Penny Sharpe wins ALP preselection

NSW MP Penny Sharpe has won the Labor party's first community preselection process, under which local residents and branch members can both vote for their preferred candidate.

The trial of what Labor insiders call "US-style primaries" was run for two state seats, after being tested during the City of Sydney council elections last year.

Ms Sharpe, an upper house member and opposition transport spokeswoman, won the right to contest the new seat of Newtown after picking up 58 per cent of the community vote and 64 per cent of the branch vote on Saturday, with more than 1500 participating in the preselection.

Further west in Campbelltown former soldier and Camden councillor Greg Warren scored 61 per cent of the branch vote and 57 per cent of the community vote.

About 1000 people turned up to have their say.

"Labor will be in a stronger position at the March 2015 state election because we've invited local communities into the preselection process and worked hard to win their support," NSW ALP General Secretary Jamie Clements said in a statement.

Previously only Labor members could cast ballots for candidate preselection.

The reform is part of the measures decided upon at the party's state conference in 2011, following the 2010 review of its processes by Labor heavyweights former NSW premier and foreign minister Bob Carr, NSW Senator John Faulkner and former Victorian premier Steve Bracks.

The next community preselections will be in Balmain and Strathfield.

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Approach minimum wage with caution: govt

The Abbott government says it's wary of increasing the minimum wage. Source: AAP

ANY prospective increase to the minimum wage should take into consideration the fact that Australians are set to benefit to the tune of $550 a year once the carbon tax is abolished, the federal government says.

And with an economy struggling to find its feet after a resources boom, any increase that comes at the cost of jobs should be approached with caution, the government has submitted to the Fair Work Commission's (FWC) annual wage review.

Unions and business groups are at loggerheads over the FWC's review, with the ACTU calling for a minimum rise of $27 a week for Australia's lowest paid workers and employers arguing for $8.50.

The national minimum wage is $622 per week.

ACTU secretary Dave Oliver said the growing gap between minimum wages and actual wages and raised concerns Australia was heading down the same path as the US with its established class of working poor.

But in its submission to the commission, the federal government said Australia's transition from a resources-driven economy to non-resources-led one meant it was not growing as fast as forecast.

At a time when global markets were strengthening, any increases that put jobs at risk should be approached with caution, the government said.

"Any wage increases that are not supported by improvements in productivity and that are beyond the affordability of businesses will not be sustainable and will cut jobs," the submission said.

"The panel's decision should support jobs growth."

The submission said being employed, even at a low wage, was better for families and individuals than being unemployed.

"Minimum wage increases are an inefficient and ineffective tool for increasing the living standards of low paid workers," it said.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz said the government was concerned about easing the burden on low income earners but that would largely come from scrapping the carbon tax.

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Syringe threat in Vic carjacking

A woman has been threatened with a syringe during a carjacking in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has been threatened with a syringe during a carjacking in Melbourne, police say.

The woman was parked in a shopping centre in Dandenong on Saturday afternoon when a man approached her car and allegedly threatened her with a syringe.

He demanded the woman get out of the car and she did.

The man then got into her car and drove away.

Police said the stolen car is a red 2006 Ford sedan with registration number UQI 236.

The man is described as caucasian, with blonde hair and a thin build.

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Bloom wants to be in son's life

A-LIST Hollywood star Orlando Bloom may have split from Miranda Kerr but he's taking his job as a dad seriously - and he's looking to settle down in his home country.

The 37-year-old British star recently parted ways with his Australian supermodel wife, but he insists the couple have put their three-year-old son Flynn first.

And despite skipping between London, Los Angeles and wherever he is working, the Lord of the Rings star claimed he would like his son to have some experience "living at home, in England".

"I've lived a very nomadic life, which I enjoy. But now that I have my son it gets a lot more serious - I want to be in his life and have as much input and influence on his as I can," he told The Times Magazine.

Describing his break up from Kerr as "amicable", the actor said the couple had done their best to stay together and there was "no harm, no foul" on either side.

Differences between what the pair wanted "from our lives, our work" had become a challenge, he said, before adding his ex is "a very supportive and understanding woman".

"It's ever evolving, but I've said to her, 'We're going to be in each other's lives for the rest of our lives and we have a child, so it's important to me that we respect each other as we always have and that Flynn feels that and understands that.' There's a deep love between us."

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Gay couples marry in England

British Prime Minister David Cameron has hailed the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales. Source: AAP

GAY couples across England and Wales have said "I do" as a law authorising same-sex marriage came into effect, the final stage in a long fight for equality.

Following the first marriages on Saturday amid a supposed race to wed, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to all same-sex couples getting married today - I wish you every possible happiness for the future."

The Conservative party leader also described the change as an "important moment for our country", and a rainbow flag flew above government offices in London in celebration.

While 15 countries have legalised gay marriage and another three allow it in some areas, homosexuals remain persecuted in many parts of the world.

The Church of England, insisting weddings should take place only between a man and a woman, secured an exemption from the new law.

In London, John Coffey, 52, and Bernardo Marti, 48, exchanged vows as the clock struck midnight, before being pronounced "husband and husband".

They were among several couples bidding to be first to take advantage of last year's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.

In Brighton on England's south coast, Neil Allard and Andrew Wale exchanged vows and rings in the opulent splendour of the Royal Pavilion in front of about 100 guests.

Wearing velvet-collared three-piece suits with white flowers in their buttonholes, the smiling couple of seven years hugged and kissed after sealing their marriage.

"We are very happy this day has come finally. It's very exciting," said Wale, a 49-year-old theatre director.

Campaigners have insisted that only the right to marry gives them full equality with heterosexual couples.

Civil partnerships have been legal since 2005 and marriage brings no new rights - the ability to adopt, for example, was introduced in 2002.

"We didn't want to get married until it was a marriage that my mum and dad could have," said Teresa Millward, 37, who was marrying her long-term girlfriend on Saturday.

The gay marriage law is the final victory in a long battle stretching back to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England in 1967.

Cameron backed the change despite strong opposition from members of his party and the Church of England, which has rejected the idea that clergy be allowed to bless couples in same-sex marriages.

But Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the leader of the world's 80 million Anglicans, said the Church had accepted the new law and would continue to demonstrate "the love of Christ for every human being".

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Qld police try to identify dead woman

POLICE are working through the night to investigate the suspicious death of a young woman whose body was found in a busy south Brisbane Park.

Earlier on Friday police were searching for a murder weapon and speaking to witnesses, Detective Acting Inspector Tod Reid told reporters.

The victim hasn't been identified, but police said she was possibly aged in her teens to early 20s, about 165cm tall with a slim build, olive complexion and dark hair and was wearing a silver bracelet on her right wrist.

Her body was found in a rotunda at Kurilpa Park on Friday by a man on his morning walk.

Police want to review CCTV footage from surrounding buildings and have asked for any witnesses in the area during the past day to come forward.

The body was still in the rotunda late on Friday morning as homicide squad officers, local detectives and forensic specialists scoured the scene, which had been partly affected by bad weather.

"Weather's always a factor in these sort of incidents and fortunately the rotunda has managed to secure some of the scene for us," Inspector Reid said.

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PNG set to deport Aussie lawyer

AN Australian barrister representing 75 asylum seekers has been forced to leave Manus Island ahead of his expected deportation by Papua New Guinean authorities.

Contrary to a court order granted by Justice David Cannings allowing Sydney lawyer Jay Williams access to the detention facilities on Manus Island he was on Thursday ejected, the ABC reports.

He will be sent back to Australia on the next flight, PNG's attorney general Kerenga Kua said, adding that Mr Williams hadn't followed the appropriate procedures to practice law in the country.

"What it means is if you're an admitted lawyer but don't have a current practising certificate for 2014, you cannot practise law in this country. Now in the case of Mr Williams, it meets neither requirements," he said.

Justice Canning initiated a human rights inquiry earlier this month into the conditions under which asylum seekers were living but it was temporarily halted, following a week of hearings, after the Supreme Court granted a stay order.

The country's government wants to appeal Justice Canning's decision not to remove himself from the inquest, on allegations he's biased.

In response, Justice Canning started a second inquiry.

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Objects found in new MH370 search area

The search for a missing Malaysia Airlines flight has resumed with weather conditions improving. Source: AAP

OBJECTS sighted by a New Zealand military plane in the Indian Ocean appear to have justified re-focusing efforts more than a thousand kilometres from the original search area for missing flight MH370.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority tweeted on Friday that the RNZAF Orion would supply pictures of the objects as soon as it landed at RAAF Base Pearce, north of Perth.

The sighting will need to be confirmed by ship, which is not expected to reach the area until Saturday.

New radar data analysis prompted authorities to re-focus the six-nation search 1100km to the northeast of its original location, and some 1850km west of Perth, following updated advice from the international investigation team in Malaysia.

The previous focus was in an area 2500km southwest of the West Australian capital.

"Continuing analysis indicates that the plane was travelling faster than was previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage, reducing the possible distance it travelled south into the Indian Ocean," Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Martin Dolan said on Friday.

"This is our best estimate of the area in which the aircraft is likely to have crashed into the ocean."

He said the search area could change again as new information emerged.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority emergency response manager John Young said all search planes and ships had been moved to the new zone, which was "now our best place to go".

"We have moved on from those search areas to the newest credible lead," Mr Young said, adding however, that the decision to shift focus was not based on a new theory but a refining of the original analysis used to plot the location of the aircraft's possible resting place.

"The analysis is in fact the same form as we started with," he said.

"I don't count the original work a waste of time."

Mr Young also stressed, however, that he would not use the term "debris field" in relation to various objects spotted by satellite.

The new location will also allow search planes to spend more time on the scene. Previously, they only had one to two hours before having to return to RAAF Base Pearce.

Mr Young said weather conditions in the new search area were also more favourable.

The new area is shallower, with water depths ranging from 2000 to 4000 metres.

Any wreckage found would be handed over to Malaysian authorities.

The new "credible lead" on a possible crash site, almost three weeks to the day since the plane carrying 239 people disappeared on March 8, also came with a warning from Malaysia Airlines of the effect on the families of rumours and speculation about the flight's fate.

"Whilst we understand that there will inevitably be speculation during this period, we do ask people to bear in mind the effect this has on the families of all those on board," the airline's group chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said.

"Their anguish and distress increases with each passing day, with each fresh rumour, and with each false or misleading report."

Mr Yahya said preparations were underway for family members of passengers and crew to be taken to Perth, should physical wreckage be found.

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Pell promises compo for Vic abuse victims

Cardinal George Pell (C) has promised to review compensation for Melbourne church abuse victims. Source: AAP

CARDINAL George Pell has promised to review compensation payments for Melbourne church abuse victims and has conceded it may cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cardinal Pell met with Anthony and Chrissie Foster, whose two daughters were abused by a priest in Melbourne and told them a cap on payments would be eliminated.

He also told them during the meeting, which took place on Thursday after Cardinal Pell completed his evidence to the royal commission into child sexual abuse, the church would review all existing payments.

"I stated that we needed to see the Melbourne cap eliminated, revisiting all the existing claims and in line with civil limits," Mr Foster told ABC TV.

"I also said to him that this will cost the Catholic Church in Melbourne several hundred million dollars.

"His response was he nodded and said 'yes'."

Francis Sullivan from Catholic Church Truth, Justice and Healing Council, who was at the meeting said Cardinal Pell gave a commitment that he would speak with the Archbishop of Melbourne.

Nicky Davis from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said the commitment was a good first step and hopes it is not an empty promise.

"George Pell is making an honest man of himself at last," she said in a statement.

"What has been agreed to so far is a first step, but what makes this different is it is not a vague promise or deceitful claim. We are talking about concrete action that will help hundreds of our most vulnerable."

"It is vital George Pell not offer survivors another devastating blow by betraying our hopes and going back on promises made to the Fosters."

Ms Davis said the commitment did not remove the need for an independent body to ensure survivors receive access to justice and fair compensation.

The Fosters' two daughters were raped by a priest at primary school.

One of them took her own life and the other was hit by a car while binge drinking and now requires 24-hour care for permanent disabilities.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

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Greste's family hail PM's intervention

THE parents of jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste say Prime Minister Tony Abbott's direct appeal for his release will undoubtably help the case.

Mr Abbott rang interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour on Thursday night, three months after the Al Jazeera journalist and two colleagues were detained for allegedly spreading false news and supporting the black-listed Muslim Brotherhood.

Greste's parents didn't realise Mr Abbott was going to intervene, but thanked him.

"We're thrilled, delighted," his father Juris said.

"I have high hopes but modest expectations.

"We don't expect to be greeting Peter next week. It would be nice."

The Grestes held back from any criticism of how long it took Mr Abbott to reach out.

"We have come to realise that timing is important, and we respect other people's over the appropriate timing in these things," Juris said.

The prime minister raised the detention with Mr Mansour, noting that Greste had only been doing his job as a journalist and had no intention of damaging Egypt's interests.

He sought the president's assistance in securing Greste's release and having his case resolved as soon as possible.

In response the president noted that he had written to Greste's parents promising he would be subject to a fair and just legal process.

The president assured them that Greste would receive all necessary support and legal assistance and said he hoped the case would be resolved as soon as possible.

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Barnett smirks at Abbott's knights move

EVEN a traditional Liberal and dyed-in-the-wool royalist such as Colin Barnett has smirked at Tony Abbott's decision to restore knights and dames in the Order of Australia.

Asked on talkback radio if he would accept a knighthood, the West Australian Premier said: "I don't think I'll face that dilemma."

"Sir Colin - it's got a nice ring to it, hasn't it?" he laughed on Fairfax radio on Wednesday.

"As far as Western Australia is concerned, we're not going to go down the knighthood path, as some states may choose to do."

The WA Liberal leader's love of the British royals is evident - beaming when the Queen attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth in 2011 and naming the new Elizabeth Quay development in her honour, earning it the nicknames "Betty's Jetty" and the "Regina Marina" among locals.

"But ... I think we've moved on. When people look back in history, the last vestiges of colonial history, you know, time to stand up Australia. Be a big country in your own right," Mr Barnett said.

Mr Barnett said John Howard was "a red hot tip" for a knighthood.

Online bookmaker Sportsbet agrees, pricing the former prime minister as the $3 favourite to become a "sir" in 2014.

"John Howard is a very strong believer in the monarchy and I respect that," Mr Barnett said.

Prominent Perth businesswoman and republican Janet Holmes a Court told ABC radio on Tuesday that people would think Mr Abbott's decision was "some kind of joke" and must have come after he downed "a little bit too much red" the previous night.

"We will all wake up and think this is some kind of bad dream," she said.

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New debris found in hunt for MH370

NEW satellite images taken three days ago have revealed 122 potential pieces of debris from the missing Malaysian Airline flight MH370, Malaysia's Transport Minister says.

Hishammuddin Hussein revealed the latest - and largest - find of objects that may have come from the plane at a daily press briefing in Kuala Lumpur.

The news comes after satellite images from China, Australia and France showed items floating in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed, leaving no survivors.

"Yesterday, on the 25th of March, the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency, MRSA, received new satellite images from Airbus Defence and Space, which is based in France, and these images were taken on the 23rd of March," he said on Wednesday evening.

"MRSA analysed the images and in one area of the ocean, measuring some 400 square kilometres, were able to identify 122 potential objects.

"Some objects were one metre in length, other objects were as much as 23 metres in length. Some of the objects appeared to be bright, possibly indicating solid material."

The minister said the objects were found about 2557 kilometres from Perth, Western Australia, from where search planes are flying.

"MRSA immediately forwarded the information to the Australian rescue coordination centre yesterday," he said.

"It must be emphasised that we cannot tell if the potential objects are from MH370. Nevertheless, this is another new lead that will help direct the search operation.

"Our determination to find MH370 remains steadfast.

"As we have said all along, we will never give up trying to find the plane in order to bring closure to the families and explain what happened."

A dozen planes from six nations travelled to the search area, divided equally into east and west zones, on Wednesday.

Two ships also joined the operation, HMAS Success and Chinese polar supply ship Xue Long.

A Japanese Gulfstream jet also flew to Perth to become involved in the search.

Malaysia Airlines is now taking the lead in communicating with the families of the passengers and crew.

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Scalping not a big problem, senators say

CONCERT-GOERS and sports fans can breathe easy: ticket scalping isn't a big deal in Australia, a parliamentary inquiry has found.

Because of this, the committee looking into the matter doesn't see the need for any further regulation.

But it does say the state and federal governments could work together to have greater co-ordination in how to deal with the scalping that does occur.

Committee chair Senator Mark Bishop was surprised to find only minimal evidence of ticket scalping across the country.

"I had expected the opposite," he said on releasing the inquiry report on Wednesday.

Several disgruntled Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and AFL fans had told the committee of their difficulties in getting tickets over the past year.

But ticketing companies and entertainment and sporting groups told the committee large-scale, concerted ticket scalping efforts were rare in Australia.

They said it was important to distinguish between genuine re-selling of tickets - for instance if someone bought tickets to a concert and then couldn't go - and scalping purely for profit.

Many said anti-scalping laws in place in some states and elsewhere in the world were not effective and were difficult to enforce.

The committee recommends an industry-wide standard of conduct be established to give more transparency over how tickets can be issued and distributed.

It also suggests the consumer watchdog look at increasing education around the sale and re-sale of tickets and what rights buyers have.

But independent senator Nick Xenophon, who initiated the inquiry, says there should be national anti-scalping laws.

He wants a cap on re-sales above the original purchase price, powers to block sites selling scalped tickets and sites like eBay to have to tell authorities the identities of scalpers.

Ticketing firm Viagogo seized on the Senate committee's report to attack the NSW government's ticketing legislation that passed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Spokesman Alex Levenson said the O'Farrell government had ignored industry advice and consumers' opinions.

He claimed onerous conditions were being imposed on NSW music and sports fans such as the need to include photos of the tickets they are selling with portions graphically edited out.

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NSW puts 'cowboy' CSG operators on notice

SHONKY coal seam gas operators across NSW risk losing their exploration licences as the government cracks down on "speculators and cowboys" in the market.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell on Wednesday announced a six-month freeze on processing new exploration licences, while his government reviews the controversial process.

He accused the former Labor government of granting licences "like confetti" and allowing exploration "from Palm Beach to Cronulla and from Bondi Junction to St Marys".

"We're taking decisive action to ensure the state's resources are developed for the people of NSW and not for the benefit of Labor MPs, their cronies and their union mates," he told parliament.

The premier warned his government was also auditing existing petroleum exploration licences - a process that could lead to licences being revoked.

The government is concerned about the application process, which has seen small companies - sometimes run by one person - being allowed to explore large areas, despite not having the experience or financial backing for the projects.

Mr O'Farrell said the former Labor government granted 39 exploration licences while his government had yet to grant a single one.

He pointed out that three-quarters of the licences granted under Labor were issued by former ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald, who were later found to have acted corruptly by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

He slammed Labor for only charging $1000 for exploration applications.

That fee is now being raised to $50,000.

Resources Minister Anthony Roberts said it had been "far too easy for speculators and cowboys to be granted petroleum exploration licences over large areas of land with little regulation and little oversight".

The Greens welcomed the decision but urged the premier to allow farmers and the community to stop CSG projects near them.

Phil Laird, from anti-CSG group Lock the Gates, commended the announcement.

"The previous regime seemed to focus entirely on mining and gas, whereas this is showing that the government's trying to clean up the process," he told AAP.

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Govt to proceed with Medibank sale

THE Abbott government will go ahead with the sale of health insurer Medibank Private as it attempts to heal the budget.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says an independently-prepared scoping study into the planned sale has reaffirmed the government's long-held view that there is no compelling reason for it to own a private health fund.

The sale will be conducted in the 2014/15 financial year, but the precise timing and structure of the initial public offering are yet to be determined.

"The scoping study found no evidence that premiums will increase as a result of the sale," Senator Cormann told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

He was coy on what the government hoped to raise from the privatisation, but it has been previously valued at around $4 billion.

Further details will be announced in the May 13 budget.

Labor said the sale would mean the government would miss out on annual dividend from Medibank of as much as $500 million.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten also launched an attack on the government's handling of the mid-year budget review, saying it was lying about the budget situation to justify its agenda of cruel cuts.

It made a mockery of former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello's Charter of Budget Honesty, he told the National Press Club in Canberra.

The budget will be a test of leadership for Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey and that framing a budget requires more than fudging figures and accounting trickery, he said.

Independent analysis commissioned by Labor from the Parliamentary Budget Office had shone a light on the government's deception, Mr Shorten said.

"It shows Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey have tried to doctor the debt and deficit figures to set the scene for severe cuts and broken election promises."

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said the analysis showed the impacts of the coalition government's decision to drop the former government's fiscal rules and commit to nearly $14 billion in new spending.

Gross debt would be 40 per cent lower in 2023/24 than forecast by the government in the mid-year budget review and the budget would be $34 billion in surplus that year, rather than a $12 billion deficit, according to the analysis.

Mr Hockey insists his budget numbers tell the truth and "Labor's didn't".

He ridiculed the suggestion that if the coalition had kept to Labor's budget rules the budget would be coming back to surplus.

"The problem is that Labor never kept to their budget rules," he told an exceptionally rowdy parliamentary question time.

He reminded the house yet again that on more than 300 occasions Labor had promised to deliver a surplus, but they never did.

"They have no economic credibility, they got every single number wrong and they left the Australian people to pick up the bill from a very bad Labor government," he said.

Separate modelling suggests there would need to be $55 billion worth of savings in 2023/24 alone to achieve a surplus.

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Adelaide archbishop says response too slow

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson says the Catholic Church has learnt lessons about handling cases. Source: AAP

THE Archbishop of Adelaide has agreed the Catholic church's response to sexual abuse claims at a special school should have begun about a decade earlier than it did.

Archbishop Philip Wilson told the royal commission he would have expected his predecessor to have put in place processes in 1993 which he himself instigated after learning of the abuse in late 2001.

"If the matter was known it should have been dealt with in all the formal ways that are required," he told the commission on Monday.

It is investigating Adelaide's St Ann's Special School and its bus driver Brian Perkins, who sexually abused intellectually disabled children between 1986 and 1991.

Archbishop Wilson was asked how he would deal with the allegations he was confronted with in late 2001.

"Please God, it will never happen again, but I would hope that if it did that we would have learnt by experience now of how to handle these situations with the best possible outcome for the families and victims."

The commission has been told the principal and a Catholic Education Office (CEO) employee knew of the claims in 1991, while Archbishop Leonard Faulkner said he was informally told in 1993 about the arrest and charging of Perkins.

Archbishop Wilson said he first learnt of the claims in late 2001, when Archbishop Faulkner told him the CEO had received a complaint from parents saying children had been molested by a bus driver at St Ann's.

The witness said he was appalled and horrified and took immediate steps to put the appropriate responses and processes in place.

He agreed with counsel assisting, Sophie David, that families of students, many of whom had limited verbal skills, could have been told of the claims as early as 1991 instead of 2002.

"And that way they would've been spared 10 years of not knowing or not having an explanation for behaviours of their children?" she asked.

"I agree with that."

"If the structures that were in place in 1991 had worked, that would have been ventilated 10 years earlier than it was?" she asked.

"That's right," replied the Archbishop.

He said a "group" rather than an individualised approach was set up, with the church making "gift payments" totalling $2.3 million to 28 families in 2003.

Unknown to the families, they were categorised and the Archbishop decided payments of $100,000 would apply to children with substantiated evidence of abuse.

Payments of $75,000 would go to those who had been in Perkins' unsupervised care and for whom there was a high probability of abuse, and $50,000 for those who had less unsupervised contact.

"For those students who were unlikely to have been abused, pastoral support would be offered but not a monetary gift," the Archbishop said.

In hindsight, he said the church could have improved the way they engaged with families, consulted them about the processes and made the payment transactions much simpler.

Archbishop Wilson was the final witness at the Adelaide hearing.

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Dump financial advice changes: Labor

LABOR has demanded Prime Minister Tony Abbott take a controversial rollback of financial advice laws out of the deep freeze and put it on the scrap heap.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the government has put the changes on ice temporarily until he undertakes further consultation with stakeholders.

"We remain committed to implement the improvements to (Future of Financial Advice laws) which we took to the last election as soon as possible," the minister told AAP on Monday.

Senator Cormann took charge of the issue after Assistant Treasurer Arthur Sinodinos stepped down last week pending his appearance as a witness before two anti-corruption inquiries in NSW.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the government had been deaf to the concerns of industry experts, consumer advocates and previous victims of dodgy financial practices.

"The prime minister should dump these changes just like he's dumped its champion Arthur Sinodinos," he said.

"This has been a nightmare from the start."

The proposed changes have divided the industry, with the Financial Planning Association strongly opposing the payment of commissions under the general advice exemption proposed by the government.

It described the change as a retrograde step that would open the door to mis-selling and inappropriate advice.

Senator Cormann there was some misinformation about the changes and some was deliberate and mischievous.

"We are not proposing to get rid of the requirement that financial advisers act in the best interest of their clients," he said.

Nor was the government proposing to reintroduce commissions or other conflicted remuneration structures for financial advisers providing personal advice.

Senator Cormann said Labor's laws had cost the industry in excess of $1 billion, with ongoing annual costs of more than $350 million.

Industry Super Australia chief executive David Whiteley said the freeze was a timely circuit breaker and a victory for common sense.

He said gaining industry consensus on the regulation of financial advice will ultimately boost consumer confidence.

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Nepal to ease traffic on Mount Everest

NEPAL plans to minimise the congestion of climbers near the 8,850-metre summit of Mount Everest, which is clogged with scores of climbers during the short window of good weather.

One of the initiatives includes the introduction of separate fixed ropes for climbers ascending and descending near the summit to help ease the traffic, said Tourism Ministry official Mohan Krishna Sapkota.

A team of government officials will be posted at the base camp located at 5,300 metres (17,380 feet) throughout the spring climbing season to monitor climbers and coordinate with expedition leaders, he said.

The move follows years of criticism that Nepal has done little to manage the growing number of Everest climbers despite making millions of dollars in fees.

A nine-member government team will set up its own tent at the base camp to report on the activities there, provide help when needed and ensure that climbers are cleaning up behind them. They would also be able to stop any trouble, like last year's brawl between three foreign climbers and local Sherpa guides.

The officials would include security personnel and would have the power to scrap the climbing permit and even order the climbers to leave the mountain.

Sapkota said the plan is to manage the flow of climbers working with expedition teams during the two or three opportunities in May when the weather is favourable for the climb above the South Col at 8,000 metres (26,240 feet).

Climbers refer to it as the "death zone" because of the hostile conditions and little chance of rescue.

The separate ropes would allow the climbers returning from the summit to quickly get back to lower grounds to rest while they would not be blocking fellow climbers on the way to the summit.

More than 800 climbers attempted to scale Everest during the 2013 spring season and the number is expected to be similar this year too, according to the Mountaineering Department.

More than 4,000 climbers have scaled the 8,850-metre (29,035-foot) summit since 1953, when it was first conquered by New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. Hundreds of others have died in the attempt.

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Eight killed, 18 missing in US landslide

Rescuers in the US state of Washington are searching for 18 people after a mudslide buried houses. Source: AAP

AT least eight people are dead and 18 are missing after a massive landslide slammed "like a freight train" into a mountainside community in the northwestern United States.

The wall of mud, rocks and trees smashed into the rural town of Oso, northeast of Seattle, on Saturday. Three people were reported dead shortly after and another body was pulled from the rubble earlier on Sunday.

Travis Hots, chief of the regional Snohomish County Fire districts, announced the higher toll at an area community meeting.

"I'm saddened to inform you that we have assured four additional fatalities," Hots told reporters. "It's very disappointing for all of the rescuers on the scene."

The field of rubble is about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) across and some four to six (15-20 feet) deep in areas, The Seattle Times reported.

Rescuers reported hearing voices calling for help on Saturday, but Hots told reporters that they "didn't see or hear any signs of life" on Sunday.

Snohomish County spokeswoman Shari Ireton told AFP: "We are able to confirm we know that 18 people who may have been in the area are unaccounted for. We do not have identification for those people that we are releasing at this time."

At the televised press conference, Hots would only say that the number was "fluid."

"There may be people in their cars, there may be people in their homes," he said.

John Pennington, head of the county Emergency Management department, said that rescuers will continue searching for survivors overnight Sunday to Monday.

"Resources are coming in that allow us to conduct night operations," Pennington said at the briefing. "There are boots that are on the ground that are really working to continue operations 24/7."

Six homes and much of a two-lane highway reaching the area were destroyed, while as many as 16 other homes were damaged, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said.

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, who declared a state of emergency for the area, told reporters there is "a full-scale, 100-per cent, aggressive rescue effort" going on, adding that helicopters, hovercrafts and rescue personnel had rushed to the scene.

"There's no missing piece in this rescue effort," he said.

The muddy area was so unstable that some rescue workers "went in and got caught literally up to their armpits" and had to be pulled out themselves, Inslee said.

People injured in the landslide include a six-month old infant and an 81 year-old man.

"It sounded like a freight train," landslide witness Dan Young told Komo4News. "In just 35 to 45 seconds it was over." Young's home survived but is flooded.

Rain has been especially heavy in the Cascade Mountains region in the past weeks. While there was a break on Sunday, the forecast is for more heavy downpours throughout the week.

Authorities were keeping careful watch on a nearby dam, over fears pressure from the flooded river behind it could wash it away, inundating downriver communities.

Patty Murray, who represents Washington in the US Senate, gave assurances that federal resources would be made available, as she offered thanks to rescue workers and her prayers to the families of the ravaged community.

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Sinodinos warned over 'company he kept'

Liberal Arthur Sinodinos was warned the men running Australian Water Holdings might be "dishonest". Source: AAP

FORMER NSW Premier Nathan Rees thought they were a "bunch of crooks" and Liberal powerbroker Arthur Sinodinos was warned the men running Australian Water Holdings might be "dishonest", a corruption inquiry has heard.

And that was before anyone knew the Obeids might be involved.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is probing claims the infrastructure company charged state-owned Sydney Water for hundreds of thousands of dollars in administration fees including limousine rides and Liberal Party donations.

It has also been alleged the family of former NSW Labor minister Eddie Obeid had a secret 30 per cent holding in Australian Water Holdings (AWH).

Senator Sinodinos became an AWH director in 2008 and was later appointed chairman.

Counsel assisting, Geoffrey Watson SC, has told the inquiry that Senator Sinodinos, who is due to give evidence to the ICAC next week, was paid $200,000 plus bonuses for about 100 hours' worth of work as an AWH director.

Shortly after he was made chairman of the company, he met with Sydney Water's then-managing director Kerry Schott and another public servant, the ICAC heard.

"We suggested to Mr Sinodinos he might be careful about the company he was keeping," Dr Schott said.

"We thought that they may be dishonest ... There was no reaction to that."

Senator Sinodinos last week stepped down as federal assistant treasurer pending the outcome of the ICAC investigation.

Dr Schott told the commission that Sydney Water's relationship with AWH became fraught as she sought justification for the expenses AWH submitted to Sydney Water for reimbursement.

Mr Rees "used to refer to them as a bunch of crooks", she said.

"As it went on and on and on I became more suspicious about the nature of the company I was dealing with," Dr Schott said.

It has been alleged that Mr Obeid tried to have her fired, urging then-water minister Phillip Costa to "sack the bitch".

Dr Schott has also given evidence that she believes a NSW government cabinet minute submitted to then-infrastructure minister Tony Kelly's office was redrafted with the help of AWH executive Nick Di Girolamo.

Mr Watson has told the ICAC the original cabinet minute recommended the rejection of a public-private partnership that would have netted a "massive windfall profit" of up to $200 million for AWH owners.

But the cabinet minute that was submitted to cabinet was a "doctored" document reversing the original recommendation, Mr Watson said, though this document was ultimately withdrawn.

Dr Schott on Monday agreed that rewriting the cabinet minute in that way would be tantamount to fraud.

"I think it was a terrible abuse of public process," she said.

The inquiry continues.

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Mining tax debate focus in parliament

THE federal government will try to pressure Labor over the repeal of the mining tax this week as the re-run of the West Australian Senate election looms.

The repeal bills have been listed as the first item of business in the upper house when parliament resumes on Monday.

The Senate election on April 5 is expected to be a focal point of debate in question time, as the Liberals aim to retain the three seats they won at the 2013 election and Labor aims to pick up two seats.

The government has already targeted Labor over its decision this week to vote with the Greens to block the repeal of the carbon tax, despite former prime minister Kevin Rudd pledging in 2013 to scrap the tax.

"We always said that our two first priorities in terms of legislation was to scrap the carbon tax and the mining tax," Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told AAP on Friday.

"We are continuing to work down our to-do list."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will also seek Labor support for a package of bills on his "repeal day" on Wednesday.

The legislation aims to remove thousands of regulations and pieces of legislation that are redundant, outdated or impose a burden on business.

Mr Abbott says the repeal package - coupled with other measures - will take $700 million a year in compliance costs off business and community groups.

Another repeal day will be held later in the year.

The Senate on Monday will receive a report from its economics legislation committee on the Qantas Sale Act, which would allow majority foreign ownership of the airline.

Labor and the Greens say the airline should remain in Australian hands and be based here, but there might be room for a compromise: allowing foreign airlines to hold more than a 35 per cent stake in Qantas or a greater than 25 per cent stake for any single foreign shareholder.

Senate inquiry reports will be received on Wednesday relating to ticket scalping, the coalition's Direct Action climate plan and people living with dementia.

On Thursday, reports will be tabled from inquiries into Operation Sovereign Borders, Qantas jobs and overseas aid.

The lower house will continue to debate laws to extend road funding and re-establish the Green Army of environmental volunteers.

Labor wants an inquiry into the Green Army legislation, saying it has concerns about workplace protections, the interaction with other welfare payments and the obligation of employers to provide training.

The House of Representatives will also debate a Labor motion on Monday seeking assurances from the government that ABC funding won't be cut and that it will stop vilifying the broadcaster.

It will be the last sitting week before the May 13 budget.

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PM, Truss hopeful of MH370 breakthrough

A WOODEN cargo pallet, belts and possibly straps have been observed in the remote Indian Ocean by aircraft deployed in the hunt for a missing Malaysian jet.

Australia's Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss says authorities are hopeful of a breakthrough in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, after an Australian aircraft spotted the small pieces of debris.

Visiting the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Canberra headquarters on Sunday, Mr Truss said the Indian Ocean search will continue "as long as there is hope".

"We hope that soon there will be more information available that might help to provide some kind of closure, or at least an understanding of what's happened, especially to the families of those who were on board Malaysia Airlines flight 370," he said.

Mr Truss's comments echoed those of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who earlier said an Australian civilian aircraft had on Saturday spotted debris in the southern Indian Ocean, including a wooden pallet.

It was still too early to say whether the debris was from an aircraft, Mr Abbott said in his latest update on the search.

"But obviously we have now had a number of very credible leads," he told reporters in Papua New Guinea, also referring to new Chinese satellite imagery suggesting at least one large object.

"There is increasing hope, no more than hope ... that we might be on the road to discovering what did happen to this ill-fated aircraft."

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said several small objects were identified by a civil aircraft in Saturday's search and further searches would continue on Sunday to determine if the objects were related to the missing plane.

Four civil jets and four military aircraft were involved in Sunday's operation, which AMSA says would be a visual search based on the satellite imagery.

Mike Barton from AMSA's Rescue Coordination Centre said wooden pallets were quite common in the airline industry.

"We've gone back to that area today to try and refind it," he told reporters in Canberra.

"It's a possible lead. But we will need to be very certain that this is a pallet because pallets are used in the shipping industry as well."

Flight MH370, carrying 239 people including six Australians and two New Zealanders, dropped off civilian radar on March 8, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Two weeks later Malaysian investigators still believe the aircraft was "deliberately diverted" by someone on board.

Head of the AMSA's rescue coordination centre John Young said the authority still held the "gravest of concerns" for those on board MH370.

"We intend to stick with this until we've done all we can," he told reporters in Canberra.

RAAF flight lieutenant Russell Adams told reporters after a 10.6 hour flight to the zone, although they did not find anything of interest on Sunday due to poor weather, he was proud of the team's efforts.

"There was cloud down to the surface and at times we were completely enclosed by cloud," he said.

Lt Adams said it had been a long day for the crew but they were still in high spirits.

"This us what we train for, this is what we enjoy doing in that we get to utilise the capabilities of the aircraft and work together as a team as part of the multinational effort which is going on," he said.

Lt Adams said the crews still had drive and would continue their efforts for as long as it took.

"We might do 10 sorties and find nothing, but on that 11th flight when you find something and you know that you're actually contributing to some answers for somebody or if you're finding a life raft out in the Solomon Islands with people alive on it, it really makes it worthwhile," he said.

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NSW urged to get flu-ready

Pregnant women and the elderly are being urged to prepare for winter and get a flu shot. Source: AAP

PREGNANT women and the elderly are being urged to prepare for winter and get a flu shot following an "unusually high" level of influenza in NSW this summer.

The Director of Health Protection NSW, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, said the northern hemisphere had experienced widespread influenza over the past months, with influenza A(H1N1) pandemic strain, A(H3N2) and influenza B circulating to different extents in different countries.

An unusually high level of influenza had also been seen in NSW over summer, he said.

He and other health professionals are now urging people, especially the elderly and pregnant women, to prepare for winter.

"The Australian flu vaccine has been updated to more closely match the influenza strains likely to circulate in NSW this year.

"So get a shot in preparation for this season," Dr McAnulty said on Sunday.

He said the seasonal flu shot continues to be the best defence for pregnant women and has the added advantage of protecting babies during their first six months when they are too young to have the vaccine.

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the government's Be Winter Wise campaign, launched on Sunday, was focusing on pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic medical conditions.

"Although we are still experiencing warm weather, people should not be complacent when it comes to the dangers of the flu," she said in a statement.

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Philippines' rebel leader, wife arrested

Police in the Philippines have arrested communist rebel leader Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma. Source: AAP

THE Philippines' top communist rebel leader and his wife have been arrested in a joint operation by the military and police.

Benito Tiamzon, chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and his wife Wilma, the party's secretary general, were nabbed in the central province of Cebu, General Emmanuel Bautista said.

"The arrest of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon is another victory for the combined efforts between the military, police and other stakeholders in pursuit of peace and security," he said.

The couple were arrested just one week before the 45th founding anniversary of the CPP's armed wing, the New People's Army, on March 29.

Bautista said the couple were arrested based on a court warrant for such crimes as murder and attempted murder. But he did not give details on the circumstances of the operation.

In 2012, the government offered a 5.6-million-peso ($A137,000) reward for Benito Tiamzon's arrest.

Netherlands-based communist rebel leaders condemned the arrest and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the couple.

Luis Jalandoni, chief rebel negotiator based in Utrecht, noted that the Tiamzons are covered by a 1995 safety and immunity agreement because they are consultants to peace talks with the government.

He said the arrest was a "flagrant violation" of the agreement and "most seriously prejudices the peace negotiations", which have been suspended since 2004.

The communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.

Efforts to resume peace negotiations with the guerillas have been stalled by rebel demands for the government to release members arrested for various criminal cases in court.

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3 bear cubs rescued from captivity

ANIMAL activists in Kosovo say three brown bear cubs have been rescued from captivity.

The one-month-old cubs, Ema, Oska and Ron, were found at two separate homes last week in the western town of Peja and are believed to be from the same mother. No arrests have been made.

Activists said they don't know what happened to the mother. Authorities were tipped off by citizens after photos of the cubs were spotted on Facebook.

"The cubs were stressed upon arrival but are recovering well", said Afrim Mehmeti, manager of a bear sanctuary run by international animal charity group Four Paws.

Keeping wild animals in Kosovo is forbidden by law and authorities are strict on the captivity of brown bears, an endangered species in the country.

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