CityNews 220825

LIGHT RAIL GOT THE MONEY,

PUBLIC HOUSING GOT THE EMPTY PROMISES

JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED reveal what the ACT government won’t

AUGUST 25, 2022

Go to court, get a slap on the hand

Reoffending by people on parole and suspended sentences is huge. Grieving dad TOM McLUCKIE says the ACT government isn’t listening, but he won’t stop fighting for justice…

… and from the public gallery, KEEPING UP THE ACT sees how progressive justice really works

COVER STORY / dangerous driving

Grieving dad says it’s time to face driving truth

In the months since his son’s death, Tom McLuckie has compiled and examined sentencing outcomes, drawing the conclusion that they are inadequate to act as a real deterrent against dangerous driving behaviour, reports BELINDA STRAHORN

TOM McLuckie wakes at night agonising over his son’s final moments before the horror crash that claimed his life.

McLuckie’s son Matthew was killed in a head-on collision on Hindmarsh Drive – in Canberra’s south, on May 19.

The 20-year-old had been driving home from his part-time job at Canberra Airport when a stolen vehicle, believed to be travelling at high speeds on the wrong side of the road, collided with his car.

“[I can only imagine] the terror he must have felt as he realised a car was hurtling towards him as he drove home,” said McLuckie, 51.

“Knowing the extent of his injuries, I wake at night worrying about how much pain he was in, and how much he suffered.”

Three months on from the crash that ended Matthew’s life, McLuckie still ponders the aftermath of the collision.

His voice trembles as he recalls seeing his son’s uneaten dinner in the fridge from the night before, the knock on the door by police, and the painful memory of identifying his son’s body in the morgue – which continues to haunt him.

“I identified his broken, lifeless body at the coroner’s, still with the intubation tube in his mouth,” said McLuckie.

McLuckie said his son – who was studying computing at the ANU – was a level-headed young man who had a bright future mapped out.

“Matthew wasn’t a partygoer, he was a grateful, hardworking, young man who was focused on his future,” said McLuckie.

“He was saving all the money he earned from his job to buy a house or an apartment. He was preparing to have his life, now that’s been taken away from him.”

Determined that no other family should face what his has endured, McLuckie is pushing three petitions before the ACT Legislative Assembly for change.

His campaign, “ACT Now for Safer Roads”, calls for higher minimum mandatory sentencing for dangerous drivers, and is focused on introducing tougher penalties for repeat driving offenders.

“The amount of reoffending from people in the ACT on parole, on sus pended sentences, on good-behaviour bonds and on intensive corrections orders is huge,” said McLuckie.

“You can basically do what you want in Canberra, go through the Supreme Court and get a slap on the hand.

“There are certain people in the community who need a prison sen tence to represent the crime they committed, particularly the repeat offenders who have a conviction list the length of your arm.”

In the months since his son’s death, McLuckie has compiled and examined sentencing outcomes, drawing the conclusion that they are inadequate to act as a real deterrent against dangerous driving behaviour.

He cites the case of Lachlan Seary, the 19-year-old designated driver killed last year in Hume when his car was hit at high speed.

somewhere between 17 and 19 alcoholic beverages and also had MDMA (ecstasy) in his system and was so off his face he didn’t even know he hit Lachlan Seary’s car,” said McLuckie.

“It’s highly likely that Loeschnauer will be paroled at two years and 11 months.”

McLuckie’s review of sentences as they relate to dangerous driving has prompted his call for a review of judicial sentencing in the ACT.

He is disappointed by the response offered by the Attorney-General Shane

Since 1993: Volume 28, Number: 34

missing that as an inadequate response.

“They will never tell us the whole truth, they will only use the information or data that will suit their own political or legal bias,” said McLuckie.

The union representing Canberra’s police has supported McLuckie’s call for a review, describing the ACT’s sentencing and bail processes as “fundamentally flawed and dangerously inadequate”.

Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) president Alex Caruana said he was dismayed by the attorney-

general’s decision not to commence a

“By refusing to establish a review of sentencing and bail in the ACT, the attorney-general is clearly saying that he doesn’t want a spotlight on the judi-

“Why not? Who is holding the judiciary to account? If not the attorney-

McLuckie’s call for tougher action coincides with the soon-to-be-held parliamentary inquiry into dangerous

The inquiry – chaired by the Liberal member for Ginninderra Peter Cain –will focus on criminal punishments, rehabilitation and the support pro -

According to Cain, who also serves as the shadow attorney-general: “Dangerous driving is not a new thing… the government has had plenty of time to notice the problem, and have failed to do anything about it,” said Cain.

Meanwhile McLuckie, struggling to let go of the fact that his son is gone, said something “has to be done” if other families were not to suffer the same fate of losing a child to the recklessly irresponsible driving behaviours of others.

“I can’t bring Matthew back, but I can hope that what I’m doing will ensure it won’t happen to someone else,” he said.

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There’s a word for Mick and I can’t stop using it

IS this unkind? I’ve come across a new word (to me, anyway) that I can’t help but keep mentally applying to the things Mick Gentleman’s been doing this past week.

I started when the Planning Minister mysteriously used his unappealable “call in” powers to a development at the McKellar shops precinct.

The minister typically calls in projects to silence protest and allow the developer to get on with whatever abomination they want.

But, no; this time caring-sharing Mick’s concerned that the proposed development would “change the character” of the precinct because local shops are the “heart and soul” of their suburbs.

New word alert: I think Mick was “foostering” around. That’s the one I spotted in a column from a Celtic correspondent who was filing some copy with me. It sent me straight to the dictionary: it’s an Irish word that means to fiddle around or fuss with something. It’s a kind of agitated activity: busy but commonly aimless or inefficient. I read that one can fooster with or over something, fooster around or about, or just fooster.

In foostering, Mick was unstoppable. With his Worksafe minister’s hat on, he also complained to Worksafe of COVID-19 protocols not being followed in the Assembly building. Worksafe obliged him and effectively slapped an order on the workings

to Clarendon House school in Ramsgate, Kent with in the ‘60s,” Linda writes of Ann Houghton, who changed her surname to Martin when her mother remarried.

German language, culture and heritage in children 3-5 years of age through play, song and activities.

They’ve posted an advertisement on Seek,

but with no success. Because? “Primarily because we are looking for a candidate who is able to speak fluent German, which isn’t easy to find!” they say.

Prove them wrong and schreiben to gap.director@spielwelt.org.au or call 0481 590656.

VISITOR James Sinnamon wrote to say he got two $300 speeding fines from a recent four-night stay in Canberra in late July.

“When I was there, I tried very hard to observe the vast number of quick variations in speed limits that I encountered, but evidently I was not careful enough,” he writes. Sounds like he was in the still bewildering

40km/h zone on Northbourne Avenue.

“I consider these fines to be no better than theft. Those government ministers and bureaucrats who are administering this are no more than thieves and should be reported to Crime Stoppers,” he’ll doubtlessly be telling his friends about his holiday here.

READER Gil Miller, of Barton, wrote reminding us that it was but a few weeks ago that the ACT government was spruiking the fact that we were the only jurisdiction in Australia to be lowering its energy prices.

“And yet, ActewAGL is asking me to increase my monthly payments from $203 to $244 a month. I can’t believe it!,” he says.

“These payments are regular ones that I’ve been making every month since 2016 and there is no indication that a price hike is required. I wonder what criteria they used for their ‘recent review’?”

Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard with Rod Henshaw on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon. There are more of his columns on citynews.com.au

NEWS / crime writing Amid an invisible life of crime in outback Greece

By Nick

OVERALL

HOW do you find someone who doesn’t exist?

It’s the question at the centre of Pe ter Papathanasiou’s new crime thrill er “The Invisible” – a book inspired by a man he encountered in the far-flung corners of Northern Greece who lived without a scrap of official paperwork proving his existence.

No driver’s licence, no credit card, no address, no birth record, no social media, not even a library card. In our modern world, it seems almost impos sible.

When Papathanasiou came across this strange figure, who the locals de scribed as “invisible”, he knew he had the idea for his next book.

“This guy was charismatic, he spoke four languages, and yet nobody really knew what his surname was,” says Peter.

“He claimed he had four different kids to four different women and claimed he was born in four different places and you didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t and that was part of his charm.

“For all intents and purposes, this person doesn’t exist, but he knew all the right people, he could grease the

Both crime and fiction are long-held passions for the 48-year-old, having studied criminal law at the ANU and creative writing at City University in

“I think the interesting thing about crime is this idea of a puzzle,” he says.

“You can say a lot about society through the prism of a crime because things get uncovered and questions get asked about communities and families.

“As a crime writer you’ve got to create that puzzle, which I do find chal-

It’s no surprise Peter is already in talks about possible screen adaptations for “The Stoning” and “The Invisible”. A third book in his noir-laden universe is already in the works that will see his fractured detective return

While outback noir in Australia has more than hit its stride, it’s Peter’s hope that the “Greek Noir” in his new book may encourage others to explore

“There aren’t many books like ‘The Invisible’ in the market, which makes it one that I’m very proud to share

“In five years’ time it might be the only thing set in the area or, who knows, it might kick the door down.”

NATIONAL TRUST (ACT) HERITAGE AWARDS 2022

Nominations are now being sought for the 2022 National Trust of Australia (ACT) Heritage Awards.

The Trust’s Heritage Awards recognise projects that make a significant contribution to the conservation of the heritage of the ACT. Any project which promotes the conservation of, or fosters public knowledge about, places, objects and issues that are significant to the heritage of the ACT is encouraged to be nominated.

How do I nominate a project?

For further details including suitable project types and nomination forms, please look at the Trust’s website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act-heritage-awards-2022/ Nominations close on Friday, 9 September 2022.

When the going gets Tuff, Billy gets organising

By Lily PASS

IN 2015, Billy Tasker’s motorcycle ride with family and friends went horribly wrong. Now, he’s using his story and passion to raise awareness for men’s mental health through a car show, “Tuff Day Out”.

“It’s all because someone had a brain fade. The bloke crossed on to the wrong side of the Monaro Highway, carrying on with his mates and not concentrating on the road,” says Billy.

“I had my 14-year-old daughter Courtney on the back of my bike when I was hit head on.”

The accident left Courtney with a broken left femur, a broken foot, and a hurt back.

Billy, 47, had breaks from shoulder to foot on his left side.

“In the accident my arm snapped and two bones came out. I dislocated my elbow and shoulder, my shoulder blade split, busted some ribs, took a big chip of bone off my hip.

“In the hospital they had a cage around my leg to hold it together, the doctor said it was like a footy sock full of gravel. It started to die two days later and I started to get blood poisoning

On top of his physical injuries, Billy was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

Billy and his family are still dealing with the consequences, mentally and physically, seven years later.

“Tuff Day Out’s main objective is to together.

“That’s the main thing, get it out in the open and say this happens. It’s happened to me. We’ve got to start helping people.”

Tuff Day Out will be run October 2 in the Budawang and Coorong Pavilion at Epic from 11am to 7pm, spon-

car and bike, best blown engine, best turbo engine, best V8, best six-cylinder, best four-cylinder and best drift car,” says Billy.

“What makes a Tuff car is something that you don’t see at your local car park. Something that you look at and have to take a second look, lots of

chrome, lots of detail, lots of hardcore performance parts. Something that has hundreds of hours of engineering work, hundreds of hours of custom

With more than 80 cars already confirmed for the day, Tuff Day Out organisers say they will have “only the very best on show”, with display vehicles coming from Melbourne, Sydney and “everywhere in between”.

“I have told all of the entrants that I have spoken to, that if they know someone who has a Tuff car or bike, to get in touch with us on Facebook,”

Tuff Day Out will raise money for two local charities, Picking Up The Peaces (PUTP) and Beyond Blue.

“There will be a few people from PUTP there if anyone wants to talk to someone about their mental issues, or a family member or friend. There is no pressure for anyone to go, but it’s there.

“Admission into Tuff Day Out is $5, or under 16-year-olds are free.”

He says all the sponsorship money – to date they have about 30 sponsors – will be paying for the hire of Epic, signage, security, traffic control and advertising.

“Once that is covered the rest of the money goes to the charities.”

Money raised through food and coffee vendors, vehicle entry fees and raffles on the day will also be donated to the charities.

C O R K H I L L B R O S

S K I P I T

P R E P A R I N G F O R Y O U R

S P R I N G C L E A N ?

CANBERRA MATTERS / Housing ACT

Housing ACT behaves like a ‘rogue’ developer

THE ACT Greenslabor government regularly makes re-announcements about commitments to sometime soon provide homes that are sustainable.

ACT politicians use worthy words to constantly remind locals they will soon address the complexities of climate change in suburban developments and that they will sometime soonish preserve the bush character of this city. It would be great if they actually did something real beyond producing more spin.

The ACT Greenslabor government executive has given free rein to the planning directorate to amend and ignore the planning regulations as it sees fit. The common perception of the government’s culture towards planning and development would be that it is laissez-faire – anything goes that suits the development industry and the need to squeeze out profits. I believe the reality is that planning and development in Canberra does not have the priority on liveability, aesthetics, biodiversity and the climate.

The tools for delivering overdue changes to planning that are frequently lauded by the Greenslabor politicians, who are wilfully blind to the realities of what is happening, are the glacial roll out of their plan-

planning mess. These are yet to be enacted – nothing has changed.

The real aim is to allow planning more flexibility to ignore the government’s own rules. This provides developers with certainty the wishy-washy rules allow them to maximise the use of lands without having to heed pesky overdue climate change or green infrastructure regulations.

Instead of enforcing announced rules on permeable surfaces, the rules themselves are permeable. They allow almost anything to wash through the directorate.

If there was a need for real-life proof of how planning and develop -

application sign (such as the one pic tured) appears in a neighbourhood, then locals know that significant changes may be about to happen to their neighbourhood character.

To be clear, this is not about whether social housing should be on these sites. The issue for residents is what the government deems as acceptable housing design and that it allows the automatic removal of most greenery (goodbye to biodiversity).

Trees and shrubbery are bulldozed and, too often, the new building represents the worst of suburban cramming – with two to four units replacing one house. The result is

If a Housing ACT development application sign appears in a neighbourhood, then locals know that significant changes may be about to happen to their neighbourhood character.

usually a lost opportunity for good architecture and landscape design.

Architectural professionals have concluded that Housing ACT is performing like a rogue developer.

There’s a site in Holt going through this process with neighbours wondering how to get Housing ACT to be sensible. There is one house on one large block.

It would be feasible to upgrade the present house and build another behind it. This would involve little rubble going to the tip and should allow for most of the greenery to remain.

Instead, Housing ACT has applied to bulldoze everything and replace the house with a set of two connected houses, with the second being two storeys. Most of the block will be either buildings or concrete. There is

a minimum allowance for greenery –gardens. Forget having a backyard.

The better solutions are obvious. This would mean that the Greenslabor politicians enact their announced policies and planning reforms variations. Does not happen. It seems to me they dare not challenge the Housing ACT bureaucracy.

The ACT could lead on the quality of housing being built for new social housing. It doesn’t! Community groups consistently raise alarm about this lack of real-world liveability, good architecture and biodiversityfocused landscape standards not underpinning Housing ACT’s replacement of social housing.

Given the presence of ACT Greens within this coalition government, residents remain puzzled by the Greens’ lack of action on these most basic of housing issues. It is time for Housing ACT, being part of government, to be required to implement policy announcements, even though they may not be leg islated. It would be a humane and mature thing to do.

SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 11 AM - 3 PM

SPORT / baseball

Robbie’s happy to be back in the swing of things

THERE have been many people who have offered their opinion on the last couple of years when it comes to the pandemic and sport.

Canberra Cavalry club captain Robbie Perkins summarised his experience in a way that few people could argue with.

“It has been a bit of a mess really,” Perkins told “CityNews”.

“Two years ago we played Melbourne for about five out of six weeks purely because they were the only team we could play because of all the restrictions that were in place.

“Last year the season got cancelled completely and we could only play a few friendly series.”

It is a relief for Perkins, his team and the wider baseball community in Canberra that the Cavalry has locked in a full return to a 10-week regular season format, with Geelong-Korea and Auckland Tuatara back into the competition after a covid-enforced absence.

The Cavalry are set to open the 2022/23 ABL season with consecutive series at home, opening the year against old rivals the Sydney Blue Sox on November 10 in Narrabundah.

“It is awesome to get back to a normal schedule where we can prepare properly and enjoy the season again,”

the last couple of years, preparing for a season where there were holdouts on telling us whether it was or wasn’t going ahead.

“A couple of years back we were rolling up on Wednesday night to train, not knowing where the league was going to try and send us.

“On a few occasions we were jumping on planes at the last minute leaving behind families, work and all of those other commitments – it was

can prepare for knowing that there is nothing that can stop it this year.”

The coming months leading up to the first pitch will be a busy one for the club, as they get back into the routine of hosting a full season’s worth of matches at the local MIT Ballpark.

The Cavalry will also be putting together a squad that can be competitive and go one step further after playoff exits over the past four seasons.

OLD-SCHOOL SUB-EDITOR

“CityNews” is keen to appoint a part-time, old-school copy editor. We strive to publish unblemished work to our thousands of readers who aren’t shy to tell us if something isn’t right!

We are looking for an experienced news/ features sub-editor, capable of careful editing and imposing style to the work of our treasured writers. Bright headline writing is a must.

Editing will include contributing consistancy, style and accuracy to all aspects of the printed, weekly magazine and daily to our popular website.

The ideal candidate will have an intimate knowledge of Canberra, its geography, history and political processes, plus a demonstrated experience in media sub-editing.

We are flexible with working hours (part time, full time, let’s talk about it) and work location (your place or ours).

There’s a deliberate typo in the advertisement, if you spotted it by the time you got here, send a cv to kate@citynews.com.au soonest.

“There are a few gaps to fill,” said

“It is hard to know as the recruitment process happens from the front office and we get trickled bits of information here and there, but nothing to release yet.

“As far as preparations go for the local contingent it is pretty slow going – we only have a handful of players here, not enough to make up the squad. So we get out there and do the training we need, but it will really ramp up in the month leading up to

The Cavalry is expected to begin player announcements over the next few weeks, with the return of international players competing in the competition this year.

It means that Canberra locals will have the chance to see players who could go on to feature in the MLB, as more than 40 Australian league players have done previously.

One of the club’s alumni, Chuckie Robinson, became the latest Cavalry player to be signed by a Major League team when the Cincinnati Reds picked up his contract last month.

“It is pretty amazing when you get to play with someone who ends up

doing that, or has already done it in their career,” said Perkins, who himself signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies in 2012.

“Chuckie is one of a few that have come through the Cavalry and the league who have gone on to play the Major Leagues in some capacity.

“To see people succeed like that is always such a good boost for not only the team but also the league as a whole.

“For the fans, they get to see a whole lot of talent – players like me who have had our time in professional baseball and now just play in the ABL and for Team Australia.

“They also get players who come out from the professional clubs who they can keep track of, watch their career progress and see if they do make it to the Major Leagues and have that personal connection to them that you don’t really get in America.”

Public housing money lost to funding light rail

While the Housing Minister might not be able to say where the ACT government’s promised hundreds of millions for public housing disappeared to, JON STANHOPE and KHALID AHMED can. It was pumped into light rail. Here’s what happened…

WE wrote last week about a disagreement between Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee and Housing Minister Yvette Berry about the Public Housing Renewal Program (PHRP).

At its heart were Lee’s claims the ACT government had, in three successive Budgets from 2015-16, stated that it was investing around $700 million in public housing but that it had not done so.

We noted that an examination of the respective Budget papers does reveal an explicit commitment in the 2017-18 Budget alone, to $608 million and that taking the subject budgets together the ACT government did, indeed, commit to invest a total of around $700 million in public housing.

We also noted that in her response to Lee, Berry said, among other things: “This has to be one of the worst examples of the Canberra Liberals ineptitude. It’s an embarrassing display… It would be best for everyone involved for the Liberals to do their homework before they issue their next press release.”

Berry responded to the Liberals’ “ineptitude” by pointing out that the Public Housing Renewal Program was based on an asset-recycling program through which the monies received by the ACT government from the sale of public housing were reinvested in new houses.

The Asset Recycling Initiative (ARI) that Berry refers to was a Commonwealth Government program offering financial incentives to state and territory governments if they sold age -

ing and non-productive assets and re-invested the proceeds in productivity enhancing, ie high benefit value, infrastructure.

The ACT government first entered negotia tions with the Commonwealth about participat ing in the ARI in 2014 with the 2015-16 Budget Paper No. 3, Chapter 5.5: Asset Recycling, at Page 193, reflecting the outcome of those negotiations:

The assets to be sold include ACTTAB, age ing public housing assets, office accommoda tion, the Visitor Information Centre and the Dickson Ambulance Station. The govern ment will be progressing sales under the ARI program until 2018-19. All proceeds of the asset sales and the milestone payments from the Commonwealth will go towards Capital Metro, making a capital contribution of $375 million after construction is complete.

SOLD SPENT

The 2016-17 Budget Papers estimated the proceeds of asset sales and incentive payments under the ARI at $515 million, all directed towards Light Rail – Stage 1. It seems the government had also expanded its policy regarding the application of ARI funds to include in addition to its capital contribution, recurrent payments to Capital Metro.

At this point it is perhaps useful to juxtapose the statement in the Budget Paper, and the minister’s reported statement on the application of the proceeds of the ARI.

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All proceeds of the asset sales (currently estimated at $448 million) and incentive payments from the Commonwealth (15 per cent of asset sale values, currently estimated at $67 million) will be invested in Light Rail – Stage 1, making a total contribution of $515 million.

In our opinion, at least one of these statements cannot be correct.

Interestingly, the 2017-18 Budget Paper No. 3, in Chapter 5.6: Asset Recycling, reveals at page 217 that the estimate of the proceeds from asset sales and their payment towards light rail had again increased:

It is estimated that a total contribution of $528.4 million towards Light Rail –Stage 1 will be made as a result of the Asset Recycling Initiative, comprising proceeds of $459.5 million from asset sales and $68.9 million from Commonwealth incentive payments.

A potentially worrying side issue revealed during the airing of these issues is reports that the ACT Treasury is unable to ascertain how much of the housing-renewal program was funded by the asset-recycling program. Surely, that can’t be true?

The following, fascinating table (along with notes) is from the 2019-20 Budget paper No. 3, at page 222:

under which the ACT government sold off public housing sites to get a 15 per cent bonus from the Commonwealth and then reinvested that money into the construction and purchase of new houses.

As of June 2019, $536.905 million had been generated of which $389.615 million had been paid towards Light Rail – Stage 1. Leaving a balance of $147.290 million that the Budget Paper advises will be used towards future recurrent payments to the Light Rail consortium. The ARI concluded in 2018-19, after which reporting in the Budget Papers stopped. Considerable public housing land parcels are not included in the above revenue figures, as they were either disposed of after 2018-19, or are yet to be sold, and as such are not part of the ARI. It is unclear whether the proceeds of those sales have also been used for payments to Capital Metro for light rail operations. There is also no clarity about whether the government will return any further proceeds of public housing sales to Housing ACT. As an aside, it is surprising that the Commonwealth was relaxed about agreeing to pay the ACT a bonus of 15 per cent on top of the proceeds of asset sales under a program designed to increase the productivity of infrastructure, towards light rail, a project the ACT Auditor-General has determined has a benefit to cost ratio of just 0.49, that is for every $1 spent on light rail the benefit is 49 cents.

1. Proceeds of net asset sales includes revenue received from asset sales in 2018-19 and estimated revenue receivable by the end of the financial year. Estimated revenue is subject to contract exchange and settlement activity expected to occur prior to the conclusion of 2018-19, but which was yet to be completed at the time of finalising the Budget.

2. This includes the capital contribution of $375 million, and estimated contributions towards light rail availability payments in 2018-19.

BRIEFLY

Mark spring with a wattle walk

THE Friends of Black Mountain are marking the start of spring with a wattle walk led by ecologist Dr Michael Doherty, 9.30am-11.30am, on Saturday, September 10. There will be banners marking the start at Frith Road, Acton, near the electricity substation. Anyone planning to attend should confirm with a name and phone number to friendsofblackmountain@gmail.com or call 0437 298 711.

Birthday invitation

COVENANT Care Day Hospice at Holy Covenant Anglican Church in Jamison is searching for previous volunteers as well as families of those who have attended the Covenant Care program over the past decade to join its 10th anniversary celebrations over a light lunch (and cake) on Monday, September 12. For catering and covid-safety purposes, RSVPs to nurse@ holycovenant.org.au or 0487 945615 should be in by Wednesday, August 31.

Stall in aid of CWA

THE Gungahlin Branch of the CWA is holding a stall at Gungahlin Village, 9am-1pm on Saturday, September 3, to mark CWA Awareness Week offering a range of handmade items including baby clothes, knitted items, rugs and gifts as well as homemade cakes, biscuits, slices, jams and preserves, and the famous CWA cookbooks. Proceeds aid CWA projects and local charities.

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THE GADFLY

A nightmare lifts as Labor’s sun starts to shine

IT’S been a little like waking from a nightmare. Suddenly the sun is shining through the bedroom window, yet the images of what you have just endured persist in the cerebellum. You can’t quite decide what’s real.

It feels as though the Albanese government has changed the whole perception of political leadership. Suddenly it seems they are genuinely seeking to reflect the will of the voters.

Starting with climate change, they’ve got the legislative ball rolling and signaled a queue of equally popular measures, from wage increases for the caring industry to a Federal ICAC and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. They’ve settled the Biloela family back among friends and neighbours without sparking an invasion of leaky boats; and they’ve re-introduced ourselves to the Pacific neighbourhood.

The PM has presented himself successfully to the international leadership without falling prey to the incipient egomania that so often accompanies such tap-dancing on the world stage – as happened so embarrassingly with his three most recent predecessors.

His ministerial team has also performed their roles as to the manor born, notably Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers, Chris Bowen, Tony Burke and Tanya Plibersek. And neither the PM nor Sports Minister Anika Wells sought to impose themselves with gratuitous “thank yous” to the individual medal winners at the Commonwealth Games.

What an amazing spectacle they provided, especially the women. Sure, that last furlong dash to the finish line by Ollie Hoare was excit-

ing, but by comparison with, say, the multiple events in which some of our women swimmers triumphed, or the enormous efforts of the para-athletes such as the amazing Madison de Rozario, we really went overboard for Ollie’s singular achievement.

Indeed, once again it was the Australian women who were responsible for, by far, the largest number of medals. We have yet to

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appreciate the fabulous asset they represent, not only in their breathtaking expertise but especially the manner with which they “play

The PM has presented himself successfully to the international leadership without falling prey to the incipient egomania that so often accompanies such tapdancing on the world stage – as happened so embarrassingly with his three most recent predecessors.

her victor with the same excitement and smiles as if she’d won the gold herself. It was absolutely typical of all the women’s competitions, at least from the Australian team. And perfectly in line with the kind of approach the government has displayed.

Though I’m not so sure about Defence Minister Richard Marles and his choice of a

classic “Odd Couple” in Stephen Smith and Sir Angus Houston to review our strategic preparedness. That’s where the bright morning suddenly darkens to images of the nightmare we thought we’d left in our slumbers.

Singly, they are men of intelligence, experience and insight. I have recently been thrown together briefly with each of them. And I have no doubt they have the capacity to produce a very valuable report.

My only concern is that they begin from the standpoint that war is inherent in the human experience, and a dedication to the hallowed nature of the American alliance.

I’d be happier if a third figure were included, one who was not so wedded to the Australian military mindset… and wouldn’t it be nice if Aunty ABC were not quite so old “White Australia” in her China news reportage? robert@robertmacklin. com

Cometh the moment, cometh Scott’s ministers

THE root cause of Scott Morrison’s narcissistic decision making comes back to more than just his personality. A fundamental problem for prime ministers since the time of John Howard is the conduct of elections in a presidential style.

Australian democracy is not based on an American presidential struc ture but rather on the Westminster system of government. The federal “Kevin 07” campaign took personality politics to a new level in Australia. The media was generally complicit in running these campaigns based on who would be head of government. In 2007 it created an impression that votes were cast directly for Kevin Rudd or John Howard.

Morrison still does not seem to see the inconsistency with the Westminster system. Instead, he prefers to justify his position by arguing he was dealing with extraordinary times that required such action.

his position by arguing he was dealing with extraordinary times that required such action.

While the major political parties have been hand-in-glove with mainstream media in developing this presidential fiction, many ordinary voters have seen through the façade.

The election of so many independents to the House of Representatives and to the Senate indicate that voters are not caught up in this smokescreen.

understood, at least with regard to the Senate, that independent David Pocock could influence government in many ways. And this was so not just in Canberra. At elections there is a growing number of independents, Greens and small-party members of parliament federally and in the other jurisdictions.

Morrison’s explanation to the media about his actions in secretly appointing himself as minister for a run of key portfolios provides an insight into his thinking. Firstly, it was clear that he believed that he was responsible across each of those portfolios. Secondly, it was also clear that he did not trust the competency of the ministers who had been sworn in by the governor-general to conduct those portfolios.

The recent Morrison press conference illustrated the extent to

NO FINANCIAL CHECKS.

which he saw himself as a president. He stated: “As prime minister, only I could really understand the weight of responsibility that was on my shoulders and on no one else and, as a result, I took the decisions that I thought I needed to take.”

The irony is that Section 64 of the Australian Constitution deals specifically with ministers of state. It does not even mention the words “prime minister”. Our constitution has always perceived that day-to-day government would be conducted by the cabinet (or executive council in constitutional language).

Rudd was acting in a presidential style when the Labor Party removed

him and replaced him with Julia Gillard. He fought to regain his position, constantly arguing that he had been (directly) “elected by the people”. Similarly, the complaints about Tony Abbott as prime minister and his dictatorial style, supported by his chief-of-staff Peta Credlin, revealed the way he perceived the role. This also drew considerable criticism. It was not only Rudd who believed he was directly elected by the people.

Other than Gillard and Malcolm Turnbull, it seems that each of the prime ministers that followed believed it more and more firmly. It should not be too surprising, then, that Morrison is determined to assign to himself a form of presidential power.

He still does not seem to see the inconsistency with the Westminster system. Instead, he prefers to justify

Many voters understand cabinet government and the principle of a prime minister being the “first amongst equals”. In contrast, the actions of Morrison and his justifications clearly illustrate that he did not see the ministers within his government as equals.

The calls for Morrison to resign from parliament from his former cabinet colleagues illustrate the level of resentment about the issue. When Karen Andrews discovered that he had been her “double” at the ministry for Home Affairs she was clearly shocked. Her call for his resignation from the parliament reflected an element of that anger.

Canberrans did not vote for Anthony Albanese or Morrison. They

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‘The team are AMAZING – such lovely people and wonderful to work with. From start to finish they understood our needs and were so accommodating. My only regret, I wish I’d known about them sooner . . . I would certainly recommend them, we are VERY happy with the result!” ~ Cheryl, SA

It seems that more and more of the people are ahead of the major party politicians in understanding that we vote for our local members. It is those local members of the House of Representatives who then choose the prime minister as first amongst equals. Enough voters understand that a stronger cabinet-style government with shared responsibility will deliver a better democracy for all Australians.

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.

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Time the PM stepped in and stopped the tram

PARLIAMENT House’s architecture has been described as “sublime orthodoxy” – a “landscape solution”, respecting the symmetry, functions, and built forms envisaged by Griffin for the hilltop site; and expressing itself in readily understood forms, with references to relevant antiquity and Australian iconography.

In contrast, the use of City Hill and Commonwealth Avenue for the Civic to Capital Hill section of ACT light rail stage 2 (Civic to Woden), could be described as “constipated and amateurish”, in the current shady world of “unsolicited urbanism” and “planning by deal making” – misunder standing, disrespecting, and exploiting, in misguided, knee-jerk ways, those massively important national triangle elements, and their carefully thought out development following Griffin.

The nation would lose the important engineering, open-space, and urban-design heritage of City Hill, notably, important inward and outward vistas, along with the hugely important cultural landscape of Commonwealth Avenue, and the iconic bifurcation of its bridge, matching its Kings Avenue counterpart – all in the name of myopic “land value capture”. And there’s an extremely expensive requirement for no overhead power lines – a cringing afterthought.

total of $313.7 million, so far.

While this is a significant sum, it is still only about 10 per cent of the expected $3 billion or more cost of Stage 2 (construction and 20 years of operations) that the ACT taxpayers’ will be stuck with, all from debt. However, as Chief Minister Barr has said: “We are all Keynesians now” (ie debt is good).

Given that Finance Minister Katy Gallagher is boasting that she started the tram, even though she was reported in 2014 as saying that “cabinet will not support a cost substantially beyond $614 million” (actually about $1.6 billion), even more of taxpayers’ good money can be expected to be thrown after bad. But Dracula is in the blood bank!

Pay attention and not become a statistic

WE are often reminded, both officially and anecdotally, of our road use responsibilities as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

As with all things in life, there are pros and cons to all views, approaches and potential solutions, and my fellow correspondents regularly remind us of that divergence of views.

The legalities and government policies are often cited, but what is not emphasised nearly enough is personal responsibility for road use behaviour.

Minister Mick’s all ‘heart and soul’

The prime minister needs to impose an immediate moratorium on this project, to examine and adopt, an alternative route for the Civic to Capital Hill section of light rail 2 – one with more panache, creativity, and wider central national area coverage, via say, briefly, Edinburgh Avenue, ANU, Acton Peninsula, Griffin’s missing third lake crossing, and Flynn Drive – with the economy and sensible optics of overhead power lines.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

On the rails to deeper debt

THE new Labor federal government is apparently prepared to subsidise ACT light rail Stage 2 to the tune of $181.2 million plus $132.5 million, supposedly already committed by the federal government, for a

SO, Planning Minister Mick Gentleman has used his call-in powers to reject a development application for the McKellar shops precinct, primarily, it seems, because it would “change the character” of the precinct and because local shops are the “heart and soul” of their suburbs.

He also apparently reasoned that the development is “not in the long-term best interest of McKellar” and that the development would somehow limit the precinct’s “potential for the future.”

A quick look on Google Maps street view suggests that the character, heart and soul, best interest, and future potential of the current McKellar shops precinct looks like the screen grab published here. Or perhaps, unless Google Maps is hopelessly out of date, it knows something Mick does not.

Clinton White, via email

Can I implore those motorists who drive at dusk (and later) with no headlights, cyclists in dark attire and similarly no or inadequate lights (or helmets) and pedestrians hypnotised by their phones, PLEASE think of your fellow road users, yourselves and your loved ones and exercise some personal responsibility to avoid becoming yet another unwanted road fatality statistic.

Angela Kueter-Luks, Bruce

Kangaroos are hard to predict

THE “Seven Days” column (“Ferment festers in city’s small-corner campaigns”, CN August 18) comments on the suggestion from former ALP Canberra Branch president Ian MacDougall that Canberra’s kangaroo population be allowed to increase naturally to keep down bushfire fuel loads. So far, so good.

Mr MacDougall went on to say that if the ACT Legislative Assembly were to legislate “to waive all obligations for all insurance companies to pay for repairs to cars damaged in collisions with kangaroos” the accident rate would decrease “substantially” and the standard of driving would “lift ... enormously”.

Anyone who has spent time driving on roads through “kangaroo country”, as I have in Far-North Queensland, would know that the behaviour of kangaroos feeding on the road verges is extremely hard to predict.

On one occasion, a young ‘roo leapt headlong into the side of my vehicle and was killed instantly. Not even a Formula One driver could have avoided that collision.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Beware of arrival card scam

IT is good news that direct Canberra to Singapore flights may be resuming. However potential travellers should be alert to scam activity.

I was scammed $US80 when applying online for the new, compulsory Singapore Arrival Card last month.

I later discovered the arrival card is meant to be free and scammers have found a way to superimpose their charge scheme on top of the official Singapore government site and harvest one’s credit card details and passport details.

When I arrived in Singapore I discovered the scam has been operating for some time.

I am shocked the Singapore authorities have not put a stop to this scam nor does the Australian government smartraveller.gov.au website mention it.

John Farrands, Isaacs

Setting a job criteria for pollies

THE next ACT election is approaching as quickly as a speeding red rattler.

Here are some key issues for everyone to start considering:

• How can we ensure that those running for elected office or re-election actually meet the job’s selection criteria and are appropriately educated? More importantly, we need to define that criteria.

• Should politicians’ salaries be tied to government economic performance and its ability to manage responsibly, meet targets and deliver – all of which is acceptable in the real world?

John Lawrence via email

Back to the caves for activists

WHENEVER a climate change activist opens their mouth or writes a letter or article, they tell us we must do away with fossil fuels because they cause global warming and pollution.

I have an easy answer for them all. Get rid of your car/bike (they use fossil fuels to make steel – and, yes, even electric cars). You can no longer fly around the country or the world, not just the pollution from the fuel, but they are also made of steel.

Anything made in a factory will be a no-no as the machinery is made from steel.

Get rid of all your plastics, your mobile phones, your computers, your man-made fibre clothes or anything else you care to name that is polyester, tents, pens, credit cards, money notes (yes, money is plastic), anything but leather shoes (but hang on, that means killing animals, and that is not allowed). Get rid of your solar panels, they contain quite a few fossil fuels and nasty chemicals. The wind turbines use litres of oil (yes, it is a fossil fuel) and it takes many tonnes of coal to make them. Oh, and by the way, how do you install the turbines without very large petrol-driven trucks to carry them around and huge cranes to install them? Basically, you will all have to live in caves with no clothes (don’t forget, no animal skins). You cannot burn wood (it is polluting), you will have to walk everywhere unless you have a horse. I could go on about a lot of other things, but I think you get my drift.

Don’t forget a lot of Europe and Britain are now going back on their commitment to climate change and re-opening generators that burn fossil fuel. I wonder why!

Vi Evans, Macgregor

Thin-skinned; me?

He started it!

AMAZING that Mario Stivala talks about me being thin-skinned (CN August 11) when he was the one to respond in invective terms to someone who simply mentioned he disagreed with him on the issue of the need for a Royal Commission into Robodebt. He also seems to think that telling someone that they are “living-in-the dreamtime” for not agreeing with him, is not an insult. I suspect if I had responded to him in such a way, that he would have found it insulting. I will not be responding to someone who apparently does not countenance views opposing his own.

Ric Hingee, Duffy Editor’s note: And that’s where we’ll leave it, gentlemen.

Luke Clews

WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK /

Week shines the spotlight on women’s

WOMEN’S Health Week is a campaign of events and online activities centred on improving women’s health.

Running from September 5-11, the week is a reminder for women to set aside time for their wellbeing.

Each day of the week will focus on an important women’s health topic including menopause, pelvic health, mind health, movement and health checks.

There’ll be daily videos, recipes, quizzes, articles and tools to help women unlock their powers for good health, all researched and reviewed by an expert medical team.

To celebrate the week, “CityNews” spoke with a number of experts across Canberra who have tips, insights and advice to help women lead healthier lives.

Hair salon makes clients look and feel good

AMANDA Harrington, owner of Socialise Hair, says her staff are friendly and approachable, and they have a wealth of knowledge and experience.

She opened Socialise Hair two years ago, and has 15 years of experience in the hairdress ing industry, 10 of which in Canberra.

“We’re just a small salon with a great team and beautiful clients,” says Amanda.

“Every client deserves to feel and look amazing, and that’s what we endeavour to do. Make people feel good about themselves.

“A woman can walk into our salon feeling miserable, but she’ll walk out on cloud nine with her self confidence high, which will help her mentally.”

Amanda says Socialise Hair is more like a family than just a team.

“We’re always together here. It creates a really comfortable and happy atmosphere, which encourages client interaction,” she says.

Socialise Hair provides cutting, styling and colouring services, as well as hair extensions and moisture and protein treatments.

is making people feel beautiful.

“Our clients are important to us. We love spending time creating beautiful hair and awesome friendships.”

Socialise Hair, 117a Anthony Rolfe Avenue, Gungahlin. Call 0422 456690 or visit socialisehair.com.au

Rebalancing with personally tailored Pilates classes

OWNER of The Pilates Centre Canberra, Felicia Darbyshire-Pirie says she’s proud that the centre provides pilates sessions that focus on each individual.

“We believe in quality over quan tity,” says Felicia, a pilates instructor of more than 15 years.

“Pilates is total body strengthening, conditioning and re-balancing, which is why it’s perfect as rehab. To me it’s a combination of intuition and science that helps people achieve goals.

From two weeks post-spinal surgery all the way through to high-perform ing, advanced clients, Felica says the centre welcomes anyone regardless of experience or fitness level.

“A body that is in pain needs time, space and re-education to recover. Each individual’s pain journey is different and therefore we are never comparing one person to another,” she says.

Owner of The Pilates Centre Canberra Felicia Darbyshire-Pirie.

osteopaths and physiotherapists for client goals.

She believes a good instructor is what makes all the difference.

“We only hire really high-quality instructors with really good qualifications,” she says.

“At the Pilates Centre we often work with pain specialists such as

“I like to say Pilates is the perfect training partner for everything, especially for life.”

The Pilates Centre Canberra, 58 Colbee Court, Phillip. Call 6162 1793, or visit pilatescentre.com.au

reach out to the Winnunga social health team or a Winnunga staff member to seek assistance. They should never feel ashamed as there is assistance available.”

Poverty, racism, trauma, addiction, mental health issues, domestic violence, homelessness and incarceration are just some of the issues that Julie says are affecting indigenous women every day.

On top of providing assistance with all of those

clinic who the GPs can do internal referrals to. They include the social health team psychiatrist, psychologists, sessional dietitians, an audiologist, optometrist, physiotherapist and a podiatrist.”

Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, 63 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah. Call 6284 6222 or visit winnunga.org.au

Physios to provide safe, strengthening exercises

IF you want to age well and enjoy activities that you love for longer, then you need to be strong, stable and move freely with less pain, says Janet Fabbri, CEO of Higher Function.

“At Higher Function, we know how to do this in a safe, fun way,” says Janet.

“As we age, our muscles and bones get weaker but this can be reduced, or even reversed, with exercise, and type two diabetes can also be improved with exercise.

“All women need a stable core and strong muscles and bones, particularly through the childbearing years and also as they get older.”

Janet says physiotherapists are the most highly trained in providing these exercises safely. and correction.

“It’s a really fun, welcoming environment. It’s very different to a normal gym, but we can work you really hard, too, if that’s what you need!”

Janet says exercise is also the best evidence-based treatment for preventing dementia, “so we all need to be doing it”.

“Core stability, abdominal-muscle strengthening and pelvic-floor strengthening exercises improve the tension around your pelvis,” she says.

“Our exercise physiologists are experts in treating bone density, muscle weakness, fatigue, long covid, pacing, performance training, weight management and exercise for mental health.”

Exercise & women's health

Support ageing & bone density Prevent chronic diseases

Good for mental health

Half of all Australian women over 60 will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis. Weight bearing exercise can improve bone health & reduce the risk of fractures.

Regular, consistent exercise not only improves physical and mental health, but it reduces your risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and breast cancer.

See a Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist for a safe & tailored exercise program, or join our small group classes!

WINNUNGA NIMMITYJAH ABORIGINAL HEALTH

AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT.

In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.

Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.

Our services include:

• GP and Nursing

• Midwifery

• Immunisations

• Health Checks

• Men’s & Women’s Health

• Hearing Health

• Dental

• Physiotherapy

• Podiatry

• Dietician (Nutrition)

• Counselling

• Diabetes Clinic

• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah

• Needle Syringe Program

• Mental Health Support

• Healthy Weight Program

• Healthy Cooking Group

• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health

• Optometry Service

• Psychology and Psychiatrist

• Community Events

• Groups

Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.

CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm

Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au

WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK

Camps to support the whole family

ARTHRITIS ACT can support people no matter what type of chronic pain condition they have, says CEO Rebecca Davey.

“Whether it’s musculoskeletal pain, endometriosis, headaches or whatever it may be, we have programs in place to help make everyday lives easier,” she says.

On October 2 and March 12, Arthritis ACT will host day camps that focus on children with a chronic pain or chronic fatigue condition – as well as focusing the camp on the entire family unit that is impacted.

“The day camps will provide some support to mum and dad, and provide some support to the siblings, as well as allowing the kids who are impacted to meet up with other kids who are living just like them,” says Bec.

“If we don’t respect the entire family unit, then nothing we ever do with the child is going to be enough. We have to recognise the fact that the entire family gets impacted.

“Chronic pain affects all parts of a person’s life and we approach supporting the person from a holistic premise,” she says

“It’s great for social interaction as well, which is also key in beating the anxiety and depression lots of chronic pain sufferers [can] go through.”

Arthritis ACT, Pain Support & ME/CFS ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041, email info@arthritisact.org.au or visit arthritisact.org.au

Strengthening health from all angles

ORTHOPAEDICS ACT has been helping people live an active life since 2013, says deputy practice manager Lois Wurzer.

According to the highly trained team of specialists, resistance training is an excellent way to help people maintain strength and mobility.

“The Australian move ment guidelines state that moving for 30 minutes, five days a week is ideal, but this can be an effort as short as 10 minutes at a time,” says the team.

“It doesn’t have to be sport but could be gardening, housework, taking the stairs instead of the lift or getting off the bus one stop early.”

According to Lois, Orthopaedics ACT brings together the expertise and skills of nine surgeons, one pain-management specialist and a clinical nurse that work as a team with a number of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy providers to keep patients as active as possible.

For people with early arthritis, Lois says Orthopaedics ACT’s surgeons and sports physicians recommend an exercise program called GLA:D, which is run by physiotherapists and strengthens the knees and hips, and can reduce pain and medication requirements.

When necessary, whether due to age, trauma or sporting injuries, Lois says that Orthopaedics ACT can improve quality of life through surgical intervention.

“Whether minor or major surgery, it’s aimed at allowing our patients to resume a healthy, active lifestyle,” she says.

“Having nine surgeons means we have all parts of the body covered, head to toe. [But] we don’t just fix bones, we fix people.”

Orthopaedics ACT, Woden Specialist Medical Centre, Level 2, 90 Corinna Street, Phillip. Call 6221 9320 or visit orthoact.com.au

Women’s workshop offers healing with horses

EUREKA Horse Wisdom will host a one-day women’s workshop that will offer a grounding experience with therapy horses, says owner Soo Woods.

“Reconnect, release and relax with a program of energy-based activities supported by Eureka’s herd of therapy horses, set on 100 picturesque acres in Moss Vale,” says Soo.

“The program will include emotional freedom technique (EFT) tapping, walking meditation and equine reiki.”

A top equine therapy and reiki practitioner, Sue will be facilitating the event and says it will give women a chance to embrace Spring with a day of renewal.

The event will also feature a session by accredited EFT teacher Toni Mills.

“It’s a rare opportunity to experience the magic of the Eureka therapy horse herd,” says Soo.

“Bring your friend, sister or mum for a day out with a difference.”

Eureka Horse Wisdom Women’s Workshop, September 25, 10am-3pm, 674 Nowra Road, Moss Vale. Call 0411 623479 or

FAMILY DAY CAMP

For families with a child affected by chronic pain, fatigue or associated auto immune conditions.

Come and Join us

Labour Day weekend, Sunday 2nd October 2022. Canberra Day weekend Sunday 12th March 2023.

• For ACT Regional locals. Includes activity plans for the entire long weekend.

• Travel scholarships available for interstate attendees (conditions apply).

Why join us?

• Programs specifically for parents / primary care givers, siblings and effected children.

• Parent Date break

• Support in helping your child transition to adulthood and self management

• Ideas to assist siblings with their feelings

• Meet other kids with a similar life experience.

YOUR CENTRE IS OUR UNIVERSE

At Pilates Centre Canberra we offer the full Pilates studio experience Offering individualised training in private, duet or semi private sessions and group matwork classes. Our instructors are passionate about Pilates – we love to do it, teach it, research it and educate clients about it!

COLBEE COURT, PHILLIP ACT

The Glowing Complexions is a beauty salon located in Weetangera. We have highly qualified therapists that use the latest technologies and techniques.

Scan our QR code to book online or check out our list of services and pricing. Be sure to check out our pamper package deals. Huge saving on a range of treatments.

WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK

OLIVIA Robinson, owner of The Glowing Complexions, says their skilled team offers a full range of professional beauty services.

Olivia began working in beauty when she was 15 and, eight years later, she says she’s never stopped learning.

“There’s always more to learn, there’s all these new ingredients to figure out and it just never stops,” she says.

She’s encouraging new people who enter the industry to do a lot of training, and practice as much as they can.

“I struggled getting used to being so close to people, because they’re in such a vulnerable state and

Olivia loves working in beauty, and loves that there’s new things to learn every day.

“Giving people confidence, and boosting their natural features, it makes them feel good about themselves and that’s why I love it,” she says.

“Facials are fun, and it’s satisfying to see the change in people’s face and skin.”

The Glowing Complexions, 3/16 Weetangera Place, Weetangera. Call 0401 164421 or visit theglowingcomplexions.com

Helping women achieve important life goals

LIFE coach Jackie Nield helps people find their direction in life so they can live with passion and purpose.

Passionate about helping people make positive changes, Jackie says that women often don’t take enough time to look after themselves while trying to juggle life’s responsibilities.

“Women take a lot on mentally, not just what they’re doing physically,” says Jackie.

“They’re often juggling kids, work, home life, social life and the myriad of things that come with all of that.

“A lot of the time they’re taking care of others and not taking care of themselves.”

Jackie says she can help women develop strategies to find time for themselves, something she says can have greatly positive flow-on effects.

“Self care is different for everyone. It could just be making some space in the calendar to have a coffee with a friend, go for a massage, a walk or read a book,” she says.

“We explore what works for them. I’ve seen women who are exhausted and worn out who, with some help, have found time for themselves, got that promotion at work, changed careers, found new beliefs and

STELLAR Canberra’s centre manager Kasie Nugent says Stellar offers a women’s only gym with a group fitness program of more than 100 fitness classes a week.

“Stellar is a boutique gym that opened nearly three years ago, it’s owned by the Canberra Southern Cross Club and is staffed with capable and experienced personal trainers,” says Kasie.

“We offer complimentary towels, we have a chill-out zone which offers free tea and coffee, the equipment is top-of-the-range and it’s got a 360-degree view of Canberra.

“It’s a pretty schmick place to work out; it’s a good, safe environment, everyone is really friendly and they love being here,” she says.

Members can book straight in whenever they need

new fitness programs, Kasie says, there are always personal trainers available.

“The other thing that helps the gym stand out is that it’s really culturally sensitive,” she says.

“Sometimes we have male personal trainers come here for their clients if they requested it, but we don’t actually have any men that work on the floor.

“If we do have men come up we always advertise that that is the case, or if we have tradespeople come up we’ll give people as much notice as we can.”

Kasie says Stellar Canberra is the go-to place for people of varying backgrounds, who need to work out in a safe environment.”

WITH a total of 20 years of experience, British-trained general practitioner, Dr Shiamala Suntharalingam has spent 10 of those years living and working in Canberra.

Dr Suntharalingam graduated from St George’s Hospital Medical School in the UK in 1997, then undertook GP training. She has special interests in women’s health and family planning, including STI checks and contraception insertion/removal.

“Dr Sun”, as her regular patients call her, is moving her practice, Canberra Family Planning Practice, to Erindale Healthcare. Dr Sun welcomes new patients.

issues, antenatal and postnatal care, perimenopause and menopause, osteoporosis, breast and heart health screening.

Dr Shiamala provides care to patients of all ages, from child health and immunisations to chronic disease management.

She also has interests in preventive care, travel and acute medicine, offering minor procedures such as suturing wounds and skin lesion biopsy/excision (not head or neck).

Stellar Canberra, 50 Launceston Street, Phillip. Call 6283 7340, or visit stellarcanberra.com.au Dr

DESPITE the weather, it’s a busy time of year in the veggie garden to get all the jobs done before the beginning of the warm weather and good sunshine.

Keeping the veggie patch weed free and starting a few vegetables by seed in punnets on a window sill inside is a cheap way of growing a lot of produce.

The seeds to start now are leafy greens, tomatoes, zucchini and silverbeet.

Give seeds a good start soak and then, in a little diluted seaweed solution, discard any that are floating on the surface. The seeds that are full and have sunk should be viable.

Sprinkle seed lightly on seed-raising mix and add a little sand or more media to the top to hold the seed in place. Water with a watering can and be careful not to dislodge the seed, keep on a sunny window sill, keep moist and water with tepid water.

Keep the garden beds tilled, weed free and ready for planting in the spring. Plan out where the summer vegetables are to grow and add lime to the soil where peas and beans will be and sprinkle around apple trees now to keep a high pH in the soil of around 6-7. Add boron to apple trees to help with flower set and fruit formation.

There are still lots of leaves fallen from large

trees that can be lightly spread on bare ground. The smaller the leaf, the quicker it will break down.

If there is a glut of leaves, mound up and add any organic matter or a bit of soil. Turn occasionally and when unrecognisable as a material then put on the garden lightly at a maximum of five centimetres deep.

Spring is near but the soil is still cold until at least next month and into November.

A TROPICAL garden in Canberra can be achieved with a little imagination and the right plantings for our climate.

Knowing which are tough plants that cope with our cold winters and hot summers can be a challenge, but not impossible.

I first choose plants that have large leaves to give that tropical feel. Then strappy plants for fillers in between. My go-to plants at the moment are Fatsia, Monstera and fishbone fern. Plants such as these like a shady, east or south-facing spot with lots of good organic matter to try and mimic their natural environment as much as possible. Add compost and moisture for encouraging the microclimate these plants need and they will grow well.

WITH the scent of spring just around the corner, there is anticipation of the 34th Floriade (September 17 to October 16). Commonwealth Park is an important part of the urban landscape in Canberra and holds memories for many locals with more than 34 hectares of natural and constructed spaces. There are majestic trees that were planted when it was called Central Park. Though now in decline, it is nevertheless an iconic part of Canberra’s history.

THE blooms of magnolias, Forsythia’s and flowering quince are coming out now and are a reminder of the tough Canberra hardy plants that offer structure in large gardens.

Magnolias need a little protection to grow just like the one pictured on the grounds of Government House. They are tough trees once they have matured. The flower colour ranges from white to deep pink and the scent is delicious.

jackwar@home. netspeed.com.au

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Why ‘Woolf’ is more than any old boozy party...

By Helen MUSA

EDWARD Albee’s 1962 play

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” is one of the great 20th century classics of the theatre.

A dark mix of absurdist comedy and stage battles, the stakes are no less than the fate of American civilisation itself, seen in the ironical naming of the two main characters, Martha and George – Mr and Mrs America, Martha and George Washington.

Actor Michael Sparks last played the role of George 12 years ago for Free Rain Theatre, with Andrea Close as his opposite number, and they’re doing it again, this time as part of ACT Hub’s premiere season.

Second time round, he thinks it’s a lot easier to understand George’s motives and, as well, he and the cast are having an awful lot of fun with the wordplay – “We laugh so much,” he says.

Fuelled by booze, Albee’s characters spar in a series of party games such as “Humiliate the Host” and “Get the Guests”, all brought by George to a searing conclusion in the final act, “the exorcism”.

Some local academics have told me that what goes on in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” is like any night on any campus, but I don’t believe it, for the play is really Albee’s commentary on modern life.

Sparks, who originally hails from Anniston, Alabama, is enjoying revisiting his “big, intimidating role”, but believes the play is now a period piece set in the ‘60s in an east coast university town.

“The characters’ mannerisms, their

language and their literacy speak of the time and place,” he says.

Although Martha accuses George of being a failed academic, a mere associate professor and “convoluted”, he is clearly an erudite man whose cultural literacy is so formidable that it sent Sparks to the study to research what he’s talking about.

“I had to figure out what it is that George is focusing on, because he’s a very complicated character,” he says.

“He’s not a full professor and that’s a shameful thing for his wife Martha, who is the daughter of the college president, and she’s constantly at him for not having the kind of personality that would be attractive to donors and people who support the university.”

That sounds very 21st-century.

Martha is no literary intellectual like George, but Sparks sees her as educated and intelligent, but on the very edge of losing it all together – her addiction to alcohol doesn’t help.

Far from creating an average boozy night on campus, Albee conjures up an absurdist nightmare peopled with a phantom child, a phantom murder and a phantom pregnancy, all stage-managed by George, who decides to expose the truth at the end of the play.

Albee said the title of the play “means who’s afraid of the big bad wolf… who’s afraid of living life without false illusions,” even though it seems at first to be just an intellectual joke about the writer Virginia Woolf.

Confirming the impression that this is more than any old boozy party, George reads from a book about the decline and fall of the western world, but Sparks has found that they’re not the words of say, Edward Gibbon, but Albee’s words, an expression of his idea that the west is too burdened and too

inflexible to adapt to the future.

The fun and games in the play are not just between George and Martha, of course. There are their guests, Nick the muscular young biology professor, played by Josh Wiseman, and his apparently sweet wife Honey, played by Karina Hudson.

Nick, who has created something for himself out of nothing, is a representative of the American dream, Sparks thinks.

“He’s like the man of the future, historically inevitable, science versus the humanities.”

But there’s emptiness there, too, as Honey is exposed by George as having been aborting her own children.

One of the big questions is why, when George starts drawing them into the morass of reality, the young couple don’t just leave. Sparks believes that it’s about Nick trying to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, even if it means having to play the nauseating party game of “hump the hostess”.

This play is ultimately Albee’s great comment on western civilisation, but it’s also an emotional and personal play about two people who love each other.

“Don’t forget, George loves Martha so much that he doesn’t want her to be destroyed,” Sparks says.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, ACT Hub, Kingston, August 31-September 17.

WINE / Pankhurst

Wallaroo’s loved ‘little rascal’

A pun, a limerick and a play on words walk into a bar. No joke. IT was my daughter’s birthday dinner and we celebrated at Brunello in Civic.

This is a wine bar and restaurant that has an extensive wine-preservation system. In my understanding, it uses argon gas to seal bottles of high-quality wine to stop oxidation. In this way the flavour and characteristics of the wine remain intact, and it can be sold by the glass over an extended period.

While this was impressive and a talking point, we decided to be loyal to our locale and chose a white wine from the list of recommended Canberra and district wines compiled for the restaurant by John Ings, of Canberra Wine and Spirit Merchants.

We chose it because this was a wine varietal never tried by my daughter and well-priced at $40. The Pankhurst website shows it at $30 a bottle from the winery.

Arneis is a white varietal from Piedmont in the north-west of Italy. According to one website, arneis was historically blended with the nebbiolo grape in the Barolo region because arneis had a softening effect on the tannic and austere nebbiolo varietal.

But now it’s generally marketed as a standalone, albeit for grape growers it’s a difficult beast; its nemesis is powdery mildew and it is low yielding with a tendency for the wines to be

mouth-filling finish.

Back to the local: in conversation with John Ings, he indicated that he’d chosen the arneis for the Brunello list because it was, in his view, Pankhurst’s best wine. He commended the views from the winery with “a beautiful site that looks out to the Murrumbidgee at Wallaroo”. I need to

Out on the deck... tasting at Pankhurst Winery looking out to the Murrumbidgee at Wallaroo.

Our tasting at Brunello revealed a wine that opened out with food and which finished with a hint of pear. It was balanced with little to no acidity. On the nose it wasn’t as floral as the pizzini but was subtle rather than a pointer to its subsequent depth on the palate.

So, to find out more, I called the winery. I first got Christine Pankhurst:

“Hi, I’m thinking of writing about your wine. Have you got time for a chat?”

“No,” she said, “I’m driving. It’s about time, we’ve only been in business 36 years. Allan will call you later.” He did. We chatted. The winery has been in operation since 1986 with the first vintage in 1989, a pinot noir.

ARTS IN THE CITY

Allan confirmed that the fruit was estate grown and that he’d planted arneis “back in winter, 2015; well, in fact we grafted over the sauvignon blanc.”

I ask about the motivation to plant arneis: “We were just over sauvignon blanc. In the end we decided to change, at first looking at fiano. But we established that it’s a bit too cool here for fiano. The arneis caught our eye especially as it has real depth and a long flavour spectrum. We even travelled to Piedmont where it was near extinct in 1966. It has a lot of problems, including powdery mildew and the word ‘arneis’ translates to ‘little rascal’ so lots of growers stay away from the problems. Here it’s been a big hit and we enjoy it ourselves.

“We had our first vintage in 2017 and on any weekend it’s our best seller at the cellar door. You should visit.”

I definitely need to get out more.

Mexican music sung in many tongues

By Helen Musa

MEXICAN-Australian tenor Diego Torre joins Mexican-Australian pianist, Irma Enriquez in an unusual musical celebration of new Mexican music for piano and song in Spanish and indigenous languages from their home country including Nahuatl, Huichol, Zapotec, Tohono and Mayan. James Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery, September 8.

CANBERRA Symphony Orchestra’s final “Australian Series” concert for the year, “ Hearing the Land”, will see the CSO Chamber Ensemble and the Djinama Yilaga Choir perform new works by Michael Sollis, Deborah Cheetham, Natalie Williams, Eric Avery and Kirsten Milenko. National Museum of Australia, Thursday, September 1.

THE Korean Film Festival’s opening night film “Special Delivery”, directed by Park Dae-min, is described as a “fun” crime action film that sees a secret delivery clerk dragged into a gambling crime

and a long pursuit from Seoul to Busan. Palace Electric Cinemas, September 1-3.

THE Song Company presents Buxtehude’s “Arms of Love”, directed by Robert Macfarlane with chore ography (by Thomas ES Kelly) performed by dancer Neville WiIliams-Boney against the background of the ongoing refugee crisis. Ainslie Arts Centre, September 2.

QUEANBEYAN Palerang Regional Council is rejoin ing Southern Tablelands Arts after a long absence. STA membership is free at southerntablelandsarts.com.au for all residents living within the seven local govern ment areas that make up the southern tablelands.

“GOOD Morning Vietnam, Music from the Vietnam War Era” reimagines the psychedelic pop, soul, folk music and stirring rock anthems of the ‘60s with the songs of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf and more. The Q, Queanbeyan, 2pm, September 3.

When three friends argue over a white painting

By Helen MUSA

AT first glimpse you wouldn’t think a play about three privileged white blokes arguing over a painting would be a goer, but that play is “Art” by French celebrity playwright Yasmina Reza.

The central character is played by Shane Dundas, one half of the renowned comedy duo, the Umbilical Brothers.

I caught up with Dundas for coffee at The Street Theatre, where the show will run from September 6 under the direction of wellknown dramaturg Shelly Higgs, featuring the talents of Dundas, Christopher Samuel Carroll and Craig Alexander.

Dundas, along with working partner David Collins, would normally be found travelling to places such as Tokyo, London or San Paolo, but covid took care of that for a while, so he’s been writing shows from home.

Not many people know that Dundas and his family live in Canberra, his home town. In fact, he got his start at Narrabundah College, Canberra CAE and TAU Theatre, ending up at Theatre Nepean, where he took his drama degree in the late 1990s and met Collins.

While he lived in New York City for a year in 1999, he’s resided happily in Canberra for the last 11 years, sometimes getting so

He’s pleased to be playing a “straight part” at The Street while preparing for the Brothers to get on the road again.

The duo are used to pretty sophisticated audiences who appreciate how they “take the theatrical paradigm and twist it”. In one show, for instance, they bring an imaginary child on stage.

“The audience is watching nothing on

“We observe things and make them stylised and very specific.”

With the Umbilical Brothers diversion is the main aim, but “Art” is a scripted play by a famous European playwright, so it’s a different challenge.

“It’s called ‘Art’, but it’s not really about art, it’s about friendship and what binds people together,” he says.

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This all enrages one of his friends, Marc played by Carroll, who is used to having the controlling part in the relationship.

On the other hand, Ivan, played by Alexander, who is about to get married and is being much derided for it, prefers to sit on the fence.

“My character Serge incites the action,” Dundas says.

“I’m making a statement, I’m saying I am evolving… I used to follow Marc in art, but now I want to stake my claim, I’m saying: ‘Here I am, my friends’.”

Dundas is fascinated watching the Irish Carroll as Marc, whom he suspects must be going through some mental acrobatics in putting on an Australian accent, but says he’s doing it well.

“The hard thing in this play is capturing the psychological milieu,” he says.

He knows perfectly well that three white guys arguing over a white painting does not involve the female gaze, although Serge is divorced and hasn’t been successful in forming a relationship, so you could read between the lines.

It occurs to him that most of us say to ourselves when the going gets tough:

“Let’s not go there… if we stay away from controversial topics it will be alright”.

In the play, his character, Serge, has bought a large white painting with white lines on it, in the tradition of Mark Rothko and the American minimalists.

“The feeling to me is a bit like a ‘Seinfeld’ episode,” Dundas says, but he admits that even in the English translation by Christopher Hampton, it also has a European sensibility coming from the French tradition of verbal sparring and the rapid-fire dialogue as the basis of the comedy.

“At its heart, the play asks whether, if a friendship starts to fracture, where do you go?”

“Art”, The Street Theatre, September 6-11.

STREAMING

How did the mouse beat Netflix at its own game?

THE king of streaming has been dethroned.

Disney Plus, in just under three years since it launched, now has more subscribers than Netflix.

It comes after an insanely lucrative quarter that saw Mickey Mouse’s streaming service draw in 14.4 million new users, bringing its international subscriber base to a whopping 221 million people and overtaking Netflix’s 220 million.

It is remarkable that the platform has broken the record only 33 months after it first hit TV screens. For comparison, it took Netflix more than 15 years to reach similar numbers.

So how did Disney beat Netflix at its own game?

The conveyor belt pumping out the prequels, sequels and spin-offs to some of Disney’s biggest franchises is moving so fast at this point it’s unstoppable.

Whether it’s Pixar, Marvel or “Star Wars”, every month Disney Plus boasts new instalments in the world’s most popular fictional universes.

“Lightyear” is the latest flick to get the treatment. It’s the spin-off to the beloved 1995 classic “Toy Story” and the latest example that Disney’s $US7.4 billion purchase of Pixar from Apple in 2006 has more than paid off.

The buyout was one of the first moves in a master plan. While in the late 2000s Netflix began to take the world by storm, Disney was playing the long game, waiting for the

right moment to strike the streaming market.

The company saw the potential of Marvel after the success of 2008’s “Iron Man” and snapped up the comic-book franchise in a $US4 billion deal.

Nobody at the time could have predicted what the Marvel cinematic universe would become 14 years later.

Almost every character in the franchise is getting their own TV show or movie on Disney Plus now. The latest Marvel offering, “I am Groot”, spends five episodes telling the story of the walking and talking baby

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tree from “Guardians of the Galaxy”, a minor character that serves as little more than a plushie-selling machine.

There’s also the company’s chokehold over “Star Wars” since its $US4 billion purchase of the galaxy far, far away in 2012.

Even after five new “Star Wars” films in the decade since the acquisition, it would seem fatigue isn’t setting in.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi”, Disney’s most recent TV show in the space-faring franchise, broke the record for their most watched original series to date when it premiered in May.

CINEMA / reviews

One day the debate about which “Star Wars” movie to show kids first won’t just be between the originals or the prequels.

Perhaps kids might instead wish to start with the prequel series that takes place before the prequel movie, which is actually a sequel to the original “Star Wars” prequels. No, I didn’t make that up. The show is

called “Andor”. It comes out in September.

A year before Disney Plus launched in 2019, they’d secure their ace in the hole with their purchase of 20th Century Fox for $US71 billion, granting them access to television hits like “The Simpsons”, “Family Guy” and “Glee” among many others.

With all that content ready to go as a foundation, when Disney Plus finally hit the market the master plan went off without a hitch. It’s now replaced Netflix as streaming’s top dog. The mouse’s patience has well and truly paid off.

Despite the success, Disney Plus will be introducing ads to the platform in the near future following Netflix’s announcement they’ll be doing the same thing in early 2023. Disney will slyly bump up their current monthly fee by three bucks for those who don’t want to deal with the ads.

For subscribers happy to put up with the interruptions, they’ll get to stay on their current plan of $7.99. To get rid of the ads, subscribers will have to agree to increase their fee.

One can see it already. While families jump on the couch and turn on the newest Marvel movie, there’ll be an ad already playing for next month’s just before it starts. Cha-ching.

Orgasms come with honesty and truth

By Dougal MACDONALD

MAINSTREAM cinema is, perhaps understandably, a little coy about women’s sexuality as a central topic.

“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” spends 97 minutes in conversation between Nancy (Emma Thompson) and Leo (Daryl McCormack) each concealing the fact that they are using a fake name.

And what are they discussing? Nancy, a widow who has been with only her late husband has hired sex worker Leo to help her finally discover what she knows has been missing.

Now, desperate to explore everything, she confesses that she’s never had an orgasm and believes she’s not capable of one. Teaching religion, she has spent her adult life deprecating the sex industry and yet, here she is, needing its services.

During four sessions, Leo calms her down and puts her at ease. She learns to relax and become self-confident, as they connect emotionally and sexually in a way that she never thought possible, at least not for her.

That summarises the dramatic framework that writer Katy Brand and Australian-born director Sophie Hyde have brought to the screen. In a time when small, intelligent films are becoming increasingly few, one like this that dives headfirst into the psyche of a middle-aged woman, examining, in a straightforward and honest way, her fears, her insecurities and her desires, is more than a refreshing change.

Indeed, it is an important venture that doesn’t cower behind a curtain of reticence to venture

around anatomical bits that traditionally are seldom discussed and almost never displayed in cinemas.

Indeed, I commend the three-member panel of the Classification Review Board that classified “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” as M with the consumer advice: “Sexual themes, sex scenes, nudity and coarse language”, which, in the panel’s opinion, the film’s narrative context justified. It’s certainly not the first mainstream movie to acknowledge that women have orgasms. But it’s very likely the first to discuss them with this degree of honesty and truth.

And in my book Emma Thompson looks not only luminously lovely, her performance places her at the very apogee of her craft.

At all cinemas

“Bosch & Rockit” (MA) No stars

PRODUCED by Tyler Atkins. Written by Tyler Atkins. Directed by Tyler Atkins. First feature movie listed on the filmography of? Yup, you’ve

guessed it – Tyler Atkins.

The NSW north coast around Byron Bay offers great locations for the right kind of movie.

Setting any movie anywhere demands a balanced, rational dramatic line in any genre so long as it doesn’t insult the filmgoer’s common sense. We are not fools. Clever comical dramatic work is always welcome. It’s called farce that, done with wit, has a rightful place in the theatrical anthology. Alas, farce is not apparent here. Nor is any other dramatic genre.

We meet Rockit in a high school classroom. He’s never going to be a good scholar. His parents are separated. He lives with his dad Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) and the local cops are knocking.

You’ve got to feel uncomfortable about Rockit from the moment you set eyes on him. Rasmus King, now just a tad older than 16, who plays him apparently spends his life with his family chasing waves between Byron Bay, California, Hawaii and Indonesia. Nowhere in the available information about him is there any mention of acting experience or training. Or any other preparation for a future life. It shows.

Rockit’s hormones are beginning to make their existence felt. Just a little bit. Seventeenyear-old Savannah La Rain plays Ash-Ash who with no apparent reason (well, who at that age needs a reason; her innocence is one of the film’s few credible elements) latches on to him.

Crooked cops, a security plot with no visible beginning or end, a vocabulary that uses that unprintable word far too much for insufficient reason, and other plot threads that don’t add up surface through “Bosch & Rockit” and confuse a movie that doesn’t deserve to be so aimless and lacking … well, direction. See my opening paragraph.

At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight

HOROSCOPE PUZZLES

By Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Energy and enthusiasm are high but don’t say or do something unintentionally hurtful. Hasty words can upset others, so think before you speak and self-edit along the way. This week the Sun activates your health and wellbeing zones. So find time in your busy life to prepare nutritious meals and follow a regular fitness routine. Avoid being a flash-in-the-pan! Make sure your golden promises and good intentions can last the distance, so you finish what you begin.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Avoid being a lone wolf this week, Bulls. If you nurture partnerships, then you can combine your talents on a creative joint project. You’ll have to be patient though as you work towards achieving a long-term goal. But a relationship with a work colleague or family member could cool suddenly, as responsibilities overtake having fun. Don’t stress and worry. If you keep the lines of communication open, then the storm in a teacup will soon blow over.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

It’s a good time to connect, network, negotiate and socialise with like-minded souls within your sphere of influence. It’s not what you know but who you know! You could also be approached to contribute your talents to a group dynamic like a class or club. But the Mercury/Jupiter opposition stirs up your creativity and friendship zones, so projects and people will be hard to pin down. You’ll find the more patient and flexible you are, the better the week will be.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Being kind of heart and doing good deeds are highlighted, as Mars and Jupiter stimulate your humanitarian streak. So, it’s a good time to express your Good Samaritan side as you nurse a family member, support a friend in need, do some volunteer work or lend a helping hand in your local community. But thrifty Saturn cautions you about financial matters. The cost of living is soaring and bills are increasing, so there may not be as much in the kitty as you think!

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Don’t be deceived by glossy, glamorous appearances! You can be dazzled by outer beauty but, this week, you need to look beneath the surface to evaluate a person’s true worth. You’re also keen to take a break from the harsh realities of daily life with some pure escapism as you read a fantasy novel, listen to uplifting music, watch a romantic movie or daydream the hours away. Just make sure you can differentiate between solid facts and pure fiction.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

The Virgo Sun boosts productivity, while Mars and Jupiter activate your aspirational side. So it’s a good week to dream big dreams and take plenty of positive action. Even in tough times – nothing ventured; nothing gained! Be inspired by Swedish movie star Ingrid Bergman (who was born on August 29, 1917): “I don’t regret a thing I’ve done. I only regret the things I didn’t do.” But resist the temptation to over-promise and under-deliver, especially at work.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

This week’s stars encourage nurturing a long-term relationship or starting a new romance that has the potential to last the distance. But with Saturn still opposing Venus, avoid the tendency to be a super-critical Libran who’s a nit-picking perfectionist. And don’t be afraid of making messy mistakes… and learning from them. As music diva (and birthday great) Beyoncé observes: “If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.”

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

This week Jupiter sextiles Mars and opposes Mercury. So energy and enthusiasm are high, as you approach challenges with plenty of confidence and courage. But promising more than you can deliver (especially with family and friends) is a danger, as you over-estimate your abilities – and underestimate the amount of time you have available. So slow down, Sagittarius! Do your best to combine spontaneity with responsibility, and passion with persistence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

This week, revisit your career goals and take steps to make them a reality. But, when it comes to close relationships, keep your cool and avoid the temptation to over-talk and overreact. You can’t control what others say but you can control your response. There could also be some tension between shining brightly at work and fulfilling your responsibilities to family and friends. Remember, if anyone can juggle, multi-task and have fun, it’s a versatile and humorous Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

When it comes to work, creativity, finances and/or family matters, things could be very frustrating (especially on Monday). So heed the wise words of billionaire (and birthday great) Warren Buffett: “I’ve had periods of my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells.” So be patient, keep things in perspective and keep plugging away. Put your clever Capricorn mind to good use via reading, writing, researching and rehearsing.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Aquarians can appear absent-minded and distracted, as you dream about saving the world and then neglect matters closer to home. Serious Saturn is still transiting through your sign (until March 2023) which will help focus your mind and settle your restlessness. So use the Saturnine energy to power through projects and clear the to-do list. Your motto is from actor Keanu Reeves (who turns 58 on Friday): “The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

It’s a good week to step in and take the initiative with a family member who is facing challenges. If you offer a positive, proactive solution (without being evasive or judgmental) then they might just accept your advice! When it comes to a paid or volunteer job, a practical step-by-step plan could lead to more work in the future. Be inspired by birthday great Beyoncé: “Life isn’t about living without problems. Life is about solving problems.”

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2022

Across

4 What is a level of command known as? (7)

8 Name the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator. (7)

9 The Australian Under 23 football team is more commonly known as the what? (7)

10 Which newspaper is about one half the ordinary page size? (7)

11 To be of no practical good, is to be what? (7)

12 Which Biblical dancer was given the head of John the Baptist, by Herod? (6)

14 Name an extragalactic, very massive source of high-energy radiation. (6)

18 To come together, is to do what? (7)

21 Which person wanders from place to place, and has no settled home or means of support? (7)

22 Name an opening in the earth’s crust through which lava flows. (7)

23 Who, in Greek legend, swam the Hellespont nightly to visit his sweetheart, Hero? (7)

24 What is a public performance, usually by two or more musicians? (7)

1 Which band, formed in 1959, is generally considered the most popular and influential of pop groups? (7)

2 “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” was set in which English public school? (5)

3 What is a word opposed in meaning to another? (7)

4 Name the second book of the Old Testament. (6)

5 Who wrote a book of rules for card and other indoor games, Edmund ...? (5)

6 Name a large, greyish tan, female cat? (7)

7 What are structures formed by birds? (5)

13 Which fatty substance is used in ointments? (7)

15 Montevideo is the capital of which South American republic? (7)

16 Name a British news agency, founded in 1851. (7)

17 To rise against constituted authority, is to do what? (6)

18 Which palindrome implies a relationship to a city? (5)

19 To rub out, is to do what? (5)

20 What is an Aboriginal heavy wooden war club? (5)

Edna and Thomas were concerned about whether they could continue to make contributions to superannuation or whether they should wind up their self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF).

They came to see how I could help.

“Let’s start with your SMSF. The balance is more than $900,000, which certainly makes it viable," I said.

"I will review the investments on another occasion. As I understand it, Thomas you have already retired and are 68 years old. Edna you want to retire next year and you are 63 years old.

"Thomas you have a CSS pension, which you are currently drawing and Edna you have a PSS balance, which you plan to draw from after your retirement."

Edna confirmed that was correct and was pleased to have the matter of continuing the SMSF settled.

“The next thing to consider is what contributions you can make over the next couple of years," I told them.

"Thomas, your super has been valued at $1.52 million. As a result of new rules introduced, you could contribute $220,000 to a fund, which is not CSS, but you would not get a tax deduction for this.

"If you work again and you are in receipt of employer super then you could make further tax-deductible contributions up to a maximum of $27,500 less the amount that your employer contributes. You may also be able to make a downsizer contribution, which we will discuss later.’’ Thomas considered this "food for thought", but was keen to understand Edna's options before making any decisions.

“Edna, your position is, of course, different," I said. "You have $320,000 in PSS currently. If you follow through on any of these suggestions, I recommend that you also set up another super fund. We can discuss which one later. As you have less than $500,000 in your super fund, you have the capacity to make catch-up superannuation contributions.

"These are deductible contributions that have arisen since 2019 when your deductible contributions were not maximised. According to the ATO website you have $40,000 available to you.

"So if you have the available cash, I suggest you contribute the full $40,000 now. It will give you a tax refund of about $15,000. Just a reminder that the fund will pay $6000 tax on this contribution, but you will still have a worthwhile benefit.

"In addition, you could make a personal contribution of about $12,000. If you make a personal or a catch-up contribution, you must complete a form styled 'Notice of Intent to Claim a Tax Deduction’ and you must receive an acknowledgement of this from the fund in writing to claim the deduction.

“Edna, you can also contribute $110,000 as a non-tax deductible contribution. You can also bring forward the next two years’ contributions, which means that you have a maximum amount of $330,000.However, you will not be able to make further contributions for three years.

"The other contribution you might be able to make is a downsizer contribution. In order to make a downsizer contribution you have to sell your primary residence and then you can each contribute up to $300,000 from the proceeds to your super fund. It would be a nondeductible amount and when you take it out of the fund it comes back to you tax free. This is best to discuss if you are thinking of selling your house."

Given lots to think about, Edna and Thomas set off to review their financial options on the promise of getting back to me.

If you have any questions on retirement or superannuation contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co on 6295 2844.

Disclaimer

This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please

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