NSW: Banks, mobile phone carriers - and Shrek - singled out Shonkys

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2007
NSW: Banks, mobile phone carriers - and Shrek - singled out Shonkys

By Ilya Gridneff

SYDNEY, Dec 4 AAP - Movie ogre Shrek has joined Australia's banks and mobile phone
carriers among the winners of the annual CHOICE Shonky awards for poor consumer standards.

The awards - for dubious, dodgy or dangerous products - singled out Westpac as "Worstpac"

for its high service fees, but criticised all Australia's banks for a raft of unfair charges.

CHOICE spokesman Christopher Zinn said the consumer advocate's pressure on the banks
was showing dividends, with at least one minor victory for consumers.

"We've been having a go at the banks about the penalty fees that they charge and our
campaign singles one, Westpac," Mr Zinn said.

"It's been some months on the penalty fees but on Friday the Australian Bankers' Association
said Westpac would be reducing some of their penalty fees for their no-frills accounts."

He said CHOICE was still waiting to claim "a true victory", as the bank was still to
make a public announcement on the fee reductions.

"It's a small scalp, there is a long way to go," Mr Zinn said.

Mobile phone carriers received their Shonky for deliberately muddying the waters when
it comes to the best deals for customers.

Mr Zinn said the telcos' "absolutely indecipherable" mobile phone plans were a "confuseology"

that made it difficult to decide what were the best mobile phone deals.

Amid the food products, chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella received an award for high
sugar and fat content, while many products received special mention for using the cartoon
movie character Shrek to promote them.

CHOICE gave a Shonky to the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau for failing to
regulate the use of the animated ogre to endorse the sugar-packed products.

It said one of these products - lime green fruit loops - contain 41.5 per cent sugar.

Mr Zinn said the bureau had dismissed every complaint about Shrek-related food marketing
campaigns.

"We believe there should be a national product safety agency instead of the patchwork
of state legislation and agencies that look after product safety," he said.

The consumer advocate also found many expensive health foods did not deliver what they promised.

Among them were trendy "super-juices" like Goji, Noni, Acai and mangosteen, which made
misleading claims of miraculous health benefits but in reality would be no more nutritious
than eating three apples a day.

The awards ceremony, held at NSW Art Gallery in Sydney today, was hosted by actor comedian
Jean Kitson.

Whitegood producer LG won a Shonky for an inefficient washer-dryer and Rank Arena for
a high-energy wine fridge.

Other award winners included the maker of a dangerous retractable dog leash that blinded
one dog walker in Queensland.

A popular playful flying ring also received an award for "spoiling the fun" with warning
labels that said: "Do not launch or throw in the direction of other people".

AAP ig/sg/was/bwl

KEYWORD: SHONKY

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld:Gold Coast Hospital doctor diagnosed with TB

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2007
Qld:Gold Coast Hospital doctor diagnosed with TB

Authorities have begun contacting hundreds of patients and staff after a doctor working
at the Gold Coast Hospital was diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Queensland Health has confirmed a health worker at the hospital had contracted the
virus .. but declines to confirm whether the employee was a doctor or not.

But a reliable source has confirmed the health worker behind the scare was a doctor.

Authorities have begun notifying about 500 staff and patients who may have come in
contact with the doctor .. with letters to be sent in coming days.

A TB control team has been established to deal with the case and a screening centre
set up at the hospital.





Warning signals include a persistent cough .. blood-streaked sputum .. recurring chest
pains and increased temperature.

Anyone concerned they may have contracted the disease is urged to contact the TB Control
Centre Hotline during working hours on (07) 3896 3955.

AAP RTV nt/wz

KEYWORD: TUBERCULOSIS (BRISBANE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Nelson won't offer advice to US on Iraq troops policy

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2006
Fed: Nelson won't offer advice to US on Iraq troops policy

CANBERRA, Dec 20 AAP - Defence Minister Brendan Nelson today declined to say whether
an increase in United States troop numbers in Baghdad would work in tackling sectarian
violence.

Dr Nelson, in the United Kingdom for talks following the Australia-US ministerial meeting
in Washington, said it was up to the US to decide whether the tactic would be successful.

"It is entirely a case for the military command of the United States to make a judgment
and give advice to its political leadership as to whether a surge of troops is likely
to work," he told ABC radio.

Asked if he believed it would work, Dr Nelson replied: "I am certainly not going to
give gratuitous advice to the Americans through the media.

"We have had quite intensive dialogue. We have had discussions with the American secretary
of state and also assistant secretary for defence. We discussed a whole range of options
in relation to Iraq."

Dr Nelson said Baghdad was quite different to the rest of Iraq.

"The Americans have primary responsibility for it and I don't think it is our place
to provide them with gratuitous advice as to whether surging their numbers in Baghdad
is or is not the right thing to do," he said.

Dr Nelson also held talks with UK Defence Minister Des Browne and foreign secretary
Margaret Beckett on Iraq.

Mrs Beckett earlier raised the prospect of Britain handing security responsibility
for some southern Iraq provinces back to Iraqi authorities by mid-2007, potentially allowing
Britain and Australia to withdraw some troops.

Dr Nelson said Australia worked closely with British forces in that area southern and
Australian troops remained under British tactical command.

He rejected a suggestion that Australia might need to contribute more troops above
the 500 now in southern Iraq.

"We have made it very clear that we will continue with out battlegroup operations,
working from Talil for the foreseeable future," he said.

"But the tasks we are doing today are different from what we were doing six months
ago which are different from what we were doing 18 months ago.

"You would expect that over the course of the next year our role is likely to change
again. And if it does change, it will be to further increase the amount of training we
are already doing with Iraqi security forces."

AAP mb/sb/maur/de

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Immigration laws appear to have hit hurdle =2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2006
Fed: Immigration laws appear to have hit hurdle =2

Senator Vanstone said through a spokesman that Senator Joyce had not raised any amendments
with her.

AAP so/apm

KEYWORD: MIGRATION N/L 2 CANBERRA (REOPENS)

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

RU: Gregan appeal to build hospital playground

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2006
RU: Gregan appeal to build hospital playground

CANBERRA, April 6 AAP - Wallabies veteran George Gregan was today to launch an appeal
to help build a new children's playground at Canberra Hospital.

The fundraiser was to be launched late this afternoon by the George Gregan Foundation,
which aims to provide cash-strapped hospitals with purpose-built recreation areas.

Gregan and his wife Erica started the foundation in 2004 after their son Max was diagnosed
with epilepsy.

The foundation has already successfully raised funds for hospital playgrounds in Brisbane
and Sydney.

Special collectors' cards of Brumbies rugby union team players have been made for the
campaign, and will be distributed in a Canberra letter-boxing campaign.

Gregan said the playground, like the others his foundation has created, would be architect-designed.

"We are looking to build a playground with a jungle theme in Canberra that will be
interactive, with noises," he told ABC radio.

"This will be a fantastic project for the community to get behind."

The playground would give families the opportunity to spend some quality time together
when a child was in hospital, he said.

"Some families are in these hospitals for long periods of time, and it gives them an
opportunity to do all the things which you take for granted when you're not in hospital,
like going out and playing with your children in the playground," he said.

AAP ms/mfh/jas/sp

KEYWORD: GREGAN

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Beached whale saved

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2005
WA: Beached whale saved

PERTH, Feb 16 AAP - A beaked whale stranded on a beach south of Perth has been returned
to open water.

A rescue team from WA's Conservation and Land Management Authority had been working
to save the 4.6 metre adolescent whale since it became stranded on a Busselton beach yesterday.

Their efforts were rewarded today when the whale was shifted into deep water and swam away.

"I am delighted that the whale has been released and congratulate everyone involved
in this phenomenal rescue effort," federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell said today.

"The Australian government is already funding the establishment of a national whale
strandings database and now we are working towards the development of a marine mammal
strandings network."

Senator Campbell said the government was also developing a national standard for the
collection of scientific samples to assist in research into the causes of marine mammal
strandings.

"It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore, for it is asserted
that this happens rather frequently when the fancy takes them and without any apparent
reason."

The saved whale has been identified as a Cuvier's beaked whale, which can grow to around
7.6 metres and weigh up to three tonnes.

The species usually lives in small groups of two to seven but it is not uncommon for
them to be seen alone.

Authorities are still waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination on another
beaked whale that stranded itself on Rottnest Island, 20km off the coast of Perth, less
than a month ago.

That was the 20th stranding of the species in WA over the past two decades, Senator
Campbell said.

AAP hn/cjh/de

KEYWORD: WHALES NIGHTLEAD

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

proposal solicitation

proposal solicitation The stage in the business buying process (see business buyer behaviour) in which the buyer invites qualified suppliers to submit proposals.