September 2005 in Australia and New Zealand

This page deals with current events that take place in or are of interest to Australia, New Zealand, and/or the territories of those countries (such as Norfolk Island and Ross Dependency), and/or current events that involve Australians and/or New Zealanders. __NOTOC__

30 September, 2005 (Friday)

*Donna Awatere Huata, a former New Zealand Member of Parliament, is sentenced to two years and nine months in jail for stealing from a Maori trust for disadvantaged children. Her husband is sentenced to two years. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10348000 (NZ Herald)]

29 September, 2005 (Thursday)

*The High Court of Australia has found that it cannot judge whether the Howard Government's unapproved spending on an advertising blitz promoting the controversial industrial relations reform was unlawful, in a case brought by the Australian Labor Party and trade unions. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1471271.htm (ABC)]

27 September, 2005 (Tuesday)

*Australian State and Territory leaders agree to implement the Commonwealth Government's tough new anti-terrorism laws with a sunset clause. The new laws allow police to detain terrorism "suspects" without charge for up to two weeks, and electronically tag them for up to a year. The measures have been attacked by civil libertarians and Muslim groups. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1469669.htm (ABC)] [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1469394.htm (ABC)]
*The Australian Government dismissed a suggestion from former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke that Australia should store the world's nuclear waste. The Labor Party said Mr Hawke's view did not reflect party platform. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1469449.htm (ABC)]
*The Premiers and Chief Ministers of the States and territories of Australia will meet in Canberra today for a Council of Australian Governments meeting to consider the Commonwealth Government's proposed new anti-terror laws. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1468883.htm (ABC)]

25 September, 2005 (Sunday)

*New Zealand Green MP Keith Locke walks down Broadway wearing only socks, shoes, a G-string, and body paint, to fulfill a promise he rashly made during the election campaign. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10347190 (NZ Herald)]

24 September, 2005 (Saturday)

* The Sydney Swans win the 2005 AFL Grand Final, defeating the West Coast Eagles by 4 points. [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16700986-2,00.html (News.com.au)]
* A flotilla of 100 boats meets the Interisland ferry Kaitaki protesting the speed it travels through the Marlborough Sounds. Protesters claim the ferry's wake damages the shoreline. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3422217a10,00.html (Stuff)] [http://www.tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/613639 (TVNZ)]

22 September, 2005 (Thursday)

*Australia agrees to fund Indonesia's response to avian influenza by providing anti-viral drugs to protect health workers in the event of a pandemic and contributing to a World Health Organisation team being sent to Jakarta. The Federal Opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Kevin Rudd, urged the Australian Government to further co-operate with regional states by calling for a regional summit on the issue. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1466282.htm (ABC)] [http://dsl.optusnet.com.au/news/story/abc/20050923/15/domestic/1466838.inp (ABC)]

20 September, 2005 (Wednesday)

*Helen Clark orders an inquiry into Associate Justice Minister Taito Phillip Field's assistance to a Thai overstayer's work permit application. The Thai man retiled the roof of Field's house in Samoa. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=%1E%FB%F8%C5%2B%B7%BEC (NZ Herald)]
*Susan Crennan is appointed to the High Court of Australia, to become only the second woman on the High Court in its history. [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,16670347%255E2862,00.html (Herald Sun)]

September 18, 2005 (Sunday)

*Kiwi golfer Michael Campbell wins the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth in England to pocket the £1,000,000 richest prize in golf. He beat Irishman Paul McGinley 2 and 1 to add to his US Open title he won earlier in the year at Pinehurst.

17 September, 2005 (Saturday)

*The Australian Labor Party rejected the view of former leader Mark Latham that the United States alliance should be abandoned, and reaffirmed the Party's commitment to the relationship and accused Latham of "rank hypocrisy". [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1462531.htm (ABC)]
*In the New Zealand general election, the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Helen Clark, seemed best placed to form a new government. Although the opposition National Party of Dr Don Brash made the greatest gains, these were mainly at the expense of minor parties. All the existing minor parties lost seats, with only the new Māori Party making gains. ( [http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html Elections New Zealand] )
*A light plane, stolen from Ardmore Airport in Auckland, crashes in the Waitemata Harbour near St Heliers, after the pilot threatens to crash into the Sky Tower. [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/611947 (TVNZ)] [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10346063 (NZ Herald)]

16 September, 2005

*New Zealand prepares to go to the polls on Saturday. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/index.cfm?c_id=1500891 (New Zealand Herald)]

15 September, 2005 (Thursday)

*The centre of Tauranga is shut down for 13 hours after a man threatens to blow himself up with a bomb in a hotel. The man, who was upset that he couldn't get a visa to stay in New Zealand, was arrested just after midnight. The bomb was fake. [http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3412464a10,00.html (Stuff)]
* Australia: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation rushed to air its interview with former Labor Party Opposition leader Mark Latham after fending off legal challenges from News Corporation, publishers of "The Australian" and the "Herald Sun". [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/legal-battle-to-ban-latham-show-fails/2005/09/15/1126750082275.html (The Age)]

September 14, 2005 (Wednesday)

*The New Zealand Ombudsman forces Treasury to release details of alternative costings for the Labour Party's proposed interest-free student loan scheme. Treasury estimated the scheme would cost NZ$390 million in its third year, but Labour's estimates put the cost at $300 million at that point. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10345648 (NZ Herald)]

September 12, 2005 (Monday)

*Zdravko Micevic, a former Melbourne hotel security guard, is acquitted on charges of manslaughter in the death of Test cricketer David Hookes. A jury at the Victorian Supreme Court finds Micevic acted in self-defence when he punched Hookes in January 2004, a blow which contributed to his death.

September 9, 2005 (Friday)

*The Howard Government's proposed new anti-terrorism laws are criticised as ineffective and extreme. The Federal Opposition and Muslim and civil libertarian groups allege the measures will lead to a "police state" and further radicalise young Muslims. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1456612.htm (ABC)] [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1456880.htm (ABC)]

September 8, 2005 (Thursday)

*The United Nations Human Development Index 2005 results are released with Australia retaining its third position behind Norway and Iceland, and with New Zealand slipping one place to 19. [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411416/609615 (TVNZ)]
*Don Brash, leader of the New Zealand National Party, has admitted that he knew about anonymous pamphlets distributed by members of the Exclusive Brethren attacking the Labour and Green Parties. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10344755 (NZ Herald)]

September 6, 2005 (Tuesday)

*Australian telecommunication company Telstra's share price tumbles to a two year low of $4.32AU as Prime Minister John Howard condemns their new management team as disgraceful and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission launches a criminal probe of Telstra's leaked and negative statements. [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16518806%255E601,00.html (The Australian)]

September 4, 2005 (Sunday)

*The ACT New Zealand party kicks off its election campaign with Rodney Hide claiming that the only way National can form a government is with its help. [http://www.tvnz.co.nz/view/page/576182/608715 (TVNZ)]

September 3, 2005 (Saturday)

*The New Zealand All Blacks defeat Australia's Wallabies 34-24 in the final match of the 2005 Tri Nations Series, and win the title for the sixth time. [http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/articles/2005/09/03/1125302778830.html (SMH)]

News collections and sources

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ee also

*2005 in New Zealand
*2005 in Australia