International:

Labor's ex-Prime Minister's - "scum of the middle class" - Kim Beazley snr.

In the last financial year ex-Prime Minister Paul Keating cost Australian tax payers over Au$600,000 or Au$1,700 per day.

His daily expenses were three times greater than Bob Hawke, his Labor Party predecessor. Neither were they restricted to Mr Keating with his wife Anita charging Au$11,857 of travel related expenses back to the tax payer.

But Keating is still charging his ex-PM perks to tax payers while he makes a financial killing from the "paybacks" he secured while PM. These paybacks are mainly from well-connected and wealthy Asians living in South East Asia. Of course getting to them requires first class air travel and that is charged back to the Australian tax payer by Mr Keating.

Last year Mr Keating continued to rort the system spending Au$624,314 - with his "staff support" alone costing Au$224,785. Compare these expenses to those of former prime ministers and you can see what Keating is up to.

Here is a table breaking down his and other former Prime Minister expenses after they "left the Lodge" for the period 1995-97 (note Keating was booted out by the Australian people in February 1996 (yet he managed to spend nearly Au$100,000 in just a few months):

Prime Minister	Cars	Airfares	Spouse Travel	Staff Support	Staff Travel	Office Accom	Office Furn & Equip	Storage	Phone Fax	Postage	Total
JOHN GORTON
1995-96	36804	7924	3586	40376	-	10932	675	-	3735	714	104746
1996-97	25128	11510	7915	90	-	-	241	-	3874	-	47758
GOUGH WHITLAM
1995-96	107749	20029	12206	105995	9614	63055	6631	-	9534	592	335405
1996-97	96206	21142	2271	111014	7334	61325	5748	-	7227	1326	313593
MALCOLM FRASER
1995-96	92695	8315	8173	115030	1340	112934	13642	-	25804	6108	384041
1996-97	85561	7998	9885	120150	1292	86214	5660	-	17996	5595	340351
BOB HAWKE
1995-96	8248	4329	2421	112253	2652	77687	8186	-	9206	171	225153
1996-97	5592	5270	5270	115923	252	75056	3598	-	6805	64	217126
PAUL KEATING
1995-96	32411	6836	3838	31736	5770	3043	7011	30	3743	217	93635
1996-97	156602	25949	11857	224785	21621	115239	36706	152	30033	1370	624314

Now you can see why Kim Beazley's father said in 70s:

"When I first joined the Labor Party (in the 1940s), it was made up of the cream of the working class. When I left it (in the 1970s), it was made up of the scum of the middle class."

Native title over freehold - more examples come bubbling up to the surface

Yesterday we talked of the potential for a native title claim over a new freehold development in central Brisbane. Today Ian Causley MP told Parliament that Admiralty Towers was an example of how properties in major capital cities could be subject to native title claims.

Although native title has not yet been sought Causley said that because the development was being made on land to which freehold title was only gained in 1997 - from 1988 to February 1997 special leases were issues over the site.

Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey raised another issue relating to state housing sold privately after 1994 saying that these homes could also now be subject to native title claims - as Crown freehold was transferred to private freehold - while the Native Title Act only validated past titles up to January 1st 1994.

Former Labor attorney general said yesterday, "It is ludicrous to suggest that any Aboriginal people could establish or maintain a continuing association with this land (Admiralty Towers II), or any other block of land in Brisbane, which could be able to support Native Title."

However, the Senate (Harradine) is now trying to impose a "spiritual" connection as a legitimate reason for native title to be sought over land.

You Say:

From: Sam Rystrom sr35611@navix.net

To: global@gwb.com.au

Subject: United Staes Of America

X-URL: http://www.gwb.com.au/gwb/news/396/1809.html
Yes us Americans can be very stubborn when it comes to our foriegn policy.......As an American, I feel it is our duty to intervene whenever any American interest(oil,money,freedom) exists....

I speak for our whole country when I say I am so proud that the United States of American has the where with all and the guts to lay down our law anywhere in the world........We are #1 second to none......I night add that if the US doesn't end WWII, your piss for an excuse island country would be the property of the Germans.. It must be scary to live in a world where you feel weak and helpless...Just thank your lucky stars for America We are not only powerful but righteous.

Go and get stuffed Yank - you are the sort of no-hoper who give Americans in general a bad name.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another beautiful day in paradise.

Have a good one.

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