Qld: Chief magistrate charged

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Qld: Chief magistrate charged

By Janelle Miles and Paul Osborne

BRISBANE, Dec 20 AAP - Queensland's chief magistrate Di Fingleton will face the otherside of the bench next month after being charged with two criminal offences today.

Ms Fingleton has been summonsed to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on January24 charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and threatening a witness.

The offences attract maximum jail terms of two and seven years.

Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) served a summons today after receivingadvice last week from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Leanne Clare.

Ms Clare found sufficient evidence to justify the charges against Ms Fingleton, whohas been the state's top magistrate since 1999.

Ms Fingleton has lost three Supreme Court actions taken against her by fellow magistratesalleging she had bullied them, overextended her powers and made inappropriate transferdecisions.

The charges arise from a CMC investigation of an email Ms Fingleton sent to coordinatingmagistrate Basil Gribbin after he gave an affidavit to magistrate Anne Tacker for herSupreme Court transfer dispute case.

Mr Gribbin alleged Ms Fingleton threatened to demote him after he gave evidence infavour of Ms Thacker.

Ms Fingleton, a former adviser to the Goss Labor government, stood aside from her positionon full pay earlier this month after the CMC investigation.

Attorney General Rod Welford has refused to act against her and Ms Fingleton, who receivesa $176,000-a-year salary package, has resisted calls for her to resign from the position.

Opposition justice spokesman Lawrence Springborg said regardless of the outcome ofthe criminal case against Ms Fingleton, she should be removed from office.

"This chief magistrate is now so damaged ... that her credibility will be such thatshe will not be able to with authority and respect continue to do her job," Mr Springborgtold AAP.

"The attorney general therefore, I think, has significant enough grounds to move towardsmaking application for the removal of this chief magistrate.

"I can't for the life of me see how public confidence can ever be restored ... onceshe has faced criminal charges."

Ms Fingleton faces having to appear before a subordinate magistrate to answer the chargesnext year.

But Mr Welford is considering whether someone should be brought in from interstateto hear the case.

"It does raise an interesting point about whether a head of a jurisdiction can, inthe first instance, come before a subordinate," Mr Springborg said.

"I wouldn't be averse to the concept of having maybe somebody come from outside, butI do believe the appropriate course of action is for a Queensland magistrate to hear it.

"I believe that we need to give the benefit of the doubt and that there'll be so muchinterest in this that any departure from what would be normal process would be ... condemnedand properly scrutinised."

AAP jhm/pjo/jc/de

KEYWORD: FINGLETON NIGHTLEAD

AAP audio advisory 13Aug2002

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AAP audio advisory 13Aug2002

AAP audio advisory

TUESDAY AUG 13 2002

http://aap.com.au/audio

AAP MultiMedia +61 2 9322 8000-----------------------AFL Adelaide forward Bryan Beinke says tackling has been a key to the Crows' improvementthis season. AAPDuration : 21.405-----------------------Adelaide Crows forward Bryan Beinke says captain Mark Ricciuto and vice captain SimonGoodwin are a chance to recover from injury in time to play against Port Adelaide on Sunday.

AAPDuration : 13.975-----------------------Australian stock market closed marginally firmer, with weakness in the resources sectorfailing to outweigh strength among the big banks. Garry Josling reports. AAPDuration : 235.763-----------------------Grains Council president Keith Perrett tells the Nine network diplomacy is required towork out a solution to the conflict over wheat trade to Iraq. AAPDuration : -----------------------Frank Hatfield, FAA Eastern Region Air Traffic Division manager, says air controllerson duty on September 11 were the first to go to war against terrorism. AAPDuration : 17.171-----------------------Michael McCormick, the US Federal Aviation Administration's New York air traffic manager,says probably one of the the most difficult moments in his life was the 11 minutes beforethe World Trade Centre was hit by a hijacked aircraft. AAPDuration : 19.86-----------------------Australian netball captain Kathryn Harby-Williams says the gold medal win at the CommonwealthGames was a highlight of her career. AAPDuration : 14.909-----------------------Australian Business Ltd spokesman Ridhwan Ibrahim-Bennett says Australian companies couldhave a much bigger share of the Muslim Halal market worldwide. AAPDuration : 23.411-----------------------Australian Business Ltd spokesman Ridhwan Ibrahim-Bennett says an added benefit to manufacturersbecoming Halal certified for export markets is import replacement in the domestic market.

AAPDuration : 15.866-----------------------Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe says he plans to press ahead with his land reform agenda. APDuration : 16.493-----------------------Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Simon Crean is echoing the Iraqi president's positionby accusing the government of potentially costing Australian farmers millions of dollarsin lost exports. AAPDuration : 15.23-----------------------Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says it's important the international community workstowards convincing Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to permit weapons inspectors into thecountry. AAPDuration : 20.952-----------------------The Reserve Bank of Australia's latest statement on monetary policy indicates interestrates may be on the rise again. Garry Josling reports. AAPDuration : 242.924-----------------------TV presenter Dylan Lewis tells the Ten Network how he felt when it was announced he'dwon Celebrity Big Brother. AAPDuration : 9.209-----------------------US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker says Iraq won't give a straightforward answeron UN weapons inspections. APDuration : 11.473-----------------------A patchy Australian stock market remained in negative territory at noon with the resourcesand banking sectors leading the market lower. Garry Josling reports. AAPDuration : 194.461-----------------------US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker says Iraq is expected to do more than merelyallow U-N weapons inspectors into the country. APDuration : 15.176-----------------------Treasurer Peter Costello says figuring out water rights is very important, but says thisis the responsibility of the states. Nine NetworkDuration : 37.729-----------------------Treasurer Peter Costello warns that while the Australian economy is growing stronger thanmany others, there is no guarantee world tremors would not have an impact. Nine NetworkDuration : 66.318-----------------------Prime Minister John Howard, speaking to a group of protesting sugarcane growers outsidetoday's Cabinet meeting in Cairns, says he can't promise he'll protect them but will tryto achieve the best outcome for all. AAPDuration : 16.699-----------------------Treasurer Peter Costello says he can understand wheat farmers' concerns, however it'sjustifiable in a big picture sense. Nine NetworkDuration : 32.007-----------------------Treasurer Peter Costello says Australia's tough stance on Iraq has to concentrate on thedanger of its weapons policy, although the position could impact upon wheat farmers. NineNetworkDuration : 49.687-----------------------Federal Independent MP Tony Windsor tells John Laws that the early resignation of seniorLabor frontbencher Stephen Martin tarnishes the reputation of all politicians. Radio 2UEDuration : 36.604-----------------------Federal Treasurer Peter Costello tells the Nine Network's Today that Australia's toughstance on Iraq has to concentrate on the danger of its weapons policy and the impact onwheat sales is unfortunate. AAPDuration : 33.874-----------------------Labor frontbencher Stephen Martin tells the Nine Network's Today he's had enough of federalpolitics and is standing aside for someone with the enthusiasm his electorate deserves.

AAP.

Duration : 36.755-----------------------Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, speaking after his defeat in the final of theCincinnati Masters by Spaniard Carlos Moya, says while he's disappointed, he won't letit interfere with his preparation for the upcoming US Open. AAPDuration : 15.786-----------------------Iraqi ambassador to Australia Dr Saad al Samarai tells Seven's Sunrise Iraq is not blackmailingAustralia with the wheat threat. AAPDuration : 39.131-----------------------Iraqi ambassador to Australia Dr Saad al Samarai tells Seven's Sunrise Iraq has nothingagainst wheat farmers, just Australian foreign policy. AAPDuration : 21.593-----------------------Wall Street stalled today as investors took profits from last week's big rally and consideredthe possibility that the US Federal Reserve might not cut interest rates after all. DougWhiteman reports. APDuration : 49.762

AAP

KEYWORD: AUDIO ADVISORY 13AUG2002

Fed: Embryonic research stems to more problems

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Fed: Embryonic research stems to more problems

By Vera Devai

BRISBANE, April 4 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard had opened a Pandora's box by allowingembryonic stem cell research, a bioethicist said today.

Mr Howard said today he would write to the premiers proposing that the commonwealthand states allow surplus IVF embryos to be used for stem cell research.

World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life spokesman Dr David van Gend saidallowing IVF surplus embryos to be used for stem cell research was just the beginningof more "potential nightmare scenarios."

"I just hope we have strong enough bolts to keep this lid down on this Pandora's box," he said.

"If we have allowed it to open this far the challenge will be to say how then can westop the logical flow towards using cloned embryos for stem cells which the scientistshave stated they want."

Mr Howard said the use of embryos for stem cell research would be governed by carefullycrafted and important regulations and would be overseen by the National Health and MedicalResearch Council (NHMRC).

Dr van Gend said the Queensland and NSW governments had already tried to pass a billlast year which allowed the cloning of human embryos for the purpose of research.

They later withdrew the bill after much controversy but would try to push the issueat the Council of Australian Governments meeting tomorrow.

"They (the scientists) have declared that they want to go to the next step of deliberatelycreating cloned embryos for stem cells," Dr van Gend said.

NSW Premier Bob Carr said he would lobby other state premiers to boycott any proposednational guidelines on stem cell research if the scientific community deems them too restrictive.

"How will we resist that now that we are allowing embryos to be destroyed in IVF,"

Dr van Gend said.

"I think we have in principle agreed to the going down the path of full cloning andcreation of a child as a manufactured product rather than an equal human being."

AAP ved/sc/ns/de

KEYWORD: STEMCELL GEND

Qld: Businesses accused of playing down stinger danger

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Qld: Businesses accused of playing down stinger danger

The Cairns Council is accusing local businesses of playing down a massive stinger infestationat north Queensland beaches.

All beaches in the Cairns region were today closed due to an influx of irukandji -small, extremely painful stingers that can penetrate protective nets.

Cairns mayor KEVIN BYRNE says …

Fed: PM rules out intervening in Greenpeace case

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2001
Fed: PM rules out intervening in Greenpeace case

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has ruled out intervening in a US court case involving two
Greenpeace activists facing up to 11 years in jail for protesting against a missile launch
test.

US authorities detained Australians NIC CLYDE and STUART LENNOX and 13 other Greenpeace
protesters at a US Air Force base in California on July 14.

The 17 pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, trespass and violating
a safety zone after their protest delayed a missile launch to test a new defence system.

Mr HOWARD has told ABC radio that all Australians who are charged with crimes in another
country have to be dealt with by the courts.

He says it wouldn't be appropriate for him to raise the issue with President GEORGE
W BUSH when he visits the US next month.

AAP RTV lm/daw/jh/wjf

KEYWORD: US GREENPEACE AUST (CANBERRA)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Labor s 15pc superannuation will cost 200,000 jobs:PM

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2001
NSW: Labor s 15pc superannuation will cost 200,000 jobs:PM

SYDNEY, April 8 AAP - Labor's policy to increase compulsory superannuation payments
by employers from the current nine per cent to 15 per cent would cost around 200,000 jobs,
Prime Minister John Howard said today.

If re-elected the coalition would keep super contributions at the current level, he
told reporters.

MORE tso/cc/cdh/sb

KEYWORD: HOWARD SUPER

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Qld MPS cleared of wrongdoing, Beattie says = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
01-17-2001
Qld: Qld MPS cleared of wrongdoing, Beattie says = 2

While the premier was clearly glad to see an end to the affair, he said he could not
afford to be cocky with an election looming.

"This will still be a very tough, close election," he said.

Mr Beattie refused to reveal who had told him about the inquiry's findings ahead of
Friday's final submissions.

"For legal reasons, I have to be cautious …