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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Pell promises compo for Vic abuse victims

CARDINAL George Pell has promised to review compensation payments for Melbourne church abuse victims and has conceded it may cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cardinal Pell met with Anthony and Chrissie Foster, whose two daughters were abused by a priest in Melbourne and told them a cap on payments would be eliminated.

He also told them during the meeting, which took place on Thursday after Cardinal Pell completed his evidence to the royal commission into child sexual abuse, the church would review all existing payments.

"I stated that we needed to see the Melbourne cap eliminated, revisiting all the existing claims and in line with civil limits," Mr Foster told ABC TV.

"I also said to him that this will cost the Catholic Church in Melbourne several hundred million dollars.

"His response was he nodded and said 'yes'."

Francis Sullivan from Catholic Church Truth, Justice and Healing Council, who was at the meeting said Cardinal Pell gave a commitment that he would speak with the Archbishop of Melbourne.

Nicky Davis from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said the commitment was a good first step and hopes it is not an empty promise.

"George Pell is making an honest man of himself at last," she said in a statement.

"What has been agreed to so far is a first step, but what makes this different is it is not a vague promise or deceitful claim. We are talking about concrete action that will help hundreds of our most vulnerable."

"It is vital George Pell not offer survivors another devastating blow by betraying our hopes and going back on promises made to the Fosters."

Ms Davis said the commitment did not remove the need for an independent body to ensure survivors receive access to justice and fair compensation.

The Fosters' two daughters were raped by a priest at primary school.

One of them took her own life and the other was hit by a car while binge drinking and now requires 24-hour care for permanent disabilities.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

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Vic underworld man The Texan Longley dies

Billy "The Texan" Longley, who survived the Painters and Dockers wars, has died in Melbourne. Source: AAP

ONE of the Melbourne underworld's great survivors, former Painters and Dockers union hardman Billy "The Texan" Longley, has died.

Longley, who was convicted of ordering a rival's murder during the Painters and Dockers wars in the 1970s, died in Melbourne on Friday aged 88, multiple media outlets report.

He survived the Painters and Dockers underworld while many he came into contact with didn't.

"I never thought I'd see 80, for various reasons," Longley said in 2005.

Longley gained the nickname "The Texan" because he wore a Stetson hat and carried a Colt .45.

He served 13 years in Pentridge prison after he was found guilty of organising the murder of union rival Pat Shannon.

Longley was linked to more than a dozen others, in which he denied involvement.

The murders took place in the early 1970s when open warfare was waged on Melbourne's docks as factions fought for control of the union and the rorts it allegedly presided over.

In a book released in 2005 Longley told of a lifelong tendency to get into a stoush.

He put his survival down to "sheer good luck".

"Maybe it's because I was a depression child - you learn to be quick on your feet in the depression," Longley said.

"I've got a few regrets .... but it's been a great life."

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Customs nabs smuggled tobacco in Vic

Customs have seized tonnes of smuggled cigarettes from a shipping container in Melbourne. Source: AAP

CUSTOMS officers have smoked out more than 300,000 smuggled cigarettes and almost two tonnes of illicit molasses tobacco in Melbourne.

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officials used X-ray equipment to find the massive haul at its Melbourne container examination centre which they say should have attracted about $1 million in duty.

About 100 cardboard boxes filled with the illicit cigarettes and 1866kg of molasses tobacco were found among household goods including blankets, plastic ware and ornaments.

Customs national cargo operations manager Jagtej Singh on Friday said the tobacco is illegal because import duties had not been paid.

The agency seized 183 tonnes of smuggled tobacco and 200 million cigarettes in 76 separate seizures last financial year, which represented a potential $151 million in unpaid duties.

The maximum penalty for tobacco smuggling is 10 years' jail or a fine of up to five times the amount of duty evaded.

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PNG set to deport Aussie lawyer

AN Australian barrister representing 75 asylum seekers has been forced to leave Manus Island ahead of his expected deportation by Papua New Guinean authorities.

Contrary to a court order granted by Justice David Cannings allowing Sydney lawyer Jay Williams access to the detention facilities on Manus Island he was on Thursday ejected, the ABC reports.

He will be sent back to Australia on the next flight, PNG's attorney general Kerenga Kua said, adding that Mr Williams hadn't followed the appropriate procedures to practice law in the country.

"What it means is if you're an admitted lawyer but don't have a current practising certificate for 2014, you cannot practise law in this country. Now in the case of Mr Williams, it meets neither requirements," he said.

Justice Canning initiated a human rights inquiry earlier this month into the conditions under which asylum seekers were living but it was temporarily halted, following a week of hearings, after the Supreme Court granted a stay order.

The country's government wants to appeal Justice Canning's decision not to remove himself from the inquest, on allegations he's biased.

In response, Justice Canning started a second inquiry.

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Tough budget decisions coming: Abbott

PM Tony Abbott has warned that "tough decisions" are coming to restore the federal budget. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has warned that "tough decisions" are coming to restore the federal budget.

In the last parliamentary sitting day before Treasurer Joe Hockey brings down his first budget on May 13, Mr Abbott said of all the government's commitments, the most fundamental was to restore the budget.

"Tough decisions are coming," he told parliament.

"They are necessary for the prosperity of our country."

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen asked Mr Hockey why, if he is concerned about the budget, did he double the deficit and add $68 billion of new spending, and change economic assumptions to his mid-year review in December.

Mr Hockey described this as "great fiction" which came from a party with a record of $190 billion of deficits in five years.

"The legacy of Labor is that over the next 10 years there is no surplus, there is no repayment of debt," he said.

"The Labor party legacy of debt and deficit wasn't just for the period they were in government, it is for as far as you can see in the years ahead."

He said the government plans were very clear, and entirely consistent in dealing with what were changing economic circumstances over the last few decades.

"We said government cannot afford to waste taxpayers' money," he said.

He said the pink batts program was a terrible waste of money and cost lives; GP super clinics were medical facilities that did not treat any patients; and the NBN was a litany of waste and incompetence.

"We are going to fix the mess," he said.

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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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Labor no confidence bid on Speaker fails

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus has been banned from parliament for 24 hours. Source: AAP

SPEAKER Bronwyn Bishop has fended off a no-confidence motion after attracting Labor's ire for banning a frontbencher for 24 hours.

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus was punted from the chamber on Thursday - the final day of parliament before the six-week pre-budget break - after he called out "Madam Speaker" in an exasperated tone over a ruling relating to the prime minister.

The government voted to suspend Mr Dreyfus from parliament for 24 hours after the Speaker "named" him.

The incident riled the Labor opposition, which has become increasingly frustrated over Mrs Bishop's perceived bias in her question time rulings.

Manager of opposition business Tony Burke used the wording of a successful 1949 no-confidence motion in Deputy Speaker Clark, in which he was described as showing "serious partiality" and "constantly fails to interpret correctly the standing orders of the House".

Among her sins had been throwing out a Labor MP for laughing, ejecting 98 Labor members and not one coalition MP, allowing name-calling and ignoring time limits on answers from ministers.

Mr Burke said Mrs Bishop, who has been in parliament for 27 years, was respected as a formidable MP who could launch "scathing and effective attacks".

"But we cannot support you continuing to behave that way when you want to sit in the Speaker's chair," he said.

House leader Christopher Pyne defended Mrs Bishop, saying Mr Burke clearly had been working up to the motion since the 44th parliament began.

"The fact that this is a stunt ... is so clearly indicated by the fact the manager of opposition business came into the chamber with a prepared speech," he said.

Mr Pyne said Tony Abbott had been criticised in the previous parliament by Labor for having "trouble with strong women" - such as Julia Gillard and then-speaker Anna Burke - but Mr Dreyfus had made a habit of bullying Mrs Bishop.

He accused Labor of being rude, aggressive and "behaving quite intolerably badly towards a woman in the chair".

Independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan supported the government in fending off the suspension motion, while Greens MP Adam Bandt sided with Labor.

A spokesman for Mrs Bishop told AAP she remained confident of her position and took heart at the vote from the two independents as well as phone calls of support after the debate.

On her return to the office she had a cup of tea, followed by a meeting with the Solomon Islands high commissioner and the French ambassador.

Mr Abbott, who this week marked 20 years in parliament, told reporters he had faced tough decisions by Speakers but MPs had to cop it.

"I was ejected back in 2000 when I called the then leader of the opposition Mr Beazley a sanctimonious windbag," he said.

"I happen to have a much higher opinion of Mr Beazley now that he's our ambassador in Washington."

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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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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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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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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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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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One-punch killers to face life in Qld

One-punch killers will face life imprisonment under proposed changes to Queensland laws. Source: AAP

ONE-PUNCH killers would face life imprisonment under proposed changes to Queensland laws.

The Newman government's draft plan to tackle alcohol-related and drug-related violence, released on Sunday, would create an offence - unlawful striking causing death - to deal with one-punch killers.

If convicted, defendants would be required to serve at least 80 per cent of their life sentence behind bars before being eligible for parole.

"We have all seen the devastating and often tragic effects of coward punches not just in our state but across the nation," Premier Campbell Newman said in a statement.

"The Queensland government is determined to counter this dangerous trend and make Queensland the safest place in Australia for people to go out and enjoy themselves."

Under the plan, the maximum penalty for aggravated serious assaults on ambulance officers would rise from seven to 14 years' imprisonment.

Drunkenness would no longer be a viable excuse to mitigate an offender's sentence and courts would have the power to ban people from licensed premises for life.

ID would be installed in all licensed venues trading after midnight to keep out problem patrons and banned people.

The government would also set up 15 "safe night precincts" across the state where there would be late-night lockouts and more police on the beat.

Police would be given the power to detain people for their own safety if they were unduly intoxicated and at risk of serious harm, or behaving in a potentially violent or antisocial manner.

The government would also introduce a compulsory drinking awareness plan for all students between years 7-12 as part of the school curriculum.

The public has been asked to comment on the draft policy before April 21.

The opposition called on the Newman government to introduce a blanket 1am lockout across the state.

"If you don't tackle trading hours you don't tackle alcohol-fuelled violence. It's that simple," Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement.

"Unfortunately we have a premier too scared to act and showing no leadership."

Opposition police spokesman Bill Byrne questioned whether the government had failed to introduce a lockout because it was beholden to vested interests.

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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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