EURI:-KA SJRI:-Er September 1996
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Volume 6 Number 7 EURI:-KA SJRI:-Er September 1996 A magazine of public affairs, the arts and theology 26 IN THE OUTER Is there any heart left in footy, Jon Greenaway CoNTENTS asks. Simon Egan farewells his beloved Fitzroy. 29 HOLD YOUR BETS 4 Bruce Williams calculates that Cuba was the COMMENT mouse that roared at the Atlanta Olympics. John Quiggin on the Budget. 30 6 WHITE AUSTRALIA, ASIA AND LA VIEWPOINT LONGUE DUREE Chris McGillion on collegiality and J.S. Gregory assesses the impact our immigra Melbourne's new Archbishop. tion policy will have with Asia. 7 36 CAPITAL LETTER THE ITALIAN JOB Geraldine Doogue talked with Cardinal 8 Martini during his recent Australian visit. LETTERS 39 14 ACADEMICS AND THE AMATEUR SPIRIT ABUSE AND TRUST J.J.C. Smart looks at the emerging culture of Direct dealing is the only way to go in managerialism in academia. sexual abuse cases, says Bishop Geoffrey Robinson. 42 BOOKS 17 Jack Waterford takes us on a tour with The UNDER THE ROOF OF THE WORLD House on Capital Hill; The problems of Alan Nichols argues the arms trade is defence strategy are in Discourses of Danger prolonging the suffering of Afghani amd Dead Frontiers according to Brian refugees in Pakistan. Toohey (p43); Peter Pierce reviews Robert Louis Stevenson and the Appearance of 18 Modernism (p44). Cover design by Siobhan Ja ckson. ANOTHER INDONESIA Photographs pp1 , 2 by Bill Thomas. Lower cover photograph is of the Paul Chadwick meets the would-be-free 45 DNA sequencing machine at St press in Jakarta. THEATRE Vincent's, Melbourne. Geoffrey Milne talks to three actors about 19 stage, screen and film. Cartoon p9 by Peter Fraser. ARCHIMEDES Graphics pp10, 3 1, 35, 39, 50 by Siobhan Jackson. 48 Photograph p17 by Brett Parris. 20 FLASH IN THE PLAN Photographs pp20, 28 by NEITHER FISH NOR FLESH Reviews of the films Flirt, Secrets and Lies, Bill Thomas. Brett Wright explores the ethics of Ph enomenon, Kicking and Screaming, Photograph p25 by Moira Rayner. Photograph p26 by Andrew Stark. xenotransplan ta tion. Mission Impossible, and Brilliant Lies. Photographs pp l, 36 by John Casamento. 24 50 Eureka Street magazine BORDERLINE LAW WATCHING BRIEF Jesuit Publications In Latvia, Moira Rayner uncovers some PO Box 553 new and some familiar assaults on 51 Richmond VIC 3 121 human rights. SPECIFIC LEVITY Tel (03) 9427 7311 Fax (03) 9428 4450 V oLUME 6 N uMBER 7 • EUREKA STREET 3 EURI:-KA STRI:-19" CoMMENT A magazine of public affairs, the arts JoHN Q UJGGIN and theology Publisher Michael Kelly SJ Editor Morag Fraser The Consulting editor Michael McGirr SJ Assistant editor Jon Greenaway reluctant Production assistants: Paul Fyfe SJ, Juliette Hughes, Chris Jenkins SJ, Siobhan Jackson, Scott Howard Budget Contributing editors Adelaide: Greg O'Kelly SJ Brisbane: Ian Howells SJ Perth: Dean Moore Sydney: Edmund Campion, Gerard Windsor L 1996-97 Buoc"-'MWN,NT" Emeka sueet goe' to European correspondent: Damien Simonis press, will be brought down in an atmosphere of crisis, at least crisis according to the Howard government. It is claimed Editorial board that the $8 billion 'Black Hole' necessitates drastic spending Peter L'Estrange SJ (chair), cuts. Does the Black Hole exist, and if so, does it justify the Margaret Coady, Margaret Coffey, crisis measures? Valda M. Ward RSM, Trevor Hales, On the first question, it seems likely that the Budget Marie Joyce, Kevin McDonald, outcome for 1995-96 will be around $4 billion worse than Jane Kelly IBVM, was predicted when the Labor government brought down its Peter Steele SJ, Bill Uren SJ last Budget in Aprill995. Yet the projections for economic Business manager: Sylvana Scannapiego growth, unemployment and other economic parameters Advertising representative: Ken Head contained in the 1995 Budget were almost exactly correct. Patrons There were no policy decisions between the Budget and the Eureka Street gratefully acknowledges the election with any significant effect on revenue or outlays. In support of Colin and Angela Carter; the these circumstances, an error of $4 billion is a startlingly trustees of the estate of Miss M. Condon; bad forecasting performance by Treasury. Denis Cullity AO; W.P. & M.W . Gurry; It appears that almost all of the shortfall will arise Geoff Hill and Janine Perrett; because tax revenue will not meet the Budget forecasts. A the Roche family. re-examination of the Budget forecasts for 1995-96 reveals a highly optimistic projection for an increase in individual Eureka Street magazine, ISSN 1036- 1758, income tax revenues of 13.6 per cent, despite the absence of Australia Post Print Post approved any significant increase in tax rates or other measures to pp349181 /003 14 enhance income tax revenue (the Medicare levy was increased is published ten times a year by 0.1 per cent, but the effect of this measure was negligi by Eureka Street Magazine Pty Ltd, ble). It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Keating 300 Victoria Street, Richmond, Victoria 3 121 government's desire to announce a return to surplus led to Tel: 03 942 7 7311 Fax: 03 9428 4450 pressure on Treasury to come up with optimistic forecasts. e-mail: eurek<J @werple.net.au Exactly the reverse point applies to the projections Responsibility for editorial content is accepted by supplied by the incoming Treasurer when the alleged Michael Kelly, 300 Victoria Street, Richmond. discovery of the 'Black Hole' was announced. The new Printed by Doran Printing, projections for 1996-97 imply that there will be almost no 46 Industrial Drive, Braeside VIC 3195. improvement in the Budget balance, despite the effects of an © Jesuit Publications 1996. increase in company tax and the absence of any planned Unsolicited manuscripts, including poetry and expansion. This seems totally implausible. It seems much fiction, will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for more likely that the coincidence between Treasury's constant permission to reprint material from the magazine desire for spending cuts and the government's post-election should be addressed in writing to: need for an excuse to dump the promises on which it was The editor, Eureka Street magazine, elected have resulted in a swing from extreme optimism to PO Box 553, Richmond VIC 3 121. extreme pessimism in revenue projections. 4 EUREKA STREET • SEPTEMBER 1996 So far the information revealed by the Treasury, betray its trust. The recipe described above is exactly with its misleading references to 'parameter revisions' that followed by Nick Greiner in NSW, with a notable is insufficient to tell for sure whether the massive lack of electoral success. changes in forecasts are the result of incompetence The drastic cuts desired by Treasury and Finance or dishonesty. But there can be no doubt about the can be implemented successfully only in an atmos dishonesty with which successive Australian govern phere of crisis, like that surrounding the election of ments have approached the electorate in recent years. the Kennett government in Victoria. More Both the 1993 and 1996 elections were won on importantly, the policy prescription is wrong. the basis of commitments that could not possibly be Although a surplus is usually preferable to a deficit, delivered. In both cases the party leaders compounded there is no need for panic m easures. Australia could their dishonesty. Keating enacted the One Nation tax maintain a deficit of 1.5 per cent of GOP (around $7 cuts into L-A-W, only to repeal them after the elec billion) indefinitely, simply by allowing public debt tion. Howard cam- to grow in line with paigned specifically national income. on the basis of his The real need is for personal reputation ... an open debate about whether the public an end to cuts in for honesty. When services such as asked what would interest would be better served by health, education, happen if, as was environmental expected, the Budg higher taxes and better com1nunity protection and et deficit was worse social welfare, than had been services or by lower taxes and cuts in which represent a announced, he stat more significant ed that he would let services is pointless. The answer is already investment in the the deficit blow out future than an rather than renege known in advance since the ideology improvement in on his promises. the government's Underlying of the free market means that smaller net financial worth. this pattern of To the extent deceit is a belief, government is always better. that there is any shared by leading truth in the Black figures in both par- Hole, it reflects ties, and that is even more prevalent in departments inadequate revenue. To meet the goal of maintaining like Treasury and Finance, that the Australian peo and improving services, as well as the subsidiary goal ple cannot be trusted, but can be fooled. In this view, of improving the budget balance, long-term increases an open debate about whether the public interest in revenue are needed. A good start in this direction would be better served by higher taxes and better com would be the abandonment of short-term expedients munity services or by lower taxes and cuts in services like privatisation and private infrastructure bonds. is pointless. The answer is already known in advance The apparent improvement in the bottom line since the ideology of the free market means that small generated by these expedients is more than offset by er government is always better. But the electorate will the long-term loss of income they generate. Other 'tax always be fooled by offers of improved services, and expenditures' such as the concession on super its influence on policy must therefore be annuation investments for the well-off could also be kept to a minimum.