CityNews 250904

‘Surrender your home or be harassed to your graves’

JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED reveal the bureaucrats behaving badly, exercising duress on ‘Mr Fluffy’ householders.

‘Independent’ tram team blind to the benefits of buses

BEATRICE BODART-BAILEY reveals that an EIS stage 2b independent team of consultants may not be altogether independent.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

Why racism doesn’t need knee-jerk fixes

MICHAEL MOORE

Spring’s here and the garden work returns

JACKIE WARBURTON

Pouring on the palaver in a hit one-man show

HELEN MUSA

Who killed Crocked Uni?

KEEPING UP THE ACT

PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

The ACT Emerging Scientist DR SAMANTHA McGAUGHEY is testing a theory about the wonders of plant proteins

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COVER STORY / ACT Emerging Scientist of the Year

Emerging scientist with a keen eye on wastewater

By Elizabeth KOVACS

Recognised for her work in wastewater technology, postdoctoral research scientist Dr Samantha McGaughey is the 2025 ACT Emerging Scientist of the Year, and with it a $30,000 prize.

Dr McGaughey, 31, has already achieved a PhD in plant science and is now imparting her knowledge to students at the Australian National University (ANU).

From aspiring to become a veteri narian to falling in love with biology, she’s always had a deeply vested in terest in the sciences.

She finished her PhD in 2016, at the University of Adelaide, looking at the transport proteins plants use to con trol water movement through their tissues. Dr McGaughey made the discovery that water-transport proteins were also able to transport some salts, which implicates how plants are able to grow in saline environments (a natural habitat where levels of salt exceed normal standards).

ducting her own research.

“It’s probably one of the things that I enjoy doing the most,” she says.

“Seeing [students’] excitement and their passion for the work that they’re doing is one of the most rewarding things.”

Nominated by her group leader for the Emerging Scientist of the Year award, Dr McGaughey never expected to win.

“When I got the call, I was in the lab doing an experiment, and I had to stop and put down the tools for a moment to process it,” she says.

“It was a bit of a surprise for sure, but a nice one!”

From here, Dr McGaughey hopes to use this recognition to get into surrounding schools and talk to students about the exciting places science can take them.

“I’d love to use the opportunity to talk to students about the exciting things you can do with science and the big challenges that you can try to address,” she says.

“And, of course, having more attention on the work that we’re trying to do is also really exciting.”

lenges we face with their unique perspective and their unique way of thinking about things,” she says.

Far from knowing everything there is to know, Dr McGaughey says she is constantly learning new things.

“I think there is less of a focus on what we call ‘blue-sky research’, or fundamental research, which is trying to understand things for the sake of understanding them,” she says.

“You don’t really know how it would be applied or how it would be useful in the future.”

Dr McGaughey says her undergraduate and postgraduate work all contained blue-sky research as, initially, she didn’t know how it could help the world.

“There wasn’t any idea how it could be a commercial product or make money, but without all the time spent doing that research, we wouldn’t be here with this idea in making the technology happen,” she says.

“That inspired [me] to think about how I could use these types of pro -

cesses or proteins that are in plant membranes for wastewater treatment,” she says. “That research was essential for the work that I’m doing now.”

Right now, Dr McGaughey’s re -

search is looking at harvesting clean water from wastewater.

Working at the ANU Research School of Biology, Dr McGaughey says she’s happy to be mentoring the next batch of researchers while con -

Dr McGaughey isn’t the only young scientist making waves in the industry, and she says the diversity within the science workplace creates more out-of-the-box thinking.

“It’s important to have a lot of different people looking at the chal-

“I think there needs to be a balance between fundamental and applied research, because we don’t know everything there is to know, and curiosity-driven research is really important.”

While Dr McGaughey is keen to see the membrane-separation technology become a reality, she says she’s also eager to explore just how far she can transport proteins, water, metals and nutrients to other living things.

Arts & Entertainment 23-26

Crossword & Sudoku 27

Dining & Wine 26

Gardening 22

Keeping Up the ACT 8

Letters 10-11

News 3-13

Politics 9, 12, 13

Streaming 25

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‘Independent’ tram team blind to benefits of buses

Published data shows that 20 of the 25-member EIS team of ‘independent consultants’ are or were employees of the company that holds a financial stake in the extension of the light rail, reveals BEATRICE BODART-BAILEY.

“Crooked thinking buckles tram track to Woden” was the heading to a column by Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed (CN August 7).

The same figurative buckling, plus the hazard of real tram tracks buckling, appear in the light rail Stage 2b Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) about which Canberrans are asked to have “Your Say” by midnight, September 5.

An EIS is regulated by a scoping document issued by the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate of the ACT for a particular project, here the 2b extension of the tram to Woden.

It prescribes: “The Authority requires that the proponent engage a suitable qualified independent consultant to prepare an EIS, OR the proponent submits, with the draft EIS, an independent review of the draft EIS undertaken by a suitably qualified consultant.”

The draft EIS for the 2b extension of the light rail does not fulfill either of these requirements.

It bears the name of a company that has been awarded a $93 million design contract for stage 2 of the light rail and describes its duties under this contract as “providing the Technical Advisory (TA) services to Major Projects Canberra (MPC) for the engineering design and environmental approvals for Light Rail Stage 2. As the TA we will form a single integrated team with MPC staff and advisors, to deliver co-ordinated, progressively assured design and outcomes.”

Obviously, the above company is not an “independent consultant” and therefore “an independent review of the draft EIS” is required.

Enquiring at the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate where this independent review could be found, I was directed to Appendix G of the draft EIS.

Here the 25 members of an “EIS delivery team” claimed to consist of independent consultants, are listed and, it was argued, that made the independent review unnecessary.

Published data shows that 20 of the 25-member team are or were employees of the above company, which holds a financial stake in the extension of the light rail.

Perhaps this occurrence should be added to the breaches of guidelines that caused Stanhope and Ahmed to refer to the figuratively buckling of the tram tracks.

The less-than-independent mindset of team members is evident when the future benefits of the tram network’s “transport connectivity” are touted (Technical Report 6, Socioeconomic Impact Assessment, table 3-1) while ignoring that this is already provided by our rapid buses.

Thus, the R4 bus connects Tuggeranong, Woden, Civic and Belconnen with stops at the ANU, North Canberra Hospital, CIT Bruce and Canberra University. Reinstating bus 333 along Tuggeranong Parkway would make the connection even faster.

The planned tram between Belconnen and Civic with change at Civic for Woden would be considerably slower than either of these two buses.

Technical Report 7 – Climate change risk, starts with a robust statement of the hazards we can expect in future, such as: “Extreme heat events – projected to increase in intensity and frequency, which can

result in impacts to track, pavements and surfaces, as well as health and safety risks to both customers and staff.” And similar warnings about fires, storms and flooding.

Climate change hazards for the construction of the infrastructure and operation of the tram before and after mediation are examined in detail.

Not mentioned is the fact that the majority would not occur or could easily be coped with if the tram were replaced by bus rapid transit (BRT), such as emergency evacuations where buses could transport evacuees to a safe location, electricity outages overcome by buses moving to an alternative location for recharging, or buses driving around obstacles when trees and other objects have fallen over tracks and roads.

After suggestions of mediation, the original 39 hazards are reduced to 26 medium and 15 low risks up to year 2045 and 11 high risks, 24 medium risks and 4 low risks up to year 2090. Several of these remaining risks are of concern.

Buckling of light rail tracks is called a moderate risk considered possible by 2045 and likely a high risk by 2090. The result usually is stoppage until the rails are replaced if discovered early, and derailment, if not.

A so-called medium risk where possible fatal consequences lack mention is “Closure of the surrounding road network, impacting emergency access or rescue as well as maintenance needs”.

To provide space for light rail tracks, segments of roads running parallel to the 2a and 2b extensions will be reduced to one lane each way on either side of the track.

Unable to move into the light rail track without risking collision with trams, cars cannot make room for emergency vehicles. With the loss of life and property depending on how fast fire brigades reach the outbreak, this ought to be a serious concern. The solution is bus rapid transit lanes on all major roads.

Emergency vehicles could proceed unhindered with one phone call instructing bus drivers along the route to vacate their lane.

Future generations will be faced by unprecedented extreme weather events. Why are we adding to the problem by constructing a transport system that is not climate resilient and will burden them with a heavy financial debt?

Have your say at yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/light-rail-to-woden

Historian Beatrice Bodart-Bailey is an honorary professor at the ANU School of Culture, History and Language.

Seriously, it’s time to sort out cigarettes and vapes

Australia’s cigarettes are now the most expensive in the world. Excise has been increased cumulatively by more than 340 per cent in the past 20 years, clearly helping to depress consumption.

But the effect of sky-high prices on cigarette consumption in recent years is less certain as smokers switched increasingly to much less expensive illegal supplies. Excise increased by an additional 5 per cent on September 1.

The unintended negative consequences of the exceedingly high cigarette prices have been staggering.

Independent economist Chris Richardson recently estimated that the revenue generated for the federal government may have been cut by as much as $10 billion annually.

Untaxed and unregulated blackmarket cigarettes sell for about a third of the cost of taxed, legal cigarettes.

On the ABC website, economist Alan Kohler has also recently deplored the severe unintended negative consequences of the high and increasing rate of cigarette excise and severely restricted availability of nicotine vapes.

New restrictions on the availability of nicotine vapes were introduced in 2024. Australia has, for many years, had the most restricted availability of vapes of any Western country. More than 90

MAXIMISE

More than 90 per cent of vapes in Australia are now supplied by the black market.

per cent of vapes in Australia are now supplied by the black market.

After the NZ government decided to make safer, smoke-free nicotine vapes more available than cigarettes in 2020, smoking rates fell twice as fast in the general population and three times faster among disadvantaged populations in NZ compared to Australia.

Australia has a substantial black market for vapes, but there is no evidence of an equivalent vape black market in NZ.

The growing black market for cigarettes, tobacco and vapes in Australia has become increasingly violent, with several homicides attributed to criminal gangs fighting for control.

There have been more than 230 arson attacks on tobacconist shops in Australia. Extortion is rampant.

The Roy Morgan polling company recently reported an increase in smoking. The lack of benefits and the severe

The growing black market for cigarettes, tobacco and vapes in Australia has become increasingly violent, with several homicides attributed to criminal gangs fighting for control.

adverse effects of Australia’s tobacco and vaping policies should have made these policies unsustainable long ago.

While the cigarette excise and vaping restrictions have failed abysmally as policies, they have continued to work effectively as political strategies like many other prohibitions in Australia including the bans on off-course betting on horse racing, voluntary assisted dying, same-sex sex, marriage equality, commercial sex and abortion.

All of these bans lasted many decades, long after it was clear that adverse effects exceeded any benefits.

Most political parties in Australia accept the huge black market in cigarettes and vapes while pretending not to. The alternative is to try to diminish or even eradicate black markets and implement policies to shift demand as much as possible from illegal to legal and regulated supply. The National Party and the Legalise Cannabis Party are the only

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political organisations in Australia that unambiguously support realistic and effective policies for nicotine vaping. All other political parties are either opposed or deeply divided.

The tobacco companies started to realise that cigarettes and their business model was obsolete decades ago. Some started transforming from companies making and selling combustible cigarettes to a range of safer, smoke-free nicotine-dispensing options.

Philip Morris International is the world’s largest traded tobacco company and has been rapidly transforming for some time. PMI has spent $US14 billion in the last 16 years developing a range of safer, smoke-free products.

According to PMI’s official financial reports, in 2015 smoke-free products accounted for $US0.2 billion or about one per cent of the company’s net revenue, but by 2024, smoke-free products accounted for $US14.7 billion or 40 per cent of net revenue.

Smoke-free products are now more profitable for PMI than cigarettes and sales of these products are growing rapidly while sales of cigarettes are barely increasing.

Debates about tobacco harm reduction are generally decided by

scientific evidence. The scientific evidence advanced by vaping opponents is often deeply flawed. Findings from laboratory studies of vaping in animals often involve settings which no human would tolerate. Often, these researchers only report alarming sounding findings about vape aerosol without any comparison to the much more dangerous findings from cigarette smoke. These studies exaggerate the harms and underestimate the benefits of vaping and other smoke-free nicotine options.

Unless Australia starts reducing its exceedingly high rate of cigarette excise, a huge black market in cigarettes and tobacco will inevitably continue.

Australia should follow NZ’s example of making vaping and other smoke-free nicotine products more available than deadly cigarettes. If NZ can do it, why can’t Australia?

Ross Fitzgerald AM is Emeritus Professor of History and Politics at Griffith University. His most recent book is Chalk and Cheese: A Fabrication coauthored with Ian McFadyen.

A second opinion on hearing loss – you need professional advice, not a sales pitch

A woman came into my clinic for a consultation about her hearing aids, telling me her hearing aids were 4 years old and she had never found them to be of much help. She said the salesperson quoted her $14,000 for a pair of hearing aids, however, the monthly special of 20% discount meant they cost her $11,200. So, she ‘only’ paid $11,200 for hearing aids that did not help her. Sadly, I hear this all too often.

Here are some things to do to avoid this type of problem:

1. Visit your GP. If you or someone you know has a problem with their hearing, visiting your GP to check for wax in the ears, and to get advice is a starting point.

2. Qualifications. Always check the qualifications of the person you are dealing with. A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.

years. If you are not sure about their advice, then seek a second opinion. The wrong hearing aids can be an expensive waste and could lead you to stop wearing them. You should always have a trial of hearing aids to ensure that they are right for you.

6 Pensioners and eligible DVA card holders often have entitlement to free services. If you are covered by a government concession, then let the clinician know (even though your clinician should ask). Eligible clients may obtain free hearing tests, consultations, and free hearing aids (referred to as fully subsidized hearing aids).

“A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.”

– Dr Vass

These hearing aids are appropriate for many people, however if you have great difficulty hearing in background noise (for example a restaurant), then you may want to consider partially subsidized hearing aids. This is when the government pays a certain amount, and you pay for additional features and benefits. Your decision should be based on the following:

you are dealing with a qualified clinician, then they belong to a professional association. The best contact is an independent complaints body referred to as Ethics Review Committee. You can email ethics@auderc.org.au and view the website www.auderc.org.au. You can make an anonymous complaint and your complaint will be handled in a confidential and professional manner. If you are in the ACT, contact the ACT Human Rights Commission email human rights@act.gov au and the website www.hrc.act.gov.au

3. Independent advice. You should get independent, professional advice.

4. There are a wide range of hearing aids out there. Finding the right hearing aids for your communication needs can be challenging. Hearing aids vary in price and performance. Bluetooth® connectivity and rechargeable hearing aids are available on most hearing aids, along with apps that allow you to control your hearing aids from your mobile device. Be aware that just because a hearing aid is more expensive, that doesn’t mean they are the best hearing aid for you.

5. Just as hearing aids vary in performance, clinicians may also vary in performance due to training, experience, and skills. Make sure that you are comfortable and confident in their advice. You are likely to be with this clinician for the life of your new hearing aids, typically 4 to 5

(a) Can you afford the more expensive hearing aids? Don’t go into financial stress if you can’t afford them. (b) Are you clear on the free vs partially subsidized features & benefits? Never believe someone who tells you the free hearings are not good or of poor performance, this is simply not true. (c) If you try the partially subsidized hearing aids and are not happy, then return them. Do not keep hearing aids because you think the failure is yours or that you will improve over time. If the hearing aids are not working for you in the trial period, then they will not work for you in a year or two.

7. If you have a complaint, then seek help. Your clinician should be able to help you through most of your needs. Sometimes, a problem may be beyond the expertise of even the best clinician. However, if you have a complaint there are things you can do. If

POLITICS / independents bring the heat

The independents’ eco-system is starting to be felt

As hoped, the independents are bringing the warmth this winter. And not just here in the ACT, either.

The ones in Tasmania have really shown how much political strategy is changing in Australia.

Tasmania has had it all in 2025 for the pure political strategy junkies: noconfidence motions, an election, party leaders putting it all on the line, and losing, and a government that doesn’t have the support of the majority of the lower house in which it sits. Phew!

The independents there went to the next level though. They split on who should be in government. One was offered the chance to be Treasurer in a Labor government, another sided with the Liberals, and others hated them all. None of that majority progressive Labor brand support as witnessed here late last year.

Voters loved it. In an omen for the 2028 election here, especially considering they use nearly the same voting system as us, independents got up in every electorate bar one. The leading independent candidate, Peter George, even outpolled the leaders of the Greens and Labor.

After the result came the brand reward for their voters: zero compromise hard politics. ACT Labor would have had nightmares because these independents helped sink Labor leader

Dean Winter’s chances of forming government, and likely his career, too. Maybe they were replicating the stellar way Rosalie Woodruff, Greens leader in Tasmania, played them all other than the Liberals. It was political bluff calling and game playing done to levels worthy of any seen anywhere in the nation this year. Rare do we see a party leader like this, absolutely uncompromising but also knowing how it was going to play out in doing so. And, yes, I’m very impressed. But back to the independents on our local scene. Winter has been kind to them. Very kind. David Pocock is yet again proving his impact across a wide range of issues local and national. His work locally on the issues at ANU has

Services

Pocock, Emerson, Carrick, Price, Vardy, all feeding each other and keeping each other relevant. A neat, independent political eco-system.

been impressive, but especially compassionate to so many.

Nationally, his critiques in keeping the government somewhat accountable on reforms to the NDIS (94 reasons why that’s difficult) and also on issues such as housing and climate, have kept his name at the top of mind of many a progressive voter.

His leadership and voice on these issues isn’t just noise – it helps the other independents nationally in their own political objectives. His impact and reach assists other independents to get impact. It helps keep a grassroots network and movement alive against the resources and opportunities the major parties offer to their true believers.

This is what the Liberals need to be aware of. The metropolitan moderate progressive base they need to win back is now two elections into identifying with independent candidates.

By election four (around 2031) they will start telling their kids who they identify with. And Labor can’t relax

either, Pocock pushed Katy Gallagher to preferences, and Hannah Vardy, like Jessie Price in Bean, would be relishing a second chance in 2028.

However, a storm cell on the horizon is numbers. The independents don’t have a balance of power. They don’t have that ultimate legislative influence.

Noise can get you some outcomes, but Labor holds all the cards and has all the keys. Being able to actually influence legislation in a way that can be leveraged publicly is difficult.

And this is nearly replicated locally.

Thomas Emerson is doing a great job. He speaks well and connects with many in the community. He is one of the most active politicians I’ve known. You’d think the election was still on with how many meet-and-greets he does every week.

Fiona Carrick, too, has done some great work on issues such as health and education, along with constant pressure on a public transport project that actually increases travel times for its users.

Yet they don’t have the numbers. And they, unlike some of their counterparts in Tasmania, did not take the uncompromising hard path of zero support if there was zero compromise. Maybe that’s been the right path, maybe we all find out in 2028.

No doubt though that Emerson’s 2024 positive campaign inspired many. From a small base he not just got elected, but also created a decent movement. Pocock, Emerson, Carrick, Price, Vardy, all feeding each other and keeping each other relevant. A neat independent political eco-system.

In 2028 the difficult work being done now, when outcomes are hard to quantify, may reap rewards similar to what happened in Tasmania.

Ultimately, this is where they know their numbers do count. Where this winter counted. Where the movement became the norm.

Dr Andrew Hughes lectures at the ANU Research School of Management, where he special ises in political marketing.

SECURE YOUR SUCCESS

The Importance of Servicing and Security in IT Solutions

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The cyberthreat landscape has evolved rapidly over the past few years, becoming more complex and sophisticated. This means that businesses need to stay ahead of potential threats to protect their sensitive information and systems from cyberattacks. Investing in robust security measures is not just a precautionary step; it’s a necessity to safeguard against ever-evolving cyber threats. At BluePackets, we understand the importance of proactive security measures. We’ve observed a phenomenon we call the “Security Dividend,” where clients who invest in security experience fewer issues and require less reactive support. By prioritising security, our clients not only save money in the long run but also avoid costly outages caused by security vulnerabilities. Plus, the cost of implementing security measures with us is often lower than what competitors charge for reactive servicing alone, providing a win-win situation for our clients. Investing in security with us means investing in long-term savings and peace of mind.

‘I signed the papers, surrendering under duress’

The article “How the Mr Fluffy owners were shortchanged”, by Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed (CN August 28) triggered flashbacks about really difficult times.

I hope that everyone reading the article is okay and seeks help if they need it.

To the point made about the Mr Fluffy property deals being a voluntary surrender or a compulsory acquisition.

In our case the government’s testing found asbestos in our living areas, so we had to leave our home immediately. There was

reactive depression and needed to start afresh to get well again. So I signed the papers, surrendering under duress.

Reckon this counts as a compulsory acquisition.

Dr Mark Harradine, Wright

A library review ‘makes good sense’

Dr Chris Watson’s letter calling for a review of ACT public libraries (CN, August 21) makes very good sense.

Unexpected library closures at times because of inadequate staffing is one issue.

can be properly maintained and further expanded. The Civic library should remain.

Murray May, Cook

Applying a leather strap, don’t knock it

I fear too much emphasis these days is placed on the rights of the perpetrator with mixed consideration to the full impact of crime on the victim.

There seems to be a tendency to racially profile crime as an offender’s defence. This ploy befuddles some, but not everyone.

As a recent resident of Singapore, I wit-

It is a known physical certainty, as the sun consumes more of its hydrogen gravitational mass that confines its fusion furnace, it will expand and engulf the earth in a scorching supernova that will eradicate all life.

I look forward to activists and politicians taking steps to avoid this catastrophe.

And to set the record straight for Amy Blain, it is the IPCC, not me, that claims that three per cent of atmospheric CO2 comes from wayward human activity.

The IPCC also states authoritatively that 97 per cent of atmospheric CO2 originates from natural sources; photosynthesis transpiration, wildfire, decay of plants and animals, volcanism, ocean outglassing and the like.

We are all carbon beings, living in a carbon world, dependent on carbon-based food for the hydrocarbon flesh and calcium carbonate bones of our very being.

Anthony Horden, Jamison Centre

Climate change is about population

I felt obligated to respond to Amy Blain’s letter (CN21 Aug) accusing me of being a climate denier.

I am neither a denier nor alarmist, but I do strongly believe in the hemispheric and population reasons of climate change. Some 87 per cent of the world’s population live north of the equator, which really means

that there is very little we can do to affect the climate changes occurring.

We can and MUST try, but the numbers overwhelm us.

In Hanrahan’s time – 1919 – only 1.8 billion people populated our planet, or about 12 people per sq km. Now that figure equates to 55 per sq km with Australia populating at about 3 per sq km.

The answer to reducing climate change must rest with ALL of us, but the northern hemisphere MUST stand up, not just some countries. If not, in Hanrahan’s words, we’ll all be roon’d!

Dave Jeffrey, Farrer

Arise Sir Clive, the king’s happy

Hoo-bloody-ray for Whimsy columnist CN’s Clive Williams. He’s the first writer for heaven knows how long to afford King Canute his proper due (“What do Moses and King Canute have in common?”, CN August 28).

Usually, the poor old monarch is sneered at as foolish for trying to hold back the incoming tide.

As Clive reminds us though, ”Not guilty, m’lud”. Canute was an astute and wise king of England who was demonstrating the “limits of human power and the danger of surrounding oneself with sycophantic followers”.

Is there any hope, I wonder, of this edition of the CN finding its way into the Oval Office?

Eric Hunter,

Cook

How ACT Health makes it hard to attract surgeons

In about 2003 I was engaged by ACT Health as a management consultant to assist with the development of new visiting medical officers (VMO) contracts to replace what had become a total dog’s breakfast of modified, annualised and personalised sessional contracts.

We first needed to modify legislation to allow collective bargaining with the VMOs’ chosen representatives, the AMA and the VMOA.

Once the legislation was changed we spent months in negotiations and the VMO craft groups were given the choice of sessional or fee for service (FFS) contracts.

Given the nature of their work, most physicians chose sessional contracts, whereas surgeons whose clinical work was procedural, chose FFS.

Those new contracts were put in place and have worked transparently for the last 20-odd years. Those on FFS contracts are paid for the work they actually do, no more or less. It does mean they earn more per hour than they would on a basic sessional rate (hence ACT Health’s desire to now force surgeons on to sessional contracts), but to put it in perspective, ACT Health might pay an orthopaedic surgeon a $2500 FFS payment for a procedure that the same surgeon would charge $7500 for to carry out on a private patient in a private hospital.

In addition, the surgeon working in the public system is expected to teach and supervise trainee surgeons, and as anyone who has ever had to train someone knows it can more than double how much time you spend doing the job.

Such surgeons are also expected to participate in an on-call roster and come in at any time of the day or night seven days a week to provide their expertise to patients.

To me, what the government is doing is ill advised and will make it even harder to attract and retain specialist surgeons.

With goodwill and a willingness to listen to those who are actually providing the care, it is very possible for us to have a cost-competitive and high-quality health system, but sadly we just seem to never go down that path.

Bill Stone, via citynews.com.au

Weight is the killer, not the exhaust gases

This morning I received the registration renewal for my V8 Commodore. It allegedly spews various nasty gases into the atmosphere at the rate of 331g/km.

The Gorilla is now semi-retired, spends most of his time snoozing under a blanket, in the garage. He comes out a few times a year, in the last 12 months he’s travelled 2897 kilometres, thus allegedly (according to the ACT gummint) he’s dirtied the planet to the tune of 958,907 grams. Is that something I should be concerned about? I’ll hold judgment.

Meantime, my relatively new Outback Turbo

allegedly spews (Only? Which makes him more loveable to the climate zealots?) 204g/km. If’n I drive him, say, 10,000 kilometres this next 12 months, he’ll belch 2,040,000 grams of ‘orribles into the air.

So despite being charged a lower registration amount, the Subey and I are getting away with making more of a mess of the place than the “dirty” ol’ V8 and at a cheaper cost per kilometre to my wallet. Thank you, ACT gummint.

Weight is the killer of our roads, not the volume of exhaust gases emitted by engines. Our registration charges seem to be going into thin air, they sure don’t seem to be going into road repair and maintenance if the current condition of the gravel section of the Boboyan Road is any indicator. Wonder when it last saw a grader?

I guess it demonstrates the stupidity of policy based on theoretical dogma rather than practical necessity.

Ray Atkin, Ngunnawal

Enjoy a stress-free commute while it lasts

The ACT government’s glossy “Bra.5 g Mag” dropped into my mailbox gushing that stage 2b of the light rail will travel to Woden with nine stations.

Unfortunately for those living southside, gone will be the halcyon days of a smooth, stress-free, three-kilometre commute from Weston Circle to just past Parliament House.

Along Yamba Drive, there could be conservatively at least six or seven stations, all with corresponding sets of traffic lights. What a headache. Enjoy a stress-free commute while it lasts.

Rosemary Harrison, Yarralumla

Sounds fair and responsible? Nup

Under a “PPP” (Public Private Partnership), major public infrastructure projects, mostly those the public cannot avoid using, such as toll roads, dams, tram systems, energy infrastructure and even buildings for law courts, (but practically never hospitals or schools), are delivered via a “BOOT” (Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) arrangement.

In that, private-sector players (including banks, retirement fund managers, lawyers, designers, constructors, and operators) put together and carry out the “BOO” activities, on terms to suit themselves, collecting income from the projects to always satisfy the funders’ profit requirements (even unnecessarily scaling up the project to push profits higher); and then, after a substantial pre-agreed time period (often at the estimated end of the project’s operational life) transfer the “asset” to the public sector.

Apparently, it’s all to discourage governments from exposing themselves to borrowing, or using their own funds, for public works, and to favour “user pays”. Sounds fair and responsible? Nup.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Replacing pollies with AI has merit

Apart from the contradiction in terms with the pairing of “artificial” and “intelligence”, the notion that AI might replace politicians appears to me to have some merit.

Imagine a completely dispassionate analysis of every policy that could improve the lives of the majority of the people, being weighed against the possible negative impacts these might have on said people. Immediately, the self-interest of politicians (and their proxies) would be circumvented, along with the appalling amount of time wasted in the traditional arm wrestling of policy development .

The remaining task for politicians would be implementation of policy, and this is what would be put to the vote. Paradise gained?

Ian Thistlewayte, via citynews.com.au

Serious scrutiny of what goes on

The CityNews is a great “rag”. Probably the only thing this town has that passes for serious scrutiny of what goes on here and its letters reflect this.

Even Vi Evens gets her tilt at windmills and there were a couple of good, succinct letters in the August 21 edition from Peter Claughton, of Farrer, and Dick Bauch, of Latham.

A

Kusta, Deakin

behaving badly

‘The asbestos taskforce’s Closure Report was a self-serving marvel of bureaucratic self-aggrandisement’

‘Surrender home or be harassed to your graves’

JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED look at the intimidation of Mr Fluffy property owners, some signing their homes away under duress. “There should have been consequences for public servants engaging in any such conduct.”

“I raised the possibility of staying on [in my home] in my one meeting with the TF. AK made it very clear that we would be harassed to our graves if we did.”

A “Mr Fluffy” homeowner; Mr Fluffy Legacy Project: Consultation Outcomes Report and Recommendations; Community and Expert Reference Group (2019), Page 33.

“This highlights the fact that those of us who signed away our homes did so under duress with no idea of the alternative, and this is what I said to the taskforce person in front of me, looking them in the eye, before putting pen to evil paper.”

So much for the claimed “voluntary” program of the ACT government!

In the previous article in this series, we revealed that the Asbestos Response Taskforce’s modus operandi was a compulsory acquisition of property, but without the compensatory requirements, in the statutes, for such an acquisition.

The comments published above, which are merely a sample, provide clear evidence of how affected homeowners were treated by the taskforce. These statements from affected homeowners are contained in the Mr Fluffy Legacy Project: Consultation Outcomes Report and Recommendations prepared by Dr Sue Packer AM, a former Senior Australian of the Year and chair of the Community and Expert Reference Group (CERG) in 2019. We do not know the identity of “AK”, who is

Another “Mr Fluffy” Homeowner, ibid, Page 34.

alleged to have harassed a homeowner into signing away their home, but he/she was apparently a senior official with the Asbestos Response Taskforce.

The behaviour that is described, if it occurred, would surely be unacceptable from a public servant in any circumstance, but even more so when dealing with people in a vulnerable position and deserving of compassion.

We also do not know whether Suzanne Orr, the minister responsible at the time the report was presented, asked for an investigation of these and the many other claims of intimidation reported by CERG.

Nor, for that matter, is there any evidence of a response from the taskforce, or an inquiry by the Head of the ACT Public Service, or a Code of Conduct investigation by the Public Service

serious allegations contained in the CERG consultation.

You have the future of public interest journalism in your hands. If it’s worth a little support, we sure can use it.

Follow the QR code or hit the support button on citynews.com.au – please.

Commissioner, or by an integrity body such as the Ombudsman.

We have no reason to think that the claims are untrue – they are included in the consultation report prepared by an eminent community representative appointed by the government.

However, it is reasonable that they be tested for their veracity. If found to be true, there should have been consequences for the public servants engaging in any such conduct.

Unfortunately, allegations of inappropriate or questionable behaviour extend beyond the taskforce to the ACT Government Solicitor’s Office, which in principle should be ensuring compliance with the law in its form as well as intent.

For example, from one affected homeowner:

“I have a copy of a letter from the government’s solicitor saying they wouldn’t accept my Under Duress letter. At least I have that in writing. I also noted at least twice, on other paperwork I was forced to submit to the Taskforce, that I was signing under duress. That paperwork was accepted. So somewhere in their records those documents should exist.”

–Another “Mr Fluffy” Homeowner, ibid, Page 34.

Here is a homeowner putting on the record that they were signing the surrender documents under duress, and they are not the only one.

If the government’s solicitor was aware of residents being forced to accept an offer under duress, and had that in writing, then surely it was their duty to advise the government that such a contract would be null and void.

Ordinarily, such conduct would draw a referral to the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner. Faced with the shock of losing their home, hundreds of thousands in costs, and being at the mercy of a disengaged bureaucracy, taking on the government and its lawyers would understandably be the last thing an affected homeowner would contemplate.

The CERG Report advises that their consultation program received more than 600 site visits via the online platform. In total there were 132 engagements either face-to-face or through the online platform.

We are aware of a much larger cohort of disaffected homeowners on an online page where around 450 one-time Fluffy-affected homeowners have remained in contact with each other, sharing similar stories and seeking understanding and moral support.

We have quoted only a small sample of comments relating to bullying and coercion to force people to participate in the so-called “voluntary” surrender program. It is clear from the comments included in the report, and we commend CERG for faithfully reproducing the affected homeowners’ views, that there was discontent with almost every facet of the program.

The CERG Report summarises the outcome of consultation as follows:

“Overall, respondents who participated in the consultation commonly expressed feelings of concern and dissatisfaction with the process of notification, acquisition and demolition.

“Many Mr Fluffy homeowners found themselves unable to re-purchase or re-build in the same location or wait for the land to be remediated, heightening a sense of displacement.

“For those who did re-purchase and re-build significant out of pocket costs were incurred. Ongoing health issues are a factor for members of the Mr Fluffy community and access to adequate services is needed, including mental health services, health screening, practitioner training and research.”

–What We Heard; Mr Fluffy Legacy Project: Consultation Outcomes Report and Recommendations, Page 11.

This is a surprisingly benign summary. Overall the comments in the report are confronting, reflecting raw emotion and deepseated anger and frustration with both the program and the people administering it. Was anyone satisfied? The CERG Report advises that only one submission received during consultation on the draft Mr Fluffy Legacy Project Discussion paper expressed satisfaction with the actions of the ACT government. There may be more, as a small number of owners received a special dispensation and were able to, as the Standing Committee noted, demolish their homes themselves before the program was formally announced. They retained the ownership of the land, and received funding from the government for the dwelling, demolition and cleanup.

Excepting such treatment, the program and the taskforce’s behaviour were widely condemned by those subjected to it.

In 2022, the taskforce delivered its Closure Report – a self-serving marvel of bureaucratic self-aggrandisement. The Closure Report makes no mention of the serious allegations from numerous homeowners contained in the CERG consultation. Oblivious to those allegations, Minister Rebecca Vassarotti nevertheless commended the taskforce. As for the transaction, we juxtapose the taskforce’s claim and another affected homeowner’s statement.

“It was presumed it was a transaction between willing buyer and willing seller.”

–Asbestos Response Taskforce Closure Report (2022), Page 26.

“I was bullied into signing a contract which forced me to waive my rights – I signed under duress, which I wanted noted on the contract and was advised that if I wrote anything on the contract it would make the contract null and void.”

–Community and Expert Reference Group Report (2019), Page 16.

Shameless and appalling behaviour? In a further column we will discuss the design of the scheme and how it shortchanged affected homeowners.

Here’s why racism doesn’t need knee-jerk solutions

Governments are renowned for disproportionate, knee-jerk responses. The real danger of such responses is that they undermine democratic rights and freedoms.

Legislation put through the NSW parliament following attacks on Jewish facilities by the Minns government to address “antisemitism” was knee-jerk and disproportionate.

It turned out to be a futile attempt to address a problem that we now know was orchestrated from abroad.

A more proportionate response would have been to reassess human rights legislation and antiracist behaviour in general.

At the Federal level, the appointment of Jillian Segal as the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia on July 9 last year was a knee-jerk response. Ms Segal’s report that followed made recommendations that were also seriously disproportionate.

Having caved into pressure from parts of the Jewish lobby in Australia to make an appointment to combat antisemitism, Prime Minister Albanese realised the response, while good politics, was a kneejerk and disproportionate response.

However, after three months, he realised he had to even the playing field. He appointed Aftab Malik as

Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia in Australia.

It is popular to think of Australia as a racist nation. However, the country has come a long way since the White Australia policy of the mid-20th century. Racism does still exist – but for those who travel the world, it is apparent that racism is much more apparent in many, many other countries.

Racism does not need knee-jerk policies. Sensible human rights legislation, agreed across the political spectrum, have driven a much more tolerant and inclusive society. Do we have some way to go? Indeed! However, it is worth also noting how far we have come. And it was not through knee-jerk reactions.

In looking around the world, it is instructive to see how the US is heading in the opposite direction. The Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants, and the way the Immigration and Customs Enforcement forces

Racism does not need knee-jerk policies. Do we have some way to go? Indeed! However, it is worth also noting how far we have come. And it was not through knee-jerk reactions.

are used, is illustrative of a growing intolerance.

The rules for students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists heading to the US are about to change. According to Reuters, the US is to “resume long-dormant visits to citizenship applicants’ neighbourhoods to check what it termed residency, moral character and commitment to American ideals”. Intolerance grows, and racism builds through disproportionate policies.

Journalists are a favoured target for those who act disproportionately. Current visas for journalists entering the US in the last four years will now be limited to 240 days, except for Chinese journalists who will have a limit of 90 days. It is a disproportionate reaction to the impact of foreign reporters.

Nowhere is a government’s disproportionate behaviour more apparent than in Gaza. Put aside the years of appalling treatment of the Palestinians by the Israeli government and defence

forces. Overlook the impact of the increasing number of Jewish settlements displacing so many Palestinians on the West Bank. The Israeli government’s reaction to the October 7 2023 attacks by Hamas was, and remains, totally disproportionate.

PM Benjamin Netenyahu’s government claims more than 1000 deaths of Israeli citizens in those attacks. Israeli forces have killed more than 19,000 children under 10 years old.

Palestinian deaths have now reached more than 60,000 in Gaza, with the vast majority being women and children.

All members of the United Nations Security Council, bar one, have recently declared “the famine in Gaza is a ‘man-made’ crisis”. They are “calling for justice, claiming that using starvation as a weapon of war is banned under international humanitarian law”.

The disproportionate response of the Netanyahu government has undermined the rights and privileges of many Israelis who have not accepted the dehumanising of Palestinian women and children. As the Israeli government continues this disproportionate response, all citizens of their country will be cloaked with the international censure of attempted genocide.

Although the Israeli government attempted to claim some role, the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador was a proportionate reaction by Prime Minister Albanese.

The behaviour of the Iranian government in Australia has been under scrutiny for a long time. This was not a knee-jerk response, rather the orchestrated antisemitic attacks proved the catalyst for action.

Knee-jerk political responses feed into populist movements as do disproportionate responses. It looks like governments are doing something effective.

However, rather than improving conditions for marginalised populations, such actions undermine democratic processes, whittle away our government institutions and reduce our freedoms.

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.

WILLS WEEK

Unsure about what will happen after you’re gone?

Unsure what will happen to your possessions, pets or digital legacy after you’re gone? National Wills Week is a reminder to take control by creating a will.

Running until September 7, this year’s theme of “Life changes, so should your will” encourages people to either prepare a will for the first time or revisit one that may no longer reflect their current situation.

ACT Public Trustee and Guardian CEO Robyn Hakelis said while many senior Canberrans have made a will, it may have been many years since they last reviewed it.

“Your legacy is more than your assets; it’s about making sure your wishes are respected and your loved ones are supported,” Ms Hakelis said.

Canberrans are encouraged to speak with a lawyer to begin or revisit their estate planning.

When there’s a will, Lorraine says there’s a way

Firm with a focus on estate planning

“Our

At Signus Legal our primary focus is YOU

We provide comprehensive solutions tailored to your specific circumstances. We take the time to understand your needs to ensure your estate plan aligns with your exact intentions.

Looking to make your property dreams a reality? Whether you’re buying or selling residential or commercial property, we’re here to guide you

FUNERALS AND ESTATE PLANNING advertising

Guardian angels for funeral planning

It’s impossible to know how expensive funerals might be in the future, which is why funeral plans are a worthy consideration.

Working with Tobin Brothers, Guardian Plan prepaid funerals have a range of benefits for family members, says Cassandra Proctor, operations manager for Invocare ACT, parent company of both organisations.

“Guardian plans lock in your funeral price at today’s cost, which helps relieve family members of financial burden and stress,” she says.

“This service allows clients to plan their funeral the way they want it to be and, with payment installments available, it can ease the burden left on family in the event of a beloved member passing.”

In comparison to funeral insurances, Guardian Plans

Park meets community cultural and diverse needs

Operating across three locations in Canberra, as well as the publicly owned crematorium in Gungahlin, and the mausoleum/columbarium in Woden, Canberra Memorial Parks CEO Kerry McMurray says their business ethos is centred around actively engaging with the diverse multicultural community within Canberra.

“It is with empathy, compassion and understanding by our staff in dealing with each and every person we meet that makes us stand out,” he says.

“We pride ourselves on these interactions and the fact that we help make a very difficult time and situation a little easier for people.”

Offering a broad range of services to meet the cultural and religious needs of the community, Kerry says their engagement has included the development of new projects.

“We’ve also recently opened our new Sanctuary Creek Ash Memorialisation Garden, which has been designed to reflect Canberra with a circular layout and a range of beloved interment options,” says Kerry.

“It’s a beautiful space for reflection and celebrating the life of a loved one.”

Location and type of interment is an important consideration for any family, and Kerry says their staff works closely with families in identifying the perfect location and option to meet their needs.

“We are also currently constructing a memorial hall and condolence lounge at the Gungahlin cemetery, which will enable us to provide a full service,” he says.

Canberra Memorial Parks. Gungahlin, Hall and Woden. Call 6207 0000 or visit canberramorialparks.act.gov.au

A plan today means peace for tomorrow

Tailored prepaid funeral plans, locked at today’s prices. Fix costs now and ease the pressure on your family later.

Call 1800 220 888 for a free consultation or visit guardianplan.com.au to download your free funeral planner

don’t have any premiums attached and are exempt from the asset test for age pension purposes.

“These plans aren’t subject to a ceiling investment and can be transferred interstate in the instance of a client moving residences at any point,” says Cassandra. With funds held in a trust, Cassandra says custom preplanned funerals can be paid in interest-free installments or upfront, with a 30 per cent deposit.

Tobin Brothers is a trusted funeral provider to the Canberra community for 75 years and Cassandra says: “We want people to know that they are in good hands from start to finish.”

Tobin Brothers Funerals, 101 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen, or 310 Anketell Street, Tuggeranong. Call 6295 2799, or visit tobinscanberrafunerals.com.au

• Cleaning and maintenance of grave sites

• Gold leafing and re-lettering of headstones

• Refurbish brass plaques

• Monthly packages including flowers

• Before and after photos with reports

• Find us on Facebook

Canberra Memorial Parks

Cremation – Burial – Memorialis ation

Sanctuary Creek memorial garden is now open at Gungahlin Cemetery for families to consider as a final resting place for loved ones. Offering a peaceful and tranquil memorialisation space, Sanctuary Creek has various Canberra-specific artworks, as well as a delightful blend of native and introduced plants, specifically selected for Canberra’s climate.

The boutique memorial space hosts water features and a covered rotunda area that can be used to hold small memorial services. Contours of Mount Ainslie have been used on a niche wall with round interment spaces representing the many walking trails on the mountain. The gang-gang cockatoo, bluebell flower and Black Mountain are also featured in the area. Integrating modern and traditional materials and colours, Sanctuary Creek provides a truly special memorialisation space for honouring and remembering loved ones.

To make an appointment to explore Sanctuary Creek, or for more information, contact our friendly team on (02) 6207 0000 or visit the Canberra Memorial Parks website.

www.canberramemorialparks.act.gov.au

Skilled stonemason celebrates 21 years of restorations

Celebrating 21 years in business, Karen Doyle says she continues to love working as a qualified stonemason and grave restorer.

Backed by a strong team and her own sons, Karen says she’s grateful for the ongoing support she’s received from the surrounding cemeteries and other stonemasons.

“Anyone can hit a stone,” she says.

“But there aren’t enough qualified stonemasons.”

It took her four years to learn and train in putting lettering back into stones, a skill she continues to master.

Karen says it’s important that the art of restoration isn’t lost forever.

“It’s honouring and remembering our past while protecting our future generations,” she says.

Time and environmental damage can take their toll on a gravesite, which is where Karen and her crew come in.

“Graves aren’t equipped to last 50 years down the track without some help,” she says.

32 years

Specialising in bronze restoration in brass gravestone plaques, where the elements have turned the metal green, Karen says there are few who are qualified to do the work she does.

From arranging flowers to grave restoration, she says it’s important to provide peace of mind for families to know that the graves are being cared for.

Grave Keepers. Call 0448 329200 or visit gravekeepers.com.au

Helping clients plan funerals ‘your way’ for 35 years

The locally owned and family run business, William Cole Funerals, has been helping people plan their loved ones’ funerals, their way, for 35 years.

“We do things your way,” says the owner of William Cole Funerals, Bill Cole.

“Unlike some of the multinationals, you’re not going to be handed over from one person to another.

“You’ll get a designated person who will build up a rapport with you. This means you’ll have a point of contact who knows the intricate details so there’s no guessing.”

Bill says the planning usually begins with a phone conversation.

“We then meet with them either at our premises or at their home,” he says.

“We can do everything with a clear head. We’ll contact all third parties such as the cemetery or crematorium, the celebrant, newspapers or organise flowers. We register the death on their behalf, too.

“We give people options, they make the decisions and we follow through on them.”

William Cole Funerals also has a lovely, bright chapel, The Bluegum Chapel, in Belconnen, where funerals can be held.

“It is modern in every way, but has also been designed to be flexible,” he says.

William Cole Funerals, 60 Nettlefold St, Belconnen. Call 6253 3655, email info@williamcolefunerals.com.au or visit williamcolefunerals.com.au

For 12 months Tender Funerals has provided loving and meaningful funerals for more than 140 families, says general manager, Catherine Prosser.

“We are a not-for-profit, community-led organisation that offers a wide variety of services, providing an opportunity for personal choice and preference, participation and the ability to design the process how a client may see fit,” she says.

“Every family is different, so instead of offering packages, we provide some starting points to help you work out what’s right for you and your family.”

For many, funerals can be a costly exercise and may put pressure on a grieving family.

“We provide at-cost services by charging only what it costs to deliver the funeral service that they want,” she says.

“We also have a fund that is set up from the payments of other services that allows us to help out those in need.

“This option helps pay for families who would otherwise be unable to afford a funeral.”

From cardboard coffins, mausoleums, vaults and crypts to cremation, Kristen says they pride themselves on the options they have available.

Kristen says they will host an open day of their facilities on Saturday, August 13. Book at tenderfunerals.com.au.

Tender Funerals,

AND CHILD

Expert help with one of the hardest jobs in the world

Being a mum is often referred to as being one of the hardest jobs in the world.

And finding the right balance between being a person and being a “mum” can be difficult.

It can also be time consuming trying to find the right advice, service or product for a child.

In this feature “CityNews” has compiled a guide to expert services, products, entertainment and activities for mums (and mums-to-be).

Empowering families to make informed health choices

Dr Bombell says the practice prides itself on being a one-stop-shop for families seeking multidisciplinary healthcare.

With more than 25 years of experience in women’s and children’s health and as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2008, Dr Bombell says she’s looking forward to further expanding her clinical services in the months ahead.

“Our strength lies in the collaborative approach of our team, where each clinician brings a unique skillset to the table,” she says.

“By working together, we provide com prehensive support that empowers families to make informed decisions and achieve the best possible outcomes for their health and well-being.

“It’s a privilege to guide someone through their journey to motherhood and being privy to witnessing their growth and transformation.”

Giving pre-schoolers a headstart on education

Kidstart is celebrating its 24th year working with children and owner Kristen O’Connor says it’s a privilege to allow parents and carers to have “all the educational fun with children without having to make the fun, just join in!”

“We are not a childcare centre, but provide classes with oppor tunities for each child to develop socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually through sequential programs full of fun, structured and stimulating activities

“We bring families together to create relationships and connections within the Canberra community.”

Always accepting enrolments with classes available for children aged five months to five years, Kristen says Kidstart has a program to suit all children before they start school.

Children under three attend classes with an adult, and children over three attend classes independently.

“If you want to assist your child to develop a lifelong love of learning, give them the headstart they deserve at Kidstart!” she says.

Operating since 1996, Kristen says Kidstart offers five different age-based programs.

She says it’s a privilege to see the children

thrive each day, from rolling over on the floor to learning phonics in their literacy program.

“We’re fortunate to have long-serving staff members dedicated to providing the optimum learning environment for all our children at Kidstart.

“There’s a special bond with teaching children, from when they are babies and seeing them grow and develop before heading off to school.

Kidstart Southside Education and Activity Centre, 65 Sternberg Crescent, Wanniassa. Visit kidstart.com.au

★ Classes for children 5 months to 5 years

★ Independent pre-preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds

★ Preschool PLUS for 4 and over

★ Emphasis on development of motor skills, academic and social skills

★ Preparing children for formal schooling by introducing structure and routines in a play based fun and creative atmosphere

Northside service offers quality early childhood care

Established in 1976, Northside Community Services has been meeting the community’s needs for almost 50 years.

Within Harrison, its early childhood centre caters to children as young as six weeks to school age.

“Our team is comprised of experienced and qualified early childhood teachers and educators dedicated to forming respectful and reciprocal relationships with children,” says centre manager, Abbegaile Guanzon.

“We believe that every child is unique and understand the importance of respecting, supporting and valuing time spent with children to help them flourish as individuals.”

Participating in government-funded initiatives such as the 3-Year-Old Initiative Program and the Preschool Program, Abbegaile says early childhood education

can change lives.

“These programs ensure accessible, play-based learning environments that nurture literacy, numeracy, social skills, self-regulation and resilience,” she says.

“Through our play-based programs, skilled educators and community-centered approach, we are committed to enriching the lives of children and their families.

“We highly value the quality time spent with children, prioritising our active engagement in every child’s learning and development.

“We work closely to create a strong sense of being, belonging and becoming for children and their families throughout the whole centre.”

Northside Early Childhood Centre, 24 Wimmera Street, Harrison. Call 6171 8050 or visit northside.asn.au

EARLY EDUCATION AT NORTHSIDE

Empowering learners with experienced and skilled educators who inspire excellence.

Harrison Early Childhood Centre

Our Approach

» Where safety meets learning: Our centre prioritises your child’s well-being.

» Choose stability and care: Our low child-to-staff ratio ensures personalised attention.

» Compliance and excellence: A safe, nurturing environment for your little ones.

» Conscious discipline for growing minds: Building a strong foundation for your child’s future.

Scan our QR code to secure your child’s spot in a safe, nurturing, and compliant environment.

Medical

Our GP obstetricians provide pregnancy and postnatal care, and labour care for women birthing at Queanbeyan Hospital. Our Women’s Health GPs provide pregnancy and postnatal care, baby checks, family planning services, office gynaecology and other women’s health services, as well as care of babies and children. Our specialist lactation GPs offer tongue tie release.

The Mother Hub is a specialist pregnancy and breastfeeding clinic in Deakin, run by Medical Director Dr Sarah Bombell and her team of dedicated Women’s Health professionals. We are excited to soon be offering a general GP service, in addition to our specialised care of pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies for feeding related problems

Our services include pre-pregnancy, antenatal and postnatal care, support with breastfeeding and bottle feeding challenges, tongue tie assessments and release, clinical psychology, counselling, diabetic education and osteopathy, as well as Women’s Health services including fertility, contraception and menopause care.

Midwifery

Our Endorsed Midwives and Lactation Consultants provide midwifery care for women including continuity of antenatal and postnatal care. As IBCLC’s, our lactation consultants provide speciality lactation care. Our midwives all have an extended scope of practice, and Medicare rebates are available for some services.

Allied Health

Our Clinical Psychologist and Counsellor focuses on the needs of women and families as they transition through pregnancy and early parenting. Our osteopaths provide care for babies with feeding difficulties and pre/post tongue tie release exercises, as well as care of women and older children. Our Research Officer manages the collation of data for the various projects Mother Hub is involved in. We are further expanding our allied health services soon.

GARDENING

Spring’s here, the work returns

By Jackie WARBURTON

As spring begins, gardeners will have something

the next two months, at least.

It’s open garden time and the quality of gardens presented by Open Gardens Canberra is getting better every year.

There are seasonal tickets available that offer entry into all the gardens through summer and into autumn. Some proceeds of ticket sales goes to provide local garden grants and community projects.

Past recipients include St Vincent’s Primary School for its Sustainability Garden Project and

WHILE September brings the sun, the soils are not warm. Which means it’s a little early to plant seeds for summer flowering and fruiting. If planted too early, they’ll sulk until the weather warms or rot in the cold.

So it’s best to plant out when just about all frosts are over, around mid-October. This will give seeds their best results and from there, stage seed sowing to extend the yield over the season and prevent a glut of produce in the kitchen.

The patch or area needs to be weed free, and all clumps of soil and clay broken up and raked or forked to a fine tilth.

There are different methods of sowing. but generally the smaller the seed, the less soil covering is needed.

Sowing carrots can be tricky with warmer days and various insects around. Placing shadecloth over the seed until germination will help keep the moisture in the soil and, once there is growth, it can be removed.

Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around seedlings to keep slaters, pill bugs and earwigs at bay.

Another alternative to keeping the bugs away is using kaolin clay on fruit trees and in the vegetable garden. Kaolin clay is a fine powder that protects plants from insects and birds attacking them. This powder’s protective film can be washed off at harvest or will wear off eventually.

As a crop protectant it’s suitable for stone fruit, grapes and vegetables. Kaolin clay can also be used on ornamentals such as viburnum for the pesky problem of thrips and it’s terrific for protecting plants from sunburn and heat stress.

FLOWERING now is the Arctotis Silver Dust series, which is a great plant for a dry space in the garden.

There’s my favourite, called Sunset, which is a beautiful pink, but there are many others such as Glow, a lovely orange, or yellow Sunshine. They can grow to a metre wide (no pruning is required) and have lovely grey foliage. They’re a cousin of the

gazania, but do not self-seed. Grown in the right spot, in a sunny area or rockery garden, they’ll thrive and flower for many months. And the more deadheading, the more flowers will come.

They also grow well with Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii ). Its everlasting, deep-purple flowers stand well above the foliage and fade to white with age. Its leaves are leathery and tough.

It is drought tolerant, once established, but can be fickle to grow in Canberra winters. However, in a sheltered spot, it will grow for many years though it doesn’t like root disturbance nor too much water. It would survive very well in dry shade.

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

Jottings…

• Feed all bulbs as they are growing and flowering.

• Trim lemon verbena shrubs hard now the frost is nearly over.

• Keep winter grass, flick weeds and sticky weed from flowering.

• Sow seed for summer flowers and plant in a month’s time.

By Helen MUSA

Little Miss

Film pays tribute to those powerful Italian women

By Helen MUSA

A film destined to warm the hearts of Italian-Australians will be one of the highlights of this year’s Italian film festival.

Signorinella: Little Miss, written, directed and produced by Angelo Pricolo, Jason McFadyen and Shannon Swan, will also be in general release from October and pays tribute to the powerful women who have sustained their families ever since Italians started migrating to Australia in the early part of the 20th century.

The diminutive Signorinella means something like “missy” or “little miss” and gives a hint of the cross-generational nature of the film, which speaks of the many women who began their lives in Australia as small children, young mothers or innocent, young, proxy brides.

The content of the film is remarkable for its specificity, but some stories are unexpected.

We see Jewish businesspeople join Italian seamstresses to make Melbourne’s Flinders Lane a fashion hub, with the Italians picking up a bit of Yiddish. Yet, according to seamstress Rosetta Pricolo, they were still referred to not by name, but by number.

Maybe that was better than being dismissed as a wog or dago, a taunt most of the film’s subjects experienced.

Chef and restaurateur Paula Toppi gives us the actual gargantuan menu that tenor Luciano

tiramisu at the end.

Bridal gown queen Mariana Boggio Hardwick tells us how being Italian had meant she brought a new view to the wedding industry.

Cathy Rossi Harris, the chairperson of Harris Farm Markets, tells what a cultural eye-opener their honeymoon in Italy was for her husband David before they came back and opened the business.

Elina Garreffa, of the sultana empire

Tabletop Grapes, describes the hard work of

daughter of fashion designer Carla Zampatti, who remembers when her mother was asked to design a Ford Laser.

Towards the end of the film we meet powerful figures such as politician Frank Arena, and super-singer Filippina Lydia “Tina” Arena, but the focus is more on the women behind the scenes.

When I catch up with co-director Angela Piccolo, he tells me that the title came from Achille Togliani’s Neapolitan song, which he

SHEARERS SHOWDOWN SHEARERS SHOWDOWN

still insist that we call it Napoli, not Naples,” he says,“the song just seemed to resonate”.

One of the most striking features of the movie is the way that Pricolo and the technical team have manipulated static images so that, for instance, a photo of a father waiting to greet his family first shows him with a grim look on his face which resolves into a smile and the movement continues.

“We were very conscious of the fact that using AI could be controversial,” Pricolo says,

“so we did it with full permission of the subjects, but most of them were so excited and one of them, 94 year-old Celestina Mammone, saw her father come to life for the first time in many years.”

“The incredible stories that we put together almost picked themselves,” he says, praising his colleagues McFadyen and Swan for helping discover the footage.

Narrated by star film actress Greta Scacchi, speaking with a natural Australian accent, the film mixes women who speak like Aussies with those who retain their Italian accents, often speaking with their hands.

As he proceeded to shoot interviews in private homes, Pricolo says he found that it put many of the subjects in their comfort zone to switch to Italian.

“In our section on proxy brides I first spoke to Carmela Rocca in English, but then we reverted to Italian and she lit up like a Christmas tree,” he says.

A key part of the film concerns the strong women from Griffith to Innisfail who took over the cane farms and other businesses when Italian-Australian men were interned as suspected enemy aliens during World War II.

“As the son of an Italian migrant, it is extraordinary to hear these stories,” Pricolo says, “but of course it’s not just a story of Italian immigrants, it’s a story of the many people who came to Australia, showing how through how many cultures, we are a better country.”

Italian Film Festival 2025, Palace Electric, September 19-October 16. Signorinella: Little Miss, September 20 and 28.

STREAMING The Office comedy folds (sort of) into The Paper

September marks the arrival of a spin-off to one of the most streamed TV shows of all time.

If you thought the story of The Office had well and truly reached its end then the show’s creators have news for you.

The Paper, a follow up to the beloved sitcom, has just launched its first season. It’s not the cubicles of paper company Dunder Mifflin where this new series is set, but rather the production desk of a struggling newspaper in Ohio called the Toledo Truth-Teller.

Domhnall Gleeson stars as Ned Sampson, an ambitious editor who wants to defibrillate the volunteer-run paper and return it to the days of being a community institution.

Alongside Gleeson is Sabrine Impacciatore playing Esmeralda Grand, a fiery, clickbaitdriven managing editor who has some very different ideas about the future of the paper.

So how does it all tie into The Office?

The connection is loose but it hasn’t stopped the show being firmly marketed as a spin-off.

So far Oscar Martinez, the savvy former employee of Dunder Mifflin, is the only returning character having now taken up a new role at the Toledo Truth-Teller.

The same documentary crew that featured in The Office are now back to chart the day-to-day life of the newsroom and Oscar is far from happy to see them again. Despite being the only returning character in the show’s trailers it doesn’t mean others might not also be back.

ARTS

The Office (US) is one of the most streamed shows of all time. In 2020 at the peak of the pandemic its popularity massively resurged, with close to 60 billion minutes of the show streamed by households across the world.

It wasn’t always the hit it’s known as today though.

When the sitcom first aired in 2005 the ratings were so low that NBC actually

IN THE CITY

Apple had just added videos to buy on its online platform iTunes; videos that could be downloaded to people’s iPods.

By then the iPhone wasn’t even out. These were the fifth generation iPods that today look like bricks, but back then were considered the slickest piece of tech on the market.

The Office just so happened to be one of the first television shows to become

Celebrating the human voice

National Opera Chorus presents Best of All Possible Worlds, a concert celebrating stories and the power of the human voice through music inspired by great literary works. Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, September 7.

Hawker College students are staging what they call the “deviously delicious” sci-fi smash musical, Little Shop of Horrors, at Murranji Theatre, Hawker. September 11-12.

To go with Alexandra Pelvin’s production of Joanna Norland’s play Lizzy, Darcy & Jane, Canberra Rep is holding “dress as your favourite Jane Austen character” evenings on September 5, 12, and 19 with lucky door prizes on those nights.

Green Oak is a small not-forprofit local theatre company producing original works. In its newest production, When He Cries, Paddy finds himself in prison, but on discovering his younger sister is in danger, tries from inside to keep her safe.

Belconnen Community

Theatre, September 11-14.

A performance of The Lark Ascending with soloist Georgina Chan and works by Bizet, Vaughan Williams and Dvořák, will mark a happy 20 years of Maruki Community Orchestra. Albert Hall, September 7.

Rusten House Art Centre, Queanbeyan, will welcome in spring with Kahli McLeod’s Shared Spaces: The Wildlife Next Door, depicting the animals and birds native to Braidwood, and Lost, jointly presented by Dennis Mortimer and

Lia Kemmis, which examines the impact of human activity on the environment. Until October 19.

SCanberra Art Gallery is presenting an exhibition, Wildflowers, by contemporary artist Rowdy Warren. At 100 Barrier Street, Fyshwick, until September 12.

Now in its 17th year, the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival has 283 finalists from 25 countries. There’ll be free public screenings at the National Museum of Australia on September 12.

The Austrian Harmonie Choir’s spring concert features singers Geoff Roberts and Evelyn Graham, and Linus Lee on piano. Harmonie German Club, September 7.

took off.

Thanks to the iPod, by the second season the show had secured enough of a fan base to keep it alive and once it found its own feet rather than trying too hard to emulate

its British predecessors, The Office became a phenomenon.

In a way, it could be considered something of an early version of streaming and to this day online space is where the show has continued to dominate.

Can The Paper recreate that kind of success?

Its dropped all 10 episodes in one go, something less and less popular shows are doing these days.

The decision indicates that the creators are hoping the binge model of watching, like what was once done on Itunes, will see the popularity ignite again.

In Australia, the show is available only on Foxtel’s streaming platform Binge.

Last year an Australian version of The Office released on Amazon Prime Video and despite brutal reactions from fans it still managed to become one of the most watched Australian debuts of all time.

At this time a decision on whether it will get a second season is still very much in the air, but it’s not looking good.

Fans can only hope that with some better writing, The Paper won’t be another wasted spin-off bound for the shredder.

Getting very into Bar Outro

It’s strange to begin a review of a new establishment by referring to its demise, but Bar Outro is only with us for a “moment of time”.

The name is a play on “outro”, the final section of a song that signals its end. Bar Outro – a wine bar and listening lounge – is temporary because the building it’s housed in, on Lonsdale Street, will eventually be knocked down and redeveloped.

In the meantime, pop by for creative food, cool tunes and a mix of playful and serious wines.

A main design feature of Bar Outro is thousands of vinyl records, played on a mighty impressive sound system. Listening is easy…

The wine list is extensive, expensive and requires serious study. We passed by the $5445 (not a typo) 2013 Salon Les Mesnil Blanc de Blanc champagne (France) and instead began our Outro experience with cocktails, loving every sip of the Native Dry Martini created with two types of gin, dry Vermouth and zesty lemon verbena ($24).

The menu is designed to share (except for the $35 cheeseburger). With lovely flatbread ($20), we enjoyed a small dish of super-smooth artichoke and cannellini bean dip ($5) and a vibrant green, punchy and acidic Dragoncello (tarragon) salsa ($5).

A masterpiece was the duck liver parfait with an intriguing hazelnut praline for added texture ($16). The balance was perfect and the parfait rich, creamy and decadent.

For fun we road-tested the chicken skin butter ($5) but wouldn’t again. While the crunchy bits of chicken skin were tasty, overall the dish lacked the savory, umami flavour we assumed would feature.

From the “small” section of the menu, we indulged in one of the best Vitello tonnato I’ve had in Canberra, with pretty Jerusalem artichoke

The Native Dry Martini… created with two types of gin, dry Vermouth and zesty lemon verbena.

chips decorating the thinly sliced veal. It was excellent ($28).

From the same section, we applauded the charred prawns, with intense prawn bisque and fried basil ($22 for two).

Moving to the menu’s “large” section, we ordered the tender, juicy chicken ballotine with apple puree and tarragon jus ($43), another admirable creation by the team in the kitchen. The stuffing was savory, the jus superb, and the mash heavenly. It married perfectly with an inventive baby gem lettuce salad featuring a perky dressing ($14). Back to the wine. A few options are available by

the glass, and the 2023 Lethbridge Chardonnay from Geelong was delicious ($24). The list’s many categories will attract serious wine aficionados, with most bottles over $100. The “white wine, lightning and limestone” section, for example, starts at $109 and tops off at $1050. The “macerated red, rose and chilled red” section starts at $119 and rises to $199.

Bar Outro is from the talented team behind Terra (Civic) and Recess (Griffith).

WINE / Hentley Farm, Barossa Valley

Big reds from this Barossa winery

It’s an edict of philosophy that knowing things end makes them special, especially when it comes to mortality.

So, these thoughts coalesce as we get older and make you reach out for life with both hands, including embracing the enjoyment of good wine.

The end of the Friday night winetasting sessions at the Hyatt provoked these thoughts for these events were immersive and satisfying, providing a regular source of entertainment in analysing and enjoying the fruits of the labour of certain winemakers.

Hentley Farm Wines, a Halliday five-star rated winery in the Barossa Valley.

display although it was a pleasant drink with the evening meal of roast chicken.

The last of these was from South Australia, Hentley Farm, another winery represented by Ron Molloy, who was again the wrangler on the night. Hentley Farm Wines is a Halliday five-star rated winery. It’s located in the Barossa Valley.

As a precursor to this tasting, a mate had brought to dinner the previous Sunday a 2022 Hentley Farm Cabernet Sauvignon that we found to be a wine that needed more time, with blackcurrant dominant on the palate, but also with subtle tones of mint and even lavender.

The tannins were a little grainy so the wine’s youth was on

The Friday tasting began with an unusual sparkling: the 2024 Blanc de Noir, a blend of pinot noir (55 per cent) and grenache (45 per cent). It has a very light pink colour. On the nose was a sweet element that was reminiscent of a musk lolly mixed with strawberry.

On the finish there were notes of green apple and red apple peel. Very different.

A young 2025 Eden Valley Riesling followed. This is a low-alcohol (11 per cent), fresh wine with a bright acidity that would be an ideal drink on a hot day with smoked chicken salad. Its lemony and slightly herbaceous finish was pleasant and this wine will only get more complex as it ages.

The third wine, The Stray, was a grenache (63 per cent), shiraz (35 per cent) blend with

a small element of zinfandel (2 per cent). It is a deep red colour, with a raspberry and dark cherry bouquet.

It had a savoury finish that Ron and I debated: I suggested that it was a little like dried oregano, but in the end doffed my cap to his conclusion of sage.

The tannins in this wine were not like the cabernet sauvignon I mentioned earlier but velvety. This is a very drinkable, big Barossa red with a nudge under 15 per cent alcohol by volume. It was my favourite of the night, a masterful blend.

As you would expect from a Barossa winery, there were two shirazes on offer. The first was 100 per cent shiraz, 2024.

My mate Ian, who accompanied me on the night, was by this point becoming metaphoric: he described this wine as a well-muscled teenager. Again it’s a big red wine that has a lovely plum nose and, in the already complex mix, a blackcurrant flavour on finish. This intensity of flavour will only become more pronounced with age.

The final offering was a shiraz (97 per cent) viognier (3 per cent), the Beauty Shiraz 2022. This is another big Barossa red with a nose of white flowers and anise. It has a palate that shows the sage that Ron and I argued about earlier, mixed with blueberries. The tannins are soft and this wine demonstrates the amazing result of blending even a small amount of viognier with shiraz. And finally, a joke about endings and renewals: Why did Romans have such a hard time with relationships? Because their X was always a 10.

HOROSCOPE PUZZLES

By Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Impatient Rams are keen to share information and exchange ideas with family, friends and work colleagues, but Saturn slows progress and Neptune confuses communication. And the week starts with a Lunar Eclipse that lights up your self-sabotage zone, so make sure your entertaining chatter doesn’t denigrate into gratuitous gossip. Friday and Saturday’s positive vibes are good for domestic activities, family get-togethers and revving up your daily routine.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

With Saturn now back in your peer group zone (until February 14, 2026) you’re learning some valuable lessons about friendship and loyalty. And this week’s Lunar Eclipse shines a bright light on work that still needs to be done. It’s also a good time to write a wish list of your most cherished hopes and dreams for the future. You can’t hit a bullseye if you haven’t got one! Saturday favours creative projects, plus socialising with family members and close friends.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

The week starts with a Lunar Eclipse activating your career zone, so do your best to complete old projects and promote new ones. Then, on Saturday, the Sun pairs up with your ruling planet, Mercury. So, get your creative juices flowing in imaginative new directions, focus your busy mind and sharpen your cerebral talents. It’s the perfect time to analyse, study, research and dig deep as you uncover a mystery or solve a perplexing problem (or two).

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

With jolly Jupiter jumping through your sign (which only happens every 12 years) Crabs are raring to go! And the Lunar Eclipse activates your travel and education zones, so it’s time to make plans for a future trip or a new course of study. On Friday, do something special that makes your heart sing. Be inspired by writer Marian Keyes (who turns 62 on Wednesday): “When happiness makes a guest appearance in one’s life, it’s important to make the most of it.”

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

It’s a big week for colourful Cats that starts with a Lunar Eclipse in your intimacy/ secrets/trust zone. And then Friday’s Sun/Jupiter link is terrific for initiating creative ideas, making financial progress and having plenty of fun. So, it’s time for lively Lions to seize the day and make ambitious plans as you sparkle and shine! Be inspired by birthday great, poet Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

The week starts with a Lunar Eclipse in your relationship zone, so there’s a tendency to become obsessed with a person (or idea). You’re putting in 100% effort but don’t be disappointed if the results aren’t perfect – you’ll learn more from perceived ‘failures’ than you will from successes. Draw inspiration from Virgo film star Sophia Loren: “It’s better to explore and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.”

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

It’s a good week to reimagine and restructure your day-to-day life, as Saturn and the Lunar Eclipse activate your work, wellbeing and daily routine zones. Perhaps you can make your diet more nutritious, your exercise program more regular or your work practises more streamlined. Then Saturday is the perfect day to put the worries of the world aside as you organise some concentrated ‘me time’ for meditation, contemplation and relaxation.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

The Sun and Mercury are visiting your peer group zone, while Saturn and the Lunar Eclipse stimulate your friendship zone. So, a close friend could frustrate you or an acquaintance could give you some confusing information. Avoid the temptation to sulk, stew and simmer. A double dose of Scorpio charm and diplomacy will get you through, with your reputation (and sanity) intact! Friday is fabulous for traveling and socialising with your peer group.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

This week – as the Sun, Saturn and the Lunar Eclipse stir up your work and home zones – expect a domestic drama or a professional challenge. So do your best to be unusually diplomatic with a cranky colleague or a recalcitrant relative. Blunt honesty isn’t the best policy – communication will improve with some creative sugar-coating. A pinch of patience and a dollop of sensitivity (not your usual modus operandi) will help smart Sagittarians sail through.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Monday’s Lunar Eclipse energises your communication and education zones, so it’s a wonderful week to be a conversational student of life. And with courageous Mars charging through your career and life direction zones, it’s also time to grab opportunities with both hands and make some bold, brave moves. Your motto for the moment is from writer (and birthday great) DH Lawrence: “I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Saturn, the Sun, Mercury and the Lunar Eclipse are all stirring up your finance zone, so impulse buys today could lead to cashflow problems tomorrow. Astute Aquarians will avoid making expensive purchases or major money moves, as you’re currently inclined to view your financial situation through decidedly rose-coloured glasses. Saturday’s Sun/Mercury hook-up is good for sharing intimacies, researching a project or uncovering a secret.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

The week starts with a Lunar Eclipse in Pisces. However, if you daydream the week away then you’ll just end up feeling dazed and confused. Try channelling your creative energy into friendships, joint ventures and group projects. You’re keen to pursue a particular course of action but is a loved one on the same page? Take the time to double-check, otherwise you could find you are veering off in completely different directions. Clear communication is the key.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2025

is charged with the control of an institution etc? (8)

What is a domesticated ass? (6)

1

2

3 Which substance blunts the senses? (8)

4 To injure something irretrievably is to do what? (4)

5 Name an earlier term for silver. (6)

6 What is wanton violence stemming from excessive pride? (6)

12 In which direction does the sun rise? (8) 13 What is an agent sent on a mission? (8)

15 Name a prolific US inventor Thomas ...? (6)

16 What are bailiffs or stewards known as? (6)

17 Which small pointed instrument is used for making holes in cloth etc? (6)

20 Name a former Australian champion squash player; Geoff ...? (4)