Premier. SIEV-7 reached Ashmore Reef with 233 passengers. October – Australia agrees to provide 1550 troops to the US operation in Afghanistan. 28 October – Prime Minister John Howard makes a speech at his 2001 election campaign policy launch in Sydney, declaring that "we will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come" in an effort to build support for the Government's Pacific Solution policy. November 8 November – Katherine Knight is sentenced to life in imprisonment without possibility of parole for the murder of her partner John Price, whom she stabbed 37 times, beheaded, dismembered and then cooked. 10 November – In the wake of the 11 September attacks and the Tampa crisis, the Liberal/National coalition government of John Howard is re-elected for a third term in office. Kim Beazley resigns as opposition leader and is replaced by Simon Crean. 26 November – Former director of collapsed HIH Insurance giant, Rodney Adler faces court on charges involving a $7 million loss. 27 November – A Beechcraft C90 operated by Eastland Air crashes after take-off at Toowoomba City Aerodrome, killing four people. 28 November – West Australian Premier Geoff Gallop announces that an inquiry will be held into child abuse in Aboriginal communities. December 12 December – South Australian Premier Rob Kerin pledges $25 million to improve industrial infrastructure in the Upper Spencer Gulf. 18 December – Fires at Woomera Detention Centre are lit by detainees in protest. 25 December – 6 January – Bushfires rage across New South Wales. No-one is killed. 26 December The south coast tornado occurs during the 2001 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. A campaign run by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Equal Opportunity Commission attempts to secure 14 weeks' paid maternity leave for working mothers. Arts and literature ARIA Music Awards of 2001 Frank Moorhouse's novel Dark Palace wins the Miles Franklin Award Film 4 October – The Australian film Lantana debuts. Television 1 January – Digital Television arrives in the major state capitals of Australia, with the ABC and SBS permitted to operate multi-channel services. 25 January – The Seven Network loses the TV rights to the AFL for the first time, since televised football began in 1957. The rights are won by a Nine Network-Network Ten-Foxtel consortium. 1 February – The Network Ten undergoes a major revamp in its production and circle logo