Thursday 27th March 1997
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Issues - The banking system under the spotlight. Yesterday Chan had to call on the help of PNG's founding Prime Minister, Michael Somare, to engineer the defeat of the motion - to allow him to step aside despit the "visible" support of Parliament.
In his resignation speech Chan said, "To defuse the situation we have to bring back peace. I and my two ministers (involved in the contract with the mercenaries) will have to step aside. I have given back democracy into your hands, into the hands of Government.
"It is the right thing to do. I did not run away."
The news was greeted by a giant roar of approval from the crowd assembled outside the building. The PNG citizens chanting "Singirok, Singirok". The resignations led to immediate calm in PNG with school, shops and businesses expected to reopen today.
Singirok yesterday denied being a hero over the Sandline mercenary affair saying that he had acted as a PNG citizen as would any other.
Former Governor General Bill Hayden wrote a long letter to Queensland's State Premier Rob Borbidge in which he expressed the following concerns about the Native Title Act:
Hayden's interest in the native title issue follows his failed attempt to negotitate with the claimants standing in the way of the Century Zinc Project.
He said that the tragedy about the Century Zinc proposal was that the tribal groups directly affected wanted the project to go ahead - with the exception of "two unrepresentative people whose status as claimants was never established wuth any credibleness to me".
Cape York Land Council's policy director David Byrne said Hayden's entire Native Title experience was based on "five minutes" in the Century project.
"He talks about the Aboriginal people and their rights as if they were just an inconvenience. He shows no understanding whatsoever of Aboriginal people," he said.
The Wik debate, an off-shoot of the Native Title mess, dissolved into a slanging match yesterday and is destined to become the most divisive legal decision ever made in Australia.
Key players in the debate resorted to personal attacks as the promised solution by Prime Minister John Howard drags on past easter.
Ian Sinclair, the former National Party leader criticised the National Farmers Federation (NFF) for its anti-native title advertising campaign.
Other members defended the advertisement against accusations of racism (yes that word is trotted out once again) and inaccuracy.
National Senator Bill O'Chee and Aboriginal negotiator, Noel Pearson, were at loggerheads with O'Chee accusing Pearson of "thuggery" and Pearson repeating his claim that the NFF's advertising campaign was "putrid" claiming that they were acting for the rich.
For those who are sick of the vermin who live off this sad situtation, like vultures around a rotting carcass feast your eyes....
Ms Hanson said that One Nation would stand like minded candidates in every state and in all seats for the House of Representatives and the Senate.
She will seek public funding for the party, and based on her 33,960 votes in Oxley would be entitled to Au$57,460.
Ms Hanson said that she would officially launch her party later this year and that other parties "should be worried".
"The last thing I want is for people not to express their views. I would like for people to be like-minded in my views, as you cannot achieve what I am trying to achieve - equality for all Australians - unless they are like-minded."
Ms Hanson did not rule out becoming Prime Minister one day saying, "Listen, I was very surprised to win the seat of Oxley and I appreciate that people gave me the vote.
"To think that maybe one day I'm going to be Prime Minister - to tell you honestly, I'm not thinking that far down the track.
"If I can have a voice in government now to make the government stop and listen to what the real issues are that concern the Australian people, that's the most important thing, not whether I'm going to be Prime Minister.
"I'm striving to be able to have more of a force in government, to have more of a say and to turn this country around."
Australian Indigenous People's Party spokesman Sam Watson urged Ms Hanson to adopt a broader range of issues and warned her that her candidates would face stiff opposition from Aboriginal candidates if and when her party went to an election.
Getting in on the act Senator Mal Colston has applied for his Queensland First party to be registered. ALP State secretary Mike Kaiser said he was "monumentally disinterested" in Colston's move.
What we are seeing I believe is a quantum shift in this country from the traditional parties - not because of Ms Hanson - but because the men and women in the Liberal and Labor parties who are supposed to be leading Australia into the 21st Century are such a bunch of self-opinionated wankers - who have lost touch with the average Aussie.
The comment in the street has changed from "I always vote Labor", to "I would rather vote Labor than Liberal"..... what an opening for a party that actually represents the views of that person and millions of Aussies like him or her.
I predict that by the turn of this century the powerful hold that the Liberal and Labor parties have in Australia will be split by the dawn of a new age where a third party for the people - possibly One Nation - but not under Ms Hanson's leadership - holds a growing number of seats in both houses.
I predict that prominent Liberal and National Party members will join such a party under the leadership of well-known and respected politicians like Ian MacFarlane.
I predict that the Labor Party has seen its day and will replace the niggling Democratic Party in the 21st Century.
Extensive political commentary and links can be found on Palmer's Australian Politics page.
One to be enjoyed in the Global Office - have a great day.
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