Query over how long stimulus benefits will last

PICK OF THE MORNING’S STORIES

Bank for International Settlements warning over stimulus benefits – The Australian

Warning on wave of boat people – Sydney Morning Herald

Huge wave of refugees predicted – Melbourne Age

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Australia

Economic matters

Bank for International Settlements warning over stimulus benefits – The Australian

Time for households to spend for Australia – tax cuts worth $3.4 billion which start tomorrow may not be enough to stop a stimulus hangover hitting the economy as the government bonus fades from view – Sydney Morning Herald

Auditor General to examine school spending spree for waste – The Australian

Schools funding stimulates sense of wellbeing – The Australian

Deadline missed on school building – The Australian

Jobless surge in seats of key MPs – Brisbane Courier Mail

SA economy surges ahead of nation – Adelaide Advertiser

Prices

Queensland electricity costs to lift at peak times – Brisbane Courier Mail

Political life

NSW MP meal allowance in NSW Remuneration Tribunal report – Dozens of NSW MPs including those based in Sydney, will be given a $77.55 a day meal allowance for simply turning up to work, under generous changes to politicians’ living allowances reports the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

Politicians feast as pensioners face famine – Sydney Daily Telegraph compares the new daily $77.50 in meal allowances of state politicians with the weekly food spend of a pensioner from Windsor

Gordon Nuttall corruption trial to allege MP favours – Brisbane Courier Mail on the first day of Queensland’s blockbuster political corruption trial

Turnbull summons the old hands – reshuffle coming – The Australian

Turnbull tipped to shuffle his team – Adelaide Advertiser

In the name of the father – MPs flock to Jesus – Sydney Morning Herald

Leadership

Libs question leader’s stance – Disquiet is spreading among senior Liberals, including federal frontbenchers, about the decision by the NSW Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, to oppose the publication of school league tables and block the sale of NSW Lotteries – Sydney Morning Herald

Industrial relatiions

New delays to Labor’s revamp of IR awards – Federl Labor’s revamp of the award system faces fresh delays after the Australian Industrial Relations Commission took the unusual step of calling on Julia Gillard to set out the hours of work, penalty rates and overtime that should apply in the restaurant sector.

Consumer affairs

We can trust chains with website: govt – Sydney Morning Herald on the possibility that the supermarket chains will run their own industry pricing web site.

Boat people

Warning on wave of boat people – Sydney Morning Herald

Huge wave of refugees predicted – Indonesian authorities have warned of a huge new wave of asylum seekers heading for Australia, with as many as 10,000 waiting in Malaysia to make the journey via Indonesia – Melbourne Age

Tougher screening for Tamils – over fears of an influx of ex-Tigers fleeing Sri Lanka – The Australian

Privatisation

Medibank move revives question of whether members get profits – Sydney Morning Herald reports on an inquiry by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council

Polls, elections and pre-selections

Labor MP blasts party poll tactics – A prominent Labor MP has slammed his party’s negative campaign tactics against the Greens, warning the ALP needs to be far more sophisticated heading into next year’s state election – Melbourne Age

Time to take away their right to vote – George Williams in the Sydney Morning Herald says British subjects should no longer be able to vote in Australian elections

John Brumby slips in polls but still way in front – latest Newspoll for Victoria in The Australian Labor 56% Coalition 44%

Poll shows a Premier for all seasons – comments Rick Wallace of The Australian on the Victorian Newspoll

Opinion

Libs must love the one they’re with – Dennis Shanahan finds no immediate move likely against Malcolm Turnbull – The Australian

Our pork pie PM revels in butchering the truth – Piers Akerman in the Sydney Daily Telegraph reckons that while the Federal Police are investigating a fake email they should have a look as well at Kevin Rudd’s fake 2007 election policies.

New blood will revive Coalition – Success in politics, writes Gerard Henderson in the Sydney Morning Herald, turns more on political judgment than talent, and this is usually acquired over time. The problem of Malcolm Turnbull’s lack of experience can only be mitigated by time and by appointing the most politically skilled Liberal MPs to key positions. There is not an abundance of talent.

A chance to change lives – Tim Colebatch in the Melbourne Age argues ncreasing aid to poor nations ameliorates the misery of life in harsh economic times.

Don’t muzzle the dog – Michael Stutchbury in The Australian says Julia Gillard’s efforts to take some of the bite out of the Howard government’s building industry watchdog risks giving Western Australia’s Liberal government an excuse to pull the plug on the proposed national workplace safety scheme.

Taxman rarely a philosopher king – writes Henry Ergas in The Australian

Abbott’s star on rise as Coalition fortunes plummet – says Phillip Coorey in the Sydney Morning Herald

Elsewhere

Iran

Renewed Appeal For Empathy – Iran Daily reports the Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei saying the country will overcome the crisis as stipulated by law and with the help of national unity.

Opinion

Global grieving for Jackson a reminder of US influence – Peter Hartcher in the Sydney Morning Herald

BUSINESS

Watchdog APRA blitz on bank lending – Banks will be forced to take account of sharemarket levels and the health of the economy when making provisions for bad loans under new rules being drawn up by the banking regulator – The Australian

Iron ore price talks with China in tatters – Sydney Morning Herald

China signals end of stockpiling – Sydney Morning Herald

National Australia Bank faces tax blow – Melbourne Herald Sun

ENVIRONMENT

Tim Flannery says Australian businesses are ‘dinosaurs’– when it comes to climate change – Adelaide Advertiser

MEDIA

Reporter’s career of John Burney began with Bing Crosby – Sydney Daily Telegraph on a recent death

LIFE

Gambling

Lotto fever sweeps Australia as Oz Lotto jackpot heads for $90m plus – Melbourne Herald Sun

State Government is the big winner from Lotto – Sydney Daily Telegraph predicts a windfall of more than $26 million to the Government’s coffers from tonight’s big lotto draw.

Law and order

Century of tradition goes in appeal cases as judges to be named – More than a century of legal tradition in Victoria, which protected the identity of judges in appeal cases, has been overturned by the decision to identify them – Melbourne Herald Sun

Justice for all to see – Editorial in the Melbourne Herald Sun says the decision to identify judges, magistrates and VCAT members in appeal cases is a victory for transparent justice and common sense.

Victoria’s top Justices say courts too soft on burglars – Melbourne Herald Sun

Frontline police to video drivers – The Adelaide Advertiser says police officers are starting to put video cameras in patrol cars to protect themselves against potentially false allegations from motorists they pull over.

Tough new speed penalties target hoon Victorian drivers – Melbourne Age

Union man aided smugglers, court told – Sydney Morning Herald

Working mothers

Working mums spend as much time holding their kids – study – Melbourne Herald Sun

Breast feeding

Bonuses for breastfeeding and working mums – research into the way Australian babies spend their day has found breastfed bubs get more cuddles from mum but sleep less and cry more – Brisbane Courier Mail

Violence on the field

Police called into savage AFL club clash – Brisbane Courier Mail says police are investigating a brutal on-field football incident that left a Brisbane player with a broken jaw, eye socket, cheek bone and nose.

Springbooks coach turns blind eye to Schalk Burger gouging tactic as Tri-Nations loom – Brisbane Courier Mail

Door open for Barry Hall’s departure – The Australian

Get the gloves on, Barry Hall – Melbourne Herald Sun says Barry Hall’s career with the Swans was the subject of great mystery last night, with coach Paul Roos unable to confirm the 250-game full-forward would resume once his suspension for striking an Adelaide player had been served. Boxer Danny Green said  it was time his good mate Hall ended his career with Sydney and began his long-planned future in boxing.

Goings on off the field

Jake Friend and Sandor Earl charged over brawl – Sydney Daily Telegraph on PArramatta Eels players nterrogated at The Rocks police station in relation to a weekend brawl that left a female with facial bruising.

Roosters to stand by their men – Sydney Roosters are expected to stand by two players charged yesterday over a nightclub brawl in which the niece of ABC commentator David Morrow was punched, while Manly officials await a report into the involvement of star rookie Kieran Foran – Sydney Morning Herald

Roosters labelled a club out of control – The Australian

Sonny Bill Williams barred from Tank nightclub – With no suggestion he acted inappropriately, it seems runaway Bulldog Williams and his NRL posse may have fallen victim to a growing trend among clubs to bar football players says the Sydney Daily Telegraph