The Election Year

Hello folks,

In the Australian state of Victoria we have two elections to participate in this year: federal and state. Neither election has been called yet and both are due to occur this year and both have an incumbant Labor government. With the as yet un-elected Brumby state government plagued with issues, such as: MyKI (mine still doesn't work and the ticketting system is still holding my $50) the appaulingly delivered transport ticketting system; the water de-salination plant , and; various potential corruption issues such as building and development dumb-ass Justine Maddon, it's a surprise the opossition Liberals can't wage a decent shredding of the Labor government.

At the Federal level it's more of the same except with deaths thrown in: the appaulingly delivered home insulation scheme (four deaths and 93 house fires); an environmental push to curb contributions to Climate Change by man-kind that defied any criticism of it's factual basis, and an ETS scheme that was so ill-concieved that even the Labor party itself had to dump it; questionable policy decisions such as the mining Tax, and; so many Number One Priorities, that it has become a national joke.

Compared to Rudd, Brumby is good government. But really, we should have a better choice on our ballot papers than currently exists.

Conservasion 2: What a mess - lets clean up the environment of environmentalism

What a mess - lets clean up the environment of environmentalism

In Australia we have a terrible mis-balance of power toward stupidity in Government.

If we only get the 'Government we deserve' then we must have done something really bad to have the karma bus deliver the sort of policy that we currently enjoy in Australia.

If the Liberal's GST wasn't enough, now the current Labor government wants to implement a carbon trading scheme that will push up electricity prices, while our taxes will go to the 'poor' coal and other polluting industries, because they will be 'disadvantaged'!!! So, the public get slugged twice! As this interesting article in The Age states,

"The problem with the Rudd Government's scheme is that many economists now argue it has become so watered down by concessions to special interest groups and incumbent polluters with highly paid lobbyists that the market signal has been dulled to the point of meaninglessness."

I believe a carbon tax is a much better idea in order to reduce carbon emissions. If an industry is so polluting that it can't sustain itself with the tax impacts, and users can't afford the electricity price hikes to (again) pay for these industries, then like those automotive and banking companies in the United States that needed bailing out, these coal and electricity producing companies should die. Adapt, or Die.

Government's job is to manage this death of the coal industry and ensure that a stable supply of essential electricity is provided to the community through a transition period. Again, in my view, any other approach is a fool's paradise if convincing ourselves that we're doing some good when carbon emissions remain unchanged; polluters keep polluting and we pay for the privilege.

What the source of our energy needs will be has been discussed in previous posts, however I'm sure I have not predicted the eventual way forward, rather than simply a display of my preferences.

Interestingly some Liberal Party members are re-introducing the potential for nuclear power - thank goodness. As many are re-thinking nuclear power, I believe there is a chance Australia will come to it's senses. And maybe some politicians are leading, rather than following the masses.

A review of power options is available here and it also contains a link to a report by Professor Lanzen of Sydney University and Sydney's Centre for Integrated Sustainability Analysis. This report details in well referenced academic terms the potential ways forward for electricity generation and summarises the current research available as at 2009. While the Australian Uranium Association had asked Professor Lenzen to review the most up-to-date literature on electricity generation technologies, reading the document shows it to be a thorough study of available options.

Give it a read.

When will we learn - clean coal is dirty

In today's Australian newspaper, the "Australian Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute" tells us that clean coal is too expensive to establish. A carbon price of $60 a tonne (I wonder how many minutes of coal fired operation that is) is required before it's viable.

Then we bury the carbon underground, where there is a risk of leakage apparently. So I wonder why we aren't burying nuclear waste and having a cleaner type of power to start of with?

Oh yes, nuclear is "bad". We can sell our yellow (cake) overseas but we (the intelligent nation - with our very own education revolution) can't use it ourselves. So 2030 is the date upon which we have estimates of when carbon will reach this price.. yet even in the most dire of predictions we can have working nuclear power plants up and running by 2020. So, we're willing to keep on stalling and throwing our arms up in the air are hanging onto this idea of clean coal while opportunity goes begging.

Fucking amazing.

Yep, tell the thousands of patients per day who benefit from nuclear medicine every day. It's really bad!!! Attach the word nuclear to something and see people cringe, or frown. Why? Early technology developments have problems and the cost of not maintain these facilities (like when your entire politico-economic structure falls down - ala Communist Russia) is clear. Yet today some advanced countries like Germany and France have large parts of their power requirements safely generated by nuclear power. In Germany's case it's over 50%.

Australia, get smarter, get wiser. Nuclear isn't "bad" it's smarter technology and cleaner. It's our way to being environmentally sustainable - keeping our development and advanced status in the world while engaging in an environmentally responsible generation of electricity.

It doesn't take a $100million a year institute - even Kevin and Julia's education revolution should be able to tell us that.


Incidentally why is this an 'Australian Global' institute, is it like The World Series, where only American's play? Is this Australian's Global institute that only Australians are part of...?

It's hard to know what to do with the Taliban

It's hard to know what to do with the Taliban when all they show for their human endevour is cowardice. The recently reported kidnapping of Professor Athanasion Larounis is another shameful display from a group that has: no honour, no respect for human life and no tolerance for differences between mankind.
When will someone tell these buffoons that there is no such thing as a Holy War. Targeting the Kalash tribes is an international disgrace.

I can understand how ideas can be warped and outrageous ideas can become the norm. In a sheltered, closed society, very odd behaviours that serve no purpose can become the 'rule'. A lot of the rules and governance we see in oppressive regimes is simply dogma or worse, inflicted on a disenfranchised populace who are helpless to save themselves, robbed of power and defenseless. However common sense must prevail. At some stage people must stand up.

As a strong nation we must lead. We must stand up.

Madness must not rule.

Australia Post

Having dug a little on Australia Post's profits the following table shows some profit figures from over the last few years....



Year Profit (millions) Change

2007 - 2008

2006 - 2007 561.7* +9% (net)

2005 - 2006 515.7 taken from the 06-07 annual report

2004 - 2005 524.5

2003 - 2004 521 (371.0 net - after tax)

2002 - 2003 331

2001 - 2002 297 **

2000- 2001







http://search.auspost.com.au/cse/auspost/default.asp?q=financial+results



* (2006 - 2007) Australia Post’s record before-tax profit of $561.7 million ensures that the corporation will deliver another excellent dividend return to the Commonwealth Government. Based on a 75 per cent distribution of the corporation’s after-tax profit, dividends payable are expected to total $296.9 million.


** (2001 - 2002) It has resulted in ordinary dividends of $175.1 million – representing a 60 per cent distribution of the after-tax profit for the corporation.

Discent silenced and how dictators come to power

I recently heard a broadcast of Christopher Hitchens on ABC Radio National, in which he described to great effect the take over by Saddam Hussein of the Baath political party and consequently Iraq. It was a description that sat un-easily with me. You can see vision of Christopher Hitchens delivering this speach here.
It was an image that sat uncomfortably with me because it was so horrific, as was the description he gave for each of the lands referred to as the Axis of Evil. Also because I, as many in the comfy confines of Australia, marched against the roll America (and the UK and Australia) was taking in Iraq. To us there was no difference between Saddam and what Robert Mugabe was doing in Zimbabwe. In fact, we thought life was considerably better in Iraq than in Zimbabwe. A life in either country (at their worst) would be no life at all.

One day, I hope the world will be rid of such individuals who would use the state against it's own people; who would not seek to serve, but to repress the will and the souls of individuals. Until then I hope to see and hear more.. know more about how people in other countries live and to ensure that Australia doesn't follow blindly the rules of law introduced to silence discent in other countries.


http://fora.tv/2009/07/09/Axis_of_Evil_Christopher_Hitchens
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e5912fda-910d-11de-bc99-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.parade.com/dictators/2009/the-worlds-10-worst-dictators.html

Public ownership and a small audit of Australia Post

In passing through a country town recently I thought about who actually owns Australia Post. As it turns out, I have a small share. As does every other Australian citizen, as it's a public company. It's a wonderful business, providing a solid postal delivery service and employing many Australians.
In 2002 , Australia Post made a declared Profit of $297 million. So I'm thinking as a minor shareholder - actually, equal shareholder to everyone else who's an Australian citizen - I should be able to find out how much Australia Post makes and where exactly that money goes. So over the next few months you will be able to trace my progress in chasing the money trail - and hopefully not chasing my tail! :-)

China and mineral wealth

China has started putting more pressure on to aquire ownership stakes in Australian mineral resources. At a time when demand (in China) for these resources has fallen, obviously Chinese aims to aquire are based on the notion that the lull in demand won't last. So buy up while prices are low due to the financial crisis. It's really perfect timing for State-Owned Chinese companies to move in.



Australia has a lot to lose of course in losing ownership in it's own mineral wealth...

Conservation One

Good day dear reader,

There are two things I can think of straight out of the bag that will help Australians lower their carbon foot-print and help keep our air that little bit cleaner.

1) Solar power. Okay this is not new news. However some years ago I came up with a plan (typical table napkin calculation stuff) as to how Australians wouldn't need to pay electricity bills ever again. It's detailed below.

2) Nuclear power. Okay, contentious ... in this country. To be blunt though, when we are the major holder of uranium deposits world-wide and we are happy to mine and export it, we should damn well use it ourselves. I also think there's a strong case for howwe go about doing these things so we are environmentally responsible AND build our economy at the same time.

For this blog.. I'll look at Solar power first.

My somewhat idealistic plan looks a little like this:

You have a goal: power all Australian homes with solar power
You have a time line: 5 years
You have a budget: $32 billion (some years later this turned into the amount given as tax cuts)


Stage One:

First of all you headhunt: Wanted! The best solar power minds in the world. Come and work for a stable government run organisation where you'll be work with a team of highly skilled scientists and engineers. You will be provided with top flight housing, income for 18 months, all relocation expenses and an opportuinity to live in one of the worlds most appealing countries. Oportunities for lucrative bonuses.

We find 20 to 30 of the world's leading solar and or scientific or engineering minds. We test them out and place them in a number of teams. Each team is equiped with a laboratory and a hefty expense account for equipment and R&D expenses. Start the clock NOW.
Each team has exactly 12 months to come up with the solar cell to beat all other solar cells. It must be a) the most efficient cell - producing maximum stable electical flow under various solar conditions and b) tough - to last a long time (say ten years) and different weather conditions and impacts etc.

To get these people will take 6 months - hire a firm to do it.
The engineering / science dudes get 12 months (plus time to relocate) and then there's time to judge the best solar cell. This solar technolofy is owned by the government.
The winning team members each get $1,000,000 and an opportunuity to move here permanently. There's the incentive. Rules: no cheating. Technologies derived will be owned by the Australian people and administered by the Australian Government.


Stage Two:

Manufacture. The Australian people have funded this venture so each home will get it's power from the super efficient, Australian government owned, solar cells. When Raj and I were discussing this, we discussed a plan the South Australian gov had at one stage where they'd provide half the funding for solar power to a home, which at the time was around $8,000 (total of $16,000). With efficiencies in manufacturing and bulk production, we figured we could get that cost down to about $4,000 a home. That's cells, regulators, batteries to store for night time use and hook up to grid.

You set up two or three large manufacturing hubs. For starters the La Trobe Valley would be a great place to set up a large factory complex; I mean HUGE and get all the unemployed down there in Gippsland (Sale etc.) working. A few more around the country. Cuts down transportation costs and also less down time if something goes wrong at one site (contingency). After manufacture and fitting of all these to each Australian home (two to three years later) start exporting.

Stage Three:

Export and protection of international patient.
Australians, like the British are good at giving ideas away and not protecting their intelectual property (okay the yanks stole a lot of British ideas). Start earning abck some of that huge investment in solar by selling to the rest of the world. Resist the tempation to send jobs overseas and actually start supporting Australian manufacturing again.
Rigerously protect in international law courts the design oand principles of the patiented cell technology.

Result: Homes are powered and some offices probably as well. Still there are many office blocks that will draw on the grid that will require energy from elsewhere.. and that should come from.... See you next time.

Brief Updates

Referencing a recent post on the type of guns police use in the state of Victoria recent changes in policy by Victoria police, as announced by the Police Commissioner, mean an estimated 6,500 semi-automatic weapons will be imported into Victoria (ref Herald Sun.com). While the use of Tasers has been ruled out at this stage, I notice Mr Mullet of the Police Association was quick to follow up with that as the next proposed weapon for Police use.

I'm wondering how heavily armed Victorian Police need to be? It is unfortunate that experience in NSW has shown that when Police have semi-automatic weapons, the criminal element increase their firepower to compensate (see the below referenced article).

Perhaps I need to spend more time with Police Officers. While I sympathize that they deal with the most offensive members of the community, they also deal with the rest of us. To serve and protect. Many excellent Police operations have been carried out to reduce illegal guns in the community and my belief is, that rather than upping the anti with increased firepower, more dedicated Police work such as that mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald, gets rid of the guns carried by criminals and reduces violent crime.

So what sort of weapons will the Police be using? I hope the accountants don't come out and compromise the safety of Officers by choosing a weapon that is not fit for the job. Similarly, sufficient training dollars are invested to ensure Police are comfortable and competent with their arms.

Time will tell.

Twelve month trends... part one

Speaking with my colleague at work, we have constructed a few salient points and thoughts around the next year's outlook. Whilst written with consideration to the Australian market, many of these are relevant to European, American and Asian readers as well.


Petrol

Petrol looks to be heading for AUS$2.00 litre plus. This will place enormous pressure on Rudd's darling "working families" and every other Australian. It will add the same financial strain as an interest rate rise to working Australians.

Food prices will be affected. And there will also be a flow on effect to the cost of building and subsequently housing. So.. with this in mind, we predict a move en-mass to alternative forms of transport when petrol goes above $2.00 a litre. Add to that increases in interest rates and the pinch is on! Therefore, we see pressures on rail, bus and tram infrastructure and an increase in pedal power and smaller vehicle use ie: motorbikes.

Potential solutions:
* Sheltered bike-paths are a good idea - easing reliance on cars during bad weather.
* Improving rail infrastructure - why is there no train running with the Mitcham-Frankston freeway. Someone needs to be jailed for that poor decision. Which brings us to Government and ministerial responsibility....! A bigger topic .. we'll come back to that later.

Fallout:
* Inner-city housing costs will increase - rentals;
* Almost all daily living costs will increase leading to inflationary and wage pressure.


Health

Obesity and lack of physical wellbeing (including fittness) is an enormous strain on the medical system; a system itself that is under pressure. Already surgery is restricted when smokers present to hospitals. A major improvement in fitness (both mental and physical) needs to be made for this country to operate optimally. Estimated to cost AUS$3.7 Billion in 2006 (Lynne Pezzullo - Access Economics), obesity is a major problem in this country. This together with mental disorders such as depression and dementia will place increasing burdens on the Australian community. Taxation will be directly affected but the real impact will be on the well-being of carers and the community spirit.

For the next 12 months I see changes ahead for people still on private health insurance. Hospital waiting times will be features as will health costs such as wages and advancing technologies and treatments. A revisit to the PBS and also the Australian-US Free Trade Agreement.

Potential solutions:
* A national emphasis on health and recognition of the cost to both business and the community will encourage businesses, government and ultimately individuals to take this issue more seriously.
* Making preventitive health not just for naturopath-attending tree huggers but for the wider community.

Fallout:
* The health of the Nation.


Social Reform - Governmental

A new Labour Government will be attempting to prove itself responsible economically. Expect little major media about big policies of consequence. Look out for the small things, eg: union wage negotiations, such as the recent push for teacher wage increases and tactical ways of hiding pay rises, such as with special bonus payments on signing agreements and the like.

Any wage pressures will creep up slowly and so to will other changes in areas such as: equal opportunity; aboriginal land rights with mining and stolen generation compensation; family law; civic access to internet; policing of industry and community and defence, both domestic and abroad.

Fallout:
I don't like what I see when labour govenments step in and start infringing on people's rights. Facebook groups saying, please Rudd don't censor the internet concern me...! Which brings us to...



Social Reform - Social Trends in buying

Gen Y is leading the charge on some areas, however Gen X and the Baby Boomers are just as, if not more so, leading the technology charge. This is possibly because they're more frugal with money and will go where costs are less, while at the same time they have the more established highly paid jobs with which to spend the money. (Of course in this sense, some Gen Y'ers are also doing quite well with the labour market being the way it is!) Hense more Australians are moving to buying more items off the internet.
With increased access to the asian manufacturing market, "middle men" (retail stores) are being cut out of the deal. MP3 players, flash drives, data storage devices, LCD TVs etc etc. are all in high demand. Huge mark ups on items produced on mass (it's been said 5% of the retail price is actually the earning of the factory in China) mean that the more "direct" one buys, the cheaper by far the purchase cost.

Generic brands and expected short-term longevity go hand in hand with the modern technology buyer. With new technological developments being released to the consumer market on a regular basis, obsoletion rates are increasing. The TV you purchased will be percieved to be out of date by the time the cheaper component breaks in a generic branded item. Hense, generic branded items have gained higher acceptance rates. Product quality and after sales support have also been let go by consumers in favour of the cheaper item.

There are interesting ramifications regarding the removal or lessening of 'buyers remorse' when purchasing over the net. The bottom line is, people aren't behaving the same way when purchasing over the net, so there are changes in purchase bahaviour

Fallout:
* Identity theft and on-line fraud will increase this year with an increase in consumer movement to internet purchasing.
* Balance of payments (trade) will be impacted with increased imports.
* People will be more likely to spend money on consumables with increased choice but not out with friends and family so much, more at home at their computer.
* Increased social isolation for those who are inclined to avoid social contact, while those who use technology to communicate will reval in showing the latest gizmos to each other.
* People will expect greater choice overall.
* Less buyer’s remorse and increased familiarity leads to greater consumption and spending over the internet.


Stay tuned in for part two...

What is a civil liberty?

Infringements on civil liberties...
In Australia we have a unique problem of not being able to identify what rights we as a populate actually have. We lay claim to 'freedoms' however there are few mentions in law or constitution that rights are outlined. Consequently there are ample opportunities for freedoms to be deprived by any legal mechanism at all, be it federal or state legislation, or local council edict.

Here's the latest sign I saw outlining what we are not allowed to do whilst minding our lawful occasions.

Where is the celebrated Ned Kelly individualism that Australia supposedly celebrates. No where to be found. I don't defend criminal behaviour. For the most part graffiti is not art, it's bollocks. However we are not the individualistic, freedom loving country we'd like to be considered. Until, perhaps, we head overseas.

In fact the majority of people who pass this sign at Melbourne's Southern Cross railway station will simply accept that, yet again, they can't do something that for the most part they won't need to actually do. However, get in a car accident and catch a train to grab a can of touch up paint, or need to get a pressure pack to colour that model car, how are you going to get home - without being fined. Who's allowed to check your bag on a train, or at a railway station anyway??? Doesn't that need a search warrant or something? No, as it turns out suspicion of carrying something for purposes of creating graffiti is one of the reasons the Police can search you without a warrant in Victoria.

For more useful information about your rights and search:
http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/xfw/1881.htm
http://www.libertyvictoria.org.au/Home
http://www.liv.asn.au/

How about the right to silence as discussed in this article from the Age newspaper? We'll look at rights in the state of Victoria as compared with other states in an upcoming post.

Calmer Police

These last few days further pressure has been applied to Christine Nixon, our Chief of Police, by the Police union to arm members of our force with semi-automatic weapons. Ms. Nixon speaks a lot of sense when advising caution in the delivery of such weapons to the police.
More police get killed or injured with their own weapons (often taken from them by unfriendlys) than other firearms.

For myself I have two views on the subject. One is based on my first impression of seeing a traffic policeman in Melbourne carrying a holstered gun. It was shock and a big question as to why? It appears to me to be completely unneccesary for police to carry fire-arms at all, as a matter of course. I can't carry one. Why should they.
It is about time that the police union realised they are not above the law, or the people they protect. They servce them, hopefully using intelligence, good faith, wisdom and bravery. All things that some police demonstrate every day, however qualities seldom seen in the union representing such officers.

The recent shooting in Melbourne in which a policeman was injured was said to have resulted in the policeman emptying his 6 rounds before diving for cover. A difference would have occured should he have had a semi-automatic weapon, we are told. Indeed I agree, it goes without question that more rounds would have been fired in the same amount of time, prior to the policeman diving for cover. A semi-automatic weapon does not improve firing accuracy, or public safety.

More to follow on this subject I'm sure....

A Sic Country for Old Men: AWB Officers get it eventually

Largely left for investigators to follow-up, the torrid affair of the Australian Govenment run Australian Wheet Board's funding of Saddam Hussein's regime is back in the news.
(The Age. May 1, Business Day pp1 & 4)

YEAY!

It looks like Trevor Flugge and Andrew Lindberg will get their day in court after all. With any luck the Australian Federal Police will eventually work their way through the documents that lead to Alexander Downer and other Liberal Party former heavy-weights.

I always took a dim view of a government funding a dictator and then saying, "He's no good." It turned out that the only weapons Saddam had, were the ones we funded to the tune of $300 million, that wound up being aimed at our own troups.

Sadly though, I must point out that this is only coming out now because of ASIC's coercive powers - as stipulated under the ASIC act, section 19. Due to Australia's lack of civil rights, or a bill of rights, the individual can be coerced to give evidence. Not to the police, or federal police but to ASIC. I'm wondering how this can be justified.

I'd rather say this happened because the Attorney General had a gut full of corrupt behaviour within his own party and laid charges of either incompetance, or under the then new terrorism laws, funding a terrorist organisation (Saddam's party) but this was not to be. I'd like to say the Federal Police were on the ball with this.. and maybe with ASIC they have a way through the political mess to bring some people to account. It should have happened years ago.

The larger question is... will Trevor and Andrew follow up on their promise of dobbing in their old political masters and bringing them all down?
Some would say that the Liberal Party couldn't get much lower right now, however I feel that some old polies have yet to reach the rock-bottom that matched they're ethical standards of the day.

Lastly I see the old prosecutor of Guantanamo has fessed up that ol' Hicks wasn't the big fry that Howard and company said he was. No kidding!

Waddaya know, two of the Howard Governments most shameful actions highlighted in newspapers this week. Their must be a Labor man in the house.

What's In a Bulb?

Hello Mr Turnbull and fellow Australians.

I'm a conservationist. I believe in saving water and rainwater tanks (even back when my local council deemed them to be illegal - Whitehorse Council!); recycling - especially composting; growing your own veggies and alternative energy sources. So... why do I have a problem with the proposed laws against the incandescent light bulb?

There are some reasonably under-reported (in the commercial media) but well known problems with the mercury content of energy saving light bulbs (see http://www.newswithviews.com/Peterson/rosalind1.htm for details) and links.

My concerns are two fold:

1. The government again appears to be making laws to restrict my freedom to chose a type of product. They are proposing to do this for the good of the environment but frankly I trust my own ability to make a decision on this above that of a beurocrat or another environmentalist.It's interfering with my freedoms.
2. This appears to be another example of poor homework leading to less than adequate decision making. I'd like to know a few things about the new compact fluorescent bulbs:

Do they really save energy?

Sure, at the user end they have the deal reasonably well proven. a) they last longer and b) they consume less electricity. However how much energy does it take to make one? It's the build end of the equation that I can't seem to find some facts upon. I believe this is because of where they are made.In China power costs (especially coal costs) and labour costs are not the same as they are in Australia. So to find out how much energy is required to build 10,000 incandescentlight bulbs, as compared with 10,000 compact fluorescent bulbs is hard to tell in ideal conditions however economies of energy are different (and changing) in China as compared to most capitalist countries, so problems arise in calculating the costs applied to:

• electricty to shape and make the product,
• man hours, and
• materials to build the bulbs.

Are they energy (or environmentally) efficient at the disposal end? Or to put it in simple terms
Are they safe, or more safe than incandescentlight bulbs?
As I mentioned at the start, it is known that there is some mercury content in the new compact fluorescent bulbs.

In sum, before shooting from the hip and applying laws to a populace: know the facts, check the fine print, let the public know and then let us decide. If it's in our best interests (saves the environment, saves energy and money) we'll switch of our own accord. After all isn't that what a market economy is all about?