Authority is attached to every position in which people operate. It doesn’t matter what the businesses, from manufacturing to dealing with people, for authority is universal.
I believe there are two kinds of authority; it doesn’t matter what occupation you have or position you feel or job you do, either one or the other of those “authorities“ identifies the person in the position.
There is “ascribed authority“. That is the power attached to the position by the system, whether private or public, under which the person is employed. The source tells the person what can or cannot be done and how that position should be filled in terms of outcomes.
The second is “acquired authority“. This authority is what the person in the position requires or gains from how they are perceived by those with whom they work. It is the regard held for the person who is in the position by those with who they are working.
A good teacher meets the teaching obligations prescribed by the teaching authority and the school. Such teachers are meeting the obligations imposed at the system level, which satisfies the ascribed authority attached to the position.
But that is only half the story, and, I believe, the small half.
A great teacher is a person who meets system requirements but also aquires authority bequeathed to them and based on respect and appreciation held for how the educator identifies with students, parents and the community at large. These teachers are “people-oriented “. They are not just there to do the job and teach according to the curriculum but rather to meet the needs of every child or student, personalising that teaching toward them to meet their needs.
These teachers offer challenges to students and have high expectations for them. They are also empathetic, caring in a strong pastoral way and willing to help students who need assistance. That help aims to give students confidence to make decisions and to appreciate what they are doing as being for their benefit. It’s not a case of taking over and doing the students work: Rather, being there as a guiding hand supporting students as they go forward.
Finally from an Australian viewpoint I believe that A Great Teacher is one who teaches with recall to The Melbourne Declaration of Education agreed by all Australian Ministers of Education and Directors in 2008.
That declaration urged educators be aware of the need for “holistic education“, education taking account not only of academic progress but offering children and students a chance to grow in a social and moral/spiritual sense. So academic achievement is entwined with personal growth. And that personal growth takes account of perceptions and awareness the children and students should have not only for themselves but for others.
Sacked street sweeper: I’m pale, stale and male, but I speak for silent majority
EXCLUSIVE EWIN HANNAN WORKPLACE EDITOR
Shaun Turner, the street sweeper who successfully challenged his sacking for objecting to an acknowledgement of country at a toolbox meeting, believes his legal win struck a chord with the “silent majority”.
“I think it got to a point where people thought, ‘A toolbox meeting? What next?’ It just never ends,” he told The Australian in his first interview since the Fair Work Commission upheld his unfair dismissal claim against Melbourne’s Darebin City Council.
Mr Turner, a 60-year-old married father of three who voted Liberal at the recent election, dislikes Anthony Albanese and Dan Andrews, and holds what he calls “centre right” views. When asked, he says “of course” the country has become too politically correct.
“I just feel like if you were a pale, stale male you can’t go to work now and have a laugh,” he said during an interview at his home in the northeast Melbourne suburb of Research.
“If me and you are having a laugh over here, and he (a third person) takes it to management, well, next minute we’re getting a warning for not being inclusive.
“Work is (full of) pretty much programmed robots. You have got to be careful of what you say.”
Mr Turner was dismissed after questioning why the acknowledgement of country was being made for the first time at a meeting of the council’s street cleaning team, a meeting he said was attended by about eight or nine workers.
The council worker, whose father served in World War II, told the meeting that “if you need to be thanking anyone, it’s the people who have worn the uniform and fought for our country to keep us free”.
Fair Work Commission deputy president Richard Clancy upheld Mr Turner’s unfair dismissal claim and is considering whether he should be reinstated or be awarded compensation.
Given the commission is still deliberating, Mr Turner said he could not speak in detail about the case and events surrounding his sacking and successful action but he did want it known that his actions were not racially motivated.
He said he believed acknowledgment of country should be confined to large events attended by international visitors, and was unsuitable for meetings attended by small numbers of people.
“When it comes to this, the first thing that happens is you are labelled racist. I may not like a lot of people but I have no problem with Aboriginal people,” he said.
“I played football, I was brought up with people of all races in Broadmeadows. Some you get on with, some you don’t. The easy thing to throw around these days if you can’t win an argument is to call someone racist.”
During his working life, Mr Turner had worked for two other councils, run his own street cleaning business and, perhaps surprisingly, given his disregard for Labor and unions more generally, was a union delegate at Darebin.
“There was no one doing the job and no one would speak up for the workers,” he said.
“I’d been on management and I’d been on the workers’ side. I know you give and take. The union will go hard one way and the management will go hard the other way, where I could see both sides and conciliate between them and come to an agreement.”
He said he gave up running the business because “I got sick of dealing with people”. “Dealing with staff you have got to pretty much be a teacher, a parent, a psychologist, all different people,” he said. “I got to the stage late in my career where I thought I would like to just go to work and do the job and go home.
“That’s what I liked about street sweeping: I work by myself, go to work, do the job and go home and don’t have to take phone calls 24 hours a day.”
Mr Turner’s job has taken a toll on his physical health. When he was dismissed by the council he was on WorkCover due to shoulder bursitis and he said his doctor had recommended he not return to driving the sweeper.
He said he was uncertain about whether he would pursue reinstatement. While seeking redeployment was an option, he was looking at pursuing compensation
“You win legally, but you lose what you had, the comfort of going to work,” he said.
“I have spoken to some of the workers. They would love to see me come back but my doctor recommends not going back into repetitive work.”
He said the Australian Services Union was a “great help” when he was under investigation by the council but he represented himself during the case, claiming that after he was sacked he was told “the union’s solicitors didn’t want to take the case”.
“I also had a friend who asked someone from the Liberal Party if they could help and they didn’t want to get involved either,” he said.
Mr Turner said he voted for the Coalition at the May election due to his low opinion of the Prime Minister. “I voted for Dutton because Elmer Fudd was the other person,” he said.
“I thought Peter Dutton would be stronger on defence, stronger on crime. He had all those things going for him but, to me, Peter Dutton was an ugly man. He didn’t resonate with female voters due to his looks and he was made out to be scary.
“People say looks don’t count for anything. People lie. If Peter Dutton looked like Robert Redford, he would have sh-t the election in.
“Then I think Donald Trump coming in, that finished him. All of sudden, everyone turned and said we don’t need Donald Trump here. Dutton would have made decisions like nuclear; I’m all for nuclear. I have no problem with nuclear reactors for power. It’s the cleanest energy, but for some reason people are stuck in the seventies. They just think it’s a bomb and that’s it.”
As for Labor, Turner said Mr Albanese was appealing because “people like hearing the word free”. “They’re going to get free childcare. Nothing’s free. The taxpayer pays it. I pay for someone else’s kids to go to kinder now,” he said. “I can’t go to the doctors and just take my Medicare card. It doesn’t happen these days.
“It’s like Dan Andrews. How did Dan Andrews win again?
“You can lock playgrounds up. You can tell people they’re not allowed out. You can sell us off to Belt and Road. Given the decisions, it was amazing that bloke won the election again. I know the Liberals in Victoria are hopeless and too busy fighting among themselves.”
Despite being a one-time union delegate, he is no longer a union member.
“Unions fight for things that have nothing to do with them,” Mr Turner said.
“It’s like councils who stick their nose in where they shouldn’t be, like worrying about whose flag we are flying, like Gaza and what’s going on in Palestine. All of a sudden we are all wearing Palestine colours.”
Mr Turner said he had been heartened by the support he had received since news broke of his commission win but he did have one question.
“What about all the beers I got offered?” he joked. “Is there any chance I could meet those people somewhere? I’d go home very drunk, I can tell you.”
To become a teacher in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, you’ll need to follow several steps to ensure you meet the requirements for registration and employment. Here’s a summary of the process:
1. Meet Eligibility Requirements
You must possess a recognized teaching qualification (e.g., a Bachelor of Education or equivalent).
Ensure that your qualifications are assessed and recognized by the Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory.
Provide necessary documentation that demonstrates your qualifications, identity, and good character (e.g., police checks).
3. Obtain Working with Children Clearance
You must apply for an Ochre Card, which is required for anyone working with children in NT.
4. Prepare for Employment
After being registered, you can apply for teaching positions in public and private schools across the territory.
Check for any specific requirements for the type of schools you wish to apply to.
5. Consider Additional Pathways
If you’re new to the teaching profession, you might explore graduate programs or alternative pathways such as Teach for Australia, which could provide support for entering the teaching workforce in remote or disadvantaged areas.
For detailed information, refer to these resources:
Stay informed about job openings and requirements as they can vary by school. If you have specific questions about your qualifications or the application process, consider contacting the Teacher Registration Board or local educational institutions for guidance.
A front page story in our national paper several years ago (Australian 7/2/18) on hip and knee replacements insufficiently considered the pain and suffering of those with affected joints. I endured years of agony and fixit efforts with my right knee before it was replaced and similarly with my right hip.
My knee was scraped several times, bits of shattered bone were removed and I had sinvisc (cartilage replacement gel) treatment, all to no avail. My hip was a total agony I endured for three years.
The agonising pain of these worn joints is debilitating and life limiting for those who are sufferers. Painkillers are mind dulling, habit forming and definitely not the answer. Surgery is the only real option.
I wonder at the suffering and bravery of our forebears who were afflicted in a time before surgery was available. Praise be that corrective surgery is available for it helps make life worth living again.
And some habits are bad, and some are good. Some habits can be selectively applied and therefore not practised from time to time, while others are quite essential and must never be forgotten.
The habit for me that is an essential habit and a habit that has to be practised every day, is that of remembering the medications that have been prescribed for me for blood pressure and cholesterol control. I also take medication to counter depression, with if anything some reassurance from knowing that I am not alone and having to take these three medications.
With blood pressure and cholesterol at all-time highs, particularly in Australia and with depression growing almost exponentially, I’m not talking about anything unique or special.
I would imagine that this essential habit that I have I’ve never overlooked medication is a habit that thousands and thousands and probably millions of Australians also practice.
I’m not averse to talking about this as an essential habit because we always need to be on guard about important factors impacting upon health and well-being.
So this is a habit that I have to practice for my essential good and it’s, for me, a daily experience full-time, and for the rest of my life.
Australia’s defence capabilities are all show and no substance. Australia, in any conflict levied against our country, would be totally defenceless and could be overrun, from Darwin to Hobart, within a week.
Awareness of what one needs to achieve a sustainable lifestyle is important. It’s particularly an imperative in these modern times when people are being encouraged to spend money. The urge to spend is stimulated by government, business, industry and retail because the more that is spent, the greater the viability of both micro and macro businesses.
People are encouraged to spend in order to achieve self gratification. They are invited to go into debt on interest-free purchase plans and by use of all sorts of other devices to extract money from them – often money that they do not have. That can force them into a situation of becoming poor to the point of not being able to cope without support from help agencies.
A point of daily awareness that assists with sustainability is a practice that I have followed ever since my very early teenage years. I am 79 now. All those years ago my father said to me, “Henry, do not spend what you don’t have. Do not go into debt. Save up for what you need and then purchase the item.“
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To this day I as a person and my family have been sustained by this principle of economic management. That has allowed independence and peace of mind to be ongoing.
Cigarette boxes have to be branded in this way in Australia. The government is considering the imprinting of warnings on every cigarette in every pack. Cigarettes are now costing close to $2 each.
In previous posts I have a given mention to Foods that I don’t like and upheld one or two that are quite delicious. However, of all the great foods I have eaten, Nothing tops cherries.
Cherries are without doubt and by far and away my favourite food, always the most delicious whenever they are eaten.
When it comes to determining which are the best cherries I have ever eaten, it’s a case of trying to separate what’s good from what’s good.
In Darwin Northern Territory, cherries are not always plentiful. They come from interstate, are generally sold in cellophane bags Wang a kilo or so, being small, red, usually – but not always – sweet.
On two occasions and probably because of misdirected freight, our local Woolworths supermarket has been supplied with boxed, grade one cherries coming from Tasmania. Fruit of this quality generally finishes up over-flying Darwin en route to Southeast Asia or China. On both occasions I have bought boxes of these cherries (kilogram in each box) for ourselves and family members.
The cost of these cherries at $28 Australian per box was, in my opinion, money well spent. On the home front I have never eaten better or more beautiful cherries than these.
Once when travelling around Australia we happened across some beautiful cherries in New South Wales. We were journeying across the South Australia along the barrier highway through Broken Hill. Unbeknown to me, we couldn’t keep fruit purchased in New South Wales beyond the border and it had to be surrendered. Fortunately we had eaten a good percentage of the cherries we had purchased, and stopped before crossing the border to consume as many more as possible. It broke my heart to surrender those that were left.
The great feed of cherries that I had prior to that border crossing, remained with me for the next two or three days from the viewpoint of digestive awareness.
Without doubt and not withstanding the excellence of some of the Australian grown cherries I have described, the gong for the best ever cherries must go to New Zealand.
During the School holidays at the end of 1978, we went as a family for six weeks of visiting around New Zealand, first the North and then the South Island.
It was in the Lake Taupo District of the South Island that we happened to drive past a number of cherry growing farms, with cherries for sale. We drove into one of the farms and for a most reasonable price bought a container of the largest, sweetest and most lustrous packs of cherries. They were white in texture and skin and were just so beautiful to eat. Before we left the area we bought several more lots of those most luscious fruits.
I love cherries but the ones from the South Island of New Zealand are the best in the world and definitely earned the gold standard award.
Meanwhile, back in Darwin, I look out every day for cherries that may have been bound for China but which figuratively have “fallen from the luggage hold of a freight plane”
Currently, who is the kindest, most caring and empathetic political leader in the world?
Here are some current political leaders known for their empathetic leadership and caring approaches:
1. Sanna Marin (Prime Minister of Finland)
Marin has been praised for her responsive leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and her focus on mental health and well-being.
2. MarkRutte (Prime Minister of the Netherlands)
Rutte is noted for his pragmatic and compassionate handling of social issues and crisis situations.
3. Tsai Ing-wen (President of Taiwan)
Tsai has been recognized for her empathetic approach to governance, particularly in how Taiwan managed public health and supported various communities.
4. Boris Johnson (Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
While controversial, Boris Johnson emphasized kindness and community during times of crisis, particularly during the pandemic.
5. Mette Frederiksen (Prime Minister of Denmark)
Frederiksen has focused on welfare and mental health initiatives and is known for her empathetic responses to social issues.
6. Antonio Guterres (Secretary-General of the United Nations)
Although not a head of state, Guterres champions global humanitarian efforts and promotes empathy in addressing world problems like poverty and climate change.
These leaders are examples of contemporary politicians who prioritize kindness and empathy in their leadership styles and policies. However, perceptions can vary based on individual values and political beliefs.
New homes are now being constructed without a conventional kitchen because people no longer cook and prepare food at home, with the vast majority preferring fast food takeaway.
These are questions I have asked in various forums from time to time. I have asked them about those who post on LinkedIn. Often, I hear nothing back from those to whom I have replied, with those replies being a response to people who de De cry the fact that the treatment of and regard Indigenous Australians is insensitive and harmful.
The strong inference is always that fixing the issues has to come from the government, agencies, or a change in attitude by those held accountable by writers.
In this context, my questions were pertinent to ‘The Voice’. There was an assumption that if the Voice was passed into our constitution by the referendum, then all the issues raised around the questions I had – and still have – would somehow be corrected: That without the Voice, there could be no fixing.
I was involved with Aboriginal Education in both WA (1970, 1974/75) and the NT (1975 – 82) as a school leader. With staff, I initiated many programs that greatly benefit children of young ages. I worked to ensure school attendance and had the support of communities.
I have also undertaken formal studies in the field of Indigenous Education.
I add this chronology to point out that my questions are not from someone unaware.
Why are parents and primary caregivers not looking after their children? Why are parents and caregivers excused from the m looking after their children?
Why are Elders now apparently powerless when it comes to the management of children and youth within communities?
Why are non-Indigenous persons deemed wholly responsible for issues about the health and welfare of Indigenous youth and adults?
Why don’t people take responsibility for their health; why do they blame the health department and other agencies for poor health and illness when a great deal comes from their chosen behaviours? mn
Why are parents and caregivers not responsible for ensuring their children attend school?
Why are teachers and the education department blamed when children leave school as functional illiterates when that has been and is the result of them not attending school?
Why is it deemed racist when issues are raised, and the need for self-responsibility is pointed back to families from where the problems arise?
Why do some mothers in our country who are pregnant drink alcohol while pregnant, with this leading to FASD issues?
Why are Indigenous people coming into towns from communities not responsible for their accommodation?
What happens to those who are victims of crime when it comes to damaged premises, stolen cars and so on?
Is the need for welfare support occasioned by the expenditure priorities of parents and caregivers who should be providing for children?
What should happen in the many cases of children and young people roaming the streets and getting into trouble because they feel unsafe at home?
If agencies take children from unsafe homes, are they not faced with ‘double jeopardy’ because of accusations of stealing children from parents?
Are responsibilities that should belong to parents being passed to government instrumentalities, with parents and caregivers shrugging and inferring that various government agencies should pick up their commitment?
Should ANY responsibility for the upbringing of children belong to parents?
Why is the role parents should play in raising their children at best infrequently raised; are parents excused from any responsibility?
Do many young people act disruptively because they feel a sense of entitlement because Australia is a country where its First Peoples were first? Do they feel ‘owed’ by being ‘first’?
How I should do things is not always the way I do do things
TAKING CARE OF ONESELF
All the daily questions asked of us are carefully thought through and give the opportunity for a lot of reflection, generally of a positive nature.
This question I believe, to be critically important. We often don’t take sufficient care about ourselves, thinking that the way we live will not come back to reflect upon us any time soon. Some people also think that they are “atlas like” and “invincible”.
How many people for instance are killed in road accidents because they think they’re immune to having to follow road rules. How many people using tobacco, excess alcohol, and drugs, feel that they will escape any consequence for their poor attention to health and lifestyles of living.
In more recent times, how many people have been impacted by COVID-19, possibly because of not taking precautions that were urged when the pandemic was at its height. And how many are going to be impacted by Covid now that it’s impact has been downgraded to endemic status. (I still take all the precautions that were urged when the pandemic first hit Australia. It may not prevent me from getting the wretched virus but so far it has worked or at least has helped when it comes to avoidance of this deleterious illness. I also keep my booster jabs up-to-date.)
In looking after myself, I have the following practices in place.
Regular checkups with the doctor.
Annual blood tests.
No smoking.
No alcohol – for the past 12 years.
Some exercise often associated with house work and be in g in the garden.
No social drugs – not ever in my whole life.
Care when driving or using machinery.
No gambling.
Avoidance of crowded venues and sports stadiums.
Trying not to exert myself physically be on the limitation of my strengths.
Keeping rigourously to prescribed medication.
Trying all ways to maintain a friendly disposition and positive outlook in mixing and associating with others.
Writing regularly, along with reading to keep my mind active.
Prioritise and carefully so that my family and my loved ones always come first.
I believe that the practices I pursue are a help to me when it comes to self care.
How I should do things is not always the way I do do things
The end is nigh – are we in the last decade of human history?
I think we can forget about renewables, climate control, environmental management, and the rest because, by 2030, the world may well be a burnt-out ball of obliteration. World War 3? We are in it right now, and it is eating its way around the globe we call the Earth.
In Darwin, Australia, it isd getting closer by the day.🌖🌗🌘🌑
This column was written. And published in the ‘Suns’ Darwin in January 2017.
SCHOOLS AND THE FORTRESS MENTALITY
It is a sad thing that open environments, once a feature of child care and school precincts are being consigned to history. Fenceless, physically borderless boundaries have all but gone.
Schools started off with outer perimeters marked by knee or waist high fencing that was no more than railing stretched between vertical uprights. However, more and more have fences being upgraded to two metre plus high, impenetrable barriers. All are aimed at protecting schools from damage and vandalism.
A sad thing for schools is the need for this fortress like mentality. Students and staff members shouldn’t be confronted with teaching and learning environments surrounded by two metre high fences. They should not have to go through gates that open in the morning, are locked at night and require pass keys at other times. They should not have to walk around school precincts under the survelliance of CCTV cameras or sit in classrooms where security systems are turned on after hours in order to afford protection. They shouldn’t have to enter and exit classrooms through doors with double locking and deadbolt systems in place to secure against unlawful entry. Neither should they be made to feel like prisoners, looking out from classrooms through windows reinforced with security mesh.
Teachers and students leaving schools at the end of each day, wonder whether violation occasioned by unlawful entry will occur overnight, at weekends or during holiday times. Will walls be graffitied, windows smashed, doors forced, rooms trashed and property stolen? Worrying about the susceptibility of workplaces to violation is always on the back-burner of thinking.
Ironies
An irony is the apparent reluctance of some school leaders to follow through on issues of wanton damage to premises and property. That may have to do with school leadership groups somehow feeling a misplaced ‘shame or blame’ for these happenings. The fact that schools are broken into is not their fault.
The issue needs to be aired in the public domain. Offenders should to be dealt with in other than a trivial fashion. They are fully aware of what they are doing and deserve to face realistic consequences.
Students and staff who are the victims of property crime need to know that offenders will be dealt with appropriately, not handled with kid gloves and let off lightly.
Schools used to be happy and open places of learning, not enclosed fortresses separated from their communities by security devices. Sadly, that era has been consigned to history and may never be restored.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,800 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 30 trips to carry that many people.
I asked AI about me – and this is what came out – within 20 seconds
Henry Gray, a retired educator from Darwin and the Northern Territory, is most remembered for his extensive career in education, spanning over four decades, where he held various roles, including school headteacher and principal. Here are some notable aspects of his contribution to education:
1. Long Career
Gray began his teaching career in Western Australia in 1970 and moved to the Northern Territory in 1975, where he made significant contributions to remote education.
2. Leadership Roles
He served as a principal at several schools, including Nhulunbuy Primary School, and has been recognized for his leadership in developing educational practices in the Northern Territory.
3. Community Engagement
His work has been deeply rooted in community involvement, especially in remote areas, focusing on improving education access and quality for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike.
4. Post-retirement Advocacy
After retiring in 2012, Gray continued to be active in education and advocacy, sharing his experiences and insights through writing and discourse.
5. Recognition
His dedication to education has been acknowledged through various honors, reflecting his impact on students and the educational landscape in the Northern Territory.
For me in 2025, this is a topic that is almost juxtapositional.
I need to reflect upon the topic from both a historical and contemporary point of view.
Going back through the years, and always with our young family, we travelled quite a lot both around Australia and overseas destinations. Visits included New Zealand, West Timor, Bali, Malaysia, and later when our children were growing up for us as parents came a quite long trip to the United Kingdom.
Our trips were always leisurely and quite lengthy. Along with our children, we learned a lot about overseas places and enjoyed our associations with people we met along the way.
To reflect upon our travels would take many many thousands of words. Suffice it to say our excursions are well detailed in my diaries.
The juxtaposition comes about through the question asking which countries I would like to visit in 2023.
The answer is“None of them“.
My reluctance about Travel is in part fuelled by advancing age but not altogether.
When we used to travel by plane, airports were unhurried the plane travel itself was quite comfortable with plenty of legroom, and the whole exercise was not overburdened with anxiety.
These days, airports are hopelessly overcrowded, support by staff for baggage handling and check-in is minimal with passengers having to do it all themselves. Plane schedules are often interrupted by delays and cancellations, and time spent on the aircraft is generally in ever smaller and more cramped spaces as companies try and fit more passengers – almost by shoehorn– Into spaces that most certainly have shrunk.
Metaphorically, those at airports are herded and drafted like sheep, while their cramped seating conditions on aircraft remind me of battery hens in cages.
There are issues with visas, huge costs associated with disembarkation and re-embarkation charges, visa costs, innate suspicion of travellers in some countries, the begging and beseeching placed on travellers to support the local economy by spending and spending, and, possibly the worst thing of all, the overcrowding and congestion by people and inordinately long queues everywhere.
All this means I am in the country I want to visit- Australia. And I have been visiting since 1946.
MOVING a huge generator from Adelaide to Orange in NSW.
Up to four prime movers were used to help movement up steep hills. There were two prime movers, one front the other rear for the whole trip.
Under bridges, across narrow bridges, dodging encroaching roadside trees, going under high voltage power lines – it took twelve people to advise and assist in moving this – at the time – largest structure ever moved on Australian roads.
Under the One China policy, most nations including the western block, do not recognise Taiwan as a nation state in its own right. Their non recognition of Taiwan must mean they have no right to interfere if China wants reunification with Taiwan to make China whole again. So is the west just butting in ?
Response:
The situation regarding Taiwan and the One China Policy is complex and involves a variety of geopolitical interests, historical context, and international relations. Here are some key points to consider:
One China Policy
Definition: The One China Policy asserts that there is only one sovereign state under the name China, with Taiwan being a part of it. This policy is recognized by China and many countries, which do not officially recognize Taiwan as a separate nation-state.
International Relations
Western Stance: While many western nations do not formally recognize Taiwan, they often maintain unofficial relations and support Taiwan in various ways, including arms sales and diplomatic engagements. This support can be viewed as a commitment to Taiwan’s self-defense and autonomy, despite not recognizing it as a separate state.
U.S. Policy: The United States follows a policy of strategic ambiguity, acknowledging the One China Policy but also supporting Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, which allows for defensive provisions.
Potential for Conflict
China’s Position: China views reunification with Taiwan as a core national interest and often expresses a desire to achieve this goal, potentially through force if deemed necessary.
Western Concerns: Many in the West see Taiwan as a democratic entity and fear that forceful reunification by China could set a precedent for other authoritarian states to act similarly against their neighbors. This concern drives Western intervention in the form of diplomatic support and military aid to Taiwan.
Conclusion
The question of whether the West is “butting in” is nuanced:
Perspective Matters: From China’s perspective, Western support for Taiwan may be seen as interference in its internal affairs. Conversely, Western nations might argue that they are supporting a democratic ally under threat.
Geopolitical Strategy: There are broader strategic interests at play, including regional stability, economic ties, and the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region.
In summary, the West’s involvement in Taiwan is rooted in strategic, democratic, and security considerations, which complicate the notion of interference given the historical and ongoing tensions surrounding Taiwan’s status.
Well, it seems to me that a great deal of the west’s response is based on situational vagaries and imagination.
Twenty trucks 720 bales of hay trucked 250 kilometres from point of donation to point of need. This area of NSW at the time was into its 4th successive drought year.
Terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah are like seven-headed hydras. The cutting off of one head leads to the sprouting of two more. I wish, like one thing, that’s t terrorism could be eliminated, but it will only ever grow in a festering and expansionist way.
What do terrorists hope to accomplish? Why do they slaughter and enslave people in the name of religious belief and Diety?
There is a possibility but an almost zero probability that KPIs – key performance indicators – will be set to measure the effectiveness of politicians.
There is a possibility but a less than zero probability that politicians will personally cover costs incurred if portfolio mistakes are made.
There is a possibility and slight probability that politicians’ egos will be kept in check and under control.
Is there any way people with superannuation accounts in Australia can get their super out before they turn sixty years of age?
Response:
Yes, there are specific circumstances under which individuals in Australia can access their superannuation (super) before reaching the age of 60. Here are the main conditions:
Severe Financial Hardship: If you are experiencing severe financial difficulties, you may be able to access your super. This typically requires you to have received government support and to demonstrate that you cannot meet your living expenses.
Compassionate Grounds: You can apply to withdraw your super for certain compassionate reasons, such as:
Medical treatment for yourself or a dependent.
Preventing foreclosure on your home.
Palliative care for a terminally ill person.
Permanent Incapacity: If you become permanently incapacitated and are unable to work, you may be eligible to access your super.
Terminal Illness: If you are diagnosed with a terminal illness and have a life expectancy of less than 24 months, you can withdraw your super without conditions.
Leaving Australia: If you are leaving Australia permanently and are a temporary resident, you can access your super upon departure.
First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS): You can withdraw voluntary contributions you made into your superannuation to help purchase your first home.
For any withdrawal, it is important to check with your superannuation fund and follow the specific application procedures, as there may be different requirements and forms to fill out. Additionally, seeking financial advice can help you understand your options and implications.
I have had many favourite moments during the years of my life. But the one I want to recall happened on the evening of May 19, 2023, when I was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for education services.
My award was presented by the NT Administrator His Honour Professor the Honourable Hugh Heggie.
A joy to me was having four family members who were there for me that night.
When notified of my award by the Secretary of the Awards Program, Mr Singer, I wrote back to him as follows.
“Dear Mr Singer
Thank you for this advice and please know that I feel both pride and humility in being recognised as an OAM recipient to be announced on January 26. I appreciate whoever nominated me and have to tell you that your email has made my day. I will value this honour highly and appreciate all who have been a part of deciding this conferral.
I gave up the possible inheritance of a family farm to enter teacher’s college as a mature-age student in 1968, this being the beginning of a very satisfying and fulfilling career.
Might I please share with you my statement of mission, developed during a leadership program in 1983, which became the ethos and the underpinning driver of my life?
“ To fulfil and be fulfilled in organisational terms, family, work and recreation.
To acquit my responsibilities with integrity.
To work (I later changed ‘work’ to ‘live’) with a smile in my heart.”
Again, thank you for your advice and an inner feeling of uplift engendered within my being.”
Insecurity and uncertainty about the world’s future are frightening millions of Australians’ resolve and mental fortitude. This compounds exponentially for young people who cannot see other than the gloom and doom of realism that is so confronting.
They think, why not live for today without worry or care, for there is no tomorrow?
Why is Adam Drake appreciated as a Living Treasure and an icon of the Northern Territory?
Response:
Adam Drake is appreciated as a Living Treasure and an icon of the Northern Territory for several reasons:
1. Cultural Contribution
Adam Drake has played a significant role in promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of the Northern Territory. His work often reflects the values, traditions, and stories of the local Indigenous communities.
2. Arts and Creativity
Drake’s contributions to the arts, whether through visual arts, performance, or music, have made a lasting impact. His creativity has brought attention to the unique culture of the Northern Territory.
3. Community Engagement
He is known for his efforts in engaging with the community, fostering connections between people, and encouraging collaboration among local artists and cultural practitioners.
4. Advocacy for Indigenous Rights
Drake has been a strong advocate for Indigenous rights and representation, using his platform to raise awareness about important social issues affecting Indigenous Australians.
5. Inspiration
His dedication, passion, and commitment to his work have inspired many in the community, making him a respected figure among both artists and community members.
6. Recognition as a Living Treasure
Being recognized as a Living Treasure is a testament to his impact and legacy within the Northern Territory. It honors individuals who have dedicated their lives to enriching the cultural landscape of their regions.
In summary, Adam Drake’s multifaceted contributions to the arts, culture, and community engagement, along with his advocacy work, make him a valued icon of the Northern Territory.
This man deserves to be the Northern Territorian for 2025
I asked AI to shape the following facts into a poem.
My request was as follows:
Please write me a four stanza – with eight lines in each stanza in rhyming couplets – about Adam Drake. Include that he is a hero steeped in humility to growing numbers of people in the Northern Territory, throughout Australia and around the world. He and his organisation Balanced Choice have transformed hundreds of lives of young and old., of all cultures and religious affiliations into being powerfully positive from earlier positions of challenge and negativity. Adam Drake has been and is an emissary of good and upright and positively focussed living to the rest of the world. He is an ambassador and a practitioner in mental, physical, spiritual and moral endeavour. He is, in our modern times, like Noah who built the ark to save the world from wickedness and like John the Baptist who gave his all in pursuing with missionary zeal, the healing and the uplift of others. Adam Drake has been unswerving in dedicating his life to helping to transform others, from looking down in sadness and despair, to looking up with newfound hope and positiveness. He is indeed a hero, an icon, a living treasure who seeks no other outcome in life than to grow the goodness in others. He lives what he says and that life validates his message making it resonate with others.
AI RESPONDED
Adam Drake: A Hero in Humility
In Northern Territory where the sun shines bright,
Stands Adam Drake, a beacon of light.
With Balanced Choice, he paves the way,
Transforming lives, come what may.
Young and old, from cultures diverse,
He lifts them up, quelling the worse.
With humility’s grace, he leads the march,
Inspiring hope, igniting the spark.
An emissary of good, in a world often gray,
Adam shows us how to truly live each day.
A practitioner of morals, both steadfast and true,
In mental and physical realms, he knows what to do.
Like Noah with purpose, preparing for change,
He builds with compassion, never estranged.
John the Baptist’s zeal, he carries with pride,
In the healing of hearts, his love won’t subside.
From shadows of sadness, he helps them to rise,
Encouraging visions of brighter skies.
With each passing moment, he sows a new seed,
Fostering strength, fulfilling each need.
A hero, an icon, a treasure so rare,
His life is a testament to love and care.
Seeking no glory, just growth in the soul,
He wanders through life, making others whole.
Resounding his message, with actions sincere,
Adam validates hope, banishing fear.
He lives what he speaks, a lesson profound,
In the symphony of kindness, his spirit resounds.
With unwavering resolve, he shapes our fate,
Turning despair into joy, never too late.
In communities joined, across lands far and wide,
Adam Drake shines brightly, our trustworthy guide.
Ukraine drones damage Russian warplanes and facilities
If this happened as reported, it would be an excellent outcome for Ukraine. Russia deserves every effective retaliatory strategy Ukraine can muster.
University priorities
Partying … this seems to be so much of what university is about in these modern times.
Comparing defence forces
China’s defence system reminds me of strong, stainless, reinforced steel.
Russia’s defence system reminds me of unreinforced steel.
America’s defence system reminds me of iron.
Britain’s defence system reminds me of weathered iron.
Australia’s defence system makes me think about tissue paper.
Senator Canavan and taxing inequities
Senator Canavan is right to call for this tax to be reasonable in its application. As he says, taxing unrealised gains that are forecasted but not realised is unfair. It simply reinforces the notion that the government is about grubbing money from wherever retrieval is possible.
Australia’s defence is as resistant as tissue paper
Australia IS totally defenceless and in the face of any military aggression directed toward us, would be compromised into submission whith a week. Our defence policy is about talk but no action in readiness terms. We are as vulnerable to attack as Taiwan
Ukraine a dogged adversary
Good on Ukraine. Remember back to February 24 2022, when Russia was going to blow Ukraine out of the water in three days. Now 1197 dasys later … !
Musk and Trump and separation
I am so desperately sad that a barbed wire fence seems to be being built between Mr Musk and President Trump. I hope that, like the Australian Coalition, the separation will be temporary and that these two brilliant men will again allow their ambitions to be joined in oneness and unity.
Shakespeare is missing glorious literary fodder
If William Shakespeare were still alive, he would have glorious material to work with on the literary and play creation front. What Trump and Musk are providing at the moment would stimulate comedy, farce, retribution, darkness, light, and humour.
Questions of youth and youngness
As a very old man, take it from me that youth is fleeting and is all too soon replaced by middle age and old age. I often wish, as a person about to emerge into the octogenarian era, that I had the wisdom of today in my youth of yesterday.
It gives one a warm glow to know that the UK and the USA—our AUKUS partners—are not too far away if we need help repelling any unwanted or antagonistic attention toward our country from any non-aligned power.
Virgin flights to Uluru on rock bottom special prices
There are too many terms and conditions and limitations. Once the extra costs are added, the whole package will look less inviting.
Community upgrades at remote settlement
Knowing about these upgrades and how they will facilitate living conditions in this community is good. The work will substantially benefit residents and visitors, provided these facilities are carefully maintained. The short life expectancy of many new and upgraded facilities in communities is an outcome of care and maintenance neglect. There is no better example of this than what has happened in the Wadeye Community.
New teaching approach in NT
This is NOT NEW. It is revisiting the way things used to be before alternative, more floury and less effective strategies supplanted a common sense approach. Sadly, too many students for far too long have been captive guinea pigs. They have suffered at the hands of those peddling fanciful theories and shallow alternatives to good, sound teaching and in depth learning.
Finke Desert Race
May all those in buggies and on bikes be protected from harm and danger on the way to Finke and back to Alice Springs. This wonderful event has had its share of mishaps, including injury and death, and I hope, as an avid fan of this great event, that all participants and spectators are kept safe.
VAD – get on with it!
It is high time the CLP Government stopped procrastinating and pussy-footing around the issue of VAD. Inquiries and reports have been numerous, reasoned and based on careful consideration by those qualified to undertake the research and provide the recommendations that have already taken place. This further ‘inquiry into the inquiries and previous recommendations’ is tinkering and pussy-footing – and delaying the legislating of what is a fundamental human right.
Director of Public Prosecutions resigns
Mr Babb makes it four resignations from key positions. It seems that the only commissioner hanging on is the Corrections Commissioner. The revelation of this post suggests we are in dire straits.
At the risk of drawing ‘tut-tuts’ from the new generation of political leaders, I would suggest that the government should open these issues to the public, and especially long-term Territorians for their thoughts. I don’t think this would be a waste of time, for what is needed is a revisitation of the experiences of those who confronted these sorts of issues in the past. Understanding their management processes and how they dealt with key challenges could offer a valuable learning experience and would not be a waste of time.
Transparency
I am starting to seriously worry about the roles and responsibilities attached to a growing number of senior public and government-appointed positions. It seems that accountability and transparency of action are more opaque and less clear than should be the case. We need to appreciate our government and its departments through a clear lens. It seems to me that the lens is getting very foggy, with excuses and vagaries creeping in, making for obtuse and unclear responses.
I retired from teaching in January 2012 after a career that commenced with my teacher training in 1968/69 and my first appointment in 1970. I was both a neophyte and a greenhorn but was advantaged by a training program that, in those days, taught us to teach. Teaching methodology and substance was part of the deal.
We were given copious practice teaching opportunities and had to pass rigorous observation.
Notwithstanding, over the years, I was supported by many who were senior to me but empathetic toward me.
With time, I determined that on retirement, I would develop a series of vignettes or thoughts teachers in training and neophytes might find of use and support as they went through their early teaching years.
I have shared these vignettes with my WordPress readers. Thank you for your reading and comments.
Attached is the Vignette Index. If you or anyone you know would like copies of the index, please feel free to use them. If you or others would like copies of items to be emailed, I am happy to oblige. There is no cost attached; the support received in my years as an educator was free of charge.
Why are many houses that cost the earth to build, so poorly constructed?
Response:
The paradox of expensive houses being poorly constructed can often be attributed to several factors:
Cost Overruns and Budget Constraints: High initial costs may arise from land prices or luxury amenities, leading developers to cut corners on construction quality to stay within budget.
Focus on Aesthetics over Functionality: Many luxury homes prioritize design over practical construction, leading to issues with structural integrity, insulation, and durability.
Use of Subcontractors: Developers may hire subcontractors to save money, resulting in inconsistent quality. If cheaper labor is used, the quality of craftsmanship can suffer.
Market Pressure: In high-demand areas, there may be pressure to build quickly to capitalize on market trends, sacrificing quality for speed.
Lack of Regulation: In some regions, building codes may be lax, allowing poor construction practices to go unchecked.
Material Choices: To save costs, builders might opt for lower-quality materials that may not stand the test of time, affecting the overall integrity of the home.
Misaligned Incentives: Builders focused on profit margins might prioritize short-term gains over long-term customer satisfaction and quality.
In summary, while the initial costs may be high, various pressures and decisions during the construction process can lead to subpar results.
In the Northern Territory of Australia, and particularly in the Top End, we only have two seasons.
From October until the end of April we have the wet season when most of our rain falls . From the beginning of May through until the end of September is the dry season.
There’s not all that much difference in temperature gradients between the seasons but during the dry, there is less humidity.
I am ambivalent about my favourite season. I like the wet particularly when it does rain. I also like the dry season when the humidity drops, particularly if the air is clear and smoke-free.
During the dry season between 50 and 60% of the Northern Territory gets burned out by bushfires so the dry season is often very smoky.
It’s hard for me to determine which I like the better – the wet or the dry. But I do like cold weather. To live in a cold place is something I would fancy but given where we live that is never ever going to happen.
These days new housing means a quite large house on a tiny, weenie block. You can reach through an external window and touch the wall of the house next door. It must be akin to living in shoe boxes. How these places are going up, makes me wonder about the quality and therefore the longevity of these new establishments. We live in an older suburb – with space around – and for that I am glad.
I’m not all that interested in material things when it comes to what I have what I need and what I can’t do without.
My luxury is to reflect over the years of my life, including all my associations with family, friends, students, and teachers, and the experiences that have been part and parcel of my life with so many others in so many different places.
I like being able to reflect and recall things that have happened, not in a way to cause me to feel miserable about the present, because I have had so many rich experiences that have been a part and parcel of my life.
There have been challenges, barriers, failures, successes, and celebrations. To pause and reflect on my old age somehow helps to keep my mind young
What is the one luxury that I cannot live without?
This question has been exercising my mind like no other offered to us each day. Part of the problem is the definition of “luxury“. What may be a luxury to some could almost be an every day mundane thing for others.
Growing up in the immediate post war era from 1946, my frame of reference and therefore my definition of what might be a luxury is altogether different from that of someone born years later.
Against that background, I have decided that my communications tool, my iPhone 6S is a luxury and one these days that I cannot do without.
I grew up in the days of trunk line telephone calls from landlines, telegrams costing in today terms close to 9 dollars for 12 over the wire, copied and hand delivered from the post office nearest where the receiver lived. Living in remote areas where the only communication was by VJY Outback radio and not having a landline at home or work until 1983 and appreciate why my iPhone is an indispensable luxury
Today I am using my “luxury“. I am sitting comfortably using my prepaid mobile. It costs me $30 a month. I have recorded this message down using Siri and thinking how much different it is now to then when it comes to the ease and convenience of communication.
Rather than being straightforward, education these days has become a kaleidoscope of confusion. Many graduate teachers are quickly disappointed by the realities of a teaching profession that fails to meet their preconceptions.
Rather than finding that teaching is about “teaching,” they discover a significant emphasis on testing, measurement, assessment, and evaluation, often of areas outside their teaching fields. It seems the children are forever being monitored and confronted by batteries of tests.
It quickly becomes evident to teachers that data are driving education. Data requirements dictate teaching and teaching methods.
Academic competence is essential. However, holistic education (the social, emotional and moral/spiritual elements) seems to be given scant attention. Graduate teachers have a strong desire to work as developers of children. Many are quickly disillusioned because education appears to be about a relatively narrow band of academic outcomes.
For many graduate teachers, the gloss of teaching soon wears off. They cannot cope with the ‘teaching for test’ dimension that now underpins education. The brief years they spend in classrooms are disillusioning. In turn, they may share their perceptions of the teaching profession with others, negatively influencing their thoughts and opinions.
Classroom practitioners find it difficult to accept that their observations are discounted. Unless verified by formal testing, teacher evaluations are considered invalid.
Preoccupation with the formalities of testing and examination are not always priorities generated by schools. Instead, requirements are set by departmental administrators, and schools have to comply with them. In turn, these priorities are not necessarily what administrators want but are a compulsory response to the demands of politicians.
Sadly, Australian education is deeply rooted in comparing results at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels with those achieved by students in overseas systems. Those students are often from countries totally unlike Australia, but that is not considered. The fact that educational objectives are dictated by comparison to overseas systems is an undoing of Australian education.
Education should be about the needs of children and not influenced by the desire of political leaders and top educationists to brag about how good Australian education is compared to other systems. Many graduate teachers are caught up as players in this approach, quickly wise up, and quit the profession. Our students are the losers, and their perceptions of education are sadly discoloured.
My tagline comes from a source of inspiration going back to 1968. I’ve written in the past about having given up a family farm in order to go teaching. The teachers college I went to for my two year course was Graylands Teachers College in Western Australia.
I worked very hard and was always committed to wanting to teach because I wanted to be somebody who helped others. I graduated with a quite excellent Teachers Certificate.
Throughout the time at Graylands I often reflected on the college motto. It was in Latin and stated “Non Nobis Solum” and translates as “not for ourselves alone”.
For my tagline I singularised that statement to become “not for myself alone”. I’ve tried very hard over the years to be there for others and the Graylands Teachers College Motto certainly helped in terms of focusing me on this tagline.
My wife and I are both retired. We have known each other for decades and always spent lots of time together. She is the person I have spent the most time with over the years, and evermore now that we are retired.
We have been married for 56 years and grow ever closer.
She is my constant companion and the person with whom I spend the most time.
Which football code is the roughest and most physical?
Response:
Determining which football code is the roughest and most physical can be subjective and depends on various factors, including rules, player safety measures, and individual perspectives. However, here’s a comparison of the main football codes based on physicality:
Rugby Union: Known for its physical confrontations, rugby union involves tackling, scrumming, and rucking, all of which can be quite intense. The lack of protective gear compared to American football adds to the physical nature of the sport.
Rugby League: Similar to rugby union but with different rules and fewer players. It is also highly physical, with frequent tackles and a quicker pace. Tackles are often executed aggressively, and the game encourages strong physicality.
American Football: Characterized by significant contact and strategy, American football involves high-impact collisions, especially during tackles and blocking. Players wear protective gear, which can sometimes lead to harder hits.
Australian Rules Football: This code involves continuous play and a mix of tackling and physical dueling, which can lead to heavy physical encounters. Players face rough conditions, as there are fewer restrictions on tackling.
Gaelic Football: Combines elements of soccer and rugby, featuring physical tackling and contact. It is less intense than rugby codes but still showcases physical play.
Conclusion:
While all these codes have their levels of physicality, Rugby Union and Rugby League are often regarded as the roughest due to their intense tackling and scrums with minimal protective gear. American Football is also extremely physical but offers more protection for players, leading to potentially different styles of contact. Ultimately, the “roughest” varies based on personal opinions and experiences.
Has there ever been a day of total peace in the history of the world?
Response:
The concept of a “day of total peace” is largely theoretical and has never been officially recorded in history. Throughout human history, there have been many instances of peace treaties, ceasefires, and days of remembrance or reflection on peace, but a day where no conflict occurred anywhere in the world is unfeasible due to the ongoing nature of human conflicts and diverse geopolitical situations.
Some notable events that aimed for peace include:
Peace Days or Observances: Various organizations and movements promote days for peace, such as the International Day of Peace, observed on September 21 each year, which encourages cessation of hostilities.
Global Ceasefires: There have been temporary ceasefires in specific conflicts (like during Christmas in World War I), but these were localized and not global.
In conclusion, while there are symbolic days dedicated to peace, there has never been a universally recognized day of total peace without conflicts occurring somewhere.
My comic hero is Phantom. Phantom the icon of goodness and the nemesis of evil in the comic strip has stated “I have many names”.
I too, have and have used many names.
FMost of these are when writing comments for newspapers in various locations. I have “Two Left Feet” (sport), “Theatre Buff” (theatre), “Musicofanatic” (music), “Around The Traps” (general matters), along with “Old Man Todd”, “Bill Smith of Rocky Gully”, “Observer”, “Patriotic Voter”, “Statistician”, “Appreciator”, Septuagenarian “, Nutritionist”, “Rejoicer”, “GMH”, “POH”, and” HOP”.
The above are names I have adopted when writing in various contexts.
Of all the names and pseudonyms I have used over the years, there’s one I have not yet listed. It is the name I would like to change into if for whatever reason Henry Gray became non-applicable any longer.
Building a curriculum vitae is a professional necessity that is too often overlooked. People tend to think ‘why bother’ or ‘I’ll remember’ when it comes to things they should be recording. Memory fades and with it the capacity to recall things that can help with job and promotion applications.
I would suggest considering buying an expanding file. Label each opening with one of the graduate standards suggested by AITSL. It would be wise to label them in order of the way the graduates standards are listed in documentation. Then as evidence of meeting graduate standards is provided, place a note about that in the relevant section of the file. Also include evidence confirming your meeting of those standards. Samples of student work from time to time may help, particularly if they verify teaching strategies and efforts. In addition it can be handy to keep a notebook into which you add jottings from time to time, for transfer to your CV.
Make sure you unload those jottings into the file possibly expanding them into a more detailed format before so doing.
As time goes on upgrade your file to consider standards for teachers gaining new understandings, proficiencies and experience. In that way your folder is of evidence is always up to date.
Make sure that as you update your expanded folder, to take out those things that are no longer relevant. They become secondary (aged) rather than primary (recent) evidence. When cleaning out the file my suggestion would be that rather than destroying documentation removed, you store it in some secondary way to be called on if necessary.
Photographic evidence confirming what you have done can be useful. With iPads and iPhones, taking supporting photographs becomes easy. My suggestion would be that you either print these photographs and add them to the folder or alternatively that you start an index on the device into which photographs can be added.
From time to time colleagues and superordinates, even parents might offer you written recommendations or references. Keeping these and adding them to your CV is important because those statements substantiate and validate what you have to say about yourself.
Developing sound methodology in relation to compiling evidence for CV purposes is a very good habit to establish and maintain
Caring for school environments is the duty of all users. If care is not taken, classrooms, walkways, toilets and school yards can quickly become littered and grubby. Most schools emphasise the need for students to properly dispose of rubbish. There are rubbish bins inside classrooms and buildings and strategically located around school, in toilets as well as communal areas.
It can be extraordinarily difficult for schools to maintain a clean, litter free appearance. A drive past some schools, particularly late in the afternoon, reveals a scatter of paper, plastic cups and other rubbish. A proliferation of rubbish detracts from the grounds appearance, giving the impression that all students are litterers. That is true only of of a minority.
Awareness of the need for classroom organisation and tidiness should be part of student development. In many classrooms there is a roster, assigning students to specific tasks. They might include the following:
• Cleaning whiteboards
• Delivering and collecting notes from the office
• Taking lunch orders to the canteen
• Collecting lunch orders from the canteen
• Tidying shelves and classroom storage areas
• Giving out and collecting work books
• Collecting recyclable materials.
All students take responsibility for:
• Tidy desks and personal storage areas
• Stacking their chairs at the end of the day
• Disposing of food scraps and their own rubbish into bins
• Putting litter into outside bins
• Personal hygiene including toilet flushing and hand washing
• Using classroom bins rather than floors for pencil shavings and scraps of paper.
Some would argue that attitudes of cleanliness and tidiness should be automatic. However, recognising effort and rewarding enterprise can help reinforce personal and civic attitudes. Recognition of class responsibility for care and maintenance of school appearance might include the following:
• The awarding at assembly of a mascot that ‘visits’ the tidiest classroom until the next assembly.
• Recognition of the class that looks after the verandahs and public areas adjacent.
• Giving small rewards to children caught ‘doing something good’ when it comes to environmental care.
• Presenting class or principal’s certificates to classes and children who always do the right thing when it comes to school and classroom appearance.
Schools have cleaning contracts. Contractors attend to daily and weekly cleaning together with a ‘spring clean’ during each long holiday period. However, it is up to students and those using the school to look after and take pride in their facilities. Along the way, habits of cleanliness and tidiness that should last a lifetime, are reinforced.
As a school principal, I relatively quickly learned that leadership can be challenged by mateship. I always tried to allow respect and professional regard to transcend friendship and personal feelings about the people I worked with.
In the same way, I would advocate very strongly that teachers teaching children in classrooms should not allow friendships with parents of children to get in the way of their professional responsibility to board teaching tasks. Sometimes, It cannot be easy to need teachers to counsel parents about a child. I made it more difficult by “friendship” with the parents. The difficulty can be not wanting to offend the parent by telling things as if they offer home truths.
The onus is upon teachers to separate their professional and personal lives from each other. Allowing a personal relationship to cloud professional responsibilities can have disastrous long-term consequences.
If there is any chance that a conflict might occur, it would be wise policy for teachers to discuss matters with their senior or school principal.
Sometimes, parents and students discount the importance of the last 15 minutes of the school day. It’s often seen as the time when parents can collect children early for other appointments. It is also the time that may be “wagged” by children hear Claire, and they have to leave early to catch the school bus.
The last 15 minutes should never be trivialised. At this time, homework is given out, notes are distributed, and important announcements are made at the class or the whole school level. It’s also a vital class time and a period during which the school day is concluded.
These minutes spent together by teacher and students put an end of the day wrap around the hours that have gone before. That leaves early miss out on an essential part of the day.
Students and parents should be encouraged to appreciate The value of these minutes, which close out a school day. They offer teachers and students the opportunity to have a final favourable period together to celebrate the day that has been shared.
The rash of child abuse inquiries happening around our nation at the moment and for the past decade or two, are lifting the issue of abuse against children wand young people to the forefront of public awareness.
Without doubt, some of the allegations levelled against teachers and others are as a result of the “stimulation” generated by these inquiries. Sins against children and young people need to be visited and perpetrators punished. However, the reputations of those who are completely innocent of any wrongdoing need to be protected. Current actions (actions of the moment) need to be such that educators protect and guard against allegations at some future time.
Teaching is a profession that requires increasing vigilance in human relations by teachers, school leaders and principals. In recent years, the issue of child abuse has gained traction. Lots of abuse issues, most of an historical nature, are being raised. Various Royal Commissions and Inquiries have highlighted the matter. I have heard from Victorian Inquiries, that around 1,600 issues have been and are being followed up. That follow up has been happening for a number of years and remains ongoing. There are inquiries taking place in other states and territories.
Without doubt many of the allegations being brought against alleged perpetrators of past abuse, especially sexual abuse, are justified. They need to be followed through. However, there are instances when allegations are made with mischievous and malevolent intent. They hang those falsely accused out to dry. Accusations may be levelled against people many years after the alleged abuse occurred.
A program several years ago on ABC “Four Corners” illustrates this point. A female teacher in Melbourne was accused of sexually interfering with two boys around 30 years ago. She was dragged through a messy court process, including being accused, found guilty, and jailed. The case was subsequently appealed and another grimy court process ensued. At the end, she was found not guilty of these crimes and acquitted. Her career, of course was absolutely ruined. The protagonists who had brought the case against her, two men in their early 30s (they had been boys of seven or eight at the time referred to in the allegation) have not to this point in time been charged with their own gross criminal misconduct. The story’s inference is that they have simply shrugged it off! Significantly, the Victorian Department of Education, Teachers Union and Teachers Registration Authority appear to have offered no visible support to the teacher. These cases are not rare.
The recent reporting of the Michael Neade matter is strikingly similar to the Victorian case. I have to wonder how much support Mr Neade was offered, for it seems that those accused, regardless of final outcomes, are hung out to dry.
Allegations made against teachers presume guilt until the teacher proves his or her innocence. The first thing that happens after the allegation is made, is that the teacher is stood aside from regular duties. What follows can go on for months and years and may (as happened with Mr Neade) involve time in jail. For falsely accused educators, comes an extremely lonely and stressful time. They receive very little organisational support and are effectively cast adrift.
I have been told that it is very unlikely prosecution will ever be brought against false complainants. The only recourse available to someone falsely accused and acquitted, is to seek redress through the civil court. That is costly, messy and continues the hurt. It is also unlikely that damages that may be awarded, will ever be paid because of payment inability on the part of the person against whom damages are awarded.
It is wise for teachers to keep a clear, detailed and time noted record of instances when they have been connected with students in counselling and development. Nothing beats a detailed diary. When moving schools, retiring or otherwise moving on, take these records with you (I would suggest a diary). Maintain their accessibility. Keeping this data in USB or electronic form is an option. Unfortunately, teaching and school leadership are professions where future trust can no longer be presumed.
If allegations are then brought, there is a clear record to show the date, time, place, and nature of the counselling. Often details brought by the complainant are fairly vague and being able to refute them with accurate data is of inestimable value.
There are one or two other points to keep in mind.
• If counselling or working one-on-one with children, ensure that it is in a space that has visibility from the outside. A room with a see-through window, a common area within, a learning module, or a location within a linear classroom close to an open door are options.
• I believe it paramount for teachers to report matters of counselling and discipline to a senior or to the principal along with keeping a written record.
Those who have false accusations brought against them, regardless of outcomes, are never the same people again. I understand they look at life differently. Their outlook becomes tinged with suspicion. They wonder if they can never be part of trustful relationships again. This issue is one of growing consequence and something all educators need to take on board and carefully consider. Don’t live in fear but never think it can’t happen to you because it can.
What NEVER happens is visitation on those who make false accusations against those who are innocent and whose lives, professional and often personal, are destroyed. They are home-free, possibly gloating at the mischief they have caused
For me, it was “The Famous 5 Series” by Enid Blyton
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They were good books. I had the whole series. I would read them over and over and never tired of the adventures of Julian, Dick, Anne, Georgina and Timmy the dog
What behaviours do men and roosters have in common?
Response:
Men and roosters can be humorously compared due to a few stereotypical behaviors that they might share. Here are some commonalities often highlighted in a light-hearted context:
Strutting and Confidence: Roosters are known for their proud posture and strutting around their territory, much like the stereotype of confident men who display their masculinity.
Crowing: Roosters are famous for their loud crowing at dawn. Similarly, men might boast or share their achievements loudly, seeking attention and recognition.
Territorial Behavior: Roosters can be very territorial, protecting their space. This can parallel how some men may act protectively over personal or social territories.
Seeking Attention: Just as roosters often try to attract hens, men might engage in behaviors aimed at attracting attention or admiration from others.
Group Dynamics: Roosters often interact within a pecking order in their flock. Similarly, men may engage in competitive social dynamics within groups.
Playfulness: Both can exhibit playful or competitive behaviors, whether it’s in friendly banter or more serious rivalry.
Sharing a Morning Routine: Roosters are known for waking up early to crow, paralleling the notion that many men rise early for work or responsibilities.
These comparisons are intended for comedic effect and should be taken light-heartedly!
Some are very seriously earnest in their manifestation of these behaviours.
In this day and age, increasing educational complexity overlooks two vital criteria: ‘simplicity’ and ‘focus’. We need to keep education simple in terms of clarity of message and focused in terms of upholding key learning and developmental needs of young people. Simplicity and focus need to be absolute priorities. Unfortunately, governments and educational systems have discounted these important teaching and learning principles.
Nor should the use of technology supplant the prime teaching role of teachers.
Too often we can’t see the wood for the trees. Embedded within Curriculum Frameworks are key learning principles to which teacher attention is drawn. Those requirements should underpin planning, preparation and teaching then testing, measurement and data analysis leading towards follow-up. What happens however, is that key learning strategies and straight-forward focus principles are set to one side with teachers being ‘invited’ to unceasingly explore the veritable cybernet forest of educational resources and alternative strategies for their usage.
The depth and density of resource and support materials is absolutely mind-boggling – there is also a huge amount of reduplication or, at best, only minor change from one precept to the next. Trawling through an infinite resource selection is inordinately time-consuming. Quite often, the journey reveals little more than teachers already have in their own resource collections.
I’d suggest to teachers surfing the web looking for resources that they record time started and time finished. They will often find that many, many hours have been spent searching for resources, time committed that goes well beyond the teaching value of what they download.
Imprinted into the minds of teachers is the imperative that they give of their absolute best, to bring children out the other end of the teaching / learning journey having been enriched. For some reason, possibly a lack of self confidence or by not questioning the suggestion of leaders, the search for resource materials and teaching advice occupies a significant amount of teachers time.
What seems to count
I believe that teachers are often frightened that what they do in terms of teaching, will be insufficient. It seems they feel the weight of accountability, believing people are regularly scrutinising, ready to pounce, criticise and condemn if things are not good enough. They appear to rejoice little and worry a lot about whether their contribution is or isn’t appreciated. This means that they become super self-critical and very rarely take time to rejoice and celebrate their teaching successes.
In Australia, the Ministers of Education and Education Department CEOs agreed upon the Melbourne Declaration of Education in 2008. The declaration exhorts teachers to be holistic in their approach to teaching and learning processes in its first part. While academics are highly stressed, so, too, are the social, emotional, and moral/spiritual aspects of development. This declaration follows on earlier COAG statements of principle and intent, but in practice this is often set aside.
It seems that teachers are urged to turn their attention away from this position and toward recognising far more limited aspects of development as having greater priority.
In particular, the focus seems to be narrowly focussed on testable aspects of literacy and numeracy, with little else counting as being of educational relevance. In Australia, we have what might be termed ‘Four May Days each year’, coinciding with the nationwide NAPLAN testing for children in years three, five, seven and nine. Tests are taken over three days, with a catch-up day allowed for students who miss sitting tests on the designated days. Comparative data comes back to schools, comparing them on the outcomes of these tests against all other schools. That information goes on to the ACARA managed ‘My Schools’ website, which records information relating to outcomes for children in all Australian Schools for public digestion.
From there, media picks up on schools that are well below average, to well above average across the spectrum of tests and years. They then produce colourful tables showing schools from deep pink (well below average) to deep green (well above average). Some newspapers delight in or have delighted in talking about “Seas of Red,” allowing readers to draw a personal metaphor about what often seems to be the more occasional “Oasis of Green.”
The focus most certainly remains firmly fixed on the importance of teaching, strategies, and data collection in preparing for the annual NAPLAN program. Data is upheld as the number one Australian educational priority.
The Australian government emphasises and owns this testing regime, insisting that the program is an absolute universal system priority. It has cost hundreds of millions of educational dollars since its inception in 2008.
This paper is not a forum where further discussion of NAP testing should occur. Rather, I am seeking to show that macro-determined programs coming from the Australian Government can and do have the effect of distracting us from a focus that aligns with holistic development and the preparation of children for the whole of life. ‘If literacy and numeracy challenges are satisfied, then the educational job is done’, seems to be an underpinning paradigm.
It is a pity that in this day and age ‘learning in the hands of students is often dismissive of this type and level of engagement. I wondered how appreciative those in high Australian Government places might be of a program like this – or whether indeed they would see it as being relevant!
Classroom Priorities and Teacher Focus
‘Learning in the hands of students’ is just that! It’s about putting into the hands of children technologically developed gizmos that enable them to communicate ‘by finger’, engaging in everything from games and internet study to the transmission and receipt of messages . . . and so on. The onus and emphasis is more and more on technology and less and less on skills that used to be considered important.
What doesn’t happen in modern learning contexts is considering the need for children and students to be listeners, speakers, readers, and writers. Primary communication skills are often muted.
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The sending of texts, e-mails and, more recently, Facebook engagement, Twitter entry and other device-supported communication has replaced old-fashioned listening and speaking.
Increasingly, reading and writing are also being committed to the technological domain. We have entered the world of e-books, tablet reading, and keyboard or Siri writing. In some American states and European countries handwriting texts are no longer prescribed, with tablets being the new way forward.
I am personally saddened by the way children’s education seems to be distancing itself from primary communication skills. The ability of people (young and old) to look each other in the eye, speak up with confidence and to listen without interruption is nearing extinction. If young people are to develop skills and confidence in communication, we will need a return to the era in which these communication skills were considered paramount. There needs to be a rebirth of primary skills in these areas.
I am not suggesting that there is no place for technology in the classroom. What has to be avoided is the situation where technological takeover depersonalises both communication and teaching-learning contexts. These days, with the help of a smartboard,learning originates online, is generated through the computer via the Smartboard, and then reaches students. Teachers meantime busy themselves in rubric recording of data that offers comment on the perceptions of what children are learning. This is hardly about teaching and learning in a primary context of engagement. It takes from, rather than from adding to enriching the education of children. It is about secondary engagement (through technological tools and measurement), diminishing prime focus on direct teacher and pupil teaching and learning contexts.
Concluding thought
In our age of modern education, it is concerning that tools that can support teaching and learning are taking over. Resources in cyberspace surely should be no more than that—resources—to be drawn on carefully and possibly scarcely. We can overdo it on the research and downloads, particularly when so much of what’s out there is essentially reduplicative of what has gone before. The tools we use for data access and to facilitate teaching can be enriching but, again, should not replace that idiom of relationship contact that develops between children and teachers during prime learning time.
Self-study should not focus on downloading material to be incorporated into texts and assignments through cutting and pasting. If this becomes the major way of constructing essays and papers, research can be diminished, and understanding lost.
Surely education should be reminiscent of and carefully reflective about development and preparation of young people for the whole of life. Part of this is the need for them to be in command of support devices, with teachers ensuring the ‘human side’ of education does not succumb to technological trappings.
‘Keeping it simple’ and ‘keeping it focused’ has served us well in the past; Governments and education systems should not discard these precepts in the 21st century.
I don’t doubt the truth of sad situational stories about Northern Territory education, published in ‘The Weekend Australian’ and ‘Australian’ weekday editions since September 23. All have been revealing of present situations.
That was in 2023
However, I want to correct the perception that nothing good or positive has ever been part of the Aboriginal Education framework in the NT.
Chronic non-attendance has been identified as a critical deficiency.
I was the principal of Numbulwar School from September 1976 until December 1978. I was then principal of Angurugu School for four years, 1979 – 1982. During my years of leadership in those schools, attendance was not an issue: As principal, I made sure that students not only attended regularly but were also as fully supported as possible through programs offered. This was achieved through solid ties maintained with parents and councils in both communities.
Programs included instruction in the vernacular and English languages, achieved through Indigenous Assistants and Non-Indigenous teachers co-teaching primary classes.
Our secondary program prepared students for work through work experience, vocational training and trainee link programs. These programs were undertaken in partnership with the mining company GEMCO, various government instrumentalities and the local community government council.
The present situation, as reported, greatly disappoints me. However, good things happened in past times, and those educational successes deserve to be noted.
The three books that I nominate are not a trilogy in the sense of being linked one after the other. However, they are a trilogy in the sense of importance to me for the awareness that they create and for the understanding that I need to have.The first of these, “ The One Minute Manager”, is one of a series by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. This was one of the earliest books that I bought, and then every other one in the series. It was from these authors that I learnt the importance of prioritisation, of using time wisely, of being effective and efficient without dillydallying and dawdling while at the same time considering the people with whom I worked, including my student cohorts, over the years.
This book helped me immensely in formulating my leadership priorities. It also taught me about perspective and life balance.
The second book is “Arnhem Land People and Places“ by Keith Cole. This is a significant text and pictorial work that shows how, back over time, there was plenty of business, industry, and progress being made by Indigenous Australians throughout the whole of Arnhemland.
Its research pre-dates 1974, when the Whitlam Government determined that self-management and self-determination were important for Aborigines because nothing much was going on anywhere in their lives that might lead to self-betterment. As Cole points out, there was so much happening before this intervention. Aborigines were participating in creating meaningful futures, which lends a lie to the superficial ‘Whitlam Discovery’ purporting that nothing was happening.
This is an eye-opening book I would recommend to anyone who wants an understanding of history and Aboriginal development in a significant part of Australia – as it happened. From personal experience (I became a teacher in remote communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory in 1970), I can affirm what Cole has written and illustrated. It was the way it was, and the way it was, was good.
Aboriginal people were being taught and given the skills that time would have enabled them to take full responsibility for the enterprises in which they were working. The Whitlam changes demanded that Indigenous people take immediate responsibility as enterprise bosses. That led to the crash of many enterprises leadership cannot be conferred on people not yet ready to be leaders.
Professor White’s quite recent Quarterly Essay is thought-provoking and should wake within us, a sense of the parlous reality of the modern world in which we exist. After reading his essay, I realised that the world is indeed on a knife edge when future peace and security are considered.
The text of “Sleepwalk to War” is very readable and Hugh White’s message is very important. What he has written cannot be ignored. It is about our future.
China’s defence system reminds me of strong, stainless, reinforced steel. Russia’s defence system reminds me of unreinforced steel. America’s defence system reminds me of iron. Britain’s defence system reminds me of weathered iron. Australia’s defence system makes me think about tissue paper.
With each passing day, I feel more and more that war in our region is just over the horizon. The lead editorial in “The Australian” (Xi puts regional peace in Xi dire straits over Taiwan” 8/8/22) points toward a catastrophic situation happening within the next 18 months. “It is almost certain … that the Xi communist dictatorship has advanced its timeline for reunification from perhaps later this decade to maybe as little as 18 months.”
I can sense that within a very short period of time after the conflict starts between China and Taiwan, America will come in on the side of Taiwan. That maybe just with weapons support, but more probably with air and sea engagement on behalf of Taiwan. Australia will dutifully move with America, and could well attract retaliation. First it will be by economic embargo and then physical response in the form of missile, rocket and drone retaliation. For Darwin and Cairns, it could be a case of revisitation to the second world war takeout of these cities of the north, during those months in 1942 by Japan.
I may be accused of pessimistic imagination, but my concerns are real. It is not hard to imagine our northern cities and towns, thousands of kilometres closer to China than our southern counterparts, being decimated as China pressures the Australian government to demur from the threat of even more drastic action by the Land of the Panda.
Regardless of pros and cons, there is a certain irony about what is likely to transpire in nearing future: Taiwan, under the ‘One China Policy’ is not recognised by either America or Australia, nor for that matter by very many countries and governments. In the broadest sense, if China takes physical action against Taiwan, under the terms of the policy of recognition, the action would be tantamount to civil war.
Those close to the heart of action within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) refer to Taiwan as the “Treasure Island of our Motherland”. It will not be long before they CCP goes all out for what’s they define as reunification through a process which, more and more likely, will engulf Australia.
As Australians, we will certainly be involved in any response to Western action from China. As Northern Territorians, we will be more vulnerable to retaliation than our southern counterparts. We have every reason to be concerned about the unfolding future ahead.
I am becoming very worried about aspects of CLP governance. Along with that is bewilderment as to why some actions are being taken and needs ignored. The Waterfront issue on salaries and employment has been dismissed. A key appointment to an essential position has been confirmed at the behest of the Attorney General, who has appointed a person who did not even apply for the position. The revelation about animal cruelty is confirmed in the background of the person declared the most powerful in the NT News 2024, losing the most prominent persons influencing the NT.
The government must avoid these glitches and shortcomings. Ministry officials would do well to recall what happened to the Giles Government and, more recently, the Fyles/Lawler government.
Promises must be met, and transparency—which is becoming lost—must be reinstated. Otherwise, the Finnochario government may well be a one-term wonder.
ANALYSIS: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro says she is “buoyed” by a six per cent swing towards the CLP at the federal election, but a deeper look at what the voters in Darwin and Palmerston said with their ballots should cause the Country Liberal Party and its elected members grave concerns for their political futures.
While some would argue a federal election result should not be used to criticise the Territory Chief Minister, the party itself made it a referendum on Lia in Darwin and Palmerston, and the results were damning.
Saturday’s federal election was held less than nine months after the CLP formed government through surprising gains in the Darwin northern suburbs. It appears that this result would not be replicated today if a Territory election were called.
We don’t need hordes of people
We already have far too many people living in Darwin. We need more people to crowd in, about as much as the sea needs water. Our suburbs are becoming run-down and gritty. Increasing numbers of houses are very poorly maintained, and yards are overgrown and unkempt.
Trees are planted in public spaces and along roadways and are never maintained. Council lets verges and footpaths go to rack and ruin. The council never acknowledges the efforts of those who preserve verges at the resident! ‘s expense.
And people in high places want to continue bringing in masses of people.
DO THOSE DECISION-MAKERS AND CONSULTANTS KNOW WHAT LIVING IN DARWIN AND PALMERSTON IS LIKE?
I mean in places other than housing enclaves and the newer suburbs—which, in the case of Lyons and Muirhead, are already starting to look drab. Johbsin and Zuccoli’s appearances are hardly awe-inspiring, either!
Give it a break! We need care, maintenance, appreciation and pride in what we already have rather than wanting to jam-pack this place with more people.
Maternity in a hotel
This is such an odd incentive or unusual compensation. There is only one sensible way forward: the permanent re-opening of the DPH maternity ward. While the RDH facilities might be adequate, the noise and racket, the whole atmosphere in and around the hospital, are so disconcerting. The RDH is very much like a factory, processing people rather than products. In overall terms, our health facility in the NT is going from bad to worse.
Where are the Councillors
COD Councillors! Who and where are they? What do they do? How do they represent ratepayers and voters? How do you find them? Do they ever come visit, hold constituent meetings, make any form of contact?
If they do it must be by Facebook and social media because for them, newsletters, physical contact, and any traditional visibility no longer exists.
NT – Going forwards or backwards?
There are so many press releases and so much confirmation from government and private sources about the forward-looking NT that is going places. These are largely visionary or aspirational statements. In truth and in real terms, the NT is losing much from what used to be on offer. The impending closure of the DPH maternity ward is just the latest. It often seems that the only growth industry in the NT is crime.
Euthanasia – gwt on with it!
It is high time the NT Government got on with introducing and passing VAD. Many people have endured much suffering since the callous removal of the Perron Law on VAD in the 1990s. The NT was the first, and now we are the last in Australia to have this enlightened and humanist right. An extensive inquiry has been held, and results have been released. For the government to contemplate an ‘inquiry of the inquiry’ is just dithering and messing with a vital need.
Where to is becoming blurry
Sadly, I have to agree with David’s comment; that there seem to be obligations and accountabilities about process and procedure to which departmental heads have to adhere, but which can be merrily skipped by government ministers.
Along with that, irregularities that should be investigated – like the Warerfront jobs and salaries fiasco – are waived away.
The AG is one of the ministers who is discounting process, seemingly preferring personal choice but she is not alone on this operational preference.
I am genuinely worried that the Finnochario Government is starting to slip off the tracks.
Domestic Violence
issues that could be addressed and if they were, it might help with curtailing this scourge. However, these controllable elements are not going to be tackled and for that reason, things will only worsen in terms of the degree of incidents and the severity of affliction meted out by perpetrators.
Leave Wadeye
Would it be wrong to suggest that all support staff at Wadeye should be withdrawn permanently and the community left to its own devices – with the proviso that Darwin and Larrakeyah land would be off limits because members of the community have a habit of bringing their disputes to the city and carrying on their vendettas here?
Coomalee Council sacked
Goodness gracious me. Is there ANY local government jurisdiction that has NOT been sacked over time by the NT Government? The mind boggles at the mass and volume of sackings of local government authorities that have happened over the years. Now it is Coomalee’s turn; their first time?
How many countries would Vladimir Putin like to lasso and return to the USSR Fold.
Response:
Vladimir Putin has expressed a desire to restore what he views as Russia’s sphere of influence, particularly over former Soviet states. However, he has not specified an exact number of countries he would like to incorporate. His actions and rhetoric suggest a focus on countries like Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states, which he sees as historically part of Russia or the USSR.
It’s essential to note that the geopolitical landscape is complex, and any ambitions regarding territorial claims are often influenced by a variety of strategic, political, and economic factors. The idea of “returning” countries to the Soviet fold is contentious and viewed with concern by many in the international community.
Some people have boundless expansionary appetites.
The blessing our country offers palls more than a little because of taxation regimes. Pay as you earn (PAYE) people contribute, in proportionate terms, a lot more than their due. Those who make up corporate Australia and the very wealthy know all the tricks for legitimately minimising their tax liabilities. Their tax accountants serve them well. Opportunities for tax deduction are not flagged in a public context. One has to ‘find out’ about concessions, therefore being disadvantaged
We counter the blessings Australia could offer by selling our natural resources with an almost wanton abandon. Natural gas is an example. Selling virtually all our gas by long-term contract negotiation onto the overseas futures market means we are destitute in terms of our own domestic needs. While future sales are necessary to secure the capital investment in establishing extraction and refining facilities, we have hardly been smart by going the ‘sell all’ route.
At Traeger Park. Melbourne v St Kilda. It was a home game for Melbourne but they sunk to a loss, largely because of inaccurate kicking at goal. In the second half of the game, Melbourne kicked one goal and twelve points. They kicked themselves out of the game.
There is a growing disparity between the vision held for the Northern Territory and the reality with which we are all confronted. The gap between the two is widening, but those who are visionary do not seem to understand or comprehend. For them, growth and ‘getting bigger’ are paramount, with little thought being given to maintaining what we have.
Some sad realities are in stark contrast to the vision.
Media coverage has declined, with the loss of Channel 9 being the most recent shrinking media coverage.
The notion of public transport as a safe travelling option has evaporated.
Health services are being compromised and dismantled. The Darwin Private Hospital maternity ward is the most recent health loss.
Local Government seems to be consumed by structural rather than functional issues.
Hundreds of cases presented around our Territory are choked by our courts daily.
Negatives—crime, living costs, and declining security for people and property—are rising.
The growth and expansion of correctional facilities cannot keep pace with demand.
Childcare and aged care are areas where supply – of facilities and staff- is not keeping up with what is needed.
Regarding both growth but also the need for stabilisation and sufficiency, I wonder ‘where to from here’.
EDUCATION, A LIFE FORCE 