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Hip-hop Lesson in Greek love
HELEN MUSA
I don’t see anybody defending the invisible
ANTONIO DIDIO Wine surprises and silver linings
RICHARD CALVER
A voice that touches the heart GELAREH POUR, the music festival’s classical Persian star
“Who will benefit from your Will?” Speak to Ashilpa Khanna
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MON 25 APRIL 2022 Join us at the Australian War Memorial to remember all Australians who have served and died in war and on operational service, past and present.
PRE-DAWN READINGS 4.30 AM Captain Reg Saunders Courtyard and Sculpture Garden DAWN SERVICE 5.30 AM Captain Reg Saunders Courtyard and Sculpture Garden RSL (ACT BRANCH) VETERANS’ MARCH 9.30 AM Captain Reg Saunders Courtyard and Sculpture Garden LAST POST CEREMONY 4.45 PM Watch live at awm.gov.au/anzac
Free bus services will run for the Dawn Service and Veterans’ March. See transport.act.gov.au for details. For information about the commemorations, road closures, and parking visit awm.gov.au/anzac AWM A02022
NEWS / the four-day working week
Well written, well read
Phone: 6189 0777 | Since 1993: Volume 28, Number: 16
Fewer hours, same pay, will Canberra be first? By Nick
OVERALL THE ACT government is considering a four-day working week for Canberra’s public service. A government Committee on Economy and Gender Economic Equality (EGEE) says the change could increase worker happiness, productivity and job commitment, with an inquiry report citing a range of research pointing towards the benefits. For example, in 1926 Henry Ford, of Ford Automotive, became one of the first in the world to drop the working week from six days to five for factory workers. In turn, the company saw an increase in both productivity and profits, inspiring many other automotive manufacturers to do the same. It was a similar story for cereal company Kellogg’s, whose factories saw a reduction in accidents by 41 per cent after introducing a six-hour work day. Multiple countries are considering or implementing the change. One 2015 study in Iceland, which carried out a trial program of a fourday working week found no reported drop in productivity. And this year, Belgium passed laws making it one of the first countries
The Ford assembly line in the 1920s… one of the first companies in the world to drop the working week from six days to five for factory workers.
Dr Bruce Baer Arnold… “This is very much a feel-good proposal.”
in the world to introduce a four-day working week. Belgian citizens have the choice of a normal five-day roster, or they can add two hours to four working days in order to score a three-day weekend, a model known as the “compressed workweek”. However, the proposal in Canberra suggests a work-time reduction altogether, rather than a compression of working hours, and without any loss of pay. The inquiry report says it could also prove beneficial in reshaping attitudes about gender roles. According to the report, women are four times more likely than men to give up paid work to do unpaid care work. The report says a reduction in work time could promote greater
Maccas or a coffee shop, they’re not there on long-term contracts, they don’t get the benefits associated with longterm contracts and it’s quite common for people in these environments to get a call to work on the weekend,” he says. “The committee’s discussion paper does not engage with issues in contexts where these highly skilled but precarious workers are tacitly required to work longer, in other words in their own time and under greater scrutiny, for a chance of another short-term employment opportunity. “Little of the theorisation offers a robust analysis of whether the productivity gains would indeed enable corporations to shift to that three-day weekend without reductions in remuneration, job reduction or increases in insecure employment.
equality and reframe the value of jobs that are traditionally regarded as “women’s work”. The ACT public service has embraced the proposed change, saying in a submission to the government’s inquiry that it could make Canberra “one of the most progressive cities in the world”. But while the benefits seem attractive, how feasible is a reduced working week? Dr Bruce Baer Arnold, an associate professor of law at the University of Canberra, believes that such a change could cause major unequal disparities across different industries and sectors. He says the government’s proposal doesn’t consider the lived experience of insecure workers and their families. “Those working for a big hotel or
“We could hope that all employers would play nicely, but it’s quite likely many of them will behave in ways that we would think are just wrong.” Dr Arnold said the repercussions could extend to workers in the public sector, with around 23 per cent of the ACT public service currently insecurely employed. “The paper appears to be premised on the notion that the reduction of work time for secure employees will result in productivity gains sufficient not to require additional staff, in other words, will not result in opportunities for secure employment of people who are currently insecure workers,” he says. “This is very much a feel-good proposal, it looks nice, but it’s under analysed,” he says. “It is necessary to recognise that the Legislative Assembly has significantly weaker authority than the national government to reshape the working environment of people who are in secure and insecure employment, in particular through work time reduction. “I think there are real questions about the proposal in absence of a real social agreement about overall working conditions. “I suspect that for a lot of businesses in a lot of sectors it’s just not going to work and we might indeed be harming people rather than benefiting them. “We need a more meaningful public discussion.”
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NEWS / Pets in the Park
How pet help helped ‘Happy’ reach a better place By Lily
PASS “YEARS ago now I had a lot of problems in my life, I was making a lot of bad choices and it ended up leading to homelessness,” says “Happy”, 46. “The only thing really keeping me going were my two dogs.” Eventually, Happy (who has asked us not to use his real name) says, he got into a program through St Vincent de Paul, “Street to Home”, which helped him navigate the realities of being homeless, and he was encouraged to engage with groups and services to help improve his situation. Through “Street to Home”, Happy found Pets in the Park. “I had two dogs, nine and 10 years old, and they were my everything,” he says. “But, of course, at that age, they were starting to have some issues, so it was an absolute godsend that I found Pets in the Park.” Through Pets in the Park, Happy’s dogs were desexed, one of them had a hernia operation and the other was cured of a toe infection. A vet of 23 years, Alison Taylor is a founding committee member of Canberra’s Pets in the Park.
“Happy” with his new dog Panda… “There are still occasions Vet Alison Taylor and Tilly… “As a vet, you just want all animals where I go without, but Panda never has to.” Photo: Lily Pass to be as happy and healthy as they can be.” Photo: Issy Doszpot Clinics are run monthly, and Alison says they see between 15 and 30 clients in their two-hour session. “It’s mainly preventative healthcare so worming, fleas, heartworm prevention and vaccinations, but we do a reasonable amount of care beyond that, too,” she says, and major pet operations are held quarterly. “As a vet, you just want all the animals to be as happy and healthy as they can be, and whilst there’s an element of responsibility in owning a pet, we acknowledge that some people are not in a position at various times in their
life to necessarily pay full price for the care that the pets need.” Happy found himself growing more confident, he says, as he continued to visit Pets in the Park for his two dogs, and offered his own help. “The beauty was they allowed me to come and volunteer with them. I was gaining experience dealing with people again, and feeling rewarded for doing something good.” “Unfortunately, my dogs got too old and had to be put down. But I still went to Pets in the Park. “I got there once and everyone of
them came and gave me a hug, I even got a card from one of them and they would send me messages of support. “They’re not only helping the animals, they’re helping the person as well and that is such a powerful thing.” A week went by, and Happy felt as though he’d lost his happiness, so he got a new puppy, Panda, now eight months old. “A lot of my decision came down to knowing that I did have support, and I cannot thank Pets in the Park enough for that. Instantly, my happiness was back. I have my friend, someone who
gives me a little bit more happiness. “Her lead, her collar, even the food in her tummy today was provided by Pets in the Park.” Pets in the Park offer donated biscuits, cans of food and other pet necessities. “It’s little things like that, that take the pressure off you,” says Happy. “Especially when you’re rebuilding your life, it really does matter. They’ve been such a wonderful part of getting my life back on track, helping to keep my life on track and moving forward into the future.” Happy’s time spent volunteering with Pets in the Park gave him the skills he needed to begin applying for jobs again and he found himself a support network. “Without them I would have been lost, allowing me to help them out did so much for me,” he says. After spending nine months homeless, Happy now has gained a few shifts in part-time employment and has managed to find a place for Panda and himself to call home. “Truth is I’m still rebuilding my life, and Pets in the Park is one of the few services I still access. “There are still occasions where I go without, but Panda never has to.” Pets in the Park is run on the third Sunday of each month, 2pm-4pm, at 69 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra. Email canberra@petsinthepack.org.au
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NEWS / the power of knitting
Needles brought Caterina back from the brink By Belinda
STRAHORN CANBERRA’S Caterina Sullivan picked up a set of knitting needles four years ago when her life turned upside down after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Stitch after stitch, row after row, knitting became a calming distraction for the then 23-year-old, allowing her to focus on other things than her medical prognosis. “The tumour was tiny, but it was sitting on the wrong spot on my pituitary gland,” says Sullivan. “I was sick all the time, I had migraines every two days, hot flushes, and erratic mood swings. It was horrible.” Life was to throw up further challenges for Sullivan, a sustainability advocate and 2017 Young Australian of the Year finalist. Not only did she have to battle a brain tumour, she also suffered from three strokes, and had to learn to walk again. “I couldn’t move from the neck down,” she says. “I could barely eat, it was so much effort to chew.” Sullivan heavily relied on the help of her parents; retired bakery owners
NO FINANCIAL CHECKS.
Caterina Sullivan… “I give knitting a lot of credit for the fact that I have a lot of movement back these days.” Photo: Belinda Strahorn who had temporarily moved to Canberra from Perth to take care of their daughter. “I couldn’t go anywhere without mum and dad,” Sullivan says. “A two-minute walk would take us over half an hour with a parent on either side supporting me as I shuffled along. “I was exhausted and emotionally drained; I didn’t even know what I wanted for my life anymore.” At a low point, Sullivan turned to knitting and discovered its therapeutic benefits. “It helped emotionally being able to completely give myself to something
and create something beautiful because at that point I was suicidal.” First taught to knit as a five-yearold by her mother, Sullivan didn’t get serious about knitting until she became ill. She says the “repetitive” nature of knitting helped challenge her brain, ease her anxiety, and help her focus on the task at hand. “I give knitting a lot of credit for the fact that I have a lot of movement back these days,” says Sullivan. “It was something I could slowly build up over time, and it was a good brain challenge to create my own knitting patterns.”
sirens going, and the paramedics yelling that I needed a CT scan because I’d had a stroke.” A four-year-long battle back to health followed, but today Sullivan lives tumour-free after undergoing brain surgery in 2020. “We knew the surgery was risky, I could have ended up in a permanently vegetative state, I could have lost my sight or had another stroke,” Sullivan says. “But everything was successful, and I was sitting up knitting soon after the surgery.” You’d expect that life may have slowed down for the 26-year-old, but it hasn’t. As well as launching her own design label, Sullivan sells recycled yarn through a second business she’s created called Fancy Yarns. The knitwear designer also hosts a political podcast, runs a blog and has her own YouTube channel. “I’m now back to the person I was,” says Sullivan. “The mood swings, headaches, and hot flushes have gone.” Sullivan has faced multiple health challenges in recent times, but life finally had a good surprise waiting for her. “In the middle of it all, I met my forever person – John,” says Sullivan. “We are now planning our wedding, and expecting a baby.”
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Using bright yarns and her own patterns, Sullivan began to create oneof-a-kind knitted garments, which she now sells under the label Louise Clare Designs. It is obvious, looking around Sullivan’s home, that she is creative. Boxes of yarn and knitting materials are stacked neatly in her Barton home. When we meet, Sullivan is wearing some of her creations – a multi-coloured cardigan and a pink halter neck top – both lovingly hand knitted. Raised in Perth, Sullivan moved to Canberra when she was 16. Starting out in the public service, she then took a role working alongside the United Nations in New York, helping to launch its 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development program. Returning to the ACT, she helped found the Global Goals Australia Campaign, and set up her own sustainability consultancy business. It was during this time, in 2018, that her health deteriorated. Sullivan can still recall the circumstances of a brain bleed that led to her first stroke. “I was unpacking some yarn with mum and I felt a snap in my head, it was like a piece of bubble wrap popping,” says Sullivan. “I then experienced a few seconds of euphoria where I felt as if I was floating. “The next memory I had was being in the back of an ambulance with the
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Opening hearts and minds of the future
Enrolling Now for 2023 St John Paul II College (JPC) is a welcoming and inclusive learning community where diversity is embraced and learning outcomes are maximised for each individual. The college is a flagship in education and provides a unique, innovative educational environment where all students can flourish.
Key dates: • Try JPC Day (for Year 7 2023 students) | Friday 6 and Monday 9 May 2022 • Open Evening (all prospective families) | Wednesday 4 May 2022 commencing at 4.30pm • Senior College Expo (Year 9-12 Students) | Wednesday 11 May 2022 at 4.30pm • School Tours – Small group tours are available during May | Bookings are essential
For more information visit our website www.jpc.act.edu.au
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POLITICS / Election 2022
Good people with very little chance of winning THE major parties would have us believe that we are in a presidential election. We can either vote for Scott Morrison or Anthony Albanese. The traditional media are complicit in this deception. We live in a Westminster parliamentary democracy. Voters might wish to know who is the most likely leader of a party going into government. However, the reality is that they vote for their local representative. It is that representative, along with their colleagues, who will determine who is the prime minister. So, who are those standing to be our local representatives? In Canberra, there is a pretty good understanding about our Senate candidates. But they are not the ones who determine the prime minister. Labor’s Senator Katy Gallagher is on pretty firm ground for re-election. Senator Zed Seselja is more vulnerable – but it will still take a significant swing to unseat him. The three ACT House of Representatives’ electorates are all looking fairly solid for Labor. However, there are substantive challengers. The challengers will really only have a chance if the notion of the presidential election focused solely on Morrison and Albanese takes a back-burner in the ACT.
8 CityNews April 21-27, 2022
Nathan Kuster… standing in Jane Hiatt… taking a shot Fenner. in Bean. Andrew Leigh has represented his electorate and contributed substantially to the intellectual competency of the Labor Party and the parliament as a whole. With redistribution, he moved from the seat of Canberra to the seat of Fenner in North Canberra. He is a strong candidate. However, the Liberal challenger, Nathan Kuster, should not be dismissed as a lightweight. Nathan lives in Bonner in the heart of the electorate of Fenner. He is a small-business owner and manager of a law firm specialising in supporting families and other small businesses, and a strong contributor. He was born and raised in Canberra studying law at the University of Canberra. The alternatives in the electorate of Fenner are the Greens’ Natasa Sojic or United Australia Party’s Tracey Page. Considering the dominance of Labor in Fenner, it is difficult to see
Slade Minson… a candidate for Canberra.
the conservative UAP getting many votes. However, Green representation by a woman who is both an environmental scientist and engineer would have been an interesting alternative had Andrew Leigh proven to be a poor representative. Campaigning against the incumbent in the seat of Canberra will also be challenging. Labor’s Alicia Payne has held the seat for her first term as a member of the House of Representatives. Her Liberal Party challenger is property developer and real estate agent Slade Minson. Slade has lived in Canberra for three decades and argues that he is proud to raise his family in Canberra. The Greens candidate, Tim Hollo, has an impressive political CV and has built a presence in Canberra. He understands politics and media, having been the communications
The challengers in the ACT have credibility... They should be admired as they have been generous enough to come forward and ensure our democracy continues to work effectively.
director for Senator Christine Milne and a campaigner and board member for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. Considering the support that got so many Greens members into the Assembly, there is an outside chance if the Labor campaign takes a nosedive. In the south of Canberra, the seat of Bean is held by David Smith, who had a rocky entry into ACT politics. When Gallagher lost her seat over citizenship issues, he was appointed as the replacement. With citizenship sorted, he was then sidelined while Katy was preselected for the Senate. However, he was then selected by Labor for the safe seat of Bean. His first speech in the House concludes with a quote that
is revealing – “the opportunity to serve – that is all we ask”. The challenger from the Liberals is navy veteran and small business owner, Jane Hiatt. The mother of four has lived in south Canberra for more than 30 years and has been a strong community member involved in coaching sports and a range of school and community boards. The Greens have selected an accountant and business manager, Kathryn Savery, for their challenge in Bean. Accountability and integrity in politics are issues that are highlighted for her campaign. The challengers in the ACT do have credibility but it would require a significant swing for them to oust the incumbents. They should be admired as they have been generous enough to come forward and ensure our democracy continues to work effectively. There is more of Michael Moore at citynews.com.au
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NEWS FEATURE / vaccination
Facing a fourth covid vaccine dose this winter With new research detailing the quick waning of our third-dose immunity, it’s likely the coming covid surge means we’ll need a fourth covid vaccine as we hit winter, writes NATHAN BARTLETT. WHEN I began drafting this article, COVID-19 cases in Australia were coming down and the situation was stabilising. New research released in February showed a fourth covid vaccine dose didn’t add much extra protection on top of a third dose. It looked as if doling out fourth doses to all Australians was unnecessary. Unfortunately, the situation has changed again, and so has the risk calculation. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said last week Omicron sub-variant called BA.2 was on the rise in Australia, and NSW should expect the variant to overtake Omicron and for cases to more than double in the next six weeks. Experts expect BA.2 to become Australia’s dominant strain in the next few months. Early estimates suggest BA.2 is between 25 per cent and 40 per cent more transmissible than Omicron (BA.1), and is already taking off in countries including Denmark, Sweden and the UK. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) doesn’t yet recommend fourth doses for everyone, but they’re already available for severely immunocompromised Australians. Coupled with new research detailing the quick waning of our third dose immunity, it’s likely the coming surge means we’ll need a fourth covid vac-
Too late for an Omicron-specific vaccine
COVID-19 vaccine… It’s important to note three doses of a covid vaccine are providing excellent protection from severe illness for most people. cine as we hit winter. Here’s why.
Booster immunity waning quickly It’s clear a third dose improves immunity substantially. But new research published this month in the “New England Journal of Medicine” shows immunity from third doses is waning quickly. Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron dropped to around 45 per cent 10 weeks after a Pfizer third dose. The main reason for this is because Omicron has many mutations, which means it looks very
YOUR VOTE MATTERS Are you fed up with the major political parties? Do you want the electorate of Bean to be the focus of your Member’s attention, not the dictates of a political party or group? Do you want a Member whose focus is his constituents and their wellbeing? And who cares about the things you care about, such as the cost of living, health, education, aged care, proper and dignified social welfare, and a sensible approach to protecting the environment, it is time to elect an independent. I am a lawyer, with extensive private sector experience. I have had 22 years of experience as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island, including as a Minister and as Speaker. I have worked in Canberra, and for many years as a lawyer in Norfolk Island. I have also worked in roles such as a cab driver, ambulance officer, truck driver, plant operator and more. If you agree that it is time to have a Member who is prepared to get his hands dirty, and to also ensure that all of your queries are answered, on 21 May 2022 you will be able to make a difference. You will be able to VOTE 1 BROWN FOR BEAN Though I presently live (and have done so for more than 45 years) at the eastern extremity of the electorate of Bean, if elected I will live for at least 90 percent of my time in Canberra, where I will have a very active and accessible electorate office, and proudly do my best for every resident and business in the electorate.
YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
VOTE 1 BROWN FOR BEAN Authorised by John Brown, Independent candidate for Bean, 85C Taylors Road, Norfolk Island 2899. Email: lawyer@norfolk.net.nf
10 CityNews April 21-27, 2022
different to the original strain from which our vaccines are based. Only a subset of the immune cells these vaccines generate can effectively tackle Omicron, which means our immunity wanes quicker. Specifically, we generate fewer “neutralising antibodies” that can tackle Omicron. These are a type of antibody important for protection against infection. This is almost certainly the case for BA.2, as well, which shares similar mutations to Omicron but some different ones, too. Research is only just beginning into BA.2 so we don’t yet know how effective our vaccines are against it. But it’s likely their effectiveness is similarly reduced as with Omicron BA.1. It’s important to note three doses of a covid vaccine are currently providing excellent protection from severe illness for most people. But by Australian winter – normally the height of cold and flu season – most people will have had their third dose more than four months ago, leaving us at greater risk of infection. So it makes sense to boost our antibodies again. One pre-print study, yet to be reviewed by other scientists, showed a fourth dose tops up your antibody response to the peak level provided by the third dose. Though it doesn’t give additional protection, restoring antibodies to third-dose levels will be important as winter approaches and risk of virus transmission increases. But this, of course, must be weighed against the ethics of dispensing fourth doses when many people in developing countries haven’t had their first two doses.
It’s hard to tell how vulnerable we are In 2021 health authorities broadly knew the population’s level of immunity against covid. Authorities knew how many people had two vaccine doses at any one time and how well the vaccines worked against Delta, and there were very low rates of infection. But now, millions of us have been infected, at different times, some with a third dose and some without. It’s also likely many of us have been infected without knowing it. So it’s very hard for us to know the level of immunity the population has. This makes estimating how vulnerable Australia is to BA.2 and future variants very difficult. In this environment of uncertainty, allowing Australians to get a fourth dose would increase collective immunity and help us weather the rise of BA.2 during a winter where other cold and flu viruses are expected to make a comeback.
Evidence suggests Omicron is good at evading the immunity we get from our current covid vaccines. This is because the variant has many mutations, which means it looks very different to the original strain, from which our vaccines are based. A vaccine tailored to Omicron would, in theory, provide better protection. But the question is, how much better than a boost with current vaccines? Early evidence suggests not much. And by the time an Omicron-specific vaccine is rolled out, BA.2 will likely already be dominant. So how do we tackle a virus adept at mutating and evading immunity? A “universal” or “variant-proof” covid vaccine could solve this conundrum. These are vaccines targeting a part of the virus that’s required for infection but that doesn’t readily change (scientists call this “conserved”), meaning they’re more likely to work across different variants. These are in development. It’s possible we’ll have a prototype for such a vaccine in the next couple of years.
Nasal sprays could be a game changer The fact mRNA vaccines could achieve over 90 per cent protection against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 is exceptional, because it’s very challenging for a vaccine injected into your arm to ward off a respiratory virus. Respiratory viruses replicate in the cells lining the airways. That begins in the nose and throat, and if infection progresses, down into the airways in the lungs. The airways are at the interface of the body and the outside environment. Getting specialised immune cells from your bloodstream to the airways, particularly the nose and throat, is a big ask for an immune response initiated in your arm. This is where intranasal vaccines and treatments come in. My team has helped develop an immune-stimulating nasal spray that’s entering phase 2 clinical trials for covid and influenza. This works by boosting innate immunity in the tissue lining your airways to attack the virus at the point of entry in the nose and throat. The aim is to prevent the virus from replicating there and making its way deeper into the respiratory tract where it can cause severe lung disease. It also reduces the amount of virus shedding in the nose and throat which should reduce the risk of onward transmission.
Where to from here? Managing covid is becoming more complicated now, and it’s impossible to predict where we’ll be a few months from now. As new variants continue to arise, it’s very difficult to understand how immune we are. Monitoring and characterising new variants is essential. As new variants emerge, we need to understand how infectious and severe they are, and then adapt our vaccination strategy. This type of surveillance is what we do for the flu every year. It could take years, but as time goes on and our immunity continues to mature, hopefully covid settles to become a more stable, predictable, milder disease that can be effectively managed with the help of a range of new variant-proof vaccines and treatments. Nathan Bartlett, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle. This article is republished from The Conversation.
SPORT / infrastructure spending
Local sport needs federal promises to grow CANBERRA is a proud sporting city. From our teams such as the Raiders, Brumbies and Capitals representing the ACT in national competitions to those playing socially on a weeknight, sport is a big part of the territory’s identity. However, over recent years there has been a feeling among some of Canberra’s sporting organisations that federal government spending in local infrastructure has been lacking. It’s something those organisations, and some candidates, want addressed by whoever is successful when Canberrans head to the polls next month. Hockey ACT CEO Rob Sheekey oversees the operations of the facility in Lyneham. It hosts about 10,000 visitors every week and houses eight commercial businesses to help generate revenue. The costs of running the facility are continuing to climb as its value depreciates, which is a challenge for a not-for-profit community sport, especially with a lack of federal support. “What has been happening across Canberra is that the ACT government has been the major supplier of government infrastructure funding, as the territory has received very little in the way of infrastructure upgrades from the federal government’s poli-
Team player… Senate aspirant David Pocock spends some time talking to players at the Lyneham Hockey Centre. Photo: Simon Anderson cies,” said Mr Sheekey. “We are the largest hockey centre of any state and territory per capita and we have around $40-50 million in infrastructure. “Over the last 10 years we received $10,000 in federal government investment for that infrastructure. “It is not just our organisation, many sporting organisations in Canberra are struggling with infrastructure costs and we are looking for a voice to push that agenda that the ACT deserves a greater share.” Independent Senate candidate David Pocock hopes to be that voice, given his background with sport in
the ACT as a former player for the ACT Brumbies. “So many of our sports have the highest participation rates in the country,” said Mr Pocock. “People in Canberra are active and involved and a lot of them are crying out for more investment in facilities to be able to cope with demand. “At the moment we have very little long-term thinking for Canberra. We don’t have the big revenue streams of some of the states so there is a real need for the federal government and the ACT government to work together.
“We have had programs like the ‘Community Sport Infrastructure Program’. Being such a safe Labor area, it is no surprise that not many Canberra clubs benefitted from that. “We need to make sure funding is more fairly distributed on a needs basis, rather than for political gain.” Hockey has seen this type of spending first hand, where facilities in marginal electorates across the border received more federal support than in the ACT. “Goulburn and Queanbeyan, just for hockey, have received around $6-7 million worth of federal government funding for hockey pitches and infrastructure,” said Mr Sheekey. “Last election, the ACT government received $6 million in total across all sports investment in infrastructure funding.” “That puts into scale the disparity between what we are getting and what some of our neighbours in marginal federal electorates are receiving.” Looking beyond a three-year election cycle is part of the reason Pocock is throwing his hat in the ring for a political tilt. “For me the huge value of sport is something that allows people to
come together and get involved in a community and learn life skills,” said Mr Pocock. “We see the benefits of sport for health and mental health from community sport that I think are a fundamental part of our society, but it needs to be accessible and we need to have facilities around Canberra – particularly in new areas across the territory.” As well as local sport, we can expect to see the stadium debate again feature as part of the election campaign. After playing at GIO Stadium with the Brumbies for years, Pocock has raised the idea of a new major stadium and convention centre in the city’s CBD as a need in the not-too-distant future, while upgrades to Vikings Park in Canberra’s south have been floated by Liberal Senator Zed Seselja. Labor’s Katy Gallagher believes Canberra deserves to have major infrastructure facilities to attract tourism and support jobs just like other state capitals around the country.
Seeking Wisdom in a Spirited Learning Community Try a Day Wednesday 4 May We invite prospective Year 7 students to be a St Clare’s student for the day. Register your daughter’s attendance today on the College website. Open Evening Thursday 5 May Register your attendance today on the College website.
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Year 11 2023 Information Evening Thursday 2 June Come along to discover the many courses and leadership opportunities available for senior students.
P: 02 6260 9400 | E: enrolments@stcc.act.edu.au | www.stcc.act.edu.au | #seekwisdom CityNews April 21-27, 2022 11
BRIEFLY
A scene from “Someone to Talk To”.
The need to find a soulmate THE Australia China Friendship Society will host a screening of the 2016 drama “Someone to Talk To” at the Southern Cross Club Jamison, 7.30pm, Wednesday, April 27. The film examines loneliness and alienation in contemporary Chinese society and the desire/need to find a soulmate. The dialogue is in Mandarin with English subtitles. Visitors welcome, $2 donation at the door.
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CANBERRA MATTERS / Bill Pye Park
YWCA hisses at locals opposing development THE ACT government’s planning system and processes are no longer fit for purpose. They have been corrupted by ad hoc, ill-informed and illogical decisions. Today the Planning Directorate functions as a property development unit. The directorate is known for its laissez-faire approach to development. Whatever the developers put up for consideration, provided enough meaningless boxes are ticked, travels over the desks of those nominated as the planning authority for that day. Checking against the planning rules is regarded as an archaic process. Residents have unpleasant experiences with the ACT government’s dodgy approach to development. The most recent being the experience of Ainslie residents dealing with Canberra’s YWCA and its applications to build units on the corner attached to Bill Pye Park. This is also a case of residents getting between a very generously funded corporatised organisation and a bucket of money. Another layer of the residents’ experience has been to observe how compliant the Planning Directorate is to the wishes of YWCA Canberra as a developer chasing yields.
Another of the residents’ experience has been to observe how compliant the Planning Directorate is to the wishes of YWCA Canberra as a developer chasing yields.
The development application for units outside the YWCA’s rooms in Bill Pye Park… surely someone in this government or its bureaucracy can identify with how Ainslie residents value their cherished park. Photo: Paul Costigan When the development application (DA) was approved, residents identified that rules were ignored. An appeal to the Appeals Tribunal was successful with a list of reasons given why the development failed. The outcome was obvious, that the chief planner, being the ACT’s planning authority, had failed to assess the development against the rules. Then things got really dodgy! Rules were varied that suited this development. Apparently, large trees will no longer hinder solar with their shadows, even if the developer builds next to them. Another DA appeared in February with minor amendments. Residents
saw that it still had planning issues including being poorly designed and inappropriate for this site. Why didn’t the Planning Directorate knock back this new faulty DA? A public campaign was launched by the YWCA against the residents along the lines that they were denying housing for disadvantaged people. Having heaps more housing for the disadvantaged is exactly what the locals want the government to do. However, in this case the developers and the ACT government want to remove trees and demolish the former community facilities (there go the trees again). Residents would much rather have the facilities
revamped for wider community use and for them to be again integrated with Bill Pye Park. Anyone who has sat in Bill Pye Park for an hour or two, observed children playing, parents calling by to sit with their children, and the occasional groups playing in their special spots (fairy circles) under the trees – would understand what a special place this park is to this neighbourhood. Instead, the YWCA’s approach has been a not-very-nice campaign of selected disinformation about the aspirations and actions of these peaceful residents. This tension between the YWCA and residents is happening because of the government’s lack of good social
policy, urban design and master plans. The ACT Labor/Greens government have morphed the Planning Directorate to be about development and profits and less about the people who live here. The ACT Greens’ new normal is inappropriate developments, a lack of planning, little about affordable housing, underfunded social housing programs and other rubbish practices. Most of their energy goes on misinformation and spin that fails to communicate anything genuine. Surely someone in this government or its bureaucracy can identify with how Ainslie residents value their cherished Bill Pye Park and why they wish to restore the buildings to being available for wider community use – possibly for childcare and as general-purpose meeting rooms. Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters. Read more of his columns on citynews.com.au
I am ready to roll in the Senate, having drafted legislation to gain two more ACT senators. Two more senators will – guarantee the ACT is no longer taken for granted, give greater strength to Territory Rights and ensure the direct needs of Canberrans are looked after.
Authorised by Kim Rubenstein, Kim For Canberra, Suite 259 M Centre, 11 Palmerston Lane, Manuka, ACT 2603. CityNews April 21-27, 2022 13
LETTERS
Cloisters with all the ambiance of ‘unkempt slum’ WE have just spent a very enjoyable week visiting your lovely city. Friendly people, interesting galleries, museums, the arboretum and Van Gogh Alive all made for a most enjoyable stay. We were residing in the Melbourne Building shopping precinct and also wandered around its sister, the Sydney Building. These buildings are wonderful, with gracious arches, beautiful proportions and simple lines. The pictures of their opening in 1926 show them in their original splendour with hundreds of onlookers and dignitaries clearly appreciating their worth. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Now their cloisters possess all the ambiance of an unkempt slum. They are dirty from the city grime and appear not to have been cleaned for decades. The paintwork is old, cracked and riddled with graffiti. Many of the tiles are broken or missing and at times repaired with mismatching colours. One section is even covered with black asphalt! The corner facades are adorned with large garish advertisements and many of the original doors have been ripped out and replaced with totally inappropriate entrances that detract greatly from the character and charm of the building. I was really shocked and saddened to see these exceptional historic and cultural icons so neglected and unloved. The buildings themselves are in urgent need of friends who
can provide some much-wanted TLC and who fight for their preservation. My hope is that the community will rally to restore these magnificent, heritage-listed masterpieces to their original glory for their centenary in 2026.
Canberra’s growing population. On or about March 21 the ACT Fire Brigade was called to attend urgent medical incidents as no ambulances were available. Thankfully, the firemen arrived just in time to prevent an acquaintance’s critically-ill daughter from dying. She and her stressed-out family and the Dr Ian Broinowski, Hobart, Tasmania firemen had to wait for over 30 minutes before the medics arrived. If she had died I believe her family would have sufficient grounds to sue the chief minister and his health minister for dismally failing to provide adequate resources to the THERE are obvious reasons why trafficambulance teams. monitoring cameras at strategic locations Peter Sherman, Aranda will achieve absolutely nothing to help motorists avoid congestion when London Circuit is raised at Commonwealth Avenue. Kings Avenue Bridge, the closest alternative route, has only two lanes and simply won’t be able to cope with the increased volume. IT has been pointed out to me that the NCA’s Nor will the slow route from Curtin to authorising legislation (the PALM Act) defines Acton via McCulloch Street, Scrivener Dam works over which the NCA has authority. and Lady Denman Drive. The Act states that: Tuggeranong Parkway is already heavily Proposed activities defined as “works” must be congested in morning peak hours where the slip lane from Cotter Road merges at the submitted to the NCA for works approval, under the PALM Act, include: accident black spot. a) the construction, alteration, extension or The longer route via Fyshwick and demolition of buildings or structures; Duntroon won’t appeal to a large number of b) landscaping; Woden’s motorists as a result of extra travel c) tree‑felling; or time and fuel required. Those travelling on d) excavations ACTION buses will also be greatly inconvenRaising London Circuit does not seem to fit ienced by the inevitable chaos. into this definition. Unfortunately, this would Now is an appropriate time for the ACT have to be challenged in the Supreme Court. government to cancel the Woden light rail project and use some of the $2 billion to John Bell, president, Deakin purchase more ambulances to cope with Residents Association
Now is the time to cancel the tram
Can they? Can’t they? Off to court, anyone?
Government fails the community big time SPOT on, columnist Ian Meikle, regarding “the ACT government’s batshit-crazy tram plan” (“Seven Days”, CN April 7) – and, how absolutely outrageous that the ACT government has siphoned off of much-needed money for our ailing health system to fund the tram (“Wake up, this is your healthcare they’re trashing”, CN, April 7)! Can the tram. Convert our bus fleet to electric vehicles. Give Canberra a public transport system that truly serves the entire community. Redirect the unjustified spend of our rates on the tram to our health system and other pressing community needs. The ACT government’s agenda in critical areas (eg health, housing, public transport) has been failing the Canberra community big time and for far too long. The situation continues, unabated, nay with increasing pace and intensity. Our government is effectively robbing the public purse to deliver huge profits to private interests. A current example of where the ACT government is again failing the community is combustible cladding: owners corporations look to face prohibitive costs to rectify problems not of their making. The ACT government has effectively pushed ordinary Canberrans – in particular, first-home buyers – into apartments, so it behoves them to provide total, not token, compensation to all impacted by the need to: firstly, investigate for the possibility of
combustible cladding; secondly, take appropriate action to address the assessed risk; and thirdly, rectify latent building defects revealed in the process. Chief Minister, combustible cladding is the new Mr Fluffy. Take full ownership. Thank you! Dione Smith, via email
These blokes aren’t silly JOHN L Smith inferred that renewable energy is not “cheap” and referred to “Mike Cannon-Brookes’ renewable energy fizzer” (Letters, CN March 31). I presume that Mr Smith was referring to the takeover bid by Mr Cannon-Brookes rejected by AGL. Mention of Cannon-Brookes reminds me of his Sun Cable partnership with Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest. Together they invested $30 billion in the Australia-Asia Power Link, which consists of an enormous solar farm in the NT to be connected to Singapore via Darwin, then to a grid serving a potentially huge energy market in South-East Asia. Both Dr Forrest and Cannon-Brookes are highly successful billionaire businessmen, not prone to frivolous gestures that waste money. Does Mr Smith seriously think that these billionaires would invest in a moneylosing enterprise? Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
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Sniper, a ‘deplorable’ military role I ADMIT to very little regret at not seeing Colliss Parrett’s letter (“What’s the longest rifle shot?”, CN March 24), wherein Mr Parrett apparently enthused about a Canadian sniper who “neutralised” an ISIS target at a distance of more than three kilometres. Unfortunately, I did see Douglas Mackenzie’s subsequent acclaim of the progress that has been made in the activity of military sniping in recent years (“Snipers have come a long way”, CN March 31). It has long been my view that the specialty of sniper is perhaps the most craven, deplorable and morally ruinous of all the military roles on land, in the air, or at sea; and, indeed,
also my view that polite discussion of it is, in itself, a public moral failure. War is in so many respects a wrenchingly awful undertaking. And while I concede the rare necessity to prosecute war in a just cause, some technically feasible avenues are so callous, asymmetric and unfair as to be inhuman, and – in my view – cowardly. Worse still, that the organisation and leadership of an armed force puts soldiers at so much moral peril warrants deep reflection. Sniping is not merely marksmanship; it is the act of hiding so far from an unsuspecting man or woman as to be invisible to the naked eye, then to observe their silent, temporary humanity through a telescopic
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sight, taking necessary time for adjustments, and finally to gently squeeze the trigger. The supersonic bullet does not even break the silence as it arrives to end a life. The assassin is not seen to arrive, nor seen to leave; and in some instances could likely eat a ham sandwich before moving on. There is no fight in the act of sniping. There is no confrontation. The enemy of the fallen was a long way away – hiding. I’m not sure whether sniping is the making or the affirmation of psychopathy; but it’s likely to be one or the other. Every distant “kill shot”, I believe, further condemns the sniper themself to live in fear of late nights and quiet moments; and that is a fate no government should inflict on any serving member. Ross Kelly, Monash
Telling it like it is I WAS amused recently to see a ute in Dickson with the proud placard “ACT Rubbish”. In the spirit of telling it like it is (eg, the Disruption Taskforce), I suggest ACT government operations be renamed as, say: ACT Against Public Schools, ACT For Poor Prison Outcomes, ACT to Increase Hospital Wait Times, ACT for Inappropriate Redevelopment, ACT for Unnecessary Light Rail, etcetera. Richard Johnston, Kingston
KINDNESS
Why don’t I see anybody defending the invisible? IT’S a funny thing how you can be the biggest in your field and people start predicting your demise. Some are calling the US as a “failed state”, moribund and losing its Postmodern Empire quicker than Warnie could run through the Poms. They may be right. I’m sure the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and the 2005 Aussies Ashes side never saw it coming either. I certainly wish them all the best, not the least of which reason is how many of them are hurting right now. Kamala Harris seems to embody hope. A non-establishment woman of colour, she has risen so high, suggesting that merit still counts for something. What will she do with that power? She vice-presides a union where almost 44 per cent of adults work in lowly paid, insecure jobs and a quarter of people die with zero or negative equity to pass on to their (often equally insecure) loved ones. Many struggle to access health care, perhaps explaining how 4 per cent of the world’s population consumes 59 per cent of the planet’s prescription narcotics. The many working poor, often needing to work several jobs to survive, too busy to take a Tuesday in
US Vice-President Kamala Harris… A non-establishment woman of colour, she has risen so high, suggesting that merit still counts for something. November off work to actually vote, combine with the incredible insecurity of those jobs, to create a precipice disturbingly near to which millions of Americans live their daily lives. I was privileged to appear before some Senate Enquiries last year, and got to explain some of this despair in the context of the increasing casualisation of the workforce. Did you know that there is a 19-32 per cent increased chance of heart disease in people in casual labour compared to those in permanent roles? This makes how we treat each other ever more vital. Sometimes a service person is rude, brusque, tired, or anx-
ious to finish up, and then we judge them according to our ideas of what service should be. Which is dumber than a Mad Monday footy player. If a teenager on $9 an hour at a fast foodery takes an Uber home, it’s 20 per cent or more of their entire income. The alternative is her walking home through the park in the dark. With poor training they are entitled to make mistakes. With financial desperation they are entitled to take the job. And she’s a kid! And if her dad can’t afford petrol to pick her up from work, or can’t afford a car to fill up, who are we to judge? He has already climbed a personal
Everest to be working in the servo up the street. If he forgot his meds this morning, because one of the side effects of his medication is forgetting to take his medication, who are we to judge? You think I’m exaggerating? These people are real. How dare I judge them, when their effort to put one foot in front of the other is braver than anything I’ve ever done in my whole life? Today’s working poor are our pre-unemployed, our invisible vulnerable. Our love should be theirs, not our whining if we got almond milk instead of soy. I think it’s great that groups of people are emerging with a new and powerful voice. Every night someone on the ABC tells me I’m a privileged bugger repressing them – and that’s important. Because plenty of people need a voice after centuries of oppression already. But as always in this irony soaked world, the awareness raisers seem to be articulate and brilliant, and I don’t see anybody defending the invisible. Let’s do it now. We don’t need an interest group, or a leader. We don’t need to appear on talk shows and get awards for raising awareness about a problem. We can just fix the problem.
I’m telling you that there’s millions of us and we can do it overnight. People are scared and vulnerable and struggling every day. They work in roles that are fragile. They sometimes get frustrated or scared or sullen or tired, and perfectly reasonably act out the insecurity of their lives in roles for which they are unprepared because they have to take them because they have so few choices. I hope Kamala rains down love and understanding on the working poor in her land through policy and cash, but you and me and everybody in our little misunderstood bubble can be kind to every person we see and make everybody’s life better. It’s true. Love one another, and let’s change the climate of our society from within. Antonio Di Dio is a busy GP in Canberra who longs to live three doors down from Kogarah Oval, specifically 1956-66 inclusive, although turning up to the Raiders every year has its moments. There is more of his “Kindness” at citynews.com.au
2023 ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN Enrolments for Year 7 and Year 11 close Friday 27 May 2022 For information about enrolments in other years, visit our website or contact the Enrolments Office on the details below.
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CityNews April 21-27, 2022 15
SEVEN DAYS
The signs that point to the shabby state of Can IF a picture’s worth a thousand words, here’s a 19,000 word essay on the shabby state of Canberra’s road signs. I’ve pieced it together with the help of a couple of northside snouts matching my southside snaps. Sadly, it wasn’t hard to do. Can anyone else top these dreadful examples of neglect? Email your photos to editor@citynews.com.au
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IN MEMORY / Don Aitkin, 1937-2022
When you die, that’s it. Do I fear it? Not really FORMER University of Canberra vice-chancellor Don Aitkin has died in Canberra. He was 84. A political scientist, prolific writer and administrator, Aitkin served as UC vice-chancellor from 1991 to 2002. Until 2012 he was chairman of the National Capital Authority. He played an influential role in the evolution of national policies for research and higher education from the mid-1980s. He was the first chairman of the Australian Research Council in 1988, he established the new body as a national research council of world class; its funding trebled during his term of office. A skilled piano player, he is remembered locally for his long and loyal service as chair of the Canberra International Music Festival during its formative years. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1998. Don wrote a touching essay on his website in June and I have taken the liberty of reproducing it here on the basis we were friends, he was no stranger to writing for “CityNews” and he’d be pleased you’re reading it.
Ian Meikle, editor
Don Aitkin.
On Death and Dying I live in an aged-care facility, commonly referred to as “God’s waiting room”. I’ve been there now for two and a half years, and am the longest-serving resident at my table. The others are all men. Six guys have died from that table in my time, and one was moved into “high care” because he was disruptive. We don’t talk about death or dying much, only to say, in rather hushed voices, that “so and so” has gone. If it is someone close to us we will line up at the front door when the body is taken away, and I’ll sing “Goodbye, goodbye, we’re wishing you a fond goodbye…”
Family members are sometimes surprised at this. I think they don’t realise that in our facility new friendships are forged, often quite quickly. My closest friend here is Max, who is a little older than me and was born in Serbia. He and I have similar medical problems. He has done a number of things since coming to Australia, most notably as a gasfitter. He is a big jovial man, notably good-humoured, with a lovely chuckle. He and I wonder from time to time when we will go. For the wheels are coming off our carts, Max’s and mine. Just as one thing gets fixed, in a sort of way, along comes another, and we have to endure that. My cancer and its associated chemotherapy make me tired, and I sleep a lot. Max gets at most three hours’ sleep a night. He envies me. I’ll be 84 in a few weeks, and would like to at least get to 88, the age at which my mother died. Dad died a few months before attaining 88. My grandparents got to around that age as well, so it is a good family mark. When we look at some of our residents, who have dementia or acute osteoporosis or some other unpleasant condition we say quietly to one another, “I don’t want to finish up like that”. But those with these conditions seem to be hanging on to life. There comes a time, in my case three or four years ago, when you realise that you really are going to die.
usic, M e r o M un... More F
Before that moment, death is something way ahead. Suddenly it’s not, any more, and you need to think about the consequences for your family. “Get your affairs in order” is the command of the surgeon who sewed the patient up, shaking his head at the impossibility of dealing with whatever it is that will take him away. What happens when you die? I watched my lovely wife die, and I was holding her hand at the time. She had erratic breathing, and then it just stopped. Like that. She had gone from us. I am not a believing Christian, and I envy the few I know who are. In fact I’m only a Christian in the sense that our culture has a powerful element of Christianity embedded in it, and to have imbibed it from childhood was simply inescapable. I am agnostic about God and Heaven and Hell, not an atheist. To be an atheist would require much more intellectual effort than I have ever been prepared to put in. I was told at Sunday School that I needed to believe in Jesus, but I didn’t know what that meant. What did “believe” mean? I’m not sorry that I had the Sunday School experience. It was part of growing up and learning. But I waited for God to speak to me, perhaps like St Paul. He (she) never did, and I gave it up. So my expectation is that I will cease to exist other than in the minds
of those who knew me. All being well I will not be in pain, and will just fade away. A sudden heart attack would be a preferred end, and even better, falling asleep and never waking up. But I don’t expect some sort of continuation. When you die, that’s it. Do I fear it? No, not really. I have had a wonderful life, and I have no bucket list. I go on writing novels because I enjoy the use of my creative powers in that way. I play the piano occasionally. I’m still able to drive, and I see some of my children regularly, and correspond with them all. I talk to my friends at the dining table. One day something will cause more wheels to fall off. At this moment that something seems far away. But I know very well that it could come tomorrow. My response is a sort of mental shrug. So I will help my eldest son design my funeral service, about which I do have experience. He has my EPOA (enduring power of attorney), and he is sensible, far-sighted and caring. I hope it’s a good funeral service, and there is no covid or similar problem when I do go to prevent friends and rellies from attending. There’s not much I can add. Death is inevitable. It is not pleasant, especially to the friends and rellies of the one dying. When my turn comes I hope I will face the end bravely and serenely. I see no reason to suppose otherwise.
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HEALTH / waiting times
Waiting game the government makes you play “The ACT government has clearly decided that enhanced growth in health costs is unaffordable and has therefore ceased funding for population growth and ageing et al.” JON STANHOPE and Dr KHALID AHMED continue to analyse the state of Canberra’s public health system – this week, waiting times. AS we noted last week, the latest Productivity Commission report reveals that from 2015-16 to 2018-19, the ACT government, under the leadership of Andrew Barr and Shane Rattenbury, reduced health funding by 10.3 per cent in real terms over three years during which time activity increased by 9.7 per cent. And, no, this does not reflect an improvement in efficiency or “doing more with less”. Obviously, all governments face competing challenges in managing their finances. There is, for example, pressure to keep taxes as low as possible to encourage consumer spending and business investment which, in turn, support job creation and the economy. On the other hand, essential community services must be funded. The increasing costs of healthcare are a particular challenge, where the combined effects of population growth, ageing, technology improvements and inflation require a funding growth rate that is more than “normal” revenue growth. However, the ACT government has clearly decided that such enhanced growth in health costs is unaffordable and has therefore ceased funding for population growth and ageing et al. It is notable that in the period 200910 to 2011-12, the ACT not only posted operating Budget surpluses but provided for health funding growth of 6.4 per cent per annum through its annual Budget. We are, of course, mindful of the need to pursue improvements in efficiency when managing public finances. However, the current government’s approach to health funding
is one of budget constraint and the rationing of services, rather than one that seeks to involve clinicians and other health professionals to develop an appropriate clinical governance model centred on the efficient and effective use of resources. If efficiencies had been achieved, they would be reflected in a stable or enhanced operating performance and a reduction in unit costs. However, the Productivity Commission data highlights a clear connection between the cuts made by the Barr/Rattenbury government to health funding and a dramatic deterioration in performance and outcomes (Chart 1). In 2014-15, the 90th percentile wait time for elective surgery in the ACT was 246 days compared to the national average of 265 days. By 2017-18, wait times had blown out by more than one third to 343 days while the national average was effectively stable at 270 days. As noted previously, the proportion of patients treated within the nationally agreed benchmark declined to a mere 46 per cent. We have only looked at performance up to 2018-19 to exclude the pandemic effects. There are numerous clinical studies highlighting the adverse effects of delayed surgery, which include clinical complications, longer hospital stays and unplanned readmissions. In addition to the pain and suffering for individuals dependent on the public hospital system and faced with inordinate wait times for care, there are financial costs related to the additional hospital resources required, as well as economic costs resulting from lost productivity.
Table 1
Chart 1 A significant “cost”, which we fear is increasingly overlooked, is the inequities that result from a blanket cut to health funding – ie, who in Canberra is impacted and suffers the most because of a reduction in public health services? The Productivity Commission data provides some insight into that question. The Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) published by the ABS is an area-based, broad measure of disadvantage. A low score reflects more households with low incomes, people with no qualifications and people in low-skilled occupations. A higher score reflects fewer households and people in those categories, and quintile one reflects the most disadvantage while quintile five reflects the least disadvantage. The Productivity Commission reports the proportion of people treated within benchmark times in emergency departments by IRSD Quintiles as well as by indigenous status (Table 1). The timeliness of treatment does not change with relative disadvantage. In fact, people from IRSD Quintile 1 (most disadvantaged) received timely treatment at a slightly higher rate compared to those from IRSD Quintile 5 (least disadvantaged), ie, 48 per cent compared to 47 per cent respectively. This is as one would expect of an equitable system.
However, the outcomes for one disadvantaged group, namely Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is not equitable. Only 43 per cent of indigenous people received timely treatment compared to 46 per cent of non-indigenous people, and 48 per cent for IRSD Quintile 1. We note there are, annually, more than 140,000 presentations in the ACT’s emergency departments, with more than 5000 of these being people identifying as Aboriginal. The difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people’s rates of timely treatment in our hospitals should be of grave concern to all of us. According to the Productivity Commission’s report, Aboriginal Canberrans are 60 per cent more likely not to wait in emergency departments; are two and a half times more likely to leave at their own risk; and 4.7 times more likely to leave or discharge themselves against medical advice, compared to other Canberrans. We are unaware of any attempt at explaining this greater propensity among Aboriginal Canberrans to leave hospital without treatment, and against medical advice. However, it could reasonably be attributed to relatively longer wait times and lower confidence in the system. Elective surgery wait times for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people
living in Canberra paint a similarly disturbing picture (Table 2). Doubly concerning is that the difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canberrans’ wait times is worsening. For example, in 2016-17, the 90th percentile wait period for Aboriginal people was 286 days, while for other Canberrans it was 276 days. In 201819, wait times increased to 371 days and 307 days, respectively. The reason for the disparity in wait times identified by the Productivity Commission is not clear. From the available data, we note that once admitted, quality of care and patient safety are the same for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. However, inequity in access, as illustrated by the Productivity Commission, is a hallmark of a resourceconstrained system. A ready example of this phenomenon is the difference in wait period between public and private hospitals. Nevertheless, for the self-declared most progressive government in Australia, these disparities in access should be embarrassing. It seems to us that the ACT government has traded-off equity in favour of so-called efficiency in the apparent belief that such a trade-off is ethically acceptable to the Canberra community.
Table 2
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CELEBRATING SENIORS
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Canberra services aimed at caring for seniors ALMOST a quarter of Canberra’s population is made up of people aged 55 and over. It’s fitting then that throughout the capital there’s a suite of services and activities that keep seniors connected and comfortable in their later lives. Whether it’s exercising or socialising, painting or learning, this week “CityNews” speaks to the Canberra businesses that celebrate seniors.
Bec has a bit to say about osteoarthritis
The importance of an up-to-date will
ARTHRITIS ACT CEO Rebecca Davey wants people to be aware, “there’s often a view that if you’ve got osteoarthritis then you go and get a joint replacement and everything will be okay, and that’s not really the case”. She says Arthritis ACT firmly believes in conservative management. “In the early days of osteoarthritis, conservative management can prolong joint life, and lead to you avoiding a joint replacement,” she says. “We know that the body we’re born with is usually Arthritis ACT CEO Rebecca Davey. better than the body we can “The other exciting thing is we’re create through surgery, and working with researchers at the Univerthat you want surgery to be the last resort once you’ve tried everything else.” sity of Canberra. We’ve got quite a few research trials happening at the moment Bec says even after surgery, individuaround management of osteoarthritis als will still have to maintain a healthy and rheumatoid arthritis.” weight range. “You still need to do exercise, keep Arthritis ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. weight off and maintain a healthy Call 1800 011041, email info@arthritisact. lifestyle and we’ve got all the programs org.au or visit arthritisact.org.au you’ll need to do that.
CAPON and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators can help clients update their will as they get older to ensure their wishes are respected, says wills and estate-planning lawyer Ashilpa Khanna. Unfortunately, Ashilpa says some people don’t have a will, which means their possessions are instead distributed by the “rules of intestacy”. “This distribution means that someone – your spouse or a family member – will have to apply to the court to be appointed administrator before they can handle your estate,” she says. This can be costly and time-consuming. Even if they have a will, Ashilpa says, it’s important that seniors periodically review it, especially after significant events such as when children get married or the birth of a grandchild. “At the forefront of people’s minds is making sure their financial and legal affairs are in order so that, in the event of a crisis, their loved ones are secure and can be provided for as intended,” she says. Capon and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators has been helping people with their legal matters for more than 34 years and can also help seniors with a range of legal issues in areas such as family law, children’s matters, conveyancing, and power of attorney. “We are focused on giving honest and expert advice at all times,” she says. “Our staff are experienced in their fields and we take pride in knowing that they will always
Lawyer Ashilpa Khanna of Capon and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators. use common sense, respect, courtesy and good judgement when dealing with clients.” Capon and Hubert Lawyers and Mediators, first floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Email enquiries@ chsol.com.au, call 6152 9203 or visit chsol.com.au
Working with you for the best result YES WE ARE OPEN FOR APPOINTMENTS For all client meetings COVID-19 adherance applies
A valid and up-to-date Will can help reduce stress for your family and friends, limit administration costs, and lessen the possibility for dispute over your estate. Ashilpa Khanna Wills and Estate Planning Lawyer. Notary Public
For the best outcome when it matters how it’s done call Capon & Hubert on 6152 9203 First Floor, 32-38, Townshend Street, Phillip ACT
chsol.com.au | enquiries@chsol.com.au 20 CityNews April 21-27, 2022
Over 30 years serving Canberra
ARTHRITIS ACT ARE THE EXPERTS IN OSTEOARTHRITIS TREATMENT Our team of physiotherapists are all trained in delivering the highly evaluated GLA:D® program for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Research from the GLA:D® program in Denmark found symptom progression reduces by 32%. Other outcomes include less pain, reduced use of joint related pain killers, and less people on sick leave. GLA:D® participants also reported high levels of satisfaction with the program and increased levels of physical activity 12 months after starting the program.
The GLA:D® program involves: • A first appointment explaining the program and collecting data on your current functional ability· Our physiotherapists work closely with our exercise physiologists and excercise scientists so if you need hydrotherapy or other exercise supports, you can keep your care all in the hands of one practice.
• Two education sessions which teach you about osteoarthritis and how the GLA:D® Australia exercises improve joint stability, and how to retain this improved joint stability outside of the program·
Do you want to live better with your osteoarthritis?
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Call us today on 1800 011 041 and book your appointment with one of our physiotherapists to discuss your best course of treatment.
Jacqui Couldrick
Lead Physiotherapist
Group neuromuscular training sessions twice a week for six weeks to improve muscle control of the joint, aiming to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. GLA:D® is offered at both our Bruce and Pearce offices.
If GLA:D® is not for you, our team will be able to support you with specialised treatments aimed at improving your quality of life whilst living with osteoarthritis. Our team can also assist you to prepare for and recover from surgery, if this is the best course of action for you.
“You do not need to have any particular condition to utilise our services, just a desire to ‘Build a Better You.’
www.arthritisact.org.au | e: info@arthritisact.org.au
Enquire or book today 1800 011 041
CELEBRATING SENIORS
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The team at Frawley’s Shoes, from left, Lisa Mudge, Gillian Rumball and Antoinette Nestler.
Three generations of selling shoes HAVING operated for almost a century, Frawley’s Shoes is one of Canberra’s oldest family businesses. It started with brothers Thomas and Joseph Frawley who were selling shoes from a truck in 1927 when Canberra was building Parliament House (now Old Parliament House) before establishing a store in Garema Place in 1958. Staying in the family, brothers John and Ted Frawley took over from their dad and uncle, and now Lisa, Ted’s daughter, is the third generation family member to run the store.
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26 Garema Place, Civic | 02 6247 9104 | frawleysshoes.com.au 22 CityNews April 21-27, 2022
“Between the staff here we have over 150 years of combined experience selling shoes,” Lisa says. Lisa says Frawley’s Shoes is a provider of footwear for a huge range of purposes. “We’ve got new season arrivals. New stock is arriving every week and we’re getting ready for winter,” she says. “We’re incredibly proud to still be selling shoes to the district after all this time.” Frawley’s Shoes, 26 Garema Place, Civic. Call 6247 9104 or visit frawleysshoes.com.au
COTA ACT / 2022 Silver is Gold Festival
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‘We’re all about sparking connections, getting out, loving life and celebrating our age’
Sparking seniors’ connection across Canberra COTA’s ACT events calendar in 2022 will encourage imagination, freedom and the spontaneous creativity to do things a little differently. Importantly, it will provide opportunities for Canberra’s seniors to connect and enjoy themselves, says COTA ACT CEO Jenny Mobbs. “We have moved away from presenting a packed Seniors Week to an energising and refreshing Silver is Gold Festival that will stretch across the entire year,” she says. “It will provide Canberra’s seniors with a little breathing space to plan
COTA ACT CEO Jenny Mobbs.
their social calendars with safety and confidence. We’re all about sparking connections this year, getting out, loving life and celebrating our age,” Jenny says.
At Exhibition Park,10am-4pm, on Thursday, May 26, COTA ACT will present the 2022 Silver is Gold Seniors Expo. Jenny says the star attraction, sponsored by LDK Seniors Living, is the Australian food celebrity Maggie Beer AO, an Australian cook, food author, restaurateur and gourmet food producer from the Barossa Valley. She is also one of the judges on television’s “The Great Australian Bake Off” alongside Matt Moran and is also a regular guest on “MasterChef Australia”. “Expo patrons will hear from Maggie about the importance of seniors’ nutrition and the work of her wonderful Maggie Beer Foundation,” says Jenny. “With more than 200 stalls, spread
across two huge pavilions, you can also check out the latest products and services available to Canberra’s seniors and gain a fascinating insight into the treasure trove of lifestyle and recreation activities that are available to you in the Canberra region. “Enjoy a non-stop program of live music and dance performances and indulge in a smorgasbord of winter delights including toasties and hearty winter soups. “Explore the realm of electric vehicles, courtesy of our sponsors, ActewAGL. “Transport Canberra, one of our generous sponsors, will have a significant display presence at the Seniors Expo and will provide free light-rail and bus
services on the day for all seniors. Car parking at EPIC is totally free. “There are Expo giveaways and the opportunity to win exciting prizes for those in attendance. All this fun and entertainment is yours for just a goldcoin donation! “Join us this year as we celebrate being a senior in the thriving and cosmopolitan city in which we live and let’s make 2022 the year of sparking connection across Canberra!” For more information about COTA ACT’s events including the 2022 “Silver is Gold Festival” and the Seniors Expo, visit cotaact.org.au or call 6282 3777 or email events@cotaact.org.au
Save the Date: Thursday, 26 May 2022 Budawang and Coorong Pavilions, Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) 10am – 4pm The Silver is Gold Seniors Expo will feature over 200 stalls showcasing services, products and lifestyle activities for senior Canberrans. There will be a wonderful program of live entertainment throughout the day. Entry to the Seniors Expo is by gold coin donation. There is ample free car parking for Expo patrons at EPIC. Transport Canberra will provide free bus and light rail services to enable seniors to attend the Seniors Expo at EPIC on 26 May 2022 For more information, please phone COTA ACT on 6282 3777 or email events@cotaact.org.au
CityNews April 21-27, 2022 23
CELEBRATING SENIORS Art therapy program helps those with Parkinsons
‘Lovely’ over 55s village in Braidwood
“PAINTING with Parkinsons” is an art-therapy program that allows those living with the condition to have fun with paint, chat with friends and regain self confidence. Judi Power Thomson, who runs the program, says it works by making the mind focus on what the hands are doing by creating colourful marks and shapes, all the while letting the paint run and blend. “Often the involuntary movements are very much reduced by altering the mindset and these effects can sometimes last for days,” she says. “It is empowering for people with Parkinson’s to do their own unique piece of artwork all by themselves and it gives the painters pride in what they have accomplished.” The classes were created by local artist Nancy Tingey OAM, whose work has seen her recognised with awards from around the world, including a Churchill Fellowship. With the help of Ian Bignall, Nancy has written both a book on the “Painting with Nancy Tingey and Ian Bignall of Painting With Parkinsons. Parkinsons” program and an accompanyGreenway Views every Tuesday at 10am. Cost is $10 and ing manual that can be purchased online. includes morning tea, relaxation exercises, all paints and “Each week has a different theme, introduced by a paper, brushes and assorted items used in mark making. poem, story or display as a starting point. Soft relaxing Sessions are also held at the Botanical Gardens on music is played throughout the session,” says Judi. Friday mornings at 10am. “Participants have remarked that they love the class because they can do it completely by themselves Painting with Parkinsons, call 0466 590358, email ianjbig‑ without assistance.” nall@gmail.com or visit paintingwithparkinsons.org.au Judi says classes are held in the art room of the LDK
SUMMERFIELD Braidwood is an over-55s village where residents are “totally in control”, says sales director Jane Mackenzie-Ross. “People buy a freehold home, and have really nice, shared, upmarket facilities including a heated indoor pool, a gym and beautiful gardens,” she says. “The people that come here want control, and they want community support where there’s lots of things to do.” Jane says Summerfield offers lots within the estate, but there’s also lots to do within Braidwood, too. “It’s a real musos sort of town now. There’s the Braidwood rural art group down the main street. A lot of artists have moved to the area in various
24 CityNews April 21-27, 2022
forms and there’s foodies out and around in the area, too,” she says. “It’s a lovely place to be, gorgeous views, surroundings and places to walk, right next to national parks and ranges.” Jane says even though Braidwood is country, it’s got a lot of facilities, and that’s why it was chosen for Summerfield. “Our houses at Summerfield are all passive solar. They’re just beautiful to live in during winter and summer.” Summerfield Braidwood, 70 Little River Road, Braidwood. Call Jane on 0400 472577 or visit summerfield.com.au
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LOVE THE LIFESTYLE
Canberra’s meeting place for over 50s CANBERRA Seniors Centre offers an inclusive and positive meeting place for over 50’s, says manager Andrea Dean. “Our focus is on helping people to age well, to age with a healthy body and healthy mind and engage with the community,” says Andrea. “The club provides great social connections and a range of activities for people to enjoy.” Whether it’s getting exercise, playing cards or engaging in another of the club’s range of activities, Andrea says members can spend an hour at the club or make a whole day of their visit. “You can also get a healthy meal for $7 most days of the week, and that can be a great help if you’re living on your own and you don’t much feel like cooking anymore,” she says.
“We’ve got a very positive and inclusive culture. Our members who have been coming for years always welcome newcomers.” Andrea also says the club has one of their biggest community events coming up, the Seniors Club Fete on May 21. “One of the special things about the fete is that we have a magnificent trash and treasure stall,” she says. “We also have a kitchen open where we do some homemade meals on the day. There’ll be some great biscuits and cakes for sale.” Canberra Seniors Centre, 10 Watson Street, Turner. Call 6248 9509, visit canberraseniors.org.au or email ops@canberraseniors.org.au
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Independent living with architecturally smart, quality homes.
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Boutique estate of only 56 homes with amazing, shared facilities.
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Clubhouse, indoor heated pool, gym, recreation hall, community garden.
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Heritage listed countryside on three sides and Braidwood Hospital on the fourth.
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Enjoy living in a supportive community with so much to enhance your lifestyle.
Jane: 0400 472 577 www.summerfield.com.au
A meeting place for the over 50s to build connections • • • • •
jazzercise & dancing classes yoga classes computer classes mahjong & table tennis porcelain painting & other arts
(02) 6248 9509 | 10 Watson St Turner 2612 | ops@canberraseniors.org.au | www.canberraseniors.org.au CityNews April 21-27, 2022 25
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The Gallipoli Garden at Fetherston Gardens.
Photos: Jackie Warburton
Gallipoli plants on parade THERE’S a Gallipoli Garden on the eastern part of Fetherston Gardens, Weston Creek, that was created for the Centenary of Anzac in 2015. It’s planted with flowers, shrubs and trees that represent those from the site of Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. Plantings include Lone Pine, Gallipoli Oak, Arbutus, Gallipoli Rose and Rosemary. Fetherston Gardens, accessible to the public and a short walk from Heysen Street, is on the grounds where the old Horticulture College was in Weston Creek. For more than 10 years a group of hardworking volunteers have mulched, weeded and pruned this lovely woodland garden. While in the gardens, look out for the unusual trees and shrubs originally planted for the college
students. The gardens are named after Tony Fetherston, who was the first and longest serving head of the college and his ashes are scattered in the grounds. WHILE still on the theme of Anzacs, Anzac Parade has hebes, a NZ native, in the planter boxes. The Parade was originally opened on April 25, 1965, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Anzac landing in Gallipoli. Unfortunately, hebes didn’t work on this site then and don’t now. In 1976, Canberra gardening writer Mackenzie Clay said the hebes weren’t growing well in this spot and, well, 46 years since then we still have the same issues with the wrong plant for this space. Hebe “Otari Delight” is currently planted there and it still doesn’t look well despite all the plants and soil being replaced in 2020. NOW’S the time to get any
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frost-sensitive plants tucked away for a winter rest. When an outdoor plant is brought inside, it need not be close to heating or in full sun through the window. It might take a bit of experimenting to find the right spot for it to survive through winter. IN the vegetable garden, it’s important to keep the weeds out and garden beds mulched. The soil is beginning to cool, which limits this month’s plantings to corn, lettuces, Asian greens, peas and onions. Early varieties of onions can still be planted over the next month or two and will be ready for harvesting in spring to summer. Mid-season plantings take longer to yield because they are grown over winter. Repeat planting will get a good crop. Make sure the soil is acidic and a pH of 5-6 or so. They like a sunny open position with well-drained soil. Plant them 10-15 centimetres apart in rows around 30 centimetres apart. Most importantly, keep them weed free. There are many varieties to choose from such as brown, gold, red and white. MANY spring-flowering plants need to be planted and established now before the cold weather sets.
Polyanthus… can cope with Canberra frosts. Some of the tried and tested Canberra growers that cope with our frosts are primulas, pansies, violas, poppies and polyanthus. All of these plants can begin to flower mid-to-late winter and give the garden some winter colour when most shrubs and trees are dormant. Get them growing quickly and, using a watering can, apply a seaweed extract over the leaves on a warm day and allow time for the leaves to dry before the cold afternoon weather sets in. These types of shallow-rooted annuals can be planted on top of bulbs just like at Floriade. Jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
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26 CityNews April 21-27, 2022
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ED IS N
Post-covid surprises and silver linings
RICHARD CALVER
ARTS IN THE CITY
Fall out when White Pearl ad goes viral By Helen Musa ANCHULI Felicia King’s hit satire “White Pearl” documents the fall-out at Singaporean-based cosmetics start-up Clearday after a racist ad for the company’s skin-whitening cream White Pearl goes viral. Directed by Priscilla Jackman for Sydney Theatre Company, it’s at The Playhouse, April 27-30. Book at canberratheatrecentre. com.au or 6275 2700.
Luka Lesson… all the kinds of love prove to be true, but agapi is the one that resonates with people.”
A hip-hop Lesson in Greek love By Helen Musa
TO many people the word “love” is self-explanatory, but it’s not as simple as that.
In the English language, we may distinguish between courtly love, romantic love and lust, but the ancient Greeks had seven words for this universal or tricky concept. Now, in an exciting hip-hop theatre performance event accompanying the exhibition, “Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes”, one of Australia’s coolest performance poets, Luka Lesson, is coming to the National Museum with his show “Agapi & Other Kinds of Love”. I caught up with Lesson by phone at an apartment in suburban Kingston, where he, his wife and 10-month-old baby boy were isolating before starting rehearsals. Lesson is no stranger to Canberra, having been engaged by the Efkarpidis family to perform poetry at Hotel Hotel in its early days and also has a much bigger project in tow, reimagining of the great epic work of Homer’s “Odyssey” seen through the lens of the refugee issue, scored for orchestra and choir, due to appear at the Art Gallery of NSW next year.
“It’s one of those texts that can’t be ignored,” Lesson says. The same with the concept of agapi, the most commonly used Greek word for love in modern Greece. There were seven words, he agrees, but three of them bear the prefix “Phil”, to do with friendship. The seven are agapi, for universal love, eros for sexual love, philia for friendship, philoxenia for hospitable love, storgi for unconditional family love, pragma for long-term partnership and philautia for self-love, of which Lesson writes: “Self-love is a dying art, not dying for your art”. Modern Greeks say “Se agapó,” (“I love you”) he explains. “Agapi can be a person’s name. It’s a daily term of endearment and very different from eros, which is sexual love specifically.” Primarily a poetry-hip-hop theatre piece, they’re playing the show in the Gandel Atrium, where they won’t be able to black-out the space to create focus. “That means there’s a need to pull back a little on the theatrical elements, so it’s closer to a music show,” he says of a work he’ll be staging with two musicians and a lighting designer. Lesson’s musical collaborator is composer James Humberstone from the Sydney Conservatorium
of Music, known in Canberra through his score for Nigel Featherstone’s 2018 song cycle, “The Weight of Light”, produced by The Street Theatre. Drawing on modern Athenian underground music, Humberstone has created a score for musicians Ella Fence, the lead vocalist, and Greta Kelly, who sings and plays the Persian kamancheh, which resembles the Greek lyre, circle drum and the theremin, often used in spooky film music. Lesson, who wrote the entire work, says: “It begins with the primordial forces of Kaos and Kosmos watching over the universe. They have the ability to control us and switch us between the suburb Exarcheia in modern Athens and the house of Agathon in 416 BC, where Socrates meets Diotima,” his instructress in the art of love. In the 2022-time, two young protesters, Pavolis and Sophia, meet on December 6, when the death of a young boy killed by police is commemorated annually. The pair fall in love. The other time follows Diotima as she walks from her hometown for her famous meeting in Athens. Ultimately, Lesson says, “all the kinds of love prove to be true, but agapi is the one that resonates with people.” “Agapi & Other Kinds of Love,” National Museum of Australia, April 27-29, book at nma.gov.au
CIMF@ Belco FREE
La Polonaise
Contemporary Popular
Classical
1:00pm 30 April 2022 Belconnen Arts Centre
7:30pm 4 May 2022 Fitters’ Workshop
Discover a world of music through the many spaces of Belco Arts. From Persian music to hip-hop, from Balinese gamelan to classic cello, anything goes. With a children’s entertainer on deck, this family-friendly daytime event has something to offer for everyone!
Join Poland’s rising star pianist, Lucas Krupinski, as he locks hands with the boys of the Orava String Quartet, aptly named after their family’s Polish origins. From Chopin to Grażyna Bacewicz, this gala concert is a true celebration of Polish music.
Playwright Anchuli Felicia King. Photo: Monique Harmer
IN Hannie Rayson’s classic play, “Hotel Sorrento”, three sisters are reunited after 10 years living in different worlds. Directed by Alexandra Pelvin, it runs at Canberra Rep Theatre from April 28 (preview) to May 14. Book at canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950. ON the Anzac weekend, Sing Australia and the Eastlake Group will present an afternoon of nostalgic war era songs as a fundraiser for Gungahlin RSL sub-branch. A highlight will be a solo from Linus Lee Hanul on keyboard. Eastlake Gungahlin Club, 4pm, Sunday, April 24. Book at 6147 5511. JACQUI Richards, Tan Losanno, Trish Hurley and Sarah Stewart will stage an encore of “The Women’s Room”, seen at the Canberra Comedy Festival. They describe themselves as older women talking about issues that impact upon women. Thursday, April 28, book at canberracomedyfestival.com.au AUSDANCE ACT’s 2022 Australian Dance Week celebrations kick off on Friday, April 29, to coincide with International Dance Day, running until May 8, with studio sessions, free classes, workshops and activities for all ages. Details at ausdanceact.org.au UNESCO’s International Jazz Day draws public attention to jazz and its heritage. Spectrum, part of the Canberra City Band, say they’re proud to be playing the first notes to be heard globally at 10.30am on April 30, in a Jazz Day brunch at the Murranji Theatre, Hawker College, from 9.30am. Book at stagecenta.com THE 2022 Spanish Film Festival features famous faces, including Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Martínez, Paco León and Blanca Portillo in 34 films from Spain, across Latin America, Australia and the US. Palace Electric from April 20 to May 15. Book at spanishfilmfestival.com QUEANBEYAN-Palerang Regional Council is again partnering with the Bendigo Bank’s Braidwood and Bungendore community branches to bring $12,000 in prizes to artists in its local government area. Works can be registered at qprc.nsw.gov.au until April 27.
29 April to 8 May, 2022 Experience an intercontinental explosion of music, from new works to timeless classics, on a musical adventure from Pole to Pole.
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DINING / The Alby, Woden
Boom goes Woden food scene WODEN is a’changing on the food scene and ramping matters up considerably. The Bradley Street Dining Precinct continues to boom, EightySix has opened a second location (its first continues to operate in Braddon) and The Alby is operating over two floors at the Albemarle Building off Furzer Street. The Alby is close to 1000 square metres of space, but divided into a bar/pub, chef’s table for private dining, a beer garden and a games basement. We dined outside in a beautiful, peaceful courtyard area (away from the street) and studied the menu on our phones (QR-code style). It’s exciting that The Alby isn’t just about burgers and beer, but more refined offerings, such as the salmon crudo we shared at the start. The crudo was a beautiful-looking dish ($22) and the tastes tantalising. The crunchy black Nori crackers are a stark contrast to the colourful pink salmon, green of the ripe chunks of avocado and the cream colour of the Yuzu mayo. Green chilli slices and chilli oil add a bit of punch but not overwhelmingly so. A great combo of flavours. Also attractive and tasty was the prosciutto bocconcini salad ($22) served on a bed of peppery rocket with slices of grilled peach and bright red pomegranate seeds dancing on top. The balsamic dressing worked a treat with the ingredients. After two starters we shared a Margherita pizza (12” for $23), celebrating simple, quality ingredients that Italy is so well known for. The San Marzano tomato sauce was bright, the basilboosted flavours and the Fior di latte cheese was classic. We enjoyed the 2020 Sortesele Pinot Grigio, Valdadige Region, Italy ($13 a glass), light and crisp. The bartender offered a taste since I’d not had the wine before, which was appreciated.
Salmon crudo… crunchy black Nori crackers are a stark contrast to the colourful pink salmon. Photo: Wendy Johnson Also on the menu are main-size salads, burgers, fish and chips, ribs, and a pasta of the day. The Butcher Block section ranges from $30 (200 gram sirloin) to a whopping 400 gram Angus T-bone ($48). Eight pizzas are available, a few desserts and a kids’ menu (all $14). The Alby’s bar/pub fitout is sophisticated, clean and contemporary. The place opened late last year. We had some confusion with our meal, with broccolini being served instead of bocconcini but The Alby didn’t skip a beat in solving the problem.
Our only comment was the pace of the meals. We weren’t expecting the salmon to come out at the same time as the pizza (we had finished both before the salad arrived, but that was partly the mix-up). Even though customers can order by phone, I did at the bar. I would have specified but thought it rather obvious. More of Wendy Johnson’s dining reviews at citynews.com.au
WINE
Post-covid surprises and silver linings GETTING COVID-19 shouldn’t really have been a surprise. We are, after all, in the midst of a pandemic. I had been very careful: hand sanitising, wearing a mask in most situations and getting double vaxxed. Nick O’Leary... a winemaker at But it hit me. the top of his skills.
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Three days in bed with a fever and a throat lined with razor blades saw me eat and drink very little. When I did get out of bed, I had lost my appetite but, thank goodness, I had not lost my sense of taste or smell. Anosmia, the loss of the sense of smell, would have devastated me because I have a bloodhound nose and the scientists say that 80 per cent of what you experience when you taste wine is through olfaction or the sense of smell. One website says: “Wine can account for more than a thousand volatile compounds that can evoke thousands of different aromas. Isn’t that what we call complexity?” The effects of covid saw me drink no wine for eight days. This situation, together with eating
much less frequently, saw me lose over three kilos in weight. Now that I have commenced regular eating again and some regular exercise, the weight has stayed off and I can fit into my “skinny” pants that were in a pile ready for disposal. Reclaimed! When it came to wine, my first drink post-covid was a 2019 Eden Valley Riesling made by Burge Family Winemakers. The winery is now owned by Chinese shareholders, but it has a permanent place in my heart because Rick Burge, who has retired after he sold the business, taught me a great deal about wine and was a mentor of sorts. The first thing I noticed was how strong the wine felt, just one glass and the
effects were quite challenging. The loss of body mass and not drinking seemed to be a path to becoming a one pot, not a two-pot, screamer. I had put a quarter of the bottle in a chicken risotto, so the food assisted me to gain sobriety, but I experienced a real difference in effect to pre-covid habits. The other thing I noticed straight away was the enhancement of the complexity of the flavours that the wine presented, peach skins and a nuttiness at the back of the pallet – and a wonderful contrast of fruitiness with the savoury elements of the risotto, which I finished with feta and pine nuts. All of the flavours were big, bold and so much more delicious than I could remember experiencing pre-covid. The second wine I tried was also a white wine and a riesling, a Nick O’Leary 2021 White Rocks that had been given to me as a present (I looked on the internet and it retails for $35 a bottle). This wine is a credit to the
Canberra region, with a wonderful clean acidity and a lime finish that makes your mouth water for more. It reflects a winemaker who is at the top of his skills. There are many who have died because of the effects of this pandemic and my heart goes out to them. I feel blessed for only being lightly touched and, surprisingly, for the benefits that then came my way. Three men leave a wine bar in Civic. They are all inebriated. They hail a taxi and get in. The driver sees they are drunk, so he starts the car, revs it hard and then turns it off. The drunks all look surprised, but the first man gives him a $50 note, the second man thanks him for looking after them and starts to get out of the cab but the third man slaps the driver. The driver is surprised and asks why he received a slap and the third man replies: “Why did you drive so fast?”
COVER STORY / Canberra International Music Festival
Tragedy to comedy, Peelman goes pole to pole By Helen Musa
DIRECTOR of the Canberra International Music Festival Roland Peelman is known as a canny programmer, but he’s outdone himself this time with the festive title of “Pole to Pole” and unless he’s planning a foray into outer space, that covers most contingencies. “I had been looking to design a festival around nature, what’s happening with our planet,” Peelman tells me. “Of course, I’m not designing a climate-action festival,” he says. “It’s a music festival and I don’t want to score cheap political points, but I thought the idea of music and poles would give me something to think about. “The expression ‘Pole to Pole’ means a lot of things, we go to a lot of places, including Antarctica, but in normal idiom refers to going from one extreme to another – it’s a fantastic formula where you can find what you want. “Musicians have different sentiments, so in any festival we also need to cover a big range, we need tragedy, comedy and laughter.” It also means one extreme to another in a geographical way – a journey around the world for instance, or across the great trading routes. “Closer to home it means the great track that leads us from the mountains to the sea,
Haydn Ensemble leader Skye McIntosh… the thunder of Haydn’s “The Creation” will open festival. Photo: Helen White
Classical Persian music performer, Iranian-born Gelareh Pour… “a voice that touches the heart”.
NZ’s Horomona Horo… a big guy with big tattoos and big music, written in the ancient tradition of Māori people.
seen in our signature project called ‘The Bundian Way’,” he says. That’s based on the seminal book by John Blay, who’ll read from it at the festival, which follows the 360-kilometre Aboriginal pathway between Mount Kosciuszko and Twofold Bay. “It gave us an opportunity to delve into the story of the early pastoralists and the indigenous people who have been walking that track in order to come together to feast on Bogong moths,” he says. Immediately it struck him that two of the festival regulars, violinist Erica Avery and composer Brenda Gifford, have origins in the Yuin people, so it seemed only fitting to involve them, along with other indigenous artists, composer Kate Neal and author Blay
in concerts on May 7 and 8. “If we talk about polar extremes, there’s NZ’s Horomona Horo, a big guy with big tattoos and big music, written in the ancient tradition of Māori people,” he says. Horo will perform on Māori instruments at Parliament House and with the NZ String Quartet, in a concert on May 1 at the Fitters’ Workshop, “Kia Ora Kiwi”. The NZ component not only sees the striking presence of Horo with the quartet, but has had Peelman reaching out to NZ during the covid crisis and finding “an extraordinary amount of activity, especially compositional, a lot of wonderful music and a lot of variety”. Not everybody who comes from NZ is called Mackenzie or McGrath, he quips and other NZ stars include baritone James Ioelu and
Japanese-NZ marimba player Naoto Segawa. Far away from Aotearoa is the world of classical Persian music, as Iranian-born artist, Gelareh Pour – “a voice that touches the heart”, Peelman says – sings in a concert about women in Afghanistan at the NGA called “A Hidden World.” The basis of the concert is Gemma Peacocke’s “Waves & Lines”, a multimedia song cycle for soprano, electronics and chamber ensemble based on a tradition of Afghan women’s folk poetry, and followed by a panel forum. Worlds away are the musicians of the Haydn Ensemble, led by violinist Skye McIntosh, who follow an informed practice to celebrate and recreate Haydn from a time Britannia ruled the waves.
With that in mind – and Peelman is quick to assert that he has no intention of deserting classical music in his search for polar opposites – the thunderous sounds of Haydn’s “The Creation” will open the festival, cast with singers from Australia and NZ, and featuring the full force of the Haydn Ensemble. “The traditional concerts in our festival will never go away, but they walk hand-inhand with other traditions,” Peelman says, praising the very senior audiences who flock to the festival each year as “up for anything”. But Peelman is never too far from his idea of the natural world and says, “I meant it when I said it would be about the natural world, there’s a lot about nature.” On April 30, for instance, there’s a concert for dogs in Haig Park in the morning, catering to sensitive ears. Then on May 5 at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in “Birds in Paradise”, there’ll be both human and avian music in what he calls “a concert by birds, their human followers and divine devotees,” followed the next day by tenor Andrew Goodwin and violinist Kristian Winther in “An English Lark”. After a quick visit to Pollock’s “Blue Poles”, where William Barton plays the didgeridoo, the festival will finish with a concert “The Last Mile,” in which satirist Jonathan Biggins performs his own words to Saint-Saens’ “The Carnival of the Animals” – “That’s the fun part,” Peelman says. Canberra International Music Festival, April 29-May 8. Book at cimf.org.au
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STREAMING
Destiny crashes down on sleazy, charming Saul WHEN Bob Odenkirk collapsed from a heart attack while filming the final season of “Better Call Saul” last year, thousands of fans around the world held their breath. Fear for the actor went rampant as he was rushed to hospital. Headlines, tributes and viral social media posts poured out during the wait to hear if he was okay. Fans also feared, if the worst came to pass, what would become of “Better Call Saul”, the popular “Breaking Bad” spin-off series Odenkirk has starred in for seven years and one that was right on the cusp of wrapping up its finale. It was a telling insight into just how beloved both he and the famous hangdog lawyer he portrays in the show have become over the past decade. Indeed, Odenkirk’s performance of this sleazy yet charming swindler who first appeared in “Breaking Bad” catapult him from obscure “Saturday Night Live” fame to starring in an action movie, voicing a character in the sequel to “The Incredibles” and, of course, getting his own spin-off TV series. In turn, there was a deep sigh of relief when a few days after being rushed to hospital Odenkirk confirmed he was okay. Within two months, he’d step back on set to finish filming the ending of “Better Call Saul”. From this week Australia will get to see the beginning of that ending, with the first episode of the final season streaming and
destiny come crashing down on him in what will likely be the most potent concoction of tragedy and comedy the writers of “Breaking Bad” have cooked up yet. “I’d say one reason I enjoyed playing Saul was that Saul enjoyed playing Saul,” Odenkirk writes in his just released memoir. “He brought light to the doomed universe of ‘Breaking Bad’, or at least until things went bad for him, too.” On Stan from April 18.
Bob Odenkirk as Saul in “Better Call Saul”... “I’d say one reason I enjoyed playing Saul was that Saul enjoyed playing Saul.” more to follow weekly. And what an ending this is set to be. Over seven years fans have watched the morals of this dodgy legal savant wax and wane as he careens towards the inexorable tragedy that lies at the end of the road. For those who don’t know, Saul Goodman could be considered as something of a less yellow Lionel Hutz. He’s a former con man who throws his wit in the legal ring. His keen eye for the
constitution is hidden behind his cheap, brightly coloured suits. It’s all calculated though. Ensnared in a world of high-rise legal firms, including one led by his older and much more overachieving brother, Saul sees opportunity in the swindlers, the sweet trash, the ones on the margins. But his proclivities to make a buck have always been destined to catch up with him. In the final season, we’re set to see that
READ anything about Duke Ian Campbell, and it won’t take long to find he’s chiefly remembered for his divorce. It was one of the most spectated scandals of the 20th century, a separation where both parties of the Scottish nobility swung accusations of adultery, drug use, theft, abuse and more at each other and one which whipped up a media frenzy like never seen before. Until now, the public has only been on the outside of the divorce, but “A Very British Scandal”, a new three-part miniseries with Claire Foy up front and centre as Duchess Margaret, attempts to tell the story from inside the relationship. It’s not to be confused with “A Very English Scandal”, a 2018 miniseries from the same producers that depicted the
controversial affair of British politician Jeremy Thorpe. If the quality of that series was anything to go by, this is set to be another absorbing real-life retelling, and one that viewers will be able to knock over in one night’s watch. On Amazon Prime Video from April 22. EVER been stuck at a bad party? Imagine that, except literally trapped there in an unbreakable time loop. That’s the premise of Netflix’s underrated “Russian Doll”, a drama comedy hybrid about a woman who tries to find a way to break the endless cycle she’s stuck in. The show’s snappy writing scored it an emmy nod for best comedy, and it’s now back with another seven episodes from April 20. The first season was highly entertaining television, but one has to wonder how much juice is left in the tank here. The whole stuck-in-a-time loop premise once upon a time was pure originality, but it’s been done so many times since that things are getting a bit, well, repetitive. I’m starting to feel like it’s Groundhog Day.
“An extraordinary play” – NEW YORK TIMES 2019
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Your week in the stars By Joanne Madeline Moore
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General knowledge crossword No. 826
April 25-May 1, 2022 ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
Have you been shopping up a storm when you should have been saving or paying off debt? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you can expect a financial hiccup this week, as the Solar Eclipse highlights money matters. It also brings up issues involving your personal values and/or self-esteem. You’ll find the less you base your core self-worth on money, status, image, physical appearance and unrealistic media expectations of what beauty is, the happier and healthier you’ll be.
ESTATE PLANNING HAS TAX PITFALLS
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
James and Chris have both been married before with children from those marriages. They want their estates to principally go to their children.
Avoid getting stuck in a static way of thinking and a routine way of behaving. The Solar Eclipse, Mercury and Uranus activate your sign, which shakes up preconceived ideas and you’ll find a current situation (or problem) has more flexible options than you previously thought. Your mantra for the week is from fellow Taurean, singer and activist Bono: “The world is more malleable than you think, and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape.” So get busy, Bulls!
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Mercury (your patron planet) links up with Neptune, Jupiter and Pluto which boosts creativity, confidence and personal magnetism. So gung-ho Geminis are keen to power ahead, but if you make fast moves and hasty pronouncements (or engage in garrulous gossip) then you could end up in a mess. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes that you’re not aware of, so do some detective work (and check the facts thoroughly) before you proceed with your plans.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
This week the Solar Eclipse stimulates your aspirations zone. So divert your attention from current problems and draw up a wish-list for 2022 and beyond. Don’t waste the opportunity to escape into your imagination, set intentions and dream big, beautiful dreams for the future. With Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune visiting your travel and education zones, it’s important to keep up to date with your school mates, college friends and international contacts.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
The Solar Eclipse and Mercury activate your career zone. So creative thinking and clever brainstorming will bring professional benefits as the planets boost your intuition, ignite your imagination and stretch your work muscles. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune are also visiting your ‘money-from-others zone’. So some lucky Lions will benefit from an inheritance, loan, gift, bonus, divorce settlement, insurance claim, bumper tax return or superannuation pay-out.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
A romantic, platonic or business relationship looks confusing. You think you know the person well, but you need to walk a mile in their shoes before you really know how they are feeling. As writer (and birthday great) Harper Lee observed: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view.” And are you keen to travel? Circumstances are constantly changing so don’t make any firm plans until you have more solid information.
Down
4 To proceed, is to do what? (7) 8 Which cart was used during the French Revolution to convey victims to the guillotine? (7) 9 To have given permission, is to have done what? (7) 10 What do we call one who brings a charge against someone else? (7) 11 Name the republic formerly known as Burma. (7) 12 Which person gains unauthorised access to a computer system? (6) 14 What, colloquially, are confidence tricks? (6) 18 What is a written contract, especially relating to land transfers? (7) 21 Name a renowned English novelist, Charles ... (7) 22 To be sloping or slanting, is to be what? (7) 23 Which word suggests a state of impoverishment? (7) 24 Name another term for sweets. (7)
1 What describes a secret clandestine procedure? (7) 2 To strike smartly is to do what? (5) 3 To be abrupt in manner, is to be what? (7) 4 What are warning sounds known as? (6) 5 Name the longest river in Europe. (5) 6 What is a paper reporter known as? (7) 7 What do we call a person who is older than oneself? (5) 13 Name the little cots or beds for infants. (7) 15 What is another name for the windpipe? (7) 16 The dachshund is often called which type of dog? (7) 17 To be glowing with zeal, is to be what? (6) 18 What is a string of a musical instrument? (5) 19 Which hat has little or no brim? (5) 20 What is a surviving memorial of something past? (5)
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
The buzz word is transformation. Librans possess a natural talent for creating beauty … in the way you speak, sing, write, dance, dress, draw, decorate, cook or just generally create. So that’s what you must do. In a world full of stress and uncertainty, you can divert people’s attention to a more beautiful and magical place. Be inspired by birthday great, comedian Jerry Seinfeld: “When someone does a small task beautifully, their whole environment is affected by it.”
Solution next edition
Across
FREE SUDOKU EVERY DAY AT citynews.com.au
Sudoku hard No. 313
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
With the Solar Eclipse, Mercury and unpredictable Uranus visiting your partnership zone, old rules have flown out the window. Change, disruption and transformation are the new norms in relationships. So, businesses need to innovate; communities need to be creative; people need to pivot; and Scorpios need to be very adaptable. So your motto is from birthday great, comedian Jerry Seinfeld: “If life boils down to one thing, it’s movement. To live is to keep moving.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
This week’s Solar Eclipse suggests a fresh start involving work or health as you commence a new job, devise a more nutritious diet or reboot your fitness routine. With Venus, Mars, Neptune and Jupiter (your ruler) visiting your domestic zone, Home Sweet Home is the place to be! Over the next few weeks, you could buy or sell real estate, move house, get a new housemate, welcome a new family member or renovate your present place so you have more space.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Capricorns can become obsessed with the minutiae of daily life. By all means keep up to date with current affairs but aim to limit your exposure (and news notifications) otherwise you’ll just become more stressed. Focus on situations where you can contribute your expertise and influence the outcome. Saturday night’s Solar Eclipse encourages you to come up with new ideas as you collaborate with friends. Then the creative cream will really rise to the top!
Disclaimer This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser. Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2022
Solutions – April 14 edition Sudoku medium No. 313
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
Venus and Neptune hook up in your sign mid-week, which highlights romantic moments, creative expression and spiritual inspiration. Appreciation of art and beauty is also heightened. Then the Solar Eclipse stimulates your travel and education zones. So it’s a good time to plan a holiday, take a trip or learn something new. Explore and experiment! As Albert Einstein (a fellow Piscean) wrote: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Solution next edition
Crossword No. 825
A surprising partnership or a creative joint venture looks promising, but you must be realistic about what you (and other people) can bring to the table. Fabulous professional and/or financial opportunities are around but you need to work out the perfect time to strike (and don’t be afraid to ask others for help). Plus avoid getting half-baked financial information from a flaky friend. Smart Aquarians will look to a successful colleague for some astute business advice.
The couple came to see me about their superannuation and estate plans. Chris said: “The house is in my name, so in my will that is left to James to live in for his lifetime if I go first. My super is split 50/50 between my two daughters. So I understand that the children will inherit my house regardless of who goes first. They will also get my super.” I told them I was not a lawyer, but that Chris' house was outside super so it would pass to the daughters capital gains tax (CGT) free. "However, if they don’t live there, CGT could apply from the date of death," I said. "If the property is sold within two years then it should be exempt from CGT provided that the sale settles within two years. If it is not sold within two years, as it had been your main residence, it should pass to your daughters at the market value at the date of your death. However, I would recommend that your daughters get further advice at the time as laws could have changed. “As to your super, that's a little more complex. It appears that of your balance of $500,000, $300,000 is taxable. This means that when it is paid to the beneficiaries about $51,000 income tax will be payable between your two daughters. It may be possible to follow a strategy to change this, but it will require some tax planning. We can discuss it at our next meeting.” Chris said: “I had no idea, I just thought that leaving it to the girls would be tax free.” James said he wanted to leave some money for Chris, but that his situation was a little different. "There is a house in my self-managed superannuation fund and some cash and shares. There is a binding nomination leaving the house to my son and the balance to Chris. The house is worth $1 million and there is another $1 million in cash and shares.” I told him that the house passing to his son would result in a significant amount of tax being payable. "As he is not a dependant, both income tax and capital gains tax would need to be paid," I said. "The income tax would be about $170,000 and the CGT could be $100,000. "This amount of $270,000 would have to be paid either by selling the house and paying the balance in cash to your son or from the cash and shares left to Chris. "So Chris would not get $1 million in cash and shares, she would only receive about $730,000. “The cash and shares pass directly to Chris if you pre-decease her and the good news is that property passing between spouses from a super fund is tax free. So there will be no tax to pay on the $730,000 that she receives.” James sat there gobsmacked. “Oh, my goodness, I am so glad we came to see you," he said. "That is not what I expected. We will have to think about this and review our decisions.” If you need advice on the tax consequences of paying out your super, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 6295 2844.
02 6295 2844
Unit 9, 71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston ABN 57 008 653 683
(Chartered accountant, SMSF specialist advisor and Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892)
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