The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 1

Slmk Jlli WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1997 No. 49,881 FIRST PUBLISHED 1831 60 PAGES 90c Colston Tears and anger as tragedy hits our athletes 'T i IW 1 I tec rauid. f--jTW- CV By MIKE SECCOMBE The Federal Government's capacity to push legislation through the Parliament became more tenuous yesterday, with the revelation that the former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Mai Colston, is to be prosecuted for alleged travel rorts. The Attorney-General, Mr Williams, announced yesterday that the Director of Public Prosecutions had summonsed Senator Colston "in relation to allegations of defrauding the Commonwealth on matters associated with travel allowance and the use of frequent flier It is understood Senator Colston will face 24 counts of fraud in all. In a brief statement last night, the senator said his conscience was clear and that he would be "defending the charges with Should he be convicted, Senator Colston would have to resign from Parliament Because he was elected as a Labor senator, the vacancy created by his departure would be filled by the ALP, which would move the 'delicate balance of power in the Senate decisively against the Government Mr Williams also revealed Senator Colston's predecessor as Deputy Senate President former senator Mr Noel Crich-ton-Browne also would be prosecuted for fraud against the Commonwealth, over alleged misuse of his entitlements in relation to spouse travel entitlements.

It is understood there are two complaints relating to flying others as his wife. Both men are due to appear in court on August 12. Senator Colston was a Labor senator until August 20 last year when he quit his party and was rewarded by the Howard Government with the deputy presidency, which carries with it an extra $16,000 in salary, plus extra staff and other perks. He was subsequently given extra perks at the personal request of Mr Howard. He voted consistently with the Government in the Senate, but to one of the Australian athletes, and, below, Yetty Bennett and Greg Small who died in the tragedy.

Photograph by AP Frantic rescue Police give By ROSS DUNN HELEN PITT and MALCOLM BROWN Sydney's Jewish community was in shock last night after a bridge collapse in Tel Aviv claimed the lives of two Australian athletes and left seven others critically injured. Australia's Jewish tenpin bowling champion, Mr Gregory Small, 37, an accountant of Blakehurst, and the tenpin bowling team manager, Mrs Yetty Bennett, 50, a saleswoman from St Ives, were killed when the wooden bridge collapsed as the athletes crossed it during the opening of the Maccabiah Games. Forty-three others were injured. Mrs Bennett's partner, Mr Frank Gaenslyer, 53, remains in a critical condition. Among the others critically injured are Bondi tennis player Sacha Elter- criticised the Games organisers for choosing a cheaper bid than its to build the bridge.

Israel radio reported that the army had offered to build it for $115,750, but the contract was given to a private company which put in a lower bid. Some Australians and Israelis could not contain their anger over the decision to allow the opening ceremony to go ahead while the rescue operation was still under way. Mr Isi Liebler, chairman of the governing board of the World Jewish Congress and former president of the Australian Jewish Community, said: "I believe this is one of the most horrible examples of lack of sensitivity that I've ever experienced." The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, said that came under heavy attack from the Opposition from February, after a former staff member went public with allegations that he had misused his entitlements. The Government was forced to begin a departmental inquiry after Senator Colston was filmed using a chauffeur-driven car, while his son and staffer, Douglas, used the luxury car supplied to the senator. Over subsequent weeks, Senator Robert Ray (Labor) made a series of allegations under Senate privilege notably, that Senator Colston had repeatedly claimed a travel allowance to Canberra when he was at home in Queensland.

A second Senate inquiry was ordered and, on March 24, reported it had found dozens of discrepancies. Senator Colston repaid $6,800 but blamed his office manager, Mrs Christine Smith, for "sloppy The Government accepted his explanation and continued to rely on his vote. But on April 8, Mrs Smith recanted her statement accepting blame and said Senator Colston personally filled in his expense claims. In the face of mounting political damage, Mr Howard belatedly called for a police investigation, and ordered Senator Colston to step down from the Senate presidency, saying he would no longer accept the senator's vote in Parliament However, the Government continued to oppose an investigation by the Senate Privileges Committee into the apparent misleading of the chamber inherent in his and Mrs Smith's statements to it The privileges inquiry remains in limbo until any criminal matters are resolved. Mr Crichton-Browne, a former West Australian senator, was expelled from the Liberal Party in 1995.

Last night he denied any wrong-doing. "I've certainly committed no offence," he said. PAGE 2: Analysis. censuses, and the last this century, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the principal findings yesterday, revealing that the national population grew by 6.2 per cent between 1991 and 1996. Despite a slowdown in the immigration intake since the late 1980s, the census-takers counted 17,892,423 Australians on the night of August 6.

The figures also reveal a population that is gradually greying, with those aged 65 or over now accounting for 12.1 he delivered the eulogy at a private cremation service. He said Sir Garfield's revelation of his hero gave him an insight into the personality of the man who overcame a poverty-stricken childhood to attain the highest office in his chosen career of the law. "It was the spirit that drove Gar Barwick," Sir James said. "That spirit was noble and indomitable. It was robust, it knew meekness and defiance.

"It reached out and helped those people who needed it and it resented injustice. The body is ashes but the spirit will always live." Continued Page 6 PAGE 6: Lawyers remember; Tributes. PAGE 16: Editorial. PAGE 17: Jim McClelland. when he heard of the tragedy he told the organising committee that the ceremony should not proceed if even one person had died.

"The opening took place while it was still unclear what the status of the wounded was," he later told reporters. "After it was determined that someone had been killed, I left the ceremony and sent a request to the organising committee to stop it and this was done." The Prime Minister, Mr Howard, offered his condolences in a letter to the Australian delegation. He said all Australians had been deeply shocked by the awful accident "Such sorry images of the loss of human life touch the nation," he said. PAGES 12 and 13: The Games disaster reports and pictures. sion on fashionable Ocean Drive, said a white man aged about 25 was being sought over the drive-by shooting.

Calabri-an-born Versace, who was 50, was the founder and chief designer of the Milan-based fashion house. Gianni Versace shot dead Older, better paid but deeper in debt: this is mouth-to-mouth resuscitation man, 15, swimmer Cherie Silver, 14 and Australian chess champion Mrs Irena Berezina-Feldman, 32, also from Bondi. Another 1 8 people remained in hospital in Tel Aviv last night with minor injuries. "I don't know whether there is a Jewish family in Australia who does not know someone in the team," said Mr Jeremy Jones, executive vice-president of the executive council of Australian Jewry. Jewish Community Services has set up a hotline (telephone 9369 1400) for those wishing to know more information or to receive counselling.

The Australian delegation at the Games sometimes referred to as the Jewish Olympics decided to continue to compete in the Games, which Islanders grew by 33 per cent, possibly due to an increasing willingness of many Australians to declare their indigenous origins. At home, we continue to speak English predominantly (81.2 per cent), but there are significant differences across the nation, with the proportion of English speakers falling to 69.5 per cent in NSW. The second most popular language spoken in NSW homes is Arabic (11.3 per cent), followed by Cantonese and Italian (9.9 per cent each). COLUMN THE NORTHCOTT Society, formerly the NSW Society for Crippled Children, has an infuriating tale to tell. A male phone caller has been harassing people, mostly women running their own businesses, claiming they had agreed to advertise in a "crippled children's magazine" and demanding payment.

He is rude and abusive, telling them they have plenty of money. One upset woman says she has had harassing calls since Christmas. The society (9890 0129) rightly says the calls should be ignored. THOUGHT for the Day: Poppy Smith, of Belrose, asks: "With all the modern gadgets in the cars of today, has there ever been space designed for umbrellas? Especially wet ones?" By LUIS M. GARCIA We are getting older.

We are earning a little bit more, but much of that extra money is going into rent or to meet our ballooning mortgage repayments. We may speak myriad languages at home, but we remain an overwhelmingly European nation. And yes, your suspicions are right: there appears to be a national shortage of men. Hello, Australia. Nearly a year after conducting the most ambitious of its 1 3 1 ft? if the massacre of their colleagues by Arab terrorists.

Most of the Australian participants appeared prepared to wait for the outcome of an official inquiry before deciding who was responsible for the tragedy. But the Israeli Army your life mere 5.3 per cent earned more than $52,000 a year. Again, those earning the most in Sydney are in the northern and eastern suburbs, while those earning the least are in the outer western suburbs. But praying to God to solve our financial problems is no longer so popular the number of Australians who say they have no religion has jumped from 23.1 per cent in 1991 to 25.1 per cent last year. PAGES 8 and 9: Australia's changing face detailed reports.

uses no water, preventing us from reporting the NPWS is flushed with its success. VISITING the renal ward at Prince Henry Hospital, Sid, of Drummoyne, was cheered by a sign on the wall: When escorting a patient to Prince of Wales for a renal transplant don't forget to take the kidney with you. THIS column began 50 years ago, in the prehistoric days when communication was only by letter and telephone. Today, we are swept, kicking and screaming, into cyberspace we now have an e-mail address: column8smh.fairfax.com.au Put the entire item in the body of the e-mail message. Please, please, when e-mailing, writing or faxing, include your name, address and phone number we still like to talk to people.

Our direct line is 9282 2207, and fax number 9282 2772. 4. i- The world-renowned fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot dead late last night Sydney time outside his mansion on Miami Beach, Florida, authorities said. A Miami Beach police spokesman, Mr Al Boza, speaking outside the luxurious man If i were suspended for 24 hours to mourn the deaths. Before the delegation met, the Australian team manager, Mr Harry Porcel, among others, cited the example of the Israeli athletes who continued to compete in the Munich Olympics in 1972 despite About 40 per cent of private dwellings in NSW are owned outright by their occupants, and a further 22.5 per cent are being purchased.

But we are paying a lot more for those mortgages, with the median housing loan repayment jumping by 40 per cent between 1991 and 1996, to $867 a month. When it comes to income distribution, we are far from an egalitarian nation 47 per cent of all Australians aged 15 or over had an annual income of less than $15,600 in 1996. A FROM Merimbula's Michael Montague comes a local TV guide. It describes a coming show, Humphrey Bogart's The Maltese Falcon, as "an all-time classic suspense The suspense, however, is rather spoilt for its readers the main picture on the guide's cover is of Bogart and Mary Astor with the caption: "Sam Spade about to hand over murderess Brigid O'Shaughnessy to the law." THE NATIONAL Parks and Wildlife Service is lavatorially obsessed. On June 20 we reported it had installed Australia's highest lavatory, 2,076 metres above sea level on Mt Kosciuszko.

Now it is happily announcing its lavatory at Pipers Lookout on Brown Mountain, between Nimmitabel and Bega, has taken honours in the 1997 Metal Building Awards. It's a prefabricated composting model, and won in the Community Environment category. It How Sir Garfield admired the spirit of Captain Cook per cent of all Australians, compared with 1 1.3 per cent five years earlier. Nearly a quarter were born overseas, with more than half of these coming from Europe, including the United Kingdom and Ireland and the countries that used to make up the Soviet Union. Of those born overseas, just under 22 per cent were born in Asia, with another 5 per cent born in the Middle East and North Africa.

Surprisingly, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Lady Barwick leaves the memorial service yesterday. 17 Richmond 5 to 17. i i Commercial Property We specialise in every aspect of commercial property and development finance. A close-knit specialised team focussed on secure, tailor-made solutions adds value to every project. Make a decisive move.

Call Max Leslie, Chief Manager, St. George Commercial Property. You'll quickly discover we're small enough to respond, big enough to count on. 1800500208 You know where you stand with By SALLY LOANE It was during one of their frequent late-night discussions in their tiny neighbouring rooms in old Parliament House that Sir James Killen asked his friend Sir Garfield Barwick whom he admired most in the world. "He paused," Sir James said.

"Then he said Captain James Cook. He told me that he admired Cook's extraordinary courage, the way he pushed that little ship so far using his great navigational skills, the extraordinary way he held command for so long. (It was the spirit that drove Garfield said." Sir James Killen, Mr Malcolm Fraser's Minister for Defence and one of the late Sir Garfield's last surviving political friends, recounted the story yesterday as Internet www.smh.com.au K0F.1E DELIVERY (02)92823800 ISSN 0312-6315 Business 29 Opinion 17 PHONE few Weather today sydney 9 to 17 Mosty drv and cloudy, the chance of an isolated shower. TOMORROW Sydney Fine with INSIDE southerly winds, maximum of 15. Liverpool 7 to COMMERCIAL PROPERTY uossworas zi msonai Notices jo Full Index 48 Editorials 16 Sport 48 Editorial ..92822822 Amusements 24 Law Notices 43 Stay in Touch 28 Classified Arts 14 Lottery 6296 Money 12 Television 28 132535 Bridge 27 Obituaries 35 World 10 General.

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