Aussie News from Latrobe (38/68)
Kym Horsell
Ndugane replaces Tutu -- S Africa
Sep 15 Cape Town. A little-known bishop has been installed as
Anglican Archbishop for S Africa, succeeding Desmond Tutu, who held
the job for 10 y. Archbishop Winston Ndungane's vast diocese covers S
Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, and the island of St Helena.
Ndungane studied at London's Kings College and was formerly the bishop
of the diocese covering the historic diamond town of Kimberley.
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Negligence lawsuits on the rise
Sep 6 Brisbane. A "medico-legal expert" says negligence suits against
doctors have increase ten-fold in Aus in the past 5 y. Dr Craig
Lilienthal, a consultant to the Medical Defence Union and Medical Sec
of the NSW AMA, warned that consumers will ultimately "pay the price".
He said the coast of rising insurance premiums for doctors would be
passed on to patients. Dr Lilienthal also says increased anxiety about
litigation is starting to impact on what careers medical graduates
choose.
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New Amb'l appointments
Sep 12 Canberra. For Min Alexander Downer has named Aus's next
Ambassador for Disarmament, to success Richard Starr. John Campbell, a
career diplomat, will take up the post later this m. Mr Downer said
the Disarmament Amb was responsible for "pursuing Aus's interests in
the negotiation of arms control and disarmament agreements" at the
Conf on Disarmament in Geneva and at other forums. Mr Starr has been
Amb since Mar 1994.
Sep 12 Canberra. For Min Alexander Downer has announced the ANZ
Bank's Brasilian rep, Peter Mason, will be Australian Honorary-Consul
in Rio de Janeiro. Mr Mason will have jurisdiction t'out the Brasilian
State of Rio de J. Mr Downer said Mr Mason's appointment will help
realize the potential for greater trade in the region.
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New Bank Governor non-political
Sep 17 [ABC radio]. An economics professor predicts the new Governor
of the Reserve Bank Ian McFarlane will be less likely to become
embroiled in political controversy than Bernie Fraser, who retires
today.
But Professor Barry Hughes of Newcastle University believes there'll
be very little difference in the way the central bank operates.
He says Mr Fraser, who has been Reserve Bank Governor for seven
years, spoke his mind openly and freely, and his main achievement
has been reducing inflation.
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New Consul-General in New York
Sep 10 [ABC radio]. The Federal Government has announced the
appointment of Michael Baume as Australia's Consul-General in New
York. Mr Baume, who has been a Senator since 1985, has resigned from
the Parliament to take up the appointment. Foreign Affairs Minister,
Alexander Downer, says Mr Baume's background in politics, business,
the media and arts brings a wealth of experience to the position. Mr
Baume replaces Jim Humphreys, who's been Consul-General since 1993.
Sep 10 [ABC radio]. The Federal Opposition has condemned as
disgraceful, the government's appointment of Michael Baume as
Australia's Consul General in New York. Mr Baume resigned as Liberal
Senator yesterday, and has been in parliament since 1975. Shadow
Foreign Minister Laurie Brereton says the appointment is nothing but a
political pay-off for years of personal fidelity to John Howard, and a
consolation for Mr Baume's unacceptability for any government
ministerial office.
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New E Timor talks
Sep 18 NY. A new round of talks on E Timor between the For Min's of
Indon and Portugal will be held in NY in Dec. UN Sec-Gen Boutros
Boutros-Ghali told the UN GA the 9th round of UN-mediated talks will
take place on Dec 21. Boutros-Ghali says in the meantime his special
advisor, Ismat Kittani, will lead discussions in NY between the 2
govt's permanent rep's to the UN.
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New low-dose cancer treatment -- USA
Sep 17 Washington. Doctors have for the 1st time used low doses of
cancer-fighting drugs to boost the immune system of people infected
with HIV, without any apparent side-effects. The research, appearing
tomorrow in the Proc of the Nat Academy of Sciences, was based on a 6
m study of 16 patients using Interleukin 2. Researchers at
NYH/Cornell Medical Centre say they were "very encouraging" by the
intimal findings.
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New melanoma treatment outlined -- Qld
Sep 21 Brisbane. The biennial N Qld Medical Conf has been told the
treatment of melanoma is moving toward less aggressive treatment and
less tissue scarring. Dr Mark Smithers, an Assoc Prof at the U of
Qld's Dept of Surgery, said the focus of melanoma treatment was now
"maintaining long-term results". Qld has the world's highest rate of
malignant melanoma, with around 1500 new cases diagnosed pa, and
recording around 200 deaths annually.
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New treatment may help prem babies -- US
Sep 12 Washington. A new US study shows that an experimental liquid
ventilation treatment for prem babies who suffer from respiratory
problems may improve the life expectancy of the infants. According to
the study, reported in the latest NEJM, partial liquid ventilation
therapy "markedly improves" the lung function of babies with severe
respiratory problems. Some 37K infants are born each year in the US
before their lungs are fully developed.
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NSW budget
Sep 16 Sydney. The NSW Budget financial result for Jul 1996 was
announced as a surplus of $107 mn, compared to a $23 mn deficit for
the same period last y. Treas Michael Egan says the improvement in
this y's result was largely due to strong growth in stamp duty
revenue. He also said the result was also due to the early receipt of
Fire Brigade revenues and Comm'th grants. Mr Egan said the $107 mn
surplus resulted from a $296 mn surplus on the current account, and a
deficit of $189 mn on the capital account.
Sep 17 [ABC radio]. A crisis meeting of representatives from major
hospitals in NSW has unanimously demanded an increase to the health
budget. The hospitals say $200 mn is needed immediately to pull them
out of crisis. The State Opposition is supporting the call. Health
Minister Andrew Refshauge faces an opposition no-confidence motion
over the state's health system when the Legislative Assembly resumes
for the Spring session this afternoon.
Sep 19 Sydney. The fate of 2 leading breast cancer research units in
Syd remains in doubt, with doctors at the units uncertain of the
govt's funding commitments. The Familial Cancer Clinics at Westmead
and the Prince of Wales hospitals cooperate to provide cancer genetic
services. Doctors from the clinics were told last wk that no funds had
been provided for them in the govt's 1996/7 health Budget.
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NSW gets new $2 mn artwork
Sep 19 [ABC radio]. The Art Gallery of New South Wales has paid
almost $2 mn for a European work from last century. The painting, by
Eugene Delacroix and called "Angelica and the Wounded Medoro", is one
of the gallery's most costly purchases ever. The Gallery says it's
one of the most significant European works to enter the permanent
collection.
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NSW govt calls for comment on country rail
Sep 6 Sydney. People who live in rural NSW will now have the chance
to comment on rail services and ticket prices. The NSW Independent
Pricing and Regulatory Trib'l has released an "Issues" paper, seeking
comment, especially from the rural comm'y, on the effectiveness of
Countrylink's services. Trib'l Chair Prof Tom Parry said the major
focus was whether Countrylink effectively served the broader rural
comm'y while meeting the interests of the State generally.
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NSW govt gives the green light to Gold mine
Sep 9 Sydney. The NSW govt has given the green light to a $400 mn
Gold mine in the State's CW. The Cadia Gold mine, nr Orange, will be
operated by mining company Newcrest. Prem Bob Carr said the mine would
create up to 1K jobs and generate up to $30 mn pa in wages, goods and
services for the Orange region. Mr Carr said the mine had been
approved subject to 108 conditions that impose environmental standards
on its operations.
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NSW Health Min survives 2nd no-conf motion
Sep 18 Sydney. NSW Health Min Dr Andrew Refshauge has survived his
2nd no-confidence motion in Parl in the space of 3 m. The govt used
its numbers in the Lower House to defeat the motion put fwd by the
State Opp'n after a marathon debate that finished just before midnight
last night. Opp'n leader Peter Collins said yesterday that under Dr
Refshauge waiting lists had blown out, emergency dept's had been
repeatedly forced to close their doors, and an estimated 1/3 of ICU
beds in Syd had been closed. Before the election, Dr Refshauge had
promised to resign if he could significantly cut hospital waiting
lists.
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NSW police shake-up
Sep 13 Sydney. NSW police will be moved from offices onto the streets
in what the State govt says will be the biggest shake-up of the
Service in its history. Police Min Paul Whelan announced the move,
saying 563 officers will return to frontline duties within 6 m after a
report ID-ed endemic mgt problems. Police Comm'er Peter Ryan said he's
not interested in numbers, but in the way resources are deployed.
Sep 14 Sydney. More than 500 NSW police are to leave their offices
and return to the streets within the next 6 m. A Report to the State
govt turned up a number of problems with the State's Service,
including over-staffing of police stn's in "quiet areas",
under-staffing in other sub's, and rostering that "seemed to favour
weekends off" [Ch 7]. Police Min Paul Whelan announced the changes
yesterday, saying the govt would keep its commitment to recruit an
extra 500 police by the end of 1999. The Scorpio Report found 98 out
of 130 available police were rostered off at a high-crime time in a
busy W Syd region.
--
R. Kym Horsell
KHor...@EE.Latrobe.EDU.AU k...@CS.Binghamton.EDU
http://WWW.EE.LaTrobe.EDU.AU/~khorsell http://CS.Binghamton.EDU/~kym