PRESS DIGEST-Australian General News - Jan 30

Compiled for Reuters by Media Monitors. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW (www.afr.com)

The Aboriginal protests last week in Canberra have created a set back in what was becoming a historic shift in the indigenous jobs market, according to business leaders. Fortescue Metals Group chief executive, Nev Power, "found it really disappointing - a stunt  that puts back the indigenous people more than it was before". There are a number of employers boosting their indigenous workforces on the back of the mining boom. Former Rio Tinto director Rod Eddington said it was not just about "making jobs available" but also making sure indigenous people were "coming out of the education system  ready". Page 1.

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The creation of a superannuation discussion table by Treasurer Wayne Swan and Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten, designed to provide additional financial alternatives for retirement, has superannuation funds fighting to retain tax concessions for high income earners. Tax breaks for superannuation contributions of high income earners have been targeted by the Australian Greens, but chief executive of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, Pauline Vamos, argues that "the contributions caps are doing their job, the system is already equitable and does not need further tightening". Page 1.

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Amber Infrastructure director Giles Frost has slammed contractors taking minority stakes in their own projects stating that "if you are a 100 percent investor you are in it for the long term and make sure corners aren't cut." The New South Wales Government (NSW) was forced to bail out Reliance Rail as it did not have sufficient cash to complete the building of 78 Waratah trains for the NSW rail network. Page 3.

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Investment banker Citigroup has followed its investment banking rivals by cutting investment banking bonus payments by 30 percent and bonuses for retail banking and securities businesses by almost 70 percent, according to Bloomberg reports. The move to reduce bonuses appears to match the likelihood of wide-ranging job losses across the financial sector this year. Page 3.

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THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)

National Australia Bank (NAB) chairman Michael Chaney has joined with business leader Don Argus and Future Fund chairman David Murray in urging the government to go easy on the big four banks. "You do need your bankers. They are the messengers in the economy. If they aren't the messengers, you won't get growth", Mr Argus, a former NAB chief executive, said in defence of the banking sector. Page 1.

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The growing trend of keeping backyard chickens is eating into supermarket egg sales, with an Australian Egg Corporation (AECL) estimate having backyard output at nearly 12 percent of Australia's total annual egg production. "While commercial producers have significant systems in place to ensure the production of a healthy and safe food product, we're concerned that some eggs from backyard operations could have hairline cracks or be dirty or soiled by manure, posing significant health risks", AECL managing director, James Kellaway, said. Page 3.

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Dual weather systems are affecting Australia's two largest states with summer storms causing flooding in Queensland while hot, dry weather conditions are fuelling bushfires in Western Australia. With floodwaters in Queensland cutting highways, and with creeks and streams bursting their banks, major dams continue to release water as a precaution. Meanwhile residents in Western Australia were being told to evacuate areas north of the Margaret River in the south west of the state by the Fire and Emergency Services Authority as they were in immediate danger. Page 3.

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Christopher Pyne, federal opposition education spokesman, has spoken out against any impending reform to the education system that would put pressure on private school fees. Mr Pyne said he was eager to read the Gonski review into education although he maintained the current system was not flawed. "If we believe the government is placing the schools at risk, that it's likely to increase school fees in non-government schools or see teachers laid off, obviously we will oppose that", Mr Pyne said yesterday. Page 4.

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THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)

The New South Wales (NSW) government is looking to bypass councils and rezone land suitable for tens of thousands of new homes in an effort to free up land and boost house building in Sydney. Under the plan, landowners will be able to nominate suitable land for housing which will then be assessed by the Premier's Department. "The lines on the maps for the growth centres are supposed to encourage development in those areas, but it has not worked and the corollary has been it deterred development outside those lines", NSW Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard, said. Page 1.

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Child welfare agencies in New South Wales have insisted on more funding before they will agree to a government offer that would transfer all court-ordered foster care to various non-government agencies. "If the result is a driving down of standards in the non-government sector, it would defeat the purpose of the whole exercise", Susan Moffett of Stretch-a-Family said. Page 3.

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Federal law enforcement agencies and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) want extra powers to enable investigators to intensify their operation against offshore tax evasion. Inter-agency taskforce, Project Wickenby, is looking to crack down on the abuse of "secrecy havens" with the ATO calling for harsher penalties. Close to A$594 million of tax revenue has been retrieved and A$1.18 billion of liabilities has been found under Project Wickenby since its inception in 2006. Page 4.

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Community group Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays have stepped up pressure on Opposition leader Tony Abbott with a campaign of nationally televised commercials that will air from today. The group, comprised of parents and grandparents of gay and lesbian children, will make a direct appeal to Mr Abbott to allow them to marry. "Mr Abbott never promised the Coaltion would allow a conscience vote, but he did go to the last election promising to stand for individual freedom", group spokeswoman Shelley Argent said. Page 4.

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THE AGE (www.theage.com.au)

Federal shadow attorney-general George Brandis will write to the Australian Federal Police demanding an investigation into Prime Minister Julia Gillard's former media adviser Tony Hodges and his role in passing on information leading up to Thursday's near riot at a Canberra restaurant. Mr Hodges resigned on Friday after it became known he had passed on information about remarks made by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott about the tent embassy and also his whereabouts on Thursday to UnionsACT secretary Kim Sattler, who subsequently alerted protesters. Page 1.

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A strong performance by dairy and meat producers has helped Victorian agriculture post a 19 percent increase to export earnings. Other contributing factors to the A$8.1 billion of exports in the 2010-11 financial year were grain and wool exports and improved weather conditions. "There is strong worldwide demand for food and fibre - and Victoria is the premium state in Australia when it comes to production and export of food and fibre. We account for 28 percent of the farm exports, off about 3 percent of Australia's arable land", Victorian Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said. Page 1.

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Thousands of taxpayer dollars are being expended by the Baillieu government in Victoria as it attempts to withhold information relating to public service advice on election policies used in the November 2010 state election campaign. Having promised accountability and a more transparent government pre-election the Coalition has employed a legal team to fight a request by The Age for access to the "blue books", advice to the incoming government, under freedom of information laws. The Baillieu government claims any release would mislead the public and "delay the operation of effective government in Victoria", it said in a submission to the courts. Page 3.

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