Dad who used strap on son, 9, 'crossed the line'

Another attempt by judges to thwart the decisions of the elected government

A SUNSHINE Coast magistrate's court has ruled that a father who took a strap to the legs of his nine-year-old son crossed the line. Maroochydore magistrate John Hodgins, sentencing the 32-year-old father to 12 months' probation, said such discipline had no place in the modern world. Mr Hodgins told the farmer, who had beaten the legs of his son who refused to attend swimming lessons or wear a seatbelt on the school bus, that it was no longer acceptable to "rely on role models from previous generations".

But Mr Hodgins agreed community opinion on physical discipline for children was still divided and sympathised with the father over the difficulties of parenting.

The assault, which left the child bruised, drew fire from the Australian Childhood Foundation, which said physical attacks on children must be treated as seriously as any other assault in the community. "In fact, the child should be afforded greater protection because of their greater developmental vulnerability," foundation CEO Joe Tucci said. Dr Tucci has urged the State Government to outlaw all physical punishment on children, a course which Premier Anna Bligh has ruled out despite an affirmative vote on the issue at the ALP's state conference last year.

The father of four, who had been disciplined with a strap as a child, had taken numerous other steps to discipline his boy short of physical punishment, the court was told. The father spoke to the boy every morning before school and "took away treasured items in an effort to make him behave". But when the boy continued to refuse to wear a seatbelt and failed to go to a swimming lesson, the father strapped him across the legs up to five times.

"The child had ignored him on the afternoon of the offence," said Senior Sergeant Tony Hurley, prosecuting. "He (the father) wanted him to listen for once."

The boy's teachers saw the welts and contacted authorities, who have temporarily removed the boy from his parents' care. The father, who did not have a history of violence, readily acknowledged he had "gone too far".

Mr Hodgins said probation would allow the man to receive assistance.

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Aged care funding via vouchers now being considered

A good move

FUNDING could be stripped from Australian aged care homes and vouchers of up to $50,000 handed directly to residents in a radical aged care overhaul being examined by the Federal Government. Under the proposal, vouchers would go directly to Australian seniors and their families, allowing them to decide what sort of care they wanted. The proposal has been floated by Warren Hogan, author of a landmark report on aged care funding for the previous Howard government.

It has the backing of mainstream facilities - including one of Queensland's largest providers, TriCare, which wants a more consumer-focused approach to an industry facing "the perfect storm of an ageing demographic and a declining number of aged care beds".

A spokesman for Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot yesterday confirmed the minister was looking at the issue of "consumer-directed care". "This is a radical area of policy development and we would need to proceed cautiously," he said. "In addition, we would have to ensure that there were strong safeguards to protect the frail aged."

Professor Hogan - along with the Productivity Commission and the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission - expressed deep concern about the nation's ageing demographic. All are pushing for aged care facilities to be more responsive. Professor Hogan said central planning at the core of existing policy strategies introduced inefficiencies and rigidities, sparking a retreat by providers and "regulated scarcity". He said allowing government aged care funding to be directed to users of services and their families could be arranged just as readily as sending the money to providers. "By issuing vouchers to residents and potential residents for the value of the care to be met by government, these users could determine in discussions with the provider of their choice the type of services suited to their needs as specified by an Aged Care Assessment Team."

Care subsidies paid annually to providers range from $3000 to $50,000 a year, with more than 60 permutations and calculations in between. But, generally, a high-care provider receives between $30,000 and $50,000 a year to care for a resident.

Jim Toohey - the spokesman for the national Aged Care Alliance and who also heads up TriCare - said the idea was one of a range of proposed new funding models which appeared to have merit. "Establishing a relationship with the consumer in which the consumer has power is the way towards innovation in the aged care sector," Mr Toohey said. He said good-quality providers would welcome removal from a situation where they relied on a government subsidy to one allowing the market to determine what services they should provide. Mr Toohey said the proposal, in practical terms, could allow ageing Australians to opt out of an aged care facility altogether.

A Brisbane resident in a $700,000 home who required aged care could choose to opt for a reverse mortgage on the home, collect the government voucher, and use the funds to arrange for private aged care inside the home. Alternately, seniors wanting a high quality of life could opt to top up their voucher with their own money for more luxurious care.

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Dire shortage of submarine crews

Hey! Do you think the fact that Australia has no equipment to rescue crew from sunken submarines might have anything to do with it?

URGENT action is required to resolve a dire shortage of submarine personnel or Australia's once vaunted "silent service" faces collapse, the navy chief has warned.

A report on problems affecting the navy's elite submarine service released yesterday warns of a drastic decline in experience among sailors that could jeopardise safety.

Navy chief Vice Admiral Russ Crane promised a revamp focusing on a drastic improvement to working conditions for sub crews. Sea deployments lasting up to seven months will be cut, a dedicated submarine support group will be moved to Western Australia, shore-based accommodation will be upgraded and general quality of life will be improved for crews.

In a frank appraisal of how bad things have got, Vice Admiral Crane said a lack of adequately trained submariners was placing an unacceptable burden on personnel serving on the navy's three operational Collins-class subs. Three other boats had been taken out of the water. The submarine workforce sustainability program will focus on a five-phase strategy, as foreshadowed in The Australian yesterday. It aims to lighten the formidable workload of submariners by increasing from 46 to 58 the number of crew members allocated to each boat and calls for a fourth crew by 2011.

But training submariners was not an easy task, Vice Admiral Crane said. "They have to be trained in their particular category, then they've got to go off and get their dolphin qualifications."

The 109-page report compiled by Rear Admiral Rowan Moffitt makes clear that life as an RAN submariner is hard and suggests recruiters stress the submarine service as an "elite arm" of the navy. It says submarine safety issues need to be more fully addressed - the navy currently has no submarine abandonment, escape and rescue system (SAERS) capability. In 2003, HMAS Dechaineux was nearly lost with all hands after a hose burst and brought the boat within seconds of being lost off the West Australian coast.

"The declining experience level of the submarine community must be viewed with concern for the increased risk of an incident with a catastrophic outcome," the report warns. Recruiters are also likely to start targeting more females.

Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said problems in the submarine service had worsened dramatically under the Rudd Government, which had ignored the problems posed by crewing shortages.

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Brisbane lawyer warns anti-bikie laws could bring McCarthyism

Leftist governments will grab any lever to restrict individal liberties

PROPOSED anti-bikie laws could push Queensland into a ''McCarthy-like witch hunt'' against law-abiding citizens, a prominent defence lawyer warns. Brisbane criminal defence lawyer Tim Meehan said the State Government decision to implement anti-bikie laws smacked of a panic reaction to the current media and public focus on bikie gang behaviour.

Mr Meehan said the tough new laws could act against law-abiding citizens and legitimate businesses, drive the gangs underground and make them more dangerous. ''The headlines are all about a looming all-out bikie gang war in Australia, and that's exactly the environment which encourages McCarthyism. There's a real risk anyone who rides a motorbike will be labelled a bikie,'' he said.

He warned Queensland risks becoming like America of the 1950's when Senator Joseph McCarthy whipped up hysteria about communism and innocent people were wrongly accused of either being or even associating with communists.

Mr Meehan said the laws would be vigorously challenged and existing police powers were sufficient to deal with gang warfare. ``Imposing orders which restrict who people can associate with even if they have no criminal conviction is quite scary and the opposite of what Queenslanders take for granted as their rights in a democratic society,'' Mr Meehan said.

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