International:

Piers Ackerman in an article headed "Lesson for faithful in recent history" makes passing reference to Kernot's "modern" lifestyle which seems to sit well with her support for gay and lesbian relationships being recognised as "bona-fide" families.

I particularly like the piece and I quote, "She calls herself a Democrat and all of us (her betters) are willing to concede her that. Except the first five letters."

Here is an extract from the article:

"But Cheryl is still number one in the hearts and top of the charts with one group of men in Sydney, those she taught English and History at St Leo's Wahroonga in 1974 and 1975.

"As Cheryl Young, Mrs Kernot apparently captivated a number of young lads and is remembered with great fondness.

"They hope she'll join them for an Old Boy's dinner on November 11 and share some memories of their educational excursions."

The story goes that she was forced to move on because of her "close relationship" with some of the schoolboys.... what better place than politics where the Hanson press release "Sleeping with the enemy" seems to be quite apt - but perhaps that question should be asked of Gareth Evans?

Here is a transcript of the complete Piers Ackerman article

Now I have got to tell you I am not particularly fond of Saddam Hussein - the Iraqi despot - but then he is no worse than the United Nation "string pullers" who are currently preparing to clear the way for the United States, as the self-appointed global policeman, to go and shoot up some citizens.

There is a web site now on-line which reveals the hidden cost of the UN's actions against Iraq. The site by the The Iraq Action Coalition (IAC) which claims to be a "broad-based, independent, grassroots coalition dedicated to providing information on the devastating effects and consequences of the blockade on Iraq and to providing assistance to the people of Iraq. IAC was formed as a response to the blockade's lethal destruction of Iraq -- the people and the land. The Coalition supports an unconditional and immediate lifting of the illegitimate blockade on the people of Iraq. (IAC is not affiliated with any government or political party.)"

Included in some of IAC's claims are:

• More than one MILLION Iraqis have died since the start of the blockade in 1990. - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), December, 1995.
• The blockade has killed more than 567,000 children under the age of five. - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), December, 1995.
• More than 4,500 children under the age of 5 are dying each month from hunger and disease. - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), October 19, 1996.
• Since the onset of sanctions, there has been a six-fold increase in the mortality rate for children under five and the majority of the country's population has been on a semi-starvation diet. - World Health Organisation (WHO), March, 1996.

We have spoken in the past about the Canadian "Nunavut" state... the beginning of the end with states being formed in this country based on racial lines.

We have spoken about how we feel about Nunavut and its architect, Peter Jull, who is now working on divvying up Australia into little pieces for the Central Land Council.

Yesterday I received a pre-release edition of the authorised biography of Pauline Hanson, "Pauline, the Hanson Phenomenon" from the author Helen Dodd.

The map on page 176 of the book displays Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land holdings. The concentration of current indigenous land ownership (something which I had not realised) nearly splits Australia down the middle (the Central Land Council's stamping grounds).

The map shows that about 40% of the Northern Territory is owned right now by the Aboriginal population under native title and the land holdings extends hundreds of miles wide continuously from here down the eastern border of Western Australia through the western border of South Australia to the big byte.

I can make you a prediction right now that this area, about 10% of Australia, will be the new Nunavut. That is why Peter Jull is here. Let us remember that the Canadian taxpayer will be funding Nunavut for at least the next twenty years.

So what happens if you want to fly over "Australia's Nunavut" if the new owners block any access to their air space. How do you get from the east coast to Perth or visa-versa? Will Perth slowly die on the vine, totally isolated?

Pauline Hanson's views are spot on with her press release on the divisive Native Title fiasco.

The net is a small place, and remarkably the following unsolicited spam mail promoting Nunavut arrived in my mailbox overnight:

Subject: Check out this Site!

Site Name: The Nunavut Handbook
Contact Name: Inga Schafer-McCuaig
E-mail: ingam@nortext.com
Category: Travel
Description:

The 1998 Nunavut Handbook Web site, the quintessential guide to Canada's north, was the first travel guidebook to go completely on-line before the release of the printed version (released June 1997).

On November 7, the already popular Web site, at www.arctic-travel.com was relaunched with a completely new look and plenty of value-added attractions. Check out the new Inuktitut audio clips, explore our breathtaking photo tours, send a postcard from Nunavut, or transport yourself into a virtual reality panorama of Clyde River on northern Baffin Island. There are also maps, a site search engine, an updated calendar of events, answers to travellers' questions, a corner for tales from the North, a northern products/services directory, and an Arctic Blast Contest featuring a 7-day, dogsledding or floe-edge, grand prize adventure trip for two to Pond Inlet.

Canada's newest territory, Nunavut, becomes a reality, April 1, 1999.

Under the title "What is Nunavut" you read this beauty:

"Nunavut is a new territory being carved out of Canada's central and eastern Arctic. About 85% of Nunavut's population is Inuit (formerly called Eskimos by others) who speak a language called Inuktitut. The new territory, although a public government, effectively gives Inuit self-government in an area roughly the size of France. Nunavut means "our land" in Inuktitut. The new territory comes into being on April 1, 1999, while at the same time the $1.1 billion Nunavut Land Claims Agreement continues to be implemented. The land claim made Inuit the largest private land owners in North America."

Our land? Whatever happened to one nation?

The Central Land Council are working on exactly the same with "Australia's Nunavut" - the boundaries have been set, the paperwork is being prepared and you can be sure that the UN Draft treaty into Indigenous Peoples will be dragged before the Australian High Court in a ruling that will make Wik seems like a local council fracas over water rates.

So when you have a prominent Queensland grazier, Warren McLachlan, (three years as the Cattleman's Union representative on the National Farmers Federation) saying that it is unquantifiable the amount of financial compensation the native title amendments (Howard's ten point plan) to the High Court legislation will cost Australian tax payers you have got to get real worried when you realise this is just the start.

Seems like the growing number of independent parties in and around Australia is starting to cause some confusion. First we had One Nation's Day of Reckoning now we have the Australian Broadcasting Corporation coming out with this beauty in Alice Springs!

"The Australian Reform Party established its branch in the mining city on Monday and says it has been mistaken by some in the community for Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party.

"The Reform Party's Mount Isa vice-chairman, Dennis Hanson, says the threats were made by ill-informed people and they should be forgotten.

"What happened was that the gentleman who let us use his premises as a venue for our inaugural meeting here received the threats and his staff received threats," Mr Hanson said.

"Unfortunately, there were some people who believed we were the One Nation organisation.

Starting to realise where the confusion came in... its all in the name!

Political:

"It is a proposal to deny the three-quarters of the Australian workforce who are in the private sector, non-unionised, the opportunity to have flexible agreements. This document includes the greatest increase in union power this country has ever seen proposed. The Labor Party are going to effectively abolish the right of people to - themselves or collectively - have an agreement with their employer without a union."

You Say:

Subject: ejucated ijiots

Dear Sir,

An interesting perspective on the educated idiots by Graham Strachan. It always amazes me that squillions of dollars are squandered on commissioned reports by educated idiots that always come up with the same answers that the average man in the street knows already. Could it be that our education system is failing us, or is that the plan?

Bazza S Searle

Business:

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Have a great day.

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