Two dead in separate southeast Qld crashes

A motorist and cyclist have died in separate crashes in southeast Queensland, police say. Source: AAP

TWO people have died in separate crashes in southeast Queensland on Saturday morning.

Police say a 35-year-old male driver died when his car smashed into a power pole in the eastern Ipswich suburb of Goodna just before 6am (AEST).

About half an hour later a 21-year-old female cyclist died in a separate crash in the Brisbane suburb of Murarrie.

The woman had been riding with a group of cyclists along Lytton Road when she was involved in a collision with a truck travelling in the same direction, a statement from police said.

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Push to recognise gender change

THE Greens and a Sydney MP are behind a push to ensure married people who undergo a sex change can have their birth certificate altered.

Greens MLC Mehreen Farugi and Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich say current laws do not allow a married person to alter the record of their sex.

It is claimed the law forces a transgender married person to choose between divorce - to allow their gender re-assignment to be recognised - or having an inaccurate birth certificate.

"These offensive provisions have remained in our law for far too long, and for no good reason," Dr Faruqi said in a statement.

Mr Greenwich said the "constitutionally valid" bill was about keeping couples together under law.

The move comes as Sydney celebrates the annual Mardi Gras festival.

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Afghanistan troops welcomed home

AS more than 250 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were officially welcomed home from Afghanistan, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said their effort was worth it.

There are 26 girls' schools in Uruzgan province where there were previously none, he said, doctors and nurses where once there were few, and 200km of sealed roads and bridges where before none existed.

"Yes, it was worth it," Mr Abbott told the troops and their families at an official reception at Darwin's Parliament House on Saturday.

"The price was high, but the cause was great and the success has been sufficient."

Family, friends and the Darwin community were waiting to officially celebrate the ADF personnel, who returned to Australia in December following the completion of Australian operations in Uruzgan province.

Mr Abbott said that, although it was impossible to know what the future held for the people of Afghanistan, "every day you were there was better than it would have been; every day will be better than it would have been because you were there".

He was echoed by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

"You put yourselves at unimaginable risk ... no words that can convey the gratitude of the nation," he said.

Australia's longest war was carried out with the support of both sides of politics, said Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison.

"We are part of the ranks of men and women who have stood the lonely vigil since 1901. We are part of that great narrative of the Australian soldier - that long, lonely column stretching back across more than a century that have worn the slouch hat," he said.

"The cause was legitimate. You kept the faith. You gave all to secure Australia and to give optimism to the future security of the people of Afghanistan."

He also thanked the families of the ADF personnel for tolerating the pressure put on their home life.

"We couldn't function as a defence force without you," he said.

Forty soldiers were killed during operations in Afghanistan, and 261 were wounded.

There are 400 members remaining to provide ongoing training and advisory support for the Afghan National Security Forces.

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Alcohol restrictions to begin in Darwin

DRINKERS in Darwin's CBD will face new restrictions from Friday night.

From this weekend, shots will not be served after 1am, shots with an alcohol content greater than 51 per cent will not be served, and a four-drink limit per patron will be enforced during happy hours and after midnight to prevent stockpiling of drinks.

The NT government has also introduced paperless arrests to process troublemakers quickly.

The regulations were developed by the Australian Hotels Association through the Darwin CBD Liquor Accord, but licensees have only signed up to enforce them on a voluntary basis.

The move comes the same week new anti-social drinking legislation in NSW has come into force, but the NT government insists it is not following in its footsteps.

Earlier lock-out times were rejected by the AHA and Accord members with the government's support.

"We've seen what's going on in other parts of the country, and whilst earlier lock outs might work in places like Newcastle, they've certainly proved a failure in other parts of the country," Minister for Alcohol Policy, Dave Tollner, told reporters in Darwin on Thursday.

"We're not saying that what they're doing in Newcastle is wrong, we're saying the NT doesn't have the same situation."

Mr Tollner said the government was happy to see the industry self-regulating.

"Licensees are the ones with the most to win or to lose with problem drinkers; I think it's absolutely appropriate that licensees are seen as part of the solution," he said.

Businesses who elected not to sign up would be scrutinised to see how the changes would affect their customers, Mr Tollner said.

"Darwin itself doesn't have an alcohol problem, what we have is individuals with alcohol problems, and all these measures (are) cracking down and targeting those individuals who come out and make life difficult for everyone else."

Licensees are expecting business as usual this weekend, says Justin Coleman, spokesman for the AHA NT.

"It will be a small inconvenience for some, but I think people will understand why we've brought these measures in, and I think it will be pretty flawless," he said.

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Ashby wins appeal in Slipper case

PETER Slipper's former staffer James Ashby has won his appeal against a Federal Court decision to throw out his sexual harassment case against the former parliamentary speaker granted.

Federal Court judge, Justice Steven Rares, had dismissed Mr Ashby's case against Mr Slipper as an abuse of process in December 2012.

The full bench of the Federal Court upheld Mr Ashby's appeal on Thursday.

Outside court, Mr Ashby said he had a cry over the decision.

"I'm extremely pleased that the full court has decided to reject and overturn Justice Rares' decision in my case," he said.

"I say this with so much thrill.

"I've always believed the original court decision was wrong. It was unjust and not based on all the facts."

"We will now continue with the legal fight and my chance to obtain justice.

"As you can imagine this has been a long and torturous journey, but I am determined not to give up until my claim has been vindicated."

Asked if his claim was ever politically motivated? Ashby replied: "No, never at all."

"It was about working for the community. That's all I ever wanted to do with that job."

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PM says no blame on Qantas

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott reckons he is not going to make political capital out of a difficult and anxious day for Qantas workers.

But he says it's not the job of government to save business, it's to ensure the "fundamentals" of the economy are strong.

Mr Abbott was responding to a question from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten about what the government would do to help 5000 Qantas workers who are set to lose their jobs.

"The last thing I'm going to do today is to play politics or to try to make capital out of what is a very difficult day," he told parliament on Thursday.

"The fundamental job of government is to ensure that our economy is as strong as possible and that means getting the fundamentals right."

He said no blame should be laid on Qantas management which was "doing its best" to secure a good future for its workers.

"I am right when I say that there will be better days ahead in a stronger economy, when workers can get the jobs they need."

Mr Abbott said the government has been in regular contact with Qantas.

"There are a number of things that Qantas would like and this government is to do what it can for Qantas, consistent with responsible economic management," he said.

"That essentially means that we should ensure that Qantas can compete on a level playing field, we want to ensure that Qantas is not competing against its rivals with a ball and chain around its leg."

But he said the difficulty is what the government does for one business it has to do for others.

Despite the Mr Abbott's vow against playing politics on Qantas, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss blamed the carbon and mining taxes partly for the carrier's woes.

Mr Truss dismissed an accusation by Mr Shorten that the federal government always blamed workers.

He said the carrier had a future but aviation was changing.

Many of the jobs of the past will not be required in the future, Mr Truss said.

"It is simply beyond dispute that Qantas is faced with the difficulty of having to compete with airlines in countries where the wage structure is very different from what it is in Australia," he said.

"That's not the fault of our workers."

Mr Shorten asked Mr Abbott about speculation the government would offer Qantas support for a stand-by facility.

"What will be the implication for Qantas jobs, Qantas share price, Qantas shareholders, if that speculation does not result in action, and when will the government act to support Australia's national airline," he said.

Mr Abbott repeated the need for a "level playing field" for Qantas, a hint at a repeal of the Qantas Sale Act, which imposes foreign ownership restrictions on the carrier.

The government was determined to help Qantas but was wary of "additional assistance" sought by other airlines.

"Why should the government do for one what it's not prepared to do for all, or what is not necessarily available for all," Mr Abbott said.

To help Qantas, the opposition should support the government by agreeing to scrap the carbon tax, he said.

Mr Shorten asked Mr Abbott about ongoing speculation the government would offer Qantas support for a stand-by facility.

"What will be the implication for Qantas jobs, Qantas share price, Qantas shareholders, if that speculation does not result in action? And when will the government act to support Australia's national airline?" he asked.

Mr Abbott repeated the need for a "level playing field" for Qantas, a hint at a repeal of the Qantas Sale Act, which imposes foreign ownership restrictions on the carrier.

The government was determined to help Qantas but was wary of "additional assistance" sought by other airlines.

"Why should the government do for one what it's not prepared to do for all, or what is not necessarily available for all?" Mr Abbott asked.

To help Qantas, the opposition should support the government by agreeing to scrap the carbon tax, he said.

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War veteran anxious for stolen medals

A THIEF who stole eight service medals from an elderly World War II veteran in Canberra is being asked by police to do the right thing and return them.

The 92-year-old man was out for two hours on Monday afternoon when someone stole the medals from his Mawson home.

They include the National Medal, the Australian Service Medal (1939 - 1945), War Medal (1939 - 1945), the Pacific Star, 1939-1945 Star and the Defence Medal.

Police Sergeant Daryl Neil says the medals are of no significant monetary value but the veteran is anxious for their return.

"We would appeal to those responsible to show some compassion ... and help us get these medals back to their rightful owner," Sgt Neit said.

"With Anzac Day celebrations coming up, there's an even greater level of importance attached to recovering these medals."

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Ausdrill secures $300m in Africa contracts

MINING services firm Ausdrill says it has secured more than $300 million in gold contracts in Africa.

Ausdrill, which is one of Australia's largest drilling companies, has signed three separate contracts for varying periods.

The company's subsidiary African Mining Services (AMS) has locked in a $US135 million, 36 month contract with AngloGold Ashanti in Guinea, a $US147 million five year contract with Endeavour Mining in Ghana and an $US18 million 12 month deal with Anglogold Ashanti in Ghana.

The company has also been awarded oil and gas contracts in Australia in the Cooper Basin and the South Georgina Basin.

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Flight Centre lifts 1H profit 21%

FLIGHT Centre has lifted its first half profit more than 20.7 per cent thanks to strong sales growth in both corporate and leisure travel.

The company on Wednesday said it had made a net profit of $110.8 million for the six months to December 31, up from $91.8 million a year ago.

Revenue increased 15 per cent to $1.05 billion during the half, thanks to strong online and in store sales growth in both corporate and leisure travel.

Managing Director Graham Turner said four businesses - Australia, the UK, Singapore and China - had helped the company deliver record first half earnings (EBIT).

But, he added: "The Australian business has, so far, been the key contributor to overall results although we have also seen continued growth in offshore earnings".

Meanwhile, the company continued to expand its store network, with 2,643 stores in operation as of the end of 2013, an 8.2 per cent increase on the previous year. It had created an additional full-time jobs during the year.

Flight Centre said it had also increased in-store productivity and lifted its income margin slightly to 14.1 per cent during the half.

The company said it expects to post a pre-tax profit of between $370 million and $385 million for the full 2013/14 financial year, up between eight and 12 per cent on the underlying 2012/13 result.

"The company sees growth opportunities in all markets and will continue to focus on its seven strategic priorities that lead to what we refer to as our Killer Theme - our evolution from travel agent to world class travel retailer," he said.

Flight Centre announced an fully-franked interim dividend of 55 cents per share, up from 46 cents per share a year ago.

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