What Australian newspapers say on Thursday, April 27, 2000

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2006
What Australian newspapers say on Thursday, April 27, 2000

SYDNEY, April 27 AAP - Fears about the national card are unfounded, The Daily Telegraph
says in an editorial today.

Recalling the campaign against the Australia Card proposed by the Hawke Labor government,
it says the "Big Brother" bogeyman of George Orwell's novel, 1984 is longer relevant.

" ... technological advances of the past decade have meant the concept of 'personal
identity' has changed dramatically. Most of us have consented already to the digitisation
of the critical details of our lives.

"So the idea of one card on which certain details of our identity are encoded, and
with which we can gain one-step access to government benefits, is scarcely a radical proposal.

"It looks like simple commonsense ..."

The Australian says the proposed "smart cards" strike a balance between efficiency and privacy.

It should streamline Australians' dealing with their government while not having the
implications of a compulsory national ID card.

Recent estimates suggest identity fraud costs more than $1 billion a year.

" ... concentrating so much data - especially highly personal information such as medical
and financial records - while allowing for it to be cross-referenced opens up huge possibilities
for mischief," it warns.

The Australian Financial Review says a case is building for a rate rise, with petrol
prices likely to push inflation above three per cent.

In the past producers have absorbed cost pressures rather than raise retail prices.

"They have been forced to do so by cheap imports and competitive domestic product markets,"

it says.

"However with the economy already close to full employment, the risks posed by strong
demand, high energy and other raw material prices, and limited spare production capacity
cannot be ignored ...

"A modest rate increase is never welcome, but can be necessary, and the economy is
strong enough to absorb it."

The Sydney Morning Herald says the boost to foreign aid widens Australia's options
and provides an unprecedented opportunity to confront the global aid conundrum head-on.

But the focus must remain on our region, it says.

"The problem with aid is getting the money to those who need it. Far too much money
has been wasted by incompetent administrations or siphoned off by corrupt regimes, passing
by the world's most desperate citizens."

With more money in the kitty, Australia should be able to address urgent grassroots
needs in health and education, without detracting from good governance programs.

The Age says the past week has illustrated the fine line Australia must tread in involving
itself in the Solomon Islands.

Already Australia's police were accused of provoking the riots, and the nation's opposition
party has also warned against "interfering in the politics of the country".

The newspaper also pointed to comments made by Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer
the last time Australia sent troops to the Solomon Islands in 2003.

"(He said) there was a risk that Australia's presence could be resented and it might
be difficult to convince taxpayers to support a long commitment at a cost that is likely
to run into the billions."

"... If suspicions of neo-colonialism were to take hold in the minds of Solomon Islanders,
this would seriously complicate the mission."

The Herald Sun says the Immigration Department has finally revealed that 126 athletes
and officials who attended the Commonwealth Games have not left the country.

The department could not have been shocked by the figure, after a similar number overstayed
or sought asylum following the Sydney Olympics.

"What is troubling about Commonwealth Games overstayers has been the secrecy," it says.

"Last year the Immigration Department said it would be more open, but that has not been the case.

"As the most accident-prone department in the Howard government it has a culture of
denial or cover-up."

The Courier Mail says the Queensland Government has sensibly decided to leave electricity
retailing to the experts.

"With a totally deregulated market rapidly approaching, the decision to sell the retail
arm of Energex and the profitable retail operations of Ergon Energy makes good economic
sense and is good policy," it says.

"Ultimately, the decision to sell is an admission that opening the electricity retail
market will result in intense competition with better service, a bigger choice of products
and potentially lower electricity costs for most consumers."

The availability of power and at what price are central to the bigger issues of state
development in attracting energy hungry businesses and to underpin the high level of population
growth.

"For this reason, retaining control of electricity generation may be good long-term policy."

AAP dr/cjh

KEYWORD: EDITORIALS

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