Underdog ALP to win, says Hawke

FORMER Prime Minister Bob Hawke says he rates Labor the "underdog" to win the election, but is still confident the party can beat the coalition on September 7.

"We'd have to still be rated the underdog but we can win," Mr Hawke told reporters as he left the campaign launch of Labor's candidate for Kingsford Smith, Matt Thistlethwaite.

The former PM was in the Sydney seat to spruik for Mr Thistlethwaite, who was preselected after retiring MP Peter Garrett announced he wouldn't recontest it.

Mr Hawke told the campaign launch he was "absolutely bloody staggered by the cheek of this bloke Abbott." He said history showed Labor performed better on economic management than the coalition.

"Look at the present, we have an economy in Australia that the other developed economies of the world would give their bloody eye-teeth for," Mr Hawke told the crowd of around 100 people at Maroubra surf club.

"Theirs (the coalition's) is a record of hopeless mismanagement." The former PM urged voters to assess both the ALP and the coalition like they were "buying a new car".

"You look at the record, the performance, you go for the one that's got the record, the performance," he said.

"Look at the records ... It's Labor, Labor, Labor, Labor every time." Mr Hawke's appearance comes a day after another former PM, John Howard, talked up the Liberal's candidate in the Central Coast seat of Dobell.

And Mr Hawke was not going to be outdone, describing Mr Thistlethwaite as a "bloody marvellous candidate".

"Kingsford smith couldn't have anyone better to represent it" he said.

The ALP has held Kingsford-Smith since 1949, but there was an 8.9 per cent swing against Labor in the 2010 election.

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Qld child porn sting leads to NYC arrest

AN undercover online operation run by Queensland police to capture pedophiles has led to the arrest of two brothers in New York accused of making child pornography involving a seven-year-old.

Richard Hastings, 21, and Robert Hastings, 18, of Mayfield, New York, are accused of emailing pornographic photos of the child last month to a Queensland police officer who was posing online as a pedophile.

The brothers are also accused of making a sexually explicit video of the child.

Queensland police, who have become a global leader in the pursuit of pedophiles who use the internet to exploit children, tipped off US authorities, and the brothers were arrested on Thursday.

If found guilty of the two counts of producing child pornography they face a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years' jail and a maximum of 30 years.

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Lower speed limits hailed in SA

CUTTING urban speed limits in South Australia to 50km/h has saved more than 100 lives and $1 billion in crash costs over the past decade.

Marking the 10th year of the lower limit, Road Safety Minister Michael O'Brien says the change can now be declared a resounding success.

"It has brought the significance of speed to the public's attention and actually led to lower speeds and less injuries on all roads, not just those that were changed to 50km/h," Mr O'Brien said on Friday.

Over the past 10 years the state's road toll has dropped from 154 in 2002 to 94 in 2012, the 39 per cent fall the largest in any state or territory.

Casualties have also fallen from 10,074 to 7473 while analysis by the University of Adelaide's Centre for Automotive Safety Research has found that average speeds have dropped and the number of drivers flouting the lower speed limit has halved.

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Dodgy NSW drivers risking lives

MOTORISTS are failing to get out of the way of emergency vehicles, putting lives at risk, say the top brass from NSW's emergency services.

A collective warning has been issued by the commissioners of police, firefighters and State Emergency Service (SES) to drivers who chose to ignore the blaring sirens and flashing lights.

"An obstructed journey can be the difference between life and death," NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher said on Friday.

It follows reports from firefighters, paramedics, police and emergency service volunteers, who have all raised concerns about drivers not moving out of their way.

"Seconds count in an emergency," Mr Gallacher warned.

Fire & Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins said new air horns were being installed to further alert drivers of the need to get out of the way.

"We're hoping these new air horns, with their distinctive sound, will draw the attention of drivers and pedestrians when fire engines respond to emergencies," he said.

Mr Mullins said fire engines weigh up to 15 tonnes and can be carrying 2000 litres of water when en route to an emergency.

"They don't stop easily when a driver brakes suddenly or pulls out in front of them."

NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Murray Kear said their vehicles responded to a variety of life threatening situations in regional areas, including flood rescues and road crash rescues.

"In these situations optimising the response time is vital," he added.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons thanked those drivers who abide by the rules but said there were others who blocked emergency services vehicles.

Centre for Road Safety general manager Marg Prendergast said the road rules were simple:

* don't block or move into the path of an emergency vehicle when they are using their lights or sirens

* move to the left as quickly and safely as possible

* never stop near an incident in a position that obstructs traffic

* drivers must always give way to emergency services.

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More PTSD among combat soldiers

AFTER more than a decade of operations, there's yet to be a tsunami of traumatised combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

But new studies show higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among those on the frontline, particularly soldiers involved in bomb disposal.

The studies, released on Thursday, found the highest rates of PTSD symptoms were among those two to three years out of the defence force.

There was no clear correlation between PTSD symptoms and time spent deployed or repeated deployments.

Overall, those who deployed on operations were physically and mentally healthy with their PTSD rates not significantly different who those who never left Australia.

Former Middle East commander, retired major General John Cantwell, had predicted a tidal wave or tsunami of PTSD among those who have served in recent operations.

But Defence force chief General David Hurley said that was emotive language which did not take into account that defence personnel have been performing difficult border protection tasks and rotating through operations in the Middle East for 12 years.

"Assuming a tidal wave, we should expect to be experiencing that now. Our data does not support this view," he said.

One study surveyed the health of 3074 defence members who served in the Middle East in the period 2010-12. It found 1.9 per cent reported PTSD symptoms after their deployment. There was also higher rates of obesity and alcohol disorder.

The second study surveyed 14,032 defence personnel who served in the Middle East between 2001 and 2009.

"Symptoms of PTSD and other mental health problems were more prevalent among members who reported high levels of traumatic and combat exposures," it said.

Those involved in bomb disposal reported the highest level of traumatic and combat exposure.

Department of Veterans Affairs deputy-president Shane Carmody said around 800 a year were granted compensation for PTSD with a similar number seeking treatment but not compensation.

Director-general of defence health Rear Admiral Robyn Walker said it was estimated 10 per cent of the current defence force would seek help for a mental health condition.

"The study shows while you remain in the ADF, you remain pretty healthy. There is about seven times the rate of PTSD symptoms among those no longer in the reserve and those who no longer have a relationship (with defence)," she said.

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Rio provides $600m finance for Oyu Tolgoi

MINING giant Rio Tinto will provide $US600 million in bridging finance to Turquoise Hill Resources to continue the development of the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia.

Rio said the facility would be used initially to refinance all outstanding amounts under an existing $US225 million short-term funding facility.

It would then be used for the continued ramp up of phase one of the Oyu Tolgoi mine development.

Rio has also agreed to extend the short term funding facility until August 28.

"Rio Tinto remains committed to putting in place a significant project financing package to fund the development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine," the company said in a statement.

The agreement would also allow Turquoise Hill to refinance its existing debt to Rio Tinto by the end of the year if necessary, the company said.

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Labor's boat message is working: Burke

Labor's message on boat arrivals is getting through in Indonesia, the immigration minister says. Source: AAP

LABOR'S tougher message on boat arrivals is getting through in Indonesia with people seeking their money back from smugglers, Immigration Minister Tony Burke says.

He says he's received reports from Indonesia that there are widespread demands from potential asylum seekers wanting their money back from people smugglers.

Mr Burke says they are realising they would be buying a ticket to Papua New Guinea or Nauru not to Australia.

"When I say the demands for money back are widespread, they are absolutely widespread," Mr Burke told reporters in Sydney.

"They realise that what they have paid for is no longer available to them."

"There is no doubt that the message is getting through."

Mr Burke said the only way to stop people smugglers was to take their product and customers away, and that was starting to happen.

He also said a "very significant number" of people who had been transferred to PNG's Manus Island were now in talks with internationals organisation of migration organising their transfers back home.

He said that could be done fairly quickly if they still had their identity documents with them.

Mr Burke said whatever capacity is needed to house asylum seekers would be built under the federal government's asylum seeker resettlement deal with PNG.

He said refugees would be looked after and given resettlement opportunities to get on with their lives.

If they have been found not to be refugees it was probably a fair indication that it was safe for them to go home, he said.

Labor's policy says people who arrive in Australia by boat without a visa will not be settled in Australia.

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Prostate experts end PSA test confusion

SOME of the world's top prostate cancer specialists have endorsed PSA testing as a useful early detection tool.

In an announcement at the Prostate Cancer World Congress in Melbourne on Wednesday, they said there was strong evidence in favour of testing men aged 50 to 69.

They hoped what they called the Melbourne consensus would clarify confusion about screening and treatment.

A key element of their consensus was that not all diagnoses should lead to treatment.

"Many men with low-risk prostate cancer do not need aggressive treatment," said the statement, signed by specialists from several countries.

"Active surveillance protocols have been developed and have been shown to be a reasonable and safe option for many men with low-volume, low-risk prostate cancer."

Another key element is open communication.

"The decision to undergo PSA testing should be shared between patient and doctor, and men should be well counselled about the harms and benefits of early detection," said Professor Tony Costello, director of Urology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a key signatory to the statement.

"No man should be denied PSA testing," he said.

"Advances in medical science and clinical protocols are reducing the risk of over-diagnosis and over-treatment.

"We support the rational use of PSA testing to predict the risk of prostate cancer, followed by active surveillance to ensure all men benefit from early detection and lower death rates."

The experts emphasised PSA testing should be part of a broader strategy.

Rectal examination, taking a family history and considering a patient's ethnicity were also important.

The statement said it was useful for men in their 40s to have a PSA test to help predict their future risk.

While agreeing with some parts of the statement, Cancer Council Australia said the consensus was not backed by definite evidence-based literature.

"It would be helpful to separate the diagnosis from treatment to avoid over-treatment of prostate cancers which would never have caused problems in the man's lifetime," said council CEO Professor Ian Olver.

"However, this separation is difficult because often men fearful of prostate cancer want immediate treatment.

"Until now over-diagnosis has led to over-treatment and over-treatment leads to side effects such as impotence and incontinence without benefit."

He said the ultimate goal was a better test to accurately diagnose prostate cancer and predict the aggressiveness of the disease.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation welcomed the consensus.

CEO Dr Anthony Lowe said it was an important step in clarifying the issue for Australian men.

"We have consistently urged men who are over 50 years, or 40 years with a family history, to talk to their doctor.

"The consensus statement is clear in saying there is now strong evidence that PSA testing reduces the risk of metastatic prostate cancer and of death from prostate cancer among this group."

He said the foundation was working with Cancer Council Australia and other interest groups to develop evidence-based clinical guidelines.

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Watch may solve Sydney skeleton mystery

A DIRT-COVERED watch found with a skeleton at the base of a cliff in bushland north of Sydney could hold the key to the identity of the dead man.

A woman and her 13-year-old son were walking along a bush track to Sandy Bay at Brooklyn on July 4 when they found the remains.

Forensic tests showed the bones belonged to a caucasian man aged 30-60, and about 177-189cm tall.

The man did not have wisdom teeth, and it's also possible he was left-handed and had arthritis.

Investigators said on Tuesday that a Citizen brand watch found with the skeleton was available in Australia from February 2008.

"The release of this new information may be crucial in solving this case and providing the next of kin the closure they deserve," Detective Inspector Ian Mitchell said.

"I am appealing for anyone who believes they have information, no matter how small or insignificant, to come forward."

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Bowen says rate cut is good news

TREASURER Chris Bowen says the latest central bank interest rate cut is good news for families and business.

The Reserve Bank of Australia lowered the official cash interest rate to 2.50 per cent, from 2.75 per cent, citing low inflation and the need to support domestic demand.

Mr Bowen said if passed on the by banks, the reduction meant a family with a $300,000 mortgage would pay $500 less a month, and $6000 less in annual payments, than when the coalition was last in office.

He rejected shadow treasurer Joe Hockey's comment that another cut would be an admission the economy was weakening.

"In elections past the coalition has gone to the Australian people with a solemn pledge that interest rates would always be lower under a coalition government," Mr Bowen said.

"Now all of a sudden, because interest rates are at record lows under a Labor government, we have Mr Hockey saying this is somehow a bad thing.

"How negative has this opposition become?"

Mr Bowen also took a shot at comments by Mr Hockey that adding up the cost of the coalition's policies was a "meaningless" exercise because Treasury's projections of the current fiscal situation were not credible.

The treasurer said it flew in the face of proper accountability.

"It's simply unacceptable for the opposition to be saying 'We won't be adding up our policies'," Mr Bowen said.

"If the opposition is not prepared to submit all of its policies to the departments of Treasury and Finance ... then they cannot be regarded as credible economic managers."

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Greens confident in Melbourne, ACT

The Greens are confident of retaining Adam Bandt's seat of Melbourne at the federal election. Source: AAP

THE Greens are confident they can hold their sole lower house seat of Melbourne and will gear their election campaign towards retaining the balance of power in the Senate.

Melbourne MP Adam Bandt said the latest Galaxy poll showed the party's primary vote in the seat of Melbourne was about 48 per cent.

Greens leader Christine Milne said Mr Bandt had done a great job as Melbourne MP.

"I have every confidence that the people of Melbourne will return Adam to the House of Representatives," Senator Milne told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

Mr Bandt said from day one of his term the party had set out to hold the seat of Melbourne.

"People are switching their votes," Mr Bandt said.

"A poll that was released over the weekend suggests that our primary vote in Melbourne is of the order of 48 per cent.

""What that poll shows, if it's repeated on election day, is that it doesn't matter if Labor and Liberal collaborate on preferences with each other."

Senator Milne said the Greens party would fight hard to retain its strong Senate position.

In NSW, this fight would be against a range of "right-wing minor parties" of "shooters and fishers and the like", she said.

Public service and university cuts were paving the way for the Greens to be elected to one of the two ACT Senate seats, she said.

"In the ACT we have got a really good opportunity to pick up a Senate seat," Senator Milne said.

"The public service in Canberra knows that the only party who are their friends are the Greens.

"The same with the university. The Greens are again the only party who are saying they will not support the cuts to university."

The party will have to battle against the coalition in Western Australia and South Australia, she said.

The Greens currently hold nine Senate seats.

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Scrapping Vic school allowance mean: ALP

THE Victorian government has hailed the education reforms deal as a great outcome for Victoria, but has been lashed for scrapping a school allowance for the state's most disadvantaged families to help pay for it.

Premier Denis Napthine said the state was in a "win-win" position with the federal coalition agreeing to match federal funding on the education reforms.

"Now we've got a deal from both sides of federal politics which guarantees the additional funding we've got," he told ABC radio on Monday.

"This is a 'win win' for Victoria.

"This is a great result for Victorian schools."

Victoria is the latest state to sign on to the federal Better Schools plan, in a deal that will deliver an extra $12.2 billion to its public schools over the next six years.

But Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews says the deal has come at the expense of the education maintenance allowance, which helps the state's lowest-income families with school expenses.

"Better schools and Gonski, that's great news," Mr Andrews told reporters.

"(But) there's nothing better about taking money out of the hands of low-income parents that ought to go towards school books and uniforms and school shoes.

"This is a modest payment and it speaks volumes for the mean spiritedness of this premier that he would cut away such a critical payment.

"Who knows what other details are buried in the state government's response to a Better Schools deal?"

Dr Napthine hailed the deal as a great outcome for Victoria, saying it targeted the schools and families in most need.

"We're very proud of the deal we've done," he told reporters.

"Families in the greatest need will be the greatest beneficiaries of this funding deal, because the target for this additional $12.2 billion of funding is for schools in the most needy areas, schools that will deliver the best outcome for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds."

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Treasuer Bowen drawing on past experience

CHRIS Bowen has had barely a month to make his mark as Treasurer, so the jury may still be out on his ability in the role.

But few doubt the NSW MP's academic or intellectual fitness to help formulate Australia's economic direction.

Bowen took over the nation's purse-strings in June after Kevin Rudd was re-installed as prime minister and Wayne Swan stepped down as Labor treasurer after five years.

The 40-year-old's latest involvement with the Treasury portfolio isn't new.

"We have had very good relationships in the past, and I am sure that will continue," Council of Small Business of Australia executive director Peter Strong said.

Bowen was made Assistant Treasurer under Swan when Rudd was swept to power in 2007, with a ministerial role overseeing competition policy and consumer affairs.

He remained in the post until June 2009 when he became minister for financial services, superannuation and corporate law.

After the 2010 election, Bowen was handed the tough portfolio of immigration under then prime minister Julia Gillard.

It was a torrid time. Bowen and Gillard apparently disagreed on how to handle the growing influx of asylum seeker boat arrivals, and Labor's so-called Malaysian Solution was slapped down by High Court in 2011.

Asked if he had considered resigning, Bowen quipped it would have improved his "quality of life".

He stuck it out and in February this year was handed the tertiary education and small business role after a cabinet reshuffle.

But seven weeks later he resigned from the Gillard ministry and went to the back bench following his involvement in an aborted attempt to return Rudd to the leadership.

By the end of June, Rudd was returned and Bowen was Treasurer.

Bowen took up the role at a time when the economy was facing a major transition.

A massive mining investment boom is winding down and the government wants the non-mining sector to help fill the gap.

"Who's best placed to manage and engineer this transition will be ... the key battleground in this election," Bowen said in his first major speech on July 18.

Naturally, his opposition counterpart Joe Hockey doubts Labor is the answer.

"Chris Bowen couldn't even stop the boats, so he is not going to stop Kevin Rudd with a credit card," the shadow treasurer says.

Bowen first won the western Sydney seat of Prospect in 2004, before it changed to McMahon after electoral distributions in 2009.

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Wilkie opts out of poll preference deals

INDEPENDENT MP Andrew Wilkie has pledged not to do any preference deals in his bid for re-election.

Mr Wilkie was the unlikely winner of the Hobart-based seat of Denison in 2010, thanks in part to Liberal preferences.

But he says he will not be doing any political deals before the September 7 poll.

"For my part I will do no preference deal with any political party at the election," he said on Sunday.

Mr Wilkie said he would campaign to ensure the reforms of the previous parliament were continued, as well as trying to lower freight and passenger costs in and out of Tasmania.

Labor's candidate for Denison will be Jane Austin, while the aptly-named Tanya Denison has been preselected for the Liberal Party.

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