Starting in Victoria this week where a prison was recently put under the heat of a performance audit to determine whether its prisoner rehabilitation objectives were being met and where the State’s Department of Justice and Community Safety accepted the Auditor-General’s conclusions that it could do better.
While the result was a win-win for the prisoners, the public and the body politic, it also brought to the surface a pedestrian-like shortage of creativity on the part of the undoubtedly professional Department.
Abbreviating its name to DJCS, the Department was delegated into the dark when compared to its counterpart in the capital Canberra which has an equal and almost identical organisation with an almost identical name but a totally un-identical abbreviation.
The ACT’s equivalent of DJCS is a Directorate of Justice and Community Safety, which eschews the Vic nick-name DJCS in favour of the far more affectionate JACS!
Could this mean JACS is more nimble than DJCS?
Heavenly howler
Staying with Canberra, the Federal Government’s Australian Border Force (ABF) recently delivered a warning to the community to be aware of ‘home’ COVID-19 test kits which had been intercepted coming into the country and which represented a dangerous risk to health.
The story received widespread coverage, including in PS News, where it was given an unexpected heavenly and supernatural twist until it was noticed and amended.
Quoting the Minister for the ABF, the PS News story made the point that the dodgy kits had been formally tested in Australia and found to be dangerous.
“He said the Therapeutic Gods Administration (TGA) had ruled the test kits as unapproved medical devices,” PS News’s first run said.
Luckily, an eagle eye noticed the celestial promotion imposed on the TGA, caught it and corrected it before publication.
Of course there are many Australians whose lives have been saved by the TGA and to whom the organisation isn’t just ‘Good’ but indeed could be perfectly accurately styled ‘God’!
Giving away again
Adventuring into Rama Gaind’s ever-exciting weekly giveaway now in which the good-hearted giver-awayer has not one, not two, but four copies of the life-changing lifestyle guide The Gift of Presence by Caroline Welch to send out to four lucky readers.
To take a place among the winners all we needed to do was name the four inborn abilities Ms Welch says we all possess that allow us to become more resilient and centred in our lives.
The answer was ‘presence, purpose, pivoting and pacing’ and the first correct contestants whose entries climbed out of the PS News Barrel of Booty first to scoop up the prizes were Kate W from the Western Australian Department of Transport, Greg C from the Australian Taxation Office, Christine C from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, and Jacquie S from Tasmania’s Department of Treasury and Finance.
Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who took part. The books will be on their ways to their new homes shortly
For this weeks chance to join Rama’s Army of Acquired Assets simply follow this link to our book prize and follow this link to our DVD.
Good luck!
Reading time
And for all of us who didn’t win a book prize, Barb B of the Australian Taxation Office has suggested a good read that might help us sleep in theses sleepless nights of uncertainty.
“Something to read which you may find interesting given all the happenings in the world,” Barb wrote.
“The Last Gasp” by Trevor Hoyle.
“I read it in 1984 and found him to be similar to Jules Verne’s visions of the future.”
Thanks Barb.
Ironically, we’ll arrange for a book prize to come your way for you sharing your prized book this way.
Other suggestions from other readers would be welcome. We have no limit to our irony!
Coronavirus notcho
And finally, while in the mood of maudlin, PS News has been forced to tighten its belt once again as the nation’s economic nosedive gathers speed.
Another valuable staff member –that makes two –is taking time off from PS News as the said belt takes in another notch.
Thankfully we have plenty of notches left.
Till next week……
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