Today's Headlines

an Aussie's viewpoint

Search news archive

Saturday 13th July 1996

International:

United States swimming has predicted that Australia will beat America in the race for gold at the Atlanta Olympic Pool by winning at least six gold medals.

The US swimming team guide released yesterday predicts it will be Australia's most successful games with a prediction of sixteen medals being won in the pool - beating Australia's previous record of fourteen in 1956 in Melbourne.

China's women are tipped to lead the swimming gold tally with ten, followed by Australia with six and the US on four.

After they've drug tested the Chinese I reckon that equation could swing quite dramatically.

But, let's just wait and see!

Political:

Seems like John Howard has lost the plot with uniform gun laws around Australia going out the window.

The issue at stake is that of "crimping" - a process whereby the automatic loading process of high powered guns is disabled. Howard has advice that the process is reversable - four states, Queensland, South and West Australia and the Northern Territory disagree.

At next Wednesday's meeting the police ministers from these states will push their own barrow and formally confirm that they will go against the Federal Government's wishes and allow people to retain their high powered guns as long as they have been crimped.

The other states will recall all high powered guns in private hands under the Federal Government's compensation plan.

Business:

Ouch! Telstra are going to cut 9,000 jobs by the middle of next year. The largest employer in Australia will lay off 10% of its workforce in the next twelve months in a cost cutting exercise to become competitive. Optus recently took Telstra on with lower local phone calls - but wait a minute, didn't Telstra make a multi billion dollar profit last year?

The trade unions (I normally don't agree with them) have said the move is insane, but more insanity appears to be in the wind with 24 to 30,000 jobs expected to be discarded by Telstra in the next five years.

Not a good career move!

The news came by way of an open letter signed by Telstra's chief executive, Frank Blount, who set out terms for redundancies.

I really wonder what this country is coming to. Just recently a friend of mine, Terry M, was demoted after 25 years of hard and loyal service with a major brewer because the new boy and his new boss "with a degree" didn't get on with him.

Terry M had started as the office cleaner and had worked hard to get a senior position in the IT department. Within months he had found a job elsewhere and the brewer lost a good man because of some kid wielding too much power.

Sport:

What a farce!

The Australian Rugby League's (ARL) "international team" would have been better served handing out "How to vote cards" at a Women's Auxillary Meeting than participating in the "international" match against a Fijian side.

I happened to see a short piece of the action at the end of the first half when the score had reached 50 points to 2. I don't have to tell you who was leading... the whole thing was a pitiful waste of time. How can the ARL players involved claim that they have played in an international.

Give me a break! They should have taken on Packer's polo team or a bunch of koalas hanging out in the great divide.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another day in the global office - cold night but with sunny skies and another warm day ahead. Last night I went to the Coyote Grill for a bite to eat.

Great little place!


Return to Australian National News of the Day

#

Web development, design, and storage by Global Web Builders - Email: global@gwb.com.au

See GLOBE International for other world news.