Tony Lavis & Lexi,
Give me the numbers of people with an academic title & then give the numbers which are of use to the rest of us or more to the point, are worthy of the Dollars we give them.
There are exemplary individuals in all walks of life but the most component of useless ones is within academia.

Lexi, with regards to the inventions you mentioned, this further proves jus how incompitent this mob are, as rather than inventions, this mob have been renowned for stuff up after stuff up, and that's when fixing something that's already been invented.

So let me ask you then Lexi, if you get your way and labor win another term, do you honestly think they can change their ways.

Furthermore, do you think it's worth the risk, given we can I'll afford another term like the last two.

Dear Individual,

Okay, I'll give you a few names - although
you could have Googled them yourself under
the inventions I gave you earlier.

There's Professor Fiona Wood, and her team, of the
spray-on-skin, for burn victims. There's
Professor Graeme Clark and his team, of the cochlear
implant (bionic ear). There's of course Professor
Ian Frazer of the Gardasic and Cervarix Cancer Vaccines,
to name just a few. And of course we have all the many people
at CSIRO which is Australia's leading pre-eminent
public research organisation, making Australia one of the
standout countries in terms of human development status.
It is not corrupt. Its science is world class.

Still, when ignorance (and vested interests) are confronted
by scientific facts, new ideas instead of being welcome for
the opportunities they open up for the improvement of
the human lot, historically were also often viewed as threats
to those who had become comfortable in their ideologies
(religious or otherwise). Nothing new there. Ignorance does
not like change.

But back to the topic. The key to success in this,
the global century if os course investing in Research and
Development. As we know innovations are not always
immediately successful. Innovation is not an abstraction nor
is it an end in itself. Tough times demand creative solutions
and investing in R & D will help find these solutions.
An investment to make Australia more productive and more
competitive - increase our capacity to find new ways of doing
business is the key to building a modern economy based on
advanced skills and technologies.

The ability of technology to transform the way energy is
consumed and supplied has to be found. Electricity, oil,
et cetera, will become expensive and we'll have to use
something else.

Humans are very bad at preparing for change but they are
very good at adapting to it when it arrives.
The world will look different in the future, but we will
cope with it and we will have the "academics" to thank
in being able to do so.

Dear rehctub,

I've lived under both Liberal governments and Labor
in Victoria. Under Labor we had excellent hospitals,
health care, Libraries, and our TAFE Colleges flourished.
Under the Liberals all that went down the gurgler.
Even rail services to rural areas were destroyed.

You talk about Labor stuff-ups. They are miniscule with
what we've had under the Libs. As I've written to you
in the past - let's have a debate on the economy but
let's make sure we stick with the facts and not on the
beat-ups in the tabloid press - which misrepresents
our debt. The fact is Australia's net debt is dramatically
lower than the net debt levels of every single major
advanced economy.

Labor made a choice to support local jobs during the GFC
a choice many countries around the world didn't or
couldn't make. They will be paying a very high price for
many years. BTW - Australia's debt is so low it has a gold
triple A rating. Interest rates are low and our economy
is the envy of the industrialised world.

But you go on believing whatever you want. Come September
you will possibly be able to see how right you were.
And if Mr Abbott and his Party wins, it will be interesting
to see how well you're doing in a few years. Perhaps you'll
be fine, but I guarantee that the rest of us won't be.
However - be happy with what you believe - if its right
for you and your family that's all that matters. Right?

As Harold Macmillan stated, "Events dear boy have a way of
making idiots of us all!"

Cheers.

Okay, I'll give you a few names - although
Dear Lexi,
Ok, now tell me where these people would be if it weren't for those sweatshop workers making the equipment which made it possible for them to use & build on ? Not to forget those people who did the groundwork for them. I'm by no means degrading their fantastic findings but please credit all to whom credit should be due. The most skilled can't do without the help of others who don't get their rewards apart from wages.

Dear Individual,

Each of us I'm sure has people to Thank along our
life's journey who have contributed to it both personally and professionally.
We can only trust that none of us forgets to do
so.

Invariably, the way we colour the world will be from our
own agendas, our own unique view. And that is rarely in
black and white.

Cheers.