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

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25 997 5 MedilbamJk: tipped to go on auction Mock Bf JOOK nOUBH hCanbem The Federal Government if considering a proposal to sell Medihank Rivals as part of a wider agenda which would see other Commonwealth buai-sold However it recorded operating lorn of $337 million for die hut financial year after an operating surplus of $213 million forl994-95 The ERC is also understood to be wnMuHng die sale of other Commonwealth assets such as die remaining Department of Administrative Services an landmark report Sources said a sale would be onmpiex became would mean determining which assets belonged to Meriiwnk Rivate and which belonged to die HIQ which has placed Mwficare and Medibank Rivate offices together Selling Medihenk Rivate would be fraught politically because premiums would almost certainly increase puncturing die Government's attempt-to arrest die decline in private insurance by offering a rebate for low-income families A second but less likely option would be to split bank Rivate from the HIC and make the insurer pay its own way such as in market-rate rents for the office space it shares with Medicare Another alternative would be for Medibank Rivate to be mutualised with members becoming shareholders The private insurers have been lobbying die Government since ill election to pet rid of Miedibnnk Private arguing that the insurer njnaf imfir advantage by faring sites with Medicare: In a March 1996 paper die The AHIA chief executive Mr Russell Schneider said yesterday: "I think die sooner Medibank Rivate is separated from die Medicate program the better "For the last 13 years much of its costa have been met by taxpayers rather than contributors and I think that Medibank Rivate should be set on a free-standing baas competing with other health insurers" on private health insurance to be mwAiH to die Treasurer on Friday would recommend Medibank Private be sold However health insurance industry observers scoffed yesterday at suggestions dial selling Medibank Rivate could net mote than $300 million party because of its profit renut last -year and because it was not deaf what would be offered for sale Health Insurance Association (AHIA) claimed Medibank Rivate had been "able to shift its administration coats on to the Medicate program" Officials in die Department of Finance and die Health Insurance Commission (H1C) which controls Medihenk Private are understood to have The Canberra Time reported cm Sunday that the Productivity sale options for die ire Review Committee which could net die Government millions of doUars There is that the Government is gamhEng on American health insurers bidding for Medibank Rivate as a way cf entering die AustraBan market tt is die Mtiiml KpiWi insurer with nearly 90000 members and an operating revenue of more than $1 biDkm Abseiling fund-raiser hits a wall of refusal ADAM HARVEY Miss Australia contestant Betty Stoned has a problem with tall buildings: she find one to leap off She lacks permission Lone mission to catch leakers So fcwv m4 4m yta m( your Secretary ftn tbf yranweiK leaks Photowaph by QUENTIN JONES By CRAM SKEHAN CuaLta UUm him lorwgnwnairguorreaponoeni Deep within the bowels of the of Foreign Affairs in Canberra lone Federal Police officer Mr Allan Spencer iswork-ing full-time trying to stem an embarrassing string of leaks of confidential material "I have enough work to keep me Mr Spencer said yesterday The appointment reflects die detenninatioo of the deuaitmeulal head Mr Philip Flood to catch officials who have ben leaking information to the media Sources said it also appeared to be aimed at creating which would discourage what the department officially calls "information fraud" ana what others view as "whistleblowing" But would-be leakers may not have much to fear if die spectacular failure of previous ad hoc Federal police investigations into leaks is anything to go by Mqjor leaks have ranged from the Heraid's reporting of bugging of Embassy ur Beijing to cables from Cambodia and a secret strategic assessment covering the Taiwan Straits Mine recently the department was red-faced over the leaking of a cable saying that New Zealand's refusal to accept incorporation of East Timor had craned a diplomatic "headache" for Australia Mr Spencer said his salary was covered by die Australian LOCAL CALLS worried when she mentioned she had abadled only several times Mr Norman sqys that not a problem his company is used to novice abscBcrs and hasSlOmB- the owners of any dty I to let her on thereof think Jumping off a bnildinf was so hard to Ms StoaeU said thought Just put one foot over the edge and off yo Most of ti Ms Stonrii contacted I go" iyst with a computer englneer-iag Arm is a veteran ftind-rafaer A former down she now gives np many of her weekends to dress in fancy costume and sell loUies for charities never done anything Mke this If it comes off all effort will be worth expertise and Insurance She set her sights on a bnikUnf around 30 storeys and hoped would raise $20000 for with cerebral palsy thi NSW Spastic Centre the on the phone and at least 15 rejections Ms Stand has yet to Mon of public lability insurance If anything goes wrong Not that he has ever had to welt Ms StooeB a software ana- rniaa but locals find a trifle tie tr-op The 31-year-old wanted to inject some spirit Into the ftaad-niisiHg section of this competition and thought of a charity abseiUag day Anyone can absefl off a cUff but even die-hard rock cHmbers aad thrill seekers were as to have launched themselves i a city building CUmbcrs would not surprisingly-jump at the chance to jump soya Mr John Norman owner of The Pitch indoor climbing centre aod an outdoor adventure company Underground Expeditions spoken to a few climbers about it and Immediately they say: off a building is illegal so a chance like this only conies along once" The buzx of absdHng off a city building would be amazing he says since they are taller than most cUflb and perfectly vertical The swift-talking Ms StoneO won the Min Australia organisers over and persnaded Mr Norman to provide equipment Success Tropfest By HOBBIT WAMWRMHT Local Government Writer The success-of Sunday night's Tropicana Short Film Festival at Ruucutters Bay Park has been dampened by neighbourhood complaints about traffic chaos unruly behaviour and films Residents police and Wooll-ahra councillors told yesterday of streets and driveways being blocked film-goers urinating on walls and gardens and dismay at what they believed to be violent and pornographic films bring shown on a 10 by 9 metre screen in view of nearby homes: An estimated 6000 people attended die event which is in its fourth year and was being held at Rushcutters Bay for the first time Another 6000 attended a simultaneous screening of 16 low-budget short films produced by industry newcomers in Victoria Road hurst WooQahra Council approved die event in Rushcutters Bay after being lobbied in writing by die Premier Mr Carr and die Opposition Leader Mr Collins Councillor Valerie Corrigan described the event aa a nightmare for residents but die coundTs general manager Ms smut luaamna wna aiyaataa Colston police queries mi Independent Senator Mai Colston was being investigated by the Australian Federal Police over "a number of allegations" die Minister for Administrative Services Mr Jull said last night Mr JulTs statement which did not specify the allegations followed Senator Colston denying any wrongdoing over the use of a chauffeured Commonwealth car while having a taxpayer-funded hire car A spokesman for Senator Colston conceded that the Senate deputy president had been driven to work iff a Commonwealth car while one of his who is a member of his was driving a self-drive hire car allocated to Senator Colston But the spokesman said that this was not in breach of guidelines for the allocation of official cars for senators Senator Colston called police to keep die media away from his front door when they tried to question him about allegations by a former staff member about the use of his travel entitlements He said he had begun defamation proceedings against the former adviser He said allegations made by Mr Andrew Hillard were untrue and unfounded Mr HQlard who worked for Senator Colston between February 1989 and September 1990 made allegations of fraudulent expense claims in evidence before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Mr Jull said that while he was unable to comment on against individual MR guidelines stated that a self-drive car could only be issued "on request to certain office holders when in Canberra In heu of car with driver when travelling on parliamentary business" "The guidelines further state that access to COMCAR services is still available in circumstances such as when attending formal he said Smoke alarms fail on children Smoke alarms cannot be relied upon to wake children during a fire according to a study conducted with alarms outside a child's bedroom where the door was shut Conducted throughout last year in Melbourne homes the Victoria University study found that of the 20 children aged six to 17 who were observed just over half slept soundly through two alarm tests In contrast 100 per cent of adults would wake up within a minute in the same The study followed moves to overhaul building regulations said Associate 1 Professor Dorothy Brock and also followed concerns about die safety of newer homes which have a children's wing SAM EIWJiTiHITiH EIPR IGESIONlTiH EIPH0N ES Federal Police but his office back-up facilities and exp were provided by die merit He confirmed dial Mr Flood could relay requests for investigations through the department's diplomatic security and counter-measures branch In March last year the department suspended alleged whistleblower Mr Alastair Gaisford and has since appealed against a court finding mat he was denied natural justice Mr Gaisford who served in the Australian Embassy in Cambodia is expected to give evidence to an inquiry into claims that there was an internal cover-up of allegations at pedophile activities by Australian diplomats overseas: However leaks have continued since Mr Gaisfondh suspension and Mr Spencer said mere had not been any successful investigations into unauthorised disclosures during the past year LEADER II IESSAGIIG fOI OIEI II TEMS LEADIIG DIGITAL IAAIDS TARIFF PUIS WITI 10 IIDDEI EXTRAS ACCESS FEES FOI VOICEMAIL PIOIEPAGE NESSAGIIGt SALES SERVICE CENTRES AISTUUA-WIOE IITERIET SERVICE PIOVIDEI IU TIbbmHOi fn paNatotaStiail lapatOaaL feihmiMiki people queued up at one stage and we had complaints about patrons urinating in gardens" One resident Mr Maurice Seamaids said some of die films shown after 10 pm should not have been shown in a public park sort of category movies should not be shown in a public park at a riant screen with he said Ms Carl defended the event but conceded there had been mistakes made including parking provisions and the placement of speakers "This is the first time the event has been held at Rushcutters Bay and come of die aspects may not have been well she said "But the crowd was very well behaved fa such a large gather-ing and die language was no worse than the documentary Rati In The Ranks on the ABC" The directa of the Office of Film and Literature Classification Mr John Dickie said the films had not been seen by censors before the screening bin were given classifications based on synopses of each film provided by the organisers Festival organisers could not be readied fa comment jail: judge off the street strangled and then sexually assaulted her He received a six-year sentence 10 months fa that attack Osborne had been arrested far the 1983 assault after he left persoial papers in a bag at the scene He became a suspect fa the Wanna murders when he left his wallet containing iHcntjficatip1 in tile and near the bodies He told police he "lost the and whoi it was over I had 1 all over me and they were dead been sick the stomach about this" lecture future occasion when there's an 80-year-old former Prime Minister who's prepared to fill the Sydney Town Hall or any other luge town hall and speak of their long-time experience I would hope the ABC would be he said The Leader of dw Opposition Mr Bearimr said dw Govem-menfi conduct was sinister: "The Governmenfk approach to tins issue which has all dw redolence of a atom in a teacup is related to a wider agenda to destroy dw independence of dw ABCr A spokeeman for Senator Alston said he welcomed dw statement by toe PACK 14: EdMoriri Killer should die in Penny Carl who attended said the crowd was well-behaved Police confirmed resident concerns blaming the organisers and council for creating an illegal parking area and not providing enough toilets Waveriey police district traffic supervisor Sergeant Gary Thompson said the event was to cope with traffic am not surprised that many residents were he said "There didn't appear to be enough portable toilets I tune vi life terms and 18 yean fa each count of rape on Osborne "Any remark I male that you ought never be rehsed from jail would not be in any way binding" he said "However does seem to me you should serve if not all your life then at least to an age where you are no longer a threat to the community before yon are released on any terms" Justice Williams said the offences were even more disturbing in the light of Osborne's attack 12 yean ago on a 19-year-old woman The woman to sur vive after Osborne dragged her Gough ALL 10 AID ERICSSON GH388 $329 A Johns safe over A man who raped and murdered two Sunshine Coast girls in a attack should never be released from jaO the Supreme Court judge sentencing him said in Brisbane yesterday Paul Stephen Osborne 28 a hand cf WuztuDa on die Goad pleaded grity to vt raping Imim Maree Ufiver 10 and Rdricia Sophie Leedie 9 in October 1993 Their savagely beaten bodies were found the next morning by leanne Oliver's father In dunes at Wanna Beach Justice Williams imposed two to be seen whether aenia ministers continue to push covertly fa his removal The broadcasting of dw lecture prompted a "please mianr last wed from die Minister fa Communications Senator Alston who described die broadcast an hour-long speech ty dw former Rime Minister Mr Gough Whitlam as a fa Laba Since receiving Mr Johns's Senator Alston has he will wait and see what dw public reaction is before letting the matter drop Mr McDonald acknowledged yesterday there had been "flaws the process of putting dw NOKIA 2110c $99 1YDNIY Bant A Spring So Sydney ST UONJUIDS 60 Pacific Highway Sc Leonards MOTOROLA d628 $19 Cnr nn Hutchison Telecoms CANBIMA NKWCASTLB 29 Townsvflto Sc 39 Duty Sc m-a rjrsnwiac RrMMEMWB The chairman of the ABC Mr Donald McDonald has haded Ins managing directa over the decision to televise die ACTU-fimded Whitlam lecture saying the board was satisfied with Mr Johns's explanation of why normal scheduling had been interrupted to put the program to air The decision to broadcast "was entirely consistent with the ABCs editorial brief as an piMic and tint there was no external infinancf in reaching the decision" he said yesterday The boaidh dedrion to bad Mr Johns means that his future is secure fa now bnt it remains i to ah" Bnt he said dw i to broadcast the lecture had been taken just days after dw ABC had announced a restructuring of hs management For this reason no aseet mg" dw meeting at which new programa are discussed had tVwi pbHT Mr Johns has strongly liii'iU-Mnii die lecture in a i nation to the board then forwarded to the minister Yesterday he said that this was a program of significance and the ABC was lifting nodiing more 1in exercising its independence "Let me say this On any CALL INTO YOUR NEAREST STORE OR FOR INFORMATION CALL 133188 OFFERS AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIMB ONLY AND WHILR STOCK! 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