Rabbits are still a pest here. Whilst this introduced species are being attacked via a new virus - RCV - a farmer has developed a new solution that is gaining a lot of interest. His rabbit eradicator is basically a big container of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). He pours the LPG down the rabbits burrow and being heavier than air, it flows down through the underground network. The next step is to stand back and ignite the gas. He says it's a double whammy; the rabbits are disposed of quickly and the explosion collapses and seals the burrow.
You may recall the High Court's Mabo decision of a few years ago. This court is our highest and cannot be appealed, like in the old days, to the UK. Up until the Mabo decision, the concept of "Terra Nullius" had applied - that is, Australia was legally unoccupied when England claimed the land some 200 years ago. The original inhabitants - the Aboriginals - didn't legally have any title to the place. The Mabo decision overturned this and introduced the concept of Native Title.
But what about the farmers who occupy their land under what is called a Pastoral Lease? Did such a Government-provided lease on a defined piece of land extinguish (end) Native Title on that land?
The recent High Court Wik decision established that Native Title and Pastoral Leases can coexist.
The federal government is now under extreme pressure from both sides. The farmers want the government to legislate and extinguish native title; the Aboriginals want the their rights protected. Either way, it is going to be decided over the next few weeks and will make fascinating viewing.
Currently x-rated videos cannot be sold in the States (Victoria, NSW etc) , but are legal in the two Territories (Northern Territory and Canberra). In an anomaly, it was apparently okay for people in the States to buy the videos from NT or Canberra. Phone and mail-order sales being the order of the day.
Last year we elected a conservative federal government. It was well understood that their policy was to ban x-rated videos. Full stop.
In a surprising move, the government not only didn't ban them, but appear to be legalising them. A new category of classification has been announced, NVE - Non Violent Erotica.
A man was pulled over by the police as his car was swerving left and right. Just before the officer got him to wind his window down, the man chewed up a big mouthful of garlic. The blast of garlic air was so gross, that the policeman charged the man with assault. The judge ruled that as the definition of assault included causing offence, the man was indeed guilty. By the way, he was also found guilty of drink driving.
A fascinating court case is taking place up in Canberra. For some years now a Melbourne geologist has been crusading against a creationist, who claims to have found Noahs Ark. The scientist claims the formation claimed to be the Ark is, in fact, what is commonly known as rock.
As the creationist charges people to hear him speak, the scientist, also funded by the Australian Sceptics Society, has brought charges under consumer protection law. The theory being that if what the man is saying about the Ark can be 'proven' to be false - ie the formation is rock - he is undertaking an illegal activity.
David Sidwell
(Melbourne, Australia)
e-mail: dsidwell@connexus.apana.org.au
WWW: http://connexus.apana.org.au/~dsidwell
