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Saturday 23rd August 1997
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The timing is a trifle ironic - you have the Murdoch and Packer empires colluding for a "drive for jobs for the unemployed for Australia" - a known problem facing the Coalition Government since they won power eighteen months ago. The problem, though talked about, is left alone until the Federal Government's proposed changes in media laws start warming up... for a decision.
ALP opposition Communications Minister says it in once sentence, that the changes have been designed to appease the media moguls saying "for their own political health they've got to get proprietors on side".
The changes, to be announced next week, are expected to include relaxing cross-media limits and lifting foreign ownership to 25%. Foreign media owners will, it is believed, be able to put their case to increase their ownership on a case by case basis.
"It is to do with putting together a package of changes which can get the support of the Liberal Party," Senator Schacht said yesterday. "An agreement that only assisted Kerry Packer has clearly got them off side with every other media owner in Australia, with a level of hostility that's quite strong."
Senator Schacht said that the latest changes have been made "to show they are giving something to Rupert Murdoch".
"They can't get a package together that satisfies their backbench," Senator Schacht concluded. Government sources have confirmed that several Coalition backbenchers are concerned that the proposed changes will only benefit Kerry Packer.
One committee member in Alston's team devising the changes said, "It's too big an issue just to go to the backbench committee. It should be open and transparent process possible.
"It's too big an issue, too many implications, too much depth of feeling to try and segment the debate."
The changes would allow Murdoch to increase his 14% holding in Channel Seven television network to 25% and to take a large slice of Fairfax Limited - Australia's only large independent media empire still standing.
Analysts doubt whether Murdoch would buy Fairfax because he would first have to divest its existing Sydney and Melbourne papers... this leaves the door wide open for Kerry Packer whose company Channel Nine was responsible just two days ago for the death of a Thai Australian citizen.
Ironic isn't it when Channel Nine have been depending on powerful Thais to discredit Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
It is also ironic that, at this stage, the editor of Fairfax's "The Age" - Bruce Guthrie - resigns - telling staff yesterday that he did not share the same vision for the newspaper as the newly appointed editor-in-chief publisher, Steve Harris. Harris used to be a News Limited executive. He took immediate control of the newspapers editorial content announcing two senior appointments last night. They included a new assistant editor Steve Foley and a new arts editor Robin Usher.
Guthrie left after being perplexed by the Fairfax board's move to oust him after he had lifted the circulation from 20,000 to 209,000 - the change in the board's direction coming after Conrad Black sold his equity to Brierley Investments Limited (BIL). BIL who now hold over 20% of Fairfax have often been quoted as being a vehicle for holding the shares for the Packer family (at a price) while the Coalition bring in the Packer's requested changes to media ownership laws.
It appears that the BIL/Packer heirarchy were not happy with Guthrie's hard stance against Victorian Premier Jeff Kennet. Kennett had previously told close friends that Kerry Packer would personally be handing out little pink tickets to fire certain journalists at The Age.
Mike Smith editor of The Age from 1989 to 1992 said yesterday that Harris' appointment to the dual role of editorial and commercial head of the paper had serious implications - a charge that Harris denied.
Brisbane Police have identified five Brisbane suburbs as the "Heroin Corridor" in Brisbane.
With the possibility of being called a racist for stating simple facts let me say that they centre around Asian dominated areas. Clayfield borders Fortitude Valley (where Chinatown is located). West of Brisbane we have West End leading into the Asian dominated areas of Dara and Inala (largely Vietnamese) and Camira.
It is time South East Queensland followed Victoria's lead and set up an Asian police taskforce...
Making the
news.
Political:
In today's news we hear about an alleged "groundswell" of opinion in the business community demanding that John Howard do something about "that woman". They - two business leader - have called for more confrontational action.
One, a Mr Bill Gurry, managing director of the Swedish investment bank SBC Warburg (remember what the Swedish banks did with the valuables of Jews after World War II?) and chairman of the Australian arm of the giant Swedish telecommunications group Ericsson, said no one knew exactly how much damage was being caused by Ms Hanson.
"In my opinion the country's leadership didn't act quickly enough to reject the views she's pushing. This gave her time to give these views a public airing with regrettable circumstances, Gurry said. "I agree with Sir Roderick that she must be defeated at the next election, and that the major political parties should co-operate to ensure that this happens. However, it must be done in a way that she doesn't become a martyr."
Hang on, what is democracy all about then? We've all but lost it in the media... now Gurry would condone political collusion to deny the people their rights.
Senior Liberals including Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, Federal President Tony Staley, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and "twinkle toes" Alexander Downer are pushing to have Pauline Hanson's One Nation placed below Labor on Liberal how-to-vote cards at the next election.
Hope you didn't miss Ray Martin tonight (23/08/97), he covered a repairer who
was allegedly ripping people off this week. Unfortunately the chap
committed suicide yesterday. I cant remember the guys exact name,
however he was Asian. He appeared to be a Filipino, I have travelled to Asia
extensively and what happened to that guy on the program
was inexcusable to a Filipino, honour is everything and his honour was
questioned badly by A Current Affair in a less than ethical manner.
Regardless of whether this guy ripped anyone off or not he did not
deserve a setup trial by A Current Affair let alone Die.
Ray said various things at the end of the program, like:-
"A Current Affair did not hound or harass Mr XYZ for a interview."
Complete bullshit, I'm sure we are all familiar with the
foot in the door reporting his self named "Rat catchers" participate in.
"A Current Affair had no idea there reporting on Mr XYZ would result in
this tragic circumstance."
Sounds like there's a legal case pending. [ADDIN: Just saw Ten Late
night news, the family are suing.]
"A Current Affair offers its condolences to the family of Mr XYZ"
It looks like "Ray Will Kill for Ratings" I certainly hope there is
in depth investigation of this incident. I guess not It'll just be one
less slope to the Packer conglomerate and Ray Martin.
Pissed Off
-Shane
You say:
Subject: A Current Affair
The power of the media moguls is about to be increased through the collusion of the Coalition... the only way out now is for Pauline Hanson's One Nation to win the balance of power at the next Federal Election and I, for one, will be calling for an enforced breakdown of these greedy, deceitful and self-serving empires that are destroying Australia.
In the meantime let us remember that it is the Labor and Liberal Parties that are giving this all-consuming pillar of democracy away.
Editor
Subject: Hitler was bad. Was Stalin good?
Dear Sir
Perhaps your party might do well to remind the Australian people of the
horrors of Stalin and his communist regime.
Hardly a day passes without the media, in one form or another, reminds us
of Hitters Nazis and their unspeakable crimes, my son is well informed
through school, of the history of the 2nd world war, yet when I mentioned
Stalin, he had never heard of him, and he is a fifteen years old.
Now I abhor the extreme of both left and right of politics, it seems
strange on speaking to many other people in Australia about Stalin and
communism the little they know of this man the greatest killer in all
of history. Is there some sort of cover up in our society whose politics
lurch continually to the ideological left.
Perhaps our communist friends at left-link could contribute some light
on this discussion, though I doubt it, they seem only to utter insults
when faced with a damning question.
Many of these folk that belong to left-link are young and naive, and
have been quoted text book politics, and know very little of history or
the modern world of today.
I would like to ask these people, where in the world has communism or
socio left wing ideals, been a success, and brought well being and
prosperity to the people, the answer is none, rather the adverse.
The politics of jealousy is no substitute for good government.
Highly recommended reading "THE TIME OF STALIN"
written by Antonov-Ovseyenko
Published by Harper and Row
YOURS FAITHFULLY J W H
"A PORTRAIT OF TYRANNY".
Yesterday the West Australian Court of Criminal Appeal upheld the CDPP's appeal increasing his sentence by three years. In effect Alan Bond will spend a total of four years behind the walls of minimum security prison Karnet prison farm.
National Securities Commission enforcement director Tim Phillips said, "The court has appropriately reflected the community outrage at the first sentence and suggested that it's very important there be at least some statement from the court about this type of matter."
Have a good one.
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