From: hughg@brutus.ee.su.oz.au (Hugh Garsden)
Subject: Oz News 5/9/92
Organization: University of Sydney, EE Dept.
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 07:29:32 GMT

[Brad has news problems so he asked me to post this.]


Lots of news this week. It starts with a suggestion by the opposition that
we should join the North American free trade bloc. 
                 News from "The Weekend Australian" 5-9-92
                 ------------------------------------------
"Libs ask to join US trade bloc"- The Leader of the Opposition, Dr Hewson,
wrote to President Bush yesterday protesting against the latest United
States wheat export subsidies and saying a Coalition government would want
to joint the North American Free Trade Area. 
  In a move designed to seize the agenda in the domestic debate over trade
policy, Dr Hewson also demanded compensation for the damage subsidies would
cause to Australia. 
  He said yesterday the Prime Minister, Mr Keating, was taking too soft a
line with the US and should have contacted Mr Bush directly after he
announced the expansion of subsidies.
  "I noticed Keating hasn't even rung George Bush yet ... he hasn't even
tried," Dr Hewson said....
  A spokesman for Mr Keating, asked why the Prime Minister had not talked
to Mr Bush, said: "Why the hell should he?
  "We are not interested in grandstanding. This is a serious matter.
  "Hewson has done nothing which will be of benefit to Australian farmers
.. and we have taken the sternest possible action through official
diplomatic channels and also through the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade."....

(Other articles in the paper suggest a cool reaction to the plan).
-----------------

"Car-maker drives home message to Hewson" - The head of Toyota Australia,
Mr Robert Johnston, last night angrily criticised the Leader of the
Opposition, Dr Hewson, for his attacks on Japanese trade policy and on the
local car industry. 
  Responding to Dr Hewson's claim this week that Australia's economic
relationship with Japan was one-sided in favour of the Japanese, Mr
Johnston said he regretted any offence that may have been caused. 
  He said Australian political leaders should co-operate with foreigners
and encourage them to invest here, particularly because there was a worldwide
shortage of capital. 
  Dr Hewson yesterday intensified his attack on the car-makers, accusing
them of "screwing our consumers" with over-priced cars.
  In response, Mr Johnston said: " I don't like this talk about screwing
the consumer. I don't like it. I don't like people being treated like
idiots. These politicians  - farmers, economists, lawyers, none of them
businessmen - they don't listen to what the industry tells them."...
---------------

"NAB lifts home, business rates"- The National Australia Bank yesterday
increased interest rates on small-to-medium business loans and some housing
loans. 
  The NAB has lifted fixed-rate housing loans by a quarter of 1 percentage
point, effective from Monday, but kept its standard variable rate housing
loan steady at 10 per cent. 
  It has raised interest rates on term deposits by as much as half of one
point in an effort to stay competitive in the battle for customers'
savings. 
  Earlier this week the Prime Minister, Mr Keating , said he saw no need
for variable interest rates to rise because of rises in official interest
rate structure. 
  Yesterday none of the NAB's big competitors said they had plans to
follow. Most said it was too soon to predict future interest-rate trends
with any confidence.
  The Commonwealth Bank's general manager, retail banking, Mr Ed Condron,
said: "We do not see any real pressures on short-term pricing."
  But the federal Opposition spokesman on Treasury matters, Mr Peter Reith,
said he expected other leading banks to follow suit...
-----------

"Nats forced to retreat on unequal pay"- The Queensland National Party
was forced into an embarrassing backdown from its stated industrial
relations policy within hours of its launch yesterday following ALP claims
that it would enshrine lower minimum pay rates for women.
  The damaging row over women's pay overshadowed the main thrust of the
policy, which would abolish the State Industrial Relations Commission - a
move that clearly breaches the Liberal Party's policy and casts fresh doubt
over the viability of a coalition government. 
  Under the policy launched by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Borbidge,
controversial voluntary employment agreements would be reintroduced and
include minimum starting wages, which according to National Party documents
would be $187.44 for men and $155.91 for women. 
  Mr Borbidge said the figures were based on a percentage of Australian
ordinary time average weekly earnings for men and women supplied by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics...
-----------

"ABT to watch a Naughty video"- The Australian Broadcasting Tribunal has
called for a copy of the Channel Nine "naughty" video program taken off air
by the network on Thursday night to establish whether it breached
television standards.
  The call by the ABT came as Channel Nine denied claims yesterday that the
axing of the show, which was winning the ratings at the time, had been an
elaborate publicity stunt. 
  More than 150 complaints were lodged with the ABT about the program,
Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos, hosted by former Sydney radio
personality Doug Mulray.
  But a statement released by the ABT  said a quarter of the calls were
from viewers who objected to the program being cut short.
  The show, reportedly ordered off air midway through by Channel Nine
proprietor Mr Kerry Packer, sparked protests after it featured home videos
including animals copulating, a child touching a kangaroo's genitals and 
a couple having sex in a park...
------------

"Pay TV inquiry cool on Optus plan"- The Senate pay television inquiry
would not give special treatment to an 11th-hour revision of Optus
Communication's business plan, the chairman of the inquiry, Senator Chris
Schacht, said yesterday.
  The revised plan, presented to the inquiry on Thursday, recommends that
the Federal Government sell licences for up to 24 channels for pay
television, rather than the original six.
  Optus has told the inquiry that using new digital video compression
technology, Australians could be watching pay television within 12 to 15
months.
  Senator Schacht said the inquiry's report, due to be tabled in Parliament
next week, would concentrate on what was best for the nation, rather than
the most profitable option for vested interests...
-----------

"Bannon takes heat for $2m payment"- The former South Australian premier Mr
John Bannon formally resigned his post yesterday and then went to the
rescue of his successor, Mr Arnold, as the Labor Government began its
promised attempt to put the financial crises behind the State. 
  Mr Arnold has been queried by the Liberal Opposition over whether he knew
as a Cabinet minister of the then secret $2 million subsidy paid to the
State Bank in 1989 to keep home loan interest rates down.
  This happened before the 1989 State Election, but Mr Bannon told the
State Bank royal commission last month that the subsidy was designed only
to keep the bank's rates competitive.
  He referred to a Reserve Bank subsidy to the National Australia Bank,
which kept its home rates down.
  Yesterday Mr Bannon said he alone as treasurer had approved the $2
million payment by the South Australian Financing Authority to the State
Bank, because he did not believe it needed Cabinet approval as the
Opposition had claimed...
-----------

"Voters face a spirit of Independents" - A record 182 Independents have
nominated for the Victorian election on October 3, almost four times as
many as in 1988.
  Liberal and ALP officials were reluctant to predict the effects
Independents would have on the outcome, although the Labor state secretary,
Ms Jenny Beacham, said it was possible several could be elected. 
  "It has happened in other State parliaments so it is certainly a
possibility here," she said. "I think at both ends of the spectrum there
are seats at risk."
  Two Independents sat in the last Victorian Parliament, Geelong MLC Mr Rod
Mackenzie and South Barwon MLA Mr Harley Dickinson.
  But they were elected as party candidates, Mr Dickinson as a Liberal and
Mr Mackenzie for the ALP. Both are seeking re-election...
-----------

             News from "The Advertiser" (Adelaide) 5-9-92
             --------------------------------------------
"Tyre factory blaze causes refinery alert"- Sydney: Three children aged
under 10 are believed to have started a huge fire in a Sydney tyre factory
yesterday.
  The fire, which destroyed the factory, threatened to engulf the giant
Kurnell oil refinery and to close Sydney Airport.
  Firefighters managed to contain the blaze last night but the pall of
thick black smoke continued through the night as the fire smoldered. No
injuries were reported and the children were detained for questioning,
police said.
-----------

"Warning over break-in"- Melbourne: Thieves who stole a cocktail of deadly
chemicals, including hydrochloric acid and sodium cyanide, from a
laboratory supplier might have been badly burnt.
  Police said it appeared the robbers touched the chemicals when they stole
them in the break-in.
-----------

"Racehorses stampede"- Sydney: Demolition workmen have been blamed for a
stampede of eight racehorses which trampled a young strapper and caused
havoc on Sydney's busy M4 motorway yesterday.
  Caine Jones, 17, was seriously injured and one horse had to be destroyed
after being hit by a car when the horses took fright while being moved from
stables near Rosehill racecourse.
----------

"Our cars gas guzzlers"- The average fuel consumption of new passenger cars
in Australia has been reduced by nearly a quarter since 1978 - but the
Australian average is still among the world's highest. Although the
national average fuel consumption of new Australian cars has dropped from
around 11.5 litres/100km in 1978 to 8.8 litres/100km last year, it is still
among the highest of the OECD countries which use comparable fuel
consumption measures.
  Even the US has an average figure in the low eights, according to figures
from the Department of Primary Industries and Energy, which says that on
present estimates it will take Australia until 2005 to bring the national
average down to 8litres/100km.
  However, automobile industry sources say that, in practice, the picture
is much worse with Australia having one of the oldest "car parks" in the
world - the average age of cars being estimated at 13 years...
-----------

Brad Alexander. 


-- 
Hugh Garsden
University of Sydney 
hughg@ee.su.oz.au
Newsgroups: soc.culture.australian