Recent stories exclusive to (how to) subscribe/rs of the Australian National News of the Day:
The proposed privatisation of Telstra 16th March
1998
Queensland State Candidates meet the
people 15th March
1998
One Nation, the First Year 12th March
1998
Pauline
Hanson tackles the MAI in Parliament while the media re-writes
history 10th March 1998
Feature:
How did the Hanson phenomenon start?
8th March 1998
Presentation on
"the level playing field" that ain't 7th March
1998
B
A Santa Maria on Australia pre- and post- Hawke.
6th March 1998
Lateline report
on the MAI - 80% of Australia's economic activity is controlled by
multinationals. 5th March
Current topical links (available to all readers):
[Links to the MAI]
[Queensland
One Nation State Election website]
[Sign the "I'm so sorry Pauline"
book]
Archive of weekly features (available to all readers):
[The
Canberra Column]
[Economic
Rationalism]
Today's
Headlines
an Aussie's viewpoint on Australia's
first daily Internet newspaper.
Since
October 1995
Hanson road show continues to attract full houses in Sydney
Channel 7 news covered the announcement of nine New South Wales One Nation candidates in Sydney this morning. The accompanying statement was that One Nation was naming candidates "despite poor turn outs at meeting in Sydney over the last few days".
Prime Minister John Howard recently had a meeting in Benalong which attracted just 2 people... while last night a packed house 600 people at Manly Warringa Rugby League Club came to listen to Pauline Hanson. There was a peaceful protest of about 20 people.
The candidates announced by Pauline Hanson yesterday were:
| Name: | Federal Seat: |
| Rick Putra | Lindsay |
| Les Sheather | Macquarie |
| John Webeck | Mackellar |
| June Beckett | Dobell |
| Neil Baird | Barton |
| Robert Webeck | Bradfield |
| Thomas Dell | Gilmore |
| Reg Lowder | Hughes |
| Phillip Maddison | Banks |
Privatisation and Telstra
Today we carry a lengthy and well researched argument against the privatisation of Telstra. Our thanks extend to our correspondent on "Economic Rationalism", Graham Strachan, for his work on this revealing document. Here is an extract:
If there is a propagandist’s rule of thumb that says ‘a good lie can be recycled indefinitely’, the field of ‘privatisation’ must be a prime example. When Margaret Thatcher began privatising once-nationalised British industries during the early 1980s the myth was invented that they were being bought up by the employees. It was dubbed ‘popular capitalism’. The Readers Digest described it as ‘Karl Marx's dream (workers owning the factories) coming true’, yet instead of revolutionary socialist governments, ‘it was free-market privateering governments who were making it a reality’. According to this theory, North Sea Oil is owned by the oil rig workers.
All hail the conquering multinational... Bill Gates
In this new age of globalisation and economic rationalism in which the rich would rule the world.... a goal legitimised by the proposed MAI.... the Bill Gates roadshow has arrived in town.
The world's wealthiest man, Bill Gates, was lauded and bowed to by the likes of Prime Minister John Howard, Kerry Packer and Jeff Kennett - a grab bag of the powerful elite in this country... meeting with the man who brought Windows to the home and office PC.
Today Bill Gates, after being interviewed in master-slave like fashion, by A Current Affair's Ray Martin, will address the Federal Cabinet on his vision of the new world order.
The recent public debate between News Limited and Packer interests over digital television rights reflects the public brawl last year when Packer nearly acquired Fairfax after harnessing Liberal power broker Michael Kroger to do his bidding. The timing, however, is interesting as Packer has done a "local deal" with Gates to wrap up the Australian interactive digital television market... something that would not be lost on Murdoch.
It is almost as if the game is over before it started. The media moguls have discounted any other potential competition in the country - as they have a rare public tiff to try to score browny points with the public. It goes without saying much of Gates' time in Australia will be spent doing deals with Packer and firming up the hold that his empire will have over future generations of Australians.
It is at this time, more than ever, that it is critical the government prohibit media barons from entering the digital age in Australia. Licences to plug and play in the new interactive digital television forum should be restricted to smaller players with restrictions on shareholding restricted to just 5% of this new media.
If a media baron, such as Packer or Murdoch, wants to invest in the digital age they should be required to divest themselves of other influences over public opinion before they are given a licence to participate.
Obviously getting the investment in Australia is not a problem if the proposed Au$40 billion Telstra float is expected to be oversubscribed by local "mum and dad" investors that Howard keeps talking about.
The level playing field in Australia thanks to the corruption associated with media concentration can be seen at this link. The web page feature is titled "the level playing field exposed".
Foot in mouth Foreign Minister Alexander Downer out of his depth
It doesn't take much for Downer to get out of his depth in politics - a
kiddy's pool will find him in serious trouble... yet tomorrow he will
fly to Washington for emergency talks with world monetary officials begging
them to help out Indonesia
which, like North Korea last week, is on the point
of introducing martial law to keep a starving population at bay. Downer will
meet with IMF managing director Michel Camdessus and World Bank President
James Wolfensohn (seen here right with Australia's own American import Bob
Joss - chief of
foreign owned
Westpac bank - one of the big four.
In Indonesia food and race riots are now the order of the day as Indo-Chinese are targeted by the poorer indigenous population of the country. Suharto has gone cap in hand to
"With great strategic interests at stake in Indonesia's economy and political stability, we naturally want to see further agreement quickly reached between Indonesia and the IMF," Downer said yesterday.
"Such agreement is fundamental to the process of restoring stability and, over time, restoring growth in Indonesia."
Meanwhile Suharto continues to appoint family and friends to position of influence in his new government - a move which has got the money power turning in their cradles.
Making the
news" -
Debit tax vs a no-tax on interest policy
The debate over a debit tax has been nipped in the bud by the Coalition who have gone out of their way to discredit a form of tax collection which would see a far more equitable spread of the tax load. Under a debit tax, just 2% of all withdrawals made from any bank account in the country would cover all our taxes including PAYE (pay as you earn), wholesale tax, state taxes, medicare etc... The major losers under such a tax would be the super rich and the multinationals as the 2% burden would reflect the money flow that they control in a fair and equitable way when compared to the single mum living on a salary of $26,000 - with about 30% going to PAYE.
Now we hear that the Coalition are proposing to go to the other end of the spectrum by introducing a policy of no-tax on interest received from bank deposits.
The policy will help about 3,000,000 Australians - most by a few cents a year - with the tiny wealthy minority getting the major spin-off. Once again the policies being introduced by this government have nothing to do with fairness or equity or representing mainstream voters - it is all about the lobbyists in the backrooms pushing their own barrows and winning.
The current Coalition policy threads attached to the new proposed tax Goods and Services Tax (GST) include:
Personal income tax cuts to all marginal rates.
Cut to 36% company tax rate, funded by cuts to business tax breaks.
GST with few exceptions - probably at 10%
Changed arrangements to tax savings.
Taxes to be cut or not to be considered:
A debit tax.
Increased taxes on Super to pay for other tax cuts.
Wholesale sales tax, state taxes on bank deposits, state stamp duty on financial transactions - all replaced by a GST.
The proposed sale of Telstra, as covered yesterday, and the new proposed taxation policy as it relates to banking are new blows to the battler in Australia - some 5,000,000 now living below the poverty line in the world's richest per capita resource based country.
One point missed, naturally, by the mainstream media is that under MAI - despite government assurances to the contrary - there will be no ability to enforce a 35% foreign ownership threshold of Telstra under MAI - this would breach the "level playing field" rules and if enforced would draw all Australian tax payers into a costly and one-sided international court judgement against us.
A cruel inditement on the failure of consecutive Labor and Coalition governments to represent the voters of Australia.
Subject: wombystompy from the south whinging and whining hopeful attempting positive attitudes
went to Pauline's meeting at the Randwick jockey club in her speech she very lightly touched upon subjects to illicit questions i liked the profile of Mrs Hanson and David Etteridge ,David Oldfield clean honest and chastised by the last 2 years ,understanding what ideals and goals Pauline Hanson exudes from her persona saying this after communicating with her directly a privilege and a very nice experience i sensed a very courageous and determined leader excellent idea young nation if the misappropriated funds "taxes" can be redirected part of our drug culture will be a welcome diversion.... the entrenched political funding from unscrupulous business practices. ie.phoung ngo and john della bosca no scruples or principles just plain blatant mercenary attitudes this situation could be subtly ,,,blatantly exploited for political ends and will be seen to be done enough of my minds condition i am looking forward to this mess "lack of direction " being something of another era ....i believe this country can support itself interest on national debt a rort i did not borrow anything that has not been paid back
Subject: Comments on Australian News of the Day
Dear Editor,
In your 15th March News of the Day this statement appeared, among comments from Reuters and elsewhere: "So what the US North Korea policy is about is genocide, pure and simple., etc & etc."
My dictionary defines genocide as: "extermination of a national or racial group as a planned move."
I share your concerns about the new world order and have no illusions about the US government's participation in it. But as an American, I find your accusation of genocide as a policy very disturbing, since it does not seem to be supported by factual evidence.
john hamilton
US
Another perfect day in paradise.
Hot again (over 30 degrees celcius) after a few days of cooler weather.
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