Saturday 22nd March 1997
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Issues - The banking system under the spotlight.
The contract specifies the role of Sandline to:
This despite the assurance by PNG Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan to Australian PM John Howard just days ago that Sandline's role was solely to train the PNG forces.
The streets of Port Moresby returned to relative calm - thanks to General Singirok's intervension - it has been claimed.
In the interim Chan has set up a Commission of Inquiry into the Sandline issue, but basically it appears that he might as well resign now with a bit of dignity because with elections due in just a few months he has no hope of being re-elected after this fracas.
What has been interesting in Australian political circles is that Federal Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has been like a spectator while Prime Minister John Howard dealt directly with PNG on the issue. Doesn't show much faith in Downer - not that anybody in Australia is surprised.....
A few days ago we talked about Cyclone Justin - guess what after a few days lurking off the north east coast of Australia as a depression the cyclone has reformed and is today headed for the coast near Cairns.
This follows that release of internal documents by a large American tobacco company that hold allegedly devastating information that the tobacco industry has knowingly produced dangerous products.
The tobacco company, Liggett, the smallest of America's top five tobacco companies released the document under a deal signed with the attorney general that legal action against the company would be dropped in exchange for their co-operation against the larger companies.
The deal saw Liggett become the first tobacco manufacturer ever to admit that nicotine was addictive.
Extensive political commentary and links can be found on Palmer's Australian Politics page.
My comment is that Bill O'Chee's statement could easily be explained as poor use of the english language. On the face of it, the quoted statement was a stupid thing to say, but what does it really mean.
Bill O'Chee is a usually a fairly intelligent guy, with the possible exception of the time he was photographed semi-clad. This earned him the nickname "Beefcake" O'Chee, which is kinder that another one I have heard - "Fillet O'Fish".
The way I read it, the government could be seen as breaching their conditions of the lease. I believe the wording of the lease is such that it is intended to convey title to the leaseholder in an unambiguous way.
The High Court's ruling on Wik has thrown a new light on pastoral leases, which says that Pastoral Leases do not now, and never have extinguished Native Title. This overturns part of the Queensland government's fundamental assumptions on leasehold title.
So, that excerpt leaves me thinking "what the hell does he mean" I think the interest lies in the many questions raised by that statement.
That's my five cents worth
cheers
Brian
Subject: Government cut backs.
Hi,
I have been thinking about the PM and how he wants the state governments to cut back on some of their spending to help him bring the deficit into line.
Nice isn't it. What should the states cut back first?? Hospitals, Roads, Police, Essential services??
Its not as if people can't do without them. No problems at all.
I just recieved a notice from the D.S.S. saying that my pension would increase $1.30 per fortnight to keep in line with the cost of living (CPI). Fantastic. My pension goes from $320.20 to $321.50 a fortnight.
WOW. A whole $33.80 a year. That makes it a 0.4% raise. What was the last salary raise that the politicians had?? A little bit more than $1.30 or 0.4%.
If Howard wants to save the tax payer money let him order that all federal, state and local politicians take a 10% pay cut in their gross salary.
This would at least show that the politicians are willing to lead by example instead of just talking.
Any more bright ideas out there??
Watch it Rupert, the earth seems to be moving under your conglomerate...
For the Andrews BillRichard Alston, Lib, Vic Mark Bishop, ALP, WA Ron Boswell, Nat, Qld Paul Calvert, Lib, Tas Grant Chapman, Lib, SA Jacinta Collins, ALP, Vic Mal Colston, Ind, Qld Stephen Conroy, ALP, Vic Helen Coonan, Lib, NSW Barney Cooney, ALP, Vic Alan Eggleston, Lib, WA Chis Ellison, Lib, WA Alan Ferguson, Lib, SA Jeannie Ferris, Lib, SA Michael Forshaw, ALP, NSW Brian Gibson, Lib, QLD Brian Harradine, Ind, Tas Bill Heffernan, Lib, NSW John Herron, Lib, QLD John Hogg, ALP, QLD Rod Kemp, Lib, Vic Sandy MacDonald, Nat, NSW Julian McGauran, Nat, Vic Nick Minchin, Lib, SA Belinda Neal, ALP, NSW Bill O'Chee, Nat, QLD Warwick Parer, Lib, QLD Kay Patterson, Lib, Vic Nick Sherry, ALP, Tas Jim Short, Lib, Vic John Tierney, Lib, NSW Judith Troeth, Lib, Vic John Woodley, Dem, QLD |
Against the Andrews BillNick Bolkus, ALP, SA Vicki Bourne, Dem, NSW Bob Brown, Green, Tas Kim Carr, ALP, Vic Bruce Childs, ALP, NSW Bob Collins, ALP, NT Rosemary Crowley, ALP, SA Chris Evans, ALP, WA John Faulkner, ALP, NSW Dominic Foreman, ALP, NSW Brenda Gibbs, ALP, Qld Cheryl Kernot, Dem, Qld Sue Knowles, Lib, WA Meg Lees, Dem, SA Kate Lundy, ALP, ACT Ian MacDonald, Lib, Qld David MacGibbon, Lib, Qld Sue Mackay, ALP, Tas Jim McKiernan, ALP, WA Shayne Murphy, ALP, Tas Andrew Murray, Dem, WA Jocelyn Newman, Lib, Tas Kerry O'Brien, ALP, WA Robert Ray, ALP, Vic Margaret Reynolds, ALP, Qld Chris Schacht, ALP, SA Natasha Stott-Despoja, Dem, SA Grant Tambling, CLP, NT Amanda Vanstone, Lib, SA |
Undeclared as yetIan Campbell, Lib, WA Peter Cook, ALP, WA Kay Denham, ALP, Tas Robert Hill, Lib, SA Dee Margetts, Green, WA Margaret Reid, Lib, ACT John Watson, Lib, Tas Sue West, ALP, NSW |
This profit driven Quasimodo of the Australian business scene has once again put the returns to its CEO (through his preference shares) and other share holders ahead of the interests of the general Australian community.
They raised their 5 year fixed interest rates by 0.2% yesterday. Does not seem like a lot - but it acts as a stimulus for other banks to start working against the trend of lower housing interest rates.
One to be enjoyed in the global office.
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