Sydney police uncover cannabis set-up

A 25-year-old man has been charged after police uncovered a cannabis set-up inside a Sydney house. Source: AAP

A HYDROPONIC cannabis set-up worth more than half a million dollars has been discovered after police raided a house in Sydney's west.

Officers searched the house in Courtley Avenue, Kellyville Ridge, about 11:45am (AEST) on Friday.

They discovered a sophisticated hydroponic cannabis cultivation set-up including 279 cannabis plants and more than 1kg of cannabis leaf.

The cannabis plants have an estimated potential street value of $700,000.

A large amount of electrical equipment including transformers was also seized during the raid, and police will allege the electricity distribution board had been by-passed to steal electricity.

A 25-year-old man was arrested as he arrived at the home and charged with a number of drug offences.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court later on Saturday.

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Dastyari gets thumbs up from Carr

ALP powerbroker Sam Dastyari has been nominated to fill a senate vacancy. Source: AAP

NSW Labor Party boss Sam Dastyari is an "outstanding talent" who will do a great job if elected to the Senate, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

The 30-year-old Labor powerbroker, who played a backroom role in Mr Rudd's leadership coup against Julia Gillard in June, has nominated to fill the vacancy left by former NSW ALP secretary Matt Thistlethwaite.

Mr Dastyari has been described as one of the ALP's "faceless men", and the party has been called upon to explain why it's supporting a one-time backer and friend of disgraced former NSW MP Eddie Obeid.

Speaking in Sydney, Mr Carr described Mr Dastyari as an "outstanding talent".

"I think he's a great Labor Party talent, I think he's outstandingly talented, I think it's a good decision to endorse him," Mr Carr told reporters at Maroubra beach.

"I think he'll represent the people of NSW very well."

Mr Carr said he thought the first week of the election campaign had been "very good" for Labor.

"I think as the choices clarify themselves over the next few weeks Labor will really be on the ascendancy," Mr Carr added.

"The choice is on education, the choice is on economic management."

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No promises on NSW nurse ratios

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner has fronted a roomful of nurses to announce 135 new jobs, but she's making no promises on the staff-patient ratios that sparked walk-outs last month.

On the final day of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association's (NSWNMA) conference, Ms Skinner was roundly applauded as she told the room of her "unwavering commitment" to nursing and midwifery.

She has promised 40 extra clinical nurse educators and clinical nurse specialists for small and medium rural facilities, 35 extra senior nurses and 60 new clinical support officers for community health and community mental health services.

"I commend your vital contribution to improving the quality of patient care," she told the audience in western Sydney on Friday.

But when the topic turned to staff-patient ratios there were shouts of "shame" and chanting from across the floor.

Last month, thousands of nurses from 180 NSW hospitals on a state-wide strike voted to launch a fresh round of industrial action in their fight for statewide minimum ratios.

Nurses want the government to guarantee a ratio of one nurse to four patients, one nurse to three children and emergency department patients, and a nurse per single patient in intensive care units.

They are also demanding a four-hour cap on patient contact time per eight-hour shift in community health services.

"I'm sure the community health and community mental health nurses will be happy that they're getting some (clinical support officer) positions, but they need nursing positions," delegate Kerry Rodgers told the conference.

"The ratios need to be extended into those areas."

NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes welcomed the new positions but told the minister she needed to go further, by writing the new positions into the nursing award agreement.

"(Otherwise), at any point in the future ... they could be the subject of a treasury decision to take them away," Mr Holmes said.

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Tabcorp says mobile betting going strongly

Gaming company Tabcorp reported a net profit of $127 million for the 2012/13 financial year. Source: AAP

BETTING via smart phones and other mobile devices continues to grow dramatically, says wagering, keno and gaming machine services firm Tabcorp Holdings.

Tabcorp on Friday said its digital wagering turnover grew 13.6 per cent to $2.45 billion over the 2012/13 financial year, mostly driven by mobile transactions and the expansion of fixed-odds betting.

Mobile betting accounted for 43 per cent of Tabcorp's digital turnover in the second half of fiscal 2013 - up from 28 per cent in the first half.

"What we're seeing is less usage of on-line classical desktop computers and more usage of tablets and mobile phones as people's habits change," Tabcorp chief executive David Attenborough said.

Tabcorp said its TAB iPhone, iPad and Android apps, which have been downloaded more than 900,000 times, were upgraded during the year.

The company had introduced a "world-first" app enabling a customer to watch a race and bet on it, on the same tablet screen.

Mr Attenborough said strengthening Tabcorp's offerings to customers in the digital wagering sector would be a key focus in fiscal 2014.

Tabcorp also aimed to enhance its kenos lotteries business through product and self-service expansion and strengthen its poker machine services business by initial expansion into NSW.

The company reported a net profit of $127 million for the 2012/13 financial year, down 63 per cent on the profit of $340 million in the prior year.

But the result was skewed by the expiry in August 2012 of the duopoly licence Tabcorp shared with rival Tatts Group to operate poker machines in Victoria.

It was also affected by changes to Tabcorp's Victorian wagering and betting licence under which it now shares more proceeds with the Victorian racing industry.

In addition, Tabcorp recorded an $18.6 million impairment charge on its Victorian keno licence due to slower-than-anticipated take-up by customers.

Mr Attenborough said that despite the fall in headline profit, it had been a successful year for the company as it repositioned its businesses.

But subdued trading conditions in the fourth quarter of the 2012/13 financial year had affected all of the company's businesses.

Mr Attenborough said that while the current state of the economy presented challenges, he was confident in the outlook for the next 12 months.

Shares in Tabcorp were 10.5 cents, or 3.12 per cent, lower at $3.255 at 1253 AEST on Friday.

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'Cruelty' behind preference deals: Milne

THE major parties have moved closer together on "cruelty" and that will be reflected in their preference deals, Greens leader Christine Milne says.

The coalition is reportedly considering an agreement with the ALP that would put the Greens last in the minor party's most winnable lower house seats, Melbourne and Grayndler.

The move would mean Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt facing an uphill battle to hang onto his party's only House of Representatives seat.

The Greens are also given a chance in Anthony Albanese's Sydney seat of Grayndler, which the deputy prime minister holds by 4.2 per cent.

Senator Milne said the major parties were moving closer together on policy.

"They are close together on cruelty to refugees and their horrible solution of warehousing people on Manus Island and at Nauru," she told reporters in Hobart.

"They're very close together in terms of destroying the Tarkine (wilderness in Tasmania).

"They are close together in terms of refusing to lift Newstart, they're refusing to support single parents.

"They have moved together on all those things so it wouldn't be surprising if they preferenced each other ahead of a progressive alternative."

Senator Milne said voters should make their own decisions about who to give their preferences to on polling day.

"If you want to have an Australia that is respected internationally, which is a caring society and which looks after the environment, then the Greens are the obvious choice," she said.

The Greens are meanwhile urging independent Senator Nick Xenophon to do a preference swap in South Australia to head off a coalition bid to take control of the Senate.

SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is fighting to retain her seat with the final SA spot likely to go to her or the third candidate on the Liberal ticket.

Former Greens leader and party heavyweight Bob Brown was in Adelaide on Thursday urging Senator Xenophon to do a preference deal to ensure both the "progressive" senators were returned.

"I'm calling on Nick Xenophon to make it clear that he will be giving preferences to Sarah ahead of the coalition," Dr Brown said.

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Rudd, Beattie 'here to help'

Peter Beattie is expected to be named the Labor party's candidate for the seat of Forde in Brisbane. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd admits he's had his differences with Peter Beattie but says the former Queensland premier will make a great federal member.

Mr Rudd has visited Beenleigh, south of Brisbane, to formally announce Mr Beattie as the new Labor candidate for the Liberal-held seat of Forde.

"I'm Kevin, I'm from Queensland and I'm here to help," he said. "His name's Peter, he's from Queensland and he's here to help as well."

Mr Rudd admitted he and Mr Beattie had "had the odd stoush" over their political careers.

"That's life in the Labor party," Mr Rudd said, adding any past criticism was "water off a duck's back".

"What really matters is standing up for the great state of Queensland," he said.

"What unites us as a team are our strong values."

Mr Rudd said Mr Beattie, who was premier from 1998 to 2007, had taken unemployment from 8.5 per cent to 3.8 per cent.

Mr Beattie said he and his wife Heather moved into his brother's house in the Forde electorate on Thursday.

"If I am fortunate enough to be elected as the member for Forde I will be buying and moving into the electorate immediately," he said.

"I believe in being part of the electorate."

Mr Beattie said one of the reasons he is running is because he wants to see Queensland get a fair go.

"If Tony Abbott wins this election we'll have wall-to-wall LNP from one end of Queensland to the other," he said in Beenleigh.

"That's just not fair and it's just not good for Queensland."

He thanked Mr Rudd for inviting him to run and said he looked forward to being an "energetic voice" for Forde and "a pain in the neck" when it came to standing up for his state.

In the past, Mr Beattie had called for Mr Rudd not to contest the federal Labor leadership against Julia Gillard.

He now says it's probably good Mr Rudd didn't take his advice.

"I am delighted to see this election is a contest," Mr Beattie said.

"Elections are about the battle of ideas. I'm delighted he didn't accept my advice.

"He often doesn't and I think it's probably in the interests of Australia that he didn't."

Mr Rudd, who has criticised the use of leadership "captain's picks" to select Labor candidates, said the choice of Mr Beattie had been a matter for the Labor party organisation.

But he had telephoned Mr Beattie in the United States several days ago to canvass his interest in running for Forde.

"I don't think it's any great mystery we have here an enormous asset to the Labor party," Mr Rudd said.

Mr Beattie said he would stay full term if Labor lost government and was "happy to be a humble backbencher".

"As all of you know, I have been humble all my life and that humility will continue," he joked.

Mr Beattie said he wasn't taking victory in Forde for granted, declaring himself the "underdog".

"I have to prove myself to the people of Forde," he said, adding his working class upbringing allowed him to understand the plight of those in the electorate doing it tough.

Mrs Beattie, who once said she'd kill her husband if he returned to politics, supported his decision.

"We had some discussion about it and I agreed with Peter that we needed to put Australia first," she said.

"That's why I'm happy to support him and support the prime minister."

Mr Beattie said he'd been "terrified" when he broached the subject with Heather, who once threatened to measure him for a coffin if he ever ran again.

Mr Rudd thanked Des Hardman, who was Labor's endorsed candidate in Forde, for stepping down to let Mr Beattie run and give the party a better chance at winning.

"He's put together a strong team here locally, he's worked for more than a year, he's put together the foundations which Peter will now be able to draw upon," he said.

Mr Rudd said he had not spoken with any other former Labor premiers like Mike Rann, Steve Bracks or Geoff Gallop about running in federal seats elsewhere in the country.

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Nuttall's house to be auctioned

FORMER Queensland MP Gordon Nuttall's home will be auctioned to pay the final debt he owes the state.

He's serving a 14-year sentence for perjury and receiving $150,000 in payments from a businessman in return for helping him secure government contracts.

Parliament found Nuttall guilty of 41 instances of contempt in May 2011 and he was fined $82,000 for not declaring the payments.

Clerk of the parliament Neil Laurie said so far Mr Nuttall has only paid $31,000 of his debt.

He says the Public Trustee has advised that Nuttall's Sandgate home will be auctioned.

It had originally been scheduled for auction in February this year, but it was damaged in the floods.

Mr Laurie said repairs have been completed.

"Once settlement of the property has been affected, the balance of the debt owing to the parliament will be paid in full," he told parliament.

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Japan to boost Fukushima clean-up

JAPAN will accelerate efforts to prevent more radioactive groundwater from seeping into the ocean at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, government officials say, as critics slam its operator's handling of the issue.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to order his government to hand over public money to help foot the bill for ramped-up measures, the first time that Tokyo has committed extra funds to deal with the growing problem.

"Taking measures to contain contaminated water is an important part of the process towards decommissioning (the site)," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman, told reporters on Wednesday.

"The prime minister is expected to instruct the industry minister to take measures as soon as possible."

In May, Tokyo ordered plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) to build new barriers around the plant's reactors to contain toxic water that is used to keep the reactors cool, a measure that could cost up to Y40 billion ($A456.9 million).

There have been growing fears that existing safeguards will soon be overwhelmed by the highly radioactive water.

"As this large-scale construction of walls is unprecedented in the world, we think the government should take a step forward and support the plan," Suga said.

The vast utility is already facing staggering clean-up and compensation costs over the March 2011 accident, the worst atomic crisis in a generation.

Suga's comments come after Fukushima operator TEPCO last month admitted for the first time that radioactive groundwater had already leaked outside the nuclear plant, confirming long-held suspicions of ocean contamination from the shattered reactors.

The leaks have triggered alarm bells over the plant's precarious state and TEPCO's ability to deal with a long list of problems two years after it was swamped by a tsunami, sending reactors into meltdown. The company has faced widespread criticism over its lack of transparency in making critical information public.

TEPCO, which is in charge of the clean-up of the plant, had previously reported rising levels of cancer-causing materials in groundwater samples taken from underneath the site itself, but maintained it had halted toxic water from leaking beyond its borders.

"The worsening leaks of contaminated water at the Fukushima nuclear plant prove TEPCO is incapable of dealing with the disaster," Greenpeace said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Japan's authorities must now step in and ensure action is finally taken to stop the leaks," it added.

The country's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has said it plans to pull together two dedicated teams to investigate water contamination and its impact on the ocean's ecosystem, while on Friday it ordered TEPCO to accelerate its containment plan.

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Low rates due to slowing economy: Howard

THE Labor government is deluding itself if it believes lower interest rates are a sign they have the economy well in hand, former Liberal leader John Howard says.

In 2004 when Mr Howard was contesting an election as prime minister, he said interest rates would always be lower under a coalition government.

"The context in 2004 was who was better to deliver lower interest rates in a booming economy," Mr Howard told the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

Then the Reserve Bank of Australia's cash rate was 5.25 per cent compared with 2.50 per cent now.

Mr Howard said rates were lower now because the economy was slowing.

"For anybody to run around between now and election day and say that a cut in interest rates means that the government has got the economy well in hand, they're deluding themselves," Mr Howard said.

"Look at some of the nations of Europe. They have got virtually zero interest rates and their economies are not moving."

Australia boasts a triple-A rating from all three major credit rating agencies. It is one of only eight countries in the world to hold such status.

But Mr Howard pointed out it was former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello who helped Australia restore a triple-A standing.

"A triple-A was not something that came about when Kevin Rudd became prime minister," Mr Howard said.

"What he is saying is we still have a triple-A rating, and I say, despite him."

Mr Howard's government introduced the GST in 2000, an impost which many believe now should be broadened and its rate increased from 10 per cent.

Mr Howard said tax reform was something that needs to be revisited.

"If the Labor party and the Democrats had not punched a hole in the GST that the Australian people voted for in 1998, the financial position of the states that get all of the GST revenue now would be much better than it is," he said.

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Americans keeping old cars longer

AMERICANS are keeping their cars and trucks longer than ever, and even with new car sales increasing, the average age will continue to rise, an industry research firm says.

The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks on US roads hit a record of 11.4 years in January, the latest figures available from state registration data gathered by the Polk research firm.

That's up from 11.2 years in 2012, and nearly two full years older than in 2007, before the start of the Global Financial Crisis, Polk said on Tuesday.

People are keeping their cars because the quality is so much better and they are trying to avoid the monthly payments, said Mark Seng, a Polk vice president. The annual percentage of cars and trucks sent to the scrap yard has dropped 50 per cent since the recession, he said.

"Cars are just lasting longer," he said.

The company doesn't see the age dropping for at least five years, even though US vehicle sales are running at an annual rate of around 15.5 million, which is near pre-recession levels. And it predicts that the percentage of cars age 12 or older will actually rise in the next five years.

The change creates a big opportunity for repair shops and auto-parts stores, Seng said.

"Customers from independent and chain repair shops should be paying close attention to their business plans and making concerted efforts to retain business among the do-it-for-me audience, while retailers have a unique and growing opportunity with potential consumers wrenching on their own vehicles," he said.

US sales have risen gradually from a 30-year low of 10.4 million in 2009 because of low interest rates, appealing new models and pent-up demand as people replace aging vehicles they kept through the recession. The sales rebound prompted Polk to raise its estimate of the total number of vehicles on US roads by 5 per cent to more than 260 million in five years.

But Seng said many people intend to keep running their older cars into the future, adding that he can't remember another time that the average age has grown as quickly.

The growth rate in the average age will slow in the coming years, but won't start falling until new-car sales rise and stay high for several years. Older vehicles would have to be scrapped at a higher rate, as well, he said.

"With the quality of the vehicles, that's not going to happen," Seng said.

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Ex-Gunns boss could land jail time

Former Gunns boss John Gay could spend time in jail after pleading guilty to insider trading. Source: AAP

JOHN Gay, the face of one-time Tasmanian timber giant Gunns, could spend time in jail after pleading guilty to insider trading.

The former chairman dropped a bombshell on the morning his trial was set to begin by changing his plea to an amended charge in the Tasmanian Supreme Court.

Gay, 70, had pleaded not guilty to two counts after selling 3.4 million Gunns shares in December 2009.

He was accused by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) of dumping the shares, worth around $3 million, after information in a company report forecast a profit drop of more than 100 per cent.

On Monday those charges were rolled into one amended indictment, to which Gay unexpectedly pleaded guilty.

His lawyer, Neil Clelland SC, said the plea was made, not on the basis his client knew information he possessed was price sensitive, but on the basis that he ought to have known.

The court had been readying for a trial of up to five weeks.

The information Gay used was contained in an October 2009 management report which was not disclosed to the market.

When Gunns subsequently announced a 98 per cent deterioration in half yearly earnings in February 2010, its price plummeted from 88c to 68.5c.

In preliminary proceedings, witnesses told the court Gay was selling the shares in order to get his affairs in order after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

He held onto another eight million shares, the court was told.

The timber company collapsed into administration in September last year owing around $3 billion. Gay, regarded by some as the simple sawmiller made good, is credited with building Gunns into an empire.

But that was before it struck trouble when woodchip prices collapsed and a partner could not be found to fund its proposed $2.3 billion Tamar Valley pulp mill.

He resigned as chairman in 2010 as the company looked to build a "social licence" by getting out of native forest logging.

When charged in November 2011, he was considered the most senior Australian executive to have been accused of insider trading. The crime currently carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail or a $765,000 fine.

Gay left the Launceston court on Monday without comment.

ASIC is also yet to comment.

He will be back for sentencing submissions on August 14.

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Barnett denies lobbying for staff pay rise

Colin Barnett denied he had lobbied for the pay increases of WA government's media director. Source: AAP

WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett has denied he misled the public about an $84,000 pay rise for the state government's media director.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said the premier had personally lobbied for Dixie Marshall's pay rise to $245,000.

Documents revealed the premier asked a merit panel to grant Ms Marshall and another senior adviser the increases, Mr McGowan said.

"The premier implied in parliament that it was someone else's deal," he told AAP.

But Mr Barnett denied he had lobbied for the pay increases.

"I wouldn't believe too much about what Mark McGowan says," he told reporters on Sunday.

Mr Barnett said two senior staff in his office were promoted to a "higher classification" which carried a higher salary.

"Their role and duties have changed," he said.

"As the responsible minister, I sign the bit of paper that goes to the merit panel for them to consider that and for them to consider what pay they should receive.

"In no way did I lobby that panel in any sense at all."

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Rudd boards flight from Brisbane

Speculation is mounting that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may be closer to naming the poll date. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has boarded a flight in Brisbane, fuelling speculation he may be bound for Canberra to name the election date.

Mr Rudd and wife Therese Rein boarded a plane after midday (AEST) at Brisbane airport.

The prime minister's destination is yet to be confirmed.

However he has a cabinet meeting scheduled for midday on Monday in Canberra.

September 7 is firming as the election date despite Mr Rudd hinting on Saturday that he intended to go to the G20 leaders summit in Russia scheduled just days beforehand.

It's now likely that Foreign Minister Bob Carr will attend instead.

Mr Rudd's plane has landed in Canberra.

A September 7 poll would be the first September election since 1946.

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