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Monday 3rd June 1996

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International:

A 27 year old Queensland man was last night in critical condition after being gunned down by armed bandits in the Port Shepstone area of South Africa. Sean MacDonald was shot through the chest with an AK-47 assault rifle on Friday while working on his father's farm. MacDonald was at a stall paying the farm labourers when six bandits carrying AK-47s burst in.

When they shot dead the Indian storekeeper MacDonald put his arms up and said, "I'm not armed just take the money." But they just shot him anyway.

The bullet went through his chest and ruptured his diaphragm and lungs, just missing his spinal chord and heart.

We get outraged in Australia when we have an event like the Port Arthur shooting, yet we do not realise how lucky we are when one compares what is going on in third world countries like South Africa where people get shot dead by gangs daily. Shot for stopping the car at a red traffic light, shot while sitting in a train and shot while visiting a store.

Political:

The Federal Labor Party would re-invent itself closer to the Left before the next election, Opposition Employment and Training spokesman, Martin Ferguson, said yesterday.

The former ACTU President said that the party would move away from its stance on economic rationalism. His views differ from those of Labor leader Kim Beazley who said that the accord with the trade unions is a thing of the past. Ferguson's view is that the accord could be re-visited.

Business:

The median price of houses in Australia is on the rise for the rise for the first time in eighteen months. The market is now expected to slowly improve with the Commonwealth Bank's lower interest rates, but no big jump in values is expected until the end of this year.

We have been investing in property for some years now, and have been disgusted by the heavy handed approach by the major banks in hitting home owners with such high interest rates on a secure investment.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday praised the Commonwealth Bank for their move in cutting rates and said that he expected the other banks to follow suit shortly.

Sport:

Queensland rugby union players were in shock yesterday after only four players were named in the Australian Wallaby side to play against the Welsh team at Ballymore on Saturday. John Eales, the greatest lock in the world today was named as captain along with fellow Queenslanders Tim Horan (vice-captain), David Wilson and Garrick Morgan.

In a selection bombshell Queenslanders Daniel Herbert (centre) and Mark Connors (no 8) missed the cut all together. David Campese who is renowned for letting through more tries than he scores because of his poor record in tackling found favour over the likes of Ben Tune who was simply the best in the Super 12 series.

It's no surprise that the Wallaby selectors are New South Wales based.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

We said goodbye to our friends from South Africa yesterday. The Cloete's have now left for the Queensland interior where Martin takes up a post with the Department of Primary Industry in Kinaroy. Another autumn day today with heavy mists but warm temperatures in the low 20s.


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