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SYDNEY - Issue 57 | August 2013
M a g a z i n e
S i n c e
2 00 5
Wanderers ‘Wandering’ far and fast! Labor Turns to KRudd Page 16
Identify the Risks, Enjoy the Rewards Page 20
United We Stand, Divided We Fall Page 32
T o b e c o m e a c o n t r i b u t i n g w r i t e r i n B u s i n e s s R e s o u r c e & L i f e s t y l e c a ll 1 3 0 0 8 8 9 1 3 2 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Cover Story: Adrian Payne Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Angry Anderson Elly Beck Adam Goldstien John Watters Tony O’Neill Angelo Lambropoulos Art Director: Svetlana Greku Executive Officer: Daniel Moisyeyev Director of Public Relations: Angry Anderson Cover Design Xabier Goñi, XDesigns Photography: Francesca Surace, Stilz Fotografika Printing: Pegasus Print Group Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine® is published by GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® ABN: 82 096 352 064 www.gwpmagazine.com.au Office Address: Unit 31, 7 Hoyle Avenue, Castle Hill, NSW 2154 International Standard Serial Number ISSN 1837-199X Advertising Enquiries p | 1300 889 132 e | info@gwpmagazine.com.au To Subscribe w | www.gwpmagazine.com.au
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Copyright GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® 2011. The opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect and are not to be regarded as the official opinion of the editor, publisher or their agents. All information contained within this journal is provided for general information purposes only and on the understanding that none of the content herein constitutes professional advice. The editor, publisher or their agents accept no responsibility for any claim, loss or damages arising out of or in connection with any materials contained in this journal. Readers should not rely on the publications in the journal and seek appropriate professional advice in respect of their own circumstances.
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
CONTENTS
CONTENTS 18 10 Cover Story 10 Wanderers...
‘Wandering’ Far and Fast!
Adrian Payne
22
Regulars
Features
Local Government
28
The Grass is Greener
Where You Water It
18 Exploring the Future
John Watters
for Local Government The Hills Shire Council Real Estate
Business Advice
Regulars Editor’s Letter
8
About You… Angelo Lambropoulos
Rewards Adam Goldstien Society & Life
We Need a Hero!.. Dmitry Greku
leadership
16 Labor Turns to KRudd
20 Identify the Risks, Enjoy the
30 ScanMe Realty is All
Charlie Lynn
22 What Makes a Team?
Elly Beck
26 How do You Manage Getting Slow-paying Debtors? Tony O’Neill
32
34
United We Stand, Divided We Fall Angry Anderson
Classifieds
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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editor’s letter
We Need a Hero!..
Dmitry Greku, M. Sc. - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®
A few unpleasant similarities keep coming to mind when I’m looking at our current federal politicians and what they are doing to our country. It took them three attempts to dig Kevin Rudd out of his political grave and bring him back to our grim world.
As we all remember, he was the one who started the destruction and annihilation of businesses, industries and the whole Australian economy. His unconditional love for people in overseas countries went beyond any imaginable boundaries, which was disappointing even to his own party comrades. They conveniently terminated his ‘tsardom’ just before the election 2010. The Night of the Long Knives was a mess – pools of blood, political repressions, rotten lies out of which a new ‘Red Star’ was born. It did not matter that they introduced a new style of politics. It was a successful attempt to make Australia look more like a Banana Republic where it’s quite normal for a country’s leader to be annihilated by his own mob without considering the people’s opinion and the result of the last legitimate election. I don’t want to look like a misogynist, so I need to correct myself saying by his or her own mob. Now that’s more politically correct and up-todate with our current political-speak rules. What is wrong with Kev? Is he as bad as I think he is? Let’s list a few quick recollections. 1. The first of Kev’s early moves was to open the gate into our country to the least educated, most demanding and radical cross section of the world’s population. This ’progressive‘ thinking cost Australians billions of dollars for an army of lawyers, public servants and demoralised Navy personnel. Let’s not forget Kev’s vision for a “Big
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Australia”. 2. A massive handout of the country’s hard earned money. It was a clumsy attempt to stimulate something - but definitely not the economy. His political style brought us, not him, a 250 billion dollar debt. 3. There were some disastrous school initiatives and an insulation scheme which cost too much money and several lives of young professionals. What is most surprising is that nobody ended up in jail for any of these failures. Now we understand the real meaning of ‘getting away with murder’. 4. He openly and casually refers to a possible war with China and Indonesia. Is his plan to start throwing his glasses at the enemy at the peak of a bloody battle or will he send his children to give their lives for his shameless stupidity? 5. His wife is one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in the country worth $200 million. Do you know what line of business she is in? I do and, it sickens me. 6. Rudd himself holds a very substantial real estate portfolio worth around $10 million. I deeply understand his enthusiasm in supporting the real estate price bubble. You simply have to look at his changes to the Foreign Investment Review Board and his First Home Owner Boost. It was his doing, that his Chinese comrades began to outbid Australian first home buyers.
once and for all, and quickly put a stop to its agonising pain. All his ‘great achievements‘ have made our country weaker. The luck of the lucky country is almost exhausted, for some that idea lies only in memories of a time long gone. No country can be successful under the leadership of ‘a psychopath with a giant ego’ (description by his own comrades). Recent polls show that some people have a very short memory or they have no clue what a dictatorship is and are willing to give it a go, a fair go. Unfortunately, some people only know about the bad guys in James Bond movies or news reports on TV and think that it will never happen to them. They think they are on the ‘lucky’ bit of this planet. But it’s gradually becoming clear that they are not. We just need a hero, one with a blue tie. Is it going to be Arnold or Sylvester or maybe the drunken farmer from The Independence Day or perhaps it’ll be Iron Man Tony who will come to save us all and with one hit break the monster’s glasses into millions of tiny pieces. But this is becoming a bit childish … Have a great day. Take care of yourselves and your clients. G
Letter to the Editor
7. He’s just introduced the removal of the statutory formula method used for calculating car fringe benefits. Let’s say goodbye to the Australian car industry and all related small and medium businesses. As usual, this was done as a surprise. 8. Free trade agreement with China is back on the agenda. That is the best way to finish off our long suffering Australian manufacturing sector
e | editor@gwpmagazine.com.au
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Wanderers... ‘Wandering’ far and fast! 10
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
great Australian People
Wanderers Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman
Starting eleven at the Semi-Final against Brisbane Roar (Back Row l-r) Ante Covic (GK), Nikolai toporStanley, Jerome Polenz, Dino Kresinger, Micahel Beauchamp, Mateo Poljak. (Front Row l-r) Yianni Perkatis, Shannon Cole, Shinji Ono, Mark Bridge, Youssouf Hersi
by Adrian Payne
In 2004 the old National Soccer League drifted into the dusty annals of Australian Soccer History and under the Football Federation of Australia (FFA), the A-League was born. The first A-League games were played among 11 teams, ten in Australia and one in New Zealand.
In just ten years of competition, the code has taken a huge leap forward in professionalism and has fielded teams to compete in three world cups. A remarkable feat in such a short time. The catalyst for the formation of the Western Sydney Wanderers was the FFA revoking Gold Coast United Club’s A-League licence on 29 February 2012, after a series of running battles between the FFA and Clive Palmer, owner of Gold Coast United. The squabble was over topics such as crowd control, stadium attendance capacities and breaches of A-League regulations. The subsequent loss of Gold Coast United brought the league down to nine clubs, one less than the FFA needed for their upcoming television rights negotiations.
Business Business Resource Resource & Lifestyle & Lifestyle | Issue | Issue 57 | 57 August | August 20132013
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Proudly Presented by The Federal Government granted four million dollars as seeding funds to get the Western Sydney Club up and running, after which an additional two million dollar grant would supplement gatetakings, sponsorships and associated business spin-offs to sustain the Club into the future. On 17 May 2012, hand-picked by Frank Lowy, former A-League head Lyall Gorman was appointed Executive Chairman of the then-unnamed Wanderers. Tony Popovic was also announced as the inaugural head coach. Tony joined the club after requesting his release from the final year of his contracted role as assistant coach at Crystal Palace F.C., saying that his desire to help build a club from scratch was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Popovic signed with the Western Sydney Club to take the coaching leadership role for four seasons. Ante Milicic joined the club as assistant coach on 22 May 2012. So only one year ago, Western Sydney’s very own football club ‘The Wanderers’ came to life out of Western Suburbs’ community involvement in ‘fan forums’ and widespread local enthusiasm. The community was in the mix from the start, even specifying how the club would look to the rest of the world. It has been dubbed “Australia’s newest, oldest club” The name is derived from the first ever game of football played in New South Wales on the 14th of August 1880 between the King’s School and the ‘Wanderers’ in North Parramatta.
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General Manager Shaun Mielekamp reflects on the last twelve months which started on 25 of June 2012 with the announcement of the club’s corporate image. The official club logo includes the key elements of the Western Sydney landscape, the mountains, valleys and the winding river system that runs through the region. The badge captures the unity and intertwined multicultural community that the Wanderers represent.
Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman at the Western Sydney Wanderers FC Inaugural Medal Evening 2013
The home jersey has a red and black hoop theme with white shorts and black socks presenting Western Sydney Wanderers with a distinctive identity in the Australian sporting landscape. The next day on 26 July it was officially announced that Parramatta Stadium would be the Club’s home ground. Lyall Gorman, acknowledged that the feedback he had received from ‘fan forums’ was that the fans wanted a single home ground and that the club must be based in Greater
great Australian People Western Sydney. Parramatta Stadium was seen as ideal compared to other alternatives at Homebush Bay, Penrith or Campbelltown as its rectangular size and shape, is perfectly suited for soccer games, and it had an appropriate capacity for over 20,000 spectators. (A capacity which is soon to be extended at the state government’s expense of around twenty million dollars). As the Club began putting together the first ‘playing group’ they were keen to draw talent from the local area, so they could genuinely feel that the team would be largely representative of the Western Suburbs community. Shaun says, “The club was built around three key pillars” the first being ‘playing football’. The Womens Squad play out at Campbelltown. The National Youth League team is based out at St Marys, and of course the A-League team at their home ground - Parramatta stadium.
However to develop world class team skills it was necessary to recruit some players from overseas. From the time that the first recruits came to the club in June 2012, Tony Popovic only had about eight weeks to put together a competitive team before their first season began with a match against Nepean FC at Cook Park, at St Mary’s. Supporters in red white and black gathered at the northern end of the ground and were enthusiastically vocal in support of their new team. The Daily Telegraph noted the impressive debut of the supporter group, while The Sydney Morning Herald apparently described them as “a noisy bunch on the northern hill”. In their first season, Western Sydney Wanderers emerged as one of the leading Australian clubs. They had a history-making start. Soon they had their first sell-out game against Sydney FC. By
The club wanted to be representative of the region and decided that their ‘catchment area’ would be around seven football associations... Nepean, Blacktown, Granville, Southern Districts, Bankstown, McArthur and Gladesville/Hornsby. Over one hundred thousand registered players are in that catchment area... a fabulous everreplenishing resource for new local talent. The first ‘pillar’ aims to develop a strong and ever more professional and skilful football-playing culture.
Christmas they had several good wins under their belt and had over seven thousand ticketed members on the books. There was a blockbuster match against the Central Coast and the second Derby was a sell-out. Their third sell-out was the semi-final hosted in Parramatta against Brisbane. On a roll... team members played their way to the Cup finals and won their first A-League Premiership, which earned them direct entry into the AFC Champions League. The team also won the Premiers Plate in their first year. This win qualified the team to participate in the Asian Champions League. They will play three games in Asia, away-games are as yet unspecified, but three Asian teams will make the trip to Australia and play at Parramatta Stadium, bringing Asian teams and their fans to Parramatta. An exciting prospect for the club, for local business and the community as a whole. All-in-all, a remarkable effort in twelve months. Much of the credit for the team’s early success on the field is attributed to Tony Popovic. Craig Green, the Wanderers General Manager of Brand, Marketing and Communications says “at the start Tony had an eclectic mix of players to work with, many of whom had never played at the A-League level and some, who didn’t have current contracts with other clubs, got a second chance”. Tony has
Western Sydney Wanderers Season Launch October 2012 (l-r) Joey Gibbs, Michael Beauchamp, Wanderers Ambassador Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, Head Coach Tony Popovic and Kwabena Appiah-Kubi.
Hyundai A-League Head coach Tony Popovic at the Western Sydney Wanderers FC Inaugural Medal Evening 2013
Marquee signing Shinji Ono against Brisbane Roar 9 December 2012
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Proudly Presented by them all on individual fitness programs, and many have said that he is the best coach that they have ever worked with. “Tony has moulded a team of players who play for each other and for the fans” says Craig. He sees this highly developed teamplayer factor as one of the reasons the Wanderers achieved so much success in their first year, despite being the underdogs.
Goalkeeper Ante Covic and Wanderers ambassador Laura Dundovic on stage at the Westfield Player Signing in January 2013
football team is that so many cultural backgrounds are represented by the people who are involved. Craig’s off-the-cuff thought was that there were probably a dozen different ethnic origins in the playing team alone. When it’s given some thought it’s hardly surprising. After all, the Club came out of a community which has around one hundred and eighty non-English languages being spoken in homes as part of every-day life. On the business side... the third ‘pillar’, NRMA Insurance was quick to see the potential for a partnership with the Wanderers as one with good value for them. One of the early projects in the partnership made the three ’pillar’ connection with the business community and the game, with a ‘soccer ball amnesty’.
President and CEO Mr Yamanishi. The group’s corporate statement is ‘Changes for the better’. Mr Yamanishi came to Sydney for the announcement and hosted an event to mark the occasion on Sydney Harbour aboard the motor yacht Oceanos ll. The company sponsored a typical Sydney-style fireworks display near the Opera House. In their three year association with the Wanderers, fans will see the Mitsubishi logo on the backs of their players, the partnership will go a long way to assist the Wanderers achieve their own changes for the better. Back in the West, the business pillar continues to strengthen with the organisation of business networking events which take place at Blacktown and in the ’Premiers room’ at the Parramatta
The second ‘pillar’ is community. The club fosters a close relationship with the community, realising that it emerged from the community and needs to constantly feed back benefits from the club’s activities. Chairman Lyall Gorman has been a driving force in the development of the Club’s place as a community asset. He has promoted the establishment of ‘ambassadors’ in over two hundred schools in the Western Sydney area who talk about football, the Wanderers and the core community values that come from an interest in the game of soccer. He has also established strong connections with Councils in the area through which the Wanderers conduct soccer clinics in the school holidays. The third ‘pillar’ is business. The Club’s high profile and popularity in the community enables it to forge strong partnerships with business, large and small, who are trading in the community and beyond. An association with the Wanderers offers many opportunities to encourage growth on the wider business front. Shaun says that first year was a “tremendous ride”... “Our mission looking to the future, is to become a world-class football club, the pride of Western Sydney” An interesting aspect of the Wanderers as a National Youth League player Yianni Perkatis against Brisbane Roar Jan 27 2013
The Hyundai A-League team engaging with fans after the first Sydney Derby 20 October 2012
NRMA Insurance purchased ten thousand soccer balls in the Wanderers red and black colours and the NRMA Logo. NRMA staff went with the Wanderers to community events and offered to swap any old ball ... oval or round, for a brand new Wanderers soccer ball. Even the old balls that were collected went to the Salvation Army to be given out through the Oasis Foundation to kids in struggling communities. A great example of how the Wanderers and NRMA have been able to connect with the community. Nike too continues to be a great partner, having supplied all the kit for players in the early stages and much of the merchandising product. They continue to be enthusiastic in their support after the first year and being such an iconic brand, their association is a proud one for the Wanderers. In almost breaking news... an additional partnership opportunity has been sealed with Mitsubishi Electric. A three year deal was formally announced in late July by Mitsubishi Electric Global’s
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Stadium. One recent event was put together for the building industry, showcasing suppliers’ products like tiles and timber, doors and screens, to builders and architects from the whole Sydney region. They have just announced their new season’s ‘business connect’ and ‘business access’ packages. Their ‘metro packages’ are designed around hosting events as part of enjoying the home games experience. Packages start at two thousand dollars, but at ten thousand, they are custom built rather than being off-the-shelf, so they can be appropriately targeted to create winwin marketing PR and sales opportunities. Craig Green and his Brand, Marketing and Communications team believe they are building a genuine asset for local business, as well as for the community in Western Sydney generally. Any business outside the Western Sydney area wanting to break into that market, would do well to consider how the Wanderers could be a part of their marketing strategy. Shaun and Craig reflected on how not only had the player group worked so brilliantly as a team on the field, but how admin, marketing and other staff had adopted the same team ethic. With
great Australian People people recruited from many different areas of expertise, each and every one had brought value to their team. Certainly in the first year they had learned that some things could be done better in the future. They quote the example that the merchandising of club jerseys and other memorabilia had frequently not kept up with demand. At one stage fans were buying so many jerseys that players were finding it difficult to get kit for themselves! But experience is what growth is made of and they fully expect that before another 12 months pass, their community and business pillars will have reached new heights, and brought even greater success to the Club. When asked what advice they might offer to
business generally, based on their own success, Shaun replied that what had worked for them was really listening to the community, talking with their fans using social media and talking in ways that local people understand and identify with. Not only do the Wanderers listen, but they change and implement ideas that come from their fans. With fans, community and business partners they consciously work to ‘over-deliver’ on their promises. Finally, Shaun explained their notion of ‘Pride to the power of the West’... It’s a mathematical analogy they use to explain that whether you are a business owner, a fan or a member of the general community associated with the Wanderers and the western suburbs, you can be proud to be a part of it and profit from the experience. G
Marquee player Shinji Ono with Wanderers FC volunteers at the Volunteer Thank You Day yundai A-League H Head coach Tony Popovic at a press conference after the first Sydney Derby 20 October 2012
Goal celebration after Shinji Ono scored a goal against Adelaide Untied 21 December 2012
Westfield W-League player Linda O’Neill and Trudy Camilleri against Newcastle Jets November 25 2012
Captain Michael Beauchamp and Goalkeeper Ante Covic giving an NRMA Ball to one of the Metella Road Public School students
Metella Road Public School NRMA Ball Amnesty player signing with (L-R) Aaron Mooy, Adam D’Apuzzo and Youssouf Hersi
Micahel Beauchamp
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Leadership
Labor Turns to KRudd
The Hon. Charlie Lynn - Member of the Legislative Council
The term ‘KRudd’ will eventually find its way into our Macquarie Dictionary. It will be synonymous with words such as narcissist, phoney, shameless, charlatan, psychopath, nerd, saboteur and a host of other derogatory terms associated with arsehole. ‘KRudd’ will certainly never be linked to terms such as friend, mate, confidant, champion or good bloke.
In future years psychologists will describe such disorders as the ‘Jekyll, Hyde and KRudd’ syndrome. The next generation of political history students might get to understand how we elected such a shameless nerd as our Prime Minister in 2007. But they will never understand how Labor repeated the mistake five years later. It is unimaginable that the architect of the greatest ever threat to our national security is now in charge of the nation. KRudds decision to reverse the Howard Government’s policy of stopping the boats and reopening the floodgates to illegal immigrants borders on treason. During World War II the Japanese High Command estimated it would take up to five divisions of troops or at least 50,000 troops, to successfully invade Australia. As a result of KRudd’s decision to convert our navy from a guardian of our national sovereignty to a taxi service for illegals hostile to our traditional culture we now have the equivalent of about three divisions. Even if we were to stop the boats today our sycophantic political system will see the current numbers double through natural growth and family reunions. Foreign Minister Bob Carr recently discovered that illegal immigrants are not genuine refugees. His declaration that they are actually economic immigrants was mindblowing. One can only wonder how such a supposed intellect as Carr took so long to learn what blind Freddy has known from the time the advance guard of the armada threw their documents into the water as HMAS KRudd approached them with brand new passports to our welfare system. Other KRudd initiatives such as his ‘Plasma TV’
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handouts during the Global Financial Crisis and the ‘greatest moral crisis’ of our time which led to billions being spent on desalination plants because our dams would never again be filled with water effectively destroyed the surplus which had been carefully built up by the Howard Government. And who can forget grocerywatch, fuel-watch, cash-for-clunkers and his Copenhagen catastrophe?
as he was shamelessly photographed ‘helping’ flood victims, ‘sleeping’ with the homeless and ‘spontaneously’ strolling through shopping malls. His strategy was based on the use of public opinion to overcome the deep seated hatreds he had created within Caucus. He was greatly assisted by Julia’s appalling political leadership and historically low polling results. Something had to be done but those who had the ability to
It is unimaginable that the architect of the greatest ever threat to our national security is now in charge of the nation. Australians were shielded from KRudd’s megalomania during this period. However there were glimpses of his Jekyll and Hyde disorder when he abused a defenceless RAAF stewardess during a VIP flight and when he left the Chief of the Defence Force staff waiting like an errand boy whilst he exploded behind doors. Former Labor leader, Mark Latham nailed the real KRudd personality in his Latham diaries but they were then judged as the mutterings of a failed leader. Towards the end of KRudd’s first term it was apparent that the facade of KRudd’s boyish charm was beginning to crack. Those working in close proximity to him were under no illusion that they were dealing with a temperamental control freak as the polls started to head south. Even after the coup that created the Julia experiment the public were shielded from the extremes of KRudd’s personality disorder. It was not until Julia’s failures led to a KRudd resurrection that the public were informed of the extent of the deep-seated hatred of KRudd within Labor. Never before had such senior Ministers in Government released such venom on one of their own. According to his colleagues KRudd wasn’t a harmless nerd – he was a calculating political psychopath. KRudd’s strategy since then indicated that he had no respect for traditional Labor values or Cabinet solidarity as he began to stalk Julia. His public appearances were carefully scripted
lead Labor out of the crisis were jumping ship. Self-interest became the order of the day as Labor MPs scurried to save their seats. Labor hardheads also knew what was in store if they lost control of the Senate in the September election. A Royal Commission into the excesses of unions and the reversal of the laws that entrench union power in the workplace were inevitable. The polls indicated that KRudd’s public profile was their only hope of averting such a disaster. The rest is history and the most calculating political assassin of our time is now running the country. Former Labor greats such as John Curtin and Ben Chifley would be turning in the graves. Early polls suggest that KRudd may well be able to fool enough of those who base their votes on the persona he presents to save some seats. However it is instructive that his resurrection into the Prime Ministership was too much for his respectable Labor colleagues to stomach. They chose to leave with their dignity intact. It’s a great pity that our national dignity had to be trashed in the process. G
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LOCAL Government
Exploring the Future for Local Government In 2012, the Minister for Local Government appointed an ‘Independent Review Panel’ to look at improving the strength and effectiveness of Local Government in New South Wales.
Since then, The Panel has been investigating options for governance models, structural arrangements and boundary changes for Local Government in NSW, taking into consideration the terms of reference of the review including: 1. The ability to support the current and future needs of local communities 2. The ability to deliver services and infrastructure efficiently 3. The financial sustainability of each Local Government area 4. The ability for local representation and decision making; and 5. Barriers and incentives to encourage voluntary boundary changes. Recently, The Panel released a number of recommendations, including the suggestion that Councils should consider merging or realigning boundaries to achieve greater sustainability. The Panel recommends only the consideration of slight boundary adjustments with neighbouring Councils for The Hills Shire Council, and potentially a future merger with Hawkesbury Council. However, Council has unanimously supported a plan that would result in larger yet fewer Councils in Sydney’s North West. Under the plan, Council’s boundaries would be altered to include parts of Hawkesbury, Hornsby and Parramatta Local Government Areas (LGAs), while the suburb of Oatlands would come under the full control of Parramatta. This proposal forms part of Council’s submission to the Independent Local Government Review Panel’s 20 Essential Steps report, and outlines what Council considers to be logical adjustments reflecting natural boundaries, communities of interest, planning relationships and strategic positioning. This suggested significant boundary realignment will not only result in a greater degree of financial sustainability and service delivery, but will greatly enhance representation in terms of communities of interest, growth, planning, infrastructure delivery and relations with other State Government departments.
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More information about the Independent Local Government Review, what it means for communities and the next steps for The Panel, can be found at www.localgovernmentreview.nsw. gov.au G
Are you looking for information that could help you grow your business? Call Council’s Economic
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On track for two new underground stations on the north west rail.
Norwest Business Park will BOOM with the arrival of the North West Rail — get on board and beat the rush. Give us a call and discover what The Sydney Hills has to offer.
Like a tour? pHone +61 2 9762 1108 | eMaiL enquiries@sydneyhills.com.au | Visit www.investsydneyhills.com.au Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Business Advice
Identify the Risks, Enjoy the Rewards Adam Goldstien, Wealth Adviser - Skeggs Goldstien
When setting up an investment portfolio, many of us think about the wealth of opportunities that can come with a successful portfolio. Your retirement with overseas holidays, funding your children’s education or Indulging in a luxury car is often in the forefront of an investors mind when they embark on their journey.
We are all familiar with the saying “the bigger the risk, the greater the reward,” and it is true that factoring in risk is an essential part of building your investment strategy and should be considered carefully.
RISK PROFILE
DESCRIPTION
Cash (100% defensive)
Protection of capital or certainty of income is your only objective. You do not wish to attain higher returns if your capital is at risk.
Conservative (20%-30% growth assets
You are a defensive investor. You are willing to consider less risky assets, mainly cash only and some fixed interest investments.
Cautious (35%-45% growth assets)
You are a cautious investor seeking a combination of income and growth, but risk must continue to be low. Therefore, you will maintain a greater weighting to defensive assets within your portfolio.
Moderately conservative (50%-60% growth assets)
You are an investor seeking a combination of income and growth from your investment portfolio.
Balanced (65%-75% growth assets)
You are a growth investor. You are willing to consider assets with higher volatility in the short-term (such as equities and property) to achieve capital growth over the medium to longer term.
Moderately aggressive (80%-90% growth assets)
You are a growth investor. Prepared to accept higher volatility in the short to medium term, your primary concern is to accumulate growth assets over the long term.
Aggressive (95%-100% growth assets)
Your primary objective is capital growth. You are prepared to compromise your short term portfolio balance to pursue greater long-term returns. You are willing to accept higher levels of risk.
Source: AMP Fact Sheet 8
Considering your Risk Profile is the first step towards deciding how much risk you are willing to take on within your investments. This can vary depending on your starting balance, life stage, goals, the list goes on. A good adviser will work with you to determine what your appetite for risk is when establishing your investments and portfolios whether they are in Self-Managed Super or elsewhere. The table to the right outlines the different ‘levels’ of risk. We have been following along with the Achy Breaky Heart Super Fund appearing in The Strategic Super Investor magazine as part of a 12 month case study on the importance of structure and strategy when setting up investments within a Self Managed Superannuation Fund. As part of the quarterly review, we need to determine what the potential risks are for Billy and Michelle and what strategies can be put in place to protect the Fund.
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strategy or risk management plan is an essential part of a gearing strategy. As of August 2012, trustees are now required to review the risks and need for insurance cover as part of their fund’s investment strategy. Section 52 of The Superannuation Industry (Superannuation) Act (SISA) also details the covenants that are to be included in a fund’s governing rules (trust deed), i.e. there is now a requirement inserted into all trust deeds to review the need for insurance. When setting up the fund initially, Billy and Michelle indicated that they had a ‘balanced’ risk profile and the portfolio was set up with a 50% geared commercial property and further diversification into Australian equities and corporate debt as well as monthly concessional contributions. After reviewing their risk profile, the next step is to determine what the likely risks could be. After discussions with Billy and Michelle, we have identified the following risks:
As part of our quarterly review process we consider the asset allocation and adherence to the fund’s Investment strategy. A major requirement of this strategy is to formulate and give effect to (meaning put into action) a strategy that has regard to the whole of the circumstances of the fund including risk, diversification, liquidity, liabilities and the need for insurance.
1. The business underperforms (they are self-employed), resulting in concessional contributions being unable to be made 2. Rental income ceases 3. Death and/or disability of Billy and/or Michelle 4. Changes to legislation 5. Material damage to property
For those sport lovers, you would understand that trying to win a soccer game without reserves is akin to having no backup plan. Having an exit
The second step is to quantify the risk – what damage would happen if? What is the cost of? Finally, document and implement appropriate
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
strategies to mitigate the identified risks including costs, ownership and if required trust-deed upgrades. Some of the strategies will include the obvious like life insurance. But there are some not-soobvious strategies, like does the insurance benefit get paid to the member’s account or can it be paid to a reserve? Should the fund accumulate a cash-buffer to discharge liabilities in the event of cash-flow ceasing? Which entity should own the general insurance policy, Bare Trustee or Super Trustee? How much should we insure for in light of the repair/improvement rulings? At this last stage, engagement of appropriate specialists will be required: risk specialists for death/TPD and disability insurance, general insurance brokers, and lawyers for deed amendments and upgrades. Armed now with a full bench of reserves, it’s time to kick some goals. G
Skeggs Goldstien Associates p | 1300 753 447 e | admin@sgapl.com.au w | www.sgapl.com.au
skeggs golds ien
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Business Advice
What Makes a Team?
Elly Beck, Practice Manager - The HR Department
Last month we covered the basics of managing employees by ensuring that your systems, processes and leadership are fair and consistent but how do we turn a group of individuals into a champion team?
reports back to the team Designer - who takes the ideas and weighs the pros and cons in relation to turning a concept into reality. They assess the practicalities of making things happen. Organiser – who turns ideas into reality by coming up with practical ways to make it work
We’ve all heard that’s there’s no “I” in team but there is a “ME”. In order to get the best out of your team it has to be about the individuals and how they can be inspired to work together for the benefit of not only themselves but the team and organisation as a whole. Each member of your team brings different attributes to the table. Understanding and valuing their individual contributions is the first step towards becoming a team. It is common that people gravitate towards those with whom they have an affinity or common ground. Therefore when you are adding to your team it is very tempting to recruit someone who is just like yourself. However if you have a team composed of the same types of people it is very difficult to gain a wider perspective to ensure you understand your customers and that your projects achieve the desired outcomes. The strength a successful team needs is balance. This is found through diversity and by managing that diversity for the benefit of all. We are not talking about gender, age, socio economic or marital status rather it is about the way in which individuals relate, prefer to work and the work strengths they bring to the table. High functioning teams cover key activities essential for high performance. Have a look at the list below and ask yourself if you have the following in your team? Visionary – who visualises new concepts for the business or is able to bring about a new approaches to existing products or services Promoter – who looks for opportunities for the business or team Researcher - who gathers information and
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Finisher – who make sure the work goes out the door Appraiser – who ensures the quality of your process and therefore project outcomes Reviewer – who ensures you consistently maintain the process standards If you have all of these areas covered with each team member complementing the skills of the other team members and understanding how to maximise the strengths of each individual the chances are high that your team will be successful. However it’s more than just covering the above mentioned skill areas. The team need to understand their colleague’s psyche. Who hasn’t worked with people who drive them mad because they need to know every element of a project or those who have a big idea but are not interested in the finer details?
exercise enables team members to understand others by looking at how you all prefer to relate with others, how you all prefer to gather and use information, how you all prefer to make decisions and how you all prefer to organise yourself and others. The benefit of undergoing this type of exercise is that it helps you understand your team and find a commonality in your approach. Misunderstandings such as perceptions, for example, about tone of voice or a perceived attitude should be rare as team members develop an appreciation of how the others in their team like to function. Team members can utilise the complementary skills of others and also gain awareness of areas where attributes are lacking to ensure that someone has it covered. It’s not only useful with your team but also when dealing with colleagues, clients, suppliers and even competitors. G
If you’d like help to understand how to get your team working together even better than they do already please give The HR Department a call.
Do you need time to consider things before contributing to discussion or do you think as you speak? Do you need facts and figures or do you decide on gut feel? Do you like planning things or flying by the seat of your pants? Understanding these contrasting styles and then working out how to bring them together is the challenge. The HR Department But how do you begin to understand how people like to work? There are numerous profiling tools to help you discover more about those you work with. One that The HR Department uses is the Margerison McCann Team Management System. Tools such as these allow you to match the individual’s preference with the demands of their job role. People are more likely to work effectively if they enjoy their work. Going through a profiling
p | 02 8850 6124 e | elly@thehrdepartment.com.au w | www.theHRdepartment.com.au
You can focus on your core business HR SUPPORT AND ADVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST
· HR Framework · HR Helpline · HR Consultants · HR Education
BENEFITS: access to skills and expertise when you need it
cost effective
The HR Department was born out of the realisation that there are thousands of small to medium business without dedicated human resources professionals to help. Statements kept arising which made it clear businesses needed help. “I spend so much time on staff problems I don’t seem to have any time for my own work” “I go home every day feeling like I’ll never catch up” “I need to reduce my costs but I can’t see how” “ I want to go back to my core business”
The answer was not to put on a permanent staff member for many reasons · fear of increasing risks in employing permanent staff · not getting the broad experience needed in the budget you can afford to employ a permanent employee
OUTSOURCING IS A PROVEN STRATEGY TO MAXIMISE BUSINESS EFFECTIVENESS
It helps: save money improve process limit exposure to risk access high level expertise ensure compliance with employment legislation
P: 02 8850 7124 The HR Department | Suite 515 | 2-8 Brookhollow Ave | Baulkham Hills | NSW 2153 www.realiseperformance.com.au Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Business Advice
How do You Manage Getting Slow-paying Debtors? Tony O’Neill - Director, Credit Management Australasia
Credit Management Australasia Pty Limited is a Business Risk Management and Leakage Prevention Company, specialising in mitigating the likelihood of debt in your business and keeping the cash in your venture!
The name of your company seems to imply that you are Debt Collectors? What image does that typically conjure? If you consider a bank statement with two columns “Credit and Debit” – which is the positive!? How do you bring about change in government without assuming your position in politics? As is with us; we have positioned ourselves squarely in this sector to fight the battle from within. This generation is clearly in financial bondage. Unpack the negative effects of debt and you’ll find it is the major cause of disassembly and dysfunction of our families, creates a great deal of suffering, depression, embarrassment, anger, anxiety, shame, stealing, cheating, abuse (be it alcoholism, verbal, physical), physical/mental health issues (76% prescribed medication by a GP), failure of business and sometimes the ultimate cost – suicide (statistically 1 in 3 considered or attempted). Debt collection has become very litigious with businesses throwing good money after bad. Doing what you’ve always done, expecting the same results is the definition of insanity. The industry has not evolved post GFC, understanding that today, increase on credit cards; equity release or increase of overdrafts is not so attainable. We have found that the primary reason why debts are not paid is because the debtor is owed money themselves. It may infer an element of delayed gratification but our view is that your debtors are our potential clients, thus encapsulating a selfperpetuating Win:Win ensuring your debtor gets paid to, in turn, release cash flow to pay you - that is simply debt mediation! The NAB business survey shows business conditions sliding to a four-year low. Why does debt seem to be so out of control in this era? That’s right; ASIC reflected 941 companies entering external administration in April,
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Kochie’s Business Builders reported that small businesses going bankrupt jumped 48% over the last 12 months and the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia (ITSA) show bankruptcies have increased around 8% in the June quarter! Many business owners have no idea how to ask for the money they are owed. The Accounts Receivable role is rarely factored into the profit margin, yet it is fast becoming a significant drain when the well publicized average time for payment of bills is approximately 52 days.
Contrastingly, ASIC sets out the steps involved in starting a company, as: • decide if a company structure is right for you • choose a company name • decide how to operate your company • understand your legal obligations as an officeholder • get the consent of those involved in your company • register your company, and understand your legal obligations regarding your company name, Australian Company Number (ACN) and Australian Business Number (ABN).
Some social commentators have suggested that industry has lost a moral understanding of simple
Industry has lost a moral understanding of simple economics in favour of profit, where irresponsible lending with extended interest free credit terms, or the need to provide ‘Credit to Compete, Credit to Survive”, has assisted in binding this generation to live beyond its’ means. economics in favour of profit, where irresponsible lending with extended interest free credit terms, or the need to provide ‘Credit to Compete, Credit to Survive”, has assisted in binding this generation to live beyond its’ means. Most of us will recall the cautionary generational advice that, if you can’t afford it don’t buy it. However, this current Generation Z, or iGeneration, is one of instant gratification and aptly adopted the Queen 1989 rebellion anthem: “I Want It All and I Want It Now!” “Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need.” - Will Rogers What is the solution, if there is one? The short answer is Education. Perhaps starting with Corporate responsibility to mitigate risk. Consider that trades such as an electrician require approximately 5 years training in order to gain certification/licensing.
Simply the Company Registration is a Licence to Thrill and perhaps a Licence to Kill: • The thrill of a title, a business card and grand idea • The ability to kill many other ventures as collateral damage of mismanagement or simply skillset deficiencies. It would be fair to suggest that whilst many business owners are great mechanics under the bonnet of their vehicle, many lack the business acumen to perform the administrative and compliancy requirements of the venture, with devastating consequences. Michael E. Gerber in the E-Myth series implied: “businesses were owned primarily by people with technical skills but few business skills.” Similarly an investment into the education of the consumer as to the consequences of nonpayment. This education of basic economics to our next generation with simple debt principles, and invoking stringent risk management policies in business, can start to turn the tide of debt.
Business Advice What is the “Ostrich Syndrome”? Obviously the head in the sand but it was something we coined to explain the typical creditor-debtor relationship in this domino economy. Simply put, the creditor is antagonised and the debtor is merely so embarrassed they adopt the classic avoidance tactic in the vain hope that their own debtors will pay them in order to pay their own bills! We recently read an article where you mention that CMA is playing its part in the eradication of global poverty? Yes, absolutely; the facade of self-importance is quickly diminished when you can get to the heart of your purpose! “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe” - Simon Sinek, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action As a Company we believe that corporately we can eradicate the likelihood of Global Poverty through the support and promotion of micro enterprise. Little known is the fact that Australia joined other nations in the year 2000 to achieve 8 measurable Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of which is aimed at halving poverty by 2015. In its simplicity; if every business in the Western
World (as at June 2012 2,141,280 active trading businesses in Australia alone) were to apply just $1,000 to outreach initiatives (micro-enterprises) we wouldn’t see such prevalent poverty statistics!
generational ventures that ultimately contribute to potentially sustainable communities.
It’s somewhat topical given the recent visit of Bill Gates and of course Richard Branson’s retweet of the announcement by the Pope on World Environment Day, “We should all remember, however, that throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry!”
Dare to Dream and bear fruit; the mundane pressures of working in the business have quashed many an entrepreneurs’ vision. As such the dream/seed is not fed and the tree dies. You cannot eat the apple seed but the harvest of the tree can feed many others.
A debated question is whether just feeding the poor brings about a greater degree of dependency? A more sustainable initiative would be the creation of self-sufficiency (including education of basic economics and practical application of micro enterprise). I think we have all heard the proverb often quoted: “Give a man a fish and he won’t starve for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he won’t starve for his entire life.”
We live in times of significant resource where Strategic Alliance Partners can provide specific expertise and depth of brand without the costly drain and pitfalls of employer obligations.
For our part; ten per cent of all our revenue, be it from our debt mediation services or purely consultancy on behalf of our clients, is applied to our Storehouse Account for dispersing specifically to Outreach/Missions globally and as such we have partnered with some great initiatives. Sometimes our clients are passionate about certain projects and we scope the viability to fit our mandate to truly remove the transference/burden of debt, release those oppressed, but more importantly to establish
Credit Management Australasia Pty Ltd
Any words of wisdom?
Without doubt the untapped business resource tool of the future is the multifaceted Strategic Partner vehicle! G
p | 1800 893 325 w | www.creditmanagementaustralasia.com e | tonyoneill@creditmanagementaustralasia. com
Keep Your Bad Debts In Cheque Struggling to get back what’s owed to you? Escape your debt blues with Credit Management Australasia. Here at Credit Management Australasia, we have an outstanding track record of recovering 100% of our clients hard earned money. We may even be able to recover debt you’ve already written off! Don’t settle for overdue business accounts. Leave it to the experts;
Call 1800 893 325 now or visit us online at www.creditmanagementaustralasia.com *Conditions apply. See www.creditmanagementaustralasia.com for more information.
HEAD OFFICE 1800 893 325 Level 29 Chifley Tower 2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000 PO Box Q1469 QVB Office Sydney NSW 1230 Australia www.creditmanagementaustralasia.com
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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Feature
The Grass is Greener Where You Water It John Watters, Executive Officer – AusSIP
Australians have long-held the belief that the grass is often greener on the other side. This viewpoint is often unfounded, but rather based upon an almost human nature of curiosity and discovery. Additionally, such a perspective reinforces a negative bias.
Negative bias is a default human perspective that can be traced back to when survival was a daily struggle against numerous elements. Curiosity often resulted in injury or even death. Today, this bias continues where we almost naturally focus on what needs to be improved, ignoring the positive. If a speaker was to walk on stage after lunch and have a small stain on their shirt, the audience would almost be drawn to the area covering perhaps two percent of the total shirt; the ninety-eight percent would be ignored. When we clean a car, there is always an observer who notices a small section that could be cleaner, often remarking ‘missed a spot’. Negative bias has served us well as humans. We have learned from experience, retold stories of challenge and struggle and protected our young from harm. At the same time, we still yearn for challenge and maintain a sense of wonder and awe. The challenge is to look for opportunities acknowledging that we are standing on a solid foundation of strengths. If we start to shift to a growth or positive mindset, then we can start to alter direction, future and outcome. A positive mindset focuses, builds and leverages from strengths to improve areas of need. In doing so, the nature of interactions and relationships is positive-focused. For instance, commenting on how a staff member has improved their performance at work and suggesting how to amplify their productivity even further, is a far more effective strategy than focusing on someone’s areas of weakness. The concept of a positive mindset is not necessarily new or ground-breaking; the application is. ‘Sandwich effects’ have long been practised as part of ongoing feedback mechanisms, where primacy and recency theories come into play. If you have ever wanted to gain favour from someone or get your own way, you probably have focused on all the great things someone has been achieving
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of late or altered behavior, before swooping in to ask for what you really want. How often have your children suddenly decided to help you around the house without being asked to, only soon afterwards to be asked if they can do something or have some financial support?
utilising language such as ‘must’, ‘will’ and ‘compulsory’. The basis for behavior is now often premised on bare minimums and demonstrated in work environments where operations and management revolve around prescriptive terms and conditions. G
If we start to shift to a growth or positive mindset, then we can start to alter direction, future and outcome. A positive mindset focuses, builds and leverages from strengths to improve areas of need. The difference between ‘crawling up’ and being sincere about positivity is sincerity and appropriateness. Being positive is not ‘happyism’. Indicating that everything is great all the time is unrealistic and unauthentic. Serious conversations need to be had and people generally like to know where they stand on particular issues. However, making negativity the basis or central issue from which everything is premised, is unlikely to achieve the desired outcome. Young people in the workplace often need a mindshift by supervisors and managers. Inexperienced workers are by default more likely to make additional mistakes than an experienced worker. Many employers have begun to adopt the concept of ‘three strikes and your in’. This is based on the idea of identifying and telling a young worker three things they have done right before focusing on a weakness. This approach reinforces better behavior and supports growth of the person and business. The grass is often greener where you water it rather than the other side. If we focus more attention on strengths, there is the ability to amplify and aggregate these to the point where the weaknesses are drowned out and people are more wiling to address them. Evidence has already suggested that aspirational company statements that focus on forward thinking and macro values increase performance. Many company policies and procedures focus on minimum standards,
AusSIP working in Alliance with BREED and Penrith SIP can assist in finding opportunities for businesses to positively engage with young people and help build a more productive workforce.
For more information on Partnership Brokers, please contact your local office listed below.
Members
Blacktown www.breed.org..au p | 9853 3200
Parramatta www.aussip.com.au p | 9633 7100
Aus SIP
explore.inspire.engage
Penrith www.schoolsindustry.com.au p | 4725 0310
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Feature
ScanMe Realty is All About You… Angelo Lambropoulos - Director, ScanMe Realty
…Do you share our Vision? “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the present state of affairs. We believe in questioning conformity to best serve you. The way we challenge conformity is by pledging an unrivalled level of client satisfaction by continually evolving the customer experience. Our business model is professionally structured to positively nurture your emotions. Whilst we specialise in residential property sales, the core of our existence is a promise to best serve our clients; it’s about giving you the knowledge, freedom and clarity we would expect if we were in your position. ... We do what we do because we care!”
Why… should you choose ScanMe Realty? If you believe what we believe, and you believe that our service can help you, then we’re right for you. If you don’t believe what we believe, and you don’t believe our service is effective, then we’re not better. It really is that simple!
Well that’s actually quite simple. We are not in the business of selling houses, we are in the business of enriching people’s lives. Anyone can sell a house, whilst only a select few can leave a positive and lasting impression, as well as maximising your financial return.
“…we have a 100% Sold clearance rate, more importantly; satisfied customers.” “We do what we do because we care”…
We take great pride in helping people move on with their lives. We don’t believe in charging our clients for poor results, poor customer service and upfront marketing fees. We take great pride in helping people move on with their lives. We don’t believe in charging our clients for poor results, poor customer service and upfront marketing fees. We will do whatever it takes to leave you happily satisfied, ‘Whatever’ in every sense of the term. Correct us if were wrong, but don’t you deserve the right advice prior to selling your property? At ScanMe, we are about educating - people just happen to sell with us because they chose too; we provide the facts, ‘You’ control the decision! We believe it’s only fair to deliver what we would expect if we were in your position.
We wouldn’t pay for poor results, so why should you? This is why we believe ScanMe Realty is the consumers’ choice, we are constantly addressing everyday concerns from your perspective. What’s the secret you ask? Our approach focuses on nurturing your financial and emotional wellbeing. We are passionate about what we believe as we sincerely hope you are too. We empower you with ‘peace of mind’ and ‘clarity.’ At ScanMe Realty, we believe home is where the heart is; “Real estate is not a game; it’s your family’s life! Best save the games for the kids!” G
What… makes ScanMe Realty different? ScanMe Realty’s business model has been designed, and will forever evolve from the hearts of our consumers. We stand by our promise, offering an unrivalled level of client satisfaction. We come to work to inspire people to do the things that inspire them by thinking differently. We ask you at least give yourselves a chance to see how we can best help you, there may also be other alternatives before you consider selling your property. We give our people the chance to make a decision based on what’s right for them, not us. You be the judge! How… does ScanMe Realty get me the best results?
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
• We will not lock you in for an industry standard 3 month agency agreement. • We will never compromise our clients’ best interests. We are here to help you! • We are not confined by franchise boundaries. • We are creative, methodical and clinical with our marketing campaigns. • We provide ‘Client Feedback Forms’ to constantly evolve our customer service standards. We listen! • Legal documentation to adequately protect you from financial harm. • We will prove every so called ‘local area specialist and buyer database theory’ wrong. • We will work with you to show you how-to-sell your own home (if you’re interested). • Everything we do is ‘black & white.’ This is just a glimpse of why…
ScanMe Realty Pty Ltd p | 02 9653 9200 e | info@scanmerealty.com.au w | www.scanmerealty.com.au
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Society & Life
United We Stand, Divided We Fall Angry Anderson
So goes the old saying and what a profound truth lives in those words, like all wisdoms that are handed down to us, through the ages, the life held within is based on the experience gathered over time that renders the wisdom true.
The principle holds true in every walk of life, family, football, any team situation you care to mention, companies, etc. in fact at every level or function of our everyday life, we stand together united, or fall because we can’t agree. The culture that has built up over the years teaches the simple but wonderfully effective methods that create this unity, it is all the evidence we need to see that the fundamental principle of unity is one of the most important truths that our civilisation is built on. As we approach this next election, the most important election of the modern era, as some are calling it and I tend to agree. Not that I don’t think that every election is important, of course, they all are but this one has an element that previous elections haven’t had in my opinion and that is the potential to divide Australia as never before. We have seen, in recent years, how Prime Ministers, Rudd and Gillard have sought, in their own way, to divide Australia, how Labor as a party seems to invite and/or encourage the dividing of our nation after all wasn’t it ‘Rudd the Dudd who caused the Flood’, as one wag that I recently met in Dapto so eloquently put it, by being the very man in his first go at being our Prime Minister, who opened our borders to all that wished to gain entry to Australia but not through proper channels? I am constantly saddened by the attempts of the Left to perpetuate the War they say exists between the so called classes, the so called unbridgeable gap between those with plenty and those with less, in my experience, this serves only the cause of those that would have us divided. I am saddened by the disgraceful assault on all that is male by the thinly veiled attack on misogyny by the then Prime Minister, it still causes me great disquiet. As I have said previously, before the
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term misogyny was so grotesquely distorted you could have said, safely, that there were few men who could be described as misogynists but now any man critical of any woman for any reason can be labelled a misogynist,.. it pits males against females who disagree on the definition,.. now isn’t that divisive?
of the Illawarra I hope to represent. Angry at the way we are being treated by those who were elected to govern us, comfort us, protect us, to make decisions for us as if it were us making those decisions but what we see, every day, are decisions we wouldn’t make if we were in their shoes,.. Now we all realise that they
I do not believe that the government has done nearly enough to protect Australian jobs by working towards a sustainable future. I cannot see where they have wisely invested in our future as a nation by encouraging and supporting Australian manufacturing. I cannot see where the sense is in throwing millions of our dollars at overseas companies to save jobs but not doing much to protect jobs here that have been lost in Australian owned companies. If we are to survive as a nation, the nation our fathers and mothers worked and fought for, we must rediscover our unity, we must elevate all that unites us as a people and defend our country against any and all that would divide us, any program, proposition or policy. As I walk the streets of the electorate of Throsby, the electorate I hope to represent after the next election, I’m constantly being made aware of just how and why many see the divides I have spoken of above, there are many in Throsby worried about their future and that of their children and I for one understand those fears because they are fears we, that they and I, share. I fear for their future, I fear for the future of this country, I fear for our way of life. The only comfort I can offer them is that we, all Australians, are in this together and that most of us share the same fears. I can and do assure them that no matter where I travel in this Australia of ours I am constantly meeting people who think and feel the same way they do and I will add, at this time, those people are as angry as I am and the people
won’t always do as we would do but for the most part we should be able to rely on them getting it right most of the time, knowing that they can’t please all of us all the time but how have they got it sooo wrong? How?.. Because they aren’t listening and they aren’t learning, you can’t do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, repeating a mistake no matter how many times is never going to give you a positive result. The two most commonly expressed concerns or fears are our economical future and immigration. When asked these days, as I often am, why did I choose to get involved in politics? my answer is simple, because I care and I believe that given the opportunity, I can make a contribution, I can make a difference. I will be one more voice that will speak for all of us who feel abandoned because, being so politically incorrect, I am a patriot,.. I love this country, my country, our country. I do not believe that the government has done
Society & Life nearly enough to protect Australian jobs by working towards a sustainable future. I cannot see where they have wisely invested in our future as a nation by encouraging and supporting Australian manufacturing. I cannot see where the sense is in throwing millions of our dollars at overseas companies to save jobs but not doing much to protect jobs here that have been lost in Australian owned companies. Why have they consistently made it harder and harder for small businesses to operate let alone survive? Small businesses are one of our most prolific employers so why the neglect and indifference to their struggle? Could it be that the only control they have over small business is workplace regulations or am I being naive? The criticism of ‘protectionism’ is levelled whenever I argue for Australian protection of Australian jobs. Well my response is that I for one would like our government do what others do and that is bring in measures to at least give our home grown worker a fighting chance. Couldn’t we, shouldn’t we be taxing the hell out of those who want to import into our market place or is that too naive? Level playing field my arse, free trade agreements my arse. We play by the rules while few if any others do... that’s what I see!
Immigration!.. We had better start getting this one right or we will go the same way so many other countries have already gone, we will become a nation divided!.. If we are to welcome people to our Australia and that’s what it is, our Australia, then it is our way of life they must adopt not theirs we must adopt. Let’s throw political correctness in the rubbish bin where it belongs. You don’t regulate to build a better society, you educate, you liberate. Free speech is Liberation! I recently spent a day with some indigenous brothers and sisters and they were pretty cranky about what they saw as the dividing of their Australia as well. We all agreed that we all need to work towards one nation, one people and one law for all. There can never be any other way if we are to be strong. A nation divided in any way is a nation weakened.
Free speech is liberation! More on this later. go your way peacefully. Go with your God. Always your friend,.. Angry
Angry Anderson AM is available for the following public speaking. Subjects covered: • personal life journey experience, overcoming obstacles along the way like his battle with alcohol and drugs, humorous anecdotal stories about his life on the international stage with his band the legendary Rose Tattoo; • inspirational messages on his ability to deal with surviving all his tribulations; • stories about his involvement in Television which introduced him to his dedication to helping others in need; • his commitment to Men’s Health; • his life long battle with depression and his dedication as ambassador, to spreading awareness regarding Prostate Cancer. Angry is also available for corporate or public and private engagements, musical entertainment – acoustic performance detailing the history in song and story of Rose Tattoo; electric performance with cover band playing a selection of rollicking rock and roll and assorted R+B favourites.
G
w | www.angryanderson.com Authorised by V. Tyson, 2 Ellis CRT, Bowral NSW 2576
Follow Angry on Twitter. @angry_angrytat
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 57 | August 2013
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