Today's Headlines
Thursday 14th March 1996
International:
Workers ar Comalco's Weipa bauxite mine (belonging to CRA) will begin a fresh round of industrial action on Saturday following
the claim that "the company is starving them into submission". Members of the Australian Manufacturers Workers Union claim that they
are being discriminated against at the mine on Cape York Peninsula for not signing enterprise agreements with the company.
Comalco managing director, Rod Kinkead-Weekes, said he was "astounded and disappointed" that the union was pre-empting a ruling
by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission on the matter.
Political:
It doesn't take the union leaders to try to take advantage once their masters have been dislodged from the perch. The new Liberal Party
have to decide on what action to take following a decision by the ACTU to call for a Au$11 to Au$14 increase in salaries of lower paid
salaried staff in Australia. The decision has been made following the breakdown of the Accord between the outgoing Labor Government
and the ACTU.
Business:
Telstra's attractiveness to big business was considerably enhanced yesterday when the Australian telecommunications, government owned,
giant posted an Australian record Au$1.205 billion profit for the first six months of the financial year. The result was achieved despite a 10%
jump in costs related to the Au$3.9 billion pay-television cable roll-out.
The Liberal Government are going to press for a sale of 1/3 of Telstra in the near future. Au$1 billion of the sale is earmarked for
a major new Au$1 billion environmental policy.
Sport:
In a major development in the ongoing saga between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and Super League, News Limited now claim that the
players have freedom of choice as to whether they want to play or not. Personally I think the game is stuffed because the ARL are saying
that they will fine players who refuse to play and the defiant clubs will be held for contempt of court. I can just picture the debacle
where a Super League side takes the field in an ARL match and throws the ball to the opposition and goes for a run around the
perimetre of the field or stand and watch as tries are scored by the opposition. Who can ever believe that they will be playing their
hearts out?
In a no surprise move Optus Vision (co-owned by Optus and the Packer clan) were announced as sponsors of the ARL premiership
for the next five years. Optus Vision are Foxtel's (News Limited) opposition in Australia.
Social:
Queensland state education minister Bob Quinn has appealed for more men to become teachers. Quinn said "In today's society we
have boys who will never have a male teacher in their school life and at the same time don't have a male at home."
His concern stems from the fact that boys will not have a male role model during their formative years.
Global Gripe of the day:
Yes, she is a super bitch and a marriage breaker too.
I can just picture Queen Victoria turning in her grave and saying "I am not amused."
So Princess Di did have an affair with the English rugby captain Will Carling. Now youv'e got to understand that I am no angel,
but there again I don't claim to be one. A personality who uses their royal position for their own personal benefit and ego building while
playing a double game in the sack with a married man has got to put herself right in the firing line. You got it Di. I have always
found the way in which Di used the media to good effect slightly disturbing. Even when she was with Prince Charles I felt that she was
always trying to gain the centre of attention. Now it has become blatantly obvious - Di is the master of double speak and that ain't no
Queen of Hearts. Have a look at our Global Hero for February 1996 if
you want to see a real Queen of Hearts - not just a plastic one.
Personal trivia:
Lovely quiet day after the action on the sailing boat the previous day. Another glorious sunny day today - my enthusiam today is, perhaps,
tempered a bit as I have to travel into the big smoke (Brisbane).
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