Four Corners
Season 1996
TV-PG
An Australian current affairs documentary television programme, the longest running of its kind nationally, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Where to Watch Four Corners • Season 1996
46 Episodes
- The Big Picture ManE1
The Big Picture ManBy Andrew Fowler. This program examines the impact of the Keating style of government on the Australian political landscapes, particularly over the past three years. Keating's role as the dominant and central figure in the government during this time has become a major issue. Paul Keating is a big picture man and this program provides an insight into how he is perceived in the countdown to the election on March 2. - SuperbugsE3
SuperbugsBy Tom Mangold. The growing resistance to antibiotics is considered to have taken over the HIV epidemic in terms of potentially disastrous consequences. This British program is about the return of hospital-acquired infections and the first signs of multi-drug resistant TB. In Sydney, Liz Jackson interviews Dr John Turnidge from Monash University in Melbourne, and assesses the Australian situation. This program ends with a tribute to Four Corners cameraman Brett Joyce - Balance and PowerE4
Balance and PowerBy David Hardaker. This story focuses on the battle between the Greens, the Democrats and Tasmanian Bob Brown's attempt to establish a bridgehead in the Senate and, as well as fighting for the balance of power, start the forward move for the Greens as a national political force - Black and BlueE5
Black and BlueBy Murray McLaughlin. There are signs that the rank and file code of silence within the Queensland Police force prevails, and racist issues persist. This, combined with the return of the Nationals to government, the re-emergence of the police union as a political force and the police treatment of Aborigines has prompted the chairman of the CJC to express serious misgivings about the integrity of the Queensland Police Force. Four Corners also makes a disturbing examination of the Pinkenba Six case.. - The Crown DealsE6
The Crown DealsBy Sally Neighbour. Since its inception in l992, Victoria's Crown Casino has never been far away from controversy. This report investigates the tendering process for the casino and its operators, Hudson Conway. The recent record of Hudson Conway is also examined, and we ask if the company is fit and proper to hold a licence under the strict probity conditions governing casinos - American ApartheidE7
American ApartheidBy Gavin Hewitt (Australian component Chris Masters). Ex-BBC Panorama. BBC reporter Gavin Hewitt questions whether the increasingly separate lives of blacks and whites is leading to an American apartheid. Chris Masters interviews, in the studio via satellite, race relations author and commentator, Professor Roger Wilkins, a professor of history at Washington's George Mason University. - Other People's ChildrenE8
Other People's ChildrenBy Chris Masters. Chris Masters reveals that child homicide is likely to be double the official number, and discovers that there are major shortfalls and deficiencies in our system of caring. Social agencies are thinly resourced, and neighbours are uncertain about getting involved. This is one of the most under-reported but poignant tragedies in Australia today. - A Ray of HopeE9
A Ray of HopeBy Gerry Northam. Ex BBC Panorama. AZT, a drug that could prolong the life of HIV sufferers, became known in the mid-'80s when the AIDS crisis came to public attention. In this report, Gerry Northam points out that initial studies approving AZT were soon overtaken by an in-depth look at the drug which questioned whether it could do more harm than good. The situation revealed a potential conflict between the pursuit of profit and the search for truth. - Death of a PrincipleE10
Death of a PrincipleBy John Ware. Ex BBC Panorama. The Saudi Arabian regime is accused of despotism and inhumanity. Dr Mohammed Al-Mas'ari has claimed asylum in Britain after criticising the Saudi Royal family. The British Government is now under political pressure to deport him. The Saudi Government has threatened to cut off commercial contracts worth billions of dollars unless deportation orders are issued - Crimes of FashionE11
Crimes of FashionBy Andrew Fowler. In this program, Four Corners reveals money laundering, social security and tax fraud, and labour abuses in one of the biggest businesses in Australia - the fashion industry. Since deregulation six years ago, benefits have been cheaper clothes. However, there has been an increase in crime and a huge growth in the number of people working from home for the equivalent of third-world wages - The Chemical StraightjacketE12
The Chemical StraightjacketBy David Hardaker. This program is a special investigation into the problems nursing homes have in dealing with sufferers of dementia. Because of budget restraints, dementia patients are being treated with powerful, mind-altering drugs. One woman describes how her husband's condition rapidly deteriorated after entering a nursing home. It is expected that the number of dementia sufferers will double in the next 20 years. - At the End of the DayE13
At the End of the DayBy Liz Jackson. The Australian union movement is fighting to maintain its position as the dominant force in industrial relations. Not only is the new government determined to radically change industrial relations, but the work force increasingly regards our unions as irrelevant. This program previews the Reith reforms and asks if the union movement can survive the challenge of a new era - Signal FailureE14
Signal FailureBy Murray McLaughlin. This program is about the decline of juvenile delinquency into mayhem and the consequences of the failure to recognise and treat the symptoms - resulting in the brutal murder of a two-year-old girl. The murderer was a 16-year-old youth under the court-ordered care and protection of Queensland's Family Services Department - The X-ray FilesE15
The X-ray FilesBy David Taylor. This is a disturbing report from the BBC that alerts us to the medical risks of X-Rays. The X-Ray machine has been perceived as a great boon to medicine as a valuable diagnostic tool. However, every X-Ray we have exposes our body to radiation, and there's strong statistical correlation between radiation exposure and cancer. This program accuses British doctors of underplaying the risks. - Twice BetrayedE16
Twice BetrayedBy Sally Neighbour. This story is about the crisis within the Roman Catholic Church over sexual abuse. After decades of inaction, the Church is facing its day of reckoning as a legal and financial showdown looms. Four Corners reveals the cover up that left the victims twice betrayed. - The Forgotten WarE17
The Forgotten WarBy John Simpson. This BBC Global Report is about the civil war in Afghanistan - the war which followed the holy war the Mujahadeen fought with success against the Russians. This war is worse than the conflicts in Angola and Bosnia. The country has become a new centre for heroin cultivation and distribution. John Simpson reports on the local and global impact of the war. - Principal, PrincipleE18
Principal, PrincipleBy Chris Masters. This program is about Lurnea High School, which is only now getting over the crisis which started more than a year ago when principal, Robyn Cragg, clashed with six senior teachers, leading to union involvement and threats of a statewide strike. The issue has yet to be resolved. The program gives an insight into the politics, the volatility and pressures that teachers in the public school system are up against. - A Life in LimboE19
A Life in LimboBy Sarah Barclay. Ex BBC Panorama. This program tells the story of Thomas Creedon, who was born so badly brain damaged that his parents were prepared to fight before the courts for the right to allow their son to die. The impending court case in the United Kingdom was set to make legal history. It focused on the competing principle of a child's right to live, as proclaimed by his doctor, and a right to die. - Larouche: Profit and LiesE20
Larouche: Profit and LiesBy Andrew Fowler. This program is about the emergence and growth in Australia of an insidious organisation, and the devastating impact it has had on a number of lives. It documents the group's vendetta against prominent members of the Jewish community, its attempts to snare politicians into its conspiracy, and the alienation it has caused amongst families in its drive for young recruits. - A Dangerous MindE21
A Dangerous MindBy Virginia Moncrieff. In this program we ask if the behaviour of the alleged Port Arthur gunman, Martin Bryant, could have been predicted. The events of Port Arthur are traced and the life of Martin Bryant examined in the search for reasons for this tragedy. We also investigate scientific advances in producing a mental fingerprint of future mass murderers. - The Road to NowhereE22
The Road to NowhereBy Murray McLaughlin. This program is about the Northern Territory's new euthanasia bill; Max Bell -- who drove from Broken Hill to take advantage of the new law; and about the political manoeuvering and posturing that is holding up its implementation. Four Corners speaks to Dr Nitschke, Max's doctor, and reveals doubts about how genuinely committed the NT government is to this pioneering legislation. - Telling His StoryE23
Telling His StoryBy Liz Jackson. Two months ago, Rob Riley, the most prominent Aboriginal activist in Western Australia, was found dead in a motel room in Perth. This program tells his story. His death sent shockwaves through the Aboriginal community. His close friends and his family talk openly about the pain an - Drugs in SportE24
Drugs in SportBy Tom Mangold. Ex BBC Panorama. As the 26th Olympic Games get under way in Atlanta, this program examines the use of drugs in sport and the increasing pressure on technology to be able to identify new substances now starting to be used by some athletes. The morality of performance-enhancing drugs is also questioned. - The Great British Beef FiascoE25
The Great British Beef FiascoBy Gerry Northam. Ex BBC Panorama. This program reports on BSE, Mad Cows Disease, and a decade of concealed dangers. BSE has crippled the British beef industry, poisoned relations between Britain and Europe, and may have infected untold numbers of people - A Federal CaseE26
A Federal CaseOn the day an inquiry into the nation's premier police force is announced, Four Corners asks: Can the Australian Federal Police Force be trusted to keep itself honest? The clean image the federal police have held for so long has been a lie all along. Corruption within the force was exposed at the Royal Commission into the NSW Police. - A Saudi SlaveE27
A Saudi SlaveBy Bruno Sorrento. Ex Channel 4 Dispatches. In this program a British crew follows the story of Jessica, a young Filippino woman, who travels to Saudi Arabia. She wants to work there so that she can raise money for an operation for her daughter, who needs heart surgery. Hidden cameras follow her life as she moves from family to family, is raped, beaten and forced to change her religion - An Innocent AbroadE28
An Innocent AbroadBy Mark Maley. This program tells the story of David Wilson, the young Australian traveller who was kidnapped and murdered by Cambodia's Khmer Rouge two years ago. We follow the efforts of his family as they try to save him and we have an insight into the dilemma of Australian policy in countries like Cambodia - Smoke in the EyeE30
Smoke in the EyeBy Daniel Schorr. Ex Frontline. This Frontline program looks at how tobacco dollars may weaken the reporting resolve of a nation's media. In 1995, despite having important, damaging accounts from inside the tobacco industry, two major American commercial networks backed away from their stories, at a time when they were subject to multi-billion dollar corporate mergers - Bleeding MedicareE31
Bleeding MedicareBy Andrew Fowler. This is the first of a two-part report on our health system. Andrew Fowler investigates the impact of the over-supply of doctors on Medicare, a situation estimated to waste as much as $800 million of public health care money. The payment system encourages over-servicing - last year more that 400 doctors were found to do this. - Hospital EmergencyE32
Hospital EmergencyBy Margot O'Neill. This programme examines the recent deaths of three people in NSW after they faced delays in receiving critical care. Margot O'Neill looks at public hospitals and the problems of too few resources and too little care. Several doctors speak about the ethical dilemmas they face daily. We question the political and economic options - The Dugong and the DeveloperE33
The Dugong and the DeveloperBy Murray McLaughlin. This program examined Australia's newest conservation battle. Scientists express concern that developer, Keith Williams' proposed resort at Oyster Point near Hinchinbrook Island will further jeopardise the already critically endangered dugong. The program also looks at the chequered history of the proposed development and examined the political intrigue behind the go-ahead given to the project - DunblaneE34
DunblaneBy Jane Franchi. Ex BBC Panorama. This program traces the history and background of Thomas Hamilton, the man who walked into a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland, and killed 16 children, their teacher and himself. It also tells the story of the young victims and some of their families. After the shock and mourning comes the question, why? How can people commit such horrendous crimes and what can be done to prevent them in the future? - A Highly Sensitive CaseE35
A Highly Sensitive CaseBy Liz Jackson. This program investigates the NCA's six-year investigation of John Elliott and other former directors of Elders which ended six weeks ago when they were declared innocent. Liz Jackson tells the inside story of the NCA's case against John Elliott and asks why were he and his colleagues declared innocent and asks why did one man go to jail? - The Cable GuysE36
The Cable GuysBy David Hardaker. This report reviews the performance and ethics of the major pay TV operators in the fight for market share. The program follows the battle for the Rugby League which saw Foxtel turn the courts around and revive Superleague. Other crucial contests are also reviewed ant eh program also interviews pay TV subscribers. The PAY TV providers are prepared to spend billions to stay in the race. - The Profit RustlersE37
The Profit RustlersBy Andrew Fowler. This program examines the crisis within Australia's beef industry. Despite massive raw resources and being the biggest exporter of beef, the industry is slipping further into recession - not just losing money, but control over the whole industry to foreign interests - Interfering in WannerooE38
Interfering in WannerooBy Sally Neighbour. Sally Neighbour goes behind the scandal in WA: Wanneroo Inc began as a secret police inquiry into a corrupt council. Now it's a Royal Commission. All the key players talk to 4 Corners about what went on at Wanneroo - the councillor convicted of corruption, the demoted politician and the policeman and the lawyer who've both turned to politics. It's a story of power, politician fund raising and the high price some are prepared to pay for political victory. - Biting the BulletE39
Biting the BulletBy Margot O'Neill. This report by Margot O'Neill examines Australia's attempt to muzzle its gun culture. After years of inaction, the Port Arthur tragedy galvanised State and Federal leaders into agreement, but there are signs that some States are losing their resolve. We look at some sensitive issues, among them the licencing laws that could put recreational shooters on the wrong side of the law. - Uniting NationE40
Uniting NationBy Chris Masters. This last program for 1996 commemorates the 35 years since Four Corners first went to air in 1961. Historian, Geoffrey Blainey, looks back at what Four Corners has found out about Australians overt the years and we illustrate the different categories of war, work, television, land and migration with segments from past programs. - The Dead HeartE41
The Dead HeartBy Chris Masters. Repeat: The Winners series. In December 1986 two city teenagers, Simon Amos and James Annetts, left the outback station where they were employed and never returned. This report looks at the harsh conditions the boys experienced and the even harsher work conditions enforced by an employer known for his tough work practice, and the events leading up to their mysterious deaths - Inside a HolocaustE42
Inside a HolocaustBy Chris Masters. Repeat: The Winners Series. This 3rd program in THE WINNERS series first went to air 8.8.94 and won a Logie Award in 1994. This report takes us to the refugee camps where, as a result of the civil unrest between Hutu and Tutsi tribes, blood has continued to flow in an horrific African genocide. The report also searches for the events and people leading to the strife. - Bondy's BountyE43
Bondy's BountyBy Paul Barry. Repeat: The Winners Series. This program first went to air 13.3.89 and won a Penguin award. This was a time when not much was going right for Alan Bond. It had been suggested that the Bond Group was as fragile as a South Sea bubble. Ultimately the Bond Corp collapsed under a mountain of debt. This report examines the corporate health of the Bond Group before the bubble burst - Telling His StoryE44
Telling His StoryBy Liz Jackson. Repeat: The Winners Series. This multi-award winning program (Walkley Award, UN Media Peace Award and 1996 Human Rights Award) tells the story of the life and death of one of Australia's most respected Aboriginal activists, Rob Riley. His death sent shock waves through the Aboriginal community. His family and close friends talk openly about the pain and contradictions in Rob Riley's life - Blue DeathE45
Blue DeathBy Paul Barry. Repeat: The Winners Series. This program is on Australia's greatest environmental disaster at the blue asbestos plant at Wittenoon in Western Australia. In 1988 some 300 who lived and worked in the shadow of that mining operation had succumbed to asbestos related disease. Now it's over 1000 and it is predicted that by 2020 the number will double. Since 1988 some $41 million in damages have been awarded.