Politics is a dirty word

  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pulled off a Brexit deal which removes Britain from the clutches of the European parliament.More than n ine months of talks  resulted in the deal on Christmas Eve. This ends the saga of the creeping takeover by European countries. In 1973, when Britain joined an entity known as the Common Market. It was simply a trading block but it transformed into a new tier of Government with its own parliament and crippling taxation burden. For years, British people have wanted to escape from the grip of Brussels – now at last they have done it!

  Construction work has started in South Australia on the first of nine Hunter class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy to replace the Anzac-class vessels.. The total cost will be at least AU$35 billion. The ships’ main role will be anti-submarine warfare. Weapons will include short range missiles and torpedos.

  Britain’s Royal Navy is expected to confront European fishing boats (particularly from France) if no deal is organised prior to the January I Brexit date. An additional four patrol ships are being deployed to help the UK protect its fishing waters, They will have the power to halt, inspect and impound all EU fishing boats operating within the UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends 200 miles from the coast. It’s not clear how European Navies will respond to the threat but no doubt Russia will be pleased that the focus has been taken off the operations of its submarines in UK waters. There has been an increase in the number of european supertrawlers operating in the English Channel - which is seen as taunting the UK Government (or calling its bluff!)

Australia's p romised covid19 vaccine has been d umped after s ome trial participants returned HIV test results.The University of Queensland been developing the vaccine with pharmaceutical company C SL but the plans were scrapped when it was realised that the test results could destroy public confidence in th e Government’s vaccination program me .

 It seems that politicians may have found a way to keep themsselves relevant to their communities. US President Donald Trump already had a massive public profile with a top rating TV program in America propelling him into the top job. His current spectarcular refusal to admit defeat suggests that he is setting up another reality show - perhaps his version of ‘Biggest Loser’ In Australia, Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews would never have dreamed of the massive television coverage as his daily Covid 19 reality show.

  The report on killings in Afghanistan by Australian special forces should take no-one by surprise – esapecially politicians and army chiefs. Fake shock and horror displayed by politicians and top army bureaucrats demonstrate monumental hypocrisy and denial. SAS troops are trained for only one purpose – to kill without question.  They are highly trained assassins and to expect anything else from  them once they are unleashed is unfair.

  Australian media coverage of the US Presidential election, particularly on television, has been outrageous. Why do they think we are interested in which elderly white male wins a tussle in a depraved version of democracy? It makes no difference to usa who is a in the White House. If Trump is defeated, it may herald an improvement in relations with China, which could benefit Australia. The growing cold war with Russia could also warm up especially as rumours are circulating the Vladimir Putin may step down as he is believed to be in the early stages of Parkinsons disease.

 Conspiracy theories rage about political controls and a New World Order, but there is little doubt that drastic changes have been made to the way we live – and not just because of the Covid19 pandemic. Politics and economies have been corrupted on a monumental scale, with politicians and bureaucrats ripping off the system for their own benefit.. There are four basic tenants to the Satanic ideology. The first tenant of Satanism is that “self” is all important . The “ego” is placed on a pedestal. The ego is not worshipped, but it is the highest thing to aspire toas an act of self-preservation. It’is “all about me.” It doesn’t matter if Satanists have to step on somebody else to get what they want, or if somebody else has to suffer or lose in order for the Satanist to win. It is about doing whatever the Satanist wants to put him or herself in an advantage over other people, with no regard for ethics or morality. It is about controlling other people and serving the self, no matt...

  In the beginning was the plan and then came the assumptions and the assumptions were without form and the plan was completely without substance and the darkness was upon the face of the voters and they spoke among themselves, saying "it is a crock of shit, and it stinketh" and the voters went unto Government bureaucrats and sayeth "it is a pail of dung and none may abide the odorf" and the bureaucrats went to their Department Heads and sayeth unto them, "it is a container of excrement and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it", and the Department heads went unto ther Ministerss and sayeth, "it is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength", and the ministers spake amongst themselves, saying one to another, "it contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong", and the ministres went unto the Premier and sayeth unto him, "it promotes growth and is very powerful" and the Pre...

  The resignation of Victoria’s top public servant, Chris Eccles, Head of the Department of Premier and Caninet should be followed by the resignation of the Premier, Daniel Andrews over the chaotic Covid19 response. Melbourne’s lockdown, triggered by the second covid19 wave was a direct result of the Government’s flawed hotel quarantine process for which the Premier must take responsibility. It seems likely that the Chief Health Officer may also have to quit.

  Disputes within factions of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party will force the resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews. His socialist left faction was dominant within the State party until serious issues arose with building union boss John Setka and power broker adem Sonyurek. The final act for his demise has been the destruction of the Victorian economy caused by mishandling the Covid 19 pandemic. Blaming the Health Minister and pushing her resignation was just too much.

  At last the Victorian Government is facing strong criticism for its handling of lockdown policies during the curent Copvid19 pandemic. Calls have been made by the health union for the resignation of Health Minister Jenny Mikakos who has been accused of “breathtaking incompetence”. The State Government’s response to the pandemic has been muddled at best and it seems a little unfair for Minister Mikakos to be a scapegoat. The fundamental problems are far more broad and encompass the whole of Goverenment including bureaucrats. Lines of responsibilty have been deliberately blurred to deflect blame for mismanagement. A clear example was the establishment of an Emergency Management Commissioner. Craig Lapsley should not have been replaced in that role. The position was created in 2014 and did nothing to improve the delivery of emergency services. It simply imposed another level of expensive bureaucracy. There was already (and still is), a full army of bureaucrats and politic...

  TheCovid19 Omnibus Emergency Measures Bill which the Victorian Government is trying to push through Parliament spells the end of democracy in this State. If it passes, the Bill will allow the Secretary of the Public Health and Well Being Act 2008 to appoint anyone as an authorised officer. thePublic Health and Wellbeing Act states the emergency powers that may be given to authorised officers by the Chief Health Officer during a declared state of emergency so it seems that would be the basis for their power and they will be able to arrest anyone for anything. If cross benchers don't support the Bill in the Upper House, it won't become law, but unfortunately the Greens, the Reason Party  and the Animal Justice party have  track records supporting the whims of  the Government.

  The curent COVID19 pandemic is causing panic around the world but it is not the first pandemic to hit humans – nor the dealiest. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, was the deadliest in history, infecting about 500 million people worldwide and killing an estimated 50 million. The 1918 flu was first seen in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia before spreading everywhere. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a coronavirus it has been recorded as killing 920,000 people. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the virus and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing hands or u...

  Recent events in Melbourne have demonstrated that there is no difference between the violent actions of law enforcement bodies in America , Belarus or Melbourne. Video images have shown a police officer delibrately driving his car into a man and then another officer kicking him in the head when he was immobilised on the ground. These are just the latest actions taken by police during their rampage endosed by the Victorian Government during its Covid 19 Lockdown nightmare. The extent of police violence demonstrates that it is systemic and part of police training.  In Victoria, police have been transformed from a community service, to a ‘force’. Apart from Ken Lay and Christine Nixon there has not been a decent police commissioner since Mick Miller was pushed into resignation. He was about the last ‘honest cop.’’ In addition to violence, the illegal activities by senior officers in using a defence lawyer as an informer shows complete contempt for any legal process.

 Ex Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a striking example of the reasons people distrust politicians. He enjoys an extraordinarily generous pension, but is now taking on a job with the UK Government. The Australian government has an international coronavirus travel ban in place, but granted Mr Abbott an exemption to fly to London where he is tipped to take up a new role as an adviser to the UK Board of Trade. The best thing he can do for Ausatralia is to give up his pension with taxpayer-provided perks and stay in Britain. We don’t want him!

  At least some Australians have the guts to stand up for freedom rather than meekly acquiesce to draconian regularions imposed at the whim of our political leaders. In Victoria, police arrested four men during a demonstration against the state’s coronavirus restrictions. Police clashed with around 100 demonstrators in Dandenong before the imposed curfew. Protesters wore masks, but many people were close by in suburban streets. Four men were arrested for antagonising and refusing to co-operate with police. Good on them for refusing to be intimidated!

  The case for banning political parties in Australia has been strengthened by cases of systematic corruption. It’s small comfort rthat things are not as bad here as many other countries. According to Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perseptiond zIndex. Auistralia is the world’s 12 th least corrupt country. Thee have been efforts to crack down on bribery and embezzlement but there are still examples of endemic corruption.

  The Covid 19 pandemic response has demonstrated that bureaucrats lead a very privileged life with secure employment and pay rises. It’s almost impossible for them to be sacked even when they demonstrate they can’t handle their jobs. Promotion depends opn how long they’ve been in the job rather than any ability to do it. No blame has been attached to the debacles over nursing homes and alowing Australia’s borders to be breached by infected passengers. Bungles have come to light about insane restrictions on farmers moving equipment, feed and livestock Now there is the spectre of possibly forcing people to be vaccinated. Will Governments provide an unconditional guarantee that participants will be fully protected from the virus and any side effects?

  Long-term repercussions of the COVID19 pandemic and the associated mountain of debt, demonstrate the need for changes to our system of Government. Our Federation model is not working, split responsibilities have resulted in chaos.Faced with the prospect of generational debt and a strong feeling that we are over-governed, drastic cuts need to be made to the cost of Government along with fundamental change to our constitution. A large part of the problem will be to abolish the extravagance of a Federal Parliament with all the costs associated with duplicating Ministers and Departments when each State already has working bureaucracies in place the States are responsible for education, health and a large part of the justice system. Let COAG run the country., The Council of Australian Governments has the expertise and the existing departmental bureaucracy to take on all roles – saving taxpayers billions of dollars every year.

 The Australian Government is introdicing a novel scheme to reduce  Hecs debts for students. Education Ministe Dan Tehan has announced that s tudents who fail more than half of their subjects would be cut from university loans and subsidies. It is part  of   the Government’s Job-Ready Graduates laws, which will hike fees for humanities subjects and cut them for science subjects. students who fail more than half of the subjects in a bachelor course will be unable to access a Commonwealth support fees HECS-HELP.

New Zealand has recorded 14 new cases of coronavirus, all but one linked to four members of an Auckland family who tested positive this week. Three workers at two Americold refrigerated warehouse facilities in Auckland, one at Mount Wellington and another at the city's airport, have confirmed cases of COVID-19. Mr. Richard Winnall, Americold's Australia and New Zealand managing director, said the company's positive cases worked alongside a man who had already tested positive to the virus. He also said there had been two positive cases of COVID-19 at Americold's Melbourne plant in Laverton North in recent weeks. However, he said there was no link between cases at the two facilities, as the Melbourne warehouse does not ship freight to the company's Auckland plant. He said the Auckland facility receives imported goods from 15 countries, including Australia, China and the United States.

 When will we see riots on Australian streets? Surely it’s only a matter of time. We’ve endured bungles by the Federal Government with slack border quarantine processes allowing the Covid19 virus into the counrtry. This  followed  a complete lack of hazzard  analysis for aged care homes. Then the Victorian Government doubled down with a mind-numbing process of hotel quarantine which spread the virus further.We have suffered various stages of lock down which has decimated many small businesses and destroyed jobs.When supermarkets run out of food, or there is a long term power outage, the public may be galvanised into action. Imagine being stuck at home witrh no comnputer, television or telephone and a freezer full of food slowly going rotten!

  Job creation may have been given a higher priority than preventing the spread of Covid19 in Victoria as finding jobs for marginalised Victorians seems to have been a driving force behind organising securtity guards for the quarantine of new arrivals in hotels. The Victorian Department of Jobs had a key role in selecting security procedures for hotels chosen to house travellers ordered to be quarantined. One of its functions is to meet the State Goverment’s social inclusion procurement policy to provide jobs for marginalised people in the State. But  it's better to fight the problem than allocate blame at this stagebecauew th hotel quaqrantine  fiasco is just one of a series of errors which has created thew wave of infections in Australia – starting with an ineffective Border Force which allowed infected travellers into the country. At the Melbourne Grand Prix, the Ferrari team was allowed to travel here directly from Milan – the epicentre of the Covid 19 pandemic in...

A collapsing US dollar will wreak even more havoc around the world which is facing economic mayhem as a result of Government spending to combat the effects of the Covid19 pandemic. the dollar's slump in value is likely to continue as U.S. interest rates are declining whilst the country is running a huge current account deficit. The US economy is in deep trouble and there seems little prospect of recovery.

The way Australia is handling the Covid19 pandemic leads to a huge question about our ability to handle a major event such as a war and it seems to be a highly inapprorpriate time to be challenging China. If the Federal aqnd State governments can’t convince the population to work together to fight a virus, what hope is there in the event of a war? So why is the Australian navy confronting china in their territory? Chinese ships have challenged Australian warships in the South China Sea when they sailed close to islands claimed by China.The Australian warships, led by our flagship,HMAS Canberra, are taking part in war games with US and Japanese ships.

Australia’s Federal Government has managed to esacape much of the blame for the spread of the Covid19 virus in the country – managing to pass the blame onto State jurisdictions. But bungles by Federal and State Governments are responsible for the extent of the Covid19 problems in Australia. There were an additional 502 cases yesterday, mostly in the State of Victoria where health officials revealed they did not know that nursing home staff worked in various facilities and often travelled between them - the same as many abbattoir workers which resulted in widsespread transmissions..  Active quarantine procedures in the early days of the pandemic would have prevented the virus from reaching Australia. Instead of quarantining passengers immediately on arrival, many were allowed to wander around the country on their way to ‘self-isolation’ The virus was spread on public transport, in shops and hotels before politicians realised the scale of the potential threat. Crui...

Business development involves a mix of processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within  organisations. It's a traditional part of  business, commerce and organisational theory. Economists and academics teach business development in an attempt to convince people they can  create long-term value for an organisation from customers, markets, and relationships. Business development can mean any activity by a small or large organisation, non-profit or for-profit enterprise or even a government which aims  to continually develop business activity. See earlier posts on a steady-state economy. Spiralling  government debt is ensuring that Australia will be in economic turmoil for generations.

Bungles by Federal and State Governments are responsible for the extent of the Covid19 problems in Australia. Effective quarantine procedures in the early days of the pandemic would have prevented the virus from reaching Australia. Instead of quarantining passengers immediately on arrival, many were allowed to wander around the country on their way to ‘self-isolation’ The virus was spread on public transport, in shops and hotels before politicians realised the scale of the potential threat. Cruise ship passengers were allowed in - even a group of religious fanatics gathering for a convention was welcomed by the Prime Minister.Slow decision-making and confusing messages are a hallmark of our political leaders. The resultant economic woes are an indictment of government action and inaction.

The superannuation fraud has taken on a new life with the Australian Federal Police freezing more than 50 bank accounts suspected of defrauding the Government's early access to superannuation. They believe that criminal syndicates including some overseas groups are behind the fraudulent activity. But the biggest fraud is operated by the super funds themselves. Every year they strip the same management fee from members accounts, even if the funds have declined. When compulsory superannuation was designed, approval was given for the managers to take out their regular fees even if the fund under-performed. They have legally been able to transfer millions of dollars from members to themselves.

Australia’s Government is concerned at apparent international cyber attacks on Government departments and businesses which have caused intermittent shutdowns. But much of the work on cyber security has been outsourced to private businesses TheAustralian Cyber Security Centre is the Government’s agency for cybersecurity. It is based at theAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation headquarters in Canberra, but seems to have very limited capabilities.. The Centre is overseen by a Board, and the Minister for Defence.

Politicians throughout the world have been plunging their citizens into an economic morass in their naive belief that growth will solve all problems.But, their minhdless hopes have been dashed by a viral pandemic that swept over the world.zzthe depth of the problem has been highlighted by a former Australian Treasurer, Peter Costello who has forecast that this country's total debt could exceed a trillion dollars and is unlikely to ever be repaid. The inflationary monetary policies of the US, Europe, Australia and many other countries mean they are all chugging along on autopilot towards the permanent destruction of their currencies. Inflation and zero interest rates make money worthless. So protecting basic wealth which has often been built over many years presents a challenge. What are the options? Property and gold are two that spring to mind. Real estate always has an intrinsic value even in a declining market, whereas stocks and shares, which gamblers love to buy, are just...

The case for banning political parties has been strengthened now a Victorian Government Minister has been sackedafter claims of corruption were made on a television programme. Secret recordings were aired about the misuse of money and Labor Party branch stacking (rigging membership to manipulate votes). There is nothing really new in the allegations, it has been going on for years with politicians manipulating party members to ensure support for themselves. Stacking party branches has been more of a Labor practice over the years, but the Liberal party has often used slush funds to hide the identity of donors who finance election campaigns and rorting electorate funds for personal gain has been common.

An antique Australian-made tractor is being auctioned in the United States even though politicians and bureaucrats should never have approved its export. Provisions in the Cultural Heritage Act 1986 mean it should not have been allowed to leave the country, The failure was a clear breach of the legal obligations placed on Governments and their employees. But heads will not roll because no-one in Government cares. The tractor, a 1912 McDonald EB built by renowned engineer and industrialist A H McDonald, the leading pioneer of tractors and agricultural implements in this country. The tractor is of great historic importance.

The seemingly never-ending war in Syria appears most likely to result in victory for President al Assad. With the complete backing of Russia, the result seems only a matter of time.Capturing Idlib will bring a military solution to the Syrian crisis, which will render Russian support irrelevant. Economic turmoil resulting from the civil war and US pressure has created great hardship in the community. But the US has demonstrated its inability to deal with conflict in the Middle East and without direct US intervention Assad is almost certain to stay in power.

It seems to be only a matter of time before the world sees tanks rumbling down US streets to crush protesters - reminiscent of the Tianamen Square debacle against miltant Chinese students. Some of Trump's staff and probably some Generals in the Pentagon think that rhetoric about sending in troops is a step too far. But Trump is not renowned for listening skills!Steven Levitsky,Professor of Government at Harvard University has described Trumps actions as a threat to democracy. Riots appear to be worsening after the murder by police of an unarmed African-American. Continuing racial inequality is a hallmark of the US way of life. There is racial inequality in this country too but key differences between the US and Australia are that America is a far more violent society and civilians have significant numbers of guns, whereas our guns have largely been taken away by politicians. The fundamental problam began when Frsnce helped America win independence and then implement a flawed rep...

Australia’s Border Force has failed in its stated purpose of keeping Australia’s borders secure. Following on from allowing Coronavirus - infected passenger from travelling around the country after disembarking in Sydney from the cruise ship Ruby Princess. Hey have allowed a Middle East livestock carrier to dock at Fremantle. 27 crew members were allowed off the Al Kuwait even though six of the 48 crew tested positive to COVID-19. Border Force, under Peter Dutton’s control seems unable to control our borders. Whatever happened to the mantra ‘Stop The Boats’.

People throughout the world are letting the panic surrounding the COVID19 virus and our politicians send us all into a tailspin from which we may never recover. What is clear, is that the longer we keep ourselves locked up, the less likely economies are to recover. In this scenario it seems utter stupidity to talk of war (Cold or otherwise). With a belligerent Donald Trump in Washington, it will need cool heads in Beijing and Moscow to keep the world from rushing headlong into catastrophe. Pentagon Generals are rather like Lemmings.One of thwe only alternatices will be a currency war, with the US slashing the value of its dollar to manipulate the market. The sad facts are that US strategists may see war as the only way out of their economic malaise and they may urge Trump to push the button. It’s the last thing the world needs now with already shattered economies struggling to service their populations. But there is a no shortage of stupidity amongst our politicians.

The United States navy has tested its first directed energy laser weapon, a Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator which is expected to match Russian technology already in service. Lockheed Martin is the main US armaments maker to develop electromagnetic energy weapons. the U K's BAE Systems has also been at work but Russia developed its key lasaer weapons during the Cold War and is beleived to be at least five years ahead in its capabilities. While Ronald Regan and the Pentagon were grand-standing about a 'star Wars' missile system. Russia's military machine was getting on with the job.

Many governments around the world are still fixated on growing their economies by borrowing money. Australia owes at least $1.6 billion and the US national debt is an incredible $23 trillion and still growing. It really is La La land created by global bankers who know how to manipulate world leaders into falling for their scams. As a result, national debts will never be repaid. The three card trick is to monetize the debt at negative interest rates. printing money, or quantitative easing helps the illusion of winding down reinvestment, but it isn't real – just different books of accounts with enough zeros to make heads spin. Negative interest rates will force people to pull savings from banks. Everyone will stop buying and hoard cash, forcing economies to a halt. These global bankers want governments to blindly keep spending their way into bankruptcy The coronavirus pandemic has furthered their agenda – Bankrupt central governments and take over all financial control. Ultimate...

At last a senior Department of Foreign Affairs bureaucrat Dr Julie Delforce has resigned after it was revealed that she had not disclosed her links to an anti-farming website set up by her family u to discredit farmers. Some argue she should have been sacked immediately rather than continuing for months to draw her huge salary. Dr Delforce was a senior sector specialist in DFAT's Agricultural Development and Food Security section. She is the mother of Chris Delforce who founded the vegan activist Aussie Farms website which published the addresses of thousands of Australian farms and abattoirs,

If US President Donald Trump meddles with contracts to buy F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, Australia should immediately cancel its order. The Australian Government placed orders for the plane on the basis that a significant proportion of work would be undertaken in Australia. He now says he is thinking of changing arrangements so that all work on the plane is carried out in the US. In the past he has ranted about the exhorbitant cost of the F35 which should have sent a clear message to the Australian Government that it should not waste taxpayers money on a dog of a plane that is unable to meet it design performance or its costings. His earlier comments came shortly after the 100th F35 rolled off the Lockheed Martin production line. There were huge misgivings about cost overruns and the jet's lack of performance. Australia is committed to pay $20 billion for 72 of the planes. The F35 will be almost useless as an addition to Australia's air defence and attack capabilitie...

The Australian Government is drafting legislation which will limit the rights of citizens. Legislation introduced by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton will allow the spy agency ASIO to question children as young as 14 without supervision and will make it easier to install tracking devices in a person's bag or car without approval. Using the COVID19 pandemic as an excuse, Dutton is trying to ram through wide powers to let ASIO detain and question kids as young as 14, track ereyone’s movements without oversight and prevent people from having a lawyer present when being questioned'. Dutton and his department goons could investigate journalists and any activists on trumped up allegations of espionage . Is it any wonder that many Australians refuse to install the so-called Covid Safe app on their smart phones. No one trusts the Government to restrict access to tracking information.

Long-term repercusions of the COVID19 pandemic and the associated monstrous debt are certain to lead to calls for changes in our system of Government. Faced with the prospect of generational debt and a strong feeling that we are over-governed, dsrastiuc cuts need to be made to the cost of Government along with fundamental change to our constitution. A large part of the problem will be to abolish the extravagance of a Federal Parliament with all the costs associated with duplicating Ministers and Departments when each State already has working bureaucracies in place the States are responsible for education, health and a large part of the justice system. Let COAG run the country., The Council of Australian Governments has the expertise and the existing departmental bureaucracy to take on all roles – saving taxpayers billions of dollars every year.

Claims by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that COVID19 originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China are nothing new. More than three months ago, a top US legal expert, Dr. Francis Boyle, who drafted the Biological Weapons Act has acknowledged that the 2019 Wuhan Novel Coronavirus is an offensive Biological Warfare Weapon. Dr.Boyle is a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He drafted the U.S. domestic implementing legislation for the Biological Weapons Convention, known as the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, that was approved by both Houses of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. Dr. Boyle said the virus escaped from a secure laboratory in Wuhan, He believes the virus is potentially lethal and an offensive biological warfare weapon , which is why the Chinese government originally tried to cover it up and has taken drastic measures to contain it. The Wuhan BSL-4 lab is a specially designated World ...

The Australian Government has deployed HMAS Parramatta, a guided missile frigate to the South China Sea to support the United States in its confrontation with the Chinese Navy. The Parramatta was built in 2000 and has an anti ship missile defence system including a phased array radar. It carries a range of missiles, guns and torpedoes. In addition to naval vessels, China has deployed several H-6K heavy bombers.

Scientists from Oxford University’s Jenner Institute have begun human trials of a potential COVID19 vaccine. The research has been conducted in partnership with the Pirbright Institute, a leading biowarfare research laboratory in Surrey.

Allegations that the World Health Organisation was responsible for some kind of cover up about the coronavirus outbreak which has become the COVID19 pandemic, were pretty much shot to ribbons at an Australian Senate inquiry. Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy acknowledged that Australian health authorities were first notified of the Wuhan cluster coronavirus by the World Health Organisation on January 1. Bur that revelation won’t satisfy critics – particularly political hacks.

The Australian Government had a unique opportunity to protect Australians from the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic by imposing strict quarantine controls on everyone entering the country at the time it became aware of the virus – instead, passengers on ships and aircraft were allowed to use public transport freely on their way to ‘self-isolation’. Now Austrralians are subjected to a range of panic measures which are claimed to be for our own good.In reality it’s an exercise in population control designed to see how far people can be pushed before creating a revolution. Pity the Government didn’t think about the welfare of the population at the start of the year.

I agree with Professor Raina MacIntyre, Head of biosecurity at the Kirby Institute in New South Wales that by not implementing a complete lockdown in Australia early in the COVID19 pandemic, our Government is responsible for prolonging the outbreak. Weeks ago, everything should have been closed down except essential services such as health care, police and emergency services as well as the power industry.Everyone else should have been required to stay home. Federal politicians may be about to implement tighter measures - but the horse has bolted!

Politicians in Australia and elsewhere are more concerned about the political and financial implications of Covid19 rather than the health of people. Fears resulting from the latest pandemic go back centuries and demonstrate that we are largely incapable of dealing with reality. Sacred texts revealed the panic experienced during the plagues of Egypt in the old Testament book of Exodus. The Plague of Athens from 430 to 426 BC during the war with Sparta killed off more people than the war itself. Plague in medieval Europe took millions of lives when travel was very restricted. National populations were decimated in the 14th century. Across millennia, cholera, smallpox, typhus and other diseases have changed history. leprosy, measles and malaria have been followed by swine flu, avian flu. Sars and Ebola. Now we are confronted with Covid19. As a race, we don’t seem to have learned much, recent examples of selfishness and panic epitomises the human condition.It seems that most people ha...

At last politicians in Australia are taking seriously the threat of novelcononvirus. State Premiers have declared states of emergency and there have been calls to bring in the army. Does that mean SAS troops will patrol supermarkets and treat panic buyers as looters?

Australian doctors have called on Governments to implement strict quarantine procedures in response to COVID-19. The doctors are demanding state and federal governments enforce strict lockdown and social distancing, and increase funding for health resources to cope with a surge in critically ill patients. The demands are outlined in an open letter which has circulated to doctors and attracted 4000 signatures.. According to the letter,"On current growth rates, the 300 cases in Australia today will be 10,000 by the 4th of April." Dr Norman Swan, presenter of the ABC's Health Report put the same view rather more succinctly in an interview when said that if governments were serious, they should stop"dicking around."

The novelcoronavirus, now known as Covid19, is the latest in a long line of microbes fighting back against efforts by humans to erradicate them. Viruses are the smallest of all microbes. They are so small that 500 million rhinoviruses (which cause the common cold) could fit on the head of a pin. They are unique because they are only alive and able to multiply inside the cells of other living things. In New South Wales, 1668 potential Covid19 cases are being investigated while more than 18,700 people have been tested and cleared. Viral diseases cause a third of the world's deaths every year. Worldwide there have been 150,000 confirmed cases of Covid19 infections and 5,800 deaths. A top US legal expert, Dr. Francis Boyle, who drafted the Biological Weapons Act has acknowledged that the Novel Coronavirus is a Biological Warfare Weapon. Dr.Boyle is a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He drafted the U.S. domestic implementing legislation fo...

There is growing speculation about the origin of the Covid19 virus now sweeping the world. Some conspiracy theorists claim it is a biological weapon developed by the United States to cause chaos in China and weaken the country’s economy. If true, the results have not gone to plan as the US and European economies are being as badly affected as China.

In Australia, we have seen the inability of our politicians to make decisions to protect the community from the Covid 19 pandemic. And we have witnessed the spectacle of incomprehensible community paranoia involving stripping supermarket shelves of toilet paper. Covid19’s economic threat is greater than health risks to the public. If the virus does directly affect lives, it is ikely to be through stopping people going to work, forcing redundancies, or bankrupting businesses. The trillions of dollars wiped from financial markets in recent week is just the beginning. Panic buying does nothing but reinforce the view that Australians (and some others) lack a rational thought process.Covid 19 is a strain of Coronavirus which includes influenza. To put it in perspective.The Centres for Disease Control estimate that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, and up to 61,000 deaths every year since 2010.

The Italian Government is restricting the movement of people within the country but Australia has allowed the whole Ferrari team to enter Australia to compete in the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix. All of Italy is being locked down as the coronavirus death toll soars in the country. 463 people have died as a result of infection. Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced sweeping new measures designed to slow the virus. The whole country will operate under the same rules that have been restricting movement in Northern Italy. The Prime Minister has urged citizens not to leave their homes, except to go to work and in emergencies. All public gatherings have been banned and all sports events cancelled.

The days of Australia being known as ‘the lucky country’ are long gone, now the world sees us as a ‘stupid bunch’ with headlines everywhere about Australians panic buying toilet rolls because of corona virus fears. But no-one should really be surprised because Australians have demonstrated apathy and a complete disregard for reality. Our political leaders squandered successive budget surpluses as we rode on the sheeps’ back and various mineral booms. If thoses surpluses had been retained in a future fund, we would have been able to ride out out any global financial storm. Instead our citizens are panicked into irrational behaviour – clearing supermarket shelves of toilet paper. If they expect some cataclysm. it would more sense for them to stockpile food. What a bunch of turkeys!

If Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison had any guts, he would dissolve the coalition partnership between his Liberal Party and the Nationals. The only point in having a formal coalition is when parliamentary members commit full support to the Government. But currently some Nationals are threatening to cross the floor in Parliament if they feel like it. Disgraced MP Barnaby Joyce has not ruled out making yet another challenge for party leadership because of his dislike for incumbent leader, Michael McCormack. There is even talk amongst disgruntled party members that Agriculture Minister David Littleproud should take the top job. With such chaos in the party. The Coalition is a sham and needs to be disbanded.

Inquiries into this year’s Australian bushfires are unlikely to result in any meaningful improvement in community protection because of a political obsession with ‘Hazard reduction’. The bush is seen only as a hazard instead of being recognised as an asset. Bushland does not decide to spontaneously burst into flames. There is always a cause for ignition. Simply burning more bush does not make the country any safer – there have been many instances where fires raged through areas which had previously burned. The removal of understory results in drier conditions and makes land more fire prone. Much damage is caused by grassfires rather than bushfires and in the right conditions even bare earth burns as oxygen is sucked from the soil.

Arguments about climate change are still raging as strongly as bushfires. Former Prime Minister John Howard, speaking on Sky News said "provided arguments are put with honesty and intellectual rigour, then it is within the capacity of our political system to reach the right decision". What he didn’t offer advice about was how to inject honesty and intellectual rigour into the political system. Right wing Liberal backbencher, Craig Kelly, continued his role of chief 'climate-denier' in an interview on British TV. He argued that that climate change had nothing to do with the bushfires.

Iran is reported to have prepared for missile attacks on various US military bases in the Middle East, including Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia as well as any US navy ships in Middle East waters. Its military chiefs are planning ways to conduct attacks inside the United States. A strong response is expected to the U.S. drone strike that assasinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. The assasination is a clear act of war and if the US follows up with an attack on Iran, the conflict would likely prompt Russia and China to help the Iranians and North Korea would take the opportunity to do something while attention was diverted. The Iranian Government has also offered a bounty to anyone who kills President Trump and it won't be hard to find a crazy in the US to claim the bounty. The US has meddled in the Middle East for decades, but its recent adventures have ostensibly been to defeat the ISIS terrorist group. It has managed to drag along coalition partners like ...

Bumbling politicians have made Australia a laughing stock throughout the world. The Brits now think that Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn aren’t too bad after all, and Americans are starting to think that Trump is rational. Climate policies and political reaction to catastrophic bushfires have been the latest drivers in eliminating Australia’s image as ‘the lucky country’. One of the most bizarre statements was from Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack that exploding horse manure was to blame for the fires sweeping the country.

Australia has the dubious distinction of of having the largest wildfires in history. At least 4.6 million hectares have burned so far and the impacts will be devastating for humans as well as all other species. Up to 500 million mammals, birds and reptiles – including 8,000 koalas have been killed, according to ecologists from Sydney University, entire species of animals and plant life may be victims of extinction. The loss of vegetation will worsen climate change and water quality.

It’s perhaps time for a new emergency services protocol in Australia as we have started the first day of 2020 in a state of emergency with more than 100 bushfires still burning and power outages throughout the south east. Military aircraft and vessels have been called in to assist emergency services in New South Wales and Victoria, including mass evacuations. but politicians should consider the automatic deployment of defence service personnel and equipment as soon as an emergency is declared – whatever the threat, wildfires, floods, terrorism, invasion or earthquakes. Defence forces would then be able to provide direct action for the community without bureaucratic delays.