In eight we trust!

27 September 2022

Start the conversation

Big news in the NSW ‘Return and Earn’ bottle buy-back bulletin which reports that the State’s recycling program has met a new milestone meeting its muster of flagons, flasks and other throwaway bottles to keep off the road or in the rubbish.

“Eight billion containers have been recycled through the State’s Return and Earn network since 2017,” the managers managed in their message.

“80 per cent of adults in NSW had become involved in the scheme,” they said.

“Delivering $800 million in refunds to the people of NSW.”

8 billion containers, 80% of adults and $800M in refunds!

PS-sssst! had a congratulation for the organisation for achieving its achievement but we ‘eight’ it!

Extremely excellent congratulations however!

Fly by tickets

Sad but silent news about Parliament House in Canberra a week or so ago when the highly significant National Memorial Service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was short one attendant when Her Majesty’s Royal Australian Air Force was unable to perform its fly-past as part of the nation’s honour to the departed Queen.

“Defence regrets to announce today’s flypast over Parliament House as part of the National Memorial Service has been cancelled due to poor weather out of RAAF Base Williamtown.”

PS-sssst! hopes the next war we send our air force to is a sunny one!

Commissions on a mission?

Straying with Her Majesty’s departure, the sadness of losing Queen Elizabeth II has raised the question of where it leaves the many ‘Commissions’ and ‘Commissioners’ Her Majesty appointed for special service in the Australian community.

Commissions and commissioners, as many of us seem to forget, are among the highest appointments Australians are entitled to as they are personal, both by the Queen and the recipient, and ‘commission’ the receiver to report directly to Her Majesty over and above lower bodies such as parliaments, high courts and heads of departments.

It’s why the top tax collector, the top police officer and the top public servant for example are ‘commissioners’. They have all been personally ‘committed’ by the crown to report to without interference.

In practical terms it means members of Parliament for example, can’t vote themselves out of paying taxes, can’t vote themselves to be above the law, and, in a perfect world, can’t become involved in managing the public sector.

The question is that now Her Majesty the Queen has moved on, has her personally appointed ‘commissions gone with her?

Maybe we won’t know until King Charles issues his own commissions!

The work of working at home

To Rama Gaind’s ever busy giveaway now when the busy amongst us getaway and try their luck in Rama’s offers of free books or DVDs in the fun of the freebies.

This week Rama’s freebies are books with employment lawyer Jo Alilovic’s working-at-home guide HomeForce on its way to two lucky readers who could tell her what the book was all about.

The first pair of entrants to take up Rama’s challenge and describe the book as being all about ‘building a powerful, engaged and connected home-based team’, were Suzanna A from the Department of Home Affairs and Kate D from the national Department of Education.

Congratulations to Suzanna and Kate, and a big thanks to everyone who also took part in the challenge. The books will be on their way to their new owners very soon.

To join Rama’s rollicking and one of next week’s winners all we have to do is visit her weekly reviews of the Book Team Better Together at this PS News link and/or her also-running review of the Book Lonely Planet’s Experience Guides: Iceland at this link and give it or them the a fling of our luck.

Good luck to everyone who gives it a go!

And finally, but we hope not forever, it is with great gratitude PS-sssst! quotes another wit and wisdom word from the indubitable Philomena S of Victoria’s Department of Health to mark her brilliance.