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Since October 1995

Sunday 6th April 1997

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Issues - timed calls for Internet use.
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International:

Australian Lisa Marie Smith (21) daughter of wealthy National Mutual Asia chief, Terry Smith, was arrested in Bankok in February last year on drug charges after being caught with 4kg of cannabis and 565 amphetamine tablets while trying to board a flight to Hong Kong.

She was released from Bankok's Kong Prem prison on bail of Au$75,000 and immediately fled the country on her Australian passport to Greece. Despite Interpol being alerted it is unlikely that Ms Smith will ever face a Thai court.

Compare that to the fate of Lyle Doniger, Deborah Spinner and Jane McKenzie who were caught carrying just over 100 grams of heroin. They had no money to get bail and have been sentenced to die in jail (50 years behind bars).

The three Australians join another sixteen already there who live in hellish conditions in the Bang Kwang prison in Bangkok.

Wiulliam Sinclair, who spent four years at Bang Kwang said, "Bang Kwang is the worst place on earth. It was like that when I was there 15 years ago and I don't believe that it has changed.

"When I left in 1982 there were 6,300 prisoners crammed into that place."

Political:

Party leader, Cheryl Kernot, yesterday confirmed that the Democrats were considering moving a motion of no confidence in Colston. An alternative move would be to declare the Senate deputy's position vacant.

"It is time to ask the Government and (Senate Leader) Senator Hill are they willing to keep protecting this person who has lowered the reputation and the integrity of the Senate and brought the Parlaiment into disrepute," Senator Kernot said.

The Democrats would certainly win the support of Labor and probably the Greens with the decision resting on another Independent Senator, Brian Harradine.

The proposed move will be the first of its kind in Australian history.

Senator Colston hit back in a written press release yesterday saying that the Democrats were trying to deflect attention from investigations currently being made into their parliamentary expenses. He also took a swipe at Kernot saying that she was one of the largest recipients of tax payer funded travel allowances.

"Their balance of power... has been severely eroded since my resignation from the Labor Party," Colston said, "Could their irrelevant and impotent position in the political process be one of the major factors for attacking me?"

Extensive political commentary and links can be found on Palmer's Australian Politics page.

Sport:

South Africa were in trouble early in their innings. Despite a last moment rally spearheaded by Pollock they fell 16 runs short of the target in the second last over with Alan Donald being run out in a silly mix-up.

The series is now level at 2 all.

Social:

• More than one-third of respondents believed that it was to easy to get divorced.
• The average duration of a marriage in 1995 was 7.6 years - giving credibility to the "7 year itch" theory.
• Only 44% of respondents strongly felt that if their partner became mentally or physically ill that they should remain with them.

• Reports of abuse to children to child protection agencies increased by 80% between 1988 and 1995.
• Of over 30,000 substantiated cases of family abuse across Australia in 1994-95, 29% were physical; 28% emotional; 16% sexual and 26% neglect.
• 42% of substantiated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reports were for neglect of children.
• 42% of women who had been in a former relationship reported an incident of assault with only 10% an episiode of sexual violence committed by a previous partner.

• Between 1982 and 1994 the youth (15yr to 24yr) suicide rate for males jumped 42%.
• In 1994 almost eight time as many young men as women committed suicide.

• Female sterilisation fell from 24,024 in 1984 to 9,549 in 1994.
• Male sterilisation peaked in 1987 at 36,378 up by over 12,500 on 1984.
• About 30,000 Australian men have vasectomies each year.

Australian Health Authorities are preparing themselves for a deluge of flu victims affected by the B-type virus this winter.

This strain, which has not been in Australia since 1988, has wreaked havoc across the northern hemisphere mainly attacking people over 65 - and being accompanied by an A-type virus.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Have a great day.

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