Thursday 17th April 1997
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Issues - timed calls for Internet use.See which Senators voted timed calls in. Tell Communications Minister, Senator Alston how you feel about timed calls.
Of course, it was a working holiday (starting to sound like Mal Colston and his island trips) but wait there is more... we get to find out about this nice little a-la-taxpayer trip because of his nanny (taken along to keep the Dawkin's baby, Alice, out of the couple's hair).
It appears that his nanny wanted to go home soon after the Dawkins arrived in Mauritius and had settled into their 5 star hotel.
The Nanny, 28 year old Darlene Hibbins, is now being sued for Au$3,000 by Dawkins. Dawkins rage showed when she demanded to go home shortly after arriving in Mauritius with the "F" word and a raised voice being his response.
Dawkins said in a Perth court yesterday it was an emotional time because he had made elaborate plans for his wife and daughter to be with him in Mauritius and Hibbins had thrown everything into confusion.
"It was all going up in smoke," he said... rather like the tax payer's dollars.
Prime Minister John Howard had a few words of advice for controversial Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley yesterday following the mayoral outburst against Pauline Hanson in which he compared her to Adolf Hitler.
"It (his comment) shows an absolutely abysmal understanding of history," Howard said, "That is one of the most unintelligent, uninformed comments I have heard in politics for quite a while."
When asked by a reporter if Howeard though Ms Hanson was a racist he answered, "I wouldn't use that expression - no."
Ms Hanson meanwhile was up in the small town on Goondiwindi converting Liberal voters to the One Nation bandwagon. Her function was organised by John Slack-Smith who is a farmer in the district.
Slack-Smith remarked that it was not since the days of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen that such a large crowd (400 people) has attended a function... and to pay Au$25 a head at this time was "nothing short of miraculous".
A private poll in the district two weeks ago showed that 77% of the local population would back a Hanson candidate.
A local motel operator, Greg Holland, said he was, "totally pissed off with the way this country is going".
"She (Ms Hanson) isn't afraid to say what is common sense and right," he said.
A 15 page Aboriginal submission on the Wik issue presented to the government yesterday makes a major concession, namely that "Agreement that the rights of pastoralists and native title holders be firmly defined in legislation."
However, Aboriginal lawyer Noel Pearson said of the National Party backed National Farmers Federation (NFF), "You could not aim a bigger gun at a Prime Minister's head than say you are going to destroy the Coalition and cross the floor and act like lunatics.
"It is a product of deliberate generation of hysteria throughout particularly the eastern seaboard, Queensland and areas of New South Wales (where) families are living in a state of panic about Wik and native title."
Howard went on to say the Government's move was "unilateral" adding, "I can't believe that the Labor Party would accept his vote."
How wrong he was!
Now the fellows who blew the whistle on Colston, his old Labor mates, responded in a rather eye-opening manner. After using every trick in the book, centering around the travel rorts allegations, they refused to use the same tactic as the Prime Minister with the Opposition Senate Leader saying, "His vote is rightfully Labor's.... instead he's cast it when it matters on every important issue for the Government".
Howard responded last night by saying, "If, after everything Labor has said about Senator Colston, they are prepared to accept his vote, then that's their problem, not mine."
Extensive political commentary and links can be found on Palmer's Australian Politics page.
Have a great day.
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