Awb

[j.sabourn]

I see by the Australian Press the Inquiry into the Australian Wheat Boards kick backs to the Saddams Husseins government of the day is still in progress. If the general public think this is a one off they must be very disallussioned. As seafarers most of us are aware of the kickbacks on a smaller scale of course to government officials including customs and immigration and police in various parts of the world this was an accepted fact in most cases, and is still going on today. In my early days at sea the ships were dry and have gone the full circle and in a lot of cases are back again to that. There will of course be the necessary various bottles etc. carried for the bribes to the various officials. I realize that the money involved in the AWBs case is probably quite a huge amount, but the principal is the same regardless of the amounts. Regards John Sabourn.

[happy daze john in oz]

John I think the enquiry is like so many others, no gov calls for one unless they know what the outcome will be. Then we have the case in NSW of the boat person who it turned out was acting as a manager to bring more illegals here. when he was rumbled he fled the country and the police said they could not stop him from going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Les Woodard]

John there is still more to come out of the time Honest John as our PM as you could also add the attacks on the MUA not to mention the WAR in Iraq that could not be discussed in a hypothethical situation until he signed the order for our troops to go. Now we have this lot in power so just hope that we can withstand political inertia until the people revolt and we end up getting better leaders within both parties. These are only a few of the debacles from the past. As Happy Daze says they will not hold an enquiry unless they are sure that they know the outcome because one must keep security around the trough.