Backbencher

About four days ago, the lead story in the Sydney Morning Herald was the ban that had been lifted on duels. Yes, duels. The Queensland Government is trying to modernize the criminal code, so they lifted the ban on duels, granted you still can not challenge a duel upon someone. There also was the end to the Riot Act. This is something that America and individual stats should start looking into. I have heard some amazing laws that are still on book that haven’t been used for ages.

The next article I checked out was about fighting about the “baby bonus” that they are testing. There is a want to raise the birth rate so there will be a bonus of $4,187 per child. This is an extension to what was last past where it was only for stay at home moms, and not as much money. I have never heard of such a thing in America. I think we have a tax right off or something, but paying people to make babies to raise the birth rate, that’s just silly.

The last article was one that was posted today about 800 people facing charges for giving political donations, but not claiming them on their taxes. The people that are being charged are blaming the reporting system, and that it is not their fault that the claiming did not work. Now this sounds like something that would happen in America, and no one can deny it. Something happens all the time where there are big wigs not claiming what they have done, or working their way around the system.

I guess none of this really goes along with the lectures that we have talked about. But, I still find it rather interesting what does go on in Australia, even if I don’t understand it as well.