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Thursday 1st August 1996

International:

Our neighbours in Indonesia, a la Suharto, is up to his tricks again. As soon as a decent opposition with half a chance comes along the military get involved and flatten them.

In this case, soon after America's Jesse Jackson was filmed with the Indonesian Democratic Party (IDP) leader, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Suharto's mugs swooped. In the guise of the threat of a coup the military boys simply burnt down the IDP's offices in Jakarta.

The goons have already arrested half of the DPI's candidates and put the coming government elections into the same league as Burma.

But of course politics is politics and I haven't heard of John Howard cancelling his official visit to meet Suharto.

Business:

Great news yesterday with a half percent cut in interest rates sure to send the cost of buying a house south. In fact banks like the Commonwealth have already passed on the full 1/2% cut onto their variable home loan interest rates to 9.25%. The monthly saving on a $50,000 loan is about $16.

The official Reserve Bank interest rate is now just 7%.

Of course all the pollies are getting themselves into a right old lather with Labor claiming that it was their good policies that brought Australia there and the Coalition saying that this was as a result of their good work in the last six months...

Does anything EVER change in politics?

Sport:

Its all happening at the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Global Gripe of the day:

Didn't take long for the media to create an unpleasant side to the great performance by Cathy Freeman.

On Channel Seven last night they found an Aboriginal leader, Charlie Perkins, who agreed to denounce her for not carrying the Aboriginal flag after her silver medal performance.

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Charlie Perkins, but he was more than a bit stupid to agree to the interview which the television station portrayed in the lead-up, in a bid to get viewers, as Cathy being slammed.

The interviewer could not get an unconditional negative from Perkins who made it clear that "if Cathy had had a choice she should have carried the Aboriginal flag".

Now Cathy had no choice she had been warned that it could have caused her to be disqualified.

Channel Seven, "official media of the Atlanta Olympics" rasberries to you for trying to sour what should be a great opportunity to bring the nation together.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another gorgeous day outside. Cool overnight but warm now in the global office. Our tenants moved into the building above the global office.

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