What would you do to save Downunder?

 

One of the regular columnists had a piece in the paper yesterday where he offered some thoughts on what he would do if he had a year to "save" the country.

 

His first offering was to say we should forget the debate about changing the date of our national holiday. Something like 67% of people strongly agree with this and a further 22% have no strong opinion one way or the other. That leaves around 11% agitating for change and getting almost all the media coverage. 

 

Ah yes, media coverage. The columnist in question would like to see the ABC "defunded". I have not watched the ABC for years but then I really don't watch much television. Right around me however people are complaining about the bias being shown by our national broadcaster. If it is even one tenth as bad as the bias shown on the only news service I do watch then yes, it should be defunded. From the glimpses I have seen it is not acting in accordance with its charter.  Most of the people I know watch news services for facts not left-wing opinions. I am not sure about defunding the ABC but perhaps they could replace some staff and there could be an external review panel to ensure more balanced coverage. I might go and look at the ABC some time if they do that.

 

If the media is there to agitate for change as well then they would surely be in favour of calling for an audit and review of where the funding for indigenous bodies is actually going. We spend an enormous amount of "indigenous programs" but they don't seem to be doing much good. I know my friend M... agrees with the columnist on this one after all there was $5.3bn spent on these programs in 2023 and 2024 and things don't seem to have improved much.  He also suggests getting rid of the "First Nations Ambassador" while we are at it. I know more than one indigenous person who agrees with that one.

 

And, like the columnist, I do think we should employ the best person for the job. Employment should not be defined by quotas relating to sex/gender orientation/race/disability/ethnicity or anything else. Changing that requirement across everything would really make a difference. 

 

The columnist's comments about the rorting of the current overseas student visas were also timely. If you are here on a student visa then you leave when you finish or if you drop out. I remember all too well that anxious two week wait to get my right to stay in the UK extended - in order to simply finish my own studies. It had the support of my supervisor, the head of the research unit, the head of the institution and the local member of parliament but it was not a given. Here there seems to be a very casual attitude to extensions.

 

We could fly the miscreants out on our flying kangaroo if the flights are not cancelled leaving passengers waiting with no assistance at the airport. The idea of mandatory compensation for passengers when flights are cancelled for "operational" reasons is something we should be considering seriously. This country is so big it needs reliable air travel in the 21stC. 

 

The columnist tells us that is a start. There were people agreeing with him this morning. He might be encouraged to add more. I can think of a few ideas myself.  

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