Abbott 'world's worst tipster': Tony's dad

PM Tony Abbott's dad says 'Tony is the world's worst tipster' when it comes to horse racing. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott may know about politics but he's not so good when it comes to horse racing - just ask his dad.

"Tony would be the worst tipster in the world on racing," Dick Abbott said of his son during a short break from their lunch outing at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Mr Abbott and his wife Margie had accompanied Mr Abbott's parents to day two of the rich new Championships carnival at Randwick.

The prime minister was in an upbeat mood, saying his day had started well with a 55km bike ride.

"And now I can I guess eat and drink to my heart's content this afternoon," he said.

Mr Abbott was not answering questions about a week of highs and lows that saw him welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, to Australia on the same day his NSW Liberal colleague Barry O'Farrell resigned as state premier in sensational circumstances.

"I guess this is a week of sad endings and happy beginnings," Mr Abbott said.

The one tip staunch monarchist Mr Abbott was prepared to volunteer was for Carlton House, a horse owned by Queen Elizabeth and trained by Gai Waterhouse.

"I guess it couldn't have a better owner and you couldn't have a better trainer," the prime minister said.

He wasn't doing his own betting, however.

"I've sought advice and I've given $50 to my racing investment adviser and I've asked him to try to make sure he comes back with more than $50," Mr Abbott said, not revealing who that adviser might be.

Mr Abbott was filling in for the visiting royals, who were unable to attend Randwick for the presentation to the winner of the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday afternoon.

The outing was also a belated 90th birthday treat for Mr Abbott senior.

The prime ministerial party dined in the Directors' Room in Randwick's new grandstand as guests of Racing NSW with broadcaster Alan Jones and former News Limited boss John Hartigan at their table.

On the menu were starters of king prawns, rock oysters and Alaskan king crab while the main course was a choice of veal fillet and rock lobster medallions or poached pink snapper fillet with gingered kumera.

Dick and Mr Abbott's mother Fay are keen racegoers and have been members at Randwick for 35 years.

"I first came to the Randwick track in the 1960s when I was a kid," Mr Abbott said.

"Visits have been few and far between since then."

The PM said it was "nice to be able to give something back to your parents".

Fay Abbott said she favoured It's a Dundeel.

"I think it might be a quinella race - the Queen's horse Carlton House and It's a Dundeel," she said.

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Cyclist dead after collision with car

THE nation's Easter road toll stands at seven following two fatal NSW collisions.

The latest death was that of a cyclist, killed instantly when struck by a car on Sydney's north shore on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the male driver of the Mercedes sedan was uninjured but had been taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Two-and-a-half hours earlier, a man was killed when his car and a truck collided in the state's north at Tyndale.

The deceased driver is yet to be identified, while the man behind the wheel of the truck and his passenger both suffered non life-threatening injuries and were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and witnesses are urged to come forward. A report will also be prepared for the Coroner.

The deaths follow tragedies in Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland over the holiday period.

Three of the fatalities were on WA roads and involved young men aged 17-20.

A Chinese tourist was killed in Tasmania and a Queensland woman died after being struck by a car.

The 67-year-old woman died on the way to hospital on Thursday after she was hit by a station wagon while crossing the road in Beaudesert, south of Brisbane.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the West Australian town of Carnarvon.

The East Carnarvon boy was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when his Ford Falcon ute hit a tree on Collie-Williams Road near Collie.

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday night, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

Also on Thursday, a 32-year-old Chinese tourist died following a head-on collision on a Tasmanian highway.

The woman from China was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband.

Their Volkswagen hatchback collided with the Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Easter road toll stands at four lives lost

AUSTRALIA'S Easter road toll now stands at four after a tragic opening to the holiday long weekend in both Western Australia and Tasmania.

Young men aged 17 to 20 account for three of the deaths, all in WA, and the fourth fatal crash involved a Chinese woman who was on holiday in Tasmania.

All of the fatal crashes occurred on Thursday and authorities have not reported a road death on Good Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the WA town of Carnarvon.

Police said the East Carnarvon boy was a passenger in a Nissan Patrol when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

People who had been following the vehicle stopped and performed CPR on the boy until ambulance crews arrived. He was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

The 17-year-old male driver was treated for cuts and bruises.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when a Ford Falcon ute he was driving hit a tree on the Collie-Williams Road near Collie at about 3pm (WST).

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday evening and again in WA, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree on Narembeen Rd near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

In Tasmania, the 32-year-old Chinese woman was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband, also a Chinese national.

Their Volkswagen hatchback was involved in a head-on collision with a Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta, on Thursday afternoon.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

A 31-year-old Burnie man who was driving the van suffered minor injuries but has been released.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Good Friday processions in Jerusalem

CHRISTIANS in the Holy Land are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Good Friday prayers and processions through Jerusalem's Old City.

Thousands of Christian pilgrims filled the cobblestone alleyways of the Old City on Friday along the Via Dolorosa, Latin for the "Way of Suffering."

They are carrying wooden crosses and following the 14 stations ending at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Tradition says the church was built on the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

The Easter holiday and Jewish Passover coincide this year.

According to the Gospels, Jesus ate his last supper - a Passover meal - hours before he was betrayed. Christians believe Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday.

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Kate delights kids during hospice visit

IT was the simple things that the Duchess of Cambridge did that made the difference. A personal greeting and chat, a smile, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star alongside small children facing the biggest fight.

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Ita destroyed 90 per cent of sugar cane

Sugar canegrowers say cyclone Ita destroyed almost 90 per cent of Australia's crop. Source: AAP

ALMOST 90 per cent of Australia's sugar cane crop is thought to have been destroyed by cyclone Ita.

But Queensland's Community Recovery Minister David Crisafulli says it's up to the industry to seek government help.

"It's too early to just make a blanket statement to say industry x needs this and industry y needs that," he told reporters in Cairns on Tuesday.

"That's not the way it should be done."

Canegrowers said Ita destroyed 90 per cent of Australia's crop as it moved south along the Queensland coast.

The peak body representing sugar cane harvesters in cyclone-hit parts of Queensland said the destruction of 10 million tonnes of cane in the state's north also accounted for almost 30 per cent of Australia's sugar production.

Cane farmers in Tully and Innisfail and as far south as Proserpine and Mackay have been affected.

While Ita was downgraded from a cyclone to a tropical low on Monday night, the sugar cane farming town of Ingham north of Townsville was stranded as the swollen Herbert River cut off the Bruce Highway.

The weather bureau was expecting flood levels to continue falling on Tuesday.

Canegrowers chairman Paul Schembri said growers would not realise the full extent of flood damage until harvesting began in late June.

"Many of our sugar cane growers will have a tough time recovering from this blow," he said in a statement.

"We are going into damage control mode, focusing on the individual growers for whom Ita bought an immediate and severe economic loss."

Inspector Kevin Gutteridge, who will lead the recovery effort, said his main priority was getting access to affected communities.

He said apart from repairing infrastructure, it was also important to assess the human cost of the disaster.

"It's a great thing to sit there and say there's always someone worse off," he said.

"But if anyone needs help, please take the right steps to get the assistance you need ... because down the track things will get much harder."

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Sydney boy aged four hit by car, dies

Rudd secures nation's top silk

A BARRISTER who's ex-clients include an NRL star and bikies will represent Kevin Rudd at an inquiry into the botched home insulation program.

Crop grew on $80k worth of stolen power: Court

POLICE were investigating a break and enter, when they allegedly sniffed out a different crime entirely — a house full of drugs cultivated with thousands of dollars worth of stolen electricity.

Two games ... 736 reasons to weep

THINK your footy/touch footy/netball team is having a bad season? Then check out this hapless mob who've conceded more than 700 points in two games. And they were premiers just 18 months ago.

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Vic govt to consider IBAC changes

VICTORIA'S corruption watchdog could be beefed up after complaining it can't investigate some claims.

The Victorian government says it will consider changes to the integrity regime after the year-old watchdog called for stronger investigative powers.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) says there are cases where it has felt unable to investigate corruption claims because the allegations do not meet a high enough threshold under the legislation.

The IBAC also wants parliament to consider making it mandatory for heads of public sector bodies and local councils to notify it of corrupt conduct, as is already the case in other states.

The change should apply at the very least for more serious matters within the public sector, IBAC says.

Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark said the government would carefully consider the various recommendations and suggestions made by IBAC.

In its report on its first year of operation, IBAC says it has been hamstrung by restrictions in the legislation which set it up.

"There have been corrupt conduct allegations where IBAC has not felt able to commence investigations because of threshold restrictions in the IBAC Act," IBAC says in the report released Tuesday.

Not all the cases were suitable to be referred elsewhere and this may have undermined its objectives, it says.

IBAC also wants powers to investigate misconduct in public office, as is the case under other Australian integrity regimes.

In addition, it flagged the need for stronger protection for whistleblowers.

The watchdog says there are cases where people who have disclosed information appear not to qualify for whistleblower protection and this may deter whistleblowers coming forward with valuable information.

Mr Clark said the government has made clear it will monitor the IBAC legislation and take into account feedback from the IBAC commissioner about amendments.

"The government will now carefully consider the various recommendations and suggestions made by IBAC," he said.

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Stocks to watch at close on Monday

STOCKS to watch on the Australian stock exchange at the close on Monday:

API - AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES - in trading halt, last traded at 56.5 cents

Drugs wholesaler and pharmacies operator Australian Pharmaceutical Industries is set to make an announcement about the carrying value of its assets.

BRL - BATHURST RESOURCES - in trading halt, last traded at seven cents

Bathurst Resources, which has cut jobs and delayed the start to its controversial Escarpment open-cut coal mine on New Zealand's Denniston Plateau, may raise up to $NZ6.87 million ($A6.41 million) in a discounted share placement.

ELD - ELDERS - down 0.5 cents, or 4.55 per cent, at 10.5 cents

Agribusiness Elders has appointed two more non-executive directors who it says will add to the depth of financial management and agricultural experience on the board.

WDC - WESTFIELD GROUP - down 13 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $10.44

WRT - WESTFIELD RETAIL TRUST - down two cents, or 0.65 per cent, at $3.04

Shopping centre group Westfield's split of its Australian and New Zealand assets from its international operations has been backed by financial services firm KPMG.

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Woolworths in breach of ACCC agreement

SUPERMARKET giant Woolworths breached an agreement it had with the competition watchdog over its fuel discount scheme, the Federal Court has found.

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Body of woman found in SA

SA police hope tourists in a motorhome can help shed light on the disappearance of a Frenchwoman. Source: AAP

A BODY believed to be that of missing French tourist Aurelie Lhorme has been found at the base of a cliff on South Australia's far west coast, police say.

Ms Lhorme, 30, was last seen in her parked car near the Head of the Bight Whale Watching Centre, near the Nullarbor Plain, on Saturday night.

"Police can confirm that the body of a woman has been found at the base of a cliff near Head of Bight," police said in a statement on Monday evening.

"The body is yet to be formally identified."

Police Special Tasks and Rescue officers abseiled down the cliff on Monday and confirmed the body of a woman had been found.

Staff at the centre had spoken to her after she appeared to be sleeping in her car on an access road.

Her car was found in the same spot the following morning, along with her mobile phone, wallet and passport.

A search on Sunday, involving an Aboriginal tracker, failed to find the woman and resumed on Monday.

Police want to speak to the occupants of a Jayco motorhome, which was parked next to the whale watching centre on Saturday night, who may have had contact with Ms Lhorme.

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