Category: Australia

In 2019 National Australia Bank (NAB) was taken to court by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) for charging ongoing fees to customers for financial planning services that were not provided (Australian Securities Investment Commission, 2019a). This is one example of a larger issue within the financial services industry of companies not complying with both the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA) Code of Ethics and the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act).

FASEA Code of Conduct

Under section 921U of the Act, the standards body is responsible for creating a Code of Ethics which relevant providers are required to comply with under section 921E (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 921). In the financial advice industry that standards body is the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA). From 1 January 2020, financial advisors are required to comply with the FASEA Code of Ethics, consisting of 12 standards and which exceed the legal requirements.

Standard 2 of the Code of Ethics requires advisors to act with integrity (Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority, 2018). ASIC found that NAB had been charging ongoing fees when no financial planning services were provided. NAB was also found to have issued defective Fee Disclosure Statements (FDS), and in some cases did not issue them at all (Australian Securities Investment Commission, 2019a).

It is a requirement pursuant to section 962G of the Act that the fee recipient (financial advisor) must provide the client a FDS within a period of 60 days from the disclosure day for the arrangement (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 962). Standard 7 of the FASEA Code of Conduct requires that clients be given a clear and simple explanation of all fees and charges the advisor will receive and provide their informed consent to all renumeration arrangements (Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority, 2018). This is done in the form of a FDS, generally at the time the financial advice arrangement is entered into.

In 2012, ASIC introduced Future of Financial Advice reforms. This resulted in the amendment of the Act to include the requirement to provide an annual FDS, and an opt-in arrangement for advice (Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice Measures) Act 2012 (Cth)). Opt-in arrangements require clients to agree to ongoing fee arrangements (OFA) every two years (Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice Measures) Act 2012 (Cth)). The 2019 Royal Commission into Financial Services recommended that this be updated to require that OFAs be reviewed on an annual basis (Australian Securities Investment Commission, 2019b).

By charging clients ongoing fees when no financial service was being received, and by failing to provide clients with complete and accurate FDSs, NAB clearly breached both Standards 2 and 7 of the FASEA Code of Conduct. By failing to provide clients with FDSs, and by failing to ensure clients agree to OFAs, NAB was in direct breach of the Act.

Report 636, released by ASIC in November 2019, stated that financial planning clients could be at risk of receiving incorrect information about fees, and in some cases were charged fees even after the arrangement is terminated (Australian Securities Investment Commission, 2019b). Advisors who charge clients fees without ensuring the client fully understands what they are paying for have not acted in accordance with the FASEA Code of Ethics, and as such are not fulfilling their obligations to clients.

Fee for no service conduct is being uncovered and reported more regularly throughout the Financial Services industry as a result of the 2019 Financial Services Royal Commission. Further regulation and requirements in the industry will increase transparency and consistency regarding disclosure documentation.

Current Documentation Requirements

When entering into financial advice arrangements, clients receive what can be an overwhelming number of documents including but not limited to Financial Services Guides (FSG), Product Disclosure Statements (PDS), Fee Disclosure Statements (FDS) and Statements of Advice (SOA).

A FSG must be provided in the event that a financial service is provided to a retail client (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 941A). A PDS must be provided to clients when advisors recommend a financial product (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 1012A). A SOA must be provided when personal advice is provided to a retail client and must include the statement of advice, basis on which the advice was given, contact details of the advisor, renumeration and fee disclosures (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 946A). A FDS must be provided when there is an ongoing fee arrangement with a retail client (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 962G). This statement must include details regarding the amount of ongoing fees paid, services the client is entitled to receive, details on services actually received (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 962H).

Improving Ethical Behaviour Practices

To many people who are not financially literate, receiving this number of documents can be excessive and difficult to comprehend. I believe that financial services companies and financial advisors should work with regulatory bodies (FASEA and ASIC) to standardise disclosure documents in order to ensure consistency across the industry. This will give clients the ability to compare documents between financial services companies, and consequently make more informed decisions about the agreements they wish to enter into.

ASIC’s Regulatory Guide 245 details who must provide a FDS, how to prepare and FDS and when it must be provided (Australian Securities Investment Commission, 2017a). This guide should be reviewed regularly by advisors to ensure FDS documentation is prepared and provided to clients in accordance with regulations.

Many advisors may consider more regulated documentation a restriction within the industry; I believe it is the opposite. If documents such as the FSG, PDS and FDS were standardised, this would allow advisors to put more focus into documents such as the SOA. Additionally, it would leave less room for interpretation by clients. This would allow clients to better comprehend the services they have paid for and what they are entitled to.

Overall, I believe standardisation of required documentation would be in the best interests of the client. As a result, this would allow them to be confident that advisors are acting in their best interests, fulfilling the advisor’s duties under both the FASEA Code of Ethics and the Act.

Reference List

1. Australian Securities Investment Commission. (2011). Disclosure: Product Disclosure Statements (and other disclosure obligations) (Regulatory Guide No. 168). https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/find-a-document/regulatory-guides/rg-168-disclosure-product-disclosure-statements-and-other-disclosure-obligations/
2. Australian Securities Investment Commission. (2017a). Fee disclosure statements (Regulatory Guide No. 245). https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/find-a-document/regulatory-guides/rg-245-fee-disclosure-statements/
3. Australian Securities Investment Commission. (2017). Licensing: Financial product advisers – Conduct and disclosure (Regulatory Guide No. 175). https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/find-a-document/regulatory-guides/rg-175-licensing-financial-product-advisers-conduct-and-disclosure/
4. Australian Securities Investment Commission. (2019a). ASIC takes court action against NAB for fees for no service and fee disclosure statement failures. https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/find-a-media-release/2019-releases/19-360mr-asic-takes-court-action-against-nab-for-fees-for-no-service-and-fee-disclosure-statement-failures/
5. Australian Securities Investment Commission. (2019b). Compliance with the fee disclosure statement and renewal notice obligations (Report No. 636). https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/find-a-document/reports/rep-636-compliance-with-the-fee-disclosure-statement-and-renewal-notice-obligations/

Australia has a national and state governments and federalism refers to the relationship between these governments. Federalism is when a government divides power between the national government and the state governments.

Some advantages of federalism include that it separates powers of government to prevent one person or group to make all the rules in a society, this prevents a dictatorship. It encourages involvement from a local level because federalism allows states to create laws to suit themselves even if they wouldn’t suit another state a recent example would be the lockdown of Victoria due to covid-19. Locking down the whole of Australia would not suit anyone else but the people that live in Victoria. So, it is responsible of the Victorian government to lock down the state. People’s needs are met better with a federal government.

Some disadvantages could include the fact that federalism can be quite confusing to understand because there are so many terms to learn and history involved. various governments pass accountability for failed policies to other governments and then it is hard for a department to be held accountable. Federalism can be structured to benefit a majority demographic.

A unitary state is a governing system with a single central government, this government holds power over its subdivisions. More than 150 countries are unitary states, including the UK, France, China, and Japan.

Advantages of a unitary system include the fact that governments can move quicker with the process of decision making, final authority lies with the one government system or even one person making the decision making a quick process. Unitary governments are cheaper to run because they are a central government, they are more in control of the money management, no excess administration costs as the size of government are generally smaller.

Disadvantages would include local issues being ignored, such as there are fewer resources available to society, sometimes communities will find themselves without a representative when a local crisis gets worse, governments can be easily manipulated and more likely to lead to tyranny. Has similar features to a dictatorship.

Some of the most recent and popular examples of Australia’s state and federal governments working together is the current pandemic and the 2019 bushfires. Some other examples would be indigenous disadvantages, terrorism and gun laws. It would be very hard to contain the virus if no one was working together. The governments are working together by distributing resources. The federal government has helped state governments by providing $17.6 billion in economic support by providing funding to business to keep people in jobs. And by providing welfare to those who have lost their jobs or cannot work. They are working together to stop the spread of the virus by closing borders, providing testing for example. Both governments are working together by recording and providing information about cases, deaths and hotspots daily. The 2 governments are have provided millions for additional mental health due to the additional stress from Covid-19.

Another example would be the 2019 bushfires, again the governments worked together by providing resources, funding and accommodation for people affected. The federal government provided states with the army to help. States worked together by providing water and firefighters and other resources. Provided a $2 billion bushfire recovery fund to help rebuild communities.

To this day in Australia, there are still one in sixth Australian children and young people living in poverty. Research has shown that these young people living in a disadvantage have access to fewer educational supplies, therefore creating a major impact on their future lives. How is Australia supposed to be one of the richest countries when in reality, we’re slowly becoming one of the poorest?

The book Mao’s Last Dancer relatively tells a biography of a young Chinese peasant boy called Li Cunxin, living in unbelievable poor conditions. He’s lived his childhood life in poverty, taking effect on his educational studies. He was lucky enough to be chosen and given a chance to study ballet at the Beijing Dance Academy. Li became homesick after all the strict training, but it was all worth it. He had met many teachers and made new friends that gave him the hope and courage to move on, live his life the way he had always dreamt about.

An estimate by the Public Education Foundation revealed that Australia’s educational inequality has costed the economy $20 billion over six years. This appalling amount has led children at the low-end of Australia’s education system, to fall even further behind.

David Hetherington, the Executive Director of the Public Education Foundation, quoted, “While all cohorts have fared worse, the performance of those at the bottom has fallen by almost 50% more than those at the top, exacerbating inequality between the two ends.”

The Chinese have it similarly towards Australians. In the biography if Li, he stated that he had a small wooden box containing one pencil and an old eraser, because he couldn’t afford anything more than that.

Around 1700 Australian girls aged from 10 to 17 were surveyed on their experiences and thoughts about educational inequality. It was discovered by Plan International Australia that 98 percent of the girls believed that they were being treated unfairly. These aspects of unfairness include the uniforms for each gender costing different amounts. The data collected showed that girls in primary school feel more confident and equal, but as they got into high school, they started to feel less like that. This causes them to start dropping out of school because of their treatment.

Likewise, in the poorer areas of China, the girls were more likely to drop out of primary school, although most of the boys would continue on with their studies. Boys were considered more stronger than the girls, leaving the females to do housework all day.

Manipulating the beliefs of a young child creates bad influences. In Australia, we value respect for the freedom of speech and religion, and the equality amongst men and women… but what happens to families living in poverty? They may not have enough money or experience to support the child. Aren’t we supposed to be equal and help each other out when in need?

A cycle graph by TheSmithFamily shows that low-income families provide poorer educational outcomes for their children. When these children grow older, they will lose job opportunities with their poor resumes and employment history because of the lack of education. In the end, it resolves in impoverished life outcomes like money.

In the book Mao’s Last Dancer, Li was forced by the provided education that Chairman Mao (Chairman of the Communist party of China) was the greatest leader of all time and that China was the richest country Li could ever live in.

When Li travelled to America for 6 weeks to spread Chinese Communism. He asked himself, “All I thought of those dark, scary images of capitalist society… China’s most hated enemy… What should I believe? What communism had taught me? Or what I’d seen and experienced? Why had Chairman Mao, Madame Mao and the Chinese government told its people all those lies about America?” This proved that back then, Chinese

Communism was top priority in their country. They manipulated Li’s thoughts into thinking that America’s Capitalism “so bad” that even his parents were worried sick about him and the foreigners there.

In the end, I personally believe that the Australian government should have lower priced educational systems for younger children (i.e. primary schools and kindergartens). This way, younger children who are living in poverty can have a chance at living a better future with better education. What are the chances that if this change were to be made, Australia would have an increase in the economy system through the next years?

Bibliography

1. Hetherington, D. (2018). CEDA – Education inequality is costing Australia billions. Retrieved 13 November 2019, from https://www.ceda.com.au/Digital-hub/Blogs/CEDA-Blog/April-2018/Education-inequality-is-costing-Australia-billions#:~:targetText=Educational%20inequality%20in%20Australia%20is,move%20through%20their%20school%20years
2. Up to 98 per cent of Australian girls feel gender inequality, survey suggests. (2017). Retrieved 13 November 2019, from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/up-to-98-per-cent-of-australian-girls-feel-gender-inequality-survey-suggests
3. Cobbold, T. (2018). Australia’s Education System is Nearly the Most Unequal in the Developed World – SOS Australia. Retrieved 13 November 2019, from http://saveourschools.com.au/equity-in-education/nearly-the-most-unequal-in-the-developed-world/
4. Poverty in Australia | The Smith Family Australia. (2019). Retrieved 13 November 2019, from https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/poverty-in-australia
5. Remeikis, A. (2019). Educational inequality widening Australia’s rich-poor gap, report finds. Retrieved 13 November 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/03/educational-inequality-widening-australias-rich-poor-gap-report-finds

Paramedicine has had an interesting history within Australia. Starting with first aid troops and railway corps providing first aid since the turn of the century to rapid advancements within the industry in the late 1900’s. We have seen a shift from basic first aid training and literally just driving people to hospital, to degrees and post graduate degrees and advance life saving techniques as minimums of education and training.

With this change in basic training, so too have the protocols advanced and becoming more sophisticated. This study is the first of its kind to investigate protocols within the profession and to discover their fundamental value as decision making tools.

Paramedics within Australia have had their own protocols dating back to the 1970s’. Before that they were often using protocols developed for first aid training. After the training level of intensive care paramedic was introduced in the mid 1970’s we saw a major change in societal expectations in the provision of pre hospital care.

Many services have moved to the use of guidelines as opposed to protocols. From our understanding of the literature and listening to our participants in the interviews, we believe that guidelines are considered to have more freedom of movement and independent thought, and less like instructions than what protocols are. Protocols are stricter with regards to how they must be followed, and also are considered minimums of care.

In this thesis we used constructivist grounded theory as the methodology and built the data gathering strategy within a cyclic framework until theoretical saturation occurred. We conducted both interviews and additionally a critical analysis of the protocols to discover themes and interesting trends in the data. Interviews were conducted with paramedics, historians and ‘creators’ of the protocol documents from several states within Australia. Data collected from the critical analysis of the protocols was gathered from the protocol book itself and the three protocols of resuscitation, mental health and epilepsy are analysed in great detail.

We have identified that educational background, vocational or university, play a significant influence upon how paramedics consider their own ownership of education and consequently their ability to transition to higher levels of independence in using protocols. Additionally the scope of practice and length of service also lend themselves to trends in practice and overall decision making in using protocols.

We have also discovered how paramedics use protocols for not just treating patients, but as teaching and training tools, especially for those who are making their way through a vocational model of education. As this occurs over the career of the paramedic, more often than not, paramedics will discard their protocol book and will use it as a reference only in times where they feel they need a refresher. This can be problematic with regards to maintaining best practice and mitigating potential patient safety factors.

During the interviews and later on after analysing the protocols themselves, we demonstrate how protocols are valued by the organisation as tools to monitor paramedic performance and to meet organisational and governmental key performance indicators.

Finally in the recommendations chapter we suggest ways to develop better protocols with relation to realising how barriers and facilitators can play an impact upon decision making. Fundamental to creating ‘good’ protocols are understanding who the audience is [who they should be aimed at] and again understanding the expectations/requirements of both the paramedic and the organisation. We provide a potential framework in the development of paramedic protocols which can be tailored to the organisation.

Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. It is therefore essential that Australian society has access to the literature exploring the stories and experiences of people from multicultural backgrounds. Multicultural literature must authentically explore the challenges of people from diverse backgrounds, adjusting to a culture different from their own. ‘Growing Up Asian in Australia’ by Alice Pung is an anthology of stories that provides a thorough insight into the lived experiences, challenges, and successes of Australian people from multicultural backgrounds, particularly those of East-Asian origin. Vanessa Woods, in her story ‘Perfect Chinese Children’, cleverly uses language features to construct the setting and to represent the contrast between cultures, providing readers with an insight into the challenges faced by people with diverse cultural backgrounds. Australian society must have access to literature, like the stories from ‘Growing Up Asian in Australia’, which helps them better understand and appreciate people from multicultural backgrounds. Both people with diverse backgrounds, and the general population, must develop strong literacy skills to succeed in an increasingly multicultural Australian society.

Alice Pung, an accomplished writer of Cambodian ethnicity, is the editor of the 2008 integrationist anthology Growing Up Asian In Australia. This anthology contains a selection of short stories, poems, and personal accounts which collectively communicate the lived experiences of people from multicultural backgrounds. This anthology successfully provides sensitive insight into the stories of people from multicultural backgrounds by dismounting perpetual stereotypes, including the ‘Yellow Peril’ and the ‘model minority’, and highlighting the common humanity of Australians from multicultural backgrounds (Dempsey, 2008). Taken from various perspectives of people from multicultural backgrounds living in suburban and metropolitan Australia, this anthology focuses on themes of prejudice and discrimination, poverty and socio-economic disadvantage, and cultural identity and belonging. Vanessa Woods’ story ‘Perfect Chinese Children’ epitomizes the lived experiences and challenges of people growing up in Australia who come from a multicultural background. This story underlines Woods’ human experiences as she attempts to find belonging amidst the intense academic pressure imposed by her impoverished family, and the bullying and ostracism she suffered at school.

Woods establishes the setting using vivid imagery to provide insight into the disadvantaged living conditions of Australian people from multicultural backgrounds. ‘Perfect Chinese Children’ takes place in a cramped and inhospitable apartment in the metropolitan area of Sydney since it allows Woods to expose the poverty and economic disadvantage faced by people from multicultural backgrounds. Woods vividly describes the living conditions of her family’s residence when expressed, “The priceless antiques give this apartment the ambiance of a refugee camp” (Pung, 2008, p.114). Woods purposely details this stark and uninviting imagery to provide readers with candid insight into the disadvantaged and inequitable living conditions of Australian people from multicultural backgrounds. Woods’ insight into the setting proves critical in justifying Woods’ mother’s searing academic expectations and ambitions “to have a child who is a doctor or a lawyer” (Pung, 2008, p.220). Woods sheds light on her underprivileged living conditions to encourage readers to feel empathy towards people from multicultural backgrounds in Australia who are economically disadvantaged.

Woods’ effectively constructs social detail of the contrast between different cultures to underscore the challenges faced by people from diverse backgrounds. Woods privileges her experiences as a victim of prejudice and bullying by recounting students pulling the corners of their eyes and singing offensive rhymes going “around like wildfire” (Pung, 2008, p.118). Woods skilfully uses this imagery to teach readers about the racial segregation and systematic discrimination suffered by multicultural groups of East-Asian origin in Australian suburban schools. This social detail accentuates the social injustice that stems from deficient cultural awareness and acceptance of diversity. Woods encourages readers to empathize with her experience by detailing how facing exclusion forced her to question her place within Australian society, as portrayed by her longing to ‘escape being the human turd’ (Pung, 2008, p.119). Graham (2013) suggests this self-deprecating humor is a stereotypical Australian characteristic and henceforth emphasizes the will for people from a multicultural background to be treated fairly, despite being different from the general population. This language fuels readers with the message that marginalization resulting from racial division needs to be bridged to create an inclusive society where diversity is welcomed and accepted.

In an increasingly interconnected and multicultural society, literature is integral to understanding people from multicultural backgrounds. Bista (2012) states that multicultural literature plays a vital role in transforming society to ensure equality and social justice by providing authority and voice to minoritized societal groups. As children’s minds are impressionable, the literature they read about Australian cultural diversity shape how they perceive people from multicultural backgrounds. Research proves children’s literature exploring Asian-Australian identities demystifies multicultural Asian communities throughout Australia as they help students better understand the stories and experiences of Asian-Australian migrants (Cole & Bui, 2007). As exemplified by Woods in ‘Perfect Chinese Children’, Australian school children’s explicit marginalization and bullying of people from multicultural backgrounds arise from entrenched stereotypes and a lack of understanding of cultures other than their own. According to Guntarik (2013), multicultural Asian literature helps challenge restrictive assumptions and stereotypes about Asian culture and people and acknowledges Asia’s close relationship with Australia. Society must, thereby, have access to literature which accurately depicts the lived experiences of people from multicultural backgrounds.

Insufficient access to multicultural literature hampers Australian society’s potential to learn about the experiences of people with diverse backgrounds. Research indicates children have previously had inadequate access to culturally diverse children’s literature which reflects cultures beyond dominant white, middle-class groups (Boyd, Causey & Galda, 2014). Suppose people do not have access to sources of literature depicting the experiences of people from multicultural backgrounds. In that case, they will have a restricted understanding of how diversity is central to the growth of Australian society. An investigation concluded that students chose not to explore multicultural literature provided by school libraries as they predominately use libraries to access prescribed texts (Lafferty, 2014). This issue becomes mirrored by Woods through the discrimination and cruelty inflicted by the school children against East-Asian cultural groups; singing offensive rhymes and imitating their facial expressions (Pung, 2018, p.144). Thomas (2016) argues that people from multicultural backgrounds have been portrayed inaccurately in children’s literature throughout history. A lack of authentic multicultural literature heightens the risk of people from multicultural backgrounds being marginalized and viewed insignificantly by the general population. This reinforces the importance of authoritative and insightful literature to people from multicultural backgrounds. Limited access to multicultural literature has allowed inaccurate stereotypes of foreign cultures to perpetuate; accordingly, Australian society must have access to literature that provides them with an understanding of people from multicultural backgrounds.

Teachers need to fulfill twenty-first-century literacy demands by embedding multiliteracies to meet the learning needs of people from multicultural backgrounds. White, Mammone, and Caldwell (2015) believe bilingual multicultural students face challenges of transitioning between the languages spoken by their families and written modes of communication at school. This disadvantage preserves the literacy achievement gap between the general population and students from multicultural backgrounds, primarily those who are gradually learning the English language. A study conducted by Ollerhead (2019) concluded that teachers need to implement trans-semiotic literacy approaches through multimodal and multisensory resources to enable multicultural students to participate in literacy learning confidently. This emphasizes that traditional modes of print-based learning impede multicultural students from being able to learn literacy productively. As explored through Woods’ insight into her poverty and adverse living conditions, external factors affect multicultural students’ literacy learning. Research points out that multicultural students from low socio-economic areas are disadvantaged from insufficient access to sophisticated twenty-first-century technologies applicable to multimodal literacy learning (Walsh, Durrant & Simpson, 2015). People from multicultural backgrounds must have equitable access to multiliterate learning experiences to ensure they receive a chance of achieving the educational outcomes needed to be successful.

Multicultural literacy must be embedded in the Australian curriculum to enhance education and employment prospects for people from multicultural backgrounds. The inclusion of Asian literacy as a cross-curriculum priority is crucial for fostering different cultures and experiences which reflect the contemporary context of Australian society (Gauci & Curwood, 2017). Henderson, Allan, and Mallan (2020), corroborate this viewpoint by arguing that embedding multicultural literacy in the Australian curriculum exposes students to world views that contradict their own and allows them to think critically about different perspectives through reading literature about the diverse Australian cultural experiences. It was evident the Australian school children who discriminated against Woods had not been taught multicultural literacy which promoted the importance of treating different cultural groups harmoniously and inclusively. Woods’ underpins teaching multicultural literacy to Australian children is critical in breaking cultural barriers and developing productive and amicable relationships, thus allowing people from multicultural backgrounds to succeed and contribute to Australian society. However, a challenge to multicultural literacy is that teachers lack confidence in implementing Asian literacy as a cross-curriculum priority due to a lack of knowledge about Australia’s exclusive multicultural history (Salter & Maxwell, 2015). The implementation of multicultural literacy, therefore, affects multicultural Australian people’s ability to build the literacy skills needed to communicate with and form cooperative relationships with the general Australian population.

In her anthology ‘Growing Up Asian in Australia’, Pung has included various poems, short stories, and texts which provide insight into the human experiences of Australian people from multicultural backgrounds. Vanessa Woods’ story ‘Perfect Chinese Children’ vividly showcased the disadvantage and hardship experienced by Multicultural Australians from low-socioeconomic backgrounds by establishing the setting through her effective language choices. Woods constructed social detail of the differences between cultural groups to portray the challenges faced by Australian people from multicultural backgrounds. Society must have access to authentic and quality literature which allows them to understand better the experiences and challenges faced by people from multicultural backgrounds. Australian society must be taught literacy skills, whether it be through multiliteracy or multicultural literacy, which allows diverse cultural groups to reach their full potential. Since Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, Australian society must have access to literature and literacy learning needed to create a harmonious and productive society that provides equal chances for everyone, despite their cultural differences.

References

1. Bista, K. (2012). Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. The Educational Forum, 76(3), 317-325. doi: 10.1080/00131725.2012.682203.
2. Boyd, F., Causey, L., & Galda, L. (2015). Culturally Diverse Literature. Reading Teacher, 68(5), 378–387. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1326.
3. Cole, D., & Bui, H. (2007). Teaching Asian-Australian Identities through Literature. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 15(3), 29–38.
4. Dempsey, M. (2008). Growing Up Asian in Australia. Bookseller + Publisher Magazine, 87(8), 39.
5. Henderson, D., Allan, C., & Mallan, K. (2020). Towards Asia Literacy: The Australian Curriculum and Asian-Australian Children’s Literature. Curriculum Perspectives, 1(33), 42-51.
6. Guntarik, O. (2013). Literary Fictions: Asian Australian Writers and the Literary Imagination. Creative Industries Journal, 6(1), 5-16. doi: 10.1386/cij.6.1.5_1.
7. Gauci, R., & Curwood, J. (2017). Teaching Asia: English Pedagogy and Asia Literacy within the Australian Curriculum. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, The, 40(3), 163–173.
8. Graham, P. (2013). Alice Pung’s Growing up Asian in Australia: The Cultural Work of Anthologized Asian-Australian Narratives of Childhood. Prose Studies, 35(1), 67-83. doi: 10.1080/01440357.2013.781412.
9. Lafferty, K. (2014). ‘What Are You Reading?’: How School Libraries Can Promote Racial Diversity in Multicultural Literature. Multicultural Perspectives, 16(4), 203-209. doi 10.1080/15210960.2014.951888.
10. Ollerhead, S. (2019). Teaching across Semiotic Modes with Multilingual Learners: Trans Languaging in an Australian Classroom. Language and Education: Translingual and Trans modal Complexity and Innovation in English-Language-Dominant Southern Schooling, 33(2), 106–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2018.1516780.
11. Pung, A. (2008). Growing Up Asian in Australia. Black Inc.
12. Salter, P., & Maxwell, J. (2015). The Inherent Vulnerability of the Australian Curriculum’s Cross-Curriculum Priorities. Critical Studies in Education, 57(3), 296-312. doi: 10.1080/17508487.2015.1070363.
13. Thomas, E. (2016). Stories Still Matter: Rethinking the Role of Diverse Children’s Literature Today. Language Arts, 94(2), 112–119. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1835329714/
14. Walsh, M., Durrant, C., & Simpson, A. (2015). Moving in a Multimodal Landscape: Examining 21st Century Pedagogy for Multicultural and Multilingual Students. English in Australia, 50(1), 67–76.
15. White, P., Mammone, G., & Caldwell, D. (2015). Linguistically Based Inequality, Multilingual Education and a Genre-Based Literacy Development Pedagogy: Insights from the Australian Experience. Language and Education: Language in Epistemic Access: Mobilising Multilingualism and Literacy Development for More Equitable Education in South Africa, 29(3), 256–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2014.994527.

In recent years, pizza has evolved from being just ‘party food’ to being an ‘any-day-of-the-week’ food. In Melbourne, we have seen pizzerias mushrooming left, right and center with pizza becoming a go-to meal choice for people, no matter the occasion. Pizza toppings and flavors are more diverse now than they have ever been. This means that there is something for everyone – from those who enjoy a good old plain Margherita pizza to those who prefer the punch that is found in gourmet flavors. However, this also means that we cannot base this discussion on what toppings people prefer, seeing as each opinion would be centered on personal preference. Instead, we need to focus on more objective factors that cut across the board of all pizza types and flavors.

Fresh ingredients, great sauce and toppings make a great pizza in Melbourne. One cannot overstate the importance of making use of fresh ingredients when trying to make a great pizza. This holds true for the base, as well as the toppings used. Many people are now rightfully concerned about where the state of the ingredients that are used in making the pizzas that they purchase. It is with this in mind that pizzerias that want an edge over their competition prepare fresh bases every day. Toppings should also be brought in fresh from the source and stored well to retain maximum freshness. This goes a long way in preparing the savory pizzas that we all love.

Great sauce will go a long way in making a great pizza. It adds a zing to the pizza and without it, pizza can be perceived as flavorless. However, even sauces come in different flavors, ranging from extra tart to sweet. While everyone has their own taste when it comes to the strength or mildness of the sauce, it is generally agreed upon that sauces can make or break your pizza. A good-quality and great-tasting sauce is therefore paramount when making great pizza.

There are three main things to consider when discussing pizza toppings: the freshness, the uniqueness, and the quantity. The importance of the freshness of the toppings must be emphasized. Many pizzerias actually offer the option of building your own pizza. This means that you can get as imaginative as you want when deciding the types of topping you want on your pizza. From the different kinds of meat, seafood, as well as vegan options, one can really go crazy with their pizza toppings.

However, the rule of thumb when it comes to great pizza is ‘less is more’. This fundamental rule has formed the backbone of pizza-making among many pizza chefs in Melbourne. The quantity of toppings is also important as more toppings mean a richer, fuller taste, which is what you really want to go for when making great pizza.

It is important to note that great pizza need not be expensive. Even more important is the consistency of the pizzeria. In Melbourne, pizza lovers want pizza that is fresh, affordable, with the guarantee that they will get the same great tasting pizza every time they come back for another box. These are the key ingredients of great pizza in Melbourne.

I enjoy traveling around the world. Beyond the fact that I really enjoy the change of scenery, getting to know about other cultures is very interesting. The beautiful diversity that unites humanity makes me desire to experience the cultures of other people. Australia is a country that I would definitely like to visit someday.

Australia is a country that comprises the continent of Australia, the island of Tasmania, and some smaller islands that surround the mainland of the Australian continent. Australia is a multicultural society with various religious practices and lifestyles. The effect of cultural transplantation is very obvious in Australia as almost every city portrays cultures that are typical to other parts of the world, like Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Australia is famous for its plenteous natural attractions, ranging from its exotic animals to the beautiful water bodies that display colorful marine life. Even more, the awesome constructions in the cities cannot be ignored. In Australia, there are large regions of dry land that cover most of the places located in the center of Australia. These dry lands are called the Outback. The Outback features a wide variety of flora and fauna, making it a favorite tourist destination and a major location for wildlife expeditions and documentaries.

One of the things that drives me to visit this beautiful country is the Great Barrier Reef. This is the biggest coral reef that exists on this planet, with over 2900 reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland. There is no single living structure in the world that is as big as it. The size of the barrier reef is so immense that it can be seen from space. It is so extraordinary that it was listed among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. When you visit the Great Barrier Reef, you get to observe the beautiful colors of these reefs in their fullness. In addition, the body of water around the reef contains different sea creatures swimming in the beautiful network of colors projected by the corals, which are graceful ornaments on the reefs. I know that a visit to the Great Barrier Reef will definitely blow me away with its terrific natural beauty.

Sydney Harbor is another reason why. In the location, there are two breathtaking sites that everyone must see — the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The Sydney Opera House is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World as it is a very popular landmark in the world. The Sydney Harbor Bridge is a beautiful and iconic site with a very dramatic appearance. This bridge is the tallest steel arch bridge in the world. The highest point of the bridge’s arch is approximately 440 feet above sea level. From that highest point, the uninterrupted view of Sydney Harbor must be pleasurable, satisfying, and wholesomely gratifying.

Australia’s wildlife is unique. Certain animals are native to Australia, and this simply means that you never get to see these animals in the wild except in Australia. In other parts of the world, they are mostly in zoos and confinements, however, that reduces the fun of seeing the animals in their primordial state and habitat. The kangaroo, for example, is an animal that is rarely found outside Australia, therefore, it is an animal that draws the attention of tourists greatly, including me. Watching these animals interact with their natural environment is a very interesting experience I would love to have.

Concerning surfing, Australia is one of the famous destinations, as it is surrounded by a body of water. Surfing has become a very popular activity in Australia that everyone wants to participate in. As a surfer, I would really like to take advantage of the incomparable Australian wave and have a fun time surfing.

And the final reason why I would like to visit Australia is its pink lakes. They are so beautiful to the eyes, but if you have never seen them, you may find it difficult to believe that they are real. Owing to the effects of the algae on the salt lake, the color of the late turns pink. Sometimes, the colors of the lakes change from bubblegum pink to lilac, at certain times of the year. To see such beauty, I believe, is amazing.

The peculiar beauty that Australia has to offer has made it one of the most visited countries for leisure and sightseeing. Certainly, this is a country that I would very much like to visit someday.

Introduction

In relation to the context of Australia, it can be mentioned that ethical codes and conducts can support workplace management. IT can help to mitigate the dilemma within a workplace. Based on six codes of ethics, it can provide support to professional conduct in the job roles of ICT. This study discussed a real-life case study to explain ethical dilemma.

Description of the incident

One.Tel is considered as such a company which has achieved second position in Australian telecommunication business. This study can be mentioned the case of this organisation which can raise issue related to professional behaviour as well as the ethics of information technology. On the other hand, there is ethical issue regarding management system of One.Tel Limited. IT failure of this organisation can be mentioned to support possible risks in relation to the codes of ACS professionals (Avison and Wilson, 2017). In relation to the euphoric atmosphere within the business organisation of One.Tel, the system developers acquired high status as well as reputation. On the other hand, new functionality is required in relation to the case study One.Tel Limited. The project development team produced an efficient employee who can workday and night to get effective as well as productive result. However, documentations, standards and specifications suffered in the atmosphere.

Most importantly, it can be mentioned that lack of discipline is understandable as well as not usual at the stage of IT development. The process of billing system can be mentioned as it is a problematic factor within this organisation. Like all the companies, One.Tel Limited is dependent unfailing timeliness as well as accuracy of the cash flow system. On the other hand, some serious flaws in relation to the billing system can be considered as ethical issues. The accountant of this organisation has raised questions related to accounting systems. The serious accountant opined that there is no accounting system, no controls and no processes. Then, David Barnes who is the group financial controller resigned (Avison and Wilson, 2017). He claimed that he was not prepared to do the activities which his boss has suggested. This process is completely unethical to David. Thus, it can be mentioned that this can be considered as weak business ethics in relation to the context of ACS codes of ethics.

Identifying the ethical issue

As per the ACS codes in relation to ACS constitution, the members of ACS must uphold dignity, honour and effectiveness. As per the first code of ACS codes, the primacy of the public interest can be mentioned which can explain the ethical issues, in relation to the case of One.Tel, professionalism can be considered as a factor which can help to make the codes stronger. In relation to this case study, David, one of the employees of this organisation resigned as the supervision of his boss and the way of forcing him was unethical to him (Avison and Wilson, 2007). Thus, it can be mentioned as ethical issue in relation to ICT and ACS code of conducts. The process of representation of knowledge, services as well as skills can be considered as an ethical code under the standards of ACS.

Explaining the ICT profession or the activity involved with the case

In relation to the case of One.Tel Limited, it can be mentioned that the basic problem of this organisation is IT failure. It has been observed that IT failure can be considered as involvement of the ICT activities or profession. The failure of billing system can be considered as an issue under ICT profession. The aspects of Australian telecommunication organisation can show importance of ICT profession which can help to improve quality of customer services. The ethical aspects within this organisation has breached while senior accountant has raised questions related to financial operations within the business. The problem related to billing system can be considered as an indicator.

According to the speech as well as advice of the senior accountant, the group financial controller resigned as he thinks the process of advising is unethical within the organisation. In relation to the code of ethics and the report of the IT staff, it has been identified that the system is not strong (Robbins et al. 2015). On the other hand, the bonus which is applied to IT development employee was linked to the delivered code.

Discussing ACS code of ethics along with associated requirements which can be applied to the situation

It can be mentioned that the primacy of the public interest is the first code among the six codes of ACS standards. This code can be placed based on the sectional interests. On the other hand, it is important to mention the case of One.Tel Limited which can explain these codes in relation to the requirements. It can be mentioned that the process of enhancing quality of life can enhance quality of life. In case of One.Tel Limited, proper behavioural approach of the staffs to other employees can help to improve the process of maintaining quality of performance within a workplace (Australian Computer Society, 2014). As per the views of Naseer (2017), honesty can represent skills as well as knowledge and services.

In this case, honesty and competency can help to support the work process for the stakeholders. Professional development can be mentioned as a code of the ACS standards which can help to improve quality of performance. Professionalism is mentioned as most important codes of ethics within an organisation (Tavani, 2004). In case of One.Tel Limited, the issues related to professionalism have been observed as the senior accountant behaved improper with the other employees. On the other hand, while David one of the financial controllers resigned it shows professionalism of him (Australian Computer Society, 2014).

Conclusion

This study has focused on importance of ethical codes in relation to ACR standards. On the other hand, in relation to ICT profession or the activities, this study has focused on analysing the case of One.Tel Limited.

In my first topic of two i have chosen arguably one of Australia’s most famous traits “AFL”, when people think of Australia people think of absurd stereotypes like “riding a kangaroo” and always having a “shrimp on the barbie” and one of the very few stereotypes everyone “loves AFL” and AFL was a sport that really transformed Australia into a prestigious country.

Football was created in 1857 by a man named Tom willis Football was advocated in the winter, football was a way of keeping cricketers fit during the off-season. on August 7, 1858, the year of the code’s first recorded match between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar (Scores Unknown) Throughout the next few decades teams started to develop starting with gelong in 1859 and then later on the tigers in 1908, in 1925 there were 12 teams that would have been unchanged until 1987 when the competition expanded to include the West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears. By 1997, the competition comprised 16 clubs after Adelaide in 1991, Fremantle in 1991, and Port Adelaide in 1997, In 2011 the Gold Coast Suns joined the competition, followed by the Greater Western Sydney Giants, creating the 18-team national competition we see today.

Football reflects countless aspects of Australia’s identity such as “Mateship, companionship, love” and more, the way Football reflects to mateship by bringing people together to support their team of chose, football is a key part of Australia’s ecosystem by making absorbed friendships or relationships or bring you and your family closer together. Football also brings love into this nation as it helps people find something they truly enjoy that may be sitting down at night by with your loved ones or by yourself and enjoy a game with a cold VB and a fourteen twenty pie. Football has not only give positives to this nation as a whole it has also given many negatives like “Enemies, Hatred, loss”, Football can lead into many negative traits about Australia, football has given Australia the privilege to watch such a hard sport and Australians can take that for granted and call other sports “Piss week, a pussy sport” or many other names. We still many of these features in today’s Australia with families getting together to watch sports to support their favourite team and heckle their least favourite

One of the main factors AFL has endured through such time in Australia and still thriving is the love it brings this glorious nation and the meaning it gives each individual to embark on a journey with their teams through every season, afl helps Australian unite as one to bring happiness to one another and through the thick and thin has helped formed Australia’s image to this day.

I have decided to choose frederick McCubbin as one of my two Australia cultural identity topics,I have chosen frederick because we have brushed over him in the past with an assignment similar to this and his stories he portrays in his art which really reached out to me and i really saw the true deeper meaning in his art.

Frederick was one of Australia’s first painters as his one of his first nationalised painting were created around christmas in Australia called “Gathering Mistletoe” witch was created in 1889 , as depicted in this image it shows 5 people gathering “Mistletoe” as a collective. The painting really shows the meaning of “Mateship” witch is one of australia key traits as it is portrayed a group of people working together to achieve an outcome together, many of fredericks painting portrays many of Australia’s key traits in many different ways as he saw Australia as its own art piece and placed it on a smaller canvas, Fredericks work brought a new trait to Australia in Creativity as his work was well known locally and internationally. We still see many of the traits frederick made Australia well known for today with Australia’s creativity in abstract art or public graffiti walls such as (Hoiser lane and ACDC lane) these features were inspired by some of frederick’s original art pieces. Fredericks legacy will live on through the ages as what he has formed Australia into is unmatched and will never be forgotten, and thats how frederick McCubbin helped form Australia’s National Identity.

It is one of the world’s most prevalent violations against human rights, and one that affects millions of families in Australia. I am not talking about gun violence or random assaults, but a crime that literally happens behind closed doors. Violence against women and children is a crime against the most basic values of humanity, yet it remains taboo issue in our society. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of Cineplex. I am honored to represent Save the Children here to campaign for this advertisement segment. The subject that I’m going to talk about is domestic and family violence, and I will be explaining why Save the Children is the most deserving of acknowledgement. I will be going over three points: the work Save the Children has been doing in Australia, the impacts of family violence, and finally, what we can do to help women and children rebuild their lives.

To begin with, you may be aware of the tremendous impact Save the children have on the lives of millions of children supported by our nonprofit community. For nearly a century, we have strived to create a world where every child has a safe and happy childhood, the opportunity to learn, and to reach their full potential. We are dedicated to bettering the lives of children in all states and territories of Australia, with programs like the Children’s Wellbeing Initiative and Hands on Learning. We have worked with over 20,000 Australian children in 2018 alone. We recognize the special place they have in our society because of their vulnerability and need for protection. It is reason that our charity is working tirelessly to ensure that all Australian children has the capacity, conviction and confidence to thrive and to flourish.

Now, I’d like to discuss the importance our domestic and family violence shelters here in Queensland. The vast majority of us probably think, “This is horrible, but it’s not something that affects me or the people I know.” Well, ladies and gentlemen, according to Australia’s National Research Organization for Women’s Safety, up to an astonishingly 30% of parents experience some of domestic violence. Moreover, nearly 80% of those incidents have been in the presence of their children. Two of the main reasons that prevents women from leaving an abusive relationship is having no place to go and worry about how it will impact their kids. That’s where we can help, by providing them with a safe environment. We understand not only the horror for the female victims, but also what the children experience. No child should ever have to to found cowering in a corner, clutching a wound and claiming that it was self-inflicted out of fear. No child should have to live in en endless cycle of impunity and hopelessness. And most importantly, no child should have to accept violence as normal or justified, because that is how it becomes affliction that will plague us for generations to come. In 2018, we were able provide our services to 1200 people by giving them a place to relax, receive help, and replan their future. Therefore, our shelters are not only places that provide food and a bed, but a necessity that gives people the chance of a new life and new opportunities.

And finally, this is what you can do help our cause. Firstly, your advertisements will allow to raise awareness of these atrocious acts of violence and stop it from being something we avoid discussing out of fear or insecurity. Secondly, with the help of Cineplex’s patrons, we will be able to take action against domestic violence. Even a small donation of only $20 dollars on our website is a significant contribution to supporting our facilities. Now is the time for st=ronger action. Eradicating this pest that has infested our society is not an impossible feat it we refuse to let it become we condone because of our own weakness.

In conclusion, it is clear that Save the Children and the issue we address is the most deserving of recognition. It lies on all of us, of the people in Australia, to end this silent war that has lead to the injury of 5 people in the time I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to you today. Please remember this: a bruise may last a week, a cut a month. But the wounds caused by family violence lasts a lifetime. So I ask: Will you be the one to make a difference?