The Youth 16 Vote Comes with Conditions.

With the suggestion of the voting age being dropped to 16 I’m sure we will hear the arguments of maturity and political awareness be put to suit the whoever think they will profit or loose from its expansion.

Looking back in my life as a baby boomer I was a apprentice bat 15, a union member at the same age and yes with the education from my parents I was pretty well versed on both sides of the divide and it was up to me to decide and like many our kitchen table became great parliaments at times..

Fast forward to today how we have changed and I was part of the problem we have with todays youth.

Like all boomers we put our kids first when it come to our family priorities and Parents we secondary unlike the our parents who struggled through the war and depressions with nothing other than survival in mind. We had to share when we acquired, our parents were the most important for our survival and we knew that and respected it.

We thought we were doing the right thing changing the family priorities for the kids sake but we did them and our culture a terrible injustice. We lost that respect we gave to our parents over time and now we cry our kids have no respect, they know nothing about life, government,or they live in a technological bubble.

We boomers took our eye off the ball, handed them everything we never had, sparing our youth the experience of working and waiting, and in many cases handed over parenting to schools and our protective services.

So yes if we can use this voting age change as a catalyst to claw back self responsibility earlier, if we can encourage big picture dialogue and civic responsibility then it must be a debated, but we as the grown ups need to improve our parliamentary behaviour as that example again does nothing for the case of maturity by example.

April 25, 2018

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.

April 4, 2018

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.

March 22, 2018

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.

February 28, 2018

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

February 16, 2018

Media Influence on Democracy Unwanted.

We have been quick to criticise ,analyse, American politics and the system of government they try to achieve democracy and equality to their nation.

Our Westminster system flys in the face of many parts of their processes of basic culture of what we regard as good governance, and unfortunately we will follow their path if we are not aware of the way the real story is told and who will profit or has a agenda to influence politics in their favour.

Lobbyists and lobbying, factions and deals are part of the dirty game but when the media seek to influence outcomes that’s when we the punters need to ask is it fact or fiction.

People will read what suits them and their beliefs but that does not make It fact.

In America their is a distinct divide/canyon in reporting politics and that divide was created intentionally, as do dictatorships to divide so it becomes “your with me or against me mentality,” and the space we regard for compromise is diminished.

I was startled at first but not surprised when Cambridge Analytica who specialise in disinformation and voter targeting was engaged by the Coalition for the next federal election as they were the part of the Trump and Brexit campaigns, successful they were but the aftermath of the splitting of the populations is something I fear would happen here in Australia.

My belief in balanced reporting was shaken when the well respected Brisbane Masthead was turned into a Newsletter for the Coalition under ownership orders, reenforcing the well reported quote the “I have the power to change governments” so we need to be aware but not surprised when digesting reporting.

Observers can see the major parties are setting themselves on a election footing and I want to see genuine debate on the direction our county takes, and politicians that represent people not conglomerates or billionaires as sooner or later some learned soul will wake up and realise our biggest asset is our people, race, colour or creed indifferent, that is when we will rise above those nations and leaders who only survive on division.

February 9, 2018

Australia turning Hard Right…

I suppose you could say we have had a pretty good perspective of what we in Australia can expect from our Conservotive Governments

It is a well known fact that any government that takes over will magically find out that thing are never what they expected, and they have to do these “new” things to correct the bad things the former government has done. Yeah we heard it all before.

Well not quite, changing the right of association to talk to a person they the government rule as criminal even though they have NEVER been charged with a offence, up to 5 years in the slammer.

Any person involved in a group of more than 3 who they the government regard as could be part of a criminal Element without proof can be charged.

Wearing a tattoo or a accessory that displays what they regard as a criminal element, arrest and possible jail.

Yes this is Australia we are talking about, not Russia or Nazi Germany, a democracy allegedly.

Then we have a Federal Government not just backflipping on elected promises but totally lying to the electorate on campaign promises that cannot be denied. Politicians practicing nepotism, and caught thieving from the public funds.

The Public Watchdog Committee sacked after exposing a member lying. Yes this is Australia!!!

And they the born to rule class see nothing wrong with any of the above. They see themselves above the law and the only lawmaker that counts.

Total Power= Total Corruption.

And what recourse does the rest of the population do while all this is happening? They are moving now to take the voting rights away from the people who are under privaligned, destitute, or unable to have proof of who they are, including our own indigenous population.

This is not the Australia we voted for, this is not a country that says the lower class workers are getting paid too much so the upper crust can make more profits. Cutting health services, education and support for the aged while supporting the upper class handouts is not Australian Fair Go. It’s something a Right Wing Capitalist see as the normal where the entire world revolves around the dollar.

How often have we heard the pathetic simplistic paraphrase that the The Country is like the corner grocery shop? If it Fails to run at a profit it closes. What a load of CRAP. Only a total idiot would believe that, and expect a thinking person to accept that, but that’s the audience the LNP and other Right Wing supporters expect the masses to believe that their country is even similar to a corner store. But that’s about the mentality where social conscious is never a consideration.

Sadly I feel we are in very dangerous times in our nations history. A Prime Minister and the Queensland Premier who are totally out of their depth being governed by Murdock Press, Tea Party advisers from outside the country and a ultra right wing ideology that can only come from the Hitler era.

November 26, 2013