Monday 30th December 1996
Search news archive by day | Search archive by text (NB - News Index) |
Definitive Guide to Aussie webs | Global Web Builders Gold |
The Kid's Locker Room | World Wide Websters |
Records show that 605 veterans of the German armed forces now living in Australia claimed war disability pensions in April this year. Recipients of the pension receive the money through the Office of the Ministry for Social Affairs and Labour in Hamburg.
Although soldiers found guilty of war crimes are not offically entitled to the pension German officials admitted that there are no systematic checks.
Between 1947 and 1950 more than 170,000 refugees and displaced people were transported for resettlement in Australia.
A Au$30 million was crimes investigation unit established in 1987 investigated 194 alleged war criminals in Victoria, 161 in New South Wales, 87 in South Australia, 35 in Western Australia, 33 in Queensland, 17 in Tasmania, 13 in the Australian Capital territory and just one in the Northern Territory. No one was ever successfully convicted.
Mr Stone said, "If it is necessary to see it through to a double dissolution, then that is the most effective referendum that you are going to have on native title.
"Governments of all political colours have accepted the principle of native title, but unless this is resolved you are going to see state and territory governments walking away from native title.
"You are going to see an end to reconciliation."
It is expected that the Prime Minister will seek the support of Opposition Leader Kim Beazley to legislate to extinguish native title on pastoral leases - even though he has denied the claim.
The High Court's decision has outraged state premiers, pastoralists and miners who say that billions of dollars of future investment are now at risk.
Leases in jeopardy following the Wik decision include several granted to the Au$450 million MIM-Savage Resources Ernst Henry gold-copper project in north-west Queensland.
Queensland native title law specialist Peter Gore said that the Federal Government had no choice but to change the Native Title Act to validate recently granted leases and order that compensation be paid if native title was later found to exist... sounds like he could be a busy boy!
In the suburb of Karana Downs, for example, the number of houses on sale has fallen quite dramatically over the last eight weeks with several being sold during this period.
It broke the previous record set by Kialoa III in 1975 by just under 30 minutes.
Plattner won Au$300,000 from Telstra for breaking the record - a prize which is to be shared between the crew. Morning Glory nearly never made the starting blocks after losing a mast which was replaced on Christmas Eve... at a cost of Au$380,000... but what's a few dollars amongst rich friends!
Opposition assistant treasury spokesman Mark Latham said the Government had excluded people who gave genuine financial support to their kin even though they did not reside with them.
Australian Family Association spokeswoman Patti Smith said that this was sensible as the primary carer of the child incurred most of the costs.
"People are trying to make it look like they are being discriminated against because they are divorced or separated. It's a damned disgrace that 780,000 (Australian) kids are living in single parnet families," Ms Smith said.
Return to Australian National News of the Day