There is a sad irony in the tragic loss of life on Christmas Island (so named because it was discovered on Christmas Day in 1643) so close to our Christmas festive season.  We cannot begin to imagine the despair of people so desperate to escape the fear and desolation of their respective homeland that they are willing to risk their lives in search of a new beginning in a far off land.  The Christmas Island tragedy is a sober reminder that they are not boat people, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers – they are fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, boys and girls with the same fears, doubts, dreams and aspirations that we all have.

Sadly, they are unfortunate victims of war, terror, poverty, persecution and religious fanaticism.  It is impossible for us to understand the desperation of their plight from the comforts of our surrounds here in the lucky country.

The tragedy is a wake-up call for the Federal Government to stop the bloody boats!  And the only effective way to do this is to remove the incentives for people smugglers to run the gauntlet of treacherous oceans in unseaworthy boats.  John Howard did it and Julia Gillard could do it if she had the gumption to reopen the offshore detention centre at Nauru. (more…)

Certain things paint an indelible image in your mind. One happened to me lately when my mother in law told me that whilst doing meals on wheels in winter there was always a place you could find pensioners, in bed. This was not because of an infirmity but because they could not afford the price of the power to stay warm outside bed. How completely self indulgent and pathetic we have become that in our zealous desire to single-handedly cool the planet we have pandered to those who can afford the power bill over those less fortunate to avoid privation. How pathetic we are that South Korea, using our coal, can provide power cheaper to their citizens after an 8,300 km sea voyage than we can with power stations in our own coal fields. (more…)

Predictions of change from leaders of their time often prove to be wide of the mark.

In 1899, Charles H. Duell, Director of the United States Patent Office urged President McKinley to abolish the office because, he maintained, that ‘everything that can be invented, has been invented.”

In 1927, Harry M. Warner of Warner Brothers Pictures said, “Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?”

In 1958, Thomas J. Watson, Head of IBM said, “I think there is a world market for about five computers.”

In 1987, Prime Minister Bob Hawke said, “No Australian child will live in poverty by 1990.”

In 2007, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Global Warming was “the greatest moral issue of our time”. 

In 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard predicted that if we replace a communications monopoly with a communications monopoly we will get faster download speeds – all we have to do is spend thousands of million of dollars that we don’t have to create a new monopoly we don’t need. (more…)

For most Australians there are three certainties in life – taxes, debt and death.

Two of these are inevitable – the other is a matter of choice.

The level of personal debt in Australia indicates that more and more are choosing to live the dream now and pay later.  Why save when it is so easy to borrow?  Why wait to buy a McMansion when we can have one now?  Why buy a second hand car when, for only a few extra dollars a week, we can get one off the showroom floor? Why wait for a new gadget when we can whack it on the credit card and have it now?

Why? Because we can. That’s why. (more…)

Only the naive would ever argue against the proposition that local government should be a politically free zone.  The statement itself is a contradiction in terms because our Constitution provides for a three tiered government structure – Federal, State and Local.

Politics is defined as the theory and practice of government. It defines the interrelationships between the people, groups, or organizations in a particular area of life especially insofar as they involve power and influence or conflict.

Debate about politics in local government is often intertwined with arguments about whether we are over-governed.  Some argue that State and Local Governments should be abolished and replaced by a system of regional governments.  All have pros and cons but I would argue that the closer government is to the communities they have to serve the more effective they will be. (more…)

If we are dinkum in our desire to say sorry for past wrongs, we should acknowledge one group we will forever be indebted to whilst we have control of our national destiny. I refer to our war veterans. There is no greater sacrifice a person can make for their country than to give their life in defence of our democratic freedom and ideals. Those who do should be honoured above all others.

The Australian War Memorial is the custodian of our military history. The Returned Services League is the custodian of our national day of remembrance. Legacy ensures the torch of remembrance will never be extinguished. Many other ex-service organisations contribute to the memory of their members, and the ongoing welfare of surviving veterans and their dependents. (more…)

Small business owners dread the day they might get a knock on their door from union thugs who now run NSW.  They will be shocked when they discover that any union thug can demand entry onto their premises and go through their books.  They can initiate legal action if they discover any anomalies, which is very easy to do under the draconian Occupational Health and Safety laws unions have engineered through their Parliamentary lackeys in Macquarie Street,

Targeted small business owners do not stand a chance because the NSW Labor Party has reversed the onus of proof against them.  This means they are guilty the minute a union thug finds one or more anomalies.  They then have to defend the charges against the might of union funded industrial lawyers.  To add insult to injury half the amount of the inevitable fine goes directly to their own union coffers to fund these thugs. (more…)

Midsummer in my hometown of Orbost on the Snowy River was not a pleasant time. Dog-days with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees outside the house and up to 50 degrees inside were the norm.  The only way to keep cool was to sprawl on our lino floor with a small fan working overtime.

We would often be shaken out of our slumber on a Sunday by the jingle-clacking of rosary beads as two ‘Brown Joey’s’ (Sisters of the order of St Joseph) appeared at our door to see if Mum and Dad could help with a small donation of anything to help the new people who had just arrived in town. (more…)

‘Stop firing’ screamed the Afghan interpreter metres away from a suspected Taliban leader as he emptied his magazine towards a small band of Australian commandos. As the walls exploded the insurgent responded by clipping on a fresh magazine and unloading it at them.  The Australians returned fire and lobbed a grenade into the dark room.  The firing ceased.  As they crept into the room they noticed a sight that will haunt them forever.  The suspected Taliban leader lay dead amongst a human shield comprising women and children.

Three of the commandos in the raid, doing what they were sent to do by the Australian government, now face charges of manslaughter.  These young men have been double-crossed by our political leaders who have exposed them to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

Membership of the world court is a gold plated pass to the finer things in life for the international legal fraternity.  First class travel, 5-star hotels, fine cuisine and vintage wine are standard fare for the elite in the justice system.  The court provides a forum for eminent legal minds from Australia, Albania, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Tajikistan and others to discuss a new world order for law and justice.    (more…)

Labor’s proposal to reform campaign funding is riddled with hypocricy. Whilst there is no argument against the need for reform in the conduct of political campaigns and our voting system the motives for this legislation to be rushed through Parliament before the next election in March is questionable.

Most Australians would like to see some form of voter identification system implemented.  Why do we tolerate a system where voters can turn up to as many ballot boxes as they like, give an address, and get a vote?  Surely in this day and age we can produce a voter identity card with a photo and a voter ID number on it.

So why is this important reform being ignored and why is Premier Keneally focusing in campaign funding reform which includes the banning of donations from developers?  If this is such an important issue to her why won’t she band political donations from union who donate tens of millions of dollars to the Labor Party?  The answer is obvious. (more…)