Fed: Vanstone defends family tax benefit

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Fed: Vanstone defends family tax benefit

Family and Community Services Minister AMANDA VANSTONE is continuing to defend thefamily tax benefit, but concedes it does need fine-tuning.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD yesterday admitted 600,000 families had to pay back moneyto the government for overpayments under the family tax benefit, with another 400,000families being underpaid.

The government has been under pressure from its own backbench over the way familiesare having their tax refunds docked because their overpayments are being taken out.

But Senator VANSTONE's told ABC Radio she's very comfortable about the policy.

Senator VANSTONE says the Opposition is merely trying to whip the issue up.

AAP RTV sm/daw/art/rk

KEYWORD: FAMILY VANSTONE (CANBERRA)

NSW: Inmates cause disturbance at jail

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NSW: Inmates cause disturbance at jail

About 100 inmates at a maximum security New South Wales jail have been involved ina one-hour stand-off with prison officers today.

A police spokeswoman says inmates at the Lithgow jail, in the state's central west,had refused to return to their cells at 3.25pm (AEST).

The spokeswoman says the dispute had been resolved peacefully about an hour later.

MORE RTV nd/tb

KEYWORD: INMATES (SYDNEY)

Fed: Labor urges changes to Uni fee-paying system

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Fed: Labor urges changes to Uni fee-paying system

The federal opposition has called on government to change the system which allows studentswho have bought a university place to transfer into a HECS-funded position later in theircourse.

Labor education spokeswoman JENNY MACKLIN described the government's university policyas hypocritical.

Ms MACKLIN says the Howard Government wants the …

Fed: Ansett workers to protest at PM's Sydney home

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2001
Fed: Ansett workers to protest at PM's Sydney home

SYDNEY, Dec 10 AAP - Ansett workers will sing Christmas carols outside the prime minister's
Sydney residence today, then demand the $195 million pledged by the federal government
to cover their entitlements.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) said many Ansett workers faced a bleak Christmas
and were waiting for the prime minister to come good on his promise to fund entitlements.

They will march on John Howard's Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, from 11.15am (AEDT).

"We wish the Howard family all the best for Christmas, however we would like to remind
Mr Howard about how Ansett workers and their families are going to be spending their Christmas,"

TWU secretary Tony Sheldon said.

"For many Ansett workers and their families the situation that they face has reached
crisis point, with many of the workers who accepted redundancies still out of work (and)
haven't received a cent of entitlements that the government guaranteed to pay."

Mr Sheldon said the protest against the first broken promise of the re-elected Howard
government would include a carol performance outside Mr Howard's Sydney home.

He said the government had promised to pay the workers by November 24.

A Christmas gift donation drive for Ansett workers is also being launched today with
drop off points in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.

AAP sal/jmd/sb

KEYWORD: ANSETT

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Main Stories in today s Adelaide newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2001
SA: Main Stories in today s Adelaide newspapers

ADELAIDE, April 26 AAP - The main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser:

Page 1 - Overseas students to be allowed to stay in Australia while they apply for
migration status under new federal government scheme.

Page 2 - Overseas students say Adelaide is a good place to study and live.

Page 3 - Chinese fossil find suggest birds did descend from dinosaurs.

World - First space tourist cleared to fly with Russian crew to international space
station (Washington); Indonesian troops in show of force against opponents of President
Wahid in Jakarta (Jakarta); Former Philippines president Joseph Estrada is taken into
custody on corruption charges (Manila).

Finance - Economists say the recent slide in the Australian dollar will be relected
in the prices of imported goods this winter; Levels of debt to be scrutinised as bank
reporting season begins today.

Sport - Collingwood fights hard in narrow loss to Essendon in AFL Anzac Day clash;
Central District defeats the Eagles in SANFL competition; Adelaide City keeps slim finals
hopes alive with 6-0 win over Canberra in National Soccer League.

AAP tjd/was

KEYWORD: FRONTERS SA

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Main stories in The West Australian today, Feb 12

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2001
WA: Main stories in The West Australian today, Feb 12

PERTH, Feb 12 AAP - Main stories in today's edition of The West Australian:

Page 1: WA Election 2001: Full page picture of Dr Geoff Gallop and supporters enjoying
victory in the election. He said: "We've emerged victorious through the politics of principle,
eschewing cynicism, fighting for the people of Western Australia".

Page 3: Richard Court is expected to stand down from the leadership of the Liberal
party tomorrow after the worst electoral defeat in WA history. One Nation is on the verge
of gaining its first MPs in WA, returning at least two, and more likely three, to the
Upper House.

World: Japan cut interest rates at the weekend to stave off an economic crisis after
its stockmarket fell to dangerously low levels (Tokyo). Grieving parents in the Japanese
fishing port of Uwajima are demanding to know how a 7,000-tonne US nuclear submarine sank
a trawler carrying 13 high school pupils and two teachers near Hawaii (Tokyo).

Finance: Troubled Centaur Mining & Exploration has been hit with an $8.4 million writ
by nickel giant WMC over a sulphuric acid supply contract. The second Perth consolidator
of accountancy firms to jump on the money trail ahead of its planned sharemarket listing
has forecast immediate profits ahead of building a one-stop financial services business.

Norgard Clohessy Equity has secured a $35 million capital raising, fulfilling one of the
conditions for a successful resurrection of takeover target Arthur Yates & Co. Perth-based
oil producer Tap Oil recorded its biggest one-day share price gain in seven months on
Friday on news of the potential doubling of the Simpson oilfield in WA's offshore Carnarvon
basin.

Sport: The International Cricket Council will put an end to decades of claim and counter-claim
when cricket's first official Test championship starts in May. Australia will face a hostile
Brazilian crowd in its Davis Cup quarter final in April after completing a 4-1 first-round
victory over Ecuador at Royal Kings Park yesterday.

AAP dd/ns

KEYWORD: FRONTERS WA

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Work bans remain in place as talks continue today

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2000
NSW: Work bans remain in place as talks continue today

New South Wales police officers will continue to impose work bans until tomorrow, despite
attempts to resolve their ongoing pay dispute.

The NSW Police Association, the Police Service and the state Industrial Relations Commission
met yesterday for private discussions.

NSW Police Association secretary PETER REMFREY said Commissioner LANCE WRIGHT has recommended
the parties continue private talks today and report back to the commission tomorrow.

But he didn't make any orders for the state's 14,000 police officers to withdraw their
industrial bans.

Mr REMFREY says the commission won't be making any recommendation that it be lifted
until they see the progress of these discussions.

Meanwhile, the union has warned the public to continue to experience delays in responses
in non-emergency cases, as officers vow to work to rule.

AAP RTV nd/jw/klw/jn/alt

KEYWORD: POLICE UNION BANS (SYDNEY)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.