CityNews 190314

Turnbull’s grenade sets off Labor glee

MICHAEL MOORE

Sweet riesling with a bite

RICHARD CALVER

Flower power of good pruning

CEDRIC BRYANT

THE

KEATING CONVERTED TO

Jonathan Biggins and the ‘Gospel According to St Paul’

G et 10 % of f o n e n ro lment o n Fr anco p honie D ay !

ACT Seniors Week

18-24 March 2019

Love later life

Dementia

Friendly Communities

Come along and listen to a presentation about Dementia Friendly Communities and find out what being a dementia friend means When: 2—3pm

Where: Lakeview Ballroom, Tuggeranong Community Centre, Greenway

Cost: free

Run by Dementia Australia

Why have a Will and Enduring Power of Attorney

A forum on the importance of having a valid and up-to-date Will and Enduring Power of Attorney.

• Lucky door prizes

• Free PTG Will voucher for all attendees

• Light refreshments provided When: 6—8pm

Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong, Pitman St & Holwell Street, Greenway

Cost: free, bookings essential — call 6207 9800

Presented by the Public Trustee and Guardian

ACT Street Orienteering Series

EARLY BIRD EVENTS

Free online safety presentations

Keen to improve your digital literacy but want help addressing online safety? Join in free webinar presentations from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. All of the webinars are suited to beginner users – with information available for those who are new to webinars. Find out more and to book your spot: https://beconnected. esafety.gov.au/bookings

• Safer online shopping and banking, Tue 12 March, 10:30am

• Can you spot a scam? Tax time edition, Thu 14 March, 2pm

ALL WEEK

Free travel on ACTION buses

Seniors Card holders will be able to get free bus travel during ACT Seniors Week. Simply tag on and off using your ACT Seniors/ MyWay Card and you will not be charged.

MON 18 MARCH

Gentle Walking Group

Are you a carer? Why not try Carers ACT’s gentle walking group. Members have a drink or coffee together after walking for around 45 mins together. When: Every Monday morning, 7.45am

Where: meet outside Kippax Aldi, 50 Hardwick Cres, Kippax Cost: free

More information contact Carers ACT on 6296 9982

Explore Your Creative Side

Guest artist J’Qui leads an art and craft workshop with transformative masks. It’s not too late to create!

When: 10:30am—12:30pm

Where: The Central Day Club, 20 Galore St, Crace

Cost: free, bookings required to Goodwin on 6175 5650

Have a go at Taoist Tai Chi

Older people and Taoist Tai Chi arts are a perfect match. Improve balance, strength, flexibility, calmness and be part of a supportive community.

When: 10:30am

Where: Upstairs, 65 Dundas Court, Phillip Cost: free For bookings or more information: 6249 6117 or act@taoist.org

Come and try SMARTMOVES

Come and try SMARTMOVES –an exercise class specifically for older people. Plenty of parking available, air-conditioned venue and coffee available after class. All welcome.

When: 10:30am

Where: Alive Health Club, Cnr Hindmarsh Dr and Jerrabomberra Ave, Narrabundah

Cost: free

Contemporary Dance class for Seniors @ Canberra Dance Theatre

No previous dance experience is necessary for this contemporary dance class focusing on body awareness, fitness, coordination and creativity. The class is designed for people who are able to move independently and without mobility aids. Wear loose comfortable clothes, and either bare feet or socks.

When: 10.30—11.50am

Where: Canberra Dance Theatre, 1 Kingsley St, Canberra (Cnr Barry Drive)

Cost: free for new people

More information: 0435 025 365/ canberradancetheatre@gmail. com

Cost: free for first class

More information: Louise Frodyma 0411 270 410

Seniors’ Morning Tea @ The Tradies

Enjoy complimentary coffee/tea, light refreshments and live entertainment

When: 9:30am—11:30am

Where: The Dickson Tradies, 2 Badham St, Dickson

Cost: free

Bookings required 6162 5656 Genealogy in the Gaidhealtachd

Hear from Graeme Mackenzie, Chairman of the Association of Highland Clans and Societies of Scotland. The Highlands day will comprise of two sessions, lunch and tea. You can register for one or two sessions with or without lunch.

• Session 1: Genealogy in the Highlands

• Session 2: History and culture of the Highlands

When: 10am—4pm

Where: Griffith Neighbourhood Centre, Stuart Street, Griffith

Orienteering is a navigation sport where you visit checkpoints using a map. You decide on your own route to get around the course, as long as you visit each checkpoint in order. Orienteering is for all speeds, fast and slow. Many people walk the course.

When: 6pm registration, 6:10pm briefing, 6:15pm start Where: Canopus Crescent, Giralang.

Cost: $5 for individuals or groups

More information: call 02 6162 3422 or go to http://act.orienteering.asn.au/ eventor/events/details/7899/

Come and try BungyPump

Come and find out about the benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and try them out.

When: 9:30am

Where: Peace Park (below National Library) Parkes Pl, Parkes

Cost: free, bookings essential to 0404 373 157 or duncan@ bungypump.com.au

TUE 19 MARCH

Chief

Minister’s Concert

Join the Band of the Royal Military College for a big band show at the historic Albert Hall.

When: 11am and 1pm

Where: Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave, Yarralumla

Cost: Gold coin donation Bookings: Required through COTA ACT 6282 3777 or www.cmc19. eventbrite.com.au.

CLOG into Health and Wellbeing

Come and try Clogging (sort of like Tap dance). It’s fun and it is easy to learn. All ages welcome, no partner required. Benefits of DANCE include balance and agility, memory training, fun, friendships and fitness.

When: Tuesday mornings, 9am

Where: Torrens Community Hall

discrimination

• resolving disputes about services for older people

• individual advocacy for people experiencing vulnerability

• receiving support for victims of crime

When: 12:30—1:30pm

Where: Woden Library, Corinna St, Phillip

Cost: free

More information: ACT Human Rights Commission, 6205 2222

Come and try Folk Dancing

Folk Dance Canberra teaches dances from many countries around the world to interesting music and rhythms. Classes and relaxed and friendly. No partner necessary. Bring a comfortable pair of shoes for dancing in.

When: 10am—12pm

Where: FDC Hall, Hackett Community Centre, 114 Maitland St, Hackett Cost: free

Sing, laugh, enjoy!

Cost: $30 per session for non— members, $10 for optional catered lunch

More information and registration: registration@ familyhistoryact.org.au

Art Appreciation

Are you carer? Do you enjoy art, sharing ideas and learning about the artworks from different points in time? Then join other carers for monthly visits to the National Gallery of Australia and have exclusive free access to exhibitions and unique art.

When: 10:15am—11:30am

Where: National Gallery, Parkes Place, Parkes

Cost: free, registration through Eventbrite is essential (google ‘art appreciation Eventbrite’)

More information: Carers ACT on 6296 9982.

Love Your Life

Monash Day Club transforms into a tropical paradise with fruit salad, punch, live music, and hand and shoulder massages.

When: 10:30am—12:30pm

Where: Monash Day Club, 15 Cockcroft Ave, Monash Cost: free, bookings to Goodwin on 6175 5650

Senior Ballet @ Canberra Dance Theatre

A modified ballet class focusing on balance, co-ordination and fitness. Learn some basic repertoire from a ballet & a bit about the history of ballet as well. Wear loose comfortable clothes, and either bare feet or socks.

When: 10.30—11.50am

Where: CDT 1 Kingsley St, Canberra (Cnr Barry Drive) Cost: free for new people

More information: 0435 025 365/ canberradancetheatre@gmail. com

Know your rights as a senior Canberran

The ACT Human Rights Commission promotes and protects the rights of everyone in the ACT community, including older Canberrans.

Come and speak to us about:

• your right to be free from

Health and Wellness Centre Tour

Learn about the wonderful services on offer at the Goodwin Health and Wellness Centre and see what home care can do for you

When: 10:30am—12pm

Where: Health and Wellness Centre (meeting in the Club House Theatre), 15 Cockcroft Ave, Monash

Cost: free, bookings to Goodwin on 6175 5650

Know your rights as a senior Canberran

The ACT Human Rights Commission promotes and protects the rights of everyone in the ACT community, including older Canberrans.

Come and speak to us about:

• your right to be free from discrimination

• resolving disputes about services for older people

• individual advocacy for people experiencing vulnerability

Discovered the joy of singing with over 50s community singing group Heart and Soul singers. This friendly, inclusive group will make you feel welcome.

When: 10:15am—12:15pm

Where: Tuggeranong Seniors Centre, 101 Cowlishaw St, Greenway

Cost: free

WED 20 MARCH

Why have a Will and Enduring Power of Attorney

A forum on the importance of having a valid and up-to-date Will and Enduring Power of Attorney.

• Lucky door prizes

• Free PTG Will voucher for all attendees

• Light refreshments provided

When: 9.30am—12pm

Where: Gungahlin Lakes Golf and Community Club, 110 Gundaroo Dr, Nicholls ACT

Cost: free. Bookings essential - call 6207 9800

Presented by the Public Trustee and Guardian

Dementia Friendly Communities

Come along and listen to a presentation about Dementia Friendly Communities and find out what being a dementia friend means

When: 10—11am

Where: Belconnen Community Theatre (in the Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson St, Belconnen)

Cost: free

Run by Dementia Australia

Centrelink Carer Payments

Join Carers ACT for an informative session that will provide you with the information you need to know about Centrelink Carer Payments including basic eligibility, how to apply, income and assets eligibility and how to apply for a review.

When: 10am—12pm

Where: Carers ACT, 2/80 Beaurepaire Cres, Holt

Cost: free, registration through Eventbrite is essential (google ‘centrelink carer payments Eventbrite’)

More information: Carers ACT on 6296 9982.

• receiving support for victims of crime

When: 12:30—1:30pm

Where: Belconnen Library, Chandler St, Belconnen Cost: free

More information: ACT Human Rights Commission, 6205 2222

Yoga Workshop – traditional mat yoga and chair yoga

This open workshop is an opportunity to come and try the postures of traditional mat yoga and chair yoga. Yoga has benefits to everyone. If you can breathe you can practice yoga in at least one of its many forms. It improves movement, flexibility and self-confidence and overall wellbeing.

When: 1:15—3:30pm

Where: Tuggeranong Seniors Centre, 101 Cowlishaw St, Greenway

Cost: free

Come and try BungyPump

Come and find out about the benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and try them out. When: 11:15am

Where: Peace Park (below National Library) Parkes Pl, Parkes

Cost: free, bookings essential to 0404 373 157 or duncan@ bungypump.com.au

THU 21 MARCH

ACT Seniors Week Expo

One big day out

See ad opposite page for full details.

Living with dementia? Caring for someone with dementia?

Love Singing? Thinking of starting a community choir? Come and taste Alchemy Chorus, Canberra’s dementia-inclusive choir.

• You’ll know all the songs (50’s, 60’s, folk, gospel)

• You’ll love the people

• You’ll want more

• You might want to start your own choir

When: 10am—12pm Where: Hughes Community Centre, Wisdom St, Hughes Cost: $5

More information: contact

Ros Welch: 0417297754 or Trish Cran: 0438422737 or visit www.alchemychorus.com

A Tale of Two Villages

Hear the story of the Hall-Ginninderra district from Aboriginal times, through the early pioneer farming settlement at Palmerville and then Ginninderra, to the establishment of the village of Hall from 1881.

When: 10am—12:30pm

Where: 24-26 Victoria St, Hall

Cost: free, donations welcome Wise & Well Social Group

Come along to the new “Wise and Well’ seniors social club for carers and non-carers alike with Carers ACT! Meet great people, have nice meals, learn new skills and enjoy great experiences at the group activities and excursions.

When: morning (10am—12pm) and afternoon (1—3pm) sessions

Where: Contact Carers ACT for details

Cost: $5 per session

More information: 6296 9900 for more info or email hcp@ carersact.org.au

Contemporary Dance class for Seniors @ Canberra Dance Theatre

No previous dance experience is necessary for this contemporary dance class focusing on body awareness, fitness, coordination and creativity. The class is designed for people who are able to move independently and without mobility aids. Wear loose comfortable clothes, and either bare feet or socks.

When: 10.30—11.50am

Where: Canberra Dance Theatre, 1 Kingsley St, Canberra (Cnr Barry Drive)

Cost: free for new people

More information: 0435 025 365/ canberradancetheatre@gmail. com

Come and try SMARTMOVES

Come and try SMARTMOVES –an exercise class specifically for older people. Plenty of parking available, airconditioned venue and coffee available after class. All welcome.

When: 10:30am

Where: Alive Health Club, Cnr Hindmarsh Dr and Jerrabomberra Ave, Narrabundah

Cost: free

National Library - Behind the scenes

Take a tour to visit enormous stacks where the books are stored and learn about strange curiosities in the Library’s collection that have been acquired over more than a century.

When: every Thursday at 2pm

21 March 2019

THURSDAY 21 MARCH

One big day out!

Visit more than 140 exhibitors and get information on government, community groups, health and lifestyle, travel, retirement, investment, aged care and more!

Where: Budawang Pavilion, Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) When: 10am—3pm

Where: National Library, Parkes Place W (meet in the foyer)

Cost: free

More information: www.nla. gov.au

Making the most of your health dollar

Free health seminar from the Health Care Consumers Association will cover topics such as keeping costs down, accessing bulk billing doctors, how the Medicare and medicine safety net works, services pharmacies can offer, finding cheaper allied health services and ambulances.

When: 7—9pm

Where: Health Care Consumers’ Association, 100 Maitland St, Hackett

Cost: free, bookings required to AdminOfficer@hcca.org.au or 6230 7800

Come and try Folk Dancing

Folk Dance Canberra teaches dances from many countries around the world to interesting music and rhythms. Classes are relaxed and friendly. No partner necessary. Bring a comfortable pair of shoes for dancing in.

When: 7—8:30pm

Where: FDC Hall, Hackett Community Centre, 114 Maitland St, Hackett

Cost: free

FRI 22 MARCH

Musical Moves for Seniors

Moving to music is a great way to keep your body and brain active. Have fun as you move to wellknown tunes. The class starts sitting with standing options available. People with physical and/or health challenges are welcome. When: 10—11am

Where: Hughes Community Centre, Whittle St, Hughes Cost: $5

More information: COTA ACT 6282 3777

Try Chair Yoga and Meditation

A low impact way to increase strength, flexibility and balance. When: 10—11am

Where: MMM Wellness studio, Unit 3, 7 O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls

Cost: Entry by gold coin donation Free shuttles courtesy of the Flexible Bus Service from major bus stations.

Cost: free

Book through: Bookings essential 0419 286 966 or contact@ mmmwellness.com.au

StrokeSafe talk

Learn how to recognise the signs of a stroke and what to do to help someone experiencing one When: 10:30—11:30am

Where: Belconnen Library, 12 Chandler St, Belconnen Cost: free

Bookings recommended but not necessary: https://www.library. act.gov.au/whats—on.

Have a go at Taoist Tai Chi

Older people and Taoist Tai Chi arts are a perfect match. Improve balance, strength, flexibility, calmness and be part of a supportive community.

When: 2:30pm

Where: Upstairs, 65 Dundas Court, Phillip Cost: free

Bookings or more information: 6249 6117 or act@taoist.org

Positive Ageing Awards

Celebrate and recognise the contribution made by, and for, older people in the Canberra community.

When: 2:30pm

Where: Weston Creek Labor Club, Teesdale Ct, Stirling Cost: $20 per ticket, bookings required via COTA ACT on events@cotaact.org.au or 6282 3777

Canberra’s ACT Autumn Antique and Collectables Fair

Twenty-four recognised antique dealers will exhibit and will have for sale quality furniture, maps, prints, jewellery, dolls, fine books, china, pottery, clocks, watches, glassware and bric-a-brac.

When: Friday 6—9pm, Saturday 10am—5pm, Sunday 10am—4pm Where: Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave Yarralumla Cost: Concession $8, Adults $10

Come and try Folk Dancing

Folk Dance Canberra teaches dances from many countries around the world to interesting music and rhythms. Classes are relaxed and friendly. No partner necessary. Bring a comfortable pair of shoes for dancing in.

When: 10am—12pm

Where: FDC Hall, Hackett Community Centre, 114 Maitland St, Hackett Cost: free

Come and try BungyPump

Come and find out about the benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and try them out.

When: 12pm

Where: Peace Park (below National Library) Parkes Pl, Parkes

Cost: free, bookings essential to 0404 373 157 or duncan@ bungypump.com.au

SAT 23 MARCH

Come and Try Croquet

Have fun while you develop new skills playing croquet.

When: 9:30—11:30am

Where: Queanbeyan Croquet Club, 22 Farrer Pl, Queanbeyan (opp Showground)

Cost: free, no bookings required

More information: Please wear full enclosed, flat shoes and a hat. All equipment and morning tea provided. Contact email@ queanbeyancroquet.org.au or www.queanbeyancroquet.org. au for more information

Love and beauty: Poetry from the Pre-Raphaelites

The National University Theatre Society (NUTS) perform poetry written by the Pre-Raphaelite artists and literary inspirations of their wondrous dreamscapes and rebellious art movement.

When: 11am—12pm

Where: Temporary Exhibitions Gallery, National Gallery of Australia, King Edward Terrace, Parkes

Price: Free (exhibition ticket required), Bookings https://nga. gov.au/calendar/

Weekend Yoga

Are you a carer? You can join other carers for a relaxing weekend yoga session. Practicing yoga is not only an effective stress reliever, but also a great way to ease anxiety. Open for all carers and no experience is necessary.

When: every Saturday, 10:30—11:30am

Where: Innerji Studio, 142 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan.

Cost: $5 per class, class sizes are restricted so please register your attendance by email to RSVP@ carersact.org.au or call 6296 9982

Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club

Open Morning

An opportunity to visit the Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club and find out about the many Club’s activities on offer.

When: 10am—12pm

Where: Tuggeranong Seniors Centre, 101 Cowlishaw Street, Greenway & Gumnut Cottage, 97 Cowlishaw Street, Greenway

Cost: free

SUN 24 MARCH

Try Tai Chi

A gentle, low impact form of exercise that improves flexibility and strength, improves posture and balance and relieves stress

When: 1—2pm

Where: MMM Wellness studio, Unit 3, 7 O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls

Cost: free, Bookings essential Ph 0419286966 or contact@mmmwellness.com.au

Wetland Wonders

Take a walk with a ranger through Tidbinbilla’s wetlands to learn about its amazing inhabitants and if you are lucky catch a glimpse of an elusive platypus.

When: 4—4:30pm

Where: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Paddy’s River Road (via Cotter Road) or Tidbinbilla Road (via Point Hut Crossing)

Cost: free, however entry fees to Tidbinbilla apply. No bookings required.

ACT Classic Series Orienteering

Short distances, with easy and moderate navigation standard courses available. No need to book ahead or notify anyone beforehand. Mentors will be available for those new to the sport.

When: Register 10—11.45am.

Start any time between 10am and 12pm

Where: Masson St, Turner

Cost: $15 for individuals or groups ($10 for members), plus $5 for hire of electronic timing stick for those without their own E-stick

More information: call 02 6162 3422 or go to http://act. orienteering.asn.au/eventor/ events/details/7423/

Come and try BungyPump

Come and find out about the benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and try them out.

When: 1pm

Where: Peace Park (below National Library) Parkes Pl, Parkes

Cost: free, bookings essential to 0404 373 157 or duncan@ bungypump.com.au

DON’T MISS THESE EVENTS

Devonshire Tea Morning

Come along and enjoy entertainment at the Canberra Labor Club at a monthly morning tea.

When: Mon 25 March

Where: Canberra Labor Club, Chandler St, Belconnen Bookings required at Belconnen Reception or 6251 5522

Free online safety presentations

Want to improve your digital literacy but want help addressing online safety? Join in free webinar presentations from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. All of the webinars are suited to beginner users – with information available for those who are new to webinars.

Find out more and to book your spot: https://beconnected. esafety.gov.au/bookings

• All you need to know about data and public wifi, Mon 25 March, 10am

• eSafety essentials to staying safer online – Staying Safe on Facebook, Thu 28 March, 2pm

Understanding your pension

Find out more about making the most of your pension, Centrelink assessment issues, rights and obligations in this session by the Department of Human Services’ Financial Information Service (FIS)

When: 27 March, 2—4pm

Where: Hellenic Club, Matilda St, Phillip Cost: free, bookings required to fis.seminar.bookings@ humanservices.gov.au or 136357 Accommodation options in retirement

Find out more about your choice to own or not, how financial considerations can alter choice, Centrelink assessment for each choice and financial advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind in this session by the Department of Human Services’ Financial Information Service (FIS) When: 28 March, 2—4pm Where: Hellenic Club, Matilda St, Phillip Cost: free, bookings required to fis.seminar.bookings@ humanservices.gov.au or 136357

Vince puts names to faces with his medals

By Danielle NOHRA

RECIPIENTS of Order of Australia medals do some extraordinary unselfish things in the community, but it’s all about them when it comes to preparing their individualised gongs.

Tuggeranong’s Vince Patrech is the man behind the machine and every year he engraves up to 15,000 medals at Government House in Yarralumla.

Not all are Order of Australia medals. He also engraves operational and long-service medals for recipients such as firefighters and police.

“Across Australia, you might see a policeman wearing a little badge,” Vince says. “Nine times out of 10 I engraved the long-service medal for them.”

Vince moved to Canberra after 17 years at the Royal Australian Navy where he became a household attendant for then Governor-General Michael Jeffery.

After the retirement of his predecessor, Vince took up his current role as a warrants officer.

“At the time we looked at the costings that Government House was spending for out-of-house engravings,” Vince says.

“We decided it would be more cost effective for Government House to do it in-house.

From then, Vince’s job as the man behind the machine started and he says he’s almost always looking after a medal for something.

Vince starts work on the hundreds of Order of Australia medals after the announcements are made on Australia Day and the Queen’s Birthday.

The medals were introduced by the Queen in 1975 as a way to recognise the achievements of Australians. Stuart

Devlin designed the insignia a year later. He used the livery colours from the Australian Commonwealth coat of arms and the image of the Australian wattle blossom to create the Order of Australia medal sets, which illustrate a ring of blue enamel to represent Aus tralia’s surrounding sea.

Vince has six to eight weeks to en grave all the names on to them as well as emboss the accompanying certificates.

“A few steps go into creating an award from nothing,” he says.

But no matter the steps and no matter the level of the award, Vince says everyone gets the same quality.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s for Kylie Minogue or if it’s a local volunteer, we always put out a product that’s above reproach,” he says.

“There’s no ‘you’re only getting an OAM’, we don’t discriminate because

Arts & Entertainment 30-32

Canberra Matters 8

Cinema 31

Crossword 33

Dining 32

Gardening 34-35

Horoscopes 33

Letters 11

News 5-14

10

29

by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Cover: Jonathan Biggins in the guise of Paul Keating. Photo: Brett Boardman. Story Page 30.

of the level. Everything we put out is consistent.”

This includes getting the spelling right and Vince says he’s never made a mistake and the awards get checked and double checked and triple checked before being given to each recipient.

The best part of Vince’s job isn’t the engraving but the investiture ceremonies because he gets to put a face to the

Since 1993: Volume 25, Number 9

Managing Director: James Anderson, 0404 077605, james@citynews.com.au

Director: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au

Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656

Advertising account executives: Daniel Clayton, 0451 232129; Damien Klemke, 0439 139001

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

Assistant editor: Danielle Nohra, danielle@citynews.com.au

Journalist: Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

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

Production manager / graphic design: Janet Ewen

Graphic designer: Karl Speller

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

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

name when he assists in handing out the medal boxes with the certificates.

“You do get to meet people who do surprise you with what they’ve done,” he says.

“[And] it’s nice to see people from your past and congratulate them.

“I did a fair amount of time in the military and names do come up from the past.”

Once, Vince says he even met a recipient who had known his great, great grandfather.

When Vince sees people down the street wearing the awards he engraved he says he usually smiles to himself knowing he had a little part in that person’s life.

“It’s great to be a small part of that,” he says.

SEEKING SOMEONE TO RENT OR SELL YOUR PROPERTY?

We have a long list of qualified people looking for good clean homes in all price ranges and seeking properties in all price descriptions. Whether renting or selling, we aim to provide you with the best alternative.

“OZ Property…modern conveniences with good old fashioned service”

SEVEN DAYS

Women protest developer’s eye for advertising

INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day in the capital was marked by protesters targeting property developer and construction giant Geocon.

UnionsACT Women’s Committee rallied at the “Tryst” site in Civic insisting that the day was “about the struggle of working women, not about sexism selling property developments”. The protestors say they are “insulted” over what they describe as sexualised images of women in advertising, naked gold models at property events and promotional videos for the “Tryst” apartment block that feature, they say, very young women looking “semi-unconscious”.

BOTH extremes of the capital’s property market are now on open display in the city. To exacerbate Geocon’s public relations headache, a tent city is being erected by the homeless at the entrance to Glebe Park, just metres from its Bunda Street sales centre.

IT’S amazing what a win can do to improve one’s image, especially if you are tennis “bad boy” Nick Kyrgios. Success at the Mexican Open catapulted the 23-year-old Canberran back into the top 30 ATP rankings and also garnered a swathe of positive and gushing headlines. Gone are the “arrogant”, “meltdown” and “tanking” banners, to be replaced with “uber talented”, “peerless” and “pure tennis box office”. “Forbes” magazine rated Kyrgios as “the most fun tennis player in the world to

MLA Yvette Berry has ventured outside the square of political promotion to explain why “Labor is making renting fairer by giving tenants the right to have pets in their home”. Berry letterboxed her Ginninderra electorate with a postcard, complete with a pawprint postage stamp, featuring her daughter, a

thundered: “If you’re going to send a video you wouldn’t want your mother to see, don’t bloody send it”.

Canberra Raiders’ players in the wake of the NRL sex tapes scandal. The former TV kitchen utensil salesman said he didn’t “want to see Raiders players featured on the front pages” for filming sex acts with women and sharing them without knowledge and consent. On his 2CC breakfast show, Shaw

SO far the Green Machine remains untarnished by the sex scandal that league insiders lament is widespread within the NRL and has derailed yet another season launch of the code. Apart from the Jack Wighton

account: “Saw a cheeky Jack Russell wandering aimlessly around the Ducks Nuts. I became concerned and gave the dog a pat and checked his collar”. Charles was about to call the number on the tag when he turned it over and read: “F#$k off, I’m not lost”.

CANBERRA MATTERS

Party first, government second… voters distant third

WHAT happens within the ACT government’s planning and development portfolios points to how the Greens/Labor coalition is travelling. For locally elected politicians, their commitment to being available and to working with locals remains questionable.

This was on show when an ACT minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith, presented to the North Canberra Community Council on Wednesday, February 20. Her presentation on hot issues was in line with what people now expect from this government.

Stephen-Smith presents as a typical ACT Labor politician. They are well rehearsed at skating across facts to build and present the dubious case for their in-house bureaucratic decisions on planning and development.

Stephen-Smith reported to the audience (about 60 people) on her government’s take on the preChristmas announcements on the Planning Strategy and the City and Gateway Urban Design Framework and then moved to telling the group about Section 72 Dickson.

She seemed not well prepared (shuffling papers) and displayed some lack of confidence about aspects of her Urban Renewal portfolio. Her ministerial responsibilities are

complex: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; Disability; Children, Youth and Families; Employment and Workplace Safety; Government Services and Procurement, and Urban Renewal. But that’s the nature of the job and she has taken it on.

There were instances when she attempted to correct the record, for instance that residents were wrong in their comments on the City and Gateway Urban Design Framework, only to hear otherwise from the audience in front of her. She talked up the imminent arrival of a piece of sculpture for the Downer courtyard. She curiously sort of praised the Watson Community Association’s initiative to develop the Neighbourhood Plan for Watson – something they did because her government would not.

The main topic was Section 72 Dickson. On this Stephen-Smith tried to correct the residents’ knowledge of and experiences with her govern-

ment’s questionable consultations during 2018.

As some said after the meeting, she was determined to talk up previously discredited versions of events. Not sure if many were convinced except maybe those hearing this for the first time who had not experienced the many workshops and had views largely ignored and misrepresented.

She also wandered into areas about which she did not sound convincing such as good design (architecture), urban design and the need for trees. She mentioned the role of the National Capital Design Review Panel and somehow connected this interim body to Section 72. While the city’s residents would welcome good design from this government, nothing Stephen-Smith said dealt with residents’ well-founded doubts given the developments appearing across Canberra.

As others have asked, if design is important, shouldn’t the National Capital Design Review Panel be embedded into planning processes instead of being interim – which translates to “can be ignored” whenever it suits the decision-makers.

There were positives on the night, such as the possible establishment of a community reference committee for Section 72. This may be set up soon but with the caveat that it will need the “right people” on it. Guess that rules out pesky residents, revolutionaries and known sceptics.

Then she tried to explain Common Ground and the political decision to build it on cherished community land in Dickson. Again we heard, with much emphasis, how this was promised at the last election and therefore it is not negotiable (no-one else sounded so convinced).

If this government actually understood how to consult and embraced being honest, then the case for more of Common Ground could have been successfully negotiated. Instead Stephen-Smith and others in Labor used well-established political trickery to see this done; something they are used to doing within their party. It’s the party first, government second and residents a distant third. Stephen-Smith presents as a typical ACT Labor politician. They are well rehearsed at skating across facts to build and present the dubious case for their in-house bureaucratic decisions on planning and development. Colleagues talk of a future leadership role for Stephen-Smith. A potential Labor leader would have to do better than the presentation that Wednesday.

TUITION BY KUMON

60 YEARS OF PROVEN RESULTS

Imagine the sense of satisfaction Felicity felt when her daughter, Joy thanked her for having her do Kumon from 4 years of age. While she finished primary school at the top of her year it was another thing altogether starting with students of high ability at one of Canberra’s leading high schools.

Kumon had not only prepared Joy for the rigours of high school but it had also strengthened her resolve to study diligently. This in turn lead to an outstanding ATAR helping her gain entry into the professional field of her choice which was to study law.

“I credit my success at school and university to Kumon. I can’t thank my Mum enough!” says now 28-year-old, Joy.

How does Kumon work?

Do you want the ‘Kumon advantage’ for your child?

Kumon Maths and English programs cater for children from preschool to year 12 with a daily approach to developing excellent academic skills. The Kumon Instructor tailors your child’s study program based on their specific needs. Students attend Kumon classes twice each week and receive homework to do every other day.

There are four Kumon Centres located in Canberra. For almost 30 years, they have collectively helped thousands of students improve their maths and English abilities. Call your local Kumon Centre today to see how your child can get the ‘Kumon advantage’.

Turnbull’s polling grenade sets off Labor glee

THE grenade lobbed into the Liberal Party by Malcolm Turnbull demonstrates the challenges for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

If it were not for the divisions, it turns out that Malcolm Turnbull could have won the next election for the coalition. As could Julie Bishop. While internal Liberal Party woes dominate the media, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Labor rub their hands with glee.

The divisions within the Federal Liberal Party are highlighted in the ACT by Senator Zed Seselja. A supporter of Peter Dutton for prime minister, he backed the coup. Turnbull represented the “wet” side of the Liberal Party while Dutton and Seselja the crispiest “dry” side of the Liberals.

Former PM Turnbull’s explosive comments on the BBC suggesting his colleagues worried he would win the election makes some sense. The polling never favoured Turnbull. However, he pointed out that general polling may provide an indication for the Senate. However, the former PM argued he had the numbers in the marginal seats and could win accordingly.

The difficulty for the ultra-conservatives such as Seselja, Dutton and Tasmania’s Eric Abetz, is that they were looking down the barrel of another six years of a “not-very-conservative” Liberal Party. Turnbull contends that those members believed they would be better off having some time in

opposition in which to strengthen and consolidate the conservative side of the party rather than putting up with Turnbull.

Seselja summed this up in speaking to ABC’s “7.30” shortly before the coup was launched: “In order to win elections, you have to start by securing your base, and reaching out across the spectrum to a broad cross-section of the community, but it is very, very difficult to win elections without your traditional supporters behind you, and that is one of the reasons that a number of people have come to the conclusion that Peter Dutton is the best man to lead us”.

Ironically, Seselja seems to have secured his own small base in the ACT at the cost of being abandoned by that “broad cross-section of the community”. Polling conducted for UnionsACT by robo-poll on January 22 found the Liberal Party primary vote has slipped to around 22 per cent. And this is before UnionsACT really

ramp up their “Reject Zed” campaign. Shorten and Labor want to keep the divisions within the coalition at the forefront of voters’ minds. Why wouldn’t they? There’s not much work to do! Liberals are doing it for them.

In the meantime, the old divisions within the Labor Party, before Shorten’s ascendancy, seem to have faded into the pages of history. A solid period of unchanged leadership and front-bench stability will have a great deal of appeal to Australians who are sick of the back stabbing politicking of the Liberal Party.

For the first time it appears that

there is a real opportunity for a prominent centrist independent in the ACT to beat the Liberals and have a chance at ousting Zed. A sensible preference arrangement with the Greens and other minor parties will put Zed on even shakier ground. The changed Senate ballot paper will now allow voters to determine party preferences without being dictated to by the parties or the tedious below-the-line option.

The advantage for a centrist candidate is that they will be able to pull votes from both the Labor and the Liberal parties. Furthermore, they will effectively have the support of the campaign of UnionsACT. Its secretary Alex White outlined the vulnerabilities of Senator Seselja in a press release: “Zed’s standing with Canberrans has collapsed since his high-profile opposition to marriage equality last year, his climate denialism and the central role he played in promoting Peter Dutton’s toxic leadership ambitions”.

Scott Morrison does not want internal party conflict at the fore. He really just wants to get on with telling Australians how “good financial management” has provided the coalition with the wherewithal to be generous. In the meantime, he goes about bestowing largess in key marginal electorates.

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

LETTERS

‘Unrepresentative’ tribunal doles out the pay rises

ONCE again the completely unrepresentative ACT Remuneration Tribunal has given large increases to senior public servants and politicians that will flow on to other officials.

And to make things worse, the government cannot change a determination by the tribunal because it is supposedly “independent” despite the fact that the tribunal’s own remuneration is determined by the chief minister.

The tribunal itself is completely unrepresentative of the general populace with its members all ex-senior executives of the public service and other Commonwealth and associated bodies. There are no heads of charities such as the Salvos or St Vinnies or Rotary to be seen anywhere.

I repeat previous calls that this body be abolished and if the government wants pay rises then it should go straight to people who elected them. Even better, considering the popularity of Royal Commissions at the moment, maybe we should have a Royal Commission into these salaryfixing bodies at state and federal level to see how they make their decisions, whether they take the current economic climate into consideration, whether they consider the level of normal workers’ incomes and pay rises and whether there is a “you-scratchmy-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours” approach to determining salary levels and associated perks.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

I CANNOT understand why nongovernment schools should not be allowed to employ staff who share their ethos.

It’s fair enough not to discriminate against pupils.

However, despite added expense, my families are sending their children to Christian schools in order that they be educated by teachers who share their values.

As a Christian, I was brought up to be kind to everyone, regardless of faith, belief, race, or any other difference.

This is not the case with LGBTIQ folk.

THANK you to the people of Canberra for their extraordinary show of support during our recent Memory Walk & Jog event.

On Sunday, February 24, 550 people walked or ran at Lake Burley Griffin, Barrine Drive in support of those living with dementia in the local community. An incredible $58,000 was raised and these funds will be used to boost dementia education services and support delivered by Dementia Australia throughout the Canberra area. In 2019, there is an estimated

There is a website that names and shames homophobes and bigots, and the degree of hatred and venom directed against me or anyone else who dares to stand up for what God says in his Word is amazing. Surely Canberra is big enough to allow diversity.

Thankfully, I live in a multicultural part of Canberra where people care about one another regardless of race, faith, creed or whatever. This is not reflected in the ACT government’s plan to abolish diversity.

Rewa Bate, Coombs

5500 people living with dementia in the ACT. Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase to an estimated 18,500 people by 2058.

Everyone who participated in Memory Walk & Jog can be confident the money they raised will have a direct and positive impact for the members of their community who are living with dementia.

Maree McCabe, CEO, Dementia Australia

MAKE THE CALL ASK YOUR ENERGY COMPANY FOR A BETTER DEAL

As of January 1st, providers have dropped prices on their most expensively priced plans due to pressure from the Government. But if you really want to save, simply call your energy company and ask them for a better deal. You could lower your bill by $250 a year. Visit our website for tips on calling your energy company.

The Binks cement a place in Canberra’s history

By Danielle NOHRA

THE Bink family, originally immigrants from Holland who came to Canberra in 1955, have seen and helped the city grow.

The original 10 has grown to more than 100, with most family members still living in and around the ACT.

“Our name grew up in Canberra and it’s a bit of an unusual name so people don’t really forget it,” says Jack Bink, the oldest of the Binks, who came with his mum and dad and four siblings (which later became seven – eight including him) to Australia in 1950 after World War II.

The family will gather, from as far as Brisbane and Melbourne, for a family reunion at the Hall showground on Saturday, March 23, to share their stories.

Jack’s story in Australia began at the age of 15 in Bathurst. His family was staying in an ex-army camp-cum-immigration camp for about eight months.

“From there we went to Greta, near Maitland, because it gets very cold in the winter in Bathurst,” says Jack, 84, of Cook.

The Binks had a background working on dairy farms in Holland, so when they moved to Greta they worked on a dairy farm there for about 18 months.

“Then we came to Canberra to work on a dairy farm in February, 1955,” he says.

They worked on a farm on Dairy Flat Road in Fyshwick for several years before Jack’s dad

established “Bink’s Concrete” in 1961. The same year the family moved to Hall.

“That’s why we’re having the reunion there because the younger generation all went to school there,” Jack says.

Jack’s sister Jenny, the force behind the reunion, decided she wanted her grandkids and great grandkids to meet the family.

Jack’s wife Jean, 80, says it was easier to get together when the family was smaller but it got too big and poor old granny couldn’t do it anymore.

Plus, Jack says his Santa Claus outfit started to wear out!

“When we came to Canberra there were 25,000

people here,” he says.

“It was just like a big country town with fancy buildings like Parliament House (now Old Par liament House) and the shops in Civic.

“Fyshwick was only a couple of farms. King ston was the home of the main shopping centre. Everyone went shopping in Kingston or Queanbeyan and the Cotter River was for swimming – there was no swimming pool.

he says.

Jack says: “About 80 per cent of the family has their own business, they all have that drive in them.”

“I met Jean in the shopping centre in Kingston.

“She was selling papers from the paper shop and I was buying them for the farm.

“She used to say ‘hello’ first because I was too shy. We married in 1959 and rented one of the first government houses in Dickson.”

But it wasn’t an easy journey for the Bink family, who persevered and built their own success regardless.

“It would have been hard for my mum and dad because they couldn’t speak English,” Jack says.

“I picked up English as I worked, I didn’t understand everything people were talking about.”

Jack’s son John, 55, of Florey says as the family grew they had no choice but to expand and they started businesses in a range of areas.

“The family started in the concrete industry and then it was split up as grandchildren and nieces and nephews grew up,” John says.

“The family got too big to hold too many chiefs.”

John says one brother got into floor sanding, while another worked in engineering, another in mechanics, some stayed in the concrete in-

But it wasn’t all work and no play for the Bink family, with many of them involved in speed boat and speedway racing.

“From racing speed boats on Lake George to racing cars at the speedway at the back of Hume, a fair chunk of the family was racing,” John says.

“The grandchildren were the same, doing anything that’s likely to kill yourself.”

And they weren’t bad at it, either.

“My brother David was the Australian champ in cycling at the Commonwealth Games,” he says.

“He just cycles recreationally now.”

John says one of the grandchildren, Harry Bink, is world champion in freestyle motocross and others compete in equestrian competitions.

“It’s good to be part of a name that’s known around Canberra,” John says.

Jack says the Binks, who are mad Raiders fans, sporting fanatics and successful business people (“there’s something in our blood”) have cemented their name in Canberra and in some cases even helped build it.

“Every time you go to somebody’s home and they have steps, they’re all made by us,” Jack says.

“If you have a blocked up drain, it’s made by us!”

Crawford School of Public Policy

Gender

Behavioural

Behavioural

NEWS / organic cotton Margit cottons on to benefits of organic clothes

By Danielle NOHRA

MARGIT Selg has always been conscious about eating organically and using “clean” products on her skin, but it wasn’t until having a child when she was confronted by the chemicals in clothes.

“The more I read about the benefits of organic cotton, the more mindful I became of what I bought for myself too and the impact it has not only on us personally, but also the environment,” she says.

So Margit, 34, of Red Hill, who has 15-years’ experience as a photographer, took her love for fashion, her mindfulness for the environment and a suggestion made by a friend in Sydney and established the Organic Clothing Line.

But it didn’t happen overnight because photography was only a small part of the process.

“I did research for a long time and it has taken me many years,” she says.

Giving birth to her daughter Valentina in 2016 really pushed things along and Margit launched the Organic Clothing Line late that year.

“It took me a while because not only did I want to find the perfect material but also the right people to work with,” she says.

“It’s dedicated to Valentina and hope fully one day, if she’s interested, she can take over.”

Valentina, who is almost two, already has a present role in the small family business and Margit says she uses photos Valentina likes based on her reactions.

Estonian-born Margit had a career working as a photographer for one of the biggest fashion magazines in Estonia, “Buduaar”.

Living organically was also a huge part of her lifestyle growing up so when Can berra and Australia became her home she wanted to bring that with her here.

“I think slowly the whole world is going in the organic direction,” she says.

“More people are becoming aware that adults and children can be exposed to so much chemicals and toxins in clothes.”

Margit says regular cotton accounts for more than 25 per cent of the world’s insec ticide use and 10 per cent of the pesticides, which are harmful for farmers, workers and consumers.

She says by buying organic cotton it lowers the carbon footprint, eliminates chemical and pesticide processes and uses far less water than regular cotton.

But it’s about more than just support ing the environment for Margit, who says she’s doing a lot of good things in one.

The shirts are all Australian-made and $5 from each shirt goes to charity. For the adult men’s and women’s shirts, Margit decided to donate the money to the Pancare Foundation in memory of her

More information at organicclothingline.com

BRIEFLY

Service for St Patrick’s Day

THERE will be harps a plenty when the Friends of Ireland host the St Patrick’s Day annual ecumenical service at the chapel of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Barton, midday, Sunday, March 17. Among the speakers will be the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English.

Lunch and roses

THE Marymead Auxiliary is hosting a “Lunch in the Rose Gardens and Tennis Day”, 9am-noon, on Wednesday, March 27. Lunch will be in the National Rose Gardens, Parkes, at 12.30pm. Tennis and lunch costs $40, lunch only, $25. Book at 6296 6596 or email libri@homemail.com.au

Fair aids teens

PROCEEDS from this Rotary’s Autumn Antiques and Collectables Fair will go to youth cancer support group CanTeen. A major fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Canberra City, the fair is being held from Friday, March 22 (6pm-9pm), Saturday (10am-5pm) and Sunday (10am-4pm) in the Albert Hall. The fair features two new dealers – Annie’s Collectables from Wamboin, with glass, silver, brass

and copper wares, and Steel and Shot from Kippax, with flintlock and percussion antique arms.

A burst of Homer

THERE will be a public reading of Book 22 of Homer’s “Iliad”, in ancient Greek and English in the Classics Museum (AD Hope Building) at the ANU, 5pm-7pm on Friday 22 March. The event is free, open to all and part of an international festival organised by the Festival Europeen Latin Grec.

Clothes for autumn

ST Ninian’s at Lyneham’s latest sale of pre-loved clothing suited to autumn will also include linen, footwear and children’s clothing. Morning tea and lunch will be available and includes fresh scones baked on the premises. At the church hall, corner of Mouat and Brigalow Streets, 9am-1pm, Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23.

Melanoma march

THE Melanoma Institute Australia’s Melanoma March will be held from Weston Park, Yarralumla, starting at 9am on Sunday, March 24. Funds raised from the 22 marches across Australia will support a national collaborative research project into melanoma. Register to walk or sponsor someone who is walking at melanomamarch.org.au

FREE SEMINAR INVITATION

If you want to be in the 10% who achieve wealth, don’t miss our free Pathway to Wealth information sessions.

Our seminar is ideal if you are aged between 28-50 and / or have at least 10 years to retirement.

This presentation will take you through proven strategies for building your wealth. This is not a get rich quick seminar. However, if you want simple, effective and practical strategies for achieving financial success, then this is a must attend.

You will receive valuable information on property, shares, superannuation, negative gearing, debt management and more. You will learn how to put together a plan that is right for you and your individual circumstances and goals.

WORKSHOPS WILL COVER

• 10 reasons most people fail to achieve financial success and what you can do about it

• The 7 steps to achieving wealth

• The 4 keys to a successful wealth management plan

• The simple formula for beating procrastination

• Why property, shares and superannuation are all important

• How saving tax can help fund your wealth creation

• Whether you should increase your mortgage repayments or start investing

• How you can make efficient use of your cash flow

YOU SHOULD ATTEND IF

• You are committed to achieving financial success

• You are a homeowner who has built up some equity, but not quite sure what to do next

• You have the potential to save $150 + per week

• You are aged between 28 and 50, and/or have more than 10 years until you retire

Dr Vicky expands her gentle, quality dental care

AINSLIE Dental Care has been taken over by Dr Vicky Pusnjak, of Canberra City Dentistry.

Expanding into another dental practice in Canberra has been a long-held dream for Dr Vicky, who has owned Canberra City Dentistry on University Avenue in Civic for eight years.

“I’m excited to be running the practice in Ainslie, which we took over in November,” she says.

Previously owned by Dr Chris Quoy and his wife Michelle, who worked as a dental assistant and receptionist, the couple were at the practice for 18 years before deciding to sell.

“We’d like to say farewell to Dr Chris and Michelle, and wish them the best in their future endeavours,” says Dr Vicky.

“Their contribution to the Ainslie community has been huge and we’re grateful to be able to carry that on, and very much looking forward to treating existing clients and taking on new ones.”

Dr Vicky and her husband Shane Lloyd, who run the business together, say they had always been thinking about expanding their practice and were thrilled when this opportunity came up.

“We saw the practice, chatted with Dr Chris and the vibe there is great,” says Dr Vicky.

“It felt right; it’s a warm and welcoming practice, and was a great fit for us. We had no hesitation to say we’d love to take over. Dr Chris obviously felt the same about us and felt comfortable with us taking on his clients. They can rest assured they’re going to be in great hands.”

Vicky graduated in 1993 from the University of

Queensland dental school, and moved to Canberra for a job in Woden at the start of 1994.

Mum to three boys, Matthew, 14; Aaron, 12, and Reece, 10, Dr Vicky says she loves the work/life balance she has and that Canberra has very much grown on her over the years.

“I grew up in Queensland and never expected to stay in Canberra this long, but I love it here now,” she says.

“You get the four seasons, unlike Brisbane where it’s either hot or very hot!”

Already open for business, Dr Vicky says that Ainslie Dental Care will provide the same gentle, quality care as Canberra City Dentistry, offering general dentistry, teeth whitening, preventative dental care, dentures, sports mouthguards, cleaning, routine fillings, crowns and bridges, emergency appointments and children’s dentistry.

Ainslie Dental Care accepts HICAPS, private health funds and DVA health cards.

“In time, we plan to build up the clientele and eventu ally expand our team at Ainslie,” she says.

“We’re so happy to be there, to get to know the local community. It’s a great change from the city for us and is new and exciting to be in the suburbs.

“There’s free parking available at Ainslie, which makes a huge difference for our clients and it’s a great area to be able to work. We have enjoyed getting to know other business owners, as well as the families, kids and seniors who already come to the practice.

“We’re really looking forward to carrying on Dr Chris’ great work in Ainslie and the adventures ahead.”

Ainslie Dental Care, Ainslie Chambers, 100 Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie. Call 6248 7662.

Dr Vicky Pusnjak will be continuing the high quality of service that Dr Christopher Quoy has continually given at Ainslie Dental Care

Dr Vicky and staff invite new patients to receive the highest quality dental care here in Ainslie.

SENIORS WEEK 2019

Special week supports seniors to ‘love later life’

SENIORS Week will be celebrated with a series of public events designed to inform, inspire, entertain and support older members of the community to “love later life”.

Coordinated by Council on the Ageing (COTA ACT), the week (March 18-24) features concerts, information sessions and activities such as yoga, dancing and art appreciation.

Chief executive Jenny Mobbs says: “We celebrate seniors every day – but Seniors Week is particularly special as it gives a public platform to recognise the immense contribu tions of older people in our community.”

Seniors Week opens with two Chief Minister Concerts on Tuesday, March 19, at Albert Hall featuring the Band of the Royal Military College. This is followed on Thursday, March 21, by the Seniors Expo at EPIC, 10am-3pm.

“The Expo will have more than 120 exhibitors covering travel and leisure, health and social services. The day is all about positive ageing, active engagement, informed choices, and getting the most out of life,” says Gordon Ramsay, ACT Minister for Seniors and Veterans.

Mr Ramsay says that he is proud of the government’s recently launched “Age-Friendly Canberra – A Vision for our City” report, which outlines the government’s commitment to ensuring Canberra continues to grow and evolve as an age-friendly city for all citizens, including older people.

“I know the experiences, wisdom and resources of older people in our city benefit our entire community and it is vital, as a growing city, that we foster and value the contributions of our older citizens and celebrate the pivotal role they play in our community,” he says.

More information at cotaact.org.au

of aged-care workshops such as palliative care, wills and power of attorney, dementia care, budgeting, back care, first aid, nutrition for seniors, understanding loss and grief and advanced care planning. Lisa suggests trying one of Carers ACT’s stress management options such as weekly yoga, meditation or tai chi classes; art and writing therapy; photography and wellness workshops.

Carers ACT. Carers ACT also provides a wide range

Carers ACT, 1800 052222, email carers@ carersact.org.au or visit carersact.org.au

Love later life

18-24 March 2019

CHIEF MINISTER’S CONCERT

TueSday 19 March, 11am and 1pm

Boutique living in Narrabundah Exclusive to over 55’s

Located on tree lined Goyder Street and bordering Capitol Public Golf Course, discover The Aerie, a vibrant new village offering a range of spacious home designs and incredible resort style facilities.

Be part of a brand new lifestyle and enjoy:

• Architecturally designed two and three bedroom homes. All single level access and pet friendly

• A resident clubhouse with an indoor pool, gym, bar and more

• An enviable location minutes from Manuka Village and Kingston Foreshore

• A range of new contract options are now available. Choose one to suit your needs.

SECURE YOUR NEW HOME

With such high demand for our first release, we’re excited to unveil the new designs coming to this boutique community. At this exclusive preview you’ll discover more about the lifestyle on offer and how to place an Expression of Interest on your brand new home over a delicious morning tea and celebratory champagne.

Friday 29th March

10:30am - 11:30am The East Hotel, 69 Canberra Ave, Kingston

Spaces are limited and RSVPs essential to Lyn on 0429 542 839

Visit liveattheaerie.com to find out more

Buy property now before it’s too late

THOSE nearing retirement or in retirement really need to ensure they maximise returns and minimise risk to make sure their super lasts, says Wholistic Financial Solutions’ founder Catherine Smith.

“One way to do this is to buy property in a selfmanaged super fund (SMSF),” she says.

“[But regardless of your age], if you have ever thought about buying a property in a SMSF your time may be about to run out.”

Catherine says both Labor and Liberal governments are looking to remove the ability for people with a SMSF to borrow to buy a property.

“Their reasoning for this is vague but it is still a very possible outcome of the upcoming Budget or after the election,” Catherine says.

“My suggestion for anyone who is thinking about buying a property in an SMSF would be to do it now before it’s too late.”

Catherine says buying property in an SMSF has great advantages such as investing in bricks and mortar, using gearing to maximise return, diversifying superannuation investments into the property market and reducing the chance of losing a lot of superannua tion if the share market crashes.

“At Wholistic Financial Solutions we can help you through all stages of buying a property in an SMSF including setting up the SMSF, arranging the borrowing and even helping find you the investment property,” she says.

For a free meet and greet to discuss this further, Catherine says give the office a ring and ask for an appointment.

Wholistic Financial Solutions, Level 1, 83-101 Lysaght Street, Mitchell. Call 6162 4546 or visit wfcanberra.com.au

Empowering women of all ages

THE supportive women’s-only community at Fernwood Fitness empowers women of all ages and fitness levels to achieve their health and fitness goals, says a Fernwood spokeswoman.

“As we age, our bodies change and so do our health and fitness needs,” she says.

“The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing recommends that seniors aged over 65 undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days.

“Whether it’s to stay active, get fit, or simply

reduce stress, Fernwood is the place for you.

Unlimited group fitness is included in your membership, ranging from cardio, strength, dance and mind and body classes. You’ll be able to find something on the timetable to suit you.

“If you’re new to the gym, that’s okay. When you become a member, you will get a step-by-step induction from a support crew like no other, and feel like part of the family in no time at all.”

Visit any Fernwood Club or go to fernwoodfitness.com.au

BUY PROPERTY IN AN SMSF BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Borrowing to buy property in an SMSF may come to an abrupt end in less than 8 weeks. So if you have ever thought about doing it you better be quick.

Do you want the Simple Truth about Self Managed Super Funds?

• Borrowing to buy property in my fund

• How a 6 member SMSF can work for your family?

• How much do I need to invest to make an SMSF cost effective?

• Investments – Where can I invest?

• What control do I have? What can I do and what can’t I do?

• Am I too young to consider an SMSF or am I too old?

Wholistic Financial Solutions can assist you with all aspects of buying a property in an SMSF including setting one up, providing financial advice, arranging the SMSF loan and even help you find a property.

For a free meet and greet to find out more call 6162 4546 and ask for a SMSF Meeting with Catherine Smith or attend one of our free sessions at 6.00pm on Monday 18th March or Wednesday 20th March.

The team will be at the Seniors Week Expo to explain the benefits of the lifts.

“We intend to cater to all walks of life in the supply and installation of domestic home lifts to homes,” says the spokesman.

“We have done this in response to many comments passed from those citizens who love their doublestorey homes and neighbourhood.

He says some have lived in the same home for many years and prefer not to downsize or move away.

“In other circumstances ill health or injury makes an internal domestic lift a cost-effective method for mobility,” he says. and carer, holding 240 kilograms.

“Designed purely for the domestic market these lifts only take one to two days to install and as they are a self-supporting domestic structure, they need no formal or costly plan,” he says.

“Quite unlike a stairwell chair lift these units are quicker, cleaner and safer than anything currently offered on the market.

“Packed with numerous safety features as well as remote controls these lifts will become a must-have for double-storey homes.”

Personal Home Lifts Canberra. Call 6147 5566 or email hello@personalhomelifts.com.au

Hands on ways of being pain free

SEEING a physiotherapist is a great way for seniors to prevent falls, manage lower back pain, shoulder pain and slow down osteoarthritis, according to Hands-On Physiotherapy.

“Pain management is important to allow you to be the best version of you,” says principal physiotherapist and co-owner Catherine Riddel. Which is why Hands-On Physiotherapy has experience dealing with complex pain management.

Catherine says they do this by utilising a wide variety of treatment techniques and strategies to ensure they can help each client achieve their goals.

“We have hand therapists for upper limb pain management and musculoskeletal physiotherapists to treat neck, back, hip, knee and ankle pain,” she says.

And, Catherine says, as it’s a local physiotherapy service based in Mawson, people can expect a service which provides personalised attention to any needs.

“Hands-On Physiotherapy is committed to providing a holistic physiotherapy service with a commitment to excellence and integrity,” she says.

“Our appointments are one-on-one for the entire treatment period with your therapist.”

So, Catherine says, the staff will help with the pain so the clients can get the maximum enjoyment out of life, with functional capacity and the ability to participate in the activities they love.

Hands-On Physiotherapy, 1/43 Mawson Place, Mawson. Call 6286 6467, email admin@ hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au or visit hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au

Luxury village boasts most liveable climate

THOMPSON Health Care has been providing aged care in NSW since the ‘70s, and now it’s building a beautiful retirement village in Frederickton that, according to CSIRO, has the most liveable climate in Australia.

“They have beautiful, mild winters and delightful summers, as opposed to Canberra’s cold winters and long, hot summers,” says special projects manager Sarah Rodgers.

Located in a community environment, 436 kilometres north of Sydney, Sarah says the first stage will include 56 villas and a resort-style country club.

“Each resident will have a two-bedroom, plus a flexi room, in a single-level luxury villa,” she says.

“[And it’ll be] right next door to the aged-care fa-

cility at Frederickton, which will provide the perfect location for seniors to live well at every stage.”

Sarah describes it as having a country yet coastal atmosphere with a luxury lifestyle.

“People have worked hard all their lives and now it’s time to treat themselves to a bit of luxury in a picture-perfect location,” she says.

“It’s a great place for people who are seniors by themselves and are looking for old-fashioned community values and safety in their later years.”

Sarah says the proprietor of Thompson Health Care, Doug Thompson, is looking forward to welcoming residents in the later half of this year.

Thompson Health Care. Call 8467 9333 or visit thompsonhealthcare.com.au

“ Downsizing? Retirement Village? Residential Aged Care?”

Every contract and Retirement Village is different –so obtain comprehensive advice for your specific legal needs and obligations.

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SENIORS

Helping families give ‘better hearing’ support

Walking poles with suspension

BETTER Hearing Australia believes there are four parties to every hearing-loss discussion or decision and ACT branch chairman Bill Leane says of these four parties, the weakest link is family support.

“The kinship knowledge that was once passed from grandmother to granddaughter, to aunty, to niece, has been largely lost and not replaced,” he says.

“The Better Hearing Australia approach to hearing loss is to revive that past kinship knowledge in the context of our modern society.

“We help identify the client’s hearing priorities and engage the family (with current policy settings, and agents’ resources) through our framework and strategies to collaborate and realise those priority goals.”

The other three parties, which Bill says facilitate the experience

THE BungyPump is the only walking pole with in-built resistance in Australia, says ACT representative, Duncan Craig.

“BungyPump boosts the benefits of walking, activating 90 per cent of your muscles and burns 77 per cent more calories than walking without poles,” Duncan says.

“It’s a case of ‘no pain, more gain’ as the poles’ inbuilt suspension eliminates hard shocks which means that elbows and shoulders are not over-exerted and the pressure is relieved on knees and hips giving your body a low-impact exercise.

“People with lower back pain immediately feel relief, too. One woman, who tried the poles, didn’t think she’d be able to walk even a short distance because of her lower-back pain but she was surprised at the huge difference she felt because the poles eased the pressure from her back.”

Duncan will be demonstrating BungyPumps at the Seniors Expo, holding a series of free “come-and-try” sessions during Seniors Week, and then more sessions will run the following week.

“The sessions will each be 30 minutes in duration and provide information about the different types of poles, the health and fitness benefits of walking with them, and the opportunity to experience walking with the poles,” he says.

“If you can’t make it to the expo, give me a call and

behind hearing improvement are government policy, policy agents and the disability client.

While the fitting and functionality of hearing devices remains the domain of technical specialists, Bill says hearing-loss management is once again within the family’s grasp. To strengthen the role family has on hearing matters, Better Hearing Australia provides people with courses, classes and programs that deliver skills to deploy in the wider society.

“Contact Better Hearing now and ask for our 2019 program of information sessions and training courses on strengthening family hearing-loss support networks,” Bill says.

Better Hearing Australia, COTA Building, 2 Wisdom Street, Hughes. Visit bhacanberra.org or call 6281 3962.

come for a walk with me so I can introduce you to BungyPump and you can experience it for yourself, obligation free.”

Call Duncan on 0404 373157, email duncan@bungypump. com.au or visit bungypump.com.au

BungyPumps are a unique fitness walking pole with built in suspension offering 4, 6 or 10kg of pressure resistance. The poles activate 90% of your body’s muscles, burning up to 77% more kilojoules whilst you walk. Bungypump poles offer stability and pain relief, with the suspension absorbing the pressure on your joints bringing back the joy of walking!

Come and experience BungyPump walking in March: Mon 18 & 25 @ 9:30am; Wed 20 & 27 @ 11:15am; Fri 15, 22 & 29 @ 12:00pm; Sun 17, 24 & 31 @ 1:00pm. Meet at Peace Park, off Parkes Pl W, Parkes ACT. Walks are free, but booking is essential as spaces are limited. Phone Duncan on 0404 373 157, or email duncan@bungypump.com.au

Come and see us at the ACT Seniors Expo, Thu 21 March, 10am-3pm at the entrance to the Budawang Pavilion, Exhibition Park Canberra. www.bungypump.com.au

Organisation breaks ‘barriers’ for seniors

LIFE Without Barriers, now the owner of DUO Ser vices Australia, loves supporting older Australians in Canberra and its surrounding area, which is why it’s excited to be joining other service providers at this year’s Seniors Week expo, says ACT and south west NSW operations manager Richard Cabrita.

“Our purpose at Life Without Barriers is to partner with people to change lives for the better – that includes decisions about how they want to live and where they want to live,” he says.

Richard says Life Without Barriers also provides services such as supporting people with personal care, cleaning and household tasks, garden maintenance, shopping and getting to appointments, as well as help with navigating the aged care sector.

“No matter whether it’s about the Common wealth Home Support Programme, Community Assistance and Support (CASP) or Home Care Packages, Fee for Service or the NDIS, we’d love to talk this through with you,” he says.

“We appreciate the contribution that seniors make to our community here in the ACT, whether it be by volunteering, participation in local sporting clubs, supporting their families and grandchildren, as well as simply sharing their wisdom and experi ence with us.

“So when seniors need an extra hand, it’s important to us to provide that assistance.”

This year, Richard says Life Without Barriers has been able to access additional funding to help seniors and are opening up the pathway portals to receive a quicker service.

Life Without Barriers, 25 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith. Call 6213 1600 or visit lwb.org.au

Richard Cabrita of Life Without Barriers.

Independent optician offers personal service

OWNER of Curtin Optical, Corey Nicholls, says that its independence from large chains gives customers a more personalised

Having been a part of the Curtin community for 20 years, Curtin Optical has three experienced optometrists available for appointments from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Corey and his team stock a wide range of eyewear, contact lenses and accessories.

“We cater to all tastes – from budget to well-known brands,” says Corey.

Curtin Optical are providers to the ACT pension scheme and also DVA.

Curtin Optical also offers mobile optical dispensing services – spectacle selections and deliveries to the elderly or people unable to come into the store due to disability.

This also includes spectacle repairs and adjustments, and an after-hours service.

In addition, Curtin Optical offers an express service for those who have lost or broken their spectacles.

In its full workshop facility, Curtin Optical’s Corey is a fully-qualified optical mechanic and offers an express service on most (stock) single vision jobs, including rimless spectacles.

Curtin Optical’s instore services have a same day turnaround and its mobile jobs have a 24 hour turnaround.

Curtin Optical. Shop 1B, Curtin Place, Curtin. Call 6281 1220 or email looking@ curtinoptical.com.au

50,000 Canberrans & their families tolerate life with a frustrating and often debilitating hearing deficiency!

Better Hearing Australia mission is to bring information, education, skills & proven management packages to families coping with the debilitating effects of progressive hearing loss.

BHA Canberra Helps…

................................................................ BEFORE

• Outreach program of knowledge, skills & strategies

• Workshops and drop-in centre consultation

• Plan execution and useful management tips and apps

................................................................

DURING

• Coaching for hearing loss clients and network team leaders in plan execution

• Managing common hearing loss ‘pinch-points’, and related seminars and practice sessions

• Managing help networks, (including family relationships)

• Hearing loss management classes (including lipreading) AFTER

• On call ‘One to One’ coaching

• Remedial or corrective ‘round table’ facilitation to resolve diversions & distractions

Do you know somebody who would benefit from our Coping Package?

Contact Better Hearing Australia Canberra now Phone or call in to BHA Canberra, COTA Building, 2 Wisdom Street, Hughes

• BHA Events for meeting others in similar situations and celebrating success www.bhacanberra.org

Specialists help women of all ages

THE multidisciplinary team operating out of Specialist Services Medical Group in Deakin offers conservative and surgical treatment options for women of all ages, says specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Elizabeth Gallagher.

Dr Gallagher says the team is made up of obstetrician, gynaecologist and laparoscopic surgeon Dr Omar Adham, obstetrician, gynaecologist and fertility specialist Dr Tween Low, physiotherapist Marita O’Shea and psychologist Lia Bain.

“Marita is a specialist women’s health physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvic floor dysfunction,” Dr Gallagher says.

“She provides advice and management of age and pelvic-floor appropriate exercise as well as conservative management of bladder and bowel problems, incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.”

Proven long lasting results with MonaLisa Touch

Mona Lisa Touch is a non-surgical, nonhormonal alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the treatment of symptoms related to vaginal atrophy such as-vaginal itching & burning, vaginal dryness, loss of lubrication, vaginal laxity, some incontinence symptoms and painful sexual intercourse. It is a five minute, pain-free procedure.

The benefits are:

• Low Risk with little or no side effects

• Long lasting improvements

• No recovery time, normal activities can be resumed

• Suitable for Breast Cancer patients (not suited to HRT)

Dr Gallagher works with women who have problems such as period problems, incontinence, pelvic pain and pain with sex. But she says a large number of her patients are older women who come to her with problems such as prolapse, incontinence, abnormal bleeding, vaginal pain, abnormal pap smears and other general gynaecologist needs.

“There’s often something we can do or we might need to investigate further,” she says.

Located one block from the Mint, Dr Gallagher says the newly renovated rooms are light and airy.

“We have easy access to disabled parking and other parking that’s close by and free,” she says.

Specialist Services Medical Group, Lidia Perin Building, 12/12 Napier Close, Deakin. Call 6282 2033, 6162 1649 or email deakin@specialistservices.com.au

and

For consultations regarding the MonaLisa Touch Phone 62822033 or 61621649 Email deakin@specialistservices.com.au

Perin Building, 12/12 Napier Close, Deakin 2600

Quilts tailored to keep you warm

THERMA Quilts has been keeping Canberrans warm since the ‘80s and continues to keep people warm even as their bodies change, says a Therma Quilts spokeswoman.

“Sensitivity to heat and cold can change as we get older,” she says.

But luckily, using quality textiles, the seamstresses at Therma Quilts hand-make every item suited to the customer’s needs and provide a top-up service when quilts and pillows show signs of wear or loss of warmth and fluffiness.

“Servicing of feather and down products are essential for keeping them in optimal condition for comfort,” she says.

“With time and usage, body proteins and lipids (natural oils and perspiration) are absorbed on to quilt casings and into the feather and down inside.

“Over time, this build-up dampens the down, which causes it to lose its thermal resistance.

However, regular servicing of your quilts would ensure that your down is fresh, fluffy and keeps you nice and warm during winter.

“With time and usage, the fabrics on quilts wear out and get thin, but once holes appear there is no need to throw away your quilt.

“Whether you’re wanting to rejuvenate your quilt, customise it or buy a new custom-made one we can look after you,” she says.

Therma Quilts, 10-12 Kemble Court, Mitchell. Call 6241 6859, email shop@thermaquilts.com.au or visit thermaquilts.com.au

to offer free and independent advocacy support following the recent commencement of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

“Recently the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has commenced, in response to the shocking revelations of abuse being perpetrated inside aged care facilities,” ADACAS says.

“The Royal Commission seeks to receive submissions from older people, their families, carers and other stakeholders into issues, challenges and problems that people may be experiencing or might have experienced in the past when they accessed or tried to access aged care services.”

ADACAS CEO Michael Bleasdale says for some people making a submission can be very difficult, and not only because of the technology they are

“It can also be very confronting, so the advocates at ADACAS can provide help on how to make these submissions, and support people who may experience distress,” he says.

Deputy CEO Sonia Di Mezza says: “It is vital that people who feel compelled to give testimony at the Commission have their rights protected, and are encouraged to give their version of events without fear of retribution.

“ADACAS will assist people in the ACT to access whatever legal and other supports they need to make their contribution to the Commission.”

ADACAS, Weston Community Hub, corner of Gritten and Hilder Streets, Weston. Call 6242 5060, email adacas@adacas.org.au or visit adacas.org.au

Be certain of the future by making a will

ACT Seniors Week is an opportunity to promote positive community attitudes towards older people and ageing, says ACT’s Public Trustee and Guardian, Andrew Taylor.

“The Public Trustee and Guardian (PTG) is a proud and continued supporter of Seniors Week. Importantly, PTG is only too well aware of the importance of having an up-to-date will and enduring power of attorney,” says Andrew.

“A will is essential to protect your interests in the event of your death.

“To demonstrate PTG’s commitment to seniors in the community, PTG provides a complimentary will to all persons in our community of 60 years and over, with a condition that you appoint the Public Trustee and Guardian as primary executor or as secondary executor to your spouse/ partner,” he says.

Andrew warns that a failure to have a valid and up-to-date will can result in extra cost and potentially undesirable or unforeseen outcomes upon a person’s death.

“Your will should be reviewed in the event of a change of circumstances such as marriage, a birth or divorce,” says Andrew. Other aspects to be considered when making a will include:

• Marriage revokes an existing will unless the will was made in contemplation of the marriage.

• In the case of divorce, the divorced spouse or civil partner will be treated as though they had predeceased the person making the will and will not participate as beneficiary or executor.

• A person, of either gender, living as a partner with the deceased for over two years, will participate as a beneficiary under the laws of intestacy and may be able to bring an action for a greater share in the will under the Family Provision Act 1969.

• Unless there is a specific exclusion stated in the will, the share of a deceased child of the person making the will is automatically shared by the person’s children.

• Your will should appoint a person (executor) to administer the will, to collect and deal with assets, to pay debts and to account to your beneficiaries in keeping with your instructions. An executor should be chosen carefully.

For more information, or to make an appointment to prepare your will, contact the Public Trustee and Guardian on 6207 9800 or visit ptg.act.gov.au

We will present two free forums during Seniors Week on the importance of having a valid and up-to-date Will and Enduring Power of Attorney.

Monday Time: 6pm – 8pm

Date: 18 March 2019

Venue: Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong Address: Pitman St & Holwell Street, Greenway ACT

Wednesday Time: 9.30am – 12pm

Date: 20 March 2019

Venue: Gungahlin Lakes Golf and Community Club

Address: 110 Gundaroo Dr, Nicholls ACT

• Lucky door prizes

• Free PTG Will voucher for all attendees

• Light refreshments provided Bookings essential - call 6207 9800 WILLS

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

At ADACAS, we can support you in making a submission about your experiences as a carer or older person to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. It might sound complicated, but we are here to help. Just contact us to talk it over.

The balancing act that is China and US policy

By Tony WALKER

CHINA policy will not be a voteshifting issue in the 2019 Federal election. As usual, the economy and tax in particular will dominate this election.

But from a foreign policy standpoint there is no more important issue than achieving a reasonable balance between the US, Australia’s security guardian, and China, its linchpin economic partner.

Getting the balance right and thus avoiding being wedged between its security and economic interests represents what is arguably the most significant foreign policy challenge in Australian diplomatic history since Federation in 1901.

In 1972, the Whitlam Labor government ditched an anomalous attachment to Taiwan as China’s legitimate representative. Since then, China policy has, for the most part, been bipartisan.

Little separates Labor and the coalition in a relationship that increasingly has been driven by economic ties. But there are nuanced differences.

Senior coalition and Labor spokespeople have recently delivered addresses in Singapore that provide a useful insight into their thinking.

In January, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne spoke at the Fullerton Forum convened by the International Institute of Strategic Studies. A year ago, Labor’s foreign policy spokesperson, Penny Wong, addressed the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Both Pyne and Wong cautioned against allowing tensions between the US and China to divert Australia from pursuing its own interests, even if those interests do not accord with those of its security guarantor.

Pyne said: “Unquestionably, rivalry between the US and China will be a feature of our international outlook in the foreseeable future. However, it is critical that US-China relations do not come to be defined in wholly adversarial terms.”

In Wong’s case, she says simply that it remains “in the interests of all South-East Asian nations that the US remains strategically engaged in the region”. Where the two sides differ by degree

lies in Wong’s assessment of risks to a “rules-based” international order posed by competition between an established and rising power.

She is gloomier than Pyne about the international outlook.

She told her Singapore audience: “Whether or not you agree with President Trump’s view that the international rulesbased system is not working, there is no disputing the international rules-based order is under its greatest period of stress since the end of the second world war.”

Pyne was more sanguine. He said: “Cold War commentary fails to see a fundamental but defining difference, namely the world’s economies are far more closely integrated and mutually dependent than they were when the West contested the Soviet bloc.”

Where this is leading is that a Labor government would probably make a more conspicuous effort to bolster regional partnerships with the ASEAN bloc and India as a hedge against tensions between the US and China.

Labor might also seek to give itself more flexibility in positioning Australia between its strategic ally, the US, and its dominant economic partner, China. This fine-tuning would need to be carried out subtly to avoid upsetting cornerstone security arrangements that have served the country well.

Wong uses the phrase “constructive internationalism” – borrowed from Labor’s former foreign minister, Gareth Evans, who coined it a quarter century ago – to define Australia’s national interests.

In the Evans formula, the phrase describes a policy that is motivated by values in pursuit of interests.

“If interests describe the reasons for action, values describe the motives for action,” Wong told her Singapore audience.

Where both sides of Australian politics converge is on the need to engage China, but not at the expense of disregarding Beijing’s flagrant attempts to assert its sovereignty in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Pyne put it like this: “There is no gain in stifling China’s growth and prosperity… We are not interested in containing China, but we are interested in engaging and encouraging China to exercise its power in ways that increase regional trust and confidence.

“The building and militarisation of artificial features in the South China Sea, for instance, has not increased regional

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confidence in China’s strategic intentions.”

This might be regarded as an understatement.

Labor’s position on China’s overreach in the South China Sea mirrors that of the coalition.

Wong said: “Should the Australian Labor Party form government, we will certainly be advocating resolution of territorial claims and the exploitation of fishing stocks and seabed resources through negotiations between claimants rather than through unilateral action such as the militarisation of artificial islands.”

In his Fullerton lecture, Pyne raised the possibility of Australia joining “multilateral activities in the South China Sea to demonstrate they are international waters”.

In his reference to so-called FONOPs (freedom of navigation operations), he stopped short of indicating whether Australia planned to join allies in sailing within 12 nautical miles of China’s militarised features in South China Sea waters. The coalition has not ruled out this possibility.

What is unarguable is that, after a long period of US strategic dominance, Australia’s security environment is shifting dramatically. Neither major party can escape this reality.

Pyne made some telling points that reflect

the extraordinary complexity and dimensions of a region in flux – one that fleetingly, we should remind ourselves, anticipated an American century.

That prospect disappeared in the blink of an eye as China’s spectacular economic rise, linked with an expansion of its military capabilities, shifted the regional power balance.

Pyne’s scorecard brings home the scope of the challenge facing the next government, coalition or Labor, in getting middle-power settings right. Or, put another way, to avoid being crushed by bigger players.

The Indo-Pacific is home to eight of the 10 most populous nations on earth. Half of the world’s population calls it home.

Twelve of the member states of the G20, including the three largest economies in the world, are Indo-Pacific nations. And nine of the world’s 10 busiest seaports are in the Indo-Pacific, as are seven of the world’s 10 largest standing armies.

In the latest Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute survey of global military spending, Australia ranks 13th. This is ahead of Canada and behind Italy. Five IndoPacific nations spend more on defence – the US, China, India, Japan and South Korea.

China’s military expenditures are six times those of Australia’s defence allocation. Where the Pyne and Wong speeches overlap is in their warnings of the risks of isolationism. This can be read as a rebuttal of Donald Trump’s “America First” policies. Pyne said: “We fall short of our economic potential when parties choose to withdraw behind walls and withdraw from mechanisms designed to make us stronger.

“Australia envisages a region that is more closely integrated and where we all collectively reject isolationism. We must work together not apart.”

Labor would endorse those sentiments. Wong makes it clear that, for the time being, she would regard the prospect of the US reverting to a more collaborative posture as remote.

No matter who forms the next government, Australian policymakers are dealing with an end of certainty in a region remaking itself. They will need to be flexible – and resourceful.

Adjunct Prof Tony Walker works at the School of Communications at La Trobe University. This article was originally published on theconversation.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sarah’s sweet riesling has a bite RICHARD CALVER

Preaching the gospel according to St Paul

By Helen Musa

WHEN actor and satirist Jonathan Biggins steps on stage at The Playhouse in his full-length Paul Keating play “The Gospel According to Saint Paul” many audience members will be gasping at his resemblance to the former prime minister.

Wharf Revue audiences have been marvelling at how the lanky Biggins somehow transforms himself into Keating and his success is the subject of a terrific story he’s been dining out on for years.

As Biggins tells it, one night after playing in a revue skit about our pollies in a nursing home, a stunning woman sidled up to him and breathed, “Hello, Paul… I’m Annita”. And there she was, the former Mrs Keating.

But he emphasises: “We don’t have anything much in it about Paul and Annita… we know that he is intensely private and we have not ventured into the private domain.”

The show’s director, Aarne Neeme says: “It’s not going to be a show about Keating’s private life, but rather one that picks up on his quintessentially theatrical way with words… but Jonathan’s done a lot of

research and now what he’s come up with is a more serious, more rounded character.

he and Tom Jones are great friends and meet up for coffee in Balmain if Jones is in town.” And, yes, Keating and Biggins have

met. As actress Amanda Muggleton told “CityNews” recently, she took Keating to last year’s Wharf Revue. The cast was worried because she’d repeated an excoriating putdown by Keating, but he stayed on to talk to Biggins, denying the comment but looking “a bit sheepish”.

Biggins is pleased to be directed by Neeme, who gave him his first professional job at the Hunter Valley Theatre Company straight out of university, and had been his mentor.

“The play has been gestating for 10 to 12 years,” Biggins says.

“I sort of wrote the show a few years back, and then we had to quickly put it in the Wharf Revue when Drew [Forsythe] got sick, but after he recovered and he came back, we kept it on.”

He says the unique Keating style required some time to get right and his play is entirely different from “Keating the Musical”, which he describes as “a love poem”.

“I think of mine as being something of a three-dimensional autobiography written by someone else,” he says.

“If I see someone important, then I think: ‘I could do that’, but the key is to trick the audience into thinking it’s that person and a lot of it is observed voice.”

For instance, he admits that his version of Donald Trump is largely – “you get the key from the voice”.

“You have to be very careful though, it

would be a disaster to bring the real Paul Keating on stage.” he says.

As he gets older, the Keating style becomes more second nature to Biggins, especially phrases such as “let me finish…let me finish”.

He says there has been sheer joy in writing for this character.

“Just the way he delivered stuff, the turn of phrase, his use of the vernacular juxtaposed with high-level jargon,” Biggins says.

“He was a great exponent of the language and he could cut people down with a remark.”

Biggins has found his “Paul” anything but arrogant, saying: “He was actually full of self-doubt and melancholy.…What the public sees, the public image with the clocks and the street language, is not really true.

“Being interested in things, that’s been his hallmark; if there’s something that interests him, he knows everything about it. People don’t have that kind of knowledge on a particular subject anymore… and don’t forget he was prime minister before social media.”

And what if Keating had still been on the floor of the house when Pauline Hanson made her maiden speech?

“He would have burnt her off,” Biggins is certain.

“The Gospel According to Paul”, The Playhouse, March 26-31, post-show Q&A, Thursday, March 28. Book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au

NOJOBS,NOMONEY,NOTHINGLEFTTOLOSE...

ARTS IN THE CITY Matter of trust for Frankie

By Helen Musa

LOCAL comedian Frankie McNair is staging her first solo show, “Frantasia”, at the Canberra Comedy Festival, running from March 18-24 all around town. McNair, who performed at the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival as part of “Act Like a Lady”, will be seen standing on a magic carpet asking the audience: “Do you trust me?” At The Street Theatre, Thursday, March 21. Book at canberracomedyfestival.com.au

CANBERRA muso Dan Kirklandd is showcasing his new single, “Impulse”, in a one-off show featuring a line-up of local musicians and fine artists. A former cello player, Kirklandd’s show, “Impulse: An Experience in Light & Sound”, is at Mr Wolf, 122 Alinga Street, Civic, Saturday March 23. Book at moshtix.com.au

THE figures are in and Lakespeare II, “Twelfth Night”, saw audiences build to an incredible 2000 for the final show on the Patrick White Lawns. Public donations reached about $17,000, not quite enough to cover costs. Any ideas about how to bring in additional sponsorship for 2020, including naming-rights sponsorship, to lakespeareis@ gmail.com and further donations to facebook.com/lakespeare

THE new Tasmanian baroque group, Van Diemen’s Band, will be here for the first time with “Breathtaking”, featuring Americanborn cornettist Bruce Dickey, and Czech soprano Hana Blažiková producing, they say, “a sound both unearthly and unnervingly human”. At Wesley Music Centre, Canberra, 3pm, Sunday, March 17. Book at vandiemensband.com or at the door.

TEXTILE artist and experimenter

Jennifer Robertson continues her exploration of materials in the new exhibition, “textili geologia et marinus”. All welcome when Prof Chris McAuliffe, of the ANU School of Art & Design, opens the show at the CSIRO Discovery Gallery, North Science Road, Acton at 5.30pm, Wednesday, March 20. The exhibi -

tion continues until May 2.

CANBERRA Bach Ensemble choir, baroque orchestra and soloists, will present Bach’s “Agnus Dei” Cantatas, BWV 22, 23, 127 and the Mass in F Major, BWV 233 in a concert conducted by Andrew Koll, with the orchestra led by Leanne Bear at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka, 8pm, March 23 and 2.30pm, March 24. Book at trybooking.com

M16 Artspace’s “Art Roadshow” on Monday, March 18 is a bit like that well-known TV show, only it’s live. Ten items will be selected, displayed and discussed over drinks with certified fine art and antiques valuer Andrew Whitehead, who will take guests on a tour of the selected items. Book at eventbrite.com.au

MUSIC

Kids’ group turns 50 years young

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA’S Young Music

Society is turning 50 and its director-manager, the composer Stephen Leek, is cooking up a rare feast to mark the years of inspired music-making.

Founded in 1969 by Judith Clingan, who’ll be playing at the celebration with a group of students from the society’s 2019 Summer Music School, the gala event will be open to the public as well as to past and present members and alumni. Children are especially encouraged to attend.

Noted tenor Christopher Lincoln Bogg, who was a student at the very first YMS event as a nine year old, will sing a selection of favourites from the musical and light opera repertoire. Other performers include the Canberra Burns Club Pipe Band, the In Full Swing Big Band, the Take No Prisoners band, pianist Maxim

CINEMA

Summersby-Mitchell, music educator Jim Sharrock, flautist Kiri Sollis, jazz artist Alex Wanjura and awarded Australian composer, arranger and performer Padma Newsome. Aiming to provide access, education, artistry, inclusion, excellence and enjoyment to the young people of Canberra, the society has been backed by Canberra’s dedicated

community of supporter-teachers, many of whom, including Katherine Wilkinson, Anna Johnstone, Owen Elliott and Ethan McAlister, grew up in the ranks of YMS and will perform. The YMS’s new patron, broadcaster, conductor and educator Graham Abbott, will be on hand to inspire the crowd.

Leek is proud of the YMS’s sur-

vival as a self-funded, communitybased organisation and says: “This celebration truly spans 50 years of inspiring young Canberrans through music across the decades. “

Young Music Society 50th gala afternoon, Albert Hall, 2pm, Sunday March 17. Book at 6258 0200 or at the door.

By Dougal MACDONALD

Don’t extraterrestrial leaders read papers?

“Captain Marvel” (PG)

THE captain was born in 1939 as the alter ego of teenaged Billy Batson, the child of Fawcett Comics which was looking for a worthy competitor on America’s newsstands for Clark Kent (aka Superman).

A wizard gave young Billy the magic word “shazam”, an acronym for a bunch of legendary heroes long since out of copyright – Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.

When Billy saw a wrong needing righting, all he needed to was say “shazam” to call down a transformative lightning bolt that turned him into the Captain. Fast forward to June 1995. It may surprise you to know that agents of the intergalactic civilisation Skrull had by then been coming to Earth for several centuries to prepare it for colonisation. Who can tell what might have happened if the takeover had gone ahead? Would we by now be careening through space on a less self-destructive platform?

“The House That Jack Built” (R)

WHILE Danish writer/director Larg von Trier’s films do not seek to milk the populist box-office cow, they have collected many awards (the Wikipedia main article about him is easily accessible).

Enough of this juvenile nonsense. Consider briefly the 124 minutes’ cinematic confection from Disney written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Copious CG visual effects embroidering a well-worn story about defending Earth against extraterrestrial invaders inflate that run-time to the boundary of boredom. Don’t extraterrestrial leaders read the papers? What galaxy would want to own a planet whose inhabitants are unable to agree whether or not it’s heading for self-annihilation?

The story doesn’t expect great acting and doesn’t deliver it (except for third-billed Australian Ben Mendelsohn as an intruder in human form). “Shazam” is now past its use-by date. As Captain Marvel, Brie Larson is expected to deliver athleticism above all else. About three-quarters of the way into the film, we learn what has happened to give her the superhuman powers without which the Captain would be just another bloke. Or girl, in this case.

At all cinemas

This long (152 minutes) film accompanying Jack (Matt Dillon) during 12 years of madness, death, art, cruelty and murder is not comfortable cinema.

Jack is an architect-cum-engineer of independent means who lives alone and eschews friendships. Jack kills people he doesn’t know for reasons that he alone understands.

Von Trier films the murders in exquisite detail. He’s not setting out to titillate weirdos in the audience who become serial killers because they can. The murderings are driven by Jack’s views of ethics, art, philosophy, religion and morality. Von Trier is not the only well-regarded filmmaker whose violent films explore those themes. Think Bunuel, Pasolini, even Hitchcock; perhaps not Tarantino. In the graphic arts, violent death is a frequent theme.

“The House That Jack Built” is a polemic of von Trier’s views about life in our time, in the US. It’s macabre. It’s disturbing. While it gives only scant attention to sex, a strong sense of sexual malaise pervades it. Late in the film, when Jack wants one full-metal-jacket round of rifle ammunition to test how many skulls it will penetrate before its energy dissipates, he pays cash to a seedy gun shop owner with banknotes drawn from a purse made from a breast sliced from a woman (Riley Keough) whose

intelligence he despises. He preserves his victims in an industrial deep freeze.

The film introduces a commentary from the initially unseen Verge (the great German actor Bruno Ganz who died less than a month ago) who, after Jack has constructed a house from materials that most interest him and of which he has accumulated a goodly supply, appears to confront him and lead him to the edge of what is commonly considered to be hell. It gives the film an optimistic conclusion. But not too optimistic.

After opening in the US on December 16, with an estimated budget of $13 million, “The House That Jack Built” earned only $123,000 in its first month. As Robbie Burns wrote after seeing a flea on a lady’s bonnet in church: “O wad some Power the giftie gie us/To see oursels as ithers see us!”

At Dendy

“Everybody Knows” (M)

IN writer/director Asghar Farhadi’s family drama, Laura (Penelope Cruz) and her two children have come to the family’s vineyard and winery near Madrid for her sister’s wedding.

It’s a happy time, full of dancing, food, wine and family. Laura meets up with her one-time boyfriend Paco (Javier Bardem). The fiesta goes into the night. Laura’s teenaged daughter Irene (Carla Campra) is packed off to bed while the grown-ups party on. The lights fail. Some of the men go off to get a generator from the vineyard. The power comes back on. And an envelope arrives. We have your daughter. If you tell the police, she will die.

Following that joyous introduction, Farhadi’s film delivers a dramatic potpourri of tension, worry, anger, frustration and grief in 133 minutes of stylish energy and complexity that will satisfy the most demanding viewer expectations. It looks good. Its little details make sense. It brings on that wonderful feeling that comes when, of two possible directions, the story follows the one that you realise it must choose but wish it hadn’t.

I like a film that does that so respectfully of its audience’s intelligence.

At Dendy and Capitol 6

Waiting dents Ego experience

I WAS thrilled to see the massive space in Civic at the corner of Bunda and Genge Streets – former home to Cream Bar and Cafe – re-open. It’s such a fabulous location and so off we went to visit Alter Ego.

This relatively new establishment opens early for coffee and breakfast, at 7.30am, seven days a week. It’s open pretty late, too – up to 2.30am depending on the day. That means you can do coffees (by ONA), breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails and everything in between, with something for every personality.

Major effort has gone into reconfiguring the inside, with the bar now running down the right side – not in the centre – and the décor has been transformed. The place looks amazing.

We settled in outside, enjoying a day of not-so-hot weather. That was when the waiting game began.

Heaps of staff were swanning about, but not many paying a lot of attention to customers sitting outside so I waltzed in to get a menu from the bar (followed by another customer sitting behind us). I was told someone would bring a menu outside. Okey-dokey.

Alter Ego’s menu has great variety and we had no trouble choosing refreshingly different dishes. I think the kitchen team is on to something.

The garden bowl was divine. It was loaded with goodness and I loved the combination of mega ingredients and flavours. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel healthier and healthier with every bite.

This “super bowl” includes cinnamon pumpkin, cauliflower rice, red radish, carrots, red cabbage, beetroot hummus (so good it inspired me to make my own), quinoa, cucumber, dukkah and house-made turmeric aioli ($18). It’s totally loaded with goodness, looked

amazing and was a delight to eat.

My friend started with the blue fin tuna tartare with seaweed dressing and crispy capers ($19) which came out close to 15 minutes after my meal arrived and my meal was far from prompt. Indeed, we had virtually finished our glass of wine by the time any food arrived and that was after I had waltzed inside a second time to see if there had been a mistake with our order. I was told, in these words: “Sorry guys, just give us one second”. The waiting game continued until the panfried pork dumplings with soy vinegar and shallot

Photo: Wendy Johnson

($12) finally arrived. It’s just as well they were yummy, but we agreed that front-of-house isn’t doing justice to the creativity in the kitchen.

The sad thing is that the staff didn’t even ask if we enjoyed our meal. They took our dishes away without saying a word. How hard is it? Apparently, very hard.

Perhaps this operation needs to focus less on its alter ego and more on its true, original personality.

WINE Sarah’s sweet riesling has a bite

A CIRCLE walked into a bar. The barman looks up and says: “Your round”.

That feeling of being the giver descends when my adult children and I gather and we decide to taste wine at my expense: the only price is to grin and bear my dad jokes and give thanks for the wonder of family.

The evening was very warm, with Canberra suddenly displaying heat of continuing intensity. A cold riesling and some chilli chicken were the way to beat the heat. Chilli makes us sweat.

“Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilli, stimulates the thermoreceptors in our mouth and we sweat hence cooling ourselves down,” I pontificate with my pigeon pair actively waiting for a punchline that I don’t have.

The rieslings are a Four Winds Vineyard 2018 and a Nick O’Leary 2018. Both are priced at under $30.

We pour the wine into six glasses, two each and I think washing up! But then realise the chef doesn’t clean. The initial swirl in the glass has been perfected, looking at how much sticks to the glass to measure body. They sniff, noses deep into the glass. The initial thoughts:

“The O’Leary has more mouth feel,” says my son as my heart leaps with pride at the absorption of the fatherly jargon. “It is bigger and bolder and complex.”

My daughter agrees. “The Four Winds is subtler, has a real citrus finish,” she says and my heart races – again, the language of wine is being used.

“As I serve the chicken, I say: “You do know that this is all made from scratch, no tinned food or shortcuts?” They look perplexed and nod.

“Yes,” I say, “but I did have a tin once that wasn’t a tin.”

“What?”

“Yes, it was uncanny.” Groan.

“Lucky the food’s good,” says my son.

Speaking of which, the Four Winds opens up with food and its acidity seems to better suit the chilli taste than the bolder O’Leary wine.

This was memorable and I wanted to get the winery’s take on this element of the comparison. I called Sarah Collingwood, the CEO of Four Winds.

“Yes, we went for a light, citrusy, refreshing flavour, a little sweet but with a bit of an acid bite.

We wanted to make a food-friendly wine.”

I asked why the 2018 Canberra rieslings seemed so good. Sarah said that the Canberra area produces consistently good rieslings, that it is a grape entirely suited to the terroir and the climate.

“In fact,” she said, “we have a PHD student with us at the moment and she is studying the effect of cool nights on aromatics.”

“Cool,” I said lamely.

She went on: “We get great rieslings and the only time that they aren’t going to be okay is if there is loads of rain around picking.”

I also asked Sarah what it was like to be a female CEO. She said that there were a number of women in the wine industry in Canberra that were doing well and that “we just gotta own it!”

Her enthusiasm was as refreshing as the wine.

We are very lucky in Canberra to have an area suited to this elegant grape variety that is good value for money and of world-standard quality.

I asked Sarah if she could send me a list of any medals her 2018 riesling had won. And top of the list was a gold medal in the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show. Praise the heavens.

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – GK Chesterton

PUZZLES PAGE

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

The pace picks up mid-week, when the Sun transits into Aries and turbo-charges your passionate, impulsive and romantic nature. And the Full Supermoon also revs up your relationship zone. So many Rams will be in the mood for lashings of love! But be extra careful what you say. With Mercury still retrograde (until March 28) words have the ability to wound. If you don’t slow down and self-edit, then you could end up with a messy misunderstanding on your hands.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Some stubborn Bulls can easily get stuck in a stultifying daily rut. This week it’s time to ricochet out of your usual routine and do something completely different. Variety is the spice of life, as you experiment with exciting new activities – and welcome sudden detours and disruptions. But the more you try to control others, the more they are likely to resist. So, if you want to avoid ongoing problems and power struggles, then learn to diplomatically let go and move on.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

This week’s Full Supermoon stimulates your friendship zones, so those around you can look forward to some surprises, amusing antics or manic moments from you and your peer group pals. But keep in mind that Mercury (your patron planet) is in retrograde motion until March 28. So make sure you back-up all your computer files; allow plenty of time to get to appointments or catch flights; and doublecheck everything as you carefully revise, reschedule and re-do.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Looking after a loved one isn’t easy, as you struggle to juggle your personal and professional lives. This week’s Full Supermoon falls in your home zone, so be on domestic drama alert and realise that stress levels will be running high (and self-control running low). Plus – with Mercury retrograde – pursuing your dreams won’t be a direct journey. Plenty of patience and persistence (and Crab side-stepping) are required before you taste the sweet fruits of success.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

You’re fired up about making something big happen ASAP. But Saturn and retrograde Mercury caution you about taking shortcuts and relying on others. Don’t expect influential people to drop everything and hand you your dream. There is no substitute for hard work and thorough preparation. It’s also Equinox week so stop rushing around and try not to overdo things! Smart Cats will calm down and recalibrate to a slower, steadier and much more sustainable pace.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

With Mercury still retrograde, be extra careful how you give and receive information. If in doubt, then don’t hesitate to double-check. Plus avoid starting major ventures or signing important contracts until after March 28. Be patient and focus your attention on revising, researching or reworking current projects. As we celebrate the Equinox on Thursday (when day and night are of equal length) strive to bring more balance and harmony into your busy world.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

If you expect other people to be cooperative then you’ll be disappointed, especially mid-week (when the Full Supermoon lights up your sign). So choose your words wisely, otherwise you’ll just upset loved ones or colleagues. A relationship problem is brewing so do all you can to diffuse it diplomatically, as you discuss a subject you may not necessarily feel comfortable about. It’s Equinox week so try to be fair and balanced and see things from differing viewpoints.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

A child, teenager or close friend could unsettle you by making a surprise move. So be prepared with a few fast moves (and choice words) of your own! Is your love life stuck on auto-pilot? The planets encourage you to blast away the cobwebs and look at things from a fresh angle. Single Scorpios - are you fed up with dating disasters? Mars and Uranus urge you to look for love in unlikely places. But romance won’t blossom until after Mercury goes direct on March 28.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

This week’s Full Supermoon highlights romance, entertainment, networking, friendships, creative endeavours and group projects. With your sparky Sagittarian mojo and momentum running on high speed, you’re ready to rock and roll! But Saturn and retrograde Mercury caution you to slow down. So you need to take your foot out of your mouth and communicate with more care and consideration, especially in matters involving family and finances.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

You’re in the mood to shake things up on the home front as you redesign, redecorate, renovate or entertain unexpected guests. But Saturn and retro Mercury caution you to be very clear when you’re communicating with family, friends and neighbours. What they say and what you hear may be two different things. So keep them up-to-date with what you are thinking and doing, otherwise misunderstandings are likely. It’s Equinox week so a dash of diplomacy will see you through.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

With Mercury still reversing through your money zone (until March 28) the more educated and thorough you are about money matters, the more your financial situation will gradually improve. But expect some annoying hassles and hiccups along the way. And avoid being too blasé about a complicated relationship issue (especially involving values, morals, possessions or joint finances). Diplomacy and discretion are the secrets to a stress-free Supermoon/Equinox week.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Under the influence of Wednesday night’s Full Supermoon, an intimate relationship could veer off in a dramatic new direction. Or a financial matter could become complicated. With Mercury still reversing through your sign (until March 28) expect car, computer, travel or communication chaos. The best way to handle problems? It’s Equinox week so maintain your equilibrium, be a super patient Piscean and don’t take delays and misunderstandings too seriously.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018

Across

4 Which town in Wyoming USA, has been displayed in many Western movies? (7)

8 Name a plant of the mint family, used in cookery. (7)

9 To be no longer operative, is to be what? (7)

10 What is an accumulation of work, awaiting attention? (7)

11 Which team won the 1995 English FA Cup? (7)

12 Which title is appropriate to home units? (6)

14 What are parts into which the capital stock of a limited company is divided? (6)

18 Which mammal family includes humans, apes, monkeys, etc? (7)

21 Name the cart used during the French Revolution to convey victims to the guillotine. (7)

22 To be more smelly, is to be what? (7)

23 Name a native plant of the Mediterranean area, widely cultivated for its mostly red and blue flowers. (7)

24 What is an alternative term for a bunch of flowers, or a bouquet? (7)

Down

1 What is the nickname for the Essendon AFL team? (7)

2 Which word implies freedom from war? (5)

3 What do we call the heavy material carried by a ship to ensure proper stability? (7)

4 Name another term for a boarder. (6)

5 What is a shoulder firearm? (5)

6 Name the large lizard, supposed to give warning of the presence of crocodiles. (7)

7 What is the given name for the British rock singer, etc, ... John? (5)

13 What is the nickname for the Canberra NRL team? (7)

15 Who was the Nazi head of the Gestapo and SS, Heinrich ...? (7)

16 Name the knife used in surgical operations. (7)

17 To expose one to an enemy by treachery, is to do what? (6)

18 Name a President of Argentina, Juan ... (5)

19 When one is imitating servilely, what is one doing? (5)

20 Name a colourless, odourless, gaseous element, symbol Ar. (5)

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Kelly calls by to keep up

Kelly had heard there had been some recent compliance changes that might affect her business and came by to get more information from me.

She was right. There have been quite a few changes recently. I told her the immediate asset write-off was one of them.

"For the last couple of years you have been able to claim an immediate deduction for assets that cost less than $20,000.

The Prime Minister recently announced that this limit has been increased to $25,000," I said.

"We recently discussed upgrading your office computer system, which would probably cost about $24,000. You can now claim the full amount as a tax deduction in the 2019 tax year.

"The main criterion for claiming the expenditure is that the GSTinclusive total must not exceed $25,000. As you are anxious to claim your deduction this financial year, this change is very welcome for you.

Kelly said she had a quote for the computer system for $24,310.00 so it fitted within the limit and being able to claim it this year was great.

“Then, from July 1, you will have to use single-touch payroll (STP)," I told her. "The payroll program that you use is already STP compliant. You will need to send your employees’ payroll information direct to the ATO every time you pay your employees through your existing payroll program. It is a fairly simple process. "The information to be reported is the gross pay, tax and super as well as allowances, leave payments, parental leave payments, deductions and other payments that would normally appear on payment summaries. "Once you have prepared the final payroll for the year and completed a finalisation declaration, you are not obliged to provide your employees with payment summaries and you do not need to provide a payment summary annual report to the ATO. "If you decide not to report through STP for your payment summaries, then you will have to give your employees payment summaries and you will need to provide the annual report to the ATO.”

“The obvious question is what happens if you make a mistake in the payroll and it has been sent to the ATO. STP allows you to make changes in your next payroll – this is called a ‘fix’.

"The employees’ tax and super data is sent to myGov so each employee can see their year-to-date earnings and super on myGov. When a mistake is made you may need to remind your employees that the year-to-date figures on myGov may not be correct until that error is corrected in the next payroll.”

The other change I needed to alert her about was that from July 1 she could only claim deductions for payments made to her employees where she had met the PAYG rules for that payment.

"I know you pay your PAYG for your employees on time, but this is just a reminder as to how important it is," I said.

"If you make a mistake in reporting you can make a voluntary disclosure to the ATO provided an audit of your tax affairs has not commenced.”

Kelly said that was a lot to take in, but promised to get back if she had any further questions.

If you require help with any aspect of your business contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on.

GARDENING

The flower power

By Cedric BRYANT

WHEN I featured Crepe myrtles recently some readers have reported plants that have been in for several years were not flowering well.

Crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) along with Hibiscus syriacus flower from late summer to early autumn. Both only flower fully on the new season’s wood. This means it’s important to prune each year when dormant in winter.

I usually prune by up to but not more than a third off at any one time. Actually, this practice applies to almost any plant, including most native plants to encourage maximum flowering.

Hibiscus syriacus originates from China, although it had reached the Middle East by the 16th century.

Peter Valder, in his book “Garden Plants of China”, notes the old Chinese name for Korea was “Chin Yueh” or the “Land of Hibiscus”. It is the national flower of South Korea. In the west it is commonly known as the Rose of Sharon, growing in profusion in the Middle East.

I have a group of three in our front garden trained as standards and they are now in full flower. Hibiscus range in a variety of colours from single to double flowers. They are a great drought-hardy plant losing their leaves in winter. Several of the varieties listed in my 1898 copy of William Robinson’s “The English Flower Garden” are still available today.

I ONLY recommend certified organic products. They include Multicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient, Neutrog Seamungus (also in pellet form), Eco Seaweed and Eco Aminogro. They are suitable for all plants, including natives and edible crops. I also recommend Neutrog Go Go Juice as an added benefit for the health of the soil. Go Go Juice is teeming with microbes that activate the natural processes occurring in the soil. They speed up the decomposition of the residual organic matter and mineral compounds. In turn, this activates the nutrient availability and stimulates growth.

Jottings...

• Cut and freeze herbs for later culinary use.

• Take out petunias and replace with polyanthus, violas and pansies for winter colour. It usually takes about 6-8 weeks from planting to full flower.

• Sow sweet peas, deep dig to 20-30cm, add well-rotted compost, but no chemical fertilisers in the hole. Make sure a frame or poles are in place for support.

• Try using an apple corer to rid weeds from lawns.

OPEN GARDEN / Giralang

Sharing a neighbourly love of vegetables

ANNE Norris’ love of veggies is clear to see, with wicking beds taking over the lawn area in her pretty Spica Street, Giralang, garden that’s a delight of florals and foliage.

The garden will be open on the weekend of March 16-17 as part of Open Gardens Canberra, and included in the visit is a bonus look at Anne’s next-door neighbour Dana’s garden, which is also devoted to veggies.

Neighbours and friends for more than 30 years, Anne and Dana grow a variety of edibles and say their gardens have developed and changed a lot together over the years.

ANNE, at No 14, has a love for natives, as well as bright happy flowers, herbaceous perennials, fruit trees and shrubs that fill the open beds around the lawn and veggie patch, and more natives in the front.

She grows brussels sprouts, red cabbage, spinach, silverbeet, gooseberries, strawberries, zucchinis, beetroot, eggplant and black Genoa figs.

“I eat loads of veggies and fruit from the trees here, and find using wicking beds for the veggies very helpful for ease of watering – you can go away and leave them to it.

“I have two apple crates for my veggies. They’re great and the height of the beds saves my back as I don’t have to keep bending down!”

Anne loves ornamentals and a lot of colour, and says her leonotis is her pride and joy, with dahlias, grevilleas, gaillardias, echinaceas,

Words: Kathryn Vukovljak

Photos: Holly Treadaway

gardenias and johnsonias all growing prolifically.

“I’m out here most days keeping an eye on things,” she says.

“In spring and autumn, I’m never anywhere else!”

DANA, at No 16, says growing her own veggies is about health for her and everything in her garden is organic as she never sprays chemicals yet doesn’t have issues with pests or diseases. There’s enough to feed her year round, she says, favourites being Desiree potatoes and red cabbage for making sauerkraut.

The veggie patches at Dana’s are neat and well-ordered to maximise sunlight, with black musket and shiraz grape vines framing the home. There are at least 25 different vegetables, including capsicum, tomatoes, eggplant, kale, figs, blood orange, Kalamata olives, peaches, nectarines, pomegranate, herbs and broccoli, largely grown from saving seeds.

14 and 16 Spica Street, Giralang, open 10am-4pm, Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17. Admission $8 for both gardens; free to under-18s and Open Gardens Canberra members. Plants will be for sale and funds raised will go to Animals Asia. It costs $25 to join Open Gardens Canberra and gain free entry to all open gardens until August 31. More information at opengardenscanberra.org.au/ members

T H E P O D C A N B E R R A