HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Dec 12

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2003
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Dec 12

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard said today he believed there would be room for
a tax cut in next year's Budget. (Tax Howard)

BRISBANE - The federal government was sending mixed signals over tax policy, Opposition
Leader Mark Latham said today. (Tax Latham)

ECONOMY NIGHTLEAD to come

BRISBANE - Australian Democrat senators today declared their support for embattled
leader Andrew Bartlett. (Democrats Bartlett Lead)

CANBERRA - Drinking among politicians was no worse than in the rest of the community,
Prime Minister John Howard said today. (Democrats Howard)

DEMOCRATS NIGHTLEAD to come

ADELAIDE - The father of David Hicks today said he was still awaiting news of the suspected
Australian terrorist's first meeting with defence lawyers. (Hicks Father, HICKS NIGHTLEAD
to come)

ADELAIDE - An Australian pilot stranded in Antarctica has attracted widespread public
support as he continues to resist US and New Zealand offers to fly him home, his partner
Sue Ball said today. (Pilot Second Daylead)

WELLINGTON - An Australian pilot stranded in Antarctica has told a story about his
South Pole flight that does not add up, according to Antarctica New Zealand. (Pilot NZ
Daylead)

PILOT NIGHTLEAD to come

BRISBANE - Federal Labor Leader Mark Latham said today he shared a lot in common with
one of the country's most popular premiers, Queensland's Peter Beattie. (Latham 2nd Daylead)

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard today said Opposition Leader Mark Latham was
fair game for the government to attack. (Latham Howard)

LATHAM NIGHTLEAD to come

SYDNEY - Former NSW health minister Craig Knowles today apologised for the standard
of health care at two hospitals in his south-western Sydney electorate. (Hospitals Knowles)

SYDNEY - The NSW corruption watchdog today took the extraordinary step of defending
itself against opposition claims it was not up to the job of investigating allegations
against former health minister Craig Knowles. (Hospitals ICAC)

HOSPITALS NIGHTLEAD to come

SYDNEY - Diggers forced to pay $25 in public liability insurance to lay a wreath for
fallen comrades say the charge is "outlandish" and "insulting". (WREATH to come)

PERTH - Oil Search Ltd is closer to getting the long-delayed PNG to Australia pipeline
up and running after WMC Resources Ltd today signed a conditional agreement to buy gas
for its Olympic Dam project. (Pipeline, NIGHTLEAD to come)

ADELAIDE - Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer both hit fast half-centuries to help Australia
to 2-135 at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against India at Adelaide Oval
today. (Cricket Aust Lead Lunch, NIGHTLEAD to come)

COOLUM - Queensland's Peter Senior has adopted catch-me-if-you-can tactics, going on
a birdie blitz on the second day of the Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt Regency
resort. (Golf Aust Lead, NIGHTLEAD to come)


ALSO SEE THE FOLLOWING BACKGROUNDERS AND ANALYSES MOVED TODAY:

CANBERRA - Some things in politics never seem to change. (NEWSCOPE FEDERAL to come)

ADELAIDE - Aviation pioneer or just a pedantic pilot. (PILOT BACKGROUNDER to come)

SYDNEY - The Carr government has a neat little way of fixing problems, so well honed
it is now virtually a mathematical formula. (Newscope NSW)

SYDNEY - Women catching taxis alone during the festive season have been warned by police
to exercise caution after a spate of sexual assaults by cab drivers. (Taxis Backgrounder)

SYDNEY - At 19, and struggling with his homosexuality, Greens Senator Bob Brown plucked
up the courage to visit a psychiatrist in search of a cure. (ORIENTATION NEWSFEATURE to
come)

SYDNEY - He skipped university and borrowed $10 from his mum to fund his first business
venture. (Branson Backgrounder)

MELBOURNE - They are usually seen as bitter enemies, whose opposing environmental views
result in violent clashes and confrontation, but in the picturesque hamlet of Goongerah,
there's one thing that unites conservationists and timber workers together. (Goongerah
Backgrounder)

BRISBANE - Merri Rose may be a thorn in the side of the Beattie government, but the
premier is unwilling to apply the tweezers. (Newscope Qld)

ADELAIDE - It seems fitting that Holden's retiring chairman and managing director Peter
Hanenberger is a star-gazer. (Motor Hanenberger Newsfeature)

SYDNEY - One specialist pronounces you gravely ill, another gives you a clean bill
of health. And while you're scratching your head, the doctors start squabbling amongst
themselves. (Sport Crisis Analysis)

SYDNEY - Over-achiever Sydney is in for a fascinating reality check in the AFL as it
deals with expectations raised by last season's surprise success. (AFL Swans Sportsfeature)

PERTH - When Santa came to the outback on the Indian Pacific, the awestruck faces of
Oak Valley Aboriginal School students highlighted how important the famous transcontinental
train has become. (Outback Xmas)

CANBERRA - Henry Jones is a front line soldier in a war Australia is losing. (Pests
Backgrounder with Factbox)

CAIRNS - Press a button, and the baby doll cries and shakes uncontrollably. (FAS Newsfeature)

PERTH - It was an audacious theft that caused a sensation around Australia, bearing
all the hallmarks of a Hollywood heist. (Mickelberg Backgrounder)

JAKARTA - When "Sukarno's Angels" lined up against Suharto's daughter this week amid
parties approved for Indonesia's looming national elections, it almost seemed like old
times in Jakarta. (Indon Election Backgrounder)

LOS ANGELES - The days shooting the big-budget film Peter Pan on the Gold Coast were
often long and tedious, but its international cast have revealed plenty of fun and adventure
were had during their spare time in Australia. (US Pan Feature)

AAP mo

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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