Just when we have the Ebola outbreak contained it seems that a new disease has appeared from the mysterious deep jungles of Africa. Zika is a mosquito borne infection that was first identified in Uganda in 1947. It is now prevalent in Latin America - including Mexico -and is fast expanding throughout the Caribbean and the Islands of the Pacific. It is of specific concern because this August the Olympics will be held in Rio and thousands of world visitors are expected to be exposed to contact with mosquitoes that have the capacity to distribute the disease widely.
Zika has mild, flu like symptoms for most people, but it's greatest danger is to pregnant women. When it is contracted during pregnancy it often results in a child born with microcephaly. This manifests itself in a smaller than usual head, resulting in restricted brain growth with the result that the child lives a handicapped life. That is a fear that strikes deeply into the heart of most intending parents.
The race is on to develop a vaccine but that is unlikely to happen before this year's Olympics and for Australian families the risk is close at hand. The mosquito that harbours Zika is precisely the same species that hosted Malaria and Dengue Fever - and Zika has been found to be active in Samoa, Tonga and many of the Pacific Islands visited by cruise ships. There is a suspicion that it may have reached Papua New Guinea and if so it seems inevitable that it will cross into north Queensland.
The advice given by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) is to avoid pregnancy if you visit a location where Zika is active. In fact, some countries are advising women to delay pregnancy for at least two years because it is not known how long the virus takes to exit from the human system. At this stage science is still probing and we are not aware of what the ramifications of this disease may deliver.
It seems certain that Ziva will cause a degree of social and economic change. If Zika is confirmed as being present in north Queensland mosquitoes it is likely that the islands of the Barrier Reef will lose holiday appeal and the cruise industry may steer clear of visits to Pacific islands. Perhaps we will see renewed interest in Europe and the colder parts of the world. Women of child bearing age are likely to become risk sensitive and this is a disease that nature restricts to both the tropics and sub tropics - in areas where Malaria is common.
There seems a near certainty that Zika will cause an increase in abortions. A woman taking all precautions against mosquitoes when visiting a suspect area is going to be very suspicious of even a mild cold upon return and should that visit result in an unexpected pregnancy many may choose to abort rather than risk the birth of a handicapped child.
The Olympic authorities in Rio are in a panic. Even the army has been mobilized to launch a war on mosquitoes and the city is being sprayed with insecticide and foraging teams are disposing of all forms of stagnant water to break the larvae cycle in which these pests breed. Unfortunately, screened windows and doors are not the usual form of protection common on buildings there and it is now probably too late to insulate the city in this manner.
Hopefully, science will eventually produce a vaccine and Zika will be brought under control, but the ever growing world population is putting pressure on what used to be undeveloped parts of the planet and it seems that Mother Nature may have many more " surprises " in store for us. So far we have been lucky. Back in the dark ages the world was ravaged by Bubonic Plague. Then in 1918 - at the end of the " Great War " - Spanish Flu decimated millions.
Perhaps Zika is nature's way of getting us to slow down the breeding cycle !
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Saturday, 30 January 2016
Need ? Or Greed ?
One of the hardest words in the dictionary to fully define must be " disability " . It means different things to different people, and yet it is the basis for handing over public money to those who have been accepted as having an ailment that qualifies them for the " Disability Support Pension " - widely known as the DSP.
Every year more people gain the DSP and the cost has blown out to sixteen billion dollars. It is now firmly in the sights of the government's razor gang and a review of those under thirty-five receiving this pension has resulted in one of every seven recipients being denied further payments - reducing the cost on the public purse by $ 1.2 billion. It seems inevitable that a similar review will apply to those over thirty-five and this will probably deliver a similar saving.
There is no doubt that we have a need for disability support for those with medical conditions that make holding down a job and earning a living impossible, but the criteria for marking a person " disabled " rests on a very wide tolerance. In most cases, it depends on the personal view of the doctor reviewing the applicants medical condition.
That is where we enter dangerous territory. We seem to be heading towards a clash of opinions between a bureaucrat who applies a rigid formula for assessing ability to work with the appraisal of a doctor who jealously guards his or her trained ability to make that same decision. The entire medical profession would be in revolt if the final decision on granting a DSP rested in the hands of an untrained bureaucrat with no formal medical knowledge.
The DSP is very much reliant on what could be termed " the human factor " ! Some doctors with a humanitarian outlook on life are more likely to grant a DSP where a doubt exists on the severity of the disability than others who view making such decisions as a responsibility that must be exercised with care because of their professional status. It is a well known fact that some doctors freely approve conditions for the DSP while others take a much sterner stance !
From a practical point of view, there are very few infirmities that totally preclude a person from all and any form of employment ! With the right training, almost anybody can learn to serve some useful industrial purpose. It is not uncommon to hear of a blind person successfully managing a job as a telephone switchboard operator, and wheelchair bound lawyers regularly serve in the nation's courts.
The problem is that we have few facilities that specifically train the handicapped to prepare them for the workforce. There is little incentive to do that when we have a pool of unemployed ready to fill any job gaps and who would be first in line for whatever training was necessary to equip them to gain a pay packet.
Unfortunately, the DSP seems to have morphed into a defacto substitute for the aged pension for those with some limited form of a disability who lack the skill to be attractive to hirers and exist in that gray area - too old for most employers and yet needing a few more years to qualify for the aged pension. Many a kind hearted doctor simply exaggerates their disability and they become another DSP statistic.
This concentration initially on the under thirty-fives suggests that manipulation of the DSP may be rife amongst school leavers and the long term young unemployed. The conditions that apply to the dole have been tightened to the extent that applicants must prove by way of diary entries that they are seriously looking for work and that they are presentable and turning up for interviews on time. Unless the rules are rigorously followed, dole payments cease and perhaps some seek to avoid this form of regimentation by exploiting minor medical conditions that might qualify them, for the DSP.
It may be time to revise the procedure for approval for a DSP. Perhaps the need for the applicant to appear before a panel that includes the applicants own doctor, a medico appointed by the government - and psychologists trained to evaluate an applicants suitability for whatever training is necessary to prepare them for employment. That will only work if training facilities are actually in place to prepare the mildly disabled with the skills necessary to become employable.
It also says a lot about the failure of our costly education system to adequately prepare their charges to a level where they can confidently enter the workforce the day that they finish their school years !
Every year more people gain the DSP and the cost has blown out to sixteen billion dollars. It is now firmly in the sights of the government's razor gang and a review of those under thirty-five receiving this pension has resulted in one of every seven recipients being denied further payments - reducing the cost on the public purse by $ 1.2 billion. It seems inevitable that a similar review will apply to those over thirty-five and this will probably deliver a similar saving.
There is no doubt that we have a need for disability support for those with medical conditions that make holding down a job and earning a living impossible, but the criteria for marking a person " disabled " rests on a very wide tolerance. In most cases, it depends on the personal view of the doctor reviewing the applicants medical condition.
That is where we enter dangerous territory. We seem to be heading towards a clash of opinions between a bureaucrat who applies a rigid formula for assessing ability to work with the appraisal of a doctor who jealously guards his or her trained ability to make that same decision. The entire medical profession would be in revolt if the final decision on granting a DSP rested in the hands of an untrained bureaucrat with no formal medical knowledge.
The DSP is very much reliant on what could be termed " the human factor " ! Some doctors with a humanitarian outlook on life are more likely to grant a DSP where a doubt exists on the severity of the disability than others who view making such decisions as a responsibility that must be exercised with care because of their professional status. It is a well known fact that some doctors freely approve conditions for the DSP while others take a much sterner stance !
From a practical point of view, there are very few infirmities that totally preclude a person from all and any form of employment ! With the right training, almost anybody can learn to serve some useful industrial purpose. It is not uncommon to hear of a blind person successfully managing a job as a telephone switchboard operator, and wheelchair bound lawyers regularly serve in the nation's courts.
The problem is that we have few facilities that specifically train the handicapped to prepare them for the workforce. There is little incentive to do that when we have a pool of unemployed ready to fill any job gaps and who would be first in line for whatever training was necessary to equip them to gain a pay packet.
Unfortunately, the DSP seems to have morphed into a defacto substitute for the aged pension for those with some limited form of a disability who lack the skill to be attractive to hirers and exist in that gray area - too old for most employers and yet needing a few more years to qualify for the aged pension. Many a kind hearted doctor simply exaggerates their disability and they become another DSP statistic.
This concentration initially on the under thirty-fives suggests that manipulation of the DSP may be rife amongst school leavers and the long term young unemployed. The conditions that apply to the dole have been tightened to the extent that applicants must prove by way of diary entries that they are seriously looking for work and that they are presentable and turning up for interviews on time. Unless the rules are rigorously followed, dole payments cease and perhaps some seek to avoid this form of regimentation by exploiting minor medical conditions that might qualify them, for the DSP.
It may be time to revise the procedure for approval for a DSP. Perhaps the need for the applicant to appear before a panel that includes the applicants own doctor, a medico appointed by the government - and psychologists trained to evaluate an applicants suitability for whatever training is necessary to prepare them for employment. That will only work if training facilities are actually in place to prepare the mildly disabled with the skills necessary to become employable.
It also says a lot about the failure of our costly education system to adequately prepare their charges to a level where they can confidently enter the workforce the day that they finish their school years !
Friday, 29 January 2016
Disclosure Dangers !
The inquest has finally got under way into what became known as the " Lindt Cafe Siege " of December, 2014. The problem is that full and frank disclosure of the tactics police used to take down the gunman holding seventeen hostages will alert terrorists and allow them to develop counter measures. The New South Wales Police Commissioner has asked that public reference to " diversionary tactics " and the " Surveillance type capabilities " used not be entered on the public record.
Unfortunately, this siege ended with three deaths and it is necessary to look closely to develop the most effective protocols for ending future sieges. The present terrorist culture is leaning towards similar " lone wolf " public attacks and we need to know what we did that was wrong - and what we did that was right in bringing the Lindt siege to a close.
Man Monis walked into that cafe with a backpack that he claimed contained a bomb and he was armed with a twelve gauge shotgun with a five shot magazine. He detained seventeen members of the public and had them display a Islamic State flag in the window. The police cleared the street and placed a sniper in an office overlooking the cafe. At various times Monis was distracted and several hostages managed to escape.
The culmination of the siege occurred when Monis murdered cafe manager Tori Johnson. The police then rushed the cafe, throwing " flash/bangs " to distract and firing a fusillade of shots from assault rifles. Unfortunately, either a shot or a richocet from a police weapon caused the death of one of the remaining hostages, Barrister Katrina Dawson.
There was a degree of public conjecture on whether ending this siege was better handled by the police or whether it should have been handed to the special forces within the Australian military. This raises the issue of jurisdiction and that is an imperative that this inquest needs to settle. It is highly likely that siege situations may be a future outcome as radicalized extremists bring urban warfare to Australia.
There is no question that the police who rushed the Lindt cafe were courageous. There was the expectation that Monis had a bomb and had one been detonated everyone in that cafe could be expected to die or be seriously injured. The only question is whether military specialists who are specifically trained to take down terrorists could have resolved the siege with lesser firepower - and consequently lesser loss of life.
Probably trying to reach such a conclusion in a public enquiry such as an inquest is inappropriate. The issue of the " public's right to know " bumps up against the " need for discretion " in revealing the tactics employed by both the police and the military in dealing with siege situations. This siege enthralled the nation - and indeed was world news - and the media are reporting this inquest with rapt attention.
The coroner would be wise to bow to that request from the police commissioner and it seems that the decision on who has the element of control in future siege situations must rest with the government.
The details needed to make that decision are " sensitive " and need to be arrived at by way of a conference where both the police and the military clearly state their case. Once the government allocates the primary responsibility all other agencies must acquiesce and act under that command.
Unfortunately, this siege ended with three deaths and it is necessary to look closely to develop the most effective protocols for ending future sieges. The present terrorist culture is leaning towards similar " lone wolf " public attacks and we need to know what we did that was wrong - and what we did that was right in bringing the Lindt siege to a close.
Man Monis walked into that cafe with a backpack that he claimed contained a bomb and he was armed with a twelve gauge shotgun with a five shot magazine. He detained seventeen members of the public and had them display a Islamic State flag in the window. The police cleared the street and placed a sniper in an office overlooking the cafe. At various times Monis was distracted and several hostages managed to escape.
The culmination of the siege occurred when Monis murdered cafe manager Tori Johnson. The police then rushed the cafe, throwing " flash/bangs " to distract and firing a fusillade of shots from assault rifles. Unfortunately, either a shot or a richocet from a police weapon caused the death of one of the remaining hostages, Barrister Katrina Dawson.
There was a degree of public conjecture on whether ending this siege was better handled by the police or whether it should have been handed to the special forces within the Australian military. This raises the issue of jurisdiction and that is an imperative that this inquest needs to settle. It is highly likely that siege situations may be a future outcome as radicalized extremists bring urban warfare to Australia.
There is no question that the police who rushed the Lindt cafe were courageous. There was the expectation that Monis had a bomb and had one been detonated everyone in that cafe could be expected to die or be seriously injured. The only question is whether military specialists who are specifically trained to take down terrorists could have resolved the siege with lesser firepower - and consequently lesser loss of life.
Probably trying to reach such a conclusion in a public enquiry such as an inquest is inappropriate. The issue of the " public's right to know " bumps up against the " need for discretion " in revealing the tactics employed by both the police and the military in dealing with siege situations. This siege enthralled the nation - and indeed was world news - and the media are reporting this inquest with rapt attention.
The coroner would be wise to bow to that request from the police commissioner and it seems that the decision on who has the element of control in future siege situations must rest with the government.
The details needed to make that decision are " sensitive " and need to be arrived at by way of a conference where both the police and the military clearly state their case. Once the government allocates the primary responsibility all other agencies must acquiesce and act under that command.
Thursday, 28 January 2016
When " Safety " delivers " Danger " !
Sydney had a spectacular fire emergency right in the heart of the city on Australia Day. Dense smoke and flames were seen pouring from the roof of a new apartment building in Castelreagh street and over a hundred people were quickly evacuated as city fire trucks raced to the scene. Fire crews brought the blaze under control and nobody was injured, but this fire has implications that need to be addressed. This particular fire became a major blaze because a safety measure intended to keep the building safe from fire actually worked in reverse !
Modern city buildings are designed to bring people back to living in the inner city. We have adopted the " Vertical Village " concept because there must be limits to outer expansion and all the services already in place can service new buildings far cheaper than creating new facilities in distant suburbs. The favoured concept is a tower block of apartments with basement parking for residents cars, and with shops and restaurants at street level. The law requires that such buildings must be equipped with fire safety sprinklers as a safety measure.
It is interesting to consider how this fire emergency developed. The proprietor of a Chinese restaurant within the building was preparing for the Australia Day lunch rush by precooking fish. The method used in commercial cooking is heated oil in a commercial stove being used to fry food and if the heat setting is a little high it can cause this oil to become a flash fire - and that was exactly what happened on Australia Day.
The proprietor was using an appropriate fire extinguisher to fight the fire - when the automatic sprinkler system activated - and delivered the result fire authorities warn all householders never to do. Putting water on an oil fire causes the fire to explode and vastly increase in volume, and so this containable fire in a restaurant kitchen got out of control and roared up the central atrium and exited via the roof.
When the fire services arrived they needed to isolate the sprinkler system and use foam to quell the fire. The restaurant kitchen was badly damaged, but the rest of the building survived, and after a nasty scare residents were allowed to return to their units - but surely there is a lesson to be learned from this incident !
How many other fire sprinkler equipped buildings have restaurants in which the sprinkler system extends to the kitchen cooking area ? It is an entirely wrong mix to have a water sprinkler system guarding fire safety above a cooking vat containing oil. In the event of a cooking flash-over, exactly what happened in that Castlereagh street fire will be the result.
In many cases, restaurants are part of the plan for new apartment buildings, but sometimes they are an additional installation in the later life and it seems essential that fire safety should be part of the inspection process whenever a building zoning change occurs. It is now obvious that somehow this danger was allowed to happen when that fire occurred on Australia Day.
We would be prudent to insist that water sprinklers be isolated above any area where oil cooking is in process and replaced with either foam or carbon dioxide activated fire measures. If nothing else, that Australia Day fire was a clear warning that the safety issue of sprinkler systems needs revision !
Modern city buildings are designed to bring people back to living in the inner city. We have adopted the " Vertical Village " concept because there must be limits to outer expansion and all the services already in place can service new buildings far cheaper than creating new facilities in distant suburbs. The favoured concept is a tower block of apartments with basement parking for residents cars, and with shops and restaurants at street level. The law requires that such buildings must be equipped with fire safety sprinklers as a safety measure.
It is interesting to consider how this fire emergency developed. The proprietor of a Chinese restaurant within the building was preparing for the Australia Day lunch rush by precooking fish. The method used in commercial cooking is heated oil in a commercial stove being used to fry food and if the heat setting is a little high it can cause this oil to become a flash fire - and that was exactly what happened on Australia Day.
The proprietor was using an appropriate fire extinguisher to fight the fire - when the automatic sprinkler system activated - and delivered the result fire authorities warn all householders never to do. Putting water on an oil fire causes the fire to explode and vastly increase in volume, and so this containable fire in a restaurant kitchen got out of control and roared up the central atrium and exited via the roof.
When the fire services arrived they needed to isolate the sprinkler system and use foam to quell the fire. The restaurant kitchen was badly damaged, but the rest of the building survived, and after a nasty scare residents were allowed to return to their units - but surely there is a lesson to be learned from this incident !
How many other fire sprinkler equipped buildings have restaurants in which the sprinkler system extends to the kitchen cooking area ? It is an entirely wrong mix to have a water sprinkler system guarding fire safety above a cooking vat containing oil. In the event of a cooking flash-over, exactly what happened in that Castlereagh street fire will be the result.
In many cases, restaurants are part of the plan for new apartment buildings, but sometimes they are an additional installation in the later life and it seems essential that fire safety should be part of the inspection process whenever a building zoning change occurs. It is now obvious that somehow this danger was allowed to happen when that fire occurred on Australia Day.
We would be prudent to insist that water sprinklers be isolated above any area where oil cooking is in process and replaced with either foam or carbon dioxide activated fire measures. If nothing else, that Australia Day fire was a clear warning that the safety issue of sprinkler systems needs revision !
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Sport - and Corruption !
It has been an open secret for years. Gaining the nod to hold the Soccer World Cup involves " round robins " of bribe payments to secure enough votes to swing the deal. What was surprising was how long this has been studiously ignored - and the millions of dollars that have changed hands amongst the coterie of powerful people entitled to cast a vote.
Corruption is with us in every walk of life. It is part of the human psyche to wish to become rich ! We all want to live in a better house than the people next door - and drive a better car and be looked up to on the social register - and if that means cheating on the taxes we pay or " bending " a few laws - then so be it !
A long time ago we had very restrictive gambling laws. The only legal betting option was horse racing and to legally bet you needed to go to the races and place your bet trackside with a registered bookmaker. The ordinary punter was catered for by illegal SP bookies who accepted bets in the bar of the local pub and eventually the state tired of missing out on gambling tax money and made the TAB legal. It was now possible to place a bet on sporting events other than horse racing.
Those bookmakers also extended their reach. Phone betting and Internet betting has enabled them to diversify the product they offer and as a consequence there is temptation for players to artificially create play incidents to order - to enable long odds bets to pay a handsome dividend. The finger has been pointed at Rugby League, Australian Rules and just about every sport where competition results in winners and losers.
Now we are shocked to learn that " match fixing " has intruded into the sport of tennis. Several players have openly admitted that they have coerced others to deliberately lose a game by paying a bribe to gain that end. It seems that this form of corruption even extends to the high end of the sport - such as Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
It is just so simple - and so rewarding. Often it is a match between a talented player and one seemingly hopeless in the early elimination round that is chosen. Those in the know pile on bets for the " hopeless " one to win - and to the surprise of the judges, that is exactly what happens. The betting agencies are watching this closely now, and in the event of big money suddenly flowing to a low grade game they become suspicious - and refuse further bets.
The opportunities for betting corruption seem ever widening. What is known as " in play " betting is now widespread. The betting agencies deliver changing odds as the game progresses and this is a far change from the time when bets ceased at the starting post. Now bets can be placed at varying stages of the contest and the odds change as the chance of victory swings either way. There is pressure building for this form of betting to be banned.
Naturally, the conveners of all sports hope that their contests will be squeaky clean but in this age that is probably wishful thinking. Performance enhancing drugs are a fact of life and even the Olympics are tainted and the very nature of gambling for money on the result of a contest will introduce the possibility of corruption.
It seems that we are now in the age of parallel competitions. On the one hand the competitors are striving for success, and in the background the agencies tasked with rooting out corruption are doing battle to eliminate the human factor that makes cheating possible.
That is a situation that has persisted - down the centuries - from the time the barter system changed and money in the form of coins put in an appearance. Corruption was part of that evolution. It is only an optimist that thinks that corruption can ever be separated from the sporting world !
Corruption is with us in every walk of life. It is part of the human psyche to wish to become rich ! We all want to live in a better house than the people next door - and drive a better car and be looked up to on the social register - and if that means cheating on the taxes we pay or " bending " a few laws - then so be it !
A long time ago we had very restrictive gambling laws. The only legal betting option was horse racing and to legally bet you needed to go to the races and place your bet trackside with a registered bookmaker. The ordinary punter was catered for by illegal SP bookies who accepted bets in the bar of the local pub and eventually the state tired of missing out on gambling tax money and made the TAB legal. It was now possible to place a bet on sporting events other than horse racing.
Those bookmakers also extended their reach. Phone betting and Internet betting has enabled them to diversify the product they offer and as a consequence there is temptation for players to artificially create play incidents to order - to enable long odds bets to pay a handsome dividend. The finger has been pointed at Rugby League, Australian Rules and just about every sport where competition results in winners and losers.
Now we are shocked to learn that " match fixing " has intruded into the sport of tennis. Several players have openly admitted that they have coerced others to deliberately lose a game by paying a bribe to gain that end. It seems that this form of corruption even extends to the high end of the sport - such as Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
It is just so simple - and so rewarding. Often it is a match between a talented player and one seemingly hopeless in the early elimination round that is chosen. Those in the know pile on bets for the " hopeless " one to win - and to the surprise of the judges, that is exactly what happens. The betting agencies are watching this closely now, and in the event of big money suddenly flowing to a low grade game they become suspicious - and refuse further bets.
The opportunities for betting corruption seem ever widening. What is known as " in play " betting is now widespread. The betting agencies deliver changing odds as the game progresses and this is a far change from the time when bets ceased at the starting post. Now bets can be placed at varying stages of the contest and the odds change as the chance of victory swings either way. There is pressure building for this form of betting to be banned.
Naturally, the conveners of all sports hope that their contests will be squeaky clean but in this age that is probably wishful thinking. Performance enhancing drugs are a fact of life and even the Olympics are tainted and the very nature of gambling for money on the result of a contest will introduce the possibility of corruption.
It seems that we are now in the age of parallel competitions. On the one hand the competitors are striving for success, and in the background the agencies tasked with rooting out corruption are doing battle to eliminate the human factor that makes cheating possible.
That is a situation that has persisted - down the centuries - from the time the barter system changed and money in the form of coins put in an appearance. Corruption was part of that evolution. It is only an optimist that thinks that corruption can ever be separated from the sporting world !
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Can We Afford It ?
For some reason, this " Australia Day " has induced our politicians to join ranks and call for the Monarchy to be replaced by a Republic. For once, both sides of politics seem to be in agreement and the consensus that the Republican issue would rest in abeyance for the remainder of Queen Elizabeth's reign seems to have been abandoned. The state Premiers insist that the need to become a Republic must be addressed - Now !
It certainly will eventually happen, but it is doubtful if the public realise just what costs are involved - and they are huge. For a start, all those organizations which precede their name with " Royal " will need to undergo a name change - with the signage on buildings and replacement of printed stationery that will involve. There is also the disappointment of the loss of privilege. A hospital with that " Royal " prefix tended to think itself superior to all the other district named hospitals in a city.
The legal profession's mind will boggle at what this will mean in the arcane world of the law. We will need to revise the entire statute of law to ensure that it is scrupulously correct because that is the cornerstone of how our justice system works. Even the acts of parliament that underpin the law will need to be revised to bring this new accountability into law.
No doubt wigs and gowns, and the present court protocol will come under scrutiny because that all harks back to the legal dress code of merry olde England, and then there is the cost of chipping away the Royal coat of Arms that adorn every court building in this country.
Obviously Australia would also need a new flag and that could bring new contention. One of the possibilities would be to replace the union jack on our present flag with the Aboriginal flag so that it represents those here before 1788, while the Southern Cross and Federation star on a blue background represents those that came after 1788. The cost of a new flag for every school in Australia, every government building and all those embassies in far countries would be astronomical.
We will also lose some customs that many people hold dear. The names of our warships are proudly prefaced by " Her Majesty's Australian ship " and somehow just " Australian Ship " will lack resonance in some minds, and once again becoming a Republic will require a change of both stationery and culture in our entire military hierarchy - at a cost !
Then there is the matter of housing our new President. America has it's " White House ". Britain has it's " 10 Downing Street ". Most countries have a presidential palace and we would probably need to build one - in Canberra. But that would not suffice. Most likely the states would insist on some sort of Presidential digs in each capital city and that could develop into a competitive battle of ego's.
Another issue is the need to regularly elect our president. We have seen how that has developed into a race for billionaires in the United States and we would hope that Australian Presidential elections would be less brash and confrontanal. There remains a decision on just what sort of Presidency we choose ? One where our President is a mere figurehead and the country is governed by a prime minister - or where the President replaces the prime minister as the head of government ?
A basic question that many will consider when thinking about such a change in how we are governed is what financial benefits will be delivered by a change of head of state ? It will not matter two hoots to the rest of the world - and it will be treated with indifference.
We will simply pander to our own ego's, but at a huge internal cost to put a new regime in place. Doing this at a time when we are adjusting to a savage downturn in the demand for the minerals that we sell to earn our national living may not be a good time to impose a totally voluntary strain on the national budget.
When state leaders put politics aside and enthusiastically agree on a new and unprecedented course of action we would be wise to do the sums and determine why ? It is a fact of life that political harmony usually masks a hidden agenda !
It certainly will eventually happen, but it is doubtful if the public realise just what costs are involved - and they are huge. For a start, all those organizations which precede their name with " Royal " will need to undergo a name change - with the signage on buildings and replacement of printed stationery that will involve. There is also the disappointment of the loss of privilege. A hospital with that " Royal " prefix tended to think itself superior to all the other district named hospitals in a city.
The legal profession's mind will boggle at what this will mean in the arcane world of the law. We will need to revise the entire statute of law to ensure that it is scrupulously correct because that is the cornerstone of how our justice system works. Even the acts of parliament that underpin the law will need to be revised to bring this new accountability into law.
No doubt wigs and gowns, and the present court protocol will come under scrutiny because that all harks back to the legal dress code of merry olde England, and then there is the cost of chipping away the Royal coat of Arms that adorn every court building in this country.
Obviously Australia would also need a new flag and that could bring new contention. One of the possibilities would be to replace the union jack on our present flag with the Aboriginal flag so that it represents those here before 1788, while the Southern Cross and Federation star on a blue background represents those that came after 1788. The cost of a new flag for every school in Australia, every government building and all those embassies in far countries would be astronomical.
We will also lose some customs that many people hold dear. The names of our warships are proudly prefaced by " Her Majesty's Australian ship " and somehow just " Australian Ship " will lack resonance in some minds, and once again becoming a Republic will require a change of both stationery and culture in our entire military hierarchy - at a cost !
Then there is the matter of housing our new President. America has it's " White House ". Britain has it's " 10 Downing Street ". Most countries have a presidential palace and we would probably need to build one - in Canberra. But that would not suffice. Most likely the states would insist on some sort of Presidential digs in each capital city and that could develop into a competitive battle of ego's.
Another issue is the need to regularly elect our president. We have seen how that has developed into a race for billionaires in the United States and we would hope that Australian Presidential elections would be less brash and confrontanal. There remains a decision on just what sort of Presidency we choose ? One where our President is a mere figurehead and the country is governed by a prime minister - or where the President replaces the prime minister as the head of government ?
A basic question that many will consider when thinking about such a change in how we are governed is what financial benefits will be delivered by a change of head of state ? It will not matter two hoots to the rest of the world - and it will be treated with indifference.
We will simply pander to our own ego's, but at a huge internal cost to put a new regime in place. Doing this at a time when we are adjusting to a savage downturn in the demand for the minerals that we sell to earn our national living may not be a good time to impose a totally voluntary strain on the national budget.
When state leaders put politics aside and enthusiastically agree on a new and unprecedented course of action we would be wise to do the sums and determine why ? It is a fact of life that political harmony usually masks a hidden agenda !
Monday, 25 January 2016
Making " Neglect " a Crime !
It seems that there is a lack of specific laws available to police and child protection agencies when they encounter children with psychological abuse or who are withheld from education or mixing with others of a similar age group. From time to time explosive stories burst onto the nightly news. We remember the eight year old boy locked away in a shipping container because his carers were running a drug factory - and that awful incident where a young girl literally starved to death, locked in a bedroom which served as her toilet. Whatever food she was allowed was pushed in under the door.
It is proposed that we enact a new law similar to one in force in Western Australia that delivers a ten years prison sentence for " emotionally abusing children or failing to educate them ". The danger in that line of thinking is that it seeks to punish the person responsible, but does nothing to actually improve the rehabilitation the victims need.
In most cases when serious neglect of a child is discovered the state steps in and places that child " in it's care " ! That probably means the use of a foster home or an institution - and that has a history we would much rather forget. Somehow there is something in the human psyche that turns decent people into child abusers when ultimate power is placed in their hands. Clearly, in the past it has corrupted churches and even hallowed institutions such as the Salvation Army and the Scout movement. Sexual abuse and child exploitation are legion whenever a well intentioned entity steps in to provide what they see as a " service of social necessity " !
" Removal of the child " is fraught with unintentional consequences. In another era an event occurred which we now refer to as the " Stolen Generation ", but at that time it was done with good intent. The horror that was " Parramatta Girl's Home " was put in place with very good intentions, but now the silence has been broken and we are horrified at what went on behind those grim walls. We need to make sure that we do not go about making the same mistake - again !
There are instances where removal is the only option, but generally the child is safer if intervention can modify the attitude of the carer and bring the situation under control. The state has a right to insist that children in the care of their parents are decently housed, adequately fed and given both an education and the opportunity to interact with others in their age group. That is the function of our child protection agencies.
The problem is that these agencies have impossible case loads. If money is to be spent on child protection, easing that pressure should be the highest priority, and equipping those workers with the powers to bring results would be money well spent. The time factor to make repeated calls to ensure that behaviour modifications are in place and working would go a long way to solving most problems.
Often child neglect is the result of alcoholism or drug addiction and the care of younger siblings rests in the hands of a slightly older child. That is often better accepted than removal because the bond between the children remains unbroken and they are safer from harm within the family unit - than dispersed and under the care of strangers.
A law change to make neglect a crime becomes a useful weapon in a social workers armoury to bring about change. Sometimes a credible threat is the way of achieving compliance !
It is proposed that we enact a new law similar to one in force in Western Australia that delivers a ten years prison sentence for " emotionally abusing children or failing to educate them ". The danger in that line of thinking is that it seeks to punish the person responsible, but does nothing to actually improve the rehabilitation the victims need.
In most cases when serious neglect of a child is discovered the state steps in and places that child " in it's care " ! That probably means the use of a foster home or an institution - and that has a history we would much rather forget. Somehow there is something in the human psyche that turns decent people into child abusers when ultimate power is placed in their hands. Clearly, in the past it has corrupted churches and even hallowed institutions such as the Salvation Army and the Scout movement. Sexual abuse and child exploitation are legion whenever a well intentioned entity steps in to provide what they see as a " service of social necessity " !
" Removal of the child " is fraught with unintentional consequences. In another era an event occurred which we now refer to as the " Stolen Generation ", but at that time it was done with good intent. The horror that was " Parramatta Girl's Home " was put in place with very good intentions, but now the silence has been broken and we are horrified at what went on behind those grim walls. We need to make sure that we do not go about making the same mistake - again !
There are instances where removal is the only option, but generally the child is safer if intervention can modify the attitude of the carer and bring the situation under control. The state has a right to insist that children in the care of their parents are decently housed, adequately fed and given both an education and the opportunity to interact with others in their age group. That is the function of our child protection agencies.
The problem is that these agencies have impossible case loads. If money is to be spent on child protection, easing that pressure should be the highest priority, and equipping those workers with the powers to bring results would be money well spent. The time factor to make repeated calls to ensure that behaviour modifications are in place and working would go a long way to solving most problems.
Often child neglect is the result of alcoholism or drug addiction and the care of younger siblings rests in the hands of a slightly older child. That is often better accepted than removal because the bond between the children remains unbroken and they are safer from harm within the family unit - than dispersed and under the care of strangers.
A law change to make neglect a crime becomes a useful weapon in a social workers armoury to bring about change. Sometimes a credible threat is the way of achieving compliance !
Sunday, 24 January 2016
The Loneliest Man in the World !
Barak Obama has only to serve this final year of his presidency and then he can walk away and start putting together a presidential library in a city of his choice. Xi Jinping has gathered together the levers of power and may rule the Communist nation of China for at least the coming decade. Not only is he the President, but also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and the Chairman of it's Military Commission.
With that power comes the weight of office. The buck stops with the man at the top, and with China the future is far from clear. The China that Mao created was entirely free of capitalism and it's citizens fed from the " giant rice bowl " of state power, but today's China has a fast growing " middle class " that demand that the state serve their needs. One of the troubling questions Xi Jinping is facing is the need for China to adopt the " rule of law " to bring clarity to commerce.
The President faces a dilemma. There is massive corruption in the leadership and he has started to install change. The Constitution promises many freedoms that are ignored by the courts and yet Xi Jinping has made it clear that preserving the power of the Communist party will take precedence over all other matters. He has brought together the generals and the admirals of the People's Liberation Army ( PLA ) and told them that the task of the PLA is not to protect China from external enemies, but to maintain the power of the Communist party to govern the country. The " rule of law " will only apply where it does not come into conflict with the Communist party hold on power.
One reason for dissent is the " Hukou " system, which is really an internal passport. This growing middle class is clustered in the great cities while the poorer agrarian masses live a spartan existence in the countryside. When the " manufacturing miracle " began many flocked to the cities to get the better paying jobs, but the " hukou " prevented them bringing their children because without the correct hukou city schools would not accept country children. A pattern emerged. Mum and Dad worked in the city and the children remained back in the countryside, attending inferior schools and cared for by grandparents.
Now those manufacturing jobs are decreasing a new threat is emerging. Those with a country hukou are denied unemployment benefits if they are laid off and must return to their village to receive the much less form of compensation available there - and as a consequence they do not appear on the city unemployment statistics. It is highly likely that the supposed 5% unemployment rate is dodgy.
That is another worry for the Communist party financial mandarins. The whole Chinese form of statistical analysis is suspect. There has been a tendency for managers to submit returns that show what their bosses expect to see, rather than the real picture. The banks tend to hide their bad loans and the plethora of State Owned Enterprises ( SOES ) are feather bedded with extra staff and few make any sort of profit. They are a drag on the economy, but reforming them would set loose forces that would be impossible to measure.
Unfortunately, that SOES question is about to worsen. The President has ordered that the PLA be modernised and reduced in size and consequently 300,000 serving soldiers will be returned to civilian life. By decree, the SOES will be required to reserve five percent of their work force for these returning soldiers, hence the feather bedding situation will worsen - and ex soldiers are likely to have no value in the skills they bring to their new employer.
The biggest worry is the contention in many western minds that the people making management decisions on the Chinese economy have little appreciation on how market forces work in the real world. They are ruling over the ailing SOES content of an earlier regime that is now mixed with a flourishing market economy, constrained by the Communist party's fear that unfettered communications will bring pressure for change that they are unwilling to accept.
Hence the restrictions on Internet access and the steady weeding out of any form of criticism. Rule of law meets political repression head-on, and at the same time China is trying to integrate imports and exports with the rest of the world,.
The human being that is Xi Jinping is an enigma. His inner thoughts are shuttered and yet what he decides will have a profound effect on the world's economy, and this year will see a new man or woman elected to the oval office and square off against China's leader across the conference table.
The world will hope that Xi Jinping gets his economic decisions right and China achieves a smooth landing. If it all goes awry he may invoke nationalism and claim his country is facing an external threat to rally it's people around the flag. There are plenty of flash points in the South and East China seas - and of course that old perennial of forcibly reclaiming Taiwan.
The coming American presidential election will also be crucial. Barak Obama served two terms but his attention was centred on his country's internal problems and he avoided any new military adventures. When party nominees emerge we will have a clearer picture of their likely world outlook but it is possible that America may be more forceful in the years ahead.
At this present moment, the fate of the world economy rests in the hands of Xi Jinping because what happens in China will decide whether the world emerges from a lingering recession - or is plunged into another downturn that may create food lines that persist for decades ! It seems that the fate of the world economy rests in Chinese hands !
With that power comes the weight of office. The buck stops with the man at the top, and with China the future is far from clear. The China that Mao created was entirely free of capitalism and it's citizens fed from the " giant rice bowl " of state power, but today's China has a fast growing " middle class " that demand that the state serve their needs. One of the troubling questions Xi Jinping is facing is the need for China to adopt the " rule of law " to bring clarity to commerce.
The President faces a dilemma. There is massive corruption in the leadership and he has started to install change. The Constitution promises many freedoms that are ignored by the courts and yet Xi Jinping has made it clear that preserving the power of the Communist party will take precedence over all other matters. He has brought together the generals and the admirals of the People's Liberation Army ( PLA ) and told them that the task of the PLA is not to protect China from external enemies, but to maintain the power of the Communist party to govern the country. The " rule of law " will only apply where it does not come into conflict with the Communist party hold on power.
One reason for dissent is the " Hukou " system, which is really an internal passport. This growing middle class is clustered in the great cities while the poorer agrarian masses live a spartan existence in the countryside. When the " manufacturing miracle " began many flocked to the cities to get the better paying jobs, but the " hukou " prevented them bringing their children because without the correct hukou city schools would not accept country children. A pattern emerged. Mum and Dad worked in the city and the children remained back in the countryside, attending inferior schools and cared for by grandparents.
Now those manufacturing jobs are decreasing a new threat is emerging. Those with a country hukou are denied unemployment benefits if they are laid off and must return to their village to receive the much less form of compensation available there - and as a consequence they do not appear on the city unemployment statistics. It is highly likely that the supposed 5% unemployment rate is dodgy.
That is another worry for the Communist party financial mandarins. The whole Chinese form of statistical analysis is suspect. There has been a tendency for managers to submit returns that show what their bosses expect to see, rather than the real picture. The banks tend to hide their bad loans and the plethora of State Owned Enterprises ( SOES ) are feather bedded with extra staff and few make any sort of profit. They are a drag on the economy, but reforming them would set loose forces that would be impossible to measure.
Unfortunately, that SOES question is about to worsen. The President has ordered that the PLA be modernised and reduced in size and consequently 300,000 serving soldiers will be returned to civilian life. By decree, the SOES will be required to reserve five percent of their work force for these returning soldiers, hence the feather bedding situation will worsen - and ex soldiers are likely to have no value in the skills they bring to their new employer.
The biggest worry is the contention in many western minds that the people making management decisions on the Chinese economy have little appreciation on how market forces work in the real world. They are ruling over the ailing SOES content of an earlier regime that is now mixed with a flourishing market economy, constrained by the Communist party's fear that unfettered communications will bring pressure for change that they are unwilling to accept.
Hence the restrictions on Internet access and the steady weeding out of any form of criticism. Rule of law meets political repression head-on, and at the same time China is trying to integrate imports and exports with the rest of the world,.
The human being that is Xi Jinping is an enigma. His inner thoughts are shuttered and yet what he decides will have a profound effect on the world's economy, and this year will see a new man or woman elected to the oval office and square off against China's leader across the conference table.
The world will hope that Xi Jinping gets his economic decisions right and China achieves a smooth landing. If it all goes awry he may invoke nationalism and claim his country is facing an external threat to rally it's people around the flag. There are plenty of flash points in the South and East China seas - and of course that old perennial of forcibly reclaiming Taiwan.
The coming American presidential election will also be crucial. Barak Obama served two terms but his attention was centred on his country's internal problems and he avoided any new military adventures. When party nominees emerge we will have a clearer picture of their likely world outlook but it is possible that America may be more forceful in the years ahead.
At this present moment, the fate of the world economy rests in the hands of Xi Jinping because what happens in China will decide whether the world emerges from a lingering recession - or is plunged into another downturn that may create food lines that persist for decades ! It seems that the fate of the world economy rests in Chinese hands !
Saturday, 23 January 2016
Planet Number Nine !
Once again we will need to junk all those text books and charts that we use to illustrate the solar system. Back in the 1930's the discovery of " Pluto " brought the number of planets in our part of the Cosmos to nine - but poor little Pluto got the bum's rush in 2006 when it was downgraded to a " dwarf planet ". In fact many scientists conjecture that it is merely one of many big rocks floating about in the Kuiper Belt and doesn't deserve the title of " planet " !
Now we are heralding a new discovery - and it seems that the theory that our Solar system has nine planets seems to be correct. If the mathematicians are right, way out there is a newly discovered planet that is about ten times bigger than the Earth and which takes twenty thousand years to make an orbit of the sun, something our planet manages in just one year.
So far it has not been given a name, but the distance involved is mind numbing. It is estimated to be eighty eight billion miles from Earth and that is twenty times the distance from here to planet Neptune. Anything that far from our sun is likely to be a little chilly when it comes to the weather on planet number Nine.
Nobody has actually sighted this new planet and it's existence is nothing more than a mathematical calculation. One of those clever balancing of theorems of gravitational pulls which means that the movement of astral bodies that we can measure would be impossible - unless this great big planet was whizzing along on the outer reach to even up the balance.
It seems inevitable that curiosity will demand that we get a look at it. Past space probes have performed way beyond our expectations and are still sending back a record of their journey decades after we expected them to wink out. There will probably be a race between the Americans, the Europeans and the Chinese to launch a probe to connect with our ninth planet, but if it ever manages to deliver pictures they will be seen by very distant relatives of those who presently populate Earth. Everybody here will be long dead, as will their children and grand children unless that theory of worm holes in the Cosmos proves to be correct and we find a few short cuts to speed up space travel.
Our understanding of space has taken giant leaps in the past hundred years, and it has been based on the ability of rocket science to launch everything from satellites to space telescopes outside the limiting factor of our atmosphere. Humans have set foot on the moon and we have a space station conducting experiments that are ever expanding our world of knowledge.
We are also leaning that space is a dangerous place. From time to time stray meteorites crash into our planet and we know that it was one of these that killed off the Dinosaurs when it raised a dust cloud that blocked the sun for years - and caused a mass extinction. We are also finding that there are great numbers of " Goldilocks " planets with Earth like conditions that could support human life. There is an uncomfortable feeling that we may not be alone in the Cosmos - and we would be wise to remember how we reacted when we gained the means to cross oceans and invade undiscovered countries ! Perhaps our new neighbours may not be friendly !
Sadly, while a new planet may excite science it pales into insignificance when measured against the problems we are still trying to sort out right here on planet Earth. We have still not managed to live in peace with one another and world finance is an unholy mess. Religion fights religion and it looks like we are in danger of over populating this planet - and exhausting it's ability to feed us all.
Lets hope that if other plants have people, they have done a better job of sorting themselves out than our lot !
Now we are heralding a new discovery - and it seems that the theory that our Solar system has nine planets seems to be correct. If the mathematicians are right, way out there is a newly discovered planet that is about ten times bigger than the Earth and which takes twenty thousand years to make an orbit of the sun, something our planet manages in just one year.
So far it has not been given a name, but the distance involved is mind numbing. It is estimated to be eighty eight billion miles from Earth and that is twenty times the distance from here to planet Neptune. Anything that far from our sun is likely to be a little chilly when it comes to the weather on planet number Nine.
Nobody has actually sighted this new planet and it's existence is nothing more than a mathematical calculation. One of those clever balancing of theorems of gravitational pulls which means that the movement of astral bodies that we can measure would be impossible - unless this great big planet was whizzing along on the outer reach to even up the balance.
It seems inevitable that curiosity will demand that we get a look at it. Past space probes have performed way beyond our expectations and are still sending back a record of their journey decades after we expected them to wink out. There will probably be a race between the Americans, the Europeans and the Chinese to launch a probe to connect with our ninth planet, but if it ever manages to deliver pictures they will be seen by very distant relatives of those who presently populate Earth. Everybody here will be long dead, as will their children and grand children unless that theory of worm holes in the Cosmos proves to be correct and we find a few short cuts to speed up space travel.
Our understanding of space has taken giant leaps in the past hundred years, and it has been based on the ability of rocket science to launch everything from satellites to space telescopes outside the limiting factor of our atmosphere. Humans have set foot on the moon and we have a space station conducting experiments that are ever expanding our world of knowledge.
We are also leaning that space is a dangerous place. From time to time stray meteorites crash into our planet and we know that it was one of these that killed off the Dinosaurs when it raised a dust cloud that blocked the sun for years - and caused a mass extinction. We are also finding that there are great numbers of " Goldilocks " planets with Earth like conditions that could support human life. There is an uncomfortable feeling that we may not be alone in the Cosmos - and we would be wise to remember how we reacted when we gained the means to cross oceans and invade undiscovered countries ! Perhaps our new neighbours may not be friendly !
Sadly, while a new planet may excite science it pales into insignificance when measured against the problems we are still trying to sort out right here on planet Earth. We have still not managed to live in peace with one another and world finance is an unholy mess. Religion fights religion and it looks like we are in danger of over populating this planet - and exhausting it's ability to feed us all.
Lets hope that if other plants have people, they have done a better job of sorting themselves out than our lot !
Friday, 22 January 2016
The Great Australian " Sickie " !
By one of those strange quirks of nature, this " Australia Day " falls on a Tuesday. In the minds of a vast number of people that conjours up a very appealing opportunity to interpose a reasonable excuse for missing work on that Monday to string together a four day break. It doesn't take Nostradamus to predict that this Monday, January 25 is going to be the " Great Australian Sickie " !
In fact the gnomes in the statistical bureaus estimate that it is highly likely that 180,000 Australians will be missing from their work stations on Monday, January 25 - and that this will cost business somewhere in the vicinity of sixty two million dollars in wages paid for lost production.
The " Sickie " has become an Australian institution in the minds of many people. It started life when in the argy bargy of union pay negotiations it was argued that workers reporting for work when they were suffering an illness put both their lives and others at risk because their performance was below par. It was written into awards that workers were allowed up to five days off work a year with full pay if they reported in sick.
For many people, this was regarded as an extension of annual leave and each of those " sick days " was meticulously ticked off and taken, and it became the habit to schedule them on either a Friday or a Monday, to create a " long weekend ". The weather had a lot to do with that scheduling. When the sun was shining in mid summer industry expected that there would be a peak in employees calling in sick on a Friday or a Monday.
Graft entered the picture when in some industries taking the allocation of sick days became a tightly scheduled deliverer of bonuses to enhance pay. Employees were encouraged to take their sickie as per a roster so that someone else on that same roster would have to be called in to cover their absence - and get all sorts of " award " benefits that enhanced their pay for that extra day worked.
Sick days were specially debilitating for small businesses. Many had no back-up arrangements and the gap caused by a missing worker slowed service and put extra strain on the remaining staff The initial granting of sick days applied to heavy industry, but it quickly entered the award for general staff and found it's way into the social fabric of the entire working system.
There have been attempts to reign it in and some industries insist that if a sick day is taken it must be accompanied by a medical certificate from a qualified doctor explaining the need for the absence. Some employers are more specific, and only require a medical certificate when that sick day is taken immediately before or after a national long weekend holiday.
Of course, the usual rules of " supply and demand " took care of that need. It quickly became apparent that there were certain doctors who would readily grant the necessary medical paperwork to cover a supposed illness - and in many cases bulk bill that service. In most cases, that would be a very brief consultation.
Many people feel " uncomfortable " in inflicting a sickie on their employer and with job opportunities tight some may desist this Australia day, but it is still likely that there will be a vast number who treat this coming Monday as another public holiday.
Perhaps the custom has been so deeply entrenched that it is now impossible to remove from the Australian way of life !
In fact the gnomes in the statistical bureaus estimate that it is highly likely that 180,000 Australians will be missing from their work stations on Monday, January 25 - and that this will cost business somewhere in the vicinity of sixty two million dollars in wages paid for lost production.
The " Sickie " has become an Australian institution in the minds of many people. It started life when in the argy bargy of union pay negotiations it was argued that workers reporting for work when they were suffering an illness put both their lives and others at risk because their performance was below par. It was written into awards that workers were allowed up to five days off work a year with full pay if they reported in sick.
For many people, this was regarded as an extension of annual leave and each of those " sick days " was meticulously ticked off and taken, and it became the habit to schedule them on either a Friday or a Monday, to create a " long weekend ". The weather had a lot to do with that scheduling. When the sun was shining in mid summer industry expected that there would be a peak in employees calling in sick on a Friday or a Monday.
Graft entered the picture when in some industries taking the allocation of sick days became a tightly scheduled deliverer of bonuses to enhance pay. Employees were encouraged to take their sickie as per a roster so that someone else on that same roster would have to be called in to cover their absence - and get all sorts of " award " benefits that enhanced their pay for that extra day worked.
Sick days were specially debilitating for small businesses. Many had no back-up arrangements and the gap caused by a missing worker slowed service and put extra strain on the remaining staff The initial granting of sick days applied to heavy industry, but it quickly entered the award for general staff and found it's way into the social fabric of the entire working system.
There have been attempts to reign it in and some industries insist that if a sick day is taken it must be accompanied by a medical certificate from a qualified doctor explaining the need for the absence. Some employers are more specific, and only require a medical certificate when that sick day is taken immediately before or after a national long weekend holiday.
Of course, the usual rules of " supply and demand " took care of that need. It quickly became apparent that there were certain doctors who would readily grant the necessary medical paperwork to cover a supposed illness - and in many cases bulk bill that service. In most cases, that would be a very brief consultation.
Many people feel " uncomfortable " in inflicting a sickie on their employer and with job opportunities tight some may desist this Australia day, but it is still likely that there will be a vast number who treat this coming Monday as another public holiday.
Perhaps the custom has been so deeply entrenched that it is now impossible to remove from the Australian way of life !
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Sydney's " Favella " !
The main transport hub for the city of Sydney is Central Railway station - and right next to that is Belmore park - which at night has become this city's " No-Go " area. It is fast developing as a " Favella " because the homeless have congregated there and have collected sheets of iron, old cardboard and plastic sheeting to construct " shelters " to protect them from wind and rain.
This new " Skid Row " breaks dozens of ordinance laws but Sydney Council is squeamish about sending in it's workers to start demolition, and the police will only act when drunken brawls and drug taking erupt onto nearby streets. Nobody wants to have their picture in the news depriving the poor and homeless of this city of what amounts to " survival " shelter.
It seems that the council is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they do nothing it is certain that Belmore park will continue to attract residents and eventually bricks and mortar will replace cardboard and canvas and the park will morph into a permanent Favella - which will become impossible to remove. There is a lesson to be learned from cities like Rio where Favellas have spread out of control and encompassed whole suburbs - and gangs have formed to fight any move to exercise control.
Unfortunately, the " squatters " in Belmore park are the usual mix of those down on their luck and a smattering of alcoholics and drug users. Many use the park as their toilet while the more considerate opt for the facilities at Central rail station, but this Favella is not a pretty sight and at night it is a place others would visit - at their peril !
It seems that the council has adopted a strategy that involves private security guards and this is costing the public purse three thousand dollars a day. They are doing what neither the police or the regular council work force is prepared to do, and they are working hand in hand with the state government.
As low cost emergency housing is found for Belmore park residents this security force urges them to move and immediately destroys their vacant shelter and trucks away it's components. At the same time - while they otherwise ignore those already in residence - they place obstacles in the way of newcomers trying to setup in the park. Those trying to enter the park with the means to construct a shelter are turned away, using whatever means are necessary.
This is a costly - but effective - way of limiting a stain on the beautiful city of Sydney. It was the shame of a Favella operating right where the main train terminal disgorges hundreds of thousands on their way to and from work each day that hit home to city leaders. This was an eyesore that could not be ignored and yet any attempt at open eviction would surely hurl it into the political arena and start the inevitable game of finger pointing.
Sadly, the dispossessed are with us in great numbers which are not so obviously in open sight. The number of people sleeping rough under overpasses, finding shelter in seaside parks and in the cliff overhangs that line our beautiful harbour are often long term and have made a home of materials discarded by the people of Sydney.
It seems they are free to do so, just so long as they stay out of sight. The fate of what happens at Belmore park has yet to be decided, but it seems evident that money is no object when maintaining the image we present to tourists !
This new " Skid Row " breaks dozens of ordinance laws but Sydney Council is squeamish about sending in it's workers to start demolition, and the police will only act when drunken brawls and drug taking erupt onto nearby streets. Nobody wants to have their picture in the news depriving the poor and homeless of this city of what amounts to " survival " shelter.
It seems that the council is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they do nothing it is certain that Belmore park will continue to attract residents and eventually bricks and mortar will replace cardboard and canvas and the park will morph into a permanent Favella - which will become impossible to remove. There is a lesson to be learned from cities like Rio where Favellas have spread out of control and encompassed whole suburbs - and gangs have formed to fight any move to exercise control.
Unfortunately, the " squatters " in Belmore park are the usual mix of those down on their luck and a smattering of alcoholics and drug users. Many use the park as their toilet while the more considerate opt for the facilities at Central rail station, but this Favella is not a pretty sight and at night it is a place others would visit - at their peril !
It seems that the council has adopted a strategy that involves private security guards and this is costing the public purse three thousand dollars a day. They are doing what neither the police or the regular council work force is prepared to do, and they are working hand in hand with the state government.
As low cost emergency housing is found for Belmore park residents this security force urges them to move and immediately destroys their vacant shelter and trucks away it's components. At the same time - while they otherwise ignore those already in residence - they place obstacles in the way of newcomers trying to setup in the park. Those trying to enter the park with the means to construct a shelter are turned away, using whatever means are necessary.
This is a costly - but effective - way of limiting a stain on the beautiful city of Sydney. It was the shame of a Favella operating right where the main train terminal disgorges hundreds of thousands on their way to and from work each day that hit home to city leaders. This was an eyesore that could not be ignored and yet any attempt at open eviction would surely hurl it into the political arena and start the inevitable game of finger pointing.
Sadly, the dispossessed are with us in great numbers which are not so obviously in open sight. The number of people sleeping rough under overpasses, finding shelter in seaside parks and in the cliff overhangs that line our beautiful harbour are often long term and have made a home of materials discarded by the people of Sydney.
It seems they are free to do so, just so long as they stay out of sight. The fate of what happens at Belmore park has yet to be decided, but it seems evident that money is no object when maintaining the image we present to tourists !
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Strike !
This week four Australian ports were idle for twenty-four hours when the Maritime Union of Australia called a strike and walked off - over a pay claim ! This is the first strike since 1998 and industry fears that a new round of waterfront militancy may be in the offing.
Our main management of port terminals is in the hands of Patrick's and this strike closed down Port Botany, Fremantle, Melbourne and Brisbane. The union is demanding a lowering of working hours from thirty-five to thirty two hours per week, but with pay maintained at the thirty-five hour level and many new penalty rates applied to weather and other factors. Patrick management claims that the cumulative effect of this proposal would increase port costs by 53 %.
This may be an ambit claim and in the past those often contained totally unrealistic demands, but the fact that the first action taken is a strike is a chilling development. Usually a strike is the conclusion of long and tedious negotiations that have run into deadlock. Many will remember the bad old days on the waterfront when getting cargos on or off ships was a complete gamble for shippers. The union ruled the roost - and the strike weapon was liberally applied.
Those were the days when the waterfront required huge numbers to manually load and unload ships. The goods were put into " slings " moved by cranes and this required each sling to be unpacked when it reached the ship's hold or when the incoming cargo reached the wharf. It was slow and tedious work - and notorious for the pilfering that was common.
At it's height, it devolved into what were termed " gentleman's agreements " between the union and the shippers. Limits were set between the two on what levels of theft would be tolerated and what items would be included on that list. It was common to see as a change of shift drew near - for a sling of cigarette cartons to " accidentally " break open and the wharfies collect the precise number of cartons of smokes that this agreement allowed.
The age of shipping containers not only put a stop to that when those " slings " became redundant but the numbers working on the docks contracted sharply. Instead of labourers the workers were now skilled tradesmen who operated cranes or fork lift trucks and loading or unloading ships was done in hours where previously it had taken days. In recent times it seemed that peace had settled on the waterfront.
If this strike ushers in a new era of militancy it comes at a very bad time. Australia used to be termed as " riding on a sheep's back " in the days when the wool clip was our primary export. In more recent times coal and iron ore have been the main source of our national income, but a slowing China has reduced those levels and it is important that we develop new sources of export income.
It is possible that this new militancy is politically inspired, as we approach the time of new Federal elections, or it may be that the union leadership is banking on our need to develop new income streams to push for more rewards for it's members. Having a finger on the pulse that regulates what passes over the wharves is make or break when it comes to the national economy !
Australian industry will be watching how this develops - with more than passing interest !
Our main management of port terminals is in the hands of Patrick's and this strike closed down Port Botany, Fremantle, Melbourne and Brisbane. The union is demanding a lowering of working hours from thirty-five to thirty two hours per week, but with pay maintained at the thirty-five hour level and many new penalty rates applied to weather and other factors. Patrick management claims that the cumulative effect of this proposal would increase port costs by 53 %.
This may be an ambit claim and in the past those often contained totally unrealistic demands, but the fact that the first action taken is a strike is a chilling development. Usually a strike is the conclusion of long and tedious negotiations that have run into deadlock. Many will remember the bad old days on the waterfront when getting cargos on or off ships was a complete gamble for shippers. The union ruled the roost - and the strike weapon was liberally applied.
Those were the days when the waterfront required huge numbers to manually load and unload ships. The goods were put into " slings " moved by cranes and this required each sling to be unpacked when it reached the ship's hold or when the incoming cargo reached the wharf. It was slow and tedious work - and notorious for the pilfering that was common.
At it's height, it devolved into what were termed " gentleman's agreements " between the union and the shippers. Limits were set between the two on what levels of theft would be tolerated and what items would be included on that list. It was common to see as a change of shift drew near - for a sling of cigarette cartons to " accidentally " break open and the wharfies collect the precise number of cartons of smokes that this agreement allowed.
The age of shipping containers not only put a stop to that when those " slings " became redundant but the numbers working on the docks contracted sharply. Instead of labourers the workers were now skilled tradesmen who operated cranes or fork lift trucks and loading or unloading ships was done in hours where previously it had taken days. In recent times it seemed that peace had settled on the waterfront.
If this strike ushers in a new era of militancy it comes at a very bad time. Australia used to be termed as " riding on a sheep's back " in the days when the wool clip was our primary export. In more recent times coal and iron ore have been the main source of our national income, but a slowing China has reduced those levels and it is important that we develop new sources of export income.
It is possible that this new militancy is politically inspired, as we approach the time of new Federal elections, or it may be that the union leadership is banking on our need to develop new income streams to push for more rewards for it's members. Having a finger on the pulse that regulates what passes over the wharves is make or break when it comes to the national economy !
Australian industry will be watching how this develops - with more than passing interest !
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
Work Skills !
There is something definitely wrong when Australian kids leave school with a certificate testifying that they have reached the required standard of both literacy and numeracy - and the business world finds that they are so deficient that they are unable to meet normal business requirements.
It is not hard to see why this has happened. Most kids tend to straddle what could be called " the school world " and the " real world " which is their everyday life, and that involves texting when they send a message and using a calculator when they need to move numbers. That old skill of putting words together to form a sentence and doing basic arithmetic in your head is no longer relevant.
In fact, texting jargon has so developed that it has become really a dialect amongst younger people and often it is completely incomprehensible to older folk. Where traditional English is required in the business world that is akin to using a foreign language. The abbreviated form is so ingrained that it is the automated response to all forms of communication.
It is frustrating to employers when they find new people lacking the ability to make simple calculations - without electronic help, but the need for such mental ability has disappeared in the education world. Students have a laptop computer or a tablet containing a calculator and that becomes the means of moving numbers. Once that habit has formed, it is an automatic response.
In a distant age those lacking in numeracy and the correct use of grammar were destined to toil in unskilled labouring jobs. It was the brighter kids who went in to the professions or got apprenticed to learn a trade skill, but in today's world low skilled work is in very short supply. We now have jobs going begging - and at the same time a vast pool of unemployed young people.
Industry is finding it necessary to provide in-house training to bring new people up to standard, or in many cases accept their deficiencies and channel their work through a filter of more skilled minds to achieve an acceptable standard. That delivers an increase in business costs and we now live in an unbelievably competitive world.
It seems inevitable that artificial intelligence will inject the skill upgrade that today's young people need. The day has arrived when we recognise that we are destined to live with a Smarten in our hand at all times, and that has the capacity to deliver both a calculator and the ability to both understand the type of industry we work in and put together a communication in basic English when we tell it what we need to deliver - in our own condensed format.
Artificial intelligence increases annually in huge leaps and bounds. We already have spell-check and a thesaurus incorporated in computer programmes to bring our work up to standard and it will not be a difficult extension for the memory function to act as an " interpreter " between what serves as the " dialect " of the young and the needs of the business world.
Useful as artificial intelligence may be, those schools which continue to turn out young people with the skill to construct a report in logical business English and who have the ability to do basic mathematics without the need of a calculator will still be first in line when it comes to job placement.
It is not hard to see why this has happened. Most kids tend to straddle what could be called " the school world " and the " real world " which is their everyday life, and that involves texting when they send a message and using a calculator when they need to move numbers. That old skill of putting words together to form a sentence and doing basic arithmetic in your head is no longer relevant.
In fact, texting jargon has so developed that it has become really a dialect amongst younger people and often it is completely incomprehensible to older folk. Where traditional English is required in the business world that is akin to using a foreign language. The abbreviated form is so ingrained that it is the automated response to all forms of communication.
It is frustrating to employers when they find new people lacking the ability to make simple calculations - without electronic help, but the need for such mental ability has disappeared in the education world. Students have a laptop computer or a tablet containing a calculator and that becomes the means of moving numbers. Once that habit has formed, it is an automatic response.
In a distant age those lacking in numeracy and the correct use of grammar were destined to toil in unskilled labouring jobs. It was the brighter kids who went in to the professions or got apprenticed to learn a trade skill, but in today's world low skilled work is in very short supply. We now have jobs going begging - and at the same time a vast pool of unemployed young people.
Industry is finding it necessary to provide in-house training to bring new people up to standard, or in many cases accept their deficiencies and channel their work through a filter of more skilled minds to achieve an acceptable standard. That delivers an increase in business costs and we now live in an unbelievably competitive world.
It seems inevitable that artificial intelligence will inject the skill upgrade that today's young people need. The day has arrived when we recognise that we are destined to live with a Smarten in our hand at all times, and that has the capacity to deliver both a calculator and the ability to both understand the type of industry we work in and put together a communication in basic English when we tell it what we need to deliver - in our own condensed format.
Artificial intelligence increases annually in huge leaps and bounds. We already have spell-check and a thesaurus incorporated in computer programmes to bring our work up to standard and it will not be a difficult extension for the memory function to act as an " interpreter " between what serves as the " dialect " of the young and the needs of the business world.
Useful as artificial intelligence may be, those schools which continue to turn out young people with the skill to construct a report in logical business English and who have the ability to do basic mathematics without the need of a calculator will still be first in line when it comes to job placement.
Monday, 18 January 2016
Cat and Mouse Game !
Being a " celebrity " comes at a cost ! Julian Assange is a famous Australian because he is the founder of Wikileaks and that organization leaked secrets that embarrassed the worlds greatest military superpower. He quickly learned that sticking your nose into the affairs of the United States - has " consequences " !
Assange was a world traveller and gave lectures and attracted publicity wherever he went. It seems that on a visit to Sweden he made friends with two young women and this resulted in what was claimed to be consensual sex. Apparently there was a dispute over a condom. It is claimed that Assange refused to wear one and his partners asked police if that constituted an offence ? Judicial opinion was sought - and an investigation launched on a possible charge of rape !
Assange was now back in Britain and amazingly, Sweden sought extradition to bring him back to Sweden to face questions. Not to face charges, but to be formally questioned by the Swedish police. Assange refused and the matter then developed into lengthy court action and appeals - resulting in the issuing of an arrest warrant for forcible repatriation to Sweden.
It seemed amazing that a sovereign country would go to this trouble when the women involved were not seeking charges and Assange believed that their action was under pressure from the United States which hoped to implement extradition charges of their own to bring him to the United States where he could face life imprisonment under American espionage laws.
Assange promptly sought the protection of a friendly foreign country and took refuge in the London embassy of Ecuador - and there he has remained for four long years with the embassy surrounded by a big posse of British police on 24.7 duty. He receives visitors within it's walls and has made several public announcements from the safety of it's balcony - and this police safety net has cost the British government millions of dollars.
At long last a chink of light has appeared in this impenetrable darkness. The Swedish police are talking about sending someone to London to interview Assange - in the Ecuadorian embassy - to clear up this vexing issue of the " condom " !
Of course it is not yet a matter of " beer and skittles " ! The Ecuadorian embassy has hinted that it would require advance notice to allow it to vet the questions that Sweden would be submitting, and so far the attitude of the British government - who hold that Assange is defying an order issued by their court - would be if the Swedes declared themselves satisfied and dropped further requests for extradition. There is also no word of how the United States feels in this matter !
Of course, this is exactly what Assange proposed four years ago. He had no objection to answering questions on his sexual relationship with what he claims were two consenting Swedish women, but he did object to being brought to a country from which the United States might seek to drag him into it's net for prosecution - on very dubious legal charges.
Eventually, this must reach some sort of conclusion, but a lot of ego's are involved. Britain has had it's court order challenged and has spent untold millions retaining a police ring of steel around a London embassy. America may be satisfied with the publicity gained keeping Assange holed up as a virtual prisoner. The fact that another " leaker " is in a similar situation in Moscow must certainly give others reason to pause before divulging American military secrets.
The world will wait and see if Julian Assange is finally to be granted the freedom to strut the world stage - and whether he can again return to the country of his birth !
Assange was a world traveller and gave lectures and attracted publicity wherever he went. It seems that on a visit to Sweden he made friends with two young women and this resulted in what was claimed to be consensual sex. Apparently there was a dispute over a condom. It is claimed that Assange refused to wear one and his partners asked police if that constituted an offence ? Judicial opinion was sought - and an investigation launched on a possible charge of rape !
Assange was now back in Britain and amazingly, Sweden sought extradition to bring him back to Sweden to face questions. Not to face charges, but to be formally questioned by the Swedish police. Assange refused and the matter then developed into lengthy court action and appeals - resulting in the issuing of an arrest warrant for forcible repatriation to Sweden.
It seemed amazing that a sovereign country would go to this trouble when the women involved were not seeking charges and Assange believed that their action was under pressure from the United States which hoped to implement extradition charges of their own to bring him to the United States where he could face life imprisonment under American espionage laws.
Assange promptly sought the protection of a friendly foreign country and took refuge in the London embassy of Ecuador - and there he has remained for four long years with the embassy surrounded by a big posse of British police on 24.7 duty. He receives visitors within it's walls and has made several public announcements from the safety of it's balcony - and this police safety net has cost the British government millions of dollars.
At long last a chink of light has appeared in this impenetrable darkness. The Swedish police are talking about sending someone to London to interview Assange - in the Ecuadorian embassy - to clear up this vexing issue of the " condom " !
Of course it is not yet a matter of " beer and skittles " ! The Ecuadorian embassy has hinted that it would require advance notice to allow it to vet the questions that Sweden would be submitting, and so far the attitude of the British government - who hold that Assange is defying an order issued by their court - would be if the Swedes declared themselves satisfied and dropped further requests for extradition. There is also no word of how the United States feels in this matter !
Of course, this is exactly what Assange proposed four years ago. He had no objection to answering questions on his sexual relationship with what he claims were two consenting Swedish women, but he did object to being brought to a country from which the United States might seek to drag him into it's net for prosecution - on very dubious legal charges.
Eventually, this must reach some sort of conclusion, but a lot of ego's are involved. Britain has had it's court order challenged and has spent untold millions retaining a police ring of steel around a London embassy. America may be satisfied with the publicity gained keeping Assange holed up as a virtual prisoner. The fact that another " leaker " is in a similar situation in Moscow must certainly give others reason to pause before divulging American military secrets.
The world will wait and see if Julian Assange is finally to be granted the freedom to strut the world stage - and whether he can again return to the country of his birth !
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Uninsured !
This week Sydney had a summer storm that damaged a lot of houses. It was very predictable - and in fact the weather bureau gave plenty of warning because whenever we get a day of very high humidity and a temperature near forty degrees the mix of hot air from inland Australia and the colder air off the ocean usually combine to produce a violent thunder storm with intense cyclonic wind cells.
What is astonishing is the number of Sydney homes that are not covered by any form of insurance. We see lurid pictures on the nightly television news of great trees that have crashed through the roof of splendid homes and virtually demolished them. Repairs will run to hundreds of thousands of dollars and in many cases require demolition - and the fact that the owner has not bought insurance protection seems unthinkable.
In some cases this can be blamed on the housing price bubble. The income of many families is so heavily mortgaged just keeping a roof over their heads that house insurance is out of the question, unless the mortgagee requires it as part of the mortgage deal. Other owners with a gambling instinct take a chance that the odds are in their favour - and for years they get away with it. It seems to be just the unlucky owner that gets hit with fire or storm damage while whole streets survive intact - year after year.
The insurance industry has some peculiar thinking applied to home insurance. They insist that if you insure, it musty be for the full value, and if you are under insured that ratio will apply to the payout in the event of a claim - and consequently the premium may be a struggle beyond the capacity of some owners. That is not an attitude that applies to other forms of insurance. You are perfectly free to insure your life for whatever sum you feel necessary. Surely a home owner should be able to buy the amount of insurance he or she can afford - and carry the risk on the uninsured portion as their liability ?
There is another factor that has a great impact on the premium cost of home insurance ! The government has chosen to fund the cost of fire services in this state as a levy on each insurance premium and hence the cost of the fire brigade is added as a significant total of what each insured householder pays. The uninsured escape this burden, but when there is a house fire the fire brigade attends and fights the fire and when storm damage requires assistance the emergency services arrive with chain saws and helps clean up the mess. The uninsured receive exactly the same services as the insured, but the insured people pickup the entire tab.
There have been mutterings - but so far no action - to relieve the insured of that anomaly by removing the fire levy from household insurance and adding it to the council rates that apply to all property. The fire brigades serve all needs equally - and it would be a much fairer deal if the cost was shared equally. Importantly, the cost of home insurance would fall precipitately and many more people would cover their home asset with insurance.
This housing price bubble is actually working against insurance in the thinking of some people. In many suburbs the value of the land is the factor that would be achieved in a sale and there is an expectation that the existing dwelling would be demolished to make way for a new home, hence if it were destroyed in a fire or storm - it would be revenue neutral.
This weeks storm threw the spotlight on the deficiencies of the home insurance industry. There will be more storms before this summer ends and this is a problem that should be high on the agenda to be cleared up and made sustainable with a fairer distribution of costs for fire services. It awaits the attention of parliament !
What is astonishing is the number of Sydney homes that are not covered by any form of insurance. We see lurid pictures on the nightly television news of great trees that have crashed through the roof of splendid homes and virtually demolished them. Repairs will run to hundreds of thousands of dollars and in many cases require demolition - and the fact that the owner has not bought insurance protection seems unthinkable.
In some cases this can be blamed on the housing price bubble. The income of many families is so heavily mortgaged just keeping a roof over their heads that house insurance is out of the question, unless the mortgagee requires it as part of the mortgage deal. Other owners with a gambling instinct take a chance that the odds are in their favour - and for years they get away with it. It seems to be just the unlucky owner that gets hit with fire or storm damage while whole streets survive intact - year after year.
The insurance industry has some peculiar thinking applied to home insurance. They insist that if you insure, it musty be for the full value, and if you are under insured that ratio will apply to the payout in the event of a claim - and consequently the premium may be a struggle beyond the capacity of some owners. That is not an attitude that applies to other forms of insurance. You are perfectly free to insure your life for whatever sum you feel necessary. Surely a home owner should be able to buy the amount of insurance he or she can afford - and carry the risk on the uninsured portion as their liability ?
There is another factor that has a great impact on the premium cost of home insurance ! The government has chosen to fund the cost of fire services in this state as a levy on each insurance premium and hence the cost of the fire brigade is added as a significant total of what each insured householder pays. The uninsured escape this burden, but when there is a house fire the fire brigade attends and fights the fire and when storm damage requires assistance the emergency services arrive with chain saws and helps clean up the mess. The uninsured receive exactly the same services as the insured, but the insured people pickup the entire tab.
There have been mutterings - but so far no action - to relieve the insured of that anomaly by removing the fire levy from household insurance and adding it to the council rates that apply to all property. The fire brigades serve all needs equally - and it would be a much fairer deal if the cost was shared equally. Importantly, the cost of home insurance would fall precipitately and many more people would cover their home asset with insurance.
This housing price bubble is actually working against insurance in the thinking of some people. In many suburbs the value of the land is the factor that would be achieved in a sale and there is an expectation that the existing dwelling would be demolished to make way for a new home, hence if it were destroyed in a fire or storm - it would be revenue neutral.
This weeks storm threw the spotlight on the deficiencies of the home insurance industry. There will be more storms before this summer ends and this is a problem that should be high on the agenda to be cleared up and made sustainable with a fairer distribution of costs for fire services. It awaits the attention of parliament !
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Muslims - Killing Muslims !
The glory days of Islamic State sweeping all before them have come to an end and now they are losing captured territory in Syria and Iraq. The lure of being on the winning side drew many young men to join this jihad and high on that expectation was access to large numbers of captured women. They were promised the excitement of a conquering army, but prominent in many minds was the sexual slavery exercised by the invaders. Unlimited numbers of "wives " were available to them, to be dismissed and replaced when the novelty wore off !
Islamic State often speaks of attacking the "far enemy " - which is the term with which it refers to western countries. They urge Muslims to attack "Infidels " with the promise of Paradise for those who choose martyrdom, and this has resulted in lone wolf attacks in many parts of the world.
The thinking and psychology of the leaders of Islamic State is questionable following this weeks incident on the streets of Jakarta. Returnees from this Middle East jihad launched street attacks in an area of the city that contained embassies and was popular with foreigners, but the eight people who were killed were mainly Muslim Indonesian citizens or Muslim police officers. If anything, that is likely to turn ordinary men and women in Muslim Indonesia against Islamic State - which is showing itself as making war on anyone not prepared to embrace it's peculiar "Warhabist " version of Islam.
It seems that the focal point of the Jakarta attack was a Starbucks coffee house but the attackers were intercepted by police and tried to detonate their suicide vests to kill officers manning the police post to which they were taken. It didn't seem to register that such a coffee shop was run and staffed by Muslim Indonesians - and while it may have had some foreign customers - it's main trade was likely to be ordinary Muslim Indonesians from the surrounding array of office buildings.
Islamic State has been careful to try and present itself as a pure form of Islam trying to ignite a holy war against encroaching "Infidel " armies, and this form of extreme Islam originated in the tribes that once ruled the land that is now Saudi Arabia. Before vast oil reserves were discovered below it's sandy deserts the dominant Wahabi tribe who held these views allied with the Saudi royals to become a united country and this Wahabi doctrine has been the mainstay of the law that prevails. Saudi Arabia is a feudal state - with few freedoms, specially restrictive on it's women. The original Al Qaeda thinking came from a Saudi man of wealth - named Osama bin Laden.
Islamic State will always attract a hard core of religious fanatics who will do it's bidding but the vast hordes that matter are the ordinary men and women who make up the populations of educated Islamic countries like Indonesia and Turkey. The Wahabist doctrine forbids simple pleasures like listening to music and watching movies. It implements a harsh lifestyle - by force, and any infringement is punished by the lash - or the death penalty. Those who practice moderate Islam need to ask themselves if they could tolerate such a lifestyle.
There is a big difference between the propaganda Islamic State deploys on social media which depicts it as defending Islamic principles against a western invasion - and the actions of zealots under it's control making war on fellow Muslims whose sin is not instantly obeying the harsh creed if seeks to implement across the entire world.
Perhaps the grasp of psychology so often attributed to Islamic State leaders is not so great as we once imagined !
Islamic State often speaks of attacking the "far enemy " - which is the term with which it refers to western countries. They urge Muslims to attack "Infidels " with the promise of Paradise for those who choose martyrdom, and this has resulted in lone wolf attacks in many parts of the world.
The thinking and psychology of the leaders of Islamic State is questionable following this weeks incident on the streets of Jakarta. Returnees from this Middle East jihad launched street attacks in an area of the city that contained embassies and was popular with foreigners, but the eight people who were killed were mainly Muslim Indonesian citizens or Muslim police officers. If anything, that is likely to turn ordinary men and women in Muslim Indonesia against Islamic State - which is showing itself as making war on anyone not prepared to embrace it's peculiar "Warhabist " version of Islam.
It seems that the focal point of the Jakarta attack was a Starbucks coffee house but the attackers were intercepted by police and tried to detonate their suicide vests to kill officers manning the police post to which they were taken. It didn't seem to register that such a coffee shop was run and staffed by Muslim Indonesians - and while it may have had some foreign customers - it's main trade was likely to be ordinary Muslim Indonesians from the surrounding array of office buildings.
Islamic State has been careful to try and present itself as a pure form of Islam trying to ignite a holy war against encroaching "Infidel " armies, and this form of extreme Islam originated in the tribes that once ruled the land that is now Saudi Arabia. Before vast oil reserves were discovered below it's sandy deserts the dominant Wahabi tribe who held these views allied with the Saudi royals to become a united country and this Wahabi doctrine has been the mainstay of the law that prevails. Saudi Arabia is a feudal state - with few freedoms, specially restrictive on it's women. The original Al Qaeda thinking came from a Saudi man of wealth - named Osama bin Laden.
Islamic State will always attract a hard core of religious fanatics who will do it's bidding but the vast hordes that matter are the ordinary men and women who make up the populations of educated Islamic countries like Indonesia and Turkey. The Wahabist doctrine forbids simple pleasures like listening to music and watching movies. It implements a harsh lifestyle - by force, and any infringement is punished by the lash - or the death penalty. Those who practice moderate Islam need to ask themselves if they could tolerate such a lifestyle.
There is a big difference between the propaganda Islamic State deploys on social media which depicts it as defending Islamic principles against a western invasion - and the actions of zealots under it's control making war on fellow Muslims whose sin is not instantly obeying the harsh creed if seeks to implement across the entire world.
Perhaps the grasp of psychology so often attributed to Islamic State leaders is not so great as we once imagined !
Friday, 15 January 2016
Emergencies - in "Emergency " !
Events this week highlight the very real danger doctors and nurses face daily when they treat patients in hospital emergency rooms. The drama started earlier in the evening when a 39 year old man was arrested on a "break and enter "charge, to which "assaulting police "was added. He was high on "Ice " - and he was given bail and served with a "court attendance order ".
He attained injuries during this arrest and the police dropped him off at a hospital emergency room - and drove away to attend to other duties. This very violent man - who was a trained nurse from another hospital - then went berserk and took a woman doctor hostage, holding a pair of scissors to her throat. A lone policeman responded to that call for help and with the assistance of a hospital security guard tried to restrain and disarm the offender.
One of the aspects of Ice use is the complete irrationality it delivers to the user and what many describe as "super human strength ". In this fracas the offender somehow managed to get possession of the policeman's pistol - and shots were fired and one bullet passed through the officers leg - severing an artery - and lodged in the leg of the security guard standing behind him. The offender was brought under control and the injured officer would have died had this wound not happened in a hospital emergency room - where immediate medical help was available.
This was not an isolated incident. The drug "Ice " has added a new dimension to our medical facilities. Paramedic ambulance crews take their life in their hands when they attend street emergencies and hospital emergency rooms become battle grounds when out of control patients go berserk. Security is in the hands of unarmed security guards - who lack even handcuffs or a baton - and have no extra powers beyond that available to the ordinary citizen when it comes to their legal protection when doing their duty.
Our doctors and nurses deserve better than to be left defenceless when called upon to treat patients under the influence of dangerous drugs. Their very work requires the presence of sharp implements such as scalpels and even a benign item such as scissors can become deadly if held to an attending persons throat. In the incident where shots were fired, the emergency room contained other patients and clearly the entire incident was out of control and had the potential to develop into a siege.
The authorities seem loath to treat the need for security seriously. Even swearing in security personnel as "special constables " would deliver a degree of legal protection but the defined need is to equip these men and women with the equipment they need to do their job. There needs to be a degree of coordination between the police and hospital security where a clearly perceived danger exists.
Earlier in the evening, the offender had been charged with "assaulting police " and he was known for similar offences. The fact that he was high on Ice would have been good reason to deliver him to the emergency room in handcuffs - and to have him restrained in that manner until he was deemed safe for release. Certainly, hospital security should have been forewarned that a potentially dangerous patient was about to be brought to them for treatment.
That also raises the question of whether offenders showing aggression because of Ice use should be granted bail, or kept under custody until the effect of the drug dissipates. We have a desperate shortage of prison accommodation and police holding cells are usually overloaded, but it seems a gross inequality to simply dump dangerous offenders at the door of the nearest hospital emergency room - as the solution to police overcrowding problems.
This event was a death near miss ! That severed artery meant the officer would have bled out had treatment been not instantly available, and the fact that an Ice addict managed to overpower a fully trained police officer - assisted by a security guard - is a clear indication that emergency room security needs to go to a much higher level.
Now it awaits the politicians grasping the nettle - and treating this need seriously !
He attained injuries during this arrest and the police dropped him off at a hospital emergency room - and drove away to attend to other duties. This very violent man - who was a trained nurse from another hospital - then went berserk and took a woman doctor hostage, holding a pair of scissors to her throat. A lone policeman responded to that call for help and with the assistance of a hospital security guard tried to restrain and disarm the offender.
One of the aspects of Ice use is the complete irrationality it delivers to the user and what many describe as "super human strength ". In this fracas the offender somehow managed to get possession of the policeman's pistol - and shots were fired and one bullet passed through the officers leg - severing an artery - and lodged in the leg of the security guard standing behind him. The offender was brought under control and the injured officer would have died had this wound not happened in a hospital emergency room - where immediate medical help was available.
This was not an isolated incident. The drug "Ice " has added a new dimension to our medical facilities. Paramedic ambulance crews take their life in their hands when they attend street emergencies and hospital emergency rooms become battle grounds when out of control patients go berserk. Security is in the hands of unarmed security guards - who lack even handcuffs or a baton - and have no extra powers beyond that available to the ordinary citizen when it comes to their legal protection when doing their duty.
Our doctors and nurses deserve better than to be left defenceless when called upon to treat patients under the influence of dangerous drugs. Their very work requires the presence of sharp implements such as scalpels and even a benign item such as scissors can become deadly if held to an attending persons throat. In the incident where shots were fired, the emergency room contained other patients and clearly the entire incident was out of control and had the potential to develop into a siege.
The authorities seem loath to treat the need for security seriously. Even swearing in security personnel as "special constables " would deliver a degree of legal protection but the defined need is to equip these men and women with the equipment they need to do their job. There needs to be a degree of coordination between the police and hospital security where a clearly perceived danger exists.
Earlier in the evening, the offender had been charged with "assaulting police " and he was known for similar offences. The fact that he was high on Ice would have been good reason to deliver him to the emergency room in handcuffs - and to have him restrained in that manner until he was deemed safe for release. Certainly, hospital security should have been forewarned that a potentially dangerous patient was about to be brought to them for treatment.
That also raises the question of whether offenders showing aggression because of Ice use should be granted bail, or kept under custody until the effect of the drug dissipates. We have a desperate shortage of prison accommodation and police holding cells are usually overloaded, but it seems a gross inequality to simply dump dangerous offenders at the door of the nearest hospital emergency room - as the solution to police overcrowding problems.
This event was a death near miss ! That severed artery meant the officer would have bled out had treatment been not instantly available, and the fact that an Ice addict managed to overpower a fully trained police officer - assisted by a security guard - is a clear indication that emergency room security needs to go to a much higher level.
Now it awaits the politicians grasping the nettle - and treating this need seriously !
Thursday, 14 January 2016
An Unholy Mess !
Back in 2012 a sports scientist named Stephen Dank approached clubs in both the AFL and Rugby League competitions with a plan to speed recovery from sporting injuries. This involved injections of a chemical known as "peptides " - and here it seems that clarity was lost. Various types of peptides skirt the borders of legality and illegality under the drug code and tests drew the ire of the Australian Anti Doping Agency - ASADA. They say they detected a substance named TB4 in Rugby League players from the Cronulla club and Australian Rules players from Essendon.
From that point, utter confusion reigned. At one stage an AFL tribunal cleared Essendon players, only to have ASADA take the matter to the Court of Administration for Sport ( CAS ). Meanwhile Cronulla Rugby League club decided to take a "deal "on offer. They entered a negotiated plea of guilty and were given a light punishment that virtually lifted bans on the basis of "time served "!
Three long years have dragged by with this Essendon charge unresolved, and now it seems that CAS has decided to make an example of that club - and may see one of the original clubs of the Australian Rules competition totally disappear an a sporting entity. It has placed bans on thirty-four of the club's players from 2012 - which will see them miss the entire 2016 playing season.
The only reasonable interpretation is that CAS is sending a message to the sporting world. If you dare challenge a charge brought by ASADA and seek to provide evidence of innocence the big guns of the CAS will be levelled at your head and draconian penalties will be imposed to completely destroy all and everyone associated with your club.
Performing advancement drugs have distorted sports results for many years. We know that some countries have an official program to "dope " their Olympic athletes to win medals because sporting success is demanded at the highest levels of government. Drug use in cycling is so rampant that it seems to be more a matter of "who 'isnt using drugs " that raises eyebrows ! A whole army of chemists and an entire industry is churning out new combinations specifically designed to be invisible to the testing regimes.
What is clear in this whole sorry peptides affair is that the actual players involved had no idea what was being injected. They were assured that this was quite legal and was intended to speed recovery from sporting industries. If there was deception, it is impossible to accurately pin point the source, and it is highly likely that for most that good faith was involved, but the CAS finding seems to label them guilty of deliberately cheating the system.
What is clear is that any sporting investigation should not drag on for three years before it comes to a conclusion - and when that conclusion delivers an entirely different scale of punishment for exactly the same offence - then justice has not been served.
Essendon Football club has agreed that it will reluctantly accept the verdict - and move on. Australian sport will walk away with a bad taste in it's mouth. This whole matter was badly handled - and it seems that no lesson has been learned !
From that point, utter confusion reigned. At one stage an AFL tribunal cleared Essendon players, only to have ASADA take the matter to the Court of Administration for Sport ( CAS ). Meanwhile Cronulla Rugby League club decided to take a "deal "on offer. They entered a negotiated plea of guilty and were given a light punishment that virtually lifted bans on the basis of "time served "!
Three long years have dragged by with this Essendon charge unresolved, and now it seems that CAS has decided to make an example of that club - and may see one of the original clubs of the Australian Rules competition totally disappear an a sporting entity. It has placed bans on thirty-four of the club's players from 2012 - which will see them miss the entire 2016 playing season.
The only reasonable interpretation is that CAS is sending a message to the sporting world. If you dare challenge a charge brought by ASADA and seek to provide evidence of innocence the big guns of the CAS will be levelled at your head and draconian penalties will be imposed to completely destroy all and everyone associated with your club.
Performing advancement drugs have distorted sports results for many years. We know that some countries have an official program to "dope " their Olympic athletes to win medals because sporting success is demanded at the highest levels of government. Drug use in cycling is so rampant that it seems to be more a matter of "who 'isnt using drugs " that raises eyebrows ! A whole army of chemists and an entire industry is churning out new combinations specifically designed to be invisible to the testing regimes.
What is clear in this whole sorry peptides affair is that the actual players involved had no idea what was being injected. They were assured that this was quite legal and was intended to speed recovery from sporting industries. If there was deception, it is impossible to accurately pin point the source, and it is highly likely that for most that good faith was involved, but the CAS finding seems to label them guilty of deliberately cheating the system.
What is clear is that any sporting investigation should not drag on for three years before it comes to a conclusion - and when that conclusion delivers an entirely different scale of punishment for exactly the same offence - then justice has not been served.
Essendon Football club has agreed that it will reluctantly accept the verdict - and move on. Australian sport will walk away with a bad taste in it's mouth. This whole matter was badly handled - and it seems that no lesson has been learned !
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Satudarah - are Here !
When it comes to violent bikie gangs the biggest on a world wide basis is the " Hell's Angels ", but a relative newcomer now establishing in Australia is feared because it surpasses all others in using extreme violence to achieve it's ends.
Satudarah - which means " One Blood " - was formed in the Netherlands in 1990 and was originally composed of former residents of the Dutch Moluccas, which is now a part of Indonesia. It has grown to forty-four chapters in nineteen countries and has a membership in excess of two thousand - and it is still growing fast !
Interpol warned Australia that Satudarah planned to establish a beachhead here and late last year embryonic chapters were established in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide - and for the first time the gangs " colours " appeared on our streets. The police have established a task force with the intent of closing them down and raids on a clubhouse netted drugs and resulted in the arrest and charges laid against some Sydney members.
Satudarah have learned from Islamic State to use social media for recruitment. They have a reputation that would appeal to those kicked out of other bikie groups for unacceptable behaviour and it seems obvious that they are going to go after a share of the lucrative drug trade. That is likely to increase the degree of gun violence as they try and wrest control from other bikie groups who control drug " territories " across the city.
What is so frightening is the reality that peaceful Australia is each year slipping deeper into the tentacles of " organised crime ". In the United States it is known as " the Mob " and many years ago it spawned the infamous " Murder Incorporated ", which contracted killings - for a price ! A tight web of " families " control crime in many American cities - and wield enormous power that has high levels of political protection.
Then there are crime groups with national identities. Italy has long been the home of the Mafia and that came to Australia in the migrant surge that followed the end of the second world war. The Mafia established it's marijuana drug capital in Griffith - and even gained representation in Federal parliament. It continues it's machinations virtually unnoticed !
The " Triads " are the face of Asian organised crime. The Japanese Yakuzzi rule a vast empire and individual Triad groups originate from Vietnam, China - and a sub group in Hong Kong. They are intellectual and clannish and tend to operate discreetly out of sight, but they exert a heavy influence on the crime scene.
Bikie gangs are the exception to the publicity rule. They swagger and strut their stuff publicly and make no secret of their criminality. They are constantly at war with one another - and with the police. We have a virtual criminal army wearing a distinctive uniform operating openly from what they term " club houses " but which in reality are heavily defended fortresses that are distribution centres for drugs and other contraband.
We are a country that prides itself on " rule of law " and that means the police must catch a criminal in the act to gain a prosecution. This new bikie gang can come here openly with criminal intent and remain untouched - until each individual can be put before a court and convicted of a crime - and even then the remainder are free to continue their activities without hindrance.
Perhaps time for a law change - to make being a member or having an association with a prescribed organization a crime in it's own right. Such an ordinance was useful during the war years - and it seems we are fighting new wars on many fronts. The law needs to be appropriate to our battle needs !
Satudarah - which means " One Blood " - was formed in the Netherlands in 1990 and was originally composed of former residents of the Dutch Moluccas, which is now a part of Indonesia. It has grown to forty-four chapters in nineteen countries and has a membership in excess of two thousand - and it is still growing fast !
Interpol warned Australia that Satudarah planned to establish a beachhead here and late last year embryonic chapters were established in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide - and for the first time the gangs " colours " appeared on our streets. The police have established a task force with the intent of closing them down and raids on a clubhouse netted drugs and resulted in the arrest and charges laid against some Sydney members.
Satudarah have learned from Islamic State to use social media for recruitment. They have a reputation that would appeal to those kicked out of other bikie groups for unacceptable behaviour and it seems obvious that they are going to go after a share of the lucrative drug trade. That is likely to increase the degree of gun violence as they try and wrest control from other bikie groups who control drug " territories " across the city.
What is so frightening is the reality that peaceful Australia is each year slipping deeper into the tentacles of " organised crime ". In the United States it is known as " the Mob " and many years ago it spawned the infamous " Murder Incorporated ", which contracted killings - for a price ! A tight web of " families " control crime in many American cities - and wield enormous power that has high levels of political protection.
Then there are crime groups with national identities. Italy has long been the home of the Mafia and that came to Australia in the migrant surge that followed the end of the second world war. The Mafia established it's marijuana drug capital in Griffith - and even gained representation in Federal parliament. It continues it's machinations virtually unnoticed !
The " Triads " are the face of Asian organised crime. The Japanese Yakuzzi rule a vast empire and individual Triad groups originate from Vietnam, China - and a sub group in Hong Kong. They are intellectual and clannish and tend to operate discreetly out of sight, but they exert a heavy influence on the crime scene.
Bikie gangs are the exception to the publicity rule. They swagger and strut their stuff publicly and make no secret of their criminality. They are constantly at war with one another - and with the police. We have a virtual criminal army wearing a distinctive uniform operating openly from what they term " club houses " but which in reality are heavily defended fortresses that are distribution centres for drugs and other contraband.
We are a country that prides itself on " rule of law " and that means the police must catch a criminal in the act to gain a prosecution. This new bikie gang can come here openly with criminal intent and remain untouched - until each individual can be put before a court and convicted of a crime - and even then the remainder are free to continue their activities without hindrance.
Perhaps time for a law change - to make being a member or having an association with a prescribed organization a crime in it's own right. Such an ordinance was useful during the war years - and it seems we are fighting new wars on many fronts. The law needs to be appropriate to our battle needs !
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Justice - Delayed !
Justice means different things to victims of crime and those accused of being the perpetrator. Both want the matter settled as speedily as possible, and in the court system applicable here in New South Wales clogged courts are seeing some prisoners serve years in prison on remand before they even go to trial and in others trial is abandoned simply because the time factor has allowed crucial evidence to evaporate !
In a recent case, a man accused of sexual assault has been granted bail and is free to again walk the streets of Sydney simply because there is a two year wait before his case can be squeezed into a local court for a committal hearing. Such a committal hearing examines the facts and evidence to determine if the case is strong enough to go before a judge and jury - and if so it will again join another long queue for court time.
In another recent case a man accused of killing five members of his family was granted bail after spending four years locked in a prison cell - and enduring three mistrials which depleted the funds available to pay for his defence lawyers. It seems that his coming fourth trial may see him defended by an appointee from the pool of young lawyers hired by the courts as public defenders.
The courts are now seeing these delays as a perversion of justice - and granting bail because in many cases the time spent in prison on remand may be greater than the actual penalty likely if the accused is found to be guilty.
There is also the distinct likelihood that a seriously delayed trial may play havoc with the memories of both defence and prosecution witnesses. The death of a crucial witness in a long delayed trial may skew the verdict either way and in any sensational case the witness will be subjected to media stories and public opinion that may alter their viewpoint.
The logical answer is clear. Either we need more judges sitting in an expanded court system to deal with cases promptly, or we need to revamp the entire justice system to shorten the procedure from charges laid to presentation of the case in court.
Perhaps a reasonable starting point would be a re-evaluation of the need for committal hearings. It seems ludicrous that a case needs to go before a judge to determine if the charges and supporting evidence justify the case proceeding to a higher court. Surely if what it presented to that higher court has glaring deficiencies it will be thrown out promptly by the person sitting in judgement, and surely a prosecutor sending such a deficient case to trial should face instant dismissal for incompetence.
We have in place a very effective safeguard system for review - and that is called " appeal " !
This whole law pyramid works on the escalating review of ever higher courts examining the wisdom and legal application of lower decisions - and arbitrating the result. In extreme cases, this can make it's way to the High Court, the apex of the Australian court system.
It seems that the problem is a contrast between what some see as " checks and balances " to ensure that protocol is followed and arcane ritual that has little meaning in this modern age, but is slavishly followed simply because that was the practice that developed in ancient times. That counsel dress in gowns and wigs in medieval fashion and judges wear scarlet robes seems an intent to endow courts with mystical properties in the eyes of commoners - who appear before them !
Perhaps a time for both courts and the law to be dragged - kicking and screaming - into the twenty-first century !
In a recent case, a man accused of sexual assault has been granted bail and is free to again walk the streets of Sydney simply because there is a two year wait before his case can be squeezed into a local court for a committal hearing. Such a committal hearing examines the facts and evidence to determine if the case is strong enough to go before a judge and jury - and if so it will again join another long queue for court time.
In another recent case a man accused of killing five members of his family was granted bail after spending four years locked in a prison cell - and enduring three mistrials which depleted the funds available to pay for his defence lawyers. It seems that his coming fourth trial may see him defended by an appointee from the pool of young lawyers hired by the courts as public defenders.
The courts are now seeing these delays as a perversion of justice - and granting bail because in many cases the time spent in prison on remand may be greater than the actual penalty likely if the accused is found to be guilty.
There is also the distinct likelihood that a seriously delayed trial may play havoc with the memories of both defence and prosecution witnesses. The death of a crucial witness in a long delayed trial may skew the verdict either way and in any sensational case the witness will be subjected to media stories and public opinion that may alter their viewpoint.
The logical answer is clear. Either we need more judges sitting in an expanded court system to deal with cases promptly, or we need to revamp the entire justice system to shorten the procedure from charges laid to presentation of the case in court.
Perhaps a reasonable starting point would be a re-evaluation of the need for committal hearings. It seems ludicrous that a case needs to go before a judge to determine if the charges and supporting evidence justify the case proceeding to a higher court. Surely if what it presented to that higher court has glaring deficiencies it will be thrown out promptly by the person sitting in judgement, and surely a prosecutor sending such a deficient case to trial should face instant dismissal for incompetence.
We have in place a very effective safeguard system for review - and that is called " appeal " !
This whole law pyramid works on the escalating review of ever higher courts examining the wisdom and legal application of lower decisions - and arbitrating the result. In extreme cases, this can make it's way to the High Court, the apex of the Australian court system.
It seems that the problem is a contrast between what some see as " checks and balances " to ensure that protocol is followed and arcane ritual that has little meaning in this modern age, but is slavishly followed simply because that was the practice that developed in ancient times. That counsel dress in gowns and wigs in medieval fashion and judges wear scarlet robes seems an intent to endow courts with mystical properties in the eyes of commoners - who appear before them !
Perhaps a time for both courts and the law to be dragged - kicking and screaming - into the twenty-first century !
Monday, 11 January 2016
Australia's Forgotten War History !
In 2015 we remembered the start of what became knows as " The Great War " but few seem to know that the first shot of that war was fired here in Australia. That is a fascinating story !
On July 30, 1914 the German cargo ship SS Pfalz sailed into Port Phillip Bay and tied up at Victoria Dock. The 6000 ton Pfalz was a regular trader, bringing general cargo from Bremen in Germany and returning with Tasmanian apples and South Australian pears, and she had refrigerated holds to keep the fruit in prime condition, which was quite an innovation for that period.
Events in Europe were rapidly spinning out of control and her master, Captain Kuhlken was anxious to conclude his business and get back to sea. He was due to sail to Sydney after his Victorian visit, but he dumped the Sydney cargo on the wharf, took on coal and prepared to leave as the news worsened.
Australian authorities were keen to prevent it's departure, but short of a declaration of war she could not be legally stopped. At 7-45 am on Wednesday, August 5 - just an hour and a quarter before Britain declared war on Germany - the Pfalz set sail under the control of harbour pilot Captain Montgomery Robinson. The ship was intercepted by the launch Alvina and a naval officer and two ratings boarded her and demanded to check her papers. This was done meticulously - and slowly - but eventually the delay became unreasonable and the naval party withdrew to the Alvina and the Pfalz again got under way.
The Alvina was returning to shore when the telegraphs began clattering with the news that war had been declared. Immediately the signal station raised flags ordering the German ship to " Heave to or be sunk ". The ship was now off Portsea and Captain Robinson was concentrating on the strong currents the ship was about to encounter and did not notice this signal - and Captain Kuhlken did not bring it to his notice.
Stopping the Pfalz now rested in the hands of the gun crew manning the defence fort at Port Nepean and the commanding officer there ordered that a shot be fired across her bows. The sights were set on one of the massive six inch naval guns and this raised a huge spout of water when the shell crossed the ships bow and exploded. A startled Captain Robinson immediately rang the ship's telegraph to " Stop Engines ", but Captain Kuhlken wrestled with him and tried to gain access to ring " Full Ahead ". He was determined to escape to sea and one of his crew produced a Luger pistol and put it to the pilot's head.
Robinson pointed to the guns clearly visible at Port Nepean and made it clear that there was no chance the next shot would miss - and that this was point blank range for a gun of that size. The Germans saw reason and the Pfalz turned about and returned to port, where she was confiscated by the Royal Australian navy and her crew interned for the duration of the war.
An examination of the Pfalz disclosed that she was not as innocent as she seemed. It was discovered that steel plating, reinforced with drilled holes to enable naval guns to be mounted were strategically placed at various points and a hidden compartment at the bottom of one of the holds contained a cache of four inch naval guns. Her captain and crew were all German naval reservists and in the event of war the ship could quickly be converted to an armed raider and prey on merchant shipping on the trade route between Europe and Australia.
Not only did Australia host the first shot of World War One, the taking of the Pfalz could be considered the first naval victory of that long war !
On July 30, 1914 the German cargo ship SS Pfalz sailed into Port Phillip Bay and tied up at Victoria Dock. The 6000 ton Pfalz was a regular trader, bringing general cargo from Bremen in Germany and returning with Tasmanian apples and South Australian pears, and she had refrigerated holds to keep the fruit in prime condition, which was quite an innovation for that period.
Events in Europe were rapidly spinning out of control and her master, Captain Kuhlken was anxious to conclude his business and get back to sea. He was due to sail to Sydney after his Victorian visit, but he dumped the Sydney cargo on the wharf, took on coal and prepared to leave as the news worsened.
Australian authorities were keen to prevent it's departure, but short of a declaration of war she could not be legally stopped. At 7-45 am on Wednesday, August 5 - just an hour and a quarter before Britain declared war on Germany - the Pfalz set sail under the control of harbour pilot Captain Montgomery Robinson. The ship was intercepted by the launch Alvina and a naval officer and two ratings boarded her and demanded to check her papers. This was done meticulously - and slowly - but eventually the delay became unreasonable and the naval party withdrew to the Alvina and the Pfalz again got under way.
The Alvina was returning to shore when the telegraphs began clattering with the news that war had been declared. Immediately the signal station raised flags ordering the German ship to " Heave to or be sunk ". The ship was now off Portsea and Captain Robinson was concentrating on the strong currents the ship was about to encounter and did not notice this signal - and Captain Kuhlken did not bring it to his notice.
Stopping the Pfalz now rested in the hands of the gun crew manning the defence fort at Port Nepean and the commanding officer there ordered that a shot be fired across her bows. The sights were set on one of the massive six inch naval guns and this raised a huge spout of water when the shell crossed the ships bow and exploded. A startled Captain Robinson immediately rang the ship's telegraph to " Stop Engines ", but Captain Kuhlken wrestled with him and tried to gain access to ring " Full Ahead ". He was determined to escape to sea and one of his crew produced a Luger pistol and put it to the pilot's head.
Robinson pointed to the guns clearly visible at Port Nepean and made it clear that there was no chance the next shot would miss - and that this was point blank range for a gun of that size. The Germans saw reason and the Pfalz turned about and returned to port, where she was confiscated by the Royal Australian navy and her crew interned for the duration of the war.
An examination of the Pfalz disclosed that she was not as innocent as she seemed. It was discovered that steel plating, reinforced with drilled holes to enable naval guns to be mounted were strategically placed at various points and a hidden compartment at the bottom of one of the holds contained a cache of four inch naval guns. Her captain and crew were all German naval reservists and in the event of war the ship could quickly be converted to an armed raider and prey on merchant shipping on the trade route between Europe and Australia.
Not only did Australia host the first shot of World War One, the taking of the Pfalz could be considered the first naval victory of that long war !
Sunday, 10 January 2016
Making War on the Car !
Some Japanese cities require anyone buying a new car or changing the ownership of a second hand car to their name to provide a signed affidavit proving that they have obtained a valid legal parking space before a registration change of ownership will be approved. Many residents in high rise buildings are permanently locked out of car ownership.
The city of Sydney has a similar car problem in some of it's older inner suburbs. Despite this new land offering almost unlimited horizons the first settlers stuck slavishly to the type of housing common in crowded English cities like London. Terrace housing was common and before the days of the motor car if a resident owned a horse it was probably housed in nearby commercial stables. There was no such thing as the concept of " off street parking " !
Today we have the problem of the density of people crowded into inner suburbs such as Pyrmont, Glebe, Millers Point and Ultimo - and most of them own a car. Initially, in an attempt to free up parking space the council erected signs limiting the time a car could stand at the kerb and this was enforced by parking officers. Today, parking at the kerb is regulated by parking meters and costs per hour amount to serious money - and they are rigidly enforced.
For many years the residents of property with no off street parking were accommodated with the issue of an " On street parking exemption ". When displayed on the windshield, this shielded the owner from the depredations of fines issued by the parking police, but it also fell victim to corruption. The city council learned that these parking exemptions were illegally bartered and often changed hands for considerable amounts of money. From this coming May, they will be discontinued !
Their replacement will lack permanency and consist of just ten opportunities to occupy kerb space on a single day somewhere within that calendar year. It will be a devastating blow to the two car family or those living in share accommodation in inner city Sydney. It will probably require some people to either move home or sell their car to continue to economically exist in Sydney.
While this sounds hard hearted, it is basically just a matter of extending the conditions that apply to parking in the dense heart of the city to the inner surrounding suburbs. It is just not possible to park at the kerb in the inner city because of traffic flows regulated by clearways and bus lanes and those with no under building parking have no option other than booking space in high priced parking stations. Even delivery vehicles must run the gauntlet of dense thickets of restrictions in plying their trade.
We are fast reaching the stage where the new light rail network will change the face of Sydney. The inner city is creeping ever outwards and will now encompass those former inner suburbs and those who demand to retain car ownership with need to live further away and use light rail to commute to city jobs. There is an expectation that demand will see inner suburb demolitions to create new high rise parking stations to service residents prepared to pay to retain inner city living by housing their cars in these new facilities - but on street parking will be a thing of the past !
The city of Sydney has a similar car problem in some of it's older inner suburbs. Despite this new land offering almost unlimited horizons the first settlers stuck slavishly to the type of housing common in crowded English cities like London. Terrace housing was common and before the days of the motor car if a resident owned a horse it was probably housed in nearby commercial stables. There was no such thing as the concept of " off street parking " !
Today we have the problem of the density of people crowded into inner suburbs such as Pyrmont, Glebe, Millers Point and Ultimo - and most of them own a car. Initially, in an attempt to free up parking space the council erected signs limiting the time a car could stand at the kerb and this was enforced by parking officers. Today, parking at the kerb is regulated by parking meters and costs per hour amount to serious money - and they are rigidly enforced.
For many years the residents of property with no off street parking were accommodated with the issue of an " On street parking exemption ". When displayed on the windshield, this shielded the owner from the depredations of fines issued by the parking police, but it also fell victim to corruption. The city council learned that these parking exemptions were illegally bartered and often changed hands for considerable amounts of money. From this coming May, they will be discontinued !
Their replacement will lack permanency and consist of just ten opportunities to occupy kerb space on a single day somewhere within that calendar year. It will be a devastating blow to the two car family or those living in share accommodation in inner city Sydney. It will probably require some people to either move home or sell their car to continue to economically exist in Sydney.
While this sounds hard hearted, it is basically just a matter of extending the conditions that apply to parking in the dense heart of the city to the inner surrounding suburbs. It is just not possible to park at the kerb in the inner city because of traffic flows regulated by clearways and bus lanes and those with no under building parking have no option other than booking space in high priced parking stations. Even delivery vehicles must run the gauntlet of dense thickets of restrictions in plying their trade.
We are fast reaching the stage where the new light rail network will change the face of Sydney. The inner city is creeping ever outwards and will now encompass those former inner suburbs and those who demand to retain car ownership with need to live further away and use light rail to commute to city jobs. There is an expectation that demand will see inner suburb demolitions to create new high rise parking stations to service residents prepared to pay to retain inner city living by housing their cars in these new facilities - but on street parking will be a thing of the past !
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Liquor Laws !
Back in February, 2014 the then New South Wales Premier, Barry O'Farrell took the axe to what had become a nightmare of drunkenness in King's Cross, Sydney's premier red light district. The public were viewing an out of control scene night after night as this famous strip hosted an ever growing accumulation of what were being touted as " night clubs " and " girlie shows " masquerading as entertainment.
Kings Cross became infamous for what became known as the " Cowards punch " ! Drunken hoodlums launching a sudden attack on a complete stranger, and if that person fell and sustained a fractured skull, death was often the outcome. It was pure mayhem when the crowds emptied out and often this developed into street brawls of epic proportions.
O'Farrell tamed the Cross with draconian liquor laws. It became illegal to serve drinks which exceeded 5% alcohol content after midnight, but the most effective were the " lock out laws ". Patrons could drink to 3 am, but after I-30 am once they left any premises they could not reenter it or any other. The only option - was to go home !
That almost completely killed King's Cross. Half these " grog joints " closed down for lack of patronage and drinkers moved to the suburbs - where the new laws did not apply - but which lacked the concentration of competing venues and which were devoid of competing " action " to compel drinkers to move from place to place - and consume more alcohol. At the same time, a new restriction forced bottle shops to close their doors at 10 pm.
We now have a much more orderly liquor scene and those liquor laws are up for review. There is pressure from the liquor industry for them to be rolled back, and the owners of bottle shops want that 10 pm shutdown lifted. All the indications are that the present premier, Mike Baird is digging in his toes - and there will be no change !
The key to what happened was the dispersal of night life to a much wider selection of venues rather than having it concentrated in just a few streets in a single suburb. The crime factor in King's Cross dropped to near zero, and yet this was not increased in other individual suburbs to any significant degree. Somehow that missing ingredient of side by side venues promising " action " had a taming effect on crowd behaviour.
It is doubtful if the 10 pm closure of bottle shops had any ill effect on those buying take home liquor, but it did remove the opportunity for late night revellers to purchase grog after the clubs and pubs closed - and " kick on " in parks or on beaches. It also removes a tempting target for armed holdups which were a problem for late night petrol stations and liquor stores, usually lightly manned and therefore vulnerable late at night.
The public have adjusted to the new liquor laws. Naturally the liquor industry would like longer hours because the more booze it can sell the more profit that rolls it's way, but it seems that we have achieved a reasonable compromise.
A long time ago a fly spray manufacturer used an advertising slogan to promote it's product. Those wise words were - " When you are on a good thing - stick to it " ! That could be very good advice for Mike Baird to think about !
Kings Cross became infamous for what became known as the " Cowards punch " ! Drunken hoodlums launching a sudden attack on a complete stranger, and if that person fell and sustained a fractured skull, death was often the outcome. It was pure mayhem when the crowds emptied out and often this developed into street brawls of epic proportions.
O'Farrell tamed the Cross with draconian liquor laws. It became illegal to serve drinks which exceeded 5% alcohol content after midnight, but the most effective were the " lock out laws ". Patrons could drink to 3 am, but after I-30 am once they left any premises they could not reenter it or any other. The only option - was to go home !
That almost completely killed King's Cross. Half these " grog joints " closed down for lack of patronage and drinkers moved to the suburbs - where the new laws did not apply - but which lacked the concentration of competing venues and which were devoid of competing " action " to compel drinkers to move from place to place - and consume more alcohol. At the same time, a new restriction forced bottle shops to close their doors at 10 pm.
We now have a much more orderly liquor scene and those liquor laws are up for review. There is pressure from the liquor industry for them to be rolled back, and the owners of bottle shops want that 10 pm shutdown lifted. All the indications are that the present premier, Mike Baird is digging in his toes - and there will be no change !
The key to what happened was the dispersal of night life to a much wider selection of venues rather than having it concentrated in just a few streets in a single suburb. The crime factor in King's Cross dropped to near zero, and yet this was not increased in other individual suburbs to any significant degree. Somehow that missing ingredient of side by side venues promising " action " had a taming effect on crowd behaviour.
It is doubtful if the 10 pm closure of bottle shops had any ill effect on those buying take home liquor, but it did remove the opportunity for late night revellers to purchase grog after the clubs and pubs closed - and " kick on " in parks or on beaches. It also removes a tempting target for armed holdups which were a problem for late night petrol stations and liquor stores, usually lightly manned and therefore vulnerable late at night.
The public have adjusted to the new liquor laws. Naturally the liquor industry would like longer hours because the more booze it can sell the more profit that rolls it's way, but it seems that we have achieved a reasonable compromise.
A long time ago a fly spray manufacturer used an advertising slogan to promote it's product. Those wise words were - " When you are on a good thing - stick to it " ! That could be very good advice for Mike Baird to think about !
Friday, 8 January 2016
Armed - and Dangerous !
North Korea appears to have joined the "Hydrogen Bomb " club and this claim is certainly credible as neighbouring countries report a 5.1 earthquake from the area where it has conducted previous atomic bomb tests. The news has been condemned by other world countries and it will be referred to the United Nations Security Council, but exactly what action can result seems to reach a stalemate.
The " Hermit Kingdom " lives in a world of it's own. It's borders are tightly sealed and it is ruled by dictator Kim Jong-un with a rod of iron. It has armed forces that dwarf most of the rest of the world and technically it is still at war with South Korea, and from time to time launches new hostilities across the border.
This impoverished little kingdom expresses hate for the west and makes constant threats against America. A steady trickle of escapees leak across it's border with China and make their way to South Korea, where they recount evidence of food shortages and deprivation of the masses by a regime constantly expanding it's military. Kim Jong-un's rule is brutal and on several occasions food shortages have led to the death by starvation of thousands of his subjects.
North Korea is allied with China but this seems to be a bulwark against the west encroaching on it's border and there are often tensions between those two countries. What China really fears is an economic collapse in North Korea which would send a mass exodus across it's border and force a resettlement that would be unpopular with it's Han citizens, but even as an ally China is unable to control the aspirations of Kim Jong-un.
The west has long puzzled over just what those aspirations may be. North Korea has been developing long range missile technology and the news that it has successfully tested what is believed to be a miniaturised hydrogen bomb is very unsettling. A vast military under the control of a paranoid leader with unstated ambitions - now with the means of delivering thermo-nuclear destruction on the tip of an ICBM - has certainly ratcheted up the risk factor by a huge degree.
What will trouble the west is the possibility of North Korea establishing a customer/supplier relationship with Islamic State. IS has gained reserves of money from both donors and the oil it has captured in Syria and Iraq and North Korea is desperately short of finance. World leaders would shudder at the thought of IS gaining control of a miniaturised hydrogen weapon because it would have no compunction in using that to destroy an entire western city.
Probably the only defence against such a possibility would be a clear undertaking that such a blast anywhere in the world would immediately result in the total destruction of North Korea by the world's nuclear armed countries - without warning or further negotiation. Even China would be likely to join such an alliance against it's troublesome ally.
The only reason the world has remained free of the use of nuclear weapons since the end of the second world war has been the fear of how wide the conflict could become. The only hope of keeping North Korea from exploiting this new acquisition by selling it to terrorists is the sure knowledge that to do so will bring it's own destruction.
Fear seems to be the only factor that maintains peace in a troublesome world !
The " Hermit Kingdom " lives in a world of it's own. It's borders are tightly sealed and it is ruled by dictator Kim Jong-un with a rod of iron. It has armed forces that dwarf most of the rest of the world and technically it is still at war with South Korea, and from time to time launches new hostilities across the border.
This impoverished little kingdom expresses hate for the west and makes constant threats against America. A steady trickle of escapees leak across it's border with China and make their way to South Korea, where they recount evidence of food shortages and deprivation of the masses by a regime constantly expanding it's military. Kim Jong-un's rule is brutal and on several occasions food shortages have led to the death by starvation of thousands of his subjects.
North Korea is allied with China but this seems to be a bulwark against the west encroaching on it's border and there are often tensions between those two countries. What China really fears is an economic collapse in North Korea which would send a mass exodus across it's border and force a resettlement that would be unpopular with it's Han citizens, but even as an ally China is unable to control the aspirations of Kim Jong-un.
The west has long puzzled over just what those aspirations may be. North Korea has been developing long range missile technology and the news that it has successfully tested what is believed to be a miniaturised hydrogen bomb is very unsettling. A vast military under the control of a paranoid leader with unstated ambitions - now with the means of delivering thermo-nuclear destruction on the tip of an ICBM - has certainly ratcheted up the risk factor by a huge degree.
What will trouble the west is the possibility of North Korea establishing a customer/supplier relationship with Islamic State. IS has gained reserves of money from both donors and the oil it has captured in Syria and Iraq and North Korea is desperately short of finance. World leaders would shudder at the thought of IS gaining control of a miniaturised hydrogen weapon because it would have no compunction in using that to destroy an entire western city.
Probably the only defence against such a possibility would be a clear undertaking that such a blast anywhere in the world would immediately result in the total destruction of North Korea by the world's nuclear armed countries - without warning or further negotiation. Even China would be likely to join such an alliance against it's troublesome ally.
The only reason the world has remained free of the use of nuclear weapons since the end of the second world war has been the fear of how wide the conflict could become. The only hope of keeping North Korea from exploiting this new acquisition by selling it to terrorists is the sure knowledge that to do so will bring it's own destruction.
Fear seems to be the only factor that maintains peace in a troublesome world !
Thursday, 7 January 2016
The " Mating Game " !
Ever since the days of "Adam and Eve " it has been the custom for males to try and introduce themselves to females, and this has been the basis for most developing relationships. A vast terminology surrounds what is an integral part of " the mating game " ! Asking a girl for a "date " usually involved what others called "pickup lines ", but it seems that in this more feminist dominated world such an approach is now unwelcome.
This week just such an attempt happened during a game of cricket at Hobart's Blundstone Arena when Channel 10 reporter Mel McLaughlin approached Melbourne Renegades batsman Chris Gayle for an interview watched by 800,000 people. Gayle's response was to say - "Just to see your eyes for the first time - it's nice. Hopefully we can win this game and have a drink after. Don't blush baby ".
Amazingly, this resulted in a torrent of criticism because it was claimed that the comments made Mel McLaughlin feel "uncomfortable ". Gayle was levied with a ten thousand dollar fine and the Cricket Australia chief angrily retorted that Gayle "would be put on notice ". Almost hysterical denunciations were flowing from the feminist movement with Gayle's approach being labelled "sexist ", an "outrage " and a claim that McLaughlin had been "propositioned ". Gayle offered a partial apology, which McLaughlin accepted.
Mel McLaughlin is an attractive woman and Chris Gayle is a promising sporting hero. It is probably considered "cheeky " that Gayle should suggest that he would like to see more of McLaughlin by way of inviting her for a drink after the game - and doing it publicly before a huge viewing audience. Would this criticism be so harsh if he had issued such an invitation privately, after the interview ? The main objection seems to be that this was an intrusion of a personal nature on a woman dutifully doing her job as a reporter - and as such it invaded her personal space. A lot rests on the use of the term "baby " - which many would consider demeaning.
The relationship between men and women has been undergoing change for many decades. The marriage ceremony no longer automatically means that the woman adopts her husbands name as the family surname. In fact, marriage is no longer the precursor for having and raising children. The "career woman " is no longer a novelty and the pay gap between equal work done by men or women is gradually closing. It is noticeable that the ratio of women undergoing university education is now in greater numbers than men and women are appearing in the expanding professional entities that were once male dominated.
Social protocol is now very much dominated by a form of defensive feminism. It is evident that many women have become thin skinned and quick to take offence at anything that challenges their values. That is very evident in the advertising world. Depicting a bumbling male in some awkward social gaffe or making a mess of some activity is a common theme of television advertising, but to show a woman in a similar manner would provoke a tirade from the women's lobby. It seems that many women have lost their sense of humour.
When it comes to final analysis, was that comment from Chris Gayle so terrible that it deserved a ten thousand dollar fine - which to placate women the cricket people are donating to the breast cancer appeal ? Is it now a crime to ask a nice young woman to share a drink later in the evening ? Could not a simple "No " have been an adequate response - and in this day and age of slang and colloquialisms - the use of "Babe "and "Chic " are endearments in many quarters.
Surprisingly, a passing comment which may have been very tongue in cheek has dominated the news cycle for days and absorbed whole pages of newsprint. The glitterati have labelled it offensive and the women's movement is in uproar. There was a time when most women would be flattered to receive a compliment - and an offer of as date !
This week just such an attempt happened during a game of cricket at Hobart's Blundstone Arena when Channel 10 reporter Mel McLaughlin approached Melbourne Renegades batsman Chris Gayle for an interview watched by 800,000 people. Gayle's response was to say - "Just to see your eyes for the first time - it's nice. Hopefully we can win this game and have a drink after. Don't blush baby ".
Amazingly, this resulted in a torrent of criticism because it was claimed that the comments made Mel McLaughlin feel "uncomfortable ". Gayle was levied with a ten thousand dollar fine and the Cricket Australia chief angrily retorted that Gayle "would be put on notice ". Almost hysterical denunciations were flowing from the feminist movement with Gayle's approach being labelled "sexist ", an "outrage " and a claim that McLaughlin had been "propositioned ". Gayle offered a partial apology, which McLaughlin accepted.
Mel McLaughlin is an attractive woman and Chris Gayle is a promising sporting hero. It is probably considered "cheeky " that Gayle should suggest that he would like to see more of McLaughlin by way of inviting her for a drink after the game - and doing it publicly before a huge viewing audience. Would this criticism be so harsh if he had issued such an invitation privately, after the interview ? The main objection seems to be that this was an intrusion of a personal nature on a woman dutifully doing her job as a reporter - and as such it invaded her personal space. A lot rests on the use of the term "baby " - which many would consider demeaning.
The relationship between men and women has been undergoing change for many decades. The marriage ceremony no longer automatically means that the woman adopts her husbands name as the family surname. In fact, marriage is no longer the precursor for having and raising children. The "career woman " is no longer a novelty and the pay gap between equal work done by men or women is gradually closing. It is noticeable that the ratio of women undergoing university education is now in greater numbers than men and women are appearing in the expanding professional entities that were once male dominated.
Social protocol is now very much dominated by a form of defensive feminism. It is evident that many women have become thin skinned and quick to take offence at anything that challenges their values. That is very evident in the advertising world. Depicting a bumbling male in some awkward social gaffe or making a mess of some activity is a common theme of television advertising, but to show a woman in a similar manner would provoke a tirade from the women's lobby. It seems that many women have lost their sense of humour.
When it comes to final analysis, was that comment from Chris Gayle so terrible that it deserved a ten thousand dollar fine - which to placate women the cricket people are donating to the breast cancer appeal ? Is it now a crime to ask a nice young woman to share a drink later in the evening ? Could not a simple "No " have been an adequate response - and in this day and age of slang and colloquialisms - the use of "Babe "and "Chic " are endearments in many quarters.
Surprisingly, a passing comment which may have been very tongue in cheek has dominated the news cycle for days and absorbed whole pages of newsprint. The glitterati have labelled it offensive and the women's movement is in uproar. There was a time when most women would be flattered to receive a compliment - and an offer of as date !
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
That " Uber " Experience !
Some revellers found that a Uber ride home from the New Year fireworks cost more than the air fare to Bali. Trips from the Sydney city centre to the outer suburbs ran up bills in the hundreds of dollars - and in one case the trip exceeded a thousand. Uber fares are subjected to a "surge " basis of price increases that are levied on the demand for taxis. When demand for service is high, the price rises accordingly.
That is not what we are used to from the regular cab industry. The city cab fleet is equipped with meters and the rising cost is shown on that meter as the kilometres are travelled. Uber cars do not have meters and the charge is calculated in the Uber control room - and added to the passengers credit card.
Uber claims that the journey price is advised at the time the Uber car is booked, but many people dispute this and claim that they had a degree of confusion on exactly what was involved. On new year's eve many would have been celebrating and perhaps alcohol may have disturbed clarity, but we certainly need adequate legislation to ensure that the pricing is crystal clear before the start of each journey.
There is a degree of logic in "surge "pricing because higher fares will induce independent Uber drivers to get in their cars and provide a service at times when cabs are in short supply, but a lot depends on what method is used to determine the degree of surge - and how long it will apply.
Obviously, when the last fireworks flare over the harbour bridge on New Year's eve a huge crowd of people are trying to make their way home and cab demand is probably the highest all year - but for what period of time ? Within an hour many have used public transport - and many more are sleeping on the beaches or in parks - but has that cab fare remained at absolute peak, or has it diminished on some sort of time scale ?
We all know that a sudden shower of rain causes many people to seek a cab, but rain is usually localised - and it is unclear how widely a "rain surge "in pricing applies across the city, and whether it will be added to the price of a fare when a journey is part complete. It seems that application of surge components is entirely at the discretion of Uber management located somewhere in a central control room.
The taxi industry we knew was heavily controlled by legislation. Drivers needed to wear a uniform and display their identity and the cars clearly carried signage - and those meters made the price of each journey abundantly clear.
Uber is an entirely new concept and when it started giving service it was an intrusion on existing laws, and now it has legal sanction it is still being legislated into a new form of the taxi industry.
Some will see surge pricing as a form of price gouging. In quiet times, the Uber service promises to undercut the traditional taxi industry and steal fares, but the moment demand strengthens the price rises - and at peak can go to levels more appropriate to the airline industry.
The government is the arbitrator between these two branches of the taxi industry. It needs to impose clear rules on Uber on how and when fare prices will be disclosed to it's customers, and reasonable limits need to apply to how far fares can rise at maximum peaks.
A thousand dollar charge for a cab ride within Sydney seems to be stretching the price barrier beyond breaking point !
That is not what we are used to from the regular cab industry. The city cab fleet is equipped with meters and the rising cost is shown on that meter as the kilometres are travelled. Uber cars do not have meters and the charge is calculated in the Uber control room - and added to the passengers credit card.
Uber claims that the journey price is advised at the time the Uber car is booked, but many people dispute this and claim that they had a degree of confusion on exactly what was involved. On new year's eve many would have been celebrating and perhaps alcohol may have disturbed clarity, but we certainly need adequate legislation to ensure that the pricing is crystal clear before the start of each journey.
There is a degree of logic in "surge "pricing because higher fares will induce independent Uber drivers to get in their cars and provide a service at times when cabs are in short supply, but a lot depends on what method is used to determine the degree of surge - and how long it will apply.
Obviously, when the last fireworks flare over the harbour bridge on New Year's eve a huge crowd of people are trying to make their way home and cab demand is probably the highest all year - but for what period of time ? Within an hour many have used public transport - and many more are sleeping on the beaches or in parks - but has that cab fare remained at absolute peak, or has it diminished on some sort of time scale ?
We all know that a sudden shower of rain causes many people to seek a cab, but rain is usually localised - and it is unclear how widely a "rain surge "in pricing applies across the city, and whether it will be added to the price of a fare when a journey is part complete. It seems that application of surge components is entirely at the discretion of Uber management located somewhere in a central control room.
The taxi industry we knew was heavily controlled by legislation. Drivers needed to wear a uniform and display their identity and the cars clearly carried signage - and those meters made the price of each journey abundantly clear.
Uber is an entirely new concept and when it started giving service it was an intrusion on existing laws, and now it has legal sanction it is still being legislated into a new form of the taxi industry.
Some will see surge pricing as a form of price gouging. In quiet times, the Uber service promises to undercut the traditional taxi industry and steal fares, but the moment demand strengthens the price rises - and at peak can go to levels more appropriate to the airline industry.
The government is the arbitrator between these two branches of the taxi industry. It needs to impose clear rules on Uber on how and when fare prices will be disclosed to it's customers, and reasonable limits need to apply to how far fares can rise at maximum peaks.
A thousand dollar charge for a cab ride within Sydney seems to be stretching the price barrier beyond breaking point !
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