The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

7r5cj The NEIL MITCHELL CENTENARY TEST Are we the world's worst drivers? a (Flusit i 20 years on Spoils week Opinion THE SUNDAY ACE 1 111 Kk. i'nm- ffwm The Sam Newman saga Part IV: I the plumber hits out (again) EXCLUSIVE By Steve Butcher Key senator faces new rorts claim 3v THE COLSTON AFFAIR By Paul Daley, national affairs i tit. IS law What the adviser, Mr Andrew Hillard, claimed: "It is very galling to work for a person who you know is playing the system. It upset me greatly." 0 flnHE MAN alleged to have left I television personality Sam -L Newman with a broken nose last weekend broke his silence yesterday, saying he welcomed any police investigation Into the incident. Mr Michael Hamill, a plumber and property developer who described himself as "just a normal claimed he had been indirectly approached by Mr Newman to keep quiet about the events outside Mr Newman's house last Sunday evening.

Mr Hamill told "The Sunday Age' that the publicity surrounding the Incident "is not good for me or Melissa (Skirton) and, at the end of the day, it certainly won't be good for Sam "It's Just an incident that happened. I'm not playing on this. Ideally I'd like it to pass, (but) every second day I pick up the paper and Sam Newman's saying something." Hamill said Mr Newman wanted to have his cake and eat it too. "You can't be saying one thing 'Say nothing, Michael, and let it all pass' and paint me as the villain You can't have it both ways. "Every time I pick up the paper it's little tidbits coming out of here and there and they are all Incorrect (Mr Newman) wants me to say nothing." -The biggest row to have enveloped social scene In years began list Sunday evening when it was alleged a-inan drove his van into the front gates aTMr Newman's home about 11pm and "struck Mr Newman when he answered the doorbell.

Mr Newman and Ms Skirton a girlfriend of Mr Hamill had returned to Mr Newman's home for drinks after their first dinner date. In an interview with 'The Age' yesterday, Mr Newman said he had told police a man punched him in the face, breaking his nose and rendering him unconscious. 2ZMf Newman, who claimed to have regained consciousness with the man Stride him and with the attacker's ttftnds around his neck, said he also suffered bleeding to his nose, left eye, b8 and chest and also apparent teeth Marks near his left nipple. Mr Hamill said he had received numerous offers from magazines and television shows to talk about the incident, but had refused them all. He said Ms Skirton had also declined similar offers.

He said he and Ms Skirton had had dinner last week and "everything's pretty normal I see Mel all the Mr Hamill said he had been contacted indirectly this week by Mr Newman through a mutual friend asking him to say nothing publicly about the issue and to "let it all Mr Hamill said: "I don't think (the matter) is funny. Not one bit What can I do? I've said nothing about it. (Mr Newman) has asked me to say nothing about It Indirectly, to both myself, and my girlfriend Melissa. Continued P2 XL What Senator Mai Colston said: "Many of Mr Hillard's comments are utterly false and defamatory malicious innuendo." Mr Millard admitted under oath that he was "well aware" he could have been an accessory to an offence under the Crimes Act. "It is very galling to work for a person who you know is playing the system.

It upset me greatly. It nearly caused me to resign on several occasions but, of course, you cannot raise the matter with the senator because that is his business," he said under cross-examination. Asked by counsel assisting the Commonwealth whether he was "happy tf acknowledge that you took part in criminal Mr Hillard said: "Absolutely." Asked why he had not resigned on principle. Mr Hillard said: "If. you are saying (hat, that I did not resign on a Hinder of principle because of the activities that took place, you are correct, and if if you are also implying by that question that I should feel bad about that, I certainly do." Mr Hillard told the tribunal he believed he would have breached the Secrecy Act if he became a "whistleblowcr" while working for Senator Colston.

Mr 1 lillard was giving evidence in the pan-heard case Fraser and Comcare. which involves an appeal to the AAT by another Conner member of Senator Colston's staff. Mr Frederick Fraser. Mr Fraser appealed lo the tribunal against a ruling by Comcare, which handles compensation claims from public employees, denying him compensation for stress-related illness, which Mr Fraser claims was caused by working for Senator Colston and another senator. In verbal evidence and in a letter of response presented lo the tribunal, Senator Colston strenuously denied the allegations.

"I must mention many of Mr Hillard's comments are utterly false and highly defamatory." Senator Colston wrote on 6 December 1994 in response to the allegations contained in Mr Hillard's affidavit. Continued P2 The Colston affair P10 A FORM I-R adviser to the key federal independent, Senator Mai Colston, has testified that the senator cashed in his parliamentary stamp allowance, paid family members for work they did not do and misused his postal entitlement for party political purposes. Mr Andrew Hillard, 49. an electoral officer for Senator Colston for 18 months until September 1990. told the Administrative Appeals Tribunal three weeks ago that he had been an accessory lo crimes allegedly committed by the senator.

He said he had felt bound under the Secrecy Act from complaining to authorities. In evidence to the tribunal. Senator Colston said "many of Mr Millard's, comments are utterly false and He dismissed them as a "farrago of lies and malicious In verbal evidence before the AAT on 30 January and in a sworn statement lodged with the tribunal, Mr Hillard alleged that, while he was employed by the senator between 20 February 1989 and September 1990, Senator Colston: Usually reques-ted the stamp allowance in his Canberra office to be issued in sheets of stamps "which were converted to cash value, often at the Parliament House post office, totalling many thousands of dollars worth of cash redemptions, which no doubt went straight into his Casually employed his two sons to fill in during holiday or sick leave absences, or after staff resignations. The remaining full-time staff carried "the extra workload burden whenever this occurred, because usually his family members never attended the office to fulfil their paid Once employed one of his sons for two weeks but the son "stayed at the family home in Brisbane to study for university rfe t1 "Kept gifts for himself from overseas governments which were specifically given to him for the Australian Government (including an antique, silver cigar box from Germany) and, hence, (he Australian Was responsible for "padding and milking every expense-claim opportunity, particularly for overseas representative Diverted his parliamentary stamp entitlement contrary to guidelines covering parliamentary entitlements for party political purposes; and Kept, rather than distributed as required, a batch of medals that were minted for the 75th anniversary of the Anzac landings. The medals were entrusted to him as a government delegate to the ceremony at Gallipoli in 1990.

Mr Hillard, a former newspaper editor who now works as a freelance journalist, told the AAT he had no grievance with the senator. f'i A plumber's tale: "It's not a jealous-boyfriend syndrome," said Mr Hamill. Picture: PENNY STEPHENS Spy planes to check pool fences CIA tips power struggle By Kate Nancarrow, family reporter ticular address and retrieve information about the house, including the presence of a pool and pool fencing. A spokesman for Knox said the council would encourage pool owners until July to have fences installed. He said: "At the moment, it's the carrot; after July, it's the stick.

Council staff will be doorknocking houses with pools." The executive director of KidSafe, Dr Arlie McQueen, said that until the recent drownings in unfenced pools of an 18-month old girl at Reservoir and a boy, 3, at Doncas-ter East, she had been hopeful that drownings this year would be fewer than in previous years. Now she feared pool owners were delaying fencing until the last minute. "It is important that people fence their pools now, when they are being used, and not wait until the last minute. In July no one will be using their pool, Dr McQueen said. Many councils, such as the City of Monash, were willing to check that fences complied with regulations and could advise on any modifications required, she said.

A paediatrician at the Royal Children's Hospital, Dr Michael Marks, said there had been no decline in the number of children admitted to hospital after near-drownings. Many children that survived could be left with debilitating respiratory problems or brain damage. Dr Marks said that while it was important that pool owners learned resuscitation techniques, preventing children falling Into pools by building fences and adequately supervising them was much wiser. A spokeswoman for Smorgon Fencing, Victoria's largest supplier of pool fencing, said demand had been steady this summer but many pool owners seemed to be waiting until the July deadline passed. "A lot of people are saying they are not in a major rush, that they've got until July," said Ms Sheryl Wood.

"The presumption is we're going to be very busy in June and July but some people are saying, 'What council is going to check whether I've got a pool fence or GOUNCILS plan to use aerial mapping and computerised information to identify home-owners with unfenced swimming pools and spas once fencing becomes'mandatory in July. The move comes after two recent child drownings, at least four near-drownings in unfenced pools and reports from contractors that there has been little increased demand to fence existing pools. This is despite the hot summer, a heavy publicity campaign and the looming legislation. Councils will administer the new regulations and impose fines of up to $500 for pools and spas that remain unfenced after 30 June. Knox council is one of several that plans to use aerial mapping to check pool fencing.

'The council will use aerial photos of the municipality, combined with a rjomputerised system that allows staff members to click on any par CHINA faces a power struggle following the death last week of paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, according to a top secret report by the CIA. The report, quoted by a Washington newspaper, says President Jiang Zemin has failed to consolidate power and could face challenges from up to seven rivals. It says the battle to lead the world's most populous nation will pit "old-line leftists" against reformers anxious to maintain China's economic growth. And It says that debate Is being carried out with "an unusually high level of Ideological Full story, P12 You can pay off your Home Loan sooner Backyard hunt: Councils plan to use aerial photos to find unfenced pools. With extra repayments welcome any time Snve more interest with fortnightly repayments and Mortgage Offset Visit your branch or ca131575 Weather They did it lyear Fixed Special Victoria today Isolated coastal drizzle.

Fine Inland. Maaar.Flaa,25'C. Waaaaaaay. Shawara, 25C DataMt: Proaarty I A Florida man facet a flve-yew Jail term after being convicted of possessing; a pallet of hardened toad secretion containing; bufotenine. The drug, which Is usually smoked, Is a hallucinogenic often used aa an aphrodisiac.

Malboaraa today Fine. Partly cloudy. Light to moderate southwest wind. Mwat Tlinn4ay or acast Remaining tine until Wednesday brings a change with some thundery showers. New loans only.

Conditions, fees and charges apply. Full details available on application.Then pay the variable rate: currently 8.25V. Bank of Melbourne cuts the cost of banking Head Offlct: S2 ColttM StfMt, Mxxmw 3000 A.CN. 007 270 44S kajtx: Tattslotto 2 World News 12 Business 15 Editorial Opinion 16 Terry Lane 16 Spy 18 Amusements In 'Cue' Television In 'View' magazine.