best deadline story 2009

8/7/2019 Best Deadline Story 2009

1/13

orsprung durch Technik www.audi.com.au

The new Audi Q5. The compact SUV for progressive drivers.

To experience perfectly synchronised engineering join The5EARCH.com.au, contact your nearest Audi Dealer,

ll 1800 50 AUDI (2834) SMS Q5 1800 50 AUDI (2834) 0427 262 265

Your business may be eligible for the Australian Governments proposed Small Business and General Business Tax Break.Once passed into law, businesses may be entitled to claim up to a 30% bonus tax deduction on motor vehicles purchasedby 30 June 2009. For more details, or to ensure that your business will be eligible, talk to your tax adviser.

Vorsprung durch TechnikYears of Audi

GRAND PRIX2009 28-PAGE GUIDEALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

P.J. HARVEYTHE POWER OF

COLLABORATION EG

INCGSTBLISHED IN MELBOURNE SINCE 1854 F RIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009 $1.50

TOMORROW

EARTHHOUR

THER WATER ODD SPOT INDEX ISSN 0312-6307

9 770312 630059B C D

OURNE The chance of a shower in theng then a mainly sunny afternoon. Windsto south-westerly at 15 to 25 km/hg south to south-easterly in the evening.

Min 13 Max20

TOMORROW Sunny Min 10 Max25SUNDAYSunny Min 11 Max26

MONDAYPa rtl y cl ou dy M in 12 Max25TUESDAYP ar tl y cl ou dy M in 13 Max26

Details PAGE 17

MELBOURNE DAMS:

29.5%THISTIME LASTYEAR: 33.5%

A couplein Lincoln,England,whowentto seea play billedascapable ofmakingyoulaughuntilthey throw yououtwere thrownout forlaughing.Thecouplewere told theywereejectedfrom Bouncers for laughingat moments thatwerentfunny, kicking theseats in frontand beingloud.

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESSDAY 5COMMENT & DEBATE PAGE 13

EDITORIALS, LETTERS PAGE 12LAW LIST BUSINESSDAY 5

METRO PAGE 15

MINDGAMES PAGE 16SHARES BUSINESSDAY 6, 7

TV & WEATHER PAGE 17TRIBUTES PAGE 14

WORLD PAGES 9, 10

Minister snared in spy rowtzgibbon admits failingdiscloseChina travel

CHARD BAKERPHILIP DORLING

Helen Liutoasting Chinasformer premierLi Peng, inSydney in 2002.

Former primeminister GoughWhitlam sits tothe left.

Ms Liu withthe then vice-foreign minister,Li Zhaoxing, inBeijings GreatHall of thePeople.

Ms Liu withthen foreignminister TangJiaxuan in

Beijing.

JOEL FITZGIBBON ...AND HIS FRIENDWITH LI PENG

WITH LI ZHAOXING

WITH TANG JIAXUAN

Defence MinisterJoel Fitzgibbon yesterday.

PICTURE: GLEN McCURTAYNE

FOCUS PAGE 11

Continued PAGE4Michelle GrattancommentPAGE 4

career of Defence MinisterFitzgibbon was in gravet last night after he admit-

iling to disclose taking twoto China paid for by theesswoman at the centre ofing scandal in his depart-.r Fitzgibbon late last nighteded that he had failed tore the trips to Parliamentasred and had misled thealian public earlier in they saying he had received

very small gifts.e was forced to make a pub-pology by Deputy Primester Julia Gillard, whod a statement saying shefull confidence in Mrbbon.the political crisis over Mr

bbons links to Helen Liuened following revelationsterdays Age, more detailsged about her links tor Chinese officials.s Liu is believed to have

mentioned in secretting by Australian intelli-

e officers.telligence officials in Can-have noted Sydney-based

us business activities andact with senior Chinesernment officials in thee of monitoring Chinese

ty in Australia.r Fitzgibbon said Ms Liufor two trips to Beijing

Shanghai in 2002, and toghai in 2005 that he hadd to declare as an oppo-n MP on the register ofbers interests. I failed tore those trips. This was a

ake and for that I apolo-he said in a statement.rlier yesterday his spokes-

had said: The minister hasaccepted any gifts thatd require a declaration on

members interest register.s Gillard, who is acting

Prime Minister while KevinRudd is in America, said thatwhenMr Fitzgibbonhadadvisedher of the gifts, she sought andreceived an assurance that hewould apologise. The actingPrime Minister accepted thisassurance and expressed her fullconfidence in the Minister forDefence.

In addition to the trips, MrFitzgibbon said he received a

suit from Ms Liu last year when he was Defence Minister which he returned within sev-eral weeks.

Earlier this week, The Ageasked Mr Fitzgibbons office if hehad ever received gifts such as ahandmade Italian suit from MsLiu. His spokesperson repliedthat the families had exchangedonly small, personal gifts atbirthdays and Christmas.

The Age revealed yesterdaythat Defence officials had con-ducted a covert investigationinto Mr Fitzgibbons relationshipwith Ms Liu, a friend of 16 years.

Officials from Defences intel-l igence and security areasbelieve Mr Fitzgibbons decisionto sub-let a Canberra residence

from Ms Liu is a potential secur-ity risk.

As part of the covert probeintotheministersprivateaffairs,it has been alleged a DefenceSignals Directorate officer acces-sed Mr Fitzgibbons office ITsystems and found Ms Liusbanking details.

A 2002 report by the HongKong-based World Federation ofChinese Associations was glow-ing in its praise of Ms Liu for

keeping Chinese officials abreastof political developments inAustralia. The report said shehad good relations with Austra-lian politicians and accuratelypassed new Australian policiesand moves towards China to rel-evant domestic parties.

Ms Lius lawyer, Donald Junn,declined to answer questionsabout whether his client had anyconnections to the Chinese Gov-ernment or its intelligence agen-

c i es . M s L i u c o ul d n o t b econtacted.

They (Defence officials)would be the first to know thatyouhave to have some firmindi-cation, if not direct evidence, tomakewhatis a mostserious alle-gation, Mr Junn said.

In a series of dramaticdevelopments yesterday: Defence Department secretaryNick Warner announced that theDefence Security Authority

would investigate whetherofficials had conducted a covertinquiry into Mr Fitzgibbon. Opposition Leader MalcolmTurnbull demanded an inquiryby the Inspector-General ofIntelligence Security and calledon Mr Rudd to sack Mr Fitzgib-bon, saying his relationship withhis department was broken. Mr Fitzgibbon said his plans toreform the Defence Departmentmay have prompted elements in

the department to spy on him. Questioned by reporters inWashington, Mr Rudd said hewas not aware of Ms Lius friend-ship with Mr Fitzgibbon butwould not comment furtheruntil the Defence inquiry wasconcluded. He said it was notunusual for tension to existbetween defence ministers andtheir departments.

Helen Liu:a generousallyof themotherlandBy JOHN GARNAUTBEIJING

Continued PAGE 4

HELENLiu,the ChineseAustra-lianbusinesswomanat thecentreofthe scandalengulfingDefenceMinisterJoelFitzgib-bonand hisdepartment,isknownin Chinaasone oftheirmost generous philanthropists.

Sheis alsowellconnected,havingrubbedshoulders withseniorChineseleadersinclud-ingformerpremierLi Peng.

Awebsitefor expatriateChinesereportedthat MsLiukeptgoodrelationswithAustra-lian politicians and accuratelypassed newAustralianpoliciesandmovestowardsChina torel-evant domesticpar ties.

Italsopraised MsLiuassomeonewho hasalwaysheldtheinterests ofher motherlandfirstduring heroverseasvisits.

MsLiu wasthe singlelargestdonorin theearlyreliefeffortsafterlastyears Sichuanearth-quake, handingover30 millionyuan($A6.3million)and 6000

tents, accordingto theSichuanCharity Federationasreportedinthe state-ownedChinaNewsonline service.

OtherChinesereports sayMsLiudonatedtens ofmillionsofyuanto other causes,includingculturalorganisationsin theconflict-riven provincesof TibetandXinjiang.

MsLiuappearstohaveamassedher wealth throughrealestateand resourcesinvestmentsin Australiaand inherhomeprovinceofShandong.

Chinesereportssay LiuHaiyan, herChinesename,builtherfortunewithoutofficialbacking.

Formany, things never been betterETERMARTINOMICS CORRESPONDENT

BUSINESSDAYRidingout thestormPAGE 3

ITE talk of recession andwide financial crisis, Aus-s Reserve Bank believes

y of us have never beenr off.backs its claim with stat-in its half-yearly Financiality Review, though it notesetirees are an exception.e real after-tax incomes of

eholds on wages haveed 10 per cent in the past more than double therate.e bank says the December

ul us p ay m en t s w er ensible for much of the rise,

along with tax changes in themiddle of last year.

For households with interestbills, things are even better. Thebank says the ratio of interestp ay m en t s t o d i sp os a bl eincomes has fallen from 15 percent to 11 per cent and is set tofall further, undoing five years ofgrowth.The bankalsonotes thatpetrol prices are down.

Household wealth has fallenabout 10 per cent in the year,with the biggest blow beingtumbling share prices, whichare down about 50 per cent. Bycontrast, house prices are downjust 4 per cent.

But the bank says most of theshare price pain has been felt by

the wealthiest 20 per cent ofhouseholds, most of which arestill on good wages and so arelikely to have other sources ofincome to offset the decline inthe value of their f inancialassets. On the other hand, thedownturn has been dire for reti-rees not receiving benefits. Thebank says many will have losthalf their sharemarket wealth,most likely resulting in a largefall in their available income.About half of Australias top 200companies have cut theirdividends, about a quarter ofthem by more than 50 per cent.

The bank is unconcerned bytalk of people having troublepaying mortgages, reporting

that across the millions of homeloans in Australia only 20,000are more than three monthsbehind. While this is an increaseof 7000 on the year before, itremains minuscule by foreignstandards.

In only one region of Victoriaare there more than 2000 homeloans in arrears the LatrobeValley and even there thearrears rate is below 1 per cent.

Separately, the banks head ofeconomic analysis, AnthonyRichards, told a housing confer-ence he was not concernedabout a jump in arrears whenmortgage rates eventuallybegan to climb.

Our discussions with banks

indicate that they are indeedtesting the ability of borrowersto continue servicing their loansif interest rates were to rise, hesaid. No doubt, as at any time,some of the loans being writtennow will turn sour.

However, overall, I suspectthat the risk of non-performingloans increasing to the extentseen in the United States is low.The Reserve says business bor-rowers have also benefited, withbig businesses enjoying rates 3.7points lower on average andsmall businesses paying rates2.3 points lower.

Cousins hurt in comeback

Cousins leaves the ground injured.

By GREGBAUM

Continued PAGE 2Fullreports SPORT

IT WAS the redeemer versusthe redeemed on openingnight, and the redeemer wonhandsomely. Chris Judd ledCarlton one further step out ofthe wilderness, Richmond ledBen Cousins a further step outof his wilderness. But itbecame a step too far when inthe last quarter, Cousinsappeared to strain a hamstringand limped from the ground.

Carlton full-forwardBrendan Fevola, who had beenpursuing him, now went tohim to place a consoling handon his shoulder. It was a miser-able moment on a miserablenight for the Tigers.

In the prelude to this match,footballs ruling paradigm hadbeen momentarily subverted;

two men had become biggerthan the game. It wasnt forlong. If the clash of the formerWest Coast superstars was thetalking point before the game,the abject failure of Richmondto live up to its billing was thetopic afterwards. In onehorrible performance, theTigers surrendered much of themomentum that they had pub-licly built up in the off-season.

The result was a reminderthat expectations are one thing,fulfilment another as ifRichmond fans did not knowalready. It was also a reminderthat for all the hype, Cousins isonly one man. He is not the


2/13

ATURAL SLEEP

4 Whit h Rd N di VIC 3131

At Natural Sleep, we go beyond slapping on 'Natural' looking labels on a latex mattress. We only use

certified, pure natural latex in our formulations and do not adulterate it with synthetic latex. We use

state of the art, microprocessor controlled foaming, microwave curing and proprietory recipes honed

over the last 50 years to give you the fi nest quality latex.

Our wide selection of latex mattresses can also be combined with our Adjustable Postureslat Bases

that come with customised firmness settings and are available in all Australian

sizes and can be used with your existing bed surround or with our range of

microsuede, leatherette or timber surrounds.

Totallyundisturbedsleep

Adjustablefirmness

Electronicadjustable base The luxury of pure natural latex

V I C TO R I A . A M A Z I N G A S A LW AY S .

W E R E O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S E V E N T S

Despite recent events, regional Victoria is full of fantastic venues for corporate

functions, conferences, meetings or business retreats that are open now. If your

business has an upcoming function, visit www.businesseventsvictoria.com

or phone 1800 726 544 for bookings and more information.

THEAGEFRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009

NEWS

YOUNG AT HEART: Having made it onto the walls of the NGV, some of ourbrightest young talents are forging futures beyond the artistic framework.

TESSIEVANDERWERTA2 TOMORROW

SPENCER STREET, MELBOURNE 3000FOUNDED IN 1854, NO 51,614

TACTS

hboard (03)96012000tising 132243riptions,delivery 136666scribe to The Age visit:

subscribe.theage.com.auSalesairfaxphotos.com

ge Storeheageshop.com.au

OUHAVEA NEWSTIP?

[email protected] Phone (03)96012250

(03)96012327

ERIESrball (draw 671): 13, 16, 42,d 29. Powerball: 37esday Lotto (draw 2811)nds: Division 1,666.67; division 2,

1.80; division 3, $210.15;n 4, $15.40; division 5,5.

DERSHIP

ay-Friday: 765,000 Saturday:00 Sunday: 735,000

LIST

he law list at:e.com.au/lawlist

RECTION

ograph published indays Age with an obituary ofr unionist Laurie Short waso show Mr Short with his lateancy Borlese. In fact, the manphoto was the late Sydneyrialist Franco Belgiorno-Nettis.

ge apologises for the mistake,was made in production.

policy ofThe Age to correct allant errors as soon as possible. Theommitted to presenting informationd accurately.

BRIEF

TION

mail record-breakerVELOPE believed to be the

st known airmail item addres-Australia has sold at auction

ecord price of more than000. The envelope, or so-balloon post cover, was

out of Paris in 1870 by hot airn. It was addressed to a

h millinery importing businessrge Street, Sydney.

r a valuation of $50,000, theope was sold to a French

for $190,800 at an auctionwbray Collectables in Sydneyday.

wbrays NSW manager Dannyaid the sale had set a recordy philatelic item sold in Aus-He said the envelope was thene of its kind addressed tolia, making it the earliest letter sent here by any form

mail.

HFIRES

firm appointedS Chambers Westgarthors have been appointed tothe Victorian Bushfires Royalission.awyers will instruct counselng the commission when for-oceedings begin next month.

al commission chief executiveBrockington said the appoint-

ollowed a six-week selectionss.nsel assisting the commis-ill be led by Jack Rush, SC,as involved in the recentSydney commission of

y.eliminary hearing for theres Royal Commission, led by

e Bernard Teague, will be heldCounty Court in Melbourne

ril 20. People wanting tor have until 4pm on April 9 to

Barbaro linked to twomurder plotsCameraman hurt in court scuffle KEYPOINTS

Pasquale Barbaro is to bequestioned about two murderplots.

A second man, FrancescoMadafferi, was remandedafter a court appearance.

By PAUL MILLAR

HIGH-PROFILE prisonerPasquale Barbaro was a co-conspirator in two murder plotsuncovered after an inquiry intoa big drug importation, Purana

detectives have alleged.Drama unfolded outside theMelbourne Magistrates Courty esterday after FrancescoMadafferi was remanded in cus-tody after being charged withconspiracy to murder in relation

to the murder plots. Tensionserupted and a cameraman wassmacked in the mouth during aconfrontation with the green-grocers family.

Madafferi, 48, was arrestedon Wednesday after leaving

the court, where he appearedwith 23 co-accused, includingB ar ba ro , o ve r m on ey-laundering and drug chargesfollowing the seizure of 15 mil-lion ecstasy tablets from Italy inJune 2007.

A second man, Rob Karam,arrested outside court on Wed-nesday in connection to themurder plots, was released laterthat night, pending furtherinquiries.

Madafferis family was cir-cled by media crews as they leftthe court yesterday. A teenagerfrom the family lunged forward,punching a cameraman in the

mouth while another camera-man was spat onduring a wrest-ling match on the footpath.

Madafferis charge sheet leftno doubts that the ganglandtaskforce also had alleged gang-land kingpin Barbaro in its

sights. It said that between June

18 and July 26, 2008, Madafferidid conspire together withPasquale Barbaro and others tomurder a person.

Detectives confirmed yester-day that they will formally ques-tion Barbaro soon about his

involvement in the alleged plan-ned hits.

Barbaro, of Griffith, NSW, isin jail facing multiple drugcharges, including the launder-ing of $7.4 million. At least fivepeople are believed to be linkedto the alleged murder plots.

Before yesterdays footpathscuffle, Costas Kilias, for Madaf-feri, told the court there were

concerns abouthis clients men-talhealth.Hesaid Madafferihadbeen suicidal and depressed,and on long-term medication.

Mr Kilias said his client hadspent almost two years in cus-tody on immigration matters

andhad been inpsychiatriccarefor nine months of that time,five months v oluntarily.

He is experiencing enor-mous strain through beingincarcerated, Mr Kilias said.

Prosecutor Stephen Paynetold the court that Madafferisconspiracy to murder chargefollowed an inquiry into theimporting of a large quantity of

drugs. He said police had stud-ied 220 volumes of materialrelating to telephone interceptsand listening devices during theoperation.

Madafferi was remandeduntil September 7.

Cousins hurt on the road to redemptionA record crowd for a Carlton-Richmond game of 86,972 turned out for the opener to AFL season 2009. PICTURE: REBECCA HALLAS

From PAGE 1

Messiah, just a very naughty(but reforming) boy.

The crowd was 86,972, anall-time record for a Carlton-

Richmond match and nudgingthe record for any first-roundmatch. Doubtlessly, many werethere on account of Cousinsand Judd, but many also camebecause of a sense of longing.It has been a rugged year; itneeded a stage on whichdreams might be rekindled,and for the second time thismonth, the MCG provided it.

So it was that this openingmatch took on a life of its own.Public sentiment overwhelmedChannel 10, which altered itsschedule to show it live.

Ben Cousins takes on Chris

Judd in one of the most antici-pated matches of the season,exclaimed one promotion. Ifthe football world had lavishedany more attention on Cousins,you would have had to call it

nepotism. Everyone was in onthe act. A press release arrivedyesterday announcing gluten-free pies at the MCG, better forcoeliacs.

The match was swamped byhyperbole, yet the yearningwas unmistakable. The footballseason could not come toosoon.

But for Richmond, it wastoo soon. Cousins had his firsttouch within 10 seconds, andMatthew Richardson had thefirst shot at goal of the seasonwithin a minute; predictably, ithit the post. Somewhere, an

echo could be heard. Carltonsfirst four goals came fromRichmond mistakes. By half-time, the Blues had 13 and ledby seven. Three were kicked byJarrad Waite, who was playing

full-back on Richardson, threemore by Mitch Robinson, aLance Whitnall lookalikeplaying his first game. Fevolakicked two, but one wasmiraculous, lashed out of mid-air, like a soccer striker. Bymidway through the secondquarter, the Richmond fanswere bronx cheering some oftheir own.

Cousins began at half-forward, from which outposthe could sometimes imposehimself on the game, but notshape it. In the first quarteralone, he had six opponents,

reflecting the dynamics of themodern game. One was first-gamer Aaron Joseph, whoannounced himself with aseries of bumps, shoves andnudges. Cousins was unfazed;

beside what has assailed himin the past 18 months, thesewere love taps.

Cousins darted here andthere, searching for touch andtiming. In a soundly thrashedside, it was never going to beeasy. Half a dozen times heslithered through the play inhis silky old way; his instinctshad not dulled. But Judd had amuch more profound bearingon the match. As the gameskittered away from Richmond,Cousins was moved onto theball, unavailingly.

The second half was more

of the first. Eddie Betts threethird-quarter goals stretchedthe margin to 10, at whichpoint Richmond fans beganmaking for the exits thatmerely two hours earlier had

been Pearly Gates. Judd shookDaniel Jacksons tag to domi-nate in this quarter. He andCousins met only once on thenight, when Cousins wasdispossessed in a tackle andthe ball fell to Judd, whoscooted away with it, socharacterising their contrastingfates on the night.

Everything in football is acycle. In this fixture 12 monthsago, Judd made his firstappearance as Carltonssaviour, but Richmond won. Itis the hope to which the Tigersmust cling now.

CatholicChurchofficials bypass rebel priest for talks with his flockBy COSIMA MARRINERBRISBANE

IN A bid to break the stalematewith sacked rebel priest PeterKennedy, the Catholic hierarchyin Brisbane is negotiatingdirectly with representatives ofhis parish.

Father Kennedy is refusing to

hand over the keys to St MarysChurch to the new adminis-trator, despite being sacked lastmonth for unorthodox prac-tices. He has also refused toengage in mediation with Bris-bane Archbishop John Bath-ersby, conducted by former highcourt justice Ian Callinan.

To keep the stoush out of the

courts, the Brisbane Archdio-cese is now trying to negotiate apeace deal with the St Maryscommunity. Members of thechurchs parish council haveagreed to mediation with thechurchs incoming adminis-trator, Father Ken Howell.

The talks, held yesterday,were aimed at working out how

to manage the transition to thenew administration.

There is a willingness on thepart of some members of theparish council to participate inmediation, the chancellor ofthe Brisbane Archdiocese,Father Adrian Farrelly, said.

I see it as a positive step inthe ongoing life of the parish

and hopefully good things comefrom it.

Archbishop Bathersby sac-ked Father Kennedy last monthfor being out of communionwith the church. The contro-versial priest openly defies theVatican by allowing women topreach, blessing gays, conduct-ing unorthodox sacraments and

deny ing the Virgin birth.After Father Kennedy pulled

out of mediation last week,Father Farrelly warned that theArchbishop had no optionother than to consult with theArchdiocesan legal advisors tofacilitate the handover of StMarys administration throughthe proper legal processes.

Tearfulteacherrejectsracist slurBy SELMA MILOVANOVICLEGAL AFFAIRS REPORTER

A PRIMARY school assistantprincipal who denies she wasracist towards a South African-born teacher broke down yes-terday as she said all she ever

wanted was to help her accuser.Fiona Dickie, who is of Zulu

and Anglo heritage, is suing theEducation Department andFran Van Lambaart, an assistantprincipal of Lynbrook PrimarySchool, over an alleged cam-paign of racism that she sayscontributed to her nervousbreakdown.

All I ever wanted was to helpher and help her succeed in herrole, a tearful Ms Van Lambaarttold the Victorian Civil andAdministrative Tribunal.

For twoyearsI havehad thisquestion mark over my head . . .and Ive had to hold my head uphigh while these questions con-tinue against me.

School principal RussellGascoigne wiped away tears asMs Van Lambaart told the tri-bunal the damage done to herhealth, family and school by theawful al legations wasimmeasurable.

Ms Dickie had told the tri-bunal she was shocked andoffended that Ms Van Lambaart

had once referred to her as aNegro. But Ms Van Lambaartsaid she was only compliment-ing her looks and Ms Dickie hadseemed pleased.

I said to Fiona, You looklovely today, you remind me ofthat Negro Australian singer,Marcia Hines, Ms VanLambaart said.

Jennifer Firkin, for thedepartment, later submitted: Areference to any race in and ofitself is not discriminatory . . .its the context of the use of theword that is cr itical.

Ms Van Lambaart said thatwhen Ms Dickie told her a dark-coloured student had called hisdark-coloured classmate nig-ger, her response has helooked in the mirror? waspurely ironic.

If a red-haired child called ared-haired child a carrot top, Iwould have said the samething, Ms Van Lambaart said.

That word (nigger) is absol-utely not appropriate. I wouldnever use that word.

Tribunal senior memberNoreen Megay reserved herdecision.

OrgandonationwarinesslingersBy JULIA MEDEW

HEALTH REPORTER

ABOUT 10 per cent of peoplerefuse to sign up for organdonation because they do nottrust doctors and think it willhasten their death, researchshows.

A Queensland University ofTechnology survey of more than900 people found that about 90of them did not want to sign theorgan donation register becausethey were concerned about theprocess.

If they signed up to theregister, they thought it wouldmean their life would end morequickly and that they would notreceive proper medical care,researcher Melissa Hyde said.

Some of these people alsomentioned that they did not likethe idea of being cut open orgiving their organs to someoneelse.

The finding comes as theFederal Government continuesto roll out its $136 million organdonation reform package to lift

donation rates. The packagei nc lu de s a n e du ca ti oncampaign.

It also follows a Melbournedoctors criticism last year of thelack of information given toA us tr a li an s a bo u t o r ga ndonation and the procedures.

In an article published in theJournal of Law and Medicine,Associate Professor James Tib-balls said that not all organdonors were truly dead whentheir organs were taken and thatsome interventions to ensurethe viability of organs couldharm or cause the death of adonor.

The senior intensive carephysician at the Royal ChildrensHospital also called for a par-ticular test of brain function tobe made mandatory to ensureall function had ceased beforedonation occurred.

Associate Professor Tibballsarguments received the backingof another doctor at the time,but the Australian and New Zea-land Intensive Care Societys

committee on organ and tissuedonation rejected Dr Tibballsviews and said Australiansshould rest assured they wouldbe dead if their organs weretaken.

Ms Hyde said she did notthink the 10 per cent of peoplewho did not want to becomedonors were uneducated aboutthe process, but rather had a setof beliefs that could not bechanged.

There are always going topeople who are not comfortablewith medical procedures or aredistrustful, she said.


3/13

LAST

4WEEKS!

MUSTCLOSE

MARCH 1

WERE HEADING TO PERTH!Its vital, rude, smart,

irresistibly funny and

passionately performed.

Dont miss it

Its a very funny

show extremely

entertaining.

Enjoy it!

THER WATER ODD SPOT INDEX ISSN 0312-6307

9 770312 630011B C D

OURNE Partly cloudy. Isolated showers.ed thunderstorms from noon. South toeasterly winds averaging up to 25 km/hg southerly.

Min 21 Max29

TOMORROW Drizzleclearing Min21 Max29WEDNESDAYMorningcloud Min 20 Max31

THURSDAY Mor ningc loud Min 20 Max31FRIDAYM or ni ng c lo ud M in 19 Max30

Details PAGE 17

MELBOURNE DAMS:

33.1%THISTIME LASTYEAR: 37.2%

Thehalf-brotherofUS PresidentBarackObamahas beenarrested forallegedpossessionof marijuana nearhis homeinNairobi,policesaid.GeorgeObama,whois inhis 20sandbarely knowsthe President,had onejointonhim,theysaid.GeorgeObama isscheduledin courttomorrow.

AUCTIONS BUSINESSDAY 4CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESSDAY 5

COMMENT & DEBATE PAGE 9EDITORIALS, LETTERS PAGE 8

LAW LIST BUSINESSDAY 5

METRO PAGES 13, 14MINDGAMES PAGE 16

OBITUARIES PAGE 10TV & WEATHER PAGE 16

WORLD PAGES 6, 7

MONDAY, FEBRUARY2, 2009 $1.50 INCGSTBLISHED IN MELBOURNE SINCE 1854

SPECIALGUIDE FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS PAGES 11,12

Breathtaking. A classic. Its Rafa in five sets, after midnightGREGBAUMAT THE OPEN

An elated, exhausted Rafael Nadal savours his victory today over Roger Federer in the mens singles final of the Australian Open. PICTURE: SEBASTIAN COSTANZOContinued PAGE 2

FullOpen wrapSPORT

king nolongerholdscourt;ivethe king.RafaelNadalmethe firstSpaniard towinustralianOpen champion-astnight whenhe outlas-s arch-rivalRogerFedererfirstfive-setfinal atMel-

neParksince1988, itsyearening.It didnot finishuntilmidnight.adalnow hasbeatenerin threedifferentmajor

mpionships,on threediffer-urfaces,in threecountries,thepastyear.Heiswin-majorsat afaster ratethan

erat thesameage, fasteranyoneexceptBjornBorg.

nighthe deniedFedererad-equalling14th major

mpionship,and mightneverm winit. Hehas extendedadover Federeras theplayer inthe world.

utthatwasonlythehalfofiswasthevictoryof thetop

overthe second,the newuriteover theperennial,the

layerof themomentover,aps,the bestplayerever,ft-handeroverthe right;gically,this was telling.

wasthevictoryofa maneracquet appearedto begwithfencingwireoveran whoseracquetwasgwithsilk.It wasthe vic-fa manwhorefusesto be

enover onewho neveris.wasthevictoryofonepion over another.ortis rarelysopoeticas to

allowfor arepriseof theWim-bledonepic playedby thispairlastJuly, noreven anencoreofFridaynights Nadal/Verdascosemi-finalprizefight.Thistimeitdid; itproducedtheperfectlypitchedclimax.

Thiswas theseventhtimethisduohasplayedin amajorchampionshipfinal; therewasnothingabout either thatcould

surprisethe other. Sotheirmatchwasplayedina kindofstrategicmatrix,eachcirclingtheother,eachseekingto playtohis strengthand shield hisweakness.Federersearchedforminisculeopenings onhis fore-hand,Nadalforanglesand tra-jectories.

Buttheseare champions,whose strengthsare indestruc-tible andwhoseweaknessesaremerelylesserstrengths. Ifitseemedtherewas nothingNadalcouldntdo, italsoseemedtherewas nothingthatNadalcouldntdo thatFederercouldnt do.

Inthe semi-finals,Federerthrashedcareer-long straightmanAndyRoddick.Afterit,Roddickpredictedthat if

Schools to face strike teamseachers could bemoved

ARRAHTOMAZINATION EDITOR

CLUSIVE

Ratioina classof itsown PAGE 4

KE teams will be sent intorian schools to identify

nesses and demand change,r a State Government bid tot the performance of thec education system.incipals and teachers whoo lift their game could beved from their schoolr Education Minister

wyn Pikes push for schoolsmore accountable.

As children return to schooltoday, the Government willembark on a wave of changesdesigned to create strongerleadership in schools, a greaterculture of expectations forstudentsand moretransparencyfor parents.

Under the changes, the Gov-ernment has appointed an armyof education officers mostlyformer principals and teachers whose job will be to enterschools, analyse their studentperformance data, identifystrengths and weaknesses, anddevelop improvement plans.

Ms Pike told The Age the 70regional network leaderswould oversee about 20 stateschools each.

In some cases, for example,schools with low literacy andnumeracy results could be givenresources to introduce newsupport programs for theirstudents.

In other cases, schools maybe asked to enter into sharedteaching arrangements withneighbouring schools, orrestructure their senior staffingteams.

But in an approach that islikely to prove contentious,principals and teachers whoconsistently fail to improvecould ultimately be moved on.

I believe that every childcan learn and make progress, soif schools, for a range of reasons,dont want to embrace theopportunities that we are nowproviding for them theenhanced leadership training,the professional development,the extra resources then theywill be accountable, Ms Pikesaid.

The regional network leadersare a central plank of the StateGovernments education blue-print a five-year plan to raisethe bar across Victorias edu-cation system.

In an interview with The Ageto mark the start of the 2009school year, Ms Pike said theGovernment would spend the

next 12 months initiating someof the key changes contained inthe blueprint.

The immediate prioritiesinclude: Developing a new perform-ance pay system for Victorianteachers, with possible modelsto be created over the next fewmonths and trialled in schoolsfrom next year. Setting up the Victorianversion of the Teach ForAmerica scheme, in whichhigh-fly ing non-teachinggraduates are recruited to workin some of the toughest schools. Creatinga newstrategytohelpthe large number of homelessstudents attending school. Bringing in a new maths and

science strategy to get morestudents to study these subjectsand improve their skills. Working on a new partnershipwith the Federal Government toimprove the transition of schoolstudents to further education orwork.

VictorianAssociationof StateSecondary Principals presidentBrian Burgess said the regionalnetwork leaders resembledoverseas models whereby inspectors scrutinise schoolsand demand change.

While he did not oppose theinitiative, Mr Burgess describedthe changes as too much of atop-down-approach to schoolimprovement.

Asked how teachers felt

about the new system, Austra-lian Education Union statepresident Mary Bluett said thejury is still out.

There are real concerns outthere that their contracts willdepend on the degree to whichthey drive change, Ms Bluettsaid.

So theres a sense that thepressure is on them to identifyand produce outcomes in whatmight be an unrealistic periodof time for schools, and somefear that the pressure to liftoutcomes will result in (regionalnetwork leaders) imposing theirwill on schools, rather thanworking with them.

OBESITY

IS CHILD

ABUSE:WARNING

Allowingchildren to

grow fatis child

abuse, aSydneyobesityexpert

says.PAGE 3

TRAINS SHORTAGE

POSSIBLEAs tens of thousandsof students go back toschool this morning,Connex is conceding itmay be short of workingtrains to carry theadditional load.

PAGE 2

wan talks up deficit we had to have, as budget sheds $50bnmoreICHELLE GRATTANRRA

ANNE DAVIESNGTON

HowlowshouldRBAgo? PAGE 4Alleyes onBHP BUSINESSDAY 1

ASURER Wayne Swan hasally confirmed the budgetunging into inevitablet, with the global recessionng $50 billion off companyvenue over four years.

he G ov er n me nt w il lunce a big spend on infra-ture in its imminent stimu-ackage. Temporary and

targeted tax breaks and help forthe jobless are among otherinitiatives on the table.

The Reserve Bank will givethe economy a boost tomorrowwith a rate cut, with predictionsof 75-125 basis points.

The International MonetaryFund at the weekend stronglyendorsed Australia going intodeficit, after warning the econ-omy was l ikely to go intorecession in 2009.

Mr Swan told Channel Nine:Youll see a very big hit to our

budget bottom line as a resultof the unwinding of the miningboom and the global recession,which meant it was inevitableAustralia would have a tempor-ary budget deficit.

It is actually the medicinethe country needs to deal withthe impact of this globalrecession, which is impactingupon growth and jobs.

It appears the budget willremain in deficit over the four-year forward estimate cycle.

The latest write-down is on

top of a $40 billion cut in generalrevenue estimates in November.

Mr Swan quashed any pros-pect of generalised tax cuts,but refused to rule out more lim-ited cuts for low-incomeearners.

With the Treasurer stressingthe deficit will be temporary,the Government has beenexploring temporary tax breaksthat would enable the budget tobe brought back into balancemore quickly.

Assistant Treasurer Chris

Bowen said: The budget willbeindeficitforas longas ittakesto ensure robust growth.

Victoria can expect signifi-cant funding for major projects.Premier John Brumby discussedVictorian health, transport, edu-cation and sports projects withthe Prime Minister last week.

Thedivisionchiefof theIMFsAsiaand PacificDepartment,RayBrooks, told TheAgethe IMF wasnow forecasting minus 0.2 percent Australian growth in 2009,down from its November predic-

tion of 2.2 per cent growth. TheIMF is urging the Government togo into deficit, if that is what isneeded to reach the IMFsrecommended level of fiscalstimulus: about 2 per cent of anations GDP.

Opposition Leader MalcolmTurnbull, asked whether abudget deficit was a good move,said the crucial thing would bethe quality of the spending.

Government and Oppositionaccused each other of economicilliteracy about tax cuts. Shadow

treasurer Julie Bishop told Skythere should be broad andsweeping tax cuts that willincrease the tax base andincrease tax revenues.

Mr Bowen said this wasvoodoo economics, but MsBishop said the Government didnot understand fundamentalprinciples about the economicgains from reducing tax rates.

With DAVID ROOD


4/13

Fgklj9ifX[YXe[Legcl^ \[`jefnXmX`cXYc\èGi\$GX`[%J`dgcpZfee\Zkk_\e\njc`dcè\LJ9Nì\c\jjDf[\d

kfpfliZfdglk\iXe[pfli\lgXe[ileeè^%8e[ ]pfl^\k_le ip]fidfi\[XkXpflZXei\Z_Xi^\fecè\%

;fnecfX[è^fek_\^f_Xje\m\iY\\ejfZfem\e`\ek%

^_cdbR^\Pd_aT_PXSfXaT[Tbb ~ EXbXch^da>_cdbBcâT

FXaT[Tbb\^ST\6TcbcPacTSUa^\

((


5/13

Introducing RACVsCompleteCare Motor Insurance.

Its completely complete.Complete Care is the most complete insurance we have. It gives you complete peace of mind because we look

f h l i l di d i hi d l h j b i h i i f f

RAC031

9

SAV BLANCSINKS CHARDY

Kiwis hit top placeNEWS

HEATHLEDGER

How good was he really?EXTRA

DECEMBER 16, 2008

ack2schooSPECIA

LREPORT BACK 2

SCHOOLHow to make a classroom star

M MAGAZINE

NUARY 25, 2009 theage.com.au $2 INCGST

B

C

D

EATHERAY Sunny, 26MORROWMostlysunny, 28SDAYSunny,35DNESDAYMostly sunny, 39RSDAY Sunny,36DAY Sunny,35URDAYSunny,34

AILS PAGE 21

Liquor feesforce pubs

to thewall000 licensedvenues face closureRONHOUSTON

E than 2000 Victorianurants, bars and clubs areting illegally after failing to

w their liquor licences andclosure if they do not payatinglicence fees.he states 19,000 licensed

ses had until January 22 toheir fees, which have jumped

to80 percent.nues that failed to meet theine will be issued suspensiones in the next month, and

e would then be instructed tohemdown.quor Licensing Victoria has

flooded with last-minutecations by pubs and res-ntswanting toreducetradings to reduce licence costs.

als said they could not giveact number of unlicensedses, but sources confirmedwere morethan2000.e Brumby Government slug-

ate-night venues with sub-ally higher fees in a bid to

bat drunken violence, buty late-trading hotels andsed restaurants claim

bers fee increases could forceout ofbusiness.

quor Licensing director Sue

Maclellan confirmed that herdepartment would launch acompliance program for venues.She said enforcement would betheresponsibilityof VictoriaPolice.

Liquor Licensing will ensurethatlicensees whofailto renewareadvised that their licence is sus-pended and are given an oppor-tunityto renewtheir licencebeforefurther action is commenced, MsMaclellan said.

Australian Hotels Association(Victoria) chief executive BrianKearney said country pubs hadbeen hardest hit, but warned theentireindustry wouldsuffer.

The smaller pub with just afront bar has copped a big whackand the economic circumstancesare certainly beginning to bite inthe bush. It might not sound like a

lot of money, but some are goingto struggle, Mr Kearney said.

The association calculates thattheaverage licencefee fora Victor-ian hotel has jumpedfrom $600 to$950, while many of Melbournesnightclubs will be forced to payalmost$6000 annually.

Fees will jump again this year,with the Government set toincrease licensing fees based onthe risk profile of venues. Largenightclubs and bars with longer

trading hours are expected to besluggedhardest.

The Sunday Agecontacted sev-eral restaurant and hotel ownerswho had not renewed their licen-ces, but none were prepared tospeak on therecord.

IfI talk toyou,mate,Illhaveavisit from liquor licensing inspec-torson theweekend,theownerofa CBD restaurant said. They areripping theheartout ofthis indus-try and destroying the vitality ofthe city.

The owner of South YarrasKush restaurant, George Chond-ros, said restaurants had becomecollateral damage in the battleagainstlate-night violence.

Why should a restaurant thatseats 80 people be forced to paythe same amount as a nightclub

for800 people? hesaid.In a related crackdown, more

than 50 of Melbournes biggestbars and nightclubs have beenissued with final warning notices,and at least six clubs includingIcon Bar, The Balcony, Irish Times,Amber Lounge, Viper Room andK-Box Karaoke have been sum-moned to the Victorian Civil andAdministrative Tribunal, wherethey face temporary closure or bigfines.

TheodoraTsantefski,aged100, and10-year-oldPatrickJoycewill bothcelebrateAustralia Daytomorrow. PICTURE:RODGER CUMMINS

90yearsapart andbondedbya nationGARYTIPPET

Australiathroughtheages PAGES14,15

THEREare90 yearsanda wideworld

ofexperiencebetweenthesetwo.TheodoraTsantefski hasa lifetimeofhistorystretchingoutbehindher.PatrickJoycehas a lifetimeof promiseloomingin frontofhim.Heis 10andsheis 100.Herexperien-

cesreachback across threecontinentstoa tinyfarmingvillage in Macedonia;hisshift overa fewsuburbs.Patrickknowswhatkids want.Afterraisingfivesons,14 grandchildrenand a hostof great-grandchildren, Mrs Tsantefskiknowswhatkids need. Whatcouldthispairpossibly havein common?Well, fora start,action movies.Hard

tobelieve,but MrsTsantefskiis a giantfanof movie mayhem.With herlimitedEnglish,fight scenes andcar chasestrumpdialogue,so itsRambo, SeagalandBond JamesBond.Patrick reck-onsthat rocks.Thats socool,hesays,rifflingthroughher DVDlibrary.Butmuch morethanthat, theysym-

bolise Australia2009.They personifywhatPrimeMinister Kevin RuddsaidinHobartthis week: Wherewevecomefromandwherewehopetotakeournation to.Mr Ruddsaidthat thegreatthingaboutAustralia Daywas thatwereflecton ourstrengths asa people,as

a society,as a nation.Butfrom thebeginning AustraliaDay

hasbeen a celebration encumberedbycontradictions,marked on differentdaysand bymanynames.InNSWthefirstfreedconvictscalledJanuary26AnniversaryDayor Foundation Day.Othercolonieschose different dates toavoidtheconvicttaint.Only in 1935didthe states declareit a holidayunderthecurrentname.Whattheday meansforthefirstAus-

traliansis stilla matterof debateandpain.In 1938it wasdeclared anAbor-iginal Dayof Mourningand 50 yearslater itbecameknownas InvasionDay.Butrecentlyothershavebegunto callitSurvivalDay.Thatspeaksto manyof thenational

attributes thePM spoke of:resilience,determination,and perhapstoleranceandthe fairgo.And above all,diversity.TheSundayAgesuggeststhat what

weshouldcelebrate mosttomorrowiseachother. Whatmakesthisnationgreatis thesumofitsparts.Todaywehavebroughttogether11 Australians,representing550 yearsofAustralianlifetimes.

AFLs hard tackle onboozers

SUNDAY REPORT

JILL STARKHEALTH

MorestoriesPAGE 8

AFL clubs could be publiclynamed in booze league tablesrevealingthebestand worst recordfor off-field alcohol incidents in abidto curbbingedrinking.

The leagues proposed newalcoholpolicy,obtainedexclusivelybyThe Sunday Age, states that anaudit every two years will charthow effectively clubs are promot-ing responsible drinking.

The document also flags aninvestigation of the AFLs drinkingculture and a long-term study onhow grog is damaging playershealth during and after their

careers. And in recognition of thelasting impact binge drinking hason footballers, the AFL PlayersAssociation is paying an alcoholtreatment centre to help addictedformer playersinto rehab.

The policy, a joint venture withthe AFL and players association,aims to change the games boozyculture and reduce alcohol-fuelledmisbehaviour, following a Medical

Journal of Australia study whichfound that 54 per cent of playerswere risking long-term harmthrough dangerous drinking dur-ing season-endcelebrations.

The new policy, due to belaunched before the NAB Cupstarts on February 7, states that noplayers will be named, but clubswill have to provide a list of anyalcohol-relatedmisconduct duringthe season and teach personnelabout responsible alcohol con-sumption.

A whole-of-club approach willbe stressed, with responsiblealcohol service expected atpresidents lunches, AFL corporatefunctions, and best and fairest

dinners. Clubs with a poor recordwill be encouraged to lift theirgame.

The policy applies to all AFLplayers, umpires and staff including coaches and chairmen.But unlike the illicit drugs policythere are no sanctions for non-compliance. All 16 clubs havedrafted individual rules based onthe policys broad principles.

Brendon Gale, chief executiveofthe AFLPlayersAssociation,saidthe guidelines would improveplayers welfare. Were notpuritans, but this is about respon-sibleconsumption of alcohol.

EXCLUSIVE

Forweeks, TheoTheophanouskepta devastatingsecret: hewasbeinginvestigatedforrape.Thenhewascharged. For thefirsttime, thecontroversialMPrevealshispainandhisplans toclearhisname. PAGE4

Dokic makingup for the lost years

CONTINUED PAGE 2

GREGBAUM

Renewed:Jelena Dokic.

Allthe daysOpen action SPORT

THEthresholdofthe RodLaverarenacourtat MelbourneParkislikethe crimson-curtainedportaltotheCapitolinWashingtonlastTuesday.Itis guardedbytheFalstaffian figureof veteranMCCraigWillis, whichinvestsallcomingsandgoingswitha senseof ceremony. Inescapably, a ten-nisplayer passesthroughitasonethingandreturnsasanother.

Beforethisweek,thelasttimeJelenaDokicstoodtherewas in2001,whenshehadjustannoun-cedherrejectionof allthingsAustralianand herdefectiontoSerbia.As SimonBarnesof the

London Timeswrotethis week:Mostpeoplestormoutof aroom. Dokicstormedoutof acontinent. Actually, it washerfather,the impossibleDamir,whostormedout, andit washisvoicethatweheard,usinghis

daughteras a ventriloquistsdoll.Shewasstilljust17.

Astheywaitedthatnight,ananxiousPaul McNamee,thenAustralianOpen chiefexecutive,whisperedto Willisto askif itwaspossibleto introduceDokic with-outmentioning her nationality.Willissaidit wouldbe tooobvi-ous.McNameeresigned himselftothe inevitable.Whentheannouncementwas made,thecrowdbooed.

Thatwasthen.Thisis now.Muchturbulentwaterhaspas-sedunderthebridge,buoying


6/13Bayswater 8727 9400Brighton 8591 1100Cr anbour ne 59 91 60 00Dandenong 9791 5288

Geelong 5221 1322Hoppers Crossing 9974 7272Maribyrnong NEW STORE 9243 0000(Highpoint)

Narre Warren 8790 1300Nuna wading 9 264 7 464Preston (Northland) 9471 0477Taylors Lakes 8361 5366

^

Plusjust$1dollarmore!

ACROSSACROSSTHETHESTORE!STORE!

THE GOOD GUYS

THIS SATURDAY, SUNDAY& MONDAY ONLY

THISSATURDAY,SUND

AY&MONDAYONLYSPECIALO

FFER!BRIGHTONBRIGHTONSTORE OPENSTORE OPENFOR BUSINESSFORBUSINESS

JANUARY 25, 2009theage.com.auTHESUNDAYAGE NEWS

WITHPREVIEW & TVDAYAGEJANUARY 25, 2009

out you

Top grinven Tom Cruise admits his par t in his own downfall.

But can he rebuild his reputation?

MUSIC

FESTIVAL ANTHEMSOF THE SUMMER

CITY

WHERE TO HIDEFROM THE HEAT

Your perfect Sunday ...

AGAZINE

THE GUNTom Cruisets his part in hisdownfall. Buthe Hollywoodrebuild histation?

Page 11

Page 13

Arts Page 17

s Page 18

Opinion Page 19

Business Page 20

Crossword Page 21

About Town Page 22

Eight Days M 4

Preview M 25

Reviews M 26

TV Guide M 41

INDEX LOTTO

TheSundayAgeMagazineThe Sunday Age Magazine

January25,2009January 25, 2009

No pain, no gain:how Elle, Hugh andothers stay fi t for a living

Salad days: the growthof community gardens

Karen Martinis summerdishes with a Turkish twist

Action fi gures: coollooks for men

LIFE

BODYBEAUTIFULHow Elle Macpherson,Hugh Jackman,olympic triathleteErin Densham andother Australiansstay fi t for a living.

0%Comm

issionAnd with 0% commission on Australian equity CFD tradesyou can start the year with everything.

You get everything on our new platform. More markets. More currencies. More indices.Allavailable 24 hours a day. Add price transparency, competitive spreads,and 0% commission

on Australian equity CFDs until 28th February 2009, and you'll see why we're the next way to trade.

For moreinformation about our platform, to open an account, or to register for a free CFD trading

seminar call us now on 1800 354 182orvisit cityindex.com.au .

CFD TRADINGcityindex.com.au

ny

ices.commission

xt way to trade.

e CFD trading

Bustthatdebt

THESUNDAYAGE>JANUARY25,2009

Getyourcredit undercontrol>PAGES6,7

>CELEBRITYCHAT

PropertyhisnewidolPAGE4

>EASETHES QUEEZE

SaveonschoolcostsPAGE3

INVESTOR

SHOCK ANDOWETop tips on howto ditch your baddebt without havingto make too manysacrifi ces. Plus howto make good debtpay off.

DOMAIN

WATER VIEWSAfter decadesof opposition,Victori ans are fi nallyembracing luxuriousmarina living.

TATTSLOTTO(draw2871):32, 41,18,44,31and 24.Supps:14 and4.

SUPER66 (draw 2871):3,2,0,7,9 and1.

Showstealers:Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholsonclaimedcountrymusicroyalty status lastnight,winningfive Tamworthgongs. PICTURE:JANIEBARRETT

Guitarssweep fordem BonesINWHATamountedtoa coron-ation ofsortsfor Australiasnewcountryroyaltyand a vindicationofthe youthfuldirectiontheTamworth CountryMusic Festi-valis taking,younghusbandandwifeteamKaseyChambersandShaneNicholsonstole theshowatlastnights 37thCMAACountryMusic Awards GoldenGuitarsin Tamworth, sweeping

allfivecategoriesinwhichtheywerenominated.Chambersand Nicholsons

albumRattlin BoneswonGoldenGuitarsfor bestalbumand top-sellingalbumofthe year,whileitstitletrackwon APRAsongof theyear,singleof theyearandvideoofthe year (directedby HelenClemens).TheRattlin Bonessin-gle dark,irresistiblyrhythmiccountryblues wasa popularwinneras songofthe year,beat-ing JohnWilliamsons touchingandclever Cydi, AdamBrandsComin From, andPeter DenahyshilariousSortof DunnoNothin.

Perth-born SydneyboyAdamBrandwasnamedbestmaleart-istforthe secondtime,whileNewcastles CatherineBritt wonherfirst-ever award:the GoldenGuitar forbest femaleartist.

MATTBUCHANAN

Renewed Dokic makingup for those lost yearsCONTINUEDFromPAGE 1

Agenerationhascome

andgoneand,at25, sheis agrandedame.

Dokic as high as No. 4 in theworld, but also sucking herdown to the depths of self-loathing and depression. ButDamir is no longer in her life,she is a woman now her ownwoman, too and Australia isagain her home.

On Wednesday, Dokic stoodon that centre court thresholdagain for the first time in eightyears. On court, Dokic wears ablank expression, like a mask.Some think it is the look of thehaunted, others the look of thedriven.

But it is not always inscru-table. Awaiting Willis summonsthat night, Dokic cast aside pro-tocol, took a peep around thecorner at the packed crowd, andallowed herself a smile. FromAustralia, Jelena Dokic, intoned

Willis, and a roar swept thestadium.

She beat the seeded AnnaChakvetadze that night andchoked back tears as shethanked the crowd for itsembrace.

She beat another seed,Caroline Wozniacki, two nightslater and publicly apologised toTennis Australia for having beena pain. She did not beg for for-giveness, but for understanding.Truth be told, Australia owes hera little, for as lacking as she wasin gratitude then, so were we incompassion.

Dokic and Australia are notquite fully reconciled, becauseshe remains a distant figure,contained, unknowable. AliciaMoliks televised hug for Dokicon Friday night was touching,but also awkward; it was obvi-ous that although they are

contemporaries, they barelyknow each other.

Doubles specialist RennaeStubbs amplified the contradic-tory feelings of contemporariestwo weeks ago when the repat-riated Dokic was named againin the Fed Cup team; she didnot have nine lives, said Stubbs,and this would be her last.

Dokic can play tennis, andfor Australia, for now, that isenough. The perversity, shenoted herself on Friday, is thather lost years might have tem-pered and improved her as aplayer. To her own surprise, sheis matching the other players forfitness, playing and winningthree three-setters. She is alsomatching them for power. Shealways had touch.

She says she already hasachieved more than she aimedfor here, but she could not havefailed to notice that the drawhas opened up a little in herfavour, and that at a time of fluxin womens tennis, the horizonis startlingly near.

Tonight she plays RussiasAlisa Kleybanova, obscure here,but the 29th seed. When I wasa little kid I heard of her (Dokic)a lot because she was one of thetop players in the world yearsbefore, said Kleybanova, who is19. Here, in as many words, wasproof of what Dokic alreadyknows that a generation hascome and gone, and that, at 25,she is a grande dame.

She says she will always

regret her dark ages, but cannotrelive them. But she can live herfuture, and the goodwill is over-whelming. The Opens websitehas been flooded by well-wishers, and yesterday the greatSerena Williams added her fel-icitation. Oh my, Ive just beenso happy for her, she said.

I just think her attitude isgreat. I think her game is justamazing now. I know what itslike to be down and come back;Im really proud and happy forher.

Dokics match tonight, and ablockbuster between Novak Djo-kovic and Marcos Baghdatis,rings down the curtain on thefirst week of the Open. In manyways, it has been typical: mer-curial weather; slain seeds;enormous crowds; a rump offans inclined to wanton viol-ence, bemusing visitors who do

not see this behaviour elsewherein the tennis world, promptingauthorities to announce a tight-ening of security; and, now,Australias hopes condensedagain into one player.

Dokic was at MelbournePark early yesterday, to practise,stretch, remake some oldacquaintance, but was gonebefore the glare could catch her,withdrawing from a scheduledmixed doubles match. She isnot shy; she said even as a teen-ager that she revelled in thespotlight, but in its time andplace.

Tonight, she will journeyagain through Melbourne Parksbowels to the entrance to RodLaver arena, as prodigal as anyson, knowing that when shereturns through that doorway,she might not have won, butcannot have lost.


7/13


8/13

THEAGEWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009

NEWS

OUR PATCH: St Kildas Veg Out is a celebration of the suburban backyard, where rusty gates,bits of old timber and sheets of corrugated iron are reinvented as sculptures and fences.

MICHELLEHAMER SUMMERAGEPAGE13

SPENCER STREET, MELBOURNE 3000FOUNDED IN 1854, NO 51,535

TACTS

hboard (03)96004211tising 132243riptions,delivery 136666scribe to The Age visit:

subscribe.theage.com.auSalesairfaxphotos.com

ge Store

heageshop.com.au

OUHAVEA NEWSTIP?

[email protected] Phone (03)96012250

(03)96012327

WEREWRONG

icleLightplanedeaths upbyhan50%(The Age, 30/12)

ectlystatedthat the36 fatalitiesresulted fromlightplanes lastyearinvolveda significant

er ofultralightaircraft. TherewofatalitiesinvolvingultralighttregisteredwithRecreationalnAustraliain 2008. Theingcrashesinvolved other

of lightaircraft registeredbyuthorities.The article also

ectlystatedthat RecreationalnAustraliarepresents gliderroplanepilots.

policyofThe Age tocorrectallanterrors assoon aspossible. Theommitted topresentinginformationd accurately.

ERIES7s Oz Lotto (draw 777): 45,

7, 10, 30, 37, 5.ementaries: 44 and 35.ay Lotto (draw 2788)nds: Division 1,1,934.52; division 2,

9.60; division 3, $554;n 4, $27.05; division 5,5.

DERSHIP

ay-Friday: 765,000 Saturday:00 Sunday: 735,000

LIST

he law list at:e.com.au/lawlist

BRIEF

TRESCUE

pocket a lifesavereople have been rescuednder a capsized catamaran

he Port Phillip heads.scuba divers were aboard thearan when it was hit by a

shortly after 11am yesterday.e of the five people on boardhrown into the sea.

oman, Gwen Fisher, becameed under the boat ander person, Rob Laurie, also

me trapped when he went to

d.y survived by floating in an airt and were trapped for at

15 minutes.three people thrown from theescaped uninjured.

6-year-old man was pluckedscious from the surf byers at Inverloch aboutpm yesterday.

was taken to The Alfred hos-y air ambulance with suspec-inal injuries.

Nine people injured as car ploughs into pedestrians

The aftermath of the crash in Lorne. PICTURE: DARREN APPS

By ADRIAN LOWE

TWO four-year-old girls wereamong nine people injuredwhen a car ploughed into agroup of pedestrians in coastalLorne yesterday.

The two girls, believed to besisters, were walking near a carpark on Mountjoy Parade withat least six other people at about4pm, when a car driven by a62-year-old NSWman veeredonto the footpath.

The car then rolled down anembankment, before crashingon top of two parked cars.

The four-year-olds were

flown by air ambulance to theRoyal Childrens Hospital. Onesustained a fractured leg, whiletheothersufferedspinalinjuriesand was last night in a criticalcondition.

A woman in her 20s, believedto be the girls mother, alsosuffered a fractured leg in theaccident. Last night she was in astable condition in the RoyalMelbourne Hospital. A thirdchild was taken to Geelong hos-pital with a possible fracturedankle.

Another child, an adult ped-estrian and the driver and histwo passengers suffered minor

injuries. Five people wereexpected to be treated atGeelong Hospital last night.

It is believed the 62-year-oldwas driving at a low speed whenthe accident occurred in thetown centre of Lorne, on thesouth-west coast.Mountjoy Par-ade is part of the Great OceanRoad.

Police said they did notbelieve alcohol or speed hadcontributed to the accident.

Photographer Darren Apps,who witnessed the aftermath ofthe smash, said it appeared thecar had failed to take a cornerbefore hitting the pedestrians,

who were believed to be fromtwo families.

Staff of businesses close tothe scene were reluctant to talkin detail about the accident butone mandescribed thesituationas nasty.

Darren, a cafe worker, toldChannel Nine: A car has run offthe road, across a nature stripand into a car park at a resort,and in doing so has taken a fewpedestrians with him.

Police were last night con-tinuing their investigations andwill conduct further inquiriestoday.

With MEX COOPER

THE HOAX

Lies andthe hintof truthBy KELLY BURKEand JULIE ROBOTHAM

THE CSIRO got to the brink ofcommercialising a cancer-fighting strain of wheat engin-eered with human genes,according to the hoax article,before backing off for fear ofmoral outrage from the publicand the media.

If it had been true, it wouldhave represented an extraordin-ary capitulation by Australiasleading research organisation toopposition that had not beenexpressed but only anticipated.But a spokesman for the CSIROyesterday dismissed all claimsmade in thehoaxQuadrantarti-cle in relation to the organis-ation, saying they were false.

The wheat project was aban-doned because of the potentialof perceived moral issuesamong the public, the hoaxa r ti c le s ai d , r ef e rr i ng t oinformation buried within afootnote, in the July 2003 edi-tionofPlant BiotechnologyJour-nal. Though the journal andstudy cited are authentic, albeiton an unrelated topic, the foot-

note is an invention of the fab-ricated author, Dr SharonGould.

But the projects cited are notimplausible, and similar tech-nologies are in development.Human vaccines against dis-eases, including hepatitis B,have been genetically engin-eered into crops.

Gould also suggests theCSIRO abandoned research intothe creation of dairy cattle cap-a bl e o f p r od uc i ng n on -allergenic milk for lactose-intolerant infants, and a geneti-cally engineered mosquito thatcould stimulate antibodiesagainst malaria in humans whowere bitten. Both ideas areunder serious scientific study byresearch groups around theworld.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT AuthorsNorma Khouri (left) and

Helen Darville (right) were

revealed as not having hadthe lives they claimed they

had, while James McAuley

was a co-inventor of the

fi ctiti ous poet Er n Malley.

Joining a long-standing tradition of tall talesBy BRIDIE SMITH

WHENMaxHarrispublished hisautumn 1944 edition of AngryPenguinsmagazine, all he knewof young Ern Malley was that he

was an English-born insurancesalesman who had a flair formodernist poetry.

Such was the talent of thisundiscovered amateur poet thatHarris put out a special editionof his magazine completewith commissioned coverartwork by Sidney Nolan.

But Harris, a 22-year-oldavant-garde poet and critic, hadbeen had. He was on the receiv-ing end of one of Australiasmost celebrated literary hoaxes.

Cooked up by conservativepoets James McAuley andHarold Stewart to ridicule thedirection of modernist poetry,the elaborate plot included notonly the fictitious Ern bornErnest Lalor Malley according tothe pairs biography but hisdoting sister Ethel.

It was Ethel who had sentHarris a collection of her broth-ers poems after his prematured ea th i n S yd ne y i n 1 9 43because, she wrote in a letter toHarris, she wanted his opinion

on their merit.Adelaide-based Harris was

impressed. After showing the 16poems to literary friends, herushed out a special edition.Wartime delay s meant theautumn 1944 edition of AngryPenguins appeared in June thefollowing year.

But within weeks, SydneysSunday Sun had got to the bot-tom of it, running a front-pagestory alleging that young poetsMcAuley and Stewart werebehind the scam.

The paper was right and Har-ris was humiliated. The hoaxcreators had dashed off thepoems in little more than a dayfrom their desks at MelbournesVictoria Barracks. The pairthrew the poems together, lift-ing lines at random from books

and papers. Everything fromShakespeare to a report on thebreedinggroundsof mosquitoesgot a guernsey.

McAuley and Stewart contin-ued writing poetry after theircover was blown and McAuley,

along with Richard Krygier,founded Quadrantmagazine.

T hat same conservativemagazine, which was yesterdayreeling from revelations that anarticle by Brisbane-based NewYork biotechnologist Sharon

Gould is a hoax, is just thelatest publication to be had.

In 1996, New York Universityphysicist Alan Sokal conductedan experiment. He concocted apseudoscientific paper for pub-

lication in Social Text. It workeda treat. The US journal ran thepaper and on the day the issuecame out, Sokal added insult toinjury by revealing in anotherpublication that it was a hoax.

Other more recent Australianliterary hoaxes have generated alife of their own. The document-ary film Forbidden Lie$ followsthe discovery by Sydney Morn-ing Herald journalist MalcolmKnox that Norma Khouris 2002best-selling memoir ForbiddenLovewas a fake.

Similar success came toHelen Dar vi lle orDemidenko, as she was knownwhen she wrote the award-winning The Hand that Signedthe Paper, pretending to be thedaughter of a Ukrainian taxidriver.

Fabrication revealedFrom PAGE 1

false pretences, he said. Itsnot a real hoax. A real hoax issomething that exposes peoplesignorance of a topic and laughsat them for their pretension.

Windschuttle said that manyof the points and references inthe article were correct, includ-ing the names of institutes,books, journals and scientificdiscoveries. But he admittedthat he would double-check thesubstance of an article and itsauthor in the future.

Geneticist Rick Roush, deanof the University of Melbournes

school of land and environ-ment, said the article seemedplausible but some of the claimsmade little sense.

Its hard to put your fingeron any one thing thats wrong,but the sense of it is wrong, hesaid.

In principle, it might bepossible to make milk thatsnon-allergenic for lactose-intolerant infants, but whywould you use human genesequences to do it?

Anotherdeathrattle forHayden

From PAGE1

Kellie, his wife, was standingand applauding. That looked tobe significant, but was not. Hersolidarity, in good times andbad, had been one of theunderpinnings of his career;she would uphold whateverdecision he made now.

But on the boundary line,Ricky Ponting, the next man in,waited, as if not wanting tospoil a special moment. Soon,Ponting would make battinglook as Hayden once made itlook: easy.

Hayden walked on, notremoving his helmet, lookingneither left nor right. They saya sportsman wakes up onemorning and knows, but everymorning when he woke up, heknew only that he wanted tobat again. From every source,the word was the same.

But what was that niggle inthe back of his mind? He is 37.That did not mean he couldnot play any more, but it didmean that he was the oldest in

the team, and would be finish-ing soon enough anyway. Inthe wake of defeats by Indiaand South Africa, there was aclamour for newer, youngerfaces, a fresh start. It is, or was,the Australian way.

Hayden would be aware ofprevious instances in Austra-lian cricket history in whichselectors have gone discreetlyto a player and suggestedtactfully that it might bemore dignified for all if heannounced his retirement. Buthe would be aware, too, ofgreats who had dared theselectors to drop them.

Everyone would have anopinion and a position, thatmuch he knew. Those near himwould pat his back again those further away would stabat it, again.

But the backstabbers wouldnot necessarily be wrong, andthe backslappers might be kill-ing him with their kindnessanyway. Who would know?

Hayden walked on. Nearing

the gate, he broke into a trot.In an instant, he was throughthe gates, eyes straight ahead.This was a man going nowhere,not yet.

Hayden didnt retire againyesterday, like he hasnt retiredseveral times this summer. Butin the changerooms after tea,he and teammates were visitedby Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.It could not have escaped themall that he was there because ofanother long-server in anotherarena, with many runs on theboard, who could not bringhimself to believe that it was allover.


9/13

WIN MOREWITH TAB POWER PAYS

TAB POWER PAYS

ARE BACK FOR 2009!All win pools at selected race meetings feature the

Power Pays bonus, which gives you around 10% more

on regular dividends.

TODAYS POWER PAYS MEETINGS ARE:

Flemington Races

Rosehill Races

Doomben Races

Morphettville Races

Ballarat Harness

The Meadows Greyhounds

SportATURDAY JANUARY 31 2009

INSIDE THEINDIVIDUAL

MIND OFDINARASAFINA

SPORT 3

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

BLUES TONSEALS RISE

TO HAYDENSTEST SPOT

SPORT 5

PETER ROEBUCK

was a battle for the ages. Rafael Nadal last night survived thegest match in Australian Open history, denying his magnifi centow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. Next, he faces Roger Federer d history. Greg Baum reports.

PICTURES: JOHN DONEGAN

THE seconds areout, the undercard

complete, theformalities done.Again, it is RogerFederer, RafaelNadal, a major

pionship and boasting. Federers stake is a fourth

ali an Open, Nadals his fi rsthe fi rst for any Spaniard.was so nearly, breathlessly,ordinarily not so.ennis, for all itsfi cation, most resemblesg in the way it personalisesntest. Last nights

nator between Nadal andryman Fernando Verdasco

n as a tennis match andme the Spanish civil war, without the bloodshed,

acted over more than fi ve, the longest match inalian Open history, longerhan last years Federer-Wimbledon fi nal epic.

was, simply, the best matchtournament, played on that

me plane where desperationnspiration bid each other

mprobable and thenssible heights, played to acal, technical and emotionalstill, spoiled only marginally

e anti-climact ic fi nish,scos weary double fault. It10am when they were at

one, and still no-one at Rodarena wanted to go home.adal raised himself for oneeffort, to climb over the n et

nsole the gallant Verdasco,he said deserved also to win,

was possible. I feel veryy more than tired, NadalBut its going to be veryto pla y in a fi nal in one dayhalf.eviously, Nadal had notset in the tournament, norbeen stretched as far as aeaker. Verdasco held him tont on both scores, and that

merely the starting point. Therom Madrid and the man

Mallorca traded forehandsay principalities once

d cann on fi re. Repeatedl y,dual points promptedoric standing ovations, evengrizzled veterans in the press

During one in the fourthr instance, each player was

n his feet at different times; atumbling Nadal prevailed.

ederer knew for certainhat he would be playingniard, a left-hander, withhand as devastatingly hotweather. He would haveted Nadal, his latter-daysis, his successor as world

No.1, his conqueror in four recentfi nals. But fo r a long time las tnight, it looked as if it would beVerdasco, the conquistador fromthe clay courts, seeded 14 butuntil now without even a majorsemi-fi nal on his CV, let alone afi nal.

Verdasco came as anunknown, but not as anunworthy. In this, his year of

self-revelation, he had alreadyplayed in a fi nal and put outhighly-fancied Andy Murrayand Jo-Wilfried Tsonga here. Hewas playing Nadal not only as acompatriot, but as an equal andpeer. Verdasco had not beatenNadal previously in six meetings,but as Nadal said himself, hehad never previously played thisVerdasco.

Verdascos founding strengthis his serve, the most dependableon the circuit. He landed 12 of hisfi rst 14 last night, demonstratingthat he would not succumb tonerves. Nadals respect for itwas apparent; he stood metresbehind the base line for both fi rstand second serves all night. For along time, it left him, in so manywords, on the back foot.

Largely because of it, Nadalheld 20 break points against

Verdascos serve and wononly four. Verdasco won twoof four against Nadals serve.Astonishingly, there were only sixbreaks of serve for the match, fourof them in six games in the thirdset, the last in the last match. Therest of the night was about whoblinked fi rst.

Verdasco fashioned thefi rst oppor tunity in th e fi rst set,

and squandered it, hitting asmash long with Nadal helpless.Nadal faces break points inthis tournament at the rate ofone-and-a-half per set; Verdascowould have known he had onlya half-chance left. In the end,it was a stroke of luck that splitthem. The set went to a tie-break,Nadals fi rst of the tournament,and a let cord in Verdascos favourdelivered him two set points.He needed only one. It was thefi rst set Nadal ha d lost in thetournament.

Like the Spanish inquisition,no-one expected this. Nadallooked pleadingly into hiscoachs box, then set about hisredemption. It would not beeasy. He chiselled an openinginto Verdascos serve, only for hiscompatriot to save four breakpoints in one game, two with

aces. Undaunted, Nadal forcedanother break point in Verdascos

next service game with the pointof the tournament, won from anposition of siege with a freakishpassing shot that curled aroundthe net post.

Nadal did not so much pumphis fi st as deliver a short-arm jabinto thin air; it had become thatsort of encounter. The next pointgained him the set. It was the fi rstbreak of serve in the match.

Seemingly, the momentumhad changed, but not irresistibly.Nadal broke Verdasco again atthe start of the second set, buthe needed four break pointsin a game that lasted nearly 20minutes, a quarter of football,say. But, defying the naturalorder, Verdasco immediatelybroke Nadal. Fatigue became afactor. Nadal saved a break point,broke Verdasco, only for Verdascoagain to return the doubtfulcompliment. At length, Nadalprevailed in the tie-breaker; thisone set took 78 minutes.

Now the toll of the nighttold. Verdascos calf tightened,requiring a trainers massaginghands twice. Nadal, knowing this,tried to run Verdasco around;anti-climax threatened. ButVerdasco, befi tting the cont est,found new reserves. He won thetie-breaker 7-1, Nadals poorestreturn in a breaker in his career.Remarkably, there was not onebreak point for the set. Bothplayers dug into supplies ofenergy food; fans planned forbreakfast. All bets were now off.

Nadal, vastly moreexperienced, looked the likelierplayer in the fi fth set, but Verdascowas unsurrendering. It tookanother hour until they were done,and only after Verdasco saved thefi rst two of three match points.

MORE TENNIS SPORT

2009 AUSTRALIAN OPEN MENS FINALTOMORROW, 7.30PMRAFAEL NADAL v ROGER FEDERER

Spain Country Switzerland

1 Ranking 2

12 head-to-head 6

185cm height 185cm

85kg weight 85kg

Left-handed(two-handed backhand) Plays righted-handed (one-handed backhand)

2001 Turned pro 1998

31 Career titles 57

$20,814,797 Prizemoney $44,644,857

4 Aust Opens 9Semi-fi nallis t 2008, fi nalist 2009 Best Aust Open Champion 2004, 2006, 2007

TheSpain event

NADAL 6 6 7 6 6VERDASCO 7 4 6 7 4

Inspired: Fernando Verdasco

Victorious: Rafael Nadal is into hisfi rst Austr alian Op en fi nal.


10/13

THE AGE . SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009theage.com.auSport

BBACKLINES Pakistan is an immensely bewildering, even

confronting country, wondrous but wild.GREG BAUM

Ronaldo has fans singing in the standsMartin FLANAGANT

HEfollowingis sungeachweekin Britainbythous-

andsof peopletothetuneofThatsAmore:hentheball hitsthegoalsnotGiggs,snotScholes,sRonaldo!istianoRonaldodos

os Aveirowas bornon Feb-5, 1985,on theislandof

eirainto someof theworstrtythen tobe foundinernEurope.Forunex-edreasons,his father wasaorterof USpresidentldReagan,henceRonaldo.aveno greatknowledgeof

er,knownas footballinpartsoftheworld,butIsomeone whos magneti-

goodwhenI seethem.s Ronaldo.I loveit whenheat defendersping-pongingallfromonefoottotheso thedefender doesnt

knowwhichwaytorun,allthetimeclosingatpace ongoal andpreparingto finishwithpre-cision andpower.

Ronaldoscored42 goalsinallcompetitionslastseason.ThatsBradmanesque. Thisseason,hesonlygot 16goals.Heres another song aboutRonaldosung byUnitedfans.Thetuneis MyGuybyMaryWells:

Theresnothingyou candowhenhe goespastyouRonaldo,RonaldoYoudthink theEnglish

wouldbe pleasedto havehim intheircompetitionin thesame

waythatCadillacwouldhavebeenpleased tosee ElvisPresleydrivingaboutin oneof theircars.JohanCruyff,thegreatDutchplayer ofthe 1970s,saysRonaldois better thanBestandLaw,the greatManUnitedpairofthe 1960s.(Oneold Englishsportswriter wrotethatRonaldowasnot fitto laceGeorgeBestsdrinks). Puttingasidethe ques-tionof whereheis positionedinthepantheon, thefact isthatRonaldostandsat theapexofthegame.

Hewas takenfromhis familyattheageof11 andsentto abigLisbon club. Hehas spoken ofhishomesicknessduringthis

period. Others sayit wasthemaking ofhim, givinghiman

emotionaltoughness. Hesneeded it.Duringthe2006 WorldCup,

oneEnglishtabloidprintedaposterofhisfaceasa dartboardafterthePortugeezer, ashe wasdubbedby theBritishpress,appearedto conniveinthesending-off ofUnitedteammateWayneRooneyduringthe semi-finalwhichEnglandlost.Ronaldowas booed ateveryouting whenhe returnedtoEngland,but hisgreatEnglishPremierLeagueseasonstillcameafterthat.

TheEPLisa visionofthecor-porate stateasa sportingentity.Itmakesfor fantastictelevisionandhas aglobalaudience. Italsohasa manicneedforsuc-cess.WhenChelsea sacked for-merBrazilian WorldCup-winningmanagerLuiz Felipe

Scolari afteronlysevenmonthsinthe job,AlexFergusonof

ManchesterUnitedconfessedtobeing shocked. There was, hesaid,absolutelyno patienceinthegameany more.

Twothingssetthe EPLapartforme.Oneisthetalenton dis-play. Forexample, casein point,Ronaldo.The otheris thefans.Englishsoccer fanscan writewithsavageincandescence. Thisisa bloggercalledMarcelap-roustbuyingintothe debateaboutwhetherRonaldois ashowpony:Itwouldbeaninsulttothat noblebreedofshowponywho haveneveroncehadits eyebrowspluckedor itsscrotumwaxedand who, giventherightinstructor, couldprob-ablydrivea Ferrarithroughatunnelsafelytoo. (Ronaldohadrecentlycrashedhis Ferrari).

Thisweek,TheGuardianrana blogin whicha journalist

argued somewhattimidlythattheEPL wouldbe duller

withoutRonaldo. I would havethoughtthat wasstatingthebleedingobvious.But, no,themajorityofthe50 orsorespon-dentsI readstatedtheviewthattheEPLwouldbeas good,orbetter off,withouthim.

Rightnow, theEPL isthegreatestsportingshowon earth.Inadditionto thegreatwealthandthe listof dubiouscharac-tersit hasbroughtto theEnglishgame, thequalityof playhasalsoshotup likea champagnecorkleavinga bottle.

Iunderstandtherearethosewhoconsider ittheir patrioticdutyto houndRonaldoout ofthecountrybecauseofthe inci-dentwithRooneyin 2006.Hisdetractorsclaimhe goestogroundtooeasily, butheshardlyRobinsonCrusoein thatregard.Hes alsoa newsort of

playerin a rapidlychangingsport. Hehas referredto the

modern system underwhichplayersare boundtoclubsasslavery.Hesays helovesplayingforManchesterUnited.Healsosayshe wouldlove toplayforRealMadridifthe moneyisright.

Nonetheless,it sayssome-thingfor theEnglishcast ofmindthatthe following, fromrandom-sausage,countsamong themorepositiveviewsofRonaldoon theGuardian blog.Ronaldosgreatforthe PremierLeague.Hestheevilgeniusyouhave tohaveinanydecent blockbuster enter-tainment:gifted,rampant ego,anover-urgentneedto beloved,fleetingglimpsesof humanityanda penchantforself-destruction. Thetrouble is hellnever belionisedbyfansbecauseheis anarroganttosser,nomatterwhatagreatplayer.

Compareand contrastwithGiggsy, Messiet al.

WhatI knowabout Ronaldoisthat whenhewas askedwhatadvicehedgivea youngkid withrealtalent,he saiddontimitateanyone.That,I believe,isas trueinartasit isinsport.Idliketoendthiscolumnwithanothersong.Itsbasedon thatoldCubandittyGuantanameraand,inone formor another,hasbeenaroundEnglishsoccerforyears.I rememberhearingTheres onlyoneJoeyJordan inthe 1970s.Thatwassung bytheManUnitedfans tomakeJoeyfeelbetter.Thisis sungbyUnitedfansto maketheotherteamsfansfeelworse:

Cometo seeRonaldo,Youveonly cometosee

Ronaldo,Cometo seeRonaldo,Youveonly cometosee

Ronaldo.

MICK CONNOLLYS WEEK

Fragile link to Pakistan has been lost

Greg BAUMTHEsignontheconcierges deskat thePearlContinental HotelinPeshawarreminded

guards tocheckin theironsat reception.ItwasAustralias second-lastf Pakistan,a timeof rela-

nnocence.Taliban,Osamaadenand alQaedawereet householdwords,and

mMaliksapproachto twoaliancricketersto fixain Karachi wouldnotbeleduntilmonthslater.

earbywas thefablederPass,strictlyspeaking

Pakistan,butin self-nisteredtribal countryr Pakistans doubtfulpro-n.A thicklybeardedndrove oursmokymini-nother, equallybewhisk-satin thebackseat, Kal-kovacrosshis knees,ingno ones eyeand utter-

ota word.helandscape wastreeless,less,rockyand barren, butlybeautiful, fallingaway ins behindus. Aroundandeeverycorner,anotheronefort loomed,anderof allthe greatuerorswho hadpassedthis

Thenativespridethem-s onnever havingsubmit-

one.

Inevery stonyriverbed,chil-drenin shalwarblousesplayedcricket.This isthe countryinwhichcricketauthor MikeCow-ard,on apreviousvisit,foundachildwho recognisedAllanBorder, but not Australia.Itlooked asif ithadnt rainedforacentury.

Thejourneywas hair-raising.Althoughtraversinga mountainpass,thesinuousroadfeaturednosigns,markingsor crashbar-riers;itscrumblingvergessimplyfell awayintochasms.Inplaces,it wasdivided, butnot inanorderlyway.Theplentifultruckssimply selectedwhich-eversideof theroadsuitedthembestin themoment.Rightofway belongedto thebiggest.

Thesetrucksmostlyweredusty,rusty, overladen,teeteringandin mechanicallypoor repair,especiallytheirbrakes, andthedrivers unconcernedwithrulesorcourtesies.It madeeverycor-nera lottery.

Bya miracle,we gainedthehighestpoint, commandingstunningviewsinto Afghanistan

(whilein Peshawar, I alsometthepresidentand solememberofthe Kabul Collingwoodsup-portersclub,but thatsanotherstory). Driverandguardfound arockyoutcrop, droppedto theirhaunchesand proceededtosmokea bigfat jointeach,thenanother.Soon,they weresway-ingand giggling.

Byprior arrangement,wevisitedthe barracksof theKhyberRifles,behindhighwallsatthetopofthe pass.Withintherewasa neatlymanicuredlawn theonlygreenforhund-redsof kilometresin anydirec-tion apondandducks.Wesatwiththecommandant, drinkingtea,eating nokiddingcucumbersandwichesand talk-ingcricket.Throughthegates,wesaw a detachmentofsoldierspass,gunsslungover shoulders,ata jog-march.

Ahazyduskwasfallingasourreturntrip began. Driverandguard,previouslystone-facedandtaciturn,werelaugh-ing,slappingeachothersbacksandjabberingawayincessantly

inPashtun,withonlycasualregardfor theroad.They werehighas kites.

Nowwelearnedthatthemountainroad waswhollyunlit,andthatthe trucksnotonlylackedbrakes,but head-ortail-lights,too.Time aftertime,onewouldloom insilhouetteformoutof thegathering gloom, likea creaturefrompre-history,seeminglyfilling thenarrowroadahead.Notthat itbotheredourdriver;mostlyhe wasntwatching.

Inthebodyofthebus,therewasonlyfearfulsilence.ButPatrickKeane,thenan AAPreporter,nowmediamanageroftheAFL,wasin thebackseat,behindthe rearaxle,wheretheeffectof everylurch,swerveandjoltwasredoubled.He wasunsightedandterrified.As wefish-taileddownwards intothedarkness,he screamedoverandover:Wereall goingto die.Thebus driver, nowwild-eyed,laugheduproariously.

Somehow,we reachedthefootof thepass andthankedAllah.Momentarily, we stoppedata gunbazaar,unmarkedinadustyvillage.By a dingylight,wesaw shelvesfull ofhandgunsandracksof shotgunsand rifles,allrip-offsofwell-knownmakes. Thedealerencouraged

ustotouchandfondle,butitfeltwrong.Inthe grittyyellownightoutside,shotsrang out.Later,alocalexplainedthata Pathanwithouta gunfeelsnaked.

Backat thePearlContinen-tal,we madehastetoan ante-roomnear thefoyerthatwashidden discretelybehindsmokyglassandofficially didnot exist.Itwasa bar.

Thatnight,I wasawokenbywhatfeltlike someoneshakingmybed violently. Ileapt upandchasedmyassailantintothecorridor.Othersweretherealready.As sleeps fog receded,werealisedthatwhatwe hadfeltwasa smallearthquake.

Elsetimeson thattour,Ispoketoa mansittingona boxona platformat Peshawar, get-tinga shaveas hewaitedfortheRawalpindiExpress,had mylegclawedbyasmallbearon aleashthatwas partof theenter-tainmentat anelaboratewed-dingin Rawalpindi,playedmusicalchairs inthe middleofthenightat a roadconstructioncampsupervised bytwoTas-manian engineers somewherebetweenRawalpindiand Lahorefeelingonly slightlylessfool-ishbecausethemannexttomewasa fullcolonelinthe Pakistanarmy, alsoa publishedpoetandwalkedin thecoolshadows

of Islamabads gigantic FaisalMosquewith theABCsPeterWalsh,whosefatherhad justdiedin Australiaand whofoundthe experienceunexpectedlycalming.

ImranKhanonce con-demned Westerncricketersfortheirlackofeffortto trytounderstandPakistan.He wastooharsh.Pakistanisanimmenselybewildering, evenconfronting country,wondrousbutwild.Ittakesaclearmindanda concertedeffortto graspevena littleofit.Theenergiesoftouring cricketersmostlyareabsorbedby tryingtomake afewruns andtake afew wickets.

Therearesofewpointsofreferencebetween AustralianandPakistaniculturethat itiseasyto become disoriented, andforsome alarmed.Cricketwasthebridge;nowthat,too, hasbeenlost.It isno longer poss-ibleto makethetripup theKhyberPass,which hasbecomea terrorist redoubt.Doubtlessly,theboysstilldevotedlyplaycricket inthoseruggedriverbeds,butit isprobablethatinthe surroundinghillswashatchedthe murderousplotthatnowhas isolatedPakistanfromthecricketworldfor theforseeablefuture. Itis toosad tocallit anirony.

LEAPING LARRYS LETTERBOXty net syndrome

PECT Andrew Symonds hasbrought to the Junction Ovalfalse pretences. I dont knowes been told, but there cant

y fish worth catching in thatcross the road.

CLINT BARTONHawthorn

tricted viewE quick to criticise the publichaviour of young footballers

see the country as one giant com-bination pub, toilet and free-rangebordello.

DR DON BLAKEThornbury

Insomnia curedI RECENTLY counted eight rugbystories on a pay TV sport newsreport. Best nights sleep Ive had inages! Beat counting sheep.

OLIVER QUEENPoint Henry

lop has gone conspicuously greyer? Imean specifically during the lastcouple of media interviews. Myguess is that he needs a less stress-ful job. Has he considered bomb-defusing at all?

HAL JORDANGreensborough

Fast developerGREAT news about Roger Federerand his girlfriend expecting their firstchild Apparently Rogers amazing

ship contract, around four monthsafter conception. I believe the Aus-tralian Open is already holding backa wildcard spot for the kid for nextyears tournament.

BARRY ALLENBentleigh

Cup runneth amokIT SEEMED somewhat unusual tohave the pre-season AFL grand final,the Melbourne Storm seasonopener and the deciding game of

well. If only the A-League seasonhad been staggered a little, we couldhave had its grand final on the samenight, just to make things a littlemore interesting. I havent got ashred of proof, but for some reason Isuspect that one of our public trans-port corporations has been put incharge of the sporting calendar. Onmy line, its always nothing or threetrams at once.

DIANA PRINCEAltona Meadows

Riddl thi

major world champion to a titlefight, Anthony Mundine also nevergets around to pulling the trigger.

EDWARD NIGMAThornbury

Crystal ball smudgedCOULD all the media pundits whospent months writing off the Austra-lian cricket team please be put togood use? I suggest putting them towork on the form guide giving racetips Id be able to save a fortune rul

Free flows thespirit of league

Richard HINDS

We acknowledge thecontribution made bywomen to our game especially those playerswives who wash the kit.

RIGHT, said the Nat-ional Rugby Leagueclub chairman drain-ing a beer can and

tossing it into the pile on theboardroom floor.

This should get the mediaand the sheilas groups off ourback. Not to mention thatbloody do-gooder, David Gal-lop.

Proudly, the chairman flour-ished the sauce-stained pageon which he had scribblednotes of the crisis meeting at

which the NRLs behaviouralissues had been painstakinglydiscussed until the blokefrom Penrith got back with theChinese food.

Were going to call it TheOfficial Rugby League

best deadline story 2009

Documents