Recent stories exclusive to (how to) subscribe/rs of the Australian National News of the Day:
One
Nation state and federal candidates meet in Toowoomba 4th -5th
April
Hindmarsh
Island Bridge case thrown out by High Court 2nd April
The
Hindmarsh Island Bridge farce revealed 31st March
UN
agrees to make our fresh water a "global commodity".... beware farmers -
your fresh water dam WILL cost you! 28th March
Courier
Mail's national affairs reporter Peter Charlton attacks MAI concerns and
breaches ethics guidelines 28th March
The
US Government's global "Cablesplice" project, fact or fantasy? 26th
March
Pauline
Hanson endorses 12 state candidates. 22nd March
News
Limited bucket opposition to the MAI. 21st 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
One Nation birthday party
From tomorrow afternoon up until Sunday I will be reporting from Pauline Hanson's farm.
Extensive coverage of this significant time, Pauline Hanson's One Nation first birthday will be put on the Internet daily - from Pauline's farmhouse.
The best place to view the links will be from here. (Remember to use the "refresh button"). First report will be on Saturday morning.
Pauline Hanson only true representative of Australians
The Federal Coalition and the Australian Labor Party continue to drive a wedge in the population of Australia with real life issues being treated with contempt by these career politicians.
Last night Pauline Hanson faxed a press release following up on the results of the Channel 9 survey on crime and punishment.
Extract:
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation continues to be the only true voice of the people. It is only through Pauline Hanson’s One Nation the majority will once again reclaim their rightful level of Parliamentary representation.
It is only Pauline Hanson’s One Nation that is in touch with the views of the vast majority of Australians. It is only Pauline Hanson’s One Nation that will implement the policies necessary to address the real issues of concern within the community.
Wik trigger now in place
At 2.11am this morning the Senate passed amendments to all four key areas of Howard's ten point plan on Wik creating the trigger for a double dissolution.
Yesterday the Independent MP Brian Harradine backflipped on his earlier acceptance of a six year sunset clause on native title claims after a lunch break in which he was confronted by tearful indigenous leaders stunned by his acceptance of this key plank in the ten point plan.
Harradine often seems confused and never more so than we he explained his change of mind by saying, "I have always believed the sunset clause as it exists should be there."
Harradine's action resulted in two of the key platforms that the Coalition Government say cannot be changed being rejected by the Senate.
The drama arose over the sunset clause when the ALP indicated it planned to move an amendment to this which would require it to be approved by both Houses of Parliament before it was activated.
The minor parties accused Labor and Harradine of a sell-out because they had previously opposed the clause.
Dee Margetts (the Greens Senator) said, "We're not falling for this... we're not going to give the okay... how can I after listening to the people who have pleaded with me... I'm sorry this isn't justice."
Obviously Margets had not spoken to anyone in the farming community and is totally out of touch with the damage being done in Australia's rural sector because of the Wik High Court decision.
During the debate over this clause the ALP and Harradine accused the minor parties for refusing to compromise. The tactic backfired with the minor parties refusing to support the ALP's amendments - meaning that the Government's legislation was passed - before Harradine's backflip.
IMF, Indonesia Agree on Bailout Revision
Extract from the Washington Post:
The International Monetary Fund reached an agreement yesterday with Indonesia that allows the country's $43 billion international bailout to resume. But the IMF, wary of Indonesia's propensity to backslide on economic reforms, has added provisions intended to keep the government of President Suharto on a short leash.
The new accord, which Indonesian officials made public at a news conference in Jakarta early today, requires the government to take concrete actions before IMF funds are disbursed. That is because, in the view of U.S. and IMF officials, Suharto has broken pledges he made under two previous agreements to dismantle monopolies and cartels run by his relatives and cronies.
["We're following through on all of the commitments," Indonesia's top economics official, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, said at the Jakarta news conference, special correspondent Cindy Shiner reported. Ginandjar said the new deal addressed a host of thorny issues -- including ways of overcoming the nation's private sector debt of more than $70 billion, but he was adamant that his government would not attempt to underwrite any portion of that debt.]
Making the
news" -
Chaos on the wharves
The move by Patrick Stevedores to sack their workforce in the dead of night on Wednesday has resulted in ripple effects all over the country with ACTU members and leadership wondering "who will be next to go".
Perhaps one person who has been forgotten in the industrial chaos on our wharves is the key role of one time Senator Cheryl Kernot who, as a Democrat, supported Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith's industrial legislation changes which has allowed the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members to be fired in this manner.
Yesterday picket lines were set up all over the country while the Federal Court ruled that Patrick could not sack its workforce for the next seven days. This proved to be a hollow victory as the workforce is actually contracted by four subsidiary companies of Patrick - companies which were declared insolvent the day the workforce was sacked.
While the MUA members working for Patrick were without jobs and unsure of whether they would get any of their accrued leave, superannuation and other payouts the boss, Chris Corrigan, saw his personal fortuned rise fast, very fast, with his shareholding in Patrick jumping Au$5 million as shareholders celebrated the removal of the MUA from the workforce.
Corrigan told the ABC last night, "As far as we are concerned, the companies that are in administration no longer have any rights to supply labour to our facilities, and so we won't be proceeding to allow those people entry.
"Its a temporary injunction requiring the administrator not to terminate their employment, but that doesn't give them the right to continue to work for Patrick. They have withdrawn their labour. We have withdrawn our capital. It takes two to tango in this game."
ACTU President Jennie George yesterday claimed that Patrick's actions were like those of fascist Germany. What had really raised the ire was the large presence of security forces with alsation dogs on the docks ensuring that the wharfies could not return.
MUA boss John Coombs said, "If they haven't removed those non-union scabs by tomorrow morning we will be going back to the Federal Court to get the injunction strengthened."
In Parliament Prime Minister John Howard said, "Members of the MUA are where they are today because of their conduct - they are responsible for their own predicament." Meanwhile Opposition leader Kim Beazley claimed that the Coalition had, by supporting the Patrick move, breached its own freedom of association laws.
Subject: Debit Tax.
Dear Sir,
Please find herein, my letter to and reply from Peter Costello regarding Debit Tax
Do we, as One Nation Members, have any views re Debit Tax?
Rgds,
Les
The Honourable Mr. P. Costello, MP,
Treasurer,
Parliament House,
Australia.
Dear Sir,
I am aware that at this present time, you and Mr. Howard are selling tax reform, which has, as one of its components, a broad based consumption tax, or GST.
Over the last year or so, I have been made aware of a tax called the Debit Tax, and as I read about it, it appears to be the answer to a taxpayers prayer. It appears that tax relief would be a result of implementation.
As I see it, the only people who would have to pay more would be wealthy people and big business, who both, due to clever accountants, get away with more than they should.
Could you please give me your views on this tax and advise why it is not being considered at this time.
I await your reply.
Yours faithfully,
L. J. Forrest
REPLY FROM THE TREASURER
Mr L. Forrest
PO Box 766
BEENLEIGH QLD 4207
Dear Mr Forrest
Thank you for your letter of 19 February 1998 to the Treasurer concerning goods and services tax.
The Assistant Treasurer has asked me to respond to you. The process of taxation reform is about Australia reaching its potential as a nation and improving the tax system which is badly in need of repair. The Government's aim is for a fairer, better, more modern system which ignites incentives to work, save and invest. The tax system the Government envisages for the twenty-first century will be designed with an emphasis on promoting jobs, exports and investment.
To progress this issue further, the Government has established a Taxation Task Force to prepare options for reform of the taxation system. These options are being prepared having regard to five principles laid down by the Government: there should be no increase in the overall tax burden; any new taxation system should involve major reductions in personal income tax with special regard to the taxation treatment of families; consideration should be given, of course, to a broad-based indirect tax to replace some or all of the existing indirect taxes; there should be appropriate compensation for those deserving of special consideration; and reform of Commonwealth/State financial relations must be addressed. There will, over the coming months, be a heightened process of consultation with interest groups. The Government is being assisted in this respect by a special Task Force of Government members.
A formal meeting between the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers, and the Treasurer will also be convened to discuss the Commonwealth/State aspect of taxation reform.
The Government is receiving a large number of proposals and submissions concerning reform of the taxation system. Many of these include revenue projections and other detail. Any suggested changes need to be considered in the broader tax reform context rather than in isolation. It would not be practicable to examine and comment on specific details of all of the suggested changes that are being proposed. However, I can assure you that the Government appreciates the effort that many people are taking in preparing and forwarding submissions on tax reform, and that these will be considered as part of the overall review. While a debit tax could raise a large amount of revenue, there are some drawbacks with the proposal. Focusing a large tax burden on one particular type of transaction would tend to induce companies and individuals to restructure their financial transactions to avoid the tax. This would lead to reduced revenue from the tax and it would also distort the efficient allocation of resources in the economy, which would be detrimental to national economic performance. Taxes on financial transactions are also likely to have an adverse impact on the international competitiveness of Australia's financial system. Financial markets are increasingly operating in an international environment with advances in technology allowing funds to be rapidly transmitted between types of financial institutions and across national borders. With a debit tax, financial transactions would shift offshore reducing the ability of Australia to collect taxation revenue and the viability of the financial sector.
The Prime Minister has indicated that, before the next
election, the Australian public will have a clear idea of the Coalition's
plans for modernisation and reform of Australia's taxation system. Thank
you for bringing your concerns on this important issue to the Government's
attention. I trust this information will be of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely
Lesley East
Adviser (Taxation)
Subject: divide and rule lest we forget.
The Government, and remember that the Labour Government set the scene for workplace agreements, that have placed almost every worker against or outside the union movement, are putting in place a dispute that is designed to arrange the people back into traditional opposition 50/50 workers versus business.
The government is obeying orders from the internationalists (multinationals) even though it knows this is capable of putting the Capitalist Labour Party in Power. (Did you ever see Hawke or Keating palling up with anyone else but Capitalists)?
This happened before when Hewson obeyed orders and went for certain defeat with the GST.
THEY (the internationalists) hoped as a result that Labour would be tougher and get away with it on the workforce. They did get away with it, but a lot of labour people now working for peanuts or on the dole are WAKING UP.
Hence it is important for the ENEMY to start something, using a controlled company to cause dissent, whether it be in the mines or the docks.
THIS IS TO DISTRACT PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE REAL PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM THAT THE MAJOR PARTIES ARE CONTROLLED. THAT THE ARRIVAL OF Pauline Hanson AND other independents, ARE WINNING SUPPORT MUCH MORE THAN IS ADMITTED IN THE MEDIA NEWS. BUT CERTAINLY KNOWN BY them in control AS IS PROVED BY THEIR BLACKOUT ON REPORTING OF THE RECENT Toowoomba success.
As a fairly large business in Mt.Isa. During what is known as the Pat Mackie Dispute, I, even though I knew this alienated me with the local chamber of commerce, supported the workers against the overseas-owned company because that company at that time engineered the dispute so as to cause a shutdown.
The Company with the support of the then National Party Government offered the miners (my father one of them) a contract to sign; A BLANK FORM sign at the bottom. What real man would do that?
WHY OPERATE A MINE WITH RICH ORE 20+% AND COMPETE WITH ONE THEY OWNED IN Argentina THAT ONLY HAD 3% ORE DOING WELL WHILE PRICES WERE HIGH.
When Pat Mackie announced at the end of the dispute (at a general meeting to get the workers to accept an offer to go back to work) that he had been paid by ASARCO of Canada to come and help in the creation of the trouble, I knew I had been conned, and so did the workers.
I can say no more. Wake up Australia. Ignore the newspaper liars, and the TV BULLSHIT, you're being conned. Put the Established Parties last on your ballot. If honest Pauline and her supporters cannot save us, we are had it any way, and all those buried guns? It worries me. The sacrifice has already been made; will we let them down. Lest we forget.
Philip Madsen.
Another perfect day in paradise.
Have a good one.
Images below... Desmond Tutu makes an appearance in Brisbane. The beautiful morning sky today and Viv and Alex with Pauline Hanson's Principle Private Secretary, Barbara Hazelton, at our house for dinner last night.
Return to Australian National
News of the Day
See GLOBE International for
other world news.