Today's Headlines
an Aussie's viewpoint on Australia's first daily Internet newspaper.
Wednesday 21st August 1996
International:
Enough is enough....
Anti-Government violence erupted for the second day in a row outside the Old Parliament House in Canberra... This time the self-seeking Murrandoo Yanner was amongst a crowd of an estimated 3,000 Aborigines who turned on police pelting them with bricks, concrete blocks and beer bottles (yeah, and I bet they weren't full either...)
The rioters dragged an unconscious female police officer into the crowd, kicking her and stoning police who were trying to rescue her. Rescuers were forced to use riot shields and their bodies as a living shield to protect her. Six people, including four armed riot police, were seriously injured. One officer sustained serious chest injuries when a BMX bike was thrown at him.
Only two arrests were made as police said later that the situation was too dangerous to sieze people.
Murrandoo Yanner, the co-ordinator of the Carpentaria Land Council burnt the Australian flag...
Now remember, this isn't South Africa or Croatia, this is my Australia, and I for one have had enough. It's about bloody time the "wave of political correctness" was dropped and the media stopped emotional coverage for the cause of the Aboriginals. You can bet your bottom dollar if an Aboriginal flag was burned by a politician or if the rioters had been arrested by force the papers would be full of comments by Aboriginal leaders saying that this was the end of peace between the indigenous people and the white "invaders".
The violence was sparked by proposed Budget cuts to the Aboriginal industry (a la the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission - ATSIC). Good stuff, I know who paid for Murrandoo Yanner's joy ride from Queensland to Canberra while the honest Aussies were at work, and it wasn't Murrandoo - it was the taxes from us the honest, hard-working Aussies... and we've had enough mate. With the cuts to ATSIC, maybe you will have to go and play with fairy floss and leave democracy and our beautiful flag alone... scum!
Political:
Its all fun and games in the Halls of Power with a Labor Senator, Mal Colston, resigning and becoming an independent because his party wouldn't give him the deputy president's position in the Senate... The Liberal party would and did, so guess who the new independent is going to support - swinging the balance of power there back to the Liberal Party.
The Budget
Economy:
- Economy is expected to grow at 3.5% in 1996/97.
- Unemployemnt to stay at 8.5%.
- Current accound deficit tipped to be Au$20 billion, remaining about 4% of GDP.
Superannuation:
- Surcharge on employers superannuation contributions of up to 15% for people on more than Au$70,000 pa.
- Offer of choice of Superannuation Guarantee for equivelant in wages for people earning between Au$450 and Au$900 a month.
- Incentives for workers to pay superannuation for spouses.
Communications:
- ABC funding cut by Au$55 million.
Families:
- Au$1,000 tax-free threshold increases for each dependent child.
- A further Au$2,500 increase in threshold for families with one child under five.
- Tax rebates of up to Au$450 a year for families and Au$125 for singles who take out private health insurance.
- 1% jump in Medicare levy for couples with combines incomes of Au$100,000 and singles on Au$50,000 without private health insurance.
- Child-care assistance to cut off after 50 hours of care.
- Retention of non-means tested child-care rebates.
Education:
- Rises in Higher Education Commonwealth Supplement (HECS) payments and lowering of income threshold to begin repayments.
- Reduction in operating grants to universities.
Aboriginal Affairs:
- Funding for ATSIC cut by 11% or nearly Au$100 million a year.
Taxation:
- R&D concession reduced from 150% to 125%.
- Special Tax Office task force to crack down on high income tax avoiders, estimated to save Au$100 million next financial year.
Employment:
- Abolition of Commonwealth Employment Service in December next year - to be replaced by one-stop shop for job seekers and social security recipients.
- Long-term unemployed to be referred to Employment Placement Enterprises, to be paid a placement fee for finding jobs.
- From January 1st, 1998, introduction of Youth Allowance to replace Austudy or unemployment benefits.
- Au$200 million for establishment of Modern Australian Apprenticeship and Traineeship Scheme.
Welfare:
- Twice yearly indexation of aged pensions and a commitment to keep pensions above 25% of average male earnings.
- Crackdown on welfare fraud.
The Budget guarantees that middle income Australians, who normally bear the brunt, will be quarantined from sharing the pain. The Budget has been applauded by most commentators as being hard but fair and necessary....
Business:
Alan Bond was yesterday jailed for a maximum of three years on four company fraud charges related to the French Impressionist painting, La Promenade, despite claims that he would die behind bars.
It will be Bondy's second time in jail as a result of charges by the Australian Securities Commission, which engineered his May 1992 jailing over a Au$16 million fee he received from Laurie Connell's merchant bank, Rothwells.
If he's a good boy he will get out after twelve months, but rumour has it that there is another charge coming up against Bondy in the next few months.
Bond will be in a maximum security prison where he will be locked in his cell at 7.30pm each night and be released for walkies 12 hours later.
Bondy's wife, a tearful Diana Bliss, said after the ruling that many Australians would be upset that her husband had been sent back to jail for fraud.... wrong lady, I for one believe that it's about time. Only thing is Murrandoo Yanner should be there as well for burning our flag..
Sport:
Well aren't we fixing the Yanks at the Paralympics!
Yesterday we scored another 6 gold and still head the table with an incredible 20 gold.... the USA is well down in second place with only 14 gold!
We had a really big day yesterday with a large 3 month contract being landed amongst some other contracts for web building and on-line business solutions. The novel plan we are developing for one of our tourist clients is a lu-lu and I am really excited about the innovation that we have, through tests, determined will draw visitors like flies... and no Pamela Anderson nor Anna Nicole are involved in any way... sorry guys!
Another beautiful day outside, one to be spent in the "big smoke".... such are the vagaries of life!
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