I KNOW that the idea behind having elected members of the community is to allow them to determine our future. But it concerns me that we find they regularly get it so wrong when we try to fathom why they took certain actions. History shows that when political leaders of all sides fail to provide […]
FOR 25 years I have conducted business with clients in the USA, so I thought that I understood how they thought and acted. I really loved the people that I interacted with. I’ve had many trips on the Colorado River, living on a huge houseboat in Utah. I have travelled to Minneapolis St Paul, driven […]
THE Government’s response to the immigration debate was laid out recently by Tony Bourke. The whole country was interested to see the numbers and categories selected to produce reduced entry. Like every decision made by Government, there was the reality that there would be winners and losers to their solution and of course we all […]
THIS question is one we all face every three years and, of course, it relates to the next Federal election. Do we elect the party with the best policies to suit my circumstances? Do we elect a good local guy or girl because they tell a good tale, or do we actually know them in […]
BECAUSE we are living in similar circumstances to the rest of the Western world, what is the reality for real estate values in our country? International news agency Reuters put together a report on real estate markets in Canada and New Zealand, which has become available in Australia this month. It caught my eye because […]
THE front-page story for many of the world’s news sources recently reported that Donald Trump had threatened to ‘bomb the shit’ out of US ally Oman if it got in the way of US efforts to broker a deal on the Straits of Hormuz. I wonder: how is that being received by the rest of […]
I HAVE just finished watching my favourite Sunday morning TV program, the ABC’s Insiders, hosted by David Speers. It was the 25-year celebration show featuring its original instigators, especially its first host Barry Cassidy. Conceived while they were working as overseas media correspondents, it was my choice as the “must-watch” show for its impressive lineup […]
HAVING spent 40 years in business with an economic background, that is the way my thinking is wired. When taking these extended overseas journeys many people just go to a travel agent so that their transport and accommodation needs are provided to them, packaged to their needs. For me, it is part of the experience […]
ANOTHER difference that I found interesting while in Canada was their treatment of the drinking age restriction of 18 years, while it remains at 21 in the USA just over the border. Canada has a very liberal policy of allowing the purchase and use of marijuana, but I’m not aware of that being age restricted, […]
I WOKE up this morning feeling cynical. Yes, it was one of those days when the morning news said that the government is to provide cheaper electricity for all its citizens. When I listened a bit longer, it said we would all be getting our electricity with a saving of $64 per year. Wow. Wasn’t […]
