Burqa law introduced in WA parliament

New laws were introduced to the WA Parliament today which would require Muslim women to remove their burqa for police. Source: news.com.au

A NEW law that would require Muslim women to remove a burqa or niqab to prove their identity to West Australian police has been introduced to the state's parliament.

The legislation was drafted in specific response to public outcry about the case of burqa-wearing mother-of-seven Carnita Matthews, who had a conviction of knowingly making a false statement quashed.

Ms Matthews was originally given a six-month jail sentence after being found guilty of falsely accusing a senior constable of forcibly trying to remove her burqa when she was pulled over while driving in Woodbine in Sydney's southwest in June 2010.

PICTURES: Carnita Matthews in court

She was later acquitted on appeal after the prosecution could not prove she was the woman who signed the statement while wearing the garment.

As part of WA's Criminal Investigation (Identifying People) Amendment Bill, the law will require ``a person to remove headwear or do other things to facilitate the officer being able to confirm a person's identity''.

Officers will also get explicit powers to detain a person while they comply.

It will apply to an item of clothing, hat, helmet, mask, sunglasses or ``any other thing worn by a person that totally or partially covers the person's head''.

The WA parliament will be told the law was in direct response to the NSW case.

``Having regard to that case, the government has taken action to ensure that similar injustices do not occur in Western Australia,'' Attorney-General Michael Mischin said.

``The amendments provide a explicit power ... where the subject person refuses to remove an obstruction that is preventing the officer from being able to identify the person's face.''

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Stingy Aussies drain Phuket hospitals

TAustralian tourists in Phuket are an increasing problem for public hospitals with many unable to pay for the health bills their injuries attract. Picture: AFP / Nicolas Asfouri Source: AFP

AUSTRALIAN visitors - mostly males in their 30s and without health insurance - are posing an increasing drain on public hospitals budgets on the Thai resort island of Phuket.

The island has become increasingly popular with not only tourists, but also retirees and long-term foreign residents lured by the lower cost of living.

But the Thai public hospital system is facing an increasing financial burden from the high expense of caring for ill, cash-strapped foreign visitors.

Dr Nara Kingkaew, deputy director of Vachira Public Hospital in Phuket, says Australians are among the leading foreign patients who seek medical care at public hospitals because they don't have insurance.

"It's a lot of problem because it's a great burden for us to look after the foreigners, especially the Westerners who come to Thailand without any health insurance and then they fall sick or are met with an accident," Dr Nara said.

There are about 30,000 Australians on Phuket in any given month out of a total of about 900,000 Australian visitors to Thailand each year.

Other nationals include Russians, British and Germans.

Dr Nara noted an Australian man who fell from a Patong Beach Hotel spent several months in hospital recuperating from his injuries, including broken legs and hips, before being discharged. He was unable to pay the cost of his hospital stay, which amounted to about $A10,000.

Foreigners in accidents are initially taken to Phuket's private hospitals, but are often moved on to the public hospital when it is revealed they have no insurance or once their funds are exhausted. Dr Nara said the hospital faces expenses each year of more than 4.0 million baht ($A140,000) caring for foreigners, not only as patients but also those who die and whose bodies are not claimed. The hospital has to by law cremate or dispose of the body after 30 or 60 days after notifying the embassy if no relatives come forward.

Australian offenders are often males, aged 30 to 35 years, who had been drinking before having an accident, often from crashing rented motorbikes.

He also pointed to a significant percentage of foreign retirees who use the hospitals.

Larry Cunningham, Australia's honorary consul on Phuket, says the issue of foreigners as a burden on public hospitals was growing.

"It's just not fair. I mean the retirees are blocking up the hospital," Mr Cunningham said

"Every time you go to Vachira (Hospital), there's a (Western) guy sitting there, legs in plaster, their arms in a sling, bits off them everywhere, being wheeled out and they are blocking up the public health system," he said.

The Thai Health Ministry has called for all visitors to be required to pay for health insurance at immigration checkpoints or have the fee incorporated in their air ticket.

Dr Nara agrees. "That is a good thing for us because when they get insurance as they enter the kingdom, when they fall sick or they met with an accident, they will have someone to pay for them, otherwise the hospital has to spend a lot of money for the foreigners."

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Rolf dropped as TV host

Rolf Harris has been dropped as the host of Animal Clinic. Source: Supplied

ROLF Harris has been replaced as the host of British television show Animal Clinic after being arrested for a second time following fresh allegations of sexual abuse.

Channel 5 pulled the hit show from the air in April after the Australian entertainer was first named in relation to Operation Yewtree.

Now, after Harris was re-arrested and bailed again earlier this week, it's been revealed adventurer Ben Fogle will host the second series when Animal Clinic returns.

"Ben Fogle will present the next series of Animal Clinic," a Channel 5 spokesman told AAP in a statement.

"No other presenter was ever contracted to do the second series."

The eight-show series will be called Ben Fogle's Animal Clinic. It will again follow the work of Liverpool University's vet school.

Channel 5 commissioning editor Ian Dunkley said Fogle's love of animals made him "the natural choice to present the second series".

Harris has remained silent since the Metropolitan Police on Monday said he'd been "further arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in connection with further allegations".

He's been bailed until later this month.

The 83-year-old has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.

In a rare public appearance on the weekend, an emotional Harris thanked fans for their support when he performed at the Wickham Festival in south England.

Harris was first arrested in late March by officers from Operation Yewtree which was set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

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Leaders set for debate showdown

Kevin Rudd has accused Tony Abbott of running scared after he proposed a debate on the first day of the campaign. Source: News Limited

KEVIN Rudd and Tony Abbott are expected to have their first debate showdown on Sunday night with the stand-off between Labor and Liberal campaign headquarters close to being resolved.

But while Mr Rudd has agreed to debate Mr Abbott at the National Press Club at 6.30pm, he placed the condition there be four more debates.

Mr Abbott and Liberal Party campaign headquarters are standing firm that he wants only two more candidate forums.

ALBO SAYS HE DIDN'T SLEEP IN

National Secretary George Wright wrote to the Liberal Federal Director Brian Loughnane yesterday agreeing to a debate a Sunday debate with the conditions.

"We are accepting this proposal on the condition that all major networks have the opportunity to host a debate during the campaign," Mr Wright said.

"We believe there should be debates specifically covering national security, the economy and climate change, health and education."

FORMER REFUGEE VOWS TO STOP BOATS

A format for the debate is yet to be decided but but both parties agreed it would be broadcast by the ABC and made available to commercial stations if it went ahead.

Mr Rudd had accused Mr Abbott of running scared after he proposed a debate on the first day of the campaign, which he said could be moderated by Sky News.

The Liberal Party had asked for the first showdown to be on Sunday night at the Press Club with two candidate forums to follow.

"As previously advised Mr Abbott believes, given the significance of this election, that the two additional forums set out ín my previous correspondence with you should also take

Place," Mr Loughnane wrote to Mr Wright.

Mr Abbott had called for one of the forums to be held at Rooty Hill RSL Club and tweeted earlier this week he wanted some of the questions for Sunday's debate to come from social media.

It is expected press gallery journalists will pose questions to the two leaders.

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'Tornado' injures 10 people in North Coogee

A water spout slammed into a North Coogee building site this afternoon, scattering scaffolding and injuring six workers

The construction site on Socrates Parade in North Coogee after the reported tornado hit. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

Six people have been taken to hospital following a structure collapse at a worksite in North Coogee, thought to have been caused by a tornado.

Debris can be seen to be lifted from the construction site - to the right of the crane - in this still frame from an amateur video. Picture: Seven News Source: PerthNow

FIVE people have been taken to hospital following a structure collapse at a worksite in North Coogee, thought to have been caused by a tornado.

The reported tornado or water spout triggered a scaffolding collapse on the Orsino Boulevard worksite, which is only about 100m from the ocean in the southern Perth suburb.

The incident, which saw a total of 10 people injured, was reported at about 2.15pm.

Cockburn District firefighting chief Tony Nicholas described the occurrence as "an unusual event".

"We were called to a structural collapse of scaffolding due to swirling wind conditions, possibly a mini tornado," he said.

"We received a call suggesting there were personnel from a construction company at were injured in that collapse.

"Initial crews were from St Johns and police followed by crews from Fremantle fire station. They have advised me people were a number of casualties treated for minor to significant injuries."

Mr Nicholas said there was no one trapped in the incident and the scaffolding was designed to hold concrete, but there was no concrete on the platforms at the time.

"The workers advised they saw some strong winds coming off the ocean, there was some photos taken of those, the Bureau of Meteorology is here on site they will be conducting some investigations," he said.

"We have wind speed specialists and they'll be working with WorkSafe to try and prevent is from happening in the future."

No workers were hit by the scaffolding, but some did fall with the scaffolding about three metres.

There are also reports the crane operator took evasive action to prevent the crane on site from swinging in to the wind, but Mr Nicholas could not confirm those reports.

Private security will now remain on site for the rest of the night.

Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Neill Bennett said BOM had also received reports of the tornado and confirmed weather conditions on the coast could have created the water spout.

Do you have photos or video of the incident? Send them to readerpics@perthnow.com.au or tweet @perthnow

"They are very, very localised events and we do see them off the coast," he said.

However he said there were difficult to predict and sometimes cannot be seen on radar images.

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Two people were taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital with suspected head and spinal injuries.

The other four workers were sent to Fremantle Hospital with minor injuries.

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Barnett defends adviser's pay rise

Premier Colin Barnett's has defended Dixie Marshall's pay rise. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

PREMIER Colin Barnett has defended his decision to give a prominent member of his election strategy team an $84,534 pay rise, saying Dixie Marshall was saving taxpayers "millions of dollars".

Mr Barnett, who requested in April that the Ministerial Merit Panel up Ms Marshall's pay to $245,000, told Parliament today that the director of government media was now responsible for advertising - hence the massive pay rise.

He said the former television newsreader's knowledge of the media, which she used in her new role, was saving taxpayers millions.

As revealed in The Sunday Times on the weekend, government documents show Mr Barnett requested the pay rise to Ms Marshall and another $52,963 pay rise to his long-time ally and director of government strategy, Narelle Cant, just after his emphatic election victory.

Both Ms Marshall and Ms Cant played parts in his re-election.

A memo from the Ministerial Merit Panel chair Kathryn Andrews to director-general Peter Conran, dated April 24, says: "A request has been received from the Hon C J Barnett MLA, seeking approval for Ms Dixie Marshall to be appointed to the position of Director Government Media, Band 3 $245,000, for the term of the government."

Mr Barnett's request was granted.

A spokesman for Mr Barnett said the merit panel made an independent assessment of the Premier's request.

The exorbitant pay rise has caused a furore amongst Liberal MPs who believe they too should receive big pay rises - even though their pays are set by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal.

Advising the Premier - apart from Ms Cant and Ms Marshall - are four other advisers.
 

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Rayney name tag was 'smoking gun'

If an appeal against the murder acquittal of prominent Perth barrister Lloyd Rayney is successful, the appellants want a new trial, not a substituted verdict

Lloyd Rayney arrives at the Supreme Court, with daughter Sarah and his lawyer for the State's appeal against his acquittal on a charge of murdering estranged wife Corryn Rayney.  Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

Former barrister Lloyd Rayney arrives at the Supreme Court for the State's appeal against his acquittal on a charge of murdering estranged wife Corryn Rayney.  Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

Lloyd and Corryn Rayney on a flight to Bali months before her death. Source: Herald Sun

A BARRISTER representing Lloyd Rayney in the appeal against his murder acquittal says the case should be thrown out because the state has no "prospect of succeeding".

Top Sydney silk, Bret Walker SC, told the WA Supreme Court that his team would "obtain success" and that the "appropriate outcome" for the hearing should be a refusal of leave.

Supreme Court registrar Corryn Rayney disappeared on August 7, 2007 after her weekly bootscooting class.

She was found buried head-first in a bush grave at Kings Park nine days later, with her car dumped nearby.

Mr Rayney, her estranged husband and prominent Perth barrister, was cleared of her murder in November last year following a high-profile three-month trial.

Prosecutors appealed the verdict, claiming there were errors of law in the judgment by former Northern Territory chief justice Brian Martin, who concluded Ms Rayney was randomly attacked outside her home.

Today Mr Walker disputed the state's contention that it was wrong of trial judge Justice Martin to not take into account the significance of a dinner place card bearing Mr Rayney's name found in Kings Park near Ms Rayney's body. He pointed out that Justice Martin had stated in his 369-page judgement that "apart from the place card" the state case was at best "neutral".

"We would say he did give full weight," Mr Walker said. "It cannot be said that he has not considered the place card at all."

Mr Walker then argued that the appeal judges would have to rule in the defence team's favour if they were not convinced any "material errors" had been made in the original trial and if they did not believe any miscarriage of justice had taken place.

'Name card was smoking gun'

Earlier, lawyers representing the state claimed the judge who cleared the Perth barrister of murder "adopted the wrong approach" in the case.

David Jackson AM QC told the hearing that Justice Martin failed to give enough weight to all of the evidence presented in the trial and described the discovery of Mr Rayney's dinner place card near the burial site in Kings Park as a "smoking gun."

He said while Justice Martin had found the discovery of the card did not prove guilt, Mr Jackson argued it should have been considered in the context of other evidence.

"You would equate the card to something like a smoking gun," Justice Mark Weinberg asked. "You would say its as powerful as that?"

Mr Jackson replied: "Yes, it is."

Earlier he had told the hearing that Justice Martin had also failed to take into account the "internal conflict" between Mr and Mrs Rayney.

During the murder trial it was revealed Mrs Rayney was seeking a divorce and the couple were sleeping in separate bedrooms.

This morning, Mr Jackson also argued the fact Mr Rayney had allegedly secretly recorded his estranged wife and then allegedly destroyed the tapes demonstrated he knew he had committed an offence.

He said Mr Rayney was barrister who for much of his professional career was a prosecutor and who would have known that he could not have engaged in phone tapping "without prejudice".

He argued the fact he allegedly destroyed the tapes suggested his guilt but he was also forced to accept, after it was raised by the appeal judges today, that Mr Rayney could have allegedly destroyed the evidence because he knew he he should not have secretly recorded her.

The appeal is being presided over by Victorian Court of Appeal judge Justice Mark Weinberg and two retired judges from New South Wales, Justices Anthony Whealy and Terrence Ruddin.

Mr Rayney arrived at the WA Supreme Court this morning with his daughter Sarah and his legal team.

Corryn Rayney's sister Sharon Coutinho arrived at the same time through another entry with her husband Rohan and father Ernest D'Silva.

The hearing continues tomorrow.

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50,000 boat arrivals under Labor

As well as Manus, PNG says it may also host asylum seekers in "community-based arrangements". Source: News Limited

AUSTRALIAN Navy personnel were racing to rescue asylum seekers in a stricken vessel off Christmas Island last night as Labor looked set to reach 50,000 boat arrivals.

The emergency came as the Solomon Islands rejected Australian requests to settle boat refugees and Immigration Minister Tony Burke stitched together the PNG deal at the last minute.

PNG last night signed a Memorandum of Understanding, Labor had rushed to sign before caretaker provisions began on Monday night, which does not rule out failed asylum seekers being returned to Australia with the country only agreeing to settle those found to be refugees.

As well as at Manus Island, PNG may also host asylum seekers in "community-based arrangements."

A similar resettlement deal with Nauru appeared destined for failure with the tiny nation in a political crisis over it and the government spokeswoman conceding the agreement Kevin Rudd announced to settle people permanently was "scary" to Nauruans.

They could only remain for "a few years while they try to find a third country," she said as the country's acting president was yesterday hosting community forums to tell Nauruans asylum seekers would not be resettled there.

Former foreign minister Kieren Keke said state television was being censored to prevent Opposition MPs giving interviews about the deal, which he called "crazy."

"There is total non-acceptance here. You have the Nauruan government trying to tell people here what they have agreed to is not permanent settlement, they have been on TV almost hourly repeating that message," he said.

"And then the Australian government is still coming out saying it does mean permanent settlement."

A young asylum seeker gets ready to board a bus to the detention centre on Christmas Island. Source: News Limited

A Navy ship was responding to the latest emergency at sea last night with a RAAF P3 Orion flying above the stricken asylum boat to monitor it until a Navy vessel arrived.

Australia's Rescue Co-ordination Centre "issued a broadcast to shipping after it received information a vessel north of Christmas Island was in need of assistance," a spokeswoman said.

Since Labor was elected 49,965 had arrived, at a cost of more than $1 billion, with last night's vessel expected to push arrivals over 50,000.

Mr Rudd maintained his deal with Nauru had not collapsed since he announced it on Saturday.

"The language that we agreed with the government of Nauru ... was that a limited number of people would be allowed to 'settle and reside there,'" he said.

"That's the language that exists within their own tradition. That's what we've agree on, that's what we made public at the time."

It came as Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo said he would never accept a resettlement deal despite being asked by the Australian government.

"No, we will never consider that. It was informally put to us and I rejected it,'' he said.

He joined Fiji in criticising the deals the government was doing, saying: "It's not right, because a Pacific Solution has to be discussed properly with all the Pacific leaders."

"So you cannot invent something in Australia and say that is the Pacific solution. That's wrong."

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said: "What is happening in the Solomons and Fiji, for that matter as well, is you are seeing the reluctance to accept what Kevin Rudd is trying to impose."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott last night wrote to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet claiming the finalisation of the agreement after the dissolution of Parliament was a possible beach of caretaker conventions.

Mr Burke's spokeswoman last night said that despite there being no written guarantee, failed asylum seekers would not return to Australia that the government would not accept the return of anyone sent to PNG.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the memorandum enabled PNG to "veto" asylum seekers.

"PNG will decide...there is an expressed veto," he said

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Fallen AFL star Ben Cousins 'attacked'

Former AFL player Ben Cousins was reportedly bashed in an East Fremantle park.

FORMER AFL star Ben Cousins has reportedly been thrown to the ground during a fight at a park in Perth.

Police have confirmed there was a verbal argument between two men in an East Fremantle Park, in Irwin Street at 4.45pm (WST) yesterday. 

The 35-year-old Brownlow Medal winner, who has had a long public battle with methamphetamine addiction, was in the park when he was approached by a man yelling "I am going to kill you", a witness said.

During the scuffle one of the men, believed to be Cousins, was thrown to the ground, police said. The two men then left the location in separate vehicles. 

Ben Cousins: the brilliant but wayward AFL star.

Reports suggest Cousins was with relatives, including children, when the alleged attack took place.

Police last night confirmed officers were called to the park, near the corner of Canning Highway and Irwin Street. But when they arrived everyone had left.

The alleged attacker has been described as a suspected bikie.

This morning, police spokeswoman Susan Usher confirmed there was an incident at the small park, where two men including a 35-year-old man, believed to be Cousins, got into a verbal argument.

"No complaint's been made to police, which means it's not a police investigation," Ms Usher said.

Cousins, who joined the Eagles in 1995 as a talented teenager from Wesley College, became one of the club's favourite sons, a decorated all-Australian, club captain and 2006 premiership player who played 238 games.

But his football world came crashing down when he was sacked in 2007 after his methamphetamine addiction spiralled out of control.

He spent a year out of the game, but finished his career with Richmond, where he played a further 32 games in two years. 

He has continued to battle drug addiction, featuring in a tell-all documentary for national television, where he admitted his ongoing fight with substance abuse, and has since been charged with possessing a prohibited drug, a charge that was later dropped.

Cousins has never been far from the headlines with a hospital admission for drug-induced psychosis and an $800 fine in June last year for drug possession after he was arrested at Esperance airport with 4.56g of methylamphetamine concealed inside his body.

He had flown to Esperance, 800km south-east of Perth, to attend a rural drug rehabilitation clinic.

Cousins has recently become a father for the second time, with partner Maylea Tinecheff, who had a baby girl a few weeks ago. Cousins also has an 18-month-old son Bobby.

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Margs among world's friendliest

Margaret River locals have been listed as among the friendliest in the world. Picture: Supplied Source: PerthNow

LOOKING for the most welcoming places in the world to visit? It turns out you don't have to look very far.

Travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler has unveiled the results of its readers choice survey on the world's friendliest cities, with two Australian destinations making a list of the top 10.

Scroll down for the list

Hobart was beaten to the top spot only by the 'Island of Magic', Florianopolis in Brazil. It's a city described as having "outgoing locals, gorgeous views and an excellent airport".

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian capital, which was also recently named one of the world's best cities to visit in 2013 by Lonely Planet, was praised for its 'unique location, beauty and kind, friendly city natives'.

"They know how to treat visitors," one commenter said. Another described it as "one of the best places I've visited".

The second Aussie destination to make the top 10 list, Margaret River tied with Paro, Bhutan, for sixth place and was praised for its vineyards and beaches.

A Conde Nast Traveler spokesperson said: "It's no wonder this small town, just south of Perth on Australia's west coast, ranked high in the friendliest category: It's known for excellent vineyards and plenty of surfing; who wouldn't be happy? Our readers also praised the town's ambience and restaurants."

Do you think the locals are friendly in Margaret River? Comment below.

The survey also uncovered the world's most unfriendly cities.

Newark, New Jersey was voted the worst, with one reader saying she "ran into a lot of rude people there" and others arguing the only reason to visit was for a cheap stopover on the way to somewhere better.

Islamabad, Pakistan was named the second unfriendliest, followed by Oakland, California and Luanda, Angola.

YOUR SAY: Do you agree? Tell us below.

Friendliest cities:

1. Florianopolis, Brazil

2. Hobart, Tasmania

3. Thimpu, Bhutan

4. Queenstown, New Zealand

5. Charleston, South Carolina

6. Paro, Bhutan

Equal 6. Margaret River, Australia

7. Mandalay, Burma

9. Kilkenny, Ireland

Equal 9. Ubud, Bali

10. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Florianopolis, Brazil. Picture: Atramos/Flickr Source: Supplied

Unfriendliest cities:

1. Newark, New Jersey

2. Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Oakland, California

4. Luanda, Angola

5. Kuwait City, Kuwait

6. Lome, Togo

7. New Haven, Connecticut

8. Detroit, Michigan

9. Atlantic City, New Jersey

10. Tangier, Morocco

Newark, New Jersey. Picture: Dougtone/Flickr Source: Supplied

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