'I had to tell a father his family was gone'

Four people, including three children and their father, died in this two-car collision at Padthaway, on the Riddoch Highway in the south-east, in June 2011. Picture: Campbell Brodie Source: adelaidenow

SENIOR police have described their horror and devastation at fatal crashes as part of a plea to motorists to take care on the roads this Easter.

Three officers from Major Crash Investigation Branch have spoken for the first time about three fatal crashes that still affect them today as part of their Easter campaign, 'Don't give us a reason to knock on your door this Easter'.

In the videos, Brevet Sergeant Wayne Liebich, Sergeant Lauren Cox and Brevet Sergeant Narelle Janeway speak candidly about the crashes, the affect they had on the victims' families and how motorists can avoid becoming another statistic.

It's very difficult to deal with... young children in the wreckage and then going to tell a father that their entire family has been destroyed - Brevet Sergeant Wayne Liebich

Police Assistant Commissioner Linda Williams said there was an increased risk of serious injury crashes over Easter because there was more traffic on our roads.

South Australian police are appealing for motorists to think about their actions over this Easter long weekend and for them to drive safely.

"What we are urging people to do is take care on our roads, think about their trips, think about the country driving they will be undertaking," she said.

She had made a mistake on the road, a very small mistake, which had led her car to end up crashing into another car and led to the death of her husband and her three children. Seeing those kids still partly in the car was just terrible - Sergeant Lauren Cox

Mother loses husband, three children in horrific collision

"All this (poor) driving behaviour can actually be avoided by people just taking their time and thinking about getting to their destination safely and in one piece.

Four people, including three children and their father, died in this two-car collision at Padthaway, on the Riddoch Highway in the south-east, in June 2011. Picture: Campbell Brodie

"We don't want to have the excuse to knock on people's door this Easter with bad news that they have lost a loved one or a family member."

This isn't a body lying on the road. This isn't just another motorcyclist. This is someone's father, this is someone's husband, this is a man going to work today to provide for his family and that's all been taken away from him in a split-second - Brevet Sergeant Narelle Janeway

Ms Williams said police would be targeting dangerous road users and dangerous driver behaviour as part of Operation Crossroads - a national road safety campaign - which will begin tomorrow and run until Monday, April 1.

The state's road toll is 28, compared with 25 at the same time last year. 

Adelaide University Centre for Automotive Safety Research director Professor Mary Lydon said most crashes happened to ordinary people making ordinary mistakes and didn't involve just extreme behaviour

"More than 15 per cent of crashes are thought to involve fatigue, which is a very high risk during holiday weekends," she said.

"Those in rural areas are at more than twice the risk of being killed or seriously injured than those in Adelaide."

Royal Adelaide Hospital Trauma Services director Professor Bill Griggs said Easter would be a sad reminder for some families of loved ones killed on our roads.

"The consequences of failing to concentrate, driving for too long without resting, or going a little too fast can become catastrophic in an instant, and you don't get to go back and try again," he said.

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'Massive drop' in carbon tax complaints

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says the watchdog is fielding just "a few'' daily complaints about the carbon tax. Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Limited

AUSTRALIA'S competition watchdog has reported a "massive drop" in the number of carbon tax complaints but is examining why the price of refrigeration gases has escalated by up to 400 per cent since July.

In good news for the Gillard Government as it shapes for an election-year battle over its key environmental policy, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims has revealed the watchdog was fielding just "a few'' daily complaints about the carbon tax.

The ACCC boss said the regulator at its height was fielding 60 to 70 inquiries a day about the Government's climate change scheme, which has seen the price of energy bills increase by around 9 to 10 per cent.

The price hike was "about what we expected'', Mr Sims told the National Press Club, reaffirming the Government's view that the carbon tax impact was exactly as forecast by Treasury.

But one issue that remains of concern - and under ACCC examination - is why the price of refrigerant gases have soared since July 1 last year.

Mr Sims said the commission was still looking at a number of matters that had been referred to it.

The price of "synthetic greenhouse'' or refrigerant gases has increased by thousands of dollars for many businesses who rely on cold storage, such as seafood wholesalers, independent supermarkets, transport and freight companies, butcher shops and air conditioning mechanics.

Harry Peters, the CEO of Sydney-based Marine Product Marketing, said the price of fixing a gas leak in his cold storage had skyrocketed - from around $33,000 to $110,000 - since the carbon tax had been introduced.

"This was just a minor leak -- I had to buy a 50 kilogram bottle,'' Mr Peters said.

The price of refrigeration gases has soared because they are now subject to an "equivalent carbon price''.

In a statement to News Limited, the ACCC said it had received a number of complaints in relation to price increases for refrigerant gases.

"The ACCC through the course of its investigation of these matters has received seven administrative resolutions, and one enforceable undertaking from air conditioning and refrigeration repair companies in relation to alleged false and misleading representations regarding the impact of the carbon levy on the price of refrigerant gas,'' the commission said.

"The ACCC continues to work with the industry providing guidance to avoid making misleading statements.''
 

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How the Qantas-Emirates deal works

Qantas is entering a partnership with Emirates that will see all flights to Europe go via Dubai. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

QANTAS passengers will begin flying to Europe via Dubai on Sunday after the airline got the eleventh hour go ahead to proceed with its partnership with Middle Eastern airline Emirates.

But the approval came with a condition that the two airlines maintain at least their current levels of capacity on the four routes they fly between Australia and New Zealand so competition is reduced.

Despite approving the deal the competition regulator rejected a claim by Qantas that its international arm was in "terminal decline" and needed to form the deal because it was unable to compete without it.

Mr Joyce has previously said that the deal with Emirates was "critical".

The airline began selling tickets on the new routes in early January after being given interim approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said customers were already responding very strongly with a "significant increase" in bookings.

The move means Qantas passengers will get "one-stop" access via Dubai to 33 European destinations including Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Munich and Barcelona, as well as destinations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Subject to approval in New Zealand, the ability to cooperate on the Trans-Tasman routes also creates the potential for the two airlines to market Australia and New Zealand to their global networks.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims said Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia already had a partnership on the route so when Qantas and Emirates combine there will only be three players instead of four.

"We thought that was going to cause competition problems so we have required them to maintain capacity," he said.

Mr Sims said prices to Europe were likely to remain the same because there was already so much competition between international airlines flying from Australia.

"Any attempt by them to put up prices will see them lose customers to other airlines," he said.

"We don't think this will bring prices down, but we don't think it will see them go up either."

Before the five-year partnership, approved after a six-month review process, Qantas passengers flew to London via Singapore under the Australian carrier's longstanding partnership with British Airways.

That deal has ended under the new arrangement, with the British carrier forming a codeshare agreement with Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific instead.

Under the new deal Qantas Frequent Flyer members and Emirates Skywards members will be able to earn points or miles on all flights on the joint network worldwide.

They will also be eligible for lounge access with both airlines, except in the Americas, New Zealand and South Africa.

Qantas is also boosting its baggage allowance for economy passengers to 30kg and removing rules about the number of bags on international flights to everywhere except America to bring it into line with Emirates.

The airline's first flight to the United Arab Emirates under the new deal leaves Sydney Airport at 5pm on Sunday with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and a number of celebrities on board.

Qantas' share of the international travel market has fallen by 16 per cent over the past ten years as competition increases, according to Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics figures.

Qantas carried 18 per cent of international passengers to and from Australia last year, Singapore Airlines carried nine per cent and Emirates and Air New Zealand carried 8 per cent each.

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Gonski delays for an 'education election'

Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Source: The Sunday Times

THE Federal Government has deliberately stalled negotiations over school funding reform in order to win an "education election", according to the Greens and state education ministers.

Senator Penny Wright said there was now little chance Prime Minister Julia Gillard would be able to gain state and territory agreement at next month's Coalition of Australian Governments Meeting for the Government's response to the Gonski review of school funding.

"We are concerned the Labor government is prepared to risk the education of Australian children to increase their own electoral chances," Senator Wright said.

"They have been dragging their feet over the Gonski reforms since February last year and it looks like they are deliberately holding off on acting on them now so that they can make it an election issue."

"Leaving everything to the last minute is a huge gamble for our children."

Released in February last year after being commissioned by the Federal Government in 2010, the Gonski review recommended a fairer system of school funding that saw every child receive the same support, with extra loadings for disadvantaged students.

With less than three weeks until April's COAG meeting to reach agreement on the reforms, State education ministers and Catholic schools say they still have no clear idea of what the new model will be.

Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the states had spent 18 months participating in Ministerial Council officer meetings and teleconferences but were yet to see any definitive detail.

"Up until now the Prime Minister has been trying to sell Gonski without giving state governments any detail," Mr Langbroek said.

"The Gillard Government has been running a cynical campaign from the beginning and quite frankly I'm tired of the motherhood statements and empty promises.

"Victoria's education minister Education Minister Martin Dixon met yesterday with Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett, describing their discussions which had been postponed twice in the past month as a "positive step".

"But we are three weeks away from COAG and I still haven't received key details about the Commonwealth plan which we have been seeking over the last twelve months," Mr Dixon told News Ltd.

Save Our Schools convenor Trevor Cobbold, a former Productivity Commission economist, said the process had been "appalling".

"It's all been delayed to make it a big issue in the coming election campaign and the danger is that it's going to fail," Mr Cobbold said.

"That means we are going to miss the best opportunity we have had for 40 years to do something about disadvantage in education.

"Coalition Education Spokesman Christopher Pyne said there would be enormous pressure on schools if the reforms were introduced.

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Australia's cheapest petrol days

Petrol is an ongoing cost of living pressure on Australian families. Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIAN motorists could save as much as $200 a year on fuel by boycotting the bowsers on Thursday and Fridays.

One of the most comprehensive independent studies of petrol prices ever undertaken in this country has revealed the end of the working week is the peak in 90 per cent of 114 cities and towns analysed.

There was not a single place where either Thursday or Friday was the cheapest day to fill up, yet that was when demand peaked, the study's author, University of New England economics professor Abbas Valadkhani, told News Limited. The ACCC also found that Thursday was the day of highest demand in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide in 2012.

By shifting purchases to the cheapest days "motorists can counter-attack" against petrol retailers, Professor Valadkhani said.

"Everyone in Australia, avoid Thursday and Friday  that is the message," he said.

In nearly two-thirds of locations, the cheapest day to buy fuel was Tuesday. Sunday was best in one-in-five places.

Publicly funded and published in the revered journal Energy Policy, Professor Valadkhani's analysis of seven years of data identifies 16 locations where the potential savings are significant.

These have the strongest price cycles - and all are either mainland state capitals or major regional centres.

In Queensland they are Brisbane, Caboolture, Caloundra, Gold Coast, Ipswich and a region including Maryborough and Gympie. The NSW locations are Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Canberra is also on the list.

Metropolitan Adelaide is the only South Australian location on the shortlist – but it had the largest potential saving of 5.4c/L by purchasing on Tuesday instead of Thursday.

Metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong and Sunbury were the only Victorian locations on the shortlist.

The more significant price differentials identified by Professor Valadkhani offer a motorist who buys on the day with the cheapest average an annual saving of as much as $200 if filling a family-sized car weekly.

"Motorists can certainly get a better deal if they are conscious of the fuel price cycle," said Australian Automobile Association executive director Andrew McKellar.

"If they do seek out information about when the price is at a peak and when it's dropping they can use that to their advantage."

Mr McKellar said the "constraint" on Professor Valadkhani's findings was that the price cycle had "changed substantially in the past 18 months". ACCC research suggested the changes began in 2010.

The cycle is now less predictable. Rather than being seven days in length, it tended to be 10-12 days long. That meant the day of the peak and trough changed.

"The fact that it's less predictable works to the advantage of the major retailers in the market," Mr McKellar said.

"The unfortunate reality for many motorists is that they get ripped off by the vagaries of the cycle."

In Brisbane, the ACCC's monitoring of petrol prices in 2012 found the peak of the cycle was most common on a Saturday and least common on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The low occurred most often on a Wednesday.

In Sydney, the high point was most commonly on a Saturday then Thursday. There was not a single peak on a Tuesday. Low points were most frequent on Wednesdays and Fridays.

In Adelaide, the top was most common on a Wednesday. However, this was also the day when the bottom was most common, along with Sunday.

In Melbourne, the peak of the cycle was most common on Sunday then Thursday and least common on a Wednesday. The low was most common on a Wednesday.

Professor Valadkhani said his research showed that motorists in rural areas "never enjoy the discount day".

And he found that the price impact of long weekends and public holidays were "insignificant" when compared to day-of-week differences. This is consistent with earlier findings by the ACCC.

The Australian Institute of Petroleum - which represents BP, Mobil, Caltex and Shell - did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The AAA's Mr McKellar said he supported the ACCC's investigation of the way fuel retailers share information. The ACCC launched a probe last year, which is ongoing.

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RBA tells homeowners to resist loans

RBA tells homeowners to save and not take on attractive home loans. Source: Supplied

HOUSEHOLDS are being urged to continue bolstering their saving and resist the attractive loans on offer from the major commercial banks by the Reserve Bank, as the economy works its way out of its historically high debt levels.

Despite financial stress and mortgage arrears falling in most parts of the country, the RBA said the household savings rate of just over 10 per cent, which is well above its 20-year average, must be maintained and debts paid down.

And the central bank's half-yearly Financial Stability Review warns investors the upward swing in global markets this year may only be temporary with the crisis in Cyprus a clear warning of the risks that still remain as the global economy works its way out of its financial hangover.

The RBA's increasingly optimistic outlook has seen JP Morgan yesterday push back its tip of another and final interest rate cut, to take the official cash rate to a record low of 2.75 per cent, from May to November.

This comes as the RBA confirms the cost of wholesale funding - the level at which banks borrow from each other - has dropped to its lowest level since the GFC began in 2008.

But instead of using this drop to lower borrowing costs for consumers, the banks have continued to strengthen their capital, funding and liquidity positions.

The Financial Stability Review also said that while ANZ accounted for a large part of the growth in Asia with its super regional strategy to generate 25-30 per cent of its business from the region by 2017 - all the big banks have increased their exposure in the past five years.

International Banking Statistics shows Australian banks assets in Asia has risen from $27 billion in 2007 to $112 billion at the end of last year.

But the report warned that while the more prudent approach of the post global financial crisis period has helped bring household debt-to-income ratio down from 153 per cent in late 2006 to 148 per cent it was still to high and paying down debt must continue to be priority.

The US rate peaked at 133 per cent during the sub-prime boom.This more cash-conscious approach has however seen household's mortgage buffer surge to over 20 months - this is scheduled repayment plus interest - in the past five years.

"Housing loan arrears rates have continued to improve across most parts of the country and other indicators of household financial stress remain low," the RBA report said.

"Nonetheless, household indebtedness and gearing remain around historically high levels. It would therefore be undesirable from a financial stability perspective if households were to exhibit less prudent behaviour than they have over the past few years.

"This increasingly conservative approach to family finances has seen the net worth of the average household rise to $721,000 - this includes property assets, superannuation and savings in the March quarter.

It is back from a low of $632,000 in mid-2008 but still below its 2007 peak of $772,000 before the crisis hit.

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Costly drugs anger cancer patients

Chemotherapy and cancer drug costs are hitting Australians hard. Source: News Limited

CONSUMER groups have hit out at chemists who are charging more for chemotherapy drugs and who are threatening to cut services while they push for a $65 million taxpayer handout to prop up ailing cancer services.

Cancer Voices NSW and the Consumers Health Forum have told a Senate Committee they "object to the tactic whereby patients' access to treatment is used as a bargaining tool".

"CHF has significant concerns about the way some stakeholders have effectively sought to hold the government to ransom by threatening the withdrawal of services and the imposition of high out of pocket costs for consumers," the forum says in its submission.

However, newly formed cancer group Canspeak which is behind the chemists campaign, warns without government action "ultimately the costs of continuing to provide chemotherapy services will be passed onto the patient and their family".

It comes as one of the front men of the chemotherapy campaign, oncologist Dr John Bashford, has confirmed he owns 234,545 shares in a company that provides cancer treatment that would benefit financially from any increased government spending on chemotherapy medicines.

"I recognise there is a perceived conflict of interest but my personal holdings are very small," he told News Limited.

The less than one per cent shareholding was required as part of a business partnership with the company that employs him - Integrated Clinical Oncology Network.

ICON operates six private cancer clinics that provide chemotherapy and include pharmacies as part of the business.

Dr Bashford says he tells patients about the shareholding he has in the hospitals they are treated in "if asked" and that his role in the campaign was representing cancer physicians who had legitimate concerns about government cutbacks to chemotherapy funding.

In December the government slashed by 70 per cent the amount it pays for a chemotherapy drug Docetaxal after it discovered it had been paying $2,800 per dose too much for the drug for years, further cuts take effect next month.Chemists admit they were overpaid but claim they used the extra funds to subsidise the high cost of safely preparing doses of chemotherapy drugs for patients which costs $180.

Many private hospitals which provide 60 per cent of cancer treatment have told the Senate inquiry they are losing money on their cancer services after the cuts.The Sydney Adventist Hospital says the cutbacks will cost it $1.6 million in government funding by the end of this year.

The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane which treats 9,000 cancer patients a year says it now makes a loss on cancer services and this will result in a shift of patients to the already overlaoded public system.

Epworth Healthcare which provides 17,000 cancer services in Melbourne says it cannot absorb the losses from chemotherapry and the solution cannot be to shift all private services back onto the already stretched public system.

A spokesperson for Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said oncology pharmacists are paid $77 in professional fees plus markups for the dispensing of chemotherapy medicines, compared to $6.52 for a standard PBS script.

The government has been in ongoing discussions with the Pharmacy Guild, with a view to achieving a resolution of this issue, and a focus on the sustainability of services for patients with cancer, the spokesman said.

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Freed hostage's missing wife had key role

The family of freed Australian hostage Warren Rodwell have thanked Philippine and Australian authorities.

Julia Gillard says Australians will be pleased that hostage Warren Rodwell has been released.

Miraflor Gutang wife of Warren Rodwell. Photo: Supplied Source: Supplied

Warren Rodwell on Facebook. Picture: Facebook Source: Supplied

Warren Rodwell before he was held hostage. Picture: Facebook Source: Supplied

Warren Rodwell before he was held hostage. Picture: Facebook Source: Supplied

THE MYSTERY surrounding the split between freed hostage Warren Rodwell and his wife deepened yesterday as the politician who orchestrated his release revealed the missing-in-action partner played a key role.

Basilan Vice-Governor Al-Rasheed Sakkalahul told News Limited that Miraflor Gutang and her family approached him three weeks ago to negotiate with the Islamic terrorists.

Mr Sakkalahul confirmed that Ms Gutang and her cousin Roger had facilitated the payment that led Mr Rodwell's release.

However, it has since been revealed that Mr Rodwell - who was held captive for 15 months - is reportedly refusing to see her. News Limited can expose that Ms Gutang was used as part of a strategy to minimise the ransom payment and deflect attention away from the Australian family who had also raised cash.

By using Ms Gutang as the "local wife", it helped ensure that the kidnappers wouldn't increase their ransom demands at the last moment.

"As far as I knew the money was raised by Miraflor. They sold their properties. That is what she and Roger her cousin told me," Mr Sakkalahul said.

"She rang me about three weeks before the release and came to see me personally.

"They already had direct contact with kidnappers but they didn't trust just anybody to bring the money."

Mr Sakkalahul said he did not know why Mr Rodwell and Ms Gutang had not been reunited since the release of the former Australian soldier.

Australian national Warren Rodwell is greeted by Philippine National Police officials and Basilan Vice-Governor Al Rashid Sakalahul before he delivers a short statement to the media at Manila International Airport on March 25, 2013 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Veejay Villafranca/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

It is understood the couple had a falling out before Mr Rodwell was kidnapped.

As Ms Gutang continued to avoid media yesterday, Mr Rodwell continued his recovery at an undisclosed location in Manila and declined to make any comment.

Fresh images of Mr Rodwell from his Facebook page have revealed the physical impact 15-months in captivity has had on the Tamworth-raised adventurer.

The photos reveal a stark contrast to Mr Rodwell's current physical condition, which has seen the 54-year-old lose up to half of his body weight.

Australian national Warren Rodwell delivers a short statement to the media at Manila International Airport on March 25, 2013 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Veejay Villafranca/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Mr Rodwell is expected to return home to Australia next month after he recovers his physical condition and undergoes questioning by Filipino anti-kidnapping police.

The Rodwell family is believed to be considering signing a deal with an Australian media outlet to tell the story.

Filipino government officials maintain that they are looking at all potential suspects involved in Mr Rodwell's kidnapping.

Mr Sakkalahul said he believed that rogue Islamic group Abu Sayyaf was behind Mr Rodwell's kidnapping from his Mindanao home.

Filipino Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, who also confirmed that Ms Gutang had been central in the release of her husband, said the government was concerned that paying ransom money could trigger a fresh wave of abductions in the trouble prone region.

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