Indeterminate Prime Minister

Our PM seems to do a lot of huffing and puffing about key world issues, but is not stamping himself with any authority in matters of substance. Is it a case of having two bob each way?

On being retired

I retired from full-time educational participation in January 2012. I have enjoyed the intervening years since then. I like being retired. It is not deadly dull and boring. I reflect a lot, write a lot, talk a lot, sing a lot, laugh a lot, and create poetry that is everything from nonsensical to severe. I also observe, with my mouth agape, how people who are leaders today do NOT. I like to consider history, which may assist in their decision-making. They love making the same mistakes that have been made in the past.  I enjoy the lead-up to elections and like pondering the future, which seems more to be heading south than north. Where to from here – further into retirement until the end of my time on earth.

The depth of Mr Burke

It is tough for me to ever accept what Minister Burke says on the subject of Palestine and HAMAS. They are not separate entities but are bound together. I remember how willing Mr Burke was to offer parliamentary responsibilities on the issue to satisfy voters in his electorate before May this year. Depth in every personality is essential. For with depth there is substance. Superficial statements are but a veneer.

Australia’s compass is failing

I am very worried about Australia’s future. Metaphorically, I feel we have moved from a country whose people were on a smooth and well-maintained road to one that is full of uncertainties, corrugations, and potholes.

Prime Minister Utterances

Sometimes, when hearing and trying to digest some of our Prime Minister’s positions through his actions and utterances, I cannot help but remember the cartoon strip about Popeye the Sailor Man and his tins of spinach.

Tread with caution, Mr Prime Minister

In the eyes of Donald Trump, Mr Albanese needs to be careful not to blow his credibility. He is walking a fine line in piloting Australia into an uncharted future with dangerous possibilities to unleash on our island-continent.

Four-day working week

It seems that employees—or at least their unions, in which some have membership—want more and more from workers, with them doing less and less. This is turning into a no-win situation for business and possibly industry. For many companies, robotic performance and AI will become standard alternatives to live people at work—and that in the not-too-distant future.

Dr Chalmers Round Table

I am envisaging this summit. It will involve key people—very important people in their respective fields of endeavour—walking, talking, sitting, and thinking about what will work for Australia. They will get 10/10 – A+ for their earnestness and their endeavours.   18

Darwin is on the cutting edge of potential conflict

In defence terms, Australia is on a hiding to nothing. With the dawn of every new day here in Darwin, a city in the most vulnerable of positions, should conflict eventuate, I wondered how long it would be before Australia is confronted by aggressive overseas adversaries.

Putin always bests Trump

I doubt the Trump-Putin meeting will be more than pie-in-the-sky hot air posturing. Putin has Trump’s measure and is the only leader in the world who can best and outlast him. 20

The future of Albanese as Prime Minister

PM Albanese is starting to cook his goose regarding his continuance as Prime Minister. Suffice it to say, and in the not-too-distant future, he will be forced to relinquish the Prime Ministership to one or another of his front benchers.  However, talent is somewhat limited by the strangulation of leftist policies.

Road use tax

In our part of the world, the state of roads is a testament to the fact that much more money is needed, not to extend roads but to maintain and upgrade what we have correctly. Increasingly, Darwin, Palmerston, and rural areas have roads nearby. Bumps and pothole patches are so numerous that they are like the pattern of endless patches Lena stitched onto Yarcob’s britches.

We are blessed to have many thoughtful and vibrant people standing for the local government election. However, voters will be hard-pressed because candidates of equal calibre will miss out no matter who they vote for.

A medal of valour for our PM

There is a possibility and a very high level of probability that the Palestinian leader will present our Prime Minister with a Medal of Valour for his declared position on Palestine’s future. He may be invited to Jerusalem to receive this honour with acclaim from the West Bank populace.

Victoria – no way!

For my life, and as a careful follower of news, I cannot think of ONE decision or position the government with Jacinta Allen as premier has taken that has positive outcomes for the people of Victoria. She is continuing the leadership practices of her predecessor, Daniel Andrews. Victoria is a state in ruin and is bankrupt to the extreme. I’d suggest the Victorian Government be put under Commonwealth administration—except that the Albanese Government is no better.

Trump and Putin meet in Alaska

Will this meeting yield any positives, or will the ‘same old, same old’ continue as it has since 24 February 2022 – 1271 days ago?

Albanese and his decisions

Anthony Albanese is doing what he says he is doing for Australia. I think he is doing what he is doing for himself. Invoking ‘Australia’ behind his actions is just a ploy to legitimise what he decides.  27

Mobile phones

My days as a school principal ended in retirement in January 2012. Then, mobile phones were more or less ‘newly emerging’ and students were far less gripped by the addiction of constant usage that is now the case. But there were still issues, without any debate at my school. Mobile phones were banned – as simple and as effective as that! Since then, with the proliferation of phones and their sad consequences, school administrators’ and educational systems’ hesitation to ban them has led to countless societal problems and issues. Mobile phones were declared essential educational tools in the NT at one stage. Fortunately and finally, bans and restrictions came into place, generally at a school level. However, despite ‘no phones’ policies, many schools still have significant issues due to the policy’s non-enforcement.  For educational systems and administrators, the problem is easily fixed. There is a rule – then enforce it! End of story.

Paul Keating and Victoria

Once upon a time, when Paul Keating overflew the NT, he declared this place to be ‘the arse end of the country’  or similar. He could offer the same epithet these days by overflying Victoria in a southbound direction.  What he said then was not entirely true, but it would be now if it were related to Victoria.

The Anchorage Meeting

Putin’s supremacy in dialogue and viewpoint insistence is paramount. The Anchorage showdown was like an episode of “The Master and the Apprentice” or ” The Maestro and the Novice.”  30

Perish the thought

The thought or suggestion that our PM would ever have a go at the RBA over interest levels is preposterous. Our PM accepts accountability – he does not deflect it onto others. He offered others bouquets of appreciation, never brickbats of negative appreciation.

Payback from Netanyahu

The responses from PM Netanyahu – not untrue in my opinion – are understandable, given the length of time and the frequency of retorts against Israel that our government has perpetrated. It is no wonder the Australian Jewish Community feels abandoned and alone.

Premier Chrisafulli to charge audience fees

What a load of garbage. Premier Chrisafulli, you have gone down 80% in my estimation. You are supposed to be a leader who is accessible to all. You are not a god, and this move on your part is the height of arrogance.

Child care all regulation and no fun

As a school principal, my first  – and best – experience with children was in 1988/89.  Our school had a general-purpose room. After school, the children gathered in that room for activities with the program leader and one or two other ladies. The program ran like clockwork; there were no worries, limited regulations, and there was lots of homework done, some excursions, physical and sporting activities, and arts and crafts. The program was so good. Come 1990, and the beginning of regulations. From then on, the program entered a different era – as was the case all around Australia. The goodness of childcare has eroded over time and will never again reflect the honest simplicity and the parental trust it once enjoyed.

Denying what happened – Australian Government Trait

Thank you for this insightful and well-researched paper. Can a copy please be sent to Anthony Albanese, Penny Wong, and Tony Burke? The three copies should be sent by registered mail, requiring the recipients to sign on delivery, so the awarenesses offered are not shrugged aside as irrelevant.

Leadership – master and apprentice

This story and its revelations confirm that Donald Trump is really nervous about deeply offending Vladimir Putin. Putin is the master of demonstrating leadership determination, and Trump is still on a learning curve.