Greste family weighs bid for pardon

The family of Australian journalist Peter Greste may seek a pardon from Egypt's new president. Source: AAP

THE family of Australian journalist Peter Greste may seek a pardon from Egypt's new president, fearing a legal appeal could take too long.

LOIS and Juris Greste have told of their despair after a Cairo court sentenced their son to seven years in jail for reporting on the aftermath of the 2013 coup that ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Greste and some of his Al Jazeera colleagues were jailed for reporting false news in the wake of the coup, and supporting Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has been declared a terrorist organisation.His Brisbane-based parents have vowed they'll never stop fighting to free their son.Mrs Greste on Tuesday said that seeking a pardon from new President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was "probably the very first thing" the family would consider."Absolutely," she told reporters in Brisbane."It's one of the options. We're not going to talk any further about it."A legal appeal is also an option, but there are fears that process could be very lengthy.Mr Greste said the conditions his son was enduring in jail weighed heavily on him."Where he is being held, certainly by Australian standards, would be considered conditions of severe punishment," he said."I'm depressed at that, the thought that he might have to stay in a place like that for the duration of the appeals processes, which can last sometimes months - many months."Mr Greste said his son had been jailed for upholding the principles of free speech, and that fight must never end."There will always be people, governments, and institutions wanting to limit the speaking of one's mind and telling the way we see," he said."To us, it is not just affecting the Greste family. It is also a slap in the face and a kick in the groin to Australia, as well as all fair-minded people around the world."Mrs Greste said Peter's two brothers, who are in Cairo, had not been able to see him since the verdict and sentence.She became emotional when asked about her son's mental state."This will be a hard time for him, but I know he'll get through it. He'll be okay."Mr Greste said the Egyptian government had given them hope, but that was ripped away with Monday's court result."The message we got from Egyptian authorities did give us great confidence for everything other than this outcome," he said.The couple said Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had assured them the Australian government would continue lobbying Egypt to free their son.Ms Bishop earlier said she'd been advised that no appeal for clemency or a presidential pardon could occur until all legal proceedings had concluded, including any appeal.

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Alleged gang rape disgusting: NSW police

Police are hunting six men involved in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in Sydney's west. Source: AAP

THE gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a Western Sydney car park stairwell has disgusted police.

THE girl was in the Liverpool library forecourt on Saturday night after using the council's free wi-fi internet when six men approached her and invited her to meet a mutual friend.

She was then allegedly sexually assaulted by two of the men in the stairwell of a nearby car park while the other men failed to stop the attack, police say.The teenage girl is traumatised says Superintendent Peter Gillam, but she is helping police with their inquires."(I'm) obviously very disgusted," he told reporters in Liverpool on Tuesday."It's something that shouldn't happen in Liverpool or anywhere."After the assault, the girl returned to the library forecourt and told a bystander, who called the police.The men, described as African in appearance and aged in their 20s, were last seen walking toward a Macquarie Street shopping centre.Supt Gillam stressed that the attack appeared to be a one-off, random incident and had nothing to do with any race-related issue.Detectives are calling for anyone with information to come forward.The attack follows two similar assaults in Sydney's west this year.In February, a girl was allegedly the victim of a pack rape in a Doonside park.Four teenagers were charged over the alleged attack.Two months later, two teenage girls were coaxed off a Sydney train and raped in a Fairfield park.

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Heavy rains in China kill 26

26 people are dead and three are missing in southern China after five days of rainstorms. Source: AAP

FIVE days of rainstorms in southern China have left 26 people dead and another three missing.

IT has also led to direct economic losses of 4 billion yuan ($A703.27 million), according to the country's Ministry of Civil Affairs.

A total of 337,000 people have been evacuated from the areas and 115,000 are in urgent need of relief supplies as a result of the rainstorms that started on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.Eleven of the fatalities occurred in Hunan province, where another two people are missing, the ministry said. The five other provinces where people have died included Jiangxi and Fujian.The rainstorms across nine provinces have led to floods and landslides, and toppled more than 8700 houses, damaged another 66,000 and left 42,000 hectares of crops unusable, the statement said.

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Win for endangered woylie efforts

BOUNDING away in the blink of an eye, releasing a woylie into the wild is a challenging task for Department of Parks and Wildlife officers.

BUT their efforts have been rewarded, having recently achieved the largest translocation of the critically endangered species ever undertaken in Western Australia.

Woylies are small kangaroo-like marsupials that were once widespread across Australia.But due to the threat of predators like foxes and feral cats, they are now found in only a handful of locations in WA, South Australia and western NSW.In June, 181 woylies were captured in the Perup Sanctuary near Manjimup and relocated to two separate sites in nearby state forest that are regularly baited and monitored for introduced predators.The 420ha fenced-off sanctuary supports the most genetically diverse woylie population in WA, with numbers increasing from 41 to about 600 over the past four years.Environment Minister Albert Jacob said it was becoming increasingly important to translocate some of the woylies into areas outside the enclosure as the sanctuary neared capacity.It was also important to introduce new woylies to ensure ongoing genetic diversity and population health among the species, Mr Jacob said.It is believed the woylie population peaked a decade ago at more than 250,000, but numbers have since declined by about 90 per cent.In September 2013, woylies were classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning they are on the brink of extinction in the wild.

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Qld ministers meeting in Palmer's seat

QUEENSLAND cabinet ministers are meeting in Clive Palmer's Sunshine Coast electorate only days after the mining magnate confirmed he would be suing the deputy premier.

MINISTERS and department heads are holding a community forum, with approved participants, at Maroochydore on Sunday afternoon followed by a cabinet meeting in the same beachside suburb on Monday, at the Mike Ahern Centre.

Maroochydore is within Mr Palmer's federal electorate of Fairfax.The cabinet meeting would also be held just three days after Mr Palmer lodged a defamation writ against Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney in the Supreme Court.Mr Palmer is suing Mr Seeney for defamation over an ABC television interview where he alleged the mining tycoon sought special favours for his Waratah Coal interests in the Galilee Basin in 2012.The federal MP is also suing Premier Campbell Newman for defamation after the premier claimed that he tried to "buy" the Queensland government.A spokesman for Mr Newman denied there was any symbolism with a community cabinet being held in Mr Palmer's seat."No symbolism there," he told AAP, adding community cabinets had been held across regional Queensland in Bowen, Cooktown and Townsville."Don't read too much into it."Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the premier had not held a media conference during the past week, which included the governor's approval of controversial chief justice pick Tim Carmody."The premier has been in hiding now for over a week, afraid to front the music, afraid to talk to people in this state," she told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.

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NSW teenager survives 80m cliff fall

A TEENAGER'S survival from an 80-metre cliff plunge in NSW's Hunter Valley is "mind-boggling".

THE 17-year-old and a group of friends were trying to get into a dance party in Watagan State Forest, 20 kilometres west of Lake Macquarie, on Saturday night when he fell down the sheer rock face about 10.30pm on Saturday.

Emergency services and local volunteers abseiled down the cliff about 4am and spent the rest of the night with the injured teenager.He was winched to safety about 10.30am and flown to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital with broken bones and suspected internal injuries and is in a serious but stable condition."I don't know how he has survived, and the doctors and the paramedics are saying the same thing," said a spokesman for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.Acting Superintendent Murray Lundberg said the teenager's survival was "mind boggling"."I haven't got words to describe his fortunate luck," he said.He said the teenager and his mates were camping in the forest when they came across the dance party and were denied entry.The youth apparently thought he could get into the function from around the back, through the bush, with no lights and no knowledge of the terrain, "and he's just fallen off the side of a cliff".A number of trees had to be chopped down before the teen could be winched aboard the helicopter.It's understood the boy was trying to get into Solstium Shadows - A Winter Solstice Bush Gathering.The two-day rave was being held at a site off Rope Road, in the heart of the forest.

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US and NZ unite in climate change fight

Barack Obama has praised NZ PM John Key as a key ally in his efforts to tackle climate change. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama has praised New Zealand Prime Minister John Key as a key ally in his crusade to tackle climate change.

WHILE Australia may have dropped off as a partner with the election of Tony Abbott as prime minister, Obama says the US and New Zealand will work closely together ahead of next year's climate change conference in Paris where the world's first global agreement could be hammered out.

The Kiwi prime minister visited the White House on Friday, a little over a week after Abbott met the president in the Oval Office.Obama and Key were so cosy the president announced he'd visit New Zealand, possibly later this year."I would love to come to New Zealand because I hear it is really nice," Obama said."I know the people are nice because I've had a chance to meet them."We are going to be working with my schedule to see what I can come up with if not this year but certainly before the end of my presidency."Obama and Key discussed a range of issues, including the ongoing negotiations for the 12-nation trade Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), North Korea, China and the world economy.On the environment, Obama said the two nations would robustly work together ahead of Paris."We had a good conversation about climate change where New Zealand has been an excellent partner with us and other economies recognising that this is a threat that none of us can solve individually and we are going to have to work on together," Obama said."So we discussed our plans for putting forward robust action in 2015 with the upcoming Paris conference."Key made headlines at a US Chamber of Commerce event in Washington DC on Thursday when he said Japan should be cut out of the TPP trade talks if it doesn't open up its markets to more farm imports.Other potential TPP members are Australia, Canada, Peru, Malaysia, Singapore, Chile, Brunei, Vietnam and Mexico.Obama had made a deadline for the TPP to be negotiated by the end of 2013, but now he hopes to have a deal close to being signed in November."We discussed a timeline where by before the end of the year we are able to get a document that can create jobs both in New Zealand and the United States and the other countries that are participating and expand wealth for all parties concerned," Obama said."Our hope is by the time we see each other again in November, when I travel to Asia, we should have something that we have consulted with Congress about, that the public can take a look at and we can make a forceable argument to go ahead and close the deal."But, we have a lot of work to do between now and then."Key was also upbeat."New Zealand and the United States have been the two partners, I think, in the Trans Pacific Partnership who have always believed in a high-quality, comprehensive deal," Key said."I think that can be achieved."There's more work to be done, but the prize at the end of those negotiations is well worth it for both of our economies and the other 10 partners that will join us."

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Great white shark numbers are surging

Great white shark numbers are surging in the western North Atlantic, a study shows. Source: AAP

GREAT white shark numbers are surging in the western North Atlantic after decades of decline.

A NEW study by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists says great white abundance in the area has climbed since about 2000.

The scientists report the shark's growing numbers are due to conservation efforts and greater availability of prey.The Journal PLOS ONE published the study on Friday.It adds recent unpublished data to previously published records to create a dataset of 649 confirmed white shark sightings from 1800 to 2010.Study author Cami McCandless says the data reveal "the species appears to be recovering".The reports says white shark abundance in the western North Atlantic collapsed in the 1970s and '80s and is now down more than 30 per cent from its historical high estimate in 1961.

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Guns, snakes, drugs found at Rebels' homes

Guns, snakes and drugs have been seized in Sydney's west as police target an outlaw bikie gang. Source: AAP

GUNS, snakes and drugs have been seized in Sydney's west as police target an outlaw bikie gang.

FOUR men were also arrested as Strike Force Raptor continued its investigation into the Rebels motorcycle gang, police say.

On Thursday morning, a 47-year-old life member of the Rebels was arrested in Macquarie Fields.He was charged with 16 offences including commercial drug supply, ongoing drug supply and possession of a knife in a public place.The man's arrest lead to four properties being searched - two in Macquarie Fields, one in Minto and another in Raby, police say.Weapons, ammunition, pythons and drugs were found at the several of the properties.Three Rebels associates, aged 33, 41 and 49, were arrested and charged with offences including possess drug and possess protected fauna.All four men will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Friday.Police say a 64-year-old Rebels associate, who lives at the Raby property, will be issued with a Court Attendance Notice for firearm and weapon offences.

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Aussie food growers hurt by poor labelling

Misleading labels on supermarket shelves are hurting Australian food manufacturers, inquiry told. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN food growers and producers are being hurt by confusing food labelling crowding supermarket shelves, an inquiry has heard.

REPRESENTATIVES from SPC Ardmona, which sources 97 per cent of its produce from Australian growers, say consumers want to buy locally grown and processed foods but unclear or misleading labelling is making it difficult.

SPC's sales jumped after reports that the company's future was under threat put its Victorian cannery workers on the front page of newspapers, an inquiry into food labelling heard on Friday.But the company says increasingly complicated chains of production were difficult to represent simply on food packaging, to the detriment of genuine local producers."'Australian Made', it just doesn't mean anything to people any more," SPC strategy manager Shalini Valecha told the hearing in Melbourne.SPC sales manager Steve Mickan said those who wanted to make choices based on their food's country of origin faced a sea of labels, including "Product of Australia", "Proudly Australian" and "Manufactured in Australia"."Most people and consumers want to know where their food is manufactured," Mr Mickan said."Consumers are being misled by the use of iconic Australian symbols and images that give consumers a false impression a product is Australian when in fact it's not."Australian Manufacturing Workers Union division secretary Tom Hale said the value of locally made and produced food was so potent, the publicity surrounding SPC prompted major supermarkets to emphasise their local credentials in their advertising."Woolworths and Coles, particularly since SPC, have been making a big deal about the fact 'we sell Australian products'," Mr Hale said."The labelling gives these manufacturers who are genuinely producing in Australia an advantage in the marketplace."He said those that weren't using Australian labour and produce shouldn't be given that advantage.The House of Representatives standing committee on agriculture and industry is investigating country-of-origin food labelling.Mr Hale said SPC sales had jumped by as much as 50 per cent after the publicity surrounding the threat to local jobs.The company confirmed sales growth."We've seen categories that were either in decline or static go into growth and in some retailers significant growth," Mr Mickan said.

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Infratil selling Australian business

ENERGY, airport and transport investor Infratil says it has provided interested parties with a confidential information memorandum on its Infratil Energy Australia (IEA) business.

THE Wellington-based investor, which is managed by Morrison & Co, expects indicative offers for the assets by mid-July.

It flagged, with its results in May, that it had started a review of the Lumo and Direct Connect Australia units of IEA to determine whether to sell the businesses.Earnings at IEA fell to $78 million in the year ended March 31, from $97.7m a year earlier, with the decline inflated in the company's books by the effect of translating earnings back into a strong kiwi dollar.

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Vic Libs deny pre-poll talks with Rise Up

THE Liberals have not held preference discussions with the hard-right Rise Up Australia Party ahead of Victoria's election, a government minister says.

PASTOR Danny Nalliah, who leads the Christian Rise Up party, says he spoke to a Liberal candidate representing the party executive about preferences in the lead up to the November 29 poll.

His party plans to run lower house candidates in all marginal seats and two candidates for each upper house district."We had a discussion on the 6th June, we spoke on a few things," Mr Nalliah told Fairfax Radio on Thursday."(Preferences) will go to the person who will ideally stand with the values we stand for as Rise Up Australia Party ... to keep Australia Australian."We as a party very much oppose the concept of multiculturalism and we want to see an Australia which is multi-ethnic."Mr Nalliah, whose party wants to ban the Islamic face veil and has been critical of former prime minister Julia Gillard for living in sin, has also suggested the Black Saturday fires were caused by weakened abortion laws.Minister for Planning and Multicultural Affairs Matthew Guy says the only people authorised to determine preferences are the Liberal Party state president and director."I'm advised they haven't had any discussions coming into this election," he told reporters on Thursday."Obviously there are elements in their platform that certainly concern me as multicultural affairs minister."

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Vic mine owners 'obliged to manage risk'

A perfect storm of unforeseeable events led to a fire in a Victorian coalmine that lasted 45 days. Source: AAP

THE owners of a Victorian coalmine that caught fire cannot hide behind regulations to avoid their responsibilities, an inquiry has heard.

THE state government told an inquiry into the blaze that owner GDF Suez was obliged to manage risk at the Hazelwood coalmine.

The mine caught fire on February 9 and burned for 45 days, shrouding the town of Morwell in toxic smoke and ash.Dr Josh Wilson QC, representing the Victorian government solicitors office, said GDF Suez had the same risk obligations as any other business."Suez does not operate in a regulatory environment where it is only obliged to do - and only does - what others ask or tell it to do," Dr Wilson said in his closing submission to the inquiry on Wednesday."Duty holders cannot avoid their responsibilities by saying it is someone else's responsibility to tell them when they are doing things wrong."The company has rejected claims a report into a 2008 fire at the mine might have produced recommendations that would have stopped or reduced the impact of the latest fire.Rachel Doyle SC, representing GDF Suez, said there were no legal obligations to implement the recommendations of consultants' reports, and the 2008 fire was completely different to the 2014 fire."There is no requirement to implement every recommendation by an external consultant," Ms Doyle told the inquiry.She also said the fire was the result of unforeseeable events, as two bushfires threatening the mine at the same time as the power and backup power went out was unexpected."It is this perfect storm of events which we submit was not readily foreseeable," Ms Doyle said.The government did not submit its response to the evidence presented about the fire at the three-week inquiry before Wednesday's deadline, with a written submission to come on Monday.Ms Doyle and counsel assisting the inquiry Melinda Richards SC said the deadline was well known and all other parties worked towards it.Instead, Dr Wilson presented a list of changes to Victoria's emergency management responses that were already in place or were bring considered.He said the government planned to introduce a joint assessment of sites across Victoria with "low likelihood, high consequence" disaster potential.Dr Wilson also said the Department of Health and the Environment Protection Authority were working on a statewide smoke exposure protocol.The inquiry's report is due to be handed to the government by August 31.

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Pay rises in the growing US economy

IF you hope to get a raise that finally feels like one, it helps to work in the right industry.

HISTORICALLY, at this stage in the US economy's recovery, pay would be rising in most sectors. But five years after the Great Recession officially ended, raises remain sharply uneven across industries and, as a whole, have barely kept up with prices.

Overall pay has been rising about two per cent a year, roughly equal to inflation.The best raises have gone to workers with specialised skills in a few booming industries - energy, transportation, health care, technology.Those in retail or government have been less fortunate."If you're in an in-demand field, with the right skill set, the chance of getting a raise is much higher," says Katie Bardaro, an economist at PayScale, a pay-tracking firm.Typically in a recovery, raises in a few industries lead to raises in others as workers become confident enough to quit one job for another for more pay.This time, the subpar recovery has slowed pay gains. Technology has played a role, too.It's lifted pay for people who work, for example, with programs that sift data from your mobile devices so companies can pitch products matched to your interests.Yet workers in industries upended by the internet, such as retailers left behind by e-commerce, have been hurt.Here are industry standouts - and laggards - on pay:OIL AND GASFracking - the pumping of liquid and sand into the ground to squeeze oil from rocks - is opposed by environmentalists worried about pollution. But it's driven a boom in jobs and wages. Oil and gas workers earned an average 11 per cent more an hour in April than they did a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than five times the average gain across all industries.TEMP SURGEThough many temp workers would like full-time jobs with benefits, at least their pay is climbing. Robert Half International, a staffing firm, says higher pay for its temps forced it to raise the rates it charges employers by 2.6 per cent in the first quarter, a point higher than its increase late last year.HIGH-TECHNon-managers at computer-system design companies earned an average 4.1 per cent more in April than a year ago, the latest in a string of increases beginning in 2012.Their pay hadn't risen in the three prior years. Pay is strong for specialists in "Big Data" - digital information that includes data culled from mobile devices to spot trends or build digital dossiers on people.Also hot are people who use technology to help health care providers digitise medical records. Nearly three-quarters of health care providers are having trouble attracting workers with expertise in e- records, according to a survey last year by Towers Watson, a consultant.BLUE COLLAR BOUNCEAs manufacturing picks up, trucking companies are desperate for drivers. And not surprisingly, truckers are earning more.Hourly pay for transportation and warehouse workers was 4.4 per cent higher than a year earlier in each of the past three months - a streak unmatched in over three decades.Ryder Systems, which rents trucks, said in a call with financial analysts that it's facing upward pressure on drivers' wages. Many drivers retired or left the industry during the financial crisis when demand plunged."I definitely am making more money," said Darrell Beyer, 56, a driver from Kingman, Arizona.So are workers at companies that make construction equipment. They earned an average 11 per cent more an hour in the past year, according to the BLS.Pay for non-managerial and production workers - who fill 80 per cent of private non-farm jobs - is rising 2.3 per cent annually. In previous recoveries, raises for these workers peaked at about 4 per cent three or four years after they'd begun climbing. That raises at least the possibility that their pay will keep rising.HOUSINGMany of the skilled workers who are needed to build homes fled to other careers after the housing bust. Now, there aren't enough of them. Home construction workers have received an average 3.3 per cent raise a year, according to the BLS, since their wages starting rising in 2012. They'd fallen 4 per cent over the previous two years.Buck Consultants, a pay adviser, foresees raises for all construction workers, including those involved in commercial and industrial buildings, averaging more than 3 per cent for a second straight year.Among the industry laggards on pay:RETAILERSConsumers are spending more, but that's not helping workers at some stores who earn the minimum wage or little more. Though some cities and states have enacted higher minimums, the minimum in 28 states is no more than the federal mandate of $US7.25 an hour.Wages for liquor-store staff rose less than 1 per cent in April from a year earlier, according to the BLS. At electronics stores, pay actually fell 4 per cent. Perhaps some of their money was going to workers at Internet retailers: Their pay jumped 3 per cent.Fast food workers aren't seeing much relief, either."I've been earning $7.25 for six or seven years now," said Mary Coleman, a food preparer at Popeyes in Milwaukee. "It's hard to make ends meet."GOVERNMENTGovernment budget cuts mean meager wage gains for local, state and federal workers. Wages rose less than 1 per cent in 2013, according to Haver Analytics, a data provider. "The unions aren't pushing for more," said David Van De Voort, a principal at Buck Consultants. "They're focused on job security and retaining benefits."ARTSStruggling with a fall in donations, theatres, orchestras and other arts groups appear to be retrenching. Workers in the broad category of art, entertainment and recreation, including actors, writers and musicians, earned 1.1 per cent less in the first quarter than a year ago, according to a PayScale survey.Overall, most US workers have fared much better than that. But inflation has eroded their gains. From the start of the recovery in June 2009 through April, pay for non-managerial and production workers has dropped 0.2 per cent after accounting for inflation. By this point in the previous three recoveries, wages had risen an average 2.3 per cent after inflation.Still some economists think the outlook for broader pay gains has brightened. More people are quitting jobs than at any time in six years, a sign of confidence. A third of small businesses say they plan to raise pay within six months, double the proportion a year ago.And the unemployment rate among workers who lost jobs less than six months ago is 4.1 per cent, below its three-decade average. These short-term unemployed are the ones employers tend to draw upon to fill jobs. Fewer of them suggest pressure to keep present employees content by raising pay.Still, many economists, including Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, disagree.She says the still-high 6.3 per cent unemployment rate for all workers, which includes 3.4 million people out of work for more than six months, gives employers reason to restrict raises.The gloomy camp includes workers themselves. Nearly half of all households expect their inflation-adjusted income to decline over the next 12 months, a University of Michigan survey found last month.That in itself could limit raises: If you don't think conditions are ripe for a raise, you're not likely to ask for one.

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Vic premier encourages early Shaw apology

VICTORIAN Premier Denis Napthine is encouraging rogue MP Geoff Shaw to offer an early apology for misusing his entitlements.

THE balance-of-power MP has been ordered to apologise to the parliament by September 2 for misusing his parliamentary car and entitlements.

"I encourage him to apologise earlier than that," Dr Napthine told reporters on Tuesday."A general apology and then a specific apology in the parliament, I think, would be the appropriate thing."Last Friday, Mr Shaw apologised during a comedy show, just days after he was suspended from parliament and told to apologise and repay more than $6800.Dr Napthine says he has not spoken to the Frankston MP and has no plans to."He's done the wrong thing and he should show his remorse. He should apologise, he should accept the penalty, in terms of the financial payments, he should accept the penalty, in terms of his suspension from the parliament and he should genuinely be apologetic and remorseful for his wrongful behaviour."Dr Napthine said if Mr Shaw fails to apologise he will be showing his absolute contempt for the parliament, his constituents and all Victorians.The Liberal-turned-independent held the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly, so his suspension leaves the government and the opposition locked at 43 members each.

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Local vaccination objection rate doubles

THE number of Australian children formally registered each year as a vaccination objector has doubled in the past decade.

THERE were just over 2000 children whose parents registered them as vaccination objectors during 2002, ensuring they go without childhood immunisations, and in 2013 the figure was almost 4000.

There are "pockets" - such as coastal and hinterland NSW and Queensland - where around one in 10 children born in 2013 were registered as vaccine objectors.Nationally, the official vaccination objection rate increased from 1.1 per cent of all children to 2.0 per cent over the period."I wouldn't be alarmed by the increase overall for Australia," epidemiologist Brynley Hull, from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, told AAP on Tuesday."But I would be alarmed by the high rates in particular regions of Australia, where we have high objection rates and consequently you get low coverage and susceptible children."If someone comes into these areas with a disease then it can spread a lot easier - that would be my take home message, these hotbeds of objection."These areas include the Richmond Valley in NSW, where the official vaccination objection rate in 2013 was 10.8 per cent. Noosa (7.2), Nambour (8.4) and NSW's Sunshine Coast hinterland (8.5) also figure highly.The study also found suburbs in the top 10 per cent of affluent post codes had higher rates of vaccination objection compared to poorer suburbs.Most families who lodge an objection notice do so when their child is less than two years old.The study took in Medicare-compiled data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, to assess the number of families who lodge a vaccination objection notice each year.Mr Hull presented the data at a national immunisation conference in Melbourne.

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Hong Kong tourist injured in Perth mugging

A 31-YEAR-OLD tourist is nursing a fractured eye socket after being mugged in the Perth CBD.

THE woman, who had just arrived from Hong Kong, was walking across from the Esplanade Bus Port on Sunday evening when she was approached by a man who engaged her in conversation.

He walked with her along Mounts Bay Road before seriously assaulting her and stealing her shopping bag.He ran off, leaving his victim with severe bruising and swelling to her eye, and fractures to her eye socket.The man is described as about 30 years old, 165cm to 170cm tall, with short blond hair, dark streaks and a rats tail at the back.He was wearing a t-shirt and a denim style jacket with no sleeves.Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or knows the identity of the man is asked to contact police.

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PNG top cop jailed, bailed and knighted

PAPUA New Guinea's police commissioner has been jailed, bailed and knighted in the space of a weekend.

AND in what could make for one of the most awkward knighting ceremonies in history, the judge who sentenced commissioner Tom Kulunga on Friday, Gibbs Salika, has also been knighted as part of the Queen's 2014 birthday honours list.

Mr Kulunga was sentenced on Friday to seven months hard labour after the national court found him guilty on three contempt charges for failing to follow through on an earlier court order to reinstate a sacked policeman.Port Moresby-based The Post Courier reports Mr Kulunga was released late on Friday night on $A4128 bail.On Saturday it was announced Mr Kulunga would become a Knight Bachelor for services to policing, while Justice Salika would become a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the judiciary.Despite his legal problems, Mr Kulunga's knighthood will stand until after his case reaches appeal, said Tipo Vuatha, official secretary to PNG governor-general Sir Michael Ogio."According to the chairman [of the honours committee], we cannot do much," Mr Vuatha told AAP."His case is still pending because of the appeal, so therefore what has been given will stand until the case is heard again."A knighthood ceremony is expected in Port Moresby in October, Mr Vuatha said.A spokesman for Mr Kulunga has not responded to questions from AAP.In making his judgement on Friday, Justice Salika noted Mr Kulunga's 40 years of service to PNG policing, but said he had no choice but to reinstate the sacked officer pursuant to the original 2012 court order.

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Qld chief justice critics told to shut up

Queensland science minister has lashed out at critics of Tim Carmody's appointment to chief justice. Source: AAP

A QUEENSLAND government minister has lashed out at critics of Chief Magistrate Tim Carmody's appointment to chief justice, saying they should "shut up".

SCIENCE Minister Ian Walker, a former lawyer, says the "war of words" over Mr Carmody's promotion to chief justice of Queensland has got to stop.

"People have got to put a sock in it, they've got to shut up, and they've got to let Justice Carmody get on with the job," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday."He deserves a fair go at the job, the debate should stop and Justice Carmody should be allowed to get on with the job that he's been appointed to do."Mr Walker's comments follow calls for Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie to step down over the appointment, which has caused great unrest in legal circles.Bar Association of Queensland president Peter Davis quit on Friday saying private discussions with Mr Bleijie in which he didn't recommend Mr Carmody for the job were leaked to others, including Mr Carmody.Australian Bar Association president Mark Livesey said it was accepted practice that consultation before any appointment is kept confidential."The Attorney-General of Queensland must consider whether the breakdown in trust can be repaired," Mr Livesey told The Sunday Mail."If confidentiality in the judicial appointment process cannot be assured he must reconsider whether he can continue in his position."State Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Mr Bleijie couldn't be trusted and wasn't fit to hold office.Mr Carmody's appointment has been criticised by senior Queensland legal figures who question his experience and say he's too close to the government.It's been revealed that days after Mr Carmody was appointed chief magistrate in September 2013, he and Mr Bleijie had a private dinner at an upmarket Brisbane restaurant.The attorney-general has described the meeting as a social catch-up.

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Firies cancer law not ruled out: Vic govt

Volunteer firefighters rally in Melbourne for access to compensation for cancer contracted at work. Source: AAP

THE Victorian government says it hasn't ruled out changing the way firefighters access cancer compensation as hundreds rallied in Melbourne to try to break down barriers to claims.

THE government says it simplified cancer claims for firefighters and encouraged both career and volunteer firefighters to lodge a claim if they believe they had contracted cancer as a result of their duties.

"The Victorian government is not ruling out presumptive legislation and will continue to consider new medical and scientific evidence as it becomes available," a government spokesperson said.Volunteer Fire Brigades president Bill Watson said firefighters wanted a law that lists the 12 typical "firefighter" cancers and presumes them to be work-related, providing the firefighter has enough years of service behind him or her and relevant risk exposure.Mr Watson said there is plenty of evidence firefighters are more likely to suffer certain cancers, but it can be difficult to prove which fire or chemical incident caused their illness."It's not like a broken bone where you know exactly when and where it happened," Mr Watson said."The burning car or house fire you attended today may cause a cancer that doesn't show up for decades, which makes it nearly impossible to prove it was work related."The federal government introduced presumptive legislation in 2011.Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia also have laws that recognise the link between firefighting and cancer.Mr Watson said any legislation would have to include eligibility guidelines."We're not after a free ride," he said."We just want to make sure they're looked after if they get sick."The Victorian government has been under pressure to make changes to the way compensation is accessed after a 2012 report found firefighters who trained at the CFA Fiskville site had been exposed to dangerous chemicals going as far back as the 1970s.Last year they introduced a review panel to assist both volunteer and career firefighters seeking compensation for cancer caused by their work.Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said Labor would introduce the legislation if elected in November."I have committed to the introduction of presumptive rights," Mr Andrews said.

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Teen batts victim's boss faces Qld court

THE employer of a teenager who died under the Rudd government's home insulation scheme has appeared in a Queensland court charged with perjury.

CHRISTOPHER Jackson, 51, is accused of lying to a coronial inquest that investigated the deaths of three insulation installers under the botched federal scheme.

The youngest victim was Rueben Barnes, 16, who was electrocuted while laying batts in the roof of a house at Stanwell, in central Queensland, on November 18, 2009.Jackson, his employer, is accused of falsely telling the Queensland inquest in March last year that he inspected Mr Barnes' work site on the morning of his death.Jackson appeared briefly in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Friday charged with giving false evidence.His case was adjourned until July 23.Fellow Queenslanders Matthew Fuller and Mitchell Sweeney, and Marcus Wilson from NSW, also lost their lives working under the Labor government's $2.8 billion stimulus program.A royal commission into the scheme is due to deliver its report by August 31.

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NSW funding back for city homeless, women

HOMELESS services in Sydney have been thrown a multimillion-dollar lifeline as the NSW government presses ahead with reforms to halt the "inner-city drift".

THE government had foreshadowed cuts to inner-city areas through its Going Home, Staying Home reforms, which aim to nip homelessness in the bud through a focus on early intervention in suburban, regional and rural areas.

The proposals prompted fears that specialist services, including refuges for women escaping domestic violence, would lose out.Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton now agrees the cuts were too much, too fast.She has restored the $8.6 million in annual funding that was on the chopping block, including $2 million a year for inner-city women's services."I was concerned that the original proposal ran the risk of delivering too much change, too quickly," Ms Upton said on Friday."Let me be clear: the government was never planning to do away with women's specialist services, nor were there plans to have men and women sharing crisis accommodation."However, I have listened to the legitimate concerns of many inner-city providers and the right decision was to restore funding."She said next week's budget would include a record $148 million for NGOs delivering specialist homelessness, up from $135 million this year.It's the first tranche of a $515 million package that will be delivered over three years and will include $70 million in complementary programs.Communities in the Hunter-New England district, the mid-north coast, the Illawarra and Sydney's northern beaches will receive some of the biggest boosts."These reforms are about providing early-intervention services so that there won't be the crisis that we currently have, represented by people coming to the city in search of a safe and secure home," Ms Upton said.A new Service Support Fund will be set up so NGOs that missed out can apply for 18 months of extra assistance."This fund is all about ensuring that these very important reforms do not inadvertently create pockets of need for services previously met," Ms Upton said.The government would stand by the $515 million figure even if the federal government backed away from its National Partnership funding commitments in the next three years, Ms Upton said.The NSW opposition says the funding reprieve is a thin lifeline that comes too late for some organisations."These 60 services that have been told that they will be closing their doors are already doing so," deputy Labor leader Linda Burney told reporters."Many of them have already lost their buildings, lost their computers and lost their infrastructure."They cannot go through another tender process to prove that they're worthwhile ... The actions of Gabrielle Upton and the Baird government have caused this situation where homeless services in NSW are hanging on a thread."She said the changes created more instability for organisations catering to domestic violence victims at a time when demand was rising.

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Protecting reef should be priority: poll

A poll shows Australians want those in power to make protecting the Great Barrier Reef a priority. Source: AAP

MOST Australians want those in power to make protecting the Great Barrier Reef a priority, a new poll carried out on behalf of green groups shows.

Almost two thirds of the 1500 people polled nationally also said the reef had lost out to industrial development over the past few decades.

Two thirds of respondents also said the reef's World Heritage status made it more important to protect ecosystems, while a quarter said it made no difference.

But 15 per cent said Queensland's coal industry was vital to boosting the state's economy, even if it was at the expense of the reef's health.

The poll was conducted in April and May on behalf of WWF and the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

It comes less than a week before the World Heritage Committee discusses the reef's status as part of its annual meeting, which will be held in Qatar from June 15-25.

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Green groups facing off against Rinehart

Green groups are challenging Gina Rinehart in a Queensland court in a bid to stop a mega coal mine. Source: AAP

GREEN groups are challenging billionaire Gina Rinehart in Queensland's highest court in a bid to stop a mega coal mine.

Ms Rinehart's Hancock Coal and Indian mining giant GVK was given conditional approval in April to develop the multi-billion dollar Alpha coal mine in the Galilee Basin.

The Land Court recommended the state government either refuse the project or allow it to proceed with strict groundwater conditions.

But green group Coast and Country Association of Queensland has taken the matter to the Supreme Court.

The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) of Queensland, which is handling the case, is seeking a judicial review of that Land Court decision, arguing the proposal should be rejected outright on climate change and groundwater grounds.

"It affects how all these future mines should be assessed in relation to the climate change impacts," EDO senior solicitor Sean Ryan told AAP.

The EDO is facing off against the GVK-Hancock consortium at a directions hearing in Brisbane on Wednesday.

The Alpha project, 360km south-west of Mackay in central Queensland, is 79 per cent owned by GVK and 21 per cent owned by Ms Rinehart's Hancock Coal.

Justice Philip McMurdo adjourned the case until October 13 for a trial.

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Muir struggles during rare interview

LESS than a month before he becomes one of the most powerful players in Australian politics, senator-elect Ricky Muir has admitted in to easily getting flustered when talking about an issue that should be close to his heart.

The Motoring Enthusiasts Party senator, who will be part of a balance-of-power bloc along with the Palmer United Party (PUP) when he begins his six-year term from July, fumbled his way through a rare media interview on Sunday evening.

Asked to explain what he meant by the "after-market" automobile industry the South Australian stumbled with his answer and before taking a break.

"There's the after-market industry which can be supported ... people that are losing their jobs ... sorry ... can we start that question again?" he says to the Seven Network's Mike Willesee.

"There's the after-market industry ... which ... um ... sorry, can we go to another question? I've got myself into a fluster."

"The after-market industry is the industry that is ... can I go out for a minute?"

After a short break, Mr Muir returns, and Willesee advises him to answer questions as if he's talking to someone at a pub.

Mr Muir, who has maintained his job at a timber mill ahead of the move to Canberra, also struggles to explain what it means to hold the balance of power in the Senate.

"Yes, it's the potential if, aah, say in this case Labor and the Greens, umm, it's the power to vote down legislation in the right circumstances," he said.

PUP leader and businessman Clive Palmer on Monday attacked the Sunday Night program's story as "biased and churlish".

"Mike Willesee recorded about an hour of a really serious interview with me about political things and other things but he didn't show any of that," he told ABC radio.

"He doesn't show you all of the footage. Just selective pieces."

Mr Palmer described Mr Muir as an "ordinary" Australian.

"He's there because people think he's more in contact with the real world," the Queensland lower house MP said.

The interview with Mr Muir was part of a broader story on the PUP with which Mr Muir, a father-of-five from the Gippsland town of Heyfield, will join forces from next month when the Senate changes over.

Jacqui Lambie, a former soldier and the PUP's Tasmanian senator-elect, doesn't hesitate when asked about her favourite weapon.

"Definitely M60 (submachine gun). Its massive firepower. Yeah, when you've got it in your hands," she said.

WA senator-elect Dio Wang said he would vote with his heart even if that means crossing Mr Palmer.

Asked if he had stood up to Mr Palmer in the past, Mr Wang replied: "Not yet, because he has been always right so far."

"He is already a great leader."

Come July 1, there will be three PUP senators, including Glenn 'The Brick with Eyes' Lazarus.

Mr Muir was elected after securing 0.01 per cent of the primary vote.

Mr Palmer is threatening to use his Senate team to block some of the federal coalition government's budget measures.

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Aust shares expected to open higher

THE Australian share market is expected to open in positive territory on Tuesday in the absence of any significant data in the US.

AMP Capital Investments chief economist Shane Oliver said strength on US markets on Friday would most likely provide a lead for local shares despite signs of continued weakness in China.

"The best guess is we'll probably see the market up as it catches up to the gains on Wall Street on Friday but against a long weekend there's more uncertainty than normal," Mr Oliver said.

Australian markets are shut for Queen's birthday on Monday.

Local futures are up 18 points after the Dow and the S&P 500 again powered to record highs on Friday.

It followed the release of a US Labor Department employment report showing solid jobs growth for May.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 88.17 points (0.52 per cent) to 16,924.28 on Friday, notching its second record high in a row.

The S&P 500 gained 8.98 (0.46 per cent) at 1,949.44, its third straight record close.

Still, Mr Oliver predicts the local market will continue to be affected by uncertainty in China.

"That's acting as a bit of a counter weight," he said.

Mr Oliver said the copper price had fallen on Friday night amid worries about financing in some ports in China.

Meanwhile, Europe's main stock markets advanced on Friday, as traders welcomed data that showed the US economy has recovered to a pre-crisis jobs level.

But data released over the weekend showed China's trade surplus surged in May as exports rose and imports showed a surprise fall.

Exports increased seven per cent to $US195.47 billion ($A211.49 billion) year-on-year, the General Administration of Customs announced on Sunday, while imports declined 1.6 per cent to $US159.55 billion, resulting in a surplus of $US35.92 billion - a 74.9 per cent jump from the year before.

On Friday the Australian share market closed 0.5 per cent higher in the wake of the European Central Bank's economic stimulus measures.

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Plibersek says PM embarrassing

Labor slams Prime Minister Abbott as embarrassing for cancelling meetings with finance officials. Source: AAP

LABOR'S slammed Prime Minister Tony Abbott as embarrassing but his office has denied he's cancelled meetings with the world's top finance officials during his visit to the United States.

A spokeswoman says Mr Abbott's scheduled to meet US treasury secretary Jack Lew and Janet Yellen, chair of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve.

It follows a report from political columnist Laurie Oakes yesterday that Mr Abbott had cancelled long-planned meetings with Mr Lew, International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde and World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.

Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek has labelled Mr Abbott an embarrassment, and has questioned how he could be cancelling meetings with top economic officials just a few months before Australia hosts world leaders for the November G20 summit.

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Budget could still get through: Govt

Mathias Cormann warns against about assumptions which government budget measures will be blocked. Source: AAP

THE government is still confident it can get its toughest budget measures through the upper house, despite rumblings they'll be blocked.

A $7 GP co-payment, changes to the dole and a raised pension age have proved difficult to sell, and Labor, the Australian Greens and the Palmer United Party have vowed to oppose the measures.

But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann warned against making assumptions about blocks to budget measures, saying his experience in the Senate had shown him not to take any initial opposition as gospel.

Labor had opposed the tax on higher income earners, or deficit levy, but had since decided to support it, he said.

"Immediately in the days and weeks following the budget, all sorts of people say all sorts of things," he told Sky News on Sunday.

"And then on reflection ... people progressively change their mind."

Senator Cormann said the government would not consider watering down measures before presenting them to the parliament.

The main hurdle for the government will be Clive Palmer, whose party will be key to getting the budget through the Senate after July.

Senator Cormann said he would be happy to sit down and have a meal with Mr Palmer in the "appropriate circumstances".

"Clearly we will engage with him in the battle of ideas," he said.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull caused controversy in recent weeks for having a "social" dinner with Mr Palmer.

Senator-elect David Leyonhjelm doubts Palmer United Party members will vote together in the long term.

The three incoming PUP senators, plus Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party member Ricky Muir, don't have a "common ideology" or "anything that binds them together", Mr Leyonhjelm told Channel Ten.

"On that basis, there's no strong reason, other than a fear of outsiders I suppose, for them to work together," he said.

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Brisbane's Eagle Farm to get $22m upgrade

A LONG-AWAITED upgrade of Brisbane's Eagle Farm racecourse is off and racing with a $22 million refurbishment to be complete ahead of next year's winter carnival.

The makeover, the first since 1972, includes the reconstruction of the racing surface and will open up the area inside the track for stabling and training facilities.

The Queensland government announced the project on the city's biggest race day, Stradbroke Day.

"This long overdue refurbishment of the Eagle Farm track will stimulate wagering growth on the venue, which provides more funding for the industry as a whole, and will get more patrons to the track for race days," Treasurer Tim Nicholls said on Saturday.

The upgrade is part of the government's $110 million pledge to improve racing infrastructure across the state.

Construction is due to begin in early August.

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Hertz to review years of financial results

HERTZ Global Holdings Inc says it has to review and correct its financial reports from the past three years after an audit by the car rental company found accounting errors.

The announcement, made in a government filing on Friday, sent Hertz shares down nearly 10 per cent in morning trading.

The New Jersey company said it will restate financial statements from 2011 and will correct and possibly restate statements from 2012 and 2013.

"Financial statements for 2011 should no longer be relied upon," the company said in the filing.

"It will take time to complete this process, and previously reported information is likely to change."

The errors were related to the depreciation of some of its non-fleet assets and an allowance for doubtful accounts in Brazil, among other items, it said.

Hertz is also delaying the release of its first-quarter earnings report again.

In May, it pushed the release date to June 9.

Now, the company expects to release it when it amends its past full-year results.

Its first-quarter results will be hurt by costs associated with the accounting review, the company said.

It said it is implementing new procedures to strengthen its accounting and finance departments.

Shares of Hertz fell $2.60, or 8.5 per cent, to $27.89 in morning trading Friday.

Its shares had risen 6.5 per cent so far this year through to Thursday's close.

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Clavell's ex denies causing SA road death

THE ex-girlfriend of dead fugitive Rodney Clavell has been ordered to stand trial over the hit-and-run death of a cyclist who was a leading Adelaide midwife.

Samantha Magdaleine Farrer, 37, of Queensland, pleaded not guilty on Friday to three charges in the Adelaide Magistrates Court, just around the corner from where her former boyfriend shot himself dead in a brothel after a 13-hour siege on Thursday.

She denied causing the death of Kathleen Heraghty, 48, by dangerous driving in December at Inman Valley Road, near Victor Harbor.

Farrer also pleaded not guilty to an aggravated count of driving without due care and to failing to stop at the scene of a fatal accident.

Mr Heraghty's obstetrician husband was cycling several minutes behind her and was one of the first people on the scene.

Farrer was ordered to stand trial in the District Court and the matter was adjourned to July 7.

Clavell accompanied her to an earlier court appearance in March, months before he became South Australia's most wanted man.

Farrer left court wearing dark glasses and a cap pulled down over her face and did not respond to media questions about her ex-boyfriend.

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NZ's North Island rattled by 5.1 quake

NEW Zealand's central North Island has been rattled by a 5.1 magnitude quake.

The 76km deep earthquake was centred 20km west of Ohakune, in the Tongariro National Park, just before 4pm on Friday.

Thousands reported feeling the moderate quake on the GeoNet site, with people as far afield as Central Otago town Palmerston reporting a shake.

The GeoNet website is run by the Earthquake Commission and GNS Science.

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Qld govt to absorb fed pension cuts

The Queensland government will absorb all federal concession cuts to pensioners and seniors. Source: AAP

THE Queensland government will absorb all concession cuts to pensioners and seniors dished out by the federal government.

Two days after the state budget ruled out the move, Premier Campbell Newman backflipped after the grey army took the state government to task on talk-back radio.

Mr Newman says he's listened.

"We're not only listening to Queenslanders, but we're acting within the space of two days to reinstate the full level of pensioner and senior concessions," he told parliament.

"Queensland seniors and pensioners will not be worse off because of the Commonwealth cuts."

The federal budget, handed down in May, cut $223.2 million over four years meant to fund pensioner and senior concessions for electricity, rates and transport.

Mr Newman told parliament the state budget had raised pensioner and senior concessions by almost $26 million in the next financial year to help compensate.

But he's since realised seniors and pensioners can't fill the gap and would stump up the remaining 15 per cent.

"We will be continuing to send a clear message to the Commonwealth that Queenslanders won't stand for these kinds of cuts," he said.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk supported the move but said the government needed to show where it was getting the extra funding from.

Ms Palaszczuk said the premier's attack on Queensland pensioners' household budgets would not be quickly forgotten.

"The ink isn't even dry on this budget and the premier has scrambled to save his own political skin following a crisis of his own making," she said.

"He made a choice in his budget where he could help Queensland pensioners or hurt them.

"He chose to hurt them."

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Newman to defend Palmer court action

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman (pic) will defend a defamation suit taken by Clive Palmer. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman has stood by claims Clive Palmer tried to buy his government, saying the public deserved to know how the businessman-turned-politician operates.

Mr Newman's lawyers on Wednesday lodged a defence against a statement of claim for defamation the Palmer United Party leader made against him last month, seeking $1.1 million in damages.

Mr Palmer alleges the premier has damaged his reputation by describing him in a press conference in April as "a guy who tried to buy ... my government".

But in the defence claim, Mr Newman's lawyers say the comment was in the public interest.

"The public had an interest in receiving information that might lead them to ask (how Mr Palmer) ... in his capacity as a businessman sought to influence government decision making in relation to his business interests," the defence documents read.

It goes on to detail a meeting with Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney in 2012 where Mr Palmer wanted him to allow the development of "Port Palmer" at Abbot Point and give him exclusive access to a rail corridor to the Galilee Basin.

"(He said) he had paid substantial sums to the LNP to have the LNP elected and that he had a lot more money to support the LNP in the future," it read, adding Mr Seeney refused the offer.

Mr Newman's lawyers also claimed former Liberal National Party MPs Carl Judge and Alex Douglas received "substantial gifts" from Mr Palmer and his companies to switch allegiances.

The premier said Mr Palmer didn't complain to the police or Crime and Misconduct Commission about his comments or even seek an apology.

Mr Palmer has denied claims he offered donations to the LNP for favourable treatment.

"Campbell Newman is simply telling untruths or he has been told lies by Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney and is using them to try and defend the defamation action," Mr Palmer said in a statement on Thursday.

"This is nothing more than a desperate attempt by desperate people to discredit me."

Mr Newman said his last donation to the LNP was in 2010 - two years before the Newman government was elected.

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Shipyards warned projects may go overseas

THE federal government has warned Australian shipbuilders it could look overseas for new frigates if they don't lift their game in building three new air warfare destroyers (AWD).

The $8.5 million AWD project is running almost two years late and costs $360 million more than planned, with shipbuilders performing well below international standards.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the project is in serious trouble and getting worse.

A remediation plan - the third for AWD - aims to get it back on track, starting with "the urgent insertion" of an experienced shipbuilding management team into the main contractor, the government-owned ASC.

Construction of ship modules will then be reallocated among three firms doing this work.

"This is a final opportunity to get this right - there's no two ways about it," Senator Cormann told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

Defence Minister David Johnston warned there might not be local capacity for future projects if Australian firms' productivity was not acceptable.

"I don't believe the government will support an enterprise that cannot deliver productively," he said.

That includes eight new vessels to replace the navy's Australian-made Anzac frigates.

Under the AWD project, launched in 2007, the navy will field three high-tech warships able to defend vast areas of ocean against aircraft and missile attack.

But costs are over target and the first ship, HMAS Hobart, will be delivered in March 2016, rather than December 2014.

A review by former US Navy secretary Don Winter found a range of problems, including inadequate management and contractor performance - in line with an audit office report and regular reviews by UK consultant First Marine International (FMI).

World benchmark for warship production is 60 man hours a tonne. Hobart comes in at 150 man hours a tonne.

In its review of ASC and subcontractors BAE Systems in Melbourne and Forgacs in Newcastle, FMI found in all but a few measures they were outside performance benchmarks.

Under contract arrangements, cost overruns are met half from Defence and half from final success fees to contractors.

Senator Cormann confirmed the Commonwealth and taxpayers would face some costs.

"We will seek to minimise whatever exposure there is for the government and for the taxpayers," he said.

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Jet hitch for Abbott before trade trip

An aircraft breakdown has delayed the start of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's trade and security trip. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has had an inauspicious start to his four-nation trade and security mission, with his plane suffering technical issues on the tarmac.

Mr Abbott is due to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Batam Island later on Wednesday to improve relations damaged by spying revelations and asylum seeker policies.

But his departure from Canberra was delayed several hours due to technical problems with his RAAF jet.

A replacement jet had to be brought in.

After Indonesia, the prime minister will travel to France with other world leaders for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. He will also meet with president Francois Hollande in Paris.

He will then head to Ottawa for meetings with business leaders and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, followed by talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington DC.

"It will be another opportunity for me to demonstrate that Australia is open for business," Mr Abbott said before leaving.

"It will be a further opportunity for me to bolster Australia's economic and national security."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Abbott should use his time overseas to think about how to make the federal budget fairer.

"This rotten budget is still here festering and it will still be here when you come back," Mr Shorten said of the trip.

Mr Abbott dismissed suggestions he should remain in Australia to get his first budget through a hostile parliament.

"It's always good to be improving Australia's international relations," he said.

Asked about the jet breakdown, Defence Minister David Johnston said it was probably not a good look for the Royal Australian Air Force.

"But we do have a back-up plane for exactly that reason," he said.

"I'm determined to fix it very quickly.

"These aircraft are very old, they're well maintained, they're very serviceable but there are some issues with age and we've got to deal with them and we need to trade out of them."

A 20-member business delegation will accompany Mr Abbott to New York and Houston.

The US is Australia's largest source of foreign investment and is the top destination for Australian investment abroad.

Canadian pension funds are being wooed to invest in Australian roads, energy utilities, airports and ports.

Defence Minister David Johnston said the Rudd government had given the coalition a "hospital handball" by renewing the contract on the current fleet just before the 2013 election.

The fleet includes two leased Boeing Business Jets and three Bombardier Challengers operated by the RAAF's 34 Squadron and based at Canberra International Airport.

"I was very unhappy about that," Senator Johnston said of the contract renewal, adding the aircraft were old and required increased maintenance.

The coalition had been willing to give bipartisan support for a new VIP aircraft fleet, but now was left with "significant costs" if it wanted to cut short the lease.

"There is a program we are working on now," Senator Johnston said.

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Phones, drugs hurled over NSW jail fences

War-zone technology is being installed at NSW jails to combat drugs being thrown over prison fences. Source: AAP

WAR-ZONE technology is being installed at NSW jails to combat the long-running problem of mobile phones and illicit drugs being hurled over supposedly secure prison fences.

Thermal-imaging and motion-detection cameras - commonly used by the military in war zones such as Iraq - are being installed at five jails across the state to stop contraband from reaching convicted criminals.

Some relatives and friends of inmates use increasingly inventive ways to deliver drugs, such as stuffing them inside tennis balls or potatoes, senior Corrective Services sources told AAP.

At a Melbourne jail recently, a helicopter drone was used in an attempt to fly drugs in.

Mobile phones, drugs and shoes have been lobbed over the fence into the minimum security area of the John Morony Correctional Complex near Windsor, northwest of Sydney.

Inmates' pals have used dense bushland surrounding the jail to dodge detection when fielding the contraband, some of which is then sold inside the jail.

"Anybody that wants to move around through this particular area will now be caught using the sort of technology that has come from areas like Iraq," NSW Justice Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters at John Morony prison on Tuesday.

"Thermal technology can pick up movements, as has happened in war zones, but we're using it to make sure prisoners stay inside, and those we don't want in stay out."

Double perimeter fencing, new razor wire and more CCTV cameras are also being installed at parts of John Morony prison, upgrading previously minimum security areas to medium security.

The thermal imaging and motion detection cameras can tell the difference between a would-be drug thrower and a kangaroo, experts say.

Under a $20 million, state-wide, three-year government program, similar measures are being taken at Sydney's Silverwater and Parklea prisons, at the South Coast Correctional Centre at Nowra and the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at Kempsey.

Some of the jails will in future be used to house higher risk remand prisoners.

NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin said the state's prison system was being brough into the 21st century.

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Govt spending down 0.8% in Mar qtr

A fall in government spending of 0.8% in the March quarter will be a drag on economic growth. Source: AAP

GOVERNMENT spending fell in the March quarter, but the drag on economic growth will be more than offset by positive trends in foreign trade.

Total government spending, including consumption and investment, fell 0.8 per cent in the quarter, after adjusting for price changes and seasonal fluctuations, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Tuesday.

Public sector spending makes up about a quarter of gross domestic product.

So, this fall will cut about one fifth of a percentage point from GDP growth in the March quarter, to be reported in the national accounts on Wednesday.

But other ABS data released on Tuesday showed exports grew strongly in real terms, by 4.8 per cent, while imports fell by 1.4 per cent.

With production of exports adding to economic activity and less spending going to foreign-produced imports, these figures show foreign trade added 1.4 percentage points to GDP growth in the quarter.

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Medicare fee hits human rights: advocate

Indigenous health advocates say a proposed Medicare co-payment is breaching human rights. Source: AAP

A PROMINENT indigenous health advocate says the Abbott government is breaching human rights with its proposed Medicare co-payment.

Julie Tongs hosted a visit by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal health service in Canberra on Monday.

Ms Tongs, an Order of Australia recipient, told the Labor leader the government's proposed $7 co-payment for GP visits would have a major impact on the centre.

"Health is a human right," she said.

"And by doing what they are doing they are taking away that human right."

The clinic has about 4000 clients, many of whom are on age pensions or welfare payments.

She said a large proportion have multiple chronic diseases, which required several visits a week.

"Some people find it hard to afford milk and bread let alone a GP payment and multiple prescriptions," Ms Tongs said.

Paul Ryan, from the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, told Mr Shorten the co-payment would put pressure on hospitals which were also in the firing line of the federal budget.

Mr Shorten said Labor would not allow the government to get its co-payment legislation through parliament.

"Many indigenous Australians have unacceptably high rates of mortality and illness," he said.

"We have to make sure that for our first Australians we close the gap not widen the gap."

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Scipione welcomes abuse report

The NSW police commissioner has welcomed the Special Commission of Inquiry report into child abuse. Source: AAP

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says the senior officers caught up in allegations of cover-up of child sexual abuse in the Catholic diocese of Maitland-Newcastle can now hold their heads up high.

A four-volume Special Commission of Inquiry report, released on Friday, uncovered no evidence to show senior police officers tried to block the child abuse investigations.

The inquiry found Detective Inspector Peter Fox - who alleged there had been a cover up - was not a credible witness and also said it was appropriate for police to instruct him to stop his own investigations.

The inquiry looked at how the church handled complaints about former priests Denis McAlinden and Jim Fletcher, both now dead.

Three volumes have been released, while the fourth is confidential.

Mr Scipione on Monday acknowledged the efforts of Commissioner Margaret Cunneen and her team in conducting the inquiry.

"The commission found there was 'no credible evidence' of any wrongdoing by those officers undertaking their investigations or their commanders. The commission probed forensically into the role police played," he said in a statement.

"She also observed it was a complex investigation and there's no question it presented challenges for those who undertook that work.

"Those officers can hold their heads up high. We are proud of them. Their motivation was to seek justice for victims - they had no other motivation.

"They can now get back on with their lives and do what they do best - protecting the community," he said.

Meanwhile, the Australian Greens and survivor advocates have challenged the findings.

Abuse survivor's advocate Carol Clarke said their were flaws in the way Mr Fox's evidence was treated and the royal commission needed to examine that. Fellow advocate and rally participant Nicky Davis echoed the call for the royal commission to get to the bottom of what went on in the diocese.

"We believe Mr Fox's reputation will be restored when the full truth is known," she said at a rally on Saturday outside NSW Parliament House.

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Mickelson says he's co-operating with FBI

US golfer Phil Mickelson confirms that FBI agents investigating insider trading approached him. Source: AAP

US golfer Phil Mickelson has confirmed that FBI agents investigating insider trading approached him at a tournament this week.

The winner of five major championships says he has done "absolutely nothing wrong".

A federal official briefed on the investigation has said the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission are analysing trades Mickelson and Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters made involving Clorox at the same time activist investor Carl Icahn was attempting to take over the company.

The official was unauthorised to speak about the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Reports of the investigation appeared in several newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal.

Smiling as he stood before a room packed with reporters and cameras, Mickelson said the investigation had not been a distraction until FBI agents approached him after Thursday's opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

He did not offer any other details, including his relationship with Walters or any stock advice he might have received.

He said it would not affect his preparations for the US Open in two weeks, the only major he lacks for the career Grand Slam.

"It's not going to change the way I carry myself," Mickelson said after an even-par 72 at Muirfield Village left him far behind the leaders.

"Honestly, I've done nothing wrong. I'm not going to walk around any other way."

The federal official told the AP that Mickelson and Walters placed their trades at about the same time in 2011.

Federal investigators are looking into whether Icahn shared information of his takeover attempt of Clorox with Walters, and whether Walters passed that information to Mickelson.

The New York offices of the US Attorney and the FBI declined to comment.

The newspaper reports said federal officials also were examining trades by Mickelson and Walters involving Dean Foods Co in 2012.

After a brief interview, Mickelson stepped outside and signed autographs for about 20 minutes, like it was any other day at a tournament.

Fans were supportive as ever on the golf course, and Mickelson gave away so many golf balls to children that his caddie had to ask a tour official to retrieve more balls from his locker when they reached the turn.

He released a statement early on Saturday.

"I can't really go into much right now, but as I said in my statement, I have done absolutely nothing wrong," Mickelson said.

"And that's why I've been fully co-operating with the FBI agents, and I'm happy to do in the future, too, until this gets resolved."

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People want vision, not complainers: PM

Tony Abbott says he is the man with the plan and the Australian public will back him. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS want a man with a plan, not a bunch of complainers.

And that's why Tony Abbott remains confident the $7 Medicare co-payment and other budget measures will get through parliament, insisting opponents have only criticism, not alternatives.

"Whether it's (opposition leader) Bill Shorten, whether it's the Greens, whether it's others - it's one long chorus of complaint," the prime minister said on Sunday.

"The man with the plan has an extraordinary advantage over the person who has just got the complaint."

The prime minister said he did not expect people to like the Medicare co-payment but he expected them to support it.

Just as the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) co-payment did not affect Australia's health system, nor will the Medicare contribution, he told Network Ten.

He questioned why the Labor Party was taking the moral high-ground on the co-payment when its former leader Bob Hawke sought to do just that in the 1990s.

Mr Hawke proposed a $2.50 Medicare co-payment in 1991 but it was abandoned by Paul Keating when he became prime minister.

The PBS co-payment was introduced by Labor in the late 80s.

Mr Abbott said it was bizarre for Labor to be "waxing morally indignant" about one co-payment when it introduced another type, the PBS co-payment.

He said the PBS co-payment had not damaged the universality of the health system and neither would the Medicare one.

But Opposition frontbencher Jason Clare said Mr Hawke was wrong to try to introduce the co-payment, and Labor made it known to him back then.

"So if we're prepared to stand up to Bob Hawke on it, you can bet that we're prepared to stand up to Tony Abbott on this as well," he told Sky News.

Mr Abbott, who admits refinement of some measures may be necessary, continues to make "courtesy calls" to various minor party and independent senators to stress the importance of delivering the budget and scrapping the carbon and mining taxes.

He defused questions about whether he had a difficult relationship with Clive Palmer, whose party with key independents would hold the balance of power in the Senate from July 1.

It was "perfectly normal" for senior members of the coalition, like frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull, to hold talks with Mr Palmer in his place.

"Over time I'm confident that (Mr Palmer) will have a constructive relationship with the government," Mr Abbott said.

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Indigenous war veterans honoured in Vic

Indigenous war veterans have been honoured at a ceremony at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. Source: AAP

INDIGENOUS war veterans have been honoured at a ceremony at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.

The ninth annual Victorian Indigenous Remembrance Service was held as part of National Reconciliation Week.

Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tim Bull was among dignitaries who laid a wreath for the service in honour of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans who have served Australia in conflict going back as far as the Boer War, which ended in 1902.

"It is fitting that the Indigenous Remembrance Service is held during National Reconciliation Week because by acknowledging the contribution of Aboriginal people we build a stronger community by breaking down stereotypes and discrimination," Mr Bull said.

"Aboriginal men and women proudly served this country long before they were fully recognised as citizens after the 1967 referendum.

"As a community it is important to recognise those who were lost to war and give thanks for their selfless service in defence of the freedom we enjoy today. The sacrifice made by their family and friends whose lives were diminished by their loss is also remembered."

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SA teen charged over stabbings, assault

A teenager stabbed two men and struck a third in the head in an altercation in Adelaide, police say. Source: AAP

A TEENAGER stabbed two men and struck a third in the head in an altercation in Adelaide, police say.

A large disturbance broke out in Daw Park on Friday night in which three men were assaulted, police say.

Two men were stabbed, suffering minor lacerations, and were taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

A third man suffered a blow to the head but needed no medical treatment.

A 17-year-old youth was arrested soon after.

He was charged with aggravated assault causing harm, affray and resisting police.

Police allege the parties were known to each other.

The youth was refused bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

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Finance head David Tune retires

Party drug smuggler faces life in jail

A UK man faces life in prison after being caught at Sydney Airport attempting to smuggle over 2kg of ecstasy in five tins of bath salts off a flight from Abu Dhabi.

Tooth decay costs taxpayers $2.7m

NSW taxpayers could be up for $2.7 million to help fund four north coast fluoride dosing plants in the state's worst tooth decay region as a result of the Byron Shire Council banning the dental booster from its water supply.

Diplomas or a debt trap?

COMPETITION to sign up students to expensive tertiary diploma courses is spiralling out of control, with offers of lavish inducements including free iPads, laptops and $1000 shopping vouchers.

SBS joins in over Budget complaints

A DAY after the ABC's threat to slaughter Peppa Pig, multicultural ­broadcaster SBS yesterday joined the bandwagon as well.

Mum arrested in $2m 'romance scam'

THIS is the moment detectives arrested a mother of four, 39, who has been claiming benefits while allegedly targeting men in their 60s and 70s using this picture, above left. She is said to have spent the money on plastic surgery, holidays and sports cars, which were taken from the scene.

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Vic Liberal MP may vote to sink Geoff Shaw

Labor are collecting votes to find Victorian Independent MP Geoff Shaw in contempt of parliament. Source: AAP

VICTORIAN Liberal MP Ken Smith says he may vote with Labor to find balance-of-power Geoff Shaw in contempt of parliament for misusing a taxpayer-funded car.

The parliamentary privileges committee on Thursday found Mr Shaw breached the MP code of conduct in his use of the vehicle and recommended he repay more than $6800.

But a minority report from the Labor members of the committee went further and recommended the independent MP be found in contempt of parliament.

Mr Smith, a former speaker who has publicly clashed with Mr Shaw, said he would consider backing the minority report.

"It wouldn't be crossing against the government if I voted the committee's report down and voted for the minority report," he told Fairfax Radio on Friday.

"He would then be found in contempt of parliament."

Mr Smith said if he did vote with Labor it would be up to parliament to decide if Mr Shaw should be fined, suspended or expelled from parliament.

The privileges committee investigated Mr Shaw after the ombudsman found in 2012 the Frankston MP used his parliamentary car for his own hardware business.

It found Mr Shaw let the car be used for commercial purposes and his parliamentary fuel card be used for his private vehicle.

The committee recommended parliament order Mr Shaw repay a further $6838.44 for the breach.

He has already paid back $1250.

Premier Denis Napthine urged Mr Shaw to repay the money and move on.

"If I was in Geoff Shaw's shoes, I would write out a cheque today." he told reporters.

Deputy Opposition Leader James Merlino called on other coalition MPs to back the report.

"We encourage Liberal and National MPs ashamed of Geoff Shaw, ashamed of his grubby deal with Denis Napthine, to vote with Labor on the floor of parliament," he said.

"Make no mistake - Geoff Shaw is in contempt of parliament."

Dishonesty charges against Mr Shaw were dropped in December and Mr Shaw said the matter was now over.

"There's nothing to answer for criminally, there's nothing to answer for, for contempt of parliament," he said on Thursday.

"That's the end of the matter."

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Egypt's Sisi wins overwhelming majority

Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set for an overwhelming victory in Egypt's presidential poll. Source: AAP

FORMER army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is assured of an overwhelming victory in Egypt's presidential election, securing 96.2 per cent of the vote with most of the ballots counted.

At least 21 million voters, or 96.2 per cent, chose the retired field marshal, who deposed the elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

The ballots have been counted from 312 of 352 counting stations, state television reported.

His victory had never been in doubt with the main Islamist opposition crushed since Morsi's ouster.

Sisi's only electoral rival, leftist Hamdeen Sabbahi, received 3.8 per cent of the votes counted.

Sisi rode on a wave of support for a potential strongman who can restore stability after several years of tumult.

Hundreds of his supporters took to the streets waving Egyptian flags, setting off fireworks and honking their car horns.

"It's a victory for stability," said Tahra Khaled, who joined the crowd celebrating in the iconic Tahrir Square, the nerve centre of mass protests that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

The army-installed government and Sisi were eyeing a large turnout as an endorsement of the overthrow of Islamist president in 2013, and the subsequent crackdown on his supporters.

Voting had been scheduled to end on Tuesday, but was extended for an extra day in a last-minute decision that sparked protests from Sabbahi, a leftist politician who came in third in the 2012 election Morsi won.

The move to extend polling for a day fuelled criticism of an election already marred by a deadly crackdown on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement.

An electoral official had said after Tuesday's voting, when the election had originally been scheduled to end, turnout was around 37 per cent, well below the 52 per cent of voters who cast their ballots in the 2012 election which Morsi won.

Sisi had appealed for a large turnout, seeking vindication for his overthrow of Morsi, Egypt's only freely elected president, after a single turbulent year in power.

After reports of meagre numbers at polling stations on the first day of voting on Monday, Sisi's backers in the state-run media appealed to people to get out and vote.

The extension of polling cast doubt on the vote's credibility, experts said.

It "raises more questions about the independence of the electoral commission, the impartiality of the government, and the integrity of Egypt's electoral process," said Democracy International, a US-based observer mission.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which had championed a boycott of the election, hailed the lower turnout.

"The great Egyptian people have given a new slap to the military coup's road map and ... written the death certificate of the military coup," said its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party.

The Brotherhood has been subjected to a massive crackdown that has killed hundreds of its supporters and seen it designated a terrorist organisation.

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Mother, 6 kids die in Philippine tent fire

A fire has killed a woman and her six children in a tent refuge for Typhoon Haiyan survivors. Source: AAP

A WOMAN and her six children who were in a shelter for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan have all died after a fire swept through their tent.

The tragedy highlights the slow progress in the resettlement of tens of thousands of survivors of Haiyan, which struck more than six months ago.

The fire was caused by a kerosene lamp and quickly consumed the canvas tent on Tuesday, Tacloban city disaster management officer Derrick Anido said.

The shelter was one of 40 in a "tent city" in San Jose district, which was wiped out by tsunami-like storm surges and fierce winds from Typhoon Haiyan in November.

The children - who died from burns and suffocation - ranged in age from four months to 12 years old, Anido said.

The woman and her seven-year-old son survived the fire initially but both died later in hospital.

"It happened around 12:20am ... but it was so fast that by 12:30 it was over," Anido said, adding that everyone was sleeping when the fire broke out.

Anido, quoting investigators, said the family apparently had trouble opening the tent's zipper door.

Tacloban is still trying to recover from the devastation wrought by the typhoon, which barrelled through the central Philippines, killing at least 6,300 people and displacing more than four million.

"The problem is that so many people are still living in tents and we have been saying all along that these tents are fire hazards," Anido said. "And we have been requesting (the national government) to relocate them to safer shelters."

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Govt seeks advice on sacking SES boss

NSW Premier Mike Baird will consider sacking SES commissioner Murray Kear (C) after ICAC's findings. Source: AAP

THE NSW government is taking legal advice about sacking State Emergency Service (SES) boss Murray Kear.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) delivered a finding on Wednesday that the SES commissioner acted corruptly by sacking deputy commissioner Tara McCarthy.

It also found Mr Kear failed to investigate serious allegations that she raised about another SES deputy commissioner with whom he was friends.

Emergency Services Minister Stuart Ayres is seeking advice from the crown solicitor and his own department about sacking Mr Kear, which the ICAC recommended in its findings.

"When I'm in receipt of that advice, I'll be making decisions about the future position of the commissioner," Mr Ayres told reporters in Sydney.

Mr Ayres is also seeking advice about the possible reinstatement of Ms McCarthy.

She was sacked after she raised concerns that Mr Pearce engaged in a number of dubious contracts.

ICAC ruled that Mr Kear did not investigate the allegations against deputy commissioner Steve Pearce because he was a mate.

ICAC's report on Wednesday suggested Ms McCarthy was sacked as a reprisal for raising the allegations against Mr Pearce.

NSW Premier Mike Baird, who has staked his premiership on ridding the state of corruption, said he will consider the report.

"It's clear in light of the report today there needs to be cultural changes (within the SES)," he told reporters in Sydney.

"There needs to be changes and we'll be responding shortly."

Mr Kear has been on leave since the ICAC inquiry began.

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