Fortescue can ask for relief: Barnett

Andrew Forrest CEO Fortescue Metals Group and WA Premier Colin Barnett at a conference. Source: PerthNow

PREMIER Colin Barnett says Fortescue Metals Group is entitled to seek financial relief from the State Government to defer royalty payments if necessary

It has been reported that with Fortescue's desire to proceed as soon as possible with its Kings iron ore project, it may seek to defer state royalty payments.

The Financial Review today reported a "rumour'' that Fortescue last week sought the postponement of two quarters of royalty payments, which would probably total more than $200 million.

The September quarter royalty payments are due by October 30.

Answering a question from the Opposition in Parliament today, Mr Barnett said he would not make a comment on the financial position of a publicly listed company, but said Fortescue was allowed to seek relief from the government if necessary.

"It's no secret that a number of companies were hit by the very sharp fall in iron ore prices and there's been a lot of commentary in the financial media about that,'' he said.

"If a company were to come to the government and seek some sort of relief, then the government would consider that on merit and it's not without precedence.''

Mr Barnett said such assistance had been granted in previous years, including to the mineral sands sector and Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond operation.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top cop does not expect Barnett apology

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan. Source: PerthNow

POLICE Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan does not expect or want an apology from Premier Colin Barnett over his controversial "clip around the ears'' comments.

Mr Barnett last week told Fairfax Radio that Police Minister Liza Harvey was justified in giving the state's top cop "a clip around the ears'' after he expressed concern to a Parliamentary hearing about a planned hiring freeze and other budget cuts to the police force.

The hiring freeze has since been shelved and the budget cuts greatly reduced.

Today Mr Barnett backpedalled on ABC radio.

The Premier said he did not say the Commissioner deserved a clip around the ears for voicing his concerns, rather that he got a clip around the ears from Ms Harvey for not bringing up the matter privately.

"There's a clear distinction here,'' Mr Barnett said.

"I'm not talking about Karl O'Callaghan, I'm talking to all senior public servants.

"If they appear before a Parliamentary committee, they are required to answer questions truthfully and factually.''

Mr Barnett said when it came to issues of policy making and funding of police, that was a matter for government to handle, not people in chief executive roles.

Mr O'Callaghan said he did not hear Mr Barnett's original comment but had seen a transcript.

"As far as I'm concerned, that matter's dead and gone,'' he said today.

"It's just an issue on the day.

"I'm not looking for any apology. I'm quite happy to just get on with the job.''

Mr O'Callaghan said he had a "thick hide'' and was not concerned by the Premier's comment.

"I've been working in policing for many, many years,'' he said.

"I've been called lots of names. It doesn't bother me.''

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Car gang attacks mentally-impaired woman

POLICE are investigating after a mentally-impaired woman was attacked and robbed by a group of men in Shoalwater.

Police said the 55-year-old woman was walking home along McLarty Road about 9.45pm on Monday after spending the night with friends at a nearby bowling alley.

She was walking along her bus route intending to catch a bus when she was approached by four men in a sedan.

Three of the men got out of the car and grabbed the woman's bag, knocking her to the ground.

They then left in the vehicle with the handbag.

The woman suffered multiple bruises and needed medical treatment.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or can provide further information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grieving parents issue heartfelt advice

Peter Gelissen told Channel 9 he wished his son had had a chance in life. PICTURE: Channel 9 Source: PerthNow

Lee-Ann Gelissen said the family was heartbroken over the tragedy. PICTURE: Channel 9 Source: PerthNow

The parents of a five-year-old child who died after a television set fell onto him speak about their loss.

THE grieving family of a five-year-old boy who died in a freak accident in Collie yesterday has urged parents to "treasure" their children.

Peter Gelissen was killed at his family home yesterday morning when a television set in his bedroom fell from a chest of drawers and crushed him.

Mother Lee-Ann Gelissen told Channel 9 the family was heartbroken over the tragedy.

"I wouldn't want any person to go through that because it's horrendous," she said.

"It's not something that you want to see happen to your child."

Mrs Gelissen said parents should treasure the time they have with their children.

"Treasure every single second you have with your children because they could be gone, taken so suddenly," she said.

"Treasure them because they're so precious."

Her husband Peter told of his love for his boy.

"Only five, that's the hardest thing, never got a chance," he told Channel 9.

"I love him so much."

A report is being prepared for the State Coroner.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bali bomb threat delays plane

Andrea Giovanni Sorteni, 48, is escorted by police in Yogyarkarta, following his arrest in Denpasar. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

AN ITALIAN painter has been arrested on the Indonesian resort island of Bali for allegedly making a hoax bomb threat to a flight after his wife failed to get a seat on it, police say.

Andrea Giovanni Sorteni, 48, could be charged with terrorism offences over the bomb threat, which sparked panic and caused the flight from Yogyakarta in central Java to be delayed by several hours.

Indonesia has been hit by deadly bombings over the past decade and the hoax came at a sensitive time - two days after Bali marked the 10th anniversary of Islamist attacks that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

The artist, who denies making the threat, became upset when his Indonesian wife was not allowed on the flight after low-cost domestic carrier Lion Air said her ticket was out of date, according to police.

"He was very angry knowing that his wife could not fly back home and called Lion Air and said there were explosive materials on the flight to Bali,'' Yogyakarta police spokeswoman Ani Pudjiastuti told AFP.

Passengers waiting for the October 14 flight to take off became panicky on hearing about the threat, but a police search of the plane turned up no explosives, she said.

Sorteni was arrested on October 17 in Denpasar on Bali, where he was living with his wife, after he was tracked down through the mobile phone he allegedly used to make the threats, police said.

He was taken to Yogyakarta and remains in custody while the police investigation continues, the spokeswoman said.

She said he could be charged under terrorism laws or under laws that ban spreading false information through electronic means.

Lion Air spokesman Edward Sirait said the incident was regrettable. "We're an industry which is highly sensitive to any information that could risk our passengers' safety,'' he said.

The Italian embassy in Jakarta would not comment when contacted by AFP.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man facing charges over Embleton siege

A man allegedly involved in a siege in Embleton today has been charged by police.

ARREST: Heavily armed police have arrested a man at a siege in Embleton following reports the man threatened a woman with a gun. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

ARREST: Heavily armed police have arrested a man at a siege in Embleton following reports the man threatened a woman with a gun. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

ARREST: Heavily armed police have arrested a man at a siege in Embleton following reports the man threatened a woman with a gun. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

ARREST: Heavily armed police have arrested a man at a siege in Embleton following reports the man threatened a woman with a gun. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

A MAN allegedly involved in a siege in Embleton today has been charged by police.

The 38-year-old has been charged with making threats to injure, endanger or harm a person after heavily armed police stormed his home.

Police will allege the man threatened a 40-year-old woman when she returned to the house with a friend this morning.

Officers, including police from the elite Tactical Response Group, were called to the Collier Rd house at 9.45am after reports that the woman was being holed up by a man with a gun.

After a stand-off, the man was arrested by police just before 1pm and taken in for questioning.

But it is understood a search of the property by police did not uncover a firearm.

A police spokeswoman said the incident was domestic related.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Keith Woollard guilty of careless conduct during surgery

Dr Keith Woollard, who has been found guilty of careless conduct during surgery by the State Administrative Tribunal. Source: PerthNow

PERTH cardiologist Keith Woollard has been found guilty of careless conduct in relation to an angioplasty he performed on an elderly patient six years ago.

The former president of the Australian Medical Association was accused of inflating a balloon catheter used in the procedure above the recommended levels causing it to burst.

As a result, the woman needed emergency heart surgery to fix an artery which had swelled and to remove a wire which had become stuck.

The State Administrative Tribunal delivered its finding last week, saying it found the husband of Alfred Cove MP Janet Woollard acted carelessly in relation to the procedure but did not find he acted "incompetently" because he was still training at the time.

The Medical Board of Australia, which brought the matter to the tribunal, had argued he had acted both carelessly and incompetently in relation to the case.

But the tribunal said it could not find Dr Woollard guilty of incompetence because he was being supervised by a visiting interventional cardiologist from India who was accredited by the Mount Hospital.

The four member panel said while his conduct was of the "scale of gravity" which was sufficient to warrant punishment and disciplinary action "for the protection of the public", and that his actions did not give attention or thought to "avoiding harm" to the patient, it could not make a finding of incompetence.

They said the visiting interventional cardiologist, Dr Menon, was accredited by The Mount, however they were unclear of his experience.

"Dr Menon apparently practises in India and was visiting Perth at the time of the angioplasty on Patient S," the tribunal said.

"He was not called to give evidence. His position and level of experience as at 30 August 2006 is therefore somewhat of an unfortunate mystery to us.

"However, it is common ground that Dr Menon was an interventional cardiologist, was accredited by the Mount Hospital to perform angioplasties, and was supervising the angioplasty procedure on Patient S.

"In our view, Dr Menon's involvement precludes a finding that Dr Woollard 'acted incompetently' on this occasion."

According to the tribunal, Dr Woollard was accredited as an interventional cardiologist about two months after he performed the angioplasty.

"Had Dr Woollard been an accredited interventional cardiologist at the time of the angioplasty on Patient S, we would have found that he 'acted incompetently'," they concluded.

In June, an interim order was put in place against Dr Woollard preventing him from performing procedures on patients without the prior approval of his peers in relation to another complaint.

He currently has to submit detailed reports to the Medical Board about every patient he sees and justify any course of treatment to a review panel made up of fellow cardiologists.

The Medical Board of Australia has until November 2 to make a submission regarding penalties for Dr Woollard.

Email Emily Moulton: emily.moulton@news.com.au

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spare jail beds claim 'demonstratively false'

Union officials have rejected claims that there is spare capacity in WA's jails, such as Hakea Prison. Source: PerthNow

CLAIMS of spare beds in Western Australia's prison system have been vehemently rejected by a union official.

WA Prison Officers Union national secretary John Welch said Corrective Services Minister Murray Cowper was wrong in saying there were 247 surplus beds in the state's prison system, labelling the claim "spin-doctory gone mad''.

The system was actually more than 1500 beds short and was the most overcrowded in the country, Mr Welch said.

"The idea that we are not overcrowded or not short of staff is demonstratively false - we currently have 4900 prisoners in a system for 3500,'' he said today.

Mr Cowper today said in a statement there were currently 5136 "operational'' beds available in the state and 4889 prisoners incarcerated.

Mr Welch said the government was fudging the numbers because "operational'' levels were effectively for emergencies.

WA prisons had exceeded the recommended capacity through double-bunking - having two beds in a single cell designed for one person, he said.

The practice caused problems for prison staff because it angered prisoners, Mr Welch said.

"The reality is those people are angry, cranky, frustrated. Who deals with that? The prison officers.''

Mr Welch said 13 out of WA's 14 prisons were chronically overcrowded, with some running at 140 to 150 per cent of capacity.

Mr Cowper said the government's infrastructure program would add 2600 beds to the prison system and followed eight years under the Labor government in which there were only 300 new beds.

"It is a reality that double-bunking exists in most prison systems across the world,'' Mr Cowper said.

"We don't apologise for this. These offenders are not at a hotel - they are in prison.''

Mr Welch said the previous government did not resolve the issue of overcrowding in state prisons but the current government was not fixing the problem either, and even when current development projects were completed, there would still be a shortage of 1200 to 1700 cells.

The union recently launched their 'Respect the Risk' campaign, asking for a 15 per cent pay rise over three years for prison officers as well as safer working conditions.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Camilla our Melbourne Cup coup

Charles and Camilla will take part in festivities at Flemington. Source: HWT Image Library

THE Melbourne Cup will be a royal affair, with Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, presenting the Cup to connections of the winning horse.

In a major coup for Victoria, Prince Charles and Camilla will make a flying visit to Melbourne as part of their Pacific tour of Papua New Guinea, Australia and NZ.

The royal couple will spend the afternoon at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, along with other celebrities including Mischa Barton, Delta Goodrem and Brynne and Geoffrey Edelsten.

Prince Charles and Camilla are expected to arrive in the early afternoon and take a tour of the mounting yards and facilities at the course before watching the race.

The action today moves to the Geelong Cup, where former Home and Away actor Esther Anderson, will be among the stars trackside.

- with Kim Wilson

 

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA gears up for $70 million jackpot

MAGIC MILLIONS: OZ Lotto's $70 million dollar draw is back. Source: Herald Sun

THE OZ Lotto Division 1 jackpot has rocketed to $70 million, the second-highest prize to be offered in the game's history.

The monster jackpot was announced after tonight's Oz Lotto draw failed to produce any Division 1 winners across the country, although more than 127,000 people won prizes in lesser divisions.

Lotterywest spokesperson Pina Compagnone said Lotterywest expects to sell about 850,000 tickets in WA for the $70 million draw.

As the game has jackpotted over the last seven weeks, soaring ticket sales has also helped Lotterywest to raise an almost $10 million for the WA community.

Lotterywest expects next week's draw will raise a further $6 million for the local community.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More