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

TASMANIA'S Liberals is set for a crushing election victory and a return to office in the island state for the first time in 16 years.

Will Hodgman has led the party to victory at his second attempt and will become the first Liberal premier of the state since Tony Rundle.

Polls had predicted a bloodbath for Labor, who shared power with the Greens for the past four years, and experts were calling the result with barely 10 per cent of the vote counted.

Labor was hard hit in the north and the Greens had also lost electoral support.

Under Tasmania's unique Hare-Clark electoral system, where five members are elected in each seat, the Liberals needed to pick up three for a majority in the 25-seat lower house.

They looked set to win 14, while Labor had won five, the Greens two with four still in doubt.

But in the popular vote it was a landslide, the Liberals claiming at least 53 per cent, a swing of 14, and Mr Hodgman the highest personal tally of any candidate.

The 44-year-old father of three young children comes from a long line of Hodgmans involved in Tasmanian politics, but will be the family's first premier.

His late father Michael was a popular Fraser government minister and state politician.

His grandfather Bill Hodgman and uncle Peter were also members of the state parliament.

Also in Mr Hodgman's electorate of Franklin, Labor premier Lara Giddings looked likely to hold her seat but leadership hopeful David O'Byrne was under threat.

Greens leader Nick McKim also looked safe.

Polls taken in the final weeks of the campaign had the Liberals flying.

A Newspoll had the party at 53 per cent to the ALP's 23 and the Greens' 16.

Mr Hodgman was trumpeted as "Mr 54.6 per cent" by Hobart newspaper The Mercury.

The Liberals have promised boosts to health and education as well as the axing of 500 public service positions and budget savings of $500 million.

But they confront unemployment of 7.3 per cent, the nation's highest, and a budget blowout of $450 million over the forwards estimates.

Earlier, Ms Giddings appeared resigned to a loss.

"Of course it's going to be a difficult day, a tough day for Labor, but one where we won't give up until the very last," she told reporters as she voted in Hobart.

The ALP reportedly mounted a last-ditch campaign blitz with early morning text messages on Saturday morning.

Mr Hodgman questioned their use of robo-calls during the campaign.

"The Labor party have used my voice in their robo-calls," he said.

"I think that's unfortunate but it's part and parcel of campaigning."

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SA election still too close to call

About one million people are set to cast their ballots to decide the next state government of SA. Source: AAP

THE South Australian election is neck and neck with almost a quarter of the vote counted, as swings varied widely across the state.

The early results had both Labor and Liberals winning 19 seats each in the 47-seat parliament with two others also likely to remain in the hands of independents.

That left seven in doubt with opposition leading in several of those but Labor looking set to win the inner suburban seat of Adelaide from the Liberals.

On the primary statewide vote the swing to the opposition was three per cent with the swing away from Labor 1.6 per cent.

Going into the election the Liberals needed to pick up six seats to govern in their own right or at least three to have any chance of forming a minority government.

Labor held six of its seats on a margin of 2.7 per cent or less.

Despite the result remaining in doubt, Labor looks set to lose a number of ministers even if they can hang onto government.

Transport Services Minister Chloe Fox in Bright and Employment Minister Grace Portolesi in Hartley were both in trouble while Manufacturing Minister Tom Kenyon was behind early but could hang on.

Labor was also trailing in a number of other seats including the seat of Ashford, but was leading in Elder where the Liberals accused the government of a racist slur against their candidate Carolyn Habib by distributing a pamphlet which just featured her surname on the cover.

Earlier today Premier Jay Weatherill said he expected the result to be close with the election to be decided in a number of key seats.

"Obviously there are a range of seats that are going to be battleground seats. A large number of them this time," he said.

With the count so close a hung parliament also remained on the cards.

Mr Weatherill said he was focussed on winning a majority of seats, while Liberal leader Steven Marshall said the opposition had not ruled out forming a minority government.

"I've never ruled that out but I do say that it would be great for a government to govern in their own right here in South Australia," Mr Marshall said.

Just over 1.1 million South Australians were enrolled to vote.

About 70,000 of those cast their ballots early at voting centres across the state with about 86,000 people also expected to lodge postal votes.

Those votes could ultimately prove crucial.

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Stormy weather moves through Vic

STORMS have swept through Victoria, bringing down trees and causing damage to homes.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm alert on Saturday, warning that damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hailstones were likely to affect parts of the state.

The State Emergency Service said so far 80 calls for assistance had been received, mainly from greater metropolitan Melbourne, and coastal areas such as Chelsea and Frankston.

Residents in state's northeast and northwest have also contacted emergency services.

Many of the calls relate to fallen trees and roof tiles coming away from residential properties, causing minor leaks and flood damage to homes, the SES said.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Stephen King said Saturday evening's storm activity would extend up from the metropolitan area up through central Victoria towards Bendigo and Echuca.

The bureau's severe thunderstorm warning currently applies to Northern Country, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and parts of the Central and East Gippsland.

An earlier severe thunderstorm warning for Melbourne has now been cancelled as the immediate threat has passed.

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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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Vic MP recovering after surgery

A VICTORIAN MP who underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour is now on the road to recovery.

The member for Carrum, Donna Bauer, had surgery last Saturday to remove a large growth that was discovered during a routine medical check.

Doctors are confident that the tumour, which turned out to be an aggressive localised cancer, has been contained and successfully removed.

As a safeguard, Mrs Bauer will undergo a six-month course of chemotherapy.

The MP has assured constituents that her office remains open for business and she has thanked the community for their support.

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Indigenous concerned about Cape York plan

TRADITIONAL owners on Queensland's Cape York say they need more time to consider the government's 20-year plan for the peninsula.

About 10 indigenous groups say they want the March 25 deadline for submissions on the Cape York regional plan extended because of the significance of the plan.

The draft, released in November, outlines future land use for the region - mapping areas where development may be considered and areas of high environmental value.

Laura traditional owner Desmond Tayley says indigenous land owners, who will be affected most by the land use changes, weren't consulted before the draft was drawn up.

"This could be one of the biggest plans that affects how we do business on Cape York," he told AAP on Friday.

"The cultural heritage aspects are not really recognised in this plan ... the traditional owners and land owners have never really been consulted."

Mr Tayley says although the government spoke with Cape York councils, this didn't necessarily mean traditional owners were consulted.

He also wants similar protections offered to the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, where mining has been banned, extended to include rock art sites in and around Laura.

Traditional owners from Western Yalanji, Mapoon, Pormpuraaw, Archer Point, Olkola, Lockhardt River, Chuula, Batavia Downs and the Wenlock Catchment Group have also expressed concern.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney says the draft plan was developed in close consultation with traditional owners and discussions will extend beyond the official March 25 deadline.

"The Queensland government is prepared to take as long as is necessary to get this plan right," he said in a statement.

"I can reassure communities on the Cape that all their submissions and comments will be considered in finalisation of the plan."

The 28 members of the Cape York Regional Planning Committee includes MPs, mayors, green groups and resource sector representatives.

The government has said the plan encourages economic growth, while green groups say it opens up vast areas of the cape to mining.

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Gorgon could be delayed until 2016

AUSTRALIA'S largest gas project Gorgon could be delayed until at least 2016 as joint venture partners Chevron and Shell differ on the expected start-up date.

It follows a series of delays and cost blowouts to the massive $US54 billion ($A60.02 billion) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in north Western Australia.

Shell chief executive Ben Van Beurden presented a table to analysts overnight showing the estimated start-up date for the massive 450 million ton project had been pushed back to between 2016 to 2018.

Shell's presentation in London contradicts lead partner's Chevron's assurances that the project is on track to begin in mid-2015.

Chevron this week reiterated its start-up date for first gas next year.

In December last year, Chevron pushed back the time-frame from the first quarter of 2015 and announced the cost of the project had blown out by $US2 billion to $US54 billion.

A spokeswoman for Royal Dutch Shell, which has a 25 per cent stake in Gorgon, referred questions about the start-up time to Chevron.

The original budgeted cost of Gorgon was $US37 billion when it was given the green light in 2009.

Earlier this week, Chevron said Gorgon was almost 80 per cent complete, with two thirds of the gas already committed to buyers.

Offshore pipelaying was now complete and 65 per cent of the LNG from Gorgon had been committed under long-term contracts.

Mr Beurden also reaffirmed the company's $US15 billion target for asset sales over 2014-15 but made no mention of whether it would include a sell down of its stake in Perth-based Woodside Petroleum.

Royal Dutch Shell, a joint venture partner in Woodside's Browse project in Western Australia, has previously indicated it will begin an asset sales program.

Analysts predict Shell could reap $US6.95 ($A7.82) billion by selling its 23.1 per cent interest in Woodside.

Mr Beurden said the company had already announced more than $US4.5 billion of asset sales, including equity in the Wheatstone LNG stake and downstream businesses in Australia.

"There are more divestments to come reaching an expected $US15 billion for 2014 and 2015 combined," Mr Beurden told analysts.

Shell also said start-up for its 110 million ton Prelude floating LNG project would be between 2016 2018.

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Jakarta governor to run for president

INDONESIA'S main opposition party has nominated popular Jakarta governor Joko Widodo as its candidate for July's presidential election.

"To the people of Indonesia, please give your support to Mr Joko Widodo as the candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle," the party's deputy chairwoman Puan Maharani, daughter of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, said at a press conference.

Recent polls suggest that Widodo, a former furniture businessman and mayor of Solo in Central Java province, would win the election if it were held now.

Widodo rose to political prominence as Solo mayor thanks to his hands-on leadership style and programmes including free healthcare and education.

As governor, he has a reputation for paying frequent visits to Jakarta's slums, and is known for riding a bicycle to work.

"I have been given a mandate by PDI-P chairwoman Madam Megawati Sukarnoputri to be the presidential candidate of PDI Perjuangan," Widodo said during a visit to a Jakarta neighbourhood.

Analysts say the party is hoping Widodo's nomination will boost its support in the April 9 legislative elections.

The popularity of the ruling Democratic Party, led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has been declining following a series of corruption scandals.

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Inquiry told Pell backs right to sue

A NSW hearing will examine the response of the Catholic Church to John Ellis's claim of child abuse. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S most senior Catholic Cardinal George Pell believes victims of child sex abuse should be able to sue the church.

Revealed at a hearing of the federal Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney on Monday, Cardinal Pell's position represents a major policy change from the church.

The commission is examining the experiences of victim John Ellis who unsuccessfully pursued civil litigation against the church and Cardinal Pell for the abuse he suffered while an altar boy.

It's been told the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney spent $1.5 million to defeat Mr Ellis' $100,000 claim stemming from the hurt and distress he suffered at the hands of Father Aidan Duggan at Christ the King's Church in Bass Hill, Sydney from 1974 to 1979.

He lost his case when the court ruled the church was not a legal entity which could be sued and Cardinal Pell could not be held responsible.

The case has been viewed as a barrier to future compensation attempts.

In her opening remarks to the commission on Monday, Gail Furness SC, counsel advising the commission, outlined Mr Ellis' costly fight.

She said when Cardinal Pell gives evidence later in the hearings he will say that, on reflection, some of the steps in Mr Ellis' case caused him concern.

In his submission to the royal commission, she went on, Cardinal Pell will say: "Whatever position was taken by the lawyers during the litigation, or by lawyers of individuals within the Archdiocese following the litigation, my own view is that the church in Australia should be able to be sued in cases of this kind."

Mr Ellis lost his action in 2005 and the church and its solicitors pursued him for more than $550,000 costs for three years, before they were finally waived.

Ms Furness said Mr Ellis, a lawyer, was first told his claim could not be resolved because the alleged abuser, Fr Duggan, had dementia.

Before any mediation began he was informed by Raymond Brazil, a facilitator for the church's Professional Standards Office (NSW/ACT) that any "financial gesture would be in the form of a gratuity and not compensation in the legal sense".

There was a cap of $50,000 and only the most serious cases receive the maximum amount.

The commission has heard the church's Towards Healing program which is meant to be compassionate and pastoral in its approach does not have a financial cap on redress.

Mr Ellis told the inquiry the impacts of the abuse were still unfolding for him and his wife Nicola at the time.

He had been asked to resign from his position as partner in the law firm Baker and McKenzie and in the initial stages of therapy, was living away from home.

He requested $100,000 but was offered $25,000.

The offer was upped to $30,000 and he considered accepting this because he was financially strapped.

Mr Ellis said he was told the offer was less than he wanted because: "The impact on you is considered to be less because the abuse continued after you were 18."

He was also told the church authority questioned the casual links between his present issues and the abuse.

"I felt the impacts on me were being minimised in that response", Mr Ellis said.

He told the commission: "I had no desire to engage in legal proceedings against the church.

What he wanted was a payment of something like the suggested $100,000, an apology from the Cardinal, acknowledgment of the church's failure to protect him and counselling.

He also wanted honest information about how Father Duggan had come to be placed at Bass Hill.

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Tattoo key to saving abused boy

A LITTLE boy adopted by a pedophilic Queensland couple and farmed out to an international ring of sex abusers was rescued thanks to a distinctive temporary tattoo, investigators have revealed.

Australian, New Zealand and US officials have given an in-depth account of how they brought down the two men in a Four Corners report.

Peter Truong and Mark Newton paid US$8000 for a child, adopted him, then took him on a world tour of abuse.

The report revealed the pair trained their young son not to give information to investigators by staging mock interviews.

Detective Inspector Jon Rouse from Queensland Police said the boy "withdrew completely" during police interviews.

"You know, he would hide, he wouldn't look at the interviewer," Det Insp Rouse told the ABC program.

"I believe one of his responses was that he didn't want to get them into trouble."

Images found on a hard drive in the Truong-Newton home showed the boy had been taken to 30 countries in six years, meeting unidentified men.

The young boy - named as Adam in the Four Corners report - had filled his passport by the age of three.

And it was an overseas holiday snap that helped detectives close in on his adoptive fathers.

Photos dated April 2011 showed him getting a henna tattoo at a zoo in North Carolina.

Det Insp Rouse said the tattoo proved crucial in helping identify Adam.

"The dead set immediate giveaway was the tattoo," he said.

"There's a henna tattoo, very, very particular.

"You put it all together, it's definitely our boy ... that was it, case closed."

Newton was sentenced to 40 years' jail last year, while Truong received a discount for supplying passwords to encrypted hard drives, thus helping secure the arrest of other international pedophiles, and was jailed for 30 years.

The Four Corners program comes with high-profile Florida lawyer John Rex Powell agreeing to serve at least 20 years' jail in the US for his involvement in the ring.

In a deal with prosecutors in Indiana, Powell agreed on Monday to serve up to 30 years behind bars, and after his release be subject to supervision for the rest of his life.

An Indiana judge will decide how much time he will serve.

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Aust ready to do more for Malaysia: Bishop

Canberra says it will do more to help search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: AAP

CANBERRA will do more to help search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane if Kuala Lumpur needs additional assistance, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said after speaking with her Malaysian counterpart.

The Australian minister also flagged the need for tighter passport controls.

Malaysia has dispatched ships to investigate the sighting of a floating object that could be a life raft, as it continues to hunt for the missing airliner.

The plane's disappearance has led to an international search and rescue operation with Australia sending two P-3C Orion RAAF aircraft.

"It does show that countries pull together when there is a crisis such as this," Ms Bishop told reporters in London where she's attending the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting.

"I spoke to the Malaysian foreign minister Anifah (Aman) yesterday and offered him our support.

"I asked that if there was anything further that Australia could do they just have to let us know."

Ms Bishop said it was a very distressing time for the families of passengers and crew on the flight.

"We can assume that it has gone down but we don't know where or why."

Six Australians and two New Zealanders are among 239 people feared dead aboard the Kuala Lumpur to Beijing flight.

A terrorism investigation is underway amid revelations two passengers travelled on false passports.

Asked if Australian airports regularly scanned passports against the Interpol database of stolen documents, the foreign minister said: "I believe so."

"We would like to think that our passport system is exceedingly robust," Ms Bishop said.

"But this is an incident that is not isolated and the response from Interpol, for example, indicates that much tighter scrutiny may well be required."

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Several swine flu cases on Palm Island

SEVERAL people have contracted swine flu on Palm Island in north Queensland, health officials say.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service confirmed on Monday that four residents from the mainly indigenous community off Townsville have the virus.

One patient has been admitted to Townsville Hospital and the others have been treated on the island.

Dr Robert Norton, director of microbiology and pathology at Townsville Hospital, says although there have been several cases it doesn't constitute an outbreak.

"It is not uncommon for this virus to circulate throughout Queensland," he said.

During a 2009 outbreak on the island a 19-year-old woman lost her 36-week-old unborn child due to swine-flu related complications.

Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey says the number of recent cases are concerning and may be due to the poor level of healthcare available on the island.

"I think the delivery of health care on the island isn't as good as it should be," he told AAP.

"If this [level of healthcare] was in a normal mainstream community then every man and his dog would want something done."

He says the community wants more say over how healthcare is administered on the island, and he's in discussions with Queensland Health about changing their approach.

Health officials recommend an annual vaccination to stop the spread of swine flu or Influenza A (H1N1).

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Third NSW man charged over $1m drug haul

A man has been charged after police found $1.3 million worth of cannabis plants in northern NSW. Source: AAP

A THIRD man has been charged after more than $1 million worth of cannabis was seized in raids on the NSW mid-north coast last week.

Police say they found 692 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of $1.3 million during searches at properties in Comara, Carrai and Port Macquarie on Tuesday.

A rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition and equipment used in the cultivation of illegal drugs were also found, police say.

A 57-year-old man was arrested after he went to Port Macquarie Police Station on Saturday afternoon.

He was charged with commercial cultivation of cannabis plants and was refused bail to appear at Port Macquarie Local Court on Sunday.

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Thoughts with those on Malaysia flight: PM

PM Tony Abbott says Australians' thoughts are with the families of those on a missing Malaysia jet. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says Australians' thoughts are with the passengers and families of those on a missing China-bound Malaysia Airlines jet.

Queensland couples Catherine and Robert Lawton and Mary and Rodney Burrows, and Sydneysiders Li Yuan and Gu Naijun, are among 239 people on board flight MH370, which disappeared between Malaysia's east coast and southern Vietnam.

Mr Abbott on Sunday described the tragedy as a "horrible, horrible business".

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers and their families on that ill-fated aircraft, particularly to the six Australian passengers and their families, that have now been confirmed to be on board," he told reporters in Adelaide.

"We're looking at ways in which we can help with the search and recovery operation."

Opposition leader Bill Shorten echoed Mr Abbott's comments.

"I believe the Australian nation's thoughts go out to the families of those Australians and New Zealanders that are on this plane, and indeed the families of everyone," he told reporters in Melbourne.

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Australian found with amnesia in Cambodia

AN Australian man who went missing in Thailand more than a month ago has been found across the border, reportedly suffering from memory loss.

Financial consultant Nathan Hansford had last been seen leaving his home in the Bangkok suburb of Thungkru on January 31, prompting Thai police to launch an investigation last week.

Late on Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed Mr Hansford had been located in Cambodia.

"Consular officials in Cambodia are in contact with Mr Hansford's family," a DFAT spokeswoman told AAP.

A family statement released to Fairfax Media said Mr Hansford had been involved in a motor vehicle accident and was suffering from amnesia.

"It is time for us to focus on helping Nathan in his recovery," the statement said.

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Wife prays for miracle for missing husband

Hopes are dwindling that Paul Weeks will be found alive after the plane he boarded went missing. Source: AAP

THE wife of a Perth man on board a missing Malaysia Airlines jet is praying for a miracle that he will return home safely.

The Malaysia Airlines plane was carrying 239 people, including six Australians and two New Zealanders from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared from radar screens over the South China Sea on Saturday.

Paul Weeks, a 39-year-old mechanical engineer, was travelling to Mongolia for his first shift in a fly-in-fly-out job.

His emotional wife, Danica, said on Sunday she was desperately waiting for news of him.

"I can't give up hope. I would love him to walk through that door, hold him one more time," she told the Nine Network in Perth.

She said he left his wedding ring and watch at home.

"(He said) 'If something should happen to me then the wedding ring should go to the first son that gets married and then the watch to the second'," she said.

The couple have a three-year-old son, Lincoln, and a 10-month-old son, Jack.

Mr Weeks was born in New Zealand and moved to WA with his young family in 2011, following the devastating Christchurch earthquakes.

His LinkedIn profile shows he had been working with MTU Detroit Diesel Australia in WA and previously, as a vehicle mechanic for the New Zealand army for more than five years.

Mr Weeks was listed as one of two New Zealand passengers despite now living in Australia.

His older sister, Sara, said all the family in New Zealand remained hopeful for good news, but were preparing themselves for the worst.

"When Danica kissed him goodbye, she was hoping he would be back in a month," she told Fairfax.

Other friends and family have used social media to post tributes.

Emma Brosnahan wrote: "Such a sad day, still praying for you Pauly and hoping miracles do happen. Sending Danica Weeks & the boys as much love & strength as we can possibly muster."

Rebecca Rousselle posted: "So sad to hear this tragic news of such a great guy and an old friend. My heart goes out to his family, I can't imagine how devastating this must be and just want to send my love."

Mr Weeks told The Press newspaper in 2012 he left New Zealand because of recessionary pressure, high food prices and continuing aftershocks in Christchurch.

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