We have been offered a greypath wikipedia system , (see wikipedia in Google if the term is new to you), where we seniors might post items of real long term reference interest. Any ideas as to how we might take advantage of this offer, which might take some years to mature,  would be most welcome. Do mail me with any ideas

As promised I have researched the new IR laws with as an open mind as I can. I have read much and spoken with the main sectoral players, Government, Business, Unions, as well as those affected at grass roots.

I see the situation as follows:

1.Three point six million people are employed by employers with equal to or less than 100 employees, and as such are now subject to the new working agreements (AWA’s).

2. Under the AWA’s, five items are underwritten by IR law and all of the rest are negotiable between the employee and their employer.

3. Those five items for full time employees are:

3.1 Minimum weekly wage of $484 a week. (Higher in some job classifications)

3.2 Four weeks annual leave. (Two weeks maximum can be cashed out)
3.3 Paid carers or sick leave of 10 days per year, and a further 2 days unpaid.

3.4 Parental unpaid leave of up to 52 weeks a year after the birth or adoption of a child for the primary caregiver.

3.5 A standard working week of 38 hours averaged over a year.

4. What are not covered at all are:

4.1 Overtime

4.2 Overtime payments

4.3 Public holidays

4.4 Shift penalties

4.5 Meal breaks

4.6 Annual leave loadings

4.7 Allowances (dirty work, height, boots etc)

5. Two dismissal concepts now exist also. One is unlawful termination which covers all employees in Australia, and the other is unfair dismissal.

5.1 Unlawful termination. This covers such grounds as race, colour, membership, [or not], of a trade union etc. – There is a process to fight such dismissals and some government support for any legal fees

5.2 Unfair dismissal . All those under AWA’s have no legal redress to such dismissals no matter how capricious. Their employers are exempt from such matters.

6. It is a most specious argument to imply that employees will be able to negotiate on remotely even terms with employers.

There are many qualifications to the new AWA’s but the above seem to be the gist of them.

On reflection, what I say…

1. Economics. It seems that the new laws will reduce costs of employment and improve employers flexibility, thus leading to economic benefits to the nation as a whole.

1. Social Justice. The new laws are retrogressive. They can be too easily abused by unscrupulous or uncaring employers. They substantially and unreasonably weaken the position far too many Australian workers. They weaken the individual’s sense of security, and promote feelings of powerlessness to the detriment of our cohesiveness and sense of worth as a nation.

1. Morality. The new laws carry no understanding of our precious Australian ‘Fair Go’ ethic. They fail the essential moral and ethical test of making Australia a better place for the many, rather than the few.

In this wide brown land of ours, surrounded by warm seas and with no common borders, and far from the rest of the world, we have the opportunity to do things our way. The Australian Way.

The new laws fail 2 out of 3 key tests, and must be substantially altered or abandoned.

Man does not live by bread alone.

Hughs Kidman's cartoon series

We are pleased to be able to feature the (mis) adventures of Henry, a person who takes life rather literally!

It has been the wish of governments of both persuasions, that Australian History returns, (along with the 3 R’s – reading, writing and arithmetic), to all school curriculums.

The cry from many people is that this smacks of political interference, and is fraught with peril. (They no doubt fear the possibility of historical revisionism of the ex Soviet style.)

In principle I see this as a very valuable initiative that should be supported across the board, provided that it is absolutely hands off by Governments, and that course content is not specified.

The matters worthy of inclusion, from all sides of our society, need to be agreed by an independent panel, (all states), and reviewed by a new panel(50% only carry over), every five to ten years, as our perceptions change..

Occasioned by the various threats of needed structural reforms to cope the future, world terrorism & regional instability, fears of increased illegal migration, and a Government that has been in power for longer than is usual, we are also now facing a number of threats to our democracy and the 'Australian Way’. I see these threats being evidenced by the three key pieces of legislation, however well meaning they may be.

 •The IR laws that aid the economy but dis-empower 2.9 million workers and their families,

•The Immigration Bill and its offshore processing legislation, [ only beaten by those who put conscience ahead of party solidarity and crossed the floor], and, most seriously,

•The new media laws to be, which allow the concentration of media powers. Of these the new media laws are the greatest threat. The following from www. crikey.com: A recent Morgan poll of some 374 journalists revealed that more than 89% of them believed that the Governments proposed new media laws will have a negative effect on the integrity of reporting. Alarmingly, 38% said they had been instructed to comply with the commercial position of their owner. 53% said that they are unable to criticise the media group they work for. 32% feel obliged to take the political views of their owners into account when writing stories. 63% feel the media companies have too much influence in deciding how we vote. 71% say media owners have too much influence in determining the national politcal agenda. These very serious findings have been largely ignored in the national media.

Nature provides as many miracles as we could ask for.

For example, we may think that we are solid but we are so porous at atomic levels that some radiation can pass straight through us, without hitting anything at all. Size is not absolute, it is relative.

Undifferentiated stem cells, taken from our necks, can be injected into our bodies and somehow know what they need to be to repair us. For example they can replace missing bone parts or become new livers.

At sub atomic levels time actually travels backwards. Things happen before the initiating event occurs.

Each of us came from galactic dust, are made up of mostly carbon and water, and yet we can individually know that we exist. Further, those agglomerations  of water and carbon are now debating the mass of the universe, theorising its missing dark matter, and worrying about its future.

We are still work in progress in evolutionary terms. We are getting taller and our heads enlarging. (Bigger brains so far don’t mean more wisdom, unfortunately)

Card tricks and flower reading aren’t in the same league as nature.