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Friday 16th August 1996

International:

The Premier of New South Wales wants Australia to adopt Waltzing Matilda as the national anthem for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Bob Carr feels that the current national anthem, Advance Australia Fair is too dull and lacks real emotion.

Got to admit that Waltzing Matilda sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it sung with emotion. The words of the song and the Australianisms were first penned by Banjo Patterson in about 1890.

The Prime Minister John Howard, who admits that he voted for Waltzing Matilda in 1977 when Australian's chose Advance Australia Fair, said that only a national vote would allow the change to be made.

In the 1977 vote Waltzing Matilda got 28% of the vote, Advance Australia Fair 43% and God save the Queen a paultry 18%.

Mr Blanch of the Waltzing Matilda centre said that the song is instantly recognisable all over the world and that he had requested that it become the official song of the Australian team in the 2000 Olympics.

The executive director of the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, Kerry Jones disagreed saying that adopting Waltzing Matilda as our national anthem would be like the Irish adopting "Danny Boy" - both folk songs that lacked dignity.

Last word from Olympic silver medalist swimmer Scott Miller who said, "It's ridiculous. I can't imagine standing on the dias at Sydney 2000 listening to Waltzing Matilda. We'd be the laughing stock of the world."

Political:

Aboriginal leaders were last night still struggling to decide which aid programmes would be cut following the government's Au$450 million budget reduction to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). Cultural programmes are expected to be hit the hardest with further cuts in Aboriginal legal aid, infrastructure development, business and cultural support.

The National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, which includes industry representatives, has already signalled that the Budget has made its job much harder.

The council was due to hold a two day meeting to discuss planning issues but has scrapped this to concentrate on limiting the damage caused by the Budget.

Aboriginal Minister, Senator Herron, blamed the outcry and lavish claims by the ATSIC Commissioners on elections for their positions in October, saying that the louder they holler, the more likely they are to retain their well paid seats on the Commission.

Business:

Outgoing Reserve Bank Governor, Bernie Fraser, yesterday backed the Howard government's tough Budget strategy while Democrats leader, Cheryl Kernot, warned that it would create a "social deficit".

Mr Fraser said that the economy would absorb the Au$8 billion in spending cuts while the Federal Government, after Prime Minister John Howard had meetings with the Democrats and the Greens, conceded that he had failed to win support from these key minor parties in the Senate for all the reforms.

One positive aspect of the meeting between Kernot and Howard was the Democrat leader's comment that she expected better co-operation between the two parties in the future.

In Queensland the state is rolling - expecting to bring in a Au$1 billion surplus in the next financial year... now why the hell are they cutting key jobs like police and social service then?

Sport:

The ongoing fracas between cyclist Kathy Watts and the Australian cycling team is spreading with other cyclists and coaches now speaking out against the woman who used a legal decision in Australia to override the selection process at the Atlanta Olympics. A 1992 report by Barcelona women's cycling coach Jenny Albrecht yesterday referred to Kathy Watts as the most disruptive athlete she had ever encountered.

The report included claims that Watts often ignored toilets and urinated in public before races.

Albrecht accused the Barcelona Olympics "golden girl" as being "the most disruptive, selfish, inconsiderate, egotistical, ungrateful and difficult athlete I have ever encountered."

Albrecht said yesterday that Watt's teammates would argue among themselves about who would have to room with her "because she would make life a living hell for them".

"They could never get any sleep because she would be up all night going through plastic bags," she said.

Hmmmm... no additions to those comments needed I think.. Let's take a moment to sympathise with Lucy Tyler-Sharman who could have won the gold for Australia in the 3000 metre pursuit at Atlanta before Watts used the law to overturn her selection and came in right at the bottom of the pack.

Social:

Yesterday under the Sporting section I referred to an incident where a woman launched herself at a swimmer participating in the ticker tape parade in Sydney.

Today we hear that Crown law would be asked to reconsider whether a man who kissed a policewoman on the lips should be charged with serious assault. Barrister Colin Reid asked the Brisbane Court for an adjournment of an assault charge to seek the Crown's advice.

We all know that the law is an ass but how big an ass can the law prove itself to be?

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another gorgeous day outside with the sun shining and the day warming up fast.

There was drama at the feed table yesterday, with four cockatoos fighting over the feedtable when the whole thing collapsed and fell from the rope - a drop of five metres - leaving the cockatoos screeching outrage at the way in which their feed had been interrupted.

Within minutes there were about twenty of the gorgeous birds hanging from every conceivable branch glancing down accusingly at the feed tray in the shrubs below...

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