Fairfax scales back job cuts

FAIRFAX Media will push ahead with cuts to its staff but has saved some positions from the firing line.

Staff at Fairfax papers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, walked off the job last month after learning 70 jobs would be axed.

Twenty-five positions were set to go in editorial production, 30 in photography and 15 in the Life Media division.

Fairfax Media confirmed to staff on Monday job losses would occur but the number of cuts had been scaled down.

However, 52 positions are still tipped to go.

Australian Publishing Media managing director Allen Williams said the company had reviewed and carefully considered alternatives put forward by staff and the media union.

In an email to staff, he said there would be 17 full-time equivalent positions made redundant in editorial production.

Thirteen positions would be cut from Life Media, down from 15 cuts foreshadowed last month.

In photographic, eight jobs have been saved with redundancies reduced from 30 to 22.

Photography will retain 28 staff.

"This follows the extensive consultation process undertaken over the past three and a half weeks with staff and MEAA (Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance)," Mr Williams stated.

Two "quality manager roles" in Sydney and Melbourne will be created and desk editor positions will be increased by six.

The voluntary redundancy program starts from Monday.

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Modelling missing on Medicare co-payment

Indigenous health advocates say a proposed Medicare co-payment is breaching human rights. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government did no modelling on how its $7 Medicare co-payment would impact on emergency departments, despite doctors and the states warning patients may inundate hospitals to avoid it.

Doctors groups such as the Australian Medical Association have for months said a GP co-payment would cause some to delay going to the doctor, and could instead drive them into hospital emergency wards.

But health officials have revealed they did not undertake any modelling on whether a co-payment would cause a spike in hospital visits.

Instead they relied on analysis of the introduction of quicker four-hour targets for emergency department visits, which showed the measure did not create the feared "honeypot" for traditional GP clients.

The revelation shocked Greens Senator Richard Di Natale, who said the four-hour access target was "a completely different scenario" to the co-payment.

"You asked if we'd modelled what might occur with the introduction of a co-payment - we haven't done that," deputy health secretary Kerry Flanagan told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra.

May's budget lifted restrictions on hospitals charging patients for GP attendances to address state and territory concerns.

However, most have already ruled out introducing such a payment.

"Some states and territories have already come out and said they're not intending to do that but it is up to the states and territories to make those decisions," Ms Flanagan said.

Earlier on Monday a prominent indigenous health advocate said the Abbott government was breaching human rights with the co-payment.

Julie Tongs, from the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal health service in Canberra, said the charge would have a major impact on the centre.

"Health is a human right. And by doing what they are doing they are taking away that human right," she said.

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Mickelson says he's co-operating with FBI

US golfer Phil Mickelson confirms that FBI agents investigating insider trading approached him. Source: AAP

US golfer Phil Mickelson has confirmed that FBI agents investigating insider trading approached him at a tournament this week.

The winner of five major championships says he has done "absolutely nothing wrong".

A federal official briefed on the investigation has said the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission are analysing trades Mickelson and Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters made involving Clorox at the same time activist investor Carl Icahn was attempting to take over the company.

The official was unauthorised to speak about the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Reports of the investigation appeared in several newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal.

Smiling as he stood before a room packed with reporters and cameras, Mickelson said the investigation had not been a distraction until FBI agents approached him after Thursday's opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

He did not offer any other details, including his relationship with Walters or any stock advice he might have received.

He said it would not affect his preparations for the US Open in two weeks, the only major he lacks for the career Grand Slam.

"It's not going to change the way I carry myself," Mickelson said after an even-par 72 at Muirfield Village left him far behind the leaders.

"Honestly, I've done nothing wrong. I'm not going to walk around any other way."

The federal official told the AP that Mickelson and Walters placed their trades at about the same time in 2011.

Federal investigators are looking into whether Icahn shared information of his takeover attempt of Clorox with Walters, and whether Walters passed that information to Mickelson.

The New York offices of the US Attorney and the FBI declined to comment.

The newspaper reports said federal officials also were examining trades by Mickelson and Walters involving Dean Foods Co in 2012.

After a brief interview, Mickelson stepped outside and signed autographs for about 20 minutes, like it was any other day at a tournament.

Fans were supportive as ever on the golf course, and Mickelson gave away so many golf balls to children that his caddie had to ask a tour official to retrieve more balls from his locker when they reached the turn.

He released a statement early on Saturday.

"I can't really go into much right now, but as I said in my statement, I have done absolutely nothing wrong," Mickelson said.

"And that's why I've been fully co-operating with the FBI agents, and I'm happy to do in the future, too, until this gets resolved."

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Man charged after baby attacked

A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with grievous bodily harm and cruelty after an injured baby was admitted to a Brisbane hospital.

The one-year-old boy was taken to hospital with unspecified injuries, police say.

The man will appear in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Monday.

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SA teen charged over stabbings, assault

A teenager stabbed two men and struck a third in the head in an altercation in Adelaide, police say. Source: AAP

A TEENAGER stabbed two men and struck a third in the head in an altercation in Adelaide, police say.

A large disturbance broke out in Daw Park on Friday night in which three men were assaulted, police say.

Two men were stabbed, suffering minor lacerations, and were taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

A third man suffered a blow to the head but needed no medical treatment.

A 17-year-old youth was arrested soon after.

He was charged with aggravated assault causing harm, affray and resisting police.

Police allege the parties were known to each other.

The youth was refused bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

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Aussie flights hinge on further eruptions

A massive ash cloud from an Indonesian volcano may disrupt aviation in parts of Australia. Source: AAP

THE resumption of flights across northern Australia depends on whether further volcanic eruptions in Indonesia amplify an already huge intercontinental plume of ash, an expert says.

Sangeang Api, a volcano off the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, has erupted three times since Friday afternoon.

The volcano is about 300km east of the eastern tip of Java and about 1200km west-northwest of Darwin.

Flights to and from Darwin International Airport were cancelled on Saturday as the ash cloud spread across the Top End and towards Alice Springs.

The manager of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre at the Bureau of Meteorology in Darwin, Emile Jansons, said the cloud was dispersing as it spread south but the situation could change at any time.

He said there was a "pretty clear" stream of ash from the volcano across the Timor Sea, flowing west of Darwin and southeast to Alice Springs.

"If there is a big eruption in the next six to 12 hours, longer effect is more likely across Australia," he told AAP on Saturday afternoon.

Strong winds within a narrow jet stream had carried the ash at up to 150km/h towards central Australia but the ash was dissipating, he said.

"We're not expecting places like Brisbane or Sydney to be affected at this stage.

"The ash that is west of Darwin will affect Darwin for the next 18 hours, so it looks likely to hang around for a day or so.

"Regional aviation to places like Kununurra and even Derby (in Western Australia) may be affected but in terms of larger international airports only Darwin is affected."

The jet stream will move east over the 24 hours, changing wind direction and helping to further dissipate the ash, unless another large eruption spews more into the air.

The ash near Darwin is in a band between 10km and 15km in the air - the cruising altitude for commercial jet aircraft.

Virginia Sanders, a spokeswoman for Northern Territory Airports, said the Darwin terminal was quiet now.

Some travellers had arrived for flights not knowing services had been cancelled, she said.

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Milne slams ABC, SBS funding 'attack'

GREENS leader Christine Milne has slammed what she says is a federal government attack on the ABC and SBS.

A leaked draft report recommends SBS merge some operations with the ABC to cuts costs.

SBS should also be able to raise more revenue through advertising, the draft efficiency report commissioned by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

Senator Milne says her party will defend both networks against budget cuts.

"(SBS) enhances multiculturalism," she told reporters in Hobart.

"It's actually unique in the world."

Senator Milne accused the government of kowtowing to the Murdoch media empire by making budget cuts to the ABC.

"Getting rid of the Australia Network is something Rupert Murdoch and the Institute of Public Affairs want to do," the Greens leader said.

"But it's not something Australians want to do.

"Australians love the ABC."

One per cent of funding will be cut from each network over four years.

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Vic mine fire health program 'a success'

THE monitoring of firefighters battling a blaze at a Victorian coal mine was the largest health assessment at a fire in the world, and it has been declared a success by the state's fire chief.

Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said 7000 people were assessed during the 45-day fire at the Hazelwood mine and a project of this scale had not occurred anywhere else in the world.

Both CFA firefighters and workers employed by mine operator GDF Suez were hospitalised as a result of the fire.

An inquiry into the fire heard 23 WorkCover claims were lodged as a result of the blaze that started on February 9, meaning less than 0.003 per cent of assessments resulted in a claim.

"I'd say (it was) a very successful operation," Mr Lapsley told the inquiry on Friday.

However, he admitted the CFA should have been better prepared for what was a known risk at mine fires.

A report from a 2006 mine fire said carbon monoxide poisoning was a threat to firefighters and mine workers, yet a CFA plan for improving responses to carbon monoxide risks was never signed-off.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Peter Rozen said it seemed perplexing that a draft CFA operating procedure for dealing with mine fire health issues, dated April 2010, remained a draft for four years before the February 2014 blaze.

"The CFA was firmly on notice about this risk and the importance of having in place adequate protections for firefighters in the event of any future fire," Mr Rozen said.

"On a matter as significant as exposure of its employees to potential carbon monoxide poisoning in doing their job, it's not good enough is it, Mr Lapsley, that this was not a priority for the CFA for four years to implement an (standard operating procedure)."

Mr Lapsley said he accepted that.

"It has been debated within CFA whether it is sufficient to do the job... It is my observation that it should have been signed at an earlier date and published," Mr Lapsley said.

The mine fire shrouded Morwell in smoke and ash, forcing some residents to evacuate.

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Qld cracks down on Uber taxi service

QUEENSLAND has followed in NSW's footsteps by banning start-up taxi company Uber.

The government issued a cease-and-desist notice last week to the web-based driver hire company, which allows non-taxi drivers to offer a taxi service.

Uber's ride-sharing service, which started in Brisbane last month, is limited to licensed drivers aged at least 24 whose vehicle has at least four doors and was made after 2005.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson says the company needs to meet existing taxi service laws, such as driver accreditation and vehicle standards.

"The department is working with Uber to outline what safety regulations it needs to meet in order to operate in Queensland, including driver authorisation, which includes detailed criminal history checks, vehicle standards and taxi licences," he said.

Premier Campbell Newman expressed concern that the service might not be as safe as traditional taxis, and said he wouldn't want his daughters to use it.

"I do have some concerns over the whole thing," the premier said.

"I've got daughters, 19 and 21, I would prefer them catching a cab because I know about all the safeguards, cameras, trained drivers, GPs locations of cabs real-time.

"Yes, [Uber] has safeguards in there as well, but I'd prefer to use a ridgy-didge cab."

Mr Newman had earlier said the government didn't believe in red tape and regulation unless it was absolutely necessary, but later updated his advice following advice from Mr Emerson's office.

Taxi Council Queensland CEO Benjamin Wash said it was only fair Uber complied with existing regulation.

"Companies that do not meet regulatory requirements jeopardise the industry's reputation, put lives at risk and hurt small business people who have invested heavily in meeting the regulations," he said.

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MP shows off home state art

A MYSTERIOUS face stares across Teresa Gambaro's parliamentary office, looming out of a canvas covered in crosshatches.

The character, drawn by Vernon Ah Kee, will greet visitors to the Liberal MP's digs in Parliament House until September as part of her "shamelessly parochial" bid to promote Queensland artists.

Tired of seeing the same artworks from the official collection, Ms Gambaro approached the Institute of Modern Art in her Brisbane electorate.

The result is Officework in Canberra, an exhibition that showcases modern and emerging artists with works changing about every four months.

As the chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee, Ms Gambaro often hosts national and international visitors, who will now get a taste of Queensland's artistic offerings.

The first six works on show have already been a big talking point, her spokesman told AAP.

Ms Gambaro hopes to inspire other politicians to host similar office art exhibitions.

Officework in Canberra will officially open in mid-July.

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