Protest movements are the domain of the young. They ask for our structures, be they physical or not, to be torn down and replaced by new, instant replacements of the protestors' design.

What they don't allow for, however, is the fact that those existing structures were built by the previous generations when they were young. Fixing things always takes more effort than destroying them and replacing them but repairs give us continuity.

The old story about a farmer's 50 year old axe (it's had 5 handles and 3 heads but it's still the same axe) is the same as our 103 year old nation. It isn't anything like the original because over the years we've replaced worn out axioms and repaired damaged beliefs.

But those repairs have required effort. Unlike a child's desires, we cannot make it happen just because we say so and hope someone does it for us. We have to put the effort in to learn the skills we need and then the patience and determination to implement the changes we desire.

And when it comes to changing the society in which we live, these skills don't stop at learning how to vote. That's a basic that is sadly lacking in most of our community but on top of that you have to add how to lobby your local politicians or even how to become one yourself.

If you do get that involved, the skill need then increases to cover advancement to a position where you can actually achieve the broad changes you desire as well as selling them to an electorate that's as cynical and weary of politicians like you as you once were of politicians today.

So, rather than whining about how poorly we are served by the people we've voted for, think about doing something about it yourself. Yes, it'll be hard work and a long road ahead, but until you do something yourself, you'll be limited to the politician you elected.

27AUG2002 - If you believe that we are all here for a reason, how do you think we are all expected to behave?

28APR2002 - Do we get more conservative as we get older because we see people of our own age in politics and other positions of power?

11JUN2001 - We've got to stop fighting against things and fight for things instead.

01DEC2000 - The most important things in life are often the simplest.

15OCT2000 - Does light ever slow down? Surely it must or does it just reach it's range and then just stop?

15OCT2000 - Is the secret of the sitcom "Cheers" that the characters represented a different part of one personality?

14AUG2000 - What are the statistics on the first three favourites in a horse race coming in in order of odds.

14AUG2000 - A good education is the only defence we have against the rich totally ruling our lives.

09APR2000 - Love is when the joy of another's love brings greater joy than the joy you receive from loving them.

08APR2000 - Is there a transfer of DNA with blood transfusions?

26FEB2000 - A blessing - "May the joy in your life match the peace in your heart".

15NOV1999 - Has it ever been estimated what effect has the vast quantity of shipping that has sunk had on sea levels?

24OCT1999 - Dinosaurs were God's prototypes.

23OCT1999 - A curse - "May you suffer sorrow in proportion to the evil in your heart".

What we need is a "Meet the Candidate" night where people who want to be a candidate but need to get the requisite 50 votes, can all be met and interviewed by the public on the one night at the same venue. Needs to be sponsored by, perhaps, Councils, Community Groups, etc.

How can this be developed so that it works across all electorates and is easily put into place?

Yeah, good question. How CAN we do it? Any thoughts? E-mail me.

Citizens of Bennelong

A Federal election is called, or at least should be called every three years. There are approximately 70,000 electors in the seat that we live in called "Bennelong".

Consider this as you reflect upon the fact that the vast majority of donations to political parties are from "special interests" like the Green movement, Big Businesses, and others. Now, let's say that the amount donated to a particular party is $2,000,000 a year - that would add up to $6,000,000 every three years. Let's also say that of that amount, $5,000,000 comes from special interests. That means they outweigh us monetarily by 5 to 1!

But there's 19 million of us all up - and probably about 10 million with an income. If even half of us coughed up just one solitary dollar every three years, we'd match the "special interests" at a stroke. Think if we had $1 a week taken out of our pay and donated to the party or candidate of our choice.

You'd have ended up donating just $52 a year. But it would endow the political system of our country with an almost incorruptible $1.56 billion (yes, billion!) dollars with which to contest every election. And, don't forget, we get to choose which party or which individual candidates get the money!

Maybe this should have been in "The Soap Box" but it's not a bad idea nonetheless.

Don't ban guns - tax the ones you don't like to the tune of 300% to 1000%. If say in the case of a Self Loading Rifle (L1A1), make them cost at least $5000 to $10000 and ammo at $10 or $20 per round. Then, if for instance it is deemed that farmers have a right to use one legitimately, then give them tax breaks on their firearms receipts.

Second, insist on six monthly weapons inspections, by certified inspectors, to ensure that the weapon is in good working order and that all safety gear is in good working order.

Finally, ensure that the licence is a tough one to get with checks on:

• Character
• Health (both physical and mental)
• Weapons knowledge
• Weapons maintenance
• First Aid training
• Range ability and accuracy
• Legal responsibilities

Well I think most of that's self explanatory. Maybe the amounts should be even higher - say $50 a round but with discounts if purchased and used at official ranges. At least with an idea like this you're covering two out of three potential weapons users. These are:

1. Normal people -They should be able to fit within this plans parameters and if they can't - tough.

2. Criminals - They're going to get a weapon anyway!

3. The insane - Well, if the health checks don't get them, maybe the cost will or some other area of the licencing regime.

People often ask me why we have Compulsory Voting here in Australia. I found the following on the Australian Electoral Commission website and thought we should reproduce it here:

Arguments used in favour of compulsory voting:

• voting is a civic duty comparable to other duties citizens perform eg taxation, compulsory education, jury duty
  
  
• the educative benefits of political participation
  
  
• parliament reflects more accurately the "will of the electorate"
  
  
• governments must consider the total electorate in policy formulation and management
  
  
• candidates can concentrate their campaigning energies on issues rather than encouraging voters to attend the poll
  
  
• the voter isn’t actually compelled to vote for anyone because voting is by secret ballot.
  
  

Arguments used against compulsory voting:

• it is undemocratic to force people to vote - an infringement of liberty
  
  
• the "ignorant" and those with little interest in politics are forced to the polls
  
  
• it may increase the number of "donkey votes"
  
  
• it may increase the number of informal votes
  
  
• it increases the number of safe, single-member electorates - political parties then concentrate on the more marginal electorates
  
  
• resources must be allocated to determine whether those who failed to vote have "valid and sufficient" reasons.
  
  

I don’t actually hate Pauline Hanson. I think she’s a genuinely concerned member of our population who decided to run for office, was successful and has since espoused her deeply held views. She is alarmed, as many of us are, about what we’ve become and where our society is headed.

I just think she’s wrong. Very, very wrong.

Yes, there are faults in our society as there are in all societies around the world. But we are a good-natured folk, people of good temper, we make great neighbours and we’ve got hearts of gold when we’re needed.

All we need is to work together to make society what we want it to be. And the fun part is we all want it to be something different. But take a second and try and picture our society in microcosm. Imagine our entire country is but a small town. Somewhere say like Bedford Falls in “It’s A Wonderful Life”. For the most part we justifiably see ourselves as the Everyman, George Bailey. And we recognise that there are people in our town who aren’t as nice as we think they should be, such as Mr Potter – the mean-spirited banker played by Lionel Barrymore.

But for the most part, we try to live our lives in accordance with the teachings of just about every religious faith ever discovered…be nice. We believe in fairness, justice, equality, a good education for our kids, good health for our loved ones and enough money to be comfortable. We want clean streets, clean air and for it to be safe to walk the streets at night.

We don’t want the big guys picking on the little guy. We want all the freedoms we can grab but we don’t want those liberties to include the right to hurt others. Or to deprive others of their own freedoms and liberties. We want the guilty punished and the innocent protected.

But we rarely want to have to do anything to help make it all happen.

There are a few good people who do try. Most of the folks who inhabit our emergency services, anyone who gets off their backside for Clean Up Our Town Day, anyone who helps the sick, elderly or the very young and, yes, anyone with the guts to run for office.

So tell me, when was the last time you actually did something to help the other folk in town? Hey, did you vote? Anything else?

How do you want society to be? If you think we’re already there, home and hosed, then sit back and relax. If you don’t, consider doing something about it. Even if you only talk to your friends about it and maybe one of them will do something.

A man once said, "Decisions are made by those who show up." If the only ones who show up share the views of those like Ms Hanson, THAT’S the society we’ll end up with.

Show up!

There's two issues facing Australian political society over the next few years - the Flag and the Republic. Both changes are inevitable, in the long term at least, so I thought it time to put my two cents worth into the subject.

My Proposed Flag:

The design consists of the black and red of the Aboriginal flag along with the Southern Cross in gold and, in the top left, a variable number of stars - in gold - representing the current states and territories. Like the original US flag (which had 13 stars for the 13 original colonies), this can be expanded if new states are created - such a Far North Queensland or New England. Oh, and by the way, don't get too hung up about the shape of the stars...it's all I could do quickly!

My Proposed Republic

Many of you know of my disenchantment with political parties both here and overseas. I'd love to see Australia become a republic where both houses of parliament are filled with nothing but independents voted for as each electorate's representative rather than a representative of a party.

As for the President, he or she should also be an independent voted for by the people. However, you would probably have to have a number of run-off polls to successively narrow the field. 

Once elected, the President would then get to select a cabinet from anyone in the country who was suitably qualified and whose nomination was passed by both Houses.

What? You mean this sounds a little like the US system? Well, yes it does. Their constitution works admirably - albeit with some occasional hiccoughs - but with a little Aussie tinkering I'm sure it could become the groundwork for an even better, more democratic way of doing political business.

The following is an extract from Robert Heinlein's 1940 work, "If This Goes On -"

"For the first time in my life I was reading things which had not been approved by the Prophet's censors, and the impact on my mind was devastating. Sometimes I would glance over my shoulder to see who was watching me, frightened in spite of myself. I began to see faintly that secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy...censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything - you can't conquer a free man, the most you can do is kill him"