A poisoned chalice !

The Roman Catholic church is facing it's worst challenge in centuries.   The conclave to elect a new Pope is being brought forward in an attempt to damp down further damaging innuendo about homosexuality and empire building within the Curia and money laundering within the powerful Vatican bank.

These have been heady days for the church.  Revelations that bring disquiet have emerged since Pope Benedict XV1 announced his retirement and what will alarm the faithful is the fact that suspicion is centred on the very people who will elect a new Pope - and that the new head of the church will be one of their numbers.

Whoever is chosen will face a task of restoring confidence in the Papacy, and that will be no easy task given the unusual events that are now dominating media headlines.   There is an expectation that the incoming Pope will take stern action to resolve the disunity that is roiling the bureaucracy of the church - and this probably involves a purge of the Curia.   At the same time, moderates are hoping that a younger, forward thinking Pope may review ideology that many consider inappropriate for the twenty-first century.

There is a risk that the Curia will go to ground and try and save itself by selecting an ultra conservative to hold the highest office.   The worst possible scenario would be a Pope who turns his back on these worldly ructions and simply applies himself to an ecclesiastical role.   The problems within the  Church of Rome are too big - and far too pressing - to be simply swept under the carpet and ignored.

The church is at cross roads - and unless the new Pope can achieve unity there is a risk of schism of a magnitude not seen since the Reformation.   The  " old " church had it's strength in Europe in the early centuries and this expanded into the " new world " of America, Canada, Australia and all the countries we now regard as " the developed world ".

This more secular congregation is calling for change.  There is pressure to abolish priestly celibacy, accept contraception, recognise Gay unions and generally modernise the Catholic faith.   Church attendance is falling steadily and the church is experiencing difficulty recruiting priests.

The Catholic church is expanding rapidly in Africa and Asia,  but here the trend is in the opposite direction.   The Faithful are bitterly opposing those changes the developed world is demanding and there is a real risk that something similar to the Reformation may split Catholicism.    It was this same division of thinking that has visited Rome many times over the centuries.   Without compromise, the seeds of rebellion seem ripe to generate once again.

This new Pope will face a daunting challenge.   He will need to face down the important people who form the Curia and show them who is boss.  He will need to reform Catholic institutions, such as the Vatican bank - and at the same time he will need to mollify east and west in their demands to change the stance of their church.  Some would think that will be impossible to resolve.

It would not be surprising if some in the Curia refused the church's highest office.   The negotiations within the Curia are strictly secret until the smokestack of the Sistine chapel emits a puff of white smoke.  No doubt  the choice of this Pope will become the basis of countless books and movies delving into the possibilities that church intrigue brings to mind.

The only certainty is that a new Pope will be chosen.   What transpires from that point forward will depend entirely on the outlook he brings to the job, and the courage with which he faces the challenges ahead.  In the eyes of many, events have transpired to ensure that this Papacy comes with a poisoned chalice.

The fate of this branch of Christianity depends on the man being up to the job !

A failing lifeline.

The frontline of emergency services to protect little kids from harm in their own homes is supposed to be the caseworkers from the Department of Community Services  ( DOCS ).   Unfortunately, many households are places of tension because of alcoholism, drug use, mental illness - and in some cases actual warfare between the people who share that dwelling.    Tiny little kids are often the meat in the sandwich, going untended and unfed - and in some cases brutally bashed and sexually assaulted.

The death of a child who lived a mere two and a half years has driven Wollongong caseworkers to the edge of revolt.   This little boy had been reported to DOCS nine times by people concerned that he was showing severe bruising and human bite marks - and there had been three " most urgent " reports just prior to his death, but these calls for help went unanswered.

DOCS caseworkers face a " mission impossible " situation.   The workload heaped on each individual is simply crushing and there is no hope of making contact with all -  or even the most urgent cases.   Those at the end of the queque can not expect an even superficial examination of their problems.   This is a situation that causes worker " burnout " - and as a result western Sydney and Wollongong have a forty percent vacancy rate because of resignations.

DOCS caseworkers are skilled people.   They face physical danger in making contact with some households and the daily trauma they encounter can be mind shattering.  Sometimes it involves calling in the police and at other times seeing that the paramedics attend to take care of injuries.   All this has to be carried out within a vague legal framework and with help from other agencies which are also strapped for funds and short of personnel.

Being a DOCS caseworker is a job you would not wish on your worst enemy.  Facing daily trauma and long hours, it is easy to see why trained people despair - and quit.  This worker shortage is exacerbated by pressure to reduce payrolls in the public service, resulting in vacancies going unfulfilled for months.  As a consequence, each remaining persons workload increases beyond breaking point.

This is a situation that needs to be brought into context.  It is a " life and death " situation, comparable with the paramedics who man our ambulance fleet, the cops who respond to street assaults and the fire crews who save burning houses.   We would not tolerate those services coming to a halt for lack of staff - and yet DOCS caseworkers face this same problem year after year.

This death in Wollongong is a wakeup call.   Obviously there is a budget in place to cover that forty percent vacancy situation.   We urgently need to recruit and train people to fill those vacancies and spread the workload so that at least all the most urgent cases get attention.    Anything less is to see " burnout " cause more resignations and this valuable service grind to a halt - and that would be the ultimate tragedy !

A lost " Visual Art " !

The Federal government is throwing $ 261 million into the battle to improve reading skills for kids ranging from Kindergarten to year three.   Research shows that those who have not developed adequate reading skills by year three are most likely to eventually leave school with neither the skill or interest to read adequately.

This reading enhancement programme is yet to be fully explained but it will involve school breakfast clubs, after school reading events and - most importantly - encouraging parents to read to their children.  It seems a worthy project, but recruiting busy parents to contribute their time will be a daunting task.

In many ways, reading seems to be a case of swimming against the tide - and it all started in 1956 - when television arrived in Australia.   In an instant, " reading about events " changed to " sit and watch them unfold ".   That same square screened box did a lot to banish printed comics and replace them with action graphics.  The direction of attention spans changed again when the " games consoles " arrived on the entertainment scene.  Passive reading was surpassed by fast brain decisions and even faster manipulation of console triggers to direct combatants on the monitor.

Today's kids can certainly read and know the alphabet.  They need that knowledge to work the keyboard on their mobile phones and computers, but in doing so they have developed a new language far removed from the realm of ordinary people.  This collides when they enter the work force and it becomes necessary to blend these skills with the requirements of commerce - and in many cases this is a very unhappy experience for both parties.

An employer considering a beautifully prepared and set out cv from an applicant would wonder if this had been the product of a well educated parent, or possibly the end product of one of the firms that specialise in cv's designed to impress.    Few such introductions are taken at face value these days.

The wise will know that kids reject anything they deem unnecessary, and in today's world, reading falls into that category with many.   More than half a century ago, many kids simply rejected algebra, but did well in maths and English because they could understand their value.   If we are to create an interest in reading, we will need to take a new approach and convince them that it has value.

The world of adults needs to share some of the blame for the changes that kids are inflicting on the English language.  We have been slow to adopt the jargon that kids have developed for speed when sending SMS messages, and even the smallest change offends and distresses some who consider themselves intellectuals.
The French have insulated their language from change, but English has always been a free wheeling language that can adapt to a changing world - and that is why it is fast becoming the universal language.   More of the world speaks English than any other comparable language.

The catchword to reading success could be an improved acceptance of change.   If we study the correspondence from the days of the first fleet we will notice that they spoke and wrote very differently from today's custom.   Perhaps the language we older folk hold so dear is nearly incomprehensible to the young of today.    The solution of most problems involves - compromise !

The " Justice " machine !

South Africa's coming trial of Oscar Pistorius will certainly attract headlines world wide.  The " Blade Runner" is famous way beyond sporting circles and this judicial forum is set to launch careers in the arcane world of horsehair wigs, gowned barristers and terminology from a distant century.

What a curious circus we hold when the fate of another human being goes before the courts.  A judge sits on a high dias  and has the task of deciding what matters can be fairly put before a jury of twelve of the accused's fellow citizens.  The terms of reference are dictated by precedent.   What has been decided in previous courts becomes the basis for the protocols that will be imposed at this trial.

Two legal teams take opposing tables before that judge and because of the adversarial nature of a court trial, this is a war in which no prisoners are taken.   The guilt or innocence of the accused is immaterial.   One counsel has the task of convincing the jury to acquit - and the other has a mission to secure a guilty verdict.  It is a game of tactics.  Both sides try and destroy evidence that imperils their case by using innuendo or bringing in witnesses of a different view.  Tempers fray and language becomes heated.  In many cases, the fray is more between counsel sparring for public attention than the merits of the case before the  court.

The personal rewards of victory in a high profile case are huge.   A defending counsel with a string of wins becomes sought after and commands high fees.  Eventually, such success may cause fellow lawyers to confer the title of " silk " - and from there the rewards of office include fame as well as monetary riches.

A leading prosecutor is usually a public employee, but a pecking order exists in the public service and high office is well rewarded.  It is not unusual for those who provide outstanding service on either side of the prosecuting/defence divide to eventually move on to the higher standing of becoming a judge - and some may even attain a seat in the nation's high court.

The Pistorius case will be evenly matched.  The South African government will bring forth it's best and brightest prosecutor, and the Pistorius sporting fortune will ensure that his defence counsel comes from the highest ranks.   The main problem will be to find a jury of twelve people who have not been exposed to the lurid media coverage that is preceding this coming trial.

No doubt the public interest will be intense and the outcome will be eagerly awaited.  Unfortunately, there will be other cases in many other courts that will escape this scrutiny.    In particular, cases where a person of little consequence has committed a crime that has attracted the attention of a senior prosecutor - but the plaintiff has been unable to afford representation beyond that of " the public defender ".

Usually, this involves a lawyer fresh out of law school with little court experience.  It becomes a David and Goliath type contest - with an inevitable result.   Sadly, many people fall through the cracks of the justice system - but so far no better system has managed to catch the public attention !

Rats - and sinking ships !

The dramatic announcement by Christine Milne of the Greens that her party was ending the deal in which they formed a coalition government with Labor was not surprising.   The fact that the ALP's woes are partly caused by their bending to the demands of the Greens seems a case of the boomerang coming full circle.

The Greens are trying to have it both ways.   They intend to keep their promise to defend Labor on supply and no-confidence issues to ensure this government goes it's full term.  It seems obvious that from September 14 they will lose their " hung parliament " pivotal power - and with it the opportunity to push their agenda.   They will then revert to being just another minor party if the polls and pundits are reading the coming election results correctly.

The Greens accuse Labor of " walking away " from the agreement they gave on the mining tax and the preservation of the Tasmanian Tarkine.  In reality, the Greens do not want to be identified too closely with their former partner because the voters may tar them with the same brush that is bringing the entire government into disrepute.

The Greens see an opportunity to become a serious alternative governing party if they play their cards right.   They started life as a group of " tree huggers " which attracted  a strong sympathy vote from " little old ladies " and this coalesced into national prominence over the Franklin dam battle.   This hung parliament issue was like a gift from the Gods.   They actually got their feet under the cabinet table.   If Labor gets the expected shellacking at this election and it's numbers drop in similar manner to the Queensland experience, it is possible the Greens may supplant Labor and become the " Opposition ".

Somehow they need to disguise their agenda and convince the voters that their deeply socialist roots bring no threat to the economy and job prospects of Australia.   Their anti industry stance obviously worries the AWU and it is hard to see how the national economy could prosper if they succeeded in closing down the coal industry and forced the other miners offshore.   The analogy of " Watermelons " seems to have stuck with some people - and perhaps their policies are not entirely what they seem to be.

This election will be " make or break " for the Greens.   What happens in the Senate will have a huge bearing on whether an incoming government is able to govern, or whether politics will degenerate into the mess we are seeing in the United States of America.

A huge responsibility is shifting onto the shoulders of the media to guide the minds of the voters by presenting the options offered by all political parties in a fair and balanced manner.      We may be about to experience a shift in Australian politics which will set the national agenda for the coming decades !

A " Death Spiral " !

When the Internet opened up the world of communication it was widely predicted that this would cause the death of newspapers.    That seemed a reasonable prognosis.    The idea of cutting down millions of trees to make newsprint,  meeting deadlines to get the content of a paper ready for the press to roll - and then delivering a copy to each reader before breakfast seemed a wasteful way of doing things - when the same information could be gleaned from a viewing screen on a computer or a television.

The same prognosis was made about the printing of books - and yet they survived until a major bookseller closed it's doors. The inability of holders of gift certificates to redeem their face  value dealt a death blow to the custom of giving vouchers to family and friends for Christmas and birthdays.   Suddenly, the " e " book plugged the gap when this publishing disaster coincided with the release of a popular tablet that put a book reader in many people's hands.

The newspaper industry has barely survived in recent times.  Most publications present their product in both " e " and printed form and it seems obvious that the printed edition is losing market share.  The number of pages dwindles and it seems that print no longer dominates the world of advertising as it did when newspapers were at the height of their popularity.   Profits - where they still exist - are slim and the share market for paper stock has bee n on the slide for several generations.

The whole rationale for newspapers was to present the daily news - and to bring the results of sporting events.   In particular, most newspapers provided extensive horse racing coverage.   The racing pages became the vehicle for the punter who rarely attended a race meeting, but placed bets and tallied the results from the following days newspaper coverage.

It seems that those days are over.   Just as the custom of checking the lottery results via the newspaper has ceased, it seems that checking for a winning bet will soon be a matter of running the ticket through the TAB machine at the local club or pub.   More and more regional newspapers no longer print racing results or give the winning dividends.

Some see this as the final nails in a coffin lid as the newspaper in print form enters a death spiral.  If it fails to remember the reason for it's creation that continued support will wither away and it will not remain relevant to the needs of the people who give it life.

People bought newspapers to bring them the information they needed.  When that information flow ceases - so does the need for newspapers !

The not so clever country !

In an election year, expect desperate logic to prevail over common sense when it comes to attracting votes.   The Federal government is implementing a scheme it hopes will pressure projects to source materials locally and employ more of the Australian work force.   This will be " optional "  and  there will be no legal obligation to comply.

More controversial is a plan to create  ten " Industry Innovation" precincts manned by technology experts and government agencies.   These will be tasked with creating business opportunities.  This will have a budget of one billion dollars - but at a cost of ceasing tax write offs for research and development undertaken by companies with a turnover of $ 20 billion or more.

So it seems we are shutting down the " R & D " component of our biggest companies and replacing it with a new bureaucracy which knows nothing about marketing.   The decisions on what constitute " good business opportunities " by way of proposed new products will be taken by a bevy of departmental heads and bureaucrats who know absolutely nothing about the world of business innovation.

Some wit once observed that a " camel is a horse designed by a committee ".  This " committee " approach to R & D is a recipe for disaster.  Not only will research be directed into avenues that seem interesting to bureaucratic minds, but the real work of the companies at the forefront of innovation will wind down as soon as those tax write offs are withdrawn.

A cessation of R& D costs as a tax deduction will certainly ensure that GM abandon further models of the Commodore in Australia.   All new products need R & D research to reach cutting edge status and it is a cornerstone of business that such R & D costs are balanced against the profits that accrue from the resulting finished product.

It seems to be a fact of life that governments lack the skills to be clever innovators  in getting things done. Their plans move ponderously and slowly and this is directly opposite the innovative approach of the business world, where experience makes the difference in deciding whether a plan or product will gain public acceptance - and therefore make money.

This new approach is aimed squarely at the voters.   It may seem like a good idea to those who lack an understanding of how the business world works, but a " committee " approach ignores the need for R & D to be carried out behind a veil of secrecy.   Manufactures closely guard new products and new innovations until they are ready to be launched on the public.  A breach of security can give a competitor an inkling of what is coming - and in a world of trade secrets - the advantage of surprise is paramount.

Most governments leak like a sieve - and the same can be expected from these  " Industry Innovation Precincts ".   If this idea comes to reality, " the lucky country " may morph into being " the not so clever country ".     Messing with R & D is not a good idea !   There seems to be a connection with Geese that lay golden eggs !