Where exactly is Flight MH370?

Officials say the chance of finding floating debris from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is highly unlikely, announce new phase of the search will focus on a far larger area of the Indian Ocean floor. Mana Rabiee reports.

IT HAS reportedly been sighted in the Bay of Bengal, the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean - and even as far afield as the Maldives - but seven weeks after Flight MH370 went missing, searchers still have no firm clue where the Malaysia Airlines plane actually is.

The disappearance of the Boeing 777 has become one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.

And as the search drags on, the theories about what actually happened to the jet continue to fly thick and fast.

In an extraordinary departure, Adelaide-based resource survey company GeoResonance said today it may have detected debris from the plane in the Bay of Bengal — 5000km from the current search area.

But the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, which is co-ordinating the Indian Ocean search, denied the claims and said the team was "satisfied that the final resting place of the missing aircraft is in the southerly portion of the search arc".

"The location of MH370 suggested by the GeoResonance report (in the Bay of Bengal) is not in the Australian search and rescue zone, the JACC said in a statement.

"The Australian-led search is relying on information from satellite and other data to determine the missing aircraft's location. The location specified by the GeoResonance report is not within the search arc derived from this data."

The speculation over the plane took another turn yesterday with the Gulf of Thailand theory.

New York pilot Michael Hoebel claims he has an image of what appeared to be the plane's wreckage in the Gulf of Thailand.

Using the online satellite imagery website TomNod, Hoebel said he was shocked to find the plane resting in what appeared to be an unbroken state.

All of this is of little consolation to the relatives of the 239 people on board the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. As the search continues, relatives of the Chinese victims aboard the plane have been given information on the serial numbers of the black box on the Boeing 777 aircraft and the voice recording of the communication between the Malaysia Airlines plane and air traffic control, the Straits-Times reports.

During a briefing at the Lido Hotel in Beijing, one of the slides presented to the families revealed that the serial number of the flight data recorder was 08636, while that of the cockpit voice recorder was 2677.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has appointed Mr Kok Soo Chon, former director-general of the civil aviation department, to lead an international investigation team tasked to find the cause of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

The team is made up of experts from the US National Transport Safety Board, Britain's Air Accidents Investigations Branch, China's Aircraft Accident Investigation Department, France's Land Transport Accident Investigation Bureau, the Australia Transport Safety Bureau, aircraft manufacturer Boeing and British satellite communications company Inmarsat.

It also has representatives from Singapore and Indonesia.

"I would like to stress that this investigation is not aimed at apportioning blame or liability," Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a statement.

Search for answers ... Pilot Michael Hoebel says he found this image, which he says could be MH370, after spending hours trawling throughcrowd-sourcing website TomNod.com. Source: Supplied

As for the wreckage claims by GeoResonance, Malaysian officials said they are assessing the information.

"We're not trying to say it definitely is MH370, however we feel it is a lead that should be followed up by the authorities," GeoResonance director David Pope told Channel 7 News.

The company used imaging, radiation chemistry and other technologies to search the 2 million square kilometres of the ocean floor for chemicals that are found in Boeing 777 jets, and discovered aluminium, titanium, jet fuel residue and other elements in the Bay of Bengal.

GeoResonance compared images taken on March 5 and 10 — before and after the plane's disappearance — and found differences that could indicate a crash site.

The location is about 190km south of Bangladesh.

The company has been contacted by Malaysian officials, and was asked to give a presentation on its finding, Channel 7 reports.

"We're a large group of scientists, and we were being ignored, and we thought we had a moral obligation to get our findings to the authorities," Mr Pope told CNN.

Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said China and Australia were aware of the announcement.

"Malaysia is working with its international partners to assess the credibility of this information," a statement from his office said.

Still waiting ... Relatives of Chinese passengers on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane listen to a briefing on the searcha hotel in Beijing. Picture: AP Source: AP

AIRCREWS THANKED FOR MH370 SEARCH

"Need more corroboration n verification b4 we deploy assets," Mr Hussein later tweeted.

GeoResonance said it began trying to find the plane before the official search area moved to the southern Indian Ocean.

"The only motivation is to help the families of the missing passengers and crew, knowing the company has the technology capable of the task," it said.

Flight 370 was carrying 239 passengers and crew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared the morning of March 8.

India, Bangladesh and other countries to the north have said they never detected the plane in their airspace.

GeoResonance said it gave its preliminary findings to investigators on March 31 and was surprised by a lack of response. That claim could not be confirmed.

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Majority against return of shark drum lines

A shark has been caught on a WA drum line one hour before the catch and kill trial ended.

THE overwhelming majority of PerthNow readers never want to see the State Government's controversial shark drum lines back in WA waters.

The drum lines were removed from Perth beaches today after their first summer in operation.

Late this afternoon, more than 3100 readers had voted in a PerthNow poll that asked should the drum lines be used again – and 87 per cent said no.

About 12 per cent wanted the drum lines used again, while less than one per cent did not care about the issue.

Marine groups monitoring the removal of WA's shark drum lines say the controversial policy should never be used again.

WA's controversial drum-line baits, which have caught hundreds of sharks, are being removed from the water today. Picture: Animal Amnesty

An application by the WA Government to extend the drum line policy for three years is being assessed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Fisheries staff checked the lines as normal today and begun pulling them out at 2pm, starting at Ocean Reef.

There were 30 baited lines at five beaches in Perth, and more in the South West. Removing them was expected to take three hours.

A full report on the number and type of sharks caught on the lines is expected to be released next week

Sixty six sharks — mostly tiger sharks — were caught on the baited drum lines and killed in the first three weeks of operation.

Should the State Government's shark drum lines be used again?

The vast majority of sharks caught off Perth and the South West were tiger sharks, but a blacktip and dusky whaler were also caught and released alive. Two makos were also caught.

No great white sharks, which are responsible for most fatal attacks on humans, were caught.

While the controversial catch-and-kill policy targeted great white, bull and tiger sharks bigger than three metres, all but two of those that were found dead on hooks were smaller, including the makos, which measured only 1.7m and 2m.

Activist group Sea Shepherd said that as of Friday its spotters had seen 161 sharks caught on drum lines and 54 drowned or killed.

Of those, 50 were caught in the South Weston, with 28 killed. The rest were around Perth beaches.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society said the removal of the drum lines today should mark a "permanent end" to the policy.

The society's marine campaigner, Tooni Mahto, said the government was yet to provide a "fundamental justification" for the program.

"At no stage has the WA Government provided evidence that killing sharks will improve public safety," Ms Mahto said.

Ms Mahto called on the Government to release the final figures for the shark cull.

WA received an exemption under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to conduct the cull, allowing Department of Fisheries staff to catch and kill any protected great white, tiger or bull shark larger than three metres long if it was found in certain zones.

The cull has already survived a legal challenge, with the WA Supreme Court refusing to grant Sea Shepherd and injunction to stop the cull.

Premier Colin Barnett hailed his government's controversial shark baiting policy a success – with drum lines set to be removed today.

"With respect to great whites they tend to be more prevalent during spring, early summer. We didn't have drum lines in during that period," he said.

"The program finishes today. There will be a report prepared and that will be released publicly.

"I think it has been a success and maybe there will be a fair bit of contention about that, but we have caught some very large sharks close in to popular swimming areas."

Mr Barnett said 100 sharks had been caught by the drum lines, 40 of which were destroyed or "died on the hook."

He labelled the behaviour of some of those opposed to the baiting program was "vulgar and obscene".

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Buswell 000 caller joked about likeness

Police have released the audio recording from a man who witnessed Troy Buswell driving erratically the night he crashed his ministerial car in Perth.

POLICE have released the audio recording from a man who witnessed Troy Buswell driving erratically the night he crashed his ministerial car in Perth.

After attending a wedding, Mr Buswell crashed into parked cars on two Subiaco streets, causing thousands of dollars of damage to four vehicles and a telephone pole in the early hours of February 23.

Mr Buswell did not appear in court on Tuesday, but gave an endorsed plea of guilty to three counts of failing to stop at a traffic accident, four counts of failing to report a traffic accident and four counts of careless driving.

The unidentified male caller describes seeing a car "swerving all over Roberts Rd" in Subiaco, and "struggling to stand up" when he gets out of the car.

Hear the call to police after former Treasurer Troy Buswell crashed his car in Subiaco.

The caller says he and his passenger "actually joked between ourselves, we thought it looked like Troy Buswell."

Earlier today, WA Premier Colin Barnett said it was insensitive to compare former treasurer Troy Buswell to a bikie and drug dealer.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan called on the premier to ask Mr Buswell to resign from parliament, after he was fined $3100 and disqualified from driving for one year over 11 traffic offences in the early hours of February 23.

Labor leader Mark McGowan tears into MP Troy Buswell, likening him to a bikie or drug dealer over his failure to explain to police his erratic driving.

"His failure to co-operate with the police, his failure to answer questions, his failure to give a statement to the police is appalling," Mr McGowan said yesterday.

"Mr Barnett has tolerated and excused this behaviour for long enough.

"He needs to tell Mr Buswell to own up and tell him to pay all the costs associated with this."

WA Treasurer Troy Buswell fined $3100 and banned from driving over his late-night accident spree after leaving a Kings Park wedding in February.

Mr Buswell did not provide police with an explanation for his manner of driving.

"That's the sort of stuff that drug dealers and bikies do," Mr McGowan said.

He repeated the comments today, adding: "I am saying that Mr Buswell should have co-operated with police and answered questions.

"The fact that he has refused to co-operate means he has behaved exactly like bikies and drug dealers who don't co-operate with police and then say 'prove it'.

"Everyone knows he was drinking that night and then he drove.

"The conclusion from that is obvious but unfortunately because he hasn't co-operated with police no drink charges have been laid.

"That means, I expect, that taxpayers will have to pick up the cost of the damaged cars, the government car and the Telstra equipment.

But Mr Barnett said making the comparison to bikies and drug dealers was "totally inappropriate".

"I think what Mark was saying then just shows a lack of sensitivity to an issue," he told ABC Radio today.

"No one is excusing Troy for his driving behaviour at all, including me."

Mr Barnett said Mr Buswell had publicly apologised, accepted his punishment and not received special treatment.

Mr Buswell could return to parliament next week.

"He will be given support by his parliamentary colleagues," Mr Barnett said.

"They are his friends, myself included, and we hope he makes a full recovery." The premier believes Mr Buswell should continue as the member for Vasse.

"Troy's future is up to him," he said.

Mr Barnett also said he was unaware if Mr Buswell had plans to apply for an extraordinary license or rely on friends or colleagues to drive him to parliament.

The Premier said Mr Buswell had been stripped of his ministerial driver, and damage to the ministerial car would be dealt with by insurance.

"The vehicle is insured. The normal insurance criteria will apply," Mr Barnett said.

"It will be treated as a normal vehicle insurance case.

"I don't know he will get to work. He won't be provided with a government driver.

"If Troy does apply for an extraordinary licence that will be determined by the court."

Mr Buswell could return to parliament next week.

"He will be given support by his parliamentary colleagues," Mr Barnett said.

"They are his friends, myself included, and we hope he makes a full recovery."

The premier believes Mr Buswell should continue as the member for Vasse.

"Troy's future is up to him," he said.

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Victim: Why did no one care or notice?

Ted Delaney outside the Royal Commission after giving evidence today. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: News Corp Australia

AFTER more than five decades there is just one overwhelming question Ted Delaney wants answered – why?

Why was he taken from the orphanage his mother had to place him in and shipped off to Australia without her permission?

Why did the Australian Government want children from the UK only to abandon them when they arrived?

Why didn't anyone check on their welfare while they were in the care of the Christian Brothers?

And why didn't anyone question why so many children ended up in hospitals with injuries which clearly were not the result of accidents?

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Buswell apologises after fine, ban

Former WA Treasurer Troy Buswell has pleaded guilty to 11 traffic charges relating to a late night drive from a Kings Park wedding to his Subiaco home. Source: News Corp Australia

DISGRACED former WA Treasurer Troy Buswell has apologised for his actions after he was fined and banned from driving over a series of driving charges.

Buswell was fined a total of $3100 and banned from driving for 12 months. He did not appear in Perth Magistrates Court today, instead endorsing pleas of guilty to all 11 charges.

The Vasse MP crashed into four cars and a telephone pole in Subiaco as he drove home from the wedding in the early hours of February 23.

After the court case, Buswell released a brief media statement that read: "In relation to events of the morning of Sunday 23 February 2014, I offer no excuses for my actions, apologise to those upon whom I have impacted and accept fully the consequences as determined by the Magistrates Court today."

The damaged front of Troy Buswell's ministerial car, which was towed away by police from his Subiaco home. Picture: Nine News

Earlier in court, Buswell was fined $800 on four charges of careless driving and $800 on four charges of failing to report an accident.

He was fined $1500 on three charges of failing to stop after an accident.

The court was told on the night, Buswell was driving his white ministerial Holden through Subiaco when he mounted a kerb, damaging the front bumper of his vehicle, then knocked into a telephone pole.

Prosecutor Patrick Cavagin then told the court Buswell crashed into a series of cars, leaving a damage bill in excess of $12,000.

He first swiped a Barina parked on the road, causing $3200 damange to the vehicle.

Buswell then rear-ended a Suzuki Vitara parked on Olive Street, causing it to shunt into the back of a Mitsubishi.

The Suzuki sustained $7337.97 damage and the Mitsubishi $1336.

Further along Olive Street, Buswell then hit a parked Holden Commodore, causing $500 damage.

Chief Magistrate Steven Heath gave Buswell a 25 per cent discount for the early plea of guilty and said he also had no prior record.

However, he also noted no explanation was given for the driving.

Chief Magistrate Heath, in reference to the failing to stop charges, said: "It is an obvious concern because it prevents the owner of the property to be advised of the damage.

"It also prevents the proper investigation of the matters.''

Buswell reportedly told his local newspaper, the Busselton Dunsborough Times, that he had no plans to return to the Barnett ministry.

"I'm looking forward to having more time to re-engage with the local community," he said.

"Life as a minister was very busy and the demand on my time across the state was substantial."

Buswell was charged six weeks after a report of erratic driving was made to police by a member of the public on the night of the wedding.

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said last month Buswell was unlikely to face drink-driving charges because he was never tested for an alcohol reading.

Buswell took personal leave from February 24. He resigned as treasurer and transport minister on March 9 after details of the incident became public.

He sought treatment in Perth and Sydney for a mental health breakdown, and has yet to return to Parliament.

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Mid-air scare: Fire forces emergency landing

A plane carrying FIFO mine workers was forced to make an emergency landing at Perth Airport after one of its engines caught fire this morning.

A plane has made an emergency landing at Perth's domestic airport after an engine reportedly caught fire.

The Cobham Aviation plane coming into Perth Airport with one engine on fire. Picture: Community Newspaper Group Source: Supplied

A PLANE carrying FIFO mine workers was forced to make an emergency landing at Perth Airport after one of its engines caught fire this morning.

PerthNow understands the plane took off from Perth Domestic Airport this morning and was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after a fire was detected.

The flight, packed with FIFO workers, was headed to Barrow Island, in the North West of the state.

A video posted on Facebook by passenger Brad Mccoy of the frightening incident shows sparks and flames shooting past his window.

6PR reported that passengers watched sparks flying from the engine shortly after take-off.

The passengers alerted flight attendants to the fire and it then took five minutes to get back on to the ground.

Matt Pilat captured these images of the plane while it was flying over Perth's eastern suburbs.

The 28-year-old from Sinagra, in Perth's far north, said he was on Miles Road, Kewdale when he saw the plane with flames coming from the middle of the aircraft.

"As the plane flew overhead we saw the left engine on fire and it progressively got bigger as it flew overhead," he said.

"Another witness saw a big white cloud extinguish the flames and the plane make a sharp turn.

Passengers told 6PR that they were not overly worried by the incident, and trusted the crew to get them back down.

It was the second plane they had boarded this morning – the first being unable to fly due to issues with its computer system.

Witness Robert Bulman told PerthNow he saw "big flames" shooting out the left hand side engine of the plane.

Mr Bulman, who watched from his work at Forrestfield, on the other side of Perth Airport to the domestic terminal, said it took less than 10 minutes for the plane to land.

Fire authorities were called to the airport after the drama was first reported.

A spokeswoman from Perth Airport said the plane was operated by Cobham Aviation, a regional service which operates flights within WA. The plane has now been taxied to a hangar.

Luggage was returned to passengers late this morning.

Witnesses have posted photos of the incident on social media.

They said the plane circled the airport for a few minutes before coming into land.

Paul Williams said the flames went for the whole length of the plane, making it look like Hayley's Comet.

A spokeswoman from Perth Airport said the plane had landed safely and the fire was out.

Cobham Aviation Services said the engine fire occurred soon after take-off and that the four-engine BAE 146 jet was bound for Barrow Island.

A spokesman said the pilot and crew safely returned the jet to Perth Airport at 10.53am.

"The aircraft was climbing after take-off when the fire occurred in engine No.2, which is on the inner port side of the aircraft," he said.

"When the fire was detected, the engine was shut down and the fire extinguished.

"There were no injuries among the 92 passengers or two pilots and three cabin crew."

The incident is being investigated and regulatory authorities have been informed, the spokesman said.

● To share the Facebook video click here

With AAP.

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‘Killer Moore’ – brother most feared

Abuse victim Raphael 'Ray' Ellul outside the Royal Commission after giving evidence into the allegations of child sex abuse regarding the Christian Brothers in WA. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: News Corp Australia

THEY called him "Killer Moore", the Christian brother whose "liberal" use of a leather strap sparked fear in almost every child at Bindoon Farm School.

Such was his reputation that Clifford Walsh "feared him" more than any other brother at the institution even though he was also brutally raped by a number of the others.

Mr Walsh was just nine when he received his first beating by Brother Moore, his second day at Bindoon.

He learnt very quickly the ferocity of his wrath. And his supposed crime? Being unable to carry a heavy crow bar for three miles.

Mr Walsh is the fifth person to give evidence at the first public hearing of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sex Abuse in Perth.

The commission is investigating how the Christian Brothers and successive WA governments responded to allegations of abuse at four homes at Bindoon, Contarf, Tardun and Castledare.

"I feared Brother Moore than any other," Mr Walsh told the hearing. "I thought he was liberal with the strap. The other boys and I used to call him Killer Moore.

"On my second day at Bindoon, when I was nine years old, we were told to we were going to build a fence.

"A lot of the children were given tools to take to the site. Me and another boy were handed a crow bar and told to take it three miles on foot.

"After a few hundred yards the bar became very heavy ... we were late arriving at the site.

Brother Moore proceeded to punch both the other child and myself mercilessly.

John Holoway with other protesters seeking justice outside the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Perth yesterday. Picture: Ross Swanborough

"He punched me mainly to my face but also my chest. I was sobbing uncontrollably. Brother Moore then sat us on his knee and tried to console us. This only made me cry more."

Mr Walsh said he thought the treatment was normal.

"They beat children in the middle of meals," he said.

Mr Walsh, an orphan from England who was sent to Bindoon when he was 10, said one brother, Christopher Angus, raped him not long after he arrived at the school.

Another brother, Bruno Doyle, beat him so frequently, Mr Walsh said he believed the man got a kick out of it.

"I knew no other life and so I had no life ... I could compare with," Mr Walsh said.

Left so traumatised by his experiences at the school, he now has trouble being affectionate with his only son.

"He hugs me and I hate it," he said. "When he hugs me I push him away."

Mr Walsh said he received no education at Bindoon and was forced into hard labour.

Justice to him, he said, would be the Christian Brothers admitting the wrong they had done.

John Hennessey gave horrific evidence yesterday to the Royal Commission about the abuse he suffered at the Christian Brothers run home in Bindoon in the 1940s. Picture: Ross Swanborough

"And doing something about it," he said.

Mr Walsh was not the only person to give evidence at today's hearing about Brother Moore vicious nature.

Another former resident, VV, whose name is suppressed, also told of how Brother Moore deliberately sewed half pennies into his leather strap for extra weight.

He spoke of one particular incident where he received such a "belting" that he thought he was going to die.

"Brother Moore had worked himself into such a frenzy," he told the hearing. "He grabbed me and threw me against a door. I hit my head. I was covered in blood."

VV explained he developed hearing problems later in life that he attributes to the particular beating by Brother Moore.

Both men also spoke of the brutal rapes they endured by Brothers Parker and Angus, the constant sexual assaults by Brothers Quillgan, Dick and Tuppin.

They told how they were tricked into helping the brothers with various tasks, then ended up being forced to perform various sexual acts on the older men. In some instances they were raped.

VV said he became Brother Parker's "pet". He was "rewarded" with kinder treatment, but this only lasted as long as he complied.

At the end of his evidence, VV said he was assaulted by more than a dozen perpetrators while he was at Bindoon.

He said nine brothers and a priest, plus five others which included other boys.

The sexual abuse against Mr Walsh ceased after he ran away, but he endured constant beatings while he remained at Bindoon.

To this day both men remain shattered by their experiences.

They are angry they have not received adequate compensation and believe the Christian Brothers should be held accountable.

'MAKE YOURSELF LESS ATTRACTIVE'

A 10-year-old boy was told by a priest to make himself less attractive so as not to be a target for sexual abuse, the commission has also heard today.

It was also told that Christian Brothers pimped boys out to a visiting photographer at St Joseph's Farm and Trade School, Bindoon, in the late 1950s.

A witness known as VV told the commission in Perth today that a Christian brother who raped him suddenly announced he needed to confess his sins.

"Then Brother Parker came back and said I needed to see Father Gerard. Father Gerard sat me down and told me what we were doing was very wrong, and that I should make myself less attractive," VV said.

"I should stop leading Brother Parker on, because it was a sin. He told me it was my fault, all the while he sat there sucking a cigar, blaming a child for being assaulted."

He said boys were also sent out on picnics with a local photographer, who was known to abuse boys.

Boys were also promised parcels of land by brothers who used the inducement to groom them.

When VV – an orphan in care since the age of four in England – arrived at Bindoon aged nine, he was the youngest there and below the 10-year age requirement for the school.

Soon after arriving, he was raped by Brother Christopher Angus. After the attack, VV was dumped in a 44-gallon drum of water.

"He said words to the effect of 'clean yourself up'," VV said. He was also savagely beaten numerous times, and has lost hearing in his left ear.

Meanwhile, VV's mother tried repeatedly to find him in England. "She was told I was put into a good home in Australia, that I was cared for and loved and that I would receive an education," he said.

"She never gave permission for me to go to Australia." VV never saw his mother again.

Years after he left Bindoon he was offered $20,000 compensation by the Catholic Church's professional standards office, which later upped it to $40,000 when VV said he found it insulting.

"This meeting was very intimidating," VV said.

"The brothers were not approachable or welcoming and I felt intimidated.

"I felt like a child again, trying to defend myself."

NO EDUCATION, JUST HARD LABOUR

At another school, St Mary's Agricultural School in Tardun, boys were told they were not there to be educated and were needed for hard labour.

A resident at the school, known as VG, told the commission while working in the heat, boys were often tied just out of reach of a water tap and forced to stay there for hours.

"They beat us with leather straps that were about an inch thick, three inches wide ... and had a buckle thicker than a belt," he said.

When an older boy retaliated against the abuse, three brothers held him down and beat him.

"I thought the brothers were going to kill him," VG said.

When another brother, known as Simon, tried to rape him, VG hit him in the stomach with a chair.

"I tried to run away but he grabbed my shirt and threw me on the ground," he said.

"I then felt the buckle on the back of my head. I don't remember anything after that." He later tried to commit suicide, he said.

Yesterday, the first witness, John Hennessey, gave harrowing evidence about the physical, sexual and emotional abuse he suffered at the Bindoon home in the 1940s. He said he would go to his grave a tormented man.

Over the next two weeks the commission will hear evidence on how the Christian Brothers responded to allegations of abuse.

It will also hear evidence from representatives of the WA government and the acting director of public prosecutions about the department's response to complaints.

The hearing continues.

● Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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South Australia mums MKR darlings

There could only be one team winning ... Bree and Jessica with Chloe and Kelly. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Supplied

Bree May and Jessica Liebich have been crowned My Kitchen Rules champions after defeating villains Chloe James and Kelly Ramsay tonight.

BREE May and Jessica Liebich have been crowned My Kitchen Rules champions after defeating villians Chloe James and Kelly Ramsay.

The South Australian mums won $250,000 in prize money after scoring 54 out of 60 for their five-course menu — two points ahead of their younger MKR rivals from Western Australia.

Worthy winners ... Bree May and Jessica Liebich celebrate with their families winning My Kitchen Rules. Picture Channel 7 Source: Channel 7

Bree and Jessica scored straight nines from judges Pete Evans, Manu Feildel, Colin Fassnidge, Guy Grossi, Liz Egan and Karen Martini in the gruelling contest.

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Was MKR rigged for Bree and Jessica to win?

Chloe and Kelly were hobbled with eight from Fassnidge and Egan with nine from the other judges.

"Our families are going to be so proud," Bree cried after the result was announced. "I can't believe that we did it.

"We came here because we wanted to create a better life for our children and husbands.

"Our whole world has opened up for us now and we're so happy to start a new stage of our lives."

Jessica had a mini-meltdown during one of the courses and finished with her left hand covered in blue bandages.

"This is the most amazing thing to ever happen to us in our whole lives," Jessica said, before adding: "Sorry, I mean apart from having kids and getting married and all that."

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Happy mums ... Bree May and Jessica Liebich celebrate their win in MKR at Channel 7 in Hindmarsh. Picture: Tom Huntley Source: News Corp Australia

Teams were challenged with serving up a whopping 100 dishes each — to the judges and a restaurant full of this year's eliminated contestants.

Bree and Jessica chose to put a modern twist on traditional dishes for their Sage menu.

They plated up a first course of beetroot carpaccio with cured salmon. The only criticism came from Feildel and Fassnidge who said there wasn't enough horseradish sauce.

Chloe and Kelly were full of confidence with their Nouveau menu. Their plan was to create dishes from all around the world.

The pair won points from the judges after deciding to make their own mozzarella for their Caprese salad first course.

"It was a wonderful display of confident cooking," Evans said.

Bree and Jessica's second course — open scallop lasagne with fennel puree — was another winner, with Martini saying "this is a very fragile, perfect dish".

Chloe and Kelly hit a hurdle with confit ocean trout with broad bean pesto when Grossi and Evans found bones in their fish.

The pair bounced back in the third course — veal sweetbreads with morel mushroom sauce and pea foam.

Emotional overload ... Bree May and Jessica Liebich realise they have won My Kitchen Rules. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Channel 7

"This is the best sauce I have ever had on five seasons of My Kitchen Rules," Feildel enthused.

Bree and Jessica served spiced squab with heirloom carrots and pomegranate jus. All of the judges praised the pinkness of the squab but Grossi said the carrots were a touch undercooked.

The first hint that Bree and Jessica could snatch victory came during the fourth course when Martini criticised Chloe and Kelly's pig's trotter crepinette with crispy pig's ears for repeating some of the flavours of the previous dish.

Fassnidge had no such reservations. "This is my style of cookery — it's a standout dish again," he said.

Bree and Jessica won universal praise for their Ouzo and tomato with braised lamb with wild greens, potatoes and consommé.

"The consommé is unbelievable," Feildel said.

Celebrations ... South Australian mums Bree May and Jessica Liebich have won My Kitchen Rules. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Channel 7

Chloe and Kelly's miss-step came with their dessert of rose chocolate with spiced figs and pistachio ice cream. Chloe's decision to add a sugar shard was panned by the judges.

Bree and Jessica prevailed with deconstructed chocolate and rhubarb tart.

"All the flavours are sensational — it took me to a little English garden," Grossi said.

COMMENT BELOW: Did Bree and Jessica deserve to win MKR?

Chloe and Kelly were gracious in defeat.

"We were happy that we were against the best (team) in the grand final and you proved that tonight," Chloe told Bree and Jessica.

TV viewers had to be impressed with the quality of the dishes from these home cooks. Each one was a knockout.

"Your five courses could be in any of the best restaurants in the world," Evans told teams after the cook-off.

Crowning moment ... Bree May and Jessica Liebich realise they have won My Kitchen Rules over Chloe James and Kelly Ramsay. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Channel 7

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Families to cop it in Budget

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a man with a plan. But do you like what's in store? Source: News Corp Australia

MIDDLE-income families will be denied rises in tax concessions compensating for inflation in the Budget two weeks from Tuesday which Prime Minister Tony Abbott tonight said would be a first installment of spending cuts.

But the Prime Minister has pledged these and other measures would clear the way for income tax cuts in five years.

The age pension will not be lowered now but Mr Abbott will seek a mandate for a reduction in the pension's indexation and tougher means testing at the 2016 election.

And the Budget will contain programs to get the disabled, the elderly and women with young children off welfare and into the workforce.

The Prime Minister called the Budget politically risky. However, the pain would be short term and necessary to hack back debt of potentially $667 billion Mr Abbott said had been left by Labor governments.

He outlined some of the Budget's measures in a Sydney speech designed to complement the warnings about runaway spending issued by Treasurer Joe Hockey last week.

Walking the talk in a fortnight's time. Joe Hockey has flagged mega austerity. Source: News Corp Australia

Mr Abbott said the objective was to reduce debt and return the Budget to surplus over at least five years but would not put a target date for balanced finances, saying it would be achieved within a decade.

"This Budget will not change everything with one stroke," Mr Abbott said.

"It won't offer a spurious guarantee of a surplus by a particular date. This Budget will by no means be the only instalment in the long-term restructuring needed to restore our economic health."

The Prime Minister pointed to changes in welfare for families, which mostly is the Family Tax Benefit A and B. Indexation of these means tested concessions was frozen under Labor but the cost of living adjustments were set to return this year.

Mr Abbott's comments indicate that won't happen.

"But the best way to help families on $100,000 a year is long-term tax relief and more business and job opportunities, not social security,'' he said in the speech.

"The change in this Budget will make personal tax cuts more likely in four or fine years' time.

"Come Budget night, I suspect that there won't be many without a potential grumble — but involving everyone in reaping Labor's spending binge is the only way to be fair.

"The Budget pain will be temporary but the economic improvement will be permanent."

Short-term pain for long-term gain, Mr Abbott says. Source: News Corp Australia

Mr Abbott said changes to the age pension was essential and unavoidable because it was rapidly becoming too expensive. But he said the Government would keep his promise not to touch the pension rate — at least in this term of office.

"To keep our commitments, there will be no changes to the pension during this term of Parliament but there should be change to indexation arrangements and eligibility thresholds in three years time," he said.

"There are other social security benefits where indexation arrangements and eligibility thresholds could be adjusted."

Mr Abbott made no reference to speculation a one-off levy could be imposed on wage earners to cover short-term expenses.

The Government has been firmly told by business it does not want a temporary levy to cover immediate bills which the Business Council of Australia fears could be a bid to "let governments off the hook on the structural steps needed to fix the budget properly".

"Temporary tax increases are no substitute for the reforms that are needed to bring spending back under control and put the budget onto a more sustainable footing," said BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott.

More is needed that temporary tax incentives, says business council chief executive Jennifer Westacott. Source: News Limited

Ms Westacott said the Budget's focus should be elimination of waste and inefficiency, and better targeted government programs and payments.

"Australia needs comprehensive tax reform implemented over the medium term, rather than ad hoc levies in this budget," she said.

"Raising Australia's already high dependence on personal income tax will place an increased burden on workers and could weigh down an already sluggish economy. If we are serious about lifting our productivity and competitiveness, we should be lowering taxes, not increasing them."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the government of scaring pensioners with talk of cuts and wage earners with speculation about the deficit levy.

"Here's a couple of ideas for Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott — don't break your promises," Mr Shorten told reporters.

"Here's a couple of ideas for Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey — don't say nine times in a 32 day election period when you're chasing people's votes that they won't touch pensions, and then as soon as you get elected have twisted priorities and broken promises and introduce a new deceit tax.

"No bigger broken promise than saying to pensioners before the election that your pensions are safe, then after the election starting to scare Australia's pensioners by talking about messing around with aspects of the pension."

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‘I will go to my grave a tormented person’

John Hennessey, former Bindoon boys home resident, talks after giving evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Perth. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: News Corp Australia

John Hennessey outside the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: News Corp Australia

FOR John Hennessey being robbed of his innocence was not the most unforgivable thing he endured at the hands of the Christian Brothers – it was being robbed of the chance to have children of his own.

For five years he was brutally raped, beaten and emotionally abused by 10 brothers at Bindoon boys home during the 1940s.

Yet it was the after-effects of that abuse that he sees as being the most destructive.

The former Deputy Mayor of Campbeltown Council, who received an OBE for his role following the Granville train disaster, told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sex Abuse he was so scarred by his experience at the remote Catholic boys home in WA that he was unable to form any real relationship in his later years.

The commission is investigating how the religious order and successive WA governments responded to allegations of abuse at four Christian Brothers run homes in Bindoon, Clontarf, Tardun and Casltedare.

It has heard boys were routinely tortured, raped and beaten by Christian Brothers in the four WA institutions since the 1950s.

The commission was also told child abusers at the WA Christian Brothers schools knew they could sexually torture children with impunity, safe in the knowledge the state would do nothing.

Choking back tears several times, Mr Hennessey, who was sent to Australia from the UK at just 11 as part of the child migration scheme, recounted the horrific sexual and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of the brothers – the worst of which was by Brother Paul Keaney.

The former teacher, who emigrated to Australia from Ireland, almost beat him to death after he stole grapes from his precious vineyard.

The flogging, which was carried out in front of other boys as well as brothers, was so bad Mr Hennessey developed a stutter as a result.

Brother Keaney beat him regularly with a leather strap with pennies sewn into it. He was also made to perform a range of sexual acts on the brother, which he said he later did willingly after years of abuse by other brothers.

Mr Hennessey told the hearing, Brother Keaney groomed him from the day he arrived, and had such a hold over him that he believed his abuse was a form of affection.

"Brother Keaney kept a pool of pets," he told the hearing. "At the time I didn't understand what he was doing to me. But I felt somehow privileged."

It was only after he left the home that Mr Hennessey said he realised that he had been sexually "exploited and abused by criminals".

Mr Hennessey told the commission the men who abused him during his time at St Joseph's Farm and Trade School in Bindoon felt safe in doing so.

"I was exploited and abused by criminals (who were) safe in the knowledge that the state government and church were my legal guardians, and would never bother to meet their responsibilities," he said.

Mr Hennessey also spoke of being made to being treated "like a leper" when details of his abuse was first made public in the 1970s, and was labelled a child molester and was also beaten up by vigilantes.

He was also questioned by police on a few occassions and as a result he will not have any child in his home unless their parents are with them.

He said he had thought about suicide several times, and was angry the Christian Brothers changed his identity when he arrived to prevent anyone from being able to find him.

But of all the things he was robbed of it was the chance to have children of his own.

"I regret not having children of my own," he said. "I have never had a committed relationship. I did not trust people.

"I had issues with my sexuality. I am the last one in my family. There's no little Hennesseys of my own. This is unforgivable.

"I will go to my grave a tormented person."

John Hennessey outside the Royal Commission. He holds a photo of his mother and a news clipping. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: News Corp Australia

When Mr Hennessey was first brought to Australia at age 11 he was told he would be able to ride kangaroos to school and there would be lots of fruit.

"From the time I arrived at Bindoon, there was no love," he said.

"I realised there was no kangaroos, there was no fruit."

The Christian Brothers said they wanted to make a man out of him.

"'We don't want you to grow up as Satan's children,'" Mr Hennessey said he was told.

Mr Hennessey did not see his mother for 57 years after he was forcibly removed from Bristol, England, for Australia.

The order changed his name and reduced his age by three years, making it extremely difficult to locate his mother. He eventually met her six years before she died.

Mr Hennessey eventually received about $45,000 from Redress WA, a state government scheme set up to recognise the harm suffered by children in the homes.

But he said changes to the scheme to reduce the maximum amount paid to victims to $45,000 from $80,000 left him feeling betrayed.

Mr Hennessey is one of 11 men who is giving evidence at the public hearing about their experiences at one of the four homes.

NO ONE TO TURN TO

Boys who reported sexual and physical abuse at the hands of WA Christian Brothers were often abused by the brother to whom they complained, the commission was told.

"For some boys, the knowledge of the abuse was well enough understood between the boys, if not necessarily openly discussed," counsel assisting the royal Commission Gail Furness said in her opening statement.

"Other boys never shared their experiences with anyone else. "However, common to all of those men who will give evidence is the shame, guilt and fear that they experienced as a result of the abuse."

At St Vincent's Orphanage in Clontarf, boys would be selected almost nightly by brothers for abuse, said survivor John Wells. A brother would tickle the foot of a sleeping boy as a signal to go to his room.

"The boy would often be crying because he knew what was coming and he knew he was going to be in pain," Mr Wells15 said.

He and his twin brother Arthur were so traumatised they did not physically touch for 70 years – until Mr Wells held Arthur's hand when he was on his deathbed.

Another survivor of Bindoon, Edward Delaney, had the fingers of both hands broken and was left with a permanent disfigurement when a brother - named as Brother Doyle in the commission - hit him repeatedly with a leather strap with a hacksaw blade stitched into it.

Ms Furness named around 15 brothers who brutally raped and tortured hundreds of boys while in their care.

Yet only three have ever been charged in relation to the abuse and only one, Brother Gerard Dick, was convicted.

Another brother, William Marchant, who has not been named in this case study, was charged in 2000 for sexual offences in the 1970s and 1980s at Tarden Farm School. He received a non-custodial sentence.

Over the next two weeks the commission will hear evidence on how the Christian Brothers responded to allegations of abuse.

It will also hear evidence from representatives of the WA government and the acting director of public prosecutions about the department's response to complaints.

The hearing continues.

Tony Costa says he is still angry more than 60 years after he was separated from his family. Picture Theo Fakos Source: News Limited

INQUIRY WILL BRING 'RELEASE, JUSTICE'

Forced child migrants and survivors of abuse at Christian Brothers-run residences in Western Australia say a royal commission will give them a measure of release and justice.

"We want to see justice — justice is the end word," said Tony Costa, who as a child was sent to Bindoon Boys Town in 1953, and went on to become Mayor of Subiaco.

"We don't want the next generation to suffer as we did 60 years ago."

Mr Costa, a spokesman for the International Association of Former Child Migrants, said he was still angry more than 60 years after he was separated from his family.

"One is angry but as the years go on it's like a wine — you mature," he said.

"You have to get on with life. Some poor beggars, some of my fellow survivors, have fallen along the way be it through broken marriages, alcoholism, drugs and so on.

"But each and every one of them has a story to tell and so I don't want to judge anybody harshly."

Today's hearings are the 11th case study by the royal commission examining how Australian institutions responded to child sexual abuse.

The Perth inquiry will investigate the responses of the Christian Brothers and relevant Western Australian State authorities to the abuse allegations at the residences.

It will also look at the experience of people who went through the Catholic Church's Towards Healing process, Redress WA, civil action and/or directly to the Christian Brothers for compensation or assistance.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of the Archdiocese of Perth last week wrote an open letter in which he reiterated his full support for the work of the commission.

In his letter he expressed "horror and deep shame" at what happened and asked forgiveness from those whose lives which had been badly damaged.

Mr Costa said victims had received apologies before by the British government and other institutions.

"How do you right the wrongs of 60 years ago?" he asked. "Words are cheap."

Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) spokeswoman Carolyn Frawley said the royal commission ensures everyone will hear about what people suffered.

"With the royal commission everyone is hearing about it now," she said. "We're not down in the back blocks." Ms Frawley said she wanted laws changed to allow for a longer statute of limitations on child sexual abuse.

"For us, it's a release," she said. "When you're abused as a child it lasts with you forever. Believe me, there are some people who are so angry they can't see the daylight."

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