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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