Canberra CityNews March 19-25, 2009

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Family first for Mrs Zed

“There’s nothing special about us,” says the reserved Ros Seselja while giving MEGAN HAGGAN a rare glimpse of life at home with the Opposition Leader.

ROS Seselja has never been comfortable being in the public eye. So when her husband, Zed, became the ACT’s Opposition Leader in December 2007, she found the media attention difficult to adjust to, particularly leading up to last year’s election.

“It was a bit confronting,” she admits. “I’m not really one of those ‘I love publicity’ people. I’m happy just to stay in the background.”

Quiet and reserved, Ros is a busy homemaker whose day consists of ordinary household duties: planning and preparing meals, taking her older kids to school and back, and taking care of the younger ones.

And with four children (Michael, nine; Tommy, seven, and William, three, and 18-month-old Olivia) to take care of, she’s kept busy on the home front.

When asked how life has changed since her husband became Leader of the Opposition, Ros thinks for a moment before answering.

“It was the best thing for the party, but we knew it would impact on our family life,” she says.

“When [Zed’s appointment to the position] was all about to happen, he

ExCLUSIVE

discussed it with me and we made the decision together. I was a bit concerned about his time away from the family but that’s just part of the job.

“Particularly last year, during the election campaign, life was very hectic. Zed had a lot of time away from the family. Our youngest was a small baby at the time, so I was trying to deal with a newborn and three active little boys.”

Fortunately, she has the support of extended family, “but it’s pretty hectic. There’s never a dull moment.”

Most of us have some knowledge of Zed’s policies – but what issues are dear to Ros’s heart?

“The Government could help with housing affordability,” she says, growing animated as she speaks.

“Helping young families get into the market is very important. We bought into the market at what was probably a good time, though it was still a struggle to get the deposit together and pay the stamp duty and so on.

“Our first mortgage was nothing like the size that people are getting now, so I think there’s a lot of pressure

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4,560 cOpIES A wEEk

Six-month audit to September 30, 2008

Ros and Zed Seselja… “During the election campaign, life was very hectic. Zed had a lot of time away from the family. Our youngest was a small baby at the time, so I was trying to deal with a newborn and three active little boys,” says Ros.

on young families, pressure for mum to go back to work when she doesn’t necessarily want to.

“I’ve watched my siblings go through it: having to scrape money together and live with our parents so they can save their money for a deposit instead of paying rent.”

Ros and Zed have done just that in the past, when their oldest son was small.

“We were saving for a deposit – this was back when it was easier to afford a home. Michael was their first grand-

Editor: Ian Meikle ed@citynews.com.au

Senior writer & arts editor: Jorian Gardner, 0415 516286

Lifestyle editor: Megan Haggan, 0411 045592 lifestyle@citynews.com.au

Arts writer: Helen Musa, 0413 466121

Design and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086

Designer: Joran Dilucian

Accounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler accounts@citynews.com.au

child, and so they were always happy to have him in their house – and on Saturdays and Sundays we got to sleep in!”

These days it’s a case of organising the chaos around her, but Ros says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m a pretty calm person,” she says. “I don’t get concerned if the house is a little bit messy, as long as the kids have eaten and are happy and healthy.

“My house doesn’t look like a museum. There’s nothing special about us.”

Hanging up the hotline

By Jorian Gardner

NOT long after taking the shadow health portfolio in late 2008, ACT Liberal Jeremy Hanson was asked by “CityNews” what he was going to do with the controversial “Health Hotline”, set up by his predecessor Jacqui Burke to monitor complaints about the ACT health system.

He said that he was keeping it – and it was open for business. At the time, “CityNews” had called the hotline on a number of occasions only to find that it rang out. Mr Hanson said he would rectify the situation, and in subsequent follow up calls, we were answered.

But is the Health Hotline – 6205 4874 – for which thousands of promotional magnets were printed by the ACT Liberals to promote it – still in operation?

How about no?

“CityNews” rang the not-so-hotline at different times of day, during late February and early March. It went continuously unanswered on seven calls in a row (not at the same time of day) when, finally, on call eight at around lunchtime one day in the second week of March, it was answered. On enquiry, we were told the hotline was “being dismantled” and were, curiously, referred to ACT Health, to a number that seemed to be disconnected.

Canberra’s slam dunk!

Four-year-old fan Jarrad Lehtonen, with Transact Capitals, Hannah Bowley (left) and Chanella Perera at a special Civic reception in City Walk to celebrate the team’s triumph in the national league championship. They defeated the Bulleen Boomers 61-58. Photo by Silas.

Lights out…

1CANBERRA’S national attractions will turn off their non-essential lights at 8.30pm on Saturday, March 28 for Earth Hour. Organisers estimate that last year Earth Hour effected an 11.4 per cent reduction in electricity consumption and a local participation rate of 73 per cent.

2CANDELO Village, 2.5 hours from Canberra in the hinterland of the Bega Valley, will flick the switches and light up the town with a street parade of hand-crafted lanterns during Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, as part of the Candelo Village Festival. The festival, from midday to midnight, will have more than 30 acts from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra performing.

Earth Hour a ‘stunt’, Letters, Page 6

For kids...

1ON

“Bundraiser Day”, Saturday, March 28, Bakers Delight in Dickson will be joining 180 bakeries across NSW/ACT, to help raise more than $30,000 for the Royal Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation to purchase a nitric oxide machine, which will assist in the diagnosis and treatment of children suffering from acute and chronic asthma. The bakery will donate $1 to the foundation from every six-pack of hot cross buns sold.

2

THE annual Save the Children Australia’s ACT branch charity auction dinner and golf day will be held at Goolabri Golf Course on Saturday, April 4. The golf day ($20) at Goolabri’s nine-hole golf course includes a free barbecue lunch. That evening, there’s a five-course degustation dinner ($60) and charity auction. All profits will go towards Save the Children Australia. Golf registration and dinner bookings to 6230 3294.

MARk pARTON celebrates the wonderful effect sport has on our community and why the A-League football team is important for c anberra.

United we stand

WHEN Les McIntyre passed away in Queanbeyan last month, a part of Canberra died. Les was the genuine father of the Canberra Raiders. His vision and his persistence saw the Raiders come to be and their emergence changed this city forever. Although we’d experienced national sporting success with the Canberra Cannons in the National Basketball League, somehow this was different. The Raiders reach into the community in those early days was unprecedented.

The fairytale reached its climax in 1989 when the Raiders brought the trophy home. The reception at the airport and the fanfare that followed were not scenes that had ever been witnessed in this city.

Les McIntyre’s son John, the current Raiders chairman, suggests that, “Canberra was a city without a soul,” before the Raiders.

The Canberra Raiders, the Brumbies, The Capitals, even lesser teams such as Canberra United in the W-League, play a genuine role in galvanising this community.

Community is not just about a group of people who share the same postcode. When you sit in the crowd at Canberra Stadium in a sea of ridiculously yellow Brumbies caps cheering the local boys over the try line you can feel genuine civic pride and community.

I’d love to know how many young Canberrans have been inspired by our sporting teams. Inspired either to follow their sporting dreams, or just to get out in the backyard

to burn up some energy and mimic their heroes. My two girls are playing soccer for Belnorth this year. They’ve been absolutely inspired by their new sporting heroes Canberra United.

Before going along to watch the girls in green at McKellar Stadium, Brydie and Delaney didn’t give two hoots about the round ball game. Now, they can’t wait to get out there and emulate their heroes.

It’s one of the reasons why we must all band together and do whatever is necessary to score an A-League team for Canberra and then support it with passion when it arrives. We’ve seen that support in the form of petitions and membership pledges and bums on seats at the Socceroos game earlier in the month. I’ve got a good feeling about our ALeague bid. I think Canberra will get its own football team. May they bring us even closer together when they get here.

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‘Swimming with the kids is now fun, thanks to Canberra Eye Hospital.’ Cate, 32

Integrity down drain

ALL MPs are in favour of electoral integrity. Just ask them! Now ask the Federal Liberals why they voted down Labor Senator Faulkner’s legislation to prevent corruption of the electoral donation process. Since coming to government, this Special Minister for State has been working tirelessly to enhance the transparency of the electoral system and to improve its integrity.

His Green Paper was intended to slash corruption, improve openness in the electoral system and enhance our democracy. Unfortunately, the Liberals have continued to undermine the integrity of the system as they did when John Howard’s Government changed the disclosure threshold for political donations and expenditure from $1000 to $10,900.

When this legislation was blocked in the Senate, it was the Liberals with the help of Family First that allowed this outrageous level of secrecy to continue. It would have only taken one of them to cross the floor to protect our democracy.

Senator Faulkner told ABC radio reason for the reform is that you can currently “donate more than $10,000 to a political party and nobody knows about it... and if you’re really smart you can donate $10,000 to a nationally registered political party and in eight States and Territory branches of the same party, and have all those monies, the best part of $100,000 unknown, no transparency at all to the Australian

By Michael Moore

people. That is a totally unsatisfactory situation. We need to clean it up”.

Some of the other loopholes that the Liberals failed to close when they were tested by the introduction of this legislation include a ban on anonymous donations over $50 and donations going to separate branches of the same party to be treated separately, allowing multiple donations below the threshold to be hidden. It is even harder to understand why the Liberals would knock back a move to stop candidates being able to make a financial gain from public funding.

The Liberals provided an excuse as outlined in Senator Ronaldson’s response to the Bill before voting it down, “I again ask the Government, the Greens and the Independents to give this Bill the opportunity to be debated when we have in front of us comprehensive legislation for campaign finance reform”.

The Liberals have failed this first test, but at least they will get another opportunity to redeem themselves. The electoral system needs cleaning up. This is one area where all the parties should collaborate to ensure there is no whiff of corruption.

Michael Moore is a former independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and minister for health.

than

Earth Hour ‘stunt’

THE Earth Hour [on March 28] stunt is conducted by the World Wildlife Foundation, the wealthiest of fundamentalist environmental groups. It poses as a saviour of the planet and unashamedly promotes false information concerning polar bears, Arctic ice melts and other emotive wildlife icons, as well as scares like global warming. Its concern is a front for more shadowy goals that are rooted in eugenics and global governance by elites.

Even if compliance were ever huge, benefit to the environment would be minuscule.

No matter, the stunt is more about manipulating us to accept a new green world order and conform to WWF’s propaganda than saving the planet.

Greg O’Regan, Farrer

Garema disgrace

1THANK you for Jorian Gardner’ s graphic reality piece on Garema Place (“CityNews”, March 5), my professional home. As the manager of a business robbed by one of these dangerous and unstable “regulars” free to walk through the front door any day, I make a suggestion: Move the courts and the ACT Legislative Assembly here for a week, stripped of their instant security systems, guards and police, experiencing the same level of workplace danger we do. Things might suddenly change!

Rod Howell, Bookmart, Garema Place, Civic

2I

READ Jorian Gardner’s article “Disgrace of Garema Place” and it’s totally true. Last time we went, we were heckled at by some junky dudes and that’s why my husband and I rarely eat there. It needs to belong to the people again. Nice work!

Danielle Pieroni , Fisher

3WHILE there may be a very real and serious issue brought to light by [Jorian Gardner’s] recent article [“Disgrace of Garema Place”], I think the actual discussion we need to be having is what we, as a society, are doing to support these “beggars, under-age drinkers and homeless”. Why do they “swear, argue and heckle”? How did Garema Place become such a “disgrace”?

This issue becomes even more prominent in an economic climate such as the present. We have all heard stories of job losses, mounting debt and, indeed, the very reality of financial crisis. It is now we need to address the question of how Garema Place became such a disgrace; before we see the problem worsen and spiral out of control.

Anna

M Thompson, Braddon

Crown to bishop

BISHOP Pat Power is the 2009 Canberra Citizen of the Year. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said: “Bishop Power’s commitment extends far beyond the Catholic community.

“He can always be found providing comfort, companionship and spiritual guidance to those in need, attending to the sick and bereaved, speaking out against prejudice and inequality, or advocating publicly for Aboriginal reconciliation, refugee welfare, peace-keeping, racial respect, the unemployed and the rights of the old and the dying.”

rsvP

At ‘Mest @ Parlour’ fashion fundraising event, New Acton

Look what’s just around the corner.

Ambassador. Everything you need in a

The superb apartments and penthouses of The Ambassador are located in the heart of Canberra’s prestigious inner south, just down the road from The Lodge. But it’s not just about the address. Where else can you combine superb views and luxury apartment living with the convenience of shops, cafés and recreation facilities literally at your door?

As befits its exceptional Deakin location, The Ambassador has been designed by leading architect Colin Stewart with an uncompromising commitment to quality. Spacious living areas and exceptionally large balconies command sweeping views to Parliament House, Black Mountain and the Brindabellas.

We’re only a few apartment sales away from triggering our construction milestone, so there’s never been a better time to talk to us. Call 6273 9661, see our website or visit our display suite, corner Hopetoun Circuit and Grey Street Deakin, open 11am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.

Local law firm hot for property

LOCALLY-OWNED and newly re-branded law  rm DibbsBarker is focusing on core business sectors, including the property industry, says managing partner John Buxton.

“We have a new focus on key industries, sectors where we have built up a great deal of expertise,” Mr Buxton says.

Known until recently as Dibbs Abbott Stillman, DibbsBarker has a long history in Canberra.

The  rm started out 50 years ago as Crossin and Co, and Mr Buxton is keen for existing and previous clients to retain awareness of the company’s history as a trusted legal  rm following the re-branding.

DibbsBarker also has Sydney, Perth and Brisbane of ces owned by locals in those cities.

Mr Buxton says the  rm hopes to work with many of the predicted surge of  rst home buyers about to enter the property market, as it has extensive experience working with all levels of the property sector.

“We have the experience to work through the myriad of laws and regulations associated with the property sector, and our three team members – Ben Gulan, John Chamberlain and Jason Wenning – are highly regarded and experienced property operators.”

Mr Gulan says he’s seen a great deal of growth in DibbsBarker’s residential, commercial, construction and leasing business in recent years.

“We’ve found the specialisation we have developed across the sector, backed by the quality of our team, has led to this growth.

“From acting for large national property trusts, large shopping centre owners, builders and developers, sellers and purchasers of residential property, we’ve demonstrated not only depth of service but quality, innovation and what the market has deemed value-for-money proactive service.”

As well as property, DibbsBarker will focus on the insurance, government, banking and  nance, consumer goods, and medical/pharmaceutical sectors.

“This is the result of an intense planning process where we thought about where our clients needed the  rm to be,” Mr Buxton says.

“In Canberra, we are very excited about this national strategy, together with our colleagues in the DibbsBarker of  ces in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.

“We now have a real focus to support our clients here in the Canberra market while playing a strong role with our national clients across the country.

“Our lawyers are some of the most experienced and recognised thought leaders in these industries.”

Mr Buxton says that Australians are increasingly looking towards their service providers, including legal  rms, to provide superior, valueadded services.

“We believe we provide better value for our clients in that we produce better outcomes through strategic thinking.

“It’s not about how big you are any more. It’s about how good you are. It’s about strength and excellence.

“DibbsBarker will deliver value to our clients, challenge the old paradigms of how law  rms work with their clients, and focus upon what we do best.”

This includes a thorough understanding of the local market, Mr Buxton says.

“The owners of the Canberra of  ce live here, which means we have long-term local commitment and ownership, with national strength.”

DibbsBarker is located at Canberra House, 40 Marcus Clarke Street, Civic. For more information, call 6201 7222, or visit www.dibbsbarker.com.

French films with winning ways

Arts writer HELEN MUSA finds herself on the trail of a couple of forthcoming, fabulous festivals…

ORGANISERS of the 2009 Alliance Française French Film Festival got a big surprise when they discovered that one of their featured films, “Seraphine” had won, not just one but seven awards, including Best Movie and Best Actress, at the high-flying Césars, France’s equivalent of the Oscars.

A deceptively simple film directed by Martin Provost, “Seraphine” stars Yolande Moreau as a housekeeper whose hours are occupied with the solitary duties of laundry, cleaning and ironing but who finds time to immerse herself in the mysteries of nature.

Actually, according to the director-general of the Alliance Française, Bruno Duparc, all eyes had been on the two-part “Public Enemy Number One”, where Vincent Cassel plays gangland anti-hero Jacques Mesrine, gunned down by police in 1979. That won three Césars.

For Duparc, putting together this year’s festival

of five documentaries, two children’s films and 28 adult features ranging from comedies, musicals and thrillers for heavy-duty drama, has been a major nationwide logistical exercise. Driven from Canberra, with public relations from Melbourne, the artistic direction came from Sydney.

Duparc is keen to talk up the documentary content. “Modern life”, by a veteran documentary director Raymond Depardon, tells the story of two octogenarian farmers whose way of life is fast disappearing. On the more controversial side will be “It’s Hard Being Loved by Jerk s”, a documentary about Philippe Val, the editor taken to court for publishing the Danish cartoons featuring the Prophet Muhammad.

Needless to say, the festival features stars old and new, with the luscious Virginie Ledoyen making several appearances and appearances by Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi.

And, of course, Duparc sighs, “there are the inevitable [Daniel] Auteuil and [Gerard] Depardieu”. He declares himself quite chuffed that in 2007,

Music crackles with passion

YOU’D go a long way to find two more musically charged personalities than Christopher Latham and Elaine Kats-Chernin.

they managed to have a festival without Depardieu, “but what can you do?” Duparc asks. “There isn’t a rule that says you can’t have him.”

Sure enough, Depardieu turns up, larger-thanlife as Obelix in the kids’ film “Astérix at the Olympic Games”, the most expensive French film ever made with a reported budget of $115 million.

The 20th Alliance Francaise Film Festival is running at Greater Union Cinemas in Manuka, until March 29. Program and bookings at www. frenchfilmfestival.org/film31/canberra.aspx

New ‘meating’ place

I FELT like a carnivore, a real carnivore. But that happens when you feast at a South American barbecue, as I did at a new restaurant in Manuka.

Mistress@Manuka specialises in Churrasco (pronounced shoo-has-ko) a style of food pioneered hundreds of years ago by early South American cowboys who skewered meat (lots and lots of meat) and slowly roasted it over smoking hot, Bourbon-marinated, hickory coals. They use rubs and fiery spice combinations passed down through the generations to create fullflavoured, taste sensations.

The best way to experience Churrasco is to order the banquet and settle in for two or three hours and graze until you cannot graze anymore. The full banquet ($55 a head) includes six entrees, eight mains and three sides. It’s not for the faint hearted, but the restaurant – realising not everyone has a massive gaucho appetite – also has a “half Churrasco” option ($35 a head).

The entrees arrived at the table at once, including honey, soy and garlic chicken, barbecue marinated pork ribs, deep-fried crumbed haloumi and cheese and olive stuffed mushrooms. Then the meats started to make their grand entrance, one by one, still on their long sword skewers. The meat is carved at the table and you grab it as it falls off the skewer with your own set of tongs. The names of the dishes are as sensual as the food and include Picanha (Tabasco and watercress rump steak medallioins), Frango (quince and lime glazed chick-

DINING

By Wendy Johnson

Lamb skewers… part of a great selection of tapas.

by Silas.

en thighs), Porco (pork leg marinated in maple and mustard), Cameiro (lamb with cumin and sea salt) and Camarao (garlic and chilli prawns).

Mistress@Manuka also has a great selection of tapas and other items on the menu, including vegetarian options.

Open Tuesday-Sunday lunch and dinner at 42 Franklin Street, Manuka, call 6162 1753.

In a round-table discussion with “CityNews” at the Hyatt, Latham, the virtuoso violinistturned-festival-director and Kats-Chernin, concert pianist and one of Australia’s top composers, outlined some of the key performances in the coming 15th Canberra International Music Festival, to be seen in the ACT’s national and cultural institutions from May 7-17.

While Latham was running away with ideas for expanding this growing event to reach audiences of 30,000 by the year 2011, KatsChernin focused firmly on the commissions that will form her contribution to the festival. Admitting that she really rather liked composing for “occasions”, the composer explained that she had spent 10 years in Germany working with a ferocious theatre director whose every mood demanded new compositions, so she was used to writing to a brief and to revising, both of which she now found artistically challenging.

For the gala performance on May 7, which will head up the festival, Kats-Chernin has created the third in the “Beaver Blaze series” commissioned by Canberra musical and visual arts personality Betty Beaver. The new composition, which was heard earlier in the day at the National Portrait Gallery, proved to be a gently romantic composition incorporating vocalising, entirely different from the original 2007 “Beaver Blaze”, which was a strident brass fanfare. This gentle quality, Latham said, in was in keeping with a quieter, more romantic touch to the event this year. That gala for instance, would be a candlelight affair at the Albert Hall. That would also feature another of Latham’s favourites, ravishing songs by Fanny Mendelssohn, the much-neglected sister of Felix.

The Kats-Chernin piece de resistance this year will be a major six-part work commissioned by the National Museum of Australia and entitled “The Garden of Dreams”. With her in the Great Hall of the museum will be an orchestra from the ANU School of Music and didgeridoo player William Barton, also to be heard singing. The work varies in tone from heavy industrial blues to gentle and delicate sounds that reflect the transparency of glass fishing implements in the museum.

Kats-Chernin does not shy away from the description “romantic”. “To me, Australia is very romantic,” she says.

As for Latham, he has put together a festival of 57 events, with 26 concerts, 51 major performers, 50 associate artists, nine choirs and one symphony orchestra, so he’s not complaining.

On the contrary, “I want people to say, this is a brand of quality,” he concludes.

The 15th Canberra International Music Festival runs from May 7-17. Book at www. canberraticketing.com.au.

Alive and well done

THEATRE

“Jacque Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris”

Directed by Caroline Stacey, musical direction by Michael Morley, designed by Imogen Keen. The Street Theatre until March 21.

Reviewed by Bill Stephens

BELGIAN singer-songwriter, Jacque Brel’s powerful, passionate and disturbing songs have become staples for generations of cabaret singers. “Jacque Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” is essentially a cycle of his best songs that provide the focus for this striking new production at The Street Theatre.

To interpret the songs, director Caroline Stacey has teamed three outstanding Canberra singers, Rebecca Collins, David Pearson and Ben Connor, with music theatre veteran, Geraldine Turner, and supported them with a tight, four-piece band, lead from the piano by experienced Adelaide-based musical director Michael Morley.

The show is performed in an astonishing cardboard setting, designed by Imogen Keen, which encloses the entire audience, as well as the cast, and brilliantly evokes a sense of apocalyptic timelessness, while focusing attention on the moodily lit performance space, in which the cast change costume constantly to suggest various characters and locales.

Jacque Brel’s songs demand to be sung with the utmost commitment and sincerity. Geraldine Turner knows this. She allows the songs to possess her, and each of her solos is deeply affecting. She reaches dazzling heights in the climax “Carousel”. The rest of the cast have the potential to match Turner, but despite tantalising flashes, are less successful, particularly early in the show, when they are often distracted by some surprisingly awkward transitions between songs, and the need to grapple with the microphone stands, costumes and direction.

Each had their best moment in the second act; David Pearson with “Next”, Rebecca Collins in “No Love, You’re Not Alone” and Ben Connor with “The Dream”. Hopefully, each will gain the confidence to follow Turner’s example and let their songs work for them.

Easy wit for a fine cast

“EASY VIRTUE” (PG)

NOEL Coward’s comedy mocking the social habits of Britain’s landed gentry, opened in New York in 1926 before moving to Manchester where the Watch Committee deemed the title salacious, thereby boosting its London run to a respectable 124 performances. Since Alfred Hitchcock made a silent version in 1928, the play has apparently languished in some bottom drawer until a consortium of producers released this delightful adaptation by Australian director Stephan Elliott (“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”).

After a whirlwind courtship, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes) brings his new blonde American wife, motor-racing queen Larita (Jessica Biel), to his family’s decaying stately home. His mother (Kristen Scott Thomas), focusing her affection on her chihuahua,

Informal and involved

AUDIENCES like to be involved. Too often “classical performers” can appear self-indulgent.

Not the case at this concert: Teddy Tahu Rhodes, in a relaxed and informal manner, told us of his recent marriage and sang two beautiful love songs to his wife, absent in Bordeaux. David Hobson followed up humbly explaining his wife was in Glen Iris. Immediately they had the audience in the palm of their hands. We were involved!

Light-hearted banter continued throughout the concert and, while at times the patter seemed a little contrived, served to create an easy going atmosphere for some fine singing.

The first half featured many of the big moments from opera. In solo appearances, tenor Hobson shone in arias from “La

Landscapes home to cheers

CURATED by National Gallery Director Ron Radford, this important and exciting collection has returned home to Canberra after 22 months touring Australia’s regional galleries. Touring is a robust business and thus the majority of the 58 paintings are oils, with a handful of egg tempera, enamel and synthetic polymer works included. From intimate shorelines to immense snowy mountain vistas, from Cooktown in the north, to Mount Wellington in Hobart, these paintings reflect the immense diversity of Australia’s landscape, the changing built environment, the effects of war, economic depression and extended drought and a cultural milieu responding

to the tremendous changes encapsulated in the period 1850 to 1950. The exhibition includes masterworks by Australia’s greatest landscape artists as well as little known, never before exhibited works.

Convict artist Knut Bull’s (1811-1889)

“The wreck of the ‘George the Third’”, 1850, oil on canvas, 84.5x123cm, opens the exhibition. This 35-metre convict transport ship foundered in Tasmania’s D’Entrecasteaux Channel in 1835 after a four-month voyage from London. Bull’s painting depicts man at nature’s mercy, the tiny lost ship awash in heavy seas under an enormous sky.

Here is an opportunity also to see works

c INEMA

By Dougal Macdonald

stifles her fury and her knowledge that the family faces financial ruin needing drastic measures to escape. John’s sisters (Kimberley Nixon and Katherine Parkinson) are dull and unhappy. Suppressing battlefield memories, his father (Colin Firth) after a long absence is in the house but not of it.

Elliott has invented bright movement to accompany Coward’s text. The film bristles with wit and delicious verbal and visual comic moments, performed by a fine cast. Biel and Scott Thomas are standouts. Kris Marshall is a restrained riot as Furber the butler. And Firth is rock solid as a good man living in a waking nightmare.

Elliott’s guidance of the production is delicate and perceptive, careful about time, place and set dressing, charming us with musical snippets from some of the best-known compositions of both Coward and his good chum Cole Porter. The outcome, doubtful until the very end, as it should be, is pleasing.

At the Dendy

“CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC” (PG)

DIRECTED by Aussie PJ Hogan (“Muriel’s Wedding”), this film – based on two chick-lit pot-boilers by Sophie Kinsella – is about a woman who survives by telling porkies to her friends, colleagues and superiors, who lacks any ability to resist temptation, who cons employers to take her on in positions for which

MUSIC

David Hobson and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. Canberra Theatre, March 10.

Reviewed by Ian McLean

Bohème”, his light, agile and lyrical tone perfectly suited to the romance of Puccini. His interpretation of “La Donna e Mobile” from Verdi’s “Rigoletto” was spine tingling.

In vocal quality, Rhodes is a powerfully rich, deep baritone who was shown to wonderful advantage particularly in a stirring rendition of the “Toreador Song” from “Carmen”.

The second half moved to show tunes and more contemporary. It was a music hall song that won me over – Hobson’s delightful “Come into the Garden Maud”. I had no idea such a usually comic ditty could be presented so movingly.

I had issues with the amplified sound being too loud and the lighting was particularly dull, but it was the voices that mattered and these two are world class.

VISUAL ART

Ocean to Outback: Australian landscape painting 1850-1950

Canberra Museum and Gallery, until May 17.

Reviewed by Anni Doyle Wawrzynczak

by Australia’s foremost female artists of the period, including Clarice Beckett, Dorrit Black, Grace Crowley and Grace Cossington Smith, (1892-1984), whose 1929-30 painting “The Bridge in Building”, oil on pulpboard, 75x53cm, captures the energy of Sydney’s emerging iconic landmark and a rapidly modernising Australia.

The exhibition is supported by a full-colour catalogue that includes an informative essay from Radford and a useful timeline including artists’ details.

she is utterly unqualified. You wouldn’t want to know her, would you?

Rebecca’s (Isla Fisher) cupboards hold clothes, shoes, accessories and cosmetics that she has seen and cannot resist. Most are markdowns or specials. Few have ever been worn.

The plot waddles around Rebecca’s ditzy career in magazine journalism, an unmarried editor, the unwelcome interest of a debt collector and other girlie trifles. Fisher does not impress.

At Greater Union, Hoyts

13TH” (R)

IN this no-brainer last-person-standing spatter movie, two groups of unlikable young adults visit the area where the “Friday 13th” franchise began several decades earlier.

Only one of the first group is alive when the sun rises after their first night on site. Six weeks later a second, quite unconnected, group arrives in a nearby house for a weekend of booze and sex. So does a lone biker looking for his sister.

Untrammeled by logic or rationale, the plot struggles under an imperative that a fresh victim must die at the hands of a hulking local not more than six minutes after he killed the last one. That quickly loses its novelty. The victims make little attempt to save themselves. Predictability is the film’s long suit, right down to a famous, more-qualified derivative ending.

The film insults our intelligence. Only a fool would find merit in it. And that’s not you, is it?

At Hoyts

“SEX and the City”, the new Guess campaign and the fabulous ‘50s all served as inspiration for Mest Hair’s sell-out fashion parade at the Parlour Wine Room.

Byron Turnbull, the awardwinning stylist who has recently moved from Sydney to join the Mest team, directed the make-up and hair on the night, and told “CityNews” that he was excited about using both models and ordinary women in the show.

“I’d like to see more real women in the media: it’s okay to have curves!” he says. Curves were also on show in hairstyles: Byron says that style icon Sarah Jessica Parker has influenced his work, with styles shown on the night ranging from a loose, modern look inspired by the “Sex and the City” diva to a set of tight retro curls with a modern twist.

Things of Desire, Wings of Desire and itrip iskip provided fashions for the show, and funds were raised for the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“A Marilyn Monroe look with a modern feel.” Fashion by Things of Desire.

ahead at Mest

“A windblown look to match the Antarctic jacket, with a soft, beautiful finish,” says stylist Byron Turnbull. Fashion by Things of Desire.

A style inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker and “Wogs out of Work” star Effie. Fashion by Things of Desire.

Girls urged to ‘gear up’ for bike outing

GIRLS young and old are being urged to grab their bikes and be part of the Gear up Girl Challenge on Sunday, April 5.

The event is suitable for women of all ages and abilities. Riders can choose between two cycling routes: The 20km Weston Loop and the 60km Tuggeranong Loop. Both rides begin at 7.30am from Prescott Lane in Weston Park, Yarralumla.

Gear Up Girl is an initiative of Bicycle NSW aimed at encouraging women to get on their bikes as a way of staying fit and

healthy, and includes workshops in addition to this Gear Up Girl Challenge bike ride. This year’s event aims to attract 400 women by providing a bike riding event opportunity with accessible options for women of all ages and abilities. Gear up Girl will also help the Oncology Children’s Foundation raise funds to support world-leading Australian cancer research.

The foundation, a not-for-profit children’s charity dedicated to helping sick and critically ill children suffering from

Old became new again at “ReLoved”, as current and previous Canberra Institute of Technology students created new looks from vintage and preloved clothes, bags, shoes and textiles. Pictured is design by Grazed Youth, exCIT student Amelia Thompson’s label. Proceeds went to the Salvation Army.

Skin Perfect

cancer, leukemia, and other cancer-related illnesses, is funding the $2.5 million Gene Therapy Research Program – a world-first project run by the Oncology Research Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The goal of the program is to develop a gene therapy approach to cancer treatment that will reduce side effects and dramatically improve the recovery rate of children with cancer.

To enter, go to www.gearupgirl.com.au or call 9218 5415. Registrations close at 4pm, Wednesday, April 1.

Highlights

Lost Worlds: The Mummy Who Came In From The Cold Sunday, SBS, 7.30pm To many people, Siberia means gulags in a frozen waste. Mention the province of Yakoutia and even Siberians shiver.

In the far northeast, Yakoutia has one of the most severe climates in the country, a climate that helped preserve a mummy found by anthropologist Eric Crubezy.

Talking Heads: Graeme Base

Monday, ABC1, 6.30pm

Journalist Peter Thompson has proved himself one of Australia’s best interviewers, and his top-shelf series Talking Heads – now well into its fifth season – never fails to deliver interviews with a diverse cross-section of acclaimed Australians. This week, it’s renowned artist and master storyteller Graeme Base, whose lavish picture books have been delighting audiences for decades.

6.30 The Einstein Factor. (S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 Rogue Nation. (PG, S) 8.25 News. (S) 8.30 Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Hercule Poirot teams up with a novelist to save the life of an innocent man who has been sentenced to hang for the murder of his landlord. (M, S) 11.30 Order In The House. (S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Sunday Night. (S) 7.30 Border Security

– Australia’s Front Line. (PG, S) 8.00 Triple Zero Heroes.

Narrated by John Waters. (PG, S) 8.30 City Homicide. Homicide is called in to investigate two murders where motive, witnesses and straight answers are hard to find. The officers realise their only hope is to hit the streets. (M, S) 9.30 Bones. The team helps a hospital deputy director’s daughter when she contracts a rare form of lung cancer after receiving a bone graft. (M, R, S) 11.00 24. (M, S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Domestic Blitz. (PG, S) 7.30 60 Minutes. (S) 8.30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. As the hunt for the killer continues, Grissom makes a shocking announcement that also heralds the arrival of a new member to the team. (M, S) 9.30 CSI: Miami. The team’s new medical examiner is attacked by a gunman while investigating the death of a man who fell from a fivestorey building. (M, S) 11.30 Body Of Evidence: Clean Break. (M, S)

6.00 The Simpsons. (PG, R, S) 6.30 The Biggest Loser. (PG, S) 7.30 So You Think You Can Dance Australia. (PG, S) 9.30 Rove. Celebrity interviews, comedy, music and regular variety segments. Guests include Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz star Nick Frost, actor David Wenham and singer Sia, performing her song Buttons. (M, S) 11.40 Dexter. (MA15+)

6.00 Thalassa: Island Of Saint-Pierre. (G, R, S) 6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.30 Lost Worlds: The Mummy Who Came in from the Cold. (G, S) 8.30 Dateline. A report from Jamaica on the disturbing number of shootings by police which have led to the deaths of more than 2000 civilians in the past decade. (S) 9.30 Kurt Wallander. After the wives and children of men from a local commune are murdered, Kurt Wallander links the crimes to a robbery. (M) 11.10 Guerrilla Girl. (M, R)

Aussie Ladette To Lady

Tuesday, WIN, 9.30pm

After months of swearing, tears and temper tantrums at Eggleston Hall, haughty headmistress Gill Harbord and her cultured colleague Rosemary Shrager track down their former students for a refined reunion. The British toffs are keen to discover how their challenging charges have fared since leaving the English finishing school and returning to their real lives Down Under.

6.00 Landline Extra. (R, S) 6.30 Talking Heads. (S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 The 7.30 Report. (S) 8.00 Australian Story. (S) 8.30 Four Corners. (S) 9.20 Media Watch. Hosted by Jonathan Holmes. (S) 9.35 The Cut. Bill is delighted when his close friend, the famous singer Tom “Dutch” Holland, buys a rugby league team. But delight turns to dismay after photos of Dutch’s wife’s close encounter with one of the players are leaked to the press. (M, S) 11.10 Lateline Business. (S) 11.35 Who Killed Stalin? (M, R, S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Today Tonight. (S) 7.00 Home And Away. (PG, S) 7.30 How I Met Your Mother. (PG, S) 8.00 Scrubs. JD and Turk organise the annual sketch show for the new interns. (PG, S) 8.30 Desperate Housewives. The fire threatens lives at the Battle of the Bands competition. Susan’s daughter pays a visit. Gabrielle learns that she and Carlos have been made the beneficiaries of Mrs Hildebrand’s estate. (M, S) 9.30 Brothers & Sisters. (M, S) 11.30 30 Rock. (PG, S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 WIN News. (S) 7.00 A Current Affair. (S) 7.30 Two And A Half Men. (PG, R, S) 8.00 Customs. (PG, S) 8.30 Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities. Allison questions her role in the Mr Asia Syndicate, after her life is threatened by a corrupt government agent. George Freeman takes extreme action after police raid his illegal casinos. (M, S) 9.30 Crime Investigation Australia: The Janine Balding Murder. (M, S) 11.40 Entertainment Tonight. (R, S)

6.00 The Simpsons. (G, R, S) 6.30 Neighbours. (G, S) 7.00

The Biggest Loser. (PG, S) 7.30 So You Think You Can Dance Australia. (PG, S) 8.40 Good News Week. Hosted by Paul McDermott, with team leaders Mikey Robins and Claire Hooper. (M, S) 9.45 NCIS. Gibbs is ordered to meet with a convicted serial killer three days away from his execution in order to find out crucial information before he dies. (MA15+, R, S) 11.30 The Late Show With David Letterman. (PG)

6.00 Living Black. (S) 6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.30 Top Gear. (PG, S) 8.30 Swift And Shift Couriers. (M, R, S) 9.00 Bogan Pride. A teenager in the fictional suburb of Boonelg attempts to re-invent herself at the start of a new school year in order to attract the attention of the school heart-throb. (M, R, S) 9.30 World News Australia. (S) 9.55 Market Update. 10.00 The Mighty Boosh. (M, R, S) 11.30 Movie: PTU. (2003) (MA15+, R)

Getaway Thursday, WIN, 7.30pm

With pregnant host Catriona Rowntree soon swapping jet lag and junkets for nappies and night-time feeding, it will be up to her fellow globetrotters to continue racking up stamps on their already bulging passports. The latest international ports of call include the beautiful Greek island of Corfu and the Indian city of Hampi, while a visit to Birdsville Races and a guide to Surry Hills keep things local.

6.05 Time Team: Sewardsley Priory. (G, S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 The 7.30 Report. (S) 8.00 Lead Balloon. (PG, S) 8.30 Lost Cities Of The Ancients: The Vanished Capital Of The Pharaoh. Part 1 of 3. Discover the buried treasures of the ancient world. What did these legendary places really look like, who lived in them, and why did they vanish? (S) 9.30 Foreign Correspondent. Mark Corcoran presents stories from the ABC’s international correspondents. (S) 11.10 Lateline Business. (S) 11.35 Four Corners. (R, S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Today Tonight. (S) 7.00 Home And Away. (PG, S) 7.30 RSPCA Animal Rescue. (G, S) 8.00 Find My Family. Hosted by Jack Thompson. (PG, S) 8.30 Packed To The Rafters. Julie and Dave wrestle with a life-changing decision that could shake the foundation of the family. (PG, S) 9.30 All Saints. Steve puts himself in danger when he ignores unit protocol. Claire’s past continues to menace her. Bart’s wise counsel to a troubled patient causes Amy to see him in a different light. (M, S) 11.30 Carpoolers. (PG)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 WIN News. (S) 7.00 A Current Affair. (S) 7.30 Wipeout Australia. (PG, S) 8.30 Two And A Half Men. Feeling Alan is under appreciated by his family, Melissa offers him the chance to move in with her. (M, S) 9.00 Two And A Half Men. Alan helps to plan his mother’s wedding and Charlie makes some moves on the woman who will soon be his stepsister. (M, R, S) 9.30 Aussie Ladette To Lady. (Final) (M, S) 11.30 Entertainment Tonight. (R, S)

6.00 The Simpsons. (G, R, S) 6.30 Neighbours. (G, S) 7.00 The Biggest Loser. (PG, S) 8.00 Bondi Rescue. (PG, S) 8.30 NCIS. Tony is given the chance to tie up loose ends after he takes the lead in a murder investigation. The crime is linked to an old embezzlement case from his past that led to an innocent man being sent to prison. (M, S) 9.30 Lie To Me. Cal is hired to find a spy at a pharmaceutical company, but instead discovers a conspiracy regarding a new drug that could put lives at risk. (M, S) 11.15 Letterman. (PG)

6.00 Global Village: Devil’s Land. (G, R, S) 6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.30 Insight. (S) 8.30 Cutting Edge: Japan’s About-Face. In the aftermath of World War II, Japan’s new pacifist constitution led to the creation of defence forces with a strictly defensive mandate. (G, S) 9.30 World News Australia. (S) 9.55 Market Update. 10.00 Hot Docs: Wings Of Defeat. Surviving Japanese kamikaze pilots speak openly about their training. (PG, S) 11.40 Movie: Ode To Joy. (2005) (MA15+)

Rebus Friday, ABC1, 8.30pm

There are shades of The Da Vinci Code in Rebus tonight when our cranky cop (Ken Stott) and partner DS Siobhan Clarke (Claire Price, above) investigate the murder of the Moderatorelect of the Church of Scotland, uncovering religious conspiracy in the progress. Written by Colin Bateman –whose book Murphy’s Law was the basis for the UK series of the same name – this is a top episode of a top UK cop drama.

6.00 The Queen’s Cavalry: The Sharp End. (G, R, S) 6.30 The Cook And The Chef. (S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 The 7.30 Report. (S) 8.00 The New

News. (S) 6.30 Today Tonight. (S) 7.00 Home And Away. (PG, S) 7.30 Australia’s Got Talent. (G, S) 8.30 Criminal Minds. The unit travels to Cleveland to help the local authorities catch a serial killer who appears to be copying the methods used by famous murderers from the past. (M, S) 9.30 Beyond The Darklands: Camilleri And Beckett. Takes a look into the minds of one of Australia’s most sadistic killing teams. (M, S) 11.30 Disorderly Conduct Caught On Tape. (M)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 WIN News. (S) 7.00 A Current Affair. (S) 7.30 The Farmer Wants A Wife. (PG, S) 8.30 The Mentalist. The team uncovers a web of secrets, love affairs and drug abuse while investigating the murder of a country club socialite at a cocktail party. (M, S) 9.30 Cold Case. The team reopens the investigation into the 2005 murder of a young African-American politician who was attempting to oust the incumbent on a city council. (M, S) 11.30 The Footy Show. AFL. (M, S)

6.00 The Simpsons. (G, R, S) 6.30 Neighbours. (G, S) 7.00 The Biggest Loser. (PG, S) 8.00 Guerrilla Gardeners. (PG, S) 8.30 House. The team takes on a case of a man with frontal lobe inhibition, which causes him to speak his mind and lose control over what he says. Interestingly, the condition seems to bear a striking resemblance to House’s own behaviour. (M, S) 9.30 Life. Crews’ investigation into a brutal murder uncovers links to the elusive hit woman Claudia. (M, S) 11.15 David Letterman. (PG)

6.00 Global Village: The Log Rafters. (G, R, S) 6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.30 Feast India. (G, R, S) 8.00 Trawlermen: Starting Out. (G, S) 8.30 Tribe: Penan, Borneo. (Final) Bruce travels to the island of Borneo to live with the Penan people. (PG, S) 9.30 World News Australia. (S) 9.55 Market Update. 10.00 Movie: Yolngu Boy. (2001) Sean Mununggurr, John Sebastian Pilakui, Nathan Daniels, Lirrina Mununggurr. (M, R, S) 11.35 Movie: The Young Lieutenant. (2005) (M, R)

Movies

Yolngu Boy

Wednesday, SBS, 10pm

An interesting comingof-age tale about three Aboriginal teenagers growing up in Far North Queensland. Botj (Sean Mununggurr) is the rebel of the three, Milika (Nathan Daniels) is only interested in footy, while Lorrpu (John Sebastian Pilakui) wants to be more involved with his tribal culture. Excellent performances and stunning cinematography.

thursday, 26

The Weakness Of The Bolshevik

Friday, SBS, 11.10pm

A difficult, shrewdly plotted Spanish effort that deftly blends its thriller and romantic elements with ease. Luis Tosar (pictured) is an arrogant, disillusioned Madrid banker whose car accident with a rich, snobbish woman (Mar Reguera) leads him into an unhealthy obsession with the woman’s sister (Maria Valverde). By no means a happy experience, but a memorable one.

6.10 Grand Designs. (G, R, S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 The 7.30 Report. (S) 8.00 Catalyst. (S) 8.30 Bombora: The Story Of Australian Surfing. Part 1 of 2. A definitive history of surfing in Australia from the viewpoints of local surfing champions, writers, pioneers, entrepreneurs, mavericks and legends – beginning with the early years from 1830 to 1964. Narrated by Jack Thompson. (G, S) 9.30 Q&A. (S) 11.05 Lateline Business. (S) 11.30 Spectacle: Elvis Costello With…. (PG, R, S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Today Tonight. (S) 7.00 Home And Away. (PG, S) 7.30 Ghost Whisperer. (PG, S) 8.30 Grey’s Anatomy. Meredith, Cristina and Bailey come to Lexie and Sadie’s rescue after a routine surgery goes wrong. While Owen and Derek treat a man seriously injured in a sleepwalking incident, Mark comforts the man’s distraught daughter. (M, S) 9.30 Private Practice. Addison receives a surprise visit from her brother and fellow surgeon, Archer. (M, S) 11.30 Beauty And The Geek. (PG)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 WIN News. (S) 7.00 A Current Affair. (S) 7.30 Getaway. (PG, S) 8.30 Adults Only 20 To 01. Host Bert Newton counts down 20 of the world’s most sensual, seductive and sensational celebrities. (M, S) 9.30 The Footy Show. NRL. Paul Vautin, Matthew Johns and Andrew Voss are joined by a panel of experts to discuss the latest happenings in rugby league. Includes previews of upcoming matches, regular variety segments, and celebrity and musical guests. (M, S) 11.00 Seinfeld. (PG, R)

6.00 The Simpsons. (G, R, S) 6.30 Neighbours. (G, S) 7.00 The Biggest Loser. (PG, S) 8.00 Bondi Vet. (PG, S) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. Benson attends a support group for rape victims, but still refuses to talk about her sexual assault. Her therapist asks her to look into the case of a female marine who went missing a month prior to giving birth to her attacker’s child. (M, S) 9.30 Life On Mars. Sam receives a mysterious phone call that leads him to a headless body. (M, S) 11.15 Football. AFL. Round 1. Richmond v Carlton.

6.00 Global Village: Veneto. (G, R, S) 6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.35 Inspector Rex. (PG, R, S) 8.30 This Is Civilisation: Save Our Souls. Part 3 of 4. (G, R, S) 9.30 World News Australia. (S) 9.55 Market Update. 10.00 Movie: The Bubble. (2006) Ohad Knoller, Daniella Wircer, Alon Freidmann. A relationship between an Israeli and a Palestinian is viewed through the lives of three young people – two gay men and a woman – who share an apartment in a trendy suburb of Tel Aviv. (MA15+)+

House Of Sand And Fog

Saturday, WIN, 11.50pm

Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley cross paths in this stunning adaptation of an Andre Dubus III novel. Connelly plays an alcoholic abandoned by her husband and unfairly evicted from her California house. This bureaucratic error allows Kingsley, a hard-working, fiercely proud Iranian immigrant, the chance to snap up the property on the cheap. A mesmerising story that reminds us how important it is to have a place called home.

friday, 27 s aturday, 28

6.00 Message Stick. (G, R, S) 6.30 Can We Help? (G, S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 Stateline. (S) 8.00 Collectors. (G, S) 8.30 Rebus. Rebus becomes involved in a religious conspiracy when he investigates the murder of the moderator-elect of the Church of Scotland. (M, S) 9.40 Vincent. Vincent’s pursuit of a con woman takes an unexpected turn after the Catholic church hires him to protect a community centre on the estate where she lives. (MA15+, S) 11.30 triple j tv With The Doctor. (R, S) 11.55 Good Game. (R, S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Today Tonight. (S) 7.00 Home And Away. (PG, S) 7.30 Better Homes And Gardens. (G, S) 8.30 Heartbeat. 9.30 Football. AFL. Round 1. Hawthorn v Geelong. From the MCG. (S)

6.00 Totally Frank. (PG, R, S) 6.25 Minuscule: Horse Fly. (G) 6.30 Gardening Australia. (G, S) 7.00 News. (S) 7.30 New Tricks. (PG, R, S) 8.25 News. (S) 8.30 The Bill. After a young girl is injured in a hit-and-run involving a stolen car, officers trace the vehicle to a car yard where the victim’s brother works. A 15-year-old girl dies of a suspected heroin overdose, but fingerprints on the needle suggest she may have been murdered. (M, S) 10.00 News. (S) 11.50 Rage. (M)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Mighty Movers: C-5 Galaxy. (PG, Rpt, S) 7.30 Kath & Kim. (PG, R, S) 8.00 The Vicar Of Dibley. Geraldine turns cupid in an attempt to bring the desperately shy Alice and Hugo together. (PG, R, S) 8.40 Movie: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. (2006) Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom. A young man is blackmailed into tracking down his old ally, the legendary pirate Jack Sparrow. (M, S) 11.45 Ripping Yarns. (PG, R)

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

For the Record

6.30PM – BLOOMBERG (454)

Business chief got on the record “for the record”. They reveal what’s worked for them in their careers, offer insight into their company, their industry and more.

Bear in the Big Blue House

7PM – PLAYHOUSE DISNEY (202)

Miss Maxwell has given the class an assignment to show their point of view. Tutter’s not quite sure what to do until he’s inspired by Treelo’s art exhibition.

Mr Woodcock

8.30PM – MOVIE ONE (411)

Seann Scott is a self-help author who, startled by his mother’s sudden wedding announcement, goes home to find her engaged to his high school gym teacher and nemesis. Can he split them up?

MONDAY, MARCH 23

Made

6.30PM – MTV (251)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 WIN News. (S) 7.00 A Current Affair. (S) 7.30 Rugby League. NRL. Round 3. Wests Tigers v Sydney Roosters. From Sydney Football Stadium. (S) 9.30 Rugby League. NRL. Round 3. Gold Coast Titans v Canterbury Bulldogs. From Skilled Park, Queensland. (S) 11.30 WIN News. (S)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 Australia’s Funniest Home Videos. (G, S) 7.30 Movie: Happy Feet. (2006) (G, S) 9.45 Movie: Monster-In-Law. (2005) Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan. A woman finds herself facing opposition from her obnoxious future mother-in-law who is determined to prevent their union. (M, R, S) 11.50 Movie: House Of Sand And Fog. (2003) (MA15+)

6.00 The Simpsons. (G, R, S) 6.30 Neighbours. (G, S) 7.00

The Biggest Loser. (PG, S) 7.30 The Simpsons. (PG, S) 8.00 The Simpsons. Bart catches the attention of Goose Gladwell, an eccentric entrepreneur. (G, R, S) 8.30 Medium. After a series of confusing dreams lead Allison to accuse the wrong person of murder, the ghost of FBI Agent Cooper pays her a visit with some advice on how to catch the real killer. (MA15+, S) 9.30 Law & Order. (M, S) 11.20 News. (S) 11.50 Sports Tonight. (S)

6.00 Global Village: Lyon And Ecully. (G, R, S) 6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.30 The Fabric Of A Dream: The Fletcher Jones Story. (PG, R, S) 8.35 As It Happened: Churchill’s Bodyguard – The Sewer Bomb. (PG, R, S) 9.30 World News Australia. (S) 9.55 Market Update. 10.00 The Clitoris: Forbidden Pleasure. Looks at the medical, cultural, psychological and emotional reasons for women’s sexual dysfunction. (MA15+, R, S) 11.10 Movie: The Weakness Of The Bolshevik. (2003) (MA15+, R)

6.00 News. (S) 6.30 The Simpsons. (G, R, S) 7.00 The Simpsons. (PG, R, S) 7.30 Football. AFL. Round 1. St Kilda v Sydney. From Etihad Stadium, Melbourne. (S) 11.00 Good News Week. (M, R, S)

Ever wanted to be a cheerleader, model or sports star? Everyone wants to be something and MTV takes us into the lives of normal people wanting to be something they don’t think they are “made” for.

Cheating Death

7.30PM – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (301)

Race car drivers are the gladiators of today. Expect at least one death every year and spectacular crashes at any race.

G.I. Jane

8.30PM – MOVIE EXTRA (413)

G.I. Jane fights against extreme odds and gender bias to vie for the top military position in the US Navy SEAL unit.

6.30 World News Australia. (S) 7.30 Prototype This! MindControlled Car. (G, S) 8.30 Iron Chef. Japanese cooking show in which a world-renowned chef and his challenger have one hour to concoct a banquet based on a single ingredient. (G, S) 9.20 RocKwiz. Music quiz show, featuring American singer-songwriter Sarah Lee Guthrie and blues musician Chris Wilson. Each celebrity performs one of their songs backed by the RocKwiz Orkestra and combine for a

general knowledge crossword No. 203

ACROSS

1 Which Qld island is the largest sand island in the world?

8 Name the largest of the United Arab Emirates (3,5).

9 What was the first name of our first prime minister?

10 In which section of the military are the "footsloggers"?

11 What were velocipedes?

13 Which birds are usually identified with the kingfishers?

16 What is another term for personality?

19 What are the returns that one acquires from one's work, etc?

22 Which items of bed coverings keep us warmer?

24 Name the author who wrote "1984", George...

25 Which large small-necked bottle is usually cased in wickerwork?

26 What are titles for some Hindu religious teachers?

DOWN

2 To have a fresh, healthy red colour, is to appear what?

3 Which skeletal framework supports the face?

4 What are the crisp, pungent, edible roots of a particular plant?

5 Which war between Iraq and UN sanctioned forces took place in 1991?

6 What is a roughly built hut?

7 Name the town, west of Katoomba,

postcode 2787.

12 Havana is the capital of which republic?

14 What are illicit relationships?

15 Which US state is nicknamed the Buckeye State?

17 Name Australia's very popular car.

18 To have an unpleasant stale smell or taste is to be what?

20 In which NSW town did Japanese POW's stage a breakout in 1944?

21 Which word element means "many"?

23 Name the Greek god of love. Solution next week

your week in the stars

ARIES Mar 21 – Apr 20

There is never going to be a lack of paradox. Up, down, in and out – they will always be there. To find your path of action in the midst of all this is your lovely adventure. By continuously returning to the place of balance, forward motion flows effortlessly.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

When you feel yourself being pushed to go faster and harder than it is natural for you to go, dare to call a halt to proceedings and rebalance yourself. You know your strength better than anyone else. If you trust what you know, your efforts will be spectacular.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

There is more to you than generally meets the eye. The nine-tenths of your being that is moving along under the surface is screaming out to be heard, without being judged. Bring your tenderness into view. Your relationships will become immediately congruent.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

The harder anyone tries to dig you out of a hole, the further you go in to it. Yet – if you are left alone, you feel abandoned. Understanding is a capricious mistress. All that is required is that there is time to stop and feel. That is not too much to ask. Ask for it.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

If your aesthetic values are tested, you are as good at digging your heels in as anybody. Under the charm on the surface, is a steely centre that will willingly do battle for beauty, peace and harmony. Own up to your strength. It is being provoked into play.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Now is the time for your phoenix to fly. To be able to turn around even the darkest of scenarios is a masterstroke of spirit. Your destiny is to be the one who can see possibility where there doesn’t seem to be one. Don’t underplay what you know you have to offer.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

If truth keeps shooting you in the foot, it might not be truth. It might be one step removed. Passion is a beautiful thing but it is capable of blinding us with its light. The moment you spot yourself being overly invested in a certain position, prick up your ears.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

The amount of fun that you are capable of is daunting. It makes you back yourself into a conservative corner more often than not. It seems almost inappropriate to be happy at certain times. This is a questionable state of affairs that is crying out for change.

Sudoku is an 81, square number grid with nine blocks each containing nine cells. To solve the puzzle, all the blank cells must be filled in using numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and in the nine 3x3 blocks. You can successfully solve the puzzle just by using logic and the process of elimination. Solution next week

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

The texture of the times brings out the quality of your response. In the face of an honest challenge you get access to the very best of who you are. This is not ego. It is the true essence of who you are, beginning to generate a glow. Be amazed by what you are capable of.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Nature has wild extremes that colour its intrinsic order. Your internal and external work is to create order – a functional order. The fine line between imposing too much structure – and failing to assert any, is yours to walk. Make a truly creative time of this.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Originality is not convenient. It rocks the boat even when you don’t want it to rock the boat. Though it is no fun to get caught in rips of misunderstanding, the option of letting go of your unique perspective is even less attractive. Fully embrace your adventure.

PISCES

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

The ocean is a powerful thing. Though it seems placid on first impression, once it starts moving it is an unstoppable force. Those who misunderstand your apparent placidity are in for a big surprise when you slip into motion. Power yourself up fearlessly.

Copyright 2009 Sudhir (M.J.Dean)

Is this Gungahlin’s finest?

SELLING agent Justin Ingram says: “The moment you step inside this family home at Sue Geh Circuit, Nicholls, you know you are amongst one of the finest homes ever offered for sale in Gungahlin.”

He might be right. Located in the exclusive estate of Harcourt Hill, this residence – designed and built by multi-award winning Canberra builder Classic Constructions, backs on to the Gold Creek Golf Club, 300 metres from the Gold Creek Village. It offers almost 410sqm of living space on a 1033.8sqm block.

There are five bedrooms and the master has ensuite, WIR and balcony. The external living space off the master bedroom has

views over Belconnen and towards Telstra Tower.

The formal and informal lounge and living areas feature the integrated audio system that is installed throughout the home.

The kitchen features granite bench tops and a Smeg gourmet chef’s cooking station. There’s a three-car garage with built-in storage. EER: 4.

Address: 41 Sue Geh Circuit, Nicholls.

Inspection: By appointment.

Price: Expressions of interest.

Agent: Justin Ingram, of PRD Nationwide, on 0431 116399.

New fund aimed to stop the cash sag

By c atherine c arter

FEDERAL Finance and Deregulation Minister Lindsay Tanner has introduced legislation to establish the Australian Business Investment Partnership, a $4 billion liquidity fund for the commercial property sector.

Industry is urging bi-partisan support for the legislation to inject stability and confidence into the economy.

As Peter Verwer, the Property Council of Australia’s CEO says, real estate is the nation’s collateral. Australian property values should be set by supply and demand fundamentals… not the priorities of foreign financiers and governments.

The ABIP is a contingency fund that will help safeguard construction jobs, Australia’s superan -

nuation wealth, small business and employment in general, housing and social investment and mum-and-dad investors.

Nationally, the commercial property sector has bank debt totaling $165 billion and according to the Australian Prudential and Regulation Authority, $30 billion (18 per cent) of this is provided by foreign banks.

Australian real estate investment trusts have syndicated borrowings of $23 billion, of which $16 billion (71 per cent) is provided by foreign banks.

As the fall-out from the global financial crisis is felt around the world, foreign banks have been told to focus on their own domestic markets by their new owners – foreign governments.

Surveying by the Property Council suggests that more than 20 foreign banks from Europe (43

per cent), the US (26 per cent) and Asia (31 per cent) are planning to reduce their exposure to Australian commercial property funding, or have already withdrawn funding. Domestic banks can’t fill that void.

Although Canberra is, to some extent cushioned, from the worst of the crisis because of the presence of the Commonwealth Government, which employs such a proportionally large number of Canberrans and contributes so much to the local economy, we are not immune. The decisions made by banks, which directly impact one way or another on everyone, will be felt here as much as in the other States.

Catherine Carter is executive director of the Property Council of Australia (ACT).

Clever houses drive a new future

ENvIRONMENT

By Tanya Davies

WANT a house that can power your car?

“The technology is available now,” says Canberra architect and author Derek Wrigley. “Why are we not moving in this direction?”

An integrated, solar-effective home could save almost $80,000 in running costs over 20 years and, with utility costs rising, that figure could easily be much higher, he says.

Mr Wrigley has self-published the book “Low Energy Affordable Housing” in a bid to alert governments and the community to the simplicity and value of low-energy housing design.

As well as addressing the issues we are becoming familiar with – feed-in tariffs, solarpassive design and low running costs – he also provides insight into protection against bushfire and bushfire radiation.

Mr Wrigley, who has criticised the planning of Woden’s Burnie Court redevelopment for its poor use of solar-passive design, says even allowing for an extra $10,000 for an EcoSolar house, savings of up to $4000 a year are achievable – creating a home that has almost 90 per cent lower running costs and creating roughly 90 per cent less carbon dioxide. These houses would be ideal for low-income families.

“Such a low-energy house need cost no more than about $10,000 more with much better living conditions than today’s typical house – and even that could be reduced by the $8000 PVRP Federal grant for photovoltaics. This small extra could be almost invisible in the mortgage and be amortised by the savings in running costs within about three years,” he says.

Typically, new houses are often built on badly oriented and proportioned blocks, and have been calculated as being only 13 per cent solar effective, with 87 per cent of the house requiring heating by polluting, non-renewable fuels; solar capture often being restricted by permanent porticos, neighbouring homes and garages. With the use of clear diagrams, his book shows how a home can be more effectively aligned to use northerly sun enabling an eight or nine-star rated home, compared to five-star homes.

“The EcoSolar house, with a reasonably sized photovoltaic array, would be capable of recharging the family electric car for pollution free, low cost transport,” he says.

“Low Energy Affordable Housing” is available for $20 by calling 6286 6134. Profits will be donated to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.

Elmslea Home + Land PackagesRoyalla Home + Land Packages

to the Manuka, Griffith and Kingston shopping and dining precincts. Designed, renovated and built to the highest standards this home offers the new owners a wonderful lifestyle opportunity. The magnificent galley style kitchen and family room is the heart of this beautiful home and opens to the rumpus room, 2 private courtyards and the tennis court and swimming pool. The charming formal lounge and dining room over looks the courtyard with French doors opening from the lounge to the front terrace. Additional accommodation includes 5 double bedrooms, study, 3 ensuites and 1 bathroom. Brushbox timber floors, Chiminee Phillipe fireplace,

and cedar windows throughout

Deakin

An affordable family property offering the astute buyer a full range of options in this tightly held suburb. Positioned on a level block of approximately 990m2 with a northerly aspect & a richly planted private rear yard. Well maintained & offering 4 beds, ensuite & spacious living areas. Other features include ducted gas heating, a single lock up garage & carport. Ideally located close to schools, transport, Red Hill & only a short walk to the Deakin shops, restaurants & the gym. EER 0 Auction on site 1pm Wednesday 8th April

Peter Blackshaw Manuka Nicky 0418 285 797 or Bronwyn 0412 631 763

A wonderful opportunity to buy into one of Canberra’s most prestigious suburbs at an affordable price. This 2 bed privately built home is beautifully presented with polished hardwood floors & timber Venetians, & is light & airy throughout. Both beds are good sized with BIRs. The kitchen & bath are in original but excellent condition. The block of 861.5m2 (approx.) is well aspected & allows for further development. Close to local & private schools, transport & Manuka. EER 0.5 Auction site 6pm Wednesday 1st April

Peter Blackshaw Manuka Bronwyn 0412 631 763 or Nicky 0418 285 797

Situated in a quiet loop street is this executive 5 bedroom residence set on an elevated block 861m2 (approx) with spectacular views. Generous accommodation includes sun drenched formal & informal living areas with views that overlook Black Mountain Tower. Downstairs is rumpus/2nd living area with kitchenette, ensuite & 5th bedroom. Sliding glass doors open up from rumpus leading out to a paved entertaining area. Auction on site 11.30am Saturday 4th April

Manuka 6295 2433 Paul Sutton 0407 099 175 or Robyn Sutton 0409 442 484

or Robyn Sutton 0409 442 484

In July 2008 had 33.1 million page views. In the same month 71% of home buyers said* they first saw the home they purchased on . In January 2009 page views to increased by 32.6% to 43.9 million.

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Red Hill 6 Charlotte Street

EXPERIENCE, MATURITY, DEDICATION

Would

2 LINCOLN PLACE - From its elevated vantage point, this picturesque residence, situated in the highly sought-after dress circle location of Chapman, captures panoramic northerly views to Black Mountain and Parliament House. Magnificently built by award winning builders, Better Building Services, this outstanding American-Georgian-style residence, the epitome of elegance, style and grace, has been expertly crafted to the highest standard. An impressive home of grand proportions of 500m2 of living space, accommodation includes an impressive foyer, formal lounge and dining rooms leading to a spacious covered balcony with views, large reception room/rumpus, home theatre complete with a theatre store, stunning open plan gourmet kitchen overlooking the huge family/meals rooms and outdoor entertaining area with a large in-ground pool. EER 5. 6 bed | 3 bath | 2 car | pool

Open: Saturday 10.45-11.30am

f Maria Selleck 0417 258 803 f Fred Tehle 0431 602 251

Open: Saturday 10-10.30am

f Maria Selleck 0417 258 803 f Fred Tehle 0431 602 251

MurrumbatemanPROPERTIES

OPEN SAT 21/SUN 22 MAR 09 from 2:30 PM

NEW Murrumbateman Land Release offering 10 quality Lots remaining Building blocks range 6134sqm – 8683sqm Prices start from $199,000 - $215,000 * First Home Buyers’ House & Land Packages from $362,000 * View Carrington Park

Carrington Park

FIRST OPEN FOR INSPECTION: Agent’s direc onal signage from Barton Hwy into McIntosh Circuit, rst le Middletons Lane

SUNDAY 12 – 1 PM * 3 Middletons Lane * Cul-de-sac posn for this picturesque 4 acre country residen al lifestyle. A rac ve, comfortable family home, excellent sep o ce studio, perfect for the home business, tennis court, horse paddock (bore), shedding. Estb gardens, mature trees. $680,000-$695,000.

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This year Philip Kouvelis will celebrate his 30th year in his own agency in Canberra. Having commenced his career in early 1973 Philip opened his own business in July 1979. If you wish to have your home sold or rented by a highly experienced agent in a personal and professional manner please contact Philip today either by phone 62851590 or 0412622420, email philip@garran.kouvelis.com.au or call in and discuss your business over a coffee at paparazzi@garran cafe.

CANBERRA LAKE ESTATE TOWNHOUSES

Betty Wark 0408 166 833

Sensational, Stunning, Superb,

be!) with gas 5 burner cooktop, 4 car garage, substantial covered outdoor area, 3 phase power, insulation everywhere and a colourbond roof. Feelings: Luxury, security, comfort, contentment, individuality, achievement, affluence, luck.You’ll probably experience other positive feelings too, when you see it, so ’phone me NOW. EER 5.5 Andrew York 0418 624 411

Priced For Immediate Sale!!

This 3 bedroom, single level townhouse located in a quiet complex is a must to inspect. The bedrooms are a good size and you will be impressed by the size of the living areas. The family room off the kitchen provides extra room for your convenience. The kitchen boasts a window looking out over a private & compact backyard. A pretty fernery meets you at the front door. The carport is attached & there is storage as well. Gas heating. EER 0 Ewa Skoczek 0414 665 626