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.

15.04 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

15.04 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More