Today's Headlines
an Aussie's viewpoint on Australia's first daily Internet newspaper.
Since October 1995

This on-line paper is now archived for perpetuity in the National Library of Australia

Tuesday 12th August 1997
Associated links:

Search entire news archive by day	Search entire news archive by text
Definitive Lifestyle Guide to over 5000 Australian webs	Global Web Builders Gold
The Kid's Locker Room	World Wide Websters

International:

Yes, Australia will lend Thailand about Au$1.35 billion give or take a few million.

The US$16 billion bailout of the weakened Thailand economy was arranged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was needed because the Thai's baht lost 26% in just over a month through currency speculation by the rich and powerful.

The loan known as a foreign currency swap will be made at market related interest rates and last for between three and five years - supposedly guaranteeing that there will be no net cost to Australian taxpayers.

Thailand is also part of the golden triangle where 96% of Australia's heroin originates. It is extremely strange, in fact of great concern, that a condition of the loan did not include the military overthrow of the drug barons in this isolated region.

Pauline Hanson has some interesting comments to make on the topic of this loan.

The University of Southern Queensland at Toowoomba has banned meetings of members of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party on the campus. Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Swannell said in a media release, "There is no place for her philosophy in a modern, caring university."

"It is vitally important that we cultivate tolerance and a more caring attitude towards all members of our society," he said.

The University's registrar, Steve Yanzer, said that although universities were supposed to provide a forum for public debate the decision showed that what Ms Hanson was saying was wrong.

The University's news pages do not carry the media release at this stage.

Australia recently forged military links with China and now face the spectre of China forcing the US military to leave the region.

This according to the Director of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Professor Paul Dibb.

Dibb said that China is becoming more powerful and confident in the region. "The strong message I get is that... for the mid to longer term China is working on a policy which works to have the United States removed so that there is less competition from what is, in fact, the only real competition to China", he said.

Dibb was speaking at a seminar in Canberra on the US-Australia alliance. He said that China wanted to see the US forces removed from South Korea and Japan.

"We need to worry about Asia, and more importantly South-East Asia, being dominated by any one major Asian power," Dibb said.

He stressed that without the ANZUS alliance Asia would be a dangerous place for Australia to be located.

A large amount of heroin seized in June this year - almost half the entire haul for 1996/97 has failed to curb the supply on Australian streets.

Already 81.4 kilograms of heroin has been seized in 1997/98 (ie since July this year) compared to 169 kilograms during the whole of the previous year.

The disturbing point missed in the report is that the number of actual seizures has dropped while the amount seized in terms of size has risen dramatically.

Already two separate seizures during July this year have uncovered record amounts of heroin flowing into Australia - one of 32 kilograms worth Au$32 million on the street and another of 16 kilograms.

Proof that the drug is now in plentiful supply is its cheap street price and last year's Penington report into drugs in Victoria revealed that the estimated number of regular heroin users in Victoria rose from 34,000 in 1986 to 59,000 in 1990.

The number of Australian heroin users is estimated to have risen from 109,000 to 172,000 in the same period.

This is about 1% of the Australian population - or half the number of voters supporting the Green Party (see below) according to the latest News Poll....very disturbing indeed.

Making the news.

Interesting immigration links:

Political:

Despite claims after the last poll that Pauline Hanson's support had peaked her support has started to climb once again - at the expense of the Australian Labor Party.

Party	Aug 8-10	Jul 25-27	Jul 11-13	June 27-29	June 13-15	May 30-June 1	May 16-18	Election - March 1997
Coalition	43%	42%	42	43%	44%	43%	41%	47%
ALP	37%	36%	40%	37%	36%	37%	37%	38.7%
One Nation	6%	7%	6%	6%	7%	7%	9%	N/A
Democrats	4%	5%	4%	6%	3%	5%	4%	6.8%
Greens	2%	3%	2%	2%	2%	1%	2%	1.7%
Others	8%	7%	6%	8%	8%	7%	7%	5.8%

Perhaps the most interesting development in Australia is the large support now being shown (20%) for non-mainstream political parties.

The Democrats say that the Howard Government has admitted to accountancy flaws of Au$160 million in environmental programmes such as Landcare and One Billion Tress. This has apparently happened over the last four years.

The Australian National Audit Office report in June says that since 1993 spending reports for 62% of Landcare grants (Au$151 million) and 74% of Save the Bush and One Billion Trees grants (Au$5.7 million) had not been provided.

Democrat Senator John Woodley said he was disturbed by the report saying, "We're not talking about peanuts.

"What is even more disturbing is that a further Au$289 million has been earmarked from the Natural Heritage Fund for Landcare and so far we have no sign the administration of the Landcare programme has been improved.

"Worse still the Government has said it will use its existing model for administering Landcare for the Au$1.25 billion (ex-Telstra sale) Natural Heritage Trust. That is a real worry."

You say:

I am posting this abusive letter because the same rubbish is sent to me by email on a regular basis by Mr Cummins - perhaps publishing it will stop this idiocy.

To whom it may concern,

I think that Ms Hanson is the most ignorant person ever to 'grace' the political arena. Some of the lies she spurts is unbelievable. And what is worse is that she doesn't even realise it. I would like to know just where she developed her ideology, ideas facts etc. I dont believe she has tertiary qualifications, which means that she is educated unfortunately like most of Australia, by the media, Ray Martin et. al. Ms Hanson has no idea the amount or strength of bias and bigotry that Aboriginies and other non-white peoples in our society. Australia is a multi-class country, and aboriginals are usually oppressed to the lower or underclass. The amount of hatred Hanson has stirred up is only going to make these problems worse.

Concepts such as 'bludging off the public purse' are ill informed and ignorant. If she is not racist like she assumes, why not attack all 'bludgers' on social security. When you make assumptions based upon a persons race, no matter what comment, it IS racist. Who really cares what percentage of non-whites lives in Australia. (I like the way the non-racist Hanson always seems to comment on Asian immigration, not British, American, Russian etc). Thats because they look the same isnt it?

When Hanson pulls out those 'figures' to support her claims she just make herself look stupid when they are easily refuted by real statistics. Like her claims on LateLine when she claimed that the current statistics were not correct> And forgive my language, buit HOW THE FXXX WOULD SHE KNOW? Where is her indepth education, her studies delving into immigration standards? Where does she get her crap from? Media media media!

She comments upon 50% of Australians will be Asian by 2050, when the actual figure at current immigration levels is at no more than 10%. But of course, those bloody slanty eyed bastards will have children here. Now, when Hanson was asked about where her family came from she said it wasnt important, 'I am Australian'. But of course those Asian children won't be will they? Because they look different, have different customs, when they should bloody assimilate shouldn't they? The assumption that any of THEM coming to MY country should assimilate beyond basic aptitudes to function successfully within society is an arrogant and offensive concept. A question, why should any of us, (beyond what our country can economically handle) have the right to say who comes to our country? We generally own a small half acre block and go to work. We are small plebs in a huge society, what gives us the right to deny access to other half acre blocks? Who really cares if the person who is working next to us if of another race? If the working class wants to assume that THEY are taking OUR jobs, blame the capitalist idea of 'the best man for the job' not the non-white who takes it. If people worked harder etc then the immigrant wouldn't get the job would they. But its easier to hate a minority, to offend a people that cant fight back. I'm sorry to say that i believe that the One Nation party will probably do well, as there are too many uneducated bigots in this society. I am ashamed of all of you.

Not so sincerely,
Paul Cummins.

c3106313@bohm.anu.edu.au

PS, Hanson has denied her Hitler similarities. Her party is named One Nation. What the hell do you (or her) think Ein Reich means?

The Australian Governor-General Sir William Deane calls Australia "One Nation" as well... does that make him one of Hitler's sympathisers?

Editor

Business:

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Have a good one.

Return to Australian National News of the Day

#