Saturday 19th April 1997
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Issues - timed calls for Internet use.See which Senators voted timed calls in. Tell Communications Minister, Senator Alston how you feel about timed calls.
No ordinary day in the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) I might add. Yesterday ATSIC withdrew from the discussions over Century Zinc after blowing Au$3 million of tax payer dollars funding their negotiation effort. They withdrew because of factional fighting following the withdrawal of five of the original signatories who have accused ATSIC of “sleazy deals” - calling for an investigation.
You might recall Queensland State Premier Rob Borbidge’s comments yesterday about why Japanese investors are not investing in Australia.... starting to make sense, but wait, for in the words of one of Australia’s direct mail marketing icons... there’s more.
Yesterday was also the day that the Prime Minister John Howard met with ATSIC Chairman Gatjil Djkerrura and Noel Pearson over the future of native title. Following his hardened stance against native title Aboriginal leaders said that they will demand international South African-style trade sanctions against Australia unless he softens his stance.
The ATSIC elders rejected Howard’s proposal that:
Now let us remember what has happened with Century Zinc because of native title - a billion dollar project at the centre of one of the most incredible tales of greed, misinformation and in-fighting. This project signifies what is wrong with native title - and the Wik decision has put the fear of god into all people holding pastoral leases - who can blame them.
ATSIC Deputy Chairman Ray Robinson said the Board of Commissioners was “finished with it (Century Zinc negotiations) because we don’t want to get involved in internal bickering (between the 12 Aboriginal signatories)”.
“There’s too much trouble and too much infighting,” said Robinson.
“The Board of Commissioners asked me to see if I could get 12 signatures. I got 12 signatures and now I’m pulling out.”
Robinson went on to blame Century Zinc and the Queensland Premier - but the rebel signatories disagreed. Peter O’Keefe, one of the rebels said they wanted an investigation into what inducements had been given to those who initially refused to sign. “Until that is over we won’t sign up,” he said.
A spokesman for Century Zinc summed it up, “The group of people who said they were previously opposed are now supporting. The unfortunate part is those who were previously supporting have, due to a misunderstanding, withdrawn their support.
“We would very much like to regain their confidence in the project and to that end Century Zinc’s managing director Ian Williams has suggested he would meet them, though we haven’t had a response yet.
“We are continuing with preparations or arbitration which commences on May 5. In the meantime the door is open if people want to talk.”
But wait there is more.... Clayton Utz native title (biggest growing area in Australian law today) expert Peter Gore warned that one of the unresolved issues about arbitration was the possibility of appeals to the Federal and High Courts if one of the parties was not happy with the decision.
And who will pay - the Australian tax payer. She’ll be right... somehow I don’t think so.
World Vision yesterday dumped the National Director of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation because of his support for the party. David Ettridge the man behind One Nation is a professional fundraiser who charges a commission on donations raised.
However his work with One Nation is on a salaried basis and no commissions are involved. Ettridge said more than Au$40,000 was raised in the first week of the party’s existence.
Ian Curtis World Vision’s head of government relations, on announcing his decision, said, “As it is a matter of record the views of Pauline Hanson on overseas aid and Aboriginal affairs are totally unacceptable to World Vision, we will find it very difficult to work with David while he is associated with Ms Hanson.”
Today’s Courier Mail carries an article by Tony Koch about Pauline Hanson’s book “The Truth”
As a chief reporter for the paper you would expect him to get his facts straight in a report aimed at denigrating the book.
The article, on page 23, starts “The princely sum of Au$20 secures a book which collates the speeches of controversial Independent MHR Pauline Hanson and her supporter.
“The book with the arguable title “The Truth” was released at the launch of Ms Hanson’s new political party, One Nation, at Ipswich last Friday night.
“A hard-cover version sold as the number one copy was auctioned and brought Au$250 from a supporter who promptly had it autographed by Ms Hanson.”
Get your facts straight - the book was auctioned for $290 - I should know I bought it! And as I said in the above link.... it was a steal.... because one day when Soorley’s worst fears are realised - ie the Labor party becomes irrelevant in Australian politics and Australia is a far better nation because of it - this hardcopy of the book will be priceless.
Understanding that the reporter can’t get his facts straight we then have to read the rest of his comments with a mixture of sympathy for the man and concern that he can be allowed to publish them on this basis.
Here are some other extracts from the report:
“The preface of the book says the ‘media attack upon this brave woman (Ms Hanson) has transcended the bounds of heated debate and has raised great doubt about the psychological stability of many of her critics, who have shown the Australian public what their true colours are.
‘Against this background of hatred, violence and abuse, Pauline responded to her critics with the voice of common sense.
‘She won the debate because she won the support of the vast majority of the Australian people.’
Not true. She has not “won” any debate and certainly does not have the support of anything like ‘the vast majority of Australian people’”.
This journalist just can’t win a trick can he? An independent survey proved that 77% of Australians support Ms Hanson’s views.
And this little conclusion in the article by Koch takes the proverbial cake....
“In many ways the book epitomises the charge against Ms Hanson that her utterances are not her own but are, more and more, the rantings of the previously politically homeless hangers-on who have, like leeches, attached themselves to Ms Hanson.”
“Somebody has to do something. It’s important to deal with it now - and call it what it really is,” he said.
“Pauline says if there are problems with ATSIC, lets abolish it.
“Under that sort of thinking we should abolish the Senate because there is a problem with Mal Colston.”
Soorley upped the anti comparing Howard to ill-fated wartime leader Neville Chamberlain.
This after Howard yesterday said that he did not see Ms Hanson’s One Nation party posing a threat to the Coalition.
“I don’t think the party poses any threat,” Howard said in an interview with Brisbane’s Courier Mail.
The Federal Member for McPherson John Bradford followed Soorley's statements earlier this week saying “Ms Hanson appeals to a nationalism alarmingly similar to what happened in Germany in the 1930s”.
Soorley picked up the theme saying, “Neville Chaimberlain said Hitler was not a threat.
“He embraced a policy of appeasement saying ‘ignore Hitler and he will go away.’
“John Howard is also hoping if he ignores Pauline Hanson she will go away.
“Chaimberlain lacked the inspiration and leadership qualities required to deal with the issue. He (Howard) is supporting her by his silence.”
Funny how the Labor Party is now turning to a recently elected Lord Mayor to churn out this hogwash. Anyone who has read Ms Hanson’s One Nation speech will quickly conclude that what she says makes perfect sense. The reason why over 70% of Australians support her.
Extensive political commentary and links can be found on Palmer's Australian Politics page.
When Kerry Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) served the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC's) Four Corners program with a charge of defamation over the report on his alleged dealings with ABT at ANI his key target, Ross Palmer's wife Sue escaped the arm of the law because she resides outside Australia in Chicago, USA where true freedom of speech replaces the threat of defamation.
Now Sue Palmer has once again spoken out about CPH's dealings - her husband Ross losing about Au$25 million when he sold out of ANI last year after he was removed from the board when he challenged the ABT transaction and the motives of ANI directors at the time.
Sue states that Packer's CPH made a quick Au$200 million profit when they sold their stake in ANI shortly after selling ABT to Holter HIB - half owned by ANI.
Claims of improper dealing are hotly denied by CPH which said that the ABT-ANI deal was transacted at arms length without any coercion by Kerry Packer.
"You know you're not going to believe this," Sue Palmer said from Chicago, "but I'm an upfront person. After having appeared on national television it may not look that way, but that's the first time I've come forward. It's because I felt very strongly on a couple of issues. I don't want a profile out of this. I want the truth to come out.
"I am not a vindictive person. But when you know the truth and you see what happened ast year, then it's hard not to want the truth to come out. I want an outcome."
She expressed concerns that the internal investigation into the ABT deal is being carried out by Sydney QC Bob Ellicott at the request of the ANI board - surprise, surprise he represented Packer side in the battle between the Australian Rugby Leage and Super League.
Sue Palmer also accused the Australian Securities Commission (ASC) of being complacent in regard to ANI.
"Where does the ASC come into this? Where does their responsibility begin? They are a government body which exists to ensure good corporate governance. They are the watchdog, where are they?"
Good questions, one wonders if they will ever be answered... after all Kerry Packer is involved.
Business:
What a difference location makes with the law... the super rich in Australia already exploit the financial and tax benefits of having off shore companies, but it is not often that the rules come back and slap them in the face.Personal trivia, from the global office:
Weekend up at Twin Lakes on the Sunshine Coast... beautiful resort - until we found out, while there that is owned by the Bank of Melbourne (soon to be Westpac).
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