The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 5

smh.com.au Tuesday, April 3, 2001 NCWS 5 Melbourne sheds a tear for ailing Olympic city Exiles kept out over character -V In Yki Yn W2H 4 Ink A modified Harley Davidson carries the coffin of Rodney Partington (pictured below) and his mother, Ulli, through a Ryhope memorial park yesterday. Anthony Dennis Sydney has always been sceptical about Melbourne's Major Events Company. Why would Sydney want to emulate its Victorian counterpart? Sydney, after all, is an event in its own right. But with an ailing Olympic Stadium, a big question mark over Homebush Bay and with the Gay Games between now and the rugby World Cup in 2003 as our biggest event, Melbourne, events-wise, is feeling marvellous about itself again. Yesterday, it was announced that Mr Steve Vizard, the comedian turned businessman, had replaced Mr Ron Walker, the man who secured $3.9 billion worth of events for Melbourne, including the Formula One Grand Prix, as chairman of the Victoria Major Events Company.

During his tenure, Mr Walker was critical of Sydney's management of major events with its equivalent organisation almost invisible by comparison. Victoria recently secured, and staged, the polo World Cup, a major event NSW had sought unsuccessfully. Mr Vizard had a few serves of his own for Sydney that wouldn't have been out of place at the Australian Open (yes, they've got that, too). "It's one thing to say that Sydney's an event in its own right but it doesn't explain why you haven't secured events. My advice to Sydney is keep doing what you're doing and keep coming down to Melbourne to see world-class events." He said he was saddened to see Sydney's Olympic Stadium, with its lack of events and financial troubles, suffer following the success of last year's Games.

Mr Vizard said Melbourne may be able to help Sydney in terms of events for Homebush Bay. There could be a flow-on for Sydney from certain events secured by Melbourne. He didn't rule out Melbourne, host city for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, bidding for the 2010 World Cup of soccer or even the 2020 Olympic Games. tise the community, because I can give you briefs on most communities," he said. Of about 140 applications processed, he said, a "fairly large number" about two-' thirds of people had been ruled out, either on character issues or because they did not qualify for humanitarian assistance.

"People who have been involved in the commission of crimes against humanity if they've been involved in the senior decision-making positions in the South Lebanese Army, if they've been involved in their intelligence operations they would not be coming," he said. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws show that by last October 409 people had been proposed for immigration, with 209 applications lodged. The decision to bring in the SLA families has angered the Lebanese Muslim community in Australia. Germany and Australia are the only two countries taking any of the people, despite requests from Israel. Mr Ruddock defended this, saying only eight countries in the world took refugees.

He again defended his close links with prominent figures in Sydney's Lebanese Christian community and denied this was a reason he had allocated the "What you are asserting is if I know members of any community I should not be able to make a decision that places be allocated I know people in every community," he said. "If the argument is I have to be detached and have no linkages as a minister for multicultural affairs with communities in Australia, I wouldn't be able to take any decisions." halt to hostilities to mourn gang leader tiff, s'J Bikies call Dan Proudman Feuding bikie gangs called a makeshift truce yesterday as the feared Bandidos motorcycle club mourned the death of Kurri Kurri chapter president Mr Rodney Partington. Mr Partington, 32, was killed when a homemade bomb blew up in his hands at the back of a Weston clubhouse belonging to rival gang Gypsy Jokers on March 24. Yesterday scores of Harley Davidsons littered the manicured lawns of Ryhope's Macquarie Memorial Park during the funeral. A large procession followed the short service and was led by a specially-designed bike carrying the coffin with Mr Partington's Police yesterday said the investigation into Mr Partington's death had not finished and they were still uncertain whether he was alone when the bomb exploded.

Investigators have been given several tip-offs that Mr Partington had an accomplice but have yet to find any evidence to support the claim. They have confirmed they do not know how Mr Partington got to the Government Road clubhouse and have not found any tools which could have been used to cut through the security fence surrounding the compound. A second bomb was found at Mr Partington's house a day after the explosion. The Newcastle Herald grieving mother, Ulli, riding pillion. The solemn service was in stark contrast to several months of violence which has raged across the coalfields as a turf war between the Bandidos, Gypsy Jokers and Gladiators gangs intensifies.

Police kept a close watch on the service and procession, with highway patrol officers stopping several bikies near the park to check their bona fides. A Polair helicopter hovered above the service and later tracked the procession to its end at Kurri. Several bikers were also stopped and handed infringement notices for small offences following the procession, while a white Rolls Royce, believed to be carrying the Bandidos national 4 5r president, was also stopped and checked. A wake was last night being held at the Weston Bowling Club, only a couplebf kilometres from where Mr Partington died. A Bandidos member yesterday said Mr Partington had died for "the greater cause" and was a loyal "brother" who died before his time.

"The only thing his mother asked for was for Rod to be given the biggest damn bikie funeral ever," the Bandido said. The feud began with several bashings and escalated to a drive-by shooting at a Bandidos member's house at Abermain and the firebombing of Mr Partington's tattoo shop in February. Andrew Clennell Two-thirds of those associated with the South Lebanese Army (SLA) applying to migrate to Australia had been rejected -many on character grounds -the Immigration Minister, Mr Ruddock, said yesterday. The Herald reported yesterday that Mr Ruddock was risking allowing war criminals into the country and was being accused of double standards after he offered to set aside up to 200 places for southern Lebanese families who had fled to Israel. The Opposition's immigration spokesman, Mr Con Sciacca, said yesterday Mr Ruddock had briefed him last week about the plan, and of the first 126 people interviewed only 40 would be allowed in.

"Ultimately, it's his watch, the Government's decision," Mr Sciacca said. "If they the Government make a mistake here it will be on their heads, and they'll have to pay for it." It was also revealed yesterday that an immigration briefing document on Khiam prison in southern Lebanon, run by the SLA, said conditions there had been likened by observers to those of Nazi Germany. The document said the SLA tortured prisoners, including applying electric shocks to genitalia and suspending prisoners from ceilings. Yesterday Mr Ruddock said he could show documents on most countries from where Australia accepted refugees and people under the special humanitarian program which would document similar atrocities. "I can give you briefs on most situations in which there are significant political disputes and wars of civil rights abuses don't use that material to stigma 2 CM J-" kidf lfflfeSrtSW y' K.

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