Our schools should never have been closed. The expert advice was consistent about this. Officials of the teacher unions should hang their heads in shame. They could have worked cooperatively to create a safe work environment. Instead they chose to use their political clout to close the schools, throwing an extra burden on teachers and parents, and diminishing the educational outcomes of the students. They acted against the best interests of their members, the students and the community. They compromised professional health advisors. What has been missing in this debate is someone to speak up passionately for the students whose education has been interrupted by this self-serving behaviour - s
Last Saturday, I experienced what it would be like living under authoritarian rule. My friend and neighbour, Winston Smith (not his real name), and I have a walk in the park twice a week. We are both in our late seventies. We circumnavigate the Fitzroy and Treasury Gardens, a walk of a little over 3 kilometres, and then chat over a coffee. Formerly, we used to frequent a coffee shop in Wellington Parade. Now, because of the coronavirus crisis, we buy a take-away café latte from Kere Kere near Captain Cook`s cottage and sit on a park bench, one and a half metres apart, in an idyllic spot near a pond, discussing our radical views about life, business and politics. On Saturday, Winston (not his
If the government pays citizens who are not working, and refunds businesses who employ people who have nothing to do, this is not transferring wealth. For no wealth has been created. So where is the money coming from? It is not coming from taxes. Our taxes have already been spent. In fact, our governments always spend more than they tax; that is what deficit budgets are. Just when we thought the government would balance the budget and produce a surplus, they are spending without limit. Money they don`t have. So where is it coming from? Wealth derives from productive work. We specialize in what we are good at and exchange the product of our labours with strangers. Strangers who likewise are s
