Penny Sharpe wins ALP preselection

NSW MP Penny Sharpe has won the Labor party's first community preselection process, under which local residents and branch members can both vote for their preferred candidate.

The trial of what Labor insiders call "US-style primaries" was run for two state seats, after being tested during the City of Sydney council elections last year.

Ms Sharpe, an upper house member and opposition transport spokeswoman, won the right to contest the new seat of Newtown after picking up 58 per cent of the community vote and 64 per cent of the branch vote on Saturday, with more than 1500 participating in the preselection.

Further west in Campbelltown former soldier and Camden councillor Greg Warren scored 61 per cent of the branch vote and 57 per cent of the community vote.

About 1000 people turned up to have their say.

"Labor will be in a stronger position at the March 2015 state election because we've invited local communities into the preselection process and worked hard to win their support," NSW ALP General Secretary Jamie Clements said in a statement.

Previously only Labor members could cast ballots for candidate preselection.

The reform is part of the measures decided upon at the party's state conference in 2011, following the 2010 review of its processes by Labor heavyweights former NSW premier and foreign minister Bob Carr, NSW Senator John Faulkner and former Victorian premier Steve Bracks.

The next community preselections will be in Balmain and Strathfield.

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Syringe threat in Vic carjacking

A woman has been threatened with a syringe during a carjacking in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has been threatened with a syringe during a carjacking in Melbourne, police say.

The woman was parked in a shopping centre in Dandenong on Saturday afternoon when a man approached her car and allegedly threatened her with a syringe.

He demanded the woman get out of the car and she did.

The man then got into her car and drove away.

Police said the stolen car is a red 2006 Ford sedan with registration number UQI 236.

The man is described as caucasian, with blonde hair and a thin build.

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Bloom wants to be in son's life

A-LIST Hollywood star Orlando Bloom may have split from Miranda Kerr but he's taking his job as a dad seriously - and he's looking to settle down in his home country.

The 37-year-old British star recently parted ways with his Australian supermodel wife, but he insists the couple have put their three-year-old son Flynn first.

And despite skipping between London, Los Angeles and wherever he is working, the Lord of the Rings star claimed he would like his son to have some experience "living at home, in England".

"I've lived a very nomadic life, which I enjoy. But now that I have my son it gets a lot more serious - I want to be in his life and have as much input and influence on his as I can," he told The Times Magazine.

Describing his break up from Kerr as "amicable", the actor said the couple had done their best to stay together and there was "no harm, no foul" on either side.

Differences between what the pair wanted "from our lives, our work" had become a challenge, he said, before adding his ex is "a very supportive and understanding woman".

"It's ever evolving, but I've said to her, 'We're going to be in each other's lives for the rest of our lives and we have a child, so it's important to me that we respect each other as we always have and that Flynn feels that and understands that.' There's a deep love between us."

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Gay couples marry in England

British Prime Minister David Cameron has hailed the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales. Source: AAP

GAY couples across England and Wales have said "I do" as a law authorising same-sex marriage came into effect, the final stage in a long fight for equality.

Following the first marriages on Saturday amid a supposed race to wed, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to all same-sex couples getting married today - I wish you every possible happiness for the future."

The Conservative party leader also described the change as an "important moment for our country", and a rainbow flag flew above government offices in London in celebration.

While 15 countries have legalised gay marriage and another three allow it in some areas, homosexuals remain persecuted in many parts of the world.

The Church of England, insisting weddings should take place only between a man and a woman, secured an exemption from the new law.

In London, John Coffey, 52, and Bernardo Marti, 48, exchanged vows as the clock struck midnight, before being pronounced "husband and husband".

They were among several couples bidding to be first to take advantage of last year's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.

In Brighton on England's south coast, Neil Allard and Andrew Wale exchanged vows and rings in the opulent splendour of the Royal Pavilion in front of about 100 guests.

Wearing velvet-collared three-piece suits with white flowers in their buttonholes, the smiling couple of seven years hugged and kissed after sealing their marriage.

"We are very happy this day has come finally. It's very exciting," said Wale, a 49-year-old theatre director.

Campaigners have insisted that only the right to marry gives them full equality with heterosexual couples.

Civil partnerships have been legal since 2005 and marriage brings no new rights - the ability to adopt, for example, was introduced in 2002.

"We didn't want to get married until it was a marriage that my mum and dad could have," said Teresa Millward, 37, who was marrying her long-term girlfriend on Saturday.

The gay marriage law is the final victory in a long battle stretching back to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England in 1967.

Cameron backed the change despite strong opposition from members of his party and the Church of England, which has rejected the idea that clergy be allowed to bless couples in same-sex marriages.

But Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the leader of the world's 80 million Anglicans, said the Church had accepted the new law and would continue to demonstrate "the love of Christ for every human being".

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Transurban buys Sydney tunnel for $475m

SYDNEY'S Cross City Tunnel has been bought by toll road owner Transurban for $475 million.

The 2.1 kilometre tunnel connects the west side of Sydney's CBD to Rushcutters Bay in the east, and cost $1 billion to build.

It was placed in receivership in September 2013 in the wake of a legal dispute with the NSW government over stamp duty.

Transurban bought all of the toll road's senior debt in November, and has now struck an agreement with the tunnel's receivers and managers to take control of the road.

The proceeds of the deal will be used to clear the tunnel's senior secured debt.

The Cross City Tunnel has had a troubled financial run since its opening in 2005.

It was placed into receivership in 2007, before being bought for about $700 million by Royal Bank of Scotland, EISER Infrastructure Partners and Leighton Contractors.

Transurban already owns or part-owns several major toll roads in Sydney - the M2, M5 and M7 motorways, the Lane Cove Tunnel and the Eastern Distributor, which links to the Cross City Tunnel.

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Investors set to flock to Medibank float

Investor interest in the float of Medibank Private is likely to be strong, analysts say. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government's sale of Medibank Private is likely to be a good opportunity for investors, but bad news for the health insurer's staff.

Analysts say there will be plenty of market interest in the company when it is publicly floated in the 2014/15 financial year.

The government is likely to offer a relatively cheap price to ensure the initial public offering (IPO) is well received, Invast chief market strategist Peter Esho said.

"The government is mindful of the fact it needs to set a good precedent so it can offload the other assets that are sitting there, like Australia Post," he said.

"I think it will be a successful IPO."

IG market strategist Evan Lucas said the healthcare sector was a strong performer in recent times, which would add to investor interest.

Medibank rival NIB has seen its share price rise by more than 30 per cent each year for the past three years.

"There is certainly an appetite for Medibank private," he said.

Another attraction for investors was the tendency for privatisation of government enterprises to produce greater efficiency, mainly through cost cutting.

"You tend to see staff costs coming off quite heavily and a lot of bureaucracy coming out of the businesses as well," he said.

"Inside 18 months a business that was maybe struggling under a government arm is all of a sudden very profitable because of those changes that private enterprise can enact," he said.

Within a few years of its float, Telstra announced plans to sack 16,000 staff, while rail operator Aurizon has axed at least 1,600 jobs since it was sold by the Queensland government in 2010.

Australian investors have traditionally done very well out of government sell-offs in the long-term.

Commonwealth Bank was floated at $5.40 per share in 1991, and is today trading at around $76 a share, having paid out a considerable amount in dividends along the way.

Vaccine maker CSL, which was floated at $2.30 per share in 1994, now trades above $70 per share.

An obvious exception is the second offering of shares in Telstra at $7.40 each, which then fell sharply.

Fifteen years on, the shares are still worth less than investors paid for them, though Mr Lucas said those who bought into the first and third Telstra offerings fared much better.

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Canning of safaris a croc: NT govt

THE federal government's decision not to allow crocodile hunting safaris in the Northern Territory has been derided as "a croc" by the NT government.

Two NT ministers have accused federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt of being shortsighted and ill-informed.

"Canberra needs to take its foot off the Territory's throat," Minister for Land Resource Management, Willem Westra van Holthe said in a statement on Thursday.

"Crocodile safari hunting has the potential to create real employment for indigenous people in remote parts of the Territory."

Mr Westra van Holthe said the NT government had extensively consulted with traditional owners and lodged an application for a one-year crocodile safari trial, under a scientifically researched plan that demonstrated the economic benefits to the Territory.

Under the existing crocodile management plan, the NT government is able to harvest up to 500 crocodiles from the wild each year, while the safari proposal sought to harvest 50 crocodiles from within the existing quota on a one-year trial basis.

It was suggested that crocodile safari packages could cost between $20,000 to $50,000, appealing to high-end hunters from around the world seeking to bag themselves a croc.

Mr Westra van Holthe said the proposal was humane, with animal welfare standards maintained by having a conservation officer and traditional owner attend every safari.

"We are severely disappointed with Greg Hunt's short sighted and ill-informed decision," he said.

It was taking away work opportunities for indigenous people who needed it the most, said Bess Price, Minister for Parks and Wildlife.

"Greg Hunt has made a decision which will do nothing to improve the lives of indigenous Territorians living in remote communities," she said.

The decision was at odds with the Commonwealth government's priorities of developing the north and ending welfare dependency, she said, as well as boosting tourism.

The NT government is now exploring alternative pathways to make crocodile safari hunting a reality.

It may be able to legislate to permit the safaris but could face an obstacle with foreign hunters being unable to take crocodile carcasses out of Australia without a federal permit.

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Art Gallery of NSW to give back sculpture

AUSTRALIA is returning a stolen statue worth more than $300,000 to India.

The 1000-year-old Ardhanariswara idol, depicting Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati, was on display at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW after being purchased during the tenure of former director, Edmund Capon.

However, it later emerged that the valuable stone sculpture was stolen from a temple in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

It was sold, along with five other items to the Art Gallery of NSW by New York dealer Subhash Kapoor.

Kapoor is now facing trial in India for allegedly trafficking stolen antiquities from two Indian temples, with museums around the world also said to be examining items bought from him.

The Australian Attorney-General's department received a formal request from the Indian government to return the Ardhanariswara this month.

The statue depicts a hermaphrodite human form and is said to represent the 'synergy of man and woman'.

The Attorney-General's department said India's request to return the idol was being acted upon under Australia's international obligations.

Delhi's request stated that the statue was exported from India illegally.

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra has already agreed to return a dancing Shiva statue, which it bought in 2007 for $5.6 million from Kapoor.

It is understood that Mr Capon's successor, Dr Michael Brand, is in favour of returning all six works that the Art Gallery of NSW bought from Kapoor.

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Scalping not a big problem, senators say

CONCERT-GOERS and sports fans can breathe easy: ticket scalping isn't a big deal in Australia, a parliamentary inquiry has found.

Because of this, the committee looking into the matter doesn't see the need for any further regulation.

But it does say the state and federal governments could work together to have greater co-ordination in how to deal with the scalping that does occur.

Committee chair Senator Mark Bishop was surprised to find only minimal evidence of ticket scalping across the country.

"I had expected the opposite," he said on releasing the inquiry report on Wednesday.

Several disgruntled Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and AFL fans had told the committee of their difficulties in getting tickets over the past year.

But ticketing companies and entertainment and sporting groups told the committee large-scale, concerted ticket scalping efforts were rare in Australia.

They said it was important to distinguish between genuine re-selling of tickets - for instance if someone bought tickets to a concert and then couldn't go - and scalping purely for profit.

Many said anti-scalping laws in place in some states and elsewhere in the world were not effective and were difficult to enforce.

The committee recommends an industry-wide standard of conduct be established to give more transparency over how tickets can be issued and distributed.

It also suggests the consumer watchdog look at increasing education around the sale and re-sale of tickets and what rights buyers have.

But independent senator Nick Xenophon, who initiated the inquiry, says there should be national anti-scalping laws.

He wants a cap on re-sales above the original purchase price, powers to block sites selling scalped tickets and sites like eBay to have to tell authorities the identities of scalpers.

Ticketing firm Viagogo seized on the Senate committee's report to attack the NSW government's ticketing legislation that passed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Spokesman Alex Levenson said the O'Farrell government had ignored industry advice and consumers' opinions.

He claimed onerous conditions were being imposed on NSW music and sports fans such as the need to include photos of the tickets they are selling with portions graphically edited out.

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Questions over deadly NZ plane crash probe

QUESTIONS are being raised about the conclusions reached by an official investigation into a deadly 2010 skydiving plane crash at New Zealand's Fox Glacier.

Nine people, including two Australians, were killed when the Fletcher FU24-954 plane crashed shortly after take-off at the end of the runway at Fox Glacier airport on September 4, 2010.

There were no survivors.

A 2012 Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report found the plane was unbalanced, with too much weight towards the rear, causing it to crash.

However, just days after the crash, large parts of the plane's wreckage were buried - on the instruction of the TAIC - meaning they weren't examined by investigators, a local current affairs TV program reports.

Among the parts buried was the plane's control stick and cables.

Investigator Andrew McGregor, who's conducted TAIC investigations in the past, says the TAIC's investigation in this case was flawed.

"I would think on the evidence we have available, that a control system failure of some sort is likely," he told TV3.

"In my view we do have sufficient information to warrant the investigation being reopened."

The crash killed four tourists - Glenn Bourke, 18, of Australia, Patrick Byrne, 26, of Ireland, Annita Kirsten, 23, of Germany, and Brad Coker, 24, of England.

The crew were Skydive New Zealand director Rod Miller, 55, pilot Chaminda Senadhira, 33, Adam Bennett, 47, an Australian living in Motueka, Michael Suter, 32, and Christopher McDonald, 62.

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Installing batts 'not that hard': Garrett

ALTHOUGH four people subsequently died working under the scheme, the minister in charge Peter Garrett reportedly believed it was easy to install pink batts.

According to an email from a cabinet staffer, former environment minister Mr Garrett and a federal environment department secretary thought the task was "not that hard", an inquiry has heard.

They shared the view at a meeting on April 3, 2009, two months after the scheme's announcement.

"The secretary and the minister compared notes on their personal experience in installing batts! 'not that hard'," the email from cabinet and prime minister's department staffer Martin Hoffman read.

The royal commission into the former Labor government's scheme was told that insulation companies were given only hours warning - via text message - about the termination of the scheme.

They were informed on February 19, 2010 that the program would end at 5pm that day, after a 2.30pm public announcement to that effect.

The former Rudd government pulled the pin on the stimulus measure after workers Matthew Fuller, Rueben Barnes, Mitchell Sweeney and Marcus Wilson died while installing insulation.

But insulation companies had no idea the program was going to be dumped as they'd been told to beef up employment, the supply of manufacturing materials and capital investment.

Michael Windsor QC, who is representing insulation companies at the inquiry, said the program's end left the industry in tatters.

Mr Windsor, who is also fighting for compensation for businesses adversely affected by the scheme's termination, said insulation companies were given little chance of off-loading stock and meeting obligations with suppliers.

The abrupt end of the stimulus program, he said, also negatively affected the economy with jobs lost and companies unable to meet obligations with financial institutions.

Under cross-examination by Mr Windsor, Mr Hoffman agreed that insulation companies were somewhat negatively affected by the announcement.

When asked when he became aware about the government's decision to end the program, Mr Hoffman said: "It would have been a few days before ... it would have been right at that period."

Mr Hoffman also said that no industry body, to his knowledge, had been informed of the government's decision at that time.

The inquiry into the troubled scheme also heard on Wednesday of how the government took a "light touch" approach to installer registration standards.

Mr Hoffman said it was important to note the tight exit approach, which included a one-strike policy for those who breached safety guidelines.

But Richard Perry QC, who is representing the Fuller and Barnes families, said the "light touch" approach did nothing to stop installers dying while using metal staples to secure foil insulation, like Mr Fuller.

Former co-ordinator-general Mike Mrdak is expected to give evidence at the royal commission when it resumes on Thursday.

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New debris found in hunt for MH370

NEW satellite images taken three days ago have revealed 122 potential pieces of debris from the missing Malaysian Airline flight MH370, Malaysia's Transport Minister says.

Hishammuddin Hussein revealed the latest - and largest - find of objects that may have come from the plane at a daily press briefing in Kuala Lumpur.

The news comes after satellite images from China, Australia and France showed items floating in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed, leaving no survivors.

"Yesterday, on the 25th of March, the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency, MRSA, received new satellite images from Airbus Defence and Space, which is based in France, and these images were taken on the 23rd of March," he said on Wednesday evening.

"MRSA analysed the images and in one area of the ocean, measuring some 400 square kilometres, were able to identify 122 potential objects.

"Some objects were one metre in length, other objects were as much as 23 metres in length. Some of the objects appeared to be bright, possibly indicating solid material."

The minister said the objects were found about 2557 kilometres from Perth, Western Australia, from where search planes are flying.

"MRSA immediately forwarded the information to the Australian rescue coordination centre yesterday," he said.

"It must be emphasised that we cannot tell if the potential objects are from MH370. Nevertheless, this is another new lead that will help direct the search operation.

"Our determination to find MH370 remains steadfast.

"As we have said all along, we will never give up trying to find the plane in order to bring closure to the families and explain what happened."

A dozen planes from six nations travelled to the search area, divided equally into east and west zones, on Wednesday.

Two ships also joined the operation, HMAS Success and Chinese polar supply ship Xue Long.

A Japanese Gulfstream jet also flew to Perth to become involved in the search.

Malaysia Airlines is now taking the lead in communicating with the families of the passengers and crew.

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Pistorius defence argues he loved Reeva

An expert has told a Pretoria court that Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend was sometimes scared of him. Source: AAP

THE defence of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has downplayed evidence that there were problems in his relationship with Reeva Steenkamp, saying the vast majority of their text messages show they loved each other.

Defence lawyer Barry Roux on Tuesday questioned police mobile phone expert Francois Moller, who retrieved more than 1700 text messages exchanged between the couple, as the murder trial of the double-amputee Olympic sprinter in Pretoria entered its 15th day.

Moller on Monday presented the court with messages depicting Pistorius as a jealous man with a nasty temper, whom Steenkamp was afraid of.

Roux said only four of the messages were related to arguments, while more than 90 per cent reflected a normal and loving relationship.

Some of the messages deal with the couple's shared interest in motor vehicles, the lawyer said.

The court was shown a WhatsApp image of Steenkamp blowing a kiss to Pistorius.

Roux said messages sent in the weeks before Pistorius killed Steenkamp were of a loving nature.

Pistorius and Steenkamp exchanged five phone calls the same day he shot her through the bathroom door in his home in February last year, Moller told the court.

Pistorius says he mistook the model for a burglar.

Immediately after the shooting, Pistorius made phone calls to the manager of the estate where he lived, an ambulance service, security services of the estate, his friend Justin Divaris, his father and his manager, Moller said.

Divaris has said Pistorius said to him "God take me away, I have killed my baba," according to broadcaster eNCA.

Prosecution is expected to wrap up its case this week.

Defence will then call its own witnesses.

Pistorius will be among the first, unless he invokes his constitutional right not to testify.

The trial is expected to continue until May 16, with a recess scheduled for the week of April 7.

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Knights, dames return under Abbott

Retiring Governor-General Quentin Bryce (R) has become a dame under changes suggested by the PM. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott insists he's not bringing knights and dames back in the Australian honours system to lock Australia into the monarchy.

Retiring Governor-General Quentin Bryce has become a dame and her successor Peter Cosgrove will become a knight, after Mr Abbott asked the Queen to restore the system of pre-eminent honours.

The honours category, which was removed in 1986, will recognise extraordinary and pre-eminent Australians for their service to Australia or humanity. Up to four knights or dames can be appointed each year.

"I believe this is an important grace note in our national life," Mr Abbott said on Tuesday.

Mr Abbott, a former director of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, defended the decision, saying it would enhance the dignity of the existing system.

Asked whether he was seeking to cement the monarchy into Australian life, Mr Abbott said: "No, I'm not."

"Everyone knows where I stand on this particular issue," he said.

"I am a staunch supporter of our existing constitutional arrangements - always have been and, I imagine, always will be.

"But ... I think it is entirely appropriate that someone who represents the monarch should be honoured in this way."

Opponents were quick to mock the government's move, some adopting a humorous approach.

"I have consulted my economic roundtable and can categorically state that by adopting this policy, dozens and dozens of pounds can be saved," a sarcastic Labor senator Sam Dastyari told the upper house, at times adopting Shakespearean language.

He welcomed news from "Sir Anthony Abbott of Warringah" that ministries will now be decided by way of a jousting tournament in the caucus room.

His Labor colleague Stephen Conroy was more serious in his criticism, asking why the government can find money for knighthoods but not $250,000 a year for the families of veterans.

Australian Republican Movement national director David Morris called it a retrograde step.

"This is turning the clock back to a colonial frame of mind that we have outgrown as a nation," he said.

Mr Morris also questioned why the current system was deemed insufficient.

"Our identity today is Australian, so our national honours should be thoroughly Australian."

The Australian Monarchist League commended Mr Abbott's announcement.

The prime minister consulted Dame Quentin and General Cosgrove on the proposition and said they were happy to accept.

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said the move showed the government was rushing back to the 19th century.

"Even the arch-monarchist John Howard didn't bring back knights and dames," Mr Dreyfus said.

Dame Quentin's son-in-law, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, said the government had a plan for knights and dames but no plan for job creation.

"I'm concerned the Abbott government thinks this is a priority - what about jobs, health and education?"

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said Australia had gone socially backwards under Mr Abbott's government.

"Bring on a republic," she said.

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Govt seizes on Thomson jailing

The government says Craig Thomson's jailing shows the need for tougher checks on unions corruption. Source: AAP

FORMER Labor MP Craig Thomson's jail sentence for misusing union members' funds shows the need for tougher checks on corruption, the federal government says.

Thomson was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday to 12 months jail for spending more than $24,000 of members' money on prostitutes and personal expenses while national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU).

Employment Minister Eric Abetz says the matter shows the need for Labor to support the coalition's efforts to stamp out union corruption, including a new Registered Organisations Commission and restoring of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

The government has also named the HSU in the terms of reference for a royal commission into unions which starts next month.

"They (Labor) have learned nothing from the Craig Thomson affair," Senator Abetz said.

"Clearly they believe it's okay for union members' funds to be spent on prostitutes and living a life of luxury."

Former HSU official Marco Bolano, who Thomson accused in parliament of conspiring against him, said it was not just "one or two bad apples".

"Unfortunately what I've seen in the union movement is this is commonplace," he said outside court following Thomson's sentence.

"I hope the royal commission shines a giant light on this."

Labor frontbencher Michelle Rowland said it was important that the full force of the law be applied in such cases.

"I think that this is a very sorry episode in terms of what happens when you betray people that put their trust in you," she said, adding HSU members had a right be angry about the behaviour.

The HSU's acting national secretary Chris Brown said the union would be pursuing Thomson to recover the misused money, including that dealt with by the Fair Work investigation but not brought to court.

"Today brings to an end a long seven-year wait by the union to have Thomson brought to account for the misuse of union funds," he said.

The House of Representatives privileges committee is still investigating whether Thomson misled parliament with his 2012 statement in which claimed his innocence and railed against the media and his HSU accusers.

HSU whistleblower Kathy Jackson said the court decision was about "justice for all working men and women across the nation".

The Fair Work Commission is still pursuing other matters relating to the HSU, including fraud in the former Victoria No.1 branch and a new investigation into whether Victorian officials broke right of entry and financial reporting rules.

Mr Brown said the HSU's national executive had thoroughly reviewed its governance and financial rules to prevent future problems.

Claiming his innocence outside the court on Tuesday, Thomson was bailed after launching an immediate appeal which will be heard in November.

Nine months of his 12 months sentence is wholly suspended.

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Harry Potter artwork up for auction

THE original artwork for first copies of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series is set to go under the hammer in the US.

British artist Cliff Wright produced the ink and water colour illustrations, which were used for the covers of the 1998 classic Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets and the follow up the Prisoner of Azkaban, released the following year.

The Chamber of Secrets' illustration measures 57cm by 48.25cm and has a starting guide price of $US20,000 ($A21,956).

It shows Harry and Ron Weasley in the flying Ford Anglia, with the wizard's owl Hedwig in the back seat.

The second sketch shows Harry and Hermione on Buckbeak the mythical Hippogriff, with bids starting at $US12,500 ($A13,722) for the 14cm by 12.7cm artwork.

The pieces will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders in Los Angeles on Thursday.

JK Rowling wrote a series of seven wizarding novels that were reproduced around the world and led to a hugely successful series of films.

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Eight killed, 18 missing in US landslide

Rescuers in the US state of Washington are searching for 18 people after a mudslide buried houses. Source: AAP

AT least eight people are dead and 18 are missing after a massive landslide slammed "like a freight train" into a mountainside community in the northwestern United States.

The wall of mud, rocks and trees smashed into the rural town of Oso, northeast of Seattle, on Saturday. Three people were reported dead shortly after and another body was pulled from the rubble earlier on Sunday.

Travis Hots, chief of the regional Snohomish County Fire districts, announced the higher toll at an area community meeting.

"I'm saddened to inform you that we have assured four additional fatalities," Hots told reporters. "It's very disappointing for all of the rescuers on the scene."

The field of rubble is about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) across and some four to six (15-20 feet) deep in areas, The Seattle Times reported.

Rescuers reported hearing voices calling for help on Saturday, but Hots told reporters that they "didn't see or hear any signs of life" on Sunday.

Snohomish County spokeswoman Shari Ireton told AFP: "We are able to confirm we know that 18 people who may have been in the area are unaccounted for. We do not have identification for those people that we are releasing at this time."

At the televised press conference, Hots would only say that the number was "fluid."

"There may be people in their cars, there may be people in their homes," he said.

John Pennington, head of the county Emergency Management department, said that rescuers will continue searching for survivors overnight Sunday to Monday.

"Resources are coming in that allow us to conduct night operations," Pennington said at the briefing. "There are boots that are on the ground that are really working to continue operations 24/7."

Six homes and much of a two-lane highway reaching the area were destroyed, while as many as 16 other homes were damaged, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said.

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, who declared a state of emergency for the area, told reporters there is "a full-scale, 100-per cent, aggressive rescue effort" going on, adding that helicopters, hovercrafts and rescue personnel had rushed to the scene.

"There's no missing piece in this rescue effort," he said.

The muddy area was so unstable that some rescue workers "went in and got caught literally up to their armpits" and had to be pulled out themselves, Inslee said.

People injured in the landslide include a six-month old infant and an 81 year-old man.

"It sounded like a freight train," landslide witness Dan Young told Komo4News. "In just 35 to 45 seconds it was over." Young's home survived but is flooded.

Rain has been especially heavy in the Cascade Mountains region in the past weeks. While there was a break on Sunday, the forecast is for more heavy downpours throughout the week.

Authorities were keeping careful watch on a nearby dam, over fears pressure from the flooded river behind it could wash it away, inundating downriver communities.

Patty Murray, who represents Washington in the US Senate, gave assurances that federal resources would be made available, as she offered thanks to rescue workers and her prayers to the families of the ravaged community.

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Dump financial advice changes: Labor

LABOR has demanded Prime Minister Tony Abbott take a controversial rollback of financial advice laws out of the deep freeze and put it on the scrap heap.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the government has put the changes on ice temporarily until he undertakes further consultation with stakeholders.

"We remain committed to implement the improvements to (Future of Financial Advice laws) which we took to the last election as soon as possible," the minister told AAP on Monday.

Senator Cormann took charge of the issue after Assistant Treasurer Arthur Sinodinos stepped down last week pending his appearance as a witness before two anti-corruption inquiries in NSW.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the government had been deaf to the concerns of industry experts, consumer advocates and previous victims of dodgy financial practices.

"The prime minister should dump these changes just like he's dumped its champion Arthur Sinodinos," he said.

"This has been a nightmare from the start."

The proposed changes have divided the industry, with the Financial Planning Association strongly opposing the payment of commissions under the general advice exemption proposed by the government.

It described the change as a retrograde step that would open the door to mis-selling and inappropriate advice.

Senator Cormann there was some misinformation about the changes and some was deliberate and mischievous.

"We are not proposing to get rid of the requirement that financial advisers act in the best interest of their clients," he said.

Nor was the government proposing to reintroduce commissions or other conflicted remuneration structures for financial advisers providing personal advice.

Senator Cormann said Labor's laws had cost the industry in excess of $1 billion, with ongoing annual costs of more than $350 million.

Industry Super Australia chief executive David Whiteley said the freeze was a timely circuit breaker and a victory for common sense.

He said gaining industry consensus on the regulation of financial advice will ultimately boost consumer confidence.

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Sinodinos warned over 'company he kept'

Liberal Arthur Sinodinos was warned the men running Australian Water Holdings might be "dishonest". Source: AAP

FORMER NSW Premier Nathan Rees thought they were a "bunch of crooks" and Liberal powerbroker Arthur Sinodinos was warned the men running Australian Water Holdings might be "dishonest", a corruption inquiry has heard.

And that was before anyone knew the Obeids might be involved.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is probing claims the infrastructure company charged state-owned Sydney Water for hundreds of thousands of dollars in administration fees including limousine rides and Liberal Party donations.

It has also been alleged the family of former NSW Labor minister Eddie Obeid had a secret 30 per cent holding in Australian Water Holdings (AWH).

Senator Sinodinos became an AWH director in 2008 and was later appointed chairman.

Counsel assisting, Geoffrey Watson SC, has told the inquiry that Senator Sinodinos, who is due to give evidence to the ICAC next week, was paid $200,000 plus bonuses for about 100 hours' worth of work as an AWH director.

Shortly after he was made chairman of the company, he met with Sydney Water's then-managing director Kerry Schott and another public servant, the ICAC heard.

"We suggested to Mr Sinodinos he might be careful about the company he was keeping," Dr Schott said.

"We thought that they may be dishonest ... There was no reaction to that."

Senator Sinodinos last week stepped down as federal assistant treasurer pending the outcome of the ICAC investigation.

Dr Schott told the commission that Sydney Water's relationship with AWH became fraught as she sought justification for the expenses AWH submitted to Sydney Water for reimbursement.

Mr Rees "used to refer to them as a bunch of crooks", she said.

"As it went on and on and on I became more suspicious about the nature of the company I was dealing with," Dr Schott said.

It has been alleged that Mr Obeid tried to have her fired, urging then-water minister Phillip Costa to "sack the bitch".

Dr Schott has also given evidence that she believes a NSW government cabinet minute submitted to then-infrastructure minister Tony Kelly's office was redrafted with the help of AWH executive Nick Di Girolamo.

Mr Watson has told the ICAC the original cabinet minute recommended the rejection of a public-private partnership that would have netted a "massive windfall profit" of up to $200 million for AWH owners.

But the cabinet minute that was submitted to cabinet was a "doctored" document reversing the original recommendation, Mr Watson said, though this document was ultimately withdrawn.

Dr Schott on Monday agreed that rewriting the cabinet minute in that way would be tantamount to fraud.

"I think it was a terrible abuse of public process," she said.

The inquiry continues.

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Adelaide archbishop says response too slow

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson says the Catholic Church has learnt lessons about handling cases. Source: AAP

THE Archbishop of Adelaide has agreed the Catholic church's response to sexual abuse claims at a special school should have begun about a decade earlier than it did.

Archbishop Philip Wilson told the royal commission he would have expected his predecessor to have put in place processes in 1993 which he himself instigated after learning of the abuse in late 2001.

"If the matter was known it should have been dealt with in all the formal ways that are required," he told the commission on Monday.

It is investigating Adelaide's St Ann's Special School and its bus driver Brian Perkins, who sexually abused intellectually disabled children between 1986 and 1991.

Archbishop Wilson was asked how he would deal with the allegations he was confronted with in late 2001.

"Please God, it will never happen again, but I would hope that if it did that we would have learnt by experience now of how to handle these situations with the best possible outcome for the families and victims."

The commission has been told the principal and a Catholic Education Office (CEO) employee knew of the claims in 1991, while Archbishop Leonard Faulkner said he was informally told in 1993 about the arrest and charging of Perkins.

Archbishop Wilson said he first learnt of the claims in late 2001, when Archbishop Faulkner told him the CEO had received a complaint from parents saying children had been molested by a bus driver at St Ann's.

The witness said he was appalled and horrified and took immediate steps to put the appropriate responses and processes in place.

He agreed with counsel assisting, Sophie David, that families of students, many of whom had limited verbal skills, could have been told of the claims as early as 1991 instead of 2002.

"And that way they would've been spared 10 years of not knowing or not having an explanation for behaviours of their children?" she asked.

"I agree with that."

"If the structures that were in place in 1991 had worked, that would have been ventilated 10 years earlier than it was?" she asked.

"That's right," replied the Archbishop.

He said a "group" rather than an individualised approach was set up, with the church making "gift payments" totalling $2.3 million to 28 families in 2003.

Unknown to the families, they were categorised and the Archbishop decided payments of $100,000 would apply to children with substantiated evidence of abuse.

Payments of $75,000 would go to those who had been in Perkins' unsupervised care and for whom there was a high probability of abuse, and $50,000 for those who had less unsupervised contact.

"For those students who were unlikely to have been abused, pastoral support would be offered but not a monetary gift," the Archbishop said.

In hindsight, he said the church could have improved the way they engaged with families, consulted them about the processes and made the payment transactions much simpler.

Archbishop Wilson was the final witness at the Adelaide hearing.

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Mining tax debate focus in parliament

THE federal government will try to pressure Labor over the repeal of the mining tax this week as the re-run of the West Australian Senate election looms.

The repeal bills have been listed as the first item of business in the upper house when parliament resumes on Monday.

The Senate election on April 5 is expected to be a focal point of debate in question time, as the Liberals aim to retain the three seats they won at the 2013 election and Labor aims to pick up two seats.

The government has already targeted Labor over its decision this week to vote with the Greens to block the repeal of the carbon tax, despite former prime minister Kevin Rudd pledging in 2013 to scrap the tax.

"We always said that our two first priorities in terms of legislation was to scrap the carbon tax and the mining tax," Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told AAP on Friday.

"We are continuing to work down our to-do list."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will also seek Labor support for a package of bills on his "repeal day" on Wednesday.

The legislation aims to remove thousands of regulations and pieces of legislation that are redundant, outdated or impose a burden on business.

Mr Abbott says the repeal package - coupled with other measures - will take $700 million a year in compliance costs off business and community groups.

Another repeal day will be held later in the year.

The Senate on Monday will receive a report from its economics legislation committee on the Qantas Sale Act, which would allow majority foreign ownership of the airline.

Labor and the Greens say the airline should remain in Australian hands and be based here, but there might be room for a compromise: allowing foreign airlines to hold more than a 35 per cent stake in Qantas or a greater than 25 per cent stake for any single foreign shareholder.

Senate inquiry reports will be received on Wednesday relating to ticket scalping, the coalition's Direct Action climate plan and people living with dementia.

On Thursday, reports will be tabled from inquiries into Operation Sovereign Borders, Qantas jobs and overseas aid.

The lower house will continue to debate laws to extend road funding and re-establish the Green Army of environmental volunteers.

Labor wants an inquiry into the Green Army legislation, saying it has concerns about workplace protections, the interaction with other welfare payments and the obligation of employers to provide training.

The House of Representatives will also debate a Labor motion on Monday seeking assurances from the government that ABC funding won't be cut and that it will stop vilifying the broadcaster.

It will be the last sitting week before the May 13 budget.

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NSW urged to get flu-ready

Pregnant women and the elderly are being urged to prepare for winter and get a flu shot. Source: AAP

PREGNANT women and the elderly are being urged to prepare for winter and get a flu shot following an "unusually high" level of influenza in NSW this summer.

The Director of Health Protection NSW, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, said the northern hemisphere had experienced widespread influenza over the past months, with influenza A(H1N1) pandemic strain, A(H3N2) and influenza B circulating to different extents in different countries.

An unusually high level of influenza had also been seen in NSW over summer, he said.

He and other health professionals are now urging people, especially the elderly and pregnant women, to prepare for winter.

"The Australian flu vaccine has been updated to more closely match the influenza strains likely to circulate in NSW this year.

"So get a shot in preparation for this season," Dr McAnulty said on Sunday.

He said the seasonal flu shot continues to be the best defence for pregnant women and has the added advantage of protecting babies during their first six months when they are too young to have the vaccine.

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the government's Be Winter Wise campaign, launched on Sunday, was focusing on pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic medical conditions.

"Although we are still experiencing warm weather, people should not be complacent when it comes to the dangers of the flu," she said in a statement.

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Philippines' rebel leader, wife arrested

Police in the Philippines have arrested communist rebel leader Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma. Source: AAP

THE Philippines' top communist rebel leader and his wife have been arrested in a joint operation by the military and police.

Benito Tiamzon, chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and his wife Wilma, the party's secretary general, were nabbed in the central province of Cebu, General Emmanuel Bautista said.

"The arrest of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon is another victory for the combined efforts between the military, police and other stakeholders in pursuit of peace and security," he said.

The couple were arrested just one week before the 45th founding anniversary of the CPP's armed wing, the New People's Army, on March 29.

Bautista said the couple were arrested based on a court warrant for such crimes as murder and attempted murder. But he did not give details on the circumstances of the operation.

In 2012, the government offered a 5.6-million-peso ($A137,000) reward for Benito Tiamzon's arrest.

Netherlands-based communist rebel leaders condemned the arrest and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the couple.

Luis Jalandoni, chief rebel negotiator based in Utrecht, noted that the Tiamzons are covered by a 1995 safety and immunity agreement because they are consultants to peace talks with the government.

He said the arrest was a "flagrant violation" of the agreement and "most seriously prejudices the peace negotiations", which have been suspended since 2004.

The communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.

Efforts to resume peace negotiations with the guerillas have been stalled by rebel demands for the government to release members arrested for various criminal cases in court.

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3 bear cubs rescued from captivity

ANIMAL activists in Kosovo say three brown bear cubs have been rescued from captivity.

The one-month-old cubs, Ema, Oska and Ron, were found at two separate homes last week in the western town of Peja and are believed to be from the same mother. No arrests have been made.

Activists said they don't know what happened to the mother. Authorities were tipped off by citizens after photos of the cubs were spotted on Facebook.

"The cubs were stressed upon arrival but are recovering well", said Afrim Mehmeti, manager of a bear sanctuary run by international animal charity group Four Paws.

Keeping wild animals in Kosovo is forbidden by law and authorities are strict on the captivity of brown bears, an endangered species in the country.

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