Abbott, Shorten to attend Mandela service

PM Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will attend a memorial service for Nelson Mandela. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will present a united Australian front to honour and farewell Nelson Mandela.

The pair will this week fly to Johannesburg to join world leaders past and present, mourning the former South African president who died at his home on Thursday (local time) aged 95.

A huge memorial service is planned for the nation's first black leader on Tuesday, with US President Barack Obama already confirming his attendance.

On Saturday Mr Shorten's office said the Labor leader had accepted an invitation from Mr Abbott to accompany the prime minister to South Africa. Both men will miss most of the final 2013 parliamentary sitting week.

It is unknown how long the men will be out of Australia.

"There is a long bipartisan history of Australian support for South Africa and the campaign to abolish apartheid," Mr Abbott said, announcing his intention to attend the service.

After facing criticism for not lowering flags at the news of Mr Mandela's death, Mr Abbott said Australian flags will be set at half mast on the day of the official memorial.

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First day of gay marriage in ACT

A WA Labor MP has married his male partner as ACT marriage laws came into effect at midnight. Source: AAP

THE bride wore white and so did her wife.

Corinna Peck and Stacey Cowen were among some 15 couples to tie the knot in Canberra on Saturday as Australia's first same-sex marriage law came into play.

But while the outfits were bright and newlywed smiles beamed across the nation's capital, a dark cloud was hanging over the future validity of the same-sex unions.

On Thursday the High Court will rule if the ACT's Marriage Equality Act, passed in October, is at odds with Commonwealth law and therefore invalid.

The threat didn't dampen the enthusiasm of groom Ivan Hinton who vowed to make partner Chris Teoh his "lawful wedded husband".

"There should never be any rule in this country that disrespects the commitment that two people like us wish to express to one another," Mr Hinton told reporters after his wedding.

Ceremonies kicked off at 12.01am (AEDT) with two couples rushing to become Australia's first legally-recognised "husbands".

Australian Marriage Equality director Rodney Croome attended Mr Hinton's marriage and afterwards highlighted the historic nature of Saturday's events.

"In years to come people will look back and think 'what an historic moment that was,' but also, 'why did it take us so long to recognise the wonderful ordinariness of the love, (the) commitment of same-sex relationships?'," Mr Croome said.

The Australian Christian Lobby has criticised the ACT law, claiming it damages the institution of marriage.

"We hear about equal love all the time but we don't hear about what it means for children," Lobby spokesman Lyle Shelton told Sky News.

"Same-sex marriage means same-sex parenting, that means necessarily taking a child from its biological mother or father and giving it to someone else."

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher defended the law and sent a message to critics: "the world will go on".

"This doesn't effect those people who don't agree with it. It doesn't change their life, it doesn't change their relationships. This is all about making sure everyone is treated equally before the law," she said.

Ms Gallagher insisted that the community response, including from religious groups, had been overwhelmingly supportive.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young congratulated the newlywed couples and thanked them for being part of an important first step to change.

"This is how laws change, it is how communities evolve, it is how social change happens, when individuals put themselves forward," she said.

"I think it's time that politics put aside the views of others and allowed couples right across this country to have their love celebrated and accepted and recognised."

The ACT government said 47 couple have registered an intent to marry under the new law.

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Choppers, 16 crews battle fire

Sinead Duncan took photographs of the fires from Buderim and closer to Kawana Way. "We're just trying to get out of Brightwater at the moment .... it's getting bad." Reader picture: Sinead Duncan Source: Supplied

FIRE crews are asking Sunshine Coast residents to avoid an out-of-control grass fire near Mountain Creek.

3.50pm: Sinead Duncan took photographs of the fires from Buderim and closer to Kawana Way.

"We're just trying to get out of Brightwater at the moment because we've been visiting friends," she said.

"The smoke is still thick and billowing, but thankfully the wind is keeping most of the smoke away from the houses."

The grass fire near Mountain Creek. Picture: QPS/Sara Matulich

GALLERY: Reader pictures of Sunshine Coast blaze

Jackie Clark said aerial support was trying to control the situation.

"It's getting bad," she said.

Resident Nadine Brooks took these pictures from her vantage point at nearby Grand Pde, Parrearra. Reader picture: Nadine Brooks

"Police, fire and ambulance have set up on Kawana Way."
 

GALLERY: Reader pictures of Sunshine Coast blaze

Resident Nadine Brooks took these pictures from her vantage point at nearby Grand Pde, Parrearra. Reader picture: Nadine Brooks

3.30pm:  Resident Nadine Brooks said there seemed to be two or three different blazes from her vantage point at nearby Grand Pde, Parrearra.

"It looks like they are moving north," she said.

"We are lucky the smoke is not coming (our) way."

3pm: TRAFFIC is heavy along the Sunshine Coast Motorway thanks to a large grass fire.

Motorists are reporting congestion from the Dixon Rd turnoff to Mountain Creek.

Kawana Way has been closed as 16 fire crews battle the blaze.

GALLERY: Reader pictures of Sunshine Coast blaze

1pm: The fire at Kawana Way, near Brightwater Estate, was first reported at 11.20am.

Helicopters are currently water bombing the fire between Brightwater Estate and the Chancellor Park area, and 16 fire crews are battling the blaze.

No property is under threat, but a large smoke haze has settled over Mountain Creek and neighbouring suburbs.

Residents have been advised to close windows and doors, with reports of ash the size of fingernails falling on the area.

Motorists using Kawana Way have been urged to drive to conditions.

GALLERY: Reader pictures of Sunshine Coast blaze

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Urban, Lorde receive Grammy nominations

Keith Urban has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Country Duo/Group. Source: AAP

VETERAN rapper Jay-Z topped nominees for the 2014 US Grammys with nine nods, while Taylor Swift and Daft Punk were among those in the running in major categories.

Australia's Keith Urban has been nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for his collaboration with Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift, called Highway Don't Care, while New Zealand teenager Lorde was nominated for four awards, mostly for her debut single Royals.

The 17-year-old schoolgirl, who performed live during the Los Angeles ceremony, is in the running for song of the year, record of the year, best pop solo performance and best pop vocal album for Pure Heroine.

In second place with seven nods apiece were California hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar and rapper Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, as well as Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams, while rapper Drake scored five.

The nominees in key categories were announced during an hour-long concert at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, including video-link performances by Swift from Australia and Katy Perry live from Canada.

In the coveted Album of the Year category, songstress Swift's Red will compete with French electro duo Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's The Heist, Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and Sara Bareilles' The Blessed Unrest.

Record of the Year candidates are Daft Punk and Williams' ubiquitous Get Lucky, Lorde's Royals, Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, Hawaiian crooner Bruno Mars' Locked Out Of Heaven and Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, made infamous by Miley Cyrus' twerking at the MTV Video Music Awards show.

Shortlisted for Song of the Year - for songwriters, as opposed to performers - were Just Give Me A Reason sung by Pink Featuring Nate Ruess; Locked Out Of Heaven sung by Bruno Mars; Roar sung by Katy Perry; Royals sung by Lorde, and Same Love sung by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis was also nominated for Best New Artist, up against James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran.

While big-hitters Jay-Z and Timberlake scored lots of nods, they were mostly in rap and pop/R&B categories respectively. Neither the rapper's heavily marketed Magna Carta ... Holy Grail, nor Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience made it onto the Best Album shortlist.

The 56th annual Grammys show - music's version of the Oscars - will be held on January 26 at the Staples Center.

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Fuel deal a win for consumers, business

CONSUMERS should expect lower grocery prices at Coles and Woolworths in 2014 due to an agreement from the supermarket giants to limit fuel discounts.

Hailed as a win for independent supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths agreed on Friday to limit discounts to a maximum four cents a litre as part of undertakings given to the nation's competition watchdog.

The retail behemoths told the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) they would stop funding the discounts through their supermarkets division, and any future discounting would need to be covered by their fuel retailing business.

The chains made the voluntary undertakings to address ACCC concerns their discount offers would reduce competition in the fuel retail sector.

The move comes after the consumer watchdog probed the supermarkets' shopper dockets following extended periods of eight cents a litre discounts.

Coles managing director Ian McLeod said the supermarket chain didn't believe its discounts amounted to a breach of law, but he recognised the ACCC's concerns.

Woolworths, meanwhile, denied there had been a competition problem arising from the discounts.

Consumer advocate Choice said the pledge should mean lower prices at Coles and Woolworths from January 1.

"Consumers have every right to expect grocery prices will fall at Coles and Woolworths as the supermarket giants reverse the flow of subsidies away from fuel," Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said in a statement.

He said anything less would "expose the so-called price wars as nothing more than advertising slogans".

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said the deal was "the first step in fixing serious misuse of market powers issues".

He told AAP small, independent supermarkets had been "really badly hurt" by deep fuel discounts given by Coles and Woolworths.

"It does give (independent supermarkets) an opportunity to compete on a more level playing field."

The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association, which represents independent service stations, also backed the deal.

"It's not perfect, but we welcome it as a step towards levelling the playing field in the fuel industry," group chief executive Nic Moulis said.

He said about 1000 independent service stations had shut in the past four years, partly due to cost pressure caused by heavy fuel discounts at Coles and Woolworths.

Coles said it would continue to offer fuel discounts of four cents a litre.

Woolworths said it would offer eight cents a litre discounts to supermarket customers who spent an additional $5 on merchandise at its petrol stations.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon said the undertaking would still "lead to the widespread ripping off of supermarket shoppers and petrol station customers".

Senator Xenophon said the fuel discount limit would be offset by Coles and Woolworths "scams" like increased supermarket prices and high fuel prices at the bowser.

"Smaller independent supermarkets and service stations will still be driven out of the market by this unfair system," he added.

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Barnett won't be rushed on new WA laws

WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett has defended the state government's efficiency at passing legislation, saying parliamentarians shouldn't be rushed to vote on bills.

The state government has come under fire for not introducing by the end of this year a planned law that would send violent home invaders straight to jail.

It was the first election pledge by the Liberals in February before they convincingly won a second term.

And parliamentary debate over some of the bills that have been introduced has become bogged down, with a proposed law to increase regulation of the taxi industry descending into filibustering.

But Mr Barnett said he wasn't going to rush, reintroducing bills when necessary.

"Given there was a significant number of new members, I was not going to simply reinstate legislation at the stage it was before the election," he told reporters on Friday.

"That would have meant you would have had a significant number of members of parliament voting or conceding, if you like, on legislation that they hadn't had the chance to see.

"So I said we would actually go back and reintroduce legislation that had not finished its passage.

"I think that was a very proper thing to do."

Mr Barnett said he hoped bills on workplace reform, amalgamation of port operators, and the merger of utilities Verve and Synergy would be passed through the upper house next week.

Thursday was the last sitting day of the year for the Legislative Assembly but the Legislative Council has another week.

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DFAT confirms Dili embassy protest

FEDERAL authorities have confirmed a protest was held outside Australia's embassy in East Timor amid a spying row between the two countries.

About 100 protesters in East Timor's capital Dili reportedly threw rocks at the Australian embassy on Thursday, with police responding by using tear gas.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Friday confirmed a protest had taken place outside the embassy.

"The Australian Embassy in Dili has advised that a small-scale protest was held outside the embassy on 5 December," DFAT told AAP in a statement.

More details on the protest are being sought from DFAT.

A spokeswoman for East Timor said the protest was small and non-violent. Further details are being sought.

The protesters, mostly students and young Timorese rights activists, carried banners reading "Australia is a thief" and "Australia has no morals", Agence France-Presse reported.

The protest comes after East Timor expressed outrage over reports that Australia secretly bugged ministerial deliberations in Dili in 2004 to gain leverage in negotiations on an oil and gas revenue-sharing deal.

On Tuesday, Australian intelligence agents raided the Canberra office of a lawyer representing East Timor in an arbitration case at The Hague over the deal.

East Timor says it won't be deterred from challenging the multi-billion dollar oil and gas treaty with Australia despite the raid.

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Brooks 'agreed to buy William snap'

A court has heard Rebekah Brooks agreed to pay an armed forces member for pics of Prince Harry. Source: AAP

FORMER News International executive Rebekah Brooks sanctioned a payment of STG4000 ($A7,300) to a public official for a picture of Prince William dressed as a Bond girl in a bikini at a Sandhurst party, a UK jury has heard.

The Old Bailey heard that Brooks, then editor of the Sun and known as Rebekah Wade, was asked for her opinion on paying a member of the armed forces for the story.

Less than 10 minutes after she was sent an email by a Sun news editor saying the military contact who was offering the picture wanted STG4000, she responded by saying "OK", the jury heard on Thursday.

It led to a page seven exclusive in The Sun in September 2006 with the headline "Willy in a Bikini" together with a mocked-up picture of the prince wearing a green swimsuit and Hawaiian-style flowers.

The article claimed that "Prince William caused a stir at a Sandhurst 007 bash by dressing as a Bond Girl" and said his girlfriend Kate Middleton dressed in a wetsuit.

The court heard that a payment dated June 16, 2006 and headed "Prince William wearing a bikini exclusive" for the amount of STG4000, to be collected by the wife of the member of the armed forces, was made at a Thomas Cook branch in Slough in Berkshire.

The Sun reporter who was working on the story told his superior in the email later forwarded to Brooks that the picture had come via his "best contact at Sandhurst".

He claimed that although STG4000 "sounds like a lot", it would "open the door for future exclusives and info", the jury heard.

"I'm worried if we don't meet his demands, this opportunity will pass," he said.

Brooks denies conspiring with others to hack phones between October 3 2000 and August 9, 2006.

The trial was adjourned until Monday.

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Indigenous shake up on council's agenda

THE man charged with leading Tony Abbott's indigenous affairs shake up hopes to help reverse the trend of prime ministers leaving office regretting they didn't do enough for Australia's first people.

Former ALP president Warren Mundine, who chairs the prime minister's newly formed indigenous advisory council, and the body's 11 other members met with Mr Abbott for the first time in Canberra on Thursday.

Improving indigenous children's school attendance and educational levels is their top priority, followed by boosting employment opportunities and reviewing land ownership and other drivers of economic development.

Mr Abbott told the council they had a mammoth task ahead.

There has been much goodwill in recent years and lots of money spent but not enough change at the grassroots, he said.

"Let it not be said in three years' time that this was just another talkfest," Mr Abbott said.

"Let people be able to say ... that practical change is happening."

Mr Mundine said efforts to close the gap on Aboriginal disadvantage, social stability and empowering communities were key issues.

"We're going to be looking at that through economic and commercial eyes," Mr Mundine told AAP.

Mr Mundine hopes the advisory council can help reverse an historic trend.

"Every prime minister in our lifetime has left office and they have always said that one of the saddest things is they didn't do enough in this area," he said.

Council members include Westpac Bank chief executive Gail Kelly and Rio Tinto Australia managing director David Peever.

The council will also be involved in mining magnate Andrew Forrest's review of indigenous employment and training programs as well as a separate review into Indigenous Land Corporation and Indigenous Business Australia.

The federal government is reviewing two embattled government-funded indigenous bodies to determine if they should be merged.

The Land Corporation has been under fire for going $200 million into debt to purchase Ayers Rock Resort for $317 million in 2010.

The resort has hit financial woes, reporting losses of more than $100 million.

Indigenous Business Australia was last year warned not to hold conferences that looked like "junkets" after senior staff travelled to Gold Coast theme parks.

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Analysts tip positive start for Nine share

Analysts expect shares in the Nine Entertainment Company to start trading on a positive note. Source: AAP

NINE Entertainment Co's shares are tipped to make a successful stock market debut but analysts say there are longer term doubts about the company's earnings.

The company, which owns the Nine Network, Ticketek and ninemsn, will list on the Australian Securities Exchange at noon AEDT on Friday with a list price of $2.05 per share.

That price is at the bottom of the range put forward in the company's prospectus, which analysts say will give its shares room to move higher on Friday.

"The IPO price at $2.05 does give it a bit of room to move on the upside," IG market strategist Evan Lucas said.

"I think tomorrow they will probably get away nicely... it should be an okay float," he said.

At its listing price, Nine will be valued at $1.93 billion, making it the biggest initial public offering this year.

Mr Lucas said Nine's first day performance should be better than that of Dick Smith Holdings, which finished its first day of trading on Wednesday flat at its list price of $2.20.

But he said questions remained about Nine as a long term investment due to the uncertain outlook for free to air television.

"There is always going to be a question regarding the advertiser revenue it is generating but its digital assets do look reasonable," he said.

CMC Markets chief market analyst Ric Spooner said Nine shares wouldn't be for everyone.

"It's an industry where evaluations should carry a reasonable amount of risk premium and some investors may prefer to steer clear of it altogether," he said.

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Eight carry great ape 'stud' to check-up

The "stud" of Perth Zoo's orang-utan breeding program has been given a full health check by vets. Source: AAP

PERTH Zoo's primate patriarch, 126-kilogram Sumatran orang-utan Dinar, will remain the key player in a world-famous breeding program after getting full marks in a detailed health check.

Eight people were needed to carry the anaesthetised 26-year-old great ape in a stretcher to a mini-van for the trip to the on-site hospital on Thursday.

Staff worked quickly to ensure the check was done before the anaesthetic wore off, taking blood samples, checking Dinar's mouth and teeth, giving him a tetanus vaccination and using a sonographer to take an ultrasound scan of his heart.

"The veterinary team worked on Dinar from head to toe, making the most of the opportunity to check him over thoroughly," Perth Zoo senior veterinarian Simone Vitali said.

"Dinar appears to be in great condition, which is terrific news given his key role in our Sumatran orang-utan breeding program."

Dinar has sired three of the 29 orang-utans bred at the zoo since 1970.

Two were released into protected rainforest in Sumatra as part of a reintroduction program to help re-establish a population of the threatened species.

But in April the first zoo-born male Sumatran orang-utan to be released into the wild, Semeru, died after being bitten by a snake.

Zoo staff were devastated by the news, but were glad he experienced 17 months in the wild.

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Australia promises not to spy on Indonesia

AUSTRALIA has agreed to a six-point plan aimed at repairing relations with Indonesia, with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also providing assurances during talks in Jakarta that the Abbott government will not deploy intelligence assets against its northern neighbour.

A so-called "hotline" will also be established in the hope of avoiding future diplomatic rows, it was announced on Thursday following high-level talks in Jakarta between Ms Bishop and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

However, Dr Natalegawa also insisted that military and police co-operation, as well as sharing of intelligence, will not be restored until all six points in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's roadmap are addressed.

He also refused to nominate a time-frame for discussions around the code of conduct which Dr Yudhoyono demanded in the wake of revelations his phone, and those of his wife and inner circle, were monitored by Australian spies in 2009.

Dr Natalegawa said he had already reported to the president following the talks, adding that Dr Yudhoyono had been pleased with the progress made at the meeting.

A more detailed report would later be given to Dr Yudhoyono, who was in East Java on Thursday, after which it would be decided if the discussions could move to step two in the president's roadmap - the drafting of the code of conduct.

"Essentially, the president expressed he was pleased that we were able to communicate today and he is pleased by the progress that has been made, and asked that further efforts be made (so) that we can address in full all the various bilateral issues that must be addressed," Dr Natalegawa said.

He refused to reveal if a more detailed explanation was given in relation to the spying activities that have seen relations between Jakarta and Canberra sink to their lowest point since the East Timor crisis in 2009.

"Certainly, our communication today helped elucidate some issues that were not specifically mentioned in the letter from the prime minister," Dr Natalegawa said.

Ms Bishop said after the talks, which came two weeks after the suspension in co-operation on November 26, both sides had expressed a commitment to restoring the relationship and building it to its fullest potential.

The foreign minister, for the first time, confirmed Australia had agreed to follow Dr Yudhoyono's roadmap to normalising relations, while also promising that the Abbott government would never undertake espionage activities in the future that might damage Indonesia.

"We note the steps set out by President Yudhoyono that must be taken in order to normalise the relationship and, of course, we agree to adhere to those steps," Ms Bishop said.

"Obviously we regret the events that lead to this situation. We regret the hurt caused to President Yudhoyono and to the Indonesian people.

"As Prime Minister (Tony) Abbott has said and I reiterate, the Abbott government will not undertake any act or use our assets and resources, including intelligence assets, in any way to harm Indonesia."

It was Ms Bishop's fourth trip to Indonesia since the Coalition won office three months ago but her first since details of the spying came to light.

Underlining the importance of the talks, Ms Bishop was accompanied by the former head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and now Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson.

Peter Varghese, the secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Andrew Shearer, who was the last foreign policy adviser in John Howard's office and currently a senior adviser for national security to Mr Abbott, have also made the trip to Jakarta.

Ms Bishop revealed that Australia had also agreed to Indonesia's suggestion that a hotline be established between herself and Dr Natalegawa, which would be aimed at avoiding or minimising diplomatic tensions in the future.

"We have agreed to establish a special communications channel, a hotline if you like, to ensure that we can resolve any issues in implementation, that we can avoid any unintended consequences," Ms Bishop said.

Dr Yudhoyono has demanded Australia sign up to the "code of ethics and protocols", insisting it is needed to map out the future bilateral relationship.

The president has insisted that the code of conduct must address the spying issue and contain protocols to ensure similar espionage activities do not occur again, and that it is signed by himself and Mr Abbott.

However, even if the code of conduct is implemented, there would be a period of evaluation, before Indonesia would agree to restoring co-operation in areas such as the military and police, including joint efforts aimed at combating people smuggling.

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O'Neill turns Senate into classroom

NEW Labor senator Deb O'Neill wants visitation rights to her old chamber for a good cause - to increase awareness of the effort to close the gap on Aboriginal disadvantage.

During her first Senate speech on Wednesday, in which she read from a centuries-old John Donne poem, the former lower house MP flagged her desire to see a joint sitting of federal parliament when the prime minister and the opposition leader provide the yearly Closing the Gap report card.

"Until we overcome the 20-year life-expectancy gap, we cannot turn our heads away," she told the Senate.

Senator O'Neill lost her marginal lower house Central Coast NSW seat of Robertson at the September 7 election but has moved to the upper house, filling the vacancy left by Bob Carr, who resigned six weeks after being re-elected.

The former teacher gave the Senate an impromptu literature lesson, reading an extract from a 1669 poem, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, by John Donne.

She said the poem explained how strong the love at home bound people, despite great distances - which rang true for politicians' families.

"My dear family, you can always be assured that my heart is with you, and when my work is done I'll be home, hang in there with me," Senator O'Neill said as her three adult children, Caitlin, Brianna and Noah, watched from the public gallery.

Senator O'Neill explained what she believed constituted quality teaching and learning in Australian schools and how the Gonski needs-based funding model was long overdue.

"In our hearts we know the power of a great teacher to effect great learning ... we know education is an investment worth making," Senator O'Neill said.

"Money is part of the answer."

She pleaded for the "war of words" on school funding to end, otherwise students would be the ultimate casualties.

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Trade talks in doubt, yet again

Trade Minister Andrew Robb urged delegates of the WTO to strike a deal to liberalise global trade. Source: AAP

TRADE Minister Andrew Robb has urged delegates at a crucial World Trade Organisation meeting in Bali to strike a deal to liberalise global trade amid growing signs negotiations will once again fail.

Speaking in front of trade ministers and representatives from around the world, Mr Robb on Wednesday said that further delays in reaching a deal to reduce trade barriers would risk the credibility of the WTO.

Efforts to slash barriers to world trade and establish a global set of rules began with the so-called "Doha Round" in Qatar in 2001, but a deal has always remained out of reach amid ongoing disputes between rich and poor countries.

The comments came as India's Anand Sharma earlier told delegates at the same plenary session that his country could not accept a proposal on food security under a package being considered.

A proposal that New Delhi feels could endanger its efforts to subsidise food in the huge nation "cannot be accepted", Mr Sharma said.

"Agriculture sustains millions of subsistence farmers. Their interests must be secured. Food security is essential for four billion people of the world," he added.

"Yes, we have rejected it," he later told reporters, calling it a "final decision".

But Mr Robb warned that it was developing nations that had the most to lose if a deal was not struck by Friday, when the summit is scheduled to wrap up.

"For the first time since the WTO was established nearly 20 years ago, we can see the prospects of a first-harvest outcome from the Doha negotiations, and we must seize that opportunity," Mr Robb said.

"If we succeed this week, we will pave the way for more ambitious negotiations and the promise of significant growth in income and jobs around the world."

"The cost of failure this week will fall most on developing countries who will lose the opportunity to boost sustainable economic growth and jobs."

Despite India's position casting doubt over whether the summit would finally deliver a deal, other delegates continued to talk up prospects of a successful conclusion to negotiations that have already been underway for 12 years.

United States Trade Representative Michael Froman said an agreement in Bali would prove to a sceptical world that the WTO was a vital institution, while also warning the talks in Bali were "perilously close to a different path".

"In the past few weeks in Geneva we have crept closer to disaster on multiple occasions, yet at each moment of crisis, the vast majority of members considered the consequences of failure, pulled back from the brink and pulled together instead," Mr Froman said.

"Leaving Bali this week without an agreement would deal a debilitating blow to the WTO as a forum for multilateral negotiations. If that happens, the unfortunate truth is the loss would be felt most heavily by those members who can least afford it."

Mr Robb told delegates that Australia would support "whatever steps are necessary" to finalise the WTO package by Friday.

"We all have a collective responsibility to ourselves and to the multilateral trade system to conclude the package by the end of this week," he said.

The main stumbling block to completing a deal, Mr Robb said, was agriculture.

The WTO's insistence that any deal should be unanimous has also been blamed as a reason for the organisation's failure to reach an agreement.

It has been estimated that a successful conclusion to talks in Bali could eventually add tens of millions of jobs across the globe, of which many would be created in developing countries.

Mr Robb was expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan on Thursday on the sidelines of WTO summit, which is scheduled to wrap up on Friday.

The trade minister was expected to travel to Singapore for another round of talks on Saturday on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, seen by some delegates at the Bali summit as an impediment to the WTO deal being struck.

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ALP says ADM-GrainCorp decision was wrong

Labor has stepped up its attack on the government's rejection of a foreign takeover of GrainCorp. Source: AAP

THE federal opposition has stepped up its attack on the government's rejection of a foreign takeover of grain handling company GrainCorp, saying the national interest test was not applied properly.

Treasurer Joe Hockey blocked the deal due to political pressure and his decision would cost jobs and economic growth, Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen says.

Mr Bowen said he would have approved the takeover if Labor was still in government.

"I do not see the national interest test was properly invoked in this instance," Mr Bowen told the National Press Club, adding he would have approved the deal based on the available information.

Mr Hockey last week blocked the $3.4 billion takeover of GrainCorp by American agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) after deciding it was contrary to the national interest.

Farm groups and the government's junior partner the National Party had campaigned heavily against the deal, which would have given ADM control of 85 per cent of Australia's east coast grain ports.

Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board examines all major foreign investment proposals and must decide if they are contrary to a loosely-defined "national interest" test. However, the treasurer of the day must make the final decision.

In his decision, Mr Hockey said approval of the ADM-GrainCorp deal could have undermined public confidence in the foreign investment regime and undermined future foreign investments.

Bowen said he had publicly supported foreign investment to signal Labor's support for the deal but Mr Hockey caved in to political opposition from the Nationals.

"The best he could come up with was to say we need to knock this back to promote public confidence in foreign investment so we can get more in the future," Mr Bowen said.

"It doesn't pass the common sense test. Clearly this was a decision frankly that was taken for political reasons. I'm not entirely sure it was a decision that Joe Hockey didn't have foisted upon him. It's a decision which he claims to be his own. If it is his own, it is a particularly weak one."

Earlier, opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon used a debate on a bill to change the way rural research and development is funded to attack the ADM-GrainCorp decision.

Mr Fitzgibbon said Australia needed more investment in agricultural infrastructure, research and development, skills and technology and inevitably much of this would have to come from overseas.

He said Australia was in significant competition for investment with South America, Indonesia and other countries, and investors would now be asking themselves if Australia's regulatory hurdles were too high.

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Video shows Vic premier desperate: Oppn

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has released a video ruling out changes to abortion laws. Source: AAP

THE release of a video by Victorian Premier Denis Napthine ruling out laws that would restrict a woman's right to choose to have an abortion was a move by a rattled and desperate premier, the opposition says.

Independent MP Geoff Shaw, who holds the balance of power in the parliament, has reportedly approached Dr Napthine wanting to overhaul the state's abortion laws.

A motion was passed at the Victorian Liberal Party state conference on Sunday backing changes to abortion laws.

Dr Napthine released a video message on Tuesday night ruling out changes.

"As premier, neither I nor my government have any intention of introducing legislation that would reduce a woman's right to choose," he said.

"This issue was vigorously debated in the community and settled in the parliament in 2008.

"Let me again be crystal-clear about this - I have no intention whatsoever of introducing or supporting legislation that would reduce a woman's right to choose."

Acting opposition leader James Merlino said the premier was rattled.

"The premier released a video yesterday which can only be described as a move by a rattled and desperate premier," he told reporters.

"The fact of the matter is the only way that this issue will be debated in the parliament next year is if Premier Napthine has made a deal with Geoff Shaw."

Mr Merlino said it was clear Mr Shaw wanted a debate on the issue and it would be up to Dr Napthine to decide whether to give it the green light.

A Victorian government spokesman said Mr Merlino's comments were a lie.

"James Merlino has been in parliament long enough to know that any member of the upper house can directly introduce a private member's bill," the spokesman said.

"This includes Labor members."

Mr Merlino was asked by a reporter earlier on Wednesday about a possible move by Labor MP Christine Campbell, who wants a section of abortion law reformed, bringing a private member's bill in the upper house.

"At the end of the day it is the government that controls the debate in parliament," he said.

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Interest rates weigh on US real estate

ONE look at the lacklustre gains of real estate mutual funds this year might give the impression that commercial property owners are struggling through a relapse of their post-financial crisis woes.

But demand for office, retail and other commercial real estate has been steadily improving along with the economy, boosting occupancy and rental rates for many owners. And many economists project more of the same next year.

Even so, a surge in interest rates and concern they could increase further next year has spooked investors, dampening the funds' returns. Real estate sector equity funds have delivered an average total return of 1.93 per cent so far this year, trailing only precious metals equity funds, according to Morningstar.

The funds, which are often comprised largely of real estate investment trusts holding commercial properties, are still up an average of nearly 6.1 percent from a year ago and have delivered an annualised return of 19.3 percent over the past five years.

Still, the slide in real estate funds represents a buying opportunity for investors who think that the market has already factored in a further rise in interest rates.

"REITs are finally looking fairly valued," said Abby Woodham, fund analyst at Morningstar.

"They could, of course, go down further, but the valuation is much more attractive now than it has been for quite some time, so it's not all doom and gloom."

What remains to be seen is how the market weighs the positive growth trends in commercial real estate against the risk of interest rates rising further.

Interest rates began rising in May on speculation that the Federal Reserve was preparing to pull back on its economic stimulus, which includes $US85 billion ($A93.41 billion) in monthly bond purchases to keep interest rates low.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose from 1.63 per cent at the start of May to nearly 3 per cent by early September.

But the central bank surprised investors in mid-September when it said that it wanted to see more evidence of improvement in the economy, and it decided to maintain its bond purchases.

The central bank meets again in December, but most economists don't expect any changes in the bond program until March. The yield on the 10-year Treasury ended trading at 2.75 per cent on Friday.

Real estate funds tend to be popular among investors looking to diversify their portfolio with holdings that traditionally are not tied to the performance of the stock market.

REITs are attractive to investors seeking high yields because their tax structure requires them to pay out most of their income as distributions to shareholders.

But REITs also require a lot of money to operate. When interest rates rise, that drives the cost of borrowing up, which could translate into smaller dividends.

In addition, if Treasury pay higher interest rates, that makes REITs relatively less attractive to investors.

Still, as an industry, the outlook on commercial real estate remains positive. The National Association of Realtors projects a modest decline in the vacancy rate, and gains in average rents next year for apartments, as well as office, retail and industrial space.

That should benefit commercial property owners, though a further rise in interest rates could hurt property owners who tend to lock in tenants for leases of a decade or longer, such as medical labs. They have less flexibility to adjust pricing.

On the other end of the spectrum, REITs that own hotels, self-storage facilities and apartments typically rent out space for periods of a year or less and have the most flexibility to adjust prices.

The most liquid way to invest in the publicly traded commercial real estate market is through US exchange-traded funds, which are comprised entirely of REITs.

Woodham recommends Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ). Its index is one of the broadest, with about 120 REITs. And it's among the most affordable, charging an expense ratio of 0.1 percent.

She also likes Schwab US REIT ETF (SCHH). It holds more than 80 REITs and is the cheapest among the exchange traded funds with an expense ratio of .07 per cent.

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Investors troubled by debt debate: Hockey

FEDERAL Treasurer Joe Hockey has again warned Labor that international investor confidence in Australia is being damaged by its opposition to lifting the debt ceiling.

The government wants to increase the ceiling by $200 billion to $500 billion but Labor and the Australian Greens have joined forces in the Senate against the bill that is listed for debate on Tuesday.

The legislation was returned to the upper house after Mr Hockey rejected a Labor and Greens amendment proposed two weeks ago to limit the increase to $100 billion, for a cap of $400 billion.

The Greens later said they were prepared to discuss scrapping the ceiling altogether, as long as there was greater government transparency on what additional debt was used for.

While the government considers its position, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been challenged on how his conservative coalition could negotiate with a party he describes as "economic fringe dwellers".

"Our challenge as a government is to clean up Labor's mess," he told reporters on Monday.

"Part of cleaning up Labor's mess is to avoid the sort of problem which the United States had recently because they were running up against legislated debt ceilings."

Mr Hockey told parliament he had taken phone calls from international investors and global rating agencies concerned about Australia reaching its current $300 billion debt limit by December 12.

As of Friday, government debt subject to the ceiling stood at $296.09 billion.

Mr Hockey said the former Labor government had budgeted for a debt peak of $370 billion but it didn't take into account the need for a $60 billion buffer in case of an emergency.

"This is unprecedented territory," he said.

"If the Labor party is going to prevent us from trying to fix the problem they created they will wear this."

Greens leader Christine Milne rejects the government's depiction of the stalemate as threatening the economy and confidence.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten warned that the government was asking the Greens to give it a "blank cheque" to increase debt.

"These guys are desperate to do whatever they want, regardless of the consequences," he said.

Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson recently told a senate committee one option was to scrap the debt ceiling, introduced by Labor in 2008.

Nationals senator John Williams backs scrapping the ceiling.

"We don't want to go down the road of America where we're having a deadlock of actually keeping our public sector going," he said.

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PM defends work of intelligence agencies

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended Australia's intelligence agencies. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has defended Australia's intelligence agencies, saying their gathering of telephone and email metadata is within the law.

Documents leaked by fugitive US whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by Guardian Australia show the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) discuss sharing "medical, legal or religious information" with foreign intelligence partners.

The DSD told US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand at a 2008 intelligence conference it could share material without some of the privacy restraints imposed in other countries.

In response to the leak, Mr Abbott said he was confident Australian intelligence agencies were acting within the law and that there were proper safeguards.

"We as an Australian government ... will always act to safeguard our national interest and to protect our citizens," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"Our security organisations will always act in accordance with the law and they will always act with appropriate safeguards in place."

Mr Abbott was unaware of any illegality, saying if anyone had evidence to the contrary they should come forward.

The DSD, now the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), suggested it could share "bulk, unselected, unminimised metadata as long as there is no intent to target an Australian national", according to the material leaked by Mr Snowden.

Metadata is information kept by telecommunications groups - like phone numbers, email addresses, and the dates, times, locations and duration of calls - but not their content.

AAP understands neither ASD nor the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) collects or shares metadata in bulk.

But some specific metadata is shared in investigations involving overseas agencies.

ASIO's metadata collection is in line with ministerial instructions and subject to internal checks, and it doesn't require a warrant to access the information from a telco.

If ASIO wanted to investigate the actual content, it requires a warrant from the Attorney-General.

ASD collects specific foreign intelligence metadata.

It can access information on Australian citizens if it has a "ministerial authorisation" and this would be signed off by the Attorney-General.

Authorisations have been granted in the past in relation to communications between terrorist organisations and Australians.

Australia's intelligence agencies are overseen by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and a federal parliamentary committee.

Attorney-General George Brandis said the documents cited by the Guardian "do not report or record any activity by any Australian intelligence agency".

The Australian Greens want an inquiry to reassure the public they are not being spied on.

"Last week and the week before there were revelations about spying on heads of state. This week, it is about everybody else, the rest of us," Greens senator Scott Ludlam said.

ASIO director-general David Irvine told a recent Senate estimates hearing the Snowden leaks were of "great concern".

The agency has conducted an audit of intelligence it has shared with foreign agencies to assess what sort of material Mr Snowden might have.

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Demolition of NZ cathedral to go ahead

A GROUP fighting to stop the partial demolition of the quake-damaged Christ Church Cathedral has lost its battle.

The Supreme Court denied the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust leave to appeal against the deconstruction of the landmark that was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake.

The Supreme Court also ordered the group pay $NZ2500 ($A2,256) costs to the Church Property Trustees, which is overseeing the deconstruction of the Anglican cathedral, in a decision released on Monday.

The group believes demolishing the cathedral is detrimental to the recovery of Christchurch.

The Supreme Court said it acknowledged the circumstances which prompted the appeal were of great general importance to Christchurch residents.

"That importance arises from the history, function and iconic nature of the Cathedral.

"However, in this case nothing that has been raised on behalf of the applicant reaches the threshold of showing that the decisions of the courts below may be in error."

The group's bid was previously thrown out by the Court of Appeal and High Court, though it has been established that there must be a cathedral on the site.

In May, the Anglican church said over half of the more than 3700 submissions on three options for the future of the cathedral favoured a contemporary design which church leaders also backed.

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PM stands by election schools promise

PM Tony Abbott has denied the government is breaking its pre-election schools funding promise. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott insists the government will keep the promise it made on school funding before the election - not the promise some people think it made.

But the Opposition's education spokeswoman Kate Ellis says that's just "clever words".

And she hasn't ruled out backing any industrial action by teachers angry at the coalition reneging on school funding deals struck between the former Labor government and a majority of the states and territories.

Before the September election, the coalition said schools would receive the same amount of funding as under the so-called Gonski model.

"We are going to keep the promise that we made, not the promise that some people thought we made or the promise that some people would like us to make. We are going to keep the promise that we actually made," Mr Abbott told Network Ten on Sunday.

The prime minister refused to repeat the promise word for word, but said schools will get "the same quantum of funding over the four years that they would have under Labor".

The coalition will fund schools as planned for 2014 before introducing a new scheme from 2015, which Education Minister Christopher Pyne is trying to nut out with state and territory counterparts.

Labor says the coalition is making excuses.

"The government is clearly determined to break their word - that's what's happening," Labor senator Penny Wong told ABC TV.

"They aren't the government they said they'd be before the election."

Ms Ellis says there's no way the government can justify its move.

"A promise is a promise," she told Network Ten.

"They were very specific in their words before the election ... a promise they have now walked away from."

Ms Ellis said teachers and parents across Australia had a right to be angry about the government's decision and didn't rule out backing industrial action.

"I would certainly support ... us fighting to make sure these huge and important reforms are not tossed aside," she said.

State and territory leaders will get the chance to eyeball the prime minister about school funding at a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on December 13.

"It will absolutely be an agenda item," Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings said on Sunday.

"This Gonski reform is one of the top issues."

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, who faces a state election in 2014, said the school funding issue may filter through to be an influencing factor.

"(The government) know that they can't be seen to break a promise so that's why they're pretending that they haven't broken a promise," Mr Weatherill said.

The Australian Education Union accused the prime minister of spinning a line on school funding.

"No school worse off over four years, promised Tony Abbott," Union deputy president Correna Haythorpe said in a statement.

"It's an insult to parents and teachers to hear the prime minister now say that this clear, unambiguous commitment from the Coalition is something 'some people' thought he said, or 'some people' would like him to have said."

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Political violence shakes Thai capital

One protester has been killed after an attack on a bus carrying government's supporters in Bangkok. Source: AAP

THAI police fired tear gas and a water cannon at protesters trying to force their way into Government House to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, after violence in the capital left two dead and dozens wounded.

The bloodshed is the latest in a series of outbreaks of civil strife in the kingdom since royalist generals ousted billionaire tycoon-turned-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck's brother, seven years ago.

The mass street rallies, aimed at replacing Yingluck's government with an unelected "people's council", are the biggest since political violence in Bangkok three years ago left dozens dead in a military crackdown.

Protesters were amassing outside Government House on Sunday following a threat by their leader to seize the offices of Yingluck, who was overseeing the situation from an emergency base elsewhere in the city.

Police acted after protesters tried to breach barricades and cut barbed wire protecting the seat of government, which was heavily guarded by security forces including unarmed soldiers, according to an AFP reporter.

Tear gas was also fired near the city's metropolitan police headquarters several kilometres away where demonstrators were also gathering, television footage showed.

Tensions were high after violence broke out late Saturday in the area around a suburban stadium where tens of thousands of pro-government "Red Shirts" had gathered in support of Yingluck, who has faced weeks of street protests.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths were unclear but the violence came after an anti-government mob attacked Red Shirts arriving to join the rally in Ramkhamhaeng district.

"The confirmed toll is now two dead and 45 injured," an official at the city's Erawan emergency centre told AFP, amid reports of sporadic outbreaks of violence near the stadium on Sunday morning.

They were the first deaths since the mostly peaceful demonstrations began a month ago. Both sides blamed each other for attacking their supporters.

The violence prompted Red Shirt leaders to end their rally, which had drawn tens of thousands of mainly rural poor in support of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile but remains a hugely divisive figure in Thailand.

"In order to avoid further complicating the situation for the government, we have decided to let people return home," Red Shirt leader Thida Thavornseth told the crowd.

Authorities are deploying more than 2,700 troops to reinforce security in Bangkok, the first time a significant number of soldiers have been deployed to cope with the unrest.

Protests were triggered by an amnesty bill, since abandoned by the ruling party, that opponents feared would have allowed the return of fugitive former premier Thaksin, whose overthrow by royalist generals in 2006 unleashed years of political turmoil.

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Call to benchmark drugs to overseas costs

A THINK tank has called on the federal government to benchmark local drug prices with those paid overseas to drive down the cost to local consumers.

The Grattan Institute says the government's "price disclosure" system has failed to lower prices in Australia, which are on average 14 times higher than in the UK.

The price disclosure system takes note of the discounts manufacturers and wholesalers offer pharmacies, and cuts prices accordingly.

However, the Grattan Institute says Australians still paid significantly higher prices than people in the UK, New Zealand and Canada.

"On average, Australian prices remain almost 16 times higher than the best price in these three places," a new report from the think tank said.

Grattan Institute director Stephen Duckett said price disclosure was working, "but it is not working well enough".

Instead, he said the government should benchmark Australian prices against international drug prices.

"In the end, what's happening is the prices that the Australian government is paying are way above what comparable countries pay," Dr Duckett told AAP.

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Flume, Sebastian early winners at ARIAs

ELECTRONIC wunderkind Flume has taken out his first ARIA award after being named Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

The 22-year-old producer/remixer, whose real name is Harley Streten, is up for six more awards on Sunday night.

"Jesus. Wow. Thank you," he said as he accepted the award.

"It's kind of funny that this Flume thing started as a house project.

"I never thought much of it. It wasn't until Chris, my friend, he suggested that I sign onto future classic and I did that and it's kind of taken off and it's been a whirlwind."

Guy Sebastian won best pop release for his album Armageddon, outgunning Empire Of The Sun, San Cisco, The Preatures and Vance Joy.

Sebastian missed out on picking up the award as he was running late but it was reannounced later so he could accept it.

He thanked his pregnant wife Jules and son Hudson who he said had inspired him.

"(This award) is very unexpected. I can say that because I think I've been nominated for twenty something (awards) and I haven't won yet and here I am," he said.

Five piece Perth band Karnivool won Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album with Asymmetry.

"First up thanks aria for the 'bogan' award," guitarist and founding member Andrew Goddard said.

"There's a lot more to heavy music ... it can even be intellectual, believe it or not.

"Let's face it it's the best f***ing genre here tonight."

Veterans Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' album Push The Sky Away took out the award for Best Adult Contemporary Album, just moments after it was named Best Independent Release.

Cave, who wasn't in Australia to receive the award, accepted the gongs via video.

Country crooners Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson have won the award for Country Album at the ARIA awards in Sydney.

The duo, who have released two number one albums, took out the award with one of them, Wreck and Ruin, a warts-and-all look at married life.

The couple is no longer together.

Asked if it was a breakup album, he said: "If it is, it was some kind of fortune telling, like a future ... I find I don't really listen to albums once they're made but I've gone back and heard this record since... And that did occur to me.

"There were so many moments on that record that were signalling things that came further down the road."

X Factor winner Samantha Jade won best video for Firestarter.

"I'm shaking wow. This is very unexpected," she said.

"The video was classic. It was black and white... I guess that connected with people."

Best Blues and Roots Album was won by Sharkmouth by Russell Morris, who said he felt like "Moses coming out of the wilderness" with his first ARIA award.

He accepted the award in memory of his mother Helen.

Seventies soft rockers Air Supply were inducted to the ARIA Hall of Fame received a lifetime achievement award.

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock thanked everyone who knocked their "drippy love songs".

"Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart," Lead guitarist Graham Russell said.

"Without you we never would have learned how to get up and fight back."

The audience was played a video montage tribute to the duo behind the hits lost In Love and All Out Of Love.

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