A Gang War Rages !

 We have a crime war raging in central Sydney.  This war is a test of strength between two crime families and on Thursday night the head of one of those families was brutally murdered after consuming a meal at a prominent Japanese restaurant.

Bilal Hasmze died in a hail of bullets as he crossed Bridge Street, just five minutes from Circular Quay. He is is part of an ongoing fued with the Alameddimes family and Hamze is a relative of the nororious  " Brothers for Life " founder  Bassam Hamze.  Police have issued warnings that similar attacks on several  others in the Hamnze network now seem inevitable.

All this seems a reversion to the  Americasn gangland wars of Prohibition, back in earlier times.  Fortunes were being made running illegal alcohol to the mass market and this quickly fell to the task of organized  Crime. " Speakeasies " cropped up in most neighbourhoods and these fought an ongoing war with the Police.

Over the years that followed, gangster gangs  acquired automatic weapons and hijacking the inwards supplies of others became common.  Alcohol was coming ashore on beaches, coast to coast as the world's alcohol industry responded to an export market.

The American Treasury became alarmed at this untaxesd profit flowing into gangster hands and repealed prohibition.  Vast sections of the country elected to stay " dry " and remains that way today.  Gun violence remains an untended problem because the right to own a gun is protected in the Constitution.

Guns became harder to legally acquire in Australia after the Port Arthur massacre.  There is more profit to be made running guns now that strident control measures are in place. The gun numbers in Australia are again steadily growing.

It will be interestintg to see how the police respond to this challenge.  As long as the two gangs continuie to wipe each other out they are conent to let gangsters take care of gangster business.  It only becomes a police matter when the public get involved.

Unfortunately, life just doesn't work that way.  Both police and public casualties are inevitable in this gang war unti law and order institutes control.

Legislative Inertia !

 Seven years ago, ICAC asked the New South Wales parliament to enact legislation to protect whistleblowers who voluntarilly provide evidence to one of its enquiries.  This week it was learned that no less than twenty-seven drafts had been compiled, and as yet none had be taken to a vote.

The parliament was currently working on a twenty-eight draft and if this got the nod it would probably go to a vote sometime next year.

There is a vast difference between how a voluntary witness is treated compared  to those summonsed before the enquiry and compelled to give evidence.  Under existing law, those compelled to give evidence  against corruption  are protected against any criminal or civil liability, including defamation, breach of confidentiallity  and any disciplinary action by their employer.

This same protection is not extended to any voluntary witness giving evidence to such an enquiey and this was having a chilling effect on whistleblowers.

It sends a message that they had better be prepared to lose their jobs or be sued because the government will not protect them.  Even if they tip off authorities to major corruption.  It is poor treatment of public spirited citizens who shine the light of discovery in dark places and suffer financial injury as a result.

As usuaL, it is the politicians looking to their own survival.  Both sides of politics have their dirty little secrets and exposure hurts them at the polls,. They do not wish to open the evidence door too widely and that is why each of these drafts have been rejected - and sent back for more work.

It is in public interest that citizens be encouraged to watch over public finances.  Suspicion is constantly aroused where vast sums of money are involved and the business of government can be very tempting and often easily covered.  There is innunendo of graft surfacing on a regular basis and the legislation in force at present simply keeps witnesses silent.

The watchdog first recommended that the ICAC evidence act be ammended early in 2014.  This was supported by an upper house enquiry in 2017 so it is quite evident that the matter is not going to be allowed to rest.

This sort of delay is giving parliament a bad name.  It is public money beintg used to fund projects and its distribution needs to be squeaky clean.  If there is further delay in passing this twenty-eight draft many will suspect deliberate corruption is highly placed.

A Wicked World !!

There once was a time when the laws of most countries were in tandem with the laws of whichever Church was foremost in attracting the support of the population.  Great congregations dutifully went to church every Sunday and the government ruled by obeying the laws of the church.

That is still common in some parts of the world, but a vast schism has opened up between church liturgy and the will of the people We are fast reaching the stage where. the laws in force run directly opposite the teachings of the church.  The church voices its opposition but party politics is dependent on votes and the decisions made mirror the opinion  of the masses.

To a high degree, the divisive point between Church and state revolved around the sexual act. The  churches insist that marriage is a union for life and refuse to offer the sacrament to those who divorce.

We have now reached the stage where divorce has been taken out of the hands of the church and is the jurisdiction of a Federal court.  Each parliament will decide who gets a divorce - and for what reason.  Marriage as a ceremony practised by an ordained minister is now more commonly administered by a civil celebrant.

Abortion was long held to be a civil crime, but today is legal in many parts of the world. Homosexuality has long been forbidden, but referendum's in many countries has seen it attain legal status and same sex marriage is now widely practised openly.

Sex before marriage was once seen as a cardinal sin, but the majority of the world's population cohabit today without the benefit of a church blessing.  Sex is a tradeable commoddity in the world marketplace and is publicly extolled in the movie industry.

Attendance at church has fallen away over many centuries but still attracts followers at Christmas and Easter.  It would be impossible for the great churches of the world to change their message and accept the fundamentals of how the population chooses to live their lives.

What we are seeing is the emergence of various sects which offer forgiveness for the wickedness of humankind.  The great religions are in retreat because of the emergence of sexual relations moving out of control and guided by the masses.

It is evident that the churches have lost the power to deliver shock and their threat to impose vengeance in the afterlife no longer terrifies sinners.  

Limits on Car Density !

At the mid point of the twentieth century, the warranty on cars was twelve months, or tweve thousand miles, whichever came sooner.  As we edge our way into the twenty-first century that has widened appreciably.  A five year warranty is now fairly common, and one Korean maker extends that to seven years with unlimited distance covered.

That is even more extended on electric cars.  One Japanese manufacturer is now offering a ten year warranty with ten year service at a fixed price, but there is a distance limitation of 200,000 kilometres travelled.

The standard of engineering has made great strides in recent years.,  All the major manufacrturers now produce a high standard, four cylinder car that sells somewhere about the $20,000 price range.,  Provided it is properly serviced, the owner can expect to travel 300,000 kilometres before that engine shows signs of wear.

High quality and low price have simply inundated the market with cars to the point that we are approaching gridlock.  Billions are being spent to improve the daily commute but the scarcity of parking, both at home and wherever we work is putting a limit on cars as a means of personal transport.

New housing estates tend to shoe horn homes onto ever smaller blocks of land and what used to be called " the backyard " has disappeared.,  This modern home has off street parking for two cars, but the children stay at home longer because of the elevated home prices and their cars need to find a parking place on the streets.

Any district with high employment numbers has become a parking conundrum.  Many require the driver to take a bus trip from where they can legally park to their place of work and this adds to both inconvenience and expense.

We are fast reaching the stage where a long weekend means a tangled mortorway getting to our destination and a similar experience on the trip home.  Even weekend motoring is becoming similar to the mid week commute.

The call to use public transport and leave the car at home falls on deaf ears.,  In the majority of cases, the driver is alone in the vehicle and that is unlikely to change when the car is powered by electricirty and not petrol.  We cling stubbornly to the car as our personal means of transport..

Eventually, the electric car must be cheaper than the internal combustion model because of the limited engineering needed.   We are fast reaching the stage where sharing will be the only viable option to limit cars to the capacity of the road system.

We will probably need a legally sanctioned personal parking space before we can register a car.

Supersonic Airliners !

 The Boeing 707 was the first of the big jets that brought seat prices crashing down, and then we were told the next big thing would be supersonic speed.  The world airplane makers went into a frenzy doing costings and creating design, but then the Americans walked away from the concept.

Boeing decided it was possible, but that it would never turn a profit.  The British and the French decided to combine their efforts - and that brought us Concorde.  A remarkable plane that could cross the Atlantic Ocean in 3.5 hours, flying at 2124 kph - and carrying just 128 passengers.

No other airlines but the British and French national carriers bought this aircraft and in all its years it never turned a profit.  It was military technology and it flew successfully until a scrap of junk on the runway pierced its fuel tank and killed all aboard.

Now the plane makers are in a new frenzy with plans to build a new airliner capable of supersonic speed.  To bring an economic return it will need to use military technology that makes this possible.  It will need to be bigger than Concode and carry many more passengers and it will encounter both noise problems and damage into the ozone layer.

It is likely that it will be speed restricted over inhabited land, and it will need to compete with bigger, slower competitors who pack in more seats and offer substantially lower prices.   The Concorde era attracted passengers prepared to pay extra for the experience of flying faster than sound, but that attracted international personalities rather than the tourist trade.

If this aircraft eventuates it will be reserved for a small fraction of the travelling public.It is likely to be taken up by a small number of specialist airlines and the main attraction of air travel will be seat prices. It will also be a target for terrorist activity because of the pubicity it attracts.

The introduction of a supersonic airliner comes at a bad time for planet Earth.  We are desperately trying to decrease global warming and aircraft flying around the fringe of the planet leave vapour trails that are clearly visible from the ground.  It is highly likely that some countries may refuse landing rights to aircraft that accentuate that problem.

We have just experiuenced a pandemic that spread economic chaos across ther world and it was air travel that introduced the pathogen to world audiences.  What is possible in our ever developing world of technology is not always what is desireable and we thought that supersonic speed was out of the picture when Concorde withdrew.

Faster air travel will put a cost premium on the travel industry.  We need to decide if that is what we want before newer, faster aircraft decide the iassue for us !

An Unkind Decision !

It seemed that the coinvention regarding Australian citizenship was perfectly clear.  Children born on Australian soil automatically gained the legal right to call Australia home, but for the past three years two sisters who meet that condition haver been detained on Christmas Island awaiting deportation to Sri Lanka. 

The problem is that their parents came here as " boat people "  and as such lacked the right to settle.  They were held in detention while an appeal was heard and during that time lived in the Queensland town of Biloela.  During that time their two daughters -Tharnicca and Kopika were born and the entuire family was moved to Christmas Island in the Indian Oceran.

At the time of their arrival, boat people were coming ashore in droves and the government stopped the flow by promising that none would be allowed to settle here. New arrivals were settled in  the government transit camps while negotiations proceeded to move them to other countries.

They were good citizens during their time in Biloela and its citizens would welcome their return, but the Australian government fears that if it reneges on its promise and allows them to settle it will provoke a new wave of boat people arrivals.

When Tharnicca became desperately ill the family was moved back to Australia so she could get specialist treatment.  The parliament is still trying to negotiate their removal to New Zealand or the United States.  We have the ridiculous situation of a family of four living in a vast offshore detention camp at a coast of $ 6.7 million so far.  Their plight has been taken up by government politicians and the myth has been shattered that adequate medical attention can be given at a camp 2000 metres from Perth's Childrens hospital.

All this is obviously  an embarrassment to Australia.  It seems the government may go to the next Federal election with this Muruggappan family in offshore limbo and when Tharnicca fully recovers they may be returned to Christmas island.

The government is splitting straws.  The two Australian born daughters are clearly  entitled to Australian citizenship, and their parents are not.   The government is defending its decision on principle and clearly the public opinion in Australia is solidly behind allowing the family to settle here.

It would be an act of grace and favour to allow them to return to Biloea in Queensland where they      would be warmly welcomed.   Most people think they have earned the right to be permanwently settled in Australia as a result of their Christmas island adventure.

A Successful " Sting " Operation !

 International crime was thrown into disarray when America's FBI created an App that promised communications security.  Crime fighters were listening in when this was adopted by gangsters and a film at a Sydney murder tial jury watched live scenes as a man ran up to a solicitor in a Sydney street and shot him dead.

The murdered man was was Ho Ledinh (65) and he was shot three times.   The prosecution alleges Mr Ledinh was killed by Arthur Kelikilo and that Abraham Senai collarorated with the shooter to arrange for the muerder to be carried out.  Mr Senai has pleaded not guilty.

This seems to have been a classical " sting " operation.  The prosecution allege Mr Sinai communicated with the shooter, Arthur Keleklio to arrange Mr Ledinh's murder. The App was an encrypted platform used by about 12,500 international crime figures when it was deemed " safe "  by hundreds of Australian criinals.

This was the breakthrough law enforcement has long awaited.  It appears to have ensnared one of Australia's most wanted criminals who has been hiding out in Turkey.  Law enfoprcement is keeping very quiet about where the gathered information may be taking them, but international crime syndicates are known to be very worried.

The electronic era has been infiltrated by criminals who are usually several steps ahead of the law.  The " deep web " as it is known holds many secrets that allow illicit drugs to be trafficked fairly openly and it seems that criminals have been duped into using a system that has been penetrated by the law.

Law enforcement has been successful in catching and prosecuting the small time criminals who are the conduit between the drug scene and the end customers, but the big players remain encrusted behind tight security and move their money about on the international scene.

This highly secretive, three year App operation , codenamed ' Ironside  " in Australia and " Trojan " in the US has so far led to 224 arrests across Australia, while 2.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and $ 45 Million in cash has been seized.

The news media has been reporting hyper activity in rounding up criminals here in Australia and now we know why this is happening.  This has been a massive security breach that reaches right into the world of casinos and banks and is upsetting the money trail.

There is panic in the underworld, and it seems likely that this penetration still has a long way to go to reach its end !

A " Scare " Campaign !

 The 2016 Federal election was won by the Liberal/National coalition, but Labor made up lost ground when it ran a scare campaign that suggerstesd cutbacks in the universal health system. There are indications that a similar strategy will again apply when we next go to the polls.

The government has plans to reform Medicaire and from July 1, more than 900 Medicare benefits will be charged across orthpedics, general surgery, cardiac surgical servceas, vascular and general practice care numbersy

These reforms come from the Medicare Benefits Taskforce final report which was prepared by a team of medical experts.  The task forces five year review was completed last year and contained 1400- recomenndations.  It was the largest audit since the system was introduced in 1964.

Labor is going hard against these reforms ansd says it will be part of the party's upcoming campagn platform..  Labor leader Anthony Albanese wrote on Twitter that Labor built Medicare and protecting it is in our DNA.   The Liberals opposed Medicare and cutting it back serves their interest.

The party gained ground in the 2016 election when it accused the Federal government of trying to sell off   Medicare.  It was obvious that Medicare was of significant concerrn to voters.

Over the years more drugs and procedures have been added to the services that Medicare provides, but little in the way of communications that alert the medical profession as to what changes are beimg consdidered.  Adding items increases the cost and it is necessary to spread the load to keep the servivce viable.

A spokesman for Health Minister  Greg Hunt said the changes were based on medical advice, including some new or extended items, and some extended rebates.  It was perfectly clear that the government had no intention of discontinuing this valuable medical service.

It is quite clear that many Labor supporters saw through the 2016 attack by then Labor leader Bill Shorten. A launch by new leader Anthony Albanese may give it some credence, but many will carefully evaluate the figures given and decide it is a replay of a failed accusation.

Given the problems many other world countries are experiencing in tryong to introduce a universal health service the Australian Medicare system gains widespread praise.  There are indications that it will evolve further as new treatments come online and for that to happen existing procedures meed constant review.

Scare campaigns ared simply a tactic of party politics!

A Bandit Regime !

  Qantas is Australia's National Airline and we are accustomed to seeing its Kangaroo logo at world airports.   It has an impeccable safety record and is the only commercial airline that holds a Trusted Trader accreditation with the Australian Border Force.

What that means in the world of international air freight is that every employee has been subjected to a fit and propper test.  We have not been advised of any of our people failing that test and yet we are hearing claims that organized crime has infiltrated the Quantas network and using this cover for the importation of illegal drugs.

An internal Qantas security report contends that " trusted insiders " at Australia's biggest airline have links to organized crime and were able to " casuse significant harm "  to the community by facilitating smuggling across borders.

An internal Qantas security report tabled in 2020 revealed that a former baggage handler turned into a wealthy Sydney racing identity pleaded guilty in May to importing $68.5 million worth of Cocaine,.  It was later found his import of Cocaine was valued at one billion and that this crime had not been publicly revealed.

Now a classified Federal law enforcement intelligence report has revealed that a significant number of Qantas staff - and a hundred and fifty have been suggested as being involved -  are linked to criminality. Crime agencies believe Qantas has been infiltrated by bikies and other organized crime groups to  facilitate drug importation and other activities that pose a risk to national security.

It stands to reason that given the number of aircraft movements each day, a few corrupt officials in the right location would be able to screen cargo that is not listed on the manifest and this could then pass through customs unchecked.  It could also explain why quantrities of drugs regularly appear on our streets that appear immune to law enforcement activities.

Obviously, this movement of drugs involves payment fort those creating  the right facilities to break the law and compensate for the risks involved.  In many cases it seems likely that the people providing drug cover at airports are also involved in street trafficking which provides an extraordinary gain in overall renumeration.  Such a person should stand out to authorities by the very nature of the toys they can afford for their peronal lifestyle.

Perhaps the quickest way to shut down this conduit of drug importation would be an investigation of the lifestyle of all Qantas employees.   Those living far beyond the expectation of their salary level would obviously have some explaining to do.

Wealth from. unexplaijned sources would bring the type of security attention that these criminals would most like to avoid.  Knowing they were under scrutiny would bring compliance !

A Threat to Democracy !

 Joseph Goebbells, propaganda minister for Adolph Hitler's Nazi party added a dictum that many politicians have used to their advantage.  " If you tell the same lie often enough, the majority of people will believe it is true ".

Donald Trump lost the last Presidential election  and tried to cling to power with the claim that this was the " stolen election ".  He urged his followers to storm the Capital building and for a few hours the American Democratic institution hovered on the brink of anarchy.

It is perfectly clear that Joe Biden's win was in accord with the election laws in place in America, but Trump persists with that lie and the vast majority of the Republican party supports his claim.  He is now promising that he will stand for election to the oval office at the next election, in four years time.

It seems perfectly clear that he will probably succeed in gaining Republican nomination to again try for that office.  The Republican voting block has clearly demonstrated that it will vote down any investigation of Trump's abuse of power and use of his office for personal advantage.

Trump's term in office was marred by many doubtful decisions.  At essence, he is a property developer unsuited to the machinations of  inter-government affairs. His relationship with women crossed boundaries and he failed to table his own tax returns when questions arose about his tax liabilities.,

Now out of office, he is shielded by the Republican vote from any in depth investigation which might subject him to court action which may preclude him from another attempt to hold office. Without such an investigation, he is free to maintain the lie that he actually won against Biden and that illegal voting was used to deliver an unfavourable total.

It is quite possible that with the advantage of being able to publicly maintain the untruth that Trump votes were deliberately exclusded from the count to manufactuere a Biden vicrtory, he may gain sufficient public sympathy to again win a term in office.

Such an outcome would seriously damage the American political system.  Whern a political party votes as a block to shield its leader from legitimate questionuing about his conduct in office, the integrity of politics comes into disrepute.

Republicans who now voice doubt about Trump's conduct are finding their entire structure moving against them to deny them official sanction to hold office.   They are disendorsed and replaced by others willing to toe the party line.

If this is allowed to rule politics unchecked, it will probably end party politics which has served the nation well since the United States became a Democratic entity.

Country Medical Standards !

 It is surprising the number of people who do not have a regular doctor they consult for their medical needs, and many of these live in a country town where obtaining an appointmewnt with a GP involves a very long wait.

Usually, the appearance of annoying symptoms alerts them to the presence of a medical problem and they present at a regional hospital where it is suggested that having a blood test will determine the cause. A blood sample is taken and sent to pathology and in due course the analysis report delivers the bad news. 

The patrient is suffering from one of the common ailments  that  appear as we age and the patient is connected to a doctor in a city hospital far away by tele-conference,.  It is suggested that a treatment course would be helpful and that is prescribed as the recommended treatment.

In the majority of cases this delivers relief and as the prescription  needs renewal this happens automatically, signed off by that distant prescribing doctor.  The doctor and patient never physically meet together and treatment consists entirely on the result of that blood test.

This is fast developing into the way country medicine is being practised,.  The economics of having a registered doctor stationed at remote country hospitals has been replaced by the tele-conference, aided by the prescribing doctor making visits to actually see the patient at long intervals.

That usually quickly reverts to an overload situation.  The patients treated by tele-conference grows in number and only a select few can be fitted into face to face consultation during a visit to a local hospital.Treatment standards remain unchanged as improvements come online because each case does not come under regular review.

This comes in contrast to the practice of medicione in cities where the doctor and patient  meet in consultation whenever a prescription needs renewal.  That provides an oppoertunity to discuss new medication and how that may deliver improvements to the treatmentt being offered.

Often, it is the patient who resists review by the visiting doctor.  Getting to the hospital for a timed visit would involve driving they didnt want to undertake and they were satisfiesd that the medication prescribed was offering relief.  In many cases they were suffering from a range of differing conditions, not all of which were being treated.

It would be desireable to bring country medicine as near as possible to city standards. That would be attained by making prescription renewal conditional on each third renewal being required during a face to face consultation.

Too many treatment regimes are solely ordered as the outcome of a blood test !

Making a Safe Exit !

 Criminal bikie gangs maintain a crime wave across many cities and their activities are closely monitored by the police.  Recently, information reached police ears that a member of the Finks gang had pawned a quantity of jewellery, a motorcycle and a boat with a Riverstone pawnbroker in exchange for a $11,500 cash advance.

There was a degree of mystery about the ownership of these goods. When a bikie elects to leave a club in which he is a member it is usual to impose a substantial exit fee.  It seems that this departing member actually owed his club money and this caused the club hierarchy to approach the pawnbroker and demand the jewellery be handed over.

Intimidation was threatened and the request was refused, and that caused the police to raid  seven bikie , homes in Chatswood, North Richmond, north St Marey,s, Tregear, Bidwell and Raymond Terrace.  What they discovered at these locations was knuckledusters, nineteen explosive devices, two firearms, a motorcycle engine, outlaw motorcycle gang clothing and a small amount of cannabis and steroids..

Police allege the bikies sought to extort the pawnbroker to recover money their member owed to the club. The man who is the president of that Finks chapter is an avid body builder and has been a finalist in various competitions and boasts an extensive male modelling history according to his press releases.

He has been charged with  demanding property in company, with intend to steal, intimidating to cause fear of physical harm, participating in a criminal group and not keeping a firearm safely.  He was refused bail at Parramatta local court and will again appear on June 7.

This is a timely warning to young men thinking of joining a bikie gang because of the good life it offers. His modelling portfolio describes him as an experienced model who feels very strongly about personal appearances and is open to a wide variety of photo shoots.

He was also charged with contravening a court order preventing him from associating with other bikie gang members and all these charges will be answered when he next appears in court.  It tends to illustrate the complexity of withdrawing from a bikie gang and the costs that will be involved.

Bikie gangs are usually involved in drug distribution and the penalties that apply,  The average member spends a lot of time in court and usually much longer behind prison bars.  The nature of the club activities  makes interest by the police inevitable.

This sad case of the harassment of a legitimate pawnbroker brings to focus the exceptional obligations expected of members choosing to quit their club and move onwards.  Farewells are much more -onerous than a mere shaking of hands at departure.- and that is rarely clearly understood at the time of joining the club.

Picking a Leader !

 Jodie McKay stepped down as leader of the Australian Labor party in New South Wales when support retreated in a by-election for the seat of Upper Hunter. It now seems likely that party leadership will need to be resolved by a ballot amongst party members.

The problem is that the Labor party comprises many factions and it is unlikely that whoever is selected will gain universal party support.   The front runners scrambling to put together a majority vote are Chris Minns and former leader Michael Daly, both of whom claim to have the numbers to succeed.

In a democracy like ours the party that sits in office and controls the Treasury is decided by the voters at a general election. It is usually factional disputes that rob Labor of the chance to govern and that divide looks likely to cause Labor to fall short in the future.

The voters have switched their support from the old days of a Liberal/Labor divide to create several minor parties which form the crossbench. It usually takes the party in power to attract a majority from the crossbench to get legislation to become law.

It seems unlikely that either Chris Minns or Michael Daly would attract sufficient crossbench support to form government.  The balance of power remains with the crossbench  and it seems that this arrangement sits well with the voters.

It seems possible that Jodi McKay may cling to power by default. She has a good record of settling factional disputes but many in her party find her gender a hindrance.  It seems we we are still a long way from being gender neutral in politics.

Both the state premier and the leader of the opposition are women while the makeup of parliament is primarily men.  Both parties claim to be working towards a better gender balance, but it is factional balances that seem to determine who wins seats.

In politics, it is ideal if the opposition is snapping at the heels of government and ready to take office the moment an election is called.  The government should be ready to be called to account for its spending priorities at any time and be ready to defend its actions in a vote of confidence.

Factional alliances prevent the opposition from speaking with a united voice.   The opportunity now exists for a moderate leader to arise from its ranks and clearly state how the party would govern.  If it is going to embrace socialism - and if so - to what extent.

At present, that is a mystery because it simply depends on which faction has a firm grip on power. Its manifesto means different things to different people.- and that is why its vote is divided.

Submarine Delivery Delay !

The steadily deteriorating relationship with China is putting immense pressure on our defence procurement programme.  High on that list is bringing twelve new attack class submarines into service to replace our existing Collins class boats.

After a long and tedious evaluation process we finally settled for the hulls to be built in France and the fitting out done in Australia.   Under this arrangement, the first boats are not expected to come on stream until the early 2030's.

This is a big ticket price item and was subject to many negotiations, not the least of which is the arrival timing.  It would be quicker - and cheaper - to have these submarines completely built overseas but we want Australian industry to gain the technology aspect and learn the intricate repair function.

A Defence Committee hearing was told that delays are causing the government to have second thoughts about the viability of this arrangement.  The possibility of conflict in the South China sea is such that bringing these submarines into service is becoming more urgent.

Under the existing contract, it impossible to predict a certain delivery date and we might do better to buy the completed submarines from another country.  That is a thought percolating through the minds of our defence planners, although there is also support for maintaining the present arrangement to avoid the cost of contract termination.

The lack of operational submarines leaves a gap in our northern defence. The old Collins class boats are past their use by date and long overdue for replacement.  We have chosen diesel/electric over the option of nuclear units on cost effectiveness and quietness.  A submarine fleet has the ability to offer protection to a continent surrounded by water, as is the case in Australia.

We were not facing any immediate threat when this submarine contract was negotiated, but tensions have increased with time and now an indefinite delivery date is a reason for concern.  Delivery could blow out even further and the ability to produce world class submarines is a capability of several other NATO countries.

Many of our defence procurements are bought in on a " ready to use " basis and this submarine contract seems to be the exception.  France was awarded the contract despite spirited competition from both Germany and Japan.  The boats all were offering were comparable from a military point of view. Unless we can resolve this difference with France the cancellation option should be seriously considered.

Having a fleet of operational submarines in place as soon as possible is an imperative defence necessity.

Solving the Household Gas Problem !

When we discovered vast deposits of natural gas in Australia we quickly became an exporter of this type of energy, but we neglected to reserve a base supply for our own industrial and household use.  It was learned that we were experiencing a gas shortage across our entire eastern seabord.  It was proposed that we fill this shortage by a new type of gas extraction known as " fracking " in which the rock containing the gas is shattered and the gas pumped to the surface.

Unfortunately, this was usually under agricultural land and the fracking tended to divert aquifers and create earthquakes.  It was vigorously opposed by farmers and we are now establishing a gas " hub " at Port Kembla.  We seem likely to become an importer of gas from other world countries to meet our domestic needs.

We are also developing a  new means of gas supply.  Electricity applied to water causes it to break into two components - oxygen and hydrogen.  Hydrogen is being converted into fuel cells and water is one of the most common elements on this planet.  There is the expectation that hydrogen will be a useful form of energy in the years ahead.

Now our energy needs are turning in a new direction.  Sydney Water's Malabar treatment plant is able to turn the existing biomass and waste stream into a new clean energy source.  It processes wastewater from 1.4 million households and the biogas produced is about sixty percent methane

This process will be expanded by 2022 and 95,000 megajoules. of biomethane will be produced each year, enough to meet the energy needs of 6300 homes.  It is likely to spread to other wastewater plants throughout the country.

At present, most of the biogas output is being used for electrical power generation and water heating. This is a new source of energy and it comes from a renewable source.  Basically, we are creating energy from sewage.

The gas we are extracting from the ground in Western Australia and exporting to world markets is a finite source.   Eventually it will be exhausted and we will need to look for new fields.  We have in place sewage pipelines to carry away human waste from citizens homes and this is being constantly renewed.

At present, most of this biogas is used for generating electrical energy and heating water but as a constantly  renewable base product it is unlikely to decrease in volume in the future.  It seems that our scientists have devised an energy source that converts a waste product into an asset.  In fact we are converting something that creates harm to humankind if disposed of wastefully, into a product that is urgently needed to sustain the quality of life we value.

Mice in Plague Proportions !

 We have a mouse plague eating its way through cereal crops in inland Australia.  The television news illustrates millions of mice rampaging through farm sheds and reducing sileage  to powder.  They are even travelling on freight trains and it is feared they will successfully transfer to the nation's cities.

Ideal weather conditions have spawned this plague and the numbers show no sign of letting up. It is feared they may destroy this years winter crops and already they have created havoc with their destruction of stored food supplies in country grocers.

Farmers are desperate to end this problem and have called on the Agriculture Minister to release 10,000 litres of bromadiolone from the stock held by the Australian Pesticide and Vetinerary Medicines Authority., and that has some leading scientists worried.

Bromadiolone is a second  generation coagulant and needs only one feeding before the animal dies from uncontrolled bleeding.  However, this poison can be accumulated in the food chain, killing animals such as Lizards and Kookaburras which would eat dead mice.

The CSIRO suggests that zinc  phosphide would be a better option because its potency has recently been doubled and it has few secondary poisoning risks because it does not accumulate.  Zinc Phosphide is not  subjected to a blanket ban, but must not be used within eighty metres of native vegetation.

These mice numbers are so great that conventional means of mice control would be useless.  Control methods have exhausted Liverpool Plains croppers and graziers and left unchecked they could wipe a billion dollars off this years winter crops.

Where bromadiolone has been used in the past it has been permitted only on the perimeter of paddocks, leaving the mouse hordes ensconced unaffected.  The use of this virus is like a " toxic time bomb " that will kill any manner of predator that dines on the victims.

So far, the mice affected areas have not had a visit from premier Gladys Berejiklian or Deputy Premier John Barilaro.  This horde is progressing towards the coast and has now reached the Hawksbury Valley.

There seems to be just these two options to bring it under control and it is imperative that a decision be made and implemented.    The number of mice ravaging the country is growing to biblical proportions when some scientists predict a coming world famine.

A decision is urgent !

Insurance Premium Hike !

 Australia's tourist industry was hit hard by the lockdowns made necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic early last year.,  International airlines simply shut down and the inward flow of tourists ceased. Thousands from this country enjoying a holiday overseas were stranded in many parts of the world and repatriation is still uncertain.

The cessation of backpackers was disastrous for our fruit and vegetable industries.  Last years crop went unpicked  and was left  to rot on the ground  There was an expectation of a surge of unemployment but Federal government spending covered the shortfall and most jobs were saved.

Australians were urged to " holiday at home " and that saved many holiday resorts from bankruptcy.  Now a vast vaccination programme is under way and tourist trade seems likely to return to pre-pandemic levels to service the loans that created those holiday resorts.

Just as owners and shareholders were expecting an end to this pandemic, a new threat has emerged. .  The insurance industry has hiked premiums to unsustainable levels and many businesses face the prospect of trading uninsured.

That is a serious threat.  One bushland retreat has been knocked back by thirty-eight insurance companies, save for an " insulting " offer of a $6.5 million premium for a business valued at just  $ 3.5 million.  It is obvious that the insurers are taking into account the extensive damage done during last summers bushfires. This property has been unaffected by bushfires in the past and is located in a Eucalypt forest where grey Kangaroos and Cockatoos outnumber guests.

Businesses warn that this escalating problem threatens to derail economic recovery in regional areas where  operators have been battling natural disasters, border closures and pandemic lockdowns.  It is evident that this problem has been kept from publication because it would affect resale values if the property became uninsurable.

This insurance problem would prevent new companies thinking of establishing bases in tourist areas and have a cascading effect on the existing supply chain. This highlighted a pressing need for government intervention.

 It recommended expansion of the Federal government  underwritten reinsurance of Reinsurance Pool Corporation to cover " significant natural events .  In the May budget., a $ 10 billion government reinsurance pool was established to cover cyclone and flood damage in north Queensland.

Before the pandemic we had in place recognised tourist havens which attracted visitors from all over the world.  The insurance cover that underpinned that structure is in danger of ending and with it will go our tourist trade.

The problem was passed back to the Federal government for rectification !