People attending the " Vivid " light show in Sydney were bemused to find what appeared to be Buddhist monks circulating in the crowd, aggressively seeking donations of money. They are attired in the robes seen in most Asian cities but this appears to be a scam designed to rip off an unsuspecting public. The Buddhist religion looks to the generosity of the common people to provide it's monks with food and the necessities of life, but they are traditionally a most peaceful religion and retreat from violence - in their search for " Nirvana ".
These " monks " are very different. Those who offer a pittance - or politely refuse to make any sort of donation - can expect a religious tirade and an increase in pressure. They have perfected a plausible line of " religious babbling " and they consistently refuse to take no for an answer. In past decades Sydney was plagued by several pseudo religious cults who specialised in begging on city streets. It seems that the wheel turns full circle.
In Victoria a woman has just been convicted of murdering her daughter in law by bashing her to death with a hammer. She had been hounding her son to divorce his partner to no avail - and her motive was sheer greed. The son had " permanent Australian residency " and the woman knew that the family could extract hundreds of thousands of dollars from people in China desperate to get a foothold in Australia and overcome our immigration laws.
The plan was to offer marriage to her permanently resident titled son to a Chinese woman which would see her gain similar status - in exchange for a vast sum of money. In some cases, these marriages only last the time demanded by immigration for authentication - and then proceed to divorce, but allow the new resident to use family reunification rules to bring others to this country. In this case, the presence of an inconvenient wife thwarting a money bonanza was solved by a grisly murder.
Many people despair at the endless incidents of greed and deception that constantly roil the political arena. The Victorian parliament is close to collapse because a politician accused of rorting his car and petrol allowance has the balance of power and objects to being called to account for his actions. In New South Wales a Royal Commission has delivered a corruption finding that may see several leading politicians face court. Across the entire Australian political spectrum, politicians are accused of jockeying for position and being disloyal in their quest for a leadership role. The aim of personal gain seems to take precedence over the common good !
It seems that avarice is a basic component of the human psyche. One of life's aims is self betterment - and we commend that as a worthy objective. It is just that a fine line divides methods we use to achieve our rewards. On which side of that line we step - depends on our personal moral compass !
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Friday, 6 June 2014
" Consorting Law " Enigma !
Surprise in legal circles when the Australian Human Rights Commission sought leave to join a High Court action next Tuesday in which the Nomads bikie club is challenging consorting laws introduced by the New South Wales government. This law is being assessed by the governments of other states and if it survives this High Court challenge there is every chance that it will be adopted on a national basis.
The Australian Human Rights Commission thinks this legislation may contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. It is sufficiently concerned to present it's view in this challenge and this is causing dismay in police circles. The police see the new consorting law as a means of breaking up street gangs and bikie groups who are fast beckoning a new form of " organized crime ".
These consorting laws make it an offence for people with a criminal record to meet together on a social basis. It would ban bikie groups of more than three people from riding together on the roads, and even a birthday celebration to mark a birthday could lead to arrests if several guests were unknown to one another, but had criminal records.
It would be a handy policing tool. It would introduce a new hazard to those seeking to plan a criminal event and allow law enforcement to break up criminal groups and harass and disorganize the tight knit circles that feature prominently in the drug trade. Unfortunately, some civil liberties groups think it breaches the fundamental rights we all enjoy as Australian citizens.
The problem could be the " degree of application " of consorting laws. The intention is to target the notorious criminals who are at the centre of most crime, but once a law is in place it's reach is at the discretion of both the police and the judiciary. Do we need a law that makes it illegal for any two people - who may each have faced a minor court charge many years ago - to be arrested for consorting if they take their wives to dinner at the same restaurant ? The police would scoff and claim such an example to be ridiculous - but once a law exists - it is open to " unintended consequences " !
Purists may recall the promises made when the police were seeking to be equipped with Taser high voltage stun guns. We were told that these would only be used where they were a less lethal option than firing a police hand gun - and precisely the same review procedure as a police gun firing would follow. That hardly meshes with the experience of a drug affected student running amok on a Sydney street - who was Tasered fourteen times - and died at the scene. Many people now consider that the use of Tasers has become a preferred option to physically restraining an offender.
The fact that the Australian Human Rights Commission has elected to intervene in this High Court challenge is a sure indication that people with advanced knowledge of the law are concerned at the possible misuse of this new legislation. By voicing their concern, there is every chance that the law will be struck down, or at least codified to make sure that it does not become an instrument of oppression that strays far from it's intended targets.
By all means " Get the bad guys " ! But make sure that " checks and balances " keep " the good guys honest " !
The Australian Human Rights Commission thinks this legislation may contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. It is sufficiently concerned to present it's view in this challenge and this is causing dismay in police circles. The police see the new consorting law as a means of breaking up street gangs and bikie groups who are fast beckoning a new form of " organized crime ".
These consorting laws make it an offence for people with a criminal record to meet together on a social basis. It would ban bikie groups of more than three people from riding together on the roads, and even a birthday celebration to mark a birthday could lead to arrests if several guests were unknown to one another, but had criminal records.
It would be a handy policing tool. It would introduce a new hazard to those seeking to plan a criminal event and allow law enforcement to break up criminal groups and harass and disorganize the tight knit circles that feature prominently in the drug trade. Unfortunately, some civil liberties groups think it breaches the fundamental rights we all enjoy as Australian citizens.
The problem could be the " degree of application " of consorting laws. The intention is to target the notorious criminals who are at the centre of most crime, but once a law is in place it's reach is at the discretion of both the police and the judiciary. Do we need a law that makes it illegal for any two people - who may each have faced a minor court charge many years ago - to be arrested for consorting if they take their wives to dinner at the same restaurant ? The police would scoff and claim such an example to be ridiculous - but once a law exists - it is open to " unintended consequences " !
Purists may recall the promises made when the police were seeking to be equipped with Taser high voltage stun guns. We were told that these would only be used where they were a less lethal option than firing a police hand gun - and precisely the same review procedure as a police gun firing would follow. That hardly meshes with the experience of a drug affected student running amok on a Sydney street - who was Tasered fourteen times - and died at the scene. Many people now consider that the use of Tasers has become a preferred option to physically restraining an offender.
The fact that the Australian Human Rights Commission has elected to intervene in this High Court challenge is a sure indication that people with advanced knowledge of the law are concerned at the possible misuse of this new legislation. By voicing their concern, there is every chance that the law will be struck down, or at least codified to make sure that it does not become an instrument of oppression that strays far from it's intended targets.
By all means " Get the bad guys " ! But make sure that " checks and balances " keep " the good guys honest " !
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Debit Card humiliation !
Debit cards have become a popular way of accessing a bank customer's own money and they are welcomed by all merchants because they ensure the immediate transfer of funds from the account of the buyer into the account of the seller. Unlike accepting a cheque, they are " no risk " and allow the flow of commerce over periods when the banks are closed.
This past weekend, many holders of NAB Visa debit cards were left both embarrassed and humiliated at shops and petrol stations when their cards were refused, despite having adequate funds available in their accounts. It seems that a computer glitch at the bank duplicated the monetary value of any transaction made, resulting in some cards being refused on the grounds of " insufficient funds " !
The bank has apologised and offered temporary overdraft facilities to cover shortfalls, and promised that any overdrawn fees charged will be promptly refunded, but that does nothing to pacify the customers who found themselves stranded at the counter of a petrol outlet, trying to explain to the cashier that their card had adequate funds, but was being refused by the bank - and they were unable to pay for the petrol now sitting in the tank of their car at the bowser.
It also raises the question of regular payments automatically falling due on the days of this malfunction - and which attract a non payment fee or a late payment fine if not paid on time. Such fines have a nasty habit of scoring a black mark on people's credit ratings - and having that rescinded is a long and delicate process.
Obviously, the bank is also humiliated by this SNAFU which has affected many of it's customers, but merely a shrug of the shoulders and an offer to waive any resulting bank charges is not sufficient to restore confidence. Customer credit ratings have been put in question. How will the customer be received the next time he or she needs to fill the car's tank at the petrol station where this mishap occurred - and what public humiliation was played out before other people in negotiating that debt outcome ?
At the very least, the bank needs to write and explain the reason for the late payment to any periodic payment authority - and if they decline to waive their late payment fee - refund that amount to their customer. Should this result in a black mark on the customer's credit rating it should be the bank's responsibility to see that a correction is made.
Computer systems that handle our money are complex and provide an admirable record of reliability, but they are also essential to maintaining customer integrity in the market place. The banks make great profits from handling and disbursing other people's money and with that comes the responsibility of making good when their system fails.
This past weekend, many holders of NAB Visa debit cards were left both embarrassed and humiliated at shops and petrol stations when their cards were refused, despite having adequate funds available in their accounts. It seems that a computer glitch at the bank duplicated the monetary value of any transaction made, resulting in some cards being refused on the grounds of " insufficient funds " !
The bank has apologised and offered temporary overdraft facilities to cover shortfalls, and promised that any overdrawn fees charged will be promptly refunded, but that does nothing to pacify the customers who found themselves stranded at the counter of a petrol outlet, trying to explain to the cashier that their card had adequate funds, but was being refused by the bank - and they were unable to pay for the petrol now sitting in the tank of their car at the bowser.
It also raises the question of regular payments automatically falling due on the days of this malfunction - and which attract a non payment fee or a late payment fine if not paid on time. Such fines have a nasty habit of scoring a black mark on people's credit ratings - and having that rescinded is a long and delicate process.
Obviously, the bank is also humiliated by this SNAFU which has affected many of it's customers, but merely a shrug of the shoulders and an offer to waive any resulting bank charges is not sufficient to restore confidence. Customer credit ratings have been put in question. How will the customer be received the next time he or she needs to fill the car's tank at the petrol station where this mishap occurred - and what public humiliation was played out before other people in negotiating that debt outcome ?
At the very least, the bank needs to write and explain the reason for the late payment to any periodic payment authority - and if they decline to waive their late payment fee - refund that amount to their customer. Should this result in a black mark on the customer's credit rating it should be the bank's responsibility to see that a correction is made.
Computer systems that handle our money are complex and provide an admirable record of reliability, but they are also essential to maintaining customer integrity in the market place. The banks make great profits from handling and disbursing other people's money and with that comes the responsibility of making good when their system fails.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Tiananmen Square revisited !
A quarter of a century ago a Communist party visionary from it's top echelon could see disaster for China unless it adopted a degree of moderation. Hu Yaobang was not seeking revolution but merely relaxation on the suppression of free speech and the certainty of rule of law. With his encouragement, students massed in Tiananmen Square and peacefully demanded change.
China's leaders panicked - and the world saw live footage of tanks rolling into the square and troops shooting unarmed youths to maintain the state's stranglehold on every aspect of life for citizens of the Communist state. The events of June 3, 1989 are now expunged from newspapers and the general media - and even social media has a form of censorship that disallows search engines to access that subject. Hu Yaobang was gently eased from the inner circle - and died in obscurity.
The danger he foresaw is now becoming real. China has taken long strides on the world stage and a vast segment of it's people have made the change from subsistence peasants to a wealthy middle class supplying the world's needs. This " great leap forward " was fuelled by cheap labour attracting factories to churn out goods but now pay packets are rising - and the world is turning to other nations that can meet demand - at a lower unit cost.
So far the masses have been tolerant of China's iron grip on their lives. They are aware that their leaders are personally corrupt and the leading families enjoy immense wealth and the legal system simply rubber stamps the wishes of the inner circle. The danger is the possibility that the " good times " may slow. If competition from other low wage countries puts Chinese workers out of a job this complacency and tolerance will evaporate - and the people will demand change - and that frightens the Communist party elite to take desperate measures.
A time honoured distraction to internal worries has been to beat the war drums of nationalism. If people can be convinced that their country faces a threat all manner of privations are accepted as the price they must pay for security - and now China is rattling sabres and threatening action against it's neighbours in both of the South and East China seas.
The People's Liberation Army ( PLO ) and it's air and naval arms is by far the strongest military force in the Asian area and it dwarfs the defences of Korea, Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines. It seems to be betting it's judgement that it can push to the limits without provoking the immense American war machine into intervening. The danger is that a miss step on either side could plunge the world into a dangerous Asian war.
Hu Yaobang could see the coming aftermath of endless repression twenty-five years ago and tried to influence a gradual softening to turn China into a civilized nation. That opportunity was lost in the carnage of Tiananmen Square. The expression of " having a Tiger by the tail " seems to neatly sum up the position China's leaders now find themselves in !
China's leaders panicked - and the world saw live footage of tanks rolling into the square and troops shooting unarmed youths to maintain the state's stranglehold on every aspect of life for citizens of the Communist state. The events of June 3, 1989 are now expunged from newspapers and the general media - and even social media has a form of censorship that disallows search engines to access that subject. Hu Yaobang was gently eased from the inner circle - and died in obscurity.
The danger he foresaw is now becoming real. China has taken long strides on the world stage and a vast segment of it's people have made the change from subsistence peasants to a wealthy middle class supplying the world's needs. This " great leap forward " was fuelled by cheap labour attracting factories to churn out goods but now pay packets are rising - and the world is turning to other nations that can meet demand - at a lower unit cost.
So far the masses have been tolerant of China's iron grip on their lives. They are aware that their leaders are personally corrupt and the leading families enjoy immense wealth and the legal system simply rubber stamps the wishes of the inner circle. The danger is the possibility that the " good times " may slow. If competition from other low wage countries puts Chinese workers out of a job this complacency and tolerance will evaporate - and the people will demand change - and that frightens the Communist party elite to take desperate measures.
A time honoured distraction to internal worries has been to beat the war drums of nationalism. If people can be convinced that their country faces a threat all manner of privations are accepted as the price they must pay for security - and now China is rattling sabres and threatening action against it's neighbours in both of the South and East China seas.
The People's Liberation Army ( PLO ) and it's air and naval arms is by far the strongest military force in the Asian area and it dwarfs the defences of Korea, Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines. It seems to be betting it's judgement that it can push to the limits without provoking the immense American war machine into intervening. The danger is that a miss step on either side could plunge the world into a dangerous Asian war.
Hu Yaobang could see the coming aftermath of endless repression twenty-five years ago and tried to influence a gradual softening to turn China into a civilized nation. That opportunity was lost in the carnage of Tiananmen Square. The expression of " having a Tiger by the tail " seems to neatly sum up the position China's leaders now find themselves in !
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
The " Poles and Wires " Conundrum !
The people of New South Wales go to the polls next March and one of the major political issues that will be before them for decision is the option of selling the poles and wires that convey electricity to our homes and businesses - which will result is a thirty billion dollar bonanza to fix the road, rail and hospital problems that plague this state.
Snap media polls indicate the idea has 35% approval, 47% disapproval - and 18% still have not made up their mind. So far, the public has not been given a firm plan on which to base a conclusion and three options are under consideration. The first is an outright sale of these assets. The fall back position is to offer them for either a fifty - or a ninety nine year lease.
The sale of poles and wires has been a knotty conundrum that has bedevilled governments of both political persuasions for many years. The sticking point in some taxpayers minds is that this is an asset wholly owned by the state and it has been paid for out of the taxes of it's citizens for well over a century. To some, that sounds like "pawning the family silver " !
It is very tempting to think of the improvements to our crumbling road system, need for more rail lines to service ever growing outer Sydney - and barely functioning hospitals that an injection of thirty billion dollars would bring. The down side is that selling this asset will probably be at the expense of an increase in our electricity bills.
Nobody is going to buy or lease our poles and wires unless they figure they can make a profit out of the deal. This raises the usual argument that private enterprise achieves outcomes more efficiently - and at much lower cost - than bloated and bumbling government instrumentality's. That may be so, but these same poles and wires are an absolutely essential cornerstone of the system that makes life and business liveable in this state. We would want to be sure the successful tenderer was up to the job.
It is also easy to forget that we are talking about the poles and wires system that not only delivers electricity in the major cities, but also does the job in every town, village and farm spread across a vast amount of territory. It would be counter productive to isolate this sale to city precincts, because the government would need to maintain people and plant to service the rest of the state - a costly duplication.
This sales concept is not limited to New South Wales. It has been put into practice in other countries - and in some other Australian states and we would do well to have a long, hard look at the outcomes before we make a final decision. Unfortunately, when such a matter coincides with an election, politics weighs heavily in the manner that content will be presented. If such a decision is proposed by one side of politics and opposed by the other, then most of the arguments presented for public discussion can be taken with the proverbial " grain of salt " !
Once again, the controversy that has dogged this issue for decades looks destined to go another round !
Snap media polls indicate the idea has 35% approval, 47% disapproval - and 18% still have not made up their mind. So far, the public has not been given a firm plan on which to base a conclusion and three options are under consideration. The first is an outright sale of these assets. The fall back position is to offer them for either a fifty - or a ninety nine year lease.
The sale of poles and wires has been a knotty conundrum that has bedevilled governments of both political persuasions for many years. The sticking point in some taxpayers minds is that this is an asset wholly owned by the state and it has been paid for out of the taxes of it's citizens for well over a century. To some, that sounds like "pawning the family silver " !
It is very tempting to think of the improvements to our crumbling road system, need for more rail lines to service ever growing outer Sydney - and barely functioning hospitals that an injection of thirty billion dollars would bring. The down side is that selling this asset will probably be at the expense of an increase in our electricity bills.
Nobody is going to buy or lease our poles and wires unless they figure they can make a profit out of the deal. This raises the usual argument that private enterprise achieves outcomes more efficiently - and at much lower cost - than bloated and bumbling government instrumentality's. That may be so, but these same poles and wires are an absolutely essential cornerstone of the system that makes life and business liveable in this state. We would want to be sure the successful tenderer was up to the job.
It is also easy to forget that we are talking about the poles and wires system that not only delivers electricity in the major cities, but also does the job in every town, village and farm spread across a vast amount of territory. It would be counter productive to isolate this sale to city precincts, because the government would need to maintain people and plant to service the rest of the state - a costly duplication.
This sales concept is not limited to New South Wales. It has been put into practice in other countries - and in some other Australian states and we would do well to have a long, hard look at the outcomes before we make a final decision. Unfortunately, when such a matter coincides with an election, politics weighs heavily in the manner that content will be presented. If such a decision is proposed by one side of politics and opposed by the other, then most of the arguments presented for public discussion can be taken with the proverbial " grain of salt " !
Once again, the controversy that has dogged this issue for decades looks destined to go another round !
Monday, 2 June 2014
A biased view of " Aboriginality " !
This weekend SBS showed a film named " Utopia " by veteran journalist John Pilger. It could be said that Pilger has an intense dislike of all things " British " and his film sought to lump all the disabilities suffered by Australia's indigenous people on the first white settlers and the following self governing administrations.
It is an indisputable fact of life that our Aboriginal people have a far shorter life span than Australia's white population and they suffer a range of medical problems from diabetes to glaucoma that are under better control in the more established communities. They are over represented in our prison population - and they suffer a heavy handed approach from law enforcement and the various agencies tasked with delivering Aboriginal services.
There are things in our past that we should be ashamed of having committed, and Aboriginals living on tribal land often live in " third world " conditions. Many of the events which are now regarded as atrocities - and the " Stolen Generation " fits that mould - were actually genuine attempts to improve the Aboriginal lot and rescue young children from a life of poverty and discrimination. They failed miserably, because of a total disconnect between the western mind and that of a tribal people living an entirely unfamiliar way of life - to a new tribe of people of a different colour.
Pilger sought to highlight the deplorable state of Aboriginal housing, and the home he showed near Uluru was illustrative of what white Australia has long thought Aboriginal people needed. It was the type of home we would expect to see in a nice, white suburb. Kitchen - bathroom - living areas, suitable for a family of two adults and several kids.
Aboriginal culture doesn't work that way. They are tribal people and friends and relatives expect to be accommodated when one of the tribe scores a home. The resident admitted that perhaps twenty or more people lived in that house - and the filming clearly showed the result of that overcrowding. Mattresses on the floor. Lack of furniture. A very crappy toilet. In fact, the place was filthy.
Another fact that perplexed earlier housing providers. Aboriginal lore dictates that when a person dies their place of abode is abandoned. Not a problem when that place is a humpy on the bank of a creek, but earlier administrations simply could not understand homes standing empty - and in many cases being stripped of timber to fuel camp fires. It was simply a clash of Aboriginal and white culture - and it still exists today.
The problem seems to be one of " understanding " ! The people who make the decisions are usually white politicians who live in the city and have a total lack of the culture that dictates the Aboriginal mind, and they try and impose the concept of " suburbia " on a people who move from place to place to mesh with the seasons and their concept of lifestyle.
Pilger likes to play the " blame game " - and that is probably a good thing because city folk need to understand that we have a problem that is stunting the life opportunities of the people who were here long before white settlement. How we fix this problem - is a very good question !
The issue of who owns Australia is a divisive part of the equation. Certainly the Aboriginal people had centuries of tenure before 1788, but modern Australia can not be ignored - and the only practical solution is compromise. A similar conflict exists in other lands - and it might take centuries before the mix of people coalesces into a common stock. It is worth noting that " white Australia " is a meld of most races of planet earth - and each generation sheds a portion of past heritages.
The last thing we need is a " them " and " us " culture to flourish. We can not impose a white lifestyle on the Aboriginal people, but equally they need to accept that they are now part of a major world nation that is not going to pack it's bags - and go home !
A film like Utopia serves the purpose of setting out the problems that remain unfixed. Fixing them will only be achieved when black and white minds agree on a common purpose of action !
It is an indisputable fact of life that our Aboriginal people have a far shorter life span than Australia's white population and they suffer a range of medical problems from diabetes to glaucoma that are under better control in the more established communities. They are over represented in our prison population - and they suffer a heavy handed approach from law enforcement and the various agencies tasked with delivering Aboriginal services.
There are things in our past that we should be ashamed of having committed, and Aboriginals living on tribal land often live in " third world " conditions. Many of the events which are now regarded as atrocities - and the " Stolen Generation " fits that mould - were actually genuine attempts to improve the Aboriginal lot and rescue young children from a life of poverty and discrimination. They failed miserably, because of a total disconnect between the western mind and that of a tribal people living an entirely unfamiliar way of life - to a new tribe of people of a different colour.
Pilger sought to highlight the deplorable state of Aboriginal housing, and the home he showed near Uluru was illustrative of what white Australia has long thought Aboriginal people needed. It was the type of home we would expect to see in a nice, white suburb. Kitchen - bathroom - living areas, suitable for a family of two adults and several kids.
Aboriginal culture doesn't work that way. They are tribal people and friends and relatives expect to be accommodated when one of the tribe scores a home. The resident admitted that perhaps twenty or more people lived in that house - and the filming clearly showed the result of that overcrowding. Mattresses on the floor. Lack of furniture. A very crappy toilet. In fact, the place was filthy.
Another fact that perplexed earlier housing providers. Aboriginal lore dictates that when a person dies their place of abode is abandoned. Not a problem when that place is a humpy on the bank of a creek, but earlier administrations simply could not understand homes standing empty - and in many cases being stripped of timber to fuel camp fires. It was simply a clash of Aboriginal and white culture - and it still exists today.
The problem seems to be one of " understanding " ! The people who make the decisions are usually white politicians who live in the city and have a total lack of the culture that dictates the Aboriginal mind, and they try and impose the concept of " suburbia " on a people who move from place to place to mesh with the seasons and their concept of lifestyle.
Pilger likes to play the " blame game " - and that is probably a good thing because city folk need to understand that we have a problem that is stunting the life opportunities of the people who were here long before white settlement. How we fix this problem - is a very good question !
The issue of who owns Australia is a divisive part of the equation. Certainly the Aboriginal people had centuries of tenure before 1788, but modern Australia can not be ignored - and the only practical solution is compromise. A similar conflict exists in other lands - and it might take centuries before the mix of people coalesces into a common stock. It is worth noting that " white Australia " is a meld of most races of planet earth - and each generation sheds a portion of past heritages.
The last thing we need is a " them " and " us " culture to flourish. We can not impose a white lifestyle on the Aboriginal people, but equally they need to accept that they are now part of a major world nation that is not going to pack it's bags - and go home !
A film like Utopia serves the purpose of setting out the problems that remain unfixed. Fixing them will only be achieved when black and white minds agree on a common purpose of action !
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Getting tough on debts !
The New South Wales Office of State Revenue ( OSR ) has 129,000 interstate drivers on it's books owing over $ 30 million for unpaid parking and traffic fines. Fines that remain unpaid after sixty days will now be put in the hands of debt collection agencies - and there are plans to withdraw the right to drive in this state which usually applies to all who hold a valid driving license in their home state.
This opens an interesting can of worms in the legal world. It will be necessary to serve a notice of license cancellation to the address of the interstate license holder and warn of the legal consequences of driving unlicensed in this state. Driving unlicensed involves cancelling most forms of insurance cover, hence those who have an accident could well find themselves with crippling debts as a consequence. Some of these debts go back years and the only information available to OSR is the data recorded at the time the offence was committed.
In tough times, all government agencies are looking to tap revenue sources to help their bottom line. Treasurer Joe Hockey created a storm when he mused that the Feds might use more muscle in reigning in unpaid HECS debts by graduates who move overseas to work - and escape the reach of the Australian tax office. HECS was introduced in 1989 to allow students to attend university and defer paying tuition fees until they graduated - and attained an income level at which repayments would commence. Unpaid HECS amount to $ 450 million - and it continues to rise sharply.
It was inferred that debt recovery could take the form of legal action in overseas courts or the negotiation of tax agreements with foreign governments to reclaim monies owing - and pursuing such debts on the estate of a deceased debtor was not entirely dismissed. It was later advised that this course of action was not under consideration.
We seem to have a strange divergence of responsibility when it comes to debt. We accept that we have both a moral and a legal obligation to promptly repay installments on items such as a home mortgage or a bank loan, but when it comes to debts to what is some form of " the Government " our attitude changes completely.
We are a nation of " tax dodgers " and this carries over to any form of government charge - and many attending university think that all forms of education should be free. It doesn't seem to bother them that the reason they chose to go to university was to gain a piece of paper that would be useful in getting a better than average income - and the elevated lifestyle that goes with wealth.
Somewhere in the logic - the term " them " comes to mean a remote entity that is rolling in money and who we resent for imposing conditions that should apply to others - but not to ourselves. We find it hard to relate this mythical " them " to what it really means - and that is " us " !
Collectively, we are all responsible for the debts that are made in the name of the government of Australia. Every Australian child born in this country - and automatically becoming an Australian citizen - becomes liable for the national debt the moment he or she takes their first breath. There is no citizen of this country that can claim to be entirely " debt free ".
It is a sad fact of life that when one citizen manages to avoid paying what they owe, that same amount is added to the load that must be shared by the rest of the community. In tough times, the collection net closes inevitably tighter !
This opens an interesting can of worms in the legal world. It will be necessary to serve a notice of license cancellation to the address of the interstate license holder and warn of the legal consequences of driving unlicensed in this state. Driving unlicensed involves cancelling most forms of insurance cover, hence those who have an accident could well find themselves with crippling debts as a consequence. Some of these debts go back years and the only information available to OSR is the data recorded at the time the offence was committed.
In tough times, all government agencies are looking to tap revenue sources to help their bottom line. Treasurer Joe Hockey created a storm when he mused that the Feds might use more muscle in reigning in unpaid HECS debts by graduates who move overseas to work - and escape the reach of the Australian tax office. HECS was introduced in 1989 to allow students to attend university and defer paying tuition fees until they graduated - and attained an income level at which repayments would commence. Unpaid HECS amount to $ 450 million - and it continues to rise sharply.
It was inferred that debt recovery could take the form of legal action in overseas courts or the negotiation of tax agreements with foreign governments to reclaim monies owing - and pursuing such debts on the estate of a deceased debtor was not entirely dismissed. It was later advised that this course of action was not under consideration.
We seem to have a strange divergence of responsibility when it comes to debt. We accept that we have both a moral and a legal obligation to promptly repay installments on items such as a home mortgage or a bank loan, but when it comes to debts to what is some form of " the Government " our attitude changes completely.
We are a nation of " tax dodgers " and this carries over to any form of government charge - and many attending university think that all forms of education should be free. It doesn't seem to bother them that the reason they chose to go to university was to gain a piece of paper that would be useful in getting a better than average income - and the elevated lifestyle that goes with wealth.
Somewhere in the logic - the term " them " comes to mean a remote entity that is rolling in money and who we resent for imposing conditions that should apply to others - but not to ourselves. We find it hard to relate this mythical " them " to what it really means - and that is " us " !
Collectively, we are all responsible for the debts that are made in the name of the government of Australia. Every Australian child born in this country - and automatically becoming an Australian citizen - becomes liable for the national debt the moment he or she takes their first breath. There is no citizen of this country that can claim to be entirely " debt free ".
It is a sad fact of life that when one citizen manages to avoid paying what they owe, that same amount is added to the load that must be shared by the rest of the community. In tough times, the collection net closes inevitably tighter !
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