The Grateful Dead on Page One

The grateful dead get a raise from Kev is how the tabloids describe those $900 bonuses this morning as the national News Limited bureau chief Steve Lewis decides to give a re-run to an old yarn. The Coalition will be pleased that finally some wasteful spending has made page one

PICK OF THE MORNING’S STORIES

AUSTRALIA

Labor switch on wage increase – Melbourne Age

MP investigated by audit office – Sydney Morning Herald

Diplomats reject job working with Rudd – The Australian

ELSEWHERE

U.S. Stocks Retreat as Treasury Yields Climb, Monsanto Slides – Bloomberg

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

AUSTRALIA

Industrial relations

Labor switch on wage increase – the prospect of a pay rise for low-paid workers has been bolstered by a change of tack by the Federal Government – Melbourne Age

Resurgent unions up ante in new round of workplace demands – The Australian

States slow to sign up to national scheme – Sydney Morning Herald

ACTU Congress to urge work law changes – The Australian

Unions want parental leave extended to 26 weeks – The Australian

Gillard ducks SA employer’s award challenge – The Australian

Judges rule their pay out of order compared to barristers’ – The Australian

Politicians

Diplomats reject job working with Rudd – The Australian

Wealth listing a bit rich, says Turnbull – Melbourne Age

Richard Pratt’s son Anthony takes top spot on rich list and Malcolm Turnbull features – The Australian

Budget

Dead, expats receive $900 stimulus bonus – Adelaide Advertiser

Public service cuts foreshadowed for SA State Budget – Adelaide Advertiser

Report questions affordability of defence plans – Sydney Morning Herald

Debts ravage hospital service – Sydney Morning Herald

Local Government

Strict new rules – Council candidates who publish fraudulent campaign material face strict new disciplinary measures under election reforms proposed by the SA Government – Adelaide Advertiser

Free speech but don’t mention politics: mayor – Police have hauled three people out of a council meeting in Sydney’s south-west, in what civil libertarians say is the latest example of local councils suppressing free speech and the right to protest. – Sydney Morning Herald

A hint of strange things

Prime Minister gets Squiggled – Melbourne Herald Sun

MP investigated by audit office – the National Audit Office is investigating the influence the federal Labor MP Laurie Ferguson may have exercised over the Immigration Department in securing money for two projects in his electorate, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Ferry chief dumped over credit card allegations – Sydney Morning Herald

ALP fixer faces fight for survival – Melbourne Age

Aboriginal affairs

Extent of Aboriginal child abuse far ‘worse’: report – The Australian

Economic conditions

Sydney families hit hardest as job crisis bites – Sydney Morning Herald

Opinion

DOCS in the dock yet again – The latest case, involving a young boy who was raped despite warnings to DOCS that the child was being preyed upon, would be distressing enough if it were limited to just the terrible abuse suffered. But this is far, far worse. The evil individual who has mindlessly destroyed a young boy’s childhood is, in fact, a registered DOCS foster carer – Sydney Daily Telegraph editorial

Malcolm Turnbull punts on debt – Jill Singer in the Melbournhe Herald Sun says Malcolm Turnbull thinks he’s on a winner attacking the Government over the fact that Australia’s public debt will hit $300 billion within the next few years.

It’s what you do with debt that matters – writes Kenneth Davidson in the Melbourne Age

Our pollies wash their hands as flu spreads – Neil Mitchell in the Melbourne Herald Sun

The case for a just salary mechanism – Chris Merritt argues in The Australian that the secret pay claims of the federal judiciary reveal a level of self-delusion that would be laughable if it were not so serious.

Old formulas don’t fit – former Treasury Secretary and National Party Senator John Stone writes in The Australian that Treasury and private forecasters are trying to forecast an economic scenario for which there is no precedent in their databases. As to where we will be in 18 months, the only honest answer is to admit that neither we nor the Government knows with any precision.

Turnbull cries poor – Christian Kerr looks at the impact of being an Opposition Leader on the BRW rich list – The Australian

Turnbull gets big bickies with his morning tea – Annabel Crabb in the Sydney Morning Herald

Libs tone up for a bare-knuckle fight – Paul Austin in the Melbourne Age on a change of tactics by Victorian state Liberals

ELSEWHERE

North Korea

Kevin Rudd’s warning over Korean nuclear threat – Brisbane Courier Mail

Pyongyang must be handled with care writes –  Gareth Evans in the Melbourne Age

California’s gay marriage ruling signals next step for both sides – Los Angeles Times

Sotomayor nomination splits GOP –  Los Angeles Times

BUSINESS

Bondholders reject General Motors’ plan – The Australian (from the Wall Street Journal)

Dream jobs dwindle for Australians in Dubai – The Australian

Dominant retailers squeeze liquor industry – Sydney Morning Herald

Buy-out raises petrol monster fears – Melbourne Age

ENVIRONMENT

Governor-General’s hearty seal meal ‘proper etiquette’ – National Post, Canada

Hybrid-only car spaces could be put in shopping centres – Melbourne Herald Sun

EU out on a limb with carbon scheme – The Australian

Turnbull claim on ETS compo in US rejected – The Australian

Rudd will not do anything: China – a Chinese strategist on climate change has belittled the latest carbon-reduction proposals by the Rudd Government and the Obama Administration. Melbourne Age

MEDIA

Has the Sun lost its clout? – The Guardian looks at the political influence of Rupert Murdoch’s London tabloid.

Back Sun petition… sack your con MPs – The Sun is demanding an immediate General Election to rid Parliament of its money-grabbing MPs. We are calling on our readers to pile the pressure on PM Gordon Brown to call a snap poll. Sign our petition calling for Gordon Brown to call an immediate general election.

Principals given power to crack down on cyber bullies – Adelaide Advertiser

LIFE

Swine flu

Authorities predict swine flu will hit millions – Adelaide Advertiser

Welcome to Sydney swine flu’s Ground Zero – Sydney Daily Telegraph

Swine flu forces quarantine alert on Pacific Dawn – Brisbane Courier Mail

Worried patients rush for treatment of swine flu – Melbourne Herald Sun

Passengers stuck on flu liner Pacific Dawn – The Australian

Testing times aboard flu ship, but band plays on – Sydney Morning Herald

Swine flu to hit one in five as virus continues to spread – Melbourne Age

Pets

Readers’s debate rages over Mitcham’s two-cat ban – Cat lovers are outraged but many others are in favour of Mitcham council’s new cat by-law, which restricts residents to two felines. – Adelaide Advertiser

Drugs

Plans to fine young smokers – Adelaide Advertiser

Gambling

Rodney Eade says gambling is footy’s biggest problem – Melbourne Herald Sun

Hoon watch

Petition for ban on mini-bikes – A push to crack down on powered mini-bikes that are causing havoc in northern and southern suburbs has moved to the Federal Parliament reports the Adelaide Advertiser.

Homelessness

Homeleesness on rise in Queensland – Brisbane Courier Mail

5000 sleep on streets of Queensland each night – Brisbane Courier Mail

Homeless women bear brunt of shelter crisis – Brisbane Courier Mail

Sexuality

Matthew Johns in legal row over gay skit – Brisbane Courier Mail

Sport

AFL players want free agency introduced by 2012 – Melbourne Herald Sun

Ian Baker-Finch chips in again after 13 years in tour wilderness – The Australian