Category: Opinion

Russian Diversion Smokescreens Home Woes?

It seems quite amazing that when everything that’s happening in the world the western media and politicians is pointing the finger at Russia.

The ongoing saga of the Trump election, the bombing of Syria, the poisoning’s in England all yet to prove hard evidence yet we are only hearing from political spin which I feel has a agenda to smokescreen what is happening in the particular nations home fronts that are the loudest.

Trumps issues are a daily circus in progress where if he can keep diverting attention from accountability personal and political his thinks he can dumb down the world as he has Americans.

Theresa May with her government struggling on Brexit and other fronts needs diversion to take the heat off her government and performance.

Now the Syrian catastrophic situation as descended into a blame game that suits the political ideological philosophy of insinuations being carful not to include allies like Israel who are sending planes and bombs allegedly.

Meanwhile here in Australia we got on the bandwagon and expelled a few Russians but not after a very interesting presser from the Russian Ambassador in which he exhausted the media contingent of questions, forcing Bishop into a counter presser never seen before in diplomatic protocols in this country.

It’s important we do not sleepwalk into thinking our allies have Australian interests as a core value. We are a political tool to the crumpling former world dynasties and we are expendable as Trump, May,Turnbull and Assad struggle keep relevance and political survival on their respective home fronts leaving Russia not a cleanskin but a great diversion..

Gutless Media and Politicians Under Instruction

As my stomach churns on another shooting in America is broadcast worldwide, I’m totally frustrated on how the media and politicians decide which story has legs to make political hay or sell content to attract revenue.

Over the last 3 days there has been a incident where unarmed people have been shot by snipers in a open field and not one word from our political leaders, not one headline from our national papers and the story hidden to the back pages without any editorial comment.

My opinions on the rights and wrongs of the Israel Palestine conflict is on the record but in a world where we are led to believe we main stream media can be trusted and our political leaders should have a position on right and wrong the silence of both is sickening.

It’s quite obvious both have come to a agreement not to highlight the fact it happened so they do not have to take a position not to upset the Israel government. There I said it.

A government that expels journalists that challenges any government internal actions detrimental to its survival or ideology, and politicians here that are too gutless to stand up and say anything so as not to upset the Jewish voters and their sponsorships, leaves me and many others thinking where are the real men and women leaders who will stand up and at least take a position and defend it, challenge it in true democratic debate in the tabloids and the floor of parliament.

Simplistic view really knowing the pressure of money makes problems disappear along with ethics and morals as the majority bag their heads as instructed.

Southern Stars now carry Australia’s Cricket Benchmark.

In sure every sportsperson in Australia has made its decision on the Australian Men’s Cricket team disgrace but with the tv and sponsorship deals in under way I am very concerned about those repercussions .

The men’s team behaviour has been overlooked and even sanctioned by the Cricket hierarchy and the media for years for the sake of the glory of winning and rewarding them with massive pay increases while our Women’s team has held our nations reputation at the highest level and treated as second class.

When the hammer falls and funds distributed the women’s game share should be considerably increased to a point equal to present men’s and all shortfalls should come from the men’s allocation.

The women’s benchmarks are what we expect in behaviour, dedication, skill, and ethics throughout its inception and if performance based salaries and performance are a factor no one can dispute the Southern Stars should be the Nations cultural cricket benchmark for the game.

The Gelded Royal Commission into Banking.

It took years for this government to agree to have a Royal Commission into Banking and when the did it dampened the terms of investigation and we should ask why.

It’s now revealing millions of Australians have been ripped off by shonky operators, subcontracted or directly employed by corporate giants.

The untold damage they have inflicted on average people who went to professionals who knew that they could not maintain the debt yet applications submitted inflated figures to get bonuses, spotter fees, or in some cases shares in the interest attached to the loans.

To me that’s fraud. If I sold you a car that knew would break down without a guarantee then fine you for not making repayments I would be jailed yet these corporates have been doing this and would have happily continued regardless.

Whatever happened to The good Corporate Citizen and good corporate governance?

It’s shareholder profit that counts and ethics and integrity sent the back of the field and these are the organisations this government are sworn to support by giving them tax cuts.

This government were given the heads up hence the Terms of Reference restricted.

Nepotism and Old Boys Clubs Dominate Aussie Sport.

The appointment of Graham Arnold was the clear indicator that nepotism rules in Australian sport.

Out of the 4 codes of Football only Rugby appointed a female as CEO while the others are circulating the boys club CEO badge appointments between them..

Why is it we think our way is the best way and deny our athletes and country experience from international professionals?

Are we scared they might do it better or is it these possible imports have more experience than the administration of the sports and they feel challenged, or are we as a nation so paranoid about our secret culture that only we are blessed with..

Yes we have national pride in our veins but that pride does not equal professional knowledge.

No code or sport in Australia can compare themselves with management structures as we see in European Football and granted we do not have the crowds or sponsors equaling that income generated but surely that expertise is something we must capture if we are to keep up with world benchmarks.

Australian sport must stop believing its own press.

We are performing in Womens Football (Matilda’s), 7’s Rugby men and women because international exposure creates totally different mindsets than domestic competitions. The other codes have stagnated playing the same teams year in year out, no promotions or relegation keeping the status quo.

It’s a core responsibility to any Management structure to put the Business ahead of self preservation and that takes character and sporting management is no different, so let’s not insulate our athletes or potential CEO’s from ideas that may not sit well with the Old Boys/Old Girls Clubs.

Council Amalgamations have Collateral Damage in Moreton Shire.

How quickly we forget.

Maybe Council Amalgamations may have consolidated administration but when it comes down to what the actual ratepayer gets their certainly is collateral damage.

Moreton Shire Council ratepayers are still suffering.

Facts were Ipswich Council was broke, machinery and equipment in disrepair while Moreton fully financial and progressing then came the amalgamation and Moreton got the Mayor and surrendered its autonomy and assets to Ipswich as a trade off.

Since that day we old Moreton ratepayers have played second fiddle to its Ipswich counterparts.

Our money has been redirected to the “Big Picture” fantasy while the only thing we have have gained was a recycle bin.

Our roads are a patchwork quilt, little or no kerb and channeling outside townships, while entire suburbs and towns and communities are being created brand new from our contributions while our rates in the old shire have tripled.

Sounds fair doesn’t it?

Whatever spin you put on it today will not negate the fact that Moreton ratepayers were dudded in the name of progress and that debt has not been repaid unless we count that very expensive recycle bin.

Capped Political Campaigns Stems Corruption

At what point is it when government becomes a servant to lobbyists, foreign nations, and big business?

The Australian Labor Party, exPrime Ministers, Current Opposition Leaders and Unionists have been subject to Royal Commissions, Federal Raids, and Ministerial sackings all in the hope that corruption can be proven either personal or institutional with Dastayari being the casualty of basic stupidity he will probably admit to.

Saturday we witness the Poker Machine industry and the Gun Lobby sponsor a campaign but we are not allowed to see to what extent until 6months after the election. So what was the deal struck? No one gives money without payback.

Chinese government investors have pumped cash into South Australian Liberals for the upcoming state election the same offence Dastayari got rolled for and the media is silent but are very vocal if union cash from Australian workers want representation. And nothing more has to be said about where the fossil fuel industry’s cash ends up.

My point is all elections state ,federal, local should have capped campaigns, full live political donations broadcast across all media outlets not just web site releases available only to those who are tech savvy.

Media outlets should not be exempt and “in kind” advertising in lue of cash reveals to what extent they are balanced or slanted in political opinion or factual copy.

Yes “Live Fact Check” re launch and legislated in total as a independent authority as is the electoral commission.

The world is witnessing the extent of power the NRA has over politicians in America and it’s going that way here if we do not act now and I’m sure all parties will give lip service to the above but the extent they act is totally dependant on to what extent our government and media is committed to the real deal or is playing their piper’s tune

Please be aware the copy in Bold Print was left out of the Queensland Times Letters to the Editor.

Let’s Get Apprentices Earlier

Discussion Paper. Subject Apprenticeships

As a kid who left school in Junior level, that is 15 years or about’s and started a trade in the January of 1966 I was a naive, scared, and totally oblivious to anything other than not upsetting anyone in my workspace.

Plucked from the schoolroom I knew nothing about life skills other than those I had learned on the sporting grounds and family discipline.

Looking back that was not a bad thing as I listened and consumed everything my Master, my Tradesman, and technical teachers imparted sometimes to the letter.

Being a kid in a mans world can be confronting but as you mature you you learn quickly how the world really works.

My Boilermaking trade at the Shipyard and Kangaroo Point gave me a understanding of other cultures, customs, from all walks of life as it was within walking distance from Yungabah Hostel a entry point to migrants to Australia and often a job for those men and women starting a new or escaping their past.

My eyes and ears were open to their experiences, expectations, good and bad from their homelands and often was privileged to their cultural traditions, broadening my education in life.

All this was happening before I was old enough to get a car licence at 17, have a beer legally at 21, or go to war at 19.

I was lucky but the system was such that when you are at a age, naive or not you can start to shape a personal profile of experience where maturity comes a dam site earlier that today’s youth.

Today kids are encourage to stay in the school system even though they may not be suited. In school apprenticeships have pluses and minuses but basically protect the kid from reality of the real workforce where it’s get to work yourself and learn your trade, please your Master and employer.

That position of Master has been disposed of as he or she was totally responsible to ensure the apprentice was not exploited, learned ever aspect of his trade, and respected his superiors status.

Yes my Master was not backward of putting a smart arse on his arse with a backhander or straight left if you misbehaved, and was supported by the union rep if it was warranted.

Imagine that today!! Mummy and Daddy delirious with uproar for someone doing what they should have done earlier in childhood.

Apprenticeship today on a 4 year time delivers 22 to 24 year olds specifically trained only on what phase of the trade they have been in contact. Often employers see cheap labour till they get too expensive then flick them, and the system allows that, where before employers and the boards were legally bound to find a apprentice a job at his or her level if the firm went broke.

Some 4th year apprentices can be married with kids and expected to live on those wages, no wonder they are leaving.

Mid life apprenticeship are a result of the system not doing its job earlier, selling the trades, and paying the wages. Yes the Unions must share the blame proportional but the fact the culture of subcontractors has destroyed the standards of all trades for the magic dollar.

I know a few tradesmen that have kept their contract and turned out magnificent tradesmen, fully equiped and experienced to handle any job set before them but sadly on completion they must expand their knowledge and move on.

This often causes bad blood as often they will go out in opposition to their former boss.

In my case on completion I was handed my indentures and told to move on or get sacked and would be welcomed back after about 3-4 years somewhere else.

I did, moved to structural steel and finally left the trade about 8 years later.

Cutting to the chase what I’m saying is we need to get potential apprentices early, when they can absorb everything, in a environment and culture where they see they can have a future, and prepared to cop a little pain early in the game to reap the benefit on completion.

We need to have manufacturing industries and start building things here, as it’s cheaper in the long run to have them paying tax, buying stuff than keeping them on the dole or in part time farcical jobs that make the working poor poorer.

The crunch is coming and believe me infrastructure will be our way out and the shiney arses will be the first casualty.

The Embarrassing Turnbull Trump Junket

Probably the only success in the Turnbull visit to Trump was Trump remembered his name.

It was the most grovelling exhibition of photo shoots, back slapping, scripted mate ship monologue embarrassing any fair dinkum Australian.

Some may say that all any visit by any politician to America has the same script, but I feel this one should have laid out our priorities in a much firmer fashion if Australian interests were at the forefront and the reason for the junket.

America’s is riding on a very heated economy with debt over 22 trillion dollars and rising while Malcom’s and Tony’s debt truck has turned into a Acland coal train and the lenders are going to want repayment.

With lending rates minimal, wages stagnant, any upward movement will decimate those who have overcommitted or over borrowed, so this fantasy of how corporate tax cuts in both countries is our saviour is just flawed political ideology.

Imagine interest rates returning to 5% accompanied by inflation what damage that would do to all those who are in new homes struggling now?

The hypocrisy of the entire Trump trip was tipperfied when Trump demanded we contribute to patrolling Chinas sand island expansion while he ignores Israel’s expansion into Palestine and we choose to stay silent.

We in the Asian Pacific can not rely on Trumps America. We have to tighten alliances with New Zealand and forge new trading partners as when that balloon busts in America and it will , we have to have a government that has the skills to guide us through with policies that are people based as the corporates will be too busy concentrating on saving their Mercedes.

Is Amberley playing Games with our Weather?

I try to look at the facts, then look for reasons why when things are outside what I regard as normal occurrences.

Yesterday 15/02/2018 a series of storms appeared on the BOM radar around Warwick, Toowoomba and slowly progressed towards the IPSWICH. While that was progressing individual cells appeared in the Harrisville area all heading towards Rosewood Thagoona as the warnings were issued by relevant authorities.

As I watched intently on my device I witnessed entire fronts disappear the closer they got to Amberley Base, then reappear somewhere else. ( please check BOM history if in doubt if it’s available).

My question is “is Amberley Base using a device or system that deflects incoming weather for operational purposes?”

I’m sure many residents who have lived in the area for some are seeing this occurrence more frequently and questions need to be asked.

I don’t expect the military to confirm or deny as protocol, nor do I expect any politician to respond, and I expect to regarded as a conspiracy peddler but when a occurrence continually occurs someone has to ask.

We all knew when we moved here Amberley is what it is, and we are privileged to have it to boost our economy and bringing families and mates to our towns, but I’m not sure I know enough about side effects as we didn’t in the fire retardant cover up but I do know my bit of dirt around Thagoona is in some sort of shadow and maybe the pioneers that placed the base where it is knew that but when you see dramatic inconsistencies we must question.

Check our the times on the screen shots..

Edited version

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