Prof Rose McGready, a doctor of more than 30 years, has dedicated her life to caring for marginalised people on the Thai-Myanmar border.
“We have different talents, different ways to give and I think I found mine,” says the graduate of Merici College.
“If we all do our bit to help, the world gets better.”
Prof McGready is returning to Canberra on May 8 to give a public talk about her life-saving mission.
Initially interested in working in sports medicine, Prof McGready says her perspective changed after she began studying at the University of Sydney.
Four years later, in 1994, she visited Thailand as a six-month volunteer at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) to work with tropical medicine and obstetrics, and was inspired to stay.
“If [working in tropical diseases] wasn’t important to me, I wouldn’t have stayed at it for more than 30 years,” the now Professor of Tropical Maternal and Child Health at Oxford University and deputy director and
BRIEFLY
head of Maternal and Child Health at the SMRU says.
“That doesn’t mean there haven’t been times when I’ve wanted to quit.
“When things didn’t go well [we saw] mothers, babies, children and young men die; or worse, when we had to decide we couldn’t help [due to no money].
“In your mind, you know that in Australia, they could’ve been helped.”
Prof McGready has treated more than 20,000 pregnant women with malaria and says the larger issue is the damage on a fetus that isn’t visible to the eye.
Clothing sale at ‘reasonable prices’
St Ninian’s at Lyneham is hosting one of its seasonal clothing sales offering warm winter pre-loved clothes for all ages – jackets, coats and suits, blankets, doonas, towels and linen, shoes and boots. All with the promise of “very reasonable prices”. Kitchen-cooked scones will be on the menu, too. Corner of Mouat and Brigalow Streets, 9am-1pm, May 9 and 10.
Affected by an alcoholic?
Not everyone trapped by alcohol is an alcoholic, says Al-Anon. Its eight meetings in Canberra every week offer free support to friends and families of alcoholics with a 12-step program, much like Alcoholics
Anonymous, but focusing on how you can help yourself through difficult times. More from 1300 252666 or al-anon.org.au
Brad’s view of the stars
Astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker, pictured, will be mes merising the ladies of the Yerrabi View Club at their next meeting at the Eastlake Club, Gungahlin, from 11.30am, May 15. New members are always welcome. RSVP to chanily3@bigpond.com by May 12.
KJB Law draws on decades of experience, helping you create a Will and Estate Plan that addresses all your wishes and concerns.
Mitchell assists with:
• Wills and Testamentary Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Self-managed super funds
• Advice on potential claims against estates
• Advice for blended families
“Mum’s can have abortions and severe anaemia, or premature birth,”
“The fetus doesn’t grow well and these babies that are born too small inherit an intergenerational effect putting them at greater risk of diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes if they reach adulthood.”
While most Australians know about malaria because it gets mentioned in travel medicine clinics, what is less known is that it is the most deadly parasitic disease globally.
“If we just fix the malaria and don’t help mums have a safe birth, they can die from haemorrhage at home because they can’t reach care on time,” says Prof McGready.
“Our research looks at the bundle of essential needs and what is effective and affordable.”
Amid one of the world’s longest running refugee crises, healthcare in Myanmar has consistently been ranked as poor by international standards.
Prof McGready’s work on malaria has seen the complete eradication of the disease in one of her clinics for the past six years, although she says the conflict in Myanmar makes her nervous.
“The last three years in Myanmar sends us backwards,” she says.
“The work on elimination was driven by drug resistance and if it reexplodes, we face untreatable malaria
which means more deaths.”
Prof McGready, alongside a team of volunteers, manages four clinics. Two on each side of the Myanmar and Thai borders.
Two of the busiest clinics (one on each side), provides antenatal care and safe birth services for more than 100 women each month. The permanent clinics have a 24-hour birthing service that delivers around 2000 babies a year.
The SMRU’s work has been recognised and adopted by the World Health Organization for the treatment of malaria in pregnancy, and Prof McGready’s research and practices are routinely used in Africa and wherever malaria is present.
In 2022, the Dr Rose McGready Foundation (DRMF) was established as a registered charity to support Prof McGready’s lifesaving work on the border, something she says was both a surprise and a humbling experience.
“I never expected or envisaged that school and uni friends I had not had the pleasure to see for decades would remember me, or dare to put in the gutsy volunteer work, to create DRMF,” she says.
Prof McGready will give a talk at Merici College on her work at 5.30pm, May 8. All proceeds go towards the DRMF. Book at drrosemcgreadyfoundation.org.au
Chatfield Estate Planning -
Prof Rose McGready treats patients at one of her four clinics on the Thai-Myanmar border… “We have different talents, different ways to give and I think I found mine.
Why election losers should shoot the messengers
So many election campaigns in Australia come down to who got their messaging better. Some times the impact of good policy is lost through poor messaging.
Campaign 2025 will be a good case study in how to message in the modern era. Here are five insights that may guide future campaigns.
1. Start early, understand the context.
Some facts. Most Australians aged under 55 have on average seven social media accounts and spend several hours weekly on them. That ticks into double figures for Gen Z. Our lives are busier than ever with longer commutes and working hours. Throw in other responsibilities and whatever time is left is probably just an hour or two a day.
Then you can add pre-existing attitudes towards politics and politicians in Australia, usually for many a turn off. This makes messaging even more difficult. Let alone in a 33-day campaign timeframe.
You have to start early. At least three big policies should be out there in the last six months before the election so people have time to hear, think about, and then act on them. It also shows you are engaged and listening, especially as you can then
alter the policy to tighten it up based on feedback.
There are disadvantages to this, as Labor found out when they started to play around with considering changing negative gearing in a policy document. All a mistake, right?
2. Numbers and actions matter.
The Coalition were far too slow in adjusting their strategy to the numbers this election. The moment Dutton started to dip on preferred PM and net approval ratings they should have switched away from him and on to policies.
Making the product the star of the show is what commercial marketers have done so well for so long, think iPhone. Yet the Coalition were stuck on using an unpopular leader in
It’s hard to be believed when you say you understand what people are giving up this week to pay a bill when you have an investment property.
messaging that lacked impact and engagement.
3. Aspiration and hope
Both sides offered only hints in terms of aspiration and hope. And yet Australian political history shows the effectiveness of this strategy. Think Howard’s Battlers, Latham’s Ladder, Turnbull’s Harborside Mansion withering speech on Shorten.
An example. Imagine if the Coalition had announced a $15 billion home building scheme, where those who qualify could purchase a one, two or three-bedroom home built by the government at a fixed price. On resale 25 per cent of the profit would then be paid back to keep the scheme operating. Targeting those in housing stress regardless of age or electorate because it is such a widespread issue now. Visualise that announcement being made by a Coalition leader, ideally someone like an Jacinda Ardern progressive mode. Labor may have been gone.
4. The dual campaign
Labor ran a near textbook dual campaign. That is the positive, brand building, one, and then the branddestroying one using negative content to target Dutton and the Coalition.
The positive worked on solid certainties that would happen. Perfect in a macro environment of uncertainty and risk. Tangibles were communicated simply and cleanly using retail terms.
The negative built into the existing perception of Dutton being conservative and strong, framing that as Trumpist (again nod to macro events), uncertain and traditional.
They ran a balance on traditional and new media, a safe strategy and one which meant that the Coalition had to claw back momentum by increased risk taking in messaging and policy once voting started on April 22.
Why the Coalition didn’t run a harder negative campaign focusing on Labor failings on supermarket powers, gambling ads, changes to negative gearing and super, and weaknesses on immigration deportations and white collar crime is a mystery.
5. The leader and candidates
Both parties have issues here. Gen
Z should have been better represented in candidate selection by both parties. The teals, Greens, and indies showed how that’s done.
Both leaders’ profiles impacted cut through on cost-of-living issues. It’s hard to be believed when you say you understand what people are giving up this week to pay a bill when you have an investment property.
Parties need to start rebuilding now and selecting leaders from Gen Y, but I doubt that will happen. Marles or Chalmers in 2028 would face a serious campaign threat from a progressive Gen Y Liberal. I doubt that will happen, too. It should. Are there more lessons? Absolutely. But articles are like elections – you quickly run out of time and space.
Dr Andrew Hughes lectures at the ANU Research School of Management, where he specialises in political marketing.
The new era of aged care starts May 2 & 3
2 & 3
Anthony Albanese, left, and Peter Dutton. Caricatures: Paul Dorin
2 0 % Indoor Plants Last Seasons Outdoor Plants
1 0 % Storewide
Fraught challenges of enacting gambling policies
It’s time to pay attention when former Liberal Prime Ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull join forces.
And then combine them with Labor heavyweights such as the former premier of Victoria Steve Bracks and federal minister Robert Tickner. It is even more significant when federal and ACT politicians arm wrestle over the same issue.
In August, an open letter calling for an end to gambling advertising was organised by the Alliance for Gambling Reform and signed by those and other well-known former politicians and community leaders.
The letter voiced a wide range of concerns regarding gambling including, “$25 billion in annual losses – (gambling) is escalating devastating social harm including financial loss, health and mental health issues, partner violence, family break-up and suicide”.
The prime focus was on the way the gambling industry targetted advertising campaigns at adolescents. The open letter argued from “strong evidence that gambling companies are now grooming our kids by targetting children as young as 14 through social media”.
However, the spotlight was regarding free-to-air advertising in
with one million gambling ads being aired on free-to-air television and radio in just one year”.
The aim of the open letter was to seek federal government intervention. However, there is also a showdown in the ACT with Labor and The Greens making claims about who is more effective at reducing the number of poker machines.
Minister for Gaming Reform, and former anti-gambling advocate, Dr Marisa Paterson, has announced a tender to conduct an inquiry as “the next step toward reducing the number of poker machines in the ACT to 1000 by 2045”.
She argues that a key part of reducing the harm from pokies “is supporting the club sector to move away from reliance on gambling revenue, so the industry can become more sustainable
The minister’s focus is for an ‘independent inquiry into the future of the ACT clubs industry’, rather than specifically addressing harms caused by poker machines.
and continue to thrive in ways that benefit the entire community.”
The Greens’ Shane Rattenbury, a former gaming minister, will have none of it.
Mr Rattenbury argues that the current Labor government has slowed the poker machine “reduction rate by over 40 per cent”.
The nub of the argument is that the reduction rate in the seven years between 2018 and 2025 was 214 a year at a time when the Greens had stewardship of the portfolio. Dr Paterson’s proposal to reduce to 1000 machines by 2045 “will see the rate of reduction fall to 125 per year”.
The challenge for Dr Paterson is how to handle this issue, to which she has been personally committed from long before she entered politics. Labor has relied on pokies for its perennial source of funding – no matter how well the money has been filtered.
Her focus is for an “independent inquiry into the future of the ACT clubs industry”, rather than specifi-
cally addressing harms caused by poker machines.
There are no terms of reference. At best it is more like a call for expressions of interest looking at “practical options, timeframes and measures to support the club industry, its workforce and other stakeholders during the transition”.
With the focus on the industry, Dr Paterson has suggested the terms of reference might include:
• Possible changes to regulatory or tax settings to support the establishment of alternative revenue streams for clubs.
• Skills and training requirements for club sector workers to support repositioned industry activity or workforce transitions.
• Future uses of club-owned land to provide community benefits, including affordable housing, aged care and supported accommodation.
Gambling policy is fraught with challenges for political parties as they come under enormous pressure from the gambling industry and those it financially supports in the media and sports.
The Public Health Association of Australia has suggested a solution
Tuggeranong Homestead
Open Day
This Saturday 3 May 10am—2.30pm
Come and rediscover the heritage-listed Tuggeranong Homestead with something for everyone!
130 Johnson Drive, Richardson Entry by donation
Performances, displays, tours, stalls and vintage fun for children.
Indulge in a royal tea experience, join in the line-dancing, marvel at the lace maker’s skill or watch the World War I military re-enactors.
Buy food or bring a picnic (no byo).
Learn about the different layers of its history including a talk on Charles Bean by Ross Coulthart at 11am.
for incoming federal MPs. They have called for a bi-partisan approach that adopts a percentage of the revenue raised by gambling companies to be spent on supporting media and sports. The approach calls for a “comprehensive ban on gambling advertising” and at the same time imposing “a 1 per cent levy on gambling companies’ gross revenue”.
The revenue from the levy could then be distributed “among the media and the sporting codes, for the next three years, during the transition to an Australia without gambling advertising revenue”.
It is a similar approach to the one used to wean sporting codes away from the support of tobacco companies nearly half a century ago.
There are challenges for politicians in dealing with the harms associated with gambling, but such challenges are not insurmountable. They pale into insignificance against the chal lenges for those af fected by all forms of gambling.
The Tuggeranong Homestead Open Day is supported with funding made available by the ACT Government
OPINION / Alexander Maconochie Centre
How to clean out the prison mess – privatise it
“You did the crime, now do the time” is the usual response when thinking about people who are in prison.
But how prisoners do that time drives both their futures and ours.
Rehabilitated prisoners not only stay out of jail, they contribute to our community.
Non-rehabilitated prisoners reoffend and cost over $500 a day to feed and board in the ACT’s prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC).
The AMC is a prisoner warehouse. It does nothing to rehabilitate the prisoners.
Instead, it is a hotbed of corruption with a thriving drug and contraband trade.
The profiteers are some staff, some prisoners and outside criminal groups.
This reality is beyond debate. Since late last year multiple sources have confirmed how the AMC is mismanaged, and for whose benefit (assuredly not the prisoners, nor ours).
Corrections management applies the law in a haphazard manner and, it seems, without proper attention to the stated aims of the corrections law.
The response of government and Corrections to this much publicised public scandal has been silence, an adroit move because there are no votes
“The AMC is a prisoner warehouse. It does nothing to rehabilitate the prisoners.”
Photo: Andrew Finch
if an independent spotlight, such as an inquiry, is shone upon the mess.
The result of such an inquiry would be Corrections leadership changes, political damage, compensation claims by present and former prisoners, and criminal charges against staff and prisoners found to have been dealing in unlawful products.
A new management could introduce rehabilitation, a move that would benefit the prisoners and those staff seeking a job which gave them job satisfaction.
Absent a formal inquiry, the government should hand over the AMC to a corporate prison management. This would be to the benefit of everyone, save the corrupt. For no more money much could be achieved.
Meanwhile, here are daily life examples of a broken system.
The response of government and Corrections to the AMC public scandal has been silence, an adroit move because there are no votes in prison reform and a heap of trouble if an independent spotlight is shone on the mess.
have repeatedly requested a “mail registry” so that each outgoing mail item is recorded. Absent such a system mail goes missing. For example, a prisoner gave two contracts (sent separately) addressed to a law firm to two trusted officers. The law firm received neither contract.
• Theft of money from prisoner’s account: prisoners are allowed to spend some money within AMC each week. One way to do that is to complete a form that goes to Detainee Finance which will make a withdrawal from the prisoner’s private bank account and credit that amount to his/her AMC internal account.
After covid, one prisoner discovered that there were withdrawals from his private account for more than $10,000 (which was way above what he could authorise for his spending within the AMC).
The AFP was called in. The prisoner was interviewed and provided the necessary
money was repaid into his bank account. However, he was never given any explanation as to how this happened, or why it was not “picked up” earlier. Nor was he ever asked to give evidence – which suggests that no criminal case was pursued.
• A proper bed is too much trouble: the prisoner, past retirement age, Vietnam veteran, 1.95 metres tall, bad back. The army provided him with a suitable bed. The AMC never made that effort. He had to put a chair and a pillow at the end of his bed for six years. The Corrections Management Act, section 43 states: “The director-general must ensure that (a) detainees have sleeping places, with bed and bedding, suitable for reasonable privacy and comfort…”
• You eat what we serve: A retiree-aged prisoner came into AMC with known dietary needs. These were at first recognised and he was allowed to cook for himself. All good. Then that cooking space was re-allocated and he was required to eat the mass food with consequent health failings. So they knew, but they didn’t care.
• Educational opportunities: the AMC sometimes has an education team to help prisoners do online courses, but then it doesn’t have anybody to do that job, sometimes for a long time.
• Officers and their union: the officers
elect delegates who are supposed to work with the CPSU full-time paid organiser to advance officer interests. But it doesn’t seem to work like that. Rather the ties between management and the union seem to be stronger than the ties between the officers and the union. Those delegates get push back instead of help. That raises an interesting possibility. If the rank-and-file officers would be better treated and have more interesting jobs under a private prison operator then both inmates and prison officers would agree: better a private prison operator than what we have now.
Our daily cost per prisoner is the highest in Australia. For that money let’s get value.
Alas, our politicians lack the courage and the moral compass to do what is right, namely to clean up the AMC so that we can be proud, instead of ashamed.
Author Hugh Selby, a former barrister, is a CityNews columnist.
Urgent need to throw light on the prison’s dark secrets
I have recently been deeply engaged in preparing a response to a request from the NSW Coroners Office for a detailed report on Winnunga’s interactions with and care of Tian Jarra Dennis (TJ).
The coroner has sought advice on our observations of the care and treatment that TJ received while incarcerated in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) and more generally as a client of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services.
Many will recall TJ, a young indigenous man, was the subject of the vile and racist “hangman” drawing that prison officers adorned their staff room within the AMC in 2018. It is understood that the drawing of TJ hanging from a noose was a source of great amusement to AMC staff.
In preparing the report requested of me by the coroner, I was struck by the fact that it appears the decision by the ACT government, against the advice of Winnunga Nimmityjah, to transfer TJ to a prison in NSW and to wash their hands of him was made within a week or two of TJ launching legal action against the AMC for its treatment of him.
Winnunga Nimmityjah had in fact insisted that TJ should have been cared for at Dulwah Mental Health Unit and further that if the ACT government was determined to transfer him to NSW that it was imperative that he be placed in a forensic mental health facility.
Sadly, and ironically, TJ died, alone and sad, in a jail cell in the Silverwater Correctional Complex in NSW in August 2023, a short while before the ACT Supreme Court found in his favour in a legal action that Ken Cush and Associates had launched on his behalf.
The Alexander Maconochie Centre… “A Royal Commission-style inquiry into the AMC has the full support of a majority of the local Aboriginal community.”
of a Royal Commission. In this regard it is relevant, and notable, that the immediate response to the release in 2017 of video evidence of the treatment of Aboriginal detainees in the Don Dale youth detention facility in the NT was the establishment of a Royal Commission. It is notable and relevant that my advocacy for a Royal Commission-style inquiry into the AMC and Corrections more generally has the full support of a majority of the local Aboriginal community.
Tragically, in just the last two months, two more Aboriginal men from Canberra have died in custody, on both occasions while incarcerated in the AMC. This is simply scandalous and cannot be tolerated.
Tragically, in just the last two months, two more Aboriginal men from Canberra have died in custody, on both occasions while incarcerated in the AMC. This is simply scandalous and cannot be tolerated.
In addition to this, it is understood that the ACT Supreme Court will shortly hand down its finding in the case brought by a vulnerable Aboriginal woman who, while detained in the AMC, was subjected to a horrifying strip search observed by male detainees and prison officers. As an aside it is also notable, but unsurprising, that the ACT has both the highest Aboriginal incarceration and recidivism rates in Australia.
My purpose in highlighting these few examples of the treatment of Aboriginal detainees in the AMC, spread as they are over several years, is to reinforce what I believe to be incontrovertible, namely the urgent need for a root-and-branch review of all aspects of the operation and management of the AMC and the ACT corrections system more generally.
Considering the seriousness and regularity of the failings of the AMC and ACT Corrections, I believe it is vital that the review I am seeking take the form
How Canberrans will pay less tax under the Liberals
On a side issue I have previously expressed my deep concern at the exceedingly long delays experienced in the ACT Coroners Court and the ACT Supreme Court. It is now not uncommon for judgments or findings in both these courts to take in the order of two years or more to be delivered. The implications, especially for the families and loved ones of the subject of a coronial inquest or a matter being heard in the Supreme Court, of delays of this order, are in some instances deeply distressing.
I was, along I am sure with a majority of Canberrans, deeply concerned by the recent decision of the Interchange Health Co-op, a Tuggeranong based bulk-billing general practice service with around 5000 clients, to close.
While I was particularly pleased to see that the Commonwealth has since then announced a funding boost of $3.8 million to ensure that the Interchange Health Co-op can continue to function, it does beg the question of how best to ensure that all Canberra-based health services, including Winnunga Nimityjah, which has more than 6000 clients, are similarly and equitably supported.
Julie Tongs, CEO of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Com munity Services.
“Real money, in your pocket, at a time when so many people need it,” is the Liberal plan for immediate relief from cost-of-living pressures.
ACT Liberal Senate candidate Jacob Vadakkedathu said: “Many people are struggling to keep up with the cost increases that have occurred over the past three years under Labor.”
He said the Liberals would deliver a one-off Cost of Living Tax Offset that would apply to around 85 per cent of taxpayers and would deliver an individual tax relief of up to $1200.
The Cost-of-Living Tax Offset meant Australians earning up to $144,000 would get up to $1200 in tax relief when they lodged their tax return (for 2025-26).
“Tax isn’t the government’s money, it’s your money,” said Jacob.
“We believe you should keep more of what you earn. That’s especially important given your rising living costs.
“You will always pay less tax under the Liberals, and that’s why we’ll also halve fuel excise for 12 months.
“This means for a household with one car filling up once a week, a saving of $14 or around $700 over 12 months. For a household with two cars, the savings double to around $1500 over the year.”
Candidate Vadakkedathu said the Liberals also have a plan that would restore home ownership for young Australians in the ACT.
“For the first time in Australia, under an elected Liberal government, first home buyers will be able to claim a tax deduction on mortgage interest payments for new-build homes,” he said.
“The First Home Buyer Mortgage Deductibility
Scheme is part of a comprehensive policy designed to restore the dream of home ownership and make homes more affordable for young Australians in our local community.
“The scheme will provide a tax deduction for interest payments for the first five years of a mortgage.
“This is part of our comprehensive plan to make housing more affordable. Our plan also includes:
1. Boosting supply. We will invest in water, sewerage and roads infrastructure needed to unlock 500,000 new homes.
2. Easing demand. We will introduce a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents buying existing property and reduce migration from Labor’s current record levels.
3. Assisting first home buyers. We will offer the choice of using up to $50,000 of your super towards a deposit. And we will change lending rules to help young Australians access a mortgage.
4. Supporting construction. We will increase apprentices and trainees to help build more homes and deregister the lawless CFMEU.
5. Low interest rates. We will deliver a strong economy with lower inflation that reduces pressure on interest rates.
“This plan will build more homes and ensure young Australians are prioritised,” Jacob said.
“We also have a long-term plan to tackle inflation, by reining in wasteful spending that fuels inflation, supporting small businesses and delivering cheaper energy.
“We’ll also reduce the cost of medicines to $25 and deliver record Medicare funding to ensure all Australians can afford to see a doctor.”
Authorised by A Wojtonis, Liberal, 4/50 Geils Court, Deakin ACT 2600.
ACT Liberal Senate candidate Jacob Vadakkedathu.
When the whole world stared open-mouthed
Last year, as Donald Trump took the lead in the presidential race, I penned a column noting that a win for the MAGA man was not necessarily a bad thing.
When his outlandish economic and foreign policies confronted reality, I wrote, it would be an experiment in real time. They might just work. But if they failed, then the result would be available to the rest of the world… and maybe even to Trump himself.
What I didn’t expect was just how quickly we’d get that result. Gaza rebuilt as a giant Club Med, Ukraine as a card game and Greenland for sale were bad enough. But his Mad Hatter acts with the Tariff as some kind of magic wand was hilarious.
There were so many changes to the countries, the rates, the industry exemptions and even the creatures (of Heard Island) to be taxed that the whole world stared open-mouthed.
Economists buried their faces in their hands to staunch the tears of laughter or despair. National leaders protested or kow-towed but only Canada and China fought back.
Donald Trump… “still living in the 1970s with his concentration on old-fashioned power generation and manufacturing.”
I do not believe that Trump will be successful in his attack on American democracy. The resistance is too deeply ingrained in the American psyche for a phony Wizard of Oz to prevail.
China and a fair chance of a bearable climate, or the reassurance of the ANZUS Treaty from Donald J Trump?
Ah, if only it were that simple. America used to be democracy’s light on the hill. But Trump is turning it into an autocracy just as fast as his little fingers can write executive orders. So what happens in the next few years when Australia’s Defence Department reckons Xi Jinping will make his move to restore the Taiwan province to Beijing’s control?
power Australia-wide. I have no idea what would follow but whatever it is, it would be horrific.
However, there is a bright side to contemplate. I do not believe that Trump will be successful in his attack on American democracy. The resistance is too deeply ingrained in the American psyche for a phony Wizard of Oz to prevail. It might be a near-run contest, but I believe there are many more sane people in the US than those of unsound mind.
Either way, the conjunction of events makes clear the underlying lesson for Australia, one that we have resisted throughout our entire existence: the assertion of true nationhood, with the embrace of our Aboriginal forebears, the declaration of a republic, and the recognition of our geographical strength through genuine independence.
robert@robertmacklin.com
In the end play, there can only be one winner. In simple terms that battle is already over – Trump is still living in the 1970s with his concentration on old-fashioned power genera-
tion and manufacturing… even to the point of boosting the coal industry, which is fading everywhere else. China by contrast has taken a leap into the future with renewable energy, electric batteries, robots, artificial intelligence, EVs and autonomous driving cars. And while Trump is spreading raw protectionism, China is favouring the globalisation of trade
with as few impediments as possible.
In short, Trump is the herald of stagflation while President Xi offers the kind of prosperity we’ve enjoyed in the decades since World War II and a prospect of escaping the worst effects of existential climate change. Where does that leave Australia? Do we really have to choose between the economic prosperity offered by
Would Trump really go to war to save it for “democracy”? Or American autocracy?
Would we? And if so what kind of war would that be?
The opening salvo would not be a bomb, but rather the sudden loss of
Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
ARTHRITIS ACT JUVENILE ARTHRITIS INFORMATION DAY JOINS
SUNDAY MAY 4 • 9AM TO 1PM
COOMBS COMMUNITY CENTRE WOODBERRY AVENUE, COOMBES
Everyone Welcome • Amazing Stalls
• Specific information for families affected by Juvenile Arthritis
• Information for carers and teachers
FREE FACE PAINTING
COME & ENJOY A GREAT SUNDAY!
Open spaces are held in trust by small groups
I support the decision to set aside the development approval for 125 homes on the Federal Golf Course.
It reinforces the importance of public open spaces to the community and environment.
Put simply, such open spaces are effectively held in trust by small groups, such as golf clubs – a privilege these groups hold on behalf of the wider community.
However, some of these groups take undue advantage of such privileged arrangements and grab these spaces for private gain.
Attempts by golf courses to generate income from land sales of their concessional leases on the basis that these clubs cannot establish a sustained longer-term existence without gaining private profit, is unsustainable and should be rejected, because such actions represent an irreversible loss of amenity to the wider community.
A common argument put forward by golf club management is that they don’t have enough money to support the continuation of the club into the future.
For example: “Murrumbidgee needs an ongoing revenue stream to ensure the future survival and development of the club” or “The development proposal is critical to the future viability and sustainability of our golf course.”
The harsh reality is that these golf clubs simply do not charge realistic fees sufficient for the development and maintenance of their facilities. Consequently, they have to resort to converting community open space into commercial use and selling these off to raise money to repair or upgrade those facilities. This reduces the amount of community open space without solving their ongoing problem – insufficient income to maintain the said facilities.
Consequently, within a relatively short time, they will be back seeking to sell off more community open space as the Yowani Club is doing (previously converted open space to a motel site, now looking at residential development of 1200 units).
Albert Oberdorf, via email
Selby truly hit the nail on the head
It was interesting to read Hugh Selby’s article about the ACT Ombudsman (‘Ombudsman falls well short on fixing FOI angst, CN April 10), and the “bureaucratic jungle” experienced by people who make a complaint about a government service hoping to receive answers to their questions, including FOI requests. He well and truly hit the nail on the head describing an organisation that does not deliver the goods, nor provides what it should. Having made repeated complaints to the ombudsman, my experience is that they search only for ways to do nothing of value
by finding “nothing to see here”.
On October 19 2023, I submitted a complaint (a second one) about the conduct (or lack of) of AFP officers who “investigated” the death of my daughter, Brontë.
The ombudsman stated in their acknowledgement of my complaint that it could take up to 35 weeks for the complaint to be allocated to an investigating officer.
After waiting seven months (some 30 or so weeks), I asked about the status of my complaint. I was advised that the ombudsman no longer states the “35 weeks” in confirmation receipts; it can take even longer for a complaint to be allocated! Holey moley. You wouldn’t want to be in a hurry!
And you certainly wouldn’t want to be ill or dying.
Their e-mail goes on to state that “we may make suggestions to agencies if we identify opportunities for improvement. However, we cannot direct an agency to change a decision or take a particular course of action”.
That has always been the case for the ombudsman: to recommend but not to direct.
However, mere recommendations, if any, that take months or longer to be made may well be out of date or superfluous when finally delivered.
That makes the process farcical and pointless.
However, recommendations are better than nothing at all. After more than 12 months, so after more than 52 weeks, I received a response from the ombudsman, stating that no investigation was conducted into any (of the
multiple) elements of my complaint.
In their opinion there was simply nothing to see and it was fate accompli.
Janine Haskins, Cook
Blind eye to ratepayerfunded cruelty
Shocking details have emerged recently relating to severe cruelty that was inflicted on a female kangaroo in Bywong.
The kangaroo was severely beaten by a 60-year-old man who tied a rope around its neck and then dragged it behind his car for 400 metres along the road. The kangaroo died from its terrible injuries.
There has been a public outcry about this incident and so there should be.
What people need to understand is that cruelty towards kangaroos is not an isolated incident committed by an individual monster.
In Canberra, the cruelty is being committed by the ACT government using millions of ratepayers’ dollars under the guise of the so-called “conservation cull” of kangaroos.
While there is a code of conduct to supposedly ensure the welfare of the animals, the reality is the shooters are not supervised, therefore the code is meaningless.
Animal welfare groups have documented the shooters’ cruelty including the decapitation of fully furred joeys.
The minister responsible, Suzanne Orr, is turning a blind eye to ratepayer-funded cruelty.
Rebecca Marks, via email
Poor road design affects wildlife, too
Recent letters by Rebecca Marks and John Lawrence raise some important issues about the way the ACT government treats Canberra’s precious wildlife.
For kangaroos living in our urban nature parks, they are in a desperate fight for their very survival. Not only does the ACT government terrorise kangaroo mobs every year during the cruel and unnecessary “cull”, it has failed to balance road construction with environmental conservation. This has resulted in a fragmented habitat not only for kangaroos but other wildlife such as possums, wombats and wallabies.
Instead, the cost of this failure is being pushed back to Canberrans in the form of insurance claims and damaged vehicles.
The most effective approach to minimising the negative effects of building roads through wildlife habitat and on biodiversity, would be to retrofit structures such as connective overpasses, virtual fencing, slower speed limits, alert signs with flashing lights and speed bumps into Canberra’s existing road system.
Canberrans should be angry that the ACT government has not only failed them with a poorly planned and implemented road design, but also sadly our precious wildlife, whose lives are being so tragically taken. Robyn Soxsmith, via email
A trillion dollars is a lot of money to owe!
Throughout this election campaign I have heard politicians from all sides promising voters fistfuls of money left right and centre.
I have also heard financial experts warning that we are heading for a national debt of $1.2 trillion. Like many, I can’t comprehend how much a trillion dollars really is, and like many, I think a milliondollar lottery win is a huge amount.
So, I did a bit of research to get my head around a trillion dollars and I was staggered by what I found. According to financial and mathematical experts it’s a massive amount of money.
A trillion dollars is a million times a million dollars. If I had a trillion dollars in one-dollar notes and laid them end to end they would reach beyond the moon and the sun. I could lay them in rows and they would blanket the ACT three times over with some to spare.
If I had a trillion dollars in one-dollar notes and I spent 40 of them every second it would take me over 790 years until I was left with nothing in my pocket.
We have been warned that if we don’t start living within our means and stop putting everything on the credit card, we face a $1.2 trillion national debt. That means that every Australian will owe someone else almost $40,000. Our grandchildren will be paying it off long after we are gone.
Darryl Johnston, Tuggeranong
Free book on the women behind the Bard
Columnist Robert Macklin has written that Shakespeare did not write Shakespeare’s plays (CN April 17). Robert – and the world – should read my book, The Woman Behind William Shakespeare (available for free on researchgate.net/PaulKauffman)
I have also written a play, performed at ANU, about William Shakespeare that was directed by Dr Cate Clelland.
Dr Paul Kauffman, via email
Nature strip parking damage in Deakin, too
Elizabeth Kovacs (“Nature-strip parking threatens trees”, CN April 24) reports on the parking of vehicles on the nature strips of Hawker. This problem also affects the streets of Deakin, especially Hopetoun Circuit, a major road link between Deakin and Yarralumla.
In Deakin, some residents have two or more vehicles parked on their nature strips every day. This practice is also common in my street, which intersects Hopetoun Circuit at the Deakin shops.
In both cases, the nature strips are stripped of vegetation, or even soil. In a dry period they turn into dust bowls. In rainy periods, especially in the downbursts of torrential rain that are increasingly common, the dust turns into mud and is washed away. This is particularly noticeable on the sides of footpaths.
In some places, bedrock is exposed: no vegetation can survive in these conditions, and trees lose a significant part of their hydration and nutrients when their roots become ineffective.
In extreme cases, which are also increasingly common, the trees die. It can be several years until the ACT government removes dying or dead trees.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Voting for a club that won’t allow us to join
Columnist Michael Moore is correct (CN April 17), and yes, we should all vote, if eligible.
But consider how, as individuals, we have to contend with preference deals over which we have no control, big-spending political donors, the cost of attending fund raisers to get into a political ear, politicians who dodge (if they reply) substantive issues when you write to them, and, if a dual citizen by dint of parents’ birthplace, having to vote for a club that won’t allow us to join.
John
Godwin, Downer
What about a word on explorer de Vlamingh?
Having been brought up in WA, I read David Turnbull’s profile of Dutch migrant Peter Reynders (CN April 17) with great interest.
However, I was disappointed that he failed to mention Willem de Vlamingh, who, in December 1696, arrived on the west coast of New Holland in the frigate Geelvink where he discovered ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottnest (“Rats’ Nest Island”) which we now know as Rottnest Island.
He named it so when he mistakenly thought the quokkas were big rats. He also sailed up the Swan River to the site where Perth is now situated, observing the black swans on his way.
Yet another great Dutch seaman/explorer who the current generation of kids have no clue about!
Dave Jeffrey, Farrer
Why egotistical Albanese has to go
This is something that has not been canvassed at all in the media, which is a surprise to me considering how unpopular Albanese is.
As someone who has an ANU degree in politics and economics, who has been engaged in politics for much of my life and who has worked with Commonwealth ministers from Gareth Evans through to John Anderson, I would like to suggest to Labor supporters that they do not vote Labor unless Albanese undertakes to stand down in his second term.
With Dutton doing his best to lose the
His problem is his ego, which was seen in the way he handled the referendum on The Voice, his acceptance of upgrades and various Qantas perks, his attendance at just about all major events from sports to concerts and his fulsome praise for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On top of that we see weaknesses in his responses to China and Trump and he has done little or nothing about issues such as
gambling advertising, salmon farming in Tasmania, the Integrity Commission, cost of living issues, housing, interest rate rises and the conflict in Myanmar, etcetera.
It is time we had a new head of the ALP who is more attuned to the needs and wishes of the general populace rather than to the elite.
Ric Hingee, Duffy
The answer is vote for Dutton or be sorry…
Re letter from Douglas Mackenzie (CN April 17). He referred to Sue Dyer claiming Dutton was proposing to slash 41,000 Canberra based public servants.
Albo and his cohorts are also spouting this, yet Dutton has already stated on a number of occasions, he is not going through with that, he is going to use natural attrition. He said he made a mistake, which is more than Albo ever does. Answer, vote for Dutton. He is more honourable than Each-way Albo. Do you really want to be stuck with Albo for another three years, with prices going up? He has done nothing about the cost of living, power cuts, the economy, lack of military defences, very slack immigration, keeps everything to himself and never answers a question without going around in circles. No, do not vote him back in, you will be sorry.
Vi Evans via email
…But Dutton isn’t on the ballot paper
Dr Mackenzie (letters, CN April 17) exhorts us to not vote for Dutton.
In the ACT he isn’t on the ballot paper. Instead we have 14 House of Reps candidates across the three electorates and 14 Senate candidates for us to choose between.
Voters who want to know more about them can watch the Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy’s videos at canberra-alliance.org.au/2025-federalelection.
Peter Tait, convener
My choice is for the lesser of two evils
Max Flint (letters, CN April 17) is critical of my support for the Labor/Greens at the upcoming election.
My inability to support the Coalition stems from the superficiality of its policies in a wide range of areas especially the public service, housing, immigration, climate change and energy.
I applaud Max for his persistent exposure of the deficiencies of light rail. I am appalled at the Labor/Greens hypocrisy and the ongoing Commonwealth funding for the extension to Woden in the absence of a business case.
My grievance with the project (and the government’s land use planning) stems
from the lack of supporting evidence, the same reason I cannot support the Coalition. Labor and the Greens also have their policy deficiencies. My choice is for the lesser of two evils.
Mike Quirk, Garran
How non-votes can count more
Michael Moore’s “Votes do count” column (CN April 17) of the voting pattern that caused Trump to mount the winner’s podium this year is yet another example of the old adage about interpreting statistics and reveals how, in rounded up figures, only 64 per cent of eligible electors turned out of whom just 50 per cent voted Republican. Thus Trump became president with the active support of about 32 per cent of the US voting population or, otherwise calculated, 68 per cent of American electors didn’t vote him in.
The same can be said for UK’s Brexit where, out of 46.5 million people on the electoral roll, 37.4 per cent voted to leave, 34.7 per cent voted to stay and the remainder not voting at all, rendering the now much regretted decision to leave the EC being made in the absence of an active vote of 62.5 per cent of enrolled electors. Contrary to the headline, both events illustrate how non-votes count more than those cast by public spirited individuals.
John Murray, Fadden
The Importance of Servicing and Security in IT Solutions
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The cyberthreat landscape has evolved rapidly over the past few years, becoming more complex and sophisticated. This means that businesses need to stay ahead of potential threats to protect their sensitive information and systems from cyberattacks. Investing in robust security measures is not just a precautionary step; it’s a necessity to safeguard against ever-evolving cyber threats.
At BluePackets, we understand the importance of proactive security measures. We’ve observed a phenomenon we call the “Security Dividend,” where clients who invest in security experience fewer issues and require less reactive support. By prioritising security, our clients not only save money in the long run but also avoid costly outages caused by security vulnerabilities. Plus, the cost of implementing security measures with us is often lower than what competitors charge for reactive servicing alone, providing a win-win situation for our clients. Investing in security with us means investing in long-term savings and peace of mind.
Portrait thought to be of explorer Willem de Vlamingh by Jan and Nikolaas Verkolje.
Imagine this: a plan for transparent health system
As our faltering health system wobbles on in deep distress, under poor and inept management, JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED prescribe a look at the acclaimed Oregon Plan, which held legislators directly accountable when things went wrong.
“The physician should not be placed in the position of defending a public policy that is more interested in saving money than in providing medically necessary services.”
No; this is not a quote from one of the six orthopedic surgeons or the two anaesthetists who have recently abandoned Canberra’s public hospital system, or any of the clinicians still in the system who worry that their patients’ care is compromised by a lack of funding.
The quote is from a 1992 paper by a practising doctor and ethicist John La Puma about a plan to ration healthcare services in the US state of Oregon.
The Oregon Plan, which was developed following the death of a young boy who was waiting for a bone marrow transplant, was the subject of intense debate in the US and attracted worldwide attention.
The Oregon Plan and the Oregon planning process are from a reasonably distant past. The Australian healthcare system is also very differ -
ent from that of the US. So why focus on the events of the 1980s and 1990s in a different health system?
The challenges faced by the Oregon legislators remain as relevant today as then for any government committed to delivering healthcare equitably.
In general, with the universal hospital coverage that exists in Australia, the public costs of healthcare have been rising faster than the combined effects of changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and population growth.
A combination of three factors drive these higher budgetary costs: (a) improvements in technology and skills; (b) ageing of the population; and (c) excess inflation in the health sector.
In a continually changing environment, realising and directing technical efficiencies also requires investment in infrastructure and the engagement of clinicians.
Broadly, the Oregon Plan sought to prioritise services based on efficacy, increase the coverage of services and provide additional revenue (through a tax on tobacco) to maintain and
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expand services.
While their practical implementation may vary across systems, prioritisation, coverage and growth funding remain the key elements for the successful management of any health system. More importantly, how the Oregon Plan was developed remains a reference for policy analysts and commentators more than three decades later, even for those who may disagree with any aspect of it.
It is remarkable that the death of a seven-year-old boy denied access to a lifesaving procedure resulted in an honest, soul-searching and sincere effort by politicians and legislators to address the serious questions of equity and inequity in the allocation of healthcare and resources.
There was meaningful engagement with the community, with the discussion led by a commission that took advice from experts and consulted with the community. The commission produced a prioritised list of services, for the first time anywhere in the world. It employed analytical tools such as quality adjusted life years as well as clinical judgements and inputs to determine the efficacy of procedures.
There was transparency and rigour in the development of the plan as well as its implementation. Even those who did not support “rationing”
A bonding activity for students and seniors
School Volunteer Program of the ACT (SVPACT) president, Nola Shoring says volunteering tackles two elements of mental health.
“Not only are we helping school children who are struggling both educationally and emotionally, but we are giving seniors a purpose, by fuelling their sense of self-confidence.”
Established 20 years ago, the SVPACT is a voluntary mentoring program for seniors to visit schools across Canberra and help students in need.
“Something that has stuck with me was being told that I might be the only adult who has sat and listened to a child all week, month, etcetera,” says Nola. “And that’s what gets me out of bed.”
With children selected by teachers to be in the
Senior volunteers needed for supporting students at school
School Volunteer Program ACT is celebrating 20 years of mentoring students
Build relationships with students, teachers & other volunteers
Mentor vulnerable students while increasing your own well being To find out more contact
Nola Shoring on 0434 537 555
Please check out the website today svpact.org.au to view the simple steps to become a volunteer
program, Nola says volunteers are matched to the child depending on their own skills.
“Life experience is super important,” she says.
“Our volunteers don’t have to have teaching backgrounds to help.”
From engineers to public servants, Nola says all levels of experience are invaluable.
“Ultimately the program gives our volunteers a family,” she says. “They’re part of a team.”
Nola says they will host an information session for anyone interested at the Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning, Stirling at 10am-12.30pm, May 5.
The School Volunteer Program of the ACT. Call 0434 537555 or visit svpact.org.au
Connecting generations. Connecting communities. Connect with us.
of healthcare as a principle, acknowledged that rationing, which was happening covertly, at least became transparent.
Notably, accountability was shifted from obscure bureaucrats to legislators, so that, as noted by researchers at the American Medical Association some two decades later, “when the next life-or-death case came around, legislators would be held accountable”.
The Oregon story does not end there. The plan fizzled out in the early 2000s, necessitating further reform, but nevertheless delivered some key insights. Those who conceived the plan did not realise how readily future governments would cut health in times of budget crunch.
Coverage of the program dwindled with people opting out as co-payments were introduced without a realisation that people on low incomes were extremely price sensitive in accessing healthcare.
The lesson: blind budget cuts and the imposition of private costs are false economies and adversely affect the very people who most need help.
While we are not proposing adoption of the Oregon Plan, we believe the template remains relevant for any government, most particularly, for the ACT government, for managing its healthcare system.
The template was in fact adopted and is clearly evident in the 2008
ACT Capital Asset Development Plan (CADP) by the then health minister, Katy Gallagher. That plan included a detailed analysis of the ACT’s health needs over the coming decades and engaged clinicians in developing models of care and program investments.
Regrettably and inexplicably the CAPD was abandoned when Andrew Barr assumed the chief ministership and the ACT now has the worst wait times in the emergency department, patients waiting for years for surgery, sentinel events and avoidable deaths, a complete lack of responsibility with minister(s) blaming public servants and public servants blaming the system or the clinicians, unanticipated budget shortfalls, patients with worrying symptoms that should not be ignored being advised to stay away, patients turning away for financial or cultural safety reasons, and most recently clinicians disengaging and walking out.
These are all deeply disturbing symptoms of a system not just in distress but under poor and clearly inept management.
Is it too much to expect the ACT government to adopt some of the 1980s thinking of the State of Oregon?
Jon Stanhope is a former chief minister of the ACT and Dr Khalid Ahmed a former senior ACT Treasury official.
Celebrating mums’ day for more than a century
Steeped in ancient tradition, Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks through their celebrations of maternal goddesses such as Rhea, mother to Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus.
The modern day Mother’s Day started when American social activist Ann Jarvis, who after her mother’s death in 1905, was inspired by her admiration and grief to begin a campaign to create a Mother’s Day.
By 1908, the first official celebration was held in West Virginia at the church where Ann’s mother had taught Sunday school.
Mother’s Day came to Australia in 1924 when Sydney woman Janet Heyden began the tradition to give items to widows and childless mothers after the devastation of World War I.
This feature looks at some inspiring gift ideas and experiences to give mum this Mother’s Day.
The gift of a delicious, immersive experience
This Mother’s Day, give mum the gift of an experi ence, says truffle farm owner, Jayson Mesman.
“Immerse yourself in a world-renowned farm-to-fork adventure at The Truffle Farm, where food lovers and adventurers gather to celebrate the journey from earth to table,” he says.
“As one of only a few truffières worldwide offering live truffle hunts, we invite you to be part of this unforgettable adventure.”
Described as a “bit of a dressy event”, Jayson says it’s a joy to watch people learn about the history of the farm and watch the dogs in action before getting to sit and taste the deliciousness of freshly dug truffles.
Offering three experiences during the truffle season in winter, Jayson says prospective trufflehunters can pick between a 1.5-hour truffle hunt and tasting, 2.5-hour truffle hunt and brunch that features a three course meal, or a 3-hour truffle hunt and lunch that features a seven course meal and interactive truffle cooking event with their executive chef, Kanharith Kim.
“Our events are each designed to connect you to the land, the hunt and the artistry of truffle-infused cuisine,” says Jayson.
“It’s a sensory journey that brings you closer to one of the world’s most prized culinary delights.”
The Truffle Farm begins their season at the beginning of June.
The Truffle Farm. 23 Mount Majura Road. Call 0400 483082 or visit thetrufflefarm.com.au
Honouring the memories of special women
At the Belconnen Chapel, White Lady Funeral Services will host a Mother’s Day Remembrance Service at 10am Saturday, May 10.
“This is an opportunity for our community to band together and remember the special women in their lives who have never really left us,” says operations manager Cassandra Proctor.
Starting with a service held by a local celebrant, Cassandra says the remembrance memorial will contain a reflection period for those in attendance to write their loved one’s name on a card that will later be burnt and the ashes scattered in the chapel’s rose garden as a symbol of remembrance and honour.
“We are remembering those who have left us but will forever remain with us,” she says.
“It’s a special opportunity to celebrate the incredible women in our lives in a different way and acknowledge where we are today because of them.
“The memorial service is a safe place to express grief freely and is a place for those on the same journey
to stand together.” Cassandra says this event is open to the Canberra community and will have a selection of canapes and light refreshments available.
White Lady Funerals. 101 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen. Visit whiteladyfunerals.com.au. RSVP by May 5 to Cassandra at actoperations@invocare.com.au
The Truffle Farm owner Jayson Mesman, centre, with Leandro Carreira, left, Chef Kandi and one of the truffle dogs.
Targeting feelings of disconnection, rush and tenseness, yoga offers a powerful way to slow down and heal for busy mums.
“We may not realise it, but our day-to-day lives demand a lot from us,” says Healthy Living Yoga owner, Heather Phillips.
“From deadlines and commitments, to constant rushing, all of this creates a stress load on our nervous system.
“More than just a physical practice, Yin Yoga encourages mindfulness, inner stillness and emotional healing.”
Offering a Bali yoga retreat on September 22-28, Heather says the inclusive retreat will improve flexibility, boost circulation and help participants experience emotional relief.
“For centuries, Bali has been a place of deep spiritual practice,” she says.
“The island’s culture is infused with devotion, from intricate daily offerings to the sacred temples that dot
the landscape.
“This energy of mindfulness and reverence, creates an ideal setting for a yoga retreat, allowing participants to disconnect from everyday stress and immerse themselves in true presence.”
Catering to all levels of yoga experience, Heather says the retreat is designed to be a rejuvenating and transformative experience.
“Each morning begins with an energising yoga session and guided meditation, followed by nourishing meals made from fresh organic ingredients.”
Workshops will cover topics such as mindfulness, yoga philosophy and holistic healing with free time in the afternoons to explore and relax.
Early bird offers close June 30.
Healthy Living Yoga. U38/17 Captain Cook Crescent, Griffith. Call 0427 112222 or visit healthylivingyoga.com.au
With more than 650 birds from about 65 different species from Australia and the world, Canberra Walk-in Aviary owner and manager Mick Logan says parrots, finches, doves and quail are among the birds ready to interact with mums this Mother’s Day.
“The aviary is great fun for all ages and now is the best time to get up close and personal with a range of friendly, free-flying birds,” he says.
“While not all birds will interact with you, visitors get the chance to observe, up close, species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild,” Mick says.
“We provide a small plate of food and a tub of
the birds.
“Provided the weather is fine, you can have a great time feeding the birds, taking photos or just observing our feathered friends.”
The aviary has a 1000sqm planted walk-in enclosure that houses the birds.
“We accept student and senior concession cards,” he says.
Open every day, 10am-4pm, the aviary accepts last admissions at 3.30pm.
Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit
Yoga offers a powerful way to slow down and heal. Yoga targets deep connective tissues, calms the nervous system, and eases stress. With expert guidance from Heather Phillips from Healthy Living Yoga, classes are trauma-sensitive, supportive, and deeply restorative.
By
Mother’s Day Memorial Service
us for a heartfelt memorial ser vice to honour the mothers who are forever in our hear
Sat 10 May, 10 - 11am
White Lady Belconnen Contemporary Chapel 101 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen
Please RSVP by Mon 5 May to Cassandra at actoperations@invocare com au Light refreshments will be ser ved
Traditional Indian cuisine with a ‘modern twist’
This Mother’s Day, Blu Ginger Indian Restaurant will cook for mum with the same love and care as she would for her family, says owner Reddy Manne.
“Blu Ginger consistently uses the age-old recipes with a modern twist,” he says.
“The restaurant covers all regions of ethnic India, all meals are cooked fresh with local and imported ingredients and all spices are ground in store.”
First established in 2000, Reddy says the restaurant
has become renowned in Canberra for its butter chicken, jhangiri and shahi ghost, among other choices.
“We serve gluten-free meals and accommodate any dietary requirements,” he says.
“Blu Ginger caters fresh, made-to-order meals at affordable prices.”
Blu Ginger Indian Restaurant, 2/5-21 Genge Street, Civic. Call 6247 2228 or visit bluginger.com.au
OPEN7 DAYS
The team at Blu Ginger Indian Restaurant.
Tuggeranong is a home to history and passion
Tuggeranong, one of the original 18 districts in the ACT, was derived from the Ngunnawal expression “Togranong”, which roughly translates to “cold plains”.
These days the district is a set of contiguous residential suburbs consolidated around Lake Tuggeranong, with a population of around 90,000.
The businesses in the region deliver a variety of services passionately to the Tuggeranong community, priding themselves on customer service.
In this feature we meet some of the people delivering a variety of professional services to the people of Tuggeranong.
Aidacare opens new southside showroom
Aidacare, a leading provider of healthcare equipment and services, has opened its new showroom in Tuggeranong, providing local knowledge with national support for mobility and daily living equip ment for people in Canberra’s south.
The showroom offers a wide range of products to support independence at home, in aged care, or in the community, and customers can test drive a scooter, trial adjustable bed and mattress combinations while gaining expert advice from our trained staff.
The showroom also includes a private area for health professionals to carry out equipment assessments with their clients.
Aidacare’s Tuggeranong branch builds on the company’s long-standing presence in the ACT, supporting private customers and healthcare providers.
“The aim is to make it simpler for people to find the right equipment close to home, with staff available to provide clear, helpful advice, without pressure,” says branch lead Kerrie Hagan, who believes the new location will make a difference for people living in Canberra’s
southern suburbs.
“Having a local showroom means people can drop in, ask questions and take their time exploring what works for them.”
The showroom is open to the public with no appointment or referral needed.
“Whether you’re buying for yourself, a family member or a client, Aidacare Tuggeranong is ready to help,” says Kerrie.
Kidstart is celebrating its 24th year working with children and owner Kristen O’Connor says it’s a privilege to allow parents and carers to have “all the educational fun with children without having to make the fun, just join in!”
“We are not a childcare centre, but provide classes with opportunities for each child to develop socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually through sequential programs full of fun, structured and stimulating activities
“We bring families together to create relationships and connections within the Canberra community.”
Kidstart is accepting term two enrolments with classes available for children aged five months to five years, Kristen says Kidstart has a program to suit all children before they start school.
“If you want to assist your child to develop a lifelong love of learning, give them the headstart they deserve at Kidstart!” she says.
Operating since 1996, Kristen says Kidstart offers five different age-based programs.
According to Kristen, it’s a privilege to see
over on the floor to learning phonics in their literacy program.
“We’re fortunate to have long-serving staff members dedicated to providing the optimum learning environment for all our children at Kidstart.
“There’s a special bond with teaching children, from when they are babies and seeing them grow and develop before heading off to school.
Kidstart Southside Education and Activity Centre, 65 Sternberg Crescent, Wanniassa. Visit kidstart.com.au
Classes for children 5 months to 5 years
Independent pre-preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds
Preschool PLUS for 4 and over
Emphasis on development of motor skills, academic and social skills
Preparing children for formal schooling by introducing structure and routines in a play based fun and creative atmosphere
The team at Kidstart Southside Education and Activity Centre.
ALL ABOUT TUGGERANONG advertising
Riana’s resilience and advocacy paves the
Riana Janse van Rensburg has been working in the beauty industry for more than 38 years, and is the founder and director of Aesthetic Medicine Canberra and Dermaplan ing Australia.
“Many women in leadership are inspired by a passion for driving change and empowering others,” she says.
“I’ve always had my own businesses and have always worked for my own money.”
Overcoming bias when working as a business owner, Riana says facing setbacks such as the ones she has encountered teaches adaptability.
“Mentorship and support systems also reinforce the importance of lifting others as they rise.”
Riana says overcoming these challenges requires resilience, strong networks and advocacy for inclusivity to pave the way for future leaders.
Her business, Aesthetic Medicine Canberra – previously known as Riana’s Health Skin Care Clinic – was founded in 2010 and specialises in skin ageing.
“Beauty is a tough industry to be in,” says Riana.
“But I have never seen it as a competition, always a challenge. I have never lost focus on my goals.
“Through my passion for the health and beauty industry from an early age, and being brought up with a family who owned a
pharmacy in South Africa, I undertook relevant training and qualifications to enter the profession.”
Riana says she had a thirst for learning, which continues to this day.
Aesthetic Medicine Canberra, visit aesthetic-medicine-canberra.com, or Dermaplaning Australia, visit dermaplaningaustralia.com.au
Kathleen, Elise and the Team at Capital Chemist Isabella Plains are dedicated to caring for you and your family’s health care needs.
We pride ourselves on providing you professional advice and health services at your convenience.
Don’t forget we offer:
• FREE Flue shots for those over 65
• FREE Shingles vaccine (Shringrix) for those over 65
• FREE Covid shots for all
• FREE vaccines for pregnant mums!
• FREE in-home vaccinations for eligible patients – call for more info
Pharmacist’s help for at-home customers
With a “customerscome-first” approach, pharmacist and co-owner of the Capital Chemists Calwell and Isabella Plains
Kathleen Tran says she is filling in the gaps in the healthcare industry by providing at-home services to those aged over 65 and in need.
“I always make time,”
she says, often going to community members’ homes during her days off or after work hours.
“Doctor’s are always busy, and there’s certainly a gap that needs to be filled to ensure we are protecting those around us.
“The service is for those eligible with mobility issues or living independently alone and might struggle to get to a chemist.”
Combining flu, covid, shingles and Prolia shots (for osteoporosis) in one sitting, Kathleen says it helps make sure those unable to come into the chemist aren’t required to come in for further vaccinations.
Ahead of the upcoming flu season, Kathleen urges people to get on top of their flu shots.
“This year, we’ve already had some positive cases for the flu in Canberra,” she says.
“I highly encourage people to get on top of their shots as a preventative measure.”
To check eligibility to get on Kathleen’s home-visit list, call the Calwell store at 6292 1111.
Capital Chemist Calwell, Shop 14 Were Street and Webber Crescent, Calwell. Capital Chemist Isabella Plains, 131 Ellerston Avenue, Isabella Plains. Call 6292 1111. Visit capitalchemist.com.au
School’s
true strength is its teaching staff
With two new facilities opening at St Mary MacKillop College, principal Michael Lee (pictured) says the new developments to the school will add a huge range of pathways and opportunities to their students.
“The PE Centre, which opened on the junior campus (years 7-9), includes two new indoor courts and one multi-purpose outdoor court, as well as a strength and conditioning room and several classrooms,” he says.
“The performing arts centre, which is based on the senior campus (years 10-12) has provided MacKillop with a new 400-seat theatre, modern dance, music and drama rooms, as well as areas for students to construct sets, design costumes and apply stage make-up.”
Michael says the new facilities at the school underpin the delivery of high-quality teaching and learning at MacKillop.
“Our facilities are designed by architects in consultation with the teachers who will use those spaces, leading to quality teaching and learning experiences for all our students,” he says.
“While our students enjoy having modern facilities, the true strength of MacKillop is its teaching staff and the way they seek to get the best out of each and every learner.
“Our teachers are passionate about the school’s vision and firmly believe that each student has a right to learn, be challenged intellectually and be given opportunities that broaden their experiences.”
The school’s open night is on May 5 with a “Try MacKillop Day” on May 9.
St Mary MacKillop College. Junior campus, MacKinnon Street, Wanniassa. Senior campus, Ellerston Avenue, Isabella Plains. Call 6209 0100 or visit mackillop.act.edu.au
Founder and director of Aesthetic Medicine Canberra and Dermaplaning Australia, Riana Janse van Rensburg.
Co-owners Kathleen Tran, left, and Elise Thornton.
Aesthetic Medicine Canberra
Beauty, Dermal &Cosmetic Clinic
Award winning clinic
Aesthetic Medicine Canberra brings you safe and professional dermal and cosmetic aesthetic treatments in a warm and friendly environment. We offer a specific range of treatments that will help enhance your looks, rejuvenate your skin and prevent the signs of aging. All of our treatments are carried out by a highly
skilled experienced dermal therapist and cosmetic nurse are respected in the industry. Our therapist are truly passionate perfectionist who love to listen to and advise clients before performing the agreed treatment - thus ensuring patient satisfaction and the best possible results are achieved.
EXPERTS IN LANDSCAPING advertising
Clear communication wins big award Can’t imagine life without gardens
Only four years into owning her own landscaping business, Panacea Landscapes owner Shannon Blackbourn has already won a couple of awards.
Attentive care for beautiful gardens
“We take great pride in offering a complete in-house service from design-to-build, handling all aspects to do with your yard and landscaping under the one roof,” she says.
“Unlike other contractors who may only focus on one aspect of the process, we can provide a seamless transition from concept to completion.
“Our highly consultative approach ensures that each project is uniquely tailored to the client’s vision, functional requirements and property characteristics.”
Adhering to strict industry regulations, guidelines and best practices, Sarah says her team only uses quality materials and her project manager conducts thorough site inspections at every stage of a client’s project to guarantee durability and excellence.
Offering design packages and personalised and structured approaches to the design process, Sarah says they work hard to ensure their clients feel heard and are confident throughout the design process.
“From the initial consultation with our designer to the final site walkthroughs with our project manager, we keep our clients informed every step of the way,” she says.
In-Depth Landscape Construction. Unit 3/1 Sawmill Circuit, Hume. Call 6293 2257 or visit indepthlandscaping.com.au
She scored first prize at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show in the Balcony Garden Competitions in 2024 and secured third place in her 2025 submission.
Working in the landscaping industry since age 16, Shannon says owning her own business has been “a rollercoaster, but one I wouldn’t have any other way”.
“My introduction to horticulture was as a young child, in my Grandma Shirley’s garden,” she says. “All the places Shirley lived were full of beautiful flowers and although I didn’t realise it at the time, it would be my chosen path.”
Leaving school at 16 to begin her work in landscaping, Shannon says she is thankful for the local gardener and landscaper who took a chance on her despite her lack of experience.
“He took a chance on me even though I didn’t even know how to mix two stroke petrol or that there was even more than one type of grass!” she says.
Now working on projects from tiny gardens to large estates, Shannon says she can’t imagine a life without gardens.
“I didn’t get the chance to think about juggling a business and family, it all just happened at once,” she says.
“I plan to keep going and hope one day to mentor other young people in the industry and give back the opportunities and guidance that was given to me.”
Panacea Landscapes. Visit panacealandscapes.com or call 0498 287789.
Combining design with skilled construction and attentive garden care to deliver a full-service experience, Manuka Gardens business manager, Victoria Davies says their success can be attributed to their personal approach and clear communication.
“We take the time to understand each client’s vision and offer tailored solutions that blend creativity, practicality and craftsmanship,” she says.
“Reliability is the foundation of our work and we pride ourselves on doing what we say we will do, when we say we will do it.”
According to Victoria, safety and quality is non-negotiable and says the team follows industry best practices and invests in training and professional development to keep skills sharp and standards high.
“Every project is overseen by experienced managers who perform regular site inspections to ensure workmanship, materials and safety protocols meet Australian standards.”
Starting with a thorough consultation to discuss visions, goals and lifestyle needs, the team offers advice, guidance and transparent quotes to ensure clients are on the same page.
“Throughout design, construction and maintenance, we check in regularly, offering opportunities for feedback and adjustments so the final result reflects exactly what the client envisioned or better,” says Victoria.
Set apart from other landscapers by their strong plant focus, Victoria says they design gardens that aren’t just built, but grow, evolve and thrive, creating living spaces of beauty and seasonal interest.
• Led by a qualified horticulturist and landscape designer with over 15 years of experience
• Specialising in soft-landscape design, garden transformations and ongoing maintenance programs
• Serving residential, commercial, strata and real-estate clients with friendly, reliable service
• A family-owned local business committed to the highest quality workmanship and tailored solutions
In-Depth offers a complete in-house service from design-to-build.
Seamlessly expanding a home’s entertainment space at Mossy Point.
The Panacea Landscapes team with their winning instalation.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
By Helen MUSA
Director Chris Baldock has been wanting to stage Andrew Bovell’s play, When The Rain Stops Falling, for 10 years and this fourth time around, it looks as if he’ll pull it off.
Bovell is one of Australia’s best-known playwrights for his plays, his screenwriting –think Lantana – and for his stage adaptation of The Secret River.
“At first I couldn’t get the rights for this play,” Baldock tells me.
“I even thought of doing the play in Yarralumla Woolshed, but it was too cold… a bloody brilliant play, it gives us a sense of history and its consequences, of how our actions reverb into the future.”
He very nearly staged it in March 2022 as the premiere production of ACT Hub in Kingston but then the show was mysteriously cancelled at the last minute.
Bovell’s multi-generational opus, widely touted as The Great Australian Play, grew out of an unusual cross-genre collaboration and commission between Bovell, Adelaide director Chris Drummond and designer the late Hossein Valamanesh.
It blew the minds of Canberra audiences when it toured to The Playhouse in 2010 and is likely to do the same at Belco.
Winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award, the Victorian Green Room Award and the Sydney Theatre Award for Best New Australian Work, the script, played by three men and four women, begins famously in 2039, when a fish falls from the sky, then proceeds through the interconnected stories of two families over four generations, start-
ARTS IN THE CITY
Fourth time lucky, Rain finally arrives for director
the mystery element fascinating.
“Besides, because of TV, people nowadays are used to non-linear storytelling.”
Although Elizabeth senior never meets her younger self, played by Ruth Hudson, we do find out what happened to Henry, although Beange and St Clair Long say we’ll have to stay the course to see how the parts
Bovell has deliberately made it tricky, Beange points out. For instance, there are two Gabriels and the second one has a child with a roadhouse waitress named Gabrielle –that’s the part she plays.
There’s some doubling of characters, precisely specified by Bovell, something that they hope adds to the theatricality.
Most of Bovell’s plays have been done under a conventional proscenium arch, but in Belco, it will be staged in-the-round.
ing in London in 1959 and ending in Australia 80 years later.
Baldock has been working hard with this chosen cast of nine actors, which includes himself playing Gabriel York senior.
“Anybody I direct has to have heart,” he says, assuring me that they all do.
“This play is in my body and my heart, because I’ve been wanting to do it for so long.”
With Baldock are actors Jessica Beange and Liz St Clair Long.
St Clair Long plays the older Elizabeth Law
Take a bow on theatre open day
Birthdays abound on the Australian arts scene and Canberra is helping to celebrate.
Canberra Theatre Centre will hold an open day with backstage access, as it celebrates 60 years. Visitors will be able to experience what it’s like to stand on The Playhouse stage and to walk through the dressing rooms. Canberra Museum + Gallery will also join the party, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sidney Nolan’s gift to the nation with a range of free activities, May 10.
The organ at Canberra City Uniting Church is reaching its 100th anniversary, to be marked with a centenary organ recital by Samuel Giddy at the church on May 10. That will be exactly 100 years from the inaugural recital given on the instrument, originally built in 1925 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd for the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Goulburn.
The Ten Tenors are back on tour as they celebrate 30 years and more than 3500 shows since their first performance in Brisbane during 1995, when they were just “a slightly rag tag group of young blokes from Brisbane’s Conservatorium of Music.” They will perform at Canberra Theatre on May 11.
The Journal of Australian Ceramics is marking its 60th Anniversary with a national touring exhibition, hosted by the Australian Design Centre. SIXTY: The Journal of Australian Ceramics 60th Anniversary 1962 – 2022, Canberra Potters Gallery, 1 Aspinall St Watson, May 8 to June 8. Entry by gold coin donation.
Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan was the superstar who topped the UK and US singles charts in the ‘70s with hits such as Alone Again (Naturally), Clair and Get Down. He’ll be appearing at Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, on May 6.
The opening night of the Canberra Theatre Centre, June 24, 1965. Photo: ACT Heritage Library
A new Collins Booksellers franchise store will open in Queanbeyan during May, co-owned by Queanbeyanite Carlie Lloyd who, with her family, also owns the Collins store in Wagga Wagga. Located at Shop 6B, Riverside Plaza, the store is set to open in early May, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for May 17.
The Austrian Harmonie Choir presents its autumn concert, which will include peace-themed songs such as Ein bischen Frieden (a little bit of peace), Let there be Peace on Earth, and Do you Hear the People Sing from Les Miserables. Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah, May 4. Free for under 18s.
and tells me how her character has forgotten how to love, how she may be alcoholic and how she sets up the play’s big mystery when she refuses to tell her son Gabriel Law why his father Henry Law (Zac Bridgman) left them when the son was just seven. You can see that it gets complicated here.
“But it won’t be hard for the audience to follow,” Baldock says.
“The beginning of the play poses a kind of a puzzle, a mystery but then the pieces start falling into place and audiences should find
“I wanted it to be really immersive… most people are on stage all the time,” Baldock says.
Great Australian play it may be, but to Baldock what is most fascinating is how it resonates on a simple human level.
“Bovell is an intellectual, but he has done it with real heart,” he says.
“And one of the terrific things about him as a playwright is that he knows how to write a decent long scene.”
When The Rain Stops Falling, Belconnen Arts Centre, May 8-17.
Liz St Clair Long, who plays the older Elizabeth Law.
contemporary freedom
By Helen Musa
Always close to International Dance Day on April 29, Canberra Dance Week serves to turn the spotlight on our local dance scene, with an impressive range of events.
This year they include Loitering & Leaping in the National Library of Australia for older Canberrans, a burlesque workshop series with the Menagerie of Misfits instructors, Australian Dance Party professional classes, a contact improvisation event with Debora Di Centa and a dance film workshop for schools with Peng Hsiao-yin from Taiwan. They’re just the tip of the iceberg.
What is even more impressive is that every year Dance Week turns up talent in the nation’s capital which may have passed unnoticed.
One such is classically-trained dancer Mia Rashid, who will perform her own creation, Rond-De-Jambe (meaning circle of the leg) in Ainslie Place, Civic, near the fountain outside the Canberra Centre.
Rashid, a student development studies and arts at the ANU, is also a highlytrained ballet artist who has turned her focus to contemporary dance.
“I love ballet, but you don’t get to have your own ideas because you’re following a script,” she says.
“Contemporary dance has allowed me to step outside the shackles of ballet which were created by white men in the 1800s.”
She should know.
Born to a Bangladeshi father and a British-Australian mother, Rashid grew up in Sydney’s Rozelle, studied ballet from age four and was schooled at Newtown School of the Performing Arts from years 7-9. Then she headed for the Queensland Ballet Academy, where she studied the art form according to its strictest precepts.
During year 12 there, she was chosen to take part in a summer intensive course at the famed Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, where she got to perform in Sleeping Beauty and Raymonda.
Back in Australia, Rashid looked set upon a dance career, but then, as she says, “covid struck and it all stopped, we just couldn’t do it”.
Always an able scholar, she decided she would head for what she’d heard was “a very good uni”, the ANU, and began a bachelor of development studies.
Inevitably, after the effects of covid waned, she found herself dancedeprived, so her eyes turned northward, she took time out of her ANU studies, and headed for Europe.
In 2022 she took part in the B12 Festival Berlin, then in 2023 studied in a Tanzfabrik Berlin workshop with Pau Aran, with Giovanni Insuado at the Advanced Dance Institute in Barcelona and in a residency at the Blivande Art with House in Stockholm.
She returned to Barcelona in 2024 before repatriating to work with Maxine Doyle and Gabrielle Nankivell at Form Dance Projects in Sydney.
STREAMING Kleptomania helps ‘Coop’ keep up appearances
In February this year, with Operantics in Sydney, she performed a double bill featuring Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins at the Mosman Art Gallery but now, resuming the degree at her chosen university, Rashid is enjoying the best of both worlds, combining research and dance.
She’s been taking inspirational three-hour immersion classes with Alison Plevey and Sara Black at the Australian Dance Party and has more recently met Cathy Adamek, the head of Ausdance ACT.
Together with composer Marlēné Claudine Radice, theatre artist Piumi Wijesundara and UC robotics engineer Maleen Jayasuriya, she’s been in two experimental films that involve dancing with a UR10 robot.
During Dance Week the public won’t be treated to anything quite so radical.
Rond-De-Jambe, Rashid explains, is a common practice-move in ballet and her free, public, contemporary dance performance of the same name incorporates circular movements of the leg while attempting to cross the boundaries between ballet and other kinds of dance.
“Ballet is a restrictive form so I’d like to say I’m trying to exceed what’s done in ballet.”
And, yes, she is pretty confident that she’ll be experiencing many, many scratches and bruises.
Rond-De-Jambe by Mia Rashid, Ainslie Place City Walk, May 2-3. Australian Dance Week, until May 5.
throws us into one of his awkward heists gone disastrously wrong. We meet Coop lying in a puddle of blood pooling on the ornate floor of a mansion he’s broken into and the owner unmoving beside him.
The story then winds back the clock a few months to leave its audience wondering: how did it get to this point?
And who better to play this character than Jon Hamm? His casting feels like a clever riff on his performance in Mad Men as the quintessential American rich man.
While the setup on paper may make Coop sound like another of TV’s many dislikable protagonists he is in many ways easy to root for.
Hamm makes him human. He’s desperate to keep the money flowing in order to provide for his kids who he actually does care for.
In many ways Coop feels like a character out of The White Lotus, which just wrapped up its third season. Those who enjoyed the social ridicule on display in that series will find a lot to like here.
Your Friends and Neighbours is releasing one episode a week. It’s so far proven a fun and light piece of suburban satire without doing away with some interesting character drama and is well worth a shot for any Apple TV Plus subscribers or anyone with a free trial burning a hole in their pocket.
EVER since Yellowstone wrapped up, a swatch of new cowboy dramas have saddled up and attempted to fill the gap left by the hit series.
It seems Netflix is desperate for a sweeping western saga that can compete with Taylor
Sheridan’s epic starring Kevin Costner. Last year it released Territory, an Australian drama series about a fictional battle for the world’s largest livestock farm.
It was promising, but still could not get near the prestige of Yellowstone, nor could its characters appeal in the way the infamous Dutton family did.
Netflix has now tried again with Ransom Canyon, an American series about three dynastic racing families who are locked in a fight for land and for love. The romance in this one is dialled up to cringe-inducing levels. Yellowstone often felt like it was in soapopera territory but always managed to imbue its characters and their exploits with enough substance that it always paid off.
It feels like Ransom Canyon doesn’t even try. This is a series that wants to take everything that appealed about Yellowstone without bothering to flesh it out and about two episodes in all the kick it can muster is definitely gone. Alas, this will certainly not fill the hole left by Yellowstone.
A second crack of the whip by Netflix that truly misses. Fair go of it by this point, I reckon.
John Hamm as Andrew “Coop” Cooper, the down-on-his-luck hedge fund manager with a stroke of genius… stealing from friends and neighbours.
Photo: Aston Brown
DINING / Smoke Masters BBQ, Fyshwick
Hands on and finger lickin’
Note to self. Take a big bib and a mountain of hand wipes the next time I visit Smoke Masters BBQ in Fyshwick.
It’s hand’s-on eating with finger-lickin’ ribs, gravy rolls dripping with goodness, and thick burgers overflowing with juices.
The day starts early at Smoke Masters BBQ with high-quality sourced meats cookin’ away on a big, black, mean-looking smoker sitting out front in the parking lot (a commanding presence). The Big Rig features 14 tray cooking racks spread out over three cooking zones.
Think slow-cooked brisket, ribs, beef tri-tip, pulled meat, jerky, wings and more. Pitmaster Scotty Masters, who grew up in butcher shops, is excited about meat and promises a true taste of American low and slow barbecue with an Aussie twist.
We started our carnivore adventure ordering smoked wings. We were offered medium or asked if we wanted to ramp matters up. We sweated it out with the HOT, HOT, HOT ones, but were forewarned. They were sticky, tender and fun.
WINE / Rutherglen
hand-cut fries ($7). The fries didn’t hit the mark, but the burger went down just fine.
On our visit, a beef short rib tray and a carnivore tray were on offer (each $50) but we didn’t dare try the volume.
Smoke Masters BBQ is a beer joint so don’t look for a wine menu. One sauv blanc and one shiraz are the only choices ($8 a glass). We wondered why a few more styles aren’t available. We were told it was because most who head to
Northern and Carlton Dry in cans are $6. Open for around two years, Smoke Masters BBQ gets busy during peak periods but don’t let the lineups worry you – service is pretty quick. The place knows its niche in the market and the vibe is cool if you luv loud rock ‘n’ roll.
When two chardonnays go face-to-face
“Oh dear, the American beat out the Australian, something that I hope won’t be happening at the macrolevel,” writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER after pitting an Orange chardonnay against a Californian one.
I’d invited a friend to Sunday dinner with me and my son. You know the person is a good friend when immediately she said: “Great, what wine should I bring?”
We discussed the notion that I often made food where I could add to its volume proximate to serving in case my daughter was able to come to dinner following her Sunday hospitality work.
Hence, I was making chicken risotto finished with goat’s cheese, continental parsley and pine nuts and I could adjust the ingredients to expand the servings if necessary.
“Hmm”, she said, “sounds like a chardonnay will match.” I agreed as it was chardonnay that I was adding to the risotto bianco component of the dish.
I’d bought an Architect Phillip Shaw chardonnay, made in Orange, and I had secured a 2022 for a
nudge over $20. The Halliday Wine Companion says that the 2023 version of this wine is a good value for money buy and is rated 91 points. Halliday rates the winery at four stars now that Phillip Shaw has opened his own winery passing his namesake winery to his two sons. A third of the bottle of this wine went into the risotto.
We decided to taste the Architect beside the chardonnay that my friend brought to dinner, a Californian wine; Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve chardonnay 2022 produced in Sonoma County. I hasten to add that this wine was part of her cellar and it was bought well before the current Trump tariff madness. Speaking of which, this is the best meme I’ve seen to date on the ridiculousness of the tariff imposition: Trump to Vance: China’s mining too many ores. Vance: What to do?
Trump: Increase tariffs to force them to mine less ores.
Vance: Mine fewer
Trump: Don’t call me that!
I looked up the price on the internet after she left and the Californian wine is around $25 a bottle.
Although it meant that I’d have to have six wine glasses at the ready, it was interesting to compare the two wines side by side as an aperitif.
The Orange wine was much paler than the Californian with the Orange wine having a hint of green in a light yellow mix; the Californian was a much darker yellow.
The bouquet of each also differed markedly. The Orange wine had a hint of citrus and white flowers whereas the Californian was vanilla (signifying oak treatment) and toasted nuts.
On taste the Orange wine didn’t give much, a very subtle fruit finish, clean and fresh. It was more
like a refined pinot grigio than a traditional chardonnay.
On the other hand, the Californian was retro: butter and oak and a lovely mid-palate creaminess. It didn’t belt you around the head with oak or butter like some chardonnays from the 1970s that I recall. This one was much more balanced.
With the risotto, the Orange wine faded and was anodyne. The Californian stood up to the food’s flavours and maintained its character.
Oh dear, the American beat out the Australian, something that I hope won’t be happening at the macro-level, especially given Donald Trump’s remarks about food on the menu when he spoke during the presidential election campaign: “They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”
Photos: Wendy Johnson
By Jackie WARBURTON
Ginkgo biloba is a slowgrowing tree that does well in our climate and, at this time of year, the summer lime-coloured leaves turn a buttery golden yellow.
doesn’t flower or have pollen. There are male and female trees. The male trees are more desirable because the females produce a naked fruit with flesh around the seed and emit a foul odour.
New to the market this season is 2025 Tree of the Year, a dwarf variety gingko called Lemon Spire that only grows to five metres tall and a metre wide. It’s terrific for small gardens or pots with its upright fast growth and compact root system.
remove flick weed, winter grass, sticky weed before they set seed.
The autumn leaves are still coming down. Use a simple wire mesh cage to capture as many as you can. Keep piles of leaves damp with the hose and sprinkle a little blood and bone in occasionally. By spring, the leaf mould can be added to the garden or sifted to sow seed.
the clump cannot hold itself. The cormlets can also be removed from mature clumps.
3-4
A native of China, it’s also called the maiden hair tree due to its leaf shape resembling a maiden hair fern leaf. It’s also one of the oldest living species in the world and, as sole survivor of the Jurassic period, considered a living fossil.
The ginkgo tree is a botanical class of its own and classified as a gymnosperm. It’s not a conifer and
NOW’S the last chance to get all the spring flowering bulbs into the ground, keeping the tulips to the end as they’re the last bulbs to flower in spring.
Frost is now beginning, which means it’s time to pick the last of the summer dahlias, zinnias and fruit. Keep up with the weeding and
Once leaves fall from any deciduous shrubs or small trees such as deciduous hibiscus or crepe myrtles, they can have their annual prune. Both these plants flower on new growth, so the harder the prune, the more growth and flowers once the soils have warmed up in October. A fertiliser for spring and summer flowering trees and shrubs that’s high in potash will help with flowering as well.
THIS year the autumn gladdies (Gladiolus cruentus) have really put on a show. They have been rust and pest free, and have been a wonderful cut flower for the indoor vase.
The Autumn Red variety is drought tolerant when established and if planted under deciduous autumn trees it will show them off best.
They are easy to propagate, and their corms can be divided when
They can be grown in pots and replanted, needing full sun to flower. They like a “sweet” soil. A pH of 6-7 and a sprinkle of lime before planting will help their growth. They can provide height in the garden and, with strategic planting, every four to six weeks through the season there will be a staggered display of gladiolus in the garden. The flowers open slowly from the bottom to the top and are best picked for the vase when the floret first opens. Gladdies can be planted after the winter frosts have passed and are a way to have a lot of colour in the garden for very little money.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
Jottings…
• Final autumn prune on hedges before the cold weather sets in.
• Plant native Correa and Crowea’s for winter colour.
• Keep bird baths clean and topped.
• Liquid feed edible greens in the vegetable patch.
Ginkgo biloba… the summer lime-coloured leaves turn a buttery golden yellow.
Photos: Jackie Warburton
The autumn gladdies (Gladiolus cruentus) have really put on a show this year.
HOROSCOPE PUZZLES
By Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Mercury, Venus and Neptune are visiting your sign. So, it’s time for Rams to be clever, charming and compassionate as you learn something new, catch up with an old friend or lend a hand to someone in need. The positive Mercury/Jupiter connection helps you express your fiery creativity and assert your feisty independence, especially within your local community. Your motto is from Aries actress Emma Watson: “I don’t want other people to decide who I am.”
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Taureans are in fine form as the Sun, Mercury and Uranus light up your sign. It’s time to shine boldly, communicate clearly and enjoy being the real, authentic you. Earthy Bulls are ready to blossom! Your affirmation for the week is from Hollywood icon (and Taurus birthday great) Katharine Hepburn: “My greatest strength is common sense.” Wednesday is the best day to be creative at work, express profound feelings and connect with others deeply.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Sociable Twins love to chat, but you can have trouble walking your talk. This week, clever Mercury (your power planet) links up with lucky Jupiter (in Gemini), which could lead to inspiration, a lightbulb moment, and a personal breakthrough! And then – on Saturday – Mercury transits into earthy Taurus, which will help to steady your quicksilver mind, and provide an opportunity to turn your brilliant idea into a thoroughly workable project.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Five planets (the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Neptune) are transiting through your career and networking zones. So – when it comes to professional connections and collaborations – aim to be proactive, clever, creative, innovative and intuitive. And some Crabs could become involved in volunteer work. However – with impulsive Mars racing through your money zone – resist the urge to indulge in a spontaneous spending spree that you later regret.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Proactive Mars is charging through your sign (and three planets are transiting through fellow fire sign Aries) so prepare for a lively week, Lions! Energy levels will be high and patience low. With Mercury, Uranus and your ruler, the Sun, shining in your career house, it’s a good time to give a speech, organise a presentation, lead a group or initiate changes at work. Physical exercise is also important as you find positive ways to channel all your feisty, fiery energy.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
This week Jupiter and Mercury (your ruling planet) could send a lucky break your way… especially involving paid employment or volunteer work. But are you making the most of the opportunities that are buzzing around at the moment? Don’t be a vacillating Virgo! Step up to the professional plate and show others what you are really capable of. The weekend finds you fantasising about a local getaway, an interstate holiday or an overseas adventure.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Many Librans have very high expectations. And Saturn is currently transiting through your daily routine zone, which will amplify your perfectionist streak. Which could lead to unwanted stress as you deal with constant changes, unfamiliar situations and/or updated information. You’ll discover that perfection is hard to find! So, your motto for the week is from Spanish painter (and birthday great) Salvador Dali: “Have no fear of perfection… you’ll never reach it.”
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
Venus connects with your ruler, Pluto, which gives you the opportunity to be the most creative Scorpio you can be. So, it’s the perfect time to unveil the artistic muse within. But – if you stuff something up – don’t collapse in a disheartened heap. Have the courage and resilience to learn from your mistakes, pick yourself up and start all over again. As actor (and birthday great) George Clooney observes: “Failures are infinitely more instructive than successes.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
The week starts well with a wonderful link between Mercury and your patron planet, Jupiter. This encourages expansive thinking, good judgement, inspired teaching and better communication in close relationships. So, make the most of the positive vibes! With restless, impatient Mars charging through your adventure zone (until June 17) you’re keen to travel locally, interstate or overseas. So, start planning, booking, packing and leaving ASAP!
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Capricorns thrive on a robust and reliable daily routine. But this week a domestic matter or a close relationship is likely to veer off in an adventurous new direction. So do your best to be open to timetable changes and keep your adaptability muscles well-flexed. Mercury also boosts your brain power, and Venus revitalises your confidence. So, it’s a terrific time to read, write, research, give a speech, study or socialise. You’re also in the mood to entertain at home.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
There is much to be gained from exploring relationships, connections and opportunities within your local community. A business could be started, a question could be answered, a soulmate could be found, or a new friendship could blossom. When it comes to an ongoing problem with a romantic or platonic relationship, you need to be proactive about employing some smart new strategies. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting!
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
Have you been pandering to other people, Pisces? Saturn (in your sign) encourages you to stand strong and make decisions that suit you. A current situation (or problem) has more options than you previously thought. Past mistakes can be fixed, contracts can be cancelled, and agreements can be renegotiated. Your motto is from birthday great, singer and activist Bono: “The world is more malleable than you think, and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape.”
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2025
1 Name a fire-resistant fabric. (8)
2 What is a point in front? (6)
3 What do we call comic or burlesque verse? (8)
4 Which person is seen to be closest to an admired stereotype? (4)
5 What are standards of perfection? (6)
6 To be undiminished, is to be what? (6)
12 What do the Americans call petrol? (8)
13 Which term describes offensive or scurrilous speech? (8)
15 What is a pointed stick of coloured wax? (6)
16 Name the seventh major planet in order from the sun. (6)
17 What is a narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water? (6)
