Political blame game over childcare costs

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

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

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

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

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Newman says ALP wrong on TAFE fee rises

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

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

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

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Qld premier coy on chief justice pick

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

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

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

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GG visits Ord irrigation scheme

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

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

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

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Fuel excise hike before parliament

A controversial budget measure to raise the fuel excise has been introduced to parliament. Source: AAP

IT will cost motorists about 60 cents more to fill their car with petrol from August if the Abbott government can convince parliament to approve new legislation.

INDEXATION of the fuel excise will be re-introduced with half-yearly increases in line with inflation.

While motorists won't feel too much pain initially - the government estimates an extra burden of $24 a year - by 2018 the effect of compound interest will mean the impact is 10 times that.The return of indexation will provide $2.2 billion for the government's coffers by then, with about $157.5 million being generated in the 2014-15 financial year.The money will be pooled into a special account to fund road building.Exempted from the changes are heavy vehicles and businesses with off-road vehicles, which are entitled to fuel tax credits.The government has the numbers in the lower house to have its legislation pass first base, but its fate in the Senate is not so certain.Labor opposes the move, while the Greens will support it on the proviso the revenue isn't spent on roads.The Palmer United Party, which will play a crucial role in the upper house from July 1, has indicated it will oppose the measure.The excise has been frozen at 38.14 cents since 2001, when the Howard government abolished the six-monthly indexation of fuel tax rates after the introduction of the GST.

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Port and rail company axing 500 jobs

Rail operator Asciano will axe about 500 jobs in order to cut costs. Source: AAP

FREIGHT and rail company Asciano has blamed a weak Australian economy for the planned axing of 500 jobs.

THE operator of the Patrick and Pacific National businesses was not meeting earnings targets and had been forced to accelerate its five year restructuring program, chief executive John Mullen told investors.

Its restructure was developed after a near $1 billion loss in 2010, and Asciano has steadily grown net profit since, to $348 million last year.The aggressive moves will cut $90 million in annual costs."We are taking aggressive cost measures in order to offset this hopefully temporary cyclical flat period," he said.Driving the cuts is pressure on Asciano to reduce fees to its coal miner customers due to weak prices, the mass automation of its port operations, a weak domestic economy and volatile freight volumes."The obvious challenge at the moment is a much lower than expected or negative growth in some of the markets we operate in, reducing our earnings trajectory quite considerably," Mr Mullen said."Two to three years ago we had strong growth in every segment and now it is much flatter with one, two, three per cent growth while labour costs, rents go up and we have to offset that."Investors welcomed cost cutting, sending Asciano shares up 32 cents, or 6.1 per cent, to $5.55.The job cuts caught unions by surprise, who say they were not consulted and are seeking more details.Asciano did not say where the positions would be cut.Rail, Tram, Bus and Union assistant national secretary Allan Barden said Asciano had cut 165 jobs involving its members recently.The union has launched legal action in the Fair Work Commission over a lack of consultation in relation to the job cuts, which partly related to the merging of Asciano's two NSW rail businesses."We've just gone through a round of redundancies within Pacific National Rail, if there are going to be further redundancies we will protect our members in line with our enterprise agreement," Mr Barden told AAP.The company has previously announced plans to halve its workforce at the Port Botany container terminal in Sydney ahead of next year's automation of technology, angering the Maritime Union of Australia.Asciano estimates it will have 3,600 full time equivalent employees by June 30.The company maintained guidance of low single digit growth in its underlying net profit in 2013/14.It said stronger-than-expected growth in coal and container volumes, combined with its cost cuts, had offset weaker volumes in export grain, intermodal and bulk ports.It has flagged stronger earnings growth in 2015.

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Search continues for missing Vic fisherman

A MASSIVE air and sea search covering 3500 square kilometres continues after a Victorian professional fisherman failed to return from a fishing trip.

THE 65-year-old Warrnambool man set off alone from Point Fairy wharf to go gummy fishing about 1.30pm on Wednesday.

Police say it's believed he was headed to Lady Julia Percy Island about 22km southwest of Point Fairy.He failed to return home as expected at 10pm and his family raised the alarm early on Thursday.Several volunteer vessels and two water police boats spent the day searching for the man off Victoria's southwest coast.Fourteen aircraft, including nine helicopters, have also been searching an area covering about 3500 square kilometres, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.The man's wife told police he had been fishing for most of his life, and had no known health concerns.Sergeant Mick Wolfe of Point Fairy police said the search area was extended during the day, after an early search around Lady Julia Percy Island found nothing."As time's gone by further resources have been utilised and we've actually had to spread the area because he's not where we initially thought he was," Sgt Wolfe told Fairfax Radio."At this stage we've got no idea where the boat is."Senior Sergeant Tania Barbary said police held out hope the man would be found OK."We've always got hope that there's something, that he's just drifting out there and he's unable to make contact with anybody at the moment," she told reporters at Point Fairy."We'll continue our search until we find otherwise."The search is expected to be scaled back overnight before being ramped up again on Friday morning.

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Two boat mishaps off Malaysia, 35 missing

MALAYSIAN authorities are searching for 35 people missing at sea following two boat accidents at a time when many illegal migrant workers head home to Indonesia for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

IN the latest incident early on Thursday, nine people were missing off western Malaysia after a boat believed to be bound for the Indonesian island of Sumatra sank near the district of Sepang, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, The Star daily reported.

Eighteen people were rescued, it said, quoting Mohamad Hambali Yaakup, an official with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).The accident came to light as authorities expanded a search for survivors of another boat - also bound for Sumatra - that sank just up the coast with 97 Indonesians aboard early on Wednesday.Nine bodies have been found after that accident, while 26 remain missing, though officials believe some of them made it to land - it sank near the Malaysian shore - and fled the area to avoid being apprehended by authorities.Authorities have not yet determined the cause of either accident, but the boat that sank on Wednesday was likely carrying three times more passengers than it could safely transport, officials said."The boat is too small to ferry 97 people. The boat must have been very cramped," said MMEA spokesman Mohamad Zuhri, adding that its capacity was likely around 30 passengers.Large numbers of Indonesians - many of them illegal migrants - return home annually from Malaysia for Ramadan, which this year begins at the end of June and will culminate in late July with Eid al-Fitr, Islam's biggest festival.On Thursday, divers were deployed, more vessels brought in and the search zone for the first sinking expanded along the coast in the hope of finding more survivors, said Mohamad Hambali."We have deployed divers and a total of 25 marine craft and a helicopter to sweep the coastal area for possible survivors," he told AFP.Mohamad Hambali said the divers would try to determine what caused the boat to sink and to view any markings that would help identify its owner and operator.The 62 survivors of the first mishap have been detained by authorities and were not available to speak with the media.

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Firies cancer law not ruled out: Vic govt

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

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

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

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

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Afghan voters defy Taliban threat

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

THE United States praised millions of Afghan voters who defied Taliban threats and attacks to vote in a presidential run-off election securing the country's first democratic transfer of power, with counting set to begin.

WITH turnout higher than expected after a largely peaceful day of voting, Washington hailed the polls as a "significant step" for the country's democracy, commending "the voters, electoral bodies and security forces for their commitment to the democratic process".

"These elections are a significant step forward on Afghanistan's democratic path, and the courage and resolve of the Afghan people to make their voices heard is a testament to the importance of these elections to securing Afghanistan's future," the White House said.Ahead of the ballot, which decides the next president of the country ahead of the withdrawal of NATO troops later this year, the Taliban had threatened to kill voters and officials, saying the election was an American plot "to impose their stooges".Polling day saw no major attacks in cities, but there were at least 150 minor attacks - including a Taliban rocket that hit a house near a polling station, killing five members of the same family.Eleven voters in the western province of Herat had their fingers - which were dipped in ink to register their ballot - cut off by insurgents, Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi said on his Twitter account.The polls result, due out next month, will confirm whether former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah or ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani will lead Afghanistan into a new era of declining international military and civilian assistance.The two candidates came top of an eight-man field in the April first-round election, triggering the run-off as neither reached the 50 per cent threshold needed for outright victory.Abdullah secured 45 per cent of the vote with Ghani on 31.6 per cent.Counting the ballot will take weeks. The preliminary result is due on July 2 and a final result on July 22.The United Nations also praised the elections, congratulating the "courageous" Afghans who set out to cast their ballots in the face of Taliban threats."With the same determination, resilience and courage the world saw in the first round of elections, the people of Afghanistan today once again decided to take their destiny in their own hands and demonstrate their desire for a peaceful, prosperous, and united Afghanistan," the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said.While high turnout may lend legitimacy to the winner if the gap between the two candidates is clear, a close count could mean a contested outcome.Both candidates swiftly alleged fraud after the closure of the polls Saturday."We know there has been fraud, you have seen it, we have seen it," Abdullah said.Ghani called for a full investigation into vote-rigging, saying "unfortunately there were cases of security forces involved in fraud, we have the evidence".A smooth handover in Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power would be a major achievement for the 13-year US-led effort to establish a functioning state after the depredations of the Taliban era.President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled Afghanistan since 2001 and was re-elected in a 2009 vote marred by ballot-box stuffing, is constitutionally barred from a third term in office.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nicole Kidman for top Shanghai honour

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

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

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

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Get out of Iraq now, warns Bishop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Millions for homeless but refuges in doubt

WOMEN'S refuges fear they are days away from closing their doors, despite the NSW government's new promise to pump money into homeless support and restore funding for inner-city shelters.

THE government had foreshadowed cuts to inner-city areas through its Going Home, Staying Home reforms, which aimed to end homelessness where it starts with a focus on early intervention.

The plan sparked outcry from advocates who were concerned women who'd survived physical or sexual abuse or had complex needs would be forced into one-size-fits-all shelters.Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton argued that the previous approach of pouring money into crisis services in the city was not working - but after reconsidering, she has agreed to wind back mooted cuts.Two months after taking on the portfolio, Ms Upton said on Friday she would restore $8.6 million in annual funding that had been on the chopping block, including $2 million a year for inner-city women's services."Let me be clear: the government was never planning to do away with women's specialist services, nor were there plans to have men and women sharing crisis accommodation," she said."However, I have listened to the legitimate concerns of many inner-city providers and the right decision was to restore funding."Kate Timmins from SOS Women's Services said the new minister was "trying to listen", however, some organisations were scrambling to avoid turning women away from June 30.The government has also promised a new fund so that NGOs who missed out during the tender process can apply for 18 months of extra funding. But Ms Timmins says defunded services are already losing vital accommodation facilities."We've been involved in the tender process since November last year. So to hear today that the government is still not making a commitment to maintain the network of specialist services, and that they'll be eligible to reapply without any guarantee of success, throws the sector into a state of chaos," she said."It's not about services losing tenders, it's about vulnerable women losing services."Ms Upton said next week's budget would include a record $148 million for NGOs delivering specialist homelessness services, up from $135 million.Communities in the Hunter-New England district and on the mid-north coast, Illawarra and Sydney's northern beaches will receive some of the biggest boosts."These reforms are about providing early-intervention services so that there won't be the crisis that we currently have, represented by people coming to the city in search of a safe and secure home," Ms Upton said.Deputy Labor leader Linda Burney says the funding reprieve for inner Sydney comes too late for some organisations."Many of them have already lost their buildings, lost their computers and lost their infrastructure," she said.

15.04 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jail term cut for WA teen's murder attempt

A WEST Australian teenager who changed his mind about killing an acquaintance after repeatedly stabbing him and attacking him with a brick has had his sentence reduced.

THE young man was aged 17 and drunk when he and two acquaintances went to a shed at the rear of an abandoned house in the southern Perth suburb of Hilton in the early hours of October 20, 2012 after a party.

While the victim slept on a couch, the offender told the other acquaintance of his murderous plans.He was adamant and resisted attempts to talk him out of it.The offender, who cannot be named, plunged a 8cm fold-out knife into the victim's chest at least four times.He then threw a brick at the victim's head but missed."There's been a change of plans. (The victim) is still alive and I'm going to let him live," the teen told the other acquaintance, who was standing outside the shed.He then got the victim to call an ambulance, instructing him to tell police that a homeless man had caused the injuries.Before leaving, the offender stole the victim's pants, backpack and laptop computer.He then ditched the knife at a quarry in nearby Beaconsfield.The third youth told police what had happened two days later.On Friday in the West Australian Court of Appeal, it was argued the teenager's sentence of seven years and six months in jail was excessive.Justice Robert Anthony Mazza said the sentence was "erroneously long"."The length of the sentence imposed upon the appellant was of a severity one would have expected to have been imposed upon an adult," he said."The sentence was more than was required to provide protection of the public, proper punishment and denunciation and did not sufficiently reflect the appellant's youth and his prospects of rehabilitation."The offender was re-sentenced to six years' imprisonment, backdated to October 23, 2012.He will be eligible for parole.

15.04 | 0 komentar | Read More

Loggers back Tasmanian World Heritage

A GROUP representing Tasmanian loggers has joined conservationists to oppose a federal government move to wind back the state's World Heritage wilderness.

THE influential Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT) has reportedly written to UNESCO's World Heritage Committee objecting to a cut of 74,000 hectares.

The group has confirmed its submission but is not commenting publicly, the ABC reported.FIAT boss Terry Edwards, a key negotiator of Tasmania's peace deal between loggers and environmentalists, did not respond to AAP's call.But Wilderness Society campaigner Vica Bayley, who negotiated with Mr Edwards for three years, told reporters earlier on Friday it was his belief FIAT were backing the World Heritage listing."(The move to delist) is not done with logging in mind and not done with the majority of industry wanting to log these areas," Mr Bayley said."This is done because of personal politics, personal ideology and an inability to actually move with the times, to embrace the collaborative paradigm that has been developed in Tasmania."The pressure on the government comes with the World Heritage Committee due to begin meeting in Doha from Sunday.A decision on the Tasmania application is expected on Friday or Saturday next week.The area slated for delisting is part of 172,000 hectares added last year as a result of the historic peace deal.The deal swapped forest reserves for green groups' support for the ailing logging industry.Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised to wind the World Heritage Area back during last year's election campaign and Environment Minister Greg Hunt applied to UNESCO in February.FIAT's move means both sides in the peace process are sticking by their agreement, despite changes of government at federal and state level.Mr Bayley, part of a delegation of four conservationists heading to Doha, said it was not too late for the government to withdraw its submission."The Abbott government can avoid further embarrassment and avoid wasting more of the World Heritage Committee's time by withdrawing this application," Mr Bayley told reporters in Hobart.Green groups say 90 per cent of the area is intact and its listing ensured the integrity of the 1.6 million hectare World Heritage Area's border.Two advisory bodies to the committee have already recommended the government's application be knocked back.Federal government forestry spokesman and Tasmanian senator Richard Colbeck accuses the green movement of spreading lies.Senator Colbeck says much of the area has been logged and some "old growth" is only 60 years old."It is clear that there has been harvesting activity in some areas back into the 1940s and in others back to the 1800s," Senator Colbeck said."There is irrefutable evidence that much of this was industrial scale."Opponents of the government's plan will rally in Hobart on Saturday.

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Position on settlements unchanged: Joyce

Islamic nations have demanded Australia explain changes to their policy on Israeli settlements. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government is confident it will keep selling livestock to the Middle East despite a threat from Islamic countries to boycott Australia's lucrative farm exports.

ISLAMIC nations are furious at the government's refusal to call Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem "occupied", and want to know why this controversial policy change was made without any consultation.

A group of ambassadors from Islamic countries - including key cattle and sheep export markets - have warned they could block Australian farm exports to the Middle East if the position isn't reversed.The move would be disastrous for Australian farmers and could jeopardise the government's efforts to break into new export markets in Saudi Arabia and Iran.But Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said Australia enjoyed strong trade relations with Middle East nations, which were keen to continue purchasing high-quality agricultural products."I hope that they accept that I've got no intentions of trying to diminish that relationship," he told Sky News on Friday."I'll do everything in my power to make sure the trade keeps going."He also understood the government's position on settlements hadn't changed, but admitted foreign affairs was "all vastly too complicated for me".Since being elected in September, the government has restarted the live export trade to Egypt and Bahrain and made serious headway toward expanding ties with Saudi Arabia.Mr Joyce also hopes to overturn a 40-year ban on live animal exports to Iran.But those nations were among a delegation of 18 countries to demand a meeting with the government this week to voice their concerns about the shift in language on Israeli settlements.Ambassadors from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan - all top cattle and sheep markets - were also among the disgruntled envoys.They warned that the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation would discuss the option of boycotting Australian farm products at their meetings later this month.Palestinian Delegation Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi said all options were on the table until the government's policy was clarified."We want to see a written response from the foreign minister," he told AAP.The government insists its policy on settlements hasn't changed, and they remain committed to boosting agricultural trade with Arab nations.Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Suzannah Moss-Wright said such clear bias undermined Australia's credibility in both diplomatic and trade circles.It puts at risk business relationships with Arab countries worth $15 billion a year."Our Arab friends do not expect us to turn our back on friendship with Israel, but they do expect us to be balanced and to avoid provocative actions," she said.

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Budgets weigh on WA consumer confidence

A FALL in consumer confidence in Western Australia is further evidence that federal and state budgets have hit taxpayer sentiment hard, member for Perth Alannah MacTiernan says.

The latest WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Curtin Business School survey of consumer confidence shows sentiment remains at record lows.

Almost 90 per cent of respondents said they expected the economy would remain the same or deteriorate over the next three months.

While high living costs was the most significant issue on 53 per cent of consumers' minds, 49 per cent of respondents rated the political environment as a major concern, up from 40 per cent in March.

Ms MacTiernan pounced on the figures, saying the survey was taken at a time where pre-budget speculation dominated, so consumer confidence might have fallen even lower, given households would have since digested the numbers.

"The Abbott government promised to 'turbo charge' consumer confidence and what we have seen in the lead up and with the May budget is the exact reverse, with the treasurer making it clear that the budget was about hitting household consumption," Ms MacTiernan said.

"That inevitably meant pensioners, students and families relying on basic services and payments to get ahead would suffer."

In the state budget, which was handed down five days before the federal budget, WA households were slugged on average an extra $324.18 a year for electricity, water, public transport and car registration.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic teen 'forced into sex work': police

A 17-YEAR-OLD girl may have been forced into sex work for three months, Victorian police say.

A 33-year-old Warrnambool North man was arrested over the claims, but was released pending further inquiries.

He was interviewed on Monday over charges of procuring and inducing a child to take part in sex work, allowing a child to take part in sex work and living on the earnings of a sex worker.

Police on Tuesday said they had reports a girl had been forced into sex work, and appealed for anyone else in the same situation to come forward.

Detectives want to speak to anyone who has information about the girl or illegal sex work in Victoria's southwest.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nexus shareholders to reject Seven's offer

NEXUS Energy shares have slumped more than 35 per cent as investors worry their shareholdings could be worthless within 48 hours.

Shareholders are expected to reject Seven Group's $26.6 million takeover offer for the struggling oil and gas company at a meeting on Thursday.

Billionaire Kerry Stokes' industrial services and media group offered two cents a share for the debt laden Nexus in late March.

But on Friday Nexus revealed more than 25 per cent of the company's shareholders had voted against the offer, meaning the deal is set to fall over.

Seven Group has told investors that if the deal is voted down it will not extend bridging finance for Nexus' continuing operations.

Debt owing under the bridging finance would then become payable and the Nexus board would need to place the company into voluntary administration.

Seven says it would then try to acquire all of Nexus' shares for "nil" through the administration process.

Nexus shares on Tuesday finished 0.6 cents, or 35.29 per cent, lower at 1.1 cents - a new low for the company.

The Australian Shareholders Association (ASA) is yet to form a position on the unusual situation, but spokesman Stephen Mayne said Nexus shareholders had received a tiny takeover valuation with a serious prospect of insolvency looming.

"Clearly there are a significant number of shareholders who feel they've been dudded," Mr Mayne said.

"It's an invidious situation."

Still, it was unclear whether some proxy holders would change their votes at Thursday's meeting given the prospect of receiving nothing for their shareholdings.

Some people were prepared to gamble that Seven Group would not wipe out equity holders in an administration process, he said.

Majority shareholder Andrew Greig, who holds 10.6 per cent of Nexus, is understood to have voted against the deal.

It comes after an independent expert's report found the two cent offer to be "fair and reasonable".

Nexus has not received competing or superior proposals and it has recommended that shareholders vote in favour of the deal.

Nexus has offshore exploration and production assets in the Gippsland Basin, off the south-east coast of Victoria, and the Browse Basin off the north-west coast of Western Australia.

In December 2007 Nexus shares were trading at $1.62, but it has since suffered revenue falls as it struggled to unlock the value of its assets.

The shareholders meeting will be held in Melbourne on Thursday.

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Johnson won't be expelled: Barnett

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mega ports to be allowed near Barrier Reef

FIVE mega ports will be allowed along the Queensland coast, mainly in areas near the Great Barrier Reef.

Abbot Point, one of the world's biggest coal terminals, has been declared a port development priority area.

The declaration comes only six months after green groups lost a court battle to stop three million cubic metres of dredge spoil from being dumped, in the reef marine park boundaries.

As well as at Abbot Point, expansions will be allowed at other ports adjacent to the reef, including Gladstone, Hay Point, Mackay, and Townsville.

Brisbane has also been earmarked for major growth.

Queensland's Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said dredging outside these priority port areas would be banned under the new strategy.

"Within and adjoining the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, the Queensland government will prohibit dredging for the development of new, or the expansion of existing port facilities outside these port precincts, for the next decade," he said, adding the approach was consistent with UNESCO World Heritage Committee recommendations.

But Queensland Greens senator Larissa Waters said the new "faux restriction" on dredging was useless.

"It won't apply to any of the damaging dredging already applied for which is the very dredging that UNESCO was concerned about," she said, adding dredging would continue at 20 ports.

"This is atrocious news for the Great Barrier Reef."

The Australian Marine Conservation Society said coastline along the reef would be industrialised.

"The new policy won't stop a single port development or dredging proposal planned along the Queensland coast," campaigner Felicity Wishart said.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

iSentia makes strong ASX debut

MEDIA monitor iSentia has made an impressive stock market debut, with its shares rising nearly 20 per cent above their issue price.

Shares in the company, which was previously known as Media Monitors, opened trading at $2.45, 41 cents above the issue price of $2.04.

The stock surged 39 cents, or 19.12 per cent, to close at $2.43.

iSentia was among the most traded stocks, with its market cap hitting $486 million.

iSentia dominates Australia's media monitoring market, providing information from various media sources to alert business and government clients to what is being said about their organisations, competitors and industry.

The company uses software and other systems to capture and interpret data from more than 5,500 mainstream media outlets, 55,000 online news sources and 3.4 million user-generated content sources on Facebook, Twitter and Weibol.

Clients include Microsoft, Nike, Coca-Cola and Samsung and most of the top 100 companies listed on the ASX.

It also operates in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam and has an emerging presence China.

In its prospectus, iSentia said demand for media intelligence services in the Asia-Pacific region was expected to grow strongly over 2013-2016, especially in the online and social media segment.

It has forecast a net profit of $11.9 million in 2014, up from $7 million last year, and expects to start paying dividends next year.

Isentia issued 139 million shares to raise $283.5 million under an initial public offer.

The company has 200 million shares in total. It was floated by private equity outfit Quadrant Funds, which retains a 25 per cent stake.

Chief executive John Croll also holds a four per cent stake, which lifted in paper value by more than $3 million to $19.4 million based on iSentia's first day of trading.

iSentia shares are trading on a deferred settlement basis until Wednesday.

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Talking walls, robo-docs way of the future

GET ready for talking wallpaper, robo-doctors, cars that drive themselves and human body shops where organs are made to order.

These are set to become part of our lives soon, says renowned American theoretical physicist Dr Michio Kaku, who is visiting Australia to discuss how technology will revolutionise the planet.

At the centre of our lives will be the computer, although you probably won't be able to see it.

Dr Kaku, who has interviewed 300 of the world's top scientists, predicts computers will physically disappear in 15 years but says we'll be able to use them telepathically.

"You will simply think through the cloud and turn on the lights, call for your car, program your car, write a book, make articles," Dr Kaku told reporters at the Queensland University of Technology.

"Computers will be everywhere and nowhere, and this is going to revolutionise every aspect of our life."

As for the internet, Dr Kaku says we'll access it through contact lenses at the blink of an eye.

And talking to a wall won't be so pointless, with artificial intelligence embedded inside.

"You will go to the wall and say, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, I want to talk to a doctor right now' (and), boom, robo-doc appears.

"And if you are in a car accident, you will talk to robo-lawyer."

But if you're seriously injured, you needn't worry.

"In 10 to 20 years, we will have a human body shop at which we will simply order organs on demand," Dr Kaku said.

Scientists are already growing skin, cartilage and bladders, and Dr Kaku predicts the first liver will be grown in a matter of years.

But perhaps the biggest change we'll see first is in the way we get around.

Dr Kaku says commercially available cars that drive themselves are only three years away and will be commonplace by 2020.

The jobs our cars drive us to are likely to be different, but Dr Kaku says you'll always be able to get a job as a gardener, cleaner or police officer.

Repetitive jobs, such as factory work, are on the way out and middlemen, including tellers, agents and brokers, are also in the firing line.

However, blue-collar jobs were likely to survive in the near future because robot technology was still primitive, Dr Kaku said.

But will advancements in technology make us happier?

"The answer is no because we are genetically hard-wired to ... bellyache at every single inconvenience," Dr Kaku said.

"But it will make life easier, more productive, we will be able to unleash the potential in all of us because technology will make it possible to take the human mind's creations and create industries out of these."

The TV personality and best-selling author believes science is the engine of prosperity and is touring Australia to drive his message home.

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Uproar over O'Neill plan

PAPUA New Guinea's opposition has lashed out at a plan by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to restrict nominees for the top job to members of his own party in the event of a motion of no-confidence.

The government is planning to introduce legislation on June 24 restricting candidates to the office of prime minister to members of the largest parliamentary party, according to the Port Moresby-based Post Courier Newspaper.

Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil on Thursday attacked the plan, saying the move shows Mr O'Neill wants to ensure his party, the People's National Congress (PNC), can continue to protect him and his interests.

"What the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is doing is just simply using the numerical strength that he amassed through political intimidation and (district fund) controlled support to pass yet another controversial law to protect his interests," Mr Basil said on Facebook on Thursday.

"After every general elections the Governor General calls for a political party that has the highest number of MP-elect to form the new government. That doesn't mean that this political party has the golden ticket to the Prime Minister's post."

Mr O'Neill, whose PNC is the largest party in the coalition government, is currently on his way back to Port Moresby from a bilateral visit to Japan.

Thursday's newspaper article, which appeared under the headline O'Neill-ocracy, cites a May 28 circular to MPs from the office of the clerk of PNG's national parliament.

It also quotes Mr O'Neill as saying that under the legislation if a party fails to secure the numbers to rule, Parliament can elect any MP from the floor to be PM.

He has recently come to loggerheads with the country's Ombudsman Commission over a controversial $A1.3 billion loan from Swiss investment bank UBS to buy back shares in Oil Search Limited.

After the watchdog announced it was investigating and ordered a freeze on the deal, Mr O'Neill publicly urged the ombudsman to back down on the grounds it would trigger a loan default - a move criticised on Thursday by former treasurer Don Polye.

Mr O'Neill has also been accused of authorising illegal payments to a controversial PNG law firm, Paul Paraka lawyers - a claim Mr O'Neill has strenuously, and repeatedly, denied.

The executive director of PNG's National Research Institute, Paul Barker, told AAP parliament should retain the right to remove an incompetent government with another that is more suitable.

"Although political stability is valuable, and frivolous votes of no-confidence should not be entertained, it remains a constitutional responsibility of the legislature to act as check and balance on the government of the day," he said.

He said there were two ways to look at Mr O'Neill's latest move.

On the one hand, Mr O'Neill may be trying to protect his party programs and legacy.

"More negative observers might suggest that there is much more at stake in terms of vested interests over retaining power," Mr Barker said.

"He's clearly afraid of something."

A spokesman for Mr O'Neill on Thursday night said the constitutional amendments were proposed by PNG's constitutional law reform commission and the registrar of political parties, and not by Prime Minister O'Neill or the PNC.

"The (news) story is not PO's (Peter O'Neill) or the PNC's initiative," he said.

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SAI mulls $1.1b bid as it sacks CEO

INFORMATION and standards company SAI Global has sacked its chief executive and revealed it is the subject of a $1.1 billion private equity takeover bid.

Pacific Equity Partners has launched an indicative bid for the Sydney-based information services group, best known for its subsidiary Standards Australia.

News of the offer came as SAI revealed it had axed chief executive Stephen Porges, just four months after he took the helm.

SAI also flagged job cuts, the closing of offices and other restructuring which would mean a $7 million hit to this year's financial result.

SAI shares soared 73 cents, or 17 per cent, to $5.01 - not far off its all-time high of $5.25 in April 2012.

Pacific Equity is offering between $5.10 and $5.25 a share.

That is a 19-23 per cent premium to last Friday's closing price of $4.28.

The offer was made on May 15, before action was taken against Mr Porges.

SAI said it had not formed a view as to the merits of proposal.

However the board was open to holding talks with Pacific to explore whether a binding proposal could be put to shareholders.

Invast chief market analyst Peter Esho noted growing interest in Australia's industrials space in a sign that rival bids could emerge.

"I think we'll see more of this in what I call the lazy industrials - stocks that are good businesses but don't really have market trust in terms of what they can deliver in the immediate term," he told AAP.

As SAI's board considers Pacific's offer, it has launched a search for a new chief executive after discovering "fundamental differences of opinion" with Mr Porges.

"Last week, it became clear to the board that we were unlikely to resolve the differences between the non-executive directors and the CEO regarding the changes required and the pace of those changes to deliver the business improvements that we are seeking over the short to medium term," SAI said.

Mr Porges' predecessor Tony Scotton and former chairman Robert Wright quit last October in the wake of an earnings downgrade and statutory loss of $43 million in 2012-13.

Current chairman Andrew Dutton has now taken an executive role until a replacement is found.

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Speaker stands by fundraising event

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop must explain what took place in her suite on budget night, says Labor. Source: AAP

SPEAKER Bronwyn Bishop has refused to reveal details of how her parliamentary office was used for a Liberal Party fundraising event.

Labor says a $2500 a head budget night function in the speaker's Parliament House office - revealed in weekend newspaper reports and not denied by Ms Bishop - is unprecedented and breaches the independence of the role.

Ms Bishop told parliament on Monday that all members of parliament were entitled to use their suites "for their own purposes, but not for illegal purposes".

The opposition asked her to reflect on her ruling, but she stood by her statement.

When Labor asked for the matter to be referred to the privileges committee for investigation, the government voted down the motion.

"This is a motion about smear and innuendo directed at the speaker's office," Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said, noting political fundraising events were held in Parliament House all the time.

As long as the costs were covered privately or by a political party there was no breach of the rules, he said.

Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke said the speaker's suite was a special case and the fundraiser represented "improper interference" in the independence of the office.

"This is not an ordinary venue," he told parliament.

"Your job is not owned by the Liberal Party."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is understood to have attended the fundraiser, told parliament Labor was looking for distractions from its lack of policy.

"They worry about what might be in what room at what time in this parliament," he said.

Taking aim at Labor leader Bill Shorten the prime minister said: "Really and truly, this man is no Bob Hawke - he is no leader."

Labor has been critical of Ms Bishop's appointment from an early stage, especially in her handling of question time and biased language.

She has suspended 101 opposition MPs from parliament, but none from the government.

That image was reinforced when Ms Bishop said, after Mr Burke finished his speech: "I find it a bit rough to be lectured on morality from you."

Earlier, the secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, Carol Mills, told a Senate estimates hearing she was unaware of any rule preventing such a use of the speaker's suite.

"It is up to the speaker, president or the other holders of special suites to decide how to use them," she said.

Greens senator Lee Rhiannon asked for a list of events held in Parliament House over the past three years to ascertain how many were party fundraisers.

Two previous speakers, Anna Burke and Harry Jenkins, have said they never used the suite for political fundraising events.

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Qld ministers livid with dissenting ex-MP

A FORMER Queensland government MP says "very senior" ministers wanted to hurl something at the TV when he gave interviews criticising new laws on political donations.

Chris Davis quit parliament on Friday, saying he could not support the Newman government's decision to dramatically increase the amount of money individuals can donate, in secret, to political parties.

The former member for Stafford says "very senior colleagues" told him they wanted to throw something at the TV when he criticised the government's contentious electoral reforms.

"When one has tried to debate these sensibly ... that to me is pretty intolerant," Dr Davis told Fairfax Radio on Monday.

"When you've got to play the person, you've really lost the debate and ... I couldn't work within that sort of culture."

The former geriatric medicine doctor said Premier Campbell Newman was fostering a culture of intolerance within the Liberal National Party.

"It's a broad culture and in my experience of leadership roles, it starts at the top," he told the ABC.

"And so I assume if we're going to have a change, it would have to start in the top leadership group. I think self-evidently with the leader."

But the LNP's Rob Cavallucci said MPs had every opportunity to raise issues of concern with the premier.

"Primarily there is the party room, where everyone can have free and open debate. We have enormously robust debate within the context of the party room," the Brisbane Central MP told the ABC.

"Any of us can call the premier at any time of the day or night, and he'll always be happy to receive the call, as will other ministers."

Dr Davis has ruled out running as an independent, and said he had received offers from other political parties including the Greens.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said he never made any comments about wanting to throw something at the TV when Dr Davis was on air.

Although Mr Bleijie said it was unfortunate Dr Davis chose to air his concerns publicly.

"There are numerous avenues for MPs to have their say or raise concerns about policies including party room, backbench committees or simply contacting the relevant minister," he told AAP.

"Unfortunately, Chris never came to me with any of his concerns."

But deputy premier Jeff Seeney hasn't denied Dr Davis' allegation.

When asked whether he said he wanted to throw something at the TV while Dr Davis was giving an interview, Mr Seeney told AAP: "Debate is essential in the parliamentary party room and it is something that is encouraged."

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Man, 21, burned in Sydney gas fireball

A GAS-FUELLED fireball in a busy northern Sydney shopping plaza has left a man in a stable condition with serious burns.

The 21-year-old was rushed to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital with burns to his lower body after a gas main caught alight at about 1pm (AEST) on Monday at the front of a shop in Lane Cove.

The local primary school was locked down and about 150 people were moved to safety as firefighters monitored the fire.

They decided not to put the fire out, opting instead to ask the gas company to shut the gas down - which it did an hour later.

"It's actually safer to allow the gas to burn," Superintendent Ian Krimmer told AAP.

"If you put the fire out, you create a bigger problem because the gas leak could go to other areas and cause explosions in other locations."

As the gas was being shut off, six fire crews were protecting buildings, while police kept Longueville Road closed to all traffic.

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New prison unit for dangerous Vic crims

THE Victorian government will build a maximum security prison wing to house a growing number of underworld figures, bikies and violent offenders.

The new unit of 40 cells will be built adjacent to Barwon Prison, near Geelong.

A spokesman from Corrections Victoria said the wing was needed to house the state's growing prisoner population.

"It will build on the prison system's capacity to manage an increasingly complex prisoner population, including outlaw motorcycle gang members, underworld figures and violent prisoners," he told AAP.

The Banksia Unit - used to house protected prisoners - will also be upgraded, he said.

The spokesman said the government was seeking expressions of interest from contractors to build the unit, which is expected to be built by the middle of 2016.

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We won't compromise on co-payment: Hockey

Treasurer Joe Hockey has all but ruled out compromise on a GP co-payment. Source: AAP

TREASURER Joe Hockey has all but ruled out compromise on a GP co-payment, as Labor finally confirmed it would not block the government's deficit levy for the rich.

A bullish Mr Hockey on Sunday said the government would be willing to negotiate with senators on the budget, but warned against outright opposition to every measure.

"If the immediate answer of everyone in the Senate is no, then I think the Australian people have a low, low tolerance for that," he told Sky News on Sunday.

Labor, the Greens and cross-benchers have said they will oppose many of the unpopular changes in Mr Hockey's first budget, including the $7 Medicare co-payment.

But Mr Hockey said he did not think the government should compromise on the payment, $5 of which will go into a new medical research future fund.

"If the independents and the Labor party want to have a medical research future fund, there has to be a co-payment," Mr Hockey said.

"You cannot have both."

Health Minister Peter Dutton also signalled an unwillingness to negotiate on the $7 co-payment.

"As people realise that this package really is about strengthening Medicare ... I think that will bring pressure to bear on the senators," he told the Ten Network.

"Some people advocated that we get rid of bulk billing altogether, but we haven't."

Labor Senate leader Penny Wong revealed her party would not stand in the way of the proposed deficit levy for those earning more than $180,000, after weeks of hinting it may support the new tax.

However, the opposition was "not for moving" on changes to pensions and Medicare, or cuts to health and education funding, she said.

Senator Wong ruled out negotiation on plans for university deregulation, which will allow them to charge higher student fees.

Labor's opposition to the Medicare co-payment was also non-negotiable, she said.

"If Tony Abbott wants to do that he's going to have to come through us in the Senate," she told ABC Television.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he won't surrender his government's budget commitments to the Senate, and has hinted a double dissolution election isn't out of the question if negotiations fail.

But Greens leader Christine Milne labelled Mr Abbott untrustworthy and incapable of negotiating with the senators.

Mr Abbott was leading a "lame duck government", she said.

The prime minister said the government's tough budget was "absolutely necessary" to rein in the country's debt and deficit.

"We need to take action now or an even greater burden will fall on our kids' generation," Mr Abbott said in a brief statement.

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Australian snorkeller dies off Fiji resort

A 36-year-old Australian man has died while snorkelling off Fiji's coral coast. Source: AAP

A 36-YEAR-OLD Australian man has died while snorkelling off Fiji's coral coast.

The man was staying with a friend at a five-star resort on the west coast of the main island Viti Levu when he went snorkelling alone on Saturday.

He was reported missing by the resort, Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji, about 7.45pm when he hadn't returned his snorkelling equipment and his belongings were found on the beach.

"The person in question was snorkelling late in the evening and did not return to his accommodation," general manager Peter Hopgood said.

Resort staff and local fishermen searched until after midnight and were back out again at first light on Sunday.

The man's body was found by locals from a neighbouring village at 9.50am on Sunday, washed onto the coral reef.

His body was taken to a morgue at nearby Sigatoka.

The resort's management extended "heartfelt condolences" to the man's family and friends.

In a letter to guests, it asked them to "refrain from entering the ocean after dark".

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was in contact with the man's family.

"The department is providing consular assistance to the family of a 36-year-old man who died in Fiji," a DFAT spokesperson said.

It's the second death of an Australian in Fiji this month.

Ten days ago, Sydney father-of-three Mark Hardaker, 40, was killed in a collision between two boats while holidaying with his family.

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Shorten denies role in PM family attacks

Margie Abbott (pic) does not do enough charity work says former first bloke Tim Mathieson. Source: AAP

LABOR has angrily denied suggestions that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten orchestrated a series of attacks against Prime Minister Tony Abbott's family in the media.

Mr Abbott's family was thrust into the spotlight this week, with criticisms made about his wife's charity work and allegations of favouritism involving two of his daughters.

The prime minister accused some media outlets for "dirt digging", but one of his senior government ministers has now blamed federal Labor leader Bill Shorten for orchestrating the "repugnant" attacks.

Health Minister Peter Dutton accused Mr Shorten of withdrawing from the media at the same time his office "quite deliberately" launched these attacks against the Abbott family.

"I believe very strongly that this is an orchestrated attack by Bill Shorten and it needs to stop," Mr Dutton told Network Ten on Sunday.

Mr Shorten's office has rejected the allegations, calling them "wrong, hurtful and completely without foundation".

"Bill has made his position very clear that families should not be dragged into the political debate," a spokesman for Mr Shorten told AAP in a statement.

"This shows the government will stoop to any low it can to distract from its budget failure."

AAP understands the prime minister's office was contacted by Mr Shorten on Wednesday when questions started being asked about a $60,000 scholarship awarded to Mr Abbott's youngest daughter Frances.

It's understood Mr Shorten told the office Labor was not behind the story and believed families should be kept off limits.

A subsequent story carried complaints about the appointment of Mr Abbott's eldest daughter Louise to a government job in Geneva.

Yet another story published on Sunday aired criticisms from Julia Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson about Margie Abbott's commitment to charity.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister declined to comment on Mr Dutton's allegations, saying the stories about the Abbott family were of a personal nature and a distraction from the budget.

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The week in numbers to May 23

THE big and small numbers that grabbed attention - or should have - in the business world over the past week.

Monday:

$10.2 million - The once mighty Elders has been doing it tough. But its most recent loss is better than the $303 million half year loss it notched up a year earlier. Traditional operations - livestock, wool, real estate and grain - made the biggest contribution to improved margins.

Could things finally be starting to turn for our struggling men and women on the land?

Tuesday:

$US100 - Iron ore prices per tonne dropped below this psychological level for the first time in two years. Doomsayers are predicting falls to $US85 per tonne, and the big miners shares' are well in the red. End of the boom? No. End of the honeymoon? Maybe.

Wednesday:

0.7 - Total hourly rates of pay, excluding bonuses, rose by 0.7 per cent in the three months to March, and by 2.6 per cent over the year. Both were the lowest growth rates on record - and you thought it was just you.

Thursday:

2.4 - Italy's statistics agency says estimated revenues from drug trafficking and the sex trade will be used in the calculation of economic growth from next year. The added revenue will put GDP growth at 2.4 per cent, compared to the government's 1.3 per cent growth estimate. The agency concedes calculating the growth will be "very difficult for the obvious reason that these illegal activities are not reported".

Friday:

$1.715 - Cleaning and catering company Spotless Group has relisted on the ASX less than two years after its owners privatised the company.

Its shares finished at $1.715 each, comfortably above their issue price of $1.60 - a nice result for the company and for overall market confidence.

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Abbott urged not to 'wink' at Indonesia

An Indonesian newspaper has warned PM Tony Abbott against winking when he visits Jakarta. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has been warned to keep his winking" out of diplomacy, with the infamous gesture now also making headlines in Indonesia.

The wink - Mr Abbott's response while listening to a 67-year-old talkback radio caller who said she was working on an adult sex line to supplement her pension and pay her healthcare bills - has been shared globally on social media.

It has been interpreted in many ways, with the prime minister himself describing it as a "mistake".

The Jakarta Post newspaper says in Indonesia, his wink could be seen as suggestive of arrogance.

In its editorial on Friday, titled 'Abbott's wink: what's the joke?', the influential English-language newspaper noted, "In the eyes of many Indonesians, the PM is not averse to being insensitive."

Relations between Indonesia and Australia quickly deteriorated after Abbott came to power, as he demonstrated he was going to be much tougher with his neighbour than the Labor Party had been.

In doing so, he is perceived by many Indonesians to be extremely arrogant.

The newspaper says Mr Abbott can expect Indonesia's next president to be less accommodating than Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Winking and smiling while listening to Indonesia's complaints will cost him diplomatically, it says.

Mr Abbott is tipped to visit Jakarta next month, his first trip since Indonesia suspended cooperation with Australia late last year over spying claims.

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WA man, 69, jailed for life over murder

A 69-YEAR-OLD Perth man has been sentenced to life in prison for repeatedly stabbing his house mate during a drunken argument.

John Henry Waterfall was found guilty of murdering Fifita Mailau, 56, at their Mount Lawley house, which they shared with two other people, in March 2013.

The West Australia Supreme Court heard on Friday that Mr Mailau was an abusive and violent person.

In sentencing, Justice Ralph Simmons said Mr Mailau had called Waterfall names that he found "deeply insulting" as they argued.

"You felt you had no alternative but to deal strongly with the deceased, if you and the others were not to be vulnerable to bad behaviour from the deceased in the future," he said.

The court heard Waterfall grabbed a knife from his bedroom and returned to the kitchen where he repeatedly stabbed Mr Mailau in the neck and abdomen.

"You were very angry. Some of the stab wounds were very deep," Justice Simmonds said.

"A number of them on their own were capable of killing him and one went into his heart."

The knife remained in Mr Mailau's chest after the final stabbing, the court heard.

Waterfall must serve at least 16 years behind bars before he will be eligible for parole.

Outside court, Detective Sergeant Paul Thornton said the men had been drinking very heavily.

"Alcohol in this situation was probably the main factor contributing to the tragic circumstance," he said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

China mine tycoon sentenced to death

A Chinese mining tycoon has been sentenced to death for leading a crime gang that killed rivals. Source: AAP

A FORMER Chinese mining tycoon has been sentenced to death for leading a crime gang that killed rivals, a state news agency reports, in a case that revealed ties between organised crime and politicians.

Liu Han is former chairman of energy conglomerate Sichuan Hanlong Group in the southwestern province of Sichuan, which owns stakes in Australian and US mines.

He disappeared in March 2013, temporarily disrupting deals to finance mine development in Nevada and Australia, before police announced he had been detained.

The death sentences for Liu Han and his brother Liu Wei were the first in trials of their 36-member gang by a court in the central province of Hubei, the Xinhua News Agency said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched an anti-corruption crackdown that has ensnared senior politicians and influential businessmen.

Many of the Sichuan cases are believed linked to Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Communist Party's Standing Committee, the country's ruling inner circle.

He is now believed to be a target of the wide-ranging graft investigation.

The Liu brothers and their associates have been charged with 15 crimes, including murder, assault, illegal detention, blackmail and operating casinos.

Prosecutors say their criminal activities, dating back to 1993, helped them amass 40 billion yuan ($A6.9 billion) in assets with businesses in finance, energy, real estate and mining, Xinhua has said.

The gang is accused in the deaths of nine people, five of whom were shot, according to earlier reports.

Police seized hand grenades, a half-dozen submachine guns, 20 pistols and other firearms.

Liu Han ranked No. 148 in 2012 on Forbes magazine's list of the richest Chinese businesspeople, with a fortune estimated at $US855 million.

He told The Wall Street Journal in 2010 that an investor once shot up his car after suffering losses in a deal.

The group is accused of fostering ties with politicians in Sichuan that helped Liu Han win appointment as a delegate of the provincial advisory body for three terms, according to earlier Xinhua reports.

Among the accused are three officials in city-level police and prosecutors' offices in Sichuan, Xinhua said.

It said Liu Wei's testimony showed the officials received money and gifts as well as weekly parties with illicit drugs.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA Labor tight-lipped on Ferguson move

LABOR'S West Australian branch is remaining tight-lipped about moves to have former federal resources minister Martin Ferguson ousted from the party.

On Monday night, the ALP's WA executive endorsed a motion put forward by the Maritime Union of Australia to remove Mr Ferguson from the party.

Mr Ferguson - who in October accepted the newly created chairman's role with the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's advisory board seven months after resigning from Julia Gillard's cabinet - has previously labelled the MUA a "rogue" union.

In February, he singled them out for delays and blowouts to the massive Gorgon gas project in WA.

And on Tuesday, Mr Ferguson told ABC radio in Perth that he would "not be losing any sleep" about the MUA's motion.

"This is the same branch of the ALP that in many ways is a national disgrace," he said.

"They should be debating more seriously why at the recent half-Senate election, why they let down not only the working people of Western Australia but the working people of Australia in their inability to elect two or three Labor senators.

"And the fact there's too much union influence in WA pre-selections at the state and federal level, and in policy determinations.

"It's about time we broadened the church of the Labor party and encouraged rank and file participation rather than union dominance."

A WA Labor spokesman said state leader Mark McGowan would not be commenting on the matter as it was "an internal issue".

But WA opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt retweeted a quote by federal leader Bill Shorten: "The Labor party has to learn to live with people with different views within its ranks".

The MUA was being sought for comment.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott contradicts budget on uni fees

A student union says Tony Abbott behaved cowardly by cancelling a university visit amid protests. Source: AAP

CONFUSION abounds over government plans to deregulate university fees after Prime Minister Tony Abbott contradicted his own budget.

But students who protested in Sydney and Melbourne are certain of one thing: they'll have to pay for the government's decisions and they're not happy.

Mr Abbott told ABC radio that only students who start studying in 2016 would face potentially higher fees when universities can charge what they like.

"If you start next year, your conditions of study won't change," he said.

But the budget papers clearly state that anyone who enrols after May 14 will face deregulated fees in 2016.

Only those who were already studying on budget day would continue to have their fees capped - and only if they finish their studies by 2020.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne reiterated this in a separate ABC radio interview after Mr Abbott's comments.

A mother asked him whether her daughter, already at university, would have to pay more.

"If that student stays in the course that she's doing, she'll continue under the rules that she started," he said.

"If she changes course, then quite rightly she will face the new measures."

A spokesman for Mr Pyne said the prime minister "may not have been as clear as he could have been".

Universities Australia told AAP it understands there's not been any change to policy.

It wants the government to take more time to look at any unintended consequences of the higher education changes before setting them in law.

Students were enrolling now to start in the second half of 2014 and universities had to be able to tell them what the costs would be from 2016.

"There is no time for universities to be able to cross the Ts and dot the Is to be able to advise students on what those fees might be," chief executive Belinda Robinson said.

National Union of Students president Deanna Taylor wasn't surprised by the confusion at high levels.

"I don't think the government really put a great deal of thought into their policy," she told AAP, saying it appeared to be very ideologically driven.

The union organised a national day of action on Wednesday with thousands of students protesting the changes.

In Melbourne, students clashed with police, while one activist was arrested in Sydney.

A police risk assessment before the protests forced Mr Abbott and Mr Pyne to cancel plans to visit a Geelong research facility at Deakin University.

Mr Abbott said students were looking for "a big rumble" and an excuse to riot.

Ms Taylor labelled the prime minister cowardly and said students weren't violent rabble-rousers out to cause trouble.

"They're trying to make us sound like spoiled little brats who don't know how good we've got it. They have a very clear agenda," she said.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Third NSW mine death in six weeks

A CONSTRUCTION rigger who died while working on a cherry picker at a coal mine was minutes away from stopping work.

The man, who police say was in his 30s, was working on the construction of a coal-handling plant at Boggabri coal mine in northwest NSW.

Reports about how the man died vary but it appears he was working on a cherry picker when he was hit by a piece of machinery on Wednesday morning.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Newcastle organiser Peter Harris was at the Boggabri coal mine expansion project for a monthly union meeting when he heard people screaming.

"We could see everyone screaming and yelling and trying to do CPR," Mr Harris told AAP.

"[Paramedics] let us know after 20 minutes that he had died."

Mr Harris said the man had only about five minutes to go before he would have left the construction site to attend a 9am union meeting.

He said it looked like a mechanical failure prompted the bucket on the cherry picker to tip, hitting the man and breaking his neck.

"The bucket itself, we could see it was leaning over at a precarious level," he said.

"I have never seen reported the type of mechanical failure that has occurred.

"It is something fairly extreme that has made the bucket drop off the angle it has."

A police spokesman said the man was crushed between the cherry picker and another structure.

It is understood the man was from Queensland.

"This site has a good safety record, there has never been a serious incident," Mr Harris said.

Idemitsu Australia Resources is expanding the coal mine, for which Thiess Sedgman has the construction contract.

In a statement Idemitsu said all mining had ceased at the site until further notice.

"We will work closely with our construction contractor to provide the appropriate support and assistance at this time," the company said.

Counselling is being provided to workers.

CFMEU NSW assistant secretary Rebel Hanlon said the death came on the back of last month's double fatality at a mine site in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Jamie Mitchell, 49, and Phillip Grant, 35, died after a wall collapsed on them 500m below ground at a coalmine in Paxton on April 15.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA prisoner recaptured after rehab escape

A 22-YEAR-OLD prisoner who escaped custody while at a rehabilitation hospital in Perth has been caught.

Darren John Goldsworthy escaped from the Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital in Shenton Park just before 2pm on Wednesday.

Police apprehended him near the Australian Army Irwin Barracks base in Karrakatta just after 3pm.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Attempted assault in inner Melbourne

A man has tried to sexually assault a woman in the inner Melbourne suburb of Brunswick. Source: AAP

A SEX offender has tried to assault a woman in inner Melbourne, the third such attack in the same suburb in a week.

In the latest incident, a woman was grabbed from behind by an unknown man who tried to sexually assault her in Hope Street, Brunswick, about 8pm Friday (AEST), police say.

A passer-by disturbed the offender and he ran away.

The attack comes after two similar attacks that occurred minutes apart last weekend in Brunswick, the same suburb where Jill Meagher was snatched from the street, and later murdered, in 2012.

But police say it is too early to link the latest attack to the other two, in which a man grabbed each woman from behind and dragged them down side streets.

Police said one woman, 22, had left a hotel and was walking along Sydney Road about 2.20am Saturday when the man grabbed her and dragged her to a side street.

She managed to break free and flagged down a friend who was driving past in a taxi.

The same man then tackled another 22-year-old woman from behind and wrestled her to the ground on nearby Charles Street. She was also able to break free and run away.

The offender told one of the women he was homeless and it was the first time he'd done anything like it, police say.

Both the women fought back when they were attacked.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghan women need Aust help: inquiry

AUSTRALIA has been urged to keep supporting Afghan women's rights so that gains the international community has helped fight for won't be lost.

Despite some minor human rights achievements over the years, Afghan women still face alarming rates of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, a public hearing in Canberra was told on Tuesday.

The backing of the international community has enabled Afghan women to play a more visible role in public life and make education and health gains.

But there was more work to be done, women's rights campaigner Zulaika Rafiq told the hearing.

"If the international community turns its backs on us now, we will be in a precarious situation," she said.

"We could see an erosion of the rights governments like Australia have helped us to fight for."

Ms Rafiq said Australian voices needed to be loud to keep pressure on its incoming new government.

In particular, she was concerned Afghanistan could approve draft laws that activists say will severely limit justice for victims of domestic abuse.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld trio held in jail over extortion ring

THREE men allegedly involved in a bikie drug and extortion racket will remain behind bars for now.

The trio was arrested in dawn raids on the Gold Coast on Monday.

Alleged Hells Angels members Christopher Bloomfield, 23, and Rhys Tracey Mirkin, 30, were remanded in custody at the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Suspected gang associate Brady Van Rooigen, 25, was also remanded in custody.

Police say they were involved in supplying the drug ice and threatening others with violence to recover debts.

One victim was bashed and others were forced to hand over their cars, according to detectives.

The trio is facing extortion, drugs and association charges while Bloomfield and Van Rooigen are also charged with assault.

Bloomfield was once a promising rugby league player who was included in the Gold Coast Titans' junior squad.

None of the men applied for bail and their cases were adjourned until July 4.

In an unrelated case a 35-year-old suspected bikie associate was extradited to Brisbane from Adelaide on Tuesday.

Police allege the Lone Wolves associate fled the Gold Coast last year after helping hold a 24-year-old man to ransom.

The victim's mother allegedly had to give the gang $1000 to free her son, who had ran up a large drug debt.

The extradited man is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Roads package a sham, says Labor

Labor says the government's road funding package in the Federal Budget is a sham. Source: AAP

LABOR says the government's road funding package is a sham.

Treasurer Joe Hockey's first budget on Tuesday is expected to outline how $42 billion will be spent on roads to create thousands of jobs.

It is a central plank of the Abbott government's bid to stimulate the economy as mining investment eases and reach its one million jobs target.

Labor transport spokesman Anthony Albanese says the new spend by the government is unlikely to come to more than $2 billion.

Mr Albanese says the previous government began work on $35 billion in infrastructure projects across all states and territories.

Among the most expensive were the Pacific Highway upgrades ($7.9 billion), Bruce Highway upgrades ($5.7 billion), Hunter Expressway ($1.5 billion) and Westconnex ($1.8 billion).

Labor had also set aside $4.2 billion for rail projects and studies in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart, which are all expected to face the axe on Tuesday.

And a Labor government tax-loss incentive for infrastructure projects of around $5 billion was expected to leverage $25 billion in new private sector spending.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Henry Lin spoke online before death: court

A court has heard how the case against accused murderer "Robert" Xie has been driven by a criminal. Source: AAP

IN the hours before schoolboy Henry Lin was brutally murdered in his Sydney home, he was chatting online to a friend about badminton, a court has heard.

The 12-year-old - along with nine-year-old brother Terry, parents Min Lin, 45 and Lily, 44, and aunt Irene, 39 - were killed in their Epping home in Sydney's northwest in July 2009.

The crown says Henry's uncle Lian Bin "Robert" Xie carried out the killings in the early hours of July 18, 2009.

The family's time of death, however, remains in dispute.

On Tuesday, Xie's trial heard from a former schoolgirl who regularly chatted with Henry online about his obsession with badminton and his dreams to one day represent Australia in the sport.

She said that on July 17, just before 6pm, Henry told her he was going to his grandparents' home for the regular family Friday night dinner.

By 6.03pm, his online status noted he was "away".

Then at 10.23pm, the girl said she again chatted with Henry, this time about a badminton game on YouTube before telling him she was going to bed about 11.26pm.

"You said, 'Good night', and he said, 'Bye ... good night'?" crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC asked.

"Yes," the girl replied.

The crown has previously told the court Henry and his brother Terry put up a "furious" struggle when they were beaten with a "hammer-like object" and asphyxiated in the bedroom they shared.

Henry is thought to have survived for up to 30 minutes after the attack, while Terry lived for up to two hours.

While the crown says Xie was "motivated by bitterness" to carry out the killings, the defence say he is innocent and more than one person committed the murders.

Xie's barrister, Graham Turnbull SC, on Tuesday finished his opening address to the Supreme Court jury, in which he attacked the credibility of a key aspect of the crown case - the evidence of prison informer "Witness A".

The crown says that after Xie was charged with the murders in 2010 and taken to Long Bay prison, he befriended the inmate and made a number of "concessions", including that he bought a hammer from a two-dollar store.

Mr Turnbull said Witness A was a practised informer and ruthless criminal who saw Xie as an opportunity to reduce his own jail time.

None of the conversations regarding buying a hammer, the sedation of his wife or his alleged motivation, was recorded.

"At the end of the day, the police case, it will be submitted ... was being run by Witness A. He fills in the gaps."

The trial continues.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shorten open to talks on MP standards

OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten is willing to talk to the Abbott government about ways to prevent corruption.

Mr Shorten was asked during Monday's federal Labor caucus meeting in Canberra whether he supported a national version of NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The Labor leader told colleagues he was willing to talk to the government about reforms to improve the performance and standards of MPs.

But he did not elaborate on what form of new checks he supported.

The Australian Greens on Thursday will push for a vote on a bill to put in place a national anti-corruption body.

The National Integrity Commission would have three officers: a national integrity commissioner, a law enforcement integrity commissioner and an independent parliamentary advisor.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Explosives company chooses US over Aust

EXPLOSIVES and fertiliser maker Incitec Pivot is building its new chemical plant in the US rather than Australia because of stunning cost differences.

The $US850 million ($A919.66 million) ammonia plant in New Orleans would cost closer to $A1.4 billion to build in Australia, chief executive James Fazzino said.

Australia had a great opportunity to become the food bowl for Asia - but it must get its productivity and costs under control, he said.

"The difference is in the US the project has about 35 per cent of the cost being labour, it Australia it would be more like 60 per cent," Mr Fazzino told reporters as the company released half year financial results.

"It is stunning to compare the efficiency and skills you get on site in the US with what you get in Australia."

Another factor in America's appeal for the company is that country's shale gas revolution, which has led to cheap energy and a rebirth of the chemical manufacturing industry - which include many of Incitec Pivot's customers.

"The fact you have got a very supportive environment in terms of gas, it is obviously the place at the moment for us to invest," Mr Fazzino said.

The company's key customers are in mining and agriculture.

Incitec Pivot increased half year net profit by seven per cent to a better than expected $115.7 million, driven by a 10 per cent jump in explosives earnings.

That was achieved on the back of better cashflow at its new $1 billion Moranbah ammonium nitrate plant in central Queensland - supplying the coal industry - along with cost cuts.

Fertiliser earnings edged two per cent higher, due to weaker prices and drought in northern Australia.

Mr Fazzino gave a negative assessment of the current state of the mining industry in Australia.

However he was optimistic about the company's strategy of being leveraged to the urbanisation of China and Asia, plus chemical manufacturing in the US.

"In terms of agriculture there are more mouths being fed every day in Asia in particular," Mr Fazzino said.

"Those mouths want to eat higher protein meat and beef rather than grains and that is a positive thematic for fertilisers and agriculture as it takes around three times more intensity to supply protein."

The company's Moranbah plant would ramp up to a full production in 2015, more than doubling earnings and cash in the Asia Pacific explosives business, he said.

Incitec Pivot shares gained three cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $2.85.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More