Media Wrap: And still the boat people keep coming
Leadership
Do or die: Premier moves to axe MPs – An emboldened Nathan Rees will rebuild his cabinet after being granted extraordinary power to select his own ministers. Yesterday, in a move designed to cement the Premier's grip on the state Labor leadership, the party conference in Sydney agreed to let him pick his front bench – Sydney Sun Herald
Rees takes revenge on Labor rats - NSW Premier Nathan Rees will use new powers won in a surprise coup at the ALP state conference to dump up to three ministers this week. Within hours of being granted the right to override factional bosses and choose his own ministry, a reinvigorated Mr Rees began drafting his hit-list. Among those to be removed are unpopular Finance Minister Joe Tripodi and Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald, who Mr Rees blames for plotting to install former Health Minister John Della Bosca in his job – Sydney Sunday Telegraph
Della Bosca's 'lying low' - The former health minister, at the centre of leadership speculation until details emerged of an extramarital affair, was confident and relaxed as he entered the State ALP conference with wife Belinda Neal, the federal Member for Robertson – Sydney Sunday Telegraph
Immigration
Christmas every day for detainees – Detainees on Christmas Island have access to both fast-speed internet services and mobile phones, raising fears they have may have been encouraging the stand-off on the Oceanic Viking – Sydney Sunday Telegraph
Suspected asylum boat detected - Yet another boat containing 47 suspected asylum seekers and three crew has been intercepted by Australian authorities on Saturday – Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun
Summit face-off – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will confront Indonesia 's reluctance to deal with asylum seekers found in its waters in a crucial meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Singapore this weekend – Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun
Rudd push to tackle people smuggling - Kevin Rudd will press Indonesia 's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a better set of protocols surrounding people smuggling to avoid a repeat of the Oceanic Viking debacle when the pair meet this weekend – Sydney Sun Herald
Sri Lankan deadlock continues – A group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers are continuing to refuse to disembark from the Oceanic Viking in Indonesia , despite assurances they would be well treated and processed quickly – Melbourne Sunday Age
Hospitals
Ambulances queuing for hours – More patients than ever are waiting over 30 minutes in ambulances "ramped" outside busy Queensland public hospitals because doctors and beds are not available – Brisbane Sunday Mail
Law and order
Pedophiles face tougher rules – Security has been doubled on sex offenders who go on escorted leave in the community, after revelations intellectually disabled sex offenders were being taken shopping in Melbourne 's suburbs to test their reactions to children – Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun
Amnesty guns found way into criminals' possession – Guns surrendered in firearms amnesties across the nation have found their way into criminals' hands, including in South Australia , an Australian Crime Commission operation has found – Adelaide Sunday Mail
Development
Ministers admit land confusion – Senior Cabinet ministers have admitted the State Government has failed to explain one of its biggest infrastructure projects and now faces a community backlash as a result – Adelaide Sunday Mail
Science
Scientists warn: sack the board or we're out of Synch – A group of eminent scientists has given the State and Federal governments an ultimatum: sack the board of directors at the multimillion-dollar Australian Synchrotron, or we will resign – Melbourne Sunday Age
The drink
Parent booze fines – Parents could be slapped with $6000 on-the-spot fines for allowing alcohol at teenage parties under a radical reform of drinking laws – Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun
Retailers stiffen online liquor rules – Retail giants Coles and Woolworths have been ordered to tighten controls on internet alcohol sales after they were found to have breached liquor laws by providing alcohol to a minor – Melbourne Sunday Age
The spin
Campaign spin robbed pensioners of stimulus – The Federal Government has been slammed for ''inadequate'' handling of $8.7 billion worth of economic stimulus cash handouts, including a misleading information campaign that left many people worse off. An inquiry by Commonwealth Ombudsman John McMillan has revealed that the Government has been flooded with thousands of complaints about the administration of the payments of up to $1400 made to millions of pensioners, disability support pensioners, carers, veterans and parents – Melbourne Sunday Age
Opinions
Voters offer no asylum to PM – Glenn Milne writes in the Sydney Sunday Telegraph that regardless of whether the next Newspoll reverses the seven per cent slump in Kevin Rudd's approval rating, senior Liberal strategists believe the past weeks have marked the first moment at which Rudd's longer term political vulnerability has been on show for the first time.
Rudd’s red carpet to asylum seekers – Piers Akerman in the Sydney Sunday Telegraph says that having held the Rudd Labor Government hostage for a month, 22 Tamil asylum seekers have accepted the extra special deal Australia has offered and come ashore, briefly, in Indonesia . Most will be winging their way here in time for Christmas.
Forbidden love - Penny Wong and Ian Macfarlane seem genuine in seeking an emissions trading deal writes Josh Gordon in the Melbourne Sunday Age
BUSINESS
A lack of choice the one thing you can bank on – Just two big banks now control almost half of Australia's domestic mortgage market with consumer watchdogs warning the lack of competition is hitting homeowners in the back pocket – Sydney Sun Herald
ENVIRONMENT
Carbon scheme 'in the bag' – Australia is likely to have an emissions trading scheme locked in by the end of next week, with the Government caving in to a key Coalition demand to permanently exclude the farming sector. In a significant concession, and a huge win for the powerful farming lobby, a senior Government source revealed Labor will this week agree to exclude agriculture from the scheme ''indefinitely'' - knocking out a key sticking point in negotiations with the Opposition – Melbourne Sunday Age
Boundaries to save koala habitat – Developers have slammed the State Government over proposed new koala conservation boundaries they say take over vital land that had been earmarked for housing in the South East Queensland Regional Plan – Brisbane Sunday Mail
MEDIA
Rumours fly over the future of Rove Live – Rumours about the future of Rove McManus at Channel 10 were flying again yesterday after a tip-off that staff on his TV show were told this week to look for alternative work next year – Adelaide Sunday Mail
LIFE
Pills
We're a nation of pill poppers – Anti- depressants are being prescribed in record numbers, despite mental illness levels remaining unchanged over 10 years – Sydney Sunday Telegraph
Homeless
Residents fight homeless refuge – A Queensland council could face a bill of more than half-a-million dollars to move a homeless refuge under siege from local residents, politicians and vandals – Brisbane Sunday Mail
Noise
Fines call on plane curfew – Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond has called on the Federal Government to fine airlines that breach Adelaide Airport 's curfew. She is hoping to avoid a repeat of the fiasco that forced a Qantas flight to divert to Canberra . Ms Redmond has written to federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese proposing fines for airlines which break the curfew, with the money donated to charities operating near the airport – Adelaide Sunday Mail
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