Can tired old Labor win another election?
MICHAEL MOORE
Growing problem of not planting trees
PAUL COSTIGAN
Kristina goes cold on fate of refugees
JON STANHOPE
Jenni Tarrant devotes a week for homeless women
No thermals, no heater, no showers; personality hairdresser Jenni Tarrant is spending a week sleeping in her little car and living on $20 a day. She tells
DANIELLE NOHRA
KINGSTON hairdresser Jenni Tarrant has chosen one of the coldest months of the year to spend a week sleeping in her small Holden Barina to raise awareness of the hidden side of homelessness.
From July 1, Jenni, owner of Bond Hair Religion, says throughout the week she’ll be parked in an alleyway and won’t be using the car heater, nor wearing thermals – just her pyjamas – and will be living off only $20 a day.
“I won’t be showering for the week, either,” says Jenni, 50, of Curtin.
Jenni’s already raised more than $5000 for the charity Toora Women, which is a not-for-profit that delivers homelessness, domestic violence and drug and alcohol services to women in the ACT, but is hoping to hit the $7000 mark.
She was initially alerted to the notfor-profit when one of Toora’s staff members came in to get her hair done.
“She was talking to me a bit about what Toora does and I was completely unaware that it even existed,” she says.
After learning more about Toora Women, Jenni decided to start collecting blankets and sheets so she could
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donate them but this year she wanted to do more.
Raising money for charity isn’t a new venture for Jenni, who chooses to donate to an overseas charity every second year and a local community one every other year.
“Two years ago I did a week of silence to raise money for Lifeline and show the silence around mental health,” she says.
“This year, I wanted to do something for Toora Women. I know they’re run ning constantly at capacity. It really helps the women and also takes pres sure off the Toora staff financially.
“If I can take some strain off, not only the women and children them selves but the people that support them, I’ll feel like I’ve made a big dif ference.”
Toora Women has already seen about 353 women and 143 children come through its system in the 2018-19 financial year.
According to Toora Women’s executive director Susan Clarke-Lindfield, the main reason for homelessness amongst women is domestic violence but she says there are other reasons around that too such as housing af-
fordability.
She’s also seen an increase in women who are homeless over the age of 55 because of reasons such as being unable to afford their rent anymore on their pensions.
Which is why, Susan says, it’s so important for people like Jenni to raise money for Toora Women.
“It’s important because our funding just doesn’t cover all the costs,”
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Susan says.
“It’s important because it could be you. So many women, through no fault of their own, find themselves homeless. It could be your mother, it could be your sister.”
Often, Susan says there’s no exit point, which means women are in their services for longer. It also means other women are on the streets or sleeping in their cars.
“Our beds are full all the time. The whole homelessness sector works at capacity all the time,” she says.
When Jenni initially heard about this, she hatched the idea of sleeping in her car and says not everyone can find a place to stay.
“Many homeless women lived in their cars with their children before receiving the much-needed support from Toora,” Jenni says.
“Some of our most vulnerable people fall through the cracks and I want to raise awareness of this.
“Sleeping in my car will give me some sort of empathy and awareness of what people go through every day.”
The money raised by Jenni will go towards buying groceries for women who leave the Toora system, but she says she will also be accepting donations such as unopened packets of toothpaste and tampons at Bond Hair Religion, Kingston.
“I’ve had a couple of my brands come on board and donate shampoo and conditioner, too,” she says.
This charity venture adds to the $130,000 Jenni has raised for numerous charities over the past six years, and with so many invisible issues within the community Jenni says she’s going to keep getting up and shouting about them to raise awareness.
Donations can be made via “The Make a Change Project” on Facebook.
LOCAL musos crammed into Garema Place for a jam on Friday (June 21). The Amplify CBD Music concert was raising awareness of rarely enforced noise laws limiting daytime levels to 60 decibels and 50 after dark.
Protestors, fearful that complaints from guests at a planned high-rise, luxury hotel in Garema Place may “silence” the city’s live music scene, cranked up the volume to 90 decibels demonstrating how easy it is to breach the laws.
Music ACT’s David Caffery told the ABC: “We want a cool capital, we want a vibrant city, we need music as a part of that mix.’’
ONE of the pioneers of the Australian #MeToo movement dropped into Canberra to pick up yet another gong to go with her 2018 Order of Australia and the Walkley Award she won last year. TV journalist and best-selling author Tracey Spicer received the National Excellence in Women’s Leadership Award. The ”Good Girl Stripped Bare” author tweeted: “Delighted to star in #jacketgate pt 2 with ACT winner Virginia Haussegger”.
AS the AFL unleashed a jackbooted campaign stamping out the timehonoured tradition of fans hurling abuse at umpires, a former Canberran reached a special milestone at the top level of the
profession. As the code’s Behavioural Awareness Officers patrolled crowds, “Razor” Ray Chamberlain, the umpire most fans love to hate, officiated in his 300th AFL game. Chamberlain, who umpired his first game as a teenager in the capital, thrives on the attention and abuse and says the popular sledge “green maggot” does not faze him “one single bit”.
SINCE Tony Wood (aka Victor the Viking) boldly declared in May that the “NRL cup was coming down the highway 2019”, confidence of another pennant flying in the capital has taken on new intensity. Wood urged “every Canberra
man, woman and child to scream green between now and the big decider”. Such is the level of confidence at the monthly Menslink event, where co-captain Josh Hodgson was guest speaker, $2200 was paid for an auctioned signed 2019 Raiders “Premiership” jumper. A bargain only if the Green Machine prevails.
STILL on bargains, our northern suburbs operative with a bit of time on his hands, has unearthed some op-shop gems. Among the standouts discerningly scavenged: a copy of the 2015 Yellow Pages with a cheeky price tag of $2 and a black T-shirt featuring the image of a very young local ABC radio presenter by the name of Chris Uhlmann, which is a rare piece of media memorabilia and a snip at $5.
AND the man Uhlmann replaced as Nine’s chief political editor, Laurie Oakes, appears to have not fully racked his cue. The last time I saw the legendary scribe he was nursing a small dog on his lap, happily chatting with punters at a Manuka cafe. A few recent appearances by Oakes on Channel Nine (commenting on the Federal poll and Bob Hawke’s passing), suggests he’s keeping his hand in. Seems the 75-year-old, who retired two years ago, remains on the Nine payroll, free
to do the odd bit of reporting when he chooses. Apparently this is TV’s way of protecting their stars from poachers.
IN a week when some of our movers and shakers shivered through the annual Vinnies’ CEO Sleepout, official weather reports revealed a cruel plunge in overnight temperatures. Just to confirm winter’s depth was not far off, a pair of blue-suede recliner armchairs, discarded on a nature strip near the Spence shops, were still iced over at 10am.
STATISTICALLY your average Canberran takes home a fatter paypacket than the rest of the country and is also more likely to dabble in illicit substances. The Australian Local Government Association’s 2019 “State of the Regions” report reveals the wealth gap between the ACT and the rest of Australia is widening to almost double the national average. A report by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission shows we are the highest users of opioids and the second highest consumers of cocaine.
ALMOST 600 drivers have been caught using lost, stolen or invalid disability parking permits since February 15.
From February 15 to March 15, Access Canberra handed out 272 infringements for misuse of disability parking permits. Then, another 307 infringements were issued up until June 15.
Fraudulent use is mostly due to people, other than the permit holder, using the permit when the permit holder is not in the vehicle, according to Access Canberra’s director of parking operations and traffic camera compliance Chris Seddon.
“Disability parking permits are issued to the person with the disability not the vehicle,” he says.
Mr Seddon says it’s also illegal to use the permit of a person who has passed away. He says technology now allows parking inspectors to interrogate data while on patrol and can check for the use of invalid disability permits or those that have been reported lost or stolen.
And, if a vehicle is parked in a disabled car bay with a lost, stolen, expired or deceased person’s permit, the driver of that vehicle will be given a $600 fine.
For drivers using a lost, stolen, expired or deceased person’s permit in a timed or pay parking bay, the fine is $120.
By Danielle NOHRA
A GIFTED program at the all-boys school, St Edmund’s College, in Griffith, is knocking down the conventional structure of year groups and, instead, is all about stage not age.
“My ideal school is to have a school without year levels,” says Emma Ramke, the head of diverse learning at St Eddie’s.
Emma took on the role more than three years ago and not long after embarked on further training where she discovered there’s about 10 students, at all schools, who are gifted - meaning they learn at an advanced rate to their peers.
“One in 10 people have a gifted profile, but it doesn’t always feel like a gift and I wanted to change that,” she says.
“People are only just starting to understand the benefits of these programs [such as] enjoyment and an increase in self-esteem.”
In terms of having a dedicated program for gifted students, Emma believes St Eddie’s is the only one in Canberra.
Initially, the program started with 10 students, some interested teachers
and the leadership of the college, and has since grown to about 100 students in various stages of acceleration.
There are four stages of accel eration, according to Emma, who says students could be accelerated in one subject, multiple subjects, acceler ated by a whole grade, or by multiple grades.
But, she says, they always make sure the student is comfortable and happy to move before they go up a level.
One of the 10 from the original group, Tyler Greenhalgh, now 14, was reluctant to be accelerated in the beginning.
He first went up a level in one sub ject, History, and then went from Year 8 to Year 10.
Now, he’s in Year 11 but, if it was based on age, would only be a Year 9 student.
“The reason why it came about was because I wasn’t really going to school,” he says.
“I didn’t really want to get out of bed because there was really nothing for me to learn.”
While school wasn’t challenging enough for Tyler, when he did get the chance to move up he was worried he wouldn’t make any friends.
“It’s great though, I made friends really easily,” he says.
“I don’t know how to explain it, I just really clicked with them.
“I think that when you’re gifted and
talented you maybe have better social skills and more maturity.
“You also have a chance to create better social skills, which is another bonus of being accelerated.
“Basically, I have friends from Year 9 to 12. I do sport with the Year 9s but do certain things in class with the Year 11s and 12s.”
Being scared initially about moving up a year level is not uncommon, ac -
cording to Emma, who says students want to learn more but find it daunting from a social aspect.
“[But] we make friendships on the way we think, as opposed to our age groups,” Emma says.
And, she says they would only accelerate a student when they’re ready.
Another student, Brendan, 10, who’s looking to join the Australian Ballet when he’s 15, came to St Eddies after
wanting to be accelerated while he was at his old school.
“At my old school I started thinking this is getting a bit boring,” he says.
But Brendan was scared to move up a year level because he didn’t really like the class he would be placed in.
He came to St Edmund’s College initially to see if the school could do anything to support his ballet and Emma says they found he was accelerated in a range of areas.
Brendan, who should be in Year 5, will be making the jump to Year 7 next semester.
“I’m being challenged more and am enjoying school a lot more,” Brendan
“I found I’m just wanting to be places more and wanting to be a bit more active with everyone.
“[But] before I was doing my accelerated subjects, I was a bit moody.”
Brendan’s case is the same for all the students in the program and Emma says they see improvement across multiple areas such as life enjoyment and confidence.
“Anxiety can be the dark side of giftedness because gifted people are so heavily stimulated, they can find it hard to sleep or eat,” she says.
Through this program, Emma says gifted students are getting the mental stimulation they need, which is why she believes stage not age is the way to go.
I RECENTLY received a great parenting tip from a friend who grew up in a large family: when the kids are going crazy and nothing’s going right, simply take one kid away to do something else and peace will be restored.
My friend remembers being dropped off at her grandparents’ house or going for a drive with her dad while her siblings stayed at home, to give the family a chance to reset.
A change in child-to-parent ratios certainly has a huge impact on the household’s dynamics and everyone’s sanity.
We tried this last weekend, with me taking my son to Adelaide for a long weekend, leaving my husband with the boss baby.
It was a great breather for me to be focused solely on my preschool-aged boy. It made me realise how comparatively easy one child is to manage and, with tantrums and toileting issues all behind us, he is a great little travel companion, able to entertain himself and
A change in child-to-parent ratios certainly has a huge impact on the household’s dynamics and everyone’s sanity.
chat away with his 96-year-old great-grandad who was the reason we were there. It was awesome.
Meanwhile, the prospect of my husband being at home with the boss baby for a long weekend didn’t phase him, although I admit it would test me! He assured me that our two-year old daughter doesn’t muck up for him, when I am out of the picture they get along famously, he boasted.
It made me feel a little bad... apparently we already have a complicated mother/daughter relationship!
But I don’t think I’m alone, because I hear from a lot of mothers of daughters who can totally relate to my two-yearold girl’s fiery independence, assertiveness and, in particular, her need for mummy to be the one that she wants to do
everything for her.
It’s a beautiful honour being that one person in her world that she prefers over anyone, but it’s also draining. When I’m out of the picture she adapts to others caring for her so, despite a couple of mother’s guilt pangs that I was leaving her behind for the weekend, it felt good to give her a special weekend with her dad. Especially since he was so confident he had everything under control.
I felt vindicated though when I received a series of text messages from my husband, halfway through the weekend. They read:
“Boss baby is in time out.”
“I just put her in the laundry.” Insert emoji of the crying face.
“We are into minute 10 of this…” Insert emoji of the
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face gritting its teeth.
“Flipped a switch and back to normal.” Insert the smiling/sweaty emoji. Well, at least it’s not just me! Now we are home, I could feel the benefits from taking one of the kids out of the equation for a while. It gave me more patience with the boss baby and a new appreciation of my son’s maturity and patience.
Parenting is a relentless gig, not for the faint hearted. The nature of caring for little kids means that they love their routines, crave consistency and will always ask so much of those they love every day.
Sometimes taking one kid out of the equation for a while is all you need to reset and have faith in what you are doing.
A TOTAL mobile device ban for L and P drivers will begin in the ACT on July 1. In the ACT, it’s already illegal to call, text or use social media when driving, but now learners and provisional drivers will also be barred from using Bluetooth hands-free or speaker to interact with their phones while driving.
Research conducted by the University of Canberra in August, 2016, surveyed 612 young ACT drivers (aged 17-24 years) on the extent and nature of risky driving behaviours. An estimated 3 in 4 young Canber-
rans surveyed said they had read one text message while driving in the previous week, while more than half had sent at least one text message.
The ACT government says that more than 85 per cent of people it surveyed during a 12-month public consultation supported a total mobile ban for L and P drivers.
The penalties for messaging, social media use, accessing applications and internet will be $589 and four demerit points, and talking, hands free and speaker mode: $480 and three demerit points.
THE first ACT State Titles for powerlifting, under the Australian Powerlifting Union, will be held at Realfitt Strength and Conditioning, 55 Heffernan Street, Mitchell, from 9am on Saturday, June 29. The titles will allow athletes from the ACT to qualify for the Australian National Championships.
Free-Rain Theatre is holding a “Kinky Cocktail Party” with music, cast members on hand and silent and live auctions of theatrical memorabilia. It’s a fundraiser for the charity Dainere’s Rainbow Brain Tumour Research Fund. At The Q, 6pm, Friday, July 5. RSVP to freeraintheatre@gmail.com
THE ACT government has announced it will plant 17,000 trees over four years as part of an urban tree strategy.
Has the Labor/Greens government finally realised it has responsibility for the stewardship of the bush capital?
Earlier this year the ACT Greens circulated a petition to get the government to plant more trees. While it was curious that the Greens who form the ACT’s Labor/Greens coalition were organising a petition to government (themselves?), some interesting statistics emerged about the city’s greenery.
With 768,000 trees being managed by the government, we have been losing about 3000 annually. Reports from 2012 show that there were more than 22,000 vacant tree sites with another dead or dying 17,000 to be removed. To get back to where we should have been with the number of trees, there needs to be an injection of at least 40,000 trees. Then
To get back to where we should have been with the number of trees, Canberra needs an injection of at least 40,000 trees.
there is the more worrying statistic that only 28 per cent of trees in the government’s care are suitable for the coming changes in climate.
Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur stated that the city needed to plant 7000 annually over a decade to restore the tree canopy across government sites, parks and streets.
These figures do not include the amount of greenery being removed on private land in the older suburbs due to redevelopment.
On top of this, the figures exclude the amount of greenery being lost every time this government sells off land for redevelopment. Anecdotally, the evidence is that older suburbs are seeing a loss of trees due to both private redevelopment and the government’s own sales that result in blocks having the greenery stripped away to allow for maximum-sized apartments with some token greenery.
As for newer suburbs, the general outcome has been large houses on
small blocks with little greenery and loads of apartments with near to nothing in greenery. Serious heat islands are waiting to happen any year now.
The trouble being that so many decisions of the various portfolios have an impact on trees. It is not just City Services; there’s also Urban Development, Environment, Social Housing, Planning and the Chief Minister’s Economic portfolio – the last being responsible for the reduction in funds allocated to caring for and maintaining trees, public spaces, streets, parks and all forms of biodiversity.
A search of news items reveals that various important operatives within government have been making useless statements for years.
An example of the spin is the statement from Chris Steel, the “Minister for Various Things”, when he boasted that the government had planted 608 trees in the winter of 2018 with 96 more in spring. Then for 2018-2019, 444 more trees would be planted. Several ministers were heard to boast about this great leap forward (backwards?). All neglected to spell out how many had been removed over that time let alone allude to the annual target of
7000 new trees.
Let’s go back to that announcement that the government is to look at developing an urban-tree strategy. Did anyone check the filing cabinet?
After 30 years of self-government, surely someone else thought of this. But if not, get someone to urgently go online and cut and paste from the many excellent ones that cities across Australia have had in place for years.
Or if you want to pay someone a consultant fee, send me the money and I will write a simple one. The two key objectives will be: don’t chop down trees, and every development application, whether large, small,
government or private, needs to state how the development will increase the tree canopy and add to the biodiversity of this city.
We are going backwards and it seems that the government is getting away with this latest “greenwash”. Do the Canberra Liberals or ACT Labor Party members have a view on these pathetic and misleading announcements?
Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters.
A COMPLACENT and tired government versus a seriously conservative opposition; the ACT election is around 16 months away and the choice is anything but clear.
While voters consider the least-worst option, the parties are already considering their strategies.
Lessons from the Federal Labor Party in the recent election will not be missed. The opposition will present a small target and run a strong negative campaign. Unfortunately, voting on policy is a thing of the past.
At the October 2020 election, Labor will have been in power for five terms – close to two decades. None of the ministers have ever served in opposition. Although previous professions have provided a few with the skills of critical analysis, most have missed learning how to challenge both government and the public service.
The outcome is not just a complacent government but a powerful, dominant and relaxed public service.
The Canberra Liberals may well have the public service in their sights as one of their targets. Levelling criticism at a bloated public service will appeal to ratepayers who have felt the ever-increasing burden of ACT taxation under the Labor government.
Liberals to take aim on a vulnerable government. The most obvious is planning. How long before we say goodbye to the “bush capital” and are transformed into a city like any other? Downtown Melbourne seems to be the model for the plethora of apartments and other buildings that spill on to the footpaths, dominate the skyline and create the slums of the future. The question for voters is – will the Canberra Liberals be any better?
Health is almost always a target for an opposition with hospitals being huge organisations undertaking complex treatments and operations. There is no doubt that Canberra’s public health professionals are on a par with any in Australia for skills and commitment. However, things do go wrong and wind up as front-page news.
How long before we say goodbye to the ‘bush capital’? Melbourne seems to be the model for the plethora of apartments that spill on to the footpaths, dominate the skyline and create the slums of the future.
However, rates will probably be the first shell in the artillery of the opposition armoury.
A series of cross-bench hopefuls will most likely run a similar campaign.
Community members were told that rates would increase as many other less-efficient taxes would be removed. The argument was that taxpayers would be no worse off but, laudably, there would be a more equitable distribution of the tax burden.
Revenue has risen threefold in less than 20 years of Labor. They will be pilloried over this broken promise.
Even allowing for an increase in population and other factors impacting on revenue and expenditure, this may be seen as simply reckless. The Labor government will be seriously vulnerable on this aspect.
There are other areas for the Canberra
SA has just announced it will be looking for huge cuts in its hospitals budget. Even so, on national hospital comparisons – the ACT is much more expensive per patient than other jurisdictions.
Perhaps the government is less vulnerable here through the structural changes that have been implemented and the approach taken by Meegan Fitzharris, who seems the most effective of the current ministers. It is a different story in school education. Despite attempts to gild the lily on the quality of ACT schools, a study in October identified the ACT as “the worst performer on the Grattan Institute’s measure of student progress, which takes account of the fact that some states and territories have more advantaged students than others”. This should be humiliating for Labor.
The tactic used by Scott Morrison to win the Federal election will not be available to Chief Minister Andrew Barr. The lesson is clear. Rather than be attacked, Opposition Leader Alistair Coe is highly unlikely to present other than bland policies. Why would he? The government is vulnerable and it is much more likely his tactic will be to attack, attack, attack.
IT was only a year or so ago that Kristina Keneally was quoted as saying: “There is a solution to… the Nauru and Manus Island problem that doesn’t depend on the whims of an idiotic and unpredictable US president: bring the refugees to Australia.”
Hear, hear, I thought.
Kristina is now, of course, a newly elected senator, the shadow minister for Home Affairs and Labor spokesperson on refugees and asylum seekers.
She trod a short road into the shadow ministry and will, I am sure, be effective. However, Kristina has also had a road to Damascus-like reversal of her thinking about the “Nauru and Manus Island Problem” and now apparently believes that boat turn backs and the mandatory offshore detention of asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat are not just defensible but are indispensable to our sovereignty and national security.
Her newly acquired views are now in lockstep with those of the Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese, who has long been perceived as supportive of a humane asylum-seeker policy and of the need to respect our international obligations to refugees and asylum seekers.
However, it appears he deviated markedly from that position at the time of the Longman by-election last
Albanese and Keneally have moved from supporting the human and legal rights of asylum seekers to supporting a system that has resulted in multiple deaths, sexual abuse, psychological harm, trauma and mental illness.
year when, in an interview on Sky News, he both acknowledged the success of Operation Sovereign Borders and the coalition’s boat turn-back policy and expressed his continued support for mandatory and indefinite off-shore detention.
When asked if offshore detention should be subject to a time limit he answered “no”.
It seems then that both Albanese and Keneally have experienced Damascene moments in relation to the treatment of asylum seekers. They have both moved from a position supportive of the human and legal rights of asylum seekers to one of support for a system that has resulted in multiple deaths, physical and sexual abuse, deep (and in many cases permanent) psychological harm, trauma and mental illness which has torn families apart.
It is a system that violates international law and denies the humanity of people who have come to us seeking protection. The torture continues with reports that in the last month more than 40 asylum seekers detained by Australia in New Guinea have at-
tempted suicide or have self-harmed.
On July 19, it will be exactly six years since the short-lived Rudd/ Albanese Labor government implemented the policy of mandatory and indefinite off-shore detention.
I have commented previously, and I am sure I am correct, that the only policy of the Rudd/Albanese government that survived the Abbott and Turnbull governments is the policy of mandatory off-shore detention.
It’s understood that the new and resurgent Morrison government is planning to use the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the implementation of that policy to repeal the medevac laws that were forced on it by the independents before the last election and thereby return to the purity of the original Rudd/Albanese policy i.e., “mandatory” means mandatory and “indefinite” means indefinite.
After six years, I find it inconceivable that anyone in Australia, including most particularly members of the ALP, can support the continued detention of innocent men and women on Manus and Nauru.
In light of the support of Albanese
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and Keneally for boat turn backs and the maintenance by the ALP of its hard-line, anti-asylum policies it appears that the only apparent solution to the “Manus and Nauru Problem” is, as honestly and so eloquently put by Senator Keneally: “The whims of an idiotic and unpredictable US president”.
While not suggesting that the revelatory or Damascene experience of either Albanese or Keneally, which caused each of them to change their views about asylum seeker policy, was as profound as that of Saul, a Pharisee who was on the road to Damascus to attack and persecute Christians before being intercepted by Jesus and so saw the light, but their change of attitude towards asylum seekers has also, nevertheless, been dramatic.
It is quirkily relevant to what I am trying to say that when Saul (who changed his name to Paul) was in conversation with King Agrippa about his conversion to Christianity he related that Jesus had said to him: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads”. A goad was a sharp implement used to control oxen in harness.
Oxen that “kicked against the goads” would be injured and quickly learnt
to be compliant. In the same way, all Labor members of the Federal parliament quickly learn upon election to not publicly criticise or oppose the ALP’s cruel and inhumane asylum seeker policies even though most disagree with and personally oppose them.
They find it, as Jesus said to Paul, “hard to kick against the goads”. Of course, their fear is not that by speaking out or acting according to their conscience they, like the oxen of old, may suffer a physical injury.
The “goad” they fear is the loss of standing within the party and the sure certainty of injury to their ambition and damage to their political careers by challenging public opinion and attracting the wrath of the factional enforcers.
Jon Stanhope was chief minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998. He is the only chief minister to have governed with a majority in the Assembly.
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THE residents of Canberra can always rest easy in the knowledge that this ACT government will deliver them certainty.
Without doubt they can bank on a number of welcome pieces of good news each year.
Firstly, a disgraceful increase in rates and charges each Budget is guaranteed, no correspondence entered into.
Secondly, ratepayers can watch the MLAs from the government nod dutifully each year as the arrogant Chief Minister delivers the Budget.
Thirdly, no amount of overwhelming financial evidence discrediting the tram has any traction with this out-of-step administration and fourthly, despite widespread opposition from resident action groups to the government’s development agenda (genuine planning is notably absent), we have been guaranteed more of the same by the Chief Minister and the Planning Minister who has little, if any, concept of good urban design or town planning.
Surely even the government’s most rusted-on supporters cannot vote for this tired, complacent and high-taxing regime to be given another term!
Colin Lyons, Weetangera
IT was pleasing to read on citynews.com.au that the Healthy Waterways projects being carried out across the ACT over the last few years have been completed. I frequently observed several of the projects in my region of Tuggeranong with great interest.
It was inspiring that proper long-term planning was undertaken based on competent research with adequate funding provided for such vital water pollution reduction efforts in Canberra and its surrounding waterways. This type of accomplishment contrasts with so much “knee-jerk” hysteria we are bombarded with every day about environmental doom and gloom issues. However, it was a laugh to read the reference made by ACT Environment Minister Mick Gentlemen that more than 1000 stencils will be painted across the ACT on footpaths to remind us that stormwater flows into
our lakes and waterways. Jeez, Mick, I and the vast majority would never have figured that out without such signage. Let’s face it, that is just graffiti – shame.
The ACT stopped painting gutter curbs near intersections and so forth (in red) back in the 1980s to indicate no parking. I have recently observed painted stencils on pit lids at shops stating “Restricted Access – No Entry Without Permit”. These were legible for a few months before washing off – guess where all that paint goes?
Who came up with this ludicrous idea for painted stencils on footpaths and how much tax/rates money will be wasted on it? Next we will be painting footpaths with lines to indicate which side you should be on – oh, wait, we already did that, too!
Bjorn Moore, Gowrie
I DON’T understand the point being made by a series of commentators and letter writers in your pages over the past few weeks. John Smith (CN, May 16), Martin Gordon and Denzil Bourne (CN, May 30) seem to be suggesting that engineering “problems” arising in changing energy sources to address climate disruption are such that no action should be taken.
What are they proposing we do? Are they seriously suggesting that we just let greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere continue to rise?
Peter Tait, O’Connor
THE excessive financial burden currently placed upon taxpayers could be lessened by raising the tax threshold from $18,200 per annum ($350 a week) to $26,000 ($500 a week); as well as eliminating the requirement to pay additional tax on the lesser of two incomes earned by industrious people with two jobs. These measures alone would save millions of dollars in government administration and greatly help the average struggling employee. How about it?
Peter Gately, via email
loose to: editor@citynews.com.au or write to the editor at: 9b / 189 Flemington Road, Mitchell 2911
loan secured by a registered motor vehicle, term deposit or residential mortgage
The Canberra Rex Hotel has spaces that are perfect for both intimate and grand celebrations for your family and friends. We have an array of ceremony and reception spaces available for your special day with the ability to host intimate gatherings from 20 guests to celebrations of 600 guests.
HOME to more than 57,000 residents, Queanbeyan is the largest city in south-east NSW and Canberra’s nearest municipal neighbour.
Its name is the anglicised form of “quinbean” – an Aboriginal word meaning “clear waters”.
It was officially proclaimed a township in 1838 when the population numbered about 50. The local parish was also known by that name and later still the member for the electorate of Queanbeyan held a seat in the legislative assembly of the colony of NSW.
Traces of gold were discovered in 1851 and lead and silver mines also flourished briefly. Settlers were harassed by bushrangers, of which James Shaw, William Millet, John Rueben, John Tennant, Jacky Jacky, Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall were some of the more notorious.
In 1880 the residence of John James Wright, the first mayor of Queanbeyan, was constructed along the edge of the Queanbeyan River. In 1982 that building became the Queanbeyan Art Centre.
At the height of its rural prosperity Queanbeyan boasted 16 public houses and six flour mills powered by wind, water, horse and steam. The Royal Hotel on Monaro Street opened in 1926.
In Canberra alcohol was prohibited from 1911, at the time of the territory’s foundation, until 1928, when Federal Parliament had relocated from Melbourne. In that period many of the capital’s residents crossed the border to drink at one of Queanbeyan’s hotels. Queanbeyan was granted city status on July 7, 1972, and continues to flourish as an independent community.
PERFECT for almost any surface, the general manager of Rivoland Tiles, James Hibberson, says porcelain tiles are the popular material of choice for home or commercial spaces.
WHETHER it’s building a dream home from scratch or refreshing a home with renovations, the family-run business Bordeaux Construction and Management treats every project they do as a “dream” project, says project manager Michael Milutinovic.
“Everything we deliver is a high-quality product that we can stand by for the long term because our reputation and our clients’ needs are very important to us,” he says.
“We only ever use premium subcontractors and premium products.
“When a client comes in with a vision in mind we work with them step-by-step, from the beginning to hand over, to meet all their requests.”
Michael, who holds an unrestricted, A-class builder’s licence, has been involved in the family business for two years but
has more than 10 years’ experience in the construction industry in Canberra and Sydney.
What he likes about Bordeaux Construction and Management is that there’s always a point of contact.
“Clients always feel that their project is prioritised and they often say they like the personal relationship we build on throughout the process,” he says.
He says they get a lot of referrals for this reason, too.
“Our ultimate goal is always constructing their dream project at the highest quality possible,” he says.
Bordeaux Construction and Management, 8 Aurora Place, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 4642, visit bordeauxbcm.com.au
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Porcelain tiles have so many great characteristics, according to James, such as being strong, resistant to hot and cold shock and resistant to chemicals, which he says makes it the perfect material for almost any surface.
What’s even more amazing, he says, is the size options available, which can be as big as 1600x3200mm but only 5-6mm thick.
“The large format porcelain is popular for its smooth, clean line appeal,” James says.
“It’s great for the home in kitchen splashbacks, bathroom feature walls, plinths, internal and external cladding.
“Commercially these products have so many benefits – they are lightweight, suitable for external and internal walls and very easy to maintain.”
But it’s not all about porcelain tiles at Rivoland and James boasts that they’re one of the largest tile stockists
supplier of tiles in the Canberra region.
“We believe we are this size because Rivoland staff love people and have the experience to understand not just what is needed for their project, but what people need too,” he says.
“We love helping people, helping families build their dream home or making their investment a success.
“We do our homework and understand the market needs and desires – and most of all we do it with passion and a smile.”
Rivoland Tiles. Queanbeyan showroom at 100 Crawford Street, call 6297 4510. Mitchell showroom at 55 Darling Street, call 6241 1557. Visit rivoland.com.au
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THERE can be a lot of confusion around printers and cartridges, according to the owners of Capital Cartridges, Shirley Arrow and Noel Kitt, which is why they pride themselves on providing personal and informed advice, while also offering the best deals.
They’re both backed with about 18 years’ experience in the printer industry in Queanbeyan and the ACT, so customers can rest assured they’re receiving expert advice.
“We want our customers to find a quality product at an affordable price when they visit our store,” Shirley says.
And, according to Shirley, they also stock items for a broader customer base, saying whilst their competitors only stock popular or current printer model cartridges, Capital Cartridges are able to source cartridges for older printers as well as new.
“[We carry] a broad range of printer models and styles, if we don’t have what a customer wants we can usually source it within 24 hours,” Shirley says.
Capital Cartridges is able to offer repairs for printers too.
But no matter what a customer is after, Shirley says they look forward to continuing their association with all their customers across the region.
Capital Cartridges Queanbeyan, Shop 6, 166 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6284 4344 or email qbn@capitalcartridges.com.au
Debbie Maree’s got the right fit to help women feel good
FROM casual to “after five” (semi-casual) clothing, Debbie Maree, the owner of Debbie Maree’s Fashion Boutique, is all about making women of all ages, shapes and sizes, feel good through clothes.
“Fashion and style needs can change depending on where you are in life,” says Debbie, who understands the importance of building trust and identifying a customer’s shape to support them with the right fit.
“We [also] offer access to a personalised stylist, Kim Williams, through in-house events and workshops, which are available throughout the year.”
But whether customers are coming in for a workshop or to pick up a new outfit, Debbie says they will always receive a friendly, supportive and personalised service.
It’s their service which makes the boutique stand out, according to Debbie, who says the team at Debbie
opportunities to come in and find the right item for any body shape.
Debbie Maree’s Fashion Boutique, 234 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 3335.
Fink Designs has expanded to include Fink Lighting, offering distinctive and unique light designs that are locally made, says Fink owner Gretel Harrison.
“We design and manufacture everything in our workshop,” Gretel says.
Currently, Fink Lighting’s designs, which are described by Fink Lighting as bold and innovative, include table lights, a standing light, a chandelier and sculptural wall lighting for both commercial and domestic settings. are made to order and are not mass produced,” Gretel says.
“All of our lights are organic in their design [too].”
Gretel says Fink Lighting also works with acrylics, anodised aluminium and powder coating.
The full range can be seen at Fink Lighting’s Queanbeyan showroom or on their website.
Fink Lighting, 25 Endurance Avenue, Queanbeyan. Call 6298 1884 or visit finklighting.com
WITH winter in full swing, now’s the time to get agricultural equipment ready so it runs smoothly into spring, says Bayldon Ag general manager Paul Nicholl.
“Rather than park your machine in the shed, [it’s important] to service your machine so that the oil is fresh [and the equipment’s fuel is stabilised for the rest of winter],” Paul says.
But whether it’s people looking to ensure their machinery is ready for winter, or they’re after repairs, Paul says the qualified mechanics at Bayldon Ag always respond quickly and make sure the job’s done properly.
“We have two service vehicles that can come to a customer’s property and service or repair their machines,” he says.
“We also have two tilt trays that can pick up a customer’s machine if more extensive repairs are required.”
By Helen Musa
WITH a star line-up of emerging theatrical talent and six overthe-top dancing drag queens, it’s hard to see how Free-Rain Theatre could go wrong with its production of the Cyndi Lauper musical, “Kinky Boots,” coming to The Q.
I say “the Cyndi Lauper musical” because it’s her songs that have given the stage show its edge, outdoing the 2005 film of the same name in popular ity and enjoying hit seasons around the world as well as a touring professional production in Australia that starred Canberra-raised actor Toby Francis. But, as director Derek Walker is quick to point out to “CityNews” when we catch up with him at The Q, it’s not just about showbiz, this show is based in real life.
Walker, who staged “Legally Blonde” for Free-Rain in 2014, is now based in London where he works mainly in opera, has made the pilgrimage to Northampton where WJ Brooks Shoe Company’s venture into fetish footwear took place and he’s met the real people.
The musical sees young Charlie Price emotionally stranded when his father dies and leaves him in charge of his failing shoe factory in Northampton. He’s saved when he meets the seem ingly confident drag queen, Lola, who performs with her back-up troupe of over-the-top drag dancers, the Angels.
But Lola, really Simon, who shows him the way to success, has his/her own story, too. Together, they turn the business around by producing erotic shoe wear –“kinky boots” – and Charlie gets his girl. Sounds totally improbable? Well, it isn’t. And it’s that human element, along with the lap of songs that have made “Kinky Boots” a hit.
Free-Rain and the show’s assistant director and choreographer, Michelle Heine, have been busy accessing the actual kinky boots that, as the musical shows, need to be perfectly designed, from places such as House of Priscilla in Darlinghurst and a supplier in Bangkok
with a big lady-boy clientele.
She and musical director Nicholas Griffin have been rehearsing the local cast and Angels – David Santolin, Jordan Kelly, Lachy Agett, Alex Thorpe, Ashley Jeffries and Garrett Kelly – for months, but Walker has been on the show for about six weeks.
“Everyone’s at different stages in the rehearsal process,” Walker says, introducing us to the leading out-of-town actors Rania Osbourne, playing Lola; Brittanie Shipway as Charlie’s feisty love interest Lauren, and Martin Everett as Charlie.
This will be no copycat production of the professional shows, says Walker who is enjoying working again in musical theatre – “more liberating” than opera. Everett, who confesses that a part of
as not a wimp but a boy who’s grown up with “too big a pair of shoes to fill”.
First heading for London with his ambitious girlfriend Nicola, he is forced to return to Northampton, do the right thing and save the jobs of people.
“There’s a little bit of a ‘Billy Elliot’ element in this,” Walker says. “Two young men trying to live up to their fathers’ expectations.”
For while Lola looks and sounds brassy, she/he, too, has to be set free from a demanding father.
Shipway is having fun playing Lauren, a hard-working employee on the assembly-line who gives Charlie what she calls “the nudge – she’s always ready
brings a burst of energy and positivity.”
It’ll be a good-looking show. Osbourne says: “It’s not an ugly stereotype of drag queens – and there’s a lot of red in it. We’re definitely drag queens, but we’re classy and we’re beautiful.”
“And tasteful,” Walker adds.
There are “hundreds of costumes”, plenty of sequins and, for Lauren, pom-poms. But Charlie, Everett laments, mostly gets to wear blue shirts.
As for Lola and the Angels, they’re getting very comfortable in high heels and so far there have been no mishaps.
“Kinky Boots”, The Q, Queanbeyan, July 9-28. Book at theq.net.au or 6285 6290.
By Helen Musa
IT’S official, say the Llewellyn Choir and Llewellyn Sinfonia, citing the results of the ABC’s Classic 100 favourite-composer poll placing Beethoven number one, as they launch into an all-Beethoven concert conducted by Rowan Harvey-Martin, with soloists, Anthony Smith, Greta Claringbould, Ellen Malone, Paul McMahon and Christopher Richardson. They’ll perform the master’s “Mass in C”, “Egmont” overture and “Choral Fantasy”. At Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, Saturday, July 6. Book at ticketek.com.au
CANBERRA sculptor Barak Zelig is among the artists selected by new curator Kath Fries from 58 submissions for the eleventh edition of “Hidden: Rookwood Sculptures” the unique exhibition coming up in September among the gardens and graves in one of the oldest sections of Sydney’s Rookwood Cemetery held from September. Zelig was also selected last year.
VIOLINIST Barbara Jane Gilby joins pianist Katherine Day and cellist Emma Rayner in a performance “Zwei Terzetto” for violin, cello and piano by Theodor Kirchner and Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano by Niels Gade. At Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 12.40pm-1.20pm, Wednesday July 3. No bookings, tickets at the door.
PERIPATETIC Canberra artist Michael Winters is off in warmer climes for an exhibition by nine of his students from the McGregor Summer School, held at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba. The school is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Winters first taught there in 1977.
CANBERRA Glassworks has announced its two 2020 Art Group creative fellows, Brenden Scott French from SA and US glass and printmaking artist Carrie Iverson. Each will be provided with a studio space, accommodation and a cash stipend of $10,000 by local development company Art Group.
TWO Canberra designers and Craft ACT members, Estelle Briedis and Daniel Margules, have been representing the ACT among the best and brightest craft and design from around Australia in the “Front | Centre” initiative at Denfair, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
THE Australian Catholic University Prize for Poetry will go to outstanding poems with the theme “Solace”, reflecting on Anne Frank’s supposition: “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God... I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” Canberra poet Geoff Page won the $10,000 prize in 2017. Entries (to acu.edu.au) close on July 8.
View the 10m installation of ‘On the Sheeps Back’ by Margaret Hadfield created for the Ballarat Bienale 2018
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“Claire Darling” (M)
“ON millennium New Year’s Eve, after a midnight revelation from God, Faith Bass Darling had a garage sale...”
This opening sentence of “Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale”, the award-winning (2013 Writers League of Texas Book Award for Fiction) debut novel of Texan journalist Lynda Rutledge, lists three of the six basics of effective story-telling – Who? What? When?
The missing ones are not hard to figure out – Why? How? and Where? The setting for Ms Rutledge’s story is not where writer/director Julie Bertuccelli’s film unfolds but from little hints, I had no difficulty in deciding that it was England. Cups of tea appear through the narrative. Texas? No way. France? Perhaps, but setting it anywhere else would have flown in the face of French national hubris in light of the felicitous casting of Catherine Deneuve as Claire.
Playing Claire, the chain-smoking widow of the owner of a quarry near Verderonne, Deneuve is a French icon, with a filmography of 135 titles, a long list of awards and, by the most recent available information, a net worth of $US185 million. In her 75th year, her face is as lovely and immediately recognisable as it ever has been.
There’s a lot of flashback in this movie. Deneuve’s daughter Chiara Mastroianni, now in her late 40s, plays both Claire when young and her daughter Marie who, after two decades’ absence, has returned to the family home to prevent the garage sale.
The film is packed with tiny things leading up to and on sale day for the filmgoer to observe – memories of emotions, daily lives, furniture, bric-a-brac, friends and seminal family events.
It doesn’t take long for us to realise that Claire’s mind is, well, a bit loopy. Watching Deneuve do loopy is sheer pleasure, mingled with a growing and scary awareness that loopy is not taking her anywhere pleasant. Nonetheless, Claire knows that she’s going to die tomorrow, which is why she’s selling the family history at cheap-as-chips prices.
We wonder how Claire can possibly know the day that she’s going to die and can’t imagine exactly how it will come about. In one teeny-tiny moment, one of the many such pervading the film, the plot delivers a teeny-tiny signal that you’ll miss if you blink.
Evoking memories of the film that reputedly bankrupted MGM, Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 flawed but absorbing first English-language film “Blow
Up”, starring David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave, the climax of “Claire Darling” is in its own way gigantic. Did Claire intend it so? Or was it an accident? You decide.
At Palace Electric
“Toy Story 4” (G)
THERE’S a new toy in the box – Forky, made from a plastic take-away fork and a pipe cleaner, with facial features squeezed from a paint tube. Forky is not strong. Nor is he brave. But he’s smart enough to be in this Pixar movie.
I wonder many things about this fourth iteration of a world where, whenever humans aren’t watching, the inhabitants of the toy box, basket or bag come alive to have adventures mirroring their essential nature. I liked the first “Toy Story”. Version 4 did nothing to make me regret skipping versions 2 and 3. Indeed, had it not been for pressing personal reasons, I wouldn’t have joined a small cohort mainly of youths in advanced adolescence, together with an even smaller cohort of young women, who neither laughed, shouted, booed, cried nor made any other response to version 4, which is neither interesting nor exciting.
Biased toward happy-ever-after, the “Toy Story” series is being made for a target child audience conditioned by what some might call the pernicious influence of TV. And therein lies the filmmakers’ quandary. Creative decisions behind American so-called kids’ movies are influenced not by children’s values but by adult perceptions of those values. The number of companies making dramatically and emotionally rational animated films to which children can sensibly relate is small and mostly Japanese.
I have no idea whether your child might like “Toy Story 4”. Or, more importantly, understand it. A peevish view might describe its societal environment as an emulsion in which a continuous phase of Uncle-Sam-flavoured cultural imperialism carries a disperse base of intellectual junk food.
At all cinemas
IT’S often fun to be spontaneous about where you dine. You never know what to expect.
The two of us were peckish and relatively close to Jerrabomberra. We had heard about pizzas at Suppeto Collective and thought: “Why not?”
To say that the interior is eclectic is an understatement. One wall is plastered with pop-art-type posters, a statement for sure. The “living room” area features a bookshelf, plants and a corner chair. Some plain black chairs sit at white tables. Some coloured tables are scattered about the place. You get the drill.
All pizzas are 13 inches (11-inch, glutenfree bases are $5 extra). The traditional Margherita is $17 and from there pizzas run up to $24 for the Meat Lovers. All up, Suppeto has
10 varieties, including a vegetarian with roasted capsicum, eggplant and zucchini.
We chose the Diavola ($21) and the Napoletana ($20), but thankfully did a reality check on the size of the pizzas when we ordered and paid at the cash register. A 13-inch each was going to be too big for the size of our stomachs so we cheerfully asked if we could order a half-and-half. We weren’t concerned about asking because the place was virtually empty.
The answer? A flat “no”.
We thought of leaving but it was later in the afternoon, so we sighed and ordered the Diavola. We wondered why there was so little flexibility, but no explanation was forthcoming so we decided a simple leaf salad would be nice to complement our meal. No such salad on the menu. Only a Caesar for $16 or a Greek for $15. We just moved on and stuck with just the pizza.
When our darling Diavola arrived, it was piping hot with dough that wasn’t too thick or too thin and it was packed with
flavour and plenty of ingredients.
The tomato base was rich, the fior di latte (cheese) delicious, the hot salami had a great kick, the red peppers were sweet and we appreciated the chilli flakes for that extra burst.
Not disappointing, but it really, really made us wish we would have been allowed to also road test that Napoletana.
Other menu items include what you’d expect for a casual, family-style eatery, such as burgers, steak sandwich, fish and chips and nachos (average price around $16). The menu for kids (all meals $10 includes spag bol and chicken nuggets and chips).
Suppeto Collective is fully licensed. The bar is on the same side of the room as the open-concept kitchen and cash area, but in a separate location. You order and pay for your drinks at the bar.
We left happy with the pizza but baffled with the flat “no”. How hard is it we wondered? Obviously, very hard.
Collective, 37 Jerrabomberra Parkway.
By Helen Musa
Francis Kenna is an artist obsessed with space and now, as the winner of the Capital Arts Patrons’ Organisation Curatorial Internship Award, he has a chance to put his theories into practice by curating the fifth annual CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition.
A visual arts/arts graduate with a background in print media, art theory and philosophy, Kenna is now completing a PhD at the ANU School of Art and Design, 50-50 theory and practical.
His future is probably as a curator, so while finishing the doctorate he’s been putting together a challenging exhibition called “Formfull: Formless”.
Built around six selected artists, Joanne Leong, Kendall Manz, Belle Palmer, Sheida Sabetraftar, Shags and Chayla Ueckert-Smith, the exhibition is seen by Kenna as a testing ground for different forms, exploring concepts of spatial engagement across drawing, video, sound and sculptures.
All the work on show, he predicts, will “complicate the relationship between objects and their viewer as an active participant”.
The artists exhibiting in “Formfull: Formless”, who work in drawing, print media, installation and video are coincidentally all female. Four have graduated from the ANU School of Art and Design over the last two years, while two are completing honours studies this year.
“I’m interested in the idea of architectural atmos pheres. I’m looking into themes of space, perception, body and time,” says Kenna.
He hopes the artwork will transform viewers in the gallery from being passive observers to active participants.
“The show came together in my mind while I was walking through the 2018 graduation show, and saw artists working with form and with the idea of participating in art.”
To Kenna it was important that the selected works didn’t take a static object in a gallery as a “given”, but asked for social engagement.
“I’ve had a terrific group of advisers mentoring me, Neil Doody, Alexander Boynes, Emily Casey and Marilyn Gray… I’m more of a spatial theorist before all else and
participated in the art-making process, whose art is it?”
Printmaker Shags, using a font she created called “Alphabet for Modernity” where each letter also had an associated guitar note from the chromatic scale, created a series of “glyphs” in part to remind us, “that we are all part of the one ecosystem and to revel in each other’s uniqueness”.
“Formfull: Formless”, The CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition, ANU School of Art and Design Gallery, Project Space, July 3-August 2.
WITH globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) the term “majestic” immediately comes to mind.
This is a very decorative plant that can be grown for its silver leaves and huge, thistle-like flowers or as a vegetable. It usually has a series of smaller flower buds below the terminal super-large flower bud. The sepal of the flower bud and the base of larger buds are edible.
With minimal care, the plants can crop for three to four years. Globe artichokes are usually raised from offsets or suckers, planted any time from now to late winter, and grow up to 90-centimetres tall with a similar spread. They were popular with the Romans as a vegetable, originating in the Mediterranean region.
UNRELATED, is the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosa). Despite the name, it has no relationship to the Middle East and originates in North America having been cultivated by the Indians for generations.
Related to sunflowers, it is a perennial that grows to more than 1.5 metres. It is grown from tubers, with their wrinkly surface being similar in appearance to ginger.
Between now and late winter is the time to plant with its tubers about 50 centimetres apart and 12 centimetres deep. They will be ready for harvesting in autumn as the leaves turn yellow. It is vitally important to harvest all tubers because they can spread through
the garden and become a pest.
I FIRST saw what became one of my favourite deciduous shrubs, The Bride or Pearl Bush (Exochorda), many years ago in a garden in Crookwell.
In our garden, almost under the silver birches, it is possibly planted in the wrong spot. It doesn’t really have sufficient space to do it justice, although with pruning immediately after flowering it still presents a spectacular show in spring. Neglected plants respond well to heavy pruning.
While it seems to have gone out of fashion in recent years, possibly due to shrinking gardens, it deserves the space in a bigger garden for planting at this time.
Native to China and central Asia it has received the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit.
IT’S time to sow poppies, the all-time old-fashioned plant for every garden. Yates has been selling poppy seeds for more than 100 years. The bright-red Flanders poppy is synonymous with Remembrance Day. Shirley mixed and Californian sunshine mix will brighten up any spring garden.
Sow thinly now on the surface of the soil and cover very lightly. The seed, like carrot seed, is very fine and it may be easier to mix with some fine sand when sowing.
It is hard to imagine we have already passed the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, on June 22. It is now downhill all the way to the spring equinox of September 22-23.
Despite predictions of a dry winter, regular if small showers of rain have kept the garden looking great.
• Apples and pears can be pruned at this time, cutting out dead, diseased or damaged boughs plus crossing-over branches.
• The full range of fruit trees is in garden centres now. Ask about cross pollination and whether you need more than one tree.
• Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as liliums now. If bulbs are for sale in garden centres, now it is time to plant them.
Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Relationships will be challenging as loved ones are defensive and colleagues, clients or customers are more demanding than usual. Tuesday night’s Solar Eclipse shakes up your domestic zone so you’ll be preoccupied with entertaining, redecorating, renovating, buying property, moving house or rebooting a troubled relationship with a family member. As birthday great The Dalai Lama wisely observes: “A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation of your life.”
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Disruptive Uranus is moving through your sign for the next few years, which will periodically shake you out of your cosy comfort zones. This week a relationship with a relative, neighbour, friend or foreign connection will be re-energised, as you find new ways to relate, debate and communicate. Don’t be afraid of change! Be inspired by fellow Taurean, Edward de Bono: “Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
The Solar Eclipse shines a spotlight on your current bank balance as well as money mistakes you’ve made in the past. If your finances are in a mess, then it’s time to sort them out ASAP. And beware the urge to splurge! Venus moves into your money zone on Wednesday, which can mean a welcome boost to cash flow. But it also increases your tendency to indulge in a ‘comfort shopping’ spree. Instead, put any extra funds aside to tide you over when times are tight.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Prepare for a pretty full-on week, as the Solar Eclipse fires up your sign on Tuesday night. So it’s time to be proactive as you initiate an idea; start a project; update your appearance or head off in a completely new direction. Crabs are ruled by the silvery Moon so make sure you tune into the romance and magic of those new moonbeams! Then Venus vamps through your sign (from July 3-28) when your Cancerian charisma will be shining for the world to see.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
The week starts with a bang when mighty Mars charges into your sign, which amps up your ambition, motivation and fiery energy. Then the Solar Eclipse activates your spiritual and privacy zone on Tuesday and Wednesday, when it’s time to slow down, pay attention to your inner world and listen to what your intuition is trying to tell you. So your motto for most of the week is from birthday great Princess Diana: “I work on instinct. It’s my best advisor.”
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
Expect a disappointment, as you discover you’ve over-committed time, energy and enthusiasm to a project (or relationship) that’s going nowhere. Pick yourself up and re-formulate your goals for the future, as the Solar Eclipse activates your hopes and wishes zone. Steer clear of negative thinkers though. Surround yourself with positive people who promote your talents and support your dreams. And that includes you… don’t get into the habit of talking yourself down.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Being a languid and laidback Libran won’t suffice, as the Solar Eclipse pushes you to be your personal best, explore fresh horizons and go for professional gold. And Venus sends a lucky career break your way or blesses a relationship with a student, colleague, client or customer. An old family issue could hold you back though, as you worry about something that happened in your childhood or blame yourself for a family matter. Don’t dwell on the past… let go and then move on.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
It’s a wonderful week to travel, read, research or study as the Solar Eclipse stimulates your gypsy gene and boosts your brain power. Mars and Venus move into your career and aspiration zones respectively. So make sure you capitalise on the energy boost and good fortune they offer. Confidence is the rocket fuel that will take you places! You’re determined to solve a puzzling problem but don’t step on other people’s toes in the process. Strive to be more subtle and strategic.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
You can look forward to a fresh start involving lust or loot, as the Solar Eclipse stimulates your intimacy and joint finances zone. But your usual confidence and self-esteem could take a temporary dive, as someone brings up an embarrassing incident from the past. Deal with the turbulent feelings that surface and then move on. Be inspired by birthday great, the Dalai Lama: “The past is past, and the future is yet to come. That means the future is in your hands.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
The Solar Eclipse urges you to nurture family and friends with the time and attention they deserve. If you’re having ongoing problems with a loved one, let go of the past and be proactive about finding a solution. Forgiveness, renewed commitment and plenty of affection are the secrets to long-term success in the future. So your mantra for the week is from birthday great, the Dalai Lama: “Forgive others… be kind, honest and have positive thoughts.”
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
You’re keen to rush things (especially relationships) but don’t barge in with guns blazing! The Solar Eclipse urges you to focus on practical matters and finish details properly before you embark on exciting new projects. So it’s a suitable time to tackle domestic chores and proceed with DIY projects. Self-sabotage is a potential problem though. Avoid repeating a past mistake. Learn from the episode and then you can move on with confidence and a fresh attitude.
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
Tuesday night’s Solar Eclipse prompts you to pursue a creative idea, do something romantic with your partner or fall in love! However, if you’re involved with a group, club or organisation, then expect power plays or personality clashes later in the week. An unresolved old issue could also resurface. If your inner voice tells you something (or someone) isn’t the real deal, then make sure you act on that information. In a smart, subtle and compassionate Piscean way.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2019
At the end of May, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) as the government regulator, announced they had “begun consulting with the banks on the removal of the 7 per cent floor but wants to raise the second buffer against the actual interest rate paid by the borrower from 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent.” The news that night said that a couple earning $160,000 could have a $1m mortgage. Zero fix to the housing affordability issue – we don’t need bigger debt levels! APRA is not understanding the issue.
Across
1 Name the Egyptologist who discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen, Howard ... (6)
7 What is the occlusion of a blood vessel? (8)
8 What is an unverifiable story handed down by tradition? (6)
9 Which metallic element has the symbol Eu and the atomic number 63? (8)
10 Name the cosmetics used by women to enhance their features. (6)
11 What do we call one who frequently solicits the votes of fellow members? (8)
14 Which crystallised purplish quartz is used in jewellery? (8)
18 Kampala is the capital of which E African republic? (6)
19 Name the English statesman and lord protector of the Commonwealth 1653-58, Oliver ... (8)
21 What are imaginary demons, said to descend upon sleeping persons? (6)
22 Which term describes connoisseurs in the delicacies of the table? (8)
23 What is another term for an optical illusion? (6) Down
1 Bogota is the capital of which South American republic? (8)
2 Name an alternative term for a wigwam. (6)
3 To transfer a person to another department, is to do what? (8)
4 Name a NSW town at the Guy Fawkes River National Park, postcode 2453. (4)
5 Which type of disk is used for storing data? (6)
6 What are points in question or dispute? (6)
12 Name a particular kind of food poisoning. (8)
13 Which white crystalline solid forms part of the vitamin B complex? (8)
15 Which NSW national park was established in 1938, near Mittagong? (6)
16 What is a characteristic quality of a sound? (6)
17 What, historically, was an armed mounted soldier called? (6)
20 What is a sharp-pointed duelling sword? (4)
APRA said nothing during the Royal Commission on bank behaviour – and has been silent since. One reason the Reserve Bank has the cash rate at a record low this month is due to bank behaviour tightening lending practices to an absurd level, slowing the market down.
Straight after the Election, the share market rallied with a $33 billion rise in the ASX 200. Then the big banks announced increased profits. Last week we are told defaults of mortgages are at approximately 1% which, based on other countries, is brilliant.
Not once during the Royal Commission did APRA (or anyone else) raise the one blocking point to housing affordability – the Lender Mortgage Insurance (LMI). If you cannot have a 20% deposit on your purchase, this LMI fee is the banks’ way of insuring themselves that they have not made a bad decision giving you a loan. So even though they make you jump through horrendous hoops and quadruple check, they still believe they need to insure themselves? And you pay? Ridiculous.
With LMI, even if you have paid off one or many mortgages before, the LMI will still be charged if you don’t have 20% for your next deposit. Irrespective of how good a customer or credit history you have, you’ll pay their insurance coverage on themselves.
APRA – this bank greed has to stop. LMI is not required on most buyers these days.
If the banks only have 1% default as proven last week, why scrounge more fees out of the buyers?
