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Issue No. 127 | 08 March 2002 |
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Power Plays
Interview: Still Flying Women: Suffrage or Suffering Industrial: No Coco Pops For Brenda Unions: Back to the Heartland Activists: Getting to the Point International: Push Polling Economics: Debt Defaulters Poetry: Those Were the Days Review: Black Hawk Dud Satire: Fox-Lew Launch Rescue Bid for Beta Video
The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review Tool Shed
 How to Beat the BanksCollins Goes Cahill
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Week in Review Bullies Rule, OK?
Dodgy Pete Slips One In Remember the MUA whining about the Defence Signals Directorate eavesdropping on its discussions with the MV Tampa and, allegedly, passing the contents on to a Government in election mode? Well, turns out that old fox Peter Reith had slipped in a new rule allowing the Directorate to spy on Australians. At estimates committee hearings, last month, DSD officials refused to tell their elected masters of the rules governing Australians' privacy at the time of the Tampa crisis. In their ignorance, most expected the known rules prohibiting the interception of communications between Australians would have applied. Turns out Reith was rewriting the rules to legitimise snooping on the grounds of Australia's "security, foreign relations" or "economic" interests. Yanks in Steal Steel BHP Billiton warns Port Kembla jobs are at risk because of the US decision to erect tariff barriers around domestic steel production. Analysts describe the 30 percent levy, imposed by a country which insists developing nations open up their utilities and public services to American businesses, as a "bombshell". Howard feigns outrage, convenes talks but fails to invite the workers. Burmese Cats Burma's military dictatorship moves to prevent East Timor joining the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) after gaining independence. The generals veto a decision to grant East Timor observer status within ASEAN, generally regarded as a precursor to full membership. Apparently, they are a bit miffed about friendly links between senior Timorese leaders and detained Burmese democracy advocate, Aung San Suu Kyi. Sucking up to Sam Little Johnny Howard proves his country won't be hampered by any quaint notions of justice or a fair go when he buddies-up with the US to tear another strip off the Kyoto Protocol on global warning. Howard gives the nod to a "climate action" agreement with US president, George Bush, a man who cites economic self-interest in rejecting international efforts to regulate pollution. The US rejected Kyoto agreements on climate change, endorsed by 178 countries. Howard's claims the deal with the US is "understood" by anxious Pacific states but Tuvalu Prime Minister, Koloa Talake, gives the lie to that by proclaiming himself "sad and disappointed" by Australia's move. Tuvalu, of course, is likely to drown unless something is done to halt global warming. More Get Rich Quick Schemes US legislators are told modern business' fixation with hefty bonus payments is a recipe for corruption. The George Washington University Law School warning comes as investigators try to hunt down billions of missing Enron "profit". Enron's board gave escalating incentives to company managers, including founder Kenneth Lay and chief executive Jeffrey Skilling, as more than $1.95 billion in losses were hidden by dodgy book-keeping. Lay and Skilling snared bonuses of up to 50 times their base salaries for overseeing financial performances. "These payments constitute a very strong incentive to commit acts that could be fraudulent or criminal," a criminal law expert at the university, versed in stating the bleedingly-bloody-obvious, says. The New York Times says Enron documents show company bosses scooped $320 million in bonuses and special distributions in the 10 months before bankruptcy. On the Buses Sydney drivers, earning average basic annual incomes around $30,000, walk off the job. Unions bracing for the normal backlash as 600,000 commuters make alternative arrangements are pleasantly surprised by a groundswell of public support for Rail Bus and Tram Union members. This may have been helped by the fact that without the buses, the trip into the city had never been smoother. Cry Baby Carleton Chasing a rather bigger dollar in the supposedly litigant-friendly climes of the ACT is 60 Minutes frontman Richard Carleton. The tabloid presenter turns on the witness box tears then admits telling fibs to his audience. Carleton, producer Howard Sacre, and executive producer John Westacott are suing the ABC for defamation over Media Watch claims that their story on Bosnia's Srebrenica massacre amounted to "plagiarism". Carleton gets worked up by the way the ABC presents its defence. After watching tapes of another five instances in which the defence alleges 60 Minutes copies or lifts other people's work, he insists, by way of press release, that presenter Paul Barry and producer Peter McEvoy should take the stand. Somewhat contradicting his earlier evidence, Carleton claims to have told the Srebrenica story with "complete honesty and truthfulness". Fundamentally Flawed Fundamentalism is being fingered for many of the world's ills but, it appears, the disease isn't limited to those of mid-eastern background. Turns out that US attorney general and big-wheel in the anti-terrorism campaign, John Ashcroft, packs impeccable credentials of his own. Forget the daily prayer meetings at the office, it's the patriotic songs causing concern at the moment. Ashcroft has introduced his own composition, Let the Eagle Soar, to team bonding sessions. One lawyer in the department explained her reservations thus: "Have you heard the song? It sucks." Hispanic staff were handed copies of the ditty and asked to provide translations. Ashcroft explains in his memoirs why he insists on being anointed with cooking oil each time he is sworn into public office, something to do with the manner in which King David took the oath, apparently. His father, a senior minister in the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, did the honours on his accession to the Senate. In January, Ashcroft ordered statues in the Justice Department atrium covered because the female figure, Spirit of Justice, was bare-breasted and the male, Majesty of Law, was insufficiently clad by his toga. And ...the Good News? Industrial militant Rio Tinto drops its decade-long campaign for non-union individual contracts. The decision is a dramatic about-face for an outfit which aggressively pursued individual contracts throughout the 1990s, based on the theories of former company guru Elliot Jacques. The company, spooked by possible WA Labor Government moves, opts not to take up the Federal option of moving employees to Australian Workplace Agreements. Federal Labor spokesman, Robert McClelland, says the mining giant has "kicked the chair out from under Tony Abbott". Wary trade unionists decide to wait before popping champagne corks. Carr Backfire Strewth, Bob Carr throws two low blows at the wider labor movement just months out from a state election. Sparks fly as the one-time Labor Council operative returns to power privatisation mode, apparently forgetting promises and, indeed, his most successful strategy, at the last poll. On a roll, and minus a handbrake, Carr publicly courts anti-Labor activist Frank Sartor to don washed-out red in the Upper House. Should go down an absolute treat with local body workers who have felt the pointy end of Sartor's trendy boots.
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