CityNews 180719

PAUL COSTIGAN / GETTING HIGH ON CANBERRA’S COFFEE ECONOMY JULY 19, 2018

Well written, well read

More to dying debate than meets the eye

MICHAEL MOORE

It’s that season to be looking skywards…

NICHOLE OVERALL

Albo affirms his policy of ‘cruelty’

JON STANHOPE

Make a big day of planting trees

CEDRIC BRYANT CANBERR ING

ELEBRATING –C

YEARS SER V 25

Nobody loves me...

ITYNEWS –C

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! y a d h t r i B y p p a H Tell everyone! It’s our 20th Birthday – but we’re giving the presents!

To celebrate we have a full month of activities, from Monday July 2nd to Sunday July 29th Visit the zoo during our birthday month and go into a weekly draw for platinum memberships, tours and other great prizes.

Join our 'party in the viewing park' every weekend with face painting, meet and greets with our mascots and fun keeper talks.

Go on a Special Zoo Birthday Tour, available every day at 11.30am during our birthday month – including weekends and every day during school holidays – for only $10 for adults & $5 for kids, plus zoo entry.

(Book online or at the gate) Participate in our kids colouring competition to win membership, or choose to go on a Family Tour together!

Sign up for a zoo membership during the month of July to win a night at Jamala Wildlife Lodge OR book a room at Jamala to win a platinum membership.

See our Facebook page for more information and a program of events

See you at the Zoo!

NEWS / retiring at 86

Bernadine takes job satisfaction to a new high

By Kathryn

VUKOVLJAK AFTER 10 years as a physiotherapist at Calvary John James, and more than 60 years in the industry, Bernadine Mulholland retires this week on her 86th birthday.

It’s Bernie’s second retirement, though she says this one will stick.

“I retired from the Canberra Hospital but two years later in May, 2008, I was invited to work at Calvary,” she says.

“I was happy to go back to work because I love what I do, and I love people.

“I couldn’t sit behind a desk, I’ve got to be out there face to face, that’s what I like. I didn’t think I’d be here for 10 years though!”

Bernie started studying physiotherapy at the University of Queensland when she was 19 after a few months in medicine, which she left because “it was too much study”, she says.

Having graduated in 1955, Bernie worked for six months before getting married. She and her husband William went on to have five children.

Bernie’s career in helping others started with establishing the Canberra branch of the Childbirth Education Association and teaching Canberra’s first Lamaze classes at her home in 1968.

She also helped establish the Hartley Centre in O’Connor for children with cerebral palsy in 1973, helped integrate disabled children into local mainstream schools, while working with physically disabled children at the old Canberra Hospital. Much of her career was spent there,

moving into orthopaedic and rehab in 1983 and aged care from 1990.

“Words can’t describe this profession, working with people that need your help, and if you can give it to them and get the results they want, it’s more rewarding than all the money in the world,” says Bernie.

“They’re free, they’re able to move, they’ve got their independence. It just brings tears to your eyes, it really does. And I feel so humble, because I’ve been given the opportunity to study, to be able to go into this profession and it’s really wonderful.”

Bernie says she’ll miss her work, the way it keeps her fit, the team at Calvary and the patients she forms connections with.

“Once you lay your hands on a person, there’s a rapport there, they unburden to you and you’ve got to be a good listener, with empathy not sympathy,” she says.

Bernie remembers in particular a child she worked with from the age of six months, Catherine Huggett, who went on to win multiple gold medals in swimming at the Paralympic Games.

“She was very special. I love the patients I’ve looked after, the children particularly. And being able to be a friend to the parents, and take on a bit of their burden, too.

“In rehab you have to work as a team, and part of that team is the patient. They need to be involved in the decision-making process for what they want to achieve.

“It’s very rewarding, and we all get excited when someone does something new like walk a bit further or dress themselves. It means a lot to us because we become part of our patients’ lives, and plan the journey together.”

INDEX

Since 1993: Volume 24, Number 26

Arts & Entertainment 20-21 Cinema 21 Crossword 23 Gardening 22 Horoscopes 23 Letters 12 News 3-13 Politics 13 Socials 14 Cover: Revealed – secrets of the speed-camera vans. Photo by Ana Stuart. Story Page 10.

Well written, well read

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Bernadine Mulholland... “I feel so humble, because I’ve been given the opportunity to study, to be able to go into this profession and it’s really wonderful.”

Photo by Kathryn Vukovljak Bernie received the Order of Australia for services to physiotherapy, was nominated for Australian of the Year and had a star bought for her by a grateful patient.

“It’s beyond my dreams, I still say why – I’m just doing something I love,” she says.

Bernie says she feels that at 86, it’s time to go and leave the work to “the young ones”, and is looking forward to a retirement learning about

computers, taking long walks, joining a gym, enjoying the spring racing carnival in Melbourne and going travelling.

“I feel it’s time. I’d like to stay but I keep thinking, how much longer have I got?

“I’m very lucky, 86 is a long life, and who knows? Are we going to be here tomorrow? There are things I want to do. And I want to do them when I want to.”

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www.codea.com.au CityNews July 19-25, 2018 3

SEVEN DAYS

What happens in Canberra, happens in Canberra THE furnace of Canberra’s political sexual shenanigans has been stoked by author Helen Dale (aka Helen Demidenko of Miles Franklin infamy).

While Joyce pleads “it is time to move on”, it’s highly unlikely this is the last word on Barnaby’s “heavy workload.”

STILL on camping in the capital and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten may never be a Canberra resident, if an ancient political Now based in London, the one-time curse still applies. Shorten was seriously adviser to Liberal Democrat senator David snubbed during by-election campaigning in Leyonhjelm declared: “Politicians, staffers Devonport with only 30 locals attending his and reporters circle each other warily but also working lunch on July 4. socialise, aided by alcohol and bonhomie.

On Melbourne Cup day 1984, then “Wednesday evenings, when sittings are Opposition Leader Andrew Peacock, truncated and everyone’s diary fills with campaigning for a December 1 Federal poll, boozy events, have been known to generate was similarly rejected by Devonport. A livid more sex than Canberra’s brothels.”

Peacock arrived 30 minutes late for an on-air chat on local radio after an awkward incident CONSERVATIVE commentator Chris Kenny in the mall. No-one could be found who has also turned up the heat on the in-house either recognised the “Kooyong Colt” or was hanky panky. prepared to pose for a photo. And the 7AD “The Australian’s” associate editor says because “journalists, politicians and advisers stroll the same corridors, eat at the same restaurants, drink at the same bars and even sometimes sleep in the same beds” they have lost sight of the special duty they have.

Given the tawdry Barnaby Joyce scandal, surely it’s just a matter of time before we all know what “everyone” in Canberra apparently already knows.

Joyce, the member for New England, has been cleared of travel expenses rorts by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.

An audit from mid 2016 until early 2018 found a “significant increase” in the amount Opposition Leader Bill Shorten... curse of time Joyce spent in the capital, which the of the “Colt”?

Photo by Mike Welsh MP said was due to a wide portfolio spread.

confession relating to sexual abuse.

Writing in the international Catholic news weekly, “The Tablet”, Coleridge, now Archbishop of Brisbane, explained that lawmakers “don’t understand the reality of what happens between priest and penitent in the sacrament”.

dose of dorin open lines remained deadly mute. Not one call for the man who was “heading for The Lodge”. Curse or coincidence?

ONE of Canberra’s most eccentric local media personalities has moved offshore for his next adventure. Jorian Gardner has landed in Bangkok, adding author to his colourful resume of radio/TV/print journalist, festival director and Sex Party political adviser. Gardner advised Facebook friends that “it’s now time to write some new chapters just for myself. I will call the Kingdom of Thailand home for the next few months and from then on who knows”.

Gardner has promised a book around this time next year.

WHEN reams of top-secret documents spilled from an old filing cabinet purchased from a Canberra second-hand dealer earlier this year an antiquated filing system was exposed. In publishing some of the files, revealing Cabinet discussions on sensitive national security issues, the ABC reportedly exposed “one of the biggest breaches of Cabinet security in Australian history”.

Following an external review the department responsible for the embarrassing episode, Prime Minister and Cabinet, has adopted recommendations that include the “introduction of a program of ‘cultural change’ to embed a strong protective security culture in PM&C”.

THE former Archbishop of CanberraGoulburn Mark Coleridge says extending mandatory reporting of child abuse to the confessional is “premature and ill-advised.”

New laws passed in the ACT last month could see Canberra priests facing criminal charges for maintaining the seal of

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CANBERRA MATTERS / coffee time

Getting high on Canberra’s coffee economy ACROSS Canberra there continues to be multiple presentations by developers on their wonderful sets of towers and apartments that are changing our horizons. Soon you will see less of the surrounding hills – but at least you will be able to have a cup of coffee.

The common aspect of all these vibrant urban developments is that they are always promoted as offering a café or two or three. Canberra has definitely positioned itself, not as a public sector town, but as a national coffee economy. I hope you are reading this in a café with coffee in hand and thus contributing to this city’s economy.

People used to meet occasionally in a milk bar or a tea room. Does anyone make real tea anymore?

Today if you make contact with someone, good chance that they will suggest meeting in a café. There

With his snide comments about older generations, one certain chief minister must dread being caught alone in a crowded cafe surrounded by grey hair. you will join others in small and large groups having all manner of social and business meetings – while drinking coffee.

Watch the city’s CBD promotions as they boast about how wonderful and vibrant the café scene is in so many city areas. Watch the presentations by developers for inner-city apartments and they always trot out how close your dream cubicle will be to places for taking your daily dose. If the owner of Tilley’s in Lyneham had a dollar for every time a real estate agent advertised that your new home is close to Tilley’s and how you will be enjoying coffee at the “Paris End of Town”, she would be challenging Gina Rinehart on the top rich list.

One aspect of this coffee vibrancy that must irk a certain chief minister is that many suburban caffeine outlets are dominated by older folks during morning shifts and sometimes for late coffees. With his snide comments about older generations,

he must dread being caught alone in a crowded cafe surrounded by grey hair. One wonders what these caffeine-boosted older peoples might say to him.

When they gather together in large numbers, these older generations like to talk, and talk and talk. This can cause troubles for staff that like to play boomf boomf music. Didn’t work out so good for one franchisee in Dickson. A couple of years ago they opened as Bean and Grain – but given the music and the change of style – soon it was ‘been and gone’ – closed and the space remains vacant.

If by chance you were to wander into a café frequented by public sector “taggers” (for the things around their neck or off their clothing), then be ready to be caught out. There are secret tagger rules in such cafés on how you order coffee, where to stand and at which part of the counter you must go to pick up.

The other thing you will notice is that so many must clock in and then take off for a quick walk to their nearest caffeine outlet, as there are usually taggers’ queues early in the day – as well as at break times and

The coffee economy...

Digital creativity by Paul Costigan

meeting times throughout the busy days. I suspect that many planning decisions are made in the café next to the Planning Directorate in Dickson.

Maybe all that caffeine is responsible for the many weird decisions.

The other day I was in a café frequented by lawyers, solicitors and possibly a few shady clients – all having coffee. Doesn’t anyone have meeting rooms anymore? And why does this profession dress so badly?

So, as our new urban authorities oversee the transition of this city

from being the bush capital to a far more vibrant and exciting place to live with towers and vibrant cubicle apartments everywhere, their real challenge is how to squeeze even more cafés into every tower site so that the economy will continue to grow on the back of bags of beans – coffee that is.

Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday life matters.

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6 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

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YESTERDAYS / UFOs

It’s that season to be looking skywards...

T

HE girl’s eyes are drawn skywards, something is suspended there she can neither adequately describe nor fully comprehend.

Almost as one, the other teenagers look up from their mid-morning schoolyard pursuits, becoming similarly transfixed.

Finally one breaks apart, rushing off to find her teacher, garbling about “things in the sky”.

Soon, an assembled group of students and staff numbering near 200, watch on as an unidentifiable flying object now “dances” above them, before landing briefly in an area nearby.

An adult present has the sense to take photos – the camera and its contents later confiscated by “authorities”.

This is Westall High School, Melbourne, April 6, 1966, around 11am on a fine autumn day.

It is perhaps the most famous UFO encounter in Australian history and one of the largest mass sightings in the world.

M

ore than 50 years on, it remains unresolved.

Despite some recent claims in local media that Canberra’s history is “bereft” of such startling happenings, the capital region has in fact been a hotbed of similar, seemingly inexplicable aerial phenomenon.

Between 1957 and 1967 alone, 12 instances were reported to the Directorate of Air Force Intelligence, headquartered in Canberra, for investigation.

Two among these once classified “UFO Files” to cause a sensation occurred just days apart in the skies over the nation’s First City in July, 1965.

On the 15th of that month, a “stationary silver object” was witnessed above the airport by its manager, air traffic controllers and two pilots.

reported that the screen showed an echo of another object moving along with his Sea Fury” – and which then “disappeared”.

It would later be confirmed that the only other aircraft in the general area was a larger TAA Convair.

That something was tracked and unable to be identified would eventually be formally acknowledged by Navy Minister Josiah Francis.

Fast-moving “greenish-yellow” lights, a “mother ship”, “circular, glowing objects”, all were said to be witnessed in the territorial heavens at regular intervals.

Such was the interest generated by all of this potential extraterrestrial activity, in 1967 a Canberra UFO Research Society came into being with a membership of 28.

A Canberra resident claimed to have taken this photo of an object hovering over southern Canberra in October, 1963.

Three days later, in the same area, multiple reports were made of a “white object with a tail”.

T

aspersions, please) stated they saw a “strange, fast-moving aerial object near Foxlow Station”.

Initially believing it to be Given the time a meteor, it then “flattened out at of year, best keep 500 feet”. your eyes peeled and about “Nocturnal your smartphone at lights” had previbeen reported the ready next time ously close to the location you’re hanging out the and a matter of washing – and be sure weeks later “a daytime disc” was to post before the men seen back in the vicinity of the ACT. in black arrive.

he official response was standard, if inconclusive: potentially an appearance of the planet Venus, a meteorite, or a weather balloon.

And July it seems, is a particularly active time in the province.

More than a decade earlier, before the wondering eyes of a pair of apparently credible witnesses, “the first recorded” occurrence took place (there had been another in 1948, dismissed as night manoeuvres at Fairbairn aerodrome).

L

ate on a winter’s afternoon in 1954, as they travelled the darkening road between the mining hamlet of Captains Flat and Queanbeyan, two Yarrowlumla Shire Councillors (no casting of

A

ugust 3 saw what’s believed to be the first known case of the unexplained captured by radar in Australia, also in this region.

Pilot Lt Farrell, on a night flight between Canberra and Goulburn, “observed two lighted objects flying close to his plane and at a faster speed”.

The Nowra Naval Air Station, to which the situation was radioed, “fixed his position and

the good earth

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nd still the apparent close encounters went on.

Three years before the mysterious and still unaccounted-for disappearance of 20-year-old Frederick Valentich as he piloted his Cessna between Melbourne and Tasmania – his unsettling final transmission revealing something hovering above him that was “not an aircraft” – Canberra looked to be the subject of one of the larger multiple sightings in the country.

In 1975, again at the similar time of July 25, radio station 2CA received calls from 20 individuals claiming to have seen an unidentified blue-green craft moving “east to west and apparently dipping as if to land”.

It appears no conclusive explanation was evinced.

Numerous accounts continued to emerge, as recently as the beginning of 2018.

Some are more easily explainable or waved aside; others still pose questions.

T

he 1975 book “UFOs Over the Southern Hemisphere” revealed “quite detailed records of UFO sightings” were kept by the RAAF – from 1960 to 1973, 815 cases, although only three per cent were “not readily explicable”.

Raising the eyebrows of conspiracy theorists everywhere, according to the Department of Defence, despite extensive archive searches, these files have vanished – either destroyed or unable to be located.

As such, given the time of year, if you really want to know if the truth is out there, best keep your eyes peeled and your smartphone at the ready next time you’re hanging out the washing – and be sure to post before the men in black arrive.

Nichole Overall is a journalist and wanna-be X-Files assigned FBI Agent. For more on local UFO sightings, see nichole2620.wordpress.com

BRIEFLY Free help with tax returns UNTIL October, the Weston Creek Community Centre is taking part in Tax Help 2018 and offering free assistance with tax returns on Fridays, 10am-2pm. Make an appointment at 6288 1144.

Fun writing class ALISON Lewis is leading a “relaxed, fun, non-judgmental and friendly” subsidised, creative writing course suitable for all ages at Weston Creek Community Centre, Parkinson Street, from July 25 to August 29, 1pm-3pm on Wednesdays. More information 6288 1144.

Ho-ho fundraiser CHRISTMAS comes early to the Labor Club Belconnen when the Calvary Public Hospital Auxiliary holds its fundraising Christmas-in-July-themed trivia night on Friday, July 27. There will be prizes for the best Christmas8 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

A “Canberra Times” UFO report from March, 1963.

dressed person or table, plus wine and chocolate raffles and door prizes. Tickets at $20 from 0478 35846.

High tea with Friends THE “dung beetle man”, John Feehan, heads the speakers’ list at the high tea fundraiser for the Friends of the Old Parliament House Rose Gardens at the Mercure Hotel, Braddon, 2.30pm, on Sunday, August 12. Other presenters are Catherine Chapman (nutrition health coach) and Hagar Gala (fashion designer). Tickets are $40.

Booking details from friendsophrosegardens@gmail.com before August 1.

Big weekend for books THE annual Woden Seniors’ Big Book Fair weekend features a wide range of high-quality books, games, puzzles, DVDs, CDs and recent magazines at its usual low prices. To be held at 12 Corinna Street, Woden, from Friday, August 10 to Sunday, August 12.

NEWS / cover story

Revealed: secrets of the speed-camera vans NOBODY loves them… everybody hates the feeling of shock when the white speed-camera van suddenly appears, as if by magic, alongside the road.

This month, the joint road-safety campaign between the police and the Justice and Community Safety Directorate is targeting speeding.

While typically around 25,000 infringements will be issued annually, independent of the white vans, police say they have already issued more than 1900 speeding fines this year including 34 for exceeding the speed limit by more than 45 kilometres an hour.

In an exclusive interview with “CityNews”, one of the ACT’s eight mobile speed vans agreed to kiss and tell on the promise of anonymity.

In a frank Q&A, we learnt that speed-camera vans can see you coming a kilometre away and they can monitor six lanes of traffic at a time in both directions and they never take a day off!

So here it is, everything you wanted to know about white-van speed cameras but were too afraid to ask: Q. How far away can a mobile speed van detect a speeding car A. One kilometre.

Q. Does the operator have any discretion in who gets booked?

A. No. Q. Does a person decide if I’m to be fined or am I automatically sent a ticket?

A. A person, not the camera operator, will adjudicate if an offence has occurred and issue an infringement notice.

Q. How many lanes does a mobile speed van monitor at one time?

A. Six. Q. What technology does a speed camera use?

A. Cameras use laser-scanning technology to determine the speed of a vehicle and to take several images of vehicles that are exceeding the speed limit for that stretch of road.

Q. Can a driver get a speeding fine if the mobile speed van is on the opposite side of the road?

A. Yes Q. Can I ask the operator if the camera got me?

A. No. For safety reasons motorists are requested not to approach camera vans and staff are instructed not to open the vehicle doors or windows to speak with motorists. Under normal circumstances a motorist will receive an infringement within seven days of the offence.

Q. Does a mobile speed van ever get it wrong?

A. No. Q. What if someone else is driving my car at the time of the incident?

A. The infringement will be

Inside the white van, the speeding camera is set by an operator and left to silently do its job, free of human intervention. posted to the registered operator of the vehicle. If the operator was not driving the vehicle at the time of the offence they are required to submit a statutory declaration declaring who was driving. A new infringement will then be issued to the person responsible for the offence.

Q. Can I contest a ticket?

A. Yes, details are included on all infringement and reminder notices.

Q. How many people are typically caught speeding by a mobile speed van a year?

A. Around 25,000 infringements

will be issued annually.

Q. How many mobile speed vans are there operating in the ACT? A. 8 mobile vans Q. How is it decided where to locate the white vans?

A. Decisions on where to place vans are based on rotation across the network, road safety trouble spots and sometimes based on complaints from the public. There are 310 streets and 1284 locations.

Q. Do they ever have a day off?

A. No, the vans are on the road every day of the week on a daily roster

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The speed-camera van… can monitor six lanes of traffic at a time in both directions.

Photos by Ana Stuart covering both day and night shifts.

Q. They’re even out there at night.

What sort of technology is used to identify number plates in the dark?

A. The mobile speed cameras utilise infrared flash technology and Optical Character Recognition software.

Q. Given the presence of mobile cameras at night, how are the vans utilised? Do you work them in shifts?

A. As part of the ACT road safety program, the mobile speed-camera vans are utilised in shifts to cover day and night patrols.

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OPINION / five years of offshore detention

Albo affirms his policy of ‘cruelty’ THERE were equal measures of surprise and disappointment when earlier this month the darling of the left, Labor’s Anthony Albanese, not only in effect congratulated the Liberal Party for the turn-backthe-boats policy but affirmed his full and continuing support for the policy of indefinite and mandatory offshore detention.

Albanese was speaking on Sky News when he confirmed his support for turning the boats back and for a continuation of the existing zero-tolerance, mandatory, offshore detention policy. When asked if he believed that offshore detention should be time limited Albanese said, “no”.

It should be acknowledged, of course, that at least Albanese is being consistent. The policy of mandatory, indefinite offshore detention was after all introduced on July 19, 2013, by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, with the loyal support of then Deputy Prime Minister Albanese.

It will not,

I believe there will be a Royal Commission or perhaps even possibly an investigation by a body such as the International Court of Justice into Australia’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. of course, have escaped Albanese’s notice that the policy of indefinite mandatory offshore detention is in fact probably the only policy of the Rudd/Albanese government that has survived, so one can perhaps understand Albanese feeling proprietorial about it and wanting it to be nurtured.

It is being said around the traps, in defence of Albanese, that he doesn’t really mean what he is saying about a zero-tolerance approach to asylum seekers and that he is simply positioning himself to knock off Bill. I am not sure what I think is worse. That he does mean it or that he is trying to knock off Bill. Heaven help the Labor Party if he does mean it, let alone if the other claim is true.

It is now exactly five years since the indefinite detention policy was implemented by the Labor Party.

Just two months ago I wrote in

“CityNews” about the desperate plea of a 12-year-old boy, Ali, who having been sent to Nauru by the Labor Party when he was seven has been detained there ever since.

In that article I detailed some of what Ali had said in a message to the people of Australia about his incarceration and the treatment he and his family had received, namely: “I feel helpless because there is no one to help us. There is no one to see our suffering. My mother is very sick and my brother is totally depressed.

“I feel all good people have died.

No good humans exist in the world.

Why is this happening to us? The people totally hate us.”

Four weeks ago Ali’s brother Fariborz Karami died; the brother that Ali had told all of us “is totally depressed” was reported to have died by suicide.

Following the death of Fariborz, his mother Fazileh Mansour Beigi wrote a letter to the people of Australia. In that letter, which has been published in full by the “Guardian”, she said: “For five

years you incarcerated me and my innocent children in Nauru and ignored us. I know that your violence and cruelty is deeply rooted and against that I am a powerless woman…

“My 26-year-old son had his last breaths in your mouldy tents and closed his beautiful eyes to your abomination, injustice and disgusting policies.”

I am one of those who believe that there will at some time in the future be a Royal Commission or perhaps even possibly an investigation by a body or organisation such as the International Court of Justice into Australia’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.

Mansour Beigi’s letter about the death of her son and Ali’s plaintive and sadly futile cry for help for his now dead brother will undoubtedly be among the reams of evidence of our neglect and inhumanity that will be scrutinised in any such investigation.

I do wonder, too, whether Albo has read Mansour Beigi’s letter.

It is after all his policy that she is talking about.

Jon Stanhope was chief minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998. He is the only chief minister to have governed with a majority in the Assembly.

BRIEFLY

Bill’s new role FORMER ACT Opposition Leader Bill Stefaniak is the new patron of the local branch of the Victims of Crime Assistance League. VOCAL was established in 1988 following a number of homicides in and around the ACT. “VOCAL has been assisting Bill Stefaniak. victims of crime in the ACT for the last three decades... and is able to enhance existing services provided by Victim Support ACT. This is a far cheaper method to meet increasing demand for services to victims than simply increasing funds to services operated only by the public service,” said Mr Stefaniak.

The virtues of Barry BARRY Virtue will be reminiscing with a talk entitled “From Bexhill to Griffin: 20 years as an Old Parliament House Staffer” at the next lunch meeting of the ladies of the Weston Creek VIEW Club, at the Southern Cross Club, Woden, from 11.30am, on Tuesday, August 7. Visitors and interested ladies welcome. Lunch costs $28 and bookings before 5pm, August 2, to 6288 7625.

The word from Belinda BELINDA Barnier from the Leukaemia Foundation will be talking about the work of her organisation at the next monthly meeting of the Canberra South Branch of National Seniors Australia at the Weston Creek Labor Club, Stirling, 10.30am, Wednesday, July 25.

Non-NSA members are welcome to attend.

12 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

LETTERS Appalling state of beautiful city MICHAEL Moore is spot on with his piece on the appalling planning state of our beautiful city (CN, July 12). I ask myself exactly the same questions he does every time I drive past the Law Courts entering Northbourne Avenue.

He expresses and puts to shame the same concerns Elizabeth Farrelly does often about Sydney’s desecration by developers approved by a government that places profit before beauty and functionality for its inhabitants.

But as long as we keep voting philistine Labor in, dear Canberra has little hope. (Don’t know how conscientious a Liberal government would be though).

Therese Jourdan, Holt

‘Showcase’ no more I UNEQUIVOCALLY agree with Michael Moore’s analysis of the decline of Canberra. It is no longer a showcase city.

It is becoming uglier every day as we, silently it seems, watch rampant, tasteless development of the inner city and the town centres.

Where are the parks? The green space? The sense of space? There is no land shortage in the ACT. If we must have high-rise apartments, at least let’s ensure they are attractive, of different heights, colours and design, separated by ample green space that allows a view and a walkway between them.

Cities are for being lived in, loved and enjoyed, not dull tasteless rows of concrete and glass.

Jan Lee, via email

Mandatory planning inquiries Yes, we are in desperate need to have a new breed to take the reins (Paul Costigan, “The government system completely corrupted”, CN, July 5).

For a start, mandatory public planning inquiries on all new developments are essential. The relevant Assembly committee, headed by Caroline Le Couteur, is silent.

For example, one awaits for an inquiry on the Ginninderry cross-border housing plan, which gravely impacts on Ginninderra Gorge and its Falls!

Christopher L. Watson, Latham

Grumpy with minister I AM feeling really grumpy toward our Housing Minister and her aspersions that homelessness services in Canberra were “very good” and well supported by the government.

Minister, why have you not got the department actively repurposing our many empty buildings, even if it were only bridging accommodation pending provision of a permanent solution?

Is 2000 homeless people okay with you?

Perhaps you’d like to trade places with them now instead of waiting until winter is over and you put another strategy in place?

Russ Morison, veteran homelessness advocate, Theodore

What’s with narrow streets?

WHY is the Barr government so obsessed with narrow streets, high-density housing and lack of shops in new suburbs such as Coombs?

The streets are so narrow that it’s hard to park trucks.

Delivery vans have to park illegally on the nature strips.

It is difficult to drive down streets like Finemore Street at night because cars are parked up and down the street leaving very little room in between to drive cars.

The school and the future shopping centre are surrounded by two-storey townhouses, which few people want to live in.

The stairs are dangerous for people with babies.

People with teenagers don’t want to live there because the teenagers have to park their cars up and down the street. Old people cannot negotiate the stairs.

The shopping centre at Weston is overcrowded but the shopping centre at Coombs is too small for a supermarket and other shopkeepers won’t rent there without a supermarket to attract customers.

Apparently, Denman Prospect will have the samesized shopping centre.

Rewa Bate, Coombs

POLITICS / euthanasia

More to dying debate than meets the eye…

CHALLENGING disempowerment of the people of the ACT is a key element of an inquiry by an ACT Assembly select committee, which has received nearly 500 submissions on end-of-life choices.

The committee will need to address who has the dominant view and balance individual freedoms against protection of others.

The Assembly Select Committee on End of Life Choices is proving a model of appropriate consultation.

There is time. The Assembly has not had the power to legislate for the ultimate end-of-life choice – voluntary active euthanasia or physicianassisted dying – since 1997. Modifications by the Federal Parliament to the ACT and NT self-government acts removed that power.

Apart from considering the calibre of palliative care and assisted dying, a key role of the select committee is to assess the strength of feeling of ACT citizens about having fewer democratic rights than people who live in the states.

It is an appalling anathema that a majority of members of the Federal Parliament, led by Liberal Kevin Andrews and Labor’s Tony Bourke, determined that their own moral and religious judgements were superior to the judgement of the elected representatives of the territories.

Despite the overwhelming community support, the Federal parliament was simply behind on the same-sex issue and it is the same on euthanasia.

Former senator Gary Humphries.

The actions of these MPs is in marked contrast to the position taken by then Liberal senator Gary Humphries who in 2006 crossed the floor to vote against the Howard government on the ACT’s right to make its own decision on same-sex marriage.

The government of the time had

moved to disallow the ACT’s civilunion laws for homosexual couples.

Humphries was clear that his decision was primarily about the rights of ACT citizens to self-determination.

The ACT was simply ahead of the country in recognising the importance of the same-sex marriage issue.

In just the same way the ACT was the first jurisdiction to debate voluntary active euthanasia when the first legislation of its kind in Australia was tabled (by me) in 1993. The NT legislation that followed was successfully passed and implemented before interference at the Federal level.

Attitudes are shifting on this issue as well with the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 being passed. This legislation was initiated and driven by long-term Canberra identity and now Victorian MLC Fiona Patten. Other states are considering similar legislation and it’s only a matter of time before they follow suit. Despite the overwhelming community support, the Federal parliament was simply behind on

the same-sex issue and it is the same on euthanasia.

The Select Committee on End of Life Choices is considering much broader issues than selfdetermination and assisted dying.

The provision of the best possible palliative care is firmly on its agenda.

In a perfect world, palliative care would be of such calibre that no-one would choose to end their own lives.

However, we do not live in a perfect world and, as much as we improve palliative care, there will always be some who choose to end their own lives to ensure a “good death”.

Protections, checks and balances and ensuring that legislation is not misused are key elements of the decisions to be made by the select committee’s members. Having recently appeared before this committee myself, it is clear to me that the MLAs are taking this role very seriously. The underpinning challenge is to determine when or how

the government should interfere in the freedom of someone to make their own decisions.

Liberty, as ANU and Princeton philosopher Prof Philip Pettit has identified, is not so much about protection from interference as protection from domination. Religious views dominated the Federal debate when the territories’ right to legislate was overruled. This is in marked contrast to polling over the last decade that consistently finds up to 80 per cent of Australians support assisted dying for the terminally ill including more than two thirds of Catholics and Anglicans. Hopefully, the majority of our MLAs will not allow their own religious perspectives to override the views of others.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health in the Carnell government. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

CityNews July 19-25, 2018 13

SCENE / around canberra

invite us / scene@citynews.com.au

At the Dalai Lama’s birthday party, Woden

At the ‘Innings Biography’ launch, Kingston

Tenzin Wangjor, Karma Youten and Tenzin Choeying

Lucy Garven and Scott Whittington

Dolma, Della and Tsering Samkhar

Ngawang Dechen, Yeshi Choedo, Sonam Chmukyi and Dolma Yangzom

Deki and Dolma Tsering with Migmar Chungkying

Dawa Dolma and Tenzin Dalha

Phustuk Kumsang, Tenzin Norzin, Tara Ngui and Penny Ngui

Deborah Taylor and Penelope Ralph

Chris Uhlmann, Shaya Dashtinezhad and Don Aitkin

Robert Abell and Judy Inveen

Matt Garven and Max Aitkin

Chris and Jan Whittle with Anne Kaminskas

Aert Driessen and Doug Hurst

Tony and Faith Blunn

sundayROAST Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program.

It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

Canberra Business Survey 2018 Canberra Business Chamber and Deloitte are excited to launch our fourth Canberra Small Business Survey.

The Chamber has partnered with Deloitte to undertake a survey of business sentiment each year to build a longer term understanding of issues impacting ACT business.

Be part of the conversation and call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon.

canberrabusiness.com | 02 6247 4199 14 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

NATIONAL PAIN WEEK / July 23-29

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Stand up for ‘invisible’ people in chronic pain Murray helps the body to heal itself better MURRAY Fisher, of Murray Fisher Chiropractor in Civic, is constantly changing people’s lives by helping his clients’ bodies work more closely to their potential.

“I became a chiropractor because as a teenager I used to visit one, and I really benefitted from what she did and I saw how she really helped my family, too,” he says.

After that experience, Murray thought being a chiropractor looked like a really rewarding career, and the rest was history.

He has now been in the industry for more than 35 years and says he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“It is important to treat pain because it can have a really detrimental effect on the quality of people’s lives,” he says.

“Because chiropractic improves how the nervous system works.

“The nervous system controls and co-ordinates all bodily functions, it helps the body to heal itself better.

“That means that not only can sufferers of spinal and musculoskeletal pain find relief, but it enables the body to better deal with any painful condition.”

Murray Fisher Chiropractor, Level 7, 161 London Circuit, Civic. Call 6257 1138, email contact@murrayfisherchiropractor.com.au or visit murrayfisherchiropractor.com.au

Murray of Murray Fisher Chiropractor.

Letitia uses encouragement and expertise CHRONIC pain, which is when pain doesn’t go away after injury or illness has resolved and lasts at least three months, is a significant health issue in Australia.

This invisible illness affects around one in five people of all ages, with even more alarming figures for the older population, which is one in three.

Raising awareness of these statistics, Chronic Pain Australia, through this year’s National Pain Week, hopes to give a national voice to people living with chronic pain.

The new theme, “Nothing about us - without us”, aims to destigmatise the experiences of people living with chronic pain while also championing the need for the voice of people living with chronic pain

LETITIA Huard, of TMF Personal and Rehabilitation Training, uses the perfect combination of encouragement and expertise to coach people on their journey to recovery.

Letitia, who is the principal trainer and owner and is backed with qualifications in personal and rehabilitation training, works with osteopaths and physiotherapists to help clients improve their functional strength and mobility.

“The best rehabilitation results are those that couple therapy with a specifically designed exercise program,” she says.

And, because no two bodies are the same and no two pain experiences are the same, Letitia focuses on prescribing targeted exercise progressions tailored for each individual client.

At the moment she sees a lot of people for knee, back and shoulder pain. “[But] I also have clients for birth related imbalances, to people who have just had surgery wanting to get physically active again, to post natal recovery,” she says.

And no matter what the reason, based in her studio in Fisher, Letitia gives each client the experience of a trusting relationship.

“I know that they’re relying on me to understand where they’re at and what they’re feeling so I always provide them with an experience that will improve their situation in a professional way,” she says.

to be heard when any related health policy is developed.

Chronic pain can have significant impact on a person’s ability to work, form relationships and live an ordinary life.

It can also have a seriously detrimental effect on the mental health of people living with chronic pain.

But, by working with various health practitioners in a long-term approach, people living with chronic pain can start to combat some of the effects it has on their lives and manage their pain the best they can.

The prevalence of chronic pain is projected to increase as Australia’s population ages – from around 3.2 million in 2007 to 5 million by 2050.

More information at nationalpainweek.org.au

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Principal trainer Letitia Huard.

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CityNews July 19-25, 2018 15

Do you suffer with pain?

NATIONAL PAIN WEEK / July 23-29

We offer a suite of programs to physically and emotionally assist you with the impact of chronic pain.

Services available: • Face-to-face consultations • Web based consultations • Home visits • Calculation of nutritional requirements in relation to weight, physical activity and personal goals • Tailored meal plan or personalised eating guidelines (depending on client preference) based on analysis • Education plans based on specific patient requirements • Health practitioner summaries (e.g. physiotherapist, doctor, surgeon) • Assessment of current nutritional status, including comprehensive dietary assessment and analysis of the macro and micro nutrient content of your current diet.

Our dietician can assist you in the areas of: • Weight Loss • Iron Deficiency • General Nutrition • Complimentary Therapies • Weight Gain • Irritable Bowel Syndrome • Osteoporosis • Heartburn/Reflux • Hyperlipidaemia • Oncology • Hypertension • Group Presentations • Food Allergies/Intolerance • And more.

Join online at: www.arthritisact.org.au info@arthritisact.org.au or Contact Arthritis ACT on 1800 011 041 16 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

Arthritis ACT hydrotherapy session.

Practical help with painful arthritis FOR more than 40 years Arthritis ACT has been providing exercise and emotional support to anyone living with any form of arthritis or any pain condition.

This year Arthritis ACT has launched its new line of services called “Build a Better Me”, which encompasses exercise therapy, dietetics and social and emotional support.

“We have land-based exercise programs and hydrotherapy exercise programs, which not only work to reduce the pain you feel, but will also reduce your risk of having a fall which may lead to further health issues”, says CEO of Arthritis ACT Rebecca Davey.

“We have moved very much into an organisation that provides practical assistance, not just basic information about Arthritis.

“Anyone can find that on the internet, we provide the support that is individual to your needs.

“The most exciting development in pain management is the direct link that is being discovered between our gut biome and inflammation and mental wellness.

“Our dietitian has become an expert with assisting people in regaining healthy gut flora and discovering the health improvements as a result.”

Now in its new home in Belconnen, Arthritis ACT is an active research partner with the University of Canberra.

Arthritis ACT, Building 18, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce.

Call 1800 011041, email info@arthritisact.org.au or visit arthritisact.org.au

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advertising feature Warming up to summer through winter Pilates CORE Essentials Pilates aims to prepare people for the warmer months in a healthy and progressive way during winter, says owner Sven Smith.

“Exercise has so many benefits and to be in a warm and friendly Pilates studio with professional instruction, clients will see the benefits,” he says.

“It keeps you positive and energised making winter easier to get through. “[And], summer bodies are made in winter, so we encourage people to come into the studio and get working towards getting into better shape by spring.”

Core Essentials Pilates is a boutique pilates studio that offers personalised and individualised programs in a small-class setting.

Classes include springboard pilates, mat, reformer, men’s and circuit classes, as well as private and duo classes.

As Joseph Pilates said: “Change happens through movement, and movement heals.”

So, Sven says come and try Core Essentials Pilates and feel the change for the better.

Core Essentials Pilates is offering a new 7am class called Gym and Tonic that focuses on strength and cardio (gym), and pilates (tonic).

Core Essentials Pilates, Level 1/14 Barker Street, Griffith.

Email admin@coreessentialspilates.com.au, call 0410 598542 or 0488 349747, or visit coreessentialspilates.com.au

Cathie Raymond, left, Sven Smith and Anita Markey.

Being the ‘best version of you’ “PAIN management is important to allow you to be the best version of you,” says Hands-On Physiotherapy’s principal physiotherapist and co-owner Catherine Riddel.

Which is why Hands-On Physiotherapy has experience dealing with complex pain management.

Catherine says they do this by utilising a wide variety of treatment techniques and strategies to ensure they can help each client achieve their goals.

Whether that be managing pain in a variety of conditions such as sporting

injuries, workplace injuries and trauma, for acute and chronic pain.

“We have hand therapists for upper limb pain management and musculoskeletal physiotherapists to treat neck, back, hip, knee and ankle pain,” she says.

And, Catherine says, as it’s a local physiotherapy service, based in Mawson, people can expect a service which provides personalised attention to any needs.

“Hands-On Physiotherapy is committed to providing a holistic physiotherapy service with a commitment to excellence and integrity,” she says.

“Our appointments are one-on-one for the entire treatment period with your therapist.”

So, Catherine says, the staff will help with the pain so the clients can get the maximum enjoyment out of life, with functional capacity and the ability to participate in the activities they love.

Hands-On Physiotherapy, 1/43 Mawson Place, Mawson. Call 6286 6467, email admin@ hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au or visit hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au

Jenny solves the puzzles of pain JENNY Richardson, of Canberra Myotherapy, is not only a myotherapist but she is also a “puzzle solver” for pain.

“The body is designed to heal itself, so I believe that when it doesn’t, there is a reason – and my job is to try to figure out that reason,” she says.

“So often, in addition to treating the pain that someone comes in with, I find myself also treating an old injury or scar tissue from an old surgery that has set up a pattern in the body that has affected the current situation.”

Jenny, who is also the owner and is backed with 13 years’ experience, helps her clients understand where their original source of pain is coming from.

She says once a lady came in with a stiff and sore shoulder, which was an issue for several years, so Jenny did work on the shoulder.

“But even though her movement had increased and she had less pain, it still wasn’t totally pain free,” she says.

So Jenny started asking more questions and discovered she had forgotten she had her appendix out when she was five.

“Surely that’s too long ago!” the woman said, but actually, Jenny says it’s often the

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Canberra Myotherapy owner Jenny Richardson. old injuries that affect the body as a whole.

Canberra Myotherapy, 35 MacGillivray Street, Yarralumla. Call 0404 871230, email jenny@canberramyotherapy.com.au or visit canberramyotherapy.com.au

YARRALUMLA CLINIC For appointments call Jenny Richardson on 0404 871 230 www.canberramyotherapy.com.au • Email jenny@canberramyotherapy.com.au

core essentials pilates • Prevent Injuries • Correct Muscle Imbalance • Improve Sports Performance • Strength & Toning • Balance & Functional Movement

www.coreessentialspilates.com.au 0488 349 747 Level 1 / 14 Barker Street, Griffith Shops

CityNews July 19-25, 2018 17

YOUR CENTRE IS OUR UNIVERSE

NATIONAL PAIN WEEK / July 23-29

Living life after pain At Pilates Centre Canberra we offer the full Pilates studio experience • Individualised training in private or duet sessions • Group reformer and matwork classes Our Instructors are passionate about Pilates – We love to do it, teach it, research it and educate clients about it!

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AT The Pilates Centre Canberra in Phillip, it’s not about being good at Pilates but being able to live life after pain, says studio director Felicia Darbyshire-Pirie.

“All current academic-based research, which relates to pain, points towards movement as being key,” she says.

“People with pain and illness need to start moving, and we’re one of the best prescribed exercises for that.

“We’re not focused on doing Pilates to be good at Pilates, we’re focused on having positive pain outcomes.”

Aware people often have their ups and downs Felicia says The Pilates Centre will tailor programs depending on what pain people have and how they feel on the day.

“People come in with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, which can be set off for a number of reasons,” she says.

“It’s the same for people with structural pain but they have different reasons.”

Felicia says the centre is a big believer in looking at the body as a whole.

“So if you have a sore knee, we don’t just treat the knee,” she says.

“The body is an ecosystem, so we ask how is that knee affecting your hip or shoulder?”

But, Felicia says the best part of Pilates is getting to that day with a student when they say: “You’re doing a normal person program today”.

And that’s when they can start focusing on being good at Pilates.

The Pilates Centre Canberra, 58 Colbee Street, Phillip.

Call 6162 1793, email info@pilatescentre.com.au or visit pilatescentre.com.au

Qualified help to better health THE highly qualified allied health professionals at CARM Therapies have a main interest in pain and improving people’s health and wellbeing, says founder and co-director Emily Avery.

“We need to deal with pain so that our body can function optimally,” she says.

“When you’re in pain the brain is distracted, which means you won’t function as well with everyday tasks and it creates other problems with other parts of the body to compensate.”

So each of the CARM Therapies therapists in areas such as acupuncture, remedial massage, yoga, Pilates and naturopathy are, as Emily says, highly qualified to work with people in pain.

“We focus on educating clients about why they have pain,” she says.

“And what they can do to assist, to get the most out of their treatment.”

The clinic’s acupuncturist, Kingsley Avery uses evidence based acupuncture, which means he incorporates neuroscience for pain relief and treatment of chronic and post acute injuries.

“And, our remedial massage therapists are all, again, highly qualified in working with chronic pain for pain management and education,” Emily says.

Most of the staff at CARM Therapies come from active, sporting backgrounds so, Emily says, they’ve had

NO JOINING FEE OR FIXED TERM! • Individual coaching by an experienced trainer • Programs tailored for every session • All ages and fitness levels

CARM Therapies’ co-director Emily Avery. injuries, experienced pain and also have experienced moving forward from pain.

She says this helps them empathise but also understand that all pain is different.

“And being a small business, we’re really interested in having a connection with our clients so we can understand them.”

CARM Therapies. Shop 5, Higgins Shops, Higgins.

Call 6278 7302 or visit carmtherapies.com.au

To keep your fitness and weight goals focused call: Rob Goodrick (BA LLB Dip Fitness) 0417 460 712 robgoodrick@gmail.com

ALLIED HEALTH CLINIC For bookings or inquiries call 02 6278 7302 Email carmtherapies@gmail.com • Web carmtherapies.com.au Shop 5, Higgins Shops, ACT *$20 discount valid until 31/08/18. Not valid with any other discount offer. Limit one discount per client.

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18 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

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P.A.P. Heating Solutions is the Australian importer, distributor and designer for the premium-quality ELEKTRA Heating Cables.

According to the company, the ELEKTRA DM20 Twin In-Screed Heating Cable is an “in-floor heating cable” that is installed on top of an existing floor in a cement screed or self-levelling compound of about 6-8mm thick and can be installed under many different floor surfaces that radiate heat easily, such as tiles, slate, stone, low-pile carpet and some wooden floor panels.

“The ELEKTRA DM20 is a ‘quick response’ heating system and if the room has effective thermal insulation it may be used as the primary heating system,” they say.

P.A.P. Heating Solutions, 23 Winchcombe Court, Mitchell. Call 6242 9310 or visit papheatingsolutions.com.au

• repairing, resizing and re-casing services • add extra feather and down to your quilts, pillows or sleeping bags.

Unit 9, 10-12 Kemble Court, Mitchell • www.thermaquilts.com.au Phone: 6241 6859 • Email: shop@thermaquilts.com.au

But don’t stop at the comfort of warmth or being snug, comfort can also extend to some good, hearty food.

And, with half the season left, there’s no better time to stock up on some “comfort” supplies and enjoy the rest of Canberra’s winter.

Custom made products to your specifications:

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Unique Meats’ owner Mathew Hicks with apprentice Tommy.

Mathew’s the man for meat THERE’s nothing quite like a nice slow-cooked, rich-in-flavour, osso buco on a winter’s night, says Unique Meats’ owner Mathew Hicks.

Or, Mathew’s favourite, which is a T-bone with veggies and a good gravy.

But, no matter what it is Unique Meats, based in Fyshwick, does everything regarding meat.

“We’ve got lamb that’s grown out in Cowra, through to organic meats, through to Halal certified meats, too,” he says.

There’s premium quality steaks, roasts, a large range of gourmet gluten-free sausages (made in store) and Unique Meats also produces its own smoked ham and meats.

“Our smoked bacon is far

superior to the manufactured bacon you’d buy from the big companies,” he says.

“And it’s all done by us.”

Mathew says they also get weird and wonderful requests such as crocodile and eyeballs and, for a while, they were selling possum regularly.

Proud of the well-presented and clean store, he says Unique Meats has great staff, who take pride in its carefully handled, trimmed meat.

“We also do wholesale and provide meat trays to a lot of the Raiders and Eastlake Clubs,” he says.

Unique Meats, Fyshwick Markets, G19 Dalby Road, Fyshwick. Call 6295 8573 or email unqmeats@tpg.com.au

Keeping quilts cosy and warm NOTHING says winter comfort like a quality down quilt, says Therma Quilts, which is keeping its customers’ quilts fresh, fluffy and warm this winter with regular servicing.

“Servicing of feather and down products are essential for keeping them in optimal condition for comfort,” says the Therma Quilts spokeswoman.

Therma Quilts specialises in making and servicing feather and down products from quilts to pillows, cushions and anything made from feather and down.

Using quality textiles, the seamstresses at Therma Quilts hand make every item suited to the customers’ needs and provide a top-up service when quilts and pillows show signs of wear or loss of warmth and fluffiness.

“Over time, this build-up dampens the down, which causes it to lose its thermal resistance,” she says.

“In addition, if your quilt is not warm enough or too warm, we are able to adjust it to your requirements.”

With its eco-friendly cleaning process, Therma Quilts services

feather and down products including sleeping bags and down clothing as well as other textiles such as silk, polyester, cotton and wool quilt underlays.

Therma Quilts also has urgent, same-day cleaning services so customers aren’t without their quilts in the cold winter weather.

“If children or pets have an accident we can do same-day services at no extra charge,” she says.

“As long as we receive the quilts by 9.40am then they’ll be returned by 3pm.”

Therma Quilts, 10-12 Kemble Court, Mitchell. Call 6241 6859 or visit thermaquilts.com.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Denis kicks a little fun into footy legends

By Helen

MUSA IF you like a good laugh and you know everything about footy, you’ll love “Rugby League The Musical”; if you have a sense of humour but know nothing about football you’ll have fun; but if you don’t have a sense of humour and know a lot about football, give it a miss.

That’s the sage advice of sports satirist, Denis Carnahan, creator of this unlikely musical, when “CityNews” catches up with him by phone to Mount Colah near Hornsby, where he lives when he’s not singing on cruise ships, playing at the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle or performing the ever-evolving musical as it shifts its shapes.

“The show’s been in development for about a decade, but as a stage piece I played it in the Sydney Comedy Festival in 2015,” he says.

A professional singer-songwriter and musical recording artist, he derived it from a group of songs he’d performed at the NSW Leagues Club, for the ABC’s “Grandstand”, on Fox Sports and in “The Footy Show”. Now he has a repertoire of about 100 original songs and rotates about 20 of them through each show.

Carnahan fined-tuned his brand of sports satire at corporate functions, including one when Michael Weyman left the St George Illawarra Dragons and another when Nathan Hindmarsh retired from the Parramatta Eels, adding in web video clips, with permission. It gave him the chance to do some playing around with characters,

“actually caricatures.”

Then he was asked to perform at a Best and Fairest Referees’ Day, and came dressed up as referee Jared Maxwell, hilarious to everyone but Maxwell. The highlight was the referees’ victory song “After a Good Game”.

His performance, headtaped, as Balmain Tigers’ captain Wayne Pearce on “Wayne Pearce Hill” at Leichhardt Oval led to a strange meeting of art and fiction where the mayor of Leichhardt stood with the real Pearce and Carnahan in big shoulder pads and bandaged knees singing along with the song in the third person – “sheer absurdism,” he says.

Carnahan’s credentials to satirise the greatest game of all are impeccable. A Canberra boy through and through, he can remember a time when multicultural Canberra was home to all codes, League, Union, AFL and soccer, “which we now have to call football”.

“Dad dragged me around to all of them,” he says. “But then the Raiders joined the big league and it made a real change, it was a part of my growing up… there was a real unification of Canberra, which was now on the big stage.”

Sadly, he’d already left Canberra for Goulburn then Lismore in the “glory years” but he does remember flying by Ansett to the Grand Final in 1987, and reports: “It was a fantastic day, we sang the Green Machine song all the way home, non-stop”.

His is a self-contained show, not really a stage musical, despite the title, but there are a lot of costumes and humour.

“It’s more like an academic thesis convincing people that Rugby League is the greatest theatre of all time,” he argues and as far as the “libretto” goes, there are the villains, the controversies, the betrayals, the comebacks, after-hours shenanigans in the strip clubs – “you couldn’t have made it up.”

There are larger-than-life characters such

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Denis Carnahan… headtaped, as Balmain Tigers’ captain Wayne Pearce. as Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce, and a new target in the form of ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie (who couldn’t name the Cronulla Sharks) and even a “panto” villain section.

“It’s a fully one-man show,” he says.

“I’ve done lots of music and my very first gig was playing at the Stockade in Braddon in the late ‘80s and then I played in cover bands for TV, so I’m up with the technical necessities.”

It’s obviously a show for people who follow footy. Former chairman of the Austral-

enjoyed it,” he says.

“I’ve had a lot of people who fit into that category, particularly partners, but they are amused by the jokes, music and the costumes.

“It’s a bit like if [British comedian] Kenny Everett was a rugby league fan, this is what he would’ve done,” he says.

“Rugby League The Musical,” at The Street Theatre, Sunday, July 29, bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

ARTS IN THE CITY

Swing kings pay tribute to Ella and Louis

By Helen Musa THE Legendary Count Basie Orchestra will be in town to present a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, featuring guest vocalist Carmen Bradford. Billed as the living embodiment of swing, the 18-piece orchestra is directed by veteran trumpeter Scotty Barnhart and features a peerless array of instrumentalists such as trombonist Clarence Banks, hired by Basie himself, as well as former members of Stan Kenton’s, Benny Goodman’s and Lionel Hampton’s ensembles. At the Canberra Theatre, July 31.

WINNING works in the 2018 Matt Withers Australian Music Composition Competition will be performed by classical guitarist and founder of the award Matt Withers and the Acacia Quartet. At the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion, National Arboretum, 3pm and 6pm, August 18. Bookings to mattwithers.com.au CANBERRA piano accordionist, Anton Wurzer has been known to

20 CityNews July 19-25, 2018

ian Rugby League Commission John Grant bought 12 tickets, NRL CEO Todd Greenberg enjoyed it and former Rabbitohs enforcer Mark “Spud” Carroll enjoyed it so much that he helped hand out the complimentary oranges at interval.

But the show is for non-specialists, too.

“Some visitors from Salt Lake City, who were killing themselves with laughter, pointed out that in the musical ‘The Book of Mormon’ there are lots of in-references the wider public wouldn’t get, but that they still

“K-WIND Soul Beat” is a Korean heritage show to be performed by Kim Juhong’s Ensemble Noreum Machi (traditional Korean music), Gorilla Crew (B-Boying and hip-hop to popping dance) and Mira Dance Company (traditional Korean dance).

At Canberra Theatre, 6.30pm, July 26. It’s free, but registrations to canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Count Basie Orchestra… Canberra Theatre, July 31. perform orchestral work, live theatre, classical, continental, Latin American, rhythm ’n blues, pop, rock, country and jazz. He’ll play a selection of his original compositions at Wesley Uniting Church, 12.40pm-1.20pm, Wednesday, July 25.

IN April, Andrew Plant travelled to the Solomon Islands to capture images in support of the Markets

for Change Project, documenting the daily challenges faced by market vendors from farm plot to market stall and their enthusiasm in developing a cohesive voice. Now the Belconnen Community Gallery’s “Springboard Series” will show the results in “Voices of the Market” at Swanson Court until August 10. Opening, 5.30pm-7.30pm, on Wednesday, July 25. All welcome.

GRAMMY-nominated pianist Joyce Yang will be at Llewellyn Hall on Thursday, July 26, with Musica Viva performing Rachmaninov, Janáček and Liszt and a worldpremiere composition by young Sydney composer, Elizabeth Younan.

Bookings to musicaviva.com.au THE company 1Cover Travel Insurance is running a comedy competition with a first prize of $10,000 and the two runners-up winning $1500 each.

Comedians can upload a short video (2 minutes maximum) answering the question: “What’s the one thing you shouldn’t do on your holiday?” Entries to theonething.tv by July 31.

CINEMA

The man with an eye for women’s fashion “The Gospel According to André” (PG) BIG, black (more correctly, the colour of milky coffee), beautiful, bright, brash and brainy.

That alliteration of “b” offers a WYSIWYG summary of André Leon Talley, whose career as an observer and commentator on women’s fashion began in 1975 when he was 26.

Kate Novack’s documentary, screened at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival followed by other festivals before public release eight weeks ago, observes the man, his career and his opinions with gentle restraint, joining docos treading similar paths in the same milieu.

Its most significant moment comes with a brief observation about the world that he chose to inhabit after gaining an MA in French literature at age 23. Fashion is ephemeral, style lasts.

That theme pervades the film. It’s less about the women in the lives of wealthy men or the creative stars who design their clothes than about garments that André finds worth commenting about in the pages of journals of notable repute.

I leave Ms Novack’s film for women to evaluate. Its people from the upper crust of society mingle with fashion industry stars. The wisdom it propounds treats them all kindly enough. The garments it displays bespeak their original owners’ tastes before coming to hang in museums and galleries. And the man whom it affectionately honours bestrides it like a colossus.

At Palace Electric, Dendy

André Leon Talley… his career as an observer and commentator on women’s fashion began in 1975 when he was 26.

“Occupation” (M) no stars LUKE Sparke’s career is long on working in the costume departments of TV documentary series, leading to directing one feature actioner before coming to this one for which he also wrote the screenplay.

It comes from somewhere in space. It’s ugly. It tolerates no opposition. It’s smart enough to get to our planet, too dumb to try another way of colonising it than killing all of its people except a handful of north Queenslanders whose annual festival they have crashed with malicious intent.

I forebore from leaving “Occupation” because I wanted to see if Sparke’s creativity

was going to improve after a first act that promised little. Then I became bemused by its dreadful treatment. Not because the local community deserved that but because of a screenplay that to me said only that the writer hadn’t done enough homework.

His cast of competent workaday Australian actors (save for New Zealander Temuera Morrison) delivers trite banal dialogue in situations that simply don’t add up. It’s not because one side of the conflict came from another galaxy. Rather, after eight months, those invaders still haven’t conquered the whole planet and the handful of surviving earthlings are still waiting for a small unit of the Australian Defence Force commanded by a winsome colonel (Jacqueline McKenzie) to arrive with antique military materiel and terminate them with extreme prejudice and violence.

I confess to smiling as the end approached, with shots of Sydney’s bridge and the Opera House lying wrecked and a character asking, why shouldn’t we extend friendship’s hand to people who obviously had come to earth because their home planet had become uninhabitable! Where would movies be without extra-terrestrials arriving here in search of somewhere as good as what they left behind?

Like most films in the action genre, “Occupation” may well please fans who don’t question what they’re watching.

“Skyscraper” (M) IN 1988’s big actioner “Die Hard”, Bruce Willis stopped bad guys from destroying an airport terminal.

In some way, “Skyscraper” is a hybrid of that theme and its 1974 brother “The Towering Inferno” in which Paul Newman and Steve McQueen saved most of the people in the penthouse of a blazing building. Yes, reader, it’s another “disastrous fire that can’t be fought from the ground” movie.

The world’s tallest (3500-feet) building, is a hotel where things open, shut, heat, cool, slide, rise, lower, in short, activate just about every mundane service that well-heeled guests might desire by tapping the appropriate icon on a hand-held tablet.

A decade after a kidnapper used an IED to resolve a hostage situation, the FBI agent in charge Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) has become the consultant engaged to confirm the building’s safety compliances before the insurance company will accept the risk. The building’s owner has provided a pre-opening freebie on the 96th level for Will’s wife Sarah (Neve Campbell) and eight-year-old twins Henry and Georgia while daddy’s checking details.

At all cinemas

At Dendy

OPERA

Mozart with a touch of social media

By Helen Musa

“WE can’t just do Puccini all the time,” president of Canberra Opera Stephanie McAlister recently told her committee as the local opera company launched into a production of “Cosi Fan Tutte”, its first Mozart since “The Magic Flute” in 2012.

The libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte has the most ridiculous story ever to grace the operatic stage and the job of turning it into a comprehensible evening for Canberra audiences falls to voice teacher Elisha Holley, who’s decided to set it in Braddon.

That’s not as daft as it sounds. A hugely successful production at New York’s Met set “Cosi” in a funhouse environment inspired by 1950s Coney Island.

In Holley’s take, spoilt sisters Fiordiligi (Keren Dalzell) and Dorabella (Clare Hedley) run their own café. Cynical Don Alfonso (Peter Smith) aims to prove to their fiancés, Duntroon graduates Guglielmo (Nathanael Patterson) and Ferrando (Andrew Barrow), that all women are the same (Così fan tutte – “They’re all like that”) and makes a bet with the young army officers that they’ll be unfaithful. Egged on by the girls’ scheming employee Despina (Katrina Wiseman) they give into two unrecognisable men, (the two boys disguised as hipsters in sunglasses) proving the point.

It’s not a whit sillier than the original.

A graduate from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music who returned to her home town to found a thriving singing studio in Macquarie, Holley directed Canberra Opera’s 2015 production of “La Bohème”. Now she has taken on an opera known for its beautiful choruses and ensemble pieces, and located it at Lonsdale Street’s The

Botha (Roland Møller) leads a bunch of trigger-happy goons only too willing to behave badly. About midway into the film, writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber reveals what it’s all about. Financing for the building has been perhaps a little dodgy.

Botha has been hired to get the details saved on a stick in the owner’s safe.

Botha’s not going to get that stick until he has the building, with Sarah and the children in seemingly inescapable captivity.

Will has to save them. Oh, did I mention that after that IED went off, Will was taken to a US Navy hospital where surgeon Sarah repaired ugly facial blemishes but regrettably had to amputate his lower left leg?

A production of Legendary Pictures, joining Marvel and DC in mining the lode that grew from comic books, “Skyscraper” might never have reached a cinema near you without the contribution of Industrial Light and Magic in creating its more scary and/or improbable visuals. But despite an estimated production cost of $US125 million, it’s at best only a potboiler.

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OPEN 7 DAYS Cooleman Court, Weston Creek | 6293 4677 | songland.com.au Fiordiligi (Keren Dalzell), left, and Dorabella (Clare Hedley) at their diner with Despina (Katrina Wiseman).

Photo by ES Fotographi at Terra Cafe Hamlet. It’ll be sung in English and updated to take in modern phenomena such as social media.

Holley has worked and studied hard all her life, but has the impression that there are plenty of girls here, “Canberra Kardashians”, with indulgent daddies to whom they can say: “Please, can I have that?” so the two ditsy lead females are very real to her.

But Despina is a pragmatic working-class girl whose motivations come from necessity, even when she engages in deception, bringing in a hint of class struggle.

Everyone has a part to play in the dark comedy that unfolds and Holley wonders why the girls have to ask forgiveness from the boys – “why would you do that?” she asks, speculating that in an age where young people are hooking up via Twitter and Tinder, people are more fickle and thus, more prone to guilt.

There is another psychological twist when

Despina asks the girls “aren’t you real women?” (meaning naturally unfaithful) egging them on to infidelity.

Holley prefers to cast a veil over the question of whether Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte were sexist pigs, saying: “It’s a very strange message in this day and age. It’s so strange, the boys are being cheated on, but they’re the ones who caused it.”

Holley has bought a few ex-army jackets, which tend to be expensive these days, but the cast have jumped into the task of dressing like the Kardashians in their own clothes. Now it only remains to be seen whether Mozart’s ravishing music will survive the temporary leap into women’s rights, self-help and social media.

Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte,” performed in English, Belconnen Community Theatre, July 27 to August 5, bookings to canberraopera.org.au

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GARDENING

Make a big day of planting trees

THIS time of the year is perfect for planting trees, if for no better reason than Sunday, July 29, is National Tree Day (or for schools, Friday, July 27).

Planet Ark’s first National Tree Day was in 1996 and since then four million people have planted more than 24 million trees. This is Australia’s largest community, tree-planting event to promote the quality of the air, the environment and our quality of life.

This year the National Tree Day theme is to promote planting backyards or even balconies. Always keep in mind the space that’s available. To help, I have listed some suggestions of smaller trees for small backyards. But if there is no space for more trees, then plant shrubs.

Details on joining in the fun as a community or school group at treeday.planetark.org/about TREES are just as important in our central city areas, such as Civic where increasingly the green spaces are disappearing and more huge buildings are erected. Nowadays monoliths of concrete panels bolted together combined with paving at ground level create massive heat banks in summer. Equally, these provide wind tunnels which are so unpleasant for pedestrians.

The obvious answer is trees to take away the blandness of the built area, using perhaps deciduous

trees that offer summer shade and allow in the winter sun. As a suggestion, the blank places for trees in Civic could include near the merry-go-round, where trees either died or were vandalised years ago, and could be replaced with super-advanced trees.

HERE are some suggestions for small trees for small gardens: •A cer palmatum “Atropurpureum” (maple) 3m x 3m • Acer palmatum “Bonfire” (maple) 3m x 2.5m • Malus “Gorgeous” (crabapple for jelly) 3m x 3m • Lagerstroemia indica (crepe myrtle) 1-3m x 3m • Malus “Tom Matthews” (flowering crabapple) 2.5m x 3m • Prunus “Versicolor” (flowering peach) 3m x 3m • Syringa (lilacs, many varieties) 1.5m x 1.5m to 2.5m x 2.5m

Prunus “Versicolor”… magical, two-tone spring blossoms.

I don’t recommend planting maples in new suburbs with little shelter and exposure to hot, summer winds.

BESIDE replacing trees along the tramway, I understand the recent Budget allocation allows for the planting of just 1300 trees this year.

Canberra now has a population of about 440,000. Here’s what can be done by a community in England.

St Albans, just outside London, has a district population of 149,000.

In 2008 a group of community minded citizens, in conjunction with the English Woodland Trust, set a target of establishing the largest forest of native trees, ie oaks, elms etcetera, in the country covering an area of 347 hectares. The target was 600,000 trees in 10 years. The target was achieved on March 25 with the help of more than 40,000 volunteers. Can you imagine the establishment here of a similar forest in the areas of the old pine plantations?

Japanese maples... always present a picture.

Don’t forget native plants on the day.

Jottings...

• Don’t forget to include some native plants on the day.

• Work as a group to plant trees in your local area.

• Think of planting small, flowering trees for spring blossom and autumn colour.

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General knowledge crossword No. 648

Your week in the stars – July 23-29, 2018

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

This week the Sun squares Uranus and opposes retrograde Mars (your ruler), Mercury goes retrograde (in fellow fire sign Leo) and there’s an unpredictable Lunar Eclipse. Which means hasty behaviour and hot-headed hubris could see reckless Rams jump from the frying pan straight into the fire! So cool down and recalibrate ASAP, before you say or do things that you later regret. The weekend is a wonderful time to revise and re-design a romantic, creative or sporting dream.

Treading carefully with tax returns

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

With retrograde Mars and the Lunar Eclipse activating your career zone, be very clear when you’re communicating with colleagues. What they say and what you hear may be two very different things. Keep them up-to-date with what you are thinking and doing, otherwise misunderstandings are likely. Plus Mercury starts reversing through your domestic zone. So it’s a good week to revamp your home as you declutter, redecorate, renovate or entertain unexpected guests.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

Gung-ho Gemini - this week’s stars rev up your travel zones, so you’ve got a need for speed (which makes you more accident-prone than usual). Slow down! Less haste and more concentration will ensure you arrive at your various destinations safe and sound. With Mercury also reversing through your social networking zone, double-check all of your posts before you press send. Over the next three weeks, it will be oh-so easy to send the wrong message to the wrong person.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Mercury (planet of communication and commerce) starts reversing through your money zone. So avoid signing contracts and buying big ticket items (like a computer, car or home) until after August 19. Plus be extra careful how you pass on information. If you procrastinate, exaggerate or are imprecise, then you’ll be misunderstood. Friday night’s Lunar Eclipse magnifies your mood swings and heightens your emotional sensitivity. Clever Crabs will retreat and recalibrate.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Prepare for a welcome burst of creativity, energy and enthusiasm, as the Sun transits into your sign. You’ll feel fiery, restless and rebellious (especially on Wednesday and Friday) but pace yourself or you’re likely to blow a fuse! Especially with Mercury reversing through your sign (from Thursday). Things won’t go according to plan and plenty of patience is required over the next three weeks until Mercury goes direct on August 19. So slow down and try to keep a sense of perspective.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Have you been burning the candle at both ends? You’ve got a lot of extra responsibilities on your plate but try to put aside some special ‘me time’ this week.

Solitude is certainly soul food for you at the moment. Mercury (your power planet) is retrograde from Thursday through until August 19. So be patient and look for crucial information that is hidden deep beneath the surface. Then you’ll understand the current complexities better, and the path ahead will be much clearer.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

With Mercury turning retrograde, pursuing your dreams won’t be a direct journey.

Plenty of planning, patience and persistence are required before you taste the sweet fruits of success. Under the influence of Friday night’s Lunar Eclipse, a platonic relationship could take an unexpected romantic turn. Or a friend from the past could re-enter your life. Don’t be deceived by glossy outward appearances though. Look beneath the surface to evaluate a person’s true inner worth.

Solution next edition

Across 4 Name a US Mexican border city, seen often in western movies. (6) 7 What is a particular unit of measurement of computer storage? (8) 8 Which Indian river is sacred to the Hindus? (6) 9 Name a ball game of American Indian origin. (8) 11 To walk about aimlessly, is to do what? (7) 13 Which small antelope is noted for its graceful movements? (7) 15 To be fishing, is to be doing what? (7) 17 What might we call the widow of a king, duke, or the like? (7) 20 Which substance is used for sticking things together?

(8) 23 What was the nickname given to the Australian bushranger, Daniel Morgan? (3,3) 24 What are pieces of brown coal called? (8) 25 Name a funeral vehicle. (6)

Down 1 Which passport endorsement permits passage into a country? (4)

2 What is an evening party or social gathering? (6) 3 Which liquids contain colouring matter? (4) 4 Name a particular racecourse enclosure, now out of use. (5) 5 Which term describes something having a rank, stale smell? (6) 6 What are “affairs of honour”? (5) 9 What do we call a person who has achieved notoriety in a particular field? (6) 10 Name an attendant on a ship or aircraft, who waits on passengers. (7) 12 Which person flees from one’s native land to escape political persecution? (6) 14 What is an alternative term for a pantry? (6) 16 Name a well-known movie dog. (6) 18 To deliver a formal speech, is to do what? (5) 19 What, in golf, is two under par? (5) 21 Which term is applicable to domesticated swine?

(4) 22 To watch TV, is to do what? (4)

Sudoku medium No. 224

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

This week you may find it a struggle to juggle your personal and professional lives.

On Thursday, Mercury starts reversing through your work zone. Plus retrograde Mars is already bringing up unresolved family issues. Friday night’s Lunar Eclipse falls in your home zone, so be on domestic drama alert as stress levels will be running high – and self-control running low. When it comes to a child, teenager or close friend, all is not as it appears. So factor that into your approach.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Retrograde Mars, retrograde Mercury and the Lunar Eclipse all activate your adventure and communication zones. So you’ll feel like travelling but a planned trip may be disrupted or delayed in some way. You’re also keen to connect with friends from near and far but be careful when it comes to social media. If you post a rushed message, then you’ll regret it later on. And, if you find yourself in the middle of a fiery exchange, resist the urge to be belligerent and argumentative.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

When it comes to a close relationship or a financial matter, all is not as it seems.

Life isn’t just about what you can see, study, discuss and dissect. There are many things that are hidden from the eye (or just plain mysterious). So take the time to look a lot deeper – then you’ll discover what’s really going on. Plus avoid signing important contracts over the next three weeks, as Mercury reverses through your joint finances and ‘money-from-others’ zone. Instead, be extra patient and wait.

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PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Don’t expect a brilliant light-bulb moment anytime soon! If you’re struggling for ideas and direction, look within for some divine inspiration. Which will take time as you revisit, reminisce and re-imagine. Contemplation and meditation are also favoured. (As birthday great Carl Jung observed: “Those who look outside dream; those who look inside awaken.” When it comes to a romantic or platonic relationship, are you wearing rose-coloured glasses and seeing what you want to see?

Annabel and Perry had been reading stories about the Tax Office in regards to errors and over-claims in tax returns. They wanted to know more.

“At this time of year there are always warnings from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as people start to do their tax returns,” I told them.

“I appreciate that you might be waiting for a refund, but suggest that you don’t rush to lodge your returns. The ATO has advised that it will not have all its information available until mid-August.

So if you forget something when you lodge an early return and the ATO receives details of it, you will automatically be charged a penalty. Better to wait a few weeks and get it right.

“There is an exchange of much financial information. Not only do all the banks and investment houses report details of income to the ATO but it also receives house sales, car registrations, income reported on payment summaries and from taxable payment reports.

“It is easy to forget that you closed a bank account and hence not disclose all your interest. There is a lot of background checking done by the ATO, so you need to get your tax returns right.”

Perry said he hadn’t not realised there was this level of scrutiny on tax returns, thinking that because there was self-assessment that was it.

“As you can see, that’s not the case,” I said.

“Returns are also scrutinised to compare levels of expenditure to industry averages. When we prepare returns, if a taxpayer has a high level of expenses we get a notification to advise that historically this person has had a higher-than-average level of expenses. So we are on alert to be careful with claims and make sure that all claims are in accordance with the requirements.

“The ATO is concerned about people not apportioning expenses correctly. The Tax Act specifically says that if something is a private expense it can’t be claimed as a tax deduction.

“There are some things that have part work use and part private use so the full amount of the cost cannot be claimed only the work portion. The most obvious is your mobile phone; you need to satisfy the ATO if audited that the percentage you have claimed is correct. The easiest way of doing this is to keep a log for a month on the items that have both work and private use. You can use any format that you like for this; you just need to record the work and private use.

“The ATO has also advised that it is looking carefully at clothing and laundry claims this year. So if you claim the full $150 for laundry, which you can claim without substantiation, you are likely to get some questions from the ATO. “Similarly, you can claim $300 for deductions without substantiation, so a return showing only $300 for deductions is likely to be scrutinised.”

“The best thing is to give me all your receipts and we will let you know what you can claim. The main thing that you need to remember is you must have actually spent the money. It is not about how much you can claim without the ATO asking questions.”

If you need tax advice contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

This week it will be hard to work out if you’re coming or going. Retro Mars and retro Mercury see you hesitate about making an important decision. But Uranus and the Lunar Eclipse stimulate your impulsive and crazy-brave side, which could strike unexpectedly. Remember there’s a fine line between being rebellious and just plain reckless. If you’re too hasty, then you’ll find yourself in a heap of hot water! Finding some middle ground – between procrastination and impetuosity – is the key.

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

Listen to our tax tips on 2CA and 2CC (Chartered accountant, SMSF specialist advisor and Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892)

info@gailfreeman.com.au • www.gailfreeman.com.au Follow us on Facebook

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