Deputy PM says airport curfew claims false

DEPUTY Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at claims flights were allowed to land after curfew at Sydney airport because politicians were on board.

Max Moore-Wilson, the boss of Sydney airport, claimed that Virgin Australia was on Tuesday night given preferential treatment and allowed to land 10 planes after the strict 11pm (AEST) curfew, News Corp Australia reports.

"I suspect there were a few politicians on those planes," he told an aviation conference in Sydney on Friday.

But Mr Albanese has refuted the statement, saying up to four flights were allowed to land between 11pm and 11.30 pm because of a "breakdown in (Virgin Australia's) communication system."

No flights landed after curfew on Tuesday night, News Corp reports.

Mr Albanese accused Mr Moore-Wilton of making "personal attacks" and "an extraordinary assertion" motivated by a desire to stop a second airport being built for Sydney.

"Max Moore-Wilton believes that this should continue to be a monopoly airport, the only airport for Sydney," Mr Albanese told reporters on Saturday.

And in order to downplay its problems "he tries to find some other reason why there are constraints and issues at this airport," the Deputy Prime Minister added.

Mr Albanese said jobs, economic growth and "Sydney's future as a global city" would be jeopardised if a second airport isn't constructed.

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Underdog ALP to win, says Hawke

FORMER Prime Minister Bob Hawke says he rates Labor the "underdog" to win the election, but is still confident the party can beat the coalition on September 7.

"We'd have to still be rated the underdog but we can win," Mr Hawke told reporters as he left the campaign launch of Labor's candidate for Kingsford Smith, Matt Thistlethwaite.

The former PM was in the Sydney seat to spruik for Mr Thistlethwaite, who was preselected after retiring MP Peter Garrett announced he wouldn't recontest it.

Mr Hawke told the campaign launch he was "absolutely bloody staggered by the cheek of this bloke Abbott." He said history showed Labor performed better on economic management than the coalition.

"Look at the present, we have an economy in Australia that the other developed economies of the world would give their bloody eye-teeth for," Mr Hawke told the crowd of around 100 people at Maroubra surf club.

"Theirs (the coalition's) is a record of hopeless mismanagement." The former PM urged voters to assess both the ALP and the coalition like they were "buying a new car".

"You look at the record, the performance, you go for the one that's got the record, the performance," he said.

"Look at the records ... It's Labor, Labor, Labor, Labor every time." Mr Hawke's appearance comes a day after another former PM, John Howard, talked up the Liberal's candidate in the Central Coast seat of Dobell.

And Mr Hawke was not going to be outdone, describing Mr Thistlethwaite as a "bloody marvellous candidate".

"Kingsford smith couldn't have anyone better to represent it" he said.

The ALP has held Kingsford-Smith since 1949, but there was an 8.9 per cent swing against Labor in the 2010 election.

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Qld child porn sting leads to NYC arrest

AN undercover online operation run by Queensland police to capture pedophiles has led to the arrest of two brothers in New York accused of making child pornography involving a seven-year-old.

Richard Hastings, 21, and Robert Hastings, 18, of Mayfield, New York, are accused of emailing pornographic photos of the child last month to a Queensland police officer who was posing online as a pedophile.

The brothers are also accused of making a sexually explicit video of the child.

Queensland police, who have become a global leader in the pursuit of pedophiles who use the internet to exploit children, tipped off US authorities, and the brothers were arrested on Thursday.

If found guilty of the two counts of producing child pornography they face a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years' jail and a maximum of 30 years.

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Honda to build second factory in Brazil

Carmaker Honda will invest more than $A485 million to build a second factory in Brazil. Source: AAP

HONDA Motor Co says it will invest 1 billion reals ($A485.71 million) to build its second factory in Latin America's biggest country.

In a statement emailed on Thursday, the Japanese car manufacturer says the new plant is expected to begin operating in 2015 and will have an annual production capacity of 120,000 compact cars.

The new production unit will be built near the city of Itirapina in Sao Paulo state.

Honda's plant in the city of Sumare has been operating since 1997. It produces 120,000 cars a year.

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Lower speed limits hailed in SA

CUTTING urban speed limits in South Australia to 50km/h has saved more than 100 lives and $1 billion in crash costs over the past decade.

Marking the 10th year of the lower limit, Road Safety Minister Michael O'Brien says the change can now be declared a resounding success.

"It has brought the significance of speed to the public's attention and actually led to lower speeds and less injuries on all roads, not just those that were changed to 50km/h," Mr O'Brien said on Friday.

Over the past 10 years the state's road toll has dropped from 154 in 2002 to 94 in 2012, the 39 per cent fall the largest in any state or territory.

Casualties have also fallen from 10,074 to 7473 while analysis by the University of Adelaide's Centre for Automotive Safety Research has found that average speeds have dropped and the number of drivers flouting the lower speed limit has halved.

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Dodgy NSW drivers risking lives

MOTORISTS are failing to get out of the way of emergency vehicles, putting lives at risk, say the top brass from NSW's emergency services.

A collective warning has been issued by the commissioners of police, firefighters and State Emergency Service (SES) to drivers who chose to ignore the blaring sirens and flashing lights.

"An obstructed journey can be the difference between life and death," NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher said on Friday.

It follows reports from firefighters, paramedics, police and emergency service volunteers, who have all raised concerns about drivers not moving out of their way.

"Seconds count in an emergency," Mr Gallacher warned.

Fire & Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins said new air horns were being installed to further alert drivers of the need to get out of the way.

"We're hoping these new air horns, with their distinctive sound, will draw the attention of drivers and pedestrians when fire engines respond to emergencies," he said.

Mr Mullins said fire engines weigh up to 15 tonnes and can be carrying 2000 litres of water when en route to an emergency.

"They don't stop easily when a driver brakes suddenly or pulls out in front of them."

NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Murray Kear said their vehicles responded to a variety of life threatening situations in regional areas, including flood rescues and road crash rescues.

"In these situations optimising the response time is vital," he added.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons thanked those drivers who abide by the rules but said there were others who blocked emergency services vehicles.

Centre for Road Safety general manager Marg Prendergast said the road rules were simple:

* don't block or move into the path of an emergency vehicle when they are using their lights or sirens

* move to the left as quickly and safely as possible

* never stop near an incident in a position that obstructs traffic

* drivers must always give way to emergency services.

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Abbott sceptical of boat slowdown

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott is sceptical that the flow of asylum seekers is slowing.

He says there is still a pipeline of some 10,000 would-be asylum seekers yet to make the trip to Australian waters.

It beggars belief that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who caused this problem when he backed away from the Howard government policy in 2008, could ever fix it, he says.

"How can anything be working if it has produced 50,000 plus illegal arrivals by boat," he told reporters in Tasmania.

"The idea that the person who created this problem has suddenly magically solved it, the idea that Mr Rudd can just somehow absolve himself of culpability and responsibility for this will never wash with the Australian people."

Immigration Minister Tony Burke has said that intelligence reports from Indonesia indicate many potential asylum seekers were now seeking their money back from people smugglers, indicating the government's tough stand was working.

Mr Abbott said thanks to Mr Rudd's policies, there was a huge pipeline of potential illegal arrivals.

Labor has said there may be up to 15,000 in Indonesia.

"If you want to stop the boats, it's not enough to rely on other countries to do it for you, you have got to put the right policies in place on our borders," he said.

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WA still in the black but not for long

THE West Australian economy has managed to stay in the black, but a deficit looms for the 2014/15 financial year.

The $239 million surplus for the year ended June 30 is just $2 million shy of the pre-election estimate in February.

But it is down sharply from $649 million for the previous period because of lower revenues from payroll tax, public utilities, the GST carve-up and iron ore royalties.

Treasurer Troy Buswell said easing economic growth reflected the transition from an intense construction phase in WA to a production phase as new mines come online, needing fewer staff.

The unemployment rate is tipped to rise to 5.5 per cent this financial year, from 4.4 per cent.

"Our economy is supported by ongoing work on a number of large liquefied natural gas and iron ore projects," Mr Buswell said.

"But the flow of new projects has eased and business investment in WA appears to have peaked, although still expected to stay at historically high levels.

"The government is attempting to achieve a difficult balance of investment in services and infrastructure to cope with spiralling demand from a growing population, while some traditionally strong revenue streams, like payroll tax and land tax, are not performing as strongly as previously expected."

A $386 million surplus has been forecast for the current financial year, which Mr Buswell describes as a modest buffer against the state's falling GST share and any commodity price falls.

An expected growth in revenue of 8.9 per cent in 2013/14 is attributed to an increase in the royalty rate for iron ore fines and drastic cost cutting in the public sector under the Liberal government's $6.8 billion "Fiscal Action Plan".

The state's books are predicted to slide into the red by $147 million in 2014/15, which Mr Buswell largely blames on falling GST revenue, and would come despite an expected steady increase in LNG and iron ore exports.

If WA's GST projections are to be believed, given they differ from those in the Commonwealth Budget Papers, the state's share will plunge from 4.9 per cent this financial year to 0.9 per cent in 2016/17.

And with a record spend on infrastructure ahead, debt is poised to soar well beyond the state government's previously hallowed $20 billion cap, rising to $28.3 billion in four years' time, from $18.5 billion at the end of June.

The Mr Buswell may well be kept awake at night worrying about retaining WA's AAA credit rating, with debt servicing costs set to soar from $46.6 million last financial year to $201.4 million in 2015/16.

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More PTSD among combat soldiers

AFTER more than a decade of operations, there's yet to be a tsunami of traumatised combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

But new studies show higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among those on the frontline, particularly soldiers involved in bomb disposal.

The studies, released on Thursday, found the highest rates of PTSD symptoms were among those two to three years out of the defence force.

There was no clear correlation between PTSD symptoms and time spent deployed or repeated deployments.

Overall, those who deployed on operations were physically and mentally healthy with their PTSD rates not significantly different who those who never left Australia.

Former Middle East commander, retired major General John Cantwell, had predicted a tidal wave or tsunami of PTSD among those who have served in recent operations.

But Defence force chief General David Hurley said that was emotive language which did not take into account that defence personnel have been performing difficult border protection tasks and rotating through operations in the Middle East for 12 years.

"Assuming a tidal wave, we should expect to be experiencing that now. Our data does not support this view," he said.

One study surveyed the health of 3074 defence members who served in the Middle East in the period 2010-12. It found 1.9 per cent reported PTSD symptoms after their deployment. There was also higher rates of obesity and alcohol disorder.

The second study surveyed 14,032 defence personnel who served in the Middle East between 2001 and 2009.

"Symptoms of PTSD and other mental health problems were more prevalent among members who reported high levels of traumatic and combat exposures," it said.

Those involved in bomb disposal reported the highest level of traumatic and combat exposure.

Department of Veterans Affairs deputy-president Shane Carmody said around 800 a year were granted compensation for PTSD with a similar number seeking treatment but not compensation.

Director-general of defence health Rear Admiral Robyn Walker said it was estimated 10 per cent of the current defence force would seek help for a mental health condition.

"The study shows while you remain in the ADF, you remain pretty healthy. There is about seven times the rate of PTSD symptoms among those no longer in the reserve and those who no longer have a relationship (with defence)," she said.

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Nuttall's house to be auctioned

Gordon Nuttall's Brisbane home will be auctioned so he can pay fines for contempt of parliament. Source: AAP

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Laurie said repairs have been completed.

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

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Labor's boat message is working: Burke

Labor's message on boat arrivals is getting through in Indonesia, the immigration minister says. Source: AAP

LABOR'S tougher message on boat arrivals is getting through in Indonesia with people seeking their money back from smugglers, Immigration Minister Tony Burke says.

He says he's received reports from Indonesia that there are widespread demands from potential asylum seekers wanting their money back from people smugglers.

Mr Burke says they are realising they would be buying a ticket to Papua New Guinea or Nauru not to Australia.

"When I say the demands for money back are widespread, they are absolutely widespread," Mr Burke told reporters in Sydney.

"They realise that what they have paid for is no longer available to them."

"There is no doubt that the message is getting through."

Mr Burke said the only way to stop people smugglers was to take their product and customers away, and that was starting to happen.

He also said a "very significant number" of people who had been transferred to PNG's Manus Island were now in talks with internationals organisation of migration organising their transfers back home.

He said that could be done fairly quickly if they still had their identity documents with them.

Mr Burke said whatever capacity is needed to house asylum seekers would be built under the federal government's asylum seeker resettlement deal with PNG.

He said refugees would be looked after and given resettlement opportunities to get on with their lives.

If they have been found not to be refugees it was probably a fair indication that it was safe for them to go home, he said.

Labor's policy says people who arrive in Australia by boat without a visa will not be settled in Australia.

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Prostate experts end PSA test confusion

SOME of the world's top prostate cancer specialists have endorsed PSA testing as a useful early detection tool.

In an announcement at the Prostate Cancer World Congress in Melbourne on Wednesday, they said there was strong evidence in favour of testing men aged 50 to 69.

They hoped what they called the Melbourne consensus would clarify confusion about screening and treatment.

A key element of their consensus was that not all diagnoses should lead to treatment.

"Many men with low-risk prostate cancer do not need aggressive treatment," said the statement, signed by specialists from several countries.

"Active surveillance protocols have been developed and have been shown to be a reasonable and safe option for many men with low-volume, low-risk prostate cancer."

Another key element is open communication.

"The decision to undergo PSA testing should be shared between patient and doctor, and men should be well counselled about the harms and benefits of early detection," said Professor Tony Costello, director of Urology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a key signatory to the statement.

"No man should be denied PSA testing," he said.

"Advances in medical science and clinical protocols are reducing the risk of over-diagnosis and over-treatment.

"We support the rational use of PSA testing to predict the risk of prostate cancer, followed by active surveillance to ensure all men benefit from early detection and lower death rates."

The experts emphasised PSA testing should be part of a broader strategy.

Rectal examination, taking a family history and considering a patient's ethnicity were also important.

The statement said it was useful for men in their 40s to have a PSA test to help predict their future risk.

While agreeing with some parts of the statement, Cancer Council Australia said the consensus was not backed by definite evidence-based literature.

"It would be helpful to separate the diagnosis from treatment to avoid over-treatment of prostate cancers which would never have caused problems in the man's lifetime," said council CEO Professor Ian Olver.

"However, this separation is difficult because often men fearful of prostate cancer want immediate treatment.

"Until now over-diagnosis has led to over-treatment and over-treatment leads to side effects such as impotence and incontinence without benefit."

He said the ultimate goal was a better test to accurately diagnose prostate cancer and predict the aggressiveness of the disease.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation welcomed the consensus.

CEO Dr Anthony Lowe said it was an important step in clarifying the issue for Australian men.

"We have consistently urged men who are over 50 years, or 40 years with a family history, to talk to their doctor.

"The consensus statement is clear in saying there is now strong evidence that PSA testing reduces the risk of metastatic prostate cancer and of death from prostate cancer among this group."

He said the foundation was working with Cancer Council Australia and other interest groups to develop evidence-based clinical guidelines.

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Rudd still popular on home turf

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has denied claims he's been an "absent member" in his Griffith electorate. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has denied claims he's been an "absent member" in his own Brisbane-based seat.

Mr Rudd was back in his electorate of Griffith on Tuesday where he took part in a debate, which he agreed to before regaining the nation's top job.

The prime minister spruiked his local credentials amid claims by Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate Bill Glasson that he has often been missing from the seat he serves.

Mr Rudd said he and his wife Therese Rein doorknocked more than 36,000 homes when he first contested Griffith in 1996.

"We have been through most streets in the electorate, every cul-de-sac, and met most of the dogs," he quipped.

"And can I say, having done that, we then lost that election. It made me even more determined to contest the seat again."

He spoke of his kids growing up in the electorate, and of serving on the P&C committee when they went to the local state school at Morningside.

"This is my community and I love it very much. We've lived here now for more than 20 years and for us, it's home," he said.

A new poll suggests Mr Rudd's roles beyond being the local MP haven't hurt his standing going into the September 7 federal election.

The Reachtel poll of 702 Griffith voters shows he will easily retain his seat, with 54.5 per cent of the two-party preferred vote to Dr Glasson's 45.5 per cent.

Locals also prefer him to Tony Abbott as prime minister, 59.5 per cent to Mr Abbott's 40.5 per cent.

Mr Rudd used Tuesday's debate to relate federal Labor policy, including the national broadband network and education reforms, to a local level.

Those policies would give people in the electorate a "fair go", he said.

Dr Glasson said the government got "10 out of 10" for policy ideas - but "0 out of 10" for implementation.

He said schools and businesses in the electorate wanted greater control of how funding was spent, instead of it being doled out in a "government knows best" approach.

Dr Glasson admitted he had no strong ties to his party, but thought it best represented his beliefs.

"You've got to sit in your rocking chair at the end of your career and you've got to say: 'Listen, I've made the right decision, I've made it for the right reason'," he said.

Griffith candidates, including Palmer United Party's Karin Hunter and the Greens' Geoff Ebbs, debated issues including asylum seeker policy, education reform, the tobacco tax and the economy.

Ms Hunter was booed after suggesting asylum seekers who burned down their accommodation on Nauru were probably used to living in luxury.

Mr Ebbs said asylum seekers were a humanitarian issue and politicians were gaining mileage out of it by scaremongering.

Ms Hunter's leader, billionaire businessman Clive Palmer, was in the crowd.

He drew laughs when he put up his hand to debate Mr Rudd, after the prime minister used his closing statement to chide Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for turning him down.

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Vic assault suspect intoxicated: police

POLICE say a man suspected of two indecent assaults in the Melbourne CBD had followed the women and appeared to be drunk or on drugs.

The incidents occurred on July 26, when two women were walking along Queen Street on their way to work about 6.30-7am (AEST).

The suspect pushed one woman against a wall before assaulting her, and blew her a kiss before leaving the scene.

The other victim was approached first and then assaulted, with the man reported as 'smirking' at her before he left.

Senior Constable John Baldwin said CCTV footage of the man suggested he had been taking drugs or alcohol before the assaults.

"From the footage that's available, he appears to be staggering, and appears to be under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, but that's yet to be confirmed," he said.

He added that while the assaults themselves were not captured on camera, new CCTV footage revealed that the man had followed two separate women beforehand.

"From his behavior at the time it seems clear that he has something going on inside his thinking that leads to this further incident.

"We don't know whether it was related to him being substance-affected on that day, or whether it's something that's ongoing."

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Five Indian soldiers 'killed by Pakistan'

PAKISTANI troops have killed five Indian soldiers in an attack on a military post in Indian Kashmir, Indian officials say.

"Pakistani troops simply attacked the Indian post, violating the ceasefire and they killed five of our soldiers," a senior army official in Indian-administered Kashmir said on condition of anonymity.

Sources in the defence ministry in New Delhi confirmed the Monday night incident, which occurred just days after Pakistan proposed restarting peace talks with India.

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Rate cut should end rates and poll link

AN interest rate cut on Tuesday should finally kill the zombie idea that monetary policy is put on hold during election campaigns.

If the Reserve Bank of Australia had been in the habit of putting off interest rate moves until after elections, there would have been a series of moves right after federal polls.

There have only been three such occasions in the past 23 years, the latest being 12 years ago.

There were rate cuts 11 days after the 1990 election, 10 days after the 1993 election and 25 days after the 2001 poll.

But in 1990 and 2001, a cut during the campaign would have made it three cuts in three months, a rare enough occurrence to make it highly unlikely in any case.

And since the latest of those post-election cuts, the evidence has pointed the other way.

In 2007 the RBA jacked the cash rate up to 6.75 per cent, from 6.5 per cent, 17 days into a 38 day campaign.

And now the futures market has fully priced in a cut in the cash rate when the RBA board meets on Tuesday, to 2.5 per cent, from 2.75 per cent.

If those strongly held expectations are vindicated, it should put the final nail in the coffin of the undoubtedly dead zombie.

And a fitting epitaph has already been composed - by RBA governor Glenn Stevens, in testimony to a parliamentary committee less than three months out from the 2007 election.

He was asked whether the timing of the election would have any bearing on the timing of the RBA's interest rate changes.

"I think that the only answer I can give is: if it is clear that something needs to be done, I do not know what explanation we could offer the Australian public for not doing it, regardless of when the election might be due."

"I do not think that there is any case for the Reserve Bank board to cease doing its work for a month, in the month that the election is going to be," he said.

If the economic data made a clear case for moving interest rates, the RBA would have no choice but to act, he said.

"Nor should we have any choice."

Of course, nothing is set in stone.

The RBA may shock the market and stay on the sidelines.

But if it does, it won't be in deference to politics.

It will be because the economic case for a cut just isn't strong enough, and for no other reason.

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$123 million for Toyota Aust operations

TOYOTA will invest $123 million in its Australian manufacturing operations.

The federal and Victorian governments will contribute to the package, it was announced on Monday.

Toyota's Altona plant in Victoria will receive a $108 million investment.

The remaining $15 million will be spent to expand Toyota's supplier development program over the next five years, Toyota Australia said.

Toyota will build a "facelift" vehicle - an upgraded version of an existing model - from 2015, but has not disclosed which model.

The federal government has contributed $23.6 million with an unspecified amount coming from the Victorian government.

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Greens confident in Melbourne, ACT

The Greens are confident of retaining Adam Bandt's seat of Melbourne at the federal election. Source: AAP

THE Greens are confident they can hold their sole lower house seat of Melbourne and will gear their election campaign towards retaining the balance of power in the Senate.

Melbourne MP Adam Bandt said the latest Galaxy poll showed the party's primary vote in the seat of Melbourne was about 48 per cent.

Greens leader Christine Milne said Mr Bandt had done a great job as Melbourne MP.

"I have every confidence that the people of Melbourne will return Adam to the House of Representatives," Senator Milne told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

Mr Bandt said from day one of his term the party had set out to hold the seat of Melbourne.

"People are switching their votes," Mr Bandt said.

"A poll that was released over the weekend suggests that our primary vote in Melbourne is of the order of 48 per cent.

""What that poll shows, if it's repeated on election day, is that it doesn't matter if Labor and Liberal collaborate on preferences with each other."

Senator Milne said the Greens party would fight hard to retain its strong Senate position.

In NSW, this fight would be against a range of "right-wing minor parties" of "shooters and fishers and the like", she said.

Public service and university cuts were paving the way for the Greens to be elected to one of the two ACT Senate seats, she said.

"In the ACT we have got a really good opportunity to pick up a Senate seat," Senator Milne said.

"The public service in Canberra knows that the only party who are their friends are the Greens.

"The same with the university. The Greens are again the only party who are saying they will not support the cuts to university."

The party will have to battle against the coalition in Western Australia and South Australia, she said.

The Greens currently hold nine Senate seats.

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