Random thoughts and observations
The Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) has extensive powers. In addition to combating organised crime its role includes seeking “to reduce the incidence of misconduct in the public service”. The commission’s powers include being able “to compel a witness to attend a hearing, to produce documents, to obtain a search warrant on application [...]
The fact that John Howard’s son Tim is going out with model Sarah Mackintosh was reported in Sydney’s Telegraph newspaper. The dour conservative, apparently humorless elder Howard could be expected to raise the bushy eyebrows even higher over his son’s relationship with a woman who has featured on the cover of France’s FHM magazine. Political [...]
I’ve got plenty of examples that the world is going mad. I’ll start counting them. According to the Herald-Sun: Toy soldiers, model war planes and wrestling figurines have been banned in schools across the state in a politically correct crackdown. Primary schools and kindergartens have declared themselves “war toy free zones” and outlawed traditional toys [...]
Until this summer Western Australia and Queensland were the only states not to have daylight saving. Despite the concept being defeated previously at referenda, the WA Parliament voted last year for a three-year trial to be followed by another referendum. I was initially ambivalent about daylight saving. In Victoria I wasn’t a great advocate for [...]
Many of our public holidays are obscure or meaningless and should be replaced. Although a lot of positive effort has gone into making Australia Day a significant occasion it comprises an odd mixture of citizenship awards and wet t-shirt competitions. We are the only country in the world that celebrates the founding of a prison. [...]
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