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Howard reaches second longest serving prime minister mark
John Howard reached an extraordinary milestone this
week when he became Australia's second longest serving
Prime Minister.
Howard has been Prime Minister for eight years, nine
months and 11 days - second only to Sir Robert Menzies,
who is still yet to be surpassed at 16 years, one month
and eight days.
After a fourth-term election win on October 9, Mr
Howard, 65, is showing no signs of stepping down to
Treasurer Peter Costello.
"
To have won four election victories is something
that will give him a place in history, which very
few people will ever be able to take away from him,
he deserves every credit for a wonderful and a magnificent
electoral performance,” Costello said.
Gold strengthens Australia’s dollar
Australia's dollar strengthened after prices of its
gold and copper exports gained last week.
Gold climbed for the eighth week in nine and copper
prices had their biggest weekly advance since January
of this year, boosting the outlook for export revenue
and the economy.
Rising prices of raw materials have helped the Australian
dollar surge 9.1 per cent in the past three months.
In the past three months, the currency had a 0.95
correlation with gold, of which Australia is the world's
third-largest producer.
Australia credits US ally
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer credits Australia's
close relationship with the United States as a strong
aid in increasing its foothold in the Asia-Pacific
region. Downer, who is the longest-serving foreign
minister after serving almost nine years as the country’s
top foreign diplomat, says he is proud Australia
has built the closest relationship it has ever had
with the United States, while also being seen as
a regional leader by its neighbours.
"I think our close relationship with the United
States has given us extra weight in the region,” he
says.
He says while the decision to become involved in Iraq
was challenging, it was not as hard as placing Australia
as the main player involved in East Timor's struggle
for independence.
Unemployed may lose welfare
The Howard Government’s new “work first,
welfare second,” reform means welfare payments
could be streamlined into a single working-age benefit
as a means to encourage the jobless, disabled pensioners
and single parents to go back to work.
A discussion paper outlining reform options to introduce
a single welfare payment and simplify the system will
be presented to cabinet in the New Year.
A single welfare payment was first proposed by the
landmark McClure report in 2000, commissioned by the
Howard Government. However, the cost to undertake a
major overhaul and a senate hostile to the idea have
stalled the reform initiatives.
Streamlining the system will encourage welfare recipients,
including disability support pensioners and single
parents to take advantage of training and support available
through the Job Network scheme.
"We want to make sure we have a system that provides
choices for parents - to stay at home and a choice
to make it financially rewarding to return to work,” states
Workforce Participation Minister Peter Dutton. The
government is currently looking at a pilot program
involving a major retailer to help mothers find work
in the hospitality and retail industry.
Miracles no longer necessary
Australia's candidate for sainthood, Mary MacKillop,
may have a chance at the title now that miracles
are no longer being considered a prerequisite for
sainthood.
Genoa's Il Secolo newspaper reported that Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger, the head of the Doctrine of the Faith
and the Pope's right-hand man, would waive the miracle
clause, placing the emphasis
instead on exemplary lives.
Pope John Paul II believes latter-day saints are an
antidote to secularism and an example to all. He has
created 422 saints in his 26 years as Pontiff.
In 1995, on his trip to Australia, he beatified MacKillop, the founder of the
Sisters of St. Joseph, after the church formally accepted she had one miracle
cure to her name. Sent home to die from leukaemia in 1964, a woman was cured
after praying to MacKillop and had a child the next year, on August 8, the
date MacKillop died.
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