WE NEED COMMONSENSE, NOT BLUSTER
Authorities here and overseas have a lot to learn about gauging the psyche of the Aussie public
NEVER let bullies get away with it. A simple and clear principle if ever there was one.
Same with over-regulated and puffed up bureaucracy mixed with stupid selfimportance that gets in the road of good old-fashioned commonsense.
We had a classic case of this pan out on the Gold Coast this week. I will come back to that later.
From the above comes two extreme different stories out of this week, both of which give me – and I suspect 98 per cent of the mob – the shits.
Neither would have any hope of passing our pub test (that would be the one we still can’t go and have a drink at yet!) – I might write about it next week – but what happened here is, one moment we were all asked to go through massive pain to “flatten the curve” and next we are suddenly inflicted with a new milestone of “extinction and no cases”?
Sorry, but soon the ongoing economic pain is going to totally cripple communities, so the only thing flattened will be all of us! Anyway, that is next week, unless good old commonsense makes a muchneeded revival during the week ahead. For the sake of millions of my fellow Queenslanders, I hope so!
Meanwhile back at the scene of my two grievances.
How bloody rude was the Chinese Government this past week? They love to use words like mutual respect and shared values etc, along with similar language – they would not know the first thing about it.
Their behaviour towards Australia over our request (now with support from over 130 countries) to demand the World Health Assembly conduct a detailed and thorough case study into the source of COVID-19 and its global handling was atrocious.
Their diplomat (boy that’s using the word in the wildest context) in Canberra’s language towards Australia was appalling. He’s lucky I’m not the PM because I would have packed him up, said you’re not wanted here and given him a free ride to the nearest airport. Over a long time, Australia has developed some very sophisticated language for these moments – the best of which for this moment would have been, piss off!
Now if it had of ended there, well maybe we all move on. But no, the same mob in the PRC have now imposed an 80 per cent tariff on barley and are seeking further retributions on other Australian imports. Of course, they claim nothing to do with the very correct and proper request to the WHA. Of course not, just bad timing. Pure and total b.s.
Despite China’s very best propaganda arguments that it has done a world-class job of handling this pandemic that it started, regrettably its track record does not support this.
Back in early January, you will recall, China advised the World Health Organisation at first, it was not transmitted from person to person – nothing to worry about, move on. Then China publicly reprimanded a number of doctors in Wuhan who raised real concerns around the virus. Again, quickly shut down by the big fella running Beijing. Then China complained bitterly when we shut down air travel between Australia and China. According to the Chinese authorities this was not showing them, that word again, “respect”. It goes on and on, a bit like a 1000-year march. Well I’m sorry but it’s called bullying. You don’t get your way, so you start causing a ruckus in the playground. A very big playground in this domain. How about we get in the yard and stand up to the bully. It’s the Australian way.
In 2018, the last full year of stats available, Australia spent around $1.25 billion on imported Chinese cars. Smack them with an 80 per cent tariff. Treat our farmers poorly and guess what, our requirement to drive your PRC cars no longer floats our boat. A very long history has told us that if you don’t stand up to a bully, then they just keep right on being a bully. I know some will argue this is not the way to go. I disagree, respect and being treated as such is always a two-way street. The Chinese may have a long history, but they are appallingly deficient on this subject.
My other grievance of the week is much closer to home. It’s a classic case of overregulated and puffed up bureaucracy mixed with stupid self-importance getting in the road of good old-fashioned commonsense. I refer to “Django” saving the baby whale off our coast.
In more sensible times someone who performed such a brave and decent act would have been warmly applauded. You know, good old-fashioned commonsense – terrific mate, well done that was extremely brave. The community thanks you and we are proud of you. No, not now. Now we have bureaucratic bodies like the Department of Fisheries who threaten to fine the man who gave this amazing piece of assistance to an animal in trouble. With equally strong and intimidating language, no doubt issued from some desk jockey sitting up in Brisbane with a picture on his wall, so he has some vague idea about what the ocean looks like?
They point out it was dangerous – the guy admits he knew that. He also clearly had great experience being in the water and he saved a stricken animal that may have died. He made a choice, he backed himself to get a good outcome from a difficult situation. So, job well done.
I don’t have a clue what the bureaucratic mob do up at the Department of Fisheries, I’m sure it’s very important. They sound important, their chestbeating was extremely important. It was an exercise in verbal masturbation over good old-fashioned commonsense. And I’m calling it out as such. You should be ashamed you fined this bloke 10 cents, let alone the fine he copped. Our community and the world need more people of action prepared to get in and assist in moments like this, not less. In the pub you would be referred to as w**kers. When that pub finally can open, the good folk having a social drink will all buy Django one simply because we as a community value his bravery and decency. If I was him I wouldn’t pay your stupid fine, I would take it all the way to the Supreme Court and put you on show for all of Queensland to see how stupid our bureaucracy can be on occasions like this.
At least in Australia the good old freedom of the press allows me to call this government over-regulated claptrap for what it is. I doubt my column would get much of a run in the People’s Daily rag in Beijing?