Sunday 16th June 1996
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Looks like we are getting to the stage where it has become an exercise in "puff and bluster" and that they might as well leave the status quo - even though 90% of the Australian population want them imposed. Unfortunately, this is a lower representative portion of Aussies when compared to the "protection racket" that those in power have embarked on to protect their tax-free status.
See political below.
No the hole won't effect their purchase of cars and lavish luxuries to keep them and their bureaucrats in the manner to which they are accustomed. Oh no, they are going to slug us all with a (wait for it) 'tax levy'. This will be used to fill the Au$500 million hole in Queensland.
Now that amounts to Au$250 for every man, woman and child in this state. In our family that is Au$1,000. How the heck are the poor going to pay for that - especially when they see the latest and best "tax free" government cars flash past them with absolutelty no pain felt by the occupants in the vehicle.
Our own treasurer, Joan Sheldon, has already confirmed this by saying that there would be no major cuts to services to fund the State Government's revenue shortfall.
The mayor of Brisbane, Jim Soorley, has warned Mrs Sheldon that she will come under enormous flack if she tries to use the council rate system to collect the extra tax.
Now on the other hand West Australian and South Australian Premiers, Richard Court and Dean Brown have both ruled out raising taxes.
Perhaps the weirdest thing in all this is that Queensland, according to Morgans Stockbroking, had a Au$755 million surplus at the of the March quarter. Perhaps the custom Commodore for the state's top bureaucrats will be replaced by gold plated Rolls Royces... that should chew up the surplus pretty quick and keep the peasants in their place.
In other political news, of a Federal nature, seems like Carmen Lawrence has now been held to account. The slush fund to help her out of her legally-based financial problems, following the debacle in the Royal Commission into the Penny Easton affair, only raised a smidgen over Au$100,000 and she is about Au$170,000 short. The cash-strapped politician has now heaped on her party, the Australian Labor party saying that this is their debt not hers.
For background info have a loook at Stories that made the news in 1995, or search on Lawrence in the search engine above.
Isn't it strange that this all seems to happen at the same time - and then nothing for years at a stretch!
A former SAS soldier has warned that the countries counter terrorism forces have been hit hard by this tragedy and that the forces will have to "start from scratch" to develop a suitable force of men.
Opposition leader Kim Beazley warned that the deaths had left an enormous hole and that the SAS would battle to fill the gap.
In other sporting news the well loved Sir Donald Bradman - Australia's living cricket icon - suffered a stroke and is now retiring from public life.
A request for the Don to appear at a function brought the following response last week:
"I doubt if you are aware of the misfortune which has struck the Bradman family.
Lady Bradman is seriously ill with inoperable cancer and, probably due to worry about her, Sir Donald has had a stroke.
At the moment, following the Ray Martin interview which was recorded a couple of months ago, Sir Donald is deluged with mail which he is unable to deal with."
Chin up Don - we all love's ya!
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