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Australians destination of choice is New Zealand - latest statistics show!

Australians destination of choice is New Zealand - latest statistics show!

It's not Britain, Canada or the United States but New Zealand as the top destination for those Aussies leaving permanently.

Last year 13,915 Australians stated they intended to settle in New Zealand. During the same period 19,003 New Zealanders moved to Australia.

A total of 67,853 people left Australia permanently during the 2005-2006, up from 62,606 the previous year and 59,078 in 2003-2004, Australian Immigration Department figures showed recently.

Britain was the second most popular destinations for Australians(12,040), followed by the United States(6,987), Hong Kong(5,379), China(3,952), and Singapore(3,600).

However,one in five migrants to Australia were from Britain.

The latest statistics highlighted Australia's popularity as a migration destination.

Increased immigration and emigration showed the global labour market was becoming more competitive every year.

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Public praise by Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, for New Zealand volunteer fire-fighters has been appreciated!

 

Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has praised the courage of New Zealand volunteer fire-fighters who have left their homes and families two thousand miles away and are providing support for their badly overworked Australian colleagues in their combined campaign against Victorian bushfires.

Mr Howard said "their willingness to support the firefighting effort, which is not without risk to those who have left the comfort of family and friends to join the fight against this latest menace, is proof of the strong bond between our two nations...on behalf of the Australian government and all Australians - and particularly those communities affected by these terrible bushfires -I extend my gratitude and sincere thanks for their efforts".

As a New Zealander I'm sure our brave lads have been touched and embodied with the spirit of Anzac and what that means. Most Aussies and Kiwis understand that I'm sure. We New Zealanders live in a climate where a major earthquake and potential disaster is a possibility any day of the week - we would be reliant on the rapid help and support we would need from Australia.We thank Mr Howard's public recognition, I'm sure that means a lot to our men.

Like cousins anywhere, we poke the proverbial borax at each other, especially in sporting exchangess. But when the chips are down I doubt if there are two closer nations, despite the differences we may have in some areas.

Just in recent hours we have learned that a number of Kiwi firefighters had an extremely close shave, having to dive into a ditch to avoid a firey inferno. Eleven rural fighters were injured, three seriously , when fire raced up a gully and forced them into the ditch as the flames roared over them.I believe that most of the men have left hospital after treatment for serious burns, apart from the one serious case where the man had facial burns and breathing problems.

Fellow Kiwi firefighters of the injured men are back on the job and more determined as ever to halt blazes over an area of 680,000 hectares.I will update this story when more news is available about the condition of the injured men.

Apart from one of the men who was seriously burned about the face and hands, most have recovered and are ready to go back to work fighting the fires; they should be joined by up to fifty more volunteers in the New Year.

The Fijian coup is a grim reality - it really is about political power, money and corruption - Gun-power, money and corruption!

The Fijian coup is now a grim reality and will not help the average Fijian - this is all about political power, money and corruption. Who are the shadowy figures behind the scene - the real corrupt ones?

Probably for the first time it wasn't really racially inspired with the intent of removing Indo- Fijians from power.The motive appears to be around a corrupt administration? Gun-power, money and corruption! Who are the shadowy figures behind the scenes?

The leader of the Fijian Defence Force, Commodore Bainimarama finally took over power at the point of a gun - after days of a "phoney war" - the takeover was actually delayed until after a rugby game between the Army and the Police. The farcical almost Disney- like situation became grim reality. Now comes the reality of the corruption, money and political power seekers!

The Prime Minister was deposed, put under house arrest and the administration was sacked and given a month's salary. Soldiers stormed the gate of the PM's house and demanded the keys to his official vehicles. He has fled to his home island by private plane, after refusing a ride home by boat from the military. Do you blame him?

Commodore Bainimarama has appointed a 77 year old Army doctor with no political experience as acting prime minister. The doctor has accepted the possibility of future actions because of their illegal actions, but he was quite philosophical about things and mentioned his age - 77 years. A new administration will be appointed soon.Then we will see the source of the corruption, the money- men and the political power seekers!

There is a defiant mood emanating from this bunch of rebels: New Zealand, probably Fiji's closest friend, has been told to mind their business; New Zealand, along with Britain and Australia have threatened withdrawal of all aid. All Fijian military, their families and sports teams (apart from the international IRB sanctioned New Zealand Sevens tournament in Wellington, early in 2007)have been banned! Some military personnel and their families have already been deported.The United Nations could dismiss the Fijian peacekeepers around the globe. This would have economic ramifications in the future for that country, because it is a significant proportion of their income. Just where will the money come from then? Indonesia, Taiwan or China?

As if to put the economic boot into Fiji, the owners of a privately owned Gold Mine in Fiji which employs 1,700 people, have announced the closure of the mine because it is no longer economically viable; and had nothing to do with the political situation in that country; actually I think it does have something to do with the existing corruption, the money-men and the political power seekers. The Commonwealth Secretary-General has stated that Fiji would be dismissed from membership of that body in the near future, unless the situation improved quickly.

It is,indeed, a sad day in paradise. The tourist promotion used to say: "Fiji, the way the world should be!" Yeah right! Now welcome to a classic example of a banana state? Gun-power, money and corruption!

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Your dear old Mum may have been wrong - slouching in your seat may be alright!

 

Your dear old Mum may have been wrong - slouching in your seat may be alright.You may be able to put money on that too!

Were you told to sit up, stiffbacked and upright - because its good for your bones, posture, digestion, health and your alertness!

Using a new form of magnetic resonance imaging(MIR)British radiologists have found that sitting up straight is not good for your health after all because it puts unnecessary strain on the spine, and could cause chronic back pain from trapped nerves or slipped discs.

An ideal way for office workers is a reclined angle of about 135 degrees - it may be impractical to actually work at computers that way,but it puts less pressure on the spine than sitting hunched up.

The study at Aberdeen's Woodend Hospital involved 22 healthy volunteers with no history of back pain or surgery.

Their posture was adjusted while being scanned by a mobile MRI machine assuming three different positions: a slouch,the body hunched over a desk or video game console, and a relaxed position reclining at 135 degrees but with feet flat on the floor.

Radiologists found the rest position best preserved the spine's natural shape.The study author said that pressure on the spine misaligned it.The sitting position was proved to be the best biomechanical position in the study, which was presented to the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.

Back pain causes one in six lost days off work - about 80% of Britons have it at some stage in their life - particularly in middle age.

There could well be similar results in North America and Australasia if such studies were held there.