A murderer in our midst

MYSTERY DEATH: Police at the Alistair Court, Macleay Island crime scene. Pictures: Liam Kidston Source: The Courier-Mail

   Source: The Courier-Mail

THEY watch out for their neighbours and look after their own - but the tight-knit community of Macleay Island could be home to a murderer.

Locals mourning the death of grandmother Liselotte Watson fear the killer could be living among them. And now police have asked them to help solve the crime.

Officers will spend the weekend canvassing all four southern Moreton Bay islands as the mystery surrounding the murder of the grandmother deepens.

The tight-knit island community remains in shock over the death of the 85-year-old, who police say met a "violent" end. Her body was discovered on Tuesday afternoon after she missed an appointment with a friend, who called police to check on her.

Mrs Watson's death - the island's first murder - has rattled a community more used to break-ins and petty crime.

Investigators will this weekend speak to people on Russell, Karragarra and Lamb islands, conscious that people regularly move between them using the ferry service.

They have also called on people with holiday homes on Macleay Island to check their properties.

"With a homicide investigation, time is of the essence," Detective Superintendent Geoff Sheldon said.

Police would again be handing out flyers featuring a picture of Mrs Watson.

"Over the weekend we'll be there again with the pamphlets, saying: 'Do you know anything about this? This is Mrs Watson's face - the same as your grandmother and mine,' " Det Supt Sheldon said. "This is the death of an 85-year-old woman. There's nothing more tragic than this.

"We just need to work hard and get together as a community and get as much information as we can to solve this matter."

Meanwhile, locals say they have been hit by a spate of recent break-ins - mostly involving businesses - and worry that Mrs Watson's death could have been a robbery gone wrong.

"People are worried about whether or not there is an element here that hasn't been here before," one local said.

He said restaurants, the pub, the chemist, the tip office and the golf course had all been hit.

Sebastian Jablonski, who owns The Naked Fisherman, said his restaurant had been broken into five times since he and his partner moved there earlier this year.

"I talk to customers and it's all about who got broken into last night," he said. "Some people think what happened to Mrs Watson was a robbery gone wrong. There are people who knew she had a lot of money."

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Victim's mother welcomes Facebook move

THE mother of a girl who was almost driven to suicide by vicious cyber bullying has welcomed the Coalition's proposal to make Facebook accountable for removing malicious content.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said her daughter was just 13 when she was mercilessly attacked for several weeks by bullies from her school in Victoria, who relentlessly posted nasty messages on her Facebook page.

"They wrote things like 'you're fat, you have no friends, everyone hates you, I hope you get hit by a train,','' she said.

"They called her a slut and posted her mobile number for all to see, and she got about 30 abusive calls a day because of that.''

The mum said despite reporting the bullying "every few days'' using Facebook's reporting system, she never got any response from the social network.

"I could never get in contact with anyone via Facebook to get things taken off, to get sites shut down, I got zero response,'' she said.

"You feel like why do I even bother, because no one's listening.''

She welcomed the idea of a cooperative regulatory scheme for social media networks.

"What Tony Abbott is saying is true, we need to do that and I think it's absolutely fantastic,'' she said.

Mr Abbott today slammed Facebook for its "hands-off'' approach to online bullying during an announcement of the Coalition's online safety proposal at a Sydney school.

Under a proposal released for public discussion, he said Facebook and other social media outlets would be required to provide an officer as a single point of contact for parents to more easily have offensive content removed from their sites.

The announcement comes just days after a News Limited special investigation revealed students at almost 500 Australian schools were using Facebook pages to bully each other and post offensive messages and images.

The messages included pornography, racist jokes and references to Hitler and Nazism.

Facebook refused to review the list of 500 schools provided by News Ltd.

Mr Abbott said sites like Facebook were not responding quickly enough to complaints about offensive content.

"We hear too many concerning instances where complaints are not responded to and we believe the scheme will give the community the certainty it would expect,'' he said.

"We are going to insist that the hands-off approach which has largely been adopted until now cannot continue.

"We believe major social media outlets will be held to account.''

In the discussion paper, titled Enhancing online safety for children, the Coalition reports parents and schools overwhelmingly did not know where to turn when their children were bullied online.

It proposes "a cooperative, regulatory scheme, underpinned by legislation'' that would be developed in consultation with school and parent communities, ACMA and social media companies.

Mr Abbott said there would be a range of punishments for cyber bullies that would vary according to the gravity of the offence.

"I suppose you would deal with them the same way you would with bullies generally,'' he said.

"Sometimes a stern talking to is enough, sometimes if bullying slips into harassment it can become a criminal offence.

"The important thing is that the purpose of today's discussion is that bullying must stop.''

 Mr Abbott stressed that the online safety proposal was not about internet censorship.

"The thing about the online world is that it's anonymous, it's permanent and it's everywhere,'' Mr Abbott said. ``And that's why protection is very very significant.''

"About 90 per cent of Australian high school students have a Facebook account.''

Opposition communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull said that if bullying and harassment of children was unacceptable in the playground, "then it must also be unacceptable online''.

The Coalition's discussion paper said it would be seeking industry and community input into whether there may be scope to improve the level of coordination with law enforcement to ensure children's online safety.

They also proposed establishing an independent "Children's e-Safety Commissioner'' charged with coordinating a national response to online safety as well as creating guidelines for schools parents, children and internet providers.
 

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Mums face discrimination, job changes

Pregnant women are still being discriminated against in the workforce, the ABS states. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: The Daily Telegraph

PREGNANT women and mothers still face widespread discrimination, negative comments and career dead-ends in Australian workplaces, researchers say.

A survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics of 357,500 working women with a child under two revealed 18.8 per cent faced discrimination in the workplace and 29.3 per cent left the workforce permanently while pregnant or after having their child.

According to the report, 29 per cent of women started or returned to work within three months of the birth of the child.

A further 28 per cent returned between four and six months of the birth and 33 per cent returned within 12 months.

Of the women who returned to work, more than half said they were motivated by a desire for adult interaction and mental stimulation. One in four said they returned to keep their employer happy.

To save costs, grandparents were the preferred child minding option for 87,900 parents (42.8 per cent) compared to 57,700 (28.1 per cent) who utilised long day care.

The research showed 31,200 women felt they received negative comments from their manager or colleagues, 22,900 said they missed out on a promotion, 10,100 reported their duties were changed without consultation, 4,500 were demoted and 1,200 said their hours were changed without consultation.

Helen Conway, Director of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency said she was not surprised by the results.

"There has not been a lot of improvement since 2005 (when the last survey was completed),'' she said.

"We need to change corporate culture."

Ms Conway said sexism in Australian workplaces is still strong and the gender pay gap is evidence of this. 

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Church allegedly kept priest sex files

The Australian Catholic church reportedly kept the psychosexual profiles of priests accused of child abuse, created as part of a rehabilitation program. Source: Supplied

THE psychosexual profiles of priests accused of sexual abuse have reportedly been kept by the Australian Catholic church.

The profiles were allegedly created as part of a church rehabilitation program - Encompass Australasia - which ran from 1997 to 2008 at Sydney's Wesley Private Hospital, Fairfax newspapers reported on Saturday.

The program reportedly treated male clergy for psychosexual disorders and created profiles on them.

According to Fairfax, it is believed none of the clergy treated under the program were referred to police for investigation despite senior church figures being aware of serious allegations against them.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told Fairfax the force had received some abuse information from the church; however, no record of referrals from the program could be found.

Pope Benedict XVI offered a full apology during a visit to Sydney in 2008 for child sex abuse by predatory priests, calling for the guilty to be punished. Picture: Will Burgess

Sources familiar with the program reportedly told Fairfax newspapers clergy involved were "transitioned" out of the church, receiving generous payouts, accommodation and tertiary education.

"There were some outrageous situations that would have been very embarrassing for the church had they become public," a source told Fairfax.

The claims come on the heels of this week's announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard of a royal commission into the abuse of children in religious and state-run institutions.

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Please let us know you're safe mum

Mother of four Vera Stockwell has been missing for four days. Picture: Marc Mccormack Source: Cairns Post

THE distraught family of missing woman is holding out hope the mother-of-four has taken a road trip rather than come into harm's way.

Brother Don Stockwell is pleading for 35-year-old Vera Stockwell, who he described as a "happy-go-lucky sort of person", to make contact with the family after she was last seen walking west along Wiseman Rd, Edmonton, Cairns, between 5pm and 6pm on Monday.

"We all love you and we all want you back here," Mr Stockwell said was the message he wanted to convey to his sister, the Cairns Post reported.

He said Ms Stockwell had never been missing for such a long period of time and her four children, aged between 11 and 18, the youngest of which was the last to see her, were extremely anxious.

"It has been since Monday hey, it has never been that long," he said.

"The kids are the main thing, they don't know what is going on."

Ms Stockwell's sister, Sarah Cook, said she had put notices along the highway and talked to truck drivers when she travelled from Townsville to Cairns earlier in the week, but there were still no clues.

She said Vera may be making her way down the coast, staying at caravan parks and camping grounds.

"She loves fishing and camping and that; she would be staying off the highway so if anyone sees her at any headlands or anything like that (contact police)," Ms Cook said.

Ms Cook said police were searching near Behana Gorge, south of Cairns, yesterday.

Anyone with information that could assist police with the investigation should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au.

Read more at the Cairns Post

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Political leaders letting us down

Confidence in the federal government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard has plummeted. Source: AdelaideNow

Infrastructure NSW chair and former NSW premier Nick Greiner said the federal system is dysfunctional. Source: The Daily Telegraph

Former New South Wales Nick Greiner says GST is becoming an unstable source of revenue for states.

AUSTRALIANS are disillusioned with the federal system and are losing faith in the national tier of government, a new poll has revealed.

According to the third biennial constitutional values survey, two-thirds of Australians do not believe state and federal governments are working well together, with confidence in the federal government as the most of effective level of government falling from 50 per cent in 2008 to 29 per cent.

The findings, published in The Weekend Australian newspaper, also revealed 38 per cent of Australians believe the federal system is not working, as opposed to just over 30 per cent in 2008.

Former NSW premier Nick Greiner told The Weekend Australian the survey showed the public was "running ahead of politicians on all of this".

He said voters were "saying what the political class is in denial about, which is that the federation is dysfunctional and due for a 100-year refresher".

The survey, commissioned for Griffith University's federalism project and conducted by Newspoll, tests how Australians feel about the federal system; their confidence in how federal, state and local levels are working; and their view of inter-government collaboration.

According to the report, the drop of confidence in federalism correlates with Labor's period in government, accelerating during the period of minority government since 2010.

Griffith University's Professor AJ Brown, the survey's lead researcher,  said the declining faith in governments suggested Australia was headed for a "crisis of confidence" unless greater political priority was again given to issues of federal co-operation and longer-term reform.

"There are signs that citizens are declaring a 'plague on all your houses' when it comes to confidence in the future of governance - that with reduced faith in the federal level of government, they are being left with nowhere to turn." 

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Superstorm smashes east coast

Kelvin Grove Markets completely destroyed by Brisbane's superstorm. Picture: Vanessa Croll/Westside News Source: Quest Newspapers

A DAMAGING storm has turned "day into night'' in Brisbane, as lightning and winds brought down powerlines and left more than 6000 homes and businesses without electricity.

Meanwhile, another severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for other parts of the state.

The Queensland State Emergency Service was busy cleaning up the Brisbane CBD this afternoon after wild weather ripped through the city around 11am today.

In Ipswich, a small grass fire was sparked when lightning struck a crane next to the city's hospital just after 10am but the incoming rain extinguished it, a Department of Community Services spokeswoman told AAP.

In Ann Street in the CBD, a hotel roof collapsed under the storm while another 72 calls for assistance were made asking for help with leaking roofs and fallen trees,

Lightning strikes during the storm. Picture: Rajani Manandhar

"It turned day into night,'' a SES worker said.

"It came quickly and then it left.''

A weather alert was posted by the Bureau of Meteorology just minutes before rain smacked the east coast, leaving thousands of people without power.

Weatherzone reported more than 4000 lightning strikes within 80km of Brisbane in the space of one hour.

The Lego Robotics competition is disrupted as a wild storm hits the Kelvin Grove campus of QUT.

A police spokesman said 50 people were evacuated from an inner-city building after the storm caused a partial cave-in of the roof of a lodge in the inner suburb of Wilston. He said the storm had also caused a minor fire in Seventeen Mile Rocks, in Brisbane's south-west, after a house was struck by lightning.

For full coverage of the storm go to www.couriermail.com.au

Police also reported they fallen trees across roads in Milton, Kangaroo Point and the Fortitude Valley area.

People in Brisbane, Redlands, North Stradbroke and parts of the Gold Coast. Logan and Moreton Bay have been badly hit with thousands of homes left without power, falshing flooding and partial road closures.

Lightning strikes create a strange sight over Wynnum West. Picture: Donna Shepherd

A tree was pulled down by strong wind gusts on Kennigo Street, Bowen Hills. Picture: Brittany Vonow Source: The Courier-Mail

An Energex spokeswoman said many homes and businesses had been left without power, particularly on Brisbane's southside.

"It's widespread at the moment. We can see there are about 6000 or 7000 homes and businesses around our network without power," she said.

Supercell thunderstorms with the potential to create tornadoes are threatening to smash NSW and Queensland this weekend.

A large storm lasting about 15 minutes swept over Brisbane following a short period of high humidity bringing lighting and high winds but no hail.

Considered the most dangerous storms, supercells develop where wind shear is present through a very unstable atmosphere.

"Supercell thunderstorms are likely to produce severe weather," said Tom Saunders, Senior Meteorologist at The Weather Channel.

He said such extreme weather events were "likely across northeast New South Wales and southeast Queensland this weekend and have the potential to cause flash flooding, damaging winds and large hail".

"The wind shear leads to rotation within the storm and a longer lifespan," he said.

Flooding at Bowen Hills. Picture: Darren England

"Supercells often cause very heavy rain and flash flooding, large hail, damaging winds gusts and occasionally tornadoes.

Reader poll: So far, it's Superstorm Shaz, but what do you think? Vote in the poll on this page.

The more intense thunderstorms this weekend have the potential to bring around 50mm of rain, but most of northeast New South Wales and southeast Queensland are expected to receive at least 20mm. Weather Bureau senior forecaster Jonty Hall said thunderstorms were expected to develop in west Queensland about midday and move towards the coast in the afternoon.

"With the warm humid conditions and the help of an upper level trough, that's going to lead to reasonably unstable conditions as well," he said.

A tree down on Lamington Street, New Farm. Picture: Jacques Maudy Photography

"The threat increases from early afternoon onwards to early evening."

Storms have already struck in parts of Queensland, with Pittsworth Newsagency employee Lauren O'Shea reporting a storm hit the location just after 8.30am.

"There was a fair bit of rain and thunder and lightning," she said.

Storms are likely right into northern NSW and have the potential to produce about 50mm of rain. 

Cars drive through water on flooded streets at Fortitude Valley. Picture: Brittany Vonow

In Queensland, any storms will follow an early burst of hot weather.

Ipswich is expected to record a top of 37C on Saturday, as will Brisbane's western and southern suburbs.

Much of the west will be in the 40s.

Weather Bureau forecaster Bryan Rolstone said the hottest place in the state would most likely be Bedourie in the far southwest, with 43C.

Steven Boeck films the superstorm that hit Brisbane from underneath the Red Hill shops.

"A northwest wind will bring hot air out of the Gulf (of Carpentaria) and the NT," Mr Rolstone said.

"There'll be more moisture around on Saturday and a trough will be right on us, providing lift and moisture.

"We're about a month behind with our storm season, but moisture levels are rising."

with wires

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Human remains found inside croc

A CROCODILE has been shot and human remains have been found after a seven-year-old girl went missing from a remote Northern Territory waterhole.

Rangers shot the crocodile and slashed its belly in a waterhole near Gumarrirngbang outstation, finding human remains inside the animal.

The little girl was last seen swimming with other children from the tiny community at 4pm yesterday.

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