Today's Headlines
Friday 23rd February 1996
International:
The Australian Rugby League (ARL) and News Limited's Super League will enter tense legal analysis and strategy meetings after today's Federal
Court decision on the future of rugby league. The ARL is seeking Au$100 million in damages and a delay of the Super League series until the
end of this calendar year. The ARL is also at odds with the English Rugby League who are wanting to break away and who have
said that they will stand up and fight if the ARL takes them to court.
Opposition leader John Howard said it all yesterday when he stated what most Australians think, that if the ACTU and trade unions in
general think that they are going to bully the Australian public into returning the Labor party by threats and bullying then they are
attacking the very basis of democracy.
Not a good day for Prime Minister Paul Keating whose Medicare
refunds have spung a Au$440 million hole that he cannot explain.
Closer to home in the seat of Oxley (Ipswich) the Liberal candidate, Pauline Hanson, was dumped a couple of weeks ago because
she dared to speak her mind on the Aboriginal problem in the area. There has been a great deal of noise made about her remarks with
letters to the local paper, and in radio talkback. Much of the feedback has been very negative calling her a racist. Then a local Brisbane
radio station spontaneously invited people to phone in and say whether they agreed or disagreed with her. The result: 494 support her
6 against out of 500 callers in half an hour.
Pretty conclusive about the general public feeling I would think.
Business:
Qantas Airways Limited increased their interim profit by 15% and said that it was on target to meet the forecasts set out in its
prospectus. The airline delivered a net profit of Au$148.3 million following a strong growth in domestic travel and substantial cost
reductions. You might recall that about a month ago the stewards took a 24 day strike because their meal allowances were cut
(marginally)!
Sport:
In swimming it has become obvious that Samantha Riley's light warning over the drug issue has resulted in her coach coping the
main punishment. Yesterday Riley said "I never knew that there would be a trade off". FINA dished-out the punishment which is a
decision normally left for the regional swimming body.
Social:
American television tell-all hyped-up talk shows could deter genuine child abuse victims from coming forward Queensland police have claimed.
They say that the serious issue of child abuse was been mocked on shows like Oprah Winfrey by people pawning sensationalised
abuse stories to publicise talk shows or to win custody battles.
Personal trivia:
My Hewlett packard colour scanner hiccuped and died yesterday. When I took it into the big smoke for fixing I nearly died when Hewlett Packard
informed me that my 14 month, hardly used, machine could not be fixed in Australia and that I would have to effectively "buy" a repaired
and returned machine in stock for Au$700 - nearly half the price of a new one. Trouble in paradise - and not Koala trouble either!
Return to Australian National News of the Day
#