Tuesday, 27 January 2009

The Perils of Ideology, Dads On The Air, 27 January, 2009.

The Perils of Ideology

DateTUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2009 AT 10:30AM
Erin Pizzey
With special guests:
  • Erin Pizzey
  • Mark Sutton and
  • Susan E. Block.
In May 2007 Dads on the Air interviewed the founder of the world’s first refuge for battered women, Erin Pizzey. This interview was circulated far and wide, making it one of the most publicised broadcasts in DOTA’s history. As the Australian Government has recently been raising the issue of domestic violence from a one-sided ideological perspective, including the establishment of the National Council to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children, we thought it would be timely to re-broadcast the Erin Pizzey interview to try and bring some balance and rationality to the domestic violence debate.
Also on today’s program we feature another wonderful contribution by Mark Sutton from Liberal Arts Radio in the US. Alec Baldwin took a lot of heat after an angry voicemail to his daughter was leaked back in 2007. In his recently released book about Parental Alienation, A Promise to Ourselves, he confides that he was suicidal after the voicemail incident. Susan E. Block, a family law attorney and the former Administrative Judge of the Family Court of St. Louis County, looks at the problems facing non-custodial parents as well as new solutions that are being implemented in the US state of Missouri. More at www.liberalartsradio.com.
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Monday, 26 January 2009

Aged care work beats the downturn, The Australian, 26 January, 2009.

Aged care work beats the downturn

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 26 Jan 2009: 2.
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"The reality is the aged care sector marches to its own drum -- there's escalating demand for all forms of aged care and a shortfall in skilled labour," Mr [John Ballard] said.
Greg Mundy, head of the peak body Aged and Community Services Australia, said aged care was an area where government investment would bring an immediate benefit in the creation of jobs. Its submission to the May budget, proposing an additional $1.4billion for a range of initiatives, would translate to a 5 per cent increase in overall employment -- 15,000 jobs on top of the 300,000 already in existence. "Aged care is chronically underfunded and staffing is very tight," Mr Mundy said.
ONE sector appears immune from the growing shortage of jobs and looks set to expand through the global economic contraction -- aged care.
With unprecedented growth in the aged population, the aged care sector is predicted to double within 20 years, with an additional 4000 aged care beds a year forecast for the next decade.
Mercy Health in Melbourne announced last week it would need at least 250 extra staff by year's end for two new aged care facilities.
Chief executive John Ballard said aged care providers were faced with increasing demand against a backdrop of funding and labour shortages.
"The reality is the aged care sector marches to its own drum -- there's escalating demand for all forms of aged care and a shortfall in skilled labour," Mr Ballard said.
"The sector confronts a dramatic challenge -- there aren't enough people to do the work.
"We're trying to keep up with growing demand for care in the face of unprecedented growth in the aged population."
Greg Mundy, head of the peak body Aged and Community Services Australia, said aged care was an area where government investment would bring an immediate benefit in the creation of jobs. Its submission to the May budget, proposing an additional $1.4billion for a range of initiatives, would translate to a 5 per cent increase in overall employment -- 15,000 jobs on top of the 300,000 already in existence. "Aged care is chronically underfunded and staffing is very tight," Mr Mundy said.
"Because there's an excess of demand over supply, investing in aged care would not drive up prices. This is a very socially and economically responsible area in which to invest."
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the Rudd Government would provide a record $41.6billion in funding to thesector over the next four years. On average every aged care resident would be funded to $43,000.
Keeping older people at home is also a growth industry, with $1.78billion channelled into the Home and Community Care Program aimed at assisting 800,000 people this year.
The spokeswoman said the Government was providing $39million over five years in cash bonuses for nurses returning to work, and funding an additional 5000 training places to help personal care workers in aged care homes improve their qualifications. "This Government recognises we have an ageing population; no Australian government has invested more in aged and community care."
Jessie Forrest, 82, who suffered a stroke at a Mercy Health aged care facility at Werribee, west of Melbourne, said she could not cope without her carers, but sometimes thought there should be more staff. "I couldn't manage without the carers ... Sometimes there could be more night staff, but they do a good job, the ones that are here."
Credit: John Stapleton
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Saturday, 24 January 2009

All that is Australian in photo, Weekend Australian, 24 January, 2009.

All that is Australian in a photo

Stapleton, John. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 24 Jan 2009: 5.
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The winner, 22-year-old law student Stewart Webster, took the photograph of a seagull catching a chip near Burleigh Heads on theGold Coast in Queensland. "It was my wife's birthday and we were celebrating on the beach," he said. "One of my friends was throwing chips at the seagulls. I thought their fighting was very interesting and captured it while lying on the grass."
"The seagulls draw your eye in and then you notice the girl on the skateboard and the surfer catching a wave in the background," he said.
"The girl on the skateboard gives a sense of Australia as a young country. The photograph captures a common occurrence which happens everyday in coastal Australia, but it has been captured in a very interesting way."
THE My Australia competition for amateur photographers has been won, appropriately enough, with a photograph taken on a beach, illustrating much that is classic about the Australian lifestyle.
The winner, 22-year-old law student Stewart Webster, took the photograph of a seagull catching a chip near Burleigh Heads on theGold Coast in Queensland. "It was my wife's birthday and we were celebrating on the beach," he said. "One of my friends was throwing chips at the seagulls. I thought their fighting was very interesting and captured it while lying on the grass."
The photograph shows many of the elements of any Australian beach setting: the ocean, surfing, fish and chips, people at play.
Judges were drawn by the many different elements of Australian life in the one image. One of the contributing judges said it captured perfectly the interaction between nature and the environment which Australians take for granted but is actually rare in many other parts of the world.
The Australian's deputy picture editor John Feder said they chose the winning entry because of its sense of vibrancy and movement.
"The seagulls draw your eye in and then you notice the girl on the skateboard and the surfer catching a wave in the background," he said.
"It is very well composed. It gives a sense of our outdoor lifestyle. As well, it has the strong colours prevalent in Australia and also has a human element, which many of the other entries lacked.
"The girl on the skateboard gives a sense of Australia as a young country. The photograph captures a common occurrence which happens everyday in coastal Australia, but it has been captured in a very interesting way."
The My Australia competition attracted more than 500 images in less than two weeks. The galleries of entries have received more than half a million hits on The Australian's website.
Mr Webster will receive a $1000 gift voucher for a wardrobe courtesy of R.M. Williams.
The 20 runners-up will receive an Australia movie-inspired gift bag.
The Australian is inviting readers to submit their photographs of how they celebrated Australia Day. Entries can be made through www.theaustralian.com.au
ONLINE TODAY
READER PICTURES
GALLERIES See all the images, including the top 20 runners-up in the My Australia competition as chosen by The Australian's picture desk
Credit: John Stapleton
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Young libs call for national service, Weekend Australian, 24 January, 2009.

Young Libs call for national service

Stapleton, John. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 24 Jan 2009: 6.
"Areas suffering from chronic inter-generational welfare dependence would benefit from having people returning to their communities having acquired broader experience, skills, discipline and values," Mr [Noel McCoy] said. "We're a big believer in a hand-up, not a hand-out, and this is a very practical way of achieving that."
"We have seen a decline in community values, which has degraded the community itself," he said. "The military has always provided its members with a solid work ethic, a true sense of patriotism, mateship, camaraderie and self-sacrifice."
"I don't think the Young Liberals are all that serious about this -- I think it's more to generate a headline," he said.

Full Text

THE Young Liberals are proposing nine months of compulsory national service to be completed before the age of 24 and which people will not be able to dodge by going to university.
Participants would receive a social security payment and an accommodation allowance if their service required them to live away from home. The plan, to be put at the Young Liberals' national conference in Canberra this weekend, is not restricted to the military. Young Australians could complete their service in overseas aid programs. Or they could serve in hospitals, old-age homes and other community organisations.
Young Liberals president Noel McCoy said the aim was to provide a sizeable low-cost workforce that would help to offset the impact of the financial crisis. At the same time it would help to instil a work ethic and sense of national pride, he said.
"Areas suffering from chronic inter-generational welfare dependence would benefit from having people returning to their communities having acquired broader experience, skills, discipline and values," Mr McCoy said. "We're a big believer in a hand-up, not a hand-out, and this is a very practical way of achieving that."
Mr McCoy said that under the proposal, students would not be able to graduate from university without having a certificate of completion of national service. "National service would help lessen the potential youth unemployment crisis we are facing as a result of the global financial crisis," he said.
"It would also provide a social benefit by developing a deep appreciation of Australian society and its traditions. It's a good way of integrating young Australians of all backgrounds and socio-economic strata in ... serving their country."
James Davis, 28, who served in the army in Iraq for six months, said compulsory national service would lead to young people having a greater appreciation of their country.
"We have seen a decline in community values, which has degraded the community itself," he said. "The military has always provided its members with a solid work ethic, a true sense of patriotism, mateship, camaraderie and self-sacrifice."
The Young Liberals are hoping for bipartisan support for the idea, but that appears unlikely.
In 2006, NSW Young Labor, Australia's largest political youth group, proposed a similar idea for compulsory national service to be completed before graduation from high school, similar to a scheme operating in Sweden. It included a provision that it could be served in the community or foreign aid sectors.
However, current president Matthew Walton said Young Labor was not supportive of the idea. He said he would like to know when the Liberal Party threw away its commitment to personal choice and personal liberty.
"I don't think the Young Liberals are all that serious about this -- I think it's more to generate a headline," he said.
"I don't think anyone realistically believes that in Australia today young Australians should be compelled to give up almost a year of their life clearing trees or working for the army."
Take the poll at www.theaustralian.com.au
Credit: John Stapleton
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Friday, 23 January 2009

Sea change on jobs horizon, The Australian, 23 January, 2009.



Sea change on jobs horizon

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 23 Jan 2009: 2.
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Able Seaman Steph Cokanauto, 22, said she was at sea more than half the year and loved the travel involved. "I like being at sea, exploring the world," she said. "I didn't know what to expect, with 25 girls in a crew of 150. I thought it could be a bit hard, but it really isn't. It is like living at home with a lot of annoying brothers; we live together and it is really good. They are like a big family, we experience everything together, the happy times, the sad times."
"The navy offers more than just great training and jobs; it offers a lifestyle," Mr [Warren Snowdon] said. "In the current environment a lot of people are looking for a job, we hope these ads will engage them to see the navy is where they should be."

THE navy is taking advantage of a sudden pool of potential recruits created by staff layoffs at mines in Western Australia, with advertisements for technicians and general staff being posted in some affected areas.
A Defence Force spokeswoman said the recruitment drive was aimed at encouraging people who had lost their jobs or who were worried about insecurity in themining industry to look at a more secure career.
The targeted areas include Kalgoorlie, the Pilbara and Karratha, with naval recruitment officers planning to visit the areas in coming weeks.
"This is a considered response given the current economic climate and our priorities for technically proficient applicants," head of defence recruiting Commodore Tim Barrett said. "We want the navy to become the employer of first choice, rather than last resort."
A Defence spokeswoman said that while in the past the navy had difficulty competing with the high wages offered in the mining industry, the situation was changing. She said there were young technicians now earning more than $100,000.
When the benefits of a defence career, including subsidised housing and free medical and dental care, were taken into account, the navy became a better career choice, she said.
The West Australian advertisements emphasise the excitement of a maritime career and the way ship crews bond as families. The television ads spruik a "new generation" navy that is ethnically diverse and supportive of women.
The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, yesterday launched the series of new television advertisements aboard HMAS Ballarat, which is docked at Garden Island in Sydney. He said there had been a 20 per cent jump in expressions of interest in a navy career since last year, coinciding with the economic downturn.
The advertisements, which compress a week in the navy into 30 seconds, stemmed from research showing most prospective recruits did not know what was involved in working for the navy.
"The navy offers more than just great training and jobs; it offers a lifestyle," Mr Snowdon said. "In the current environment a lot of people are looking for a job, we hope these ads will engage them to see the navy is where they should be."
Able Seaman Steph Cokanauto, 22, said she was at sea more than half the year and loved the travel involved. "I like being at sea, exploring the world," she said. "I didn't know what to expect, with 25 girls in a crew of 150. I thought it could be a bit hard, but it really isn't. It is like living at home with a lot of annoying brothers; we live together and it is really good. They are like a big family, we experience everything together, the happy times, the sad times."
Credit: John Stapleton
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Thursday, 22 January 2009

Long live Gough, political legend, The Australian, 22 January, 2009. Picture Alan Pryke.

Long live Gough, political legend

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 22 Jan 2009: 10.
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Mr [GOUGH Whitlam] was happy to celebrate yesterday's milestone with Kevin Rudd, who dropped by the Labor stalwart's Sydney office for morning tea.
They chatted happily about their favourite restaurants -- Mr Whitlam celebrated his 90th birthday at Sydney's legendary eatery Machiavelli's -- and the establishment of the Bernie Banton Centre for research into asbestos diseases.
Special Minister of State John Faulkner also paid tribute to the Labor hero's longevity. "This is an exceptional achievement by Gough, who remains an inspiration for so many of us in the Australian Labor Party," Senator Faulkner said.

GOUGH Whitlam, in his 93rd year, yesterday became Australia's longest-living former prime minister.
He has surpassed the lifespan of the little known -- and shortest serving -- former prime minister Frank Forde, who lived for 92 years, six months and 10days.
Mr Whitlam and his wife, Margaret, have maintained a healthy presence at social and political functions over the past decade, but have rarely been seen in public life since the former prime minister's birthday in July.
But Mr Whitlam was happy to celebrate yesterday's milestone with Kevin Rudd, who dropped by the Labor stalwart's Sydney office for morning tea.
They chatted happily about their favourite restaurants -- Mr Whitlam celebrated his 90th birthday at Sydney's legendary eatery Machiavelli's -- andtheestablishment oftheBernie Banton Centre for research into asbestos diseases.    
And on the day of the inauguration of the 44th US President, Mr Whitlam showed he had lost none of his interest in politics, proudly sporting an Obama badge.
"Time has passed, however Gough Whitlam remains an inspiration to so many Australians," the Prime Minister said.
"It is because of Gough that many Australians for the first time were given the opportunity to have a university education.
"He is a legendary figure in Australian politics.
"This is an outstanding achievement by Gough."
Special Minister of StateJohnFaulkner also paid tribute totheLabor hero's longevity. "This is an exceptional achievement by Gough, who remains an inspiration for so many of us intheAustralianLabor Party," Senator Faulkner said.       
Mr Whitlam, the country's 21st prime minister, entered parliament in 1952. He held the seat of Werriwa in southwestern Sydney, later held by another ALP leader, Mark Latham.
He was prime minister from December 1972 until he was dismissed by governor-general John Kerr on November 11, 1975.
Mr Whitlam's creation of the foundations of the modern welfare state, his promotion of multiculturalism, his establishment of theFamily Court and Medicare are all still intensely debated in Australia today. His abolition of conscription, withdrawal from the Vietnam War and promotion of a university education for all who sought it made him a hero to many baby boomers.
After Mr Whitlam and Forde, next on the list of Australia's longest-living prime ministers is John Gorton -- Liberal prime minister from 1968 to 1971 -- who lived for 90 years and eight months.
Labor's Billy Hughes, who held office from 1915 to 1923, lived for 90 years and one month.
Forde served as prime minister for only eight days after the death of John Curtin and before Ben Chifley was elected Labor leader in July 1945.
Credit: John Stapleton


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