AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 22

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 22
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Budget08 Rudd (MELBOURNE)

Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD says labor's 31 billion dollar package of tax cuts will be
delivered in next month's federal budget.

But he's warned a promised second stage of tax reforms depends on future economic conditions.

During last year's election campaign .. Labor promised to reduce the number of income
tax brackets to three .. set at 15 .. 30 and 40 per cent.

However Mr RUDD has told the ABC's 7.30 Report economic factors will determine if tax
brackets will be adjusted.

He says they have always been upfront about this.



Oly08 Flame Hatfield (SYDNEY)

A leading social justice advocate has pulled out of carrying the Olympic torch on Thursday
when it travels through Canberra .. citing human rights concerns.

LIN HATFIELD DODDS .. the ACT Australian of the Year and national director of UnitingCare
Australia .. says it was a difficult decision .. but she will always choose to stand with
the most vulnerable.

Ms HATFIELD's told SBS choosing not to run makes a very clear and unambiguous statement.



Newspoll (MELBOURNE)

A new poll shows opposition Leader BRENDAN NELSON's approval rating has climbed into
double digits.

Newspoll figures published in The Australian show Dr NELSON's personal approval rating
has risen one percentage point to 10 per cent.

It's still well behind Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD whose support dropped by two percentage
points to 71 per cent.



Summit Murray (SYDNEY)

The federal opposition has described the omission of the Murray River crisis from the
top ideas of the 2020 Summit as inconceivable.

The 38-page Initial Summit Report released by the Rudd government detailed the top
ideas generated by the talk-fest last weekend.

Shadow environment minister GREG HUNT says the glaring omission isn't the fault of
the delegates .. but of Water Minister PENNY WONG who didn't take the opportunity to stimulate
discussion on the issue.



Timor Horta (JAKARTA)

East Timor's President is demanding an investigation into how slain rebel leader ALFREDO
REINADO amassed almost one million dollars in an Australian bank account.

Fairfax media revealed on the weekend the joint Darwin Commonwealth Bank account ..

held with Australian woman ANGELITA PIRES .. holds more than 800 thousand dollars.

President JOSE RAMOS HORTA has told ABC radio if they can't find out who gave the money
to REINADO he will take the matter to the United Nations Security Council.



PNG Forum (PORT MORESBY)

The Papua New Guinea government will push for the 360 million dollars in annual AusAID
funding to the Pacific nation to be better spent .. when ministers from Australia and
PNG meet tomorrow.

PNG Foreign Affairs Minister SAM ABAL says the current spending is ineffective .. and
the money would be better spent on infrastructure like roads .. wharves and bridges.

A high-level delegation of Australian ministers .. led by Foreign Minister STEPHEN
SMITH .. fly into the PNG resort town of Madang today for talks with their counterparts.



Mortgage (SYDNEY)

New figures show up to one in five households under mortgage stress will lose their homes.

The findings in the monthly Anatomy of Australian Mortgage Stress .. which is released
on Thursday .. show that about 20 per cent of people who go "into the slippery slide"

of borrowing never get out.

And Fujitsu Consulting .. the firm that compiled the report .. says once you're in
severe stress there's only about a 50-50 chance of getting out.



Smoking (SYDNEY)

Cigarette vending machines could soon be a thing of the past in NSW .. with the state
government looking to introduce Australia's toughest anti-smoking laws.

The Daily Telegraph reports that along with the removal of vending machines .. the
radical anti-smoking package will move cigarettes out of sight in shops and crack down
on underage smokers.

People will no longer be allowed to smoke while driving in cars carrying children ..

and there will be restrictions on underage employees selling cigarettes.



Contracts (MELBOURNE)

Badly behaved patients are being forced to sign good conduct contracts to stay in some
Victorian hospitals.

News Limited newspapers report the Royal Melbourne .. Alfred .. St Vincent's .. Monash
and Western hospitals are using the behaviour contracts in a bid to reduce unacceptable
behaviour.

The newspaper says some of those patients forced to sign the contracts have been seriously ill.

They include a man with a serious heart infection who was forced to leave the Royal
Melbourne Hospital nine days early for breaching his contract .. which banned abusing
staff and using drugs.



Astra (SYDNEY)

ANTONIA KIDMAN's won the favourite female personality at last night's Astra Awards
.. saying it's a sweet end to a sad day because her father's in hospital.

KIDMAN .. the host of From Here to Maternity .. accepted the gong in front of one thousand
guests at the star-studded event at Sydney's Horden Pavilion.

She added she was surprised to win .. but said it's a testament to the show's popularity.



Briefly in other news ..




Dozens of farmers and bureaucrats will today give evidence at a Senate committee hearing
into abolishing the single desk for wheat exports.




The bodies of 20 drowned Haitians have been found around 25km off the coast of Nassau
in the Bahamas.




A military inquiry into the death of an Australian soldier in East Timor will continue
hearings in Brisbane today.




Victorian police have been criticised for providing a motorcycle escort for Canadian
singer K.D. LANG .. so she could appear on a television program.



in Sport ..



LEAGUE RAIDERS (CANBERRA)

BILLY SLATER led the Melbourne Storm to a 23-16 win over the Raiders in the NRL match
in Canberra last night.

The Raiders outplayed the premiers for much of the night but in the 65th minute SLATER
broke through Canberra's line and dashed 30 metres to score under the post and level the
scores at 16-16.



AFL (MELBOURNE)

Melbourne captain DAVID NEITZ has confirmed he will retire at the end of this AFL season
but he is determined to play again.

The Demons will put Neitz on their long-term injury list, meaning he will be out for
at least eight matches as he tries to overcome a persistent neck injury.

NEITZ aggravated the injury early in the second term of Sunday's loss to Carlton.



AFL INJURIES LAKE (MELBOURNE)

The Western Bulldogs insist BRIAN LAKE'S injuries are legitimate, despite ongoing cynicism
from Richmond.

The Bulldogs say LAKE has ongoing back spasms and hip pain and he'll need a test and
medical assessment ahead of Saturday night's AFL match against West Coast at Telstra Dome.

LAKE took a mark late in Sunday's draw against the Tigers, but claimed he could not
take the shot at goal because he was injured.



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