WA's Water Corp cuts 300 jobs

About 300 full-time workers at WA's Water Corporation will lose their jobs over eight months. Source: AAP

THE hundreds of jobs to go from Western Australia's Water Corporation reflect the high human cost of the Barnett government's post-mining boom mismanagement, the opposition says.

THE state-owned company will would cut 10 per cent of its workforce over the next eight months, with about 300 full-time jobs to go.

Chief Executive Sue Murphy said the decision followed an organisation-wide review as the company transitions from capital investment to operations and maintenance.But Labor opposition spokesman for water Dave Kelly said this was an excuse that flew in the face of the company's five-year plan released by the minister in parliament last August.The plan called for it to be given more resources in coming years to maintain its infrastructure."It looks to everybody that these 300 jobs that are going are really about budget cuts rather than a well thought out business plan for the Water Corporation," Mr Kelly said on Tuesday."The constant stream of job losses that we're seeing at the moment in the WA economy really reflects badly on the way the government has managed the post-mining sector boom."The first round of Water Corp redundancies will be announced over the next few weeks.JOBS SHEDDING IN WA* 300 full-time positions Water Corporation* 200 jobs oil giant BP's Kwinana refinery, about half of staff* 70 mining jobs junior iron ore producer Karara Mining* Rio Tinto sheds hundreds of jobs in Pilbara* Atlas Iron suspends operations, threatening trucking contractor McAleese* Mining services firm Ausdrill cuts jobs* Fortescue Metals restructures rosters, job cuts flagged

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Man abducts teenage girl in Qld

A YOUNG woman from Queensland has allegedly been abducted by an armed man almost twice her age.

BILLY-ANNE Huxham, 18, was taken from her home on Gilbert St in Caboolture about 6am on Tuesday, police say.

They spotted a vehicle, which they believed Ms Huxham was in, on the Bruce Highway at Kallangur several hours later.They tried to intercept the car, but failed.Detectives believe it was being driven by 32-year-old Carl Garry Chapman, whom Ms Huxham knows."Police are concerned for the woman's safety as the man is believed to be armed," a police statement read.The car officers spotted is a silver 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander with Queensland registration 789VNI.

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Labor's Ferguson praises Baird's courage

Labor heavyweight Martin Ferguson (pic) has praised the NSW premier for his stance on electricity. Source: AAP

LABOR heavyweight Martin Ferguson has heaped praise on conservative Premier Mike Baird and urged the ALP to reconsider its opposition to electricity privatisation should it lose the NSW election.

THE former federal resources minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments blasted Opposition Leader Luke Foley for "rank opportunism" and "blatant scaremongering" over his promise to keep the Pilliga Forest free from coal seam gas, threatening a large Santos project in the area.

Mr Ferguson, who is chairman of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association Advisory Board, made the comments at a gas industry forum in Sydney.He also praised Mr Baird's courage to outline his vision on the politically tricky area of electricity privatisation."I think it's actually quite courageous to take on a major policy debate in this day and age and to risk political oblivion as Michael Baird has done in terms of the potential outcome of the election," he told reporters at the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference.Mr Ferguson even seemed to liken Mr Baird to former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam."If the Baird government wins the debate about privatisation, I must say to be fair, now I think back to the way Whitlam took on the `72 election; he actually had a platform of change. He went out and argued it and won the right to do things," he said."If Luke Foley actually loses on Saturday, then I think he should revisit his announcement of last weekend in terms of privatisation."Mr Ferguson denied his criticisms of Mr Foley's stance are to help the coalition at the polls, or that he had any intention of leaving Labor.He says he has long held - and been vocal - about his views on privatisation."That was my position as the minister, and may I also remind you when Labor was in government from 2007 to 2013, the federal Labor government supported the endeavours of Queensland Labor and NSW Labor to actually privatise the electricity system," he said."So I'm the one that has been consistent all the way through."

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Baird schools teachers, Foley woos nurses

EDS: Updating with further govt health spending pledges

NSW ELECTION CAMPAIGN - TUESDAY, MARCH 10

WHERE THEY WENTMike Baird: QueanbeyanLuke Foley: KogarahWHAT THEY SAID"If we don't win here, obviously that threatens our ability to govern overall and it stops projects such as this." - Baird when asked if he was worried about losing the seat of Monaro while announcing his schools policy."I'll give you the big tip: you'll see a lot more of Bill and I together over the next 18 days than you'll see of Mr Baird and Mr Abbott. You can take that as gospel." - Foley, standing next to federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Kogarah, on Prime Minister Tony Abbott campaigning with Mike Baird."TAFE would be able to reverse the cuts to courses, colleges and contact hours, reinstate face-to-face teaching and restore outreach programs and services for students with disability." - Greens MLC John Kaye.TODAY'S PROMISESGovt- $224m funding commitment for the state's top primary school teachers to mentor and coach their NSW colleagues under a re-elected Baird government.- $50m for upgrades to Bowral Hospital- $120m to redevelop Goulburn HospitalLabor- Labor will spend $96 million over the next four years hiring 735 new nurses in emergency departments and 105 new nurses in paediatric wards.- Will legislate to enforce ratios of one nurse for every three patients in emergency care.- Confirmed a $307m upgrade to Kogarah's St George Hospital.Greens- The NSW Greens want $900m of government money stripped from private schools and colleges and put into TAFE.

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Bali Nine pair move devastating: Bishop

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop says she's dismayed that Indonesia is pressing ahead with the execution of Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

BALI'S prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso confirmed on Tuesday evening that the pair will be transferred on Wednesday to the prison island of Nusakambangan where they will be executed.

Ms Bishop said this was devastating news."I am dismayed by reports that Andrew and Myuran are to be transferred by Indonesian authorities in preparation for their execution," she said in a statement.Ms Bishop said she would continue to contact ministers in Indonesia to press for a stay of the executions."Given their rehabilitation, it is callous for these executions to proceed," she said.

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Healthway head steps down after perks rort

THE biggest scalp has been claimed in the wake of the Healthway perks rort, with chairwoman Rosanna Capolingua stepping down.

A REPORT released last week found the board and senior management of Western Australia's health promotion agency had milked corporate hospitality and given some $220,000 worth of tickets to sporting and concert events to family and friends.

The scandal has already resulted in the axing of former executive director David Malone, whose contract was severed on February 13 after the state government obtained legal advice.Premier Colin Barnett wants more heads to roll, urging other board members to quit, saying Healthway needs a clean slate.Mr Barnett said Dr Capolingua's resignation was largely to do with governance failures."The responsibility of the board is not only to do policy but also to be very scrupulous in overseeing the organisation and staff, and in particular the contracts for sponsorships," he told reporters on Tuesday."It seems to me that did not happen."Mr Barnett said he still held Dr Capolingua in high regard.The former Australian Medical Association president was asked to stand as a Liberal Party candidate at the 2013 state election.Dr Capolingua suggested she had done nothing wrong, saying she only went to a handful of events with her family, but would "lead the way" to clear the slate for Healthway.Asked how she felt about a lack of support from Mr Barnett, Dr Capolingua said it was "difficult to understand how that situation arose"."I certainly felt very sad that he wasn't able to look the camera in the eye and express a vote of confidence in me," she said."My credibility has been questioned and publicly denigrated. I know who I am and those who know me know that I do not abuse the system."Mr Barnett said he didn't regret saying on Friday that as chairwoman, Dr Capolingua must have known what was going on."We're not talking about a moderate misuse, we're talking about excessive misuse ... grossly excessive," he said."The board would have to have observed that."This had become out of control."The worst offenders were senior management, but it had also overlapped into the board, he said.Mr Barnett said Mr Malone would not be welcome in the public service again.The premier said Healthway programs, which had proved effective, would continue under interim management.Later in parliament, the opposition put forward a motion to condemn Health Minister Kim Hames for his lack of oversight within the health portfolio.The motion was defeated and Dr Hames quipped: "I wish I had a dollar for every time they called for me to be sacked."

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UK prison vote ban 'breaches rights'

THE European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the rights of more than a thousand prisoners in Britain were breached when they were prevented from voting in elections.

THE case was brought by inmates who were behind bars during various elections between 2009 and 2011.

The court ruled on Tuesday that Britain's policy of banning convicted prisoners from voting violated the right to a free election - a decision consistent with its previous calls for a legal change in Britain.However, the court rejected the applicants' claims for compensation and legal costs.The ruling does not compel Britain to change its law to give voting rights to prisoners.On Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice said it believed the topic "should ultimately be decided in the UK".

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US home price gains weakened in December

US home values rose at a modest pace in December, a sign there are too few potential buyers to bid up prices.

REAL estate data provider CoreLogic says home prices rose 5 per cent in December from 12 months earlier. That is down from the 5.5 per cent price gain recorded in November. It's much lower than the double-digit gains that occurred last year.

Yet those much larger increases in early 2014 priced many potential buyers out of the market. Sales actually slipped last year, after several years of gains. Smaller price increases, along with lower mortgage rates, may spur a rebound in sales.The biggest yearly gains were in Colorado, Texas, New York, Nevada and Michigan. Just three states saw prices fall compared with 12 months earlier: Maryland, Vermont and Connecticut.

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Worker dies at mine in WA's Pilbara

A WORKER has died at a mine in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

THE Department of Mines and Petroleum said it had been notified on Tuesday afternoon of the fatality at Consolidated Minerals' Woodie Woodie manganese mine.

Inspectors were being sent to the site, a spokeswoman said.

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Two NY police officers shot in the Bronx

TWO New York City police officers responding to a robbery in the Bronx have been shot and wounded.

THE officers were taken to a Bronx hospital with non-life threatening injuries. One officer was wounded in the arm, and the other was struck in the back, police said.

Deputy Chief Kim Royster, commanding officer of the public affairs unit, said the officers were not targeted by the gunman - unlike two officers shot to death about two weeks ago in their patrol car in Brooklyn.Royster said a weapon was recovered but it wasn't clear whether it belonged to the suspects.The shooting happened just after 10.30pm local time Monday (Tuesday AEDT).Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were gunned down in their patrol car on December 20 by a man who vowed online to kill "pigs." The man opened fire, then ran into a subway where he shot himself to death.Ramos was buried on December 27 and Liu was buried on Sunday.

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