Abbott congratulates Indian PM-elect

PM Tony Abbott has congratulated his newly elected Indian counterpart on his landslide victory. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has invited his newly-elected Indian counterpart to November's G20 summit in Brisbane.

Mr Abbott called Indian prime minister-elect Narendra Modi on Friday night to congratulate him on a resounding victory.

After a marathon six-week election for the world's biggest democracy, hardline Hindu nationalist Mr Modi is on track for the first parliamentary majority by a single party in 30 years.

Mr Abbott told Mr Modi he was looking forward to working with him.

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Cyclist killed in Qld collision

A CYCLIST has been killed after he was in a collision with a truck near the Gold Coast.

The crash occurred at Norwell, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, about 9.15 am (AEST) on Saturday.

The cyclist, a 58-year-old man, died at the scene.

The truck driver wasn't injured.

The forensic crash unit is investigating.

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Man dies after NSW ultralight crash

A PILOT seriously injured in a western NSW crash that "completely destroyed" his ultralight aircraft has died in hospital.

It's believed the 35-year-old was preparing to land on a farm about 50km south of Ivanhoe, almost 400km east of Broken Hill, when he crashed on Friday morning.

"The plane was completely destroyed ... and will be examined by investigators," police said in a statement.

It's believed the man was using the ultralight to muster stock.

He was initially treated at the scene by paramedics for serious head, leg and ankle injuries before being taken to Ivanhoe Health Service but later died.

Police will prepare a report on the crash for the coroner.

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Newman rallies states on income tax reform

Campbell Newman wants the federal government to return part of the income tax paid by Australians. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government will "hang" the states and territories unless they demand a slice of income tax to cope with budget cuts, the Queensland premier says.

Campbell Newman says the federal government must return a chunk of the income tax paid by Australians to state and territory governments so they can properly fund schools and hospitals.

He says states and territories are more than happy to assume full responsibility for those services, but must be given the means to fund them.

He'll make the case for his tax plan on Sunday, when premiers and first ministers will meet in Sydney over the federal budget's $80 billion cut to health and education funding.

Mr Newman said he floated the plan with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday, but Mr Abbott was "non-committal". But the Queensland premier says he has early support from some of his counterparts, although he won't say who.

"If the states and territories don't hang together on Sunday they will be hung separately by this federal government," he told reporters on Friday.

"The prime minister has said that we should go on and run schools and hospitals. We're very happy to do that - I certainly am - but we need the revenue coming directly."

The premier stressed he wasn't arguing for an increase in taxes but rather for a certain percentage of taxpayers' money - for example 10 to 20 cents in the dollar - to go directly to the states without federal interference.

"Queensland mums and dads pay their fair share of tax. They deserve a fair share of that funding coming back directly to Queensland so we can run hospitals and schools," Mr Newman said.

He again ruled out endorsing an increase to the GST, saying he wasn't playing the federal government's "game".

"If the prime minister and treasurer expect this state to go and ask for an increase in the GST he's mistaken. We're not going to do that," he said.

Mr Newman said his tax plan would end fighting between federal and state governments and Australians wanted that.

"They want politicians to work this out, to sort out the federation, to make the country work better and I assure people that's what I'm about."

Mr Abbott said he was happy the premiers were thinking about proposals they could put to the federal government, particularly on tax reform and improving the federation.

"What I'm on about is lower, simpler, fairer taxes and I'm on about a federation that works better," he said.

"I'm not interested in picking fights - I'm interested in finding pathways forward."

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Samsung apologises for chemical exposure

SOUTH Korean technology giant Samsung has apologised to employees who say they suffered cancer as a result of chemical exposure in its chip factories.

The world's largest producer of memory chips and mobile phones promised to pay compensation to survivors and relatives, marking an abrupt shift in Samsung's stance on the years-long movement to hold the company to account.

However, a Samsung spokesman said the apology was not an admission of a link between the chemicals used in its chip factories and cancer and other diseases that in many cases led to employee deaths.

"We could have been more diligent in addressing the hardship and sorrow of former employees and the families of the deceased," the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the workers support group, Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry (SHARPS), there have been 193 cases of illness among Samsung employees and those of its subsidiaries, of which 73 died.

Of this number, 146 worked at Samsung Electronics, 57 of whom died as a result.

The news comes several weeks after opposition politician Sim San Jeung, SHARPS and the families of victims urged Samsung to come up with measures to help its workers and prevent such cases in future.

Samsung announced that "in accordance to the proposal, all parties will discuss the set up of an impartial independent mediating group", which, among other things, will determine the amount of compensation.

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Councils push for smoke-free Aust cities

Melbourne's CBD could become smoke-free after a cigarette ban in a laneway was dubbed a success. Source: AAP

A BID to make Melbourne one of the world's first smoke-free CBDs has won some support in other Australian capitals, though even anti-smoking groups say it's unworkable.

It's a concept backed by the lord mayor of the City of Perth, where from June people can be fined $100 for smoking in city malls.

Melbourne City Councillor Richard Foster says after successfully trialling a smoking ban in a CBD lane, The Causeway, six more areas will be banned in the next financial year.

He says the final step would be a smoking ban in the CBD.

"We would be the first smoke-free city in the world," Mr Foster told reporters on Thursday.

"So, this is going to be a great example of how Melbourne can lead ... on wellbeing and on health."

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said it would be impossible to implement.

"I think it's totally unworkable. I think it's totally unreasonable," he told Fairfax Radio.

Quit Victoria and the Heart Foundation say making the CBD smoke-free would be difficult, and a statewide ban on smoking in outdoor and dining and drinking areas would be preferable.

"A total ban on smoking in the CBD may be difficult or impractical to enforce and smoking shelters could create ghettos," Craig Sinclair from Quit Victoria said.

Sydney City Council supports a ban on smoking in its CBD but doesn't have the power to penalise offenders, a spokeswoman said.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore wants the state government to implement smoking bans to ensure they are uniform across all councils, she said.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said the government will take the possibility on board.

"I'm not someone that enjoys running through cigarettes - that's for sure," he told reporters.

The City of Perth became the first West Australian council to ban smoking in major pedestrian areas when its malls went smoke-free last November.

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, who said there was a lot of public support for the ban, wants to ultimately outlaw smoking entirely in the CBD.

Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg wants smoke-free areas such as Brisbane's Queen Street Mall expanded, though he expects he will face resistance.

"We already have among the toughest laws in the country and they will be further strengthened over time, to actually save people and reduce the burden on public health," he told AAP.

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Rudd arrives to front insulation inquiry

FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has arrived at a royal commission to give evidence about his government's disastrous home insulation program.

Mr Rudd walked through the front doors of the Brisbane Magistrates Court complex about 4pm (AEST).

He did not speak to awaiting media.

Mr Rudd is expected to take the stand as soon as former environment minister Peter Garrett finishes giving evidence.

Mr Garrett has accepted "ultimate responsibility" for the Rudd government stimulus program, which has been linked to the deaths of four installers and 224 house fires.

But he insists everyone involved in the scheme had a responsibility to minimise risks and public servants failed to warn him of significant safety flaws.

Former senator Mark Arbib, the first senior Labor figure to give evidence at the inquiry, said his sole responsibility was to sell the program that was rolled out in 2009.

Mr Rudd is expected to be grilled about what warnings he received about the scheme.

He's also likely to be pressed about its rushed introduction, including revelations two public servants were given just two days to secretly cost it.

Mr Rudd will be represented by one of Australia's leading silks at the $20 million inquiry.

Bret Walker SC has represented many high-profile clients, including the Finks motorcycle club and NRL player Greg Bird.

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How to become a thought leader

BEING a 'thought leader' can help accelerate careers and attract customers.

A thought leader is regarded as an authority in their field and is someone whom others follow.

The question is: How do you become one? Especially as it is a title that can only credibly be bestowed by your peers, and not one you can give yourself.

As chief executive of Thought Leadership Lab, Denise Brosseau specialises in helping executives and business owners become thought leaders in their chosen fields and has seen the careers and businesses take off as a consequence.

She focuses on how do you become someone who can move and inspire others with innovative ideas, and turn those ideas into reality.

She says - in her book Ready to Be a Thought Leader: How to Increase Your Influence, Impact, and Success - that to earn the thought leader moniker, it's not enough to simply be good at what you do, or even be the best at what you do.

It also requires originality and reach.

Put another way, the best watchmaker in the land is not necessarily a thought leader, but the person who is advocating for the 100-minute hour and successfully gaining converts to their new time-telling system most definitely is.

Her approach involves a series of steps, all built on the foundation of identifying your arena. She encourages clients to begin their journey by identifying their "intersection point," which is where their interests, expertise, credibility and commitment all line up.

Where to begin: Think about the industry you're in. What are the current standards? And where does your point of view differ from this majority view?

What possibility excites you so much that you would risk offending people in order to spread the word?

What are you already known for? When you Google yourself, what keywords and themes emerge from the results? What do you write, blog, post and tweet about?

Test yourself: Brosseau poses the following as a way of assessing your readiness to move forward on the thought leadership path:

* I can clearly define my niche, the area in which I want to be the recognised, go-to person.

* I have a clear view of the future that I'd like to bring about.

* I focus on big ideas that inspire and engage others.

* I understand the key trends in my industry or field and align my efforts with those trends.

Once you find your driving passion, you're ready for next steps, which include building your platform, codifying your ideas and intellectual property, and passing the baton to others.

Ultimately, successful thought leaders leave behind a legacy of a changed world.

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Change GST to better fund rail: Vic

THE commonwealth could better support Victorian public transport projects by changing the way grants for rail and road are treated under the GST, the state treasurer says.

Michael O'Brien said Victoria missed out on billions due to discrimination in the current arrangements.

"When it comes to GST distributions, commonwealth grants to states for rail are treated very disadvantageously compared to commonwealth grants for roads," Mr O'Brien told a Committee for Economic Development Australia event on Tuesday.

He said Victoria would get about $3 billion in gross grants from the commonwealth for the Regional Rail Link project.

"But because of the way the GST works, the discrimination that applies to rail projects, about $2 billion of that gets distributed to other states," Mr O'Brien said.

"So a $3 billion cheque from the commonwealth turns out to be a $1 billion net benefit to Victoria."

He said the Victorian government had put the case to the federal government that there should be better support for state transport projects.

"A really simple way, that wouldn't cost the federal government a single dollar, (would be) if they could change the discriminatory way rail grants are treated under the GST compared to road grants," Mr O'Brien said.

Mr O'Brien has repeatedly referred to the way the GST is distributed as similar to a Ponzi scheme.

"This is a problem that does need to be fixed," Mr O'Brien said.

He says federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has flagged that the forthcoming federal taxation white paper will deal with GST and GST distribution issues.

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CCA review's main focus on Australia

BEVERAGES and packaged fruit and vegetables supplier Coca-Cola Amatil will focus on its Australian operations as it seeks to return to earnings growth.

Group managing director Alison Watkins says the company remains committed to Indonesia's growing market but is reviewing its investment plans there.

CCA announced in April it was reviewing all its operations after flagging a 15 per cent fall in first half earnings due to weakness in its Australian operations and higher costs in Indonesia.

Ms Watkins, who has been at CCA for 10 weeks after joining the company from grains marketer GrainCorp, said the strategic review was aimed at restoring the company to sustainable earnings growth and attractive shareholder returns.

There were opportunities to lift revenue, improve productivity and cut costs across many parts of the business.

"Our main focus at this stage is Australia, as the most material contributor of earnings to our group," Ms Watkins told shareholders at the company's annual general meeting in Sydney on Tuesday.

CCA remained very positive about the longer-term opportunity for Indonesia despite it being a volatile developing market.

"In response to the current challenges, we are reviewing our longer-term growth and investment plans for Indonesia with our partner, The Coca-Cola Company," Ms Watkins said.

"We remain committed to investing for growth in Indonesia, but we must do this with a view to delivering solid and sustainable returns."

Ms Watkins said CCA needed a stronger portfolio of products outside of carbonated beverages and to improve its position in the sports, energy and water categories.

It had to be more active in assessing opportunities in new, emerging categories. The company had been a bit slow in innovating outside its core franchise over the past few years, she said.

CCA not only needed to re-assess its portfolio of brands, but also make better use of its production and warehousing capability.

Ms Watkins said CCA was actively looking at its operations across Australia, taking into account workplace flexibility and overall costs at each site.

CCA expects to provide a more detailed list of priorities and objectives when it releases its financial results for the first half of the 2014 calendar year in August.

Shares in CCA closed 10 cents higher at $9.23.

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Double budget whammy for NT

THE Northern Territory government has denied it is trying to avoid scrutiny by releasing its budget on the same day as the federal budget on Tuesday.

The Country Liberals' timing of their budget to be released on the same day as Canberra's is unusual, says Opposition Leader and former treasurer Delia Lawrie.

"It occurred last year with the CLP scrambling to avoid scrutiny; they're backing that up by trying to hide under interest in the federal budget again this year," Ms Lawrie told reporters on Monday.

She said she was most concerned about cuts to the public service, education and health service delivery.

"We're hearing about increases to fuel costs coming out of Canberra, which would be a huge hit to territorians already struggling under the weight of hefty power and water bills, and an out-of-touch CLP treasurer who's just taken home ownership even further out of reach of territorians by scrapping the first home owners' grant for people trying to buy into the existing housing market."

The changes to the grant - which has been cut from $12,000 to nothing for those buying existing homes, and increased to $26,000 for those buying new properties - were necessary to stimulate the building sector, said Treasurer Dave Tollner.

He said the NT is never really able to time its budget to have time to factor in federal spending.

"There's still belt-tightening measures in this budget but having said that, there is still sunshine," he said.

"Tough decisions" would help to address the NT's debt and secure a stable future for the children, he said, but the NT is on track to balance the $6 billion budget by 2017/18.

Ms Lawrie accused the government of pork-barrelling to the tune of $80 million in the lead up to last month's Blain by-election, something which Mr Tollner rejected.

"I flatly deny that this government is pork barrelling; we put the money where it's needed and this budget continues that," he said.

He also promised there would be no job cuts "at all" in Tuesday's budget.

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Vic baby killer 'should get life in jail'

Prosecutors say the savage murder of a baby by a Victorian burglar demands a life sentence. Source: AAP

A VICTORIAN man who murdered a 10-month-old baby while committing a burglary should get life in jail for the "evil killing", prosecutors say.

Harley Hicks, 21, of North Bendigo, bashed baby Zayden Veal-Whitting more than 30 times about the face and head with a home-made baton made of copper wire wrapped in tape.

Prosecutor Michelle Williams SC said baby Zayden must have been disturbed by Hicks but posed no real threat to him.

"We consider what he did was an extreme, extreme way to respond to any thought of self-preservation, to react in such a violent way," she told the Victorian Supreme Court, sitting in Bendigo, on Monday.

"It almost has no explanation."

Zayden's mother Casey Veal said she and her older son Xavier would never recover.

"I may stand before you alive and breathing but I'm but a shadow of my former self," she wrote in a victim impact statement read to the court.

"This also has denied Xavier the mother he once knew.

"We both died that day. Xavier lost not only his brother but his true mother."

Ms Williams told Justice Stephen Kaye the prosecution wanted a life sentence with a non-parole period.

"I will repeat that it is an evil killing without any rational explanation, so we will maintain our submission for a life sentence, however we say that it is appropriate for your honour to apply a minimum sentence."

She said a minimum term is consistent with sentences involving the murder of children including that of Robert Farquharson, who drowned his three sons in a car on Father's Day in 2005.

Defence barrister David Gallowes agreed with the gravity of Hicks' crime but said his client's consumption of alcohol, marijuana and ice before it might have contributed to its ferocity.

"There is some prospect of rehabilitation even if the prognosis is poor," Mr Gallowes said.

Ms Williams said Hicks had an extensive criminal record, with nine court appearances before his murder trial dating back to 2007 for crimes including wilful damage, thefts and burglaries.

She said Hicks breached almost all of the orders, including good behaviour bonds and community corrections orders, given to him.

Mr Gallowes said Hicks' parents separated when he was eight and neither offered an appropriate home environment.

Hicks drifted into drug and alcohol abuse and was sexually abused as a teenager, the court heard.

A psychological exam found Hicks had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a conduct disorder and an anti-social personality disorder.

Hicks was found guilty of murder, aggravated burglary and two counts of theft amid a robbery spree in the Bendigo suburb of Long Gully early on June 15, 2012.

Hicks will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.

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Qld girl's abductors known to family

A GROUP of people who abducted a two-year-old girl from her father's house southwest of Brisbane are known to her family.

Bella Rose Goulding was taken from a house at Willowbank, near Ipswich, on Saturday night.

Acting Inspector Alison Jewell said three men and a woman abducted the toddler from the home, where she was temporarily staying.

"We believe that Bella is in the company of people who are known to the family," she told reporters outside Yamanto police station.

"However, we still hold concerns for her safety."

The 8pm abduction occurred on Sancroft Street, which is near a park and the Cunningham Highway.

The girl's father Steven declined to speak publicly on Sunday.

Witnesses saw the abductors in a white Holden Commodore and a silver Mitsubishi sedan.

Bella is described as Caucasian with blue eyes and blonde, curly hair.

Insp Jewell said there weren't any specific child safety issues but declined to say if her mother was among the people who abducted the girl or with whom she lived permanently.

"We are consistently getting information from the public and we're following all those leads," she said.

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Cuts, but Hockey also plans roads and jobs

AFTER weeks of being flayed for the potential nasties in Tuesday's budget, Joe Hockey has tried to cool concerns with a plan to boost jobs.

The treasurer's first budget will contain a six-year road building plan in excess of $80 billion, which Mr Hockey believes will create tens of thousands of jobs and prevent unemployment hitting the 6.25 per cent rate predicted by the previous Labor government.

"We are going to do everything we can to make sure we never get there," he told Channel Nine on Sunday.

He also confirmed that Prime Minister Tony Abbott had written to the Independent Remuneration Tribunal to freeze the salaries of politicians and senior public servants for a year.

It means they'll miss out on a 2.4 per cent increase while also paying a new deficit levy on all high income earners.

"We've got to send a very clear message to the electorate that whatever we are asking the electorate to contribute to the budget repair task, we are going to contribute ourselves as well," Mr Hockey said.

His comments came as a new opinion poll showed Labor being backed by an election-winning 54 per cent of voters, against 46 per cent for the coalition.

People are strongly opposed to key budget measures that include lifting the pension age to 70 and a co-payment for doctor visits.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the quality of health care shouldn't depend on someone's credit card, and he flagged that Labor wouldn't make life easy for the government.

"We see no point in a petrol tax, a GP tax, a hospital tax," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"We think it takes Australia down a very sick and sorry path where some Australians will not get the medical care they need because Tony Abbott is putting pressure on their budgets and on their cost of living."

Government frontbencher Jamie Briggs has conceded it will be a "very difficult" budget to sell to both the general public and to get through the parliament.

"We didn't create this mess but we are going to take the responsibility to fix it," the assistant infrastructure minister told Sky News.

Mr Hockey refuses to accept that initiatives - in what he is calling his "contribute and build" budget - would be breaking an election promise.

Some initiatives include a deficit levy on high income earners and an increased fuel excise but Mr Hockey said: "We never said we were going to never change a tax or alter a tax".

He said if the government went down the road of raising fuel excise, which has been frozen since 2001, the revenue would go into roads.

The commonwealth would contribute in excess of $40 billion to its roads plan, which Mr Hockey said would be matched by the states and the private sector.

He said the budget would be fixed in a structural manner, but at the same time stimulate economic growth and address the significant drop off in mining investment.

"Everything we are doing on Tuesday night is going to be about jobs and about prosperity," Mr Hockey said.

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