Once again that venerable institution - the local library - is in the news. There is a suggestion that " the user pays " principle apply - and that some time in the near future borrowers may be asked to put their hand in their pocket.
Libraries are really a product of a by-gone age. They came at a time when books were expensive and way beyond the means of the masses. Paperbacks had yet to be invented and the idea of providing free access to books seemed a great way of extending education to those with limited schooling.
In particular, libraries were a source of information for school children working on projects. Today, those children get their information from the Internet.
Originally the government was heavily involved in the funding of libraries - but that has shrunk over the years. In 1980 the government picked up the tab for 23% of operating costs, but today that figure is just 7%.
This past week black clad Librarians converged on state parliament to protest twenty-five years of funding cuts. Arts minister Frank Sartor was " not available " to meet with them and hear their grievance.
The state government has dumped libraries onto local councils and is withdrawing from the contribution of funding. Councils either have to pick up the tab - or pass on some of the costs to borrowers. This will not be popular - but in reality the imposition of a small fee to borrow an expensive book is not unreasonable.
In considering this question the public should reflect on the encroaching fee for service that is now part of the twenty-first century. Not that long ago taking rubbish to the tip was free. Today a trailer load costs over twenty dollars to dump.
Remember when buying items from a department store came with free delivery ? And when every day bread vans and milko's visited every street with their wares ?
It seems that the free library is destined to join those services of yesteryear which have succumbed to rising costs. The day of " the freebie " is over !
Friday, 30 November 2007
Thursday, 29 November 2007
The protest turns ugly !
Protests against the plan to create an Islamic school catering for 1200 students in Camden turned ugly when someone staked two pig's heads bracketing the Australian flag on the site.
The Community Relations Commission ( CRC ) labelled it " a display of hatred ".
Camden is a peaceful, rural village and the plan to establish a major school in Cawdor road has inflamed residents. Most cherish it's peaceful isolation and fear that if the school goes ahead their little piece of heaven will never again be the same.
For some, the objection is the Islamic nature of the school. They fear that a school with that many pupils will need a faculty staff and other crew running into the hundreds - and there is a certainty that many will seek to live in close proximity. That raises the prospect of Camden eventually becoming an Islamic community - similar to the Islamic enclaves at Punchbowl and Greenacre in Sydney.
Then there is the fear by some uninformed people that this school will simply devolve into a " madrassah " - the Islamic schools run by militants in Indonesia, Pakistan and many other Muslim countries.
These " schools " are not seats of learning. Pupils are subjected to nothing else but the endless reciting of the Koran and instruction in hatred for all not of their faith. Their sole purpose is to recruit and train " holy warriors " for the conquest of the world.
There would certainly be objections from some if the proposed school was linked to the Catholic or Anglican churches, but the Islamic " label " intensifies opposition. One of the problems is that Muslims look different from other Australians. Their code of dress - and in some cases the burqua - set them apart and even moderate Muslims women can be identified by the head scarf.
Other nationalities have blended into the Australian scene after a period but in almost every case they have adopted the Australian mode of attire and way of life. The exception would be Indian women - some of whom still favour the Sari. Other religions do not stand out in public like the followers of Islam.
Having schools associated with religion is an established Australian way - and those schools attract financial help from the government. There is no question that Muslims are entitled to establish similar schools - the only sticking point is - where !
Eventually the Camden question will be resolved, but not everyone will be happy.
If the school is not located there - it will be somewhere else - and that will provoke a whole new protest movement.
Pity the person or department that has to make that decision !
The Community Relations Commission ( CRC ) labelled it " a display of hatred ".
Camden is a peaceful, rural village and the plan to establish a major school in Cawdor road has inflamed residents. Most cherish it's peaceful isolation and fear that if the school goes ahead their little piece of heaven will never again be the same.
For some, the objection is the Islamic nature of the school. They fear that a school with that many pupils will need a faculty staff and other crew running into the hundreds - and there is a certainty that many will seek to live in close proximity. That raises the prospect of Camden eventually becoming an Islamic community - similar to the Islamic enclaves at Punchbowl and Greenacre in Sydney.
Then there is the fear by some uninformed people that this school will simply devolve into a " madrassah " - the Islamic schools run by militants in Indonesia, Pakistan and many other Muslim countries.
These " schools " are not seats of learning. Pupils are subjected to nothing else but the endless reciting of the Koran and instruction in hatred for all not of their faith. Their sole purpose is to recruit and train " holy warriors " for the conquest of the world.
There would certainly be objections from some if the proposed school was linked to the Catholic or Anglican churches, but the Islamic " label " intensifies opposition. One of the problems is that Muslims look different from other Australians. Their code of dress - and in some cases the burqua - set them apart and even moderate Muslims women can be identified by the head scarf.
Other nationalities have blended into the Australian scene after a period but in almost every case they have adopted the Australian mode of attire and way of life. The exception would be Indian women - some of whom still favour the Sari. Other religions do not stand out in public like the followers of Islam.
Having schools associated with religion is an established Australian way - and those schools attract financial help from the government. There is no question that Muslims are entitled to establish similar schools - the only sticking point is - where !
Eventually the Camden question will be resolved, but not everyone will be happy.
If the school is not located there - it will be somewhere else - and that will provoke a whole new protest movement.
Pity the person or department that has to make that decision !
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Builder beware !
A decision by Justice Peter Biscoe in the Land and Environment court has overturned a century of thinking when it comes to approving development proposals.
The court has rejected Planning Minister Frank Sartor's decision to approve a development by Stockland and the Anglican Retirement Villages on land at Sandon Point.
In the past development approvals have been a constant battle between local councils and the authority of the Land and Environment court. Councils have been under pressure from resident groups and in many cases have heaved a sigh of relief when the responsibility for approval has passed from their shoulders to the court. This has removed them from blame if the decision went against local feeling.
Flood prevention has long been an issue in development proposals. Councils have had the responsibility for considering whether a new development would suffer damage from rain causing creeks and rivers to swell and cause flooding - but consideration of issues such as global warming and a rise in sea levels has not been something that councils have had to take into account.
Following this ruling - they now have to !
Justice Biscoe has served notice that new developments must be assessed on their vulnerability to rising sea levels - and this will not only affect Sandon Point - but also the huge proposed major development at West Dapto.
It has opened up a can of worms that will be widely felt. In fact, the whole subject of housing near the coast is now in doubt and as this new line of thinking takes shape nothing in the way of past assumptions can be considered set in stone !
It's a whole new ball game. Councils will now have to consider the projections on rising sea levels - and they vary widely from less than a metre to a towering height - when considering housing approvals.
Obviously, with such variances coming from so many quarters not all of them can be correct, hence the councils - and the Land and Environment court - will face an impossible situation.
Justice Biscoe has set in motion a monster that is going to make rational planning on siting a home impossible - and cost councils, government, the courts - and individual land owners - an incredible amount of money !
The court has rejected Planning Minister Frank Sartor's decision to approve a development by Stockland and the Anglican Retirement Villages on land at Sandon Point.
In the past development approvals have been a constant battle between local councils and the authority of the Land and Environment court. Councils have been under pressure from resident groups and in many cases have heaved a sigh of relief when the responsibility for approval has passed from their shoulders to the court. This has removed them from blame if the decision went against local feeling.
Flood prevention has long been an issue in development proposals. Councils have had the responsibility for considering whether a new development would suffer damage from rain causing creeks and rivers to swell and cause flooding - but consideration of issues such as global warming and a rise in sea levels has not been something that councils have had to take into account.
Following this ruling - they now have to !
Justice Biscoe has served notice that new developments must be assessed on their vulnerability to rising sea levels - and this will not only affect Sandon Point - but also the huge proposed major development at West Dapto.
It has opened up a can of worms that will be widely felt. In fact, the whole subject of housing near the coast is now in doubt and as this new line of thinking takes shape nothing in the way of past assumptions can be considered set in stone !
It's a whole new ball game. Councils will now have to consider the projections on rising sea levels - and they vary widely from less than a metre to a towering height - when considering housing approvals.
Obviously, with such variances coming from so many quarters not all of them can be correct, hence the councils - and the Land and Environment court - will face an impossible situation.
Justice Biscoe has set in motion a monster that is going to make rational planning on siting a home impossible - and cost councils, government, the courts - and individual land owners - an incredible amount of money !
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
A new beginning !
Saturdays electoral defeat of the Conservative parties is heralding a new approach in politics. The presumed new leader of the Liberals - Peter Costello - and the leader of the Nationals - Mark Vaile - have both announced that they will not be standing for the leadership. It is a time for new blood !
Who can blame them ? Traditionally the Australian voters give any new government at least two - and sometimes three - terms to establish their credentials. Being in opposition is a soul destroying drag. Costello and Vaile are both entitled to hefty superannuation payouts - and both will be welcomed by business in their new capacity as crystal ball readers.
The Conservative parties will need to do a little navel gazing. They ran a successful economy, but their focus did not include " the little people ". Just as Labor moved from being a left wing champion of " the Comrades " to a political party heavily engaged with the business world - so the Conservatives need to move in the opposite direction and embrace the needs and values of the ordinary citizen.
The future direction of the Conservatives will largely depend on who emerges as leader. If the choice is Turnbull, Nelson or Abbot then there is little chance of change in the near future. They are " old ideology " people caught in a time warp far removed from the way Australia thinks today !
This renaissance needs to swiftly trickle down to the state Conservative parties. The Australian voters are prone to " have two bob each way " and rarely allow a single party to hold sway in both the Federal and state arenas. The only reason Labor is in office across the board is the inability of the state Conservative branches to present a credible alternative to government. The recent New South Wales election was a case of a clearly incompetent government being returned because the alternative was worse !
We are in a period of change. The only question is how soon the Conservative side of politics can regroup - adopt new ideas and a fresh approach - and begin the job of convincing the voters that what they offer is the way ahead.
Who can blame them ? Traditionally the Australian voters give any new government at least two - and sometimes three - terms to establish their credentials. Being in opposition is a soul destroying drag. Costello and Vaile are both entitled to hefty superannuation payouts - and both will be welcomed by business in their new capacity as crystal ball readers.
The Conservative parties will need to do a little navel gazing. They ran a successful economy, but their focus did not include " the little people ". Just as Labor moved from being a left wing champion of " the Comrades " to a political party heavily engaged with the business world - so the Conservatives need to move in the opposite direction and embrace the needs and values of the ordinary citizen.
The future direction of the Conservatives will largely depend on who emerges as leader. If the choice is Turnbull, Nelson or Abbot then there is little chance of change in the near future. They are " old ideology " people caught in a time warp far removed from the way Australia thinks today !
This renaissance needs to swiftly trickle down to the state Conservative parties. The Australian voters are prone to " have two bob each way " and rarely allow a single party to hold sway in both the Federal and state arenas. The only reason Labor is in office across the board is the inability of the state Conservative branches to present a credible alternative to government. The recent New South Wales election was a case of a clearly incompetent government being returned because the alternative was worse !
We are in a period of change. The only question is how soon the Conservative side of politics can regroup - adopt new ideas and a fresh approach - and begin the job of convincing the voters that what they offer is the way ahead.
Monday, 26 November 2007
The price of silence !
This past Saturday night a man paid with his life for simply requesting that a neighbour turn down loud music that was preventing his small children from getting to sleep.
The enraged neighbour produced a gun and shot him in the chest. Two of his children witnessed his death on his own front lawn.
It was a senseless killing and when the facts become known it is likely that alcohol or drugs will play a part. The other factor will certainly be the presence of a firearm in this quiet, suburban neighbourhood.
Firearms were once a normal part of many households. During the great depression some families only survived because the out of work breadwinner was able to shoot rabbits and hares in the surrounding bush to supplement the food supply.
Today, there must be thousands of unregistered firearms stashed away because the process for legally registering as a shooter has been made progressively more difficult. For a city shooter, the requirement is written consent from a farmer to be able to shoot on a country property.
Apart from the civil liberties types who refuse to give up their guns there are also many souvenirs - usually pistols - brought back by troops returning from the second world war.
Huge efforts have been made to cull these prohibited weapons. These included a " no questions asked " buy-back amnesty - which netted a large trove of guns of various types to appeals accompanied by short term amnesties.
Now we are seeing the " get tough " approach. Any person caught in possession of an unregistered firearm faces a gaol term - but even this does not seem to have got through to many people.
The pity of it is that on Saturday night one firearm in the community robbed a decent, family man of his life and left four children fatherless. When will we ever learn ?
The enraged neighbour produced a gun and shot him in the chest. Two of his children witnessed his death on his own front lawn.
It was a senseless killing and when the facts become known it is likely that alcohol or drugs will play a part. The other factor will certainly be the presence of a firearm in this quiet, suburban neighbourhood.
Firearms were once a normal part of many households. During the great depression some families only survived because the out of work breadwinner was able to shoot rabbits and hares in the surrounding bush to supplement the food supply.
Today, there must be thousands of unregistered firearms stashed away because the process for legally registering as a shooter has been made progressively more difficult. For a city shooter, the requirement is written consent from a farmer to be able to shoot on a country property.
Apart from the civil liberties types who refuse to give up their guns there are also many souvenirs - usually pistols - brought back by troops returning from the second world war.
Huge efforts have been made to cull these prohibited weapons. These included a " no questions asked " buy-back amnesty - which netted a large trove of guns of various types to appeals accompanied by short term amnesties.
Now we are seeing the " get tough " approach. Any person caught in possession of an unregistered firearm faces a gaol term - but even this does not seem to have got through to many people.
The pity of it is that on Saturday night one firearm in the community robbed a decent, family man of his life and left four children fatherless. When will we ever learn ?
Sunday, 25 November 2007
A new era dawns !
Yesterday Australia voted overwhelmingly for a new Federal government. The people rejected the Liberal Coalition with a swing of 7%, the same margin that installed the Whitlam Labor government back in 1972.
Government casualties included prime minister John Howard, whose seat of Bennelong fell to newcomer Maxine McKew - and it was noticeable that the Green vote expanded solidly from the level of the last election. Despite this, not a single Green won a seat in the lower house. Green preferences flowed to Labor and made the difference in many knife edge electorates.
Kevin Rudd will form a government and the electorate has served notice that they want action on climate change, improvements in the areas of health and education - and restoration of worker's rights in employment.
This latter poses something of an enigma. Rudd has been careful to avoid promising restoration of the " unfair dismissal " laws because they removed the right to " hire and fire " essential to a healthy economy - and were the cause of high unemployment.
Despite anathema from the unions, AWA's are welcomed by many workers and there will be no immediate cancellation. Most will run their course and be dealt with at a later stage.
The big question is whether Rudd can maintain discipline in the faction ridden Labor party. Will his government be able to control the inevitable cluster of trade union figures who will serve as ministers or will events swing out of control as happened to Whitlam, leading to his dismissal three years later ?
A change of government is an opportunity for this country to take a fresh stance on many issues. Rudd is charismatic and we can expect a sharp change of direction in everything from our foreign affairs policy to internal management of services and facilities.
Changes will not please everyone - but that is the whole purpose of our democratic system. The majority have spoken - and when the term of this new government has run it's course they will speak again. On such occasions the signal of a thumbs up - or a thumbs down - will depend on how that government's performance is perceived !
Government casualties included prime minister John Howard, whose seat of Bennelong fell to newcomer Maxine McKew - and it was noticeable that the Green vote expanded solidly from the level of the last election. Despite this, not a single Green won a seat in the lower house. Green preferences flowed to Labor and made the difference in many knife edge electorates.
Kevin Rudd will form a government and the electorate has served notice that they want action on climate change, improvements in the areas of health and education - and restoration of worker's rights in employment.
This latter poses something of an enigma. Rudd has been careful to avoid promising restoration of the " unfair dismissal " laws because they removed the right to " hire and fire " essential to a healthy economy - and were the cause of high unemployment.
Despite anathema from the unions, AWA's are welcomed by many workers and there will be no immediate cancellation. Most will run their course and be dealt with at a later stage.
The big question is whether Rudd can maintain discipline in the faction ridden Labor party. Will his government be able to control the inevitable cluster of trade union figures who will serve as ministers or will events swing out of control as happened to Whitlam, leading to his dismissal three years later ?
A change of government is an opportunity for this country to take a fresh stance on many issues. Rudd is charismatic and we can expect a sharp change of direction in everything from our foreign affairs policy to internal management of services and facilities.
Changes will not please everyone - but that is the whole purpose of our democratic system. The majority have spoken - and when the term of this new government has run it's course they will speak again. On such occasions the signal of a thumbs up - or a thumbs down - will depend on how that government's performance is perceived !
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Voting day !
Today all Australians over eighteen years of age will stream into voting booths and elect the next Federal government. The choice will be between a sitting Conservative government - which is seeking a fifth term - and a Socialist government which has been out of office for twelve years.
By tradition each side of politics is usually afforded several terms in office. Opinion polls indicate a likely change as the Socialists have a charismatic new leader.
Conservative governments are usually big of fiscal management and create a strong economy, but they are slow to implement social change. By contrast Socialist governments tend to adopt a " tax and spend " philosophy. They implement social benefits, but usually amass debt and create economic obstacles.
One unusual factor of this election is the preponderance of ex-union leaders in the makeup of the Socialist candidates. Union endorsement has increased slowly over many years and now non-union sitting members are being disendorsed to make way for union heavyweights.
This will be a crucial factor in voter's minds. The Conservative government has implemented an industrial relations policy that has removed the draconian " unfair dismissal " laws that made employers reluctant to enlarge the workforce. This restored the right to " hire and fire " as market conditions changed.
The new law also allowed workers to " cash in " award conditions such as holidays and penalty payments for a fatter pay cheque - but at the same time these decreased the bargaining power of the young and powerless.
By late evening any shift should become evident as the figures are put on the board in the tally room. Whatever the outcome in the lower house all eyes will be on the results in the Senate. At present, the sitting Conservative government has a Senate majority - but there is a strong chance that the balance of power may be held by the Greens or other minor parties when all the votes are counted.
It will be a historic day for the Australian voters. Their decision will colour the type of government that will set the agenda during the difficult times ahead !
By tradition each side of politics is usually afforded several terms in office. Opinion polls indicate a likely change as the Socialists have a charismatic new leader.
Conservative governments are usually big of fiscal management and create a strong economy, but they are slow to implement social change. By contrast Socialist governments tend to adopt a " tax and spend " philosophy. They implement social benefits, but usually amass debt and create economic obstacles.
One unusual factor of this election is the preponderance of ex-union leaders in the makeup of the Socialist candidates. Union endorsement has increased slowly over many years and now non-union sitting members are being disendorsed to make way for union heavyweights.
This will be a crucial factor in voter's minds. The Conservative government has implemented an industrial relations policy that has removed the draconian " unfair dismissal " laws that made employers reluctant to enlarge the workforce. This restored the right to " hire and fire " as market conditions changed.
The new law also allowed workers to " cash in " award conditions such as holidays and penalty payments for a fatter pay cheque - but at the same time these decreased the bargaining power of the young and powerless.
By late evening any shift should become evident as the figures are put on the board in the tally room. Whatever the outcome in the lower house all eyes will be on the results in the Senate. At present, the sitting Conservative government has a Senate majority - but there is a strong chance that the balance of power may be held by the Greens or other minor parties when all the votes are counted.
It will be a historic day for the Australian voters. Their decision will colour the type of government that will set the agenda during the difficult times ahead !
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