34th Road Fatality
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday July 26, 2000
A 56-year-old Kiama Downs motorcyclist became the region's 34th road fatality this year after an accident at Dunmore on Monday night.
Gordon Tuckey was riding south on the Princes Highway when his motorcycle collided with a northbound semitrailer about 600m south of Dunsters Lane.
Mr Tuckey was killed instantly. The truck driver was uninjured.
Police inquiries into the cause of the accident are continuing.
Train catches fire
At least three people were injured in a fire that broke out on a passenger train in the Blue Mountains last night.
An ambulance spokesman said three people had been taken to Nepean Hospital, one with minor burns, one suffering smoke inhalation, and one with an arm injury.
Another three were being assessed at the scene and were likely to be taken to Nepean Hospital.
The blaze broke out on the passenger train at Linden, on the eastern side of Bulls Creek, about 8.20pm.
Cut rebate - Lees
The Australian Democrats have called for the Federal Government to scrap the 30 per cent rebate for private health insurance in the wake of a massive membership blow-out.
Health insurance membership has soared to a 10-year high as about 500,000 people rushed health funds in just two weeks to beat the deadline for new age-based lifetime health cover premium increases.
The surge in membership would cause a budget blow-out in the amount paid out in the rebate of at least $200 million, Democrats Leader Meg Lees said.
Sen Lees said the huge influx after the age-penalty scheme was introduced was evidence the $2.3 billion rebate was an expensive failure.
Paedophile lists?
Federal Liberal MP Trish Draper has called on Australian newspapers to publish lists of convicted paedophiles.
Her call follows a furore in Britain, where the News of the World newspaper has begun printing the names, photographs and home districts of known child sex offenders.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury
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