Jeff Kennett: Rescue dramas lifting spirits worldwide
THE efforts in Thailand again just prove the most important gift we have is the gift of life. Never take it for granted, and live life to the full, writes Jeff Kennett.
Opinion
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THE wonderment of adversity! It invariably brings out the best in people, and communities. Cyclones, tsunamis, fires, droughts, floods, now the efforts in Thailand to save young lives.
It brings back memories of the extraordinary efforts to rescue Stuart Diver from the avalanche at Thredbo, and miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell from the mine at Beaconsfield, Tasmania.
Each event captivated us, not only by the subjects of the underground rescues, but by the way so many people came together to save trapped victims from seemingly impossible predicaments.
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TV brings us on-the-spot coverage, and I remember watching with most of the community, Diver’s delivery from his near watery grave, having lost his wife Sally in the avalanche. I cried as he was brought to the surface.
The efforts in Thailand, have again captured our attention as no other recent event, as we hope for the safe delivery from the cave of all the boys and their coach.
We should understand the personal risks so many are submitting themselves to for that outcome, with one Thai Seal tragically losing his life in the rescue effort.
Such incidents, such human endeavour, such focus on purpose.
Again, Thailand again just proves that the most important gift we have is the gift of life.
Never take it for granted, and live life to the full.
I hope that by the time you read this, all will have been rescued from their harrowing experience.
I HAVE written in this column over the past couple of months about the total disregard the Victorian Labor Government and in particular the Transport Minister has had for the welfare of those they have crucified in brutalising the Victorian taxi industry.
Today, some months after the licence system that had operated here in Victoria for decades was cancelled, individuals and families have been left with debts they can never service.
Pensioners have lost the income from leasing out the licence plates they owned. Some individuals are suicidal from the loss of income and the debt mountains they cannot climb.
Many are too senior in years to be able to work for an income,
as many having been financially independent all their lives and expecting to be so in their latter years they now fall back on to government pensions.
The cruellest hoax perpetrated by Minister Jacinta Allan was the establishment of the so-called Fairness Fund to have their financial situation assessed and compensation paid if justified.
On June 28, the Fairness Fund sent out this email: “Assessment of applications to the Fairness Fund is now complete and all applications have been notified of the outcome. The Fund is now closed.
“Please note this mailbox is only checked occasionally. It may take up to 28 days to receive a response.”
Some applicants have heard nothing from the fund about their applications, some are getting a sterile phone call.
How heartless is this Labor government? They will bend over backwards to help Victorian unionists but work against small businessmen and women.
I still argue the way Allan and the government restricted the public transport industry — taxi and hire cars — should become a lesson in total mismanagement.
The government, in the interest of public safety and consistency in the application of the regulations that cover using vehicles to transport people, had to regulate the new ride-sharing industry.
In doing so they need not have abolished taxi licences. Those that had been issued could have remained operative, no new licences issued, and the taxi industry would have had to compete with ride-share services.
If they did not compete, the value of their licences would have reduced at no cost to the public.
Now, millions of dollars of your and my money has been wasted by the government paying certain sums of money, which is absolutely inadequate for most who bought licences in the past 20 years.
Lives have been wrecked.
At the time of the changes, passion among the industry ran high as they saw their livelihood and financial security destroyed.
Now as the reality of that hardship sinks in, as people are desperately struggling, the anguish is growing.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not against unions or unionists, but all those who work should be respected equally. But not here in Victoria. Not under this Labor government.
All I can say to the minister is understand you have overseen the destruction of licence plate owners’ lives. You claim you have been threatened, I am sorry you have been so treated, but your government has actually destroyed many lives, many families.
And none of it was necessary.
SPORT in all its forms is often the circuit-breaker that gets us away from the things that cause us stress and anxiety.
As I watch the final eight in the AFL unfold, many are getting up at early hours of the morning to watch matches in the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Given the make-up of
our community today, each game played will be watched by tens of thousands of people, or their parents who have made Australia home.
Tomorrow at 3am our large Croatian community together with those of English descent will rise early to cheer their team into the World Cup final.
At the same time, Wimbledon is being played out in England.
This year again, no Australians advanced past the third round. The standing of Wimbledon has not diminished, it’s just that the competition has become so much better and stronger. As I pen this, Serena Williams and Roger Federer are still in the race for the title. Never write off experience when it is challenged by the youth of today.
Have a good day.
Jeff Kennett is former premier of Victoria
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