Monday, September 18, 2006

Are our stations safe?

The Daily Telegraph revealed an ‘exclusive’ today that up to 60 train stations are undermanned and some stations have been closed because there are no staff to the run them.

Cityrail has ensured commuters safety will not be jeopardised with no staff member on the platform. Is big brother watching or something?

Morris Iemma and our State Government have an obligation to every citizen of New South Wales to have a staff member at every station. Would you feel safe at a quiet unmanned station?

Rail Corp, Cityrail and the NSW Government need to get their act together and make stations safe. Stations are a perfect location for crime, attacks, dare I even say murder.

With a public transport system in a mess, the Iemma Government can ill-afford to have this fiasco hanging over its head. Install new workers now, raise their pay rates if you must but don’t compromise commuters safety at your own expense and cost-cutting measures.

I assume cost cutting and scaling back the employment of Cityrail and Rail Corp will have occurred in the ticket inspector department too. When the Government weighs up what will create more revenue, a staff member at a railway station or a train cop checking tickets and writing fines?

Surely rationalising commuters safety is not in the public interest Mr Iemma – fix it!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

2 years or 2 months?

Rugby League again did itself no favors with their stance on drugs, allowing Mitchell Sargent an opportunity to again play League from one season to another after testing positive to using cocaine.

Yes, it is not a performance enhancing drug, it is a ‘recreational drug’ but how can one code rugby tear the contract of and ban Wendell Sailor for two years for playing any sport when the NRL give Sargent another life at Newcastle?

Fair crack of the whip, its time that the Australian Sports Commission and the Federal Government intervened and got all sports together to decide upon a universal drugs punishment. Tennis, Golf, Lawn Bowls, Synchronised swimming… whatever – the penaly should be the same.

Australians are quick to accuse other nations of cheating and being drug users, but when it comes to our own, we are quick to defend them and make excuses, empathise. We cant have it both ways and we cant be hypocritical.

I like Rugby’s stance on Sailor. I think he is a great athlete, a fine player and brought fines, skill and charisma to rugby. If he is however idiotic, stupid and dumb enough to jeopardise everything for one night on the rack then he deserves his playing days to decease.

Sailor can do what ever he wants when he retires, but while he wears that Wallaby, Waratah and in Seargant’s case Cowboys jersey they take with them a responsibility to their game, their club, their family and them self. There are so many kids desperate to get a shot at making the big time in their game, I am sure they wouldn’t waste it away by sniffing a bit of cocaine one night.

All the kids, who’s heroes now become villains, who’s expectations of these celebrities have been dismayed. Sailor, you are a goose, Sargent you are a goose. NRL you to are a goose.

Clean up your game, clean up Australian sport and develop a universal drugs policy that must be adhered to by every Australian sportsman and woman.