The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 6

Page 6 The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday, May 20, 1986 Trouble for PMs: there's just no getting away from it jj i himmt jm I 3 By ROD FRAIL CANBERRA: Warren Harding, US President in the early 1920s, died of food' poisoning during a presidential trip to Alaska, not then part of the United States. It was rumoured that his wife poisoned him to avoid the scandal of an impeachment. While nothing so terminal has happened to Australian prime ministers, their overseas trips have often been dogged by disasters at home, both political and natural and Mr Hawke's latest excursion is no exception. Robert Menzies went to London in 1941 to take his place on the Advisory War Council, and returned to find he had a Cabinet revolt on his hands which ignomini-ously ended his first term as Prime Minister. William McMahon's international tours were memorable, but mainly for the length of the split in the dresses of his wife, Sonia.

And Gough Whitlam got into all sorts of strife while abroad. During the disastrous Brisbane floods of January 1974 he came under fire for not returning from South-East Asia, although he called in to Brisbane briefly on the way home. Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin while Mr Whitlam was on a European tour in December that Mr Mr Robert Menzies in London, 1941 returned to face a Cabinet revolt which ended his first term in office. Malcolm Fraser with President and Mrs Reagan in Washington, 1981 discomfort over pay Mr Gough Whitlam with his wife, Margaret, at 10 Downing Street in 1974 accused of junketing. same year, and he returned from London.

But he was quickly on his way back to take up the sight-seeing leg of his tour in Greece and Crete, leading the Opposition to accuse him of "selfish junketing" spending two days amid the ruins of the Mediterranean and only half-a-day in the ruins of Darwin. A week later, the Lake Illawarra struck the Tasman probably a gesture by Mr Whitlam at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1975. 1 The accompanying Australian media were called to the Prime Minister's suite, handed glasses of champagne and asked to toast the marriage of the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, to his second wife, Anne. The rest, as they say, is history. to a US request to use Australian port facilities to help test MX missiles in the Pacific.

After outcry at home, particularly from the left wing of the ALP, which was reported to him over the phone by his numbers men, the Prime Minister was forced into an embarrassing cancellation of the agreement. But the most ironic precursor to more dramatic events at home was Bridge in Hobart, causing Mr Whitlam to tell travelling reporters in The Hague: "It is beyond my imagination how any competent person can steer a ship into the pylons of a bridge." The next day he was forced to make an apology to the captain, in the face of further uproar at home and a threatened strike by the Merchant Service Guild. The Washington hoodoo struck Malcolm Fraser on a trip to the US capital. Jimmy Carter had already caused minor embarrassment on the previous visit by calling him John, his proper Christian name. But in 1981, while meeting President Reagan, it was domestic outrage at a 20 per cent pay rise for MPs which caused him discomfort.

This was at a time when the Government was asking the rest of the community for wage restraint, and a split was threatening in government ranks over the issue. So much so that Mr Fraser moved successfully at the first Cabinet meeting after his return to have the rise cut to 10 per cent, with another 10 per cent increase the following year. During Mr Hawke's trip to Washington in February last year, it was revealed that he had agreed Shooting charges A 26-year-oldv man was remanded in. custody in Ryde court yesterday after appearing on charges of attempting to murder a police officer in an incident on May 5 when a police patrol car was blasted with a shotgun. Roy Nicholson will appear again on May 26.

Trevor Bell, 20, and Michael Riley, 30, were remanded in custody to the same date on charges of shooting at police to avoid arrest, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, car theft and assault. Whitlam appointed Mr Gough Whitlam has been appointed chairman of the Australia-China Council for the next five "years. Mr Whitlam was responsible for Australia establishing relations with the People's Republic of China in 1972 soon after he became Prime Minister. The appointment follows Mr Whitlam's acceptance of the chairmanship of the Australian Nat-ional Gallery from July next year and speculation that he may accept a position as chancellor of Sydney University when he returns to Australia. Mr Whitlam's current appointment as Ambassador to Unesco finishes in October.

Tasmanian floods Parts of north-eastern Tasmania were isolated by flood waters yesterday and graziers were counting their losses as heavy rain continued across the state. Several thousand sheep had been drowned, roads to major towns were cut and houses evacuated as residents prepared for further flooding. Unseasonal heavy rains are expected to continue and there is a renewed flood warning for the east and the south of the state. Prince jeered Prince Philip was heckled and jeered by student protesters at Melbourne's Monash University when he received an honorary science degree yesterday. Two protesters interrupted the ceremony by calling the prince "a then left the hall to join a gathering of protesters outside.

Police were not called. Detective charged A detective has appeared in court accused of assaulting a Sydney barrister at Kings Cross. Appearing before Castlereagh Street court on Friday, Detective Sergeant Graham Collingwood Lisle of the Regional Crime Squad North hold-up squad, was charged with assaulting Robert Downie Cavanagh at Kings Cross on April 30. He was remanded till June 6 and placed on restricted duties. Icflnf-Q malracv ACTU call to lift manufacturing investment Two a wrong: Siddons in a senescent industry can commit itself to the same dear, which binds a profitable, expanding company in a booming industry? It is pertinent to.

note the experience of the Government in sealing a new industry plan for the heavy engineering sector, perhaps the most depressed manufacturing industry in the country. is seeking investment commitments from 30 companies. Even though it concerns a single industry the plan hasaken two years to arrange, and it will still be largely unenforceable and trade to get commitments from the private sector, it does not yet have any clear proposal to put to employers. Consider the impracticalities of seeking clear and quantified investment commitments across an entire sector of the economy hundreds of companies in dozens of industries, some unprofitable, all with different cycles of demand and supply, with different investment and expansion timetables. What volume of investment is appropriate for any individual company? Is it reasonable to expect that a contracting company By PETER HARTCHER CANBERRA: The ACTU wants to secure at next month's so-called mini-summit a commitment from the manufacturing sector that it will step, up its investment The union movement is piqued that while it has committed its members to accepting lower real unit prices for their labour under the Accord, companies have not made "satisfactory" new investment in plant and projects.

The ACTU sees that, as a result, the wages component of Australia's Gross Domestic Product has fallen, while the profit share has risen an unfair exchange. The unions want more of the profits of manufacturers re-invested; the ACTU and the employers agree that this is one of the basic requirements of an internationally competitive manufacturing sector. The ACTU is modelling its claim on the success of the Government's two main industry plans, which require fixed investment from the steel monopoly, BHP, and the five car-makers. The problem is that while the ACTU may be willing to -horse- without specific investment tar gets. The economic summit: what Hawke plans to jtlo purchasing from overseas were diverted to home industry, the overseas deficit would be reduced by $1.1 billion.

Increased government and industry co-operation could be achieved by setting up a national planning organisation. Senator Siddons criticised the Government for scrapping controls on foreign exchange, saying foreign borrowing should be scrutinised to stop such actions as the funding of takeovers. The takeover laws should be changed, because too much investment was being misdirected into share-market speculation. On-cost burdens would be reduced under the Democrat policy by eliminating payroll tax over three years, spreading worker's compensation costs more evenly, and encouraging investment in profit-earning industries by full imputation of dividends. Proposed changes to personal income tax 'include a tax-free threshold of SI 10 a week, and a sliding scale of marginal tax rates from 20 per cent to a maximum of 49 per cent The Democrats' economic strategy calls for: Creative government assistance to develop export-oriented manufacturing.

Government and industry cooperation. Protection of foreign currency reserves. Encouraging productive investment. Reducing the on-cost burden. Introducing a "Buy Australia" Act.

0 Setting investment priorities to develop productive capacity. Reforming personal income tax to restore incentives to the individual. Worker participation for more efficiency. Senator Siddons said the viability of export industries had to be assessed to increase the export of manufactured goods, cutting down dependence on agriculture and minerals. An Act to direct State and Federal governments to buy Australian products wherever possible should be introduced.

5 per cent of government MELBOURNE: The Federal Government and the Opposition had both adopted extreme right-wing economic policies inappropriate to the country's problems, Senator John Siddons said yesterday. The spokesman for the Australian Democrats on Treasury matters, releasing his party's nine-point economic strategy, said their plan aimed for more public control of the economy. Senator Siddons said the economic policies of the Labor Government and the Liberal Opposition were identical in their support for a market economy. The Hawke Government wanted to restrain investment and growth, while the Opposition wanted to cut wages, he said. The Democrat strategy was needed to reverse the growth of overseas debt, which had climbed 700 per cent since 1980 to S52 billion, he said.

Urgent action was required to change national economic direction, or the country would be bankrupt within a few years, he warned. But there was still confusion among Cabinet minister, Rafter the phone call with Mr Hawke, about the nature and purpose of the special meeting. I Mr Bowen appeared to djeiiy Mr Keating's claim last Friday )6at all aspects of economic policy "would be on the. at the meeting. He said the meeting would be discussing, at the employers' request, "matters relating to issues ofr investment by the business "community and that Those attending today's telephone hook-up in Canberra were Mr Keating, Mr Willis, Mr Bowen, the two Senate leaders, Senators Button and Grimes, the Finance Minister, Senator Walsh, and the Special Minister of State, Mr Young.

Milton Cockburn reports from Canberra: the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr said the proposed meeting was simply an adjourned meeting of the Advisory Committee on Prices, 'and Incomes he stressed 'the limited nature of that committee. analysing the economic situation. "Within that context, some proposals may emerge from the parties," Mr Hawke said. "If they do, the Cabinet will consider them." Mr Hawke recalled that the meeting had arisen from a request by employers at a session of the advisory committee last Friday to be given a greater opportunity to discuss economic policy. Mr Keating and Mr Willis had agreed.

"That is what is going to happen nothing more, nothing less," Mr Hawke said. From Page 1 The Prime Minister said the meeting would be held on June 5, provided this was suitable for all the members of the advisory committee. Any minister who wished to contribute to preparations to the meeting could do so through Mr Bo wen. He would be kept informed to the extent necessary by Mr Bowen until his return next Monday, when he would take charge of the matter. He expected the Government to put before the meeting a statement Leukaemia diagnosis led to children's drowning: police Now you bullish about investing in the Jit ing television till about 1 am.

She then filled a hand basin in the bathroom with water, took Rebecca from her cot and held her face down in the water for about two minutes. She returned the girl to her cot where she replaced her wet pyjamas with dry night clothing before covering her up. Mrs Roberts-Jones had then repeated this with her son. Sergeant Rootes said it was alleged that she then went to the kitchen and took a number of Serepax tablets before slashing her wrists. She was discovered by her husband early on Sunday morning after he heard noises in the kitchen and found her stumbling around.

Police and ambulance were called after she told her husband she had drowned the children. Sergeant Rootes said Mrs Roberts-Jones had made admissions to police in records of interview later in the day. Police held fears she might again attempt to take her own life if granted bail. Mr Forbes remanded Mrs Roberts-Jones to the City Coroners Court on June 4 and recommended she receive medical care and observation while in custody. A woman drowned her two young children in a bathroom hand basin after discovering her son had leukaemia, Kogarah Court was told yesterday.

The woman had been paranoid about her children's health because her first child had died of the disease in July 1984, the police prosecutor, Sergeant Ray Rootes, said. Appearing before the magistrate, "Mr Terry Forbes, was Sherrie Christine Roberts-Jones, 35, of Albert Street, Bexley, charged with the murders of her children, Christopher John, aged 2Vi, and Rebecca Ann, six months, on Sunday morning. Sergeant Rootes said Mrs Roberts-Jones had been married for about 13 years. Her first child, Benjamin, had been born in 1982. But he fell ill with leukaemia and died of the disease in July 1984.

Following the births of Christopher and Rebecca, Mrs Roberts-Jones had become paranoid about their health, he said. Over the past few months, Mrs Roberts-Jones had noticed that Christopher was developing symptoms of leukaemia and last Thursday took him to a doctor at Bexley where blood samples were taken. On Saturday morning the doctor had con- smrp marker Mrs Roberts-Jones to receive medical care. firmed that the boy had leukaemia, Sergeant Rootes said. Mrs Roberts-Jones had then gone to the Hurstville Medical Centre where she obtained a prescription for some Serepax tablets.

At about 6 pm on Saturday night she had fed and bathed the two children and put them to bed after giving Rebecca one and Christopher two of the Serepax tablets. Sergeant Rootes said Mrs Roberts-Jones had then stayed up watch capital growth, and a Fund with an emphasis on higher total pre-tax returns. And if your needs change, you can switch part, or all of your investment from one Fund to another. This is your opportunity to invest in a professionally managed portfolio, designed to satisfy your needs, even when they change. Futures contracts are also an authorised invest As bullish as a large corporate i nvestor.

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was extradited from the United States two weeks ago to face charges relating to defrauding the Department of Social Security, American Express and two Sydney department stores. Also known by the names of Reverend Russell Cameron and Russell Whitecloud, an Apache Indian name, Levinge has claimed that his real name is Ricardo When asked by the magistrate, Mr Kevin Webb, if he intended pleading guilty or not guilty, Levinge said that he had intentions of pleading guilty to the charges under State law. "I have not made up my mind on the Commonwealth charges." he said. Mr Webb then suggested he decide upon his plea, to which Levinge replied, "I feel we're putting the cart in front of the donkey. "This court has no legal jurisdiction over me," he said.

Levinge said the question of the total amount involved in the charges, which he said was SI 35.000. was exaggerated. Mr Webb suggested that Levinge get legal advice for his forthcoming committal hearing, which is expected to last six weeks. Miss Debbie Huber, prosecuting on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court there was some degree of indecision as to whether the case against Levinge would proceed under a State prosecutor or the Director of Public Prosecutions. She said the hearing would probably call 72 witnesses.

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Please send a Prospectus for the National Mutual Sliare Market Trust Funds. Name Address Court told of hanging bid Three women prisoners who allegedly tried to hang a fellow inmate have pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder. Before the magistrate, Mr Brian Hanrahan, in Lidcombe Local Court yesterday were Lynne Marjorie Broughton, 29, Deborah Rogers, 22, and Elizabeth Hilder, 19. They are each charged with three counts of the attempted murder of Marie Lynne Sandrin on May 2 at Mulawa Detention Centre at Silver-water. The court was told that the alleged victim was tied to her bedpost, stripped and beaten.

After two attempts to strangle her failed, police allege, Sandrin was forced to stand on her bed, which was then pushed to the cell doorway. A noose, made from strips of towels, had been placed around Sandrin's neck and the bed pushed away from under her. Bail was refused by Mr Hanrahan and he remanded the three in custody to appear for a committal hearing in September. wv' Judge Staunton ruled that Chad could have access to all the material he sought, although some of it was only to be inspected by arrangement with the court registrar. During the hearing, Mr Barker said that there might be applications for parts of the proceedings against Chad to be heard in secret.

There was some material that could prove "sensitive" and jeopardise other people's interests if heard publicly, he said. Chad is charged with misconduct, with failing to exercise strict honesty and truthfulness in an interview on August 19, 1985, and with discrediting the NSW Police Department by associating with Fayez Hakim between January and July 1983. Hakim has since been charged with conspiracy over the prisons early release system. Outside the court, Mr Barker said that the case against Chad was due to be heard in a fortnight and was expected to last about five days. A police inspector facing four internal charges sought and was granted yesterday access to all taped and written material held by police concerning his case, including some information described as "extremely At a NSW Police Tribunal hearing.

Inspector Nelson Chad, who is charged with bringing discredit to the force by associating with alleged criminals, was granted access after some initial resistance from the police. Following submissions by Mr Ian Barker, QC, for Chad, Sergeant Gordon Lever told Judge James Staunton that he had no objection to the Criminal Investigation Unit material being seen by Chad and his legal representatives. But the police did not want some of this information made public because it was "extremely Mr Barker said he could give an assurance of confidentiality in. respect of this information if. required.

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