Wednesday 18th March 1998

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Recent stories exclusive to  (how to) subscribe/rs of the Australian National News of the Day:

The proposed privatisation of Telstra 16th March 1998
Queensland State Candidates meet the people 15th March 1998
One Nation, the First Year 12th March 1998
Pauline Hanson tackles the MAI in Parliament while the media re-writes history 10th March 1998
Feature: How did the Hanson phenomenon start? 8th March 1998
Presentation on "the level playing field" that ain't 7th March 1998
B A Santa Maria on Australia pre- and post- Hawke. 6th March 1998
Lateline report on the MAI - 80% of Australia's economic activity is controlled by multinationals. 5th March


Current topical links (available to all readers):
[Links to the MAI] [Queensland One Nation State Election website]
[Sign the "I'm so sorry Pauline" book]

Archive of weekly features (available to all readers):
[The Canberra Column] [Economic Rationalism]


Today's Headlines
an Aussie's viewpoint on Australia's first daily Internet newspaper.
Since October 1995

Labor Party censor what their members hear

The Townsville branch of the Australian Labor Party wants to expel two members of their branch because they spent some time talking to Pauline Hanson while she was on Magnetic Island.

The two, Bob Casey and Barbara Day were holiday caretakers at units on the island when Pauline Hanson stayed there with a friend. Bob, who was a former president of the Magnetic Island branch  of the ALP, said that he had sat down with Pauline one day and talked common sense on issues like single mothers, Aborigines and "dole bludgers".

"Everything she says, everything she does is Labor Party 20 years ago, before they went crazy on this political correctness when they had decent people rather than university failures trying to pick up a job," Bob said.

 The state secretary of the Australian Labor Party confirmed that a complaint had been lodged against Casey and Day for speaking to Hanson.

The voice of "free speech" - the ALP - exposed.

This week's Economic Rationalism column:
The lies: Improved Consumer Choice

Extract:

This is why, for example, the last bank branch in the shire of Kilkivan, west of Gympie, is to close, leaving only a credit union facility, in the entire shire (3). Banks now regard themselves as resource institutions for medium to large ‘investors’. They don’t want to know about small depositors.

America’s second-largest bank, is increasing the minimum balance for a standard, no-fee checking account to $6,000 in New York and $7,500 elsewhere. Executives say the aim is ‘to encourage customers to do more business with the bank’, but the move effectively drives away small customers. Certain banks are offering high-end customers substantially better interest rates on personal loans and other products than low-end ones (4).

The "alley cat on heat" on the warpath

Last week Liberal backbencher Don Randall caused an outcry when we he called Cheryl Kernot an "alley cat on heat". Since then he has admitted that he "blew it" by making the remarks in Parliament...

"I broke my own rules of delving into other people's personal lives. I just got carried away," Don Randall said.

"I didn't intend to bring Gareth Evans into the matter. (He accused Kernot of having an affair with Evans). That was totally wrong and I am sorry for that."

Mrs Kernot, campaigning on behalf of the ALP close to Randall's marginal seat said, "I now have to live with this, no matter what he says. His colourful phrases will go with me for the rest of my life, no matter what the truth is and what people really think.

Readers might recall that some months ago I had predicted that the Liberal Party had more "dirt" on Kernot and that it would be allowed to filter out in dribs and drabs. I do not believe that we have seen the last of the revelations on a woman whose career would have been destroyed years ago if she had been a member of the other sex.

Saatchi and Saatchi and the Australian Labor Party

What practically slipped through the loop is the fact that the ALP have decided to use the multinational advertising agency of multinational companies, Saatchi and Saatchi, in their campaign to take power in the next Federal; election.

The advertising agency competes directly with Australian advertising agencies and succeeded in securing the ALP account long held by Bob Hawke's mate John Singleton of John Singleton advertising.

Now I don't particularly like "Singo" as he is called. He was married to Channel 9's Today Show host now 60 Minutes presenter Liz Hayes for the briefest of periods.... "38 Minutes" as 60 Minutes is more aptly named by many is a discredited, slanted joke which calls itself a serious current affair programme.

Getting back to British based Saatchi and Saatchi - what happened to "Buy Australian?" Labor's decision means that millions of dollars of profits from the political account will be transferred off-shore back to the British base - adding to our ever-growing deficit.

Century Zinc being "claimed again"

A new native title application covering 10,000 sq km 250km north-west of Mt Isa has been lodged on behalf of the Waanyl tribe by Douglas Arthur Willetts. The claim includes Century Zinc - the mine which has already paid out Au$90 million to resolve an earlier native title claim by a group of twelve - eight of whom were from the same Waanyl tribe.

Native title expert Peter Gore of law firm Clayton Utz said that the claim would have no effect on Century Zinc's mining leases. A spokesman for the owners, Pasminco Century, said that the claim was "vexatious".

State premier Rob Borbidge said that the claim highlighted the need for Howard's ten point plan to be resolved quickly through the federal parliament.

Queensland mining council chief Michael Pinnock said, "If you were funding a project, how can you do a risk assessment of a project or the liability of the project where there's an open-ended situation of claims?

"All these little loopholes have got to be closed up. We've got to find legislation that can cover all this."

Last word from Alan Jones when talking about Bill Gates visit to Australia.

"Undeniably Mr Gates might be rich, but may we not be heading for our own global trap? Where worlds like that of Microsoft overwhelm us? In all of this where are people, personal relationships, social skills, the richness that comes from the sharing of the human spirit?

"I wonder if in his discussions with the Cabinet did Mr Gates discuss the plight of the unemployed, those on four hundred (dollars) a week, those who cannot afford their own home, or those who are victims of the increasing depersonalised world, a world without piped underwater music and 100 room mansions. How relevant really is Mr Gates? What pride is there in becoming economically prosperous if on the way we are socially callous.

"Leaving millions behind and leaving many, many millions insecure."

Pity the comments were made on Channel 9s Today prigramme.... callous owner Kerry Packer, Gates' partner, will be the big winner if the vision of a free digital television infrastructure is approved in Australia.

Greed is good - or if not good socially acceptable, but there again am I am being politically correct or just blinded by the twisted, impersonal world of the rich and the elites?


Making the news" -
an indepth exposé of media and political collusion at the highest possible levels in Australia.


email the editor

You say:

Subject: Comments on Australian News of the Day

Dear Sir,

As the person largely responsible for organising the luncheon at The Hawkesbury Sporting Club I have to disagree with the Seven News' comment "despite poor attendances at her Sydney functions".

Admittedly they were not in attendance, (why would we invite them) but the function was covered by local media and we expect a good and unbiased coverage. The official paid attendance to the function was 225 persons who all had the opportunity to talk to Pauline and to have a great meal with her. In addition there were another 20 or so people including those who had been invited to cover the meeting and the Federal police contingent bringing the total number of people in the room to approximately 250 people. It was chock 'a' block.

Bearing in mind that most of them paid $30 to come it is all the more reason to rubbish the Channel Seven comment. The meeting's atmosphere was very relaxed and after the National Anthem and the main course I introduced our Macquarie Federal Electorate candidate to the audience. His name is Les Sheather. He has been a local councillor for 10 years and is a very well liked and respected man in the area. (Some of his council colleagues may not agree). We were able to listen to Brian Wilshire's views and finally those of Pauline.

The relaxed atmosphere was carried throughout the whole function and it was indeed a very happy and pleasant afternoon. About 30 or 40 well behaved protesters were in attendance. A lot of credit for the resounding success of the afternoon must go to the venue and their staff. Like the A.J.C. they also have had to put up with people trying to put pressure on them not to allow this "obscene" function to proceed but have stood firm for the rights of free speech and democracy.

We have had a nine month association with them as we meet there on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7.30 so a big thank you goes out to the Hawkesbury Sporting Club. As a footnote, we sold 45 copies of Helen's book, Pauline the Hanson phenomenon. I read in the Sydney Daily Telegraph this morning about John Howard's meeting with Bill Gates and the deals he is offering to get him to invest in Australia and say that the sooner we are a force in this government the better.

Thanks, Dennis Fraser

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another perfect day in paradise. Hot overnight.

Have a good one.


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