Hi Wal

As usual a superb newsletter.  It is like bashing your head against a brick wall dealing with the Board on issues such as the offences fee, the disciplinary levy, barriers to licensing, CPD - the legality of it, the interpretation of it, the morality of what they are doing.  If they would just stop, stop and think.  This whole thing started going pear shape when Mr Routhan took charge of the Board, it got worse in my opinion when he became CEO and they have built on the pile of sand ever since.  If only they had stopped and thought about it - and listened, listened to industry (you know those people Maurice refers to as the ute and dog owning cell phone users) - the ones with the common sense - none of this needed to get where it has got.

I suppose that is now water under the bridge becasue it has got to where it is and now we must deal in realities.  The way through this is to remain united as a group and to keep on uncovering silly mistakes and shining a light on them.  The Board have shown they don't want to work to resolve issues.  They have a bulldozing attitude that they are always right, even when they are not, even when those with more sense tell them they are not, even when it is published that they are not - they never acknowledge - and this is half the problem.

I used to think that Mr Routhan was one of the worst things that ever happened to the regulatory system of these industries, but now I think this current Board have surpassed even the mistakes made during his tenure.  And that is saying something.  It is a gold medal fail.

heck ! i just want my $90 back from pgdb so i can give it to wal !!! whens that going to happen 

The Feds got my $90 too ....and I'll chuck in another $90 if they are allowed to put the Boards ill gotten gains to good use for the good of the industry.

How can i get to read the Fellow Practitioner? From what ive read about the board from you guys it really does seem that something needs to be done, BUT WHAT? im in whatever it is. im just starting out in the industry and have dreams and aspirations of working for myself to support my family, giving young ones an oppurtunity to get a trade etc etc. I agree the fees are crazy here. i have just returned from queensland and to renew your licence it 125 a year has your photo on it and your tickets. Also it takes the same amount of time to be trained as a doctor as it is to become a certified plumber?? does that seem crazy to anyone else besides me?

Hi guys, yes plumberintraining this s*it is crazy alright!

I cant get over how warped things are over here myself. The Board are a bunch of goons trying to build a pyramid that they remain at the top of.

Want to see them go down more than anything.

As an example my exams in 2006 cost $150.00 each,  $411.00 now and f*uck all has changed. If they f*ck up your exam paper they still are not accountable either.

They are the PGDB and are never wrong!