Abbott's plea to WA voters

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has pleaded for Western Australian voters to back Liberal candidates. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has made a last-ditch plea to West Australian voters as they head to the polls for a Senate election re-run.

Before jetting out of the country to Asia on Saturday, Mr Abbott recorded a message saying Labor and the Australian Greens in the Senate were standing in the way of his government's plan to repeal the mining tax and carbon tax.

"If you want to get rid of these anti-West Australian taxes ... that means voting Liberal," Mr Abbott said.

He said coalition candidates are "absolutely committed" to scrapping the taxes and the government hoped to get the numbers in the upper house from July to pass the repeal legislation.

"Send a strong message to Canberra, send a strong message to the Labor Party," Mr Abbott said.

"You can't say one thing in Perth and do the opposite in Canberra.

"That's my plea."

The outcome of Saturday's election is important for Australia's future, the prime minister added.

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Boy's parents located

POLICE have tracked down the parents of a young boy who was found wandering alone through suburban southwest Sydney.

Residents of Claymore called police after spotting the boy in the street wearing pyjamas about 7.30am Saturday.

Estimated to be aged two or three years old, the boy was cared for by officers until his parents were located and the search was called off.

The police thanked and updated the public about 2pm.

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Cyclone tipped to hit Queensland

Dramatic firsthand footage shows what it's like being in the different categories of cyclones. Produced by Christine Nestel.

A cyclone forming in the Coral Sea is expected to hit Queensland's Cape York Peninsula later next week.

The low pressure system which has brought torrential rainfall and flooding to the Solomon Islands -- killing at least 17 people and leaving thousands homeless – is forecast to intensify into a tropical cyclone, which will be named Ita, tomorrow.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Amber Young said the weather system was moving slowly south-west and expected to be about 750km north-east of Cairns by Monday morning.

"The conditions are very favourable for it to develop into a tropical cyclone,'' she said.

Information issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre yesterday indicated the system could become a category two cyclone by Monday, strengthening to a category three by Tuesday.

Most models indicated it would continue to edge closer to Australia, possibly crossing the northern Cape York coast on Thursday, although some suggested it could stall and even turn back out to sea.

Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said they keeping a close eye on the developing weather pattern.

"We keep our fingers crossed every time one looms.''

Cr Scott said Cooktown had been quite fortunate.

"The last time Cooktown was hit was 1949.  This one looks as if it might cross at Lockhart River or north.'

"I think we are as well prepared as we can be and the same goes for the other communities up the Cape. They all go through cycle preparation exercises every year.

"But if it brings the sort of rainfall that has hit Honiara, it would cause a lot of damage to our road network.''

Lockhart River Shire Mayor Wayne Butler was not available to comment.

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Last drinks to last a little longer

The O'Farrell government's anti-violence measures, including last drinks at 3am and 1.30am lockouts, have reportedly seen assaults in the city fall since being introduced in February.

But Sydney's late-night revellers will have an extra hour to drink on Sunday thanks to daylight savings coming to an end.

At 3am on Sunday morning, clocks will have to be wound back an hour, giving people in the CBD and Kings Cross another hour to drink before last drinks are served.

Instead of drawing the line when the clock strikes 3am for the first time on Sunday morning, it's understood the O'Farrell government will not stop punters from having an extra hour of drinking.

Hospitality Minister George Souris says many people in NSW will likely use the extra hour to catch up on sleep, but his spokesman wouldn't comment on whether there were any concerns that drunken violence could rise that night.

Parliament this year passed a series of tough laws targeting drunken and drug-fuelled violence, including eight-year minimum mandatory sentences for fatal one-punch assaults if alcohol or drugs are involved.

The measures follow public outrage over the rise of serious drunken assaults in Sydney.

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Peter Hore in custody after ICAC outburst

Serial pest Peter Hore has stormed a NSW corruption inquiry, leaving a police officer in hospital. Source: AAP

SERIAL pest Peter Hore has stormed a NSW corruption inquiry, leaving a police officer in hospital.

The special constable was bleeding from the head after he tried to restrain the man, who barged into the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) hearing room just before 11am (AEDT) on Friday screaming about his "brother" and a death in Newcastle.

The body of Hore's housemate was last week found hog-tied and half-naked at a cricket ground in the city.

Police have previously said there was no suggestion Hore had any involvement in the 52-year-old's death.

The injured officer was taken away from the ICAC's Sydney CBD offices by ambulance while Hore was led from the seventh floor in handcuffs.

"We're the second coming," he yelled.

"Stop trying to assault me ... Don't try to break my wrist."

He was later seen banging on the walls of the paddy wagon in which he was transported from the building.

Police have confirmed a 54-year-old man is in custody at Sydney City Police Station and charges are expected to be laid.

The injured officer is at St Vincent's Hospital recovering from what are described as minor injuries.

ICAC Commissioner Megan Latham, who was asked to leave the hearing room as Hore was tackled to the ground, returned to call an adjournment and said some staff were "traumatised".

She later said those in the public gallery may be required to make statements to investigators.

"I understand there were some people in the room who were able to film what was occurring," she said.

"Cameras in this room follow the speaker, so it may be that we don't have any actual footage of the event so if anyone can assist we are grateful."

Hore wore a long beard and a t-shirt with the letters "WTF" and told reporters he was "only trying to introduce myself".

A woman who arrived at the commission with Hore later told reporters she did not speak English.

The notorious gatecrasher has disrupted a string of major events including the Melbourne Cup, the funeral of rock singer Michael Hutchence and the Socceroos' 1997 World Cup qualifier against Iran.

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Drinking levels hit a 17-year low

Australians are drinking less wine and beer and more cider, figures show. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS are drinking less, but opting for better quality booze.

Official data shows total consumption of alcohol fell for the sixth straight year in 2013, to a 17-year low.

Over the year, Australians aged 15 or over consumed an average of 9.88 litres of alcohol, or the equivalent of 2.2 standard drinks a day.

Beer drinkers consumed less in 2013 than they have in 67 years, while wine drinking hit a seven year low, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show.

The nation's thirst for cider gained momentum, with cider consumption rising to about double what it was four years ago.

The ABS was unable to shed much light on the reasons for the decline in consumption of beer and wine, but CommSec chief economist Craig James said anecdotal evidence suggested Australians were embracing quality ahead of quantity.

"That is certainly the case with beer, where craft beers are gaining favour over mainstream brands," Mr James said.

Affordability of alcohol has reached its best rate in 20 years, which, coupled with the fall in consumption, reflects a more selective consumer, he said.

"But it may also be a case where Aussies are paying greater attention to health issues," Mr James said.

He noted that other data showed people were buying more sporting and recreational equipment over the past year.

Longer term influences such as random breath testing, immigration, better diets, higher disposable income and a greater variety of leisure pursuits were also contributing to the 17 year low, he said.

The data showed consumption of full strength beer continued to fall, but mid-strength beer had lifted slightly.

Beer still outweighs wine in terms of the amount of alcohol consumed.

Spirit drinkers stayed slow and steady, with consumption of spirits remaining stable over the decade.

"It remains to be seen whether alcohol consumption picks up over the coming year in line with stronger economic growth and record wealth levels," Mr James said.

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WA gold royalty hike 'to prompt cost cuts'

WEST Australian gold miners say they will be forced to cut costs if the WA state government doubles its mining royalty rate.

The WA government is reviewing its royalties regime, but small and large gold producers say an increased impost will harm the struggling sector.

Newmont Asia Pacific head Kelvyn Eglinton is worried the industry will be burdened at a time of lower gold prices and high labour costs.

"Once this report is written by the industry group and submitted to government, we will have to wear that recommendation," Mr Eglinton told a gold conference in Perth on Thursday.

Mining companies were expected to submit data and deal with the impact of any new changes.

"The only response we have to that impact is around more efficiencies, holding off projects, not investing in capital and jobs and discretionary income," he said.

"The only way we can try to recoup that impact is by trying to reduce our cost."

Newmont says the annual value of the company's three WA sites to the Australian economy totalled more than $1.1 billion in 2013.

Despite the warnings, there were no Australian assets at risk of being closed or sold, he said.

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More double demerits for WA drivers

DOUBLE demerit penalties will now apply to West Australian motorists caught using their mobile phones while driving and running red lights during holiday periods.

Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said the change would come into effect in time for the Easter long weekend and would be reviewed after three years.

"We know that both running red lights and using your mobile phone while driving are linked to fatal and serious crashes," she said.

"We don't want anybody to lose a loved one on our roads over the Anzac and Easter holidays."

Double demerits already apply to drink and drug driving, speeding and not using seatbelts.

Earlier this year, the Road Safety Council undertook a review of the double demerits system and advised that illegal mobile phone use and running red lights should be included.

Over the past five years, road fatalities had dropped by 30 per cent, but WA still had one of the worst road tolls in Australia, Ms Harvey said.

Double demerit penalties will be enforced between April 17 and 21, and between April 24 and 27.

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SA and Canberra closer on road plan

The SA and federal governments have held talks on Adelaide's north-south road corridor. Source: AAP

THE federal and South Australian governments have held talks aimed at overcoming disagreements on how to fully redevelop Adelaide's north-south road corridor.

The two governments had been at odds before the recent state election, with the Commonwealth wanting to start the project with an upgrade at Darlington in the city's south.

The state government maintained a section of the road further north should be the priority.

But a meeting on Thursday between federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Jamie Briggs and new SA Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan appears to have closed the gap.

Mr Briggs said he was now more confident about the project.

"We want to get the north-south corridor upgraded in a decade," he said.

Mr Mullighan described Thursday's meeting as productive.

"We've made very clear what our priority is and they've made very clear what their priority is," he said.

"What we're working on is how we can deliver both projects."

Mr Mullighan said talks would continue.

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Stephen Colbert 'blows up' Twitter account

STEPHEN Colbert is done with the Colbert Report Twitter account.

He teamed with one of Twitter's founders, Biz Stone, on Monday's show to symbolically blow up his show's Twitter account. The account has been removed from Twitter.

A tweet from that account, controlled by Comedy Central, created controversy last week when it showed a photo from last week's show that some deemed offensive and racist. A CancelColbert hashtag was created and ignited an online debate over the limits of satire.

Colbert's defenders suggested the tweet was taken out of context.

Colbert directed his fans to his personal Twitter account with more than six million followers instead.

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Snapper seeks big payout in Bieber lawsuit

A PHOTOGRAPHER is seeking to boost the potential damages he could win from Justin Bieber in a Florida lawsuit accusing the singer and a bodyguard of assault.

The photographer's lawyer, Mark DiCowden, said at a hearing on Tuesday that he has documented at least 11 similar alleged assaults against photographers over two years involving Bieber and his security personnel.

DiCowden says a punitive damage award for photographer Jeffrey Binion could deter future assaults.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel did not immediately rule. Bieber's lawyers say Binion is looking for an unwarranted payoff from a frivolous lawsuit.

Binion claims he was assaulted by bodyguard Hugh Hesney in June near a recording studio.

Bieber has also pleaded not guilty to DUI and other charges after he was arrested in Miami Beach on January 23.

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Less scrutiny for Qld budget: opp'n

QUEENSLAND ministers and bureaucrats will be spared a traditional seven-day grilling over how they spend taxpayers' funds.

Estimates hearings - the one time of the year the opposition holds the government to account on the budget - will be cut from seven to two days under a trial.

Ministers will give evidence concurrently, but will sit for two days instead of one.

The change has sparked claims the Newman government is trying to avoid scrutiny in the lead-up to next year's election.

But Leader of the House Ray Stevens says the "lazy and over-resourced opposition" now has double the time to question each minister.

"It is a golden opportunity for members of the opposition to find out if there is anything untoward about the budget," he told parliament.

"The government has paved the way for a far more open, accountable and transparent questioning of the budget."

Set up in 1994, estimates evolved after recommendations from the Fitzgerald Inquiry into corruption.

Tony Fitzgerald, who recently hit out at Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) and anti-bikie reforms, says his views on the government are widely known.

"The government's attitude to power and accountability is a matter for voters at the next election," he told AAP.

Ministers and department heads who give evidence at estimates are compelled to answer honestly.

The opposition's line of questioning in 2012 helped claim some scalps.

The director-general of Transport Michael Caltabiano was eventually sacked after giving evidence over the hiring of the son of former IT Minister Ros Bates to his department.

Ms Bates herself stood down as minister and has been referred to CMC over the affair.

Media and the opposition, which only has eight MPs in parliament, will be spread thin to comprehensively cover the eight committees which will run simultaneously.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk wasn't notified of the change and says the government is ducking in the lead up to next year's election.

"This is a government that is running scared, that doesn't want openness and accountability," she told parliament.

"I think they want to hide not only from opposition, public scrutiny, but media scrutiny as well."

The reforms were passed by parliament on Wednesday evening.

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Tasmanian govt, ALP leader made official

TASMANIA officially has a new government and a new opposition leader.

Will Hodgman is the state's 45th premier after being sworn in at Government House to lead Tasmania's first Liberal government in 16 years.

A smiling Mr Hodgman and his eight cabinet colleagues took oaths before Governor Peter Underwood, family and Liberal party staff.

Across town, at Parliament House, Labor's caucus was thrashing out the leadership issue, with former deputy premier Bryan Green unanimously winning a caucus vote.

Mr Green's elevation came after outgoing premier Lara Giddings resigned and nominated her deputy, saying the party needed to unite.

Ms Giddings had said she'd be a candidate for opposition leader if her party wanted her, but her preferred premier rating struggled to get above the low 20s during her three-year reign.

The Tasmanian ALP was to become the first state branch in the country to instigate a ballot including rank and file members, but the unanimous vote meant it was not needed.

Former health minister Michelle O'Byrne will be Mr Green's deputy.

Mr Green, 56, began his working life as a fitter and machinist at a Burnie paper mill before his election to parliament in 1998.

"I come from an industrial background, worked on the tools for 19 years," he said.

"It gives me a balance."

He was forced to step down from the ministry in 2006 after allegations about his dealings with the Tasmanian Compliance Corporation.

Mr Green faced charges but juries could not reach verdicts at a trial in 2007 and retrial in 2008.

"I've certainly learnt form that whole process. It's made me a much tougher individual," he told reporters in Hobart.

"Obviously, I proclaimed my innocence the whole way through that process and don't forget I've had a couple of light plane crashes in between.

"I am a survivor and the things that don't kill you just make you stronger."

It had been speculated Mr Green would be appointed as an interim leader to rebuild the party before a younger successor took over.

But he committed to leading it to the next election due in four years.

Ms Giddings said she had no intention of quitting parliament to allow defeated potential leader David O'Byrne to take her seat on a count-back.

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Noah seizes top Aust box office spot

Russell Crowe's biblical epic Noah has topped the Australia box office in its opening weekend. Source: AAP

NOAH has drenched its competitors and claimed the No.1 spot at the Australian box office during its opening weekend.

Russell Crowe's new film, directed by Darren Aronofsky and based on the biblical tale of an apocalyptic flood, pulled in $4.522 million from Thursday to Sunday, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

It also seized top spot on the US box office and was the No.1 film worldwide with $US77.6 million ($A84.19 million).

Another new entry, animated flick Mr Peabody & Sherman, grabbed second spot with $2.437 million.

Together, the pair knocked last week's No.1, The Monuments Men, into third place, while action movie Need for Speed fell from second to fifth.

Up a place into third spot is Ride Along, the Ice Cube-Kevin Hart buddy cop comedy.

Movies that slipped included 300: Rise of an Empire, Pompeii, Non-Stop and Cuban Fury, which all dropped two places to be placed sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.

Still hanging on to 10th spot after 10 weeks is The Wolf of Wall Street, which has raked in $23.168 million in Australia.

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Abbott gives states free rein on NDIS

Western Australia has officially signed up to the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS). Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says he accepts the states want to run disability services their own way.

Labor has urged the coalition government to stick to the agreement reached with the states and territories in 2013 to fund launch sites before fully rolling out a national disability insurance scheme by July 2019.

Mr Abbott said before the election that the coalition and Labor were on a "unity ticket" on the NDIS.

However, since the election the coalition has stopped talking about "launch" sites and instead started calling them "trial" sites.

In his first major decision on the NDIS, Mr Abbott visited Perth on Monday to announce the federal government would contribute $80 million and the WA government $50 million towards trial sites for disability services covering about 8400 people.

One trial would use WA's state model known as My Way in the Lower South West region and the other would be run under the commonwealth's national disability insurance scheme in the Perth Hills and the merits of each would be compared over two years.

WA Premier Colin Barnett, whose government prefers a system delivered by contracted not-for-profit organisations, said the trial would show how "devolved" an NDIS could be.

Mr Abbott said WA's decision to sign up meant there was now a "national network of trials", from which lessons could be learned.

"We want our federation to work, and the best way to get the federation to work is to work constructively and collegially with the states and accept the fact that sometimes the states for all sorts of good reasons will want to do things their way," Mr Abbott said.

Asked whether the national scheme promised by Labor would be delayed, Mr Abbott said his government was committed to "delivering a sustainable and affordable national disability insurance scheme".

"One of the problems with the former government is they were rushing it - they were more concerned with getting a political monument rather than getting it right."

Opposition families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said the government had taken its time in signing up WA, given that the agreement was struck by Labor in August last year.

"Tony Abbott must not shirk his responsibility to deliver the NDIS in full and on time, as promised," Ms Macklin said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who was also in Perth campaigning ahead of this Saturday's Senate election re-run, said the Abbott government had been talking down the NDIS as a truly national scheme since the election.

"I am not going to join the Liberal chorus attacking the national disability insurance scheme," Mr Shorten said.

"The NDIS is about empowering the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians with disabilities and their carers who have been effectively exiled in their own country."

He said funding for the scheme's rollout was "on the never-never".

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Houston to co-ordinate MH370 search

Officials say objects scooped out of the ocean are not part of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA has appointed one of its most decorated military figures to help co-ordinate the search for Malaysia Airlines flight 370, as more planes and ships join the hunt.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the country's former defence force chief, will lead a new joint agency co-ordination centre (JACC) to be based in Perth.

The headquarters will help communication between international search partners, while trying to keep the families of those on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight informed.

As about 50 Chinese relatives of passengers arrived in Malaysia to press for answers, a specially equipped Australian naval vessel prepared to depart Perth with the task of finding the Boeing 777's black box recorder.

It will leave early on Monday for the vast Indian Ocean search zone, after officials said the first debris picked up by ships combing the area was not from the stricken plane.

"It appeared to be fishing equipment and just rubbish on the (ocean's) surface," said a spokesman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is in charge of the operation.

Mr Abbott said Air Chief Marshal Houston's new search hub would work with key Commonwealth, state and international stakeholders, including the families and international media.

"There is no one better placed than Angus to co-ordinate and liaise given the quite significant number of countries that all have a stake in this search," Mr Abbott said.

On Sunday, 10 aircraft and eight ships were deployed to the updated search area, 1850km west of Perth.

They will be joined by the Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield, which is fitted with specialist US Navy equipment designed to detect the tiny "pinger" within the plane's black box and to photograph potential debris on the sea floor.

But without a confirmed piece of debris, the ship and crew will be left to scan the horizon with the rest of the search teams before its high-tech equipment can be used.

It had been feared the 30-day life of the black box could expire before the equipment arrives.

But Captain Mark Matthews, the US Navy supervisor of salvage and diving, says the device is certified for 30 days but could last up to 15 days longer than that.

"These are rated to last 30 days, but that is a minimum. In my experience, they do last a little bit longer than that," Capt Matthews said.

"I would say 45 days is the realistic limited expectation."

Australian Navy Commodore Peter Leavy said the focus was still to find debris and confirm it was from flight MH370, then work backwards to a possible crash site.

"The search area remains vast and this equipment can only be effectively employed when there is a high probability that the final location of Flight MH370 is better known," he said.

Flight MH370, with 239 people aboard, disappeared on March 8 after veering sharply off course on the way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

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Indonesia won't defeat tobacco laws: Labor

Tanya Plibersek says Indonesia won't win its case against Australia's plain tobacco packaging laws. Source: AAP

DEPUTY Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says she is confident Indonesia will not defeat the party's signature plain tobacco packaging rules in a global trade dispute.

Indonesia has taken Australia's plain packaging laws to the World Trade Organisation arguing it is a breach of the rules of global commerce.

It is the fifth country to do so, after cases brought last year by Ukraine, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Under the rules, all tobacco products have to be sold in drab green boxes, use the same typeface and contain graphic images of diseased smokers.

Ms Plibersek said she was confident the legislation will not be defeated in the WTO because Australia was not treating countries differently under trade rules.

"(Indonesia's) issue might be one of intellectual property and we've had plenty of legal advice to say we're on strong grounds here," she told Sky News on Sunday.

Ms Plibersek said she was proud of the tobacco policy, which came into force in December 2012 and was "one of the best things we did in government".

Indonesia's objection was a strong symbol it was worried plain packaging was having an effect.

"I would be delighted if it means that Indonesian tobacco products are selling less ... because it means Indonesians are getting sicker and dying less," she told Sky News.

"This is an important measure for people's health and I'm proud of it."

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Vic celebrity match honours Luke Batty

Hundreds turned out to a celebrity cricket match to honour Luke Batty, who was killed by his father. Source: AAP

YOUNG Victorian Luke Batty would have been "chuffed" about the celebrity cricket match held in his honour, his mother says.

Hundreds turned out under sunny skies on Sunday to honour the 11-year-old boy at the Tyabb oval where he lost his life.

His father, Greg Anderson, killed his son after cricket training on February 12, before being shot dead by police.

Luke's former cricket mates and classmates were among those who gathered at the ground on Sunday, alongside a celebrity line-up including professional cricketers, footballers and television stars.

His mother, Rosie Batty, said he would have been delighted by the event.

"If he could say anything, he would just be so chuffed," she told the Nine Network.

Members of the Tyabb junior cricket team formed a guard of honour as the celebrity players made their way on to the pitch for the fundraiser.

Ms Batty later told reporters that people in the community felt each other's pain.

"Everybody wants to be here for each other," she said.

Cricket Victoria spokesman Dylan Atkinson said the aim of the event was to encourage locals to return to the ground.

"The idea was to get the community back to the Tyabb Reserve ... and create some positive experiences given what's happened," he said.

The celebrity line-up included Australian Test cricketers Matthew Wade and Bryce McGain, Essendon AFL players Michael Hurley and Michael Hibberd, actors Rhys Muldoon and Gary Sweet, and comedian Peter Helliar.

Money raised from the event will be used to rebuild cricket nets, which were demolished last week, upgrade facilities and build a memorial for Luke.

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