ANDREW HUGHES sees Andrew Barr’s exit after the October election
Another step closer to choosing a good death MICHAEL MOORE
Fear of refugees, a terrible new export JOHN MINNS
‘Pointless’ litigation puts focus back on Drumgold HUGH SELBY
Chinese lanterns
with a
The Hall Rotary Club’s famous farmers’ market is turning 20
An Electric Lift Chair allows transition comfortably from standing to a seated position, and then back up again, fully supporting the user throughout the entire motion from standing to sitting.
This type of chair reduces the likelihood of potential injuries or falls and is recommended for people with limited mobility such as the elderly or those recovering from injuries or surgery.
The Hawker Men’s Shed was founded in 2019 by Jon Wells, and Rob Gill, after requests from members of Softball ACT.
“Jon rang me one day and said: ‘We’ve got a demountable’,” says Rob, Hawker Men’s Shed committee member.
“So we went and dragged this demountable out of its weed-infested paddock. That was the start of it.”
President Jon says: “We made an agreement that it’s not just a men’s shed.
“It’s a men’s shed in name and purpose, and we operate under the na tional umbrella body of the Australia Men’s Shed Association, but we were the first shed in the ACT to welcome women as members.”
Rob says they set up the shed just before covid restrictions were intro duced, slowing down the process of getting it properly established.
“But over time, through fundraising, a lot of it through Bunnings barbecues, we purchased four containers and a garden shed,” says Rob.
The Hawker Men’s Shed has since evolved to be an integral part of the North Canberra community, and its popular repair café and local market will return to Hawker on March 17.
“We get a very strong community response,” says Rob.
“I swear there must be tens of thousands of blunt secateurs around town, because I seem to do all of the sharpening.”
Rob says they are able to repair furniture, rebuild and repair pushbikes, do leatherwork, and mend fabrics.
“We also have a trained electrician who does some tagging and testing for us,” says Rob.
“People bring in gear, if it’s fixable, we’ll fix it, and then we’ll also get it approved for reuse.
“We can’t guarantee it will work, but we repair stuff to the best of our capabilities.
“The tagging and testing is an important part of it, people can go away knowing their gear’s been tested and
A lot of the items brought to them hold immense sentimental value, says
“A few repair cafes back, a bloke came and said, ‘I’ve got this concertina,’ you know, a squeeze box, ‘I can’t make it work’, and so I learned an awful lot about concertinas, we got the thing working, and this guy was thrilled to bits,” says Rob.
“And Rob’s done a crook – that would belong to a bishop,” says Jon.
“Yes, a woman, in front of me, down the community garden at Hawker here, she said: ’My father was a bishop’. I thought: ‘Where the hell is this
“But she had the crozier, the top of the crook, and she said: “Can you make me a staff that I can break down
Rob estimates that they are averaging more than 100 items a session, a big jump from the 15 to 20 item average they were receiving in 2019.
With a repair success rate of 89 per cent, Jon says they have saved about 600 items from landfill at the repair cafés.
However, the work of the Hawker Men’s Shed expands beyond the repair cafés and markets, say Jon and Rob, with many members using it as a
chance to relieve some of the mental pressures they are facing or have faced in the past.
“People will offload to somebody they don’t know, just to get it out,” says Jon.
“All they want is that opportunity to get it off their chest.”
“That’s what this side-by-side working in a men’s shed is all about.”
Rob and Jon say it is crucial that the people coming to the Hawker Men’s Shed are comfortable and feel safe.
“They’ve got to feel that they’re not going to be judged. I think that’s huge,” says Jon.
“We have people here that in their day have been very either skilled or confident people, and they can walk in here and they’re the shell of the people that they were.
“Which is sad, and it’s disappointing, but that’s life.”
In 2023 the Hawker Men’s Shed received a $50,000 collaborative grant from Hands Across Canberra, the Snow Foundation, and the John James Foundation, which Rob says they will put towards building a permanent shed.
They have also become a registered charity with tax-deductible gift recipient status.
The Repair Café and markets, 10am-1pm at the Hawker International Softball Centre, 45 Walhallow Street, Hawker. Entry fee is a gold coin donation.
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The ACT is a step closer for Canberrans having the right to choose a good death.
While the report of the Assembly’s Select Committee Inquiry into the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2023 does recommend changes to the bill before the Assembly, the majority have not opposed the bill.
The strongest statement comes from Labor backbencher Dr Marisa Paterson who said: “I fundamentally believe that access to voluntary assisted dying is a human right”.
Those who have attempted to delay, weaken, and oppose the bill miss this important understanding.
No one should have to put up with “intolerable pain and suffering” because someone else has a different moral perspective.
Tara Cheyne is the Minister for Human Rights with responsibility for the legislation and her position on the legislation is also quite strident.
In introducing the legislation at the end of October, Ms Cheyne stated: “This is a bill about people: their empowerment, autonomy, compassion, and dignity. This is a bill about choice: an additional choice that an eligible person can make about the circumstances of their death.”
Ms Cheyne acknowledged the 30-year history of this legislation in the ACT in her tabling speech. With it went
to enabling our people the right to die with dignity,” says Katarina Pavkovic.
important lessons for those who are considering standing as independent. It is about persistence. Persistence!
The minister recognised my own efforts from the early 1990s for my “tenacity in introducing multiple bills for voluntary assisted dying in this Assembly”.
The committee report also noted that between 1993 and 1997, I attempted five times to introduce private members’ bills on this subject.
Minister Cheyne also graciously thanked former NT Chief Minister Marshall Perron “for his courage and conviction in introducing voluntary assisted dying legislation in the 1990s that was ultimately passed”.
Since the time the “Andrews Bill” was adopted by the federal parliament in 1997, stripping the territories of
No one should have to put up with ‘intolerable pain and suffering’ because someone else has a different moral perspective.
their power to legislate in this area, every single state across Australia has adopted legislation to deal with voluntary assisted dying.
The select committee received some objections from the community – including a significant number formally related to the Catholic Church. However, voluntary assisted dying has been considered extensively by multiple members of parliaments from across the country. All have accepted the need for such legislation.
It is certainly unfortunate that the ACT had to wait an additional 30 years from when such legislation was first considered. Even so, we now have the additional benefit of learning from others’ experiences.
Perhaps the recommendations of the select committee will mean the
legislation is more conservative than was otherwise envisaged. A key issue for the select committee was the possibility of coercion. It has provided carefully considered suggestions to safeguard against this possibility.
The five MLAs have worked hard to find a way to achieve some agreement. In doing so they have provided 27 recommendations. This is despite the bill already having many checks and balances in place that will protect Canberrans from misuse.
In their dissenting report, Liberal MLAs Ed Cocks and Leanne Castley point out that “the select committee sought to find a consensus position”. They added, “for the most part, the main report reflects that objective, and we support those consensus recommendations”.
However, the two argue “we consider the bill presented by the minister represents the most ideological and extreme assisted dying legislation in the country”.
A contrasting view is offered by Labor’s Dr Paterson: “Ultimately, the bill, as it stands, provides the appropriate safeguards and protections, while attempting to provide a smooth and succinct process for people when
they are at the end of their life”.
In his additional comments, the Greens Andrew Braddock, pointed out that “voluntary assisted dying is already happening here in the ACT. It happens in a myriad of different ways. Sometimes peacefully, sometimes traumatically, sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully, but the one consistent element is that it all happens in secret”.
This secrecy means access is restricted and inconsistent. A powerful argument!
However, one of the submissions made to the committee by Katarina Pavkovic summed up the current situation most effectively: “Like all legislation, the bill may not be perfect. But it is a perfect next step to enabling our people the right to die with dignity and not suffer intolerably at the end of their lives.”
Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Capital Region Farmers’ Market.
Founded in 2004 by the Rotary Club of Hall, the market at Epic was estab lished to create an opportunity for small-scale, primary producers in the region to sell their goods.
“Some of our members were farm ers, not as many nowadays, but a lot in those days and some of them were having trouble,” says Yvonne Robson, Rotary Club of Hall rotarian and di rector of the market committee.
“The big chains wanted them to pro duce more than they could produce, so they were looking for an outlet. That was the prime motivator.”
Peter O’Clery, co-founder and origi nal stallholder says he did the original business plan for the market, which required “an incredible amount of research”.
“I was a member of the local Rotary board, so I was part of the original group that actually set it up,” he says.
“We looked at everything from the market hours to locations, rules, looked at as many markets as we could find in Australia.”
Then they looked at another hun-
and Europe online, and at reports by various food administrations and others on markets, and why they survived, and why they didn’t.
“They had a five-year plan they put together,” says Yvonne. “They achieved their five-year plan in the first six months.”
Peter says the critical things were to try and make the market as authentic as
The Capital Region Farmers Market requires the producer to be there, which Peter and Yvonne say is an important element in educating customers about where their food comes from.
However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the market, particularly in recent years.
“I joined at the craziest time,” says market manager Sarah Power.
“I learned about the market and how it operated in November 2019, and then the bushfires hit and it hit many
Three months after that covid struck and every operation of the mar-
“We just had to rewrite the rules from that point on in terms of how we kept our customers safe, how we followed the rules from the ACT Health, how we kept our stallholders safe and then, as the years went on, how we navigated getting stallholders across the border when all the borders locked
“We had so much crazy stuff happen, we had police escorts going on and just navigating all those different rules that would change on a week-to-week basis.”
Despite the challenges, Yvonne says the Rotary club has been able to continuously give back to the community through the funds raised by
“We have been able to do a lot for various charities and organisations, we’re talking about $4 million worth,” she says.
“Equally as important, we’ve supported, not just financially, in hard times we have supported our store holders emotionally.
“When the fires were on, one of our members was a counsellor and it was a free service, they would go and help.”
Yvonne says the Rotary club did not
raise stallholder fees for five years.
“We only raised them this year,” she says.
“We absorbed all the increases that have gone on everywhere, big time.
“That meant there was less to give out, but that was supporting people we knew were really doing it tough because their costs have gone up so much.
“When you go to their places and you see how hard they work, it’s a really rewarding situation.”
Sarah says she is immensely proud of the stallholders’ role in the community and hopes the values of the market will be maintained in the future.
Yvonne and Peter agree, but both hold concerns about its longevity.
“One of the problems is that it’s an ageing Rotary club,” says Yvonne.
“But, we are trying to encourage younger people so we can give them time to learn about the business side of the market.
“We feel an obligation to make sure that our farmers market stays viable and profitable for the people who use it, who need us, the farmers and primary producers, all of those people.
“We’re working very hard to have a succession plan, so we can impart the knowledge, particularly from the people who started it.”
Birthday celebrations for the market
will take place on March 16. More at capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au
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• General Podiatry (Nails, Skin, Corns, Callus, Warts)
• Ingrown Toe-Nail Surgery
• Verruca Needling
• High-risk foot
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• Wound care (not including leg ulcers)
• Manual Therapies (Soft Tissue & amp; Joint Mobilisation)
• General Lower Limb Biomechanics, injury & Gait
• Orthotic Prescription, Design and Manufacture
A woman came into my clinic for a consultation about her hearing aids, telling me her hearing aids were 4 years old and she had never found them to be of much help. She said the salesperson quoted her $14,000 for a pair of hearing aids, however, the monthly special of 20% discount meant they cost her $11,200. So, she ‘only’ paid $11,200 for hearing aids that did not help her. Sadly, I hear this all too often.
Here are some things to do to avoid this type of problem:
1. Visit your GP. If you or someone you know has a problem with their hearing, visiting your GP to check for wax in the ears, and to get advice is a starting point.
2. Qualifications. Always check the qualifications of the person you are dealing with. A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.
years. If you are not sure about their advice, then seek a second opinion. The wrong hearing aids can be an expensive waste and could lead you to stop wearing them. You should always have a trial of hearing aids to ensure that they are right for you.
6 Pensioners and eligible DVA card holders often have entitlement to free services. If you are covered by a government concession, then let the clinician know (even though your clinician should ask). Eligible clients may obtain free hearing tests, consultations, and free hearing aids (referred to as fully subsidized hearing aids).
“A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.”– Dr Vass
These hearing aids are appropriate for many people, however if you have great difficulty hearing in background noise (for example a restaurant), then you may want to consider partially subsidized hearing aids. This is when the government pays a certain amount, and you pay for additional features and benefits. Your decision should be based on the following:
you are dealing with a qualified clinician, then they belong to a professional association. The best contact is an independent complaints body referred to as Ethics Review Committee. You can email ethics@auderc.org.au and view the website www.auderc.org.au. You can make an anonymous complaint and your complaint will be handled in a confidential and professional manner. If you are in the ACT, contact the ACT Human Rights Commission email human rights@act.gov au and the website www.hrc.act.gov.au
3. Independent advice. You should get independent, professional advice.
4. There are a wide range of hearing aids out there. Finding the right hearing aids for your communication needs can be challenging. Hearing aids vary in price and performance. Bluetooth® connectivity and rechargeable hearing aids are available on most hearing aids, along with apps that allow you to control your hearing aids from your mobile device. Be aware that just because a hearing aid is more expensive, that doesn’t mean they are the best hearing aid for you.
5. Just as hearing aids vary in performance, clinicians may also vary in performance due to training, experience, and skills. Make sure that you are comfortable and confident in their advice. You are likely to be with this clinician for the life of your new hearing aids, typically 4 to 5
(a) Can you afford the more expensive hearing aids? Don’t go into financial stress if you can’t afford them. (b) Are you clear on the free vs partially subsidized features & benefits? Never believe someone who tells you the free hearings are not good or of poor performance, this is simply not true. (c) If you try the partially subsidized hearing aids and are not happy, then return them. Do not keep hearing aids because you think the failure is yours or that you will improve over time. If the hearing aids are not working for you in the trial period, then they will not work for you in a year or two.
7. If you have a complaint, then seek help. Your clinician should be able to help you through most of your needs. Sometimes, a problem may be beyond the expertise of even the best clinician. However, if you have a complaint there are things you can do. If
Labor and the Greens this past week had their once-every-fouryears-engage-the-base conflict and show.
Diplomats would call it sabre rattling, but really it didn’t even get to that. To quote Malcolm Turnbull, it was “angertainment”.
How do we know? The Greens response to the latest housing develop ment which threatens to negatively impact on Blewett’s Block, one of the most environmentally sensitive pieces of land in the ACT, was a terse press release. Yeah, that should stop the bulldozers.
It was similar to the Greens idea of a tear up of Thoroughbred Park to build more houses right next to the light rail. The line for the developers want ing a piece of that action is already longer than a US burger chain’s recent pop-up by the lake.
In politics, always look to the ac tions after the words as a sign of how serious a party is about a policy issue. The Greens, aka the Renters Party according to Adam Bandt, are now only tied to their name through brand logo attributes, rather than commitment to the cause.
Ask anyone who uses a shared path about how any active travel targets could ever be met when maintenance is so far behind, with most paths at night darker than a black hole. Then
there’s the weekend bus timetable so disconnected to lifestyle that getting a car is a smart choice if you need to travel greater than five kilometres sometime in 2024. Yes. Vote Green. Labor is showing why they are the number one political act in town. A bit of gentle stirring of their coalition partners, a nice presser by apprentice
that doesn’t happen here in the ACT due to the strength of the Labor-Green coalition. Taps on the shoulder are more the thing.
Barr has long coveted an overseas posting, especially one in New York such as with the UN, but Albanese has made it clear, via recent appointments, that former Labor leaders of any stature must serve some time away from politics proving themselves in other fields before getting the tap on the shoulder for a nice gig somewhere.
believe that they may even pick up one to two seats from the Greens now there is no David Pocock Party in the mix. This, added with the Greens weakness in some areas such as Tuggeranong where their sitting member is still yet to decide whether to run or not this year, has opened up Labor’s thinking on how the next Assembly may look in early November.
words and angry frowns thrown at the
Liberals, like Liberals everywhere, are letting walk away from their brand via
opportunities aplenty with the likely resignation of Andrew Barr in the not too distant future as he chases opportunities on bigger stages.
Labor knows that Barr’s unpopularity is growing, and frontline service provision, such as health, policing and even grass mowing, have hurt them through poor budget planning and strategy.
Where in other jurisdictions that is normally rectified via electoral defeat,
There is no way the current PM wants to fall into the quagmire that befell previous coalition governments over the Barilaro and AAT appointment dramas.
So expect a Barr announcement sometime soonish, but it’s likely to be after the next election so a new chief minister will have years of experience before fighting the 2028 election.
Labor MLAs though will know where they can and can’t stir the Greens pot. Hare-Clark means they have to get some message traction to get re-elected so while the Libs are the easy and soft hit, the Greens show the differentiation between the Coalition partners and provide the juicier target.
There are also some in Labor who
It is likely that some in Labor would also believe the Liberals disunity and small-target strategy is costing them the chance to get those seats instead. And they wouldn’t be that wrong. But they wouldn’t care either.
Because they, as the best managed and campaign team in town would know, the show must go on. And it’s still only in Act I in the 2024 election year.
Dr Andrew Hughes is a lecturer in marketing with the Research School of Management at ANU where he specialises in political marketing and advertising, and the use of emotions in marketing and tourism.
Authorised by Canberra Refugee Ac tion Campaign
Following release of the 2023-24 Budget Review, there was public commentary, to the effect that the larger-than-forecast deficit was a result of lower revenue, and that the goods and services tax, which is collected and distributed by the Commonwealth, was the main problem along with a shortfall in payroll tax.
However, as we pointed out last week, of the total blowout of $719 million over the budget and estimates period, a mere $99 million (14 per cent) was due to a decrease in revenue, while $620 million (86 per cent) of the blowout resulted from an increase in expenditure.
Table 1 details the revenue adjustments discernible in the Budget Review document. For the current financial year (2023-24), a decrease in Commonwealth payments is the largest contributor (52 per cent) to the overall drop in revenue of $189 million. Decreases in own-source taxation (36 per cent) and interest earnings (8 per cent) are the other significant contributors. Across the full estimates period 2023-24 to
“What’s notable is a complete absence of a coherent and simple explanation of what has driven the government to add about $100 million a year in new expenditure.” More forensic revelations of the ACT budget from JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED.
2026-27, however, the picture is quite different.
Table 1 and the government’s claims raise several quite serious questions.
The original 2023-24 budget incorporated extraordinary growth in payroll tax.
The Commonwealth Government’s intentions to cut and shift expenditure on consultants to build in-house capacity was no secret at the time the budget was delivered.
The Chief Minister and Treasurer, Andrew Barr, often boasts about his excellent relationship with the current federal government. A relationship of an order that he insists he was unable to forge with the previous Liberal government.
It is inconceivable, with all the ACT members of the parliament, other than independent Senator David Pocock, but including the Minister for Finance, Katy
Gallagher, who was previously the ACT Treasurer, belonging to the ALP, that Mr Barr was apparently unaware of the potential revenue impacts of the Commonwealth’s policy.
In our opinion, the decline in own-source revenue simply reflects poor forecasting by the treasurer, rather than some unforeseen unfolding of events.
Revenue from the Commonwealth, comprising GST payments and Commonwealth grants, delivers an additional $289.4 million over the estimates period, net of the $98.8 million drop in the current year.
In fact, Commonwealth payments more than offset the decrease in own-source taxation – and yet, the operating budget nevertheless deteriorates across the estimates.
Interest earnings are forecast to decrease by $31.9 million. This adjustment has been reported as
Source: 2023-24 Budget Review, Pages 37 and 44.
a parameter change, however, it is due to a decrease in the cash balance, rather than a change in interest rates. We do not wish to be overly pedantic but note that the lower cash balances are due to decisions deliberately taken by the ACT government to increase expenditure, as reflected in the Budget Review.
Unexplained technical adjustments and “provisions” form the largest downward revision in the Budget Review document.
Provision adjustments for revenue are particularly unusual and hence somewhat mysterious. Typically, provisions are made in the expenditure budget where the costs may not have fully crystallised. Unjustified provisions are often referred to as “hollow logs”. Revenue estimates should in principle reflect declared current policy and forecast parameters.
A negative adjustment to revenue provisions may mean that a previously undisclosed (and not legislated) increase in taxation is being reversed. Alternatively, it is possible that a provision is now being made for, as yet unannounced, future tax concessions. In the absence of any explanation, we are unable to conclude whether this is a case of a budget black hole being removed or a hollow log being created.
Table 2 combines the expenditure changes from different parts of the Budget Review document with consistent sign convention to present a comprehensive picture.
Increased Commonwealth grants of $219.8 million (Table 1) have tied spending requirements of $112.7 million. This expenditure increase can accordingly be regarded as a technical adjustment.
However, it would be considered creative to call the increase in interest expenses, totalling $80.8 million a mere technical adjustment. The increase in interest costs is a direct result of the skyrocketing increase in the ACT’s debt and the loss of our credit rating. These costs are a direct consequence of the government’s fiscal policy of deficits financed by debt, and its (non-existent) debt strategy.
New policy initiatives total $397.4 million, with a net cost of $308.8 million once savings and provisions offsets are considered. Descriptions of the policy initiatives run over some 45 pages in the Budget Review document.
We have not reviewed the merits of individual budget initiatives. For those interested in doing so we suggest you first attempt to pare back the spin that has become a hallmark of ACT budget papers.
For example, on Page 87, an
initiative titled “Sustaining Public Transport – Keeping fares low” is presented with the following description: “The Government will ensure that transport fares remain low by providing additional funding to Transport Canberra to meet increased operating costs. This initiative contributes to the wellbeing domain of access and connectivity.”
The initiative provides an additional $11.692 million in 2023-24, but nothing in the forward years. In effect, the funding is required to plug a budget blowout, presumably due to the original estimate being far too low.
There is additional funding for health to meet the operating costs of the new facility at Woden, which incidentally is being delivered almost a decade later than first recommended. Regardless of that, it is difficult to understand why the money was not allocated in the original budget.
Overall, what is notable is a complete absence of a coherent and simple explanation in the Budget Review of what has driven the government to add approximately $100 million a year in new expenditure across the forward estimates.
Jon Stanhope is a former chief minister of the ACT and Dr Khalid Ahmed a former senior ACT Treasury official.
THERE’S to be a reunion of the Old Canberra Northside members, who grew up and or went to school on the northside from the 1940s onwards, at the RUC bowls club in Turner from 11.30am on Sunday, March 24. Organiser Tony Rumble says the last gathering was in November, 2019 and since then the group’s membership has grown significantly. Some members are travelling from interstate to attend. More from tonyrumble53@gmail.com
Early bird registrations for the Walk to Fight Parkinson’s, which raises awareness and funds for people living with Parkinson’s disease, close on March 28. The 1.5km or 5km walk/run starts at Rond Terrace, Commonwealth Park, on May 19. The last fundraiser in 2022 raised $82,000. Parkinson’s is the second most common brain disorder after Alzheimer’s. Register at walktofightparkinsons.com.au
In last week’s feature on health experts, The Surgery in Manuka Terrace was incorrectly characterised as providing surgical care. It is a general practice providing primary patient care. Skin care at the pracitice is provided by two GPs with a special interest in skin and not by “specialists” as reported.
Over the last few months –following the High Court decision that indefinite detention is unlawful, the consequent release of 149 people from immigration detention and the arrival of a couple of boats – refugees have again been at the centre of political debate.
The Liberal and National parties performed their usual role – stirring fears that none of us could sleep safe because of people who had already served their time for various offences.
Based on what turned out to be false information that one of these people had assaulted and stalked a woman in Melbourne, Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley tweeted “If you do not want to see Australian women being assaulted by foreign criminals, vote against Labor.” Even when the incident proved to be untrue, she and Peter Dutton continued to back the comment.
The weaponisation of refugees for political advantage has a long history in Australia – certainly since the 2001 “Tampa election”. And Australia’s policies of mandatory detention, indefinite detention and offshore detention have been seen as a model by anti-refugee politicians elsewhere –particularly in Europe.
Australian politicians, includ-
ing Tony Abbott and Alexander Downer, have urged Europe to copy Australia. Some have tried to do so. In a duplication of Australia’s offshore detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru, first the British Conservative government and then Denmark’s Social Democratic government has had negotiations with Rwanda to send asylum seekers there. Italy, under the new right-wing coalition led by Georgia Meloni, announced plans in November to build camps in Albania to detain people attempting to come ashore. The Social Democrat Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, has said that he is open to a similar deal.
More broadly, as the most visible of migrants, often because of their means of arrival, refugees have become a lightning rod for Islamophobia and opposition to non-white migration. Anti-refugee sentiment has been central to the rise of far-right politics in many countries.
In the 1990s, only one western European government included a far-right party – the Northern League in the first Berlusconi government. In stark contrast, this century has seen the rise of far-right politics across Europe, the US and Latin America. In Europe, in the last two decades, far-right parties either joined or propped up governments in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor
As the most visible of migrants, often because of their means of arrival, refugees have become a lightning rod for Islamophobia and opposition to non-white migration.
Orbán has refused to allow even one Muslim refugee into the country – referring to them as “Muslim invaders”. Many of these far-right parties combine racist attitudes to Middle Eastern and African refugees and migrants with barely concealed anti-semitism. Orbán has just begun a billboard campaign urging people not to “dance to the tune” of, among others, Alex Soros, the son of George Soros – a frequent target of antisemitic conspiracy theories.
The Polish Law and Justice Party (PiS), in office until recently, took the same position on excluding Muslim refugees. Prime Minister Robert Fico, of the Smer Party in Slovakia, has barred Muslim refugees and relied on even more extreme racist parties such as the Slovak National Party to form government.
Marine Le Pen of the far-right Rassemblement National won over 45 per cent of the vote in the 2022 French Presidential election. In the wake of
the 2015 refugee influx to Europe, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), won 12.6 per cent of the vote and 94 seats in the Bundestag in 2017; the first time it or any such far-right party had done so since the war. It is now polling 19 per cent – making it the second most popular party.
Even where they have failed to enter government, these groups have shifted the politics of more conventional rightof-centre parties and even the social democratic parties.
In France, the 2022 presidential candidate for the mainstream conservative Republican Party, Valérie Pécresse, echoed the far-right, referring to the “Great Replacement”: the claim that migrants and their children will eventually outnumber the “French-born” population.
Trump, of course, made building “the wall” central to his last two presidential campaigns and has recently repeated his earlier Hitlerian remarks that undocumented migrants are “poisoning the blood of our country”.
The policies of these parties of the far-right are mixed. On economic approaches they vary from extreme neo-liberal to protectionist. On social policy they traverse relatively liberal positions on gay rights and feminism
to vicious homophobic and misogynistic views.
Sometimes, they even combine widely different and incoherent positions on these questions within individual parties. But the one thing on which they all agree is the threat posed by “outsiders” – people of colour, Muslims and refugees.
Australia pioneered some of the worst of these refugee policies. And it pioneered the use of fear of refugees as a political weapon.
The LNP continues to do so. Australia has become a model for others overseas. This is an export of which we should not be proud.
On this Palm Sunday, March 24, thousands of Canberra citizens will march to change these policies. We should remember that the consequences of whether we succeed or fail are not confined to our shores.
John Minns is emeritus professor of politics and international relations at the ANU and a member of the Refugee Action Campaign, Canberra.
Sciatica is caused by nerve pain that originates from the lower back and can cause pain from the point, right down through your bottom and down one leg to your calf.
Not the entire area may be causing you pain at any one time, but what the pain will certainly do is cause you frequent extreme discomfort that is often not relieved by pain medication.
Exercise is a key to dealing with sciatica. People who have lived with sciatica for some time will generally have some weakness of the
muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding the joints and bones that support the sciatic nerve. This is largely due to not having used their body to the fullest extent due to the sciatic pain.
Sciatic pain will generally respond well to rebuilding the support structures surrounding the sciatic nerve. For some people surgery may be the only solution, but in most cases, even if surgery is required, building up the support structures either prior to or following surgery will still be necessary.
Arthritis ACT has a team of exercise physiologists that can improve your quality of life in relation to your sciatica. Both hydrotherapy and land based exercise techniques are useful, and for those who do not like water exercise, land based exercise is just as effective.
Call us today on 1800 011 041 and book your appointment with one of our exercise physiologists and scientists to solve your sciatica.
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
The former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions sought to restore his reputation with litigation that has proved pointless at best. Indeed, for Mr Drumgold it has been worse: the negative labels have been hung up again – at his instigation, says legal columnist HUGH SELBY.
Former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold sought to restore his reputation by first showing that a reasonable non-lawyer observer would have “an apprehension of bias” by Commissioner Walter Sofronoff KC.
This successful claim was based upon the multiple “exclusive” communications between journalist Janet Albrechtsen (who had repeatedly expressed in her articles negative views about Mr Drumgold) and the commissioner.
The problem for Mr Drumgold was that he then had to demonstrate that the commissioner’s negative findings about Mr Drumgold were legally “unreasonable”.
Mr Drumgold drew attention to eight such findings. He succeeded on only one, leaving seven in place.
Litigation lawyers and law students can be grateful for Justice Stephen Kaye’s exposition of the law and how to apply it to facts. But
for everyone else, including Mr Drumgold, this litigation has been pointless at best. Indeed, for Mr Drumgold it has been worse: the negative labels have been hung up again – at his instigation.
That has made him a fresh target for Ms Albrechtsen who has roundly condemned his being employed by the University of Canberra to teach evidence to law students (The Australian, March 5). The article is vicious, nasty and reminds me of kicking a person when they’re down.
His litigation faults that led to his necessary resignation as DPP do not disqualify him from teaching law, especially a subject such as evidence that is so practical, rather than layers of principles.
He may be an excellent teacher, able to illustrate important points by examples drawn from his own experience. Learning from errors is valuable. Let us hope that his teaching aptitude today, not his past limitations, remains the test for his continued employment. He needs a
job. He needs to rebuild. He needs the chance.
Ms Albrechtsen, too, might like to reflect on her contribution to this mess. Did it never occur to her that a line may have been crossed in her near “exclusive” access to the commissioner? From her articles she has ready access to many experienced lawyers who might have been asked.
We know that she had an embargoed copy of the Inquiry Report. The ABC and one other “interest” also received embargoed copies.
Despite the “trust” between her and the commissioner she obtained another copy and all bets were off.
The Australian went to press with its exclusive, with no regard for protocol, or the mutuality of obligation between Ms Albrechtsen and the commissioner.
“Exclusivity” (hidden behind a bare claim of “we got another copy, but don’t ask us how”) trumped all collateral damage. Not self-evidently
Mr Drumgold had a further argument to make in his quest to have the inquiry findings declared to be legally unreasonable. He alleged that he was not given “natural justice”.
There were three findings that he challenged. He lost on two, won on one. It would give him no comfort, especially given the aggregated weight of his failings.
All in all a sorry tale, with nothing to lighten it.
This is an edited version of Hugh Selby’s original opinion piece published on citynews.com.au that includes an examination of Justice Stephen Kaye’s eight findings.
Former barrister Hugh Selby’s free podcasts on “Witness Essentials” and “Advocacy in court: preparation and performance” can be heard on the best known podcast sites.
Kangara Waters Retirement Village, Belconnen, is hosting a mini-market, 8.30am-12.30pm, on March 23. Handmade craft items will be for sale, including cards and the return of “Easter chickens” (with Easter eggs inside). Stalls will feature trash ’n’ treasure, jewellery, books, CDs, DVDs, home-made cakes and other goodies. Credit cards and cash welcome.
The Bold Bandannas, a Relay for Life team, will have a stall at the Harmonie German Club Markets, Narrabundah, 8.30am-4.30pm, on Sunday, March 17, selling beanies, scarves and hand-knitted children’s cardigans and jumpers to raise funds for the ACT Cancer Council, ACT.
Pat and Warwick Wright are the guest speakers at the Yerrabi VIEW Club’s first birthday meeting at the Eastlake Club, Gungahlin, from 11.30am on March 21. The talk is titled “Who is Smartest: Plants or Animals?” Interested ladies and guests are welcome. RSVP to 0419 698091 or dotric65@gmail.com by March 18.
Canberra Repertory is selling excess costumes, clothing, accessories, and costume jewellery at Rep Theatre, Acton, 11am-3pm, March 21-23.
As we approach St Patrick’s Day, politically aware readers should know that in Brisbane on March 17 1948, Australia’s only Communist Party MP Fred Paterson was savagely smashed from behind by a Queensland policeman.
Some time after it occurred, this attack on Paterson became known as The Great St Patrick’s Day Bash.
Yet most Australians, including a great many Queenslanders, do not know about this horrific incident.
Indeed, many educated Austral ians remain unaware that north Queensland was once known as “The Red North”.
From 1944 to 1950, Frederick Woolnough (Fred) Paterson was the Communist Party member for Bowen in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, the upper house having been abolished in 1922 by Labor premier and later federal treasurer, EG “Red Ted” Theodore.
Shortly before his bashing, it was said of Paterson that only one politician was less likely ever to become premier of Queensland – the unprepossessing Country Party MP for Nanango, Johannes (Joh) BjelkePetersen. This was confirmed by Sir Joh and Lady Florence (“Flo”) when
I visited their property, Bethany, outside of Kingaroy, in 1988.
Born in Gladstone in 1897, Paterson is the first and only Communist Party member to be elected to any state or federal parliament in Australia.
A former Rhodes Scholar and divinity student who became a prominent Communist activist and radical barrister for the poor and dispossessed, Paterson was widely known throughout north Queensland as “the people’s champion”.
A staunch defender of the rights of Italian cane-cutters and other workers, he helped lessen the influence of fascist ideas among Queensland’s immigrant community, while at the
same time advancing their socio-
Being an avid anti-fascist and having declared he was no longer a believer, Paterson had many enemies, including members of the cloth.
At a public meeting in Townsville in 1947, while Paterson was promoting Communist ideas, a priest interjected: “Have you ever been to Russia?”
“No father,” said Fred, who had never visited the Soviet Union, “Have you ever been to heaven?”
A year later, on St Patrick’s Day, March 17,1948, while acting as a legal observer of a march of striking unionists in Brisbane, Paterson sustained serious head injuries after having been deliberately bashed by a plainclothed Queensland policeman.
To try and stop a statewide railway strike, on March 9, 1948, autocratic ALP premier EM (Ned) Hanlon rushed through Queensland’s one-house parliament the Industrial Law Amendment Act, prohibiting participation in an illegal strike and stipulating heavy penalties.
Queensland police were granted power to enter any home or building, to disperse any gathering and to arrest without warrant. The onus of proof was placed on the defendants. Under the act, the opinion of a police officer was sufficient evidence of a misdemeanour.
Paterson had described the law as “the greatest scab-herding, strike-
breaking piece of legislation ever introduced by a Labor government anywhere in Australia”.
On March 10 1948, even the very conservative Courier-Mail had editorialised: “These powers… are the most far-reaching ever given to the police in any state in Australia.”
In the light of Hanlon’s publicly expressed antagonism to Paterson, it is significant that, on the afternoon of the day that Paterson was viciously bashed, the Queensland ALP caucus met and unanimously decided that no inquiry would be held.
As no charges were laid against Paterson or the sergeant involved, the incident could not be tested in court, and thereby be made public.
My biography of Paterson, published in 1997 by UQP, reveals that the Communist MP’s attacker was a plainclothes policeman, JJ (Jack) Mahony.
If the brutal bashing of an MP occurred in Australia today, there would surely be either an immediate state parliamentary inquiry, a royal commission or a formal investigation by the Australian Senate.
Yet, in the ALP-controlled Queensland of the late 1940s, an extremely serious assault upon a sitting member
of parliament was greeted with an extraordinary official silence.
Paterson never fully recovered from head injuries.
In 1950, his Bowen electorate was gerrymandered out of existence and after unsuccessfully contesting the seat of Whitsunday, Paterson moved to Sydney where he worked part-time as a legal adviser to the NSW branch of the Australian Communist Party. He died in 1977.
It is hard to disagree with Paterson’s assessment of the significance of the savage attack on him in Brisbane on St Patrick’s Day 1948: “The story of this action, and the bashing of other people on this day, is one that should be told again and again, to expose the corruption of some members of the police force and the corruption of some government administrators.”
Ross Fitzgerald AM is emeritus professor of history and politics at Griffith University and author or co-author of 45 books, including three histories of Queensland.
The most important information in Minister Steel’s recent press release “Molonglo to become the next town centre for the ACT” was that a community needs assessment is to be undertaken.
Molonglo residents have endured delays in the provision of services from poor planning and development co-ordination.
These have included:
• the delay in the release of the commercial space at the “town” centre site, which would have enabled the earlier provision of major supermarket and services space;
• failure to allow a supermarket of more than 1000sqm in the first local centre released in the district (Coombs) to address needs until the population of the district reached the threshold sufficient to support commercial space at the “town” centre;
• delays in the provision of community facilities and in constructing the Molonglo River Bridge. The consequence has been the additional travel imposed on Molonglo residents and a lack of a focal point. The reclassification of the Molonglo Group Centre as a town centre is unlikely to have much impact on the level of residential, commercial and services provision in the district.
It is doubtful whether major office development will occur in Molonglo given the inability of the government to attract a major Commonwealth office to the Gungahlin Town centre.
If an opportunity did arise, the relative merits of Molonglo and locations including the Gungahlin or Tuggeranong town centres would need to be assessed. Consequently, it is essential Molonglo has good transport connections and quality public transport.
The usefulness of proposed community needs assessment requires reliable population estimates and care with the framing of questions used to ascertain community need.
The Molonglo District Strategy estimated the district would have some 25,000 dwellings with an associated population of 55,000. Of the dwellings, 40 per cent were identified as low density.
The ACT District Population Projections (2023), released shortly after the release of the Strategy, projected the district’s population to increase from 12,100 in 2022 to 83,140 in 2050.
Minister Steel’s press release identified a population of 70,000. There is an urgent need for the population estimates of Molonglo to be verified in regards to size, location, age structure and household type.
Higher populations would require the review and revision of
The shortcomings in Molonglo’s planning to date does not inspire confidence that the government is capable of delivering good outcomes.
infrastructure plans for the district, including those for a college, library, community centre, public transport, roads and bridges (including the proposed second river crossing), water, stormwater and sewerage networks, shopping centres, places of worship, parks and other recreational facilities.
Comparing information in the Concept Plan for the Molonglo Group Centre and Surrounds (consistent with the District Strategy) and the District Population Projections demonstrates the need for reliable estimates.
The comparison indicates the population projections assume an increase in density in most areas. In the concept plan, the capacity north of the river is estimated to be 9400 dwellings. At the average Molonglo 2021 dwelling occupancy of 2.2 people per dwelling, this results in a population of 20,700 in 2050.
The District Population Projections assume a doubling of population in
the area by 2050 to 41,400.
How were such density increases determined? What impact does the increased population have on the composition, size and number of centres (currently a group centre and two local centres are proposed north of the river), the size, location and number of schools and transport and other infrastructure required?
Strategies seeking community input have to be a genuine attempt to ascertain need. Questions should be framed to elicit informed responses by reference to the cost and benefits of alternatives. This would reduce concerns about the results of the assessment being biased through the use of loaded questions designed to support outcomes such as much higher densities and expensive and unnecessary transport solutions.
If the community needs assessment results in generalised statements such as found in the 2018 Planning Strategy (“Canberrans want to see more diverse housing, lifestyle and transport options to support a wider range of people and households. They want better public transport connectivity, and an increased range of sustainable travel options”), then the
range of policies available to achieve these outcomes need to be evaluated.
What happens in Molonglo has city-wide impacts. It is identified as the main greenfield supply area in Canberra over the coming decades. Increasing its density will further constrain new detached housing supply in the territory, contributing to increased pressure on house prices. Such impacts need to be considered when formulating land release programs.
The shortcomings in Molonglo’s planning to date does not inspire confidence that the government is capable of delivering good outcomes.
Are its failures a result of it receiving advice from obsequious apparatchiks or a consequence of excluding advice that does not conform to pre-determined outcomes? Will it start to deliver strategies and infrastructure based on evidence? The election beckons.
Mike Quirk is a former NCDC and ACT govern ment planner.
Indigenous Engagement Advisor
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Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT. In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.
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Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.
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So, Andrew Barr has never posted a surplus in his 11 years as ACT Treasurer (CN February 29). Quite some record.
Now, let me see, that must be the same Andrew Barr who, in his inaugural speech to the Assembly stated: “Running a surplus operating budget provides inter-generational equity. It means that each generation of the ACT community pays for the government services they are receiving.
“A surplus budget is vital to maintaining the territory’s AAA credit rating. A surplus budget also provides a basis for managing the risks and uncertainties that will inevitably arise in the future.”
So, what happened? Did he not believe what he said in 2006? Did he believe it, but not have the skills to deliver, as treasurer? Or, over time, did he simply stop aspiring to prudent fiscal management? Was it all too hard and debt and deficit was easier to deliver – and conceal?
Further, since 2014, since when has held the joint portfolios of chief minister and treasurer, were there fewer internal checks and balances on the budget outcome and his performance?
All I know is that no newly elected Labor MLA will praise the merits of a surplus operating budget in their inaugural speech any time soon.
Alison Hutchison, CoombsRecent breathless headlines have said: “Light rail to Woden by 2033 says ACT govt”, but Chief Minister Andrew Barr’s media release said: “The government is working towards a construction period of 2028-2033 for future stages of the project”.
This seems to me to be a long way from a clear commitment to deliver light rail to Woden “by 2033”.
The Light Rail Stage 2 saga is taking on farcical proportions, quite apart from its lack of economic justification.
The documents with the ACT government’s referral under the EPBC Act indicate that its heritage and other environmental impacts are likely to be severe and need much more detailed investigation.
The alternative “Barton dog-leg” route is said to be preferred by the community and may have a bit less impact on the historic trees in Commonwealth Avenue, but it is an
dose of dorin
extraordinarily convoluted route and would be disowned by any self-respecting dog!
It is difficult to see how it could possibly be viable.
Richard Johnston, KingstonThe ACT election will be held on October 19. Is this why the March edition of OUR CBR is full of promises of what the ACT government is going to do?
They are “getting on with a number of infrastructure upgrades right across the city”, “early works are beginning on the next stage of Canberra’s light rail”, “there will be more help for Canberrans in their time of need” (11 additional paramedics), “work is on track for the opening of Canberra Hospital’s new state-of-the-art Critical Services Building” and “a range of upgrades will soon begin at the Kippax Group Centre”.
And this: “The ACT government is committed to provide free period products for every Canberran who needs them. In every ACT public school, students, staff and visitors can access free period products.”
Why staff? They are in paid employment and getting a pretty good salary. So why them?
First it was free lunches in the schools, now free period products for everyone in Canberra. I can understand, maybe, for the disadvantaged, but for everyone, this is going too far.
Where is all the money coming from for
all of this? We are already up to our eyes in debt and cannot afford to hire more police, nurses or teachers.
The emergency services buildings are in dire need of maintenance and upgrades, yet we can afford to give free period products out to the people of Canberra.
Before the last election, the government put up signs on William Hovell Drive, stating it was to be upgraded and widened. After the election, the signs disappeared. Miracle of miracles, the signs are back, I wonder why?
All of these things reek of vote-catching.
Vi Evans, via email
G Hollands’ letter (CN March 29) advising to get rid of Labor/Greens and offering the rationale: “Don’t worry about who the new crew are just as long as it’s not Labor/ Greens” is a classic example of change them, elect anyone – ie the drover’s dog argument.
Can we please get serious about the election and put a laser eye over candidates and policies? Treating the election like a lottery is a surefire recipe for disaster.
The government we elect is reflective of the intellect of the electorate. So how does everyone want to be measured and remembered?
John Lawrence via emailStephanie Munk rang police about a suspicious person who subsequently broke into a neighbour’s property (CN February 29) and apparently police did not respond until the next day.
If correct, that’s simply not good enough. The AFP in the ACT costs ACT taxpayers $205 million annually and has a staff of 1015, of whom 745 are sworn officers.
A question a taxpayer could reasonably ask is: “What are all those people doing with their time if the police can’t respond to criminal activity in a timely manner?”
C Williams, ForrestAfter reading Fintan O’Laighin’s letter (CN March 7), I checked my “archive” and found an article by Sherryn Groch, of the Canberra Times from September 2018.
She looked at several theories about the origins of the Narrabundah peafowl. One was that they had escaped from the Mugga Lane zoo when it closed in 2002.
She reported that peafowl had been sighted in the Narrabundah area from the late 1970s. The owner of the Mugga Lane zoo also said he had been asked to catch a couple of them around 1982.
One of the other unproven theories is that a diplomat released a brood when leaving Canberra.
Does anyone have dated photographs of early sightings?
Nick Swain, Canberra & District Historical Society
Like Anita Lacey’s family (Letters, CN February 29), I lived near the intersection of La Perouse Street and Carnegie Crescent, Narrabundah. There were certainly no peafowl wandering in that area 60 years ago.
Frank Marris, BartonIn his article “Flapping politicians miss the key planning point” (CN March 7) Michael
Moore refers to the Molonglo Valley containing “more than 70,000 (dwellings) by the year 2050”.
At a very conservative estimate of two people per dwelling, that could mean an addition of almost 150,000 people to Canberra’s population. That poses significant problems.
At present the Molonglo Valley development is connected to “older” Canberra by only two roads: Cotter Road and John Gorton Drive. These cannot possibly cope with the traffic generated by 150,000 people: their capacity would have to doubled or tripled – at commensurate cost.
Another growing problem, touched on by Mr Moore, is the heat island effect.
As I wrote in my February 29 letter, the developing suburb of Whitlam is “devoid of the upper soil horizons on which most plants depend in their infancy. Overly large houses are crammed into small allotments, leaving little or no room for trees, or even green space such as (non-artificial) lawn”.
If there are to be “more than 70,000 dwellings”, the Molonglo Valley could be a giant “Whitlamesque” heat island – hardly a place I would choose to live.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
A month ago, you published my letter and photograph regarding the disgustingly filthy and overgrown public eating area for Hungry Jacks and Oporto in Belconnen. We would now like to advise that, on visiting the area in early March, we found it to be cleaned and the shrubs pruned. Thank you.
Tom and Claire Eames, via email
I voted Labor all my life until Andrew Barr took ACT Labor to the right, but also to the green.
His failure over many years to honour the basic values of the Labor Party, such as health and housing, will be his legacy. Not the tram, which serves a few; not the rainbows, not the woke policies.
He will be remembered as a failure to those who looked to Labor to make their lives better.
Bob Howden, via email
Let
The US state of Oregon has just announced that it is recriminalising the possession of hard drugs three years after it legislated to allow possession of these substances.
Common sense has finally prevailed. One hopes that the amateurish, student legislation passed by ACT Labor/Greens in 2023 will similarly be repealed.
A recent visit to Portland, Oregon, vividly demonstrated the colossal failure of loosening penalties on hard drug possession.
There were large parts of the city centre, previously vibrant and bustling, that were essentially no-go zones due to hard-drug users populating these locations.
Elsewhere in the city, there were constant signs of drug use paraphernalia littering the city pathways. People high on hard drugs were prevalent in some of these locations.
Hard-drug use has many causal symptoms. It would be much better use of scarce public funds for the ACT government to reallocate funding to some of these causes including mental health, domestic violence, education, employment etcetera, but I am sure that the current ideologue Barr government would, based on past behaviour, pay scant attention to this policy focus.
Ron Edgecombe, EvattIn response to John Lawrence’s question: “Is Canberra deteriorating and becoming third-rate?”, here is the reason.
Most attractive cities have an image based on something aesthetic that is (or once was) tied to the spirit of the people. Canberra’s image was the bush capital. Civic and town centres were carefully planned to provide that visual appeal.
Today when I visit Woden town centre the description that comes to mind is “Death Valley”. Not only is the bush panorama being replaced by walls of glass and concrete and narrow lanes, but the population will age rapidly judging by the lack of facilities for children.
The bush capital had families, community and pride.
John L Smith, FarrerThe ACT’s newish planning minister announced at the end of February his use of the controversial call-in powers still available to him under the old planning system, in order to approve a very major Molonglo housing proposal that a Terry Snow development company had submitted some time ago under the old system.
The environment minister and conservation groups slammed the move as “reckless”, lacking in consultation with them on
environmental and other relevant policy matters, and as not being in the spirit of the new planning system environment that lacks ministerial call-in power opportunities.
Leaving aside the location of this project – in the minister’s electorate – and the considerable inter-party and governance ructions that the minister stirred up, it is hard to know if this Molonglo move was the last hurrah of the former ACT planning system.
Or whether everyone, including other relevant government ministers, might still be in for some more significant surprises regarding other major development and densification proposals that were also being considered somewhere in the bowels of the old planning system at the end of last November, when the new “outcomes” planning system was bulldozed into being.
Perhaps we should be prepared for anything to happen, given that both the old and new planning systems incorporate levels of murkiness that can help deliver hidden agendas and avoid providing far more transparency about decision-making by a planning minister and related authorities on the use of particular tracts of land.
In addition, the limited content of the planning minister’s media release, and his explanations in news broadcasts about accessing the still extant call-in powers of the old planning system, were disappointing.
Nor did they engender faith and trust in future planning communications being more informative and comprehensible than what has been served up to the public in the past.
The underlying spirit of the government’s
“like it or leave it” planning pathways for this city lives on and can still be influential in many different ways, to the detriment of achieving higher quality, more balanced, and timelier planning “outcomes” that are not just about housing.
Sue Dyer, DownerThe question begs why health staff could not have prevented the escape of a man who was undergoing a mental health assessment at Canberra Hospital’s adult mental health unit.
He “escaped” from the ACT Adult Mental Health Unit (AMHU) after being court ordered under Section 309 for a mental health assessment.
The justifications by people such as Katie McKenzie, executive director, Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol and Drug Services, are simply unacceptable; as I have personally observed in other matters involving people experiencing mental health issues.
While I partially agree with Ms McKenzie’s statement of “the overwhelming majority of people with mental illness were not a risk”, I am also cognisant that some people are at risk, of both harming themselves and others; this has culminated in suicides, assaults and, in other matters, death.
Ms McKenzie stated that “we also have other security means as well as the doors. We have secure windows, and we also work in very close collaboration with our security
guards who are part of the team, so we do have security guards when needed.”
Well, that raises the question of how the man was able to escape from a “secure” window. I wonder if Ms McKenzie has visited AMHU and checked out the “security”?
Then we have people asking why this patient was being evaluated in an insecure facility when they had come from the justice system. Nothing makes sense here.
Janine Haskins, CookThe incoming head of the ABC, Kim Williams, has hit the nail on the head by highlighting that: The ABC is not a platform for employees to present their own views; if you work at the ABC you need to respect its charter and the ABC is too introverted.
Mr Williams correctly asserts that the ABC has a clear charter that most haven’t even looked at, let alone complied with.
Regrettably, the ABC has transformed itself from a once well loved and respected media organisation into a biased, de facto left-wing sub-branch of the ALP.
It is continually getting sued, owing to its “loose cannon” investigative journalists, at enormous cost to the taxpayers .
I, for one, wish Kim Williams well. He has a mammoth task ahead in reforming the ABC to its former well-respected status .
Mario Stivala, Belconnen
“Australia must call for a ceasefire in Gaza, condemn the Israeli government’s decades long apartheid policies in the West Bank and Gaza and put sanctions on Israel,” writes KATHRYN KELLY.
Palestinians in Gaza are facing “plausible genocide” at the hands of the Israeli government, as the International Court of Justice has ruled.
As of the end of February, 1.9 million people – 85 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza – have been displaced, 70 per cent of Gaza homes have been destroyed, and around 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed.
People are starving and medical care is virtually non-existent, with operations being conducted without anaesthesia. The misery is unimaginable.
The killings of 1200 Israelis by Hamas on October 7 must be investigated and those responsible held accountable for the war crimes. But the responses by Israel to those events are completely disproportionate.
The origins of the conflict go back decades before October 2023, to the establishment of Israel and the fleeing in terror, and displacement of around 750,000 Palestinians, in the 1948 war.
Since that time, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have been subject to harsh apartheid conditions and in Gaza, they have been subject to a
blockade since 2007, effectively being kept in an open air prison.
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that he will not allow a Palestinian state, making clear the decades long Israeli agenda – to take all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which encompasses the West Bank and Gaza, and to expel the Palestinians.
How has the Australian government responded to this appalling situation?
It has followed the US lead and refused to clearly condemn the Israeli government’s attacks in Gaza – the US is the biggest supporter of Israel, giving it billions in military aid each year.
Both governments fail to express support for South Africa’s case of genocide in the International Court of Justice and have frozen funding to the aid agency UNRWA, when Gazans desperately need more aid. Why is Australia taking this position?
The US government and its military has had undue influence in Australia ever since World War II and the building of the spy base, Pine Gap, near Alice Springs. Meant to be a joint base, Australian parliamentarians have to get permission to visit.
Most people working there are
American. Undue US influence saw Australia join the illegal war on Iraq and the decades long war in Afghanistan – neither of which were in Australia’s interests. Arms manufacturers hold huge sway in America – employing hundreds of thousands of people and influencing foreign policy. The US sway over Australia’s government distorts our government’s policy decisions.
Now, with the AUKUS agreement, US influence in Australia is increasing and the Australian government is rushing ahead with militarisation, which entails loss of our sovereignty.
It has allocated $368 billion for nuclear-powered submarines and is funding Lockheed Martin’s long-range missile production here.
It has allowed the US military to use large swathes of the NT for their marines
ACT Australian of the Year Joanne Farrell has been named the 2024 ACT Woman of the Year.
General manager of construction company
Kane ACT, Joanne founded the not-for-profit organisation, Build Like A Girl Australia to encourage and support girls and women find careers in the trades.
and expansion of airports and other facilities aimed at “deterring China”.
Both Labor and Liberal politicians perpetuate the myth that Australia needs the US nuclear umbrella to protect us. They follow the US lead in their disastrous war exploits and in supporting the Israeli government regardless of the war crimes they are committing in Gaza and the West Bank.
Australia must call for a ceasefire in Gaza, reinstate the funding for UNRWA, develop a more neutral or non-aligned foreign policy, condemn the Israeli government’s decades long apartheid policies in the West Bank and Gaza, and put sanctions on Israel.
Kathryn Kelly is convenor of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network, ACT branch.
“Build Like A Girl works with various government and private organisations, employers, peak industry bodies, to create programs, whether their pathway programs or other types of programs to encourage more women of all backgrounds and ages to start a trade,” Joanne says.
Master Builders ACT CEO Michael Hopkins says: “Jo Farrell is an inspirational member of Master Builders ACT, who is leading the work required to attract more women into the building and construction industry.”
Mijica Lus is the ACT Young Woman of the Year and Glenda Stevens is the ACT Senior Woman of the Year.
Everyone needs storage, whether it’s a drawer for home-office supplies or something larger for decluttering or downsizing.
Whatever it is, Canberra is home to many services that can help with a big move, or with storage options for onsite, offsite, in-the-home or backyard.
“CityNews” sources some of the stars of Canberra’s best storage solutions and moving services.
operating for more than three decades, has become very well recognised amongst home improvers.
“We have all types of storage for home and offices,” says James.
“Also, we have recently gotten in heaps of swing-door stationary cabinets.”
He says normally the store will only see two of these specific stationary cabinets a year.
“Everyone wants them and we never have
MANAGING LOGISTICS, THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO EASE THE MOVING PROCESS.
Top 10 Tips When Moving:
Create a Checklist: Plan tasks before, during, and after the move for organisation.
Start Early: Begin packing non-essentials in advance to avoid last-minute stress.
Declutter: Donate or discard items you don’t need to lighten your load. Ask a professional for help if this task is challenging.
Get Packing Supplies: Stock up on boxes, tape, and bubble wrap for efficient packing or ask your prepack to quote these.
Label Clearly: Label boxes with contents and room destination for easy unpacking.
Pack Essentials Separately: Keep daily essentials, medications, and important documents in a separate bag.
Notify Utilities and Change
Address: Arrange utility disconnections and notify relevant parties of your address change.
Consider Professionals:
Research and hire reputable prepack, declutter and movers to take the stress off and safeguard your valuables.
Care for Pets and Plants: Plan for their comfort during the move, whether with you or in temporary accommodation.
Plan for the First Day: Set up utilities and unpack essentials for a smooth transition into your new home.
swing-door and fire-safes.
“We’ve also got a bunch of full-height cabinets that are great for keeping things in the garage,” he says.
“There’s a huge range and we can work with customers to their budget.”
Ex-Government Furniture, 6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6490 or visit exgovfurniture.com
Tidying up is a lost art, says Lucy Steen, owner, Serenity Organising.
“People don’t know it, but the clutter and disorganisation, it really causes people stress,” she says.
Lucy says she worked in the professional organising space for one and a half years before starting her own company two years ago.
“It was just me on my own, and now there are six of us,” she says.
Lucy says she and her team can help people get organised and declutter in preparation for a big move, after a big move or when storage at home has become impossible to maintain.
“The art of tidying up is basically reduc ing the amount you have in your home, the less you have, the less you need to tidy but people really struggle with that because we have so much stuff in our society, so many items, so much clutter,” she says.
“We help people psychologically move through the process of reducing the amount.
“A lot of the time it is a mental health challenge.”
Serenity Organising can assist with pantry organisation, wardrobe organisation all the way through to assisting those struggling with hoarding behaviours, or those who are neurodivergent and require assistance with organising their space,
Lucy says.
“Our speciality is the mental health side of it,” she says.
Lucy says they also avoid taking the discarded items to the tip, and know the safest and most sustainable ways that items can be discarded.
Serenity Organising. Call 0411 405108 or visit www.serenityorganising.com.au
House to Home’s pre-pack to move services offer a streamlined and efficient solution for individuals and families looking to transition to a new residence, says co-owner Renee LeGrande.
“With meticulous planning and years of expertise in the moving industry, House to Home takes the stress out of relocation by handling every aspect of the move,” she says.
“Our pre-pack to move services begin with a comprehensive assessment of the client’s needs and requirements.
“A team of experienced professionals then carefully pack and label belongings, ensuring their safety during transit.
“This service is particularly advantageous for those with busy schedules or those seeking a hands-off approach to moving.”
materials and techniques to guarantee the security of fragile items and valuable possessions.
“By entrusting the packing process to skilled experts, clients can focus on other crucial aspects of the move, such as settling legalities, changing addresses, and saying goodbye to their old home,” she says.
“The pre-pack to move services also extend to unpacking at the new destination, allowing clients to immediately feel at home in their new surroundings without the overwhelming task of unpacking.
“With House to Home’s commitment to efficiency, professionalism, and personalised attention, their pre-pack to move services ensure a seamless transition to a new chapter in life.”
Lewis says the business is always striving to make things as easy as possible for their customers.
Located behind the truck stop at Marulan, only a one-hour drive from the ACT, manager Lewis Jones says the business is proud to provide cost-effective storage options to people both in and outside metropolitan areas.
“Our monthly storage costs are easily half the price of a storage unit in Canberra,” he says.
“People generally like a single garage-sized unit, and in Canberra and Sydney that can easily be $800900, whereas we charge $299 a month.
“We have customers from the Snowy Mountains all the way to the northern beaches of Sydney and operate in a location that’s really convenient for customers and removalists.”
“We’ve recently installed automatic gates that are phone operated. Customers can call from their phone and go right through,” he says.
“We’ve installed 24/7 security cameras and have cloud-based storage of everyone entering and exiting to make sure customers know what they’re storing is safe.
“We also offer tea-chest cartons, bubble wrap, packing tape, dust covers and butcher’s paper for our clients.
“We take pride in providing excellent customer service and looking after your property while it’s in our care.”
Self Storage Solutions, Call 9986 3618 or visit selfstoragesolutions.com.au
Abutilon plants or Chinese lanterns, which are in flower now, can grow and flower for many months in a protected spot.
They’re closely related to hibiscus and are a good substitute for anyone looking for a tropicallooking flower to grow in our climate.
Abutilons are of the mallow family and have a similar flower shape as hollyhocks and even okras.
They are semi-deciduous and a little pruning is all that’s needed to keep them in shape. Their foliage is quite similar to maples and their decorative leaves fit well in Asian-themed gardens or in a soft cottage garden.
Pruning is best done late winter to early spring to remove all the damaged and broken twigs and frost damage. Too much frost can make them brittle, so plant as an understorey plant or in a sheltered spot away from the westerly winds with morning sun.
Flower colours vary and now there are new hybrids with yellows, pinks, whites… just about all colours including blue.
Abutilon Red is my favourite with its vivid red colour. It’s also
the one I have flowers from almost all year round.
Most dwarf varieties only grow to 30 centimetres tall, which makes them perfect for a potted plant or as a garden border.
ONE of my favourite blue-flowering plants is the plumbago bush (Plumbago auriculata), which is flowering now. It also flowers in white.
In frost-free areas such as Sydney and the south coast it grows extremely well as a shrub, ground cover and even a climber. But here it hates our winters and can be tricky to grow. It can survive in a sheltered and protected spot.
I get the best effect by cutting it to the ground every winter. In spring it will send up growth shoots up to two metres tall with the most beautiful blue flowers that last from spring to autumn.
Plumbago isn’t fussy about soil types, but give them a little bit of room, good drainage and they’ll grow well.
ALL the winter seedlings need to be in the ground and growing now before the cold weather sets in next month.
Winter seedlings that can go in now are all the brassicas such as cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbages. Growing brassicas in the cooler months will lessen the damage from the white cabbage moth and grow through our winters without a problem.
Seedlings need to be covered at a young age to keep caterpillars from eating them. Cover the seedlings with a five-millimetre mesh cloth and a sprinkle of diatomaceous earth will keep snails and slaters at bay, too.
However, there are only a few choices in sowing seed for this winter season as the main seed sowing was January and February. However, Asian greens such as bok choy or choy sum, chicory, corn salad, lettuce and peas can still be grown.
Sow them into punnets of seed-raising mix and keep moist (but not wet). Once the seed has germinated, thin out the weak seedings.
Once the roots reach the bottom of the punnet and the seedlings have at least four sets of leaves they can be transplanted to the ground and lightly covered with mulch.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
• Fertilise all bulbs that are growing.
• Prune the last of the stone fruit trees for the season.
• Deadhead roses and fertilise for autumn flush.
• Keep up with pulling weeds that are about to seed.
There’s no other way of putting it – Canberra playwright Dylan Van Den Berg is hot property in Australian theatre circles.
His recent triple win at the Australian Writers Guild’s Awgies cement him as one of the country’s most in-demand writers for the stage, but it’s just one of many such accolades over recent years.
But right now, there’s something even more exciting in his life.
When I catch up with him, he and wife Emily are eagerly awaiting the birth of their second child and, happy to report as we go to press, a baby boy has just been born.
That makes for an even busier life for Van Den Berg, who is juggling four commissions, a day-job with Sydney’s Griffin Theatre and a fair bit of bread-and-butter screenwriting.
Van Den Berg’s artistic prowess is pretty much attributable to his time in Canberra.
Born of Tasmanian Palawa ancestry, he came to the ANU to study Indonesian, but was rapidly seduced into theatre studies, too – he even took an acting course in New York on a break. He soon found himself involved with The Street Theatre as both an actor and
a fledgling playwright, writing in several dramaturgical initiatives of the company .
I first came across him there at a so-called First Seen showing of his play Milk, which won the top drama award at the Victorian
Premier’s and – twice – NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. By that time Vandenberg had cemented himself in the Canberra Theatre community, and came to note playing the unfortunate verminous creature in the staged
version of Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
But it was writing that was in his blood, and his flair for dialogue has been shown time and time again, notably in the work acknowledged in the Awgies main award, Whitefella Yella Tree, a tale of two young boys facing colonisation – Van Den Berg’s scintillating dialogue made its mark.
When I catch up with him, he tells me that he spends most of his time on the highway between Canberra and Sydney. He’s been consistently working with Griffin Theatre in King’s Cross and now has a day job as its literary manager.
Griffin, which developed and staged Whitefella Yella Tree, will receive $80,000 to develop it for the stage and Van Den Berg gets an extra $20,000 for his part in it.
It takes a long time for a commission to get through to production, so he’s taking no chances and right now is working on several different scripts.
One is The Flood with the National Theatre of Parramatta, “a kind of an apocalyptic thing, in which two young people are stranded while looking for water and meet a strange woman in a cave who has been keeping the water for herself.”
Another, which will involve a lot more time in Canberra in the next couple of months, is for The Street Theatre.
It’s the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award winner from 2022, The Chosen Vessel, an adaptation of Barbara Baynton’s short story of
the same name, about a woman living in the bush awaiting death.
Van Den Berg says he’s added a ghost to deal with the question of our capacity to change the course of history. He agrees it sounds similar to Lawson’s The Drover’s Wife, to which Baynton’s story was a response, and which was recently adapted for the screen by Leah Purcell.
All the while, he’s been working on a screen version of Whitefella Yella Tree, while supplementing his income by writing for Playschool and the ABC’s Reef School, an underwater adventure on an imaginary Australian coral reef, aimed at preschoolers.
“You’ve got to pay the bills,” Van Den Berg tells me philosophically.
“I’m in the fortunate position to be able to pick and choose… you need to maintain artistic control over your material, but there’s a lot of joy in writing for kids.” Besides, it gives him good practice for his home life.
As for the future, there’s a lot he can’t talk about, including a major screen commission, but he’s also involved in a crime series, which he describes as “a different task”. And no, it doesn’t have a disaffected Aboriginal cop in it.
“I’m a bit of a lazy writer,” Van Den Berg says. “I have to sit with an idea for a long time, but then when I write, it usually takes me just two or three days to write the whole thing –I’m not a writing-every-day kind of a person, but a deadline helps me.”
He’s got plenty of those.
TO this day there’s never been a show to capture the weekly hype that surrounded each new episode of Game of Thrones.
But the epic fantasy series may finally have a contender on its hands.
Now streaming on Disney Plus is Shogun, a show set in feudal Japan that’s already being called a “masterpiece” and has many comparing it to the early seasons of Thrones.
Set in the year 1600, the story opens with fearsome Lord Yoshii Toranaga (played by Hiroyuki Sadana) discovering a marooned European ship with secrets on board that might just turn the tide of war in his favour.
He’s just one player in the sprawling samurai skirmish for power that unfolds.
Shogun tracks the stories of multiple deep and dark characters whose lives cross over as their plans for power entangle with one another.
Audiences might recognise Sanada from 2003’s The Last Samurai but apart from him this compelling cast of characters is made up of screen newcomers who will no doubt put their names on the map with this new series.
Throw all that together sequences of intense and bloody sword fights and you’ve got a samurai version of Game of Thrones ready to serve.
That’s not to say Shogun hasn’t carved out its own sense of identity.
Stunning cinematography in a setting not widely seen in TV gives this new series flair.
The first three episodes are out now with more dropping weekly although at this stage
entirety of its two-hour run time.
It all sounds like a horror premise on paper, but the film is more in the vein of psychological slow burn than anything.
This creature is no hungry xenomorph like in Ridley Scott’s Alien, but rather a contemplative being that speaks with Jakub tries to help him in his own existential crisis, eventually becoming something of an eight-legged marriage counsellor.
This may all seem absurd, but the sheer originality has been enough to allure audiences. This week the film cracked Netflix’s top 10 and it’s perhaps a credit to Spaceman that it brings any kind of seriousness at all to its far-flung premise.
That’s in large part thanks to Sandler, who is on his absolute A-game here. It’s a shame his good work wasn’t put to better use.
But despite all its problems, Spaceman is a strange beast indeed in that its creepy, bizarro plot beats are enough to hold attention right through until the end.
it seems Shogun will sadly only have one season. Can it dethrone Game of Thrones? Guess it will all come down to that ending
EVERY so often Adam Sandler shows off a serious side of his acting talent that always manages to stir up a buzz.
In recent years he’s put on incredible performances as an obsessive basketball scout in Hustle and a dubious jeweller in Uncut Gems – both Netflix films which garnered new appreciation for the 57-year-old. Quite
yet again for a foray into outer space.
Spaceman is a new sci-fi thriller where Sandler plays Jakub Procházka, an astronaut from the Czech-Republic sent on a solitary mission to the edge of the solar system. It’s not long before things take an eerie turn when Jakub discovers an uninvited guest on board, a mysterious creature from the beginning of time hiding in the bowels of his ship.
gigantic spider voiced by Paul Dano. Yes, this cosmic creepy crawly talks. A premise like that can either get cerebral or stupid very quickly. Spaceman frustratingly wobbles between both for the
This is a movie that shoots for the moon, misses, and soars well off into space but for sci-fi fans it might still well be worth going along for the ride.
In another extraordinary coup for Ana de la Vega, international flautist-turned-artistic director of Snow Concert Hall, one of England’s most loved vocal groups, The King’s Singers, will be coming to town.
It’s further proof of what de la Vega told us when she first took the job, that her overseas connections would stand her in good stead when engaging artists.
“The great benefit of having a career as a soloist is that one way or another, I’m connected to everyone,” she says.
“I knew The King’s Singers manager Isabella when I was in London and told her about the hall when I knew they were coming to Australia.
“Having them come to Snow is a bit of a dream, come true,” and she’s especially chuffed because she knows for sure that after one member of the group heard about the acoustics on the grapevine, they ditched another Australian city to perform in Canberra and test the Snow Concert Hall acoustics.
“This is the big-grin moment for me… from the moment I played my first note in the hall, I knew this would change everything… I said: ‘We’ve got the honey, the bees will
come’ and it’s happened.”
of songs, including sections called Tom and Will, (Thomas Weelkes, Thomas Tallis and William Byrd) New Romantics, (Ravel and Saint-Saëns) and Finding Harmony, (Alma Androzzo, John Cameron, Eric Bogle, Quirino Mendoza y Cortès).
The second half will be a bit more contemporary with Wonderland, (Kinoshita, Ligeti and Malcolm Williamson) and 100 Years of Disney.
Thrown in for good measure will be a bit of
– “they’re enjoyable for everyone because they’re so witty”.
De la Vega is fascinated by “the very British respect for tradition”, meaning that they’re totally committed to their history, even though they do new things.
De la Vega particularly likes the history of their name. They started out as Schola Cantorum Pro Musica Profana in Cantabridgiense, as the original six members had graduated from King’s College Cambridge,
James Schloeffel from The Shovel and Charles Firth from The Chaser are bringing their satirical show, Wankernomics 2.0, to the Canberra Comedy Festival. It’s about navigating workplace hell and includes a re-imagining of Shakespeare using corporate jargon. Canberra Theatre, March 21.
Dr Jason Leong, a medical doctor now turned Malaysia’s funniest comedian (he says), is returning to Australia with prescriptions for laughter and will be at The Street Theatre, March 24, in his new show, Why Is He Like This?
The first Australian Yarn Show will be held at Rydges Canberra over the weekend of March 23-24. The show will explore the intersection of yarn with various art forms, from traditional knitting and crocheting to weaving, spinning and felting.
The National Gallery of Australia offers visitors a chance to view its most requested work, The Rajah Quilt. Made from around 3000 pieces in 400 different fabrics, the quilt was hand stitched by women prisoners on The Rajah, a British convict ship bound for Australia in 1841. It’s on show until August 25 as part of A Century of Quilts, which looks at the artistic expression of women from 1840 to 1940.
March is the time for concert season openers:
• Phoenix Collective kicks off with a program featuring The Lark quartet by Haydn, followed by the work of Giovanni Sollima, Bartók’s intricate String Quartet no 3 and the music of Radiohead. All Saints Ainslie, March 22.
• Selby & Friends open with Kathryn Selby on piano joining Alexandra Osborne and Clancy Newman to perform a favourite by Arvo Pärt, Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces, an early Beethoven piano trio, a Dvořák piano trio, and a new composition by Newman. Fairfax Theatre, NGA, March 22
Canberra Choral Society’s first concert is The Faithful Shepherd – Music for Easter, choral music by Elgar, Parry, Finzi, Tavener and Vaughan Williams. St Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka, March 23.
Luminescence Chamber Singers start 2024 with Glass Heart, 500 years of love songs and break-up anthems, from Monteverdi’s Sestina to music by David Lang, Sting and Eric Whitacre. Wesley Uniting Church, March 24. Young Cairns-born pianist Reuben Tsang will perform masterpieces by Scarlatti, Fauré, Brahms and Mozart at Wesley Music Centre on March 25. Last year he competed in the Sydney International Piano Competition and was awarded four prizes including the Nancy Weir Best Australian Pianist Prize and the Medal for the Most Promising Competitor.
Then when in 1966 the famous conductor, Sir Neville Marriner, invited them to play for him, they changed their name to something more palatable, so from 1968 they have been called The King’s Singers.
It excites de la Vega that what put them on the map and made them a world phenomenon was a tour to Australia and NZ in 1972, followed by visits to South Africa, Canada and the US, before the word spread to Europe.
From the outset, The King’s Singers, she
says, have been passionate about broadening the repertoire and commissioning new pieces of work.
And in the manner of a perfect vocal consort, they plan together.
The main construct she says has been the same from the outset – two counter-tenors, a tenor, two baritones and a bass.
The make-up of the singers has changed, with the present line-up being Patrick Dunachie, countertenor; Edward Button, countertenor; Julian Gregory, tenor; Christopher Bruerton (from NZ), baritone; Nick Ashby, baritone and Jonathan Howard, bass.
Of them, Howard has the greatest longevity with the Singers, having joined in 2010, but he’ll be leaving at the end 2024 and says: “Being in The King’s Singers is like being at a great party… I also believe that the key to having the best time at any party is not to stay too late.”
Howard, who, like the others, began as a boy chorister, says: “It was a dream to become the group’s bass in October 2010. I began without a driving licence, and I can now reverse a minivan.
“I initially had one passport and now have three. I’ve also performed on lots of the world’s greatest stages, worked with some of the world’s best musicians, and have seen places I never dreamed I’d see, from Kosovo to the Faroe Islands, South Korea to South Africa, and New Zealand to Yellowknife.”
The King’s Singers, Back! In Harmony, Snow Concert Hall, Canberra Grammar School, March 21.
The first thing to do when entering Chop Chop in the city is look up. The ceiling is covered with masses of cherry blossoms (artificial but beautiful nonetheless).
It’s part of a funky décor that features bright-coloured, streetstyle artwork and a neon sign sporting the slogan “Save Water, Drink Beer”. At Chop Chop the interior design is all about fun.
We landed at lunch and shared dishes created with traditional Japanese ingredients in a contemporary way. Dishes were artfully presented and tantalised the tastebuds.
The Nori taco was sensational ($14 for two pieces) and a gorgeous combination of salmon, kingfish, tuna and avocado salsa. Also from the raw bar section of the menu, we enjoyed the Wagyu Tataki, with the beef (marble grade 6+) rapidly seared on the outside and served on an enticing orange ponzu sauce with ever-so-thin slices of onion decorating the dish ($16 for 100 grams). The marbling made the meat, which delivered exceptional flavour and tenderness.
Tempura fans shouldn’t bypass the wasabi prawn tempura ($18 for six pieces). The batter was as light as a feather and the creamy wasabi mayo the right balance – certainly not punchy enough to overpower the sweet prawns. The prawn rice
toast is another winning dish, with the toast made with crispy stick nori rice and semi-dense as a result ($15 for six pieces).
Served on a plate the shape of a fan were six pan-fried chicken gyoza (six pieces for $13) with earthy mushroom tones. The ponzu sauce – a classic Japanese condiment – was vibrant and bright. The dumplings were super moist and a perfect consistency.
For our veg hit we selected the grilled eggplant ($18), stunning with a shiny miso glaze. Teeny slices of bright green were sprinkled on top of the thick slice of
I went to Vintage Cellars in Manuka to ask if they had any lambrusco.
I wanted to re-experience the flavour of the lightweight, red sweet fizz that I’d been served by an Italian friend’s family in the 1990s.
It was a mission to show that context is everything and that even a wine as everyday and as cheap as lambrusco (from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, northeast of Tuscany) could be a worthwhile drink depending on the company and, perhaps, the food that its served with. At this point I should tell you a memory joke but I seem to have forgotten them all.
But no, they didn’t stock any Italian or Australian lambrusco so the experiment was set aside for another day.
Instead of a memory-triggering tasting where I could, over dinner with my daughter, test the context question once again, I bought a wine to start new memories and stimulate older ones of the time my daughter and I visited Rome.
By its label bearing the word “Italia” this wine couldn’t have been more apt: it was part of the Postcards from Italy range by Revino. I know that you don’t drink the label, but it is a very picturesque scene – an island in a calm and deeply blue lake framed by distant, snow-covered
eggplant and dancing about were crunchy bits of onion. Thankfully, the eggplant wasn’t too firm or too mushy.
If you can’t decide, select Chop Chop’s “Feed Me” menu and let the kitchen take care of matters ($55 per person).
The music at Chop Chop – at least on our visit – was a bit over the top for lunch and very loud.
Pearl Jam rockin’ it at a high volume was a bit much given Chop Chop wasn’t super busy and didn’t have a lot of bodies to absorb the noise. Staff thankfully obliged when we asked for the music to be
turned down. Service was efficient but far from overly friendly (one wait staff member was semi-inviting; the other not at all so). It’s a shame because it influenced our overall impression. We also felt rushed out the door at the end of lunch – a bit of “chop chop, away you go” because we’re closing in 10 minutes.
mountains.
Plus, bonus, the wine was on sale to members of the Vintage Cellar club at only $14. It is an organic soave 2022 and how they can make, bottle and land the wine in Australia for only this amount is astounding.
Soave is made from Italian garganega grapes, although it may also be made with chardonnay or trebbiano di soave added.
For it to be a soave the denomination rules (DOC) require it to be at least 70 per cent made from garganega grapes.
Wine usually gets its designation from either the grape variety or a region. In this case, it’s obviously the region with Soave being part of Veneto in northeast Italy.
This wine was popular in the 1970s and 1980s but greed saw its decline as it became an overproduced, diluted, low-cost wine that ruined the image of soave on international markets (amaronetours.it/wines/soave).
I can remember tasting soave in a bar in Melbourne in the 1990s (is my memory stuck there?) and noting that it should be avoided in the future.
But this wine was a gem, especially given the price. It was light yellow
in colour with a bouquet that was slightly floral. The finish was smooth and, as it came to room temperature, a light fennel taste emerged that went well with the smoked trout we had for entrée.
And then a dad joke to go with the main course: “Tragedy about the Italian chef. He pasta way. There’s just not mushroom for Italian chefs these days.”
I served prawns for main course and the wine matched well with its acidity cutting through the richness of the sauce.
We reminisced about our wonderful few days in Rome, in particular sitting in a piazza in the late afternoon drinking a light red wine (the varietal forgotten) and people-watching to our hearts content.
As we finished the soave and spoke of our lovely time as tourists, I told my daughter the final dad joke of the night, featuring a childhood memory:
When I was a boy, your grandma would send me to the local shop with just a shilling and I’d come home with milk, bread, chocolate, cheese and eggs. Alas you can’t do that now. Blasted security cameras.
By Joanne Madeline Moore March
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
This week it’s the Equinox on Wednesday, and the Sun shifts into Aries and then links up with Pluto. Plus, Mars (your ruling planet) moves into Pisces. So the current astrology is all about maintaining your equilibrium, celebrating your individuality, and pursuing your dreams within a climate of transformation and reflection. Draw inspiration from birthday great Reese Witherspoon: “I believe ambition is not a dirty word. It’s just believing in yourself and your abilities.”
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
The buzz word this week is confidence! Confidence to learn, to dream, to grow. With no less than six planets activating your career and aspirations zones, your motto is from birthday great, actress/producer Reese Witherspoon: “With the right kind of coaching and determination, you can accomplish anything.” Venus (your boss planet) links up with Saturn on Thursday/Friday which means your hard work, patience and persistence will pay off… in the end.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Are you being too subjective and short-sighted about a current issue? It’s the Equinox on Wednesday when day and night are of equal length. So take a step back, adjust your focus, and view things from a much broader and wiser perspective. Balance is the key. Saturn hooks up with Venus in your career zone, so it’s also time to get serious about your professional ambitions. Roll up your sleeves and get to work, as you power through projects and tie up loose ends.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Have you been avoiding a tricky person or a difficult situation? Crabs tend to side-step problems (or just put their heads in the sand). With Mercury and the Sun moving through dynamic Aries (in your work zone), try a more direct approach as you face challenges head on. Aim to communicate your ideas in positive and proactive ways. As birthday belle Reese Witherspoon observes: “Confidence is everything.” Travel and adventure are also on the menu.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
On Wednesday, the Sun (your ruling planet) transits into fellow fire sign Aries, and then links up with powerful Pluto. From mid-week onwards you’ll be at your feisty, fabulous best – and your belligerent, bossy worst! It’s Equinox week, so try to find an outlet for your fiery energy, and a way to bring more balance and harmony into your busy world. Thursday and Friday boost personal magnetism and favour taking an ambitious project a step further.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
You’re impatient about making things happen according to your strict timetable but the planets caution you about taking shortcuts and relying on others. Don’t expect family, friends or colleagues to drop everything and hand you your dream. There is just no substitute for hard work and thorough preparation. It’s also Equinox week, so stop overcommitting! Smart Virgos will calm down and recalibrate to a slower, steadier and more sustainable pace.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Is a close relationship stuck in a stultifying rut? This week the Sun and Mercury encourage you to blast away the cobwebs and look at things from a fresh angle. But how well do you really know your nearest and dearest? Powerful Pluto is in your romance, children and friendship zones, plus Venus (your patron planet) links up with Saturn. So it’s time to dig deeper and gain valuable insights into the inner motivations of a lover, friend or family member.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
Sensitive Scorpio – you’re a capricious creature, constantly buffeted by intense emotions and deep desires. This week we celebrate the Equinox (when day and night are of equal length) which will help to stabilise your temperamental moods and balance your brooding nature. Attached Scorpio – remember there’s a fine line between ardent affection and clingy obsession. Unhappily single? You could find yourself drawn to someone with a powerful personality.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Sagittarians can be selfish, self-indulgent souls. This week, with the Sun and Mercury spotlighting your leisure-and-pleasure zone, you’ll be preoccupied with your immediate entertainment wants and personal pampering needs. However, over the next few years, you’ll gradually shift your focus further afield as Pluto teaches you that family matters, local community connections and social responsibilities are just as important as individual priorities.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Venus and Saturn highlight long-term relationships and local community connections. And the Sun visits your domestic zone, so it’s a good week to support a family member, get stuck into a DIY project or clean and declutter your living space. But how will you decide what to keep and what to discard? Draw inspiration from designer and birthday great William Morris: “Have nothing in your house which you know not to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
Money matters should start to improve, as Venus moves through your finance zone (until April 5). The Sun and Pluto send a confidence boost your way (especially involving a personal project or social media) and a local community connection could prove fortuitous. So be on the lookout for a lucky opportunity when it appears. It’s time to turn an abstract dream into a rock-solid reality! If you hesitate or procrastinate, then you’ll miss the boat.
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
On Wednesday it’s the Equinox (when day and night are of equal length), which favours meditation and contemplation, as you aim for more equilibrium and perspective. Pluto is powering through your solitude and spirituality zones, which further highlights peace-of-mind and strong self-esteem. Then mighty Mars moves into Pisces (until April 30) so strive to be more proactive about pursuing your creative and spiritual goals. No procrastination allowed, Pisces!
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2024
Across
4 What is a slavish imitator? (7)
8 Name a mollusc having two shells hinged together. (7)
9 Name a colourless, odourless, flammable gas. (7)
10 Which term describes that which is perceived by the senses? (7)
11 To puzzle completely, is to do what? (7)
12 Which preparation is used to stiffen linen, etc, in laundering? (6)
14 Which alloy consists of copper and tin? (6)
18 What might we call one who desires wrongfully? (7)
21 Name another term for propanone – a colourless ketone. (7)
22 Which platform is used for public speaking? (7)
23 Which senior school pupil has authority for maintaining order and discipline? (7)
24 What are hairdressers known as? (7)
Down
Solution next edition
1 What are bottomless gulfs? (7)
2 Name a champion cyclist, Cadel ... (5)
3 What is a calendar also known as? (7)
4 Which substance is used in making concrete? (6)
5 Name a Russian politician and president, Vladimir ... (5)
6 Who was called the “Little Tramp”, Charles Spencer ...? (7)
7 What is a long lock of hair? (5)
13 What do we call one who offers counsel? (7)
15 Name an alternative term for an umpire. (7)
16 What is another word for understanding? (7)
17 What are sudden involuntary, persistent muscle contractions? (6)
18 Which substance is used in cookery as a substitute for chocolate? (5)
19 To be abrupt or bad-tempered, especially in one’s speech, is to be what? (5)
20 Name an annual prize for many different achievements. (5)
A new ruling was issued recently that sets out how to claim self-education expenses in your tax return.
For the purposes of the ruling, self-education expenses include courses undertaken at an educational institution whether you get a qualification or not, courses that are provided by a professional or industry organisation, attendance at work-related conferences or seminars and self-paced learning and study tours whether in Australia or overseas.
It covers many of the issues that we accountants often come across. There are 38 examples that make it easier to see if your situation is covered and how the ATO will apply the rules to your particular situation.
In short, there must be a connection between the expenditure incurred and your income-earning activities.
When I am querying self-education claims with clients I'm often told: "My employer gives me time off", or "my employer pays for part of the cost". That does not confirm that the expenses are tax deductible. That confirms that your employer supports selfeducation, which is quite different.
Spelt out in the ruling is the principle that if your income-earning activities arise from exercising skill or particular knowledge and the self-education expenses enable you to maintain or improve that skill or knowledge and/or the course objectively leads to or is likely to lead to an increase in your income from your current income earning activities in the future, then the costs are likely to be deductible.
The ruling also reiterates the well-known exclusions, which are that if the course enables you to obtain employment when you are not employed or to obtain employment or to open up a new income earning field even in business or your current employment they are incurred at a point too soon to be regarded as deductible.
And/or you are not undertaking income-earning activities at the time you incurred the expense they are, therefore, not connected to earning your income and, as such, they cannot be claimed.
We often see clients who want to claim stress-management courses as their job is stressful and they are having a stressful time at home with their family so they think the course might improve their overall performance in every area of their lives. The ruling clearly states that this cost is not deductible.
Another example explains the situation of an academic who goes overseas with his partner and does research into historic buildings.
The ATO says that research is not part of his job therefore it is a private course.
Again, we see people who go overseas and say they researched buildings. The ruling clearly states that unless you're looking at them with a specific purpose you do not have a claim. General building research is not sufficient.
The ruling further clarifies a few situations where people travel overseas for longer periods of time. If the taxpayer goes overseas with their family and they rent long-term accommodation that will preclude a deduction as it is considered that they have relocated for the period of the course. However, if there is only short-term accommodation and only short-term leases the accommodation costs should be allowable assuming that all other relevant criteria are met. As always it is a question of fact in each case.
If you are travelling to undertake a course of self-education or undertaking a course of self-education you will need guidance on your claim.
Contact the experts at Gail Freeman & Co for help and clarification on 6295 2844.
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
