CIA's close links with Gaddafi revealed

CIA and MI6 helped Gaddafi on dissidents: Human Rights Watch

An aerial view of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in Langley,

Virginia January 18, 2008.

Credit: Reuters/Jason Reed

By Yvonne Bell

TRIPOLI | Sat Sep 3, 2011 1:45pm EDT

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Documents found in the abandoned Tripoli office of Muammar Gaddafi's intelligence chief indicate the U.S. and British spy agencies helped the fallen strongman persecute Libyan dissidents, Human Rights Watch said on Saturday.

The documents were uncovered by campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW)in the abandoned offices of Libya's former spy chief and foreign minister, Moussa Koussa.

The group said it uncovered hundreds of letters between the CIA, MI6 and Koussa, who is now in exile in London. Letters from the CIA began, "Dear Moussa" and were signed informally with first names only by CIA officials, HRW said.

The current military commander for Tripoli of Libya's provisional government, Abdel Hakim Belhadj, was among those captured and sent to Libya by the CIA, according to HRW.

"Among the files we discovered at Moussa Koussa's office is a fax from the CIA dated 2004 in which the CIA informs the Libyan government that they are in a position to capture and render Belhadj," HRW's Peter Bouckaert, who was part of the group that found the stash, told Reuters.

"That operation actually took place. He was captured by the CIA in Asia and put on a secret flight back to Libya where he was interrogated and tortured by the Libyan security services."

HANDED OVER FOR TORTURE

Belhadj has claimed that he was tortured by CIA agents before being transferred to Libya, where he says he was then tortured at Tripoli's notorious Abu Salim prison.

The CIA has not commented directly on the HRW report. A British government spokesman told Reuters that Britain did "not comment on intelligence matters."

Western intelligence services began cooperating with Libya after Gaddafi abandoned his program to build unconventional weapons in 2004. But the files show his cooperation with the CIA and MI6 may have been more extensive than previously thought, analysts say.

The depth of the ties could anger NTC officials -- many of whom are long-term opponents of Gaddafi who are now responsible for charting a new path for Libya's foreign relations.

Bouckaert showed Reuters photos of several documents on his computer and also photos of letters he said were from the CIA to Koussa and were signed, "Steve." He also displayed photographs he said were of letters from MI6 giving Libyan intelligence information on Libyan dissidents in Britain.

"Our concern is that when these people were handed over to the Libyan security they were tortured and the CIA knew what would happen when they sent people like Abdel Hakim into the hands of the Libyan security services," Bouckaert said.

More recent documents showed that after the war broke out six months ago, Libya reached out to a former rebel group in the breakaway Somali state of Puntland, the Somali Salvation Front, asking them to send 10,000 fighters to Tripoli to help defend Gaddafi.

(Writing by Barry Malone; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Caroline Drees)

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My View

Typical America; Afghanistan, Iraq and others, all were used to suit America's cause and then discarded when further use was untenable. Symptoms of a society in decay. What do you think another 50 years and we will witness the rumblings of the United States as they begin to separate, similar to the USSR.

Author: Ross Parisi

04.09.2011

Usain Bolt retains his 200m title at the World Championships

• Jamaican storms to victory in time of 19.40sec
• Bolt records fourth fastest 200m race ever run

• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 3 September 2011 13.31 BST

Usain Bolt celebrates winning the 200m in Daegu. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

 

Jamaican Usain Bolt blazed to the 200m title at the world championships on Saturday in 19.40 seconds to confirm his reputation as the king of sprinters.

 

Bolt lost his 100m title to young understudy Yohan Blake last weekend after being disqualified for a false start in the final and was in no mood to give up the gold in his favourite event. Bolt powered home ahead of American Walter Dix while Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre took the bronze.

"I am still the best," Bolt told an elated crowd of about 45,000 at Daegu Stadium before starting a barefoot dance to a deafening beat. "It was beautiful."

The world record holder burst from the blocks and ate up the ground on Dix on his outside in a matter of strides. Moving up through the gears around the bend, Bolt emerged at the top of the home straight with the race in the bag but pushed himself hard to the line to make sure there would be no more mistakes.

The 25-year-old double Olympic champion has not been at his peak this season, struggling to regain top form following a back injury that ended his 2010 season prematurely.

However, the great showman was at his imperious best on the penultimate day of competition in Daegu and could still leave South Korea with two gold medals with the 4x100m relay to come on Sunday.

Dix, who also won silver in the 100m after taking bronzes over the 100 and 200 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, told Eurosport television he was happy with the race but still had some things he could work on. "In Beijing I got two bronzes, I have now got two silvers, next year gold," he said in a reference to the London Olympics.

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Gillard Government suffocates as despair and disallusionment sets in

Gillard's political solution to the asylum problem has been seen through for what it was by the Australian High Court. To attack the Court by saying that it has not endorsed Government policy is curious, unsafe and misguided.

Gillard the Lawyer well knows the duty of a Court. It certainly is not there as another arm of Government to implement Government policy. Parliament does retain supremacy and as much it could pass legislation to circumvent the ruling of the Court but any Government that does that is threading on thin ice.

What it certainly indicates is how desperate she has become in her Government's attempt to negate Abbott's imposing electoral impact.

Sadly, for someone that promised so much, when she rolled Rudd, so little has been delivered and what she has delivered is not what she promised. No wonder her authority and legitimacy is in sharp focus and has become the butt of many jokes.

For the ALP there is no easy way out, no quick solution, and no panacea.

Politics, is a fickle science and time does heal wounds and dissipates mistakes but if the polls are not reversed by the time the next election is due the member of the ALP that will retain their seat may well be able to meet in a local Telstra telephone cubical.

The above scenario if it were to come to pass would not be healthy for a parliamentary democracy. Parliament, to function ideally needs a robust and spirited Opposition to keep the Government on its toes. Incidentally, one of the reasons why Abbott has Gillard on the ropes.

My gut feeling is that if the ALP's brokers see it this way, they may well replace Gillard 6 months out of an election, with an ALP elder that retains the respect of the electorate in the hope that it would minimise the carnage.

Names that come to mind are the likes of Simon Crean or Stephen Smith. Lindsay Tanner would have been ideal but he chose to vacate in disgust after the way Rudd was rolled.

Author: Ross Parisi

Smithfield. Cairns. Australia. 03.09.2011 

Abbott dishes out wedge politics to further marginalise Gillard

Tony Abbott puts Nauru deal to Julia Gillard as Labor faces split on detainees

• Dennis Shanahan, Political editor
• From: The Australian
• September 03, 2011 12:00AM

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott speaking at a CEDA luncheon in Melbourne yesterday.

Picture: Aaron Francis. Source: The Australian

TONY Abbott is offering to work with the Gillard government on a policy of processing asylum-seekers offshore, if Nauru is included, as Labor faces a split over how Australia handles refugees.

As part of a political squeeze on Julia Gillard from all sides, the Coalition is prepared to conditionally side with Labor against the Greens over the policy of deterring people-smugglers by processing asylum-seekers outside Australia.

The Opposition Leader continued to call on the government yesterday to use Nauru to handle refugees as he offered to discuss implementing the Coalition's policy with Labor. "We've been saying really for two years now that if you're serious about stopping the boats you've got to reopen Nauru, you've got to reintroduce temporary protection visas, and you've got to have the option of turning boats around where it's safe to do so," Mr Abbott said.

And opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison told The Weekend Australian: "The Coalition stands ready to talk to the government about implementing our policies if they are prepared to do that, and we wait for their call. I don't believe there is any need for legislation to reopen Nauru for offshore processing."

Facing an internal fight over whether to process asylum-seekers overseas or on Australian soil, the Prime Minister has called for a "careful response" to this week's decision by the High Court, which ruled out Labor's plan to send asylum-seekers to Malaysia for processing.

Ms Gillard, who is expecting formal legal advice within days on the asylum-seeker processing options that remain, would not speculate yesterday on whether there would be a "flood of boats arriving" or whether she supported, in principle, using the Pacific island nation of Nauru as an alternative to Malaysia.

"I'm not going to speculate on policy options now, nor am I going to speculate about the impact of various policy options on potential arrivals," she told Sky News. "I'm not going to get drawn on possibilities at this stage. We're going to work through - I'll work through - guided by, of course, the Solicitor-General's legal advice and by my colleagues, including Chris Bowen."

The choice between onshore and offshore processing is threatening to split the ALP.

Keating government minister Graham Richardson and a number of ministers had argued that the government should adopt the Howard-era policy of sending asylum-seekers to Nauru as soon as possible.

But Labor's Left faction convener, Doug Cameron, and the Greens have called for an end to all offshore processing. Senator Cameron told ABC Radio's The World Today he wanted all asylum-seekers to be processed in Australia, and said the government should allow only limited mandatory detention.

"Offshore processing is inconsistent with the party platform, and with the party platform is the way to go," he said. "We were keen to engage in an original solution to an international problem but the original solution must be on a different way than offshore processing. They (Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and Nauru) would be unacceptable, in my view. We don't want people locked up other than to identify who they are, to make sure their health is OK, and to make sure they're not a threat to the community."

As Labor's immigration spokeswoman during the Howard government, Ms Gillard opposed the use of Nauru for offshore processing, and yesterday she said she had worked with Mr Bowen, the Immigration Minister, "to strike this innovative arrangement with Malaysia".

Labor has grown increasingly divided on refugee policy, with some MPs now pushing for a return to temporary protection visas and the reopening of Nauru.

"I think the only way to go is the Nauru solution, accompanied by a reinstitution of TPVs," one Labor backbencher said.

"Onshore processing, if we do that, necessarily will invite a whole range of people-smugglers . . . More importantly, that would turn illegal boat entry into a de facto arm of immigration policy.

"My view is that in the medium to long term you would attack the integrity of lawful migration. And that would result in community and public support plunging.

"I think Nauru might be legally acceptable, subject to Nauru signing the UN refugee convention and secondly the Australian government establishing the processing centre, staffing the processing centre with Australian officials and having them answerable to Australian law in such a way the processing centre would be akin to an embassy or a consulate that we have in overseas countries, which at law are recognised as sovereign Australian soil."

While Ms Gillard is being urged to abandon Nauru as an option by some of her colleagues, the Opposition Leader is offering conditional support to the government for asylum-seekers to be sent to the Australian-built centre on the island.

"There is nothing in the High Court's decision that stops us from reopening Nauru," Mr Abbott said yesterday. "If the government is serious, that's what it will do. Yes, it would be a terrible humiliation for Prime Minister Gillard . . . but if the government wants to take control of our borders once again, it's got to put the policies in place that we know . . . work."

The Coalition is insisting any discussions with the government would have to include TPVs and the use of Nauru as a processing centre. Ms Gillard and Mr Bowen have both rejected the reintroduction of the TPVs used by the Howard government.

As pressure grows, MPs including Mr Morrison and Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young, will be on Christmas Island on Monday and Tuesday as part of a parliamentary inquiry into the immigration detention network.

Additional reporting: Joe Kelly

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A politician that can't retain his seat should take stock of his usefullness.

LNP MP Peter Slipper threatens revolt as win looms for Mal Brough

• Michael McKenna
• From: The Australian
• September 03, 2011 12:00AM

Federal opposition MP Peter Slipper has threatened to join the crossbenches if an internal vote today backs Howard government minister Mal Brough to head the branch of the Queensland Liberal National Party in his electorate of Fisher.

The veteran MP and Deputy Speaker wrote yesterday to LNP members in his Sunshine Coast seat, warning that his position as a federal LNP MP would become "untenable" if Mr Brough were elected to chair the Fisher federal divisional council.

Mr Brough has made no secret of his intention to challenge his former parliamentary colleague in the next LNP preselection for Fisher.

Party sources said last night that Mr Brough had the overwhelming numbers to defeat the current FDC chairman Greg Robinson, a long-time ally of Mr Slipper.

"This is not a vote so much for Mr Brough but a vote against Mr Slipper, whose time has come," one source said.

In an email to branch members, sent on parliamentary letterhead, Mr Slipper accused Mr Brough, who lost the neighbouring seat of Longman at the 2007 election, of running for the party position in a "de facto preselection campaign".

For several months, Mr Slipper has been under mounting pressure from within his party over revelations of his extensive travel expenses and an investigation into car use by one of his staffers.

In the email, obtained by The Weekend Australian, Mr Slipper does not name Mr Brough but says the person nominating to replace Mr Robinson had been highly critical of the LNP.

"It has been wrongly suggested that this bid has Tony Abbott's blessing," Mr Slipper wrote."I have spoken to Tony and he has assured me this is certainly not the case."

Mr Brough was Queensland Liberal Party president at the time of the 2008 merger of the Liberals and the Nationals and fell out with Nationals officials over the terms of the establishment of the new conservative entity.

But a truce was brokered last year between Mr Brough and LNP state president Bruce McIver. After serving as communities minister and then overseeing the Howard government's intervention in 73 Northern Territory communities, Mr Brough became a favourite of John Howard and was touted as a future leader.

But he lost his seat in the Rudd landslide. Longman was won back for the Coalition by young rookie Wyatt Roy at last year's election.

The looming challenge from Mr Brough, who joined the LNP last December, has been increasingly bitter.

New members have flooded branches in support of the former federal MP.

Mr Slipper has declared that he is confident of retaining preselection. "I don't believe he has the slightest chance in hell in being elected in the seat of Fisher," Mr Slipper said last December. Mr Slipper described Mr Brough as egocentric and divisive.

After the last election, Mr Slipper angered the Opposition Leader when he brokered a deal with the Gillard government to accept the position of Deputy Speaker, pocketing an extra $30,000.

In the email, Mr Slipper issued a thinly veiled threat about his voting intentions if he were to quit the LNP.

"If the coup is successful, my position as a parliamentary member of the LNP becomes untenable," he wrote.

"This would not be helpful to the Coalition in a hung parliament where every vote counts."

Last week, several newspapers reported speculation in Canberra that Mr Slipper could be asked by the Gillard government to serve as speaker if the Craig Thomson affair forced a by-election in his seat of Dobell and Labor lost.

Under the scenario, Labor would shift Harry Jenkins to the backbench, preserving its majority in the lower house and offer the speaker's chair to Mr Slipper.

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Sam Watson: Tackle the real ‘Aboriginal industry’

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure was submitted to the government in February 2010 but only made public on August 7 after a long-running freedom of information case brought by Channel 7. Queensland Murri activist and Socialist Alliance spokesperson Sam Watson spoke to Green Left Weekly’s Jim McIlroy about the report’s findings.
* * *

Over a decade ago, racist One Nation leader Pauline Hanson attacked what she called the “Aboriginal industry”. But the problem lies with the real Aboriginal industry, which is characterised by an army of white businesspeople, consultants, contractors and public servants.

This industry has made an enormous amount of money out of Aboriginal disadvantage over the years. If you closed down all Aboriginal programs tomorrow, many thousands of whites would be out of a job.

You see this contradiction right across the Northern Territory today. The whites live apart from the communities they are supposed to serve. They experience far better salaries and conditions than the Black communities.

This report reinforces what Aboriginal leaders have been saying for years. The major benefits are gained by career carpetbaggers, who follow the trail of Aboriginal disadvantage.

At the end of the day, what outcomes have really been delivered to Aboriginal people by government policies? The Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure reinforces the fact that the true Aboriginal industry is not based on Indigenous communities.

Australian governments have again been shown to have no understanding of the genuine needs and aspirations of Aboriginal people.

A succession of federal governments, under prime ministers John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, have also appointed a number of high-level Aboriginal advisers, such as Noel Pearson, Marcia Langton and Warren Mundine, who have no mandate to speak on behalf of Aboriginal people. Yet these governments have relied on the advice of such people to influence their policies.

Howard closed down ATSIC [the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Commission] in 2002. Despite the many problems with ATSIC, thousands of Aboriginal people did participate in the elections for the organisation.

ATSIC did have a legitimate mandate to represent Aboriginal people. Howard replaced ATSIC with a hand-picked, non-elected Advisory Council, which had no legitimacy.

We need to get back to community representatives elected by Aboriginal people, who can speak on their behalf. We now have an enormous leadership vacuum, in which people like Pearson, Langton and Mundine can put themselves forward as Aboriginal spokespeople. The real tragedy of the current situation is precisely that vacuum of real and current Aboriginal leadership.

This tragedy is measured in the ongoing suffering and slavery of the Indigenous people. This means that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are totally dominated and manipulated by big mining corporations and their agents.

If the NT intervention continues for another five years, it will destroy the ability of Indigenous communities to act to deal with their own problems.

The Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure is another in the long line of high-level government reports on Indigenous affairs. These surveys merely highlight the accelerating outflow of resources from Aboriginal communities.

In all this, there has been very little real outcome for Aboriginal people who really need government assistance.

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The utterings of a third world despot...no Julia Gillard | Without a 'Bill of Rights' the High Court is our only guardian

Julia Gillard denies her attack on the High Court breached separation of powers

• James Massola
• From: The Australian
• September 02, 2011 1:33PM

Julia Gillard has dismissed as "ridiculous" suggestions she breached the separation of powers over the High Court's Malaysia decision, saying she simply presented the Australian people with the facts of the case.

The Prime Minister promised to release fresh legal advice from Solicitor-General Stephen Gageler about the legality of offshore processing, but will not release the advice underpinning the Malaysia Solution.

Ms Gillard yesterday said the High Court's ruling declaring the refugee swap deal unlawful was a “missed opportunity” and questioned the consistency of Chief Justice Robert French's ruling. She stood by the comments today.

“What I did was point out matters of fact and I think Australians are entitled to those facts and I don't resile from one word of what I said yesterday,” Ms Gillard told Sky News.

“Some of those precedents are from the current Chief Justice of the High Court himself.”

Asked if her comments constituted a breach of the separation of powers, Ms Gillard said: “I think that's a ridiculous statement. “The Chief Justice's decisions at an earlier point in his judicial career were referred to by High Court judges themselves in their judgment, most particularly in the dissenting judgment,” she said.

“So I pointed to simple facts, precedents, the way the law has been, the way the law was understood by the government based on its legal advice.” Ms Gillard said her comments contrasted with those of Howard government ministers who had directly questioned the integrity of the judiciary.

“They weren't factual statements pointing to precedents in the past, they were things like (former immigration minister) Philip Ruddock saying to High Court judges if you want to get involved in politics why don't you resign and run for parliament,” she said. “That was the tenor of the public debate then.”

Ms Gillard confirmed the government would release new legal advice on the future of offshore processing, which is now in doubt, but would not release previous advice on the Malaysian refugee swap. “We don't routinely release legal advice,” she said.

The Prime Minister also reiterated her support for the architect of the Malaysia deal, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, saying his was one of the toughest jobs in the government. “Chris Bowen looked and thought creatively about what we could do to could send the most powerful message to people-smugglers,” she said.

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Australian Labor Party imploding...is the end nigh for a once great institution

Julia Gillard says she'll continue as leader, but Labor MPs are discussing a return to Kevin Rudd

• James Massola
• From: The Australian
• September 02, 2011 2:45PM

Julia Gillard with her ministers at last night's community cabinet meeting in Brisbane.
Picture: Tim Marsden Source: The Courier-Mail

THE Labor caucus is split over Julia Gillard's long term future as Prime Minister, with MPs admitting discussions are underway over the possible resurrection of Kevin Rudd as leader.

Several MPs have told The Australian Online that a return to Mr Rudd is being evaluated, though there is no imminent move to replace Ms Gillard in the top job. Others believe a leadership change would be untenable, bringing “five minutes of sunshine” before the party sank further into oblivion. Ms Gillard today hit back at speculation over her leadership, declaring: “I'm not going anywhere.”

Health Minister Nicola Roxon also said she could not envisage Mr Rudd returning to lead the party.

But one respected caucus figure said that while Ms Gillard was safe at this point, MPs were taking a second look at Mr Rudd, dumped by Labor for Ms Gillard in June last year and who is now recovering from heart surgery. “To look back on last year, we've moved from `no way' to his viability being considered,” the source said.

“I don't think there is an agreed position yet, that's why at this point she is safe. But that movement is significant.“Everything is different with Kevin. The normal rules don't apply to him. The public knows him. The indicators are they support him.

“That's why he has become viable. We should deal with what the electorate thinks, more than what caucus thinks." Another source said Mr Rudd was the only possible leadership option other than Ms Gillard, but the party wasn't ready for him yet.

The backbencher said Ms Gillard should be left to enact the carbon tax and formulate a new refugees policy before anyone considered flicking the leadership switch.“There is only one alternative, Rudd. But it's too frightening for some people to think about.“It could become more palatable over time but only if she gets a few things off the agenda.”

The source said the Gillard cabinet had a lot to answer for, with the government's problems “all self-inflicted”. Another caucus member said Mr Rudd wouldn't fix the fundamental problem facing the party, and getting out “the NSW leadership chocolate wheel” was a sure path to disaster.

“Our problem is not one of leadership. Our problem is one of policy,” the source said. The well-regarded backbencher said the government had to lay the foundation for its recovery by stopping refugee boats, bringing the budget back to surplus and getting a carbon price legislated.“Then, we've got to govern, and not do anything else.

“No more policy adventures. We've had enough of them. We need to move from reform to reassurance.” Another senior caucus figure rejected outright the idea of a return to Mr Rudd as leader, saying there was “no move at all” against Ms Gillard.

“He would be Lazarus for two weeks, but then what would he do?” the MP said. “Move to the left on asylum-seekers and let the boats keep coming?” The MP conceded Mr Rudd would be the “only credible person” to talk to the independents, and might convince Bob Katter to back him.

“But that's the point, he would have to negotiate with them,” he said.

One Liberal strategist told The Australian Online that even if Labor made the switch to Mr Rudd, the party would still have to contend with two politically toxic issues - the carbon tax and asylum-seekers.

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Tick, tick, tick....is time ticking away for Julia and Labor!

Labor MPs urge Prime Minister Julia Gillard to consider quitting

• Phillip Hudson and Simon Benson
• From: The Daily Telegraph
• September 02, 2011 6:58AM

MPs urge Gillard to quit as leader

Senior Government figures believe Prime Minister Julia Gillard has "lost her authority" and have urged her to weigh whether it is in Labor's best interests for her to remain leader.

Some of the Labor figures who supported Ms Gillard when she replaced Kevin Rudd as PM just 14 months ago are considering a major backflip. They are now floating a remarkable plan that could return Mr Rudd to the leadership, with Stephen Smith as his deputy and Treasurer.

"This is about authority and whether she can assert her authority because she hasn't got it now," one senior figure said.

The concern comes from within the PM's own factional allies in the Victorian left faction, it is believed. Senior powerbrokers confirmed last night they were aware of discussions within some elements of the caucus over Ms Gillard's leadership.

It had gained momentum since Wednesday's decision by the High Court to throw out the government's Malaysian Solution for asylum seekers.

"There has definitely been discussion in the past two weeks," a senior Labor powerbroker said. "There are some very jumpy backbenchers. There is a lot of hysteria around."

Gillard hits back amid voter backlash

But they played down talk of a move to remove Ms Gillard as leader, claiming it would be electoral suicide. Even those talking about leadership options insist they do not want another coup and Ms Gillard would have to voluntarily step down.

Last night Ms Gillard vowed to stare down any revolt.

"The Labor team supports me as the best person to do this job as Prime Minister," she said.

"There will always be discussions within political parties ... obviously that's the right place to do it, in the party room."

Others in the ALP said Defence Minister Mr Smith would have the numbers in any ballot and Climate Change Minister Greg Combet could emerge as deputy, while some said former leader Simon Crean should be given a senior post to win back business community support.

The disquiet has exposed a split at the senior levels of the government as there remains a big chunk of support for Ms Gillard, with other senior figures saying it would be "madness" to change leader under any circumstances

It is believed heavyweights in the dominant National Right wing faction, including Victorians Bill Shorten and David Feeney, South Australian powerbroker Don Farrell and the NSW Right's Mark Arbib, still back Ms Gillard. The NSW Left factional leader Anthony Albanese was also believed to support her as PM.

"If we were to change leaders now, it would be the dumbest thing I have ever seen in politics," one senior player said.

But another senior figure said the interests of the ALP and keeping Tony Abbott out of power must come first.

"There are serious question marks about her continuing. She has to do what is in the best interests of the party. Everyone needs to set aside their hatred of each other ... but if she doesn't pick up then we have to change."

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Peter Beattie's secret comeback plans

This morning The Gold Coast Bulletin revealed that former Queensland premier Peter Beattie held confidential talks with top Labor officials to fast-track a run for Federal Parliament before the Gillard Government was rocked by the High Court refugee decision.

The secret dinner was held in Brisbane last week to discuss the catastrophic loss of confidence in Julia Gillard and the need for a Labor shake-up in Canberra.

Labor state secretary Anthony Chisholm is believed to have been involved in "Project Beattie" but federal president and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh was excluded.

Mr Beattie, who retired after winning four straight Queensland elections in 2007, topped a radio 4BC phone poll as preferred Labor PM from seven other Labor MPs yesterday.

Ms Gillard tried to dismiss the Beattie comeback as "idle newspaper gossip" before being confronted by protests outside a community Cabinet forum on Brisbane's southside last night.

Treasurer Wayne Swan described the Beattie push as "hypothetical" and a Beattie family member was equally cautious, telling television news crews there had been "no formal approach."

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The knives are being sharpened....can you hear the mumurings?

Julia Gillard has lost faith of the Labor Party, say senior figures

• Phillip Hudson
• From: No Source
• September 02, 2011 12:00AM

Malaysian swap deal ruled unlawful

SENIOR Government figures say Julia Gillard has "lost her authority" and have urged her to weigh up whether it's in Labor's best interests for her to stay on as PM.

In an extraordinary turn of events, Labor figures who backed Ms Gillard when she replaced Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister just 14 months ago are now floating a plan that could see Mr Rudd return to the leadership, with Stephen Smith as his deputy and Treasurer.

"This is about authority and whether she can assert her authority, because she hasn't got it now," one senior figure said yesterday.

More than 14,000 Herald Sun readers yesterday said Ms Gillard should resign, when asked in a poll.

Just 1318 said she should stay as PM.

They say Ms Gillard would have to voluntarily decide to give up the leadership.

Others in the party say Mr Smith, the Defence Minister, would have the numbers in any ballot and Climate Change Minister Greg Combet could emerge as deputy.

Some say former leader Simon Crean should be given a senior post to win-back support from the business community.

It has exposed a split at the senior levels of the Government as there remains a big chunk of support for Ms Gillard and other senior figures say it would be madness to change leader under any circumstances.But another senior figure said the interests of the ALP and keeping Tony Abbott out of power must come first.

"We need to do what is best for the party and that would be Kevin as leader and Stephen as treasurer," he said "There are serious question marks about her continuing. She has to do what is in the best interests of the party. Everyone needs to set aside their hatred of each other.

"She should be given all the time she needs but if she doesn't pick up then we have to change."With Labor's primary vote at record lows in opinion polls and well below the level when Mr Rudd was removed the ALP is bracing for even lower figures in next round of polls due at the weekend after the High Court sank the Malaysia asylum seeker deal.

One insider suggested the time to have a serious look at the leadership was "late this year or early next year".

"Does she think she can recover as distinct from just toughing it out? If you've got the best interests of the party at heart, it is time to be thinking about it. Was yesterday (the High Court decision) a tipping point - I don't know," he said.

Ms Gillard yesterday said the High Court had missed an opportunity to stop people smugglers.

The PM twice accused Chief Justice Robert French of inconsistency, saying he "considered comparable legal questions when he was a judge of the Federal Court and made different decisions to the one that the High Court made".

Last night Ms Gillard vowed to stare down the backbench revolt.

"The Labor team supports me as the best person to do this job as Prime Minister," she said.

"Of course there will always be discussions within political parties ... Obviously that's the right place to do it, in the party room."

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Demolishing my favourite Cairns picture theatre

Stop work order on demolition of former Rex Theatre in Cairns

Melanie Petrinec

Friday, September 2, 2011

© The Cairns Post

DEVELOPERS working on a heritage-listed Cairns property could face fines of more than $1 million for dismantling parts of the building without council approval.

Cairns Regional Council officers have issued a stop-work notice and asked the owner to explain why work began on the Rex Theatre, which was built in 1932, without gaining appropriate approvals.

Mayor Val Schier said an investigation into the development at the Sheridan St site was under way and the owner may be issued with a fine.

"It is quite improper of someone to have gone ahead and done what they have done without letting council know," she told The Cairns Post.

"It is on the local heritage list, and hence, there needed to be an approval. Certainly it is a building of historical significance and a lot of people associated with it in the early days of Cairns.

"No determination has been made at this stage, but certainly they have been asked to explain what is going on."

The building is on the Cairns Regional Council heritage list, but is not on the state or national register.

Under the Queensland Heritage Act, the maximum fine for damaging a protected building is $1.7 million.

Cairns Historical Society vice-president Les Sim said the building had a colourful history, having been used as a motorcycle gang headquarters and a church since it ceased operation as a movie theatre.

He said he noticed work being carried out on the building.

"It is concerning the local council had to wait until it was almost demolished until they said anything," he said.

Cr Alan Blake said there were also asbestos concerns.

The building owners could not be contacted for comment yesterday. 

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Cape York | Coal Mine

Fight looms over Cape York coal mine proposals

Daniel Bateman

Friday, September 2, 2011

© The Cairns Post

No way: Conservationists are preparing for a long and hard fight 

 to stop a coal mining bids in Cape York.

CONSERVATIONISTS say a battle to stop a proposed Cape York coal mine going ahead is shaping as one of their biggest fights yet.

Aus-Pac Capital Pty Ltd has lodged an application for environmental assessment with the Federal Government to develop an underground coal mine near Princess Charlotte Bay, 150km northwest of Cooktown.

Green groups, including the Wilderness Society, have likened the project to logging in the World-Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest.

The proposed mine was among 11 other applications made for coal mining exploration in Cape York in the past month and a half.

Aus-Pac Capital, which is wholly owned by aluminium smelter entrepreneur John Benson, has three applications for exploration permits lodged with the State Government.

Mr Benson did not return calls yesterday.

According to documents lodged with the Federal Government, Aust-Pac’s proposal – called the Wongai Project – would be a small-scale underground coal mine operation on 316ha of land returned to the Kalpowar people five years ago, that had previously been explored by other coal companies.

Aust-Pac Capital stated it was approached by traditional owners to investigate the feasibility of mining the land.

Up to 1.5 million tonnes a year would be mined from the site to ensure the longevity of the resource for future generations.

Wilderness Society campaigner Glenn Walker expressed concerns about the project.

"They haven’t done any exploration, yet they’re putting forward a proposal for a mine," Mr Walker said.

"It’s unclear how all of a sudden they’ve got to this stage.

"What is clear that it would be an absolute environmental disaster."

A Queensland Department of Mines spokesman said no decisions had been made by the Government whether to grant or reject the company’s exploration applications.

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