Compiled for Reuters by Media Monitors. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW (www.afr.com)
--State governments will be asked to commit an estimated A$1 billion a year into telecommunications spending and contribute infrastructure to support the Federal Government's A$43 billion national broadband network. A spokesman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy confirmed yesterday that the minister will meet with states and territories in the coming weeks to secure early commitments for the fibre-to-the-home network. Pg 1.
--A cricket bat autographed by Australian star Andrew Symonds is at the centre of the latest controversy in the ongoing improper lending practice allegations tabled against the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) by collapsed financial advisor Storm Financial. In an affidavit to be provided to the federal parliamentary inquiry into financial services, it is alleged the cost of mortgage insurance on a loan was waived by a CBA branch in Queensland after a Storm adviser negotiated the autographed cricket bat for a CBA staff member.
Page 1.
--Earnings forecasting in the current environment is almost impossible, according to Graham Kraehe, Reserve Bank of Australia director and chairman of logistics provider Brambles. Speaking on Friday, Mr Kraehe conceded he was shocked with the dramatic change in performance Brambles had experienced since its annual general meeting last November, a period that he had forecast would achieve stable profits. 'These circumstances are like nothing I've seen in my working life,' Mr Kraehe said on Friday. Page 1.
--Queensland Treasurer Andrew Bligh yesterday confirmed the first Public Private Partnership awarded by the Bligh government since its re-election this year. The Aspire Schools consortium, led by construction and engineering firm Leighton Contractors , has won the A$1.1 billion contract to build and maintain seven schools in the state's south east. More than two thousand jobs will be created over the four-and-a-half year construction period and 30-year maintenance period, according to the Government. Pg 4.
THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)
--Petrol in the bilges of an asylum-seeker boat is the likely cause of the explosion on board the vessel last Thursday that killed five people, according to Senior Federal Government sources. The report is consistent with that provided by Lieutenant Commander Barry Learoyd, the commanding officer of HMAS Albany which had intercepted the vessel. Commander Learoyd stated a 'high threat' alert had been relayed back after the smell of petrol vapour was detected by naval personnel who had boarded the asylum-seeker's boat. Page 1.
--The new head of the nation's peak criminal intelligence and investigative agency, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), has ordered a review of its files and an audit of the use of its authority. Last week John Lawler issued the instruction on the first day in his new job in response to a number of embarrassing incidents that have confronted the agency lately. 'The ACC has faced some challenges recently, and I fear these have reduced the confidence levels of our stakeholders,' Mr Lawler said. Page 2.
--The Federal Government's intention to reintroduce its alcopops tax to trigger a double dissolution election could be constitutionally invalid, Clerk of the Senate Harry Evans has warned. Treasurer Wayne Swan and Health Minister Nicola Roxson had planned to resubmit the tax when parliament resumes next month, but in written advice Mr Evans has questioned whether the new legislation differs too much from the originals to trigger a double dissolution. Page 2.
--A northern New South Wales couple has won legal costs of A$50,000 incurred in the battle to have their children returned by the Department of Community Services (DOCS). Unable to afford a lawyer the couple, who cannot be named, had represented themselves in court. Having not been found guilty of any offence, a judge ruled their children had been taken for 'no good reason', and apparently in an 'abuse of power' by welfare workers. The mother has stated the money would be used to further pursue DOCS. Page 5.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)
--A surge in demand for critical care beds for malnourished children at Sydney's Children's Hospital at Westmead has been blamed on GPs not diagnosing eating disorders. Child psychologist Sloane Madden said yesterday parents were being reassured by GPs that their youngsters were not suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. 'The most worrying thing in Australia is that children are not being recognised as having eating disorders until they are very ill,' according to Dr Madden. Page 3.
--Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith confirmed yesterday that the Australia Government would not attend the World Conference Against Racism which starts in Geneva today. Mr Smith said he was not convinced the meeting would not be a 'platform for anti-Semitic sentiment' and that he regretted the need to stay away because Australians 'are a people committed to eliminating racism and racial discrimination.' However, a small delegation from the Australian Human Rights Commission will attend. Page 5.
--New South Wales Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell has promised that he will appoint a minister for heritage if the Liberal Coalition wins power at the next state election. Under Mr O'Farrell's proposal, the Heritage Office would be relocated out of the Department of Planning and into the environment portfolio. 'My concern is that under the current arrangement, it is unlikely a Queen Victoria Building would have been saved,' Mr O'Farrell said yesterday. Page 5.
THE AGE (www.theage.com.au)
--Melbourne barrister Tim Tobin, SC, has warned another bushfire tragedy is likely because lessons will not be learned from the recent fire disaster. Mr Tobin represents victims of the Victorian 'Black Saturday' bushfires and he criticised the decision of Commissioner Bernard Teague to exclude victims and their legal teams from appearing before the Teague Royal Commission established to investigate the disaster. 'My clients take the view that they owe it to those people who have died to ensure that it doesn't happen to others,' Mr Tobin said yesterday. Page 1.
--Shani Cassidy, the mother of 15 year-old Tyler Cassidy who was shot dead by Victorian police, has renewed her call for street police to be issued with Taser stun guns. In a confrontation last December 11, Tyler was shot by street officers not authorised to carry the Taser. Currently the gun is restricted to the Special Operations Group and critical incident response team only. Mrs Cassidy said yesterday that she was certain her son would 'be here, not in a grave' if Tasers were accessible to police. Page 3.
--Telecommunications company Telstra has become the first major Australian company to issue rules around employees' use of websites such as Facebook and Twitter. The guidelines follow the actions of a Telstra employee last month, who set up a fake Twitter account in the name of Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. The guidelines had been planned before the fake Twitter account incident and there was still little the company could do if the employees used pseudonyms, according to Telstra public policy chief David Quilty. Page 4. --
Keywords: DIGEST AUSTRALIA GENERAL (Sydney Newsroom +61-2 9373 1800; sydney.newsroom@reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW (www.afr.com)
--State governments will be asked to commit an estimated A$1 billion a year into telecommunications spending and contribute infrastructure to support the Federal Government's A$43 billion national broadband network. A spokesman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy confirmed yesterday that the minister will meet with states and territories in the coming weeks to secure early commitments for the fibre-to-the-home network. Pg 1.
--A cricket bat autographed by Australian star Andrew Symonds is at the centre of the latest controversy in the ongoing improper lending practice allegations tabled against the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) by collapsed financial advisor Storm Financial. In an affidavit to be provided to the federal parliamentary inquiry into financial services, it is alleged the cost of mortgage insurance on a loan was waived by a CBA branch in Queensland after a Storm adviser negotiated the autographed cricket bat for a CBA staff member.
Page 1.
--Earnings forecasting in the current environment is almost impossible, according to Graham Kraehe, Reserve Bank of Australia director and chairman of logistics provider Brambles. Speaking on Friday, Mr Kraehe conceded he was shocked with the dramatic change in performance Brambles had experienced since its annual general meeting last November, a period that he had forecast would achieve stable profits. 'These circumstances are like nothing I've seen in my working life,' Mr Kraehe said on Friday. Page 1.
--Queensland Treasurer Andrew Bligh yesterday confirmed the first Public Private Partnership awarded by the Bligh government since its re-election this year. The Aspire Schools consortium, led by construction and engineering firm Leighton Contractors , has won the A$1.1 billion contract to build and maintain seven schools in the state's south east. More than two thousand jobs will be created over the four-and-a-half year construction period and 30-year maintenance period, according to the Government. Pg 4.
THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)
--Petrol in the bilges of an asylum-seeker boat is the likely cause of the explosion on board the vessel last Thursday that killed five people, according to Senior Federal Government sources. The report is consistent with that provided by Lieutenant Commander Barry Learoyd, the commanding officer of HMAS Albany which had intercepted the vessel. Commander Learoyd stated a 'high threat' alert had been relayed back after the smell of petrol vapour was detected by naval personnel who had boarded the asylum-seeker's boat. Page 1.
--The new head of the nation's peak criminal intelligence and investigative agency, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), has ordered a review of its files and an audit of the use of its authority. Last week John Lawler issued the instruction on the first day in his new job in response to a number of embarrassing incidents that have confronted the agency lately. 'The ACC has faced some challenges recently, and I fear these have reduced the confidence levels of our stakeholders,' Mr Lawler said. Page 2.
--The Federal Government's intention to reintroduce its alcopops tax to trigger a double dissolution election could be constitutionally invalid, Clerk of the Senate Harry Evans has warned. Treasurer Wayne Swan and Health Minister Nicola Roxson had planned to resubmit the tax when parliament resumes next month, but in written advice Mr Evans has questioned whether the new legislation differs too much from the originals to trigger a double dissolution. Page 2.
--A northern New South Wales couple has won legal costs of A$50,000 incurred in the battle to have their children returned by the Department of Community Services (DOCS). Unable to afford a lawyer the couple, who cannot be named, had represented themselves in court. Having not been found guilty of any offence, a judge ruled their children had been taken for 'no good reason', and apparently in an 'abuse of power' by welfare workers. The mother has stated the money would be used to further pursue DOCS. Page 5.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)
--A surge in demand for critical care beds for malnourished children at Sydney's Children's Hospital at Westmead has been blamed on GPs not diagnosing eating disorders. Child psychologist Sloane Madden said yesterday parents were being reassured by GPs that their youngsters were not suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. 'The most worrying thing in Australia is that children are not being recognised as having eating disorders until they are very ill,' according to Dr Madden. Page 3.
--Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith confirmed yesterday that the Australia Government would not attend the World Conference Against Racism which starts in Geneva today. Mr Smith said he was not convinced the meeting would not be a 'platform for anti-Semitic sentiment' and that he regretted the need to stay away because Australians 'are a people committed to eliminating racism and racial discrimination.' However, a small delegation from the Australian Human Rights Commission will attend. Page 5.
--New South Wales Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell has promised that he will appoint a minister for heritage if the Liberal Coalition wins power at the next state election. Under Mr O'Farrell's proposal, the Heritage Office would be relocated out of the Department of Planning and into the environment portfolio. 'My concern is that under the current arrangement, it is unlikely a Queen Victoria Building would have been saved,' Mr O'Farrell said yesterday. Page 5.
THE AGE (www.theage.com.au)
--Melbourne barrister Tim Tobin, SC, has warned another bushfire tragedy is likely because lessons will not be learned from the recent fire disaster. Mr Tobin represents victims of the Victorian 'Black Saturday' bushfires and he criticised the decision of Commissioner Bernard Teague to exclude victims and their legal teams from appearing before the Teague Royal Commission established to investigate the disaster. 'My clients take the view that they owe it to those people who have died to ensure that it doesn't happen to others,' Mr Tobin said yesterday. Page 1.
--Shani Cassidy, the mother of 15 year-old Tyler Cassidy who was shot dead by Victorian police, has renewed her call for street police to be issued with Taser stun guns. In a confrontation last December 11, Tyler was shot by street officers not authorised to carry the Taser. Currently the gun is restricted to the Special Operations Group and critical incident response team only. Mrs Cassidy said yesterday that she was certain her son would 'be here, not in a grave' if Tasers were accessible to police. Page 3.
--Telecommunications company Telstra has become the first major Australian company to issue rules around employees' use of websites such as Facebook and Twitter. The guidelines follow the actions of a Telstra employee last month, who set up a fake Twitter account in the name of Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. The guidelines had been planned before the fake Twitter account incident and there was still little the company could do if the employees used pseudonyms, according to Telstra public policy chief David Quilty. Page 4. --
Keywords: DIGEST AUSTRALIA GENERAL (Sydney Newsroom +61-2 9373 1800; sydney.newsroom@reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.