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Friday 20th September 1996

International:

The diplomat at the centre of sexual harassment claims at Australia's embassy in Paris is still flying high after being councelled about the allegations. More than a dozen complaints about his behaviour were received and incestigated by a team of senior departmental officers and lawyers.

The internal review found there were problems with the senior diplomat's behaviour, but that they did not constitute harassment. It was found that the allegations were made against the man at a time of high tension and low morale during the French nuclear testing controversy.

The outcome of the lengthy investigation is likely to infuriate his colleagues who claimed that they had endured three years of work place harassment including lewd suggestions and offensive behaviour.

A departmental spokesman refused to comment on the outcome of the investigation or the diplomat's future. He said that the matter was over and all parties were satisfied.

It is understood that the diplomat will now be based in Canberra but is currently on a three week work related trip around Africa and the Middle East.

Staff at the French embassy had predicted that he would get off with "a slap on the wrist" because of an allegedly entrenched "old-boys school rule".

Obviously the fellow knew the right people in the right places if he was that bad... so what's new in diplomacy?

Political:

Kim Beazley, the leader of the Labor opposition, has hit back at the Liberal party's industrial relations policy saying that, if elected at the next Federal Election, his party would propose a new accord with the trade union movement.

He predicted that by 1999 - at the next election - the public would be so tired with the Howard government's "mean-spiritedness" that they would welcome a return to consensus politics.

At the same time deputy prime minister, Tim Fischer, was warning that the delays in getting the Workplace Relations Bill through the senate would slow down job growth in Australia.

Business:

News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch has reaffirmed expectations that his group would perform better this year on the back of improvements in the filmed entertainment business. In the company's annual report released yesterday Murdoch said that an increased profit appeared attainable despite last year's 25% fall in after tax profit to Au$1.02 billion.

"Looking towards 1997, the motion picture Independence Day, a moderating trend in paper prices and a solid forward booking in advertising at Fox Broadcasting means a substantial budgeted profit increase for the full year currently appears very attainable," he said.

Last year higher paper costs hit profits by Au$300 million. Meanwhile the amount paid to News Limited's eight directors in 1995-96 increased by 0.6% to Au$26.5 million.

Now how do I become one of those.... I wonder.

Sport:

The South African soccer team hammered home two goals at the Simba Four Nations Cup at Johannesburg yesterday beating the Australian Socceroos who had been forced to play with ten men.

Australian defender Tony Popovic was booked early in the first half for deliberately handling the ball and was, soon after, red carded him for protesting when his team mate was fouled from behind.

Australia must win their game against Kenya by a big margin to have any hope of claiming overall victory in the series.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

The news of the day will be prepared in Sydney from Sunday... it's timing and content could be a bit erratic and I apologise in advance for that.

The family are taking a 14 hour train ride from Brisbane to Sydney tomorrow (Saturday). We will be staying with friends before returning on Wednesday. On Tuesday night we will be attending a black tie dinner at the Australian Internet Awards in which my six year old boy's web site, Koala trouble is in the finals for the Australian Internat Hall of Fame.

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