Monday 16th December 1996
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Adminstrative Services Minister David Jull said yesterday that he would personally investigate claims that Ms Hanson had used part of her Au$30,370 electoral allowance to buy a large-screen television and video casette recorder for her Ipswich home.
Former members of her team (take that as those who she recently sacked) have said that Ms Hanson spent Au$2000 on a television and video recorder bought with electoral allowance funds taken from her office and replaced it with an old set from her son's bedroom.
They also said she bought Au$675 worth of pot plants - which were featured in the Channel 9 Burke's Backyard programme with money from a special office improvement payment.
Remember these are allegations - not proven and Ms Hanson's contribution to the lengthy article is that she said "a lot of innuendo and rumours had been spread around the whole place".
She went on to say, "You haven't been to my office. The sum of Au$675 (on plants) is absolutely, utterly ridiculous because I never spent that much on it.
"I am quite happy for anyone to have a look at my electoral allowance account, what the money's been spent on. I'm not going to make any further comment than this."
In this classic trial by media the rest of the article ploughs over the well tilled soil of Ms Hanson's views about the misuse of tax payers funds by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) - obviously trying to discredit her.
The Port Lincoln local election result as covered yesterday has resulted in the statement by South Australian Senator Nick Bolkus saying that Port Lincoln was "run by racists" and an international embarrassment to the state.
A defiant Mayor, Mr Davis, said, "All I'm saying is we've got to unite now... one people, one flag, one country; not an ethnic diversity; not all this rubbish the multiculturalists go with."
Somehow I think that he speaks for a lot more Australians than Nick Bolkus.
The Liberal Party romped home in Western Australia on Saturday winning the State election by a comfortable 11 seats.
Downer said a range of other security issues such as terrorism, drug trafficking and international crime could be dealt with.
"The next issue on the ASEAN Regional Forum (of which Australia is a member) is dispute resolution and I think Australia is one of the countries that can help drive that agenda," Downer said.
If Downer was replaced it is most likely that John Howard would get either Environment Minister Robert Hill or Industrial Relations Minister Peter Reith to take over the post.
We shall just have to wait and see!
This compares badly with an overall national rise of 35%. The figures reveal that 3,840 Queenslanders went bankrupt during 1995-96. In the first quarter of 1996-97 things have not improved either with 1,225 Queenslanders going under.
Treasury pointed out that 70% of bankruptcies were non-business related with the major causes being excessive use of credit and unemployment.
The game, played at the Adelaide Oval, saw Australia fold at 211 in 47.5 overs while chasing 223.
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