Pigs May Fly: But Australian Owned Airlines May Not. Reading Between The Lines

February 28, 2014

Pigs May Fly.

I have been, and am, a loyal Qantas customer. It is then with some reservation that I view the current turmoil surrounding Qantas, and for that matter Australian airlines in general.

The current tsunami of retrenchments, bad news and general media mayhem enveloping our airline industry does not fill customers with joy or confidence; any more than it does for those quite loyal employees who are left in limbo awaiting their ‘tap on the shoulder.’

In many ways this is a salutary lesson to be careful what we wish for. Brash, cheeky, energetic, enthusiastic, devil-may-care Australian industries have sought for decades to go out and play in global markets.

And, voila! Australia must finally come to grips with the reality of this wonderful, brave new global market place where we have to, perish the thought, compete.

Despite the noisy ramblings and outbursts of economic and political adolescents, and their faux concern, this is what we sought, and this is what we got: competition!

If we want to play out there on the street with the big boys, then we’d better be prepared to play by their rules (such as they have.)

Without doubt, it is nasty, unpleasant, bordering on tragic the way Australian jobs are being tossed on the scrap-heap at present.

But, this is where we are headed, and no (NO) amount of Government policy, taxpayer-funded protection or hand-outs will make any difference in the end.

Where are we headed:

Australia will not end up with any majority owned airlines.
The Qantas brand may survive, but if so, and for how long… depends on who the shareholders end up being.
Our airline industry will become progressively leaner and meaner.
Competition will drive down air travel costs to users.
Customer service levels, well…
Australian air traffic safety will likely, (likely) remain at high standards.
We will end up paying (and paying more) for many of the freebies we now enjoy, even to ‘spend-a-penny.’

We are like the dog chasing cars, who finally caught one and then wondered what to do.

We always wanted to be members of the global market place.

And now we are.

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The Church: Abuser, or Abused. Reading Between The Lines

February 22, 2014

By Neil Findlay

The Church: Abuser, or Abused.

Seemingly, every day, further evidence emerges of the malfeasance of Australian clergy, particularly in regard to child abuse.

In some cases this abuse, and alleged abuse, was long-term in nature and involved breaching and exploiting the natural trust and innocence of young children.

Many lives have been impacted seriously, often permanently, by this period of abuse.

Consequently, the ‘church’ collectively, whichever faith that may entail, has taken a beating; from the media, ever hungry for more salacious material with which to adorn their front pages; from plaintiff lawyers, always on the scout for a quick return; and from the public, who are getting thoroughly tired with the apparent scope of this sordid behavior.

No-one, no-one, should for a moment extend unbridled leniency to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. And crimes they are, not mere bad behavior.

Yet ‘the church’ has today wrongly acquired an aura, appearance, a stench even of mal-practice and dishonesty that quite wrongly is being extended and applied right across the realm of inherently good work it does.

For as surely as night follows day, immeasurable good is being delivered daily across the nation by churches of all faiths including, and perhaps particularly, those currently in the cross-hairs.

This good work is clearly being over-looked in the daily media circus, which is negatively swaying public opinion and mood dangerously, and quickly, to paint ‘churches’ as self-serving agencies only operating in their own interests.

Where to now:

Clearly, the miscreants responsible should expect to face the full force of the law; we should never seek to condone, excuse or treat too leniently, convicted perpetrators of these abuse allegations.

The churches and organizations involved must embrace and implement thorough systems to ensure this malpractice never, ever happens again; and this must be of a transparent nature, allowing Government and community in general to rebuild trust and confidence in the integrity of these same bodies.

The victims of this abuse must be extended requisite care and assistance. Not that this will undo what has been done to them, for that is impossible, but that they may begin the long journey of forgiveness and recovery.

And critically, we should ensure that we don’t overlook the enormous benefits that ‘the church’ delivers to our nation, frequently using multiple thousands of volunteers to do work impossible and/or impractical for taxpayer funded agencies to undertake.

Let’s all ensure we retain balance, and not simply run with the hounds, the pack. Herd mentalities are a dangerous thing.

Author Neil Findlay

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The Cost of Carbon: Reading Between The Lines

February 19, 2014

By Neil Findlay

The Cost of Carbon.

Barely a day goes by without noisy climate change advocates promoting some new ‘evidence’ that the Evil Carbon is destroying our planet; declaring the best solution is to tax businesses more; whip them into submission; and enforce a new clean, green world where we all live cooler and longer, with requisite high-fives and back-slapping.

Coincidently, barely a day goes by without further evidence of significant Australian job losses, in part allied to these new tax imposts.

I’m not a climate change denier, but I am a whole-hearted skeptic of some of the rabid nonsense that is permeating our world, especially our media world. And I don’t suffer fools easily.

There are without question some evidentiary instances of ‘warming;’ hard evidence supports some of these assumptions.

But the credibility of some proponents is dodgy at best, unquestionably casting suspicion on their theories and motives.

These same politically based zealots have, however, left their mark on the Australian landscape in recent years.

For example, the rapidly escalating cost of doing business in this ‘clean, green’ Australia, with all of the associated compliance based mumbo-jumbo is providing productivity impairments not seen for decades.

And, naturally, tens of thousands of Australian jobs are being rendered unworkable and unsustainable in this brave new, idealistic world.

Of course, we cannot reflect on these issues without considering the fact that many of the purist, true-blue zealots that wrought this economic destruction rarely, themselves, hold a job that is under any threat.

Yes, Australia does need to improve our environmental performance.

Yes, we do need to minimize carbon emissions.

Yes, we do need to get smarter about business per sé.

But many industries, notably the transport sector, are already way ahead of the curve in this space with dramatically reduced emissions levels; a fact overlooked by many political and environmental ideologues.

It is good business sense to be environmentally sound; business can, and should, take every practical measure to improve its environmental performance; because it’s not just the ‘right thing to do’ it’s the ‘right way to do business.‘

Massive improvements are doable, with the right mindset, and some willingness to change the way we operate our businesses; without the impractical interference of rabid, ideological elements whose goal is to feel-good, not necessarily be-good.

Perhaps then we can stem the tide of recurrent job losses in Australia.

Or is that their political goal…

Author Neil Findlay

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How Best to INCREASE Australia’s Unemployment. #1

February 14, 2014

By Neil Findlay

How Best to Increase Australia’s Unemployment #1.

One of Australia’s enduring legacies is crumbling infrastructure, following decades of underinvestment, and in some cases a century of impaired foresight.

Shackled by the curse of short electoral cycles, and the ever-present threat of a populist opposition plying the electorate with sweeteners designed only to secure their election, it is hard for any Government, State or Federal to make the crucial hard decisions to Build Australia’s long term future, and not pander to noisy, entitlement fueled voters.

Little surprise then, with our supply chains strained, we risk becoming globally uncompetitive, and face rising industry failures and unemployment.

To combat this challenge we must place long term infrastructure development ahead of short-term, feel- good, populist spending.

Notably, and perhaps especially, If we de-rail Australia, we derail Australia.

This will take Statesman-like decisions and strategy, and a disregard for those menacing electoral cycles to create the efficient supply chains we need; supply chains that foster and support domestic and export industries; and job creation, not elimination.

One of the first cabs (well, trains) off the rank must be Inland Rail, linking Melbourne to the Port of Brisbane, followed by and supported by critical road infrastructure upgrades, especially bridge upgrades to allow high productivity road freight vehicles improved access to supporting networks.

The time to act is now, while we are still a strong economy with comparatively low debt; before we become a debt ridden, social welfare dependent economy where our greatest ‘claim to fame’ is ever increasing unemployment, like so many other nations, who find themselves with no easy way (or perhaps even NO way) forward.

Author Neil Findlay

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Australia’s Property Crash: Reading Between The Lines

February 13, 2014

By Neil Findlay

Australia’s Property Crash.

Fellow economic disaster proponents Harry Dent and Professor Steve Keen routinely predict a cataclysmic Australian property crash.. soon. Always… soon.

Together the dynamic duo espouse their financial theories with gay abandon (a quaint old term, I know) in an effort to convince Australian property owners, investors, and anyone else who will listen that the end is nigh, and the only way to survive this looming financial Armageddon is to abseil down the debt mountain tightly tethered to them.

Sound, sustainable financial management is not rocket science. It is certainly not beyond the average Australian’s capability to manage their own affairs with the requisite skill, good practice and a little sound professional advice when needed.

One doesn’t have to have a degree in economics to know that reckless, wanton spending will eventually lead to grief.

Likewise, taking on excessive consumer debt, without carefully assessing how, or if, we can service that debt is foolishness in the extreme.

Whether its that new home, motor vehicle, boat or the ubiquitous credit card, the principle remains the same: we should live within our means.

Those at most risk of falling victim to Messrs. Dent & Keen’s projections are those saddled with excessive debt, and who spend like tomorrow will never come.

Author Neil Findlay

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(Fire) Sale of the Century: Reading Between The Lines

February 12, 2014

By Neil Findlay

The (Fire) Sale of the Century.

Our Australian Federal Government has no cash, Minister Hockey dutifully reminded us today, somewhat gloomily.

It’s a pity really, as they’re not the only cash challenged members of the Australian community. Most of us to some degree are cash challenged, and aren’t able to readily do and achieve all we’d like to do with the available cash at our fingertips.

But what is markedly different between the Government, and we lesser mortals, is that they, the Government, are sitting on a pile of high value, often lazy assets. A classic asset strong, cash poor business.

Thus, the solution we are told, is to convert some of these lazy assets into cash. Cash that can then be used to fund the much needed infrastructure that we can all benefit from.

Thereby creating more business activity, more employment, and in the process more of those highly sought after and highly useful taxes that Governments of all persuasions so love to get their hands on.

Think, infrastructure like new roads, bridges, airports, hospitals, rail infrastructure and the like.
Clearly this would, no, will, deliver significantly improved productivity, job creation and community benefits aplenty.

Predictably and somewhat nauseatingly, our socialist leaning opposition(s) counter claim that this will all end in doom, gloom, job losses with general havoc and mayhem for the Australian economy.

Funny, that’s what they delivered when last in Government.

Perhaps not too surprising given their century long aspirations for the Government (A.K.A. the public) to own anything useful in the economy. Their logic, if that’s the right choice of words, is that the government (the public) have equal rights to share in all of this wonderful wealth and asset base, and that the Government can and should effectively and efficiently run these enterprises.

Pigs might fly, but so far, over the past century or so, Governments of all persuasions have demonstrated a remarkable inability to run businesses at anything like efficient levels.

On the flip side however, and to be balanced in my views, left leaning political parties and their entourage of supporters have always maintained that the incessant subsidies (code: losses) are all in the best interests of maintaining employment levels.

However, to cut to the chase, the sooner we begin converting idling assets into productive ones the better off we will all be.

Political ideology or not.

Author Neil Findlay

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Car Making Is Dead, Long Live Car Making: Reading Between The Lines

February 11, 2014

By Neil Findlay

Car Making Is Dead, Long Live Car Making.

Car manufacturing is finally dead, or at best terminally ill. No manufacturer wants to, or is able to build in Australia. An industry that has spawned significant innovation, even on a global arena, and supported hundreds of thousands of Australian jobs for decades is breathing its last gasping breaths.

Put simply, we cost too much, don’t build enough and don’t sell enough to be viable.

In the rough and tumble global market place today it’s survival of the fittest, the most nimble and importantly, the lowest cost manufacturers.

Charles Darwin once allegedly remarked “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

Industries, and for that matter economies, that cannot or will not change their thinking, methods, practices and strategies to face this new century are doomed.

The Australian car industry is the latest evidence of this fact.

No amount of posturing or political kite flying can alter the facts that in a competitive global market place, industries that are not globally competitve, globally efficient and globally innovative will perish.

Sooner or later, tax payers get tired of subsidising loss making industries.

Other industries should take note.

Author Neil Findlay

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The World Owes Us A Living: Reading Between The Lines

February 10, 2014

By Neil Findlay

The World Owes Us a Living.

Australia has been the lucky country for most of it’s people, for most of the past century. In many regards we have not only been a geographic island, but a political and economic island, shielded and sheltered from the challenges of the wider world.

We have been able to continually award ourselves better lifestyles and living conditions for decades, all the while slowly but surely whittling away at our global competitiveness. Not that it mattered much until recent times.

But enter the 21st century, and all that is changing. We are now part of the global economy where we have to compete for the very business we need to survive; we have to trade to survive, and we have to be competitive to trade.

Many elements of our economy have not yet awakened to this reality and still seek to act, demand and behave as if the world of change had simply bypassed us, and there remained a bottomless pit of cash to sustain their industries and their wishes.

Regrettably, inevitably, those days have gone and like the last iteration of dinosaurs, this modern day generation of troglodytes may also die a slow and painful death.

Given the frenetic pace of global change, it may in fact be a speedy death.

Australia, must become more productive, more competitive, more sustainable or history will repeat itself, and the world will once more witness the spectacle of the demise of the dinosaurs.

Author Neil Findlay

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Do The Crime, Do The Time: Reading Between The Lines

February 7, 2014

By Neil Findlay

Do The Crime, Do The Time.

Schapelle Corby has endured a terrible experience, and a sentence, that should serve as a hard lesson to all of us.

Her sentence, although harsh by Australian standards, was administered under the local laws of the country she found herself in, and justice was served in accordance with those laws.

It is far too easy, too simplistic and I might add, opportunistic for spectators and armchair experts to posture and speculate on what she should or shouldn’t have done. Or if she in fact did anything wrong.

The facts, although harsh in the eyes of many, are that when we are in a foreign country, and are found to break the laws of that country, we should reasonably expect to be dealt with under their law, not ours.

It is all too common for citizens of one country or another to fall foul of the prevailing laws of a host country, and then cry foul, insisting that their native country bail them out of trouble. Unfortunately this is a common occurrence.

Whether Schapelle was genuinely guilty or not, the great referee, T.I.M.E. will ultimately tell. The lesson for everyone watching this matter unfold is, if you travel, be really, really careful about local customs and laws, wherever you go.

Be sure that you are well aware of the prevailing laws, written and unwritten, the customs and etiquettes of the country you are planning to visit. Before you arrive there! Then, take the time, the effort, and the courtesy to do all you can to comply with those laws.

Otherwise, don’t cry for help after falling foul of the laws of the land wherein you are a guest.

It’s not too hard really, but recent times have seen a plethora of cases where travelers have mistakenly thought they could do whatever they like, wherever they like with a blatant disregard for local laws. Whist some may not feel obliged to comply with the laws of their own liberal societies, try it overseas and you will pay the price.

Do the crime, do the time.

Author Neil Findlay

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7 Easy Ways To Lift Your Self-Confidence: The Mentors Diary

January 4, 2014

By Neil Findlay

7 Easy Ways to Lift Your Self-Confidence.

One of the biggest impediments to personal success is the lack of self-confidence.
We all have within us a reserve of natural self-confidence, but often it’s dormant, waiting to be coaxed into action.
Unused self-confidence and unrealized potential are synonymous. They hang out together.

The great industrialist Henry Ford once remarked ‘whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.’
Our sense of self-worth and self-confidence dramatically effects whether we change, grow, and achieve; or stagnate, wither and die.

Self-confidence is the rocket-fuel within that transforms us from being ordinary, part of the crowd, into someone extraordinary. In those critical moments when we have to decide yes or no, stop or go; when faced with adversity and risk, our self-confidence is often the trigger that makes the crucial decisions easier and transforms us into an overcomer.

After all, life is not a roll of the dice as we take our chances, but a roll of the drums as we make our choices

Self-confidence is a pre-requisite to success in many of life situations; in business, sport or socially; without it we simply can’t achieve optimal results.

It is an integral and indispensable part of successful people and organizations: of winners.

It is highly contagious; equally, a lack of confidence can be contagious and destroy team morale and performance.

Here are 7 proven ways to improve your self-confidence, that I’ve learned and used for years. They work!

Expectations

Start out with manageable expectations then go get something done.
Remember: It’s not where you start that matters, it’s the direction you’re headed, and where you end up that’s important.
Each time you set out to do something, remind yourself, audibly, ‘I can do this’

Raise The Stakes

Then start to raise the stakes, do something a bit bigger and bolder; then step it up, bigger again and grow incrementally. And remember: all the time, ‘I can do this!’

Prepare To Be Stretched

Be careful who you hang out with. It’s always good to hang out with people better, smarter and more successful than ourselves: it rubs off!

Choose Your Influencers

Be very careful with who, and what you listen to; don’t listen to negative people who talk you down: but do listen to those who talk you up, who encourage you.
Be careful with the opinions you listen to, and who speaks into, or influences your life.

Screen Your Mind Food

Be so careful with your mind food; what you read & watch.
What you feed your mind with is what you become, and what you achieve. Remember, ‘garbage in, garbage out!’

Ignore Your Past Failures

Ignore your past! Remember, failing or falling down is not a problem; falling down & not getting up again is a problem. So just put it behind you.

Take Action Now!

Start today, take action, and make it your goal to incrementally build your self-image and self-confidence, step by successful step.
Because together they will change you, and your world.

Author Neil Findlay

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