| The fall from grace of politics, government, public service and business in Australia Decling ethics, standards and morality - short termism |
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| Stupid boring, herd mentality. June 2010: The corporate mission statement, amongst other things, invariably eulogises the importance, and value, of the customer. I have recenty received my car insurance renewal from Australian insurance company AAMI. I have been insured by that company for years and assumed as a rating one member there was no better ranking ad I was a valued customer. But some fool in AAMI has decided that customers will now be categorised with the standard bullshit scale - platinum, gold, sapphire and so on. The automobile club of Victoria (RACV) began this droid replication some years back and airlines have had it for years. Where is the logic in explicitly telling people, who buy a company's products and services, that they have not spent enough to qualify to be a "groupie"? Qantas has an excuse for engaging in this stupidity. It sells it frequent flyer points to supermarkets, hotels and car rental agencies among other commercial enterprises. No one who has any intelligence believes that the Qantas frequent flyer programme is about mutual loyalty. Their frequent flyer programme is more lucrative than any other aspect of the Qantas airline business. What is it worth? Two billion dollars? QFF was to be floated but the GFC put that on hold. Reward, and loyalty, programmes are the ideas of a bygone era of marketing people who have no new ideas and are simply following the herd mentality. The young gung ho marketeers, in today's corporations, who have no collective memory or depth of experience. As I said above, some fool in AAMI decided to tell me, and other customers, what our value to them is, on a scale. How bright is that? (Kevin Beck, Melbourne Australia) |
| May 2010: As global trends, and impacts, buffer the world's airlines the modern airline Board, and executives, become creative and decide to change the world of aviation as we the customer know it. Consistent with mass thought everything has to be cheaper and misrepresented as value. Such is the case with the Spirit of Australia, Qantas. Qantas is one of the most profitable, well run and safe airlines on the planet. It is my airline of choice and I have only one frequent flyer membership, the Qantas Club. I have flown qantas One World since I began my treks across the globe. I only fly Qantas except when Qantas forces me to use another airline and they do. As costs became the only real imperative driving force for most corporations, Qantas decided to invent a budget model of itself. It is called Jetstar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas. This provided Qantas with the opportunity to reshape its airline structure, products, staffing and costs. As part of that plan Qantas shed unprofitable (or alternatively more lucrative options for the masses) locations to Jetstar. Two examples are the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore) in Queensland and Bali in Indonesia. In addition Qantas code shares with Jetstar and thus one can find ineself inadvertently on a Jetstar plane. A nasty surprise for the unwary when booking on line. Miss the little JQ symbol and bingo you are on a down grade. Overall these multiple experiences of Jetstar have not been rwrading for me. I have flown Jetsar to Sydney, Melbourne, the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne (again) Darwin and to Bali, return to Melbourne, all within a space of a matter of weeks. I flew Jetsar to Queensland and bali because I had no choice on these occasions unless I wanted to create a convoluted multi directional experience for myself. I think that Jetstar is not all that bright a provider of services and experience. For example on the flights to and from Melbourne to Darwin and to and from Darwin to Bali they had, repectively twenty and sixteen entertainment units for a cabin population in the hundreds. First in best dressed. Billed as state of the art (which they are not) they are limited in content, and generally offer low grade past run television series, and a couple of movies. Virgin offers a better range. Jetstar serve food and drink that are to my mind unhealthy, and targeted, at a certain socio - economic demographic. One has to purchase the items and the entertainment all wrapped in a the marketing spin of the unethical. Jetstar prefer you to use a credit card to but stuff. Now, reinforcing my perception as to their "smarts (brightness)", there is a limit on the card transaction per flight of $50.00 (domestic) and $75.00 (international). What happens if there is one parent and a big family and only one credit card? Bad luck, one rule fits all in the small minded world of Jetstar. If one accidentally ends up on Jetstar whilst holding a Qantas booked ticket one gets a complimentary "food pack" that is the epitomy of dross. That is if the Jetstar cabin crew remember to offer it. UYou have to remember to ask. I can spend $A30.00 in a Woolworths supermarket and will get a Qantas point. I can spend hundreds on a Jetstar flight and will get no points? Yet it is the subsidiary of Qantas. As a Qantas Club member I can use the lounge when I fly Jetsar except in places like Darwin where they only open it for Qantas flights. Thus when I travelled with my ten colleagues we had to sit in the baggage area of Darwin for three hours until Qantas deemed to open the lounge for their Qantas customers. It is not cost effective to provide us even if we have no coice as to whom we fly, unless I do not want to use a Qantas jet or partner again. The corporate psychologists rely upon loyalty and attachment,m pushing the envelope to breaking point. Second class, or no class, when I fly Jetstar. Preferably I will never ever set foot on a Jetsar plane again. Unless of course I am forced to by Qantas. Loyalty is indeed a one way street in this modern world of customer and corporation, and the Frequent Flyer programmeas are not loyalty programmes. Jetstar to my mind can damage the Qantas brand in the eyes, and minds, of its loyal customer base. Kevin R Beck, QFF member, Melbourne Australia |
| The two major supermarket retail chains in Australia are Coles and Woolworths. For many years Woolworths has lead the market. Coles was purchased by Wesfarmers in Western Australia and is engaged in a revamp of its stores. They have hired a new supremo of the supermarket world. Coles has a long way to go before it catches Woolworths in convenience and customer service. Shopping at Woolworths, Flemington Victoria I can take supermarket items into the liquour store annexed within the supermarket and provided they do not require scales to weigh food items the staff can process a combined transaction. Shopping at Coles in Chirnside Park Victoria I took all of my items into the Liquorland annex within the supermarket and was told that I could not process the grocery supermarket items. The staf said they were completely separate businesses. When I said I could do it at Woolworths I was told they were not Woolworths. Inference is I could shop there. This is quite simply stupid and inconvenient. I have to fit their system instead of the customer service being paramount and flexible. The divide between Coles and Woolworths is to my mond not products or store layoutm it is a matter of smart management and culture. The staff stood their dumbly with no thought as to how to move from can't to can. One of the most significant problems in retail in Australia is the quality of training, or lack of it, to frame a customer service mindset. Coles neds to look at how a five star hotel serviuces clients and the attitude of the concierge. Too often retail outelts employ poorly uneducated, and inexperienced, staff incpabale of adjusting to the cusromer expectation and circumstance. This can be detrimental to overall perception. If I want low grade low cost do it myself without bags, and a queue a mile long, like actalle processing aisle I can shop at Aldi. I do not shop at Aldi. Now I do not shop at Coles. But who cares? Not you and not Coles. Coles is engaged ina make over where they are telling the public that they should be the retailer of choice. They have a long way to go. |
| Some years back Qantas began its decline from a quality focused airline to a cost conscious detached enterprise. The collapse of Ansett Airlines, and the following failures of others such as Compass, created within Qantas, perhaps a hubris. Millions of travellers and frequent flyers flocked to the Spirit of Australia. The loinges became over crowded, the quality of customer went into a decline maching the rise of the "uncultured wealthy". As market entrants threatened Qantas' domination with low grade squalid offerings the qantas board followed suit and Jetstar was born. This is a low cost structured subsidiary that matches the low grade, low price offerings of other airlines such as Tiger. Though Jetstar seems to be somewhat more professional and less of a gamble to fly with. Virgin Blue airlines has filled some of the gap left by Ansett. At first Virgin simply offered low prices but it soon became clear that qantas had a huge base in its Frequent Flyer. Thus Virgin began to move up market. Qantas management now has a carrier to which they can allocate their less volume, smaller profit, destinations. Places like Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Other destination such as Bali. Thus a frequent flyer such as myself, who only wants to fly Qantas, is now forced to fly Jetstar or some other airline like Garuda. To add insult to injury Qantas members only get FF points if it is a code share (booked via Qantas) flight or one is flying Star Class, on Jetstar or qantas business class ticket joining a Jetstar flight. Jetstar Star Class is a down market business class offering though you would not know that from the glossy hype. The food on Jetsar should have health warnings as I think it is such poor quality, fast food oriented. The management of Qantas do not see any anomalies with the FF award. They are apparently oblivious to the fact that I can shop at a Woolworths supermarket and earn a Qantas FF point for spending 30 dollars or more. Yet spend hundreds on a Jetstar flight to Maroochydore and bali, and get nothing! This is quite simply stupid. Some have opined that Noosa was destined to a lower socio economic outcome when Qantas ceased servicing the Sunshine Coast. I personally do not like Jetstar. I find them too tricky by half. Try booking a ticket easily on their web site. The hidden tricks, baggae, seat allocation charges, carbon offset, insurance offer, they are getting like the mobile telephone companies, sneaky, deliberately seeking to exploit and confuse on their web site multiple offerings. Book an exit row on Jetstar and pay a premium for the leg room. Short sighted arseholes, with little regard for the long term impacts, think like this. Qantas has created a situation where they are inviting me, and others, to choose to fly with another airline. As Qantas pushes the boundaries of what the customer will bear, and how inconsistent they can become, the proposition of increasing competition, in the public interest, by allowing Singapore to fly domestic and the Kangaroo route to Los Angeles has its attractions. Why not go all the way and every possible thing made in China, including the Qantas uniforms, the livery and the food, like the majority of the Australian low grade retail market. |
| If I wanted to eat Chinese produce, wear Chinese made clothes and generally live like a clone of this dreadful scurge on consumerism then I would move to America and shop Wal Mart. In Safeway (Woolworths), in Coles, and just about every chain store in the Australian nation I am beset with having to check the labels of the brands and the generics to avoid buying Chinese. I do not want to buy Chinese imported products, and definitely not their food, and I detest the intrusion into my life. |
| "Local planning laws are exacerbating the inability of the Australian citizen to enter into the retail trade because prime sites are locked up by the major players in land banks and 'lock out' clauses at supermarkets. "Whether it is the overcentralisation of the grocery market, the overcentralisation of fuel refining and retailing, the overcentralisation of chemical and fertiliser sales, the outcome is the same. The convenient, lazy, slow slide of government policy toward supporting the multi-billion dollar backed lobbying power in Canberra comes at the expense of small businesses, the merchant class and consumers. The widespread ownership of the agricultural production unit is diminished and the final exploitation of the consumer at the checkout is entrenched." (Australian Senator Barnaby Joyce, 2008:http://barnabyjoyce.com.au/Newsroom/MediaReleases/SmallBusiness/tabid/65/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/547/Its-a-fact-Australian-consumers-are-being-ripped-off-on-groceries.aspx ) |
| Wednesday, 12 August 2009 10:20, Patrick Stafford "Australian telcos charge the most for mobile broadband usage in the developed world according to new data from the OECD, which also claims the country is among the most expensive for communication services in general. The report also delivered bad news for businesses, with new data showing the average cost for a fixed-line phone and broadband service for a small office in Australia is about $9,600, with only the Slovak and Czech Republics, Britain and Mexico more expensive. The new Communications Outlook for 2009 report examined prices across countries for low mobile broadband usage, between 20MB and 1000MB per month, medium usage, between 2GB and 6GB and high usage, 6GB to 20GB. "The average mobile broadband price across the 20 offers in the group is $US44 [purchasing power parity adjusted] per month. Ireland has the least expensive subscriptions at the higher data caps than other countries in the OECD at $US20 PPP per month," the report said. "The price in the most expensive surveyed market, Australia, has an average price of $US62 for this data range and is more than three times the price of similar connections in Ireland." The report found that Australia was the second-most expensive country for low-usage mobile broadband, with an average subscription price of $32 per month, above the $US30 average. The least expensive offerings were $US13 in Sweden, and the most expensive in Spain at $US33." (Source: Smart Company, http://www.smartcompany.com.au/information-technology/20090812-the-great-australian-mobile-broadband-rip-off.html) Australia's telphony and internet companies write contracts taht are designed to confuse and ofetn they are misleading. They have small print conditions, penalties and obligation release clauses that shift all of the risk to the consumer. When any, or all of these services are unavailable, there is no refund or compensation offerred. I have a pay television service from Select TV, it rarely works properly and often not at all. I was sold the service when they had no set top boxes available in may 2008. I was not told this and kept asking where my set top I bought was? I had to wait for about four months before I was advised they were waiting for new boxes. These boxes would be better because they included the SD free television channels. The installation effected in September 2008, did not work and had to be redone. The set top box failed and it was replaced. Select TV did not tell me they were going to replace the box. A courier left a note to go to the airport and pick up a package. It was a new set top box without any explanation. One is expected to be a mind reader. This was installed, over the phone with a Seelect TV staff member some weeks later after seven emails and phone calls elicited no response, by myself. I notified Select TV again in November and December 2009 that it was not working properly. It is now January 2010 and it has not been fixed. |
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| When the front packaging of the product says something like "apple and raspberry" read the contents on the back. Invariably there will be 1% or less raspberry. This is a trick used by the manufacturers. They are relying upon a probability that you will not read the labelling. Another trick is to reduce the contents whilst maintaining the price. There are many ways manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors seekt o maximise their returns. Go to Choice Australia: Comparison Web Site |
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| POLITICAL AND CORPORATE INTERESTS OUTWEIGH CONSUMER AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN AUSTRALIA AND ELSWEHERE TO THEIR OWN SELF INTEREST AND BENEFIT? ON BALANCE IT APPEARS SO. BUT THEY ARE ALSO CORRUPTING, AND CORRODING, IT. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AND CORPORATIONS ARE THEY ENGAGED IN SHORT TERM EXPLOITATION MUTUAL EXPLOITATION OF CONSUMERS FOR THEIR OWN VESTED INTERESTS? |
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"Fels scathing over book imports decision, By Online parliamentary correspondent Emma Rodgers
Posted Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:00pm AEDT, Updated Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:12pm AEDT Allan Fels says the Government is responsible for slugging readers with higher book prices. (AAP: Alan Porritt), Former competition watchdog head Allan Fels has lambasted the Federal Government for its decision to keep restrictions on imported books. The Federal Government has today rejected the Productivity Commission's recommendations to change current laws to allow for cheaper overseas books into the Australian market. The commission urged changes to the regulations as a way to bring down the prices of books for consumers. The laws protect Australian copyright holders of titles from potentially cheaper overseas imports. Professor Fels, who has conducted previous inquiries into book and CD imports, says Australians are paying 35 per cent more for similar editions of books being sold in the US. He says in rejecting the commission's findings, the Government is now responsible for slugging readers with higher prices. "It is a Government mandated import monopoly market which is grossly overcharging Australians," Professor Fels said at the National Press Club. "If the Government can't deliver this simply reform because of the uneducated clamour of a few authors who are driven by publisher interests then there's little hope that the Government will be able to stand up to other pressure groups and bring about useful change for the economy and for our society." (Source of extract, ABC News Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/11/2739736.htm?section=entertainment) |
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Extremely worrying matters of public service management and performance. |
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If so why? |
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In the age of "I" I sat in a coffee shop watching the people around me. The young waitress saw someone she knew and had not seen for a year or so. She engaged in a display of intimacy of words, but they seemed contrived. He was special to her after all, she told him that despite not contacting him she had listed him on her facebook. That was an imprimatur which maybe she felt should convey some special message to him, it was full of unstated meaning. A no cost commitment gesture. Much like the modern Australian government and corporation. Hollow gestures that do not cost us much if anything, common shallow, and vacuous, endemic within Australian society. Modes of meaningless communication,and weasle words. Her style of communbication was the programming outcome of technology and subliminal programming, shaping her whole persona. Froth and no substance. Like modern commercial media, like advertisements, and the corporate marketing of myopic interests, like politicians and governments, and those who would have you believe that you are a valuable customer, a valuable person. We see examples everyday of detachment from real human interaction. I fly lots. I use the internet to book if it is not too complicated, and I receive messages, and texts, about my flights. I went to Melbourne airport in September 2009 and as I stood at the counter. I was told that I had not followed the new Qantas check in system. I was supposed to use the self service terminal first to book in, and get my boarding pass, and then only come to the desk to get my bags processed. When I responded that I did not want to use the machine and wanted human contact I was told by the Qantas check in person, that I should use the technology because it was designed to streamlime by book in and get me there quicker. Get me where, to the Qantas club? She mused that I should try it for the experience. What experience is that? The same as the vacuous waitress? To eschew all real human contact in the interst of efficiency? I do my banking on line and never go near my credit union. I detest banks. The credit union never bothere me. It is after all a bit sad. They write and email me. I get a glossy magazine and material the cost of which could better be used to deliver servics to members. I do not care if the credit union is green and environmentally switched on. The people in charge of marketing in companies think that this is a credential booster. Would I like to contribute some dolars and off set my carbon emission contribution? I doubt if the marketing people have ever studied the detail of carbon and the scinece oif global warming. Climate change is the vehicle of good citizens, animate (people) and inanimate (corporations). To disbelieve, or doubt, is heresy. I go to my newsagents to buy my papers, and magazines, because I want human contact not faceless delivery and ordering over the net. I would rather add to employment creation than get a discount. I try to avpid buying newspapers from the supermarkets. I have no facebook, no my space, and no twitter, no email connection to my phone. I receive emails, and newsletters, from politicians, it is cant pulp, mass produced propoganda funded from the public purse. They do not distribute material of substance that I can use on these web sites to inform and educate. The modern politician and corporation has no innovative interaction for people beyond the twits and the blogs. The people who work in the political offices to produce this and other Goering platitudes are parasites on the public purse. They are not elected and yet they engage in the administration and manipulation of our democracy and public services. I watch commercials created by extraordinarily average marketing people, many who seemingly believe that everyone thinks like them. Those who use slogans and never have to worry about serving a client or selling anything. They live off the sewat and efforts of others as 'support" and experts who offer value add. I listen to human relations specialists who reshape, and engineer, human interaction, thinking and beliefs. The pollster asks who would be a better Prime Minister. The respondents invariably would not have a clue based on deep examination. Telstra Australia is in deep shit, because it listened to advisers and had managers, full of hubris, existing in a manufactured corporate world. Telstra is one of Australia's largest corporations. All too often the employees personalities and beliefs become subsumed in the employer's world of interests. Power can be illusionary and influence self perceived. I shop at my local little IGA supermarket where the people there struggle to make a living in tyhebshadow of the morally bankrupt supermarket retail corporations. The fresh food people who sell products that are anything other than fresh in the true unadulterated meaning of the word. "Three fresh food people cut from Woolworths, By Blair Speedy and John Durie - The Australian newspaper, October 28, 2009 12:00am WOOLWORTHS has sacked three executives in its fresh-food-buying department after an investigation uncovered irregularities in dealings with fruit and vegetable wholesalers at Sydney's Flemington markets. Woolworths yesterday confirmed it had terminated Colin Hudson, head of fresh produce merchandising for NSW, senior vegetable buyer David Heffernan and deputy national business manager Peter Sillcock earlier this month, The Australian reports. "Woolworths recently investigated an alleged breach of the company's code of conduct," a spokeswoman said. "We have a zero-tolerance approach for any breach of policy and unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to terminate the employment of three staff members." The breaches are understood to relate to supply arrangements for fruit and vegetables for Woolworths supermarkets in Sydney as well as other regions." (source of extract: as cited above, web: http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,10166,26271077-5017676,00.html?from=public_rss) Coles, Woolworths blamed for food price surge, By Online business reporter Michael Janda and staff Posted Mon Nov 9, 2009 10:25am AEDT, Updated Mon Nov 9, 2009 1:05pm AEDT A competition expert says Australians are paying too much for groceries because of a lack of competition (ABC News) A competition law expert says grocery prices have risen faster in Australia than they have in most major industrialised countries. Using OECD figures, Professor Frank Zumbo from the University of New South Wales has found that prices have risen 41.3 per cent since the start of 2000. Professor Zumbo says it is not so much the drought, but a lack of competition in the supermarket sector that is the root of the problem. "Compared to other countries, Australia's paying some of the highest levels of food inflation, that means consumers here are paying more than they should, they're paying more that they should because there's less competition," he told the ABC. "The evidence is clear that where you have like an Aldi in a local area, where it's just Coles and Woolworths grocery prices are higher." (Source of extract: Australian Broadcasting Corporation News: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/09/2736924.htm) Watchdog defends duopoly on food prices, NATASHA ROBINSON AND LANAI VASEK From: The Australian November 10, 2009 12:00AM COMPETITION watchdog Graeme Samuel has defended Australia's retail giants over grocery prices, rejecting claims that the nation's supermarket duopoly is forcing consumers to pay the fastest-rising food prices in the developed world. ACCC chairman Mr Samuel said yesterday that latest OECD statistics, which indicated Australia's food prices had risen by more than 40 per cent in the past decade -- despite low rates of inflation -- should be treated with caution. Instead, he said the continuing drought and global factors were partly to blame for Australia's high rate of food inflation, with sharp rises in the cost of fresh food most responsible for increasing family grocery bills. His comments put him at odds with competition and consumer law expert Frank Zumbo, who said Australia's supermarket duopoly, not drought and global factors, was squarely to blame for rising food prices. As federal Competition Minister Craig Emerson conceded that Australia's retail market needed greater competition, Mr Samuel argued that Coles and Woolworths controlled only 40-50 per cent of the fresh food market, a much smaller market share than their combined 78 per cent slice of the dry packaged foods market." (Source of extract: The Australian, web: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/watchdog-defends-duopoly-on-food-prices/story-e6frg6nf-1225795926100) |
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Australia's governments, major corporations and institutions have become innured to the pain and suffering they cause in their every day business and actions. The response below to Mr Dixon's payment by qantas occurred in November 2008: November 2008 "Qantas shareholders blast Geoff Dixon's 'obscene' salary at AGM By Gabrielle DunlevyAAPNovember 28, 2008 04:33pm GEOFF Dixon has retired as Qantas CEO but not before feeling the ire of shareholders outraged over his $12.2 million package. The Qantas (qan.ASX:Quote,News) annual general meeting, held in Brisbane on Friday, was Mr Dixon's last before handing over to Jetstar boss Alan Joyce. Mr Dixon said he left Qantas "very confident indeed of its soundness as a business", as well as the scale and quantity of its operations. While some shareholders thanked him for his eight years of service, others voiced their anger at his hefty pay packet. Lisa Marshall said Qantas defended its executive salaries as a means to retain the best managers, while it offered its other staff a payrise of only three per cent in the last wage talks. Related Coverage A320: Qantas backs crash plane Your Say I don't see what their is to envy about Geoff. Being him would probably be a pain in the neck. Much of the outrage ... (Read More) Trevor M of Victoria Also an Australian Services Union representative, Ms Marshall said the staff deal was a "slap in the face" - less than the CPI, and the deals reached for Brisbane City Council and Queensland Health administration staff. "It's disgusting that you can keep continually raising your salaries, giving yourselves slaps on the back and yet it has never filtered down to the people underneath you," she said. (Source: http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,24720454-462,00.html) In October 2009 the issue of executive pay is still a significant issue with the Australian Productivity Commission recommendations on shareholder approval options. Qantas risks losing its loyal customer base. A customer spending $A300,000 tells a story to others of buying a business class ticket to Singapore, travelling on British Airways, a Qantas partner airline, and being denied access to the Qantas first class, and business lounge, lounges though he is a Platinum member and also holds a Gold life membership. The person denying access has misread the ticket. He waits in the airline general lounges with the economy travellers. Another tells a story of being bumped from his business class flight with Cathay, another Qantas partner and being told by the local Qantas employee, what to do as if he is a backpacker. Another tells of being stranded on a runway in Minneapolis, with American (another Qantas partner) missing the linking flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, and being told that he is being given a favour by reinstating his ticket at a lower level - business down to Premium Economy. Fined 45,000 points for something out of his control. Are these people employed by Qantas representative of the truly stupid? Tne telling becomes ten, becomes a thousand. The blogs and telling grow wider and wider. But beyond the telling is another more damaging response. The people, previously loyal may be so irate that they turn, not taking their business away, but instead they may influence Qantas' future in their roles as advocates or enemies in a complex balancing act. They will still fly Qantas but will make life hard for many inside the enterprise all the way to the top. They may deal in trivia or in more intense activity, in any event it will cost time effort resources and money. With the going of Mr Dixon, and his team, is the corporate memory and the relationships. Though the Board under Margaret Jackson did not seem to be cognisant of relationships beyond their own. From her hospital bed, when informed the buy out of Qantas wa sdead, she called some of us stupid. So the culture of disregard for loyalty, where only a card is the meaure in their myopic occupation was exposed. The price is high from now on for Qantas. Relationships are not part of the Qantas database, cultural ethos and awareness. Organisations are not good at capturing the intangible. They think title of a business card, or the awarding of membership of the Qantas Chairman's Lounge is proof. The Qantas card denotes the status and there is apparently no other measure, or system, by which they can determine impacts and outcomes. They fly blind. For a modern day enterprise they are terribly unsophisticated. Despite being told, in 1995, that their archilles heel was the failure to record relationships and linkages, Qantas failed to develop such a system. The new era of Mr Joyce and his team is in the driver seat of Qantas. The staff on the grorund, dealing with complex avaiation issues every minute, have little guidance from supervisors who know what they are about. The treatment of people as numbers and the segregation of Qantas lounges into ordinary, business and chairman, indicates an airline that has no clue as to real status and impact. They seem to have no "over the horizon awareness". Qantas faces a subsidised global competition multi-front from international airlines owned by governments. They are subsisdise dand some do not have to paky for their fuel, namely the Arab airlines. Qantas has to argue protection to the Australian government without knowling who can support them or who they have offended. The in all of the this they have to prove they are worthy of being the Australian airline. In addition they have to face a world of "expatriots who now work overseas and may have had their loyalty to Qantas tested. Those people, as well as talented advocates here may well decide to test the new breed of management and employees skills, for a range of reasons and motivations. In any event the treatment of spomeone may well cost the airline much in having to deal with the fallout - multiple fallouts - time, resources, money, energy and diversion. Qantas claims to be the Spirit of Australia, yet, in seeking to make a profit, in the cut throat world of aviation, it has been found to be unethical and devious. It has fined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for price fixing and collusion. Extract: " Qantas fined $69m for international price fixing, By Stefanie Balogh in New York Herald Sun November 28, 2007 09:09am, Guilty plea ... Qantas has been fined $69 million for price-fixing international air cargo rates,Qantas pleads guilty to price-fixing air cargo routes Will pay $69.4 million fine, apologises 'unreservedly' ...QANTAS has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $US61 million ($69.4 million) fine in a US court after being charged with price-fixing international air cargo rates for more than six years from January 2000. The US Department of Justice filed charges against Qantas Airways Limited in the US District Court in the District of Columbia in Washington DC today. In a statement released on the ASX today, Qantas apologised unreservedly for "wrong conduct"." (Source: http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,22835156-14334,00.html) Qantas to pay $20m fine in ACCC's freight collusion case, Article from: Courier mail Brisbane Australia, October 28, 2008 03:45pm QANTAS says it will pay a $20 million fine after Australia's competition watchdog accused it and fellow carrier British Airways of air freight price fixing. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is taking the separate actions against the pair in the Federal Court in Sydney. It is seeking penalties for alleged price fixing by the airlines between 2002 and early 2006. After the commission released its intention of action Qantas announced it would pay a $20 million fine "to settle its liability resulting from price fixing conduct in its freight division". The company said it "apologises unreservedly for the conduct of employees involved". (Source: Courier Mail Australia,http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24565828-952,00.html) Qantas apologises!. What cheek as if that is a salve to the immoral and untehical management style. The Board and CEO are mortified by the employee conduct. Out of where does such conduct emanate? It grows and is nurtured within, by role models. It arises directly from the culture that is imbued by the management of an enterprise. These fines are paid by shareholders. Now in Australia (September 2009) there are also criminal offences and possible gaol time if found guilty. qantas has a new EO now, will the culture change or will Qantas still employees act without an ethical compass. "The role of ethics in management is also dependent on the level of responsibility the company is willing to take. The pro-active mode would characterize a company that believes strongly in its mission as moral (or at least for the benefit of society). It would respond as a trend setter to some of the ethical dilemmas. The re-active mode, would be the companies though aware of social responsibility, respond to immediate situations rather than anticipating them. The passive mode leads the company to deviant behaviour by refusing responsibility. There are two main extremes found in the corporate world : profit on one side and human safety , which constitute an ethical spectrum." (Source extract: The Cultural Dimension of Business Ethics, Philosophical Dialogues, http://www.philodialogue.com/12.html) Will Qantas employees realise, as they work everyday, that beyond their immemdiate horizon of awareness, are individuals, and forces, that are waiting, and working, to make thema accountable for evry action they may take regardless how small? Probably not, for they may be oblivious that some of them create enemies and some of them bring on unneccasry angst by their decisions taken in siloation of cororate or ethical memeories. There is no evidence that they have learnt the lessons across the enterprise or that all employees know that qantas was fined across thew orld for price fixing along with some thirty other airlines. Former CEO Mr Dixon noted that there were about thirty others, so that minimises Qantas' unethical behaviour does it? justifies it perhaps in order to stay competitive? This is the real world is it not and we cannot afford fine virtues, and honour, in a cut throat, anything goes, world of commerce can we? This company, that has demonstrated such behaviour demands that the Australian government protect its international and domestic routes from competition on the basis they are a national icon. " In exchange for maintaining services to Australian regional centres, the federal government grants Qantas protection against competitors on certain routes. Think of it as a sort of single desk for airline travel..... Qantas prevents travellers from buying the cheapest possible airline tickets. The cant about "national carriers" can be ignored. A change of the company's ownership presents an ideal opportunity for the federal government to tell Qantas that its monopoly rights won't last forever, and that in fact those rights will be extinguished as soon as possible. It shouldn't have taken a scandal of AWB-like proportions to force the government to shut down the single desk, and it shouldn't take a takeover of Qantas to bring about competition between airlines. Still, there's no time like the present, and there's no better way to kick-start another round of micro-economic reform." (end of extract - source: Bring on the competition, Deregulation Unit | John Roskam, Australian Financial Review 30th November, 2006) Qantas does not appear to deserve that status any more. They will have to earn it back but they are probably not openly aware of that proposition. Their advertisments do create warm feeling of pride in Australia. What is the likelihood that the Rudd labor government has the intestinal fortitude to end Qantas' spurious competitive game? Not very high at this point (September 2009) in the Rudd Revolution. Qantas is aided, and abetted, in maintaining its share of air travel out and into Canberra, and thebstatus quo, by public servants who value their Qantas Club privileges, which by the way are paid for by taxpayers. They shun using Virgin, and other carriers, arguing in their justification that they need to work before they fly and the Qantas Club membership gives them the working environment. Thus they rquire the dearer full service ticket offered by qantas or sometimes the same price ticket as Virgin. They have the game sown up and for successive government Ministers to claim any different is spin and misrepresentation. Therev is a tender for provisio of travel that goes through the motions in order to create an air of open competition. All airlines are announced as winners, depending on the kick backs offered in their bids. Why are these not published? Unlike in the USA we have commercial confidentiality to hide rorts and suspicious things. The Commonwealth government policy on air travel is as transparent as Sydney on a smoggy day, easily manipulated by crafty individuals. And of course there are the flight upgrades for the senior public servants and the politicians, the Qantas Chairman's Lounge, all designed to influence the status quo. How many public servants lose their Qantas privileges status when they just miss the magic number? How many public servants carry Virgin privileges cards? Why are these not published on the web as part of open governemt in Australia? Again the smoke screen of personal private confidential privilege. Humbug these things given to them are paid for by taxpayers. Where is the register of declaration avaialbe to all? It is not there for us to see. It exists but is hidden from prying eyes particular nasty, and annoying, journalists and people like me. (kevin R Beck) |
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The clubbiness of Australia is infested with the grubbiness of Australia amongst the power collective. "Storm upped pensioner incomes THE Bank of Queensland waved through loan applications from failed Storm Financial that inflated the annual income of pensioners into seven-figure sums. Perth Now - 10:29 a.m. Monday 31st August 2009 EST, (Source: WotNews,http://wotnews.com.au/news/Bank_of_Queensland__not__Westpac_Banking_Corporation/) " CBA blames Storm over margin calls Commonwealth Bank executives have told a parliamentary inquiry in Sydney that it was the responsibility of Storm Financials responsibility to inform its clients about margin calls. Yahoo!7 Finance News - 10:28 p.m. Friday 4th September 2009 EST (source: WotNews,http://wotnews.com.au/news/Commonwealth_Bank_Of_Australia__not__Westpac_Banking_Corporation/) Storm Financial clouds threaten Commonwealth Bank of Australia Anthony Klan | June 18, 2009, Article from: The Australian THE Commonwealth Bank's reputation as one of the nation's most trusted institutions has taken another blow after it admitted "shortcomings" in its dealings with thousands of customers affected by the $3 billion collapse of Storm Financial. Just days after being pilloried for breaking with its rivals to lift variable mortgage rates, the bank yesterday suspended until August 31 the loan repayments of 2500 customers who were also clients of the Townsville-based financial planning firm. CBA chief executive Ralph Norris, who initially played down the bank's role in the collapse of Storm in January, said yesterday it had identified "shortcomings" concerning loans it made to Storm clients. The issue is understood to involve some customers being granted loans they were unable to repay." (Source: The Australian, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25652968-601,00.html?from=public_rss "We are not proud of our involvement in some of these issues and we are working toward a fair and equitable outcome for our affected customers," Mr Norris said yesterday. "Our customers can be assured that where we have done wrong, we will put it right." |
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Melbourne City Council CEO David Pitchford is listed as one of the big rollers pocketing over $350,000 plus benefits paid for by the City ratepayers and money collected by corrupt traffic officers. More then John Howard and Steve Bracks. Is he worth it? David Pitchford was paid a bonus on top of his salary last year even though the Ombudsman found the City Council under Pitchfords stewardship, with the assistance of ex-City Council legal adviser Allison Lyons, tried to thwart the Ombudsman investigation last year in an attempted cover-up of the crime of ripping off motorists. Maybe this is why he received a bonus. BIG-SPENDING local councils are paying senior staff more than the Prime Minister receives. Flush with funds as property owners pay record rates and charges, at least three Melbourne councils are rewarding chief executives with pay packages that eclipse John Howard's. At least 12 are paying chief executives more than Victoria's Premier, Steve Bracks. Melbourne City Council chief executive David Pitchford leads the list of high earners, pocketing a package worth more than $354,000 a year. Apart from a cash salary of $241,553, Mr Pitchford is also entitled to a 25 per cent performance bonus plus superannuation, a car and expenses. Mr Howard's total annual package for running the country is just over $309,000. Mr Bracks is on $235,000 a year. Monash Council chief David Conran has an annual package of $315,750, including a salary of $250,000. Boroondara boss Peter Johnstone earns more than $337,500 to administer the suburbs of Hawthorn, Camberwell, Canterbury and Kew with a 25 per cent bonus on top of his $232,371 base salary plus a car and superannuation. And Whitehorse chief Noeline Duff earns more than $292,700." (Source:http://melbournecitycouncil.blogspot.com/2007/03/ceo-high-roller-david-pitchford.html, Sunday, March 25, 2007, CEO High Roller) |
ALDI'S growth in Australia is stymied by deliberate policy, corruption and collusion In 2008 the Australain Competition, and Consumer Commission (ACCC), held and enquiry into the Australian grocery industry. It was, as reported in this web site below, a farce. This perception, I have, is given credence by the fact that the ACCC since then, has not taken any action, nor has the Australian or state governments to deal with the material of anti competitive behaviour presented in that enquiry. In short it is my contention that Aldi is thwarted by local governments, largely controlled by the Australian Labor Party, as evidenced in NSW and Wollongong. Despite the Rudd labor government's assertion that it wants to protect jobs, this is not to my mind the case. I predict that Prime Minister Rudd will have to move soon, through the ACCC, and state governments, on this issue or look as if he is party to the charade and the collusion. Aldi suffers exclusion under stalling tactics, being relegated to sites away from main shopping preconcts, collusive, and restrictive, tenacy agreements (anti competition) enforced by shopping centre owners and the major retailers. There are anchor tenenats that make a shopping centre attractive to consumers and these anchor tenants call the shots. They do not want competition unless it is forced on them. Companies like Aldi suffer from state government corruption, again predominantly in the arena of the Australian Labor Party clearly evidenced in NSW. The Rudd federal Labor governnment has demonstrated no evidence that it is distant from its corruot party administration operating at the state and local government levels. To my mind this work against developing a respect for the Prime MInister. He has no record of statemanship that condemns this corruption an corrosion of our democracy. The political system neatly quarantines the political leaders from the excess, crimonal activity and behaviour of the party machine and its administration. It is about creating an illusion that the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Min isters, are not knowledgeable, or aware, of the corruption. Thus John Brumby, Premier of Victoria, denies that he knew that labor party put out an untrue brochure, and advertising, during a byelection in Victoria in 2008 regarding the independeent candidate Les Twentyman. John Brumby has not demonstrated that he has a compass . for condemning such things and the people who did, and continue, to do it. Winning seas and holding power is the primary objective and hang the morality and the the unethical practices. The people who do this are parasites on Australia's democracy. The Australian Electoral Commission, a toothless tiger, found the evidence that the labor party did it but declined to prosecute for lack of ability to get a conviction. Some may believe that Australian regulatory agencies are compromised by the corruption, and corrosion, of Australia's political, and corporate, system. A system in which the two major political parties accept donations, illegal payments and selling access to Ministers of governments. Perhaps Aldi has not paid the Australian Labor Party in each state, and at the federal level, for access to Ministers? "Queensland Labor defends corporate sponsorships, "The World Today" - Monday, 24 February , 2003 Reporter: JOHN HIGHFIELD: The Queensland Labor Party has been forced to defend a scheme in which it is selling exclusive access to state ministers for $5,500. The so-called 'Foundation Sponsorships' issued by the party's fundraising arm, Queensland First, ensure exclusive attendance at inner circle functions with the Premier, Treasurer and other key ministers." Former Premier of NSW Morris Iemma wanted to stop donations to political parties but the current Premier, nathan (red Hot Go) Rees has no compunction or spine to enact that change. Aldi could expand dramatically and employ many people, thus Prime Minister Rudd's assertion that his aim is to create jobs is hollow and trite in the face of evidence to the contrary. If Aldi were to expand it would break the duopoly of the major retailers who control some 80% the market. The ACCC and government apparentkly have no problem with the existing situation indicating other forces are at work. If Aldi became a true competiive force it would intefere with the cash collection and donations that the Australian Labor Party enjoys at every level of their operation, across the nation. |
Australia's Reserve Bank let ATM owners charge fees So it comes to pass, the inept Reseerve bank Board, that cannot predict the train crash in front of their faces, decides to allow the owners of ATM's to charge a fee. The theory is that this will be better than the interchange fees previously charged by banks. Competition will deliver lower costs. Just like competition and macroeconomic policy delivered us the wonders of comeptition and bankruotcy globally. The Australian Reserve Bank like, the Australian government Treasury, cannot get anything right and yet the politicians listen. Appearances before the Australian parliament, by the Treasury and Reserve Bank, et al, are exercise in preening and prima donna performances. What are you implying Senator? I thought it is obvious what the Senator is implying. (When a mandarin bristles 24/10/2008 24/10/2008, 1:00:00 AM, Canberra Times, Australia). On eday in early March 2009 the fees all popped out on the Australian ATM screens remarkably consistent. The banks all charge $A2.00. Surprise! Surprise! The price of petrol has a consistency also. The Australian Competition, and Consumer Commission, along with the Reserve bank, and the Australian government, all have their spin doctors to explain this away. There is no collusion here just market forces. Bull shit it is a system as corrupt as the NSW and Victorian labor parties. The banks are in good company with a lack of moral compass. The primary objective, of all banks, to enslave the nation, the corporations and the individuals, to debt, is being assisted, as always, by the people paid from the public purse. Is it a conspiracy or just the ignorance and stupidity of human sheep, lacking deep analytical, and lateral, thinking? In any event the usual suspects are unnacountable, and benefit regardless, as part of the power collective. The citizens of Australia through indolence and disinterest allow this to go on. |
CONSUMED BY POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND CORPORTATE GREED, CORRODED BY UNETHICAL PEOPLE
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