Today's Headlines
Sunday 25th February 1996
International:
A Griffith drug syndicate planned a multi-million dollar drug import through a north Queensland port because customs officers
didn't work there on a Sunday! This evidence was disclosed in a Melbourne case in which nine drug gangsters are facing
life imprisonment. The import was to be routed through Horn Island, Thursday Island's airport. The real worry is that the gang
are part of the Italian mafia in Australia. There goes the stupid belief that Australia is above international crime.
Opposition leader John Howard has promised a 25% tax discount as a savings incentive for Australians on lower incomes. The move,
which is sensible in the light of the low savings record in this country, has been slammed by Paul Keating as yet another blow out on
the unfunded promises of the Coalition.
Tonight we see the second live debate between John Howard and Paul Keating. One thing that I noticed in the last debate was that
Paul Keatings famous one liner put-downs were
absent. I have the strong feeling that Keating is only comfortable in a controlled media environment where, armed with a minders one-liner,
Keating delivers with great impact. One got the feeling in the last debate that Keating was on the ropes on many occasions as his
one-liners were totally missing. In fact he sounded quite feeble at times with little jaunts like "Oh come on John" when ever Howard was
pressing home a point. He almost looked embarrassed to be there.
With only one week to go the second debate is going to play a crucial role in the final outcome of next week's federal election.
Business:
Australian domestic airt fares may soon have to rise according to Air New Zealand's Australian Chief Executive, Gary Court. He should
know as Air NZ are in the process of buying over Ansett, Australia's major domestic airline carrier. He said that there was no more room
for discounting in what had become a fiercely competitive market.
Sport:
Scott Volkers, Sam Riley's swimming coach has been given a partial reprieve by FINA, the international swimming federation, who have
said that Scott can continue to coach swimmers in Australia, but not at international events.
Social:
The Queen is back in Queensland.
In a move which is sure to anger republicans, new Liberal State Premier Rob Borbridge has ordered that all portraits of the Queen
(which were removed under the Labor Goss government) be returned to their places on the walls and in the halls of parliament and
government offices.
Global Gripe of the day:
Newspaper political polls lauded as the defining mood of the populous:
Just about every day now we get the "latest" poll produced by Morgan, McNair or NewsPoll. They are so different in their outcomes to make
the whole exercise laughable. Really, on a survey of 1,000 people how can any poll claim to know who is going to win? Where is the swing?
And even go into a whole set of technical, psychological and other bull**** analysis on the mood of the voter?
For example:
Who did they survey? (ie Was it in a Labor or Liberal area)
How do they assess "swinging voters"?
Do they use the same "swinging voters" during the whole campaign?
Personal trivia:
Spent a day on the net yesterday.. surprise, surprise! We had showers and cool weather yesterday making it very pleasant.
Young Alex was invited by the "Koala doctor" to go and see sick Koalas at Moggill Ferry. We will be going next Saturday, and hope to
have a photo of Alex and a Koala on Koala trouble during March.
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