Today's Headlines
Wednesday 17th April 1996
International:
Indonesia would back Australia's membership of two key international forums, Minister Alexander Downer said yesterday.
After meeting Indonesia's President Suharto and Foreign Minister Ali Alatas in Jakarta, Mr Downer said Indonesia supported
Australian membership of the United Nations Security Council and the next Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM).
Australia was barred from the last ASEM meeting by Malaysia in December last year. Indonesia initially gave the same commitment to
Paul Keating last year.
Political:
Following the rumpus and refusal by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner (ATSIC) board to follow the
Federal Government's directions the response has been sharp and effective. The Federal Government have threatened to sack the
entire board if it didn't support the reforms.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Minister John Heron indicated that a special administrator might be appointed to oversee
reforms and said claims of impropriety against the ATSIC organisation had been passed onto the Federal Police.
Heron went on to say that there had been strong evidence of alleged criminal activity within ATSIC...
Now somehow the comments by Oxley MP Pauline Hanson
ring loud and clear in my ears...
Wonder if the Liberal Party will now ask her back into the fold? Somehow I doubt it!
Business:
Kerry Stokes' impact on Channel 7 is starting to play a part with the nationwide television station deciding to buy the West Australian
regional network, GWN (Golden West Network). About 86% of Channel 7 shareholders voted in favour of the move at an extraordinary
general meeting held in Melbourne. Kerry Stokes, the chairman of Channel 7 is the major beneficiary with a large equity in GWN.
The sale will lift Stokes' equity in Channel 7 from 19.9% to 24.3%.
The only hurdle that Channel 7 has to pass now is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Sport:
Well the petty infighting has begun in the largely dismembered and fragmented Australian Rugby League (ARL). The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL)
chairman, Graham Carden, has attacked ARL chairman Ken Arthurson for programming a Test against an ARL-selected Kiwi team
for Auckland in July.
Carden last night broke what he claimed was a self-imposed gag in criticism of Arthurson saying that the ARL was trying to set
New Zealanders against each other.
Arthurson hit back saying it was the NZRL that had been the first to effectively ban players by agreeing last April to play tests only against
Australian Super League players in 1996 and beyond.
I sense another storm brewing, hold your hats and raise your umbrellas folks. Hey Rupert what's a goin' on?
Social:
A Brisbane engineering team has used an Australian gum tree to develop a gene technology which could help in the treatment for HIV,
diabetes and asthma.
Biotechnology company ForBio has developed a gene which can control the behaviour of a cell after it has been injected into tissue.
The gene is set to have a major effect on the forestry industry and could revolutionise the technology applied to human and animal
genetic health.
Personal trivia:
Another day in the big smoke today. The weather for the last six weeks has been simply superb, cool nights and warm pleasant days.
The Brisbane (Brissie) river is looking absolutely marve and the birds reign supreme outside. Actually there is a bit of a battle going on
in the large mangoe next door with the Corrella parrots taking umbrage against the sulphur crested cockatoos dominance in that
particular tree. There was a pitched battle in the air outside the Global Office yesterday with Correllas and Cockatoos squacking,
harrassing and generally having a ball. In all there must have been about 50 birds involved! Quite a show...
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