Have you ever wondered if your family history may have included a convict transported to Australia when the First Fleet arrived ? That used to be a matter of shame to be scrupulously avoided but in todays more open world many people are curios about their ancestry and the tools are available to make detailed searches.
It can be exciting to find a convict lurking in the distant past and many organizations can help with that search. They need to known details of your parents and grandparents on both sides of the family and they usually also ask for a DNA sample. That can be as simple as spitting into a specimen jar.
In the last few decades DNA research has increased in great leaps and bounds. Every few months it makes unprecedented progress. We are fast reaching the stage when the presence of a suspect at a crime scene can be detected without finding an actual fingerprint. The air we breathe can transfer our DNA to where it can be recognised by the ever improving detection apparatus.
This march of progress is being headed by law enforcement. DNA analysis is a vital tool of police forensics and many a case has been solved by extracting DNA from a discarded cigarette butt or from a drink can. Law enforcement is using ever widening methods of accessing the gene pool to narrow the search for offenders and this is fast becoming a privacy issue.
That raises the issue of DNA samples we have willingly provided to medical organizations and to the various researchers who track our ancestry records. The DNA search engines are fast reaching the stage where the DNA of a suspect can be cross matched to that of a member of his or her family - if the DNA of another family member is on record somewhere.
That is a chilling thought. Many a very respectable family has a " black sheep " that rarely gets a mention in polite conversation. They dread the day a conviction may lead to lurid newspaper or other media stories which highlights their association. The police use of DNA technology is ever widening and the use of the genetic database is sought by Interpol. It is now quite possible to link a criminal operating abroad with the data from a family living in another country.
This increasing research may soon make it possible for a criminal to be positively identified simply by cross matching his or her DNA to other family members. As the need for DNA samples widens for medical reasons and for ancestry research the DNA pool records widen exponentially. We may have supplied a sample without our knowledge.
We may have passed the point of no return. If even a distant member of our family is on DNA record that may be sufficient to start the researchers looking in our direction. It is impossible to determine just what heights DNA analysis may reach in the years ahead. Our identity may be instantly available from a common data base by mid century.
Saturday, 7 July 2018
Friday, 6 July 2018
Seal of the Confessional !
For the first time a priest of the Roman Catholic Church has been convicted of the crime of failing to report child sex allegations learned from a fellow priest making his confession as required of those following the Catholic creed. The law of New South Wales comes into conflict with what the Catholic church claims is the seal of the confessional.
In the Newcastle local court, Magistrate Robert Stone found Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson guilty of concealing a child sex crime and sentenced him to twelve months prison. Wilson has signalled that he will appeal this verdict and he has declined to resign from the priesthood, nor has the Roman Catholic church asked for his resignation.
In the eyes of the law, Archbishop Wilson is now a convicted criminal. It seems impossible that the Pope can simply ignore that situation and allow him to remain as Archbishop of Adelaide. That would be seen by many as sheer Catholic arrogance. The church has an appalling record of priests defiling children and covering that crime by simply moving the offender to a different parish.
The crux of this matter is the convention held by the Catholic church that confession to a priest is where the priest is standing in as an intermediary for God and it is God who forgives the confessed sin. Over centuries, the church has clamed to be above the law of the land in which it serves and we now have a legal ruling that this interpretation is not valid in New South Wales.
A new convention is in place. Any priest who fails to report knowledge of child sex abuse puts himself at risk - of conviction and prison. It seems that this reporting requirement applies exclusively to child sex crimes. and leaves the matter of murders unresolved. That probably awaits a decision to be made in another court at another time, but this child sex verdict overturns the professed seal of the confessional.
A vexing decision for any priest and an agonising situation for Rome. If Rome orders priests to maintain silence it comes into conflict with civil authority and condemns priests to martyrdom. Perhaps the answer to this problem is already apparent in the rules that apply when any form of civil crime is being investigated.
A suspect is made aware of his or her rights - and obligations. That legal precursor is necessary before that person is interviewed and it would seem prudent for priests to make it clear that should a child crime be confessed to him during that persons confession he is obliged by law - and will obey that law - by discharging that obligation to the authorities.
By making that standard clear before confession the onus is clearly back in the hands of the perpetrator. The priest is obeying the obligations of the land in which he resides and the person making confession is aware of what limits apply.
Archbishop Wilson is sixty-seven years old. He certainly has the legal right to appeal and follow the course of the law and he has stated that should the appeal fail he will resign. Obviously, the church would be wise to accept that resignation if it happens and a rational warning of the limits that apply in confessions should resolve this confrontation between church and state.
In the Newcastle local court, Magistrate Robert Stone found Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson guilty of concealing a child sex crime and sentenced him to twelve months prison. Wilson has signalled that he will appeal this verdict and he has declined to resign from the priesthood, nor has the Roman Catholic church asked for his resignation.
In the eyes of the law, Archbishop Wilson is now a convicted criminal. It seems impossible that the Pope can simply ignore that situation and allow him to remain as Archbishop of Adelaide. That would be seen by many as sheer Catholic arrogance. The church has an appalling record of priests defiling children and covering that crime by simply moving the offender to a different parish.
The crux of this matter is the convention held by the Catholic church that confession to a priest is where the priest is standing in as an intermediary for God and it is God who forgives the confessed sin. Over centuries, the church has clamed to be above the law of the land in which it serves and we now have a legal ruling that this interpretation is not valid in New South Wales.
A new convention is in place. Any priest who fails to report knowledge of child sex abuse puts himself at risk - of conviction and prison. It seems that this reporting requirement applies exclusively to child sex crimes. and leaves the matter of murders unresolved. That probably awaits a decision to be made in another court at another time, but this child sex verdict overturns the professed seal of the confessional.
A vexing decision for any priest and an agonising situation for Rome. If Rome orders priests to maintain silence it comes into conflict with civil authority and condemns priests to martyrdom. Perhaps the answer to this problem is already apparent in the rules that apply when any form of civil crime is being investigated.
A suspect is made aware of his or her rights - and obligations. That legal precursor is necessary before that person is interviewed and it would seem prudent for priests to make it clear that should a child crime be confessed to him during that persons confession he is obliged by law - and will obey that law - by discharging that obligation to the authorities.
By making that standard clear before confession the onus is clearly back in the hands of the perpetrator. The priest is obeying the obligations of the land in which he resides and the person making confession is aware of what limits apply.
Archbishop Wilson is sixty-seven years old. He certainly has the legal right to appeal and follow the course of the law and he has stated that should the appeal fail he will resign. Obviously, the church would be wise to accept that resignation if it happens and a rational warning of the limits that apply in confessions should resolve this confrontation between church and state.
Thursday, 5 July 2018
The Credit Card Trap !
According to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission ( ASIC ) a vast number of people should not have a credit card because they do not have the ability to safely manage their money. A major credit review has delivered the sad news that over two million Australians - and that is 18.5% of the population - is stuck in a fifty billion dollar debt cycle.
This ASIC review is disheartening. It disclosed the problematic litany of credit card holders who are in arrears on their repayments and who never manage to pay off their outstanding debt. This is debt they would never have accrued if they had needed to put cash on the counter to obtain the goods and that magic credit card is regarded as a " money tree ". We all wish we had one of those growing in our garden.
In all started in 1974 when the Australian banks launched Bankcard. Before that the more wealthy had access to store credit cards, but " ordinary " people obtained major items by the use of hire purchase agreements, or the " never never " as it was known. Bankcards arrived through the mail and Australians discovered the joy and ease of the " buy now - pay later " society. Bankcard was only acceptable within Australia and it was eventually replaced with credit cards applicable internationally.
A credit card account is an expensive way to borrow money. The interest rate is usually above twenty-percent and in the quest for volume some cards are offering to transport unpaid balances into new accounts with an interest free period of years to apply. If that balance is unpaid after that interest free period, draconian interest levels come into force.
ASIC is clamping down and will force credit lenders to reform their acceptance of new clients. The will need to assess their customers ability to repay when setting credit limits and apply new guidelines to determine that the card holder is able to repay credit card debt within a reasonable period. One of the known money traps is people holding several credit cards and trying to balance repayments on overall unsustainable debt.
This concentration on ability to pay will put existing customers under pressure. Many will find their credit limit reduced and eventually those who handle credit responsibly may find interest rates lowered as unrecoverable debt write-offs are reduced. The majority of people who handle credit responsibly are paying for credit insolvency.
It is simply a fact of life that not all people are emotionally able to manage their money and putting a credit card in their hands leads to disaster. It is up to the issuer to determine that risk and set both acceptance and limits accordingly.
This ASIC review is disheartening. It disclosed the problematic litany of credit card holders who are in arrears on their repayments and who never manage to pay off their outstanding debt. This is debt they would never have accrued if they had needed to put cash on the counter to obtain the goods and that magic credit card is regarded as a " money tree ". We all wish we had one of those growing in our garden.
In all started in 1974 when the Australian banks launched Bankcard. Before that the more wealthy had access to store credit cards, but " ordinary " people obtained major items by the use of hire purchase agreements, or the " never never " as it was known. Bankcards arrived through the mail and Australians discovered the joy and ease of the " buy now - pay later " society. Bankcard was only acceptable within Australia and it was eventually replaced with credit cards applicable internationally.
A credit card account is an expensive way to borrow money. The interest rate is usually above twenty-percent and in the quest for volume some cards are offering to transport unpaid balances into new accounts with an interest free period of years to apply. If that balance is unpaid after that interest free period, draconian interest levels come into force.
ASIC is clamping down and will force credit lenders to reform their acceptance of new clients. The will need to assess their customers ability to repay when setting credit limits and apply new guidelines to determine that the card holder is able to repay credit card debt within a reasonable period. One of the known money traps is people holding several credit cards and trying to balance repayments on overall unsustainable debt.
This concentration on ability to pay will put existing customers under pressure. Many will find their credit limit reduced and eventually those who handle credit responsibly may find interest rates lowered as unrecoverable debt write-offs are reduced. The majority of people who handle credit responsibly are paying for credit insolvency.
It is simply a fact of life that not all people are emotionally able to manage their money and putting a credit card in their hands leads to disaster. It is up to the issuer to determine that risk and set both acceptance and limits accordingly.
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
A New " Ageing Disease " !
The primary nemesis of the aged care industry is fall prevention. Otherwise healthy people who have a fall often break bones and the older we get the slower the healing process. Many elderly citizens suffer from osteoporosis in which the bones lack calcium and become brittle. A fall can have a serious effect on that persons confidence and ability to maintain an active life in a care facility.
Now we are becoming aware of a new disease which is being termed sarcopenia, coined from the Greek words for " flesh " and " loss ". It was discovered by American scientist Irwin Rosenberg in the 1980's but has not yet been recognised on the formal list of diseases known as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. It is expected to achieve listing about this time next year.
As a consequence, it is not a subject taught in Australian medical schools and consequently it is fairly unknown by most general practitioners and specialists, and yet some researchers believe that it may be as common as osteoporosis is in the aged community. Perhaps as prevalent as appearing in forty percent of those aged over sixty-five.
Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of muscle mass and strength. Those suffering from it frequently walk slowly and are prone to falls. When they attempt to arise from a chair they have a tendency to fall backwards if the seating is too low and these limitations tend to lose them confidence. One of the known characteristics is an inability to climb or descend stairs.
There are treatments believed to be affective in both preventing and reversing sarcopenia. These include resistance exercise, vitamin D supplicant and increased protein in the diet. Many aged care centres have a daily programme of exercises to prevent muscle loss but these are voluntary and many people opt out. It is a constant battle to encourage activities which prevent age deterioration, and at the same time deliver the freedom of choice which is so important in age care.
We have an ageing population and this is a growth industry predicted to become huge in the latter half of this twenty first century. Falls that result in broken bones are often the issue that sees patient needs change from a place in an active aged care facility, to a bed in a nursing home. If we can prevent the onset of sarcopenia it can have a dramatic effect on health care costs and deliver a better and freer style of living to many in active aged care.
It is important that Sarcopenia be added to that important list of aged ailments and treated alongside osteoporosis as these appear to be relatively tandem diseases. A relatively small change in lifestyle is capable of delivering a huge improvement in life quality for the aged !
Now we are becoming aware of a new disease which is being termed sarcopenia, coined from the Greek words for " flesh " and " loss ". It was discovered by American scientist Irwin Rosenberg in the 1980's but has not yet been recognised on the formal list of diseases known as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. It is expected to achieve listing about this time next year.
As a consequence, it is not a subject taught in Australian medical schools and consequently it is fairly unknown by most general practitioners and specialists, and yet some researchers believe that it may be as common as osteoporosis is in the aged community. Perhaps as prevalent as appearing in forty percent of those aged over sixty-five.
Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of muscle mass and strength. Those suffering from it frequently walk slowly and are prone to falls. When they attempt to arise from a chair they have a tendency to fall backwards if the seating is too low and these limitations tend to lose them confidence. One of the known characteristics is an inability to climb or descend stairs.
There are treatments believed to be affective in both preventing and reversing sarcopenia. These include resistance exercise, vitamin D supplicant and increased protein in the diet. Many aged care centres have a daily programme of exercises to prevent muscle loss but these are voluntary and many people opt out. It is a constant battle to encourage activities which prevent age deterioration, and at the same time deliver the freedom of choice which is so important in age care.
We have an ageing population and this is a growth industry predicted to become huge in the latter half of this twenty first century. Falls that result in broken bones are often the issue that sees patient needs change from a place in an active aged care facility, to a bed in a nursing home. If we can prevent the onset of sarcopenia it can have a dramatic effect on health care costs and deliver a better and freer style of living to many in active aged care.
It is important that Sarcopenia be added to that important list of aged ailments and treated alongside osteoporosis as these appear to be relatively tandem diseases. A relatively small change in lifestyle is capable of delivering a huge improvement in life quality for the aged !
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Medical Competition !
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has issued a warning against the " health checks " being offered by several chains of competing chemists. The Pharmaceutical industry is conducting various " walk in " consultations at which the state of the patients heart, cholesterol level, weight and susceptibility to stroke are measured and this either involves a small charge or the check is chargeable to Medicare.
The RACGP is adamant that healthcare needs revolve around a GP understanding these health needs and monitoring them over time. Doctors are generally very protective of their role in the health system and many see this service as active competition. It raises the question of whether the chemists are offering checks to provide a genuine consultative service, or hoping to sell goods to those enticed into the shop.
Back in the 1980's a medical group setup what seemed to many to be a very innovative approach to medical health. Patients passed through the hands of what seemed to be like an assembly line of medical people. It was all done in a single session in the one location and the results were mailed to the patients nominated General Practitioner. The aim was a pro-active medical check across the entire body, including sight and all the various pathology tests that disclose underlying health problems.
This was sharply criticised by many doctors as conducting unnecessary tests and imposing a cost on the health system. It was initially very popular but interest waned and it eventually shut its doors. The serviced offered in chemist shops seems to be a new approach to draw medical dangers to the attention of those people who are not regularly attended by a medical professional.
In the distant past it was common for GP's to setup in sole practice, have a restricted number of patients and make house calls. Today they are more likely to group together in a clinic for economic reasons. These clinics are more prevalent in affluent areas and it is becoming hard to access a GP in many low income and country areas.
There is every reason that the work of GP's and chemists should be complimentary. A vast number of people rarely consult a doctor but regularly visit a chemist. This presents an opportunity to determine underlying ailments from the relief sought. Chemists enjoy wide public trust and they are in an ideal position to steer patients to seek treatment from a GP. What seems to be in contention here is whether the chemist industry is seeking to intercede in the treatment process !
The RACGP is adamant that healthcare needs revolve around a GP understanding these health needs and monitoring them over time. Doctors are generally very protective of their role in the health system and many see this service as active competition. It raises the question of whether the chemists are offering checks to provide a genuine consultative service, or hoping to sell goods to those enticed into the shop.
Back in the 1980's a medical group setup what seemed to many to be a very innovative approach to medical health. Patients passed through the hands of what seemed to be like an assembly line of medical people. It was all done in a single session in the one location and the results were mailed to the patients nominated General Practitioner. The aim was a pro-active medical check across the entire body, including sight and all the various pathology tests that disclose underlying health problems.
This was sharply criticised by many doctors as conducting unnecessary tests and imposing a cost on the health system. It was initially very popular but interest waned and it eventually shut its doors. The serviced offered in chemist shops seems to be a new approach to draw medical dangers to the attention of those people who are not regularly attended by a medical professional.
In the distant past it was common for GP's to setup in sole practice, have a restricted number of patients and make house calls. Today they are more likely to group together in a clinic for economic reasons. These clinics are more prevalent in affluent areas and it is becoming hard to access a GP in many low income and country areas.
There is every reason that the work of GP's and chemists should be complimentary. A vast number of people rarely consult a doctor but regularly visit a chemist. This presents an opportunity to determine underlying ailments from the relief sought. Chemists enjoy wide public trust and they are in an ideal position to steer patients to seek treatment from a GP. What seems to be in contention here is whether the chemist industry is seeking to intercede in the treatment process !
Monday, 2 July 2018
Where " POT " Is Legal !
California would certainly have been the place to be for recreational pot smokers when July 1 rolled in. New laws came into effect on that day and a law upgrade ended a six month moratorium of legal marijuana being replaced by a stricter quality regimen that required the product to be free of pesticides and microbiological contamination, packed in child proof packaging and tested for potency.
For days, the marijuana industry has been heavily discounting old stock at reduced prices to stay within the law. It will be interesting to see how much trickled over the border into surrounding states where pot is still illegal and possession can result in a prison term. Legality has certainly put the street pushers in California out of business.
The interesting question concerns how taxation will affect marihuana distribution. The tax rate is forty percent on some products and legitimate vendors fear this may send customers back to the unlicensed dispensaries which number about 1300 in Los Angeles alone. Just because the product is now legal it will not avoid the criminal fraternity who do their trade as a tax dodge.
What is even more interesting is the silence from Washington. The biggest and most populace state in the United States has legalised marijuana - and the sky has not fallen ! In fact several smaller states have also taken the plunge, and to the north Canada has also granted the right to its people to smoke a joint for similar satisfaction gained from cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
It all seems to hark back to that old puritanical notion that any sort of pleasure - is a sin. Probably the reason some of the churches had such a hard time dealing with the sex question. People were supposed to be working hard and praising God. Having fun in any form was definitely not on that agenda.
A long time ago the world hippie movement had discovered marijuana when addiction to heroin began to become a problem. Marijuana got swept up in a drug panic and over decades the drug scene has advanced to various forms of narcotics with Cocaine and Oxy-Codeine heading the death toll. It is claimed that marijuana is merely playing an introductory role in leading users to hard drugs.
In much of the world the majority of police anti drug activity is directed at the marijuana trade. At the same time, those caught with small quantities for personal use are usually released with a caution. The politicians thinking of legalising marijuana are terrified of being accused of being " soft on drugs " and avoid any involvement with a sensible solution.
Sadly, any hope of marijuana being legalized in Australia and providing a welcome tax dividend to the treasury seems unlikely in the near future !
For days, the marijuana industry has been heavily discounting old stock at reduced prices to stay within the law. It will be interesting to see how much trickled over the border into surrounding states where pot is still illegal and possession can result in a prison term. Legality has certainly put the street pushers in California out of business.
The interesting question concerns how taxation will affect marihuana distribution. The tax rate is forty percent on some products and legitimate vendors fear this may send customers back to the unlicensed dispensaries which number about 1300 in Los Angeles alone. Just because the product is now legal it will not avoid the criminal fraternity who do their trade as a tax dodge.
What is even more interesting is the silence from Washington. The biggest and most populace state in the United States has legalised marijuana - and the sky has not fallen ! In fact several smaller states have also taken the plunge, and to the north Canada has also granted the right to its people to smoke a joint for similar satisfaction gained from cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
It all seems to hark back to that old puritanical notion that any sort of pleasure - is a sin. Probably the reason some of the churches had such a hard time dealing with the sex question. People were supposed to be working hard and praising God. Having fun in any form was definitely not on that agenda.
A long time ago the world hippie movement had discovered marijuana when addiction to heroin began to become a problem. Marijuana got swept up in a drug panic and over decades the drug scene has advanced to various forms of narcotics with Cocaine and Oxy-Codeine heading the death toll. It is claimed that marijuana is merely playing an introductory role in leading users to hard drugs.
In much of the world the majority of police anti drug activity is directed at the marijuana trade. At the same time, those caught with small quantities for personal use are usually released with a caution. The politicians thinking of legalising marijuana are terrified of being accused of being " soft on drugs " and avoid any involvement with a sensible solution.
Sadly, any hope of marijuana being legalized in Australia and providing a welcome tax dividend to the treasury seems unlikely in the near future !
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Faulty Consumer Protection Law.
A case recently resolved between a major whitegoods and electronics manufacturer and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ( ACCC ) has delivered alarming news to those trying to get faulty goods refunded, repaired or replaced under warranty.
It seems that manufacturers are not obliged to make the terms that apply under warranties known to their customers. At law, the onus is on the customer knowing his or her rights and it is not misleading for the goods manufacturer to withhold that information.
The law in Australia entitles the purchaser of faulty goods to three options. Having them " repaired, replaced or refunded " with that choice the prerogative of the customer. The law is also clear where that choicer should be exercised, and it is at the point of sale. Many items carry information that faulty goods must be returned to the manufacturer - at the buyers expense. Such goods might be sold on the international market and that advice does apply where no consumer protection laws are in place, but sales in Australia are governed by our consumer protection laws.
Most goods carry a twelve month warranty and most people think their protection ends when that period expires, but that is not so. The ACCC will consider the reasonable working life of the item concerned and should it fail an unreasonably short time into that period the consumer is still entitled to exercise those " three R's " !
The ACCC reviewed claims for high priced television. It is common for sales outlets to claim the item is out of warranty and offer a discount on a replacement, or offer repairs at a discounted price. Should a manufacturer refuse a consumers rightful claim that constitutes an offence that can carry a fine of $ 1.1 million for each contravention.
It is abundantly clear that there is a vast difference between low and high priced goods. Returning a faulty toaster to the point of sale is usually resolved amicably, but a high value item often encounters resistance and a consumer who is not aware of the law is at a disadvantage. Often they accept a solution that costs them money when legally resolution should have been without that cost.
Consumer protection advocates have long been campaigning to have a listing of consumer rights summarised in the way of a public notice to be displayed at all points of sale. This would require validation by an act of parliament, and so far this has not happened.
Perhaps the biggest item to be resolved under consumer protection laws is the automobile. A new car is probably the most expensive purchase the average person makes in a lifetime after buying a home and yet it is less protected than a toaster or a jug. It can spend endless time in the repair shop and we have long awaited " lemon " laws to mandate refund or replacement after a given repair period.
The politicians were reluctant to pass such a law when we had a local car manufacturing industry, but we are now customers to the world car industry and consumer protection should be paramount. In the interim, the public are advised to make sure they know their rights when it comes to negotiating faulty goods.
It seems that manufacturers are not obliged to make the terms that apply under warranties known to their customers. At law, the onus is on the customer knowing his or her rights and it is not misleading for the goods manufacturer to withhold that information.
The law in Australia entitles the purchaser of faulty goods to three options. Having them " repaired, replaced or refunded " with that choice the prerogative of the customer. The law is also clear where that choicer should be exercised, and it is at the point of sale. Many items carry information that faulty goods must be returned to the manufacturer - at the buyers expense. Such goods might be sold on the international market and that advice does apply where no consumer protection laws are in place, but sales in Australia are governed by our consumer protection laws.
Most goods carry a twelve month warranty and most people think their protection ends when that period expires, but that is not so. The ACCC will consider the reasonable working life of the item concerned and should it fail an unreasonably short time into that period the consumer is still entitled to exercise those " three R's " !
The ACCC reviewed claims for high priced television. It is common for sales outlets to claim the item is out of warranty and offer a discount on a replacement, or offer repairs at a discounted price. Should a manufacturer refuse a consumers rightful claim that constitutes an offence that can carry a fine of $ 1.1 million for each contravention.
It is abundantly clear that there is a vast difference between low and high priced goods. Returning a faulty toaster to the point of sale is usually resolved amicably, but a high value item often encounters resistance and a consumer who is not aware of the law is at a disadvantage. Often they accept a solution that costs them money when legally resolution should have been without that cost.
Consumer protection advocates have long been campaigning to have a listing of consumer rights summarised in the way of a public notice to be displayed at all points of sale. This would require validation by an act of parliament, and so far this has not happened.
Perhaps the biggest item to be resolved under consumer protection laws is the automobile. A new car is probably the most expensive purchase the average person makes in a lifetime after buying a home and yet it is less protected than a toaster or a jug. It can spend endless time in the repair shop and we have long awaited " lemon " laws to mandate refund or replacement after a given repair period.
The politicians were reluctant to pass such a law when we had a local car manufacturing industry, but we are now customers to the world car industry and consumer protection should be paramount. In the interim, the public are advised to make sure they know their rights when it comes to negotiating faulty goods.
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