Murdered man's car found on Gold Coast

A MISSING car belonging to a suspected murder victim has been found on the Gold Coast.

SHAUN Barker was reported missing by his family in January, having last been seen at a service station in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach on December 10.

Forestry workers found a skull off Cooloola Coast Road in Tin Can Bay - about 300km north of the Sunshine Coast - on April 10 and forensic examinations identified it as Mr Barker's.Police announced on Saturday they have since made a breakthrough in the case, finding Mr Barker's missing vehicle.After a tip-off, it was found during a foot search on a track at Pacific Pines, about 20km from where he was last seen.Investigations are continuing and police are appealing for information about Mr Barker's movements around December 10.

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US and NZ unite in climate change fight

Barack Obama has praised NZ PM John Key as a key ally in his efforts to tackle climate change. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama has praised New Zealand Prime Minister John Key as a key ally in his crusade to tackle climate change.

WHILE Australia may have dropped off as a partner with the election of Tony Abbott as prime minister, Obama says the US and New Zealand will work closely together ahead of next year's climate change conference in Paris where the world's first global agreement could be hammered out.

The Kiwi prime minister visited the White House on Friday, a little over a week after Abbott met the president in the Oval Office.Obama and Key were so cosy the president announced he'd visit New Zealand, possibly later this year."I would love to come to New Zealand because I hear it is really nice," Obama said."I know the people are nice because I've had a chance to meet them."We are going to be working with my schedule to see what I can come up with if not this year but certainly before the end of my presidency."Obama and Key discussed a range of issues, including the ongoing negotiations for the 12-nation trade Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), North Korea, China and the world economy.On the environment, Obama said the two nations would robustly work together ahead of Paris."We had a good conversation about climate change where New Zealand has been an excellent partner with us and other economies recognising that this is a threat that none of us can solve individually and we are going to have to work on together," Obama said."So we discussed our plans for putting forward robust action in 2015 with the upcoming Paris conference."Key made headlines at a US Chamber of Commerce event in Washington DC on Thursday when he said Japan should be cut out of the TPP trade talks if it doesn't open up its markets to more farm imports.Other potential TPP members are Australia, Canada, Peru, Malaysia, Singapore, Chile, Brunei, Vietnam and Mexico.Obama had made a deadline for the TPP to be negotiated by the end of 2013, but now he hopes to have a deal close to being signed in November."We discussed a timeline where by before the end of the year we are able to get a document that can create jobs both in New Zealand and the United States and the other countries that are participating and expand wealth for all parties concerned," Obama said."Our hope is by the time we see each other again in November, when I travel to Asia, we should have something that we have consulted with Congress about, that the public can take a look at and we can make a forceable argument to go ahead and close the deal."But, we have a lot of work to do between now and then."Key was also upbeat."New Zealand and the United States have been the two partners, I think, in the Trans Pacific Partnership who have always believed in a high-quality, comprehensive deal," Key said."I think that can be achieved."There's more work to be done, but the prize at the end of those negotiations is well worth it for both of our economies and the other 10 partners that will join us."

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Great white shark numbers are surging

Great white shark numbers are surging in the western North Atlantic, a study shows. Source: AAP

GREAT white shark numbers are surging in the western North Atlantic after decades of decline.

A NEW study by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists says great white abundance in the area has climbed since about 2000.

The scientists report the shark's growing numbers are due to conservation efforts and greater availability of prey.The Journal PLOS ONE published the study on Friday.It adds recent unpublished data to previously published records to create a dataset of 649 confirmed white shark sightings from 1800 to 2010.Study author Cami McCandless says the data reveal "the species appears to be recovering".The reports says white shark abundance in the western North Atlantic collapsed in the 1970s and '80s and is now down more than 30 per cent from its historical high estimate in 1961.

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Aussie food growers hurt by poor labelling

Misleading labels on supermarket shelves are hurting Australian food manufacturers, inquiry told. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN food growers and producers are being hurt by confusing food labelling crowding supermarket shelves, an inquiry has heard.

REPRESENTATIVES from SPC Ardmona, which sources 97 per cent of its produce from Australian growers, say consumers want to buy locally grown and processed foods but unclear or misleading labelling is making it difficult.

SPC's sales jumped after reports that the company's future was under threat put its Victorian cannery workers on the front page of newspapers, an inquiry into food labelling heard on Friday.But the company says increasingly complicated chains of production were difficult to represent simply on food packaging, to the detriment of genuine local producers."'Australian Made', it just doesn't mean anything to people any more," SPC strategy manager Shalini Valecha told the hearing in Melbourne.SPC sales manager Steve Mickan said those who wanted to make choices based on their food's country of origin faced a sea of labels, including "Product of Australia", "Proudly Australian" and "Manufactured in Australia"."Most people and consumers want to know where their food is manufactured," Mr Mickan said."Consumers are being misled by the use of iconic Australian symbols and images that give consumers a false impression a product is Australian when in fact it's not."Australian Manufacturing Workers Union division secretary Tom Hale said the value of locally made and produced food was so potent, the publicity surrounding SPC prompted major supermarkets to emphasise their local credentials in their advertising."Woolworths and Coles, particularly since SPC, have been making a big deal about the fact 'we sell Australian products'," Mr Hale said."The labelling gives these manufacturers who are genuinely producing in Australia an advantage in the marketplace."He said those that weren't using Australian labour and produce shouldn't be given that advantage.The House of Representatives standing committee on agriculture and industry is investigating country-of-origin food labelling.Mr Hale said SPC sales had jumped by as much as 50 per cent after the publicity surrounding the threat to local jobs.The company confirmed sales growth."We've seen categories that were either in decline or static go into growth and in some retailers significant growth," Mr Mickan said.

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Doctors overlooking post-op delirium

Doctors are regularly failing to recognise bouts of delirium after patients undergo anaesthesia. Source: AAP

DOCTORS are regularly failing to recognise bouts of delirium after patients undergo anaesthesia, an intensive care physician warns.

PROFESSOR Yahya Shehabi will tell an Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists meeting in Sydney on Saturday that disordered and erratic thoughts, behavioural changes and self-harm go unrecognised despite potentially signalling other health problems.

Prof Shehabi said awareness of post-anaesthetic delirium was "a new comer to critical care" and better tools were needed to treat it, given it's associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, accelerated dementia and death.Post-operative delirium occurs in one in five patients, but medical staff don't know how to diagnose an episode, which could last from hours to days, he said."For every day delirium occurs there is 35 days of impaired cognitive and executive function - people are unable to go back to their normal work," Prof Shehabi said in a statement."Post-operative delirium is not a benign phenomenon - it is a serious and malignant complication that heralds the onset of acute brain dysfunction."Prof Shehabi said said delirium was likely caused by several factors, including age, complex surgery, concurrent infection and the depth of anaesthesia.

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Guns, snakes, drugs found at Rebels' homes

Guns, snakes and drugs have been seized in Sydney's west as police target an outlaw bikie gang. Source: AAP

GUNS, snakes and drugs have been seized in Sydney's west as police target an outlaw bikie gang.

FOUR men were also arrested as Strike Force Raptor continued its investigation into the Rebels motorcycle gang, police say.

On Thursday morning, a 47-year-old life member of the Rebels was arrested in Macquarie Fields.He was charged with 16 offences including commercial drug supply, ongoing drug supply and possession of a knife in a public place.The man's arrest lead to four properties being searched - two in Macquarie Fields, one in Minto and another in Raby, police say.Weapons, ammunition, pythons and drugs were found at the several of the properties.Three Rebels associates, aged 33, 41 and 49, were arrested and charged with offences including possess drug and possess protected fauna.All four men will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Friday.Police say a 64-year-old Rebels associate, who lives at the Raby property, will be issued with a Court Attendance Notice for firearm and weapon offences.

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Psychiatric drugs soar among Aussie kids

THE use of powerful psychiatric drugs is soaring among Australian children as young as 10, research shows.

THE number of prescriptions for antipsychotic drugs jumped 49 per cent among 10 to 14 year olds over a four-year period, according to a study of government subsidised prescriptions.

The number of prescriptions for antidepressants increased by more than a third in that age group, according to figures for 2009 to 2012 published in the latest issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.Among people of all age groups, the study shows a 26 per cent increase in ADHD medication, a 23 per cent increase in antipsychotics and a 16 per cent increase in antidepressants.There has been a 35 per cent jump in the use of the ADHD medication Ritalin.Part of the reason for this is an increase in the number of teenagers and adults using the medication.The study shows ADHD medication increased 71 per cent for 20 to 24 year olds and 37 per cent for people aged 25 and older.The rise was 26 per cent for children aged three to nine, 15 per cent for 10 to 14 year olds, 33 per cent for 15 to 19 year olds.Research leader Professor Iain McGregor called for a discussion about whether the benefits of medication outweigh the hazards, particularly in children and in those suffering mild to moderate distress."We need to have a national debate about what is driving this phenomenon."Why are we so reliant on meds for our mental wellbeing?"Clinical Psychologist Andrew Fuller described the study as "massively" concerning, but not surprising."We seem to have a growing proportion of young people showing signs of vulnerability in terms of mental health issues.Some of the prescriptions could be partly because of the agitation of the patient or their parent, or anxiety of the doctor who wants to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, he says."Often the medication is seen as the solution. ADHD medication is highly prescribed, but sadly very rarely given together with other forms of treatment."For depression, talk therapy is very powerful. So is exercise or meditation techniques."These could be used on their own or together with medication, he says. But they take longer than medication to kick in.

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Infratil selling Australian business

ENERGY, airport and transport investor Infratil says it has provided interested parties with a confidential information memorandum on its Infratil Energy Australia (IEA) business.

THE Wellington-based investor, which is managed by Morrison & Co, expects indicative offers for the assets by mid-July.

It flagged, with its results in May, that it had started a review of the Lumo and Direct Connect Australia units of IEA to determine whether to sell the businesses.Earnings at IEA fell to $78 million in the year ended March 31, from $97.7m a year earlier, with the decline inflated in the company's books by the effect of translating earnings back into a strong kiwi dollar.

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Vic Libs deny pre-poll talks with Rise Up

THE Liberals have not held preference discussions with the hard-right Rise Up Australia Party ahead of Victoria's election, a government minister says.

PASTOR Danny Nalliah, who leads the Christian Rise Up party, says he spoke to a Liberal candidate representing the party executive about preferences in the lead up to the November 29 poll.

His party plans to run lower house candidates in all marginal seats and two candidates for each upper house district."We had a discussion on the 6th June, we spoke on a few things," Mr Nalliah told Fairfax Radio on Thursday."(Preferences) will go to the person who will ideally stand with the values we stand for as Rise Up Australia Party ... to keep Australia Australian."We as a party very much oppose the concept of multiculturalism and we want to see an Australia which is multi-ethnic."Mr Nalliah, whose party wants to ban the Islamic face veil and has been critical of former prime minister Julia Gillard for living in sin, has also suggested the Black Saturday fires were caused by weakened abortion laws.Minister for Planning and Multicultural Affairs Matthew Guy says the only people authorised to determine preferences are the Liberal Party state president and director."I'm advised they haven't had any discussions coming into this election," he told reporters on Thursday."Obviously there are elements in their platform that certainly concern me as multicultural affairs minister."

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Govt to model impact of petrol tax

The Abbott government is facing internal questions about the return of regular petrol tax hikes. Source: AAP

THE federal government is to model the impact of fuel tax rises after concerns were raised in the coalition party room.

FUEL excise indexation is due to resume in August, following a decision made in the May federal budget.

Coalition MPs on Tuesday approved four pieces of legislation to allow it to go ahead.The laws will soon go to parliament for approval.Treasurer Joe Hockey was asked at Tuesday's meeting of the Nationals and Liberals in Canberra whether he could get his department to model what impact it would have on people in rural and regional areas.Another MP told the meeting it was important that the government clarify the main reason behind the tax change, which is to boost spending on roads.Mr Hockey said he would have the modelling done.Prime Minister Tony Abbott told the meeting that every measure in the budget was necessary, justifiable and important.He said the government's job was to be firm, stick together and stay the course.All the Labor opposition was offering was a "long despairing screech", he said.Facing criticism from the local government sector over budget cuts, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told the meeting every level of government needed to bear its share of the burden.Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the Labor Party had actively undermined the national interest by being critical of the prime minister's visit to North America.The Liberal Party will put forward Stephen Parry as its nominee to replace John Hogg as Senate president in July.Senator David Bushby will be chief Senate whip, while Senator Anne Ruston and Senator David Fawcett will be deputy whips.

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Vic premier encourages early Shaw apology

VICTORIAN Premier Denis Napthine is encouraging rogue MP Geoff Shaw to offer an early apology for misusing his entitlements.

THE balance-of-power MP has been ordered to apologise to the parliament by September 2 for misusing his parliamentary car and entitlements.

"I encourage him to apologise earlier than that," Dr Napthine told reporters on Tuesday."A general apology and then a specific apology in the parliament, I think, would be the appropriate thing."Last Friday, Mr Shaw apologised during a comedy show, just days after he was suspended from parliament and told to apologise and repay more than $6800.Dr Napthine says he has not spoken to the Frankston MP and has no plans to."He's done the wrong thing and he should show his remorse. He should apologise, he should accept the penalty, in terms of the financial payments, he should accept the penalty, in terms of his suspension from the parliament and he should genuinely be apologetic and remorseful for his wrongful behaviour."Dr Napthine said if Mr Shaw fails to apologise he will be showing his absolute contempt for the parliament, his constituents and all Victorians.The Liberal-turned-independent held the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly, so his suspension leaves the government and the opposition locked at 43 members each.

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Local vaccination objection rate doubles

THE number of Australian children formally registered each year as a vaccination objector has doubled in the past decade.

THERE were just over 2000 children whose parents registered them as vaccination objectors during 2002, ensuring they go without childhood immunisations, and in 2013 the figure was almost 4000.

There are "pockets" - such as coastal and hinterland NSW and Queensland - where around one in 10 children born in 2013 were registered as vaccine objectors.Nationally, the official vaccination objection rate increased from 1.1 per cent of all children to 2.0 per cent over the period."I wouldn't be alarmed by the increase overall for Australia," epidemiologist Brynley Hull, from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, told AAP on Tuesday."But I would be alarmed by the high rates in particular regions of Australia, where we have high objection rates and consequently you get low coverage and susceptible children."If someone comes into these areas with a disease then it can spread a lot easier - that would be my take home message, these hotbeds of objection."These areas include the Richmond Valley in NSW, where the official vaccination objection rate in 2013 was 10.8 per cent. Noosa (7.2), Nambour (8.4) and NSW's Sunshine Coast hinterland (8.5) also figure highly.The study also found suburbs in the top 10 per cent of affluent post codes had higher rates of vaccination objection compared to poorer suburbs.Most families who lodge an objection notice do so when their child is less than two years old.The study took in Medicare-compiled data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, to assess the number of families who lodge a vaccination objection notice each year.Mr Hull presented the data at a national immunisation conference in Melbourne.

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PNG top cop jailed, bailed and knighted

PAPUA New Guinea's police commissioner has been jailed, bailed and knighted in the space of a weekend.

AND in what could make for one of the most awkward knighting ceremonies in history, the judge who sentenced commissioner Tom Kulunga on Friday, Gibbs Salika, has also been knighted as part of the Queen's 2014 birthday honours list.

Mr Kulunga was sentenced on Friday to seven months hard labour after the national court found him guilty on three contempt charges for failing to follow through on an earlier court order to reinstate a sacked policeman.Port Moresby-based The Post Courier reports Mr Kulunga was released late on Friday night on $A4128 bail.On Saturday it was announced Mr Kulunga would become a Knight Bachelor for services to policing, while Justice Salika would become a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the judiciary.Despite his legal problems, Mr Kulunga's knighthood will stand until after his case reaches appeal, said Tipo Vuatha, official secretary to PNG governor-general Sir Michael Ogio."According to the chairman [of the honours committee], we cannot do much," Mr Vuatha told AAP."His case is still pending because of the appeal, so therefore what has been given will stand until the case is heard again."A knighthood ceremony is expected in Port Moresby in October, Mr Vuatha said.A spokesman for Mr Kulunga has not responded to questions from AAP.In making his judgement on Friday, Justice Salika noted Mr Kulunga's 40 years of service to PNG policing, but said he had no choice but to reinstate the sacked officer pursuant to the original 2012 court order.

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Melbourne tunnel gets mobile coverage

The mobile phone black spot in Melbourne's city loop train tunnel will be fixed by end of the year. Source: AAP

MELBOURNE train passengers will no longer have an excuse to get someone off the phone.

TELSTRA and Optus have joined with the state government to offer full mobile coverage through Melbourne's city loop tunnel.

Premier Denis Napthine said the black spot cost Melbourne millions of dollars in lost productivity."It's the 21st century, we need full connectivity," Dr Napthine told reporters on Monday.He said the cost was commercial-in-confidence, but 3G services would be delivered by the end of the year.

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Hong Kong tourist injured in Perth mugging

A 31-YEAR-OLD tourist is nursing a fractured eye socket after being mugged in the Perth CBD.

THE woman, who had just arrived from Hong Kong, was walking across from the Esplanade Bus Port on Sunday evening when she was approached by a man who engaged her in conversation.

He walked with her along Mounts Bay Road before seriously assaulting her and stealing her shopping bag.He ran off, leaving his victim with severe bruising and swelling to her eye, and fractures to her eye socket.The man is described as about 30 years old, 165cm to 170cm tall, with short blond hair, dark streaks and a rats tail at the back.He was wearing a t-shirt and a denim style jacket with no sleeves.Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or knows the identity of the man is asked to contact police.

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Qld chief justice critics told to shut up

Queensland science minister has lashed out at critics of Tim Carmody's appointment to chief justice. Source: AAP

A QUEENSLAND government minister has lashed out at critics of Chief Magistrate Tim Carmody's appointment to chief justice, saying they should "shut up".

SCIENCE Minister Ian Walker, a former lawyer, says the "war of words" over Mr Carmody's promotion to chief justice of Queensland has got to stop.

"People have got to put a sock in it, they've got to shut up, and they've got to let Justice Carmody get on with the job," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday."He deserves a fair go at the job, the debate should stop and Justice Carmody should be allowed to get on with the job that he's been appointed to do."Mr Walker's comments follow calls for Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie to step down over the appointment, which has caused great unrest in legal circles.Bar Association of Queensland president Peter Davis quit on Friday saying private discussions with Mr Bleijie in which he didn't recommend Mr Carmody for the job were leaked to others, including Mr Carmody.Australian Bar Association president Mark Livesey said it was accepted practice that consultation before any appointment is kept confidential."The Attorney-General of Queensland must consider whether the breakdown in trust can be repaired," Mr Livesey told The Sunday Mail."If confidentiality in the judicial appointment process cannot be assured he must reconsider whether he can continue in his position."State Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Mr Bleijie couldn't be trusted and wasn't fit to hold office.Mr Carmody's appointment has been criticised by senior Queensland legal figures who question his experience and say he's too close to the government.It's been revealed that days after Mr Carmody was appointed chief magistrate in September 2013, he and Mr Bleijie had a private dinner at an upmarket Brisbane restaurant.The attorney-general has described the meeting as a social catch-up.

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Four hospitalised in NT after taking drug

Four people were taken to hospital in Darwin after taking a new drug known as Snapchat. Source: AAP

FOUR people were taken to hospital in Darwin after taking a new drug known as Snapchat.

POLICE say they became aggressive and disoriented after ingesting the drug, which is named after the Snapchat phone messaging application.

Acting Superintendent Peter Schiller from Northern Territory Police said they were called to help paramedics at several locations on Friday night because the drug-takers were behaving in an "erratic and irrational" manner.One patient was admitted to intensive care and is still in hospital in a stable condition.The other three patients have since been discharged.The drug is sold in a pill that's either pink or blue with green speckles and has the logo of the Snapchat phone messaging application pressed on it."With a number of public events scheduled over the coming weeks our primary concern is that these contaminated pills will continue to be circulated," Acting Supt Schiller said in a statement."The reality is people have no idea what they are taking or worse, what affect it will have on them."The adverse and aggressive reactions people experience also places enormous pressure on emergency services."

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Firies cancer law not ruled out: Vic govt

Volunteer firefighters rally in Melbourne for access to compensation for cancer contracted at work. Source: AAP

THE Victorian government says it hasn't ruled out changing the way firefighters access cancer compensation as hundreds rallied in Melbourne to try to break down barriers to claims.

THE government says it simplified cancer claims for firefighters and encouraged both career and volunteer firefighters to lodge a claim if they believe they had contracted cancer as a result of their duties.

"The Victorian government is not ruling out presumptive legislation and will continue to consider new medical and scientific evidence as it becomes available," a government spokesperson said.Volunteer Fire Brigades president Bill Watson said firefighters wanted a law that lists the 12 typical "firefighter" cancers and presumes them to be work-related, providing the firefighter has enough years of service behind him or her and relevant risk exposure.Mr Watson said there is plenty of evidence firefighters are more likely to suffer certain cancers, but it can be difficult to prove which fire or chemical incident caused their illness."It's not like a broken bone where you know exactly when and where it happened," Mr Watson said."The burning car or house fire you attended today may cause a cancer that doesn't show up for decades, which makes it nearly impossible to prove it was work related."The federal government introduced presumptive legislation in 2011.Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia also have laws that recognise the link between firefighting and cancer.Mr Watson said any legislation would have to include eligibility guidelines."We're not after a free ride," he said."We just want to make sure they're looked after if they get sick."The Victorian government has been under pressure to make changes to the way compensation is accessed after a 2012 report found firefighters who trained at the CFA Fiskville site had been exposed to dangerous chemicals going as far back as the 1970s.Last year they introduced a review panel to assist both volunteer and career firefighters seeking compensation for cancer caused by their work.Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said Labor would introduce the legislation if elected in November."I have committed to the introduction of presumptive rights," Mr Andrews said.

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