Vic police road toll blitz begins

VICTORIA'S police force is starting a two-month blitz on the state's roads despite tracking towards another record-low road toll.

A total of 197 people have died on the state's road so far this year, compared with 241 at the same time last year.

Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill says while that is currently the record lowest toll, police can't afford to be complacent moving into the holiday season.

"We will have police saturating the roads and concentrating on those behaviours which are known to contribute to road trauma," he said in a statement.

Operation Summer Stay begins on Friday and will see drivers breath-tested, drug-tested and speed checked until January 5 next year.

Police are focusing on speed, impaired driving, fatigue, driver distraction and seatbelt offences during the campaign.

The launch of the operation coincides with a road policing conference opening in Melbourne on Tuesday.

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WesTrac to cut 630 jobs

EARTHMOVING company WesTrac is cutting 630 jobs as the mining investment downturn hits machinery sales.

The cuts will be implemented in the next month as part of a restructure of the business, which is owned by Seven Group.

The changes will cost $13 million, and come in addition to 375 redundancies announced earlier in 2013 year at a cost of $8 million.

The latest staff cuts will be achieved through a combination of redundancies, a reduction in contractors, and natural attrition as a downturn in the mining sector causes a slump in machinery sales.

"WesTrac has implemented a series of efficiency and productivity initiatives over the past twelve months in an effort to streamline its cost base, but these measures alone have not been sufficient in view of continuing challenging market conditions," Seven Group said in a statement.

WesTrac distributes earth moving equipment and has a workforce of around 3,350 in Western Australia, NSW and the ACT.

In August, Seven Group said it expected WesTrac's full year earnings to fall by more than a third due to a slowdown in mining investment, with businesses attached to the struggling NSW coal industry suffering the most.

The group now expects overall full year underlying earnings to be at the lower end of its previous guidance of 30 to 40 per cent below the prior year.

WesTrac would continue to provide services to the mining and construction industries following the restructure, Seven Group said on Tuesday.

Seven Group also owns major stakes in Seven West Media, Prime Media Group and Coates Hire.

The company's shares were down 12 cents, or 1.4 per cent, at $7.60 at 1525 AEDT.

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Miner relationships impact suicides: study

A University study shows relationship problems increases the risk of suicide for male mine workers. Source: AAP

MALE miners with relationship problems are at greater risk of suicide than other men.

A Griffith University study has compared the psychiatric histories and life events among men in mining and other occupations prior to their deaths.

Lead researcher Dr Samara McPhedran says the link between relationship issues and suicide is well known.

However, she says the higher suicide risk relationship strains can cause for miners is a new finding.

"The findings suggest that in terms of addressing possible risk factors for suicide among mining workers, family relationships may be a key issue for many men," Dr McPhedran said in a statement.

"Knowing this may help us to identify and assist miners who are at risk of suicide, as well as point the way to possible industry-specific intervention strategies."

Dr McPhedran said programs that strengthen and support mining family relationships, including support for miners' partners, could help address the issue.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine Australia 1300 789 978

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Melbourne ceremony marks sacrifice of war

THE first recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia says Remembrance Day is an emotional day, and one that deserves respect.

Mark Donaldson, the first Australian to receive the country's highest military honour in 40 years, was among a crowd of 5000 people in Melbourne, including the prime minister, who gathered to mark the 95th year since the end of the First World War.

He says Remembrance Day was "just another day at work" for Australian soldiers stationed overseas, but treated with the same respect as back home.

"For me Remembrance Day is not really about politics - it's a chance for myself and anyone else in Australia to remember what the guys went through," he said.

"In the modern era, and the conflicts that we have been involved in recently, it's a chance for the newer generation of diggers or veterans to be able to remember their mate that they've lost."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott joined attendees at the service at the Shrine of Remembrance, which saw a formal military parade and a minute's silence.

At the service, the RAAF flew past the shrine while Victoria's Governor Alex Chernov led the wreath-laying ceremony, with Mr Abbott laying a wreath along with school students.

Mr Chernov said the day was to remember, honour and thank the armed services who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said it was pleasing to see the involvement of young people at the service.

"We are a free, democratic country today because of the sacrifice of their grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers and mothers over many generations, he said.

War veteran Pete Symes, 54, served for seven months in Afghanistan.

His three cousins also served in Vietnam, along with other family members.

He said Remembrance Day isn't about glorifying war.

"It's about remembering people who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice," Mr Symes said.

Korean War veteran Tom Parkinson read the Ode of Remembrance, with a group of young drummers from Caulfield South Primary School performing to conclude the ceremony.

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Palmer sick ahead of first parliament week

BILLIONAIRE federal MP Clive Palmer could call in sick for his first week of parliament after coming down with a cold.

The eccentric mining magnate failed to front for a scheduled interview with Network Ten's Meet The Press on Sunday morning.

When contacted by AAP for the reason behind his no-show, an ill-sounding Mr Palmer advised he had a cold.

Mr Palmer said he couldn't guarantee he would be in Canberra for his first day of federal parliament on Tuesday, saying he would see a doctor in the meantime.

Asked if he intended to attend every day of parliament over the coming weeks, Mr Palmer replied: "I'll meet my requirements".

Late last month Mr Palmer won the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax after a recount with a final margin of 53 votes, almost eight weeks after the federal election.

New MPs are due to be sworn in at 10.55 (AEDT) on Tuesday.

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Australian among Philippines storm dead

An Australian man, believed to be a former priest, has been killed by a typhoon in the Philippines. Source: AAP

AN Australian man is among the hundreds killed by a super typhoon in the Philippines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed the death of a 50-year-old NSW man in Typhoon Haiyan.

"Consular officials are providing assistance to his family," a DFAT spokesperson said.

It's believed the man was former Australian priest Kevin Lee but DFAT has declined to confirm his identity.

Mr Lee, a whistleblower about child sex abuse in the Catholic church, has been living in the Philippines with his wife.

Officials fear the death toll in the Philippines could reach 10,000 people after Haiyan tore into the eastern islands of Leyte and Samar on Friday.

Sustained winds of around 315km/h made it the strongest typhoon in the world this year and one of the most intense ever to hit land.

The Abbott government has pledged nearly $400,000 worth of emergency aid to devastated communities and says it stands ready to do more.

DFAT says it is monitoring the situation closely.

"We are working with our partners, including in the Philippine government, to obtain more information on the extent of damage caused," the spokesperson said.

Two Australian disaster experts are already on the ground assisting the Philippine government and United Nations to assess needs.

DFAT says Australians concerned for the welfare of family and friends in the region should first attempt to contact them directly.

If unsuccessful, they should call DFAT's 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 or +612 6261 3305.

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Emma Thompson gets Hollywood honour

BRITISH actress Emma Thompson has cemented her place in Hollywood, by adding her hand and shoe prints to the fabled pavement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

The Oscar winner was overcome with emotion at the ceremony on Thursday, recalling a childhood visit to the tourist attraction with her father.

She said, "When I was 14 I came to Hollywood with my dad, who was directing the Norman Conquests, and he brought us here, to the Grauman's, and showed us all the people's hands and feet and the signatures and it was so other-worldly that for me to be here now feels not at all real!"

The 54-year-old was joined by her Saving Mr Banks co-star Tom Hanks at the ceremony and he used the occasion to jokingly try and convince Thompson to give up her British citizenship and become an American.

He quipped, "We wish to convey the following message to Emma - Please Emma, leave England, come here, live with us, live amongst us! Los Angeles and Hollywood needs your sense and sensibility. England, they don't appreciate you like we do."

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Australia ends boat people stand-off

THE Federal Government said today it will take a boatload of asylum-seekers at the centre of a high-seas stand-off with Indonesia.

The ceremony didn't go completely to plan - Thompson took a tumble from an elevated box just as she was about to place her hands in the wet cement, but laughed off the moment and continued chuckling as she was immortalised outside the iconic cinema on Hollywood Boulevard.

And she was more than a little upset about the fact she would have to throw away the designer black shoes she wore to the ceremony, explaining, "They were covered in cement."

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Tighter expense rules don't please all

FEDERAL politicians who lodge ineligible expense claims will be hit in the hip pocket and can be named and shamed in parliament under new guidelines introduced by the government.

But the measures don't go far enough according to some who will be subject to the new rules.

In the wake of an expenses furore which sparked debate about MPs and senators using the public purse to fund travel and accommodation to attend events including weddings and sports events, the government on Saturday tightened the rules.

"They will only be travelling if indeed it is in their capacity as an elected representative or as a minister or a shadow minister," Special Minister of State Michael Ronaldson said while announcing the tightening of parliamentary entitlements.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has revealed he repaid more than $1700 in flights and accommodation claimed for travelling to the weddings of former colleagues Sophie Mirabella and Peter Slipper in 2006, admitting there was a question mark over whether taxpayers should foot the bill for such events.

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Australia ends boat people stand-off

THE Federal Government said today it will take a boatload of asylum-seekers at the centre of a high-seas stand-off with Indonesia.

More than $20,000 has been repaid by politicians in the past month in cases of alleged inaccurate claims.

From January 2014 MPs and senators who are required to repay claims, will be hit with a "significant financial penalty": an additional 25 per cent fine.

"This loading will provide an additional incentive to ensure that care is taken when completing travel claims," Senator Ronaldson said.

However some parliamentarians have called for greater punishment.

"The approach in principle is good but the penalty is way too low," Independent Senator Nick Xenophon told AAP of the government reforms.

"For MPs on $250,000 (a year) this is a micro-deterrent ... it is just too weak."

The South Australian senator wants expense-claim errors to attract a penalty of double the amount being repaid.

The Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt said for the government's reform to be effective, an integrity commissioner and entitlements adviser should be appointed.

"There are always grey areas and without proper oversight and guidance MPs will just be paying fines and nothing will really change," Mr Bandt said.

Senator Ronaldson said parliamentarians and their representatives will be provided with training on the new guidelines which tighten entitlements for MPs, senators, their staff and families.

Repeated slip-ups in expense claims will result in mandatory additional training for the parliamentarian and their administrators.

Mr Abbott said the reforms present an improved system, but admitted they might not be foolproof.

"Is it going to be absolutely perfect? In the end I guess there's always going to be arguments at the margins," he said.

Senior Labor MP Richard Marles said the opposition welcomed the tightening of rules.

"We will obviously look at the detail of what has been proposed, but we welcome the announcement," he said.

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Man in court over 1990 SA murder

A man is to face court over the 1990 murder of a 16-year-old girl in the South Australian outback. Source: AAP

A MAN has appeared in court charged with murdering a 16-year-old girl in the South Australian outback more than two decades ago.

Nikola Novakovich, 42, is charged with murdering Karen Williams, who was last seen in the early hours of August 4, 1990 after spending the night with friends at the Opal Inn and a restaurant in Coober Pedy.

Novakovich, who was arrested on Thursday, appeared briefly in Port Gambier Magistrates Court on Friday when he was remanded in custody.

The matter was adjourned to Port Augusta Magistrates Court on January 20.

Police excavated a number of old mines at Coober Pedy in July, but failed to find her remains.

They will return to the town within weeks to recommence the search.

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Indonesia issues warning on asylum seekers

INDONESIA has warned Australia not to expect to continue to offload asylum seekers on its shores following a mid-ocean stand-off in waters off the coast of Java.

Negotiations between Indonesian and Australian authorities were continuing on Friday in a bid to resolve the impasse more than 24 hours after the boat carrying more than 50 asylum seekers first issued a distress call as it made its way to Christmas Island.

There have been reports from Indonesian officials that as many as 63 people had been transferred from their boat to the Australian Customs vessel, the Ocean Protector, on Friday.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, at his weekly briefing on Friday, denied there was a stand-off between Indonesian and Australian authorities.

"What's important is the people who are the subject of our assistance are all accounted for," Mr Morrison said.

He said he wasn't in the business of offering "micro details" on military matters.

The commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, also refused to provide details about the stand-off.

"I will not comment further in relation to on-water matters," Lieutenant General Campbell said three times, after reporters repeatedly questioned him on the matter.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott defended the government's reluctance to offer details of operations at sea, saying the important thing was to stop the boats.

"The best way to stop the boats is to ensure ... we are not providing a shipping news service for people smugglers," he told reporters in Melbourne.

But Indonesian officials on Friday morning were continuing to resist appeals from Australian authorities to offload the asylum seekers at a port in Java.

A spokesman for Djoko Suyanto, the Indonesian co-ordinating minister for Legal, Political and Security Affairs, said Jakarta was reluctant to accept them because the boat had been in working order when first approached by the Australian navy vessel HMAS Ballarat.

"From what I've been told, the boat was fine and they were not in danger. If that's the case, then we reject it," Agus Barnas told AAP on Friday.

"We don't want Indonesia to be a dumping ground, but we don't want Australia to accuse us of not doing anything. We want to respect Australia.

"At least for the time being we will not accept them."

The fact that Mr Djoko's office was so heavily involved, instead of the national search and rescue agency BASARNAS, also suggests Indonesia was treating the matter as more than simply operational, and that political considerations were playing a part.

The stand-off comes amid rising tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the spying row that has threatened to derail cooperation in various areas, including people smuggling.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa warned earlier this week that "the agreement to exchange information, exchange even intelligence information, in fact, to address the issue of people smuggling" would be reviewed in the wake of the spying allegations.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Friday attempted to play down suggestions of a rift in relations between Jakarta and Canberra, but also refused to provide details of the unfolding drama off Java.

The boat had been bound for Australia when it issued a distress call at about 5.30am on Thursday morning.

Lt Gen Campbell confirmed the vessel first called for help about 43 nautical miles south of Java inside Indonesia's search and rescue zone.

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