Today's Headlines

an Aussie's viewpoint

Monday 29th April 1996

International:

Shockwaves have reverberated around Australia and the world following the totally senseless killing of 32 people and wounding of 18 others by a single gunman in the historic Tasmanian village of Port Arthur. His rampage started at 1.30pm yesterday on the tourist resort's busiest day.

Port Arthur is one of the most picturesque places in the world, a popular tourist haunt with a dark history (late 1700's) which parallels the horrors of the convict prisons on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific. Now the horrors have been brought forward into the 20th century with the worst gun massacre in human history. The gunman lost his father three years through a gun-related suicide and now appears to have taken revenge on society over his father's death. The tragedy involved toursists including Canadians.

Right now the unnamed "surfie" gunman is holed up with three hostages in the Seascape bed and breakfast cottages only 2 kilometres from the scene of the massacre.

The only question that should be asked right now is how the heck can anyone outside the armed forces be allowed to own a military style gun?

See the story behind the story... two years after the event.

Political:

Well the budget slashing has begun in earnest and it appears that no-one is going to escape the cutting edge of the government's sword. The outrage and threats from soon to be effected social and other bodies has begun in earnest with all the anger being aimed at Howard and his team.

Interesting statistics have been leaked by "someone" revealing that in Paul Keating's hey day over Au$10 million was spent by the Labor politicians and their "pet" bureaucrats (advisors?) in local and overseas air travel in just 1 year.

That's right Au$10 milion in 365 days - hmm sounds like I've found the root to the budget deficit in there somewhere. If only someone would dig a bit further like Robert Tickner did with his attempt to scuttle the Hindmarsh bridge project.

Little chance of that, maybe a touch of "Yes Minister" there!

Business:

The Queensland government have been urged to stop late night shopping in the state as the major shopping retailers like Coles Myer and Woolworths are treading more and more into the domain of niche small businesses forcing them to close their doors.

Sport:

The Brisbane Bears scored a major win in their Australian Football League match against Fitzroy yesterday, winning by over 100 points in a one-sided game. The wooden spoon team now head up the AFL ladder in an amazing turn about in just two years!

Social:

Predictions are that the Au$10 price tag for a packet of cigarettes in Australia is close. Already heavily taxed and viewed by a growing majority of the population as the habit of social outcasts smoking is now banned in most public buildings, restaurants, airlines and in this global office as well!

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another gorgeous day ahead of us here, the weather is perfect, the birds are singing and at the end of it we have the 1996 RAAF Amberley Air Show being held at Amberley Air Base in Ipswich.

It is also a week in which some very dear friends of ours, Martin and Penny Cloete come to stay after emmigrating from South Africa.

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