Media wrap - Victorian Labor tries a primary for a pre-selection

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Economic matters

Rates tipped to top 8 per cent - Interest rates will be pushed above "normal" in the next year, a key forecaster has predicted, but the WA economy will accelerate and deliver more jobs and higher wages to a strongly growing population - The West Australian


Welfare

Plunge in work-for-dole cases - The work-for-the-dole program has been slashed by half in the past five years, sparking accusations the Rudd government has gone soft on dole recipients by allowing them to avoid mutual obligation - The Australian

Political life

Buswell facing the axe - The axe was poised to fall on hapless Treasurer Troy Buswell last night after he admitted misusing public money during his affair with Fremantle Greens MP Adele Carles. The West Australian understands that an exasperated Premier Colin Barnett will sack Mr Buswell when the two men meet this morning, with Mr Barnett expected to take over the Treasury portfolio just three weeks before the State Budget is handed down - The West Australian

Affair dates show vote 'not swayed' - Adele Carles has revealed key dates of her affair with Treasurer Troy Buswell in an attempt to quash speculation that it affected the way she voted - The West Australian

Polls

Labor on the mat in NSW and Victoria - Labor is in trouble in the two most populous states, with the latest Newspoll showing the Coalition has overtaken Labor's primary vote in Victoria for the first time in two years, while Kristina Keneally's popularity in NSW has failed to deliver her government any bounce - The Australian

US-style voting trial 'a shot in the arm' - More than 170 people turned out to vote in Labor's first foray into US-style primaries in a result that ALP state secretary Nick Reece says is ''a shot in the arm'' for the party. Labor supporters voted to choose the candidate in the outer-east seat of Kilsyth for November's state election - Melbourne Age

Furious WA Premier Colin Barnett to axe straying Treasurer Troy Buswell - The Australian

Lurks and perks

Pressure intensifies on Rudd to axe generous retirement perks on ex-MPs - Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig is considering curbing or scrapping the Gold Pass as part of an overhaul of MPs' entitlements. But former and current MPs are trying to keep the perk that has seen taxpayers spend $10 million over the past decade for about 25,000 free flights - Melbourne Herald Sun

Transport

State paid to discredit transport criticism - A private consultant was paid thousands of dollars by Victoria's Department of Transport to devise a strategy to discredit one of the state's most vocal transport critics. Invoices obtained by the state opposition show that accountant Paul Zabakly charged the Government $5500 for his work helping Department of Transport bureaucrats discredit RMIT academic Paul Mees - Melbourne Age

Opinions

Short, spectacular career in tatters - Troy Buswell's political career lies in tatters, alongside his marriage, writes Robert Taylor in The West Australian

Barnett will sacrifice more if he doesn't sack Buswell - argues Peter van Onselen in The Australian. In addition to the many examples of bawdy and immoral behaviour Buswell has engaged in, it has now been revealed he misused his ministerial entitlements when conducting an affair with Greens MP Adele Carles. If the WA Treasurer hasn't crossed the line that makes continuing in public life untenable, short of breaking the law, no one ever will.

Rudd shame on childcare - You might not care about child care. But we should all care that our Government can't even be bothered to lie convincingly to us any more - sdays Susie O'Brien in the Melbourne Herald Sun

Looking too close to home - Daniel Flitton writes in the Melbourne Age that the decision not to go to Washington for the nuclear disarmament talks leaves Rudd open to the charge his government excels at setting off policy firecrackers by way of a momentary distraction, and when people go hunting for the substance, not much is left to find.

Stick to your guns, Malcolm, the party doesn't need you - writes Gerard Henderson in the Sydney Morning Herald. Turnbull has had an impact on Australian politics – in both government and opposition. He made his own decision to resign and he would be well advised to stick by his initial judgment.

Bad Newspoll confirms O'Farrell is the issue - according to Malcolm Colless in The Australian. The problem for the NSW Opposition Leader is that there is no sharp edge to his campaign strategy.

Canberra tries to pluck mining states' golden goose - Michel Stutchbury in The Australian says the political economy of Kevin Rudd's hospitals deal, Ken Henry's tax review and the West Australian mining boom is conflating into a great Australian struggle over fiscal federalism.

Rudd revenge on ALP agenda - Kevin Rudd has made mistakes as Prime Minister but, in terms of his security of tenure, none has been greater than his failure at critical times to show solidarity with his Labor colleagues, writes Nikki Savva in The Australian
BUSINESS

Fee shakedown a super win - The Rudd government has gone beyond recommendations contained in last year's landmark Ripoll review of the financial planning industry, with independent advisers set to be caught out by a crackdown on commission-based payments - Melbourne Age

ENVIRONMENT

Rudd urged to act on Japan - The Coalition and Greens are demanding the Rudd government take its long-threatened legal action over whaling against Japan, now that Tokyo has rejected a peace deal - Melbourne Age

Emissions put on back burner - The emissions trading scheme has been shelved indefinitely by the Rudd government with a long-awaited Senate vote on the scheme not expected until after the next election, senior government sources say - Melbourne Age



LIFE

Health

Reactions to flu shots baffle health experts - Why 55 toddlers in Western Australia had convulsions and a child in Brisbane died after having influenza jabs has so far baffled health authorities but they hope to have some answers by next week - Melbourne Age

Queensland health officials withheld flu death details - Queensland Health officials claimed they were unaware of any deaths related to the seasonal flu vaccine, despite launching an investigation two weeks ago into the death of a two-year-old who was immunised the day before - The Australian

What doctor didn't order - Doctors are failing to diagnose children with deadly diseases and are unnecessarily giving others powerful antibiotics, putting lives at risk, a study says - Sydney Morning Herald



Population

Melbourne set to overtake as biggest metropolis - A 10-YEAR fall in the percentage of migrants settling in NSW and the lowest rate of economic growth of all mainland states has Melbourne on track to overtake Sydney as Australia's biggest city, a report predicts - Sydney Morning Herald


Sport

I'm ready to tell everything - The former Melbourne Storm chief executive Brian Waldron has hit back at News Limited and the NRL for their involvement in the club's salary cap rorts, rejecting their depiction of him as the sole architect of the scheme - Sydney Morning Herald

Ex Storm chief Brian Waldron calls for an inquiry - Disgraced former Storm boss Brian Waldron emerged from four days in hiding last night to repeat his claims from last week that salary cap rorting was rife in the NRL - Sydney Daily Telegraph
The punt

Bets are off over interest rates - The Reserve Bank will next meet to vote on interest rates a week from today, but don't expect to be able to make a wager on the outcome. Centrebet won't accept your money because ASIC has stopped it - Melbourne Age

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