contd..

A Nation's Shame
"During his days as a medical student at the Crown Street Women's Hospital in Sydney, the Nowra obstetrician repeatedly saw babies taken from their unwed teenage mothers moments after birth.
Dr Brian Hoolahan ... 'I can still remember it, it was absolutely horrific, it was the cruellest thing I’ve ever seen.'

'I remember the girls calling out "I just want to touch my baby, please let me see my baby' and they were crying and howling and it was the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my life,' Dr Hoolahan told the Illawarra Mercury."

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/a-nations-shame-it-was-the-most-horrific-thing-ive-ever-seen-20120228-1tzxi.html

Yes, churches and other NGOs are blameworthy too, but it was the State that that led and facilitated, and it was the State that should have protected the rights of the vulnerable.

It is the State we should always fear most for our rights and treatment. We should always be aiming for the State to have less control because it is certain to be abused, and for private industry to deliver whatever services are possible on contract to ensure more openness, review with less political interference and better value for (taxpayers') money.

“Yes, churches and other NGOs are blameworthy too, but it was the State that led and facilitated, and it was the State that should have protected the rights of the vulnerable.”

Which is why compensation claims go back to the state as the responsible party I guess. My biggest question is… aren’t we the state? Well not me I’m not a citizen… aren’t you the state?

Why should the services be contracted out?

Why can’t govt be open?

Why would state having control be more open to abuse than an NGO? The NGO’s have less to worry about if fault is found since it does keep going back to govt for compensation meaning the fault is theirs. Great business if you can get it.

Shouldn't it be govt that provides better value?

Having NGO’s provide state services is not saving us from excessive middle management either.

Isn’t protecting the rights of the individual the reason why NGO’s should not be given our vulnerable peoples?

My thoughts are all over the place, air con broke… way hot here.

The Pied Piper, "Well not me I’m not a citizen"

Your country of citizenship is?
Is it better (apropos to the thread) and how?
How long have you been in Australia and why?

I’m from NZ OTB, got here near seven years ago after husband got a job in Sydney.

Last I heard NZ was also busy contracting out public services to private companies. I’m unsure about the discrimination in law over there right now. Keeping up with two countries is not easy and at this point I have no intention of returning.

The Pied Piper,

Thank you. The NZ of former years has changed a lot. Not for the good, many find it tough. But the people remain warm and accepting. Apart from the regular bottle attacks that is.

I would like to return to the South Island for a month or so sometime soon. A welcome respite from the Nanny State that is Australia

http://crooksandliars.com/nonny-mouse/greatest-nation-earth-isnt-us
I read the above (and watched the video) in the weekend – groovy sounding stuff about NZ. I almost missed it until I remember the blizzards, the driving rain and the frosts. I prefer to constantly whinge about the heat instead.

NZers like Aussies when they are in NZ, I think Aussies in general like NZers when they’re in NZ too.

North Island is much more exciting, I think a few volcanoes are making noises lately and shooting a bit steam out.

My perspective on things come from what I witness fostering children, it’s a weird way to look at the world but what I see is Australia hurts them needlessly and thoughtlessly. Laws that come in enabling these NGO’s to discriminate will trickle down and hurt children.

Since I believe privatising foster care has led to more abuses of children I think we either get the NGO's out or get them more in line with the same services in govt.

I would like to the state to be a nanny state, right now it’s like an old headmaster state.

Funny thing that happens here is a lot of agreement about people should have freedom, people should be free to make choices although it is often pointed out what horrible choices people actually do make all the time for various reasons like they’re just plain dumb. So really what is agreed on is that only the smart people should be able to make the choices for the stoopid ones.