Canberra CityNews February 23, 2012

Why ‘Kevin the Unready’ hasn’t changed

As the Labor Party wrestles with the issue of leadership, Kevin Rudd’s biographer ROBERT MACKLIN says we’ll see a replay of chaotic decision making, absurd time-management, government by fear, media manipulation and arrogance

THERE is only one question to be answered when deciding whether the Labor caucus should replace Julia Gillard with Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister: Has the leopard changed his spots?

I wish it were not so. In an ideal world Ms Gillard would be permitted to build on the terrific policy achievements of the Labor Government then go to the people for a further endorsement of the program.

And they are major achievements – from the apology to the stolen generations to the finessing of the GFC, from paid maternity leave to better health and education, from the NBN to a tremendous upgrading of our infrastructure, from decent IR laws to a fairer tax system. Indeed, everywhere you look this government has come up with the goods.

But the stark fact of political life is that Ms Gillard has not won over the electorate. She came to the job in a way that offended our sense of fair play. And in all the days since, she has not been able to make that all important emotional connection with the voters. Her capacity to do so has now virtually passed – she’d have to rescue a baby from a burning building to achieve a viable approval rating.

At the same time – as revealed in “CityNews” months ago – Kevin Rudd has been following a

index / contacts

Arts&Entertainment 19-21

Body 22-23

Canberra Confidential 17

Cinema 20

Dining 21

Fashion 24

Garden 26-27

News 3-10

Politics 3,7

Property 28-39

Puzzles 25

Social Scene 11-16

FRONT COVER: Foreign correspondent Sally Sara in Afghanistan. Story Page 8.

carefully calibrated timetable to undermine her position and force her from The Lodge, in the sure and certain knowledge that he is the only viable contender to replace her.

So, has he changed? Or will we see a replay of Kevin the Unready, of chaotic decision making, absurd time-management, government by fear, media manipulation, infantilised expression (happy, little Vegemite) and Whitlamesque arrogance?

Clearly, he has been through what to most people would be a life-changing experience.

Only a fool would not take the lessons to heart and resolve to present a very different persona if the opportunity ever arose again. And I think we can agree that Rudd is highly intelligent. But has he changed? Alas, the answer is no… or at least he has shown absolutely no evidence of it.

Admittedly, he’s somewhat circumscribed in what he can say publicly lest he be seen to be making an overt play for the top job. But he has shown no propensity at all to broaden his approach, to seek advice from the wise heads of the community or to cultivate people prepared to tell him the unvarnished truth about his weaknesses and blind spots. Instead, in the closed circle of his few intimates it remains “my way or the highway”.

How could this be so? The truth is that he

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dose of dorin

never did experience that vital 40 days and nights in the wilderness that might have effected a genuine change. Instead, he opted for the egosoothing rituals of Foreign Minister while he plotted his comeback.

All very sad.

However, when and if he does return to The Lodge he will at least give Labor a fighting chance at the election. And if that means deliverance from the horror of Abbott PM, I guess that’s some consolation. robert@robertmacklin.com

Rhodanthe’s boundless love for little babies

Libby Hill reports

AFTER 65 years being active in the midwifery field, Rhodanthe Lipsett continues to reach out to mothers and babies across Australia.

The long-time Canberran is a Fellow of the Australian College of Midwives and now helps new mums and babies through her book “Baby Care: Nurturing your baby your way”, which contains essential knowledge for the first three months.

Rhodanthe says the first six weeks are the most difficult for new mums, and it is important to assist, encourage and inspire them so that they experience more up times than down times.

“Babies are babies for such a short time that parents need to be able to delight in them and avoid unnecessary worries,” Rhodanthe says.

“As we try to respond to cues and build a comfortable and nurturing relationship with this small but definite person, we discover that they themselves influence and shape this relationship astoundingly effectively.”

The Australian College of Midwives has established the Rhodanthe Lipsett Trust, to provide annual scholarships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwifery students, to assist them in their study to become midwives.

“I’ve always been aware of the special needs of indigenous women. It’s so important that they have culturally appropriate treatment,” she says.

“We need to respect their cultural ways and at the same time they need the benefit of the knowledge and skill we can provide so the births are safe for the mother and baby.”

“Baby Care” has been praised nationally since the first edition was published in 2004 under the original title of “No One Right Way”.

Earlier this month at Admiralty House in Sydney, the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce launched the book’s third edition.

“The joy, the power of this book is in the encouragement it gives parents to find a way of knowing and doing what suits them and their babies best, building capacity and promoting resilience,” Ms Bryce said.

Australian College of Midwives CEO Ann Kin-

near encourages people to make a donation to the Rhodanthe Lipsett Trust.

“Rhodanthe is remarkable. At 90 years old she is still working tirelessly for midwifery and young babies,” she says.

Rhodanthe is also helping teenage mothers continue their education.

Through the Canberra College Cares program, pregnant teens will each receive their own copy of “Baby Care” with a special message from a member of the community, who has donated the book.

“This project is to help the girls who are courageous and determined to finish their education, to make a career and a life for their babies,” Rhodanthe says.

To donate a copy of the book to help teen mums, email executiveofficer@midwives.org.au or call the Australian College of Midwives on 6230 7333.

Rotters dumping in charity bins

Sonya Fladun

mum in the city

INCREASINGLY, I get the impression that too many people have lost any sense of what charity bins are for.

They are being turned into rubbish dumps and this summer the problem seems worse than ever before.

Things I’ve seen dumped on the footpath next to charity bins include old analogue televisions, stained and torn mattresses, fans, heaters and coolers obviously long trashed, refrigerators and washing machines, broken chairs and tables, packing crates, old broken computers and printers, piles of filthy rags and used disposable nappies, fencing and roofing material and, on one occasion, a dissembled outboard boat motor.

Much of this stuff is absolutely no use to our charities and, if dumped in or near their bins, it costs them to have it removed and taken to the dump.

The ACT Government recently conducted a hard rubbish pick up trial, but it was skillfully designed by cost-wary bureaucrats to ensure minimal takeup of the service. It didn’t get a lot of publicity and I certainly didn’t hear about it.

When we lived across the border in Queanbeyan, we made good use of an excellent hard rubbish pick-up service which was easy to organise for any household twice a year. Maybe the ACT Government could revisit this and work harder to enforce the penalties for dumping.

If you are unsure of what is or isn’t wanted by charities it is usually listed on the side of bins or for more detail go to tams.act.gov.au/live/recyclingwaste/options/recycling_reusable_items/charities which gives you information on what kind of items they require and numbers you can ring to organise a pick up.

For everything else, be responsible and get a trash pack, mini skip or, for that all-time family favourite adventure, go for a weekend trip to the dump.

Meet and eat!

AN auction of homemade goodies will follow the judging of members’ cakes, biscuits, slices, jams and relishes at the March 7 meeting of the CWA Canberra Evening Branch. All welcome at 7pm in the CWA rooms, Barry Drive, Civic.

Togetherness

A REUNION weekend for former students of Telopea Park High School, from the mid-’50s to 1962, will be held next month. Events include a school tour, a Manuka Circle walk and a barbecue in Telopea Park. The reunion dinner will be held at the National Press Club on Saturday, March 17. Organisers can be contacted tphs1962@hotmail.com

Room to help

CANBERRA Room to Read, part of the international non-profit foundation that builds schools and libraries and funds girls’ education in developing countries, is hosting a fundraising evening on International Women’s Day, Thursday, March 8, at Tilley’s Devine Cafe Gallery, Lyneham, from 6.30pm. The evening includes a complementary drink, a raffle, a performance by Cyrenes women’s choir and inspirational businesswomen speakers. Tickets $30 from roomtoread.org/ canberraIWD2012

Mature advice

A “SEX, Health & Your Life” event on Wednesday, March 7, has been specifically developed for women in their 40s and beyond. Experts in the area of physiotherapy and fitness, general practice and sex education will share up-todate and practical information to help women manage physical and emotional health issues.

The event, at the ACT Legislative Assembly Reception Room, will have an afternoon and evening session. Registrations to 6290 2166 or email admin@wchm.org.au.

Rocks meet art

G EOLOGIST and artist Dr Eva Papp will give free science art workshops for juniors, seniors and families under titles “Prehistoric Canberra” and “Optical Illusions”. At CSIRO Discovery, Clunies Ross Street, Acton, until June 27. Bookings essential to 6246 4646. Full information at csiro.au/en/Portals/ Education/Programs/Discovery-Centre/ Discovery-Events/ScienceArtWorkshops_ Discovery_Event.aspx

Winner

The winner of the “Royal Show ride you can’t buy!” a 15-minute precision-driving performance with the Toyota V6 HiLux Heroes is: Olga Vareskic, of Melba.

The power of backyard chooks

Libby Hill reports

EVER thought about having chickens, but worried it would be too hard in a suburban backyard? Worried about the law, smells, noise, rodents? Alyson Hill has the answers.

The Canberra-born author of the book “Chooks in the City” says there is a lot of misinformation about keeping chooks and it’s surprisingly easy for people living in the city.

And while more people seem to be getting back to nature by growing their own food and keeping chooks, she insists it’s not a trend.

“Years ago, lots of people had chickens, but then we got busy and both adults in the house were working full time so it became less common,” she says.

“In a life that speeds along faster and faster, it seems that people are starting to want to put the brakes on. They are interested in plants and soil and compost and gardens. By having chickens you can feel like you are doing your bit for the earth, not least because it makes you stop and think.

“Now we have a different mindset about it and we are connecting with the environment and our food.”

Not that Alyson’s chickens are food.

“I love to eat chicken, but I just can’t do it with my own. I name all my chooks so they become like part of the family,” she says.

There are a few reasons why keeping chooks is becoming popular again, not least of which is the fresh eggs.

“My children love eggs and my daughter is really into baking at the moment, so it’s great to have plenty of eggs on hand for when she’s experimenting,” Alyson says.

“Chooks are great for the garden and their poo is great. They are the most brilliant garbage disposals and there is barely a need for a compost bin because they just take all those scraps and turn it into fertiliser for the garden.

“For a productive pet, you just can’t go past chickens!”

Alyson has had chickens for the past 10 years at her home in Murrumbateman and previously in Amaroo.

She says a common concern for people contemplating keeping chooks is that they will attract rodents.

“If you keep the chook feed in rodentproof containers and don’t put out any more feed than they can eat, then rodents aren’t a problem.”

She says there are no laws in Canberra against keeping roosters, but it’s not necessary.

“If a neighbour complains about a noisy rooster then it will be investigated, so the rules are similar to dogs in that sense. So you can have a rooster, but I can’t think of a reason why you need one,” she says.

“You can buy fertilised eggs very easily from places like allclassifieds.com.au.”

Alyson has also found that chook lovers tend to gravitate towards one another.

“You can always borrow a rooster from someone to service the hens,” she says.

Her top tip for chicken keeping in Canberra is to be sensible about the hen house.

“There are a surprising number of foxes in Canberra, so be careful about housing at night,” she says.

Alyson will discuss the various breeds and their selection, the pros and cons of roosters, housing requirements, predators, breeding, feeding and general care at an event called “Chooks in the City” next month.

People contemplating introducing chooks into their backyard, can speak to Alyson and Teresa Zarlenga, who has chooks in her garden in Red Hill.

People can meet these productive pets, explore their abode and gain knowledge from Alyson’s extensive experience.

Teresa’s garden has been created using a wealth of recycled materials and plants. The garden is home to her “girls” who help her with recycling, composting and turning of the beds and provide her with hours of enjoyment as she watches their antics.

Morning tea featuring an array of recipes featuring eggs will be served.

“Chooks in the City”, Saturday, March 17, 9.30am-noon at Red Hill.

Bookings are essential at www.opengarden.org.au or (03) 5568 1138. Tickets are $60 and include morning tea.

Alyson’s book “Chooks in the City” is available from Smiths Bookshop, Paperchain Bookstore , Ginninderra Press , Book Passion (at Dickson shops and the Belconnen Markets), Little Dog Bookshop in Yass and the ACT Writers’ Centre.

Labor takes a scalpel to health insurance

LIKE a Robin Hood in reverse, the private health insurance scheme has been taking from the poor and giving to the rich.

But now means testing of private health insurance has just passed through the Parliament and the package of three Bills will mean a fairer distribution of taxpayers’ money, returning about $2.4 billion a year into the public coffers.

It has been a test of Labor’s resolve, and illustrates that minority government is still working.

The Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bills 2011 package is cornerstone Labor legislation and provides a good indicator for the sort of differences that exist between the major parties.

Currently, anyone who takes out private health insurance receives a 30 per cent rebate from the Government on the premium. Effectively, our taxpayers’ money is used to make a significant contribution to everyone with private health insurance. What has been happening is that the poorest of taxpayers have been supplementing the wealthiest.

Australians generally pay their tax in a progressive system. Tax is levied proportionally to the money earned with those earning the more money in a higher bracket making a greater proportion as their contribution to the community.

The private health insurance levy was introduced under the Howard Government and it took a strong government, keen negotiation and considerable backbone for new Health Minister Tanya Plibersek to push this through.

Under the proposed scheme, singles with health insurance earning more than $80,000 and couples earning more than $160,000 would receive a rebate of 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Singles earning $124,000 and couples on $248,000 would no longer be eligible.

The Bill includes a penalty for higher income earners who don’t take out private health insur-

Michael Moore comment

ance – the Medicare levy surcharge.

The Opposition has painted a picture in the Parliament of a tsunami of people forgoing their private health insurance and overloading the public hospital system.

Price levers do have an impact on people’s decision making. However, there are many other factors. When the levy was introduced by the conservatives it was argued that it would increase uptake and take pressure off hospital waiting lists. Neither eventuated! There was no marked increase in new people joining private health insurance in the year it was introduced.

The sorts of services that are provided in private hospitals are often quite different to the services that public hospitals provide. The decision on which services are to be provided is based on profit. Most private hospitals offer a limited range of services and avoid procedures that require significant specialisation. In other words, there is a sense in which they cherrypick the services they provide.

Perhaps this legislation will be a wake-up call for some of the private insurers. Dinner-table conversations in Canberra invariably reveal people who use their private health insurance and are shocked at the extent to which they have to reach into their own pocket for the gap payment.

In her introduction as Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek has demonstrated that she can lead reform in the way that her predecessor did on tobacco and alcohol. She has supported those earning $50,000 a year who will be no longer subsidising those earning $200,000 a year. That’s giving them a “fair go”.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health. He is the CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia.

Horrors come home to roost

THE ACT Government’s Mid-Year Budget Review has revealed major cracks in the Territory’s economy, with possibly worse on the horizon.

Catherine Carter property

And the Government’s track record tells us that the promise to return the Budget to surplus cannot be relied on.

The most ominous message in the MYR is that the Government’s negative fiscal balance (its borrowing requirement) for 2011-12 has deteriorated to $530 million and blows out to almost $2 billion over the four years to 2014. This is in addition to the negative headline deficit of $181.3 million – a blow-out of $144 million.

So, in addition to taxing the people of Canberra, the ACT Government is also compulsorily borrowing to fund its day-to-day operations and capital spending.

In the 2010-11 Budget, the fiscal balance was estimated to be $634 million, reducing to $380 million in 2011-12. But now the fiscal balance for 2011-12 is expected to blow out by $150 to $530 million – a huge error and a massive drain on the rest of the community.

The ACT Government’s Budget continues to rely too heavily on a narrow tax base, with more than 50 per cent of its revenue coming from taxes on property – and that structural flaw is

getting worse.

One significant item in the MYR which is clearly wrong is the estimated revenue from the Lease Variation Charge. The MYR assumes no change from the $22.4 million assumed in the original Budget, but with evidence being that there has been a large reduction in investment in developing properties.

By the end of 2011-12 the Government will see a collapse in revenue from this onerous charge. Its failure to raise revenue will be a negative for the Budget but will be an important lesson for the Government because the LVC is bad for the citizens of Canberra. It is a massive tax which is making most people worse off by reducing the incentive to redevelop (putting land to better use) and driving up the cost of housing.

Treasurer Andrew Barr has said he intends to make “the ACT’s tax settings more progressive, further improving economic efficiency and fairness”. Is this code for imposing even more taxes on property?

Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia

Sara thrives on danger’s front line

Television journalist Sally Sara, who will be in Canberra next month for International Women’s Day, tells FREYLA FERGUSON about life on the road as a foreign correspondent

“THERE’S an enormous amount of untapped potential with women around the world, particularly in developing countries,” awardwinning journalist and foreign correspondent Sally Sara told “CityNews” from Mumbai.

Sara, the first female correspondent appointed to the ABC’s Africa, South Asia and Kabul bureaus, has just completed a year as the ABC’s Afghanistan correspondent based in Kabul.

“It’s huge human capital, and you see countries that are struggling to develop,” she said.

“Yet women are not being given opportunities in education and employment and that’s hugely detrimental to those countries and it’s extremely hard for them to develop when they are cutting their labour force in half, cutting their potential in half because they are not giving opportunities to women.

“A lot of the research has shown, particularly in places like Africa, if women were only given more equal access to land, to fertiliser and other things and were able to give a greater contribution to farming, that areas of Africa that can’t feed themselves at the moment would easily be able to do so.

“It’s not an abstract concept, it’s really a matter of survival and very few countries are able to move forward without opening opportunities for women and benefitting from the contributions they can make.”

Sara will be in Canberra on March 8 and will speak about women’s empowerment at the Canberra International Women’s Day Lunch at the National Convention Centre.

She has reported from more than 30 countries, including Iraq, Lebanon and Sierra Leone, and has written for “The New York Times”, “The Boston Globe” and penned the best-selling biography of 12 African women called “Gogo Mama”. She has been nominated for the Walkley Award six times and, last year, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to journalism and the community.

“CityNews” caught Sara, while she was in India on leave, but researching her next book, set to be released in 2013.

“I’m doing some interviews for a book that I’m writing on 10 different women from across Asia,” she said.

“Places like Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia, Afghanistan and here in India. I’m interviewing an old lady in the slums here in Mumbai.”

Sara is best known for reporting, dressed usually in a head scarf, from one of the most dangerous parts of the world.

She told the stories of the Afghan people most affected by the war; the people who couldn’t tell their own stories to the world.

“I think I have realised how lucky we are in Australia,” she said. “We are one of the most stable, democratic, fair and prosperous countries in the world, I’m quite struck by that from what I’ve seen elsewhere.

“I’ve seen a lot of violence, and I am very glad we don’t see much of that in Australia.”

In a piece she filed for the ABC’s “Correspondents Report” late last year, she writes that she’s fallen in

Foreign correspondent Sally Sara... “I’ve seen a lot of violence, and I am very glad we don’t see much of that in Australia.”

love with Afghanistan “even though I have no right to feel a sense of belonging”.

“I feel very strongly about the people, even though what happens here stretches all the way from humbling hospitality to numbing violence, suffering and lost potential,” she writes.

“Some kind of irrational hook has kept me here. I don’t question it much. As long as it’s there, I am here and I love it.”

In Afghanistan, Sara worked as a video journalist, filming and reporting her stories.

Working with a local Afghan, a “fantastic, very courageous and talented young producer”, they travelled “quite light and small and easy to move around”.

Travelling light means having about 35kg of gear on her back, including camera equipment, satellite phone, personal gear, sleeping bag in addition to about 10kg of body armour and a helmet.

“I find it quite heavy, but it’s about as light as you can go,” she said.

And although she avoids speaking about her most scariest experiences in Afghanistan, she does say being an Australian woman, does come with some advantages.

“Foreign female journalists are really lucky in a sense that they get to interview women, but also speak with the men,” she said.

“Some male reporters can speak to the men, but can’t get into people’s houses to be able speak with women, particularly in Afghanistan.

“I’ve certainly been spared a lot of the discrimination and the difficulties that the local women have to endure every day.

“So it’s been important to use that to tell their story when they are unable to do so themselves.”

Originally hailing from Adelaide, where her family still lives, Sally will move to Sydney in May, to take on the late Paul Lockyer’s job as the ABC rural and regional affairs correspondent.

To read Sally Sara’s “ABC Afghanistan correspondent’s farewell to Kabul” visit abc.net.au/correspondents

More information on Canberra International Women’s Day lunch, National Convention Centre, Tuesday, March 8 at internationalwomensday.org.au

Rod’s mandate for laughs

Freyla Ferguson reports

COMEDIAN Rod Quantock

was a second-year architecture student at the University of Melbourne when he discovered his knack for performing on stage.

As part of an annual architect’s revue, he “got drunk for the first time”, plucked up some courage and got up on stage.

“From the moment I walked on stage, I really enjoyed it,” he said.

“At the time there was no concept of Australian comedy – there was no future, unless you made it yourself.”

That was more than 40 years ago; and although many stand-up comedians have been and gone – Quantock has persevered.

And he’ll be in Canberra on Friday, March 2, as part of Enlighten Festival’s “Show us Your Mandate!” comedy night, alongside comedians Tom Ballard, Claire Hooper and Mikey Robins.

Quantock is something of a comedic legend in Australia, and reflects on the days when

crowds got angry, heckled, jumped on stage and pulled their pants down just to make a point, a time when he performed in clubs in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

“I just got up on stage and talked, and worked out that was stand-up comedy,” he said. He went on to work in television on programs including “Ratbags”, “Australia You’re Standing In It”, “Fast Forward”, “Denton” and “Backberner”.

He’s now known for his social, political and environmental comedy.

“All comedians begin their careers auto-biographical,” he

says. “They talk about their parents, his girlfriend, or her girlfriend.

“But there comes a time when you either become a celebrity or you get into bigger things than yourself.

“I got into social, political and environmental issues.

“Not everyone gets to speak to 50 to 100 to 1000 people at one time. I thought I could use comedy to change the world... Not that I’ve been able to.”

He’s not sure what material he’ll use in his gig at Old Parliament House, but either way he’s excited to be part of Enlighten and excited to perform in the building which once housed the likes of Prime Ministers Curtin, Menzies and Whitlam.

“Enlighten sounds fantastic,” he says.

“There are so many fantastic things in Canberra, which I’m sure you’re all blasé about, but I love the National Library and Museum. And, of course, Old Parliament House.”

“Show us your Mandate!”, Museum of Australian Democracy, Members Bar, on Friday March 2. Tickets from ticketek. com.au or enlightencanberra. com.au

news / opinion

What a great summer!

Why does summer have to be really hot? MARK PARTON doesn’t think so. He’s had his best, yet.

EVERY DAY someone else from this town whinges to me about this summer and how disappointing it’s been.

Why? What was wrong with it?

Summer has been absolutely awesome, the best I’ve ever experienced!

Why does summer have to make you sweat? Why must it be over 30C before we’re all satisfied.

I grew up in the wheatbelt of WA in a place where summer was so hot and unrelenting that it sucked the life out of you for weeks. In York, we’d always have a week of 40C+ days and a stack of other days in excess of 35C. It got so hot that the railway tracks would buckle.

I can remember school days when our teachers just conceded that it was too hot to learn. Mrs Hooper would declare “free time” for the next half an hour knowing that we were so bereft of energy that nobody would get rowdy. We’d all be slumped over our desks

staring into space. Nobody spoke. There was quiet apart from the constant whirring of the ceiling fans pushing the hot air around and the buzzing of annoying flies.

These were the days before air conditioners in cars were commonplace. We tended to use the 4 x 100 air-conditioning method. You drive at 100kph and wind all four windows down. Summer in WA was HOT!

Here in Canberra, we’ve failed to crack it for 35C this summer with last month our coolest January since 2000.

And the problem is?

I bet the Raiders and Brumbies players who’ve just slogged their way through another tough pre-season are

thankful for the cooler days and the thunderstorms. How could summer be bad if there’s cricket on and the beer is cold?

The nights were mild, we got some rain, the sun shone and it was still warm enough to go for a swim. I took the family to Jamberoo, the day after Australia Day. It was grey, wet and miserable. It rained and the mercury struggled to get past 23C. Okay, so it may have been a little fresh, but the queues were non-existent. We did “the Taipan” a dozen times. If only we could pre-order summer 2013, I just want a repeat of this one.

Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer on 2CC.

scene / around canberra

At the TransACT VIP Lounge at Tropfest, Parkes

At the National Day of the Republic of Serbia, Albert Hall At ‘Open Your Hearts’ gala dinner, Hyatt Hotel Canberra

At ‘Maxim Charity Tennis Day’, Forrest Tennis Club

Canberra Confidential

Adam’s new opener…

FORMER Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist must have one eye on the cricket and another on a pile of resumes about now.

As chairman of the Canberra-based National Australia Day Council, Gilchrist is looking to replace the council’s CEO following the departure of Warren Pearson.

Pearson has overseen the Australia Day celebrations in the capital and on a national scale for the past 11 years and was responsible for the Australian of the Year Awards. He has taken up the position of assistant secretary, Multicultural Affairs at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

NADC deputy CEO and national program director Tam Johnston is currently acting CEO.

Date hits a high

SO ‘80s... who was the Canberra publicist whose new squeeze turned up for their second date to find her stoned? So much so, she spent most of the evening out in the ladies’ loo throwing up.

Vote for Dimity

FORMER Queanbeyan dancer Dimity Azoury has a chance to take out The Australian Ballet’s highest honour. Azoury, a former Kim Harvey School of

Dance student who joined The Australian Ballet in 2008, is one of six Telstra Ballet Dancer Award nominees.

If she wins, not only will she claim bragging rights, but will receive a $20,000 cash prize. The award will be judged by an industry panel, however Canberrans can get behind her with the People’s Choice Award. And it’s not a bad consolation prize, the People’s Choice winner will receive $5000.

To vote Azoury as your favourite, visit telstra. com/ballet. The winners will be announced at the end of the year.

Mow town

NEEDS must... We’ve heard of one European embassy from a basket-case economy that’s had to let the gardeners go and is now doing its own mowing.

Tommy loves us

US fashion brand Tommy Bahama has used Australia, and Canberra in particular, for inspiration for its latest furniture range they’ve called “Road to Canberra”.

“Maybe it’s the attitude, maybe it’s the lifestyle, maybe it’s what happens when you

live on the world’s biggest island,” the video advertisement says.

“But there’s something about Australia. The land and the people just exude a passion for indigenous style.”

Sure... The “unique look” of woven vaneer accented by a “remarkable blend of natural elements” and has “an outback vibe with out front style”.

Items include: “Ainslie mirror”, “Weston Creek chest”, “Parkes Armless Chair” and “Lennox Gardens sideboard”. Sounds tasteful!

Tommy Bahama makes men’s and women’s wear, accessories and furniture.

The “Road to Canberra” clip is at lexington. com/collections/Road-To-Canberra.cfm

History repeats itself

DISAPPOINTING, but not a bad run between showers for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s annual prom concert. It’s been 30 years since it had last cancelled the iconic outdoor show at Government House. Like the first prom in 1982, severe weather caused the concert’s cancellation.

Soloists Eva Kong and Gaetano Bonfante

and conductor Marc Taddei flew out of Canberra on Sunday with little more than a thrilling rehearsal to show for their efforts!

All food pre-prepared for the corporate and VIP marquees was donated to local charity OzHarvest.

Many ticket holders are not seeking refunds in a gesture to help the orchestra offset some of the significant costs of preparing for the cancelled event.

Hitting the wall

THE battle between Megalo Print Studio and Gallery and local musicians over the Fitters’ Workshop in Kingston has hit the wall. It appears someone is working guerrilla style, plastering mock posters all over the building.

Someone’s launched a guerrilla attack... but who?

Megalo Print Studio and Gallery was sent shots of the poster and posted it on its Facebook site: “Someone sent in these shots to us of a poster that’s been spotted around town. Not sure who is responsible but we are amused.”

“CC” finds it amusing, too... but we’re not sure at whose expense the joke is on.

Men in black (tutus)

ON Saturday, March 10, two dozen men will pair lycra with little black tutus and set off to cycle between Canberra and Melbourne in the charity “Ride for the Little Black Dress” to raise awareness of bowel cancer for The Jodi Lee Foundation. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer-related death in Australia, however it is 90 per cent curable if detected early. The ride aims to increase awareness of early detection of bowel cancer and encourage people to screen annually from age 40, while raising an anticipated $200,000 for the foundation.

A spring into style?

WHILE we wait to see how successful the all-new Enlighten autumn festival will be at attracting tourists to the capital, Canberra’s flagship event, Floriade is set to be a winner again in 2012.

The Floriade event report from 2011 says this year’s flower festival will “spring into style” and we’re hearing the theme is shaping up around fashion and design.

Last year’s “Feast for the Senses” program had cooking demonstrations and a kitchen garden. This year we’re hoping to see a touch of glamour and some quality fashions among those tulips.

Know something? Tell us at confidential@citynews.com.au

Gold Creek shopping advertising feature

Village with lots of history

THE Gold Creek area, to Canberra’s north, is one of the oldest parts of Canberra.

Known until the 1990s as Ginninderra Village, this part of Nicholls was home to the Ginninderra Schoolhouse, built in 1883, and the former St Francis School of Ginninderra.

The area also featured the Gold Creek property from which the precinct got its name, including the Gold Creek Homestead.

In the early 1990s, Ginninderra Village was renamed Gold Creek Village, which these days has a host of attractions, including the walk-in aviary.

arts & entertainment

Friendly Corinbank calls the festival faithful

WHY is a small music festival in the Brindabella Mountains proving immune from the phenomenon of “festival fatigue” and succeeding where many other such festivals have failed?

Very simple, according to Amy Moon, the general manager of Corinbank Festival: “It’s a truly immersive experience... we do it for love... it’s very family-friendly and it’s sustainable.”

Founded in 2008 by three musician friends who wanted to grow opportunities for local bands to find bigger audiences, this is the fourth year of Corinbank, staged just a 20-minute drive from Tuggeranong.

Readers who can count will see that they took a year off. Moon reports that the site was sodden last year after heavy rain, but it also gave the masterminds time to reconsider the direction of the event.

Now Corinbank is back with a vengeance

Joy among the intrigue

theatre

“To Silence”

By Subhash Jaireth

Directed by Caroline Stacey and Camilla Blunden, The Street Theatre, until February 26. Reviewed by Joe Woodward

ONE is struck by the visual intrigue created by the intricate set and lighting design of this gracious work. As Raoul Craemer’s Kabir emerges from a kind of web or peacock’s wing, we become aware of an immense mythic quality within the story of this Indian poet and mystic.

The evening is divided into two plays: “Kabir” played by Craemer and “Maria Chekhova” played by Naone Carrel.

The playwright has imbued his characters with intense human qualities expressing humour, vulnerability and vanity. As the narrative progresses, we become aware of their reflections and growth beyond the entrapment of their own historical mythology. The effect is mesmerising. There is something particularly joyful in being a part of the dialogue with these characters. Both reach out to us for clarification and even consideration of their doubts and personal intrigues. Mortality gives us hope rather than despair.

Craemer plays the role as if it was written specifically for him. He must be given the opportunity to reprise and develop it. Carrel used her own injury to enhance her subtle portrayal of the ailing Chekhova. This production reinforces the best qualities of live performance.

Helen Musa reports

and  expects to see 2000 people a day through the gates – not huge, you may say, but much more feasible than events that disappeared or were cancelled last year, such as Rewind Australia, the Great Southern Blues Festival and Funk ‘N’ Grooves.

While the organising is done on a voluntary basis, the artists are paid as professionals, except for a few local artists who participate in exchange for free tickets.

Fifty-four per cent of artists come from the Canberra region, including Beth ‘n’ Ben, the Burley Griffins and Rafe Morris. The out-of-town headliner is singer-songwriter Josh Pyke.

Corinbank’s aim, through a 10-year planned partnership with Canberra solar electricity firm Armada, is to be carbon neutral. It’s already gone a long way towards achieving this by offering offsets to visitors’

carbon input. Additionally, none of the power used will come from fossil-fuel-based sources, thanks to a bio-diesel PremiAir generator and waste recycled through Natural Event Compost Loos.

“It’s exciting – it’s bold,” Moon says.

Apart from the music, to Moon, the most exciting things are on the quirky side –performers playing on the roof of a van near the main stage, adjunct creative camps for writing and yarn spinning and the unique “back-up camp”, where a group of young men give out objects visitors might have forgotten – toothbrushes, soap and shavers.

There will also be poets, jugglers, stiltwalkers, carvers, visual artists and circus performers.

“You could not see a band the whole weekend and still be busy,” Moon says.

Corinbank, in the Brindabella Mountains, March 2-4. Camping is free with a three-day ticket (hot showers, toilets and drinking water available on site). Bookings to http://www. corinbank.com

There’s funny business everywhere

NEXT month the Melbourne International Comedy Festival looks set to take over Canberra. And why not? We have plenty of seriously funny people here.

There’s Ned Hirst, for instance, who represented Canberra at the national grand finals of “Class Clowns” last year.

That’s the project that helps young people in Years 9-12 throughout Australia to become comedians and which has seen luminaries such as Josh Thomas and Tom Ballard through its doors.

The performances are judged, then the winners go to the State finals and eventually to Melbourne, with money prizes for themselves and their school if they win.

The Canberra heats of “Class Clowns” are on March 2 at the Canberra Theatre and Canberra teens from 14-18 years are welcome to enter. Register at comedyfestival. com.au/2012/classclowns/competition

“Class Clowns”, in the Link, Canberra Theatre, workshop 11am, performance 2pm, Friday, March 2. Tickets at the door.

Helen Musa reports

THEN there’s Greg Kimball, who won the Canberra heat of “RAW Comedy” last year and is trying again for the national title.

Kimball, together with Kale Bogdanovs and Rafe Morris from Comedy ACT, will also perform the show “Capital Punishment” at Melbourne Town Hall. An upand-coming Canberra entrant is Edward Graffham.

“RAW Comedy” is the country’s biggest open mic comedy competition and has, since 1996, been luring apparently normal people out of offices, workplaces, classrooms, pubs and homes to centre stage with just five minutes of new, original material.

You have to have earned less than $500 from performing comedy, but that’s usually no problem. The RAW Comedy winner in Melbourne gets to compete in “So You Think You’re Funny?” at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Register at rawcomedy.com.au Raw Comedy Canberra heat, Tilley’s Cafe, Lyneham, 8pm, Saturday, March 3.

Win tickets to ‘Yes, Prime Minister’

“CityNews” has three double tickets, valued at $158 each, to the opening night of “Yes, Prime Minister” at the Canberra Theatre. www.citynews.com.au/win

arts & entertainment

Secrets of the horse whisperer

“Buck” (PG)

THE impetus for telling equestrian educator Buck Branneman’s story on film was his theories and practical abilities giving rise to books and the feature film “The Horse Whisperer”.

Their mother’s death when they were small left Buck and his older brother in the control of an alcoholic, violent father. The local sheriff heard of their plight and put them into care of foster parents, of whom the wife appears in the film with some delightful down-home reality checks.

The film follows Buck spending nine months a year travelling to and fro across the US holding clinics to teach owners of working and pleasure horses. It’s not necessary to be enthusiastic about horses to fall under the spell of its treatment of their beauty, intelligence and ability to interact comfortably with their human companions.

Watching Buck’s methods for changing horses from animals with free will into companions and servants without the brutal traditional “breaking in” inflicted on horses during the millennia since that relationship began, is a revelation and a delight. So are the passages showing Buck’s family supporting his passion for what he does so well.

An extended sequence involves reality seldom seen on screen. Explaining fundamental faults in her horse husbandry while paramedics treat her husband, whom a potentially-useful but intractable horse badly handled since birth has savaged, Buck gently reduces its owner to ashamed tears.

Horses are big, quick animals with many behaviours like humans. Director Cindy Meehl’s film looks honestly and affectionately at one

Dougal Macdonald cinema

man’s lifetime of improving their relationship with people and vice versa.

At Greater Union

“My Week With Marilyn” (M)

AFTER graduating, Colin Clark’s first job was third assistant director on Laurence Olivier’s 1956 production of “The Prince and The Showgirl”, co-starring Marilyn Monroe.

Colin’s notebook about the filming provides the basis for director Simon Curtis’ meticulously crafted, lovely, intelligent, nostalgia piece that roves among a flock of theatre and cinema notables of the time.

Adrian Hodges’ screenplay takes us behind the camera to weave a challenging network of conflicting ambitions, expectations, private lives, triumphs and disasters as two superstars confronted each other’s demons and avoided calamity.

Curtis’ film offers a showcase cast, led by Kenneth Branagh, a convincing Olivier (although I kept feeling that his diction more-frequently resembled Noel Coward’s). Judy Dench, as Sybil Thorndike, and Zoe Wannamaker, as Monroe’s acting coach Paula Strasberg, lead a cross-Atlantic collection of players that will give filmgoers great fun putting names to.

Eddie Redmayne was well chosen to play Colin, eager to learn the movie-making business (he went on to be a successful documentarist). And Michelle Williams is deeply poignant as Marilyn, the dazzled and confused 30-year-old child, frightened by the people surrounding

David’s wooden alter-ego

DO you find ventriloquists’ dummies terrifying? Well, prepare to be terrified when puppet master David Strassman returns to the Canberra Theatre soon with “Careful What You Wish For”, starring his vicious alter-ego, “Chuck Wood”. At The Playhouse, February 28 to March 4. Bookings to 6275 2700.

THIS year’s 10th Australian Performing Arts Market has more than 610 delegates soon arriving in Adelaide from 29 countries. The market began in Canberra during the now defunct National Festival of Australian Theatre, after which Adelaide was quick to snaffle it up.

FOUR of our top authors, Roger McDonald, Marion Halligan, Irma Gold and Nigel Featherstone, will be reading selections from their latest works at Electric Shadows Bookshop, 2/40 Mort Street, Braddon, 6pm, February 28. Free, but phone 6248 8352.

THOSE whiz kids of the Australian unscripted theatre scene, Impro ACT, are realising director Nick Byrne’s dream of performing a unique play each night with “Crescendo”, where 10 musical performers create a piece of musical theatre onstage. Audiences will create the name of the band and the song titles during interval. At The Street Theatre, March 1-10. Lyndsay Hailey, from Chicago’s Second City Company, appears March 2-3. Bookings to www.thestreet.org.au

Helen Musa arts in the city

TUGGERANONG Arts Centre is hopping with paintings by Caroline Deeble, photographs by Michelle McAulay (until February 27 under the title “Ocean & Earth”), Stopera’s celebration of “Enchanting Operetta” (3pm, March 4) and Grace Costa’s photographic essay of rodeos from Queanbeyan and surrounding regions (March 1-20), during the official opening of which, at 5pm on March 3, a silent auction will be held to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Inquiries to 6294 1443.

MUSICIAN-director Dianna Nixon is assembling the Canberra chorus for Melbourne Opera’s “Carmen” at the Canberra Theatre on May 12. They need adult singers and a children’s chorus of 15 voices. Inquiries to wildvoices@bigpond. com

GEORGE Huitker and Junk Sculpture are out to celebrate the work of Bruce Springsteen with a “Summer Springsteen Festival”. Director Huitker calls it “musically authentic, robust and intelligent”. At Teatro Vivaldi, ANU Arts Centre, 7.30pm, March 3, bookings to 6257 2718 and at Teatro Fellini Café, National Film & Sound Archive, 1pm, March 4.

her professional and personal lives, sweetly grateful for Colin’s unquestioning acceptance of her. Williams has a close physical resemblance to Monroe and while her singing voice is a tad off the pace, her breathy spoken voice evokes familiar memories. Her nomination for an Oscar makes sense.

I liked it a lot.

At Dendy

“One For The Money” (M)

JANET Evanovich struck gold when she created a romantic crime comedy novel series, 18 to date plus a few slim bagatelles to keep the cash flowing, about Stephanie Plum working at bringing in skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond business. It was only a matter of time before somebody bought a film franchise on them. Eye candy Katherine Heigl, serving as executive producer, also plays Steph in perhaps an acting career pinnacle. The novels are formula; mistakes and minor mishaps taking her to the brink of calamity from which one of two babe-magnets in her life, police detective Joe (Jason O’Mara) and rent-a-muscle ex-Special Forces ranger (Daniel Sunjata) will arrive in the nick of time to rescue her.

My favourite characters in Evanovich’s books (and I confess to having smiled at all 18 of them) are Steph’s Grandma Mazur (Debbie Reynolds), passionate about funerals and heavy handguns, and Lula, Steph’s overweight, street-wise, black, reformed hooker co-worker.

“One For The Money” scores 10 on anybody’s idiot-meter, yet can make you laugh while wondering why. Will 17 more Steph stories be filmed? She does work better on paper. At Hoyts and Limelight

Into the mind space of skaters visual

art

“Skaters: portraits by Nikki Toole” National Portrait Gallery, until May 2. Reviewed by Johnny Milner

“SKATERS” is an intriguing series of portraits that explore the lives and mind space of skateboarders from across the globe.

Artist/photographer Nicki Toole notes that rather than spontaneously capturing the skaters on the street, she arranges a date and location to make their portraits.

When photographing she asks her subjects to “look down the barrel of the lens and to enter the same solitary mind space they have while skating”.

Toole denies being influenced by the conventions of traditional portraiture, where wealth, power and legacy are displayed through acquired ornaments, garments and jewellery. Nevertheless, such a comparison cannot be avoided.

The skaters might not seek to promote social stature, but do so by combining different branded clothing, fashion and their own signature skateboards in the form of the Malibu-style board, the banana board or the modern rig.

For some of Toole’s subjects, skateboarding is a profession, for others it is a lifestyle. All the skaters strive for their own individuality but perhaps battle with the contradiction that they are all products of a branded, global and consumerist look.

Following on from “Space Invaders” at the NGA last year, “Skaters” is another testament to an increasing interest in the forces of identity within street art and street culture.

arts & entertainment / dining

For the love of chardonnay

Wendy Johnson dining

POOR chardonnay. It long had a reputation as a sensational white wine until – boom – the new fashion became “ABC” (anything but chardonnay).

I’ve always been a fan, and always will be, so was delighted when the young, confident and innovative co-owners of Artisan in Narrabundah, Sam McGeechan and David Black, decided to hold a month-long “love chardonnay” food and matched wine promotion. Their aim, in part, is to dispel the myth that chardonnay is all about heavy oak and to showcase this top drop with the wonderful food that consistently emerges from Artisan’s kitchen.

While many “wine dinners” are topping well over $100 these days, this one is only $89 for four courses including matched wine. It’s available until month’s end.

The team at Artisan excel at matching food and wine and in 2011 the restaurant won the “wine glass award” from “Gourmet Traveller Wine” and Fine Wine Partners.

The olive-oil poached ocean trout with gourmet bintji potato salad and balsamic was art on a plate (indeed, all dishes are). Fabulous flavours, wonderful execution and a great match with France’s 2009 Michel Bouchard Chablis.

If you are a scallop aficionado, the Clearwater sea scallops from the cold, pristine waters of the Canadian North Atlantic, will make you tremble with excitement. They are lightly pan seared, were cooked to perfection and a delight with the tasty spec, zingy apple salsa and sherry reduction. This time the chardonnay was a 2010 Cape Mentelle from the glorious Margaret River region.

Next up was the maple brushed pork belly, slow braised in Gypsy pear cider with witlof and hazelnuts. Another fabulous plate presentation and another fabulous wine match with the 2009 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay from Marlborough, NZ.

My pork was moist and tender, although another of our party found his slightly overcooked.

Last, but not least, was the vanilla-bean custard with burnt sugar, pistachio and spiced pineapple which we thoroughly enjoyed with the 2009 Spy Valley Noble Chardonnay, again from Marlborough.

Artisan intends to have four such promotions a year. Instead of a “one-night stand” the restaurant will celebrate a different grape variety throughout an entire month. Regular a la carte is also available.

Sam and David have worked in Canberra restaurants and continue to develop a well-deserved reputation for a quality dining experience. Sam has worked in London at the Four Seasons, Park Lane, and David in Melbourne with Jacques Reymon at Arintji. Their talent has Artisan as one of Canberra’s top 10 restaurants in my books. My only regret is that I don’t get there more often.

Artisan, 16 Iluka Street, Narrabundah, call 6232 6482.

Win treats to the Enlighten Festival

“CityNews” has an Enlighten Festival treat pack full of tickets to some of the annual festival’s highlights and two consolation prizes to be won. www.citynews.com.au/win

Facing up to the naked

Laser beauty treatments are creating controversy at the moment. Undaunted, reporter LIBBY HILL puts her face on the line for a story

I’VE barely worn any make-up for the past week.

My overflowing make-up drawers have been seriously neglected and I blame Suzie Hoitink.

As the CEO of Clear Complexions Clinic, Suzie is almost evangelistic about skincare. The first time I visit her clinic, I immediately want to believe everything she says.

So when she tells me that I’m merely babysitting my skin with my current skincare regime (I’m not doing it any harm, but I’m not doing anything beneficial, either), I’m ready to take action!

After a close look at my skin (2mm below its surface), Suzie talks me through her recommendations, which include new cleanser, serums, moisturiser and zinc in addition to the Clear + Brilliant procedure.

Clear + Brilliant sits somewhere between having a facial and an aggressive laser skin resurfacing procedure – it’s a mild laser treatment.

I wouldn’t consider myself to be an ideal candidate for a laser skin rejuvenation. I’m happy with my skin,

rarely get pimples and don’t yet have wrinkles. But I’m told this one is great for anyone; men and women of any age because a lot of what it does is prevention.

Clear + Brilliant is for “proactive, younger consumers who are searching for treatments to defy the signs of ageing. It corrects skin tone and promotes radiant, healthy, youngerlooking skin”.

How could I say no to that?

The procedure starts with a relaxing cup of tea and some trashy magazines while I allow time for the anaesthetic to work. It’s a cream that’s applied to the face and makes me numb.

Suzie then runs the hand-held device over my face in small areas at a time, but she doesn’t just do each area once. She goes over each area of my skin multiple times and it feels like it’s piercing. It stings.

I think back to the media release on my desk that says: “Clear + Brilliant is a simple, painless procedure with virtually no downtime.”

For the 15 or so minutes that you’re

truth about skin

having the procedure, it’s painful. For about an hour afterwards, it’s uncomfortable and my skin feels tight. I look and feel like I’ve got severe windburn. Pain like this doesn’t normally come without guilt attached from spending too much time in the sun. And since I’m careful to never get sunburnt, I’m not used to this sensation. I’m being a sook about it.

It’s important to note at this point that I have an extremely low pain threshold. I take two Nurofen before a leg wax!

The procedure rejuvenates the skin from the inside out by allowing healthy, younger-looking skin to surface – basically old, dead skin is purged so the new soft-as-baby stuff can come through.

Two days later and my skin feels like sandpaper to touch and almost itchy, like when a wound is healing. My heavy make-up sort of melts off during the day and I actually feel like I am shedding the yucky stuff – as though my skin is detoxing.

A week later and I am glowing. I want to show off my skin and don’t want to cover it up with make-up.

I now treat my skin with my new range of specially prescribed skincare products and they feel lovely. I feel better knowing I’m not merely “babysitting” my skin anymore.

Clear + Brilliant has had some effect on the way I look, but it’s had a dramatic effect on the way I feel and in my books, that makes it worthwhile.

The author was treated at the invitation of the manufacturer of Clear + Brilliant. It costs $395 a treatment and it is recommended to have four to six treatments about two weeks apart. More information at www. clearandbrilliant.com

fashion Timeless and smart

Libby Hill reports

STAY smart with timeless accessories in black and neutral tones.

“Neutral accessories are essential for any wardrobe because they are incredibly smart, trans-seasonal and can take you from day into night,” says Roslyn Wright of frockaholics.com.au.

“It’s also an economical way of shopping because the look is timeless and you will wear it again and again.”

Here are the “CityNews” picks of beautiful, timeless accessories that will go with a multitude of different outfits.

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars / February 27 - March 4

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

With Mercury, Venus and Uranus all barnstorming through your sign, rocking Rams are ready to rumble! Projects that were stalled suddenly spring into action again, and you’re brimming over with innovative ideas and spontaneous schemes. Resist the urge to be bossy on Thursday. If you think (carefully) before you speak, it will save you from a day of dramas.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Bulls can be a slow-moving bunch but Mars gives you an energy boost early in the week, so don’t waste it. Make time to do the things you love – like cooking, gardening, craftwork, DIY projects or having a relaxing massage. Sunday is a stressful day, as serious Saturn tests a relationship, and you may (temporarily) feel unappreciated or even unloved.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

The Moon’s in Gemini from Wednesday through to Friday, so you’ll be at your curious best (and worst). It’s the perfect time to travel, write, study or make a speech – but resist the urge to be the neighbourhood noseyparker! Mercury joins Venus and Uranus in your peer group zone on Friday, so you’re keen to extend your circle of friends to include a bohemian new crowd.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Hold onto your seat as Mercury, Venus and Uranus shake up your career zone. It’s the time to learn new techniques, be more creative, start a business – or completely change vocation. You possess numerous talents but they won’t truly blossom until you nurture and develop them with the help of a mentor. When will the teacher appear? When the student is ready!

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Financial matters are favoured early in the week, but don’t promise more than you can comfortably deliver. Jupiter sends helpful colleagues or cashed-up clients in your direction (up until June) so make sure you capitalise on any lucky breaks that come your way. On the weekend, pay close attention to your dreams. Are they trying to tell you something?

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Virgos are fastidious folk but with Mercury moving into Aries, you’ll feel more spontaneous than usual. Your love life is also about to get shaken up as Mercury, Venus and Uranus stimulate your need for a more adventurous approach. Be inspired by birthday great Elizabeth Taylor: “There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.”

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Librans love to be in love. You dream of a blissful soul-mate union, where you and your perfect mate are madly in love 24/7. However, real relationships go through testing times when problems abound, and romance is thin on the ground. Sunday is one of those days, as Saturn pours cold water on affection. If you are in it for the long-run, you’ll get through the day fine.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Singles – with Jupiter jumping through your relationship zone, expect a plethora of potential suitors beating a path to your door. Attached Scorps – it’s time to pamper your partner with plenty of extra TLC. Uranus is moving through your wellbeing zone, so you need to update your tired (or non-existent) fitness routine. Choose exercise options that are fun and flexible.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Archers are adventurous souls but this week home is where the heart is, as the Sun shines in your domestic zone. Time to relax with loved ones – or to finish all those DIY projects you started so enthusiastically many moons ago! Friends and finances are a fractious mix, so try to keep the two separate. Saturday is your pick of the week, as Jupiter boosts your confidence and chutzpah.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Don’t limit yourself! Friendships and acquaintances are favoured this week so reach out to a wide range of people as you exchange news, views and creative ideas. Making close connections will be tricky on Sunday, as work issues draw you away from loved ones. With unpredictable Uranus shaking up your domestic zone, expect the unexpected at Casa Capricorn!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You’re keen to stir things up in your local community as you convey your innovative ideas with passion and panache. You’re in the mood for freedom and change but be careful how you communicate with others, as they may find your avant-garde Aquarian ideas threatening (especially on Sunday). Aim to get the balance right between spending and saving.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Fish can be careless with cash. With Uranus and Venus visiting your money zone (and Mercury moving in on Friday) you’re more inclined than usual to buy now — and regret later. If you’re smart you’ll be financially disciplined, steer clear of internet shopping, and avoid spontaneous spending sprees. It’s time to sort out your personal boundaries; and stick to them!

astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore

General knowledge crossword No. 349

Across

1 Name the acid found in lemons

7 What is the more appropriate term for the triantelope spider?

8 Which word relates to a lofty mountain?

9 Which horse won the Melbourne and Caulfield cups in 2001?

10 What gives an inventor exclusive rights to the discovery?

11 Name the substance that induces hay fever

14 What do we call one who grants official permits?

18 What, in computers, is an intermittent error, especially of an unknown source?

19 Which meal of meat is cooked outdoors?

21 What broad-bladed implement is used for removing loose matter?

22 Name another term for levels of command

23 What are short literary compositions?

Down

1 Name the brothers, noted as test

batsmen, Ian and Greg ...

2 What is an armed ship which preys on enemy shipping in time of war?

3 Which cats are reputed to be the world’s fastest four-legged animals?

4 What, in Scotland, is a small island called?

5 What is one who lends money at an exorbitant rate of interest?

6 Name a method of defensive fighting in which hands, elbows, feet and knees are used

12 What is a generous bestowal of gifts?

13 Who was the first Australian Aborigine to receive a knighthood, and become a state Governor, Sir Douglas ...

15 Name the first Australian-born governor-general, Sir Isaac ...

16 What is another term for a symbol?

17 What, in golf, are pieces of turf cut out with a club?

20 Which word designates a semisolid mass of coagulated blood?

Solutions

Getting a burst of country living

FINE food, fun and fresh air will come together at historic Galong for a weekend showcasing sustainable country living.

“Forks, Talks and Walks” will be held on Saturday, March 3, at St Clement’s Monastery.

During the day there will be presentations and guided walks with local food, farmers markets, smart buying and children’s activities.

Those keen to learn a little more about sustainable living can see displays of food preparation, composting, worm

farming, renewable energy, talks on natural farming and landcare.

St Clements Retreat manager Cheryl Mongan says: “This is a rare opportunity to experience food and music for the heart and soul in an historic monastery all within a framework of sustainable country living.

“Over the past 160 years Galong House, the heart of the St Clement’s precinct, has been the scene of many a celebration, but none can boast of a meal prepared by a chef such as Serge Dansereau. Serge will prepare an evening meal for guests based on fresh regional produce with quality regional wines. You may want to follow

the evening with bed and breakfast at the Monastery.”

The evening event called “Some Enchanted Eating” will include a performance, canapés, dinner and premium wines.

“The evening will commence with a performance of operatic arias and popular music in the atmospheric candlelit Boy’s Chapel, followed by pre-dinner drinks and canapes on the verandah overlooking the expansive gardens,” Cheryl says.

“The highlight of the evening will be a dinner in Galong House prepared by

“Canberrans can complete the Galong experience by staying the night and enjoying a leisurely breakfast in beautiful surroundings.”

Activities during the day are free and start from 11.30am. Dinner is $155 per person. Accommodation and breakfast at St Clement’s additional. Information at www.stclement.com.au and bookings to Cheryl Mongan 6380 5222 or info@ stclement.com.au

Bloomin’

Cedric Bryant gardening

GIVEN the good eight weeks needed from planting annuals to full bloom, it’s time to get serious about autumn flower displays.

Most garden centres will be receiving stocks of pansies and violas over the next few weeks.

Ground preparation is the key to good flowering. Do not overdo it with manures, cow manure in pulverised form is the best. Cows chew the cud that pulverises weed seeds, so eliminates that problem.

Horse manure can result in a good crop of oats and those little pebbles of sheep manure take a while to break down and will invariably include some weeds, particularly stinging nettles. Interestingly, if you have stinging nettles growing in your garden it is a sign of

heck, it’s time for annuals

good soil. Do not apply chemical fertilisers to the ground before planting annuals, these will simply burn the delicate roots.

BOTH violas and pansies are similar and will survive winter frosts with ease. It is amazing that after a good frost they look decidedly sick with the leaves completely flopped. And yet, with a short burst of sunshine, they are up and looking perky again.

So what plants are new this season? Look out for the stunning, new F1 hybrid annuals for the autumn and winter garden from the well-respected Oasis Plants. Depending on the season, these will continue to flower well into spring. The new Viola “Blue Porcelain” with petite, clear, true blue and creamy-white flowers is a must.

I can imagine this as a border on both sides of the path leading to the front door. They grow in a compact mounded habit to only 15cm tall. Or the new Pansy “Plentifall Yellow” with trailing, buttery-yellow flowers spreading 60cm – perfect for trailing over a wall in the garden or in baskets. After planting water in with the organic liquid Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient. This specifically encourages new strong root growth. In the first few weeks, I suggest once a fortnight or my often-quoted “weekly, weakly”

maxim – in other words, a week solution, once a week. Like us, plants like a regular feed.

IT is also an ideal time to plant perennials, those plants that come up year after year.

Besides looking for new varieties at your local garden centre, get on with dividing and replanting to fill in gaps in your garden. Pot up any excess for the local church’s or school’s spring fete.

Here are a few suggestions for autumn flowering perennials; Asters or Michaelmas daisies; Lobelia, especially Lobelia Cardinalis; Salvias; Anemone hupehensis or Japanese Wind Flowers in white and pink and Chrysanthemums.

DO you have plant problems that your local garden centre cannot solve? Head to the CIT Plant Clinic under the auspices of the School of Horticulture, located at CIT Bruce, Building “N”, Charles Weston Lane (corner of Battye and Eade Streets, off Haydon Drive – look for the signs). Take fresh cuttings for identification, preferably with flowers and seeds of trees and shrubs. If taking plants with pests or diseases, please put in a bag. This is an important part of the students’ training with teacher back-up. Every Monday, 2pm-4pm from February 20. Inquiries to 6207 4610 on the day or leave a message.

This and that

• Plant Calendulas around the veggie garden to discourage insects and provide colour all winter.

• Over the next couple of weeks, give your lawn its last feed before winter.

• Get your compost heap ready for autumn leaves.

• Plant autumn flowering bulbs Nerines, Colchicum and Saffron crocus.

• Prune wisteria, cutting back to five buds and tie up where necessary.

• Treat mildew on cucumbers and pumpkins with organic Multicrop “Kocide”.

• Use dried and ground marjoram, lovage and celery as an alternative to salt.

• Finally, February 24-26 is the Canberra Show and I encourage everyone to see the horticultural exhibits, with stunning floral displays of fresh flowers, floral art and an amazing display of produce by Canberra gardeners.

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