Helicopter crash pilot named

POLICE have named a 39-year-old helicopter pilot from Wairarapa, who died after crashing in the central North Island.

Searchers found Mark Duncan Didsbury's body about 50m from the wreckage of the Robinson R-66 helicopter in the Oamaru Valley, near Turangi, about 11.30am on Sunday.

His body was airlifted out later in the day.

The alarm was raised when Mr Didsbury failed to return from a trip to drop off hunters in the area on Saturday.

Searchers located the crash site about 7pm that night.

On Sunday, they returned to search for the pilot aided by a fixed wing aircraft and the Taupo Rescue Helicopter, which winched six police officers and a police dog into the area.

Transport Accident Investigation Commission, which is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, spent the afternoon at the scene assisted by police.

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China to abolish rail ministry in shake-up

CHINA is to effectively abolish its scandal-plagued railways ministry as part of a sweep of government reforms aimed at tackling inefficiency and corruption, a top official has told parliament.

The changes include bolstering a maritime body as China engages in island disputes with its neighbours, and giving an economic development body more say over the one-child policy as the country faces a shrinking labour pool.

"The administrative system in effect still has many areas not suited to the demands of new circumstances and duties," Ma Kai, secretary general of the State Council, China's cabinet, told the National People's Congress parliament on Sunday at its annual gathering in Beijing, according to a copy of his speech.

Inadequate supervision had led to "work left undone or done messily, abuse of power and corruption," he said, adding that some areas were insufficiently managed while others had "too many cooks in the kitchen".

Analysts, though, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the moves.

David Goodman, a China politics expert at the University of Sydney, pointed out that reorganisation alone could not stamp out corruption.

"They are very serious reforms," he said, "but they are not going to attack that question of making officials more accountable and more responsible."

Since taking office at the head of the ruling Communist Party in November, China's incoming leadership has issued a barrage of promises to adopt humble ways and fight corruption, while state media have highlighted individual scandals.

But any broad anti-graft measures would require taking on powerful vested interests, and the official news agency Xinhua said the State Council had restructured the government seven times in 30 years.

Beijing will switch control of the railway ministry's administrative functions to the transport ministry and hand its commercial functions to a new China Railway Corporation.

The rail system - which has cost hundreds of billions of dollars - has been one of China's flagship development projects in recent years and the country now boasts the world's largest high-speed network.

But the expansion has seen a series of scandals and widespread allegations of corruption, with former railways minister Liu Zhijun, who was sacked in 2011, now awaiting trial on graft charges.

In July 2011 a high-speed crash in the eastern city of Wenzhou killed at least 40 people, sparking a torrent of public criticism that authorities compromised safety in their rush to expand the network.

Meanwhile, the body that oversees China's one-child policy will be merged with the health ministry to form a new body, and nationwide population policy will now be handled by the National Development and Reform Commission, an economic planner.

The move comes after China saw the first drop in its labour pool in decades - a consequence of the restrictions imposed on families in the late 1970s that now threaten to impact the country's future growth.

But outgoing premier Wen Jiabao told parliament last week that the policy would be maintained this year.

China will also bring its maritime law enforcement bodies under a single organisation, allowing greater co-ordination as the country is embroiled in a bitter row with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

The State Oceanic Administration, which runs marine surveillance, will take over management of the coastguard from the public security ministry, fisheries patrols from the agriculture ministry, and customs' marine anti-smuggling functions.

Chinese marine surveillance vessels regularly patrol what Beijing says are its waters around the Diaoyu islands, prompting accusations of territorial incursions by Tokyo, which refers to the outcrops as the Senkakus.

Beijing is also at odds with several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, over islands in the South China Sea.

In other measures, the State Administration for Food and Drug will be elevated to a "general administration" amid a series of food safety scandals that have generated public concern.

Two censorship bodies, one for print media and the other for broadcast, will be merged.

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ACT police seek help for Grosvenor murder

ACT police are seeking help for the murder of Kathryn Grosvenor, whose body was found 11 years ago. Source: AAP

CANBERRA police have again appealed for public help to solve the murder of Kathryn Grosvenor whose body was found in Lake Burley Griffin 11 years ago on Saturday.

Detective Senior Constable Sarah Casey said there was a $500,000 reward for information leading to the killer and that was a powerful incentive for potential witnesses to come forward.

Ms Grosvenor, 23, was last seen at her home in the northern Canberra suburb of Nicholls on March 3, 2002.

There were two unconfirmed sightings in the Gold Creek area that night, including at the George Harcourt Inn where she was thought to have purchased cigarettes between 9.05pm and 9.15pm.

Around 9am on Saturday March 9, 2002 a canoeist found her body in Yarralumla Bay in Lake Burley Griffin, weighed down by a concrete bollard.

Sen Const Carey said a witness came forward in March last year, describing two men loading concrete into a black utility vehicle on Anthony Rolfe Drive.

"I would like to appeal to those two men or the people who know them, to seriously consider this reward and contact Crime Stoppers, this amount of money could be life changing," she said in a statement.

The $500,000 reward is for information which leads to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for Ms Grosvenor's murder.

Police will consider an appropriate indemnity from prosecution for any accomplice who first gives information.

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Malaysia detains 79 'Borneo intruders'

MALAYSIAN police say they've detained 79 suspects linked to Filipino intruders in Borneo as they intensify an operation to flush out members of a Filipino Muslim clan who took over a village last month.

The armed clansmen have caused political havoc for Malaysia and the neighbouring Philippines by trying to stake a claim to Malaysia's state of Sabah in Borneo.

National police chief Ismail Omar said 79 men and women, held without trial under a security law, were being investigated for their links to the gunmen.

He said they were detained outside the conflict zone but didn't give further details. The detainees are believed to be informants or food suppliers to the gunmen but it's unclear if they were Malaysians or Filipino nationals.

Ismail said a Filipino gunman was killed early Saturday after he tried to escape a police cordon, raising the death toll to 61.

The clansmen are led by a brother of Jamalul Kiram III, who claims to be the sultan, or hereditary ruler, of the southern, predominantly Muslim province of Sulu in the Philippines. Malaysia's government has rejected a call by Kiram for a ceasefire and urged the gunmen to surrender unconditionally.

International rights group Human Rights Watch on Saturday echoed a call by the UN's chief to ensure protection of civilians and for humanitarian access to help those affected by the violence.

"The situation on the ground in the conflict zone in Sabah is still quite murky and the government of Malaysia should provide clear and accurate information on what has occurred," said its Asia deputy-director Phil Robertson.

The New York-based group said it was concerned over the use of a new security law to detain dozens of suspects and urged the government to charge or release them.

Fifty-three gunmen and eight Malaysian policemen have died, mainly in shootouts between security forces and the Filipino group and their suspected allies.

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WA pollies trade barbs on social media

SOCIAL media has become a major battleground for the West Australian election, with Labor describing Premier Colin Barnett's bus trip as a perfect metaphor for his reign - "all ego, spin and stolen ideas".

Opposition transport spokesman Ken Travers has been tweeting up a storm, taking a swipe at the Liberal leader on Friday about his bus tour of marginal suburban seats, taking him to working class suburbs such as Midland on election eve.

"If Barnett thinks Mirrabooka and Scarborough are the suburbs, it's no wonder Ellenbrook busway and Yanchep rail are now ghost trains," Mr Travers wrote.

"Will they take the Barnett bus on a tour of the Ellenbrook busway? Not in this decade!"

He also crowed about Labor's transport achievements seen aboard Opposition Leader Mark McGowan's bus.

"McGowan bus passes train at Whitford turn back. Line built by WA Labor and train purchase by WA Labor."

Mr Travers also admitted he was one of those who said Mr Barnett was "tired", sparking speculation this week that the Premier would not serve a full second term if re-elected.

"I said he was looking tired in answer to a question. Tired as in ideas and not enjoying job."

While polls and bookies say the Liberal party is set for a landslide win on Saturday, Labor has won the social media war if sheer volume is anything to go by.

Mr Travers is not the only politician to tweet a few barbs for opponents, with Liberal federal director Brian Loughnane writing: "Labor's a mess. Don't let them mess with WA. Secure WA's future. Vote Liberals WA".

Another Liberals WA tweet read: "Exciting news! Julia Gillard is finally coming to WA! Three weeks after the election", referring to her absence from Mr McGowan's side during the campaign.

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CMC chair takes leave over 'health'

Excerpts from a letter from Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie to Crime and Misconduct Commission chair Ross Martin. Source: The Courier-Mail

CRIME and Misconduct Commission chairman Ross Martin has taken permanent leave from his post for health reasons.

At a press conference this evening, Mr Martin announced he would stand down as he continues a long battle with cystic fibrosis. "I will not be coming back, '' he said.

"I have not ever made public that I have cystic fibrosis," Mr Martin said, adding he has been hospitalised for the past 10 days.

His physician has referred him for a lung transplant, he said during an emotional statement. "My family have suffered my pursuit of a career for far too long. They are entitled to as much of my time as I can give them."

Earlier,  Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to say if she has confidence in Crime and Misconduct Commission chairman Ross Martin, following calls from the Premier and Attorney-General for him to consider resigning.

Campbell Newman told reporters in Gladstone today, Mr Martin had presided over a lack of openness, accountability and respect for the parliament, and his own Ministers had resigned over less.

Mr Martin has admitted in a letter to Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie, the CMC released sensitive Fitzgerald Inquiry documents in an "administrative oversight".

Mr Bleijie has described the "oversight" as a monumental stuff-up and urged Mr Martin to take "full responsibility".

This morning State Parliament voted unanimously to hold a public inquiry into the release of the documents, and Ms Palaszczuk said that should be allowed to run its course.

"This inquiry needs to be truly independent and the executive needs to butt out," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"If (the Premier and Attorney-General) continue to make comments over coming weeks, we can only assume that they have an alternative agenda, and we know they have been skeptics of the CMC for some time."

The parliamentary CMC chair Liz Cunningham, who will conduct the inquiry said comments by Mr Newman and Mr Bleijie were "a matter for them".

"The committee considers it premature for the committee to be discussing if Mr Martin should resign," Ms Cunningham said.

"The inquiry will look at what happened, when it happened and why, and who was responsible."

The first public hearing will be held on Wednesday.

The Cabinet can act to terminate Mr Martin's appointment with the approval of Queensland Governor Penny Wensley under the terms of the CMC chairperson's contract.

According to the CMC's own website, "the Governor-in-Council may terminate a chairperson at any time, if he or she becomes incapable of satisfactorily performing the duties of office".

He can also be removed by the Parliament acting on a bipartisan recommendation of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.

Mr Martin was appointed by the former Labor Government in February 2012, about six weeks before the LNP swept into power at the March 24 State election.

His appointment was opposed by the LNP because of its timing.

11:49am: Confirmation that Queensland's Conservative-dominated Parliament has the ability to sack the head of the crime watchdog can be terminated under the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001.

Governor Penelope Wensley can terminate a CMC boss if the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee offers bi-partisan support to sack a chairman and if the Parliament approves the termination of the appointment.

10.25am: THE former head of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee has called for the Attorney-General to resign or be replaced, following his comments about CMC chairman Ross Martin.

Jarrod Bleijie has increased pressure on Mr Martin to "take full responsibility" for the release of some sensitive Fitzgerald Inquiry documents, saying the incident was the worst case of maladministration in Queensland for many many years.

Alex Douglas who resigned from the LNP last November to sit as an independent, said he supported a public inquiry into the documents' release.

But he accused the Attorney-General of not understanding his role, and said he had placed the chair of the PCMC in an "impossible position" by publicly seeking Mr Martin's resignation.

"Probably the PCMC Chair (Liz Cunningham) has to ask the Attorney-General to withdraw all comments against Mr Martin unreservedly and publicly, and then Mr Bleijie must go on the record to say "I was wrong, I didn't understand what my job was"," said Dr Douglas.

"You can't be a politicised part of the executive, and be the Attorney-General, you don't get that opportunity."

Dr Douglas also called on the Premier Campbell Newman to replace Mr Bleijie with Ian Walker - who was recently elevated to the Cabinet as Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts.

He said Mr Walker, a former solicitor, would understand what was required of the role of AG.

"You can't have a closed mind about these things, particularly going into a Royal Commission," Dr Douglas said.

The CMC has refused to comment on last night's marathon sitting of parliament in which legislation was passed to protect people named in sensitive documents inadvertently made available to the public at State Archives for eight months.

A public inquiry into the incident will begin next week, chaired by Ms Cunningham, the Independent Member for Gladstone.

9.30am: ATTORNEY-General Jarrod Bleijie has stepped up pressure on the chairman of the Crime and Misconduct Commission to resign, over the release and shredding of some sensitive Fitzgerald Inquiry documents.

After a marathon sitting of parliament where legislation was rushed through to protect people named in the documents, Mr Bleijie said "ultimate responsibility" for the "unacceptable oversight" rested with the CMC chairman, Ross Martin.

"I'm going to be blunt and pretty frank about this. I think we haven't seen this sort of maladministration for many, many years in Queensland," Mr Bleijie told ABC radio.

"The CMC chair needs to take a good look at what's happend here and take full responsibility for it. When you have such a large responsibility as the head of the CMC, you ordinarily accept that there are certain consequences of actions as the head of an organisation."

Mr Martin has refused to comment, and a CMC spokeswoman indicated it was unlikely he would.

"In light of the announcement of a public inquiry this morning we're not in a position to make detailed comment," she said.

Mr Bleijie said the Parliamentary CMC committee chaired by Independent MP Liz Cunningham, would conduct a "quasi Royal Commission" into the release of the documents.

"We want the people of Queensland to know what's gone on here," he said.

The Attorney-General said Mr Martin had already conceded to him, in a letter, the CMC "did allow access to documents that they shouldn't have".

"Queenslanders have to have faith and confidence in their top crime fighting corruption body, the CMC and if this is allowed to be happening over the last eight months where people have been able to access documents that they technically shouldn't be able to because of this administrative oversight as it's been called, I think it's completely unacceptable and someone should take responsibility for it," said Mr Bleijie.

No one has been able to say how many people viewed the documents while they were available at State Archives.

The Courier-Mail would invite anyone who did, to contact us at the following email addresses robyn.ironside@news.com.au or sarah.vogler@news.com.au.

9.00am: Premier Campbell Newman believes Mr Martin should accept responsibility for the release of confidential Fitzgerald inquiry crime documents which could put informants lives at risk.

"It's a scandal," Mr Newman said this morning in Gladstone.

Mr Newman said Mr Martin was also under scrutiny over the shredding of other sensitive documents.

The Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commission has also lost confidence in Mr Martin, with PCMC chief Liz Cunningham last night highly critical of Mr Martin for failing to inform the committee about the bungled release of the Fitzgerald documents.

In an extraordinary 18-hour sitting that finished at 3.30am, State Parliament voted to place a temporary suppression order on 7000 documents that had already been released to The Australian newspaper.
A spokeswoman said Mr Martin declined to comment.

5am: The Crime and Misconduct Commission is now facing its greatest challenge since its formation following an extraordinary 24 hours in Queensland politics.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie this morning has also called for CMC Chair Ross Martin to "take responsibility" for the shredding and accidental public release of sensitive Fitzgerald Inquiry documents that were meant to remain confidential.

"The CMC chair ought to accept full responsibility for this unacceptable oversight. He should also accept the consequences that would ordinarily follow," Mr Bleijie told State Parliament during a marathon 18-hour sitting, indicating the former deputy director of public prosecutions should consider resigning.

"That is his duty, that is his role, just as it is for ministerial accountability," he said.

The Attorney-General said the bungle, which involved thousands of sensitive documents relating to the historic corruption inquiry, had compromised confidence in the CMC and he accused Mr Martin of treating the Newman Government with contempt and arrogance.

Mr Martin and the CMC are yet to comment on the early morning events.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, however, urged Mr Bleijie to be careful with his words.

"We are not the judge and jury of the chair of the CMC," she said.

"The Attorney-General does need to be very careful in his language in this House when the public inquiry has not yet begun."

Mr Bleijie made the call around 2am as he rushed through legislation banning the publication of the information contained within the wrongfully released files for 60 days to allow for an unprecedented public Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee inquiry into the bungle to occur.

Such PCMC inquiries are normally subject to strict confidentiality but parliament this morning voted to make this one public, a first in Queensland Mr Bleijie said.

The inquiry will report back by April 5 to allow the government time to decide its next step before the non-publication requirement lapses.

Mr Bleijie said the inquiry would investigate the wrongful release of the Fitzgerald Inquiry documents along with the CMC's "failure to remedy" the problem immediately, the destruction of Fitzgerald Inquiry files, and the CMC's failure to inform the PCMC of the problem which potentially put vulnerable sources at risk.

Evidence already given to the PCMC, which has been investigating the bungle this week, will also have to be made public.

"The public can't have confidence in these processes if they don't know what's going on," Mr Bleijie said.

"The CMC has an important function. Queenslanders need to be able to have confidence in the administration of the duties and functions of the CMC."

Both the legislation and the move for a public inquiry received support from the Opposition.

Relations between the Newman Government and the CMC have been strained since the LNP came to government with Mr Bleijie last year ordering a review of the watchdog which is due to be handed down next week.

But tensions came to a head this week following revelations the Fitzgerald Inquiry documents, which were to be confidential for at least another 42 years, were made accessible to the public.

Yesterday afternoon PCMC chair Liz Cunningham told State Parliament the committee was unhappy with Mr Martin's explanation of how the files were made public and his admission some Fitzgerald Inquiry-related files were also shredded.

Ms Cunningham also lashed Mr Martin for not informing the PCMC of the issues before they became public this week, telling the house the CMC knew about the accidental release in May last year but no action was taken for four months.

"The committee is not satisfied with the response of the chairperson that he advised CMC officers to quote "fix it" end quote in May 2012 as there seems to have been no follow up action to ensure that the fix by the CMC was appropriate to the circumstances," she said.

"The CMC did not act to address this matter until September 2012."

Two hours later, Mr Martin wrote to Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie about 5.45pm, formally requesting new laws be drafted to protect the information within the files.

About two hours later, at 8pm, Mr Bleijie entered the parliamentary chamber after an extended dinner break and demanded Mr Martin give a better explanation for why the laws were needed before a 10pm deadline.

Mr Bleijie accused him of asking the government to cover up for the CMC's mistakes and described a request by Mr Martin to view a draft of the legislation before its introduction as "abhorrent".

Mr Martin wrote back, saying the laws were requested by Parliament's Crime and Misconduct Committee, which oversees the CMC.

The CMC chair stated he had last night spoken with staff from both Mr Bleijie's office and the Department of Justice on the legislation which he said was well under way when he arrived at the parliamentary draftsperson's office.

"While in the middle of that process, staff of the Department of Justice, acting apparently on instructions, indicated that the preparation was to occur without any assistance from the CMC," Mr Martin wrote.

"You make assertions about when the CMC became aware of the problem. Given the deadline, now is not the place to engage in debate on that point."

Parliament finally adjourned at 3.30am.

Reporting by Sarah Vogler, Steven Wardill, Des Houghton, Robyn Ironside

OVERNIGHT, The Courier-Mail reported the Newman Government took aim at Crime and Misconduct Commission chair Ross Martin accusing him of requesting a legislative "cover up" following the breach which saw hundreds of documents either accidentally released and shredded.

Mr Martin yesterday afternoon wrote to the Government asking for new laws to prevent the republication of the CMC's Fitzgerald Inquiry documents, a move Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie described as a request aimed at "covering up" the CMC's"inability to properly perform its functions".

Mr Bleijie was last night poised to introduce the legislation, expected to be called the CMC Administrative Negligence Rectification Bill, but gave Mr Martin until 10pm to provide an adequate reason for doing so.

He lashed the embattled CMC chair for requesting the government change the law to fix the mistake and for requesting he see a copy of the new laws before their introduction, describing that request as abhorrent.

"The government has been placed by the negligence of the CMC and by an extraordinary request made at the very last moment, in a very unsatisfactory situation," Mr Bleijie wrote in a letter demanding Mr Martin provide more information.

The unfolding drama was expected to see parliament sit until the early hours.

Premier Campbell Newman told The Courier-Mail he was deeply concerned by the situation including the failure of the CMC to disclose the mistake before it was made public this week.

"I am therefore very disturbed when I receive a request at one minute to midnight for legislation to aid the CMC in rectifying their negligence," he said.

It follows revelations the CMC not only accidentally released some documents and shredded others, but that the crime watchdog failed to alert the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commission to the issue.

PCMC chair Liz Cunningham told State Parliament yesterday afternoon the CMC knew about the accidental release in May last year but no action was taken for four months.

"The committee is not satisfied with the response of the chairperson that he advised CMC officers to quote 'fix it' end quote in May 2012 as there seems to have been no follow up action to ensure that the fix by the CMC was appropriate to the circumstances," she said.

"The CMC did not act to address this matter until September 2012."

Mr Bleijie told State Parliament both the CMC and the PCMC needed to be overhauled.

"The continual battle that we have with the secretive nature of the crime-fighting body ... we must address these issues," he said.

"We may be in for a late night."

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NZ man killed in Qld mining accident

A 25-YEAR-OLD New Zealand man has been killed in a mining accident in northern Queensland.

Police say the man was struck by a pole while working near a Mount Isa copper smelter owned by Xstrata on Wednesday morning.

Media are reporting that his name is Jordan Taurima of Cambridge in the North Island.

He was working as a contractor for Incitec Pivot at the time.

A joint statement from the Xstrata and Incitec Pivot says counselling has been arranged for those who witnessed the accident.

Police and other agencies are investigating.

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Husband of murdered Qld woman to surrender

A MAN accused of shooting dead his wife and her best friend in far north Queensland more than 20 years ago will hand himself in to police, his lawyer says.

Alan Leahy was committed last week to stand trial over the deaths of his wife Julia-Anne Leahy and her friend Vicki Arnold.

Their bodies were found in a four-wheel drive in remote bush on the Atherton Tablelands near Cairns on August 9, 1991.

For more than two decades it was thought the women died in a murder-suicide pact.

But in a sensational finding on Friday after a third inquest, State Coroner Michael Barnes committed Alan Leahy to stand trial for unlawfully killing both women and ordered a warrant be issued for his arrest.

Mr Leahy's Atherton solicitor Malcolm Liston says his client will voluntarily surrender himself into the custody of the Queensland Police "in due course".

Mr Leahy, who is currently in Western Australia, has until March 15 to hand himself in.

In a brief statement, Mr Liston said his client denied any involvement in the deaths and was disappointed in the findings of the latest coroner's inquest.

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Station attacked as race tension builds

Extra police officers have been deployed to Doomadgee, Aurukun and Hopevale after a spate of unrelated street riots involving hundreds of locals wielding spears, rocks, and even a shotgun in recent days.

DOOMADGEE police station in far north Queensland has been surrounded by angry residents and pelted with rocks as racial tensions build.

Extra police officers have been deployed to Doomadgee, Aurukun and Hope Vale after a spate of unrelated street riots involving hundreds of locals wielding spears, rocks, and even a shotgun in recent days.

Greg McLean, the mayor of Hope Vale, north of Cooktown, has faced court after he was allegedly found holding a kangaroo hunting spear in a street fight between rival tribal clans last night.

He has been bailed to reappear on charges of obstruct police, affray and assault after rioters allegedly turned on police.

Outside court, Mr McLean said he had tried to be a "peacemaker" and rather than calming tensions, police were inflaming frictions in long-standing blood feuds.

In Doomadgee, hundreds of angry residents plan to march on the police station tomorrow in retaliation for alleged police brutality and "highly inflammatory" behaviour by police.

Riot squad police have been flown to the Gulf township after a local allegedly hit a female police officer in the face with a torch and broke her nose on the weekend.

Locals stormed the station after the arrest of the 52-year-old man and smashed in the doors. Two men have since been arrested for wilful damage to police property.

Aboriginal activist Murrandoo Yanner said Doomadgee was a "powder keg".

He claims police riot squads have since been busting into homes and in retaliation hundreds are going to march on Doomadgee police station tomorrow.

"They've been invaded by the goon squad. It is just like after the Palm Island riots," he said.

It is understood the rally ringleader is the brother of Mulrunji Doomadgee, who died in a Palm Island police cell in 2004.

Mr Yanner said no-one was being incited to "bash coppers or burn the station" but locals had to hold police behaviour to account.

He said it was alleged the female officer was drunk or drugged and yelling "black mother f--ers" when she tried to break up a family dispute.

Police deny the allegations and are negotiating with family leaders to appeal for calm.

Meanwhile, Aurukun remains in lockdown as police hunt a gunman who fired a volley of shots from a shotgun during a 200-strong street fight in the Western Cape York community yesterday.

The hospital, school and shops have been barricaded as armed men roam the streets making death threats in an ongoing tribal war.

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Visas blocking Aussie workers: Swan

FEDERAL Treasurer Wayne Swan says some Australians have trouble finding work because of business rorting of the 457 visa system, but industry fears the debate demonises companies and should be toned down.

The federal government is clamping down on the temporary foreign worker visa program saying it has to address abuses and ensure Australians get first preference for jobs.

However, it's been under pressure to provide evidence of rorts, with government advisors on skilled migration criticising the intervention and the opposition saying its argument is based on union rhetoric.

In Western Australia, Premier Colin Barnett said the foreign labour was essential to his state's $237 billion economy.

Earlier, Mr Swan had told reporters he had "personal evidence" the visa scheme was preventing local workers finding jobs.

"I'm frequently approached in my electorate by people who I know to be quite well qualified, hard working Australians, who are looking to get jobs in certain sectors," he said.

"My summation of this is that there is a bit of a problem in parts of mining sector, where Australians are not necessarily getting a look in first as they should, where they are appropriately qualified and willing and able to work.

"(But) it's not only the mining sector where this is an issue."

Multicultural affairs minister Kate Lundy says under the existing system, the government could not move against companies, such as one in Parramatta that brought in temporary workers described as program and project administrators and put them to work as security guards.

"These are examples of why we need to tighten guidelines," Senator Lundy said in Melbourne.

Liberal backbencher Josh Frydenberg said the government was responding to its trade union paymasters.

"The reality is that the nurses, the engineers, the doctors and the accountants who come to Australia under 457s are doing a lot to strengthen our economy," he told Sky News.

"There has been only one successful prosecution about 457s where they were abused."

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said the debate should be paused.

"The debate over Australia's 457 visa system risks running completely off the rails and becoming an exercise in unfairly demonising companies that are compelled to use short term skilled foreign labour," he said in a statement.

"Only three companies have been prosecuted for misusing the system since 2009."

Australian National University demographer Peter McDonald, who sits on a ministerial advisory council on skilled migration, said rorting is "not of control".

"On the fringes maybe the system is being rorted and some of those jobs could be filled by Australians," he told The Australian Financial Review.

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Vic eyes ten years jail for match fixing

MATCH-FIXERS face up to 10 years in jail under new laws introduced to weed out corruption in Victoria's multi-million dollar sporting industry.

People involved in match fixing, race fixing and spot fixing, where part of a game is fixed, will be the targets of the new legislation placed before state parliament this week.

Premier Ted Baillieu says the laws aim to protect the integrity of Victorian sport.

"Anyone who attempts to manipulate professional sport for betting outcomes is a cheat and they will be caught and punished under these tough new laws," he said.

It comes after Australia's peak crime fighting body alleged in February there is widespread use of drugs and organised crime involvement in professional sport.

The Australian Crime Commission's 12-month investigation found links with crime groups may have led to match-fixing and phoney manipulation of betting markets.

Under the Victorian proposed laws, a person found guilty of match fixing will face a maximum 10 years' jail.

The move brings Victoria into line with laws recently introduced in NSW and legislation now before the South Australian parliament.

While a January report found horse racing in Victoria is not endemically crooked, it said the investigative powers of those policing it need to be drastically increased.

Racing integrity commissioner Sal Perna found there was no evidence of systemic race-fixing but added that his inquiry was severely hamstrung by legislative and procedural restrictions and its conclusions could be unreliable.

It also found betting by jockeys, which is totally prohibited by the rules of racing, was a major issue.

The inquiry, which had no powers to compel anyone to give evidence, relied on information offered voluntarily and this resulted in only one prosecution.

Victoria Police have raised concerns about a high risk of match fixing in Australia, especially for sports which attract significant offshore betting.

It set up a specialised squad to investigate organised crime in sport following the ACC's revelations.

Federal Sport Minister Kate Lundy called on other states to follow the lead of Victoria, NSW and South Australia so there were consistent national criminal offences for match fixing.

"This legislation sends a strong message that corruption in sport will not be tolerated and that the rigging of a sporting event for personal gain is a crime," she said.

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Illegal trade harvests 3000 great apes

The illicit trade in great apes is robbing an estimated 3000 primates from the wild each year. Source: AAP

THE illicit trade in great apes is robbing an estimated 3000 primates from the wild each year, according to a United Nations report.

Stolen Apes, produced by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) with the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), estimates that at least 22,218 great apes have disappeared since 2005, with chimpanzees comprising 64 per cent of that number.

Most of the animals are destined for rich collectors, the tourist industry and dubious zoos.

The report was released on Monday at the 16th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is being held in Bangkok this week.

All great apes are listed on CITES Appendix I, which prohibits commercial trade in endangered species.

"The taking of great apes from the wild is not new," said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director.

"But the current scale outlined in this report underlines how important it is that the international community and the organisations responsible for conserving endangered species remain vigilant, keeping a step ahead of those seeking to profit from such illegal activities."

Since 2007, zoos and private owners in Asia have ordered 130 chimpanzees and 10 gorillas under falsified permits from Guinea alone, the report noted.

"Great apes are extremely important for the health of forests in Africa and Asia, and even the loss of 10 or 20 at a time can have a deep impact on biodiversity," said Doug Cress, coordinator of GRASP.

The report makes several recommendations for curbing the illicit trade such as establishing an electronic database that includes the numbers, trends and tendencies of the great ape trade.

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No proposals to roll back US spending cuts

US political leaders have failed to offer any tangible proposals for rolling back an automatic $US85 billion ($A83.7 billion) worth of spending cuts.

The White House and Republican congressional heads cast blame on each other on Sunday for the across-the-board cuts that took effect on Friday but gave little guidance on what to expect in the coming weeks.

Republicans and Democrats pledged to retroactively undo the massive reductions but signalled no hints as to how the process would start to take shape.

Republicans insisted there would be no new taxes and Democrats refused to talk about any bargain without them.

President Barack Obama and the Republicans have been fighting over federal spending since the opposition party regained control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections.

The sequester - the term used in Washington for the automatic spending cuts - was designed in 2011 to be so ruthless both sides would be forced to find a better deal but they haven't despite having two years to find a compromise.

The $US85 billion in savings apply to the remainder of the 2013 fiscal year, which ends on September 30. But without a deal government spending will continue to be slashed by about $US1 trillion more over a 10-year period.

The public posturing by both sides in interviews aired on Sunday's television news shows indicated the spending cuts are here to stay for the near future.

The Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell called them modest. Republican House Speaker John Boehner isn't sure they will hurt the economy. The White House's top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, says the pain isn't that bad right now.

McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, said on Sunday the first phase of the sequester that had just started to kick in was a step toward curing Washington of its "spending addiction".

"This modest reduction of 2.4 per cent in spending over the next six months is a little more than the average American experienced just two months ago, when their own pay went down when the payroll tax holiday expired," he said.

The payroll tax reduction was a temporary measure intended to stimulate the economy.

Boehner downplayed the dire warnings issued by Obama and Cabinet members about the impact of the spending cuts.

"I don't know whether it's going to hurt the economy or not," he said.

"I don't think anyone quite understands how the sequester is really going to work."

The latest bickering comes ahead of the US's next major budget hurdle, with less than a month to negotiate a funding plan to avert a government shutdown after March 27.

If the parties can manage to, though, yet another fiscal fight looms. In May, Congress will confront a renewed standoff on increasing the government's borrowing limit - the same debt-ceiling issue that, two years ago, spawned the law forcing the current spending cuts in the first place.

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Skull, bones found in Botany Bay mangroves

A KAYAKER has found a human skull in mangroves in Sydney's south, leading to the discovery of a number of other bones.

Police launched an investigation after the man saw the skull in shallow mangrove water while kayaking new Towra Point Nature Reserve in Botany Bay on February 28.

Marine Area Command officers searched the area on Monday and retrieved the skull and a number of other bones which were found in a remote section of the reserve.

Police from Miranda Local Area Command are investigating and the homicide squad and missing persons unit have been notified.

"As the bones were recovered today, it is too early to make any assumptions as to the cause of death or any confirmation of the identity of the person," Miranda Local Area Commander, Superintendent Greg Antonjuk, said.

"Investigators have, however, contacted the relatives of persons who have been reported missing in the local area over recent years."

A post mortem will be conducted and the bones will be forensically examined.

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