The shifting pattern of broken promises and unlikely alliances that holds together Federal parliament is at crisis point. The balance of power is on a knife edge and the fate of the government rests on the outcome of criminal investigations - and the mind set that finally prevails for certain individuals.
What will amuse many people is the clear spectacle of " the chickens coming home to roost" that is afflicting the Prime Minister's negotiations with Andrew Wilkie.
They remember the days of horse trading when the voter's delivered a hung parliament and Labor commenced making " deals " with the Greens and the independents to secure a paper thin majority. It was an unsavoury business. Labor caved in to the Greens demand for a carbon tax that had been a pivot point in the pre-election promises to the electorate - and a firm promise was blatantly broken to gain power.
The independents acted like a pack of bandits, demanding outrageous amounts of money be spent in their electorates as the " thirty pieces of silver " to pay for their capitulation. In the case of Tasmanian Andrew Wilkie, the Prime Minister gave a promise to implement a draconian form of poker machine control to protect problem gamblers from self harm.
It was all downhill from that point. Accusations of illicit union spending on prostitutes tainted one sitting member and Labor launched an ingenious coup when it coaxed a dissident Liberal to take the speakers chair. It was painfully obvious that the public disapproved of the shambles that passed for government policy - and then came a challenge from ousted former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who sought to wrest back his former position.
The opinion polls are recording a government so on the nose with voters that all the independents are having second thoughts, and the backbenchers are starting to panic after the massacre that wipecd out Labor in the recent Queensland state election.
It is rumoured that the Prime Minister is demanding that Andrew Wilkie give her his promise that under no circumstances will he vote with the opposition in the event of a move to block supply - or a loss of confidence issue. It seems that we are back to horse trading - and on the table is a fabulous amount of money to upgrade the Tasmanian health system.
Some will wonder just what value is placed on these sort of promises, given that the Prime Minister's original promise on poker machine reform was so blatantly broken when the appointment of a Liberal speaker gave her a cushion of reprieve on the tight numbers situation.
And many will wonder what happened to " principle " when it became an issue of exchanging money for votes !
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Train our own people first !
Mining giant Rio Tinto has a shortfall of six thousand skilled jobs to expand new mining operations in Australia. This is in addition to the worker needs of several other big mining expansions that are under way by it's competitors. There are calls to relax restrictions on the issue of temporary visas so that guest workers can be brought into this country to relieve this skills shortage.
That is absolutely the wrong thinking when Australia has 5.2% of the national workforce unemployed and desperately seeking work.
Fitting these people to the jobs offering requires one imperative - and that is training. No temporary visa should be offered for any job that could be filled by an existing Australian if the necessary skills could be learned in a three month intensive training period. Such visas should only apply to skills with a lead time that is measured in years.
Skills Minister Chris Evans points to the Westrac National Skills Training Centre of Excellence which has four hundred and twenty people undergoing training. That is a good start, but 420 pales into insignificance when measured against a need of 6,000 needed people at Rio Tinto alone.
Bringing in guest workers on temporary visas is the " easy way " for both Rio Tinto and the Federal government, but it leaves the breadwinner of numerous Australian families still struggling to put food on the table within the limitations of the dole.
Putting Australians back to work by giving them the necessary training should take preference over this artificial drive to deliver a budget surplus. Education is a Federal government responsibility when it is coupled with shortening the dole queues, and it delivers a bigger dividend eventually - to both the unemployed and the Treasury. Skilled workers get big pay packets - and they consequently pay higher taxes as a result. The nation gains a benefit from moving the unskilled unemployed into a skilled - and better paid - section of the workforce, and their families benefit by an elevated standard of living.
It's a win - win - win situation all around, but it will take resolve to put it into practise. The first step should be to disallow temporary visas for any job skill that can be filled by short term training - and the implementation of training facilities to provide that skill.
It is unlikely that the slothful bureaucracy is capable of meeting such needs within a meaningful time frame. The time has come to " think outside the nine dots " and appoint a person with the drive and ability to implement what is needed - and to deliver the authority to bring it to fruition.
Unfortunately, that is not the way of governments in this " politically correct " age !
That is absolutely the wrong thinking when Australia has 5.2% of the national workforce unemployed and desperately seeking work.
Fitting these people to the jobs offering requires one imperative - and that is training. No temporary visa should be offered for any job that could be filled by an existing Australian if the necessary skills could be learned in a three month intensive training period. Such visas should only apply to skills with a lead time that is measured in years.
Skills Minister Chris Evans points to the Westrac National Skills Training Centre of Excellence which has four hundred and twenty people undergoing training. That is a good start, but 420 pales into insignificance when measured against a need of 6,000 needed people at Rio Tinto alone.
Bringing in guest workers on temporary visas is the " easy way " for both Rio Tinto and the Federal government, but it leaves the breadwinner of numerous Australian families still struggling to put food on the table within the limitations of the dole.
Putting Australians back to work by giving them the necessary training should take preference over this artificial drive to deliver a budget surplus. Education is a Federal government responsibility when it is coupled with shortening the dole queues, and it delivers a bigger dividend eventually - to both the unemployed and the Treasury. Skilled workers get big pay packets - and they consequently pay higher taxes as a result. The nation gains a benefit from moving the unskilled unemployed into a skilled - and better paid - section of the workforce, and their families benefit by an elevated standard of living.
It's a win - win - win situation all around, but it will take resolve to put it into practise. The first step should be to disallow temporary visas for any job skill that can be filled by short term training - and the implementation of training facilities to provide that skill.
It is unlikely that the slothful bureaucracy is capable of meeting such needs within a meaningful time frame. The time has come to " think outside the nine dots " and appoint a person with the drive and ability to implement what is needed - and to deliver the authority to bring it to fruition.
Unfortunately, that is not the way of governments in this " politically correct " age !
Friday, 27 April 2012
The power of the Press !
First it was Indian students being racially abused in Melbourne. Now it is Chinese students being attacked on a train in Sydney. When these events make the news stands in their home countries the repercussions are out of all proportion to what the statistics show.
In the Sydney incident, two Chinese students were physically and verbally attacked by a teenage gang of boys and girls ranging from fourteen to nineteen years old. It is reported that this gang tried to rob passengers on a late night train and one victim - who had obvious racist tendencies - suggested they rob the Chinese students instead - " because they have lots of money ".
It would be interesting to learn just how many other robberies took place on trains on that particular night. This incident made headline news - here and in China - simply because it followed racist incidents in Melbourne which are no longer news. Enterprising reporters are always looking for a good story - and perhaps it was a slow day in the news room - but that story did a lot of damage to Australia's reputation in China.
The Indian incidents saw a sharp decline in Indian student numbers heading to Australian universities, and it is possible that some Chinese families will have second thoughts about sending their sons and daughters here as a result.
Unfortunately the publicity is likely to inspire further attacks because of the " copycat appeal " that attracts some people to feed their need for fame. They get their kicks about reading reports in the media - about the crimes they have committed. This manifests itself in arsonists who light bushfires and gloat over the damage caused, and in a more minor way - by graffiti people who deface property and enjoy the howls of public indignation that result.
There is no doubt that a percentage of the Australian population has racist tendencies. Chinese student leaders in Australia comment that it is not unusual for people with obvious Chinese features to get the odd disparaging remark, but they agree that physical violence is unusual - and when it happens it is usually a matter of " being in the wrong place at the wrong time ".
Australia has no defence against incidents of this kind. There will always be drunken, out of control youths and racially embittered older people who will offend. The best we can do is to thoroughly investigate each and every incident - and make sure the perpetrators get appropriate punishment.
The good news is that student leaders recognise that the odd racist incident is inevitable when they visit a foreign country - but concede that Australia is still one of the safest countries in the world for foreign students to attend university !
In the Sydney incident, two Chinese students were physically and verbally attacked by a teenage gang of boys and girls ranging from fourteen to nineteen years old. It is reported that this gang tried to rob passengers on a late night train and one victim - who had obvious racist tendencies - suggested they rob the Chinese students instead - " because they have lots of money ".
It would be interesting to learn just how many other robberies took place on trains on that particular night. This incident made headline news - here and in China - simply because it followed racist incidents in Melbourne which are no longer news. Enterprising reporters are always looking for a good story - and perhaps it was a slow day in the news room - but that story did a lot of damage to Australia's reputation in China.
The Indian incidents saw a sharp decline in Indian student numbers heading to Australian universities, and it is possible that some Chinese families will have second thoughts about sending their sons and daughters here as a result.
Unfortunately the publicity is likely to inspire further attacks because of the " copycat appeal " that attracts some people to feed their need for fame. They get their kicks about reading reports in the media - about the crimes they have committed. This manifests itself in arsonists who light bushfires and gloat over the damage caused, and in a more minor way - by graffiti people who deface property and enjoy the howls of public indignation that result.
There is no doubt that a percentage of the Australian population has racist tendencies. Chinese student leaders in Australia comment that it is not unusual for people with obvious Chinese features to get the odd disparaging remark, but they agree that physical violence is unusual - and when it happens it is usually a matter of " being in the wrong place at the wrong time ".
Australia has no defence against incidents of this kind. There will always be drunken, out of control youths and racially embittered older people who will offend. The best we can do is to thoroughly investigate each and every incident - and make sure the perpetrators get appropriate punishment.
The good news is that student leaders recognise that the odd racist incident is inevitable when they visit a foreign country - but concede that Australia is still one of the safest countries in the world for foreign students to attend university !
Thursday, 26 April 2012
A " One Way" deal !
Many citizens will be angered by a decision reached by the United Nations Human Rights Committee on our deportation rights. Fortunately this is non binding - and Australia chooses to ignore the ruling.
The case concerns a person who migrated here from Sweden when he was just twenty-seven days old. He never bothered to take out Australian citizenship, and now - thirty six years later - we have deported him back to Sweden because of a long criminal history.
The UN Human Rights Committee has ruled that despite this deportation being consistent with international law, we must bend the rules and take him back !
It seems to many that the UN attitude to citizenship seems to be a " one way " deal, with all the rights conferred onto the deportee - and none available to Australia.
The reason this man was deported was because he chose to live a life of crime. His rap sheet includes the rape of a ten year old boy and over eighty other offences, ranging from arson, armed robbery, theft and drug offences. Surely these provide a valid reason for the deportation ?
We accept that as a nation we are stuck with those criminals that were born in this country. That confers immediate citizenship status, but those that choose to come here and do not bother to apply and receive legal citizenship status have no such protection.
This also raises the question of " mutual obligations " !
When we offer citizenship to an immigrant we - as a nation - promise all the rights and benefits that apply to our naturally born citizens, and the applicant makes a sworn declaration to obey the laws of this country.
How often do we find that - having been granted citizenship - the new citizen breaks that oath and refuses to submit to our laws and instead claims that his or her religious laws take precedence ?
Once again, this " one way deal " thinking comes into force. The oath of obedience to our laws is dismissed by the United Nations but the rights of the person having citizenship is upheld. Surely justice demands that both parties meet their obligations ?
Maybe it's time for a " new deal " ! Citizenship to be granted on a " provisional " basis - subject to clearly stated " mutual obligations " !
The case concerns a person who migrated here from Sweden when he was just twenty-seven days old. He never bothered to take out Australian citizenship, and now - thirty six years later - we have deported him back to Sweden because of a long criminal history.
The UN Human Rights Committee has ruled that despite this deportation being consistent with international law, we must bend the rules and take him back !
It seems to many that the UN attitude to citizenship seems to be a " one way " deal, with all the rights conferred onto the deportee - and none available to Australia.
The reason this man was deported was because he chose to live a life of crime. His rap sheet includes the rape of a ten year old boy and over eighty other offences, ranging from arson, armed robbery, theft and drug offences. Surely these provide a valid reason for the deportation ?
We accept that as a nation we are stuck with those criminals that were born in this country. That confers immediate citizenship status, but those that choose to come here and do not bother to apply and receive legal citizenship status have no such protection.
This also raises the question of " mutual obligations " !
When we offer citizenship to an immigrant we - as a nation - promise all the rights and benefits that apply to our naturally born citizens, and the applicant makes a sworn declaration to obey the laws of this country.
How often do we find that - having been granted citizenship - the new citizen breaks that oath and refuses to submit to our laws and instead claims that his or her religious laws take precedence ?
Once again, this " one way deal " thinking comes into force. The oath of obedience to our laws is dismissed by the United Nations but the rights of the person having citizenship is upheld. Surely justice demands that both parties meet their obligations ?
Maybe it's time for a " new deal " ! Citizenship to be granted on a " provisional " basis - subject to clearly stated " mutual obligations " !
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Advertising - and ethics !
The news that celebrities are being paid to make comments on Twitter to advertise Kangaroo island in South Australia raises the question of ethics. South Australia's Tourism Commission claims that it is a " legitimate marketing tool ", but it obviously fails the " truth in advertising " test !
$ 10,000 is being spent on such celebrity tweets - and that delivers a bonus of about $ 750 a tweet - and we are assured that obligations to the GST will be scrupulously met. What is not clear is whether these celebrities have ever visited Kangaroo island, or whether they will do so as part of this promotion.
Two issues seem to be involved. When we see an advertisement depicting a well known person cooking a meal on TV we accept that the person is doing a paid actor's job. They are going through the motions for the camera - and that is quite acceptable.
The whole " Twitter " experience is to recruit " followers " who attach themselves to the prime Twitter character and tend to hang on every word uttered. This seems to involve " friendship ", and yet this Kangaroo island campaign seems to be a con to persuade these " friends " that their hero has intimate knowledge of the joys that await them if they include this island in their next holiday.
It seems to be just another step along the way of combining commerce with our circle of friends and acquaintances in the name of enhancing our bank balance. Some might compare it to inviting people to a " party " - which turns out to be an evening when a slick presenter does a hard sell on goods ranging from pots and pans to electrical appliances - and that the " hostess " not only gets a cut on the sales made, but gets a " present " for setting up her friends.
Most of us are well aware of the danger of opening an unsigned email which appears to have come from a friend. It usually contains an attachment - and the message reads as if a friend was directing our attention to something previously discussed. It sounds enticing, but it can be a " Trojan Horse " containing a malicious virus.
The old saying is " that all is fair in love and war " - and perhaps " advertising " should be added.
It does tend to create a degree of cynicism. Just as we no longer assume that conversations on our mobile phone are free from any form of hacking, we no longer accept that the motives of friends and family are free of any commercial incentives.
It seems that all we see and hear on Facebook and Twitter - are wisely taken with the proverbial grain of salt !
$ 10,000 is being spent on such celebrity tweets - and that delivers a bonus of about $ 750 a tweet - and we are assured that obligations to the GST will be scrupulously met. What is not clear is whether these celebrities have ever visited Kangaroo island, or whether they will do so as part of this promotion.
Two issues seem to be involved. When we see an advertisement depicting a well known person cooking a meal on TV we accept that the person is doing a paid actor's job. They are going through the motions for the camera - and that is quite acceptable.
The whole " Twitter " experience is to recruit " followers " who attach themselves to the prime Twitter character and tend to hang on every word uttered. This seems to involve " friendship ", and yet this Kangaroo island campaign seems to be a con to persuade these " friends " that their hero has intimate knowledge of the joys that await them if they include this island in their next holiday.
It seems to be just another step along the way of combining commerce with our circle of friends and acquaintances in the name of enhancing our bank balance. Some might compare it to inviting people to a " party " - which turns out to be an evening when a slick presenter does a hard sell on goods ranging from pots and pans to electrical appliances - and that the " hostess " not only gets a cut on the sales made, but gets a " present " for setting up her friends.
Most of us are well aware of the danger of opening an unsigned email which appears to have come from a friend. It usually contains an attachment - and the message reads as if a friend was directing our attention to something previously discussed. It sounds enticing, but it can be a " Trojan Horse " containing a malicious virus.
The old saying is " that all is fair in love and war " - and perhaps " advertising " should be added.
It does tend to create a degree of cynicism. Just as we no longer assume that conversations on our mobile phone are free from any form of hacking, we no longer accept that the motives of friends and family are free of any commercial incentives.
It seems that all we see and hear on Facebook and Twitter - are wisely taken with the proverbial grain of salt !
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
An opportunity knocking !
Ask any mother with school age children for one of her major problems - and she will probably name head lice ! Wherever there are a mix of schools and children, there will be regular outbreaks of head lice and they seem impossible to eradicate.
Numerous insecticides and chemical treatments promise relief, but not only are they expensive - the lice quickly develop immunity, and the only really effective way of reducing the problem seems to be a time consuming application of a fine tooth comb. A daily session with this comb seems to be a part of life that mother's dread.
An enterprising woman in Wollongong researched the lice problem and found that the University of Utah in the United States had developed a machine that offered promise. This machine passed hot air through the child's hair follicles and this resolved one of the defences that Mother Nature had bestowed on the louse - to guarantee that it would regenerate and go on to create the next generation of nits.
When the louse lays it's eggs it uses a powerful glue to fix them to hair follicles. This enables enough to escape that fine tooth comb to sire the next generation. The passage of hot air softens this glue and breaks the cycle, enabling treatment to result in a louse free child.
The woman who did this research imported a machine, and now runs a salon delivering a hair delousing service. Schools have just returned after the holiday break, and the salon is doing maximum business. Her operators use hot air and fine tooth combs to deliver lice free children - to very happy mothers.
The first rule of starting a new business is to find a need that is not being serviced - and then fill that gap !
It seems that opportunity is knocking in every town and village in this country. By acquiring an inexpensive piece of equipment, the way is open to set up a business delivering a much needed service. It would be a welcome adjunct to any existing hair salon looking to increase patronage, or it could be a welcome home industry for an enterprising person seeking additional income.
It would certainly appeal to those bright people who are more interested in creating a job - rather than the mundane " search for employment ".
Numerous insecticides and chemical treatments promise relief, but not only are they expensive - the lice quickly develop immunity, and the only really effective way of reducing the problem seems to be a time consuming application of a fine tooth comb. A daily session with this comb seems to be a part of life that mother's dread.
An enterprising woman in Wollongong researched the lice problem and found that the University of Utah in the United States had developed a machine that offered promise. This machine passed hot air through the child's hair follicles and this resolved one of the defences that Mother Nature had bestowed on the louse - to guarantee that it would regenerate and go on to create the next generation of nits.
When the louse lays it's eggs it uses a powerful glue to fix them to hair follicles. This enables enough to escape that fine tooth comb to sire the next generation. The passage of hot air softens this glue and breaks the cycle, enabling treatment to result in a louse free child.
The woman who did this research imported a machine, and now runs a salon delivering a hair delousing service. Schools have just returned after the holiday break, and the salon is doing maximum business. Her operators use hot air and fine tooth combs to deliver lice free children - to very happy mothers.
The first rule of starting a new business is to find a need that is not being serviced - and then fill that gap !
It seems that opportunity is knocking in every town and village in this country. By acquiring an inexpensive piece of equipment, the way is open to set up a business delivering a much needed service. It would be a welcome adjunct to any existing hair salon looking to increase patronage, or it could be a welcome home industry for an enterprising person seeking additional income.
It would certainly appeal to those bright people who are more interested in creating a job - rather than the mundane " search for employment ".
Monday, 23 April 2012
The age of the camera
On Saturday the police opened fire on a stolen car that was mowing down pedestrians as it tried to escape apprehension. Few would have been surprised when - hours later - graphic film footage started to appear in the media, showing in great detail those events and the arrests that followed.
Not only does cctv cameras cover the street scene, we also have " SafetyCam " recording the passage of every vehicle on the nation's highways. Whenever we stop for a snack or to buy petrol, we can be assured that the security cameras at those businesses record our purchase and keep an identity check record. We are probably photographed many times each day as we go about our business.
In recent years the camera in our mobile phone has upgraded from a low pixel instrument to a high end product, capable of delivering high quality still photography - and video. The advent of the " smart phone " has brought another inevitable improvement in technology - and it seems that these days there are few people without a mobile phone in their purse or pocket.
It is both a curse - and a blessing. Ambulance crews, police, SES personnel - all can be sure that their work is likely to be recorded and therefore their actions must be correct and " by the book " at all times. A slight relapse under provocation - will be the main story in next days news !
The criminal element has a big new worry. Crime flourishes when the criminal remains anonymous, but try passing a fake banknote or mug an old lady for her handbag - and there is a good chance that some camera has recorded the event.
Car crashes, industrial accidents - all manner of mundane events seem to attract people to record scenes on their mobile cameras, and for some that could bring a rich reward. We will probably see a sharp increase in advertisements calling for witnesses to events likely to come before the courts to come forward - and litigants willing to pay for evidence that would prove their innocence.
Love it - or hate it - the camera is here to stay, and whatever we do and wherever we go will probably be recorded somewhere - and could reappear when we least expect it.
Not only does cctv cameras cover the street scene, we also have " SafetyCam " recording the passage of every vehicle on the nation's highways. Whenever we stop for a snack or to buy petrol, we can be assured that the security cameras at those businesses record our purchase and keep an identity check record. We are probably photographed many times each day as we go about our business.
In recent years the camera in our mobile phone has upgraded from a low pixel instrument to a high end product, capable of delivering high quality still photography - and video. The advent of the " smart phone " has brought another inevitable improvement in technology - and it seems that these days there are few people without a mobile phone in their purse or pocket.
It is both a curse - and a blessing. Ambulance crews, police, SES personnel - all can be sure that their work is likely to be recorded and therefore their actions must be correct and " by the book " at all times. A slight relapse under provocation - will be the main story in next days news !
The criminal element has a big new worry. Crime flourishes when the criminal remains anonymous, but try passing a fake banknote or mug an old lady for her handbag - and there is a good chance that some camera has recorded the event.
Car crashes, industrial accidents - all manner of mundane events seem to attract people to record scenes on their mobile cameras, and for some that could bring a rich reward. We will probably see a sharp increase in advertisements calling for witnesses to events likely to come before the courts to come forward - and litigants willing to pay for evidence that would prove their innocence.
Love it - or hate it - the camera is here to stay, and whatever we do and wherever we go will probably be recorded somewhere - and could reappear when we least expect it.
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