1. travel
2. tourist destinations
3. australia and new zealand

OFFICIAL EDUCATION PARTNER
WIN
Become a
bargain
shopper
Job hunter
survival
guide
A VIP HOLIDAY
28-PAGES
TO THE JOHNNIE
WALKER CLASSIC
etc » P33
PLUS 40 PAGES OF JOBS
YOU BE THE
JUDGE
JANUARY 31-February 1, 2009 $2.00 incl GST
WEEKEND EDITION
couriermail.com.au
GOTTA go . . . the magistrate swapped her Bribie Island house, left,
for a Caloundra address, and sent the public the bill.
Fair entitlement
or case of greed?
Patrick Lion
TAXPAYERS have forked out
$32,000 for controversial Magistrate Di Fingleton to move house
after she complained about her
‘‘onerous and dangerous’’ work
commute along a highway used by
thousands of other motorists.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Ms
Fingleton pocketed the special payment last year to avoid the 60km
drive each way, despite previously
agreeing to the commute between
the Caloundra Courthouse and her
former home on Bribie Island.
The Bligh Government went into
damage control last night, flagging
new rules permitting claims only for
moves of more than 100km.
Ms Fingleton had agreed to the
commute with former attorneygeneral Rod Welford in 2005 when
she was reappointed and awarded
almost $500,000 compensation after
being wrongly jailed for threatening
a subordinate while chief magistrate.
Continued P2 »
Ricky goes to Hollywood
FREE
FDRP
MAGAZINE INSIDE»
WEATHER REPORT
Cairns
Few showers
T
Townsville
Rain periods
Rockhampton Showers/windy
T
Toowoomba
Showers/storm
Gold Coast
Few showers
Sunshine Coast Few showers
31˚
28˚
30˚
26˚
28˚
28˚
Brisbane
Few showers
29˚
WEATHER P96
Inside
2 NEWS
January 31-32, 2009
Quick index
Blogger’s view
Business
Cinema
Classifieds
Comics
Confidential
Crosswords
Des Houghton
Editorial
Focus
Funeral notices
Horoscopes
Leahy’s View
Letters
Obituaries
Place & Time
Race guide
Seven Days
Sport
SportsWeek
Stocks
Sudoku
The Big Issue
TV guide
Village Green
Weather
World
67
72
etc
79
etc
68
etc
52
13
62
94
etc
67
66
95
67
53
50
112
111
76
etc
66
etc
71
96
40
Accommodation:
See Real Estate Liftout
Business Opportunities:
Hotels, Motels
Commercial/industrial prop
Bus opportunities
Franchises
Bus opportunities
Sunshine Coast
Property investments
Shops/Offices Lease/Sale
Agencies Partners
Management Rights
CareerOne:
82
82
79 - 82
82
82
82
82 - 83
82
82
See Careers Liftout for index
Carsguide
See CARSguide Liftout for index
Other Classifications
Births
Birthdays
Coming of Age
Congratulations
Engagements
Weddings
Wedding Services
Deaths
Funeral Notices
93
—
—
—
93
—
93
94
94
Online
Get the news
delivered to you!
Subscribe to the email
newsletter and receive the
headline news in your inbox
every weekday afternoon.
Lottery
General 1300 30 40 20
Classifieds 13 22 02
Fax 07 3115 8633
Post GPO Box 130
Brisbane 4001
US Treasury Secretary
Tim Geithner might
regret sticking his
thumb in Chinese eyes.
What the Government
can really do to keep
the recessionary wolf
from the door.
Why the world
should listen when
Leonard Cohen sings
the songs of life.
»P65
»P64
Darcey Freeman is the
tragic, innocent face of
a marriage breakdown
gone horribly wrong.
Can Kevin Rudd do
much to save us from
the worst of the global
meltdown?
»P13
»P49
ETC »P36
Dividends:
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
6TH
7TH
$0
$50,711.30
$4434.05
$96
$44.55
$20.20
$10.80
0 winners
13 winners
68 winners
2449 winners
2983 winners
29,614 winners
105,634 winners
........................................
NSW LOTTO
DRAW 2795 28-1-09
4 17 18 23 30 43
SUPPS 6 11
Dividends:
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
email:
[email protected]
Join the debate on today’s news
with our online comment.
CONTACTS
Kathleen Madonna Dennis
Noonan King
Atkins
8 18 19 24 26
POWERBALL 24
Personal
Counselling
New Age
Health/Beauty Services
Social Events
Professional Services
Removals, Storage
86
86
—
86
86
—
85
Mothers Day
—
Entitlement or
case of greed
Brokers/Financial planners
75
»From P 1
$0
$3308.20
$516.90
$27.50
$12.80
94
94
—
—
—
94
—
—
94
—
93
94
Community Noticeboard
(Sunday Only)
Church, Religious
Dancing
Entertainments
Exchange General
Finance
Introduction Agencies
Online Introductions
Adult Phone Services
Licensed Brothels
Adult Services/Products
Exotic Relaxation
Adult Entertainment
Lost and Found
Contact the news desk by
phoning 07 3666 6266 or go to
the website and follow the links.
Laurie
Oakes
DRAW 663 29-1-09
NOTICES & SERVICES
NEWS TIPS
Irwin
Stelzer
POWERBALL
Funeral Directors
In Memoriam
Bereavement Services
Memorial Donations
Florists
Solicitors
Bereavement Notices
Memorial Services
Roll of Honour
Thanks
Anniversaries
Reunions
YOUR SAY
INSIDE TODAY: A matter of opinion
—
—
85
85
—
85
85
—
85
85
85 - 86
86
86
85
0 winners
15 winners
176 winners
9385 winners
27,769 winners
SEASONAL
Brokers/Advisers:
General Auctions:
General Auctions
83 - 85
Election Notices
Public Notices
Tenders, Quotes
Internet Classified Services
—
91 - 92
86 - 90
—
Public Notices/Tenders:
Real Estate
See Real Estate Liftout for index
Travel/Holiday
32
See ETC Liftout
Garage Sales
Garage Sales
Weekend Shopper
92 - 93
See Weekend Shoppeer Liftout
for index
WEBSITE
couriermail.com.au
HOME DELIVERY
Save yourself time and money
and have The Courier-Mail home
delivered.
Phone 1800 630 130 (free call
8am-5pm Mon-Fri) or go to the
website and follow the links.
BUY PHOTOS
To purchase selected pictures
from this paper phone
1300 301 705 or go to
www.newsphotos.com.au
Check out the fantastic new website at
couriermail.com.au
2 The Courier-Mail January 31-February 1, 2009
But documents obtained under Freedom of Information
laws reveal Ms Fingleton
backflipped and asked for
$37,374 reimbursement last
June after moving from Bribie
Island to near Caloundra.
In a letter to then chief
magistrate Marshall Irwin, Ms
Fingleton said she was tired of
driving along the Bruce Highway to her $262,000-a-year job
as the road was ‘‘busy’’ and had
a 110km/h speed limit.
‘‘(It) has become a busy court
and some days I am required to
work past the usual court
hours,’’ she wrote. ‘‘This drive
has become both onerous and
dangerous and therefore it also
became a workplace health and
safety issue.’’
Judges receive moving allowances when appointed in different towns but Ms Fingleton was
reimbursed under ‘‘special
circumstances’’.
Her claim included $1815 for
removalists, $22,776 for stamp
duty, $1432 in fees and $1350 for
furniture depreciation.
Ms Fingleton also claimed
$10,000 for the agent’s commission, above the $5000 limit as
she argued the cap only covered
a home worth $164,000.
‘‘I doubt there would be a
habitable dwelling in the whole
SENT state a $37,000 bill . . . magistrate Di Fingleton.
of southeast Queensland for
sale at that figure!’’ she wrote.
Justice Department directorgeneral Julie Grantham approved $32,074, rejecting the
extra $5000 commission and
$300 conveyancing fee.
Ms Fingleton was e-mailed
the approval last August.
‘‘That is wonderful news,’’
she wrote in reply. ‘‘Many
thanks for your efforts. You
have a nice day!’’
Only days later, she lodged a
$3.2 million lawsuit against her
former legal team from her
2003 wrongful jailing.
Ms Fingleton’s new home
south of Caloundra is only 10
minutes drive from court.
Premier Anna Bligh ordered
a review of the claim this week
after being alerted to the FOI
application. She last night said
the claim by Ms Fingleton, a
friend, would not be rescinded,
despite admitting the move was
too short.
‘‘Personally, I think in order
to qualify for a transfer for a
relocation expense you have to
move more than 100km,’’ she
said.
But Ms Fingleton, who will
relocate again in 2011, last week
insisted there was nothing
wrong with her claim.
‘‘It makes you a lot fresher
driving to work,’’ she said. ‘‘I
applied. They gave it to me.’’
View the documents online at
couriermail.com.au
Premier
slashes
allowance
for judges
QUEENSLAND’S top
bureaucrats, magistrates and
judges will have their
generous moving entitlements
slashed to the same level of
ordinary public servants.
In a move set to upset the
upper echelons of the
bureaucracy, Premier Anna
Bligh last night revealed
department directors-general
would be ranked the same as a
teacher when they have to
move for work. For example, a
real estate agent commission
claim will total $3300 instead
of $5000 currently.
Magistrates and other staff
whose entitlements are similar
to those of chief executive
officers will also be included.
The move comes after Ms
Bligh ordered a review of a
$32,000 claim by Caloundra
Magistrate Di Fingleton
caught in a Courier-Mail
Freedom of Information
application.
Four years after magistracy
entitlements were last
reviewed, Ms Bligh last night
said she unaware CEO claims
were ‘‘significantly broader’’
than lower public servants.
‘‘I don’t believe there is any
justification for our most
highly paid officers to be
receiving more financial
assistance than normal public
servants,’’ she said.
Patrick Lion
couriermail.com.au
FDRP