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It's the crisis of degrees that has nothing to do with climate change. It's Victoria's largest export and yet it operates entirely within the state. The long standing, ever increasing influx of international students using Victorian education providers has created a storm of controversy over exploitation, rights and legalities. Many student unions on campuses across the state (mine included) encourage, nay, demand, that international students get better rights on their visas. Currently, international students on a student visa can work no more than 20 hours a week, are not entitled to concession or students fares and cannot apply for commonwealth-supported places at tertiary institutions. I am here to go against the tide of protest and say that this is ENTIRELY fair.
International students are so because they are not citizens of Australia, they do not pay tax, they are under no obligation to use their degree or education in this country. These are the three reasons why those three restrictions are placed on them. The restrictions seem to be money-grabbing measures and yes, i concede that it can be seen that way. However, even if you choose to view it in that light, it is justified. The restrictions exist to balance the equation that is, quite simply that international students are taking advantage of our education sector in every possible way. They are taking the place of a possible citizen, they are not paying taxes to the state as students who are citizens are required to do, and they are most likely to return to their home country to use their Australian education.
Unions are calling for a review of that states care of international students as some can't find or afford rental accommodation and struggling financially. This is an absolute outrage. How can the state investigate the apparent lack of care of international students when they can't even support their own students? Youth Allowance for students is an absolute joke to qualify for, rent assistance isn't much better and the rental crisis was caused by the tens of thousands of international students coming into the state every year. Why is it that the needs and sob stories of international students in the headlines when students who are citizens of this country, who pay their taxes and who also can't find a place to stay aren't even worth hearing? It's disgusting is what it is.
Look after your own before you try and take care of the rest.
A Tasmanian woman who fed her unfaithful husband glass on repeated occasions has been spared a jail term as of late last week. Lynette Quessy attended her sentencing hearing last Wednesday to be given a 9 month suspended sentence by Justice Shan Tennent. Quessy, who works in the Hobart branch of Centrelink, had remained living with her then husband Tim Nash after the discovery of the affair in 2004, for the sake of their children. After a property dispute lat last year, Mr Nash discovered what he thought to be rock salt on a biscuit that his wife had given him for lunch. The same substance was found in his sandwiches continually and he stored his lunches in a freezer in the garage. It turned out the Quessy had crushed a fluorescent tube and stored the fragments in a plastic container in the upstairs kitchen in her part of the house and had been spreading the fragments in his lunches. It wasn't until Nash found a note written by his wife that said, "Q- at death, what happens to transfer of property?" that he called the police and she was arrested at her workplace. Quessy admitted in court that she intended to harm her husband only to force him to see a GP about his drinking problem, an excuse Justice Tennent found absurd. Although she had disorganized thoughts, her claimed depression at the time was not severe to impair her judgment. Justice Tennent claimed that the charity worker was unlikely to re-offend.
This case here is a lovely example of why we are disposing of suspended sentencing in this country. It is a ridiculous notion that a first time offender can get away sparkling clean with attempted murder. And it is on that simple basis that suspended sentences are delivered, by pure virtue of perceived character and that it is their first time. Not to mention that it was indeed the wife who was attempting to kill her cheating husband. Had this situation been reversed, what say you to jail-time? a solid affirmative from those of sound mind. A man trying to kill his wife couldn't hope for less than 2 years regardless of how many charities he volunteered for. Not to mention that the Justice who sentenced Quessy is indeed a female. How is it that such sexism can pass through the channels of Justice? yet there is no outcry.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and nor has it the ability to skulk it's way out of the consequences. The malicious act of feeding someone glass belongs in the underbelly of the Melbourne Gangland. It is a horrific act that could only be intended to maim and kill someone slowly and painfully, yet this woman is pitied because it was her husband cheating on her, and she gets patted on the back. The note she had written clearly indicated her intent, there is no escape from that fact, but she is still in the community seemingly without guilt. The precedent this sets is disgusting, thank heavens we're disposing of suspended sentences, a pity we can't do the same with this female chauvinist attitude as easily.
A Female Chauvinist Pig
Quote Source
This author is not in any way associated with Ariel Levy or her book of the same name, however I do highly recommend it.
September 24th 2008 02:05
Melbourne CBD shooter, Christopher Hudson was sentenced yesterday in the Melbourne County Court for a minimum term of 35 years. Justice Coughlan conceeded that hudson was remorseful but discounted witness statements that he attempted suicide after the shootings. Simply stating that he had emptied the clip in to the bystanders. Justice Coughlan also stated that despite drug and steroid use and being of low intellect, his psychiatrist discounted and psychiatiric condition as contributing to his actions and thus he was solely responsible. Helping father Brendan Keilar and Dutch backpacker Paul De Waard were shot by hudson when they trtied to help Keara Douglas. Justice Coughlan described the moment when Keilar fell to the ground and was shot again, saying simply, You executed him.
Chris Hudson CBD Shooting
It is interesting to note that in such a high profile case, the judge delivered fairly comprehensive reasons for his sentencing. It has long been debated by Victorian Law Reform advocates that Judges should be made to state comprehensive reasons to the court for all sentences that they deliver. It is little surprise that Judges and Magistrates alike met this with all the fury their white-haired heads could muster. Reasons against it include that they already have enough things to consider in cases and that this would delay cases even longer. It is this authors belief that such a sorry excuse should not be accepted. Judges have, for too long, been accountable to no one for why they make decisions. They oppose this proposition not because it delays cases, but because they may then be critiqued and questioned accurately. It is diffucult to refute what someone has done when you don't why or how they came to that conclusion. It is time for Justices to come to terms with the idea that they are responsible to hte people that they serve, not who serve them.
Image Source
September 16th 2008 15:26
September 10th 2008 03:51
What we will likely see after the particle-colliding experiment in France
The massively controversial particle collider on the French-Swiss border will fire up in 5 hours and could destroy us all. At least I'd like to think so, then I don't have to go to work. Several doomsday parties are said to have been planned across the globe, with the biggest reported to be in America's Deep South and, surprisingly, in Versailles. The Hawaiian lawsuit seemed to have failed and the project is going ahead
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Vladimir Putin Ponders the Fate of Humanity
Russia invades Georgia. Georgia cries out for Bully Protective Services courtesy of Western World. It is probably the biggest and most significant political action this year, generating more questioning and debate than Nick Carter's sexual orientation. The man at the middle of it all, Russian President Vladimir Putin, seems oddly at peace about the whole situation. One might even care to observe, as if he had planned it all
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Is it only Kevin Rudd who sees his 'educational revolution' as something worthy of more than a laugh? One would assume that being from a state high school, the PM would empathise with parents and families struggling to give their kids a fighting chance in the world of academia. Yet now, not only to state schools in Australia have to compete with independent schools for government funding (we'll get on to that paradox later) they are now made to compete with each other to see which can 'perform' better.
To pit some of the nations struggling schools against each other for performance benefits is ridiculous. No educational provider should have to justify itself to receive federal or state funding. be it in the affluent areas or a school in the country of less than 100 students. Every child deserves the right to an education from a quality institution without having to pay for it. This is a basic human right that one would expect a progressed nation such as Australia to have a good grasp on by now
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All particulars aside, I begin this by stating plainly that this post will not be relevant to everyone. Yes I am fully aware that this goes radically against the blogging concept where we attempt to attract as many readers as possible but this is an exception. If you be redneck, reclusive, or otherwise uninterested in my home country of Australia, read no more. This is not for you and bears no relevance to your way of thinking.
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A disbelieving Nastia Liukin at the gymnastics
If it isn't the biggest upset for American gymnastics at these Olympic games. Medal hopeful Nastia Liukin receives a silver medal on the uneven bars, losing out to China. To begin, I'm not the biggest fan of the host nation, it's one thing to have a population that is so devoted to it's government they will voluntarily clean up the filth for the greater glory of their home state, but then to lead the medal tally by almost double the gold placings is just uncalled for. Yet, Liukin's father squarely points his gnarled finger at the Australian judge, fully qualified in her profession, for the supposed loss that his daughter has suffered. Firstly, Mr. Liukin, your daughter was on a tally of 3 medals, one of those gold, if there is any reason for the global population to claim American greed, you deify it. Secondly, how do you claim to know better than this professional judge? I fail to see how could possibly be impartial in such a situation and how your technical knowledge could even scrape at Helen Colaguiri's one could only guess
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An interesting turn of phrase, I feel. Somewhat mischievous, even dubious. Bringing to mind, at least my mind, a certain politician-turned-PM Kevin Rudd. Not willing to hide his late night stroll into a NYC strip club in the midst of his election campaign is what one may a term a ballsy move. Any inhibitions voters may have felt towards supporting this nerdy family man vanished faster than Warnie can send an SMS. Having said that, since taking over the top job he's surprised us again by communicating with our northern neighbours in their native tongue and if that wasn't enough, he was also caught ratifying an incredulously out of date protocol. Now if he can get us out of an economic recession and a real estate slump, he'll take over from Eamon Sullivan as the country's golden boy with hair to match.
Seeing old Georgie Bush shake hands with the K man at Beijing the other day was a rather odd occurrence seeing as big Bush clearly preferred the licking style of his brushiness, J. Howard. The tension between Rudd and Bush was so evident to all concerned that it was of no surprise when Bush had a fall in the stands shortly afterward. Claiming a misplaced step, he recovered his composure with a small smile. Yet what the photo's seem to cut off of Kevin is him returning to his neutral stance from a position reminiscent of Goku's Kamaya Maya stance in Dragon Ball Z. Or perhaps my imagination applies the unrealistic physics of animation to the reality of my mundane life on a too-frequent basis
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Comments (1)
Comment by Stephen 7
on Polar bears on thin ice
Interesting post, I like the pic. The wording should be changed to include all states so that everyone realises they are responsible for climate change, not just those who are affected by it. Good old Palin, she's fighting for the right causes isn't she?
Steve