Afghan ambush leaves 18 policemen dead

INSURGENTS have killed 18 Afghan policemen and wounded 13 in an ambush this week in a remote northern part of the country, the interior ministry says.

The ambush took place on Wednesday in the Wurduj district of Badakshan province.

The Taliban claimed responsibility after the attack.

The ministry statement also said 47 insurgents were killed in the same area during a police operation earlier in the week.

Although attacks with high casualty figures are increasingly common as insurgents escalate their campaign against government forces across Afghanistan, they are rare in Badakshan.

The region, nestled in the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges and bordering China, is one of the most remote in the country.

Casualties among Afghan security forces have been increasing after they took over the lead for security around the country from foreign troops earlier this summer.

The NATO-led international coalition has been steadily drawing down and foreign forces are no longer leading the fight against the insurgency, but are instead training and assisting Afghans.

All foreign combat forces are to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

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New Sea World addition too cute to 'bear'

HE'S so cute he melts women's hearts and even grown men can't bear it.

Meet Henry - an adorable 19-week-old polar bear who is about to make a big splash at Sea World on the Gold Coast.

Staff at the theme park have fallen in love with Henry and he's sure to capture the hearts of hundreds when making his public debut on Saturday.

"Even the males who don't have an emotional bone in their body go 'oooh aaah'," Sea World's Director of Marine Sciences Trevor Long told AAP.

"Some staff members have been brought to tears when they see Henry.

"He is very cute and it is so special that people on the Gold Coast can look at a polar bear because there aren't many zoos in the world which have one."

Mr Long says Henry will captivate crowds as he explores his new exhibit 'Polar Pre-School' which he inhabits with his mother Liya.

However, those wanting to catch a glimpse of the cub should be prepared to fit in with his schedule.

"He plays for about 40 minutes, gets tired, goes for a sleep and then comes out again," Mr Long said.

Mr Long says Henry is about the size of a grown samoyed dog with the energy of a four-year-old child charged up on red cordial.

"He's about 12kg to 15kg," he said.

"He's very adventurous. Being a male he's very inquisitive and wants to learn new things."

Henry's cuteness also won't last forever as he is expected weigh between 550kg and 600kg once fully grown.

Sea World built its polar bear exhibit in 2000 with the aim of breeding the vulnerable species.

The first and last polar bear successfully bred in Australia was born in Adelaide in 1985.

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NASA gives up on Deep Impact comet mission

NASA has given up on the Deep Impact spacecraft, which suddenly went silent after nine years of exploration.

The US space agency said on Friday the mission is over for Deep Impact, which in 2005 smashed a comet with a projectile to give scientists a peek of the interior.

The spacecraft went on to rendezvous with two more comets.

Last month, engineers lost contact.

After trying for a month to regain communications, NASA says there is no hope left.

University of Maryland scientists, who led the team, say the spacecraft lasted longer than they imagined and returned many discoveries about how comets formed.

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Nantrepreneurs take the lead in business

FORGET knitting and pie-baking - Aussie grandmas are going into business.

Australian women aged over 65 have been starting their own businesses at a rate higher than any other age group over the last decade, with nantrepreneurs setting up 18,500 businesses in the last 10 years, according to the annual Bankwest Business Trends Report.

Over the last year, the number of over-65 female business owners jumped by 15.1 per cent, compared to one per cent growth by men in the same age bracket.

Bankwest business banking general manager Sinead Taylor said the figures showed older Australian women were looking for ways to boost their retirement incomes.

Over-65 women were primarily starting businesses in the 'other services' category, such as hairdressing, photography and gardening, she said.

"This trend can be attributed to a variety of factors like lifetime personal goals and people pursuing new interests," Ms Taylor said.

"There's also the impact of the global financial crisis on retirement nest eggs, forcing some retirees to supplement their superannuation by starting their own businesses.

"Age is certainly no barrier to entrepreneurialism."

Overall, the number of Australians running their own business declined by four per cent in the year to May.

The only other age group to see an increase in business self-starters in the past year were the under-25s, with 2.5 per cent of workers in that age bracket owning their own business.

Ms Taylor said challenging economic conditions were driving entrepreneurs to seek the security of being an employee rather than an employer.

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USPS may need emergency rate hike

THE US Postal Service may need an emergency rate increase to stay afloat.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, who's testifying before a US Senate committee, says the agency's cash balance next month likely will cover only five days of its average daily expenses.

The panel is looking at a plan to fix the agency's finances, including ending Saturday delivery and changing the way retiree health care costs are calculated.

Without help from Congress, the agency expects its multibillion-dollar annual losses to worsen.

Media and marketing firms that depend on postal services say a broad rate hike could hurt their business.

The independent Postal Regulatory Commission must approve any emergency postal rate increase request.

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Nantrepreneurs take the lead in business

FORGET knitting and pie-baking - Aussie grandmas are going into business.

Australian women aged over 65 have been starting their own businesses at a rate higher than any other age group, with nantrepreneurs setting up 18,500 businesses in the past 10 years, according to the annual Bankwest Business Trends Report.

Over the past year, the number of over-65 female business owners jumped by 15.1 per cent, compared to one per cent growth by men in the same age bracket.

Bankwest business banking general manager Sinead Taylor said the figures showed older Australian women were looking for ways to boost their retirement incomes.

Over-65 women were primarily starting businesses in the 'other services' category, such as hairdressing, photography and gardening, she said.

"This trend can be attributed to a variety of factors like lifetime personal goals and people pursuing new interests," Ms Taylor said.

"There's also the impact of the global financial crisis on retirement nest eggs, forcing some retirees to supplement their superannuation by starting their own businesses.

"Age is certainly no barrier to entrepreneurialism."

Overall, the number of Australians running their own business declined by four per cent in the year to May.

The only other age group to see an increase in business self-starters in the past year were the under-25s, with 2.5 per cent of workers in that age bracket owning their own business.

Ms Taylor said challenging economic conditions were driving entrepreneurs to seek the security of being an employee rather than an employer.

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Abbott must look at GST: Barnett

AFTER just one day in office Prime Minister Tony Abbott has faced a call from within his own party to "take some leadership" and the raise Australia's Goods and Services Tax.

West Australian Liberal Premier Colin Barnett, still reeling in the wake of his state's AAA credit rating loss, says the new federal coalition government must look at increasing GST revenue.

"I don't expect a white knight to come from Canberra and fill up our treasury with money but I do believe that Tony Abbott as prime minister ... does have to show some leadership on fixing some of the fiscal imbalance of the Australian federation," Mr Barnett told ABC TV.

The premier says he realises WA is the nation's strongest economy and appreciates its wealth has to be used to "cross-subsidise" other states, but that the pool of GST isn't growing as forecast and as a result frontline services will start to suffer.

"Unfortunately one of the tough jobs Tony Abbott is going to have is to step up to the plate and take some leadership on the federation and front and centre of that will be the GST issue," Mr Barnett said.

"I'm sure he doesn't want to do that, but I don't think he has much choice."

Amid speculation of changes to the GST stemming from a coalition government's planned tax review, Mr Abbott during the recent election campaign ruled out adjusting the impost.

But Mr Barnett says the prime minister will face mounting pressure to put the GST back on the table.

"All of the states will say the GST is not growing sufficiently quick enough to fund basic services like health and education," he said.

"I pose the question: do Australians really mind that much if the GST is 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent if it means maintaining high quality health and education, disability services and alike?

"I suspect the Australian people are mature enough to say 'we'll cop that'."

Mr Barnett said options could include widening the GST base, scrapping current exemptions or lifting the rate.

The union movement immediately hit back.

"It's clear that Liberals across the country are preparing the groundwork to hike the GST," Unions NSW Secretary Mark Lennon said in a statement, calling on Tony Abbott to rule out any change.

"The Liberals want to ask working people and those on lower incomes to shoulder more of the burden of paying for community services.

"This is simply unfair and inequitable."

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Economy-wide spending bounced in August

ECONOMY-WIDE spending bounced in August and is expected to rise further now that the federal election is out of the way.

Sales increased by 3.0 per cent last month, seasonally adjusted, after dropping by 1.9 per cent in July, according to the Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator.

But in trend terms, spending rose by 0.3 per cent, its slowest growth rate in 11 months.

CBA describes the seasonally-adjusted measure as being more volatile.

CommSec chief economist Craig James said the index, which tracks spending by business and government as well as consumers, should be viewed in the context of the positive signs being seen in the economy.

"Although the latest figures show consumers are still wary about opening their wallets, the broader economic climate gives few reasons for people to be glum," Mr James said.

"Consumer confidence is up post-election, while both interest rates and unemployment remain at historically-low levels.

"We expect to see a pick-up in spending over the medium term now that the federal election is behind us."

According to the figures, the amusement and entertainment sector had the strongest sales, up 6.5 per cent in trend terms.

The biggest falls were seen in utilities, but the weather could be to blame for that, said CBA local business banking general manager Adam Bennett.

"Some of those industries that have experienced a decline in sales, such as utilities, have been impacted by anomalies such as the unusually warm winter, rather than any long-term trends," he said.

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John Key hails UK-NZ relationship

NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key has praised Britain for the friendship and support it showed his country after a deadly earthquake.

Mr Key met Prime Minister David Cameron in Downing Street on Wednesday, with the rebuilding of Christchurch after 2011's natural disaster on the agenda.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the city on February 22 leaving more than 180 people dead. UK efforts have included sending search and rescue experts and raising cash to help.

Syria and the economy were also up for discussion between the pair at Number 10.

Mr Key told Mr Cameron: "We absolutely appreciate the friendship and support that you give us to the Christchurch earthquake, our soldiers have fought together in battles in many places, most recently in Afghanistan, and like you we share the great concern about what we see taking place in Syria."

Mr Cameron had said to the Kiwi premier: "I have never taken this relationship for granted. There are all the ties of history, language and people but actually it's a relationship we should do even more to build-on because in the modern interconnected world we live in it's these sorts of relationships that can be of real benefit to both of us.

"I'm very interested to hear about the rebuilding of Christchurch, to hear about the success of your government, to talk about the Syrian crisis, what's happening in the Middle East, talk about what more we can do on the economic and other agendas - loads of things to talk about but really great to have you here."

After the earthquake in 2011 Mr Cameron raised eyebrows when he initially expressed the UK's condolences via a text message to Mr Key, whom he has known well for some time.

He went on to pen a formal letter.

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Indonesia offended by coalition policy

A MEMBER of Indonesian parliament has labelled as offensive the coalition's lack of consultation on asylum seeker policy, indicating one-sided management of people smuggling could cause a rift between the two countries.

Tantowi Yahya is a member of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Commission and said the first he and his colleagues knew of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Operation Sovereign Borders was when it appeared in newspapers.

"It's very offensive," he told ABC TV on Wednesday, adding there was consensus between Indonesia's government and parliament not to agree with the coalition's plans.

"What Australia should do right now in relation (to) asylum seekers is sit with any countries that will be involved in this issue ... and we have to fight against it in the spirit of friends."

Mr Tantowi said the Indonesian parliament would "fully reject" the coalition's policy to turn back boats carrying asylum seekers, indicating his country would deem such a move illegal.

"I do hope this policy will not be implemented until Mr Abbott talks about this issue with our foreign minister," he said.

Mr Abbott promised to put in place the coalition's operation from the day his team was sworn into parliament, which occurred on Wednesday.

He is expected to visit Jakarta in the coming fortnight.

But the new Australian government faced a stern warning from Mr Tantowi.

"It will obviously damage our relationship," he said of the coalition's policy.

"Indonesia accepts all possible solutions, all possible proposals from Australia ... this case should be settled in a very modest and very peaceful way," Mr Tantowi said.

He said it "annoys our sovereignty" that the coalition had floated the idea of paying Indonesians for information about people smuggling.

"We could employ our policemen. We could employ all the infrastructures to help," the MP said.

Mr Tantowi said he and his parliamentary colleagues were happy with the former Labor government's Papua New Guinea solution as long as asylum seekers were happy to remain in the country, and "not end up back in our territory".

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Merkel launches minimum wage plan

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet has agreed to introduce a minimum wage for four million workers in 12 industry branches in its last meeting before Sunday's general election.

Launching a minimum wage emerged as a key election issue, with the opposition Social Democrats calling for a national standard setting the minimum wage at 8.50 euros ($A12.22) per hour.

However, Merkel's conservative-led coalition rejected a mandatory national minimum wage and instead agreed to introduce it on a sector by sector and regional basis following negotiations between employers and employees.

"Employers and employees do not need to have politicians setting reasonable wage levels that are fair to workers and keep jobs in Germany at the same time," said Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen.

Germany is one of the few Western countries that does not have a minimum wage.

About 11,000 stonemasons are scheduled next month to become the first to benefit from Merkel's new minimum wage plan, which sets an hourly rate of 10.13 euros in the eastern part of the country and 11 euros in the west.

This will rise to 10.66 euros in the east and 11.25 euros in the west from May 1.

The government plans to roll out a minimum wage set at similar levels to 11 more industry branches from the start of next year.

Construction workers, painters and decorators and security service employees would be among those who benefit.

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Air France to cut 2800 jobs

AIR France says it needs to cut 2800 jobs to return to health after years of falling demand and increased competition from low-cost carriers.

The French airline, which is part of the loss-making Franco-Dutch group Air France-KLM, says it will offer buyout plans in order to cut about 5 per cent of its workforce.

Air France is struggling to compete with low-cost operators and plans to offer fewer flights between Paris and provincial cities itself, while increasing flights on its own low-cost carrier, Transavia.

The carrier had already announced that it was reducing its staff by about 5000 people, and originally said it would stem losses by the end of 2013.

It now says that won't happen before next year.

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Blackberry unveils all-touch phone

BLACKBERRY has officially unveiled its new all-touch smartphone as it ramps up attempts to claw back its share of the market.

Featuring BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, the new all-touch BlackBerry Z30 smartphone, comes with a 13cm display and the largest battery ever to be built into a BlackBerry smartphone.

It also boasts technology designed to boost connectivity in low-signal areas.

BlackBerry's announcement comes two days before Apple's new iPhone hits shelves on Friday.

Latest findings from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech show BlackBerry had been the third most popular operating system (OS) this time last year, but sales have tailed off - commanding just 3.5 per cent of the market share, down from 11 per cent in Britain a year ago.

Blackberry's Carlo Chiarello said the new smartphone built on the solid foundation of the BlackBerry 10 platform with features like the BlackBerry Hub, the touchscreen keyboard and industry-leading browser.

"The smartphone rounds out the BlackBerry 10 portfolio and is designed for people looking for a smartphone that excels at communications, messaging and productivity," she said.

The Z30 will be available from select carriers and retailers in the UK and Middle East from the beginning of next week, with availability being rolled out in all other regions going into the holiday season.

Queues of eager customers have already formed in readiness for Apple's new 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, which allows users to unlock their phone with the touch of a finger.

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Council to make big difference: Mundine

THE coalition government's planned Indigenous Advisory Council will make a difference to the quality of Aboriginal life in as little as five years, says incoming chairman Warren Mundine.

The former ALP president was scathing of high spending in the area which he said had proven ineffective.

"You've got half a million indigenous people in Australia. There's only about a couple of hundred thousand of them who need support and help, and we're spending $25 billion on it on an annual basis," Mr Mundine told ABC TV on Monday.

"That just doesn't make sense to me. I'm a businessman and if I ran a business like that I'd probably go bankrupt very quickly."

Prime minister-elect Tony Abbott has promised to set up the council within a week of being sworn in to the top job on Wednesday.

The council will firstly review current indigenous spending and make recommendations to government, before being responsible for overseeing change.

After airing his frustration at the lack of progress under a Labor government, Mr Mundine is confident the coalition plan will make a difference.

"We're focusing on an area that has been lacking in this whole area of Aboriginal affairs and that is, if you're going to create jobs, that is not through government funding, that is through economic activity."

He said it was essential to work with the private sector to create job opportunities and match education and training, while on another level boost Aboriginal childhood education.

"Through that process I predict within about five to seven years you'll make a massive difference," Mr Mundine said.

The council boss said he had also spoken with incoming treasurer Joe Hockey about the coalition's proposed $42 million cuts to indigenous legal services.

"He is pulling back on that," Mr Mundine said of Mr Hockey.

Asked if it meant the cuts would not go ahead, Mr Mundine said: "No, I don't think it will be cut."

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Harper Lee settles copyright lawsuit

HARPER Lee has settled the lawsuit she filed to secure the copyright to her classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

A federal judge in New York City approved the order last week dismissing the case against Samuel L. Pinkus, the son-in-law of Lee's former literary agent, and companies he allegedly created.

Two other defendants had been dropped from the suit a week earlier.

Gloria C. Phares, the Alabama author's lawyer, says the case has ended to Lee's satisfaction.

Defence lawyer Vincent Carissimi said many people misconstrued the nature of the case and that Lee's royalties were never in danger.

Filed in early May in US District Court in Manhattan, the suit alleged that Pinkus failed to properly protect the copyright after his father-in-law, Eugene Winick, became ill a decade ago.

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Small business sees long haul to recovery

AUSTRALIA faces a long road to economic recovery, even if business gains a short-term boost in confidence from the election of a majority coalition government, new research suggests.

A survey of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in August found that just 23 per cent of respondents expect the domestic economy to improve within 12 months.

The survey of 1022 SMEs by business software provider MYOB released on Tuesday found 35 per cent expect an improvement to take to one to two years, while 26 per cent expect it will take more than two years.

Confidence results were a little weaker than those reported in MYOB's previous Business Monitor released in March.

The results correspond with a dip in revenue expectations for this financial year, with only a quarter anticipating a revenue rise, down from 30 per cent six months ago.

Twenty-two per cent are expecting a fall (up from 19 per cent) and 44 per cent are expecting stable revenue (up from 42 per cent).

MYOB chief executive officer Tim Reed believes political uncertainty in the lead up to the election was likely to have had a strong influence on the results.

"We hope to see a boost in SME confidence now the election verdict is in, but our research suggests it will be a slow road to significant improvement in the health of our economy and our business outlook," Mr Reed said.

"The financial confidence of the country's small to medium business operators is closely linked to the health of our economy and it is telling us a clear story."

He said while SMEs welcome record-low interest rates, they also recognise it as a sure sign the domestic economy is experiencing slowed growth.

Two industry sectors stood out as being particularly gloomy about the outlook - only 13 per cent of agribusiness owners saw an improvement in the economy within a year, while 35 per cent of manufacturing and wholesale business owners expect a revenue fall this year.

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World's oldest man dies at 112

SPANISH-BORN Salustiano "Shorty" Sanchez, considered the world's oldest man, has died in Grand Island, New York. He was 112.

The M.J. Colucci and Sons funeral home says Sanchez, who was born in El Tejado de Bejar, Salamanca, Spain, died on Friday.

Guinness World Records certified Sanchez, a former coal miner who emigrated to Cuba and later the United States, as the world's oldest man on July 25 following the death on June 12 at the age of 116 of Japan's Jiroemon Kimura.

Japan's Misao Okawa, who is 115, was certified as the world's oldest woman on the same day.

Sanchez, who was born in 1901, emigrated at the age of 17 to Cuba, where he worked in the sugar industry before heading to the United States.

The Spaniard was processed at Ellis Island and ended up in Lynch, Kentucky, where he worked as a coal miner.

Sanchez moved to Niagara Falls, New York, in the early 1930s and married the love of his life, Pearl Chiasera, who died in 1988.

Shorty and Pearl had three children, who gave them seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

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Quad bikes too dangerous for kids: report

CHILDREN should never be allowed to ride quad bikes, says an agricultural safety expert.

"There is no way in the world would I allow a child onto one," says Associate Professor Tony Lower of the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety.

Prof Lower is co-author of a study in the Medical Journal of Australia that shows quad bikes are dangerous and suggests that they be replaced with other vehicles where possible.

The study by Monash University and the University of Sydney shows there were 19 quad-bike deaths and 800 hospital admissions in Victoria over the nine years to the end of June 2011.

The problem would be similar in other parts of Australia, says Prof Lower and his organisation reports 12 deaths across Australia in the first eight months of 2013.

Most of the deaths reported in the medical journal involve farm use, but an increasing number of vehicles are being used for recreational purposes.

Most injuries involve experienced adult riders, but more than 15 per cent involve children.

One of the biggest dangers is the quad bikes are fundamentally unstable and prone to rollover. They can flip and crush their rider.

This happens even with the ones marketed for use by children, says Prof Lower.

He points out that Surf Lifesaving Australia is replacing its quad bikes with safer vehicles that do the same job.

And the journal article recommends that farmers do the same.

If quad bikes must be used, then crush-protection devices should be fitted, it says.

"Children must not ride quad bikes and passengers must not be carried."

Prof Lower says he would prefer if farmers let their children ride two-wheel motorcycles, with appropriate protective gear including a helmet, instead of quad bikes.

"When they do come off they may injure themselves but the chances of them dying are significantly less than on a quad bike.

"People visiting farms should not use them unless they are skilled. We do see deaths in visitors to farms."

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Depressed workers suffer in silence

ALMOST nine out of 10 people living with depression would rather "suffer in silence" than confide in their work colleagues, research shows.

This is because many fear that revealing their problem will harm their career prospects, a new report has found.

Researchers are calling for employers to implement better support networks for their staff to ensure their mental health is protected.

The report, titled The Elephant in the Boardroom: Getting Mentally Fit for Work, surveyed more than 4000 Australians with depression and stress disorders.

Of these, 89 per cent believed the stigma in the workplace could be reduced if mental health disorders were given the same care and compassion as physical illnesses.

Another 79 per cent wanted to see a mental health policy in place which listed all employees' rights and prohibited an organisation from discriminating against someone with a mental illness.

Study author Graeme Cowen says simple things in the workplace can make life easier for someone who's having a tough time.

"One of the things is having a manager or people around them who seem to care about them as a person," Mr Cowen told AAP.

"Having emotional support is perhaps the most important thing."

However, he said it was equally important that other support systems were introduced across the workforce.

"Organisations need to make available easy to find, anonymously accessed, resources and information.

"I have never seen stress levels higher amongst Australian employees.

He warned that employees risked making the situation worse for themselves by remaining silent, as managers could mistake their symptoms for laziness or incompetence.

"A boss could see it as a performance management issue, rather than someone who needs help and assistance."

Mr Cowan will present his report at the National ComCare Conference in Canberra on Thursday.

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Housing lots shrink by up to one third

NEW houses in Australia's capital cities are being built on plots of land that are up to one third smaller than 10 years ago, says industry analyst BIS Shrapnel.

BIS Shrapnel's report, Outlook for Residential Land, says property developers are now producing smaller lots to encourage demand.

The higher density of housing also boosts the developers' revenues.

"Median lot sizes have shrunk by between 14 and 32 per cent across the capital cities over the last decade," says the report's author, Angie Zigomanis.

"Developers have tried to keep headline lot prices lower in order to keep the cost of a new house competitive with the existing stock in the outer fringe suburbs, thereby encouraging demand for land," Ms Zigomanis, said.

The report said that Sydney and Perth are leading the way as demand for residential land picks up.

In Sydney and Perth, years of low new dwelling construction had resulted in a deficiency of housing.

Also, houses have become more affordable due to weakness in house and land prices and lower interest rates.

"The upturn in lot production in both Sydney and Perth is now well and truly underway," BIS Shrapnel said.

A pick-up in Brisbane should emerge over 2013/14, but demand for land in 2014 is expected to remain subdued in Melbourne and Adelaide.

BIS Shrapnel said Melbourne and Adelaide experienced the strongest residential rebound after the global financial crisis, resulting in little pressure now on the demand for new houses and land.

"The weaker markets in lot production in Melbourne and Adelaide reflect activity falling from unsustainable record levels," Mr (Mr) Zigomanis said.

Mr Zigomanis said the Sydney market is being driven by consumers seeking to upgrade their homes while first-home buyers are making a resurgence in Perth.

The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast markets are expected to follow the lead of Brisbane, with a big part of demand being generated by population movement from Brisbane and the southern states.

BIS Shrapnel said the sustained period of low interest rates expected over 2013/14 and into 2014/15 would help boost residential demand.

Improved consumer spending and a pick-up in business investment outside of the resources sector would also boost new dwelling construction.

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Abbott set to unveil his frontbench

TONY Abbott is set to unveil his frontbench, as Labor's national executive meets to discuss the leadership contest between Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten.

Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott is expected to announce a largely unchanged team on Monday, with the new ministers to be sworn in at Government House in Canberra possibly on Wednesday.

He will need a replacement for shadow innovation minister Sophie Mirabella - one of just two women in the coalition cabinet - after she asked Mr Abbott not to consider her for a spot on the frontbench.

Meanwhile, Labor's national executive will meet to determine whether debates between Mr Shorten and Mr Albanese over the leadership would be just for party members or open to the public.

Senior Labor figures have dismissed speculation that the eventual leader's authority could be undermined by the new ballot process that gives equal say to caucus and rank-and-file members.

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