Political blame game over childcare costs

Childcare costs have rocketed 150 per cent in the past decade, a report shows. Source: AAP

WORKING mothers are losing 60 cents of each dollar they earn to rising childcare costs but Australia's politicians haven't found a way to ease the situation for now.

INSTEAD they're blaming each other for the worsening crisis in childcare affordability.

Childcare costs have skyrocketed 150 per cent in the past decade, with only electricity and tobacco prices rising at a faster rate, a new report claims.Parents returning to full-time work after having a child can now expect to lose up to 60 per cent of their gross income to childcare fees, loss of benefits and higher income tax rates.Mums from low income families who return to full-time work may take home as little as $4.55 an hour, the research from financial services firm AMP and the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling found.Assistant education minister Sussan Ley regularly meets women juggling childcare with returning to work."There is crisis and struggle and desperation when you talk to mums who just don't know what to do with the work-family balance," she told reporters in Melbourne."It's not fair for families to have to live within a system that is as unsustainable as the one that Labor has left us with."The Productivity Commission is due to deliver its initial report on childcare to the government next month and the final version in October.Ms Ley expects the government will have some solutions for parents in early 2015.But the opposition says the government can do one thing to help right now: abandon plans to freeze childcare payments."They cannot justify standing up and attacking low and middle income families time and time again and this report shows that Australia can't afford it," opposition childcare spokeswoman Kate Ellis said.Labor was worried many women wouldn't return to the workforce after having children because of the difficulty of finding and paying for childcare.The AMP-NATSEM report said 630,000 Australian families pay for "long day" childcare, which can cost up to $170 a day per child.The national average childcare fee has risen 150 per cent since 2004. Childcare generally costs more in cities compared to regional areas and more in wealthier suburbs than less affluent areas.Fees have risen faster than petrol, education and healthcare costs.While the number of children in childcare has risen steadily over the past decade, about 60 per cent of children from working families are still cared for by grandparents, relatives or friends.

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Newman says ALP wrong on TAFE fee rises

QUEENSLAND'S premier has accused the opposition of playing Nostradamus over TAFE fee increases.

LITERACY and numeracy fees for disability pensioners have risen from $140 to $800 while tuition fees for a diploma in marketing have increased from $2400 to $6000, Labor says.

It predicts that fees will go up even more as previously subsidised courses incur full fees and a new Queensland Training Assets Management Authority makes TAFE campuses pay full commercial rent.But the Liberal National government insists there is no link between course costs and infrastructure arrangements.Premier Campbell Newman said hefty TAFE fee increases would be unlikely when asked about Labor's predictions."It's interesting to see they're playing Nostradamus," he told reporters on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday."I don't believe that's the case."TAFE is being re-focused so it meets the needs of employers so we create jobs."Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government had a secret agenda, after Labor uncovered leaked TAFE documents which say "costs could increase again for the start" of the first semester in 2015.They are answers to student questions and comments such as, "Are costs likely to increase next year?" and "I feel ripped off"."We've now heard of secret plans where TAFE fees are going to be skyrocketing in this state," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek insists fees aren't actually rising, with a spokeswoman explaining in a background statement to AAP that subsidies were being reduced to some courses that didn't align with skills shortage areas.

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Qld premier coy on chief justice pick

QUEENSLAND'S premier has held his first media conference in five days, but was coy when questioned about his government's controversial selection of Tim Carmody as the state's new chief justice.

SINCE Campbell Newman last stood before reporters, Judge Carmody's controversial addition to the Supreme Court has been approved by the state's governor.

Judge Carmody's meteoric rise has divided the judiciary, with critics arguing he's too inexperienced and too close to the government.But Mr Newman has declined to offer any new comment on the appointment of Judge Carmody, even though Court of Appeal justice John Muir has joined senior legal figures in slamming the appointment process."Go back to what I've said when I announced it about a week and a half ago," Mr Newman told reporters on the Sunshine Coast."You've got my comments."Late last week, Governor Penelope Wensley issued writs for the July 19 Stafford by-election, where the ruling Liberal National Party is considered the underdog despite its seven per cent margin.Asked why the media wasn't invited to that event, Mr Newman pointed to his June 5 speech to parliament."The announcement was made in parliament, look at the record," Mr Newman said, adding media weren't usually invited for by-election declarations."I've held many press conferences since I made the announcement in parliament."Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk accused the premier of hiding from voters during the past week, with Mr Newman's last media conference on Tuesday in Mount Isa."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.The premier was on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday holding a community cabinet in Maroochydore, which is also in Clive Palmer's federal seat of Fairfax.A cabinet meeting is being held in the same beachside suburb on Monday.It would come three days after Mr Palmer lodged a defamation writ against Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney in the Supreme Court, after he alleged on the ABC that the mining tycoon had sought special favours for his Waratah Coal interests in the Galilee Basin in 2012.Mr Palmer is also suing Mr Newman for defamation after the premier claimed that he tried to "buy" the Queensland government.

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GG visits Ord irrigation scheme

GOVERNOR-GENERAL Sir Peter Cosgrove is hoping to shine a light on economic opportunities in agriculture and progress being made on indigenous issues during a tour of northern Australia.

SIR Peter said the second phase of the Ord irrigation scheme near Kununurra was beginning to come to fruition, largely due to Chinese investment.

"It's now possible to see, not just its future potential, but its present importance," he told reporters after a tour of the Ord Stage Two Development on Sunday."I hope that all the negotiations for the Ord River project phase two can continue and we can see waving fields of sugar, sorghum and other crops in this beautifully irrigated part of Australia."He said the area around Kununurra in north Western Australia could produce life saving food for international markets.Sir Peter is half way through a five day tour of the Northern Territory and north Western Australia, taking in the towns of Katherine, Kununurra and Wyndham as well as remote areas."I shine a light. I turn up to places where there is wonderful endeavour and it may not necessarily be solely economic, it might be more on social development or amenity for younger Australians," he said."Or it might be to watch indigenous Australians who, whilst acknowledging that there is a gap to be closed, are working hard with specific programs to enhance indigenous health and to extend life expectation, to reduce infant illnesses and keep kids in school."After planting a tree with Girl Guides and chatting to volunteers on Sunday morning he said regional communities such as Kununurra had a strong volunteering spirit."What I like about rural and regional Australia, the more remote in some ways the better, is you'll see the strength and interaction of communities," he said."In towns in rural and regional Australia you see the interaction up close."Sir Peter, also visited the Kimberley squadron of the Australian army's Norforce reserve unit."I've got a special place, I always will have a special place in my heart for people who put their country's uniform on. Military, navy, army and airforce, but police, SES, anybody who provides a sense of service before self who takes on burdens that are inconvenient and stressful and sometimes hazardous to help other people."However, Sir Peter, who was commander of defence forces when Australia deployed troops to Iraq 11 years ago, declined to comment on how he felt about a fresh batch of troops being sent to Baghdad."On those sort of issues which are contemporary I would say that's a matter for the government."Defence has sent a small unit of Australian Defence Force personnel to Baghdad to bolster security at the Australian embassy.In coming days Sir Peter will visit the TFS Sandalwood plantations, indigenous groups, schools and attend a football training session at the Clontarf Foundation, of which he is patron.

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Another Tamil man sets himself on fire

ANOTHER Tamil man has set himself alight, the latest in a spate of self-immolation cases involving asylum seekers who fear being sent back to Sri Lanka.

THE 40-year-old man splashed himself with petrol and ignited it, but his housemates intervened and managed to put out the fire.

It happened late on Friday at a home in the Melbourne suburb of Noble Park, according to a statement from the Tamil Refugee Council.There were similar incidents in May, when Leo Seemanpillai burned to death outside his Geelong home, and also in April when a Sydney-based Tamil man also set himself alight but survived with burns to 75 per cent of his body.In the latest case, the man suffered burns to his legs and was taken by ambulance to Dandenong Hospital."We are very lucky on this occasion that the man's housemates were aware of what he was planning to do otherwise we may have had another death on our hands," council spokesperson Sri Samy said."I have had seven young men tell me in the past few weeks that they are thinking of doing this."They are fearful of being sent back to Sri Lanka and say they would prefer to die here than be sent back to torture, which is what the Australian government is doing to many Tamil asylum seekers."The man involved in this latest case came to Australia by boat in 2012, and he was on a bridging visa awaiting assessment of his asylum claim.He fled Sri Lanka, leaving his wife and daughter behind, after security police broke his legs.The council said last week he had learned his brother, held in a Sri Lankan prison for four years, had disappeared and was feared dead.The man feared the same fate if returned to Sri Lanka."The previous Labor government, and the current Coalition government, have sent back more than 1000 Tamil asylum-seekers under an enhanced screening process," Mrs Samy also said."That does not allow time for proper assessment of asylum claims."She called on Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to alleviate fear among Tamil asylum seekers by granting protection to genuine refugees.* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

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Royals defend apartment spending

THE British royal family has defended spending a seven-figure sum refurbishing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Kensington Palace apartment.

THE taxpayer will foot the bill for extensive work on the property, including installing a new roof, overhauling the electrics and carrying out significant plumbing works.

A royal spokesman said repairs and refurbishments - reported to cost in the region of STG4 million ($A7.30 million), though this figure was not confirmed by the royal household - would also see a "significant amount of internal building" to "return the residence to function as a living space".William and Kate's Kensington Palace apartment was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was the home of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Margaret remained there after their divorce and lived there until her death in 2002.The living space was last refurbished in 1963."This is the Duke and Duchess's one and only official residence. It is here that they plan to stay for many, many years to come," a royal spokesman said."We also had to take into account the fact that Kensington Palace is a scheduled ancient monument, and all elements of the refurbishment had to be agreed with English Heritage. Often this meant ensuring a high standard of work in line with the historical significance of the Christopher Wren building."He said William and Kate "paid privately" for all the internal furnishings, including carpets and curtains. They were also at pains to ensure that the specification is not extravagant."As with any other part of the estate, it was the royal household (TRH) who were responsible for the refurbishment of the residence - where they could in the course of the procurement process, TRH helped to bear down on cost," he added."The household oversaw the planning, tendering and project management of the refurbishment and were responsible for the budget and spend."

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Pregnant woman airlifted to hospital

A PREGNANT woman has suffered serious head injuries after a car crashed into a northwest Sydney house, also injuring a teenage girl and another woman.

THE 25-year-old, who is four months pregnant, has been airlifted to Westmead Hospital with serious head and leg injuries, police say.

The girl, 14, also suffered head and leg injuries and was taken to hospital along with a 48-year-old woman, who sustained pelvic injuries."All three remain in a stable condition," police said.They were hit while standing on the front veranda of a Windsor Downs home on Saturday afternoon.The male driver was treated by paramedics and has been taken for mandatory drug and alcohol testing.His male passenger wasn't hurt.Police have established a crime scene and are investigating.

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Hendra virus kills NSW horse

Hendra virus has killed a horse in northern NSW, causing authorities to quarantine a property. Source: AAP

HENDRA virus has killed a horse in northern NSW, causing authorities to quarantine a property as they run tests on its stablemates and the five people who handled the animal.

IT'S the first case of Hendra discovered in NSW this year.

"The 31-year-old stockhorse gelding died overnight on Thursday after being found in a dam earlier that day and receiving treatment from a private veterinarian for very low body temperature," NSW deputy chief vet Therese Wright said in a statement."Three people who handled the horse plus the veterinarian and an assistant are being assessed and monitored by NSW Health."In recent weeks no horses have moved off the property, west of Murwillumbah, and there are no dogs or cats about, Ms Wright added.The paddock where the horse was kept "has regular flying fox activity," she said.Horses are believed to contract the Hendra virus from feed contaminated by urine, saliva or birthing fluids from flying foxes."Do not place feed and water under trees and cover feed and water containers with a shelter so they cannot be contaminated from above," Ms Wright said.Hendra virus was found in four horses and a dog across four separate mid-north coast properties last year."Winter is the season when horses have been infected with Hendra in NSW in the past so now is the time to get a vaccine booster for your horse," Ms Wright said.In Queensland four people have been killed by Hendra virus since 1994.And in December councils across the state were given permission to trim trees and use smoke, lights and loud noises to drive flying fox colonies away from urban areas without needing a permit."If a horse becomes sick, owners should contact their veterinarian immediately," Ms Wright warned.

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Thai govt to mediate in Aussie's case

THAILAND'S foreign ministry is pressing for a mediated settlement in a bid to end a legal conflict between the Royal Thai Navy and an Australian journalist who faces a possible lengthy jail term over defamation charges.

ALAN Morison, originally from Melbourne, and Thai reporter Chutima Sidasathian face jail terms of up to seven years on the charges of criminal defamation and breaches of the Computer Crimes Act.

The charges came after Morison, editor of the online English language news service, PhuketWan, in July last year republished excerpts of a Thomson Reuters report alleging the involvement of Thai navy personnel in the trafficking of ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.The navy later launched a case against Morison and Chutima, but only recently began legal proceedings against Thomson Reuters and its reporters, who were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.Morison and Chutima made brief court appearances last month, but no pleas were entered. Their next court appearance is scheduled for March 18, 2015.But a senior Thai foreign ministry official, Songsak Saicheu, director-general of the Americas Department, says the ministry is working closely with the Thai navy and the Australian embassy in a bid to settle the matter out of court.Mr Songsak told reporters the four-way consultations would include the navy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian embassy, and Morison."So the navy is ready to consider any possibility that if anything can be settled out of court, of both parties are satisfied with the conversation, with the deal, together it can be possible," Songsak said.Thailand's National Human Rights Commission had also taken steps to mediate between the journalists and the navy. But talks previously scheduled for May 23 were scuttled a day after the Thai military staged a coup d'etat.The foreign ministry's stance comes as Thailand is under pressure from the US over its rights and human trafficking performance in recent years, and faces a possible downgrade with the release of the State Department's 2014 "Trafficking in Persons" report.Morison welcomed the Thai ministry's intervention in the case."Any possibility of an outcome at which we could all walk away content would be excellent," Morison told AAP."It would be great. If the (Thai) foreign ministry is working behind the scenes and taken note of what's been said in Washington that would be fantastic. That's really good news," he said.The Thai National Human Rights Commission has rescheduled a mediation meeting of the parties for July 7.

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Baby gets HIV tests after given wrong milk

A THREE-WEEK-OLD baby is undergoing tests for HIV after being given breast milk from the wrong mother in a southeast Queensland hospital.

THE Metro North Hospital and Health Service says it is urgently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred at Caboolture Hospital on Thursday.

It says it has also apologised "unreservedly" to the baby's parents and the donor mother."Medical advice, provided to the families, is because of the good health of those involved there is negligible risk of health impacts to the baby as a result of this incident," a spokesman told AAP."However as a precaution, to give peace of mind and certainty to the families involved, blood and milk samples have been taken for comprehensive testing."Results are expected to be available within a week, with a routine confirmation test to occur again in 12 weeks.The mix-up has caused a nervous wait for the baby's family.The baby's grandmother, who only identified herself as Peggy, rang Brisbane talkback radio in distress on Friday morning saying her grandson was being tested for HIV, as well as Hepatitis A, B and C."My son and daughter-in-law are beside themselves," the upset grandmother told 4BC."We're on tenterhooks and to have something like that happen at a hospital, who's not doing their job?"The grandmother said a nurse gave a bottle to her daughter-in-law only to return five minutes later and say it was the wrong one.The health service spokesman said any issues identified by a formal investigation would be addressed to prevent a recurrence.Staff involved in the incident had been counselled about the importance of following all protocols in relation to expressed breast milk, he said.

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Proudest mum sees top five graduate

SHE just had to be the proudest mother in the country.

FIVE of her own graduating on the same day, and they were five of the smartest, happiest and furriest graduates you will ever see.

Overjoyed mum Olwyn watched on as her top five; Rosie, Richie, Riley, Robbie and Ruby all graduated with flying colours as fully fledged Guide Dogs at the organisation's base in Glossodia in western Sydney on Friday.There wasn't a mortar board in sight, but plenty of tasty treats, sloppy licks and maybe a celebratory bark or two for some of the cleverest canines in the country.Make no mistake, after six months of extensive training, these gorgeous Labradors are the best of the best and with a bright, rewarding future ahead of them you couldn't stop mum's tail from wagging.It costs $30,000 to train up each dog and after graduation at 18 months of age, they are paired up with a suitable handler,There are 250 working guide dogs in NSW and 40 blind or vision impaired people waiting for a dog which makes Olwyn, a 'prize bitch' in any vernacular, even more valuable."Olywn has always been easy going and very calm, she is a great mother and she always keeps her pups under control," explains owner Sally Gorman."Maybe that is why the pups are so successful. We are extremely proud of her and her dogs."It is the perfect combination of having a dog and doing some good for us."Puppy Raisers, families who help prepare a puppy for its potential career as a guide dog, are almost as important as the dogs themselves."It's a good way to help out," says Rebecca Smith, 21, whose looked after Riley before his rise to a Guide Dog and whose current charge the sleepy-eyed Wayne is the eighth puppy her and her family have raised.The puppies join families at two months and stay for around a year."We had another dog and we felt like it needed some company and wanted to see how it would work out and it has obviously worked out really well."It is rewarding and a lot of fun that is why we continue to stay involved."Rebecca looks on as graduation photos are taken, and taken and taken.The bond between puppy raiser and puppy after a year obviously becomes a strong one. So how hard is it to give them back?"I remember the first one, me and mum got a bit teary, but as much as it is hard to say goodbye you know it is going to a good home, going to someone who needs it," Rebecca says.

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WA Police charge former hostel warden

CHILD abuse squad detectives have charged a 69-year-old West Australian man, who is currently in prison, with two additional charges relating to historic child sex offences.

POLICE allege the offences occurred between 1975 and 1988 when the offender was a warden at a regional WA hostel.

He is expected to appear in the Katanning Magistrates Court on July 15.

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Family heartbroken after aged home deaths

THREE and a half years ago, Marie Darragh was frail, ill and on the brink of death.

SHE was placed in the St Andrews Nursing Home in Ballina as her family desperately hoped for the best.

Within years, her health had turned around.After giving up smoking, Ms Darragh turned to sugar to get her fix and earned the affectionate nickname "sugar fairy" for her fierce sweet tooth around the nursing home.It was this new-found health and happiness that made the 82-year-old's suspected murder in May all the more shocking."It's total heartbreak," daughter Janet Parkinson told AAP on Thursday."Because when she went in there she was ready to die. She was so frail and it has taken them three and a half years to get her where she was."They built her up and she had to go this way ... that's the heartbreaking thing."Ms Darragh and fellow resident and friend Isobella Spencer, 77, were found unconscious in their beds on May 10.They died hours later.The same night, a third woman was attacked at the home and admitted to hospital but survived.St Andrews Aged Care says she is in good health and is back at the facility.The fact Ms Darragh and Ms Spencer died unexpectedly, in the same location and on the same night, sparked a homicide investigation.Detectives believe they have a good idea of how both women died and have questioned nursing home staff."Obviously we are looking at the actions of staff members that night. However, we are keeping an open mind," Detective Superintendent Mick Willing said on Wednesday.Ms Parkinson said she had her own suspicions about what happened, but could not speak highly enough of the nursing home staff."Obviously I have missed something," she said.She said Ms Darragh, a grandmother to 11 and mother of three, "loved" living at the nursing home.Police have not disclosed any further details about the women's deaths but said there was no "existing threat" at the nursing home."I want to make it absolutely clear that we believe this is an isolated incident," Det Supt Willing said.In a statement, St Andrews Aged Care chief executive officer Pip Carter had no fears for the safety of residents."We understand the pain of losing a loved one and we are doing all we can to assist police," she said.

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Carr dishes up conundrum for NSW govt

EIGHT years after ending his reign over NSW, Bob Carr is still giving the state Liberals a headache.

THIS time, he's forced Premier Mike Baird to reconvene a "slimmed-down" joint sitting of parliament.

The procedure is so the former premier and foreign minister can be excused from the Senate and return to private life.Mr Baird was left with a conundrum after Mr Carr decided to retire from federal politics despite winning his Senate seat last year.The premier received legal advice that Mr Carr's resignation wasn't constitutional and a joint sitting of the NSW parliament was needed to replace him.But the problem was parliament was on Thursday preparing to close its doors for its winter recess and not planning to sit again until August, well after the July 1 date of the new Senate term.The premier eventually decided to hold a very short joint sitting session in July, which would only last a few minutes, to sort the issue out.Once that happens, Labor's Deb O'Neill will formally replace Mr Carr in the Senate.

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Labor, coalition fight for rural affection

IF you believe Labor, they are the party for farmers and rural Australia.

IF you believe the government, that's a complete joke.

Parliament took a country tone on Thursday when Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon brought on debate about the budget's impact on regional Australia.He was concerned about the fuel excise hike's impact on rural residents, which he says will go down as the Abbott government's "worst broken promise".Mr Fitzgibbon is behind Labor's new "country caucus" made up of regional MPs and senators who will influence party policy on rural issues.Labor has long been a champion of the bush, given it was partly born out of the shearing sheds of rural Queensland, Mr Fitzgibbon told AAP."Country Labor has been successful in NSW and it can be successful nationally," he said in a statement.But the coalition is having none of that.Liberal MP Dan Tehan derided Mr Fitzgibbon's topic for debate, given it came just after its country caucus was publicly announced."That's why we have this (debate) here today," he said."What an absolute joke."Mr Tehan said the country caucus came too late."You all should be ashamed of yourself, starting in the year 2014 a regional caucus and coming in here telling us who should stand up for regional and rural Australia."Nationals deputy leader Barnaby Joyce joined in the derision.If there was a friend for regional Australia, it was clear which side of the chamber they would find them in, he said.

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Ferry fraudster Smith 'had no choice'

A FORMER Sydney Ferries boss who racked up more than $200,000 on the company credit card says he felt he had no choice because he couldn't tell his emotionally fragile wife how desperate the family's financial situation had become.

FORMER naval admiral Geoffrey Smith on Thursday told his sentencing hearing he was hired to help turn the troubled transport company around in August 2006.

By early 2009, allegations of rorting had surfaced and he was brought up before the corruption watchdog.He has now pleaded guilty to one charge of cheating or defrauding the company he directed.Smith said two fatal crashes on Sydney Harbour in 2007 ushered in a five-month inquiry and intense scrutiny.On the home front, his wife - who had previously been hospitalised and subjected to electroconvulsive therapy in a battle with depression - was diagnosed with cancer."I'm deeply ashamed," Smith told the Sydney District Court."I've let down a lot of people and I've done something contrary to all the values I've lived my whole life."He said he always intended to reimburse Sydney Ferries for his personal expenses, and with a crippling monthly mortgage of $11,000 and medical bills stacking up, Smith says he knew he needed to sell his home in leafy northern Sydney.But he couldn't tell his wife.They'd been married for 26 of his navy years and moved 32 times."She never asked for anything except that when the time came for me to retire we would buy a house and settle down and have a semi-normal life," Smith said."I was intensely worried that if I spoke to her about selling the house it would have a profound impact on her."When he eventually spoke to his wife about the "parlous" state of the family books, the global financial crisis was in full swing, and the house's value had dropped from an estimated $2.2 million to $1.86m - too little to settle Smith's debts.But Crown prosecutor Sara Bowers said Smith was spending Sydney Ferries' money on extravagances including a family trip to New Zealand, jewellery, a new swimming pool and two BMWs, including one for his "bedridden" wife."Not the necessities of life, are they," she said."I didn't think I had a choice," Smith said.Smith says he still wants to pay the missing money back using earnings from his retail job at hardware chain Bunnings and his superannuation.Judge Michael Finnane has indicated he intends to sentence Smith to two years, but that this may be served in the community under an intensive correction order, rather than in jail.The hearing resumes in August.

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PNG's O'Neill sacks corruption watchdog

PNG PM Peter O'Neill has sacked his attorney-general as a court battle over an arrest warrant looms. Source: AAP

PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has sacked the deputy police commissioner and shut down a corruption watchdog that was trying to arrest him over an alleged multi-million dollar fraud.

A POLICE warrant was issued for Mr O'Neill's arrest on Monday over allegations he siphoned $31 million of public funds to law firm, Paul Paraka lawyers.

Mr O'Neill denies any wrongdoing and on Wednesday shut corruption watchdog Task Force Sweep - effectively ending its investigation into the matter.The prime minister accused Task Force Sweep, which is made up of Justice Department staff and police, of colluding with unnamed politicians.Taskforce boss Sam Koim said shutting his organisation was the "gravest mistake".Mr O'Neill also sacked Police Chief of Operations Deputy Commissioner Simon Kauba, who was heavily involved in the case, accusing him of disobeying government orders.In a further development, new police commissioner Geoffrey Vaki was arrested in an apparent response by police to Mr Kauba's dismissal.He was reportedly being questioned by fraud squad officers.The upheaval, which may spark protests, came after a court case launched by Mr O'Neill's lawyers to stay the warrant for his arrest was adjourned until next week.The key evidence in the case against Mr O'Neill - which has gripped PNG for months - is a letter he allegedly signed authorising $31 million be paid to Paul Paraka lawyers.The prime minister has dismissed the note as a fake.Mr Koim revealed on Tuesday that Sydney-based private investigators believe the document is genuine."We have now received the forensic examination report from the Sydney-based Forensic Document Services Pty Ltd confirming that the signature on the letter ... directing payments to Paraka Lawyers is PM O'Neill's," Mr Koim said.Mr O'Neill on Tuesday announced a commission of inquiry into the allegations against him, led by Australian judge Warwick Andrew.The Paul Paraka affair - called Parakagate in Port Moresby - is one of PNG's longest-running fraud investigations.Mr Paraka, one of the most powerful lawyers in PNG, was arrested and charged in 2013 for allegedly receiving the state monies.Task Force Sweep had alleged the payments were spread over a seven-year period and ran into the "hundreds of millions".

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Defence abuse may join Royal Commission

Reports of historic abuse on HMAS Leeuwin may be investigated by the current Royal Commission. Source: AAP

THE rape and sexual assault of hundreds of teenage boys while training at a West Australian naval base may become part of the current royal commission.

THE offences against 207 junior recruits at the HMAS Leeuwin training facility between 1960 and 1984 would fit the remit of the current Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Defence Abuse Response Taskforce chair Len Roberts-Smith said.

Mr Roberts-Smith described the abuse of the junior recruits, who were aged between 15 and 17, as horrific.Victims told of being scrubbed daily with sandsoap until their skin bled, being held down while boot polish was smeared onto their genitals, and having an object such as a mop handle forced into their anus.Mr Roberts-Smith, a former WA Supreme Court judge, said the few victims who overcame intimidation and threats to seek help were told to go away and be quiet, "in almost every instance".He said 63 per cent of the abuse at the naval base was perpetrated by other junior recruits and the remainder by staff.Victims' lives had been shattered by the offending, he said."Quite often they became alcoholics, they took to drugs, they had mental and psychological issues, they were angry constantly, and all of this reflected in their lives, which were devastated by the abuse that happened so long ago," Mr Roberts-Smith told ABC radio.Former Leeuwin recruit Graham, 61, said he wanted to kill the two men who raped him on the same night at Leeuwin."I've lived with that for 46 years. I still live with it. I have terror every day. I can't get it out of my mind. I hate nights. I can't sleep."I'm not a healthy man. I'm a complete mess mentally."I've never felt like a complete man."I'm sure the other victims are still suffering as I am today."He said it was comforting that his story had been accepted and to know the cases may be examined by a royal commission."I think the government needs to come clean with what I think was a cover-up for all this time," he said.Mr Roberts-Smith said the victims had great difficulty telling their stories, but were adamant they wanted them heard."They want people to know ... because they don't want it to happen again to anyone else," he said."These were children for whom Defence and the Navy had a special duty of care, standing in the place of their parents."We must learn the lessons of history."According to the report, the pattern of abuse at Leeuwin was such that Defence knew or ought to have known it was occurring, but failed to stop it.One in 10 of all abuse complaints the taskforce has received relate to Leeuwin.Defence Force chief General David Hurley and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said the incidents should not have occurred.Both said they were confident the abusive environment at Leeuwin didn't exist in the modern defence force, but the report would help Defence to continue working towards cultural change.

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PM Abbott steps up budget pitch

The Abbott government plans to send out almost 2.5 million newsletters to win over pensioners. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government is planning to send out almost 2.5 million newsletters to win over pensioners on controversial budget measures.

BUT Labor, which has taken a solid lead in the polls on the back of budget unrest, has criticised the campaign as misleading.

The News for Seniors newsletter - which was also produced under Labor - will include information on age pension payments, the change of indexation from 2017, the rise in the pension age and the introduction of the Medicare GP co-payment.Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told parliament the government would be wasting taxpayer money if it went ahead with the newsletter."Does the prime minister seriously expect the people of Australia to believe him when he said this is an honest budget?" he said on Wednesday.Prime Minister Tony Abbott said any letter that went to pensioners would only include truthful information, unlike that being peddled by Labor.He pointed to a newsletter from Mr Shorten which said the carbon tax would be abolished under Labor."He is a serial deceiver of the Australian people," Mr Abbott said.Labor frontbencher Stephen Jones told parliament the Liberal MP for the NSW seat of Hume, Angus Taylor, had issued a newsletter stating: "The GP co-payment will not apply to those who cannot afford to pay.""PM, why are you, your MPs and ministers continuing to tell falsehoods about the budget?" Mr Jones asked.Mr Abbott said the co-payment "should hardly hurt at all", but would make the health system sustainable.The prime minister and Treasurer Joe Hockey described the budget as facing a "crisis" if Labor did not back budget-related bills.Labor and the Greens on Wednesday rejected for a second time a government bill abolishing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation funded by the carbon tax.Under the constitution, the government can use the rejection to trigger the dissolution of both houses of parliament and call an election.Mr Hockey said the government would bring the carbon tax repeal bills back to parliament next week.Greens leader Christine Milne challenged the government to bring on an election."If you are so convinced that ignoring climate change is the way to go, go to an election on it," she said.The prime minister also moved to head off an internal battle over his paid parental leave scheme.Mr Abbott is under fire from some coalition colleagues who want to make the leave scheme less generous or delay it until the economy improves."There's quite a lot of time to put legislation in parliament," he said, adding the government's immediate priority was to repeal the carbon and mining taxes and legislate the budget.

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Therapy need sent abuser abroad: Marists

THE former head of the Marist brothers in Australia has denied he made a hasty decision to put a prolific child sex abuser on a plane to Canada three days after it became known police were investigating him.

ALTHOUGH he knew the brother had confessed to molesting a boy who later committed suicide, Brother Alexis Turton, the order's provincial in 1989, thought it best to get Gregory Sutton therapy at a Canadian centre for priest sex offenders.

He denied repeatedly at a child sex abuse royal commission hearing in Canberra on Wednesday that he sent Sutton to the Southdown centre near Toronto because police had begun asking questions.Sutton was extradited from Canada and jailed for 12 years in 1996 after pleading guilty to multiple charges of assaulting children in schools in NSW, ACT and Queensland from 1975 to 1986.He had quit the Marists in 1991 and Br Turton said he lost track of him after that.Br Turton said he sent Sutton to Canada because treatments in Australia had not worked.One Australian therapist had said he could not work "with this man (Sutton) because he does not have sufficient self awareness to have true therapy with me".A document dated August 31, 1989, produced at the commission showed that Sutton was telling people at the centre his provincial had sent him "due to the fact that investigations were occurring on himself for school activities five years ago regarding his child abuse."Br Turton said on Wednesday: "No. That is incorrect. That is wrong."When it was put to him that sending Sutton to Canada was first raised by him on August 15 and he was on a plane on August 18, Br Turton said: "I didn't see it as excessive haste, I saw it as continuing the process that we had been through to get him through to intensive therapy".At the time, parents of children at St Thomas More School in Campbelltown, NSW, had gone to police alleging Sutton had abused Year 5 girls.Simeon Beckett, counsel advising the commission, put it to Br Turton that his account to the commission of why he sent Sutton to Canada was false."That is not correct your honour," Br Turton said.He also denied writing a memorandum detailing Sutton's history of abusive behaviour with children going back to the 1970s.The document used a name other than Sutton's and Mr Beckett suggested the false name was an attempt to deceive readers such as police or civil litigants."I am totally mystified by this document. I can't make any other assessment of it," Br Turton said.He was also asked if it was Marist Brothers' practice to transfer a brother from a school where an allegation or admission of child sexual abuse had been made."I can't say it was the practice. Certainly we have a number of cases (where) that happened. Yes."The commission has been told that the order normally moves brothers around a lot.Br Turton said assurances by alleged offenders they would cease their inappropriate behaviour was often accepted when no complaint of specific sexual molestation was received.

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Banned flu vax still given to young kids

REPORTS of some doctors giving young children a banned flu vaccination "defies belief", Australia's chief medical officer says.

THE bioCSL Fluvax was suspended from use for children under five years old after an increase in febrile convulsions in children was linked to the vaccine in 2010.

Earlier this month a five-year-old Perth girl received a confidential multi-million dollar payout after becoming severely disabled after receiving the bioCSL Fluvax in 2010.Despite this, in 2013 there were 43 reported cases of the bioCSL Fluvax administered to children under five. So far this year there had been 31 cases, Professor Chris Baggoley said.He admitted this figure was low, considering 48,360 children under five were given flu jabs last year. There were also no reports of adverse events.However, Prof Baggoley said it "defies belief" that some GPs said they were not aware of the ban, despite receiving a letter from him about it and other measures to inform them."In context, it's minuscule, but for every child that's been put at risk it makes me profoundly cranky," he said in Melbourne on Tuesday at the National Immunisation Conference.The federal department of health advises that the bioCSL Fluvax should not be used for children under five years. Other suitable vaccines are available.It advises that the vaccination should only be used in children five to nine years old after careful consideration of the benefits and risks.

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Fewer dollars for farmers next year

Farmers will have less cash in their pockets from exporting their goods next year, new data shows. Source: AAP

FARMERS will have less cash in their pockets from exporting their goods next financial year.

BUT they will still have more than they've had in the past decade.

There will be a six per cent drop in farm export earnings in 2014-15, with earnings set to drop to $38.5 billion from this year's $41 billion, the government's agricultural commodity forecaster ABARES says.That's because there will be less to send offshore - with farm production to fall by four per cent next year.Production of barley, canola, beef and veal, rice and horticulture, are all set to drop.But the earnings will still be above the 10-year average.ABARES says it will still be about nine per cent above the average of $35.5 billion over the 10 years to 2012-13 in real terms.Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce was keeping positive by spruiking the benefits of the Korea-Australia free trade agreement, which is expected to come into effect in 2015.Beef and cheese exports will be boosted under the trade deal, he said.There's better news for farmers exporting sugar, live cattle, and live sheep - all set to rise next year.

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Double blow for Rebels bikie boss

Minister Scott Morrison has defended cancelling the visa of Rebels bikie gang leader Alex Vella (c). Source: AAP

REBELS motorcycle club leader Alex Vella has suffered a double blow with the cancellation of his Australian visa and loss of a close mate and fellow senior club member.

THE Rebels national president had planned to return from a visit to his native Malta when he discovered the FEDERAL government had cancelled his visa.

It was cancelled on character grounds last Friday, the Immigration Department says.Mr Vella, 60, is understood to be in Malta figuring out his next move.With the high profile leader gone, the Rebels club have taken another hit with the death of the club's Sergeant at Arms, Simon Rasic.Mr Rasic, son of former Socceroos coach Rale Rasic who guided the national team to the 1974 World Cup, died on Sunday night.Friend and Rebels member "Little Mick" Kosenko said Mr Rasic, who had been a club member for more than 20 years, died suddenly."It was very unexpected," the United Motorcycle Council Queensland spokesman told AAP on Tuesday."He was a very fit and healthy person. It's a great loss."Mr Kosenko said Mr Rasic, a father of four, died following complications from a recent operation.He said Mr Vella had already planned to cut his trip short to attend his sister-in-law's funeral on Tuesday prior to Mr Rasic's death.Mr Vella has struggled with his Australian visa since he was convicted in 1995 of possessing a trafficable quantity of cannabis.Supporters have leapt to Mr Vella's defence, painting the bikie boss as a churchgoing, motorcycle enthusiast."This man actually goes to church every week and is always willing to lend a helping hand, unlike the hypocrites that sit in government," Motorcycle Clubs Australia posted on Facebook."What has he done to deserve what they have been doing to him for so many years?"Everyone has a hobby in life and his is riding motorcycles."Speaking about the visa cancellation, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said it was his duty to respond to the work of state and federal law enforcement agencies.

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Australians join PNG O'Neill fraud probe

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has reportedly avoided arrest by fraud investigators. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN private investigators and an Aussie judge are playing key roles in a corruption scandal that threatens to topple Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, it has emerged.

A WARRANT for Mr O'Neill's arrest was obtained on Monday by fraud investigators who want to grill the prime minister over allegations he siphoned millions of dollars of public cash to a law firm.

Mr O'Neill strongly denies any wrongdoing and obtained a court order putting the warrant on ice.The key evidence in the case - which has gripped PNG for months - is a letter that Mr O'Neill allegedly signed authorising $31 million be paid to prominent law firm, Paul Paraka lawyers.The prime minister has dismissed the note as a fake.But Taskforce Sweep boss Sam Koim revealed on Tuesday that Sydney-based private investigators believe the document is genuine."We have now received the forensic examination report from the Sydney-based Forensic Document Services Pty Ltd confirming that the signature on the letter ... directing payments to Paraka Lawyers is PM O'Neill's," Mr Koim said.Police Chief of Operations and Deputy Commissioner Simon Kauba said his officers would abide by Monday's court ruling that stayed the warrant for Mr O'Neill's arrest.But he urged the prime minister to hand himself in."In the interest of national security I would like to invite the prime minister to, without any further delays, voluntarily make himself available to police for the interview to be conducted," Mr Kauba said.The case will be back in PNG's National Court on Wednesday morning, with Mr O'Neill's lawyers due to respond to an affidavit filed by Mr Koim on behalf of Task Force Sweep and the police.Meanwhile, Mr O'Neill has announced a commission of inquiry into the allegations against him - led by Australian judge Warwick Andrew.Mr O'Neill claims that police, courts and government departments have all been politically compromised."I think it's needed to be cleaned and we need an independent process to clean it out," he added.The Paul Paraka affair - called Parakagate in Port Moresby - is one of PNG's longest-running fraud investigations.Mr Paraka, one of the most powerful lawyers in PNG, was arrested and charged in 2013 for allegedly receiving the state monies.Task Force Sweep alleges the payments were spread over a seven-year period and ran into the "hundreds of millions".

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Too many ship types lift navy cost: Griggs

IF a car hire firm had to buy cars the way the navy has to buy ships, it could go broke, Navy chief Vice Admiral Ray Griggs reckons.

FOR an overall fleet of 52 vessels, the navy operates 14 different classes from 13 different ship designers with engines from 13 different makers.

Ship radars come from 11 different firms and there are 14 different control systems."If you ran a small hire car fleet with this sort of overhead you would be tearing your hair out, if you weren't broke. Yet commonality too often takes a back seat to upfront acquisition costs," he told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Vice Admiral Griggs, who leaves the navy top job next month, says Australian naval shipbuilding is at a crossroads.With the air warfare destroyer program running late and local shipbuilders performing below international standards, the government has warned it could look offshore for the navy's next frigates.The stop-start nature of shipbuilding projects means having to relearn lessons and paying the price in delays and cost increases.Vice Admiral Griggs thinks they should either buy everything offshore or maintain a continuous build program to gain the full economic benefits.The diversity of navy ships and systems adds to training requirements, cost, complexity of support and the size of the spares inventory.Recently a ship had to sail without fully operational communications because the three contractors in Australia who could work on the system were not around.Two were overseas on holidays and one had gone bush and was out of mobile range.Greater fleet commonality would reduce the likelihood of this occurring."We need to get better at understanding the balance of benefits. Is it better to accept a higher acquisition cost in the interest of commonality," he said.

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Fault still no.1 on Australian box office

HOW To Train Your Dragon 2 came close but couldn't knock The Fault in Our Stars from its top spot on the Australian box office.

THE adaptation of John Green's bestseller remained no. 1 for the second weekend in a row with $2.438 million, although How to Train Your Dragon 2 was nipping at its heels. According to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, the animated sequel earned another $2.170 million in preview screenings, jumping from fifth to second, with its official release not until June 19.

It pushed Tom Cruise's new sci-fi/action flick Edge of Tomorrow into third place and Angelina Jolie's Maleficent into fourth.The new Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore comedy, the critically panned Blended, debuted at no. 5, while another new entry of note, Australian film The Rover by Animal Kingdom director David Michod, came in at twelfth on the ladder.X-Men: Days of Future Past starring Aussie Hugh Jackman slipped two places to sixth, while Seth MacFarlane comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West dropped one spot to seventh.Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman remained steady at eighth place, while comedy Bad Neighbours fell two spots to ninth and The Trip to Italy finished off the ladder in tenth, pushing Godzilla into no. 11.

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WA basketballer socks it to sarcoma

ADAM Deans thought he was a bit sore from playing football.

BUT when the fit 16-year-old broke his femur simply walking down the stairs in 2005, doctors biopsied his leg to discover the bone had been weakened by osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Less than a month later, Deans' left leg was amputated above the knee and he began eight months of chemotherapy."I didn't know what it was ... to be honest it didn't really bother me - the word I was fixated on was cancer," he said."I was so tall I couldn't sit in any of the beds at a children's hospital, so I was taken to an adult hospital."Like Deans, many diagnosed with the disease have never heard of sarcoma even though 15 per cent of paediatric cancers in Australia are sarcomas as well as 10 per cent among youths aged 15 to 25.Despite this, less than one per cent of the cancer research dollar is spent on sarcoma research.Fortunately, nine years on and Deans still calls himself not only a cancer survivor, but a sporting champion selected to represent Australia in South Korea at the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation World Championships.Not everybody diagnosed with the disease is as lucky as Deans: Abbie Basson, who started up Perth-based organisation Sock it to Sarcoma, lost her three-year battle with Ewing's Sarcoma in 2011.But her work has been carried on by her family, with the organisation holding several public events as part of the inaugural West Australia Sarcoma Awareness Week from June 16 to 21.Abbie's mother Mandy urged people, especially youths, not to dismiss symptoms like feeling tired or pain as a sport injury, but to ask their GP to refer them to a primary bone and soft tissue tumour specialist."Don't get it misdiagnosed, put it off as a sport strain or back pain," she said."As a result, the cancer gets the opportunity to spread."

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Ambulance Vic named in ATSB death report

A MAN who died after being crushed by a crane on a cargo ship lay injured while an ambulance trying to reach him was locked out of the port.

AMBULANCE Victoria had neglected to train officers in how to open gates at Portland - a massive multi-berth facility about 300km west of Melbourne - says a report into the incident.

A crew member telephoned for help for the ship's injured but conscious Chinese assistant electrician but the emergency operator at first could not find the port on a mapping system and so dispatched an ambulance to the general location.Paramedics faced a locked and unmanned gate, unaware that the ambulance service had been provided with swipe cards, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reported on Monday.They drove to a second gate seeking access and then back to the original entry point where they were lucky to meet a staff member.Despite the hold-up, paramedics reached the man 13 minutes after they were called.Forty-nine minutes later, after a delay arranging to open the gates to leave, the ambulance arrived at Portland Hospital.Shortly afterwards the man died.The ATSB concluded the electrician had been working without proper approvals near an operating crane on the deck of the Singapore-based Toucan Arrow when he was crushed on October 7, 2013.A warning light in the area was inoperative and, because of background noise, he is unlikely to have heard the alarm warning of the crane's approach.Although no one witnessed the incident, a torn strip of his clothing was found on a hatch lid against which he is believed to have been pinned as the remote-controlled crane moved along the deck.The ATSB found the ship's master failed to alert port authorities and therefore an emergency response, including manning of port access gates, did not occur.The ambulance service had not taken up an offer by the port authority to take paramedics on a familiarisation tour of the port.In response, Ambulance Victoria said it was impractical to hold access cards for the variety of sites that may call on its services.Portland-based paramedics have since undergone retraining.

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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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Nicole Kidman for top Shanghai honour

NICOLE Kidman is to be honoured with an outstanding contribution award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China.

HUGH Grant and John Woo will present the Australian actress with her latest accolade at the opening ceremony on Saturday, while artist Qin Yi will honour actor and director Jiang Wen with the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Film Award.

Kidman will be hoping the festival will be a better experience than her visit to Cannes last month, when her new film Grace of Monaco was savaged by critics.Kirsten Dunst, John Cusack, Hayden Christensen, Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Li Bingbing and Korean superstar Rain are expected to attend the opening gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The film festival will open with a restored version of 1964 movie Two Stage Sisters and close with Transformers: Age of Extinction.A jury led by actress Gong Li will decide the winner of the Golden Goblet from the 15 films in competition.

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Get out of Iraq now, warns Bishop

Australia ready to help with humanitarian crisis in Iraq, but no troops envisaged says Julie Bishop. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS have been told to leave Iraq immediately by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has described the escalating crisis as deeply disturbing.

INSURGENTS from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have taken a swathe of mostly Sunni Arab territory in northern Iraq in an offensive that has brought fighting to within 80km of Baghdad.

The worsening crisis prompted Ms Bishop to urge Australians to leave "immediately".

"The airport in Baghdad is still open. Commercial flights are still operating out of Baghdad," she told the Ten Network. 

"But if Australians must stay in Iraq, they must ensure that their personal circumstances and their security is absolutely safe." 

The Australian embassy in Baghdad would be "very constrained" in the support it could provide, she said. 

On Saturday US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered an aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf as President Barack Obama considers possible military options, after he ruled out sending troops into Iraq. 

Speaking to reporters in Houston, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he would wait to see how the US responds to the situation before developing an Australian response. 

Ms Bishop said the US would take the lead when it came to any military action. 

"I didn't envisage a circumstance where we would be sending in troops," she said. 

"But we certainly stand ready to support the humanitarian crisis should a request be made." 

She defended the 2003 military intervention in the country, which she supported as a member of the Howard Government. 

"I thought Saddam Hussein was one of the worst dictators on the planet at that time. His removal was a good thing," she said. 

Greens leader Christine Milne said following the US into Iraq was not going to "fix" the violence in the country. 

"We do not want to follow the United States blindly as John Howard did (in 2003)," Senator Milne told ABC Television. 

"Clearly it didn't work last time in Iraq and it won't work this time." 

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Afghan bomb kills 11 amid vote fraud claim

Afghans have braved threats of violence and searing heat to vote in the presidential elections. Source: AAP

A ROADSIDE bomb killed 11 people including five election workers in northern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday, as a prolonged vote count began after the presidential run-off election.

ELECTION officials were sifting through fraud complaints from both candidates, and analysts said the lengthy count could be the trickiest phase in the country's first democratic transfer of power.

More than 50 people were killed on polling day Saturday by militant attacks, including the 11 whose bus was hit by a roadside bomb in Samangan province and five members of one family who died when a Taliban rocket hit a house near a polling station.Eleven voters in the western province of Herat had their fingers - which were dipped in ink to register their ballot - cut off by insurgents, Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi said.But despite the Taliban attacks, Saturday's election drew a high turnout of about seven million voters in a contest between former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.The White House praised voters' courage and called the elections "a significant step forward on Afghanistan's democratic path".The US, along with the UN, also urged the two candidates not to trade unproven fraud allegations, but both Abdullah and Ghani raised the issue immediately after polls closed."It is win or lose now," said Kate Clark, director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network."The voting is only one phase of the election, and there is still a lot that could change. Being a good loser doesn't gain you much here."If it is close and fraud looks to have been a lot, and either candidate wants to really make a fuss, then we could be in for months of wrangling."The 2009 election, when outgoing President Hamid Karzai retained power, was marred by massive fraud that shook the US-led international effort to develop Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.A credible election and smooth handover of power would be a major achievement for Afghanistan's backers after 13 years of hugely costly military and civilian assistance.All foreign combat troops are due to withdraw by the end of this year."Allegations of fraud need to be addressed," US ambassador James Cunningham said after polls closed on Saturday."But the candidates and their supporters should refrain from premature judgments and from criticism that is not supported with clear evidence."The preliminary result is due on July 2, before the complaints period begins, and the final result is scheduled for July 22."We have urged the candidates to act as statesmen, future presidents, rather than people simply in a competition with each other," said Nicholas Haysom, the deputy chief of the UN mission.Reflecting international fears of a contested result, he said candidates must "exercise patience" as the count got underway.The Electoral Complaints Commission said it had registered about 275 complaints by Sunday morning."There were violation cases where the supporters of the presidential candidates forced voters to vote for a certain candidate," said spokesman Mohammad Nader Mohsini."Supporters were also offering money for voters to vote for a certain candidate."He said allegations had also been raised of interference by election officials and the security forces.

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Twin Vic house fire deliberate: crews

TWO neighbouring homes have gone up in flames in a suspicious fire in inner Melbourne.

A WOMAN was the only resident present when the blaze ignited just after 3.30pm on Saturday and was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

MFB commander Rick Gili said damage to the adjoining homes in Highett Street, Richmond, was estimated at up to $800,000."It appears it's deliberate," he told AAP.Both houses are uninhabitable and other accommodation is being arranged for the residents.

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Fatal blast in Syrian town by Iraq border

A STRONG explosion in a town market in Syria near the border with Iraq has killed a number of people, Syrian state media and activists report.

SYRIAN state TV said Saturday's blast in the town of Mayadeen killed 30 people and wounded many others.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says eight people were killed and many others wounded, including some who are in critical condition.Mayadeen is about 60km from the Iraqi border in Syria's eastern oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour, which has seen heavy fighting among rival rebel factions as well as between government forces and opposition fighters.The blast came days after jihadists launched a wide offensive in northern and central Iraq capturing much of the border between the two countries.

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Sydney business up in flames again

A Sydney fruit warehouse has gone up in flames in a suspected arson attack. Source: AAP

A FRUIT shop in Sydney's southwest has been gutted by fire for the second time in just more than a month.

CASULA Fruit Land was due to reopen this month after a suspicious fire damaged the business in late April.

However, the business's reopening date looks doubtful after another blaze gutted the fruit and vegetable shop on Saturday morning.Firefighters were called to the warehouse on the Hume Highway just before 6am.NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Tom Cooper said the store was severely damaged but crews stopped the fire spreading to neighbouring businesses in the shopping complex.Police Inspector Paul Smith said a car was smashed through the front door to gain entry to the shop before it went up in flames.He said police were investigating any potential links with Saturday's fire and the blaze in April.

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Cambodian workers in exodus from Thailand

More than 80,000 Cambodians have fled Thailand, fearing a crackdown on migrant workers. Source: AAP

MORE than 80,000 Cambodians have fled neighbouring Thailand to return home, fearing a crackdown on migrant workers under Thailand's new military government.

THE governor of Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, Kor Samsarouet, said on Saturday that more than 84,000 have returned this month through the border crossing at the west Cambodian town of Poipet, including 40,000 on Friday.

The trigger for the exodus seems to have been statements by Thailand's military government, which took power in a coup last month, that it would crack down on illegal immigrants and those employing them.Several were reportedly fired from jobs and sent home, and the belief spread that legal and illegal workers were being ejected.The numbers of those fleeing swelled as unsubstantiated rumours circulated that several workers had been shot dead by Thai authorities.

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Former POW Bergdahl back in US

A defence official says US soldier Bowe Bergdahl is due to arrive at a Texas facility on Friday. Source: AAP

THE US soldier freed in a controversial swap with the Afghan Taliban has arrived back in the United States, his latest step in a return to normality after five years in captivity.

THE Pentagon said Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl arrived on Friday in the middle of the night on a flight from Germany to San Antonio, Texas where he will continue treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Bergdahl was handed over on May 31 in return for five senior Taliban detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.The US Army sergeant had been recuperating at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, amid growing debate over the swap that secured his freedom, with some US politicians accusing President Barack Obama of capitulating to "terrorists".The Pentagon said in a one-paragraph statement on its website that in Texas the soldier will "continue the next phase of his reintegration process. There is no timeline for this process. Our focus remains on his health and well-being."US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "is confident that the Army will continue to ensure that Sgt Bergdahl receives the care, time and space that he needs to complete his recovery and reintegration".Bergdahl is yet to speak to the news media about his ordeal and Pentagon officials have said his health has steadily improved in the days since his release.His disappearance from a base in eastern Afghanistan in 2009 has fuelled speculation the soldier deserted his post before being captured and may face prosecution by military authorities.Letters and other correspondence emerged this week suggesting Bergdahl was in a troubled state of mind before and during his deployment, and that he lacked confidence in his superiors."Leadership was lacking, if not non-existent," he wrote in a letter sent to family during his time in captivity obtained by The Daily Beast website.The letter, one of two sent to Bergdahl's family via the International Committee of the Red Cross, is marked by numerous spelling errors."The conditions were bad and looked to be getting worse for the men that where actuly the ones risking thier lives from attack," he wrote in a March 23, 2013 letter.Bergdahl also appeared to appeal for understanding over his disappearance, though he does not explicitly state that he deserted.

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Vic MP Shaw says parliament 'screwed' him

Suspended Victorian MP Geoff Shaw will be the main attraction at a comedy event on Friday night. Source: AAP

ROGUE Victorian MP Geoff Shaw has told a comedy show audience he's been "screwed by the parliament".

HEADLINING the event at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre on Friday, Mr Shaw was asked what he thought of parliament's decision to suspend him.

"(I was) screwed by the parliament, wasn't I?" he replied.Mr Shaw was suspended on Wednesday night until September 2, ordered to apologise and repay more than $6800 for misusing his parliamentary car and entitlements.Appearing onstage with comedian Sammy J, he was asked if he would, in fact, apologise and responded with: "To the people of Victoria, I'm exceptionally sorry."Earlier on Friday, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said he was waiting for a sign of contrition from the suspended independent MP.Dr Napthine said he had not heard from Mr Shaw since Wednesday's vote to suspend him."I have no plans to talk to the member for Frankston," Dr Napthine said."But I would say to the member for Frankston that he has been dealt the toughest penalty in the Victorian parliament's history for over 100 years - that should be a very, very serious lesson to the member for Frankston."The premier said Mr Shaw needed to have a good look in the mirror and change his ways, and should not wait until the end of his suspension to show the Victorian public he was sorry.Mr Shaw's suspension has left the Victorian government and opposition deadlocked on 43 votes apiece in the lower house, with the government requiring the Speaker's backing to pass legislation.

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Qld premier denies Facebook sacking

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has denied that a public servant was sacked for a Facebook post. Source: AAP

THE Queensland premier has denied a public servant was sacked for posting a Facebook message criticising the sacking of 14,000 government employees.

TROY Reeves began a six-week contract with Queensland Health on July 15 last year.

But his employment as a policy analyst at the Office of Chief Nursing was terminated two days later.Three days before starting his job, Mr Reeves had written a Facebook post criticising the government's first budget in 2012, which included mass retrenchments."There wouldn't be an unemployment problem in Brisbane if it wasn't for the fact that 14,000 sacked people are no longer spending the same amount of money in the economy," it said.The post was referred to Premier Campbell Newman's then media adviser Kylie Jacobson on Mr Reeves's second day in the job, right-to-information documents obtained by AAP show."What a f-wit," she wrote in an email to another media adviser for the premier, Kate Barwick.But a spokesman for Mr Newman said the correspondence between the two media advisers did not lead to Mr Reeves being sacked."Mr Reeves's termination is a matter for Queensland Health or the relevant department he was employed by," he told AAP."That had nothing to do with Kylie and Kate's email."Mr Reeves, a 35-year-old Masters graduate, was previously a Queensland Liberal Party member and Griffith University Liberal Club president.He has worked for Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and Senator Ian Macdonald.

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US marshals to auction seized bitcoins

US authorities will auction off $US18 million in Bitcoins they seized from Silk Road. Source: AAP

THE US Marshals Service says it will auction about $US18 million in bitcoins seized last northern autumn from Silk Road, a website that was effectively the eBay of illegal drugs.

THE marshals said on Thursday that they will auction the virtual "coins", consisting of sets of numbers entered in an online public ledger, via the web on June 27.

Authorities say Silk Road generated more than $US1 billion ($A1.08 billion) in illicit business from January 2011 to October 2013, when alleged operator Ross William Ulbricht was arrested in a public library in San Francisco.Ulbricht has pleaded not guilty. The website took commissions in bitcoins, which are hard to track.The marshals are auctioning off 29,657 bitcoins in 10 blocks, which means buyers will need to pony up nearly $US1.8 million each.The Marshals Service is keeping another 144,342 bitcoins, worth about $US87 million at current rates, that were found on Ulbricht's computer. He's contesting their forfeiture.

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'Knock-about bloke' Qld's top judge

Chief Magistrate Tim Carmody QC is believed to be the front runner to be Queensland's Chief Justice. Source: AAP

TIM Carmody is criticised for being inexperienced and too close to the government to be Queensland's top judge, but has stared down the naysayers.

HE was promoted from chief magistrate to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday, despite never serving in the court.

Attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie had a similar meteoric rise when appointed the state's top law officer after serving as an articled clerk and solicitor.Judge Carmody, QC, who was recruited as chief magistrate from the bar nine months ago, said he couldn't ignore the criticisms and acknowledged it was something the community would be worried about.He vowed to be a fiercely independent leader."If my views happen to coincide with the government's views that's pure coincidence," he said."There will be many times when I disagree with the government's position."In the end it (the criticism) was wrong. I can do this job, I will do this job, and I shouldn't not do this job because someone else says I shouldn't."Premier Campbell Newman described Mr Carmody as a self-made man and knock-about bloke, who once lived in housing commission in Inala, west of Brisbane."We need somebody who has a fine legal mind, who Queenslanders can relate to, who gets where they are coming from," Mr Newman said."He got to this day the hard way, through the sweat of his brow."He'll inspire Queenslanders because they will see they can do as he has done."But most of all we need a leader, to lead the entire legal system for the next decade and beyond."Several lawyers, including former Crown Solicitor Walter Sofronoff QC and former Supreme Court judge Richard Chesterman QC, have raised concerns about Judge Carmody's inexperience, lack of peer support and perceived closeness to the government, especially over anti-bikie legislation.Tony Fitzgerald said the appointment of Judge Carmody, who served as the counsel assisting his 1980s corruption inquiry, could damage public perception of the courts."People whose ambition exceeds their ability aren't all that unusual," he told AAP on Thursday."However, it's deeply troubling that the megalomaniacs currently holding power in Queensland are prepared to damage even fundamental institutions like the Supreme Court and cast doubt on fundamental principles like the independence of the judiciary."After serving on the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption, Judge Carmody became special prosecutor of official corruption arising from the landmark inquiry.From 1998 to 2002 he was Queensland's Crime Commissioner and was appointed a Judge of the Family Court in 2003, before returning to private practice in 2008.Before his appointment as District Court Judge and Chief Magistrate in September 2013, he served as Chairman of the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.He'll replace Supreme Court chief justice Paul de Jersey, who becomes Governor next month.

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Jobless rate steady for third month

Unemployment is tipped to have risen in May, amid job losses linked to the wind down in mining. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S jobless rate is steady, but only because people are dropping out of the race for a job.

UNEMPLOYMENT remained unchanged at 5.8 per cent in May, beating economists' expectations of a rise to 5.9 per cent.

The static result came despite the economy having shed almost 5,000 jobs last month, the first fall in five months.AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver says while the jobless rate has held for three months, it "significantly understates" the current weakness in the job market.That's because the participation rate - which includes those in work, looking for work and ready to start work - continues to fall.It dropped to 64.6 per cent in May."If the participation rate had remained at its 2011 average level the unemployment rate would now be seven per cent," Dr Oliver said.Australia's participation rate has been trending lower since the global financial crisis."We've got the ageing population, people are retiring, leaving the labour force," JP Morgan economist Tom Kennedy said."There could also be disgruntled workers leaving the labour force, and we are also seeing young people staying in education for longer, going to university and TAFE instead of actively seeking work."Today's data fits with the theme that the labour market is still a little bit soft, still losing jobs, and unemployment is likely to move higher as we progress through 2014."Dr Oliver said a dip in jobs growth was to be expected following a strong start to the year, with more than 100,000 positions created in the first four months of 2014.While some economists believe the jobless rate has peaked, Dr Oliver believes unemployment could return to six per cent before the labour market picks up later in the year."While the hit to confidence from the federal budget has increased the level of uncertainty, forward looking indicators for the labour market, including the ANZ job ads survey and employment intentions in the monthly NAB business survey point to stronger jobs growth ahead," he said.Thursday's figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed full-time employment rose 22,200 in May while part-time employment fell 27,000.That shows the jobs market is playing out nicely and running pretty much to plan, CommSec chief economist Craig James said."We seem to have gone through the first stage of recovery with more part time jobs coming on and now we are starting to see more full time workers coming through and part time workers being converted to full time staff," Mr James said."The solid lift in full-time job creation in 2014 should provide a boost to consumer sentiment... more full-time jobs lead to higher consumer spending.The figures should allow the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates on hold, unless the federal budget and warm autumn weather robs momentum from the economy, Mr James said.

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Govt providing certainty for jobs: Hockey

A FURTHER rise in full-time employment comes at an opportune time for Joe Hockey as he continues to peddle his poorly received budget.

THE jobless rate also remained at 5.8 per cent for a third straight month in May when economists had expected it to tick up to 5.9 per cent.

The treasurer dismissed suggestions that more than 100,000 full-time jobs were created since the turn of the year due to Labor leaving the economy in good nick, noting the former government left office with a forecast of a 6.25 per cent unemployment rate."It quite clearly appears that we have turned around the trajectory," Mr Hockey told reporters in Darwin on Thursday.New data showed the number of people in full-time employment grew 22,200 in May.However, overall employment eased 4800 because of a 27,000 drop in part-time workers.Mr Hockey took aim at Bill Shorten, saying the opposition leader had been proved "dead wrong" by claiming high-profile job cuts at Ford, Holden, Toyota, SPC Ardmona and Qantas would be the "end of all time"."Our decisions to provide stability, certainty and predictability have been proven right," he said.Labor's employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the steady jobless rate was more to do with people giving up on finding a job.At 64.6 per cent the participation rate of those in work or actively seeking employment was lower than during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis."People have given up looking for work because of the ... lack of confidence in the economy and in this government to provide opportunities for work," Mr O'Connor told reporters in Melbourne.Earlier Mr Hockey told ABC radio the drop in consumer sentiment in response to the budget was entirely predictable."You will see over time that we will deliver on a stronger economy ... things are going to get better".In a speech on Wednesday, he lashed out at claims his budget is unfair saying the government must reward the lifters and discourage the leaners.Too many Australians rely on government payments, he told the Sydney Institute."It should not be taboo to question whether everyone is entitled to these payments," he said.Mr Shorten accused the treasurer of cynically dividing Australians with a budget that puts big business ahead of individuals.He also told the ACOSS annual conference in Brisbane the government's lax approach to tax evasion was especially galling at a time when it is making cruel and unfair cuts to pensions, schools and hospitals.Union "Bust the Budget" protest marches were held in Sydney on Melbourne on Thursday.

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Girlfriend stomper gets five years in jail

WHEN Sydney man Trent Wainwright got angry at his 19-year-old girlfriend late one night, he threw her onto a concrete driveway, stomped repeatedly on her head and hurled a heavy terracotta pot at her.

WAINWRIGHT had been out drinking with work mates on January 16, 2010, and returned to their Mortdale home intoxicated, and apparently paranoid about some text messages she'd received on her phone.

Their relationship was already volatile but Wainwright was a man prone to fits of spontaneous rage.After the then 27-year-old was done with her she was unconscious, her head lying in a one-litre pool of her own blood.Her jaw bone and both eye sockets were fractured, her teeth loose and she had lacerations to her face.The damage left the young woman on a liquid diet for nearly six weeks and she still suffers from her injuries.But as the man who inflicted them was sentenced to a minimum of five years in jail on Thursday, he didn't show any signs of concern.Wainwright repeatedly interrupted Judge Stephen Norrish as he handed the now 32-year-old a maximum sentence of eight years and one month, even requesting a bathroom break at one point.Judge Norrish recounted how Wainwright had screamed at his girlfriend to "get out of the f***ing house", before lifting her up under her armpits and throwing her out the door.She lost balance and fell, hit her head on some concrete steps and lost consciousness, he told Downing Centre District Court.Wainwright then stomped on her head "with considerable force", before picking up a clay pot weighing nearly seven kilograms and throwing it against her head so ferociously it smashed.Afterwards, the court heard, he said: "the f***in' dumb bitch deserved it"."That's incorrect, Your Honour," Wainwright declared from the dock, prompting a glare from Judge Norrish, who ordered him to stop talking.Wainwright told police he thought his drink had been spiked that night and his girlfriend had provoked him by coming at him with a knife.This was dubious, Judge Norrish concluded, given no knife was found in or around the premises.Throughout the protracted matter Wainwright, who's been in custody for two and a half years, dismissed three legal teams and changed his plea on multiple occasions.Judge Norrish acknowledged Wainwright had suffered a "disturbed childhood" and had a range of mental health conditions.Regardless, he'd "caused serious injury to the victim when she was in no condition to defend herself".Wainwright will be eligible for parole in October 2016.

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Johnson won't be expelled: Barnett

WA's premier says rogue MP Rob Johnson is not at risk of being expelled from the Liberal party. Source: AAP

ROGUE West Australian Liberal backbencher Rob Johnson is not at risk of being expelled from the party, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Mr Johnson has been an outspoken critic of the state government since he was dropped as police minister during a cabinet reshuffle in June 2012.

Recent media reports suggested MLC Phil Edman, the government whip, was securing support to move a motion to expel Mr Johnson at a party room meeting on Tuesday.

While Mr Barnett said no motion was made during the meeting, members had discussed the need to end leaks from the Liberal party room to keep its confidentiality.

"It's courteous to let the party room or the leader know you're going to speak on some topic which is perhaps contrary to the party's position or the government's position," Mr Barnett said.

"If you want to make a comment as a Liberal you can - that's one of the freedoms within our Liberal Party. I also insist you actually put your name to it, you actually have the courage to do that.

"When members of parliament go outside and, with respect, talk to the media, or divulge what's said in the party room, that undermines confidence in (the party room) process."

Mr Barnett urged party members not to personally criticise each other and instead focus on debating policy.

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Scottish backpacker missing in Melbourne

A social media campaign has been launched in a bid to locate a missing Scottish tourist. Source: AAP

WITH no passport, money or a place to stay, backpacker Jonathan Ansell was distressed when he called his mother back in Scotland two weeks ago.

The 27-year-old said he was in Melbourne and had lost his passport and mobile phone, before the call ended abruptly. He has been missing ever since.

"I think he must have been calling from a phone box and didn't have any more money and it just got cut off," Judith Ansell, who has travelled to Australia to search for her son, told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.

"He said he had run out of money, and was living rough."

Mr Ansell came to Australia on a work visa in April 2013 and was employed on Hamilton Island before hitting the road and visiting Sydney and Byron Bay.

In February, he met up with friends in Sydney, where his Scottish bank records indicate the last use of a credit card.

Victoria Police are checking to see if he had an Australian bank account that could shed more light on his movements.

Mr Ansell's work visa ran out in April 2014.

Mrs Ansell described her son as affable, but extremely quiet and he was unlikely to approach people to ask for help.

His sister Kate has started a social media campaign which has been shared more than 2000 times on Facebook.

A picture of Mr Ansell has been released and anyone with information is urged to contact police.

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Trapped man may stay in German cave longer

Rescuers are working to retrieve a man stuck deep underground inside a cave in the German Alps. Source: AAP

RESCUERS say they aim to extract a researcher trapped with a serious injury in Germany's deepest and longest cave by the end of the week.

The Bavarian mountain search and rescue service said a Swiss team expected to reach the 52-year-old cave explorer, who is lying injured at a depth of around 1000 metres, later on Tuesday.

He is to be gradually lifted back to daylight by way of five bivouac stations that are being set up in the Alpine cave Riesending on the Austrian border over the next three to five days, German news agency DPA reported.

The researcher was exploring the cave with two other people early on Sunday when he suffered head and chest injuries from falling rocks.

A 42-year-old member of the expedition climbed out of the cave on his own to get help and it took a team of four first responders 12 hours to reach the stricken man Monday.

A team building the bivouac stations set up a telephone line at a depth of 400 metres to facilitate the operation.

A total of around 200 helpers have deployed from across the region to assist in the operation.

"The conditions are extremely narrow. The rescue won't be easy," doctor Christoph Specht told rolling news channel NTV.

"There are only a few people in Germany who know how to handle such a rescue."

The labyrinth-like Riesending cave, which has only been explored by researchers since 2002, is more than 19 kilometres long and up to 1148 metres deep.

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Barnett flags WA penalty rate changes

THE West Australian premier is seeking to allow small businesses access to the same employment conditions as larger companies to establish fairer penalty rates throughout the week.

Colin Barnett said larger employers, such as Coles and Woolworths, often negotiated enterprise agreements with unions to compensate lower weekend and night penalty rates with higher hourly rates during the week.

The premier said WA's small businesses were disadvantaged by award structures and he had spoken briefly to Attorney-General Michael Mischin about remedying the situation.

"There are certainly some legal difficulties but to me that's not a reason for not trying to provide something more fairer to small business and also fairer to the employees," Mr Barnett said.

"Why should you see that people perhaps on a second job on the weekend or students working part-time over a weekend get dramatically higher rates than people whose whole career and support in terms of their employment is working in the retail industry or the hotel sector or the entertainment sector?

"There should be penalty rates for weekend and night work but they shouldn't be so far above the normal weekly hourly rate so it's unfair to most people working in those industries."

Mr Barnett said large and medium-sized corporate entities came under federal relations law but unincorporated small businesses were a state responsibility.

"That's the typical shop you would see in a shopping mall or street shopping environment perhaps employing just two or three people," he said.

"I think that they are the ones that are stuck with an award that stipulates higher penalty rates than Coles and Woolworths or other stores would pay."

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Australian man dies at Indonesian volcano

An Australian man has died as he was setting out to climb Indonesia's Mount Rinjani volcano. Source: AAP

AN Australian man has died from a suspected asthma attack as he was setting out to climb Indonesia's Mount Rinjani volcano.

Cairns man John-Paul Lipscombe, 53, died two kilometres from the entrance to the mountain park on Monday morning, police captain I Wayan Redana says.

"The victim is suspected to have died due to his asthma condition," he said.

"Just after two kilometres from the entrance gate of Rinjani Mountain, the victim suddenly passed out and died at the location.

"The victim's friends contacted Bayan Police Station."

Capt Redana says Mr Lipscombe was in a group of 10 hikers from various countries who set out before 10am.

Rinjani, an active volcano on the island of Lombok, is becoming popular with tourists, who are able to climb about 2700 metres to its rim, or take a more arduous climb to its peak.

Rinjani is the second highest volcano in Indonesia.

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Calls for floor price on cigarettes

Nick Xenophon is pushing for a minimum floor price on cigarettes to counter $13 packs in the market. Source: AAP

AN independent senator is pushing for a minimum floor price on cigarettes to counter a tobacco giant's "cynical" move to sell discounted packets.

British American Tobacco Australia has launched what it claims is the cheapest legal packet of cigarettes on the market at $13 for a 25-pack.

It is blaming federal government policy for the move, saying it's simply seeking to remain competitive as sales of cut-price cigarettes soar.

Senator Nick Xenophon has accused the tobacco giant of circumventing laws to discourage people from smoking.

He plans to introduce a resolution in the upper house next week to seek a minimum floor price for all cigarettes sold in Australia.

"We need to outsmart big tobacco in terms of what they've done with this price-discounting and loss-leading campaign," he told ABC TV on Monday.

Senator Xenophon will consult with public health experts on the most effective disincentive price but wants to see a minimum of $20 for a 25-pack.

It was the best option to combat a "deeply cynical" campaign aimed at boosting the ranks of younger smokers, he said.

Senator Xenophon also dismissed "exaggerated" industry claims that plain packaging laws and large excises were driving up black market sales.

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