plaque or the scattering or ashes in a favoured location.

We are a small population in a giant continent and for cultural and religious reasons it is unlikely that burials will totally cease, but the cemeteries that are available for burial may soon be far away from the Sydney city confines.  Land in Sydney is expensive as its use is sought for both industry and housing.  A new custom must emerge that those demanding a burial must be prepared to accept a location in what we would now describe as " near country ", possibly a considerable car journey away from the nearest city suburb.

Country towns which avoid the price expansion for land my still continue burial practices and those within reasonable distance of a city may benefit by providing this service, but it seems inevitable that city ordinances may soon legally prevent land acquisition for new cemeteries.

Despite objections,  the government approved the recent purchase of Wallacia Golf course by Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries for creation of a new cemetery.  It is quite possible that the rejection of this Fernhill proposal will be the turning point where the creation of new cemeteries in Sydney ceases.   The funeral industry would be wise to adapt to this change to a distant venue and plan accordingly.

Essential Services !

We live in a hard old commercial world and while the threat of being thrown into a debtor's prison no longer exists, drastic things still happen when we don't pay our bills.  The banks are quick to foreclose if our home mortgage falls into arrears.

There is a vast difference in how commercial firms treat delinquent customers that owe them money.  Phone service companies are quick to disconnect services but what we consider " essential services " are treated very differently.  Their providers offer many forms of relief, including extended payments to cushion reducing arrears.  Government agencies disperse emergency grants where applicants are suffering hardship - and every effort is made to avoid disconnection.

But, when all else fails, it seems that disconnection is the only option.   Where these are government supplied services, the rules that apply differently state to state.  Unpaid water bills in some states result in a partial disconnection.  The supply is reduced to the extent that there is insufficient pressure to use a washing machine or have a shower, but enough remains to gradually replenish the toilet flush or to deliver a glass of water.   Legislation ensures that the occupants must never be deprived of the life preserving availability of drinking water and toilets must be flushed at least daily as a hygiene measure.

Obviously, electricity presents a very different problem.  It is not possible to provide a partial supply and the supplier has passed from government hands into those of a commercial entity in recent years. The prospect of families with little kids being left in the dark is chilling.  In most cases they are left without the means to cook or heat food, keep supplies refrigerated or provide warmth from the cold of winter.  This is now a problem putting immense pressure on charitable agencies to whom these people appeal.

The fact that the charge for electricity has doubled in recent years threatens a huge surge of disconnections when we next suffer an economic downturn - and they happen on a very predictable cycle.   We are part of the world economy and events in other countries can cause fluctuations in the price we gain from exports or generally disrupt trade to our disadvantage.   We are at present suffering static wage levels despite high employment and an ever lowering unemployment pool.

It is reassuring to know that some rules are in place when it comes to electricity disconnection to shield people who rely on life support equipment that is powered by electricity.  Several electricity suppliers have disconnected customers despite being aware that such life preserving equipment would cease operating when the electricity supply was terminated.  It could deliver a death sentence to the person who relied on that system for life support.

Electricity suppliers in all states are obliged to give at least four full days notice of intended disconnection to allow the customer to make other arrangements.  Where these failures have occurred, the supplier has been slapped with a twenty thousand dollar fine for each failure.  That seems sufficient to make each supplier stick closely to the rules.

Unfortunately, it does nothing to bring electricity prices into affordability for average people.  A lot of people are struggling to pay their power bills and if it surges to a crescendo in an economic downturn it could be fatal for the government.   Electricity is an essential service and the government needs to do whatever is necessary to stabilize prices and bring them within reach of the average wage earner.   The survival of the government hinges on that happening.

Death by - Salt !

The statisticians tell us that when we ingest too much salt it makes us prone to increased blood pressure and that delivers stroke and hear disease.  Salt is linked to the annual death of 1.65 million people who die each year from cardiovascular disease.

The problem is that salt makes food taste better, and for that reason the people who make the food we eat deliberately add salt to enhance the sale of their product.  That seems to be a fact of life across the entire food spectrum, but extra salt is particularly prevalent in the " fast food "  segment, both what is available at those convenient restaurant chains and in the food we buy and prepare ourselves.

Australia is amongst many world countries that have embarked on a safety programme to reduce the average salt intake by thirty percent by 2025.   Pressure is being applied to the food industry to lower the salt content in bread, breakfast cereals, soups, sauces and processed meats.  As a result, we are seeing food labels that proclaim that the product is " salt reduced ", but in many cases the salt contend is still at a dangerous level.

Many food manufacturers can point to decreased sales of products that have had salt reduced.  Our taste buds seek that tangy salty flavour and if it goes missing we are prone to seek another brand or product that restores the taste.   We seem to be perverse creatures who on hot days partake of drinks like beer to satisfy our thirst, and compliment that with salty potato chips or salt encrusted pretzels. The average Australian eats about nine grams of salt a day, nearly double the WHO's limit.

Ask anyone who has had an ominous warning from their doctor and as a result has set out to reduce their salt intake just how difficult that can be.  Salt taste is really an addiction.  We complain that without salt food is " tasteless "  but if we persevere that addiction fades and our taste learns to do without it, but an occasional salt breakout can set the process right back to zero.

Government agencies are reluctant to use legislation to force lower salt levels on the food industry but eventually some sort of maximum standard may be necessary, but so many people have an ingrained taste for salt that they add it as a matter of course whenever they decide to eat.

In any restaurant it is curious just how many people reach for the salt shaker and add salt to whatever food they have ordered.  It seems more a reflex action than a result of thought and perhaps it is rooted in that addiction process.  The sight of the salt and pepper shakers on the table may prompt the subconscious.

Along with pressure on the food industry to reduce the salt in food products, maybe the answer to the salt problem is to legislate to make it illegal to have salt shakers at any food source.    If they were removed from restaurant tables - and unavailable for even requests - a major source of salt ingestion would be removed.

It would also probably result in a lot of angry people.  We already know that too much salt will eventually kill us and that too much sugar will have a similar result.  But we are a perverse species. Woe betide anyone who tries to force a change of lifestyle to enable us to live longer.  We insist on being masters of our own destiny - whatever that delivers !

The " Capitalist " Economy !

The Australian economy has weathered good times and bad.  The aim of the union movement has been to gain better pay for its members by " collective bargaining ".  This is very effective when demand for goods is strong and the union can deliver greater productivity in exchange for a fatter pay packet.  The usual outcome is an " enterprise agreement " hammered out between the union and the employer that covers both wages and conditions.

Unfortunately, this delivers mixed results. Aggressive unions in key industries have managed to negotiate very favourable pay and conditions for their members, often by using the strike weapon to force the decisions they seek, but weaker unions have not had this same success.  There are many industrial segments where pay is low.  Usually this is where the work is unskilled and the employer can replace numbers that leave from a vast unemployment pool.

In recent decades the strength of the union movement has been declining.  In the past, many industries were referred to as a " closed shop ".  The union had the power to insist that all that worked there join the union.  That is now illegal and the numbers in unions in Australia has withered away sharply.   We still have some very militant unions, but they are clustered in a small number of important industries.

The Australian economy entered a new cycle with the recession that started in 2008.  We came out of that better than most other world countries with much less employment loss, but wages have remained flat despite a huge jump in housing costs and increases for essentials such as gas and electricity.  Pressure is building to increase the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour.

One of the tenets of the Capitalist system in place in Australia is that employers have the right to make goods by engaging labour at whatever price is dictated by demand and availability.  The government maintains a degree of control by the establishment of the Fair Work Commission which ensures that pay meets standards of national accountability and working conditions remain within guidelines.  The Fair Work Commission is the umpire which sets the supposedly level playing field between boss and worker.

Now a new eventuality is intruding into that arrangement.  Unilever is a giant world company that owns Streets Ice Cream, one of our national brands.   Over the years the union covering Streets workers have negotiated award conditions which are contained within an " enterprise agreement " currently in place.   Under this, output has not been interrupted by strikes and employment and output has been stable - and harmonious.   Many of the work conditions in place were negotiated before the 2008 downturn.

Now Unilever is demanding that this enterprise agreement be terminated - and that working conditions at Streets Ice Cream revert to the award safety net.  If that happens, it is estimated that the pay for those working in the ice cream factory will be cut by forty six percent.

This is " Capitalism " in its ultimate form.  It seems that Unilever thinks it is paying its workers more than it needs to get the same work done and that there is a sufficient unemployment pool to replace them if they object  and leave.   Of course their workers have bought homes and established lifestyles commensurate with the pay levels they have been earning in what they considered " permanent " jobs.  It is unlikely that they could replicate those same pay and working conditions in the present employment malaise.

There are rumblings that moves to terminate similar enterprise agreements are being heard in other industries where production facilities here are owned by a world wide behemoth with little interest in its workers lives and every intent on improving its bottom line.

A lot depends on how the Fair Work Commission reacts and whether this sends workers fleeing to join unions for their protection.  If this pay cut comes into effect many will face the prospect of home loss if they can not pay mortgages and it could lead to a drop in pay and conditions across employment generally.   It certainly throws the spotlight on the capitalist system that has always been the basis of Australian employment.