Abbott promises respectful new parliament

Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaks of a new Australian government with less pandering to the media. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has promised a "respectful" new parliament when it assembles for the first time next week, promising the Labor years will soon fade like "a bad memory".

Addressing the West Australian Liberal branch at its annual conference on Saturday, Mr Abbott pledged a parliament that "discusses the issues, rather than abuses individuals".

The prime minister said the parliament wouldn't impugn the motives of opponents or trash their reputations.

If anyone tried to go over the top, new Speaker Bronwyn Bishop would sort them out.

"And I am confident that after just a few weeks of the new parliament - that parliament that diminished our policy and embarrassed our citizens over the last three years - will soon seem like just a bad memory," Mr Abbott said.

"Rob Oakeshott? Who is he?

"Tony Windsor? He was part of our system once but not anymore."

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: DREAMWORLD evacuates thousands of patrons from the Gold Coast theme park as a bush fire rages nearby.

He said the Liberals had already restored "due process" to government, including the 10-day rule for cabinet decisions.

"Now you might think that's just a paperwork rule but if you don't get these things right ... you end up getting important details wrong.

"I want to say that we have made a good start, that the adults are back in charge and that strong, stable, methodical and purposeful government is once more the rule in our national capital."

Mr Abbott devoted much of his address to the Liberal's media strategy, which contrasted with Labor's "endless interviews, all about glorifying politicians".

"I think all of you will have noticed that there is a new tone and a new style in Canberra.

"Yes, we will speak when we need to speak. But we won't speak for the sake of speaking and we won't bang on things for the purposes of a PR gesture."

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Thousands flee Dreamworld after fire alert

MORE than 7000 people fled Australia's largest theme park on Saturday after a grassfire started nearby.

The fire, sending a huge plume of smoke towards the 85-hectare Dreamworld on the Gold Coast from nearby Coomera, prompted an evacuation.

Visitors described how the smoke started drifting into the park, also home to the Big Brother house, prompting rides to be closed one-by-one.

Sam Gilchrist was at the theme park with daughters Alannah, 14, Megan, 9, and Holly, 6, on the last day of a Gold Coast holiday when the smoke started to drift in.

She said Dreamworld staff started shutting down rides one at a time as the smoke started to thicken.

While some people moved to rides that were still open, the Melbourne family left just before the park was evacuated because one of the children started getting upset by the smoke.

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: DREAMWORLD evacuates thousands of patrons from the Gold Coast theme park as a bush fire rages nearby.

"The kids were on a ride and I could see a mist of smoke and I could smell it," she told AAP.

"It started getting really black and blanketing the whole area.

"There was a little bit of ash falling, I think asthmatics would have had a bit of a difficult time."

She said she didn't know whether people would be compensated for having to leave.

The park will open as usual on Sunday.

A Dreamworld spokeswoman said the evacuation of guests and zoo animals had been a precaution.

"We evacuated for the safety of guests, staff and the animals," she said.

She said park visitors whose details staff had managed to obtain before they left the park would be contacted regarding possible compensation.

A Queensland Department of Community Safety spokesperson said the fire covered four hectares on Saturday afternoon, having broken out near Foxwell Road about 1.30pm (AEST).

The spokesperson said there was no immediate threat to homes but advised people to keep their doors and windows closed.

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PM defends boat policy despite backdown

Australia's backdown with Indonesia over an asylum boat doesn't signal failure says Tony Abbott. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S backdown from a stalemate with Indonesia over the turn-around of an asylum seeker boat signals a crack in the government's border protection policy, critics say.

But Prime Minister Tony Abbott insists the coalition's plan to stop the boats is working despite there being setbacks.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday ordered an end to a stand-off lasting more than 24 hours, where a suspected asylum seeker boat carrying more than 50 people had been intercepted by Australian authorities off the coast of Java.

Indonesia refused requests for the passengers to be taken ashore, leaving the boat people in limbo at sea under the watch of the Australian navy.

"In the best interests of the safety of the passengers and crew ... earlier this morning I requested (the) transfer (of) the persons rescued to Christmas Island," Mr Morrison said in a statement on Saturday.

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: DREAMWORLD evacuates thousands of patrons from the Gold Coast theme park as a bush fire rages nearby.

Australian authorities had responded on Thursday to a distress call from the wooden boat which was subsequently located in Indonesia's search and rescue zone.

"On two recent occasions, Indonesia has agreed to these requests and facilitated an on water transfer," Mr Morrison said of the turn back attempt.

But in the latest case, Indonesia said they would "review" the situation.

"What is absolutely clear from the events of today is that the boats are not being turned back, indeed the boats are coming to Christmas Island," opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles said.

"The border protection policy which Tony Abbott took to the election is in tatters."

But the prime minister defended his government's approach.

"We said that we'd stop the boats, and while they have not yet stopped, they are slowing and they are stopping," Mr Abbott told reporters on Saturday.

"We will have setbacks and we will have disappointments, but we will succeed."

The prime minister refused to comment on "operational matters" relating to the latest boat interception but Mr Morrison confirmed that all passengers had been accounted for and would be taken to detention centres at Manus Island or Nauru after initial processing at Christmas Island.

The Australian Greens have called on the government to end its secrecy over border security operations, outlining plans to move a motion in parliament next week compelling the government to release details.

"Mr Abbott's excuses for secrecy are wearing thin and the Greens will use the powers of the Parliament to reinforce transparency," the minor party's immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"The Coalition's turnaround policy is in tatters and it is time that Mr Abbott admitted that he had it wrong from the start."

Reports from Indonesia say there were some 63 people on the latest asylum seeker boat.

An Indonesia government spokesman said Jakarta was reluctant to accept the passengers because the boat was in working order when detected and the asylum seekers were not in danger.

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Perth Arena marks birthday with award win

THOSE who criticised the cost and design of the abstract blue Perth Arena will be dumbfounded that the building has won two prestigious architecture awards.

Perth Arena joint-venture designers ARM Architects and Cameron Chisholm Nicol won the best interior and best public architecture prizes at the Australian Institute of Architects 2013 National Architecture Awards on Thursday night.

It is an impressive accolade for the arena, which is marking its first birthday this weekend with pop star Beyonce gracing the stage on Friday and Saturday night.

Eager Beyonce fans have been camping outside the arena to be first in the queue for general admission spots at her Friday night show.

Elton John opened the arena on November 10 last year. Since then it has hosted diverse acts including Pink, Rihanna, Kiss and The Jacksons.

Other big acts to come soon include Bon Jovi, Dolly Parton and Bruce Springsteen.

Perth Arena is also home to the Perth Wildcats basketball team and the Hopman Cup tennis tournament.

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Tighter bail for accused balcony killer

ACCUSED murderer Simon Gittany has been slapped with tougher bail conditions as his trial over the balcony death of his fiancee goes into its fourth week.

In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, the Crown again tried to have Gittany's bail revoked, given he is facing murder charges over the death of Lisa Cecilia Harnum who he allegedly threw off a 15th floor balcony in 2011.

Justice Lucy McCallum didn't revoke bail but enforced extra conditions.

Gittany must travel directly from the court back home, and will be only permitted to leave the premises to go to his counsel's chambers on Sunday afternoon.

He must take twice-daily phone calls from police and inform them of the precise hours he plans to meet his defence team.

After the meeting, he must return directly home and only leave to return to court on Monday.

Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC had first pressed for bail to be revoked on Thursday afternoon.

Trying again on Friday, Mr Tedeschi said the exceptional circumstances under which Gittany's bail had originally been granted no longer existed.

But defence barrister Philip Strickland SC said the Crown's applications were premature and Gittany was still needed to help them prepare their case.

Mr Tedeschi said Gittany should be taken into custody given he was approached by a Today Tonight reporter on his way to court on Friday morning - actions Justice McCallum described as "appalling" before summoning the program's producer to appear in court.

Justice McCallum said she had been told the program was planning to air an episode on the trial containing "explosive new evidence".

She banned the program from broadcasting any information not tendered in court after a Seven Network legal representative appeared on behalf of the show's producer.

"An approach to (Gittany) by a journalist with microphones and cameras is conduct which in my view is capable of being contended to amount to an interference with the administration of justice," she said.

Footage of his entrance to the Supreme Court on Friday also could not be used in a program, she said.

Gittany is accused of murdering Ms Harnum, 30, who plunged to her death from the balcony of the luxury inner-city apartment they shared off Hyde Park.

He has pleaded not guilty, saying Ms Harnum "disappeared" from the 15th floor awning after failing to reveal a shameful secret to him.

The trial continues.

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Audit will find aged care needs funds: BDO

THE federal government's commission of audit will find that the aged care sector has been chronically underfunded for a long time, an industry consultant predicts.

Treasurer Joe Hockey reiterated on Friday that the audit will review the government from the top down and program to program to ensure the services and income support Australians need are provided as efficiently as possible.

But consultants BDO partner Julie Hough says government subsidies to the industry are low and don't reflect the cost of care.

"I would hope the commission of audit would actually make it very, very clear that the sector has been chronically underfunded for a long time," Ms Hough told AAP.

Ms Hough, who advises the aged care sector on tax, accounting, and financial modelling on infrastructure investment, says the nation faces some worrying statistics that should focus the mind on the needs of future senior care.

One thousand Australians are turning 65 every week and by 2040 25 per cent of the population will be of pension age.

The workforce around aged care will have to triple by 2050, and if funding was better, it would encourage training colleges and TAFEs, and boost jobs security in the sector.

Ms Hough says within the next 10 years, 83,000 aged-care places will have to be created, but there is little incentive to invest in a sector that battles 140 pieces of legislation, such as building certifications.

The coalition has promised to scrap $1 billion of red tape across the nation each year.

"The tax paying population is shrinking, so either we have to increase the tax base and even out the burden, or you are going to have a crisis at the end," she said.

She says the coalition's planned white paper on tax should consider an aged care levy that is put into a fund for future needs.

She describes the coalition's decision to delay incremental increases in the compulsory superannuation guarantee for two years as "horrendous", but welcomes this week's decision not to go ahead with a $313 million tax on super accounts earning more than $100,000 per year.

"The consumer in the future is going to have to pay for their care, so let's put them in a position to be able to pay," she said.

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$1.2 million found in Sydney car boot

POLICE have seized about $1.2 million in cash alleged to be the proceeds of crime after stopping a car for defective brake lights.

Police say they stopped the car at Sefton, in Sydney's west, about 6.30pm (AEDT) on Tuesday and allegedly found a cardboard box in the boot containing a large amount of cash.

The car's occupants - a 34-year-old Camperdown woman and a 36-year-old Riverwood man - were charged with recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime, and goods in custody suspected of being stolen.

The woman was due to appear in Burwood Local Court on Thursday while the man was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in Burwood Local Court on Monday.

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Gang that terrorised Sydney behind bars

The NSW premier says he's delighted that police have made inroads into ending Sydney's gun violence. Source: AAP

SUSPECTED members of the notorious Brothers 4 Life are behind bars throughout Sydney on a landmark day for police, who believe the deadly gang will crumble.

Ten alleged gang members were charged over western Sydney shootings that have killed or injured other gang members.

Mohammed Hamzy, believed to be the de facto gang leader, was the police's biggest catch.

He was charged with murdering fellow gang member Yehyah Amood on October 14, 2012, at Greenacre.

The 28-year-old, who is the cousin of jailed gang founder Bassam Hamzy, faced Bankstown Local Court on Thursday.

He was also charged with shooting with intent to murder Bassam Hijazi.

As well, he is charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at Yagoona on October 8, 2012.

NSW Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas says police believe a split in the gang is responsible for the flare-up of violence.

"It's difficult to classify it as one type of conflict," he told reporters.

"Whether it's a power struggle or people simply being offended about something that's been said, and acting in a quite irrational way by shooting someone instead of arguing."

Two other gang members, one on crutches with "MEOC" tattooed on his neck and another revealed to be a Google software whiz with an injured nose, were refused bail in the same court.

In court it was revealed that Adam Dowidar, 25, who had a bandage on his nose, was no ordinary gangster, despite being accused of letting his car be used in the murder of Mr Amood and hindering the police investigation.

The court heard he had worked for years as a software engineer for Google Maps and earned $160,000 a year before his contract ended in May.

In refusing his bail application, Magistrate Elaine Truscott said Dowidar was not the person he was representing himself to be, and his fierce loyalty to the gang made it seem like he was living "a double life".

Fellow gang member Omar Ajaj, 24, from Auburn, briefly faced the same court charged over the October 8 attack.

He was in the dock with crutches by his side as the court heard he had been shot recently.

"MEOC" - an acronym for the specialist police Middle Eastern Organised Crime squad - was tattooed on his neck in large letters.

Gang members had been mocking police with MEOC number plates on their hotted-up cars - one of them was seized on Thursday.

Another strange court appearance was at Fairfield on Thursday, involving alleged Brothers 4 Life members charged with a shooting that left three men injured at Bankstown.

Three of the four men charged - Wahed Karimi, Sarkhel Rokhzayi and Jamil Qaumi - wore head-to-toe, sheer white forensic suits as they sat in the dock amid a heavy police presence.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says indications that police have broken the back of Brothers 4 Life will be met with "a wave of relief" throughout Sydney.

In a shooting this week, an innocent 13-year-old girl was hit in the back when she was caught in the crossfire.

Police say they became aware of the gang about a year ago, that it has a loose structure and is believed to comprise friends and relatives who swore loyalty to founder Bassam Hamzy.

He was jailed in 1998 for the murder of Kris Toumazis outside the Mr Goodbar nightclub in inner-city Darlinghurst.

Despite serving a 21-year sentence, Hamzy is believed to have run protection rackets and drugs from jail, and police are not sure of the influence he exerts on members from inside jail.

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ICAC to probe SES commissioner actions

NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Murray Kear will come under the microscope at an ICAC inquiry next month.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Thursday announced it would hold an inquiry from December 3, as part of an investigation into the sacking of former SES deputy commissioner Tara McCarthy.

The inquiry will probe whether Mr Kear dismissed Ms McCarthy in May in reprisal, after she alleged her colleague SES Deputy Commissioner Steven Pearce had acted corruptly.

It is expected to run for up to two weeks.

It will also examine allegations that Mr Kear failed to appropriately investigate Ms McCarthy's claims regarding Mr Pearce.

Mr Kear is also alleged to have made false statements or attempted to mislead an officer of the ICAC.

ICAC Assistant Commissioner Theresa Hamilton will preside over the inquiry, while Michael Fordham SC and Callan O'Neill will act as counsel assisting.

It comes after Fairfax Media reported in September that Mr Pearce had been stood down pending the outcome of an investigation into credit cards misuse and overtime rorts by senior management at the SES.

Shortly after ICAC released its statement announcing the inquiry, Police Minister Michael Gallacher said Mr Kear had requested leave until further notice.

Fire and Rescue NSW deputy commissioner Jim Smith has been appointed acting commissioner effective immediately and until further notice, Mr Gallacher said in a statement.

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Tasmanian premier proposes NBN solution

A possible solution to the stalled NBN rollout in Tasmania has been proposed by the state's premier. Source: AAP

TASMANIA'S premier is proposing overhead cables on power poles to revive the stalled National Broadband Network rollout around the island state.

Labor premier Lara Giddings has presented the plan to the new federal government and says she has received positive feedback.

Ms Giddings is asking state-owned power company Aurora to put a detailed proposal together.

Tasmania was to be one of the first locations to receive the NBN but the rollout has slowed amid asbestos fears and contractual wrangling.

Ms Giddings' plan would avoid the need to use the Telstra pits posing the asbestos problem and reportedly cut $100 million from the $300 million cost of the project.

Only about 30,000 of 200,000 premises in the state have been passed by the NBN, which was promised to Tasmania by the former federal Labor government by 2015.

Ms Giddings is concerned Tasmania's potential to become a digital hub will be jeopardised if delays continue.

"I am deeply concerned that Tasmania's first-mover advantage and the jobs and investment of the new digital economy could be lost under the coalition's second-rate fibre-to-the-node plan," the premier told local media.

"That is why I have asked Aurora to prepare a brief on using its existing power pole network to deliver optic fibre, which we will provide to the Australian government.

"This technique has the potential to ensure that the NBN can continue to be rolled out in a cheaper and more efficient way."

Federal communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he is awaiting the detailed plan.

The NBN rollout is being reviewed following the coalition's federal election win.

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Israeli court finds former FM not guilty

AN Israeli court has found former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman not guilty of all charges in a graft trial.

Wednesday's decision clears the way for the powerful hardline politician to return to his post at the Foreign Ministry.

Lieberman, an ally and sometime rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been charged with fraud and breach of trust for allegedly trying to advance the career of a former diplomat who relayed information to him about a separate criminal investigation into Lieberman's business dealings.

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Leighton vows to fight legal action

CONSTRUCTION giant Leighton has seen more detail of a claims being made in a class action related to allegations of corruption in the company, and says it will vigorously defend the action.

Melbourne solicitor Mark Elliott is seeking damages in the Victorian Supreme Court on behalf of 10,000 shareholders after more than $957 million was wiped off the market value of Leighton shares in two days in October.

The share price fall occurred after media reports of widespread corruption in Leighton's international business, related to kickbacks being paid for contracts.

Leighton had previously informed the market it had referred possible breaches of its code of ethics to the Australian Federal Police.

Mr Elliott has accused the construction giant of breaching corporate continuous disclosure laws.

Leighton received a statement of claim from Mr Elliott on Wednesday outlining further details of the class action.

"Leighton strongly denies Mr Elliott's claim that Leighton has failed to meet its disclosure obligations," it said in a statement.

"Mr Elliott's claim will be vigorously defended."

Leighton has also previously vowed to fight a separate class action filed by shareholders seeking to recover losses stemming from the company's massive profit downgrade in 2011.

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CSG projects face less hurdles in NSW: BCA

MINING companies wanting to develop coal seam gas (CSG) projects in NSW could soon face fewer regulatory hurdles, after the O'Farrell government signed up to a new federal plan for environmental approvals.

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) said the NSW government had helped overcome one of the barriers to CSG projects in the state by signing up to the Abbott government's approvals overhaul.

NSW on Tuesday followed Queensland's lead by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government to create a "one-stop-shop" for environmental approvals.

The proposal promises to deliver faster approvals and eliminate regulatory duplication, but opponents claim it will erode crucial environmental protections by handing federal powers to the states.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the "same strict environmental standards" would apply, but businesses would only need to obtain one approval for projects instead of two.

"The federal government is on track to sign-on all states and territories within 12 months and fast-track the eradication of red and green tape for environmental approvals," Mr Abbott said in a statement.

BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the NSW government, which imports 95 per cent of its gas from interstate, had taken a critical step to securing its own gas supply.

"Today's MOU helps overcome one of the barriers to developing coal seam gas projects that would enable New South Wales to develop its own gas supply," Ms Westacott said in a statement.

NSW has been under pressure from the federal government to expand gas mining, including CSG operations, as they search for a solution to energy price spikes and a crisis in natural gas supply.

CSG has proved a powder keg in NSW, with the government the target of frequent protests from farmer and conservationists who warn expanding gas operations threatens agricultural land and water supply.

The NSW Minerals Council praised the O'Farrell government for supporting the plan they claim will address the "overly bureaucratic and cumbersome" approvals process in the state.

"We look forward to seeing fast progress on delivery of these promised reforms, so that the words expressed in the MOU are matched by real action," chief executive Stephen Galilee said in a statement.

The Minerals Council of Australia said the one-stop-shop would eradicate unnecessary green tape without compromising environmental standards.

But Greens senator Larissa Waters said the plan would "gut" environmental protections, and blasted the duplication argument being put forward by Mr Abbott and "his big business buddies" as a furphy.

"Tony Abbott is laying the groundwork to hand federal environmental approval powers to NSW, giving his conservative state cronies open slather over our nationally significant environmental assets," she said in a statement.

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Snakebite kills woman gardening in NSW

A 59-year-old woman has died after being bitten by a snake while gardening in the NSW Hunter Valley. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has died after being bitten by a snake while gardening near Newcastle.

The 59-year-old died at John Hunter Hospital on Tuesday morning after being found by her husband in their backyard at Glen Oak on Saturday afternoon.

She had been bitten by a snake.

The species is unknown but John Hunter Hospital's snake expert, Geoff Isbister, said snake bites were not uncommon in the region at this time of year.

Usually, warm weather between November and April rouses the snakes, he told AAP.

"Most bites occur when the snake is being interfered with," he said.

"Women tend to get bitten on the lower limbs while men tend to get bitten on the hands because they try to pick the snake up."

Mr Isbister said wrapping a bite in a tight bandage, then wrapping the entire limb and remaining totally immobile, could prevent the flow of venom through the body.

"And the most important piece of first aid is the mobile phone," he said.

"If you have to call someone, lie there and wait for help."

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Insurance man jailed for cheating US actor

A SOUTHERN California insurance broker who overcharged Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, hundreds of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison.

City News Service says Jerry Goldman received a 27-month sentence on Monday. He also was ordered to pay about $US840,000 ($A885,282) in restitution.

Prosecutors claimed that between 1998 and 2011, Goldman inflated premiums by as much as 600 per cent and created phoney invoices to hide the scam.

The original indictment claimed that Goldman also bilked others including Andy Summers, the former guitarist for The Police.

The 60-year-old Thousand Oaks man pleaded guilty in April to mail fraud involving Hanks and Wilson.

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Anorexic woman died after WA hospital wait

AN anorexic woman admitted to hospital with severe skin infections had a heart attack after being made to wait in a corridor and then an operating theatre by emergency department staff at a Perth hospital.

An inquest began on Monday into the death Melissa Anne Nielson, who was just 24 when she died after a life beset with health problems including her eating disorder, and chronic type 1 diabetes.

The opening to the inquest was told that Ms Nielson was so ill in the lead up to her death she had been treated by doctors usually specialising in geriatric care.

Beset by failing sight, kidney issues, problems with her nervous system which meant she could not feel her feet, and severe osteoporosis, Ms Nielson had broken multiple bones before she was admitted to Joondalup hospital in 2009 with severe skin infections.

Doctors at the northern suburbs hospital were so concerned by her state, they ordered an urgent transfer to Royal Perth Hospital.

But when she got there, an assessment was made that she did not need to be seen for 30 minutes, and was placed first in a corridor and then an operating theatre, the inquest was told.

She was found not breathing by a nurse an hour after arriving at the hospital, and died less than two weeks later, the inquest was told.

A post-mortem later found she had suffered brain injuries due to a heart attack.

Coroner Evelyn Vicker will probe who was responsible for assessing Ms Nielson when she arrived at Royal Perth Hospital, and what happened thereafter.

The inquest is due to last the rest of the week.

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Female cadet to sue over Skype scandal

THE female army cadet at the centre of the Skype sex scandal is suing the Department of Defence for compensation.

The woman known as "Kate" said she's taking legal action over the incident in which a fellow army cadet filmed himself having sex with her on a webcam and streamed it to fellow cadets in a nearby room.

Two 21-year-old men, Daniel McDonald and Dylan Deblaquiere, were handed 12-month good behaviour bonds in an ACT court in October over their involvement.

But Kate has decided to file legal documents with the Human Rights Commission, claiming she's been through "hell" since the incident in March 2011 and that Defence hadn't adequately supported her.

"It is very reluctantly that I've decided to take legal action," she told Network Ten on Monday.

"But at the end of the day I'm being discharged from Defence with very little support and financial assistance to set myself up."

The court heard she and McDonald had entered a "friends with benefits" arrangement, with rules including that no one should know about their sexual relationship.

Kate clearly stipulated in advance the sex would remain secret but within the hour, she suspected otherwise.

Deblaquiere and five other cadets had viewed the proceedings via a webcam on McDonald's computer and an internet Skype connection.

McDonald and Deblaquiere were found guilty in the ACT Supreme Court of using a carriage service in an offensive manner, with McDonald also found guilty of committing an act of indecency.

Kate said the scandal had cost her and her family dearly.

"I've lost my career, my livelihood, my health and my education," she said.

"It's absolutely been hell for me and my family."

She's expected to file documents with the Human Rights Commission in Sydney within days, alleging she was victimised following the incident and claiming a culture of sex discrimination exists within Defence.

Kate will also make a claim of sexual harassment over the crime itself.

Kate said she hoped her legal bid for financial compensation would prompt cultural changes within the Australian Defence Force.

"It's about encouraging cultural change within Defence, and if it comes to it, hopefully forcing cultural change within Defence to make it a better work environment for all women," she said.

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Aussies help unravel diabetes drug mystery

Australian scientists have helped unravel a mystery about how the most common diabetes drug works. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN scientists have helped unravel a decades-old mystery about how the most common diabetes drug works.

The drug is metformin, the active ingredient in more than a dozen medicines taken by hundreds of thousands of Australians with type 2 diabetes.

Until now, no one has been able to explain how it lowers blood sugar, say researchers at St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, who worked in collaboration with colleagues at McMaster University in Canada.

The answer is that it reduces fat in the liver, according to their research published in the journal Nature Medicine.

This work has the potential to help develop more effective treatments for type 2 diabetes, which affects four per cent of Australians, says St Vincent's researcher Professor Bruce Kemp.

Many people taking metformin have a fatty liver, which is frequently caused by obesity, he says.

"Our study indicates that metformin doesn't directly reduce sugar metabolism, as previously suspected, but instead reduces fat in the liver, which in turn allows insulin to work effectively."

The research is important, although it will not have immediate benefits for patients, says Associate Professor Jonathan Shaw of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

"This is an interesting paper which will help in our understanding of metformin."

Prof Shaw says it not common for scientists to not fully understand drugs before they are prescribed, but it isn't unique to metformin.

"Drugs that have their clinical role well established can certainly be prescribed, have their effects and side-effects known, but still not have their mechanism properly understood."

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Long wait ahead for WA voters

Deputy PM Warren Truss says any fresh Senate poll in WA should be held as soon as possible. Source: AAP

WEST Australians may have to wait until next year to find out if they have to return to the ballot box for a fresh Senate election, a constitutional expert warns.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced on Saturday that Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and the Australian Sports Party's Wayne Dropulich had been elected to the Senate after a controversial partial recount in WA.

The announcement came as former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty continued his investigation into 1375 missing votes.

Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer immediately flagged a High Court challenge after his candidate Zhenya "Dio" Wang and Labor's Louise Pratt missed out, despite having been successful in the initial count.

Once the writs for the Senate election are returned to the WA governor early this week, there is a 40-day window for legal challenges to be lodged.

The High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, would decide whether a new election should be held.

University of Queensland Law Professor Graeme Orr said it might be months before the court could consider the matter, although it might sit over Christmas if necessary.

"It would be too quick to (happen within) the 40 days because you have to get all the evidence together and (the full bench of) judges together," he told AAP.

Prof Orr said parties lodging a challenge had to supply a statement of claim outlining their evidence, which would take time to compile.

He pointed to the Queensland election in July 1995, in which a court challenge was lodged in August, before a decision came out in December ordering a by-election.

The by-election took place in February 1996.

Labor Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek said Mr Kelty's investigation must be allowed to run its course, but did not rule out Labor pushing for a fresh poll.

"I think it's obviously very important Western Australians are confident that they got the senators they voted for," she told reporters in Sydney.

"But the question of how we can have that confidence is one for a few days' time when the investigation is complete."

She described the situation as a "very unfortunate incident", but said the AEC had a reputation for being the best and most reliable in the world.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said any new Senate election in WA should be held as soon as possible.

The situation of missing votes was a debacle.

"The whole event is a huge embarrassment for the Australian electoral system and we must make sure it doesn't happen again," Mr Truss said.

Senator Ludlam allowed himself a brief moment of celebration on being declared re-elected, but is not certain his victory will stick.

"We are really in uncharted territory," he said.

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Free vote on gay marriage likely:Turnbull

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes the coalition is likely to grant MPs a conscience vote if a gay marriage private member's bill comes before federal parliament.

Mr Turnbull said on Saturday there was a mood in the coalition party room for a free vote on the issue.

"As to whether there would be a majority in favour of same-sex marriage in the House of Representatives and the Senate, I don't know," he told Network Ten.

He said he believed if the coalition had allowed a conscience vote when the issue was debated in the last parliament it would have made no difference to the outcome.

"There nonetheless would not have been the numbers to get it passed," Mr Turnbull said.

He reiterated his support for gay marriage.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young flagged her party would re-introduce a private members bill on gay marriage when parliament resumes in a fortnight.

"This parliament can achieve marriage equality but it will take all sides working together to make it happen," she said in a statement.

She put the call out for politicians from other parties to co-sponsor the bill.

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Dozens helped on first day of abalone hunt

The first day of the abalone fishing season in Western Australia has passed without tragedy. Source: AAP

THE first day of the abalone fishing season in Western Australia has passed without tragedy - but only just.

WA's surf lifesaving authorities reported a busy morning on Sunday, with dozens of potentially disastrous incidents averted.

After posting a large number of volunteers at popular abalone fishing spots, lifesavers performed 106 "preventative actions" in the waters off WA, with no major incidents or injuries.

"We have had a busy morning keeping abalone fishermen safe," a SLSWA spokesman said.

For just five one-hour sessions on the first Sunday of the months from November to March, members of the public are allowed to fish for the marine delicacy.

Last season, two men died and another had his life saved during the recreational abalone season.

In November 2012, a 20-year-old Malaysian was swept out to sea in treacherous conditions while searching for the large edible sea snails north of Perth.

In late December, a Chinese man in his 40s drowned in the waters near Cape Leeuwin in the state's southwest.

And in January, the swift actions of a beach inspector saved a 50-year-old man hunting for abalone at Trigg Beach in Perth.

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