International:

Last night the call was joined on television by several leading Aborigines including the head of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and Noel Pearson who called the government "racist scum" earlier this week.

You might recall that this was also the week when Pat Dodson resigned from the Aboriginal Reconciliation Committee writing a letter to the Prime Minister condemning him on native title and saying that reconciliation had taken a backward step since the Coalition came into power.

Yesterday Dodson changed his mind apparently after Prime Minister John Howard spoke to him on the phone asking him to come back.

This turnaround creates a real dilemma for Aboriginal Affairs minister Senator Herron who has already suggested that Evelyn Scott, a community service worker for Torres Strait Islanders, take the job. Another council member Rick Farley described the development as "very messy".

And the Federal Treasurer's brother Tim Costello has been less than helpful by saying, "The National Farmer's Federation and pastoralists have been so loud and extreme (that) for the Prime Minister to say he is in the middle, is to be blind to the fact that he's actually much closer to a white, almost supremist position."

Queensland is under seige after the escape of five highly dangerous convicted criminals from the high security Wacol Prison west of Brisbane on Tuesday night.

Three of the escapees, Jason John Nixon, Andrew John Jeffrey and Oliver Alincic are murderers while Peter Thomas Sterling is a rapist and Brendan James Abbott has a penchant for robbing banks.

Abbott is particularly despised by the police after he wrote postcards taunting them when he escaped on a previous occasion.

The escapees, who are armed, are highly dangerous and will shoot to kill. Yesterday large parts of Forest Lake and then South Brisbane (near the old Expo centre) were cordoned off after they were sighted there.

They used "angel wire" to cut through the prison bars.... and, of course, the perimeter alarm was not working....

A member of the social "A Team" - an elite - Lady Sonia McMahon, has been accused by her neighbour of threats and unwanted phone calls. The neighbour, Bernard Raiz, has applied for a apprehended violence order against Lady McMahon and her private investigator, Tim Bristow.

Raiz told the magistrate, Deborah Sweeney, "The threats have been quite menacing to say the least.

"There have been calls that have been made at all sorts of hours and they have been terminated."

Last year Lady McMahon was ordered by a Land and Environment Court judge to demolish unauthorised building work at her home (in Sydney's Bellevue Hills) which bordered Raiz's property.

Sounds like a case of neighbours from hell..

Yesterday a spokesman for Australia largest independent forecaster, the National Industry and Economic Research report (NEIR), Ross Garnaut, predicted that about 60,000 Australian jobs would be lost next year because of the Asian currency crisis.

Worst effected will be mining, tourism, education and agriculture major industries which are now expected to face a downturn over the next three years.

The NEIR report predicts economic growth of just 2.9% next year - well short of the Government's forecast of 3.75%.

Garnaut told a conference yesterday, "If high unemployment continues for years into the future, it is because we did not think it important enough to take the steps that are necessary to remove it."

Neat little comment in today's Courier Mail.... "MEMO to Kim Beazley: Cancel all trips overseas. Your Cheryl Shipley's coming in.

Finally, another ivory towered bureaucrat speaks out in today's letter page in the Courier Mail. Paul Everingham is the Honorary Consul for Malaysia. This is what he had to say:

"First Malysia then Thailand and now Indonesia. Pauline Hanson hammers our Asian trading partners to score cheap simplistic political points for her isolation policies of One Nation. All Australians should be concerned that this introspective policy is unrealistic and extremely damaging.

"Hanson and her group of ideologists only have to look at the map to see where our trade markets and immediate area of influence have to be. Her latest outburst when world commerce is working to support and strengthen wobbly Asian economies reeks of headline-grabbing "be different opportunism."

What a load of codswallop!!! The three Asian countries nominated in this letter have a common "weakness" political and economic corruption right at the top. So why should Australia throw billions of dollars supporting these trashy politicians when the money could be spent at home creating Australian jobs. Thailand has already blown over 25% of its Au$24 billion "rescue package" in weeks... just propping up the economy!

Political:

The bonds would result in the elderly often having to sell the family home. The cash would have put those who had to sell into a different "financial" bracket resulting in a decrease in pensioner benefits from social welfare and other disadvantages and stresses.

Howard admitted that the bonds were a mistake. ALP opposition spokesperson Jenny Macklin said, "Finally the Prime Minister has found out what the rest of Australia have known for months - that this sell your home aged care policy was cruel and heartless."

You Say:

Subject: Bureaucracy gone mad (what again?)

Here's another demonstration of bureaucracy gone mad.

My wife works on a casual basis in an aged nursing home in Townsville and has done for over five years. Some of the casual staff have more than ten years experience.

Recently, the matron of the home (The Good Shepherd Nursing Home), cut back the hours of all casual staff (about 90% of the staff). She then employed 15 trainees supplied and subsidised by the CES.

These trainees undergo a one year training course which gives them a certificate in aged care.

Now, here's the rub. The fully experienced staff who have had their hours cut are now, along with their other duties, required to train the trainees. Not only that, but next year, the fully experienced people who are now training the trainees will not be able to work in nursing homes because they do not have aged care certificates.

As a white Australian who has fought for his country, I can only add one more comment. This whole deal, and in fact most of this country and certainly all who now run it....SUCK.

Will the last white Aussie to leave the country please turn the lights out.

Thank you for the opportunity to once more vent my spleen in your publication.

Jason E. Cole

Subject: racist scum?

Hi,

Once again we are hearing extremists playing the old "racist" card. When you think about it, Noel Pearson, by his own definition, is a racist scum. But then again I think most Australians see his use of such terms for what it is, a cheap shot meant to intimidate and to gain media coverage for his own selfish cause.

Those few unthinking church leaders who backed his mindless attack should stop trying to divide the community this way and instead go back to doing what they have neglected to do, i.e preach the gospel ( maybe then their church numbers would not be in decline ).

Unfortunately the winners in these situations are the mainstream media, who live for these bitter conflicts and contribute immensely towards making it worse.

The losers of course are all Australians, as the community becomes increasingly more divided because of the antagonism created by the mainstream media and extremists like Noel Pearson and his outspoken supporters.

CYA,
Peter.

Subject: Comments on Australian News of the Day

I would just like to let the Newcastle\Lake Macquarie supporters of the One Nation party know that on Tuesday, November 18 at 7.30pm the Swansea branch of the party will be holding a meeting at the meeting room of the Charlestown Library.

This meeting is being held with the intention of forming a new branch in the Charlestown area.

Hopefully it will be a great turnout with no lunatics from the left there.

Thank You
Steve

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Have a great day.

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