HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:30, Aug 16

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2010
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:30, Aug 16

POLL10

CANBERRA - Labor is predicting the closest federal election result in nearly 50 years
when voters go the the polls on Saturday. (Poll10 Update).

CANBERRA - Labor is hoping for a lift from its federal election campaign launch on
Monday, following four weeks marred by internal distractions. (POLL10 Labor launch, See
also Poll10 Gillard, Poll10 Labor Update).

BRISBANE - Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced a $392 million plan to modernise
the health system, including allowing patients to access Medicare rebates for online consultations.

(Poll10 Health, Poll10 Health Wrap to come)

CANBERRA - Labor says Tony Abbott's refusal to have a town hall forum with an economic
debate shows the opposition leader does not want to talk about the economy. (POLL10 Debate)

SEE ALSO: Poll10 Polls Analysis, Poll10 Launches Newsfeature, Poll10 View)

TO COME: POLL10 Wrap, Poll10 Analysis, Poll10 Scene to come. Monitoring Gillard on 7.30 Report



CANBERRA - A coalition government would establish the national headquarters of its
planned violent gangs squad in western Sydney, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has announced.

(Poll10 Abbott Update. Poll10 Abbott Wrap to come)

CANBERRA - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is confident he can "stop the boats" entering
Australian waters within three months of a coalition government being elected on Saturday.

(Poll10 Boats Update, Poll10 Boats Wrap to come)

See also Poll10 GetUp Abbott, Poll10 Parental)

More to come after Abbott's appearance on Q&A after 2130 AEST



SYDNEY - The Federal Labor Government's stimulus strategy prevented the Australian
economy from falling into a deep recession, a group of more than 50 economists say. (Poll10
Economists to come)

BRISBANE - Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey says voters' faith in Wayne Swan as an economic
manager is misplaced. (Poll10 Hockey)



PERTH - The Labor government has failed to produce a credible or coherent plan to fund
its ambitious list of new Australian Defence Force acquisitions, the coalition's defence
spokesman says. (Poll10 Defence)



CANBERRA - Former Labor leader Mark Latham has not explicitly broken any electoral
law by encouraging Australians to cast a blank vote in the federal election on Saturday.

(Poll10 Latham, See also Poll10 Latham Vote)



BRISBANE - Labor's hopes of getting its internet filter plan through federal parliament
look destined to fail, with the Australian Greens calling for a PC-based approach. (Poll10
Greens Cyber)

ADELAIDE - The Greens want to build an extended electricity grid across Australia to
bring renewable energy on line. (Poll10 Greens, Poll10 Labor Greens, Poll10 Abbott Greens
to come)



PERTH - Former prime minister John Howard says Julia Gillard has no right to hide the
details surrounding her ascension to the top office. (Poll10 Howard)

PERTH - Domestic politics in East Timor will ensure that country never hosts a regional
refugee processing centre proposed by Labor, former prime minister John Howard says. (Poll10
Howard Boats)



CAIRNS - A Labor candidate allegedly involved in a fight with a constituent at a north
Queensland race track says the incident has been blown out of proportion. (Poll10 Punches
Update)



OTHERS

MELBOURNE - Family of alleged crime patriarch Macchour Chaouk, gunned down at his Melbourne
home on Friday, have taken time out from his funeral to issue a call for justice and a
spray at the media. (Chaouk Funeral Update (pix available)

Chaouk Wrap to come



SYDNEY - The southern hemisphere's first total artificial heart transplant operation
has been performed in a Sydney hospital. (Heart)

Heart Wrap to come. Pix available



SYDNEY - Shares in Leighton Holdings Ltd jumped more than five per cent after Australia's
largest construction company reported a 39 per cent rise in annual profit and forecast
further growth as economic conditions improve. (Leighton)

Leighton Wrap to come



MELBOURNE - Controversial Richmond midfielder Ben Cousins is set to announce his AFL
retirement at a press conference on Tuesday. (AFL Cousins)

AFL Wrap to come



GOLD COAST - Dual international Mat Rogers has announced his retirement from professional
sport after a glittering NRL and rugby union career. (League Rogers Update)

League Wrap to come

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KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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