AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 8

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 8
MIDDAY ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


STIMULUS WRAP (CANBERRA)

Pensioners and families have been told not to retreat into their shells and save their
bonus cash payments .. despite the slowing economy and rising unemployment.

Finance Minister LINDSAY TANNER's doing the media rounds this morning .. encouraging
them to spend their share of the government's 10 billion dollar economic stimulus package.

Mr TANNER's told the ABC while some people will use the money to pay off debt .. Labor
expects the bulk of the cash to be spent.

Earlier this morning the prime minister also urged families and pensioners to go out
and spend the Christmas bonus payments .. but he says to do it wisely and be prepared
for tough times ahead.

Meantime .. the federal opposition has expressed concern some families will blow the
bonus on booze and gambling.

Frontbencher TONY ABBOT says he doesn't begrudge struggling families getting a one-off
payment but there's very credible fears some will blow it on the wrong things.



MCCANN (SYDNEY)

Dual Commonwealth Games marathon gold medallist and mother of three KERRYN MCCANN has
died from breast cancer at the age of 41.

Breast Cancer Network Australia says MCCANN's husband GREG and their children .. 11-year-old
BENTON .. five-year-old JOSIE and one-year-old COOPER were at her bedside overnight when
she passed away at their home near Wollongong in NSW.



NUTTALL (BRISBANE)

Former Queensland government minister GORDON NUTTALL has been committed to stand trial
on a corruption charge.

The 55 year old didn't enter a plea when he faced a Brisbane court hearing this morning
into whether he took a corrupt payment from businessman HAROLD SHAND.

SHAND .. a former WorkCover Queensland director and lawyer .. has already been committed
to stand trial over allegations he corruptly paid 60 thousand dollars to the former industrial
relations minister in April 2002.



INFRASTRUCTURE (CANBERRA)

Treasurer WAYNE SWAN's on his way home after a rushed trip to China at the weekend
.. leading to speculation the government's exploring ways to fund its infrastructure plans.

The official line is that Mr SWAN and Trade Minister SIMON CREAN .. flew to China to
discuss economic issues .. and Australia's growing investment and trade relationship ..

including efforts to advance free-trade agreement negotiations.

Mr SWAN's office denies they went in search of potential sources of funding for infrastructure
projects.

The government has just 26 billion in its Building Australia Fund .. but a 700 billion
dollar wish list of projects.



CLIMATE ACF (MELBOURNE)

More of us want the federal government to commit to a higher carbon emissions reduction target.

A new study by the Australian Conservation Foundation shows we want Australia to be
a leader .. not a follower .. in tackling climate change.

As Climate Change Minister PENNY WONG prepares to fly to Poland .. for the UN climate
change conference .. the poll shows 63 per cent of us want Australia to set a strong example.



MASTERCHEF (SYDNEY)

Network Ten's unveiled their master plan to replace Big Brother .. a cooking show featuring
wannabe chefs.

Based on a British format .. Masterchef Australia will put amateur cooks through their
paces six nights a week for 12 weeks from May.

Ten says it'll turn the reality genre on its head .. and make cooking the hot sexy topic of 2009.

Applications close on January 9 .. no host's been announced yet.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



NSW Transport Minister DAVID CAMPBELL has again ruled out building the North West Metro
rail line in Sydney .. for now.




A pilot's been injured in a light plane crash at Sydney's Bankstown airport.




Residents in central and southern Queensland are being warned to expect more severe
storms and flash flooding this afternoon.




European supermarkets have been ordered to clear their shelves of Irish bacon .. ham
and sausages .. amid fears Irish pork products have been tainted with a potentially cancer-causing
chemical.



IN FINANCE ..



At 1108 AEDT .. the benchmark S and P/ASX200 index was UP 98.7 points to 3588.6 ..

while the All Ordinaries Index was UP 90.3 points at 3517.5.

The Australian dollar was at 64.77 US cents .. up from Friday's local close at 64.44 US cents.

It was at 50.84 euro cents .. up from 50.52 euro cents on Friday.

The spot price of gold in Sydney was $US758.40 per fine ounce .. down $US8.80 from
$US767.20 on Thursday.



IN SPORT ..



SOCCER JOEYS (LOS ANGELES)

Two days after the shock death of their coach MARTYN CROOK .. the Australian Under-17
soccer team has managed a 3-3 draw with USA 2 in their opening match of the International
Friendlies tournament in Los Angeles.

The Joeys' wore black armbands in a mark of respect for their mentor who died of a
heart attack on Friday and there was a minute's silence before Sunday's kick-off.

Football Federation Australia's head of national teams .. JOHN BOULTBEE .. who flew
to Los Angeles to be with the team on the weekend .. says that the young players are bearing
up well in the circumstances were very keen to get out on the park and do their best as
a tribute to CROOK.

The team's scheduled first match on Saturday was cancelled.



CRAIG PARRY will spend the next few days sharpening up his short game for his defence
of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney starting on Thursday.

PARRY found some touch in his final round of 68 in yesterday's Australian PGA Championship
at Coolum but says Royal Sydney requires a sharp short game because it's greens are easier
to miss.

Newly crowned PGA Champion GEOFF OGILVY has his eyes set on the Australian Open after
finally breaking his tournament drought on home soil yesterday with a two shot win over
MATHEW GOGGIN.

OGILVY -- Australia's highest ranked player -- was run down over the closing holes
of the 2006 Australian Open by Queenslander JOHN SENDEN who also found some confidence
and touch with a closing 68 yesterday.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

BROADCAST DESK INQUIRIES 24 HOURS: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV fdf/bart

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.