When politicians have to cut back expenditure, the first item to be cut should be politician's salaries and expenses. The second item to be cut should be foreign aid, on the principle that charity begins at home. If the government were to eliminate politician's salaries, foreign aid and the NBN, they would easily be able to run a budget surplus.

Poirot: There's nothing like a Boxing Day dose of scintillating mediocrity to warm the cockle(shell)s of my heart.

Well handled Poirot. It's good to see you are developing a sense of humour at last. Keep it up luv. Beat going into a depressive state any day. Well Done.

I sincerely hope you had a merry Christmas & all the best for the New Year. That also goes for everyone on the Forum & Your Opinion. We have our differences but I love you all anyway. Keeps me young. 67 on Saturday.

Wouldn't bother reading the article cause it just smells of bleeding hearts to me.

Now I have no problems with foriegn aid, except for those supposed worthwhile causes that promote the very problem these third world countries suffer from. Over breeding.

Furthermore, my idea on aid is that once our people are fully provided for, any additional funds can be directed to worthwhile causes. Like the illegals debacle.

Not taken from our people to feed the illegals debacle.

There is one very important rule that needs to be followed, that is...

CHARITY starts at home. GET IT!

Hasbeen,
What could be a possible motive for me to talk rubbish on this site?
Island people to breed even more you say. What level of population and where are you referring to Hasbeen?
Take a look at Australia’s population Hasbeen, several thousand arrived on boats about 240 years ago and they now number over 20 million.
When Solomons was discovered the population was estimated at 80,000, then reduced to about 28,000 due to European disease, but is now about 600,000.

Get real Hasbeen. Due to their increased population, island people did not and could not possibly eat all the fish and devastate stocks to the critical level they are at now.

It is the developed world industrial revolution that created refrigeration and factory ships that has taken the stocks.
In my opinion according to empirical evidence it is western world and developing world human sewage and nutrient pollution that has devastated seagrass nurseries and food web supply, that is preventing wild fish stocks from recovering.
Historically low level is involved:
http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwid=7439

The coconut plantation going back to scrub as you say, is also due to old trees and worsening acute poverty, another reason why aid is required.

From my point of view and evidence of substance I possess it is clear that if the UN wants peace and nations to unite, then the UN should look urgently at delivering new resources to various nations, in order for those nations to manage the whole of the water ecosystem including the oceans.
World protein food sustainability is at stake. The oceans are not being managed at all, neither are rivers or estuaries.
The marine world requires eco-economic stimulus to be viably productive and sustainable, instead of being an increasing burden.
Real aid does not have to be about handouts.
It can be done but not by milking present aid to fund ‘refugee’ opportunists.

INDIVIDUAL,
I challenge you to point out the idiotic rambling and justify your statement.
Are you so much an “individual”, that you are possibly racist?
Do you somehow have a problem with time and space?

JF Aus: challenge you to point out the idiotic rambling and justify your statement. Are you so much an “individual”, that you are possibly racist? Do you somehow have a problem with time and space?

OOOOh! ooooh! ooooh! Let me, let me Indie. Please please.

Just about everything you have written, start to finish, so far has bee idiotic rambling. That takes care of point 1. Point 2. If you don't like someones answer pull out the "Racist Card." Pulling the Politically Correctness Card only works on a few demented souls here. We are all aware of that trap. Point 3. Eh! As my friend Pauline would say, "Please explain." More idiotic ramblings I'm afraid.

Sorry Indie. I couldn't help myself.

Jayb,
Sounds like you are unable to prove any idotic rambling, as referred to in presently unsubstantiated opinion on this thread.
You generalize when you say "just about everything".
Be specific with one example of evidence in point.
You are unable to do that.