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Wednesday 8th October 1997
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International:

The comparison between the break up of Canada into a number of independent states starting with Nunavut - which is currently underway - is now used in an AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER STUDIES document called:

WIK - THE WAY FORWARD by Rick Farley as the blueprint forward for the indigenous people in Australia, here is a quote from that document:

The Canadian Approach

Other countries have faced up to similar issues and their conclusions may provide some lead to Australia. In Canada, a Royal Commission on Aboriginal peoples published its report late last year, entitled 'People to People, Nation to Nation'.

These are some selected extracts:

• 'Seeking a better balance of political and economic power between Aboriginal and other Canadian governments was the core and substance of our work. Progress on other fronts, unless accompanied by this transformation, will simply perpetuate a flawed status quo.'
• 'We emphasise the importance of an understanding of history. We cannot expect to usher in a new beginning unless we reckon first with the past.'
• 'It is wrong to suggest that all people should be treated the same, regardless of inequalities in their situation.'
• 'It is wrong to turn a blind eye to the dispossession and racism that distort the circumstances of Aboriginal people and limit their life chances.'
• 'It will take an act of national intention - a major, symbolic statement of intent, accompanied by the laws necessary, to turn intentions into action.'

I wonder how the Murdoch of Packer families would deal with prying paparazzi? A wise man once said that with real wealth you can buy your privacy. Interesting therefore that the Murdoch and Packer families have been so protected from negative, invasive reporting.

There have been some mishaps with the darker side of Kerry Packer and the unauthorised Rupert Murdoch page appearing on the Internet. Both are based on published media stories, but despite the explosive material in them 60 Minutes or The Australian newspaper would not touch them.

Our interest in this issue stems from the article in today's The Courier Mail (News Limited of course) which paints a saintly picture of one Rupert Murdoch talking on the issue of the paparazzi.

Of course it was News Corps The Sun (UK) which paid the paparazzi £50,000 for pictures of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed prior to the accident according to an article in the London Telegraph. Princess Diana's brother specifically uninvited the editor of The Sun from attending the funeral, along with the editors of four other tabloids.

When quizzed on the issue of the paparazzi Murdoch predicted that British newspapers would act with more restraint in their coverage of prominent people. He said the issue was a "very complex question".... "I think you'll see a great deal more restraint by all the newspapers in Britain, and I think you'll see a stronger, better policed code of ethics", he said.

Which brings us to the question of when the same will be enforced on the Australian media? As the code of ethics of many newspaper chiefs of staff in this country are abysmal.

Murdoch went on to say, "In relation to Diana there has been so much hypocrisy. The first (organisation) that that said they don't buy from the paparazzi was The Daily Mail and they'd been buying (pictures) in association with us within 24 hours of that statement.

"I don't want to throw stones in glass houses but I would certainly say that we were by no means the worst offenders.

"You've got to be careful here. When we get into this talk of privacy laws, (the danger is) that we'll give a new privilege to the already privileged."

I guess that means that Packer and Murdoch have already reached that status, no wonder then that Vanity said, Australian media barons Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch have been named in a list of 65 men and women who shape and rule the world today.

Political:

Sherry yesterday quit as Opposition finance and superannuation spokesman after earlier last week being hounded in Parliament by the Federal Coalition on allegations of rorting his travel expenses. ALP industrial relations spokesman Bob McMullan takes over Sherry's finance portfolio while ALP backbencher Kelvin Thomson would take on the issues of superannuation.

Beazley said of Sherry, "I think he has got a very good future ahead of him.

"He is a very able man, a very capable politician, and you would hate to think that a talent such as his is permanently lost to the system."

You say:

Subject: Fair go for all????

Dear Sir

It seems that the travel-rorting Government is determined to cause as much pain as possible for Australians. How painful is it for a person when they lose their job and eventually their house? This question leads me to comment on the "NEWSTART ALLOWANCE".(dole)

I won't be eligible for Newstart. The reason being that I've been employed since I left school and managed to save a deposit for a house. In other words, I've paid tax and paid my own way for a lot of years.

You see I'm being retrenched from my job at the end of November. At 37 years old I will be unemployed with a mortgage of $130,000. My retrenchment payout will be $34,490. This amount of money is equal to 50.5 weeks of award wages.

In his wisdom, John Howard has decided it is not a good idea for me to reduce my mortgage (and therefore interest). He wants me to pretend that I've still got a job and I can come and see him about Newstart in over 50 weeks time.

This change to Newstart came in around the 20th September. It would've been hard on people previous to this but I suppose Johnny thought it wasn't tough enough. Now it's a case of "If a dog's down....'ya kick him!"

It just makes me so angry, that I've done my best as a working Australian and now I will be penalised for it. By the way, I forgot to mention that I work in the coal industry. Maybe Peter Reith will be happy that another union member will be out of a job? Who knows?

Anyway, at the risk of upsetting the bleeding hearts and P.C. People, I'll leave you with this final comment;

"If I was a Homosexual, Feminist, Tree loving etc.,etc. protester, Who arrived on a boat, Had a land claim in the courts but Never had a job,- then maybe my lot in life would be so much better."

S.E.Wagger

Subject: racist crime fraud

Dear Sir,

The following was published in the Upstream list. Reading it, I'm starting to wonder how much of the racist graffiti in Australia, which is invariably blamed on Pauline Hanson's supporters, is similarly perpetrated by her holier-than-thou critics in an attempt to discredit her? Judge for yourselves how low the racist card can be played:

"In 1995 in Iowa City, Iowa, a similar attempt (of racist fraud) was made by a Negro graduate student from Los Angeles, California, named DeWayne Brydsong. He painted his own Mercedes Benz with the words and slogans as follows:

"Nigger", "Go Back to Africa" and "KKK".

He was treated as a celebrity for weeks and many letters appeared denouncing this hate crime. He then produced a letter he claimed was sent to his wife from a white man.

After about 6 weeks the police charged him with trying to collect insurance money in the amount of $5,000 for a new paint job. Despite a very suspicious aspect to this whole matter, most of the prominent people of the city believed him, and donation canisters were put on local business counters for Mr. Brydsong.

He was also arrested for hitting his wife in the face after being released on the other charges. She appears to be a white from newspaper pictures. Expensive spray equipment was found in a dumpster near his place. He had gotten estimates on a new paint job before he called the press and police to display his painted upon car. The attempt to incite racial anger against white males was overlooked totally in his case and he eventually plea bargained to a small charge on the insurance fraud.

A segment of the Negro activist community has continued to write op-ed articles in the local newspapers on the presumption that this "racism" now exists. The attempt to inflame racial passions was somewhat successful."

See what I mean? The average Australian is an innocent in these sophisticated games.

Antonia Feitz

Subject: Vale Australia

Dear Sir,

What a tragic little country Australia is.

We have to get rid of our Head of State because only an Australian is good enough for that position and at the same time we have to appoint an East German athletics coach with a record of cheating because an Australian is not good enough for the job.

Who can remember when it was a great thing to call yourself an Australian, when our greatest asset was our Australian-ness?

Today as a 51 year old 6th generation Australian with 7th generation kids, I wince and hang my head in shame when I witness the shambles of our once great nation.

I appeal to all TRUE Australians not to let it continue.

Realise that if you are not a part of the solution then you must be a part of the problem.

Allan W. Doak.

Business:

It really raises the question as to who is actually running Australia, because it certainly isn't Australians anymore.

Sport:

It will be a complete travesty if Mark Taylor retains his position as Australian Cricket Captain after his abysmal performance during The Ashes tour earlier this year. What I found particularly offensive was the dropping of vice-captain Ian Healy in favour of Steve Waugh after the South African tour when Healy was instrumental in turning the one day series around after Taylor had failed and was dropped from the team.

In a press interview yesterday Mark Taylor was plugging for himself once again, "It (the Australian captaincy) is not something you want bundled around - it's sacred in the game.

"If it happens we will have to get used to it. I can see the day when it happens, but I am not sure it is an ideal situation. It's something that should be held very dearly. I hold it that way and I am sure my 39 predecessors did as well. It's something we have to hold on to very tightly."

Thus theories were circulated that Healy was dropped before The Ashes as vice-captain as he might have been a threat to Taylor - with Waugh being a better option - for Taylor.

Taylor went on to say, "The Australian way is to pick the best eleven and then the captain. That's happened before my time and it will happen after my time as well, I don't expect things to change."

However the captain is one of three selectors during a tour (such as The Ashes) and Taylor proved at that time that he did not want to lose the job of captaincy despite the damage to team moral or Australia's chances.

"All I wanted to know was that people still wanted me to play. I felt in England I was getting better and playing much better as the tour went on. The century at Edgbaston took pressure off, but I was more happy with how I finished off the summer. In the last two Test matches I probably batted as well as anyone in the team.

"There's a lot of talk about the captaincy and what's going to happen, but I don't hear a lot of talk from the selectors or the board. People don't have full appreciation of what the Australian captaincy means... it's a big office."

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Right now the valley is shrouded in thick mist... but a perfect day ahead again.

Have a good one.

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