NSW:Diary Events, Saturday August 6, 2011

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2011
NSW:Diary Events, Saturday August 6, 2011
EVENTS LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AND LOCAL TIME UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED:

ADELAIDE
No items listed.

BRISBANE
- Grantham land ballot to be held. Contact: Jason Cubit 5462 0345
- Curry Merry Muster Festival 2011 (5-7 August). Cloncurry
- Tara Festival Of Culture And Camel Races (5-7 August). Tara Showgrounds.

CANBERRA
No items listed.

DARWIN
No items listed.

HOBART
No items listed.

MELBOURNE
1800-1900 - Melbourne International Film Festival: Australian Premiere and closing night
film Drive. Greater Union, 131 Russell Street. Contact: Louise Hesseltine 03 8660 4816,
0402 054 143 or Asha Holmes 03 8660 4815, 0403 274 299. Website: www.miff.com.au
- Hay House: I Can Do It motivational two-day seminar. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition
Centre. Website: http://www.hayhouse.com.au
- The Education Show continues. Caulfield Racecourse. Website: http://www.theeducationshow.com.au

PERTH
No items listed.

SYDNEY
0600 - Pre-departure media call for the 2011 NSW Variety Bash. Totally Home Bella Vista,
cnr Old Windsor Road and Celebration Drive, Bella Vista.Contact: Michelle 02 9999 0853,
Christine 0433 127 245.

1000 - Nuclear expert Hans Kristensen to hold press conference, hosted by the People for
Nuclear Disarmament. Teacher's Federation, Mary Street, Surry Hills. Contact: John Hallam
0416 500 793.

1345 - Freemasons install their new Grand Master. Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour.

Contact: John Tuffin 02 9818 9339, 0416 246 923.

SPORT

AFL -
Rnd 20 - to August 7
1410 - Carlton v Melbourne, MCG
1410 - Geelong v Gold Coast, Skilled Std
1910 - Essendon v Sydney, Etihad Std
1940 (AEST) - Port Adelaide v Collingwood, AAMI Std

RUGBY LEAGUE - NRL -
Rnd 22 - to August 8
1735 - Melbourne v Penrith, AAMI Park
1930 - Brisbane v NZ Warriors, Suncorp Std
1930 - Cronulla v Gold Coast, Toyota Std

HOCKEY (Men's) - AHL - to August 13
Finals Week, Sydney

CRICKET - Emerging Players Tournament - to August 13
3-day Match - Day 1
1000 - New Zealand v India, Endeavour Park, Woolooware
1000 - AIS v Sth Africa, Endeavour Park, Woolooware

CRICKET - Tour of Sri Lanka - to September 16
1st Twenty20
1430 (AEST) - Australia v Sri Lanka, Pallekele

ATHLETICS - Diamond League - to August 6
Grand Prix, London UK

TRIATHLON - ITU World C'ships - to August 7
Race 6, London, UK

RUGBY - Tri Nations - to August 27
Bledisloe Cup
1730 (AEST) - Australia v New Zealand, Eden Park, Auckland

TENNIS - ATP Masters - to August 6
Kitzbuhel, Austria

TENNIS - ATP Masters - to August 7
Tennis Classic, Washington DC USA

GOLF - USPGA Tour - to August 7
World Golf C'ship-Bridgestone Invitational, Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio

GOLF - USPGA Tour - to August 7
Reno-Tahoe Open, Montreux G & CC, Reno, Nevada

GOLF - USLPGA Tour - to August 7
Imperial Springs LPGA, Guanghou, Guangdong, China

BASEBALL - MLB - to September 28
USA

YACHTING - International Regatta & Olympic test event - to August 13
Weymouth National Sailing Academy & Portland Marina, Weymouth, Dorset, UK

CYCLING (Road) - UCI World Tour - to August 6
Tour de Pologne, Poland

GALLOPS -
Randwick
Flemington
Doomben
Morphettville
Belmont
Newcastle
Gold Coast
Lismore
Cairns
Alice Springs
Toowoomba
New Zealand
Sth Africa
England
UK

TROTS -
Menangle
Bendigo
Albion Park
Globe Derby
Young

GREYHOUNDS -
Wentworth Park
The Meadows
Warrnambool
The Gardens
Cannington
Richmond

AAP RTV ra/ht/wz

KEYWORD: DIARY EVENTS SATURDAY AUGUST 6, 2011

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Rayleigh scattering

Rayleigh scattering Scattering of electromagnetic radiation by molecules in which the frequency of the scattered radiation is unchanged. This type of scattering was analysed by Lord Rayleigh in his papers in the late 19th century, which showed that the blue colour of the sky is a result of this type of light scattering, with molecules of the atmosphere of the earth scattering light from the sun.

SA:Main stories in Monday's Adelaide newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2011
SA:Main stories in Monday's Adelaide newspapers

ADELAIDE, April 11 AAP - The main stories in Monday's Adelaide Advertiser:

Page 1: Feral camels from the state's far north will be exported to the Middle East
as fine cuisine under a $20 million plan for a dedicated abattoir near Port Pirie. Gallipoli's
secrets are finally being unearthed.

Page 3: Job security and a more appealing curriculum is luring male teachers to private
and Catholic schools from the public education system where they have struggled to find
permanent positions.

World: Forces supporting Ivory Coast's entrenched strongman Laurent Gbagbo broke through
the security perimeter imposed around the presidential compound at the weekend and fired
on French helicopters.

Finance: Australia risks losing its reputation as a safe place to invest because of
the Gillard government's push to introduce a carbon tax, senior business figures have
warned.

Sport: It became little more than a training run for Geelong as it pummelled `easy-beats'
Port Adelaide by 79 points.

AAP sbm/apm

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS SA

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC:Saints captain to face media

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2010
VIC:Saints captain to face media

AFL Saints captain NICK RIEWOLDT is expected to front the media this morning after
naked photos of him and several of his St Kilda team mates were published online.

The Federal Court's issued an order restraining a teenager from posting more photos
on Facebook until a second hearing on Thursday .. but the girl's threatening to defy it.

She's gone on Twitter saying she wanted revenge and her Facebook account's been deleted.

Police have confirmed a senior constable has been suspended amid allegations he had
sex with a teenager who lodged a sexual misconduct complaint against AFL players.

The AFL and St Kilda Football Club in May cleared two players of inappropriate behaviour
after allegations they had sex with a schoolgirl who fell pregnant.

AAP RTV md/gfr/jmt

KEYWORD: AFL PHOTOS (MELBOURNE)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

POLL10 FORDE QLD

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2010
POLL10 FORDE QLD

CANDIDATE PARTY VOTES % SWING
------------------------------------------------------
MAIZEY, Petrina GRN 0 00.00 00.00
VAN MANEN, Bert LNQ 0 00.00 00.00
+RAGUSE, Brett ALP 0 00.00 00.00
RAASSINA, Melissa FFP 0 00.00 00.00

FORMAL 0 00.00 00.00

INFORMAL 0 00.00 00.00

TOTAL 0

Two Candidate Preferred:

Candidate1 XXX 0 00.00 00.00

Candidate2 XXX 0 00.00 00.00

2007 result: NP 9,550; ALP 34,721; CEC 216; LP 26,576; DEM 419; GRN 3,756; ON 671;

IND 623; FFP 1,756; Formal 78,288; Informal 3,782; Total 82,070.

Notional swing needed 3.36 per cent.

KEYWORD: FORDE - Queensland. 82,148 enrolled. 00.00% counted.

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Police launch new weapon to cut the road toll

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2010
Vic: Police launch new weapon to cut the road toll

More hoon drivers will find themselves locked up .. if Victorian police have their way.

Graphic TV ads .. booze buses .. speed cameras and other weapons have been used to
help slash the state's road toll to a record low of 295 last year.

Now police want to focus on catching and locking up the culprits who cause serious
crashes .. and they're getting a new taskforce called the Centre for Road Policing ..

to do it.

Run by experienced former homicide squad chief BERNIE RANKIN .. police deputy commissioner
KEN LAY says the aim is to hold more people accountable for what amount to serious criminal
offences.

So far this Easter long weekend .. three people have been killed on Victorian roads
.. while three thousand drivers have been nabbed for speeding and more than 300 for drink-driving.

AAP RTV gr/gfr/jmt

KEYWORD: TOLL VIC LAY (MELBOURNE)

2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Tas: Destructive winds cut power and damage homes in Tasmania

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2009
Tas: Destructive winds cut power and damage homes in Tasmania

HOBART, Aug 21 AAP - Destructive winds have damaged houses and cut power to more than
12,000 homes in Tasmania, authorities say.

About 10,800 electricity customers in the state's north and northwest were without
power for several hours on Friday due to the strong winds, an Aurora Energy statement
said.

About 2,000 homes in the state's south were similarly affected by the winds that brought
down electricity wires, power poles and trees, the statement said.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has been called to repair damaged homes at Devonport,
Ulverstone, Ridgley and Smithton, in the state's north.

Parts of the region have recorded wind gusts of up to 125km/h as a weather front passed
over the state this morning.

AAP pc/jfm

KEYWORD: WIND TAS

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Former royal commissioner Frank Costigan dies

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2009
Fed: Former royal commissioner Frank Costigan dies

MELBOURNE, April 13 AAP - Former anti-corruption royal commissioner Frank Costigan
has died aged 78 after a long illness.

Mr Costigan died in a Melbourne hospital about 7.10am (AEDT) on Sunday.

He is survived by his five children and 10 grandchildren, his nephew Gerry Costigan said.

In 1980, Mr Costigan was appointed to chair the royal commission on the activities
of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers union.

The commission moved on from the investigation of union violence and crime to other
organised crime and allegations of tax evasion, which became known as "bottom of the harbour"

schemes.

Mr Costigan was born on January 14, 1931, and raised in the Melbourne suburb of Preston.

He was educated at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne.

He was admitted to the bar as a solicitor in 1953 and appointed a Queen's Counsel 20 years later.

After the royal commission, he became involved in Catholic campaigns for social justice.

During the 1998 waterfront dispute, he accused the Patrick Corporation of using the
same "bottom of the harbour" corporate strategies he had earlier exposed.

In 2005, he was appointed chairman of the Australian branch of Transparency International,
an anti-corruption coalition.

Gerry Costigan said his uncle had a great intellect.

"He was a fantastic facilitator of situations involving mediation," he told AAP.

He said his uncle suffered a range of illnesses over the past couple of years.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be made for Mr Costigan.

Mr Costigan was the brother of former Melbourne Lord Mayor Peter Costigan who died in 2002.

AAP gfr/sn/cdh

KEYWORD: COSTIGAN (FILE PIX AVAILABLE)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Swan, Crean jetting back from weekender in China

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2008
FED: Swan, Crean jetting back from weekender in China

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is returning to Australia after
making a rushed trip to China at the weekend, leading to suggestions the government is
exploring ways to fund its infrastructure plans.

The official government line is that Mr Swan, who was accompanied by Trade Minister
Simon Crean, was in China to discuss economic issues and Australia's growing investment
and trade relationship.

That relationship included efforts to advance the free-trade agreement negotiations
and cooperation on the Doha development round, a spokesman for the treasurer said.

The spokesman denied the two senior ministers had gone to China in search of potential
sources of funding for infrastructure projects.

The government has just $26 billion in its Building Australia Fund, but a $700 billion
wish list of projects.

Mr Swan told parliament last week that suggestions the government had struck a deal
to channel funds from the Middle East into a new infrastructure bank for the states were
"just absurd".

The government is still considering options to ensure planned infrastructure spending
by the states is not curtailed due to difficulties raising funds because of the global
financial crisis.

AAP cb/rl/jm/mn

KEYWORD: INFRASTRUCTURE

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Grounded Qantas flight sparks more safety fears

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2008
Fed: Grounded Qantas flight sparks more safety fears

A Qantas flight has been grounded for almost three hours today .. after a technical
fault was discovered in a pre-flight inspection at Sydney airport.

It's been a horror nine days for Qantas with the national carrier having three mid-air
emergencies.

Qantas says the problem with an hydraulic system was detected during routine inspections
this morning .. on a 767 plane bound from Sydney to Cairns and then on to Tokyo.

It was grounded for two hours and 50 minutes until the fault was corrected.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says it expects a report on the incident in due
course .. but isn't concerned by the incident.

CASA has initiated a special safety review into Qantas in the wake of three mid-air
emergencies over the past nine days.

AAP RTV cjb/evt/tm/crh

KEYWORD: QANTAS GROUNDED (SYDNEY)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

News Diary events for Monday, Feb 11, 2008

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2008
News Diary events for Monday, Feb 11, 2008
Good Morning News Editors and Chiefs of Staff

Here is AAP's preliminary newslist for today (not for publication).

This is a guide only and stories, local times and locations are subject to change. In
some cases times and locations may not be available. Story coverage is subject to staffing.

ADELAIDE
- No items listed.

BRISBANE
- State cabinet meets.

- Preview of parliament sitting this week.

- Court appearance for woman caught drink driving three times in five hours.

CANBERRA
1130 - Reconciliation Australia Board meets in Canberra. Contact: Claire Tedeschi 0418 633 277.

MELBOURNE
1000 - Sokolowski, singing teacher faces 23 charges of indecent assault of children under 16.

1000 - PoMC presser, 530 Collins St.

- Anthony Sherna to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with murder, after a
woman's body is found buried in a Tarneit backyard.

PERTH
- Sentencing of boy for his role in a six-hour group attack on a schoolmate.

SYDNEY
0930 - Judgment in appeal of Alan Jones and Harbour Radio/Nationwide News against conviction
for naming a juvenile witness in a murder trial. Downing Centre District Court.

1000 - Jury empanelling to begin at inquest into death of Private Jake Kovco. Glebe Coroner's Court.

1000 - Opening continues at NSW Supreme Court trial of would-be love bombers Hussan Kalache
and Jill Courtney. Darlinghurst Court 2.

FINANCE:
Sydney - Reserve Bank of Australia quarterly statement on monetary policy
Sydney - Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) housing finance data for December Sydney
- ANZ Banking Group Ltd job advertisements data for January
Sydney - Primary Health Care Ltd interim results
Canberra - Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) announced details of May 2021
bond tender
Melbourne - Ansell Ltd interim results

SPORT:
CRICKET
CANBERRA - Preview of one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka.

ADELAIDE - Pura Cup: SA v Tas, Adelaide Oval, day four.

BRISBANE - Pura Cup: Qld v WA, Gabba, day one.

SYDNEY - Fifth women's one-day international between Australia and England.

SOCCER
BRISBANE/SYDNEY - A-League finals news

AFL
SYDNEY - Interviews with Sydney assistant coach John Longmire and forward Nick Davis, 1030, SCG.

MELBOURNE - AFL news.

RUGBY
SYDNEY/MELBOURNE - Super 14 news.

RUGBY LEAGUE
SYDNEY - NRL news.

AAP RTV cdh/nf/ibw/psm/

KEYWORD: DIARY NEWS MONDAY

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NT: Desert's biggest boat race of the year

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2007
NT: Desert's biggest boat race of the year

By Tara Ravens

DARWIN, Aug 23 AAP - Dusty workers in the sandy red desert of Central Australia are
gearing up for the outback's biggest boat race of the year - minus the water.

Alice Springs will this weekend play host to the 46th annual Henley-on-Todd Sailing
Regatta - about 1,500km from the nearest suitable body of water - in the dry Todd River
which runs through town.

Some 6,000 people are expected to watch the spectacle, as hundreds of local, interstate
and international would-be sailors attempt to win a series of tongue-in-cheek boat races
on the outback's high seas.

Among the swag of 50 metre races are the bottomless eights, surf rescue, bathtubs derby,
kayaking and the head of the river - `sailed' by running, rather than paddling, contestants.

"The ASSA ABLOY Henley-on-Todd is one of the days of the year when everyone in Alice
Springs gets together with visitors from Australia and around the world to have a lot
of fun, try out their competitive skills and enjoy the wackiness, all in the name in of
community and a good cause," said Beth Mildred, board member of the Henley-On-Todd.

The longest running event in the Northern Territory, the Henley-on-Todd began in 1962
and is based on the famous Oxford vs Cambridge boating regattas held at Henley-on-Thames.

It is one of Australia's most well-known charity events and has raised more than $1
million for local, national and international humanitarian projects.

Ms Mildred, who is also the Honorary Commodore for the event - the second time a woman
has ever held the position - said they hoped for a strong tide of support this year.

"Ours is a water festival without water," she said.

"There's only one provision. While we love rain, we don't want any before August 25th."

AAP tr/maur/de

KEYWORD: TODD

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

What Australian newspapers say on Monday, April 9, 2007=2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-2007
What Australian newspapers say on Monday, April 9, 2007=2

East Timor today faces the greatest test of its five troubled years of independence,
Melbourne's Herald Sun says, with today's presidential election taking place amid political
instability, violence and poverty.

The election is a pre-cursor to mid-year elections for prime minister.

Fledgling democracies are fragile and the coming months will show whether East Timor's
liberation ends in one-party domination, which has cruelled so many third world states,
or a disciplined, multi-party democracy, which is the best hope for the East Timorese
and the region.



The Age says today's East Timor election is the chance for another building brick of
democracy to be cemented in place.

The campaign has been marred by violence and the controversial endorsement of a candidate
by the departing president, Xanana Gusmao, which fuelled squabbling among candidates.

Today's vote seems likely to install Ramos Horta, who is widely seen as the best soothing
influence on fractured political alliances, as prime minister.

*Magazines The Big Issue and Who Weekly both published "beautiful people" lists this
week, but the people included in each list are very different.

Who Weekly has opulently styled photographs of celebrities, while The Big Issue has
more straight-forward pictures of people whose beauty comes from within.

The Big Issue's featured people inspire and should be recognised not for token reasons
but because of who they are and what they do - without them, the world would be a less
beautiful place.

AAP maur

KEYWORD: EDITORIALS 2 SYDNEY (REOPENS)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: You beauty! You get my vote

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2006
Fed: You beauty! You get my vote

A new study says good looks will give aspiring politicians a two per cent advantage
over their uglier opponents.

Researcher Dr ANDREW LEIGH .. from the Australian National University .. says in some
seats .. it's the difference between winning and losing.

The study also analysed the effect of beauty separately for male and female candidates.

It found beauty benefits male candidates .. more than female candidates.

The study says this may be because female beauty carries negative connotations .. in
the minds of some voters.

AAP RTV dep/sb/wf/bart

KEYWORD: BEAUTY (CANBERRA)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Homeowners brace as Reserve Bank decides on rates

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2006
Fed: Homeowners brace as Reserve Bank decides on rates

CANBERRA, Aug 1 AAP - The Reserve Bank board meets today to decide whether to lift
interest rates for the second time this year.

Most analysts are tipping the bank will increase rates by 0.25 percentage points when
it announces its decision on Wednesday.

Such an increase would add $35 a month to the average Australian mortgage and take
official interest rates to six per cent - their highest level since 2000.

The Reserve Bank is under pressure to curb borrowing, after the latest consumer price
index showed inflation surging 1.6 per cent in the June quarter on the back of high fuel
and banana prices.

Inflation is now running at four per cent - well above the Reserve Bank's target range
of two per cent to three per cent.

Any decision to increase interest rates this week would put political pressure on Prime
Minister John Howard, who went to the last election promising to keep interest rates low.

There is already talk of another interest rate rise towards the end of the year, following
this week's expected rise.

The government has urged the Reserve Bank to go easy on homeowners and recognise that
the spike in banana prices is a one-off inflation hit.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile yesterday urged the bank to leave rates untouched
because of the way drought was still hitting rural areas.

"Many farmers and the businesses that rely on primary industry in rural communities
have not had a chance to recover and remain burdened with high levels of debt," he said.

"An interest rate rise would disproportionately affect these people."

AAP dcr/pe/de

KEYWORD: ECONOMY DAYLEAD

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Ram-raiders steal ATM in Merrylands

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2006
NSW: Ram-raiders steal ATM in Merrylands

Ram-raiders have stolen an automatic teller machine from a shopping centre in Sydney's west.

Police went to the McFarlane Street centre in Merrylands .. after reports a four-wheel
drive had crashed through the front doors.

The offenders loaded the ATM into a white van and fled the area .. abandoning the four-wheel
drive at the scene.

A second ATM was damaged during the ram-raid.

Investigators are viewing video footage.

AAP RTV smb/ibw/jv

KEYWORD: ATM (SYDNEY)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Debate on Muslim head scarves is silly, says Stott Despoja

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2005
SA: Debate on Muslim head scarves is silly, says Stott Despoja

ADELAIDE, Aug 29 AAP - The threat of terrorism is being trivialised by a "silly debate"

about whether Muslim girls should be banned from wearing head scarves, Australian Democrats
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja says.

Senator Stott Despoja today defended the right to wear religious articles following
comments by Liberal backbencher Bronwyn Bishop, who described the use of head scarves
at public schools as an iconic act of defiance.

Ms Bishop has backed the view of outspoken Liberal MP Sophie Panopoulos, who last week
said she was concerned about Muslim women not showing their faces when they posed for
photographic identification.

Senator Stott Despoja said debate about head scarves detracted from the "real issues"

associated with terrorism.

"It's a silly debate at best," she said.

"At worst, it's quite an offensive and intolerant view.

"It was a deliberately divisive issue and one that smacks of intolerance.

"Some of us are more interested in our community and our world as opposed to picking
on the right of women, young women in particular to wear something that symbolises their
spiritual and their cultural views."

AAP la/jo/de

KEYWORD: SCARF DEMOCRATS

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Jury always out on Joh

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2005
Qld: Jury always out on Joh

By Steve Connolly

BRISBANE, April 24 AAP - Good bloke or bible-bashing bastard? Crackpot or canny political
visionary? The jury will always be out on Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

As Queensland prepares to farewell its longest serving premier, dead at age 94, opinion
is deeply divided on his contribution to state and national politics.

People loved him or absolutely despised him.

Most Bjelke-Petersen detractors will point to the Fitzgerald Inquiry in the late 1980s
which exposed Sir Joh's government as the most corrupt in the state's history.

Four government ministers went to jail as a result of the two-year long inquiry, while
Police Commissioner Terry Lewis was stripped of his knighthood and also later jailed for
corruption.

The allegations of wrongdoing by his administration led to Sir Joh resigning in 1987
- just shy of serving 20 years as premier.

Four years later Sir Joh faced perjury charges, but his trial ending in a hung jury
and more controversy when it was revealed National Party member Luke Shaw was the foreman.

Sir Joh claimed the trial crippled him financially, culminating in the ailing ex-premier
lodging an audacious $338 million compensation claim in 2003.

The compensation bid was later scaled back to a $1.5 million claim to cover legal costs.

Sir Joh was a dominant figure on the national stage throughout his premiership and
was loathed by Labor and the trade union movement.

He played a key role in the 1975 constitutional crisis which brought down the Whitlam
government by appointing an independent senator to fill a Queensland Labor Senate vacancy.

This altered the balance in the Senate and made it possible for the coalition to block
supply.

He was also influential in the 1987 federal election.

The renowned Canberra basher set his sights on federal politics in the audacious Joh
for PM campaign which only served to split the conservative vote and derail John Howard's
first bid for the prime minister's job. Joh for PM was also the beginning of the end of
Joh as premier.

While his political reign ended in shame, Joh supporters hailed the rapid development
of Queensland during his 19 years in the state's top job.

Others would argue he set the state back decades and made it a laughing stock in the
rest of Australia.

He may have been lampooned by many as an ultra conservative wowser with the catch-cry
"don't you worry about that", but Sir Joh's life story is still a remarkable one.

The son of a Danish Lutheran pastor, Sir Joh was born in New Zealand but grew up on
the family property he cherished, Bethany outside Kingaroy - about 300km north-west of
Brisbane.

Due to his father's poor health, Joh was the mainstay of the family and worked himself
to a standstill.

The humble peanut farmer had his first taste of politics aged 35 in 1946 when he was
elected to the Kingaroy Shire Council having made himself known in the district doing
contracting work.

Three years later he entered state parliament in the seat of Barambah and in 1952 aged
41 he left his bachelor years behind when he married Florence Gilmour.

The woman later known as Lady Flo would become part of a formidable team, and she herself
entered politics as a National Party senator in the 1980s.

Her husband became a state government minister in 1963 and five years later he rose
from obscurity to become premier following the sudden death of Jack Pizzey.

Actions such as declaring a state of emergency during the 1971 South African rugby
tour due to anti-apartheid protests, the ban on street marches and sex education in schools
kept Bjelke-Petersen in the headlines.

In his later years, the public mellowed towards the ageing Sir Joh as his health deteriorated
and his family resorted to allowing tours of Bethany for extra income.

Even though he was from the other side of politics, Queensland Labor Premier Peter
Beattie has treated Sir Joh with great reverence.

Sir Joh saw his time in politics as just trying to do his best for the state.

"We didn't smell the flowers along the way," he told the ABC's Australian Story in 2001.

"We just worked and put a lot into Queensland, and Queensland responded."

AAP sc/hu/de

KEYWORD: JOH VIEW (AAP BACKGROUNDER) (REPEATING)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Mr President - practice what you preach.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

Well Bush urging Europe to stop its dependency on oil is as good as Robert Mugabe trying to make a statement at the World Food Summit. Priceless, considering how much we need to start practicing what we preach...

Jus P

Dubai

[c] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company