Paradise awakening !

A helicopter on a routine mission over the Amazon jungle made a remarkable discovery. A tribe of Indians living an undisturbed life near the Brazilian border with Peru.

This tribe has had no contact with the rest of the world, and yet their life seems idyllic. There are several communal huts for shelter and a well tended garden to supply food. The tribe are equipped with bows and arrows - and these weapons were aimed at the encroaching helicopter. It would have been seen as a threat, but the villagers could also have wondered where this large, noisy bird had it's nest - because captured and cooked it would provide a feast for the entire village.

Unfortunately - for these people the twenty-first century is about to overwhelm them.

Across the globe news and media organizations are planning how to get a reporter and a cameraman into that part of the jungle to record a " scoop " - the first interviews with a primitive people untouched by civilization.

The various churches will be grooming missionaries - keen to be the first to arrive and " save souls ". These primitive Indians will be urged to renounce their sinful ways - and embrace the modern world with it's more sinful ways of greed, avarice, war, poverty and repression.

The medical fraternity will be keen to explore whatever remedies these people have developed. Perhaps they have simple cures for ailments that have so far eluded the well funded laboratories of big pharmaceuticals.

The mining industry will be very interested in a patch of jungle that has so far not been exploited for it's mineral resources. Perhaps there is oil or gas beneath that surface - and certainly the timber industry will be interested in a new source of logging material.

For those Indian people the simple life will come to an end. They will encounter diseases from which their bodies have no immunity because of isolation - and they will be seduced by the marvels that the modern world has to offer.

A decade or so from now the world they knew will have been decimated - and perhaps the happiness that came with the simple life will have flown out of reach - just as that great, noisy bird brought unwanted change to their village.

Home construction insurance.

The collapse of home construction company Beechwood Homes has highlighted the deficiencies in the insurance contract that is supposed to ensure that all homes are completed should a builder default.

Beechwood was the largest building company engaged in new home construction, but insolvency by small builders is a common thing. As a result, owners are left with a partly completed home and building product supply traders are left with unpaid bills.

In the Beechwood incident, three hundred or so owners are left lamenting and waiting advice from the administrator to determine their losses - and what can be done.

Theoretically there shouldn't be a problem. Each builder has a mandated insurance policy that stipulates that the construction will be completed as per the contract specification - and that rectification of any faults will be covered during the warranty period.

In fact this is a shoddy piece of work full of " ifs, buts and maybe's " that seems to limit the insurers liability to a lousy $ 30,000 on the average home.

The collapse of Beechwood Homes is not an isolated event. Similar companies have ceased trading over the years and smaller builders collapse on a regular basis, but the state government has sat on it's hands for decades and done nothing to insist that such home insurance is brought up to date and comprises an iron clad guarantee that the work will proceed to completion.

Maybe a better insurance policy will cost more, but then the biggest investment the average person makes is the family home. Insuring the family car presents no problems so why shouldn't similar guaranteed cover apply to a house under construction ?

Many will have noticed that this state government has made no suggestion of improving home construction insurance. The Premier has suggested that owners are fully covered by the existing scheme, but what he failed to say was that such insurance is on percentage of the contract price basis - and this leaves the average home owner substantially out of pocket.

It is time to clean-up the home construction insurance mess for all future contracts.
Perhaps the best way would be for an open tender to allow the insurance industry to specify the cover they are prepared to offer rather than the government nominate the details.

Insurance is a highly competitive industry and the incentive of being guaranteed all the work in the home construction industry would be a mighty reason for risk analysists to sharpen their pencils !

The home buyer needs a better deal !

How big is " too big " ?

There seems no doubt that corruption occurred in the planning department of Wollongong City council. Building plans were approved for structures that simply did not meet the laws that apply to buildings in this city - and yet those approvals would probably get the nod from most fair minded people.

Let us have a long, hard look at " Quattro ", the proposed development on the corner of Flinders and Keira street that seems to have attracted the most heat from the blow torch.

The Quattro plans envisaged two hundred and eighty residential units with parking for eight hundred and three cars. It was a beautiful series of several buildings on a landscaped site - but the sticking point was height.

Quattro would be forty eight metres at it's highest point - and the laws in place restrict buildings in Wollongong to just eleven metres.

Just have a look around the Wollongong skyline. We have heaps of buildings higher than eleven metres - including several under construction. It seems that this unreasonable height restriction only applies to those developments that fail to plead " special circumstances " and get approval on that basis.

Wollongong is the ninth biggest city in Australia. Big cities produce big buildings and a restriction to eleven metres is to condemn even a country town to " Hicksville " !

Now let us consider the plan that has Wollongong council salivating. The huge West Dapto development still in the planning stage - and awaiting a flood free access that seems beyond council resources to provide.

If West Dapto goes ahead there will be a monumental cost of providing streets, kerb and guttering and lighting for the thousands of building blocks involved. More expenses will be needed to bring sewage, water and power to the new subdivision - and that does not take into account the need for schools, medical, fire and ambulance facilities. All these services will be needed to convert what is now farmland to a city suburb.

In comparison, Quattro is sitting atop existing sewage, power, water and gas facilities. The surrounding street system is existing and is fully serviced with schools close by, shopping centres and places of employment.

Quattro would house approximately a thousand people with little extra expense to the city or the state government.

Perhaps the reason we have corruption - is because we have crazy planning laws !

This fragile planet does not need prime farming land turned into suburbia. It is the dawning age of the vertical village and we must make do with the existing facilities that are available.

Quattro met those obligations admirably - but it took corruption to get it past antiquated planning laws. Perhaps now would be a good time to review the restrictions that are preventing Wollongong becoming a modern Australian city !

Poor relations !

Many people in the Illawarra will be enraged at the slap in the face the state government has delivered to this region.

At the same time that they voted twenty million dollars to Newcastle to build their western grandstand, they voted a mere eighty thousand dollars to progress the western grandstand at WIN stadium.

This money not even turns sod to get the seating underway. The money is to hire a consultant to determine if local business will finance the grandstand in return for shop space underneath.

This follows a similar delaying tactic in 2005 when then premier Bob Carr granted a hundred thousand dollars - for another survey to see if the hotel industry would build the grandstand in return for a hotel site.

The state government has valid reason to be cautious in spending money on WIN stadium. A question mark hangs over the head of the merger consortium of St George Rugby League club and the Steelers, imposed by the League against the wishes of both teams.

A sizeable proportion of St George supporters want their team to return to Kogarah when the merger agreement expires - and a similar number of Steeler supporters want to see their team remain in the Illawarra as a stand alone team.

The Steelers are very much the junior member of the amalgamation. St George retained their uniform and colours - and the Steelers gained a small name placement on that uniform. St George is totally financing the combined team with no input from the junior member's leagues club.

Half the home games are played at WIN stadium - and half played in Sydney. As a result, attendance figures by the supporting public are poor.

In comparison, the Newcastle Knights were permitted to remain a stand alone team by the League and they have fanatical supporters who fill their stadium for home games.
The state government has confidence that money spent on the Newcastle accommodation is money well spent, but in contrast they can not be sure that Wollongong will even have a team in the national competition a short time from now.

It would be ridiculous for a major city and it's huge surrounding area to be unrepresented in such a major sporting contest. It is up to the League to sort things out and put it's house in order.

If it fails to rise to the occasion it should remember that support for Australian Rules is on the boil and that code is looking to form a second team in Sydney and another on the Gold Coast.

If League turns it's back on the Illawarra it should not expect that gap to remain a vacuum - and if the Illawarra turns to a competing competition the state will quickly have a reason to complete seating capacity at WIN stadium !

The curse of religion !

What strange people they are ! In Iraq, Afghanistan - and over the border in Pakistan people of extreme outlook construct bombs and place them where men, women and children gather.

The objective is to kill and main as many as possible. Their crime ? They believe in a slightly different version of the same religion as the bombmakers !
All agree that they worship the same God - but down the track many centuries ago two disciples had a difference of opinion and that religion split onto different tracks.

Exactly the same situation existed with Christianity until recently. In Ireland the innocents fell victim to bombs in market places and the sole reason was hatred of the division of the same religion that they followed.

This madness is not confined to Islam and Christianity. The world is cursed with thousands of religions and their history is fouled with argument and hostility to each other - leading in so many cases to religious wars and the killing of innocents.

What seems to be the problem is the insanity of the human race which believes that we are so superior to all other creatures that our three score years and ten on this planet simply can not be the end of us.

We believe in an after life - and to create that utopia to which we believe death delivers us we need a creator - and so there must be a God.

How simple life would be if religion didn't exist - or would we find a new cause to follow as we took up arms against our fellow humans ?

The new division of choice would surely be football or politics - and given human nature - most probably both !

Public space !

The citizens of Wollongong are clearly divided on the suggestion of using public funds to construct a restaurant in a public park in the suburb of Towradgi.

Those in favour see it as a means of augmenting council funds. The restaurant would return rent to the council and at the same time provide a service to the public and improve a public facility.

Those opposed see it as an encroachment on space available for public use and the first step in commerce entering the public arena on a widening basis.

There is already a precedent. The Lagoon restaurant in Stuart park is on council owned land and was controversial because it was initially run by the family of this city's then Lord Mayor. It has seen a disastrous fire - remained a blackened shell for ages before being rebuilt - and was again mired in controversy when questions were raised about the appropriate level of rent charged.

The Towradgi site is well patronised by the public - and is served by the Towradgi Bowling and Recreational club. This licensed club welcomes visitors and has excellent dining facilities and is adjacent to a council owned car park servicing the beach area. It is hard to see the need for a duplication just a few metres away.

The decision to proceed will rest with administrators now that the council has been dismissed, and - hopefully - that decision will be made at arm's length from the machinations of local politics.

Council finances are a matter for accountants to decide - but the most important factor is that decisions express the will of the residents involved !

Dumping the whales !

One of the advantages of being in opposition is the ability to castigate the government on any issue of public interest - and make promises of firm action should the role of opposition change to that of government.

The only problem is that such promises have a habit of coming back to haunt you.

Such is the case with the Japanese " scientific " programme of harpooning and killing whales - and delivering them to Japanese dinner tables.

Kevin Rudd - and shadow environmental minister Peter Garrett - were scathing on Australia's efforts to stop the slaughter. In particular, they were critical that the Australian surveillance vessel - " Ocean Viking " - remained in port when they considered it should be in the great Southern ocean, harassing Japanese whalers.

One of the problems for a new government is that it's first budget delivers the truth on many things. If funding for those eloquent promises made in opposition fails to appear in the budget - then nothing is going to happen !

There is no funding to take the Japanese to the International Court of Justice - as was promised - and only limited finance for " Ocean Viking " this year - with no further funds committed.

Reality has overtaken rhetoric ! Japan is a major trading partner and - like the previous government - Canberra has been weighing up the damage to trade that could be the result of a too aggressive action on whaling.

The Japanese can tolerate petitions, irate newspaper stories and general abuse from animal lovers, but taking action in the courts and almost naval action on the high seas raises the notch to a higher level.

Canberra has weighed the death of over a thousan whales against the prosperity of trade with Japan - and unfortunately the whales lost that equation !

Art - or porn ?

The art world is in uproar since the police raided an exhibition and sized nude photographs of children under sixteen years of age - and have threatened to lay charges of exhibiting pornography.

That raises the question of just what is art ! Paintings by the old masters who are revered contain a concentration of the nude human form, and many of those paintings included young children. There is no question that this is art - and no objection to the presence of children below the age of consent.

Perhaps one of the mitigating factors is that these are paintings. What we are seeing is " not the real thing " - but the artist's impression of what his or her eye perceives. In the mind of some, this reduces the reality of a nude painting and somehow lets it cross the border into the definition of art.

The exhibition under siege is by renowned photographic artist Bill Henson - and comprises not paintings but twenty-one photographs. They are mostly of the area above the waist but the fact that the models are young girls has upset morals crusaders and those who - for religious or other reasons - decry any form of nudity.

It is a long time since the courts did battle over censorship and that last case was over a book, not a painting. That book was " Portnoy's Complaint " and the judges were asked to decide whether certain words - and descriptions of acts - should not be read by citizens of this country. The decision struck down censorship - and ever since Australia has read whatever it chooses.

There has been recent uproar over models under sixteen years on the catwalk at clothing design exhibitions. No law changes occurred, but the industry imposed self discipline and decided that in future an age limit would apply.

What happens next as a result of Bill Henson's exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley gallery in Sydney can be anyone's guess. The police may refer the matter to the office of public prosecutions - who may either drop it or proceed.

If it goes to court we can expect a spectacular battle between the art world and that of the moral crusaders. On past performance the outcome has seen a lack of resolve by judges to impose any form of censorship.

The thinking seems to be that those offended have the right to walk away and their outrage is not a reason for those of another view to be denied access.

In contrast, the protection of children has assumed greater importance in recent times and there have been new laws enacted that make it an offence to be in possession of child pornography.

An epic battle looms - and this time the outcome is uncertain !

Escape from big oil !

Retail petrol prices have just crashed through the $ 1.60 a litre barrier in Australia - and in the months ahead new record will be broken. Pundits talk of $ 2.00 a litre being reached by Christmas - and the chill thought of petrol being sold at $ 3 a litre sometime in the future is a recurring nightmare.

There is an inevitability about this scenario. The amount of oil still in the ground is finite - and the growing middle class economies of China and India - and their consumption of new motor vehicles - ensures that demand will continue to outstrip supply.

Unless we address this problem a huge surge in inflation is inevitable. There comes a point reached when the average citizen simply can not continue to put fuel in the car's tank to commute to work - and at the same time pay the house mortgage and put food on the table for his or her family.

That food price also spins out of control because farms run petrol using machinery - and the cost of processing and getting food to market is reliant on the petroleum industry.

We face economic disaster unless our government bites the bullet and makes some hard decisions now - and there is an answer to our captivity by big oil.

This country has huge reserves of natural gas that are measured in centuries. It would simply take a decision by the Federal government that - by command - our transport industry will run on gas in the future.

There has been a half hearted attempt to convert the existing car fleet to natural gas by way of subsidies. That requires renewal and a massive increase in capacity which will require subsidies from the huge budget surplus. In this instance, survival must take preference over slow strangulation at the hands of big oil.

The government must also grasp the nettle and make it compulsory for all new cars sold in this country to be gas powered. There will be howls from the motor industry, but that is the price manufacturers have to pay if they want to continue to trade in this market.

The government should also seize control of the supply of automotive gas and take it out of the hands of the oil giants. While ever the oil companies control gas they will sabotage supply to safeguard their own profits - which they will jealously guard until the last oil well runs dry.

From a practical point of view, the government will need to price automotive gas to the same tax level that applies to petrol, but that still leaves reasonable profit margins for extractors and the industry which will market it to motorists - and keep the retail price somewhere about $1 a litre.

The weakness in this scheme is heavy transport. Diesel comes from crude oil and it will take time for heavy transport to move to engines capable of running on natural gas, but once the economics become viable that will happen very quickly.

Is a gas powered nation a dream ? It all depends whether we have a government capable of taking the hard decisions and implementing them. The alternative is slow strangulation and galloping inflation. The ball is in the government's court !

Those ever bending laws !

New South Wales seems to be descending into a scenario where a curtain of darkness hides what is supposed to be the transparency of decision making.

Until now, permission to demolish buildings involved lodging a development application with the local council . That law is being changed to allow consent to be granted by a private " certifier ".

This law change will not apply to buildings that are heritage listed - or which form part of an area of heritage significance - but what it does is remove the opportunity for public scrutiny where a formal application awaits council approval.

There are many buildings and structures which do not fall under heritage listing, but form part of the historical background of our journey from colony to state. It is only when demolition is suggested that many people seriously consider their preservation - and unless this law change is prevented that will happen before the intention is realised.

Slowly and surely the checks and balances provided by municipal laws are being rescinded and replaced with decision by government authority. It seems that those in Macquarie street tire of public demonstrations seeking to stop developers replacing our heritage with money spinning eye sores.

Developers are noted contributors to the election funds of politicians and it seems that this law change is intended to smoothe the way to faster project approval - with less opportunity for public protest to emerge.

Neither politician nor developer would welcome public scrutiny of this cloak and dagger operation !

Human nature.

This week Australia got a lesson on how human nature works - and how it can influence the prosperity of this country.

The Australian Labor party - the present Federal government - is a socialist party whose original policy planks included nationalisation of most industry. Many years ago they proposed to nationalise the banks and the following uproar forced that issue to a vote.
The result was a fat lip and a thick ear for the proposal - and ever since the banks have reigned supreme as a pack of bandits cheerfully robbing their customers with impunity.

Labor has toned down it's socialist credo in recent years, but the underlying format rose to the surface when they banned the $ 8,000 rebate on domestic solar hot water heating for those earning $ 100,000 or more a year.

The principle of " means testing " - long a lynch pin of socialist thinking, reared it's ugly head and seems certain to apply to most other areas of community largess.

So - what was the outcome ? The suppliers of solar hot water systems claim that there has been an eighty percent cancellation of systems on order.

Here we see the other side of human nature. A person with an income of $ 100,000 a year could probably afford the cost of solar hot water - and the huge reduction in running costs would deliver an ongoing saving - but what sticks in their craw is the fact that something that they consider their right has been withdrawn.

It probably wouldn't matter if the original rebate had come with an eligibility clause. What sets up roadblocks in the human nature psych is the fact that something has been taken away - and the obvious answer to that is to totally reject the new offer.

Unfortunately, this exercise in tinkering with human nature hurts both sides of the divide. Australia would be better off if every home had solar hot water. It would aid the global warming battle by reducing electricity use and would bring economy of scale into the manufacturing of solar units, making them more affordable for the less affluent.

Those well off people cancelling orders because of a pig headed attitude to the withdrawn rebate are missing out on a huge reduction in operating costs - and probably contributing to the future increase in electricity costs as more power stations are needed. Hot water heating contributes to a huge slice of power usage.

There are no winners ! Just as a socialist can not withdraw from an attitude of " soak the rich " the average person - rich or poor - will relate negatively to any benefit that is being withdrawn.

That is simply the beast that is named " human nature " !

A curse - or a wonderful benefit ?

West Cliff Colliery has announced that it has achieved a new record for the most coal won in a day, a week or a month by using long wall mining.

The seam mined has resulted in coal removed from an underground trench three hundred metres wide - by three miles long.

What nobody seems to mention is that this has created a cavern deep in the earth that will have an effect on those wishing to use the land above. Eventually - mother nature will fill in that hole - and that is called " subsidence ".

Where land is subjected to subsidence there are strict limitations on what can be built on the surface above. Where housing is permitted it is usually restricted to large land areas, and such houses must be on a slab and constructed of lightweight material. Brick and tile are banned and restrictions apply to all out buildings.

Subsidence also results in limitations on road and rail construction. The fact that the earth is likely to subside places a form of sterilization on any activity other than grazing or some forms of farming.

Perhaps we are missing the point. That underground chasm presents an opportunity for those with open minds.

Landfills are running short in places like Sydney and Wollongong. When coal is removed the vacant space could become the new home for the nation's waste, given the engineering possibility of erecting a dumping shaft.

There is also talk of capturing C02 gas from coal burning power stations and sequestering it. What better place than a giant hole in the ground - that has already been filled with garbage - to be pumped full of this planet warming gas ?

If we are to be a smart country we need to think beyond the proverbial " nine dots ".
Opportunities present themselves and some see them as simply liabilities.
Liabilities can be transformed into wonderful opportunities - provided positive thinking is applied !

Alcohol induced violence.

The New South Wales government is introducing measures to reduce the amount of alcohol induced violence in clubs and pubs.
Statistics are being examined and those premises with a litany of violence will face a range of restrictions - from outright closure to reduced hours, a requirement for added security guards - and possibly the implementation of restrictions of entry for those who have past transgressions.

Why are some clubs and pubs violent places ? The wise are well aware of places to avoid because on regular occasions they feature in media stories. Bashings and knifings. Wild melees. Mass arrests.

For some reason certain pubs and clubs seem to attract a type of person most people would choose to not rub elbows with. For a stranger to that part of town - it would not be hard to identify such a tavern.

For a start - the type of language being used without check. It is also not too hard to spot attitude - and to realise that a stranger would not have to do much to spark some sort of trouble.

Then there is the standard of attire. The lewd messages on " T " shirts. The fact that the " smoking " ban is being totally ignored. The number of people who have obviously imbibed too well.

If we intend to clean up the unsafe clubs and pubs in this state we will need to instill a little discipline. Licensee's will need the help of the police to enforce a code of conduct and refuse service to those who refuse to toe the line.

Many will remember times past - when " the Beatles " were all the rage - and clubs were refusing entry to young men with long hair. Perhaps that was extreme at the time - but look where we are now !

A " pub " is an abbreviation of " a public house ", but that does not mean that all standards of conduct do not apply. A " club " is an institution commonly owned by it's members - but again the majority decide what is and what is not acceptable.

If a publican or a club manager declines to maintain civilized rules in such an establishment - then the state has the right to withdraw registration. What is required is an obligation for those violent clubs and pubs to change their ways, maintain a degree of decorum - and decline those patrons who cause trouble.

For those that refuse - closure is the inevitable option !

This age of bandity !

Old timers will fondly remember the time - half a century ago - when firms that issued monthly accounts often provided an incentive to pay early. It was not unusual for such accounts to carry a notation offering a discount - " less two and a half percent if paid within seven days ".

That simply does not happen anymore. In fact, one of the banks is now imposing a penalty on customers who pay their credit card payment early !

Late fee payments - anything from $ 35 to $ 50 - have long been imposed by the banks but it seems that the Scrooge mentality is now suggesting that the " Due payment date " is merely a " window of opportunity " that extends for only a short time prior to that date.

Of course, this is totally illegal - as is the usurious charge for late payment. The banks are entitled to recover their costs - which amount at most to a few cents - and are engaging in a huge bluff when they impose a fee which can only be considered a punitive measure.

The principle has now extended to other merchants. Bills from newsagents, milk vendors and similar traders often carry a small late payment penalty. This is not enforceable by law but simply continues the bluff perpetuated by the banks - and the crazy thing is that the vast majority of the public just shrug their shoulders and do nothing !

This latest act of banditry - a fee for early payment of credit card debts - needs nipping in the bud. Interest is charged the longer the debt remains - and all citizens have the right to terminate that debt at any time.

If the government - both Federal and state - fails to act to curb this latest attack on the back pockets of customers then their claim to act always in the public interest is proven to be just another political lie !

This changing world !

Gardening is entrenched in the human mind because centuries ago it was important to survival. In many cases the humble kitchen garden was the difference between eating well - and famine !

Ask any old timer about the methods used. Gardening was a science, but the most important aspect was securing enough seeds for next year's crop. Seeds were collected from the most prolific plants and carefully stored away until the coming spring.

Those days are long gone. Gardeners who today collect seeds from this years crop are in for a surprise. Those seeds will not germinate. Science - and the multinational companies who run the seed business - have introduced genetics to ensure that the seeds you buy from the plant shops produce one crop only - and their progeny are sterile.

The multinationals claim they need that protection because of the huge amounts of money they spend to improve seed lines and increase the crop yield. What they have actually done is create a monopoly. The " one crop " seed means that every year you have to pay their price - or forget about a vegetable garden.

That may be acceptable in a developed country like Australia, but in the developing world it condemns farmers to using old fashioned, low yield plant lines - and accounts for food shortages in much of the world.

The multinationals carefully guard their profits - and they are reluctant to help improve third world farms unless they control the seed supply - and gain a steady income.

The world has set up " seed banks " where samples of the world's crops are stored against some agricultural catastrophe that wipes them out. Obviously these are base seeds that do not contain the bio-encryption that stops them from producing multiple crops.

If the world is to avoid future famine because of it's growing population efforts need to be made to improve crop yields in under developed countries. To achieve that, we need similar research to that going on in the laboratories of the multinationals - but if this is provided by a world body working on a " not for profit " basis - then the resulting seeds can transform third world economies - and banish the scourge of starvation from this productive world.

Poverty - and pensioners !

This weeks Federal budget set out to do many things. It was designed to produce a record surplus, tame inflation - and deliver tax cuts to wage earners. Unfortunately it totally ignored the degree of poverty that has overtaken the single pensioner.

Many people are finding that the pension rules discriminate harshly between a pensioner couple - and a single pensioner.

The couple receive a combined pension of $ 919.40 per fortnight. The single pensioner receives $ 552.60 per fortnight - just $ 276.30 per week.

Consider this scenario. A couple are managing on their pension when disaster strikes. One of them dies. The survivor - usually the woman - because women tend to live longer than men - must make do on $ 276.30 a week.

This woman pensioner is left a fully owned family home, a car and a little money in the bank.

The bill at the supermarket and at the butcher's shop will certainly decrease with just one mouth to feed, but the household bills will be no different from when her husband was alive - and they received both pensions.

She will have to cope with council rates, water charges, electricity and gas bills, house insurance, car insurance and green slip cover, the petrol to run the car, the phone bill - and she will dread Christmas and birthdays - and the expense of presents that those will involve.

Initially she will draw from her bank to meet items that exceed her pension, but she will soon realise that can not continue. The ultimate disaster will be a major household appliance breaking down - and needing repair or replacement - or a mechanical malfunction of the car engine.

Soon the car has been discarded and she has abandoned household insurance - and she has taken to wearing an overcoat in the house in winter to avoid heating bills. Entertainment - a trip to the movies or a dinner out is a thing of the past.

It simply is not possible for a single pensioner on $ 276.30 a week to make ends meet and at the same time achieve a decent standard of living.

Any reasonable economist would agree, but the government has chosen to look away and leave this situation uncorrected.

The measure of a good government is the standard they apply right across the spectrum of their citizens. In this country the average citizen is leading the good life - and pensioners generally are being looked after.

The pity is that the single aged pensioner has been allowed to slip through the cracks - and is now being studiously ignored !

Political donations.

Donations made to political parties always raise the suspicion that the donor is looking for a favour - and the politician is selling his or her services.

What an individual does with his or her money is entirely that persons business. The cloud of suspicion hovers when the donor is a company doing business with the government - or a council in which some councillors are openly supporters of one side of politics.

Political donations are getting a public airing since it has been disclosed that a Wollongong based politician failed to disclose donations as is required by law. It is claimed that this was a head office mistake, but many perusing the now published list would question that secrecy.

The list included developers seeking approval for projects from the state government. Any donation where a government decision may confer financial profit must be highly suspect. The safest way to quarantine political donations from suspected corruption would be to impose an overall ban.

Many would look askance at donations to politicians made by councils. These are usually disguised as fees to attend fund raisers - and defended by councillors as a means of sitting down with senior state ministers to lobby for municipal improvements.

But - politics are a murky business and when politics and money collide there is a real reason for concern.

Perhaps the fairest way to ensure probity would be for every aspiring politician running for office to be given a set amount of promotional money from the public purse. The electoral authorities would then scrutinise every commercial put to air and every pamphlet printed to ensure that the outlay did not exceed the sum given.

It would be illegal for any outside body to advertise or in any way assist in promoting that candidates chances of election.

At least the public would be spared the incessant politico-babble on TV and radio - and the mountains of printed matter appearing in letter boxes.

Would be politicians would also be forced to condense their election spiel to a more concise format to fit within the monetary guidelines - and the other great factor that would apply to such a scheme - it would be fair !

Every contestant - both independents and political party hacks - would compete for public acceptance on the same financial footing.

But then - when did a fair go apply to politics ?

Our future medical needs.

Last night's Federal budget delivered on a pre-election promise to fund a doctor's clinic to address Shellharbour's lack of medical facilities.

$ 2.5 million will be spent to provide a new medical centre staffed by six doctors and supported by physiotherapy, chronic disease management and care services. This new medical centre will be one of thirty-one super clinics established across Australia at a cost of $ 275.2 million.

The proposal makes a lot of sense. Public hospitals are reeling from over use of their emergency departments. Many of the problems patients are experiencing can be sheeted home to the fact that too many patients are trying to access too few facilities. The triage system treats those with the most severe injuries first - and consequently those with minor problems face a very long wait.

Emergency departments are misused. The overwhelming number of people presenting do not constitute an emergency. Their needs range from a wish to have a prescription renewed - to advice on a sore throat - to minor problems such as a sprained ankle. The big attraction of going to an emergency department is that the treatment is free.

Hopefully the super clinic at Shellharbour will take some of the strain. With six doctors on duty waiting time will be reduced - and with bulk billing the patient will not be required to pay a bill.

If the super clinic idea works then emergency departments will be able to deal with what they are designed for - patients who need immediate care because they have suffered a life threatening injury.

The wonder is that this solution took so long to be implemented !

Double jeopardy !

The police in New South Wales are setting up a " cold case " squad to re-investigate old, unsolved crimes. These range from murder to the disappearance of people in mysterious circumstances.

No doubt there will be some interesting results, given that science has made huge strides since the initial investigation of many of these events.

Which raises the question - does the principle of " double jeopardy " still have relevance in our fast changing world ?

Double jeopardy ensures that an accused person can only be tried for a stipulated crime once. Should that person receive a " not guilty " verdict he or she is home free.

Originally, double jeopardy was probably introduced to mitigate corrupt officials who would otherwise continually charge a victim until they eventually got a verdict that they favoured. Double jeopardy only exists in the democratic societies of this world - and is misused in many totalitarian regimes.

The advent of finger printing, the electron-microscope and DNA have resulted in a changed world. It is possible to positively prove guilt and this modern technology can overturn evidence from a former age. When that happens - the law is confronted with a dilemma. In some cases a convicted person can be exonerated and released from prison - but a guilty person can not be tried again for a crime that can now be clearly proven.

Perhaps the time has come for a re-examination of the law books. The guilty should be punished - and if double jeopardy is simply a shelter from future technology - then perhaps it's time has come !

Defeat - snatched from the jaws of victory !

If ever there was a time when a change of political party supremacy was likely in the United States - it is now !

George W Bush is possibly the most unpopular president in US history with an approval rating that continues to fall. He is beset by a disastrous war and now the US economy is in free fall due to the sub-prime mortgage debacle.

Only one thing is working against a Democrat victory sweeping both houses - and installing a Democrat in the oval office - and that is the combative ego's of the two contenders for that position.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obana both have the brains and style to be successful presidents. Unfortunately they also represent trail blazing front runners of change - she to be the possible first woman president - and he to be the possible first black president.

They also both have colossal egos !

The race for the nomination has now descended into farce. The main issues have been debated and the voters have had the chance to make up their own minds. The contest has now degenerated into a slanging match of a personal level - and that is turning off voters in droves.

The time has long past for the loser to be gracious and depart the contest - and without doubt that loser is Hillary Clinton. Instead, it seems likely that she will persevere right up until the convention - and that may well doom the Democrats to another four years in the wilderness.

At best the Democrats are a fragmented party comprising many factions. To achieve victory it is necessary for a common thread to emerge to unite those factions - and the best common thread would be a clearly triumphant contender to be in the leadership role prior to the convention.

It may yet happen - but if it doesn't the Democrats look like entering the fray with an element of disunity in their ranks - and that could be fatal. How often in politics have we seen defeat - snatched from the jaws of victory ?

Return of the socialist agenda.

Many people will be surprised at one item in this coming weeks Federal budget. The Treasurer has provided a positive incentive for many to dump private health insurance.

The previous government used the carrot and stick approach to increase the number of people with private health insurance. Individuals earning $ 50,000 and families earning $ 100,000 faced a $ 600 a year tax surcharge unless they insured.
This became a tax saving if they insured with a fund. It also achieved the government's objective of transferring many such patients from the public hospital system to private hospitals, thus helping to reduce the overload.

The Treasurer has raised compliance from the figure that has been maintained for seven years - to $ 100,000 for individuals and $ 150,000 for families.

Executives of insurance funds expect a sharp increase in the drop-off rate as huge numbers no longer attract the tax surcharge. Perhaps the Treasurer hopes that by dumping private health insurance the gain may save those teetering on the edge of mortgage default. It will certainly play a part in family decision making if interest rates continue to rise.

The down side will be a sharp increase in those looking to the public hospital system for their health needs. This system is already struggling to meet demand and it will be interesting to see if this budget contains an injection of funds to increase capacity.

The Labor party has been out of office for a long time - and some will wonder if this is a return to it's socialist roots. In pure Socialist dogma there is no place for private hospitals. All citizens are created equal - and all should receive a common standards of service in all aspects of life. In socialist thinking, the public hospital system should be the only avenue of health care.

This may cause some to snigger when they remember past Labor prime ministers, cabinet ministers and their spouses - all making a bee line for St Vincent's private hospital whenever they faced a personal health crisis. It seemed to be a case of " Do as I say - Not do as I do ! "

Certainly the many suffering mortgage stress may welcome an injection of about $ 1600 by dumping private health insurance and this may be sufficient to put the brakes on foreclosures - but Newtons law applies. " To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction ". Wait for the blow out in hospital admission times !

The United Nations myth.

The tragedy unfolding in Burma tends to highlight the failed hope the founders of the United Nations brought to the world.

The United Nations - and before it the old League of Nations - was supposed to be the answer to the world's problems. A universal " umpire " to step in and arbitrate where there was discord - to prevent hostilities progressing to war - and to marshal world resources to bring relief when mother nature unleashes a natural tragedy.

It didn't happen that way. The individual members divided into power blocks - each only concerned with protecting their own interests. The UN seemed powerless to prevent wars and now we are seeing the most obscene obstacles to human relief being played out against a background of huge numbers of people dead or dying from the effects of a cyclone.

Burma is ruled by a military junta. That junta is deliberately withholding visas to allow humanitarian aid to flow to it's citizens in need of medical attention, food and water. The dead remain unburied and the inevitable result in a tropical country will be disease - and more death.

The generals of the Burma junta fear losing control of the people they subjugate. They have wrecked their country's economy, but make sure that they live in luxury - and the trickle down wealth keeps the troops under their command better off than the general population. In that way - they have control.

They are not interested in the welfare of the Burmese people - and they fear that welfare agencies might present a comparison that sparks unrest. Eventually they will allow some help to cross their borders, but only when they have set in place methods of control. While that happens, death will stalk the land.

As usual the United Nations will engage in a talkfest. China and other countries with influence in Burma will be asked to intercede with the generals - but that objective will be tempered with greed. Burma has oil - and China will do nothing that could interrupt the flow of Burmese oil to it's own industrial base.

It was once supposed that the United Nations - with the support of world countries - would have the power to brush aside any government that refused international aid to it's citizens in distress.

That option was an early casualty of great power cartels. The United Nations will beg and plead for access to those waiting for medical aid, food and clean water - but in the end those pleadings will fall on deaf ears.

Even the title is a misnomer. Never since the dawn of time were the nations of this world " united " !

THe " Emergency Department " illusion !

For reasons that few people understand the controllers of our health services seem Hell bent on restricting Wollongong and the Illawarra to a single emergency department - located at Wollongong hospital.

In the past we had an excellent array of emergency departments - one at Port Kembla hospital to the south of the city - One at Bulli hospital to the north - and the biggest and best equipped centrally located at the Crown street site.

Despite strong union opposition and after a long fight the authorities managed to close Port Kembla. The fact that this area's biggest industry - the accident prone steelworks - was nearby was not considered a factor.

Now moves are underway to sabotage Bulli hospital. In recent times the emergency department has been closed - for lack of a doctor. It seems that the designated emergency department doctor has been rostered to another hospital - and staff have therefore assessed those people presenting - and turned them away !

That does not mean that Bulli hospital doesn't have doctors on site. It is a functional hospital with patients. It simply means that management declines to have one of those doctors treat emergency patients.

It's the oldest ruse in the book. Artificially decrease the flow of patients and then claim that the service is not necessary because it is little used - the usual precursor to closing it down !

At the same time as this charade is being enacted, Wollongong hospital's emergency department is suffering gross overload. Ambulances are banking up and patients are being housed in corridors on stretchers.

Common sense should prevail. If there were emergency departments functioning at Bulli and Port Kembla hospitals experienced ambulance staff would be able to decide whether a patient needed the superior facilities at Wollongong hospital - or whether a minor broken bone, deep cut or other injury could be treated at either of the regional emergency departments.

Despite denials by the health authorities the skids are being put under Bulli hospital's emergency department. We lost the battle to save Port Kembla. Now is the time for the citizens of this city to make it crystal clear to this area's Labor parliamentary members that if Bulli closes they will be out of a job at the next election.

Enough is enough ! The situation at Wollongong hospital's emergency department is at times life threatening. The loss of Bulli would only exacerbate that to third world status. We deserve better than that !

Smoke alarms !

For decades the safety people have been trying to convince people to buy and install smoke alarms. Every fatal house fire reinforced that message and now the laws have been changed to make such alarms part of the specification for all new homes - and a legal requirement in existing homes.

What few people realise is that the fire department has offered to install smoke alarms where a householder requests and provides the appliance - and has added a new and very welcome service.

Older people who would find it hard - and probably dangerous - to climb a ladder to replace the battery in a smoke alarm have only to call their local fire station and a fireman will call and do the job for them - and even provide the battery - free of charge.

Smoke alarm batteries need to be replaced annually - and the fire brigade suggests that daylight saving change-over time would be a good time to act as a reminder.

Unfortunately this innovative service has received little publicity and as a result few are aware of it. There are many households containing elderly people who have no young relatives nearby to assist with such tasks - and the action of the fire brigade must be commended in offering such valuable assistance.

The media would help if they made a practice of including the offer in instances where a news item mentioned smoke alarms. The wider the publicity - the more people who will live a safer life because of this free service !

Solution to the Co2 problem !

Great minds have wrestled with the problem of how to generate electricity without burning coal - and releasing planet polluting Co2. Many answers have been forthcoming - solar - wind - wave action - but none have had the certainty to provide a reliable base load on a continuing basis.

It seems that problem may have now been solved. In the South Australian desert a drilling rig has thrust a pipe deep into the earth to the point that the base structure is super heated rock.

Water has been pumped down this pipe. When it reaches the heated rock it is transformed into steam - under great pressure.

A second pipe provides an escape valve for this super heated steam - and that in turn is harnessed to the generating equipment that produces electricity.

The huge advantage is that no carbon dioxide is released, and as the interior of the planet has a molten core it is a simple matter of pumping in a little water to create steam - and then providing an escape route for that steam to where it can be harvested to provide the thrust to generate electricity.

The disadvantage is that it will cost a lot of money to erect the cable line that will transfer that power from the desert to the nation's industrial base - and transporting power over a long distance results in a strength reduction.

The important thing is the principle involved. The states would be wise to have geologists investigate the earth's crust in their areas to see just where this method could be used.

It is possible that just such a system could be placed beside our existing coal fired plants, removing the need to burn coal and providing a new - and clean - source of power.

Perhaps the " impossible dream " is about to become reality !

Kidneys for sale !

A proposal has suggested that we have a law change to allow Australians to offer a kidney for sale to those awaiting a transplant. Fifty thousand dollars has been mooted as a fair price.

Most likely this suggestion has been tongue in cheek. It has no chance of being accepted, but at least it will focus the media on the disastrous state of organ donations in this country.

For some reason the majority of Australians say that they support the idea of organ donations after death - but when it comes to reality few have bothered to indicate their wishes to near relatives - and even those who have signed a donation acceptance form are usually second guessed by their loved ones.

Perhaps it is time to stop and have a long, hard look at the death industry.

Our body is simply something we use for convenience while we are inhabitants of this planet - and which we discard at death !

When death occurs our relatives have that body conveyed to a cemetery. They pay a lot of money for a burial plot - and then usually spend an additional sum to have at least a headstone - and in some cases pay a fortune for a sculpture of an angel or similar figure to adorn the grave.

Decades down the track - when all close relatives have joined the deceased in death - that grave site sits with others in an abandoned cemetery, desecrated by vandals and rapidly falling into disrepair - and becoming a blot on an otherwise nice neighbourhood.

In life we are exhorted to recycle. Wouldn't that be a worthy principle to apply to death ?

The idea that we all become organ donors automatically - with only those who for some reason take the trouble to opt out - makes sense. That would seem to accommodate the wish of the majority - while at the same time offering a choice to those who decline for religious or other reasons.

All it would take would be for the politicians to have the courage to amend the law. Unfortunately " courage " is not a word usually applied to politicians !

New twist to an old scam !

Since before the days of the " Old Testament " gullible people have paid money to those who claim to be able to predict the future. Even today - in this enlightened age - there are huge numbers of people - mainly women - who consult " fortune tellers " on a regular basis.

This " ancient art " is alive and well - and has moved on from the " Gypsy " in flowing robes gazing into a crystal ball. The electronic age and the innovation of the computer have been combined to offer new insights into the problems that concern so many people in our modern society.

Advertising on television informs us that it is now possible to accurately determine if your lover is cheating on you - or if that person you find so attractive is actually the perfect partner you have been waiting for.

All you have to do is use your mobile phone to text your name, the name of your lover to a certain number - which will attract an outrageous charge for every few seconds you are on the line - and you will have your answer !

Of course to most people this is simply an amusing scam. Unfortunately - there are others who take looking into the future seriously - and act on the information they receive.

How many broken romances have resulted from a negative reply ? What of the person with psychiatric problems ? There is danger in convincing the gullible of something that is a fantasy.

So far - as far as we know - nobody has been murdered. But it is only a matter of time before there is an unexpected result from this new innovation on fortune telling.

Perhaps those making money from this scam may find the future coming back to haunt them !

A political decision !

When the voters mark their ballot paper the political party receiving the most votes forms government. The voters have an expectation of what direction that government will take from the policies that have been expressed prior to the election. There are no laws on the stature books that bind any political party to keeping it's election promises.

A political party is formed when a number of like minded people gather together with the intention of endorsing candidates to stand for election and promote a common political agenda. Such a political party normally forms local branches and selects the candidate to represent that party. There is an expectation that the candidate will adhere to the policies expressed by that branch.

New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has a problem. The policy of his government is moving in sharp and bitter conflict with the wishes of his party branches. More to the point. Prior to the last election his stated policy was the opposite of which he is now proceeding.

The issue is whether to sell off and privatise the NSW electrical industry. There is no doubt that this industry is facing a crisis. Unless new generating capacity is built the state will face power shortages and blackouts down the track.
This will cost billions - and further huge sums will be necessary to refurbish the electrical distribution network.

Iemma states that if this is undertaken by the government it will be at the cost of hospitals, schools and transport. He claims that a sell-off will inject billions into the economy and pass electricity generation and supply to the private sector.

The unions - which are backers of the Australian Labor party - content that this is a sell-off of a state asset and in private hands costs to consumers will increase sharply and there will be massive job losses.

There is no doubt that power generation faces a looming crisis - whether it is state or privately owned. Power generation by burning coal is one of the biggest sources of Co2 emissions. It is inevitable that some penalty - such as a " trade and save " emission scheme will be compulsorily introduced to make coal fired generation less attractive in comparison with renewable sources - such as wind, solar or thermal generation.

Inevitably, this will increase the cost of electricity substantially - and some feel the main government motive is to distance itself from these price rises as a means of political salvation.

So we have a classic " Mexican stand-off ". The government has dug it's toes in and intends to privatise NSW electricity - despite opposition from the majority of ALP branches - and implacable opposition from the unions.

Iemma's own job as premier is on the line - and there is every chance that this could fragment the ALP and see a division formed that could send the party into the political wilderness.

Who is right - and who is wrong - is a matter of individual opinion. One of the issues that will be discussed for millenia is the obligation - or otherwise - for a political party to carry out the wishes of it's members.

If it fails to do that - what is the purpose of such a party ?

Aladdin's cave !

Wollongong council has a severe financial problem. For years they have been accumulating annual deficits - and yet the city infrastructure is in a bad way. Roads are crumbling and need resealing - the footpath programme is way behind schedule and parks and reserves are falling into disrepair.

The council is exceeding the government's rate increase ceiling and intends to implement a horror budget that will see work cutbacks, sharp increases in fees and charges across all areas of revenue.

Maybe that is not necessary. Council has 339 properties that are classed as " Operational Properties ". What that means is that they are vacant land that is available for use should the council decide to build on them - or offer them for sale.

The value of this land is unknown. It has not been officially valued - and should the council proceed to have a registered valuer provide an estimate that would cost $ 678,000 at the fee scale offered by that profession.

At a rough estimate, this council owned land could range in value from $ 67 million to $ 200 million - depending on zoning. Basically, it is " forgotten property " - something that has accumulated over the years. Some of it has been bequeathed by ratepayers to council, some is land left over from earlier projects, some has been forfeited for unpaid rates - and some council has compulsorily acquired for projects that have later been abandoned.

Now would be a good time for this inventory to be closely examined. We are short of building land in this city and if council land is available and not required it would make sense to release it for new homes - which helps council coffers by the proceeds of sale, plus ongoing rates payments.

Some of this land will be zoned industrial. Wollongong is badly needing new industry - and if suitable land can attract manufacturing from other areas it could become part of a council deal to enhance the city - and provide much needed jobs for our young people.

What is unacceptable is for this land to remain a hidden asset squirrelled away by council and kept from public knowledge. The council is crying " poor " - and the ratepayers have a right to know what assets are available to alleviate the money problem !

That deadly harbour !

Sydney is blessed with one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. Property prices are geared to the proximity of water views and we pride ourselves on this water playground being accessible to all.

Unfortunately it can also be deadly. Events of a recent night left six people dead when a cabin cruiser and a fishing boat collided near Bradley's Head. The cabin cruiser had been commandeered for a joyride and it was grossly overloaded, but this was just one of several fatalities that have occurred in recent years.

It is evident that the rules governing boat movements on Sydney harbour are lax. Only recently has an overall speed limit been imposed, but a survey has revealed that both ferry and recreational boat traffic are ignoring the regulations designed to keep traffic separated - as is the case with motor vehicles on public roads.

The Water Police maintain regular patrols but their attention is mainly concentrated on detecting alcohol offences by private boat skippers. More work needs to be done to ensure that boat traffic follows safety rules - and this applies to ferries and commercial traffic as well as recreational craft.

After dark the harbour is a specially deadly place. Lights on the harbour bridge and surrounding high buildings and structures reflect on the water, making it difficult to distinguish between them and approaching water craft.

Then there are the unlit moorings designed to provide security for vessels of over a hundred thousand tonnes waiting for a berth. These massive pontoons are low on the water and are almost impossible to detect at night.

The state government has long ignored safety on Sydney harbour. Commercial and recreational traffic steadily increases year by year and it is evident that the waterway needs a clear set of rules - and that these ruled will need more Water Police to see that they are obeyed.

The attitude to safety has not changed since boats moved at low speed propelled by in-board motors. High speed outboards have changed boating in recent decades. It is time the rules governing Sydney harbour reflected those changed conditions !

Olympic threat !

In just under a hundred days the world will come to Bejing to witness the Olympic games. What sort of reception foreigners will get now seems to be in question !

China has gone to great lengths to showcase China. Massive campaigns have extolled Chinese citizens to flush public toilets after use, cease spitting on the footpaths - and generally behave in a western manner.

All was going well until activists in Tibet used the torch relay to highlight the policy of the Chinese Communist government to downgrade the Tibetan language and culture - and dilute Tibetans in their own land by importing huge numbers of Han Chinese settlers.

The west has long grown used to protests over all manner of perceived grievances. Western governments know that while public demonstrations draw media attention it is short lived. The police keep excesses under control - and in a short space of time the public interest wanes and the subject matter is forgotten.

The Chinese government would have been wise to adopt a similar course, but in their controlled society public protest is unknown. Their reaction to the events in London, San Francisco and Paris was outrage - and when the relay reached Canberra they had a response.

Bus loads of local Chinese were recruited to provide a loyal counterbalance. Chinese national flags were waved, shouting matches and the odd fight broke out - and the media lapped it up.

In China the controlled media were used to whip up public feeling. The torch relay demonstrations were similar in the three western capitals - but China focussed hostility on the French - perhaps because the Paris council chose that time to induct the Dalai Lama as an honorary citizen.

The result was the burning of French flags in the street and the threat of a boycott against French goods. There is every chance that this sudden rise in Chinese nationalism can get out of control and spread to an anti-foreigner bias at the time the nation is expecting a huge influx of visitors from all parts of the world.

The Chinese Communist government has been the force behind this development as it tries to hose down the Tibet issue. Clearly, the Communists simply don't understand the power of the media. They have started something that is now out of their control.

The danger is that this nationalism may over-ride common sense in some sectors of the public. The action of the Chinese people will be under intense media scrutiny during the Olympics. A huge media contingent will be on hand to record the games - and have a long, hard look at China.

Should anti-foreigner attitudes result in incidents this will explode into headlines. All hope of portraying China as a friendly, fast developing colossus as the government hopes will be lost - and the Olympics in Bejing will be remembered with shame.

It depends on whether the Chinese government has the foresight to see the danger it's controlled media is creating - and whether that media has the skill to tone things down and return to the calm that existed before the Tibet crisis erupted.

The success of this coming Olympics depends upon it !