Public Liability News

Sun, 19 August 2007
MBF To List On ASX
MBF Australia said it intends to demutualise and list on the Australian stock exchange in an attempt to grow and diversify its business. The health insurer said its plans have been endorsed by the MBF Council. It said a share market listing is likely in calendar 2008. The board believes that demutualising is in the best interests of policyholders, that it will maximise MBF's future growth potential and enhance its ability to compete in a rapidly changing environment," chairman John Conde said.

Tue, 06 November 2007
Public Liability insurance premiums fall
The cost of running a school fete looks set to drop with public liability insurance premiums falling sharply for a second year in a row.

Assistant federal treasurer Peter Dutton says strong competition and government reforms have increased affordability of public liability and professional indemnity insurance and "is good News for the communinty"

SOURCE : SMH SEPT 5 2007

Sun, 18 November 2007
Wide Bay offer Superior: Mackay Building Society
Takeover target Mackay Permanent Building Society Ltd has blocked a sweetened offer for the group by Wide Bay Australia Ltd, saying its superior to a competing bid from Bank of Queensland Ltd.

Wide Bay on Thursday improved the script alternative of its takeover offer, to 0.80 Wide Bay shared plus $1 cash, from 0.65 shares and $1 cash.

Sat, 24 November 2007
Self-parking Lexus sells out fast
The car that can reverse park by itself has gone on sale in Australia. There is just one catch: it costs more than $200,000.

But the technology could be available on more affordable cars within the next two years.

The Intelligent Parking Assistance system is standard on the new Lexus LS600hL, which also happens to be the world's first petrol-electric hybrid limousine.

There are two versions of the car, priced between $225,000 and $250,000, and despite the cost it is sold out until mid next year.

Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, initially had public liability concerns, which is why the Australian introduction was delayed for two years.

"The driver, naturally, must continue to exercise all due care and diligence when using the parking system," the company warns.

SOURCE:RISKEX NOV 2007

Mon, 03 December 2007
Labor to act on health cost ploy
HOSPITALS that try to save money by sending patients home without enough medicine are to be targeted by Labor's new Health and Hospital Reform Commission.

Forcing patients to visit the chemist as soon as they are discharged — so that the Federal Government rather than the state pays for their medicine — is just one of the cost-shifting practices that the commission will be asked to tackle.



SOURCE : THE AGE DEC 1 2007

Sun, 09 December 2007
South Korea fights to stop spread of crude oil spill
SOUTH Korean workers using skimmers and containment fences are battling to clean up the worst oil spill in the country's history, as the slick washes ashore near a nature preserve on the west coast.

Oil has blackened parts of about 17 kilometres of coast, 100 kilometres south-west of Seoul.

More of the spill is today expected to hit an area that has marine farms and oyster beds.

SOURCE: THE AGE 8 December 2007

Mon, 17 December 2007
Please help us to restore our fragile environment.
Ten more years at the current growth rate of green house pollution will kill us all. It must be dealt with now. That is right now!! Even if we stopped polluting today it would take thirty years for the earth to recover. That’s Thirty years. But it won’t happen that way will it? There is no way it will stop tomorrow, but it must be stopped or we humans as a species, and nearly every other species on earth are doomed.

It is therefore vitally important that you/we make people who count aware of the LEA technology.

Now that we are ready to showcase our technology it is time to act. Others, who support the coal, oil, and uranium industries are lobbying government’s world wide to push their own agendas. They have years of experience, and the know how, financial backing and networks to help them to “play the game” Remember Big Business does not take kindly to what they see as competition. In reality what we propose for our technology actually helps them to extend their resource life and by so doing make them more money. Take oil for example, what if the diminishing supply could last for an extra ten years, what would it be worth a gallon or litre then? We are not in opposition to these people, we want to fit in alongside them and help them as well.

Source: extract from open letter www.lutec.com.au LU Brits & John Chritie

Thu, 27 December 2007
Wizard courts small business
6 December 2007

Wizard Home Loans is continuing its expansion into the small business lending sector with the launch of 'Wizard Fleet', a fleet management and leasing program, after releasing a range of equipment finance products in March. Wizard said that it aims to give small business the same access to commercial lending solutions that are available to the big end of town by removing the need to have administrative resources to run motor vehicle fleets effectively. Mark Bouris, chairman and founder of Wizard, said that the company wants to become the first choice for small business financial needs and to support this aim will roll out a full suite of business products early in 2008.

SOURCE:Infochoice.com.au

Sat, 05 January 2008
Public liability insurance premiums fall
Wednesday Sep 5 16:37 AEST

The cost of running a school fete looks set to drop with public liability insurance premiums falling sharply for a second year in a row.

Assistant federal Treasurer Peter Dutton says strong competition and government reforms have increased affordability of public liability and professional indemnity insurance and "is good news for the community".

The latest National Claims and Policies Database (NCPD) report shows public liability insurance premiums fell on average by nine per cent in the 12 months to December 31, 2006, and professional indemnity insurance premiums fell on average by 8.7 per cent over the same period.



SOURCE NINE MSN

Mon, 14 January 2008
Business growth doubles
17 December 2007

The rate of growth in the number of new businesses almost doubled this year compared with 2006. Over 2007 335,000 new businesses were started while 287,000 closed, meaning that there was a net gain of 48,000 added to the 2 million businesses in operation. During the last four years the businesses most likely to succeed were in the health and community service areas where many have benefited from government investment. Still, it can be hard to make a business work longer term, with only 58 per cent of the 1.8 million that existed in 2003 operating now.

By The Financial Review

Mon, 21 January 2008
Life-forming chemicals in distant galaxy
SOURCE:Discovery News

Way beyond the Milky Way astronomers have found exciting chemical traces,Radio astronomers say they have found evidence of large quantities of the chemical building blocks for life in a galaxy about 250 million light-years from Earth.

The research was unveiled at the American Astronomical Society conference in Austin, Texas, last week.

The astronomers were testing a new, highly sensitive science instrument at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and set their sights on a distant galaxy that seldom disappoints: the ultra-luminous, dual-core Arp 220, a veritable factory for star production.

Arp 220 is so thick with stars that astronomers estimate supernovas, the suicidal explosions of young massive stars, are happening four times a year, as compared to our own relatively quiescent Milky Way galaxy, with a supernova about every half-century or so.



Sun, 03 February 2008
Suncorp on target for synergies of $325m with Promina
SUNCORP-Metway says it will extract higher synergies from its $7.9 billion merger with general insurer Promina Group, but that claims related to storms and floods will impact its insurance margins in fiscal 2008.

The banking and insurance group says it's on track to generate annualised synergies of $325 million, up $100 million from its pre-merger estimate.

Chief executive John Mulcahy said he is delighted by the progress being made to integrate the two companies.

"We have put in place a robust and disciplined integration plan that will ensure our integration targets will be delivered on time,'' he said.

"The processes and controls for quantifying synergy targets and the structure of the integration governance program have been independently assessed by KPMG.''

Suncorp will incur one-off implementation costs of $375 million as a result of the merger, up $20 million from a pre-merger estimate of $355 million.

The synergy upgrade follows a six-month process during which more than 400 employees from Suncorp and Promina businesses worked to shape the new organisation.

SOURCE: NEWS.COM February 01, 2008

Sun, 10 February 2008
Get a business 'pre-nup'
THESE days up to 40 per cent of marriages end up breaking down, and business partnerships stand even less chance of survival.

Which is why a business partnership should be formalised with a pre-nuptial-style agreement.

Experts say that in the euphoric early days of a relationship, be it romantic or business, no one wants to be a spoilsport by asking the tough questions.

But they are necessary.

Get outside help to formalise the business arrangement so all the "what ifs" are covered, and you can then get on with the job. Seeking advice doesn't have to be expensive.



SOURCE: Plugger.com. January 28, 2008

Wed, 20 February 2008
Rains make farms bloom with income tipped to soar


The Australian agricultural sector is set to recover from recent drought conditions and witness an increase in net value of farm production of 43% in 2008-09. National Australia Bank agribusiness economist Frank Drum says winter crop output will also rise by about two thirds, based on good rainfall in early 2008 and grain prices that are at all-time highs. However, Australian Crop Forecasters notes that the current wet conditions are not yet a guarantee of a favourable environment for planting later on. Drum also concedes that the outlook is much less positive for the irrigation sector

Source - The Australian

Feb 19, 2008

Wed, 27 February 2008
More money from woodchips
An industry analyst says the timber company Gunns appears likely make an extra $30 million from its woodchip exports to Japan this year.

The company has announced that Japanese buyers will pay an extra $18 a dry metric tonne for woodchips this year, about a 10 per cent increase.

Robert Eastment says the price for Gunns woodchips reflects the strong demand for paper in Japan.

"What it does reflect is that there's a demand for pulp and also for woodchips," he said.

SOURCE:ABC NEWS 27FEB08

Sun, 09 March 2008
Income protection vital
February 21, 2008 10:36am

Article from: Font size: + -

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HOW long could you keep paying the bills if you had a serious accident? Income protection insurance is something small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can't afford to do without.

Four years ago, Stefan Kazakis decided to get serious about income protection insurance.

His business coaching company, Action Coach, has a six-figure monthly turnover, generating a big income for the 39-year old serial entrepreneur, and he wanted to make sure his young family’s lifestyle – and the debt repayments on his large property investment portfolio – were covered if he couldn’t work for a lengthy period.

“Income protection means I can sleep,” says Mr Kazakis, who has cover for 60 per cent of his current income until he’s 65, with a 30-day waiting period.

“I see it as a cost of goods sold. It’s taken me a lot of hard and smart work to get to where I am, so it would be a gross misconduct of my business not to have it.”

Income protection insurance (sometimes called "disability insurance") pays you a monthly amount if you are unable to work because of sickness or injury.

SOURCE:NEWS.COM

Sat, 22 March 2008
Old donated blood a risk after surgery
People who get old, stale blood during surgery are 30% more likely to die from complications afterwards than people who get fresh blood, a US study suggests.

The study reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine found blood older than two weeks seemed to be associated with more complications after heart surgery.

"We report that the relative risk of postoperative death is increased by 30% in patients given blood that has been stored for more than two weeks," the researchers say.

This can cause a dilemma, as many blood banks and hospitals cannot keep enough blood on hand that is so fresh.

The US Food and Drug Administration allows blood to be held for as long as six weeks, and blood banks typically give out the oldest blood first.

One solution may be to use the freshest blood first. Another is to use techniques to reduce the need for a transfusion in the first place, says study leader, Dr Colleen Gorman Koch, of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Her team studied over 6000 patients who received heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Koch and her colleagues compared the outcome with the storage time of the blood transfused in each operation.

The rate of death while in the hospital was 1.7% among fresh blood recipients versus 2.8% for older blood. Rates for kidney failure, infection, respirator use and multi-organ failure were also higher if older blood was used.

However, a system that uses blood no older than two weeks would make it harder to keep blood banks properly stocked, and much more blood would be discarded.

There are times when the blood supply falls to critically low levels, even with the current six-week limit.

SOURCE:ABC SCIENCE NEWS 20/3/2008

Thu, 17 April 2008
Tourism boosts economy by $85 billion
17/04/2008 2:57pm

The Australian tourism industry is now worth $85 billion to the country's economy after its strongest growth in almost a decade, new data shows.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the industry added $84.975 billion to the economy in the 2006-2007 financial year - an increase of 7.8 per cent from the previous year and the largest growth in the sector since 1999.

The figures show the industry represented 3.7 per cent of Australia's gross domestic product (GDP) and employed 482,800 people.

The report found air and water transport, eateries and retail trade were the most important sectors of the industry, while increased spending by Australians in their own country had driven domestic tourism consumption up 6.8 per cent to $62.6 billion.

International tourists injected $22.3 billion into the economy - an increase of 9.8 per cent.

Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) managing director Christopher Brown said the new figures showed the importance of the tourism industry, especially in the services export sector.

"The success of the national economy will increasingly depend on the performance of the tourism industry, especially in a post-resource boom scenario," Mr Brown said in a statement.

"When the mining boom is over, it is the services sector that will help to carry the Australian economy and the tourism industry is a major component of that."

He said the tourism industry needed to continue to innovate to ensure its contribution to the economy in tough international conditions.

"While today's figures are a shining light for the sector, we can't afford to rest on our laurels," he said.

"In a weakened global economy, it's essential that Australian tourism maintains its competitiveness on the world stage as consumers consider their discretionary spend on items such as travel."



Source: Compare Shares

Sat, 17 May 2008
Wizard raises home loan rates
May 16, 2008 04:43pm

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WIZARD Home Loans has raised its variable interest rate on number of its products by 10-basis points, citing continued higher wholesale funding costs.

The non-bank lender said the move would only partially offset the increased funding costs.

"It's important to note our new standard variable rate of 9.39 per cent continues to be competitive with the major banks,'' a Wizard spokesperson said.

The new rates apply to new customers from May 20 and to existing customers from May 23

SOURCE: News.com

Sun, 25 May 2008
Sydney Man banned from giving out free hugs because he didn't have public liability insurance!
February 19, 2007

In a cold, hard world some people are reaching out in unexpected ways. Katherine Kizilos reports.

The story goes that writer and peace activist Anne Herbert wrote the phrase "practise random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a paper napkin while in a San Francisco restaurant in 1982.

Eleven years later, Chuck Wall, a professor at Bakersfield College, California, challenged his students to perform "a random act of senseless kindness" after hearing a radio report describing "another random act of senseless violence". Somewhere between these two events, the idea of practising a spontaneous act of kindness entered the popular culture.

Generally speaking, the spontaneously kind do not have a religious or political agenda. Their purported aim is to make other people happier. These people wilfully ignore the adage that no good deed goes unpunished.

Consider the case of Sydney's Juan Mann (pronounce one man and not his real name) who achieved international recognition after holding up a sign with the words "Free Hugs" in Pitt Street in 2004. Mann's efforts were noticed by the lead singer of the band Sick Puppies, Shimon Moore, who had a job wearing a sandwich board in Pitt Street and who began videotaping Mann. The result, backed by a Sick Puppies song All the Same, was posted on YouTube in September last year, inspiring free-hug copycats in places as diverse as Taipei, Chicago, Geneva and Shanghai. The clip is one of the most watched videos on YouTube and can also be seen on Video Hits.

In October last year, Mann told Oprah Winfrey what happened when he first held up his sign. "The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling."

The video clip also incorporates a satisfying tussle with bureaucracy. Free hugs are banned after Mann was asked to pay $25 million in public liability insurance for holding up his sign. He starts a petition and collects 10,000 signatures. Free hugs are reinstated. A policeman accepts a hug as the song and video ends. The success of the clip has inspired Mann, who is 24, to set up his own charity with Shimon Moore. Free Help aims to cut out the middleman by allowing dedicated people to help those in need directly.

SOURCE:THE AGE

Sat, 31 May 2008
Rudd defends petrol policy
May 31 2008

In an article from AAP PM Kevin Rudd defends the petrol price policy.

Stating "there is no silver bullet to fix the problem,through the Budget, the Government had done "as much as we physically can" to help."

Mr Rudd was grilled by voters for almost an hour by TV studio audience But it was the price of petrol that dominated the discussion.

He said the price of petrol, which hit a record high of $1.62 per litre in capital cities earlier this week, was largely out of his control.

"When it comes to things you do not have direct control over, obviously in terms of the global price of oil, then what you can do is simply act in the other areas to make sure that there are some more dollars to draw upon in terms of the family budget."

Mr Rudd also defended the planned FuelWatch program and criticisms that the Government would simply be watching fuel prices while the coalition's policy of reducing the fuel excise by five cents per litre would have a real impact.

He said the responsible course of action was to maximise competition among the petrol companies.

All this on the back of fuel companies release of net profits being made public.

Caltex reported net profit after tax in 2007 was $444 million on a replacement cost of sales basis, which removes the effect of oil price movements.

Royal Dutch Shell and BP, Europe's two largest oil companies, both saw first quarter profits jump thanks to record crude prices and higher natural gas prices.Shell's first quarter profits rose 25pc to $9bn, while BP's profit soared to $7.6bn from $4.6bn in the same period.

While US Based Chevron posts record $18.7 billion profit in 2007, the fourth consecutive year that the San Ramon company made record amounts of money.

Other companies have made even more. Exxon Mobil, the country's largest oil company, reported on Friday that its 2007 profit hit $40.6 billion, a 3 percent increase from 2006, while sales passed $404 billion. No American business has ever scored a higher profit.

"The major oil companies' incredible profits, boosted by multibillion-dollar tax subsidies to the industry, are ultimately clobbering taxpayers," said Judy Dugan, research director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.

Here in Australia it seems the skyhigh price of petrol will soon be felt more than just at the bowser, with the earnings of companies expected to be downgraded as profit margins are squeezed by higher oil prices.

The usual suspects of airlines and transport companies are in the sights of analysts at the moment, as they question what effect on the bottom line there will be from oil prices remaining above the $US130 per barrel mark.

However, the effect of higher oil prices will be felt across the market, particularly in the second half of the year, as the input and transport costs move higher and the spending patterns of consumer are crimped as they pay more for fuel.

It needs to be remembered that despite the current hubbub surrounding fuel prices, Rudd and Wayne Swan have not actually done anything from a serious policy perspective that will bring down the price at the petrol bowser for consumers.

Whilst a showdown with the states is looming over the proposal to scrap the GST that is levied on the fuel excise.

In reality, Rudd has only moved to include the GST arrangements on excise in the broad review of the national taxation system to be headed by Ken Henry.

The inquiry could report defiantly that the ``tax on a tax'' should be scrapped but the government does not have to follow suit. Like the majority of these reviews, the recommendations could be ``reviewed' by the government with little actual outcome.

The "tax on a tax" issue and fuel prices is an issue that if continued could see prices hikes for us all in groceries, produce and most consumer goods which will undoubtedly severely effect the economy and affordability crisis looming for all Australians.

How much longer Mr Rudd do we need to allow the Oil companies to create record (almost criminal) amounts of profit and seemingly hold the world to ransom with fuel prices, whilst almost all governments worldwide claim to be powerless in the effort to control ever increasing bowser prices ?

Do we see a whole transport industry crippled, or smaller operators closed their doors due to rising costs leading to major shortages of basic living needs shortages in groceries and produce before any steps by not only governments, but bodies like the ACCC.

The Mega rich tyccons of places like Dubia must be rubbing thier wallets daily whilst planning more spectacular and incredible feats of architecture rising up out of the once deserted strip that was named the main street of dubia in the early 90's.

Author: Craig OBrien

Sources: ABC NEWS, AAP, NEWS.COM, The Chronicle, Bloomberg



Tue, 10 June 2008
Fuel Prices: The Mass Debate
10 June 2008

Or How to Knock About 50c a Litre Off the Price Of Fuel

First and foremost this debate should be centred on Diesel NOT Unleaded. Why? You may ask. Just look at the increase in supermarket prices for your answer. While it may cost you $5 or $10 extra to fill your tank everything that is transported (which is everything) rises as Diesel rises. My average basket at the supermarket per week has increased on average $30 and that’s for one person. Australia’s whole economy is tied to Diesel and therefore it should be afforded the same priority and status as water i.e. an essential commodity.

I own a small transport company and I have had to significantly raise my prices twice in the past year just to maintain profit margins. This cost you money too.

I am compelled to write this letter because I am sick of all the namby-pamby pussyfooting around everyone seems to be doing about the current fuel debate. I have spent considerable time researching this area because it affects my income. Contained herein is the WHOLE truth about the debate, the WHOLE big picture, if you will. NO-ONE till now has had the testicular fortitude to stick their necks out and present the WHOLE argument about just how much we are being RIPPED OFF. If you want the truth and the WHOLE truth read on.

DON’T – Listen to spin doctors from the oil companies. THEY HAVE A VESTED INTREST TO KEEP FUEL PRICES HIGH.

DON’T – Listen to the government – state or federal. THEY HAVE A VESTED INTREST TO KEEP FUEL PRICES HIGH.

DON’T – pay too much attention to news or current affairs programs. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDAS.

So here we go, how to make fuel cheaper!

FIRSTLY – DISBAND FUEL PARITY

Parity, for those that don’t know, is government sanctioned price fixing (simple as that). Parity allows fuel companies to sell their products for the highest current price they find in the Asia Pacific region. It completely disregards supply and demand economics and eliminates any need for competition amongst themselves.

Don’t believe me? Just look at the price of Diesel. If you remember growing up when Diesel was always 10-15c p/l cheaper than Petrol you might understand this more.

How can a product that costs far less to produce (partially a by-product of producing Unleaded as well) and a product that Australia uses more of than any other fuel be MORE EXPENSIVE than Unleaded? Simple, ring Singapore, where they don’t use a lot of Diesel and import all their fuel, find out how much it’s selling for there and charge the same here – sound fair? NOT!

Any other industry who tried this one would be hauled of to the High Court quick smart and prosecuted for price fixing! Oh but hang on, our government ALLOWS them to do this

NUMBER TWO – BARRELL PRICE

That price the news loves to show us each night is the PREMIUM GRADE crude oil price. Australian oil companies DO NOT buy PREMIUM GRADE crude oil! In fact Australia produces around 70% of its own oil and imports about 30%. The cost of production per litre produced here is cheaper than that of imported fuel, but in no way is this factored into the pump price, because they don’t need to (SEE PARITY ABOVE) we pay a pump price based on PREMIUM GRADE crude oil price the same as if we imported all of it, say somewhere like Singapore! Starting to get the picture?

NUMBER THREE – LEVIES

Everyone knows that both State and Federal Governments take a large slice of the cost of a litre of fuel. This equates in total to about 46% of the price per litre. This money is used for infrastructure, road trauma etc. etc. so fair enough right? WRONG!

What is wrong is that it is a PERCENATGE! Look at this. If a litre of fuel costs $1.00 then the Government gets 46c p/l, right? A week later fuel rises to $1.10 p/l; the Government gets 50.6c p/l, bingo! Something tells me that in one week, their costs, IN NO WAY have gone up 9%!

As I stated previously – THE GOVERNMENT HAS A VESTED INTREST TO KEEP FUEL PRICES HIGH. THEY MAKE LOTS MORE FREE MONEY! Why else do they allow fuel companies to maintain PARITY?

If they changed the tax (sorry, levy) to a flat rate tied to the GDP then the fuel price would drop drastically and immediately!

NUMBER FOUR – GST - THE DOUBLE DIPP

Now this one is outright “THIEVERY” and also applies to cigarettes and alcohol.

GST = Goods and Services Tax, correct?

46% or 46c in every dollar in the price of a litre of fuel is TAX (sorry; again, LEVY).

What part of LEVY is a good or a service? YOU CANNOT TAX, TAX RIGHT? WRONG!

You do the math.

Say fuel costs $1.00 p/l – the GST component = 9c

But hang on a minute 46% or 46c of this is TAX!

i.e., 4.14c of the GST is ILLEGALLY CHARGED ON THE TAX COMPONENT! Not much you say?

FOR EVERY LITRE SOLD IN AUSTRALIA EVERY DAY!

That equates to millions of free dollars for the Government! I’ll say it one more time - THE GOVERNMENT HAS A VESTED INTREST TO KEEP FUEL PRICES HIGH. THEY MAKE LOTS MORE FREE MONEY!

The GST on fuel should be 5.4% not 10%. At $1.75 p/l this would drop the current price by around 8c p/l.

Feeling a little annoyed? You should be!

Even without disbanding parity and introducing real competition among fuel companies, you should be paying about 40c less per litre!

My name is Graeme Strempel, (gusto1@arach.net.au) and I run a small transport business, I happily welcome anyone, Government and fuel companies included to prove me wrong.

If you feel strongly about this issue then pass this missive on to everyone in your address book. Eventually someone might take notice.

SOURCE: GREAME STREMPEL

Mon, 23 June 2008
Fuel Price -World protests spread
Is Australia NEXT?, maybe we should be ??

Whilst I agree something needs to be done, some other countries methods are maybe a bit over the top, but i guess how else are they to be heard.....So what is next in the global debate that i simply describe as the OIL COMPANIES HOLDING THE WORLD TO RANSOME!.

Artcicle source ABC NEWS Fri Jun 20, 2008

Spanish farmers marched, Israeli truckers slowed rush-hour traffic and Nepali students stoned cars overnight in anger at rising fuel prices and inflation that they say are crippling their economies.

Protests by truckers, taxi drivers, fishermen and farmers demanding fuel tax breaks have spread across the world, increasing fears of political instability and a global economic downturn.

The oil price, which dipped $US3 to $US133 after China's announcement, has touched record highs near $US140 in recent months, fuelling inflation and squeezing business margins.

In Madrid, thousands of farmers brought traffic to a halt on the capital's busiest road to demand lower diesel tax to help cushion the blow of higher fuel costs and low producer prices.

"This is the last straw. If good spring rain hadn't arrived this year and last, we would already have gone bust," sugarbeet farmer Evaristo Ortega said.

"The price of diesel and fertiliser is impossible to bear."

Diesel prices have shot up to around 1 euro ($1.62), from 60 cents a year ago, farmers said as they marched past soccer club Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium carrying banners reading: "For the future of our countryside."

For Greeks, the cost of living has replaced unemployment as the top concern, unions said.

Food prices have risen and motorists pay 13 per cent more for fuel than a year ago and heating oil costs 38 per cent more.

Labour unions have called for rallies in Athens to protest against the conservative Government's failure to rein in the price increases.

"Business interests have staged a party while the Government is duping us with its ineffective measures to contain rising prices," president of Greece's largest labour confederation, Yannis Panagopoulos said.

But Germany and other European Union states said they would reject a fuel tax break plan sought by France to cushion rising oil prices.

A senior French official said President Nicolas Sarkozy would ask EU peers to back a reduction in value-added tax on petrol across the 27-nation bloc.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Parliament: "In our view, financial policy intervention, which is being discussed again and again ... should be avoided."

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt went further and told reporters that Europeans should work longer hours and pay less income tax to cope with rising prices.

"I am asking myself ... that we might ease up on income taxes to make work pay even further, so that people could react to the fact that an increase in the petrol price could be met by working some extra hours," Mr Reinfeldt said.



Mon, 30 June 2008
Queensland Roads Chaos over Fuel Prices
June 30 2008

In the Article below i simply stated what transport industry sources were planning,I actually got the month wrong and this is planned for the end of JULY 2008.

Wether you read this in Australia or any part of the world for that matter, please understand this is only my opinion, which is that i think whether you drive a car or own a whole fleet of trucks, ride a pushbike even, we all need to get behind this, because it affects every single one of us, from kids and those that use public transport like buses and trains, to every day people, everything including groceries, building materials, general freight, houshold goods, the list is never ending for what is being affected by the rising cost of fuel, and it affects us all. These cost are flowing back to us, the end user.

Those who may say it's extreme,i will agree with also, as i said though its all just my opinion, but what else and how else do we get our government and the oil companies (that continue to push up these prices for apparently no other reason that profit margins) to listen to the public ?

Use the media to our gain, because that is what they are doing to us, create a big enough event that will bring worldwide media attention, in other parts of the world far worse and things of a more extreme nature are being done in protest over fuel prices.

So...lets support this, if it happens join in the trucks drivers efforts, even if its in your car, on your bike, or on foot, the more people the better. Let Get the message across peacefully but clearly.

Truck drivers in Western Australia have threatened a "State of Chaos" within six weeks if they don't get relief at the petrol pump. The Transport Workers Union gave a taste of the disruption they can cause today by setting up a blockade around Western Australia's Parliament House.

Hundreds of trucks arrived at Parliament House early this morning. Police had to rush to set up barricades so parliamentarians would be able to get to work. The blockade caused chaos in a city that's not used to the kind of crawling traffic typical in Sydney or Melbourne. The Transport Workers Union secretary, Jim McGibbon, says there'll be worst to come if something's not done about the high price of petrol.

The same In Queensland with a planned blockade of all major roads is reported to be coming for the Brisbane Metro area and west to Toowoomba at the end of the month (July), sending a clear message to our PM about the crippling price of diesel soaring to as much as nearly $2.00 per litre in some parts of the state. Placing a clear emphasis on the importance of removing the "TAX on TAX" scheme currently in place and showing that the transport industry can clearly return the so called " Holding for Ransome" that oil companies worldwide are currently displaying.

This planned blockade of Queensland roads will be one on a scale to cripple all major roads in and out of Brisbane and Toowoomba for up to 48 hours according to industry sources.

As much as this planned blockade will send a clear message, it is yet to confirmed.

It would be a sight to see, though with continual pressure worldwide on relief for transport operators of all kinds, and the growing pressure on governments to remove exise and taxes, i think this kind of protest is almost A MUST to show our government the message of unity amongst the transport industry as a whole, from big operators to small and owner drivers !

Source : ABC news and Webmaster

Sun, 06 July 2008
Fuel prices changing behaviour: expert
July 4, 2008, 9:10 am

Transport should be included in any emissions trading scheme (ETS) but soaring fuel prices are already changing people's behaviour, says the man who headed the former government's emission task force.

Dr Peter Shergold, former head of the department of prime minister and cabinet, says an ETS was about changing behaviour and the way to do that was to make industries and households more energy conscious.

He said he believed as many sectors should be included in an ETS as administratively possible.

"My view remains that transport can be included on that basis," he told ABC Radio.

"Having said that, even if you had a price of $20-$30 a tonne on carbon, it would have only a relatively small impact on fuel price compared with what has happened in the 14 months since I handed in that report.

"The increase in fuel prices has been so severe that if people believe this is going to be the long-term trend, I would be surprised if it didn't change their behaviour in terms of fuel consumption."

Dr Shergold headed the emissions task force commissioned by the former government. His report was released in June last year.

He said his report argued that Australia needed to move forward with deliberation to set up an ETS in 2011 or 2012.

He said that at that time there was commentary about why couldn't it be done much sooner.

"Now, there is an increasing understanding that there are significant economic costs involved in this and we need to move forward to emissions trading but do so with great care," he said.

Dr Shergold said directly compensating people for rising energy prices would not change behaviour - that was better done through the tax system.

"The key is that we also have to accept what a big change this is going to be for Australian industry, which is why we said we needed to look at compensation for the emissions intensive industries that were exposed to global competition," he said.

"What we are trying to do here is introduce a new system for the next half-century. The important thing is not so much what is the target we set for 2050 or 2060, but what is the trajectory by which we get there and how are we going to do the transition over the first two or three years."

On Friday, climate change economist Professor Ross Garnaut, commissioned by the new Labor government to report on emissions trading, releases his report.

SOURCE: AAP

Thu, 17 July 2008
Oil prices dive
July 17, 2008

OIL prices plunged more than $US4 overnight, extending this week's spectacular losses after a surprise jump in crude reserves in the United States, traders said.

Prices had already tumbled yesterday in the biggest fall in 17 years amid rising concerns about sluggish US economic growth that could dampen global demand for crude oil.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, shed $US4.14 to close at $US134.60 a barrel. It had dived yesterday by $US6.44 in the sharpest daily decline since January 1991.

In London, Brent North Sea oil for August dropped $US2.56 to $US136.19 today.

Prices fell on news of a build in US crude oil reserves. The US Energy Information Administration said inventories rose by 3.0 million barrels to 296.9 million barrels in the week ending July 11, confounding market expectations of a decline of 2.2 million barrels.

However, the decline in oil prices from last Friday's record high levels above $US147 may be short-lived, analysts said, noting that the increase in US energy stockpiles reflected slowing demand in a sluggish US economy, the world's largest energy consumer.

According to the US government, Americans' consumption of petroleum products fell two per cent over the past four weeks, compared with the same period a year ago.

A sudden shift in US diplomatic policy toward Iran announced late yesterday also eased oil supply concerns, analysts said.

The United States said it was sending Under Secretary of State William Burns to nuclear crisis talks this weekend between Iran's nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.

"This is the most significant US diplomatic contact since the 1979 Islamic revolution, and represents a dramatic shift in US foreign policy. For our purposes, it will certainly take some of the force out of a major source of the geopolitical premium in oil prices,'' said John Kilduff, an analyst at MF Global.

"This is not to say that Secretary Burns' mission is guaranteed success. The administration has repeatedly stated that Secretary (of State Condoleezza) Rice was prepared to hold talks with Iran provided they cease enrichment. It is upon this issue, though, that Iran has been the most intransigent,'' Mr Kilduff said.

Iran has the world's second-largest proven oil reserves and sits aside the Strait of Hormuz, a critical gateway for Middle East oil. It is the number four crude producer and ranks second in the oil cartel OPEC.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia meanwhile today denounced speculative trade in oil and called for more dialogue between producing and consuming nations.

"Oil has become ... practically like a currency (that) has attracted speculative interest among some companies and people,'' said Saudi Arabian King Abdullah in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

"We don't want the price to be so high. It is not in our interest because it is not in the interest of the rest of the world.''

Saudi Arabia has warned repeatedly that speculation is the leading cause of soaring oil prices along with rising demand and the taxation of oil products in consumer countries.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries yesterday cut its forecast for growth of world oil demand this year to 1.20 per cent from 1.28 per cent, citing an economic slowdown and high fuel prices.

SOURCE:NEWS.COM

Wed, 23 July 2008
Accused surgeon Patel released on bail
Wed Jul 23 2008

Indian-born surgeon Jayant Patel is a free man following his release from custody on bail.

The 58-year-old was released from the Brisbane watchhouse at 5pm (AEST) on Tuesday after posting $20,000 bail.

Wednesday is the first time since March 11 that Patel has been out of custody.

He had been held in custody in Portland, Oregon, where he was living, and arrived back in Australia on Monday following his extradition from the US.

Detail of Patel's new accommodation is the subject of a suppression order, but he has surrendered his passport and must stay within Queensland, reporting to police three days a week.

Patel faces 14 charges including manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and fraud, relating to his time at Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.

Meanwhile, civil libertarians say that media organisations should be pressured to provide legally binding undertakings that they won't reveal the whereabouts of the surgeon.

Breaching such an order could potentially attract contempt of court proceedings against media organisations.

But Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman fears the media will still race to reveal the whereabouts of Patel, who is awaiting trial on manslaughter and other charges following his extradition from the US.

He said Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine should take action to ensure the magistrate's order is respected.

"It is notorious that media commercial pressures and the basic primeval urge of the media to feast on a controversy will mean that there is going to be a race among media outlets to be the first to reveal his address," Mr O'Gorman told AAP.

"The magistrate made it quite clear during the bail hearing that Patel's address was not to be revealed and we say that if the media do reveal it they are guilty of contempt of court.

"The attorney-general, in order to proactively protect the magistrate's order and to prevent Patel being hounded from one address to another, should seek (legally binding) undertakings from the media not to reveal the address.

"Those media outlets that won't give such undertakings he should take to the Supreme Court so the issue can be urgently addressed."

SOURCE:ninemsn

Sun, 03 August 2008
Germans perform world's first double-arm transplant
August 2, 2008

Doctors at the Technical University of Munich have conducted the world's first double-arm transplant on a 54-year-old farmer who had lost both his arms in an accident, officials said.

The operation was conducted at the university's "Klinikum rechts der Isar" last week, the clinic said in a statement Friday, following several years of preparatory work.

The man's condition "is very good under the circumstances," the statement said.

"Now it is a matter of avoiding future wound healing disorders, infections, strong side-effects caused by the drugs and in particular any rejective reaction."

A team of 40 people participated in the transplant surgery, conducted July 25 and 26. The donor matched the host in sex, age, skin color, size and blood group, the statement said.

The transplant subject had lost both his arms at the upper arm level six years ago, and two attempts with artificial limbs had been unsuccessful.

SOURCE: CNN

Sun, 17 August 2008
Why Warming Your Car in Winter is Burning a Hole in Your Pocket
17 August 2008

Winter is a difficult time for drivers. It does it's best to wreak havoc on your gas mileage. You may be playing the part of an unwitting ally to winter's effect on your fuel economy. Improperly warming your car up could be burning a hole in your pocket.

Drivers are in the habit of warming their vehicle up in winter temperatures. Drivers seem to be under the mistaken idea that they need to warm up their car for it to operate properly. By warming up they mean idling the car for a considerable amount of time before driving. This misnomer is costing you money.

Many drivers idle their car for 5 to 10 minutes in the winter to let their cars warm up. You should not let your car idle for more than 30 seconds. You need no more than 30 seconds of idling to circulate the engine oil before you can drive away on cold days

When you idle your car to warm it up you are burning gas but not going anywhere. When you let that happen you are getting zero miles per gallon. You may think that idling your car for few minutes or so is no big deal, think again.

To get an idea about how much fuel you are burning by letting your car idle for 5 to 10 minutes when you start it consider this. Assume you idle on the short side, only 5 minutes when you start your car in the morning. Most likely you idle for 5 minutes again, when you start your car again to drive home.

Therefore your car is idling for a minimum of 10 minutes a day. For illustrative purposes we consider winter to be four months long, or 120 days long. If a car is idling for 10 minutes a day for 120 days then it is idling for 1200 minutes during the winter period.

1200 Minutes is 20 hours. Think about it, warming your car for only 5 minutes per start amounts to your car idling and burning gas going nowhere, for 20 hours. Can you visualize your car sitting and idling for 20 hours? Of course not. Then why warm it up for the equivalent of 20 hours of burning gas when it is completely unnecessary?

Warm your car up by driving it. To operate efficiently your car needs to warm up other parts in addition to the engine. Tires, transmission, wheel bearings and other moving parts also need to warm up. Your car's catalytic converter doesn't function at its peak until it reaches between 400C and 800C. The only way these other parts warm up is by driving. The reality is, to warm your car up completely you have to drive it anyway.

To save gas and increase gas mileage in the winter one of the simplest things you can do is warm your car by driving it, not by idling. Not only will it save you gas and money but you will also be doing something positive for the environment. That warm car will stop burning a hole in your pocket.

Source:www.fuelcostangel.com/newsarticles

Sun, 24 August 2008
US too good for Opals
Sun Aug 24 2008

The Opals have been humbled by the United States for the third straight time in an Olympic gold medal match.

The US produced their best performance of the tournament when it mattered most in Beijing while the Australians were left ruing a dreadful first half in a 92-65 loss.

The Americans have now won four straight Olympic titles, while the shattered Opals must wait another four long years to try and get their hands on Games gold, adding yet another silver to the ones they picked up in Sydney and Athens.

Australian coach Jan Stirling said her team would need to bring its "A-game" to have a chance of winning tonight.

But the only letter that related to their performance was 'F' after they failed to handle the big occasion in an extremely disappointing display.

Belinda Snell was the only Opal to have any impact in the first half, while Lauren Jackson found her range after the main break and finished with 20 points, but by that stage the outcome had been decided.

A courageous Penny Taylor played despite her badly sprained ankle but was well below her best and had little impact.

The Americans had been desperate to face Australia ever since they won gold at the 2006 world championships and the US took home bronze.

And the States emphatically settled the argument about who was the better team tonight in a horribly one-sided contest.

It had looked like a different script was being written in the early stages as the Australians jumped out to an early 9-4 lead.

But the US gradually got into the flow of the game, utilising their incredibly deep bench, one area where they had a clear advantage over Australia.

Reserves Kara Lawson and Sylvia Fowles led the Americans to a 22-15 lead after one quarter.

It was more of the same in the second period as the red-hot Americans strolled to a 47-30 halftime advantage.

Australia shot a dreadful 22 per cent from the field in the first half (8-of-37), compared to 63 per cent for the Americans (19-of-30).

The Opals were more competitive in the second half, but it was all too little, too late.

SOURCE: NINEMSN

Tue, 02 September 2008
Gustav leaves 90,000 homeless in Cuba
September 02, 2008

MORE than 90,000 houses were damaged or destroyed when Hurricane Gustav tore through Cuba's western province of Pinar del Rio on Saturday with 150m/h (240km/h) winds, officials said.

Officials and state media said 80 percent of the province, which has about 750,000 residents, was without power after Gustav knocked down 80 high-tension towers with cables that distribute electricity throughout the region.

State-run news agency AIN, in a story quoting Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, said 53 percent of the homes in the hardest-hit areas were affected, most suffering roof damage.

No deaths have been reported from the storm, which passed into the Gulf of Mexico after crossing Cuba and to strike Louisiana, near New Orleans, on the US Gulf Coast.

Power lines were knocked down throughout the stricken area in Cuba, many of them draped across roads and highways. The tall, metal towers supporting the main electricity cables could be seen lying crumpled across the palm-studded landscape.

On state television, Mr Lage said during a trip to the worst-hit Pinar del Rio towns that power supply was a "very grave and urgent problem."

"It doesn't have to do with repairing a few towers, it has to do with constructing a new electricity network, because much of the network is on the ground," he said.

But Mr Lage said electricity should be restored more quickly than in past storms because of diesel generators installed around the country in recent years. He also said electricity workers from around Cuba had been brought in to speed repair of the system.

An official for the state electric company said on state television that power had been completely knocked out on the Isle of Youth and would take some time to restore.

AIN quoted the local electricity director on the island, which is about 40 miles (64km) off Cuba's southwestern coast and took a direct hit from Gustav, as saying 120 miles (200km) of power lines had been downed.

Television reports showed widespread devastation on the island, which has about 86,000 residents. A report on national radio said more than 40 percent of the housing had been damaged and the main hospital was closed.

The top official of the ruling Communist Party in Pinar del Rio, the main growing region for Cuba's famed tobacco, said more than 4 million pounds (1.8 million kg) of the leaf, already harvested and in warehouses, had been damaged by Gustav, but that efforts were being made to salvage them.

Cuba produces about 80 million pounds (36 million kg) of tobacco annually.

AIN also reported heavy damage to hotels and thousands of buildings in Pinar del Rio's Vinales valley, a popular international tourist destination known for its dramatic rocky outcrops and traditional architecture.

In Havana, which did not bear the full brunt of the storm but where many older buildings are in poor condition, officials said 50 houses had partially collapsed and six had fallen.

SOURCE: NEWS.COM

Tue, 09 September 2008
Court win for cardboard king
September 09, 2008

LAWYERS for cardboard giant Visy owner Richard Pratt have won access to a swag of documents relating to previous communications about him by government agencies.

Federal Court Justice Donnell Ryan today granted Mr Pratt access to documents relating to "meetings, conversations and communications'' on talk between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions of potential criminal charges against him.

The order encompasses dates between July 26, 2005 and June 19, 2008.

Mr Pratt, is accused of having misled the ACCC when he denied, at a 2005 hearing, that a price-fixing agreement existed between Visy and Amcor.

Lawyers for Mr Pratt are seeking a permanent stay of the proceedings.

Mr Pratt's lawyer Robert Richter said at a previous hearing that packaging giant Amcor was part of a conspiracy with the ACCC to prosecute Pratt.

Mr Pratt, 74, the chairman of Visy Industries, faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

He was not at today's hearing.

SOURCE: NEWS.COM

Tue, 23 September 2008
Toxic milk scare spreads to local lollies
September 23, 2008

CHINESE sweets potentially containing contaminated milk products are available on supermarket shelves in Australia, a day after they were recalled from sale in Singapore.

White Rabbit Creamy Candies, a milk-powder-and-sugar-based sweet often offered for free at Chinese restaurants, were last night being tested by Australian food authorities for traces of melamine, the chemical found in milk products that has made about 53,000 children in China sick, killing four.

The Singaporean Government yesterday threatened retailers with fines and jail time if they failed to recall the confectionery and other products as the contaminated milk products crisis widened.

Australia's state and territory food authorities were yesterday combing the shelves of Asian supermarkets for Chinese products containing milk or milk products, including White Rabbit sweets, for testing.

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand said last night products would not be recalled until results were known.

Spokeswoman Lydia Buchtmann said a ban on all Chinese milk products, like that implemented in the Singapore, was not necessary as no contaminated products had been found in Australia.

"We've confirmed that no infant formula or milk products have been imported for more than a year, but we are testing some of the minor products, including these White Rabbit candies," she said.

"It's safe to say products would be recalled if they were unsafe, but that's not a decision that we make; it would be something the states and territories would have to make ... but the recall would benational."

If products tested positive she believed it would be the first time melamine contamination had been reported in Australia.

SOURCE: THE AUSTRALIAN

Mon, 06 October 2008
Heinz makes offer for Golden Circle
6/10/2008

The Queensland food and beverage icon, Golden Circle, looks set to be taken over by US food giant HJ Heinz Company.

The manufacturer of Heinz ketchup has launched a $288 million takeover bid for Golden Circle, which its board has recommended be accepted.

The final decision on the fate of the 61-year-old Golden Circle - which produces canned fruit, juices and cordials - should be made at a shareholders' meeting scheduled for December.

It's a decision that will sadden many Queenslanders, including Premier Anna Bligh.

"But I understand that they are a commercial company that has to protect the value of their shareholders and the employment of their staff. If they make a commercial decision, then that's a matter for them," she said.

"But it will be a sad day. It is one of our icons, and I will be very sad to see it move out of Queensland hands.

"As long as the company stays here and creates jobs here, then Queenslanders will welcome them with warm arms."

Heinz is offering $1.65 cash for each Golden Circle share, more than four times the company's previous closing price of 40 cents on the National Stock Exchange of Australia.

The Golden Circle board, along with the company's largest shareholder Anchorage Capital Partners, which holds 35 per cent of the food and beverage group, have backed the Heinz offer.

Golden Circle chief executive Craig Mills said Heinz was a leading global player in the food industry and was considered an innovator with considerable marketing know-how.

"The acquisition provides the opportunity for a complementary product range offering a wide variety of everyday consumer food and beverages under iconic brands," Mr Mills said in a statement.

Golden Circle chairman Phillip Cave said the certainty of timing and payment of the Heinz proposal was attractive to shareholders "particularly during a period of difficult economic conditions".

Heinz Australia managing director Peter Widdows said the company was aware of Golden Circle's importance to the Australian farming community and would maintain its existing contracts with growers.

"Our desire is to maintain contracts between growers and Golden Circle, which would benefit from potential increases in volume over time as the combined sales and marketing strength of a combined Golden Circle and Heinz is realised," Mr Widdows said in a statement.

The transaction, to be implemented via a scheme of arrangement, requires approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board and the Supreme Court of Queensland.

The Brisbane-headquartered company was a focus of attention in 2007, with soft drink manufacturer Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd and investment company Merim Pty Ltd launching separate unsuccessful bids for

the group.

SOURCE: ninemsn

Mon, 06 October 2008
Parents not worried at Henson in school
Mon Oct 6 2008

Parents and teachers at the Melbourne primary school where photographer Bill Henson scouted for young models have voiced support for the principal and her decision to allow him into the school grounds.

Former St Kilda Park Primary School principal Sue Knight was on Monday questioned by senior Education Department officials as part of an investigation into the issue.

Victorian Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said Ms Knight would keep her new job at Coburg West Primary School throughout the investigation.

If found to have acted inappropriately, Ms Knight would face sanctions, ranging from a written warning to dismissal, Ms Pike said.

Ms Knight said she would cooperate with the investigation.

"As the investigation has actually commenced, I think it would be inappropriate for me to do anything except to acknowledge that I'm very keen to fully cooperate with the investigation," Ms Knight told reporters outside Coburg West Primary.

A spokeswoman for Mr Henson told AAP that any suggestion he had acted in an inappropriate manner was incorrect.

"His work has been part of the art curricula for many years, and he has accepted invitations to speak at over 100 schools in that time," the spokeswoman said.

"He is honoured to be able to contribute to the education process and any suggestions that he would behave in any manner that was inappropriate are incorrect."

Six-time Olympic rower James Tomkins, whose daughter Jess is in grade one at St Kilda Park Primary, said he supported the school's decision-making.

"I've got no problems whatsoever as long as the school knows what the situation is," Mr Tomkins told AAP.

"You rely and trust their judgment, their responsibility.

"The scouting I don't have a problem with. It's then what it's used for - that's another question.

"But having someone like a well-known artist go to a school, no problems whatsoever.

"You don't know what he's going to produce. All he's doing is looking for appropriate kids.

"I think if Jess was chosen then it's the whole

question of are you going to agree or not."

He said Ms Knight had been "fantastic" for the school.

"You talk to any of the parents at the school and I would be surprised if you heard a bad word against her," he said.

A parent of an eight-year-old boy at the school, who gave her name only as Deborah, said Ms Knight was "revered as one of the great principals who was loved by most of the school community and would never do something not correct".

Mr Henson was at the centre of a national debate earlier this year when his nude photographs of a young girl were removed from a Sydney art gallery.

The furore over his visit to the school erupted on the weekend when a new book by journalist David Marr revealed the artist had been asked into St Kilda Park Primary last year and spotted two children he thought would be good models for his work.

Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian branch acting president Meredith Peace said schools regularly had a variety of people visiting for different reasons and this should be encouraged.

She said principals and teachers made decisions as to who was allowed to enter schools on a "daily, if not weekly" basis and they may need stronger guidelines.

"I think there would have to be some generality to those guidelines and we would have to rely on the expertise of our principals and the school communities in making these decisions."

Ms Peace said each school had its own culture and what might be acceptable at one, might not be acceptable in another.

Victorian Principals' Association (VPA) president Fred Ackerman said while the issue was serious, it was being played up because of Mr Henson's notoriety for his photographs of nude children.

Mr Ackerman said the important issue was that consent should always be sought from parents before any person attended a school to seek out children for their work.

He called for new protocols to be set up.

"I believe we need something that is specific to this kind of work, whether it be someone looking for children to be in magazines, on television shows or a movie," Mr Ackerman said.

SOURCE:ninemsn

Thu, 16 October 2008
Shares down 5pc at noon
October 16, 2008 12:50pm

THE share market was trading more than 5 per cent lower at noon dragged down by the resources sector and after heavy losses from Wall Street.

Macquarie Equities Brisbane adviser Helen Spencer said the market still was cautious.

"It's lower very much across the board but most of the weakness comes from the resources sector,'' Ms Spencer said.

"It's hard to say what is going to happen but for the short-term the market will depend on the results of economic data that comes out of the US each day.''

At 12.00 (AEDT), the benchmark S&P/ASX200 was down 237.6 points, or 5.53 per cent, at 4,062.4, while the broader All Ordinaries fell 236 points, or 5.52 per cent, to 4036.5.

Resources stocks have plunged on the local market amid expectations the financial turmoil will spark a global recession and reduce future demand for commodities.

Among the big miners, BHP Billiton was down by $3.01, or 10.13 per cent, at $26.69, while rival Rio Tinto declined $10.38, or 13.22 per cent, to $68.12.

Banking stocks were lower, too. National Australia Bank dropped $1.04, or 4.38 per cent, to $22.68, after it said it expected full-year cash earnings to be around $3.9 billion. NAB brought forward its annual reporting date to provide clarity on its financial position.

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Commonwealth Bank fell $1.55, or 3.54 per cent, to $42.20 and ANZ Banking Group decreased 76 cents, or 4.18 per cent, to $17.44.

Westpac dropped 61 cents, or 2.69 per cent, to $22.09 but its takeover target St George Bank lost $1.04, or 3.48 per cent, to $28.81.

In company news today, Woodside Petroleum, Australia's second biggest oil and gas producer, has reiterated its 2008 production forecast after delivering an 84 per cent increase in revenue for the third quarter.

Revenue climbed to $1.774 billion during the three months to September 30, underpinned by higher commodity prices and increased sales.

Woodside Petroleum was $1.26 or 3.22 per cent lower at $37.89, Santos declined $1, or 7.75 per cent, to $11.90 and Oil Search fell 30 cents, or 7.54 per cent, to $3.68.

At 12.14 AEDT, spot gold was trading in Sydney at $US841 an ounce, down $US4.45 on yesterday's close of $US845.45.

Among local gold stocks, Newcrest Mining dropped $1.04, or 4.16 per cent, to $23.97, Newmont Mining added three cents to $4.64 and Lihir Gold dropped eleven cents, or 4.89 per cent, to $2.14.

In retail, Woolworths lost 63 cents to $25.76, David Jones lost 17 cents, or 5.45 per cent, to $2.95, and Coles owner Wesfarmers dropped $1.13, or 4.98 per cent, to $21.55.

In media stocks Ten Network says it is prudently positioned to weather the current difficult cycle after its fiscal 2008 results were affected by an advertising market slowdown. Shares in Ten fell 9.5 cents, or 6.83 per cent, to $1.295.

Seven Network fell 12 cents, 2.02 per cent, $5.81, Fairfax was down 16 cents, or 7.24 per cent, to $2.05, News Corp (the owner of the publisher of NEWS.com.au) decreased $1.09, or 7.49 per cent, to $13.46 while its non-voting scrip sank 97 cents, or 6.8 per cent, to $13.30.

Qantas fell eight cents to $2.61, while rival Virgin Blue fell 2.5 cents, or 7.94 per cent, to 29 cents.

Telstra dropped nine cents, 2.21 per cent, to $3.98 while rival Singapore Telecommunications lost 16 cents, or 5.93 per cent, to $2.54.

Overnight, despair over the economy sent Wall Street plunging again, propelling the Dow Jones industrials down 733 points, or 7.9 per cent, to their second-largest point loss ever.

Broader stock indicators also skidded. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 90.17, or 9.03 per cent, to 907.84, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 150.68, or 8.47 per cent, to 1,628.33.

On the Sydney Futures Exchange, the December share price index futures contract was 290 points lower at 4095, on a volume of 22,686 contracts.

SOURCE: NEWS>COM

Wed, 29 October 2008
More than half Aussie workers struggling to make ends meet
October 29, 2008

MORE than 50 per cent of workers are struggling for economic survival, a study has found.

And with the global financial crisis set to bite harder, that percentage is expected to rise.

The findings are part of a University of Sydney study called Australia at Work, which is tracking 8000 workers over five years.

The 2008 survey, taken before the financial crisis began to kick in, found 56 per cent were struggling to make ends meet.

This was an increase of 4 per cent from the previous year.

Rising costs of groceries and petrol are the main reason more families are under pressure, the study says.

About 85 per cent of workers were in debt, including owing money on credit cards and mortgages, with one in five struggling to make repayments on time.

Researcher John Buchanan said the trend was likely to increase as the economic crisis worsened.

"4 per cent (increase) may not sound like a lot to the lay person, but if you are looking at labour statistics...it's pretty big," Dr Buchanan said.

"We think it's a problem that's going to get significantly worse."

As well as being in debt, Australian workers are clocking some of the longest hours in the developed world, the study shows.

About one in five Australians works more than 50 hours a week.

Full-time employees worked an average of 44 hours and one in three wanted to work less, while one in five part-time workers said they wanted to work more hours.

The study showed workplace standards had also deteriorated.

One in three workers held a job that did not give them the full protection of labour laws, including redundancy entitlements.

And less than one quarter reported having a collective enterprise agreement.

Dr Buchanan said the Federal Government should put the findings at the forefront of its industrial relations reforms.

"As we move into a new labour law regime these are the issues that deserve more attention than they're currently getting," he said.

Unions agreed, saying there was an urgent need for the Government to completely dismantle the previous Government's WorkChoices regime.

"This report shows working Australians and their families are feeling the pinch and need tougher safeguards to protect their jobs and incomes in the face of a possible downturn," ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence said.

"Getting rid of WorkChoices and restoring collective bargaining rights will protect incomes and jobs for working Australians."

However, Opposition employment spokesman Michael Keenan said debate must now be about how to protect Australian jobs and promote employment.

The Rudd Government failed to talk about jobs as it knew its policies were going to drive up unemployment, he said.

"The Opposition calls on Julia Gillard to model the effects her workplace relations changes will have on the labour market," Mr Keenan said.

"The Government consistently says the world has changed.

"Their employment policies must change also to take account of this and to protect Australians from the worst employment outcome of all – losing your job or being unable to find work."

SOURCE: The Australian

Tue, 18 November 2008
Citigroup to slash 50,000 jobs
November 18, 2008

US banking giant Citigroup is to slash a near-record 50,000 jobs worldwide as it tightens its belt further to cope with a global financial crisis and heavy losses.

The company said that the headcount was "expected to be down 20 per cent in the near-term from peak levels.''

At that peak, in the 2007 fourth quarter, Citigroup had a global workforce of 375,000 employees, according to the online document.

By the end of September the workforce had been trimmed to 352,000; the additional job cuts announced would pare it to approximately 300,000.

It was the second largest job-cut announcement on record, according to global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, tying with 50,000 job cuts by retailer Sears, Roebuck & Co in 1993 behind the all-time largest the same year: 60,000 by IBM.

Citigroup, whose shares have been battered amid the credit crisis, said it was "getting fit - fast!'' and would reduce its overall expenses by 20 per cent in the short term from peak levels, to some $US50-52 billion ($76-79 billion) in 2009.

But the string of announcements has failed to calm investor fears that the bank, once the country's largest, may not weather the financial crisis.

Shares pared early losses overnight, down 3.05 per cent at $US9.23 late in the US session, after losing some 24 per cent last week.

Citi, a component of the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, has tumbled 70 per cent since the start of the year, with the bank hit by hefty writeoffs linked to the US real estate crisis.

Douglas McIntyre, analyst at 247 Wall Street, said the company's plummeting share price "leaves the question of whether Citi becomes the next Wachovia or the next AIG,'' referring to government actions to prevent the collapse of the bank and insurer, respectively.

"If the problems at Citi deteriorate quickly and it falls, as it certainly does, into the 'too big to fail' bucket, the government may simply have to pour cash into the bank in exchange for a majority ownership position,'' Mr McIntyre said.

"That would involve bringing in new management to sell off enough assets to get the bank stable.''

On Friday the bank announced that its chief executive Vikram Pandit and other key executives had bought 1.3 million shares to show confidence in the company.

Citigroup said its capital position was "very strong'' and it had made a "significant reduction in risky assets.''

The ailing bank was among the nine big US banks that agreed last month to give the US government equity stakes in exchange for a combined $US125 billion under a $US700 billion financial sector rescue plan. Citi got a $US25 billion injection.

Citi has pencilled in $US2.1 billion in charges this year for the planned elimination of 22,000 jobs, of which some 13,000 have been completed.

Last month, Citi reported a third-quarter loss of $US2.8 billion, its fourth straight quarter in the red.

The troubled bank is saddled with billions of dollars in losses tied to mortgage investments that lost value in the collapse of the US real estate market and the credit squeeze that erupted last year.

Since last year Citi has raised more than $US50 billion to shore up its balance sheet, reduced its investment portfolio by more than $US100 billion, reorganized activities and sold several businesses, such as CitiStreet, CitiCapital, BPO in India and a retail bank in Germany.

SOURCE : AFP

Mon, 24 November 2008
Libs to scrutinise workplace laws before vote
24th November 2008

The Federal Opposition says it will only support the Government's overhaul of workplace laws if the changes protect and create jobs.

The bill to scrap Workchoices will be introduced into Parliament tomorrow.

The Greens say they will propose major changes when the bill goes to a vote in the Senate next year.

The Opposition's workplace relations spokesman Michael Keenan says the Coalition will scrutinise the legislation before deciding how it will vote.

"We will be analysing the new legislation for the effect that it's going to have on jobs, will it help create jobs in Australia and will it help Australians who currently have jobs to enhance their job security?" he said.

"Labor has a mandate to make changes to the workplace relations system, but we need to have a contemporary debate about how this package is going to enhance and help job security in Australia."

SOURCE: ABC NEWS

Wed, 10 December 2008
Smoking ban costly, figures show
December 10, 2008

A NSW ban on indoor smoking has cost clubs about $900 million, caused the loss of 2100 jobs and almost $9 million in donations to charities and other bodies, figures from the state government show.

Clubs and pubs were losing almost $1.7 million a day in poker machine revenue since indoor smoking was banned in July last year, Fairfax newspapers report.

According to the figures from the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, poker machine revenue plummeted by about $900 million last financial year, with jobs and charitable donations the casualties of the shortfall.

In the first 12 months of the ban 2100 jobs were lost, while club donations to organisations such as charities and sporting clubs had declined by $8.9 million.

"As predicted, club gaming revenue fell off a cliff when the indoor smoking bans were introduced," chief executive of Clubs NSW David Costello said.

"Overwhelmingly, clubs have reacted to the fall in revenue by implementing a dramatic reduction in their workforce.

"However, with employment now cut to the bone, I expect clubs will have little choice but to make further cuts in community donations over the coming 12 months."

Source: NEWS.COM

Mon, 29 December 2008
Pepsi cans Beckham from ads after decade
Despite his high-profile loan move to AC Milan, the fizz could be evaporating from David Beckham's commercial appeal after ending a 10-year deal with Pepsi.

"David's football legacy will live on and everyone at Pepsi will continue to be as passionate about his success as we have been over the last 10 years," the soft drinks manufacturer said.

"We wish David well with the many projects he is pursuing and look forward to the possibility of partnering together with him again someday."

The 33-year-old England midfielder, who is in Italy on loan from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, still has lucrative sponsorship deals with major brands like Adidas and Armani.

"I have nothing but good memories of my association with Pepsi," Beckham said.

"I've played a gladiator, a cowboy, a surfer, and worked alongside Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez as well as some of the biggest names in world football."

SOURCE: NINEMSN

Sun, 11 January 2009
Experts divided over mouthwash claims
Jan 11 2009

laims of a link between antiseptic mouthwash and oral cancer have divided leading dental experts.

A review article published in the current issue of the Dental Journal of Australia concludes there is now "sufficient evidence" that "alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer".

However, Professor Laurence Walsh, head of the School of Dentistry at the University of Queensland on Sunday rejected the claim and said their was no established link between mouthwash and oral cancer.

In a letter to the editors of the journal, Professor Walsh criticised the authors of the paper for drawing on a "small and selective group of studies".

"A wide range of critical and systematic reviews over many years have failed to show any statistically significant association between mouthwash use and oral cancer," he said.

"There is certainly nothing in the current paper to change our thinking in that regard."

According to the article, which is authored by several independent experts, ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.

Mouthwash is one of the fastest-growing grocery products in Australia, with the category now worth more than $75 million, according to the latest Nielsen market research.

Lead review author Professor Michael McCullough, associate professor of oral medicine at the University of Melbourne, told News Ltd that alcohol-containing mouthwash should be reclassified as prescription-only and carry written health warnings.

SOURCE :NINEMSN

Wed, 28 January 2009
Baby 'found alone, screaming' in Darwin childcare centre
January 28, 2009

A WOMAN broke the window of a Darwin childcare centre with a brick when she arrived to find the building locked, the lights out and her tiny son trapped inside.

Yula Williams, 30, said she could hear her eight-month-old baby Xavier "screaming and crying", the Northern Territory News reported.

"It made me terrified to know that my son was inside the centre, locked and in the dark," she said.

Ms Williams had dropped her son off at the centre in the Darwin suburb of Wagaman around 8am (CST) on Tuesday and went to work.

She had dropped her car off at a local mechanic and arranged for one of her cousins to collect her son from the centre before it closed at 6pm (CST).

But these arrangements fell through close to centre's closing time of 6pm, so she called the centre. "I tried to call (the centre) just before 6pm and it kept going to messagebank," she said.

"We got here (at the centre) at 10 minutes to six, everything was locked up."

After scanning all the security screens the frantic mother climbed the back of the building to call Xavier's name through elevated slats.

"I couldn't hear him from the outside but when I walked around and called through the vents to the bedrooms I heard him scream," she told ABC radio in Darwin.

Desperate to get to her tiny son, Ms Williams then picked up a brick from the garden bed and smashed it through a window.

Police arrived at the scene about 7.30pm (CST) after they were called by one of the mother's relatives, who told them a baby was missing.

St John Ambulance officers also attended the centre to ensure the child was in good health.

They gave Xavier the all-clear.

Ms Williams said that while she could understand the misunderstanding with her relative over the pickup arrangements, she could not understand how the centre had not called her to let her know that no-one had come to collect her son.

Police said they were continuing to conduct investigations into the incident. The territory's education department was also investigating.

SOURCE: NEWS.COM

Sat, 14 February 2009
50 killed as Continental flight 3407 crashes
Feb 13 2009

ONE of the 50 people killed in the fiery plane crash in New York state today was a widow whose husband was killed in the September 11 attacks, a local newspaper reported.

The commercial plane has crashed into a house a few kilometres from the airport in Buffalo, New York.

Police spokeswoman Rebecca Gibbons said that there were 49 people on the plane and "there were no survivors." A county official had earlier confirmed one fatality on the ground.

Widow Beverly Eckert was travelling to Buffalo to celebrate what would have been her husband, Sean Rooney's, 58th birthday, the Buffalo News reported.

"We know she was on that plane,'' her sister Sue Bourque told the paper, 'and now she's with him.''

Ms Eckert was due to attend the presentation of a scholarship in Mr Rooney's name at the high school where the two met.

She later served as co-chair of the Voices of September 11 which pushed for better investigation of the attacks and a permanent memorial.

The paper said families of the victims had been moved into an airport lounge and offered consolation, but no confirmation of their loved one's death.

"We know they're dead. Why can't they just tell us or take us to ID them," said one grieving man who declined to give his name.

A nurse at the Erie County Medical Center told the Buffalo News the hospital's staff had been told to stay late to treat any survivors but had now been sent home.

"There were no souls to bring in and treat," she said.

Continental Airlines flight 3407, operated by Colgan Airways, from Newark, New Jersey crashed some 8km from the airport in the suburb of Clarence Centre about 10.10pm (3.10pm AEDT).

One county official said he was not aware of any reports of trouble from the plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400.



"I was told the plane simply dropped off the radar screen," the official said.

CNN showed burning wreckage in the centre of a residential neighbourhood.

The house the plane crashed into was damaged and twelve nearby homes have been evacuated.

"One structure has been seriously damaged and the aircraft is currently still burning - somewhat under control,'' David Bissonette, emergency co-ordinator in Clarence Centre said.

"We have multiple fatalities. The scene is secured by the state police and a long-term inves

tigation is imminent."

A witness told CNN he heard a buzzing noise followed by a large explosion.

“It didn’t sound right and I couldn’t tell if it was a problem with the engine,” he said.

“I knew right away something was wrong … no more than two seconds later there was a large explosion, the foundations of the house shook.”

SOURCE: NEWS.COM



Sun, 08 March 2009
Worlds Greatest Shave Event
40FM.NET and Queensland Lions Football Club

Announce a Worlds Greatest Shave Event for Sunday 15th March at Qld Lions FC 133 Pine Rd Richlands

Come Along and join in the Fun

Shave your Head

Colour your hair for those not so brave.

"We will bring out the 40FM.NET team

to create an event to raise funds

for the Leukaemia Foundations

Worlds Greatest Shave" Said Webmaster of www.40fm.net site. A Truck driver based site for the transport community.

Other Events included raffles with Prizes and Auctions to raise much needed funds, visit

http://40fm.net/forum/index.php/topic,391.0.html for more details.

PLACE

Queensland Lions Football Club

133 Pine Road

Richlands

DATE

Sunday 15th March 2009

TIME

2.30 pm to 6.00 pm.

Join the 40FM Team afterwards for a chat.

www.qldlions.com.au

CONTACTS

Webmaster on webmaster@40fm.net

or phone the Club on 3271 3636

Visit the team online or make a donation online.

http://my.imisfriendraising.com.au/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=283191

Visit www.worldsgreatestshave.com.au for more details

To see more about Queensland Lions Football Club visit www.qldlions.com.au

All Donations over $2 are Tax Deductible.



Mon, 23 March 2009
Three men die trying to saw through war-era bomb
March 23, 2009

THREE Vietnamese men were killed while trying to saw through a war-era shell to salvage metal and explosives, police said.

The men, between 19 and 44 years old, were trying to break open a 105mm shell when the blast happened in southern Tay Ninh province on Friday, local policeman Nguyen Minh Kha said.

"The poor men wanted to sell the metal for money. They could not escape the sudden blast,'' he said.

According to earlier figures from the Public Security Ministry, more than 38,000 Vietnamese nationals have been killed and 100,000 injured by explosives left over from the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975.

SOURCE: NEWS.COM

Tue, 31 March 2009
Rudd slashes political advertising costs
March 30, 2009

LABOR has slashed by almost two thirds the money spent on government advertising by the previous Howard government.

A half yearly report, released by the Government today, details its advertising spend for the six months to the end of December last year.

It shows advertising placement fees for government campaigns cost $53 million over the six months, bringing the total for the year to December 31, 2008, to $86.6 million.

This compares with $254 million in 2007.

An ongoing defence force recruitment campaign was the most expensive item, at $16.3 million, while the Government spent $8.3 million instructing people on climate change and $6.8 million telling teenagers not to binge drink.

The next report, disclosing the full campaign development costs, is due in September.

Special Minister of State John Faulkner said biannual reports are part of Labor's effort to fulfill its election promise of greater transparency and accountability of government operations.

SOURCE.NEWS.COM

Mon, 13 April 2009
National bikies laws essential: police
Mon Apr 13 2009

Queensland's police commissioner wants nationwide anti-bikie laws introduced, despite the country's peak civil liberties body saying Australia is heading for "disaster" by moving too quickly to adopt them.

The federal attorney-general and his counterparts from each state and territory will meet in Canberra this week to discuss the introduction of nationwide anti-bikie laws.

Queensland Police commissioner Bob Atkinson says he supports the move, arguing motorcycle gangs posed a direct threat to the community.

But Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL) president Terry O'Gorman says governments are acting with undue speed to adopt a uniform law in response to an incident last month at Sydney Airport in which a man was killed.

"There's no reason to hurry these laws through. There hasn't been a threat for bikies to take over all of society," he said.

"Federal and state Labor politicians are with effortless ease about to import draconian anti-terror legislation into mainstream criminal law," he said.

"Leaving the framing of anti-biker laws involving serious interference with fundamental civil liberties such as freedom of association to law enforcement agencies and bureaucrats will be a disaster for civil liberties in this country," Mr O'Gorman said.

Instead, the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) should refer the concept to the independent Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to drive the process, he said.

Mr O'Gorman said this would allow the ALRC to take an evidence- and research-based approach to the concept, something he believes was absent when NSW Premier Nathan Rees pushed state anti-bikie laws through parliament at the beginning of April.

The civil liberties advocate also criticised Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's approach.

"By the end of her first post-election cabinet meeting she said it was too urgent to wait for SCAG and Queensland had to pass its own laws quickly," Mr O'Gorman said.

Mr O'Gorman said law and order was the only area of public policy where new laws were urgently introduced without evidence being independently gathered and researched.

He said there were well-established precedents for the ALRC to conduct thorough research before increasing police powers across Australia.

However, Queensland police chief Atkinson said he would back any action that effectively stopped outlaw motorcycle gangs' criminal activities.

"I would be supporting anything that would be dismantling them and that would help stop their activity," Mr Atkinson said, noting they engaged in prostitution, as well as the amphetamine drug trade.

"The tactics and methods used by bikie gangs are brutal and ruthless.

"The premier has already indicated that Queensland will look at the introduction of this legislation, and currently police together with representatives of the justice department at the premier's direction are preparing draft legislation for the cabinet to consider."

Source: NINe News

Sat, 25 April 2009
Teenage girls skolling vodka in risky form of spin-the-bottle game
TEENAGE girls as young as 15 are skolling vodka in a new twist of the spin-the-bottle game.

Girls are being hospitalised for acute alcohol poisoning as they participate in risky drinking by skolling straight spirits to try to compete with men.

Almost 1700 children were treated for alcohol poisoning in NSW hospitals last year, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Leading drug and alcohol experts warned against the game, which is being played in other states including Queensland and Victoria.

Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia director Paul Dillon said in the past month he had visited schools in NSW, Queensland and Victoria where girls spoke of the game.

"There is a phenomenal (abuse) of vodka. Girls are drinking it, wrongly believing it contains no calories, that because it is clear it is better than other spirits and because it's odourless," he said.

Instead of spinning the bottle and having to kiss the person it points to, girls are taking large swigs of alcohol.

"Girls are not using mixers because of the calories and so they are drinking the spirits straight," he said.

"They are getting the taste for spirits through alcopops and then leaping into the straight spirits."

St Vincent's Hospital emergency director Dr Gordian Fulde said drinking games were not new, but the amount of girls seeking treatment was increasing.

"Teenage girls have been playing all the games that boys have been playing - like boat races," he said.

"They do it early in the night in preparation for a big night out.

"It's been going on for a while but is increasing and very much becoming part of the night."

He warned young girls against the dangers of drinking, not just to the body but the harm they could place themselves in. Research shows alcohol abuse is the No. 1 cause for girls being hospitalised, ahead of suicide, assaults and falls.

National Drug Research Institute associate professor Tania Chikritzhs said it was difficult to track emerging trends but previous surveys showed a decrease in spirits.

"However, there has been an increase in alcopops," she said.

Friends Hannah Gray, Stephanie Pulis, Karina Veling and Laura Bon Accorso, all 18, said they knew of younger people playing spin the bottle to get drunk quickly.

"I've heard about it. I've never played it though," Ms Veling said.

"I reckon the younger you are the more things you drink straight - the quicker to get drunk. We are all wusses, we didn't drink under-age."

SOURCE; NEWS.COM

Wed, 13 May 2009
Senate orders inquiry into job network tender process
May 13, 2009

THE Senate will hold an inquiry into the tender process to select which companies will run the Federal government's new job-seeking program.

Up to 2,000 workers could lose their jobs under the new Job Services Australia regime which replaces the Jobs Network system from the beginning of July.

The Greens and Coalition today successfully referred the Government's handling of the tender process for contracts, awarded last month, to a Senate inquiry.

The Opposition says the government bungled the tendering process, while the Greens, church groups and Jobs Australia - the peak body for not-for-profit organisations assisting the unemployed - have been calling for an inquiry to shed light on how providers were chosen.

"There appears to have been no rhyme or reason on which providers did and didn't get contracts - with many high quality providers missing out," Greens senator Rachel Siewert said.

"The process seems to be merely change for change's sake," she said.

Senator Siewert said thousands of jobs would be lost as a result of the changes, and with them, the skills and experience that would be vital during the economic downturn.

The Government makes a lot of noise about the importance of social inclusion, she said.

"Yet their handling of the employment services contract process just insults the good work of many not-for-profit organisations that provide specialist employment services, right at the time when unemployment is expected to go through the roof."

SOURCE: NEWS.COM

Tue, 26 May 2009
Defined benefit super liability soars to $25 billion
26 April 2009

The liability amount from Australian listed companies’ unfunded defined benefit superannuation has shot up to an estimated $25 billion driven by falling interest rates and values in financial assets.

The figure jumped from a modest shortfall of less than $2 billion at June 30, 2008, just prior to the worsening impact of the financial crisis, until December last year, according to a Watson Wyatt survey of Australian listed companies.

“At 30 June 2008, the companies in the study were holding $58 billion in defined benefit superannuation liability and backing that with $56 billion in assets,” Watson Wyatt principal David McNeice said.

“What happened in that second six months was unprecedented,” McNeice said.

“The results have not been fully disclosed yet, but our analysis shows that the modest shortfall of less than $2 billion would have increased to about $25 billion over that six-month period, driven by a combination of falling interest rates and falling values in financial assets.”

Despite a perception that defined benefit superannuation had largely disappeared from the Australian market, the study shows the numbers involved were still significant and required careful ongoing management.

“By international standards, the Australian position is actually relatively strong,” McNeice said.

He said there was also evidence that sponsoring companies and trustees were taking the necessary steps to restore the position by working together to implement an actuarial funding program that may involve additional contributions over a period of time and a “re-think of the investment policy”.

SOURCE: Money Management

Mon, 29 June 2009
40FM Launches New Site
29th June 2009

Australian based Truck Driver site 40FM is a community based support network for not just truck drivers, but help by offering support to other community based charity groups.

40FM launched their new site a few weeks ago, we spoke with the Webmaster to find out some of the new features.

" We had our members asking for some new features like instant chat and a photo gallery, so we upgraded the site to include some of these thing, but we added a few more, classifieds are also now included, as is the ability for us to display videos or music."

Its apparent when looking at the site that its designed for ease of use, with one page per feature, this keeps the site very uncluttered.

"This was one thing we wanted to maintain" , said the webmaster.

Check out their new site by visiting www.40fm.net.au



Mon, 20 July 2009
Lockyer Vallet Sound & Noise Spectacular
20th July 2009

The Annual Lockyer Valley Sound & Noise Spectacular is on again for 2009.

Aiding The Cancer Council, Queensland, the event is an all round motoring enthusiasts treat, whether your into Motorbikes, Cars of all ages, Trucks, Utes or even models of any type of transportation, this event has it all.

Organisers, Murphy's Creek Progress Association spokesperson Murray tells us, "this year will be bigger than ever, with a massive line up of entertainment all day, side show alley for the kids, and shows for all vehicle classes with trophies for each section. We have tried to make the event cater to the whole family.

With the focus on helping those affected by cancer, we simply want the attitude left outside the gate, and everyone in the family to have a great, fun filled weekend here."

For details on the Lockyer Valley Sound & Noise Spectacular to be held at Murhpys Ck Cricket grounds, August 22 2009, visit www.40fm.net.au and see the subject in their forum.

Contact details for the organisers can be found with that site.

Help find a cure for cancer, bring the whole Family to a great day out, or book now for FREE Camping.

Supporting 'The Cancer Council Qld"

Source: 40fm.net.au

Mon, 17 August 2009
Nokia pact helps Microsoft
August 17 2009

Microsoft's high-profile deal with handset maker Nokia could help keep aggressive software rivals at bay, but at the same time spell the end for its ailing Windows Mobile operating system.

Last week Microsoft and Nokia unveiled an alliance taking Microsoft's Office applications -- including Word, Excel and PowerPoint -- to a range of Nokia cell phones from next year. The pact could counter moves by phone makers to use Google's free Android operating system, and keep Microsoft relevant in the mobile market despite a poor showing from Windows Mobile.

"It's possible that Microsoft has accepted it is not going to succeed in the mobile OS race, particularly now that HTC and Samsung seem to be sneaking into the Android party," said Tero Kuittinen, analyst at MKM Partners.

"It may be better to help Nokia throw meatballs into Google's punch bowl -- Nokia still has a chance of spoiling the Android feast," Kuittinen said.

Android has got a lot of traction in the cell phone industry, with many vendors planning to introduce phones using it, but so far only a few Android phones have reached consumers.

"Microsoft appears to be gambling that the benefit of gaining Nokia's scale with Office will offset the possible cost of losing sales among its existing Windows Mobile licensees," said Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics.

Radical steps were needed, not just to battle Android but also Nokia's own Symbian system, which it has opened to other handset makers for free use -- leaving Microsoft the only operating system maker charging license fees from handset makers.

But though Microsoft says its is committed to Windows Mobile, the Nokia deal is being read by many as a signal the company wants to limit its involvement. The arrangement also jeopardizes sales of smaller handset makers like HTC who have focused on Windows phones.

Source: Reuters

Mon, 07 September 2009
Call for reforms of tax lurks as negative gearing frenzy hits
September 7th 2009

LANDLORDS are claiming $11 billion in tax deductions a year as a negative gearing frenzy grips the property market.

The tax grab from property "losses" - the richest potential deduction for individuals - is about four times the amount claimed 10 years ago.

As the Henry Review examines how to reform our tax system, the Herald Sun also revealed more than half of Australian companies pay less than 5 per cent tax.

Treasury figures reveal only a quarter of companies, or about 92,000 businesses, pay more than 15 per cent tax on their total earnings.

Property investors whose interest bills exceed the rent on their investment can use the losses to reduce their tax.

Deductions by individual property investors hit $11.7 billion in 2007-08, up from $3.1 billion in 1999-2000.

That's more than double the $5.2 billion in taxable capital gains reported by the same group.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence said the system inflated housing prices while rewarding higher income earners.

Taxwatch spokesman Julian Disney said the figures, published for the first time, showed the opportunities available for corporate Australia to minimise tax liability.

"It shows the importance of closing off unjustifiable tax concessions and loopholes, which enable companies to avoid paying their fair share of tax," Prof Disney said.

Greens leader Bob Brown said there was a clear case for change.

"Everyday taxpayers I know would be delighted to pay less than 5 per cent tax on their gross income," Senator Brown said.

"The Government must publish a full and open exposition of the tax deductions available to the business sector to explain these figures."

Treasury Secretary Ken Henry is conducting a "root-and-branch" review of the tax system on the orders of the Rudd Government.

In its submission to the review, the Business Council of Australia argued for the business tax rate to be slashed.

A spokesman for Treasurer Wayne Swan said the Government was awaiting the results of the Henry Review before considering changes to the system.

The tax take in 2007-08 was about $286 billion.

Individuals paid $129 billion and companies paid about $78 billion, with GST and sales taxes making up the difference.



SOURCE: news.com

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