Four people have been injured in a chaotic string of events that started at a Sydney petrol station and ended by the side of the M4.

In between there was a man armed with a knife borrowed from a butcher, another with a hacksaw, and a police pursuit from Luddenham to Prospect.

It started at a petrol station on Fifteenth Avenue in Austral where a 51-year-old man was being escorted by two men, one who lived nearby and his friend.

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The 51-year-old, who was accused of having stolen property, appeared cool and calm before he suddenly bolted through a car park.

The chase did not last long and eventually the 51-year-old was ushered into a Mitre 10.

But he again broke free and allegedly armed himself with a hacksaw, injuring two staff members and slicing the ear of the man who had been ushering him.

The local man then rushed to a nearby butcher and asked for a knife, being shown two options before he grabbed one and raced back.

But by the time he had returned the 51-year-old had taken off again.

He allegedly stole a truck from Mitre 10 and rammed a staff member as he made his escape.

Unbeknownst to him, the vehicle had a tracker in it and Mitre 10 staff watched his every move.

Police were informed and eventually tracked him from Luddenham to Emu Plains.

The man eventually became trapped in peak-hour traffic on the M4 at Prospect, where he was arrested.

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Kaiya Shute was sentenced to two years and two months’ jail but will soon be released.

The mother of five was ordered to pay reparation of $100,000.

A P-plater was allegedly caught impersonating a foreign police officer by displaying fake Chinese police signs on a Mercedes in Sydney's Inner West.

Traffic officers spotted the unusual sign on the black sedan in Everton Road, Strathfield.

Images show it said POILCE in white on the bonnet next to Chinese characters.

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The 20-year-old man behind the wheel allegedly showed the officers ID and a disability pass.

Ammunition was also found in the car.

When the man's house in Baulkham Hills was then searched, police allegedly found two guns.

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He will face court for allegedly impersonating a foreign police officer and possessing firearms.

His charges include use display emergency services organisation insignia, drive motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia, use false document to influence exercise of public duty, holder of Category A or B licence not have approved storage (two counts), provide information known to be false or misleading, possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, and not comply P2 licence condition not display P plates.

He was granted conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court tomorrow.

His firearms licence was suspended.

The official photo of former federal opposition leader Mark Latham, recognising him as an ex-Labor leader, will have a small note added to it condemning his behaviour following calls to have it removed from Parliament House in Canberra.

The NSW upper house MP has recently faced allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-partner, as well as inappropriate behaviour in NSW parliament.

Latham has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

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Following calls to have his portrait removed from the Labor party room in Canberra, where it sits among all the party's leaders, caucus chair Sharon Claydon confirmed it will not be taken down.

Instead, a plaque will be added with a note which reads: "In 2017 Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party and banned for life.

"His actions do not accord with Labor values and failed to meet the standards we expect and demand."

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has previously questioned why Latham's portrait would remain in the caucus room following the allegations levelled against him last week.

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"I'm sure that there are plenty of people scratching their heads about his portrait being up in the caucus room and giving consideration to whether it's appropriate or not," Plibersek said last week.

NSW state Housing Minister Rose Jackson, who also holds a range of other portfolios including mental health, described Latham on Thursday as a "pig" who would have been sacked from any other workplace.

"I've been on the record about that for a long time...This man has attacked Rosie Batty, told her to grieve in private," Jackson said last week.

"This man is well known, on the record, multiple times, as a bigot.

"He's one of the biggest bigots in the state."

Latham addressed allegations against him in a press conference last week.

"I've broken no law," he said. "This has gone right down the rabbit hole."

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Latham also addressed his relationship with his former partner Nathalie Matthews, who has accused him of domestic abuse. 

Matthews is seeking a private apprehended violence order against her ex, alleging she faced emotional and physical abuse.

Latham has denied the allegations.

"It's nonsense, complete nonsense," he said.

"The police did not involve themselves in the AVO matter, and now Matthews is attacking them for, in effect, not protecting her from herself."

Matthews' AVO application will be heard in two weeks.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Police are investigating his death as a homicide.

‘As a family, we continue to have hope – hope for what might be possible.’

An artwork said to have been created by one of Australia's worst serial murderers, John Bunting, has been listed for sale on eBay with a price tag in the thousands.

The piece of art was advertised as handmade by the Snowtown serial killer from inside Yatala Prison walls with an asking price of $5000.

Bunting, who was the ringleader in South Australia's notorious bodies in the barrels murders, was convicted of 11 killings in 2003.

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The item was listed online for several days for $5000 before it was reported by South Australia's Department for Correctional Services.

The listing was removed this morning out of respect for Bunting's victims and their families.

The drawing depicts a skull-like image on a Salvation Army Christmas card and reads "seasons greetings" with Bunting's signature on the back.

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A Department for Correctional Services spokesperson said authorities would closely examine the artwork to assess whether it was made by Bunting in the prison.

"Action will be taken if any inappropriate behaviour is found to have occurred," the spokesperson said.

Bunting, 57, is serving a life sentence under high security.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said it is a criminal offence to profit off criminal activity.

"Let's assume that it's not, and there's reason to believe it might not be, then it means someone else is trying to profiteer out of it," Malinauskas said.

"That is an exceptionally poor reflection on that individual."

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The federal government has been urged to overhaul the generous tax concessions given to property investors in order to hit its ambitious housing target.

On the eve of parliament returning for the first time since Labor's landslide win in the May election, the McKell Institute released a report calling for the government to rework the capital gains tax discount, which costs the budget about $23 billion a year.

Rather than the blanket 50 per cent discount for all investment properties, the progressive think tank says it should vary depending on the type of property.

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It said the discount should be increased to 70 per cent for new apartment buildings in order to encourage investment in newly constructed units, while at the same time reducing the discount for existing houses.

"A key problem with our existing tax settings on property is they orient too much investment toward established dwellings, at the cost of new supply," study co-author Richard Holden said.

"There is nothing wrong with the commonly held desire of everyday investors to secure their future by investing in the housing market.

"But this desire should be harnessed to achieve our national objectives on housing supply."

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According to the report, the changes would boost housing supply by 1.2 per cent, delivering up to 130,000 new units by 2030.

The current goal of 1.2 million new homes built by mid-2029 is already well behind schedule, and Treasury advised the government that the goal is unachievable and should be revised.

Alongside negative gearing, the capital gains discount has been the target of several calls for reform, particularly from the Greens, while independent senators Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock also modelled winding back the tax breaks.

However, co-author Edward Cavanough, the McKell Institute chief executive, said scrapping or drastically reducing the concession was not realistic.

"We have to stop seeing capital gains tax as some kind of grand moral question," he said.

"That approach has caused a stalemate in this country that has stalled the progress we need on fixing the housing crisis.

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"The CGT tax discount is neither good nor evil. But it should be better calibrated to actually achieve our social aims.

"Instead of encouraging property investors to bid up the price of existing housing stock, we should be encouraging them to contribute to the construction of new dwellings."

Cavanough and Holden said their proposal would be budget-neutral for its first five years, and raise an extra $1.4 billion over 10 years.

The government has avoided talk of tinkering with capital gains and negative gearing, particularly since reports emerged it had asked Treasury to investigate changes to the concessions last year.

"Labor has resisted change to the CGT discount for too long," Cavanough said.

"It needs to creatively reform this poorly targeted tax concession so it works both in the interests of aspirational Australians and society more broadly."

The McKell Institute report will be submitted to the government's productivity roundtable next month.

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Investigators say they are "one phone call away" from finding those responsible for a house fire that killed an innocent Melbourne woman earlier this year.

Katie Tangey, 27, was housesitting for her brother and his wife at their property in Melbourne's west in Truganina on January 16.

About 2am, two people were captured on CCTV getting out of a dark coloured vehicle – similar to a BMW X3 or X5 – and parking outside the address, police say.

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A "significant explosion" then occurs and the pair flee the area, carrying what is believed to have been a jerry can.

Tangey, who was inside the house at the time, called triple zero but died at the scene along with the family's golden retriever.

The three-storey townhouse was completely destroyed.

Detectives believe the arson attack was likely linked to the illicit tobacco dispute, and was a targeted attack but at the wrong address.

"Investigators know Katie was completely innocent and had nothing to do with the illicit tobacco trade," police said in a statement.

Investigators also believe exiled tobacco kingpin Kaz Hamad orchestrated the botched hit from overseas.

"We know we're one phone call away from cracking this investigation," Arson Squad Detective Inspector Chris Murray said.

"Unfortunately the two … the only word I can use is two buffoons who did this act, they targeted the wrong address."

Police are now calling on the crime world for help, with a $500,000 reward for any information announced today.

"I'd suggest even they'd be disgusted at what's happened here," Murray added.

In April, investigators released a digital composite image of a man they would like to speak to in relation to the investigation.

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The image of the man's face was compiled using CCTV footage which has been enhanced.

He is described as Middle Eastern in appearance, aged between 25 and 30 years old and with a slim build.

Police said they had received some leads via anonymous reports to Crime Stoppers, including one call where a name has been given of a pseudonym or nickname.

Investigators are still urging this particular caller to make further contact and provide additional information.

"These two faceless and gutless individuals that carried out this attack, we just need some names to those faces," Murray added.

Detectives are particularly keen to hear from anyone who recognises the man in the image or has any further information on the nickname provided.

"We believe we know who directed this crime, and we know we are getting closer to proving who was responsible for carrying it out on the night," Murray added.

"Those responsible for Katie's death know they targeted the wrong house and they have to live with the knowledge that they are responsible for the horrific death of a completely innocent young woman. 

"$500,000 is a lot of money – hopefully it will encourage those people out there who do know something to do the right thing and come forward.

"Katie's family deserve answers."

A reward of up to $500,000 will be paid at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner of Police, for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for Tangey's death.

The Director of Public Prosecutions will consider, according to official guidelines, the granting of indemnification from prosecution to any person who provides information as to the identity of the principal offender or offenders in this matter.