FED:Childcare payments cut a govt 'cash cow'

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2011
FED:Childcare payments cut a govt 'cash cow'

PARLY 008

CANBERRA, Aug 23 AAP - The federal opposition has accused the government of using planned
changes in family child care benefits as a "cash cow" to fund its other spending policies.

Nationals Senator Fiona Nash told the Senate on Tuesday many Australians would be concerned
at what the government was doing.

After questions from Senator Nash, Labor parliamentary secretary Don Farrell said the
aim of the change was to generate savings.

"The primary purpose is to generate some savings, $81 million to be precise," Senator
Farrell told the chamber on Tuesday.

Senator Nash said: "Isn't it interesting, colleagues, that this government has spent
$80.9 million on an emissions trading scheme that does not exist?"

The government's proposed family assistance amendment bill would cap the annual child
care rebate limit at $7500 for the four years from July 1 2010, with the first rise in
line with inflation occurring from July 1, 2014.

Currently, the child care rebate limit for families is $7941.

Senator Farrell said the impact of the change in the cap on families would be "very modest".

"The vast majority of families using approved child care, some 95 per cent, or 759,000,
will not reach the reduced annual cap in the financial year 2011/12, and therefore would
not be affected by this change," he said.

Debate on the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Budget Measures)
Bill 2010 continues.

AAP el/klm

KEYWORD: CHILD CARE

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Man charged with grooming child for sex

AAP General News (Australia)
02-21-2008
Qld: Man charged with grooming child for sex

A man will face a Brisbane court today .. accused of grooming a child online for sex.

The 45 year old man was arrested yesterday as federal police raided his Acacia Ridge
home .. in suburban Brisbane.

Police seized two computers allegedly containing …

FED:Reopen Nauru processing centre: Abbott

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2011
FED:Reopen Nauru processing centre: Abbott

The federal opposition has again called on the Gillard government to abandon its plan
for a refugee processing centre in East Timor .. and instead move to reopen a detention
facility in Nauru.

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says recent riots at detention centres are a result of
the government losing control of Australia's borders.

Mr ABBOTT's told ABC Radio that if the government's serious about fixing the problem
.. it will pick up the phone to the president of Nauru.

AAP RTV mb/jcd/af

KEYWORD: DETAINEES ABBOTT (CANBERRA)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW:Charitable cyclists are rewarded

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2011
NSW:Charitable cyclists are rewarded

Cyclists taking part in tomorrow's (Sunday's) Parra Pedal event in western Sydney are
being rewarded for their charitable efforts with free public transport.

The cycling event for the Amy Gillett Foundation is being held in and around Parramatta Park.

Free public transport will be given to participants and their bikes and volunteers
.. with CityRail trains and Sydney Ferries .. with volunteers also able to use Sydney
Bus services.

Participants will be required to display their rider numbers to obtain free travel
and volunteers will be required to show their identification card.

The Amy Gillett Foundation is a non-profit organisation aiming to reduce cyclists'
road deaths and injuries.

AAP RTV dmg/tm/wz

KEYWORD: CYCLE (SYDNEY)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW:Elderly man get struck by car

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2010
NSW:Elderly man get struck by car

Police are appealing for witnesses after an elderly man was hit by a car in Sydney's
northwest yesterday.

The 90-year-old was struck about 9.15am (AEST) while trying to cross Sherbrook Road at Asquith.

He's in a serious condition in hospital with a broken leg and several fractured ribs.

AAP RTV lxs/jmt

KEYWORD: ELDERLY (SYDNEY)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Aust, Afghan troops capture Taliban leader

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2010
Fed: Aust, Afghan troops capture Taliban leader

CANBERRA, April 21 AAP - A Taliban insurgent commander, the suspected mastermind of
bomb attacks which wounded four Australian soldiers in March, has been captured.

Mullah Faqir's capture represented a significant blow to the Taliban's ability to plan
and coordinate attacks against NATO-led coalition forces, says Australian Middle East
commander Major General John Cantwell said.

Australian soldiers and members of the Afghan Provincial Police Reserve detained insurgent
leader Mullah Faqir and four others during a joint clearance on April 12.

Mullah Faqir was a key tactical commander for the insurgency as it attempted to reconstitute
itself in Oruzgan at the beginning of the traditional summer fighting season, General
Cantwell said.

He was known to coalition forces in Afghanistan for a number of years.

"He commanded a significant number of insurgent fighters and coordinated the construction
and placement of improvised explosive devices as well as directing attacks against security
forces in the region," General Cantwell said in statement.

"His capture represents a significant blow to the Taliban's ability to plan and coordinate
attacks against the Mirabad Valley population and against Australian, Afghan and coalition
forces working to bring security to that area."

He is believed to have been behind a series of separate IED attacks which wounded the
four Australian and three Afghan soldiers in late March.

Mullah Faqir was handed over to Dutch Forces and then transferred to Afghan security
services once his identity was confirmed.

He will now be processed within the Afghan justice system.

Three of the other four men detained with him were also transferred to Afghan authorities
for prosecution. The fourth was released.

The capture of Mullah Faqir follows other recent successes by the Australian Special
Operations Task Group.

Last month it and Afghan police captured key insurgent Mullah Janan Andewhal and a
number of others involved in the construction and placement of IEDs.

General Cantwell praised the work of the task group in disrupting the Taliban's IED

network during recent weeks.

They had done a magnificent job supporting their mates in the mentoring task force, he said.

AAP mb/it

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Ultralight aircraft pilot lay injured for 18 hours

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2009
WA: Ultralight aircraft pilot lay injured for 18 hours

PERTH, Dec 7 AAP - The injured pilot of an ultralight aircraft spent more than 18 hours
in a paddock after crash-landing in Western Australia's south-west.

Police said the 53-year-old pilot dragged himself from the wreckage of his Tecnam 5550
ultralight aircraft after it apparently ran out of fuel near Scott River, north of Augusta,
about 5pm on Sunday.

They could not confirm reports the man had used a lighter to ignite bales of hay during
the night in a bid to attract rescuers.

While 16 aircraft were deployed on Monday in a search for the man, who had been expected
to arrive in Bunbury from Narrogin about 3pm on Sunday, a passer-by discovered him in
the farm paddock shortly after 10am.

He told police the man "had been knocked around a bit but was basically okay".

A helicopter took the pilot to Bunbury Hospital suffering suspected serious spinal
injuries before he was relayed to Royal Perth Hospital.

Two brothers were killed in Victoria in an ultralight crash near Yarrawonga, on the
Murray River, on Sunday.

AAP was/jpm/de

KEYWORD: ULTRALIGHT WA WRAP

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Workers not at risk of flu: Australia Post

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2009
Fed: Workers not at risk of flu: Australia Post

SYDNEY, April 29 AAP - Postal workers are not at risk of contracting swine flu as a
result of handling international mail, Australia Post says.

The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has called for a full risk
assessment to be conducted amid concerns that postal workers regularly handle items from
Mexico.

Mexico has recorded seven confirmed deaths from swine flu, and more than 1,300 people
remain in hospital after exhibiting symptoms of the flu.

No other deaths have been reported in other countries, but the number of confirmed
or suspected cases has been on the rise around the world.

Expert advice showed there was no need for concern, Australia Post said in a statement
on Wednesday.

"We believe that there is no infectious risk for Australia Post staff handling mail
or parcels received from countries affected by Swine Influenza A, either at international
ports or internal airports," the Department of Health and Ageing informed Australia Post.

"No special handling precautions are necessary."

As the status of the flu was updated, Australia Post said it would seek further expert
advice about any potential risk to staff.

The unions's NSW branch secretary Jim Metcher has written to Australia Post asking
senior management to carry out a full risk assessment in order to protect the health and
safety of postal workers.

The union also wants Australia Post to guarantee its staff will have access to their
nominated doctor for any treatment and management of swine flu.

AAP ad/evt/apm

KEYWORD: FLU POSTAL UPDATE

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Ute rolls on beach, man riding in back killed=2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2008
Qld: Ute rolls on beach, man riding in back killed=2

(Eds note: Spelling was incorrect in second par, changes name from Cungalla to Cungulla)





A 35-year-old man riding in the back of a ute along a beach in north Queensland has
died after the vehicle rolled.

The ute was being driven along the beach at Cungulla .. 30 kilometres south of Townsville
.. about 6pm (AEST) last night when it rolled .. throwing the man from the back.

The vehicle was righted and the man was put into its back and was driven about 7 kilometres
to the Bruce Highway where they were met by the Queensland Ambulance Service.

The 25-year-old male driver was uninjured in the incident.

A number of witnesses have been identified and investigators will continue gathering
information from them on Saturday.





Meanwhile .. a 75-year-old woman has died in hospital on Christmas night after a car
crash in north Queensland earlier this week.

The woman was a passenger in the car .. which crashed on the Tully Falls Road .. about
14 kilometres from the Kennedy Highway at Ravenshoe about 5.45pm (AEST) on Tuesday.

The two deaths take the Queensland holiday road toll to six.

AAP RTV djb/ka

KEYWORD: TOLL QLD REISSUES

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Ath: Athletic results =3

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2008
Ath: Athletic results =3

MEN

400m (1st round - first 3 from each heat and 3 best times qualify for next round):

Heat 1

1. Leslie Djhone (FRA) 45.12 Q

2. David Neville (USA) 45.22 Q

3. Williams Collazo (CUB) 45.37 Q

4. Kevin Borlee (BEL) 45.43 q

5. Denis Alexeev (RUS) 45.52

6. Young Talkmore Nyongani (ZIM) 45.89

7. Eric Milazar (MRI) 46.06

8. Gakologelwang Masheto (BOT) 46.29

Heat 2

1. Christopher Brown (BAH) 44.79 Q

2. Joel Milburn (AUS) 44.80 Q

3. Johan Wissman (SWE) 44.81 Q

4. Senga Gary Kikaya (COD) 44.89 q

5. Sanjay Ayre (JAM) 45.66

6. Arismendy Peguero Matos (DOM) 46.28

7. Ivano Bucci (SMR) 48.54

8. Liu Xiaosheng (CHN) 53.11

Heat 3

1. Nery Brenes (CRC) 45.36 Q

2. Godday James (NGR) 45.49 Q

3. Andretti Bain (BAH) 45.96 Q

4. Niko Verekauta (FIJ) 46.32

5. Fernando Almeida (BRA) 46.60

6. Lewis Banda (ZIM) 46.76

7. Vincent Mumo Kiilu (KEN) 46.79

8. Nagm Eldin Ali (SUD) 47.12

Heat 4

1. Martyn Rooney (GBR) 45.00 Q

2. Sean Wroe (AUS) 45.17 Q

3. Ricardo Chambers (JAM) 45.22 Q

4. Erison Hurtault (DMA) 46.10

5. Andres Bayron Silva (URU) 46.34

6. Rudolf Gotz (CZE) 46.38

7. Yuzo Kanemaru (JPN) 46.39

. Calfornia Calfornia (BOT) DNS

Heat 5

1. Lashawn Merritt (USA) 44.96 Q

2. Saul Weipogwa (NGR) 45.19 Q

3. Claudio Licciardello (ITA) 45.25 Q

4. Jonathan Borlee (BEL) 45.25 q

5. Ato Modibo (TRI) 45.63

6. Alleyne Jeremy Francique (GRN) 46.15

7. Geiner Mosquera (COL) 46.59

8. Siraj Williams (LBR) 47.89

Heat 6

1. Andrew Steele (GBR) 44.94 Q

2. Renny Quow (TRI) 45.13 Q

3. Michael Mathieu (BAH) 45.17 Q

4. Michael Blackwood (JAM) 45.56

5. Tyler Christopher (CAN) 45.67

6. Joel Phillip (GRN) 46.30

7. Felix Martinez Cuevas (PUR) 46.46

8. Daniel Dabrowski (POL) 47.83

Heat 7

1. Jeremy Wariner (USA) 45.23 Q

2. Tabarie Henry (ISV) 45.36 Q

3. Cedric van Branteghem (BEL) 45.54 Q

4. David Gillick (EIR) 45.83

5. Maksim Dyldin (RUS) 46.03

6. Mykhaylo Knysh (UKR) 46.28

7. Mathieu Gnanligo Fousseni (BEN) 47.10

8. Naiel Santiago D'almeida (STP) 49.08

200m (1st round - first 3 of each heat and 8 best times qualify for next round):

Heat 1 (wind: +0.1 m/s)

1. Shawn Crawford (USA) 20.61 Q

2. Marcin Jedrusinski (POL) 20.64 Q

3. Stephan Buckland (MRI) 20.98 Q

4. Jir Vojtik (CZE) 21.05

5. Fanuel Kenosi (BOT) 21.09

6. Adam Harris (GUY) 21.36

7. Khalil Al Hanahneh (JOR) 21.55

8. Solomon Bayoh (SLE) 22.16

. Francis Obikwelu (POR) DNS

Heat 2 (wind: 0.0 m/s)

1. Brian Dzingayi (ZIM) 20.25 Q

2. Christian Malcolm (GBR) 20.42 Q

3. Christopher Williams (JAM) 20.53 Q

4. Shinji Takahira (JPN) 20.58 q

5. Amr Seoud (EGY) 20.75 q

6. Thuso Mpuang (RSA) 20.87 q

7. Daniel Grueso (COL) 21.15

8. Arnaldo Abrantes (POR) 21.46

Heat 3 (wind: -0.4 m/s)

1. Marlon Devonish (GBR) 20.49 Q

2. Kim Collins (SKN) 20.55 Q

3. Marvin Anderson (JAM) 20.85 Q

4. Matic Osovnikar (SLO) 20.89 q

5. Chris Lloyd (DMA) 20.90

6. Heber Viera (URU) 20.93

7. Cristian Reyes (CHI) 21.20

8. Franklin Nazareno (ECU) 21.26

Heat 4 (wind: -1.1 m/s)

1. Roman Smirnov (RUS) 20.76 Q

2. Walter Dix (USA) 20.77 Q

3. Cruz Rolando Palacios Castillo (HON) 20.81 Q

4. Angel David Rodriguez (ESP) 20.87 q

5. Bruno Barros (BRA) 21.15

6. Desislav Gunev (BUL) 21.55

7. Vyacheslav Muravyev (KAZ) 21.68

8. Nicolai Portelli (MLT) 22.31

Heat 5 (wind: -0.1 m/s)

1. Rondell Sorillo (TRI) 20.58 Q

2. Usain Bolt (JAM) 20.64 Q

3. Kristof Beyens (BEL) 20.69 Q

4. Marc Schneeberger (SUI) 20.86 q

5. Jose Eduardo Acevedo Herrera (VEN) 21.06

6. Igor Bodrov (UKR) 21.38

7. Mohamad Siraj Tamim (LIB) 21.80

8. Oleg Juravlyov (UZB) 22.31

9. Juan Zeledon (NCA) 23.39

Heat 6 (wind: -0.5 m/s)

1. Wallace Spearmon (USA) 20.46 Q

2. Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (NOR) 20.54 Q

3. Paul Hession (EIR) 20.59 Q

4. Seth Amoo (GHA) 20.91

5. Ronalds Arajs (LAT) 21.22

6. Jayson Jones (BIZ) 21.54

7. Nabie Foday Fofana (GUI) 21.68

. Brian Barnett (CAN) ABD

Heat 7 (wind: -0.7 m/s)

1. Obinna Metu (NGR) 20.62 Q

2. Ramil Guliyev (AZE) 20.78 Q

3. Churandy Martina (AHO) 20.78 Q

4. Sandro Viana (BRA) 20.84 q

5. Jamaal Rolle (BAH) 20.93

6. Shingo Suetsugu (JPN) 20.93

7. Omar Juma Alsalfa (UAE) 21.00

. Alex Nelson (GBR) DNS

Heat 8 (wind: -0.3 m/s)

1. Aaron Armstrong (TRI) 20.57 Q

2. Brendan Christian (ANT) 20.58 Q

3. Jared Connaughton (CAN) 20.60 Q

4. Visa Hongisto (FIN) 20.62 q

5. Marco Cribari (SUI) 20.98

6. James Dolphin (NZL) 20.98

7. Zhang Peimeng (CHN) 21.06

. Samuel Adelebari Francis (QAT) DNS



Triple jump (Qualifying - qualification 17.10m or 12 best):

GROUP A

1. Phillips Idowu (GBR) 17.44m Q

2. Nelson Evora (POR) 17.34 Q

3. Arnie Girat (CUB) 17.30 Q

4. Igor Spasovkhodskiy (RUS) 17.23 Q

5. Marian Oprea (ROM) 17.17 Q

6. Jadel Gregorio (BRA) 17.15 Q

7. Viktor Kuznyetsov (UKR) 17.11 Q

8. Alexis Copello (CUB) 17.09

9. Dmitrij Valukevic (SVK) 17.08

10. Kim Deokhyeon (KOR) 16.88

11. Rafeeq Curry (USA) 16.88

12. Fabrizio Donato (ITA) 16.70

13. Kenta Bell (USA) 16.55

14. Dzmitry Platnitski (BLR) 16.51

15. Jefferson Sabino (BRA) 16.45

16. Roman Valiyev (KAZ) 16.20

17. Ibrahim Babikir I Mohamdein (QAT) 16.03

18. Zhong Minwei (CHN) 15.59

19. Redzep Selman (MKD) 15.29

GROUP B

1. Li Yanxi (CHN) 17.30m Q

2. Leevan Sands (BAH) 17.25 Q

3. Onochie Achike (GBR) 17.18 Q

4. Hector Fuentes (CUB) 17.14 Q

5. Momchil Karailiev (BUL) 17.12 Q

6. Randy Lewis (GRN) 17.06

7. Mykola Savolainen (UKR) 17.00

8. Alexander Petrenko (RUS) 16.97

9. Nathan Douglas (GBR) 16.72

10. Danil Burkenya (RUS) 16.69

11. Dimitrios Tsiamis (GRE) 16.65

12. Vladimir Letnicov (MDA) 16.62

13. Viktor Iastrebov (UKR) 16.52

14. Colomba Fofana (FRA) 16.42

15. Lucien Hugo Mamba Schlick (CMR) 16.01

16. Aarik Wilson (USA) 15.97

17. Gu Junjie (CHN) 15.94

18. Renjith Maheswary (IND) 15.77

. Tarik Bouguetaib (MAR) 0

. Ndiss Kaba Badji (SEN) 0

more bd

KEYWORD: OLYR08 ATH RESULTS 3 BEIJING

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Churches, pubs welcome pokies changes

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2008
Vic: Churches, pubs welcome pokies changes

Churches and industry groups have applauded the Victorian government's decision to
smash the state's pokies duopoly .. and move to a venue-based system.

Premier JOHN BRUMBY says hotels and clubs will be able to bid directly for poker machines
.. under a shake-up that will end the Tattersall's and Tabcorp duopoly.

MARK ZIRNSAK .. from the Victorian Inter Church Gambling Taskforce .. says the move
is a step in the right direction to reduce problem gambling.

But he says he'd have liked more machines moved into clubs and away from hotels.

Clubs Victoria executive director MARGARET KEARNEY says the move will give community
clubs more control.

And Australian Hotels Association Victorian chief BRIAN KEARNEY says his organisation
had always hoped for a venue-based model.

The new industry model is similar to those that have been operating in New South Wales
and Queensland for more than a decade.

AAP RTV kl/gfr/crh/jec/wz/psm/

KEYWORD: POKIES VIC REAX (MELBOURNE)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Kitchenhand denies murdering former boss

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2007
NSW: Kitchenhand denies murdering former boss

SYDNEY, Dec 7 AAP - A Sydney kitchen hand has pleaded not guilty to the stabbing murder
of his former boss.

In the NSW Supreme Court today, Gordon Francis Chang Szeto, 32, denied a charge of
murdering cafe owner Mario Acquaro, 42, in Crows Nest in January this year.

At his committal hearing in October, the magistrate was told Szeto believed he was
an unwilling participant in a reality TV show at the time of the attack.

"I think a much higher authority has ... to answer for this because some stupid TV
executives or higher governing body has decided to put my life on heavy surveillance,"

Szeto allegedly told police.

Justice Graham Barr today was told the defence had asked the crown to agree for the
trial to be conducted by a judge sitting without a jury.

If the crown agrees, the trial - which was set down for April 21 - is expected to last two days.

AAP mss/was/jt/de

KEYWORD: SZETO

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2007
VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers = 2

THE AGE

Page 1: The nation's leading scientific body, the CSIRO, has undermined Prime Minister
John Howard's position on climate change by advising that big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions
appear to be both inevitable and affordable for Australia; Broughton Hall's failure to
meet basic health standards contributed to the deaths of five elderly patients, federal
Minister for Ageing Christopher Pyne said yesterday.

Page 2: In an Anzac Day embarrassment, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks appears to have
been shamed into attending a suburban dawn service today.

Page 3: Commuters using some of Melbourne's busiest inner and middle-suburban stations
are being left behind on platforms because of over-crowding on the rail system.

World: US President George W Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress are heading
for a confrontation over Iraq this week, with the Democrats vowing to force him to accept
a timetable for the withdrawal of US combat forces.

Finance: Inflation has dropped below Reserve Bank forecasts as weaker than expected
results stunned economists and forced markets to all but rule out an interest rate rise
next week.

Sport: West Coast Eagles AFL footballer Ben Cousins could face regular drug tests and
a public admission of drug use if he hopes to play football after his reported early return
from drug rehabilitation in Los Angeles.

AAP jrd/cp

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS VIC 2 MELBOURNE

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

ACT: Woman armed with syringe robs video shop

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2006
ACT: Woman armed with syringe robs video shop

CANBERRA, Dec 23 AAP - A woman has threatened a shop assistant with a syringe during
a robbery at a Canberra video store.

The woman entered the store at Emu Bank, Belconnen, about 10.40am (AEDT) today, produced
a syringe and demanded money from the register, police said.

She escaped on foot with a small amount of cash.

The woman was described as dark-skinned, 163cm tall, of medium build with long, dark hair.

She was wearing a blue hooded top and had a small scar in her right eyebrow, police said.

AAP dcr/jm/cdh

KEYWORD: SYRINGE

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: More doctors ready to quit at Qld hospital: Opposition

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2006
Qld: More doctors ready to quit at Qld hospital: Opposition

HERVEY BAY, Qld, Aug 16 AAP - More doctors are threatening to resign due to chronic
under-staffing at a southeast Queensland hospital, the state Opposition says.

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg today said a leaked Queensland Health document showed 12
full time positions at Hervey Bay Hospital had been under-funded, preventing the facility
from attracting doctors.

Dated July 17 this year, the "critical medical vacancy report" showed the hospital's
emergency and internal medical wards were each down five doctors while the orthopaedic
ward was short a further two doctors.

Dr Flegg, campaigning for the state election in Hervey Bay, said the situation was
applying extra workloads to existing staff, threatening patient safety.

"It's a very strained hospital, this is a hospital in severe distress which impacts
on staff and will result in further staff leaving," Dr Flegg said.

He also said the documents revealed that outpatient services at the hospital would remain closed.

The hospital's dire situation proved the state government's multi billion dollar campaign
to fix the state's struggling public hospital system was nothing more than "spin", Dr
Flegg said.

The coalition today announced all public hospitals would be run by locally-appointed
hospital boards to prevent bureaucratic bungling.

Nationals leader Lawrence Springborg said the disasters arising from the Jayant Patel
scandal at Bundaberg Hospital would never have happened if a local hospital board comprising
doctors and nurses along with members of the community had been in place.

Mr Springborg also said a coalition government would end a culture of bullying and
intimidation that had plagued the hospital system.

AAP jvb/kj/sc/it/sd

KEYWORD: POLL QLD REPORT

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Finance Min to take Telstra sale to Europe, Japan

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2006
Fed: Finance Min to take Telstra sale to Europe, Japan

Finance Minister NICK MINCHIN is heading overseas after Easter .. to discuss the sale
of Telstra with investors.

Senator MINCHIN visited the United States a year ago .. and now plans to sound out
investment bankers and fund managers in Europe and Japan.

Parliament has approved the sale of the government's majority stake in the telco ..

but the prime minister says he won't sell at just any price.

AAP RTV pjo/so/jmt/bart

KEYWORD: TELSTRA MINCHIN (CANBERRA)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

stock turnover

stock turnover The number of times in a year that the stock-in-trade of an organization is deemed to have been sold. This is best found by dividing the total cost of the goods sold in a year by an average value of the stock-in-trade (see rate of turnover). The faster the stock is turned over, the more opportunities there are to make profits on it and therefore the lower the margins that are required; for example a supermarket, in which the stock is turned over frequently, makes lower margins than a jeweller's shop, in which high-priced goods are sold infrequently.

3Dshopping.com Launches ScreenFriends Interactive Web Site.

Business Editors

MARINA DEL REY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2000

3Dshopping.com (AMEX:THD), in conjunction with Jump Communications, today announced the launch of the Web site for ScreenFriends Corp. (www.screenfriends.com).

ScreenFriends(TM) is the world's first voice-activated computer response technology that develops relationships with its users and simplifies computing overall. The software is distributed free to the public via retail promotions, entertainment promotional tie-ins, CD mailings and Web site downloads.

3Dshopping.com and Jump Communications designed and created the ScreenFriends Web site to launch the brand and their services on the Internet. ScreenFriends animated characters include Rocky, Bullwinkle and many other ScreenFriends original characters, including the soon-to-be-released Robin Leach.

The ScreenFriends characters get your e-mail, open computer programs, surf the Web and take you shopping. The principal benefit of ScreenFriends is that the software "learns" the user's communication and purchasing patterns, eventually saving them time and money whenever they use a computer or go shopping online.

Jackie Hughes, executive vice resident of Operations at 3Dshopping.com, added: "ScreenFriends innovative approach to working with a computer was an exciting opportunity for 3Dshopping.com. The interactivity reflected in the site is a good representation of their ScreenFriends product, which will help lead to their success."

"Our goal is to make using the computer simpler and more natural," stated Greg Santore, chief executive officer of ScreenFriends. "Shopping online, for example, is more like having a conversation than operating a machine. Our Web site will be the vehicle to download ScreenFriends and help build awareness of our product."

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, that may cause the companies' actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, competitive factors, the ability to successfully complete additional financings and other risks.