Joyce fends off more jobs speculation

The opposition is holding off on a decision on Qantas law changes until an inquiry is tabled. Source: AAP

QANTAS chief Alan Joyce will not rule out sending more jobs offshore if able to do so under legislative changes being considered by federal parliament.

The airline is committed to slashing 5000 jobs as part of a $2 billion cost-cutting program, and as the coalition government proposes changes to the Qantas Sale Act, Mr Joyce will not forecast how many additional Australian positions could be lost.

"I'm not going to rule anything in or anything out," he told a Senate hearing in Canberra on Tuesday.

The airline boss faced repeated questioning about the impact on jobs of changing the Act, which would allow greater foreign ownership of Qantas's domestic arm.

But he said the airline has done no such modelling and refuses to deal in hypotheticals.

"We have no more plans on that," Mr Joyce said when asked of the jobs impact on different divisions of the company including maintenance, flight crew, catering and management.

Mr Joyce's position at the Qantas helm, which he has held since 2008, came under fire from Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who cited a drop in share price of more than 50 per cent since his appointment.

"If it was in the interests of shareholder value ... for you to resign would you do so?" Senator Dastyari asked.

Mr Joyce insisted that he has the support of the Qantas board.

"The important thing is to have the support of the shareholders and I continuously meet with the shareholders," Mr Joyce said.

A refresh of the Qantas board is the answer to the airline's problems, not legislative changes to the Act, Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association federal secretary Stephen Purvinas told the hearing.

"I would suggest that the government stop dealing with the current board of management until such time as they replace the CEO, they replace the chairman and they put someone with aviation background on the board," Mr Purvinas said.

He said the board is made up of bankers and people with corporate backgrounds, who lack an understanding of aviation issues.

Furthermore he said Qantas has purposefully lost money to back the federal government into a corner to change the Act.

"Qantas are intentionally creating this drama and all of the hype around them struggling internationally so that they can suck you guys into changing the Qantas Sale Act," Mr Purvinas said.

The Senate economics committee is due to report on March 24.

The ACTU forecast the number of Australian Qantas job losses would stretch to a five-digit figure under changes to the Act.

"If you add up the predictions that we have from affiliates generally in relation to Qantas group, a figure of 10,000 is obtained," union assistant secretary Tim Lyons told the same hearing.

He said staff morale at the airline was "sombre".

"The immediate impact if this bill was to go through ... would be a massive offshoring of the heavy maintenance base at Brisbane," Electrical Trades Union spokesman Matthew Murphy said.

Maintenance operations at Sydney and Melbourne would also be sent offshore, he added.

Mr Joyce labelled as "fear mongering" union claims that Qantas safety standards would be compromised if the Act was amended.

Both onshore maintenance operations and those based overseas had to be approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, he said.

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Qld clan celebrate native title ruling

Native title over 20,000 square kilometres of land has been handed to Queensland's Gudjala people. Source: AAP

AS native title over her ancestral land is formally handed to her people, north Queenslander Elizabeth Santo-Dodds looks to the heavens.

"The fight was all for them," the 43-year-old traditional owner says, referring to relatives who began the battle for recognition two decades ago but have since died.

"That's who I'm thinking about today; those who couldn't be here and always stood proud and never gave up."

Native title over 20,000 square kilometres of land near Charters Towers, inland from Townsville, was officially handed to the Gudjala people on Tuesday.

Ms Santo-Dodds said the Federal Court determination brings closure to those who have fought for the right to claim the land as their own.

"We always knew who we were and where we came from and that this is our country," she told AAP following celebrations with relatives on Tuesday.

"It's about peace of mind that people can't question our authority or authenticity over this land."

Native title will allow the Gudjala people to enter into formal negotiations with landowners over future land use.

It also gives them greater access to the land to hunt, fish, camp and carry out ceremonies and will mean they have more say over how the land is protected.

Ms Santo-Dodds said native title isn't about financial gain but a chance to right wrongs and acknowledge traditional owners who are spiritually connected to the land.

"Just like many places in Australia this land doesn't have a very good history and we will never forget that," she said.

"All we wanted was to be known as the people from this area.

"It's been a long time coming and today finally we've got here."

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Balmain Leagues Club decision Wednesday

A judge will soon rule on whether the Balmain Leagues Club will be placed into receivership. Source: AAP

WESTS Tigers fans will have to wait another day to find out whether the Balmain Leagues Club will be placed into receivership.

Developers Rozelle Village have applied to have receivers appointed to the club, claiming it has defaulted on loans among other issues.

On Tuesday afternoon, the NSW Supreme Court heard applications from Rozelle Village and the club which wants to stop the developer's action.

The leagues club has financially supported the Wests Tigers NRL club, and the injunction could hurt its ability to continue that support, the court was told.

Balmain spokesman Danny Munk said they had been given a fair hearing.

"We'll leave it in the hands of the judges. Unfortunately that's all we can say," he told reporters outside the court.

Judgment on the receivership matter is expected to be handed down on Wednesday afternoon.

Rozelle Village bought the site of the Balmain Leagues Club headquarters on Victoria Road, Rozelle to develop it into luxury apartments. The development is yet to receive state approval.

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Shark attack may have been mackerel

A young girl injured in what was thought to be a shark attack may have been bitten by a mackerel. Source: AAP

A 10-YEAR-OLD girl injured in what was thought to be a shark attack may have been bitten by a mackerel.

The girl suffered "very minor injuries" to her hand when she was bitten on Tuesday afternoon while swimming off the main beach at Lennox Head, a spokeswoman at Lismore Base hospital told AAP.

Initially it was believed she had been attacked by a shark. But authorities say they aren't sure what is responsible for the injuries.

"They don't know if that's actually correct," the spokeswoman said of the shark attack theory.

Georgia Laddin, from the Lennox Head girls surfriders told News Corp Australia it wasn't a shark.

"It was a mackerel. She's been bitten by a fish," she said.

"She's fine, she's OK. She's one of the local girls who surfs down there."

A police spokeswoman told News Corp Australia the girl's thumb was scratched.

No further detail was available and the girl's family don't want to speak to media.

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Modern workplace awards open for review

Pay and conditions of low-paid Australian workers are being reviewed by the Fair Work Commission. Source: AAP

THE Fair Work Commission has left the door open for workplace awards covering industries such as hospitality and transport to be overhauled.

The commission on Monday released its decision on the scope of a four-yearly review of the Modern Award system, which Labor in government created in 2010.

The commission will examine 122 modern awards as part of the review, covering a wide range of industries, including cleaning, hospitality, manufacturing, transport, mining and banking.

The review, due to be finished by mid-2015, will allow the commission to make decisions on varying award minimum pay and conditions.

Industry groups argue greater flexibility is needed in regard to part-time work and penalty rates.

The Abbott government has argued the commission should consider the softening economic environment and impact of employment costs when making its decisions.

But unions say the review needs to lead to better conditions for apprentices, improve rights for workers seeking to balance family commitments and set a base safety net of conditions and entitlements for casuals.

The commission said in its decision that the principle of a "fair and relevant minimum safety net of terms of conditions" could be broadly interpreted and depend on the industry to which it applies, as well as its historical context.

"There may be no one set of provisions in a particular modern award which can be said to provide a fair and relevant minimum safety net of terms and conditions," the decision said.

"There may be a number of permutations of a particular modern award, each of which may be said to achieve the modern awards objective."

The commission said some changes may be determined with "little formality", but others will require a more substantial "merit argument".

By law, modern awards can be varied if there is a "work value reason" for doing so.

Such reasons can relate to the nature of the work, the level of skill or responsibility involved and the conditions under which the work is done.

The commission will release a draft plan on how it will approach the review on April 14 and has scheduled a conference for May 13.

Labor workplace relations spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the government's involvement in the Fair Work Commission review process was a "dangerous cocktail for workers".

"This government can't help itself when it comes to undermining the pay and conditions of workers," Mr O'Connor said through a spokesman on Monday.

He said the coalition's policy of having an appellate jurisdiction over the commission would give that the power to overturn decisions of the full bench of the commission, including on the future of modern awards.

A spokeswoman for Employment Minister Eric Abetz said the minister encouraged anyone with a view on modern awards to make a submission to the review.

The commission's review upholds important protections, ACTU assistant secretary Tim Lyons says.

"Anybody wanting to make significant changes to awards - for example, by reducing or removing penalty rates - will be held to a high standard of argument and evidence," Mr Lyons told AAP in a statement.

The union also noted the commission's acknowledgment that there is no problem with current arrangements which provide different award provisions to different industries.

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Vic MP Geoff Shaw quits Liberal Party

Rebel Victorian MP Geoff Shaw has quit the state's Liberal Party days before a party meeting. Source: AAP

REBEL Victorian MP Geoff Shaw has resigned from the Liberal Party ahead of a meeting where he was expected to be kicked out.

The independent Frankston MP resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party last March, but he was still a card-carrying member of the party's Victorian branch.

The balance of power MP confirmed his resignation on his website on Monday but said he looks forward to contending the November election as an independent.

His spokesman said he would not make any further comment on Monday.

Mr Shaw's resignation comes ahead of a meeting on Friday where Liberal Party members were expected to ask him to leave the party.

The party's state director Damien Mantach has confirmed Mr Shaw's resignation and said Friday's scheduled meeting was now not necessary.

It is understood the Victorian branch administration had become unhappy with Mr Shaw repeatedly voting with Labor in parliament last month.

Mr Shaw quit the parliamentary party last year after allegations he misused his parliamentary car and fuel card.

In December last year, dishonesty charges relating to these allegations were dropped.

Comment was being sought by Victorian Premier Denis Napthine.

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Govt to oppose super trawler challenge

The Abbott government will fight to uphold a ban that prevents super trawlers fishing in Australia. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government will fight in court to uphold a ban that prevents super trawlers fishing in Australian waters.

The federal court last month ruled against Seafish Tasmania, which was trying to overturn a two-year ban on super trawlers imposed by the previous Labor government.

Seafish Tasmania has lodged an application to appeal the decision, but Environment Minister Greg Hunt says the government will oppose it.

"The coalition government supports sustainable fisheries management and practices," he said in a statement.

Seafish Tasmania brought the factory freezer trawler Abel Tasman to Australia in 2012 to fish a 16,000-tonne quota of mackerel and redbait.

But that year it was banned by former federal environment minister Tony Burke for two years until its environmental impacts were assessed independently.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently told parliament the temporary ban on super trawler fishing in Australian waters would stay put.

The federal court has yet to appoint a date for the appeal hearing.

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Pistorius ordered six guns before shooting

Oscar Pistorius was in the process of buying six guns at the time he shot dead his girlfriend. Source: AAP

OSCAR Pistorius was in the process of buying six guns at the time he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, more than usually allowed under South African law, his murder trial has heard.

The order for three shotguns, two revolvers, and a rifle had already been invoiced to the athlete when he shot Steenkamp on February 14 last year, testified gun licensee Sean Rens on Monday.

"The transaction was cancelled a month post-incident," he said at the start of the third week of trial.

South African law allows non-collectors to possess only four firearms.

Rens said Pistorius "had a great love and enthusiasm" for firearms.

The licensee said Pistorius told him he once drew his gun inside his house at a suspicious noise, which turned out to be the washing machine.

"He went into what we call 'code red', or combat mode, in other words to draw his gun and go and clear his house," Rens testified on Monday.

Rens met the double-amputee in 2012 through a mutual friend. At the time Pistorius owned a 9 mm pistol and the pair visited a shooting range together around 10 times.

The state has drawn on previous gun incidents to depict the 27-year-old Pistorius as rash and trigger-happy, in support of the charge of premeditated murder.

The sprinter faces three additional non-related charges over firing a gun in a restaurant and from a moving car, and for the illegal possession of ammunition.

Licensing examination records showed Pistorius knew the country's gun laws well, the court heard.

He answered correctly that he could only shoot at a person if his life was directly threatened.

Asked if he could fire at burglars stealing a television from his house, Pistorius answered: "No. Life is not in danger," Rens said, reading from an answer sheet.

Pistorius says he shot dead Steenkamp, 29, through a locked toilet door when he mistook her for an intruder.

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China eases exchange rate controls

CHINA has announced it will ease exchange rate controls that have been criticised by Washington and other trading partners as part of reforms aimed at making its economy more efficient.

The band in which the tightly controlled yuan is allowed to fluctuate each day against the US dollar will double in size but stay relatively narrow, allowing a 2 per cent change up or down.

The move, widely expected, adds to a steady drumbeat of policy changes announced as part of plans by the ruling Communist Party to give market forces a bigger role in the state-dominated economy.

Widening the trading band will help to "optimise the efficiency of capital allocation and market allocation of resources to accelerate economic development," said a central bank statement.

Washington and other governments complain Beijing suppresses the value of the yuan, unfairly making Chinese exports cheaper abroad and hurting foreign competitors.

Some US lawmakers have demanded punitive tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing failed to ease controls, but successive American administrations have resisted imposing sanctions.

Allowing the yuan to rise in value would increase the buying power of Chinese households, helping to achieve the ruling party's goal of nurturing more sustainable economic growth based on domestic consumption instead of trade and investment.

Reform advocates say that by suppressing the yuan's value, Beijing has been forcing even poor households to subsidise exporters.

In recent weeks, the central bank has been guiding the yuan's exchange lower against the dollar in what analysts said was an effort to discourage speculators who are moving money into China to profit from the currency's rise.

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Liberals win majority government in Tassie

Over 360,000 Tasmanians will vote in 305 polling places from Hobart to King Island in Bass Strait. Source: AAP

IF only Will Hodgman's parents could have seen this.

Victorious Mr Hodgman and defeated opponent Lara Giddings united in wishing the father and mother of Tasmania's new premier had lived to see his election success.

Mr Hodgman's party swept to majority government in Saturday's poll, ending a Labor dynasty that began in 1998.

But it was another dynasty that was on many minds after Mr Hodgman lost his father Michael, a former Fraser government minister, last year after a long illness.

"I am envious that unlike (Ms Giddings) my parents are not able to see tonight," Mr Hodgman said.

Ms Giddings had earlier made a point of sympathising with her opponent.

"Having had the support of my family and the pride of my parents in what I have achieved ... I say to Will I'm only sorry for you that your father Michael and your mother Marian cannot be here," she said.

But the night belonged to the Hodgmans and the premier elect claimed victory at his second attempt with his English wife Nicky by his side, punching the air as he reached the podium.

"Tasmanians have voted for a change in direction and that is what we intend to deliver," Mr Hodgman said.

The 44-year-old father of three young children becomes Tasmania's 45th premier, and his family's first.

Michael Hodgman, known as "the mouth from the south" was also a state politician, while Will's grandfather Bill and uncle Peter were also members of parliament.

The Liberals looked likely to win 14 seats in the 25-seat parliament after four years of an ALP-Greens alliance.

Like last year's federal election, Mr Hodgman had campaigned on ending minority government and his party was rewarded with around 53 per cent of votes.

Under Tasmania's Hare-Clark system, which delivers five members per seat, the Liberals increased their number from two to three in the state's north, the same electorates that punished the ALP at last year's federal poll.

A 14 per cent swing left Labor with six seats, the Greens with two and three in doubt.

The Greens' vote plummeted in a swing of nearly 10 per cent, while the Palmer United Party looked likely to miss out after polling five per cent.

But in the popular vote it was a landslide, Mr Hodgman recording the highest personal tally of any candidate.

Ms Giddings paid tribute to Labor predecessors stretching back to the late Jim Bacon.

"Tasmania is more inclusive, Tasmania is more progressive, more dynamic and more culturally confident than we were back in 1998," she said.

With Ms Giddings absent from the Wrest Point tally room, the traditional jeering came from Liberal supporters as Greens leader Nick McKim took the podium.

Mr McKim said the past four years had proven the Greens were capable of stable and effective government.

"We've been in tougher places before and we've come right back from there," he said.

Ms Giddings looked certain to hold her seat but Labor leadership hopeful David O'Byrne had a fight on his hands.

The pair share Mr Hodgman's electorate of Franklin, along with Mr McKim who was re-elected.

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