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Since October 1995

Wednesday 13th March 1996

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International:

The embattled and dying Super League is gasping its last attempts for survival with News Limited making an application today to the Full Court of the Federal Court for a stay against the orders.

I am amazed at the level of bitterness that is oozing from this whole sordid affair. Not at the corporate level but at the player levels. It has become blatantly obvious that the Super League clubs and even the individual players have a great dislike of the Australian Rugby League (ARL) which to all intents and purposes is run by Kerry Packer.

It was Super League who offered the big salary packages to players destroying the ARL's salary cap imposed on the major clubs like the Brisbane Broncos. Even with the orders the Super League clubs have said that they refuse to play in the ARL.

I think that this little debacle has a long way to go before the steam is finally blown out of the system.

Oh, and isn't it quite amazing how the legal games of the big boys can impose themselves so strongly on our highest court. I wonder how many little businesses are dying because of delays in legal decisions by the Federal Court because of the preferential treatment the big boys can get at the snap of a finger.

Political:

Peter Costello's razor gang is to introduce massive Federal spending cuts amounting to Au$8 billion over the next two years. The new Liberal Government have been forced into this position because of the appalling state of the nation's finances left by the outgoing Labor Government.

What I have found quite remarkable but, under the conditions, understandable is that Paul Keating has just simply disappeared from the press and the limelight that he so dearly loved bathing in. I wonder if his home page on the Internet is still up... I will have to check later.

Business:

Petrolium giant Ampol was yesterday fined Au$3.5 million for price fixing. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels warned Ampol that it faced the maximum penalty of Au$10 million if caught again.

Ampol merged with Caltex in May last year to form Australian Petroleum the nation's biggest petrol company.

For the car owner in Australia this decision has absolutely no effect at the petrol pump. I am still mystified as to how to BP, Shell and other petrol dispensing companies can get away with the way in which they manipulate prices. If you buy petrol early in the week you can get it as low as 59.5c per litre but as the week moves towards the weekend the prices rise to 64.5c. Now this happens week after week after week. It doesn't just happen at one petrol station but it like a chain reaction - once one does it they all do it. No petrol station has filled their tanks with more expensive fuel - the whole thing is a complete con, but they are big enough to get away with it.

Hang on a sec.. got the answer the pollies and the senior bureaucrats get their fuel FREE!

Sport:

The pundits are now claiming that the Australian cricket team is the side to beat at the world cup in India. This follows their incredible win over the New Zealanders less than 48 hours ago. The man of the series has got to be Mark Waugh who has already scored a quite remarkable trifecta of centuries in the limited over series. In 111 one day internationals Mark Waugh has scored an average of 37.92. His aggregate of 472 runs is a new World Cup record - beating Graham Gooch's 471 for England in 1987 - and he has more matches to play in!

Social:

Queensland beef producers have called on retailers to drop meat prices by up to 20% in the wake of fallen cattle prices. However local butchers have hit out at the comments saying that a price-drop would financially cripple them.

Personal trivia:

Absolutely fabulous day under sail on the Gold Coast Broadwater yesterday. Together with a group of about 40 friends we sailed up to Sanctuary Cove from Marine Marina at Southport. We had light drizzle at the start but the popping of corks at about 10am and the clearing weather made for a perfect day. Thanks John, Peter and Gary..

Today looks like another fine, warm day.. another perfect day in paradise!

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