Today's Headlines

an Aussie's viewpoint on Australia's first daily Internet newspaper
Since October 1995

Thursday 7th March 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

International:

Australia's richest man, Kerry Francis Bullmore (that name fits well) Packer, yesterday handed the reigns of his multi-billion dollar empire over to his 28 year-old son, James Packer. At 58 Mr Packer is concerned about his health having suffered a major heart attack six years ago while playing polo. The Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd group have assets all over the world in areas such as media, and chemicals. There is a complex group of companies in which Packer senior will retain direct control. These include Consolidated Press Holdings. Packer's interests supporter the Australian Rugby League in the devastating win that they had in the courts over Rupert Murdoch's Super League owned by the Foxtel Pay TV group.

Political:

New Oxley Member of Parliament met with a group of Aborigines who were offended by her remarks about Aborigines getting special treatment from the government in areas such as financial grants and support. The table below demonstrates what she was alluding to:

How the government money is divided:
Social areaAboriginal$ per personPopulation$ per person
HealthAu$1,106.6 millionAu$4,175Au$18,400 millionAu$1,064
EducationAu$171.6 millionAu$647Au$1,840 millionAu$106.5
WelfareAu$10,040 millionAu$3,788Au$45,230 millionAu$2,660
HousingAu$99.3 millionAu$375Au920.5 millionAu$54
Job TrainingAu$50.4 millionAu$183Au$1,970 millionAu$115.88
Aboriginal population: 265,459. Total population: 17,284,059 - 1991 Census and grant figures.

Yesterday she was jeered off an Ipswich property after her first meeting at the Purga Mission site. Typical of the way that the 'rules are twisted' Mrs Hanson only agreed to meet the elders behind closed doors out of sight of the media who would only inflame the issue.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services spokeswoman, Mrs Patricia Thompson, (the only community group to benefit from such a service) disputed that the meeting was to be held in private and told Mrs Hanson as she got out of her car:
"We want to put you on notice that we will be taking our case to the Human Rights Commission because we have been clearly discriminated against."
This being said under the lights of television cameras and the attention of the press hanging from the fence.

Ms Hanson was clearly annoyed by the way in which the media had again been manipulated by the Aborigines to stir up the issue in the eyes of the public and left immediately while being booed and being called a coward.

After she left the Aborigines claimed that Ms Hanson had set back Aboriginal reconciliation 25 years.

I have these questions for the Aboriginal leaders involved:
"If you were serious about resolving the issues that Ms Hanson raised why didn't you do it in private where the media would not be able to blow the issue up?"
"If you had not made such a big thing about the factually based letter that Ms Hanson wrote to the press no-one would have even recalled the issue today. Why did you blow the issue up?"
"If you were not Aboriginal would you have got such a sympathetic hearing from the media?"
I can answer the last one... you would have been told where to get off! The Aborigines intend holding a demonstration against Ms Hanson at 10am today in the main Ipswich shopping mall.

Business:

In the once lucrative world of cigarette companies, WD & HO Wills has been dragged down to an Au$5 million loss as a savage price war drags on in Australia. The price of cigarettes has actually gone up a great deal - because of a massive tax imposition on the product. The company advised that sales for the half year to December fell from Au$51 million to the loss.

Sport:

English Rugby League chief executive is planning to run a competition for Super League players in Australia this year if News Limited is ordered by the Federal Court to forget about a breakaway competition. This option is seen as an interim measure holding the players and the teams together before their binding contracts with the Australian Rugby League (ARL) expire. This will also stop the players from being tempted to return to play in the ARL in the interim.

Social:

The district that spawned "VETO" the powerful Koala Highway Protest group has now formed CRAG an organisation whose aim is to fight the state government plans to protect Koalas. VETO worked so well that the government set up a Koala Coast Conservation Area (KCCA) which has devalued homes in the area by up to 75%. CRAG will try to dismantle the KCCA as they say it impinges on the rights of citizens! Now that is what I call a turn around for the books.

Personal trivia:

Well another gorgeous day yesterday with pleasant temperatures and sunny skies. Alex and I had another visit to the Moggill Koala Hospital.

Return to Australian National News of the Day
#
Web development, design, and storage by Global Web Builders - Email: global@gwb.com.au

See GLOBE International for other world news.
WA
anotd