ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition.

To receive this email with your preferred topics and in HTML (report summary, links to the full report and some images), enter your email address and click "edit your preferences" at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/alerts/




Top Stories



*New-look ministry takes oath of office*

*Firefighters killed in fast-moving Arizona blaze*

*Coles pays fines over fresh produce advertising*

*Victim mistook cadet for husband, court told*

*Thomson tries to stop case being moved to higher court*




-------Scroll down for more details-------


*New-look ministry takes oath of office*


Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's new ministerial line-up has been sworn in at a ceremony at Government House in Canberra.

Mr Rudd said ministers were chosen on merit and he wanted Labor's "best players on the field".

key points

A number of Mr Rudd's supporters have been promoted while some of Julia Gillard's backers have had their portfolios changed.

Victorian-based MP Richard Marles, who has been a strong supporter of Mr Rudd, has earned one of the biggest promotions, joining Cabinet for the first time as Trade Minister.

Other Cabinet newcomers include Jacinta Collins as Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, and Tasmanian MP Julie Collins, who will be the Minister for Housing, Homelessness and the Status of Women.

The two latter appointments, along with Catherine King, who will become the Minister for Regional Australia, give this Cabinet the most women in Australian history.

Key Rudd supporters Joel Fitzgibbon and Kim Carr have returned to the frontbench as Agriculture Minister and Industry and Innovation Minister respectively.

Some Gillard supporters remain in Cabinet but will take on different roles: Tony Burke shifts from environment to the challenging area of Immigration, formerly held by Brendan O'Connor, who will now become the Minister for Employment.

ministry teaser

Bill Shorten, who was seen as the "turnkey" in the leadership row and switched his vote to Mr Rudd in the final hours, has been moved from Employment and will take on the role of Education Minister while he retains his Workplace Relations portfolio.

"Bill has a strong mind, he also has a strong ability to communicate," said Mr Rudd, who spent the morning in Newcastle overseeing the launch of the national disability insurance scheme.

"I want our best players on the field and Bill fits that category."

Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will take over the Communications portfolio vacated by Senator Stephen Conroy last week and will now be responsible for the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Mr Albanese keeps his Transport and Infrastructure portfolios.

Ed Husic became Australia's first Muslim member of Cabinet when he was sworn in as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Broadband.

Governor-General Quentin Bryce said it was a "wonderful day for multiculturalism and what it stands for in our country".

Crean to quit politics

Earlier today, Labor stalwart Simon Crean announced he will quit at the federal election, bringing to an end a 23-year career in Federal Parliament.

He is the latest in a string of senior Labor figures who have quit politics in the wake of last week's leadership change. Julia Gillard, Stephen Smith, Craig Emerson, Greg Combet and Peter Garrett are also leaving.

The exodus has paved the way for Mr Rudd to make significant changes to his ministry, promoting his supporters and shifting those that backed Ms Gillard.

rudd quote

"This is a strong team, I am proud to lead this team," Mr Rudd said.

"I am a guy who believes in meritocracy. When you find people of merit, whether they are women or men, they should be promoted.

"None of you could stand here and say that strong, capable, competent women like Julie Collins from Tasmania, like Catherine King from Ballarat, like Jacinta Collins from Melbourne, would not be there on their merits.

"These people are folk that command the respect of not just their parliamentary colleagues but also the sectors of the community which they have been dealing with so far."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was less than impressed with Mr Rudd's new ministerial team.

"The new ministry is not even the B team, it's the C team," he said.

Rudd enjoys bounce in Newspoll

According to the latest Newspoll out today, Mr Rudd has a commanding lead over Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister and Labor's primary vote at a six-month high.

The ALPs' primary vote is up 6 per cent from 29 to 35 per cent after Mr Rudd was returned to power, with the Coalition's primary vote down from 48 to 43 per cent.

The figures suggest Labor would still lose the election if one was held today, but a catastrophic loss would be averted.

interactive

Read more


-------------------------



*Firefighters killed in fast-moving Arizona blaze*


At least 19 firefighters have been killed battling a wildfire in Arizona, one of the US states currently in the grip of a searing heatwave.

A spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's office has said the firefighters died while fighting to contain a blaze at Yarnell Hill, north of Phoenix.

An Arizona state forestry official told CNN the firefighters had been digging a fire line to contain the blaze.

"In normal circumstances, when you're digging fire line, you make sure you have a good escape route, and you have a safety zone set up," Art Morrison said.

"Evidently, their safety zone wasn't big enough, and the fire just overtook them."

The wildfire broke out on Friday and, according to forestry officials, has burned more than 400 hectares.

Andy Greenberg, of Newstalk Radio in Phoenix, says many properties have been lost in the fire.

"It's burnt 250 buildings which is about half of the town of Yarnell," he said.

"It's still zero per cent contained. There is high wind, high heat, none of that is helping.

"They evacuated the town of Yarnell this past afternoon, that was 400 residents, 50 houses nearby in the Peeples Valley. All of these people are being sent to a nearby community college where Red Cross has sent up a care centre."

Arizona Senator Jeff Blake said on Twitter that he was "sick with the news".

19 firefighters dead battling #yarnellfire. I am sick with the news. Prayers go out to all affected.

â€" Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) July 1, 2013

Local news site, the Arizona Republic, has reported the fire is fast-moving.

Officials expect at least 250 homes - about half of the properties in Yarnell Hill - will be destroyed by the inferno.

ABC/AFP


-------------------------



*Coles pays fines over fresh produce advertising*


Supermarket giant Coles has paid multiple fines totalling $61,200 for allegedly misleading consumers about the origin of some of its fresh produce.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says Helping Australia Grow signs were hung above imported navel oranges, kiwi fruit, asparagus and almonds.

It said the triangular Australian Grown symbol was also used.

The watchdog said the display gave the impression the imported fruit had been locally grown.

The ACCC said the country of origin was identified on stickers and packaging, but it was too small to override the impression it had been sourced in Australia.

Five stores in Queensland, NSW, WA and the ACT were accused of displaying the misleading signage between March and May.

Coles has denied it broke any laws and said it paid the fine to avoid costly legal action.

It said new stock was being relocated in stores still displaying old signage.

"Coles remains committed to its Helping Australia Grow and 96 per cent Australian fresh produce advertising statements, despite infringement notices issued by the ACCC over claims of misleading consumers," it said in a statement.

"Coles does not believe that it has contravened any law but has paid the ACCC fines as a matter of practical expediency to avoid a lengthy and costly legal action in defending our position."

In a separate case, the supermarket will still have to defend itself against claims it misled consumers about where and when its bread is baked.

The ACCC said Coles deceived shoppers by claiming some of its bread was "freshly baked in-store" when it was actually partially baked elsewhere.

Coles says it will vigorously defend itself against the claims.

The case will be heard in the Federal Court in August.


-------------------------



*Victim mistook cadet for husband, court told*


A Royal Military College Army cadet has gone on trial in the ACT Supreme Court for the alleged sexual assault of another cadet's wife.

Paul Edward Buckley, 24, is alleged to have committed the offence when he entered the woman's house within the college grounds at Duntroon in April last year.

It is alleged Buckley was at an official celebratory dinner at Duntroon when he was told to leave because he had had too much to drink.

He then allegedly went to a fellow cadet's home and forced himself upon the man's wife who was asleep on the couch.

The victim told the jury that it was dark inside the house and she initially assumed it was her husband coming home from the dinner.

She explained that after a while she realised it was not her husband and she chased Buckley out of the house.

Buckley has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and one of burglary.

The jury has been warned several times not to make any assumptions based on the recent media coverage of other men behaving badly inside the Australian Defence Force.


-------------------------



*Thomson tries to stop case being moved to higher court*


Lawyers for independent MP Craig Thomson are trying to stop his fraud case being moved to a higher court.

Thomson is facing 173 charges of fraud and theft after 19 new charges were laid at his last court appearance in May.

The charges relate to allegations that he used his Health Services Union credit card for prostitutes and hotels while he was secretary between 2003 and 2007.

Thomson's lawyers had been waiting for Federal Parliament to finish sitting last week before the case returned to court.

The court previously heard there were 140 witnesses in the case, with dozens of them expected to be called to give evidence.

Such a case would usually proceed on to a committal hearing before being directed to a higher court.

But Thomson's lawyers indicated they would fight to have the case remain in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on the basis that it could be expedited.

Thomson would also be protected from extra costs and significant penalties that could be imposed if the case was moved to a higher court or heard before a jury.

If found guilty in the magistrates' court, Thomson's sentencing range per count would be limited to a maximum five-year penalty.

The magistrate said "technically" Thomson's case could remain in the lower court, because of the relatively low monetary value associated with the individual charges.

His bail has been extended. The magistrate adjourned the application until July 19.

Witnesses are also expected to be finalised on that date.

Thomson formally resigned from the Labor Party in May.

He has previously said he plans to contest the federal election as an independent for the NSW seat of Dobell.


-------------------------




For more news visit ABC News Online at http://www.abc.net.au/news/

To unsubscribe, please go to http://www.abc.net.au/news/alerts/unsubscribe/
(You subscribed to this newsletter with email address: uwantshare001.myblogg2@blogger.com )

===========================
Enhance Your ABC NewsMail:
===========================
To receive this email with your preferred topics and in HTML (report summary, links to the full report and some images), enter your email address and click "edit your preferences" at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/alerts/


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 700 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007