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news / family portrait month

Family picture tells a bigger story

By Freyla Ferguson

CANBERRA mums and daughters have the opportunity to get a special moment captured on camera by a professional photographer while helping out a worthwhile cause in July as part of National Family Portrait Month.

Local photographer Thanasi Bakatsoulas will be donating his time to take portraits of mums and daughters throughout July to help raise $10,000 for the Women’s Cancer Foundation – which funds ovarian cancer research.

Bakatsoulas chose a portrait he took of a mum and her twin daughters last year to help promote the endeavour. However, he soon learned there was a bigger story behind the photo.

The mum in the photo is Kellie Opitz, a cervical cancer survivor, who last year relocated to Canberra to take up an HR position at the ANU. It was not long after the photo was taken that she was again diagnosed with the cancer.

“I have a history of women’s cancer in my family and when I was 19 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer,” Opitz says.

“I have always been vigilant every year with getting a pap smear. But when we were relocating to Canberra it put me out of whack – I didn’t have a GP – so when I finally went along and asked them to check me out, the result came back positive.

“It’s stage CIN3 – the stage before it seems to get really nasty.”

Opitz has been treated with surgery and is still awaiting the results of further tests to find out whether the cancer has spread. She is also currently looking into further preventative treatments and surgery.

“My mother passed away from cancer two years ago,” she said. “My mother’s mother died of ovarian cancer, my sister has issues with polycystic ovaries and my aunty on my mother’s side passed away from breast cancer.”

Bakatsoulas, who has been taking family portraits in Canberra for about eight years, said: “You never know what people are going through.”

“I wanted to take part in this because it’s a good cause, to meet more people and do what I love doing… It’s quite close to my heart.”

Opitz and her daughters have returned to Darwin to be closer to her husband, who was planning to join his family in Canberra.

“Supporting a cause like this, to me, is more about raising awareness,” Opitz said.

“Women always have it in the back of their mind, but you need to do these checks for yourself.

“It’s about raising awareness and getting it to the front of your mind.”

Those who take part in National Family Portrait month will take part in a professional portrait session, as well as be featured in a book called “Mothers & Daughters… A Loving Bond”.

It costs $51 to take part – with that money going towards the Women’s Cancer Foundation. To take part, visit familyportraitmonth.com.au

“I have always been vigilant with getting a pap smear. But when we were relocating to Canberra it put me out of whack,” Opitz says.

Dalai Lama’s party

THE public is invited to join the Canberra Tibetan community in a “fun-filled”, three-course dinner to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 81st birthday at the National Press Club on Wednesday, July 6. Entertainment will be provided by Tibetan performers from Melbourne and Brisbane, with traditional performances by local dancers. Tickets are $40 (and $20 for children 12 and under) and available by email to secretary@acttc.org.au

Pelvic workshop

WOMEN of all ages are invited to attend a free pelvic-floor workshop on education and self help strategies for women who are experiencing continence problems or wishing to prevent them. Presented by health professionals from ACT Health Directorate, the workshop will be held at the Tuggeranong Community Health Centre, 1pm-4pm, on Thursday, July 28. Bookings to 6207 9977.

Raizing funds!

RAIZE the Roof is hosting its fifth Gala Ball at QT Hotel, Canberra on Saturday, August 27, to support its charity house being built in Bonner. Proceeds from the auction of the house will go to the Starlight Children’s Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages Botswana. Tickets at $190 (plus booking fee) via eventbrite.com.au include drinks and canapés on arrival, a five-hour drinks package, three-course meal and entertainment.

One of our newest brands is Mini Rodini. It’s a unique Swedish label. The range is made from certified organic cotton and even some recycled materials. The designs are amazing and we LOVE it!

And Pretty Wild is a beautiful collection from Melbourne. It features classic dresses made from liberty fabrics with smocking & embroidery, knitwear made from the softest merino wool and raincoats lined in liberty prints. It’s so sweet!

We have a fantastic range of footwear. Just this week we’ve received the new Bobux range which was designed in collaboration with European designer Solène Roure. Shoes that look cool but are also good for kids feet.

EOFY Sale

A massive 40% off Clothing & selected footwear Ends Sunday 10th July

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Mon- Fri 9.30 - 5

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Little Britain’s empire wanes

THE Brexit forces of Little England triumphed over the sensible centre and young voters, while “Bumptious Boris” Johnson and “Nasty Nigel” Farage who led the retreat from Europe could barely contain their delight.

Johnson sees it as his great opportunity to grab the prime ministership from the departing David Cameron, while Farage’s “traditionalist” message is a replay of the racist streak that disfigured Britain’s colonial history.

The immediate consequences will exacerbate the economic and migration turmoil in Europe, the Middle East and the US where “Daffy Donald” Trump applauded and Hillary Clinton bemoaned the result.

PM Malcolm Turnbull was torn between statesmanlike disappointment at the disruption and the sudden realisation that it will favour his “steady hand at the tiller” in the Federal election.

“It will create a shock,” he said, “so we’ll need strong economic leadership from a majority Coalition Government.”

To historians, it’s another step in the waning of an

Nigel Farage’s ‘traditionalist’ message is a replay of the racist streak that disfigured Britain’s colonial history.

BREXIT also played into Australia’s history wars as the “traditionalist” Tony Abbott contradicted Turnbull’s description of the British “invasion” in 1788, calling it a “settlement” or an “occupation”.

“I wouldn’t use the word invasion,” he said, “because that connotes the primacy of armed force.”

(The latest research shows an Aboriginal death toll in the frontier wars of almost 60,000.)

IN our own campaign, Turnbull delivered his best performance on the ABC’s “Q&A”, despite a dose of the ‘flu, while Shorten ducked and weaved from Leigh Sales’ bouncers on “7.30”.

Opinion polls have Labor winning a bunch of marginals – including Eden-Monaro – but according to the pundits not enough to take government. And that was before Brexit.

EVEN closer to home, the Barr-Rattenbury government took a broadside amidships when the WA government scrapped its light rail plan for Perth, sacrificing the $25 million already spent. WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder said “it no longer stacks up financially”. CM Andrew

Barr says if the local Libs abandon the Gungahlin tram the cost will be up to $400 million. If so, it shows how irresponsible he was in signing contracts before an election in which light rail was a central issue.

AT the same time Lib Senator Zed Seselja said the Feds had agreed to move an undisclosed government agency to Gungahlin. So, would that mean less travel on the tram? It’s certainly what Walter Burley Griffin had in mind when he designed the five town centres.

THE one issue, Federal and State, that caused the greatest chatter was the same-sex marriage plebiscite. It seemed just a waste of $160 million until Penny Wong spoke of the potentially painful nature of a “debate” on the rights of the gay community. And Turnbull says he’ll give Libs a conscience vote anyway. Truth is, it was a device from his predecessor designed to delay gay marriage at any cost.

SEXUAL sensitivities were much on show over the “banter” by the ubiquitous Collingwood president Eddie McGuire about drowning “The Age’s” sports writer Caroline Wilson. McGuire seemed unrepentant until the Magpies’ major sponsor Holden declared itself “hugely unhappy”. Some of us turned off his evening TV show “Millionaire Hot Seat” in protest but, alas, the alternatives were so dreadful we swallowed our pride.

robert@robertmacklin.com

ROBERT MACKLIN

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT?

This year, the way you vote for the Senate has changed and it’s important that you understand how to vote correctly.

On election day, you’ll receive two ballot papers:

• a green one for the House of Representatives

• a large white one for the Senate

On the green ballot paper you are voting for a candidate to represent your local area or electorate in the House of Representatives.

On the white ballot paper you are voting for representatives of your state or territory in the Senate.

Don’t worry if you make a mistake. Just ask for another ballot paper and start again.

Canberra is my home and I will continue to pave the way for a great future for our city.

The support we are providing for small businesses will help create jobs in our town centres. The planning reform that I successfully delivered will open up more housing opportunities for our kids. And the programs we have to address youth crime and to assist those addicted to Ice will make a difference to our most vulnerable.

I’ll ensure that everyone in Canberra has the opportunity to get ahead.

To nd out more visit: www.letsgetahead.com.au

Locals clocking up success overseas

By Freyla Ferguson

IT’S being shipped to 50 countries, gained the attention of big UK publications “GQ” and “Men’s Health” and is in the midst of creating a new line – luxury watch company Erroyl is making waves across the globe and it’s based right here in Canberra.

The ACT’s first watch company is led by Wes Knight, Michael Phanprachit and Brad Wilton. Erroyl produces luxury automatic dress watches “designed for elegance and crafted with precision”.

After gaining financial support through crowd-funding site Kickstarter – which raised them $20,000 and a good “PR boost” – the company launched its first collection of men’s dress watches in December, 2014.

Since then its popularity has grown; from its initial launch shipment to 18 countries, Erroyl watches now go to 50.

Not bad for three Canberra blokes who still run the business as a side project from home.

“Not many people hear about Canberra internationally and it proves that you don’t have to be in the big cities [in Australia] to be seen,” designer Michael Phanprachit said.

“We didn’t intend to get such big visibility internationally. We launched hoping to make an impact in the Australian market… however, it was the European market that caught on because they really liked our aesthetics.”

According to CEO Wes Knight, tapping into watch blogs, watch forums and social media have been the keys to success for Erroyl.

US, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore and Australia.

Erroyl is the brainchild of Knight, who has collected watches since he was about five years old.

“I’ve always been fascinated by watches since I was a kid,” he said.

“So it seemed to be something that I knew, and something I understood.”

He called on the help of friends Phanprachit, who heads all things design for the company, and Wilton, who heads logistics and shipping.

For Phanprachit it was a chance to push his creativity into a different direction.

“The exciting bit for me is composing the watch from the different parts,” he said.

“It’s not just about looks. It’s looking at the watch as a whole – its function and movement.

“We try and source the best mechanisms coupled with our own style and personality.

“We try to plan six to 12 months in advance the style we want to portray.”

CEO: Greg Jones, 0419 418196, greg@citynews.com.au

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

Journalists: Freyla Ferguson, freyla@citynews.com.au; Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au; Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764, helen@citynews.com.au

Photographer: Andrew Finch

Advertising manager: Greg Jones, 0419 418196

“Our second collection, which we released in November, was picked up by a Norway watch blogger who then wrote about it in the second largest newspaper in Norway,” Knight said.

“And from that, Norway just exploded. Who knew Norwegians were so interested in watches from Australia?

“We seem to ironically do bigger overseas than in Australia, which is not overly surprising because the local Australian market is a bit of a challenge. You have to make it elsewhere, I feel, before the Australian market accepts you as their own.”

Now, Erroyl’s biggest markets are in the UK,

Currently, the trio is designing a new line for women, which is hoped to be manufactured in Switzerland – a different approach to the men’s collections, which are manufactured in Hong Kong.

“We don’t see ourselves moving out of Canberra, we see Canberra as part of our identity as a business,” Knight said.

“So, realistically, long term having the watches manufactured in Switzerland and assembled in Australia.

“There’s just not the expertise here and that’s something we have to grapple with over time... We’d love to have someone here assembling them.”

Visit erroyl.com

Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656

Advertising account executives: Kathy Leigh, 0400 293991; Liam Jones, 0400 092095

Sydney advertising: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777

Production manager / graphic design: Janet Ewen

Graphic designer: Paulette Leo

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

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

Distribution: 02 6262 9100, circulation@citynews.com.au

Ph 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601

Nurses speak up for injured workers

Some may think it odd that the union that represents nurses and midwives would write about construction-worker injuries.

FOR years, being a construction worker in the ACT has been the most dangerous place to work of any jurisdiction in Australia. Nurses regularly see the impact when builders and subcontractors don’t take safety seriously.

Almost every day in Canberra nurses have to treat seriously injured construction workers in emergency or intensive-care units suffering from broken bones, crushing injuries, strained backs, injuries to eyes and more.

It is every worker’s right to be able to go to work and get home safely. Sadly, despite improvements in recent years, the construction industry in Canberra remains dangerous.

Some may think it odd that the union that represents nurses and midwives would write about construction-worker injuries.

After all, nurses, too, are subject to work health and safety risks, be it the inherent aspects of their job in respect of physical risks associated with manual handling, exposure to toxic substances and gases, infectious agents and blood and body fluids, and physically aggressive patients and their relatives; or the psychological risks associated with excessive workloads and poor staffing and skills mix.

As the voice of Canberra’s nursing profession, the ANMF has been fearless and vocal in defending the safety of nurses. The overwhelming majority of the ACT community supports safety for nurses, and no one seriously suggests that the safety concerns raised by nurses are a myth, or red tape.

The recent tragic death of remote-area nurse Gayle Woodford, in SA, gained national attention and support, with more than 100,000 people signing a petition entitled “Gayle’s Law”, backing better protection for nurses and remote-area healthcare workers.

Concerns raised about nurse safety are treated seriously and with respect by the community.

Yet when construction workers face serious injuries at work, and call for improvements in safety standards, they are demonised and dismissed.

Big business lobby groups, such as the Master Builders Association, dismiss their calls for safety as a “myth” or “crying wolf” and run radio ads calling construction union concerns “dodgy”.

Nurses see first hand the reality of construction injury safety. Each month, nurses see 43 seriously injured construction workers. These injuries are not a myth, they are not red tape and they are not minor or isolated. The vast majority of these injuries were preventable had proper safety precautions been taken.

Workplace safety is everyone’s concern. Employers, employees and governments have an obligation to work co-operatively to build a culture of safety. Ensuring safety at work for working people is the number one priority for the ANMF and every union.

It is therefore unhelpful and counterproductive for lobby groups or politicians to try to undermine the role of unions in promoting workplace safety.

The community would not accept that kind of behaviour and criticism if it were directed at nurses – and nurses will not accept it being targetted at construction workers.

The number of workplace injuries in the ACT is simply too high. Whether it is an assault on a nurse at a hospital or a construction worker injured in a fall, every worker deserves to go to work and get home safely.

Jenny Miragaya is the secretary of the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation, ACT Branch.

JENNY MIRAGAYA

Dr Michael Archinal, of Manuka Veterinary Hospital, with young dogs in the NT.

Charity art auction aims to help dogs

By Helen Musa

IN the remote communities of NT, where some of our greatest art is made, creators and their canine friends mingle in an ageold partnership of affection and talent.

Now, in a masterstroke, art will serve dogs through a unique fundraiser spearheaded by two Canberra veterinarians.

Named jointly as 2015 ACT Australian of the Year award finalists for their work with Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities, Dr Alison Taylor, of Kippax Veterinary Hospital, and Dr Michael Archinal, of Manuka Veterinary Hospital, have now sourced traditional indigenous artwork from remote communities for sale and auction in a function at the Canberra Grammar Gallery.

Dr Taylor told “CityNews” that she and Dr Archinal made their first trip to Central Australia five years ago to work with AMRRIC and the traditional owners of Utopia, 300 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs (known to Canberrans as home to the late artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye).

With the co-operation of the Barkly and Central Desert Shires, they now cover 16 other communities, including Bonya and Harts Range.

“I think we have made a really good impact,” Dr Taylor says, referring to the dramatic drop in unwanted puppies in the communities they have serviced and the reduction in sarcoptic mange.

“Canberra Mob – Indigenous Dog Health 2016 Art Auction Fundraiser,” Canberra Grammar School, Red Hill, 7pm, Friday, July 15. Tickets at $40 available from Kippax Vet Hospital (6255 1242).

Warm acts for cold victims

I DON’T mind winter. I like big coats, foggy mornings and staying home in the warm.

For many Canberrans winter isn’t a big deal. Clear, cold afternoons with brilliant sunshine are pretty nice.

There are those annoying coughs and colds and there are days when the house looks like a laundromat as every heating vent is aimed at a clothes rack trying to dry out the washing.

Still, we wake up in heated homes, get into heated cars, go to heated workplaces and repeat that on the way home. On many winter’s days I might spend less than 10 minutes out in the cold.

However, for those on a pension, on a low wage, for single-parent families, those suffering illness or disability and many of the elderly and frail winter in Canberra is cold, bleak and harsh.

Many of these people are stuck in their homes most days. Heaters may be only turned on very sparingly or not at all as energy costs are high, as indeed are rents and mortgages in Canberra.

My daughter was recently distressed to hear that a friend was unable to have hot showers because the family had turned the gas off as the heating bills were too expensive.

My daughter was recently distressed to hear that a friend was unable to have hot showers because the family had turned the gas off as the heating bills were too expensive.

Many older Canberra homes are inadequately equipped for winter with poor insulation. Many older people particularly feel the cold and suffer in silence. One colleague recently told me she had found her elderly mother had covered all the windows in the house with blankets, shut off most of the rooms and retreated to the kitchen area in an effort to keep warm without resorting to the expense of using the heating system.

We all see the homeless members of our community living rough huddled in blankets and, if they are lucky, sleeping bags in alcoves in Civic and other places. For them, the winter must be truly horrible.

It is worth considering the next time you do a cupboard clean out if you really need that old

SONYA FLADUN

coat you haven’t worn in a decade or whether those old sleeping bags are ever going to see the light of day again. Please donate them to local charities, not things you can’t be bothered taking to the tip, but things that might really make a difference, you may help someone out and, who knows, even save a life.

Keep an eye out for the elderly in your street. If their blinds don’t go up as normal and rubbish bins are not going out, maybe politely knock on the door to say hello and check that they are okay. It will only take a minute.

If you are anyone like me, you probably have much less change in your pocket than you once did as we become increasingly a cashless society. I wonder how much this is affecting the wonderful organisations such as the Salvation Army, which provides help to people in winter. Maybe keep a little jar of coins to hand over every now and again.

If we can keep in mind that winter is harsher on some than others and do something that makes a difference, we’ll help those members of our community who really do feel the winter cold.

The woeful world of homelessness

There’s bugger-all housing in this town for single people earning low to average incomes.

LAST week saw the CEO Sleepout that again turned thoughts, momentarily, to the woeful state of our housing stock.

Without wanting to be critical of the CEOs, they are after all helping out in a way that they’ve been asked to, one night safe and dry on secure tiles doesn’t begin to replicate the homelessness experience.

For that they’d need to turn a hose on them at 3am and have the police rouse them out on to the streets, and then repeat it night after night, with no end in sight and no hope of anything better.

There are huge mental health issues surrounding the homeless on the streets of Australia, and even more so here in Canberra where, for six months, it’s far too cold to be sleeping outside for no good reason.

Beyond that, we have the problem that there’s bugger-all housing in this town for single people earning low to average incomes.

Ad hoc share housing has filled the gap with a great deal of legal uncertainty all around.

Banks at the moment won’t finance the purchase of small units, so there’s no demand for their construction, despite the rental market being white hot for granny flats.

CHC Community Housing has been experimenting with small units to their great credit, but at the moment they’re only funded for small-scale operations, the most recent being a nine-unit development.

So what does a

working person want in a unit to live in?

Having been bouncing in and out of share housing for quite some time now I can tell you the answer is not much.

A room big enough for a bookshelf, a desk, and a double bed seems to be the basic required.

Access to a shelf in a fridge, a laundry and somewhere capable of basic cooking is not too much to ask.

As a nice-to-have: some decent sound insulation between units would be ideal, but with advances in noise-cancelling wireless headphones that may not be necessary.

Working people have cars, so somewhere to park the car is a must. Problematically, this might require nearly as much space as the unit to house the person.

High-speed internet is absolutely required. If we’re going to live in a rabbit hutch our minds need to roam. Fortunately, high-density housing positively lends itself to high-speed internet.

Thousands of units as described, offered at the mark of $200 a week, would be very heavily subscribed in this town. They would take a lot of pressure off the rest of the housing stock, freeing up houses for families.

Part of the issue is that this sort of housing is unlikely to attract owner-occupiers. So we need to think of new housing models. The ACT government already has billions of dollars in housing stock, why not invest a bit more in the bare minimum needed to keep life and limb together?

If we want to be a vibrant, innovative city it’s the sort of safety net people need. It doesn’t have to be great, it just needs to be okay. In the process, we’d bring a lot of safety and certainty to a great number of vulnerable Canberrans.

John Griffiths is the on-line editor of citynews.com.au

JOHN GRIFFITHS

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.

Come and browse through our gift and jewellery range and enjoy our friendly service.

Trust the first casualty of scaremongering

BORDER protection, health or the economy? The Liberals want border protection or the economy as the prime debate in the election. Labor wants it to be health.

Both major parties are trying to scare us into their way of thinking. In the meantime, continuing to run a broad set of policies or “principles” are the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and other cross-bench candidates. Ordinary voters want to vote for someone they can trust.

Scare campaigns do work. Negative, accusatory politics have become the staple of elections. The extent of divisiveness in elections raises more barriers, moves further from evidence and creates further rifts in opinion and people. Both major parties deny the other’s accusations as they seek to fight an election on their own terms. These tactics work – but they undermine trust.

Both parties want us to trust them with a three-year dictatorship. They want a government that cannot be held accountable by the crossbench. PM Malcolm Turnbull recently used the ABC’s “Q&A” to advocate for the totally discredited “trickle-down” economic policies of his conservative colleagues. However, he reframed it arguing “Treasury found last year that for every dollar cut in company tax you got $4 of benefit of growth into the economy, into GDP.”

A question of trust. Poppycock! Andrew Wigley, a fourth-year economics student at Canberra University, points out that what Treasury actually presented in their paper “Understanding the economy wide efficiency and incidence of major Australian taxes” is quite different. The Treasury paper identifies a fourfold factor concerning a hypothetical tax increase not a cut (with all other taxes and expenditure remaining unchanged). Rather than multiplying by four, the factor divides by four.

The big issue is trust. No matter how it is framed by Turnbull, or anyone else, trickle-down economics simply favours big business. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. Societies become more divided.

The Prime Minister constantly reiterates Labor’s past failures to “stop the boats”. The Liberals would have us believe hordes of non-Christians are plying the oceans to attack the Australian way of life, to jump queues, to steal Australian jobs and to rip off our welfare system. They would have us believe only the Liberals can save Australia. After all, they copied the US and UK to change the name from Customs and Immigration to Border Protection.

The Labor leadership might plead the same policies

Scare campaigns do work. Negative, accusatory politics have become the staple of elections.

as the Coalition on boat people. However, the Liberals argue Labor cannot be trusted on refugees. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten might believe Labor will stand by a “stop-the-boats” policy – but can the bleeding hearts in Labor really be trusted not to overturn the policy? After all, Labor is simply attempting to neutralise the government’s favourite election platform.

Shorten has fought back accusing the Liberals of plans to cut Medicare arguing Turnbull’s denials, promises and reassurances cannot be trusted. First of all, the major cuts to hospitals and the freeze on the Medicare rebate remain in place. Thanks to the crossbench and Labor, the Coalition was unable to introduce the Medicare-destroying GP co-payment. Can the Liberals really be trusted not to deliver a death by a thousand cuts that turn our universal health system into a “haves and have-nots” system of health care?

The Liberals went into the last election with the leader promising “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”. Six months later the Budget ripped those promises asunder. Of course, that was Tony Abbott (who we could not trust) and this is Malcolm Turnbull (who is now asking to be trusted). The Prime Minister’s failure to override his ultraconservative backbench on issues such as gay marriage and climate change raises the question more of trusting the party.

The new electoral rules in the Senate put the preferences in the hands of the voters. Whichever major party goes into power – if there is a strong crossbench in the Senate, governments can be held accountable. They certainly have not earned the trust to have a majority in the Senate. With the new rules, smaller parties such as the Greens, the Sex Party, the Secular Party and the Mature Australia Party can all be numbered before the major party of choice with no risk of the vote being lost.

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

Kim’s not one to rock the boat

WOMEN’S sport has come a long way with the emergence of a National Women’s AFL and the women’s Big Bash. But it still has a long way to go.

The profile of women as sporting personalities continues to lag behind their male counterparts.

The hope is that this will change come the Olympic Games where nonmainstream sports assume coverage, which has been lacking over the previous four years.

A case in point is Kim Brennan, formerly Kim Crow. If ever there was an athlete deserving of greater recognition it is Canberra-based rower Kim Brennan.

Kim, coached on Lake Burley Griffin by Lyle McCarthy, hasn’t been beaten in the women’s single sculls on the world stage since 2014. Beyond

If ever there was an athlete deserving of greater recognition it is Canberra-based rower Kim Brennan.

rowing circles, many would not recognise her status in the sport or understand the sacrifices she has made to make it this far.

By her very nature she is not one who seeks a profile for her own benefit but more for the possibilities it creates for young women coming through in various sports.

A lawyer, she has juggled her sport and profession with distinction over the past four years.

She heads to Rio as the goldmedal favourite. The hope is that the interest generated in her performance will lead to another generation of young women taking up the sport.

Brumbies on the threshold of history

IF the Brumbies are to win the title this year it will go down as one of the greatest performances by a team in Super Rugby history.

In fact, to make the finals will take a Herculean effort from a side ravaged by injury and off-the-field turmoil for the first three months of the season.

With three games remaining before the playoffs the Brumbies and the Waratahs are locked together at the top of the Australian Conference on 34 points. Under the new finals system, the leading Australian side makes it through alongside the top teams from the South African and NZ Conferences.

The next three teams in the finals series are made up of the next best three teams overall, at the moment they are all NZ teams – the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Highlanders.

In the remaining three games the Brumbies face the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium,

TIM

GAVEL

the Blues in Auckland and the Western Force in Canberra. The Waratahs take on the Sun Wolves away from home, the Hurricanes at home and the Blues away.

For the Brumbies to remain in finals contention speaks volumes for the team given the off-field injuries to key players for much of the season. David Pocock, Jordan Smiler, Joe Tomane and Henry Speight are all out through injury while Ita Vaea was in career-best form when forced to retire earlier this year.

The off-field dramas earlier in the season may have prepared the team for anything that’s thrown in front of them in the remaining three games.

Angry clubs go to war against Labor

CANBERRA’S clubs have launched a full-frontal attack on the ACT Labor government responding to what they say is the Chief Minister’s decision to destroy the community club gaming model.

In May, Andrew Barr announced that he would introduce legislation in the Legislative Assembly in August seeking to allow, for the first time, poker machines into Canberra Casino.

ClubsACT says this breaks the memorandum of understanding Labor signed with clubs, which agreed to preserve the community club gaming model.

ClubsACT CEO Gwyn Rees introduced the “Don’t let ACT Labor destroy your club” campaign saying the Labor Government has turned its back on not-for-profit clubs and the role they play in the economic and social fabric of our community.

“Barr’s decision to help out the Hong Kong-owned casino has dire impacts on your club, the locals it employs and the community and sporting groups it supports,” says Rees.

“That’s why the new campaign will be activated across clubs in the ACT and include pull-up banners, posters, coasters and direct electronic mail-outs to over 100,000 Canberrans.”

Have you taken care of your

Will?

For $50, we can help.

Community Wills Day

Thursday 7 July 2016, 12pm-6pm at:

• Gungahlin – 104 The Valley Ave, Gungahlin

• Canberra City – Cnr Fawkner & Elouera St, Braddon

• Tuggeranong – Cnr Anketell & Reed St, Tuggeranong

The Salvos offer a community service in which generous local solicitors put Wills together in exchange for a $50 contribution to our community work. It’s a great way to make sure you have a Will that reflects your wishes and help people in crisis at the same time. There

Appointments essential. To make an appointment call Celia on 02 6270 3105 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, or email celia.nunez@aue.salvationarmy.org

For more information visit salvos.org.au/wills

letters

When will we ever learn?

WHEN I arrived in Australia in 1957, my first job at 17 was a jackaroo on a 7000-hectare sheep and cattle station at Gunnedah.

On my first weekend the cocky suggested I go for a walk, but not too far from the homestead. “Take a gun,” he advised. “And if you see anything move, except for the sheep and cattle, shoot it; snakes, big goannas, wedge-tail eagles, foxes or kangaroos.”

“If you see them, shoot them” was the instruction and it seems nothing has changed; sharks and crocodiles are killed because they eat people, kangaroos because they eat grass. All of which we invade their traditional territory!

When will we ever learn?

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On-Site Jeweller & designer • Remake • Repair • Laser solder & engraving

Cedric Bryant, Watson

Drug fighters need support

I SUPPORT the AFP and our border control authorities in keeping up to 30 tonnes of seized illegal drugs annually out of the hands of our kids. Those individuals and organisations telling parliamentarians and governments that such preventive action is somehow helping organised crime, overseas and locally, should have a deep rethink.

Given the enormity of the crime scene, it’s not surprising that the Australian Crime Commission estimates $500 million goes on countering serious and organised crimes.

Put briefly and simply for purpose of argument, let us assume that cigarettes and their smoking had been illegal the past 50 years, and that enablers of the product and its use had subverted the law for huge profits. Would society have accepted that the fault lay with the relevant prohibiting law and not the enablers? Would it have blamed the law for causing thousands of deaths annually?

Against this reasoning, ACC monies are in no way part of the problem, but an essential and very formidable part of the solution.

Colliss Parrett, Drug Advisory Council Australia, Barton

Avoid complacency

ALTHOUGH describing itself as a community newspaper, “The Chronicle” strangely does not print letters. However, it has commentators of its own, one being Senator Katy Gallagher.

Her recent column on voting painted a picture of continuous reforms by enlightened progressives “to make sure the full diversity of Australian voices are heard in our democratic institutions”, one of which was to right “an historic injustice” by giving Aborigines the right to vote in 1962.

This is misleading, because from 1850 colonial laws usually stated that all men (being British subjects) above the age of 21 could vote in elections. This included indigenous men, and in 1895 SA made laws that said that all adults could vote, including all women and therefore all indigenous women. This also applied in the NT, which was then controlled by the colony of SA.

In 1896, and for some years following, Aborigines at the Point McLeay settlement in SA voted in state and federal elections. These rights were severely restricted on federation, being non-existent in some states. Therefore the narrative of a “proud legacy” described by Ms Gallagher is on shaky ground. In fact some of the reforms were brought about by pressure from Britain and India (see aec.gov.au/indigenous/history.htm).

Her aim of ensuring that every voice is heard is again under threat. There was a failed attempt when her party was in power to appoint a press censor, and there are several “discrimination” commissions (and another promised by Labor) with the power to punish anyone who speaks freely if that happens to offend anyone.

In these intolerant times, offence is taken at anything one disagrees with and, in the absence of the fundamental right of free speech in Australia, all other rights are threatened. Voting is only one step towards ensuring your voice can be heard. The second is to avoid complacency about your rights.

P. Edwards, Weston Creek

grumpy about Canberra

Running of the Bulls in Pamplona... in Canberra we have the “Running of the Red

The running of the red lights

“Without a doubt, I consider Canberra drivers the worst and most inconsiderate in the world,” writes one very grumpy reader, sick of the red-light runners, the 4WD bullies and P-platers in utes…

PAMPLONA is the home of the “Running of the Bulls”, without question the biggest, craziest, action-packed festival on earth, where thousands take on the challenge of out-running rampaging bulls without getting seriously injured or even killed.

We have a similar, daily event in Canberra with the possibility of the same risk of injury or death. It is getting ever more popular, namely the “Running of the Red Lights”.

This practice is now getting totally out of control. As an example, driving from Civic to Dickson recently at 5.30pm, 11 red-light runners were seen; yes, red lights, not amber.

One of the best vantage points for viewing this local event is between 7am and 9am at the intersection of Flemington Road and the Federal Highway.

We are also fortunate in having numerous speedways, almost at our doorstep. Possibly the best one is the Tuggeranong speedway, which continues on to the Gungahlin Drive speedway, giving plenty of distance to get up to speed. Don’t try staying on the speed limit

or you tempt danger, especially from the 4WD bully boys, of whom I suggest are eligible to join the AAA Club (Arrogant And Aggressive).

Ute drivers are in a class of their own, especially with the dangerous combination of a powerful engine and P plates. Then we have an amazing number of drivers unhappy with the shape of their cars; why else would they enjoy the sport of tailgating?

It is interesting that so many modern cars are not fitted with indicator turning signals; why else would they not be used?

I drive regularly in Britain and Europe every couple of years from country lanes to high-speed motorways and without a doubt consider Canberra drivers the worst and most inconsiderate in the world.

It is just not possible to have enough police to change driver attitudes as deaths on our roads in the ACT last year climbed to 15 with 603 accidents resulting in injury.

Grumpy is an occasional column dedicated purely to things that get up your nose. Readers are invited to vent (no more than 300 words, please) at editor@citynews.com.au

Why parking will sink Manuka development

Retired Canberra barrister WARWICK DAVIS says it’s a “lunatic” proposal to allow developers to consume Manuka Oval

THE Manuka Oval development is a plainly lunatic proposition, a ruse to get a developer access to a prime site for commercial development, admittedly a very successful big project developer, with an admirable record. Who in their right mind would build a stadium of worthwhile size in the tiny pocket of Manuka Oval?

Stadiums need car parking (likewise, 1000 residential units). What parking demand could be generated by 140,000sqm of office and retail space? That size is about 10 equivalents of 10-12-storey major city towers. Westfield Belconnen has about 117,000sqm floor space. IKEA Majura has an 11,200sqm floor area plus 800 car parks.

The 140,000sqm office and retail space alone as projected for the project is a phenomenal size, or a mistake somewhere. Big is not bad, but inadequate car parking is the curse of Canberra. It is already notorious that Manuka is under supplied with car parking where it is anecdotally referred to as going into “lock down” during major events at the apparently too-small stadium: all car parks full to overflowing, traffic jams, cars parked on road reserves and verges, all rich pickings for the ACT government’s parking inspectors.

One more suitable nearby space is known as Symonston, between Fyshwick and the jail, which would be a synergistic location, providing a ready source of labour, to build and operate a stadium. The helicopter is nearby to take injured players back to their own treatment headquarters or maybe a Canberra hospital. What more can professional entertainment ask?

Or perhaps space next to Majura Road – a stadium for professional entertainment is a commercial activity.

Both areas are better served by road access than the tiny pocket of Manuka Oval nestled amongst a very pleasant, much-loved neighbourhood.

Out-of-town developers might not always grasp that the values, both financial and sentimental, which make this region so attractive to its residents and thus developers, is precisely that pleasant, long-established environment. It would disappear if visitors in a skyscraper are thought to be overlooking the neighbourhood and providing the inevitable increase in traffic, parking overflow, noise and rate costs.

A careful study of multi-unit sites in Canberra would demonstrate that our car-parking requirements are in reality inadequate, probably grossly inadequate.

The Sydney Olympics was especially successful in people attendances, because public transport serviced the crowds, efficiently and comfortably. Canberra does not have such services. The little red engine espoused by the current government (should that be the reds’ little engine?), even fully extended, will never shift the numbers to a stadium at the speed required to persuade the population to abandon car transport. Buses might.

Until that rapid mass-transport option is available, to and from the airport, rail station, all town centres and event locations, this is just a lunatic idea from out of towners looking for a great site.

Trading hours

• Winter – 10am to 4pm (last admission 3:30pm)

• Open every day except Christmas Day (weather permitting)

The Canberra Walk-In Aviary is a huge privately owned walk-in aviary where the friendly free flying birds can be observed, photographed and fed. The Walk-in Aviary’s owners developed the aviary as a way to enjoy and share their extensive collection of feathered friends. It is our mission to allow people to interact directly with the birds. Visitors to the aviary walk amongst approximately 500 birds representing 50 different species from Australia and around the world.

Unit 13 Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, NICHOLLS Phone 6230 2044 • Email micklogan@iinet.net.au canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

school holiday ideas

Lots of great choices for

LOOKING for activities and entertainment that’s sure to keep the children busy over the next two weeks?

Despite being cold out, there’s plenty to see and do around Canberra – whether it’s see a stage show, check out some animals or just burn energy on a tramp!

Prince of the puppets

WITH gorgeous puppets and its timeless message about the importance of friendship, “The Little Prince” will be performed at The Street Theatre this school holidays.

The production has been adapted by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre from the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The story, which is more than 70 years old, follows the Little Prince who leaves his tiny planet and begins a curious adventure when he meets a crashed pilot in the Sahara.

“I’d never come across another story quite like it,” says Mike Barlow, director of “The Little Prince”.

“It has such an air of magic and mystery and Jiri Zmitko’s design cleverly reveals the tiny world of the Prince, the Sahara desert and the stars of the night sky with hand-carved puppets of the Fox, the Snake, the Little Prince and the Rose.”

Running for 50 minutes the performance is suited to ages four and above.

“The Little Prince” at The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Civic, July 13-16. Visit thestreet.org.au or call 6247 1223.

Fossils to the fore at dinosaur museum

THE National Dinosaur Museum is home to Australia’s largest permanent dinosaur collection and holds daily tours on weekends and throughout the school holidays between 11am and 3pm.

According to education manager Phil Hore, the museum has a new amber fossil display, which includes fossilised mosquitoes and spiders.

Flipping out for fun

FLIP Out Trampoline Arena is great for all ages and gives kids the space to burn some energy and escape Canberra’s winter, says owner Rowena Hand.

Flip Out, which has centres in Hume and Mitchell, features a series of 80 trampolines joined together, giving adults, teens, kids and toddlers the chance to jump, spring, flip, twirl and tumble to their hearts’ content, with two dedicated areas for children under three and 10 years.

“Our biggest attraction is our foam pits, which are swimming

pools filled with chunks of foam. People jump on the trampolines and launch themselves into the awesome foam pit,” says Rowena.

Rowena says over the school holidays they will be running trials for their Little Ninja classes, which train kids in balance, co-ordination, agility and left and right motor receptors.

Flip Out Mitchell, 4/45 Dacre St, call 6255 5533.

Flip Out Hume, 30 Sawmill Circuit, call 6260 1991.

“Millions of years ago insects like this mosquito landed on a tree covered with seeping resin,” Phil says.

“They became trapped and eventually preserved in this sugary substance, which eventually turned to stone.

“Amber is extremely useful as it preserves everything; even the air bubbles you can see contain the atmosphere of these ancient times.”

These school holidays, the National Dinosaur Museum is teaming up with the Australian National Botanic Gardens to host “Prehistoric Garden Week” – where kids can find life-sized dinosaurs and plant fossils in the gardens.

National Dinosaur Museum, corner of Gold Creek Road and the Barton Highway, Nicholls. Call 6230 2655 or visit nationaldinosaurmuseum.com.au

advertising feature

top holiday entertainment

Getting close to lots of birds

GET up close and personal with a range of birds at the Canberra Walk-in Aviary.

The aviary is a 1000sqm planted walk-in enclosure that has about 550 birds from about 60 different species.

“The aviary is great fun for all ages. You have the chance to get up close and personal with a range of birds,” says Mick Logan, owner and manager of the aviary.

“While not all birds will interact with you, you get the chance to observe up close species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild.

“We give you a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds.”

Mick says that people are welcome to take photos of the birds.

“Providing the weather is fine you can have a great time feeding the birds or just observing our feathered friends,” Mick says.

Visit canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

Aladdin gets the full panto treatment

CANBERRA’S newly-launched MEB Entertainment and Events will be bringing its debut show “Aladdin” to the Gungahlin Theatre this school holidays.

Co-artistic director Leisa Keen says MEB is currently focused on providing quality entertainment for children, particularly in the Gungahlin area, however they have plans for future concerts, shows and events across the wider Canberra community.

“We are starting with ‘Aladdin’, at the Gungahlin Theatre, which stars some of the best musical

Here comes the Doctor!

“DR DOLITTLE” will be brought to life on stage over the school holidays by the Child Players ACT’s Child Play children’s theatre group. The production is an original play adaptation by BJ Anyos from the books by Hugh Lofting.

“Child Play is a unique theatre-training program created by BJ Anyos, our artistic director, which this year provides 42 children aged between 10-16 with the opportunity to learn all aspects of theatre, both on and off-stage,” says production manager Kathy Thomas.

“Participants are formed into two casts and while one cast is onstage the other cast are backstage.

“The backstage roles include stage management, lighting, recorded and live sound, props and make-up.

“Dr Dolittle’s Circus” will be performed at theatre@bcs, Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, July 7-9 and July 13-16 at 10.30am and 2pm.

Visit childplayers.com.au or for tickets visit canberrarep.org.au or call 6257 1950.

theatre performers in Canberra,” Leisa says.

“In true, traditional pantomime style, Aladdin is filled with contemporary and fun music that everyone will know and love, silly slapstick humour, fabulous singing and dancing, and colourful costumes to light up the stage.

“Aladdin”, at Gungahlin Theatre, July 6-16. Adults at children’s prices. Visit mebevents.com or via ticketebo.com.au

sundayROAST

Be part of the conversation every Sunday – call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon

At the Winter Festival in the City launch, Garema Place

At the opening of Black Market bar, New Acton

Canberra Confidential

Old school bites back

HAS “The Canberra Times” finally bitten the hand that has fed it for years?

To the chagrin of competing media, government spinners have shamefully spoonfed the acquiescent daily paper with briefings and interviews ahead of the general news announcements. But now, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has perhaps unwisely boasted to a Budget estimates hearing of having taken “great pleasure” in cancelling his subscription to “The Canberra Times”. He’d got snarky with Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson, who’d cheekily asked Barr about the “smell” around the 15-year-old Labor government, listing a series of possible scandals covered by the paper to bolster his question. This sparked the Chief Minister into pasting the paper as “a tired old journalism outfit… a decaying forum in terms of readership and interest”.

Bad move, Andrew. It flushed out former editor Jack Waterford with a masterful commentary that dissected the various odours around the government and concluded: “Barr’s model of modern government is decaying and out of date, and he has not adapted to the times or to circumstance. I expect this news organisation will be around, in its multiple forms, as he goes out the door.”

Then, for good measure, by Saturday the paper’s political reporter Kirsten Lawson, in another piece of masterful writing, helpfully and forensically recited the players, the roles and the circumstances of the growing catalogue of issues beleaguering Barr. It’s inspiring to see the “Times” demonstrating the kind of old-school, defiant, daily paper journalistic leadership the city needs as we head to judging this government and the company it keeps at the October election.

Going to the dogs

THE place is going to the dogs on the weekend of July 1-3 when Dogs ACT’s Extravaganza bumps into Exhibition Park.

Open to the public, the three-day celebration of all things canine includes Veterans’ Grand Parade, a Breeders of Distinction wine and cheese evening and the Top Dog Night. Somewhere in there is the Plush Puppy Grooming Competition, which 20-year-old novice

clipper Caitlin Howship has her (steady) eye on.

From bather to full-time groomer in only a couple of months, Caitlin is excited to be making her competition debut.

“I love learning about different styles and learning the skills to transform dogs into even more gorgeous bundles of fluff,” she says.

More about Dogs ACT’s Extravaganza at dogsact.org.au

Time will tell

Toby Hartley in a droll Facebook post he quirkily labelled “10 Years from Now – your future memories” writes: “I forgot to take my car off line yesterday; it was out all night taking fares on UberDrone and there’s not enough time to recharge it. Doh!

“So I had to catch the new light rail into work today. Not bad, about time they got it running. Of course, I had to walk the last bit because they still haven’t finished the roadwork on Constitution Avenue.”

Moore or less

POLITICAL columnist and former independent MLA Michael Moore was asked at the end of an appearance on 2CC’s news and current affairs program “The CityNews Sunday Roast” if he had any election tips.

An indefatigable believer in the value of crossbenchers and minority goverments, Moore offered the following formula for Senate “accountability with no risk of a vote going to minor parties or groups with whom you vigorously disagree”: Start by putting the number 6 against the major party you like LEAST. Put a number 5 against the other major party. Then fill in numbers 1, 2, 3,

4 against the minor parties in order of your preference.

Colourful news

UP there with the revelation that Ikea has thicker walls than other stores because of Canberra’s weather, is the reassuring news that Singapore Airlines is on track for its September first flight out of Canberra, according to ACT/NSW manager Greg McJarrow, who went on to let slip to “The Canberra Times” that the airline had been involved with the development of the airport’s new international lounge – including the colour of the chairs. No, really.

Size doesn’t matter

ANU researchers with clearly too much time on their hands have been looking at the breeding habits of fish to test the theory that bigger genitals make males more attractive or successful in fathering offspring.

When it comes to fish, they found females don’t find males with big genitals any more attractive than those with normal or smaller genitals.

The findings contradict two previous ANU studies, which found that larger penis size had a positive relationship with fish paternity success, and human research which found women rate men with a larger penis as more attractive.

arts & entertainment

When the dumplings couldn’t keep up

Wendy Johnson

Dami Im shares a secret arts in the city

By Helen Musa

WHEN Dami Im steps on to The Playhouse stage to perform songs made famous by Karen and Richard Carpenter, she’ll be more than just a singer-songwriter – she’ll be a national symbol.

For the Seoul-born musician and runner up in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest speaks volumes for multicultural Australia and the richness of its component cultures.

Her touring show, where she plays and sings with her band, will feature songs from her fourth album “Classic Carpenters”, such as “Yesterday Once More”, “Close To You” and “We’ve Only Just Begun”, as well as her own hits and her 2016 Eurovision song, “Sound of Silence”.

I catch up with Dami during an all-too-rare sojourn at home in Logan City, Brisbane, for which she is cultural ambassador and where she lives with her husband Noah Kim. Fortunately, she tells “CityNews”, he travels with her all the time, including to Stockholm – “that helped a lot”. Dami’s enormous success on “The X Factor Australia” is not a case of an untutored star rising to the top. Far from it.

“My mum went to a prestigious singing school in Korea and holds a degree in music,” she says. It was in piano that Dami was formally trained from age five. Emigrating with her family to Queensland at age nine, she began studying piano and violin at the Young Conservatorium of Music program at age 11. She was a national finalist in the Yamaha Youth Piano Competition, graduated from the University of Queensland with a first in music, then did a masters of arts degree in contemporary voice at Griffith University. Obviously, a classical career beckoned.

But there was always a secret musical life for Dami. Besotted with that Korean music phenomenon K-Pop, she taught herself that style in her bedroom when mum wasn’t watching and “learnt all the moves”.

She ventured into gospel singing at Christian youth camps, too. As well, she says: “I used to go to karaoke when I was young and when Koreans go to a karaoke room it’s serious, you go there just to sing.”

This, I tell her, coincides with opera singer Sumi Jo’s assertion that karaoke lies at the basis

of the international success of Korean singers.

“That’s fine with me if Sumi Jo says so”, she says. She and her mum are huge fans of the Koreanborn superstar.

From an early age, a singing career was her dream.

“But it’s no easy thing to achieve, so when the opportunity to be in ‘X Factor’ came up I jumped at it,” Dami says.

“I was terrified, but I thought, I’ll give it a go.”

She went on to win the fifth season of “The X Factor Australia”, which in turn led to a recording contract and four studio albums, one of which,

“Dami Im”, went to platinum sales. She co-wrote eight songs on her third album, “Heart Beats”.

And, as everyone knows, these successes culminated in her appearance as Australia’s representative for Eurovision this year.

“I was representing the country and it was the first year we had to go in the semi-finals,” she says in reference to the fact that Guy Sebastian

was fast-tracked into the finals in 2015, so the adrenalin was rushing. “But once I got the votes to go into the grand final I felt a bit more relaxed.”

Used to huge performance arenas as she is, Dami craves more intimacy as she embarks on a 35-city tour including Canberra, with her Carpenters show.

“Big venues are exciting, but so is me playing the piano with a live band,” she says.

“I like performing in smaller places… when the audience’s eyes are on me, I feel as if I’m talking to them.”

And the future? Apart from more of her current success, it’s to “keep being an artist and musician – and to keep writing songs. I just want to explore more and see what I can do,” she says.

“Yesterday Once More: Classic Carpenters”, The Playhouse, July 16. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

Tim shares secrets from the funny side

By Helen Musa

COMEDIAN Tim Ferguson will be back in the town that originally spotted his talent with a two-day, comedy writing masterclass. “Comedy’s not a mysterious art,” the former member of the Doug Anthony Allstars says. “It’s a craft. It can be learned”. Beginners and professionals are welcome. The Courtyard Studio, July 9-10, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

NEWS is to hand from Paris that former Canberran Fuchsia Bullot, now a dancer with the Lido de Paris, has so far this year performed at the Cinema Against AIDS gala during the Cannes Film Festival, at DJ David Guetta’s UEFA EURO 2016 preopening concert and in the video clip of “Ladies and Gentlemen” by French singer Amalya.

ARTSIT Julie McCarron-Benson has given us a sneak preview of her entries in the 2016 Archibald, Sulman and Wynne prizes, among them a portrait titled “The Opera Dude: Carl Rafferty”, her impression of the well-known Opera by Candlelight series founder.

THE Griffyn Ensemble will raise the roof on election night with music for harp, flute and soprano and promises “a greater depth of spiritual enlightenment than any election coverage you may find on the TV that night”. The centrepiece will be Górecki’s “Good

Night”. At Belconnen Arts Centre, Saturday, July 2. Bookings to griffyn. iwannaticket.com.au

CHILD Players ACT is presenting “Dr Dolittle’s Circus”, adapted by director BJ Anyos from the books by Hugh Lofting. Forty-two children, aged 10 to 16, will join in the good doctor’s journey to Africa to help a tribe of monkeys. At the Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, July 7-16. Bookings to canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950 or cash at the door.

ELSEWHERE, Nina Stevenson and musical director Emma Zen will stage “The Frog Prince” in which children play the evil Queen Malicia, Witch Toejam, Figaro the Mafia Cat and Chumley the butler as well as the much nicer Aurora and Denis the Dragon. At St Paul’s Anglican Church Hall, Manuka, July 2-8. Bookings to bookings@pied-piper.com.au or 0402 409435.

BEES’ habitat momentarily becomes art in the Nishi Gallery’s coming exhibition of man-made structures designed to give bees refuge when they swarm. These “safe houses” for bees will be installed in the bush, city and suburbs in spring. It’s a star line-up of artists, including Shauna Toohey (of Perks and Mini) and natural beekeeper and Honey Fingers founder Nic Dowse. “Swarm Trap”, 17 Kendall Lane, New Acton, until July 10.

musical theatre

A little magic comes to the north

By Helen Musa

IF you’re into showbiz, life in Gungahlin has its limits, says Canberra musical director, pianist, bandleader and mum Leisa Keen as she embarks on a holiday production of “Aladdin” bringing fun to the kids of the north.

Armed with a first-class cast of actor-friends and line-up dancers provided by Michelle Heine, of Legs Dance School, Keen is directing the show, making all the costumes and headwear and even playing a cameo part as the Empress Oolong.

“Clearly I didn’t have enough to do,” Keen jokes as she tells “CityNews” that this will be a proper traditional panto, complete with pop songs to please the kids and corny jokes with double entendre for their parents.

Yes, Aladdin’s mum the Widow Twankey (originally named after a tea) will be there and the wicked fake uncle, the beautiful princess, the genie and the unlikely hero, Aladdin himself.

There will be plenty of panto jokes such as “He’s behind you” or “Oh, no you’re not (oh, yes I am)” from David Cannell as the Dame, arch villainy from Michael Moore as the wicked uncle/magician Abanazar, laziness from Tim Sekuless as Aladdin, beauty from Amy Dunham as Princess Jasmine,

gags from Fraser Findlay as the comic laundryman Wishee Washee and magic from Max Gambale as the Slave of the Lamp.

Much of the production, Keen says, will be familiar, with the Widow’s Chinese laundry and Aladdin’s fantasy palace conjured up from the paintbrush of veteran set designer Ian Croker. But watch out for the magical flying carpet, created by the animators at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment in Watson, who are using projections and other genie-like tricks to give the impression of motion.

Keen praises the theatrical efforts of director Richard Block, whose productions of musicals such as “Into The Woods” and “Catch Me If You Can” have been attracting adult audiences to the impressive theatre facility at Gungahlin College. But that’s not much help to little ones like Keen’s two sons, Josh, aged nearly 4 and Ben, nearly 3.

With this in mind, she and her musician/ photographer partner Steve McGrory have formed an entertainment company in following their mutual dream to create something new for Gungahlin.

Keen is a top musical director-coach (think “The Phantom of the Opera” and Rep’s “Showtune”) and keeps up a cracking pace as one of Canberra’s most sought-after voice and piano teachers.

“My diary is pretty full,” she says, especially the after-school slot, which she is locked into before she picks up the boys from childcare.

Keen says: “There is a sad lack of entertainment in the Gungahlin area for children, so we have bitten the bullet and are now trying to rectify that situation”.

“Aladdin”, Gungahlin Theatre, July 6-16, two shows a day. Bookings to mebevents.com

Warning all earthlings: ‘Day’ of trash dawns

By Dougal Macdonald

“Independence Day: Resurgence” (M)

TWENTIETH Century Fox has big bucks (reportedly $US165 million) riding in this one, so it’s scarcely surprising that they’re promoting it as the best thing since sliced bread.

I watched its first Canberra screening in a cinema where the only other patron walked out after about 45 minutes. I salute you, sir, for your perceptiveness.

Its thesis is that, unbeknown to those earthlings whose business it is to watch out for approaching danger – asteroids and such – suddenly a giant spacecraft is venting malevolence on us earthlings.

Science and military minds co-operate in dealing with it until a matter of seconds before it achieves its objective – to drill into Earth’s core and extract the heat energy stored there. For close to two hours, the screen is filled with CG images of things that cannot exist in nature and things that mankind has yet to build. Destruction is rife.

There is an audience out there that will flock to see this kind of baloney, malarkey, brou-ha-ha, spectacle gone insane, imagination running riot and argue vociferously that it’s great cinema. Enjoy, people.

“Independence Day: Resurgence”, director Roland Emmerich’s sequel to what, for 20 years, I’ve been proud to call the worst movie I’ve ever seen, is exploitative trash. I cannot in conscience commend it to people who like to think about their movies even while enjoying their escapist values.

At all cinemas

“Mustang” (M)

IN Turkish actress Deniz Gamze Erguven’s writing (in collaboration with French writer Alice Winocour) and directing debut, five sisters whose mother has died leaving them in the care of grandmother, confront a traditional attitude toward growing up in a village that modern attitudes have not penetrated.

When grandmother sees them splashing in the sea after summer holidays begin, the house becomes a prison with steel-barred windows.

Growing through that exciting stage when bodies change shape, when new feelings bring problems that a mother’s guidance might help them understand but which grandmother is adamantly refusing to countenance, when boys are more than merely other youngsters of similar age, the sisters follow individual paths at the hands of the village’s older women.

The oldest gets married to a man she doesn’t know. The middle one avoids pregnancy not by abstinence but by the other foolproof method. The youngest, Lale, is the film’s true heroine, silently amassing what she needs to guide her sisters out of their confinement.

The adult male characters conform to the behaviours that the women direct. Yet it’s not a chick flick. It’s an unexpected delight.

At Palace Electric

“Everybody Wants Some” (MA)

“Everybody Wants Some” is writer/director Richard Linklater’s observation of seven young men during the weekend before studies begin in 1980 at South Eastern University in Texas. In its early stage the film pays more attention to baseball than academic matters. Jake (Blake Jenner) has been assigned to a house with six other players all strangers to each other. Their individual and joint behaviours take up much of the film’s nearly two hours.

At one of the many parties where much liquor gets drunk and regurgitated, where young women fend off invitations to lock the bedroom door to avoid interruption, Jake and Beverly (Zoey Deutch) make a date for what will become a pleasant conversation that may endure or may not.

The weekend is countdown to Monday morning’s reality. And that’s it in a nutshell, an agreeable, sometimes obsessively juvenile, time for discovery of freedom, responsibility, friendship. It’s watchable, even nostalgic for we who’ve survived walking a similar path.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

dining

When the dumplings couldn’t keep up

I COULD stand staring in the window of Braddon’s Yat Bun Tong Dumpling House and watch delicate dumplings being made for hours.

I wouldn’t have the patience to fuss filling thinly rolled, tiny pieces of dough and then tenderly sealing the edges of each dumpling by pressing or crimping, but am glad the staff do.

Yat Bun Tong opened about three months ago on Lonsdale Street and we dashed over for lunch on the recommendation of a foodie friend.

The menu is a veritable encyclopedia of Chinese dishes, complete with photos. One photo of dumplings neatly arranged in a bamboo steamer – a combination of chicken, beef and vegetables in three colours (natural, green and orange) – caught our eye so we selected that to start ($14.80 for 12).

Sizzling squid in XO sauce ($19.80) was our next choice and then deepfried pork chops with spicy peppery salt ($16.80) and Chinese broccoli with ginger shallot (also comes with garlic, $14.80).

The first dish arrived with lightning speed. We were surprised it was the squid. It was obvious the dumplings were the way to begin lunch so asked staff to hold back on the other mains until we caught up. The dumplings were as fresh as and all the more tasty when dipped into the selection of sauces sitting on the table.

The squid missed the mark. It was thickly cut, tough and rubbery. Management didn’t disagree when we asked for the dish to be exchanged. They handled our concern well, even offering a refund if we’d prefer.

Lunch ramped up several notches when we got stuck into the pork chops. They were sensational. The meat was tender and the spicy peppery salt just as it promised to be. We substituted the squid with kung po plump prawns

The menu is a veritable encyclopedia of Chinese dishes, complete with photos.

($19.80), served with crunchy cashews, vegetables and more chilli. And to inject more vitamins into our system, we munched on the crispy, bright green broccoli.

The décor at Yat Bun Tong Dumpling House is warm and inviting. The space is large, with wood a predominant design feature. The tables are deep and wide, to accommodate the sharing of dishes, but the chairs exceptionally low and uncomfortable for eating (especially for the vertically challenged like me). Our glass table top needed a good clean – it was streaky and sticky.

The service at Yat Bun Tong was friendly and while staff seem keen to please, the service needs fine tuning. We waited too long for our bill and had to flag someone down so we could head off for the rest of the afternoon. It was strange given that we arrived towards the tail end of lunch when the place was far from packed out.

Yat Bun Tong, Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Licensed and BYO. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Call 6152 0880.

the advantage of being a Diggers Club member at the Heritage Nursery

gardening

Planting and pruning time for apples and pears

NOT only is it planting time for apples and pears, but it’s also pruning time.

Books have been written about pruning these sort of fruit trees, making it sound so incredibly complicated.

So I have tried to simplify the process, combined with some suggestions from the Royal Horticultural Society.

• Firstly, remove crossing-over branches that can be exposed to bark damage as they rub against each other.

• Next, remove all diseased, damaged or dead wood.

• Then shorten the previous year’s growth on main branches by about a third. Leave all laterals (side shoots) unpruned because they develop fruit buds in their second year. Once again thin out any crossing-over branches.

• It is a good idea with older trees to cut back some of the older, fruited branches to a new young shoot closer to the trunk.

SOME old, possibly neglected trees may require more drastic treatment and long-neglected apple and pear trees may require the expertise of an arborist.

The main aim is to open the tree into a goblet shape to allow plenty of sun into its centre.

More professional advice can be gleaned from the Horticultural Society of Canberra’s fruit tree and rose-pruning session at its trial garden in Bruce on Saturday, July 30. Additional rose pruning demonstrations will be held on the southside in Hughes on July 31.

THERE’S still time to plant winter-flowering annuals such as the three “P’s”, polyanthus, primula and pansies. Keep an eye out for new-release pansies at local garden centres that include the spreading Cool Wave Pansy “Lemon Surprise”, which is perfect for hanging gardens. Equally lovely is Cool Wave Pansy “Blue

Like annuals, they will normally be in full flower about six to eight weeks

It’s planting and pruning time for apples and pears.

after planting, provided they have been fed regularly, preferably with a liquid-plant food.

I AM often asked at this time of the year if spring is arriving early. This is usually prompted by sightings of Prunus mume, the flowering apricot in flower at this time. Sorry to say that this is the normal time for this tree to flower.

TREE-growing expert John Bowie’s subject will be propagation, including grafting, at the next garden talk at The Garden Nursery, Macgregor, 10.30am on Tuesday, July 5. Don Franklin will talk about fruit tree pruning on July 12. All free talks are indoors and should be booked at 6254 6726.

Jottings...

• Now’s a good time to treat lawn mowers to an oil change, new blades and a touch up of rusting paintwork.

• Clean and sharpen secateurs in readiness for rose pruning.

• For winter into spring colour plant delphiniums and dianthus.

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

This week the pull between work responsibilities and home duties may leave you feeling overwhelmed (especially on Thursday). The New Moon signals that it’s time for a brand new domestic chapter. Some Rams will renovate, move house, welcome a new house-mate, or start afresh with a stressed relative. Whatever you do, family should come first. So your motto for the week is from birthday great, the Dalai Lama: “A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation of your life.”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Busy Bulls need to balance being cautious with being adventurous – which is an interesting juggle! There are some new faces in your neighbourhood that are waiting to meet you. So it’s time to ricochet out of your usual routine, and get out and about in your local community. But consider the consequences of what you say (especially on Thursday). If you are stubborn or possessive, then you could find yourself deep in a disagreement or messy misunderstanding.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Monday’s New Moon shines a spotlight on money matters. If your finances are in a mess, then you need to develop some fiscal skills (with the help of a professional). Creativity and compassion are high on Tuesday, but there’s also a tendency to scatter your energy all over the place. Communicating with others will be complicated on Thursday, as you dig beneath the surface and get to the bottom of an old emotional issue. Curiosity is high on Sunday, so keep your mind suitably stimulated.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Expect power-plays in close relationships on Thursday. If you try to do too much, then you’ll just end up feeling super stressed. So relax, pace yourself, and take things one step at a time. Sometime between Friday and Sunday, Jupiter sends a lucky break via social media or community connections. Activities involving communication, education and travel are also favoured. So get networking and make the most of any fortuitous opportunities that come your way.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Stop wasting time trying to control people and situations (especially on Thursday and Friday). Wonderful opportunities are around – but they’re not immediately obvious. They are hidden in unexpected places, waiting for you to discover them. Lions love to be centre stage but - at the moment - some of your best work is behind the scenes. Others may not notice [or appreciate] what you’re doing this week, but your efforts will be well-rewarded in the weeks and months to come.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

This week Jupiter and Mars encourage you to stop worrying and start doing. Aim to be more proactive about appreciating and protecting your neighbourhood and local environment. If you network with like-minded souls, then you really can achieve a lot. Think global; act local! And be inspired by the Dalai Lama (born on July 6, 1935): “It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the environment in which we live.”

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Librans are clever and capable but are you confident enough for big time success?

The New Moon’s in your career zone, so it’s time to assume a leadership role. Venus and Mars promise romance, friendship and fun on Wednesday and it’s also a terrific time to socialise with colleagues, as you mix business with pleasure. Your deft diplomatic skills are needed on Thursday, when someone is spoiling for a fight. Step in and play the peace-maker – but don’t get caught in the cross-fire!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

The New Moon boosts your brain power and curiosity so it’s time to read, research or study something new. Planning your next business trip, heavenly holiday or weekend escape is also a good idea. But Thursday and Friday will be difficult days, when you have a strong desire to persuade others to do what YOU want them to do. Resist the urge to manipulate others, and don’t let family and friends push your emotional buttons. Remember – the only person you can control is you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Those around you can expect some boisterous behaviour from yours truly so try to burn off excess fiery energy via physical activities and vigorous outdoor adventures. From Friday through until Sunday, Lady Luck smiles benevolently on you, so make sure you capitalise on it. The positive Jupiter aspects are particularly fabulous for work, business, financial matters and making fortuitous professional contacts. For smart, self-motivated Sagittarians – the sky’s the limit!

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

With peacemaker Venus (plus the Sun, Moon and Mercury) visiting your partnership zone, it’s a wonderful week to improve your close relationships or smooth over problems with a cranky colleague. Thursday looks tricky though, as Plutonic compulsions and obsessions complicate communication. You’ll find the more you try to assert your authority, the more difficult things will be. Just remember – you can’t be the boss all the time. So strive to be more democratic.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

It’s a wonderful week for work matters, as you use a combination of charm and chutzpah to get what you want – in the most delightful way. Don’t expect perfect results though. Sometimes mistakes lead you off in surprising new directions. From Friday until Sunday, Jupiter encourages you to support others. Be inspired by actor Tom Hanks (born on July 9, 1956): “We can choose to approach our fellow human beings with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candour.”

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Do you underestimate your creative talents? This week, Mercury forms a fabulous aspect with your ruler Neptune, so make sure you express your creativity for all the world to see. Don’t be shy! As fellow Piscean Steve Jobs said: “Creativity is just connecting things.” It’s also a fortuitous week to enjoy a romantic interlude with your partner, fix a floundering friendship or find a fabulous new love. But don’t sit around waiting for Cupid’s arrow to strike. You need to be proactive!

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2016 Daily astrology updates at twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore

General knowledge crossword No. 554

Jai and Kay came by with some small-business questions they needed answered before the end of the financial year.

Kay said they had done their year-end tax planning, but wanted guidance on what to in July to ensure they were set for the financial year ahead.

I asked if they had converted to “super stream”. Kay said they were planning to do it for the super payment they make in July.

Down

3 Which Australian magazine was founded in 1880 by J Archibald and J Haynes?

7 Who is emerging as an outstanding TV quiz show host, Andrew ...?

8 What do we call the transpositions of the letters of words or sentences, to form new ones?

9 Which small keyboard instrument resembles the harpsichord?

10 What is the angular distance north or south from the equator?

11 What do we call appointments, especially between lovers?

14 What are soft, round, peakless caps?

17 Which other term describes a plunderer?

18 Name the patron saint of England.

19 To extend across, is to do what?

20 Which city hosted the Olympic Games in 2000?

21 What are estates attached to a manor house, reserved for the owner’s use?

1 What is the captain of a ship known as?

2 What do we call the females of the donkey?

3 Name what is generally considered the most influential of pop groups.

4 What is another name for brown coal?

5 To speak evil of, is to do what?

6 What are baby rabbits called?

11 When one is persuaded by allurement, one is what?

12 On which part of a ship were miscreants once hung?

13 Name another term for wigs.

14 Who wrote “A Clockwork Orange”, Anthony ...?

15 What are official writings, intended to be preserved?

16 Name Roy Rogers’ horse.

“Within the last few days, the Australian Taxation Office has stated that, for small businesses, the date for commencing super stream has been extended to October 28,” I advised them.

“This means you can change to super stream for either your July or October payments. There are a number of ways that you can become super-stream compliant and these are all listed at ato.gov. au/super/superstream.

“As your staff members are all in the same fund, you could just pay super to that fund. You should be able to use your payroll software to pay the super.

“You can also use the ATO small business clearing house so that you can pay super for different funds in one hit. It appears to be easy to use and we can assist you in registering and setting up your employees. It may be a good option if you put on any new employees who are in different funds.”

I told them that as they were both members of their own selfmanaged super fund, they didn’t have to register their fund for super stream and could continue to pay super as they have done.” Jai wondered if there was anything they needed to do for their employees for the 2017 year.

“Well Jai, the most important thing is that new award rates apply from July 1,” I said.

“The Fair Work Commission announced a 2.4 per cent increase to the minimum wage effective from the first payday after July 1. Wages in all modern awards will also increase by 2.4 per cent.

“To confirm your award rates, I suggest you check the Fair Work website fairwork.gov.au regularly to see when new award wages are ratified. You should increase your employee salaries by 2.4 per cent pending confirmation of the new rates and make any necessary adjustments after the rates are known.

“There are often changes to the tax tables. This year the majority of tax tables have not changed, but there are changes to the HECS/ Help deduction rates. This affects any staff members that you have with a HECS/Help debt.”

“You need to provide your staff with their payment summaries by July 14. You then need to send your payment summary copies to the ATO by August 14 (or September 30 if you have a tax agent). Your date will be September 30. We will lodge your ‘EMPDUPE’ file with the ATO, which contains the details of the payment summaries.” Kay was grateful for my advice and felt the couple could move into the new financial year confident they were doing all the right things.

If you need help with your end of year requirements or any other small business matter contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd