CityNews 190523

All I want is the truth

MICHAEL MOORE

Jon Stanhope, where are you?

LETTERS

Hello to big, brassy ‘Dolly’ HELEN MUSA

A termite walks into a bar...

RICHARD CALVER

BORN TO RUN

DANIELLE NOHRA reveals how marathon man

Robert de Castella is changing young lives through running

More than ever, don’t delay. Call MEJ.

Bringing homeless street kids in from the cold

By Kate MEIKLE

“IT’S the worst feeling in the world when you hand a young person a swag or sleeping bag, knowing that’s the best you can do for them,” says executive director of St John’s Care Sarah Murdoch as the colder nights bring home the reality of sleeping rough for many of Canberra’s disadvantaged kids.

Sarah and her small team of youth workers based at St John’s Care in Reid run Raw Potential, a community-funded program dedicated to improving the lives of Canberra’s disadvantaged youth.

Raw Potenial’s youth outreach worker Nicolle Applewhite says that it’s scary and sad to see young people, some as young as 12 and 14, struggling with issues such as homelessness, mental health and drug and alcohol addiction.

Despite the odds they face and the trauma they have experienced, she says that their resilience is impressive.

The reality is that up to 300 young people are homeless in the ACT and homelessness amongst 12-25-yearolds is 40 per cent of the total homeless

INDEX

Arts & Entertainment 22-25

Canberra Matters 6

Cinema 24

Crossword 27

Dining 25

Gardening 26

Horoscopes 27

Letters 14

News 3-14

Politics 10

Socials 16

population in Australia, says Nicolle.

“With only six refuges that have 10-12 beds, most of these young people are either couch surfing, squatting or sleeping rough,” says Sarah.

Sarah says that there is a huge need for housing, in crisis accommodation and long-term residential care to help give these young people a safe place where they can be supported by onsite youth workers.

Sarah says she observed a group of young people, aged between 14 and 18, who were squatting in the old Cooyong Street community housing block move from apartment to apart ment as each of them were recently demolished. She says that increased community awareness of youth home lessness, in addition to donations, is important.

Raw Potential, previously known as YouthCARE Canberra, was founded by former ACT chief justice Terence Higgins in the late ‘80s and has a long track record in supporting atrisk youth by running an outreach program tailored to support the individual. Raw Potential is overseen by a passionate volunteer board that shares a desire for social justice, says Sarah.

“Being fully funded by donations allows us to have more flexibility. We can work out where the services gaps and needs are,” says Sarah.

Nicolle says she currently works

Ph 02 6189 0777 Fax 02 6189 0778

9b/189 Flemington Rd, Mitchell 2911

taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Cover: Ayesha Razzaq and Foundation founder Robert de Castella. Photo by Holly Treadaway. Story Page 12.

with 15 clients and helps them with their basic needs such as food, housing and supplies as well as working out a plan to achieve longer-term goals such as return to study, finding

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work or volunteering placements.

The Raw Potential team recently brought a group of young women together at a hair salon in Gungahlin that had donated their services to

give them a haircut, building up confidence and creating a support

“These are girls who haven’t had their hair cut in years,” says Nicolle, who is planning more group work

Thanks to community donations, Raw Potential is also buying a van to enable their team to go out to key locations with supplies such as sleeping bags, swags, food as well as a laptop to help young people navigate and link into community and government programs and assistance.

There have been many good news stories over the years, Sarah says.

“One of our previous clients, who is now in her mid-20s, has recently completed her youth worker degree and is now employed by a charity. After being disengaged from education as a young person, she found her way back to study and now wants to give back to other young people,” says Sarah.

Sarah and Nicolle also recall a young man who was on the brink of

“He was interested in cars, but it was too late in the term to sign him up for a CIT program so I asked an automotive business if he could do work experience with them. It gave him something to live for and has set him up with a future skill,” says Nicolle.

Donate at rawpotential.com.au

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SEVEN DAYS

Stories abound of beloved Bob’s life in Canberra

CANBERRA was Bob Hawke territory. The Labor legend spent more time here than most of his fellow Lodge dwellers and, unlike most who spent time in that high office, sport was Hawke’s major leisure pastime.

Among the Canberra-themed Hawke stories being shared, many involve the Raiders.

Hawke’s premiership coincided with the Green Machine’s purple patch and underpinning Hawke’s “People’s PM” mantle are the many classic photos of a grey-suited Hawke enthusiastically sharing a beer with sweaty and often topless footballers after another Raiders win.

THE Hawke reputation was formed decades before he strode the national political stage. While many tales of the Rhodes Scholar’s boozing can’t be told, there is one from his time as a student at the

Often dismissed as myth but confirmed

by author Dr Jill Waterhouse in “University House, As They Experience It: A History 1954-2004”, a naked Hawke in 1957 “was one of five students who, in very high spirits, swam about in the ornamental goldfish pond at University House.”

FROM all the words written about him since his passing it’s impossible for anyone to claim to have nailed the impact the flawed but brilliant Hawke had on Australians. But Canberra social commentator Melinda Tankard Reist , for my money, came very close with: “I had never seen a male adult in my family cry when I saw Bob Hawke shed tears on TV. It was almost shocking and in retrospect, a gift to Australian men.”

RECENTLY I made a mental note to purchase some Bob Hawke beer after spotting the craft brew from Hawke’s Brewing Co on special at a suburban grocer. I popped back in around 4.30 on Thursday afternoon to buy a six pack, only to be told it had just sold out. Spooky?

NOT everyone is impressed with our light rail. A Sydney visitor very keen to experience the new transport mode hectored their host for a ride. Eventually relenting, the host organised a round trip from the city to Gungahlin. At journey’s end the visitor’s

only comment was “don’t like the scenery”. Apparently it was “too concrete” resembling the “major thoroughfare of an eastern-bloc city”. May have been a cloudy day. Can’t please everyone.

STILL in the city and with a mini-Manhattan skyline rising above it, it’s nice to know there is still some old-fashioned craft appreciated. On display in Sam Catanzariti Menswear’s window in Allara Street is a mid-grey, double-breasted suit (pictured). The suit was handmade by Sam himself in 1959 for a local man who wore it until his death in 2009. Before donating the garment (made from pure wool baratier fabric) to present owner Jovan Nikolevski, the man’s widow sent it to the dry cleaners who found two ticket stubs to the Dress Circle of the Royal Theatre in Sydney dated October 27, 1962.

AS the keeper of chooks I am beginning to feel nervous about proposed new laws for the ACT which recognise animals as sentient beings (able to perceive or feel things). If enacted, the legislation will dictate that animals have “intrinsic value and deserve to be treated with compassion”. Therefore we humans have “a duty to care for the physical and mental welfare” of our animals.

them when laying stopped completely.

THE end of an extremely dull Federal election campaign was brightened by Canberra real estate agent Richard Luton,

flamboyant suits. Luton asks: “Who wore it better?... This is more important than general election”. Observing AEC regulations Luton urged followers: “Need your vote by 6pm, Saturday”. The result? Too close to call.

CANBERRA MATTERS / development applications

The little guys beaten by a care less bureaucracy

AMONG the city’s residents there is an important group of people who suffer the ills of ACT government planning dysfunction not only because they live here like the rest of us, but because they are part of the city’s building and construction economy.

Talk to a builder, a building designer/architect or tradesperson working in construction and soon the conversation turns to the frustrations of having to work through development applications (DAs) with what is seen as a badly managed planning directorate. It is reported that this unacceptable situation has sunk to new low levels over the last few years. The situation is so bad that the professionals, particularly those in small business, are having their flow of work seriously delayed to the point where employment of contractors and tradies has been thrown into doubt – even with much wanted work in the queue and ready to go.

There are reports of some throwing up their hands and heading away

People are seriously starting to wonder about the current skills of the planning directorate whose job it is to make planning decisions.

from Canberra – to be anywhere away from this planning directorate and how it conducts itself so badly.

Here are just some details that I have gleaned from several sources, including some communications with ACT Liberal planning spokesperson, Mark Parton.

When people say it has worsened in recent years they quote that in mid 2014 most DAs took an average of about 43 days to be processed and that around 80 per cent were being completed within statutory time frames.

Earlier this year it was documented that the average had blown out to at least 90 days (three months). And more damning was that only 30 per cent of the DAs are being processed within statutory time frames. So what happens to the other 70 per cent left waiting, waiting and waiting?

Project management timelines are thrown out and the unfortunate, previously booked contractors and their tradies are given the bad news that

their jobs now have no definite start dates. All these people have costs – and when in small business – such impacts are damaging to people’s lives, their health and their overall wellbeing – and more broadly this inefficiency affects the city’s economy.

Then there are the stories of the encounters between the professionals and the planning staff tasked with processing the DAs. The growing perception is that there is not enough professionally trained staff available, too many professional planners are being shifted to other areas, good staff have departed and there is a culture developed of not responding to requests for updates on overdue DAs.

While many residents have a view that all the building industry is far too close to government, in reality when it comes to small businesses who need certainty on timelines and rely on delivering on these timelines to balance their finances, the opposite is true. Building and construction professionals are finding more and more that the planning agency has become harder to access for information, that they often get the run around and that the DA processing

has become far too inefficient. People are seriously starting to wonder about the current skills of the planning directorate whose job it is to make planning decisions.

Questions have been raised directly with the Minister (that would be Mick Gentleman) and have been raised within the ACT Assembly. To date, the responses have been patronising at best. Apparently the planning chief is fixing this – but the reality for the small businesses is a different experience.

This crisis does not need to be considered by any committee nor be subject to any further investigations. Such bureaucratic processes take

time. Meanwhile people’s working lives are seriously being affected. This crisis grows and desperately needs a solution. It is about the allocation of resources where they are needed the most.

It requires the ACT government to demand that its planning directorate changes priorities and starts to care for the city’s workforce. It is time to get those DA processing times back to some form of normal.

Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters.

Networker Misty has a record to beat

By Kate MEIKLE

NETWORKING coach and author Misty Henkel is taking her passion for networking to a new level by organising the world’s biggest networking event.

On August 30, Misty is determined for Canberra to make history by breaking the Guinness world record for the most people attending a business speed-networking event in a single location.

“Belgium has held the record for five years and it’s time Canberra took it from them,” says Misty who has arranged for an official from Guinness world records to attend the event at EPIC.

“When I tell people they are hyped up. We are looking for 2000 people to really beat Belgium’s record total of 1068,” she says.

Misty says the art of business networking has been overlooked in recent years with the rise of digital media and marketing, but it still remains an important way to promote business and win new clients.

“People can get nervous at networking events and they don’t know what to do, as they aren’t as practised about

speaking about their businesses,” says Misty who has written a book about networking.

“People downplay themselves and say ‘I’m just a financial planner’ or ‘I’m just a hairdresser’... but everyone has a great product and networking can be a great sales opportunity,” she says.

Beginning her career in sales and hospitality, Misty then went on to study sales and says that when she discovered networking it was for her the missing component in her research.

She says she made it her mission to attend every networking event in Canberra and to fully understand how they worked. She went to so many events that people started calling her the “Networking Queen”, she says.

Misty is confident that Canberra can break the record and encour ages everyone from all walks of life to come to the world’s biggest network ing event, including business people, volunteers, students and stay-at-home parents, and see the opportunities that are on offer in the community.

Networking coach Misty Henkel… “Bring your mum! Let your mum spread your name and get it out there!”

Car park crack is ‘offensive’

THE assertion of Geocon’s Nick Georgalis in a recent interview that, before he came along, Canberra was “a wasteland of car parks” is offensive.

That someone holding that view is in charge of so much of Canberra’s current redevelopment is alarming.

“We keep forgetting to tell people what we do. There are 35 Toastmaster groups in Canberra. There are 16 Rotary groups and thousands of volunteers. Where are they? There are so many groups and organisations that businesses could do cool things with but we don’t talk about it!” says Misty.

A crowdfunding web page has been created to sell tickets to fund the venue hire and for the official adjudicator to attend. Tickets are sold as doubles so people can bring a friend and don’t have to network alone, says Misty.

“Bring your mum! Let your mum spread your name and get it out there!” suggests Misty.

“Networking can seem scary but

this is an opportunity to have fun and get out there. More work will come if you swap cards and make connections with others.”

The World’s Biggest Networking Event will be held on Friday, August 30 at Exhibition Park, Canberra. Visit chuffed.org/project/worldsbiggestnetworkingevent for tickets.

Canberra was always meant to be a distinctive, planned capital in harmony with the natural environment.

I do not dispute that the plan needs to evolve to meet contemporary needs. What I object to is:

• The lack of any coherent plan to update the work of the original planners, instead opportunistic ad-hocery prevails.

• The arrogant refusal of those who pass for ACT planners to undertake meaningful community consultations.

• The utter lack of design distinction of the often shoddily-built plethora of uniform building-block high-rises now spreading across Canberra like a canker. I have lived in Europe, and seen the grim post-war quick-fixes to housing needs in those cities – they have become slums.

• A chief minister who is on record as wanting Canberra to be “like all other cities”. I would not wish that on Canberra.

Not a wasteland, Mr Georgalis and Mr Barr, but hitherto a sensitively planned and beautiful city. Reader JOHN GRIFFIN, of Hughes, is offended at a developer’s assertion about Canberra’s planning

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All I want is the truth, just give me some truth

FRUSTRATION. It’s just not true. Lies, mendaciousness, distortion, misinformation and fake news. So frustrating. No wonder trust in our politicians is at an all-time low. No wonder doubt about the efficacy of our democratic systems is growing.

At least, and at last, the ACT is underway with the local Integrity Commission. The appointment of former Federal Court judge Dennis Cowdroy, with support from all members of the Assembly is a great start.

The commission was overwhelmingly supported by candidates at the last ACT election and should have been delivered earlier.

Dealings in land and ensuring decisions are made in the broad community interest rather than in the interest of developers will be the first task. Secondly, the inquiry should examine the role played by political donations when it comes to decision making.

The Federal government also needs an anti-corruption and integrity commission. However, the recent election has also taught us that the

Political spin is part and parcel of politics. Putting the best foot forward with an emphasis on the positives is understandable. Simply lying is unacceptable. Even a seven-year-old comprehends the difference.

mandate needs to include truth. How can ordinary people make informed decisions about voting while being bombarded with lies, misrepresentation, distortion, spin and falsehoods. It might be good for a specific party when campaigning – but it is appalling for our democracy.

Trust in governments has been studied in depth by political scientists. It is a key element for effective governance. Political spin is part and parcel of politics. Putting the best foot forward with an emphasis on the positives is understandable. Simply lying is unacceptable. Even a seven-yearold comprehends the difference. If only some of our political strategists understood the same.

Any dishonesty undermines our political systems and our democracy. It is clear that we need not only an independent anti-corruption and integrity commission, but a commission that also examines truth in politics.

How can we hold politicians and aspiring politicians accountable for such poor behaviour? Perhaps it fits the same pattern as the need for ICACs. When democracy is threatened by this behaviour, it is time for dramatic action to be considered. There are plenty of reasons why a Federal independent commission against corruption should be supported and these reasons have been emphasised throughout the election campaign. Pork barrelling is a favourite term amongst politicians. It softens the concept of corruption. However, it should be called for what it is – dishonest exploitation for political gain.

There will always be a fine line between spin and lies. The Liberals continue to argue that at the last election the Labor Party ran a “Mediscare” campaign. I happen to think that Medicare was being threatened and the Liberals were exposed. However, this is the sort of thing that ought to be examined by a truth, anti-corruption and integrity commission.

The United Australia Party has

dealt very lightly with the truth through its blanket marketing campaign. Starting with the notion that it has the power to change taxation to benefit the bush. What nonsense! They are either completely deluded or happy to present the lie that there is some chance they will be in government.

The government has attacked Labor for its proposals to tax pensioners and a raft of other groups in society. This is a serious distortion of the truth, the “fake news” propaganda that is currently being promulgated. However, it ought not be up to me to draw this conclusion. The truth or otherwise of political propaganda should be considered at arm’s length

by an independent body. In this manner there just might be a chance to increase trust in our democratic systems. Harvard academic, Claire Wardle, identified seven types of disinformation. All lack honesty. The context, the content, misleading, impersonation, fabrication and manipulation are some of these. It would appear that many of our politicians and some of the recent raft of candidates have studied her work in order to extend their level of dishonesty.

The most disturbing part about the outcome of the 2019 election will be that parties can never campaign on policies. John Hewson did it and was routed by Paul Keating. Now we see the same outcome for Bill Shorten. This means Australian politics will, for the foreseeable future, be denigrated to personality, negativity and lies instead of being based on policies. Lesson learnt.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

Deek’s marathon belief in indigenous runners

By Danielle NOHRA

BEFORE former world champion runner Robert de Castella, or “Deek”, established the Indigenous Marathon Foundation in 2010, no indigenous Australian had ever run an international marathon.

Nearly 10 years on and 86 Aboriginals from 55 communities have finished international marathons through the foundation.

And this weekend, the day before Reconciliation Day (May 27), 12 new participants will do their first official run with the foundation at its “Reconciliation Run” starting from Reconciliation Place.

“These will be the 12 we’ll be taking to the New York Marathon,” says Rob, 62, of O’Malley.

“They’ll be talking about where they’re from and why they’ve signed up.

“Canberrans can come out and meet the squad. We want to encourage the Canberra community to get behind our foundation, which is based here and is making a big difference.”

Rob, who competed in his first of four Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, gained a lot from his career running and wanted to give these skills to others.

The foundation, though, was originally set up to see whether indigenous Australians had the same running ability as some of the great African runners.

“We’d never had an endurance indigenous athlete in Australia, they’ve all been in speed and balltype sports,” he says.

As Rob travelled across Australia searching for endurance athletes, he started to see the disease, the disad vantage and the culture of hopeless ness of some of the communities.

“I was really confronted and I couldn’t reconcile that in Australia, how we could have so many people disadvantaged,” he says.

He saw there was an opportunity to do more and wanted to use running to heal the friction between indig enous and non-indigenous people.

“I couldn’t turn my back on it. I wanted to help give them a sense of pride and self worth that had been eroded,” he says.

So Rob shifted the focus from highperformance athletes and started looking for determined candidates who wanted to change their life as well as their community.

In that same year Rob took four indigenous Australians to New York to run the New York Marathon.

“When I took them to New York, what I saw when they crossed the finish line was an incredible sense of pride,” he says.

Not only does the program teach squad members how to run, but Rob says it also involves media training, first aid and CPR training, mental health training, and a Certificate IV in education as well as Certificate IV in sport and recreation.

“A lot of them have to take time off work and away from their families to do this,” he says.

“[And] a lot of people who come into this program come from difficult backgrounds or

circumstances and use their struggles as a force to break the cycle. It could be anything from suicide to substance abuse to violence.

“Through the program, these people develop a voice and they develop courage.

“The running and fitness is really important because you have to move to have a healthy body but it’s more about getting out of your comfort zone.

“When people have the courage to push themselves out of their comfort zone, then they’re able to harness their full potential.

“It instills in you the realisation that you’re stronger than what you ever believed. Not just in running but in life.”

Rob has seen so many people leave the program and go on to do great things. One person that comes to mind is Jack Wilson, who competed on the TV show “Ninja Warrior” after completing the IMF program.

“When we first met Jack he was struggling to get through his apprenticeship as a carpenter up in Cairns,” he says.

“He came and did IMF and it completely changed his life. He’s now driving around the country and doing fitness activities with Aboriginal kids.

“Through the work that we do, we

give these young indigenous leaders the confidence and courage to be more than they thought they could ever be.

“We don’t just select people who just want to get through the New York Marathon.

“We select people who have a real drive and also have the capability to change lives. Not just theirs but the lives of others in their community.”

A lot of hard work goes into getting the squad overseas every year and Rob says fundraising is a fundamental part of the foundation. He’s extremely grateful for any support from Canberrans such as Ayesha Razzaq, who has raised about $75,000 for the foundation.

Ayesha first met Rob when he was talking at an event in 2013.

“What Rob spoke about really hit a nerve because what his program is about is giving a sense of purpose,” says Ayesha, 44, of Griffith.

Having had to live on her own from the age of 16, and without her parents since 13, Ayesha had to learn about life the hard way.

“But I was really fortunate, I had people who looked out for me and people who gave me opportunities,” she says.

“Rob’s program is about giving people a leg up, believing in them and

empowering them by saying ‘you can dream big’.”

For Ayesha it was about paying it forward so in 2014 she ran the New York Marathon as the foundation’s first corporate runner. After, she decided she’d pass on the “corporate shirt” so there was a corporate runner every year.

“She created a legacy from what she did in 2014,” Rob says.

“We’ve had a corporate runner ever since.”

Ayesha says running in the marathon has given her courage to be bold.

“It’s given me the determination to embrace any challenges or opportunities I’m confronted with every day,” she says.

Ayesha has run the New York Marathon, the Tokyo Marathon in 2017 and Boston last month (which Deek won in 1986).

“I’m not retiring yet, I’ve got London, Chicago and Berlin to finish,” she says.

“And in every run I’ll run in my Indigenous Marathon Foundation shirt to raise awareness.”

Reconciliation Run, Reconciliation Place, Lake Burley Griffin, 9.45am to 11.45am, Sunday, May 26. Register at eventbrite.com.au

Upselling hearing loss: retail hearing aids

Recently, I was approached by a patient looking for a second opinion. The week prior she had been to a retail hearing aid store in her local shopping centre, hoping to get some advice regarding her hearing loss. As a pensioner, she should have been able to claim free hearing aids as part of the Australian Government’s hearing loss scheme under the Office of Hearing Services, but when she inquired about the program she was told by the salesperson that the governmentissued hearing aids were of poor quality and inadequate for her needs.

”We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change.”

– Dr Vass

The salesperson insisted what she needed was one of their more expensive hearing aids, priced at over $7,000 for a pair. Anxious about not being able to afford what seemed to be a necessity, she reached out to a friend who suggested she make an appointment with me for a second opinion.

After consulting with the patient and looking over her results, it became

clear to me that the assessment from the shopping centre was completely wrong. The patient had had surgery on one ear 20 years ago which had resulted in worse hearing loss in that ear and not the other. Yet the “hearing test” from the shopping centre showed that her hearing was equal in both ears. Was this because the tester was incompetent or the equipment was faulty? Or was it just an attempt to cover up a medical condition that would have required the patient to be seen by a doctor before hearing aids could even be considered for her? It is likely we’ll never know the answer, but any of the above explanations would be unacceptable.

We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change. Anyone who has a similar story can report it to the ACCC.

If you would like to have a complimentary second opinion with Dr Vass please phone 02 6282 2717 to make an appointment.

LETTERS

Jon Stanhope, where are you?

I THINK it appropriate to firstly congratulate Minister Fitzharris on her new additional portfolio of Minister of Happiness, it is in Bhutan is it not?

Regarding the newly introduced bus service system, let me quote from a conversation I had with an individual who at the time, indicated they held a senior position in Transport Canberra: “The introduction of the new northern bus network is simply viewed as collateral damage in the interest of the new light rail system.”

As a Florey resident, I can say that before the introduction of what the Minister refers to as her “hub-andspoke system, which requires a bit of walking”, we enjoyed a top class Blue Rapid bus service between the northern suburbs, transiting Kippax to Woden and Tuggeranong, via Belconnen and Civic. Now we have been given a second-rate system with one of the services terminating at a Fyshwick discount shopping centre, just what we all wanted!

The new services in this area are now prefixed with an “R”. However, it would seem much more appropriate to change it to “RS”. The light rail system is not of interest to anyone in this area and the removal of our

efficient services is completely unacceptable.

In the interest of equity, why does the Minister not ensure that all light rail services from Gungahlin terminate at the rail terminal in Mitchell in accord with the “hub-and-spoke system” forcing all passengers to transfer to another service that should, of course, terminate inconveniently, well before Civic centre.

The introduction of any new service is surely predicated on an improved service not an inferior one. The basis of any transport system should be an efficient and comfortable service for members of the community to go about their daily business with ease and minimum travel time also, with the advantage of removing vehicle congestion from our roads as well as a reduction in pollution.

What these changes have done for so many people in this area is a complete and utter failure on all these objectives and a seething anger is rising within the community.

Recently, I went to our local bus stop intending to take a bus to Woden. When I arrived there I found an elderly gentleman wanting to travel to Tuggeranong and a young mother with a baby in a stroller who wanted to travel to Woden. After

consulting the new “RS” schedule, we each became quite angry at the inconvenience and loss of time in transiting services to get to our destination.

In the case of the lady with the stroller, she had until now been able to catch a direct service to Woden, collect a prescription for her mother and then take a bus to Woden hospital. Now, in order to travel to her destination and return home, the “hub-and-spoke” system requires her to catch six buses! Due to our anger at the time, we all returned to our respective homes and drove to our destinations in our own vehicles.

The Minister’s executive officer, Ms Sturman, may well say that “we have moved on” from the bus issue and she may well have done so as no doubt she, like many others in Transport Canberra, most likely enjoy (at taxpayers’ expense) the use of a departmental vehicle or attractive car allowances.

Everyone is entitled to make a mistake, so I hope the minister is going to be courageous and takes steps to remedy this unacceptable bus service that has been forced on us before she leaves for Bhutan, hopefully with her departmental “think tank personnel”.

Jon Stanhope where are you?

Name withheld, Florey

Greens fail city ‘vandalism’

PAUL Costigan’s column “Greens fail to protect the local environment” (CN, May 9) is absolutely spot on.

The Greens have been absolutely hopeless in protecting Canberra’s environment by supporting the proliferation of high-density apartments and destruction of trees, etcetera.

With the proposed tram to Woden we will lose the magnificent poplars and other beautiful trees along that route.

Indeed, how do the Greens reconcile the gross development and destruction of beauty in Canberra with their supposed environmental principles?

Most Canberrans I have spoken to abhor the way this once beautiful city is being vandalised.

E. Mary Barker Ainslie

Unhappy at bus changes

I’M unhappy with the Action bus changes. It was better the way it was before. I live in St Andrews at Hughes and the home has been bypassed. It’s now a long walk, with a bad knee, to catch the bus to Woden.

Carol Shore, Hughes

Bob Hawke, the cartoonist’s dream

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke died last week. He was 89. Cartoonist PAUL DORIN remembers a man he could draw with his eyes closed.

POLITICAL cartoons have a long history in Australia enriched by the luxury of having politicians with great features and personalities for a cartoonist to draw.

Labor’s longest-serving prime minister Bob Hawke featured in thousands of cartoons during his four terms in parliament. A survey of the nation’s cartoonists once revealed Hawke as the most popular Australian prime minister to draw.

Since 1983, when Hawke became prime minister, he has been my all-time favourite character and political figure to draw.

He provided plenty of “inspiration” for material. I loved drawing him; he could be created from a simple line drawing to a detailed caricature. I could draw him with my eyes shut.

Hawkie had great cartooning features, his mouth had this permanent scowl and eyes lay aggressively beneath his eyebrows. You only needed to draw his eyes and eyebrows to recognise who you were drawing. The other distinctive feature was his immaculate silver hair.

One thing that annoyed Liberal politician John Howard was that cartoonists, even me, would draw him as tiny because whenever he stood next to the then-prime minister Malcolm Fraser he looked small by comparison. In later cartoons, Howard hated being depicted as being smaller than Bob Hawke when, in actual fact, Howard was taller than Hawkie. A joy for cartoonists. RIP Bob Hawke.

THE EXPERTS OF BELCONNEN

The best people serving the hub of the north

COMPRISING

25 suburbs surrounding the Belconnen town centre and Ginninderra Lake, Belconnen is the most populated district of the ACT.

Originally farming land, Belconnen was developed in 1966, with Aranda as its first suburb.

Now Belconnen, as we know it, is a thriving hub for north Canberrans, with so much to offer residents and visitors.

Early learning centre celebrates diversity

THE proud and inclusive environment at YMCA Canberra’s Early Learning Centre in Belconnen celebrates many different cultures within the centre and its wider community, says centre director Kaitee Foster.

Kaitee says this also means they acknowledge how they play and live on Ngunnawal land and pay respect to the elders past, present and future, as well as seek to learn about the traditions and ways of Australia’s first people.

“Each day at our centre we embrace the opportunities to grow and learn together as at YMCA Belconnen, everybody belongs,” she says.

“We are strong advocates for children and [at the early learning centre] they are each treated with love, dignity and respect.

“We encourage learning and growth for our children but in their own way and time.”

“This program will introduce the children to different languages and dialects, which will encourage appreciation of linguistic diversity,” Kaitee says.

“Our preschool children are currently learning Japanese.”

Kaitee says YMCA Belconnen’s outdoor garden is a big part of the centre’s program.

“We play outside in any weather,” she says.

“[And] we are just about to start up a big outdoor garden project which extends on from our nature garden.”

YMCA Belconnen Early Learning Centre, corner of Aikman Drive and Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen. Call 6242 4040 or visit canberra.ymca.org.au

Family business loves to give back

THE family-owned and run business, Duncan’s Plumbing, has been delivering its services to the community for 50 years, says operations manager Chris Bates.

Not only does it service the community but it also loves giving back to it, according to Chris, who says they support local sporting teams, too.

But when it comes to business, she says the friendly, professional and efficient team offer services such as plumbing, heating, air conditioning, roof repairs, gas, irrigation and rainwater tanks.

Its owner Jason Duncan says his team of office and trades staff promise to deliver the best plumbing in Canberra.

“We are licensed for both the ACT and NSW, and our tradesmen in the field are in constant contact via mobile and an internet-based SMS service, providing you with flexible, reliable assistance at need,” he says.

“Our maintenance services include all plumbing and draining.

“We also install all manner of appliances (gas, electrical, tapware, hot water systems, toilets and

valves, and certify, fix, install and repair all gas units.”

Overall, Jason says he’s proud to boast a skilled team, a range of topof-the-line equipment, dedicated vehicles and a workshop test bay customised for fault testing.

Duncan’s Plumbing, 1/9 Page Place, Page. Call 6254 5678, email office@ duncansplumbing.com.au or visit duncansplumbing.com.au

Walking into YMCA Holt is a unique and special experience.

Firstly, you notice the centre is made up of open plan spaces filled with light, natural materials, busy sounds of children, cosy nests and comforting aroma’s from the central kitchen – it is a space in which you immediately feel welcome, wish to belong and want to explore.

OPENING HOURS: MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 7:30AM TO 6:00PM

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ON SALE

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THE EXPERTS OF BELCONNEN

Charnwood video store says goodbye

NETWORK Video Charnwood is having a barbecue and giving out sausage sizzles on Saturday, June 1, to say “thank you” to all its customers before it closes down, says owner Josh Mudford.

On Friday, May 31, they will be stopping rentals and from June 1, Josh says they’ll be selling everything.

“There’s about 26,000 discs [including DVD, Blu-ray and games] which need to go,” he says.

“There’s plenty of new releases and about 2500 TV series including ‘Game of Thrones’, which is always popular, ‘Third Rock from the Sun’, ‘Buffy’, ‘Charmed’ and ‘NCIS’.”

Josh says the advantage of DVD and Bluray is that people will always have them.

“You won’t lose access to them because the streaming services decided you won’t have access to it anymore,” he says.

“It’s also a good opportunity to come and get some games.”

Josh suggests getting in quick to grab games such as “Kingdom Hearts” for Playstation, which combines lots of different Disney characters, as well as other popular games like “Lego”, “Need for Speed”, “Halo” and “Crash Bandicoot”.

“Video stores were always really good archives for things,” Josh says.

“We’re sorry we couldn’t continue being here and I want to say thank you to everyone who supported us.”

Network Video Charnwood, shop 1, 23 Charnwood Place, Charnwood. Call 6258 8054 or visit networkvideo.com.au

Appreciating dance through all styles

JACKIE Hallahan

established the Dance Development Centre in 1985 to deliver Canberra with innova tive dance training, in many styles, under one banner.

Now, 34 years on and Jackie, who has been a teacher for more than 40 years, says a huge strength of the centre is still its innovation.

The centre offers classes such as classical ballet and pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, acro/tumbling, pilates, strength and stretch, Bouncing Babies, Tiny Dancer, Quicksilver for over 50s, fencing, and a pre-professional stream.

“Children often start dance only knowing one dance style,” Jackie says.

“As they become more involved in the centre they’re inspired by what they see to try other styles and by doing this it gives them a greater understanding and appreciation of dance.”

Jackie says the centre has passionate teachers who are positive and encouraging, and who excel at teaching dance and making it fun at the same time.

“At Dance Development Centre we recognise each child is unique in their pattern of development interests and talents,” she says.

“Watching the children grow and develop year after year is something that makes me so proud and keeps me inspired.”

Dance Development Centre, 55 Crofts Crescent, Spence. Call 6259 1550, email canberra@ dancedevelopment.com.au or visit dancedevelopment.com.au

Legal firm pushes traditional boundaries

NAMADGI Legal is pushing boundaries by delivering traditional legal services in non-traditional ways, according to its principal solicitor Allyson Hogan, who established the firm in 2017.

Allyson previously worked in an inflexible environment with high work hours at a national, mid-tier law firm and decided there was a better way of doing things.

“[At Namadgi Legal] we’re 100 per cent cloud based, which means I and all my staff can work anywhere, anytime,” she says.

“It’s good for clients because it means that everything is efficient. We have everything on hand whenever we need it.

“We also don’t have the high overheads that other law firms have, which translates to better value for clients.”

Allyson is an accredited specialist in commercial litigation but says Namadgi Legal also specialises in areas such as employment law, business law and succession, which covers wills and estates and superannuation.

“We try to keep people out of court if we can and only go to court if we absolutely have to,” she says.

“[And] we like to spend a lot of time developing relationships with our clients.

“We see our clients as real people with real lives and we have an important role to play in helping them achieve a solution.”

Namadgi Legal, Ground Floor, Unit 10, 36 Petterd Street, Page. Call 5104 3110, email admin@ namadgilegal.com.au or visit namadgilegal.com.au

We have extensive experience in both new houses and alterations and additions/extensions to existing houses.

“We also have extensive experience in multi-unit housing, master planning, commercial and community projects.”

Sean says the architecture produced by Typology Architecture doesn’t have a particular style but he likes to think they do contemporary work that explores the connection of place.

“We are a small practice, so we don’t take on a lot of work at any one time,” he says. “This ensures that we can provide a high level of client service.”

Typology Architecture, 10/36 Petterd Street, Page. Call 0438 352904, email office@typologyarchitecture.com.au or visit typologyarchitecture.com.au

Anne says they have everything from the finest carpets to timber and laminate products as well as the latest in vinyl flooring.

“If you thought vinyl was old hat, wait till you experience the comfort underfoot and the fabulous new range of patterns,” she says.

“When it comes to service, it would be hard to find anyone in the Canberra area to equal the level of oldfashioned service, genuine friendliness and helpful support provided by the team at Bob Walker’s Carpets.

“Our experience ensures that we know the ins and outs of all types of carpet flooring, whether for home or business.”

And because of their long experience in the industry, Anne says they know how to ensure an efficient installation.

“We understand that having the job done exactly as you envisioned is important,” she says.

“We believe that a job that isn’t done to the best of our abilities is a job we haven’t completed yet.”

Bob Walker’s Carpets, 24 Walder Street, Belconnen. Call 6251 1266, email enquiries@bobwalkerscarpets.com.au or visit bobwalkerscarpets.com.au

architecture

At Typology Architecture we believe good architecture, and well-designed homes can improve quality of life.

Sean Hogan is an award winning architect with over 15 years of local industry experience in residential, commercial, community and high end multiple housing and master planning projects

Specialising in:

• Contemporary, site-sensitive & unique local architecture for Canberra and the region.

• Rigorous and comprehensive design services to optimize outcomes and provide value money.

• New homes, alterations and additions to existing homes, small to medium scaled multiple housing & community-based projects. Affordable and flexible services.

BOB WALKER’S CARPETS

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HEALTH & FITNESS

Flu jab: slow uptake in vaccinating young children

SHORT days, cold weather and getting sick can make it so much harder to stay healthy over winter.

But it’s no reason to give up. There are many ways to keep healthy and fit over winter and many preventive services to keep Canberrans healthy through to spring.

And after a high number of influenza-like illnesses recently seen within a southside school, ACT public health physician Dr Vanessa Johnston is urging parents to vaccinate their kids before the peak of flu season.

“As we are already seeing a higher than usual number of cases of influenza so far this year, we are reminding the community of the importance of vaccination to protect yourself and your family from getting sick,” she says.

“Everyone remembers the horrendous flu season of 2017.

“The community must not become complacent with vaccination if we want to avoid a horror flu season.”

Now’s the time for healthy teeth

ORAL health has a big impact on general health, says Kaleen Family Dental Surgery’s principal dentist Dr Henny Purba.

“Taking care of your teeth and gums now can eliminate complications later on and the need for major dental treatment,” she says.

But whether patients need preventative care or an involved procedure, Dr Purba says the family-friendly practice and professional team provide a caring approach to all patients.

The surgery, which has been in Kaleen for nine years, provides services such as restoration and cosmetic dentistry, including crowns, bridges and veneers, general and preventative dentistry, sleep dentistry, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics and laser dentistry.

“ACT Health is gathering more information to determine if the cause of these illnesses is indeed the flu or another respiratory virus,” Dr Johnston says.

“All parents who have children aged six months to under five years are being urged to take advantage of the free flu jab.

“Unfortunately, this year we are

The ACT Health Protection Service (HPS) and the Education Directorate is working closely with Namadgi School, where a number of students and staff reportedly became unwell with influenza-like illnesses last week.

seeing early signs of a slower uptake in the number of kids under five receiving the free ACT-governmentfunded flu shot.

“We are hearing from our Early Childhood Immunisation Clinics that there is less demand for the vaccine compared to the same time last year.

“Young children are at a higher risk of serious complications from influenza, such as pneumonia. They are also more likely to spread the flu to others.”

Visit health.act.gov.au/flu

Dr Purba has undertaken a lot of extra study and apart from general dentistry, she does orthodontics for children and adults as well as sleep dentistry.

Dr Purba says she finds great fulfilment in solving her patients’ complex dental woes and helping the community achieve optimum standards of oral health.

She also believes in the importance of continuing education and professional development so that she can always provide the highest level of dental health care to the patients.

Kaleen Family Dental Surgery’s principal dentist Dr Henny Purba.

Kaleen Family Dental Surgery, Kaleen Shopping Centre, Gwydir Square, Kaleen. Call 6241 5941, email kfd@kaleenfamilydental.com.au or visit kaleenfamilydental.com.au

Duncan walks people to fitness

DUNCAN Craig, the ACT represent ative of BungyPump, is running extra “come and try” sessions in June, to encourage more people to keep active over winter by using BungyPump walking poles.

The sessions, demonstrating how the poles boost the benefits and reduce the impact of walking, will be held down near the flags between Parkes Place West and Queen Elizabeth Terrace on Mondays at 12.30pm and Fridays at noon.

“The walks are free but bookings are essential,” Duncan says.

• Mouthguards

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Address: Kaleen Shopping Centre, Gwydir Square Kaleen ACT 2617

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Following a “come-and-try” session, people are then welcome to take a longer walk on his 9am Saturday sessions from the National Carillon.

Duncan says BungyPump is a great way to keep fit over winter as it boosts the benefits of walking, activates 90 per cent of muscles and burns 77 per cent more calories than walking without poles.

“You’re getting all the benefits of aerobic activity as well as strength development, flexibility and balance all in the one activity,” he says.

“It’s a case of ‘no pain, more gain’ as the poles’ in-built 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.” Not to mention, Duncan says, maintaining a good level of fitness has scientific benefits such as faster recovery from injury.

“[Overall] staying active by using BungyPump maintains health and quality of life through winter,” he says.

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

This winter stay active, maintaining your health and quality of life, through walking-based exercise with BungyPumps.

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 June: Mondays @ 12:30pm and Fridays @ 12pm. Meet at the corner of Parkes Pl W & Queen Elizabeth Terrace (near the flags), 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 www.bungypump.com.au

Extending into an active life and a sharper, fitter mind, we know that bodies are made to move. We want to train your body so you have the strength to sustain your busy lifestyle. Evo Health Club is a luxury health club that will bring life satisfaction beyond your fitness goals.

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Mudd The Spa offers five private relaxation suites, including a couples room, a custom-designed Vichy Shower wet room and relaxation lounge.

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To book your experience phone 6162 0909 • www.mudd.com.au Located at 18 National Circuit ACT 2600 Open 7 Days

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

And it’s hello again to big, brassy, bold ‘Dolly’

By Helen MUSA

IT’S bold and brassy, just like its main character, and now Queanbeyan Players are staging the Jerry Herman musical “Hello, Dolly!” at The Q.

The last time it was seen in these parts was in 2005 when Bronwyn Sullivan played the lead role, Dolly Levi, for Canberra Philharmonic, and no wonder – it’s huge. The coming production has a cast of 47 and calls to mind stories that the movie starring Barbra Streisand cost a whopping $US25 million and only made $US26 million. It’s not on that scale, of course.

Director Michael Moore, who joined the company in 2017 to play Emile De Becque in “South Pacific”, stresses that with tight wing space at The Q, they’ve had to be strategic in creating the illusion of the three main settings in upstate Yonkers and downtown New York.

The action takes place in the 1890s on the cusp of the 20th century, “a

time-specific setting, so we stayed with that, no updating,” he says.

Janelle McMenamin gets to play the interfering matchmaker and general busybody, Dolly Levi, who says of herself: “Some people sew…I meddle!”

As her opposite number, the cantankerous Yonkers “half-amillionaire” Horace Vandergelder, is Canberra veteran actor Tony Falla, apparently cast against type.

“Even though he is the antagonist, Horace wants to get the girl, so he has to be quite nice,” Moore says.

“Tony didn’t think he’d be right for the role, but he’s perfect, he’s captured Horace’s grumpiness well, sometimes a bit too well.”

These are both great parts for maturing actors and especially for McMenamin as the domineering Dolly, who appears in almost every scene.

But to Moore, one of the great things about the musical is that there are also plenty of cameo parts.

“There are eight principals and a decent number of other small roles like Rudolph the waiter and Ernestina the heiress,” he says.

“It’s a very human piece, Dolly’s a kind of a jack of all trades but mostly into matchmaking, so I tell the young

cast that she’s just like an online dating agency… but she’s decided to enter the human world again and has her eyes on Horace. It’s a fun piece.”

Apart from Horace, who is about 60 and Dolly, between 45 and 55, there are younger roles such as Irene, played by Demi Smith, and Cornelius, played by Will Collett, aged about 30. As well, there are much younger people such as Maddy Calder playing Ermengarde, Emily Pogson playing Minnie and Maxwell Macmillan playing Barnaby.

“They’re very, very talented, it’s good for the youngsters to help cut their teeth,” Moore says.

The music, like Dolly, is nothing if not brassy and musical director Jenna Hinton has assembled a massive 24-piece orchestra.

“Brass is great for the big numbers like ‘Before The Parade Passes By’ and ‘Hello, Dolly!’,” Moore says, “but we still need violins for things like ‘Ribbons Down My Back’ or ‘It Only Takes A Moment.’

“That’s typical of Jerry Herman, who composed for brass and strings,” Moore says, “it’s fabulous.”

“Hello, Dolly!”, The Q, Queanbeyan, May 30-June 9. Book at theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

ART CLASSES LESSON SCHEDULE

MARGARET HADFIELD – Budget / Senior’s Class DENNIS MORTIMER – Design/Visual Language

MARGARET HADFIELD – Painting in All Mediums

MARGARET HADFIELD – ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS CLASSES

MARGARET HADFIELD – Painting in All Mediums – Materials supplied for both classes

New gallery plans to work within the urban art genre

By Helen Musa

THE ANU has a new art gallery opening in its new $260 million Kambri precinct, but it’s gone out of town in a bid to beef up community engagement with what is believed to be a six-figure commission from a Sydney gallery duo.

The ritzy opening of the aMBUSH Gallery comes amidst a brouhaha following the public release of the final policy document for Kambri bookings, in which student associations are carved up into “anchor users” and general users who will pay premium rentals, as much as $600 a day, for the small black box theatre.

“We are a social enterprise, not a commercial gallery, we are more of a project where we work within the urban art genre,” says Bill Dimas, co-founder with his partner, John Wiltshire, of aMBUSH Gallery, when “CityNews” catches up with him by phone to Auckland.

The pair started aMBUSH in Sydney about 12 years ago as a street-art gallery, staging many public art projects, notably in late 2011 the “Outpost Project” on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, which is said to have been the biggest street art festival in the world and attracted more than 86,000 visitors.

“It was part of the process of normalising street art, which was constantly being confused with vandalism because it’s so close to graffiti,” he explains.

“We work with government and local councils to change that image.”

He says early street artists had to leave Australia, but now he and Wiltshire have witnessed a turning point so that people can see how important art is in society.

Former Canberran, the stencil artist ELK or Luke Cornish, was one of their earliest exhibitors and, 12 years later, they’re still working with many of the same people and have had 500 artists through the doors.

“We’re a small gallery, working well within the private sector and picking up where government has left off,” Dimas says.

“In spite of the reduction of funding in the arts, we’re still charging along, it’s really quite thrilling.”

The enterprise is not so small. From 2015 they operated a cultural centre pop-up in Sydney Central Park and filled an entire level with galleries. But at the other end of the spectrum, they’ve also engaged with kids in collaborative programs with schools.

And now there’s Canberra.

The ANU, he notes, already has two galleries on campus, “student-driven galleries” at the ANU School of Art & Design and the Drill Hall Gallery.

“But we’ll be in the heart of the campus, so we can bring in Canberra city, we’re going to embrace Canberra.”

Just in time for National Reconciliation Week from

May 27-June 3, they’re opening with what the university calls a “culturally significant inaugural exhibition”,

“While You Were Sleeping”, which features the work of 14 emerging and established contemporary First-Nations artists from across Australia in painting, illustration, sculpture, film, photography and mixed media.

The artists include David Cragg, Robert Fielding, Shane “Mankitya” Kookaburra, Noni Cragg, Blak Douglas, Elizabeth Close, Julie Dowling, Warraba Weatherall, Otis Carey, Benita Clements, Michael Cook, Damien Shen and Wayne Quilliam.

Dimas’s other company, Wiltshire + Dimas Management, will be managing and programming the cultural precinct at ANU, with plans to make it an inclusive cultural space for local and international artists, and “to bring a diverse program of great artists, thinkers and makers – a kind of melting pot for the arts.”

“We want to honour the name Kambri, which means ‘meeting place’ in the local First-Nations language,” Dimas says.

aMBUSH Gallery, open to the public in the ANU’s Kambri precinct, accessible by foot from University Avenue. Underground parking available via Kingsley Street.

HNATH

From the mill to a massacre

“Peterloo”

(M)

WHEN Thomas Arne composed what is now a commonplace (and oft misquoted) song for James Thomson’s poem “Rule, Britannia” in 1740, with its chorus ending “Britons never shall be slaves”, Thomson was telling how things were before the Industrial Revolution changed everything forever.

Nowadays a nation using its military forces to suppress public support for political reform would incur global opprobrium, even intervention. But what happened on St Peter’s Field, Manchester on August 16, 1819, became a microcosm of progress toward today’s inalienable principles of universal freedom of speech and everyone’s right to stand for political office. In 1819, neither of those existed in Britain.

Writer/director Mike Leigh’s bulky (155 minutes) political history film begins at Waterloo with Britain and Prussia victorious against Bonaparte. A young redcoat bugler is sounding the ceasefire. In Britain there is joy that for Manchester millworkers fades with the onset of noisy, mechanical weaving and squalid living conditions.

Four years later, stuttering Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth (Karl Johnson) sees the seeds of major social change being prepared for sowing and orders one of Wellington’s generals to travel to Yorkshire to be ready in the event of an uprising that might disturb the established social order.

Orator Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) arrives a week before giving an address in Manchester. To hide him from the government, his supporters billet him with Joshua and Nellie (Pearce Quigley and Maxine Peake). The bugler is their son who intends to wear his red army jacket on the day. These are but a few of the narrative pegs from which Leigh has hung his film climaxing in the Peterloo massacre. It’s not populist cinema. It’s cinema craft of a high order, especially in its staging of a day the legacy of which most of the world’s countries now enjoy.

At Dendy and Palace Electric

“Little Woods” (M)

WRITER/director Nia DaCosta’s low-budget film examines poverty and love in an environment of defiance to the laws of man.

In a small oil town closer to the US/Canada border than to North Dakota capital Bismarck or largest city Fargo, Ollie (Tessa Thompson) is on probation for selling drugs. Her pregnant sister Deb (Lily James) wants a termination that she can’t legally get in that state.

“Peterloo”... depicting the massacre at St Peter’s Field, Manchester, on August 16, 1819.

They are living on the smell of the figurative oily rag. Cross-border movement is relatively uncomplicated.

The film is a small-scale saga that has been described as a modern Western. I think that a more apt potted description is a modern social drama about two vulnerable women surviving in a male-dominated community.

It’s independent filmmaking with six production companies of whom you’ve probably never heard and never will hear of again. The Sundance Institute has supported the film, along with a number of companies providing equipment and services. These behind-the-camera involvements bespeak people of goodwill and conscience getting involved in a project that they believe in.

The pace is leisurely. The emotional values are gently powerful (if that makes sense). It’s unlikely to lift your spirits but its purpose is more worthy than that.

At Dendy and Hoyts Woden

“John Wick 3: Parabellum” (M)

SUMMARISING one of the unhappy possibilities confronting every nation, Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war) is an epigram first recorded by a Roman writer in the early Christian era.

Chad Stahelski comes from a prolific film career as a stuntman and fight director, as well as directing the three films about professional assassin John Wick to screenplays by Derek Kolstad (in the present case, assisted by three other writers).

It’s not unreasonable to suggest that Stahelski, Kolstad and actor Keanu Reeves (playing Wick) have a nice little earner as long as Reeves can stand the pace of a man whom the bad guys simply can’t kill.

“Wick 3” is a violent fantasy actioner that begins by declaring professional assassin Wick excommunicado from his government post. The trade union representing the criminal fraternity, called the High Table, posts a $15 million reward for whoever kills him.

So every bad guy on the planet wants to shoot John, stab him, throw him from a great height or any other unsurvivable misfortune. A major budget item was probably armourer Joel Tarantino, supplying the bad guys with those wonderful Hollywood firearms that blaze away for yonks without reloading.

Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne play righteous dudes, Anjelica Huston is the Director organising things, Asia Kate Dillon is the Adjudicator hovering around to validate claimants for the bounty. None of those principal characters needs to work up a sweat from good acting. The most numerous cast members are the stunt guys and gals cavorting acrobatically around before dying.

In best Hollywood fashion, John Wick survives because none of his opponents shoots straight. That strongly hints a further sequel, more mindless fun than any improbable outer-space fantasy.

At all cinemas

Would you like to watch those

A termite walks into a bar…

By Richard CALVER

TWO Sydney friends arrived for a sojourn. They are amongst a number who haven’t connected with my latest “walk-into-a-bar joke”. So, see how cryptic you think it is:

A termite walks into a bar and says: Where’s the bartender?

Okay, so my mate doesn’t get it until, excruciatingly, I explain it by reference to what termites eat… wood, the bar. His missus groans twice. Elevated by this reaction he says: “Oh, what about this one, it’s better:

A weasel walks into a bar. Wow says the barman, I have never in my life before served a weasel, what can I get you?

“Pop”, goes the weasel.

Groans and smiles aplenty.

We decided to have dinner where spicy food prevailed given the autumnal night temperatures and we went to Abel’s Kopi Tiam at Manuka.

The Ravensworth 2017 sangiovese was the local wine of choice. I suggested that we order this wine not only because of its extraordinary compatibility with Asian food, but to show off some of the best wine from the region. At $49.90 a bottle in the restaurant, it is not cheap. I saw a website where it was retailing at $28 but with the clear indication it had sold out at that price. But it is well worth the expense. It complemented the chilli lamb and the duck dish.

I mentioned to my friends that Bryan Martin, the owner and winemaker at Ravensworth, is also the winemaker at Clonakilla, the vineyard that carries the Canberra district’s shiraz viognier as a flagship wine. And that I knew Bryan from when I worked with him as a writer for another journal.

My friends murmured praise for the balance in the wine, a good mixture of fruit and savoury with a very clean, lightly tannic finish.

I called Bryan feeling guilty about disturbing him during harvest, but he told me he was already at the bottling stage. I asked him if he had made the

It is sharing moments of good food, good wine but above all good friends that marks the best in life.

sangiovese as a food wine rather than a quaffer.

“My background in cooking, I used to be a chef, meaning that this was the first variety I planted,” he said.

“Abel’s food is sort of left field for sangiovese but I made it to go well with savoury food, particularly because of the acidity and fine tannins. This wine doesn’t need a big block of meat to go with it, it can take Asian vegetables.

“Abel has had it on the wine list for a long time as he thinks it goes well with the style of cooking he adopts. Doing Malaysian food, he doesn’t need to do wine, so it’s good that he’s chosen this one.

“Sangiovese is our biggest seller. We can’t make enough. We make close to 1500 cases and they sell out within months. I kept some back for Abel. We have released the 2018 now, from March.”

So dear reader, get some in quick before Bryan sells out this vintage.

Bryan tells me that he now makes 18 different wines but the majority are Italian-based grape varieties including some wines that are not within the popular lexicon: corvina, montepulciano, fiano, primitivo (zinfandel) and rondinella. I had to admit to never having tasted either corvina or rondinella so a trip to Murrumbateman is on the cards.

The dinner and the wine were a success. It is sharing of these moments of good food, good wine but above all good friends that marks the best in life… even sharing those groan-filled dad jokes.

“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel

/ 14 north 108 east, woden

The new buzz on Bradley Street

Dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON tries a Vietnamese meal as her introduction to Woden’s new eating precinct on Bradley Street

YOU wouldn’t guess it was the same street. Bradley Street that is, on the eastern side of Westfield Woden.

The place was buzzing with people enjoying drinks and food and walking among the large trees lit up with fairy lights. What a massive improvement and welcome to Canberra’s newest eating destination.

The Bavarian was packed, Fenway Public House was packed, Sushi Musa busy and Espresso Warriors pumping out coffees. We landed at 14 North 108 East to dig into Vietnamese dishes.

The mural along one wall is bold, beautiful and bright and a great spot to snap a selfie or two.

The compact menu features small dishes, large dishes, salads, sides and desserts, with a “Leave it to me” option for $59 for those who can’t decide but are ready for a great feed.

B Hai’s plump mussels (three for $9) swam in yummy garlic butter sauce with lemon and was a delish start (we felt they were a bit sweet, but that’s a personal preference).

We adored the whole king prawns in green rice flake coating with pork paste and lemon –amazing crunch on the outside and the prawns juicy as.

One of our fave small dishes was the barbecued beef and pork wrapped neatly in betel leaf ($15). The skewers have a smoky flavour, having been cooked over open coals.

Large dishes are also designed to share and

we recommend the silky salmon tartare (at first we felt the salmon was a bit bland but the taste builds). The gigantic sesame rice crackers were amazing looking on the plate and amazing tasting ($19). So tactile.

The sliced eggplant pot ($18) didn’t disappoint and is a generous serve, with tofu and mushrooms marinated with traditional sauces.

We weren’t so fussed on the Asian greens, wok tossed with garlic oyster sauce ($8). They were a bit limp and not the bright green one usually sees with Asian greens dishes.

Wines are acceptably priced but only one lonely Canberra wine features (Clonakilla riesling,

ARTS IN THE CITY

TUES 4 JUNE 2019 11.00AM & 12.30PM

$13 a glass and $60 a bottle). Tasty cocktails include the Mekong Market Mojito ($18).

Next time, on our Vietnamese culinary escape, we’ll only order a couple of dishes at a time so we’re not so rushed with dishes arriving in quick succession. Staff check in regularly and are eager to please.

One tip? Turn the inside lights down a bit at night. Whoa!

We’ll be back to road test the other eateries along “the strip” and enjoy the “new life Woden”.

14 North 108 East, Bradley Street, Woden. Open seven days.

Maths genius takes centre stage

THE story of Ada Lovelace, the mathematical genius who developed the world’s first complex computer program in 1843, will come to life in the only public per formance of “Ada.Ada.Ada”, written, directed, designed and performed by Zoe Philpott. At Llewellyn Hall, 8pm, Thursday, May 30. Book at premier.ticketek.com.au

IN “French Twist”, the Australian Haydn Ensemble Experience performs the essence of 18th century France in the chamber music of Devienne, Rameau, Jadin, Mozart and Haydn. At Albert Hall, 7pm, Thursday, May 30. Book at australianhaydn.com.au or at the door.

CANBERRA Live is a new music festival dedicated to supporting local musicians, with door prizes, including an electric guitar and amplifier, and a line-up of 15 bands playing more than 10 hours. At Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah from noon, Sunday, May 26. Book at trybooking.com or tickets at the door.

THE Ten Tenors have performed more than 1550 corporate galas, sold more than 1.25 million albums

and 2.75 million concert tickets. They’ve shared the stage with artists including Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Willie Nelson, Alanis Morissette and Christina Aguilera. Now they’re back at Canberra Theatre, Wednesday, May 29. Book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au 6275 2700.

TUGGERANONG Arts Centre and ACT Corrective Services are celebrating National Reconciliation Week with “Reconciliation from Inside”, an exhibition of artwork at the centre until June 1 of 40 art works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees from the Alexander Maconochie Centre. Since 2009, detainees have been encouraged to engage in art classes through education and training provided for educational and therapeutic purposes.

EVA-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi are Zofo, the 20-Finger Orchestra and are here with Musica Viva presenting “Zofomoma”, a multimedia project that combines new music and art from around the world. At Llewellyn Hall, 7pm, Tuesday, May 28. Book at musicaviva.com.au

CANBERRA’S Maruki Orchestra returns for a big day out with Wagner’s “Meistersingers” prelude, Beethoven’s Symphony No.4, Saint-Saens’ “Danse Macabre” and Dvorak’s Symphony No.8, conducted by John Gould with soloist Peter Ellis. At Albert Hall, 3pm-5pm, Sunday, May 26. Book at marukicommunityorchestra.org.au or at the door.

HOW HEALTHY IS THE ACT HEALTH SYSTEM?

The ACT hospital system has been the subject of numerous critical media reports and articles over the past few years. Serious concerns have been raised by frontline staff relating to its culture, worn out infrastructure, non- functional buildings, inadequacy of resources and understaffing.

National comparisons highlight waiting times in the emergency department and for elective surgery beyond clinically recommended times, and indeed the longest of any jurisdiction.

Recent analysis has also revealed significant cuts to the health budget over the past several years, and its annual funding being inadequate to meet increase in demand for services.

This IGPA Seminar will discuss the state of the ACT Health System, and in particular the underlying causes of staff concerns and the relative poor performance of the hospital system in meeting the clinically recommended targets.

THE SPEAKERS

DR ANTONIO DI DIO is a well-known Canberra GP having practised in the ACT for the past 14 years, and the president of the AMA ACT. His passion is in quality care and looking after his medical colleagues.

DR PETER HUGHES OAM is the president of the ACT Visiting Medical Officers Association. He is a retired urologist who has championed the cause of private medical practice in the ACT for more than 30 years.

DR KHALID AHMED served in the ACT Public Service for 19 years, with around 10 years as executive director of the Policy Coordination and Development Division in Treasury. He now works in the private sector as an economic adviser.

DATE: Thursday 30 May 2019 TIME: 12.30pm-1.30pm

VENUE: Function Room, Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 180 London Circuit, Canberra City.

THIS EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND

Please register at: EVENTBRITE.COM.AU (search: How healthy is the ACT health system)

GARDENING

Look out for the rare, red wattle

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WHILE I prefer to highlight trees and shrubs when they are in bud before flowering, with some rare plants it’s best to buy them when you can.

One such is Acacia leprosa “Scarlet Blaze”, the red wattle.

As we all know, the wattle in our national flower is yellow. This one is a rare exception with red flowers.

A single specimen was found amongst the traditional yellow wattles by a group of bushwalkers in the Black Range Forest, north-east of Melbourne in 1995. It was taken to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne for identification and where just three cuttings grew from the original, which later died.

Fortunately these cuttings survived and now all subsequent specimens for sale came from these three. It was registered as unique with the Plant Variety Rights. It was released for sale by Plant Growers of Victoria in time for the floral emblem of the Victorian Bicentenary Celebrations. This one is planted at our Botanic Gardens in Canberra. It needs some space as it would appear to grow to more than five metres. Frost and drought hardy, it would make an interesting conversation plant in any garden.

RECENTLY, I mentioned English primroses, Primula vulgaris, and readers have reported not being able to find them anywhere, as opposed to yellow polyanthus.

I contacted David Glenn, of Lambley’s Nursery in Victoria, the home of rare plants. Primroses are not really a rare plant, although to my knowledge not commercially grown here. Glenn says they recently potted hundreds of true primroses, which should be available in spring.

I also bemoaned the problem with English bluebells taking over our garden. Equally so the bulb Brodiaea laxa or Triteleia, commonly called Star of Bethlehem, with its prolific, tiny, blue flowers in spring. Yes, it provides a sea of blue to brighten any garden and, yes, it spreads like wildfire, often smothering out other smaller plants. For a large garden where nothing seems to grow, say under deciduous trees, go for it. For really small gardens there are many other bulbs more suitable.

AS we plant the winter veggies there are few insects about, but not so the other veggie-eating creatures, including possums or the family dog or cat digging in the garden. I have found a

cheap and effective method of protecting the crop by using old bird cages. I buy them from the Green Shed. They are very strong and come in an assortment of sizes and some of the larger ones I cut in half.

ONE of the advertisers on the garden page is the Hay Shed in Pialligo with its pulverised horse manure. I thought I’d try it on our garden.

Normally I don’t recommend horse manure because the horses are often fed with oats, resulting in a good crop of the same in the garden.

However, the horses at the Hay Shed are primarily fed with lucerne hay plus supplementary pellets, hence no weed problem. The stables use sawdust rather than straw. In cleaning out the stables, the sawdust and the horse poo are stored in huge bins, composted by turning over for several months.

The result is a completely rotted down fine material for improving by mixing in with garden soil. It’s ideal for all garden beds, especially for veggies and available by the bag or trailer load.

The Hay Shed’s at 7 Beltana Road, Pialligo.

CAN you imagine the surprise when 19th century plant hunters walking through a hidden valley in the Himalayas saw the brilliant colours of rhododendrons for the first time?

Magnificent rhododendrons, some up to 10 metres tall, are hardier than most people think and grow well in this region.

They are the perfect companions for azaleas, daphne, pieris and a host of other plants. The earliest varieties start to flower any time now right through until October.

They are generally considered as shade-loving plants, preferring the early morning sun to the hot, westerly sun. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend growing them in shadeless new suburbs that are blasted by hot winds in summer.

The ideal watering method is by drip irrigation and mulching is vital to their relatively shallow root system. Canberra Organic Mulch from Canberra Sand and Gravel is ideal.

For strong root growth, I suggest initially applying Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient then use Neutrog’s Seamungus, a combination of seaweed and chook manure.

Rhododendrons respond well to hard pruning in spring, if you have some growing too large. Incidentally, there are many dwarf varieties suitable for container growing.

IDEALLY suited to a large bed combined with camellias and rhododendrons is the colourful autumn foliage of the medium shrub Hydrangea quercifolia or oak leaf hydrangea.

It grows to about one metre tall with a similar spread and its leaf shape is similar to oak tree leaves, only much larger. It is grown more for the rich autumn leaf colour than the flowers, which are unlike most hydrangeas, being white only and up to 40cm long.

Originating in the south-east of the US, like most hydrangeas it prefers filtered shade.

Jottings...

• Garlic for planting or eating is best bought at the Farmers Market rather than supermarkets where generally it is imported and treated with chemicals.

• Time to feed all daphne, azalea and rhodo plants as the buds continue to form for late winter/spring flowering.

• I have ascertained that Griselinia littoralis, which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, is now readily available.

PUZZLES PAGE

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Rambunctious Rams… avoid jumping to conclusions, making hasty assumptions and passing on unsubstantiated information. Slow down! Clear, careful communication will help improve relations with family and friends, as you get your message out loud and clear. If you look beneath the surface and use your intuition to guide you, then you’ll discover what’s really going on. On Thursday, do something special that stirs your emotions and makes your heart sing.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

With Venus visiting your sign (until June 9) it’s time for beautiful Bulls to sparkle and shine! Confidence is high (especially on Thursday and Friday) as you initiate a personal project or activate a creative joint venture. Neptune and Saturn encourage you to dream big dreams, set ambitious goals and then work towards making your wishes come true. Be inspired by Hollywood legend (and birthday great) Marilyn Monroe: “We are all stars and deserve the right to twinkle.”

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

You won’t feel particularly energetic or motivated on Wednesday and Thursday, when Neptune squares Mercury and takes the gas out of your tank. So use the prevailing astro-winds wisely as you wind down, relax and recharge! Avoid the temptation to get carried away and make inflated promises on Friday. It will be very easy to over-extend yourself and find you’ve bitten off more than you can comfortably chew! So re-calibrate your expectations and pace yourself.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

With Mars charging through your sign, you’re in a rush to complete a personal project as you switch gears from a Crab crawl to a Cancerian sprint. But is a romantic relationship stalling at the moment? Do your best to rejuvenate it by introducing some exciting new activities into the mix. If you’re single, you could revisit a rocky old romance (while wearing decidedly rose-coloured glasses). Just remember that memories from the past are so seductive because they’re so selective.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Venus, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto are powering through your work zones, so you’re keen to make some serious changes that will lead to more job satisfaction in the future. Leos need to shine in the public sphere but avoid putting all your eggs in the career basket. Love, romance, fun, friendship and companionship are just as important. So your motto for the moment is from birthday great Marilyn Monroe: “A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

You’re feeling chatty and are keen to communicate about a wide range of subjects, but are other people in the mood to listen? With nebulous Neptune and Mercury (your patron planet) affecting your relationship zone, it will be very easy to misinterpret what others are saying. So choose your words wisely and your conversation topics carefully, at home and at work. You’re full of fabulous ideas on Friday but don’t overpromise, get super stressed and then under-deliver.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

When it comes to your career (or lack of career) are you disappointed and disgruntled? You’re uncharacteristically impatient to make changes but don’t underestimate the value of examining people and situations in a more careful, considered and creative way. This week the devil is definitely in the detail as you slow down, don your detective cap and have a serious second-look. If you have the courage to follow your true destiny, then things will start to fall into place.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

You’re in the mood for fabulous flirting, romantic candlelit dinners, creative joint ventures and fun socialising. But if you avoid facing an important issue then confusion is likely, especially involving a financial matter or a loved one. It’s time to face the reality that a major relationship has to move in a radical new direction. In the words of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (who was born on May 27): “People hate change, until the pain of not changing is worse than change itself.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Prepare for a full-on week, when you overdo just about everything. Under the influence of the Mercury/Jupiter opposition, you’re inclined to be generous and garrulous; enthusiastic and exhausting; restless and reckless; passionate and pushy. You’ll certainly be hard to ignore as you ruffle a few feathers with your impulsive ideas and spontaneous comments. But jumping to conclusions could land you in hot water – especially when it comes to a friend or family member.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Don’t be too hard on yourself or let rattled nerves stop you from doing something you’ve always wanted to do. You’re feeling somewhat stressed but try not to sweat the small stuff. Careful preparation is the key. Attached Caps – be passionately proactive and set ambitious goals together. Singles – don’t just dip your toe into the dating pool. Thorough research and planning are required, so that you give yourself the best possible chance of long-term success in love.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Financial matters look confusing, as you underestimate a major expense or waste money on an inappropriate purchase. You could also doubt your ability to follow through with a project or promise. Learn to trust your talents and feel secure and strong within, regardless of what is happening in the outside world. As Oprah Winfrey (a fellow Aquarian) says: “Embrace your uniqueness. You are different, your gift is special – own it and unapologetically share it with the world.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

This week’s Neptunian aspects put you in the box seat for indulging in some major Piscean procrastination. But is that really such a good idea? Do your best to be creative (rather than confused) and determined (rather than dazed). You can expect some setbacks and disappointments but so what? Don’t use it as an excuse to pack your bags, give up and go home. Be inspired by birthday great Clint Eastwood: “If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead.”

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018

Across

3 What are wise sayings, or precepts? (8)

7 Which naval person serves both on shipboard and on land? (6)

8 What do we call one who is astute and tactful in any negotiation? (8)

9 Name the street in central London, at one time on the bank of the Thames. (6)

10 What are gifts, left from a will? (8)

11 To be talented, is to be what? (6)

14 What is any opinion or belief, contrary to established theory? (6)

17 Which aileron or stabiliser is designed to help lift an aircraft? (8)

18 Who was assassinated on the ides of March? (6)

19 Which term describes extreme wickedness? (8)

20 Name the Dickensian boy who "asked for more". (6)

21 What is the result of excessive rubbing? (8)

Down

1 Which cocktail is made largely of gin with a quarter or less of dry vermouth? (7)

2 Name a lofty, often slender, tower attached to a Muslim mosque. (7)

3 To have travelled about retailing small wares, is to have done what? (7)

4 What is a small assemblage of houses in a country district? (7)

5 Which horse won the Melbourne Cup in 1948? (7)

6 To fulfil a desire, expectation, or the like, is to do what? (7)

11 What might one call one's maternal ancestor? (7)

12 Name another term for eternally. (7)

13 When one wraps something up, one does what? (7)

14 Name a fabled bird, usually identified with the kingfisher. (7)

15 Which Welsh delicacy consists of melted cheese, etc, eaten on toast? (7)

16 Name the presiding officer in the House of Representatives. (7)

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Tips to ensuring the price is right

As a small business owner Josh told me he always finds it difficult to work out how much to charge for his company's services, especially when he's putting in a tender.

Josh and his partner Jenna came to see me to discuss the business' profitability.

I told them I had carefully reviewed their accounts and had some concerns that they might be under-charging.

"To help you, I want to show you how to do a break-even analysis, which will certainly assist you with pricing and profitability,” I said.

“To do this exercise, you need to know your fixed and variable costs and your sales. To clarify, fixed costs are those that you have to pay regardless of your income and would include insurance, rent, depreciation, interest expense, utilities and salaries. These costs are often called overheads. They are in contrast to variable costs, which vary depending on your outputs. Some examples of variable costs include sales commissions and additional wages paid to produce these outputs.

So if you are tendering for a new project the wages for staff you put on to do the project would be variable costs as would be the costs of any consultants that you engage to do the project as well as stationery and other materials.”

Jenna said they could calculate those costs quite easily and was keen to know what happened next.

“You draw a graph with money on the vertical axis and unit sales on the horizontal axis," I said.

"Plot your fixed overheads as a horizontal line parallel to the unitsales axis. Plot your estimated sales and your variable expenses starting at the fixed overheads line on the money axis and going up in a straight line from there.

“As you can see from the graph there is a point where sales and variable expenses intersect. That is the break-even point. You can then experiment with different sales prices to work out different break-even points. This will help you to work out how much to charge depending on likely sales so it can be very helpful when tendering.”

Josh and Jenna left my office grateful for the advice and confident in being able to set their prices more appropriately in the future.

If you need help with pricing or any other business related matter, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.

Disclaimer

This column contains general advice, please do