The Dirty Apple

Most of you will probably not be aware that I do a bit of singing when I can. As a matter of fact I have been appearing professionally with Opera Queensland for over 6 years now on a regular basis. My latest project with them is an exciting contemporary youth opera called “The Dirty Apple” – presented as part of the Q150 celebrations. Of course I am not the”youth” part but play a dual role as headmaster and counsellor. Anyway, I have to say that I am very proud of how well the show has been received and how the entire cast have performed. What a troupe they are!!

It is a real honour to work with such talented young people and I am sure that you will see some of their names headlining major productions here and overseas in the years to come. I guarantee it.

The show is on at the Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre until saturday July 25th. It is NOT your usual opera! The audiences and reviewers have gone nuts over it and I believe it heralds a new era for the genre. Look out!

A busy few months…

It has been a busy few months with a fair amount of upheaval for me. Consequently I have not had much chance to blog but I daresay there is not a huge audience who have noticed.

Suffice to say, I was unexpectedly sacked from a good job I had held for the last 2 years and I have been frantically trying to fill the gap and make ends meet. In the long run it will no doubt prove to be a benefit but at the moment it has raised  a few difficulties. Thankfully I have found some casual work to tide me over but I am sure there are many out there who are suffering a similar fate due to the economic downturn and you all have my sympathy. In some ways being “under employed” is worse than unemployed as there are no benefits or safety nets as you struggle on your own.

Anyway… life goes on and so will I.

there are big plans afoot for the “beevo” and it may be a good opportunity to make the most of  the extra free time to kick a few ideas around.

Keep Smilin’!

Media Watch

I am growing weary of the loose attitude to reporting in the media. It is all about reactive sensationalism and very little to do with truth and information. It may seem a poor example but take yesterdays furore over a suggested increase to politician’s electoral allowance. All too easily the media pander to publicity hungry senators like Brown and Xenophon who put themselves forward as champions of the pensioners. These senators decry the $90pw increase to electoral allowances as unconscienable in the face of the Government refusing $30pw increase to pensioners. Now don’t misunderstand me… I AM for an increase to pensioners, even in excess of a paultry $30pw but that is not the issue I am discussing…it is the MEDIA.

These two increases are not as simple as an either/or situation, indeed considering the billions of $$ being bandied about at the moment I see no reason why BOTH cannot proceed. The two major areas of divergence from truth in reporting this involve numbers of recipients and the notion of an electoral allowance.

To be brief, there are only a few hundred pollies and many hundreds of thousands of pensioners, so the grandstanding antics of messrs B and X are hollow and misleading. The spin seems to be that greedy politicians grab their own pay rise and refuse the poor pensioners. This is misleading. The financial implications to the nation’s budget of each scenario are not in any way comparable, but we do not get enough information or time to make that determination. The other issue is that the allowance is to be spent in and on the electorate. What the remuneration tribunal has suggested is that the electorate is no longer  getting enough back from the pollies by way of attendance and contribution at Community events and donations and assistance from the office of the member or senators in question (if Senators are indeed included…I don’t know). You can be sure that if these cash donations, prizes for raffles or books and charity assitance had to come from their own pockets there would be far fewer contributions made. Just as it would if it were a work-related expense for any of us. I even make sure my company reimburses me for $2.90 toll if I pay it on a work-related site visit…wouldn’t you?

In effect Electoral allowance is a mini incentive package for the communities. It is PR for the pollies and a grass-roots contribution system. At worst it removes an excuse for not getting out to the local festivals and speech nights.
I am just annoyed that the distorted reporting shapes public opinion on such a skew. It is irresponsible and journalists and media organisations need to be called to account. What do you think?

Motorsport and other interests….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know this blog has had a political spin to it mostly but in a not-so-unrelated-as-you-think way I would like to digress a little.

A few weeks back I took my little Honda Civic out for a Sunday drive to Mt Cotton (Qld of course) to compete in the hillclimb. (picture)

This is a great day out for families if you are a bit of a motorsport enthusiast. Very low-key and a huge variety of vehicles from open wheelers to minis. There are classes for your “daily drive” road registered cars as well as extreme racing types and the whole thing is very safe and extremely exhilarating. Anybody can do it . The folks at the MG Car Club (http://www.mgccq.org.au/default.htm  …Qld of course) own and run this track which has quite a long and interesting history. What I really like, apart from the driving, is the family atmosphere and lovely shady hollow that the track inhabits. This is a relatively small-scale event so there are no crowds to battle. Parking is easy,  close and free. Entry is free !  Food is healthy, cheap and served with a smile.. This is grass-roots motorsport – at a club level where it all began. Even if you only dropped in for an hour or two there are cars on the track nearly every minute of the day from 0800-16:00. (check dates – on about every second month)

I was lucky enough to scrape into second place in my class but that has made me hungry for more. There is always a lot to learn and due to the high number of entries you only get about 4 runs (at just over a minute each) but it all feels worth it. I am hoping to improve over the next 5 rounds or so to be held throughout the year. It is great to meet nice people with a common interest, test your skill and experience being a real race driver for a day!

I highly recommend it.

This morning I got to thinking that there a so many of us out there with our own special interest groups or clubs and activities that it would be great to celebrate this important part of lifestyle. We are lucky to live in a time and place where these things are accessible to everyday folks such as we are and not the exclusive right of the higher earners. What I think is often missed is just how much positive input these club and social activities have and how they benefit our great state as a whole. Even though interests are fractured and diverse there is a cohesion to the whole club activity thing that unites great numbers of us. Whether it is trekking off to the kids soccer or netball, discussing the Book of the Month or revving your engines it is the balance that these things bring to our lives that  oils the wheels of our social machinery.

Sadly, there does not seem to be enough open and obvious involvement from government and industry in supporting and promoting our local club activities. These are not frivolous or unnecessary activities. On the contrary, they are really the reason WHY we work hard. These are things we choose to do in our own time that make life worth living and sacrifices worth the making. Families and communities are drawn together and held together. I have no doubt that association with others like this helps reduce family breakdowns and makes us healthier both physically and mentally. They serve to bind communities and reduce crime by caring, sharing and looking out for one another. In short, society would be tangibly poorer without them.

If you have a similar experience then please feel free to share it… especially if it is a little out of the ordinary. I would like to see the government get behind our clubs and associations and put a little back in to the mix to keep these things growing. What do you think?

Time for Protection?

The Global downturn has obviously impacted our Australian economy – no question.

Whilst we are undoubtedly in a better position than the rest of the world it cannot be ignored that we have been hit hard. Our over-dependence on foreign markets for our commodoties has seen a predictable downturn in exports of raw materials and a consequent massive drop in prices. Still, we took the good times happily enough and now we take the bad. Inevitably there will be some industries directly affected which cannot be insulated.  Even taking the most obvious casualty; mining, we see there are a lot of communities that have grown up around these areas to support and capitalise on the boom-times. This is natural but it was a bubble that was always due to burst. Without proper regulation, real estate prices and wages went through the roof. The cost of living in these boom towns was horrendous and rental prices ridiculous.  Many millionaires were created in record time and with very little effort. Still, it has been so even since the Gold rush days of the 1800′s. We should have taken a lesson or two from that. We should have saved for a rainy day because it is now pouring! But do not despair as the skies will clear and the sun will come out. But next time let’s see some redundancy benefits put aside for the communities for the next bust that’s sure to follow.

Admitting that we are somewhat irreversably committed to a Global economy I still believe that a certain amount of protection must be kept in place despite pressure from overseas competitors. There are many agricultural sectors that cry out for aggressive protection. Our local market prices for some basics should be maintained at reasonable levels. Most farmers will tell you they get a paltry (pardon the pun) percentage of the final supermarket sell price for their produce. Transport costs, taxes and excessive profits are some of the likely suspects for inflated final prices. We need to ensure more equity in cost/profit distribution and careful analysis of how we get these things to market and where the costs creep in along the way. Farming is a vital survival skill that must not be allowed to languish in the mire of Global markets. We must support this vital industry at all costs.

There will no doubt be areas which will wither and die under the onslaught of Globalisation. It may be too late to reverse this trend. However, we need to identify key areas of technique skill and talent that should be mantained in total readiness for posterity. Some such areas will require a somewhat artificial support through subsidy but even on a small scale, we need to keep the root-stock alive for the future. At worst, we will be quickly able to regain sustainability in the face of lost supply from overseas, to spool-up quickly,  perhaps even to take advantage of  global shortages rather than to be hit hard by them.

We need to decide as a nation what are our strategic industries that we wish to preserve forever. Icons like our unique auto bulders are a good example. We need less diversity of product and more concentration on what we do  that is better than the competition. Stop trying to grab every dollar the market has to offer in every price-point as we cannot compete at the lower end of the labour market.  Some will inevitably go overseas and we must accept that. We will be obliged to take some imports to guarantee our export market. But we should concentrate on being the best in what we do that is unique and original and above all the world has to offer. We should also strive to provide all of our own basic needs so that we do not lose the ability to be self-sufficient.

And so not forget the power of passive protectionism.

Buy Australian – if you can find it!

An Australian Republic? Why?

I am not a republican, at least I have never imagined myself as one. I would admit that at some stage I thought it would be “cool” and certainly a significant historical period to be living through. But as I have grown older (only a bit) and wiser (even less than a bit) I feel a more conservative shift coming on.

A recent trip to the UK probably cemented my opinion in favour of the status quo. I felt decidedly royalist whilst watching footage of the coronation of QEII. It was a nice feeling to think she was my Queen and I was somehow a part of all of it. So much history and tradition is absolutely fascinating when you dig down into it.

Sure it is not all tea and bickies and there are more than a fair share of murderous scoundrels thrown into the gene pool but that just makes it all the richer.

I also like our flag. Maybe it says more about where we have been than where we are going but that is common with symbols. I think it is distinctive and recognised around the globe in spite of the poor attempt New Zealand has made to copy it.

To be truthful, I envy the Canadians their flag. It is very cool and recognisable and makes me think of maple syrup. But it is my favourite non-Australian flag!

A lot of diggers and older Australians have invested a great deal in support of that flag. That cannot be overlooked and neither can their emotional attachment to it. You see, I believe their resistance to changing it stems more from a suspicion of subversion than fear of change itself. And I fear they may be correct in thinking so.

In a recent speech in parliament a Labor minister somehow managed to make some reference to a plebicite  over forming a republic. It seemed out-of-step with the general topic of debate ( declaration of electoral donations) and so it stood out. This got me to thinking that the Labor party still has this on their agenda even in these difficult times. Therefore it must be important to them and by inference also be some idealogical platform.

I am open to comments on this issue as I really want to know the for/against feeling out there.

Whilst I am personally against it as unnecessary and a sad departure from tradition, I would not campaign against it if the people want it for the right reasons. My fear is that it will become a marketing war and the best advertising campaign will determine an important point in our history. This would be a shame.

If this is part of a psuedo class  struggle from a socialist revolutionary background then I think the left-wing should just get over it.

 

So what I want to know is… what would a republic do for me and you that we don’t all ready have?

What would we lose in the process (good and bad)?

Your turn…

Are the Greens Doomed…?

I am predicting that the Green party in Australia is about to see a decline in support from the voters. Perhaps this Queensland election will show some indications of that but there is no doubt in my mind that they cannot survive in the long term as a major political force.

What is becoming obvious to me is the Greens’  total commitment to the dismantling of our economic structure in spite of the difficulties this will impose on our families. This I believe the Greens hope  to be achieved by  the following:

• Shutdown the coal mining industry.
• Shut down the bauxite mining industry – possibly only in Australia but who knows
• Oppose uranium mining in Queensland
• Shutdown all mining
• Shut down heavy industry
• Shutdown forestry industries
• Impose more restrictive agriculture practices and charges
• Shutdown cotton industry in Queensland
• Stop expansion and upgrade of our road networks
• Shutdown or restrict road transport and air transport.

I feel that our sensitivity to the plight of some tiny  endangered fish living in a habitat  up in the pointy end of Queensland is very dependent on our own situation day to day. It is a luxury we can no longer afford.

In these difficult and uncertain times it is only the Green party who are still agitating to  impose more expensive carbon trading schemes and put what jobs that are left at risk. When everyone else, (including the more moderate factions of the Labor party) can see that the CTS will hurt an already bleeding and shakey economy and should be delayed or abolished,  it is the lone voice of the Green Party calling out for even more restictions and higher targets. Ironically the carbon trading legislation will no doubt be held up in the senate by these two opposing forces. How long will it take for Australians to see that as a species, we are considered expendable and run a poor second in the minds of the environmentalist movement. They see man as a blight to be restricted and contained for the “better good” of the planet.

Very noble – but in my opinion it won’t fly at the polls anymore. Sadly the Global situation has shown the truth in what they ultimately desire.  We use a lot less fossil fuel when our factories and mines are shutdown, when we are broke and when we are out of work.

The Life of Brian…

In a refreshing move away from politics and sectarianism I have this little piece to offer.

It seems that freedom of religious expression has finally come to the Welsh town of Aberystwyth. Some 30 years ago a ban was placed on showing the film “the Life of Brian…”  as it was seen to be blasphemous.  And, maybe it was… 

But it was a lot of fun and did add a lot of historic context and social comment to the Jesus story not to mention a refresher on Latin grammar, Roman plumbing,  and a quick political update on the Judean’s People’s front.

But why did the ban stand for so long?  Well it seems not many realised it was in force at all and it had been long forgotten about. That is until the New Mayor of the town, Sue Jones-Davies decided to fight for the film’s freedom and promised to reinstate it’s position as one of Monty Python’s classic works.

And so she might for Ms Jones-Davies has a vested interest in seeing justice done here.

She was in the film! Ms Jones-Davies has the enviable credit of having played Brian’s Girlfriend “Judith Iscariot” in the movie. Small world eh?

Now that I think about it Brian’s mother did refer to her as a “welsh tart”! (edit-Sorry Sue – no offense as I am sure being Welsh is a good thing!)

Hmmmm and now the whole town will get to see her completely naked! That may help in the polls.  Follow the shoe brothers!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/02/2504543.htm

 

QLD deserves better…

The recent flooding in Queensland has been getting a lot of press. Communities which have been cut off for protracted periods now face the threat of disease as water supplies become contaminated.

The main rail line to Mt Isa remains cut and is likely to stay that way for a while. This situation is not new but that doesn’t detract from the disruption to lives and the huge cost to citizens and businesses. What I want to see is a plan to fix this for good.

Despite the fact that these are reportedly the worst floods on record there still needs to be positive action taken on infrastructure. Money needs to be spent. The scope of the recent  flooding on a wider scale is no doubt extraordinary but locals will tell you that there are regular trouble spots which fall prey to rising waters nearly every wet season.

 

Priority needs to be given to maintaining vital transport links to our northern regions. Roads and railways can and should be re-engineered to permanently avoid this problem. It is not too hard, just too expensive. It seems that government has  decided it is more economical to fix as required but this is not an acceptable approach and is no answer to the local communities that must take the brunt of the costs and hardship.

Towns need to be carefully engineered to reduce risk and consequences of monsoonal flooding and basics such as securing clean water need to be planned for.

Another major problem is the condition  of airstrips throughout regional Queensland. Some are prone to inundation whilst others which are above high water are rendered unusable as they are not sealed and become a quagmire. The situation with general aviation has been gradually slipping into an abyss with no more than a whimper as increasing operational costs and lack of infrastructure and support from government have thrown them onto the back foot. These services are vital and should be protected and treasured. At present, the federal government has squandered over $36 million dollars on security fencing and upgrades ant regional airports to stop terrorists. What a joke. A trip I took to Birdsville highlighted this ridiculous farce. Here is an airport in the middle of a desolate landscape which now has a secure perimeter fence and electric gate ostensibly to prevent some kind of 9-11 hijacking incident. Get a grip people. Who is going to drive out to Birdsville to hijack a plane?? And now, you cannot park your cessna across the road from the pub and stroll across for a beverage with the locals unless you have a PIN code and clearance to get back through the gate. This is sad.

It is toward these areas of need that economic bailout monies need to be directed. It this we get the return of  jobs, money into supply businesses and a the pride of creating a lasting legacy for regional communities.

Climate Change Coalition Batters the Battlers

I hear on the ABC news radio news this morning (12th Jan 2009) that  the Australian public is again taking flak over carbon emissions. The latest figures (though I still dispute whether we can so accurately measure) show a decrease in emissions for Qld but an increase in NSW and VIC.  Well Queensland, good-on-you and so sad that our great state didn’t get any more mention than that. I am often concerned at these throw-away statistics which are pushed on us as there is not a lot of qualification or explanation given but the crux of the press release from the Coalition for Climate Change (or whoever) was that motorists and domestic homeowners were largely to blame for the recent (not qualified??) rise in emissions. Specifically mentioned was air conditioning.  As is common, the poor householders and commuters are left to take the brunt of the storm and the “solution” is seen as increased energy and fuel charges which will supposedly steer us away from wasteful use. I certainly agree that we could all be more energy efficient with some simple lifestyle choices but I am adamantly opposed to the punitive approach of driving up costs. This will achieve very little as history shows that after some initial reduction (due to lack of money) wage pressures will eventually recapture any deficit and worse, it will create a negative attitude towards energy saving initiatives. We need a positive attitude that concentrates on the benefits of frugal energy consumption.

My feeling is there are more potential improvements concerning  the energy we waste than the energy we use. Any campaign that focusses on this aspect is win-win. If you save… then you save. Do you get it?  But I am not supporting this artificial over taxing of average Australians that will be passing itself off as an environmentally friendly option. That is just inflationary. Improved thermal management in our homes and businesses and improved traffic flow needs to be given a much higher profile as it provides both a benefit to the user and to the environment. I think that the Climate change lobby has unfairly targetted the motorist and householder and this will inevitably doom their own movement. Never bite the hand that feeds you. Moderation is the ony way to run the whole race.