The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 2

2 www.smh.com.au MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1999 Qht jSYibnrii Homing eralb Lions and lanterns and a Moon Festival that celebrates life Muslim leader faces axe q. fe history back thousands of years. The festival, which was opened by the State Minister for Tourism, Ms Nori, marks the day of the year when the moon is said to be fullest and brightest "Traditionally this was a harvest festival, and a time when it was good luck to watch the moon. Itfs a time when people make moon cakes and lanterns and celebrate life," Ms Cork said. Cabramatta's streets were transformed into an open-air pavilion for displays, and hundreds of stalls.

A traditional lion dance was performed in the streets and in the glow of the monster lantern local children headed a lantern parade. "This festival is also important because it's about reclaiming the street. People are often afraid to come to Cabramatta at night, but this festival has reclaimed our space," Ms Cork said. "It's fantastic," said Ms Sandra Boey, from Ryde. "I've heard so much about Cabramatta, but I dared not come here because of all the stories you hear about gangsters and bikies and crime.

In fact I've felt very safe here." sir A prominent NSW Muslim community leader faces being deposed after an inquiry by Australia's leading Islamic body. Mr Ali Roude, the longstanding chairman of the Islamic Council of NSW, was. told his position would no longer be recognised following an investigation into a series of complaints about the way the council was run. The council represents a wide range of Islamic organisations in NSW and runs a school, Risallah College in Lakemba, and a radio station. The inquiry was conducted by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, which has ruled that elections must be held to vote in a new executive committee to run the Islamic Council Federation documents obtained by the Herald allege that changes to the constitution of the council had divested the council's control of the school and the radio station.

Mr Roude said he was taking legal advice. "I am still the chairman of the Islamic Council of NSW," he said. Jon Marsh 1 Kin A lion's eye view the driver of a 'v '4. hJ v.Nt Chinese lion guides the monster through the streets of Cabramatta during the Moon Festival parade. Photograph by Andrew Taylor Gareth Evans on verse of quittin October.

But he changed his mind after a sharp reaction over his winning another term and then going immediately. He said he would stay another term. In the Scott book, Mr Evans reveals that in retrospect he believes the Hawke government in 1983 treated too harshly a former ALP secretary, Mr David Combe, then a lobbyist, over his contact with a Soviet spy, Valeri Ivanov. Mr Evans, who was attorney-general when Mr Combe was banned from any contact with ministers and had his phone tapped, told Scott that Mr Hawke's response was driven partly by his character trait "of wanting to hurt those closest to him as a demonstration of just how seriously moral he was almost wanting to lacerate. That led him, I think, often to be harsher on his friends than his enemies." Scott writes: "Evans, one of six members of the national and international security committee of cabinet, hich decided on the government's response, now believes that the decision to blacklist Combe was almost certainly wrong and the relationship between Combe and Ivanov was probably never a risk to national security." Scott says the view Evans now puts that the government overreacted and accepted too readily the assessment of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation "is vastly different from the view he expressed publicly in 1983" when he did not challenge the response of prime minister Hawke.

By CHRISTINA HO Cabramatta's many ethnic groups united yesterday to celebrate the annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Event co-ordinator from Fairfield City Council, Ms Nijole Cork, said that for the first time, the festival was a joint effort "The Moon Festival is celebrated every year in Cabramatta, but this year's is important because groups from many nationalities in Cabramatta have co-operated to organise it or the community," she said. "We've had people from the Vietnamese, Chinese, Lao and Cambodian communities all coming together for the festival." About 20,000 people travelled to Cabramatta to take part in the festivities, which included the lighting of the biggest Chinese lantern ever seen in Australia. The lantern, measuring three metres across and weighing 100 kilograms, was made especially by a craftsman in China, at a cost of $4,000. The Moon Festival, celebrated in countries across South-East Asia, traces its TAILORED HOME i BRACKS BRACED Victoria's Labor leader, Steve Bracks, today begins his campaign for the crucial State seat of Frankston East, as his party looks likely to take the seat of Geelong after a recount.

If Labor wins Geelong, the Coalition will hold 43 seats and Labor 41, leaving three Independents holding the balance of power. AUSTRALIAN HELD An Australian had been detained by Indonesian authorities in Irian Jaya for allegedly not having valid travel documents, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Saul Dalton, 26, of Darwin, was taken into custody on Saturday in the remote town of Timka. FIREFIGHTER HURT A firefighter was flown to hospital yesterday suffering severe smoke inhalation after a burn-off on the South Coast. The man, 45, was taken to Nowra Hospital by road ambulance in a critical condition and was later flown by the Westpac LifeSaver Helicopter to Sydney to the Prince of Wales Hospital's decompression chamber for specialist care.

HELP FOR YOUTH A task force set up to tackle youth unemployment, homelessness, drug abuse and suicide was launched by the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, last night. The Youth Pathways Action Plan task force will look at government programs available to school-leavers and see if those services might be better linked to each other and to outside assistance and business needs. CORRECTION A report in the Herald on September 22 stated that a fast food chain planned to open a restaurant at an IMAX cinema at Katoomba. The Edge Giant Screen cinema in Katoomba is owned by Maxvision Pty Ltd and has no affiliation with IMAX. 1 1 I 1 IL-- By MICHELLE GRATTAN Chief Political Correspondent A former Labor minister, Mr Gareth Evans, is likely to announce tomorrow that he is quitting Parliament This would allow for a by-election in his Melbourne seat of Holt to be held with the November 6 referendum.

Mr Evans, sponsored by the Federal Government, is campaigning to be director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. But he is now anxious to move on from politics even if he does not get the UNESCO job. This is the last week he can announce his resignation in time for the Government to schedule a November 6 by-election. The vote for the UNESCO job is in Paris in mid-October. A clue to Mr Evans's intentions is contained in a biography of him written by journalist Keith Scott which will be launched by the Opposition Leader, Mr Beazley, tomorrow with Mr Evans present Scott writes: "The Paris option was not, however, the only escape route from the back bench he had planned The Payne Distinguished Lectureship at Stanford University, formerly held by ex-US senator and Rhodes Scholar, Bill Bradley, had been confirmed several weeks before the UNESCO campaign began.

"After 21 years in Parliament, it was time to move on to act, make another contribution, to keep working." Mr Evans announced his retirement on election night last bothered In 1988, Mr Packer is said to have lost about 8 million at the Ritz casino. "He regularly wins up to 3 million on trips to London," one friend said. The friend added: "I once saw him lend George Hamilton, the actor, 1 25,000 in chips. Hamilton had two aces and wanted to split them, but did not have enough money. He hit 21 with both aces, but Kerry refused to take any more than his loan back." The paper, which bracketed Mr Packer in the same gambling league as the Sultan of Brunei and the Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, said the previous biggest known loss in Britain was that of the late media magnate Robert Maxwell, who blew up to 10 million in a year-long losing run at Maxim's in Kensington.

Mr Packer has been winding back his interests in Britain. He recently put up for JL Packer loses $28m gamble imp Or your own mix of variable and fixed rates? We can show you all your options on our National Home Loan Simulator. To find out more, talk to the National. Call into any branch or call 13 63 64. Whatever you want from a home loan, the National can tailor a solution.

Want to forget about home loan rates? You can with a National Fixed Interest Rate loan for anything from one to five years, and even ten years. So you can plan ahead without having to worry about rate changes. But that's just the beginning. What if you want a home loan you can pay off faster? By SIMON MANN Herald Correspondent in London Australia's richest man, Mr Kerry Packer, is a little less rich after reportedly losing 11 million ($28 million) in a three-week betting spree at a London casino. Mr Packer, a regular high-stakes gambler who is feted by casino owners around the world, apparently lost the money on a recent visit to Britain.

He was playing the card game blackjack, or 21, at Croxford's club in Mayfair. London's Sunday Times newspaper described Mr Packer misfortune as the biggest reported gambling loss in It said the billionaire media chief had headed for Las Vegas in a bid to recoup his losses. The newspaper quoted anonymous friends of Mr Packer who said the loss was rare and that he would not be I sale his 170-hectare Sussex estate, which includes the seven-bedroom Fyning Hill House, polo playing fields, kart racing track, heated pool and gymnasium. Estate agents expect the estate to bring 1 1 million the same amount as Mr Packer's loss but say the sale is unrelated to the Australian's gambling. Mr Packer has owned Fyning Hill for more than a decade.

Locals like to tell the story about him taking his polo team for a steak at a nearby pub some years ago. When they arrived, however, it was about 8.30 pm and the landlord informed the party that the kitchen had closed. Mr Packer headed for the next pub where the group was served dinner. On leaving, according to villagers, Mr Packer left a 10,000 tip and said "Just make sure your mate down the road hears about this." cm R3aQnnD(5iu LJIAJ TAILORED FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS NATIONAL LOANS. TAILORED FOR YOU, WITH YOU Rates current as at 20999.

Fixed interest rates: 6mth 4.99, lyr 6.69p.a., 2yr 7.19p.a., 3yr 7.49p.a., 4yr 7.59p.a., 5yr 7.69p.a. and lOyr 8.09p.a. At the end of the fixed rate period of any loan the interest rate becomes our variable home loan rate, currently 6.55p.a. Fees and charges are payable. Terms and conditions apply.

Normal lending criteria apply. Call Centre open 9am 9pm ST. www.national.com.au 1999 National Australia Bank Limited ACN004044937.