Deal improves trans-Tasman criminal checks

Australia and New Zealand authorities have agreed to share more criminal history information. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand have agreed to share more criminal history information.

AUTHORITIES on both sides of the Tasman will now be able to request the information to vet people for jobs, training and professional registration purposes.

Australian Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said on Saturday that he and and his New Zealand counterpart Amy Adams have signed a Memorandum of Understanding following a successful trial involving Queensland authorities."This provides an important tool for protecting the community from people who may pose a risk," Mr Keenan said in a statement.He said it would strengthen border control as the numbers of people travelling between the two countries increases.Approved agencies can only check someone's criminal history with the person's informed consent.

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More Abbott leadership speculation: report

LESS than three weeks after Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a party room vote, leadership tensions at the top of the government have emerged yet again.

THE Seven Network and the ABC have reported that Malcolm Turnbull has been told he has the numbers to topple Abbott.

But a government insider and Abbott supporter says Mr Turnbull just doesn't have the numbers.He said this latest leadership speculation was down to the same few disaffected MPs as last time trying to beat up support for Mr Turnbull."The vast majority of people know we can't win the election with Malcolm as leader, because with Malcolm as leader we would lose a chunk of our base and no party has ever won an election without its base," he told AAP.This follows the unsuccessful leadership spill on February 9 when Liberal MPs voted 61-39 to defeat a motion to declare leadership positions vacant.That was without a challenger to Mr Abbott.Mr Turnbull, regarded as the most likely leadership contender, didn't stand or even indicate where he stood on the leadership.The vote did show that internal disaffection - stoked by poor polls and the rout of Queensland's LNP government at their state election - was substantially greater than even many government insiders realised.An immediate casualty was chief whip Philip Ruddock, regarded as having an insufficient grasp of party thinking. He was dumped in favour of Queenslander Scott Buchholz.Assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs said nothing had changed."The issue was raised in the party room a few weeks ago. The issue was resolved and the government is getting on doing its job," he told Sky News.Liberal backbencher Rowan Ramsey said MPs were falling in behind Mr Abbott."We've had that day in the party room. Not everybody's happy all the time but that's life," he told the ABC.Liberal MP Russell Broadbent said Mr Abbott had been given some time, although there was no deadline."He's on a test at all times - so every prime minister is," he told the ABC.Mr Turnbull declined to fuel the latest speculation."I'm a member of parliament so I talk to my colleagues all the time," he told reporters."Really.....I'll leave you guys to speculate about all that stuff."

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Egyptian court jails activist for 5 years

A PROMINENT Egyptian democracy activist has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of organising an illegal demonstration and of attacking police officers by a court in Cairo.

ALAA Abdel-Fattah was arrested in November 2013, two days after activists had attempted to hold a demonstration outside parliament to protest against the trial of civilians by military courts.

Police broke up the protest under a controversial law restricting demonstrations.The law had been passed just days earlier.Activists in the group say they had attempted to hand themselves in to the authorities after prosecutors accused Abdel-Fattah of being behind the demonstration.

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Candidate denies punching Sydney mayor

A SUBURBAN Sydney council candidate says he didn't punch the local mayor at a polling booth.

INDEPENDENT Victor Tagg has denied striking 52-year-old Ryde Mayor Bill Pickering at Putney Public School, in the city's northwest, on Saturday.

The pair were there attending a ward by-election for which Mr Tagg was a candidate.When asked on Sunday by the Seven Network whether he struck Mr Pickering, Mr Tagg said: "No."Pressed to explain what happened, he declined to make further comment.Asked if he was going to speak with police, Mr Tagg replied: "I am going to talk to my solicitor."Mr Pickering told reporters on Sunday he was recovering.However, he declined to give specifics, saying a police investigation was underway."I had an MRI scan, everything's OK neurologically," he said."Obviously there's swelling and other things but nothing I won't recover from in a couple of days."He said he could identify the man who allegedly assaulted him.The Ryde mayor said he was handing out sandwiches and thanking volunteers when he became aware of a couple being berated.He began talking to them before being confronted by another man.Mr Pickering said he only just saw the punch coming."It was too late to react," he said.Police say inquiries are ongoing.

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