Friday, 17 March 2006

Tegan Lane The Australian 17 March 2006

John Stapleton
POLICE renewed their appeal for any information on the whereabouts of missing girl Tegan Lane yesterday as a date was set for a two week inquest.
Tegan Lane was born on September 12, 1996 at Auburn Hospital in western Sydney but has not been seen since leaving the hospital two days later. Her mother Keli Lane, 29, has provided various explanations to the police for the child's whereabouts but the girl has still not been found. If alive she would now be eight years old.
Ms Lane, who did not attend court yesterday, has three other children, two of whom have been adopted out and one who lives with her.
A date of 20 June was set down for the beginning of a two week inquest to be conducted by NSW's chief coroner John Abernathy.
Speaking outside the Westmead Coroners Court yesterday Sgt Rebbecca Becroft said a nationwide search for information on the whereabouts of Tegan had so far been unsuccessful. The search included interviews with a number of men with the name of the alleged father, Andrew Norris, and searches of school databases for a female student of the appropriate age.
``We are still seeking the assistance of the public in locating Tegan Lane, or any information on her whereabouts or what happened to her on leaving Auburn Hospital,'' Sgt Becroft said.
The police served additional material on Ms Lane's solicitor Mary Bova yesterday, detailing the results of their inquiries so far. While the evidence derives from the nationwide search for Tegan, police would not provide any further details. Lane's solicitor Mary Bova said she would not be releasing the information at this stage.
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Thursday, 16 March 2006

Station at centre of second asbestos scare, The Australian, 16 March, 2006.

Station at centre of second asbestos scare: [6 NSW Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 16 Mar 2006: 3.
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The asbestos at Edgecliff station was discovered as a result of an audit of the 302 stations in the Sydney rail network, with surveys of only nine stations completed so far.
The audit prioritised stations where contractors had been working and found that fibro sheeting had been disturbed at two stations -- Edgecliff and Camellia, an unmanned station in the city's west.
Railcorp chief executive Vince Graham said air quality tests at both stations had come back clear but dust particles tested as a precautionary measure showed traces of asbestos. The dust at Edgecliff was found on top of a cabinet.
THE NSW Government is facing its second asbestos scandal in a week, after the discovery of the killer fibre shut down one of Sydney's busiest railway stations and raised fears that many staff across the network may have been exposed.
Workers at Edgecliff station in Sydney's eastern suburbs were notified of the risks they faced and will be offered counselling and medical assistance.
The find follows revelations earlier this month that hundreds of the state's emergency workers may have been exposed at a training facility at Holsworthy, in western Sydney.
The asbestos at Edgecliff station was discovered as a result of an audit of the 302 stations in the Sydney rail network, with surveys of only nine stations completed so far.
The audit prioritised stations where contractors had been working and found that fibro sheeting had been disturbed at two stations -- Edgecliff and Camellia, an unmanned station in the city's west.
Railcorp chief executive Vince Graham said air quality tests at both stations had come back clear but dust particles tested as a precautionary measure showed traces of asbestos. The dust at Edgecliff was found on top of a cabinet.
Mr Graham said up to 50 staff who had worked at the stations over the past 20 months would be contacted and counselling and medical assistance provided. "We are going back over rosters to ensure staff are provided with appropriate support and medical testing," he said.
"We are taking appropriate action. We are closing the booking office until we can guarantee it is safe for our staff to work there. There are hundreds of thousands of homes around Sydney that were built in the 50s and 60s using this fibro product. Our stations are no different."
The rail audit began after asbestos material was disturbed by a contractor at the booking office of Eastwood station, in the city's northwest.
Opposition Leader Peter Debnam, whose constituents use Edgecliff station, said while the Government had trumpeted its victory over James Hardie Industries in forcing it to pay compensation to asbestos victims, it had failed to protect its own workers.
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Tuesday, 14 March 2006

Sexual abuse allegations The Australian 14 March 2006

WRITTEN TUESDAY MARCH 14. NOT RUN.
John Stapleton
ONLY eight per cent of allegations of sexual abuse involving children and 10 per cent involving adults result in a sexual offence being proven in court, according to a report released yesterday.
The study, titled ``The attrition of sexual offences from the NSW criminal justice system'', from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, was designed to look at why comparatively few sexual abuse allegations were leading to convictions or jail for the alleged offenders.
Author Jacqueline Fitzgerald said six months after the reporting of an alleged sexual assault only 15 per cent of sexual offence incidents involving a child victim and 19 per cent of incidents involving an adult victim reported to police had resulted in the initiation of criminal proceedings.
Of the people who had criminal proceedings commenced against them, less than half ended up convicted.
Ms Fitzgerald said regardless of the public perception that there was a large number of false sexual abuse allegations, there were serious questions about the criminal justice system's ability to handle these types of cases.
``The primary problem is caught up in the nature of sexual offences,'' she said. ``There is no physical evidence. We are reliant on victim testimony as the basis for prosecution. That means cases where the victim is unwilling to proceed have very low prospect of success in court.''
Ms Fitzgerald wrote that every effort needs to be made to strengthen cases at the investigation stage by the comprehensive gathering of evidence and the support of victims in order to improve the response of the criminal justice system to sexual assault. ``We need victims to participate,'' she said.
Ms Fitzgerald said cases were more likely to proceed to court if the victim was female and aged over ten years, due in part to the perception in the criminal justice system that children made unreliable witnesses.
Commenting on the findings, the director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics Don Weatherburn said there was no solid evidence on the level of false allegations, but it was equally plausible that people did not want to proceed with sexual abuse allegations because of the trauma of court proceedings as the assumption that the allegations were false.
``The best way to reduce the stress associated with the prosecution and court process is to provide victims of seuxal assault with emotional support and encouragement from the moment when they first report the offence to police through to the end of the proseuction process,'' he said.
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Monday, 13 March 2006

Register puts heat on dodgy doctors, The Australian, 13 March, 2006.

Register puts heat on dodgy doctors: [O SA Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 13 Mar 2006: 6.
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The scheme is being set up following a series of medical scandals, including the police recommendation to charge Indian- trained surgeon Jayant Patel with at least 28 criminal counts relating to 13 deaths at Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland.
The Australian revealed at the weekend that Farid Zaer, who was allowed to act as a pathologist in NSW only under strict conditions after misdiagnosing 208 patients for a range of diseases, was free to practise as a GP in Queensland.
The case has led to a review of more than 7000 medical files in the New England region of NSW where Dr Zaer worked, and a further 6300 files in the Illawarra district. Federal Opposition health spokeswoman Julia Gillard described the scheme as a "long overdue and vital reform".
PATIENTS will soon be able to check on medical practitioners following the introduction of a national registry aimed at cracking down on dubious doctors.
The Australian Index of Medical Practitioners will record whether doctors have been disciplined by any of the state medical boards or had any restrictions placed on their practice.
Trials in Victoria, the ACT and Queensland will begin mid-year, and the system is expected to be fully on line by next year.
Under the plan, uniform registration requirements will be introduced nationwide.
The scheme is being set up following a series of medical scandals, including the police recommendation to charge Indian- trained surgeon Jayant Patel with at least 28 criminal counts relating to 13 deaths at Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland.
And The Australian revealed at the weekend that Farid Zaer, who was allowed to act as a pathologist in NSW only under strict conditions after misdiagnosing 208 patients for a range of diseases, was free to practise as a GP in Queensland.
The case has led to a review of more than 7000 medical files in the New England region of NSW where Dr Zaer worked, and a further 6300 files in the Illawarra district. Federal Opposition health spokeswoman Julia Gillard described the scheme as a "long overdue and vital reform".
"One of the key features of the recent problems over the lack of quality treatments by doctors is the fact that if you move states thesystem loses appropriate track of you," she said.
"You can get into trouble in one state and turn up in another and go on with your practice as if nothing had happened."
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Abbott said the Government had funded and fully supported the proposals.
"The new system will make it easier for doctors to practise in other states, and makes sure doctors satisfy exactly the same requirements regardless of where they practise," she said.
"It also gives consumers, for the first time, the opportunity to look up the information on doctors for themselves."
Australian Medical Association federal president Mukesh Haikerwal said he supported the national registry, which followed thedriving licence model.
"You can be registered in one state but your record is with you if you want to practise in another," Dr Haikerwal said.
"This would remove some of the problems highlighted by The Australian where doctors can simply move states and continue to work."
Word count: 403
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Friday, 10 March 2006

I'll go straight: exiled burglar, The Australian, 10 March, 2006.

I'll go straight: exiled burglar: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Rick Wallace, John Stapleton. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 10 Mar 2006: 5.
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Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone brought Mr [Robert Jovicic] home on compassionate grounds after a three-month campaign for his return that began when he mounted a two-night vigil outside the Australian embassy in Belgrade.
He said he planned to apply for Australian citizenship, a previous omission that allowed former immigration minister Philip Ruddock to deport him on character grounds in 2004 following a string of 150 burglary convictions. "I'm an Australian and a fair dinkum Aussie," Mr Jovicic said. "I don't know no other country."
A TEARFUL Robert Jovicic was reunited with his family in Sydney yesterday after returning from his 18-month exile in Serbia.
The wheelchair-bound deportee declared himself "a fair dinkum Aussie" and promised not to return to the life of crime that led to his expulsion in 2004 despite living in Australia since he was two.
But the former heroin addict and burglar's long-term fate remained uncertain, with the federal Government holding last-minute talks last night about what type of visa he would be offered in a meeting with immigration authorities at midday today.
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone brought Mr Jovicic home on compassionate grounds after a three-month campaign for his return that began when he mounted a two-night vigil outside the Australian embassy in Belgrade.
Mr Jovicic's family accused Senator Vanstone of reneging on a pledge to grant him permanent residency and free healthcare -- a charge denied by her office.
In a press conference at Sydney airport yesterday, Mr Jovicic thanked the Australian public and the media for publicising his plight and said he intended to study and perhaps become a psychologist.
"I want to thank the Australian public, who proved that the culture of a fair go is an intrinsic part of our culture, even when someone has made mistakes in their life," he said. "I trust that I can prove to you that your faith in me was warranted."
He said he planned to apply for Australian citizenship, a previous omission that allowed former immigration minister Philip Ruddock to deport him on character grounds in 2004 following a string of 150 burglary convictions. "I'm an Australian and a fair dinkum Aussie," Mr Jovicic said. "I don't know no other country."
The 39-year-old was sent to Serbia in July 2004 even though he was not born there and did not speak the language.
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Monday, 6 March 2006

Halving of tunnel toll lifts Iemma, The Australian, 6 March, 2006.

Halving of tunnel toll lifts Iemma: [6 NSW Country Edition]

Steve Creedy, John Stapleton, Additional reporting: Tracy Ong, Geoffrey Newman. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 06 Mar 2006: 3.
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A THREE-MONTH deal to halve tolls in Sydney's controversial Cross City Tunnel took some voter pressure off beleagured NSW Premier Morris Iemma yesterday.
The deal, negotiated over the weekend and signed off by CrossCity Motorway's board yesterday, reduces the toll from $3.56 to $1.78 for the tunnel and to 84c for cars using only part of it. It comes as anger over the tunnel, public transport, health, water and theeconomy have hit Mr Iemma's popularity.
Road closures aimed at forcing people to use the tunnel have caused widespread anger in Sydney and at one stage prompted Mr Iemma to call new tunnel chief executive Graham Mulligan a "f..kwit".

A THREE-MONTH deal to halve tolls in Sydney's controversial Cross City Tunnel took some voter pressure off beleagured NSW Premier Morris Iemma yesterday.
Mr Iemma received the lifeline on Friday when tunnel management offered to halve the toll for three months and forgo or reverse changes to 12 small roads.
The parties have also agreed to talks on other road closures during the three months.
But he was unable to say whether the cut-price tolls would last longer than the three-month trial and refused to be drawn on whether he would reap any political benefits.
The deal, negotiated over the weekend and signed off by CrossCity Motorway's board yesterday, reduces the toll from $3.56 to $1.78 for the tunnel and to 84c for cars using only part of it. It comes as anger over the tunnel, public transport, health, water and theeconomy have hit Mr Iemma's popularity.
Road closures aimed at forcing people to use the tunnel have caused widespread anger in Sydney and at one stage prompted Mr Iemma to call new tunnel chief executive Graham Mulligan a "f..kwit".
Yesterday, however, he was praising the tunnel operator for finally listening to the urgings of the Government, the community and motorists.
"It's a commonsense approach to keep traffic moving and to encourage motorists to use the motorway without ... risking financial cost to taxpayers," he said.
"There will be over the next three months further discussions on road issues."
Mr Mulligan said the reduced toll, effective from today, was aimed at encouraging motorists to "realise the substantial benefits of using the tunnel".
"CCM is fully committed to working co-operatively on long-term solutions for the tunnel project with the Government and thecommunity,' he said.
But Opposition Leader Peter Debnam said the announcement was a political fix that would fuel community anger.
"I think that the community's going to be angrier tomorrow when they realise that the Premier is trying to pretend that giving back 12 very, very minor roads is significant," he said.
NRMA Motoring president Alan Evans said many issues remained unsolved and the operators might need to consider reducing thetoll permanently.
"In relation to the road changes, our line is that every reversal of the controversial road changes is a win for motorists," he said.

Also published on news.com.au

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Soprano glory within Cameron's range, The Australian, 6 March, 2006.

Soprano glory within Cameron's range: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 06 Mar 2006: 6.
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IT was Cameron Woodhouse's kindergarten teacher who first suggested to his surprised family that their son had a truly remarkable voice, and a singing career was a definite option.
Up until then, all they knew was he sounded good in the shower. Now aged 10, Cameron auditioned yesterday for one of only two soprano spots in the Anzac International Military Tattoo, to be performed at Sydney SuperDome in April.
Cameron's choirmaster at St Andrew's Cathedral School, Ross Cobb, said Cameron could hit some of the highest notes and had thegreatest voice range of any boy he had taught.
IT was Cameron Woodhouse's kindergarten teacher who first suggested to his surprised family that their son had a truly remarkable voice, and a singing career was a definite option.
Up until then, all they knew was he sounded good in the shower. Now aged 10, Cameron auditioned yesterday for one of only two soprano spots in the Anzac International Military Tattoo, to be performed at Sydney SuperDome in April.
There was no history of singers, dancers, artists or performers in the Woodhouse family, who come from the working-class suburb of Ashfield in Sydney's inner west.
Cameron was not one of the lucky two selected yesterday to perform a solo at the tattoo, but he was short-listed to be one of theunderstudies.
Winner Robert Adams, 12, has already performed in Opera Australia's La Boheme and Tosca and is currently in The Magic Flute. He has an agent and was described by the tattoo's organisers as having "an absolutely beautiful, phenomenal voice".
The other winner was Dion Condack, 12, from the Newtown High School of Performing Arts, whose performance was described as "pure and stunning, unbelievable".
Choirmaster for the military tattoo, Steven Watson, said the days when boys risked being bashed in the schoolyard if they sang in a high voice or even in a choir were long gone. "Now their talents are being recognised, supported and encouraged," he said.
Cameron's choirmaster at St Andrew's Cathedral School, Ross Cobb, said Cameron could hit some of the highest notes and had thegreatest voice range of any boy he had taught.
Cameron, who wants to be an opera singer, said he had always loved singing.
"It brings so much passion into your life. You enjoy it, you just love it. Words can't explain it, it's just so good," he said.
His mother, Debbie Woodhouse-Hill, said her son had "come out of the womb singing". "He has always loved it," she said. "He sings because it's in him."
One of yesterday's judges and co-producer of the tattoo, Elyse Jewell, said there had been a high standard among the boys.
"With some of these boys you just go `Wow, this is a star in the making'," she said. "They really do have remarkable voices.
"It's so rare to hear a boy with a strong, pure soprano voice who also has enough confidence to stand up before 12,000 people a night. For a boy soprano it's a fleeting moment. A pure soprano voice sends shivers up your spine. There's really nothing like it in the whole world of music."
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