Just after the end of the second world war we had electricity blackouts in New South Wales. The power stations were running short of coal because the miner's unions were striking to resist the installation of longwall mining equipment. They claimed the only coal mined in NSW would be by men wielding picks and shovels.
The government of the day sent in the army to get coal from open cut mines. Resistance against innovation has been with us since the industrial revolution and today mining would be unimaginable if that pick and shovel era had persisted.
Another similar confrontation is taking place in our transport sector. The $2.4 billion purchase of new electric train sets to service the Central Coast, South Coast, Newcastle and Blue Mountains sits idle because the powerful Rail, Tram and Bus Union is refusing to crew the new trains.
Essentially, this is a demarcation dispute. In the rest of the world these modern trains operate with just a driver, but the unions here demand that each train also has a " guard ", and that is a holdover from the old days of steam trains. On stations with a curved platform the driver could not see the length of the train and the guard waved a flag to signal that it was safe to proceed. The modern train has cameras situated to show the driver conditions within and outside the train he or she is driving.
These modern trains are being built in South Korea and they are arriving here in batches of ten each month. It will take months of testing across the intended routes before they will officially go into service and that is not happening because of the union boycott. As a result, commuters face severe overcrowding on the old train sets which lack space for luggage and the modern amenities that make train travel a part of twenty-first century life.
What is infuriating is that this strike persists despite the New South Wales government agreeing to staff the trains with a driver - and a guard. The unions want a water tight guarantee that there will be a guard on each train in the network - forever, and no government can foretell what innovations might develop in the future.
This Coronavirus drop in passenger numbers delivers an opportunity to get the new train testing done with less disruption to existing services but the opportunity is being wasted. Each year the number of commuters travelling by train grows steadily and the new train sets will deliver long asked for innovations such as charging points for mobile phones and space for bikes and other luggage.
The public have every right to be angry about this senseless strike. The reason for having train guards has long ceased but union persistence in feather bedding the workforce is forcing NSW to be out of step with the rest of the world. Just imagine the coal mining industry today if that " pick and shovel " edict had become a reality !
Thursday, 30 April 2020
Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Chinese Arrogance !
China is threatening an economic boycott of Australia because our government wants a scientific investigation into how and where COVID-19 originated and what can be done to prevent other new diseases appearing in the future. Our over populated world was threatened by Ebola originating in Africa and then SARS and now COVID-19 in China. In all three cases the point of origin seems to be "wet markets " where native animals are butchered for human consumption.
The Chinese Communist party is sensitive to criticism of its handling of this outbreak. It tried to stop the news from reaching the west and has since contrived to suggest it was an economic weapon designed in America and infiltrated into Wuhan in China. China has engaged in a " disinformation " campaign to shift the blame.
The Chinese ambassador in Australia has threatened our exports to China worth $153 billion in 2018-19. He specifically claimed Chinese parents may hesitate to send their children to Australian universities If such a boycott eventuates it will be government inspired and not a rejection by the Chinese masses, but it could decimate our exports of beef, wine and the growing vegetable market. It is the Chinese Communist party which controls the levers of power on what goes in and what comes out of China.
A similar threat has watered down criticism of China in France and other European capitals have become hesitant. The problem is China is now the world's second biggest economy and it can pick and choose where it places orders. Economic power is related to political power and the government of China insists that Communist dogma over rules all other issues.
So far we have been lucky. Ebola was halted before it spread across the world. COVID-19 threw the world economy into turmoil with many deaths, but there is every chance that another new disease may emerge weaponized to kill more than half the world population. We urgently need to concentrate scientific research to develop vaccines ready to stop such pandemics cutting a swathe across the earth.
It would be a tragedy if Chinese sensitivities put the brake on scientific research to find a vaccine for the Coronavirus and to look for ways to stop such new diseases from emerging. Apart from the madness of a nuclear war, the biggest threat to the human race comes from the emergence of a super pandemic. This Coronavirus is a warning of what is possible.
Perhaps the world needs to rethink this power equation. Trade is a two way deal. The Chinese economy would come to a grinding halt if the world refused to buy from China - or refused to sell unless its scientific safeguards were met.
The Chinese Communist party is sensitive to criticism of its handling of this outbreak. It tried to stop the news from reaching the west and has since contrived to suggest it was an economic weapon designed in America and infiltrated into Wuhan in China. China has engaged in a " disinformation " campaign to shift the blame.
The Chinese ambassador in Australia has threatened our exports to China worth $153 billion in 2018-19. He specifically claimed Chinese parents may hesitate to send their children to Australian universities If such a boycott eventuates it will be government inspired and not a rejection by the Chinese masses, but it could decimate our exports of beef, wine and the growing vegetable market. It is the Chinese Communist party which controls the levers of power on what goes in and what comes out of China.
A similar threat has watered down criticism of China in France and other European capitals have become hesitant. The problem is China is now the world's second biggest economy and it can pick and choose where it places orders. Economic power is related to political power and the government of China insists that Communist dogma over rules all other issues.
So far we have been lucky. Ebola was halted before it spread across the world. COVID-19 threw the world economy into turmoil with many deaths, but there is every chance that another new disease may emerge weaponized to kill more than half the world population. We urgently need to concentrate scientific research to develop vaccines ready to stop such pandemics cutting a swathe across the earth.
It would be a tragedy if Chinese sensitivities put the brake on scientific research to find a vaccine for the Coronavirus and to look for ways to stop such new diseases from emerging. Apart from the madness of a nuclear war, the biggest threat to the human race comes from the emergence of a super pandemic. This Coronavirus is a warning of what is possible.
Perhaps the world needs to rethink this power equation. Trade is a two way deal. The Chinese economy would come to a grinding halt if the world refused to buy from China - or refused to sell unless its scientific safeguards were met.
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
Aged Care Risk Factor !
Easing the Coronavirus lockdown is bringing the prime minister into conflict with the aged care industry. Mr Morrison last week blasted the aged care sector for exceeding the Australian Health Care Protection Committee's aged care guidelines by implementing near-blanket visitor bans. He threatened to force operators to seek official permission for lockdowns.
The problem is that this Coronavirus pandemic is particularly deadly to people aged over sixty and aged care is exactly where such people are concentrated. Even when lockdown is implemented there is still the problem of staff and the necessary medical people whom work shifts carrying the virus into the facility. In several Australian nursing homes this has run riot amongst residents and there have been numerous deaths.
This has caused a coalition of seven aged care peak bodies to demand action from state and federal governments to agree to a " revised statement - regarding enhanced resident protection that confirms that additional restrictions beyond guidelines are necessary."
Unfortunately, many aged care residents are suffering varying stages of dementia and loved ones visit constantly as a relief measure. Cessation of face to face visits causes anxiety and yet we hear news stories from overseas where the virus has run through aged care and killed thousands of people. That has been less replicated here, but multiple deaths have occurred in some locations.
It seems the schools are about to reopen and work restrictions will be partially lifted but the virus will be with us for an indefinite period of time. Perhaps a partial remedy would be the use of tablets in aged care to allow electronic face to face visits without the risk of spreading the virus. That other rule of keeping people a metre and a half apart would apply when visitors were allowed to come into aged care for a visit. Such measures would reduce, but not eliminate the risk.
Where actual face to face visits are allowed it would be wise if visitors were required to have that tracking app installed on their phones. In the event of an alert that they had been near an infected person the aged person they visited could be isolated within the home. In most aged care, residents who are transferred to a hospital or visit an outside medical facility are required to serve a period of isolation on their return.
It is probably too early to open aged care to unlimited visitors but with reasonable cautions an acceptable risk ratio is possible. Where it is allowed, common sense and visit duration would be the criteria that should apply.
The problem is that this Coronavirus pandemic is particularly deadly to people aged over sixty and aged care is exactly where such people are concentrated. Even when lockdown is implemented there is still the problem of staff and the necessary medical people whom work shifts carrying the virus into the facility. In several Australian nursing homes this has run riot amongst residents and there have been numerous deaths.
This has caused a coalition of seven aged care peak bodies to demand action from state and federal governments to agree to a " revised statement - regarding enhanced resident protection that confirms that additional restrictions beyond guidelines are necessary."
Unfortunately, many aged care residents are suffering varying stages of dementia and loved ones visit constantly as a relief measure. Cessation of face to face visits causes anxiety and yet we hear news stories from overseas where the virus has run through aged care and killed thousands of people. That has been less replicated here, but multiple deaths have occurred in some locations.
It seems the schools are about to reopen and work restrictions will be partially lifted but the virus will be with us for an indefinite period of time. Perhaps a partial remedy would be the use of tablets in aged care to allow electronic face to face visits without the risk of spreading the virus. That other rule of keeping people a metre and a half apart would apply when visitors were allowed to come into aged care for a visit. Such measures would reduce, but not eliminate the risk.
Where actual face to face visits are allowed it would be wise if visitors were required to have that tracking app installed on their phones. In the event of an alert that they had been near an infected person the aged person they visited could be isolated within the home. In most aged care, residents who are transferred to a hospital or visit an outside medical facility are required to serve a period of isolation on their return.
It is probably too early to open aged care to unlimited visitors but with reasonable cautions an acceptable risk ratio is possible. Where it is allowed, common sense and visit duration would be the criteria that should apply.
Monday, 27 April 2020
A Foolish Remark !
When the speaker is the President of the United Sates, what he says is expected to be taken seriously. Donald Trump now says he was being sarcastic when he suggested people could protect themselves from the Coronavirus by injecting themselves with disinfectant.
In fact, Trump's on air remarks were directed at Dorothy Birx, the physician who coordinates the White House Coronavirus response and Bill Bryan, an official from the Department of Home Security. That remark could have been interpreted as an official response by a potential audience of over three hundred million people.
The medical community was swift to issue a disclaimer. Injecting a disinfectant does not kill Coronavirus and the most likely outcome is a slow and painful death. The makers of disinfectant such as Dettol were quick to distance themselves from the president's claim. One of the problems is that Trump is held in such awe by his fervent supporters that some may take that remark as a command. The outcome could be tragic.
The United States is paying a steep price for a slow response when this pandemic burst onto the world. The death toll from the virus has passed fifty thousand people and shows no sign of slowing. With that sort of mortality it is no wonder that the president's remarks could be taken seriously. As soon as the president went to air the nation's emergency 911 hotline swamped with calls seeking advice.
This is an election year and Trump is seeking another four years in the White House. It is likely that his opponent will be Joe Biden who sought to capitalize on that foolish remark by issuing his own statement with a tweet saying " I can't believe I have to say this, but please do not drink bleach " !
Four years into the job of president and Donald Trump is still having problems separating the responsibility of office with the freedom he enjoyed as a tycoon movie star and building developer.
He has still not filled many department head posts vacant when he won office and his administration has been a shambles with constant firings and resignations. The whole world will be watching that election in November with bated breath.
The office of President of the United States was synonymous with that of " world leader ". It is doubtful if Trump rose to the expected level in that role. This coming November the voters will decide if he deserved another term of office.
In fact, Trump's on air remarks were directed at Dorothy Birx, the physician who coordinates the White House Coronavirus response and Bill Bryan, an official from the Department of Home Security. That remark could have been interpreted as an official response by a potential audience of over three hundred million people.
The medical community was swift to issue a disclaimer. Injecting a disinfectant does not kill Coronavirus and the most likely outcome is a slow and painful death. The makers of disinfectant such as Dettol were quick to distance themselves from the president's claim. One of the problems is that Trump is held in such awe by his fervent supporters that some may take that remark as a command. The outcome could be tragic.
The United States is paying a steep price for a slow response when this pandemic burst onto the world. The death toll from the virus has passed fifty thousand people and shows no sign of slowing. With that sort of mortality it is no wonder that the president's remarks could be taken seriously. As soon as the president went to air the nation's emergency 911 hotline swamped with calls seeking advice.
This is an election year and Trump is seeking another four years in the White House. It is likely that his opponent will be Joe Biden who sought to capitalize on that foolish remark by issuing his own statement with a tweet saying " I can't believe I have to say this, but please do not drink bleach " !
Four years into the job of president and Donald Trump is still having problems separating the responsibility of office with the freedom he enjoyed as a tycoon movie star and building developer.
He has still not filled many department head posts vacant when he won office and his administration has been a shambles with constant firings and resignations. The whole world will be watching that election in November with bated breath.
The office of President of the United States was synonymous with that of " world leader ". It is doubtful if Trump rose to the expected level in that role. This coming November the voters will decide if he deserved another term of office.
Sunday, 26 April 2020
The " Lucky " Country !
Australia has long been known as the " lucky country " because good fortune seems to come our way. There is no doubt that we have fared well with this Coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the world. The figures speak for themselves. So far just 6675 citizens have contracted the disease and 78 have died and that is across a population that exceeds twenty-five million. What is even more encouraging is that five thousand patients have caught the disease and made a full recovery.
The reason this is so is because we acted early and boldly. We simply shut down the business cycle and forced millions out of work. It was a heavy handed approach to keep people one point five metres apart and promote constant hand washing and other hygiene defences. Very quickly the infection rate slowed and we are now entering the recovery phase.
The big danger is if people think the crisis is over - and start getting careless. We were spared the disease running out of control simply because the forced isolation reduced the opportunity for infected people to pass the virus on to others. In particular, the death rate is concentrated on the elderly and those over sixty are most at risk. We need to retain that defensive wall in care homes and protect our aged where ever they may gather.
Eventually a vaccine will clear the way for crowd scenes and the return of spectator sport but in this early stage we will need to reduce the numbers in shops and retain that strict hygiene protocol. We can expect new infection clusters and each will necessitate the imposition of local draconian movement restrictions to limit the spread. We need to accept that in good grace.
Our national economy has taken a big hit. A promised surplus has morphed into a massive deficit as money has been distributed to ease the burden for those forced out of work and it is essential that we get the country earning again. Unfortunately, what we know as " normal " means packed public transport and a dense increase in road traffic and that can cause an infection outbreak unless we continue to use good hygiene control. The need for constant disease testing will continue.
The schools are reopening and it is likely that border restrictions will enable overseas students to return to our universities but the numbers are expected to be lower. The jobs recovery will proceed slowly as industry gears to full production and some industry segments will recover faster than others. It is unlikely that closely packed venues like movie theatres will gain popularity until that vaccine becomes a reality.
Australia survived the Coronavirus with flying colours. Now we face the difficult task of returning to normalcy - whatever that is ? This has been a watershed moment in our history and Australian life will be very different when the implications of this national shutdown finally settles !
The reason this is so is because we acted early and boldly. We simply shut down the business cycle and forced millions out of work. It was a heavy handed approach to keep people one point five metres apart and promote constant hand washing and other hygiene defences. Very quickly the infection rate slowed and we are now entering the recovery phase.
The big danger is if people think the crisis is over - and start getting careless. We were spared the disease running out of control simply because the forced isolation reduced the opportunity for infected people to pass the virus on to others. In particular, the death rate is concentrated on the elderly and those over sixty are most at risk. We need to retain that defensive wall in care homes and protect our aged where ever they may gather.
Eventually a vaccine will clear the way for crowd scenes and the return of spectator sport but in this early stage we will need to reduce the numbers in shops and retain that strict hygiene protocol. We can expect new infection clusters and each will necessitate the imposition of local draconian movement restrictions to limit the spread. We need to accept that in good grace.
Our national economy has taken a big hit. A promised surplus has morphed into a massive deficit as money has been distributed to ease the burden for those forced out of work and it is essential that we get the country earning again. Unfortunately, what we know as " normal " means packed public transport and a dense increase in road traffic and that can cause an infection outbreak unless we continue to use good hygiene control. The need for constant disease testing will continue.
The schools are reopening and it is likely that border restrictions will enable overseas students to return to our universities but the numbers are expected to be lower. The jobs recovery will proceed slowly as industry gears to full production and some industry segments will recover faster than others. It is unlikely that closely packed venues like movie theatres will gain popularity until that vaccine becomes a reality.
Australia survived the Coronavirus with flying colours. Now we face the difficult task of returning to normalcy - whatever that is ? This has been a watershed moment in our history and Australian life will be very different when the implications of this national shutdown finally settles !
Saturday, 25 April 2020
Facebook's Graphic Images !
This week brought another example of the poor taste of subject matter making an appearance on the internet. Four Victorian police officers were killed when a heavy refrigerated truck ploughed into two police cars stopped in the emergency lane on Melbourne's Eastern freeway.
Within hours, pictures of the mangled remains of these four human beings were circulating on Facebook. The fact that they were police officers in uniform simply added to the disrespect shown and the scene depicted would have been available to relatives before the usual courtesy of notification of the deaths was possible.
The story that emerged is typical of the duties police undertake on a daily basis. Two officers in a marked police car were observing traffic when they noticed a Porsche speeding at 140 kph and pulled it over. That offence called for the car to be impounded and they called for backup, resulting in another police car with two more officers arriving on the scene.
Somehow, a heavy refrigerated truck struck the police cars and the group of officers, killing them instantly. It is alleged that the driver of the Porsche was unharmed and he immediately commenced to take pictures of the accident scene on his mobile phone camera. It is further alleged that he then left the scene on foot and shared the pictures with friends, resulting in them appearing on Facebook.
The driver of the truck remained on the scene and was later admitted to hospital when he suffered a medical episode related to the accident. There seems to be evidence that the Porsche driver had been drug tested and returned a positive result before the crash occurred.
This 41 year old Porsche driver is a multi millionaire mortgage broker. He is in police custody but has not been charged. The police have appealed to Facebook to take down those photos and it seems that once again human dignity is a casualty when photographs of what is a crime scene appear on the internet to appease the bad taste held by some viewers.
There are elements of the criminal fraternity who will rejoice at police deaths, just as those with insular tendencies applauded the massacre of Muslims in prayer in their mosques. No doubt Facebook will take down these pictures, but the damage has already been done and most decent people will be outraged that this type of thing gets wide publicity.
Once again it is evident that Facebook is a double edged sword. It is a media outlet open to everyone and that includes the few with bizarre ideas of what constitutes " entertainment ". Unfortunately, Facebook has been slow to implement a cull of matter that is offensive to good taste !
Within hours, pictures of the mangled remains of these four human beings were circulating on Facebook. The fact that they were police officers in uniform simply added to the disrespect shown and the scene depicted would have been available to relatives before the usual courtesy of notification of the deaths was possible.
The story that emerged is typical of the duties police undertake on a daily basis. Two officers in a marked police car were observing traffic when they noticed a Porsche speeding at 140 kph and pulled it over. That offence called for the car to be impounded and they called for backup, resulting in another police car with two more officers arriving on the scene.
Somehow, a heavy refrigerated truck struck the police cars and the group of officers, killing them instantly. It is alleged that the driver of the Porsche was unharmed and he immediately commenced to take pictures of the accident scene on his mobile phone camera. It is further alleged that he then left the scene on foot and shared the pictures with friends, resulting in them appearing on Facebook.
The driver of the truck remained on the scene and was later admitted to hospital when he suffered a medical episode related to the accident. There seems to be evidence that the Porsche driver had been drug tested and returned a positive result before the crash occurred.
This 41 year old Porsche driver is a multi millionaire mortgage broker. He is in police custody but has not been charged. The police have appealed to Facebook to take down those photos and it seems that once again human dignity is a casualty when photographs of what is a crime scene appear on the internet to appease the bad taste held by some viewers.
There are elements of the criminal fraternity who will rejoice at police deaths, just as those with insular tendencies applauded the massacre of Muslims in prayer in their mosques. No doubt Facebook will take down these pictures, but the damage has already been done and most decent people will be outraged that this type of thing gets wide publicity.
Once again it is evident that Facebook is a double edged sword. It is a media outlet open to everyone and that includes the few with bizarre ideas of what constitutes " entertainment ". Unfortunately, Facebook has been slow to implement a cull of matter that is offensive to good taste !
Friday, 24 April 2020
Tension in the South China Sea !
As the world grapples with the Coronavirus, tensions in the South China sea have slipped out of newspaper headlines. This is an international waterway through which a third of the world's shipping passes and China has laid claim to it as their territorial waterway.
What were virtually shoals have been dredged and made into islets which now contain airstrips and military installations. Half a dozen other nations lay claim to parts of this sea and when the matter went to the United Nations the Chinese claim was rejected. China is now patrolling the waterway with its naval forces and is forcibly displacing foreign fishing boats which have fished this sea for centuries.
It is fast developing into an exercise in brinksmanship. Under US leadership, ships of various navies sail through the South China sea and ignore Chinese challenges. At present, Australia's HMAS Parramatta is in company with the USS America, USS Barry and USS Bunkers Hill in testing communications, aviation operations and shipping manoeuvres in peaceful transit.
The Chinese have made no move to restrict commercial shipping or stop passenger jets passing over this waterway beyond demanding that they seek Chinese clearance, which is being ignored. So far the Chinese have not tried to enforce their claimed right beyond sailing menacingly close to other naval vessels and flying jets low overhead. Physical confrontation has been confined to ramming fishing boats from other nations to clear the way for their own fishing fleet.
There is obvious danger here as China continues to build a credible blue water navy. The Chinese navy is fast building a fleet of aircraft carriers and it will have the advantage of the waterway being close to its home ports. The Chinese government is using aid money to fund development projects in Pacific ocean countries with the view of obtaining port concessions which may serve as naval bases. In the near future, China may have a military presence far outside the waters of the South China sea.
It is hard to envisage just what is in President Xi Jinping's mind when it comes to this claim on the South China sea. Is China looking to further acquisition of land to resettle its vast population or to safeguard trading routes to the rest of the world ?
When competing navies clash over a disputed waterway there is the danger of over reaction. This is an area where an accident or unclear intention can rapidly get out of hand. It is probably the most dangerous flash point on the planet !
What were virtually shoals have been dredged and made into islets which now contain airstrips and military installations. Half a dozen other nations lay claim to parts of this sea and when the matter went to the United Nations the Chinese claim was rejected. China is now patrolling the waterway with its naval forces and is forcibly displacing foreign fishing boats which have fished this sea for centuries.
It is fast developing into an exercise in brinksmanship. Under US leadership, ships of various navies sail through the South China sea and ignore Chinese challenges. At present, Australia's HMAS Parramatta is in company with the USS America, USS Barry and USS Bunkers Hill in testing communications, aviation operations and shipping manoeuvres in peaceful transit.
The Chinese have made no move to restrict commercial shipping or stop passenger jets passing over this waterway beyond demanding that they seek Chinese clearance, which is being ignored. So far the Chinese have not tried to enforce their claimed right beyond sailing menacingly close to other naval vessels and flying jets low overhead. Physical confrontation has been confined to ramming fishing boats from other nations to clear the way for their own fishing fleet.
There is obvious danger here as China continues to build a credible blue water navy. The Chinese navy is fast building a fleet of aircraft carriers and it will have the advantage of the waterway being close to its home ports. The Chinese government is using aid money to fund development projects in Pacific ocean countries with the view of obtaining port concessions which may serve as naval bases. In the near future, China may have a military presence far outside the waters of the South China sea.
It is hard to envisage just what is in President Xi Jinping's mind when it comes to this claim on the South China sea. Is China looking to further acquisition of land to resettle its vast population or to safeguard trading routes to the rest of the world ?
When competing navies clash over a disputed waterway there is the danger of over reaction. This is an area where an accident or unclear intention can rapidly get out of hand. It is probably the most dangerous flash point on the planet !
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