The Nation

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday September 6, 2003

Edited by Damien Murphy

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Tickets on themselves

Footy mad Premier Mike Rann joined the Australian Football League and club executives in trying to whip up more ticket sales for the two weekend matches between Adelaide and West Coast, Port Adelaide and Sydney. Although the combined South Australian sales for both games 46,000 by Friday morning exceeded those sold in Perth, it was not enough for the New Zealand-born Premier. Rann accused fans of being ``wimpy".

TASMANIA

Island fastness

The unkind might suggest it's because Tasmania really is at the end of the world. Whatever the reason, the figures look better than average. Though there is a 2 per cent national downturn in overseas arrivals, Tasmania's are up 12 per cent. In an era of concern about safe travel, the island is seen as a reliable bet even by North Americans, whose numbers are up 21 per cent.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Even without a third runway

Darwin residents wondered if the war had returned when a US F/A-18 fighter jet was forced to fly low over the city on Tuesday evening. The jet had been guiding in another F/A-18, which had lost radio contact with air traffic controllers. The lead jet was instructed to turn ``immediately" to avoid a passenger plane, then about 24 kilometres away.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Fast dollars

The man behind the Froggy group of companies, Karl Suleman, was committed to stand trial on four fraud charges yesterday. The Australian Investments and Securities Commission alleged the former high-flying entrepreneur made false statements to finance brokers while attempting to buy two Ferraris and a $3.3 million motor yacht.

VICTORIA

The auld mug

News that ex-convict Alan Bond wants to join his old Australia II crew in the AFL grand final eve parade through city streets sent shudders through Melbourne. The crew are commemorating the 20th anniversary of their America's Cup win. The Herald Sun newspaper editorialised that the disgraced Perth businessman had stripped $1.2 billion from his company, Bell Resources, and questioned Bond's observation that 99 per cent of people would applaud if he rode down Bourke Street in glorious company.

QUEENSLAND

Foolhardy Mexican

A senior Victorian barrister has been convicted of contempt for calling a Brisbane magistrate a ``complete cretin". Colin Lovitt may cop a substantial fine for an aside picked up by local journalists reporting the case. When his comment appeared in the Courier Mail newspaper, the magistrate, Bruce Zahner, disqualified himself from the hearing. Justice Richard Chesterman found Lovitt's comments were ``calculated to impair public confidence in the magistrate". The judge also found the barrister had ``form", having been subjected to his professional body on two occasions after making ``intemperate comments" about courts in Western Australia.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Pearly teeth dear

A humpback whale decomposing in beach shallows in the Exmouth Gulf attracted so many tourists and sharks that authorities had to advise people to stop swimming in the area. But not everyone obeyed. As sharks swarmed near the carcass, a diver and photographer working in the area roared up in a semi-rigid inflatable boat. As they watched, a great white swam over and took a bite of the boat. ``We just kind of moved back to the other side of the boat," Paul Waghorn told journalists. The great white then swam away, prompting authorities to tow the whale ashore and bury it to stop the pleasure boats swarming and risking lives.