Hu arrives in Canberra
2007-9-5
President Hu Jintao meets with Australia's Government-general Michael Jeffery at Government House in Canberra September 4, 2007. Hu is scheduled to attend the 15th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Sydney on September 8-9.
President Hu inspect a mineral flotation laboratory in the BHP process bay at the Australian Resources Research Center In Kensington Near Perth September 4, 2007.
President Hu flanked by Australia military officers, heads to inspect an honor guard after landing in Canberra September 4, 2007.
Howard overturned Beattie council laws
August 16, 2007
The Commonweath will override Queensland legislation outlawing and fining people for opposing the planned forced amalgamations of local government.
in a further testing of Constitutional powers of the Commonwealth powers to override the States, Mr Howard will introduce a bill preventing opponents being fined.
The Prime Minister announced today the Cabinet had approved legislation for conducting plebiscites in any area which wants to test local opinion on amalgamations.
He announced an additional measure overriding the $1125 fine against any councillor organizing opposition against the plan to reduce the number of councils from 156 to 72.
The prime minister said he was acting because the "arrogant" Bettie Government was behaving in a "dictatorial fashion", particularly the "outrageous" trampling of peoples rights.
But the issue gives the Coalition a popular issue to compaign on Queensland with Labour split over whether the plan should go ahead.
"This is labour in the raw, you just trample over people's interests and it's reminder of what federal would be like in power, because if they were in power they would not be doing this, " he said.
"...if giving people a say is a political motivation, i donot deny it."
Union powerbroker bill Ludwig yesterday rebuked federal leader Kevin Rudd ordering federal candidates to back off in their critisism.
Mr Howard said it would be up to local councils and shires when they conducted the plebiscites if they go down that path and the Commonwealth would pick up the bill.
He said he was not opposing mergers, what he was arguing agains was" THe Bettie Government wanting to punish people for wanting to express a view".
Asked how his position stood compared with the Victorian amalgamations by Premier Jeff Kennett, Mr Howard said he was not Liberal leader at the time.
He added he did not remember Mr Kennett had threathened fines.
Anticipating Mr Beattie's criticism that the commmonwealth's actions were interfering in the Sovereign state of Queensland, Mr Howard said the federal Government save $403.5 million to local government in the state.
Special minister for state, Gary Nairm, said he was not expecting the Commonwealth to offer plebiscites on a range of other issues.
Mr Howard would not say when the plebiscites might be held because it could be seen as giving direction to the Australian Electroral Authority, an independent agency. SOme local councillors have suggested votes should be held to coincide with the federal electrion, expected in November.
overturn:使翻转过来，否决，使(船)倾覆
override:制服，践踏，不顾，不考虑(某人的意见，决定愿望)
plebiscite:平民制定法，公民投票
outrageous: 蛮横的，残暴的，无耻的，令人不能容忍的。
trample:踩踏，蹂躏 轻视，踩坏
shire:郡
Banks push loans we cannot afford
Wokers say sales targets lead to unethical lending
Pressured to sell loans, credit against judgement
Inquiry into debt levels will examine claims.
Most frontline finance workers say they are pressured into pushing loans they know customers cannot afford, say a survey.
Some feel forced by high sales targets to sell mortages and credit card accounts, even though default was possible.
Unethical lending
It causes unethical lending practices," said one worker.
And they blame the pressure tactics for the outbreak of excessive and dangerous lending.
However, a formal paper from bankers says the growth rate of repossessions might fall in 2007. The finanace workers' testimony will be presented today to a government conference in Canberra on home loan lending practices.
The survey of 1870 finance industry workers found 52 percent felt obliged to attempt to sell products when their customers didn't need them.
'Inappropriate sales targets'
The survey , by the Finance Sector Union, found 63 per cent felt "inappropriate sales targets" Were affecting their ability to provide a responsible service.
And 59 per cent said they were under pressure to meet targets set by superiors.
Rod Masson of the FSU said the culture of "debt pushing" was contributing to "excessive debt levels in our community".
"Banks are using performance management to force bank workers to push debt to customers who cannot afford it," He said.
The FSU will be among 31 organizations at today's HOUSE of Representatives inquiry into home lending in Canberra.
The inqiry will be told FSU survey heard that finance workers thought it was "morally wrong to push lending products given the increase of debt in our society."
Banks staff 'fed up'
One worker said:" Most bank customers are fed up with staff trying to flog off bank products, as are bank staff."
Another said:" the thing i hate about my work is pushing products to meet targets. it makes me resent customers."
Respondents also said they were asked to sell home loans even though they had not been fully trained for the task.
One comment was:" The bank states it is interested in customer service, however, every morning we have a sales meeting and talk about targets."
In its own submission to today's conference, the bankers' association said Reserve Bank research showed "the strong and stable quality of bank loan books."
Unethical:不道德的，缺乏职业道德的
tactics:战术，策略
flog: 鞭打,严厉批评，驱使，
Publicize aggressively攻击性的宣传
Comments:
-----What happened to self-responsibility. Blaming the bank for loaning you can cash that you find you cannot afford is definately irresponsible. Its your responsibility to assess whether you can afford it or not and if you cannot do the sums then ask an accountant to look at it with you. I get so tired of people wanting to blame anyone but themselves driving us all to a nanny state. Take responsibility for your own actions.
-----There is a lot of pressure to get finance staff to sell products, however match the right products for the right customer. I see so many people everyday taking our a range of loans, car loans before they have even made the first years payment on their current cars(because there bored with them), loans for TV's etc, Excessive home loans fulled by panick buying and then equity loans because when they start to feel mortage stress they borrow and take a holiday, buy a boat or another car to make them feel better. And that's before we even look at business banking... lordy.. .suire the banks have helped fule this rediculous level of consumerism... but people who really want to consume will find a way.... even getting dodgy valuers to over value their homes and borrow they equity that way...I've seen it... Now people are unhappy because they are maxed out and cannot play anymore... and its becoming more expensive ... Did you really need to vorrow the money for everything around you... What happened to the old days of lay-buy... It's not the governments fault people cannot control themselves... it is the peoples' fault and it's the banks playing to that human flaw makes them richer every year... grow up Aus.
Kiss... US actress Rose McGowan poses prior to the presentation of film director and partner Robert Rodriguez's movie Plant Torror, at the 60th International Locarno Film festival In Locarno, Switzerland/AP
Haneef family 'want to sue' over bungled case
.Haneef's family wants compo for income, reputation loss
.Haneef Lawyer back here pending visa appeal
.Haneef has said he wants to return to Australia
The family of Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef want to sue the Australian Government over the failed terror charge against him, his lawyer said.
Solicitor Peter Russo arrived back in Australia from India yesterday ahead of Wednesday's appeal against Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews' decision to cancel his visa.
He said Dr. Haneef's family wanted compensation for lost income and damage to his reputation , though his client had not, as yet asked him to pursue civil actions against the government.
Indian mentality 'is to sue'
"You've got to understand the Indians' mentality is to sue," Mr Russo told ABC radio.
"I didn't realise that until i got over there and started talking to some of the relatives. But he specially hasn't asked me to sue."
Dr. Haneef was charged with providing support to a terrorist organization for giving his SIM card to his cousin Sabeel Ahmed when he left the UK for Australia last year.
Ahmed is one of the men charged over failed terror plots in London and Glasgow on June 29 and 30 and the brother of Kafeel Ahmed, the alleged driver of the flaming jeep which crashed into Glasgow Airport.
Visa Cancelled
Mr Andrew cancelled Dr. Haneef's visa last month saying he had failed a "character test" through his association with his cousins.
Dr. haneef has publicly stated that he wants to return to Australia and his job at the Gold Coast Hospital where he can continue training to become a physician.
His fate rests in the hands of the Federal Court judge hearing his appeal in Brisbon on Wednesday.
Bungle:拙劣的工作，搞坏事情，贻误
made a bungle of the case due to inexperience.
Compo:工伤赔偿
get over:复元，恢复，熬过来，爬过
terror plot:恐怖阴谋，策划
Bridge collapse: 4 dead, more bodies underwater, cause probed.
As the search for victims of the Minneapolis bridgecollapse continues, the search for who to blame has begun with a report emerging that state authorities had been warned years ago that the bridge was "structurally deficient".
While the official death toll from Thurday's shocking collapse stands at four, recovery workers have said there are 30 people still missing and they know there are bodies in at least some of the cars still under water.
"We have a number of vehicles that are underneath big pieces of concrete, and we do know we have some people in those vehicles," the local police TIm Dolan was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The search for bodies was stalled while the water level in the mississippi river was lowered. Divers had also battled strong currents in their bid to indentity how many people were trapped under water.
In washington the White House has said that a federal inspection of the bridge in 2004 found that it was "structurally deficient".
Transport officials have said it rated only 50 out of 100 a stability report, but that did not mean it was classed as unsafe.
However White house spokeman Tony Snow has said:" If an inspection report identities deficiencies, the state is responsible for taking corrective actions."
Minnesota's Governor, Tim Pawlenty, has said the state was never warned that the bridge should be closed." There was no call by anyone that we're aware of that said it should be immediately closed or immediately replaced.
"It was more of a monitor, inspect, maintain, and potentially replace it in the future," he said.
A 2001 state report concluded that the bridge "should not have any problems with fatigue cracking in the foreseeable future" and recommend not to replace the bridge "prematurely".
Investigatation will try to piece the bridge back together in a bid to determine what what caused the collapse, which occured during repair work being carried out during the evening rush hour.
The investigation process could take up to a year, officials have said.
"It is clearly much too early in the initial stages of this investigation to have any idea what happened," national transportation safety board Chairman Mark Rosenken has said.
'Say goodbye'
Relatives have gathered at hospitals in the area of the collapse, hoping for news on loved ones still missing, more than 70 people were injured in the accident.
Witnesses reported dramatic scenes as the 20-meter high span disintegrated.
"The bridge started falling , cars were flying everywhere and i saw the water comming up," said Catherine Yankelevich, who was driving across the bridge when it fell.
Her car ended up in the water but she managed to roll down her window and swim to safety.
"people who were pinned or partly crushed told emergency workers to say 'hello' or say 'goodbye' to their loved ones," police have said.
A school bus carrying mostly children landed on its tires, and the 59 children and adults on board scrambled out the back exit, bloodied and bruised.
"There was smoke and noise. Everybody was screaming," said one girl who had been on the bus.
US President George W Bush has called the disaster a "terrible situation". Governor Pawlenty has said the accident is "catastrophe of historic proportions for Minnesota".
prematurely:过早的，早熟地
fatigue cracking: 疲劳裂纹
catastrophe 大灾难
bloody 血腥的，嗜杀的
bruised 瘀伤的，擦伤的，打伤
roll down 转下（车窗）
end up 结束，死
disintegrated:分解的，碎裂
Comments:
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Isn't it disgusting that this is front page news for 2 days, while 100 people are killed in a train crash in the Congo and it barely rates a mention. Tragic that people died, not taking anythung away from that, but what gives??
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I am surprised nobody has mentioned the cracks found in the riverside expressway in Brisbane recently. Do you think the Brisbane city council would be currently reinvestigating the repair work done just to double check??I think they might be.
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The bridge was built in the 1950's and 1960's when the Interstate High way System was built since that time, unprecedented frowth in traffic has cripped American interstates. To say that the bridge were built cheaply is absurd at best. At the time this bridge was originally constructed it was state of the art. However, due to the growth in suburban sprawl, these high ways and bridges became used over capacity. If you had ever visited the United States, Little Latina, you would see that American Highways are constantly being rebuilt and expanded. In fact in my city, a major span of I-95 over the St. Johns River was rebuilt at at extreme cost to the taxpayers. Because one bridge collapse does not indicate that we Americans neglect our infrastructure. We have 300 million people, and our infrastructure is used to the maximum. In fact, last year, Congress allocated more money in history for highway construction. Get the facts before commenting on how " stupid" Americans are.
suburban sprawl:向郊区延伸的
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Sorry state of Aboriginal affairs
On Sunday, the Prime Minister, Mr Howard and the Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd were both guest speakers at an important celebration--the 40th anniversary of the 1967 referendum by which indigenous Australians were drawn under the umbrella of teh commonweath.
At the time of vote, aborigines--and the majority of non-indigenous Australians, who had supported the proposed changes--were confident the referendum would usher a new age of reconciliation and a new era of equality of opportunity and improved life outcomes for those oldest Australians.
Sadly, that hope and optimism was in many ways unfolded, which both Mr Rudd and Mr Howard were obliged to acknowledge yesterday.
And both of them conceded the reality that more, much more needed to be done to remove the disparities between the living experiences of aboriginal and non-aboriginal Australians---but the tone of two leaders' addresses were subtly different.
On the subjectt of "indigenous aspiration", Mr Howard referred obliquely to the importance of land rights and the survival of indigenous languages. But he made the persuasive point; those rights do not seem to count for much if they are "accompanied by grinding poverty, overcrowding, poor health, community violence and alienation from mainstream Australian society." Symbols may be important, but ehy do not feed you, do not keep your children healthy, do not provide housing or education. That's Mr Howard's practical mindset--and needless to say, there was no mention of the "S " from him on Sunday.
For his part, Mr Rudd admitted that Labor governments had been just as guilty as the Coalition of failing to deliver real solution to the problems of indigenous well-being. But for hime, the symbos were of over-arching importance. And where he committed a Labour Government to "Simply saying sorry", there was sustained applause.
ANd why not? there can be no argument about the injustice to which Aborigines were subjected following the arrival of European settlers in the 18th century. The plain fact is, that settlement led to the decimation of 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture. Surely someone ought to be sorry for that, and be anble to say so. On sunday, it was Mr Rudd, and it was what his audience wanted to hear.
Do in that sense, his address was more finelyy attuned to the audience expectation than Mr Howard's. And how can it do any harm? obviously, the idea of a sincere expression of sorrow is of critical importance to most, if not all Aborigines, so why should it be such a problem for the government?
Plainly, 21st century Australians are not guilty of the transfressions of the 18th century ancestors---but sometimes the most potent apology is that which comes when it is no longer expected.
Whether such a proffered apology is any more likely than the 1966 referedum to engender quantifiable improvements in the living conditions for Aborigines is of course, another matter entirely.
But for Aborginal Australians, the failure of governments to deliver a suitable expression of contrition is the impediment to real profess. For that reason, if for no other, the apology should be delivered.
Words:
usher:引座员，招待员，传达员，前驱，引导，展示
Subtly:敏锐的，精细的，巧妙地
oblique 倾斜的，间接的，不坦率的，无诚意的
indigenous: 本土的，土著的
Persuasive 说服者，劝诱，善说服的
count for 价值
potent:有力的，有效的
proffer:提供
----Comments
Hi Roger
If it was as easy as an apology and that was it, do not you think John Howard would have put this issue to bed long ago. You must remember what John Howard's profession was before politics. I think if Kevin Rudd and the Labour Party had to take full financial responsibility out of their pockets, they to themselves might have a different opinion and not so eager to say sorry.(Something that you might want to put to the Labour Party, will they take responsibility)
----Comments
Roger, it is high time that this whole 'Sorry' industry was closed down, for good. Saying 'sorry is not going to change a thing, and stating some idealistic nonsense about apologies that are expected etc is too hairy fairy to be believed.
There are people out there who do not want to proper reconciliation to happen. If this happended the 'gravy train' would be derailed.
Until aboriginals get out of the 'victim' mindset and start looking after themselves what can be achieved that millions upon millions of dollars hasn't been able to. In many cases the problems they are experiencing are self imposed.
