WA drug supplier avoids jail term

A 25-YEAR-OLD Perth man who admitted offering to supply ecstasy to teenager Gemma Thoms has avoided jail because he has turned his life around in the four years since the girl's death.

Gemma was aged 17 when she died from a drug overdose at a Big Day Out concert in February 2009.

Patrick Willem Coetzer pleaded guilty in the Perth District Court to four charges of offering to supply ecstasy to three teenagers, including Gemma.

It was not alleged that Coetzer supplied the pills that caused Gemma's overdose.

In sentencing on Thursday, Judge Ronald Birmingham said the ordeal had been a "wake up call" for Coetzer who had matured in the past four years and was remorseful.

"You have seemingly, at the time to be sentenced, gained the maturity that was not apparent when you were 21 and engaged in this activity," he said.

Judge Birmingham said people often did not think about their drug use beyond the initial fun of it.

"If they understood the consequences, they might reflect further in their behaviour," he said.

The judge said drug users placed their trust in the manufacturers, who were only criminals wanting to make money.

He said the users had no idea about how much MDMA was actually in each tablet and they had an "optimistic expectation" that the makers knew what they were doing.

"Drugs of this type have the great capacity to cause harm in the community," he said.

Judge Birmingham noted that the tragic event had had a "striking" and "remarkable" impact on Coetzer.

He said the young man was a low risk of re-offending, had stopped consuming drugs and alcohol, and had ceased associating with people who did.

Several reference letters described Coetzer as a "reliable, trustworthy young man" who worked hard and had a good attitude, Judge Birmingham said.

Coetzer was sentenced to 14 months prison, suspended for 15 months, with a supervision order and program requirements.

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Qld premier unhappy with referendum

QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman says he doesn't support the wording of the referendum and feels it undermines state governments.

He believes other state governments feel the same way.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has bipartisan support for a referendum to recognise local government in the constitution.

The referendum will run in conjunction with the September 14 federal election.

She also told ABC radio Mr Newman strongly supported the referendum.

Mr Newman says he wants a referendum but he's not happy with the final draft of the question Ms Gillard will put to voters.

The former Brisbane mayor believes extra powers to pay councils directly and bypass state governments are a concern.

"I'm not prepared to support something that undermines the state government and other state governments," Mr Newman told reporters.

"There are other states that are far less supportive.

"There are some state governments that I think won't support this."

Mr Newman fears without the state governments negotiating with Canberra on their behalf, councils could lose out.

He gave the example of $700 million in federal flood recovery money which is yet to be delivered to Queensland councils.

Legislation on the vote will likely be introduced to federal parliament when it returns next week.

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Qld cops probe case of headless croc

Police are searching for those responsible for hacking off a crocodile's head in north Queensland. Source: AAP

POLICE are examining a decapitated crocodile in far north Queensland to try and figure out who hacked its head off.

Charter boat fisherman Jim Millar says he was shocked and disgusted when he found the headless croc in a Cairns waterway last weekend.

"It was disbelief at first," he told AAP.

"I thought its mouth was open because it was just white, but actually there was no mouth there at all."

Mr Millar said tourists on his fishing boat had excitedly pointed out the croc before realising its head was missing.

"They were disgusted," he said.

"These people have come to our beautiful city and one of their memories is going to be this horrible act that someone has committed."

He said the croc attack has left him feeling sick and also sad that he won't see his "mate" in the waterway anymore.

He had seen the croc most weeks since he began operating Gone Fishing Cairns about 11 years ago.

"It's not aggressive at all. It would come up to the side of the boat," he said.

"It was a big draw card (for tourists)."

A group of locals are likely responsible for the attack, Mr Millar said.

"They're probably trophy hunters and probably don't like crocodiles," he said.

"They rot the meat off it and put the skull on their mantelpiece or bar at home and say: 'Look at me, I'm a great white hunter'."

Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell says his department is investigating the matter.

He has also sought advice from the newly-formed far north Queensland crocodile squad, which helps in the removal of dangerous crocs in the region.

"It is not safe or appropriate for anyone to take part in this sort of behaviour," he said.

Queensland police have removed the croc's remains and are examining it.

The maximum penalty for deliberately killing or injuring a protected crocodile is $24,750.

* Anyone concerned about dangerous crocodiles should call 1300 130 372.

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Pakistan peacekeeper killed in DR Congo

A Pakistani peacekeeper has been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN says. Source: AAP

ATTACKERS have killed a Pakistani peacekeeper in an ambush in strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations says.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon was "appalled" by the latest attack on UN peacekeepers and an investigation has been started, said spokesman Martin Nesirky.

The attack was staged on Tuesday in South Kivu province on a UN mission military convoy "by unidentified assailants," Nesirky said.

Various armed groups operate in South Kivu but it is not a stronghold of the M23 group, which launched an offensive against DR Congo government forces and UN peacekeepers in North Kivu province late last year.

Ban "condemns in the strongest terms the killing of a Pakistani peacekeeper in this attack.

He recalls that the killing of peacekeepers is a war crime that falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court," said his spokesman.

The UN leader "offers his sincerest condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim, and to the government of Pakistan."

Ban called on the DR Congo government to "bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice," Nesirky added.

Pakistan is a key contributor to the UN force in DR Congo, officially known as MONUSCO, which is one of the biggest in the world with more than 17,750 troops and military observers and 1400 police.

The UN security council voted in March to create an additional intervention brigade of more than 2500 troops in eastern DR Congo to take on armed groups such as M23.

The special force, the first to be given an offensive mandate, is expected to start deploying in coming weeks and will be made up of troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania.

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Rate cut unlikely after retail data

The Australian Bureau of Statistics show retail spending fell 0.4 per cent in March. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S retail sector may be doing just well enough to stand in the way of a rate cut, even with a drop in sales in March.

Retail sales fell 0.4 per cent in March, with household goods and clothes retailers suffering the biggest declines, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Monday.

But economists say the monthly figures may be just a blip in an otherwise strong start to the year for the sector.

Retail spending was up 2.2 per cent over the three months to March, the strongest quarterly growth in six years.

By contrast, spending rose only 2.6 per cent for the whole of 2012.

HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham said even with the fall in March, the retail sector was looking relatively healthy.

"In general, they are actually quite good numbers," he said.

"After very strong numbers in January and February, a small retreat is still a very positive result."

He said the strength of the retail sector could dissuade the Reserve Bank of Australia from cutting the cash rate at its monthly board meeting on Tuesday.

"I think they (the RBA board) would look at them (the retail figures) as broadly positive," he said.

"They don't tend to get hung up on any one month's numbers and it's certainly the case that the trend in the retail numbers is improvement."

The RBA has kept the cash rate on hold at three per cent since the start of the year as it waits to see the full economic effects of the 1.25 percentage points of cuts it delivered in 2012.

JP Morgan economist Ben Jarman agreed that a rate cut was unlikely following the retail figures.

"We don't think the weakness in the numbers are there to justify a cut yet," he said.

"If you've got retail spending growth running at two per cent a quarter you can't say the numbers are weak."

But Australian Retailers Association (ARA) executive director Russell Zimmerman said the March fall in sales was a sign weak consumer confidence was hurting retailers.

He called on the RBA to cut the cash rate half a percentage point at its Tuesday meeting.

"Overall, the 0.4 per cent decrease in March shows the lack of consumer confidence in the whole economic situation in Australia," he said.

"The ARA still firmly believes the right cash rate sits at around 2.5 per cent or below."

Clothing retailers suffered the biggest declines in March, with sales down 4.2 per cent, followed by households goods retailers who suffered a 1.5 per cent drop.

Only food retailers, up 0.8 per cent, and cafes, up 0.2 per cent, experienced growth in sales in March.

But sales were up in all subsectors during the quarter, with household goods retailers, up 3.7 per cent, recording the biggest rise.

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NSW poll highlights big job for state ALP

Support for NSW Labor is well below support for the O'Farrell Government, according to a Newspoll. Source: AAP

LATEST poll figures showing NSW Labor still well behind the coalition highlight the big job ahead for Labor to re-engage with voters, Opposition Leader John Robertson says.

The poll published in The Australian on Monday found NSW Labor recorded a primary vote of 28 per cent in March, up one point from the previous poll.

The coalition, by contrast, polled two points better than the last poll with 48 per cent of the primary vote.

The Liberal-National coalition holds a big 61 to 39 per cent lead over Labor on a two-party preferred basis, the poll found.

Support for Mr Robertson was steady at 28 per cent compared to a satisfaction rating for Premier Barry O'Farrell 44 per cent.

The poor Labor result comes as NSW's corruption watchdog continues inquiries into the granting of mining licences by former Labor mining minister Ian Macdonald, and whether former minister Eddie Obeid benefited.

Asked about the poll on Monday, Mr Robertson said it highlighted that Labor still had a lot of work to do to re-engage the community.

"I'm under no illusions about how tough the job is that we have at hand," he told reporters in Sydney.

"I'm focused on getting out there and talking to people in the community and holding this government to account.

"I'm serious about introducing reforms in the party to make sure that we don't have any more rogue elements in the party representing the NSW Labor Party in the future."

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Parliament House marks 25th anniversary

A WEEK is a long time in politics and for Australia's "new" Parliament House, it's been a very long 1300 weeks.

This Thursday, May 9, marks the 25th anniversary of the new parliament's opening by the Queen.

In 1988 there was some trepidation about moving up Capital Hill from the old parliament into the labyrinthine complex.

"There was an element of dread, that you thought oh-oh, we're going to this huge space, do you leave a trail of cut paper to know where you've been," former speaker Harry Jenkins told AAP.

But space had its advantages, particularly for MPs like Liberal Bronwyn Bishop whose new digs compared favourably with her old "broom cupboard".

Minister Warren Snowdon said the building's size caused - and still causes - problems for MPs trying to negotiate its 10km of corridors to get to the chambers for votes.

"I missed a division once," he told AAP.

"We ran down and the doors had just shut - whack - and we're standing outside feeling such idiots."

Newcomers like Senator Anne Ruston, who took up her post in September, still experiences building disorientation once or twice a sitting week.

Another issue, 25 years later, is the sense of social isolation many house dwellers experience.

Some MPs think another in-house bar could partially resolve the problem - after three bars included in the original design were subsequently closed.

But for many new hands like Liberal backbencher Wyatt Roy, the youngest MP elected to federal parliament and who, at 23, is younger than the house itself, it's as inspiring as its predecessor.

Parliament House was designed with a shelf-life of at least 200 years in mind, and if its first 25 years are anything to go by it will continue to evolve over the next quarter century.

Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) secretary Carol Mills says the ongoing challenge is keeping up with digital technology and security risks.

It only got in-house wi-fi in late 2012 and today is surrounded by anti-vehicle barriers.

Last year, DPS was under immense pressure after a man managed to breach security and join a prime ministerial press conference in the inner sanctum of the ministerial wing.

In 1988, more than 25,000 people turned out to see Her Majesty "unlock" the front doors.

Next week some of the 10,000 construction workers will hold a reunion along with architects Romaldo Giurgola and Ric Thorp.

A book on parliament's art collection will be launched on May 15 and the Mint has released a commemorative coin.

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'New' Parliament House wins over pollies

THOUSANDS of tourists see Parliament House as a temple of democracy, but for Australia's politicians the 25-year-old building is simply an office. A very big office.

For those who worked in the old parliament, the sheer size of the new building is something that still awes.

"There was an element of dread, that you thought oh-oh, we're going to this huge space, do you leave a trail of cut paper to know where you've been," former speaker Harry Jenkins told AAP about the move up Capital Hill 25 years ago.

ACT Liberal senator Gary Humphries recalled showing a lost Nick Bolkus, then a junior Labor minister, to his office shortly after the move.

Getting lost still poses problems for newcomers to the building.

"All the floors look the same; you're on one floor and all of a sudden you actually think you're on the other floor so you're looking for something that's not there," said South Australian senator Anne Ruston, who began her term in September.

"That happens usually once or twice a week."

Minister Warren Snowdon said the new parliament's size initially caused some problems, with MPs not realising how long it would take them to get across the building for votes.

"I missed a division once with (then-minister) Clyde Holding," he told AAP.

"We were in a committee room and the bells rang and we didn't hear the bells initially. We ran down and the doors had just shut - whack - and we're standing outside feeling such idiots.

"Thankfully we had the numbers ... but we did get castigated by the whip."

The backbench offices provided a great contrast to MPs' old accommodation, with senior Liberal Bronwyn Bishop describing her office of 1987 as "a sort of a large broom cupboard".

"It had a window but if a third person came into the room we all had to stand up," she told AAP.

"Corridor parties were the order of the day."

But although the veterans reminisce fondly about the "cosy" old parliament, none of them would want to go back.

They admire the vision of architect Romaldo Giurgola and the symbolism of the new parliament.

This is shared by newer MPs.

"It's a beautiful and functional building," independent senator Nick Xenophon told AAP.

"Too bad that so much of what happens within it is so ugly and dysfunctional."

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young singled out the way it is built into the hillside so people can walk on top of parliament.

"We're not interested in Australia of having our MPs and our parliament up high in an ivory tower," she said.

Liberal backbencher Wyatt Roy - the first elected representative younger than the building - said parliament was still a place to inspire people.

He celebrated his 21st birthday during a sitting week in 2001 - "We put the party in the party room," he joked - and said it was a great privilege to work there.

But at the same time, "as a workplace it can be very long days, locked in a room with very long white walls".

He'd like to see backbencher office allocations separated according to party instead of being all jumbled up as they are now.

"That way we would have more interaction with colleagues from your own party and you wouldn't have to worry about what's being said," he told AAP.

"When I go to state parliament all the office doors are open, people come in and out of their offices because they don't have to worry about what's being said.

"I think because of that mixing we spend more times in our offices than out."

However the loss of the bar - the non-members bar was transformed into a child care centre after some years of disuse - or a similar place to socialise was lamented by Mr Roy and several other MPs.

"People don't have an opportunity to interact just casually as they would have in the old parliament," Mr Snowdon said.

"I think it's important that we interact as a community as well as individual workers.

"Whatever our jobs are, we should feel free to talk to one another, react with one another."

But one area where there possibly isn't enough space is the executive wing.

Both Mr Snowdon and former attorney-general Philip Ruddock say the increasing number of ministerial staff that have to be squeezed into offices has potential to cause occupational health and safety problems down the track.

The sense of isolation that accompanies the size of the building haunts many of its occupants.

Senator Humphries said independent senators or those on the outer with their party can feel very lonely indeed.

"You see people who appear to be pretty much adrift and that's a rather sad feature of life in the building for some people," he told AAP.

Nevertheless, he says it's the "bees knees of Australian parliaments".

Mr Jenkins thought that isolation wasn't just between people who work at parliament but also between MPs and the public.

"One great feature of the old place was that on the access between the Senate chamber and the Reps chamber, that was the meeting place, it was where the public came," he said.

"Here you can spend a day if you want to just staying behind the scenes."

This extended to the chamber too, which he compared to the 1970s redevelopment of the Waverley Park AFL ground, which put the spectators further away from the action.

"Members sort of occupy a space that's much bigger than we actually really require and then because of the set back, the public and other observers are further away," he said.

Mr Ruddock, the Father of the House, agreed the modern chamber was a much less reactive environment that didn't encourage much engagement or repartee in debate.

"But from the point of view of somebody who sat on the committee that helped supervise the building, I think it's served our purpose well," he told AAP.

"I certainly wouldn't go back to working in the old parliament if the offer was there that I could stay here."

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