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© Monash Student Association (Clayton) Incorporated (MSA). Lot’s Wife is published on behalf of MSA. All enquiries about the
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Contributions dealing with a wide variety of issues are welcome for publication
in this year's 'Lot's Wife'.
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The author's name and student number must accompany each contributionpseudonyms will not suffice. The editors are prepared to withhold the names of
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Early consultation with the editors will ensure that space is
reserved for your article.
The next magazine edition will focus on Education. Everyone
is welcome to discuss ideas with us at any time.
H
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Publication date:
Deadline:
Wednesdayie March
Wednesday23 March
Wednesday30 March
10 a.m. Monday
10 a.m. Monday
10 am. Monday
14 March
21 March
28 March
rjC«ic<yrytrt^fir«««yic«»««y«
M.A.S.
ACTIVITIES
presents
MAS HYSTERIA
at the
COMMENCEMENT BALL '88
with HUXTON CREEPERS
WEDDINGS PARTIES ANYTHING
SCREAMING TRIBESMEN
WEDNESDAY MARCH 23 - MELBOURNE TOWN HALL
DETAILS FROM M.A.S.
CONTENTS
SUMMER WALKABOUT
NEWS
An u p d a t e o n t h e D a w k i n ' s G r e e n P a p e r
The p r o p o s e d 'NIonash M e r g e r '
Student s e r v l c e s - W h a t ' s around?
T h e n e w N a t i o n a l U n i o n of S t u d e n t s
O Week Round Up
S p o r t z Quiz
Chairperson's Report
Nonsense and Sinning
Records
Films
W h a t ' s On
l-etters
TV a n d C A S
s 'Bigger, Steeper, Faster'
3
e
1
B
34
4
29
30
io
13-14
US Elections
'Summeriwork'
'The D e a t h Penalty'
' T r o u b l e s With My A u n t '
' i n t e r n a t i o n a l Y e a r of W h a t ? '
S u m m e r ' R a p Up*
World Tour
Summer Reading
The Hardline
Floatel
' 4 0 , 0 0 0 y e a r s Is not a B i c e n t e n a r y '
14
14
IS
16
17
IB
SO
2Z
23
24
31
What I s s u m m e r ? It i s h o t a n d d r y . It i s b e a c h a n d o u t d o o r s . It i s
b u s h f i r e s a n d c r i c k e t . It Is a s A u s t r a l i a n a s F r a n c o C o z z o . It is a l s o t h e
t h e m e of t h i s e d i t i o n . I n t h e m a g a z i n e s e c t i o n you will f i n d a r a n g of
a r t i c l e s t h a t in s o m e w a y i n v o l v e s u m m e r , in e s s e n c e o r s p i r i t . S o m e
a r e s e r i o u s , s o m e a r e n o t . T h e y v a r y in s t y l e a n d in c o n t e n t r e f l e c t i n g
t h e v a r i e t y of p e o p l e vuho w r o t e t h e m .
We h o p e t h a t y o u e n j o y t h e m a n d t h a t t h e y s h e d a l i t t l e m o r e light o n t h e
vworid f o r y o u . W a t c h o u t f o r o u r n e x t m a g a z i n e o n e d u c a t i o n d u e o u t
a f t e r E a s t e r . U n t i l t h e n w e vwili k e e p y o u u p t o d a t e a n d e n t e r t a i n e d Mrith
w e e k l y ' n e w s p a p e r ' e d i t i o n s of ' L o t ' s W i f e ' . F e e l f r e e t o c o m e douvn t o
the office a n d discuss any queries a n d help us makeyour ne«wspapera
great r e a d . Good luck and happy reading.
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STAFF LIST
Records: James Young & David Vodika
Books: Andrew Jackson & Jolin O'Meara
Tlieatre: Paula Brennan& Brigid Soames
TV: C h r i s J a m e s
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E d i t o r s : J e n n i f e r N i e i s o n , Wiiheim P o p p , a n d
D i m i t r i S e r g i i i s C«^itii J e s s e )
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Grapliics Artist: Novei Ouch
P r o o f r e a d e r : Jennie Clarice
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NEWS
^
Education—a pipedream?
IN DECEMBER 1987. the Minister
for Employment, Education and
Training, John Dawkins released his
'Green Paper" - the Government's
blueprint for the future of education in
Australia. In it he outlines the general
economic problems that Australian
capitalism faces and its performance
relative to Australia's mi^or trading
partners. The underlying theme of the
proposal is that governments can no
longer alford to sustain the tertiary
education sector, that someone else
will have to pay for education. It's
clear from the Green Paper] that the
Government intends to make students
foot the bill.
'
The Government maintains that in
order for Australia to compete with its
major trading partners it will have to
increase its number of graduates from
88,000 a year to 125,000 a year by
the year 2001. To do this it will have
to increase the number of students
finishing Year 12. However, by the
Government's own admission, this
will not solve the problem as there is
already a massive number of students
who have completed Year 12 who
cannot enter tertiary education due to
a lack of places. It is clear that the
Government's real strategy doesn't
extend beyond cutting and privatising
the tertiary education sector.
The Green Paper was publicly
launched on the December 17 in
Melbourne by Dawkins, representatives of big business and the ACTU
at a public seminar at the Hyatt Hotel. '
Interestingly enough, Dawkins left
one of the most controversial aspects j
of the proposal until the very end of
his speech: the re-introduction of tertiary fees. He left no doubt a^ to who I
should pay for education.
Should those who derive
quite substantial benefits
from higher education share
the increased cost?... An
increase in fees would force
large numbers of students
out of education.
'The costs of growth in higher
education must be borne by the community in oneway or the other. The
question is: Should those who derive
quite substantial benefits from participation in higher education share
some of the increased costs, or should
the costs be spread - as they are at
present - and borne by nonbeneficiaries, either through increased taxation or raising the
budget deficit?'
The Green Paper itself is even
more explicit about the reintroduction of fees. 'One additional source of
funds that may need to be considered
is a contribution from individual
students, formerstudents and/or their
parents' (p87). The Government's
intention to make students tighten
their belts even further is clear. Even
according to the Government's own
monitoring committee, the introduction of the $250 tertiary fees in the
1986/87 Federal Budget forced up to
6,000 students out of tertiary education. An increase in the fees to
$1,200-3,000 would force large num-
bers of students out of education and
make it entirely the domain of the
wealthy elite.
In the Green Paper the Government outlines new moves to privitise
the education sector and introduce a
stronger corporate influence. Again
Dawkins compares Austraha to its
major trading partners. He cites
Japan and the USA as prime examples where private institutions and
tertiary fees are commonplace and
where governments play a minor role
in education. Naturally Dawkins fails
to mention the low participation rates
of women and ethnic minorities, particulary in the USA. Dawkins boasts
that Australia is following suit with
the introduction of full fee paying
courses for overseas students and the
private Bond University.
However, the Government wants
to go further with its plans for
privatisation.
Private
corporate
interests will fund the new increase in
places. This, according to the Green
Paper, will benefit institudons in providing them witn a strong link to the
UMI STTVCns BACK.VioW!!HAPfW W ^ i . f l S
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LAMCE FENM OFF THe MONfrHELS
WITH -rWE HELf OF
2 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
aHlWES AUCJ TrtC CHlLC>RElJ C M t t < t
private sector. Effectively it will turn
education institutions into bodies
which chum out graduates specifically
trained for powerful big business
interests. In Dawkinspeak'...the better initial training that graduates
receive, the more easily they are
likely to integrate into employer's
operations' (p85). At the seminar in
Melbourne, Dawkins cited the example of IBM, which funded 200 places
in universities for'special' computer
science courses, as an example of big
business initiative.
In the Dawkins proposal, there
would be' greater institutional control
over resources and decreased intervention by governments in the funding and management of the higher
education system' (p28). Yet at the
same time the Government will
establish a unified national system,
which it will try to integrate all
institutions into. Under this system
institutions'.!. will be able to compete
for teaching and research resources
on the basis of institutional merit and
capacity'(p28). Under consideration
will be a number of factors. Firstly,
the institution's ability to meet the
education 'needs' of its community,
and secondly, the institutions' ability
tO' meet the requirements of the
Government's objectives. Dawkins
. makes it clear from the beginning that
if an institution wishes to stay out of
the Government's system then it will
have its funding base cut While the
Government talks about greater
automony for institutions it is
integrating them into its stringent
national system.
The Green Paper makes it clear
that the merger of insdtudons, particulariy Colleges of Advanced
Education (CAEs), will continue as it
did under the Eraser Government
This will mean fewer and larger
institutions and fewer resources for
education per student. Strangely
e n o u ^ the Green Paper presents
statistics which proved the point that
past amalgamations of CAEs are part
of a process of rationalising resources. In an act of hypocrisy Dawkins
claims that students will benefit from
this through increased specialisation
and through a concentradon of
resources.
Throughout the Green Paper,
Dawkins hides all these cuts in a fiood
of rhetoric about increasing the
accessibility of tertiary education to
women, under-represented minorities
and students from working class
backgrounds. However, the reality is
that for many students the introduction of ftili tertiary fees, increased
privitisation of the education sector
and the rationalisation of resources
will mean that getting an education is
little more than a pipedream.
Jeremy Smith
i
MONASH NEWS
What is Wholefoods
Merger proposed
THE Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Mai Lx>gan, recenUy outlined a proposal to amalgamate Monash
University with other existing
institutions. This proposal suggests a
federation of Monash University,
Swinburne Institute of Technology,
Victoria College and Chishobn
Institute of TechnologyCertainty, students at-tending a
mulitple-ranched
campus could
expect some benefits. As professor
Logan stated: 'We would gain advantage from the use of libraries, computers, equipment and buildngs.'
However, there are sure to be many
problems in gearing the bureaucracies of four campuses into one coordinated structure. Within the
restructuring process, anything from
general administration to the shape
and value of actual degrees, the cocirricular opportunities for students
could suffer. This includes studentrun activities, such as health and
employment services and student represenution at all levels of the
administrative hierarchy.
by Oimitri Serghis
The merger proposal comes in response to a discussion paper 'Options
for the Development of Highe r
Education Structures in Victoria' by
the Victorian Post Secondary Education Commission. Professor Logan's
comments have received a lukewarm
reaction. The director of Swinburne,
Dr Ian Wallace expressed greater
interest in an amalgamation with
RMIT, and Victoria College Director, Dr Colin Campbell, reportedly
aired the idea of another university in
the south eastern suburbs made up of
Victoria College, Swinburne and
Chisholm, excluding Monash.
Discussions in the Committee of
Deans and Professional Board have
taken place this week. Let us hope
that in the insuing debate, both staff
and students are given equal oppor-
tunity to air their options on this contraversial idea.
For more information, contact
your faculty board representative.
WHOLEFOODS is a student run
restaurant which strives to provide an
excellent standard of vegetarian food
at a very affordable price.
The restaurant has survived ten
years in the wilderness of Union
Catering for several reasons.
Firsdy, we have been able to attract
student volunteers, who have been
actively involved in a diverse range of
tasks in the restaurant (preparing
food, serving and cleaning). We
reward all our volunteers with a free
meal for each hour they work.
Secondly, a committee of students
has been responsible for the actual
management of the restaurant.
Finally, Wholefood's has been
very fortunate in years gone by, to
have employed staff who, like our new
cook Phil, have been genuinely
interested in their work, and have a
real committment to the restaurant
In spite of this positive input,
Wholefood's has definately had a difficult time maintaining its survival.
Last year the committee made
some important decisions to rectify its
poor financial situation. In 1986 and
1987, we began regaining control.
Some of the changes which have been
undertaken are in staffing levels and
the implementation of a volunteer coordinator system, which substantiates the committee's greater role in
the day to day functioning of the restuarant The volunteer co-ordinators
will be helping the cooks by taking
over responsibility for the volunteers
within the restaurant, and ensuring
the smoother operation of the restaurant, particularly during lunch
hours.
RICK McKENNA t HARY TOBIN PRESENT
FUHNYTHINSSHiPPEN..
provide food of a high nutritional
value which also excites the imagination. Hopefully this year will be a
turning point for Wholefood's and we
will be able to achieve our goal of
breaking even financially.
Finally, we'd like to thank all the
people who have helped us in the past:
our volunteers, customers and the
people in the Union services. We
Invite our old and new supporters to
keep up the momentum in 1988. We
always need new volunteers to help in
the restaurant, so come up and be a
part of Wholefood's.
With these changes we are hoping
that the restaurant will be more prosperous. We have made a determined
effort to respond to the needs of the
University clientele. For instance, we
are improving our take-away service
by making the packaging more convenient and the service quicker.
Wholefood's will continue to make
the most of it's assets. We will maintain the pleasant conditions of the restaurant as a relaxed place to come and
enjoy a meal. And we will of course
ijMtt
Tinunee & Alison
Wholefood's Summer Committee
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Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1988 3
MONASH NEWS
how we can get the message across
at Monash.
iVXlVEWS JL
CHAIRPERSONS A ^
O N B E H A L F of the Monash
Association of Students Td like
to welcome you to Monash for
what will undoubtedly be an
exciting year for you as a member of your student union.
WHY WE'RE HERE
Being a member of M.A.S. means
that you get all the benefits that go
with membership. That means representation at all levels of the University administration (which isn't
always renowned for its empathy with
students) and services such as the
subsidised Dental Service, the Stiident Employment OfRce and Activites
(which is directly responsible for the
O Week Union Night and indirectly
responsible for the bouts of revelry
which go with it
Unfortunately, there are still many
areas where Monash could stand
some improving. This year I'm hoping that MAS can start to tackle some
of these areas, so that at the end of
1988 Monash is a better campus than
it was at the beginning.
BAR ON CAMPUS
This has probably been a burning
issue on campus for as long as anyone
^ ^
can remember! Finally, we seem to be
getting somewhere with it
SI .6 million has been allocated to
renovate the upstairs main dining
room and provide a lift for use by disabled persons.
By the beginning of 1989 we should
have a bar on campus which no doubt
will be incredibly popular with Monash students.
All I can say is, it's about time!
AIDS AWARENESS
Monash students could never be
accused of being puritans. It's in this
atmosphere of promiscuity that the
issue of AIDS becomes particularly
relevant
Due to the efforts of MAS reps and
other progressive forces on the
University's AIDS Awareness Committee, AIDS Awareness material
(such as ccmdom key rings) will be
available during O Week from the
AIDS Awareness tent and from
^ other interested groups.
AIDS is
NOT a 'gay disease' as some reactionary elements would have you
believe. All students are
encouraged to check out the material
on display. You might be surprised at
what you don't know!
I'd also like to hear some ori^nal
ideas from interested students as to
dent for a future Liberal Government
which would be only too happy to turn
education into a corporate enterprise.
The best way to fight the fee and get
CURRICULUM??
I a better deal for higher education is to
You only need to read the Counter actively participate in the campaigns
Faculty Handbook to see that many being run by NUS. MAS will make
Students are dissatisfied with various i sure that you are fully informed
about them.
aspects of their courses.
This year, MAS is hoping to continue surveying students about their
PEACE STUDIES
courses and lobbying the University
CENTRE
to do something about the situation.
Ordinarily we would simply ask the
As promised in 1987, your 1988
MAS Research Assistant to conduct MAS executive is already working
the survey and compile a report. with sympathetic academics on camUnfortunately, the Liberal Student pus to make the Peace Studies Centre
Unity MAS Executive abolished the a reality. It is an initiative which
position last year. This year with your has broadbased support on campus,
and one which I hope to see come to
help, we're hoping to get the position
reinstated so that Monash students fruition this year. All that remains is
will be able to enjoy a h i ^ standard of to convince the administration that
the Centre is worth funding.
teaching and coursework.
NATIONAL UNION
OF
STUDENTS
During December last year,
students from all over Australia met
in Melbourne to fotm the National
Union of Students, the first such
union to be formed since the demise of
the Australian Union of Students
(AUS).
MAS is an affiliate of NUS and as
such we are strongly committed to
supporting any initiatives of the
Union. This is particuarly the case in
a year when the structure and funding
of higher education is such a hot
issue.
As students, we must be prepared
to fight any ideas the Government
might have of either full or even partial tertiary fees. Not only are such
fees inequitable because they hit the
students when they are least capable
of paying, but they also set a prece-
MAS:
GET INVOLVEDI
Of course, the issues I have dealt
with here really only scratch the surface <^ what MAS intends to do this
year. There are many other issues
which are only now beginning to take
shape. You'll be hearing about them
from me in my weekly column in Lot's
Wife.
If you want to get involved with
what MAS is doing, come down to
MAS at any time during the day.
There'll always be someone around
to tell you what's going on and how
you can be a part of it
In the meantime.look out for the
first Student General Meeting of
1988
early
in
first
term.
David Moody
AE Chairperson, MAS
smB
TO THOSE who are freshers,
welcome to Monash! To those continuing, welcome back - hope you
enjoyed your break. I would like to
take this opportunity to introduce Rae
and myself and explain our rote as
Student Welfare Officers (SWO's).
The Student Welfare Action Board
(SWAB) employs two part time
Welfare Officers, Rae Canning and
myself Essentially our job is to assist
with problems or questions pertaining
to any aspect of a student's welfare,
including Austudy, childcare and personal problems.
The Student Welfare Office is a
good starting point for students
unsure of where to go for assistance.
We can offer you on the spot assistance or refer you to other relevant
student services. Currently, the
University employs a part time Child
Care Co-Ordinator who works with
the SWO's. Please come and see Ber~
nie Muir if you have any concerns
associated with child care.
Essentially, we assist students on
any matter concerning their welfare,
so feel free to drop in for a chat We
are now located at the western end of
the first floor foyer in the Union
building.
If you would prefer, you can write
to me care of Lot's Wife and every
few weeks I will pick a question I feel
has general interest and answer it in
this column.
Don't forget thou^, we are happy
to see you face to face at anytime, in
the Student Welfare O^ice.
Sally Willox
HOW THE STUDENTS' AMENITIES FEE IS SPENT
MAS
STUDENT GENERAL
MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 29
AT 1 P.M.
Gun Laws
Free Education
Union Board Composition
Aboriginal Mural
UPSTAIRS UNION FOYER
4 Lot'sWife, Thursday March 10,1988
INQUIRY INTO T H E U N I O N ' S R O L E IN THE
UNIVERSITY
CALL FOR S U B M I S S I O N S
At the request of the Union Board, the University Council has set
up an independent inquiry into the Union's role in the University,
with the following terms of reference:
1. To examine the Sutute and Constitution of the Union and
recommend to Council changes, if any, which might improve the
services provided to the University community by the Union
budget
2. In particular, to inquire into:
(i) The relationship of the Union Board to the Monash
Association of Student (MAS) and to the Monash
Association of Graduate Students (MAGS).
(ii) The overlap of aims, objects, services an activities between the three bodies.
(iii) The role and composition of the Union Board.
(Iv) the representative role, if any, of the Union Board.
To seek submissions from Union Board members, MAS, M A G S
and other interested Union members.
The inquiry is to be conducted by Associate Professor H. B.
Connell.
Written submission from individuals and groups associated with
the Union are now invited. They should be lodged with the Secretary to the Inquiry Into the Union's Role in the University, c/o
the University Secretariat, University Offices, Monash University, Clayton 3 1 6 8 - b y Thursday 31st March 1988.
M. D . W A T S O N
Secretary to Council
MONASH NEWS
»mi
MAS needs your support
ALL Monash students, on enrolling,
automatically become members of
the Monash Association of Students.
This membership entitles students to
. allthebenefitsofbeingpartofastrong
student union.
These include:
* the largest Student Employment
Office in Australia (14,000 jobs a
year);
* cheap Union nights with bands and
films and free lunchtime concerts;
* a free student newspaper 'Lot's
Wife' which any student is entitled to
make a contribution;
* a contact office which helps students
with academic, financial and personal
problems;
and of course* representation at ail levels of the
University administration.
This representation has been responsible for* the provision of a subsidised
dental service.
* the proposed Union Bar, which will
be buih at a cost of $ 1.6 miUion at the
end of 1988;
* maintenance of the levels of
library hinding;
* Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedures and a free night bus service.
Unfortunately, there is a small
minority of students who want to deny
us all the benefits of these services
and representation.
They claim that because they do
not agree with all the policies of MAS
they should not automatically be
members of it snd that the University
is discriminating against them by
forcing them to join.
is administered and MAS's place in
the University community.
MAS Does Not Discriminate
To begin, MAS does not, has not, and
will not accept discrimination against
any student on political or any other
grounds. In fact it was MAS representatives who pushed for and won
acceptance of the Union's policy of
'anti-sexism', 'anti-racism' and 'antimilitarism'.
The policies of MAS are democratically decided by Student General
Meetings and/or referendums. Any
student is welcome to participate in
this process. Any student may also
run for election to a committe of
MAS.
The irony is that the students who
are alleging 'political discrimination'
(whatever that means] are amongst
the most politically active on campus
and invariably contest MAS
elections.
Membership of MAS saves you
money!
Possibly the most outrageous claim
that supporters of non-automatic
membership of MAS make is that
non-membership of MAS will save
students money. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Your Services
and Amenities fee is costing you
S266.00. Of this, about 15% goes to
MAS. The rest is divided up among
other departments of the Union and
University.
The University processes all
enrolments. If exceptions were to be
made up in this process, a whole new
system would have to be set up,
including an assessment board to
determine your rights not to be a nonmember of MAS and new types of
student ID cards to identify which
services a student is entiUed to use.
The situation becomes ludicrous
when one realises that if it is possible
to be a non-member of Clubs and
Societies, Sports and Recreation or
any other department of the University, non-automatic membership is
therefore a recipe for a bureaucratic
blow-out which students would
inevitably find themselves paying for
through increases to the Services and
Amenities fee.
MAS The National
Students
Union of
MAS membership, as was mentioned
earlier, entitles you to many benefits
not otherwise accorded to students.
You receive discount health care, discount counselling and advice and discount bands and films etc.
The other major benefit of
memebcrship of MAS is the representation for students that it provides. It
has already been mentioned what
forms these benefits of representation
take on campus. However, off campus, the benefit of MAS membership
is equally important
MAS is afiitiated to the National
Union of Students. This is the only
national student organisation in Australia which is fighting to stop cuts to
higher education funding and against
tertiary fees. If it is successful, all
Monash students will derive a huge
financial benefit which will dwarf
even the most optimistic estimates of
what non-membership c^ MAS will
accure to a student In short, members
of MAS are getting a 'lot' for their
money!
Strength in Unity
The strength of MAS lies in its membership, their willingness to participate in its structure, and to support
its decisions.
The concept of non-automatic
membership of MAS threatens this
strength. It creates division between
those who, as members and those who
have refused to be members, but still
have the benefits made available to
them. For instance, how do you judge
the right of a student to enter the Main
Library which is only adequately funded because of MAS representations?
Non- automatic
membership
leaves MAS in a weakened state to
deal with students' problems. Forthat
reason, if no other, it should not be
supported.
Secondly, they argue that by making membership of MAS nonautomatic, students who wish to, will
be able to save money by not becoming a member of MAS.
These arguments are based on
several fallacies and deliberate distortions about the way the University
David Moody
AE Chairperson,
MAS
MONASH MOTOR SCHOOL
SERVICING MONASH
SINCE 1961
^ A!: ^^K
S2 DISCOUNT PER LESSON
FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF
AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL CARS
PATIENT LADY AND GENT INSTRUCTORS
TAKE LESSONS FROM UNI OR HOME
OVER 30 000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
7 DAYS A WEEK.ALL HOURS
SUCCESS, success, success!
Friday night's union night surely
must have been one of the most successful ever. Three thousand people
turned up to see 'Hunters and Collectors', 'The Nubiles', mandatory
fireworks, several films, a bush dance
and ajazz band. But the Hunters were
the main attraction.
Two thousand people (five hunr
dred more than the limit) squeezed
inside while another thousand waited
outside, dreaming up ingenious ways
of getting in. Two hundred of these
ended up on the roof, and several tried
to get in through broken windows.
Despite a damage bill expected to
top $1(XX), Activities Chairperson
Colin Robertson, is hopeful the night
will break even.
By the time the Hunters took to the
stage shortly after 11 pm, the Dining
Room was packed with hundreds of
sweaty bodies, which soon became a
pulsating mass as the Hunters lived
up to their reputation as one of Australia's leading acts.
The few boons who insisted on acting like shit heads by throwing beer
cans were soon put in their place by
lead singer Maik Seymour. Apart
from minor hassles - including insufficient power - the band did enjoy
themselves. (Seymour reportedly
smiled three times.)
By the way, Seymour's dedication
of the song 'Still Be Hanging Round*,
as the place to go after the gig, referred
to the Razor Club. He was seen there
about 1.30 am, obviously researching
lyrics for yet another bleeding heart
song. Oh woe, the ego of poor
Seymour.
With such a promising start to the
year, let's hope we can look forward
to many more successful union n i ^ t s
in this far end of suburbia.
Note: The Activities Executive
wishes to apologise to all those who
could not get in on Friday night.
Unfortunately, a limit of 1500 was
imposed for safety reasons (although
2023 people were let in).
Phone 233 6184 or 233 6179
rv*. i- k
t 'I: /'
BURGER MOTORS «
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STUDENT DISCOUNT ON TYRES, UBOUR AND NON-GENUINE PARTS
171-5 CLAYTON ROAD
CLAYTON, 3168
Telephone: 5 4 4
2867
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10,1988 5
d
- MONASH NEWS —
•
Student services—
where to find them
YOU have probably already read the
Orientation Handbook and seen
some erf* the students services that are
svailable around campus; such as the
Health Service, Counselling, Student
Employment and the Contact Office.
I would tike to tell you about some of
the less visible services that are available to you through your student
2. Government Assistance with
Board/Rent
If you are moving out of home and
money is a bit tight, then in certain circumstances you can obtain up to
$500 assistance from the government If you would like to find out
more about this, come down to MAS
and have a talk to your student
representatives.
3. Austudy? The Dole? Anythiogl
You may be surprised to iind out that
you can qualify for Austudy or even
the Unemployment Beneflt while you
are studying. It is always worth applying for this assistance. At worst you'll
be knocked back, but you may Bnd
that you are eligible after all. Again,
to find out more about this come down
to MAS or up to SWAB and talk to
your student reps.
Over the past years, MAS has
worked hard (and still is) to develop a
support network to help you when
things are tough.
OK, so let's picture the worst you've been thrown out <rf home by
your parents who have cut you off
without a cent, you have no money,
DO job, and are not even sure if the
subjects you have enrolled in are right
for you. Is it all over? No! There are a
number of things that we can do to
help you.
I. Emergency Accomodation
The Student Welfare Officers can, at
their discretion, orgainse free emergency accomodation For students In
trouble, in the Halls of Residence. All
you have to do is go along to the Student Welfare Action Office (SWAB)
upstairs, and have a talk to Sally or
Rae, who are wonderfully sympathetic people and exist solely to
help troubled students. They can also
help you by talking over your problems and giving you advice on where
to go, or who to see to help you if
tbey can't
4. Healtb care
Health Care can be a pretty expensive
business- but- Lucky You! You are a
member of the MAS and are therefore
comprehensively covered for Health
Care.
a. The Health service
You can go down to the Health Service (opposite Lot's Wife) if you are
ill, injured, need a tetanus injection,
wish to have a pap smear or go on the
pill or any other medical matter. It is
absolutely free for members of the
Student Union. The Monash Health
Service is staffed by an excellent team
of doctor^ s (men and women, and you
have a choice as to which you would
like to see) and a wonderful sister and
back up staff.
b. Dental Service
Monash now has a Dental Service
for members of MAS operating in
Glen Waverley. Look up your Diary/
Directory or come down to MAS
or details.
c Health Care Card
Nearly all students are eligible for a
Health Care Card from the Departmentof Social Security. Among other
thin^, a Health Care Card entiUes
you to SO per cent off all prescriptions
and a 20 per cent discount on Gas and
Electricity bills during the winter
months. So it is definately worth your
while to get one. Come down to MAS
or up to SWAB for details.
d. Health Insurance
As a Monash student you are
covered under our Insurance Policy
for personal injury. To find out more
about this come to either MAS or
across to Sports and Rec, or look up
more details in the Diary/Directory.
So things are never so bad that you
cannot find a solution with help from
other students. We have been elected
to serve you so do not hesitate to come
to us with your problems. MAS and
the Health Service are located at the
west end ofthe Union Building on the
ground floor, and the SWAB office is
on the first floor at the same end.
FIRST NoTv AD FOK
THE
VeAK//
CELEBRATE DO\\JN THE NOTT.
Sue?s Driving School
— Student Discount
;
;
j
j
!
Phone: 544 6892
70A Madeleine Road. Clayton 3168
We will conlinue to care for all your driving needs as we
have in previous years with our friendly teaching and
reliable service.
If anyone would like to talk to me or
other student reps feel free to come
and see us at the MAS office!
!
Felicity Pask
Publicity Officer
MAS
* We will pick you up from University or home
* Late model vehicles to choose from-manimai or automatic
* Choose male or female instructors experienced in all
aspects of dcivmg
* 7 days a week serv ce, no extra charge for weekends
MONASH CAMPUS PHARMACY
(
W'RE FEELlNfi^yrRY
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L I T T L E ^ ^ / SotAE ,
•PASSPORT
PHOTOS
GET VouR
BICENTENARY
E-AP.PLUG-.S
/^r
T H E CF\MPUS
STUDENT DISCOUNT APPLIES TO STUDENT'S FAMI LIES
AND A L L UNIVERSITY STAFF*
. Discount also applies at Melbourne Campus Pharmacy (Melbourne Uni)
And at Centrepoint Pharmacy, 246 Carlisle St Balaclava
•Discount does not apply to NHS items
6 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10,1988
PHARMACY
- NEWS
YOUR NATIONAL UNION-NUS.
'But it all amounts to nothing If together we don't
stand, there is power In the Union.'
Billy Bragg
by DImltrl Serghis
LAST December, student representatives from nearly every campus in
Australia gathered at Melbourne
University. Their goal: to create the
first nationwide student union since
the decUne of AUS in 1984.
The process towards a new
national union began soon after the
collapse of AUS. Students in most
states organised into state unions,
with the ultimate goal of federating
into a national body. By 1986 the Victorian Student Union, the West Australian Post Secondary Students'
Organisation, the Queensland Union
of Students, the NSW State Union of
Students and the Tasmanian Union of
Students were all operating on a representative state level.
In May 1987 these organisations
held a meeting in Canberra to discuss
the establishment of a national union.
Due to the fact that many campuses
(especially in South Australia) were
not members of state unions, it was
decided to hold another meeting in
December. In the interim period, a
process was worked out whereby non-
member cam puses could participate
in the December conference by
becoming provisional members of an
interim national body.
The main players in the formation
of the National Union of Students
(NUS) were the National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS), Lef^
Alliance, and a large group of indepen
dents. Unfortunately, the Liberal
students who bothered to turn up
spent most of the time engaged in
obstructionist tactics on the conference floor. Petty points of order
and meaningless motions were
designed to hold up proceedings. Presumably, these students did not wish
to see anything concrete arise from
the conference.
After seven days and nights of nonstop lobbying and factional deals, a
constitution was finally nutted ouL
Behind the scenes, the factional
heavies worked overtime to produce a
workable structure. This consisted of
' a national body made up of state
branches. For instance, the Victorian
Student Union would be the National
Union of Students (Victorian
Branch). A national ten person
MONASH
UNIVERSITY
RECORD
SHOP
Union Building
Kitmfi: 544667 J
We cater f^t ail musical
tastes includingt
Cia^sical
Au^tralidii and
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Independents
Vwsk
Heavy Metai
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Jazz
Aha aimiliM^:
Second Hand
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Acce$8on«s^
Video Hire and
GiftVo»<:!iers
STUDENT AND STAFF
DISCOUNT
Sl ir\d $2 tttptaivtiy oUMi price of
LJ"*»n<fCl>>
• -r.
executive was formed to run the
union, with each existing state structure responsible for work on local
levels. Five paid office bearers would
be responsible for day to day
activities, such
as
convening
meetings, representing the union on
outside bodies, and organising and
providing services and resources to
all members.
During the first two days, it seemed
that the conference would wallow
forever in bureaucratic red tape.
There were some problems with campus membership. RMIT and UNSW
in particular did not meet the conditions for accreditation: they had
failed to conduct on-campus ballots
instead seeking membership at the
actual conference. This resulted in a
dubious association between the
Liberal and Left Alliance (read LA Liberal AlUanoe) factions, in order to
get Left Alliance dominated campuses accredited.
Apparently, the Liberals wanted to
give the non-labor left students 'the
numbers', because they had the most
extreme policies. This would make
the union more prone to attacks in the
long run.
women's
officer
THE National Union of Students
(NUS) was bom in Decemtwr last
year. The union has been estabUshed
to address and voice the needs and
concerns of tertiary students in Australia. This means working with other
unions and organisations to fight
education cuts, fees and the continuing privatisation of the education system which was recentiy articulated by
Mr Dawkins the Minister for Education and Training.
For women students, an area of
particular interest will be the
Women's Department of NUS. My
name is Emma Koorey and I am the
Women's Officer of NUS. This article will serve as an introduction to this
department
The Women's Department formed
following discussions amongst the
women delegates to the December
conference with regard to a history of
feminist activism in the Women's
Department of AUS. The women
present believed that it was essential
for women students to be properly
represented and catered for both in
the content crfNUS's work and also in
it's structure. It was clear that women
on campus, no less than women in the
community, have special needs and
face particular discrimination. The
Women's Department was created to
fight this discrimination on campus,
address the special needs of women
students and ensure that the union as
a whole takes a feminist perspective
on all Issues. It was also recognised
that Union conferences and meetings
are often intimidating forums for
women, so the department will also
provide a friendly environment to
enable women to participate in the
Union.
The Women's department is
orgainsed on a national and regional
(or branch) level.
On the national level, the Women's
committee of NUS will meet
regularly to determine the national
priorities of the Department. The
committee consists of a combination
A final compromise, however,
involved the NOLS and Left Alliance
factions in a deal that gave the union a
solid, workable structure. Whether
everyone will be able to function
together effectively still remains to
be seen.
One thing is certain — the conference was the largest gathering of
student representatives in four years.
Political infighting, although evident,
should not destroy this union as it did
AUS. The December conference
proved that, when it comes to the
crunch, student representatives are
prepared to put aside factional differences in favour of the collective
benefit of alt students.
Tangible benefits from membership of NU S will take some time to
reach all members. It will take a while
to sort out the administrative and
financial arrangements of a union
with 400,000 potential members.
The NUS structure is flexible and
open to change. With the likely prospect of increased tertiary fees,
amalgamated institutions and the
privatisation of courses, the union
will need to get its act together
quickly.
For
further
details
contact:
President — Tracey Ellery
Education Vice President — Kirr
Evans Education Services
Officer—Evan Thornley
Secretary — Lisa Neville
Women's officer — Emma
Koorey
at 220 Faraday St, Carlton,
phone 348 1777. The office is
soon to be located at 220
Pelham St Carlton.
of elected voting members, Women's
Co-ordinators from each branch of
the Union, national c^ice bearers and
executive members who are women,
and myself the Women's Officer.
Because the participation of
women students is a fundamental part
of the Department's functioning, the
Women's Department is also
organised into more accessible
regional women's groups. Women
are encouraged to attend these
meetings to discuss and plan campaigns in the area, network with
women from other campuses, and
receive and relay informaticH) between the national and re^onal
levels.
with women^s organisations and
women in trade unions, meeting with
government representatives, resourcing campus women's groups and running campaigns and conferences.
There are several avenues to follow
up if you would like to become
involved in the NUS Women's
Department you can contact your
campus Women's Officer, your
branch Women's Co-ordinator, or
you can write or phone me at the
national office. (Phone: (03) 348
1777 PO Box 399 Carlton South.
Vic.) I would love to hear your ideas
and also at}out the particular situation
of women on your campus. Hope to
hear from you soon.
So. what's on the agenda for this
year? Well, the first National
Women's Committee meetings will
be held in early February and that's
where a detailed plan will be drawn
up. Some things are certain, however,
like getting to know tots of women
students around Australia, working
Yours in Solidarity
Emma Koorey
(NUS Women's Officer)
Note: AUS was the Australian Union
of Student's. It's final year was 1984
and between that year and the present, there has t}een no representative
national student voice in Australia.
BOOK
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ACADEMIC
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10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.—Thursday, 24 March
9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.—Friday, 25 March
Lot's Wife, Thurday M a r c h , 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 7
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8 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1 9 8 8
[ ^ s wife
Summer
Walkabout
^
SU/1/1/MER Z Z Z Z Z Z ^ ^ I ^ ^ = Z Z I I ^ ^ ^ = :
Bigger, Steeper, Faster
WHAT is it about surfing that drives
seemingly normal people to perform
the most extraordinary acts of
seemingly needless madness? A visit to
Victoria's ocean beaches in the chilly
months of Melbourne's winter will
reveal large numbers of (neo-propane)
covered people (mostly males) paddling about in water so cold it turns your
skin blue in a matterof minutes. Casting
an eye about the car park will reveal
numerous naked and near naked
bodies changing various shades of purple as they try to struggle in or out of
their wetsuits as quickly as humanely
possible.
Ever in the warmer weather, what
motivates these people to spend large
sums of money on petrol and their days
tearing around up and down the coast
like headless chocks, looking for the
perfect wave?
I hope to be able to explain this
behaviour because I, myself, am an
undoubted surf addict. Any more than a
week without surfing and myconcentration wanes, my temper becomes short
and I become more and more obsessed
with watching the weather to see when
the conditions will be right again.
I began surfing twelve years ago at
the tender age of eleven. Three of us
rode our push bikes down to Sandringham Beach, surtboards'under our
arms, ready to take on the awesome
power of Port Phillip Bay. There was a
30 knot south westerly wind blowing
and the water was freezing but, unperturbed, we paddled out into it, wearing
nothing but board shorts. I'll make no
bones about it; I did not enjoy myself. I
'and so I continue through life . . . finding
time to complete an economics degree'
floundered around for an hour getting
pounded by waves that didn't travel in
any one direction. The main direction I
was travelling in was downwards into
the sand. Eventually we got sick of turning all shades of blue and purple and
swallowing large quantities of sea
water, and elected to go home to our
respective mums to have dinner.
The discomfort I experienced that day
would, I thought, deter me from doing
anything so stupid again. However, all
three of us, during the ride home, began
making plans to make our trips 'down
the b a / a regular fixture. We knew that
surfing wasn't easy, and that the skills
required didn't come quickly, but we all
wanted to experience the feeling of
being propelled through the water by a
wave— not just laying on our stomachs
being pushed along, but standing up
and controlling every direction of the
board.
So we continued our after school
treks down to the beach. When the
weatherwas really bad, my Mum sometimes took pity on us and gave us lifts in
our old 1967 Triumph.
When winter came, we'd saved
enough money to buy ourselves some
second hand wetsuits. This made life
much more pleasant.
Thus, overtime, we became more proficient. The site of the old Brighton
Beach Baths(now demolished) became
our primary surfing venue, since we
could walk out the back of the waves on
10 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1 9 8 8
trips afterwards the weather was
unkind and, as a result, the waves were
terrible. But the memory of that day
lived on in our minds, and so we persevered. After some months, we had
another excellent surf at a place we had
not been to before, Apollo Bay. Each
week we discovered new waves, new
experiences, and all the time our ability
was improving, (hiding more and more
difficult waves: bigger, faster, steeper.
In time, we drove past places like
Urqhuart's Bluff because it didn't offer
the same thrill any more. We wanted
fast waves.
It is at that point that one comes to
understand the mentality of the surf
addict. There is no wave on this planet
the same as another, and every nowand
then you catch one that makes you
exclaim to your friends, "Wow, that was
the best wave I've ever ridden'. But
there are others to come and eventually
another wave or another 'surf' session
will become the best ever experienced
by the rider. No matter how fantastic
one ride might be, a better one could be
just around the corner.
And so I continue to surf my way
through life, in between finding time to
complete an economics degree and
work as a researcher for a trade union.
Despite the challenges my work offers,
the smell of an off-shore wind and
reports that a big swell is running still
send me into a frenzy of re-scheduling
meetingssolcanfitinasurf. Ahopeless
addict, my life goes on.
the old platform and jump off, relieving
us of the ardous task of paddling out.
It was at Brighton that we first
experienced the exhilaration of standing up and surfing down the faces of
waves. Not just once, but over and over
again. It was somewhere around this
time that the addiction set in.
At first, we could only stand up and
travel down the face of the wave in dead
straight lines, eyes fixed firmly on our
feet, heading for the beach. When you
do this, your board eventually runs out
of steam and the waves which you leave
behind, catches up and pounds you
into oblivion.
Some time later, I talked my Dad into
taking us down to the west coast, to the
beaches along the Great Ocean Road. It
wason this trip that wefirst experienced
real surfing. We found an uninhabited,
beautifully shaped wave at Urqhuarts
Bluff, breaking from right to left. It was
on this day that we learned to 'plane'
across the face of the wave, always
keeping just ahead of the white water
breaking perpetually behind you. The
feeling was one I'll never forget. Our
objective, to really surf, was finally
realised. It was hot that day, and after
three hours in the water we were roasted, but at the time it didn't seem to matter. I, for one, spent that night reliving
each magical ride, savouring it in my
mind to keep that feeling alive.
That day was to provide the best surf by Timothy Lee
we would ride for some time. For many
SU/V1/1/1ER
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NOW, this is no easy task. You see,
I've spent all my life in close proximity
to the beach, never too far away. And I
am inclined to wander down to the
water, take a swim and then spend a
few hours vainly attempting to keep
the sand at a comfortable distance.
(This is never successful; I also usually
manage to put sand over anyone
foolish enough to be close by!) In
other words, I don't mind the particular
Australian ethos of tanning -well,
going 'down the beach' anyway. Let's
face it, it is a nice way to spend the
day.
But it can be a pain as well - quite
literally. The least 'fond' of my
childhood memories features the
evening after the 'day at the beach
with friends'. The day was always
fantastic (I'm still to come across
anyone who, in their heart of hearts,
doesn't love squatting beside rock
pools with a Jacques Cousteau
intention), and simply not long
enough. I think the only bad part of
the day was that never ending 'just
half an hour' strictly imposed to avoid
'post-lunch stomach cramp'. 'You can't
go in the water yet' - 'But it's so hot' or
'It must be half an hour by now, Mrs
Whoever is (or who had the misfortune
to be) supervising that d a / . (For
context, we're talking Melbourne
1960s, although I imagine the
supervisor has not changed in 20
years - or maybe kids don't have them
any more.) I wonder whether the anticramp approach has any medical
basis', or whether it's just something
parents impose on children to teach
something or other.)
rising during the eariy part of next
century. The brighter side of this dark
picture is that the prognosis of
melanoma is very good, and it seems
that early diagnosis would prevent
most deaths. It is thought that many
melanomata arise from pre-existing
Anyway, so much for the day. You
moles and it is also suggested that
may also have gathered that these
Australia's high incidence rate is
were pre-SPF times (that's Sun
partly attributable to a population with
Protection Factor for the uninitiated)
a very high proportion of sensitive
and zinc cream was, well, it just wasn't skins (fair skin, fair/red hair, blue
on; which meant for me a night of
eyes), and a pattern of intermittent,
suffering and recriminations. And why recreational sun exposure, (eg going
vinegar as sunburn treatment?
'down the beach' on hot Sundays).
(Discreet inquiries have yet to find me
a fellow victim.) Anyway, why keep the
Mortality from melanoma has risen
vinegar in the freezer? And why does
steadily since it was first recorded in
vinegar have to smell so, so bad? I had the 1930s. It is fairly well established
heard a rumour of the 'cold tea'
(as well as any fact can be) that
treatment (alternative health before
melanoma Is associated with exthe Contest?) but wondered how the
posure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) in
leaves would stay plastered on your
short high dose periods. Canadian
skin!
research points to changing recreational habits as a main variant, and
However, I eventually learned to
it also notes that short-term
avoid the sufferings and recrimifluctuations in melanoma incidence
nations, because, leaving aside the
correlate with increased sunspot
nightmares of freezing vinegar, and
activity, or increased UV radiation. (To
notwithstanding the absurdity of
side-track for a moment, SPF means,
animated birdlife singing mindless
apparently, that your skin is protected
Jingos, the risks of skin cancer are
for the time it takes your skin to burn
very real and the mortality rate In
multiplied by the 'factor' number of the
Australia is steadily rising.
stuff. For instance, ten minutes by SPF
15 equals 1 SO minutes t>efore
There are a number of skin cancers, burning. But, as they say on the
l-lamilton's
pack (I think if s the best
but malignant melanoma holds a
special interest for Australians, as it is brand), 'regular and liberal use may
help reduce the risk of skin cancer'. At
more common here than in any other
least they are honest about it - or is it
country. The most common type is
that they have paranoid lawyers?)
superficial spreading melanoma. In
1982 more than 2000 new cases of
UV radiation and sunspot activity
melanoma were reported, with death
lead us to the issue of ozone
resulting in about one quarter (596
depletion and cancer risk, l-lonestly, I
deaths) of these new cases, it is
don't pretend to understand ozone
expected that mortality will continue
chemistry, but two things are
^4APR4
f^te^
reasonably certain. First, absorption of
UV radiation by the ozone layer
greatly reduces the carcinogenic
impact of the sun on humans.
Secondly, the ozone layer, or ozone
concentrations if you like, is
decreasing, and the increased use of
chemical compounds known as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) is linked
to this phenomenon. Although
scientific knowledge is incomplete,
the US Environmental Protection
Agency has calculated that a one per
cent decrease in ozone concentrations could increase melanoma
mortality by 1.5 per cent, and further,
that a 2.5 per cent annual growth of
CFCs could lead to a further one
million skin cancers in the US alone.
Computer models project ozone
depletion of approximately six per
cent between the years 1970 and
2030, and an Increase In mortality
from melanoma of between nine and
16 percent Ozone depletion carries
with it serious health risks. The impact
of this depletion on environment and
climate, although more difficult to
predict could dwarf these health risks.
So whaf s the bottom line of this
drivel?
Well, on the nation state level, the
United Nations has sponsored the
Vienna Convention on the Ozone
Layer, under which signatories have
agreed to freeze, and then reduce, the
level of CFC production. On a
personal level, perhaps we should
simply stop buying the consumer
products containing CFCs (mainly
aerosol sprays). After all, if Prince
Charies can do without perhaps mere
mortals can as well. And take care on
the beach, use only as directed, and
see your doctor if pain persists!
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 11
.
^
SU/MMER
USPRESIDENTIAlJ
TO U N D E R S T A N D t h e US Presidential election process, an observer
wouid do well to equate it with an Olympic marathon.
This marathon will stretch over a nine month period and will consist
of over 1 0 primaries and caucuses. (A primary is when registered
voters for eitherthe Democratic or Republican party choose from the
group of candidates running for their party's nomination. Caucuses
run on a similar principle, but instead of being a secret ballot, a
caucus is conducted openly.)
DELEGATES selected from these
primaries and caucuses and are
pledged to the individual candidates
who have done well in the primary or
caucus. Thus these delegates vote for
their individual candidates at the two
parties' major conventions, held by the
middle of the year. These conventions
select the two nominees to contest
the Presidential election in November.
This Presidential Marathon will cost
hundreds of millions of taxpayers'
dollars, involve saturation coverage in
the American mass media, and most
likely bore many Americans to death.
Analysing the manner in which
Americans select their President, one
is thankful that in Australia our
parliamentary system, despite its
imperfections, means that our election
campaigns will be of around six
weeks' duration and involve far less
expense.
For the first time since 1968,
Americans will have a choice between
two candidates, neither of whom is the
sitting President As the Reagan
Presidency comes to a close,
Americans are now confronted with
the social and economic problems
that his administration failed to tackle.
Bush claims the mantle of
Reagan's so—called conservative,
coalition and this is where his
problem lies. Does he have an
alternative vision for his country that
sets him apart from his record as
vice—president?
Bush has the best campaign
organisation amongst the Republicans, with plenty of backing and
money. He has strong support in the
southern states.
by Mark Karlovic
Apart from the rising poverty and
homelessness that Reagan's budget
cutbacks in social welfare produced,
the huge US trade and budget deficits
now dominate US and world economic
thinking.
For Australia, this election has
important consequences: the last
thing Canberra wants is for the next
administration to be elected on a
highly protectionist platform. A new
US President putting up the barriers
to Australian exports would deal be a
huge blow to our precariously
balanced economy.
So far, the current crop of
Presidential candidates can be
described as a fairly uninspiring
group. Neither political party had
produced a true frontrunner as the
race headed towards the all important
'Super Tuesday' primaries on March 8,
in which more than 30 per cent of all
delegates would be chosen. Only
eight candidates with any real clout
were left in the race. What follows is a
rundown of those then left as
contenders.
Robert Dole
George Bush
REPUBLICAN PARTY:
Pat Robertson
George Bush
The experienced Reagan v i c e president must be considered the
man to beat, despite the fact that his
charisma rating would be lower than
that of Barry Unsworlh and John
Howard combined. After an initial
setback in Iowa, Bush bounced back
with a convincing victory in New
Hampshire.
ONLY AT PIZZA
lllllll
Dole's legislative ability as Senate
Republican leader is one of his main
assets, although his political
organisation lacks the strength of
Bush's. Well known for his many
dark moods, Dole must counter
Bush's popularity in the south, as
well as make strong showings in the
big northern states to win the
nomination.
Robertson is a TV evangelist, one of
a group of people who are well
known for their ability to ask for, and
get, millions of dollars from their
devoted followers, as well as to
become embroiled in amazing sex
scandals. But in this era of
Americans worrying about the moral
decay of their way of life, Robertson
strikes the right chord.
His big test will come in the
southern primaries, ,where he is well
organised and has a large degree of
support. If he wins enough
delegates, he may very well play a
key role in determining who will win
the Republican nomination.
The Republican Party seems to be
split info various factions that
Reagan was able to hold together
under his Presidency. These consist
of the Wall St establishment, the
heartland conservatives, the religious right and the disciples of
supply side economics.
It remains to be seen whether one
single candidate can fuse these
distinct groups into an effective
coalition for the Presidential
election in November.
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OFFER VALID TO 31 MARCH, 1988
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Robert Dole
12 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
SU/1/1A1ER
1
RACE: PART
ONE
Richard Gephardt
Gephardt is the candidate who
worries most Australian trade
officials, and certainly worries key
Australian govermment ministers,
because he is running hard on a
strong protectionist platform.
This policy in many ways smacks
of pure populism, and even some of
Gephardt's ex-staff admit their
former boss has shifted up to 180
degrees on some issues.
In fact, he voted in Congress for
most of Reagan's early legislation.
But his message is attractive,
preaching the evils of foreign
imports destroying American
industry and jobs.
His victory in Iowa demonstrated
this, and it should stand him in good
stead in the Southern primaries.
Richard Gephardt
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Michael Dukakis
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
It seems that Jackson's appeal this
year is even greater than when he
ran in 1984. As was demonstrated in
the Maine primary, where he won an
amazing 27 per cent of the vote in a
virtually all white state. Jackson is
winning more and more white votes
with his rainbow coalition.
If he wins enough delegates, and
there is a deadlock at the
Democratic convention as to who
will be the nominee, then Jackson
could well be a kingamaker.
A force to be reckoned with.
' Albert Gore
The youngest of the candidates, this
39 year old Tennessee Senator is
running as a conservative Democrat,
although his record suggests he
really is a liberal. Gore has put all
his efforts into doing well in the
south and he must prove his vote
pulling ability to survive.
Since 1968, the Democratic Party
has only been victorious in only one
Presidential election out of five. To
be successful this year, it must
select a candidate who can forge an
effective coalition, and appeal to a
broad group of voters.
The March 8 primary results
should provide a fair indication on
how each candidate is going.
The Massachusetts Governor has
so far had impressive victories in
New Hampshire, South Dakota,
Minnesota and Maine. His economic
credentials are excellent, with his
state boasting one of the lowest
unemployment rates in the country
(around two per cent).
Despite this, he has failed to
excite the electorate at large—or
even his own party. Part of this has
to do with Dukakis himself in terms
of his restrained (some might even
say bland) personality.
Dukakis Is not as well organised in
the south, and a question mark must
hover over him if he fails to win any
primaries there, as to whether he
can carry this vital area for the
Democrats in November.
Michael Dukakis
Paul Simon
At first, Simon wasn't taken
seriously by political analysts, but
when the bow—tied Senator began
winning solid third places in Iowa
and New Hampshire, this perception
changed.
An old fashioned liberal, Simon's
main worry is lack of money, and if
he does poorly on 'Super Tuesday',
he will probably withdraw from the
race.
Albert Gore Jr.
Lot'sWife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
13
:^u/v\/v\t\<
DEATH PENALTY
by Peter Taft
THE death penalty is in operation today
in over one-hundred countries. It is
used to execute people convicted of
violent crimes as well as political dissenters. Most Western countries have
come to accept the inhumanity of l<illing
individuals for their beliefs. However,
many countries which we would loolt
upon as being civilised still execute
convicted criminals in the belief that
this practice acts as a deterrent to
others thinking of committing the
same crimes.
The fact remains that no study made
of the link between the death penalty
and the crime rate has provided conclusive evidence that the death penalty
is a deterrent. Indeed, some studies
have shown that homicide rates have
actually increased in the period
immediately following executions.
Supporters of the death penalty
assume that violent crimes are premeditated and carried out in a
calculated manner with a clear state of
mind. In reality, such instances are rare.
Most of these crimes are committed in
times of great emotional stress—in fear
or under the influence of alcohol or
other drugs—when the perpetrator is
not thinking of the possible consequences of the crime.
Consider these statistics. A study in
1983 of 14 countries which had
abolished the death penalty showed a
decline in homicide rates in over half of
them following the abolition. For example, Canada abolished the death
penalty in 1976. The year before, there
had been over 700 homicides there. In
1984, this number had dropped to
under 670.
Similarly, figures compiled in New
York state between 1903 and 1963
show that on average an additional two
murders has taken place within a month
after each execution. Texas, which
executes more people than any other
state, has a homicide rate close to twice
the national average.
Far from being a deterrent, the death
penalty appears to help in the perpetuation of a violent society. American
lawyer, David Bruck, presented a number of inmates on 'death row'. In an article published in 'The Age' in September
this year, Bruck describe^ the scene at
an execution:
Others have been executed despite
clear evidence that their psychiatric
conditions were such that they could
not possibly have been fuly responsible
for their actions.
In recognition of the futility of the
death penalty, the United Nations
General Assembly has taken the position that it should be abolished in all
countries by means of a progressive
reduction in the crimes to which it
applies. Amnesty International and
other civil liberties groups have also
declared their strong opposition to its
use.
There have been promising signs
around the world that point towards a
widespread trend of abolition. Since
1975 six South and Central American
countries have abolished the death
penalty.
In April of 1987, two articles were
published in the Soviet newspaper
'Moscow News^dvocating the aboli-
tion of the death penalty. This represents the first public opposition to the
death penalty in the Soviet media and
could represent a major shift in thinking
on this issue by the Politburo itself.
A visit to Australia in May of this year
of former 'death row' inmate Delbert
Tibbs, received massive media attention. Many became aware of the iniquitous and futile use of the death
penalty in the USA and some have
joined the campaign to end it.
In the USA itself there are encouraging signs. Bills to reintroduce the death
penalty were defeated in two states,
Vermont and Kansas. In lliinlos and
Nebraska, bills to abolish the death
penalty have been introduced- As a
<feterent, as a means of extracting retribution and as a civilising influence on
society, the death penalty had been an
abject failure. Its use across the world
deserves to be consigned to the dustbin
of history.
MfMl«MlMM«M*^^
There was movement out at u l a y t o r ^ ^ ^ ^
J
of home for poor
peo;^e.
The death penalty is a manifestation
of a system where justice is based on
outdated notions of 'an eye for an eye',
notions which cheapen respect for life
and clearly fail to prevent similar crimes
from occuring again. Its use allows
governments to divert attention away
from real social problems and from their
failure to address the root causes of
crime.
Because it is irreversible, the death
penalty must be looked at as different to
other forms of punishment. Once effected, it cannot be revoked. The possiblity
of juicidal error or of the revelation of
establishing evidence of a convicted
criminal's innocence make it an unjust
method of punishment. Further, it
negates any humane attempt to
rehabilitate people to allow them
another chance to take their place in
society.
Historically, the death penalty has
been used unequally on the poor
minorities and oppressed groups within
the population. When the ability to gain
good legal representation becomes
'The two-hundred beer-swilling celeb- one of the most important factors in
rants outside the prison at five in the determining the outcome of a trial,
morning started whooping and holler- questions of race, class and poverty can
ing when they heard that the switch had have a considerable effect upon the
been pulled It is impossible to avoid the administration of justice. The wealthy
conclusion that executions cheapen and members of dominant racial and
respect for life and leave the public sen- religious groups are far less likely to be
sibilities dulled to killing and anxiousfor sentenced to death than the poor or
more.'
members of unpopular racial or
Polls taken in America would appear religious groups. Similarly, 90% of
to support Bruck's hypothesis, as over executions in the USA since 1977 have
three-quarters of the population sup- been tor the murder of whites, even
port the death penalty in the face of an though blacks and whites have been
ever-increasing crime rate. Political car- murdered in about equal numbers
eers have been made and broken
In some cases access by the defenaccording to the candidates' stance on dant to impatial and professional psythe death penalty. According to Henry chiatric and medical services is vital. In
Schwarzchild of the American Civil the United States, a number of people
Liberties Union, 'Americans want to have been executed before evidence
believe that toughness is the universal concerning their mental condition
solution to every problem'.
could be collated and presented.
14 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
or the word was passed around
It was summer around Monash
But students were nowhere to be found.
The roads and car parks were so desolate
With their rugged, rolling terrain,
There only the bravest car and driver venture
Bearing, naturally, the tightest of rein.
All the tired and noted diehards,
From the suburbs near and far,
Still mustered in the Small Caf
Where apparently only the yuppies now are.
But the Ming Wing was almost deserted
That enormous, unspectacular beast,
Apart from it's original inhabitants
Who are, no doubt, three parts insane at least
So daunting too, look the libraries
With their insight, so much to be found.
But doesn't one find it strange though
That inside one can't hear a sound?
The leture theatres appear even more clinical*
But I suppose they do House a strange breed
Impersonal, unapproachable and unfriendly
Seems the root of the true Monash creed.
So the next time you hear someone mutter
'My word, Monash is really in strife',
please act on their masterful instints
And grant this deviod Uni some life
Janelle
'
Summer Work
MY HOURS during the hottest days of
by Yvette Jaczlna
summer were spent envying those who
Students
are placed in all sorts of
swam, splashed, played and generally
summer jobs through the Employment
kept cool at the local swimming pool. I
Office. Clerical, factory work and fruit
was unable to join them—instead I
picking as well as course related jobs.
served up hundreds of hot-dogs, thou'Whatever comes to mind comes here,'
sands of dim Sims and gallons of soft
drink, amongst other types of junk food, says Irmgard Good, the Student
Employment Officer, from the mundane
to those straight out of the pool,
to the exotic' One student spent his last
refreshed and dripping wet. I was dripsummer minding mohair goats on a
ping wet too, though definately not
farm.
refreshed inside. The kiosk was around
Although most students enter into
20 degrees hotter than outside. I
summer work purely to earn money to
worked very long hours in terribly hot
pay
fees and debts accumulated during
conditions, seven days a week and my
skin remained white throughout the sea- the study year, a lot get much more out
of their job than money. Ms Good spoke
son. So to put it mildly it wasn't my
favorite summer although I guess it was of those students who come back after
their summer and tell her they had a
memorable.
Ideally in summer I would join those at great time, particulary those who work
at holiday resorts such as Hayman
the pool or the beach as would many
Island. She also told me of students
students. But due to the introduction of
who have been offered permanent
the tertiary administrative charge and
employment, once their degree is commore alarmingly the increase in the
pleted, by their summer employers, and
overseas students fee—$6050 for
of those who actually find their career
1988—many students are left with no
paths in summer work. One medicine
option but to join the workforce from
student found during her summer that
November to February.
the travel industry was far more appealLuckily for Monash students obtaining ing to her than what she had been
a summer job is not too difficult, as long studying. Yet, even if you are not fortunas you are willing to do almost anything. ate enough to really love your summer
Last year the Student Employment
job, any experience gained, even if not
Office was inundated with jobseekers
course related, is terrific to have as she
and assisted students in obtaining
emphasised.
approximately 4000 summer jobs. 8000
Summer work can have it's advanletters had been sent to employers asktages but I know I would rather have
ing if they 'needed a hand'. Naturally
spent my summer in the water instead
there was a great response from these
of being surrounded by food and faced
employers wishing to save on advertiswith incredibly long queues.
ing costs.
SU/VI/HER 4 \
TROUBLES
WITH MY
AUNT
I USED to hate the first day back at
school after a vacation. Not because I
didn't enjoy it, but becuse of the
inevitable first day back creative
writing session. Students were
consistently offered a variety of
subjects to choose from, including
What I did on My Holidays', The
Highlight of My Holidays', or simply
My Holidays'. I objected on principle
to writing such topics, not just
because I was bored with it, but
mainly because it required such little
imagination on the part of the teacher.
Regurgitating this standard topic year
after year, was to me the essence of
laziness.
In view of these earlier convictions
then, it is strange that I now find
myself writing a fairly subjective
article about a recent holiday' that I
had in Surfers Paradise. But this was
not the average Gold Coast holiday. It
had the potential to be so, with
accomodation on the fifteenth floor of
a river side apartment block in a $ 1.4
million flat complete with all the
conveniences; a reception and service
centre like that of a five star hotel, as
well as spa, sauna and Olympic size
swimming pool. It also included a very
wealthy fifty six year old aunt named
Vera.
I admit from the start that, as a
poverty stricken student I was
seduced by by the prospect of visiting
this millionaires' playground and
playing alongside millionaires and
eating and drinking at expensive
restaraunts and doing all the things
that money affords, which is basically
being able to live in the lap of luxury.
All this, my aunt promised, and all that
was required of me was my company.
Even so, she said, I would not have to
be a babysitter. The opportunity was
too good to refuse.
But I had missed the first danger
signs. My invitation came only after
her husband refused to accompany
her, for reasons which I had at first put
down to ill-health (he has a very
colourful history of ailments, including
broken ribs, shattered knuckles,
chronic whiplash, broken arms, angina
and an ulcer, most of which were
sustained during the period of his
service as a spy for British
Intelligence, any of which can be
summoned as a means of excuse for
avoiding things he doesn't want to do).
However, the real reasons I
established for myself after a week in
the company of what could only be
described as a schizophrenic
personality.
Schizophrenia aside, the holiday
from its outset was destined to be a
disaster. Vera's first response to the
1.4 million dollar view of the colourful,
busy river and the crowded streets
and beaches was 'I should have
stayed in Melbourne and gone to
Luna Parkl'
Besides the attitude problem, Vera
suffered some fairly debilitating heath
problems during the holiday. Three
were physical, one being a swollen
ankle which measured the size of an
elephant's hoof. As I tried to explain to
her, this was probably due to a
circulation problem resulting from her
chain smoking. This suggestion was
rejected outright as rubbish. The
second problem was an ulcerated
stomach, prone to creating digestive
trauma day and night, no matter how
well anaesthetised it was with Mylanta
II and gin and tonic. The third was a
permanently damaged ear drum which
could not tolerate any water pressure.
My aunt's other problems were
associated with mental health, and
included extreme vertigo, manic
depression, paranoia, alcoholism, and
neurosis. Any of these alone would be
enough for seeking psychiatric
assistance. But the aid closest at hand
for a person whose pride would not
allow admission of such illnesses, was
a bottle of Mogadon. So she
proceeded to take about five doses of
these a day, and would follow them up
with a couple of 'G & Ts' to create that
'just smashed in the jaw'feeling
required to get her through the day.
All this had a fairly dampening effect
on my time in Surfer's Paradise.
Walking any distance was impossible.
Driving in holiday season traffic with a
feeling quite positive. However, that
same night, I decided to risk the
consequences of going out with my
sister's fiance, who had come down
from Brisbane.
Vera's reaction to this idea was
quite unusual. She disappeared for
half an hour and, as I later found out,
had tried to book herself into a hotel
room in quiet protest. She returned,
but refused to give us the keys so that
we had to rely on her to let us back in.
At 2.30am, the fiance, feeling
adequately pissed, left the party to go
home with the intention of explaining
to Vera that I was with someone else
and returning later. However, lan's
condition was such that he could only
remember a few words—which didn't
happen to make much sense anyway.
Half an hour later however, he was
capable of telling me that the shit had
hit the fan back with my aunt, and he
was attempting to ask me to come
back to the car where Vera was now
waiting.
Once in the car, it took me a few
moments to realise that we had done
a Ll-turn in the Gold Coast highway
(the main, one-way street in the centre
of Surfers Paradise), and that al the
abuse and commotion that I could
hear was directed at us
Back at the flat. Vera informed me
that she had made a big decision; we
would leave the next day, a week
earlier than plannned, because she
would not tolerate me prostituting
myself on her holiday. This view I put
down to jealousy, which explained her
habit of constant reliving of her own
youth in drunken conversation. She
has spent the past two months
slandering me to anyone willing to
listen.
POSTSCRIPT;
As part of my moral rehabilitation
program, I took myself to Sydney for a
week. There I stayed in one of
Australia's seedier suburbs. Kings
Cross, sharing a bedroom with four
other strangers, and a bathroom with
another twelve, in a hostel bordered
by a very busy twenty-four hour
medical clinic on one side, a drug
rehabilitation centre on the other, and
opposite a nightclub called DTs which
was very popular among the down and
out youth, it was the best holiday I've
ever had!
person whose nerves were in shreds
was unbearable. Swimming was out of
the question. In fact. Vera lacked
enthusiasm about everthing except
restaurants, alcohol and shopping,
which we did explored to saturation
level—even to the extent of visiting
furniture shops to look at 'Jason
recliner rockers'.
All these drawbacks should have
had no effect on my pursuit of a good
time, but as I came to realise, my
company was required constantly.
Even private phone calls were made in
the presence of my aunt, and going
By a disillusioned niece who, for
out at night was positively out of the
obvious reasons, must remain
question. The bad karma just wasn't
anonymous.
worth it.
January is the rainy season in
Surfer's, and it rained for a large part
of my week there. So there I was,
stuck fifteen floors up, with a vertigo
sufferer.
I was the first to crack under the
pressure, and was able to use a few
obviously stress-related ailments as
an excuse to run off to the doctor. It
was a pleasure just to be able to talk
to someone else, and I returned
4
^«if«m^
A True Story
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 15
^
SUA1A1ER
~
International Year of What?
^f//////i/'//'/n'l
'essf\e.5S
by Wllhelm Popp
•EVERYONE has the right to a
standard of living adequate for the
health and well being of his or her
family. Including food, clothing, housing,
medical care and necessary social
services.' (United Nations
Declaration of Human -Rights
Article 25.1).
Everyone may have the right to the
above mentioned needs but for a
large portion of the world population,
these basic essentials of daily life
must be struggled for day after day.
The United Nations (UN) states that a
quarter of the world's population do
not have adequate shelter. Of these,
1200 million have inadequate shelter
and 100 million have 'no housing
whatsoever'.
By the year 2000, the greatest
proportion of these people will be
concentrated in cities, especially in
the slums and squatter settlements
surrounding many third World cities.
Against this background 1987 was
declared 'The International 'Vear of
Shelter for the Homeless'. Two basic
objectives were set. The first aimed to
'between 1983 and 1986 achieve a
measurable achievement in actual
living conditions of the world's poor*.
(Note: the objectives were set in
1982.) And the second hoped
'between 1987 and 2000 to refine,
improve and implement, on a much
broader scdie, the approaches and
techniques already demonstrated'.
Nothing concrete—just a general
direction for the governments of the
world to follow. And so the Australian
government did when it set out its
three aims for the year. Briefly, these
were to improve the effectiveness of
our current housing programmes and
relevant overseas aid programmes, to
increase the involvement of the
government, private and community
sectors in helping the homeless and
inadequately housed, and to
encourage new ideas and equity in
the use of existing and future
additions to the housing stock to
provide low cost accommodation.
From these, the government
developed policies and programs that
sought to address the various aims
and objectives it and the UN had set.
A plethora of publications set out
these aims, detailing the government's
approach, and spouting all sorts of
statistics about this and that of who
lived where and why. There is, not
surprisingly, very little by the way of
definite commitments to improving the
actual number of homes available or
even to improve the condition of
existing housing. As if to prove this
point the federal government boasts
in its promotional literature that it has
ear marked $800,000 of an allocated
$1,200,000 for'promotional activities
and (demonstration) projects'. (The
other $400,000 is not detailed).
When the government does refer to
actual changes in housing conditions,
they invariably speak of existing
programs that would
have occurred with or without a UN
16 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0,
1988
declaration. In many ways, there may
be little the government can actually
do given the current economic
climate. But to count existing
expenditure and refer to current
programs as special 'International
Year of the Shelter for the Homeless'
projects Is almost as insidious as
declaring every new section of road a
'Commonwealth Bicentennial Road
Projecf.
So why the UN declaration at all?
Why should we be bothered with all
this hype about another
disadvantaged group if the government has little intention or ability to do
anything concrete about it? The
answer lies in the hype itself.
Apparently, the real aim of the year
was to promote awareness of the
plight of homeless people. Besides
helping those people who donate to
charities to chose a more worthwhile
cause, any such campaign should
make it quite clear that it is not only
destitute old men who have nowhere
to go at night To this end, the
government was quite successful,
producing posters showing a variety
of 'homes'—from shopping trolleys to
abandoned cars.
It is only when awareness is raised
that the government or any other
body, can hope to establish strategies
which alleviate homelessness. Once
programms are in place, the situation
should improve. Sounds all very well in
theory. But in practice, how much
follow-up work is done?
Well, how many themes of past
'international years', can you
remember? Or, more to the point, how
much has the government or any
other offical body, done for disabled
people, youth or peace during the
past few years (beyond what it would
normally do)? Do disabled people
have adequate facilities and equal
access to all of society's opportunities? Are youth listened to, as Bob
Hawke's much touted Priority One'
campaign propoosed? Is world peace
any more of a possibility than it was
two years ago? Or, for the cynics, why
bother with these silly declarations? 1
So for all of you who may have
hoped for a better deal for the
homeless, think again. Because,
despite all the publicity for the
homeless, it seems there will be little
change in government programs. And
this 'band aid' approach seems
increasingly incapable of helping
anyone, as growing housing lists
demonstrate.
There may or may not be benefits
from all the 'awareness' fostered
during 1987. Maybe a few more
people found roofs over their heads,
or a little more aid went to the Third
World. As yet there is no official report
on the effectiveness of declaring an
international year of shelter for the
homeless; when one is compiled, I
doubt its findings will be promoted
widely. For, as a Ministry of Housing
official said—off the record, and after
explaining the government's
strategy—'yes, its a load of bullshit
and won't change a bloody thing, but
what else can you do?'
Yes indeed, bgt what else can we do?
•1
1
SU/HAIER
m*^
• i<bj^'--
SUMMER r
by J e n n i f e r N I e l a e n
WHAT a summer this one has been in
sunny Australia. What with conservative members of the public
gunning the government for changes
to policy and the Prime Minister Mr
Hawke being everywhere at once on
New Year's Eve (well, at least he
thinks he's God). It's hard to keep up
with all this summer frivolity. So for
those of you who can't, here is a bit of
a recap on the summer of '88.
Of course, the highlight of the summer
had to be the grand celebrations on
Australia Day held around Sydney
Harbour, with the Tall ships looking
very tall and the many thousands of
onlookers looking less than contrite
for the sins of 200 years. Well, at least
the Aboriginal protest got a bit of
press - some even treated it like a
serious issue.
But not everybody got Into the spirit
of things. Recently appointed High
Court Judge, Mary Gaudron felt
somewhat disinclined to accept the
Order of Australia Award which was
offered to her. No doubt Justice
Gaudron is someone who doesn't
appreciate her country's history. I
wonder, how long it will lake us to get
our first woman Chief Justice on the
High Court. If the Bruce Ruxton's of
this world have their way. It'll take
even longer now.
But did you see what Dl was
wearing at the big celebration? And
what she wore to the crocodile farm
and every other damn place she
visited? Of course you did if you
watched the news - but then again
what else can they say about her. Oh,
by the way, her husband Charles
tagged along too.
Meanwhile in Queensland, certain
public office bearers, some of them on
'holiday', are learning the other side of
corruption - getting caught. Poor Russ
Hinze may never be pictured in the
same jovial setting as you see him in
the picture to the right. If Royal
Commisioner Mr Tony Fitzgerald QC
gets something together. But whaf s a
little gambling between friends and
could you expect Russ to take just any
girl? (Do you really expect any girl to
take Russ?)
j5^.^':^i e S H i*^^:^*JS*«
igM^**'
in a furore of a different kind,
Minister of Health, Neal 'I don't have
an identity - give me an ID card'
Blewe{t has finally proven just how
safe our personal information is with
the Health Insurance Commission. Of
course Neal shouldn't take the blame
for any little 'mishaps' in his
department, like the many leaks of
personal information over the last few
years. After all, 'ministerial responsibility" is just a myth. Pity no one
told Mick Young.
And picking up the vitriol where
Frank Vltkovic left off, the gun lobby
have come out in force to protect our
'right' to shoot living things without
being accountable for it. Thirty
thousand citizens gathered on the
steps of parliament to calmly voice
their anger at the new gun laws
proposed by the Cain government,
whilst abusing the few animal
liberationists who braved the crowd to
counter the demonstration. These are
the sort of people who deserve to
have weapons?
In the meantime, Jeff Kennett,
having realised that extended shop
trading hours is no longer an election
issue, has finally dropped 'rebel' Frank
Penhalluriak, and jumped on board
the gun lobby's band wagon. No
selfserving Liberal would allow
citizen's civil rights to be infringed not while in opposition anyway.
And on the sporting scene, 'n'er do
wrong' tennis brat, Pat Cash took his
first trip to South Africa to compete in
the SA Open. One wonders whether It
will be his last, but you can't dispute
his logic - why should the cultural/
sporting boycott continue while
economic sanctions aren't in force. Of
course Pat, It's OK to act immorally If
other people do. No doubt, the
absence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu
and other detainees from next year's
Open, will go unnoticed by this tennis
superstar.
But the story doesn't end there.
Back in Melbourne, Pat competed in
the Australian Open which was being
held at the newly opened National
Tennis Centre. His failure to reach the
grand final could, perhaps, be
r Ap
up
explained by the use of black tennis
balls. But like Martina Navratolova
said, why should tennis players have
to deal with terrorists like the antiapartheid protesters who attended the
Australian Open. If only they could get
themselves 'elected', like Pick Botha,
they'd be free to do what they like.
government's concerned 'it's time' for
full fees. Sympathies are hereby
extended to all those who are now
And the state government certainly going to miss out on receiving an
pulled one off with the grand opening education in this country.
of the National Tennis Centre. Its part
Monash Vice Chancellor, Mai
of their long term plan to encourage
Logan, has released his own paper the use of public transport. NoneThe Monash Plan - which sets the
theless, to cater to motoring tennis
new agenda for Monash over the next
fans, the Cain government has
five years. Let's hope Montech can
planned a new parking lot to be built
find a market for humanities subjects
over the Punt Rd park The perfect
touch! Residents are sure to enjoy this or who knows where they'll be getting
the funding for these subjects
scenic view from their loungeroom
Furthermore, Mai doesn't seem to
windows. And despite what they and
1)6 content with his current empire
the Melbourne City Council say, the
and
is looking to expand his horizons.
redevelopment of the Jolimont
A university covering the whole of the
rallyards is not a more suitable
south eastern suburbs? Can it be
proposal; the state governement can
done? Not if Swinburne, Chlsholm and
compulsorily aquire the Punt Rd park!
Rusden can help It
The TV took some significant steps
this summer, most notably the
And finally, rock band 'Midnight Oil'
appearance of Derryn Hinch on our
have gone into 'hiding' to escape
silver screens. What better alternative
1988. The band will be developing
to 'Neighbours' could there be than
techniques to loose a year and what
the real life (and unexpected) drama
better year to do it in? So, if you're a
Derryn serves up for us each day. The
keen 'Oils' fan, you'll have to wait till
'Shame File' Is his most innovative
next year to see them perform live.
concept yet, though I rather suspect
Alternatively, you could just stop the
he got the idea during his visit to Her
Bicentenary. Getting even further
Majesty's Country Holiday Farm,
away from it all. Aboriginal band 'No
sharing 'tales' with co-inmates.
Fixed Address' have left the country.
They're spending most of '88 touring
And not to be outdone, Channel 10
the Soviet Bloc spreading the word.
have produced their own innovation talk-back television. And won't It be
Who knows what the rest ot the year
good when compere Don Lane learns
has in store, but thank God this is a
how to use it. Maybe time charge
big country and there are still places
phone calls aren't such a bad idea.
left to hide.
And just when we thought we were
Have a nice year folks.
going to get an education. Minister for
Employment and Training, John
Dawkins, released the Education
Green Paper, outlining a radical
• •••
* ^ ^ J ! ^ ^ = ^ ' ' ' ^ ' ^
restructuring of the tertiary education
system in Australia. This paper makes
, , - ^-f-t^.'^:^^.
••<••-4,'CIt clear that as far as the Hawke
m
'''^^'^m^^Wf
Ci popular
saMtKeir potV-Me
tiV;'*?
J * . ;-'' ~; T"--'
\A<QU
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 17
WORLD TOUR
Whilst many of us may have lazed in the sun this summer, there was much
BRITIAN—23 January
The
British
ate
100.000,000 packets o1
potato chips in 1987,
favouring plain and
sailed varieties.
MEXICO—J fab/uary
Poor people suspected of being fed
milk poisoned by Chernobyl nuclear
accident,
UlCfiinfi^QUA—18 January
Government offers to hold direct taiks with Contra
retjels. Rebels agree to the tafks.
United States—19 January
President Reagan seeks Contra aid from Congress despite agreement of talks between ttw
Nicaraguan govemment and the rebels.
United Statas—S F&bruary
House of Representatives rejects Reagan's
request for $A5G million Contra aid.
ARGENTINA—20 January
Government crushes revolt in army instigated by
tnats of otf)cers accused of human rights violations
21 January
Thousands protest against iaw freeing many of
the accused officers.
SUMMER 1988
around the world
Lots Wife sums up a few of the more 'notable' events.
So, how was your summer?
^
SU/l/l/MER
Summer Reading
understand. Along with the prisoners,
sufferers, survivors. It is no longer I it
is we. It is we who hold the secret of
'Inland' by Gerald Murnane.
'The Fatal Shore' by Robert
existance we who control the world
Helnemann $24.95 (Hardback)
Hughes. Pan Books,
$14.95
WE'Afinale more grand and moving
THERE is a mystery at the heart of
j " m r than many I have read in recent years. (paper)
'Inland'. It is stated in plain terms on
HISTORIANS, however scrupulous and
Very little is easy in this volume of
the dust-jacket, just above the literary
dispassionate, usually derive from the
stories. The stories themselves,
note;' "Inland" is a most unusual love
present the incentive to persevere with
(although tightly constructed), don't
story. But while this love story unfolds
the arduous task of exploration of a past
mesh easily, and the dogmatic
on the dust-cover as a neat, intriguing
whose significance depends to some
statements of an old man cast a cold
statement of events and places, inside
breath across our souls. Camus wrote, extent on the angle from which it is being
the hardcovers the bald listings of
'In a world whose absurdity appears to illuminated. The paperback edition of
place or date or name reveal
Robert Hughes' 'The Fatal Shore' comes
be so impenetrable, we simply must
something quite different This is no
to us festooned with the blurb's
reach a greater degree of underromantic illusion, but a full-blown and
accreditation
of 'an epic international
'Three Uneasy Pieces' by Patrick
standing amongst men, a greater
passionate affair, between the author
bestseller", thus establishing that unlike
White. Pascoe Pubilshing, $7.99
sincerity.
We
have
to
achieve
this,
or
and his words.
so many histories and historians, Hughes
(paper).
perish.' Against the backdrop of
'... an extended meditation ... on
and his book are not merely destined to
AN IMAGINATIVE reader of fiction will Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 'Three
the process of effecting those
be a part of the massive local public
feel a real buzz of excitement when he Uneasy Pieces' disturb as much as
complex transformations that make
celebration of Eurpoean Settlement
or she picks up this new volume of
they excite. Patrick White may have
art out of the elusive reality" the
stories by one of our country's most
As a feat of writing 'The Fatal Shore' is
filled 'sheets of foolscap with
publicity handout that came with the
productive (and decorated) wordirrelevant thoughts which lay claim to quite remarkable. In over six hundred
review copy calls it, rather
smiths, Patrick White. The title 'Three
significance' but in this year when the pages and seventeen chapters Hughes'
portentously. And Murnane is indeed
Uneasy Pieces', to anyone who reads
becomes
real Australia celebrates 200 years of turn of phrase never
a craftsman in words, concernedand loves White, triggers a typically
genocide, this slim volume is a cry into repetitious during what is a standard
even obsessed—with transformations. mixed response — a poised but
the emptiness of celebration, a call for chronological account of Australian
But through any praise I have to offer
expectant pose, knowing that work is
settlement
decent and sane relations.
runs a clear note of caution.
afoot, like a middle-distance runner
The narrative commences with EuroI found the opening of the book
expectantly waiting for the gun to
pean
awareness
and
discovery,
fascinating. I found its movement into
launch her into the job at hand. (But of
Aborigines, Aboriginal culture. Antipoby Andrew Jackson
lyricism in the final third engrossing. I
course, as White hints at in these
dean flora and fauna, European contact
found the central portion, with its
stories, reading and writing are not
and white invasion. The horrific pageandreadful reiterated monotony of
really work, if the processes are real at
Australian Short Stories No. 2 0 try of Georgian English criminal law and
insistence on the writer/reader/text
all, they are the mediations and
punishment figures both as the dynamo
Pascoe Publishing $ 4 . 9 5
relationship sometimes illuminating,
fantasies of the leisured.)
of the system that introduced white set|THE
stories
in
this
edition
of
'Australian
sometimes appropriate, but too often
The three stories in this volume are Short Stories' have a powerful tlement to Australia and as a purveyor of
self-indulgent, beyond all the bounds
the blood, inhumanity, degradation, sufconstructed on myriad levels
autobiographical undercurrent shaping
of the contract between author and
fering and death that litter a narrative
demanding close attention, for their
their fictions, which often leave one with
reader.
possessed of all the reassuring
density and continuity of purpose
an
ambivalent
response
and
quite
uncerIn that contract, the author sets the
disallow gaps to be left un bridged or tain how to criticize the text Should one ingredients of a best selling epic.
rules, the reader chooses—or,
questions about the narrative to
judge the work on its ability to enlist our The tendancy of historical attention in
ultimate sanction, chooses not—to
remain unanswered. The 'uneasy' in
memories of the past or should one more recent years has been to place
play the game. Murnane does
the title is an unease cultivated by the
emphasis on social history, particulary in
fantastic things, grotesque things, with author and becomes a mantel which is examine it more dispassionately as an the fate of people hitherto ignored —
imaginative work of fiction?
the relationship, turning the reader
fitted and sits squarely on the
Aborigines, poor immigrants, women,
into a character, an author, a friend, an shoulders of the reader and the
children and urban workers. In the
idiot child. But there were too many
writer/narrator. These short diatribes
Introduction to 'The Fatal Shore' Hughes
moments in the dead centre of the
are intended, quite simply, to force a
states it is his explicit intention to place
book when, blue pencil in hand, I
dialogue between the producer and
emphasis on the point of view of the conlonged for some redeeming Pound to
the buyers, within the act of reading.
victs themselves, yet it transpires that
Murnane's Eliot to end my misery.
(Any inattentive readers may presently
Hughes draws heavily on established
M urnane is a man of the finest
sell their copies to more interested
interpretations of our convict origins. His
talent. But no-one (as his book is
parties.)
dependence on secondary sources outeager to emphasise) is 'perfect'. We
weighs the original research evidenced.
The dialogue Is a tautly constructed
are all inner worlds, inlands where
Throughout the book the received image
chaotic whirl of images and Ideas
experience and memory combine to
of convict women's haplessness is mainrendered intelligible by an undercreate an ever-shifting landscape.
tained despite more recent academic
cutting yet understanding irony which
With the aid of a more courageous
accounts that indicate a greater plurality
draws the oarticipants into its net of
editor, Murnane's talent could go far
of opportunity and circumstance.
de-mystificatton • 'But I wonder
to make him one of Australia's most
whether my nature, in it s absence of
Hughes' emphasis on 'convict' Ausaccomplished authors.
spirituality, is closer to the ugliness
tralia tends to simplify the nature of the
And what about the other love
and pollution of the industrial
colony even during the transportation
story? If you are looking for a good
nightmare than to the lifetime I have
period. With the fluctuating composition
story, or an easy read, my
spent trying to acheive aesthetic
of the convict community and an ever
recommendation is to try elsewhere.
perfection'. To achieve, by making art,
increasing number of ex-convicts and
All I can say is that when the narrator
aesthetic perfection in the midst of
men and women who were unconvicted
finally weeps, it is for a total stranger.
Theyaredefinatelyamixed bag of writ- citizens communities such as those of
the industrial nightmare is a problem
But then, the book never claimed to
ing
experience
and
style.
Checking
which has been faced and debated for
Botany Bay constituted a complex and
make sense, not as a book alone: 'I
the last one hundred years, and it has author details after reading each story diverse society. In giving priority to tale
had learned that a page of a book is
leaves little doubt that within reason, the bearing, Robert Hughes has too heavily
revealed attempts which have given
mirror*, says the narrator. Not my
longer a person has been seriously work- imposed a twentieth century perspective
us all moments of quiet solace; but
choice of metaphor, by any means, but with what certainty? White allows little, ing at pulling their writing together, the and diminished the substantial sense of
essential to any experience of 'Inland'. (Perhaps only the certainty of
more cohesive and styalised the end pro- the sheer difference implicit in hwo cenI would just add that the publishers, continued cruelty and death.) 'O Lord, duct tends to be. However, the two turies of social and cultural change.
stories
which are first publications are
Helnemann, have solid production
dispel our dreams, of murders we did
very good and their authors obviously
values which make a great difference
not commit—or did we?'
by Peader Loughran
have skills matching the task they have
to the act of reading a book. 'Inland'
These 'Three Uneasy Pieces' are an set themselves.
has a clear typeface, good quality
extraordinary confession if you like of
paper and an expressive cover
a man, or perhaps of a world, for whom The serious criticism which I would
illustration (by Beth Turner). There
level at this particular collection of Louisa' by Brian
Matthews.
atonement is not possible, but for
were only two proof-reading errors
stories reflects a malady I believe Auswhom
the
need
to
try
is
all-important
Gribble,
$39.95
that I could see—quite a bonus these
tralian fiction to be suffering from. That is, McPhee
As the narrator of the final story
days. At $24.95 it is not cheap, but
a fundamental lack of inventiveness and (hardback)
passes towards death through a
neither is it bad value, considering
imaginative prowess. There are stories THIS is a book about Louisa Lawson,
tremendous spiralling and re-coiling
written and published which are more about Brian Matthews, about biography
what a paperback or a meal will cost
images and events, he remains
adequate to the task of shaping and biographers, about the past and
you.
unreconciled with his past and with
language to deal with the bizarre scenery remembering and making it about what
himself, but he reaches out away from which confronts us at this point in the we are able to think and say and know
his rotting flesh, from self-doubt and
about life, about life itself, too, and for all
20th century,
by Andrew Enstlce
castlgation towards a universality and
that it Is a book distinguished by its
Andrew
Jackson
compassionate understanding. I
humility.
three
pieees
History
Biography
2 0 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
SU/V1/1/1ER
^
Summer Reading
pages that play out the perils of reducing
the complexities of human life In general,
and the difficulty of evoking Louisa Lawson In particular, I am not going to offer
any further reduction of her here. All I will
say Is that this is an important book, a
beautifully made booK and one that has
to be read.
by John O'Meara
Reference
i passage towards the e n d of 'Louisa'
will serve to convey something of the
biographical subject and give a sample of
Matthew's prose:
(Louisa Lawson) was a great Australian
woman whose face has been in shadow
too long: who, when not being roundly
vjllified for doing things as irrelevant as
her looks or her untidy house or her
refusal to be 'nothing but a mother' or
'nothing but a wife', was indulgently
positioned in the wings — someone's
mother — when, in justice a small piece of
the centre stage of history was for a few
moments rightfully hers. Mother of the
Suffrage in New South Wales: publisher
of the first women's journal; inventor;
champion of neglected, isolated, battered, abused and imprisoned women:
scourge of corrupt or wayward bureaucracy; battler. And the mother of Henry
Lawson— a connection she could very
happily have done without
To tell Louisa's story 'Louisa' uses
many voices. The t w o chief voices are
those of 'The Biographer" a n d ' O w e n
Stephens'. 'The b i o g r a p h e r . . . Is rather
cautious, even on occasion timid: he Is by
nature conservative, he is given t o worry
and has little humour. But there is a side
to him rarely released except under the
stimulation of unacceptable a m o u n t s of
alcohol, which Is more spontaneous,
Iconoclastic, undaunted by risk'. To the
daring iconoclast and theorist the sober
blographergivesthecobbled-upnameof
O w e n Stephens. O w e n S t e p h e n s is the
alter e g o of the biographer, 'a feminine
side of me, a feminine self. The texts of
the biographer and O w e n S t e p h e n s
alternate throughout the booK offering
different interpretations of aspects of the
lives of Louisa and those around her,
c o m m e n t i n g on each other. There is a
battle b e t w e e n these two voices, these
t w o consciousnesses. Neither is Brian
IVIatthews, but they both are.
Alongside these two voices are many
others: the voice of Louisa's poems, and
of Henry's; d o c u m e n t s and letters; t h e
bolgraphers notebooks; a music hall pastiche; at one point a piece of fiction.
'Louisa' is formally a postmodernist
biography, indeed M a t t h e w s has in this
book discovered a n e w form
of
biography, a postmodernist Invention
itself; the disposable biographical form. If
you have the ability and humanity of
Brian Mattews you can use this method.
Once. What Is remarkable about 'Louisa'
is that with all of Its exhilarating inventiveness it never once b e c o m e s stagy, its
author is t o o m u c h respectful of the burd e n of telling a life t o let the subject
become overwhelmed by the object, t o
let the life be lost In the Life.
The life that Louisa Lawson lived was
remarkable. After reading four h u n d r e d
' T h e Oxford Literary G u i d e to
Australia' e d i t e d by Peter Pierce.
Oxford University Press, $ 6 0 . 0 0
(hardback).
'Right w o r d s ' by S t e p h e n MurrayS m i t h . Viking $ 2 4 . 9 5 (hardback).
WHY two reference books in a page
on summer reading? Well, mostly
because I read t h e m over s u m m e r a n d
f o u n d that they are both books that
make terrific dip-in reading.
In the case of 'The Oxford Literary
Guide to Australia' its value as a
reference is s o m e w h a t (and needlessly) diminished by the inadequacy
of its Indexing, but it is a big and
beautifully p r o d u c e d book and its
a b u n d a n c e of black and w h i t e
photographs are so well chosen and
reproduced they c o u l d of themselves
d o c u m e n t the greater part of the
history of Australian writing.
The 'Guide' is divided into seven
sections, representing the seven
territories and states. Within each
section is an alphabetical listing of
places where the famous (and not so
famous) figures of Australian letters
were born, lived, wrote, fought, drank
and died.
This is how Monash takes its place
in writing history:
Monash University (7 L3) University
in the east suburb of Clayton,
established in 1961 and named after
engineer and Great War general, John
Monash.
Poets Alan Wearne, John A Scott
and Laurie Duggan, while undergraduates, figured in the Monash
Poetry Readings of 1968. Playwrights
John Homeril and David Williamson
also studied here. Short story writer
and novelist Peter Carey took an MA
in 1967. Journalist and science fiction
author Damien Broderick edited 'Lot's
Wife' in the mid-1960s.
Poet Barbara Giles studied here
and later taught in the English
Department. Other poets who teach
here include Jennifer Strauss and
Philip Martin.
STEPHEN MURRAY-SMITH is well
qualified to write a book on Australian
English usage. Founding editor of
'Overland' — ' t e m p e r democratic, bias
republican', a flavour that also
permeates 'Right Words' — and
long-time book editor, Murray-Smith
has used his long working experience
to produce a handbook that is
comprehensive, lucid, learned, rational
and reasonable.
We all have our difficulties with
language — is it imply or infer?,
practice or practise? etc. — and ready
answers to questions like those can
be f o u n d here.
While Murray-Smith is reliable he is
also, in the best tradition of Fowler
and Partridge, quirky a n d humourous.
This book has the advantage of being
both Australian and contemporary.
W h e n it appears in paperback it
should, as they s a y be on every
student's desk.
byJohn O'Meara
Nothing like
a rabbit plague
•The Faber Book of C o n t e m p o r a r y
Australian Short Stories' edited by
Murray Bail. Faber & Faber, $ 2 9 . 9 5
(hardback), $ 1 4 . 9 5 ( p a p e r b a c k ) .
THE editor of 'The Faber Book of
Contemporary Australian Short
Stories' is Murray Bail, author of
novels 'Homesickness' and 'Holden's
Performance'. You couldn't forget the
titles of those novels. The title of this
collection of short stories is much less
memorable, resembling as it d o e s t h e
titles of many other collections of
short stories In Australia where, as
Murray Ball notes in his introduction
t o this volume, the short story exists
as an epidemic to be c o m p a r e d with a
plague of rabbits. This book has sane,
balanced, fair title, a fair price for its
fat 4 1 3 pages, and on the cover a
lovely painting by Keith Bowen.
Sanity, balance, and fairness prevail
In this collection. The number of
writers represented Is twenty-four;
twelve of these writers are w o m e n and
twelve are men. Most writers have
contributed one story to the book, but
four men and four w o m e n have
c o n t r i b u t e d two stories each. At the
beginning of the book the stories are
listed under the author's names w h i c h
are arranged chronologically
according to date of birth. The first
writer listed,Marjorie Barnard, was
born last century; the last listed, David
Brooks, was born halfway t h o u g h this
century. Five of the twenty-four writers
are now dead. I think the book w o u l d
be e n h a n c e d by some biographical
notes on the writers.
Adam' is a schoolboy; Olga Master's
story 'A Rat in the Building' describes
t h e goings-on of a g r o u p of old ladies;
and David Malouf's story 'The Sun In
Winter', concerns the response of a
twenty-year-old Australian to the cold
and the subtleties of Northern Europe.
The European woman in 'The Sun in
Winter" says a most tantalising t h i n g :
'But to see what Is c o m m o n , that is the
difficult thing, don't you think? For that
we need
imagination, and there is
never e n o u g h of it — never, never
enough'.
I went from this story t o read the
other stories more or less at random,
attracted here to a title — 'The
Wonderfully Intelligent Sheep Dog'
(Dal Stivens) — there to an author
w h o s e work I had not read before —
Elizabeth n a r r o w e r ('The Cost of
things') — and there to stories I often
like to read — 'The Life of Art' (Helen
Garner), 'John Gilbert's Dog' (David
Brooks.
I delighted in the chronological
arrangement of the stories, finding
Images, moods, t h e m e s that drifted,
recurred, developed, m e a n d e r e d from
story to story, sometimes as if o n e
writer had c a u g h t the hint of a melody
from another, had taken up the tune,
handed it on t o yet a n o t h e r writer. The
first person narrator of 'The
Persimmon Tree' e c h o e s the w o m a n
in 'The Sun in Winter' w h e n she says:
'Everything that happened, even the
c o m m o n e s t things, s e e m e d t o b e
happening for the first time, and had a
delicate hollow ring like music played
I might have dreamt this next bit, but
in an empty auditorium.' Read the first
I think I remember hearing Frank
story and then read the last story In
Moorhouse say that because his
the book. Written probably half a
name begins with an ' M ' he Is always
century apart, these stories sing to
in the middle of alphabetical lists. In
each other.
the list at the front of this book he is
This collection of stories is nothing
number fourteen out of twenty-four
like a rabbit plague. It Is more like a
because he was born In 1938.1
celebration of the distinctive voices of
suppose some people read books of
a diverse g r o u p of writers w h o have
short stories from cover to cover. I
lived In different parts of a diverse
d e c i d e d this time to start with Frank
country. There Is a feeling in this book
Moorhouse there in the middle, and
that the writers are looking around for
found his t w o stories w e r e about a
a place in the world, in a wide as well
as a personal sense. As well as having
no biographies, t h e collection has n o
epigraph. I d o not mean t o suggest
that it needs an epigraph at all, yet If It
were t o have one, and I w e r e to
The Fnhcr Book of
choose it, I w o u l d c h o o s e a sentence
from 'The Only Adam' by Gerald
Murnane:
CONTEMPORARY
AUSTRALIAN
SHORT
STORIES
Edited by Murray Bail
man in t h e middle of his life. I stayed
with people whose names begin with
an ' M ' and so read stories by Gerald
Murnane, Olga Masters and David
Malouf. The principal character In
Gerald Murnane's story, 'The Only
If he could have learned enough, he
would have drawn a detailed map
showing the territory that each, boy
had s e e m e d to claim w h e n he s t o o d in
some unlikely spot a n d uttered his
peculair cry.
I The girls also, in this fair
and balanced collection, are uttering
peculiar cries, some of them, I am
happy to note, most peculiar.
b y C a r m e l Bird
L o t ' s W i f e , T h u r s d a y IVIarch 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
21
• SU/l/IMER
The Hardline According
to Tasmania's Greenies
by Mark Nelson
TASMANIA; the land of Robin Gray,
Queenstown, banana yellow
weatherboards with lilac trim, also
home to Australia's most backward
environmental policies, has a growing
number of subversives within its rednecked population.
Over the past decade, the rise of
'green politics' in the island state has
placed it at the forefront of green
politics in Australia. The 'green
politics' philosophy is not unlike that
advocated by those involved with the
counter culture movement of the late
60a This time around, however, a
sophisticated, coherent idelogy which
spans the social/economical system is
emerging.
Considering the current climate of
political disillusionment, 'green
politics' could potentially take on the
momentum it has in Europe
—particularly West Germany—and
ultimately challenge the conventional
political groups to think again. The
present vitality and organisation of
Tasmanian 'greens' suggests that we
may have only seen the tip of the
iceberg as far as green politics is
concerned in Australia
Obviously it's difficult to summarise
the ideology of any political
movement, however, an attempt will
be made by drawing a comparison
with other revolutions of history.
Western civilization's history to date
has centred around three revolutions:
the revolution against scarcity; the
revolution of urbanising society, and
the incomplete revolution against
slavery. The green movement hopes
to lead the revolution for a quality of
life to replace a quantitative view of
existence.
The greens challenge the social
value system which asks 'how much',
'how big', before asking what effect
the action will have on the bodies and
souls of the earth's inhabitants.
Consequently, the environmental
activists are also social
revolutionaries.
The greens of Tasmania bring a
wide variety of backgrounds and
affiliations to their cause. They include
high school drop-outs and academics,
self-sufficient farmers and business
people, labour activists and
entrepeneurs...
Significantly, many of the 'revolutionaries' were previously
unaligned and unaffiliated. More and
more of them have reasonably
'normal' backgrounds, and are
attracted to the green movement
through a desire to improve their
society's way of life, rather than lo
escape from mainstream society's
unpleasantries.
A legitimate claim made by sceptics
is that the greens' philosophy of 'make
love not money' has been around for
quite some time without making any
mark on conventional value systems.
The Tasmanian greens admit that
there is a long way to go, but argue
thai many of the things they stand for
are realised by mainstream political
groups a few years later. They argue
they are the ones who have
introduced new ideas and values,
which are ultimately accepted as
conventional wisdom, to the political
scene. They argue that—gradually—
they are
winning!
To verify this claim, the greens they
cite their successes since the
drowning of Lake Redder: saving the
Franklin Riven the return to the
Tasmanian Aboriginal community of
confiscated ancestral remains; the
rise and prosperity of 'progressive'
commercial enterprises and tourist
facilities such as 'The Wilderness
Shops', 'Soya-Bean Plantations' and
Hobart's Eumarrah Wholefoods
project.
The contmumg electoral success of
Tasmania's green politicians supports
the claim that a large percentage of
the population is being won over by
green ideas. Dr Bob Brown has been a
member of Tasmania's lower house
since 1983 and was joined by another
green independent member in 1986.
Opinion polls now show a solid 20
to 30 per cent support for the greens
on most issues. Owing to the peculiar
Hare-Clark electoral system used in
Tasmania, it is quite possible the
greens will hold the balance of power
after the next state election.
If the quality of the independents'
contribution to the state parliment to
date is a good indicator, a parliament
controlled by Dr Brown et al could
change Tasmania's social fabric as
well as providing inspiration for the
mainland's dormant green ideologies.
W h a t t h e g r e e n i e s a r e up a g a i n s t :
22 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1 9 8 8
by Mark Nelson
MY EXAM results posted, my factory
stint behind me, I left my quarter acre
suburban block to explore the wilds of
Tasmania. I ended up at 'The Forest
Festival, Jacke/s Marsh', 'organised'
and populated by hippies The event
proved to be an awakening
experience.
Saturday
9 am—Arrive. Peruse the tent village.
Latch on to some other 'suburban
types'. Woodstock! Joan Baez, Bob
Dylan, wow!
10 am—Join in discussion group.
Distinctions within the group become
apparent. Tactics for the next election
campaign are discussed. Suggestions
range from assassinations to
exchanging preferences. Feigning
objectivity, I recommend unconditional support for the ALP.
12 noon—Unsuspectingly, I devour a
lentil conglomeration. Soon afterwards, I appreciate the environmentalists' concerns regarding
nuclear activity. The 'yellow cake' is
dumped in the pit toilet at frequent
intervals throughout the afternoon.
3 pm—Bill instructs me on the art of
shingle splitting. My 'suburbanness' is
advertised by the act of near self
decapitation I perform with the axe.
5 pm—One thousand strong, the
group gathers. Concert starts. Dozens
of naked love children dance around
on top of the stage and one another.
7 pm—Green politics is manifested in
the air a wafty green haze and
tobacco scents. Woodstock!
12 midnight—The balmy night has
turned on us. A bitterly cold wind
screams off the central plateau. The
communal fire takes on Ash
Wednesday proportions.
2 am—The moon is uncovered, and,
the festive, dancing crowd welcomes
it with a cheer.
3 am—The 12 o'clock band appears It
sounds as if the green atmosphere
has got to their lead singer in a big
way.
3.30 am—Freeze to sleep. I hear a
possum rummage through my pack
He's welcome to it—after all, he's my
brother. Sunday
6 am—Yoga meditation class. Only a
hazy recollection of lying face down
on prickly grass.
8 am—Chanting session. 'The earth is
my mother', 'we are her children'.
10 am—I am revealed as an ALP
activist. Committed environmentalists
queue to terrorise my sycophantic
brain well considered questions. I
hear the cock crow twice... three
times. Forgive me comrades!
12 noon—My stomach - still reeling
from yesterday's lentil onslaught—is
soothed by Sky's herbal tea. I discuss
deep ecology with her and feel
absolutely alternative. South Caulfield
seems a long way away.
(Thanks to 'Edgeways' and the
'Wilderness Shop', Hobart
state premier Robin Gray pictured aiiove at play
bU/H/MER
FLOATEL
Floating the tourist $
by David Strover
IN AN effort tantamount to erecting
the fi/ling Wing on the top of the Great
Barrier Reef, a Queensland developer
has put up a floating hotel over a
section of the reef. This aesthetic
nightmare, in the heart of a listed
World Heritage area, is an example of
the exploitative approach of much of
the Queensland tourist industry
towards the reef.
The ramifications of allowing a hotel
to be built on the reef are enormous.
As the floating hotel will be seen from
miles around and will dominate the
John Brewer Reef, it will effectively
prevent other people from using the
surrounding area. If more such hotels
are built, most of the Great Barrier
Reef could become inaccesssible to
those who can't afford a $248 a night
price tag (the cost of the cheapest
room on the hotel).
The developers of the
floating hotel should not have been
allowed to build where they have; it is
a World Heritage area for which
Australia is responsible, not a piece of
real estate for the tourist industry to
use as it pleases.
The Environmental Impact Statement for the floating hotel states the
environmental effects of the
development will not be significant.
However, this conclusion assumes
strict adherence<o a thorough
management plan by the hotel's
operators; whether the plan will be
followed remains to be seen.
However, even if all precautions are
taken, the floating hotel will put
immense pressure on the John
Brewer Reef. It will allow constant
access to the reef to many more
people, which means that coral is far
more likely to be damaged
accidentally by divers or a semisubmersible submarine operated by
the hotel management.
Damage may also be caused by the
dumping of treated sewage into the
sea, or by hotel patrons throwing
rubbish Into the sea.
However, these are problems
already facing the Great Barrier Reef,
and at present the culprits are day trip
rich people to holiday on top of the
Great Barrier Reef.
The point is that the Great Barrier
Reef needs far better tourist
management. The on-shor6 developments and day trip boats should be
subject to the sort of scrutiny the
floating hotel proposal faced. Floating
hotels should not be allowed; they are
an unnecessary luxury, represent too
great an environmental risk, and are
ugly intrusions on the reef. If the
tourism industry must expand around
the reef, then it must be strictly
controlled. On-shore developments
must be subject to an environmental
management plan, and development
must be kept off the reefs.
boats from developments along the
shore. These boats have slack
licensing procedures and do things
such as drop raw sewage in the sea
and take people to islands previously
few can afford. To put a hotel on top of
the Great Barrier Reef will destroy the
wilderness experience of the reef. The
hotel is an eyesore in a beautiful
natural environment People can stay
on land and visit reefs, rather than
having to stay on top of a reef. Further,
by putting a hotel on the reef, there is
a much higher risk of destruction of
the reef in the event of an accident.
While the floating hotel will not have
severe effects on the environment as
part of its routine operation. If it sinks,
or causes an oil spill, the John Brewer
Reef could be irreparably damaged or
even destroyed. This is an unnecessary risk to lake, just to allow a few
unaffected by tourism, leading to quite
severe environmental damage. The
floating hotel will be more environmentally sound than day trip boats,
but it will exacerbate present
problems, and pose others because of
Its specific location.
The main questions to ask are why
the floating hotel looks impressive
compared to other developments, and
whether floating hotels are necessary
or desirable?
The point about floating hotels Is
that they must pass environmental
standards which the rest of the
tourism industry can, and often does,
ignore. It is too easy to obtain a
licence to operate a boat on the Great
Barrier Reef. There is insufticent
management of onshore tourism
around the reef, which leads to
damaging tourist operations by
developers with little or no knowledge
of the complex and delicate ecology
of the reef. This lack of industrial
management by the responsible
governments makes the floating hotel
attractive by comparison with other
developments.
The major reason why the floating
hotel should never have been built
and others shouldn't be allowed, is
that it is an unnecessary luxury only
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1 9 8 8 2 3
•
SUAI/l/lER
40,000 YEARSJ
ON JANUARY 26, 1988, while
hundreds of thousands of 'Australians'
were involved in frivolities celebrating
the beginnings of a 'nation', a far more
significant event was taking place at
Hyde Park in Sydney.
Aborigines from all states and
territories of Australia had gathered to
protest not only at what—Is seen as
an invasion of their homeland 200
years ago, but more importantly, by
the invaders against the erosion of
their culture who continue to prosper
with total disregard for the true
owners. The demonstration was,
despite all media hype and fear to the
contrary, peaceful, well organised and
a huge success.
In accordance with messages
delivered by the speakers at Hyde
Park—that both black and white
Australians can and should be able to
co-exist harmoniously—white
supporters were invited to attend the
demonstration. While never being able
to understand fully the nature of the
Aboriginal struggle, it is none the less
important that white Australians
recognise the devastating impact we
have had and continue to have. At a
time when the world is calling for the
recognition of human rights in
24 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
Palestine and South Africa, white
Australians should also be looking
within their own boundaries and
supporting the call by Aborigines for
equality, self-determination and
sovereignty.
Throughout 1987, the Legal Action
Group (a club of Monash law students)
based its work and activities around
the theme of 'Blacks and the
Bicentenary". This included inviting
speakers to the campus and the
production of 'Oracle' (an annual
magazine published jointly by the Law
Students' Society, the Malaysian Law
Students' Association and the Legal
Action Group) edition dedicated to
Aboriginal issues.
To round off the year's work, we
decided to attend the Sydney
demonstration as a group, to show
that there are at least a few people in
the conservative arena of the legal
academia and the legal profession
who were aware of and support the
Aboriginal struggle.
Information about the
demonstration was made available
through the Koori Information Centre
(KIC). It was with their aid that we
found the 'camp' for Victorian
supporters — a disused migrant hostel
d
SU1^/V1E P ^
IS NOT A
BICENTENARY.
in Parramatta. Although this was only
a comparatively gathering, (the
majority of Aborigines who attended
camped at La Perouse) approximately
400 people stayed at Parramatta.
Preparations for the march on
Saturday were made; it had been
decided that white supporters would
gather and wait at Belmore Park for
the Aborigines, who were to march
from Redfern to the Park and then,
with whites, onto Hyde Park where
speeches would be given. It is difficult
to express the intensity of feelings
experienced as thousands of
Aborigines, some of whom had never
before left their tribal areas in Arnhem
Land, entered Belmore Park.
At Hyde Park, the message was
clear despite the past 200 years,
Aborigines had survived and were
continuing to do so. The call was
made for continuing support and
solidarity, for sovereignty and selfdetermination—and for respect.
Although the Australian media
coverage was trite, international
support was made evident by the
many telegrams which were received,
and the news that people had
gathered to protest outside the
Australian embassy in the Philippines.
The day's historic events of traditional
dancing, music and speeches ended
in the evening just as the day Itself
had run — peacefully.
During the afternoon, all marchers
were invited to attend an all-night
corroborree at Captain Cook's landing
place. A few of us who were able to
stay an extra day were privileged to
witness this unique event. Urban
Aborigines commented that the
people involved in the dancing had
never done so outside their tribal
lands.
Although January 26 is rightly a day
of mourning for all Aborigines, one
gets the impression that Australia Day
1988 marks the beginning of a new
celebration of black solidarity and
unity.
All Australians must sooner or later
recognise the legitimacy of Aboriginal
claims for land rights, adequate health
services and housing, employment
opportunities, justice and equality
before the law. Until such basic
problems are resolved, Australia's
claim to nationhood will ring hollow
around the world.
Australia Day 1988 echoed this
message from blacks and whites
throughout the land. Prudent
governments would be foolish to
ignore it.
Mandy Shircore
Steve Wettenhall
^
SU/HA1ER
The Koori and
LAND rights is an Issue we have heard much of and hopefully will hear more
of throughout this year. Nonetheless, few of us understand the feeling
Aboriginal people have for their land. In this article, Virginia Robinson discusses this and other aspects of Koori spirituality. ('Koori' is the Victorian
Aborigines name for themselves.) She begins with tlie Koori people's views
on their spiritual aspirations. Quotes are talcen from Robert Tonklnson's
book, 'The Mardajara Aborlgnlnes' (1978).
A MOST significant and distinctive
• ' feature of the Koori people's
culture is the extraordinary contrast
that is present between its
comparatively elementary technologies and the bounteousness and
complexity of its social, political,
economic and religious forms. The
Koori people clearly have demonstrated their cleverness and
resourcefulness in triumphantly
utilizing land (land that is one third
desert!) without the aid of metal tools,
tame animals and agriculture. Their
great accomplishments are readily
acknowledged, especially by those
who dare venture into some parts of
the barren interiors. However, the
importance of the Koori people's
cultural attainments cannot be
comprehended without an understanding of 'it's non-material forms
and of the extent to which the
nomadic lifestyles of the Koori people,
Is, itself a religious act'.
The Koori people maintain that they
have existed here for many millenia.
As such, they were shielded from
foreign agencies who would have
Imported new ideas, materialism and
truth of traditions. This long
separation from the buddingly
destructive outside influences has
contributed to the Koori people's
advancement of a confident and safe
worldvlew and of the many
unpredictable issues entailed in
securing a living.
Koori spirituality not only serves to
explain the beginnings and fonns of
their world, but also links them closely
to each other, the land and all life, and
to the domain of spirit beings. These
spirit beings govern the power on
which life itself depends. The totality
of all these affiliations is the Koori
people's 'logically unified order, in
which all will be well if only they live
according to the rules laid down by
the spiritual beings'.
In the development of their culture,
the Koori people did not lock
themselves into a complete static
existence; no culture is static however
isolated they may be, nor indeed
however introspective and traditional
minded they may be.
The Koori people base their whole
existence securely in a notion of spirit
beings as holders of 'lite-giving and
life-sustaining power that is automatically accorded those who act out
the life design formulated by the
beings'. The Koori people conform to
the decrees of a culture passed on by
their forefathers, although it has
attibruted to spiritual rather than
human actions. The Koori claims
supremacy for religious notions of
causation, being and purpose. But the
Koori people's essentially spiritual
basis of life does not deny them their
individuality. Rather it takes away
creativity as a criterion for appraising
an individual's status or worth in
society, in this way the model of a man
becomes a prolonged agreement to
conform to the founding design, or as
Stanner says 'a sacred purpose'. Thus
In this manner, man acquires the
advantage of reciprocity in the form of
continued fruitfuiness, and abundance
of all living things and long-term
ecological and social norms are
maintained. For the contemporary
westerner this may seem unreasonable, but westerners have neither
simple technologies, nor do they have
a history of continued isolation in the
universe.
THEDREAMTIME
(The Dreamtime is a western word,
and the Koori people have their own
words for it)
The deep religious outlook on life that
distinguishes the Koori is based on
their idea of the Dreamtime, which is
characteristically described as the
2 6 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
time of creation. At one stage of
significant way in which the
meaning, this is 'an indistinct era in
Dreamtime notion is so meaningful for
the distant past, a long time ago, long the Koori people, as it branches out to
ago, well before the memories of the
the ancestry of all living persons—
oldest living people, when Australia
right back to the creative epoch Itself.
was transformed from a featureless
And it therefore underlines the
land by the activities of a great many
'uniqueness of the individual, whose
of the ancestral beings'. The
coming into being is associated with a
conclusive beginnings of these beings quite distinctive chain of connections
is not significant, as is the period of
and events'.
their creative enterprises
Dreamtime heroes are usually
conceived of as part human and part
animal, and who are awarded
characteristics of both. These beings
then simply arrived and began their
numerous experiences on earth.
Some, the ('travellers') roamed far
and wide and participated in many
creative accomplishments over a large
area of the land, while others,
('homebodies') limited themselves to
only a particular area or a particular
site.
They were human-like 'yet larger
than life and gifted with superhuman
magical powers', and they hunted,
When the Dreamtime beings' earthly
gathered, and for the most of their
exploits ended and they 'died' they
time lived and interacted with each
then
changed into stones, and other
other as humans do today. As they did
natural features, or celestial bodies,
so they were also creating much of
the land forms—here a winding creek never to appear on earth again.
However, none of the ancestral beings
bed, made by the ancestral snake's
is believed to have actually died. Even
movements, (the Rainbow Serpent is
though their bodies disappeared their
the most Important Koori representspiritual entity remained. Along with
ation of the creative and destructive
their associated spirits, who act as
forces of nature, more especially
agents between the Dreamtime and
those envinced in rain and water)
the human arrangement, they
there, a gap in the hills, created by a
blow from the axe of a lizard-man, and maintain ultimate management of
human fertility, plants and animals. It
there a rocky outcrop of large oval
Is generally known among the Koori
boulders, this from the metamorphpeople that the spirits' thoughts are
osed eggs of an emu ancestress.
always there with the human affairs.
Ail Koori groups attribute hosts of
It should be clear that the
features in their territories to the
Dreamtime is a basic and complicated
activities of the Dreamtime beings.
These are embodied in rituals, songs, notion, that not only embraces past
eras and the arrangement of the Koori
dance and myths. In the continual
food quest, the Koori people are ever universe, it also has great application
to their existance now and in future
surrounded by what they deem to be
sure proof of the power and energy of times For these peopple It will alway
exist as a vital background for their
the beings. Spirit and substance are
culture and as an essential part of
unified, and in this way deliver much
their very beings. Indeed a day does
more 'immediate and meaningful the
essential unity of the two realms'. And not pass without a Koori person
reacting in some way to the
let us not forget that the Koori in the
Dreamtime concept The Dreamtime Is
desert areas 'accomplished the very
central because It holds the source of
tricky task of accommodating
all power, returning abundantly all the
dynamism within a culture predicted
upon it's denial while at the same time requirements of life in exchange for
ritual performance; this also applies to
they coped with one of the world's
the Individual.
harshest environment's'.
Rituals are performed through
The essential life entity that the
dances, visions, dreams, trance and
ancestral beings have within their
when emotional states are
bodies and in all they possess stays
heightened. New knowledge is gained
undiminished, but not invisible.
through the Dreamtime which can be
Wherever they roamed they left there tapped via the spirit being's
some of their fund of power and this in associates. It is no accident that
turn gave rise to small spirit children
Dreamtime or dreaming is In common
who were eventually born as human
use by Koori people and whites alike
beings. Thus, this is another
regarding the concept.
SUM/VIER
the land—A spiritual bond
^
'
beings have long since withdrawn
'leaving the all-inclusive blue-print that
guarantees normal operation of
human life if faithfully followed, and
relying on a human sense of
obligation to see to it that offenders
are not permitted to threaten the
status quo'. Where abnormal
sanctions exist, humans are important
for their execution, and sanctions are
restrictions to specific ritual breaches.
As Tonkinson says:
• The Koori people see their whole
culture as the bequest of the
Dreamtime era.
Tonkinson states that:
'This legacy is now connoted by the
use of the english word law, the
coining of which suggests that they
see parallels in terms of obedience
to a set of powerful dictates, and of
punishment for nonformity, since in
both systems humans agents are
involved in the punishment process.'
Their nomadic lifestyles are reenactments of the spirit beings'
exploits—in food quests, reciprocity,
kinship relations, well, certainly in
almost all activities. The Koori imitate
the life outline that was moulded for
them in this creative era To retain this
unity and ensure prolonged accord
with the spiritual powers, the Koori
people regulary carry out rituals, thus
obeying the law.
The Koori people view themselves
as being 'unique and distinct from the
rest of the animal world, yet intimately
related to it. This relationship is
expressed and affirmed in totemism,
which posits a unity of substance and
flesh between people, both as
individuals and members of groups,
and plants, and animal species, and
other elements, such as minerals in
the natural environment'.
This close bond between animals
and humans is mirrored in the
people's notions of the beinga When
the occasion demanded it, nearly all
possessed the ability to enter upon
animal, or human shape, and
behaviour. The Koori people also
acknowledge human social ranking;
males and the older generation are
usually given higher status than the
females and the young, however, the
entire model is basically egalitarian
regarding the being powers. During
the course of daily activities contact is
achieved through rituals and dreams
and so on. The Koori people do not
pray or bow, nor do they offer
sacrifices, as rituals are performed in
the proper manner as been laid down
for them. The ancestral powers are
obligated, then, to respond with rain,
babies, plants and animals, thus
guaranteeing life's continuance.
'The great power or life essence that
is believed to reside in sacred objects
and in certain songs, dances, and
localities is extremely dangerous for
females and the uninitiated. If men
reveal such objects to women or if
women trespass into sacred
areas, they will sicken and die, but this
tielief is supplanted by an imperative:
these offenders
should be killed if discovered because
of the grave nature of their crime.
ENSURING CONTINUITY
RELIGION AND MORALITY
All societies encounter the problem
of ensuring that its
heritage, traditions, values and
culture, are favourably and capably
transmitted through time to enable
generations to exist in a way that is
applicable, fitting and 'right'. In smallscale societies without exceptional
institutions for the accumulation and
conveyance of education, almost all
the non-material culture is in the
people's heads. This onus is on the
adults, especially the men, in Koori
society; they control activities of the
religious nature, as this is what
survival conclusively depends
upon.
Thus, the Koori society is firmly
establisihed on a religious basis. An
outsider would no doubt opt for the
'ecological imperative'. The Koori
people stress the important
imperative of obeying the Dreamtime'"
laws, after all what use are the skills
(skills developed in the Dreamtime) if
one ignores or neglects the law, which
would otherwise result in the
withdrawal of reciprocity from the
spiritual powers, such as infertility or
rain. In the Koori society the spiritual
imperative has primacy over the
ecological imperative, thus
guaranteeing their lifestyle.
There is truth in the concept that
human society is based on that of the
Dreamtime beings, and as if reflecting
human abilities for both good and evil,
many beings often committed wrong
doings equal to the atrocious crimes
in human society today.
Secure in the world of myth, the bad
examples without injury
emphasise 'the immoral in order to
highlight the moral', (as the
distinguished anthropologist R. Bernt
(1970) says), many acts, especially
murder have no direct drastic results
for the
perpertrators, nor is motive
questioned or commented on by
either humans or the spirit beings.
Spirit beings lived similar lives to
humans, and had the same
potential for good or bad acts. When
bad things happened and went
unpunished, the story
concludes with a statement
asserting that what has happened
belongs only to the Dreamtime.
The Koori law tells them which
Dreamtime behaviours are to be
copied and which are to be
avoided. The Koori people depend on
casual yet effective socialization
processes to instill notions of right
and wrong, and it must be humans not
spirits who punish offenders. Spirit
Landforms are deemed to be sure
proof of the Koori people's
Dreamtime heritage. Landforms bind
the Dreamtime solidly to one's
country; song and dance are the
mediumns by which communication with the spirit world is
highlighted and reciprocity assured;
the folklore discloses the nature of the
creative design and of the creators;
totemic beliefs complete the
amalgamation by supplying sites and
ancestral beings. The unity that
results is the basis, not an accident, to
all Koori people's realms.
The Koori people are certainly
heavily indebted to tradition, but they
are not at all passive,
unimaginative imitators who live of the
spiritual capital of their
forebears.
Finally, I will conclude with this
quote:
'Through the appearance of
ordinarily experienced and
conventionally interpreted signs of
the powers', the religion is revealed as
a vibrant and vital force in the lives of
all the Koori people in Australia,
This article is taken from a paper to be
given by Ms Robinson at a seminar to be
held at the
Nunawading Town Hall on
Saturday March 26.
4
H
' M j n g a Star Dreaminx: This is why we sleep at nigfi.'a syntliethic polymer paint on canvas
from the Collettion of ttw Australian National Gallery, Cantjerra. Anists: Paddy japaliarri,
jimmy ja jungurrayi, Larfy jijn^urfayi, Paddy lupurruia and Walpiri,
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1 9 8 8 27
The Koori people
do not celebrate 200 ye^rs of
White occupation —theft and genocide.
DON'T CELEBRATE
1988!
i0mm0mim0mtm0mm
i
WHAT'S HAPPENING
by Stephen O'Connell
HAVE you ever wondered about
how significant it is. that bumper
stickers can't talk back? No, neither
have I, but this quite f>ossibIy could
be a working class metaphor on the
constipated nature of bureaucratic
dialectics projected from ossified
ideologies,
Anyway bumper slickers aside,
and just a jump to the right, have
you ever wondered about the significance of the white lines down the
centre of the road? Well I have, and
frankly I find it quite scary. Just
think, those doited lines down the
centre of the road, ironically draw
us into the situation of being within
three feet of a head on collision and
yet somehow convince us that Ihey
stop this from happening. We drive
through peak hour traffic oblivious
to the reality thai every car passing
could quite easily kill us. Yel by
simply believing that white paini
on asphalt prevents approaching
cars from hitting us, it almost works.
We are such an advanced society
that we are able to liberate ourselves from the tragedy by assuming that it will not happen.
In actual fact, hallucinatory drugs
such as marijuana play a very similar role to dotted white lines. But
why do we outlaw ihe use of hallucinatory drugs and yel pay men in
little florescenl coats to paint lines
on the road? I guess it is a problem
of elitism. Liberation should be for
the masses, and marijuana simply
cannot be administered with the
egalitarian efficiency of the white
line. Everyday millions of people
THERE'S
STILL
EVERYTHING was going really
smooth for the first three months until
my mum's boyfriend abused me.
When I told my mum she didn't
believe me. I went back to my dad's to
live and he started hassling me about
me about my mum. He started saying
that I was a slut and that I was just like
my mum. I couldn't take it much longer, and in the end I ran away again. I
went lo the police and I stayed at a
friend's place until the court cases
were over. At court they said I had to
come here to Winlaton, because I had
no-where else to go.'
demonstrate to them that they are not
forgotten. Once a fortnight is not
enough — we can only reach a few at a
dme /md-but because the general student population is not wilhng to make
a contribudon, it is all we can
manage.
Our two other groups visit
Oakleigh and Westall. Oakleigh is a
centre for the intellectually handicapped (the institution, not the suburb) and Sin runs a recreation
programme there for handicapped
adults. Once again, this is a
fortnightly exercise and is not
enough.
At Westall High School we run a
programme designed to help young
migrants setde into the ways of their
adopted country. Primarily, we help
them to gain confidence in the englisb
language. Some 90% of the students
are recent immigrants (from SouthEast Asia, Latin America and
Europe) yet, due to lack of student
commitment, we can only cope with
about twenty kids.
Why am I writing this article? 1 am
pleading with you to join Social
Involvement I am asking you to make
a small contribution (everyone can
afford an hour a week) to help those
whose difficult situation allow
privilaged people like us to swan our
way through school and into the easy
life of a university that virtually
guarantees us a future of prosperity
and security.
I am not saying that your effort will
change the world in a year. But you
must take some action — and you will
porbably enjoy being involved. Doing
sociology and giving a dollar to Live
Aid is not enough. Sitting around pontificating about injustice...it's all egobuilding, concience-easing bullshit if
you don't do something. If you do
care, then please contact S.In. Talk to
me on 232 5960, Michael on 509
6738. Peteron 25 3769 or come up to
our office; it's next to Contact
upstairs in the Union, where the Milk
Parlour used to be. Heaps of people
— who we can't reach without your
help — need your time and warmth,
so why be apathetic?
by Mark Picton.
That comes from the magazine of
Winlaton Youth Training Centre in
Nunawading , a centre for wards of
the state and young offenders. I don'l
know what has since happened to that
particular young woman — perhaps
she has now been placed in a foster
home, perhaps she has a job and a
reasonably secure future. More
likely, though, she is still locked
away; having to sleep behind a door,
submitting to the ignominy of stripsearches and constant observation.
Perhaps she has been released onto
the streets and become an addict and/
or a prostitute. What is certain is that
she won't have had the same sort of
summer holiday as you.
There have been many such tales in
places like Winlaton. Some of the
young women are young offenders,
buy many are victims of rape, incest
or other family violence; put away,
out ofsight of society through no fault
of their own.
What can you do, apart from sitting
around in the Small Caf and talking
about how awful it is? The answer —
join Social Involvement (Sin) and try
to make a positive contribution to
some of these people's fractured lives.
Sin is a non-political, non-religious
club which believes in making contact
with and (hopefully) trying to help
people in such limiting situations.
At present Sin runs three groups,
one of wwhich visits Winlaton YTC
once a fortnight While there, we talk
with them (not to them), drink coffee
and play pool. We try to provide some
contact with the outside world, to
lake to the road spaced out on little
white lines, making the white line
the unsung saviour of society.
Lately I have noticed that a similar form of mass liberation through
deception, has been commercialized for the automative market.
Often when I am driving along I sec
Utile yellow signs in the windows of
cars saying things like 'CHILD ON
BOARD'. Now these signs have an
amazing effect on me, and no doubt
many other drivers on the road.
Despite the fact that it is only a piece
of yellow plastic, such a sign prevents me from ramming aimlessly
into that car. 1 presume that a person displaying one of these signs,
would feel an immense security in
knowing that even though every
other car on the road is a purpose-
ful target, he is immune from the
possibility of a collision. The literale driver, when choosing a car to
collide with, will naturally steer
clear of one with a yellow sign in
the window. Once again by believing in an insignificant aesthetic
device we arc liberated from
tragedy.
You see, reality doesn't really
exist in a way that is independent
of what we want it to be. What we
actually see to be true, and what we
actually create ourselves are one and
the same. The meaning thai we give
the world is the only meaning that
exists. The reality that accidents are
generally quite random and
unplanned is nol reality at all, if we
choose to think not. We arc in no
danger of a head on collision,
A LOT OF WORK
AROUND
because the road traffic authority
has implemented ihe 'white line
structure' making it almost impossible for us to realise the possibility
of crossing the while lines and driving into on coming traffic.
To be truly liberated all we have
to do is understnad that we are
responsible for superimposing reality onto the world. By choosing
what is real we have the privilage
of liberating ourselves. If we believe
that while lines k « p cars apart, then
they will. If we all started wearing
*Lifc Be In It" t-shirts perhaps we
won't die. Or if we did have a 200th
birthday, then we will only be 200
years old.
Nothing but nonsense, that's
what I say.
TO BE DONE
GOTHAM CITY
MELBOURNE • BALI • CAIRO • AMSTERDAM • OVERLAND TO LONDON • NEW YORK • LA • AUCKLAND • HOME $1510!
DROP IN TO STUDENT TRAVEL AUSTRALIA GROUND FLOOR UNION BUILDING
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 2 9
•
REVIEWS
gm
Sighting References at the Monash
University Gallery
MONASH University Gallery will launch
this year's programme with an
exhibition of contemporary Australian
Art 'Sighting References'.
For some years now 'appropriation'
has been a critical issue In the arts,
bringing into question the timehonoured concept of originality'. It is
not a simple or singular process
however, and 'Sighting References' is
an attempt to distinguish between the
various processes that artists grouped
together under this banner may
employ—processes such as
interpretation, theft or reference.
Gary Sangster, the show's curator,
has structured the exhibition to
demonstrate the multiplicity and
complexity of issues tackled by these
artists.
This exhibition is not limited to visual
works. An accompanying 'text' which
replaces the standard catalogue, offers
the work of four contemporary critics,
responding on a theoretical level to the
procedures of 'viewing' and 'making
reference'. Just as the visual artists
exhibit distinct approaches, each writer
presents their work from a particular
methodological or ideological
perspective.
Surrounded as we all are by visual
overload, for an artist the problem of
'originality' or creative inspiration' is a
particularly poignant one. Clearly artists
have never been able to ignore the
past—but we now have immediate, and
often unsolicited, access to an aver
increasing repertoire of visual
information.
The six artists who are in Sighting
•References' are Julie Brown-Rap, Juan
Devilia, Richard Dunn, Tim Johnson,
Maria Kozic and Peter Tyndall. MassCulture, technologically generated
images, art history and ancient visual
codes of communication are all
jJiH.'IH^"
by Merryn Gates
1 n I Isomeone
\LL^A^L^
looks at something ...'.
examined, while each artist offers us a
highly personal vision of the world.
A critique of the artist's intent and
context (in what terms the art has tieen
produced, and how it is we receive it) is
the key to an understanding of this
exhibition while the viewer cannot but
be challenged by all the artists' works,
to question the visually prepared
memories with which one comes to view
the exhibition.
Perhaps Peter Tyndall sums up of the
strategy of these artists in that he calls
all his work: 'detail':
A Person Looks At A Work of Art
God has released product in the
SINGLES are little black pieces of
plastic, a few millimetres in width and personage of four modest teenage
rock and roll dudes—and what a
seven inches wide. Grooves are
single it is. Starting with a simple by
etched onto the surtace and when
the cook-book guitar, it's a veritable
applied suplex style to your own
nun on a staircase, falling over and
object of aural pleasure, they emit a
over again. Self credited steel larynx
bunch of sounds that for all intents
Joel Rock'n'Roll has a throat full of
and purposes constitute music.
snarl and a gutful of passion, rasping
Evaluating these emanations is a
the plaintive you'rft my only friend, you
thankless task insofar as one is
don't even like me' over a swig of
savaged for committing justifiable
homicide on the latest Genesis platter frantic guitars — why it's enough to
but ignored when praise is bestowed induce weeping in the vegetable
patch. Utterly superb.
upon a disk of obvious quality.
Ultimately the atttraction lies with
Going to the Country—Nubiles
those recordings that exchange polish (Rampant)
for power and vitality.
Wherein good humoured dudesters
I'm talking of course of the
I about town release a single of
unpromoted and unrecognised
legendary proportions: when this disc
independent records and what follows first ker-thwacked its way onto my
is a list of the finest to have appeared ' stereo I thought it nothing more than a
over the summer break. Needless to
a nice jockey singalong indicative of a
say, all are essential.
certain nubilic sense of humour.
Harmonies, melody, a good beat. So it
My Pal—GOD (AuGoGo)
was a surprise to find myself humming
You've read the book, seen the Cecille its chorus in trafic jams and trams.
B DeMille flick, now buy the vinyl.
Even more so when I began bursting
That's right, after a mere 200 years
into full song in those more, ahem,
3 0 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0,1988
CIPHERS, SYSTEMS AND CODES IN
RECENT AUSTRALIAN VISUAL ART
'Sighting References' was opened
during Orientation Week by Paul Taylor,
a Monash graduate and the founding
editor of Art and Text', and now an art
critic for the 'New York Times' and other
international publications.
Citing Sighting References', a panel
discussion on the exhibition, will be held
on Wednesday March 16 at 7 pm in the
Theatrette, Gallery Building. The
speakers will be Juliana Engberg,
director of the George Paton Gallery,
two Melbourne artists from the
exhibition, Maria Kozic and Peter
Tyndall, and the show's curator, Gary
Sangster.
More Sighting', a programme of films
and videos on or by artists and writers
in the exhibition and of works by Juan
Davila and Rolando Caputo, Ross
Gibson, Tim Johnson, Maria Kozic, and
Peter and Philip Tyndall, will be
screened in the Theatrette, Gallery
Building, on Wednesday March 16 at
1.15 pm and 8.30 pm.
The Gallery is open on Tuesday to
Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and on
Saturday from 1 to 5 pm.
Gallery staff are happy to answer your
enquiries on 565 4217 or 565 4356,
Merryn Gates is the new Assistant
Curator, Monash University Gallery
personal moments. Be warned kidlets,
this is insidious material, so unless
you're prepared for three minutes that
will dominate your personal repeat
function for weeks, stay safe with your
Phil Collins CDs.
is wryly bittersweet, the production
clean and lean, the hook a simple
earful. To call it merely a nice song is
to ignore the fact that there are very
few power pop songs of this calibre.
Dropping Like Flies — The New
Christs (Citadel)
Only one word for this one —
awesome (dude). It slipped out late
last year and will undoubtedly go
down as a true classic. Do the names
Rob Younger or Jim Dickson mean
more than diddly squat to you? No, of
course not, they may as well be Micky
and Minnie, which is a tragedy of
sorts. This is fresh, powerful and vital
music, ball tearing without the
misogyny, possessed of an anger that
will forever bar it from top 40-dom.
Four tracks tear at the eardrum, a
seering sound that pitches low in the
title track, then culminates in I Swear'.
You'll Never Catch My Wave' is a joy
— the fastest, toughest surf track ever.
And all for eight measly bucks. Truly
the aural equivalent of an avalanche
by King Kong Bundy.
Winterland — Died Pretty (Citadel) It
begins with a touch of background
feedback and a guitar shuffle. Then
Ronny Peno summons his bile, emits a
contemptuous growl, and we start. The
Died Pretty are one of Australia's most
popular bands, yet few native born
could boast familiarity. Treading
between art-house and fun, they know
how to rock, and Winterland' displays
that skill. Do you ever play the tennis
racket or air guitar? This track drives
me to strutting the floor and shaking
my head vigourously. A mass of noise,
throbbing and groaning as the band
go bugfuck. Like Greek drama this is a
modern day catharthis.
Holding My Breath — The Mad Turks
from Istanbul (Greasy Records) Power
pop is a vastly underrated type of
music. It refers to a light, punchy
styule with, to my mind at least, a fairly
clear sound of a basic^guitars/bass/
drums combo and some added extras.
The feel is nice and often lovelorn. It is
not an insult therefore to clasify
Holding My Breath' as such. The song
Loaded Dice — The Surrenders
(Rubber Records) French twangsters
released by yours truly, so naturally it
bathes in the aura of greatness. They
kick some love, bite some dirt, and
have a real emotive time all in aid of
the gamboling spotted cube. The flip
nails Neil Young's Cinnamon Gril' as
played live in Lyon. The lyrics are
indecipherable, but it feels good. Get
yourself some culture on the only
Monash based label around — you
can't get more ideologically sound
than that.
n i l MS If IIIL/HS r IILMS If IIIL/H§
hAAAJ
Repentance
by Jennifer Nielsen
I
f
Repentance, Longford, South Yarra.
Commencing late March. Running time
2Vz hours.
THE release to the Western world of
this Soviet film Repentance is being
hailed by critics as a hopeful sign of
things to come under glasnost. The film,
which was banned in the Soviet Union
for three years (before the coming of
Gorbachev and glasnost), is a surreal
allegory of the legacy of Stalanist
repression. It has received much critical
acclaim and was winner of the Special
Jury Prize at last year's Cannes Film
Festival.
Repentance tells the story of Varlam
Aravidze, the brutal dictator of a small
Russian city. It begins with Varlam's
funeral. The next day Varlam's corpse
appears in the garden of his son, Avel.
The corpse is reinterred but reappears
twice before the grave robber, Katevan
Baratelli, is caught and taken to trial.
There, Katevan denies her guilt
before the court and explains that her
actions are justified on moral grounds.
She recounts the story of her life and so
unravels the history of Varlem's brutal
regime, to which Katevan's parents fell
victim. She explains that she will continue to exhume him as 'burying him
means forgiving him'.
The remainder of the film deals with
Avel's struggle with his conscience and
the legacy of guilt that he inherits from
his father.
That the film refers to and denounces
Stalin is clear, but it goes beyond that
and, as director Tengiz Abuladaze
describes it, is a warning that the seeds
of future tyranny are ever present. The
setting is timeless and unidentifiable,
giving the film a universal quality. Varlam combines Stalin's close-cropped
haircut. Hitler's mustache, Mussolini's
black 'uniform' and Beria's (Stalin's
chief of police) pince-nez, thereby creating the universal tyrant, who is made
more sinister by his operafic outbursts
and comical turns.
The film uses a round about way to
portray the repression suffered under
Stalin that was necessary to get the film
past the Soviet censors. It denounces
not only the dictator himself, but also
those who rationalised ('what is the loss
of a few in the fight to control the millions?') and profited from (through party
corruption) the dictator's crimes. It is
this dilemma that Avel, Varlam's heir,
struggles with his conscience to solve.
The cinematography is superb and no
expense seems to have been spared in
this sophisticated production.
The characters are well portrayed and
special mention should be made of
Avtandil Makharadze who plays both
Varlam and Avel, and of Merab Ninidze
who plays Tornike, Avel's son.
Though the film's running time is two
and a half hours, it is well paced, dragging only slightly towards the end.
In all. Repentance is highly recommended as a unique examination of
repression and the maintenance of tyranny by its heirs, whether it be looking
at Varlam's city, Gorbachev's Russia,
Thatcher's England or even Hawke's
Australia.
trated and implied, abound. Amongst
by Dimitri Serghis
the most disturbing are the South African police raids on the Crossroads setCry Freedom/Hoyts Chadstone, directed tlement and the depiction of the 1976
by Richard Attenborough
Soweto Uprising. Soweto was the culminatbn of two years of protests,
Cry Freedom is a powerful and moving
spurred on by 'Black Consciousness'
account of the relationship struck
between Donald Woods and Steve Biko. and other aspects of the anti-aparthied
movement. Thirteen years on, the story
Woods is the editor of a liberal South
African newspaper, the Daily Despatch, of Biko's death at the hands of ruthless
interrogators, is also powerfully
and Biko is a leader of the Black
depicted.
People's Convenfkjn, and one of the
Cry Freedom is definately aimed at a
founders of the 'Black Consciousness'
white audience. This is illustrated in the
movement.
amount of time given to Woods' own
The film is based on two books
story after the Black Consciousness
actually written by Woods, Biko and
leaders are systemmatically killed or
Asldng tor Trouble. Woods originally
imprisioned. Reluctantly, Woods
equates Biko's 'Black Consciousness'
becomes the hero and Biko another
with an intellectual kind of black supre-
CBYfflEHMM
mism. Persuaded to meet with Biko, he
realises that the movement is more
sophisticated than he first imagined. As
Biko says, it is about black people
becoming more aware of their own
worth, their power and indeed their
blackness. It is a psychological liberation to free blacks from dependance on
whites.
Initially, Biko and Woods meet whilst
Biko is banned (that is under house
arrest and restricted to one visitor at
any given time). Ironically the film ends
with the banning of Woods, and his family's traumatic escape from South
Africa.
this is an anti-aparthied movie.
Graphic scenes of violence, both illus-
martyr to the anti-aparthied cause outside South Africa. For when Woods
escapes, he has with him the basis of
the two novels that he later publishes.
Kevin Kline (The Big Chill) puts in a
good performance as Woods amd Denzal Washington is impressive as Steve
Biko. However, the limelight is stolen by
a riveting performance from Penelope
Wilton as Wendy Woods. Timothy West
plays a particulary nasty police captain,
in an excellent cameo appearance. Of
special note is Richard Attenborough's
direction of the crowd scenes which
bring back memories of Ghandi. The
score is by Jonas Gwangwa, who was
recently in Melbourne as Director of
Amandala, the cultural arm of the ANC.
-I
Andrew Enstice
Julia & Julia. Valhalla, March 11 to April
7.7.30 pm
ARE there such things as alternative
realities? Is desire alone strong enough
to alter the nature of the world about
us?
Julia & Julia poses questions that
could form the basis of an interesting
film. Unfortunately neither the author of
the original story, Silvia Napolitano. nor
the director Peter Del Monte, who collaborates on the script, seem aware that
such questions have already been
exhaustively explored. To make a stimulating and intelligent film, which Jo//a
& Julia clearly aspires to be, they require
original and imaginative treatment.
As it is, the script lacks cohesion,
while the direction is sadly unimaginative (the murder on which the plot
hinges is a Hitchcock pastiche, too
thumpingly obvious to convey tenston or
convKtion). The acting, given these limitations, is adequate, but no more. Called
on to register sexual ecstasy, Kathleen
Turner gives an acceptable re-run of
Body Heat. But lacking convincing dialogue to work with, her other emotions
must be conveyed by facial expression
alone, and there is no doubt that in this
area her acting skills are not of the first
order. Sting (as the lover) and Gabriel
Byrne (as the long-suffering husband)
perform credibly, with the lingering suspicion that Byrne is a much better actor,
if only the script would give him a
chance.
The story, set in Italy, starts with
Julia's marrriage to Paolo and fiis death
in a car crash before the marriage is
consummated. Some years later we find
Julia still in the same city, living a
mechanical life and deriving little solace
from her mechanical affair with a coworker. Driving home one night she
encounters special-effect fog aod meaning music, emerging from them into an
alternative reality: her husband is alive,
she has a son, a penthouse and a mysterious, faintly menancing lover.
My confusion was less than Julia's at
this point, though I found myself wondering why the film was so determinedly
avoiding both the fantastic explanation,
in the manner of Sac* to the Future, and
the cinematic explanation pursued by
Woody Allen in The Purple Rose of
Cairo. In the current climate of thought,
most audiences will demand something
more than steam and a spotiight before
they suspend their disbelief for the
evening.
I won't spoil the twists and turns of
the plot. There is a certain air of mystery, and the shifts of reality seem to
come Just in time to prevent us nodding
off. To my mind the denouement, with
its implied psychological explanation, is
trite, leaving a lingering sense of having
been cheated; but perhaps this is
because the film clearly aspires to so
much more than it acheives.
The photography throughout is
superb, in the best Italian cinema tradition, whether the subject is Renaissance
facades, glowing sunsets or Kathleen
Turner's right breast (this figures so
much more than its partner that I began
to wonder if a right nipple profile was
written into the contract—a speculation
that might be symptomatic with my lack
of involvement at this stage). The sound
is technically poor, with none of the
depth of the Hollywood 24—trade
specials, and an insufficent compensating sense of mystery.
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 31
«
WHO'S TALKING
^
Nominations are called
for:
M.A.S. Co-options to:
Monash ALP Club
LAURY LEVY President
of ANIMAL LIBERATION
Parking Committee
(Three positions)
General Library
(VIC.) speaking on
Committee
"GUN LAWS AND THE
ENVIRONMENT'
(Two positions)
Nomination open Friday
February 26tti, 12 noon.
Nominations close
Friday March 11th,
12 noon.
March 10
March 10
1 p.m. in R1
ALL WELCOME
Further information Is
available at the
M.A.S. Office.
Autn. F. PasK
Publicity Officer
A.E.
READ MORE
EFFICIENTLY
IN FOUR THREE
HOUR SESSIONS
YOU CAN EXPECT
TO DOi/SLE YOUR
READING
EFFICIENCY
LETTERS
Clean up
Monash
Dear Eds,
At the risk of being lat)elled reactionary or
authoritarian, I express my contempt of
students (as they mainly appear to be) who
litter Monash buildings and grounds. I am
thinking particulary ot the lawns between
the Menzies and Student Union Buildings,
which, as any fair observer would probably admit, are a deplorable sight by 2.00
pm on a reasonably sunny afternoon,
I doubt if it makes much difference
whether people act unthinkingly or deliberately when they leave their litter tying
about, usually only a short distance from
a litter bin, since one would think that
enough has now been said about ^ e pollution problem to make either inexcusable. It is puzzling, though, that such a large
number of apparently intelligent young men
and women, receiving a university education, should so evidently not care less
about the state of their environment. Perhaps someone can suggest a reason. For
my own part, I simply wonder whether a
lot of what has been proclaimed about
pollution and environmental protection
amounts to empty rhetoric, and is not to
be taken seriously. Could it atternatively
conceal utterly contemptible hyprocrisy?
Pen-pals
wanted
15th December, 1987
Africa West Pen Friends Club
C/-N.M,Anertey
29 Nathan Street
Surulere
Lagos State
^ligeria
Dear Sir,
We the above group and club would like
in our humble position to appeal to you to
help us by sending our name to every University and College of Advanced Education and Institution of Technology in
Australia to be published so that any
interesting persor^s) who like to have penpals from Africa, especially West Africa to
write to the address above.
The club has members of varying hobbies and characters to write and show to
Australians for we know a little of that
country,
We are sure to know that, in the near
coming future we shall be writing to Friends
in Australia.
Motto: We are the world!
Ideology: To exchange culture and
history.
Yours sincerely
Edward Vaughan
Department Of Administrative Studies
Faculty of Economics & Politics
I hope you would not take a no for our
answer.
Thanks.
Yours sincerly,
N.M.Anerty
(FOUNDER)
/ i
WEI WAH
Chinese Restaurant
e
OUR 1MPR,01/ED
RER^^^
Take away Service
B Y (.)
Submissions
sought
1*
Dear People
I am writing about the current inquiry into
the Union's rote.
) would like to urge as many submissions from all union members and in particular individuals rather than groups.
I have felt for years that Monash Union
lacks a democratic structure compared
with other tertiary unions such as RMIT.
One of the terms of reference is to
inquire into 'the role and composition of
the Union Board". Some changes I would
suggest include:
1. The Chairperson to be elected, not
automatically
the
VC's
refwesentative.
2,The Chairperson to have a casting
vote only—not a deliberate vote.
3. More equitable proportional
representation.
4. All representives of groups to be
elected by the respective groups.
In conclusion, the main change I woukl
suggest to the Union constitution is a
reduction in the power and influence exercisable by the position of warden.
Signed
Earte Keegel
Graduate Union Member
PS Have you collected copies of Unkjn
constitution and Union house rules from
Union enquiry desk yet?
i^'^l^i^
We citer lor Cantoneje &
Malaysian disha
We offer a lunch time ipeclal
menu for all students
KlftK.e
UQVeU LOVERS-
We also offer 1l>% discount
on ail otfier dishes f c
studen ts
provided
all
th«l
studen: l.D- be shown upon
Courses held at Monash Arts and
Crafts Centre
Phone: 565 3180
Conducted by:
Improved Reading Centre
1354B Malvern Road
Malvern
Phone: 20 4424
32 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8
request
W E E K L Y SPECIALS
DINNER
Sunday
LUNCH
5 00—9.00 p.m
2 9 9 C L A Y T O N R O A D 12.00—2.30p.m
rues toThurs
CLAYTON
Tuesday to Sunday 5.0O—10.00 p m
Friday & Saturday
Phone: 544 0881
5 00—11.00 p m
WHAT S HAPPENING
1
TIRED of mainstrean cinema? Tired of
its stereotyped representations of
women? Fed up with conventional
exhibition practices? Then consider
Film Fatale.
Film Fatale is a local women's cinema
collective. Starting in March, it is
holding a season of films by women.
One of its aims is to redress the
disparity between the increasing
number of films made by women and
the decreasing opportunities to view
them. Through forums held after the
screenings, women will be able to
contribute rather than merely consume,
the event There will be the opportunity
for women to voice their responses to
the films, to discuss notions of
representation and methods of
construction.
The season will be launched on
March 10 with the short'My Boyfriend
Max' by Julie Harris and the feature
'Batchelor Giri' by Melbourne filmmaker
Rivka Hartman - a feminist 'Woody
Allen' who traces the disparate
aspirations of Dot Bloom, a 32 year old
single scriptwriter, who supports her St
Kilda flat and 82 pot plants by writing
TV soaps.
The festival will be opened by Maggie
Power, feminist scriptwriter and coauthor of 'Batchelor Girl'.
On March 24, the New Zealand
filmmaker, Gaylene Preston, will fly over
as guest of Film Fatale and the NZ High
Commission, to introduce and discuss
her film 'Mr. Wrong' - the spooky
thriller/ghost story about Meg a nice
gal from the country who moves to the
city, buys a car only to find that it's
haunted.
The season will be held at the
Glasshouse Cinema, RMIT, Swanston
Street, Melbourne. Sessions will begin
at 7.30 pm.
For further information and a
complete program phone 531 9927 or
write to Film Fatale, C/- PO Box 103,
Balaclava 3183.
^
'
Lynch
at Seven
OS
THE
CONNECTION
MOST people who come to Monash
join one or more clubs while they're
here - with over 50 sporting clubs and
COLUMN
120 interest clubs it's not hard to find
something to suit you.
The sporting clubs are administered
by the Sports and Recreation
Association,
although their notice
BOB Plasto (Top Secret—Inside Pine
Hinch at Seven is another product of
boards and letterboxes are situated in
Gap') should have saved his incredulity
the
silly
season,
not
to
mention
a
silly
by Christopher James
the union building. The other 120 clubs
for TV programming over summer.
society. At Radio 3AW, Derryn Hinch's
are administered by the Clubs and
Repeating in prime time, the excruciatmost notable achievement was that of
Societies Council (C&S). I am one of the
ingly facile You've got to be Joking is the
To remind us we were In biblical
turning perfectly normal elderly people
only crime I can think of which justifies
four paid staff at the C&S office, which
times, character names were prefixed
into raving vigilantes. With his ascenthe return of capital punishment.
is the place to go if you have any
by a noun indicating species and/or
sion to a television pulpit, Der has the
general questions regarding clubs and
Meanwhile, deserving of a damn good gender. 'The man they call James...he
opportunity to inflict his illiberal viewthe running of them.
thrashing are the ABC executives intent was executed.' Difficulties were had
points on a larger, more diversified
on proving that they still make 'em like
with Paul. The man they call Saul/
audience.
This column will be a regular feature
they used to'. From the producer of
Paul...' On special occasions, the occuAlthough he no longer has a sizeable
in Lof s Wife and will generally serve to
Moses and Jesus of Nazareth, came
pation of the person in question was
microphone to slobber into, the tenpublicise clubs and their activities.
twelve hours of sledgehammer subtlety
stated after their name. 'That's him!
dency for mouth to move faster than
Each week I will write about a different
in the form of ;^.D. Anno Domini.
That's Peter the fisherman! Seize him!'
brain is still in evidence. A discussion of group of clubs - political, cultural,
Being simultaneously concerned with Inevitably, there was also the period
fingerprinting powers in (the police state religious, performing arts, faculty/
simile. Her bed is as well trodden as the
the bloodstained birth of Christianity'
of) Victoria culminated in 'Citizen Crabb' departmental, social issues, and those
Appian Way.'
and the 'eventual fall of Rome's decahaving to explain the quaint distinction
which can't be categorfzed.
dent empire', A.O. Anno Domini painsThe serial was written by Anthony
between a convicted criminal (eg. Hinch)
There will also be a 'What's On'
takingly, and painfully, traces events
Burgess and Vincenzo Labella. It is
and one who is charged.
column specifically for club activities
from the death of Christ to the death of
almost certain that Labella wrote the
One can only concur with Hinch's
which are open to the public (eg. film
Paul. The tact that the Roman Empire
lines like That's him. That's Peter the
abhorrence of paedophillic behaviour.
screenings, lectures, concerts).
lasts another four hundred years seems fisherman! Seize him!' Burgess probaSometimes, however, the title 'Hinch at
to t>e of little relevance.
I have tried to get around and meet
bly devised the intelligent-sounding
Seven' is rendered less instructive
as many clubs as possible during Ostuff.
Amidst the general decay, there are
about the timeslot than the mental age
signs of remission. 'A noo Rome is
The problem is that we don't have to
of the compere. His recent frustration of weeK so hopefully most of your club
office bearers will know about this
about to dawn.' Claudius, however, was guess too hard about his sources of
the legal process and the sneering
intent on 'lusting after prarstitoots'.
inspiration. Cropping up, yet again, is
insensitivity displayed toward Mrs. Bar- column already. If you don't, come up
Things were crook in Judea, too, and
and see me in the C&S office (10.30 am
his familiar linking of the destructive and low earn only the highest contempt.
im
this was signified by the sudden appear- the creative. Burgess doesn't appreci- 2.30 pm every day).
Informed viewers will no doubt have
ance of hordes of jabbering extras
ate being primarily remembered as the
Don't forget - I'm paid to help you
more reliable sources of information to
dressed as Arabs Back in Rome, the
author of A Cloclfwork Orange but the
with club activities.
put Hinch's ill-chosen words into consame extras, grunting to an accompani- sic|tit of Nero mincing if you cannot
Come and make use of me!
text. Others wont. The victims of crime
ment of metallic sounds, became gladia- destroy, what can you create?' only
Katie Purvis
so sensationally portrayed by Derryn
tors engaged in off-camera combat.
makes this more likely than ever,
Club Liason Officer
are not the only innocents.
Lot's Wife, Thursday March 1 0 , 1 9 8 8 3 3
J
4
•
SPORT
LOTS SUPER
SPOR TZ Q UIZ
Questions:
1. How much was the transferfee paid to the Sydney Swans for Warwick Capper by the Brisbane
bears? Was it; a. $254,000, b. S524,OO0 ore. $425,000?
2. Name the current five top ranked male tennis players in the world.
3. Whose 48 year old 1600 m race record did Vo Rogue break, and in what race did he do
this?
4. What position was Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy recently appointed to? Who did he
replace?
5. Name six Victorian race courses beginning with the letter 'W'.
6. Who are the topfiveranked golf players in the world currently?
7. What remarkable Victorian jockey badly injured himself in a race fall at Yarra Glen earlier
this year, and has notriddensince?
8. How many medals did Australia win at the Winter Olympics?
9. The Australian Cup to be held at Flemington on March !4 is being dubbed the 'race of the
decade*. Why?
10. Who is coaching the Victorian State football team for the Bicentenial carnival in Adelaide?
Who is coaching Western Australia?
11. What was Greg Norman's winning score in the ESP Open at Canberra?
12. Name the three women who won medals in the women's figure skating at the winter
Olympics.
13. What horse won the Blue Diamond atCaulfield in record-breaking time, and how much prize
money did he earn?
14. Name the New Zealand cricket captain who was sacked recently, and who replaces
him?
15. How many medals did the USSR win at the Winter Olympics? How many of them were
gold?
16. Racecaller Bill Colhns will retire at the end of March. How many Melbourne Cups has
he called?
17. Where did PM Bob Hawke score his hole in one?
18. Name the captains of the Victorian and Queensland SheHleld Shield cricket teams.
19. Who won the second test cricket match in Auckland between England and New
Zealand?
20. Who was the first woman to win a m^jor Australian motor race at Cakler Paric's Thunderdome last week?
21. Who won the US Pro Indoor Tennis Champi(»iships in Philadelphia this week, and who did
he defeat?
22. Over what distance was the Nascar 500 stock car race held at the Thunderdome last
weekend? Who won the race?
If you do your own
comparisons we think that
you'll find that the
MONASH
UNIVERSITY
BOOKSHOP
23. Where did Robert De Castella finish in last months Tokyo marathon?
24 Who was the skater who set a new Australian record for the 500 m in Calgary to finish
23rd overall?
25. What has a well known trainer got in common with Victoria's public transport system?
26. Eddie 'the eagle' Edwardsfinishedlast in the 70 m ski jump at the Olympics. What is his
ambition now?
27. Who is the twelth man?
28. Which Melbourne player gave away the 15 m penalty that enabled Hawthorn to win the
1987 preliminary final by three points?
29. Who is the world's number one ranked womens tennis player?
30. In what sport is Australian John Jacoby world champion?
31. What message did Jeff Fenech give to the Australian audience on wiiming his third World
Boxing Tide?
32. Who won the second division tiUe at the recent Australian Football Carnival in
Adelaide?
33. Which first division English soccer team recently established a record for most games
without a defeat?
34. Alan Jones was ousted as coach of the Australian Rugby Union football team, the
Wallabies. Who replaced him?
35. Which Australian recentiy broke a world record for a woman only marathon?
First correct entry into 'Lot's
Wife' wins a prize!
3MU, Monash's own radio station,
broadcasts every day of the week
from 8.30 am to6.15 pm. 3MU plays
a broad range of music, but can only
do this with volunteers. Apply for a
show, or just become a member.
3MU offers students use of a record
library of more than 200 records, a
pre-production studio, and four
track recorders.
3MU offers a university of sound.
The all new 3MU offers every student
something more for their union fee.
3MU can be heard at our outlets near
the chemist shop, women's room outside court yard,firstfloorof the union
building, MAS, 'Lot's Wife' and
activities offices.
3MU
Ot ^(Jtttt&
MARXISM
MALAYSIA-GARDEN ^
RESTAURANTS
319 C l A V I O N O O A O
ClAYlON
(OWC'l'l "If SIAIOMI
FEMINISM
r
G/
GAY
LIBERATION
PSYCHOLOGY
POLITICS
has, by far
B.Y.O.
MEDIA
ECONOMICS
the lowest
stationery prices
in town
even though
THERE'S NO JOINING
FEE
34 Lot's wife, Thursday March 10,1988
FAST TAKE AWAY SERVICE
PHONE ORDER OR BOOKING WELCOME
TEL: 543 6841
STUDENT DISCOUNTS : 10 % OFF MENU PRICES
SPICY HOT MALAYSIAN HAWKERS
DELICACIES A N D MOUTH WATERING
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PRICES FROM $3.50 TO $9.00
TRY OUR SMASHING ROTi CHANAi
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Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10, 1988 35
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Tuesday 19th April, 1988
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Thursday 21st April, 1988
programme
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36 Lot's Wife, Thursday March 10,1988
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