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Parents win right to have disabled daughter, 11, sterilised

Parents win right to have disabled daughter, 11, sterilised - Telegraph Parents win right to have disabled daughter, 11, sterilised --> Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Tuesday 09 March 2010 | Australia feed All feeds --> checkLoginStatus(); Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Lifestyle Comment Travel Culture Technology Fashion Jobs Dating Games Offers UK World UK Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Blogs News Video USA Barack Obama Europe Asia China Middle East Africa and Indian Ocean Australia and the Pacific Home News World News Australia and the Pacific Australia Parents win right to have disabled daughter, 11, sterilised - The parents of a profoundly disabled Australian girl have won a court case to have the 11-year-old sterilised, prompting claims the ruling amounts to an "abuse of human rights". - Bonnie Malkin in Sydney Published: 5:02PM GMT 09 Mar 2010 The girl, known only as Angela, suffers from an extreme form of the neurological disorder Retts Syndrome. She cannot communicate and "acts as a three-month-old baby would". Angela's parents had sought permission from the Family Court for doctors to perform an irreversible hysterectomy – the removal of her womb – to stop Angela's menstrual cycle, which they believed was the cause of her epileptic seizures, and lessen her distress. Related Articles - US student becomes anti-abortion star for clandestine filming - - Father of Babe in the Wood murder victim arrested - - Madonna denies she is using fame to fast-track latest adoption - - Recession will prompt rise in domestic violence - - Judge bans paedophile who abused girl, 11, from taking Viagra on NHS - Her mother told the court that her daughter had experienced irregular menstrual periods since she was nine years old that caused her pain and exhaustion. Other medications had not worked and three gynaecologists had agreed that a hysterectomy was the best solution, she said. However, Queensland Health, the government body responsible for carrying out the surgery, would not approve the procedure without a court order. Justice Paul Cronin, ruling in the Brisbane Family Court, said the decision would improve Angela's life and was "in the child's best interests". He said the procedure was "urgent and necessary". "Angela is never going to have the benefits of a normal teenage and adult life," the judgment read. "A fundamental consideration is ... the risks to Angela's life as well as her general health." The court heard Angela could not speak or control her movements and relied on her parents to be fed, transported and washed. She had no bladder control, wore a nappy and had a special walking frame because she could not stand unsupported. A paediatrician said pregnancy would be "disastrous" for Angela. Despite the statements from the medical profession, the ruling has incensed disability groups. They claimed that forced sterilisation of any girl was an abuse of human rights and that in this case it was being used as a "quick fix" for a complex situation. Carolyn Frohmader, chief executive of Women with a Disability Australia, has campaigned for a law banning the sterilisation of disabled children. "It is only ever the disabled girls," she told the Australian newspaper. "When you go through the cases, there is never a boy, no matter how intellectually disabled, who has to be sterilised." Therese Sands, executive director of People with Disabilities Australia, said she was "alarmed to hear that children are still being sterilised". "It is our view that nobody has the right to sterilise a child, not a judge, not a parent, not unless it's a matter of life or death." But not all disability advocates agreed. Mark Patterson, National Council on Intellectual Disability executive director, admitted the issue "is a very difficult one". "These families have been through a lot, and done all they can, and throw their hands up and say 'What more can I do?'," he said. "I think people should give them a bit of a break." In Australia, parents are ordinarily able to make decisions about medical treatment for their children without consulting the authorities. However in 1992 the High Court found that serious, invasive, irreversible medical procedures required the permission not of parents but of the courts. Angela's case echoes that of Ashley, a severely disabled American girl whose parents controversially opted to use a course of surgery and hormone supplements to stunt her growth. Ashely, who suffered from a severe brain impairment and was not able to sit up, walk, talk or eat without assistance, underwent a hysterectomy and was given hormones to prevent her growing more than 4ft 5in (1.3 metres) or weighing more than 75lb (34kg) In 2007, when her case came to light, Ashely's parents said that they had decided to act because they were anxious about the impact that fertility and her rapidly increasing size and weight would have on the quality of her life. They feared that she would become too big one day to lift, move, take on a family outing. However, the treatment, which included excising her breasts and putting her on a course of oestrogen, provoked outrage among organisations representing disabled people and some doctors, with many asking why a course of treatment that would not be considered for an able-bodied person should be allowed in this case. 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10 March 2010 | 3:02 am

The crisis in maths

MATHS education is in crisis, with the number of students enrolled in a mathematics major at Australian universities declining by 15 per cent since 2001 and the number of students taking advanced maths at high school dropping 27 per cent between 1995 and 2007. And many primary school teachers, who had dropped maths in order to try for a better tertiary entry rank, had developed ''mathematics phobia'' which they were passing on to their pupils. A review conducted for the Group of Eight leading universities found the state of maths in Australia had deteriorated to a dangerous level. It concluded that in the short term there were only two conceivable responses: more remedial programs for undergraduates and graduates leaving with weaker degrees. Nalini Joshi, a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Sydney, said the situation was a ''looming disaster''. ''The trouble is the decline in the number of qualified teachers,'' she said. This led to a ''lack of inspiration'' for students who responded by turning their backs on the subject. ''As a result, the pool of people available to replace those teachers is dropping â€¦ [It's] a vicious cycle.'' The review, chaired by the former University of Sydney vice-chancellor Professor Gavin Brown, found the proportion of year 12 students taking the lowest level of maths - elementary - had increased by almost 30 per cent between 1995 and 2007 while those doing intermediate and advanced levels both fell. It also said that many maths teachers were underqualified - 40 per cent had not done three years of university study in maths (up from 30 per cent in 1999). Maths and statistics graduates are employed in a range of fields, including environmental science, meteorology, psychology, health sciences, geography, economics, finance and business. But many students still felt maths was not ''useful'', the review found. Already the CSIRO and the Bureau of Statistics have expressed concern about whether they will be able to recruit enough graduates to replace retiring staff, let alone to cover any growth in demand. And official government estimates have predicted demand for these graduates would grow at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent between 2006 and 2013. The review's recommendations include introducing a maths component to primary school teacher training, increasing remedial programs and reviewing science teaching in universities.

10 March 2010 | 2:00 am

Battle of Barangaroo

When the Barangaroo Delivery Authority called for a broad debate on its preferred development proposal, The Sydney Morning Herald approached the NSW branch of the Royal Institute of Architects for help. The institute's council agreed to circulate two questions. The Herald asked: do you believe construction of a pier into the harbour will set a precedent for other developments? More than 40 responded: two-thirds opposed the plan, while a third supported it, as these edited letters show. The primary issue is to soften the hard mile-long industrial container wharf linear water edge. So I support returning 3.5 hectares of water to the community through new coves, and to balance this I support having 0.5 hectares of new wharf (with hotel over) in the water. The gain to Sydney is about 300 metres of north-facing waterfront public domain on a site that faces west. The Opera House in its day broke every planning rule, yet it symbolises Sydney. Let's again be bold by doing what the Opera House does - challenge the interaction of land and water. Chris Johnson Former NSW government architect Like it or not, Sydney's merchant shipping has now been largely transferred to Botany Bay. The wharf at Woolloomooloo was the first redundant pier to be adapted for residential and commercial purposes rather than demolished. Subsequently, piers at Walsh Bay and West Darling Harbour have been utilised as residences and offices, all contributing to the vibrancy of the foreshore. A new public pier at Barangaroo with a commercial component would hardly set a precedent. I personally like the notion of the proposed pier extending from the major pedestrian connection of Barangaroo back to the city. A tall building on the pier would need to be very skilfully designed to minimise shadow on Darling Harbour and, particularly, on its east-side pedestrian areas. I am not convinced that the present schematics address [that]. Douglas McKay Douglas McKay and Associates I am happy to see a pier [at] Barangaroo, since it reflects the historic context of the site and it brings drama to the foreshore edge. Sydney needs to move away from the bland commercial architecture we have within the city and look to the opportunity confronting ''the edge'' offers. Sites such as this are not common and each site should be treated on its merits. Let us confront and be brave about this opportunity. Stephen Blaxland BN Group I support the overall scheme which breaks the site into three parts of roughly equal area. I firmly believe reinstating the point to resemble its original topographical levels [and] foreshore line, acknowledging the indigenous people, is beyond argument when â€¦ compared to the existing concrete slab. There is a sincerity to it, as opposed to a selfishness. I'm convinced by the proposition that it is an ''exclamation mark, the pier closes off the broad water to allow ferries to tie up and presents an entry into Darling Harbour''. In principle and in the majority of built environments I would agree with the tried and tested solution that all buildings should fall and follow the topography at some agreed parallel height. However, in this instance I think the ''exclamation mark'' transcends the mediocrity of monotony. John P. Mangraviti, C3D Design The Opera House sits on a pier which intrudes deep into the harbour. There are two large and long piers in Pyrmont that would face the proposed pier at Barangaroo. Both piers are private properties used as commercial suites and residential apartments, and both - just like the piers in Walsh Bay - have absolutely no heritage value at all. Same applies to Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf. If all those piers were allowed to stay (for good), what is wrong if another one is added? The present scheme by Lord Rogers should be encouraged to proceed for its creativity, courage and design merit. Kiril Manolev Manolev Associates FOR MORE LETTERS

10 March 2010 | 2:00 am

Just do what comes naturally as Pup tails the WAG: laugh

Red alert ... Michael Clarke and Lara Bingle at the Allan Border Medal. Photo: Getty Images What a mess. Now not so much a case of the dog wagging the tail as the Pup tailing the WAG. Other than that excruciating pun, the most unfortunate thing about Michael Clarke's mercy dash to the arms of a damsel distressed by being photographed undressed is that, rather than merely another tawdry made-for-magazine melodrama, this sordid story now has a legitimate place in the sports pages. For two reasons, given the AFL is considering what, if any, action to take against amateur pornographer and occasional Brisbane Lions forward Brendan Fevola, whose unhappy snap of Lara Bingle set in train the series of events that has gossip columnists wearing bibs for fear of short-circuiting their keyboards with drool. The Australian vice-captain abandoning a significant tour. An AFL star testing the twitchy trigger finger of a league that uses its social responsibility policies as a marketing tool. A young, well, whatever it is Bingle does, in such a tizzy that she has reprised her only memorable public utterance: ''Where the bloody hell are you?'' Serious stuff. A situation that has already prompted po-faced debate about Clarke's suitability to captain Australia, serious condemnation of Fevola's malevolence, earnest arm's-length diagnosis of Bingle's mental state and - a personal favourite - disingenuous calls from ex-jocks working in the media for the (other) media to leave them all alone to sort out their ''serious personal problems''. Do not feel the legitimate sporting connotations to this trashy tale mean you are obliged to engage. You do not have to participate in the talkback debate about whether Clarke's mercy dash makes him a white knight or misguided cuckold. You can take for granted that Fevola's decision to take, and most likely distribute, the picture of the clearly uncomfortable Bingle confirms his status as an A-grade moron. You do not have to even try to understand how someone traumatised by her nude likeness being downloaded at a rate previously known only by Tiger Woods's lovers then lowered her credibility by selling the story to a glossy. Instead, unless you have Dr Phil on speed dial, feel free to sit back and have a laugh. If not at the apparently feckless Clarke, the appropriately named Bingle and the cave-dwelling Fevola specifically, then at all those in modern sport - the administrators, the athletes, the agents, the media spruikers - whose eagerness to embrace every aspect of the entertainment industry, with little or no consideration of the inherent pitfalls, has created this farcical situation. Laugh about how the lucrative marketing of athletes as stars well beyond their field of endeavour - spokesmen, models, ambassadors - has invited an unhealthy focus, even obsession, with their private lives and swollen bank balances and inflated egos. By treating sports stars as rock stars, they now behave like rock stars. Who would have thunk it? Laugh about how the sometimes unseemly, always self-serving relationship between agents and the more sensational sections of the media means that, for all the hysterical headlines about a ''Star's Heartache'', the people who suffer most are those young or impressionable enough to have their tastes and behaviour shaped/informed by a celebrity culture now as shallow as a microbe's bath tub. Laugh about how sporting bodies who preach ''respect and responsibility'' towards women also encourage players to parade wives and girlfriend on the red carpet wearing not much more than Bingle in the infamous photograph. Thus a woman's role as status symbols, attachment and the rightful reward for athletic achievement has been endorsed and ''WAG'', once a derisive term for a spendaholic ditz, has become an official office. And let yourself have a giggle about poor Clarke who - apparently straight-faced - asked out loud why a New Zealand camera crew was following him at training last week. Let others decide if he is fit to be skipper. For now, Clarke and the rest should just have you in fits.

10 March 2010 | 2:00 am

Love or leadership?

Gone, but not forgotten ... Kiwi fans at yesterday's ODI match in Hamilton have a bit of fun with Michael Clarke's abrupt departure. Photo: Chris Hillock Michael Clarke needs to choose between a fraught personal life and his career in cricket. All the evidence indicates that the current position is untenable. As Mark Anthony could testify, obsession can be a man's undoing. If Clarke is unwilling to make the call, then cricket will make it for him. In the nick of time, Ricky Ponting sorted himself out. Now it is Clarke's turn. Ordinarily, journos are the last people on earth able to speak about anyone else's affairs. Most adopt the approach advocated by the great Bill O'Reilly, namely that players are fair game on the park and otherwise off limits. Now and then, black eyes and publicised text messages force reporters to don the clean skin but it is an uncomfortable guise reluctantly undertaken. However, it is no longer possible to turn the other ear and ignore the gossip and acrid gossipers. Clarke's hasty and presumably urgent trip home from New Zealand denies him the luxury of privacy. It is no small thing for a vice-captain to walk out on a team at any stage, let alone on the eve of a big match. A few days ago he was leading these same men and doing a good job by all accounts. Make no mistake, a lot is at stake, for a fine player and Australian cricket. In the spotlight ... Michael Clarke's relationship with Lara Bingle is again front page news. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones Ordinarily, a player rushes home upon hearing some dreadful news of a family loss, impending or completed. Or else he has been informed of a devastating sickness. Now and then a player is allowed to attend a birth in the modern way. Occasionally depression strikes a player down, a curse that afflicted Marcus Trescothick on the last Ashes tour. On these occasions, all and sundry conduct themselves with due sensitivity. Clarke's case is different. His responsibilities do not permit withdrawal on any except the most desperate circumstances. None of the evidence indicates that any such conditions prevailed. Certainly he heard some bad news about his partner, but it pertained to disarray as opposed to crisis. Clarke's problem is easy to state and hard to resolve. He seems to be locked into a love affair with a beautiful but possibly unstable young woman. Whatever the reality of her life, supposing reality makes an appearance now and then, Lara Bingle stumbles from public relations disaster to public relations calamity. Restaurateurs complain about her manners and the poor company she keeps. Fashionistas talk of her headstrong ways and strange customs. Moreover, she seems intent on boosting the sales of all those magazines bought by the female of the species. In short, she craves attention and courts controversy. Yet Clarke, the class act of the pairing, seems besotted. Beauty and danger have always been a potent combination. Look in the mirror and find another fool to that folly. As far as Australian cricket is concerned, the problem is the instability caused by this turbulent relationship. Let us get away from all the talk about sportsmen being role models. Precious few of the younger brigade spend enough time away from their computers and iPods to give a hoot about anything else. In any case, it is time to stop expecting sportsmen to conduct themselves like novitiates. Let them inspire on the field and otherwise be granted the same leeway as everyone else. Maturity is the issue. From a distance, the romance has all the traits of a schoolboy crush. Clarke has scored a stack of runs for his country, has travelled to many places, has seen and done a lot, has become accomplished. By now gilded youth ought to have given way to adult sensibility. Perhaps it has. Perhaps the problem is that Bingle remains the same waif-like figure supposedly in need of protection. On this occasion, it is true, Bingle has been grievously wronged. Apparently some dickhead thought it amusing to pass around pictures of her emerging from a bath. Her chivalrous partner rode to the rescue. Nothing in her life, though, suggests that she has ever emerged from the chrysalis of youthful beauty. It's a dilemma. Clarke yearns to fulfil himself yet remains in thrall to a lass living in a celebrity time warp. By and large, top-class sportsmen marry young. Among cricketers, Viv Richards, Ian Botham, Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar walked the aisle at an early age. All of these marriages survived the ensuing years. In each case, the wife had the maturity and adaptability needed to survive the demands of the distant life. As a result they were able to sustain stable family lives and solid homes as their husbands soared and sank. They understood their role, did not make any extra demands. They were the counterpoint that ambition required. Accordingly, their partners were able to focus on their cricket. Clarke has no such settlement in his life. Until it is obtained, Cricket Australia will be reluctant to put the national team completely in his hands. He has always come across as an essentially likeable young fellow currently a little off track but bound sooner or later to emerge as a sincere and big-hearted man. Now might be a good time to take that step.

10 March 2010 | 2:00 am

The poor cousins

Fast bowler Glenn McGrath was typical of most cricketers and footballers 15 to 20 years ago when he arrived in Sydney from the dusty plains of NSW and vowed to encourage his children to play golf or tennis in order for them to ''earn some real money.'' Since then cricketers have caught up with the golfers and tennis players, becoming the first ''team millionaires'' of Australian sport. McGrath did not anticipate the money coming into Australian cricket from overseas TV rights, and a new pay deal for Australia's top 25 cricketers will provide them with an average $1 million a year. Higher than expected earnings for Cricket Australia over the past four years meant its revenue was about $100 million above the $478 million forecast and, under a deal struck with the Australian Cricketers Association, players receive 25 per cent of total revenue generated. AFL footballers also receive a quarter of total revenue from broadcasting rights, gate takings, sponsorship, merchandising and any other income received by the 16 clubs and the central administration. Super 14 players receive 26 per cent of what is called ''player generated revenue'', a sum not comparable with total revenue because it excludes income such as foreign exchange earnings, interest received, rent and some grants. Rugby union players receive between 15 and 20 per cent of total revenue, about the same as NRL players.. According to the NRL's chief executive, David Gallop, the NRL receives about $150 million a year and the 16 clubs average receipts of $13 million to $14 million. Each club has a salary cap of $4.1 million, and all but the Warriors pay the full amount, meaning the wage bill of the clubs in 2010 will be about $65 million. Another $2 million is paid in third-party deals with club-associated sponsors and an additional $3.5 million is paid to about 80 players in NRL-sanctioned sponsorship arrangements. A total revenue pool of $374 million and player payments of $71 million means the NRL players' share of the revenue cake is 19 per cent. However, with 25 players at each of the NRL's 16 clubs, the average salary is well below the mean of Super 14's 132 fully contracted players and lower than the AFL average payment. Ian Schubert, the NRL's salary cap boss, says the average NRL salary in 2010 will be $164,000, based on 25 players sharing $4.1 million, although the $5.5 million in sponsorship money across the NRL lifts the average to $177,750. This is well short of the medium 2008 AFL payment of $233,000. An AFL spokesman said the 2009 figures would not be available for three weeks but salaries had increased 4 per cent on 2008, meaning the average payment to the players at the AFL's 16 clubs last year, including marketing deals, would be $240,000 to $245,000. ''Total payments to players in 2008 was $129 million and AFL revenue was $327 million, while separate club revenue would probably be $200 million,'' an AFL spokesman said, meaning players share of total revenue was 24.4 per cent. According to the Australian Rugby Union Players Association, the average 2008 player salary for Australia's four Super 14 franchises (Brumbies, Reds, Waratahs and Western Force) was $238,738, on a par with the AFL and also well above the NRL. Another factor is the effort involved in earning the income. The NRL men play two more games a year than AFL players and nearly double the 13 matches played by a Super 14 player, although Wallabies play an additional 12 to 15 games a year. The Wallabies are the highest paid elite squad of the three football codes, averaging $380,000 a year in 2008, while the average for those who play Super 14 and finish the season playing club rugby is $130,000. But the AFL's 2008 annual report lists two players - believed to be Carlton's Chris Judd and St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt - receiving $1 million a year. The NRL's highest-paid player would probably earn half this. A weak NRL Players Association and a grossly underpaid broadcasting deal are the chief reasons league players echo McGrath's comments of 15 years ago. Furthermore, the NRL pitches its salary cap at the capacity to pay of its poorest club. The Sharks, with a turnover of $11 million, spend 37 per cent of income on player salaries, while the Broncos, with an income of $26 million, outlay only 15 per cent.

10 March 2010 | 2:00 am

College collapse expected to lower Indian student intake

The Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, says he expects the collapse of some private colleges will contribute to a drop in the number of Indian students coming to Australia. His comments, made on the they program, come after the release of an independent report into Australian education for international students. Headed by former Liberal MP Bruce Baird, the review found the industry has been distorted by colleges that were set up to take advantage of students seeking permanent residency. Mr Smith says he expects the collapse of some colleges to translate into a drop in enrolments. "I think on the collapse of the colleges, and on the focus on integrity, I think we will see a drop in the number of Indian students coming to Australia, I think for three reasons - the safety issues, the general adverse consequences of the global financial crisis and integrity or quality issues," he said. Mr Smith hopes improvements to the nation's overseas education system will minimise a drop in the number of Indian students coming to the country. "I think one of those adjustments will be a drop in the numbers, but I don't think that will be a permanent thing," he said. "I expect the rigour which is instilled will be in the long term a much better quality outcome." Mr Baird has said authorities need to urgently crack down on colleges rorting the system. "We have permanent residency factories," he said. "If you ask any of the good providers, they'll quickly name those who they believe are the dodgy operators who are rorting the system. "It is those groups we should be directing our attention to. They probably represent 20 per cent of the vocational sector." Earlier, Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard said the Government will move quickly to act on some of the recommendations. "It is our predisposition as a government to move to amend legislation as soon as possible, particularly to lift the bar for entry into being an education provider for international students," she said.

9 March 2010 | 11:18 pm

Snakes alive: weather brings out reptiles

Experts are warning that warm weather combined with the recent rain across large parts of Australia has increased the prevalence of snake sightings and attacks. Two people have sustained dangerous snake bites in New South Wales in the past 24 hours, while six people in Queensland were taken to hospital today after being bitten. A woman in her 40s is in a serious condition in hospital after being bitten on the foot by a snake in the Blue Mountains, making her the eighth victim in six days in NSW. She was taken by ambulance from her house in Winmalee to Nepean Hospital. Among those treated in Queensland was a 15-month-old boy who was taken to Bundaberg Hospital with puncture wounds to his stomach. Meanwhile a 26-year-old man was taken to Ipswich Hospital with a suspected brown snake bite. Last night a snake handler was bitten twice on the face by a deadly eastern brown snake at his home at Aberdeen in the Upper Hunter Valley. The 38-year-old snake handler was given antivenom and is recovering in hospital in a stable condition. Dr Jane Melville, a herpetologist from Museum Victoria, says the face is a strange place to be bitten and a snake handler is an unlikely victim. "Often professional snake handlers are careful and take precautions in what they're doing," she said. "There are situations where people need to handle snakes with their hands of course, but I would say it is unusual to have a snake near your face." The usual precautions include the use of heavy canvas bags and snake sticks that allow handlers to keep snakes a safe distance from their body most of the time. Dr Melville says the eastern brown is not especially inclined to attack people. "I wouldn't say it's an aggressive snake looking to bite people," she said. "It's usually a situation it's put in that leads it to try to bite people." - Feeling the heat - A spokesman for Sydney's Taronga Zoo says the warm weather and rain has brought the snakes out. "The warm weather means it's peak snake season, and the bit of rain we've had brings out other animals which the snakes eat," the spokesman said. "Our advice is to give them a wide berth where possible." An ambulance spokesman advises snake bite victims to remain still to prevent venom being pumped through the lymphatic system and to apply a pressure bandage to the affected area and dial triple 0. Warwick Dyer from the Australian Reptile Park says if someone is bitten too many times, the antivenom can make them sick. "There's a thing called serum sickness. Basically it's a foreign object going into your body attacking the venom and your body doesn't like that, so naturally it's going to react to it," he said. - ABC/

9 March 2010 | 5:50 pm

Keating backs federal takeover of city planning

Former prime minister Paul Keating says the Commonwealth should take a bigger role in large-scale planning and development in Australia's cities. Mr Keating addressed builders and developers at an Urban Development Institute's national conference in Sydney today. He says state planning councils do not have the money or capacity for big projects and wants more Federal Government involvement, citing Sydney Harbour as a prime example. "Sydney Harbour is a unique natural gift to Sydney. It deserves better than being ragged over and pulled apart by umpteen municipal councils," he said. "There should be one authority - the Harbour itself - and the foreshore should be an area of state significance. "All these councils will fight about that, but that is OK. They can fight about it and we can knock them over and do it." Mr Keating's federalist approach is not new. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has also been advocating more Commonwealth involvement in the development of Australia's big cities. While the developers still believe a strong local voice is needed, Urban Development Institute spokesman Peter Sherrie says there is also a role for the Commonwealth to play. "With the current Government now wanting to step in and look into planning of our cities and tie it into infrastructure funding, I think it is a step in the right direction," he said. "What is happening at the local and state level is that in trying to provide the infrastructure required to maintain amenity and services, their only methodology is to impose it on the new house buyer," he said. "Now what that is doing is just having a massive impact on affordability. "So if the Federal Government come in and propose a new model which can provide those services, this not only benefits the new development but already the existing area. "One level of government would be wonderful, but I don't see that happening."

9 March 2010 | 5:48 pm

Company denies chemical causes frog sex change

The developer of the herbicide atrazine has dismissed new research which shows it can wreak havoc with the sexual organs of frogs. Syngenta says nearly 6,000 studies around the world have proven atrazine is environmentally safe when used as directed. Research by the University of California found atrazine can disrupt development and make frogs develop both male and female features - termed hermaphroditism. The experiment was the first to show the complete effects of atrazine, which has been known to disrupt hormones and is one of the chief suspects in the decline of amphibians around the world. But Syngenta Australia's Peter Arkle says the study has flaws and the public should trust the Australian chemical regulator. "The Australian community can have absolute confidence in the APVMA [Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority]," he said. "They've just concluded an extensive review of atrazine, only two years ago, that looked at all of these questions. "The APVMA concluded that when atrazine is used in line with these instructions, it doesn't pose a risk to the environment, to the community or to food safety."

9 March 2010 | 5:09 pm

Two-fingered salute riles Liberal MP

New South Wales Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner has demanded an apology from Labor MP Gerard Martin, who she claims used a two-fingered salute across the floor of parliament. Mr Martin can be seen in the back row of the Labor side of the house gesticulating at the Opposition during a lively exchange in Question Time. After making the gesture, Ms Skinner rose to her feet and appealed to the Speaker: "I draw your attention to the finger". It caused an uproar of laughter, but Ms Skinner pushed on: "No, look at the video Mr Speaker". Ms Skinner says Mr Martin not only extended his two fingers but also his middle finger. She says if Mr Martin does not apologise she will demand that he be sacked from his role as Government Whip, a person supposed to set standards for other MPs. But Mr Martin has a much more innocent explanation. "They dropped 2 per cent in the latest poll. The Nationals have gone from 10 per cent to 8 per cent. I was waving two fingers at Andrew Stoner to remind him. "For some extraordinary reason Ms Skinner thought it was directed at her. Much ado about nothing."

9 March 2010 | 4:00 pm

Former Macquarie fund manager pleads guilty to contempt

A former Macquarie Bank portfolio manager has pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching court orders, after trying to leave the country. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission says Oswyn De Silva was stopped by Australian Federal Police in Perth while he was trying to leave Australia on March 1, in breach of an order from the New South Wales Supreme Court restraining him from leaving the country. ASIC says Mr De Silva pleaded guilty to a charge of being in contempt of the court order on Monday March 8, and will face a sentencing hearing on March 15. On March 2, the NSW Supreme Court had ordered that Oswyn Indra De Silva hand over all his passports, and any airline tickets for travel in the two month period following the order. 36-year-old Mr De Silva is an UK resident, and one of his social networking pages reveals he was division director/co-head of global property securities at Macquarie Investment Management. The page lists his previous employment before that as being the head of property securities at MacarthurCook, a portfolio manager at F and C Investment Management, and an investment analyst at Credit Lyonnais Securities. It lists him as a graduate of McGill University in Canada. ASIC has confirmed that he is no longer with Macquarie. In a statement, ASIC says the orders restraining Mr De Silva from leaving the country were taken out in relation to an, "investigation of trading that Mr De Silva is alleged to have engaged in between 2006 and 2007." However, when contacted by the ABC, ASIC would give no further details about what type of trading activities are being investigated, or what offences Mr De Silva is being investigated for. Thealso contacted Mr De Silva directly, but he said he could not comment on the investigations, before hanging up on the call.

9 March 2010 | 3:36 pm

Art or porn? New laws to paint clearer picture

The New South Wales Government says it will introduce laws into Parliament this week to clarify what is art and what is child pornography. The issue was highlighted nearly two years ago in the case of artist Bill Henson, whose photographic exhibition of naked children sparked intense community debate. Opponents of Henson's work described his images as offensive and pornographic, but supporters said the police raid on his exhibition was a case of extreme censorship. The classification board later ruled the photographs were not pornographic. NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos says the laws being introduced tomorrow will clear up any confusion. "The new definition will encompass what is termed child abuse material," he said. "That means it covers depictions that reasonable persons would, in all the circumstances, regard offensive." Mr Hatzistergos says that is "where the person is a child who is a victim [of] cruelty, physical abuse, the child is engaged or is apparently engaged in a sexual pose or sexual activity". He says it will also apply when the child is in the presence of someone engaging in any of these activities or "where the private parts of the person [who] appears to be a child are shown". Mr Hatzistergos says the new laws will also scrap the defence of artistic merit in the use of child pornography images. "There isn't a clear line between child pornography and art, and it's for that reason the law seeks to draw a clearer provision," he said. - Concerns - Members of the arts community say while they were initially concerned about the new laws, they now believe they could help artists. The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is working on a set of protocols for police to use in assessing artwork. "If the DPP and the police agree to adopt our recommended protocols, then it may actually be advantageous for artists or would put them in a fairer position of assessment," NAVA spokeswoman Tamara Winikoff said. "Instead of relying on people who know nothing about art to make those decisions, the decisions would be made on the basis of recommendations by people who are experts in that field." Ms Winikoff says under the new laws, Henson's work would not be considered pornographic because the work was given an unrestricted rating by the classification board. However the cost of gaining classification concerns the Arts Law Centre of Australia. Executive director Robyn Ayres says it is an expensive and time-consuming exercise. "I don't have the costs off the top of my head, but they're in the hundreds of dollars that [artists] would have to pay to have the work classified," she said. "And obviously, if it's in the middle of an exhibition, then that's a problem as well because there's a time factor involved."

9 March 2010 | 3:16 pm

Parental plan a 'cheap ploy' to win votes

Reaction fromreaders suggests many Australians are sceptical about the Federal Opposition Leader's ambitious parental leave plan. Yesterday at a lunch as part of International Women's Day, Tony Abbott announced a plan to offer six months' paid paternal leave if the Coalition wins the next election. Mr Abbott says the Coalition will offer the pay for parents at their current salary, up to a ceiling of $150,000, rather than the Government's scheme of 18 weeks paid at the minimum wage. The plan would be funded by a new levy on big business, which has been quick to voice its opposition to the scheme. readers were today non-committal in their reaction to the plan, with some saying that although it sounds good, it will never happen. "It won't affect me at all because it will never be implemented by Tony Abbott, the Liberals or Labor in this current form and funding method," Budovski commented onNews Online. "It is a good idea, no doubt about that, but it is a totally disingenuous promise to woo voters. "If he was remotely serious about getting something like this up and running he would be sitting with the Government and openly discussing the implementation of such a system. "Instead he has stage-managed a big media launch for a policy that will never be implemented by the Liberal Party." On Facebook, some said the plan was a cheap ploy to win votes and that it would never be delivered. "I will not be polite about it, he is hunting votes. If he thinks giving mums on that salary a break is fair then he has rocks in his head," one commenter said. Another said: "Simply put, Tony Abbott's plan is just a con job for morons to soak up. It's an empty promise that would never be delivered and he knows this. "Brilliant idea. No way he has the guts to implement it though." Followers of theNews Twitter feed were more enthusiastic about the plan, but said the issue would not be a vote changer. "We'd probably benefit directly from Tony Abbot's maternity plan," said rimian. "But his climate change policy would still deter me from voting him." "Modern work/life balance requires parent/employer/community balance in early childhood rearin," said gordondann. Jaimeldonnelly said: "@abcnews if any scheme was in place last year I would have been a lot more comfortable! $300 frtnite baby bonus for 6 months, not enough!"

9 March 2010 | 3:01 pm

Snakes alive: weather brings out reptiles

9 March 2010 | 2:30 pm

F1 legend's lift shaft terror

Fell down a lift shaft ... formula one legend Stirling Moss, pictured here with Dannii, left, and Kylie Minogue in Melbourne in 2007, has been seriously injured. Photo: AP British formula one legend Stirling Moss was recovering in hospital after breaking several bones when he fell three floors down a lift shaft, his website said on Monday. The 80-year-old racing star suffered two broken ankles, four broken bones in his feet and four chipped vertebrae. The accident took place at his central London residence on Saturday. "He is now comfortable and recovering in a London hospital after surgery to both ankles, which have been plated and pinned," the statement said. The lift stopped a floor above Moss but the doors opened and he stepped in, falling three floors. Family members were present and paramedics took him to the Royal London Hospital. "This was a very unfortunate accident; it could have just as easily been another member of the family stepping into where the lift should have been," his wife, Susie Moss, said. He is expected to take six weeks to recover from his injuries. "The family are very relieved that Stirling survived the fall, demonstrating that his body still has the same resilience to injury as it did in his racing days," the statement on the website said. "He is comfortable, following a good night's rest post-surgery, and is well on the road to recovery." In a formula one career lasting from 1951 to 1961, Moss entered 66 Grand Prix races, earning 16 wins, 16 pole positions and 24 podium finishes. He finished second in the World Championship four times, from 1955 to 1958 - the most runner-up finishes without ever claiming the title. In his wider motor racing career, in which he raced more than 80 types of cars, he won 212 of the 529 races he entered. His career was ended by a near-fatal crash at Britain's Goodwood circuit, in southern England, in 1962. AFP

9 March 2010 | 1:58 pm

Abbott says sorry for 'leader's call'

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has apologised to his colleagues for not consulting them before announcing a Coalition plan for a paid parental leave scheme. Facing Coalition MPs today in the wake of the announcement, Mr Abbott said sometimes it was necessary to make a "leader's call" over some issues, and "sometimes it is better to ask forgiveness than permission". A joint partyroom meeting today saw almost 20 MPs speak about the plan, which would see Australia's biggest businesses taxed by an extra 1.7 per cent. The money would pay for new parents to take six months off work while still being paid their usual salary by the government. A Liberal source said several MPs expressed "gentle" criticism about a lack of consultation with the partyroom before Mr Abbott revealed it yesterday. The source also said Mr Abbott did consult some senior shadow cabinet members but there was no shadow cabinet meeting. One MP told thehe was "very vociferous" in his criticism. Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey also addressed the partyroom to voice strong support for the scheme, saying that businesses would be the biggest beneficiaries of the plan. He said it would encourage employers to take on more women. The Federal Government has been also quick to slam the scheme, as it prepares to implement its own plan which gives parents 18 weeks of paid leave at the minimum wage. Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner says the plan will risk jobs and discourage companies from growing if it looks as if they may be subject to the levy by passing the $5 million earnings threshold. "There would be a huge incentive for companies to engage in artificial avoidance activities by structuring their businesses in ways that meant that they had a multiple number of business all below the $5 million mark," he said. "Tony Abbott's tax to the max strategy hits business and jobs in order to hand out money to high-income earners." Earlier today the Opposition's spokeswoman for the status of women, Sharman Stone, denied the levy was a tax, instead calling it an "investment in human capital". - Debate rages - The issue has dominated debate in Question Time, with the Opposition calling on the Government to back its scheme. The Opposition sought to attack the Government's plan by highlighting how much more workers would get under the Coalition. "Will the Prime Minister now join with the Coalition to give Australian families a fair go by backing a paid parental leave scheme that will affect less than 1 per cent of Australian businesses but help up to 146,000 Australian families every year?" Mr Abbott said. Under the Government's plan, workers would get 18 weeks of leave at the minimum wage of $543 a week. Kevin Rudd said Mr Abbott's plan showed the Coalition had no credibility. "The Leader of the Opposition said he'd never believed in [paid leave]. Now he does," Mr Rudd said. "He said he'd never increase taxes. Now he will."

9 March 2010 | 1:07 pm

I'm in it to win it in the end

Michael Schumacher ... the fox among the pack. Photo: Getty Images On the eve of his comeback, Michael Schumacher admits he may not win Sunday's opening race of the 2010 Formula One campaign, but expects to be in contention for an eighth world title at season's end. Britain's Jenson Button will be bidding to defend the crown he won in 2009, but all eyes will be on the return of seven-times Schumacher when the 41-year-old ends his three-year hiatus at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Having signed a three-year deal with German team Mercedes GP before Christmas, Schumacher will be reunited with team principal Ross Brawn, who oversaw all of the Germans' world titles. But after such a long break away from Formula One, Schumacher faces the new crop of drivers in Britain's Lewis Hamilton and Button at McLaren, while Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will also give his compatriot a run for his money. After Brawn GP won the manufacturer's championship in 2009 before Mercedes took control, Button's defection to McLaren in the off-season paved the way for Schumacher's return. Expectation of another title is high in his home country, but Schumacher expects to be judged on the final standings at the end of the season, not on Sunday's results. "I said it quite clearly from the beginning: we do not have to - and probably will not - be in the position to win right from the start," Schumacher said. "It is important to be in contention and then use the long season to be at the top at the end. "It is not the start which is important; it is the finish." Vettel has said all of Formula One's current young guns are eager to prove themselves against someone of Schumacher's stature. "For the younger drivers, it is a challenge (to have Schumacher racing again), because we never thought we would have a chance to test ourselves against him again," said Vettel. "From a statistical point of view, he is the best." Schumacher nearly returned last year with his old stable Ferrari as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa, but an old neck injury from motorbike racing foiled his plans. Having not raced for three years, time is against the German as Formula One racing waits to see whether the old master will dominate again after three years away from Grand Prix racing. But there is plenty of fight in the former champion who will be the name to beat this season, the question is is the veteran ready to slug it out with his younger rivals? "Absolutely, yes," he said. "This is what I am here for, and I am confident Mercedes can play a role in this fight. "The team won both titles last year, and now, with Mercedes on board, they want to repeat this success. "We all want to win. The season will be long and hard, no doubt about that, but I love this fight - it is because of this fight that I came back to Formula One." With no refuelling allowed mid-race this year, Schumacher says his experience will give him an advantage. "Saving tyres will be an important factor," he said. "You will have less sets of tyres available than last year which makes it harder to do what you need to do for setting up the car perfectly. "But driving is always about adapting to new circumstance, and this is one of my strong points. "I would say the biggest difference are the tyres. You will have to develop a good feeling for them." AFP

9 March 2010 | 12:18 pm

MP airs channel decommissioning cost fears

The Nationals say it is unfair Wimmera farmers in western Victoria will have to pay for the decommissioning of irrigation channels on their properties. Grampians Wimmera Mallee (GWM) Water has started decommissioning channels now the Wimmera-Mallee pipeline is almost complete. But it will only pay to fill in large channels that are 4.5 metres wide or 1.5 metres deep. The Member for Lowan, Hugh Delahunty, says it is a huge cost for farmers to bear, especially for channels that supply towns and other landowners. "If you hire a bulldozer or something like that it's $220 an hour, so it's big money for GWM or for private landowners, but landowners are pretty skint in terms of money in the bank, so it's an issue we need to work with them to try and get the best outcome for the whole region," Mr Delahunty said. But GWM Water says the criteria has always been in the business case for the project and is the same as the Northern Mallee pipeline. The water authority will hold information sessions about decommissioning throughout March.

9 March 2010 | 7:47 am

Downpour does little for dams

The recent heavy rain has had little impact on the level of some of central New South Wales' water catchments. Falls of up to 90 millimetres have been recorded in some parts of the central west in the past four days. The capacity of Wyangala Dam near Cowra remains unchanged near 7.5 per cent. Burrendong Dam near Wellington is still sitting at just under 12 per cent, despite more than 50mm of rain being recorded in the area. State Water spokesman Tony Webber says much of the rain has fallen downstream of the storages. "Unfortunately nothing terribly significant," Mr Webber said. "Much like the last major rain episode that occurred there were good falls right across many areas but they didn't translate to considerable inflows to the two dams such as Wyangala and Burrendong and that seems to be the case this time as well unfortunately. "Even though there were considerable falls in the Orange, Bathurst area which usually serves as a good catchment contributor but it doesn't appear to be the case according to our data. "As far as we know our catchments are pretty much static. Obviously with the cooler weather and some minimal inflows the catchments have stayed steady but there are certainly not going to be any increases at all."

9 March 2010 | 7:43 am

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