AM Summary

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-1999
AM Summary

CANBERRA, Feb 15 AAP - Main reports in the 0800 edition of the ABC's AM radio program today:

* Interview with NSW Opposition Leader Kerry Chikarovski on the coalition's plans to
privatise the state's electricity industry if it wins government at the March election.

* Doctors in NSW are claiming that non urgent patients who have been waiting months for
surgery are being given priority over urgent patients simply to cut the numbers on the
long-term waiting lists in the lead-up the election. Interview with Dr Leona Teston.

* Australia's first alpine skiing world champion Zali Steggall says she is elated at
winning the title, despite what she described as the stuff up of organisers playing the
funeral march instead of the Australian national anthem at the medal presentation. Interview
with Zali Steggall.

* The future political status of East Timor has again been thrown into doubt, this time by
comments made by Indonesia's popular opposition politician Megawati Sukarnoputri. She told a
crowd of supporters in Jakarta that East Timor should remain part of Indonesia.

* Special Minister of State Chris Ellison has paid back to the government a total of about
$10,000 for charter flights, money he insists he never owed to the government. Prime Minister
John Howard defended the Minister's behaviour as being super correct. Grabs from Mr Howard's
Channel 10 interview yesterday.

* Further grabs from Mr Howard yesterday on the Aboriginal Tent Embassy protest and the
content of any preamble to the Australian Constitution.

* The International Olympic Committee is to come under further pressure to expel members in
a widening bribery scandal. The Japan Olympic Committee will today submit a report to the IOC
that claims that at least nine officials breached guidelines on transport and entertainment
during the bidding process for the 1998 Nagano Winter Games. Critics claim the finding is a
whitewash. Interview with the head of Japan's investigating panel Yoshira Yagi.

* The White House has confirmed that Hillary Clinton is considering running for the Senate
in New York next year. Interview with New Jersey Senator Frank Loutenberg and Laura Listwood,
founder of the White House Project which aims to improve the prospects of a woman president.

* Police in Western Australia say they'll begin an escalating campaign of industrial action
tomorrow unless they get a better pay offer. Interview with police union president Michael
Deane and Police Commissioner Bob Falconer.

* Sinn Fein has warned of dire consequences for the Northern Ireland Peace Process
following newspaper remarks by Irish Republic Prime Minister Bertie Ahearn implying that Sinn
Fein should not be allowed to take its place in a new power sharing government in Northern
Ireland until the IRA begins disarming.

* Australian artist John Brack dies, just two weeks before a major retrospective of his
work opens at the National Gallery. Interviews with former National Gallery director Betty
Churcher, Deborah Clarke of the National Gallery, and art historian Bernard Smith.

AAP daw/br

KEYWORD: AM SUMMARY

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