Your fault, Ipswich City Council tells James Hardie

TheAustralian.com.au

IPSWICH City Council has rejected James Hardie's claims that the council is liable to pay compensation to former employees suffering from deadly illnesses caused by the company's asbestos products.

The Australian revealed in September that Amaca Pty Ltd -- also known as James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd -- had sued the council to recoup $195,000 the company was forced to pay a former council worker now suffering from asbestosis.

In its defence, filed in the District Court of Queensland last week, the Ipswich City Council claims it provided a "safe place of work" for carpenter Anthony Harry Cannon, who briefly worked for the council in 1976.

The council claims it provided Mr Cannon with masks and respiratory protection and did not allow him to "engage in dusty work without ascertaining the nature of that dust and the dangers".

Mr Cannon successfully sued James Hardie last year, claiming he had used asbestos cement sheeting manufactured and supplied by James Hardie during his work as a carpenter in the 1970s.

After settling with Mr Cannon, James Hardie then sued Ipswich City Council, alleging Mr Cannon's injuries fully or partly resulted from the council's negligence in not protecting him from asbestos.

The company claimed Mr Cannon was required to cut thick compressed fibro sheets with a power saw during his time at the council.

In court documents, Mr Cannon said the clouds of dust produced were so thick it was difficult to see his colleagues.

An integral part of James Hardie's claim against the council was that if Mr Cannon had sued his former employer, it too would have been liable for his injuries.

But the council has argued Mr Cannon is not legally entitled to seek damages from it.

When James Hardie launched its legal action last year, Ipswich City Council Mayor Paul Pisasale slammed the lawsuit as "un-Australian" and vowed to fight the claim in the courts.

Yesterday, he said: "The (council's) strong defence speaks for itself. We will await a response from the plaintiff."

World Movie Premiere of Savages Crossing at Redbank

PIC: Lead actor John Jarratt arrives on the red carpet
at Redbank Plaza for the world premiere of Savages Crossing.

The world premiere of Savages Crossing which was filmed on location in Ipswich was held at Redbank Plaza last night.

Reading Cinemas was the venue for this Ipswich milestone event.

The movie was principally shot at North Booval and Colleges Crossing with glimpses of Brisbane Street in the heart of the city.

It features John Jarratt and Craig McLachlan in a confronting movie which depicts a crazed gunman just released from jail trying to kill his wife who is prepared to pay to have him killed.

Not for the faint hearted, this movie combines violence, fear and murder into a graphic portrayal of a drunken madman's family revenge.

Neighbourhood disputes over trees and fences to be easier to resolve in Queensland

Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations

The Honourable Cameron Dick

12/05/2010

Neighbourhood disputes over trees and fences to be easier to resolve

Queensland neighbourhoods are set to become more peaceful, with the Bligh Government releasing draft new laws that will make it easier for neighbours to resolve disputes over trees and fences.

Attorney-General Cameron Dick said a draft copy of the new laws had been released today for consultation, giving the community a chance to provide feedback on this important law reform.

"The proposed laws will modernise and simplify the way neighbours handle disputes over trees and fences," Mr Dick said.

"The fact is that Queensland's population is growing and we are living in closer proximity to each other, so our laws need to reflect this.

"The Bligh Government is committed to working together with the community to tackle the challenges of growth - and that includes these types of neighbourly disputes that arise from time to time.

"An online survey conducted as part of the State Government's earlier consultation on these issues found that almost 80 per cent of respondents had had a dispute with their neighbour.

"Almost 60 per cent of respondents reported disputes with their neighbours over a dividing fence and 56 per cent had had disputes over dangerous or intrusive trees.

"No one wants their relationship with a neighbour to turn sour over something that could be easily resolved. These laws will make it easier for neighbours to resolve disputes before they get out of hand.

"Friendly, tight-knit communities are one of Queensland's great strengths and the proposed laws will help us preserve this lifestyle."

Key changes proposed in the draft Bill include:

• clearer definitions of "sufficient dividing fence" and the types of trees covered by the proposed new laws

• a framework for resolving disputes between neighbours over trees and fences, including the use of formal notices for contributing to and/or maintaining a dividing fence

• clarification of the responsibilities of a "tree keeper" (usually the tree's owner) to ensure their tree does not cause injury or damage to persons or a neighbour's property

• the use of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to adjudicate disputes.

Mr Dick said the draft Bill was the result of extensive research and broad consultation that examined the most common causes of neighbourhood disputes and how they might be resolved.

"Very early in this process we decided to go to the community and find out what they needed from Queensland's neighbourhood laws," Mr Dick said.

"They told us loud and clear that they wanted laws that were easy to understand and could be applied relatively simply.

"We have modernised the outdated laws regarding dividing fences, which were introduced almost 60 years ago, to ensure they are more applicable to life in Queensland in the 21st century.

"Many people also felt the application of traditional common law remedies to neighbourhood disputes involving trees did not provide a realistic solution.

"The new laws address these concerns, clarifying parts of the current legislation while establishing a formal resolution process for dealing with disputes about trees.

"The Bill will place an obligation on a tree keeper to prune branches overhanging onto their neighbour's land when the neighbour gives notice to them."

Mr Dick said the laws also included a new statutory framework giving QCAT jurisdiction to make orders in disputes over trees and fences.

"Community members need a clear path and practical remedies to help avoid, reduce and resolve disputes with their neighbours over these common causes of disagreement," he said.

"While the proposed new laws will not resolve each and every neighbourhood dispute about fences and trees, the government expects that they will go some way to make our suburbs more friendly and neighbourly places.

"At the end of the day, we want to keep people out of the courts by ensuring they have a clear understanding of their rights, and accessible mechanisms to resolve disputes amicably, as good neighbours.

"The government's dispute resolution centres offer free mediation services to help parties solve their differences without having to go to court.

"Our centres opened 529 files on neighbourhood disputes in 2008-09. Of those files, 239 of them went to mediation and about 73 per cent of those reached an agreement."

The draft Neighbourhood Disputes Resolution Bill is available at www.justice.qld.gov.au, and feedback can be provided until 9 July 2010.

.......................................
COMMENT: This is a tremendous initiative by the Queensland Government. Neighbourhood disputes over trees and fences are on the increase and these new laws will address the difficulties encountered by fair-minded neighbours who are forced to live next to difficult and uncooperative neighbours.

PaulGTully@gmail.com

Federal Budget: $500 milllion for Ipswich Motorway by July

SMH.com.au

 

South-East Queensland may be the country's fastest growing region, but federal Treasurer Wayne Swan had no big infrastructure announcement to cater for the bulging population.

 

In an election year budget in which the goodies were doled out to individuals, most of Queensland's priority projects missed out on any federal money and appear likely to have to wait to take their chance in the new infrastructure fund to be born from the controversial Resources Super Profits Tax.

 

The federal government will build the new infrastructure fund to $5.6 billion over the next decade, with $700 million injected in 2012-13, and resource-rich states such as Queensland have been promised the majority of the money.

 

However, the fund depends on the super profits tax passing the Senate.

 

There was no money in the budget for four of the top priorities in the state's Infrastructure Australia submission - the Darra to Springfield rail project, Brisbane's Northern Link road tunnel, a rail line betwen Kippa-Ring and Petrie, or the Toowoomba Bypass.

 

The Treasurer did announce that half a billion dollars originally budgeted for the Ipswich Motorway over the next two years will now be paid by July, to reflect progress made on the project to date. 

 

Meanwhile, work on the Douglas Arterial Road in Townsville is expected to start earlier after $44 million, initially promised for 2010-11 to 2012-13, was brought forward to this financial year.

 

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will receive an extra $2.1 million in each of the next two years, as well as $4 million to upgrade critical infrastructure at the Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville.

 

James Cook University's Cairns campus will, as announced late last year, get $19.5 million over two years to build a Tropical Innovation Hub, which will have 125 research staff working on issues of significance to the tropics.

 

But today's budget, much of which had already been leaked or announced beforehand, contained a few new morsels, for savers, prospective homeowners and low-income earners.

 

The first $1000 of interest earned from savings accounts will get a 50 per cent tax discount, aligning them closer with the treatment of capital gains, and potentially enabling banks to get an increased stable source of funding. It is expected to cost the government about $1 billion in lost tax revenue in the next four years.

 

First Home Saver Accounts, which have struggled for wider acceptance, have also been reformed. If a home is bought before the end of the four-year qualifying period, the balance of the account will eventually be paid into the mortgage, instead of the accountholder's super fund as at present.

 

The low-income tax offset will be increased to $1500, effectively providing a tax-free threshold of $16,000 for those with incomes under $30,000.

 

There is also reform of tax returns, partially in line with recommendations in the Henry Review.The option to claim a $500 standard deduction for work-related expenses will be available from 2012-13, with the amount increasing to $1000 the following year.

 

It is estimated this could lead to a decrease in tax of $192 for someone on the average income.But there will be some pain for those with health-related expenses.

 

The tax offset threshold will be raised $500, to $2000, a move that will save the government about $350 million.The offset was last increased in 2002-03, and the government says wages and medical expenses had risen since then.

 

It will also save about $1.9 billion from reforms to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in the next five years, while the 25 per cent tobacco excise will net about $5 billion.

 

The government's health reform package is expected to cost about $7.3 billion over the next five years.

 

There will be $661 million for skills training, creating 70,000 new training places and 25,000 new apprenticeships nationally, while $652 million will go into a renewable enrgy investment fund.

 

Mr Swan has crafted himself as a fiscal conservative, with the budget due to return to surplus in 2012-13, three years ahead of schedule.

 

Spending growth will be capped at 2 per cent until the surplus is at least 1 per cent of GDP.The deficit for 2010-11 is expected to be $40 billion, down from the $46 billion estimate in the mid-year review and substantially less than the $57 billion predicted in last year's budget.

 

The $28 billion deficit predicted last year for 2012-13 has been turned into a $1 billion surplus, courtesy of expected strong gains in revenue as the economy power along with growth rates betwen 3 per cent and 4 per cent.

 

Revenue will soar by about $100 billion over the next four years, while expenses will increase by about $30 billion. But the deferral of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will save the government about half of that.

Tyre dumper cops $85,000 fine for illegal storage of waste

CourierMail.com.au

 

TYRE HAZARD: Some of the illegally dumped used
tyres which posed an unacceptable fire risk and
provided potential breeding gounds for mosquito
larvae.

A GOLD Coast man has been fined $85,000 for illegally dumping more than 60,000 used car tyres.

Tyre dealer Robert Lincoln Penny, 55, on Monday pleaded guilty to using four separate properties in Logan and on the Gold Coast to illegally store tyres.

Penny, who owns the used tyre business Rubber Baron at Beenleigh, also faces trial for allegedly providing false or misleading information to the Department of Environment and Resource Management.

The case in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court related to 14 charges under the Environmental Protection Act and the Integrated Planning Act.

The offences, which took place in 2008 and 2009, involved the storage of tyres on properties at Stapylton and Loganholme in Logan City, and at Wongawallen and Alberton on the Gold Coast.

The former Environmental Protection Agency announced a blitz on illegal tyre disposal in 1998 and wrote to about 900 auto retail businesses warning them tyres were regulated waste. It came after complaints from waste contractors that motorists were paying millions of dollars in so-called environment charges to dispose of used tyres only for them to be illegally dumped.

Tyre retailers commonly pay contractors to dispose of used tyres and pass on the cost through an environment disposal fee, which can be up to $7 for larger tyres. Unlicensed operators had charged garages as little as $1.10.

Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said yesterday the case should send a message to businesses that they had to handle and store tyres appropriately and in accordance with environmental legislation.

"This was industrial waste gone mad. It was illegal and completely unacceptable," Ms Jones said.

"The defendant created a sea of tyres on private properties which posed a number of significant risks to the environment, including a massive fire hazard.

"At all four of the properties involved in this case, Mr Penny completely ignored the environmental laws that regulate waste disposal.

"In the case of the Loganholme property, Mr Penny was storing 40,000 tyres on a property zoned residential, which is completely unacceptable.

"Tyres left in the open also create an ideal habitat for vermin and mosquitoes. When rainwater starts to build up inside it, a single tyre can act as a breeding ground for hundreds of mosquito larvae."

In 2005 a tyre stockpile at Keperra on Brisbane's northside caused a nightmare for firefighters after it ignited during a bush fire.

Consumer Report: The Shed Warehouse under investigation by Office of Fair Trading

Humpty Doo resident Danielle Crosby has been waiting since last September for a shed she ordered
from The Shed Warehouse. Her family has been forced to live in a caravan while the costly affair is resolved.

http://www.ntnews.com.au

A DARWIN couple is among scores of angry customers who have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Gold Coast company for sheds that have not been delivered.

Danielle Crosby and her husband Matthew are still waiting for a 14m x 9m shed they ordered last September.

The couple has paid $18,600 - the full cost - to The Shed Warehouse and are paying another $6157 still owed to the sub-contractor to get the job finished.

Mrs Crosby said they ordered the shed to live in while building a home in Darwin, but they had had to stay in a cramped caravan with their two teenage children for months.

"The living conditions and the financial stress puts a lot of pressure on a family," she said.

The rent at a caravan park and storage for their buildings has cost them about $1000 a month.

Have you had experience with this company?

The Queensland Office of Fair Trading is understood to be investigating more than 50 complaints from people who have handed over money to The Shed Warehouse.

The Shed Warehouse Customer Experience Group on Facebook

Company owner Joshua Purtell said the firm got into some problems, but was now "in the throes of a takeover" by a large manufacturer and everyone would have their sheds within weeks.

Mr Purtell, who owns 90 percent of the shares, said the firm was hit by a downturn in business and a big rise in steel prices late last year.

"There's been some poor management - and we are not backing away there."

Staff numbers were cut from 15 to five and the Queensland office closed in January.

The company's website gives a post office box address at Oxenford on the Gold Coast, but phone calls go through to an administrative office in South Australia.

"I'm very confident that in the next couple of weeks, this will be resolved," said Mr Purtell.

Queensland Fair Trading Minister Peter Lawlor said: "If it's thought a business has breached the law, the OFT will investigate the matter."

Consumer warning over stereo systems being sold from trucks and boots of cars

http://www.thesatellite.com.au

THE office of Fair Trading has warned south-east Queensland consumers to be wary of traders selling stereo equipment off the back of a truck or from the boot of cars.

State Member for Mt Ommaney, Julie Attwood said recent reports indicated a large shipment of poor quality audio visual equipment had arrived in Brisbane.

"OFT believe the goods are made in China, shipped into Sydney or Melbourne and then brought into Queensland from interstate which makes it hard to determine exactly where the shipments are coming from," Mrs Attwood said.

"It's believed this equipment has been falsely labelled using authentic brand names such as ProTechnik, Deutsch Akustik, Oracle, Icon and Pro-Optics, but in reality the systems are low-grade imitations.

"These traders are also putting $3000 and $4000 price tags on their merchandise and then offering to sell them at supposedly discounted rates, when the real value of the products is very low."

Mrs Attwood said Fair Trading inspectors occasionally received reports of stereo equipment being sold in shopping centre car parks around Queensland.

"These transactions have a very literal 'off the back of a truck' feel about them," Mrs Attwood said.

Anyone concerned should contact the Office of Fair Trading on 3115 1783.

Australian ATMs hit as part of international scam

http://frankston-leader.whereilive.com.au

A KARINGAL Hub ATM was fitted with a skimming device as part of an international scam.

The Commonwealth Bank notified hundreds of customers after the manager noticed the device on May 1.

Carrum Downs security guard David Wilson said $1500 was stolen from his account before the bank contacted him.

"I was told the money had been taken out of my account in six different transactions from someone in the UK," Mr Wilson said.

Commonwealth Bank spokesman Steve Batten said a handful of customers were affected.

"The bank manager noticed the device on that day, but we believe it had been up for 24 hours," he said.

The device extracts customer data, including account details and PIN numbers.

The bank contacted customers who had used the ATM within a day or two before May 1 and after, telling them to change their PIN numbers.

"If they don't change it within 24 hours of being contacted, the bank reduces their maximum withdrawal to $200," Mr Batten said. "We definitely reimburse within five days when customers have been genuinely defrauded."

Frankston detective Sen-Constable Paul Busuttil said the crime was being investigated and urged customers to check their bank statements.

"Anyone who thinks they have been defrauded should contact us as soon as possible," he said.

To help protect yourself against the scam, the Australian Bankers Association advises anyone using an ATM to always use a free hand to cover the key pad while entering a PIN number.

According to the Australian Payments Clearing Association, $45 million was skimmed from Australian-issued credit charge and cards in the financial year to June 30 last year.

Why has Apple priced Australian iPads so low?

http://apcmag.com

Popularity isn't the iPad's problem, with sellouts across the US. So why, compared with its usual pricing practices, has Apple set Australian pricing so low?

You know Apple is determined to do anything to make the iPad a success when it starts cutting into its own, historically-healthy margins – even when the iPad has already proved itself to be a runaway hit.

Pricing announced over the weekend offered both good and bad news: good, that Australian prices will range from $629 to $1049; bad, that Australian prices will range from $629 to $1049. In other words, the good news is that it's possible to get into an iPad for an outlay that is far more reasonable than many had suspected. The bad news is that the 3G models will indeed range up to that magic four-digit mark, near which buyers tend to become a lot more careful about spending their hard-earned.

Whether this could spawn a generation of buyers who shell out for the low-end WiFi-only device rather than springing for a fully-capable iPad with 3G and loads of storage, has yet to be seen. As we learned from recent announcements by Telstra and Optus, the 3G devices will impose a not-insignificant cost burden for prepaid data. If customers add up their total expenditure for the 3G device, many may opt for the WiFi-only model instead.

Apple has sacrificed some of its usual markup to keep all but one iPad model below $1000 in Australia.

Interesting thing, the WiFi model. Apple normally calculates its Australian pricing with a pretty generous allowance – compared with the US retail price – to cover the cost of currency hedging, shipping, local support, and so on.

For example, in the US the white MacBook costs $US999; here, it's $A1299. That's a 1.3 multiplier in absolute dollars terms. There, the Mac mini costs $US599; here, it's $A849 (a 1.42 multiplier). There, your base-model 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac costs $US1999; here, it's $A2599 (1.3). There, the 15-inch 2.53GHz MacBook Pro costs $US1999; here, it's $A2499 (1.25). There, the 32GB iPod touch is $US299; here, it's $A399 (1.33). Apple TV? $US229 vs $A329 here (1.44). And US buyers pay $US3299 for a basic 8-core Mac Pro, while Aussies are slugged $A4799 (1.45).

Fair enough: lower-margin iMacs and MacBooks play in a highly competitive market, so they have a lower multiplier compared with specialty items like the Mac mini, Apple TV and Mac Pro, which don't have as many perfect competitors – meaning Apple can afford to price them a bit higher.

Some may say that currency fluctuation has something to do with it: when the AUD is low against the USD, it would make sense for Apple to use a higher multiplier to cover coming fluctuations. And, with few exceptions, Apple keeps the prices of its products consistent from the day they're launched to the day they're superseded – so it has to price on the conservative side to account for any currency movement.

Nonetheless, a long-term view of the AUD-USD exchange rate shows more internal variability in Apple's pricing than external.  The current MacBook Pro line, for example, was launched (and priced) on April 13, when the AUD was buying $US0.92685, with a 1.25 multiplier; the current iMacs were introduced (and priced) last October 21 with a 1.3 multiplier, even though the AUD was trading at a near-identical $US0.92341. And the current Mac mini lineup, introduced on the same day as the iMacs, added an additional 13.6% to the multiplier used for the iMacs – even though the currency was converting at the same rate.

3G-capable iPad models have sold out even with prices climbing towards $US1000

iPad: priced to move? Clearly, Apple's pricing is quite arbitrary. But what, then, to make of the iPad, which has been priced in Australia with a multiplier of just 1.26? For a new product with no competitors, that's a strikingly low pricing strategy. Given the fact that the iPad is literally flying off the shelves in the US, it's hardly worth asking whether it will be popular in Australia – so why the relatively low prices?

The answer may be that the iPad is already sitting at the high end of acceptable consumer pricing – and that Apple has accepted more modest margins to keep the device below that psychological watermark of $1000. After all, had Apple Australia priced the iPad in line with its other specialty items, you'd be looking at a price range of $719 to $999 for the WiFi model, and $899 to $1199 for the 3G model. That's putting the top-end device within spitting distance of Apple's laptops – and makes it a bit hard to argue that the iPad is a mass-market device, especially given its functional limitations.

Speaking of functional limitations: Apple's conciliatory pricing may also be a concession to what is expected to be the lack of an Australian iBookstore – at least, not until Australian publishers are enthusiastically onboard – particularly since competitors like Dymocks and Borders are already making their own e-book plans. It's interesting that, despite the many things that could help the iPad succeed here, Apple may have ceded this as a potentially negative factor that could affect what customers will pay for the device.

Then there's the issue of carrier pricing. For whatever reason, Telstra and Optus have released pricing for their iPad 3G recharges but have declined to offer subsidies for the iPad – which would have seemed to be a natural model for the device, particularly if it could be bundled by third-party content providers (We've already speculated about the reasons this might be the case). Lack of carrier subsidies (although this could change when VHA's pricing is released) mean the iPad is very much an upfront purchase for consumers.

There's one final possibility: Apple may have used low conversion rates for the iPad because it's counting on users to buy lots and lots of premium-priced apps for their new devices; the company can take a slight revenue hit now, in exchange for anticipated revenues down the track. This principle underlies the entire model for iPhone pricing in the US, which is hard to compare with prices here due to differing carrier subsidies.

Whatever the reason, the iPad's looming Australian release will come at lower prices than one might have expected, given Apple's historical pricing practices. Whether this helps it fly off the shelves, or just move at a steady pace, will become clear on May 28.

What do you think of the iPad pricing? Will you be buying one on May 28, now that the prices are clear? Or is it too expensive for your tastes?

MP attacks daylight saving push

ABC.net.au

Liz Cunningham, the Member for Gladstone in central Queensland, says splitting the state into two time zones for daylight saving is ridiculous.

Ms Cunningham says most people do not want daylight saving, let alone two time zones.

She says it would disadvantage many Queenslanders.

"I think it is the silliest idea that has come out of the Parliament in a long time," she said.

"The south-east corner has whinged for a number of years now about being out of step with Sydney, but by supporting a split time zone in Queensland, they're prepared to put their own state's residents at a disadvantage."

Business calls to be put through - ADMA lobbytist influence revealed

http://www.tmcnet.com


The Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) has been identified as an influential lobbyist on issues of the do-not-call register and small business.

ADMA believed an extension of the register to include business numbers would have harmed business-to-business communication.

ADMA also advocates a national consumer protection law administered centrally.

U.S. warns Americans of violence in travelling to Philippines

http://news.xinhuanet.com

The United States embassy has warned that sporadic violence may occur throughout the Philippines before, during, and after the May 10 Philippine national and local elections.

Following this assessment, the embassy urged Americans to exercise a high degree of the caution when travelling to the Philippines.

"U.S. citizens should pay attention to the media for Philippine government announcements regarding areas likely to experience election-related violence. U.S. citizens living and working in the Philippines are urged to assess their personal security, to remain aware of their surroundings, to keep a low profile, and to avoid public gathering places, including high profile events, in connection with the May 10 elections," an embassy warden message said.

Americans were also asked to avoid political demonstrations as these may turn violent.

"As a reminder, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations," it added.

Aside from the United States, the governments of Australia, United Kingdom and Canada earlier urged its citizens to take extra caution against the possible outbreak of violence in the country on Election Day on Monday.

At least 50 million voters will choose a president, vice president, and nearly 300 lawmakers in the upper and lower chambers of Congress, including 17,000 local government posts on its first-ever automated polls.

Fresh look into 1991 Holland murder at Goodna

QT.com.au

GRAHAM Stafford believes a new probe into the murder of Goodna schoolgirl Leanne Holland is a positive step in finding her real killer.

Mr Stafford spent 15 years in jail for the 1991 murder of Leanne, whose battered body was found in bushland off Redbank Plains Road.

On Saturday, Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said an independent investigator would head an "expansive and comprehensive" review.

Mr Atkinson said the review would include new forensic testing, re-interviewing witnesses and examining the police handling of the 20-year-old case.

"It's good and it's a positive they're taking the next step in finding out who really killed Leanne," Mr Stafford said. "I feel it was always going to come to this. What the Crown prosecutor said probably tipped it over the edge."

Former Crown prosecutor Vishal Lakshman revealed he declined to prosecute the 1992 trial because he did not believe Mr Stafford committed the crime.

Australian asylum seekers feared drowned in Indian Ocean

http://tvnz.co.nz

Five people are feared dead and 59 people were rescued from a disabled boat carrying suspected asylum-seekers in the Indian Ocean, Australia's government said on Sunday.

Passengers told rescuers five people were missing, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said. Lifejackets and tyre tubes had been seen in the area where they left the boat, before a Russian merchant vessel towed it to safety.

"If reports about five missing passengers are correct, this is a tragic and unnecessary loss of life, and highlights that these types of voyages are extremely dangerous," O'Connor said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, loss of life at sea can occur when people are persuaded to embark on these poorly maintained vessels over such a great distance."

Survivors of the vessel were rescued on Saturday by the Russian ship MV Postojna, and their boat had been towed to the Cocos Islands, an Australian possession in the Indian Ocean, where they arrived on Sunday.

O'Connor said the passengers would be transferred to nearby Christmas Island, where Australia has a processing centre for asylum seekers. Statements would be taken from them in the coming days, he said.

The search for survivors had been halted on medical advice that survival was now unlikely.

Australia has seen an upsurge in arrivals of boatpeople in recent months, particularly from war-ravaged Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Canberra has temporarily suspended processing of asylum claims from the two countries.

It is a hot political issue in Australia, where an election is due later this year. The conservative opposition has accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Labor government of fuelling a surge in arrivals through a soft policy.

Australia has for several years been trying to stop the people-smugglers who organise the voyages, mainly from Indonesia, often demanding hefty sums from each passenger in payment.

Gold Coast Scandal: Australian Under-16 Sports Team Criticised For Hooters Sponsorship Deal

http://gawker.com

The Broadbeach Cats Australian Rules football team "were cheered on by two skimpily-dressed staff," in a recent game.

Their sponsorship deal pitted upset feminists against one plucky Hooters branch owner with a flawless argument.

Reuters report that "women's advocate" Melinda Tankard told an Australian TV show that "the message these boys are getting — and bear in mind we're talking 15 and 16-year-old boys — is that ... as a young footballer you have an entitlement to large-breasted women in skimpy outfits bouncing around at your games."

The response from the Hooters branch owner Morney Schledusch? "Ridiculous... they don't all have big boobs."

Man wrongly convicted of schoolgirl murder welcomes review

HeraldSun.com.au

WRONGLY convicted murderer Graham Stafford says he is open to being interviewed for the review into the investigation of the 1991 brutal slaying of school girl Leanne Holland.

Mr Stafford was jailed for life in 1992 for the murder of the 12-year-old, but the Court of Appeal last December quashed his conviction and ordered a retrial.

A retrial was ruled out in March.

Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson yesterday announced a review into the investigation of the case adding it would include re-interviewing witnesses and forensically re-examining exhibits.

Mr Stafford said he was pleased to hear it would be an extensive review and the findings would be made public.
"I haven't spoken to my legal team yet, but I can't see any problem with being interviewed," Mr Stafford said.

"It would probably to be to re-establish what my movements were and where I was and that's been well documented."

Leanne's severely battered body was found in bushland near her family's Goodna home, west of Brisbane, three days after she went missing in September 1991.

Mr Stafford said he was surprised to hear that 'all' the evidence still exists as his counsel had been told not all of it had survived.

"I'm not sure about the re-testing of all the evidence as we were told otherwise some years ago," he said.

He said pursuing compensation for being wrongly incarcerated was not an immediate priority.

"It's not at the forefront of what we are trying to achieve," Mr Stafford said.

"If they establish who killed Leanne then I think it would be a given about compensation and I would not have to pursue it."

Three senior Queensland police - who were not involved in the original investigation - will conduct the review and Mr Atkinson has recruited senior NSW homicide detective Mark Newman to conduct a peer review of their work.

A criminologist has reservations about Queensland police being involved in the review of the investigation and the case has also prompted calls from civil libertarians for a new authority to investigate miscarriages of justice.

Criminologist Professor Paul Wilson said the investigation review is overdue and welcome, but it had the potential to be compromised.

"I worry about having Queensland police investigating their own given their past track record such as Palm Island," Prof Wilson said.

"It's a bit like students marking their own exam.

"However, it is a step forward and I hope all aspects of the investigation and, especially the relationship between police and the police informer, are looked at very closely."

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she was open to suggestions made by the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties for a new authority to investigate miscarriages of justice.

"We will look at it," Ms Bligh told reporters.

"The attorney-general will speak to the Civil Liberties Council and if there is a good idea here that we can put in place, we will keep an open mind."

Prof Wilson said there were at least three police officers directly involved in the original investigation, including Bill Crick, who is also national president of the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society, still in the force.

"It's excellent they are going to make the findings public," said Prof Wilson, who co-wrote a book on the murder with former private detective Graeme Crowley.

But Mr Crowley believed the new review would turn up several problems.

"I suspect they (the investigators) will say 'Commissioner Bob we've got a problem. This wasn't done properly. There's a lot of stuff that was done wrongly'," Mr Crowley said.

"Their (the police) position for so long has been non-negotiable and we won't reopen or revisit or do anything.

"For them to do this is definitely a step in the right direction.

"I spoke to him (Graham Stafford) yesterday and he wants the truth to come out."

Bligh rubbishes claims of charity fund dip-in

BrisbaneTimes.com.au


Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has hit back at claims she ordered that $10 million in charity funding be used to meet the state government's solar energy targets.

Newspaper reports today suggested Ms Bligh had "raided" a portion of the state's charity fund, managed by the Gambling Community Benefit Committee, so cash could be set aside solely for applications for solar panneling by Queensland community and non-for-profit organisations.

This, it was claimed, would rob charities of the available funding, raised by gambling taxes, for vital services.

"Any suggestions that the government is raiding this fund for environmental purposes are absolute rubbish," Ms Bligh told reporters today.

Unlike previous years, community organisations can apply for funding to switch to solar power from June, up to $10 million, Ms Bligh said.

"In addition to being able to apply to the community gambling fund for other material like vehicles, or photocopiers...they can now apply for solar pannels and solar hot water systems to help them be part of the solar program and save money that they can then put back into their charity," Ms Bligh said.

"There is very little impact on any of the community groups across Queensland other than to give them the chance to get solar.

"This $10 million will not be spent on solar unless community organisations and sporting groups apply for [it]. It's optional."

The government has anticipated that up to $3.3 million a year will be directed to these community solar projects from the fund over the next three years.

The switch would save Queensland charities up to $245,000 collectively in electricity costs.

The state government has aimed to double the number of solar hot water system in use across the state within five years.

Ms Bligh said the push for charity organisations to make the switch was "part of our new, reinvigorated solar energy push and you're going to see a lot more of it".

Queensland Health payroll bungle report due

SMH.com.au


Premier Anna Bligh has pledged to make public a preliminary report into Queensland Health's payroll bungle.

A snapshot of the problems that have plagued the introduction of a new payroll system will be made available to cabinet on Monday.

Ms Bligh said it was only a preliminary report and more detailed findings by consultants KPMG have still to come.

"I have given a commitment (to make it public)," Ms Bligh told reporters.

"What cabinet will be seeing (on Monday) is a preliminary report from KPMG and that will be released in full.

"There will be a much more comprehensive report that goes into the background over the last 12 to 18 months that really looks at all the decisions in relation to this system and that will take a bit longer.

"That will be made public when it is available."

Accountancy group KPMG was commissioned by the government in mid-April to investigate the bungle that's seen tens of thousands of Queensland Health staff underpaid, overpaid, or not paid at all, following the installation of new payroll technology in March.

Ms Bligh said the report will describe what has been done and what still needs to be implemented to meet Queensland Health's payroll requirements.

"The KPMG report will go into what they needed to do to stabilise the system and what still needs to be done to ensure that problems that have been experienced can be completely ironed out," Ms Bligh said.

"It's not possible to return to the old system. That system had to be replaced."

Japan refusing to help with NZ and Australian investigations over whaling scandal

Japanese authorities are refusing to cooperate with a Maritime New Zealand investigation into a collision between whaling boats and anti-whaling protesters, according to a government source.

It comes as an Australian report was found to be inconclusive , after also being hampered by Japanese non-compliance.

Japan's government declined to participate in the Australian investigation, saying any information it had might be needed for an inquiry by its own authorities.

The anti-whaling trimaran Ady Gil, part of the Sea Shepherd fleet, and the Shonan Maru 2 collided in remote Antarctic waters on January 6, slicing the protest boat in half.

The incident has turned into an international "he says, she says" debate.

Anti-whaling protesters claim it was a deliberate ramming that sliced their multi-million dollar boat in two.

"It's perfectly clear that the Shonan Maru altered course sharply to starboard moments before the collision," says Bill Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

The Japanese though, say it was a consequence of continual sabotage.

Either way the collision left one New Zealand crewman with broken ribs and five others were almost thrown overboard.

An Australian fact finding report into the collision was inconclusive, unable to determine who was to blame.

"The report's tailor-made for a do nothing government, it's a do nothing report with no spine or backbone or even decent new info in it," says Bob Brown, Australian Green Party leader.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says Japan refused to answer its questions, Japan indicating it wanted to "avoid any prejudice to possible Japanese investigations."

"So basically Japan is allowed to refuse to comply with an official investigation into a crash within Australian waters and that's ok, somehow that doesn't seem right to me," says Watson.

The Japanese investigations include those that lead to criminal charges currently being faced by Ady Gil skipper Pete Bethune for boarding the Shonan Maru 2 as part of the anti-whaling protest.

The trial gets underway later this month and his wife Sharyn says his letters show he is upbeat.

"I think as long as he gets out in July he'll be fine, if he has to stay there for any length of time it probably will affect him."

But she is worried about what Japan's continued silence will mean for her husband's future.

"There should be something to make them put all the cards on the table and show what they're playing with," she says.

A hand that could force her husband behind bars, for up to fifteen years.

Swan ‘Strongly Disagrees’ Australian Tax Plan Will Damage Mining

http://www.businessweek.com

Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan said he "strongly disagrees" with claims that the government's proposed resources super profits tax will damage the country's mining industry.

"Threats and abuse" in response to the plan won't alter the goverment's resolve in proposing the measure, Swan said in his economic note, distributed today by e-mail.

The government is committed to consulting on the plan, he said. "I can assure all shareholders that the government is genuine about consultation, and working through the transitional arrangements and detailed design of this important new tax reform for Australia," he said.

Doctor regulation questioned after Hep C scandal

CourierMail.com.au

THE scope of Victoria's hepatitis c scandal has widened with multiple threats to sue the state's Medical Practitioners Board, a clinic and also a doctor.

At least seven women allegedly infected with hepatitis C will seek compensation from the board, anaesthetist Dr James Latham Peters and the surgery where he worked - Victoria's only late-term abortion clinic, Croydon Day Surgery.

The medical board faces the legal action over claims it failed to protect the women, who may have been deliberately infected by Dr Peters, who had the virus.

He was suspended on February 15, two weeks after the Medical Board of Victoria was notified and two months after the health department became aware that three women who had contracted hepatitis C had been to the Croydon clinic.

Besides those three women, who are represented by law firm Slater & Gordon, 12 others were also identified last month by the Department of Human Services (DHS) as having been infected.

That number is expected to swell with the DHS confirming on Sunday it has extended the scope of its investigation from 18 months to four years.

Suzanne, 38, alleges she contracted hepatitis C after Dr Peters was involved with her termination in August last year.

After seeing a news broadcast in April, Suzanne, who had become pregnant again, was tested and found to have contracted the disease.

Already a mother of two young girls, Suzanne was so distressed she had to be sedated and waited days for a second round of test results, which showed her body had fought off the disease.

"I was just closing my eyes saying to my husband 'wake me up from this nightmare, it's not real is it? This can't be real,'" she said.

Suzanne was highly critical of the medical board, insisting that Dr Peters should not have been allowed to practise.

"They were so lenient with him it's ridiculous," she said.

"If they hadn't given him his licence back, he wouldn't have practised and it wouldn't have happened.

Lawyer Paula Shelton said the process by which the board regulates doctors needed to be overhauled.

"I do really feel there is a fundamental conflict in protecting the community, regulating doctors and having a welfare role," she said.

"I think that that should change.

"Regardless of whether he (Dr Peters) was aware (he had hepatitis C) or not, this could not have happened if normal infection control procedures were used."

A medical board spokeswoman said the regulatory model was a matter for government.

"Doctors who are unwell, as every other member of the community, have a right, in principle, to rehabilitation," she said.

"The primary objective of the board's health program is to protect the public, but with sick doctors it also balances that with the importance of restoring doctors to health so they are able to practise safely."

Australian Immigration Changes Criticised By Visa Applicants

http://www.embraceaustralia.com

Skilled workers will always be needed for Australia.

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship are coming under constant criticism for the changes being made to the Australian immigration program which now includes suspension of General Migration Visas.

Most of the criticism accuses the DIAC of not giving visa applicants enough notice on the changes, something the DIAC seem to be very good at doing. Back in September of last year the DIAC made changes to the priority processing system that affected not just new applicants but existing ones too. This change was implemented so swiftly that many state governments struggled to explain it to their sponsored visa applicants.

Many changes since then have made it more difficult for migrants with general skills to get into Australia. The MODL was scrapped in February and it was announced that most visa applications lodged before September 2007 will not be processed and applicants affected would receive refunds. Around 20,000 prospective migrants to Australia are thought to have been affected.

The Government and the DIAC made it clear that they were focusing on highly skilled migrants to Australia and that this would be reflected in the new Skilled Occupations List which would gradually replace the CSL. The SOL as it would be known, would be available to view at the end of April and would replace the CSL mid 2010.

Conroy reassures Telstra shareholders

SMH.com.au


Telstra's management team is driving a hard bargain over the Rudd government's National Broadband Network (NBN), Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says.

He's moved to reassure shareholders their interests will be looked after regardless of whether the government manages to nut out a deal with the telco.

"This is a commercial negotiation and the stakes are high," Senator Conroy told Sky News on Sunday.

"(But) Telstra will ultimately only do a deal if it benefits their shareholders.

"They (Telstra management) drive a hard bargain, they continue to drive a hard bargain, they're going to not stop."

He maintains it will be a win-win situation should an agreement be reached, but conceded both sides will have to walk away if negotiations prove too difficult.

Telstra is holding separate negotiations with both the government and NBN Co over the billion-dollar network, which will be cheaper for taxpayers if they can work together.

Senator Conroy would not be drawn on whether it was considering compensation for Telstra, saying the details of negotiations would remain private.

He again played down concerns about the potential showdown should Telstra decide to compete with the government's NBN.

"Competition is what will lead to lower prices for consumers," Senator Conroy said.

Meanwhile, the coalition is maintaining its opposition to the NBN, arguing it's not too late to scrap it.

It is scheduled to begin its rollout in Tasmania in July.

Asked if the opposition would still dump the scheme so far into its implementation, Liberal frontbencher Joe Hockey said: "Absolutely."

"This is $26 billion of more borrowings ... on a technology punt," he told ABC Television.

"There's going to be a world of hurt if the government is allowed to continue with this project."

Telstra gears up for cable price war with its radical Plan B

TheAustralian.com.au

TELSTRA is preparing a radical Plan B that will involve a price war on an upgraded cable broadband network for millions of subscribers, assuming it doesn't do a deal with NBN Co within the next few weeks.

The company is well advanced on plans to upgrade its cable network to speeds of up to 100 megabits per second for homes in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to match what has been available in Melbourne since late last year.

The customer take-up of the high-speed cable offer in Melbourne has been very low, with only a few hundred households signing up out of about one million homes passed by the cable. This is mainly because the broadband offer has been so expensive and requires a combined Foxtel premium service on a two-year contract.

The government has used the lack of interest by consumers to suggest that Telstra will never be able to compete with its new national fibre network using cable or a degrading copper service.

A chastened Telstra in the post-Trujillo era has also tried to avoid suggesting it would aggressively compete with the new fibre network via investing in cable.

But despite months of negotiations, there is no agreement with the government NBN Co on the price it is willing to pay for Telstra's assets.

The implementation study released this week said it would be financially feasible to deliver a fibre network without Telstra, although the logic of its its involvement was "compelling" for both parties. This has led some analysts to suggest that Telstra no longer has any real option but to concede. However, Telstra is relying on the fact that the new network will take years to get established, and one option is to better exploit its existing strengths in broadband in the meantime.

Despite the impact on its traditionally very high margins, Telstra was already planning to slash its prices on cable to try to drive much-needed growth for a company that has been losing market share to cheaper competitors.

Without an NBN deal, it will now invest in upgrading its cable to a further 1.7 million homes in other cities and separate broadband from the Foxtel service in order to increase numbers.

The software upgrade will take a few months. Telstra is believed to regard the investment in upgrading cable as commercially sensible -- despite the relative lack of consumer interest in 100Mbs service and the fact it is getting virtually no return on broadband now.

Telstra is also preparing to dramatically cut prices on the existing broadband services available on copper through ADSL, to try to regain momentum after a disastrous several months. The urgency and size of the proposed additional cuts in broadband prices are only accelerating given the company's need for growth.

The implementation study by McKinsey and KPMG suggested that the government could impose a special "cherry picking " levy on competitors trying to target high-value consumers in high-density areas where it is easier and cheaper to build. This tends to be in areas already covered by cable.

The study said this levy should only be regarded as a last resort and as a mechanism to prevent "cherry-picking builds" during the eight-year roll out of the NBN.

But the government would be expected to retaliate strongly with some fibre cherry-picking of its own against Telstra in the richest areas if it decides to compete.

...................................................................................................................................................................
COMMENT: Competition must be coming as a real shock to Telstra as it comes out of its shell and
realises how disgustingly it has been treating the people of Australia since its incorporation in 1975.
Senator Stephen Conroy is the quiet achiever who has taken the Telstra goons out of the 19th century.

PaulGTully@gmail.com

New Australian laws to target cyber bullies

BT

Education is crucial to help children combat cyber-bullying.

Young victims of cyber bullying and tormenting classmates will be given legal protection under new anti-harassment laws to be introduced by the federal government.

The changes will mean victims under the age of 16 will be able to use sexual harassment laws to pursue their tormentors.

''These are sensible changes but they reflect the fact that young people are, unfortunately, the victims of sexual harassment,'' Minister for Women Tanya Plibersek said.

''It's a terrible thing for parents and adults to realise how vulnerable children are and that they can be harassed at home in their bedrooms through Facebook or chat rooms.''

Now, a 15-year-old girl whose former boyfriend sends naked cyber images of her to their classmates has no protection under federal sexual harassment legislation. But a 16-year-old girl is protected under the existing act.

''Younger children are often the most at risk from online bullying or harassment,'' Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said.

Ms Plibersek said the changes would mean tormentors would no longer be able to get away with harassment.

''The anonymity of [the internet] gives people a licence to behave very, very badly but the effect of it on the victim is very, very public,'' she said.

Students will also be able to take action against teachers from other schools. As the law stands now they are only able to pursue sexual harassment claims against teachers if they are from the same school.

The changes are part of the government's attempt to modernise the 25-year-old Sex Discrimination Act. Legislation will protect breastfeeding women and also give men the same protection as women against workplace discrimination due to family responsibilities.

For the first time, fathers will be able to take action against employers who try to downgrade their duties while they are on paternity leave. ''At the moment if you're put on the 'daddy track' you can't do anything about it,'' Ms Broderick said.

The amendments to the act will remove a discrepancy that prevents men from taking action against an employer unless they are fired or directly discriminated against.

The changes stem from the government's belief that women's equality in the workplace has stalled because anti-discrimination laws and equal opportunity laws have prevented men from taking on greater responsibilities at home.

ALP MPs to join rebels?

BT

Newly independent member for
Beaudesert, Aidan McLindon.

Renegade MP Aidan McLindon has hinted there could be more desertions from the LNP - and has suggested some Labor members could also jump ship.

Mr McLindon and Rob Messenger sent shockwaves through the Liberal National Party on Wednesday, when they quit the party and announced they would sit in parliament as independents.

Mr McLindon told brisbanetimes.com.au other members were preparing to jump ship - from both sides of the political spectrum.

"What I will say is that I am well aware of good members who will follow their convictions on both the ALP and the LNP sides and in the fullness of time, we will have to watch and wait," he said.

"I think it is long overdue that a third dynamic is introduced into Queensland's political landscape because it is the only option left in order to have any real reform in a flawed parliamentary process which currently dominates the arena.

"The best possible outcome would be that neither the ALP or the LNP win outright at the next election and it'll only be that collective of independents who will be able to sit around the table, of a similar philosophy and ideology, to introduce bills into parliament to get Queensland back on track."

A spokesman for Premier Anna Bligh said they had no concerns about Labor members deserting the party, while Opposition Leader John Paul Langbroek this week told brisbanetimes.com.au he was confident no more LNP members would join Mr McLindon and Mr Messenger on the cross benches.

"The opportunity was there [on Wednesday] for anyone else to join the other two and that was not taken up," Mr Langbroek said yesterday.

Mr McLindon's comments came as LNP Burleigh branch chairman Drew Singleton was rumoured to have quit the party.

Mr Singleton, whom Mr McLindon described as a "good friend", did not return calls yesterday.

However, LNP state president Bruce McIver said he was unaware of any resignation.

"We haven't had any communications [with Mr Singleton] at all," he said.

"The office just said to me we've had 14 new applications for memberships since Wednesday, which gives us just on 13,000 members.

"And we've had no resignations at all, they tell me."

Clubs stung by fake vending machine workers

BT

Several Brisbane clubs and pubs have been hoodwinked into handing over their cigarette vending machines to thieves disguised as servicemen.

Police say two men, dressed in high visibility reflective yellow vests, dark pants and work shirts, removed several cigarette vending machines, which also contained cash, on Wednesday from businesses on Brisbane's southside.

A third man, who has not been identified, was driving the removal truck which ferried the machines.

The brazen bandits first struck at a club on Beenleigh-Redland Bay Road, Carbrook at 8.30am on Wednesday.

Their next victim was a club on Pine Mountain Road, Carindale at 2pm and their third theft of the day was a hotel on Gosport Street, Hemmant at 6pm.

Police say the men attempted to take a cigarette machine at a Cleveland Hotel just before 11am on Wednesday, but left empty-handed after paperwork could not be produced.

Police have issued a warning to businesses to demand paperwork and request workers' credentials for unscheduled maintenance work or removals.

Pollies frequent flyer perk to be axed: Swan

BrisbaneTimes.com.au

Politicians will no longer get the benefit of frequent flyer points when they travel, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

Mr Swan will hand down his third budget on Tuesday, for the 2010/11 financial year.

He said Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner has been able to make "considerable savings" of $160 million over the next four years in the area of government travel.

"He's done that by renegotiating travel contracts," Mr Swan told the Nine Network.

"One of the things he has done ... is to get rid of the frequent flyer perks for politicians and their staff."

At the moment politicians and their staff accumulate frequent flyer points for business travel purposes.

The government has pledged a two per cent cap on spending in efforts to get the budget back to surplus as well as making savings.

"We are going to have a disciplined budget, we need to impose that discipline on ourselves," he said.

Mr Swan dampened speculation that some initiatives from the Henry tax review, that was released last weekend, may be included in the budget papers.

This included a 40 per cent tax discount on income from savings.

"Certainly I indicated when we launched the independent tax inquiry that they were worthy initiatives," Mr Swan said.

"But they are not ones at this stage that we have been able to commit to and to fund as we go forward."Mr Swan said the budget deficit will be less than the government had forecast a year ago, but companies were still suffering from "significant losses" incurred during the global recession, which remain a drag on government revenues.

At the time of the Mid-Year Economics and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) late last year the government forecast a revenue writedown of $170 billion over four years.

The outlook forecast a deficit of $57.7 billion for 2009/10 before narrowing to $46.6 billion in 2010/11.

"Certainly the deficit will be less than we were forecasting a year ago," Mr Swan said.

"The outlook will be better, will be stronger and that will be there in the forecasts on budget night."

But he reaffirmed that there won't be the giveaways normally associated with a pre-election budget.

"It is certainly going be a no-frills budget. We are not engaging in a Peter Costello/John Howard spend-a-thon in election year. There is no room for that," he said.

"We are serious about our strict budget rules."

iPad Ripoff: Telstra unveils data plans for iPad

BrisbaneTimes.com.au

As Australia braces for the arrival of Apple's latest gadget - the iPad - Telstra has unveilled its data plans for the portable tablet computer.

Australian tech-tragics can pre-order the iPad from tomorrow, with the official release date May 28.

In a statement today, Telstra said it would offer dedicated data plans for iPad 3G, with all plans to be available without a contract starting at $20.

The pre-paid SIM plans offering a 1GB data allowance cost $20, with 3GB at $30 and 6GB for $60.

"Telstra's pricing for iPad 3G gives customers control and flexibility to access the Internet on-the-go while connected to the Telstra Next G network," Telstra Mobility Products executive director Ross Fielding said in the statement.

A spokesman for Telstra added that the company's stores would not be retailing the iPad but it had created the plans in anticipation of very strong demand for the product.

"iPhone is one of our most popular phones and we expect this new category of device is going to be extremely popular," he said on Sunday.

The iPad can be pre-ordered from Monday through Apple's online store and it will be available through Apple resellers on May 28.

The device was released in the US market on April 3 but huge demand there forced a delay in its international release.

US sales have already exceeded one million.

Google internet scam warning

This is the latest internet scam to hit Australia:

.................................................

From:   gmailwebdetailservicesteamreq  <gwebservicesmaildeamon@gmail.com>

Recently the Google database websites encountered malicious activities, therefore Google team want to upgrade the database systems. We therefore require you to verify your account in order not to lose your account permanently. If you are still interested in using our webmail services, please provide us with the full details below for proper verification.

 

Full Name-                    
Password-
Phone Number-
Country-

Thanks for using Gmail!!!

 

-       The Gmail Team

.................................................

It's time for the Australian Government to take immediate action against these sorts of spam emails.

Innocent internet users are being constantly defrauded by these Nigerian-type scammers who seek their personal and financial details to completely strip their bank accounts.

As with other objectionable internet material, the Australian Government has the clear constitutional power under section 51 of the Australian Constitution to force ISP's to stop these bogus emails at the border.

Internet users and their families are being hurt financially - sometimes losing their entire life savings to these internet predators.

It's time for the Government to act on behalf of all Australians.

Contact your Federal Member today and call your local state or territory police if you are a victim of these callous fraudsters.

A current list of Members of Federal Parliament is available at -

MP's: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/memlist.pdf

SENATORS: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/contacts/los.pdf

To let the Federal Government know that you want them to ban these scams, email the Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy at: senator.conroy@aph.gov.au

Warn your friends about these scams, especially new internet users who may not be aware that these types of sophisticated frauds are operating in Australia.

You can circulate this consumer update by clicking the Email Post button below to warn your family and friends.

Tourist warning: Aussie traveller kills foreign taxi driver in Vietnam ripoff

http://www.thanhniennews.com

A Vinasun operator employee explains to two foreigners  they cannot take taxis that have just dropped off passengers at the Tan Son Nhat Airport. He insisted that the visitors take a taxi designated by the staff.

The problem of cheating taxi drivers and angry tourists took an extreme turn last week when an Australian tourist hit a driver so hard that the latter collapsed and died.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City said on April 29 they had detained 68-year-old Rolfe Darrell Alexander to investigate the death of the Vietnamese cabbie a day earlier.

Alexander had taken a Saigon Tourist cab driven by Le Van H., 41, to the Phuong Dong Hotel in Tan Binh District from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, also located in the same district.

They'd struck a deal that Alexander would pay H. VND200,000 (US$10.54) for the trip, police said. Alexander should have been charged around VND40,000, some taxi drivers told Thanh Nien Weekly.

On the way, Alexander wanted to get out because the driver kept driving around, investigators cited Alexander as saying after interrogating him. The Australian had arrived in HCMC from the central highlands resort town of Da Lat, they said.

When H. stopped on Hoang Van Thu Street to ask local people for directions to the hotel, Alexander got off and agreed to pay him VND100,000. The taxi driver then ran after Alexander, and grabbed his luggage, police said.

Alexander then hit H. in the face, causing the driver to fall and lose consciousness. He died of brain injury before being hospitalized, according to the police. Further investigations are underway, they added.

'All terrible for Vietnam'

The problem of tourists being cheated by taxi-drivers, especially on rides from the airport has been widely reported in the media for some time now, but the response, including stricter and more frequent monitoring by inspectors, have not been very effective.

Four days after Alexander's arrest, another Australian couple reported a taxi rip-off.

The Australian couple had flown in from China to HCMC and took a taxi to the Majestic Hotel in District 1.

"They knew they paid too much but were not sure how much. $25 to Majestic Hotel [in District 1] from Tan Son Nhat [airport], plus another fee for the airport toll on top," said Peter Murray, general manager of the Novela Muine resort in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, where the couple stayed.

The actual fare should not have been higher than $7.

Murray said such rip-offs and the deadly incident involving the Australian man last week made him sad.

"All terrible for Vietnam. It happens probably every hour out of Tan Son Nhat," he told Thanh Nien Weekly.

In fact, other tourists and foreign visitors have even worse stories to tell.

Tim Russell, owner of Come & Go Vietnam, a tour operator in HCMC, said he had personally witnessed physical intimidation of foreign visitors by taxi drivers, and that the problem of cheating was not confined to rides from the airport. He also said he himself had been threatened by a drunk driver with a wooden club, but had managed to snatch it away in time.

Amanda Perry, an Australian tour guide, said two of her female clients had been driven from the War Remnants Museum in District 1 to their hotel next to Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and the taxi driver asked for VND500,000.

"When they refused he grabbed one of the women to hold her back so they could not get out of the taxi and get help from the hotel. He then also tried to grab her bag and take everything," Perry said.

"Finally the hotel staff saw what was happening and rushed to help them and the ladies were able to get out - the driver however sped off as one of the women was still getting out of the taxi and she fell to the ground and was a little injured."

Thanh Nien Weekly found on May 6 that foreigners were more cautious in dealing with taxis at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Several visitors insisted they would not catch a taxi designated to come to the international terminal to pick them up. Some even ran after a Mai Linh Taxi which had just dropped off customers.

"The only company I trust here is Mai Linh, and yet they are not allowed to pick me up," said an Australian who identified himself only as Darrell [no relation to the one mentioned earlier].

A Mai Linh taxi driver told Thanh Nien Weekly said he and his colleagues could pick up passengers at the airport, but had to join the long queue of other taxi operators.

"We are not allowed to pick up any passenger after dropping customers [at the airport]. Otherwise we will be suspended or fined."

Australian iPad starts at $629 inc GST

http://www.itnews.com.au

Full comparative pricing and in-store date revealed.

Apple fanbois rejoice: the iPad will be available in shops from May 28 starting at $629 inc GST - about 11 percent more than its US retail price but cheaper than in some of the other eight countries where it will be released that day.

Apple opens orders from Monday for the devices that come in two flavours: Wi-Fi with or without 3G and three memory configurations.

The chart below shows the local and US prices for the devices and the cross-rate currency conversion. The Australian price includes GST; US sales taxes are applied by states and not included in Apple's prices.

Wi-Fi	$A	$US	$US:$A	Delta	Markup
16GB	$A629	$US499	$A562	$A67	10.69%
32GB	$A759	$US599	$A674	$A85	11.15%
64GB	$A879	$US699	$A787	$A92	10.47%
Wi-Fi+3G
16GB	$A799	$US629	$A708	$A91	11.37%
32GB	$A928	$US729	$A821	$A107	11.56%
64GB	$A1049	$US829	$A933	$A116	11.03%

source: Apple

Australia fared quite well on the iPad's price differential to Apple's home US market - British buyers of the 699GBP top-of-the-line model will be slugged up to 48 percent more than US users for the privilege of accessing content on Apple's netbook killer.

Apple left it so late to announce its prices - its press release hit journalists' inboxes around 11pm last night - that it prompted The Australian to lead its Saturday edition with the headline: "Apple to start taking iPad orders, but don't ask the price".

"Hopefully, buyers putting in pre-orders from Monday through Apple's website will also be told how much they need to stump up for the gadget, and what day they can expect to pick up their shiny new iPad," wrote Australian IT editor Stuart Kennedy.

"Apple Australia said yesterday it was going ahead with pre-orders from Monday but still did not know local pricing or have a firm date on when those who pre-ordered could pick up their device."

In the same statement, Apple said its iBookstore will be a free download on the day the wunderdevice was available in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland.

But in a decision that was sure is to fuel grey exports across the Tasman, New Zealanders will have to wait until July along with those in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands and Singapore, Apple said.

Apple's misjudgement of the strength of US demand caused it to delay its Australian April release date.

The consumer electronics device maker said it sold more than a million iPads, 12 million apps and 1.5 million ebooks since it was released in the US.

Morgan Stanley attributed the crash in netbook sales to the release of Apple's device. In the past month, netbook sales month-on-month declined to just 5 percent growth from their high of 641 percent growth at this time last year, the analyst said.

MPs' true colours questioned

SMH.com.au


Labor is capitalising on the potential confusion confronting Queensland voters who for the first time will be faced with the merged Liberal National Party when they go to the polls this year.

Although people will vote for a single candidate from the combined party, successful candidates will be assigned to either the Liberal or National parties once they get to Canberra.

''Voters can't be confident these political chameleons won't change their colours every time they vote,'' Consumer Affairs Minister Craig Emerson said.

Dr Emerson, a Queenslander, said candidates should have to declare whether they would be sitting in the Liberal or National party room when they came to Canberra.

''It is simply not good enough that they call themselves LNP when they are in Queensland then change their jerseys when they cross the Tweed River for Canberra,'' he said.

Labor will focus on Queensland as it heads into the federal campaign. Its success in that state in 2007 helped it win government.

But the opposition is confident it can win seats such as Herbert, Dickson, Longman and Flynn, which Labor holds with only small margins.

The Coalition's quest to dominate Queensland with popular MPs has been resurrected.

One example is Warren Entsch, who retired from his seat, Leichhardt, at the last election but will now contest the seat for the merged party.

The Liberal National Party was formed last year when the Queensland Liberals and Nationals merged.

It went ahead with little consideration of how it would affect the federal MPs and senators and was opposed by the then federal opposition leader, Brendan Nelson.

The merger was designed to give the Queensland opposition a better chance of beating Premier Anna Bligh at the next state election.

But that is not due for two years; federal MPs will go to the polls this year.

Former prime minister John Howard was dispatched to Queensland this month to give a pep talk to MPs and to urge them to stay united.

Federal Coalition MPs privately acknowledge that it is a confusing situation for voters. When they are elected, MPs from the new party will sit with the party that historically held their seat.

But this is likely to lead to tension when the two partners in the federal Coalition take different views on things, as they did last year when the Liberal and National parties took opposing positions on the emissions trading scheme.

But, MPs point out, the new system does have redeeming features.

''It means an end to three-cornered contests,'' one said, referring to the tradition of the Liberal and National parties each standing candidates thereby splitting the conservative vote.

Shadow attorney-general George Brandis said he would campaign under the banner of the merged party. But, he said, once in Canberra Queensland MPs would act in Canberra according to Liberal or National party lines.

The arrangement was ''as simple as can be'', Senator Brandis said.

''It's a fused organisation. The Liberals sit as Liberals and the National Party people sit as Nationals.

''And we have a successful and harmonious Coalition which is in the business of holding the Rudd government to account, disposing of catastrophe after catastrophe.''