Latest Posts

Budget response

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THOUSANDS of litres of water lost every year through leaky pipes and crumbing infrastructure will be targeted under Kevin Rudd’s water plan. So talk to the state Labour governments, it’s their problem to fix but then so is water storage and look how Queensland has managed that. Can’t go for new dams when you want the greenie vote so for over a decade nothing gets done and we are about to be drinking muddy bottom water. Rudd’s answer to the water problem is to open the bandaide package and apply liberally. He devines that the water crisis can be fixed by bandaiding pipes and signing Kyoto – could I suggest build more dams and wait for the droubt to end would be more practical. Solar energy? Still has a way to go yet. People I know solar powered their homestead at the cost of $72,000 and it still doesn’t handle the load. Putting money into solar power and clean coal research is fine; addressing climate change and producing a cleaner and leaner ecology is necessary but these options are all long term plans and we need an answer now. I seem to recall, a few years ago when Howard started the campaign on education he mentioned trade training and the ALP went on ad nauseum about how Howard was kicking kids out of school at fifteen and denying them a uni degree. A few years late but now they agree it’s necessary…good. I note one of Kevin’s three core challenges is making sure ‘fair go’ has a future and not just a past. If you substitute ‘Unions’ for ‘fair go’ I think you’ll get his drift. All in all, a sermon of platitudes. The true believers and the left will love it but I don’t see it stamping the ALP as a reasonable alternative. Honeymooon turning to roller coaster soon.
Politics

Land Rover’s 4 x 4 millionth!

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Land Rovers four millionth vehicle is scheduled to roll off the production line next week. A special ceremony will be held to mark the occasion with actress and wildlife patron Joanna Lumley accepting the Discovery 3 on behalf of the Born Free Foundation. It is estimated that two thirds of these vehicles are still in use and three of them reside at my place. A Range Rover, a Discovery and a 1966 Series IIA. On Sunday I’m off to Longreach for a week of country living helping with the local boys college as they learn all about cattle and the judging ring. I’m taking the Range Rover – it’s just easier to kill the 1100 kms out to Longreach.
General Musings

New arrival

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Lachlan James Gillett arrived yesterday at 2.00pm wieghing in at 3.7k. I showed him a list of his predecessors stretching back six generations in Australia but his mother suggested he couldn’t read yet….

I’ll show him again next week…should understand by then!

Mother, Father, Lachlan and Grandparents all doing well although Grandmother is a bit overwhelmed.

General Musings

Sticks and Stones

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Bill Heffernan’s comment about Julia Gillard was uncalled for but let’s not get carried away like a letter writer to the Australian who says he was leaning towards voting for the coalition but wont now due to Heffernan’s comments. How shallow is that? One can only wonder if he went the other way when Latham called Albrechtson a whore (‘shanky ho’) and what about Rudds repetitive over-the -top accusations against Downer and Howard over the AWB affair. As writer Randy Rose from Tasmania says Greg Combet was on the front page yesterday referring to his opponents within the union movement as “arseholes” No furore over that this mornng.
THERE I was, a swinging voter, intensely interested in the emerging strengths of the Opposition. However, the industrial relations policy announcements over the weekend had me leaning back to the Coalition. Now my mind’s made up. Any party that tolerates the repeated and most recent offensiveness of Australia’s Most Disgraced Senator won’t get my vote later this year. David Taylor Sydney, NSW
It’s cut and thrust of politics you silly, shallow man. The party you should vote for is the one, that in your opinion, offers the best economic, defence and social policies for Australia.
Politics

Soldiers coached for stress claims

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THE filing of civil claims for shell shock by 1200 of the estimated 16,000 veterans of the East Timor peacekeeping operation has rung alarm bells in defence circles. And so it should. The high incidence of compensation claims for post-traumatic stress disorder from the East Timor operation has been attacked as disproportionate, particularly when compared with the stresses under which troops operate in the far more dangerous Iraqi and Afghan theatres. Someone needs to say it so it may as well be me. Undoubtedly there were bad days in Timor and I’ve been told of some, but the fact remains it was mostly a low level clash. Unkind of me to say this but yesterday when talking to my old forward scout I suggested that in one year 7RAR would have fired more rounds accidentally (Unauthourised discharges) in Vietnam than 5/7RAR fired in anger in Timor and lets not even mention the 1st and 2nd/7th battalions from WW1 and 2. I am on the side of the soldier, particularly the modern soldier, and I’m the last person to denigrate a man’s service but I am the first one to question spurious claims to get on the PTSD bandwagon. Vietnam veterans opened the gates on PTSD and the people who were in the forefront of the compensation claims rush were people least traumatised or least likely to be traumatised. Infantry, and other combat arms, may well be up the front in battle but are definitely down the back at parades and compensation claims. Cooks, bottle washers and crewman of a certain large Grey Funnel Line ship beat us hands down. Infantryman tired of hearing about trauma occassioned by hearing hand grenades exploding in the water to prevent VC divers mining a 22,000 ton metal bunker in Vung Tau harbour and eventually sort help. For some too late. I’m also a little confused about the ‘immediate’ effect of PTSD. I may have been traumatised when I returned from Vietnam but it took me 20 odd years to recognise or admit to the fact. Admittedly Vietnam Veteran’s Counselling services forced the issue and it is now a recognised condition whereas our forefathers, and initially Vietnam vets, suffered an unknown disability. It can now be diagnosed quicker but on demob? – I’m not convinced and research on the subject suggests time after the event is also a part of the definition. I’ve read that continual adrenalin overload eventually impacts on the brain and causes an chemical inbalance. The word ‘eventual’ has been the common denominator in my experience but then it does effect everyone differently and maybe I’m just being infantry-hard arsed about the matter. I’m of the opinion that there needs to be a benchmark. Whatever word-clever, life-experience-deficient lawyers might argue, if the soldier wasn’t in danger in his particular war; if he never went outside the wire; if he never experienced near death or life threatening circumstances; if he was never rocketed, bombed or shot at or never shot back; if he never did long patrols in enemy held territory or never had to deal with friend or foe body parts then what the hell has he got to be traumatised about? Six months without a home meal or a cuddle at night doesn’t, or shouldn’t, meet the benchmark. If there are any young readers left after this tirade, indeed if there ever were, then attack me in comments but get your facts right – been there…still there.
Defence

My old mates positively identified

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REMAINS found in Vietnam this month have been identified as two Australian soldiers declared missing in action in 1965.
Australian forensic scientists in Vietnam confirmed the remains belong to Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson. The pair were killed during a Vietnam War battle in Dong Nai province, east of Saigon. The forensic team reported that dental records, bones, teeth and artefacts found at the burial site, including military dog tags, led to the positive identifications.
If your a first time reader then previous articles covering the long fight to recover the bodies of ‘Tiny’ and Peter are Possible Closure on Hill 82 , More on Hill 82 and We’re taking you home, you’re OK now . There is only one article left to write on the subject and that will be when I hopefully go to the service, presumably in Sydney, to lay them to rest.
Vietnam

Keep attacking Julia

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Julia still doesn’t get it.
Ms Gillard, the Opposition’s workplace relations spokeswoman, warned business it could be “injured” if it chose to become a propagandist for John Howard on industrial relations.
Despite her threat, Australia’s peak business bodies are considering fast-tracking advertising campaigns in support of Australian Workplace Agreements, which are at the centre of the Prime Minister’s Work Choices laws.
Business isn’t acting as a propagandist for Howard, they are acting in their own interests which in fact coincides with the nations interests. If the businesses are doing well, the workers are doing well and the reverse applies; and if they are all doing well then the country is doing well. It’s not rocket science Julia. Both have to do well or it doesn’t work. Julia Gillard, the best thing for conservatives since Latham.
Politics

Rudd has peaked

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An indicator of the peak of Rudd’s poll blitz; Whitlam on stage and the faithful chanting “We want Gough”. Please, please Rudd drag out Keating as well; the voters need to be reminded regularly what the ALP have done to the country. Having handed the reigns of his industrial policy to Julia of the Left, his claim to leadership pales.
Mr Rudd, who appeared uneasy when challenged over some of the details of the workplace policy, admitted that Ms Gillard had negotiated much of the fine detail. “I have total confidence in her ability to deliver the best balanced outcome in both her discussions with the trade unions and business,” he said.
Julia had negotiated much of the fine detail with whom? Ah yes, let me guess, the unions. Thus an organization that represents less than 20% of the workers is setting IR Policy for a 100% of them. Julia admits her IR Policy hasn’t been endorsed by the Shadow Cabinet and Rudd’s new Industrial advisor, Rodd Eddington, didn’t get a look in either. So Julia Gillard, representing the dopey Left or the party, in cahoots with the Unions, sets policy for what Rudd has claimed is his major policy attack for the upcoming election. Loose control of the Left and loose the election. I said much earlier, when Rudd was elected ALP Leader, that one day the rent would fall due…he would have to pay back the Left for their support and the rent bill arrived on the weekend. He’s paid it but he’s paid more than he knows. Over the last couple of weeks Business leaders gave him a chance. They listened, they went to dinner with him, but this weekend the detail came out and now he’s lost them.
LABOR’S workplace reforms have provoked an unprecedented corporate backlash with some of Australia’s largest companies preparing a concerted campaign against Kevin Rudd’s industrial agenda.
Watch the polls now that Rudd has been forced to lay his cards on the table. Pretty boy looks and a glib tongue will account for little over the coming months.
Politics

ANZAC Day

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There’s nothing in the video and song that doesn’t apply to my tour with Recce Pl 7RAR. My ‘Frankies’ were Shorty G , ‘Bull’ M , Alan T (KIA), ‘General’ P(KIA) , Ken B and Ted M – all lost legs or were killed by mines. Others killed or wounded were Bob B , Dave A , Maurie C, Taffy C, Peter D, Darrel G, Ray G, Pat K, Bill K, Jim K, ‘Blue N, Kerry R, Neil R (KIA), Phil R, John T, Dick W and Dennis W.

23`killed or wounded from a run-on side of 31. I have removed the surnames of the guys as there are some weirdos visit this site. Not unlike their older mates who phoned up parents of our killed and told them their sons deserved to die.

I will march with some of these guys tomorrow and remember others and then like always, get on with life the day after.

As an aside, one of the guys from the platoon has been called back in. I’m as jealous as hell as he has been promised a tour to Iraq and Afghanistan but he is well under 60 and I’m just over.

Watch the video and remember the days when what you did had an impact or if you weren’t with us, just watch and think kindly of us. The guys absent tomorrow answered the call of the bugle and upheld the reputation of the Regiment and no one could ask or give more.

Lest we Forget

General Musings

PM’s right again

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The Prime Minister gets it right with these words from a speech at Brisbane yesterday
I worry about targets being plucked out of thin air without any analysis of the consequences for Australia’s economy. I worry about policies whose main target is a preference deal with Bob Brown and some cheap applause at a Labor Party conference.
Spot on
Climate Change
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