International:

This time he has banned a One Nation Christmas party from taking place at a council owned building. The Inala branch of One Nation had planned to hold their party in the council building until the Mayor (and still Catholics priest) got wind and said "No" - because protesters might damage Council property.

Soorley will have to watch that he is not pulled before the anti-discrimination commission if he does not now take the same action against the Liberal Party as they are now being targeted by the same violent goons as One Nation have been in the past.

Prime Minister John Howard warned our Asian neighbours to face up to the money crisis while saying that Australia was "immune" from the worst of the crisis because of his government's strict monetary policy.

Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fisher said however that the International Monetary Fund would have had to intervene this month if the Australian Labor Party's damage had not been repaired.

Fischer said Australia had locked in a budget surplus just in the "nick of time".

Howard refused to say whether Australia would contribute Au$2 billion to the Au$27 billion bail out of South Korea.

Japan's oldest brokerage company, Yamaichi Securities Co Ltd shut it's doors yesterday with debts believed to be in the region of Au$34 billion... ouch!

Nice little quote in the letters page of today's Courier Mail: "The Governor-General should be reminded that he speaks for all Australians. There are poor and disadvantaged white people who didn't seem to rate a mention."

A Sixty Minutes special last night, firstly, with reporter Geoff McMullins saying to an American singer, "Widgity grubs are our national dish." Then describing these white "worms" that Australians eat.... followed up by "I don't eat widgity grubs I was just joking." Reminds me of a Channel Nine programme....

but the best was yet to follow:

Channel Nine's Sixty Minutes "investigative journalist" puffed up Liz Hayes who was talking about her story last week where she and the television crew trapped alleged paedophile Dolly Dunn in the Honduras.

"Also in the wash up to our story there has been some debate whether journalists should in fact co-operate with police.... well it seems absolutely clear cut to us. The whole object of investigative journalism is to see that your wrong doer is brought to book. So no apologies for having been party to the capture of someone whose activities have been described as evil by the New South Wales police Royal Commission and no apologies for trying to ensure Robert Dunn is brought home to face trial. In the scheme of things who caught up with him and who didn't surely is of little consequence.

"Perhaps what the critics and politicians should be considering is how Dunn and his ilk got away with what they did unhindered, even protected, for so many years and more importantly what's being done to help those... unfortunate enough to cross his path."

Now if you replaced references to Dunn with references to Packer (her boss) and replaced the New South Wales police Royal Commission with the Australian Tax Office you would have a real story - but the elite of course are not answerable to anyone least of all their own so-called investigative journalists.

Political:

Pearson estimated that his region, Cape York in Queensland's north, would realise about Au$2 billion to the Aborigines in compensation claims in the courts - more than ten times the value of the pastoral leases in the area.

"The constitution says the payment for extinguishment of rights has to happen on just terms, "Pearson said. "If we assume native title is compensable at freehold value - and the only precedent we have was Crescent Head (a native title acquisition by the New South Wales government costing Au$5 million) which put compensation at one and a half times freehold - we're looking at Au$2 billion on Cape York alone."

Pearson went on to describe Howard's amendments as verging on "legal apartheid" saying that they were discriminatory against indigenous Australians.

Opposition leader Kim Beazley supported Pearson while Special Minister for State Nick Minchin said, "While the government wants to deal with the legislative process of the Wik decision in a calm and rational manner, Mr Pearson continues to inflame the debate by making outrageous statements and allegations."

Beazley said that the Coalition were preparing some technical amendments to the legislation in a backdown from Howard's proclaimed "line in the sand".

The growing discontent and division in Australia about native title has now caught the attention of the ALP's loony left - who have been released like a pack of dogs by Beazley to "deal with the racist Howard government".

You Say:

Subject: Comments on Australian News of the Day

Dear GWB

I commented last week about the Islanders turning up to the yr. 10 break up party in Newcastle, and hitting any male and female in site. I have been informed this morning that the same group of people turned up to a local party again and indiscriminately just bashed any one in sight. I was also told that Two people were taken to hospital by ambulance, one with a broken elbow from a kick while shielding his face.

One girl I talk to this morning told how her sisters boyfriend was punched and kicked by three of these people as he try to get into his car to take his girlfriend home.

I believe that if the police don't start doing something about this, there will be a major upsurge in racism in the East Lake Macquarie area. There is also talk about organising a party with people hiding with weapons waiting to do serious damage to these people, this will no doubt end up in a gang war.

I will keep you informed of any further developments.

Steve

Business:

Now let's remember that the banks are the most profitable and fastest growing businesses in Australia today.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens when experience of the old traditional banker (who has now long gone) is required when the wheels fall off....

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Lovely, lazy weekend.

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