What with robots, computers, and all the other “help” we’re creating, not to mention jobs going offshore and/or “cheap labor” coming in from offshore, not to mention whole industries (manufacturing, mining) imploding, it looks as if it won’t be long before a goodly portion of the jobs will have disappeared. When three-quarters of working people can’t find a job in countries like Australia, surely we can’t rely on the old solutions of throwing them (us) a little dole money and calling them (us) bludgers (or leaners, if we’re being polite). Is it even possible to restructure the economy so that people can live well without working (or inherited wealth)? What would that look like? How would we get there?

Genuine problem that needs solving/debate/discussion.

Only in Tasmania does January 1 remain as the school start ‘cut off’ date. There’s a variety of dates (30 April, 30 June, 1 May) in the other states. This produces classes with kids with different birth years and different sports age groups. Is this truly beneficial or just confusing?
The old WA and Qld model of starting in the calendar year the kids turned 5 seemed simple and logical. In that old model, finishing the year they turned 17 helped keep alcohol out of schools and moved kids into careers, jobs and life earlier. Has the change to the school age model of ages 5-18, beginning in the first quarter demonstrably improved our national education standard?

The public seems to be content with castigating honest and reasonable mistakes while overlooking genuine issues in favour of “weapons of mass distraction”.

Despite our better judgement we all seem to be attracted to someone who is so clearly not right for us at some point in our lives.

While most of us claim to be rational beings, so many disputes in our society are about self-interest. In that context, it seems evidence is only acepted where it serves those interests. Can we change that way of thinking, or is it just a necessary part of being human?

We seem to spend a lot of time telling people they’re wrong (and even stupid) – in politics, in the media, on social forums. Nobody ever seems to change their mind. It all seems a bit boring and pointless. Can we change the way we communicate and actually have an effect?

Living with mental illness (my own and that of my husband), I am bombarded with jingoistic slogans like ‘R U OK?’, parroted by gurus of ‘Mindfulness’, and by their minions who wave yellow balloons in my face, or consultants who advise employers to host endless parties, or feign empathy in exchange for docility, or friends who assume we need an ideological revamp. If wellbeing crusaders really cared how we felt, they would be quieter and let us have our contemplation; or ask a complete sentence with rounded vowels, including the last two letters of ‘you’. If a person cannot ask ‘How are you feeling?’ without abbreviating it into an acronym, clearly they have no time to hear us. If we had the power to define mental health, perhaps it would differ from current expectations? Who would the ‘sick’ ones be then?

I’ve always wondered. Every swimmer says they hate the early starts. So swim later. YOU HAVE ALL DAY TO SWIM! The races are often at night. Pools are indoors. It makes no sense!!

There is so much to consider – finding appropriate continental/ethnic/gender balance, avoiding anyone who may upset a particular group…… Can anyone come up with even two people to agree upon?

You know what i mean….