Statistic's - Believe it or Not - They Need to be Challenged

Lies, damn lies, then there’s statistics.  It’s amazing what can be done with figures.  Practically halve the unemployment rate for one.  Roy Morgan Research figures claim Australia’s unemployment rate is 8.2% not the Governments 4.9%.  One reason for the discrepancy is apparently Government figures don’t include people not actively looking for a job, but who don’t have a job!  Add to this figure those with a job, usually part-time or casual, but want extra hours – the underemployed; the percentage is 17.2% of the workforce.  So approximately 1 in 6 people eligible to work are either under or unemployed.  2.1 million Australians, according to Roy Morgan Research. With a mining boom creating thousands of jobs why are possibly over 2 million Australians under or unemployed?  Is it the education system, the amount of government benefits, pay rates, delivery of training schemes, workforce moveability, an aging workforce or apprenticeship schemes?  While the government creatively uses statistics to derive an unemployment rate under 5% we don’t challenge them as to why. 

It’s not just unemployment we allow the Government to go unchallenged about.  Our expectation for the government to provide fair, honest and free elections is another issue that needs to be challenged.  This paper reported on alleged incorrect instructions being issued to voters in the local government elections.  Mayoral aspirant Tim Griffin wrote to the Electoral Commission on the instructions he received from ECQ staff and what others advised him. “I have noted the examples you listed in your correspondence, but am not in a position to make any authoritative response without concrete evidence”, was part of the reply.  Apparently quoting what happened is not concrete enough.

Cynicism of government grows – “they’re as bad as each other”.  Maybe it would be different if we started to expect more from them.  There are major issues we should be interested in like unemployment, the environment, the amount of debt, CSG mining practices, election practices and farmers land rights for example.  All of us need to take a more active interest.  Politicians need to be reminded that Government is more than a game of power; it’s listening and doing the right things for us, now and for the future.  If we aspire a better future, than we have to play an active role.

The 4 D's - Dream, Debate, Decide, Develop

“Tell her she’s dreaming”, that would be the response from Darryl Kerrigan (of ‘The Castle’ fame) to Kirsten Livermore’s call for an eastern highway bypass of Rockhampton and relocating the airport to Hedlow.  That’s one of the responses I got to a previous column about establishing an international airport at Raglan and an eastern highway bypass of the city.  Take it as a compliment Kirsten; daring to dream and putting it out there for all to read.  From Kirsten’s mention of relocating the airport came the call to upgrade the Emu Park airstrip.  Brilliant idea, develop the Capricorn Coast as a fly in fly out (FIFO) base.  It is recognised mine workers prefer coastal locations with good (not too lengthy) transport links to their work site.  An airstrip able to accommodate charter flights to Emerald, Wondoan, Alpha, Dysart, maybe Katherine (am I dreaming Darryl) imagine what a stimulus this would provide.  The Whitsunday Council is keen to upgrade the Proserpine Airport primarily to attract more FIFO families. Be good to see our region this proactive.   It’s the same with a highway bypass of Rockhampton.  It appears if it goes ahead it will be west of the city.  An eastern bypass would be more beneficial for the region.  Our main tourist assets are coast based moving the highway closer will potentially increase stop-over’s and their duration.  Imagine what the result could be.

Including the airport as part of the bypass, strategically located between Rockhampton and Capricornia Coast, facilitating easier access for the defence forces to Shoalwater Bay is visionary, worthy of future investigation and getting on the Council’s agenda.

The Department of Regional Australia has a billion dollar plus budget to invest in regional projects. With our federal member talking major infrastructure, a can do State Member of Keppel and a newish council let us start planning with fresh open minds.  Maybe I’m dreaming; I believe Central Queensland has the natural beauty to be an international tourist destination; it’s just lacking the infrastructure.  An international airport with a bullet train service to Uluru for example.  Let’s hear, talk and act on aspirations for CQ. The future is not to see, it’s to make. Let’s get started.

Lets Take the Hot Air Out of the Carbon Tax Debate and Hear the Facts

From July 1 the Carbon Tax kicks in.  The Gillard Government has presented a budget arguably designed to lessen the impact of the tax on low and middle income households.  Will that be the end of it?

With an election due next year, Labor tenuous hold on power and Abbots Liberals saying if elected they will repeal the tax, it’s going to be a major issue.  Labor will have to find a way to effectively sell the tax (or is it now price).  Tax concessions maybe won’t be enough.  Capricornia is the only regional Queensland Federal electorate held by Labor.  Arguably Labor will have to keep the seat to stay in Government.  Latest opinion polls indicate that this may not occur.  So I’ll suspect we’ll start to see more of Julia, not just in Queensland, but Central Queensland.  Will this be enough to convince CQ voters that the carbon tax is a necessary tax?  With all the resources available to Government why aren’t we convinced of the necessity for the tax?

There is credible science supporting the justification for the tax.  Numerous TV documentaries have detailed the effects of global warming including Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”.  Now with tax concessions; why is the carbon tax a hard sell?  The budget allows for $36 million dollars promoting the tax.  Instead of bombarding us with ‘households are hardly affected because of the tax concessions’ (pseudo election) message, use this money to discuss the facts about carbon.

Is this really a man made problem; what impact will the tax really have; how many other countries are introducing a tax; are there alternatives - if so what are they; what is the impact of a 1% rise in average temperature; will weather patterns really be affected; will polar bears have nowhere to live?  This is going to involve a lot more than a blanket TV campaign with some full page happy family image advertisements.  Households need to receive real facts (without the political overtures) and interactivity encouraged with untainted sources. 

It’s a vital global issue, let’s take the politics out of it and have an intelligent debate.

Treat the public as being able to make informed decisions. I think we owe our children and grandchildren at least that.

Church Could Prove More Effective Than State

The Chinese solution might be build a city and then move people to it.  However in Central Queensland it’s the reverse, people are moving to it and infrastructure is at best in catch up mode.  As highlighted in centres like Mackay, Gladstone, Moranbah and Emerald. “The last thing we want is politicians sticking their bib in”, Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive, Mr Michael Roche reportedly said about the federal government enquiry about FIFO.  It appears to me the government haven’t stuck their bib in enough.  Arguably we should all be shouting for joy and driving expensive cars with the amount of investment happening and planned for CQ.  However we have The Treasurer, Wayne Swan say, “for too many Australians this feels like someone else’s mining boom”.  Issues like the division between FIFO and resident workers, costs of accommodation, drugs, prostitution, driver fatigue, foreign workers, long established businesses closing because they can’t attract workers, cleanskins trying to get mine jobs, let alone environmental concerns frequent newspaper headlines.

On a CQ level is it possible to bring all the affected parties together to openly discuss the social issues that are affecting the very soul of our communities.  A difficult process and maybe it won’t change a lot, but is doing nothing at the grassroots level hoping for State and/or Federal Governments to do something a better alternative.  I believe this is where the Church could take a leadership role.  It has representation in nearly all the affected communities in CQ and understands ‘soul’ better than most.  Grandstanders aren’t needed; moderators who live and work with all members of a community will arguably get the best results out of such forums.  Healing divisions, foster better understanding of how communities and workers are being affected as well determine ways genuine help can be delivered would be the desired outcomes.  The signs are obvious; something at a grassroots level needs to be done. The Church is the one organisation I believe has the clout and provides the guidance to conduct simultaneous interconnected forums throughout CQ with a pure purpose of attending to the soul of our communities. Another talk fest maybe, but has there been enough real communication at a grassroots level on the social issues now affecting the communities of CQ.

Democracy: Why do we take it for granted?

First defence: ignore the issue and hope it goes away.

Second defence: state the official line and hope the issue goes away.

Third defence: oops (or similar 4 letter word), looks like the issue is not going away, start regretting taking actions one and two, looming public relations problem, scapegoats list to be prepared.

The Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) will possibly be taking defensive action three soon.  Their response published in Saturday’s paper to the query about advice given to voters on preferential voting in the Rockhampton Regional Council elections demonstrates either a department that doesn’t conduct a thorough review of their operations or one that doesn’t believe it is accountable to the Queensland public.

Instead of going down the well trodden defence mechanism track that generates only more cynicism of Government, can I suggest the ECQ go direct to the fifth defence; be transparent and honest. If a communications error was made, as alleged by both voters and ECQ staff, then admit it and establish how wide spread the problem was. It is possibly not just the results on the Mayoral election that may be affected. In the divisions where there were 3 or more candidates for Councillor did voters receive correct information about their right to indicate a preference if they wanted to. Could the results in Divisions 4 and 6 be tainted? Where there is smoke there is fire. If Premier Newman wants to build some credibility in State Government, then conduct a quick but thorough review and have the truth come out.  Especially since the Commission charter is to ensure the electoral system is free, honest and fair.  Whistle blowers within ECQ are already telling others of the erroneous instructions they received.  Combined with voters telling the media what happened to them, the public will draw their own conclusions and social media will amplify it. Lets avoid the forth defence of the lengthy, expensive process of forming an enquiry committee with a broad brief and 12 months to report back, basically burying the problem with boring jargon the media will hopefully lose interest  reporting on. Mistakes are made, no one is perfect – instead of trying to bury them move immediately to the fifth defence and look to how the mistake can be rectified.

How Can A Mistake Like This Not Cause An Outrage

It’s the 79^th minute, Queensland two points ahead is parked on New South Wales ten metre line.  Smith is brought down on tackle four; he plays the ball to Cronk who passes to Thaiday, who bursts through the first tacklers.  Pierce hangs on; Gallen throws himself at Thaiday as he stretches for the try line, but falls centimetres short.  The referee calls hand over, Pierce grabs the ball from Thaiday’s outstretched hands, the Queenslanders looks to the referee in dismay.  Slater shows his extended fingers to indicate only five tackles; Pierce plays the ball to Soward, he passes to Hayne who side steps two bewildered Queenslanders, runs one hundred metres and scores right under the posts, the Suncorp crowd is in outrage, the chant becomes deafening, the referee blows his whistle to confirm the four pointer.  The full time siren is hardly heard, police rush on to the field surrounding the English referee, the conversion is forgotten as the Blues celebrate their victory.  The next day front page headline reads ‘I Made A Mistake’, beside a photo of the referee.  The Courier Mail editorial coverage is brutal, opinion pieces demand the match be replayed, SMS’s are less complimentary towards the referee, Premier Newman expresses his outrage, QANTAS insiders confirm the referee was secretly flown out of the State an hour after the game to Melbourne for a connecting overseas flight.  This scenario is not an aspiration of mine for this year’s series, but I think details what could happen if a simple mistake that led to a New South Wales winning try was made.

At the rcent Local Government elections it would appear a bigger mistake occurred, but has yet to receive the scrutiny that a State of Origin mistake would receive. “Only mark 1 in one box, do not fill in any other box, we will not count preferences”, or something similar was allegedly told to who knows how many local government voters by Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) officials.  I understand the Rockhampton Regional Council budgeted $500,000 for ECQ to conduct its election.  How could a communication error such as this possibly have occurred?  Was it an interpretation error, despite what was written on the actual ballot paper? Did this simple alleged error affect the democratic choice of who will be our Mayor or Councillors for the next four years?  Maybe not everyone agrees, but in my opinion this type of mistake is bigger than a rugby league referee not being able to count to six correctly.  The political decision to make preferential voting optional has undoubtedly caused confusion, not just with voters possibly.  Is there a better system to elect our political representatives?  Mackay Regional Council conducted a postal vote only election.  Not only does this save their residents from remembering to vote on a set date and passing through the ‘vote this candidate’ gauntlet; it takes out the potential for human error with the verbal instructions issued to the voter.  Gladstone region did not have divisions, so residents there could elect the eight councillors they wanted, not just one.   Could future elections be done on-line, or maybe while shopping at Coles or Woolies?  Should a series of elections be held until there are only two left to ensure the most popular candidate does win, or instructions issued to number every box.  The Newman State Government needs to review the voting process. We should be demanding this as vocally as we would a mistake awarded winning try to NSW in a State of Origin game and as the ECQ is a state government instrumentality Premier Newman should be expressing his outrage.  If we really want good government and representation from politicians that we respect then we need to be more involved and vocal of the political process.  Our democracy must be diligently protected. The ECQ needs (forced too if necessary) to explain what happened and what is to be done. To just let this alleged mistake be swept under the carpet will be unforgivable.

What is Acceptable to the Community?

Community acceptable development, that appears to be the big challenge for our new council.  The Rockhampton region needs to keep growing in population unless residents are happy to pay higher rates and/or receive fewer services.  Costs are unfortunately going to continue to rise, greater efficiencies alone in how Council business is conducted I imagine won’t be able to prevent the need to raise more revenue or debt to provide just the existing services.  The mining/resources boom is looked upon as the saviour, either directly or indirectly.  However, are we prepared as a community to accept coal ports in Keppel Bay?  I, for one, am not keen on coal dust being blown over Capricorn Coast beaches and beyond.  What if a viable coal seam was discovered in the Hedlow district would we as a community be accepting of CSG wells dotting this picturesque environment?

We look to our near neighbours Mackay and Gladstone and compare their growth to ours, wondering why we are missing out.  However, are we as a community willing to readily accept the social costs this development has caused?  If the mining/resource boom is the saviour and ways were found to achieve community acceptance of certain projects, what is plan B, if something like the carbon tax was to result in the coal companies picking up their ball and going to China or Russia – what then? (Though all of east coast Australia would find itself paddling upstream with just one paddle if this happened.)  Basically we have made too many mistakes in our past which have contributed to the situation the region is in now.  Not enough diversity with our industry base has been developed making our local economy strong enough to maintain healthy growth should the mining/resource boom end. Of course Rockhampton isn’t the only region in this boat.

From next week our new council has a big challenge to find that acceptable balance of development, lifestyle and environment.  The Rockhampton Region is blessed with a beautiful environment, as one mayoral candidate says, “one of the best places on the planet”.  A day sailing around the Keppel’s, driving to 5 Rocks, paddling on the Fitzroy or fishing at Stanage Bay confirms this.  An environment that provides us opportunities to enjoy a great lifestyle.  This is what we need to be aggressively promoting and target the indirect benefits of the mining/resources boom, a place for workers and their families to live, to play.  We need a pro-active council, with new thinking to make this happen.  For example – a council that holds talks with the lease holders of Great Keppel Island (Towers Holdings) to see if there are opportunities to use the existing infrastructure or the island to help house some of the workers on Curtis Island, instead of leaving it just sitting behind security fences. Imagine what this could stimulate.  A Council that proactively collaborates with Gladstone and other regions to maximise the benefits, short and long term, of its mining/resource boom, and determine ways the regions can prosper after the boom. For example fast train infrastructure connecting the regions to not only transport workers but develop tourism opportunities. A pro-active Council that sets its own direction and tells the State Government what is needed, like a high school for Gracemere or unique foreshore development for Yeppoon, instead of waiting to see what it may be offered to co-fund. 

From next week the new council needs to do (or hopefully update) a SWOR (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risk) analysis of the region. Then armed with the information be pro-active in generating community acceptable development seeking both state and federal government as well as private sector support.  Our region has been too reactive and narrow minded for too long. Today is an opportunity for a real change.  A change that just might be up to the challenge of stimulating community acceptable development, attracting more people to the region, broadening our revenue base, putting on hold further steep increases in our rates and/or debt.