Family of Suicide Deaths - coping with difficulties, making sense, acceptance and moving on

Two suicide reports have caught my attention in the last few days.

The unfortunate, unexpected and sudden demise of inseparable adorable couple Marc and Cher Thomson has shocked Sydney - from their families, customers, other restaurant owners to all food lovers.  The restaurant is closed according to the website.

Most of us know that restaurants especially high end and fine dining are facing stiff competition, stringent regulatory boards and council scrutiny, high rental, staff shortage and costs, not to mention the long hours, hard work and high sunk in investments. Even a good turnover does not promise any profit after deducting all the expenses. Many local businesses are actually struggling despite healthy picture compared to the US and most ailing European economies.

Why should we be surprised? The trouble is we are too busy with our own lives that we do not seek or start asking until it is too late. Prevention is always better than cure. 

Unlike distress from bullying leading to deaths, there are few signals from those who are bent on ending it all.  These are likely to be highly driven and tenacious people who have tried everything and finally decided to give up. Pride and honour meant more than going through hell in life. It would not be an "attempt" as there is no turning back. 

Nevertheless, even the best kept secret will reveal some tell-tale signs. Even if you are not equipped with the knowledge and skills to deal with psychological issues, it helps to take notice and show care.  Better be safe than sorry - check if you sense that a depressed or anxious friend or relative is not their usual self and going downhill? This would be a good start to prevent an unhappy ending. 

The death of American researcher Shane Todd has gained more publicly in the ensuing court case. His parents are obviously in denial to have challenged the coroner's suicide verdict which even the FBI has concurred. The older Todds could not accept that their precious son, despite having bouts depression during his university days and showing signs of unhappiness with his work, could take his own life.

Instead, imaginations have run wild with hypotheses of Sino-Singapore conspiracy against America and murder made to look like suicide being thrown up. Death is no laughing matter but the exchanges in court are replete with themes found in spy movies. Like those who have passed on, the living are too proud and disappointed with the reality.

Compassion goes to all those who have lost their love ones under such tragic circumstances.  The living suffers as much if not more than the dead. Help may not be too far for bereaved families overcome their grief, gain support and comfort and better understanding.  

Bullying at tertiary education institutions? Power moves

Australia is a civilised society. Bullying in whatever forms cannot be tolerated. Bullying at university comes as a surprise not because we didn't know it has always existed but the degree of distress caused. 

We have heard of cyber bullying and school ground bullying. But senior academics, not just students, suffering mental distress from colleagues and seniors is difficult to grasp and comprehend. Has there been a real increase at the aggressors' initiative or victims are more open to air their grievances nowadays? 

If the university's best response is that it happens in all large organisations, this is not good enough. No attempt is made to investigate or improve work conditions. No wonder the reputation of UNSW and other organisations with similar culture of sweeping the dust under the carpet will be tarnished in the long run. Why do some top management look at worse examples to cite in order to make themselves look better. 

When the bullies take out on their victims for self gratification, they don't realise the distress and potential mental harm it may cause. Not every individual has the strength and opportunities to seek recourse and overcome the bad patch. It is not an exaggeration to extrapolate that bullying can drive the victims to illness or even deaths. This will no longer be a joke and it will be too late to 

On the other hand, there may be a small number of fragile students and academics who are more susceptible to melting and depression. What they need is counselling. In such cases, escalation and penalty imposed on those those who want to get their work done may not achieve the desired goals.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/university-of-hard-knocks/story-e6freuzi-1226429497231

A submission to the inquiry prepared by the National Tertiary Education Union said a confidential survey of more than 550 UNSW staff uncovered complaints about "unfair treatment, public humiliation, arbitrary misuse of power and repeated shouting, swearing and threatening behaviour in their work units".

Almost 40 respondents said they received or witnessed "unwanted sexual attention" while others reported "illegal discriminatory activity, pressure to retire and demeaning and discriminatory jokes".

One senior staff member was heard to comment on a colleague, saying she looked like "Princess Diana after the accident with the steering wheel through her face".

The submission said: "This was reported to senior management in the workplace but the respondent was unaware of any action taken.

NTEU branch president at UNSW Dr Sarah Gregson said in the submission she feared bullying was becoming an unacknowledged but deeply corrosive aspect of campus life: "The evidence we gathered suggested that, although UNSW has a bullying policy and other guidelines that outline acceptable workplace conduct, these policies are routinely ignored and harmful behaviour is often excused."

Little known and control over fraud and corruption in Australian bureaucracy

Greed is the common denominator for corruption. Strong institutions, checks and balances, integrity of individuals serving the public are important factors that contribute to fair and clean governance.

While poverty and low salaries have often been cited as pretext for pilfering from public coffers and extracting from the community what does not belong to oneself, they are lame excuses for rampant corruption in developing countries. It is an endemic systematic failure that needs a holistic and comprehensive approach to redress and find solutions.

Though widely held as effective, the lack of public scrutiny has not helped to expose fraud and corruption in the Australian public sector.

The fact that it exists on a scale higher than what we have perceived shows that corruption is not a disease that is limited to the Third World. It has little has to do with stereotype cultural factors as well. Despite our proud institutions, democratic tradition and rule of law, some humans are fallible and susceptible to greed and run foul of the law.

As I have suggested time and again, whistleblowers should not be ostracised and punished. While teamwork and stability should be valued, some wrongs have to be exposed appropriately and righted. That is the meaning of accountability to the public.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/reserve-officials-in-evidence-coverup-20111004-1l7dr.html

http://www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/Fraud_Control_in_Australian_Government_Agencies.pdf

Cover your ass work attitude- a liability for companies and sign of regressive culture

"Cover your ass" is more pervasive in private corporations than you think.
Not limited to high profile politicians, bank loan approving officers, reporters and public service personnel, managers and bureaucrats are guilty of this safe approach to work.

You won't get into trouble, won't get fired, neither would you produce remarkably good service and results.

Just to cite a recent personal encounter with chronic bottlenecks, unbalanced delivery and interim shortages which could be easily addressed through better coordination and information dissemination.So just that you know not to expect too much. Suggestions and feedback fall on deaf ears, and are discarded, disregarded, or scoffed at most of the time. They are frowned upon instead of being utilised as inputs for improvements.

As long as the person(s) responsible have done the minimum to cover himself / herself / themselves, they would be safe. One only needs some documentary proof in writing or time log to show that they had taken certain preventive and informative steps or disclosures. No worries if they failed to achieve the targeted numbers, destinations, audience, beneficiaries.

Count your lucky stars and blessings if you have colleagues and service providers who are cooperative and willing to listen and share with each other. Some not so fortunate ones have to put up with feet dragging, concealment, defensiveness, buck passing and blaming others for their problems.

Ultimately, the company's interests are at stake. The clientele, productivity and reputation will suffer; so will the bottomline and profitability. It will go back to the management and employees collectively for the lackadaisical and irresponsible work ethics of a few.

As mentioned time and again in earlier notes on this blog, it does not pay to be whistleblowers, initiators and revolutionaries. Most of us in society are too comfortable in our respective walled zones to care or want to lift a finger to do great things for others.

Where and since when have the battler spirit gone?

No longer do we take pride in our work from end-to-end. Our responsibilities may not be clearly defined by the job description but by the results of our work.

A highly litigatious society may have fostered such safety first attitudes.
Somewhere, something has gone very wrong. We are supposed to have progressed. Blame the environment and everyone if you like and think it would make you feel better.

When more of us learn to take some risks, stick our necks out, and be courageous to take responsibility for our ideas and actions, go an extra mile to deliver our best, then would Australian workplace culture shine brightly.

- c.g.

Culture of Corruption and Incompetence built up in NSW - where has all the money and work gone to?

Cracks in Aussie System allow Corruption to grow

This may debunk commonly held beliefs that corruption exists only in autocratic and closed systems. Usually so, but it seems that Australia has regressed from being a free and fair system to one ridden with irregularities, inadequate checks and justice system. Despite pumping in money, much of state funds had been wasted on consultancy, studies, red tape, inefficiencies rather than generate benefits for the people. There are reasons why the first state NSW is no longer number one. It has been bleeding for two decades. How long more can it sustain with the ongoing incompetence and malaise?

Citations

Vice files buried as law fails to cope

Natalie O'Brien December 12, 2010

PROSECUTORS have left scores of the state's highest-profile corruption cases on the shelf because they are ''chronically understaffed'' and too swamped to handle the rising workload.

Delays of up to four years in deciding on criminal charges against more than 100 people have been condemned as ''unacceptable'' and ''unfair'' by a former head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Jerrold Cripps, QC.

Since 2007, ICAC has found that 165 people acted corruptly but 110 of them are still awaiting a decision on whether they will be charged, a Sun-Herald investigation has found.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is yet to decide if there is enough evidence to prosecute public officials such as former Wollongong council manager Joe Scimone and former town planner Beth Morgan, who were caught up in the ''sex for development'' scandal.

Also waiting are RailCorp contractors including Adam Azzopardi, Nat ''the Bobcat'' Severino and William Kuipers, who were found to have acted corruptly. Former ferries chief Geoff Smith is also awaiting word on whether he will be prosecuted.

In the case of ICAC's 2003 inquiry into the NSW Grains Board, it took so long to lay charges - five years - that the key witness died and the charges were withdrawn earlier this year.

Mr Cripps said the delays meant vital evidence may be lost as the memory of witnesses faded. And it was unfair to people who might later be acquitted to spend such a long time under a cloud.

''Criminal prosecutions should be dealt with as quickly as possible,'' said Mr Cripps, who stepped down last year after five years at ICAC.

A spokeswoman for the prosecutions office cited reasons for the long delays including ''chronic understaffing'', ''chronic overwork'', inadequate resources and the sheer size and complexity of the ICAC matters.

She disputed the numbers of people waiting for outcomes, saying they had calculated it as 101, not 110, out of 25 cases dating back to 2007.

But shadow attorney-general Greg Smith, SC, said: ''The community would expect people who are the subject of an ICAC finding of corrupt conduct to pay the price. Instead, Labor's failure to resource the bodies properly sees them roam free. This is symptomatic of 15 years of Labor neglect of the state's watchdogs.''

The head of the joint parliamentary committee which oversees ICAC, Labor MP Richard Amery, did not want to comment.

A Sun-Herald investigation this year revealed a number of RailCorp contractors recommended for prosecution for acting corruptly had returned to working with the corporation or other government-related rail companies. The inquiry was concluded in 2008 and ICAC recommended prosecutions of 33 people; of those, only two have faced charges.

In the Wollongong inquiry, ICAC recommended in 2008 the prosecution of 11 people. Of those, five have faced charges. There has been no decision on the remaining six.

ICAC's investigations have been steadily increasing and were up by 186 per cent in 2009-2010, according to its annual report.

The prosecutions office spokeswoman said ICAC matters were ''markedly different from general criminal prosecutions''. Their complexity often meant returning to ICAC for more information.

''All matters brought before the court rest on the admissibility and strength of the evidence … Frequently the evidence these agencies have gathered will include evidence given under objection - that is, the person has admitted to taking part in a criminal enterprise on the basis that the evidence will not be used against him/her in criminal proceedings - or evidence that is otherwise not legally admissible.''

Asked about some criticisms of the way briefs had been prepared, she said: ''ICAC briefs have been improving in quality over the past two years or so.''

http://www.smh.com.au/national/vice-files-buried-as-law-fails-to-cope-20101211-18tgs.html

NSW MP rorted expenses, corruption watchdog finds

Sean Nicholls December 7, 2010

The Labor MP for Drummoyne, Angela D'Amore, has been sacked as a parliamentary secretary, but the Premier is refusing to call for her resignation from Parliament after the corruption watchdog found she acted corruptly in falsely claiming thousands of dollars in entitlements for two staff members.

More details in :
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-mp-rorted-expenses-corruption-watchdog-finds-20101207-18ndh.html?from=smh_sb


'Culture of corruption' in MP's office: inquiry

Brian Robins May 3, 2010

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is holding public hearings into claims that Penrith MP Karyn Paluzzano and her staff may have made false claims relating to staff payments.

The inquiry has heard Ms Paluzzano and others devised a scheme to defraud the NSW parliament and benefit her relief staff, including her mother.

It is alleged Ms Paluzzano made false declarations in claim forms for an allowance called sitting day relief, which an MP can claim when one of their permanent electorate officers works at Parliament House on a sitting day.

The allowance covers the wages of relief staff who work in the MP’s office to replace a staff member working at Parliament House.

The ICAC inquiry has heard that between August 2006 and June 2007, 22 sitting day relief forms were submitted by the Penrith electorate.

Ms Paluzzano holds the post of parliamentary secretary for education.
Premier Kristina Keneally last week refused to stand her aside while the ICAC inquiry is under way.

Read more in :
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/culture-of-corruption-in-mps-office-inquiry-20100503-u2dn.html


What a waste: how NSW blew $2m a day

Heath Aston December 12, 2010

THE NSW government has squandered more than three-quarters of a billion dollars of taxpayer money in a year.

A Sun-Herald review of 12 months of reports by the NSW Auditor-General has found $778 million flushed down the toilet - more than $2 million a day.

Cases where money has been wasted directly or where the taxpayer has lost out through poor oversight, budget blow-outs or governmental blunders include:

$356 million spent on the abandoned CBD Metro for no result.
$188 million overspent on the Building the Education Revolution stimulus spending scheme.
$150 million lost on the sale of NSW Lotteries, which the Auditor-General found was too low.
$10 million dropped on the bungled handling of the V8 Supercars contract by former minister Ian Macdonald.

Over the year, Auditor-General Peter Achterstraat also found NSW had lost out on $8 million in coalmining royalties due to poor enforcement, and the final budget for World Youth Day had run $66 million over forecast.

Despite Youth Day being held in 2008, the Auditor-General's report did not come out until May this year.

Mr Achterstraat, who has been scathing about the flagrant approach by the NSW government in a succession of reports, is bound by legislation not to comment outside the times when he hands down a report.

The Sun-Herald understands he will drop a pre-election bombshell by taking the unusual step of releasing a year-in-review report in February.
Premier Kristina Keneally defended her government, saying reports such as the one on the CBD Metro showed she had taken the tough decision to redeploy $4.5 billion for better use.

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said: ''These hundreds of millions of dollars could have started the South West or North West rail links, or upgraded the Pacific and Princes highways.

''It could have hired more nurses, teachers and police or upgraded Tamworth, Dubbo or Port Macquarie Hospitals.''

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/what-a-waste-how-nsw-blew-2m-a-day-20101211-18tgy.html



Country Democracy Rank Press Freedom Rank Corruption Rank
Australia 9 22 8

http://www.worldaudit.org/democracy.htm (November 2010)

Despite the drop in ranking, Australia still holds a high position based on the criteria used by most studies. How long can we keep up the top ranking, if only others are worse than us.

AWB hits Australia’s corruption reputation The scandal involving AWB and payments to the regime of Saddam Hussein has cost Australia its position as one of the countries globally perceive to be the most corruption-free, according to a new report.

Transparency International’s (TI’s) 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index reported that Australia has slipped out of the top 10 countries perceived to be corruption-free for the first time. While the Cole Royal Commission laid the blame for the $300 million in bribes paid to the Iraqi regime with certain AWB executives, the TI index, which tracks perceptions of public sector corruption, suggests the scandal has impacted Australia’s image as a whole.

http://www.riskmanagementmagazine.com.au/articles/e8/0c050be8.asp

http://www.smh.com.au/business/australia-is-sliding-down-the-international-corruption-ladder-20100424-tknv.html

How the hell is bloody Macbeth relevant to modern daily living? The price to pay for freebies.

“I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Act III Scene 4, 135–137; Macbeth)

Shocking! Yes, it's just an exaggeration. A appropriate way to explain it would be to describe the difficulty of sustaining momentum after being forced by circumstances. The analogy of having to continue with the process of shampoo and wash of hair once you have inadvertently or accidently wet the hair seem to fit the bill. In other words, there is no going back and too late to change one's mind.

In today's competitive e commercial world, there are heaps of alluring offers. It is FREE! Or so we believed. But think again and smarten up! There is no free lunch or free ride, perhaps, just temporarily, but not forever. The must be a catch - once the target has been hooked, they will have to be committed, because there is too much to lose by withdrawing. It would be gullible to believe that people are not profit driven, it is only a matter of degree.

It is hard to imagine yourself or your friends who are normally street wise could somehow one day land in such as predicament. Is there any sense of continuing when it is unsustainable. Should we just bite the bullet and lose 2,000 days of hard work, time and resources now than to drag and risk losing more later? Maybe it is time to write off the investments, suffer the short term pain, erase it from memory, than to pour good effort after bad? It is a dilemma that cropped up for more than a year and has yet to be resolved. I pray in search for a clear cut answer.

Lost and Found Properties - distraction or forgetfulness of the young?

I thought it is unique to our young kids who are ever so forgetful and careless with belongings. After doing a straw poll among friends and their social circle, then did I realise that we are not alone. It feels better but nevertheless remains a concern.

How many times a year have parents got to replace lost uniforms - from head to toe (sweater, jumper, jacket, hat, sports attire, shoes, etc). Having names written on the items is no guarantee that it would be found if they are left in school, the trains, shops, library or random stairs and public seats.

More bizzare cases are loss of wallets containing student card and weekly allowance and school text books which have to be ordered and replaced if they belong to a public state school.

Necessities are fine but we don't have deep pockets to pay for absent-mindedness.

ADHD or plain carelessless?

http://www.cityrail.info/contact_us/lost_property

A brave Australian gentleman who speaks the truth against the odds

News and history can sometimes be distorted by the media and politicians to suit their purpose and agenda. Whistleblowers, truth seekers, champions of the poor have often been suppressed and wronged. I take my hat off and bow to those who have the courage to expose misinformation and wrongdoing.

One heroic gentleman is Dr Gregory Clark. He was an official assigned to work in the East Asia division of Australia's former department of external affairs. His encounters with the bureaucratic set up were both frustrating and shocking when reporting on the Sino-Indian border clashes in the 1960s. His account gives us a glimpse of how officials could disregard facts and sex up reports to toe a certain line and fit the mould of policies and mindset. It therefore comes as no surprise that intelligence failures and erroneous assessments that led to major strategic blunders, terrorist attacks, loss of lives and missed opportunities could happen.

The Cold War may be over but the same tactics seem resurface now and then, and risk misunderstandings and hostilities.

Details can be found on the redcliff website.