To anyone who thinks we are in great shape, ask your self this very simple question.

Where did we come from, where are we now, and where are we headed if our direction as a nation doesn't change.

Remember, I am only talking about FIVE YEARS AGO, and let's say the next five years.

Now as for leadership, our problem is that labor today care more about retaining/ winning votes than they do about good policy.

If you have gone seriously backwards in five years, it's only fair to assume that the next few years will be painful, unless of cause you want more of the same.

Now as for me wanting to slash wages, that's simply not true, as I clearly state that LOW SKILLED WAGES are too high. Nothing more.

"No wonder Australians are seen as the world's biggest bludgers."
Besides YOU individual Who see's us as the world's biggest bludgers? I give my fellow Australians much more credit than you ever will. You want to shackle millions, yes millions of Australians with the idiotic notion of "A (compulsory and universal) national service of two years duration is what's needed."
A total un-costed notion, with absolutely no thought what so ever to the how, when and why of the whole idiotic idea.
When its put to you, you fail to answer the most basic of questions about YOUR idea of national service.
Please tell how? To help you about 1,000,000 would be directly affected by your universal scheme, another 1,000,000 would be preparing to enter your scheme following school, or have come out of it and trying to restart their dislocated lives. Not to mention the 'army' required to run and administer the whole thing, or will it just run itself.
As I said before there is a place for schemes which truly help the school lever and the long term unemployed develop life skills and help with their self worth etc. There is always a place for good schemes which help the socially disadvantaged develop and become more productive members of society. A universal boot camp (my words) with a one size fits all approach is not the answer. Although to some it may seem a good idea at the time.

Good evening ANTHONYVE...

I'm not sure whether there was much corruption within that Department ? Morale was not that high, nor was there any real evidence of genuine camaraderie either for that matter ? Words like cynicism, suspicion, and negativity, featured daily with everything that I saw ? I was accorded considerable respect, despite the fact I'd been in the job for quite sometime myself, I just felt they had a fairly low opinion of me, both as a brother officer and detective.

It was almost like, they viewed their circumstances with 'worldly eyes' whereas they thought I still had much to learn ?

There was this sergeant (uniformed) who, though quite cordial towards me, would let slip these little 'mutterings' like,'...well, well, well, we've this guy all the way from 'Orstralia' come here, and tell us all how to do it chuckle chuckle chuckle...' ? I gather he had his 'ticket punched', and his 'twenty in', thus he could retire any time he wished on a full (lifetime) City pension. Yet inexplicable, I felt he resented me, for reasons totally beyond my comprehension ?

Yet in 1986 and again in 1987 I attended two fulltime (live-in) Schools with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (the FBI). Their attitudes, professionalism, in fact everything about them, was quite different to the experiences I had with US Police forces. These FBI blokes were often disparagingly referred to, as 'College Cops' !

Therefore, in order to be considered a candidate, as a Special Agent with the FBI, one needed to have graduated from College (University) in an approved Degree. So I suppose if anything, these 'Special Agents' were better educated than the ordinary American, 'rank and file' police officer - moreover many of the police officers themselves, wanted to join the Bureau, as it's universally called over there. Without an approved Degree from College, they had no chance unfortunately. The training at Quantico VA, is both exhaustive and protracted.

I must apologise. I'm totally off the topic at hand. Showing my rapidly advancing dotage ?

Hi there PAUL1405...

It is indeed interesting the way they (Americans) seem to equate everything around an hourly rate of pay ? Even the coppers, it would seem.

Furlough as many of them call their holidays seems to be calculated on years spent on the job. Of course I'm speaking of police specifically here. They don't get anywhere near what Oz coppers get in terms of leave. No loading, very little it would seem. The first five years all they seem to receive is 2 weeks 'paid furlough' every twelve months ? That's it !

Their rates of pay, other benefits we take for granted here, are tougher over there. That said PAUL1405, they still seem to do alright these coppers, despite all the whinging. They are generally quite comfortable in their homes, so the salary seems adequate, thus OK. I've had the privlidge of spending time in at least 15 to 18 separate homes of law enforcement members I've known over there, police and Bureau SA's. It does give me a fair sample of their respective standards of living, compared to ourselves. They all have their family - wives, children, animals, usually two cars. They aren't too badly off !

In fact PAUL1405, you'll not believe this...In three cases, the members concerned (detectives) were driving around (privately) in these large, late model American cars, that had been officially seized (proceeds of organised crime) and forfieted to the County !

And these police members were availing themselves fully, to the lawful use of these vehicles for their own private purposes ? Apparently quite legal and judiciously mandated by the respective Legal Authorities. As I said, they do enjoy many little perks as police, as do the 'emergency services' do, to a far lesser degree, all over the world.

Besides YOU individual
Paul1405,
Besides YOU Paul everyone seems to be aware of it. You show me ANY other country's citizens who do their darnest to run their own country into the ground & keep asking for more & more wage increases in return & send our manufacturing overseas. You're just lucky they only call you bludgers instead of the term you really deserve. As for my proposing how to pay for a national service (don't worry you'll be exempt from serving due to lack of sense) I have already put forward plenty of ideas. Unless of course you're so devoid of imagination that I'd literally have to spell every single word for you to grasp the idea of national service.
The one main reason why Australia went backwards is the removal of national service by big Goaf simply to get more silly lefties' votes. He actually got more votes than he bargained for because he got the stupid ones as well.

"No wonder Australians are seen as the world's biggest bludgers." You individual present this outrages opinion of yours as fact. When asked to substantiate your nonsense of an opinion by offering evidence to support what you say, there is noting, not a word. Support for your statement could be something like a world leader agreeing with you. For instance if President Obama was to say when addressing the Nation "My fellow Americans... today I must inform you of a bigger menace confronting America, I want you to, forget about al-Qaedaa, forget about the Taliban, a much bigger evil confronts us today... The Aussie Bludger, no I did not say Aussie Burger that's bludger with a 'B'...so on and so forth, yuda, yuda, yuda, etc etc...." there's your evidence of a kind!
Without evidence to support your rubbish you post this in relation to your biggest bludgers rubbish; "everyone seems to be aware of it" Who on earth are "everyone" your drinking buddies down the pub. You can have your opinions for what they are worth, but please do not try and present them as fact unless you can back up what you say, p/s Fact has to be a bit more than Buff and Yabba from the boozer agreeing with you.
When can I expect a detailed summation of your universal "National Service" clap trap, today, tomorrow most likely never as you are all P&W with it