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Sunday 15th September 1996

International:

The maiden speech by Oxley Independent Pauline Hanson has been getting a fair bit of coverage in the local Oxley news group of late.

Herewith the posting and all articles in the thread:

In gil.chat, jvilnis@gil.com.au (John Vilnis) wrote:

Well,

Hands up all those who have heard Pauline's speech??

What do you think?? Is she a racist or is it a case of her picking up a few very topical viewpoints??

What do you think of her suggestion for disbanding ATSIC??

Her suggestion of stopping Immigration??

And her view that Asians are coming in and forming their ghettos to live in!!

What do you think??

John Vilnis

Response:

In gil.chat, mgooch@iccu6.ipswich.gil.com.au (Mick Gooch) wrote:

>In article <32368a90.42181159@news.ipswich.gil.com.au> jvilnis@gil.com.au (John Vilnis) writes:
> Well,
> Hands up all those who have heard Pauline's speech??

I did.

> > What do you think?? Is she a racist or is it a case of her picking up
> a few very topical viewpoints??

I don't believe that stating facts constitutes racism- as long as all the facts are correct. I think the majority of Australians want the Aboriginal question resolved fairly but also I think we are sick of throwing good money after bad.

>
> What do you think of her suggestion for disbanding ATSIC??

Fantastic, and the Aboriginal Legal Service. Neither help their clients at all in my opinion. The Aboriginals in jail appear to be the most hardened opponents of the Legal Service ?

> Her suggestion of stopping Immigration??

Fine as a short term idea until there is a better economy and tax resources to fund the new arrivals.

> And her view that Asians are coming in and forming their ghettos to
> live in!!

Absolute rubbish - nor is anyone advocating throwing out or displaying prejudice to our present diverse community. What of the question of owning Australian soil. Jobs for foreigners etc.

I don't think she is a red neck - eloquent she ain't but in addressing a major concern of middle Australia - instead of throwing money at it - perhaps we can get back to making Australia a home equally tolerant and beneficial to all AUSTRALIANS.

--
Regards,
Mick.

Response:

In gil.chat, inver@gil.com.au wrote:

Agree totally Mick - ATSIC has become one huge money filter. We - the people (including many thousands of tax-paying Aborigines) - have been pouring money into it at a furious rate with only a trickle coming out the bottom to assist the areas of genuine need.

What gets me is that many of the fat cats running ATSIC have very little Aboriginality, either in blood or culture, and are becoming very, VERY wealthy people. Their mates at the ABC, the bleeding hearts and do-gooders who thrive on a 'cause', have never had any objectivity on this issue and have conveniently overlooked any real public scrutiny of the financial 'mismanagement' at ATSIC.

Kick ATSIC out - allocate funds directly to specific projects and actively scrutinise specific outcomes - and take the politics out what is an area that has suffered dramatically through a small group of so-called Aboriginals being in control of literally billions of $ of the people's money and overseeing rorts, mismanagement and probably worse.

Pauline hits so many do-gooder nerves because she says it how it is and, as you say, appears to reflect the mainstream views of the average Australian.

They'll keep attacking her, endeavouring to brand her a 'racist' in their attempts to discredit her, but I'm prepared to put some money on her re-election next time around.

Regards Inver

Response:

In gil.chat, dtracey@gil.com.au wrote:

It infuriates me when people who voice an opinion that ATSIC or any other aboriginal or ethnic related body are inefficent or unnecessary, are immediately labelled racist.

Do they really believe that the aboriginal people are so inferior that they must have special rules, hand-outs, government departments etc... to help them?

To me, THESE seem to be the racist statements.

The law should have no need to mention the word "Aboriginal".

If all people are to be treated equally, then there can't be rules for some, and other rules for others.

If people need assistance, help them get to a point where they no longer need assistance. Don't make them dependant on it.

My 5 cents worth.
--
Darren Tracey


Political:

The local state politicians have got themselves into real self-righteous lather about the running of the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC), the political law enforcement body which went after an 83 year old lady (see Global Gripe of the day)...

It has now been claimed by National State MP, Allan Grice, under the protection of Parliament, that Mark Le Grand, a very senior official in the CJC has been putting extremely sensitive material into the hands of journalists.

This after the CJC has been putting the heat on some very senior Coalition MPs after the investigation into the dealings of Police Minister Russell Cooper (National Party) with the Police Union in the lead up to the critical Mundingburra election in February this year. (Search on Mundingburra for extensive archive on this State election...)

Mark Le Grand, according to Mr Grice's claims, leaked documents alleging Graham Richardson enjoying the close attention of one or more prostitutes on the Gold Coast. Graham Richardson was a power broker in the Labor party until last year when he got out after politics soon after the, still unproven, allegations surfaced.

Gladstone Independent wants an inquiry into the matter and the Labor leader of the opposition has warned the State Government that they face a no-confidence motion...

On top of it all former CJC Commission chairman, Rob O'Reagan, has jumped to Mark Le Grand' s defence calling on Mr Grice to repeat his allegations outside Parliament.

What I have just realised about politics and politicians is fairly obvious in retrospect... these overpaid long-lunch freaks are so busy trying to cut each other down (a poilitical abhoration of the tall-poppy syndrome) that they never really know, follow-up or care about the promises they made in the lead up to the election.

The bureaucrats become the policy makers and very little changes irrespective of which party gains power as the pollies stalk each other (figuratively speaking) trying to land a telling blow through some expose about the other party.

Only question remains is why the hell did we elect them in the first place?

Sport:

The Brisbane Bears walked all over Carlton last night in the semi-final of the 1996 Australian Football League season. The team scored 170 to a dismal response of only 73 by the star Melbourne team.

Social:

Over the last few years with falling house prices hundreds of Queensland families have literally handed the keys of their houses over to the bank as they found the debt to heavy a burder to bear.

These properties are known in the real estate industry as "submarines" because their property values have sunk.

Currently over 200 homes are up for sale by motgagee-in-possession in the S E Queensland area.

Statistics reveal that 97% of repossessed homes are owned by mums and dads and only 3% are investment properties.

Happily, real estate prices have started to rise again with housing prices lifting 4% in the last 12 months in this district.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Lovely day yesterday at Lamington Park in southern Queensland.

It was a warm day and the parrots in this mountain paradise are so tame that they land on your head, share the food that you are eating on the table and generally make a most pleasant nuisance of themselves.

Today it is once again sunny and beautiful, however it was cold overnight.


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