Today's Headlines
an Aussie's viewpoint on Australia's first daily Internet newspaper.
Since October 1995

Thursday 26th June 1997

Associated links:

Search entire news archive by day	Search entire news archive by text
Definitive Lifestyle Guide to over 5000 Australian webs	Global Web Builders Gold
The Kid's Locker Room	World Wide Websters

International:

"Australian jobs are in greater jeopardy from international sanctions in the form of higher tariffs being imposed on our exports by industrial economies annoyed at our refusal to implement emission targets," she said.

"Australian jobs are not in jeopardy from the implementation of gas emission targets but they will be if we continue to ignore international advice and opinion on the need for concerted action on climate change."

Federal Primary Industries Minister John Anderson rejected the idea that Australia would be penalised for its stance on green house emissions saying, "I would think that we would not be subject to trade sanctions - I would sincerely hope that we would not be.

"But I will say this - Australia needs to stand up for the interests of its people."

Greens leader Bob Brown said Howard had done for Australia's reputation on environment what Pauline Hanson had done for race relations.

Aboriginal groups in the multimillion dollar joint venture with MIM's Ernst Henry mine near Cloncurry will be funded by tax payers to enable them to set up their business. No loans, no risk, no money required... no, the tax payer funded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission will take an equity stake in return for setting the business up for the Koutha Aboriginal Development Corporation and Gulf Transport Pty Ltd.

Comment:

The corporate giants put out expensive marketing campaigns expressing the face of benevolence, good heartedness and kindness.

This could not be much further from the truth when you dig down below the facade and discover the greed and contempt of the major stakeholders in these organisations in our welfare.

The deceit of the Australian mainstream media in the world of power and politics is well documented so we will not dwell on it here, but we will look at two giants, Telstra and National Australia Bank.

Have you seen that cushy ad run by National Australia Bank recently?... you know the one with the smiling bank manager here to help - well don't believe it.... ... well here is just one Australian on the net who has experienced otherwise.... (See his comments under YOU SAY).

This is just an extract from his web site...

"We note that you have informed the Bank (National Australia Bank) that you purportedly took such action (allegedly trespassing on a farm repossessed by the Bank) to ensure the safety of the stock remaining on the property, which you allege is yours. (We have previously written to you pointing out that we do not accept that contention and that we regard the equipment, plant and machinery and stock and livestock as belonging to Miss Benecke.) (Joseph Abram claims to be a lessee on the farm running a business) We are further instructed by the Bank that it will retain security guards to patrol the property throughout the evening until Friday, 16 .July 1993. However, we note that both under the mortgages and at common law, the Bank is not liable for any loss which any person may suffer in relation to any personal property remaining on the premises.

"We also note that the Bank has informed you that all equipment, plant and machinery, stock and livestock is to be removed by Friday, l6 July 1993. Of course, before that property is released to any person Miss Benecke's written authority will be required.

"Lastly, we are instructed that should there be any further unauthorised entry to the premises, steps will be taken to remove all personal property remaining on the premises as the Bank is entitled to do."

Nice one NAB I wonder why that story didn't make the papers or television - something to do with your advertising budget... maybe?

I am closing my own housing loan with National Australia Bank today after having had enough of the fees and charges that this greedy corporate giant imposes on anyone who unfortunately falls into their grasp.

And what about government owned Telstra which is supposedly owned by the Australian people... the Chief Executive Officer, Frank Blount, the fellow on the left of the picture here, had a special unit set up to defeat the claims of the group calling themselves Casualties of Telstra (COT). The unit cost Telstra (in effect Australian tax payers) Au$18.7 million and its sole task was to discredit the claims by individual business customers who had suffered losses because of inadequate phone services.

Telstra's "Customer Response Unit" allocated teams of up to ten people to each of the 18 COT cases with their brief being to withhold information and to keep secret files on the COT customers and other customers who complained about Telstra's services.

A former Telstra staffer, Lindsay White, also said that the unit was set up to fight the Au$24 million claims by the COT customers. The claim by White that the Telstra unit targeted specific COT clients was denied by their senior council John Armstrong... while White said that he was one of a team of ten people asked to fight the claims in a COT case with the unit's task being to "stop at all costs" the case from proceeding.

"My role was a technical role and to explain away problems," White said.

One of the COT cases, Ann Garms, had to wait two years to get information under the Freedom of Information legislation.

Now you might think that the politicians from the Liberal and Labor parties might have an interest in such goings on.... but no what do they do they attack each other over credibility in the most extreme and petty way - see politics below and the attack on the Liberal Minister for Small Business and you will start to get the picture.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Official home page.

Political:

The Labor Bunbury council member at the centre of the allegations, John McCourt, said, "He wanted to develop the property and lobbied me, as lots of people lobby council members, as to whether something is achievable and something isn't."

This after Prosser had earlier said in Parliament, "I have not made any formal presentations, since becoming a minister, to any council, any planning officer or any council officer."

As Small Business minister Prosser would be in breach of ministerial guidelines if the allegations were proven.

While serious it is quite amazing that this controversy has taken up days, if not weeks in Parliament which is about to break for ten weeks so that the ministers can go for their overseas junkets in the northern hemisphere to enjoy warmer weather.

The controversy has absolutely no relevance to important issues like the Packer/Fairfax debacle which is currently being put through the bureaucratic channels for vetting and approving proposed radical changes to media ownership.

While the politicians fiddle the democratic rights of mainstream Australia burn.... who are they elected to represent? It certainly isn't mainstream Australia - therefore it must be the bureaucrats whose strings are pulled by Packer and Murdoch's well-placed lobbyists.

Interesting that Pauline Hanson's seat of Oxley is to be changed under redistribution in Queensland at the next Federal Election. The redistribution outcome is still to be announced by the Australian Electoral Commission.

You say:

Business:

An ASC spokesman said, "I can only say to you that we are having a preliminary look at some of the circumstances surrounding trading in Fairfax shares with the Brierley Group, Merrill Lynch and Westpac."

About 5% of Fairfax shares has been bought by Merrill Lynch during the last few weeks.

Sport:

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Have a great day.

Return to Australian National News of the Day

#