Media wrap: With climate change it's more talk and no action

THE FRONT PAGES





POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Leadership

Rees finally seizes control – The Premier, Nathan Rees, has pulled off what his supporters have described as a ''highwire act without a net'', sacking the powerbrokers Joe Tripodi and Ian Macdonald from cabinet after he used the might of state conference to avoid a caucus vote on a reshuffle – Sydney Morning Herald

Bitter betrayal back to bite Joe Tripodi as Nathan Rees cleans house – Premier Nathan Rees has declared war on the those who put him in power after yesterday sacking Joe Tripodi - Labor's factional warlord and the state's most unpopular and powerful minister. The extraordinary lynching of two of his most senior ministers sent shockwaves through his caucus, with right-wing MPs swearing to take revenge "within weeks" – Sydney Daily Telegraph

Cameron Dick tipped to be new Queensland Premier – Senior Labor figures - including members of both the Right and Left factions - are agitating for Premier Anna Bligh to be dumped early in the new year. The Courier-Mail has learnt powerful factional players are convinced Ms Bligh cannot recover strong support and want an alternative installed before the party's position becomes terminal – Brisbane Courier Mail

Immigration

Protest six forcibly removed to Sri Lanka – The  Rudd government chartered a 100-seat jet to Sri Lanka at the weekend to forcibly remove six asylum-seekers who staged a dramatic eight-hour protest inside the Christmas Islands immigration detention centre last month – The Australian

Indonesia moves to deport 130 asylum seekersIndonesia is planning to deport Sri Lankan asylum seekers at Merak back to their homeland, including ''Alex'', the spokesman for the group that has spent more than a month at the Javanese port refusing to leave their wooden vessel – Melbourne Age

Malaysia outlaws people trade – Malaysia is to criminalise people smuggling but a new boatload of 50 asylum seekers has been intercepted near Ashmore Island and Indonesian authorities have shot two Afghan asylum seekers – Melbourne Herald Sun

Malaysia joins Prime Minister Rudd's people smuggling campaign – Kevin Rudd was yesterday celebrating Malaysia's decision to criminalise people smuggling, but was unable to report progress from Indonesian officials – Adelaide Advertiser

Apology for 'forgotten Australians' - About 900 forgotten Australians and child migrants are descending on Canberra to hear the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and the Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, unite to say sorry on behalf of the nation to the estimated 500,000 people who lived in out-of-home care, many of whom suffered abuse and neglect – Sydney Morning Herald



Indonesian police shoot two on asylum boat – An Australian-supplied fast pursuit boat was used by Indonesian police who say they shot and wounded two men on an asylum-seeker vessel because they resisted arrest. The shooting, which left the two men in a serious condition in hospital, occurred last Thursday when police intercepted a boatload of 61 Afghan asylum-seekers headed for AustraliaThe Australian



Economic matters

Tanner warns of austerity budget – Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner has flagged that the 2010-11 budget will contain tough savings measures, despite next year being an election year – The Australian



Privatisation

Plan to sell ferries puts unions, cabinet on collision course – Labor delegates have delivered an unambiguous message to the Rees Government over plans to privatise Sydney Ferries. In a resolution commanding unanimous support at the ALP conference yesterday, delegates said any proposal to privatise or franchise the ferries' operation would have to come back to the party for approval, not be made by the cabinet – Sydney Morning Herald

Opinions

Dismissal belies Tripodi's results – Joe Tripodi has been sacrificed on the altar of Newspoll. Rees is calculating that by dumping Tripodi, and simultaneously banning developer donations, he can buy a bounce in popularity – writes Imre Salusinzky in The Australian

Premier hurls a political hand grenade into the conference hall – Andrew Clennell writes in the Sydney Morning Herald  that no one in Nathan Rees's parliamentary team had any idea about the bombshell he was about to drop just after 11.30am on Saturday. This was Rees the caucus loner once again.

Patience becomes a PM on the move – Phillip Coorey in the Sydney Morning Herald looks at the trip0s ahead for the travelling Prime Minister man

Brumby runs a Labor Government? If so, it's in name only – Kenneth Davidson in the Melbourne Age ponders why the readers he upsets most these days are the rusted on Labor supporters.

Rudd as a late legacy of the days of Sir Joh – Geoff Strong in the Melbourne Age reckons The PM may have learnt from the iron rule of the Kingaroy peanut farmer.

Forgiveness has true healing power in an act of apology – Hugh Mackay in The Melbourne Age says today's apology to the Forgotten Australians is just the first step.

One giant scar on mankind – Paul Sheehan in the Sydney Morning Herald writes that the oppression of women has made a big comeback. Western feminism, it turns out, has triggered a vigorous counter-reformation. The world is engaged in a clash of civilisations, purportedly about religion, but in reality it is about the rights and freedoms of women. This is the true flashpoint of our age.

BUSINESS

Suitor set to sweeten AXA offer – The French finance giant AXA SA is poised to sweeten its joint takeover bid for AXA Asia-Pacific as part of efforts to win over the minority shareholders of the Australian financial services company – Sydney Morning Herald

Betfair boss cries foul over collusion – The chief executive of Betfair, Andrew Twaits, will accuse the NSW horse racing authority of colluding with Tabcorp to try to force his company out of business in that state – Sydney Morning Herald

ENVIRONMENT

Bid to rescue climate talks – World leaders have agreed to a political compromise deal on climate change aimed at salvaging next month's international UN conference in Copenhagen, which scraps the 200-page draft agreement – The Australian

Summit set to fail on climate deal – The APEC regional forum has ended hopes for a new global treaty on climate change in December, with leaders conceding Copenhagen will deliver only a political framework for future action – Melbourne Age

Famers excluded from carbon saving scheme – Farmers will remain competitive internationally as a result of the decision to permanently exclude the industry from the carbon pollution reduction scheme, the state's peak agricultural body says – Adelaide Advertiser

MEDIA

Rove McManus quits TV show after 10 years - Rove McManus last night quit his chat show – Sydney Daily Telegraph

LIFE

The drink

Fake Schoolies festival ID racket busted by police – A fake ID racket run by teenagers has been busted in the lead-up to this weekend's Schoolies festival as authorities warn of an underage drinking crackdown – Brisbane Courier Mail

Real estate

First-time buyers opt for private market – Private sales of property have soared to a high, helped by a surge of first home buyers drawn to the market by government grants – Melbourne Herald Sun

Sexual assault

Police warn of sexual assaults on teenage girls – Police are concerned that a disturbing spike in sexual assaults against teenage girls will worsen in the next three weeks during the end-of-school year party season – Melbourne Age

Law and order

Stolen Freddo: boy, 12, charged – An aboriginal boy, 12, will face a children's court today charged with receiving a stolen Freddo frog. The chocolate frog, allegedly shoplifted by the child's friend from a Coles supermarket in regional Western Australia, usually sells for about 70 cents. The boy, who has no prior convictions, also faces a second charge involving the receipt of a novelty sign from another store. The sign, which was also allegedly given to the boy by his friend, read: ''Do not enter, genius at work.'' The boy's lawyer, Peter Collins, has lobbied WA police for the charges to be withdrawn, but authorities had failed to respond to his request, he said – Melbourne Age

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