8th April 1996 - Today's Headlines from Australia's first Internet daily

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Monday 8th April 1996

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International:

Former Governor-General Bill Hayden is vigorously defending his comments of racism against Malaysia. He told last night how he had phoned Paul Keating after his "recalcitrant" remark (aimed at Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir) supporting him and telling Keating not to retract it. Keating never did - a fact which, more than anything else, strained relations between the two countries.

While on the subject of Hayden I must share with you a bit of gossip I picked up about this politician when he visited Norfolk Island to launch the Kingston historical area. Seems that Hayden, then Governor General, was invited to lunch by the island's administrator. Well unfortunately, so the story goes, they couldn't get him off the bottle and an hour after the ceremony was supposed to have finished an inebreated Governor- General lurched up to the podium. Wisely, he kept his speech very short but the event left a very sour taste in the mouths of the locals on the island especially as their kids had been all dressed up and kept standing for over an hour for a parade that never took place.

Hayden was also late for the sunrise service held annually at Gallipolli. As he was the guest of honour they waited for him and by the time he arrived it was no longer the traditional sunrise service but a morning service. Wonder if the effects of the night before had anything to do with it?

Political:

Top business organisations are pushing the Federal Coalition to introduce a General Sales Tax to help balance the budget. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Graeme Samuel, said that the government should introduce the tax when the time was right. The coalition dumped the GST idea after John Hewson lost the unlosable election because of his platform based on a new consumption tax.

Business:

A war of words has broken out between Optus Vision (Pay TV) and the Seven television network with Seven's managing director, Gary Rice, signalling that he may cut short the companies' programming relationship. Seven holds the rights to a number of key sporting events including the Australian Football League and the Atlanta and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Mr Rice launched a stinging attack against Mr Geoff Cousins of Optus Vision claiming that he had withheld information from him. The relationship is particularly fragile because of Packer's influence through Channel 9's (television) equity in Optus Vision.

Sport:

The taxpayers of Queensland have been paying the very profitable television stations over Au$1 million a year just to broadcast the Indy Carnival event. I would like to know how that can ever be defended. Surely the event should stand up for itself - if it can't why get taxpayers to subsidise it. Premier Bob Borbidge was apparently outraged when he heard the news

Social:

Australia is starting to feel its age with more people dying in 1994 than in any other 12 month period. New figures from the Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research have reveal that 126,700 people died or 7 out of 1,000. Circulatory diseases were the biggest killer accounting to 40% of male and 47% of all female deaths.

The Australian median age at death was 74 years for men and 80 for women. This compared with figures from a decade earlier of 70 years for men and 77 years for women.

The infant mortality rate fell sharply from 9.2 deaths per 1,000 to 5.9 deaths per 1,000 over the same period.

Personal trivia:

Spent some time on the garden yesterday repairing the deck near the river. Little cracks appeared in the soil which has a thick, clay nature and is absolutely ideal for growing just about anything. One of yesterday's highlights came from the sulphur crested cockatoo's mangoe tree adjoining our property. The tree had been a nursery for these noisy but beautiful birds. Seems like they have just added to their numbers with young now crying out for food and mum having to regurgitate and feed. Fascinating to watch.

Finally, we DID have a busy day, young Alex launched another book Max and the big Fire - in his Koala trouble series.


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