150507 citynews

Bringing home the power of planning

MICHAEL MOORE

Time to confront the forgotten pledge

JON STANHOPE

No apologies for Anzac flyer

ZED SESELJA

Michelle’s running for dear life

From a year fighting breast cancer, brave Canberran Michelle Nelson will be at the starting line to run in the fundraising Mother’s Day Classic. BINA BROWN reports…

DESPITE feeling fit and fabulous, exactly one week after Michelle Nelson completed the 10km run in last year’s Canberra Mother’s Day Classic, she found a lump, deep in her left breast.

Having lost five kilograms during the course of getting fit, mother-of-two Michelle, 48, thought that the changes were a result of exercise and she waited until the end of the week to take herself off to her GP.

“The shape and size of the mass was more elongated than a round lump and presented as a probable cyst, but I got a biopsy just to be sure. When it came back as an invasive, aggressive, stage-three cancer the GP was as shocked as I was,” says Michelle. Early detection meant it hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes.

Undaunted, Michelle and husband Mick went to a winter ball one Saturday in June to celebrate her achievement as the “2014 lean machine” for her Tuggeranong gym. Four days later she was having surgery.

Michelle attributes her quick recovery from a lateral

mastectomy to an active sense of humour, her fitness and the positivity that surrounded her. She recalls waking up in her hospital room after surgery, still feeling the effects of the anaesthetic, only to discover that her son, Jordan, had placed latex gloves on her feet.

“I clearly remember being amazed that I had developed chicken feet during the course of surgery. I’m still not sure if they were laughing at me or with me,” she says.

Admitting it was a “bit of a challenge” Michelle continued her fitness training which included sessions at the gym throughout her 12 weeks of chemotherapy.

“Some days were definitely harder than others, but I set myself small goals each day which helped,” she says.

Six months after her final chemo treatment, Michelle says it took its toll on her body and her confidence, but she remained determined to get fit again.

And this weekend she will run the Mother’s Day Classic 5km run with husband Mick,

and daughter Gemma.

“Even though the cancer journey was a bad experience, I went through it in a wonderful way because I was the fittest I have ever been and was surrounded by positive people at all different levels from family and friends to my personal trainer,” says Michelle.

“This journey has changed my outlook on life. I always tried to be positive, but now I feel that life has given me permission to look forward to the future and make some life plans that I simply wasn’t brave enough to make prior to my cancer diagnosis.

“Now I just want to get the word out there that breast cancer can happen to anyone. In fact I am the first person in my family to be diagnosed with cancer. Early detection is your best chance of beating this condition.

“There are some fantastic people out there that can help you through this.

“The doctors, nurses and specialists are so supportive when you need it most.”

Since it began in 1998, the Mother’s Day Classic has con-

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Superannuation Lump Sum

You may have an entitlement to a payment from a past superannuation policy you have long since forgotten. If you are unable to work because of a disability and whether acquired through illness, misfortune or other circumstance you may still be covered for a payout. Even if you have not worked for several years and are on a Centrelink pension you still may be entitled.

Case One

Because of an incident in 1996 David was no longer able to work. He later came to Carroll & O’Dea saying he had a super policy with a TPD component. We were able to help him and the TPD Insurer agreed to pay him an additional $59,173.33 being the total TPD policy.

tributed $24.3 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s research program.

In that time breast cancer five-year survival rates have increased to nearly 90 per cent.

Money raised through registration and fundraising supports research into new treatments, diagnostic techniques and, of course, the end goal of finding a cure.

The Canberra Mother’s Day Classic, Rond Terrace from 8am, May 10; Register to run or walk at mothersdayclassic.com.au

To support Michelle and raise money for breast cancer research go to her page at “find a fundraiser” at mdc.mothersdayclassic.com.au

Bina Brown is the volunteer media rep for the Canberra Mother’s Day Classic.

Wasps aplenty

THERE has been a significant increase in European wasps in the ACT with more than double the number of nests reported compared with last year. TAMS’ wasp expert Dr Philip Spradbery said more than 700 nests have been reported this year and he is encouraging residents to continue to report sightings and nests. “I have answered more than 1700 phone calls about wasp activity and stinging episodes this year, which is significantly higher than the number of calls made to the Wasp Hotline last year,” he said.

Fete in Lyons

A MAGIC show, a belly dance workshop for adults and kids, rabbit petting and lots of rides, food and treats will help set the mood for the Lyons Early Childhood School Community Association’s first fete at the school in Tarraleah Crescent, 11am-3pm, on Saturday, May 9. Proceeds will go towards a new swing and some musical instruments for the school.

Home yoghurt

A MAKE-your-own yoghurt workshop will be held at the Canberra Environment Centre, 6pm-8pm, on Tuesday May 12. Participants will learn how to control the consistency of yoghurt and save money. Cost is $20 and bookings to ecoaction.com.au

Case Two

Because of an incident several years ago Sam was no longer able to work. Sam had not looked into his superannuation entitlements under a policy that he held. His total TPD entitlement was $214,000 which helped him carry on with his life.

Carroll & O’Dea

Carroll & O’Dea have been looking after worker’s rights since 1899, we have helped many clients, who can’t work, to access their entitlements to superannuation benefits. Diana Farah is ready to assist you in finding out what your rights are. Call

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seven days

Cynicism with a dash of hypocrisy

A TOUCH of cynicism – with a dash of hypocrisy – coloured our week. Indonesian President Jokowi led the charge by executing Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran while pleading for mercy for his own countrymen on death row in similarly barbaric justice systems abroad.

PM Tony Abbott’s withdrawal of the Australian ambassador while assuring Indonesia it was just a gesture fell into step behind.

The AFP, which should have hung their heads in shame for dobbing the drug runners into the Indonesian authorities instead of picking them up in Australia, persisted with their holierthan-thou stance. But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s claim that the Government was at fault for watering down the AFP guidelines really took the cake.

Surely the time has come for the ALP to admit it picked a dud and to give Anthony Albanese a go. At least he’s an authentic Labor man who cares more about the cause than his own ambition.

AND where, one wonders, were all those free-speech “Je suis Charlie”

Surely the time has come for the ALP to admit it picked a dud and to give Anthony Albanese a go. At least he’s an authentic Labor man who cares more about the cause than his own ambition.

enthusiasts when an obscure soccer reporter on SBS made his extravagant (but not wholly unjustified) comments about the Anzacs that got him sacked. And for Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson to deny that Scott McIntyre had been “censored” was sophistry at its most flagrant.

The Anzacs were not angels, however much the mythmakers try to convince us otherwise. And while there was no suggestion that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull had a hand in the sacking, one might have hoped that he’d ask the sackers to take a cold shower before they acted.

SO, too, the Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Angus Trumble, who removed President Jokowi’s portrait from the gallery’s walls in the wake of public reaction to the executions. The photographer Adam Ferguson was on the money when he said the decision

had been “misguided”. He didn’t think Australians would be “silly enough” to deface it. Quite so.

AND when will we stop using the awful euphemism “culling” of the native animal that adorns our coat of arms and say we’re actually “killing” them. Not just a few dozen, you understand, but 5000 over the next two years! The “kill” order was issued on April 14, in unhappy irony by the conservator of our local fauna. He reckons the ‘roos were threatening “four woodland bird species, the grassland earless dragon, the striped legless lizard and the Perunga grasshopper”. Honestly, I’m not making this up.

I WONDER what the conservator has to say about Senator Zed Seselja’s suggestion that Canberra should expand way beyond Tuggeranong into settled kangaroo habitat. No doubt

ROBERT MACKLIN

he’ll demand special attention to the earless dragon and the Perunga grasshopper… the ‘roos can make their own arrangements.

FINALLY, we cannot let the occasion pass without tipping our lid to a grand example of local fauna: Jack Waterford, the last departing survivor of the golden age of “The Canberra Times”’. Many former colleagues, your columnist included, owe him a debt of gratitude, in our case for a job offer when outrageous fortune had brought us low. Jack was an institution. His only fault as a commentator was that he’d never write a sentence when a paragraph would do! He will be much missed.

robert@robertmacklin.com

politics Bringing home the power of planning

SERIOUS planning challenges will remain for Canberra until such time as there is an adequate workforce in each of the town centres. Canberra is different from other cities and Canberrans should be proud and celebrate the fact.

The most urgent need is in Gungahlin. In this respect Zed Seselja is doing his job effectively as a senator for the ACT in pushing for more planning controls to go to the local government.

However, the local planners will have to take this responsibility seriously by ensuring traffic issues are minimised, travel times are reduced and adherence to the fundamentals of strategic planning in Canberra is maintained. This can be done in co-ordination with Commonwealth departments in a way that was not done by the National Capital Authority (NCA).

The Department of Immigration is considering establishing a mega-office block at the airport. This does not give appropriate priority to Gungahlin and should not be approved by any authority.

The effectiveness of construction and sales at the airport has been a tribute to the forces of the free market. However, it has also been an anathema to good planning.

In order to maximise the income when the airport was sold, the planning controls were retained by the Commonwealth rather than being handed to the ACT. The issue was highlighted by me in a column in “CityNews” in February, 2008. At the time, the focus was on traffic problems around the airport, but I also touched on the issue of Gungahlin being deprived of vital infrastructure.

Before self-government, when the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) ruled over the ACT, it went to extraordinary lengths to ensure federal government departments were located in the town centres.

This is why the then-Department of Social Services was located in Tuggeranong. Other departments, such as Immigration, wound up in Belconnen and Health was located in Woden. The NCA has not been able to wield the same influence.

The planners of the NCDC had more power. They understood the importance of people being able to work close to where they lived. The approach was never perceived as providing a perfect match because people have a range of reasons for working in one location and a different range of reasons for living in another.

At the time of the NCDC there were many families

Imagine the traffic improvement if even an additional 20 per cent of people living in Gungahlin were also able to work in their local town centre.

with just the father at work. The modern family largely has both parents working and so there will be even more reasons for living in a location away from work.

However, there was always a surprisingly positive correlation between where people lived and where they worked. Had the NCA had the same power as the NCDC (of the ‘60s to the ‘80s), the office buildings at the airport would most likely be in the Gungahlin town centre. This would have increased the correlation of people working closer to where they lived.

Imagine the traffic improvement if even an additional 20 per cent of people living in Gungahlin were also able to work in their local town centre and the need for extensive investment in infrastructure projects, such as the light rail, would be able to be postponed for years.

We know that traffic in school holidays dramatically improves with a minor drop in commuting. How much more so with a significant decrease of commuting vehicles?

Senator Seselja has been successful in pushing for Federal Cabinet to relinquish some of the powers of the NCA over the more distant parts of the city while retaining control over areas of “national character”. However, it’s time to have a co-ordinated effort between the planning authorities, the head of the Prime Minister’s Department and other mandarins to ensure that ordinary citizens are the winners when it comes to the location of federal departments. It is just good planning practice.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative As sembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

Shareway in the running

THE Bunda Street Shareway project is a finalist in the 2015 Planning Institute of Australia’s National Awards for Planning Excellence vying for the national “Hard Won Victory” Award, which recognises planning initiatives that have developed innovative planning solutions. The national awards will be announced on Wednesday, May 13.

Flair on ice

ATHLETICISM, skill and artistic flair will be on display at the ACT Ice Skating Association’s major figure skating competition at the Phillip Swimming and Ice Skating Centre on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. This year’s Autumn Trophy line-up features more than 80 skaters from the ACT and interstate. The competition covers Aussie Skate and Ice Skating Australia levels plus there will be ice dance and theatreon-ice exhibitions. The competition is open to the public.

Come dancing…

EVERYONE’S welcome to an afternoon learning Latvian dances with Valdis Strazds and members of the local Sprigulitis Latvian Folk Dance Group at Folk Dance Canberra Hall, 114 Maitland Street, Hackett, 1.30pm-4.30pm, on Saturday, May 16. The 60-year-old dance group has performed around Australia and overseas. Cost is $15 and more information from 6231 4472 or folkdancecanberra@gmail.com

Playing for music

EAST Timorese musician Otopsy will play a one-night-only benefit gig at Holy Trinity Primary School, 18-20 Theodore Street, Curtin, 8pm, on Friday, May 15. He plays a mixture of acoustic, rock and reggae music. All proceeds will help fund a series of music workshops for young people in Dili and in remote and rural East Timor. The event is supported by the Timor-Leste embassy, Canberra Friends of Dili and Holy Trinity Primary School. More information at 0405 812697.

Time to confront the forgotten pledge

CONGRATULATIONS to Katy Gallagher on her appointment to the Senate. I am sure her tenure will be characterised by energy, intelligence and great distinction.

Katy will achieve, in time, a standing in the federal parliament second to none of who have served the ACT in either the Senate or the House of Representatives.

It won’t all be clear sailing and it is likely that the ALP’s current policy on asylum seekers will represent perhaps the first significant challenge for Senator Gallagher.

At the recent Palm Sunday Rally for Refugees she informed local media that she was not comfortable with the ALP’s current policies on asylum seekers.

The response of Leigh and Brodtmann to the current illegitimate asylum-seeker policies presents an interesting challenge to the ALP’s ACT Administrative Committee.

She said she proposed to work within the party with like-minded members in an effort to have the policies changed. To this end she would seek to ensure that the asylum-seeker policy was considered at the ALP National Conference in July.

The current policies were introduced by the Rudd and Gillard Governments and have, since Labor’s crushing defeat by Tony Abbott, been defended and maintained by Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek and the current shadow cabinet and the caucus.

A threshold issue for those within the ALP who oppose the current policies is that they are, in almost all respects, in breach of the National Platform. The Platform provides, for instance, that Labor does not support offshore

processing or the detention of children.

On July 19, 2013, the Rudd/Albanese Government announced a policy of indefinite, mandatory detention, including of children in offshore processing centres.

The Human Rights Commission in its recent report, “The Forgotten Children”, outlined the devastating and, in some cases, permanent consequences for the children locked up indefinitely by the ALP and the current government.

What Katy Gallagher has effectively said she is hoping to do is have the ALP stick to its platform. The fact that the Opposition has not bothered to respond to the “Forgotten Children” report or its recommendations does not, however, bode well for Senator Gallagher’s campaign to have the National Platform respected and the policies changed to reflect its intent.

JON STANHOPE

There are no indications that either of the ALP factions have any

stomach for a return to principle on asylumseeker policy. The Left, in particular, will seek to hide its discomfort and guilt about asylum seekers behind the smokescreen of a confected battle at the conference over a conscience vote on gay marriage.

Meanwhile, the response of Senator Gallagher’s two ACT colleagues Andrew Leigh and Gai Brodtmann to the current illegitimate asylum-seeker policies presents an interesting challenge to the ALP’s ACT Administrative Committee. Both Leigh and Brodtmann are on the record as supporting the current policy.

The ACT branch of the ALP has called for nominations for pre-selection for the next federal election. Nominations close on May 15.

All candidates for pre-selection are required, pursuant to the rules of the party, to sign a pledge to support, if elected, the National Platform in its entirety.

The pledge which Leigh and Brodtmann signed when previously pre-selected provides:

“I hereby …pledge myself:

(a) To be bound by the Objective and the National and ACT Platforms and Rules of the Australian Labor Party… If returned to the Federal Parliament:

No apologies for non-partisan Anzac flyer

AS senator for the ACT, I have the privilege to attend many community events. However, of all the significant occasions on my calendar, Anzac Day is one of the most important.

This year’s commemoration was especially significant, marking the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli – a day in which around 750 Australians perished and a young nation’s identity was forged.

This day 100 years ago – and this failed campaign – has so captured our imagination because, in the words of the Prime Minister at this year’s Gallipoli Dawn Service: “We believe that the Anzacs represented Australians at our best”. The scale of Australia’s sacrifice during World War I is almost beyond comprehension. Out of a population of just under five million: 417,000 enlisted; 332,000 served overseas; 152,000 were wounded and over 61,000 never came home. In a century of service, we have lost over 102,000 of our finest (mostly young) Australians.

It behoves all of us to try to fathom what these earlier generations of Australians went through and to appreciate what our Defence personnel have done – and continue to do –

I make no apology… The images, facts and information were compiled with care, with all necessary approvals.

for our country.

For 120,000 to have attended this year’s Dawn Service and a further 31,000 the National Ceremony and Veterans’ March was an enormous credit to Canberra. More important, the size and spirit of the crowds demonstrates the profound significance of Anzac Day to the people of Canberra.

There was a time when Australians were far less enthusiastic about Anzac Day. In the years following the Vietnam War, Australians’ reverence for Anzac Day appeared to be waning.

On April 26, 1973, “The Canberra Times” noted in a small article that around 1500 attended the Dawn Service at the War Memorial. It also noted thinning crowds in other capital cities, where in many cases the number of marchers outnumbered the number of spectators.

Later that year, the governing ALP had on the agenda of its national conference, a proposal to replace Anzac Day. Fortunately,

Prime Minister Whitlam forestalled this and Anzac Day survived.

In more recent years, Anzac Day has not only survived, but thrived as Australians of all backgrounds flock to show their respect and pride at community events.

The multiple-page news coverage found in this year’s “Canberra Times” and “CityNews” reflects the yearning of readers for information about our military history and the strong reverence with which this day is now held.

In the “CityNews” of April 23, columnist Michael Moore was critical of my distribution of materials providing information about our Anzac legacy and promoting our local services. I make no apology.

(b) To do my utmost to ensure the implementation of the principles embodied in the abovementioned platforms;

(c) On all resolutions to vote as a majority of the Labor Caucus may decide PROVIDED such decisions do not conflict with the provisions laid down (above)...”

Members of the ALP, not least those who supported Leigh and Brodtmann in their preselection, might well be wondering whether the party rules stand for anything and how the Administrative Committee will respond if either Leigh or Brodtmann nominates again for pre-selection. At a minimum they should be asked to explain how they reconcile the signed pledge they have made with the position they have taken on asylum seekers and explicitly agree in future to honour their word.

In an ironic and bitter twist, the National Conference will be held on the second anniversary of the decision by the Labor Party to indefinitely incarcerate innocent men, women and children on Nauru.

Jon Stanhope was Chief Minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998. He is the only Chief Minister to have governed with a majority in the Assembly.

The materials were entirely non-partisan and above politics. The images, facts and information were compiled with care, with all necessary approvals obtained. What I distributed is consistent with what elected representatives across Australia, and here in Canberra – and from both major political parties – have been distributing for many years now, a fact not mentioned by Mr Moore.

I am proud that MPs from both the Liberal and Labor parties now get behind Anzac Day. I will continue to promote Anzac Day events and the honouring of our service men and women.

Zed Seselja is the Liberal senator for the ACT

ZED SESELJA

Moore was ‘out of line’

IT was interesting to read Michael Moore’s comments on the commercialisation of the Anzac brand (CN April 23). I, too, have mixed feelings about this and wonder what the Anzacs would think about it. How much is too little advertising and how much is too much? When a company melds its catch-phrase with the memories of the Anzacs that is definitely too much, however, to use this as a political opportunity to have a go at Senator Zed Seselja is out of line for Michael. His only complaint here is that Zed had his photo on the advertising. Michael’s Anzac article has Michael’s photo on it. Where’s the difference here? I was waiting for Michael to say Zed shouldn’t be using the name Zed because it is part of Anzac.

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Sickening slap on the wrist

I’M sickened and appalled by this story and I’ve been waiting for 38-year-old Benjamin Paul Day to be named in court so I can let loose.

It’s no secret we have an issue with domestic violence in Canberra. Day has been convicted of attempting to force a woman into an abortion because she wanted to end their relationship.

When she refused, he attacked her saying: “You’re not having this child. I’m getting rid of it. I will kill it before you have it.”

Day appeared for sentence in the ACT Magistrates Court on charges of assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, property damage and resisting arrest.

The court heard Day had been at a Watson unit with the victim and her mother on the morning of October 10 last year and became angry when she refused to continue their relationship – which had allegedly been marred by domestic violence. He called to book an abortion at a Sydney clinic.

“If you don’t want to be with me, then you’re not having this baby,” he told her.

He chased her into a bathroom when she told him she wanted the child. Day punched the mother in the head, before putting the pregnant woman in a headlock and repeatedly punching her in the stomach.

He told her he would kill the child or cut it out of her.

If you’re a young

woman, would you feel safe with this man roaming the streets before the end of the year?

He was arrested in Braddon the following day.

The court heard Day was on parole after being convicted for assaulting a former partner. His parole has since been cancelled and he is now serving that sentence.

Defence lawyer Mary-Anne Ellis told the court her client had a long history of substance abuse and had entered rehabilitation programs in order to help turn his life around.

But prosecutor James Walker argued the scourge before the court had been one of domestic violence.

He submitted that both victims had the right to feel safe in their home and said offences – which he characterised as upper range – had been aggravated by the pregnant woman’s vulnerable state and the offender’s parole status.

Day was sentenced to two years and two months’ jail, to be added to his current sentence for other unrelated offences, with a non-parole

period of 11 months. But here’s the rub: Day will be eligible for release in September. That’s right, eligible for parole in five months!

If you’re a young woman, would you feel safe with this man roaming the streets before the end of the year?

What a pathetic sentence! I mean, we’ve been up in arms over the goings on in Indonesia and been quick to criticise the Indonesian judicial system, but in this case, the joke’s on us.

I’m sick of hearing, “oh, he’s normally a good bloke – he’s just hooked up on ice”, “the drugs made him do it!”

MARCUS PAUL

lowbrow

When words are comprised of concern

ARE you a prescriptivist or a descriptivist?

It’s getting to be an increasingly important issue in online discourse.

What the hell am I talking about?

Linguistic prescription is the prescribing of rules for language and linguistic description is working objectively, analysing and describing how language is actually spoken.

In recent times 51-year-old Bryan Henderson has made headlines for his heroically misguided 47,000 edits to Wikipedia to cleanse the world of the phrase “comprised of”.

Bryan prefers “composed of”, or “consisting of”.

Bryan is an idiot who has wasted his life.

There are three mighty pillars of the English language as we know it.

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the King James Bible, and the Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

These three texts were carried to the corners of the world in the great blossoming of the British Empire and underpin, to this day, what those far-flung conquerors consider to be “English”.

There are two points to consider with the big three.

The first is that for at least the last 200 years their usage has been considered archaic.

The second is that their authors gave not one hot damn for the “rules” of the language when they wrote them out.

English is a proudly living, globe-spanning language.

When the authors of the above texts got out their quill pens they

Embrace the chaos, ride the lightning and enjoy being a native speaker to a language the whole world wants to come to grips with.

were concerned, far more than with any “rules” of grammar, with poetry.

Meter, rhyme, pace, connotation, denotation, these are things to worry about when writing in any language.

To use the above example; comprised, composed, and consists are very different words. Composed suggest calmness, consists has an inertness, while comprised hints at an active gathering together.

To use another example, Shakespeare cut whole words out of new cloth so it’s hard to imagine him butchering a line to care about the correct use of “less” or “fewer”.

To the prescriptivists “fewer” is for things you can count, and “less” is for things you can’t count.

There’s no poet who ever breathed that would let that distinction get in the way of their rhyme scheme.

Usage drives language. One would be unlikely to use ROFLMAO (Rolling on the floor laughing my arse off) in a job application, but throwing in some “thees” and “thous” is a quick route to the recycling bin, too.

We (mostly) can’t read Beowulf in the original Old English any more. But we can read Chaucer from 300 years later. Just think of the torment of the prescriptivists in that period as French words

JOHN GRIFFITHS

flooded in with the Normans.

A miracle of the enduring nature of the part of our language that we like and choose to keep is that so many days of the week are still homages to norse gods: Tuesday (Tyr), Wednesday (Odin), Thursday (Thor) and Friday (Frigg). Somehow these pagan names for four days of the week survived the medieval Catholic church.

At the end of the day, prescriptivists are sad people trying to hew meaning for their inadequate lives out of the codification of common usage in the hope they can find “rules” to anchor the howling terror of this world. They’ll never win.

Embrace the chaos, ride the lightning and enjoy being a native speaker to a language the whole world wants to come to grips with. It’s not going to stay the same long.

John

Griffiths is the online editor of

Greg puts a new Order into his life

Kathryn Vukovljak reports

MAKING use of the adage “write what you know”, former Speaker of the Assembly, Greg Cornwell, has penned a series of eBook crime novellas set in the ACT Legislative Assembly.

“I’m sure readers will identify a political bias given my background, but the books are not political and are most definitely fictional, using the workings of politics as the backdrop,” he says.

“Certainly none of the characters are based on any person, past or present, at the Assembly – I took pains to avoid that.

“Anyway, there would be no danger of these characters getting elected in real life!”

Greg, 77, says he wanted to write something set locally, although he’s taken several liberties with the realities of Canberra.

“Readers will note that the main character John Order, an MLA of the ACT Legislative Assembly, was elected in a by-election, but we don’t have those in Canberra,” he says.

“I’ve also expanded the population of the city and the size of the Assembly to make the story flow easier.”

sport

Having already published an eBook a few years ago, Greg chose the same method for the John Order whodunit series of at least six novellas, which are sequential but complete in themselves and due to be published twice a year.

“I don’t see it as vanity publishing. You write because you enjoy it, not to

make a profit,” he says. “You’re never going to know how many readers you will have unless you put the work out there.”

Greg cites his literary inspirations as the “87th Precinct” series by Ed McBain, the “Morse” series by Colin Dexter and the “Maigret” books by Georges Simenon.

Raiders can’t win against TV

I RECEIVED a call from an elderly Raiders’ supporter in the wake of the team’s impressive victory over South Sydney in Cairns.

She told me that she used to go to games but was now confined to a nursing home and had to rely on the radio to keep her informed of her favourite team.

Her call was mainly to tell me that it was the first time she had seen the likes of Blake Austin and Sisa Waqa in action and how impressed she was with their performances.

Halfway through the penny dropped: it was the first time she had seen them in action because the Raiders hadn’t been on free-toair television this season before the round-eight game against South Sydney.

For the first seven rounds anyone who didn’t have pay television or the ability to go to the games or the local hotel wouldn’t have seen the Raiders play.

It’s an absolute disgrace that the NRL and Channel 9 are able to do this.

I remember having this conversation years ago with the NRL which said the Raiders would be on free-to-air television when they became competitive. Two seasons later they were leading the competition, but still failed to get games on free-to-air.

The NRL now says the responsibility for the scheduling of free-to-air games is controlled by

Channel 9, but the network appears to be focused on the two million potential viewers in the western suburbs of Sydney.

How are the Canberra Raiders supposed to grow as a club if they don’t get as much coverage as, say, the Wests-Tigers, the Bulldogs or St George-Illawarra?

It has a domino effect: if the team isn’t on free-to-air, players believe they are missing out; they believe their chances of getting exposure for representative selection is limited and, therefore, it becomes harder to attract the better players to the club. It can also affect crowds, believe it or not, if the fans become disengaged because they don’t see them play on television.

The difference in the ratings for pay compared to free-to-air are

telling. Free-to-air often has around four times the audience if not more.

With the NRL about to enter negotiations for a new television deal, it should be mandatory in the contract that every team is shown at least once in the first month on free-to-air.

It is manageable with 16 teams and eight games through a weekend with three games televised on free-to-air from Friday to Sunday.

TIM GAVEL

“McBain taught me about using one background for many novels about the same characters, Dexter taught me about using place to create a sense of continuity, and Simenon taught me that great books don’t have to be long,” he says.

Greg says he writes longhand and corrects multiple times before going anywhere near a computer.

“It gives me more time to think and it’s easier to check facts and continuity that way,” he says.

“I enjoy words, and putting together a story. I quite often work with only a loose plan, start with an idea and just write it.

“I’ve found you need to write all the time, you can’t drop it. You have to enforce discipline to make sure you write something each day.”

Greg says the John Order series about a backbencher bachelor who “manages to attract bodies both dead and alive while simultaneously fighting off attempts to end his own (political) life” are “a bit of fun”.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing, but didn’t have the opportunity while I was in the Assembly,” he says.

“I hope people will find the series an amusing, easy read.”

“Order and the Suspect Suicide” is available at Apple iBook and Amazon Kindle eBook platforms, $4.99.

Stars for dinner

FORMER Test cricket bowlers Glenn McGrath and Rodney Hogg, and AFL legend Sam Kekovich will be guest speakers at the fundraising “Raising a Smile” dinner in aid of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance ACT at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, on Saturday, May 23. Tickets are $110 from 6199 0699 or vorelj@cerebralpalsy.org.au

A legal View

RETIRED NSW magistrate Chris Bone is the guest speaker at the next Tuggeranong Day View Club lunch meeting at the Vikings Town Centre Club, Greenway, 11.30am-2pm, on Tuesday, May 19. Cost is $26 and RSVP by May 15 to 6284 8804. All interested ladies welcome.

Talking about parks

BHIAMIE Williamson will talk on Aboriginal environmental ranger programs at a public meeting organised by the National Parks Association ACT at the Uniting Church Hall, Scrivener Street, O’Connor, Thursday, 8pm, on May 21. Bhiamie has just completed his honours thesis at ANU that investigates the roles and responsibilities of young people in Aboriginal environmental ranger programs in Borroloola, NT and in the ACT. Entry to the talk is free and all welcome. More information from phone 6230 3352 or email scullymob@southernphone.com.au

Canberra Confidential

Captain Planet crashes to earth

Hard times for the fountain

THE smooth symmetry of the City Walk’s iconic Canberra Times Fountain appears to be another victim of poor maintenance.

Dogged observer of Civic and CC colleague John Griffiths has reported on citynews.com.au how ragged and tired the paper’s 1979 gift to the city has become.

Donated to mark the inky icon’s 50th birthday, it appears to be falling apart after only 36 years and looks likely to predecease its wobbly benefactor.

Griffiths has photographed parts of it being outrageously held together by zip ties, wayward wires coming dangerously adrift from the sculpture, raggedy water flow and something the fountain is sculptor Robert Woodward hadn’t foreseen, the sensitive use of guy ropes to keep it upright!

Is our city so impoverished it can’t maintain a fountain any more? Perhaps CBD Ltd could direct cash from the Christmas camels to save it.

THE Redistribution Committee responsible for mapping out the boundaries and names for the expanded number of electorates for the next ACT election seem to be home and hosed on their decisions.

The period for public objection ended with nary a voice raised in anger.

Of those precious-few precious few who did have a grumble, CC was drawn to an objection by Joel Dignam to the proposed Aboriginal-inspired names for the five electorates.

Something of a recidivist, Joel bemoaned that while his previous submission

has been “disregarded, I take some solace in the historical precedent surrounding such iconoclastic thinkers as Copernicus, Galileo, and Taylor Swift. And thus I again rally my spirits to write in favour of Captain Planetinspired electorate names.”

And that’s where CC started to glaze over, comforted in the thought that the committee will let Joel’s tyres down with more courtesy than ever CC could muster.

Siri, speak to me

IT’S National Reconnection Month and with it comes some new research that will want to make you stamp on your smartphone for the beastly things it’s apparently doing to you.

It would seem that, according to the “Connectivity Report” (improbably commissioned by a national coffee chain), devices designed to connect us instantly are actually diminishing the quality of our relationships. Sadly, we discover that almost a third of the nation hasn’t made a new friend in a year or more. And another 17 per cent can’t remember the last time they formed a new friendship. More than a quarter of us get annoyed when loved ones use a phone when we’re with them and another 11 per cent feel hurt by this behaviour.

Despite this, 30 per cent of people admit to “always” using their phones when spending time with loved ones, and a fifth confess to interrupting face-to-face time with family and friends to use social media. All of which seems to support the old adage you can choose your friends but not your relatives.

CC was bumbling up Northbourne Avenue the other afternoon to be shocked by what looked like a heraldic crest emblazoned on the car in front. There was a U and beneath that FU framed by two cross axes. However, a closer look revealed it was a vehicle of the United Firefighters Union (“United we bargain, divided we beg,” said the bumper bar).

THE National Zoo & Aquarium’s swanky new Jamala Wildlife Lodge drew a mixed celebrity bag to its grand opening when its neighbour, the GG Sir Peter Cosgrove, came over the back fence to cut the ribbon. Invited personalities included Kevin Sheedy, Michael Milton, Naomi Simpson, Bianca Rinehart , Leo Sayer, Mal Meninga , Ricky Stuart , Mark Donaldson VC and Daniel Keighran VC

CANBERRA Spinners & Weavers have crossed the border to stage its annual members’ exhibition and sale, Warped & Twisted, showing at the Q Exhibition Space and Foyer, in Queanbeyan until May 16.

THEY’RE bopping at the Hughes shops, 10am-1pm, on Saturday, May 9, as the inner-south suburb celebrates its 51st birthday, the day when Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman in the House of Representatives, opened the suburb in 1964. There will be a display of the suburb’s history recalling the time when its remoteness earned it the title “North Cooma”.

Social event of the week / Canberra Glassworks’ eighth birthday, Kingston

WHEN science and music collide the result is sometimes just a bit hard to reconcile, and when cast glass is created in the image of a violin and a cello, then played in the kiln confines of the Canberra Glassworks, the sound is unique and unusual.

That’s the polite way of saying it has a long way to go to be what we expect from a violin and cello, but as instruments of sound it could have a place in the bigger picture of musical instruments. The occasion was a happy eighth birthday celebration for our fabulous Canberra Glassworks and a salute to the opening of the Canberra International Music Festival next door at the Fitters’ Workshop.

The precinct was alive with all manner of celebratory sound and light with a blast of fire illuminating the space at the back of the Fitters, like a primordial geyser, while the creative talent from the University of Technology Sydney splashed their light show on the back wall and their musicians played to bring a unique CIMF “son et lumiere” to the backyard of the Kingston Foreshore.

New age it was, while the master of the didgeridoo William Barton played that ancient instrument to open the festival.

‘We now have exciting new equipment that allows us to take very precise measurements’

Optician with a sharp eye to the future

AFTER more than 40 years serving Canberra from the now-demolished Canberra House, Vision City has moved to a new location on Moore Street where it offers a range of new services and state-of-the-art equipment.

The comfortable, friendly and welcoming new space allows Vision City to showcase its consistent quality of customer service and satisfaction.

The new location includes a fully functional edging and fitting workshop, pre-examination facilities, dedicated optometry space and a showroom displaying an extensive selection of spectacle and sunglass frames.

Founder and director, Colin Skelton, says: “Most people are surprised by the size and beauty of the space. We have a lot of room to fit in new equipment and, unlike most of our competitors, we still have the ability to manufacture spectacles on site.

“Single-vision glasses can often be created on the same day as a result, and the majority of the time we can even create those glasses in an hour or less. We are a one-stop optical shop without sacrificing quality or accuracy”.

As well as increasing its range of services to add in-house, bulk-billed eye testing and Zeiss OCT facilities, Vision City uses an innovative approach to multi-focal lenses called i.Scription, which is dedicated German diagnostic equipment that gathers information to create an extremely precise prescription that matches unique vision challenges.

Colin says: “An ongoing relationship with your optical practitioner is essential to maintain optimal eye health, comfort and acuity.

“We now have exciting new equipment that allows us to take very precise measurements, which is great.

“Our Zeiss i.Profiler is one of only six in Australia and is capable of interpreting data to 1/100th of a dioptre.

“In conjunction with a consultation, provided by our on-site optometrist, the i.Profiler can identify varying visual behaviours and generate a compensated multifocal prescription to provide optimal clarity for day and night while also monitoring for other issues that may be presenting within the physiology of the eye.

It is an exceptionally sophisticated piece of equipment.”

The non-invasive i.Scription process involves a thorough examination with the on-site optometrist and ZEISS i.Profiler that, when combined with the precise measurements taken with the new Relaxed Vision Terminal 2.0, the most accurate multifocal design for the individual is generated.

The Relaxed Vision Terminal 2.0 provides specific measurements of how a frame and lenses behave in relation to the unique physical features of an individual’s face and eyes.

As no two faces are alike, the camera measures and calculates data allowing for the most natural and comfortable placement of a lens in front of the eye.

The combination of these factors is then used by German engineers to calculate and produce a unique lens tailored specifically for the customer.

Colin’s son John Skelton is the store manager.

At Vision City we exclusively use ZEISS technology to analyse the individual profile of each eye to provide you the most highly refined and specialized prescription available

He says for people who have had difficulty with lenses, the i.Scription technology is a new era in visual clarity and convenience.

“No two people are alike and as such a ‘one-size-fits-all’ mentality simply isn’t viable,” says John.

“The free-form, multifocal lenses allowed by Zeiss i.Scription technology create a tailored lens that suits people of different ages, ethnicity, head shape and their unique visual challenges.

“We started doing bulk-billed eye tests in January, 2012, and it has been very successful. It has allowed us to establish an even more intimate understanding of our customers’ needs.

“We are excited to utilise our technology to continue to improve and provide what our customers have come to know as an institution in optical services in Canberra.”

Vision City, 10 Moore Street, Civic. Call 6249 7559, email visioncity@visioncity.com.au or visit visioncity.com.au

At the Jamala Wildlife Lodge opening, National Zoo

SUNDAY ROAST

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program.

It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

Be part of the conversation and call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon.

B a l l On Saturday 16 May 2015 6.30pm for 7.00pm At QT on London Cirt, Canberra City Tickets @ $200/person or $2,000/table of 10 Purchase a table for 9 l l pecial guest for $2,500

ACT Law Week advertising feature

Big week to learn about the law

ACT Law Week is the biggest event on the Canberra legal calendar.

FROM Monday, May 11, to Saturday, May 16, the legal community comes together for a week of lectures, forums, tours and social events with the goal of promoting public understanding of the law and its role in society.

This year, the National Law Week theme is “Magna Carta: Commemorating 800 years”, and several of the ACT events have taken this theme as a basis to talk about social change. Communications officer of the ACT Law Society, Nicole Karman, says: “This year is the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta, and just as that document was the catalyst for social change in England, this year our focus for Law Week is on social change: past, present, and future.

The prestigious annual Blackburn Lecture will this year be given by Prof George Williams, one of Australia’s leading constitutional lawyers and public commentators.

Nicole says: “The Blackburn Lecture will touch on issues such as freedom of speech and of the press, the ‘Alternative Law Journal’ is hosting a public lecture that will explore why

music is a critical part of social change, and Australian of the Year

Rosie Batty will headline two soldout events discussing changes that would improve the legal system’s capacity to respond to domestic violence.”

There will also be public tours of the ACT Supreme Court (11am-2pm, May 11-May 15) to see some of the ACT’s architectural and judicial history.

“Law Week is about giving back to the local community. The events raise funds for The ACT Law Society Foundation, which is an endowment fund that will be used to support local charities. Over the last two years, the society and its members have raised more than $56,000 for the fund,” says Nicole.

For information on ACT Law Week events call 6247 5700 or visit actlawsociety.asn.au

Family law without the fear

MAZENGARB Lawyers values the importance of communication and rapport with a client in order to get the best outcome.

Situated on London Circuit, the family law specialists focus on negotiation, mediation and court proceedings as well as property settlement, parenting, domestic violence, divorce and others.

Principal solicitor Geoffrey Mazengarb has more than 30 years of experience in family law and has been regarded as a specialist since 1989.

He says: “Family matters can be a complicated area of the law with frequently changing legislature. We focus on the needs, rights and entitlements of the client and try to get through the process as quickly and efficiently as possible with dignity.

“Firstly, we are specialists and there are only a few family law firms in Canberra. Secondly, we pride ourselves on talking and listening and building a rapport with clients to make them feel comfortable. If they are confused, we encourage them not to feel embarrassed, they just have to

talk to us.

“Communication is very important, people are going through circumstances where they will be stressed and confused. We walk them through everything and show them guidance. We show them that things will come to an end and they won’t be anywhere near as frightening as they think”.

Mazengarb Lawyers, 11 London Circuit, Civic. Call 6230 0199 or visit mfamilylawyers.com.au

Law Week aims to promote public understanding of the

and its role in society with free public events including lectures, tours, and information sessions. Book online or call for appointments.

» Public Lecture: The Legal Assault on Australian Democracy — Tuesday 12 May 2015 at 12pm.

» Will Awareness Public Information Sessions: Free talks on Wills and Powers of Attorney — Wednesday 13 May at 11am and Thursday 14 May at 11:45am.

» Public Lecture: Music, musicians and law reform — Thursday 14 May 2015, at 12pm.

» Wills Day: Make a free 30 minute

»

and

154 years of providing skilled legal advice

Baker Deane and Nutt has provided legal services to Canberra, Queanbeyan and the surrounding region since 1861 BDN has the experience, skill and reputation. For sensible and practical solutions to your legal needs, call our offices

Fight the cause for injured clients

MALIGANIS Edwards Johnson has protected the rights of injured Canberrans for 30 years.

Partner Deborah Rolfe says: “Every client is important. It can be a very stressful time, we act for the injured person who doesn’t understand their rights and who needs support against an organisation.

“We deal with the insurers so the client can concentrate on getting better and receiving the treatment or assistance they require”.

Working on a “no win, no fee” basis, Maliganis Edwards Johnson specialises in personal injury law, in particular getting compensation for motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, construction site accidents, medical negligence, wrongful death and public liability.

“Over 30 years we have obtained some excellent results for people with short-term injuries and long-term disabilities. No amount of money can give back your health, but it does give you the treatment to enable you to go back to work or to look after your family,” she says.

Maliganis Edwards Johnson, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Civic. Call 6257 2999 or visit mej.com.au

Skilled, personal legal advice

BAKER, Deane & Nutt has provided legal services to Canberra, Queanbeyan and the surrounding regions for 150 years.

Partner Tanya Nadin says: “We are one of the oldest firms in Australia and we have a strong reputation for providing skilled legal advice with accessible and personal attention”.

Established in Sydney in the early

Taking a moment for mediation

CAPON & Hubert “cares about what people go through when dealing with legal issues and the emotional strain it can cause,” says director Rhonda Hubert.

Specialising in family matters, wills and estates and conveyancing, Capon & Hubert focuses on giving honest and expert advice at all times.

“We understand that being involved in legal affairs when you are not trained in them is stressful,” she says.

“We also focus on mediation, it is never easy with family matters and going to court costs money and emotional energy. Solicitors tend to contact us and we facilitate a mediation, we sit with clients to work out the issue and walk them through their journey trying not to make it as horrendous as other people say it can be.

“With mediation at Capon & Hubert, people don’t pay anywhere near the amount of money and everything is legally binding without the stress of a court appearance”.

Capon & Hubert, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Call 6290 1105 or visit chsol.com.au

1850s and now with two offices, one in Queanbeyan and the other in Canberra, Baker, Deane & Nutt has experienced practitioners to help advise clients with areas of expertise including personal injury, conveyancing, wills and estates, property law, commercial law, family law, migration law and criminal law.

“We provide services for both the ACT and NSW. We assist with all legal needs, we are not specialised but are a full-purpose firm and we get results in a cost-effective manner,” says Mrs Nadin. Baker, Deane & Nutt. Call the Canberra office on 6230 1999 or Queanbeyan, on 6299 3999. Visit bdn.com.au

Getting things done properly

SPECIALISING in wills, estates and tax matters, Dwyer Lawyers can help clients plan for the growth and protection of their hardearned wealth.

Principal Terence Dwyer says: “It is very important to properly provide for your children, people are worried that if they leave money it could go into other people’s pockets, therefore they must set up trusts to keep money safe.

“We help people protect their hard-earned money and help them not to pay any more tax than they lawfully owe.”

Dwyer Lawyers also advise clients on life-insurance trusts, testamentary trusts, superannuation, enduring powers of attorney,

probate, estate tax planning and family business succession.

“People have come to us who have been wrongly assessed or the tax office has failed to recognise overseas earnings that might be exempt under a tax treaty. There might be other cases where someone mistakenly paid GST and needed to get a refund,” Mr Dwyer says.

“The most common clients we deal with are locally based people with small businesses or people with personal tax affairs. We make sure things are done properly”.

Dwyer Lawyers, 2/161 London Circuit, Civic. Call 6247 8184 or visit dwyerlawyers.com.au

Help in a horrible situation

INFINITY Legal’s experienced family lawyers offer a complete range of family law services from divorce and property settlement to domestic violence and adoption.

Practice manager Madi Chacos says: “Our values are doing the best by our client and helping people out in a horrible situation. A lot of people don’t have any experience with lawyers so we try to simplify the situation and help them understand what is going on”.

The general process is to book a first consultation with the solicitor, Julia Heinze, who specialises in matters of family law and is an accredited Independent Children’s Lawyer representing the interests of children in circumstances where their parents may not be able to care for them.

The first consultation is $200 regardless of how long it takes and members of Canberra Mums get a free consultation.

“During the appointment, the solicitor will get an idea of the matter and will prepare the relevant documents and information. The client can then decide if they want to continue,” says Madi.

Infinity Legal, 24 Marcus Clarke Street, Civic. Call 6230 1839 or visit infinityfamilylawyers.com.au

arts & entertainment

Ooh la la, singers infatuated by all things French

cinema

By Helen Musa

OOH La La, Baby et Lulu are coming to town.

Actually, they’re not really French, but the seductive chanteuses who write original compositions in French, Abby Dobson (“Baby”) and Lara Goodridge (“Lulu”) are true blue Aussies.

On Sunday, May 10, they’ll perform at the inaugural Segue European festival coming up at The Street Theatre.

Goodridge says: “I’ve been infatuated with France for as long as I can remember…The Sorbonne in Paris is the oldest university in the world, so it’s no wonder that France has long been a home of radical thought, yet presented with beauty and elegance.”

To Dobson it’s more that “my love of French music followed my love of French language, food and

sensuality.”

Fantastique as that may be, it’s not all about France.

Segue 2015 is billed as a contemporary festival celebrating the “cultural interplay between the continents of Australia and Europe” and it’s scheduled to coincide with Europe Day celebrations.

The Street Theatre is getting together with the ANU Centre for European Studies to profile contemporary performance with a European dimension involving top digital artists, designers, software engineers and physical theatre artists from Portugal, Sweden, Croatia and Australia

The Street says it’ll be small and intimate in this, the first year, to grow a big idea for what is a five-year project.

Baby et Lulu, The Street Theatre, 4pm, Sunday, May 10, bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

Thriller on the computer screen

“Unfriended” (M)

NELSON Greaves has concocted a screenplay for director Leo Gabriadze to deliver on a PC monitor.

A year ago Laura Barns, beleaguered by incessant abuse on social media, killed herself. Today, after watching the YouTube record of the suicide, Laura’s closest pal Blaire calls boyfriend Mitch on Skype to talk about Laura’s prognostication that Blaire and Mitch will exchange virginities on the anniversary of Laura’s death.

Still with me? Three of their chums join in the chat. So does a stranger, Billie227. And no matter how hard Blaire and her chums, using every trick in the Facebook armoury, try to disconnect Billie227 in that and every other session, Billie227 hangs in there and becomes increasingly unfriendly.

Billie227 is vengeful because of Laura’s death. A suspicion develops that he/she is Val (Courtney Halverson). None of Blaire and her chums likes Val, the film’s best-formed character but not its villain.

“Unfriended” (its US title is “Cybernatural”) is not a horror film, although its ideas and images are often horrid. This often hysterical pseudothriller converts the cinema screen into a giant monitor on which its foul-mouthed, intellectually and emotionally far-from-fully-developed adolescent characters appear mostly head and shoulders only.

As the means by which they play out their fears and dislikes and occasionally find common ground, the film invites our consideration of the array of hi-tech goodies that indulgent parents presumably have provided. The notion of a computer monitor displaying the internet as the film’s principal location bespeaks a mote of creative courage, but the plot doesn’t justify that innovation.

Shelley Hennig as Blaire poses an unusual problem. She’s an attractive young woman whose facial expression of pleasure, amusement, anger or terror doesn’t vary, thus making it difficult to evaluate the emotions that the plot and dialogue expect the film’s main character to be feeling.

At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight

“Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter” (PG)

AT age 26, Kumiko lives in a tiny Tokyo apartment with only her pet rabbit for company. She has a boring office job. Whenever she calls her mother in another city, the tirade – have you been promoted, are you engaged, are you pregnant, when will you come home to take care of me? –quite dominates the conversation.

Writer/director David Zellner’s film begins with Kumiko finding a water-damaged videotape of the Coen Brothers’ 1996 crime thriller “Fargo”. Salvaging enough of it to see a thief burying the proceeds of a robbery, she travels to Minnesota to find it.

Minnesota in winter is no place for a young woman totally unequipped to undertake such a demanding quest in a strange land where social customs are a world away from those in Japan.

That’s the framework for a delicate, optimistic and occasionally bleak movie showcasing Rinko Kikuchi’s impressive performance as Kumiko. Zellner also plays a highway patrolman who takes her under his wing and tries to persuade her that

“Fargo” is fiction, there is no hidden cache of money.

The film derives poignant visual and emotional impact from her tiny figure trudging through deep snow guided by a road map and sustained by indomitable determination, enveloped in a cloak made from a stolen motel bedspread.

We feel frissons of concern for Kumiko’s welfare. Her courage comes from a combination of innocence and doggedness rather than stubbornness. Often in harm’s way, her avoidance of disaster is never less than credible. Awardwinning direction, sensitive writing, wonderful acting, beautiful images – what more could you ask from a film?

At Palace Electric

Home calls as the star ballerina bows out

WHEN ballerina Madeleine Eastoe takes her last bow as Giselle in the coming Australian Ballet production at Canberra Theatre, we’ll know it’s the last time we’ll see her on stage here.

After 18 years with the flagship company and, before that, three years at the Australian Ballet School, to which she came at age 15 from Perth, she’s decided to hang up her dancing shoes.

There are “quite a few factors” involved in her decision to retire from the ballet, she tells me by phone just after a dress rehearsal in Sydney, but the main one is that she and her husband, the former Australian Ballet dancer Tim Harbour, have a daughter aged six and touring is taking its toll.

“She’s started school and I feel the need to be there,” Eastoe says.

“Often she came on tour and, as a toddler, that was okay, but now it feels important for her to be more stable… we do tour a lot.” Eastoe danced Odette on the opening night of Graeme Murphy’s “Swan Lake” in London and has toured internationally with the company to China, Singapore, NZ and the US, dancing everything from Juliet to Cinderella. Looking back to those formative years,

from ages 15 to 18, she says: “I never dreamt that it would set me on the path to a milestone such as the one I’m facing now… you grow up in the company.”

So does she have an exit strategy?

“Ballet is an all-consuming occupation,” she says, “I want to spend a bit of time at home before I decide what to do now.

Canberra Music Festival review

Stars in alignment

By Helen Musa

THE stars were all in alignment for the official gala opening of the 2015 Canberra International Music Festival.

With The Fitters’ Workshop glamorously outfitted with gilded chairs set in a “cathedral” configuration and an intriguing curtain-raiser performance on glass, stringed instruments next door at the Canberra Glassworks, all that remained was for “Bach’s Universe” to shine.

The subtitle for the festival, “Music, Einstein and You”, dictated that incoming artistic director Roland Peelman choose a repertoire illustrating his view that “great art emerges out of the collision of the personal and universal”, a point most evident in the exquisite rendition of Bach’s cantata “Jauchzet Gott”, a fine platform for the virtuosity of soprano Alex Oomens.

That and another point Peelman makes about the collision of past and future were also brilliantly illustrated in the finale, “The Dam,” commissioned from composer Kate Moore by local arts identity Betty Beaver.

Moore, using old world (baroque) instruments at one end of The Fitters’ Workshop and at the other end “new” instrumentalists Claire Edwardes on vibraphone, Amy Dickson on saxophone and William Barton on didgeridoo, created a musical collision of rare force, drawing a standing ovation from the large, appreciative audience.

This “Beaver Blaze”, the longest ever since the commission began, did not always achieve the perfect blend of old and new that the work required, although the soaring soprano of

Oomens at the “old” end helped balance it out.

As for Bach’s Universe, his cantata, the Trio Sonata in G major and especially the Partita No 2 in D Minor, performed passionately by violinist Rebecca Chan, more than justified the title.

Moreover, much as Bach may have been a harmonic genius motivated by the power of the Almighty, the almost mathematical complexity of his work holds an element of modernity that brings to mind Albert Einstein, a violin lover who said of listening to Bach: “Listen, play, love, revere – and keep your trap shut”.

The juxtaposition of the parties with Steve Reich’s “Vermont counterpoint” played by the charismatic Edwardes on vibraphone directly paralleled that complexity, a clever piece of programming.

As the festival draws towards its conclusion on May 10, there are other challenging modern works in store, notably in the “From The Letter To The Law” concert at midday on May 8, including works by Peter Sculthorpe, Nigel Butterley and Andrew Ford, and “Movers and Shakers” on May 9, with works by Brian Howard, Sculthorpe, Kate Moore and John Adams.

Book-ending “Bach’s Universe” at the NGA on the final day, Gandel Hall will be “A World of Glass” featuring the work of the iconoclastic Philip Glass who drew on Albert Einstein’s love of playing the violin in his “The Kneeplays” from “Einstein on the Beach”, part of the concert.

If it all sounds rather intellectual, it isn’t. For as the opening gala indicated, Peelman has his feet set firmly on the ground – the ground of fine music.

“It’s time for me to be able to work on my identity without the ‘ballerina’ title… when you’re a ballerina there’s a sense of being addicted to being on stage, so there could be

Powerful play still packs a punch

theatre

“The Crucible”

By Arthur Miller, directed by Jordan Best At Theatre 3, until May 16.

Reviewed by Len Power

ARTHUR Miller’s 1953 play, “The Crucible”, dramatised the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts in the late 17th century and was written as a pointed allegory of the 1950s McCarthy Communist hearings in the US. Recent events in Indonesia come to mind, too, while watching this play, such is its power.

The large cast all give very strong performances. In a carefully controlled performance, Duncan Ley as John Proctor is excellent. Lexi Sekuless gives a moving and very believable performance as his wife. Yanina Clifton as Mary Warren displays an impressive depth of feeling in her hysterical scenes and Mark Bunnett plays Judge Danforth with an iciness that is frighteningly effective.

Director, Jordan Best, has produced an absorbing version of the play. The addition of the group of hysterical women gives the play an added sense of the community affected by the events of the play and extra depth to the highly emotional scenes. The dialogue is paced very well. It’s so well done that I was untroubled by its four acts play with only one interval being quite long.

The director says in the program that this is a play about life and not about accents or costumes. However, the costumes from various periods and the different regional accents used by the cast created an unwelcome distraction.

This is a strong production of a play that still has the power to speak to today’s audiences.

some sort of low period I don’t think you can avoid that – maybe it’ll be character building.”

Husband Tim moved into secondary dance teaching of classical ballet, but is also doing choreography for the AB later in the year.

“He’s already experienced what I’m about to go through,” she says

Eastoe has last performed Giselle in the Maina Gielgud production that’ll we’ll be seeing here.

She was promoted to principal dancer with the company when she ascended to the part in 2006.

First premiered in 1841 in Paris, the ballet is a tearjerker tale of love and betrayal totally breaking the rule that ghosts aren’t as interesting as living people on stage.

To Eastoe, playing a role such as Giselle is not just technical.

“I feel more comfortable when there is a real character to play, it helps the movement, it’s much better when you have an emotional response,” she says.

It may have a weepy ending but, as she says, “sometimes that’s more pleasurable to play, because you have to go inside yourself and find your motivation… thank goodness I haven’t died of a broken heart, so you draw on what sadness may have occurred in your life and perhaps the influence of movies and music.”

The Australian Ballet’s “Giselle”, Canberra Theatre, May 21-26, “Behind the Scenes” program for children aged 10 and up. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

arts & entertainment / dining

Sharing the love at gran’s table

We are assured of two things from our grans: love and food, often on a single plate, and always in abundance.

MY eyes have never welled up when flipping through a cookbook, but they did with “Love & Food at Gran’s Table”.

This new cookbook, by Natalie Oldfield, features recipes made with love and tested over time by 60 grandmothers from Australia and around the world.

If you flip to page 74 you’ll be greeted by a photo of Nevenka Barac on her wedding day. Nevenka and her husband immigrated to Australia from Croatia in 1969 and now call Canberra home.

Nevenka – 82 years of age – is the only Canberran in the cookbook and her recipe is for Croatian Bear Claws, pictured.

I made the recipe and although my claws would never match Nevenka’s, I was chuffed. It’s a “yum” recipe: simply cream butter and sugar, add

an egg, honey, vanilla and blend. Mix in sifted flour, baking powder, walnuts and heaps of love. Bake, dust with icing sugar and serve.

But why did my eyes well up with “Love & Food at Gran’s Table”?

It’s a beautiful cookbook, with wonderful stories about the contributors, mostly written by granddaughters, grandsons and other family members. There are photos of grans, many taken in years gone by, images of handwritten recipes and bits of advice, such as: “Have a good attitude towards life and a gin and tonic in the evening always helps”.

Nevenka’s daughter, Dragica Barac, remembers how her parents made their own kobasica (sausages) and prosciutto, long before it became trendy to do so. Today her mum, who she affectionately calls Baba, is still “wildly talented in the kitchen”.

only Canberran in the

“She still sometimes cooks like there are 14 of us instead of just four,” says Dragica. “She tries to teach us our traditional foods, but my desserts never, ever taste the same as Baba’s.

“If you’re a visitor at Baba’s house, the first thing she will ask you is: ‘Are you hungry?’ or ‘Have you eaten anything? You look hungry’. Baba gets offended if you don’t eat at her house,” says Dragica.

The grans featured come from every corner of this planet, including NZ, Lebanon, Germany, Cook Islands, Sweden, Greece, Spain, Italy, India, England and Scotland.

More than 120 recipes, covering

all bases, are included. As you might suspect, there are loads of recipes for baked goods, but the savoury line-up is also impressive, such as gingeroo (kangaroo cooked with ginger), bacon and egg pie, and raw fish salad. The photos of the sauces, vinegars and jams are sensational.

Natalie, who was born and raised in Auckland and has spent her life in hospitality, says: “We are assured of two things from our grans: love and food, often on a single plate, and always in abundance”.

Natalie’s other cookbooks are all best sellers.

Come dancing

Helen

Musa arts in the city

“DANCE on the Edge” sees Belconnen Arts Centre marking Dance Week 2015 with performances by Alison Plevey, Emma Strapps, Holly Diggle, Rachael Hilton and Melissa Lee, GOLDS and QL2 Youth Dancers. It’s at BAC, 8pm, on May 9 and 2pm, on May 10. There’s a Dance Week workshop, 11am-12.30pm, on May 10. Bookings via belconnenartscentre.com.au

“CANBERRA’S most unique music festival,” is playing at The Basement, Belconnen, on May 15. Festival 15 only ever takes place on Friday the 15th and this year that means it’s on 15/05/15. There’ll be 15 bands each playing 15-minute sets and it’ll cost $15. Tickets at the door.

CLAIRE Primrose, of Form Studio and Gallery, Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan, is holding a show of her own work. Primrose is interested in the interplay between spray enamel with collected natural elements such as salt water, used to repel the paint. Open May 11 to 31.

CANBERRA painter and sculptor, “Byrd”, is one of more than 20 local artists donating artwork for the “VanuARTu” art auction, with Peter Haynes holding the hammer at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 6pm, on Thursday, May 14. The ambitious idea is to raise more than $10,000 to help rebuild Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam. All funds will go to Care Australia’s appeal and the show runs until May 30.

ARTIST Alex Boynes has emailed us about “The Warming” and “An Anthropocene Cabinet of Curiosities” exhibitions showing at Australian Galleries in Collingwood, where he’s showing a new collaborative work with his mother, the artist/curator Mandy Martin. Other local identities in the show are GW Bot, Alex Asch, Mariana del Castillo and David Jensz.

“WARPED & Twisted” is Canberra Spinners and Weavers wondrously-titled show and sale of winter articles made from natural fibres spun to produce single fibre yarns or blends. It includes wall hangings, rugs, household linen, shawls, scarves, hats, socks, bags, garments and skeins of hand-spun yarn. At The Q Exhibition Space, Queanbeyan, May 8-16.

THE embassy of Finland will host Paavali Jumppanen, in Australia for the sixth time, in a piano recital of Debussy, Sibelius and Schumann, 7pm, May 18. Bookings to 6273 3800 or ewa. walczuk@formin.fi

The Loft Bar & Grill, O’Connor advertising

‘I want to see if I can grow a sense of community… and to see what I can create in three months’

Up in the Loft the flavours are firing

THE Loft Bar & Grill in O’Connor offers an ever-changing menu that ignites the flavours of the finest local steaks, grills and produce, all suited to the autumn season.

The three-month, pop-up restaurant, situated above The Duxton, will showcase the quality of locally sourced ingredients.

Launched last month, The Loft Bar & Grill is open for lunch from Wednesday to Friday, with dinner service from Tuesday to Saturday.

“We’ve had a really positive reaction so far,” says executive chef Griffith Pamment, who has 20 years’ experience working in places such as Tokyo, London, New York and Sydney.

“For people who want to celebrate something we are offering a bit more of a restaurant service upstairs.”

With the atmosphere of a European bistro, Griffith says that The Loft Bar & Grill has a casual feel with highquality service and knowledgeable staff with most of the ingredients locally sourced from across Canberra.

“Some of the produce even comes from our backyards,” says Griffith.

“We grow herbs on the roof and source honeycomb from hives in O’Connor for our chai panna cotta and honeycomb dessert.

“It is ideal that our menu changes weekly because we can offer a bit of everything. It is a chance to develop a relationship with suppliers, they can tell you what is good at the time. There is more flexibility, which means we get better-quality produce.

“Working in so many places definitely has had an

effect on what I cook, the grill is a universal tool where you can incorporate different cultures and flavours.

“The grill is also a universal cooking medium from the US to Japan, the Mediterranean to the Aussie backyard. We’re going to be exploring some of that while providing that classic bar-and-grill atmosphere here in Canberra”.

As well as a board of specials, the weekly menu offers a choice of five entrees including nardin anchovies with rye crisps and parsley salad, a choice of seven mains and steaks including the lobster and fennel risotto with saffron butter and to finish, an option of four desserts including a chilli chocolate ganache with salted peanut

brittle and roast plums.

Griffith says: “I am always looking for the best and unique ingredients. I was looking for some Jerusalem artichokes so I posted a photo on Instagram seeing if anyone had any and I offered a meal in return.

“I want to see if I can grow a sense of community with The Loft Bar & Grill and look for locals to show off the great produce that they have and to see what I can create in three months.”

ON Mother’s Day there’s a special set menu lunch at $45 a head. Mums will enjoy a glass of bubbly on arrival.

The menu will showcase the quality of seafood with a choice of smoked ora king salmon with horseradish cream or grilled baby squid with pork belly, romesco and hazelnuts, or there’s the slow-roast shoulder and grilled rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic. There is also an optional dessert upgrade.

“You can take your mother to enjoy a meal and sit upstairs surrounded by trees with great autumnal colours and afternoon lights,” says Griffith.

The Loft Bar & Grill, corner of Sargood and MacPherson Streets, O’Connor, call 6247 7330 or visit theloftatduxton.com.au

Creating Sustainable Gardens

Glenbog Nursery and Landscaping

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We grow them hardy so you can watch them grow

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gardening Hedges with a splash of colour

HEDGES don’t have to appear a boring exhibition of varying shades of green with no or few flowers.

The run-of-the-mill hedges are Viburnum laurustinus (P. tinus). The most common variety, Photinia robusta, does have a mass of clusters of small white flowers that smell rather revolting. Then there is a variety of Pittosporums, originating in NZ and a range of conifers, most of which grow far too large for the average garden. Hedges define boundaries, make great windbreaks, screen neighbours’ ugly sheds or hide ugly neighbouring houses and autumn is an ideal time to plant them.

When planting any type of hedge, whether a small Buxus or a tall hedge, always dig a trench, which will allow the roots to spread out sideways giving considerably faster growth rather than having to fight their way out of small, round holes.

For small box hedges plant about 30cm apart. For large hedges, plant 75-90cm apart. If the ground is very hard, particularly with clay, consider using the Multicrop liquid Ground Breaker, we have used this with amazing results.

HERE are some suggestions for taller hedges with flowers:

• Feijoa sellowiana, or pineapple guava, not only does it have the most delightful flowers but delicious fruit, which can be eaten fresh or as a topping on ice cream and other desserts. Feijoa can grow to 2m-3m or clipped to just a metre tall.

• There is a great range of Callistemons or bottle brush that can easily be trained into a formal hedge. It is always recommended to dead-head Callistemon after flowering.

• You cannot go wrong with Camellia sasanqua, with possibly the best one for its density and flowers in C.s. “Hiryu”, although with its popularity it is often sold out in garden centres once it comes into flower. C.s. “Plantation Pink” can also be used as a hedge.

• For a really fragrant hedge consider Osmanthus “Heaven Sent”, which can be kept to one metre tall or allowed to grow two metres plus. Its tempting description is: “The deep green foliage sets off the white tubular flowers, which have an amazing perfume. The flowers are

borne in clusters all along the many branches, making a dramatic display from mid-winter to late spring.”

• Another flowering shrub ideal for hedges is Abelia grandiflora. There is a good example of this growing in Novar Street, Yarralumla, where it is kept to a metre high. I have seen other examples growing as a dense hedge to two metres or more. With its pale pink blooms, it flowers most of the year. There are examples of native plants that can be used, but many of them don’t take to continuous hard pruning into a hedge.

THE Horticultural Society of Canberra meets at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 7.30pm, on Monday, May 18. Elizabeth and Bob Smith will speak on chrysanthemums. All welcome.

Jottings…

• As with all autumn planting, water the plants in with Multicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient. This specifically encourages strong root growth and can reduce the effect of frost on plants.

• It is time to divide rhubarb, especially if it has been growing in the one spot for a long time.

• It is advisable to think of either a new sunny site for strawberries or completely replace the existing soil with fresh soil and compost and/or add cow manure. Strawberries should be replanted every three years for full cropping. Always buy virus-free runners and although well-meaning friends may offer you some runners, politely decline.

• I need to correct my article on magnolias in the last edition. I’m informed that Mark Jury followed in his father Felix’s footsteps with breeding magnolias. It was Mark who hybridized both Magnolia Felix and Magnolia “Black Tulip”.

• Obligation free first conference (no cost if you don’t proceed)

• Fixed price services available

• Follow our blog for the latest family law news

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www.familylawincanberra.com.au

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars – May 11-17, 2015

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Hold your horses Rams! You’re in a hurry to get your message out loud and clear but if you rush too much, you may broadcast the wrong message. So be careful, especially when using social media. The Mars/Saturn opposition can also create mega frustrations and delays – especially involving travel, cars, computers, communication, education or publishing. You’ll have to dig deep to find a quality that you usually have in short supply – patience.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

This week’s stars favour group activities, social networking, creative projects and having fun with friends. The more you network with colleagues, clients or customers, the more successful you’ll be. But money could be tight so plan accordingly. Under the influence of the Venus/Neptune trine, the weekend is all about romance. So it’s a fabulous time to go on a first date, write a love letter, organise a candlelit dinner or escape on a romantic rendezvous.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

With impulsive Mars charging into your sign, you want things done quickly and you want them done now! But this week, Saturn has other ideas. If you slow down and are more astute in your appraisal of people and situations, it will save you time in the long run. When it comes to a relationship, you’re keen to zoom full steam ahead whereas they want to take things more slowly. You have to be patient – not one of your strengths.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Routine responsibilities may be getting you down and leave you daydreaming about a heavenly holiday or exotic escape. Back in the real world, don’t complicate matters by becoming dependent on the counsel of others. Asking for advice is fine but it’s up to you to make the final decision. Saturn dampens displays of affection, which could also throw you into clingy Crab mode. Just remember – you are loved and appreciated, even if others aren’t showing it.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

You may find it difficult to let go of grudges and grievances this week. If you stew over perceived slights and sweat the small stuff, you’ll just end up feeling stressed and exhausted. So avoid getting drawn into complicated discussions with a child, teenager or friend. For some single Lions – a relationship from the past is romantically rekindled. But do you really want to venture down that rocky road again?

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Your mind is consumed with work issues (or a volunteer project) but don’t put all your eggs in the one basket Virgo. Diversify your interests; expand your contacts; and keep your options open. Avoid worrying about situations that will probably never happen. Instead, maintain a sense of perspective as you focus your attention firmly on the here and now. As actress (and birthday great) Katharine Hepburn declared: “Life is to be lived.”

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Be extra careful when communicating with others this week, whether in person or via social media. If you say something or send a message when you’re not concentrating then it could lead to unpleasant consequences. Take your time and think things through before you respond. When it comes to a work matter, volunteer project or job interview, make sure you pump up the Libran charm and dress to impress!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Money matters look challenging as you are hit with extra bills, expensive repairs or rising costs. It’s imperative that you work out a strict budget and stick to it – especially if you are involved in a financial partnership. Romantic relationships and international friendships are favoured on the weekend, so make the most of the positive vibes. Socialising with loved ones puts a spring in your step and a smile on your Scorpio dial.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You’re keen to power ahead with a project or potential partner, but expect frustrations, delays or challenges this week as Saturn seems to stymie every move you make. Don’t stress Sagittarius! Switch your settings to cruise control, and use the down time to review your approach and reassess your plans. On the weekend, Venus and Neptune encourage you to help a friend or family member who needs some support, encouragement and direction.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

This week’s planetary salad throws a full dose of frustration into the mix as your ruling planet Saturn opposes Mars and slows everything down which could send your stress levels into the outer stratosphere. Your motto for the moment comes from Reinhold Niebuhr: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

A work project or business idea that started as a vague dream has definite potential. But it’s not the time to be an independent Aquarian, you will need the cooperation of other people to make it happen. Does it seem to be taking forever for your dreams to come true? Are you blaming circumstances (or those around you) for the annoying delays? Take a long hard look at yourself Aquarius. Perhaps the saboteur is none other than you?

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

A chat with a teacher or mentor puts a current problem in perspective but relations with a work colleague or family member could be strained, as you feel emotionally disconnected from each other. So find smart ways to grab their attention and reestablish a connection. On the weekend you’re at your creative and compassionate best, as you inspire those around you. Single Fish – it’s the perfect time to be swept off your feet by someone special!

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2015 Daily astrology updates at twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore

General knowledge crossword No. 499

1 Which suburb of Canberra has the same name as a NZ tea-tree?

7 Name the early Greek philosopher, known as the ‘Cynic’.

8 To be not open for business is to be what?

9 How many players make up an AFL team?

10 What is another term for whalebone?

11 To strip land of trees, is to do what?

14 What do we call a recent arrival?

18 What is a self-evident, obvious fact?

19 Name a national memorial to those killed in war

21 What do we call those people who do nothing?

22 Which of the fishes is valued as a source of caviar?

23 Who was the Australian prime minister 1968-71, Sir John ...?

1 Name the Australian artist (1855-1917) noted for his portrayal of Australian bush scenes, Frederick ...?

2 What other name is Northern Ireland known by and is also the name of a heavy overcoat?

3 What is an appendix to a book?

4 Which colloquial term describes a medal?

5 Name the prominent warrior in the Trojan wars, who was slain by Achilles

6 What are the upper oblique faces of brilliant-cut gems?

12 Name a former British coin, worth one quarter of a penny

13 Who played a leading role in Breaker Morant, Jack ...?

15 What are the items in a sports program called?

16 What are companies of singers known as?

17 Name a NSW governor who was awarded the VC in WWII, Sir Roden ...?

20 Which of the primates do not have tails?

Sudoku hard No. 149

With the end of the financial year looming, Alexandra called in to see if I had any tips to ensuring she’s organised for tax-return time.

“There are some changes this year and, of course, there may be more in the federal Budget in early May,” I told her.

“The most significant one this year is the change to medical expense claims in excess of the threshold. This is the last year you can claim any excess medical expenses against your tax.

“In order to have a medical expenses claim in 2015, you need to have claimed excess medical expenses in both previous years, 2013 and 2014.

“If you didn’t have a claim in 2014, you cannot claim in 2015 or any year in the future unless the law changes again. However, you may still be able to claim for disability aids, attendant aids or aged care, but I don’t believe that you will have these claims, Alexandra. “As I recollect, you claimed medical expenses for the family in 2014.”

“Excess medical expenses arise when your total eligible medical expenses as defined and net of health fund rebates exceed $2162. If your family income is $180,000 or less in the 2015 income year (half for a single) then this is your threshold and you are entitled to an offset at the rate of 20 per cent of the excess above $2162. “When family income exceeds this threshold the offset is payable only when medical expenses exceed $5100, paid at the reduced rate of 10 per cent.”

Alexandra said she was finding it all a bit complicated and was uncertain if her family had enough medical expenditure this past year.

“Well, if you need dental work or spectacles, which are usually expensive, then you still have time to arrange treatment before June 30 so the costs can be included in this year’s claim,” I advised her.

Alexandra said: “Okay now I realise how I can increase my refund, any other ideas, Gail?”

I told her that she might like to consider making a charitable and tax deductible donation before June 30.

“A number of my clients want to make donations to Vanuatu or Nepal to help after the recent disasters there,” I said.

“Provided you donate to an Australian ‘deductible gift recipient’ then you can get a tax deduction for that donation.

“When you make a donation, I recommend you check the Australian Business Register to confirm that any donations that you make to that organisation will be tax deductible. We often see people who have made donations but have not checked the deductibility of the organisation and so they are unable to claim that deduction.”

Alexandra said “thanks for that. Peter and I were discussing giving something to the Nepal earthquake disaster fund. So this is a good way of doing so.”

If you want information on tax deductions or tax planning before June 30 contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd