Speaker boots 100th Labor MP

House of Representatives Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has booted out her 100th Labor MP. Source: AAP

BRONWYN Bishop has scored a century, booting out her 100th Labor MP.

The Speaker's auspicious achievement came during a rowdy post-budget question time as Labor MPs launched a barrage of questions about the impact of the budget.

Opposition environment spokesman Mark Butler had been warned for interjecting while Treasurer Joe Hockey was speaking.

His ejection came after one interjection too many as Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke about the budget.

Manager of opposition business Tony Burke noted it was the 100th Labor MP ejected from the house, against nil coalition members.

"If you had 100 members you'd be in government and sitting on this side. You simply have some recurrent offenders," Mrs Bishop replied.

Under the House of Representatives standing orders, the Speaker can eject disorderly members from the chamber for an hour.

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Healthy housing market lifts CSR profit

A RISE in house and apartment construction has helped CSR return to profit, and it expects demand for its building products to continue to grow.

CSR makes 70 per cent of its revenue from residential construction, and work on new homes had picked up in the six months to March, Managing director Rob Sindel said.

"NSW continues to be strong and the other states are recovering ... we are seeing a more broad-based recovery," he said.

Approvals for the construction of free-standing homes and apartment blocks continue to grow, and this should translate to increased demand for CSR products - such as plasterboard and insulation - over the next few years, Mr Sindel said.

CSR made a profit of $88.1 million in the year to March 31, an improvement on a loss of $150 million in the previous year, in which it carried out a costly restructure.

Revenue grew four per cent to $1.75 billion, while earnings from its building products business increased 20 per cent to $93 million.

Mr Sindel said the company was focussed on increasing its involvement in the growing apartment market, which would be the target of any acquisitions.

"There is nothing imminent at the moment, but our objective is to get higher exposure to multi-residential and also addressing the issues of speed and ease of construction," he said.

CSR shares rose slightly soon after it released its annual results, but by 1540 AEST were down 17.5 cents, or five per cent, at $3.335.

CMC Markets chief market analyst Ric Spooner said investors were probably locking in profits after a strong run by CSR shares so far in 2014.

"CSR stocks have had a stellar run and now that the company has performed to expectations it appears quite a few people have chosen to sell it," he said.

The company also offered no specific financial guidance for the 2014/15 fiscal year.

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Baird clamps down on lobbyists

THE Baird government has unveiled its first tranche of reforms to "clean up" politics in NSW.

Under the measures, ministers will have to publish diary summaries of scheduled meetings with lobbyists and the Electoral Commission will have its powers extended to act as an independent regulator of lobbyists.

The plan has been criticised as having too many loopholes for lobbyists to exploit.

But Premier Mike Baird says it's an "important first step" and will nail shut the "back door to government".

The plan is in response to revelations at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) about the access lobbyists have to NSW politicians.

"I've said from the moment I became premier that I wanted to clean up politics in NSW, and this is an important step forward," Mr Baird told reporters.

"We do want to shine the light on the business of government."

Under his plan, the independent regulator will be empowered to investigate alleged breaches and will be able to impose sanctions.

That could result in lobbying firms being removed from the lobbyist register.

Opposition Leader John Robertson said he was pleased to see the government taking some steps to improve transparency but the plan did not go far enough.

He said diaries should be published on a monthly basis rather than every three months, as Mr Baird proposed.

The plan also had loopholes for lawyers trying to gain access to politicians and it did not cover "chance meetings" with lobbyists.

Greens MP John Kaye said ministerial staff diaries should also be published.

He said under the proposed measures, ministers can arrange for their staff to meet lobbyists to avoid meetings being recorded in diaries.

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Aust housing boom winding down, data show

Australia's housing boom is starting to pull back, making way sustainable growth in the market. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S housing boom is starting to pull back, making way for more sustainable growth in the property market.

Disappointing home loan and house price data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday showed the housing market was still looking good but had pulled back from the boom seen late last year, JP Morgan economist Tom Kennedy said.

The number of home loans approved in March fell 0.9 per cent, weaker than economists' expectations of a 0.5 per cent rise.

Australian capital city house prices continued to rise in the March quarter, by 1.7 per cent, softer than the 2.9 per cent rise economists were expecting.

"We saw very, very solid growth in Sydney and Melbourne, and most other major property markets, and what we're seeing now is a pull back," Mr Kennedy said.

"Over the past few months, there's been quite a slowdown and deceleration from the euphoria that we saw in the second half of last year."

But that growth had been unsustainable, Mr Kennedy said, and "prices are now growing at levels that are perhaps more sustainable over the long term".

Other data such as auction clearance rates and building approvals were also pointing to a wind down in the housing market, he said.

Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan said the housing market was moderating and would continue to do so this year after a very strong finish to 2013.

Rising prices had dampened consumer sentiment around buying a property, he said.

"It's just becoming more difficult for owner occupiers to get into the market," Mr Hassan said.

"What we're seeing from our consumer sentiment survey is a pretty clear turning point in assessments around time to buy a dwelling that indicate price gains are starting to impact buyer perceptions and point to a slowing in price growth by the middle of the year."

UBS economists said housing would remain solid, despite "cooling" off.

"This cooling followed a period of 'heat', such that housing activity will likely remain solid and still add to overall growth this year, supported by ongoing record low interest rates," they said.

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Young boy hurt as 'drunk' mum crashes car

THE mother of a young boy who suffered facial injuries after their car slammed into a power pole was allegedly more than three times over the limit, police say.

The five-year-old was unrestrained in the front passenger seat when the car left the road and hit the pole in Gateshead, south of Newcastle, on Sunday night, they allege.

The boy suffered facial and internal injuries, but managed to walk with his mother, 30, to a relative's house nearby.

He was taken to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital.

His mother, from Gateshead, later returned a breath-test reading of 0.160 and was charged with drink driving.

The legal breath limit for fully qualified car drivers is 0.05.

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'NZ balloon pilot may have smoked dope'

THE pilot in New Zealand's hot air balloon tragedy was a long-term cannabis smoker who kept it from authorities, a coroner's inquest has been told.

Eleven people were killed in the fiery disaster during the early morning sightseeing trip over the Wairarapa near Carterton on January 7, 2012. It was, at the time, the second most deadly balloon accident in history.

Transport investigators say experienced balloon pilot Lance Hopping, 53, had traces of cannabis in his system, which may have affected his judgment.

Coroner Peter Ryan, in Wellington District Court on Monday, said the inquest was not to apportion blame but to establish the facts of what happened and to make recommendations to help prevent a similar disaster in future.

Detective Inspector Sean Hansen, who headed the police investigation, gave evidence of how the balloon hit 33kV lines and the electrical arc sparked a fire. An LPG tank ruptured and the gas added to the fire.

Two passengers, Alexis Still, 19, and Chrisjan Jordaan, 21, were killed when they jumped from a height of about 20m.

The heat from the fire lifted the balloon to a height of up to 150m before the balloon envelope failed and the basket fell to the ground, killing the remaining nine.

Det Insp Hansen also said Mr Hopping's medical certificate for his pilot's licence had expired about six weeks before the crash.

A post-mortem revealed he may have smoked cannabis up to five hours before the crash - despite him telling doctors he had never taken illegal drugs. His partner and an associate confirmed he had been a long-term cannabis smoker.

A witness, Bronwyn Brewster, the daughter of victims Desmond and Ann Dean, later told police they had seen, from a distance, Mr Hopping smoking something on a balcony less than 90 minutes before the crash.

However, once police began investigating the cannabis angle, they could not confirm Mr Hopping had smoked marijuana that morning. He may not have had time.

"I believe it's unlikely but I can't say it didn't happen," Det Insp Hansen said.

The line of questioning from lawyer Grant Burston, who is assisting the coroner, asked why Mr Hopping would smoke a joint within view of his ground crew and passengers.

The inquest is due to hear evidence from forensic experts on how long cannabis stays in a body. There are also varying accounts of how long Mr Hopping's body lay at the scene in warm summer weather.

Under questioning from a lawyer for some of the victims' families, Alastair Sherriff, Det Insp Hansen said it appeared the balloon's ground support crew did not have a first aid kit, and they did nothing while a neighbour and a tanker driver attempted CPR on two of the victims.

There was also evidence safety briefings were not always given to passengers.

The flight was captured from the ground by professional photographer Geoff Walker. The photos were immediately handed over to police, and the coroner has suppressed publication of any images that show the crash happening or any more graphic shots of the aftermath.

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Cuts, but Hockey also roads and jobs plan

AFTER weeks of being flayed for the potential nasties in Tuesday's budget, Joe Hockey has tried to cool concerns with a plan to boost jobs.

The treasurer's first budget will contain a six-year road building plan in excess of $80 billion, which Mr Hockey believes will create tens of thousands of jobs and prevent unemployment hitting the 6.25 per cent rate predicted by the previous Labor government.

"We are going to do everything we can to make sure we never get there," he told Channel Nine on Sunday.

He also confirmed that Prime Minister Tony Abbott had written to the Independent Remuneration Tribunal to freeze the salaries of politicians and senior public servants for a year.

It means they'll miss out on a 2.4 per cent increase while also paying a new deficit levy on all high income earners.

"We've got to send a very clear message to the electorate that whatever we are asking the electorate to contribute to the budget repair task, we are going to contribute ourselves as well," Mr Hockey said.

His comments came as a new opinion poll showed Labor being backed by an election-winning 54 per cent of voters, against 46 per cent for the coalition.

People are strongly opposed to key budget measures that include lifting the pension age to 70 and a co-payment for doctor visits.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the quality of health care shouldn't depend on someone's credit card, and he flagged that Labor wouldn't make life easy for the government.

"We see no point in a petrol tax, a GP tax, a hospital tax," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"We think it takes Australia down a very sick and sorry path where some Australians will not get the medical care they need because Tony Abbott is putting pressure on their budgets and on their cost of living."

Government frontbencher Jamie Briggs has conceded it will be a "very difficult" budget to sell to both the general public and to get through the parliament.

"We didn't create this mess but we are going to take the responsibility to fix it," the assistant infrastructure minister told Sky News.

Mr Hockey refuses to accept that initiatives - in what he is calling his "contribute and build" budget - would be breaking an election promise.

Some initiatives include a deficit levy on high income earners and an increased fuel excise but Mr Hockey said: "We never said we were going to never change a tax or alter a tax".

He said if the government went down the road of raising fuel excise, which has been frozen since 2001, the revenue would go into roads.

The commonwealth would contribute in excess of $40 billion to its roads plan, which Mr Hockey said would be matched by the states and the private sector.

He said the budget would be fixed in a structural manner, but at the same time stimulate economic growth and address the significant drop off in mining investment.

"Everything we are doing on Tuesday night is going to be about jobs and about prosperity," Mr Hockey said.

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Qld girl's abductors known to family

A GROUP of people who abducted a two-year-old girl from her father's house southwest of Brisbane are known to her family.

Bella Rose Goulding was taken from a house at Willowbank, near Ipswich, on Saturday night.

Acting Inspector Alison Jewell said three men and a woman abducted the toddler from the home, where she was temporarily staying.

"We believe that Bella is in the company of people who are known to the family," she told reporters outside Yamanto police station.

"However, we still hold concerns for her safety."

The 8pm abduction occurred on Sancroft Street, which is near a park and the Cunningham Highway.

The girl's father Steven declined to speak publicly on Sunday.

Witnesses saw the abductors in a white Holden Commodore and a silver Mitsubishi sedan.

Bella is described as Caucasian with blue eyes and blonde, curly hair.

Insp Jewell said there weren't any specific child safety issues but declined to say if her mother was among the people who abducted the girl or with whom she lived permanently.

"We are consistently getting information from the public and we're following all those leads," she said.

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NRL star Inglis in third-party deal probe

An Aboriginal charity says NRL star Greg Inglis's work will continue amid a funds investigation. Source: AAP

NRL star Greg Inglis will continue his $50,000 a year job with an Aboriginal charity amid an investigation into the use of Medicare funds to pay him for his services.

Inglis signed a three-year deal with Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) in December 2010, where South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback has been paid as much as $90,000 for doing promotional and ambassadorial work, according to Fairfax.

The contract was last year renewed at the reduced rate of $50,000.

But the federal Department of Health's own rules dictate that Medicare income at grant-funded Aboriginal medical services "must be used for primary health care services".

The department has confirmed it is investigating despite having already looked into allegations raised about the Inglis deal.

"The department has previously considered the specific allegations raised that Greg Inglis has been paid $90,000 a year by the AMS at least in part through Medicare billings income," a spokeswoman said.

"Our investigations have found no evidence that commonwealth health funding was being used inappropriately."

The department will now consider new information received from community contacts, the spokeswoman said.

The AMS says it received conflicting advice about how the income could be used and is seeking clarification from the government about the use of the funds.

However, a spokesman for the service said Mr Inglis's role will continue.

"His role is very important for the AMS," an AMS spokesman told AAP.

"He will continue in the role - there is no question about that in our perspective."

The spokesman said Inglis was an integral part of the AMS's health campaign.

The third-party deal between Inglis and the AMS was lodged with the NRL and there has been no suggestion of any salary cap breach.

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Indon ambassador returning to Canberra

INDONESIA'S ambassador to Australia says his return to Canberra comes after sustained work to repair ties severed after last year's spying scandal.

Najib Riphat Kesoema was recalled to Jakarta in November when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono learned Australia had tapped his phone, and those of his wife and other confidants.

He has been making more frequent trips back to Canberra as negotiations on a new code of conduct have progressed, but the president has now asked him to return for good.

He expects to move back within the coming month.

Asked if the circuit-breaker was this week's phone call from Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who apologised for not attending a planned meeting in Bali, the ambassador said rather the move followed months of work on the code.

"The president and foreign minister have been considering this for a long time," he told AAP.

"It just happens that Mr Abbott recently made a phone call to President SBY."

In Tuesday's phone call, the leaders agreed Mr Abbott should visit Jakarta in June but it's understood no firm date has been set.

It's said the president, whose term in office ends later this year, hopes to depart with his legacy of strong relations with Australia intact.

However the Abbott government's policy of turning asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia remains a controversial issue in Jakarta.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra said the government was yet to receive confirmation from Jakarta of the Indonesian's ambassador's return.

"We would very much welcome Ambassador Nadjib's return to Australia, once this is confirmed by the Indonesian government," the spokesperson said in a statement.

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