A BETTER WAY ?..

I see today that MPs are calling for the days on which General Elections are held to be made public holidays so as to increase the number of people who turn up at polling stations.  The Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee said the move could help `restore greater esteem and excitement to the electoral process.`  The Committee is also calling for automatic registration and trials of voting via the internet, `with a view to voters having the choice of voting online at the 2020 General Election.`

Now it`s true, of course, that turnouts ate elections are pretty abysmal, ranging from around 10% for daft elections like those for Police and Crime Commissioners to still only 65% at the last General Election, so maybe something should be done to avoid the situation whereby that 65% meant that 16 million eligible voters failed to cast their ballot last time around.

But I wonder about the beezer wheeze of turning election days into public holidays. General Elections are normally held in May, just as the Spring sunshine, the lighter evenings and the longer days suggest that, rather than use the day to take part in the bureaucratic Victoriana of visiting polling stations, at least 16 million potential voters are more likely to head for the beach.

Now I have a feeling that the answer lies in the antipodes, where Oscar Hammerstein`s assertion that if you become a teacher, by your pupils you`ll be taught, could have its best example.   The right to vote is a freedom fiercely sought by people the world over, but Australians don`t have a choice.  Registering to vote and going to the polls are legal duties in Australia for citizens aged 18 and over and failing to do so can potentially result in a day in court and a fine.

But it seems to have public support and it seems to work - compared with the UK`s 65% voting at the last General Election, no less than 94% of Australian voters cast their votes in the country`s last Federal Election.   There is an ongoing debate in Australia about its voting system but Dr. Peter Chen, who teaches politics and Sydney University, confirms that there is no sign of any serious measures to end compulsory voting.

"Most Australians are quite comfortable with the electoral process," he says, "and would be quite suspicious of efforts to change it.  We trust the electoral system more than we trust our politicians."   Seems to me that, rather than introducing gimmickry such as public holidays, we should instead learn from our friends Down Under. 

It was very distressing to hear about the fate of the 50-year old gentleman who was killed by a great white shark in Byron Bay, New South Wales and it must have been horrifying for his now widow who was on the beach at the time and watched the tragedy unfold.

What intrigued me was the interview given afterwards by some uniformed Aussie Police-like lady who mentioned that great white sharks are apparently a protected species.  So, rather than shoot this mindless killer dead in the water, the authorities are having to try to `relocate` it somewhere away from human activity and `manage` the activities of that particular species.

It`s extraordinary.  In this country we have enough trouble with things like adders being a protected species but can there really be any merit in protecting great white sharks whose main claim to fame is precisely the kind of malevolence displayed by this most recent example?  

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And on the subject of protected species, the pound sterling looks as if it could do with some protection from the effects of uncertainty over the outcome of the Scottish referendum.  The panic has now seen the value of the pound come under pressure which is surprising given the firm refusal to allow Scotland to continue using the pound if the Scots vote to go it alone.   In which case, the Scots will have to invent a currency of their own, which could be The Jimmy, with 100 sous-esque Seeyous making up one Jimmy?   

JOURNEYS..

To Kensal Green Cemetery in north London yesterday to attend a very special occasion.  150 years ago yesterday, John McDouall Stuart and his Companions finally completed the first overland crossing from South Australia to the north of the continent, returning safely after no less than five attempts.   In doing so, they blazed the  trail for the overland telegraph - linking Australia to the rest of the world - and also the route of the Stuart Highway.   So there were quite properly events to mark this remarkable achievement not only at Stuart`s grave in London but also in Adelaide and at Point Stuart in the Northern Territory.

After his death in 1866 at the age of just 50, Stuart was buried here in Kensal Green and there are also memorials to him in his home village of Dysart in Scotland, in South Australia and other locations throughout the route of his various expeditions.   The memorial in Kensal Green is, as shown in my picture, an impressive tribute to an impressive man and along time hero of mine, but during World War 2, the needle was destroyed and it has taken much time, effort and expense from a number of individuals and organizations to restore the grave to its original condition.   

(Inscription on Stuart`s memorial - click on picture for larger image)

Yesterday`s ceremony was therefore also to mark the restoration at a significant and timely anniversary and it was pleasingly appropriate that Stuart`s needle is once more pointing skyward, pointing up to Heaven.   I was privileged to be there in the company of not only admirers, like myself, of Stuart and his achievements but also to meet direct descendants of Stuart and some of his companions, the Australian High Commissioner and other dignitaries.  

It was a particular pleasure to finally meet the sister of my Adelaide correspondent, both of whom are direct descendants of F.G. Waterhouse, one of Stuart`s Companions;  her journey of 13,000 miles making my own `reservations` about London, the heat of summer and the Olympics mayhem seem trivial.   When I think of her journey and those heroic journeys of the man we were there to honour, I think it`s time I stopped grumbling about South Eastern trains and the London Underground. 

For much, much more on John McDouall Stuart, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McDouall_Stuart

(Footnote : Kensal Green is no ordinary cemetery.  It covers 72 acres, has over 65,000 burials and includes those such as Brunel, Wilkie Collins, Harold Pinter, Trollope, Sir Terrence Rattigan and those cremated here include Freddie Mercury and Ingrid Bergman.  Stuart is in good company.   For more please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensal_Green_Cemetery.)

STREWTH !!

I`m getting a little worried about Australians.  There are reports today of an Aussie who lost his compensation claim for racial abuse after work colleagues greeted him with `G`day, sport` and other terms of endearment including `Is your girlfriend called Sheila?`   They allegedly also made jokes about kangaroos, barbies and other stereotypical Oz icons.   All of which resulted in him taking Kent County Council to an employment tribunal after these `racial taunts` brought on his depression causing him to quit his job as a community warden in the hotbed of racial tension that is Dymchurch here on the Kent coast.

What worries me is that this episode seems light years away from the archetypal vision we have of the Australian psyche.   Their outwardly aggressive, politically incorrect, stick-it-up-`em but engagingly amusing banter is perhaps best illustrated by their `sledging` of opponents on the cricket field, which seems to encapsulate the outside world`s view of the nuggety Australian male.  

And yet, even here, they don`t always have things their own way, as witnessed by the classic encounter between Glenn McGrath and Zimbabwe`s fast medium bowler, Eddo Brandes.   Brandes was a big lad - a chicken farmer by trade - not really known for his batting and when he came in to bat, McGrath is reputed to have politely enquired, "Why are you so fat?"   To which Brandes replied, "Well, every time I make love to your wife she gives me a couple of doughnuts!"

As for our friend and his employment tribunal, it`s almost sad to report that he lost his discrimination case and his appeal against that decision was dismissed.   Maybe something in the Dymchurch air?  Or maybe after 27 years living in the UK it`s time to head back home to Adelaide?

A WELCOME MOVE



First a couple of `disclaimers.`  It`s difficult, if not downright presumptuous, to comment from a distance of 13,000 miles and it`s probably more presumptuous to even pass comment on a society and a country from a position where one`s own country hangs on to some tenuous notion of sovereignty over that faraway land.

But I`ve been interested in Australia for more years than I care to remember.  It has so much going for it with its necessarily short but dynamic history and culture.  I`m even a member of the John McDouall Stuart Society which exists to honour the memory and achievements of one of the country`s greatest pioneers, who came from Dysart in Scotland.  But in a way, his quite heroic achievement - in opening up the hinterland and blazing the trail for the overland telegraph - exemplifies the `taking over` of the country by incomers and the indifference if not outright hostility shown to the indigenous population of aboriginal tribes.  

After all, they have been there for countless centuries, at one with the land, at one with nature, understanding and respecting their place in the scheme of things in the dreamland and doing rather well before the arrival of explorers, pioneers and settlers who brought a kind of presumptuosness of their own.

Over recent years, the divide in all kinds of ways between the aboriginal and incomer populations has become more recognised and things have happened to narrow that divide. For example, in 2008, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, on behalf of the Australian government,  made a formal apology for the past wrongs caused by successive governments on the indigenous Aboriginal population.  And now Australia has said it will hold a referendum on recognising its indigenous people, the aborigines, in the constitution. The aim would be to improve conditions for the country's most disadvantaged community. As a first step, the new Prime Minister, Welsh born Julia Gillard, announced that a panel of experts would lead a 12-month national debate on the issue. It's unclear when the vote would take place, although it seems unlikely before 2013.

All sounds very encouraging and another welcome move.  But a couple of things intrigue me.  The first is that, after all this time, why not just get on with it, for surely the issue is very clear and the prospect of yet more prevarication and navel gazing might simply lead to yet more distrust and disenchantment and, at worst, damage the integrity of the process.   But secondly, if this were a perfect world, surely the aborigines would be holding a referendum to include the newcomers in their own constitution?  Or is that just too presumptuous?

G`DAY...

Today, 26 January, is Australia Day and might well be the cause of much dancing in the antipodean streets. I don`t know enough about the feelings there are down under about the day that commemorates the arrival of the first fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, the hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. But I can guess that the feelings might be mixed, as some cling on to the colonial heritage whilst others are sure the time has come to finally break the ties with Britain and others still remember that they are occupying 60,000 years of homeland.

I have some sympathy with both of the latter, but whatever I may think is immaterial. What matters is what the Australians collectively want for themselves as being best for all of them and I would like to believe that, whatever that turns out to be, then the British establishment will go along with. I think I may have been strengthened in my sympathy that the time has come for a definitive decision by the appointment of Baroness Amos as Governor General - an overtly poltical appointment of a waspish personality rather than anyone of compelling stature. The Australians deserve better.

So, on this day, how - if at all - is it being marked here in `the old country?` The short answer is hardly at all, which is pretty unforgiveable. The History Channel are showing a two part Irish documentary about the failed Burke and Wills expedition (well, Burke was Irish) and the Biography Channel are treating us to the life story of Nicole Kidman, who bears a remarkable resemblance to my optician.

All of which seems a pity, when one considers the contribution Australia has made throughout its history since that day in 1788, not least being their unswerving commitment to providing fighting forces in all the major conflicts over the past two centuries. And it seems strange to `honour` the failure of Burke and Wills and not recognise the achievements of John McDouall Stuart in being the first to cross the dead heart of that land from south to north and to return safely having blazed the trail for the route of the overland telegraph and the vital link that the Stuart Highway has become. But then as an unlikely member of the John McDouall Stuart Society, I guess I`m biased.

For now though, I wish my antipodean friends and correspondents a g`day and extend my best wishes and admiration for a culture and a society that, in truth, could teach the old dogs over here a few tricks. We could learn - if only we would listen.

A TOUCHING MOMENT

This is one of those photos that come out of dreadful times to show that life is still kind and gentle. It was sent to me the other day by a friend who lives in the Adelaide Hills and I am pleased to report that, in all the horror and tragedy of the bush fires in Australia, at least this Koala has come out of it in one piece.

I`m told that she is now receiving treatment for burnt feet, and doing very well. Koalas don’t usually drink anything, they get the moisture they require from gum leaves, which is why this picture of her drinking from a firefighter`s bottle is even more moving.

My antipodean correspondent mentioned that last Saturday, the temperature was 43C yet again, and the hot north wind was so strong. The bush was tinder dry, and the bushfire warning was on high alert. Lots of praying for protection, and then thanks truly given when the cool change finally arrived and the danger for that period of time had passed.

But the bushfire season is not yet over and people have to stay vigilant. It is the trade off for living in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, it seems, which is not as isolated as some of the small Victorian towns which bore the brunt of the inferno.

And all the while, our long, endless winter over here goes on. I guess the residents of the Adelaide Hills would welcome some of our cold and rain and snow just as much as I would welcome a little of their warmth. Getting the balance right, however, is quite another matter but maybe my middle son and his lady have found it as they laze on a beach in the Maldives for the next couple of weeks. I really don`t know why we don`t all go and live there, even if there are no koalas that might need rescuing.

A NICE CUP OF TEA AND A SIT DOWN...

I don`t belong to many clubs or societies, mainly out of a determination to uphold one of my family traditions of `never joining any club that would have me as a member` - the other being `if at first you don`t succeed, give up.`

But one society who did accept me into their fold was the John McDouall Stuart Society, which I joined some years ago as a result of a long held admiration for this diminutive Scot and his companions who pioneered the crossing of inland Australia from the south coast to the north and back again and, in the process, established the route of the overland telegraph and the Stuart Highway.

Stuart`s achievements did not come easily. He went on six expeditions, enduring unimagineable hardships, before finally realising his ambition. As a result he is, quite rightly, revered in Australia as a national hero. There is an excellent website produced by the Society at http://www.johnmcdouallstuart.org.au/ which gives more details than I have room for here. The surprising thing is that Stuart has been all but forgotten in the UK apart perhaps from his birthplace in the small town of Dysart in Scotland.

Now, last night on BBC 2, a new series by that intrepid bushman Ray Mears (pictured above) began by retracing some of the steps taken by Stuart in his journeys through the unknown dead heart of that great continent. And most revealing it was too - the distances, the flies, the constant search for water, the perils awaiting the unprepared. Ray Mears did well in bringing the country to our screens and giving just a hint of what it must have been like for Stuart and his men.

(Stuart)

But perhaps the sheer scale of Stuart`s achievement was slightly hidden behind Mears` comforting Range Rover and the rest of his survival kit. I don`t complain about any of that because it would be impossible to faithfully re-enact the realities of Stuart`s own experiences. Mears gave us a `Pom`s eye view` of the outback which was informative, instructing and helpful in perhaps exposing Stuart`s achievements to a wider audience - at least here in the UK.

Last night`s programme ended with Mears, having made an awning from a canvass sheet suspended from conveniently overhanging trees, bringing his day to a close with a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Well, he is a Pom after all.....but then so too was Stuart, whose end of day routine might just have been a little different.

HONOUR AT LAST - 13,000 MILES AWAY

Reports from the colonies confirm that Australian Prime Minister, John Howard (pictured) has effectively banned the nation`s cricket team from touring Zimbabwe, where they were due to play a few one-day internationals.

Howard seems to have gone further by suggesting that if Cricket Australia (the sport`s governing body Down Under) defy his `ruling` then he will bring in legislation to ensure the tour doesn`t go ahead anyway.

Cricket Australia`s response appears positive - there are already suggestions that the games against the Zimbabwe cricket team might be played in South Africa or some other neutral country, thus ensuring that the development of cricket in Zimbabwe does not suffer unduly through the cancellation of the tour.

Australian cricket captain, Ricky Ponting, has supported the Prime Minister`s move and as to the question of compensation for the Zimbabwe Cricket Board to make up for the lost revenue, it seems that Howard may also be prepared to underwrite any fine which might come Cricket Australia`s way under the ICC rules.

Now, as everyone knows, Zimbabwe under the ruthless heel of its dictating ruler, Robert Mugabe, suffers the lowest life expectancy in the whole of Africa, its population are desperately short of just about every commodity that makes life bearable, an inflation rate approaching 3,000%....and a regime that brings fear, death and destruction to anyone it takes a fancy too. Just ask Morgan Tsvangerai.

All good reasons to excommunicate Zimbabwe from the church of cricket at least - to say nothing about more considerable communites - especially those who seem reluctant to take any meaningful action against that appalling regime.

What a shame then that, when faced with a similar situation a couple of years ago, the England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the British government, were spineless in their approach to the same situation which our friend John Howard has dealt with head on with courage, dignity and strength of purpose.

On a day when the morality of English football has also been severely stretched, it is good to see that honour is alive and well and currently residing in the antipodes. Such a pity that it lives 13,000 miles away and not closer to home.