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Tuesday 2nd July 1996

International:

CRA-RTZ Ltd are to push ahead with the Century Zinc mine in north-west Queensland after it became clear that Murandoo Yanner was telling porkie pies. The mine will go ahead based on the broad community support that it has received from the general Aboriginal community.

Mr Wilfred Walden the Mayor of Doomadgee the community nearest the mine supported Mr Terry O'Shane's claim that the United Gulf Regional Aboriginal Corporation had given the mine the green light after voting 12-11 in favour.

Mr Yanner yesterday called for another meeting with CRA but his request has been made irrelevant by CRA's decision to proceed.

In a comment that sums up his frame of mind, Yanner said, "We really wanted another couple of weeks but it looks like it has been taken out of our hands by a couple of rednecks - Howard and Borbidge - and the cut throat corporate clowns over in London."

Now I guess that we shouldn't call that racist because that is an Aboriginal speaking, but it sounds pretty damn close to me, and could you imagine the outcry if one of the parties named had called Yanner by a racist slur!

We would have the Aboriginal industry rampaging through the streets of Brisbane banners held high, taunting and causing chaos while being funded by the Australian tax payer - all in the name of equality and human rights!

What rot!!

Political:

The Minister for Foreigh Affairs, Alexander Downer, moved to reassert control of the Howard Government's Asia policy yesterday, as the South Korean ambassador questioned Australia's sincerity in the region.

During his first visit to Asia Mr Downer tried to dismiss last week's embarrassing controversy over Asian opposition to aid cuts by calling the incident a "blip" and playing down the damage to relations with the region.

But the Foreign Minister's defence of the Government's performance in Asia as "excellent" was undercut by the South Korean Ambassador to Australia, Mr Byong Kwon, who question Australia's sincerity in the region.

Business:

Australians may be heading for Asia to do business but New Zealand and United States still account for the largest number of business visitors to Australia according to the latest travel figures issued today.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics' overseas arrivals and departures figures for the 10 months to April show just under 400,000 visitors travelled to Australia on business.

New Zealand was the most important source market in terms of volume with 81,000 business arrivals followed by the United States with 56,000. A distant third was Japan with only 28,800 followed by the United Kingdom with 23,900.

We have just started work for a large US based gas company. The American fellow we are dealing with is based in Brisbane but flies in and out of the country on a regular basis.

Sport:

The 2006 Commonwealth Games is under assault by Australia. Five states are preparing bids to host the games, including Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Too damn cold in Tassie and New South Wales will still be recovering from the 2000 Olympics!

Social:

The Northern Territory yesterday introduced its controversial voluntary euthanasia laws. The law is already under threat with a federal MP, Kevin Andrews, putting in a private members bill effectively halting the effectiveness of the legislation as this new bill will be backdated to the time the Northern Territory legislation was passed and calls for the "hanging, drawing and quartering" of any doctor who signs the document allowing a patient to embark in voluntary euthanasia.

This means that any doctor signing the document basically puts his career at risk and will not participate.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Very cold this morning. The temperatures must have got close to freezing this morning. Beautiful clear day outside with sunny skies and temperatures in the low twenties (celcius) ahead of us... best of all a day spoent in the global office.

Yesterday we welcomed a new member of staff, Chris Rathbone, into our swelling ranks.

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