Cameron at odds with Pope over Falklands

Britain's PM David Cameron says he disagrees with the new Pope over the Falkland Islands. Source: AAP

BRITAIN'S Prime Minister David Cameron says he disagrees with the new Pope over the future of the Falkland Islands.

Pope Francis, who is the first Argentinian pontiff and a former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has previously described the disputed islands as "Argentinian soil" which was "usurped" by Britain.

But Mr Cameron on Friday urged all world leaders, including the Pope, to respect the overwhelming 99.8 per cent vote in this week's Falklands referendum in favour of remaining a British Overseas Territory.

In a reference to the method used by the Vatican to announce a decision on the identity of the new Pope, he said: "The white smoke over the Falklands was pretty clear."

Asked at a media conference in Brussels whether he agreed with Francis on the issue of the Falklands, Mr Cameron said: "I don't agree with him - respectfully, obviously.

"There was a pretty extraordinarily clear referendum in the Falkland Islands and I think that is a message to everyone in the world that the people of these islands have chosen very clearly the future they want and that choice should be respected by everyone."

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Google chairman Schmidt to visit Myanmar

GOOGLE chairman Eric Schmidt is planning to visit Myanmar (Burma) weeks after a trip to North Korea.

Schmidt will speak in Yangon (Rangoon) on March 22 as part of an Asian tour, the Internet giant said.

He is aiming to boost web access in a country long cut-off from the rest of the world by sanctions.

Internet penetration is poor and those with web access have slow connections.

Schmidt's visit aims "to connect with local partners and Googlers who are working to improve the lives of many millions of people across the region by helping them get online and access the world's information for the first time", Google said in a statement.

Schmidt made a private visit to North Korea in January.

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Sydney toddler drowns in backyard pool

A one-year-old boy has died after being pulled unconscious from a backyard pool in Sydney's west. Source: AAP

A TODDLER has drowned in a backyard pool in Sydney's west.

Police and paramedics were called to a house on The Northern Road at Luddenham after the one-year-old boy was pulled unconscious from a backyard pool on Saturday afternoon.

The boy was treated by paramedics and taken to Nepean Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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SA bikie admits gun and drug possession

AN Adelaide bikie's harsh time in solitary confinement - when he could not properly grieve for his "executed" son - was sufficient punishment for his crimes, a judge has been told.

Lawyer Heath Barclay urged the judge to impose a penalty on Vince Focarelli that would result in his being freed from jail at his sentencing hearing next Wednesday.

"He has served his time," Mr Barclay said on Friday in the South Australian District Court.

Focarelli, 38, pleaded guilty to possessing a revolver which was found on the body of 22-year-old Giovanni Focarelli, who was shot dead during an ambush at Dry Creek on January 29, 2012.

Focarelli, who was shot four times in the attack, also admitted possessing the liquid drug butanediol found in a hire care used by the pair.

Mr Barclay said Focarelli had been the subject of repeated attacks between 2009 and the day his son was executed.

They included his being shot and hospitalised, people allegedly trying to place a bomb near his home and an unknown assailant in a supermarket pointing a gun at his head and pulling the trigger.

The firing mechanism failed.

By January 2012, Focarelli was so concerned for his safety and that of his family that he took possession of a gun.

Focarelli had given the loaded revolver to his son to hold on January 29, Mr Barclay said.

"The purpose for the firearm was defensive, not offensive," he added.

While Focarelli knew the fantasy-like drug was in the car; it was not his and he'd had no intention of using it.

Mr Barclay said Focarelli had been in harsh conditions in solitary confinement since February last year when he was charged over the drug.

His bond with his son had been "extraordinarily strong", but he was not allowed to attend his funeral nor had he seen his grave.

"Your honour can accept that, as a result, those conditions have acted as a personal deterrent for him," the lawyer said.

"Mr Focarelli wants to get on with his life and put all of this behind him as best as he can."

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Queensland gets GST windfall, WA big loser

THE Queensland government has no more excuses to cut services after gaining a windfall $700 million in the annual carve-up of the GST revenue pie, the federal government says.

However, the Gillard government faces another row with newly re-elected Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett as his state is the biggest loser in the recommended 2013/14 GST distribution announced on Friday, losing more that half a billion dollars.

An angry Mr Barnett said it was a "flashpoint" in state/federal relations.

Senior government minister Craig Emerson said the independent Commonwealth Grants Commission's latest assessment was a "great boost" to Queensland.

He said the state's premier Campbell Newman had now run out of excuses for his savage cuts to jobs and services.

"Mr Newman has $700 million more coming Queensland's way as a result of the GST distribution ... stop sacking nurses and other frontline service providers," Dr Emerson told reporters in Canberra.

Treasurer Wayne Swan said Mr Newman owes Queenslanders an explanation as to what he will use this money for, given his recent savage cuts to jobs and services.

In its annual recommendations to the federal government, the Commonwealth Grants Commission estimated GST revenue will total $51 billion in 2013/14, up from $48.25 billion in 2012/13.

It said the main changes in its distribution recommendations were for Queensland and WA, mainly reflecting contrasting developments in the mining industries.

Commission chairman Alan Henderson said WA mining production had continued to grow to the point where by 2011/12 it had the capacity to raise near $2200 per person in mining royalties, compared with about $450 per person for all states.

"This sustained growth and the associated impact on employment and wages elsewhere in the state gives it an unprecedented fiscal capacity," Mr Henderson said.

"Compared to last year, we conclude they need $549 million less GST revenue."

Dr Emerson said this was an independent assessment, which by convention the federal government accepted, but noted the reduction was about $100 million less than the WA government had forecast.

But Mr Barnett said what was particularly galling was that for the first time, a state's share had fallen below 50 cents in a dollar.

"That is the flashpoint in commonwealth/state relations," he told reporters in Perth.

"This deal is akin to chopping two arms and a leg off, but saying 'you've got another leg'."

Mr Henderson said coal prices in 2011/12 were much lower than in 2008/09 and that Queensland coal production was also somewhat lower.

"This, combined with a sluggish property market, has resulted in Queensland's overall fiscal capacity falling below the average and therefore it becoming a net beneficiary under the equalisation arrangements for the first year since 2007/08," he said.

"We have assessed that Queensland needs $696 million GST (more) than we assessed them as needing last year."

The commissioner also said new 2011 census data on the distribution of Indigenous people showed a smaller share of the cost of delivering indigenous services falls to the Northern Territory.

As a result, the NT's GST share has been reduced by $107 million.

The commission said changes for other states are small.

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NSW man to be sentenced over Kiesha death

The stepfather of Kiesha Weippart (pic) is to be sentenced in May over his involvement in her death. Source: AAP

THE stepfather of Kiesha Weippart is to be sentenced in May over the killing of the six-year-old girl in western Sydney.

Kiesha was allegedly knocked unconscious by another person, who cannot be named, at her Mt Druitt home in July 2010.

Robert Smith, 33, has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter on the grounds of negligence and to being an accessory after the fact of murder.

During a brief appearance on Friday, the NSW Supreme Court was told that Smith, who was wearing a white shirt and had his short black hair slicked down, would not be putting forward further submissions on his sentencing.

Justice Megan Latham listed his sentencing for May 3.

Evidence was given to a court last month that after the little girl was injured, Smith left her in a "comatose" state when he went off to work, only to return home that night to find her dead.

After Kiesha died, the court heard Smith stuffed her body into a suitcase and left it in her room for about five days before he and his co-accused took it to a pre-prepared grave at nearby Shalvey on July 18, 2010.

"(Smith) then doused the deceased's body in petrol and set the deceased's body alight," crown prosecutor Keith Alder has previously told the court.

Kiesha was eventually reported missing from her home on August 1, sparking a large-scale police search and nationwide media interest.

Another person, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will stand trial for Kiesha's murder later this year.

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Voter turnout for WA election up on 2008

VOTER participation in the recent West Australian election was stronger than in in 2008.

With one day of counting to go, the WA Electoral Commission (WAEC) says turnout of enrolled voters is running at 88.36 per cent and will rise as numbers are finalised.

This compares with 86.48 per cent four and a half years ago when Liberal leader Colin Barnett won his first term.

The WAEC looks likely to fall short of its targeted increase in overall participation to 91 per cent, but is pleased with the rising trend across all 59 of the state's electoral districts this year - the first time that's happened since 1991.

The biggest jump was in the Kimberley, where voter turnout rates rose more than 10 per cent, despite the challenges of Cyclone Rusty across the north during the early voting period.

In the Pilbara, participation increased almost six per cent.

The metropolitan district of Girrawheen is also among the top improvers, with voter turnout up nearly four per cent.

"It's heartening to see we have finally bucked the downward trend of the past decade," WA Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately said.

"These are great results, especially for regional and indigenous communities."

As vote counting continues, the cliffhanger seats include Collie-Preston, with incumbent Labor MP Mick Murray leading Liberal challenger Jaimee Motion by just a handful of votes.

Midland is another tight contest, with long-serving Labor MP and former police minister Michelle Roberts ahead of her Liberal opponent Daniel Parasiliti by a few dozen votes.

Hundreds of postal votes, including final arrivals from overseas, are expected to be tallied over the next two days.

Full preference distributions will be conducted on Saturday for the seats of Collie-Preston, Eyre, Midland, Kimberley, Belmont and Warren-Blackwood.

In seats where margins remain 100 or less, the WA Electoral Commission will offer recounts.

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Firm fined $15k over pensioner solar deal

A SOLAR company that approached a pensioner, signed her up for a $9000 contract and failed to inform her of her right to cancel has been fined $15,000 in a West Australian court.

The pensioner gave her details to Solar Harness at a temporary stall in a shopping centre so she could participate in a competition to win solar panels.

She later received a phone call offering an in-person quote for installation and subsequently signed a contract and payment plan.

But under Australian Consumer Law, that action was an "unsolicited consumer agreement" because the consumer was approached by the seller, rather than the other way around, Consumer Protection commissioner Anne Driscoll said.

She said consumers had a cooling-off period during which they could cancel the contract, but the pensioner was never informed of her right.

It was only thanks to a friend that she was able to terminate the contract before any payments were made or goods installed, Ms Driscoll said.

Solar Harness pleaded guilty in the Mandurah Magistrates Court on Wednesday to five offences and was also ordered to pay court costs of $1320.

Ms Driscoll said the case was the first successful legal action of its kind undertaken by Consumer Protection.

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Japan lower house endorses Kuroda for bank

THE lower house of Japan's parliament has endorsed Haruhiko Kuroda, a finance ministry veteran and president of the Asian Development Bank, to become central bank governor.

Kuroda, 68, has vowed to "do whatever it takes" to achieve a two per cent inflation target and end deflation.

The ruling Liberal Democrats have already won support for Kuroda from the main opposition party, which controls the upper house. MPs there are due to approve Kuroda's appointment on Friday.

Technically, however, Thursday's vote allows Kuroda to only stand in for current Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa after he steps down on March 19. Another vote is required to make his appointment permanent.

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Gillard quizzed over big budget items

The federal opposition says the government's budget forecasts aren't credible. Source: AAP

THE Gillard government is under pressure to explain how it can fund big budget items such as immigration detention and balance the demands of the domestic welfare sector.

The opposition on Wednesday turned its focus in parliament to the cost of offshore processing of asylum seekers, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard declined to speculate on the size of the budget deficit.

Labor also announced a new spending package - a national cultural policy with a $235 million price tag over four years - as it faced welfare sector calls backed by some Labor MPs for higher benefits payments for struggling job seekers and single mums.

As a Barclays analyst forecast the 2012/13 budget deficit could top $20 billion, Ms Gillard declined to reflect on the implications for next year's books.

"I don't want to disappoint you, but you will see the updated budget in two months' time," she told reporters in Canberra.

During question time, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott quizzed the prime minister over the cost of offshore processing, which budget papers suggest will fall over the next four years as arrivals slow down.

Labor's counting on the cost of one key element - offshore asylum seeker management - to drop from $1.7 billion in 2012/13 to $137 million in 2015/16.

Mr Abbott said the figures weren't credible because more people had arrived by boat in the past nine months than during the entire period of the Howard coalition government.

Ms Gillard said Mr Abbott's "reckless negativity" meant there would be more boat arrivals because he could have eased the pressure by backing the Houston expert panel's reforms last year.

Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said the opposition had sensationalised the issue of boat arrivals, saying 98 per cent of people had come through "regular" migration pathways.

He said he was hopeful a meeting in April of nations involved in the Bali process - a regional scheme to tackle people-smuggling - would make progress.

The minister was also questioned on whether transfers to the Manus Island detention facility had been suspended.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said there had been no transfers since February 9 and Papua New Guinea officials had advised him of an indefinite suspension.

Mr O'Connor said there had been no such suspension and the two governments were still committed to transfers.

Labor backbenchers are also getting behind the Australian Council of Social Service's push for the Newstart unemployment payment for singles to be raised by $50-a-week.

NSW senator Doug Cameron says it can be paid for with the expansion of the mining tax, a Medicare style levy and a crackdown on the tax treatment of trust funds.

"That's a debate that Labor people should be having," Senator Cameron said.

Arts Minister Simon Crean said a new national cultural policy would be paid for by savings in government departments.

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NSL strikes $12m Indian iron ore deal

EMERGING iron ore miner NSL Consolidated has struck a $12 million deal with a large Indian company to expand its mining projects on the sub-continent.

Under the joint-venture agreement, Vijay Group will inject $12.2 million to expand NSL Consolidated's three iron ore projects in the province of Andhra Pradesh in India.

A Vijay subsidiary will take an initial 40 per cent interest in NSL Mining Resources, a subsidiary of NSL.

NSL managing director Cedric Goode said the company was in a unique position, with substantial growth potential in a country with strong growth fundamentals.

"NSL and Vijay are targeting the joint venture to be operating at an estimated 1.5 million tonnes per annum of saleable iron ore within two years, with potential to increase this target further in the next four to five years," Mr Goode said.

The joint venture will focus on the development and expansion of existing mining assets and pursuing growth such as future mine acquisitions.

Perth-based NSL focuses on bulk commodity development opportunities through iron ore production in India and thermal coal in Queensland.

Mr Goode said Vijay Group's iron ore and coal mining contracting business had been operating at a 70 million tonne per annum rate in previous years.

During April to November 2012, the Indian steel industry achieved a growth rate of 5.36 per cent, the highest in the world.

Mr Goode is upbeat about the potential growth of the domestic Indian iron ore industry.

"The existing domestic production of approximately 74 million tonnes per annum is expected to grow to 200 million tonnes per annum by 2020," Mr Goode said.

NSL shares closed 0.4 cents, or 9.1 per cent, higher at 4.8 cents on Wednesday.

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Person who filmed NSW teen attack sought

THE attack of a 15-year-old girl by another teenager on the NSW central coast was filmed with a mobile phone, police say.

Officers arrested a 16-year-old girl on Tuesday after seizing the phone at Tuggerah train station.

Images on the phone showed a girl repeatedly punching the 15-year-old in the head, police said said.

The person who captured the incident made no attempt to stop the assault or help the teenager.

Police are alleging that the 15-year-old got off a bus in Berkeley Vale on February 18 when she was assaulted by the older girl.

They are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who knows the person who filmed the assault to come forward.

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Bikie boss caught in massive police raid

Police have reportedly arrested high-ranking Hells Angels and Comancheros bikies in Sydney. Source: AAP

HELLS Angels boss Felix Lyle is one of a number of high-profile gangland figures nabbed by police in one of the biggest firearm and drug operations in NSW history.

Lyle was one of four people charged on Tuesday after police made 19 arrests as part of Strike Force Alistair - a joint operation between police and the NSW Crime Commission targeting organised crime in the state.

Lyle, 56, from Sydney, has been charged with a firearm offence as well as five counts of supplying drugs - two involving a commercial quantity.

He will remain behind bars after being formally refused bail in a Sydney court on Tuesday afternoon.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell told parliament the operation was "one of the biggest firearm and drug operations in the history of this state".

He said around 30 people would be charged with a raft of serious offences, some of which carry sentences of life imprisonment.

The national president of the Hells Angels and vice presidents of the Rebels were among those charged, Mr O'Farrell said.

"This is the result of terrific work by the NSW police in targeting organised crime, drug supply and illegal weapons," the premier said during question time on Tuesday.

Police said drugs, firearms, a stun gun, a hand grenade, a ballistic vest and around $500,000 in counterfeit cash were seized in the raids carried out across Sydney.

The Crime Commission has also issued two restraining orders on assets.

As well as the senior Hells Angels bikie, three other men - aged 35, 33 and 25 - were charged with offences relating to the supply of a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs.

The older man was to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday afternoon, while the other two were to face Fairfield Local Court.

Speaking at Crime Commission headquarters, Detective Superintendent Mick Plotecki said 350 officers took part in the raids, executing 30 warrants across southwest Sydney, the northern metro area, the city, and the south coast.

The operation targeted senior members of the Hells Angels, Comancheros, and Rebels, as well as Asian and Balkan crime gangs, police said.

The arrests were the culmination of two years of work involving the Crime Commission and police, 95 surveillance warrants, 41 telephone intercept warrants and the monitoring of more than 500,000 phone calls.

Police said the raids came after a number of arrests three weeks ago over a conspiracy to import 400kg of amphetamines, also as a result of Strike Force Alistair.

Det Supt Plotecki said the charges would relate to commercial drugs supply, firearms offences, providing explosives, and counterfeiting cash.

He said a key component of the operation was "targeting those people that make these networks work".

"We're targeting particularly those people that go out and procure firearms and drugs, and also those that supply them," he said.

Police Minister Michael Gallacher has praised "the incredible efforts and success" of the police and the NSW Crime Commission.

He said everyone involved in the operation had "been relentless in smashing these criminal networks".

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Fire sparks evacuation in southwest Vic

FIREFIGHTERS waterbombing a fast-moving grassfire burning around the Cashmore area in Victoria's southwest have succeeded in reducing the threat.

An emergency warning has been downgraded to a watch and act alert for the fire in the Cashmore area, which was expected to impact the areas of Portland West and Trewalla, the CFA said.

"The fire is still going however fire activity has reduced a bit because of suppression activities and the weather situation," a CFA spokeswoman said.

"Waterbombing has had significant success in protecting assets and against spot fires."

The spokeswoman said 130 firefighters and seven aircraft are still fighting the blaze.

Firefighters are also still working to protect 30 homes on Dougherties Road in Portland West.

Residents have been urged to follow their bushfire survival plans.

Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday were the most important focus for fire authorities.

"The weather conditions will see very strong winds not only during the day but also during evening and night hours," Mr Lapsley said.

"The key factor is we have seen winds come back again that we haven't experienced for over a week or so."

A total fire ban is in force in the southwest and Wimmera fire districts for Tuesday.

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Bushfire still burning south of Adelaide

A BUSHFIRE continues to burn in a pine forest south of Adelaide but firefighters are hopeful of bringing it under control.

The Country Fire Service (CFS) said the blaze had destroyed about 25 hectares at Wattle Flat by Tuesday afternoon and was being attacked on both the ground and from the air.

It was sparked as temperatures across the state surged into the high 30s ahead of a cooler change moving in from the west.

The Bureau of Meteorology expected the change to reach Adelaide late on Tuesday, dropping maximum temperatures on Wednesday into the mid-20s.

The CFS said a shift in winds with the change could help push the fire front back on itself.

While there were some farms in the vicinity of the fire, no properties were under immediate threat.

The CFS said crews were also responding to a bushfire late on Tuesday in the Onkaparinga area of the Adelaide Hills.

Local residents were urged to follow their bushfire survival plans.

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Cardinal Pell angered by newspaper 'smear'

Critics of Catholic Archbishop of Sydney George Pell lobby to prevent the Australian becoming pope. Source: AAP

CARDINAL George Pell has labelled an article about him in the Fairfax media on Monday as a "smear of the most vindictive kind".

A statement released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney on Monday says the article misrepresents the outcome of a 2002 inquiry into an allegation against Cardinal Pell.

The inquiry, headed by independent commissioner Alex Southwell QC, cleared Dr Pell of allegations he molested a boy during a camp at Phillip Island, in Victoria, in 1961.

The church says the article said Dr Pell was tainted by sex abuse scandals and long dogged by allegations of sexual abuse against him.

"These statements are utterly false and seriously defamatory," the church said in a statement.

"They have no basis in fact and deliberately misrepresent the outcome of a 2002 inquiry by a retired Victorian Supreme Court judge which completely exonerated Cardinal Pell of allegations made against him."

The article also quoted Australian commentator Paul Collins as saying Cardinal Pell had "no chance" of being elected Pope after progressive Catholics lobbied overseas journalists and voting cardinals to make sure they were aware of a 2002 inquiry into allegations against the Sydney archbishop.

Cardinal Pell is in Rome to take part in the conclave that will elect a new Pope.

He was last week named at Number Five on a so-called dirty dozen list, compiled by the US-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

The diocese's statement said Cardinal Pell "has worked hard to eradicate the evil of sexual abuse from the Church and to show his deep compassion for victims and survivors of sexual abuse not just by words but also by actions".

"Instead of presenting these facts and the outcome of the Southwell Inquiry fairly as it should, the Fairfax press has opted to publish a smear of the most vindictive kind."

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Japan marks second tsunami anniversary

Japan is marking the second anniversary of a ferocious tsunami that claimed nearly 19,000 lives. Source: AAP

PEOPLE all over Japan bowed their heads in silence as they remembered the almost 19,000 who died when a ferocious tsunami surged ashore two years earlier.

Ceremonies were held in towns and cities throughout the disaster zone, as well as in Tokyo, where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko led tributes on Monday to those who lost their lives in a disaster that also sparked a nuclear emergency.

As a mournful quiet descended, cold winds blew through the grounds of Okawa Elementary School, in Ishinomaki, where at least 70 children were swept to their deaths by the rising waters of March 11, 2011.

The city's tsunami alarms were sounded at 2:46pm (1646 AEDT), marking the exact moment a 9.0-magnitude undersea quake hit, sending a massive tsunami barrelling into Japan's northeast coast.

A total of 15,881 people are confirmed to have died and 2,668 others remain unaccounted for.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose government swept to power promising huge spending programs that would right the flattened region, said Japan had to learn from its terrible experience.

"I pledge to achieve reconstruction of the disaster-hit areas and restore the lives of affected people as soon as possible," he told officials and dignitaries during a sombre ceremony.

"I will make Japan a country resilient to disasters while standing on the side of people who were affected."

The Emperor paid tribute to those who lost their lives, including the more than 2,300 whose deaths have been recorded as being caused by the stresses of life in evacuation centres or temporary housing.

"I am always deeply moved by seeing how so many people lead their daily lives without complaining... and hope.... to be able to share their suffering, if only a little," he said.

Schoolgirl Rin Yamane recounted the horror of the day she lost her mother as they tried to escape the waves.

"Suddenly, we were in the middle of a black sea... When I saw her in a morgue a few days later, I knew then it was a reality," she said.

Efforts to rebuild the disaster-hit region have been slow. Figures show 315,196 people are still without a permanent home, many in cramped temporary housing units.

Tsunami-hit communities are divided among those who want to rebuild on land that may have been in the family for generations and those who want to move their towns to higher, safer ground.

The tsunami that swallowed coastal communities battered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which went through meltdowns and explosions in what was to become the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Anti-nuclear campaigners Greenpeace say the government has failed to provide enough support to people who fled the leaking radiation, saying some are "in financial ruin and divorces and mental breakdowns are mounting".

Nearly 10,000 aftershocks have been recorded since the original quake, including 736 jolts that measured above magnitude 5.0, some shaking the ground at the plant where there are still no permanent fixes for the damaged reactors.

The government says the plant is stable and no longer releasing radioactive materials. It says food products from the region are checked for radioactive contamination before being shipped to markets.

Despite reassurances, many consumers avoid Fukushima produce fearing it is contaminated, dealing another blow to the region's farming industry.

Dismantling the crippled reactors will take up to four decades, and the nation remains undecided over whether to continue using nuclear energy to power the world's third-largest economy.

Only two of its 50 commercial nuclear reactors have been restarted, with strict safety standards and political nervousness keeping the others offline.

But with no commercially viable alternatives available and staunchly pro-nuclear Abe at the helm, analysts say it is likely just a matter of time before some units are fired up again.

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Qld on hunt for defence sector business

THE Queensland government is sending out its own commando unit to hunt down business in the lucrative defence sector.

With a 26 per cent share of national defence industry activity, Queensland is already the second-biggest state for defence employment and home to a quarter of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel.

Premier Campbell Newman says the new Defence Industries Queensland (DIQ) unit will build on this.

"DIQ's approach will be shaped by future defence strategies and long-term procurement needs, growing a globally competitive industry," he told reporters.

The premier also announced the appointment of Lindsay Pears as the state's first Defence Industries Envoy.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said DIQ will guide businesses which are interested in land, sea and air defence projects, border protection and national or international security.

"Whether you want to be in the defence industry or are a defence multinational, Queensland is the place to be," Mr Seeney said.

The new DIQ unit will employ three staff redeployed from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.

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WA police name victim of shooting murder

POLICE have named the victim of a shooting murder, who was found dead in a Perth park with a gunshot wound to his head.

David Liam Johnson, 32, was found dead on Friday night after reports of a gunshot at Lime Kiln Field in the upmarket suburb of Swanbourne.

A witness said they had heard a gunshot shortly before the body was found.

Police said the victim predominantly used the name Liam Johnson.

The WA Police major crime squad said Mr Johnson was known in the Mandurah and Fremantle areas, but had no fixed address.

Police have called for anyone who drove along, or was in the area of Clement Street, Swanbourne on Friday night to contact Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous.

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Helicopter crash pilot named

POLICE have named a 39-year-old helicopter pilot from Wairarapa, who died after crashing in the central North Island.

Searchers found Mark Duncan Didsbury's body about 50m from the wreckage of the Robinson R-66 helicopter in the Oamaru Valley, near Turangi, about 11.30am on Sunday.

His body was airlifted out later in the day.

The alarm was raised when Mr Didsbury failed to return from a trip to drop off hunters in the area on Saturday.

Searchers located the crash site about 7pm that night.

On Sunday, they returned to search for the pilot aided by a fixed wing aircraft and the Taupo Rescue Helicopter, which winched six police officers and a police dog into the area.

Transport Accident Investigation Commission, which is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, spent the afternoon at the scene assisted by police.

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China to abolish rail ministry in shake-up

CHINA is to effectively abolish its scandal-plagued railways ministry as part of a sweep of government reforms aimed at tackling inefficiency and corruption, a top official has told parliament.

The changes include bolstering a maritime body as China engages in island disputes with its neighbours, and giving an economic development body more say over the one-child policy as the country faces a shrinking labour pool.

"The administrative system in effect still has many areas not suited to the demands of new circumstances and duties," Ma Kai, secretary general of the State Council, China's cabinet, told the National People's Congress parliament on Sunday at its annual gathering in Beijing, according to a copy of his speech.

Inadequate supervision had led to "work left undone or done messily, abuse of power and corruption," he said, adding that some areas were insufficiently managed while others had "too many cooks in the kitchen".

Analysts, though, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the moves.

David Goodman, a China politics expert at the University of Sydney, pointed out that reorganisation alone could not stamp out corruption.

"They are very serious reforms," he said, "but they are not going to attack that question of making officials more accountable and more responsible."

Since taking office at the head of the ruling Communist Party in November, China's incoming leadership has issued a barrage of promises to adopt humble ways and fight corruption, while state media have highlighted individual scandals.

But any broad anti-graft measures would require taking on powerful vested interests, and the official news agency Xinhua said the State Council had restructured the government seven times in 30 years.

Beijing will switch control of the railway ministry's administrative functions to the transport ministry and hand its commercial functions to a new China Railway Corporation.

The rail system - which has cost hundreds of billions of dollars - has been one of China's flagship development projects in recent years and the country now boasts the world's largest high-speed network.

But the expansion has seen a series of scandals and widespread allegations of corruption, with former railways minister Liu Zhijun, who was sacked in 2011, now awaiting trial on graft charges.

In July 2011 a high-speed crash in the eastern city of Wenzhou killed at least 40 people, sparking a torrent of public criticism that authorities compromised safety in their rush to expand the network.

Meanwhile, the body that oversees China's one-child policy will be merged with the health ministry to form a new body, and nationwide population policy will now be handled by the National Development and Reform Commission, an economic planner.

The move comes after China saw the first drop in its labour pool in decades - a consequence of the restrictions imposed on families in the late 1970s that now threaten to impact the country's future growth.

But outgoing premier Wen Jiabao told parliament last week that the policy would be maintained this year.

China will also bring its maritime law enforcement bodies under a single organisation, allowing greater co-ordination as the country is embroiled in a bitter row with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

The State Oceanic Administration, which runs marine surveillance, will take over management of the coastguard from the public security ministry, fisheries patrols from the agriculture ministry, and customs' marine anti-smuggling functions.

Chinese marine surveillance vessels regularly patrol what Beijing says are its waters around the Diaoyu islands, prompting accusations of territorial incursions by Tokyo, which refers to the outcrops as the Senkakus.

Beijing is also at odds with several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, over islands in the South China Sea.

In other measures, the State Administration for Food and Drug will be elevated to a "general administration" amid a series of food safety scandals that have generated public concern.

Two censorship bodies, one for print media and the other for broadcast, will be merged.

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