Menzies House

Chris Ashton To Join Editorial Board

We are very pleased to announce that Chris Ashton, whose writings you have seen here these last few weeks, will be joining our Editorial Board as our "Religion & Politics" editor! 

Chris Ashton lives in Sydney with his wife and daughter. He is a former police officer, an elder in the Presbyterian Church and a postgraduate student of arts and theology. His particular interests are Christian creeds and confessions and the interaction between religion and culture. You can follow him on twitter @ChrisAshton.

2.21 MILLION AUSTRALIANS UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED – HIGHEST EVER RECORDED.

Unemployment was 10.3% (up 1.7% since December 2011) — an estimated 1,278,000 Australians were unemployed and looking for work. This is Australia’s highest ever number of unemployed as reported by Roy Morgan and is also Australia’s highest unemployment rate for a decade — since January 2002 (10.9% — 1,075,000).

A further 7.5% of the workforce* were working part-time looking for more work (underemployed) — 934,000 Australians.

In total a record 17.8% of the workforce, or 2.21 million Australians, were unemployed or underemployed.

The Australian workforce* in January was at a record high 12,429,000, up 383,000 since January 2011 — comprising 7,681,000 full-time workers (up 106,000); 3,470,000 part-time workers (down 53,000) and 1,278,000 looking for work (up 330,000).

via www.roymorgan.com

Unintended consequences … of playgrounds !

In a not surprising article from, of all places, a medical website, comes new research on the consequences of safety guidelines for children’s playgrounds. Apparently they have become so safe, so uninteresting that children no longer want to play on them. This contributes to a reduction in the physical activity they were of course designed to encourage.

via andrewmcintyre.org

Should The Government Ban Parents Smacking Their Children?

Dr Gervase Chaney said mums and dads should be banned from smacking their children.

He said it was no longer OK for parents to argue "it never did us any harm" - and called on colleagues to stand up for children's rights.

It comes as a leading Royal Children's Hospital paediatrician says Australia is lagging behind other countries in outlawing smacking, describing some cases as tantamount to child abuse.

Dr Chaney is pushing for The Royal Australasian College of Physicians paediatric and child health division to officially support a ban as the body reviews its policy on smacking.

He said it was likely to be supported and the college would then call on government to change the law.

via www.heraldsun.com.au

This is how I often feel...

 

(I'm not sure who I identify with more though; the man or the goat...)

TVA

Fair Work laws turn firms off hiring workers

LABOR'S federal workplace laws have led to increased labour costs, a rise in employee absenteeism and declining or flatlining productivity, according to a national survey of senior managers charged with implementing the new rules in their workplaces.

The annual survey of the nation's human resource managers found that 47 per cent believed operating under the Fair Work Act would decrease the willingness of their organisation to employ people over the next three years. Only 6 per cent said it made them more willing to hire people.

An estimated 690 human resource professionals participated in the Australian Human Resources Institute survey, with 30 per cent of those surveyed engaged by companies employing more than 1000 workers and one-third engaging between 100 and 499 workers.

The institute previously surveyed members about the legislation in 2010 and the latest results show managers are increasingly negative about the impact of the laws.

via www.theaustralian.com.au

Fairfax's Mature Response To Rinehart Takeover Rumours

The other day, reports began to surface that Gina Rinehart was considering investing in the beleaguered Fairfax Media, the left-wing publishing group whose circulation is in freefall and is potentially facing bankrupcy. 

This is, undoubtedly, great news for Fairfax and media diversity in Australia. It would seem, however, that some Fairfax journalists, fearing a challenge to their unopposed leftist worldview, have decided to respond with a non-story about the Rinehart families legal issues, and this comic: 

Keep it classy, Fairfax...

 

Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: "No thanks, we're sweet enough," say lying puritans

As you may have noticed from headlines such as "Sugar 'is toxic and must be regulated just like cigarettes', claim scientists", "Tax and regulate sugar like alcohol and tobacco, urge scientists" and "Experts say sugar is as dangerous as alcohol and cigarettes", the slippery slope got a little bit more slippery today. We did try to warn you, you know.

I'll be writing about the absurd Nature article that spawned all this later (it was written by 'public health professionals' from San Francisco. Fancy that!), but for now take a look at the picture that accompanied the piece. It gives you an insight into the twisted minds of the health crusader.

Yes, that's Mary Poppins, and I'm pretty sure that sugar is in plain packaging with a large graphic health warning. A sign of things to come?

via velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com