ADELAIDE — Single women are "going around getting pregnant to rort the system", according to state Liberal backbencher Joe Rossi. He has also been quoted by a suburban newspaper as saying that single women should be sterilised after their third child and that family breakdowns are the cause of social problems.
Another of Rossi's proposals is that rowdy young people be automatically fingerprinted on the grounds that they could be involved in crimes such as graffiti or car theft. His attitudes have provoked outrage from women's groups, welfare organisations, the state Opposition and even Liberal Party members.
MELBOURNE — Plans by Vic Roads to widen Alexandra Parade are being opposed by the residents of Fitzroy and Collingwood. The plans are widely seen as an attempt by Vic Roads to extend the Eastern Freeway, originally planned to go through to Carlton. These plans were shelved as a result of blockades in the late 1970s causing the freeway to end at Hoddle Street.
The Coalition Against Freeway Extensions has been formed from several anti-freeway and pro-public transport groups. It meets every Tuesday at Friends Of the Earth at 312 Smith Street in Collingwood. To date, the Coalition has held a public meeting and rally. For more details phone Cam on 419 8700.
SYDNEY — The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is selling off dozens of lighthouses, houses and land — the lot for $11 million. NSW Democrat MLC, Richard Jones has warned that "the Fahey government has been very slow to negotiate the Commonwealth's hand over of the land and lighthouses. Some of these lighthouses are heritage landmarks and unless the Fahey government acts quickly they may well fall into the hands of developers."
Amongst the lighthouses for sale are Barranjoey, Cape Byron, Green Cape, Norah Head, Point Stevens, Smokey Cape and Sugarloaf Point. Jones, whilst criticising John Fahey's Liberal government, believes that the federal government should hand the lighthouses over to the states, without cost, so that they can be retained for public access and to ensure their heritage value remains intact.