AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 6

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 6
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


FIJI WRAP (SUVA)

Fiji's coup leader .. military commander Commodore FRANK BAINIMARAMA has dissolved
parliament .. and sworn in a political novice as caretaker prime minister.

JONA SENILAGAKALI is a doctor with no political background .. who will lead the interim
administration.

Earlier BAINIMARAMA declared a state of emergency in the small nation .. detaining
senior police and civil servants .. and shutting the Senate down.

The commodore says he's replacing acting police chief MOSES DRIVER .. who refused to
co-operate .. with a military officer.

All military reserves have been ordered to report to bases.

Many of Fiji's political leaders are criticising the coup .. but media censorship by
the armed forces means Fijians haven't heard their condemnations.

Australia is also urging the people of Fiji to passively resist the military takeover
of their country.

ALEXANDER DOWNER says Commodore FRANK BAINIMARAMA'S actions are illegal .. and he should
be punished.



BUSHFIRES WRAP (SYDNEY)

A major bushfire in central New South Wales has swept past one of Australia's largest
and most important koala colonies.

Thousands of koalas have been under threat from a fire that broke out in the Pilliga
Nature Reserve .. near Coonabarabran .. three weeks ago.

In Tasmania .. fire crews are battling to control two out-of-control bushfires in the
state's south.

And people in Victoria's north-east and Gippsland regions .. are being warned to prepare
for the worst bushfire weekend in history.



HICKS PARLY (CANBERRA)

Protesters have interrupted question time in federal parliament today .. to highlight
the case of Australian DAVID HICKS.

The Adelaide-born terror suspect has been held without charge at Guantanamo Bay in
Cuba by the US for the past five years.

Attorney-General PHILIP RUDDOCK says it's up to the courts to determine if a legal
challenge by HICKS against the government has legs.



LABOR COSTELLO (CANBERRA)

PETER COSTELLO has opened fire on the new Labor leader .. saying KEVIN RUDD wants
a return to the stone age in industry policy.

And .. the treasurer .. commenting on Labor's internal jockeying over a new frontbench
.. says choosing ANTHONY ALBANESE as environment spokesman over PETER GARRETT is like
choosing BARRY CROCKER over ELVIS PRESLEY.

Meanwhile .. Opposition treasury spokesman WAYNE SWAN says Mr RUDD hasn't given him
any indication of his chances of retaining the portfolio.



RESHUFFLE VANSTONE (CANBERRA)

Immigration Minister AMANDA VANSTONE's confident she'll keep her job .. despite speculation
about her future.

Speculation about Senator VANSTONE'S future intensified with news reports some colleagues
are conducting a concerted campaign to have her resign .. be demoted .. or even sacked
to make room for new talent.

It follows speculation JOHN HOWARD will reshape his team before Christmas .. in the
wake of the Labor leadership change.



DETENTION VANSTONE (CANBERRA)

Immigration Minister AMANDA VANSTONE says several people .. wrongly detained by the
Immigration Department .. are seeking compensation from the federal government.

Three damning ombudsman's reports out today highlight serious errors in the department's
dealings with the mentally ill and children in detention.

One of the reports .. from the Ombudsman .. has slammed the Immigration Department's
treatment of mentally ill people .. and children in detention.



ECONOMY HOWARD (CANBERRA)

JOHN HOWARD denies government policies have failed to deliver a long-term .. high growth economy.

He's told parliament .. while the third quarter national accounts show annual growth
at only 2.2 per cent .. it largely reflects a decline in farm production of 10 per cent
because of the drought.

But the prime minister says his government's tax and industrial relation reforms have
laid the ground work for future prosperity.

Labor treasury spokesman WAYNE SWAN's called today's national accounts disappointing.

Treasurer PETER COSTELLO disagrees .. saying the figures show solid growth .. although
the effects of severe drought are having a significant impact.



WORKPLACE CAMPBELL (CANBERRA)

Federal minister IAN CAMPBELL concedes Work Choices is politically unpopular .. but
says the government's willing to make difficult decisions.

The environment minister made the statement during a speech to the National Press Club
.. saying Labor has taken an easy path in criticising the industrial relations changes.



TAX (CANBERRA)

Parliament has voted to give foreigners exemptions from paying capital gains tax on
the sale of Australian assets .. despite a government senator voting against the legislation.

The law will exempt foreigners from paying capital gains tax .. except on the sale
of Australian property.

Labor supported the government's bill .. ensuring its passage through the Senate ..

but rebel Nationals senator BARNABY JOYCE crossed the floor to oppose it.



BESTCARS (ADELAIDE)

Australia's combined motoring clubs have named Toyota's new locally-built Aurion V6
the nation's best large car.

Volkswagen's Polo TDi has been judged best small car .. and the VW Jetta TDi named
the best in the mid-sized category over 28-thousand dollars.



LEWTHWAITE IEMMA (SYDNEY)

MORRIS IEMMA says it's preposterous for convicted child killer JOHN LEWTHWAITE to argue
charges were brought against him for political reasons.

The premier says there's been no interference in the court process .. and there won't be any.

Last week police charged LEWTHWAITE with exposing himself to two women in Sydney's
south in January.



SALTIE (DARWIN)

A 300 kilogram saltwater crocodile has been hauled out of a section of the Katherine
River that's popular with fishermen and canoeists.

The male saltie was captured alive by wildlife officers at Donkey Camp .. eight kilometres
from Katherine .. and died before reaching his new home.

But that's nothing compared to the catch villagers made in West Timor.

They attacked and killed a croc weighing 500 kilos .. that's half a ton .. and found
in it human hands .. skull fragments .. human hair .. a leg .. a T-shirt and some shorts.



AND BRIEFLY . . .



Police believe they've smashed a major drug syndicate .. after arresting 12 people
in early morning raids in Sydney.




The principal of a Melbourne school says he did all he possibly could by expelling
two students .. after they urinated on a Bible and set it on fire at a school camp.




Australia and South Korea have agreed to start feasibility studies for a free trade agreement.

JOHN HOWARD discussed the issue with visiting South Korean President ROH MOO-HYUN today.



AND IN SPORTS . . .


ASHES ENGLAND (ADELAIDE)

England coach DUNCAN FLETCHER is standing by the selection decisions he made for the
second Test in the wake of criticism his side is being too defensive in the Ashes series.

FLETCHER says he can understand anger at England's capitulation against Australia at
the Adelaide Oval, but says he still has the support of the English players and defended
the non-selection of spinner MONTY PANESAR.



AFL BLUES (Melbourne)



Carlton stalwart ANTHONY KOUTOUFIDES has returned to the AFL training track for the
first time since his Dancing With The Stars television show win.



SOCCER ENGLISH (LONDON)

Socceroos skipper MARK VIDUKA has returned to action after missing the past six weeks
with two broken toes.



LEAGUE BRONCOS (BRISBANE)

NRL premiers Brisbane Broncos need a new stablemate after feeder club the Toowoomba
Clydesdales announced it had dropped out of the 2007 Queensland Cup.



LEAGUE CATALANS (LONDON)

Former Canberra Raiders halfback ANDREW MCFADDEN has joined English Super League club
Catalans Dragons as assistant coach.

MCFADDEN has signed a two-year contract with the French based side and will quit his
current job as Canberra's Premier League coach.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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