Kim, I was under the impression that there was legislation that could be brought into play if bystanders and witnesses did nothing to assist in the prevention of perpetration of a crime. The only 'out', as I understood it, was that if one were placing one's own life in danger by coming to the aid of the victim.
Is this not correct?
Of course, the whistleblowers legislation is a dog's breakfast, and seeks more to punish the whistleblower than the perps.
Who said we don't have have a democracy? -Of course we do - it is government by the politicians for the politicians. Goodness me!

What a depressing, and yet, challenging thread here!

you sure are right about that 'Reality Check'.

Is it "Thugism" ?

How did this situation develop ?

This situation is a process (the Government likes to call it a culture, but it is an actual process) developed and fine tuned by our 'so called' Investigatory bodies. The aim and focus of 'these watchdogs' is to 'manage complaints' so as to minimise damage to the Government. The public is not a concern. As law abiding individuals we are worth nothing, we have no rights and therefore no means of protection.

These watchdogs use complaints as a means to create new Policies and new Legislation so that our public servants and by extension our Government never has to take responsbility for anything or be made to answer and held accountable.

Procedural fairness and naturual justice doesn't exist for the general public. So unjust and unfair.

PortoSalvo,

I am sorry that the parents and students were treated so badly at Golden Square. I think the lesson is that you should never give into bullies. You have to be smart in resisting too. Do not make the mistake of relying on formal channels. Get organised and use the media.

I understand that the new schools are to be built on the open classroom model. This is recycled madness from the 1970s which was abandoned as a failure but which is making a comeback because it seems a few of its advocates have got themselves into positions of power with the DoE. Dr Ken Rowe of ACER has said that there are 500,000 studies which show that students learn better when they are actually taught. In time, these new open plan schools with their “flexible learning spaces” will have walls built, but they will probably be called “learning partitions” to save face.

I went to the bgo site and read that teachers are banned from speaking out about education. This is not correct. The previous Liberal Government did enact a ministerial order that purported to ban teachers from speaking on education issues in order to silence them while it go on with its destruction of their profession and the Victorian education system. However, I and others continued to speak out – in the press, in person and on radio - and no one was ever punished for doing so. The Labor Government withdrew the ministerial order early in its first term, and any teacher is free to contribute to educational debate.

Dealing With the Mob,

All I can say is that there are bullies everywhere and many others who just keep their heads down. I have no way of eliminating the problem, except to state that like all social improvement the problem will go away when enough people insist on it.

From the article "In Australia, we have established a culture where the public duty is not priced highly. "

Whilst Kim comments on the inaction of Didak in regard to Christopher Wayne Hudson, he has completely ignored the actions of Brendan Keilar and Paul de Waard in regard to the same Christopher Wayne Hudson.

Mr Keilar's actions, particularly, would suggest that some byestanders do consider their 'public duty', a consideration for which Mr Keilar did, afterall pay the ultimate price.

Such glaring ommissions of what is, in regard to Christopher Wayne Hudson, relevant fact tends to expose the article as being a crock of mindless codswallop.

As for whistleblowers, well if more folk were responsible for making their own way in the world, instead of clinging to tenure and the safe haven of bureaucracy, there would be more who realised that keeping quiet about wrongful acts is not only the recipe for a sad and insignificant life but also the way to set themselves up as "victims".

The only thing I've gleaned from all the comments on this subject so far, is simply this -

No quarter shall be given to a whistleblower.

That should indicate to anyone contemplating whistleblowing, that at the very least, and despite protective laws, it's a long, long, long row to hoe.
Most of us will never live long enough to achieve a correct and righteous outcome.

I salute those who try, and applaude those who win, but even in winning, most would agree, they also loose.

So very, very sad.