The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

Your now Sunday Mcnoy Sunday Drlvo i lnsldo Gtory Aplcuco Melbourne after dark work harder. Avoiding those of Rex Hunt Inc. marjazino The best in food, drink, fashion and travel in a free color magazine THE SUNBAY AG-IE Yesterday a man calmly walked into the National Gallery and took Melbourne's most controversial photograph off the wall. How could it happen? M1MM ATTAC St If Making your money fa II fi Christ' just before it was damaged be light' Big teat: This season may feature Test play under lights. ire.

car service ripoffs The rise By Darren Gray, Geoff Strong and Patrick Carlyon THE photograph at the centre of one of Australia's biggest art rows was removed from its wall at the National Gallery of Victoria and damaged yesterday in an attempt to disrupt its controversial public showing. The incident happened about midday, two hours after the exhibition, featuring the work of American photographer Andres Serrano was opened to the public. Witnesses said a man walked through the gallery and into the Serrano exhibition, and lifted the 'Piss Christ' photograph off the wall. Police said the photograph suffered scuff marks to the perspex cover and some damage to its frame. A Sydney man, 51, appeared in an out-of-sessions hearing charged with one count each of criminal damage and burglary.

John Allen Haywood, of Mt Druitt, was remanded in custody to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates court tomorrow. After the incident, the photograph was left on its side near the door to the Serrano exhibition and guarded closely by security staff. It was later removed for assessment and repair. The photograph, which depicts a Crucifix immersed in Serrano's urine, has outraged church and family groups and was the subject of legal action last week. Witnesses said the man grabbed the photograph from the wall and tried to walk out of the exhibition with it.

They said a struggle with three security guards followed and 'Piss Christ' was eventually taken from the man's grasp a few metres from where it hung. Two eyewitnesses said the man abused security guards before leaving the Serrano exhibition. The eyewitnesses said the man had kicked at the photograph during the struggle, swore at security guards and threatened to return and cause trouble. They said he then moved a few metres away from Serrano's works before he was confronted by another gallery worker. The man then threatened the worker before being detained, the witnesses said.

hours after being called, Implementing a policy of "zero tolerance" by saturating high-crime areas with police and arresting and questioning anyone who appears to have broken any laws, from drug trafficking to fare evasion. Long-term plans to equip police cars with state-of-the-art computer equipment and close many local police stations. Police would then download information and instructions at specially built booths at fast food restaurants. Assistant Commisioner (Service Improvement) Bill Severino said "20 per cent of police time is spent in the actual law enforcement role. We want to get closer to the core role of preventing and detecting crime." Under the proposed system, calls to police would not auto-' maticalty result in police being sent to deal with non-urgent problems.

Continued 10 yMM to tf fef JoMPfe Itota1 ivm yMfs r. i AifjL Jg S. If yesterday. PtetufK JOE CASTRO IAb memo urges spy fretwork on Labor By Michael Magazanik and Lyall Johnson THE Victorian Liberal Party is planning to use intelligence networks and secret Tiles to spy on ALP opponents and discredit Labor Party members. The plan is outlined in a confidential memo written by the state director of the Liberal Party, Dr Peter Poggioli.

'The Sunday Age' has learnt that Dr Poggioli distributed the document after making a presentation to a high-level Liberal Party review panel in Ballarat in early July. The memo surfaced yesterday at the Victorian Liberal Party Council meeting in Shepparton, where the Premier's planned reforms to the auditor-general's office were delivered a stinging rebuff by rank-and-file party members. The party voted overwhelmingly for a motion calling on the Government to protect the power and independence of the auditor-general and ensure he retains control over all public-sector auditing. The decision by the three MPs Mr Geoff Leigh, from Mordialloc, Mrs Inga Peulich, from Bentleigh, and Mr Victor Perton, from Don-caster to back the resolution adds to growing pressure on the Premier to modify his proposal. Mr Kennett has promised to make his plans public during the current session of Parliament which encls in December.

the memo obtained by 'The Sunday Age', Dr PoggioH- also attacked proposals to introduce voluntary voting traditionally fa--vored by the Liberal Party labelling them "wrong headed" and likely to damage the Liberal Party. Dr Poggioli declared that the Liberal Party needed to establish intelligence networks on Labor Party members and candidates. "We also need intelligence about the tabor Party and its candidates," Dr Poggioli said. "Branches should begin to create files about potential Labor Party candidates. We should as a political party have the capacity to know what is on the public record about our opponents.

"We should have the capacity to identify Labor Party members and, at the very least, remove them from bur mailing list and at best discredit them for political bias in the community." Dr Poggioli said the Liberal Party would set up intelligence networks. "We need the electorates to set up an intelligence network to have their eyes and ears out on every street corner and we need them to realise just how important that information will be during election campaigns," he said. The memo also suggested that the Liberal Party put less resources Into poorer areas on election day. "You don't send the Liberal Parity's equivalent of dad's army into a new housing estate where everyone's just bought a 12-square house 'and become a home-owner for the first time," he said. I Dr Poggioli criticised voluntary voting saying that it would harm the Liberal Party, especially in safe conservative seats.

The Opposition Leader, Mr John Brumby, last night said the Kennett Government was "clearly a Government that will stop at nothing to get "They are clearly in panic mode and the fact that this has been identified from Ballarat, a marginal seat, Indicates that they are on the nose and will go to any lengths," Mr Brumby said. "The reaction of the Kennett Government over the secret police files has been less than convincing lo a community that has shown a great distaste for this activity. "There is nothing we can do to Mop them. All we can do is ensure we are elected on policies of good government and policies that are accepted as good by the community." More reports, fit Weather Tattskrtto 2 World Mews Cloudy periods with i 1 oi few showers. 4 X1 Sign of the times: Protestors outside the National Gallery yesterday.

Serrano went straight to the gallery yesterday after hearing of the attack. He told 'The Sunday Age' that "such an extreme reaction is Serrano said he knew few details of the incident. "But 1 think this is an extremist act," he said. "It's not the first time a work of art has been destroyed or damaged." Despite the furore the photograph caused last week and the presence of a sizeable group of protesters, Serrano walked calmly among them yesterday and through the front door of the gallery to assess the damage to his photograph. The doors of the National Gallery were closed for about 30 minutes 'soon after the attack.

A crowd of more than 100 people wanting to see the exhibition milled outside the front door seeking admission and an explanation. National Gallery of Victoria management refused to speak to "The Sunday Age' yesterday afternoon, despite repeated requests. Police sources expressed frustration at what they believed was a lack of co-operation by the gallery and a perceived unwillingness by gallery management to discuss the incident with the media. "If they had been more open about the whole thing it would have been easier, for a police source said. Police were called to the gallpry oil at 12.10pm yesterday after security start detained tne bydney man.

It was confirmed that police had not been attending the morning's protest outside the gallery because it was believed a prayer vigil was unlikely to lead to violence. Opponents of 'Piss Christ' held an hour-long prayer meeting outside the gallery at lunch time yesterday. One of the organisers of the meeting, Mr Ben O'Brien, said he was unaware of the attack on the photograph and that their gathering was a peaceful protest attended by 200 to 300 people. "We did not come here to do anything like that," he said. "Our focus is on prayer." Mr O'Brien promised there would be further protests against the 'Piss Christ' photograph.

I did not realise myself the depth of feeling about this," he said. Catholic and other Christians of all ages attended the meeting. They carried placards with slogans such as "Serrano's a pervert like those who "Christ will have the last word Serrano" and "This exhibition offends A spokesman for the Catholic church was unavailable for comment last night. The church launched Supreme Court action last week in a bid to have 'Piss Christ' removed from public exhibition. Justice David Harper said the photograph was "disgustingly entitled" and a "very ordinary piece of ait." But he said that while it was clear English law recognised blasphemous libel, which originated from the unity of church and state, such unity did not survive the journey to Australia.

The Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr George Pell, said that while the legal action had been unsuccessful, the church's stance had heightened awareness "of the necessity for public standards and useful discussion on just where the limit should be set The last attack on a work of art in Melbourne took place in 1986 when a' group calling itself the 'Australian Cultural Terrorists' stole Picasso's 'Weeping Woman' from the National Gallery. The painting was eventually found, undamaged, in a Spencer Street rail-' ways station locker. The critics' view, Pafe 4 In defence of art, hMkto Stoiy Open Saturday -fS. I I Special Art attack: Andres Serrano with 'Piss And the ACB said: Police a mobile phone force 'Let there By Mark Ray, cricket writer GRICKET may have finally seen the light For the first time In 120 years, Teat matches could be played under lights this summer. Under new rules agreed to by the International Cricket Council, lights can be used If the natural light deteriorates providing both competing countries agree Australia will play three Tests against New Zealand, followed by three against South Africa this summer.

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