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)
The Federal Government has reached an A$11 billion agreement with telecommunications company Telstra to construct the proposed national broadband network (NBN). The deal, which involves the acquisition of Telstras existing copper network by NBN Co, is expected to lower establishment costs and accelerate the connection of users. Although Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday praised the agreement as a major achievement, Telstra chairwoman Catherine Livingstone warned the deal was subject to further talks. Page 1.
The Federal Government has dismissed suggestions that an unprecedented 26 percent swing against the Australian Labor Party, in a byelection for the New South Wales seat of Penrith, might have implications for this years federal election. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday said that Australian voters behaved differently on state and federal political issues. According to recent Nielsen poll, Labors primary vote was 33 percent - indicating a potential election loss. A new poll is expected to be released this week. Page 1.
The Chinese vice-president, Xi Jinping, has completed his official visit to Melbourne. The foreign leader attended an Australian Football League match with Victorian Premier John Brumby, met with executives from telecommunications company Telstra and gave a speech at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. Outside the university, a substantial gathering of Falun Dafa demonstrators was almost matched by China supporters. Mr Xi will today meet with mining executives in Canberra. Page 5.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan are preparing to travel to the Group of 20 leaders summit in Canada this week. Discussions are expected to focus on the European economic crisis. Mr Swan yesterday said that although Australia's recovery was on track, there had been more sluggish growth in many of the worlds major developed economies. Page 5.
THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)
The Federal Government is facing opposition to its exclusion of mental health, dental and aged-care from proposed health reforms. In a contentious move, John Mendoza - the Government's chief mental health adviser - yesterday announced his resignation after Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner claimed there was no money to provide extra funding for mental, dental or aged-care services. In a letter to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, Mr Mendoza accused the Australia Labor Party of having no vision or commitment. Page 1.
The latest Newspoll survey released yesterday shows that Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has halved the gap between himself and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as preferred prime minister over the past three weeks. Mr Abbott is currently three times better positioned than his predecessors, Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson. The Coalitions primary vote is 40 percent compared with Labors 35 percent. Page 1.
The Victorian Office of Police Integrity (OPI) is proceeding with its investigation of articles written by Cameron Stewart - a journalist from The Australian newspaper - about counter-terror raids held last August. OPI investigators are rumoured to be monitoring Mr Stewart, approaching him earlier this month as he dropped off his son at a childcare centre. Editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell yesterday said the OPI made the New South Wales ICAC and Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission look very good indeed.
Page 2.
The new South Australian (SA) director of the Liberal Party, Beverly Barber, has criticised former SA opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith for having a misguided strategy when attacking the Rann Labor government. Although Ms Barber plans to follow the same aggressive approach of Mr Hamilton-Smith, she will attack in a more measured way. Mr Hamilton-Smith was replaced by Isobel Redmond last year over claims that he had used fake Australian Labor Party documents to discredit the Rann government. Page 2.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)
Gillian Trigg, the dean of the University of Sydneys faculty of law, and Peter Wolnizer - the dean of the faculty of economics and business - have both rejected a proposal to merge their schools into a new division. The pair demanded in a letter to vice-chancellor Michael Spence that the schools maintain their stand-alone status. A spokesperson for Mr Spence yesterday said that no decision had been reached about the structure of faculties and that ideas were being discussed in a very civil manner. Page 3.
The executive officer of Parramatta District Junior Rugby League, Terry Rose, yesterday said that it was not possible to prevent all onfield violence. The remark came during a New South Wales Police investigation into claims that a Mounties trainer had struck a female referee in the back of the head during the weekend. Mr Rose was criticised on Sydney talkback radio last week, for not doing enough to protect referees. Page 3.
The chief executive of dementia care organisation Hammond Care, Stephen Judd, has praised improved medicine for extending the life of dementia sufferers. Until the 1960s most of them died really young but now theyre living longer, Mr Judd said yesterday. Diagnosing dementia can be challenging since some behaviour can be confused with other aspects of the syndrome, according to Down Syndrome New South Wales chief executive Steve Clarke. Page 4.
New South Wales Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt has promoted her environmental credentials in a newsletter released overnight.
According to the publication, environmental experts have inspected a proposed light rail extension. The move is speculated to be an attempt to boost support from voters who might support the Greens in Ms Tebbutts electorate. Page 6.
THE AGE (www.theage.com.au) Health data released yesterday shows that Victorian hospital outpatients are waiting up to four years for an appointment to be treated. According to the figures, the average wait for a new outpatient appointment at Bendigo Health is 1,493 days for an ear, nose and throat problem, 1,204 days at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and 275 days at Melbournes Royal Childrens Hospital.
The Australian Medical Association yesterday said the Victorian Government should be held accountable. Page 1.
Victorian Premier John Brumby has made a A$50 million-a-year commitment to increase wages for low-income earners. The pledge marks the beginning of the Australian Labor Partys 2010 Victorian election campaign. Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu yesterday promised to match the premiers promise but accused Mr Brumby of corruption and incompetence. Page 2.
Victorian Attorney General Rob Hulls has announced that more Victorians would be able to start legal actions under reforms to reduce court expenses and encourage pre-trial settlements.
Introducing compulsory pre-trial conferences and time limits on barristers will help create a more accessible legal system, according to Mr Hulls. The current cost of litigation has reached a point where access to the civil courts is beyond the reach of most Victorians, Mr Hulls said. Page 3.
University of Newcastle statistician Jennifer Powers yesterday described Australian guidelines on alcohol intake during pregnancy as incoherent and untenable. The inconsistency of Australian alcohol guidelines is confusing for pregnant women and health practitioners, Ms Powers said. According to an article published in an Australian medical journal, researchers found that 80 percent of women consume alcohol during pregnancy, despite recent changes made to government guidelines. Page 3.
-- Keywords: DIGEST AUSTRALIA GENERAL (Sydney Newsroom +61-2 9373 1816; sydney.newsroom@allreleases.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. 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)
The Federal Government has reached an A$11 billion agreement with telecommunications company Telstra to construct the proposed national broadband network (NBN). The deal, which involves the acquisition of Telstras existing copper network by NBN Co, is expected to lower establishment costs and accelerate the connection of users. Although Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday praised the agreement as a major achievement, Telstra chairwoman Catherine Livingstone warned the deal was subject to further talks. Page 1.
The Federal Government has dismissed suggestions that an unprecedented 26 percent swing against the Australian Labor Party, in a byelection for the New South Wales seat of Penrith, might have implications for this years federal election. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday said that Australian voters behaved differently on state and federal political issues. According to recent Nielsen poll, Labors primary vote was 33 percent - indicating a potential election loss. A new poll is expected to be released this week. Page 1.
The Chinese vice-president, Xi Jinping, has completed his official visit to Melbourne. The foreign leader attended an Australian Football League match with Victorian Premier John Brumby, met with executives from telecommunications company Telstra and gave a speech at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. Outside the university, a substantial gathering of Falun Dafa demonstrators was almost matched by China supporters. Mr Xi will today meet with mining executives in Canberra. Page 5.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan are preparing to travel to the Group of 20 leaders summit in Canada this week. Discussions are expected to focus on the European economic crisis. Mr Swan yesterday said that although Australia's recovery was on track, there had been more sluggish growth in many of the worlds major developed economies. Page 5.
THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)
The Federal Government is facing opposition to its exclusion of mental health, dental and aged-care from proposed health reforms. In a contentious move, John Mendoza - the Government's chief mental health adviser - yesterday announced his resignation after Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner claimed there was no money to provide extra funding for mental, dental or aged-care services. In a letter to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, Mr Mendoza accused the Australia Labor Party of having no vision or commitment. Page 1.
The latest Newspoll survey released yesterday shows that Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has halved the gap between himself and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as preferred prime minister over the past three weeks. Mr Abbott is currently three times better positioned than his predecessors, Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson. The Coalitions primary vote is 40 percent compared with Labors 35 percent. Page 1.
The Victorian Office of Police Integrity (OPI) is proceeding with its investigation of articles written by Cameron Stewart - a journalist from The Australian newspaper - about counter-terror raids held last August. OPI investigators are rumoured to be monitoring Mr Stewart, approaching him earlier this month as he dropped off his son at a childcare centre. Editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell yesterday said the OPI made the New South Wales ICAC and Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission look very good indeed.
Page 2.
The new South Australian (SA) director of the Liberal Party, Beverly Barber, has criticised former SA opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith for having a misguided strategy when attacking the Rann Labor government. Although Ms Barber plans to follow the same aggressive approach of Mr Hamilton-Smith, she will attack in a more measured way. Mr Hamilton-Smith was replaced by Isobel Redmond last year over claims that he had used fake Australian Labor Party documents to discredit the Rann government. Page 2.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)
Gillian Trigg, the dean of the University of Sydneys faculty of law, and Peter Wolnizer - the dean of the faculty of economics and business - have both rejected a proposal to merge their schools into a new division. The pair demanded in a letter to vice-chancellor Michael Spence that the schools maintain their stand-alone status. A spokesperson for Mr Spence yesterday said that no decision had been reached about the structure of faculties and that ideas were being discussed in a very civil manner. Page 3.
The executive officer of Parramatta District Junior Rugby League, Terry Rose, yesterday said that it was not possible to prevent all onfield violence. The remark came during a New South Wales Police investigation into claims that a Mounties trainer had struck a female referee in the back of the head during the weekend. Mr Rose was criticised on Sydney talkback radio last week, for not doing enough to protect referees. Page 3.
The chief executive of dementia care organisation Hammond Care, Stephen Judd, has praised improved medicine for extending the life of dementia sufferers. Until the 1960s most of them died really young but now theyre living longer, Mr Judd said yesterday. Diagnosing dementia can be challenging since some behaviour can be confused with other aspects of the syndrome, according to Down Syndrome New South Wales chief executive Steve Clarke. Page 4.
New South Wales Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt has promoted her environmental credentials in a newsletter released overnight.
According to the publication, environmental experts have inspected a proposed light rail extension. The move is speculated to be an attempt to boost support from voters who might support the Greens in Ms Tebbutts electorate. Page 6.
THE AGE (www.theage.com.au) Health data released yesterday shows that Victorian hospital outpatients are waiting up to four years for an appointment to be treated. According to the figures, the average wait for a new outpatient appointment at Bendigo Health is 1,493 days for an ear, nose and throat problem, 1,204 days at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and 275 days at Melbournes Royal Childrens Hospital.
The Australian Medical Association yesterday said the Victorian Government should be held accountable. Page 1.
Victorian Premier John Brumby has made a A$50 million-a-year commitment to increase wages for low-income earners. The pledge marks the beginning of the Australian Labor Partys 2010 Victorian election campaign. Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu yesterday promised to match the premiers promise but accused Mr Brumby of corruption and incompetence. Page 2.
Victorian Attorney General Rob Hulls has announced that more Victorians would be able to start legal actions under reforms to reduce court expenses and encourage pre-trial settlements.
Introducing compulsory pre-trial conferences and time limits on barristers will help create a more accessible legal system, according to Mr Hulls. The current cost of litigation has reached a point where access to the civil courts is beyond the reach of most Victorians, Mr Hulls said. Page 3.
University of Newcastle statistician Jennifer Powers yesterday described Australian guidelines on alcohol intake during pregnancy as incoherent and untenable. The inconsistency of Australian alcohol guidelines is confusing for pregnant women and health practitioners, Ms Powers said. According to an article published in an Australian medical journal, researchers found that 80 percent of women consume alcohol during pregnancy, despite recent changes made to government guidelines. Page 3.
-- Keywords: DIGEST AUSTRALIA GENERAL (Sydney Newsroom +61-2 9373 1816; sydney.newsroom@allreleases.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. 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.