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Despite numerous law and order programs, graffiti continues on its dark and dirty path.
None of us want to have our front wall or our garage door defaced by graffiti. But what can we do about it when it happens?
It seems to me that our government policies are failing us in regard to deterring this disgraceful behaviour.
When I see yet another example of the defacing of public or private property I have to question whether this conduct is the highest form of arrogance and self-delusion? Why do these vandals believe that anyone really cares about seeing their scribblings, their scrawlings, their defacing of someone else's property?
One has to ask, if these vandals are really seeking public recognition, then why are they too ashamed to clearly identify who they are? If they are really seeking to be identified, why not stand up and admit to the authorship of their creations? Why hide away like cowards in the night?
A number of local councils have shown that they are prepared to give a public forum for honest and talented urban artists. This is commendable and should be encouraged.
I do not complain about young and talented artists who seek to legitimately display their creations. It is the would-be-if-they-could-be's who are the cause of this problem.
Our environment is what makes and shapes us.
I have just returned from a five month around the world trip with my husband and two sons. My husband worked and the kids and I explored. We were in the USA for three months and Europe for two, and one of the first realisations I had was that just because you share a common language doesn't mean you understand your neighbour any better than if they spoke a language foreign to you.
Our environment makes and shapes us and this is why I found the many differences between me and the Philadelphians, the New Yorkers and the Miamians I met so fascinating. We all spoke English and we all lived a relatively privileged life, but because of our physical environments, what we thought was important differed as much as if we lived on different planets.
Even more interesting was how similar and easy to understand I found the Italians I met in Rome, despite the obvious language barrier.
Keeping children's interests at the heart of family policy debates
If we want to give children the best possible start in life we know the early months and years are absolutely vital for social, cognitive and physical development. It's about what's in the best interests of children.
Women who continue to work after having a baby mostly do so because they need the income. We need to give new mothers some breathing space to bond with their baby, to give them a nurturing environment, to establish breast-feeding if they can and to learn how to care for their babies. All so that little babies will get a better start to life.
That's not to say that full-time mums don't need support too. They do. And this Government is committed to supporting all mothers, whether they are in a paid job or at home. We value the hard work of all mothers regardless of whether they are in paid work. That's why we provide support through a range of measures including the Baby Bonus, Family Tax Benefits A and B, the Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Rebate.
I don't play sport, I just don't enjoy it. I don't know the rules to footy, and wouldn't know what to do with a cricket bat, and don't want to spend hours running in circles around a field. But that's not what people assume when they meet me.
I come from a really successful family. We've had sporting stars, school captains, school duxes, readers, thinkers, leaders in all kinds of fields. But that's not what people assume when they pass me on the street.
I come from a proud people, an ancient nation, and a strong community that's survived genocide, and forced removal, and grand theft, but that's not what people think about when they shake my hand.
That's not what they think about, because they are ignorant.
By Divonne Holmes à Court
We're not doing enough to equip parents with the best information to make parenting a little easier and a little less stressful.
One of the most significant events of Kevin Rudd's term in office so far has been the recent 2020 Summit in Canberra. Over a busy two days, hundreds of people spent time together to discuss the best ideas and solutions for our country's future. Some ideas were smarter than others, but one of the most interesting themes to emerge was around prevention. We're all aware that acting now helps avoiding problems later - the 2020 summit discussed that investing in prevention today has a much better long term payoff than waiting for the problem to occur down the line and then trying to cure it.
But looking ahead to the future is hard and planning for it can be even harder. I only started thinking about the future when I became a parent for the first time.
If someone takes the time to find your number and approach you with an idea or proposal, the very least you can to is return their call.
Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of addressing a group of students graduating from Electronic Engineering faculty at the University of Technology Sydney.
Of course I congratulated them on the achievements, and gave them a message of support for the future careers, but I also took the opportunity to warn them against the poison of hubris.
Whilst life is a personal experience, one does it in company, and if one is to succeed, one should be mindful of one's travelling companions. To me that meant - to be respectful of others, to recognise the contribution that others make and everyone's right to participate.
