School talks will continue with Qld, Vic

Campbell Newman (R) praised Kevin Rudd for listening to the state's concerns over education reforms. Source: AAP

THE federal government will keep negotiating on school funding reforms with Queensland and Victoria beyond the Sunday deadline set by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Parliamentary secretary for schools Kelvin Thomson says there is "considerable momentum" in negotiations for the $14.5 billion national schools funding plan.

"I'm encouraged by the fact that the negotiations are continuing," he told Sky News, adding that statements by the Queensland and Victorian premiers and education ministers were also encouraging.

On Friday Queensland premier Campbell Newman praised Mr Rudd for finally listening to the state's concerns and said he wanted to achieve a deal.

He and federal Education Minister Bill Shorten indicated they would negotiate for another week or two, beyond the Sunday sign-up deadline.

Victoria has also asked for longer to reach a deal.

The federal government's position is that as long as talks continue to be positive and constructive, it is happy to give the states a bit longer to work out the details.

But things aren't going as well with the other two hold-outs - Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

So far only NSW, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania have come on board for the better schools plan, based on the Gonski panel recommendations.

Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne said the government's planned national funding model was now in complete disarray.

"Far from being close to being landed, the government's program is in complete disarray and I think they are a long way from securing it," he told Sky News.

He says his party would keep the new model if an "overwhelming majority" of states sign up, otherwise it would extend current arrangements.

13.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tassie shooting was targeted: police

THE shooting death of a man outside a northern Tasmanian hotel was targeted, police say.

The man in his 40s was shot dead outside the Marrawah Hotel just after midnight (AEST) on Saturday.

"Investigations to date suggest this is not a random act - and that it was a targeted act," police said in a statement.

"We are following a number of lines of inquiry. We have deployed significant resources to the incident and are seeking assistance from the public."

Police have urged anyone with information relating to people acting suspiciously, vehicles moving in the area at the time, hitchhikers or people walking along the road to contact them.

They will continue to have resources in the area and have set up a command post at the scene.

"We encourage the public to be alert to what is going on around them, but not alarmed - but remember that any information could prove vital and don't hesitate to pass it on to us," a police statement said.

The man's next of kin have been notified, but police are not releasing his details at this stage.

Marrawah is a small town of about 400 people in Tasmania's northwest and is approximately 300km from Launceston.

13.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor's Bennelong candidate to be sacked

LABOR'S candidate for Bennelong is expected to be sacked before he gives evidence at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing next week.

The NSW party branch has recommended that Jeff Salvestro-Martin, a councillor for Ryde Council, be stood down as the prime minister scrambles to clean up NSW Labor before the federal election.

"The party officers met this morning and recommended to the national executive that Mr Salvestro-Martin's endorsement as the Labor candidate for the federal seat of Bennelong be withdrawn on the basis of media reports in relation to the ICAC investigation into Ryde council matters," an ALP spokesman told AAP on Friday.

The ALP national executive is expected to meet over the weekend to adopt the recommendation.

Mr Salvestro-Martin is one of six City of Ryde councillors who has been ordered to appear at the inquiry next week to face allegations that they received undisclosed political donations in the form of election advertising in the lead up to the September 2012 local government elections, ICAC announced on Friday.

He will appear at the ICAC hearing in Sydney from Monday alongside Ryde mayor Ivan Petch and councillors Victor Tagg, Terry Perram, Michael Butterworth and Justin Li.

Mr Petch allegedly tried to blackmail former general manager John Neish, and allegedly failed to disclose financial relationships and potential conflicts of interest while serving as a City of Ryde councillor.

The Commission is also investigating whether a corrupt offer was made to City of Ryde Councillor Bill Pickering by an employee of a local newspaper, The Weekly Times, to persuade Cr Pickering to support a development application.

Fairfax on Friday reported that Mr Salvestro-Martin had tried to funnel Ryde Council's advertising budget to the paper as a reward for giving him favourable political coverage and a regular column called "Just Ask Jeff".

He is currently listed as the 13th witness to give evidence from Monday, but an ICAC spokeswoman said it was not known when exactly he would appear.

Bennelong, which former prime minister John Howard lost to Labor's Maxine McKew in 2007, is held by Liberal John Alexander on a margin of 3.1 per cent.

NSW Opposition leader John Robertson later said it was his understanding that the ALP's federal office had decided to dump Mr Salvestro-Martin.

"I understand that that's the decision that's been taken by the federal office and that's a matter in the end for the prime minister," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Quigley can be proud of NBN role: govt

The government has thanked retiring NBN Co boss Mike Quigley for his work in developing the network. Source: AAP

THE federal government has thanked retiring NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley for his instrumental work in developing the broadband network.

Mr Quigley on Friday said he would retire from corporate life after heading the rollout of the National Broadband Network for four years.

In a joint statement, Broadband Minister Anthony Albanese and Finance Minister Penny Wong said as NBN Co's first employee, Mr Quigley had overseen the network's development from the beginning.

They said he intuitively understood what all infrastructure builders know: "You do it once and you do it right".

"Mr Quigley was instrumental in negotiating the deal with Telstra which has paved the way for the NBN rollout," the statement said.

"Over the past four years, Mr Quigley has also successfully managed the switching on of fibre, fixed wireless and satellite connections right across the country, as NBN Co has established the full scale rollout of the National Broadband Network."

Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull responded to the news on Twitter.

"Revolving doors at NBN Co just as there are in the Labor caucus," he wrote.

"How can project be a success when CEO gets fired?"

Parliamentary secretary for broadband Ed Husic told reporters in Darwin Mr Quigley would make a personal statement later in the day.

"I think we can all salute a great public servant in the form of Mike Quigley ... and thank him for what he did to contribute to improving the rollout of this fantastic technology which will transform our economy and communities," Mr Husic said.

Asked whether the NBN boss was a marked man under a coalition government, Mr Husic said: "It's a pity the conservatives don't recognise talent in people like Mike Quigley and the inherent benefit that the NBN rollout will have for the country."

Later, Mr Turnbull acknowledged the federal opposition had criticised Mr Quigley's performance.

"Mr Quigley has not been pushed out because he's been doing a good job. He's been pushed out of this company because it has not succeeded to meet its targets," Mr Turnbull said in Darwin.

"We have been very critical of Mr Quigley."

Mr Turnbull also pointed to the direction of NBN Co under company chairman Siobhan McKenna.

"(She) has no experience in the telecom sector. She's never built a network or run a network. She's a management consultant. So there's real questions about her capacity to chair this business," he said.

Mr Quigley's retirement was "a huge setback" for the NBN rollout and left the project leaderless, Mr Turnbull said.

Mr Albanese later admitted Mr Quigley's time as CEO wasn't always smooth sailing.

"No one does everything perfectly in terms of the creation of a major infrastructure project," he told reporters in Sydney.

But he said it was absurd to suggest the government had pushed Mr Quigley out or had a hand in ousting him.

He said it would be up to the NBN board to decide on their new CEO, but added he couldn't comment whether this would be before the federal election.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Students want say on poll issues

UNIVERSITY students want a say on a wider range of issues than just those directly related to their studies, their national union says.

National Union of Students president Jade Tyrrell says the upcoming federal election is an opportunity for students and young people to make their voices heard on issues which will impact on their lives now and in the future.

"Students aren't just students, they're people and they care about a multitude of issues," Ms Tyrrell told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday.

"They care about things like the national broadband network (NBN), rights at work and marriage equality.

"It's time we took a stand because the future of this country will actually rest on the shoulders of the young people of today."

Ms Tyrrell said many students were disengaged from the political process and felt political debate had become increasingly insular over the past three years.

"They feel like there's nothing to vote for," she said.

Comments from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, urging young people to "come back and listen afresh", were important.

But she said talk was not enough and students needed to take charge and be properly acknowledged for their views.

12.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott to back Gonski if all states agree

A coalition government would require "overwhelming majority" support to retain the Gonski reforms. Source: AAP

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott says all states must sign up to the government's education reforms for the coalition to back the scheme.

However, his education spokesman says they would accept an overwhelming majority.

NSW, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania, and the Independent Schools Council of Australia have signed up to the funding reforms, which involve significant amounts of new money for schools.

But the remaining jurisdictions and the Catholic Education Commission are yet to reach agreement ahead of Sunday's deadline.

Mr Abbott said all governments would need to sign up before the coalition committed to honouring the agreements.

"You can't have a national change unless all states are on board," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

It contradicts earlier statements by opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne, who said the coalition would continue with the reforms with an "overwhelming majority" of states and territories on side.

"If the government can get most of the other states to join then we will obviously keep this new measure, but they are a long way from achieving that," Mr Pyne told ABC Radio on Thursday.

Mr Abbott said the price tag put on the reforms was unaffordable in the current climate.

"You need $6.5 billion a year more if every school is to be better off," he said.

"If we weren't blowing more than $10 billion on illegal boat arrivals, a whole lot of things ... would be more affordable."

12.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Extra year for schools plan: WA Premier

WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett wants a 12-month extension to the deadline for signing up to the federal government's school funding scheme.

The Liberal leader made the comment before it was announced the Independent Schools Council of Australia had endorsed the Better Schools plan, previously known as the Gonski reforms.

If the Commonwealth wanted to give extra money to Catholic and independent schools, that was fine as it would allow the state to put more funds towards state schools, Mr Barnett said.

But there was no reason the program had to be adopted nationwide.

Mr Barnett said the federal government's approach to imposing the plan was flawed.

"The Prime Minister would be wise if he probably put the whole thing back 12 months in terms of negotiations."

He said the federal government had two agendas: to increase its commitment to education, which was admirable, and to wrest controls of schools from states and territories, which was not.

"Education has been state government (run) and then suddenly to be demoted to the status of approved provider, I mean, there was never any agreements between the states and the Commonwealth over that," he told ABC radio.

The Premier said the "intrusive" plan would mean states needing federal approval when they wanted to open or close a school to create efficiencies.

"It is essentially the federal government taking over all policy and decision-making in education.

"And I've got to say I've had a couple of principals from independent schools come to me and say 'we don't like this at all. It's not good for our school', so I think there's a bit more work to be done."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pepper's launches late bid for RHG

MORTGAGE business Pepper has launched a late takeover bid for RHG, formerly RAMS Home Loans, just two days after lender Resimac reached a deal to buy the company.

Pepper has put an offer to the RHG board which would see investors paid 46 cents a share, valuing the company at $142 million.

The offer is 1.9 cents a share higher than a takeover offer from mortgage business Resimac, which the RHG board recommended to investors on Monday.

RHG has also said its shareholders will receive a three cent fully franked dividend, so the Pepper offer would see investors paid a total of 49 cents a share.

RHG shares were up 2.75 cents at 49.25 cents at 1448 AEST.

The company says it is assessing Pepper's bid, but under its agreement signed earlier this week, Resimac is entitled to provide a counterproposal.

The Resimac deal also includes a $1.2 million break fee.

Pepper chief executive Patrick Tuttle said RHG's mortgage book would fit well with its existing assets.

"The RHG acquisition will be immediately earnings accretive for Pepper and will further expand our activities into select segments of the prime residential lending market," he said.

RAMS was floated on the Australian stock market in 2007, and bought by Westpac after being badly affected by the US subprime mortgage crisis.

The company's remaining mortgage book was rebranded as RHG.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK retailers cash in on royal baby

THERE'S nothing like a royal baby to lift a nation's spirits - and those of its retailers, who are hoping to cash in on Prince William and Catherine's new arrival this month.

It wasn't long after the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to hospital with morning sickness in December that one enterprising designer starting selling royal sick bags.

But that was just the beginning.

With the new heir now expected within days, retailers have put a royal spin on everything from biscuits to books and have stocked up on commemorative mugs, key rings and plates.

Even Kate's parents appear to have got in on the act - the Middletons' Party Pieces online business is showcasing as "new" a range of "I'm a Princess" party cups, plates and napkins.

There is no shortage of baby products with a royal theme, from leading British firm Mothercare's romper suits for a "Prince in Training" to blankets and even dribble bibs adorned with crowns.

If they aren't to your taste, one company has published a book of sewing patterns for traditional bonnets, booties and christening gowns suitable for a future monarch.

The upmarket London hotel, Grosvenor House, has taken it further with a bespoke nursery suite designed "with a royal baby in mind" by the boutique that furnished William's childhood bedroom.

Costing STG2,300 ($A3,792) a night, the rooms contain handcrafted and painted furniture, including a crib equipped with a regal coronet and canopy.

The ivory colour scheme may be impractical for babies, but for that kind of money, you would hope someone else would clean up.

The new baby, like the queen's jubilee last year and the royal wedding in 2011, offers a welcome boost for an industry still suffering the fallout of the global economic crisis.

"These kind of events lead to a temporary feel-good lift. It will really help to boost particular brands and products," said Mandy Murphy, a spokeswoman for the British Retail Consortium.

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) estimates that STG80 million will be spent this year on royal baby toys and products, and STG76 million on books, DVDs and other media related to the royal family.

Publishers have rushed out a slew of children's books about fictional pregnant princesses, the newborn's crying that might wake up the queen, and even a history of the diapers used to cover royal babies' bottoms.

Mills & Boon, the romance fiction series, has a special release unimaginatively entitled "Royal Baby", with the tagline: "The prince demands an heir... and what he wants, he gets!"

With an eye to those inevitable sleepless nights, several albums are on sale promising to soothe even the most fractious royal heir with classical music and traditional lullabies.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Palmer hits back at reports of China rant

PERTH, July 9 AAP - Billionaire Clive Palmer says his relationship with China and his own staff is strong and amicable, despite reports of him hurling abuse at Chinese executives over a royalties dispute.

A report in The Australian on Tuesday claimed Mr Palmer told executives at one of China's largest companies to "pack up all your f***ing gear and get back to China" during a heated exchange over a royalties dispute.

The newspaper also posted an audio tape of the message on their website.

Speaking to reporters in Perth, Mr Palmer claimed the story lacked "sources", and said he had thousands of happy employees across the country.

"I don't (use that language with staff)," Mr Palmer said.

"You can talk to any of my staff, I have got thousands of people who work for me in Australia and are very happy.

"There is no source in these reports ... it seems journalism has slipped a bit in Australia, and a long way in The Australian."

In May, Mr Palmer's company Mineralogy won part of the multi-million dollar court battle over a single word in a contract which defined the timing of royalty payments due from an $8 billion iron ore mine.

Supreme Court Justice James Edelman found in favour of Mr Palmer's Mineralogy, which is battling contractors Sino Iron and Korean Steel over when royalties from iron ore at the Cape Preston magnetite ore grounds, south of Dampier, were due.

Mr Palmer, who is already suing The Australian over reports of his business affairs, lashed out at News Limited and its owner Rupert Murdoch.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada train disaster toll may pass 40

Firefighters in Quebec have managed to put out a blaze from a freight train laden with oil. Source: AAP

FIVE bodies have been found so far in a grim search for victims from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train in eastern Canada and officials expect to find as many as 40 more.

Firefighters in the Quebec lakeside town of Lac-Megantic finally managed to put out a raging inferno sparked a day earlier when a driverless freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded, sending fireballs skyward and unleashing a wall of fire that tore through downtown homes and businesses.

"The flames, the fires all have been put out now. We did it," fire chief Denis Lauzon told a press briefing.

That meant police finally would be able to conduct a full search of the charred wreckage at the disaster scene.

But the accident devastated the centre of the small town 250 kilometres east of Montreal and forced about 2,000 to flee their home. Locals struggled to come to terms with the scope of the disaster.

Many in this heavily Catholic area were unable to go to Sunday services because their church was within the burned out area. The lucky ones headed to churches in nearby towns

"People are in shock, They just cannot believe how serious this all is," said Guy Boulanger, an official from a nearby Catholic diocese.

Police spokesman Michel Brunet said they anticipated "many more" fatalities. The official figure for missing people is 40, he said.

One firefighter said on condition of anonymity that there had been at least 50 people in one bar that was consumed by the flames.

"There is nothing left," he said.

The explosion completely levelled more than four blocks of the town's downtown area, and it took firefighters 18 hours to contain the inferno.

Brunet had said on Saturday that the fire was so intense investigators couldn't go anywhere near the devastated area.

Witnesses said they heard the train pass by at what seemed like a greater than usual speed, then careen off the rails and erupt into flames.

Explosion survivors described a wall of flames as the black tanker cars jumped the rail tracks just as dozens of people were enjoying a summer night out in downtown bars and restaurants.

Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway said in a statement on Saturday that the train had been transporting 72 carloads of crude oil when it derailed.

The train had been stopped in the neighbouring town of Nantes, around 13 kilometres west of Lac-Megantic, for a crew changeover.

For an unknown reason, Journet said, the train "started to advance, to move down the slope leading to Lac-Megantic," even though the brakes were engaged.

As a result, "there was no conductor on board" when the train crashed.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Virgin takes 60% stake in Tigerair

Virgin Australia has completed the purchase of a 60 per cent stake in Tigerair Australia. Source: AAP

VIRGIN Australia has completed the purchase of a 60 per cent stake in Tigerair Australia.

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti said the acquisition, which was announced in October 2012, had been completed on Monday.

Following the acquisition, Mr Borghetti will be appointed chairman of Tigerair Australia.

Mr Borghetti said the stake in Tigerair Australia would allow Virgin to re-enter the budget travel market.

"We are very pleased to partner with Tigerair in Tigerair Australia and we look forward to working together to expedite its growth," he said.

Tigerair Australia CEO Rob Sharp said the deal would help the airline to become a sustainable budget carrier.

"We are now well placed to build on the foundations of Tigerair Australia, ensuring it has the right scale to compete effectively," he said.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Solar powered plane finishes US journey

A SOLAR-POWERED aircraft has completed the final leg of a history-making cross-country flight gliding to a smooth stop at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport.

The Solar Impulse touched down at JFK at 11:09 pm local time, completing the final leg of the cross-continental journey that started in California in early May. For Saturday's final leg, the aircraft left Dulles International Airport a little before 5 am local time.

The flight plan for the revolutionary plane had called for it to pass the Statue of Liberty before landing early Sunday at New York. But an unexpected tear discovered on the left wing of the aircraft Saturday afternoon forced officials to scuttle the fly-by and proceed directly to JFK for a landing three hours earlier than scheduled.

The pilot, Andre Borschberg, noticed balance issues with the wing in the early afternoon Saturday off the coast of Toms River, New Jersey, said Alenka Zibetto, a spokeswoman for Solar Impulse.

Officials said the pilot and aircraft didn't appear to be in danger. They said the eight-foot tear on the lower left side of the wing wasn't expected to worsen through the final portion of the trip.

Despite the relatively short distance, Saturday's commuter-like hop was a long flight. The slow-flying aircraft was travelling between two of the world's busiest airports and was required to take off very early in the morning and land very late at night, when air traffic is at a minimum.

"This is a leg where everybody is quite moved," Bertrand Piccard, one of two pilots who took turns flying the Solar Impulse across the United States, said shortly after the plane was in the air over Washington early Saturday.

The aircraft, powered by some 11,000 solar cells, soars to 9,140 metres while poking along at a top speed of 72 kph. Most of the 11,000 solar cells are on the super-long wings that seem to stretch as far as a jumbo jet's. It weighs about the size of a small car, and soars with what is essentially the power of a small motorised scooter.

The Solar Impulse left San Francisco in early May and has made stopovers in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Dulles.

The cross-country flight is a tuneup for a planned 2015 flight around the globe with an up-graded version of the plane.

Solar Impulse's creators view themselves as green pioneers - promoting lighter materials, solar-powered batteries, and conservation as sexy and adventurous. Theirs is the high-flying equivalent of the Tesla electric sports car.

Europe saw the solar plane first with a test flight from Switzerland and Spain to Morocco last year.

Promoted as solar-powered, what really pushes the envelope with this plane is its miserly energy efficiency, Borschberg said before the flight.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela still critical as his family feuds

Nelson Mandela remains hospitalised in a critical state for a fourth week with a lung condition. Source: AAP

NELSON Mandela remains hospitalised in a critical state after doctors ruled out turning off his life support unless he suffers massive organ failure.

Meanwhile his grandson's lawyers were planning to lodge an official complaint over a court document which they say falsely claimed he was "in a permanent vegetative state".

The anti-apartheid hero's health condition was unchanged over the weekend, South Africa's presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said on Saturday.

He is in a critical but stable condition after his June 8 admittance for an obstinate pulmonary infection and relies on machines to help him breathe.

There has been no official update on his health but a close friend of the former statesman had said turning off life support was discussed and ultimately dismissed.

"I was told the matter had been raised and the doctors said they would only consider such a situation if there was a genuine state of organ failure," Denis Goldberg, who has known Mandela for more than 50 years, told AFP on Friday.

"Since that hasn't occurred they were quite prepared to go on stabilising him until he recovers."

The 80-year-old Goldberg was convicted along with Mandela in 1964 for their fight against white-minority rule.

He visited the former president in hospital on Monday.

A court document filed by a lawyer for Mandela's feuding family 10 days ago stated the 94-year-old was "assisted in breathing by a life support machine".

"The Mandela family have been advised by the medical practitioners that his life support machine should be switched off," the court filing read.

"Rather than prolonging his suffering, the Mandela family is exploring this option as a very real probability."

The document - which was designed to press a court to urgently settle a family row over the remains of Mandela's children - also stated that Mandela was "in a permanent vegetative state".

South Africa's presidency has said that was not the case, but refused to give further details of his condition, citing the need to respect Mandela's privacy.

President Jacob Zuma, Mandela family members and his close friends have reported since last week his condition has improved.

Earlier Goldberg said Mandela was "clearly a very ill man, but he was conscious and he tried to move his mouth and eyes when I talked to him".

Mandela spent 27 years in prison for fighting white-minority rule and went on to lead the process of racial reconciliation as South Africa's first black president.

Meanwhile an acerbic feud between his relatives showed little sign of abating.

Fifteen family members had won a court order against Mandla after he moved the family graves two year ago without their consent.

The fall-out from the dispute continues to reverberate.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More