NSW hospitals at risk of infection

The Opposition says cuts to the number of cleaners in hospitals could lead to serious infections. Source: AAP

THE NSW opposition is warning of an infections outbreak following reports of a drastic drop in the number of cleaners at some of NSW's busiest hospitals.

Opposition health spokesman Andrew McDonald cited a recent report which found Royal North Shore Hospital was down 67 full time cleaners compared to numbers in 2010.

During the same period Westmead Hospital lost 20 full time cleaners while the Nepean Hospital was down 25.

Across the greater Sydney region there has been an overall loss of 139 full time cleaners, Dr McDonald said.

"Slashing the number of cleaners in our hospitals is a huge infection risk and highly dangerous," he said.

The average hospital cleaner cleaned a minimum of 35 beds per week or 1820 beds per year, while unclean beds, wards and operating theatres could lead to serious and deadly infections, he said.

"Golden Staph and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) still kill people in NSW hospitals in 2013," he warned.

"Cutting the number of cleaners also means vacant beds are left empty for hours until they can be cleaned, while more patients sit waiting to be admitted in the emergency department."

Mr McDonald blamed the staff reductions on the O'Farrell government's $3 billion cut to health funding.

"A huge reduction in cleaners and the number of cleaning hours in our hospital is what happens when you cut $3 billion from the health system."

But a spokeswoman for Northern Sydney Local Health District denied the cuts.

She said Royal North Shore Hospital had employed 44 more cleaners since July 2011, taking the number of cleaners to 186.

This represents a 30 per cent increase in staff, she added.

A spokeswoman for Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District said cleaning staff at Nepean Hospital had increased by 7.8 Full-time equivalent (FTE) positions since July 2011.

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Judge finalising deal in Toyota case

Motorists say their Toyota's value plunged after recalls over claims they unexpectedly accelerated. Source: AAP

A CALIFORNIAN judge is finalising a billion-dollar settlement in cases in which motorists say the value of their Toyotas plunged after recalls over claims they unexpectedly accelerated.

US District Judge James Selna said on Friday he was approving the deal that was announced in December and will affect 22 million consumers.

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Toyota since 2009, when the Japanese car manufacturer started receiving complaints its cars accelerated on their own, causing crashes, injuries and even deaths. More than 14 million vehicles have been recalled since the claims surfaced.

Toyota has denied the allegations, blaming driver error, faulty floor mats and stuck accelerator pedals for the problems.

Steve Berman, a lawyer representing Toyota owners, has said the settlement is the largest in US history involving car defects, estimated to be up to the value of $US1.6 billion ($A1.75 billion).

Those who sold their vehicles at a loss can receive anywhere from $US125 to $US10,000 depending on the level of depreciation, he added.

"This is a great settlement for consumers," Berman said.

"It includes both safety fixes to make Toyota vehicles safer, as well as monetary relief for owners who saw a reduction in their vehicle's value."

The company had previously said it will take a one-time, $US1.1 billion pre-tax charge against earnings to cover the estimated costs of the settlement.

"This agreement allows us to resolve a legacy legal issue in a way that provides significant value to our customers and demonstrates that they can depend on Toyota to stand behind our vehicles," the car manufacturer said in a statement.

The cases were consolidated before Judge Selna in Orange County and divided into two categories, those for economic loss and those for wrongful death.

Toyota has settled a couple of wrongful death cases and the first one to go to trial is scheduled to begin in a Los Angeles courtroom next week.

As part of the economic loss settlement, Toyota will offer cash payments from a pool of about $US250 million to eligible customers who sold vehicles or turned in leased vehicles between September 2009 and December 2010.

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People-smuggling boss back in custody

PEOPLE-SMUGGLING "kingpin" Sayed Abbas has been detained again by Indonesian authorities, after a Jakarta court rejected Australia's request for the Afghan's extradition, a prosecutor says.

South Jakarta District Court last Thursday found "no legal foundation" to extradite Abbas, ordering his release citing Indonesia's 1979 extradition law that did not cover the crime of people-smuggling.

His release was seen as a major blow to Australia as it desperately seeks to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving on its territory by sea and to dismantle people-smuggling networks that organise the boat journeys.

"After the court ruling, Abbas was detained again by immigration, and he's still in their custody because, ultimately, the decision to extradite is the president's," prosecutor Mahayu Suryandari told AFP.

"So Sayeed Abbas will remain in detention up until the president makes his decision," she said, adding that Thursday's court ruling was also under review.

Canberra is faced with record numbers of asylum seekers arriving on its shores.

Four more asylum-seekers died after a people-smuggling ship carrying around 150 passengers capsized off Christmas Island on Tuesday, triggering a major rescue operation.

Australia has sought Abbas' extradition since 2010, accusing him of organising dozens of boats for asylum seekers, including one in 2011 that sank and killed some 200 people.

Australian authorities have said they believe Abbas continued to arrange boats for asylum seekers from his prison cell.

A court in Perth issued a warrant for his arrest on 27 charges related to people smuggling to face a maximum jail term of 20 years.

Asylum seekers arriving in Indonesia from countries such as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar pay people smugglers to get a seat on often rickety wooden vessels for the journey to Australia, but hundreds have died on the perilous voyage.

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PM's daughter sorry over Mean Girls quip

Jessica Rudd (L) has apologised for comparing Parliament House to Lindsay Lohan movie Mean Girls. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd's daughter has apologised for offending hardworking political staffers after comparing Parliament House to a film about mean girls.

In a controversial column for Cleo Magazine this week Jessica Rudd likened the halls of power in Canberra to the 2004 Mean Girls flick, starring Lindsay Lohan.

Former Rudd press secretary Jamila Rizvi took exception to the column on the Mamamia blog site.

"It's true that political staff are often young, idealistic and inexperienced," she said.

"But that doesn't make them sex-obsessed, shameless, lazy, or bitchy."

Most of the time politicians and their staff were "too bloody busy to be getting their Lindsay Lohan on".

"Why? Because they're running the country."

Ms Rudd has since offered an apology for the comments following a backlash on social media.

"To all staffers, journalists, politicians and anyone within a 100-kilometre radius of Parliament House: I am sorry," she wrote.

"I know how hard you work, what it's like to balance that with your family life and then to be beaten up about it at every dinner party... to have people say you're a waste of taxpayers money... if you're a journalist, that you spin lies."

But she reiterated her concerns that "cynicism has become the language of politics."

"People don't feel like they can have a conversation about politics without sarcastic quips."

That had led to "a lot of us, particularly young people, feeling like it is either too hard to talk about or too ugly".

Ms Rudd urged young people to get involved in the political debate, be idealistic and use their voices.

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