AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 17

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2003
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 17
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


INDEMNITY HOWARD (SYDNEY)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has urged doctors to accept a government deal on the controversial
insurance levy on doctors.

The government has announced it will keep a controversial indemnity levy on doctors.

Health Minister TONY ABBOTT says the government has largely adopted the recommendations
of the Medical Indemnity Policy Review Panel.

Under the new package, doctors will be required to pay up to 7.5 per cent of their
income on medical indemnity.

But Mr ABBOTT says the government will pick up 80 per cent of the cost above the 7.5
per cent threshold.

The federal government is also pumping an extra $181 million into the system to back it up.

Under the changes, the government will meet half the cost of damages claims in excess
of $300,000.

The Australian Medical Association says the medical indemnity package may not be enough
to prevent doctors quitting.





Meanwhile, on another health police issue, the Australian Greens say they will move
to overturn federal government regulations they say will turn Medicare into a two-tier
system.



IRAQ (BAGHDAD)

A global debate is raging over the fate of captured Iraqi dictator SADDAM HUSSEIN,
as his supporters continue to target coalition troops in Iraq.

Iraqi leaders hope to have a court ready by early next year to try SADDAM for a dozen
specific atrocities.

Iraqi and US leaders have rebuffed calls for him to be tried before an international tribunal.

Governing Council president ABDUL AZIZ AL-HAKIM has warned SADDAM could be executed
if convicted in an Iraqi court.

US President GEORGE W BUSH says he thinks SADDAM ought to receive the ultimate penalty,
without directly stating SADDAM should be sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, in Paris, Iraq war opponents France and Germany have issued a joint statement
with the United States calling for a substantial reduction of Iraq's $A160 billion debt.



SARS TAIWAN CONFIRMED (TAIPEI)

A medical researcher in Taiwan has tested positive for SARS -- the island's first case
since it was dropped from a global list of SARS-infected areas in July.

A spokesman from Taiwan's Centre for Disease Control says the patient is a 44-year-old
man who had been studying severe acute respiratory syndrome at the National Defence University.



LPG LATHAM (PERTH)

Opposition leader MARK LATHAM says the federal government's excise on LPG is appropriate,
but it should revisit the level of excise on ethanol.

The federal government yesterday announced excise for liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol
will be set at 12.5 cents per litre from July the 1st, 2012.

Under the changes, diesel and petrol excise will remain set at 38.143 cents per litre.

Motoring groups and environmental campaigners have welcomed a federal government plan
not to tax liquified petroleum gas for five years.

NRMA vehicle adviser JACK HALEY has also applauded the tax freeze decision, saying
the five-year tax holiday for the fuels gives them a chance to establish a market share.



TERROR LATHAM (CANBERRA)

Opposition leader MARK LATHAM says Labor would support empowering the attorney-general
to ban suspected terrorist groups if it was found to be in the national interest.

Mr LATHAM says his newly-appointed shadow minister for homeland security, ROBERT MCCLELLAND,
is in negotiations with Attorney-General PHILIP RUDDOCK.

But Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says he's not convinced new Labor leader MARK LATHAM
is serious about a bipartisan approach to national security.

He says Mr LATHAM must give unambiguous support to the extension of the attorney-general's
powers and to support the excision of certain islands from Australia's migration zone.

Meanwhile, President GEORGE W BUSH says the United States will eventually capture the
elusive al-Qaeda leader OSAMA BIN LADEN, following the dramatic capture of SADDAM HUSSEIN.



BONUS (CANBERRA)

Family and Community Services Minister KAY PATTERSON is warning Labor not to abolish
the so-called baby bonus.

Deputy Opposition Leader JENNY MACKLIN has promised to scrap the federal government's
baby bonus scheme in favour of paid maternity leave if Labor wins next year's election.

She says the baby bonus is a flop because one in three new mothers in Australia have
failed to receive any money.

The baby bonus is a tax break for stay at home parents until their child turns five.

Meanwhile, the Australian Democrats have launched a campaign for paid maternity leave
and are vowing to make the matter an election issue.



FISHING HOWARD (SYDNEY)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says an armed ship patrolling the Southern Ocean will send
a strong message that Australia won't tolerate breaches of its exclusive economic zone.

The government has announced it will lease an ice-strengthened ship, fitted with a
.50 calibre deck-mounted machine gun, to carry out full-time patrols of the ocean.

The action is in response to a series of incidents of poaching of the protected Patagonian
toothfish.

But Labor says one new patrol boat for the Southern Ocean will do nothing to plug the
gaps in Australia's northern waters.



DETENTION VANSTONE (ADELAIDE)

Immigration Minister AMANDA VANSTONE says hunger striking asylum seekers on Nauru aren't
the Australian government's problem.

Twenty-three Afghans and one Pakistani have entered the eighth day of a hunger strike
in protest at their detention on Nauru.

Eleven detainees have been hospitalised in the protest, which has included men sewing
their lips together.

But Senator VANSTONE rules out immediate federal government intervention.



ASIC BREACHES (SYDNEY)

Australia's investment watchdog has threatened action against 25 listed companies.

It is also considering its options over another 27 after finding possible breaches
in their financial accounts.

The crackdown follows a review by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
of the audited full-year results of about 400 listed companies.



HOSPITALS ABBOTT (SYDNEY)

Federal Health Minister TONY ABBOTT says he's confident the New South Wales government
will resolve the crisis in the state's public health system.

A damning report into Campbelltown and Camden hospitals in Sydney's south-west revealed
substandard care which led to the deaths of 19 patients.

Mr ABBOTT says new state health minister MORRIS IEMMA is doing his best to resolve the situation.

Meanwhile, New South Wales Opposition leader JOHN BROGDEN's released documents he says
prove former health minister CRAIG KNOWLES was warned over two years ago about the crisis
in the public health system.



KIDNEYS (SYDNEY)

Australian researchers have become the first in the world to discover why successfully
transplanted kidneys burn out.

The Sydney research team found the anti-rejection drugs given to transplant recipients
significantly damage their new kidneys, leading to failure in the long term.



HOERLER (SYDNEY)

The New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions will appeal against the controversial
jail sentence given to the killer of a seven-month-old baby.

JORDAN ANDERSON died after being beaten and tortured at his home in Wagga Wagga in February 2000.

His 24-year-old killer, CHRISTOPHER HOERLER, was sentenced in the Supreme Court to
11 years jail, with a non-parole period of eight years and three months, for manslaughter.

Attorney-General BOB DEBUS says he's relieved the DPP has decided to appeal.



AND BRIEFLY . . .



Theatre operators are expecting the final chapter in The Lord of the Rings trilogy
to smash box-office records when it opens in New Zealand theatres tonight.




Former finance director of Australian news agency AAP, NEIL AVELING, who stole nearly
$300,000 from the company, has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.




Austal says it will build and design the Royal Australian's Navy's new Armidale Class
patrol boats, after the signing of $553 million in contracts.



AND IN SPORTS . . .


CRICKET AUST WILLIAMS (PERTH)

BRAD WILLIAMS expects to be fit for the Boxing Day Test after straining his left shoulder
in Australia's second Test loss to India.

The West Australian speedster says he has only strained a ligament and will be 100
per cent within a week.



SOCCER ONEILL (SYDNEY)

The Australian Soccer Association is refusing to comment on reports that outgoing Australian
Rugby Union boss JOHN O'NEILL has been approached to run soccer's new Premier League.



RUGBY GREGAN (CANBERRA)

Wallabies skipper GEORGE GREGAN has signed a new one-year deal with the Australian
Rugby Union to continue his Test career.

GREGAN has also signed on with Super 12 outfit the ACT Brumbies for another 12 months.



SURFING BEACHLEY (SYDNEY)

LAYNE BEACHLEY has returned to Australia from Hawaii a six-time world surfing champion.

She wrapped up yet another ASP world title at the weekend with a second placing at
the Billabong Pro at Maui, prompting claims from experts she's the best surfer ever.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

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