Recent stories exclusive to (how to) subscribe/rs of the Australian National News of the Day:
News Limited bucket opposition to the MAI. 21st March
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
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
Pauline Hanson endorses 17 One Nation state candidates
Last night I was lucky to be able
to attend a meeting at the Beenleigh Police Youth Club at which Pauline Hanson
endorsed 17 candidates in the upcoming Queensland state elections. Pauline
Hanson (seen right) spoke on a range of issues for about forty minutes to
about 300 guests.
The sudden revelation of the groundswell of support at the state level has freaked out Queensland's premier, Rob Borbidge, who has called on voters to continue to vote for the Coalition or the Australian Labor Party - ensuring more of the same.
Borbidge said to a meeting of the party faithful at Bundaberg yesterday, "It is choice, either a Labor or Coalition Government."
Pauline responded by saying that Borbidge was in desperation mode, "Borbidge is a desperate and a dishonest man. He has no right to call the voters of Queensland his own. The state election will prove they're not."
David Oldfield, Pauline Hanson's adviser said, "What right has Borbidge to tell the voters how not to vote and demand that only the National Party or the ALP run this state?"
Later today I will be updating the
Queensland State electoral
web site (with the new candidates).
Bob Hawke finding the life at the top quite
profitable.
Now what does any self-respecting ex-Labor Prime Minister of Australia do
after he has screwed up the country and embraced multinationals, economic
rationalism and the philosophy of "greed is good"?
Quite simply, when he is not trying to put the powder under the patriotic
stance of Pauline Hanson and One Nation, who ALP members now say
represents the
views of the party twenty years ago, he is travelling the world.
Not travelling for fun and pleasure... no travelling the world for profit
- using his influential role and contacts to his own betterment.
Last week he signed up a deal with China reportedly worth Au$1.3 billion
for Pan Australian International Investment Pty Ltd - a company
that he now chairs.
Now don't waste your time trying to find the company on the Internet, and
no, the Australian Securities Commission
web site tells us that it is not, despite its name, an Australian
company.
The deal gives Pan Australian a key role in assisting the main developer,
Zhonghuan Investment Development (Group) Co Ltd, to raise an initial
US$100 million for construction. According to a director of Pan Australian,
Harry Tu, Bob Hawke is one of three directors and shareholders in the company
- the other being a Chinese businessman, Guo Xiang.
At the signing ceremony Hawke said that the apartment development in the
north-western Putao district of Shanghai would be aimed at the middle class
citizens in the region. Over 1.75 million square metres of apartment space
is involved - housing some 65,000 people.
"I am very confident in the future of Shanghai's real estate industry. Medium
level housing will particularly sell-well in Shanghai," Hawke said.
The deal follows hard on the heels of the race between Hawke and that other
snivelling money-grabber, Paul Keating, to secure an insurance license with
China. Hawke acting as National Mutual's contact and Keating as
Colonial Mutual's. The deceit of these two men is best reflected in
the international
Financial Services
Industry Agreement (FSIA) signed under their government. The FSIA
opened up Australia's insurance industry to foreign investment and ownership
- today 82% of Australia's insurance industry is foreign owned. This is
what is called big time pay-back for past assistance from the big-wigs in
the insurance industry.
Kim Beazley senior was spot on when he referred to the likes of Hawke and
Keating as the scum of the middleclass... self-seeking, self-serving and
as morally corrupt as they come.
Murdoch under fire in the US
Media baron Ted Turner, who has compared Rupert Murdoch to Adolf Hitler,
lost his battle to stop the man from acquiring the LA Dodgers baseball team.
Late last week Murdoch signed a deal worth US$300 million resulting in this
comment from the Los Angeles Times:
"What does Murdoch want?" Murdoch is burrowing into the fabric of Los Angeles,
joining its most powerful circle of insiders. "... the effort left fans
disillusioned and the sport in ruins".
It goes on to describe Murdoch.. "a bruising, right wing outsider... a global
drifter... considered one of the most singularly ruthless business executives
in the world. Murdoch is fearsomely tough and
willing to employ his companies in the services of his ambitions and
interests."
The paper goes on to say that Murdoch "defied analysis... he is the proprietor
of salacious tabloid newspapers, who disapproves of dirty jokes".
"He has big business here and he will do what he has to do to take care of
business," said one of LA's influential politicians.
Ethyl Corporation shows the way ahead for
MAI.
Last year Ethyl Corporation was prevented from supplying a fuel additive
in Canada. The Canadian Parliament ruled that the additive be no longer used in petrol
because they had been advised it was detrimental to public health. The exclusive
patent and distribution of this additive being held by Ethyl,
Ethyl Corporation sued Canada in Ottawa under the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), a multilateral treaty similar to the MAI which allows
foreign investors to take governments to an international court. On Friday,
we have been, told Ethyl Corp was awarded $US251million ($373million)
in damages by an international court. A decision which cannot be challenged by Canada.
Now come on News
Limited, keep telling us MAI is good for Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald
reports the following
on 7th March 1998:
The retrenched Cobar miners who brought their swags
to the front lawn of Parliament House this week, protesting at their treatment
by a multinational company, would have been shocked had they known the
Government was negotiating an obscurely named treaty aimed at giving more
rights to foreign investors.
The bright moment of what must have been a soul destroying time was when
Pauline Hanson joined the miners, mixing freely with the...
as
Peter Mackay recently reported magical moments inspired by a magical
woman.
Anne Scott lodges complaint after losing selection
for Oxley.
Anne Scott lodged a complaint with state ALP secretary Mike Kaiser on Friday
accusing him and four others of breaching party rules and contravening policy.
She said yesterday that her complaint cited 13 breaches of Labor Party rules.
Kaiser said in response that Mrs Scott's complaint "smacked of sour grapes".
He said that nothing would change the fact that Bernie Ripoll had been selected
saying, "The voters of Oxley would much prefer the party to be concentrating
on the difficult task of winning back the seat."
Mrs Scott claimed that the Labor party in Queensland was run by a small group
which controlled the administration of the party. She said that anyone who
put up their hand in opposition to the group would be excluded from pre-selection.
Other respondents to the action are the ALP's national secretary Gary Gray;
Queensland branch general returning officer, Joan Budd; Australian Workers
Union Secretary Bill Ludwig and Bernie Ripoll.
Mr Kaiser said that the complaint would be heard by a tribunal made up of
party members which would hear evidence from both sides.
Beazley fails to get Dodson on side.
In a classic politically correct move ALP leader Kim Beazley tried to get
leading Aboriginal figure Pat Dodson to fill a Senate vacancy in the Northern
Territory for the next Federal Election. Dodson
recently
resigned in a huff from the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
(CAR) causing Channel 9s A Current Affair host, and CAR member
to threaten to resign for the umpteenth time.
Beazley flew to Dodson's home in Broome, Western Australia to ask him to
take over from Bob Collins. Dodson turned Beazley saying that he did
not want to leave Western Australia.
Rod Kemp on the MAI
Here is an extract
from a letter by Kemp in this weekend's Australian:
Despite the many claims to the contrary, Australia’s
exceptions to the proposed treaty would remain in place as long as the Government
so determines.
The Government would not agree to the MAI if it did
not permit exceptions or if it required that exceptions must be repealed
after a particular period of time.
Indeed, the government will not agree to this, or any
other treaty, unless it is demonstrably in Australia’s national
interest.
Subject: Courier Mail on the MAI 21 March
From
Re
your article in the Courier Mail 21 March 1998
As a public newspaper, it might be worth your while
to pay your journalists enough to do rigorous research before they commit
to print. With the internet, your articles are available to the world, and
poorly written pieces only do you a disfavour.
Some points of clarification:
This is the same line that is spun in NZ, Canada etc,
but when confronted to give an example of how foreign investment has been
disfavoured in OECD countries, the Canadian Business Council on National
Issues had none, and a representative said "There are not very many blatant
examples in the OECD countries of barriers on investment."
Critics of the MAI do not necessarily reject all foreign
investment as you imply. But they do say that the MAI allows indiscriminate
inflow of investment, with little possibility to vet particular investments
for suitability. And the performance requirements clauses in fact remove
any performance requirements form foreign investors.
Do you teach your journalists the theory of reportage?
Or did anyone else in their educative development? This following does not
belong in a reputable paper (I'm assuming you would like to be classed as
such). I quote:
"Alarmist" "fringe" ? - these are the words of
propagandists.
And the lack of journalistic investigation is alarmingly
apparent in your accusation that "many" of the groups see a "Zionist
conspiracy".
Not only do I take extreme offence at this accusation
(and ask for apology) it is most assuredly incorrect. While you refer to
the use of the internet, you could have easily used it yourself and found
that MAI opposers are a diverse collection of individuals and groups, with
differing philosophies, but generally with tolerance for all peoples of the
world. You might like to explain how a supposedly talented journalist managed
to go so far off the rails.
And I reiterate that an apology is outstanding for
your offensive claim.
You divert attention from the issue of sovereignty
by trying to redefine it. It is nothing to do with the limited set of laws
you say Australia will still be able to make.
My Collins Dictionary says of sovereignty "Supreme
and unrestricted power, as of a state."
Perhaps you could explain how your definition means
sovereignty is kept when Australia is limited to making laws on
"taxation, corporations powers, labour and environmental issues"
Incidentally, the editor of the Canadian Financial
Post stated that each time Canada has signed one of the 300 treaties of the
past 90 years "you surrender a sliver of your sovereignty."
And the OECD itself points out that "as with all binding
international agreements, this will moderate the exercise of national authority
to some degree."
You say that "they will not be able to discriminate
against foreign investors", but the MAI itself does this. Foreign investors
will have the opportunity to use a special disputes tribunal. Domestic investors,
and governments will not.
You say "After each stage the OECD issued a detailed
progress report."
So until you can provide documented evidence, the evidence
that the MAI was negotiated in secret for 2 years stands.
Another quote, showing use of propaganda in your
newspaper: "hysterical, biased and ignorant campaigns"
That will do for now.
Having been involved in the media over a number of
years, it saddens me to see poor quality journalism, and I attempt to critique
and criticise it when necessary. This article and numerous others in newspapers
around the world, concerning the MAI, have been poorly researched and badly
written. Its not that I want to see you opposing the MAI. I want to see forceful
argument for your views, not trivialisation. And it does anger me to find
myself included in scurrilous, incorrect, accusations of a serious kind.
I hope you can find some use in this piece and again
I call for your apology for this charge of "Zionist" bashing by many MAI
opposers.
...stu
Subject: Charlton's Conspiracy Theories
Hi,
News Limited's journalist Peter Charlton still hasn't
changed. Every time I have read a report from this guy I have noticed his
constant use of ridicule and mis-information. To any rational person, the
bitterness he displays in his reporting can only damage those views he
supports.
Keep up the good work Peter Charlton.
Peter W
Subject: Comments on Australian News of the
Day
"No, absolutely not. This kind of alarmist view is
being peddled by the fringe political groups, many of which see the international
finance as a ‘Zionist world conspiracy’. Their views are ignorant,
ill-informed and dangerous."
Dangerous to whom? The welfare state for the rich?
Omega
Subject: usurpation #2
Dear Sir,
A favourite talk radio host of mine recently said, "Between
federal judges and pigeons, it is getting more and more difficult to keep
the courthouses clean".
kypd,
john hamilton
Another perfect day in paradise. Cool overnight.
Have a good one.
See GLOBE International for
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news" -
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Political:
You say:
The Editor
Courier Mail
Stuart Sontier
31 Calgary Street
Sandringham
Auckland
New Zealand
21 March 1998
It is not enough to imply that the MAI is needed because the OECD say so.
If the MAI is needed by Australia, let's see a cogent argument for it, not
"it will provide a level playing field for investment"
"This kind of alarmist view is being peddled by the fringe political
groups, many of which see the international finance as a ‘Zionist world
conspiracy’. "
You refute the secrecy of the MAI negotiations by stating that the OECD has
the full text on the internet. As you state, negotiations began in 1995.
The OECD only put the full text of the October draft up on the internet in
November 1997. This is the first draft and one of the first mentions of the
MAI, publicly, from the OECD. How do you account for the 2 years between
the OECD's apparent release of information. With a bit of digging, any journalist
could have found that Canadian MP's for the most part had never heard of
the MAI before mid-1997; most Australian MP's were unaware of it even in
November. NZ MP's also became aware of it for the first time in late October
1997. The Australian Government have been most reticent about making any
draft available until very recently. Your own Treasury department was still
denying the existence of the MAI in October 1997, when Scott Burchill made
enquiries.
Sure, the documents are in the main available now, but that has been due
to the pressure brought about firstly by Canadian individuals and groups,
and then gradually by others around the world.
These reports were certainly never released publicly, and never released
in the confines of any parliament. They perhaps were released to the few
members of each country's negotiating team and the minister of trade. Canada's
own Trade Minister Sergio Marchi told reporters some of the criticism of
secrecy was justified. 'This thing has been done in stealth for a long time...I
think it's true that previously the government kept it too close to the
chest.'
Use of these terms in fact points to the paucity of your evidence so
far. The term hysterical could be more correctly aimed at your journalist's
ability with words. Unfortunately, the same name-calling and deprecatory
comments are used both in Canada and New Zealand, by newspapers and MP's.
If you can prove that opposition to the MAI is ignorant, do it with facts,
and a detailed reading of the draft texts. That does not appear to have occurred
to your journalist in this case. At least most of the opposers of the MAI
have had a good look at the text, and can point out examples which perhaps
justify their concern. Name-calling does not contribute to the dialogue,
does you no justice as intelligent, thinking reporters, and most of the public
will be aware of the way propaganda uses words similar to yours when it has
trouble raising a decent argument to the contrary.
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