Today's Headlines
Friday 29th March 1996
International:
In an apparnet reflection on departed Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating's recalcitrant remark, Malaysian Prime Minister
Dr Mahathir Mohamad will outline his vision of an East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC) without Australia when he meets with the
new Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. The meeting the first in Australia in over 12 years comes in the same week that John
Howard was invited by Suharto to visit Indonesia.
Dr Mahathir who last visited Australia in 1984 to open his country's High Commission, said that relations with Australia could start with
a clean slate (now that Paul Keating has gone).
Political:
The Labor party in Victoria is facing a drubbing at the State Elections tomorrow.
Since Kennett's Liberal party came into power following a disasterous showing by the Labor Party which placed the state heavily
in debt, support for the Libs has risen even further.
Business:
Only yesterday we reported that interest rates were likely to fall. Well let's put that comment on hold. The effervescent Reserve Bank
governor, Bernie Fraser, jumped out of the starting blocks yesterday with a comment which has poured cold water on that idea. Fraser said that
if the unions in this country pushed and won the right for massive rises in employee salaries that inflation and interest rates would
rise rapidly.
He was quoted as saying that he hoped that the ACTU would behave responsibly in the face of a changing labour market under John
Howard. With ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty singing his sonatas all over the country? You've got to be joking mate!
Sport:
The Australian Socceroos walked away from a 1-0 defeat by Scotland in Glasgow yesterday after a friendly challenge confident
that they would qualify for soccer's 1998 World Cup. Australian coach Eddie Thomson was full of praise for his team of mainly European based
Socceroos for proving to be such a united force after only 3 training sessions. The match was played in freezing cold
weather - sounds like Scotland to me!
Social:
More Australian are working overtime but not receiving any extra payment for their effort - a study has found.
The Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training said yesterday a third of the workforce worked overtime
each week but received no money or time-off in return.
The centre said that 57.3% of professionals worked unpaid overtime while managers, clerks and salespeople also put in extra work for
no return.
Personal trivia:
Another day in the big smoke. With such lovely weather and the view from the Global Office looking so great it is a bit of a tug on the
motivation to get into the car and leave! Yesterday was spent putting some touches to the biggest guide of Queensland restaurants
on the Internet. Currently over 40 of the best are featured with another 40 to follow in about 6 weeks time.
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