The Australian Government has recently announced proposed changes to the country’s Medicare system. The proposed changes aim to create a more efficient and equitable system for the delivery and funding of Australia’s health care services. Let's take a closer look at these proposed changes. The proposed changes to Medicare are intended to make the system … Continue reading The proposed changes to Medicare: are they enough?
Tag: Social Issues
Poverty in Australia
Poverty in Australia is a growing concern as it affects more and more people every year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 3.2 million Australians, or approximately 13.5%, are living in poverty, meaning that they live on less than 50% of the median income. This means that more than one in eight Australians … Continue reading Poverty in Australia
Universal Basic Income in Australia
Over the years, Australia just like other developed countries have been thinking of introducing a universal basic income (UBI). But what is it, and what are the arguments for and against? A UBI is a form of income that is offered by the government to its citizens with disregard to their employment status. This form … Continue reading Universal Basic Income in Australia
Voice to Parliament: the dirty tricks of the no-campaigners
Constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament would give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people agency to help inform decisions that impact their lives. Yet there are those that are against this purely on principle, rather than on any facts or details of the proposed Voice. Why is this so? First, let's look at what … Continue reading Voice to Parliament: the dirty tricks of the no-campaigners
China have just made our housing crisis worse
More than 40,000 Chinese university students could arrive in Australia in the next few weeks as a result of a Chinese government ban on online studying. The ban affects all students located in China who are studying university courses online through an Australian university. China have decreed that they will no longer recognise these online … Continue reading China have just made our housing crisis worse
The problems with the NDIS
Now in its fourth year of implementation, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian Government initiative providing funding for disability support and services. This insurance-based scheme is designed to provide people with a significant and permanent disability with the necessary and reasonable support they require to enjoy an ordinary lifestyle. While the NDIS … Continue reading The problems with the NDIS
We need a Centrelink Royal Commission
The Australian government established Centrelink with the primary purpose of providing aid to individuals who are in need of it. Unfortunately, Australian residents don't believe the agency has performed effectively, which is why a Royal Commission is needed to intervene and restore order. But why is a Royal Commission necessary, and what will its objectives … Continue reading We need a Centrelink Royal Commission
My first story in Big Issue Magazine (2006)
This was my very first story published in Big Issue Magazine as part of a regular fortnightly series back in 2006. Big Issue employed me with money they received from Sarina Russo and The Vodafone Foundation. Dear Mum, Sorry I haven’t written for a while. Okay, so it’s been three years. This is just a … Continue reading My first story in Big Issue Magazine (2006)
Australia Day or Invasion Day?
A nation's national day of celebration is meant to unite a country, but in recent years that has not been the case in Australia. So is it time to change the date we celebrate our national day? The date of 26 January has always been controversial as our national day of celebration, even though it … Continue reading Australia Day or Invasion Day?
My jump from prison officer to social justice campaigner
One thing I learnt in my time as a prison officer is that there is no such thing as the justice system, and we should stop referring to it as such. It is the judicial system, run by judges and with little concern for victims or offenders. My jump to social justice campaigner started with … Continue reading My jump from prison officer to social justice campaigner
Centrelink needs to be broken up
Centrelink is a totally dysfunctional organisation, due in large part to the fact that it has become too big to be able to function efficiently or effectively. They administer all forms of benefit payments, and the call centre staff rarely know the answers to an enquiry when they are called. That is, if one can … Continue reading Centrelink needs to be broken up
Life as a white man on an Aboriginal community
Back in the year 2000, I was honoured to be invited to live and work on the Aboriginal community of Woorabinda, 170 km south west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Woorabinda had a population of about 3000 then, and there were only 21 non-Indigenous people living on the community. I was employed by the local … Continue reading Life as a white man on an Aboriginal community
Robodebt architect now has NDIS recipients in his sights
Jason Ryman, the architect of Centrelink's infamous Robodebt scheme, was seconded to the NDIA with the task of using a similar scheme to target recipients of NDIS funding. The NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) is the agency charged with overseeing the running of the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). The secondment was made by former … Continue reading Robodebt architect now has NDIS recipients in his sights
Bring back the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service)
Job Services Australia, or Workforce Australia as it is now called, has failed to live up to the promises the Howard government made when they introduced it in 1998. Originally known as the Job Network, it has devolved into a giant money making venture by about 30 multinational organisations, and offers few tangible services to … Continue reading Bring back the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service)
Churches are businesses and should pay tax
It is difficult to know how much revenue churches make in Australia each year, but some estimates put it at $40 billion dollars, all tax free. This means Australia is missing out on about $10 billion dollars a year in taxes. Not just corporate tax, but also income tax, GST, payroll tax, council rates, land … Continue reading Churches are businesses and should pay tax
Kim Jong-un considers extending North Korea’s bedtime until 8:30 pm
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un says he’ll have a think about changing the nation’s lights out time, after it was pointed out to him that some countries stay up as late as 10:30pm. Currently night-night time is 8:00pm, with quiet talking allowed until 8:10. But that could all soon change. “I’m open to extending … Continue reading Kim Jong-un considers extending North Korea’s bedtime until 8:30 pm
Thailand’s Prime Minister promises to disrobe if protesters desist
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ratcheted up her rhetoric in the face of growing criticism, vowing to perform a striptease for her nation's people if protesters back down from calls for her resignation. "I have two very good reason why I should remain in office and I promise will show you both if you … Continue reading Thailand’s Prime Minister promises to disrobe if protesters desist
Modern day American dream is an out of court settlement
Drawing on national polling data and extensive personal interviews, social scientists confirmed that the concept of the American Dream, the widely held aspiration among U.S. citizens of achieving financial security and personal happiness, now consists entirely of receiving a substantial out-of-court settlement. “Whereas achieving the American Dream once meant rising to a stable position of … Continue reading Modern day American dream is an out of court settlement
Man detained for blindly following traffic rules in Delhi, India
An unidentified 40-year-old male has been detained by Delhi police for suspicious behaviour after he was caught following all the traffic rules on the road in the national capital. This is the rarest of the rare behaviours witnessed on Delhi roads, authorities confirm. Addressing a press conference, traffic inspector Mr. Hafta Ram gave a detailed account of … Continue reading Man detained for blindly following traffic rules in Delhi, India
Australian law firm says world offers China shallow legal services
After unveiling a merger aimed at grabbing more of China's legal work, King & Wood Mallesons has accused the world's leading law firms of offering "shallow" services to Chinese clients. Global managing partner Stuart Fuller said King & Wood Mallesons was seeking to reverse the practice of foreign firms entering the China market "with fairly shallow … Continue reading Australian law firm says world offers China shallow legal services
Australia takes first step towards criminalising alcoholism
Alcoholics could end up in jail in Australia under new measures that experts warn will criminalise alcohol dependency. The Northern Territory yesterday unveiled the country's toughest police powers to target problem drinking, under which officers will be able to ban anyone charged with a serious alcohol-related offence from owning or consuming grog, or entering a … Continue reading Australia takes first step towards criminalising alcoholism
July 16 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
China’s Catastrophic Deleveraging Has Begun Posted by jackbassteam ⋅ July 16, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment 1. The frustrated and aggressive central bank If one wants to know how bad the health of China’s economy has gone, look no further than the PBOC‘s composure, which seems rather frustrated and aggressive as of late. On 5th July, … Continue reading July 16 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
Martin Luther King: ‘I Have A Dream’
Martin Luther King's famous speech, August 28th 1963: I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree … Continue reading Martin Luther King: ‘I Have A Dream’
April 4 1968 Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated
On April 4th 1968, just after 6 pm, Martin Luther King Jr was standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was fatally shot. The civil rights leader was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike and was on his way to dinner. A bullet struck him … Continue reading April 4 1968 Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated
Protest The Protect IP Act
Below is a message from WordPress, about the Internet Censorship Bill: Many websites are blacked out today to protest proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). From personal blogs to giants like WordPress and Wikipedia, sites all over the web — including this … Continue reading Protest The Protect IP Act
Craig Hill 