Bullying and harrassment at Katherine High School

Forget the academics – sort the discipline. God, what a mess and in the high school in the  town represented in parliament by our Education Minister.  Who is the Principal at KHS these days?

These happenings put a rather  sad twist on the opening stanza written on Katherine High School’s website. It says “Katherine High School provides every person with every opportunity to work and learn in a safe and welcoming educational environment.” 

More on Katherine 

The behaviour on the buses that are allowed to go on is astiunding. That it is allowed to continue is beyond comprehension. The perpetrators should be denied bus travel, be suspended from school and charges of assault should become a matter of legal course. This should also be a matter pushed home to parents of bullying and fighting students. 

Katherine and bullying

It is also the responsibility of the parents of the young thugs and bullies.  If they are not stopped, they could well grow up to be the next cohort of domestic violence perpetrators.

Federal grant for energy saving measures for Darwin City Council

How wonderful, significant, and timely that our ‘waste not, want not, energy conscious’ council is able to negotiate these grants from our far-sighted and visionary Federal Energy Minister.

All go at Beetaloo

With ex-Minister Nicole Manison now connected with Tamboran and helping to move this project forward, the NT could be in a good place and one through which it can promote economic prosperity.

Vaping

Vaping is awful to watch and behold. Whenever I see vapers vaping, I am reminded of the old steam trains chosing out a mix of steam, coal fragments and miscellaneous bits and pieces in the olden day I also think of “Puff the Magic Dragon”, which was sung with a resolution By Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Birthing services in the NT are going belly up

With the Darwin Private Hospital pulling back in Kaye areas of service, the Northern Territory population is increasingly being painted into a corner in terms of medical alternatives. Before long it will be Royal Darwin or nothing. With the way things are, healthcare issues  will strangle the a territory and force people elsewhere. 

Groote Area Council

This will be a wonderful fillip and meaningful boost to locals who want to contribute to and have greater and more meaningful input into local decision-making.

Crime must be curtailed

The circumstances then and the circumstances now are entirely different.  Please, Ms Uibo, do not deny the seriousness of the situation with which we are confronted. Through the eight years of Labor, crime went up and up. Labour left the government benches and crime levels that had reached tsunami-like proportions. How about working with the government to fix a desperate situation created by eight years of government acceptance and forgiveness of criminal behaviour with its ‘tag and release’ policy?

CLP Maternity support on offer with  DPH birthing ‘bonus’.

I cannot for the life of me see how the packages on offer post-birth are in any way connected with birthing. What I can imagine is that there will be a significant increase in the number of pregnant women, now and into the future, whose plans involve DPH maternity support so they can get a nice little holiday/respite break after the birth.

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Commissioner Varley and corrections issues

Commissioner Varley is doing a massive job in challenging circumstances and is caught in the middle of government, union, staff, and corrections/judicial expectations. It does not help when unions and others are doing their best to keep the critical situation of prisoner management on the boil. Neither does it help when what is left of the previous government, in opposition, comes out with Pontius Pilot-style handwashing symbolic of issue avoidance.

Response to crime epidemic 

I have wondered about developing a document that records crimes reported in the media by date/day/time along with location, method of entry into premises, whether aided by a stolen vehicle, the age of the miscreant, the numbers involved in the breach, whether they were or were not apprehended, judicial response, and outcome. That would include bail information, recompense or otherwise for the victims of crimes and the monetary costs of repairs and loss of trading time.  An addition would be include  a co, the monetary costs of repairs, and loss of trading time. The record would cover recidivism and comment about any ‘legal licence’ attached to their non-liability because of their youth. Clear-up rates and the time taken to apprehend those responsible could be included.

If I were doing this, I would accumulate such a document and upload it to my blog or LinkedIn. It would not take long for this expression to cause the mind to boggle at the sheer volume of criminality that shackles and limits our territory.

This might help those criticising the government’s response to our crime epidemic appreciate the alternative position to the one they hold.

Everything but everything under lock and key in supermarkets

We are rapidly approaching the time everything, including fresh fruit and vegetables, have tobe under lock and key within supermarkets. Fruit and vegetables could be taken and fermented for their alcohol content. So can many other things – even bread.  Where, I wonder, will this all end?

Will Evans leaving as CEO of the NT Cattlemen’s Association

Thank you, Mr Evans, for your great job in administering this essential and often unappreciated organisation.

Lia Finnochario and welcome to country and/or acknowledgement of one group over others

Good for you Chief Minister. Never once during my career did I oversee any function that included a welcome to the country or acknowledgement of a particular group. My organisation was for all, not one group more than any other. Our school motto during my years was “together as one” with inclusivity being for all.

The Darwin Port and leasing issues

Leave it as it is. There is no security risk. The security risk would be greater if the port is taken from  Landbridge and given to someone else because if and when China attacks Australia, the port, no longer under the Chinese watchful eye, would be fair game in the event of an attack launched on Australia. 

120 Most Powerful for 2024

I love this list and the annual feature that has been part of the NT for over a decade. It’s great stuff, and thank you.

Courts and the need for faster adjudication in changed locations

Why not? Anything that saves time and enables a quicker delivery of processes and outcomes should be welcomed. The system is clogged at the moment, and it would be sensible to enable swifter adjudication on matters of issue.

AFL NT … It seemed to be closed doors

I used to like local football. I even umpired in Gove for the AFL. When we came to Darwin, I was keen to affiliate with local football but felt closed out because it was a niche group connected with administration and control. So, over time, my interest waned. I would have liked to have connected, possibly with the judiciary, but that seemed a go. Not once did anyone ever ask if I would like to connect, so in the end, I just left it alone.

Dementia 

So much is unknown about dementia. As a very old man, these things worry the crap out of me. I would like to be in a position of being able to end  my life if these afflictions begin to beset upon me.

Defence Family support

Housing should be rent-free or offered for purchase at substantially reduced prices. Children of defence families should be supported by reimbursement of at least 50% of school fees for attendance at a private school of choice. A living allowance for all families of $10,000 per year should be provided. All medical and health costs for all members of families should be provided along with return airfares for all members of families every twelve months.