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Thursday, 22nd January 1998
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Pauline Hanson on the MAI
The following article appeared in today's' Courier Mail under the heading "Hanson warns of 'pillage plan"':
"Member for Oxley Pauline Hanson yesterday warned that an international agreement being negotiated by the Federal Government would give multinational companies “a licence to rape and pillage” Australia.
"Ms Hanson said the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment, which has been sponsored by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, would adversely effect all Australians.
"She accused the government of intending secretly to “sign away the future of the country” to multinational companies.
"However a spokeswoman for Assistant Treasurer Rod Kemp yesterday accused Ms Hanson of “scare-mongering based on ignorance”.
"She denied there was any secrecy surrounding Australia’s involvement in the agreement.
"Ms Hanson said the effects of the agreement as it was known included:
“We will no longer be able to attach conditions or limit the extent of foreign investment, and many of our decisions will be made by foreign bureaucrats, Ms Hanson said.
"Senator Kemp’s spokeswoman said the government could not go into great detail on the negotiation on the agreement. However, she said there was no question that Australia’s labour or environmental standards would not be lowered as a result of the MAI.
"Peak industry groups support the proposed agreement arguing that it will remove restraints on international capital flows and make the process more open.
"Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Mark Patterson said yesterday that industry had been consulted extensively on the agreement.
"He said Ms Hanson’s concerns were unfounded."
The Queensland Times also had a headline report on Pauline Hanson's views on MAI under the heading "Hanson slams secret deal".
Kim Beazley bows to Peter Beattie on Wik
Yesterday, after extensive discussions in Hobart with Beazley, Queensland State opposition leader, Peter Beattie was able to get the party's political leader to soften his stance on Wik.
In one of these furphy type press releases Beazley covered all bases by reaffirming his opposition to Howard's ten point plan on Wik but now said that he would "leave the door open for some changes to his view".
In his speech in Hobart yesterday Beazley said, "We understand that not every dotted "i" and crossed "t" necessarily represents the best endeavour. We are happy to talk about it but we also have our underlying position."
The FSA - not in our interests!
Extract from the World Trade Organisations "Financial Services Agreement". Read about what Australians are giving away and you didn't even know it!
Australia - Making significant improvements in banking and other financial
services:
- Eliminates an MFN exemption based on reciprocity requirements for membership
in the Australian Stock Exchange;
- Eliminates a prohibition on the acquisition of control of any of Australia's
four main banks. Also eliminates a measure which prohibits banks (resident
or non-resident) from holding shares in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
and other entities from holding more than five percent of its issued share
capital;
- Eliminates restrictions placed on share ownership of authorized money market
dealers by foreign and domestic banks, and restrictions imposed on relationships
and dealings between authorized dealers and related banks;
- Relaxes the prohibition on foreign banks located overseas from raising
funds in Australia, and allows such banks to raise funds in Australia through
the issue of debt securities, subject to conditions ;
- Removes an entry relating to the reservations by State and Territory
governments of the right to prohibit foreign control of State-owned or controlled
banks.
See anything working in the favour of Australians? No surprise - thank Labor, thank Coalition... mongrels!
Making the
news" -
The belle of the ball, Cheryl Kernot, was forced to re-write her speech before presenting it to about 500 ALP delegates in Hobart last night. There was a fair amount of rage when the copies distributed to the media revealed that she personally claimed the glory for creating the big voter swing when she left the Democrats last year to join the ALP.
Under the circumstances Kernot was forced to say that it was largely due to Beazley's tolerance and vision that the big swing had come.
However, with an ego that is big enough to qualify her for a seat on Baezley's frint bench (if she wins Dickson) Kernot said, "Since my decision to join the Labor party a fault line has opened up to Mr Howard's home at Kirribilli in Sydney. And now its running all the way to the Prime Minister's office in Canberra.
"This Government has been exposed as mean and petty and lacking vision."
Subject: More than half of Qld under native title claim
Enjoy living in Qld while you still can!
Mr Borbidge has today produced a map showing half the State, or almost 870,000 square kilometres, is subject to native title claims.
Last year the Prime Minister John Howard produced a map showing vast amounts of the country were under claim, and since then the Federal Government has claimed that not even freehold properties are safe.
Mr Borbidge today continued that theme saying backyards, courthouses, police stations and public housing are under native claim.
He describes Queensland's 184 claims as "land rights madness".
"Backyards are being claimed, homes are being claimed here in the state of Queensland, homes that are on miners' homestead perpetual leases," he said.
Gweilo
Subject: Justification for the continued existance of ATSIC
Isn't it amazing that those who support ATSIC list its failures in order to justify its continued existance.
In South Africa, a system of government whereby representation was restricted to members of a minority race, (and voting rights were restricted to members of the same minority race) was universally condemned as Apartheid.
In Australia, however, our own example of such a system (ATSIC) is known as an example of "social justice"!
Another fabulous Queensland day.
Have a good one.
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