Chinese regime juggles the numbers

The world abhors China's one-child policy. Officials in Beijing must be quietly toasting its very existence as the Middle East burns.

Cooking class of his own

After an apprenticeship in some of Melbourne's best restaurants, MasterChef runner-up Callum Hann is pursing his passion for teaching others about food. He spoke to Amanda Dunn. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. If you're a fan of the cooking of Callum Hann - the sweet-natured, sweaty-browed runner-up of last year's MasterChef competition - prepare to be disappointed. Having just completed his three-month apprenticeship at some of George Calombaris' Melbourne restaurants - Press Club, Maha and PM24- Hann isn't sure if a life in the kitchen is for him.

Millions win in carbon tax plan: Labor

LABOR is preparing a multibillion-dollar carbon tax compensation package that could leave up to 2.6 million low-income households better off and a further 1.7 million middle-income households no worse off.

CINDY SARGON

This chef and TV host has done her time cleaning loos.

Pies rake in cash as rivals skimp

A PREMIERSHIP may have swelled Collingwood's coffers last season, but it's not the only reason for the growing gulf between the AFL's biggest club and its rivals.

Brown out of Nixon stable

Young Cat decides to go, others wait on inquiry

Poor report gets NSW $1b more from GST

NSW will receive an extra $1 billion in revenue due largely to it being a poor economic performer, with below average growth and low wages.

THIS WEEK NEXT WEEK

Furious Forrest appeals

The Overland expression runs on straight lines

POLICE and politicians are a little like Peter Allen and Liza Minnelli ��� they make very strange bedfellows.

Mining is on its own

THE corporate earnings season has underlined the widening gap between the mining industry and the rest, as non-resources companies get squeezed by higher costs and a newly thrifty household sector.

WA Lib calls for new mining tax

A PROMINENT Liberal backbencher from the mining boom's epicentre, Western Australia, says the cashed-up resources sector needs a new tax.

LETTERS

Chip, chipping away at our forests

Wage growth rings inflation bells

THE mining boom has lifted the rate of wage growth to its quickest pace since early 2009, putting economists on alert for a surge in inflation.

Wages growth raises spectre of interest rate hikes

THE mining boom has lifted the wage growth rate to its quickest since early 2009, with economists on alert for an inflation breakout.

Nurses welcome nice little bundle of joy to end wage dispute

THE state government has awarded nurses a 9.7 per cent pay rise over three years - well above its 2.5 per cent cap on public sector rises - and will employ 1400 extra nurses to meet union demands over staff-to-patient ratios.

Taxpayer benefits eaten up in charges

TAXPAYER proceeds from the sale of the government-owned power assets are to dwindle further, with the disclosure yesterday of additional charges.

Griffin takes top job, but is he just warming the seat for Bennett?

SPECULATION was mounting yesterday that St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett will return to the Broncos next year following the sacking of Brisbane coach Ivan Henjak yesterday.

Don's drilled into a greenback gusher

The repeated warnings by Woodside's outgoing chief executive, Don Voelte, about the impact of rising labour costs have again played out in the company's annual report. Having already increased the projected cost of its Pluto LNG scheme by $900 million, the company has been hit by continued inflationary pressures on the executive floor.

Manufacturing the truth

Making things remains a workable solution for unemployment and underemployment, writes Martin Feil.

Rebuild to bolster UGL

THE chief executive of UGL, Richard Leupen, says the outlook for contract engineering in Australia was the strongest he has ever seen after the company posted a 17.7 per cent increase in its half-year profit.

Calculating the wages of sin

Why do some stars flourish and others flounder after scandal? Michael Idato examines the sordid world of celebrity implosions.

Battle to keep child safety case workers

VICTORIA'S child protection system gained 302 workers last financial year but lost 247, the government has revealed as it begins a recruitment campaign to fill at least 60 vacancies.

Mission Australia kept funds from staff

ONE of Australia's biggest charities pocketed nearly $500,000 in public money meant to fund large pay rises for community workers, and has admitted it did not pay the higher salaries.

Pay rise for staff pocketed

ONE of Australia's biggest charities pocketed nearly $500,000 in public money that was meant to fund large pay rises for community workers.

Let the boom times roll on

It's time to increase the proportion of resources shares in a balanced portfolio, the experts tell Richard Webb.

Taibu back on deck with a mission

IT HAS been almost seven-and-a-half years since Zimbabwe has played in Australia. For Tatenda Taibu, one of only two members of that squad who has retained his position for this World Cup, the break has been far from uneventful.

Thousands rally against plan to bust unions

MADISON, WISCONSIN. Some 35,000 people descended on Wisconsin's Capitol building yesterday, the fourth day of protest against a plan to bust the state's public workers unions as the battle over budget cuts heated up across the US.

Airfares may rise as fuel costs bite

PASSENGERS face further increases in the cost of air travel after Qantas warned it will raise fares and surcharges further if fuel prices continue to rise ��� and its arch rival doubled some baggage fees.

A $60b riddle: how miners took taxpayers to the cleaners

Could this be the biggest con job ever visited on the Australian public?

Qantas shares take off

QANTAS shares had their biggest rise in more than a year after the half-year profit surged fourfold.

Pay offer threatens police recruit promise

THE Baillieu government's promise to recruit a record number of police is under threat by the Coalition's new pay offer, the powerful police union has warned.

Sigh of relief sends Qantas flying higher

QANTAS shares rose the most in a year after investors breathed a sigh of relief that its half-year earnings did not include bleaker commentary from management.

Call for ferry to boost navy's enfeebled fleet

AUSTRALIA should buy a high-speed civilian ferry to plug the gap left by the navy's deficient amphibious warfare fleet, says one of the country's foremost defence analysts.

Navy urged to rent ferry to meet needs

AUSTRALIA should buy a high-speed civilian ferry to plug the gap left by the Navy's crippled amphibious warfare fleet, according to one of the country's foremost defence analysts.

The Big Australian declares a super profit

BHP's earnings vindicate the original resources rent tax.

Swan's pants are on fire over mining tax

Using any measure, yesterday was one of the worst days for the federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan. The public does not expect a great deal of honesty from politicians, and the bar is set low in that regard.

ALP's mission impalpable

Given a chance to rouse the troops, the PM again stuck to motherhood statements.

Labor workplace laws draw fire

A LABOR powerbroker has strongly criticised Prime Minister Julia Gillard's workplace regime, saying the "evil" building industry watchdog would hamper reconstruction efforts in Queensland.

tv previews

Zumbo Party Down Desperate Housewives 30 Rock

Where's the flood of calls to untie our super?

ONE remarkable feature of the personal financial disasters linked with the recent spate of flood and fire is that nobody suggests those affected could use their own superannuation to rescue their personal circumstances.

Cut-price milk strategy sours as supermarket wars turn nasty

For years the also-ran, the revamped Coles is determined to knock its bigger rival off the shelves, write Eli Greenblat and Mark Hawthorne.

Coles takes the battle to Woolies

Consumers are happy, but suppliers are under pressure as Coles takes the axe to prices. Eli Greenblat and Mark Hawthorne report.

Contradiction at the heart of charity

WITH all the sangfroid an Anglican bishop can muster, Robert Forsyth barely blinks when I report that lesbians in large numbers are working for Anglicare. Forsyth, who was on the board of his church's mighty welfare arm for many years, insists this is news from the blue: "It was never discussed. Ever."

Judges question tabloid's 'attack'

THE state's most senior judges have questioned whether a newspaper columnist aimed to undermine respect for the rule of law when he launched a "personal attack" on a County Court judge.

Christmas cheer for elderly workers

ELDERLY Santas and HSC supervisors will be able to keep their jobs - and income - after the federal government bowed to a grey uprising and changed pension rules.

Passengers to feel brunt as Qantas talks collapse

QANTAS passengers should brace for widespread flight delays and the possibility of cancellations as pilots square up for a fight with the airline that has been years in the making.

Aboriginal unionist fought for his dues

DES DONLEY. 1914-2011

Santa gets to keep his pension

ELDERLY Santas and school exam supervisors will be able to keep their jobs ��� and income ��� after the federal government changed pension rules.

The price of fame

How much will it cost you to produce a short-film finalist in Tropfest? Sacha Molitorisz finds out it might be less than you think.

Success is in the turnaround

Communication and co-operation between all parties is the key to Singapore's smooth port operations, writes Steve Skinner.

Critic's view - Thursday, February 17

Party Down Desperate Housewives 30 Rock Zumbo

On battlefields, death and suffering are not accidents

The death of a soldier on a battlefield is never accidental. Wars are begun and joined on purpose, to subdue foes with lethal violence. Once embarked on a war, every political and military leader acknowledges that he or she will cause catastrophic destruction, horrible injuries and sudden or lingering deaths, and a lifetime of suffering among the survivors, on both sides.

Lecturer with deep dedication to the arts

JOHN ROBSON 1926-2010

Feeding an ever-growing demand for skilled workers

It's boom time for aspiring tradies as the economy continues to improve, writes Carolyn Boyd.

Boom talk all bust for the jobless

Gillard's claims of a fired-up economy are a cruel mirage for older workers sacked during "the recession we never had".

China's labour market is at a turning point

Professor Cai Fang destroyed his back during the Cultural Revolution, digging the vast maze of bomb shelters that now lies beneath Beijing. In those junior high school days he was an enthusiastic revolutionary.

Central planning remains high on China's agenda

The Chinese Politburo is unlikely to give up its partiality to organising the economy and workers in every detail.

Changes to parental leave will confuse families, department warns

ADVICE to the Families Minister, Jenny Macklin, warns of "significant" employer and family confusion if the paid parental leave scheme is changed and "very complex" IT changes are made to a system that has already cost $12 million.

Protesters want elections

BELGRADE. More than 50,000 opposition supporters have rallied in front of the Serbian parliament, demanding early elections in a bid to oust the ruling coalition.

Hurley-burly of a buyout pays nicely

T here appear to be some overlapping wages and bonuses being paid out by the troubled property group Valad (aka Invalid).

Unions call for increase in jobless allowance

UNIONS are pushing for the "clearly inadequate" unemployment benefit, which now lags the age pension by nearly $100 a week, to be increased significantly as part of an effort to improve protections for workers.

Unions push for rise in unemployment benefits

UNIONS are pushing for the "clearly inadequate" unemployment benefit, which now lags the age pension by nearly $100 a week, to be increased significantly in a bid to improve protections for workers.

Raw deal for sushi workers

A LEADING sushi restaurant chain has admitted it paid some foreign staff as little as $9 an hour, in what workplace experts warn is the tip of a "massive black economy" in Australia's hospitality industry.

BRIEFS

'WITCH-HUNT' FOR FABREGAS

FREQUENT FLYER - MARTIN PLOWMAN

This author and UFO expert has had many strange encounters.

A future paved with gold? You must be joking

ECONOMISTS are convinced our highest priority is to keep increasing our material standard of living as rapidly as possible. I'm not sure they're right. But if they are, we have a problem.

Happy days are here again, but our productivity is in the doldrums

A booming economy may have sapped our enthusiasm for further reform and permitted companies to be less vigilant in their pursuit of production efficiency, writes Ross Gittins.

Natural disasters a recipe for higher prices at dining tables

CHEF Ray Capaldi has had a difficult time finding decent asparagus this year. He says while tomatoes have shot up in price, the quality has dropped and now most in a box will need some flesh cut out of them. The owner of city eatery Hare & Grace jokes that even the plums he's been getting have been full of water and are so acidic they could strip paint off a car.

Has Abramovich sold the farm?

Chelsea's owner has gambled big on Fernando Torres.

AFL's drug tests are not only pointless, they may be hazardous

St Kilda's woes have exposed the futility of the testing regime.

Long-haul under siege, warns Joyce

THE chief executive of Qantas, Alan Joyce, has questioned the viability of its full-service international operations without a change of direction.

Qantas fires off warning

QANTAS chief executive Alan Joyce has questioned the viability of the airline's full-service international operations in an apparent warning to its workforce that labour costs will have to be lowered and a signal to the federal government of the threat foreign airlines pose.

Patrick workers strike

MELBOURNE'S Webb Dock faces disruptions from today with four days of industrial action set to hit Patrick's operations in a dispute over casual labour and wages.

A cynical federal government launches a tax grab under the cover of crisis

'This demonstrates how the government can, and will, swamp private philanthropy.'

Flood tax a slap in the face for those who dug deep

Australians always rise to the occasion in a crisis. During the Queensland floods bystanders risked their lives to save people swept away by raging waters Neighbour helped neighbour to move precious belongings to higher ground. In the aftermath, Thousands gathered on Brisbane streets to sweep away mud and rubbish. And people opened their hearts and wallets for those who were affected.

Frigrite administrator names Woolies and Coles as biggest debtors

WOOLWORTHS and Coles are among the biggest debtors to the collapsed refrigeration group Frigrite, which creditors were told this week faces a potential shortfall of $29 million.

Frigrite shortfall $29m

WOOLWORTHS and Coles are among the biggest debtors to collapsed refrigeration group Frigrite, which creditors were told this week faces a potential $29 million shortfall.

Equal pay case could cost Victoria $1.7bn

THE equal pay case for tens of thousands of social and community sector workers is set to cost the state government far more than expected after it warned that it may be forced to fork out as much as $1.7 billion over four years.

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