Split in Liberal ranks widens

Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/national/split-in-liberal-ranks-widens-20110528-1f9w4.html#ixzz1NjA0wlC6

LIBERAL Party unity is in tatters, with senior sources claiming leader Tony Abbott’s relationship with his shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, and rival Malcolm Turnbull is ”poisonous in every way”.

The split in the senior ranks of the party deepened after last week’s email stoush involving Mr Turnbull. The former Liberal leader was furious after chief Whip Warren Entsch sent an email chastising Mr Turnbull and four others for showing ”great disrespect” to their colleagues by missing a division in Parliament.

The Sunday Age can reveal that while the email had Mr Abbott’s approval, Mr Hockey attempted to warn Mr Entsch against sending it – minutes before the email arrived in Parliament House inboxes.

Supporters of Mr Hockey confirmed he had told Mr Entsch the email would further destabilise the party and unnecessarily aggravate tension between Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott.

A source said the manager of opposition business, Christopher Pyne, who is a supporter of Mr Abbott’s, also warned against sending the rebuke to MPs, predicting the contents would be leaked immediately.

Mr Entsch at first denied that the email was sent with Mr Abbott’s knowledge. Less than 24 hours after the email was sent last Wednesday, Mr Entsch admitted the Opposition Leader had been presented with a copy of the message shortly before it was dispatched.

A parliamentary steward ferried the draft version of the email to Mr Abbott before the end of question time. The rest of the leadership group – Mr Pyne, Mr Hockey and Deputy Leader Julie Bishop – quickly became aware of its contents.

Mr Pyne and Mr Abbott examined the document before Mr Abbott walked the piece of paper to his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, who was seated in the Opposition Leader’s adviser’s box.

The growing tension between the Liberal Party’s most senior members reignites earlier leadership rivalry. Mr Hockey had been the favourite in a three-cornered leadership contest in November 2009, but he lost out when Mr Abbott deposed the then leader, Mr Turnbull, by a margin of only one vote. A source said the once-fractured relationship between Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey had improved significantly in recent months.

”Tony has an unreasonable paranoia about Malcolm’s standing in the party and it is aggravated by the healing of the rift between Joe and Malcolm,” the source said. ”But in reality, Malcolm has been caught up reasonably unfairly in this mess and pretty much blindsided by the whole thing.”

The Liberals have been rattled by disunity for the past week. On Tuesday, Mr Abbott implored his party room not to fritter away its lead in the polls, describing public support as ”fleeting and ephemeral”.

Mr Abbott’s plea was seen as an attempt to quell disquiet after the previous week’s revelations about the details of a heated telephone clash between him and Mr Hockey.

Mr Hockey accused Mr Abbott of leaving him ”swinging in the wind” over family trust tax arrangements. Mr Hockey was forced to retreat from comments he had made after the National Party made it known it would not stand for any amendments to the status quo, which delivers favourable tax conditions to rural and regional voters.

Mr Hockey also took Mr Abbott to task over the party’s need to ”stand for something” and deliver clear policy outlines.

The tension deepened when it was revealed that party elder Nick Minchin had criticised Mr Abbott’s ”small target” strategy, urging him to adopt strong policy positions rather than play populist politics

KILLER DISEASE IN NORTH AUSTRALIA CARRIED BY MOSQUITO

A mosquito-borne virus which killed a Canadian tourist and left a toddler critically ill has prompted a widespread warning for people to cover up and protect themselves from mosquito bites in Australia’s north.

A 19-year-old Canadian woman died after contracting Murray Valley encephalitis following a trip through the Northern Territory this month. She returned home where she became unwell, and yesterday died in a hospital in Calgary, Alberta.

A Northern Territory Health Department spokesman said it was not known where in the NT the Canadian woman contracted the disease.

Meanwhile, a two-year-old remains in Royal Darwin Hospital after also contracting the potentially fatal mosquito-borne virus in the Kimberley region of WA.

A WA police officer who contracted MVE while on a two-week relief stint at an Aboriginal community remains in a Perth hospital.

Constable Ryan Marron, 29, has come out of a coma but is still unable to communicate.

It is not known if the police officer or the toddler will fully recover.

Last month, a man who had been travelling in WA’s northwest became the first person in the state to die from the disease in three years.

So far this year there have been three confirmed cases of MVE in the Northern Territory and one report of the closely related Kunjin virus.

In WA there have been nine reports of MVE, leaving one dead and several hospitalised.

The WA Health Department last week issued its fifth warning in three months, following the death of a man in WA last month.

The viruses, which have no cure and no vaccination, kill 25 per cent of people who contract them while another 25 per cent have residual neurological effects.

People infected in WA so far this year had been travelling through the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and eastern Goldfields regions.

Department entomologist Sue Harrington said while there was no suggestion the MVE virus would reach Perth, the fact it had already hit the Wheatbelt and Mid-West regions was of a concern.

“It seems to have activated independently this season,” she said.

“There has been an extension of that area, so a large proportion of West Australia is now affected by MVE.”

The death of a man in the north-west of the state last month and a South Australian man two weeks ago led the Department to issue another stern warning about the virus.

“It causes inflammation of the brain,” she said.

“People have suffered paralysis and brain damage of varying degrees.

“Often people in the north just accept that mosquitoes are a fact of life.

“A lot of people might have been bitten and have developed the antibodies.

“Every year we have activity in the region. It’s still the same disease, with the same drastic symptoms.”

Ms Harrington warned as there was no cure doctors were only able to treat the symptoms of the virus so people living and travelling outside the metropolitan area should take measures to avoid mosquito bites by applying mosquito repellents and wearing long-sleeved clothing.

In addition to MVE and Kunjin viruses, Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses were still causing dramas across the south of the state with more infections reported to the Department.

The latter two viruses cause similar symptoms including painful joints, aching muscles, lethargy, fever, headaches and skin rashes and can last from days to months.

The symptoms of Kunjin and MVE are similar. While the latter is more severe, both cause fever, drowsiness, stiff neck, nausea and dizziness. Young children can experience drowsiness, floppiness, irritability, poor feeding or general distress.

- with AAP

Dollar’s rise a mixed blessing

for Aussie firms: survey

The strong dollar is proving to be a mixed blessing for Australian businesses with some importers saying they’re passing on lower prices while exporters fret they will lose competitiveness abroad.

Tiziana Smith of Melbourne-based Mamma Lucia Cheese said the dollar’s strength has helped her company offer more specials on imported cheese from Europe in recent weeks.

“It’s not every product but certain products,” she said, adding that customers had relished getting any discounts against a backdrop of rising prices. “If you’re getting a discount, it’s better.”

Over the past year, the Australian dollar has gained about 25 US cents – or about 30 per cent – against the greenback to trade today at about 106.6 US cents. Against the euro, it has climbed 13 per cent over the period to fetch 74.5 euro cents, while the dollar is not far off its highest in 25 years against the pound, buying about 65.7 pence.

The incidence of price cutting may be spreading, according to the latest Aussie Dollar Barometer survey, conducted by Commonwealth Bank, with about half of importers polled saying they are considering lowering prices.

“We suspect intense competitive pressures in Australia are forcing some importers to consider passing on some of the benefit of the high dollar onto their customers,” said Joseph Capurso, currency strategist at CommBank.

Importers surveyed believe the dollar will peak at 114 US cents by the end of the year, while exporters are more pessimistic, tipping it to rise as high as 116 US cents by September, the survey showed.

140-year high

The federal government in handing down the budget this month said Australia’s terms of trade – the value of its exports over the value of its imports – were at 140-year highs, driven demand from Asia for iron ore, coal, gold and other commodities.

New Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson predicted this week the Aussie dollar would stay ’’persistently high for some time’’.

’’Most Australian businesses are well equipped to deal with short-term volatility of the exchange rate,’’ he said. ‘‘But what we are dealing with now is a very different type of event,’’ he said.  ’’This will challenge a number of existing business models.’’

Priced out

Winemaker John Casella of New South Wales-based Casella Wines said his company is one exporter who will have no choice but to raise prices for customers of his Yellow Tail and other wines in the US, Canada, UK and Japan if the dollar doesn’t pull back over the coming 12 months.

“The issue for us is what effect will that (price increase) have on sales and what effect that ultimately has on what grapes we buy,” said Mr Casella. “I do expect there will be a decline in sales as the (selling) price moves up.”

About 80 per cent of exporters surveyed said they are considering price changes to account for the exchange rate movements, CommBank said.

Exporters said they began to feel the pain when the Aussie rose over 91 US cents – which happened in September of last year, the survey found.

“The contrast between exporters and importers is stark,” said Mr Capurso, who noted that no importers surveyed said they were uncompetitive when the dollar trades at 91 US cents or higher. “We are definitely at an interesting point in time for Australian businesses. The next few months will be very telling as to whether businesses have gotten their hedging strategies right,” said Mr Capurso.

Despite the lower cost of importing goods, the strength of the dollar has hurt sectors such as clothing, electronics and books, by luring consumers to overseas websites to shop directly, undercutting traditional local retail businesses.

Electronics and furniture retailer Harvey Norman flagged the strong dollar as a contributor to its weaker sales in the nine months to March 2011, when it updated the market last month.

“Significant price deflation exacerbated by the strong Australian dollar was experienced in the key laptop computer category,” the retailer said.

Woolworths-owned Big W said prices had eased between 4 to 7 per cent in the first three months of the year.

“The primary cause of price deflation has been the stronger Australian dollar with cost price reductions passed on to customers,” the company said.

czappone@fairfax.com.au

Timber, grazing and

carbon management

just a click away

News release | 29 April, 2011

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A new online tool for managing spotted gum forests is now available for private landholders to calculate their land’s carbon, timber and grazing productivity.

The online resource works as a calculator, using specific data related to spotted gum native forest sites in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The spotted gum productivity tool and a comprehensive user guide are available as a free download from the forestry section, under Plant industry tools at http://agbiz.business.qld.gov.au.

Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) research scientist Tom Lewis said the tool estimated timber productivity, grazing productivity and carbon levels to help landowners determine the economic and environmental benefit of their land.

“For timber production it provides an estimate of the annual growth rate and the potential dollar value of that timber,” Dr Lewis said.

“It can also calculate an estimate of the expected annual grass production, the livestock carrying capacity and the expected dollar value for livestock grazing.

“The carbon component provides a figure on how much carbon is currently stored in the trees at the site and how much potentially will be stored over a 30-year period.”

Dr Lewis said the tool would also be important in determining the potential economic and environmental benefits of combined timber and grazing production.

“For many landholders with spotted gum forest on their land, grazing production is their primary source of income,” Dr Lewis said.

“This decision-making tool allows the user to assess the potential combined benefits of maintaining forest and grazing land on their property.

“It also shows the advantage of managing the forest to increase the proportion of the forest that is of merchantable value, such as thinning areas of the forest to concentrate growth in the most productive trees.

“The tool will be most useful when applied at different stages of tree growth to see the full benefits of forest management.”

The tool was developed as part of a three year project co-funded by DEEDI, Forest and Wood Products Australia and other collaborators.

For more information about the spotted gum management tool, contact the Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23 or visit www.deedi.qld.gov.au

FREE Essential Guides

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age FREE Essential Guides are written by journalists who offer integrity, independence and authority. They are intended to act as an introduction to some of the more complicated financial issues faced today and educate you about many of the investment choices available to you. They also provide information on a range of other topics from travel destinations to lifestyle choices such as choosing the right wine or retirement village. Visit The Sydney Morning Herald shop or The Age shop for your FREE Guides.

More details…

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AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT House of Representatives – Email alert service
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Wednesday 4 May 2011

NBN inquiry goes West

The House of Representatives Infrastructure and Communications Committee is conducting an inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network (NBN). The Committee will conduct public hearings in Perth on Thursday 5 May and Friday 6 May.

Committee Chair Sharon Bird said today that “the Committee is looking forward to hearing from West Australians about how the NBN can contribute to, among many other things, enhanced research outcomes and overcoming the tyranny of distance.”

“On Friday we will be conducting a roundtable discussion with four local government and regional organisations, which, in combination, represent 19 West Australian council areas” she added.

“As has been evident in the inquiry to date, the NBN will transform the economy and society and will foster innovation in ways that cannot yet be envisaged.”

The hearing programs are as follows:

THURSDAY 5 MAY
1:00 pm iiNet
1:45 pm International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research
2:45 pm Curtin University
3:30 pm ICT Industry Collaboration Centre of Western Australia
4:15 pm TBC
FRIDAY 6 MAY
9:00 am

(roundtable)    City of Geraldton-Greenough

East Metropolitan Regional Council

Wheatbelt East Regional Organisation of Councils

South West Group
11:00 am        1Spatial
11:45 am        NearMap

The hearings will be held in Room 2 of the Legislative Assembly Committee Office, Level 1, 11 Harvest Terrace, West Perth. The hearings will also be webcast live (audio only) on: http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/

Further details about the inquiry, including copies of submissions and transcripts of previous hearings, can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

For media comment: please contact the Committee Chair, Ms Sharon Bird, on (02) 6277 4717 (Parliament House) or (02) 4228 5899 (electorate office)

For details about the inquiry and hearing arrangements: contact the Inquiry Secretary (02) 6277 2352, email ic.reps@aph.gov.au or visit the Committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/ic

Issued by:

Andrew Dawson, media manager, International & Community Relations Office,

Parliament of Australia Tel: (02) 6277 2063 wk, 0401 143 724 mob.

THIS RESEARCH SAYS THIS METHOD IS THE BEST FOR MULCHING

New Queensland research will take the guesswork out of which mulching method works best (link to release when published). As part of a three-year project, researchers are looking to quantify the productivity, associated water use and labour requirements of using mulch so a full cost benefit can be demonstrated to industry. While project trials are directed at wildflower growers, any green thumb will be able to use the research findings to get the best out of their gardens.

RECENT TURF RESEARCH

has clearly shown the value of turfgrass in retaining sediment on slopes and reducing nutrient movement into waterways. As part of a project, it was found that sod was 100 times more effective in keeping soil in place during heavy rainfall than exposed soil. The project monitored soil losses during an eight week period, in January and February 2011 which encompassed a time of extensive flooding in south east Queensland

Two gardening events coming up in Queensland

1…If you’re a lifestyle horticultural professional, then the NGIQ Spring Green Expo on 2-3 August 2011 is for you. Hosted by the Nursery Gardens Institute of Queensland, this expo is arguably the biggest combined nursery, landscape, turf and cut flower trade event in Queensland. The ‘trade only’ event will be held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. For more information, visit NGIQ.

2…One of Queensland’s largest and most celebrated gardening events, the annual Queensland Garden Expo is being held in Nambour from 8–10 July 2011. This three day gardening extravaganza is the perfect scene for green fingers and home gardeners to gain first hand information, innovation and inspiration.

FLOWER CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN AUSTRALIA

Flowers 2011 – “Race to the Top”
Tuesday 12th – Thursday 14th July 2011 with an Industry tour on Friday 15th July 2011
Sebel & Citigate King George Square – Brisbane
Queensland is proud to be the host of Flowers 2011 – The Australian Flower Conference.

The conference is designed for both growers and florists and there will be a strong focus on providing attendees with information that has immediate practical and commercial applications for their business.
The conference will commence on Tuesday afternoon with the opening of the Trade Exhibition. In the evening there will be the Welcome Reception.

INVITATION TO FLOWERS 2011
We invite you to join us at Flowers 2011, the premier event for the Australian flower industry, at the Sebel Hotel in King George Square, Brisbane from the 12th – 15th July 2011 to “Race to the Top” of your industry.
The Conference will be a forum for industry members to interact with international & national guest speakers who will be presenting key note sessions and workshops on the latest issues and trends in the industry. A trade exhibition, conference dinner and field tour will also be part of the conference experience.

Earlybird Registration is now open -

Sponsorship & Trade Exhibition Brochure
Sponsorship & Trade Exhibition Registration Form

Please contact the Conference Committee by email faqi@flowersqueensland.asn.au or phone +61 7 3824 9537 for more information.

Conference Program

Conference highlights:
Planning is well underway for Flowers 2011 to be held in Brisbane, Queensland, July 12-15, 2011. An estimated 200 growers, breeders, propagators, wholesalers, importers, exporters, florists, allied traders and stakeholders from across the country and New Zealand are expected to attend.
Flowers 2011 will focus on providing opportunities to explore new practices, ideas, technology, research and the latest floriculture marketing initiatives.
Keynote & International Speaker Highlights:

We are proud to announce Flowers 2011 visiting international speakers.

* George Staby (President of Perishables Research Organisation, USA)
* Andrea Caldecourt (Freelance consultant in public relations & communications. Recent CEO of Flowers & Plants UK)
* Will Healy (Senior Technical and Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company, USA)
* Frank Scholten (Chrysal International)
* Jaap van Staaveren (Managing Director, United Flower Organisation bv, The Netherlands)

Topic Highlights Include:

* The Flower Industry Today and Tomorrow
* Industry Promotion
* Promotion & Marketing
* Post Harvest Technology
* Profitable Solutions
* Smart Production
* Research & Development

Expected Delegates:
200-250 delegates are expected to attend from a cross section of the industry i.e. growers, florists, wholesalers, importers, marketers, breeders, exporters, researchers and related industry personnel.

The Date:
Tuesday 12th July 2011 – Welcome Reception & Trade Exhibition Preview
Wednesday 13th July 2011 – Conference plenary sessions
Thursday 14th July 2011 – Conference concurrent sessions
Friday 15th July 2011 – Field Tour and workshops

The Venue:
The Sebel & Citigate Hotel, King George Square, Cnr Ann & Roma Streets, Brisbane Queensland 4000. Ph: +61 7 3229 9111
www.mirvachotels.com/citigate-king-george-square-brisbane

*SPECIALS*

GROUP BOOKINGS OFFER
Register two delegates from the same organisation to attend the conference and receive a generous discount on the second delegate.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A FREE TICKET TO FLOWERS 2011?
There are two competitions currently being sponsored by the Australian Flower Industry magazine. Growers click here for more information and Florists click here for more information

REGISTRATION BEFORE 31ST MARCH FOR EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
Full Registration – includes Welcome and Trade Preview, conference proceedings for 2 days, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided both days, Conference Dinner and conference material – $445 (Earlybird registration is available until 31st March 2011) or $495 thereafter.
Full Registration for 2nd Delegate (same company) – includes Welcome and Trade Preview, conference proceedings for 2 days, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided both days, Conference Dinner and conference material – $400 (Early bird registration is available until 31st March 2011) or $445 thereafter.
Day Registration – includes conference proceedings for 1 day, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided and conference material – $230 (Early bird registration is available until 31st March 2011) or $250 thereafter.

How to Register:
Click here to register early for great savings on-line
or contact FAQI on T: +61 7 3824 9537 or +61 7 3824 9516
Em: faqi@flowersqueensland.asn.au

Top 5 Reasons To Attend Flowers 2011:

1. Expand your network
2. Gather new ideas
3. Have your say
4. Improve your management & marketing skills
5. Engage with leading industry suppliers

Trade Exhibition:
With approximately 25 exhibitors on site showcasing their products and services for the floriculture industry, the trade show will be an ideal opportunity for you to keep up to date with the latest developments from key suppliers to the industry – ranging from the latest production technology for growers and design elements for florists to specialist advice and services from experts in the field.
Please contact FAQI if you are interested in exhibiting or other sponsorship opportunities faqi@flowersqueensland.asn.au. There are limited opportunities available so please be quick.

Conference Dinner:
A special conference dinner has been arranged for the Wednesday evening. This is a not to be missed event!

Field Tour:
The field tour will include a farm visit and grower and florist workshops. Transport, morning tea and lunch will be provided.

Accommodation Options:

Sebel (5 star)
Rates starting at $200 per night
Bookings can be made via the on-line conference booking website

Citigate (4½ star)
Rates starting at $180 per night
Bookings can be made via the on-line conference booking website

Ibis Hotel (3½ star)
27-35 Turbot Street, Brisbane.
Phone: (+617)32372312
Rates starting at $149 per night
Bookings can be made on-line at http://www.ibishotel.com

Hotel George Williams (3½ star)
317-325 George Street, Brisbane.
Phone: (+61 7) 33080700
Rates starting at $125 per night for a standard room
Booking can be made on-line at http://www.hgw.com.au
Or visit wotif.com for more options.

….so what are you waiting for? Book your seat at Flowers 2011 and catch the early bird special today!