The Travails of being a Telstra/Bigpond customer

For the benefit of overseas readers, Telstra is the main provider of telephone services in Australia and their Bigpond subsidiary is the main provider of internet cable connections. I have the misfortune to be a customer of both.

You can read details of the problems I have had in getting some sign of intelligence from them here.

If you ever want to express your disquiet at their poor service, the phone no. of the office of their CEO is 02 9329 2274. Getting Telstra phone nos. is a rare feat so you may want to bookmark this post.





Arrogant Queensland public hospital again: Cancer patient refused transport, walks 30km

It's pretty disgraceful that only publicity humbles the hospital bureaucracies

A MAN recovering from cancer and his wife had to walk home almost 30km along dirt roads after being discharged from Maryborough Hospital in Queensland at 12.30am and refused transport. Glenn Horne and his wife Helen, both aged in their 50s, trudged for more than seven hours in sandals and thongs in the dark before finally being picked up by a neighbour about 4km from their Harris Rd property, south of Maryborough, early on Monday.

While the hospital has since telephoned and apologised for their ordeal, blaming it on "a breakdown in the communication process", the Hornes said the incident was symptomatic of administrative problems still plaguing Queensland Health. Mrs Horne said she had phoned for an ambulance on Sunday for her husband, who was in agony with an infection after enduring two operations for bowel cancer less than two months ago. They arrived at the hospital about 9pm with only $20. Mr Horne said he had expected to be kept in overnight but instead was given medication and discharged at 12.30am on a rainy night. "They said we couldn't stay even though the casualty room was virtually empty," Mrs Horne said. "When I said we lived 30-40 minutes' drive away, they just said 'well, that'll be an expensive taxi ride'."

Not wanting to bother friend and neighbour Desiree Taylor at that hour of the night and with no buses available and no money for a taxi, the Hornes said they decided they would have to walk home. "It was a moonlit night, thank heavens, but it was still very spooky," said Mrs Horne, who said they had neither water nor food. "We were exhausted, pretty worn out, when Desiree's son Kieran saw us (4km from home) and then she picked us up. We finally got home at quarter-past-eight in the morning."

Mr Horne said they had not wanted to make a fuss about their ordeal but he and his wife also wanted others who might find themselves in a similar situation to realise they had rights to transport and accommodation support options. Mr Horne said their situation had not been helped by his inability to work because of illness and the fact his car had broken down.

Tiaro Mayor Linda Harris said the incident needed to be highlighted so hospital staff could be counselled to better handle such issues. Fraser Coast Health Service district manager Kerry Winsor said that although procedures were in place to handle such situations, the support options were not brought to the patient's attention in this case and "we have apologised".

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Muslim aggression towards police in Melbourne

From the picture it would seem that both black and Arab Muslims were involved. Australia has taken in as refugees considerable a considerable number of black Muslims from Sudan and Somalia



POLICE have described a violent clash with north African Flemington residents as a riot brewing for some time. But they have been forced to defend what some witnesses have described as heavy-handed tactics. What police say started as a routine arrest over a suspected rock-throwing incident led to a mob converging on 21 officers at a commission [welfare] housing estate on Racecourse Rd.

One policeman was assaulted and was taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs. Others were abused and spat on. An 18-year-old youth accused of throwing the rock denied any involvement and said police reacted violently. "They kicked me in the back and they kicked me in the head. I was screaming," he said. "I know they've got a job to do but they had nothing on me. I didn't do anything."

Restaurant owner James, who did not want to be identified, said he had just dropped off his apprentice when police falsely accused the youth of throwing the rock. "I thought it was just inflammatory from the beginning," he said. "There wasn't any mediation as such."

Police sources said delinquent youths, and even children, were constantly sniping and baiting police in and around Flemington. "The patrols are getting stoned by kids as young as 10 every second night," one police source said. Wednesday night's ugly incident began when a north African youth threw a rock at a passing divisional van about 11pm. The van stopped and called for back-up, which arrived quickly.

Residents -- mostly young African men -- appeared from the commission flats. According to a police report: "A large crowd, possibly numbering over a hundred, gathered, attempting to free the man who attacked police." Four youths aged between 14 and 18 were arrested. They have been released and are expected to be charged on summons.

Premier John Brumby condemned the mob. "It is not part of the civilised way of life that we expect from our state, and Australians more generally," Mr Brumby said. Police Minister Bob Cameron added: "If people commit crime they can expect to be dealt with irrespective of their backgrounds." Senior police said lawless north African youths viewed police as easy targets.

Jesuit Social Services youth worker Ahmed Ahmed claimed police were harassing local youths. "They are arresting kids as young as 14 years old," Mr Ahmed said. "It is the police who are aggravating the situation."

Region 3 boss Insp Nigel Howard yesterday backed his troops, dismissing claims they were racist and used heavy-handed tactics. "My members will not come down here and be insulted. Enough is enough in respect to that," Insp Howard said. Flemington police are expecting to meet African community leaders on Monday.

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Australian police ready for sweep to deport New Guinea illegals

Note here that it is Melanesians (blacks) calling for the expulsion of Melanesians

FEDERAL officers are preparing an unprecedented sweep through the Torres Strait to deport Papua New Guineans illegally living on some of Australia's most remote territory. Community leaders in the Torres Strait held emergency meetings with immigration officials last week, after a surge in the number of people arriving from PNG, securing a commitment to have them deported. An immigration spokesman yesterday refused to discuss the coming operation, but confirmed meetings with community leaders had recently taken place. "The department has held recent meetings with councils in the Torres Strait. However, we will not discuss operational details," the spokesman said.

Thursday Island Mayor Pedro Stephen said communities including Saibai, Boigu, Iama, Masig, Dauan, Erub and Badu islands were in danger of being annexed by PNG because of the large number of illegal arrivals. "All seem to have more PNG nationals living there than local islanders," Mr Stephen said. "They are coming and taking over all the businesses." The situation has become particularly bad on Saibai Island in northern Torres Strait, where as many as 300 of the immigrants, dubbed "overstayers" by the locals, have strained resources and almost run the islands limited water supply dry.

Mr Stephen said the Torres Strait Treaty, which came into effect in 1985 and allows the movement of people between PNG and the Australian islands, needed to be rewritten to ensure economic development in PNG's Western Province. "There's been nothing built there for decades. What you have is the Third World just a stone's throw from an Australian community," Mr Stephen said. "It's no wonder they travel to access services. They've got nothing at home."

Even the most senior PNG national in Torres Strait, the Reverend Lawes Waia, who lives on Thursday Island, just off the tip of Cape York, has called for the borders to be closed and the Torres Strait Treaty to be torn up. "Whether we drink contaminated water, whether we carry sickness and diseases on our bodies, whether no government services are reaching us, let's stop bothering the Torres Strait Islanders with their island facilities and resources. Please close the border now and put all words into action," Mr Waia said.

Mr Stephen said communities in the northern Torres Strait were concerned the numbers might become so great they would wind up becoming PNG territory. "You have to remember that when the Torres Strait treaty was signed, PNG wanted to basically cut the strait in half and administer the islands north of Badu," Mr Stephen said. "A lot of people remember that and think maybe this is a way of getting those islands."

A senior Saibai Island community member, who asked not to be named, said the PNG nationals ignored local immigration officers, and had built a filthy shanty town on the northern edge of the island. "We are pleased the Department of Immigration is finally going to do something," the local said. "These people have brought diseases which we can not cope with. It is not good for our community."

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