Preach to the Unconverted

I could have gone to an International Women's Day breakfast on Friday.  Why didn't I?  Because any of the speakers that morning would have been preaching to me what I already know ... that women are still not being treated equally, either at home or in the workplace. Sure, I could have learnt a few new stats, but no matter how you cut it, it's still the same root issues.

Organisations that buy tables at these International Women's Day functions should really have some sort of plan for who should attend. (Not run around/mass spam employees desperately trying to fill these seats).

Of course, anyone who wants to go should go, but, attending a breakfast is not going to narrow a nearly 20% pay gap.  Awareness is the first step. This is what the networking sessions should be used for. Those who are already converts, should be championing for changes back in their workplaces.

So, who should be tapped on the shoulder to attend?

1. Middle managers - those responsible for teams at the front line. It's your people who require work/life balance, who ask for pay rises, who negotiate salaries at time of appointment.
2. Self-proclaimed non-feminists or those who don't believe in a gender pay gap or flexible work.
3. People being counselled for discrimination.
4. The leadership or management team - lead by example.
5. The grads (graduates) fresh out of uni - the pay gap starts after year 1 in the workforce.

Government Hypocrites

Fred Hollows once said "Every eye is an eye".  It's the same for life. Every life is a life.

It's why I find the Australian government very hypocritical at the moment. 

Respect where respect is due, I give kudos to the way that Prime Minister Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop are stepping up and handling the Malaysian Airlines 17 and Russian Rebels issue. They called on the Rebels to release the bodies back "Operation Bring them Home".  After 4 days, the Rebels are handing them over to where the plane originated in The Netherlands.

However, it is absolutely hypocritical when the government of Australia under "Operation Sovereign Borders", are essentially holding 157 refugees hostage and imprisoned on a shonky boat out at sea.  They've been there 3 weeks.

The Super Paradox

Women, generally speaking, will be out of the workforce for a few years due to caring needs placed upon us from raising children and for looking after frail parents. Superannuation earnings could be short by $232,500 because of time out of the workforce.

Women who are generally the primary carers, are disadvantaged providing a service to society by not earning, let alone not having additional super contributions made^.

Women, on average, have a longer life expectancy than men. Retirement is at 65, however, with a women’s life expectancy at 83, we’re living on average 13 years without income, relying upon superannuation.

Considering, there isn’t enough super accrued for women, there will be a strain put on the demand for the government funded pension.

Demands on the pension also strain our health care system as pensioners cannot afford private health insurance.

Solution, women will have to work well past the retirement age.

However, who will hire an employee over 60 and at their appropriate skill and qualification level?

References:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/a-million-in-super-wont-be-enough-20130923-2u978.html

http://www.theage.com.au/money/super-and-funds/women-treated-as-secondclass--citizens-20130702-2p8vw.html

^ - The Labor government under Gillard introduces a ‘Low Income Superannuation Contribution’ for people earning up to $37,000/year.

http://ministers.treasury.gov.au/DisplayDocs.aspx?doc=pressreleases/2013/045.htm&pageID=003&min=brs&Year=&DocType=0

Work 2.0

The concept of 'work' and the way our workplaces function is a construct invented by males.  Women initially joined the workforce and started paid work as a result of most males leaving to go to war.  It was hoped that the women could 'fill in' until the men came back.  When the men came back, a slight concession was made for women to be able to enter paid work until they were married. It wasn't till 1950's and 60's that women were embarking on a career for themselves.

Jumping forward to present day 2013, there is a push to have greater representation of women in organisations; on board of directors, in senior management and in typically male dominated industries such as engineering and transport.  The diversity agenda (in Australia) is firmly being pushed.

Knowing that women have only been active in the labour force for over 50 years and that women still experience a 17.5% inequality of pay, can women really be given a fair go in an environment that has been typically male dominated and designed?

What if we turned things up-side-down? What would 'work' and our 'workplaces' look like if we could re-do it?  What if it were up to women to redesign the way work would work?

Over the last few weeks I've given this a bit of thought.  Here are some of my ideas.

• Joint or job sharing CEOs (leading by example is the best way to make it seen as a norm)
• Fully decked out HUB offices opening up across the city (instead of just in CBD, Sydney has a number of areas where these could open)
• Flexible work arrangements for ALL employees  
• Extend school hours till 4pm and provide less homework (the hour in school makes up for the hour doing homework but also provides parents more time at work)
• Additional sick leave days provided to those over 50 (government funded)
• Typically female dominated professions are paid much higher, entice more males into those industries
• Weed out the idea of 'gender based professions' and what constitutes gender based activities. Young boys and girls should grow up equally wanting to be nurses, teachers, researchers as well as accountants and electricians.
• Bonus not tied (or completely tied) to individual performance but to the organisations performance
• Rewrite job descriptions - take out the fluff, make it easier to understand and also make it easier to work out; part time and job sharing programs
• Having suits (and ties for men) as dress code
• 24/7 access to offices/work spaces/Hubs
• Superannuation paid for all types of leave (including; parental and long service)
• 24/7 childcare facilities
• Childcare facilities are available in proportion to where employees are located
• Improved 2-way loyalty between employers and employees
• Centralised services (I.E. procurement, admin, payroll, tax, professional development advisers) for small to medium sized businesses.  No one wants to mitigate red tape when they should be growing their business
• Laptops not desktops, greater utilisation of software, social media, video conference and communication tools.
• Proper job-for person program for skilled migrants/people on 457 visas.  No point in them coming here if there is no job directly available to them.

Will some of these become a reality with the implementation of the National Broadband Network? Through greater numbers of women on boards and government? Technology such as Google Glass going mainstream? Who know what will happen, but keep watching, it's going to be well beyond the offices and cubicles we know!


References: 
1. http://www.womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/editor-s-agenda/re-imagine-work-could-you-make-it-better-work-for-you/201306072285?utm_source=Women%27s+Agenda+List&utm_campaign=04ac0fd79b-Mon+03%2F06%2F2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f3750bae8d-04ac0fd79b-30603413
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_workforce
3. http://www.hcamag.com/hr-news/looking-for-the-ideal-worker-time-to-wakeup-177367.aspx
4. http://www.womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/top-stories/the-cost-of-being-female-64-extra-days-at-work/201309022823#.Uih1pByUlpc.twitter

Where the Loyalty Lies

With the re-appointment of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister, I slept well for the first time in 3 years and 3 days.  There is now a new hope for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to climb back up the polls and possibly win the next election. (after ex-Prime Minister Julia Gillard stepped down and retires after losing yesterday's leadership ballot).

Now we all know the environment in parliament is quite different to the environment of our workplaces.  However, one thing that both parliament and our workplaces have in common is navigating that fine line of loyalty.  Our loyalty to the party, organisation or employer and loyalty to the leader, CEO or our manager.

Political loyalty over the last 24 hours has been raised many times (even more over the last 3 years!) and it was clear that some politicians really struggled with their decision on who should be leader of the ALP, thus becoming Prime Minister.

By nature of who we are and the psychology under which we operate, we humans are social and loyal creatures. We thrive in an environment surrounded by other like minded people. We all want to belong to something and by belonging to something, we want to pledge an allegiance and our loyalty to that person or group.  In the workplace, we ideally work for an organisation who mirrors our values, surrounded by similar thinking people, channeling the same values, vision and being a team player.

What the ALP party members faced yesterday was a tug-of-war in the loyalty games.  Either loyalty to the incumbent PM (their manager) or loyalty to the ALP (organisation, employer).
It was a choice of either; a) Stick with Julia Gillard, the present PM, someone who is good with her team but has alienated the public and may greatly lose seats in the election.  Or b) Vote for Kevin Rudd, ex PM who was disposed of 3 years ago, someone who may not be the best with their team but will have a greater chance to win around the public and not lose so many seats or even possibly win the election. Ultimately, it was also a choice in age old, 'flight or fight' - fight for a chance for the ALP and their own seat's survival or flight, flee reality and continue pledging loyalty to the then PM, Julia Gillard.

In today's ever changing workplaces, our loyalties are constantly being tested. Redundancies, downsizing, mergers and takeovers, no one is really secure where they are and in some professional environments and circumstances, the only person you can really count on is yourself.  There have been many times when I have demonstrated loyalty to the organisation and or to my managers. Many times, my loyalty did not really count for anything.  Regardless of my attitude, regardless of my hard working nature.  Unfortunately, it seems to me these days that loyalty counts when money and business doesn't, or at least when budgets are not that tight and jobs are not in jeopardy.

So what did we learn today?
We all want to be loyal, we all want to be part of something bigger and want to be surrounded by like minded people. However, when the times are tough and people are scared, we retreat and question what we need in the search for self-preservation.  In tough situations, we too would question our loyalty.  We also need to remember that where you place your loyalty can determine your own success or failure. It's no wonder that loyalty is not lauded as it once used to be.



Image from: 
http://images.smh.com.au/2013/06/27/4524205/spruddspeaks27-20130627121936747447-620x349.jpg

Vision for Sydney

I got a little outraged today.
The front pages of today's Sydney Morning Herald was an ad for "The Star" and the casino's full spread on their "vision for our city".

The Star wanted to tell us Sydneysiders how they will aim to provide us with world-class attractions, (I.E. a bigger casino) connecting us (I.E. building a new footbridge) and making an economy out of Pyrmont, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo (I.E. where another casino is being developed).

Welcome to Sydney's Las Vegas district!
It's bad enough Crown Casino/the Packer family are pretty much doing what they want in the Barangaroo site, now The Star has decided that they want to further profit, albeit from the misfortunes of others.

I also found the ad was posted in poor taste. Immediately above The Star's ad for opulence and pie-in-the-sky ideas was Mr and Mrs Mia who barely make any money per day. The Mia's work sewing clothes in Bangladesh for major fashion houses.  The money spent on this ad could have gone in improving WH&S, training and better infrastructure for their buildings.

It's fairly obvious that more development and infrastructure is needed for Sydney, but should we Sydneysiders be dictated to by massive corporations? Should casinos and business at least work hand-in-hand with local council and state government to build new developments? How expensive will it be for the local to access this area?

There are some of us living in Sydney (the world) who are ethical, who don't want to do business with casinos and organisations promoting gambling.  I try to avoid visiting casinos and pokies in clubs and my investments are invested in a socially responsible manner. 

I think that the people spending hours at a time at establishments like this, hoping for their luck to turn is very sad. It's poor form for casino's to capitalise on this and to dictate what developments they want to make to OUR city, especially when the buildings, parks and hotels are built at the profit of these wishful hopers, gambling addicts and misfortunes of casual punters.

Card Games

Someone call rummy!

Everyday we hear from the government, opposition, minority parties and the media that the "race card", "gender card" or the "tax card" are being played - I'm just waiting on someone to call full house.

Why can't issues be brought up? Why stay silent? Why is it that it is generally areas that we haven't got right that people accuse others of playing 'that card'?  "Discussing gender issues isn't playing the 'gender card', like how discussing tax isn't playing a 'tax card'. These are actual issues, bros." (J.Alice)

We currently have gender inequality, not just here but around the world. Pay disparity, access to education, reproductive rights.
We currently have a tax system that allows those super wealthy to squirrel away and hire accountants who know the loopholes. We haven't implemented all of Ken Henry's tax recommendations.
We currently have cultural and religious intolerance.  With our first Australians, our newest Australians and second and third generation Australians.  Injustice, intolerance and vilification.  All based on where we originated from, what we look like and insulting them by not really knowing them.

I want these cards played!  I don't want these issues trivialised with an eye roll. These are the issues affecting us daily. We will be a better country if we can discuss this in a mature way. 




References:

Tweet from: Jessica Alice, @jessica_alice on 11/06/2013

Image from: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyLtOWPOo3iuuGDmqifgg4KoumqKdZUsKfx1pQcaER9Dpk2y-x

(My) Budget Winners and Losers 2013

It's budget time.
In tonight and tomorrow's coverage there will be more talk of families that are struggling and those earning over $abc are poor. Yes, we all know families struggle, most of them do.  It's not unique to just families in 2013, families in the 60's, 70's, 80's were struggling too.

The budget needs to be equitable. It needs to benefit our truly needy now, it needs to nudge/prop up industry where there will be a strong need for it in the coming years and it needs to take into consideration the changing demographics and indicators in our society.

If I was in charge of the budget this year, here's some of what I would do.

• More infrastructure for homes for Seniors (this is happening to some extent)
• Subsidised fees for financial planning; retirees and those individuals/families earning less than average
• Junk Food & (bad) Fast Food tax
• Higher health insurance premiums/medicare levy for smokers
• Private Health Insurance loading is not imposed on those individuals/families earning less than average
• Get rid of the up-front rebate on university HECS/HELP fees (this is happening)
• On-shore processing of refugees
• Refugee families to live in communities and are entitled to work for up to 20hours per week
• Cap the amount of government spending on Advertising.  Increase Social Media training for cabinet parliamentarians and their teams
• Cap international travel for non-cabinet parliamentarians
• No laptops for students
• Encourage single stay-at-home parents to work/study.  Work with businesses to adopt flexible work practices.
• Fund more 'green' research and jobs

Media Attention for the Loud and Rich

The Superannuation changes that the Labor government were wanting to introduce are now sidelined. There was too much of an uproar.  Fact is, it was only going to affect a few, the rich few.

Have you heard much about the single parents (mainly women) who have been moved onto the Newstart Allowance (the Dole) after their youngest child turns 8 years?  This is instead of them receiving the normal parent supplement.  Probably not.  They don't have money for campaigns & time for too much Government lobbying. They can't even study as they are ineligible for Study Assistance while on Newstart.

The Mining tax.  How much did it raise again? Just a few million, in the scheme of things, its next to nothing. Why? Due to all politics & the lobbying it became so heavily diluted that it was grossly ineffective. The noise & hoo-haa that the mining industry made saved the profits & the bonuses of the "Mining magnates".

The Private Health rebate is being means-tested.  Those earning over $150,000 are crying poor. Meanwhile those earning under $50,000 still have to pay for Private Health (which increases every year).  If they can't afford it at present, they will be penalised when they can afford to with a percentage of the premium added on.

I'm getting the uneasy feeling that when something gets in the way of life or affects the finances of the more affluent, more of a noise is made. 
Let's hear some noise from those who don't have as many resources at their disposal. 

Let's hear what our struggling Australian's have to deal with.

Zero Dark Two - Years

Australian & other coalition troops are still in Afghanistan.  We're there help create stability in the country, empower people to take democratic control of the country.  Our troops are there to ensure that the Taliban are not in control & to prevent them from resurging. 

It's been just short of 2 years since Osama Bin Laden was killed.  Since his death, 566 soldiers were killed in 2011 and last year, 405 soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, 44 of them were Australian.  As Australians, we knew& heard about every time when one was killed, it happened too often.

The movie "Zero Dark Thirty" was recently released in the US, with Australia's premier to follow soon.

My understanding of the movie & what the previews tell me is that this movie is about the lead up to & the 'capture' of Osama Bin Laden.

The 405 deaths last year tell me that something is still happening in Afghanistan. Sure, the Taliban leader, Osama Bin Laden is dead, however his followers or people who agreed with his views are still around.  Still around & causing harm to our troops. Our troops who are still there, present in Afghanistan.

To release a 'Hollywood' movie, to celebrate the capture & killing of a leader who still has clout in Afghanistan & some other Middle-Eastern countries makes me think that our troops could possibly be in more danger. It's a bit like rubbing it in their faces in it.  We also saw what happened last year when an Anti-Muslim You Tube clip was released.

I think its too soon to have a movie based on or about the whole thing. 
Our troops are still present in Afghanistan.
At present, I'm boycotting.



Acknowledgements:
Soldier deaths taken from: http://icasualties.org/OEF/ByYear.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Dark_Thirty
 

 

Welfare for Single Parents

It's hard & an expensive job raising children these days.  I can imagine it so much more difficult financially when its a single parent family.

It's not getting a lot of air-time but today legislation will be put forward by the government to reverse a budget decision that will put single parents (predominantly women) receiving Parenting Payments onto Newstarter Allowance (aka the dole) when their youngest child turns 8 years of age.

I'm all for the push to get people into employment, however, this is ridiculous.  It is unfair & a bad change considering how hard it is a) to find a job b) one that is flexible to suit the needs of primary aged children.

In my opinion, children should not be left at home alone till 6pm.  Children under the age of 12 let alone 10 should not have to be forced with the responsibility to open & lock up their home or to carry their house keys.  Children under the age of 12 should not be operating ovens/stoves/gas without adult supervision. Children of that age need someone to help them with homework, preparing snacks & someone to talk to at the end of a school day.

What would be more reasonable would be when the youngest child turns 12 or is in High School. The child is slightly older but also more mature.  They are more responsible & have more knowledge in how to handle sticky situations.
The government's plan would cost parents $60 to $100 a week & save the government $728 million over four years. This is the price they are putting on savings, not realising that in the meantime, single parents will have to pay for before & after school care & other childminding arrangements for school holidays.

Surely there are other savings that the government can obtain? Or at least push the age of the youngest child up.  We need to nurture & encourage our vulnerable children & to give single parents the OPTION to parent.



  Sources & Pics http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/mps-up-in-arms-over-wheat-and-welfare-20121008-279cp.html#ixzz28ktHncvj http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a08/72/2t/children-child-abandonment-laws-texas-800x800.jpg

Kiss or Tell?

Yesterday was a very historical day. Our Carbon Tax passed. It's important news.It's a major win for the Labor party, Tree Huggers & Gen Y.

 But was this the biggest news of the day?  No. Of course not.


Fact and celebration were trumped by hypothesising, guess work and assumption.

The biggest news story and plastered all over today's newspapers were not the fact that we
have a Carbon Tax.

No, the biggest news story was the fact that Kevin Rudd walked up to Julia Gillard to congratulate/share in the triumph of passing legislation that has been years in the making.

 
Is it the "Kiss of Death"?? or "Kiss of Deceit".

Julia Gillard's double victory - passing her carbon tax legislation and a kiss from Kevin Rudd - The Australian 

Global warming to political warming: Rudd's 'Judas kiss' - The Newcastle Herald.

It's such a shame. We're pioneers, one of the first countries to do this. We're taking a punt & giving it a go but all the gloss has gone. The celebration and limelight of what should be a defining time for us is overshadowed by two colleagues getting along. 

Yes, note worthy because it is Gillard & Rudd, however, it should not be front page news. Shame to all mentioned above. 

Photos taken from: 

http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/10/12/1226165/314999-julia-gillard-and-kevin-rudd.jpg

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2011/10/12/1226164/651584-gillard-rudd.jpg

Acknowledgements:

The Australian, 13/10/2011

The Newcastle Herald, 13/10/2011

Australia Matters, 13/10/2011

Governments Operating like Business

In short, no they shouldn't. However ... there are principles they need to follow in order to make good policies and decisions.

With the collapse of the Australian Governments Malaysia solution, there are a few things I thought would be no brainers and things that ANY professional organisation should have followed.

1. Check that you are not breaking any laws, contracts or obligations.
I know ... a bit of a Captain Obvious, but how can you spend millions of dollars, do deals with other countries and not check if you are in breach of the constitution, legislation or any human rights agreements you have signed?

2. Have an exit clause.
Ok, I am still happy that we are receiving more refugees, however, now that the deal is down the gurgler, we still have to take all 4000 refugees from Malaysia. There was nothing in the contract to say, if things go pear shape, we won't be out of pocket. Companies would never sign a contract when there is no way out and there is a possibility they may be out of pocket.

3. STOP WASTING MONEY!
Work out you're ROI (Return on Investment). Is the deal worth it? Will we be better off after the deal? How much do we have to spend before we see a benefit? Is there a benefit? If the deal doesn't return on average a positive outcome, don't do it.


Photo taken from:
http://www.ralphrobertsrentals.com/images/clipart-man-reading-a-contract-with-magnifying-glass.gif

Learnings from the Census Form 2011

So it is Census night.

Are you:
a) Holding onto your pen or pencil
b) Completing it online?
c) Oh shizer. That's today?

I have just filled it out for our household.
This is what I learnt.

1. If you are employed ... you have to answer so many more questions.
Agghhhh! I'm already tired from work. Shouldn't some of the info from the ATO trasnfer over? You're all the one government right?
2. If you are retired, there is no radio box to indicate this fact.
Considering the babyboomers are in that area ... you would think that retirement would be an option. Maybe it's assumed, but should the ABS assume?
3. Indian is now pre-listed on the What's your background question.
4. The Salvation Army is regarded as part of Religion.

Filling out the form online really was SO much easier than filling out the form.
One had on the tab button and one hand on the keyboard. Yep, it's the way I roll.

Carbon Tax ... Friend or Foe?

The likelihood of passing Labor's Carbon Tax legislation (with the support of the Greens & the In dependants) is so high, even I would head down to the TAB and put money on it!

It's a formality away from happening, it will happen & people ... it's a GOOD THING.

Now I don't believe in all the science, I believe that the earth does what it has to, to reach its own equilibrium. However, what I do believe is that one day coal will run out (It takes millions of years to make coal from petrified wood.) & if we don't invest in alternatives now, our grandchildren will be in for a shock!

So why is it a good thing?

Our electricity bills are already high!

That's because we know coal is scarce.  As a scarce resource, it will cost more & more due to our world population is growing.  How can this be a surprise to anyone?

The demand for more is increasing & that the energy sector knew a tax or ETS would be on its way.

If our energy providers can access energy from more sustainable sources, it can only mean our bills will stay the same or even go down. (in the long run).

We're biting off more than we can chew.
20 years ago, did we have TVs in every room? Did we have electronic devices foe EVERYTHING? We don't even read or catch a bus without our electronic devices. Kids these days don't ride their bikes, they play with iPads, Xboxes & Nintendo DSs.
I'm just guessing, but the rate at which Australia has grown is nothing compared to the rate demand for electricity has grown.

Despite the spin, despite what both Julia & Tony tells us, despite what the shock jocks say & despite what was alluded to on Q&A, acting sustainably is in the nations interest and in YOUR interest.

There is uncertainty about everything ... except death & taxes.
Embrace the new certainty provided by our Government!


Photo taken from:
http://www.sustainabilityninja.com/government-industry-sustainability/clean-energy-details-of-economic-stimulus-bill-10549/

GFC: Take 2?

Its been about 2 years since the GFC started.

We've been quite lucky in Australia to have missed the brunt of it. Our employment took a small dip, consumer spending dipped (still is down), our savings have increased & our stock exchange took a few batterings thus lowering our super funds.

We tried to recover, stimulus packages were put together, interest rates were dropped & families started eating more at home.

It's been 2 years and we think it's all in the past ... but is it?

America is still having issues and worse than them is Greece.  Their economic woes continue,  jobs being cut, wages being lowered and now there is strong speculation that they will default on their loan.

With the prospect of the loan defaulting, it's going to greatly impact upon the markets within the EU.  Stocks and markets will be volatile and thus repercussions will be felt everywhere, including Australia. We are not immune, it is not over. 

My take on things?

The leadership under Papendreou is strong, however, it's not enough.  More needs to be done to get people working and producing cash flow within society. With interest rates already near 0%, the incentive you give to taxpayers is more stimulus payments in conjunction with investment in staples such as infrastructure & education. Tourism is where things could get interesting, so the Greek government should think of incentives to let the foreigners flood in.

From our side of things, I think the RBA have been very cautious (rightly so) while we sit and wait and see what is happening in the rest of the world. If they increased interest rates prematurely, we could have had some unnecessary early bumps.  Our stock market will continue to suffer while other regions are suffering and our currency against others will also faulter.

The whole world is still in such a precarious place right now, added to the GFC woes are environmental issues that have affected Japan, New Zealand and ourselves. The impact on these countries affects the world, especially compounding its affect on us.

There's still some way to go before we're out of the woods.

Sources:
http://ceoworld.biz/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/George-A-Papandreou.jpg
http://www.smh.com.au/business/sneeze-in-europe-can-give-a-a-cold-20110620-1gbuo.html

Cat Calls = Female Limelight

Politicians are elected as OUR representatives but I don't remember electing any of them to be role model of sexism.

Today while the Senate was sitting, a Senator made a cat-call noise (a reeeow) suggesting an in-party fight.

Why is it when Senator David Bushby makes a cat-call, it's recipient, Senator Penny Wong (it's predominantly the female) is in the spotlight?
Why isn't David Bushby's face plastered all over the online news?
Why isn't his face flashed before us on the 6pm & 7 pm news?

Image taken from:
http://www.smh.com.au/

Policed State or Being Cautious?

I had a friend visit me from Europe last week.  So after a few observations (coming through customs, immigration, catching the train c/o Cityrail, walking around the CBD, seeing people go by, having a beer) he started with the questions.

Why do people riding bikes wear helmets?
Don't even some people drink in the street?
Why does everyone wait for the green man to flash?
Why do some of your police cars have a covered room at the back (paddy wagon)?
Why is Sydney so policed?

It got me thinking ... I agree, (at times) we are overly protected & policed. Is it to prevent lawsuits? Is it imposing rules as normal people don't have the sense to have common sense? Is it revenue raising? Is it to protect children?

Now there is talk that we need to have a licence to use the pokies or gamble.
I know its a problem for some people and their families but really, do we really need to go through more paperwork, more red tape, more government money wasted issuing and monitoring all this? What about those who occasionally go in and use the pokies? Why do we need another card in our wallet?

Why are we not empowered to look after ourselves? To take responsibility for our actions?
We can be advised or recommended to wear helmets but why is it enforced if someone chooses not to? There are millions of people around the world who leisurely cycle everyday ... without a helmet. Not every road has a set of crossing lights or sometimes they are not convenient.


At times I do think there is too much intervention from the government. People need to be informed but to be penalised for exerting their freedom (within reason)?  It's too much. If I liked fishing, I would need a fishing licence. If I want to use a chain saw, I need a chainsaw license. I want to use a boat - I would need a license for that too. 

We're dumbing down everything so people don't have to think about consequences.  We have to follow and do.  We're not shown how to take responsibility. Everyone blames everyone else. People need to be empowered to think for themselves and to think of the consequences.  What happened to survival of the fittest?  I think, I analyse, I take informed risks - shouldn't everyone be taught this?


Picture taken from:
http://www.howtovanish.com/images/surveillance-cameras.jpg
http://www.freefoto.com/images/1450/06/1450_06_23---Cycling--Holland-The-Netherlands_web.jpg?&k=Cycling%2C+Holland+-+The+Netherlands

Freedom of Speech or Treason?

What is Freedom of Speech?
I define it as an individuals right to speak that is in line with their set of personal values. An individuals right to speak to defend their liberties and moral ideals.

What is Treason?
I define it as someone going against their country, going against what the country stands for (or at least what the government at the time stands for). Treason in it's most extreme sense, could also be seen as someone plotting the downfall of their country (or what the government at the time stands for).
Treason for me is really going against the sitting government because I don't think anyone would want to relinquish their national identity. E.G. German citizens plotting to assassinate Hitler, they're still Germans and want to be, they just didn't like what their government was doing.

So, what if there is some person who says something that is not in favour of their country? What if they have a view that is different to that of the sitting government? What if the government is trying to conceal something that affects it's citizens or is violating human rights? Is a whistle blower a traitor?

The line between freedom of speech and treason is very fine ... that's if we are talking about democracies (and even then there are exceptions).  What about those protesting for freedom in Libya? Military personnel who told the world about what happened in Abu Ghraib prison? Are they all regarded as expressing their right to speak? Or are they traitors? Hmmm .....

Where to Donate?

Just an observation ... 

We've had terrible floods in Queensland.
We gave and donated.
We've had terrible floods in New South Wales and Victoria. Bushfires were burning south of Perth.
We gave and donated ... and now also contribute to a flood levy.
Our neighbours in New Zealand have just had a very destructive earthquake.
We give and donate again.
But what of the other charities that depend on our continued donations?