THE REACTION to my last piece HEREwas greatly heartening, despite the odd grumble. As a consequence, I have made an acquaintance with whom I have a great deal in common and as we are “elderfolk” it is very nice to have a conversation on matters of mutual interest. And, in common with my generation, there are matters on which we will agree to disagree but without rancour. That is something that irks me continually and sometimes I am strongly tempted to believe that watching the antics of our politicians at all levels, the notion of good manners has somehow evaporated.

Consequently, I was somewhat surprised that the Christmas spirit lived longer this year. I came across people who were extraordinarily friendly and walking down the street, I bade to people coming in the opposite direction a hearty “good morning” and one who was my age, smiled and responded accordingly and the young jogger said “thank you, have a good day.” A single incident on a single day but it lifted the spirits within me because I was walking off a bout of ill-humour and I was feeling very guilty about not circulating a note to friends with whom I exchange season’s greetings, largely because I was pretty sick.

Democracy in action

Before I really get into the fray, I have the greatest respect for the gardening guru Peter Cundall. I have a sneaking suspicion that apart from discouraging uninvited visitors to his home, he really is rather gregarious. I made up a little ditty which I would never ever dare to air with Peter and Chris Wisbey, who is an excellent foil and knowledgeable in his own right. The first stanza of the song starts: “In the People’s Democratic Republic of Cunduallaria, all things must grow” and I go on to say what happens to plants that don’t perform. For a man of his age, Peter Cundall is quite remarkable and usually full of common sense and with a strong commitment to the environment, as evidenced by the disgraceful arrest for the heinous crime of being outside Parliament, engaged in a protest.

Regrettably, that does not reflect well on our Parliament or the law. I certainly would not like to be known as the copper who arrested the garden guru but I doubt very much whether Peter holds grudges. The terrific number of contributions to his ABC morning radio show on Saturdays demonstrates its popularity and the multitudes of versions of “An English country garden” have been entertaining and I hope, not lost. I particularly liked the Morris Men and another version, which sounded like people singing but was in fact, cleverly made music.

The fact remains that the precious pollies have once again acted to prevent a relevant and timely demonstration.  The demonstration was not a pie-chucking affair from what I have seen and heard.  The law of assembly outside Parliament House needs to be examined or perhaps the members could grow up and have an adjacent area specifically for demonstrations. I can understand concerns about security of members and the Parliament and having visited the place several times in recent years, the security arrangements are adequate but nowhere near as stringent as those in the opposing administrative offices in Murray Street. By comparison with other Australian parliaments and overseas, we should remember that the physical security of the buildings and the members is paramount.

Take a bow, Tasmania Times!

I am generally fairly relaxed about the media and the newspaper industry but the times are changing. The Mercury has seen fit to solicit comments about its content, as readers of the TT will know (February 1) and I expect to give them a serve in due course. Without the presence of a certain political reporter, there is so little to read in the paper that it’s not worth the price.

Lest the associate editor of TT Mr. Emberg accuse me of some form of snobbery, I enjoy a wide range of TV and films (Not film as the pretentious, cultural elitists have it) and I watch to be entertained because real news and information is on the net and I subscribe to a wide range of newspapers from around the world. Most are free, despite the ranting of Rupert Murdoch, who wants us to pay for the electronic version of his various newspapers.  It is, in my view the antithesis of all that is good on the Internet and when you’re pinched for cash, there’s plenty to read on the screen.  Unless Murdoch gets his arse into gear and ensures that everything in the printed form can be found on the paid internet copy, then he is defrauding us all and contributing to more “dumbing down” of our society.  You can take it as read (any pun intended) that such is not the case at present. I compare The Australian with its website and must say the lack of material is demonstrable.  I tried a search for pieces written by Matt Denholm who reports on Australian affairs.  It took three weeks for one Saturday column to become available. Ditto for most Australian newspapers but serious material can be “netted” if patient.  If today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper (not allowed under politically correct government) what then of an electronic article?  Just random items in the archives if kept?  If this is to be our serious future, then archives must be kept by the literate and numerate and these faculties are not noteworthy at present in the Western world.

By contrast, all connected with Tasmanian Times can increasingly bask in praise. At least we get the opportunity to raise issues that the mainstream media studiously ignore - the imbroglio surrounding the former premier springs readily to mind.

Take a look at these problems…

As reported in TT then there is the heart-rending story, of February 8 (so far without comments) by Ruth Howie “In the face of such apathy I am gobsmacked” And the preceding article Ruth Howie’s desperate plea for help on Australia Day (January 26).  I have commented frequently about the need for overnight accommodation for the homeless, the need for refuges and a more proactive approach to the problem.  To her credit, the Minister, Lin Thorp, is making a good fist of her portfolio but she has an unenviable job.  I disagree with the idea of demolishing the public housing flats at Stainforth Court: they appear to be quite pleasant and the stated reason - unruly, uncontrollable tenants and drug dealers simply doesn’t cut much ice.  If public housing is to be available, then tenants need to be vetted, inspected and if necessary, evicted.  I know this sounds like police-state tactics but as I have also mentioned before - being a citizen involves obligations and duties - yes I’m on about reciprocity again.  If the state provides housing, that does not sanction anti-social or criminal behaviour.  If the problem turns on drug dealers, why the hell haven’t they been busted and given time due north around Risdon Vale way, where the accommodation is more Spartan and time has a different meaning?  The mere fact that a gay couple live in fear in the flats naturally enough gave Rodney Crombe some more ammunition but it still doesn’t negate the need for more supervision of public housing.

As for Ruth Howie’s question, if the government wants to demolish the office block in Murray Street, surely it would be more than acceptable to convert into accommodation. On the other hand, the visual excrescences that do more to offend the eye on the approach to Hobart from the eastern shore and Brooker Avenue, namely Ground Zero and the Treacle Tin could easily be knocked over and more tasteful replacements built. I realize I might upset the TSO but the building is an eyesore and it is not weathering well. Our priorities in catering for the homeless and the dispossessed are left as usual to voluntary agencies and charities. Considering the amount of income tax ripped off me over a lifetime, and the double dipping, I support any initiative to ameliorate the conditions for people before next winter.

Man’s inhumanity to man - a grizzle for our times.

As I am extremely concerned with matters of social cohesion and civility or civics, I can’t help reflecting on a few recent happenings. Apart from some of the horrific pictures and accounts of road accidents, at last I’ve heard a member of Tasmania police state on the record that inattention is the major cause of road accidents, something I’ve been saying for over a decade, based on research. We know that speed kills and the campaign to reduce speed deserves support but there are so many distractions when driving a car these days that attention wanders and that includes not looking at the speedometer or the tachometer. So-called hooning and other forms of bad behavior on the roads appear to be taken as an occupational hazard. Sometimes when I read about sentences handed down to those who have infringed the law; I am literally filled with disgust. There is no doubt that cracking down on mobile phone users will be a nice little earner and I would’ve thought a telephone in a motor car is a distinct health hazard. But then again, so those people who get boozed-up insist they can drive and have an accident. I’m not terribly keen to mention names because of the legal situation but if a driver is unlicensed through suspension and continues to drive and has accidents and gets away with a comparatively light sentence, usually a fine and good behavior bond and then goes forth and repeats the offence, there is something seriously wrong with the system.

At the risk of raising the ire of the eponymous Mercury writer and a great civil libertarian (Monday’s Mercury), a review of the law is urgent. Death by motorcar should be called vehicular manslaughter or if necessary, vehicular homicide and dealt with accordingly.  It is thoroughly understandable that after such a horrific incident as the Port Arthur shootings there should be a crackdown on gun owners.  However, gun-related crime is invariably linked to illegal firearms but those who have licenses are subject to restrictive orders and rightly so.

Last year demonstrated, if ever it needed to be, that a motor car is a lethal weapon.  At the risk of sounding crass, 2010 started with a bang and the nationally reported accident outside Melbourne on January 17, together with graphic photographs of what was left of an XL Falcon, in which five young men under 20 were killed, after the car had wrapped itself around a tree in Plenty Road, Mill Park. The sole survivor, a 15-year old girl, was shielded from the impact by her brother. Unfortunately for the families of the deceased, the Melbourne press provided graphic coverage and I recall seeing TV footage of the car. In the Age on the following day, January 18, police allowed that alcohol might have been a factor. The autopsy reported that the 19-year-old driver had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 and was driving at an estimated 140-150 km/h in an 80 km/h zone and the driving had been erratic to say the least. Apart from one, whose name was not given, all were wearing seat belts.

Pat Scala/The Age.

The photograph of the Melbourne motor crash gives some idea of what was left - four young lives lost after a party and the driver had P-plates which meant that he should not have had passengers in the car and also had a conviction for high-speed driving within the past year.  One can only but despair for the loss to the families concerned and for those emergency service workers including police who were on the scene while the wreckage was alight. 

As I may have commented before, the ripple effect of a motor accident extends right through a community and granny Age reported police concern with a number of other stupidities including a young man doing burnouts with passengers in his new car. The 18-year-old lost his license and had his new car impounded and a number of similar cases. This accident occurred a week after the 20-year-old who was serving a two-year jail term after crashing his car and killing four mates and Sydney lawyers were appealing the case on the grounds that he would be transferred to a regular prison in April this year when he turns 21. I feel some sympathy in this instance because although I argue strongly for penalties to be made more stringent, banging up young offenders with old lags can’t be good for rehabilitation process. Which is why I favor means of disabling the car and electronically tagging offending drivers, even in cases where there are mitigating circumstances and lives lost.

The Tasmanian experience is no less dramatic than that in Victoria and if I have one major criticism of the police force, it is that far too few obviously unroadworthy cars are taken off the road. More than once, I’ve seen various motorcars with body panels from other cars and on one occasion, I was monstered by four teenagers in what started out as Holden Torana. By my reckoning, and the verbaling, they had just a few teeth between them and the car blew smoke and exhaust was held on by wire. There are fewer of these deathtraps on the road these days and it’s no bad thing.

I’m not going to pretend that when I was young, that I was an angel, far from it. I spent quite a lot of time in areas that make so-called tough suburbs in Tasmania look like kindergarten and a growing lad had to be quick with his fists if necessary and being attacked by a kid with a smashed beer bottle cut my jacket and suffice to say, after I had disarmed him, the perpetrator was given a hiding to remember. And I rode a motorcycle, fast, because in those days I was immortal. Without big-noting myself, I usually obeyed the law, before letting rip on motorways. And I didn’t join any motorcycle gang or club. Crash helmets were mandatory and at the recent funeral of a Vietnam veteran, who rode with a motorcycle club, there was brouhaha about not wearing helmets to the funeral. I sympathized with those who refuse to wear helmets as a mark of respect. At the speed they were traveling, their capacity to injure anyone other than himself or herself was greatly reduced. But it’s still an offense to go without a helmet.

People who are debarred from driving and then caught at it again deserve not only fines but appropriate jail sentences and they should be electronically tagged then have to report to police regularly.  Regrettably, there are far too many serial offenders on the roads although the new police computer and communication system will hopefully stop recidivism. The cost of electronic tagging is far less than paying for the victims of accidents. There also needs to be equity before the law and I was recently advised that a solicitor, having committed certain offences while under the influence on the road, had a slap on the wrist in the way of a fine and was allowed to continue driving. The same rigour should be applied at law to all persons, irrespective of occupation, status or where they fit in society.  The problem is that some people will not stop reoffending and although I have some sympathy for the idea, it would certainly be a salutary lesson if repeat offenders’ cars were compacted and dumped in their front garden: somewhat more artistic than gnomes.

Recently, TV advertising has recommenced on problem drinking and not before time but like gambling, drinking earns revenue. The cutoff point is when the cost of accidents outweighs the take from alcohol licenses. Secondly, we should realize the problem drinking is just that: someone has a problem and needs help. And putting it bluntly, problem drinkers are one step away from being alcoholics and their behavior is linked with other social problems such as domestic violence. I enjoy a drink myself and know when to stop. The days of the six o’clock swill are long behind us and drinking away from home brings me back to the notion of a citizen’s obligation. The technology is available and the day will come when before you put the key in the ignition, you have to blow into a breathalyzer and if you’re at or over the limit, the car won’t start. The slogan: “Drink, drive - bloody idiot” is extremely apt but I have mixed feelings about road safety advertising on TV. I think a mixture of carrot and stick is called for and exhorting people to drive to the limits, quite reasonable. However, the voice of the little girl in one particular ad saying what would happen if a motorist ran into her at a certain speed lacked any credibility - if you get hit by a car at any speed, you will be hurt to a greater or lesser extent.

Notwithstanding the very worthy ideals of Minister Lisa Singh, people are jailed for a reason. Menaces to society belong behind bars and for all the talk of rehabilitation, recidivism rates are far too high and the system needs more money.  There is too much random violence on our streets, something quite different from days gone by and it should not be tolerated. Furthermore, it is manifestly unfair to expect prison staff to work in situations that are hazardous by any definition. We just have to face the fact that there are nasty and vicious people in society who will hurt others. If I were to pick one particular case to demonstrate asininity in the law, it would be in a recent trial in Melbourne. A number of people went on trial for harassment in the workplace and the victim committed suicide. Her coworkers gave her “a seeing to,” which included covering her with cooking oil.  Evidence was tendered that the girl was not prone to suicidal ideation but was driven over the edge. Those found guilty left court smirking, albeit with heads down and substantial fines but no jail time. Where is the justice in a case like this?  I really feel for the mother of the victim - a daughter lost because she had no exit from bullying.

Diverging slightly, I must ask what sort of mentality drives those who assault emergency service workers, bus drivers and the police. The attacks on ambulances define any rational or logical explanation. I suppose it’s too much for some people to consider that one day their actions might result in someone’s life being lost or indeed, perhaps their own. There should be a specific offense for attacking service workers and I have even heard (although I admit can’t prove) that people who drive for Meals on Wheels have been harassed.  Then there are arsonists and while our firefighters were busy dealing with bushfires in the Derwent Valley, I’d be willing to swear I heard a report that police believed over 20 such fires had been deliberately lit.  I suspect that such people have severe mental problems and certainly don’t think through the consequences of their actions. If they are apprehended and lives being lost in addition to property, the only real solution is to keep them out of circulation. As a mental condition, the mindset that is called pyromania by some is a manifestation of something much deeper and darker. It is at times like this that I have what I refer to as “medieval moments” and daydream about catching someone who has lit a fire deliberately and killed people, turning slowly on a spit and being basted regularly. It’s not terribly humane and certainly not a very Christian thought but then again, neither is the activity of incorrigible arsonists.

Once again I invite any readers with comments to contact me by e-mail. I do not need praise for stating the bleeding obvious in some cases and those who disagree or castigate me for hiding behind the thin veil of a pseudonym obviously have had no experience of being targeted. I have and when your car is vandalized, your wife and kids terrorized by phone and human excrement placed in your letterbox, then it’s wise to be extremely careful. I don’t want to put illegal razor wire around my house and the law concerning defense of one’s property and person leaves a great deal to be desired. How to deal with the perpetrators is something that should be addressed as a matter of some significance. It requires political backbone and will not pussyfooting around and hiding behind various psychological excuses.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the retirement of Sue Napier from State Parliament. I’ve had a few dealings with her over the years and she has been invariably courteous and positive. I’m rather sad to see her go in such circumstances and hope that she is able to beat the terrible affliction again.

And now for the finale, we are about 35 days away from the state election. Ross Butler, my candidate of choice, appeared on 936 during radio talkback and spoke about education. He made a great deal more sense than some I have heard on the subject. His views on education are progressive in the best sense of that word (and heaven knows it has been used to cover a multitude of sins). Ross knows the kids are our future and the consequences of failure are not tolerable. He told me he is getting good feedback in Franklin and wearing out shoes in the process. With the indulgence of the editor, I am seriously considering a citizen’s interview with Ross in an attempt to raise his profile. As I have said in a previous rant, the Labor Party supports Ross like the rope supports a hanging man. Another candidate in Franklin is on the nose in my household because of the number of people from his office who have attempted to entice me to campaign for him. Well son, you may well come from a political dynasty and are present distancing yourself from the disasters of the Bartlett government, what life experience do you have that would commend itself to the older voter?