MP should 'catch up' on indigenous issues

Federal Liberal MP Dennis Jensen has been attacked for inflammatory comments on indigenous affairs. Picture: Ernie McLintock Source: PerthNow

Ben Wyatt, WA Opposition spokesman for Aboriginal affairs, says Dennis Jensen needs to catch up. Source: News Limited

INFLAMMATORY comments by federal Liberal MP Dennis Jensen about indigenous welfare "traps'' shows he's 20 years behind in the debate about Aboriginal empowerment, Western Australia's opposition says.

Mr Jensen, who holds the seat of Tangney in Perth's southern suburbs, last week called an Aboriginal woman a "victim'' during a robust exchange on Twitter, telling @TheKooriWoman to "get over'' colonialism.

He also said he was opposed to affirmative action welfare such as Abstudy, which paid indigenous students more money than Austudy.

And in an opinion piece, Mr Jensen labelled the media coverage that followed the exchange as reflecting "left wing sensitivities''.

He wasn't the only person against "paying sit down money'', Mr Jensen said, citing prominent Aboriginals including lawyer and land rights activist Noel Pearson and indigenous leader Warren Mundine as making similar comments.

"Indigenous people are better than that,'' Mr Jensen wrote.

"The days of paying $3.60 per indigenous person for $1.00 for non-indigenous persons in community support welfare payments have got to end.

"What does affirmative action really say to our indigenous brother and sisters? That they are not able to compete with the rest of society without an artificial leg up?''

WA opposition spokesman for Aboriginal affairs Ben Wyatt said Mr Jensen had made a stale, facile and low-grade contribution to the debate, which had moved on to how much was being spent on indigenous people in hospitals and prisons.

Native title agreements had for many years focused on economic development and education outcomes, he said.

"He might want to do some research and reading to catch up,'' Mr Wyatt said.

"It's something you would have expected MPs to say 20 years ago. He's embarrassed himself.''

Collier defends state education funding

WA Education Minister Peter Collier. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

THE West Australian government has defended its track record on education spending after the opposition dubbed it "hypocritical'' to seek savings in schools while knocking back the Gonski plan.

Premier Colin Barnett last week refused to sign up to the federal government's proposed education reforms at the Council of Australian Governments meeting after labelling the plan inequitable and warning Canberra would push for funding from state schools to be diverted to private schools.

The Commonwealth didn't get any formal support for its $14.5 billion funding proposal that would require states and territories to stump up 35 per cent - or $5.1 billion - of the money.

WA's opposition education spokeswoman Sue Ellery said Mr Barnett's stance was hypocritical, given his government's plan to strip $316 million from the state's school funding over the next four years as part of an "efficiency dividend''.

"The question needs to be asked - who is really ripping off Western Australian students?'' Ms Ellery said.

"Mr Barnett's stance is completely hypocritical.

"He turned his back on $300 million in additional funding while pulling more than that out himself.''

But Education Minister Peter Collier said the WA government had increased spending on education by an average of six per cent a year.

"Further, it should be noted that the Commonwealth's schools offer is not an extra $300 million for Western Australia - it is $183 million over six years,'' Mr Collier said.

"WA has to find the rest.''

Mr Collier said the state government wanted the best outcome for schools and students, regardless of which political party was proposing changes.

"While we are willing to negotiate, we will not sign up to any proposal that hands control of state government schools to the Commonwealth,'' he said.

Teen airlifted to hospital after crash

A teenage boy has been airlifted to hospital by the RAC Rescue chopper after a car crash. Source: PerthNow

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy has been airlifted to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital with facial injuries after a car rollover in Westdale this morning.

Police reported the car rolled about 11am near the intersection of Beverley- Westdale Road and Brookton Highway, about 90km east of Perth.

The boy is believed to have suffered non-life threatening injuries and he will be transferred on arrival to Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance.

Two other people have been taken to Armadale Hospital by St John Ambulance.

It is not known what caused the car to roll or who was driving the vehicle.

Top-level government files in shreds

Documents from the Department of Premier and Cabinet were accidentally removed from Dumas House in March or April last year by building contractors. Source: The Sunday Times

A DECADE of confidential emails and computer documents from the highest levels of the State Government disappeared for months during a refurbishment blunder.

The Government has confirmed a safe containing back-up tapes of a "full range" of Department of Premier and Cabinet electronic information from 2000-09 was accidentally removed from Dumas House in March or April last year by building contractors, and was then "destroyed in a shredder" at a scrap yard.

A government spokeswoman confirmed the Premier's office didn't wake up to the error until May, potentially months after the safe went missing.

But she said there was "no evidence" the material had been accessed by unauthorised people during the mix-up, which occurred during refurbishment work, but would not guarantee this was the case.

Government insiders said they were shocked the incident occurred "yet no one saw it, and not one of the cameras in Dumas managed to film it".

They were also surprised police were not called to ensure the highly sensitive material had been destroyed.

The DPC spokeswoman said: "As the tapes had been destroyed and there was no suspicion of illegal activity, it was considered there was no need to file a police report on this matter".

But Deputy Opposition Leader Roger Cook said the "major breach of sensitive information" needed "a major public inquiry to ascertain the level of the security breach".

"This potentially could have resulted in high-level issues raised inside the department, sensitive commercial information about big projects, and personal matters that would have been communicated within the department, being leaked," he said.

The DPC spokeswoman said the material was a back-up of the DPC file server, so "anything that was backed up from the server would have been included (and) the records relate to 2000-09".

"It was a locked safe. Also, the tapes would not have been immediately recognisable for what they were ... and would have needed specialist equipment to open them and decipher them," she said.

"The safe was locked and it and all the tapes were in the possession of the contractors when they were taken from Dumas and destroyed in a shredder to 50mm pieces ... and put in landfill.

"The DPC has gone to all reasonable lengths to satisfy themselves that this was the case. There is no evidence at all that any information has been accessed by anyone outside government."

She said the West Perth building, which contained the DPC, some ministers and some departments, had been refurbished from late 2011.

Drugs, drink, misery for paramedics

Drugs and drinking can make work challenging for Perth paramedics. Source: The Sunday Times

PARAMEDICS say drug abuse and binge drinking are making their job a misery, with officers fearing for their lives when they turn up in certain areas.

It comes as new figures released by St John Ambulance show police are required to escort them into nearly 200 high-risk homes.

Ninety-eight Perth homes and 93 country properties have been red-flagged for paramedics to wait for police before providing first aid.

United Voice secretary Carolyn Smith said members had reported a spike in assaults over the past three years.

She said it was a sad reflection on society that paramedics could not attend some houses without protection.

"Considering the role they play to assist people and save lives, it's pretty astonishing," Ms Smith said.

"A lot of it is alcohol-fuelled violence, binge drinking and amphetamine issues."

Thugs who assault paramedics face mandatory sentencing under "assault public officer" charges.

But Ms Smith said tough penalties were not always enough to deter the violence and disrespect.

"Some people don't stop and think, so we need other ways of protecting these people who are playing an incredible frontline role,"she said.

"There isn't an easy answer it's about changing attitudes."

One paramedic who has been on the job for 20 years and did not want to be named, said several colleagues had been assaulted, including one man who had a gun held to his head.

"One of my mates had his glasses smashed and I've been kicked when I was trying to help someone," he said.

St John Ambulance service director Len Fiori said paramedics should not have to deal with threats of violence or intimidation when going about their job.

Exceptional opportunity for rookie models

Face of enex100 winners Ms en Selam Berhanu and Mr ex Michael Italiano, with Jesinta Campbell. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

THE annual search for the Face of enex100 wrapped up today with two gorgeous winners announced to front the centre's upcoming campaign.

Jesinta Campbell, ex Miss Universe Australia and enex100 ambassador jetted to Perth to announce the en-exceptional couple - Ms En and Mr Ex.

Chiropractic science student Selam Berhanu, 19, was named Ms En, and civil designer and part-time security worker Michael Italiano, 22, Mr Ex.

The pair take home a $1000 wardrobe each, and will feature in an upcoming spread in STM.  Miss Berhanu and Mr Italiano will also feature in the 2013/14 enex100 campaign.

People have often told me I should model, so I thought why not give it a shot," said Miss Berhanu on her win.

"I got to speak to last year's winner Grace Inoue - she hadn't done any modelling before either, so that's encouraging for me."

Judges included STM fashion editor Claire Davies and enex100 marketing manager Gill Collins. 

The PerthNow People's Choice Awards went to Trent Satie and Venus Oz, each taking home a $500 voucher.

More than 30 finalists and VIPs attended the city event, hosted by Gemma Walsh.

Teen critical after off-road bike crash

A teenage boy has been airlifted to RPH after an off-road motorcycle crash.

A TEENAGE boy is fighting for life in Royal Perth Hospital after an off-road motorcycle crash in Forrestfield yesterday.

The crash happened about 5pm at a disused rubbish tip at the corner of Roe Highway and Dawson Avenue.

Police say two riders were on off-road motorcycles travelling in opposite directions on the same track when they collided head-on at a blind bend.

Both riders were thrown from their motorcycles and airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital.

The 14-year-old boy received serious head injuries and is in a critical condition.

A 20-year-old man who was on the other bike received serious chest injuries and is in a serious but stable condition.

Police are seeking witnesses and information to the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Fire badly damages Bentley factory

Fire crews battled a factory fire in Bentley last night. Source: PerthNow

A FIRE caused more than $350,000 damage to a factory in Bentley last night.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at a factory near the intersection of Sevenoaks St and Tate St just after 9.30pm.
 
FESA said the blaze was quickly contained but the cause was yet to be determined.

The fire caused a lot of smoke around the Town of Victoria Park and forced the temporary closure of Sevenoaks Street.
 
Meanwhile a house was destroyed by a fire in Boulder, about 595km east of Perth.
 
The blaze started at about 11.45pm and the cost of damage was estimated at $200,000
 
The cause is still unknown.

Sea containers in green village mix

A green village in Perth could include homes made of sea containers. Source: Supplied

A FUTURISTIC green village in Perth could include "crate homes" pod houses created out of sea containers among its affordable housing options.

Bentley, about 10km from the city centre, will house WA's first world-class sustainable village of more than 1500 homes.

Curtin University researcher Jemma Green, who is completing her PhD on the housing project, said developers were looking to make a new precinct that would be a leader in urban and sustainable design.

The rejuvenation of the Bentley site has already seen the Brownlie Towers, once a brown-brick "vertical ghetto" for social housing, transformed into an over-45s trendy estate.

Some 130 properties have been bulldozed already to make way for 1500 planned homes in the urban super-village with its mix of densities, heights, mainstream, lower-income and social housing.

The project is being managed by the Department of Housing and the City of Canning.

"It is rare that such an opportunity would exist so close to any well-established city around the world," Ms Green said.

"Prefabricated and modular housing, such as the sea containers, would be energy and water efficient."

Ms Green said sea containers had already been used to build a hotel in London.

"Nowadays, many companies are developing high-design sea-container houses that are beautiful," Ms Green said.

"They can also be built in around half the time as conventional housing, and produce much less waste in the construction process.

"These buildings can also have great thermal properties, reducing energy demand, with the potential for a greater percentage to be generated by renewable or low carbon energy sources."

The Bentley Regeneration Project is bounded by Manning Rd, Dumond, Walpole, Pollock, Baldock and Hedley streets in the suburb.

Site works are under way and building construction will start in 2015.

A Department of Housing spokeswoman said plans for the site were still being finalised and further details would be announced in coming weeks.

Blackout: 55,000 face TV nightmare

Perth is days from the switch from analog to digital television. Source: Getty Images

ABOUT 55,000 Perth households are still to convert to digital TV despite the switch from analog signals being just days away.

Perth's analog TV signal will be replaced by a digital broadcast on Tuesday as part of the national changeover.

But electronics retailers can expect a last-minute rush this weekend, with latest estimates showing up to 9 per cent of Perth homes are unprepared.

According to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, latest figures show 91 per cent of households have converted to digital TV.

"Using these results this would mean that approximately 65,000 households in the Perth region have not yet converted," a spokeswoman said.

"(But) 10,522 households have been converted under the Household Assistance Scheme since January, which are unlikely to be included in the latest tracker results."

She said experiences in other cities that had already converted had shown 2 to 3 per cent of households waited until the last minute to buy digital-appropriate equipment.

"Residents in the Perth switch-over region need to be digital ready by April 16 or they will lose access to free-to-air TV when their analog TV signals are permanently switched off," she said.

"You can convert your existing analog TV by connecting a digital set-top box or a digital TV recorder, or you can upgrade to a television with an integrated digital tuner.

"And remember, if you have pay-television you may already be digital ready."

Edith Cowan University's head of journalism, Trevor Cullen, said the changeover was the biggest thing to happen to TV in Australia since the introduction of colour broadcasts in the 1970s.

"For the viewers, their experience is going to be much better in the sense of clearer pictures and sounds," he said.

Digital TV will be introduced in regional WA on June 25.

Murder charges over Pt Hedland death

Police are investigating the death of a 43-year-old Port Hedland woman. Source: PerthNow

A MAN has been charged with murder after the death of a 43-year-old woman in Port Hedland last night.

Police were called to a disturbance in Bayman Street at about 6.30pm where it will be alleged they found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound.

The woman was taken to Hedland Health Campus by ambulance, however she was later pronounced dead.

Late today, South Hedland Detectives charged a 62-year-old man with murder.

The man is expected to appear in a local Magistrates Court tomorrow.

Major Crime Squad detectives arrived in South Hedland today to assist with the investigation.

Motorcyclist killed in South-West crash

A motorcycle rider has been killed and two others taken to hospital after three separate crashes on WA roads. Source: PerthNow

A MOTORCYCLIST is dead and two others have been injured in three separate crashes on WA's roads today.

One man died after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a tree on Cundinup Road in Cundinup in the state's South-West shortly after 11am.
 
The cause of the crash is not yet clear.
 
In an unrelated incident, also in the south-west, the RAC rescue helicopter was called to Wokalup to airlift an injured rider back to Perth.
 
The crash happened on South Western Highway shortly after midday but the extent of the injuries are not known.
 
Meanwhile, a male motorcyclist has been injured when he was struck by a car in the carpark of Bunnings in Innaloo shortly before 3pm.

St John Ambulance conveyed the 20-year-old to Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

Cirque du Soleil rolls into town

Cirque du Soleil arrives in Perth and erects the Big Top at Langley Park. Robert Naumann, company manager OVO. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

BLUE and yellow is adorning Langley Park after the big top was raised for Cirque du Soleil's latest production 'Ovo'.

It took more than 50 staff about three minutes to raise the tent, which stands 20m high and 50m in diameter and will seat almost 2600 people.

Its four masts are 24m tall with more than 1500 pegs, each 1.5m in diameter, securing it.
 
Once raised, the tent seats almost 2600 people.
 
Company manager Robert Naumann said they were happy to bring the new show to Perth.
 
"We love Perth, it's great being here again,'' he said.
 
The company has 54 performers, three teachers, four chefs and a total of about 200 staff and family travelling with the circus at anytime.
 
It also employs about 200 local workers.

Cirque du Soleil arrives in Perth and erects the Big Top at Langley Park. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

Mr Naumann said the production gave much back to the WA community.
 
"We will inject about $6.5m into the local economy from this production,'' he said.
 
Cirque du Soleil will perform 77 shows, which will be seen by about 200,000 people.
 
Ovo, which begins on April 14, is about a day in the life of a colony of bugs:  "There's no human characters in this show, just insects,'' Mr Naumann said.
 
"It's about a fly that carries an egg into a colony of bugs and how they all learn what the egg is.
 
"It's the best show for kids.''

Defective GPS devices for WA rapists

The State Government has defended its choice of GPS devices that will be used to monitor sex offenders on community release. Source: The Courier-Mail

THE state's worst sex offenders will be released into the community wearing GPS ankle devices that have been abandoned in the US for being defective and posing an "imminent danger" to the public.

The ankle bracelets will soon be strapped to our worst paedophiles, rapists and other high-risk sex offenders despite the manufacturer being dumped by authorities in California for producing devices "inundated with defects".
 
Authorities discovered a litany of faults with the 3M tracking devices, including allegations they:
 
- Failed to collect and report locations on time.
- Could be easily fooled by offenders wrapping them in tinfoil.
- Had cracked cases and failed tampering alerts.
- Locations could be off by as much as 5km.
 
After carrying out secret tests, Californian authorities ordered close to 4000 ankle bracelets be removed from parolees and replaced with those from a different manufacturer.

 
The 3M company is now embroiled in a lawsuit after the US state used the test results to sever ties and reject its bid for another multi-million-dollar contract.
 
Yet the WA Department of Corrective Services signed a $750,000 contract with 3M in December to provide GPS devices for our high-risk sex offenders, paedophiles and rapists.
 
A plan to fit 16 offenders with the devices early this year was delayed because of software problems.
 
This week 3M conceded that US media reports about the devices had created "public concern".
 
"Media discussion around the efficiency of electronic monitoring devices has raised public concern internationally and within Australia," a spokeswoman said.
 
"3M are confident in the performance of 3M's electronic monitoring products, which are among the most effective and widely used offender tracking systems in the world."
 
Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis said GPS tracking would just be one tool "in the arsenal" of offender supervision.
 
"Used in conjunction with strong case management practices and conditions handed down by the court, it is another tool in the arsenal of community supervision of offenders and a strong focus on improving community safety," Mr Francis said.
 
"The contract provider was selected through a stringent process in accordance with the Government Procurement Policy guidelines."
 
The devices work by picking up signals from GPS satellites and feeding the information back to a computer.
 
Industry experts say the ankle monitors can have "black spots", similar to mobile phones, when offenders go inside multi-storey buildings or underground car parks.
 
Mr Francis said a DCS team would monitor the sex offenders around the clock as part of a new Public Protection Unit.
 
ashlee.mullany@news.com.au

Waste of space tied up with red tape

143 Barrack St, a disused building above the Salvos store laying vacant because of red tape. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

THEY are among Perth's most beautiful and historic buildings, yet they're sitting empty, thanks to Government red tape.

The Sunday Times can reveal the extent of urban decay in the city, with almost 30 iconic buildings gathering cobwebs.
 
That's despite a huge demand from creative industries and small businesses to make use of the boarded-up premises.
 
State and local government red tape has been blamed, with many owners unable to afford renovations needed to meet strict building codes, such as installing lifts, more landings and better fire exits.
 
Among the buildings sitting idle are the majority of second-storey sites on Hay St Mall as well as the mall's McNess Memorial Arcade, Hotel Metropol and Savoy Hotel.
 
The Perth Fire Station, Old William St Bank, East Perth power station and Fremantle's Woolstores also are abandoned, in some cases for decades.

 
The Greens have joined forces with Spacemarket, a group that matches creative businesses with vacant or under-used spaces, to compile the list. This Saturday they will launch a mobile phone app called "Why So Empty?"
 
Spacemarket co-founder Beth George said users would take photos of empty buildings and upload them on the app.
 
Greens senator Scott Ludlam predicted the app would show hundreds more buildings were going to waste. The State Government keeps no figures on abandoned buildings, but a City of Perth audit found 80,000sqm of vacant space in the city alone.
 
A separate report found the redevelopment of vacant upper-floor spaces was stalled by red tape, heritage rules and financial disincentives.
 
Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has conceded a lot of upper-level space is "languishing" and "would be an attractive proposition" for small businesses unable to afford higher rents at street level.