Nation to Be Smoke-Free - Article Example

AAP (2007, 6 Sept Call for nation to be smoke free in 10 years. Sydney Morning Herald. Several health organizations in Australia are agitating forthe passage of anti-smoking legislature, designed to transform Australia into a smoke-free country within a decade. Pointing to the example of New Zealand, the campaigners contend that the proposal is not at all unrealistic and that federal and state governmental commitment can realise the identified objective. The transformation of Australia into a smoke-free society cannot be realised without the backing of both the public and legislators. It entails the passage of laws which prohibit smoking in public/closed spaces and places. Given that laws are passed in Parliament by MPs, it is only realistic to argue that members of parliament will look towards their constituents before they vote for the passage of an anti-smoking bill into legislature. As may be deduced from the foregoing, there are three primary stakeholders here. These are the smokers, society at large and importantly, the tobacco industry. A secondary stakeholder is the hospitality industry. Smoke-free legislature means that smoking will be prohibited in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and places of entertainment in general. Within the context of the stated, it may be assumed that both the tobacco and the hospitality industry will not support such a legislature but, given the proven outcomes of smoking, will not publicly oppose it either. Proceeding from the above stated, one can conclude that the legislatures in question will be passed and that Australia will be transformed into a smoke-free society. AAP (2007, 18 Oct.) Cocktail of drugs in ex-teammates' body. Sydney Morning Herald. Drug laws, as this article indicates, are ineffective as a deterrent to drug use. This is evidenced in the fact that the former West Coast Eagles star recently died from a drug overdose. The death of Mainwright, in itself, is not the issue as much as is the failure of drug laws to eliminate the problem of drug use. A consideration of the fact that the primary stakeholder in this is society itself highlights both the complexity and the seriousness of this problem. Society is simultaneously the drug user and the victim. Members therein use drugs and the effect of their addiction is not confined to their own selves but expands to include society which is subsequently vulnerable to an entire array of crimes which are motivated by drug-use. A critical consideration of the above leads to two conclusions. The first is that drug laws have proven an ineffective deterrent and the second is that the current drug laws need to be overhauled and include stricter punitive measures for drug users and sellers. The hospitality industry has a pivotal role to play in the war on drugs and the enforcement of drug policies. This is because their premises, especially nightclubs, are often exploited as a venue for selling and using. The industry needs to be more vigilant and the law should compel them to be so through their penalisation, including revocation of licenses, if their premises are regularly used for such activities. Anon (2007, 20 Oct.) Workplace ads backfire: Survey. Sydney Morning Herald. Employment laws and legislature are designed to outline the rights and responsibilities of both employees and employers. Needless to say, the relationship between these two stakeholder groups sometimes tends towards the contentious and as a means for re-adjusting the relationship and maximising the possibilities of harmonious cooperation, laws are readjusted, if not completely overhauled and redesigned. Readjustment of employment laws, practices and policies is, in itself, a positive strategy insofar as it determines to ensure that the stated remain relevant to the ever-changing external politico-economic environment. Even though legislative readjustments are often required, that does not mean that they do not meet with resistance from the two stakeholders. Recent readjustments, despite government ads designed to motivate public support, met with precisely such resistance. The reason lies in that the labour market, one of the stakeholders, interpreted these ads as catering to the other stakeholder, the industry. Insofar as the outcome of this legal issue is concerned, it will probably be compromise between the two stakeholders. Anon (2007, 17 Oct.) Stolen BMW link in knife holdup. Daily. Needless to say, assault and robbery, not to mention aggravated assault, are illegal and considered serious transgressions of the law. They function as a direct threat to societal safety and wellbeing. Added to that, the rate of crime in any city directly impacts upon the economy in various ways, including through hospitality and tourism industry revenues. Accordingly, it is hardly surprising that law enforcement take a serious stand against the series of aggravated robberies which recently took place in the city. It is important to note here that one of the places which was targeted by the robbers was a hotel. This is important for two reasons. In the first place, it negatively impacts upon the industry and, in the second place, calls into question the duties and responsibilities which the industry owes its clientele/users. While the hospitality industry cannot ensure the wellbeing and safety of their guests, they should take appropriate measures to maximise wellbeing and safety and to minimize harms. As far as hotels are concerned, they should do so through internal security procedures and policies. Given that the case in question involved the breaking of a door and the subsequently robbery of the room, it can be surmised that they were no security procedures in place or else the perpetrators would have been stopped prior to the successful conclusion of their criminal activities. The stated directly impacts both the industry and its users precisely because it calls into question the extent of a hotel's responsibilities towards its guests. From a personal perspective, if guests do not believe that the hotel in question is exercising all possible measures to ensure their safety, they will not use its services. Therefore, it is incumbent upon industry stakeholders to take appropriate measures to ensure the stated. Dasey, D. (2007, 19 Aug.) Man's heart stops after Red Bull overdose. Sydney Morning Herald. The food and bevarges industry, arguably a part of, or at least very closely linked to, the hospitality industry, has a set of critical responsibilities towards the public it serves. Amongst these responsibilities are to ensure that the goods they sell are safe and that if they pose any health risks, that these risks are clearly stated. In brief, the industry has a duty and obligation to inform the public of the consequences of consuming their goods. Laws and legislatures have imposed the said responsibility upon the tobacco industry, forcing them to print warning labels on their products and restrict sales to minors. The rising popularity of energy drinks has pushed a number of problems to the forefront. These problems directly tie in with growing evidence regarding the negative health consequences of consuming more than a certain limit of these beverages and the responsibility of public disclosure. The recent case of a young man's heart stopping after consumption of several Red Bulls, despite his having no history of heart problems underscores the seriousness of the issue. The primary stakeholders in this case, the food and beverages industry and the public, must reassess the evidence pertaining to the effects of energy drink consumption. This requires that the second agitate for full disclosure of information and the first for compliance with existing laws regarding the citation of any potential health risks associated with consumption. In brief, explicit warning labels are needed and the stated is in compliance with current legislature. Accordingly, the assumed outcome is governmental support of warning labels. Smith, A. (2007, 24 Aug.) Moore fails to convince liberals on liquor law. The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 16. Australia's current liquor laws are seemingly founded on the belief that alcohol is a threat to social wellbeing and societal welfare. Accordingly, liquor laws in Sydney seek to control the availability of alcohol through two strategies. The first is exorbitant liquor licensing fees and the second is a limitation on the types of places and outlets which can serve alcohol. Sydney's Lord Mayor believes that these laws quite effectively constrain nightlife in Sydney and, in a very real sense, limit the profit-making potential of the hospitality industry in Sydney, on the one hand, and constrains the capacity of the city to evolve into a prime urban tourism destination, as is Paris and other European cities. On the basis of the stated, the Lord Mayor, who is also the MP for Sydney, plans to introduce a bill into Parliament which will achieve the stated objectives through the overhauling of the current licensing restrictions. As may be deduced from the above, the main legal issue is liquor legislature in Sydney and the minor legal issue is the role of legislature in the control of social behaviour. As quite explicitly stated in the article, and as the opponents of the proposed legislature contend, were restrictions on liquor licensing to relax, alcoholism, youth crime and anti-social behavioural trends could all experience an increase. In other words, the assumption here is that the outcomes of such a bill, if allowed to pass into legislature, are negative. Within the context of the stated, and especially when considering that the stakeholder is not simply the hospitality industry but society itself, it is doubtful that the proposed bill will experience an easy passage through Parliament. Smith, A. (2007, 4 Sept.) Delays a better measure of rail service, says regulator. Sydney Morning Herald. While rails do not constitute a part of the hospitality industry but the transportation industry, there is little doubt that they have a tremendous impact upon the hospitality industry. Apart from the fact that employees may very well rely on them for work transportation purposes, rail transportation is popular among tourists. Therefore, the unreliability of the service could very well impact upon the hospitality industry. As regards the relevant laws, the fact is that a rail ticket may be interpreted as a contract between the service user and the service provider. The service user pays a specific prise in order to reach a specific destination at a specific time. Delays, therefore, may be interpreted as a violation of this agreement and, if delays are regular and extended, they may have economic repercussions on the service user. Within the context of the stated, the government is launching an inquiry for the purpose of evaluating the situation and resolving the apparent conflict between the primary stakeholders - the service providers and the service users. The outcome of the above situation is impossible to assess, however, as the results of the inquiry are undetermined as of yet. Marriner, C. and Levitt, C. (2007, 22 Aug.) Judge: Minister wrong on visa. The Sydney Morning Herald. A significant number of hospitality industry employees are in Australia through work visas which they were granted on the basis of their skills. The country's hospital and hotels, to name but two of the types of entities within this industry, are Asian. It is important to emphasise here that irrespective of nationality, their status in the country is legal and that their visas and work permits were issued following investigations into their backgrounds. The question here pertains to legal courses of action should it later be discovered that the employee in question has terror connections or had concealed something in his background. When such an incident unfolded, the Minister of Immigration revoked a doctor's visa. The courts, however, found the revocation baseless and reinstated the doctor's visa. As may be deduced from the foregoing, there is a legal quandary here. The primary stakeholders, the ministry and the courts, have very different opinions on the proper course of action. The ministry found that the slightest terror connection, even if faint, was sufficient grounds for revocation while the courts found otherwise. While this can be put down to conflicting interpretations of legislature, it can more accurately be explained in terms of laws and legal exceptions which were implemented following the War on Terror. The outcome of this disparity is, despite the court ruling, uncertain as yet. In future cases, the question remains whether settlement will be political or judicial. Moore, M. and Knox, M. (2007, 29 Aug.) Philippines calls for halt to abuse of guest workers. The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney has a significant number of legal Asian workers. These workers obtained skilled visa but their work permit is limited to a specific employer. The implication here is that if they are uncomfortable with the employer in question, they are disallowed from legally changing employees and remaining in the country. Simply stated, leaving their employer means having their visa revoked and being compelled to leave the country. Given that the current laws governing work visa permits quite effectively constrain a guest worker's ability to protest unfavourable working conditions, it is hardly surprising that a significant percentage are subjected to illegal employment abuses. They are made to work overtime but do not receive overtime pay; are forced to work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions and cannot protest the stated. Not only do their employees have the legal option of terminating their employment and ensuring that their visas are revoked, but have the option of engaging in illegal employment practices, knowing full well that their guest employees will not protest the situation. The situation, as described in the preceding, has attained critical proportions. This year alone witnessed the killing of close to 500 guest workers. From the legal perspective, these workers have the option of lodging a complaint against their employees but because of the consequences of such a complaint, very few ever do. It is, thus, that the Philippines government has called for the termination of abuse through the empowerment of guest workers; empowerment through the option of allowing them to find different employment if they are abused by their current one. A critical consideration of the above described problem leads one to the conclusion that the expected outcome may not be favourable. The primary stakeholders, the employers and guest workers, are not equal in that the first has infinitely more politico-economic, let alone, social influence than the other. They are quite likely opposed to the reformation of the law and given their influence, may stand as a formidable obstacle to its reformation. Pilbersek, T. (2007, 22 Aug.) We can't cut wages while we're increasing them. Sydney Morning Herald. Labour policies will have the paradoxical effect of raising wages while simultaneously reducing them. This paradox will occur because while wages are increasing, they are not increasing in proportion to the inflation rate. This means that despite monetary increase in wages, purchasing power has decreased. The hospitality industry is one of those most affected by this supposed paradox. Employee wages are increasing but not in relation to inflation, implying a real decrease instead of increase. Labour laws quite effectively specify a minimum wage, determined by the cost of livelihood. This means that as long as the industry, one of the primary stakeholders in this case, pays employees, the second group of primary stakeholders, minimum wages, the issue is not a legal one. It is a political-economic issue and this means that the outcome cannot be settled by legislature and laws but by political and economic decision making. Vallejo, J. and Campion, V. (2007, 26 Sept.) Blow up pokies for smaller bars. The Daily Telegraph. The hospitality industry and the legislature which protects the interests of its primary investors and players, are being challenged by would-be smaller players. Currently liquor licensing laws significantly restricts the ability of smaller investors to open bars. The implication here is that this particular aspect of the industry is controlled by the larger investors who favour the large and glitzy, money making variety of pubs. The public, however, is increasingly agitating for more intimate, smaller and quieter bars. While this does not seem to be a legal issue but a marketing one, licensing restrictions have made it a legal one. The three stakeholders, the public, the larger investors and the smaller would-be ones, are locked in a contentious debate regarding nightlife style in Sydney. The debate, or disagreement, can only be settled if legislature reform relaxes licensing restrictions. Given the grassroots movement in favour of the stated, the outcome can very well favour relaxed licensing restrictions. Yamine, E. (2007, 27 Aug.) Nightclub is closed in policed drug sting. Daily Telegraph. The hospitality industry is bound by laws and legislatures to ensure that their property/premise are not regularly used for criminal activities. If they are, and regardless of whether or not the owners/manager are implicated, the premise becomes a crime scene and is sealed pending investigations. Added to that, in such instances, the owner's license can be revoked. One of the city's most popular nightclubs, DCM, was recently subjected to a police raid following reports regarding the sale and use of illegal drugs on the premise. Substantial amounts of illegal drugs, both cocaine and Ecstasy were seized and the club was subsequently closed. While none of the club's stakeholders, as in owners and employees, was implicated in the stated criminal act, the fact remains that the premise was used for the sale and use of illegal drugs for an extended period of time. As may be inferred from the above, the main legal issue centres on drug laws and the secondary issue on the legal, versus illegal, uses of entertainment places in the city. A consideration of these issues, as they have been identified, pushes an important question and concern to the forefront. Te question and concern directly pertain to the social, let alone, legal responsibilities and obligations of the hospitality industry towards its society, on the one hand, and towards service users/clientele, on the other. At the very least, the industry should ensure, as far as is possible, the safety and security of their clientele, while on their property, and that their premise is not transformed into a place in which illegal activities regularly take place. The expected outcomes of this particular case are hard to determine as the case is currently before the courts. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that this case will function to transmit a strong warning signal to all hospitality industry stakeholders regarding the imperatives of vigilant observation of the law. Read More