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Gillard says Abbott backs referendum

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 09 Mei 2013 | 13.23

Julia Gillard says she has bipartisan support to recognise local government in the constitution. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says she has bipartisan support for a referendum to recognise local government in the Australian Constitution.

The referendum will run in conjunction with the September 14 federal election.

Announcing the referendum in Brisbane, Ms Gillard said local government was important to communities and to the nation.

"This referendum will be presented in a bipartisan spirit," Ms Gillard told reporters on Thursday.

"The leader of the opposition has indicated he is prepared to support such a referendum.

"We took this as a promise to the 2010 election and now here in 2013 I will be asking the nation to vote 'yes' and to get this done."

Ms Gillard said the draft legislation and proposed wording will be released shortly.

She said the constitutional change would not alter the ability of state governments to legislate for local government, including amalgamations.

The Constitution says nothing about local government despite it providing a wide range of services.

"We are proposing a modest and commonsense change to our Constitution that simply reflects the modern reality in our local communities," Ms Gillard said.

The changes are based on the findings of an expert panel and endorsed by a parliamentary committee.

Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese said holding it at the same time as the election would cut the cost of it.

Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese urged people to vote yes in the referendum, saying constitutional recognition would validate "the reality of modern Australia".

"The reality in which local government has long ago moved beyond just being rates, roads and rubbish," he said in Brisbane.

"Local government that's engaged in child care, that's involved in a range of service provisions, and we want to recognise that."

Mr Albanese said the constitutional change would not affect the relationship between local and state governments.

"It will recognise ... that local governments are creations of state government and are still responsible to and accountable to those state governments," he said.

"A modest change, but an important one to ensure that our constitution, our most important document, reflects the reality of modern Australia."

The federal government is expected to introduce legislation on the referendum to parliament next week.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cruise passengers missing off NSW

POLICE have launched a major search of the NSW coast after two passengers were discovered missing from a cruise ship docked at Sydney Harbour.

The passengers on board Carnival Spirit were reported missing just after it docked at Circular Quay at 11.30am (AEST).

It is believed the 30-year-old man and 26-year-old-woman may have fallen overboard.

A police spokesman said the marine search stretches from Sydney Harbour to Newcastle.

Carnival Spirit is operated by Carnival Cruise Lines.

The ship has 1062 cabins and can accommodate up to 2680 passengers.

A spokesman for Carnival Cruise Lines said the couple had been sharing a cabin on the ship and were travelling with family and friends on a 10-night cruise of the Pacific Islands.

He says they were last seen early in the evening on Wednesday when the ship was at sea about half way between the island of Mare and Sydney.

"When these two passengers failed to disembark a full search was launched of the ship and the authorities were notified," he told AAP.

There were 2680 passengers on board.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it was co-ordinating a 300 square nautical mile air search for the missing couple about 60 nautical miles south of Port Macquarie.

AMSA said it understood they were last seen at 8.30pm (AEST) on Wednesday.

It is understood their disappearance is not being treated as suspicious.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stepmum says Zahra Baker wasn't murdered

Zahra Baker's jailed stepmother has claimed the disabled Australian schoolgirl was not murdered. Source: AAP

ZAHRA Baker's stepmother has claimed in a US jailhouse interview the disabled Australian schoolgirl was not murdered, but died in the family's North Carolina home after suffering a stomach bug.

Elisa Baker, who pleaded guilty to the murder and dismemberment of 10-year-old bone cancer survivor Zahra in a deal with prosecutors in 2011, alleged it was Zahra's father, former Queensland sugar mill worker Adam Baker, who chopped up the girl's body.

"I plead guilty to something I didn't even do and it wasn't even a murder," Baker said in an interview with North Carolina TV station WSOC.

She said she was furious Mr Baker was never charged in relation to Zahra's death and was allowed to return to Australia.

"It makes me so, so angry," Baker said.

"He's gone back to Australia.

"He has a life."

Baker, 44, is serving a maximum 18-year jail sentence for Zahra's dismemberment and murder.

When it is complete, she will serve another 10 years for an unrelated conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs charge.

On the day of Zahra's death in September, 2010, Baker said Zahra had a stomach bug.

When she went to check on Zahra in her bedroom, Baker said her stepdaughter was not breathing.

"I didn't see her chest moving up and down," Baker said.

She said she started doing CPR, but did not call an ambulance.

Instead, she said she called Mr Baker, who allegedly told her: "Calm down. I'll take care of it".

The next day she alleged Mr Baker dismembered Zahra in the bathroom, an act she thought may be an Aboriginal ritual, and he asked her to help dump the body parts.

"I thought it was maybe a strange ritual that he done," she said.

"For all I know, the Aborigines."

Zahra's body parts were found scattered in various areas of bushland near the family's home in Hickory, North Carolina.

Mr Baker met Baker on the internet, they married and moved to North Carolina with Zahra in 2008.

Baker, held in the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, said other inmates taunted her with the nickname "baby killer".

She described Zahra, who had a leg amputated at the age of five after being stricken by bone cancer, as a blessing and said Zarah's name was tattooed on her back, along with the names of her other children.

"She stays on my mind, every day," Baker said.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jury weighs US abortion clinic deaths

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 08 Mei 2013 | 13.23

A JURY weighing murder charges against a US abortion provider will re-hear several hours of testimony before resuming deliberations.

Dr Kermit Gosnell is charged with killing a patient and four babies allegedly born alive.

Philadelphia prosecutors say the 72-year-old Gosnell routinely killed babies born alive.

The jury is set to spend much of Wednesday reviewing the testimony of medical assistant Lynda Williams.

One of the deaths Gosnell is charged with relates to Williams.

She has testified that she cut the child in the back of the neck after it was alive for about 20 minutes.

Gosnell is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly conspiring with Williams to kill that baby. Williams has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.

The jury has been deliberating for a week.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

RBA cut gives economy breathing room

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 07 Mei 2013 | 13.23

BUSINESS groups have applauded the decision by the central bank to cut the official interest rates to a new low.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said the move by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) was timely, given a sluggish retail market and a lack of confidence among households.

The RBA cut the cash interest rate to 2.75 per cent, from three per cent.

The move was not expected by financial markets, but the RBA said it had decided it was appropriate to encourage economic growth, given inflation was not a threat.

"With retail sales showing no sustained growth over the past few months amid weak consumer sentiment, the RBA has provided some relief," ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman said in a statement.

"What we need now is for the banks to pass on today's interest rate cut in full."

Soon after the RBA decision, National Australia Bank lowered its standard variable mortgage rate by 25 basis points to 6.13 per cent.

Master Builders Australia, representing the construction industry, said the cut would help stimulate the building sector, as well as the broader economy.

"With a tenuous recovery at risk, the Reserve Bank is justified in cutting rates to boost confidence and stimulate activity," chief executive Wilhelm Harnisch said in a statement.

"A strong housing recovery is vital to fill the gap in the economy created by the slowing of mining-related activity."

Mr Harnisch said the retail banks had a "moral obligation" to pass on the cut to customers.

"The economy cannot afford to have the Reserve Bank's heavy lifting to improve consumer confidence undermined by the banks," he added.

The Australian Industry Group said the RBA's decision was timely given the downturn in the domestic economy.

"Alone this will not act as a silver bullet to boost demand but it is a welcome step to stimulate economic activity," Ai Group chief Innes Willox said.

Mr Willox said all eyes would now be on next week's federal budget amid fears "excessive" spending cuts or tax rises could again negatively impact business activity.

"It is crucial that monetary and fiscal policy are aligned at this time," he said.

Australian National Retailers Association chief Margy Osmond said the rate cut was just what retailers needed and should give households incentive to spend at the shops.

"The sector is doing what it can to get Aussies back to shopping, prices are down and there's not much room for them to drop further," she said.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said the RBA had got it right and the rate cut would boost business confidence.

"This is a cut that will add some degree of confidence to Australia's small business community who have seen the cautious consumer as well as rising business costs eat away at their trading profits and eat away at their employing capacity," ACCI chief Peter Anderson said.

He called on retail banks to pass on the cut in full, to give it "bite".

"There should be no ifs, no buts, no clawback."

Asked if the RBA should cut rates again before the end of the year, Mr Anderson said if the labour market continued to soften "then unfortunately it will look like we need a policy response".

National Farmers' Federation said the cut came at a good time for farmers already dealing with the negative impact of the high Australian dollar and trying to access finance.

"We urge the rural lending sector to pass this rate cut on in full to our farmers," president Duncan Fraser said.

But National Seniors Australia says the rate cut will hurt retirees living off investments like term deposits.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abuse whistleblower 'lied to NSW police'

Whistleblower Peter Fox lied about forgetting to bring abuse victims' statements to a meeting. Source: AAP

NSW police whistleblower Peter Fox has told an inquiry he lied to fellow officers when he said he forgot to bring statements from sex abuse victims to a meeting.

Detective Chief Inspector Fox told the hearing in Newcastle on Tuesday he had deliberately left the documents on his desk.

Asked by counsel assisting the inquiry, Julia Lonergan SC, if he had lied to police in saying he had forgotten them, he replied: "Absolutely."

He has previously testified that he had lost trust in some senior police.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to surrender them (the documents)," Insp Fox said.

He said he went to the December 2010 meeting at Waratah police station hoping to be able to continue his investigations into child sexual abuse by priests.

But he held concerns the meeting would be about something else, and "sadly the latter was correct".

It was at that meeting he was told to cease his investigations and hand over his files.

Insp Fox has alleged a "Catholic mafia" including police tried to cover up sex abuse crimes by priests in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese.

Special Commissioner Margaret Cunneen is investigating the circumstances in which Insp Fox was asked to stop probing certain matters.

She will hear evidence from senior police including two assistant commissioners and two superintendents, as well as former policeman Troy Grant who is now a NSW Nationals MP.

The inquiry is concentrating on two priests - serial sex offender Father Denis McAlinden and convicted paedophile Father James Fletcher, both now dead.

The inquiry is continuing.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boomtown Rats won't tour Down Under

Poor ticket sales have led to the official cancellation of the Boomtown Rats tour of Australia. Source: AAP

THE Boomtown Rats tour of Australia has been officially cancelled.

Sir Bob Geldof recently made a visit to Australia to announce the band's reformation and announced the Aussie dates but it seems Australians just didn't care.

Initially announced for five shows across the country the band had to cancel its Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane dates in April because they hadn't had enought interest.

On Tuesday it was announced the remaining gigs in Perth and Sydney have now been axed with ticketholders urged to seek refunds.

The next scheduled performance for Boomtown Rats is now June 16 at the Isle of Wight Festival, UK.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three men arrested after Vic coal protest

Written By Unknown on Senin, 06 Mei 2013 | 13.23

Three men have been arrested after climbing Flinders Street Station to unfurl an anti-coal banner. Source: AAP

THREE protesters have been arrested after climbing on to Melbourne's Flinders Street Station to unfurl an anti-coal banner.

The Quit Coal coalition protesters used ropes to climb the clock tower on Monday and release the banner urging Victorian Premier Denis Napthine to invest in renewable energy.

Police confirmed three men were arrested at the scene.

Quit Coal spokeswoman Chloe Aldenhoven said two abseiling protesters and a third man who checked the rigging atop the clock tower were taken to Melbourne West police station for questioning.

The black banner read "Get off the coal train and on track for renewables, Denis," and features a train and a caricature of Dr Napthine trying to derail the tracks.

Ms Aldenhoven said the protesters knew they were at risk of being arrested for trespassing.

"They believe considering the disastrous predictions that climate change was offering that civil disobedience is a warranted course of action," Ms Aldenhoven said.

She said the big banner was taken down by police.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Giffords given US Profile in Courage award

Former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (L) has been given the 2013 Profile in Courage award. Source: AAP

CAROLINE Kennedy has presented former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with the 2013 Profile in Courage award at the John F Kennedy Library.

The award was made in recognition of the political, personal, and physical courage she has demonstrated in her public advocacy for policy reforms aimed at reducing gun violence.

Giffords, who was seriously wounded in a 2011 mass shooting when a lone gunman opened fire as she met with constituents in a Tucson, Arizona, shopping mall, and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, have been lobbying for gun control legislation.

This year, on the second anniversary of the January shooting, the couple started Americans for Responsible Gun Ownership, an organisation that "supports the right to bear arms and responsible public policy on guns and gun ownership".

In presenting the award Kennedy said: "Gabby Giffords has turned a personal nightmare into a movement for political change".

Referring to the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings, Kennedy said: "All Americans have been inspired by the countless acts of selfless bravery and compassion we saw during the violence that struck this city on Patriots Day".

Giffords called for courage from lawmakers, a reference to Congress' failure to pass gun control legislation last week.

"I believe we all have courage inside," she said.

"I just wish there was more courage in Congress.

"It's been a hard two years for me but I want to make the world a better place more than ever," she said.

Kennedy added rare personal insight into the enduring grief suffered by her family because of gun violence.

"Our family is still suffering from the heartbreak caused by gun violence," said Kennedy, the daughter of President John F Kennedy and niece of Senator Robert F Kennedy, who were both assassinated.

"No one should have to lose a husband, a wife, a father, a child, to senseless murder."


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aerosmith drops Indonesia show

Aerosmith cancelled an Indonesian show after a bomb plot targeting the Myanmar embassy was foiled. Source: AAP

AEROSMITH has cancelled a show in Indonesia after authorities revealed they had foiled a bomb plot targeting the Myanmar (Burma) Embassy.

Concert promoter Ismaya Live cited safety concerns as the reason for the cancellation, but it wasn't clear if there was a direct connection to the alleged embassy plot.

The American rockers were scheduled to perform on Saturday for a nearly sold-out crowd of 15,000 in Jakarta, said Helmi Sugara, event organiser spokesman.

The statement about the cancellation carried an apology from Aerosmith also saying they hoped to make it up to the fans one day. There was no immediate indication if they would reschedule.

Indonesian police said on Friday they had arrested two suspected militants and seized bombs the suspects were plotting to use against the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta to protest Myanmar's treatment of Muslims.

Aerosmith started an Asia-Pacific tour in April with their first-ever concert in New Zealand and several shows in Australia. They're scheduled to play on Wednesday in the Philippines.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bangladesh building 'unsuited for factory'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 05 Mei 2013 | 13.23

THE Bangladesh building that collapsed last month killing more than 570 people was designed to be used for a shopping mall and commercial offices such as banks, not for factories, the architect told AFP.

Masood Reza, a leading Bangladesh architect and a professor at a state-run university, said he felt "pain and anguish" when he saw footage of the garment workers trapped under the pancaked floors, crying desperately for help.

He accused building owner, Sohel Rana, now facing charges of death due to negligence and violating construction laws, of ignoring the basics of structural engineering that resulted in the country's worst industrial tragedy.

Reza said his firm designed Rana Plaza in 2004 and the original design had provision for six floors, not the extended nine storeys, and they were not meant for carrying big loads such as generators.

"When we designed the building, the owner and the developer never told us that the floors will house garment factories," Reza, 42, alleged.

"Had they told us, the structure and design would have been different and stronger," he said.

"We designed a six-storey building with a semi-basement, shopping malls in the first three floors and the rest for offices. There was no way the building was designed to be extended to nine or 10 floors," he said.

Some 3,000 garment workers sewing clothes for Western brands were on shift at the time of the disaster in the Rana Plaza compound, which housed five different textile factories.

The architect's words came as bulldozers and cranes clawed away at the mountain of rubble at the plant site to uncover more bodies as distraught onlookers clutched photographs of missing relatives.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Imran Khan told AFP the death toll on Sunday morning "stands at 572" and that more bodies had been spotted between the pancaked floors.

The head of the government committee probing the disaster told AFP their investigation also found the building was only meant "for commercial use" -- not for factories that need heavy machinery".

Main Uddin Khandaker told AFP the building housed at least four giant electrical generators on the top floors, whose vibration combined with the vibrations of sewing machines triggered the collapse.

Reza said the building's original design only had a "provision for a small ground-floor generator for the elevator", adding Bangladesh's building code did not allow generators to be kept on upper floors.

Government officials alleged the owner added the three more floors after getting approval from authorities in Savar, a town 30 kilometres northwest of Dhaka.

The building owner, his father and four garment factory owners are among 12 people who have been arrested by police on charges of death due to negligence and breaking construction laws.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld govt defends its $1m TV ad campaign

THE Queensland government has defended spending $1 million on a television advertisement, saying it has slashed its overall spending on ads.

The one-minute advertisement, to be screened from Sunday night, urges Queenslanders to get involved in the government's 30-year plan for the state.

All 89 Queensland MPs are expected at a summit in Mackay, in central Queensland, on Friday to discuss their long-term vision for the state.

Queensland Council of Unions president John Battams said the government was promoting its plan to privatise state assets, and Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the money could have been put to better use.

But the government says it has cut the advertising budget by 44 per cent since it came to power in 2012 and saved $20 million.

A spokesman said the Bligh government had spent $45.3 million between July and December in 2011, compared to the Newman government's spend of $25.54 million in the same period in 2012.

"Regardless, the Queensland Plan is not a party political exercise and this campaign is not political advertising," the spokesman said in a statement to AAP.

"The Queensland Plan is an opportunity for Queenslanders to create a vision for their state for the next 30 years and it has bipartisan support."


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aussie banks performing better than peers

AUSTRALIAN banks are performing better than many of their overseas peers and local banking stocks are still good value, ANZ Chief executive Mike Smith says.

Some analysts believe Australian banking stocks are 10 to 15 per cent overvalued, but Mr Smith says local banks are among the best in the world.

"Are they fundamentally overvalued? I wouldn't say so," Mr Smith told ABC's Insider Business program on Sunday.

"They are performing better than many of their global peers."

ANZ shares closed at $31.60 on Friday, remaining at six year highs after the company lifted its dividend and posted a $3 billion-plus half year profit last week.

High yielding financial stocks have received a substantial boost in recent months.

Westpac shares are up almost 30 per cent for the year.

On Friday Westpac announced a special dividend after posting a record $3.3 billion first half profit.

Mr Smith added that ANZ needed to use technology "far better" and indicated the bank would move more of its services online.

He believes the global economy is still fragile and Europe is likely to be a mess for a while.

"All this austerity just doesn't work, you've got to create some stimulus as well," Mr Smith said.

However, he is bullish on Asia, where the bank's future growth is heavily invested.

He said the shift in economic power from the west to the east had decades to run.

The bulk of the bank's earnings still come from Australia and New Zealand, with only 20 per cent derived from offshore.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More
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