victory

Howard’s victory

AFTER an election campaign that surely must have been the most boring this century Australia’s October 3 election managed to produce a most interesting result, both in terms of seats won and its impact on the policies the major parties take into the new millenium.

For the vast bulk of the population the biggest relief was the humiliating defeat suffered by Pauline Hansoms One Nation Party.

Despite election day predictions by Ms Hanson of victories in 12 seats, the party, which has stirred the racist pot in Australia, won just one seat - a Queensland Senate seat for former Queensland One Nation leader. Heather Hill. Pauline Hanson failed to win her seat of Blair and will stay on as Party President.

But Pauline Hanson was always a side-show.

It was John Howard’s plan for tax reform, specifically a Goods and Services Tax (GST) - a controversial policy that led to defeats for his predecessor, John Hewson, at the 1993 election and for Labor’s, then Treasurer, Paul Keating back in the 1980’s - which dominated the election.

It almost resulted in his defeat despite the huge 43-seat lead the Coalition held over Labor since the 1996 election. As Labor leader, Kim Beazley, was quick to point out on election night, on a two-party preferred basis, the majority of voters (just under 52 per cent) had cast their ballot for Labor, not John Howard’s Liberal-National Party Coalition.

Labor won the biggest swing to a first-time Opposition Party since World War II but because a lot of that swing was in seats it already held it was not able to snatch victory. At the time of writ ing, almost 2 weeks after the election, counting in 3 of the most closely contested seats is continuing with the most likely results giving the Co-alition 80 seats in the House of Representatives and Labor 67. Among those who almost lost their seats were Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, who was targeted by One Nation for his vocal criticism of the partyis impact on Australiais relations with its neighbours.

In the new senate, which does not take up its seats until 1 July 1999, the Australian Democrats will hold the balance of power.

While the GST will continue to dominate politics in the com ing months, the electoral fright suffered by John Howard has re introduced a dimension into Australian politics that has been miss ing for sometime - some generosity and heart.

The big failure of John Howard’s first term as Prime Minister was in the area of social issues; his inability to apologise to the stolen generations of Aboriginal Children, the breakdown of the reconciliation process, his tardiness in rejecting the politics of division pedalled by One Nation, the perception by Aboriginal Australians that they had lost out in the Wik legislation as well as the reduction of money for childcare and bungling of nursing home payments.

Kim Beazley surprised himself, as well as others, with his good performance during the campaign and it was on social issues and the need for a sense of national unity and egoodheartnessi that he shone. Since the election, Prime Minister Howard has promised to remake himself.

“I will be a different Prime Minister in many ways than I was last time. I will have different goals, I will have come through a different experience, I will have different things I want to achieve,” he said.

One of those different things is to produce a document of rec onciliation with indigenous Australians. How he will be able to do this without an about face on his earlier approach on Aboriginal issues is hard to see and, as yet, he does not seem willing to con sider that. Speaking after his re-election as Liberal Party Leader, he re-iterated his intention to make reconciliation a priority of his second term but made it clear it would be achieved by forging a new path. It would be he said enot necessarily through the eyes of the former government once removed, but through the eyes of the current government and the leaders of the indigenous people!.

Mr Howard also signaled a more assertive role in the Asia, both politically and economically.

“The idea that we could close down or slow down the reform process is simply not an option. The world will not allow that to happen,” he said.

“The region is fractured, it is weakened and it is in large mea sure in recession and we will have to play a very strong regional role”.

Despite Mr Howard’s attempts to expand his horizons in his second term, there is no doubt that tax reform is still the number one priority, and an urgent priority if he is to draw up legislation and get it passed by both houses before the new senate takes its seats mid-way through next year.

The Australian Democrats have pledged to stop Mr Howard imposing a GST on food, a position that would force Mr Howard to backdown on an issue he sees as an important principle and to completely rewrite his tax package. If Mr Howard can push the package through before then, he will only have to contend with the independent senator from Tasmania, Brian Harradine, and the Labor-turncoat and now independent, Mai Colston.

A sign of Mr Howard’s determination can be seen in the fact that he says he is now willing to reverse his decision not to accept Mai Colston’s vote - a principled stand he took after Mr Colston was charged with fraud over his use of parliamentary allowances.

One Nation is likely to have little or no impact on the tax debate but as John Howard says just because it failed to win many seats does not mean we should assume One Nation is dead.

In a number of states it won a primary vote in the Senate of more than 10 per cent. That vote reflects a group of people seri ously alienated from the political process and from the sense of Australia as a modem, outward-looking and multi-cultural nation happy with its place in the world. ■

Jemima Garrett

Sydney

Australian International Shipping Services

Carpenters Shipping

Cosco New Zealand Limited

Melbourne Sailing Schedule

Vessel & Voyage

Lcl

Fcl

Etd

Eta

Close Off Close Off Melb Suva Lautoka Columbus California 59 - 09/10 13/10 23/10 24/10 Fua Kavenga 233 12/10 14/10 18/10 27/10 26/10 Direct Jabiru 385 - 21/10 24/10 04/11 06/11 Argentina Star 8 27/10 30/10 03/11 09/11 10/11 Direct Falcon 387 - 04/11 07/1! 18/11 20/11

Sydney Sailing Schedule

Vessel & Voyage

Lcl

Fcl

Etd

Eta

Close Off Close Off

Sydney

Suva Lautoka California - 13/10 16/10 23/10 24/10 Fua Kavenga 233 09/10 13/10 15/10 27/10 26/10 Direct jabiru 385 - 26/10 28/10 04/11 06/11 Argentina Satr 8 29/10 04/11 06/11 09/11 10/11 Direct Falcon 387 - 09/1 1 ll/ll 18/11 20/1!

Rates available for Wharf to Wharf •Door to Wharf •Door to Door.

New Guinea Pacific Line -

Hong Kong/Taiwan/Fij1 Direct Service

Port

Pacific

Kyowa

Coral

Kyowa

Pacific

Kyowa

Coral

Kyowa

Islander

Cattleya

Islander

Hibiscus

Islander

Cattleya

Islander

Hibis-

Cus

VI03 VI9 V53 V32 V104 V20 V54 V33

Hong Kong

Sailed

T/S 23-23/09 T/S 21-21/10 T/S 18-18/11 04-04/12

Kaohsiung

Sailed

15-15/09 24-24/09 09-09/10 22-23/10 T/S 20-20/11 05-05/12

Keelung

Via Kaohsiung

Via Kaosiung

Via Kaohsiung

Via Kaohsi-

Ung

Lautoka

16-16/09 10-10/10 16-16/10 02-02/1 ! 13-13/i I 03-03/12 14-14/12 02-02/01

Suva

17-17/09 12-12/10 17-17/10 03-03/11 14-14/11 04-04/12 15-15/12 03-04/01

Port

Pacific

Kyowa

Coral

Kyowa

Pacific

Kyowa

Coral

Kyowa

Islander

Cattleya

Islander

Hibiscus

Islander

Cattleya

Islander

Hibiscus

VI03 VI9 V53 V32 VI04 V20 V54 V33

Busan

Sailed

18-19/09 27-28/09 12-12/10 26-27/10 10-11 23-24/11 08-09/12

Tokuyama

- 21-21/09 - 14-14/10

lipilillllil

12-12/11 - 10-11/12

Kobe

Sailed

22-22/09 30-30/09 15-15/10 28-28/10 13-13/11 26-26/11 12-12/12

Nagoya

Sailed

23-23/09 01-01/09 16-16/10 29-29/10 14-14/11 27-27/11 13-13/12

Yokohama

Sailed

24-24/09 02-03/09 17-17/10 30-31/10 16-17/11 28-30/11 15-16/12

Majoru

- ll-ll/IO - - - 08-08/11 -

Tarawa

11-12/09 - - - 09-10/11 - - -

Honiara

- 04-04/10 - 27-27/10 - 27-27/11 - 26-26/12

Lautoka

16-16/09 10-10/10 16-16/0 02-02/11 13-13/11 03-03/12 14-14/12 02-02/01

Suva

17-17/09 12-12/10 17-17/10 03-03/1 10 14-14/11 04-04/12 15-15/12 03-04/01

Apia

19-19/09 13-13/10 19-19/10 04-04/11 16-16/11 05-05/12 16-16/12 05-05/01

Pagopago

20-20/09 14-14/10 20-20/10 05-05/11 17-17/11 06-06/12 17-17/12 06-06/01

Papete

25-25/09 19-19/10 24-24/10 10-10/1 1 21-21/1 1

Iii 1/12

21-21/12 12-12/01

Nukualofa

01-01/10 - 29-29/10 - 26-26/1 1 - 26-26/12 -

Noumea

05-06/10 28-28/10 02-03/11 19-20/11 01-02/12 21-22/12 29-30/12 21-22/01

Vila

07-07/10 07-07/10 05-05/11 29-29/10 04-04/12 30-30/11 02-02/01 29-26/12

Santo

08-08/10 - 06-06/1 1 - 05-05/12 - 03-03/01 -

Noro

1 l-l t/10 . 09-09/11 08-08/12 - 08-08/01 ilSIlBS

Manila/Taiwan/Hong Kong/Korea Service

Ports

Bai He

Xiao Shi

Bai He

Xiao Shi

Bai He

Kou

V281/282 V258/259 V283/284 V260/261 V285/286

♦Manila

Sailed

14/09 14/09 02/11

♦Keelung

Sailed

15/09 15/09 03/11

♦Kaohsiung

Sailed

16/09 16/09 04/11

♦Hong Kong

Sailed

20/09 20/09 08/11

♦Busan

Sailed

27/09 27/09 08/11

Suva

12/09 30/09 20/10 20/10 01/12

Auckland

15/09 02/10 23/10 23/10 04/12

Lyttleton

17/09 05/10 25/10 25/10 06/12

♦Feeder Service Lautok-Via Relay

Pacific Direct Line Limited

Neptune Shipping Line

Ch1Na/Japan Direct Service

Ports

Bai He

Xiao Shi

Bai He

Xiao Shi

Bai He

Kou

V281/282 V258/259 V283/284 V260/261 V285/286

*Dallan

Sailed

25/09 17/10 07/11

♦Huang Pu

Sailed

17/09 11/10 04/11

♦Nanjing

Sailed

18/09 12/10 05/1 1

♦Qingdao

Sailed

26/09 18/10 08/1 1

♦Shanghai

Sailed

28/09 20/10 10/11

♦Xingang

Sailed

24/09 15/10 05/11

Kobe

Sailed

11/09 02/10 23/10 13/11

Nagoya

- - - - V : -

Yokohama

Sailed

10/09 30/09 22/10 12/11

Suva

12/09 30/09 20/10 ll/i 1 01/12

Auckland

15/09 02/10 23/10 14/1 1 04/12

Lyttleton

17/09 05/10 25/10 16/11 04/12

Kobe

24/09 14/09 05/10 26/10 15/11

Nagoya

Yokohama

26/09 16/09 06/10 28/10 17/11

♦Feeder Service Lautoka-Via

RELAY NAGOYA CARGO CENTRAUSED TO KOBE FOR LOADING (FCL ONLY)

New Zealand-Fiji

CONTAINER (DRY / REFF), LCL & BREAKBULK SPECIALIST

Vessel

Direct Jabiru

Direct Falcon

Direct Eagle

Direct Kiwi

Direct Falcon Direct Falcofl

Voyage No.

V378 V380 V383 385 387 V390

Lyttleton

09/09 26/09 16/10 30/10 13/11 05/12

Auckland

10-11/09 27-28/09 17-18/10 31/1 0-0 1 /11 14/11 06-07/12

Suva

18/09 30/09-01/10 21-22/10 04-05/11 18/19/11 10-11/12

Lautoka

19/09 1-2/10 22-23/10 05-06/1 1 19-20/11 11-12/12

Australia/Fiji -

Inter Island

Vessel

C Apt Tasman

Fua Kavenga

Capt Tasman Fua Kavenga

Capt Tasman

Voyage No.

Vi4 V232

Vis

V233 V16

Brisbane

Sailed

10/09 27/09 11/10 16/11

Sydney

Sailed

13/09 30/09 14/10 19/11

Melbourne

Sailed

16/09 03/10 17/10 22/11

Lautoka

11/09 24/09 1 1/10 25/10 30/11

Suva

12/09 25/09 12/10 26/10 01/12

Apia

14/09 28/09 14/10 . 03/12

Pagopago

15/09 29/09 15/10 - 04/12

Nukualofa

18/09 01/10 18/10 - 07/12

Lautoka

Suva

21/09 04/10 - 25/10 10/12 21/10

Fiji-Wallis And Futuna

Vessel

Moana Iii

■ ■■ 3

Voyage No.

VI4 I <2 7 0 NOV 1998 *

Suva

Futuna

25-26/10 28/10 * '£/

Wallis

28/10-01/11

New Zealand - Fiji -

New Zealand Direct Service

Vessel

Voyno

Lyttleton Tauranga

Auckland(Load) Lautoka

Suva Aucland(Discharge

Capitaine Wallis

Sailed Sailed

Sailed

09-09/09 15-15/09

Capitaine Wallis

20 18-18/09 18-18/09 22-23/09 29-29/09 30-30/09 05-05/10

Capitaine Wallis

21 09/09/10 12-12/10 12-12/10 20-20/10 21-21/10 27-27/10

Capitaine Wallis

22 30-30/10 02-02/11 02-02/11 10-10/11 12-12/11 18-18/11

Australia - Fiji Direct Service

- Northbound

Vessel

Voyno

Brisbane

Sydney

Melbourne

Lautoka

Suva

Capitaine Tasman

Sailed

12-12/09 13-14/09

Fua Kavenga

232 10-10/09 13-13/09 16-16/09 24-24/09 25-25/09

Capitaine Tasman

15 29-29/09 02-02/10 05-05/10 13-13/10 12-12/10

Fua Kavenga

233 ll-ll/IO 14-14/10 17-17/10 25-25/10 26-26/10