Voters who won’t come to the party
MICHAEL MOORE
Naked selfies get a new way to hang out JOHN GRIFFITHS
Pitfalls of making smiley faces
SONYA FLADUN
A little voice in my head tells me to keep coming here
KATHRYN VUKOLVJAK visits Canberra’s oasis for teens living with alcoholic parents
Will the real bigot please stand up?
HELEN MUSA
JUNE 16, 2016
LIVING with an alcoholic parent can be as damaging for children as it is for the person drinking, says 14-year-old May Davis, not her real name, who says she’s found support and a safe place at the Friday-night Alateen meetings held in the Griffin Centre.
“My mum’s an alcoholic and although she has been sober for six years, I’ll never forget what it was like when she was drinking,” says May.
“She was a bit crazy and she would drink a lot – once she started in the day she didn’t stop and she would be fighting a lot with my dad.”
Alateen supports 12-17-year-old friends and relatives of alcoholics and is part of Al-Anon, sharing its familiar “12 Steps” and traditions to help young people realise they’re not alone. May says the teens are supported by sponsors, who are adult members of Al-Anon and who monitor the meetings.
Alateen sponsor 33-year-old Lauren Jones, not her real name, says she has been in Al-Anon for five years and has now separated from her alcoholic husband.
“We keep it private out of respect for the friends and relatives, because the drinking is their story, not ours,” she says.
“When we’re at meetings, we leave our personas at the door – we don’t talk about what we do or where we work. What that leaves is our inner stories, experience and strength.”
Alateen sponsor Lauren, left, with 14-year-old May... “A little voice in my head tells me to keep coming here,” says May.
Lauren says that while she was married, she felt that no one understood what she was going through and that she knew her friends wouldn’t be able to relate.
“It was difficult to deal with, I had never been around such consistent drinking and I felt ashamed and that it was my fault,” she says.
“I can see how important it is that at Alateen there’s no fear of judgement or of anyone finding out what’s going on.”
1993: Volume 22, Number 21
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Lauren says that although her husband had been a drinker before they got married, she hadn’t realised the extent of it.
“I didn’t see how chaotic our lives were and I was in denial for a long time,” she says.
“Alcoholics can be very intelligent, smart, charismatic, educated and hard-working – it’s often very well hidden and that can be confusing for children in that environment.
“My husband was emotionally and physically
unavailable to our two young daughters, which was hard to see.”
Lauren says that what helped her was changing her behaviour and reactions to the drinking.
“I’d been forgetting to keep my own behaviour and my own life in check,” she says.
“The program gave me permission to give myself what I needed, as well as coping mechanisms.
“I’m glad to be able to extend this to others as a sponsor, and offer warmth, care and guidance at the start. That’s the cyclical nature of Al-Anon and Alateen and you get the benefit of generations of advice.”
May says that attending the meetings had initially been her mum’s idea, and that they have helped her realise that alcoholism is a disease and that none of it was her fault.
“Alateen helps me with the family day to day, and to understand why they do certain things,” she says.
“If mum is angry I can see it’s not my fault instead of taking it personally. I can see the reasons.
“I have a little sister who was only two when mum stopped drinking and I’m glad she doesn’t remember what it was like.
“I know everyone here won’t judge me for what I talk about, whether it’s problems I’ve been having at school or at home.
“A little voice in my head tells me to keep coming here.”
Alateen meetings are held at the Griffin Centre (Room 11, Level 1), Genge Street, Civic, 5pm-6pm, every Friday. More information from 6249 8866 or email monaro.alanon@gmail.com
It’s not easy for Andrew Barr to claim the moral high ground, especially when he offers a 4.5 per cent ‘rates pause’ in an election year.
LIB Leader Jeremy Hanson led a boarding party on to the good ship ACT with a Budget address-in-reply that had the Barr-Rattenbury crew fighting to hold the bridge. And ironically, he was firing the ammunition the captain had collected in his years at the helm.
Andrew Barr’s well-managed treasury – together with a ladle of luck – had provided the backing for Shane Rattenbury’s $939 million Gungahlin tram. But since Hanson opposed the light-rail adventure he could use that treasure chest for big education spending without endangering his managerial credentials. Barr complained that Hanson had opposed all his increased taxes in the first place. However, it’s never easy for a politician to claim the moral high ground, especially when he offers a 4.5 per cent “rates pause” in an election year.
EVEN Barr’s $30 levy on all households to fund the
$21 million family violence package had its knockers. No one minds making the contribution – but is the answer more spending on courts and safe houses? Perhaps it’s time to engage the best brains in the field to develop a response that goes to the heart of the matter.
WHAT better example of that dilemma than the American presidential election between the unchained aggression of “Daffy Donald” Trump and the first female Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton who wants “to build bridges, not walls”. It’s the battle of the sexes writ large.
HOWEVER, even bridges can be opened prematurely. The call last week by Chris Bourke, Minister for Veterans and Seniors, for an annual Aboriginal Reconciliation Day “celebration” is a nice example. Alas, true reconciliation
is yet to occur and a pretend celebration would not be “a good way to keep it in the public consciousness”. It would be a travesty.
THAT other election hardly caused a ripple. There was a 10 per cent swing against PM Malcolm Turnbull in his own Sydney seat. And his “7.30” interview was a nonevent. Both contestants were forced to chase the real story of the week – the weather – to get their faces on TV. However, at week’s end Bill Shorten surfaced to slash $6.1 billion over 10 years from Labor’s promises and tell women he’d changed his mind about GST-free tampons because “we can’t afford it”. Golly, the things a chap will sacrifice to keep that AAA credit rating.
DEPUTY PM, battling Barnaby Joyce, hit trouble when he decided to move the Veterinary Medicines Authority from Canberra to his own electorate.
Despite threats that “they better get used to the idea”, CEO Kareena Arthy reckoned it would be hard to rebuild the authority in Armidale without the 170 scientists and staff who were refusing to make the move.
“We’re not asking people to move to Kathmandu or Timbuktu,” cried Barnaby. Luckily, his electorate doesn’t extend quite that far.
SPEAKING of unwanted migration, the Brits vote on June 23 to decide whether to pull out of the EU and we should all hope the “Brexit” side wins. If the “Remain” case gets up, we’re told the English “traditionalists” who can’t abide those awful foreign migrants might set sail for that former colony where “we will decide who comes to Australia and the manner in which they come”. Quelle horreur.
robert@robertmacklin.com
Houses in Canberra are expensive and people are struggling to enter the housing market. I have successfully driven planning reform that will help make it easier for land in Tuggeranong and Belconnen to be released and developed. This will create more opportunities for affordable housing for everyone to get ahead.
To find out more visit: www.letsmoveahead.com.au
HAVING been desperately over-exposed on social media since before the term existed, I’m reasonably resistant to jumping on the latest bandwagon.
I don’t enjoy giving another company piles of information about myself to be commodified and sold to unknown agents, which may not wish me well at all.
But last week Snapchat overtook Twitter for daily users (meaning people actually using it as opposed to creating an account, hating it, and never darkening its door again, which is the response of sane human beings to many of these networks).
While I’ll vigorously defend myself from slanderous accusations of being a social media expert (I’ll grudgingly accept my expertise, but refute the guilt by association), this was too big a threshold to ignore.
So I downloaded the app, fed
It does at least offer some peace of mind that a one-time friend won’t use an image against you years in the future.
in enough personal information to allow for identity theft and, as is the way of these things, stared into the void.
Social networks only work when you make connections.
The next step is to dob in every human who’s been foolish enough to make contact with you in the past.
This leads to angry accusations from family and friends asking why you’re trying to sign them up to another bloody personal information aggregator.
One of these is a good friend who is a fellow communication professional.
“What the hell are you? A 14-year-old girl?” he sneered.
“Snapchat’s overtaken Twitter for daily users,” I replied.
Ten minutes later he was sending me pictures on Snapchat. We’ve taken to drawing penises on pictures, but thankfully so far refrained from taking pictures of such things.
So what is it? At the heart of it, you can take pictures and easily add some real fun editing them, then send them to specific people or all your contacts and, after two three-second viewings, they
YOGA Australia, ACT, is inviting everyone to a free, mass yoga practice to mark the Second International Day of Yoga at Federation Mall, Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes, 9.30am-11am, on Sunday, June 19.
delete themselves.
Of course there are always numerous ways of circumventing the deletions, but it does at least offer some peace of mind that a one-time friend won’t use an image against you years in the future.
A problem for Facebook is that young people don’t want their parents seeing everything they do, and a problem for Twitter is that only a few sociopaths want the whole world seeing everything they do. Snapchat allows for a sense of discretion and control, while still creating a sense of sharing.
It will never get the fawning media coverage of Twitter because, unlike Twitter, a watching media aren’t able to monitor it and re-use the content (which is a plus for the users).
Having been on Snapchat for a week I’m now attuned to the large number of people around me who are using it.
It’s silly, it’s fun, it feels safe, it makes expression and creativity simple and effective.
It’s not going to directly change political discourse and its appeal is that it’s very hard for campaign managers and marketers to get to you.
Making sense of it all is going to give government spooks conniptions. What does that panda face morph selfy with a dick drawn on it mean about the sender’s feelings towards the government?
But, at an unconscious level, that might well be all the appeal it needs.
(At the time of writing I’ve received no naked selfies. I’m okay with that. Seriously, don’t send me that stuff.)
John Griffiths is the online editor of citynews.com.au
JUNGLE attire will be the go at the not-for-profit Orangutan Project’s trivia night at Eastlakes Football Club, Griffith, on June 25. The Project is promising great prizes, an auction, merchandise for sale, raffles and games, with all proceeds going to wildlife conservation. Tables of 10. Tickets are $25 and available via orangutan.org.au
JOAN Robson, from Emergency Services ACT, is the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Gungahlin Day VIEW Club at the Versatile Restaurant, Gold Creek Village, Nicholls, from 11.30am on Wednesday, June 22. Lunch is $35 and bookings before noon, June 20, to 6166 2874. Interested ladies and guests welcome.
A WINTER sale featuring “white elephant” items, ceramic pots, clothes, plants, food and craft will be held at St Ninian’s Uniting Church, corner of Mouat and Brigalow Streets, Lyneham, 9am-6pm, on Friday, June 24 and 9am-3pm, Saturday, June 25. Morning tea and lunch will be available. Scones freshly baked on the premises.
MORE than 430 competitors from eight local clubs will be competing in CanCheer 2016, the cheerleading competition for ACT cheerleaders, in the Sports Hall at the University of Canberra, on Sunday, June 26. Ranging in age from five years to adults, competitors will perform stunts, dance, jumps and pyramids, big bows and glitter. More details from 0418 620772.
By Kathryn Vukovljak
EVERY time new mum Laurie McIntyre worked out a way to make something easier when looking after her baby, she wrote it down.
As her list of baby hacks grew, she began sharing them with friends, and Laurie has now self-published them as an eBook, “One Mother To Another”.
“Things like sleeping and feeding are talked about widely on the internet but I was looking for more practical advice that just wasn’t out there,” she says.
“I wondered, why couldn’t some of the day-to-day things be easier?
“I wanted to document those things that you only hear about from chatting with other mums at a mothers’ group.
“This book is the equivalent of that.”
Laurie, who’s expecting her second baby this month, says she started to think that other mums would benefit from knowing the things she had found out.
“I wanted to work out how to do it better –everything, from the best kind of bibs to use, to generally managing my life with a baby in it,” she says.
“For example, I worked out that if you have a handbag with a flat bottom, it’s so much easier to find what you need while you have a baby on your lap.
“Ideas popped into my head all the time,
how to be better at this and that, and more organised.”
Laurie says she had never intended to publish the tips, which started out as small snippets and started to grow over time, but she soon felt she had something worth sharing.
“I had all these ideas written down and I wanted to do something with them. Why not this? I knew I had both the skillset to turn ideas into reality, and a drive to make things happen,” she says.
“As well as being a full-time mum, I have a small dog-grooming business and work in the public service when I’m not on maternity leave. “Self-publishing looked like a good option for me, so I started doing research into it.”
Laurie says she wanted the book to feel like you’re chatting to a friend.
“I tried to bring some humour into the book, which is very me. It’s my tips and advice, and if it helps someone else or resonates with them, then I’ll be thrilled,” she says.
“Some books tell you how you should be doing things, and it can create anxiety that you’re not doing the exact right thing.
“My book is the opposite of that – it’s very informal. It’s so informal that I don’t really consider myself an author! But it’s a real thrill seeing my name on iBooks.”
“One Mother to Another”, $4.99, available via 1mother2another.weebly.com/shop.html
• Functional handbag – choose one with a large opening, one long strap so you can carry it across your body, and with a flat base.
• Onesies for baby – get ones with zippers that can be done up from top or bottom for nighttime changes.
• Storage in your kitchen – throw out anything you haven’t used for more than a year, because you will need the space!
• Be mindful of baby’s head size when choosing bibs – over-thehead ones won’t fall off and can’t be pulled off, but if you have a baby with a big head you have to stretch them to get them on and then the necks become too large and food gets in.
MELISSA Breen may not be the favourite for the 100 metres gold medal in Rio and, as such, has struggled to secure backing under the Winning Edge program.
The program’s aim is to ensure potential gold medalists are given as much support as possible by financially rewarding sports for success and those who fail receive less funding.
It becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy; sportspeople and sports that don’t win gold battle to secure adequate funding and, therefore, struggle to achieve success. Those who win gold get stronger with more funding and more support.
Without the necessary funding it’s considerably harder for second and third-tier sports in particular by not getting access to key sponsorship markets, which are more accessible to sports with a higher profile based on their success.
Winning Edge was established after the “failed” London Olympics where Australia won only eight gold medals (including Jared Tallent, who is to be awarded his gold postLondon).
The worry I have is that it consigns struggling sports to years of hardship because they won’t achieve the results needed for increased financial support.
Winning Edge has driven sports to funnel their resources into winning gold at the expense of many within the sport.
The men’s and women’s rowing eights are a case in point. They didn’t qualify through the world titles, support for the crews was reduced and they faced an uphill battle to qualify for the Olympics. It was the prophecy I alluded to earlier.
Winning Edge has driven sports to funnel their resources into winning gold at the expense of many within the sport.
It could be argued that it is harder to win a gold medal in the 100 metres on the track than it is, for example, in a swimming relay. Australia has a history of achievement in the pool and a strong structure to support it.
To simply achieve the A qualifier in the 100 metres for track and field should be weighted in such a way that it recognises that it is a tougher arena, due to the vast number of countries that participate at the Olympic level in the sport also possessing a history of gold-medal success.
But taking the swimming example even further, I have argued that under Winning Edge it would be hard to envisage another Duncan Armstrong swimming moment.
In the lead up to the 1988 Olympics, Armstrong wasn’t expected to make the semi-finals let alone win. Under Winning Edge, because of his low world ranking, he would have struggled to secure financial support before the Olympics.
As a nation, we need to ask ourselves are we simply about winning pre-ordained gold medals or do we genuinely rejoice in the possibility of the unexpected, such as Armstrong offered us in Seoul.
In the case of an aspirational athlete, such as Mel Breen, she struggled to get financial backing under Winning Edge because it was deemed that she wasn’t going to win a medal in Rio and hadn’t recorded an A qualifier in the 100 metres track up until she achieved that goal in Townsville.
How are these so-called aspirational athletes ever going to achieve if they don’t receive the necessary government funding?
And, more broadly, do we consider sport to be just about gold medals or do we see it as fulfilling a much broader agenda in our society? Don’t we rejoice in the determination of every athlete who has worked hard for many years to represent our country at the level that is the pinnacle of sporting achievement, regardless of their chosen sport?
I LOVE emojis. For a long time, I never liked texting very much, I always thought it rather impersonal.
But I’ve come round to it now that I can punctuate messages with smiley faces and, better still, animated characters to quickly convey thanks, send my best wishes or tell people how I’m feeling.
Thanks to smartphones and amazingly creative software, there’s a whole new range of ways to convey emotion in the frenzy of messages many of us send to loved ones, friends and colleagues throughout our busy days.
As I tell my kids, once upon a time people actually relied on words to do this. They would sit down and write letters, sometimes many pages long. They would tell family and friends all about what was happening, and pour out their feelings, worries and desires in long, elegant prose. Alternatively, people would use the phone to ring people, ready for a long conversation with a cup of tea at hand. Today everything is so much more hurried and instant.
Communication channels have proliferated
As their usage becomes ubiquitous, I won’t be surprised if I soon hear a politician complain at a press conference that his or her emoji was taken out of context.
in bewildering ways. We have at least one phone, tablet and laptop for each member of our household.
My kids Skype, text, email and WeeChat and God only knows what else! Often they seem to be communicating in code, apparently known as textspeak, which they and their friends seem be totally au fait with and believe is completely secure from parental decryption. I’ve managed to make some minor decoding breakthroughs as I try to keep a gentle parental watch on my kids’ burgeoning activities and relationships. I hasten to say I’m not spying, just keeping tabs on things.
I’ve learned that IKR means “I know, right!”.
IYKWIM means “If you know what I mean?”
That, of course, is my problem when it comes to the more complicated messages. Still my personal favourites are PAW, meaning “parents are watching”, and LMBO which is short for “laughing my butt off!”
Emojis have added a whole new dimension. At least I can understand these new modern hieroglyphics better than the text abbreviations. They are a lot of fun. However, there are new challenges. After
all, a winking panda (one of my favourites) can be open to interpretation. There’s already been great drama when the wrong emoji was sent to a friend. I have accidentally sent a “poo face” when I probably shouldn’t. Emojis have probably got to be handled with care in the workplace. As their usage becomes ubiquitous, I won’t be surprised if I soon hear a politician complain at a press conference that his or her emoji was taken out of context.
From time to time I do seek to remind my kids about the importance of direct, verbal communication. I do wonder whether verbal communication might suffer from too much time texting and chatting in the electronic world. I am not so worried about my daughter, she could talk the leg off an iron pot. However when I broached this subject with my son the other day, he put on his thinking face and went upstairs to his room. A moment later I got a message on my phone from him. No words, just this:
He is a cheeky bugger, but I think I have a point.
CLEARLY, the groundswell of opposition to the exorbitantly expensive 12 kilometres of tram service has the ACT government rattled so now, just before an election, they promise all sorts of upgrades to bus services across Canberra to try to maintain support. They have had four years to improve the bus service, but instead of expanding the bus-lane system and running
more express buses during peak times, they’ve spent most of that time, not to mention the wasted resources, trying to con us on the supposed benefits of Rattenbury’s red rattler tramline. Too little, too late – about time we jettisoned this mob.
William Cranshaw, via citynews.com.au
IT would be a pity if current and future patients and their families were deterred from receiving palliative care because of the sad story of John and Mary Ann Paynter (CN, June 2).
As a fellow widower, I sympathise with Mr Paynter at the loss of his partner of nearly 40 years but I am sure his late wife’s dying experience in April at Canberra Hospital was untypical.
I visited a terminally-ill friend in Canberra Hospital last month and the staff appeared to be treating him appropriately. In fact, he was excitedly
telling me that they had at last got on top of his pain control. Unfortunately, Mr Paynter’s call for the introduction of “assisted dying” is a call for assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Having visited Belgium where euthanasia is practiced and spoken with hospital staff, I can tell readers that the so-called “exceptional cases” quickly turn into the norm and become an entrenched part of the healthcare process.
AS a nurse who works caring for palliative patients on a daily basis, I have seen countless patients and families suffer unnecessarily due to lack of choice in end-of-life care.
I would like to see a change in the law and voluntary euthanasia legalised.
The logic in Mr Paynter’s argument
(“Seven ‘cruel’ days in palliative care”, CN, June 2) to legalise voluntary euthanasia stands to reason. Not being able to give people a choice feels to me like making suffering compulsory.
Name withheld, via citynews.com.au
WHEN PM Malcolm Turnbull gambled on a double dissolution election he only had ears for the rhetoric of his backbenchers, party members and his toadies. They argued that the government was elected on “a mandate to govern”.
The rhetoric of such people would have us believe that the Senate has been impossible to manage, has been obstructionist and downright blockers. The only way to fix the situation, they argue, is to simply vote for the major parties.
However, the Australian Constitution was deliberately set up to provide a house of review, with the role of double checking legislation, government policy, the Budget and the implementation of government decisions.
Turnbull has followed in the footsteps of former Labor PM Paul Keating allowing his own frustration with the Senate to lead him into attack mode.
The anomaly for the Turnbull government has been putting the community first with legislation that allows the voters the right to preferential voting for the Senate. This is something that was resisted by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and his Labor colleagues with unfettered and blistering attacks, particularly those targetted at the Greens. The legislation was successful and now allows ordinary voters to prioritise crossbenchers on the ballot paper before their preferred major party.
The cross-benchers, with leadership from Nick Xenophon and the Greens, have guaranteed the passage of the government’s Budget. Despite election rhetoric, a competent prime minister is able to govern. Instead of blaming cross-benchers for their frustration, the last three prime ministers should look
The vicious rhetoric that typifies attacks on cross-benchers by the major parties should be seen for what it is, self-serving claptrap.
to the example of Julia Gillard. Not only did she have a minority in the Senate, but also in the House of Representatives. Even so, her government successfully saw the passage of more legislation than had been seen within a similar time period before or after.
Prime Minister Gillard was prepared to work with the cross-benchers. Her government was prepared to compromise, to consider their issues and to seek a way through.
When Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised “no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS” he considerably improved the chances of a successful election outcome for the Coalition partners.
The efforts of the cross-benchers to hold Abbott and the Coalition to these promises, as far as their power would allow, should be encouragement for voters to support people standing for a cross-bench position as a senator. The vicious rhetoric that typifies attacks on cross-benchers by the major parties should be seen for what it is, self-serving claptrap.
In April, Josh Bornstein, writing in “The Guardian”, pointed out the real problem for the Coalition government: “Economic illiteracy can be masked by theatrical bluff and bluster for only so long”.
“The government’s 2014 Budget cut a swathe through its pre-election promises including gouging an $80 billion hole in funding for health and education,” he wrote.
“Taxes weren’t cut; in fact, there was an attempt to raise a new tax – for visiting a GP. The Senate kept the government to its pre-election promises and it has been stuck in a paralysing funk ever since”.
A “mandate to govern” argument might be able to be sustained by the governments of Queensland or the NT that have a unicameral system elected from singlemember electorates. However, even these jurisdictions have had to work with minority governments.
Social media is playing a part in ensuring the blustering, the filibustering and the loud-mouthed rhetoric of the major parties is seen for what it is. It is simply the banshee screeches of those who believe they have the right to rule. The electorate may well have a different view.
Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.
POLITICAL columnist Michael Moore says he’s ashamed of our pointless cruelty to asylum seekers (CN, June 2).
And he should be ashamed, but not for the reasons he stated. He has missed the whole point of not letting in the supposed refugees.
I say “supposed” because they ceased to be refugees when they landed on Indonesian soil and, in many cases, at a prior country.
The point of not letting them in is to close the gates to avoid what has happened in Europe, millions swarming in leaving a trail of rubbish as they move through the different countries abusing people and destroying tourism.
If we do not make a stand we would have hundreds if not thousands of boats arriving here and many getting killed on the way as the people smugglers do not care what condition the boats are in.
I agree the immigrants that have come to this country have made a very valuable contribution, worked hard and helped make Australia the great country it is.
The current group are not immigrants, they are trying to get in illegally and are breaking the law; they are trying to come in through the back door with no checks and balances.
They are trying to change our way of life. How many schools have stopped celebrating Christmas because it offends the Muslims, some even stopped the National Anthem because it offended the Muslims. If the Muslims are so offended by our way of life, why come here?
I am not a racist of any kind or have Islamophobia – I just accept they have a different culture and a lot do not want to change.
Vi Evans, MacGregor
As people’s minds slowly turn to the election, our campaign volunteers are seeing ambivalence turn into frustration and anger.
SCORES of volunteer union members have been making hundreds of phone calls to swinging voters in the bellwether seat of Eden Monaro.
With less than three weeks to election day, this is the culmination of almost two years’ campaigning by union members, locally in Queanbeyan and Canberra, and nationally. All up, more than 500 local volunteers have stepped up and lent a hand to campaign in Eden Monaro, knocking on doors, making phone calls and staffing street stalls.
Eden Monaro has a mythical status for politicos and election-watchers. It has been won by the party that forms government at every election since 1972. In 2013, it was won by former big business lobbyist Dr Peter Hendy by just 1085 votes.
The volunteers, all of whom are everyday workers and retirees from a range of backgrounds and professions, are reporting back on the key issues for swinging voters.
Cuts to Medicare, public sector sackings and threats to penalty rates are the first, second and third issues raised by undecided and swinging voters. Borders, interest rates and the deficit don’t rate a mention.
When I go door knocking, almost everyone I speak to is frustrated that the government wants to “Americanise” our hospitals and healthcare system. A week ago I spoke to a worker at a regional hospital. She was a swinging voter and had voted for Tony Abbott last time. But not this year. The proposed cuts to medical imaging and pathology funding is the issue that changed her mind. Every day, she helps her sick neighbours get blood tests and other life-saving scans. The idea of making those tests unaffordable made her furious.
Similarly, I spoke with a volunteer who had spent the weekend doorknocking about public service cuts. He told me about a conversation he had with a voter angry at the CSIRO cuts. With all the talk from Malcolm Turnbull about innovation, the voter said, the cruel cuts to a national treasure like the CSIRO was dumb and hypocritical.
While on a street stall at the Jerrabomberra shops two weeks ago, a campaign volunteer spoke with two nurses. They received penalty rates when they worked night shifts and, although the Turnbull government isn’t proposing to cut penalty rates for nurses, they said they strongly opposed the plans. For them, a cut to weekend penalty rates is simply a wage cut that low-paid workers can’t afford and don’t deserve.
Although the Better Future campaign uses old-style techniques – door knocking and phone calls – we are melding it with high-tech data models and an unprecedented mobilisation. The old days of random conversations are over.
We have refined and improved the tactics that changed the outcome in the Victorian and Queensland elections. Rather than waste millions on untargetted television advertising, we are empowering more than 5000 everyday volunteers across Australia to have targetted, focused conversations with swinging and undecided voters about the issues they care about. There’s still a long time to go until July 2, but if I were Peter Hendy, I’d start packing up the office.
Alex White is the secretary of UnionsACT
SAN Francisco, home of cable cars, Alcatraz, the most insane drivers I have ever encountered and of the great movie car chase in Steve McQueen’s “Bullitt”, where speeding cars went through the streets, including downhill on a very steep gradient that flattens out at each cross street.
I know the movie didn’t influence local drivers – it couldn’t, they’d be dead in minutes.
To clarify a little, they have a four-way-stop-sign system that works well, but it has to because those corners – and there are hundreds of them – bring a whole new meaning to “blind spot”. If you’re going uphill, your blind spot at one point entering the intersection extends from directly ahead of you right around to the passenger side.
Going downhill it’s worse. Imagine being the rearmost passenger at the beginning of a roller-coaster ride, where the carriages in front drop away and you see nothing but the sky for a moment. Transplant that experience to being in the driver’s seat. It’s a lot slower, granted, but you’re hoping – over and over as you go downhill – that any car that went through before you hasn’t stopped. Somehow, our rental came through unscathed, which was remarkable as I felt I was driving with my eyes shut from fear a good quarter of the time. My therapist says I will eventually make a full recovery.
SAN Francisco, home of a food item so decadent it lives up to its name: Millionaire’s Bacon.
It’s cooked for hours in a slow oven under brown sugar and spices, and becomes a crispy coated, sweet, sticky, bacon experience.
Our rental came through unscathed, which was remarkable as I felt I was driving with my eyes shut from fear a good quarter of the time.
SAN Francisco, the home of the greatest travel myth ever put forward to unsuspecting tourists. The so-called Golden Gate Bridge. Four days we were in town. And this alleged bridge was not visible for even a moment of them.
My theory? The actual bridge came down years ago, so the locals laid down an impenetrable layer of permanent fog over a roadway and tell tourists there’s actually a bridge in there somewhere. It’s genius!
Canberra should do something similar over Lake Burley Griffin.
HILLARY Clinton has become the “presumptive nominee” for her party while I’ve been here. She’ll be up against Donald Trump in November’s election. There’s a gift shop in Los Angeles selling toilet paper with Hillary on some rolls and “The Donald” on others. And sold out of Trump in next to no time!
Chris Coleman is the drive announcer on 2CC and chose Qantas to fly to the US.
THIS winter’s Three Sixty Fashion Market is all about making winter work for you, says the market’s creative director Nathan Harris.
The Three Sixty Market is dedicated to sustainable fashion through recycling vintage, retro, handmade and pre-loved fashion and holds four markets a year at the Fitters Workshop at the Kingston Foreshore.
Its winter market will be held on June 26 and will feature most of its regular stallholders plus some new stalls – with all its sellers sharing the same values in sustainable fashion and ethical choices.
Nathan, who is hoping to see about 3000 people come along to the markets, says the market will feature a bit of everything. However, there will be a strong focus on winter items including the trench coat.
“We usually get labels including London Fog and Burberry, however they usually get snapped up pretty quickly,” he says.
“When it comes to dressing for Canberra in winter, our stallholders offer items made from natural fibres like pure wool and a splash of colour.
“It’s all about making winter work for you. Maybe adding a pop of colour with accessories like a scarf or gloves. That’s the style vibe for the 26th.”
Nathan says in a way the markets are trying to educate people about sustainable fashion, but in a fun and interactive way.
“We are trying to encourage people to think about fashion in a more thoughtful way that’s fun and engaging,” he says.
“The market is all about great winter fashion
that is of high quality, that will last and keep you warm, but is also at a reasonable cost.
“Style is not just about looking good but feeling good. Knowing there’s a good story behind your clothes makes you feel better about wearing
ARMED with a mission to provide high-quality men’s accessories that offer a look of distinction without the expensive price tag, Canberra-based business Christian James offers a carefully selected range of accessories for business or formal occasions.
“Our aim is to provide sophisticated and bold-looking accessories so that you can choose to change your look depending on how you feel on the day, perhaps subtle yet sophisticated or bold and daring to capture interest and spark conversation,” says owner Chris Rankin.
Chris has been running Christian James with his wife for two years, and says even their children get involved in helping set up at the markets.
“My son is also helpful at handing out business cards. As we work full time it can at times be
difficult,” he says.
“However, Rome wasn’t built in a day and we are excited and passionate to see where we can take the business.”
Chris says they provide distinctive silk ties for a variety of preferences at a great price compared to larger retailers. He says they also offer customers styling tips and help them match ties to shirts.
“We have new ties and cufflinks available; we will also be donating 10 per cent of sales to the Real Men Wear Pink event for the National Breast Cancer Foundation,” Chris says.
“This is a cause that touches so many people even in our family.”
Visit christianjames.com.au or facebook.com.au/ christianjamesshop.
them and people really respond to that.”
Three Sixty Fashion Market, Sunday, June 26, 10am-3pm. Entry is free. The next markets will be held on September 25 and November 27.
NOTHING should go to waste if it can be transformed or reinvented into something new, says Hanny-d Creations’ designer Hanny Dewar, who has been an avid recycler all her life.
Hanny designs and handcrafts all her pieces in Canberra, and describes her garments as simple yet classic in design with many retro or vintage-inspired styles.
“Some styles are repeated but always with subtle changes so customers know they are getting a unique piece which no one else will have,” Hanny says.
“Hanny-d Creations’ new winter collection, in a simple black, white and red colour palette, will be launched at the Three Sixty Fashion
Market on Sunday, June 26.
“Be the first to grab your own Hanny-d one-of-a-kind treasure.”
Visit hannyd.com or call 0409 677052.
A PASSION for glass has led artisan Janet Kininmonth to create unique jewellery, accessories and homewares under her business In My Element Glass Design.
Janet says she has worked with glass since the ‘90s and set up In My Element Glass Design in late 2011.
“I always had a passion for glass – the tactile nature and colours that you can create are endless,”
Janet says.
“I had the opportunity to take lessons in stained glass and fused glass and, after a few years, my hobby became a passion. I had the chance to learn from amazing glass artists and with the encouragement from friends and family I decided to set up In My Element Glass Design, taking my passion and hobby to a new business.”
In her studio, Janet uses an electric kiln to fuse layers of glass together to create her range of jewellery, accessories and homewares.
“I love the opportunity to create unique pieces for special occasions including milestone birthdays, wedding gifts and bridal party jewellery,” she says.
Janet says she will have some new designs at the Three Sixty Fashion Market alongside her regular range of top sellers.
“You’ll find bright designs in pendants, rings, earrings, hairpins, brooches, scarf rings, tie pins and cufflinks that will add a pop of colour to your winter wardrobe,” Janet says.
Visit inmyelement.com.au
FOR people who seek uniqueness in their jewellery, Vivian Chu says her Sparkles by Viv creations are a perfect fit.
“My jewellery is aimed at people who like something a bit different, and want to show off a little of themselves in the pieces they wear,” Vivian says.
“I often say that my art is like me in a lot of ways and also describes my audience: bright and cheerful, glamorous yet a little quirky.”
Vivian works with polymer clay and says one of the best things about working with the material is that every piece turns out different.
FOR petite women looking for pre-loved designer labels, vintage silks and shoes, check out “One. By Me For You”.
“I’ve always used the 360 Fashion Market to find new homes for my pre-loved collection,” says the company’s creative force, Nicole Kerrigan.
“This time I’ve included more designer labels, vintage silks and crazy small shoes.
“My aim is to divert more stuff heading to landfills so I’m always looking for ways to give my customers a solid alternative to throwing away their prized possessions.
“From tips on fixing and mending to ideas for upcycling and living more sustainably. Because I believe in the concept of ONE –One Earth. One Life. One You. And we can’t have one without the other.”
By Me For You is about celebrating your uniqueness, having tons of fun doing what you
“I sculpt the clay by hand, bake it in my oven, then sand, buff and glaze my pieces until I’m happy with the finished product.
“The style of my pieces is bold and colourful. Polymer clay is an amazing material to work with and allows me to produce many brilliant textures and in all kinds of bright colours.”
Vivian will have a new collection of jewellery at the Three Sixty Market on June 26.
“All my work is handmade out of my home and each piece can take hours or often days to make,” she says.
Email sparklesbyviv@gmail.com or call 0426 870001.
She also offers one-of-a-kind crocheted creations handmade in Canberra for special occasions and DIY ideas for crafters who like to make their own presents.
Nicole said she loves talking to people in person and has an exclusive offer for “CityNews” readers.
“Get $10 off any purchase from my pre-loved collection on June 26 at the 360 Fashion Market,” she says.
She says all you need to do is mention this feature to redeem your discount and the offer is only valid on June 26, 2016.
Visit onebymeforyou.com or follow @onebymeforyou on Instagram.
CROATIA celebrates Statehood Day on June 25, marking the nation’s Declaration of Independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991.
About a month earlier the people had spoken with 93 per cent voting “yes” to independence. It was a dream come true for many Croats – including those in Australia – but powerful Serbian-aligned forces inside and outside the country were willing to fight to keep it from self-rule.
Although independence did not take effect until three months later on October 8, which is now celebrated as Independence Day,
Adria
the declaration on June 25 also sparked the beginning of Croatia’s War of Independence, which lasted until 1995, and so Statehood Day is a solemn reminder of this terrible conflict, too.
Local forces eventually turned the tide against a more powerful, well-equipped enemy and at the end of the war Croatia was absolutely devastated, but it had defended itself and retained its territory.
On their National Day Croatians express gratitude to all who took part in the creation of independent Croatia, including its defence and liberation.
Independence after the end of the Cold War was a new beginning for a nation with a very long history, stretching back well over 1000 years to the age of kings and emperors.
Croatia first became a kingdom in the 9th Century AD and retained its sovereignty for two centuries before joining with neighbouring Hungary under the same monarchy. This state of affairs lasted another 400 years or so until 1526, when King Louis II of Croatia, Hungary and Bohemia died without an heir. Threatened by the armies of the conquering Ottoman Empire, Croatia’s nobles got together the next year to select a new king who could protect the country. This brought Croatia under the protection of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand I, a member of the powerful Habsburg Empire whose older brother was Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Croatia has always belonged in Europe, culturally, historically and geographically, and its accession to the European Union on July 1, 2013, brought it back in from the cold.
Now the increasingly prosperous country of more than four million citizens looks to a bright future driven especially by tourism.
The Adriatic Sea with thousands of islands, numerous national parks and beautiful and preserved natural variety and biodiversity, as well as the rich cultural and historical heritage attracts 12 million foreign tourists a year, three times the population of the country. Numerous medieval, renaissance and baroque towns offer the experience to enjoy the beauty of the world cultural heritage.
FAST FACTS
Population: 4,290,000
Capital: Zagreb; 792,875
Area: 56,542 square kilometres
Language: Croatian
Religion: Roman Catholic, Orthodox Currency: Kuna Life Expectancy: 76
THE suburb of Phillip is named after Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of NSW.
As the commercial and geographical centre of Woden, Phillip contains many of the district’s key facilities and has its own commercial area located along Botany, Townshend and Parramatta Streets, including Colbee Court, Dundas Court and Altree Court.
HIP Pocket Workwear offers the biggest and most comprehensive range of workwear and safety products in Woden and surrounding areas, says owner Chris Donaghue.
Hip Pocket Canberra has been located in Phillip for four years and has just started offering a full logo embroidery service on site for quicker, efficient turnaround.
“Phillip is geographically the centre of Canberra and easily accessed from anywhere in Canberra and on one of the busiest roads in Canberra with easy access to our site,” Chris says.
“We have a very neat and well set out store with plenty of stock to pick from. We get good comments daily on our service, as we are always here to help.
“We have free, easy, accessible parking directly out front for a quick, efficient shopping experience.”
Chris says his staff always meet and, mostly, exceed all customer expectations with exceptional service.
“That has always been our aim,” he says.
Visit Hip Pocket Canberra at Shop 1, The Paul’s Centre, Hindmarsh Drive, Phillip, hippocketcanberra.com. au, on Facebook at facebook.com/HipPocketCanberra or call 6285 2115.
Left: Hip Pocket Workwear owner Chris Donaghue… “We have free, easy, accessible parking directly out front for a quick, efficient shopping experience.”
CAPON & Hubert “cares about what people go through when dealing with legal issues and the emotional strain it can cause,” says financial director Rhonda Hubert.
Committed to providing up-to-date, effective and professional advice, the experienced team at Capon & Hubert provides services in family matters, children’s matters, mediation, dispute resolution, commercial and criminal law, wills and estate planning, conveyancing and more.
“We understand that being involved in legal affairs when you are not trained in them is stressful, so we look after our clients,” says Rhonda.
With 33 years’ experience as a lawyer, legal director Ken Hubert is an accredited family dispute resolution provider and mediator. He says: “We are a general practice and have qualified staff who deal with matters to do with property, sales and purchases, estates, family work and general legal work.
“With regards to family work, what matters as much as the outcome is the way in which it’s done. We try to keep people out of litigated options as much as possible through mediation, negotiation, a round-table conference or collaboration.
“What a client wants is just as important as their legal rights and entitlements. We aim to make better ways to resolve disputes without going to court, which can cost money and tends to be a long, drawn out process.”
Capon & Hubert, 32-38 Townshend Street. Call 6290 1105 or visit chsol.com.au
53 Colbee Crt PHILLIP ACT• p 62823886 | 0418237766 e hadfieldgallery@gmail.com • www.hadfieldgallery.com
Open 10AM-5.30PM Mon-Sat
CREDENCE Insurance is the holistic insurance solution for all small to medium-sized enterprise businesses, says owner and principal Margo Goodall.
Credence, which started in May, 2015, is an offshoot of its sister firm Chirps General Insurance, which has been operating in Canberra for more than 25 years.
Credence offers a broad range of insurance solutions in areas including business insurance, workers compensation, income protection, professional indemnity and management liability.
Credence can also take care of a business owner’s domestic insurance including home and contents, car and travel insurances.
“We’re a boutique insurance broker,” Margo says.
“We maintain a close relationship with our clients so we can understand their business and the risks associated with their business.
“When clients call, we want them to know that they
ARTIST and teacher Margaret Hadfield has just returned from teaching art on board a cruise ship for more than two months, included sailing to Antarctica.
This experience is now influencing her new paintings and she invites everyone to call into her gallery to “see the amazing scenery unfolding”.
The Margaret Hadfield Gallery/ Studio is one of the few single-artist galleries in the ACT.
The gallery is also her studio, where she can be found painting when not teaching upstairs.
“Primarily, my business is a gallery for my own paintings and I have art lessons and quality artists’ supplies, which complement the classes,” she says.
Margaret has been teaching privately for almost 20 years and says her teaching style has enabled many to develop their own artistic pastimes and careers. The classes are a mixture of mediums and all the materials are included.
Margaret has also been awarded the Gallipoli Art Prize and some of her emotive, military themed works commemorating the service and sacrifice of Australian personnel can also be viewed at the gallery.
In 2014 Margaret’s painting of the International Fleet Revue was purchased by the National Maritime Museum and her painting of HMAS Perth now hangs on board the warship.
Margaret Hadfield Gallery/Studio, 53 Colbee Court, Phillip. Call 6282 3886 or email hadfieldgallery@gmail.com
are going to get the same person that they have dealt with every time.”
Margo says Credence has a huge amount of experience in a lot of different insurance areas. Margo herself has worked in the insurance industry for 31 years; co-owner Maria Adlesic, who comes from an accountancy background, has 15 years of insurance experience; insurance broker Mark Collett has 37 years of experience; and Deahne Hobbs has eight years of experience as office manager with two years prior insurance experience.
“We have a surprising amount of knowledge in a small office,” Margo says.
“Our location is central to anywhere in Canberra.
“We’re smack bang in the middle of Canberra and parking is always free for clients.”
my business is a
for my own paintings and I have art lessons and quality artists’ supplies, which complement the classes
THE recently renovated Pilates Canberra studio in Phillip now offers full Pilates studio work, meaning everybody can be looked after in its studio, says Felicia Darbyshire-Pirie, director of Pilates Canberra Phillip.
Felicia says Pilates Canberra has had a presence in Phillip in some form for more than 15 years.
“Phillip is really central for many people for home or work. It has such a variety of great businesses all located so close to each other,” she says.
“We offer individualised Pilates training using the entire studio of equipment as well as group classes in matwork – also using small equipment – and Reformer
classes, which are really popular.”
Felicia says that the Pilates Canberra team, which consists of 11 instructors, is just like a family.
“We all love Pilates, but also love working with each other and our clients,” she says.
“[We offer] High-quality instruction, there is a lot of Pilates offered in varied forms now, but at Pilates Canberra we boast more highly-qualified instructors with specific Pilates qualifications than any other studios in Canberra.”
Visit pilatescanberra.com.au
WHAT started as a hobby has led to more than 45 years of business for Duratone Hi-Fi.
Started in 1968 by Fay and Charles Cull, Duratone supplies outstanding music systems. It also has a range of equipment including pre-loved and quality turntables, pre-loved cassette decks, amplifiers, CD players, DVD players, headphones, hi-fi furniture, loudspeakers and subwoofers, television and video equipment and Van Den Hul cables and interconnects.
This also includes a collection of 70,000 LPs, which owner Fay Cull says attracts buyers from around the world.
“People from Sydney come down and spend a whole day here,” Fay says.
“We have a lot of rare and pre-loved items.”
She says one of the biggest points of difference for Duratone compared to other businesses is its personalised service.
“We choose the right staff to help the right customer,” Fay says.
“One size does not fit all.
“A lot of our staff started off as customers who spent so much time here they ended up working here.
“Our staff have a background in music and are all enthusiastic about sound.
“We give advice on how to get the best value for your money when integrating systems.”
Duratone can help people who are downsizing from larger equipment to smaller-sized and compact equipment that suits their new homes.
Three technicians also work from the premises and can repair older equipment, including turntables, sometimes with a minor service.
Fay says to save time she recommends people make an appointment when it comes to advice on rare music equipment.
Duratone Hi-Fi, corner of Botany Street & Altree Court, Phillip, duratone.com.au or call 6282 1333.
FOUR Corners Picture Framers has been providing the Canberra community with picture framing and exclusive homewares and giftware for more than 30 years.
“We put a lot of thought and time into the design and framing process to ensure the artwork or needlework is displayed in the best possible light and to the complete satisfaction of our clients,” owner Carol Donaldson says.
“Over the years we have framed many unusual items and we particularly enjoy the opportunity to frame sentimental and challenging items.
“Come and browse through our gift and jewellery range and enjoy our friendly service.”
Four Corners Picture Framers at 59 Colbee Court, Phillip. Opening hours are 9am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturday. Call 6282 3535.
Helping children 0-8 years who have difficulties with:
•
•
• Stuttering
• The use of language / expression
• Understanding language
• Early literacy development
Call 6154 6940 to book an appointment 10/21 Colbee Court, Phillip www.capitaltherapyservices.com.au
Four Corners Picture Framers has been providing the Canberra community with picture framing and exclusive homewares and giftware for over 30 years.
We put a lot of thought and time into the design and framing process to ensure the artwork or needlework is displayed in the best possible light and to the complete satisfaction of our clients.
Over the years we have framed many unusual items and we particularly enjoy the opportunity to frame sentimental and challenging items.
CAPITAL Therapy Services aims to help children communicate to the best of their ability within their family and their community, speech pathologist Janelle Joy says.
“Capital Therapy Services provides speech pathology assessment and therapy services to children aged zero to eight years who live in the ACT and surrounding areas,” she says.
“We work within an early intervention framework to support children who may be having difficulty with the way they say speech sounds, the way they use language to communicate (expressive language), the way they understand language (receptive language), the fluency of their speech (stuttering) and their pre-literacy or phonological awareness skills.”
Capital Therapy Services is a registered NDIS provider. All staff are members of Speech Pathology Australia and are Certified Practicing Speech Pathologists. Owned and operated by three local speech pathologists, Janelle says they understand the Canberra community and how to work with clients and their families in order to support each individual to achieve their potential.
Visit Capital Therapy Services at 10/21 Colbee Court, Phillip, ACT, capitaltherapyservices.com.au or call 6154 6940.
LAVENDER Art Studios has been located above the Hansel and Gretel Coffee Shop in Phillip for almost five years and has just launched a new-look website.
Coupled with new outdoor signage, Elita Mackay of Lavender Art Studios hopes the new visibility will encourage more people to visit the “vibrant, artistic, studentfocused art studio”.
“The art studio has been supporting and teaching art students between the ages of five and 87 years for almost 18 years now and is owned and operated by local artist and art teacher Greg Devenney-Mackay,” Elita says.
“Each art class creates and exhibits a visual array of pictures that are thematically based; adult life drawing, still life arrangements, refined portraiture classes and art mediums that span high quality art materials: charcoal, soft coloured pastels, oil and watercolour, pencil washes, art papers and canvas are just some of the art inclusions presented to those who attend Lavender Art Studios.”
Other art services that are also offered include; school holiday art programs, specialised
Right: Greg DevenneyMackay’s recent Young People’s Portrait Art Workshop.
art and yoga workshops for the workplace and groups, high country art retreats, a quality discounted framing service and a discounted art materials shop.
Lavender Art Studios offers seven weekly young people’s art classes and two weekly adult art classes.
“The art studio is comfortable, relaxed and gives art students the opportunity to learn in a non-competitive, professionally supported environment,” Elita says.
“If you are thinking about going to the Phillip business district and would like to visit the vibrant, artistic, student focused art studio or if you would like more information on the above mentioned art services, do not hesitate to phone Greg on 6292 6339.”
Visit lavenderartstudios.com.au or the Lavender Art Studios Art Classes and Art Services Facebook page.
NEUROSPACE, which has been in Phillip since 2014, provides rehabilitation for people with damage to their neurological or sensory systems or those with complex rehabilitation conditions.
“We offer a health solution for people with complex needs,” neurological physiotherapist
Deborah Carrera says.
“Our team is used to working with people who have chronic and acute health conditions that make it difficult to move and participate in everyday activities.
“We help with their immediate problems such as pain, dizziness or poor movement due to a neurological event; and then set up long-term solutions and plans.”
The Neurospace team consists of physiotherapists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, exercise physiologists and therapy assistants.
“Neurospace is unique in the team approach that we use, and the complexity of the issues that we are able to find solutions for,” Deborah says.
“Our team has grown with the NDIS programs, and continues to offer physiotherapy, speech therapy, massage, and exercise physiology, and is supported with allied health assistants.”
She says shared sessions are used when appropriate to offer a cost effective way to reach the goals they decide on.
She also says that programs for teenagers have also been added to help gross motor problems.
Visit Neurospace Neurological & Vestibular Rehabilitation at 10-12 Colbee Court, Phillip, or neurospace.com.au or call 6162 0450.
At Capon and Hubert Lawyers we ensure that your estate goes to family or friends of your choice. Having a valid and up-to-date Will can help reduce stress for your family and friends, limit administration costs, and lessen the possibility for dispute over your estate. We understand your situation is different and may require a unique specialist approach.
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.
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IT’S a miracle! CC can’t help but wonder how the unspoiled, white hoarding erected on the Vernon Circle side of the law courts building site, pictured, has lasted these past few weeks untroubled by the vulgar blight of graffiti. Give ‘em time.
LITTLE wonder the ACT government’s Budget is bolstering the
speed-camera brigade if this survey from a national tyre company is anything to go by. It discovered, though we’re at a loss to understand the methodology, that the ACT topped the nation as the “state most likely to speed”. And heaven help you if you get lost in Canberra without your smartphone. We were rated as the nation’s “state least likely” to give good directions.
And another tyre company has been sneaking around Australia’s carparks measuring the rubber tread of 16,904 cars and concluded the ACT is one of the nation’s worst for tyre safety with 38 per cent of Canberra vehicles below the legal minimum tread.
WHAT’S happening to our seemingly monarchist local police force? Here’s the latest nonsense to appear on its Facebook page: “As Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday we thought it would be a great time to throwback to her trip down under in 2011.” Really? Nothing else to do?
“Canberra came down with a case of royal fever as the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh spent seven days touring the capital.” No we didn’t! Don’t these chumps know we’re the most republican community in Australia?
“Our officers, including the Water Operations Team and members from the Specialist Response Group and Bomb Response Team were out in force to ensure the royals were safe.” Remind us, what did that cost taxpayers?
FORMER Canberran-cum-Sex Party leader Fiona Patten has declared “an all out war” on the Catholic Church with an appeal to crowdfund the party’s $25,000 election campaign ad.
Bemoaning that no matter who wins the election Australia will still end up with a Catholic PM in The Lodge, she tells prospective donors that her party is the only one with “the balls to stand up for issues that matter to the majority of Australians – and up to the religions who stand in the way of changes to the law”.
AND while on crowdfunding Canberra filmmaker and long-time department store Santa Claus, Michael Kraaz, is about a third of the way towards raising $8000 to produce a documentary on the pioneering work of Australian animator Eric Porter, particularly his two Aeroplane Jelly cinema advertisements featuring Bertie the Aeroplane, made in 1946 and 1954.
He hopes the character’s wide appeal will encourage pledges for the project’s crowdfunding campaign at pozible.com/project/195679.
Apart from getting their names in the final credits, supporters will receive a range of rewards including a digital download and DVD copy of the completed film, some special jelly dessert recipes and, of course, a packet of Aeroplane Jelly.
NOW bereft of Australia Council funding, the Canberra Contemporary Art Space, at Gorman House, is fundraising on July 9 with Quick Draw, a night of “fast-paced, fancyfree fun and entertainment, where everyone goes home with an artwork. You just don’t know which one it will be.”
Fifty local and national artists have donated the art, which will be randomly assigned to guests over the course of the $250-a-ticket evening. Tickets via eventbrite.com.au
“THE fact that the ACT Labor/Green Coalition, 43 months into a 48-month term of government, has committed to a $1.65 billion light rail project that won’t deliver good transport outcomes, but would burden future generations of Canberrans with debt, is an act of political bastardry,” fumes Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson in his usually benign monthly newsletter.
Describing the May signing as “the most arrogant act in the history of the ACT”, Jezza promises to Canberrans a chance to stop this folly at the October ACT election.
“Our plan is for no light rail but instead to invest in health, education and better local services for all of Canberra,” he more characteristically coos.
RESTLESS CC snout
Cedric Bryant spotted this oddly cryptic daubing of two foraging feral boars in a Yass garden that apparently indicates to passers-by that the householders don’t use town water. Bore water, geddit?
By Helen Musa
“DISGRACED” is a sensational title for a play, but even those on the inside of the Sydney Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama are not exactly sure which characters in it are disgraced.
It’s nothing to do with sex as in JM Coetzee’s novel “Disgrace”, so maybe it’s us, middle-class audience members, who are disgraced.
Even Sachin Joab, who plays the central character Amir, agrees with one critic that “you don’t know which character Akhtar is hiding behind”.
It could be Amir, a secularised American Muslim of Pakistani origin or his WASP American wife Emily or his African-American workmate Jory or her Jewish husband Isaac or his nephew Abe, or a combination. At all events, in a schematicallyarranged dinner party that marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11, it’s not so much “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” but would the real bigot please stand up?
Joab, born in Australia to parents from Kerala in India, is not a Muslim, but he did grow up in suburban Melbourne with friends of all cultures – Sunni, Shia, Christian and Buddhist – so understands what Akhtar’s play is about, especially as it touches on intolerance and the
middle-class masked variations of it.
Trained conventionally at the National Theatre School in St Kilda, Joab thought of himself as a stage actor, but quickly discovered, like many multicultural performers before him, how conservative Australian theatre can be when it comes to casting.
“There were so many roles I know I had the goods to play,” he says, also deploring the way he was expected to put on thick accents.
Advised by his mum to look to screen work, in 2011 he scored the role of Ajay Kapoor in the TV show “Neighbours” under the watch of an enlightened director, enjoying accolades until he and other multicultural actors found themselves mystifyingly written out of the series. But why?
“Casting is not representative of this country,” he says. Fed up, Joab took off in 2013 for the US, where he quickly found an agent and a job in the film “Reversion”, where he played an art dealer, a role any American could have played.
But now he’s got the plum role in Akhtar’s intellectually sizzling play and has found himself facing questions about racism and Islamophobia. It’s complex, to say the least.
Set in a super-fashionable New York apartment during September, 2011, we meet corporate lawyer Amir, whose over-enthusiastic Muslim parents’ views have led him to break away from the faith and modify his Muslim name from Abdullah to Kapoor. He’s called an “apostate”, but in reality his Muslim
upbringing is very close to the surface.
Amir is married to white American Emily, infatuated with the art and culture of Islam. “She sees the leaves on the tree of Islamic culture”, Joab says, whereas Amir, who once knew the Koran by heart, “is talking about the roots”.
When he is persuaded to defend a local imam accused of radical activity, the truth comes out over the dinner table where the guests are Amir’s African-American co-worker and her Jewish husband.
As they traverse every subject from the Talmud to Ahmadinejad,
Ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beasties Dougal Macdonald
things turn nasty, especially when the armchair Orientalism of Emily comes face-to-face with Amir’s sneaking admission that he felt a moment of Muslim pride in events of 9/11. Mistakenly, he imagines he can air this around the dinner table. He can’t. In a play that ripples with questions of identity politics, race and religion that are just as resonant for modern Australians as for Americans, it asks just how “progressive” we really are.
“Disgraced”, The Playhouse, June 22-25. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
ADELAIDE Festival Centre’s announcement of the recipients for its star-studded “Walk of Fame” includes names familiar to Canberrans. Selected by the people of SA from a list of more than 3000 artists who have performed at the Centre since it began in 1973, they include Elizabeth Dalman, Robyn Archer and Meryl Tankard.
LOCAL classical guitarist Matt Withers is one of the nominees for the Freedman Classical Fellowship of 2016. Former fellowship winners include the likes of Genevieve Lacey, William Barton and Joseph Tawadros.
THE Pereira Cello Studio –husband and wife cellists David and Gillian Pereira – is staging a mysterious series called “Bach in the Dark” at 6.30pm on Sunday, June 19, in All Saints Anglican Church, Ainslie. Rachel Scott and David Pereira will play works by JS Bach, Elena Kats-Chernin, David Pereira, Friedrich Dotzauer and others. Bookings via eventbrite.com.au
ARTSOUND FM’s popular Winter Solstice Book and Music Fair will be held at Manuka Arts Centre, corner Manuka Circle and NSW Crescent (next door to Manuka Pool), 9am4pm, on Sunday, June 19. Books, CDs, DVDs and vinyls, coffee, tea and cake will be on sale.
arts in the city
“EX Libris: Celebrating the Art of the Bookplate” is an exhibition of Megalo members’ print works inspired by the art of the bookplate. It’s at Megalo Print Studio + Gallery, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, until June 25. It’ll also be part of the Midwinter Megalo Mingle, 4pm-8pm, on Saturday, June 18.
ART Song Canberra’s next concert, “Tchaikovsky Romance”, will be performed by Melbourne artists Rada Tochalna (soprano), Lucas de Jong (baritone) and Janis Cook (piano), at the Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, on Sunday, June 19. No bookings required.
THE 35-year-old Yarralumla Midwinter Show is at the Yarralumla Uniting Church centre, Denman Street, over the weekend of June 24-26. The opening at 6pm, June 24, will be followed by a parade.
IN its fourth year, “Strange Attractor” is a multi-disciplinary dance residency produced by Adelina Larsson and Alison Plevey, that will have provocative artist/producer David Pledger at Gorman Arts Centre facilitating “make – think – speak” lab sessions with artists from Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
“The Conjuring 2” (MA)
FOR this week’s column, only three new films opened in Canberra. On paper, none promised much.
However, on the day, Australian filmmaker
James Wan’s recounting of the paranormal event in 1977 known as the Enfield Poltergeist delivered unexpected cinematic qualities, some good, others less so.
James Wan’s first film “Saw” (2004) impressed me for the sheer dramatic quality of its invented plot involving nasty goings on. Happiness, sweetness and gentle behaviour have no part in his films. But he’s good at doing compelling nasty.
“The Conjuring 2” is less a nasty than a pot-boiler about ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night. Such merit as it has comes from 13-year-old Madison Wolfe as 11-year-old Janet who, in a screenplay by Chad and Carey Hayes drawing heavily on contemporary BBC and print media coverage of the event, evokes Linda Blair in “The Exorcist”.
Janet is given to making like Billy who died 40 years previously in the house now occupied by single mother Peggy (Frances O’Connor) and her siblings. Billy wants his house back.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play married American psychic researchers engaged to go to London to sort things out. Screenplay and direction sometimes weaken the film’s delivery of fright by
telegraphing where they will collide as they travel in opposite directions along the same dramatic track. For me, that happened only once and didn’t last longer than a millisecond.
At Hoyts, Palace Electric, Capitol 6 and Limelight
“Love Me Tomorrow” (M)
I KNEW nothing about this rom-com chick flick. We don’t see many Filipino films in
Canberra. This one delivers low-energy drama wrapped in agreeable charm. It’s very girly, especially when they get together with shrieks of giggly delight. The plot has room for only one good-looking bloke, JC (Piolo Pascual) whose reputation as the country’s best DJ is beginning to slide. JC personifies the film’s message, the unwisdom
of judging a book by its cover.
A mother of adult children, Christy (Dawn Zulueta) has had only one man in her life and he’s recently dead. Her dress shop and her Great Dane also, coincidentally called JC, occupy her time. Until the day JC the dog runs into JC the DJ. From this fateful encounter, director Gino M Santos teases out the remainder of the film’s 128 minutes.
JC the DJ is a babe magnet over whom Janine (Coleen Garcia) thinks she holds proprietary rights. Here’s the eternal triangle with a 35-year-old man at the apex, a pretty 25-year-old babe at one end of the base and an enduringly attractive 50-year-old woman at the other. These ages have a significant influence on the film’s dramatic tenor.
The writer’s name is not credited but he or (more probably) she wraps up the plot credibly, even if a little less than reassuringly. And all the dialogue is subtitled, including when the characters speak English.
At Hoyts Belconnen
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” (PG) no stars
IF I hadn’t undertaken to review three new films each week, I would never have wasted my time with this, the sixth film featuring
teenage mutant ninja turtles. But this week, there was no alternative!
In the 26 years since the first one, the plot has ossified and what seems like a squillion other movies have plagiarised it, from James Bond to my unvarying choice for the worst movie ever made, “Independence Day” (to which a sequel looms).
Defining the target audience is an unrewarding exercise. It’s improbable that single-digit kids would comprehend it. To kids in early adolescence, it might well be simplistic. An audience of late adolescents would find it lacking in meatiness. Adults would have two choices; silly fun or a total no-brainer.
It’s the same old plot – a bid for world domination, this time by the Shredder who’s escaped from prison. A mad scientist. A new warlord, Krang, the Shredder’s boss, an ugly little devil in whom ambition exceeds merit.
That’s somehow a paradigm for the franchise. Its use-by date has passed. Hopefully terminally.
At Hoyts, Palace Electric, Hoyts and Limelight
By Helen Musa
IN his new play, “Pigman’s Lament”, Canberra actor, playwright and former economist Raoul Craemer brings his own mixed Indian and German past to the fore.
The one-man play will see Craemer unlocking the skeletons in his family’s closet, secrets that his fascist German grandfather has no intention of letting him give up. Trapped in his Canberra apartment, Craemer re-lives extreme moments from his own life in what he says is “a hair-raising reckoning between the generations”.
“A lot of the German parts are very funny and also very scary,” the play’s director Paulo Castro tells me over coffee at The Street.
Celebrated as a director with the São João National Theatre in his homeland Portugal, Castro now shares a flourishing theatre practice in Adelaide with his actor wife Jo Stone, with whom he recently staged “The Country” by “in-yer-face” British playwright Martin Crimp at the Adelaide Festival.
Unlike people from far northern climes, Castro believes that Portuguese and Australian people share “a black sense of humour” that will respond well to his treatment of the script he’s spicing up with physical theatre to produce “positivity in the misery”.
Billed as a case of performance art meeting psychological thriller, “Pigman’s Lament” is the result of a long dramaturgical process spearheaded by The Street’s Caroline Stacey.
Craemer, after attending Castro’s theatre workshop last year at The Street, asked if he could work with him, travelling to Adelaide for two weeks early this year. There Castro began to work his spicy magic, transforming the play from one where an actor just sits in a chair to one full of physical action and visual excitement.
“I’m always looking out for what’s not in the text,”
Canberra actor and playwright Raoul Craemer in “Pigman’s Lament”.
says Castro.
“We put practical suggestions to Raoul, so that by the time I came here [to Canberra] we had a finished script.” Through the dynamism and charm, you can see the toughness that makes him a good director.
“My theatre must reflect on the contemporary world, the here and now,” Castro says.
“I recreate the text with my own imagination to make it very physical, very performative and very symbolic –the text is a jumping off point to go to somewhere else.
“It’s tricky because it’s Raoul’s true story – the names are real but sometimes the story is not real, that’s what happens when you’re transforming documentary theatre into physical theatre.”
Castro says he has created a lot of action, but that has been helped by Craemer’s own acting experience –he was first known in Canberra as a clown.
“He’s not a clown here, but he is very versatile as he jumps from one character to another in a kind of metamorphosis,” Castro says.
“It’s unique and exotic and contemporary.”
“Pigman’s Lament” world premiere, The Street Theatre, June 24-July 3. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.
LET’S start with the name: Hoi Polloi stands “for the masses, the rabble, and the great unwashed”.
The restaurant claims it has brought a “new era” to Old Parliament House. It sounded fun, so off we trotted for Saturday lunch.
The décor is all about the building’s history. The restaurant is in what used to be the non-members bar, the only place where the “hoi polloi” could get a drink.
The menu is set up around small dishes (some also available in large size), mains, desserts and items for the “little folk”, including a toastie ($6.50) and penne bolognaise ($8.50).
We shared several small dishes, knowing we could get a couple in main size and confident we’d have plenty to eat. This is how the story unfolded.
The
wine was plonked on the table and we were left to crack it open and pour it ourselves (hmmm).
The scallops came with chickpeas, toasted pine nuts and raisins (gluten free and $15.50 small; $24 large). They were to be grilled but were stone cold on arrival. We felt they could only have been on the grill for a nanosecond on each side.
We explained to the chirpy person serving us that the dish didn’t cut it. She disappeared for a bit.
Eventually a senior person emerged and whisked the dish away, promising a better experience second time round.
The second dish was passable. Two of us weren’t convinced about the combo of flavours anyway, but the third person in our party found them interesting.
We were delighted with the melt-in-themouth, hot smoked trout (gluten free and $12 small; $16 large). It was a cold dish and the blend of flavours was lovely. It was a generous serve and the trout struck a grand friendship with the crunchy green apple, fennel, red sorrel and creamy yoghurt dip.
We were also delighted with the charred cauliflower salad, served with tart radish, bright red pomegranate seeds that popped in the mouth, labne and a tasty pistachio dukkah ($10
small; $15 large).
The wine list concentrates on local labels, which is rewarding to see. We’re not big sauv blanc drinkers, so our white options started at $49 and topped off at $77. Reds start at $34 for the house wine and top off at $85. We settled on the 2014 Long Rail Gully Rose from Murrumbateman ($52). It was plonked on the table and we were left to crack it open and pour it ourselves (hmmm).
The service started off perky but then slid downwards. We were left for lengthy periods and it would have been nice to have our plates removed much earlier. Then we waited and waited for someone to offer us another glass of wine.
Perhaps that’s just the way the masses are treated.
By Helen Musa
“SACRIFICE: The Lost Songbirds of the Somme”, the latest in the Flowers of War project, commemorates the 100th anniversary of a battle in which soldiers were said to have died like cattle.
The concert opens at the High Court of Australia, moves on to St James, King Street, Sydney, and Melbourne’s Scots’ Church. Then to the churches of the destroyed towns of the Somme, including Pozieres and Fromelles, July 14-24.
It features rarely-played songs, an elegy, musical compositions and pipe tunes all connected with the Battle of the Somme and focusing on musicians, FS Kelly, Willie Braithwaite Manson, George Wilkinson, George Butterworth, Ivor Gurney, Francis Purcell Warren, William Laurie, Walter Braunfels, Botho Sigwart,
Reynaldo Hahn and Jacques Ibert.
“Humanity lost so many brilliant composers and musicians in World War I, those songbirds we never knew,” says director Chris Latham, an Anzac Centenary Fellow and former “CityNews” Artist of the Year.
Performed by tenor Andrew Goodwin, Anton Wurzer on accordion, Jason Craig on bagpipes and the Sculthorpe String Quartet, “Sacrifice” comprises music composed in the trenches, in a hospital and pieces written just before the composers joined up.
The high point will be a tribute to the more than 300 pipers killed in action while playing, three of whom were awarded Victoria Crosses for their heroism.
“Sacrifice – The Lost Songbirds of the Somme”, A Flowers of War Event, at the High Court of Australia, 8pm-9.30pm, Tuesday, June 21. Conversation between Latham and historian Joan Beaumont, 6.30pm-7.30pm (free, but booking is essential). All bookings to theflowersofwar.org
ROSE-planting time has arrived and the selection of new roses for 2016 is amazing.
Australia has many world-class rose growers including Swane’s (NSW), Treloar’s (Victoria) and Wagner’s (SA).
I have been looking at the new offerings from Wagners, which are now in garden centres after having been trialled in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens for several years before public release.
Wagner’s Rose Nursery, a family owned business, has been growing roses for more than 60 years. It was started near Adelaide by Harold Baker in the 1950s. His youngest daughter Barbara and her husband Earl Wagner took over the expanding business a few years later. By the 1980s, their son Brian was running the business.
Brian’s passion for roses started by earning pocket money picking blooms at sunrise for the florist trade when he was only seven! Today, Wagner’s grows more than 600 varieties on its 50-hectare property and, being agents for many international rose breeders, is now one of the largest rose growers in Australia.
I was especially drawn to “A Daughter’s Gift”, a beautifully proportioned rose with large blooms of deep, velvety red. It has a sweet delicate fragrance and grows to 150cm.
The sales of this rose raise funds for the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Leukaemia and Lymphoma Fund in Perth.
The other I particularly liked was Wagner’s “Best Friend”, a fragrant rose with sweet-scented blooms of rich, deep, plum-coloured tones. Growing to 150cm, it makes an excellent cut flower.
All Wagner’s roses are easily picked at any retail garden centre with their strong, at least two-yearold, healthy, thick stems.
Other roses I recommend for their excellence include “Mother ‘n’ Daughter”, “Mother ‘n’ Child” and “Twilight Zone”.
And there’s “Firefighter”, which commemorates those who risk their lives protecting people and property against fires. It grows to 160cm with richly fragrant blooms. The velvety-red blooms are on
strong, almost thornless stems making it appealing as a cut flower. The intensity of the red makes it a rival for the long-term favourite “Black Boy”.
A couple of planting hints:
• DON’T prune new roses until you see the new shoots emerging in spring. If any roots are damaged, which can happen when they are dug at the grower’s nursery, trim them with sharp, clean secateurs.
• DON’T plant in the same spot where roses have been grown previously. If this is unavoidable remove at least half a barrow load of the old soil from the planting hole. Plant with new soil mixed with some organic matter such as out of the compost heap. Soak the new rose in a bucket of water supplemented with seaweed plant nutrient for a couple of hours
before planting. After firming the soil, water in to remove any air pockets using the same seaweed solution.
• After the incredible rain of recent weeks, make sure the automatic irrigation system is turned off.
• With leaves gone, check trees for broken, dead branches and crossing over branches causing damage to bark. If trees are in or near powerlines employ qualified tree surgeons approved by ActewAGL. Check their website for recommendations.
• David Taylor, from the National Botanic Gardens, will speak on “New and Untried Challenges and Opportunities with Plants” at the Horticultural Society of Canberra’s June meeting at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 7.30pm, on Monday, June 20. All welcome; supper served.
Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Monday’s Full Moon encourages you to visualise your dreams for the future, and then act on them. Be inspired by actor Corin Nemec: “Never let life impede on your ability to manifest your dreams. Dig deeper into your dreams, believe that anything is possible, and make it happen.” On the weekend you’ll be given the opportunity to lead and/or influence others in some way, so don’t waste it. People are looking for you to come up with the goods so get cracking and don’t disappoint!
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Attached Bulls – things could get hot and heavy at Casa Taurus on Monday night, when the Full Moon invigorates your intimacy zone. Singles – you’re in a hurry to find a dependable partner but you’ll have to be patient. Take your time and don’t accept second-best! On Saturday and Sunday Lady Luck is on your side and friendships are favoured, as you link up with pals from home and far away. The weekend will work best if you share your good fortune with those around you.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
This week’s stars urge you to concentrate on a rickety close relationship, and get talking about current problems. Don’t worry if you’re going over old ground Gemini – that’s exactly what’s needed at the moment. Then Jupiter gives your home life a welcome boost on the weekend, and there is much satisfaction to be gained through contributing to worthy causes. But make sure you start in your own backyard. You really can make a difference if you think global and act local!
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
With the Full Moon activating your work and daily routine zone, chances are you’ll be burning the midnight oil early in the week. Pace yourself Crabs, otherwise you could suffer from a stress-related health issue like a headache or stomach upset. Come the weekend, it’s time to reach out and help others, both within your circle of family and friends and within your local neighbourhood. The community connections you foster now will be extremely beneficial in the future.
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
You’re in the mood to socialise up a storm and pamper yourself, as you engage in compatible conversations and enjoy life’s little luxuries. Don’t assume you have all the answers though. You have much to learn from others – especially the children in your life. So pay attention to the wise words that come out of the mouths of babes! For some lucky Lions, a powerful idea is set to boost your bank balance as prosperity planet Jupiter favours financial and business success.
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
This week Jupiter (which is transitting your sign) makes one of the luckiest aspects for the year with Pluto. So the Universe will provide an opportunity for you to stretch yourself, grow and be transformed in exciting new ways – if you choose to take up the challenge. No one says it will be easy, but the benefits will far outweigh the difficulties. So be bold and brave Virgo! As birthday great Nicole Kidman says: “Life has got all those twists and turns. You hold on tight and off you go.”
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Communicating with others is the key to a satisfying week. But don’t get carried away and exaggerate your ability to contribute. It’s much better to under-promise and over-deliver! When it comes to a family matter, avoid quick fixes. Instead, be patient and do all the research that’s required. The weekend stars highlight your kind and charitable nature. So it’s a terrific time to get involved in volunteer work, or lend a hand to a friend, relative or neighbour who’s in need.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
You’re keen to make connections with a wide range of people, as the planets highlight your neighbourhood/networking zones and boost your ability to charm and persuade others. So it’s a wonderful week to initiate ideas and explore concepts within your widening circle of influence. For some lucky Scorps, a social media comment, blog post, photo or song could catch the public imagination and go viral. And that has the power to transform your life and change everything…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Monday’s fiery Full Moon (in your sign) kick-starts an action-packed week. Then the Jupiter/Pluto trine (on the weekend) is fabulous for work, money, travel and adventure. Lady Luck is definitely on your side as you make positive changes and accept exciting new challenges – despite any annoying restrictions that come your way. Be inspired by fellow Sagittarian, writer Mark Twain: “Sail away from the safe harbour, Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
On Monday, lift your nose from the career grindstone and take a look within. It’s the perfect time for some quiet contemplation, as the Full Moon stimulates your spirituality zone and you receive important guidance from your inner self. Lady Luck heads your way on the weekend (courtesy of Pluto and Jupiter) but don’t disappoint her by being an overly cautious Capricorn. Wonderful opportunities are waiting, but you must reach out and grab them or they will pass you by.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Let the circus begin! Your bohemian side shines brightly on Monday and Tuesday, when the stars stimulate your endearingly eccentric side. Tap into the adventurous Aquarian you were born to be – and have fun charming others without even trying. But are you labouring under the illusion that your bank balance is more buoyant than it actually is? There’s a danger you’ll be misled, so take extra care and make sure your plans are financially realistic and sustainable.
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Are you bored to bits with your job? The Full Moon (and Saturn) stir up your career zone, so many Fish will feel frustrated and frazzled with work (or lack of work). Be careful what you wish for – ambitious aspirations are fine but you also need to keep your feet on the ground. All types of partnerships are given a welcome boost on the weekend, when Jupiter and Pluto increase optimism and help you rescue and reform a relationship that’s been experiencing some problems.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2016 Daily astrology updates at twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore
4 On
7 To be composed of small spherical bodies, is to be what?
8 What is the act of lying concealed, so as to attack by surprise?
9 Which term describes statements of pecuniary transactions?
11 To be of no practical good, is to be what?
13 What is yarn-dried, plain-weave cotton fabric, usually striped or checked?
15 Which areas of shallow water are separated from the sea by low banks?
17 Who, in mythology, is the god of the sea?
20 To which of the animal family does a spider belong?
23 What is an alternative term for a trip to convey a message?
24 What is an indirect intimation about a person, especially of a derogatory nature?
25 Name the largest sand island in the world. Down
1 What is a group of states or territories,
united by some common factor?
2 Which figure is in the form of a rectangle?
3 What do we call a number of persons of common descent?
4 Which alloy consists essentially of copper and zinc?
5 Name those persons who resist authority or control.
6 What is a fertile place in a desert region?
9 What do we call a native of Kabul?
10 Name a glass drinking utensil, without a handle or stem.
12 To have perceived without certainty, is to have done what?
14 What are ermines also known as?
16 Which natural earth mixtures are used as pigments?
18 What is a deviation from accuracy?
19 What is the lowest point of adversity?
21 Name a Queen, and daughter of James II of England.
22 Which abbreviation describes an integrated services digital network?
Lori rang me very confused about her quarter 3 Business Activity Statement.
“Last year, my business was offered GST instalments by the Australian Taxation Office and we decided to take them as the instalment that we would pay was less than our liability,” she said.
“This is much better for our cashflow and this year we decided to take instalments again and the first two instalments were $10,000 each but this third one is $55,000.” Lori said business was a bit slow and she only wanted to pay $10,000, then pay more in the last quarter when the cashflow had improved.
“I’m sorry, Lori, but the instalment system for GST is not that simple,” I told her.
“The instalments are based on your previous year’s annual GST figure and are not ‘independent’ for each quarter. In your case, instalments 1 and 2 were based on your 2014 GST, whilst instalment 3 is based on your 2015 GST.
“There is a provision for you to reduce the instalment, but if you vary it too much then you will be charged a penalty if it is proves that you owe more GST than estimated.”
I advised her that when the annual GST return from the year before was lodged and processed, instalments for the current year were calculated. “You need to pay 25 per cent of the estimate by quarter 1, 50 per cent by quarter 2, 75 per cent by quarter 3 and 100 per cent by quarter 4,” I told her.
“Based on the quarter 3 instalment, your quarter 4 instalment will be $25,000. So the lodgement date of the annual GST return determines the figure that is used for each instalment. In your case Lori, quarters 1 and 2 were based on $40,000 in instalments from the 2014 annual GST return. The estimate changed to $100,000 when you lodged your 2015 annual return.
“When you elect the instalment system in quarter 1, it is a requirement that you are on it all year. It is also a requirement that you have to lodge an annual summary You will either pay the shortfall or you will get a refund.
“So that you are not charged penalties, I recommend that you carefully estimate your quarter 4 income. I realise this is difficult as your business generates a lot of income in the last quarter of the year. With this information, I can assist you to vary your quarter 3 instalment.”
If you need assistance on GST-related matters, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.
