Monarchists angry over GG's republic push

PM Tony Abbott says it's appropriate for the governor-general to publicly support gay marriage. Source: AAP

ANGRY constitutional monarchists have called for the governor-general's scalp after she backed the republican movement in a landmark speech.

Quentin Bryce threw her support behind gay marriage and the republican movement while delivering the final ABC Boyer Lecture of the year in Sydney.

She reflected on her hope that "one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation's first head of state".

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy before entering parliament, said it was "more than appropriate" for Ms Bryce to share her personal views as the end of her term approached.

"She did it with grace and style," he told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

"Obviously different people have different views on these subjects."

Australians for Constitutional Monarchy accused Ms Bryce of blotting her record in office by weighing into political debate.

"It will be said she has damaged the institution," the group said in a statement.

"The problem now is that in breaching protocol and convention, Her Excellency has now become a divisive figure."

Ms Bryce's term expires in March.

NSW Liberal MP David Elliott said Ms Bryce should retire immediately for "partaking in a blatantly political debate over the constitution".

"If Quentin Bryce wants to debate policy and legislation she should run for parliament, not use her vice-regal position to pursue her own political agenda," Mr Elliott, who led the 1999 "no republic" campaign, said in a statement.

Australian Republican Movement spokesman Geoff Gallop told reporters in Canberra Ms Bryce had given authentic reflections on her views for the future.

"We don't want her saying things that don't have any meaning attached to them," he said.

"She sees what's happening in the community, she sees the pain, she sees the happiness, she sees Australia from a particular vantage point and we're delighted she's reached this conclusion."

Mr Gallop said her comments may re-energise the movement.

"There's no doubt we've been in lean times," he said.

"The people need to own this cause."

Asked if the popularity of Prince William and his wife Catherine had set back the cause, Mr Gallop said there was no doubt the "celebrity" status of the royal family gave them an entry point to popular consciousness.

"Australia has outgrown our old dependence on Britain for our identity," he said.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Ms Bryce's comments would carry weight with voters of all ages.

"To have the governor-general step forward and say this is something Australians care about, and as the governor-general, she believes that marriage equality is a human right ... it's hugely influential across all voter groups."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has defended his mother-in-law's comments, saying he supports both gay marriage and Australia becoming a republic.

"The governor-general has made a remarkable contribution to our country and she is entitled to express her views," a spokesman for Mr Shorten said.

He's married to Ms Bryce's daughter Chloe.

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Thunderstorm warnings for southern Qld

Top of Bunya Mountains looking west out over the Darling Downs. Things are really brewing up out here today! Picture courtesy: Jeff Higgins / Higgins Storm Chasing Source: Supplied

AFTER Queensland's north coast was battered by severe weather, southern Queensland has now been put on alert for severe thunderstorms, including damaging wind and large hailstones.

11.45am: Southern Queensland has been put on alert for severe thunderstorms.

The weather bureau is predicting storms will roll over Roma, Emerald, St George, Biloela, Blackwater, Baralaba, Springsure, Goondiwindi and Carnarvon National Park in the coming hours.

The earlier warning for the Herbert, Lower Burdekin, Central Coast and Whitsunday districts has been cancelled.

A Department of Community Safety spokeswoman said the State Emergency Service received about six calls for help after the rain event that hit the Bowen Basin overnight.

Bowen certainly has copped some rain!! Thankfully tide was out bit still water is still through some houses and cars. Picture: Tash Edwards

Emergency services were also called out to three swift water rescues, but passengers in the vehicles were able to pull themselves to safety.

No injuries were reported to paramedics.
 

10.30am: The Bureau of Meteorology has issued another warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and flash flooding during the next couple of hours.

North Queensland's Bowen copped a heavenly dumping last night – with up to 274mm of rainfall in just over an hour.

Bowen certainly has copped some rain!! Thankfully tide was out bit still water is still through some houses and cars. Picture: Tash Edwards

The tropical downpour caused some flash flooding on roads but Bowen councillor Dave Clark said it was welcome relief after an extended dry spell.

The weather bureau said the rainfall was "significant" and very localised over Bowen, 274mm, and Hamilton Island, 236mm.

There were no damaging winds, and flash flooding was confined to the coastal areas.

Meteorologist Michael Knepp said the rainfall totals were not unusual for that tropical part of the state at this time of year.

Bowen certainly has copped some rain!! Thankfully tide was out bit still water is still through some houses and cars. Picture: Tash Edwards

"We are heading into that time of year when you can get rainfall totals like this," said Mr Knepp.

"It's not rare, you can get totals like this overnight."

Most of the rain over Hamilton Island fell between 11.30pm and 2am.

Cr Clark said the area had missed out on the usual winter rains and had been very dry.

"It's been really, really dry; quite depressing really," said Cr Clark.

"Everyone was happy with the rain. It was probably too much too quick but you can't have everything."

Jade Meredith, of Bowen, said she emptied about 300mL out of her rain gauge at 6am.

"It's already half full again," she said.

Rebecca Edwards described an overnight thunderstorm as "awesome".

"First lot of rain thunder and lightning I (have) seen since moving to Cannonvale," she said.

"I've been here seven months."

The Bruce Highway is cut in parts due to flash flooding.

Local police have also advised Argyle Rd, Park Rd and Queens Rd are shut.

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Firearm bans for gang members

EIGHT men associated with the Brothers 4 Life crime gang have been served with firearm prohibition orders by NSW police.

The men were issued with the orders on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the number of people served with such orders in NSW to 109.

Of those, 52 have been issued since the beginning of November, when a new law came into force.

NSW police have targeted the Brothers 4 Life gang in recent weeks following a wave of shootings in Sydney, with five gang members arrested earlier this month for a shooting at Bankstown on November 7.

Another Brothers 4 Life associate was arrested at Sydney Airport on Sunday over a shooting at Rydalmere in May.

The big rise in firearm ban orders follows the NSW parliament's passing of the Firearms and Criminal Groups Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 on November 1.

The law decrees that anyone served with a firearm prohibition order is banned from acquiring, possessing or using a firearm or ammunition.

Police also no longer need a warrant to stop and search people who have been issued with a firearm prohibition order.

Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas said more orders would be issued in coming months.

"Getting illegal guns, and the criminals who use them, out of our communities remains the NSW police force's number one priority," he said.

"If you're a criminal involved in gun crime, you can expect a knock on the door very, very soon."

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Future uncertain for Arctic protester

THE future for a New Zealand man detained in Russia over a Greenpeace Arctic protest remains uncertain despite his release on bail, his partner says.

Jonathan Beauchamp, who lives in Adelaide, was among 10 activists released on Thursday.

Their freedom came after Greenpeace posted bail of two million rubles ($A66,000) each.

Beauchamp's partner, Tania Purtle, said his release came as a relief, but with charges remaining, they were experiencing "an uncertain future".

"Obviously the whole experience has been very hard for Jon and I," she said in a statement on Friday.

The Greenpeace activists were taken into custody in September after some scaled a state-owned oil platform.

Fifteen remain in custody waiting to be released on bail while one, Australian radio operator Colin Russell, has been refused bail.

After treating the 30 crew members harshly on their arrest, Russian authorities have reduced their charges from piracy to hooliganism.

Ms Purtle said she felt for Mr Russell and his family, who she had grown to know over the past two months.

"I hope that before long Jon, Colin and all the Arctic 30 are home with their loved ones where they belong," she said.

Australia's ambassador to Russia, Paul Myler, wrote on Twitter that he visited Mr Russell on Thursday and the activist was "in good spirits and confident his appeal will be successful".

Mr Myler said Russian officials had suggested to him that Mr Russell could have been denied bail simply because he was the first activist in court.

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Packer's casino licence a step closer

JAMES Packer's new Sydney casino is one step closer after legislation for the project's licence passed the NSW upper house.

The controversial $1.3 billion project at Barangaroo, on Sydney Harbour, requires a special licence.

Expected to be open for business from November 2019, the city's second casino will only admit invited VIP gamblers and guests, with high minimum bets and no poker machines.

The bill received bipartisan support but there has been disquiet from independents and the Greens.

In parliament on Wednesday, Greens MP John Kaye tried to move a number of amendments, including one to erase a clause that says the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority can only amend licence conditions with the agreement of Mr Packer.

Mr Kaye said the clause shifted power from the independent body back into the hands of the casino.

"Keeping the regulatory authority with the capacity to hold conditions over the licence is an essential ingredient ... of maintaining some degree of discipline over that casino," he told parliament.

But his efforts failed with the bill passing the upper house 27 votes to seven.

Premier Barry O'Farrell announced his support for the development earlier this month, saying it would attract international tourists to Sydney.

The agreement guarantees total licence fees and gaming tax payments of at least $1 billion to the NSW government over its first 15 years.

Independent MP Alex Greenwich has previously urged the government not to rush through the legislation, saying it should allow time for community consultation and input from crime and welfare experts.

"Twenty-five dollar roulette tables do not attract high rolling 'whales'," he said earlier this month, arguing that planned multi-player gaming terminals are just "dressed up poker machines".

University of Sydney problem gambling expert, Dr Chris Hunt, told AAP the government should consult experts and others about the casino's potential social impacts.

"They're taking the casino operator at their word which I think is a very dangerous precedent," he said.

Dr Hunt also said high minimum bets and a 24-hour "cooling off" membership period wouldn't stop problem gamblers from betting at Barangaroo.

"Wherever you have a casino there's going to be problem gambling and for him (Packer) to say 'we've designed it for high rollers' is being disingenuous," he said.

Mr O'Farrell said Crown still needs to get statutory approvals before the project is finally approved.

The processes by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority will include an "opportunity for public input".

But there seems little doubt that Barangaroo will house Mr Packer's casino.

"Passage of the legislation ... brings closer the investment of $1.3 billion to develop a high quality tourism resort, combining world class accommodation, premier tourist activities and a highly regulated members-only gaming facility," Mr O'Farrell said.

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Gettysburg speech marks 150th anniversary

THE Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln's undying call for a "new birth of freedom" at the bloody turning point of the US Civil War, turned 150 years old, even as the union he fought to preserve quarrels bitterly over the role of government.

Thousands of people bundled up against the autumn chill - some in Civil War era uniform - crowded into the Soldiers' National Cemetery on Tuesday where Lincoln delivered the 272 words that became one of the most revered speeches in US history.

"This is a dream come true for me," said Walter Whitten, a retired African American veteran who travelled from Hawaii with his wife Debra for the ceremony. "This is something I waited many, many years for."

Not far from the simple headstones marking the graves of soldiers who fell in the battle of Gettysburg, tourists, Civil War buffs, members of Congress, a Supreme Court justice and other dignitaries listened to speeches, hymns, prayers and a re-enactment of Lincoln's restrained, eloquent remarks on an emancipated America.

The crowd burst into cheers and applause when 21 new US citizens were sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Embroiled in a fight to save his signature health reform, Barack Obama, the country's first African American president, stayed away from the ceremony but a taped message from him was played to the new citizens.

Later on Tuesday, the White House released the text of an essay handwritten by Obama for the Lincoln Presidential Library, in which he reflected on the momentous nature of his political hero's speech.

"...Lincoln's words give us confidence that whatever trials await us, this nation and the freedom we cherish can, and shall, prevail," Obama wrote in the essay.

But the true star of the day was Lincoln.

In his speech, which lasted a little more than two minutes, he succeeded in promoting the values of freedom, equality and democracy, less than a year after the emancipation of the slaves.

He pledged that "this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth".

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here," Lincoln said of the Union dead.

By the next day, versions of the speech appeared in the major northern newspapers, and commentators hailed it as a work of genius, Reidy said.

Today, the speech is memorised by schoolchildren and savoured by historians for its classical allusions and subtlety.

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Cop used 'secret camera' to film people

A NSW police officer has been charged with filming people using a secret camera in his bathroom.

A visitor to the home at Inverell, in northern NSW, alerted police in August after allegedly finding the camera.

Police say officers searched the home and seized a laptop.

The general duties constable, from the northwest metropolitan region, was issued with a court attendance notice on Monday for the offences of installing a device to film and attempting to film a person without consent.

He will appear in Hornsby Local Court on January 15.

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Court appearance bittersweet, says wife

A Russian court has extended the pre-trial detention of Aussie Greenpeace activist Colin Russell. Source: AAP

THE wife of a Greenpeace activist detained in Russia has described watching him appear in court as "bittersweet".

A Russian court extended the pre-trial detention of Arctic 30 protester Colin Russell by three months on Monday, denying a request for bail or house arrest.

He has already spent two months in jail.

Christine Russell said watching proceedings in St Petersburg's Primorsky Court had been "pretty tough, bittersweet".

"Sweet in that we were able to watch a live stream of Colin's proceedings taking place ... because we haven't had a lot of contact with him," she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"Good to be able to hear that he's still got his sense of humour ... that seems to be holding him up through this absurd circus that's going on with these ridiculous charges."

The 59-year-old Tasmanian is one of 30 Arctic Sunrise crew members facing charges of piracy and hooliganism after being arrested by Russian authorities in September.

The so-called Arctic 30 had been protesting drilling in the Arctic, and were detained after two activists tried to scale a state-owned oil platform.

Describing her husband as looking haggard, incredibly tired and having lost a lot of weight, a visibly upset Mrs Russell said "he obviously doesn't look like the Col that I know".

She again called on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Tony Abbott to intervene directly with Russian authorities, saying she was disappointed with the level of representation so far.

"Colin needs all the support from the Australian government," she said.

In comments released by Greenpeace, Mr Russell told the court: "I haven't done anything wrong.

"I don't understand the reasons why I've been detained. I've done two months hard time for nothing. I've done nothing wrong."

Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt called for the prime minister to intervene, saying the government needed to increase its diplomatic efforts.

Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie said Mr Russell's continued detention was a "bitter blow" that made federal government intervention "all the more pressing".

"The British prime minister and German chancellor have already spoken to the Russian president to express their concerns with the continued detention of the Greenpeace activists and it is beyond time for Tony Abbott to do the same," Mr Wilkie said in a statement.

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Masked men in northern NSW home invasion

THREE people are in hospital after masked offenders in camouflage clothing forced their way into a northern NSW home and bashed and robbed them.

Police were called to the home at Richmond Hill, near Lismore, early on Sunday morning after reports of a home invasion.

Police say three men entered the home and assaulted two men, aged 74 and 49, and a 55-year-old woman.

All three sustained serious facial and head injuries.

Police could not confirm the relationship between the three.

An Ambulance Service of NSW spokeswoman said one man had a large laceration to the back of his head.

All three were taken to Lismore Base Hospital for treatment.

The alleged offenders wore camouflage clothing, sported black masks and were about 183cm tall, police say.

Police were told the men stole property from the home before stealing the 49-year-old man's white Holden Commodore sedan.

The car, with the registration TBA699, was last seen driving west on Ballina Road after 1am (AEDT) on Sunday.

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Study debunks cerebral palsy birth theory

AUSTRALIAN scientists appear to have disproved a theory that a caesarean delivery protects children from cerebral palsy.

Their study of more than 1.5 million births shows no link between the mode of delivery and the number of children born with the condition.

The findings, to be published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, show the risk of cerebral palsy is not lowered by either elective caesarean or emergency caesarean during labour.

"The causes of cerebral palsy must lie elsewhere," said lead author Dr Michael O'Callaghan of the University of Adelaide's Australian collaborative cerebral palsy research group.

"For over a century it was assumed, without good evidence, that most cases of cerebral palsy were due to low oxygen levels or trauma at birth," said the university's Professor Alastair MacLennan, who led the research.

Caesarean rates had increased from five per cent to 33 per cent in Australia and in many other countries of the past 40 years, but cerebral palsy cases remained static at just over two per 1000 births.

He said the findings were important to health professionals. They were also legally significant because it had been argued that early caesarean delivery could prevent the condition.

"We now need to focus our efforts on finding the antenatal causes of cerebral palsy, which may include genetic vulnerability and environmental triggers such as infection."

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Eminem atop the ARIA charts

US rapper Eminem has claimed No.1 spot on both the ARIA singles and albums charts. Source: AAP

EMINEM has scored the ARIA double with the US rapper sitting atop both the singles and albums charts.

Eminem's duet with Rihanna, The Monster, has climbed one spot to be the No.1 song in Australia this week.

The feat gives both artists their eighth chart-topping single in Australia.

Katy Perry's Roar is back up one place to No.2, spending its 14th week within the top 3.

Last week's No.1 Borrow My Heart from X Factor runner-up Taylor Henderson is down to No.3 this week.

Hey Brother by Avicii bounces back to No.4, and also up three places are Pitbull and Ke$ha with Timber at No.5.

Australian band Justice Crew have moved up to No.6 with Everybody, while X Factor winner Dami Im is down three places to No.7 with her debut single Alive.

The remixed version of Lana Del Ray's Young and Beautiful is up three places to a new peak of No.8, while Nathaniel has dropped four places to No.9 with You.

I See Fire, Ed Sheeran's first new single for 2013, rounds out the top 10.

On the ARIA albums chart, Eminem holds the top spot with his new record The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

With Eminem holding the top spot, Lady Gaga enters the chart at No.2 with her third album Artpop. Gaga's only album to make its debut at No.1 was Born This Way.

Katy Perry is down a place to No.3 with Prism.

New at No.4 is Illy with his fourth album Cinematic.

Neil Finn and Paul Kelly collaboration's Goin' Your Way sits at No.5, followed by Lorde's Pure Heroine at No.6.

At No.7 is the self-titled album for Flume, which has been repackaged ahead of his multiple ARIA Award nominations.

James Blunt's Moon Landing is down three places to No.8 and Tina Arena is down two spots to No.10 with her album Reset.

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Grylls steps down as WA Nationals leader

Brendon Grylls has confirmed he will step down from the WA National party leadership. Source: AAP

THE National Party in WA is looking for a new leader, and Premier Colin Barnett is searching for another minister, after Brendon Grylls quit as head of the party and from cabinet.

Mr Grylls is believed to have chosen family over the forefront of state politics, eight months after winning the biggest gamble of his career by successfully switching from a safe Wheatbelt seat.

The 40-year-old won in the Pilbara with more than 60 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.

But the stresses of leadership and ministerial responsibilities are understood to have convinced Mr Grylls to move to the backbench.

As the 2008 kingmaker of the Barnett government bows out, likely successor Terry Redman would not speculate on whether he would take over.

"The National Party is going through a transition of leadership at the moment, and what that triggers is a whole load of processes. But I am not going to speculate on what might fall out of that process."

Mr Grylls said in a statement on Sunday he wanted to "confirm his intention to step down from the National Party leadership and the ministry in the coming weeks."

He will also quit as WA's minister for regional development.

The party said Mr Grylls would on Monday make public his reasons for quitting.

Mr Grylls has three young children, and had previously admitted he almost retired from politics earlier because of the pressure of the spotlight.

Never was that felt more than in 2008, when Mr Grylls was cast in the role of kingmaker as the WA electorate failed to split Labor and Liberals.

The Nationals' Royalties for Regions plan - which demanded 25 per cent of mineral royalty payments be set aside for regional areas - was Mr Grylls' trump card.

And while both Mr Barnett and rival Alan Carpenter agreed to the deal, the Nationals sided with the Liberals, and Mr Grylls became the state's minister for regional development.

In the most recent financial year, the Royalties for Regions fund reached $1.12 billion, allocated across the state into schemes including hospital upgrades, restoration of sports clubs and parks, affordable housing and the Ord River expansion project.

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