Wednesday 26th March 1997
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Issues - The banking system under the spotlight. Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Parliament was under seige by elements of the army and thousands of PNG citizens last night after it voted to support Sir Julius Chan in his position as Prime Minister - defying the call from the army and sacked commander General Jerry Singirok to resign.
The country is now waiting to see what Singirok will do - with his strong supporter Major Walter Enemu effectively commanding the nation's defence force.
Official cars of PNG's Parliamentarians were stoned by a large crowd when they tried to leave the Parliamentary grounds last night. The grounds are being defended by just 200 police loyal to Chan. The Parliamentarians retreated to the safety of the building while it was reported that Chan was airlifted out by helicopter - subsequent reports suggest that he escaped by disguising himself as a policeman.
A dying woman, who does not want to be identified, has written to the Australian Governor General, Willian Deane, asking him to allow her to die with dignity before signing the Kevin Andrews Private Members Bill. She is one of two people to have got necessary approvals allowing then to die under the Northern Territory's Euthanasia Bill.
"I have written this request in desperation and in haste," she wrote.
"Although I am near death, I do not want to be forced to use the law straight away.
"I am writing to ask you to please delay your signing papers that would allow the Kevin Andrews Bill to go ahead."
A spokesman for the governor said that the "Bill will arrive eventually, and be treated in the normal manner".
Dr Philip Nitschke, the woman's doctor, who has helped four people to die under the Northern Territory's euthanasia law, said the woman was "despondent, disappointed, disbelieving, dismayed and perplexed".
He went on to say "Those miserable bastards wouldn't even allow that (the late amendment by Tasmanian Senator Bob Browne) to allow those with approval to die. I am ashamed of what the Senate did. It's the inhumanity of it."
Tell you what buddy, just like all our overpaid blabbering pollies they are more interested in sticking the knife into each other - that's where their time and interest lies... just a helpless bunch of no hopers who's egos stretch far over the horizon of their own insignificance.
The Mal Colston farce is a case in point. If as much time and dedicated interest had been put into youth unemployment in this country as into this self-interested debacle we might just have a real chance of reducing the problem. They might as well all go and live with Michael Jackson in Neverland for all the good and care that they have for the average Australian voter.
And the king of the blubberers has got to be Labor Party Senator Evans who gets up like some demi-god and makes grandois statements about how Colston has rorted the system.... I would love to see how he has used the "legal" Parliamentary Superannuation scheme - exclusive to Federal Politicians to butter up his days in retirement.... that would make the Au$7,000 under the spotlight appear like the proverbial drop in the ocean.
Shame on you all!!!
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) has been running a highly effective television campaign which implies that there is one law for white Australians and a preferred law for the indigenous population.
Aboriginal lawyer Noel Pearson, a member of the party working on the native title issue, yesterday said that the NFF campaign implied that anyone who wanted to give the issue a fair go would be seen as a "traitor" and a "nigger lover".
"It has been a putrid campaign of disinformation," he said.
Extensive political commentary and links can be found on Palmer's Australian Politics page.
The point on contention revolves around the value of the shareholding that each party has in Optus Vision with Publishing and Broadcasting Limited and US West valuing Optus Vision at Au$1.6 billion while Channel Seven values the buy out at a franction of that.
Kerry Stokes, in the meantime, has made it quite clear that he doubts the integrity of his fellow shareholders in Optus Vision.
Opposition (Queensland) State tourism minister said, "Sunbelt was contracted to pay at least Au$1 million a fortnight ago and it told Tony Cochrane from IMG (race organisers Interntaional Management Group) a fortnight ago that it could not meet its contractual requirements.
"We believe and I confidently predict that Sunbelt will be wiped out as the naiming sponsor straight after this year's race (Sunbelt had signed up for 5 years).
"He (an unnamed source) told me that Stauber (from Sunbelt) was using trust fund moneys to fund his development schemes and that some clients have been waiting for 12 months for their money to be given back to them."
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