Indies flex their muscles, government gets moving
MICHAEL MOORE
MAY 22, 2025
Mr Trump may not find a friend in the Vatican
ROBERT MACKLIN
Do top athletes die younger than the rest of us?
CLIVE WILLIAMS
It’s time to prune pome orchard trees
JACKIE WARBURTON
CELEBRATING SENIORS
13BIG PAGES
The National Galley unveils unseen works of Paul Cézanne and the giant art figures that followed him – Picasso and Matisse.
THE ACT
Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT.
In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.
Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.
Our services include:
• GP and Nursing
• Midwifery
• Immunisations
• Health Checks
• Men’s & Women’s Health
• Hearing Health
• Dental
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Dietician (Nutrition)
• Counselling
• Diabetes Clinic
• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah
• Needle Syringe Program
• Mental Health Support
• Healthy Weight Program
• Healthy Cooking Group
• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health
• Optometry Service
• Psychology and Psychiatrist
• Community Events
• Groups
Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.
CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm
Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au
By Elizabeth KOVACS
The Brindabella Trefoil Guild is out to beat the record of last year’s first Beanie Big Good Turn by knitting more than 650 beanies by June 7. But they need some help.
A social group of ex-Girl Guides, Trefoil Guilds are open to women over 18 who are either actively involved in Girl Guides or have a history with the as sociation.
Last year, the Brindabella group hosted its first Beanie Big Good Turn, an initiative to knit beanies to share around Canberra with those toughing out the bitter winter.
They will donate what they make to Vinnies Night Patrol, St John’s Care and Winnunga Nimmityjah.
This year, they’ve given themselves until June 7 to outknit last year’s 650 beanies.
The big finale is on Saturday, June 7, when Trefoil Guild members and other Canberra knitters are invited to Wanni-
assa Guide Hall, Hyland Place, 9.30am-2.30pm, to share in what Christine says will be a lovely day full of knitting and companionship.
“This is our largest community commitment,” she says.
“We will supply wool and ask that knitters bring their own 44mm needles.
“We are also very, very happy to accept donations of beanies.”
Complete with a morning tea and a soup-and-bun lunch,
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Christine says they’re keen to open their doors for knitters from all walks of life to join
“We are also asking the knitters of Canberra if they would like to contribute to this community service by knitting beanies in advance,” she says with the offer of a free beanie pattern and wool.
“We’ve had so many donations to create such an amazing stockpile of wool now that we can give to our knitters.”
With support from members of the Canberra Knitters Group, Christine says they are thankful to the community for their donations and encourage -
Christine says the Brindabella Trefoil Guild has an age range from 20s all the way to some in their 90s.
She has been president of the Brindabella group for two years, although she says her involvement with Guides spans more than 40 years.
Before retiring, Christine was a leader to a great number of Guides’ groups, from Gumnuts to Brownies.
The Girl Guides were established in the UK in 1910, by Lady Olave Baden-Powell,
three years after the Scouts movement was formed by her husband, Lord Robert BadenPowell. The Girls Guides ar rived in Australia in 1911.
Activities traditionally in cluded needlework, cooking, first aid, nursing and physical culture.
Although the Girl Guide promise has changed since Christine swore in so many years ago, she says it still holds the same core principles to heart, some that she is proud to carry with her every day.
“The Trefoil group is a lovely bunch of women who want to uphold the promise and stay connected with one another,” she says.
According to their promise, Girl Guides will, “make choices for a better world. Use [their] time and abilities wisely and be thoughtful and optimistic.”
“I’m a Girl Guide at heart, I really am,” says Christine.
For the free beanie pattern, wool or to return pre-made beanies, contact Christine at 0407 123670. And if you’re coming to the Beanie Big Good Turn at Wanniassa Guide Hall, Hyland Place, 9.30am-2.30pm, on June 7. RSVP to Christine by May 31.
Community Service Award for her outstanding voluntary contribution to the welfare of children in Canberra schools.
Anyone able to help the club in its service to the community should call Mal Ferguson on 0405732837.
The Australian China Friendship Society (ACFS) ACT Branch is screening the film Huang Wenxiu at the Jamison Southern Cross Club from 7.30pm on May 26. The film traces the work of Huang Wenxiu, a university graduate who returned home to fight poverty in local villages. ACFS promotes friendship between the people of Australia and China. Admission is free.
The independents in the ACT Assembly have been exercising their power in an appropriate and effective manner.
A persistent, measured and firm approach from crossbench members facilitates more effective government and better community outcomes.
The leadership demonstrated by independent MLAs Thomas Emerson and Fiona Carrick means the ACT government has now supported some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
A common factor was working closely with community members to push the government towards an outcome that they would otherwise have resisted.
This community focus is an effective approach by the independents and one that has been key to the outstanding success of recently re-elected Senator David Pocock.
An inquiry into systemic issues surrounding Aboriginal deaths in the Alexander Maconochie Centre was a result of the work of Thomas Emerson.
The ACT correctional facility drifted well away from its philosophy of care and rehabilitation pioneered by Alexander Maconochie, after whom the prison is named.
Mr Emerson took this into account when successfully moved a motion in
Independents Thomas Emerson and Fiona Carrick… pushing the government towards an outcome that they would otherwise have resisted.
the ACT Assembly to establish an independent inquiry. By offering some compromise, he has been able to gain unanimous support for the inquiry.
Support from the government, and particularly Corrections Minister Dr Marisa Paterson, should mean a more open and effective inquiry.
“I’ve heard repeatedly that the treatment of Aboriginal people in Canberra’s prison is not rehabilitative or safe, let alone culturally safe,” argued Mr Emerson.
He added in a press release the following day: “The grieving mothers and First Nations community leaders in the gallery yesterday were relieved to see their calls for a powerful, well-resourced, independent inquiry finally answered.”
Other local community members watched the debate from the gallery.
The leadership demonstrated by independent MLAs Thomas Emerson and Fiona Carrick means the ACT government has now supported some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
They included prominent First Nations activists, Wiradjuri woman Julie Tongs, Bundjalung man Joe Hedger, and chair of the elected Aboriginal and Torres Strait body Maurice Walker. Having raised the issue multiple times, they were there to see the matter carried through.
The outcome of the inquiry into the prison and the response of the government is well down the track. However, the groundwork has been prepared.
A parallel approach was taken by Ms Carrick. Her extraordinary persistence paid dividends. Again and again Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith pursued the closure of Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre in Rivett.
Despite this, Ms Carrick challenged the minister while working with the community to identify and make public the acute shortage of respite care places.
A petition was launched by her
in conjunction with the community group. It pointed out “there is already an acute shortage of respite places in the ACT. The Burrangiri Centre offers a day care program and short stay respite for up to three weeks without requiring an ACAT assessment”.
A motion was put to the Assembly and passed. However, the Minister remained stubborn, rejecting the thrust of the motion.
It was not until May 14 that the minister finally saw the light, recognised the strength of argument and the will of the majority of members of the Assembly, and facilitated a two-year extension of operations for the centre.
In early March the Assembly passed a motion requiring the minister to extend the contract for Burrangari. As this decision involved direct expenditure of money, the minister was within her rights to reject the motion of the Assembly.
However, this was not enough to make Ms Carrick back down. On May 8 the Assembly again directed the minister to keep the Burrangari Respite Centre open.
Her persistence is to be admired. It took months – but the outcome was achieved.
Ms Carrick gave credit where it was due, as she acknowledged “the tireless and relentless advocacy of the Save Burrangiri Action Group, particularly Penny McKenzie and Peter Lyons, who have been the driving force behind the community’s powerful advocacy on this issue”.
However, the community would not have been able to reverse the government’s decision without the relentless support of the independent member for Murrumbidgee.
In the meantime, the Greens members, who form the remainder of the crossbench, are finding their feet in their new role.
Greens leader Shane Rattenbury has highlighted the government’s tardy approach to community consultation. He highlighted the series of advisory bodies that have been disbanded or ignored.
The independents and the Greens, who no longer have influence through the cabinet, are doing their job in keeping the government accountable.
By Elizabeth KOVACS
Horse rider Joelene Washington-King is busy training for the Australian Masters Games, which will be held in Canberra in October.
After 17 years out of the sad dle, Joelene, 45, found herself riding again, all thanks to her young daughter, Charlotte, now 11.
“Charlotte has been horse mad since the day she was born,” says Joelene.
“She kept telling me that she wanted to ride, so I ended up booking her a session with Karelia Riding School when she was five.”
After being told that they could do a mother-and-daughter session together, Joelene’s world changed and they now train together at the Lions Youth Haven in Kambah.
Formally from Queensland, Joelene’s interactions had been limited to the horses her sister took care of until her move to Canberra.
The Masters Games feature more than 40 different types of sports, and Joelene says Charlotte has been training for dressage alongside her in support.
“When I heard that the Masters Games were [in Canberra], I thought, ‘well, I’ve been practising a lot and putting a lot of work into it, so let’s see how we go,” she says.
“There are things that parents and kids can do together… and there are ways that you can go out there with your child and not just be the one watching and cheering them on.”
Charlotte’s Joelene’s biggest supporter and inspiration to enter competitions.
“She loves to come and watch her mum compete and
likes to tell me what I’m doing right and wrong,” says Joelene.
“She also tells me how great I have done as well.”
Both diagnosed with anxiety disorders, Joelene says seeing Charlotte overcome challenges within the sport inspires her to challenge herself.
“And now, if I’m feeling a bit frustrated with how a session’s gone, I think no, if Charlotte can do it, I can do it.”
Claiming to “feed off each other”, Joelene says a little healthy competition between the two of them keeps each other at their top game.
“[It’s special] because when you think about it, a lot of other sports that kids play, you can’t go out and play,” she says.
“You can coach a soccer team, but you’re not running out on to the same field as your child and it’s not the same as being in that same competition, where we are competing on the same day.”
Riding alongside her best friend has given Joelene a level of clarity and confidence that she didn’t have before.
“Because it was something that we were able to do together and spend a lot of time together, it really kind of just
sparked that passion again in me,” Joelene says.
Outside of the arena, Joelene balances a busy life as a lawyer.
“There are long days, and you have to forgive yourself when you’re not on top of everything, but I prioritise what brings me joy and being out in nature with Charlotte and the horses is one of the most peaceful, grounding parts of my week, even if we’re just brushing the horses in the rain.”
Joelene says the horseriding community has become a second family to Charlotte and her.
“It’s great to have a bunch of strong women around her who she can feel confident to go to if I’m not around, or who she can learn different life skills from,” she says.
“We’re all different and all do things in a different way, and it really exposes her to so many different ways of doing things and dealing with problems, which I think is great.”
The Masters Games will be a welcomed day off of school for Charlotte to cheer her mum on.
“I’m excited to prove that mothers can thrive in their chosen sports,” says Joelene.
Jayanti Gupta, this year’s ACT Senior Woman of the Year, is the guest speaker at the Zonta Club of Canberra Breakfast Tiara High Tea at the Canberra Bowling Club, 25 Hobart Avenue, Forrest from 2pm to 4pm on May 31. Tickets $50pp through Humanitix.
Word from Red Cross Stephen Trump, from Red Cross, is the guest speaker at the next lunch meeting of the Weston Creek View Club at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, from 11.30am on June 3. The cost is $40. RSVP to 0408 864616 by May 28.
Jams, pickles ’n more
The indefatigable Bold Bandannas are fundraising for the Cancer Council ACT with a stall at Ziggy’s fruit shop at the Fyshwick Markets, 8am-4pm, on May 31. The Relay for Life team will be selling its “trademark” jams, pickles, marmalades and lemon butter.
Woolly stars of sale
Hand-knitted scarves, hats and beanies are the stars of the annual Winter Warmers Charity Sale at Kangara Waters Retirement Village, Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen, 8.30am-12.30pm on June 7. Visitors can leave unwanted winter clothes at the market.
2 0 % Indoor Plants Last Seasons Outdoor Plants
1 0 % Storewide
Some Americans who watched the recently released film Conclave will have felt pretty sure they knew exactly what was happening behind those closed doors as the 133 Cardinals were choosing the new Pope.
Perfectly appropriate, since in real life the winner was an American, Robert Prevost and the movie was pure Hollywood.
Sure, the star was British-born Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wyke ham-Fiennes, but the cast overflowed with big American names such as John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and the lovely Isabella Rossellini had a plot point that sank the bad guy.
Most (I hope) would have realised that the picture was nothing like real life. Indeed, the plot had all the ingredients of a Monty Python com edy, including especially that they all pretended it was serious. The gowns were gorgeous and the setting illustri ous. As Ralph Twisteton-WykehamFiennes conducted the Conclave, it was easy to believe that in the end he’d “win one for the Gipper” and don the golden tit-fer that decorated Mr Trump’s noggin in recent days. The twist was that Ralph didn’t believe in God any more, so in the climax he had to pull out.
the unlikely honorific of Archbishop of Kabul – yes, that capital of Talibanencrusted Islam – I felt for sure that’s going to be their clever twist.
However, even I, a Hollywood cynic of the first water, was completely unprepared for the twist on the twist.
uterus! Honestly. He turned out to be both man and woman. Even Monty Python wouldn’t have dared, even Chubby Checker would have quailed before including a twist that revolutionary.
But when the cardinals heard about
Will Pope Leo lead the vanguard of the leaderless Democrats against the man whose base includes Catholics who mostly haven’t been to college like JD Vance.
it, they barely turned a hair beneath their skull caps. Instead, they gave him-her a rousing hand of applause.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump was sending his picture of himself as Pope across the airwaves and one can’t help but wonder how Cardinal Prevost, now translated to Pope Leo XIV, will affect the other would-be autocrat in the White House. He’s already crossed swords with the Don’s Vice, JD Vance. Will he lead the vanguard of the leaderless Democrats against the man whose base includes Catholics who mostly haven’t been to
So far, the signs are that his attitude to refugees will arouse his opposition to Trump’s determination to deport more than a million “undocumented” immigrants, many of them to jails in El Salvadore.
The New York Times is hopeful. Its reporter Tyler Pager says Leo disapproves of some of the Trump administration’s hard-line stances.
“A social media account under his name has reposted messages critical of the president’s positions on issues including immigration, gun control and climate change,” he wrote.
“In February, the account shared a link to an article in The National Catholic Reporter titled ‘JD Vance Is Wrong: Jesus Doesn’t Ask Us to Rank Our Love for Others’.”
Moreover, his brother John Prevost says: “I know he’s not happy with what’s going on with immigration. I know that for a fact. How far he’ll go with it is only one’s guess, but he won’t just sit back. I don’t think he’ll be the silent one.”
Of course, we can’t be sure. No doubt Leo will consult with his Friend Upstairs before taking a final decision… and as we know, there’s many a twist ‘twixt the cup and the lip.
robert@robert macklin.com
A woman came into my clinic for a consultation about her hearing aids, telling me her hearing aids were 4 years old and she had never found them to be of much help. She said the salesperson quoted her $14,000 for a pair of hearing aids, however, the monthly special of 20% discount meant they cost her $11,200. So, she ‘only’ paid $11,200 for hearing aids that did not help her. Sadly, I hear this all too often.
Here are some things to do to avoid this type of problem:
1. Visit your GP. If you or someone you know has a problem with their hearing, visiting your GP to check for wax in the ears, and to get advice is a starting point.
2. Qualifications. Always check the qualifications of the person you are dealing with. A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.
years. If you are not sure about their advice, then seek a second opinion. The wrong hearing aids can be an expensive waste and could lead you to stop wearing them. You should always have a trial of hearing aids to ensure that they are right for you.
6 Pensioners and eligible DVA card holders often have entitlement to free services. If you are covered by a government concession, then let the clinician know (even though your clinician should ask). Eligible clients may obtain free hearing tests, consultations, and free hearing aids (referred to as fully subsidized hearing aids).
“A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.”
– Dr Vass
These hearing aids are appropriate for many people, however if you have great difficulty hearing in background noise (for example a restaurant), then you may want to consider partially subsidized hearing aids. This is when the government pays a certain amount, and you pay for additional features and benefits. Your decision should be based on the following:
you are dealing with a qualified clinician, then they belong to a professional association. The best contact is an independent complaints body referred to as Ethics Review Committee. You can email ethics@auderc.org.au and view the website www.auderc.org.au. You can make an anonymous complaint and your complaint will be handled in a confidential and professional manner. If you are in the ACT, contact the ACT Human Rights Commission email human rights@act.gov au and the website www.hrc.act.gov.au
3. Independent advice. You should get independent, professional advice.
4. There are a wide range of hearing aids out there. Finding the right hearing aids for your communication needs can be challenging. Hearing aids vary in price and performance. Bluetooth® connectivity and rechargeable hearing aids are available on most hearing aids, along with apps that allow you to control your hearing aids from your mobile device. Be aware that just because a hearing aid is more expensive, that doesn’t mean they are the best hearing aid for you.
5. Just as hearing aids vary in performance, clinicians may also vary in performance due to training, experience, and skills. Make sure that you are comfortable and confident in their advice. You are likely to be with this clinician for the life of your new hearing aids, typically 4 to 5
(a) Can you afford the more expensive hearing aids? Don’t go into financial stress if you can’t afford them. (b) Are you clear on the free vs partially subsidized features & benefits? Never believe someone who tells you the free hearings are not good or of poor performance, this is simply not true. (c) If you try the partially subsidized hearing aids and are not happy, then return them. Do not keep hearing aids because you think the failure is yours or that you will improve over time. If the hearing aids are not working for you in the trial period, then they will not work for you in a year or two.
7. If you have a complaint, then seek help. Your clinician should be able to help you through most of your needs. Sometimes, a problem may be beyond the expertise of even the best clinician. However, if you have a complaint there are things you can do. If
I agree with columnist Michael Moore that the evidence overwhelmingly supports the benefits of vaccinations to avoid serious cases of preventative illnesses (CN May 8).
Despite this evidence, I continue to experience first-hand the power of illogic, low health literacy and pure stubbornness when it comes to vaccine refusal by members of my own family. Could Dr Moore please use his position as chair of the International Immunization Policy Taskforce of the World Federation of Public Health Associations to advocate for targeted campaigns designed to reach vaccinehesitant groups?
In Australia, many office workplaces, including public service departments, offer flu shots as a workplace health and wellness initiative.
It is rare, however, for such initiatives to be found in male-dominated industries such as the construction sector.
As a result, many blue-collar workers have no peer context or relevant role models for vaccinations and nothing to challenge the belief that “people like me” do not get vaccinated.
Prevention is a hard sell at the best of times because it is hard to convey the value of a disease that you did not get. Given what we know about the effectiveness of narratives in communicating health information, how about some real-life stories from people from different walks of life who did not get vaccinated but wish that they did?
Karina Morris, Weetangera
Much as I abhor gloating, I cannot help but indulge myself after the Coalition wipeout in the recent Federal Election and particularly about the media outlets who thought they had the power to influence the outcome.
We had presenters on Sydney’s 2GB, consistently backstabbing Albo, live on air, throughout the election campaign, calling out the PM as a “liar”, a biased opinion that was repeated by other
right-leaning cohorts on Sky News and here in Canberra, on 2CC.
It was clear to “visually challenged” Freddie that Dutton hadn’t even a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the election. From the offset, Dutton came across as indecisive and lacking any real initiatives.
His “sacking 40,000+ public servants, but only in Canberra”, was the ultimate sign of desperation.
No doubt these media news presenters will justify themselves by saying it is just “opinion”, but the vitriol and character assassination they undertook of the PM, suggests that it was much more than this.
Naively, I always understood the role of the media was to present the facts and let us, listeners/readers/watchers, come to our own conclusions – clearly this is not the case.
In America, we have seen this take on a more sinister visage, where Trump chooses only media who agree with his pronouncements to be part of his press pack.
Declan Mcgrath, via email
I fully understand Australians of Jewish background being so concerned about their security (letters, CN May 8). They shouldn’t have to be fearful, nor
should Australians of Islamic heritage (or any other culture) feel under threat in this country.
It’s irrelevant who started the present middle east war; we ought to realise by now that starting or retaliating with violence won’t solve a single problem.
Here in Australia, we should all unite and vigorously condemn the current waves of extremism from both Hamas and the ultra-religious Jewish minority who control Netanyahu and the Israeli government.
The latter won’t be satisfied until all Gaza is destroyed and its population either killed, starved or dispersed to God knows where. And the Israeli actions will only incite following generations of young Islamists to be just as determined to destroy Israel and its people. It will just go on as before in a deadly Catch-22.
All the while, the major powers will stoke coming generations of extremists into more and more retaliation and counter-retaliation in support of their own religious and cultural prejudices and economic imperatives.
Frankly, I can’t see any end to the inhumane slaughter of innocents until the world’s leaders stop being complicit and take the giant step of ceasing to supply all combatants with the machinery of mutual slaughter.
And it’s not just the Israelis against the Palestinians and vice versa; the
Russia- Ukraine conflict has roots in the long-running religious disputes between the two nations – while the most recent flare up between India and Pakistan goes back at least to the 1947 partition which was carved-up on mainly religious grounds.
It’s undoubtedly depressing and sometimes fearful for some Australians, but for those directly and constantly under attack it must be unimaginable horror.
It was encouraging that the newly elected Pope’s first words included, “Peace be with you”. Trouble is, I’ve heard it thousands of times before – and with just as much sincerity by those who actually had the earthly power to do something to achieve it but didn’t.
Eric Hunter, Cook
Thank you, Antonio Di Dio for your Kindness column, particularly the item about your friend Flea (CN May 15), and that Flea, like so many others, was and is, a wonderful person.
Your column is always positive and heartwarming. It is much appreciated.
Elaine Staples, Campbell
I applaud the pressure that the CEO of Winnunga, Julie Tongs, and the ACT indigenous and Torres Strait Island community, have placed on the ACT government to hold an inquiry into indigenous deaths in custody.
However, I believe any inquiry must examine all deaths in custody, regardless of ethnicity.
Further, I believe the inquiry should be extended to encompass deaths of former detainees, in the first year of post-release from the AMC or the youth justice facility, Bimberi.
Research reports that the risk of death significantly increases for individuals shortly after their release from prison, with a particularly high risk within the first few weeks.
Leading causes of death in this period include alcohol and other drug poisoning, suicide, and cardiovascular disease.
In 2021, people released from prisons in Australia were more likely to die within the first 28 days of release (18.5 per 1000 person years) than within 365 days of release (10.1
per 1000 person years).
An inquiry into detainee deaths should look at all such deaths, both inside detention centres, and within the first-year post release.
As a progressive, enlightened community, our goal should be to rehabilitate prisoners, not bury them.
Janine Haskins, prison reform community advocate
Stop printing money and borrowing. Or else… I intended to send off a letter to criticise the government’s economically nonsensical intention of taxing the value of superannuation funds.
But then the terrible news came in.
The US government is losing its AAA rating in the bond market. Saying this is a disaster is an understatement. It is a nuclear explosion. Things can, will, get bad very quickly. Everything is interconnected.
Then the US Secretary of the Treasury said that the US won’t default as the US can print unlimited amounts of money to support the bond market! True. But, as I explained in a previous letter, if governments won’t stop printing money, the price of money drops to zero. The economy seizes up. And this can happen fast.
If the US government bond rating drops below AAA, that of Australia’s is effectively AA or less. This does matter. Governments live off selling bonds, to soak up the money they print to support their spending. If they can’t sell as many bonds, they must stop printing money, so they must stop spending, or...
I shall quote from the Australian Financial Review from a couple of days before the ratings announcement, one Peter Berezen, of BCA Research: “My guess is that 2025 will unfold like the Jaws movie, where the inhabitants sigh in relief after they catch a great white shark, only to realise that a much bigger one is still stalking the beachgoers. Tariffs are the small shark; a fiscal crisis is the bigger one.”
If the moderates want to go swimming, pushing the NDIS rubber ducky, best of luck to them. The Australian government must massively reduce its total expenditure immediately to the point where it ceases printing money and borrowing. Notional accounting surpluses are not sufficient. Or else...
Tim Walshaw, Watson
Now that Labor has been voted back in, Chris Bowen remains as energy minister intent on accelerating this suicidal rush to “net zero” using wind and solar farms.
Without a reliable coal/gas/nuclear base load, we can look forward to soaring power prices, frequent power cuts/blackouts, and the complete ruination of what little manufacturing industry we have left. For what, when Australia contributes a minuscule amount to climate change compared to other countries such as China, India etcetera?
This whole folly is driven by ideology rather than technology. Many in the Labor ministry and the prime minister have only ever worked in parliament for most of their lives and seem to have little real life experience and technical nous and yet here they are leading us down a path to ruination.
I would like to see some guarantee that, with all these widely dispersed wind and solar farms coming on and off line at frequent intervals depending on when the sun shines and the wind blows, the grid voltage and frequency will be kept stable in a reliable manner. We never hear anything about this aspect, which will be critical if we are to avoid blackouts as recently occurred in Spain and Portugal.
Short term, coal and gas must be retained, and longer term nuclear generation must
be considered in the mix as it is the only emissions free 24/7 reliable power source. And after all we are committed to acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS.
Unfortunately, there was no rational discussion on nuclear power led by the Coalition during the election. All we heard was Labor continually lying about the cost of nuclear generators, using inflated figures provided by a pro-renewables group stacked with Labor stooges. We never did hear from Labor the cost of renewables including thousands of kilometres of transmission lines.
Rod Smith, Belconnen
Dr Andrew Hughes didn’t quite hit the nail on the head in his 15 May City News article about how the Liberal Party lost the election (CN May 15).
The Libs’ mistake wasn’t to propose a $600 billion nuclear power plan, their mistake was not explaining why nuclear power is the only way we can achieve net zero and keep the lights on at night in the long term.
William Ginn, via email
John L Smith is right to highlight the complexity of energy grids, but he seems to imply that anyone who wants Australia’s
energy system to be solar, wind and hydro backed up by batteries, pumped hydro and gas is either ignorant or a climate catastrophist (“Intrusion opens new unknown to energy supply”, letters, CN May 15).
He appears to have little faith in the energy experts overseeing Australia’s transition. Dr John Ward is the research director of CSIRO’s Energy Systems Research Program, which leads the Global Power System Transformation (G-PST) Consortium.
He said: “Our goal is to allow the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to confidently supply all available renewable energy to consumers while maintaining the grid’s stability.”
As Mr Smith points out, the cause of the April system outage in Spain is still unknown, but was probably due to inadequate system-level requirements such as frequency control and inertia, typically provided by conventional generators.
Mr Smith may be comforted by the fact that each year AEMO publishes an inertia report under the National Electricity Rules. Its annual reports identify any projected inertia shortfalls in advance. AEMO states that system needs can be met by “a combination of synchronous inertia and synthetic inertial response on the power system.”
Currently, most grid-level inertia is being met by synchronous condensers, synchronous generators, or synthetic inertia from battery energy storage systems (BESS). It’s clear AEMO is on top of the challenge.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria
Senior NSW MP Sussan Ley (“Ley voted first woman to lead federal Libs”, citynews.com.au May 13) made a long-lasting name for herself by rorting parliamentary travel entitlements when tripping around southern Queensland over a two-year period and subsequently resigning as a minister in 2017.
But she managed to avoid appearing in the top 10 list of Australian political leaders who received the highest net distrust scores in the April 2025 Roy Morgan research survey of political trust and distrust. The federal Coalition parties boasted four senior representatives in the survey’s most distrusted list –after March 2022 Peter Dutton moved up that list to be the most distrusted politician in Australia in 2025.
Sussan Ley’s right-wing leadership contender Angus Taylor appears at number 8, followed by Barnaby Joyce MP and Senator Michaelia Cash.
In contrast, ACT Senator David Pocock received the highest net trust score of any political leader in Australia, because he is “seen as a genuine, principled, and articulate politician who listens to his constituents... and approaches politics with humility and a willingness to learn”. Senator Jacquie Lambie moved up from being the fifth most trusted in March 2022 to second place this year.
The top three most trusted politicians in 2022 all became Labor ministers; but in 2025 no Labor minister or Coalition shadow minister appeared in the top five net trust score positions.
Hopefully, main party representatives will learn from judgments that the public communicates outside the ballot box. Other politicians in leadership positions could do worse than stop whingeing and pointing the finger elsewhere, and instead get back to basics, show they are willing to call out and tackle the hard stuff, stop spouting spin and weasel words, and give up pursuing divisive “culture wars”.
Sue Dyer, Downer
Columnist Michael Moore’s column on gambling (CN May 1) could not be more timely.
Let us hope that the newly re-elected Albanese government, with its huge store of political capital, will now have the guts to stare down the core vested interests in gambling (the gambling industry itself, media moguls, sports chief executives) and ban all gambling advertising both online, in broadcasting and at all sporting events.
In the last government, Labor failed to act on any of the key recommendations of the 2023 parliamentary inquiry into online gambling (the Murphy review), with the Minister for Communications constantly claiming the need for more extensive consultation with stakeholders before decisions could be made.
The need for decisions is even more urgent now.
An Australian Institute report (April 2025) found that Australian teens were spending more time gambling online than playing sports. More specifically, almost one in three 12-17-year-olds gamble as do 46 per cent of 18-19-year-olds according to this study.
Advertising on social media and streaming platforms no doubt contributes to this addiction level. The introduction of loot boxes (applications embedded in sub-teen and teenage level online games (to encourage gambling/addictive practices) is perhaps even more concerning.
The Albanese government’s proposal to ban all under 16-year-olds from social media will likely have little impact on this cohort and online gaming is exempted anyway.
Until the federal government mandates that all major sporting codes cease all financial and other in-kind sponsorships, advertising and marketing arrangements with the gambling industry, the popularity of sports attendances within the wider community, will continue to drive an increase in gambling addiction.
Ron Edgecombe, Evatt
In response to Owen Reid’s letter (CN May 8) about the closure of the car park adjacent to the polling centre at Belconnen Community Centre. It’s not just the polling centre. There’s Centrelink, Medicare, the library and senior citizens’ club. Where are these users going to park?
Another car park in Belconnen has been sold to developers for apartments, further reducing parking in the town centre. The elderly and those with disabilities will be the most disadvantaged.
The Barr government needs to consider the needs of the community, not more revenue to fund the tram.
Judy Williams, via email
In the 1940s and 1950s, I used to caddy and play golf where we pulled the buggy behind us so as to avoid running into unexpected potholes and jamming the handle into our chest, jarring our arm and toppling over –buggy and all.
Today, common sense has departed; manual (not remote controlled) buggies are pushed in front by the golfer.
The questions is: where has common sense gone?
Peter Gately, Flynn
As more deficiencies and disruption of the light rail extension become apparent, it is not hard to imagine a conversation between “Oliver” Barr and “Stan” Rattenbury along the lines of: “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into”.
How can this unassessed vanity project be a higher priority than social housing for a party with the raison d’etre of social justice?
Mike Quirk, Garran
I have a future Whimsy column coming out about the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but in the interim I’m hoping to get a group of experienced, offroad motorcycle riders to commit to riding the trail next year on Honda 250cc CRFs. The previously scheduled motorcycle tours of Explore Indochina for 2025/2026 are already sold out, but the Australian organiser is prepared to put on an extra one from January 26-February 6 if there are at least six starters – but not more than 10. The tour will start and end at Vientiane. If you’re interested, email me at clive. williams@terrint.org for a brochure. We’ll be riding 1320 kilometres on tarmac and 860 offroad. It promises to be a great adventure!
Clive Williams, CityNews columnist
“If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”
– Mickey Mantle (baseball player)
The conventional wisdom seems to be that top athletes have so stressed their bodies to achieve elite outcomes that their bodies wear out sooner and they die young. I thought I’d explore this thesis to see if it’s true.
It seems that the life expectancy of elite athletes compared to the general population varies based on factors such as the type of sport and the intensity of physical demands.
Swimming is a lifelong skill, accessible at any age and helps with safety around water. Photo: Yannick Lepère
Olympic athletes generally live an average of 2.8 to 5.3 years longer than the general population in which they live.
Benefits: Enhances cardiovascular fitness, co-ordination, and teamwork skills.
Why it’s great: Encourages social interaction and strategic thinking.
Gymnastics
Benefits: Builds flexibility, balance, co-ordination, and strength.
Why it’s great: Lays a strong foundation for many other sports and activities.
Cycling
Benefits: Boosts cardiovascular health, strengthens legs, and improves balance.
tion, teamwork, and cardiovascular fitness.
Why it’s great: Encourages quick thinking and fosters camaraderie.
Dance
Benefits: Enhances flexibility, strength, and rhythm.
Why it’s great: Creative outlet and suitable for all fitness levels.
Climbing (indoor or outdoor)
Benefits: Builds strength, focus, and problem-solving skills.
Research indicates that, on the whole, elite athletes actually live longer than the average population, although this is not uniform across all sports.
Olympic athletes generally live an average of 2.8 to 5.3 years longer than the general population in which they live. This is often due to their high levels of physical activity, better cardiovascular health, healthier lifestyles and access to superior healthcare.
Athletes in endurance sports such as swimming and long-distance running tend to experience the most significant longevity benefits, while those in high-contact sports such as rugby and boxing face increased risks due to injuries and the long-term effects of continually being hammered
by their opponents.
Indeed, athletes in collision sports or those requiring intense physical exertion have higher mortality risks due to concussions, repetitive injuries, or chronic conditions such as heart disease. One study found that participants in high-contact sports had an 11 per cent higher mortality rate than athletes in low-impact sports.
Beyond regular exercise and greater physical activity, elite athletes usually maintain healthy diets, avoid harmful habits (such as smoking, drinking and drug taking), and generally engage in behaviours that support positive long-term health outcomes. These factors likely contribute to their increased lifespan.
While elite athletes generally enjoy a long-term survival advantage, some in particularly dangerous sports – such as motorcycle racing and mountain climbing – may not make it to old age because of the high risks involved.
So, as a parent, what are the best sports for your children to engage in for their long-term health benefit – and longevity? It seems you should be looking at activities that support physical development, social skills, and emotional well-being, such as:
Swimming
Benefits: Full-body workout, improves cardiovascular health, builds strength and endurance, and is low-impact on joints.
Why it’s great: Lifelong skill, accessible at any age, and helps with safety around water.
Soccer and cricket
means investing in long-term savings and peace of mind.
Why it’s great: Fun for family outings and can transition into lifelong commuting or recreational activity.
Martial arts (karate, judo, taekwondo)
Benefits: Improves self-discipline, focus, co-ordination, and physical fitness.
Why it’s great: Teaches self-defence and instills confidence.
Tennis
Benefits: Develops hand-eye coordination, agility, and cardiovascular health.
Why it’s great: Can be played at any age and encourages individual goal setting.
Athletics
Benefits: Builds cardiovascular fitness, speed, and overall strength.
Why it’s great: Wide variety of events allows children to explore their strengths.
Basketball
Benefits: Improves hand-eye co-ordina-
Why it’s great: Provides a unique challenge and fosters resilience.
Advice from experts is to:
• Let your child’s enthusiasm guide the choice of sport.
• Ensure the activity is enjoyable to foster long-term commitment.
• Let the child try multiple sports to develop a wide range of skills and prevent burnout.
• Tailor the sport to your child’s physical and emotional maturity.
In sum, encouraging regular physical activity from a young age sets the foundation for a long lifetime of health and well-being – and possibly even to elite status.
Clive Williams is a Canberra columnist.
According to 2022-23 ABS statistics, there were more than 4.2 million retirees across Australia, with an average age of 56.9.
While 54 per cent of retirees are women, the number of retired men has increased more than women over the last few years.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing remains the oldest retirement age industry with Australians retiring at almost 70 years old.
Information, media and telecommunications were overtaken by those working in mining for the youngest retirement industry, with workers retiring in their early 60s.
In this feature we get advice from some of Canberra’s experts in the business of helping seniors enjoy their retirement.
says Dental Sleep and TMJ clinician Dr Kavitha Vegunta.
With more than 15 years of experience in dental sleep medicine and orofacial pain, Dr Vegunta had dedicated her career to helping patients manage sleep apnoea, TMJ dysfunction and related conditions.
“We help people to allow them to enjoy a deep, restful sleep and experience relief from ongoing pain,” she says.
Offering custom, non-invasive treatments as an alternative to CPAP machines, Dr Vegunta says their mandibular advancement splints work well for mild to moderate sleep apnoea cases.
“Many of our patients experience life-changing improvements in sleep quality, energy levels
are designed to gently shift the jaw forward during sleep, Dr Vegunta says they are a travel friendly way to help prevent airways from collapsing during sleep, which is what causes the snoring.
While severe cases of sleep apnoea may not be cured 100 per cent while using the splints, Dr Vegunta says there is still a 60 per cent chance of success.
“We recommend you book a consultation to see if you are a suitable candidate,” she says.
“At our clinic, you’ll find more than treatment. You will find a team that genuinely cares.”
Dental Sleep and TJM Therapy. Francis Chambers, Suite 7/40 Corinna Street, Phillip. Call 6106 9307 or visit dentalsleeptherapy.au
Open Mobility’s May Madness Sale promotion is an initiative aimed at making mobility aids more affordable for Australians.
A leading provider of mobility and independent living solutions, Open Mobility has launched a series of limited-time discounts across its product range, offering savings on essential items such as scooters, lift chairs, walkers and daily living aids.
“With locations in Tug geranong and Belconnen plus a strong online pres ence through openmobil ity.com.au, the company has built a reputation for not only supplying quality equipment but also delivering personalised service and ongoing support,” says managing director, Michael Standley.
“The current promotion highlights products that cater to a wide range of needs, whether for ageing individuals, people living with disabilities, or even those recovering from injury.”
with dignity,” he says.
According to Michael, the May Madness Sale campaign reflects Open Mobility’s
Open Mobility, 32 Cohen Street, Belconnen and 310 Anketell Street, Greenway. Call 6108 3899, or visit openmobility.com.au
With a commitment to excellence, safety and compassionate care, specialist pain medicine physician, radiation oncologist and interventional pain specialist, Dr Roopa Gawarikar, says at Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Centre, “they are a day hospital for doctors, by doctors.”
Known for their state-of-the-art facilities, Dr Gawarikar says they are recognised by the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) as a “one-of-a-kind facility” in Australian expert-led, multidisciplinary care.
“Having a clinic and day hospital together under one roof has given patients, especially our elderly patients, peace of mind and ease to travel to one location,” she says.
“They see the doctor for initial consultation and if
indicated, have all their treatment in the day hospital in the same location.”
Dr Gawarikar says this is a great advantage as their patients don’t have to travel to a bigger hospital if further treatment is required.
“It can be overwhelming for sicker patients who are then required to travel and get around Canberra,” she says.
“This has resulted in high patient satisfaction and outstanding clinical outcomes.”
Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Centre. Unit 2, 34 Corrina Chambers, 36-38 Corrina Street, Phillip. Call 6253 0066 or visit crneurologyandpain.com.au
Combining a love of science and a passion for helping people in a meaningful way, Canberra Vision Care optometrist Peter Dodds has been serving the Canberra community since 1988.
“Early detection of vision problems in both children and adults assists in providing the best outcomes for clear and comfortable vision,” says Peter.
“Good vision and healthy eyes are essential for us to function well in our daily lives [and] it is very rewarding to see the joy that people express when they first put on their new spectacles and enjoy clear, comfortable vision.”
Peter says a common misconception about optometry is that wearing glasses might cause eyesight problems or create “lazy eyes” over time.
In reality, he says properly prescribed glasses correct vision and alleviate strain, which can prevent eye fatigue and potential worsening of vision due to untreated vision issues.
“I take care and pride in ensuring that prescriptions are accurate to support optimal eye health and comfort,” he says.
In his 37 years of optometry, Peter has seen the incorporation of advanced technology into his practice.
“Innovations, such as digital retinal imaging, visual field testing and electronic refraction systems have significantly enhanced diagnostic precision, visual field testing and electronic refraction systems have significantly enhanced diagnostic precision and treatment efficacy,” says Peter.
“These advancements have transformed optometry into the primary eye-care profession able to diagnose and treat a broad range of eye health and optical problems.”
Canberra Vision Care, Erindale Shopping Centre, Shop 16A/68 Comrie Street, Wanniassa. Call 6296 3540 or canberravisioncare.com.au
We are proud to announce that Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Day Hospital has successfully achieved full accreditation for the second time under the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS).
Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Centre
Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Day Hospital
A trusted specialist centre and day hospital under one roof since 2021
• Successfully operating for over 5 years as a dedicated Neurology and Pain Centre and Day Hospital since 2021
• Recognised by ACHS as a one-of-a-kind facility in Australia
Expert-Led, Multidisciplinary Care
• Team of neurologists, pain specialists, neurosurgeon, anaesthetists & allied health professionals including pain psychologist
• Skilled nursing team with 30+ years’ experience
State-of-the-Art Facilities
• Modern procedure room for interventional pain procedures
• Specialised infusion centre for advanced therapies
• Dedicated recovery area ensuring safe & comfortable patient care
Current services
• Consultations - neurology, chronic pain, neurosurgery
• Diagnostic services - Nerve conduction studies, EMG, EEG. Same day appointments available
• Botox treatments for extensive range of neurological and pain conditions
• Interventional pain procedures
• Infusion treatments
• Allied health
Expanding Services
• Currently specialising in interventional pain procedures with sedation
• Future expansion to include carpal tunnel surgery, endoscopic & dental procedures
• Utilising theatre facilities with option of sedation.
Having a clinic and day hospital together under one roof has given patients, especially our elderly patients, peace of mind and ease to travel to one location, being familiar with the place and the staff. They see the doctor for initial consultation and if indicated have all their treatment in the day hospital in the same location. They don’t have to travel to bigger hospitals which can be overwhelming with seeing more sicker patients, traveling and getting around the place
Our commitment to excellence, safety, and compassionate care has resulted in high patient satisfaction and outstanding clinical outcomes.
team with more than 100 years of combined industry experience.
“Our experienced team is ready to help with all flooring needs, from carpets and timber to laminates and vinyl planks,” says Leonie.
Under the same roof, CBI Blinds & Awnings offers a selection of internal and external window furnishings, including popular options like Verishades, roller blinds, Honeycomb and vertical blinds, shutters, curtains, Ziptrak blinds, outdoor awnings and external shutters.
“Our in-house magazine also serves as a visual guide to help customers discover the perfect style for their home.
“With tailored package deals available, Carpet One and CBI Blinds & Awnings delivers cost-effective flooring and window treatment solutions, all from one trusted supplier.”
Carpet One and CBI Blinds & Awnings. 141 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Call 6241 5666 or visit carpetone.com.au/ mitchell and cbiblinds.com.au
Established to inform, represent and support residents and prospective residents of ACT retirement villages, ACT Retirement Villages Residents Association (RVRA) secretary Anne Caine says they host a forum each year to carry out this mission.
“This year, on June 25, we have a fantastic line-up of speakers who will bring attendees up to date with the latest RV sector issues nationally and locally,” she says.
Discussing topics such as Australia’s rapidly ageing population and how to address it, the forum will feature an address from Roger Pallant, the vice-president of the NSW RVRA, who will present the results of a survey conducted amongst RV residents nationally.
“We then move from the big picture to what is happening in the ACT retirement village sector,” says Anne.
The ACT Human Rights Commissioner, Karen Toohey, will talk about assisting residents in resolving disputes with operators and new elder abuse laws.
Followed by a talk from agency head, Louise Bassett, who will talk about the legal regime applicable to RVs in the ACT and the measures in place to protect residents, the day will be concluded with an overview of the new Support at Home Program which will be coming into effect on July 1 by Pinky Khu.
“All in all, we think this will be a very informative forum for both residents and prospective residents (or family members) of ACT retirement villages,” says Anne.
ACT Retirement Villages Residents Association Forum. Belconnen Labor Club, 10.30am-1pm on June 25. Contact enquiries@actrvra.org.au or visit actrvra.org.au
Sometimes, increasing the value of a house can come down to something as simple as a new paint job.
“Whether you’re looking at downsizing, or just improving your home, paint, floors and styling can make a huge difference in the value of your house,” says Renovations Matters owner Kim Persson.
“Landscaping can also make a big difference,” she says.
“It’s the first thing people see when they pull up to a place, so it’s important that it looks great and enhances the overall appeal.”
With nine years of experience as a business owner and a further 20 years of renovation knowledge, Kim says it’s important that whether her clients are downsizing, improving the look of their place or moving to a new one, using trusted tradespeople can make or break a situation.
“That’s what I do,” she says.
“I source trusted and qualified professionals and tradespeople and have several attend each job with me.
“Having someone like me takes the stress out of organising services and ensuring quality.”
According to Kim, a house is 30 per cent more likely to sell when it has been styled and revamped.
“Most people want to buy something that is ‘move-in ready’,” she says.
“That could even mean updating a kitchen or bathroom to make it more modern.”
Renovation Matters. Call 0427 696662 or visit renovationmatters.com.au
• Make the rules work for you, to enjoy retirement on your terms.
• I have 23 years of experience in advising retirees in the Canberra region.
• Extensive experience in government super such as CSS and PSS.
• Centrelink advice and implementation.
• Is a redundancy right for you at this time?
Ageing can be a lonely process, says Arthritis ACT CEO, Rebecca Davey.
“Not only do some new aches and pains arise, but there can sometimes be a level of distress to changes related to ageing,” she says.
“That’s the really nice thing about coming to group exercise therapy.”
With classes ranging from as little as eight dollars, Rebecca says a lot of the members treat the classes as a way to increase their social networks.
“We are giving them a new community where they don’t have to explain themselves, because they are surrounded by peers who are going through similar things,” she says.
“Many of the people in our class now meet up in the outside world for coffee and lunch. They’re creating friendships.”
With classes only requiring an appoint ment with an exercise physiologist to ensure participants aren’t pushing themselves, Rebecca says they can get people enrolled within the week.
“Our classes aren’t only for those with a fatiguing condition or a doctor’s referral to access the services,” she says.
“We have a lot of people who come to us for things such as ongoing rehabilitation post-stroke, for exercise to manage diabetes and some come because they know they need support to improve their general health and wellbeing,” she says. “That’s why we exist.”
Arthritis ACT, Pain Support & ME/CFS ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041 or visit arthritispainsupportemergeact.org.au
Recently releasing its final independent living villas, The Grove Ngunnawal has seven three-bedroom villas left to sell.
“The Grove is a vibrant retirement community developed and managed by Keyton and includes a heated pool, a lawn bowls green and a clubhouse,” says senior development manager, Sarah Forbes. Located just off of Gungahlin Drive, The Grove is a few minutes from the Ngunnawal shops and Casey Market Town.
The villas will be ready to move in by early 2026 and offer modern living conditions with spacious kitchens and stainless steel appliances, private alfresco areas, single-storey living with ample storage and seven-star ratings for energy efficiency.
The precinct also comes with a five-star Green Star Communities rating that showcases the village’s elevated sustainability and liveability benefits
with double glazing, solar panels on all villas and connectivity.
The development also includes the refurbished Gold Creek Homestead that will be given new life as a multi-amenity and function space to house art and crafts classes, pilates and resident-hosted events.
“The Grove’s original homestead will merge its colonial character with the contemporary needs of the community,” says Sarah.
“Set to be revitalised as a vibrant multi-use function and event space, the architectural transformation will retain the heart of the original building.”
Forty-five new independent living villas are currently under construction.
The Grove Ngunnawal. 1 Monty Place, Ngunnawal. Call 1800 550550 or visit visitthegrove.com.au
Planning
Workplace
Car
Fringe Dentures is a direct-to-thepublic denture clinic that makes and fits dentures and mouthguards, and also other services such as repairs, and realigning.
“We’re embracing new technology to make sure we get the best service and quality of work, and a better customer experience,” says owner Terry McHugh.
“We’ve transitioned to digital denture and mouthguard manufacturing, which has revolutionised our processes.
“We were doing high-quality work before, and we’re doing even higherquality work now because of the new technology that we’re using.”
Terry says that the business has expanded to include another clinic in Hawker, as well as regional centres in Jindabyne, Gundagai and Young.
“We’re still servicing the industry, including many partner dentists,” says Terry. He says services can be claimed through health funds and they accept DVA cards.
“The most important thing, and the most enjoyable thing, is seeing happy customers walking out with their new dentures,” he says.
“If you’re happy, we’re happy.”
Fringe Dentures, 3/24 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 6239 2534 or visit fringedentures.com.au
More than 300 Australians develop diabetes every
It’s a condition caused by too much glucose in the blood due to the pancreas not working effectively.
Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves resulting in long-term health complications including heart, kidney, eye and nerve damage if high glucose levels aren’t managed.
“If diabetes is not managed, the risk of severe complications increases,” says a Diabetes Australia spokesperson.
“We want a future where diabetes can do no harm and we are leading the fight against Australia’s biggest health crisis.”
According to Diabetes Australia, each year, there are more than 27,600 hospital admissions for diabetes-related foot ulcers in Australia with almost
two thirds of Australian adults with Type 2 diabetes reporting some form of cardiovascular disease. In 2022 alone, 10 per cent of all hospitalisations across Australia were linked to diabetes.
“As the peak body for Australians living with all types of diabetes, and those at risk, we offer a range of services,” says a spokesperson.
“These include our free national YOUnited membership program, education and events, diabetes telehealth clinics and free resources like meal plans and recipes.”
Diabetes Australia says the annual financial toll of diabetes is estimated to be $17.6 billion dollars yearly.
As people grow older, maintaining independence becomes extremely important, says the owner of Personal Home Lifts Canberra, Mike Bresnik.
“A home lift provides the ability for Canberrans to remain in their houses and compared to the costs of downsizing it is a cost effective option,” he says.
“Real estate agents have told me that, on average, the cost of moving… is $72,000.
“A personal home lift costs between $38,000 and $45,000 (plus building and electrical work) so it really is an affordable option.”
Mike says domestic lifts are gaining popularity as people choose to stay in their home, alongside trusted
We specialise in evidencebased care for people living with diabetes and prediabetes.
Book an appointment to see a diabetes educator or dietitian.
Call us on 1800 177 055 to arrange an appointment or scan the QR to book online
“It’s another way to get their independence back and give their family peace of mind,” he says.
A display lift has been installed in Hume. Mike encourages people to see it in action.
“There are two lift sizes to choose from, and the larger one is suitable to fit a standard wheelchair and a carer inside,” he says.
Personal Home Lifts Canberra. Call 6147 5566 or visit personalhomelifts.com.au
An elegant home lift, ideal for homeowners with mobility issues, giving independence within their double storey home.
A cost effective choice avoiding the extra cost burdens & stress in downsizing
Recently going through a restructure and new refurbishments, Villaggio Sant’ Antonio’s interim operations manager, Michael Giugni, says their agedcare services and accommodation continues to keep residents at the forefront of their actions.
“Our priority is always on our residents, whether they are in our residential aged-care facility or in our retirement-living homes,” he says.
Now employing an independent living villa (ILV) operations manager and a residential aged-care (RAC) operations manager, Michael says their goal is to ensure that residents in each facility have someone purely looking out for their needs, requirements and wishes.
“We’ve also restructured our board to ensure we have a strong skill mix that caters to the needs of the community,” he says.
“Ultimately, it’s all about giving our residents more choice, flexibility and freedom.
“We want them to be able to decide how they live and will find a way to help them achieve whatever it is that they are after.”
With a prioritised waitlist in place for new residents based on the care needs of the individual, Michael says they are committed to catering to their community.
Villaggio is also on the lookout for new activity volunteers to help with bus driving, art classes, visits etcetera.
Villaggio Sant’ Antonio, 35 Burkitt Street, Page. Call 6255 1794, or visit villaggio.com.au
From a waltz to a samba, Dale’s Ballroom Dancing has been offering dance classes for more than 25 years to the Canberra community.
With more than 30 years of experience behind her, Dale says dancing is for everyone.
“Our adult classes are open to anyone and we are happy to adapt to suit the needs of our audience,” she says.
seniors to participate in.
“Dancing is 10 times better than doing a crossword puzzle at the table or taking the dog for a walk,” she says.
“It keeps your brain and body active while you think about the steps and move.
Recently moving to the Weston Neighbourhood Hall to host her adult classes, Dale offers seven-week
It’s impossible to know how expensive funerals might be in the future, which is why operations manager for Invocare ACT Cassandra Proctor recommends looking into Guardian Plans.
“Guardian Plans are a unique alternative to funeral plans,” says Cassandra.
“Working across all sub-brands of InvoCare, Guardian Plans provide a locked-in price for funerals.”
Paying a set fee upfront means that five, 10 or more years after purchasing the plan, the client’s family won’t have to cater to inflation.
“Guardian Plans are applicable to any of our InvoCare operations, and can be used interstate” says Cassandra.
“Whatever you pay today is all that you’ll ever pay, regardless of when you need it.”
With an entirely customisable plan, Cassandra says clients can completely organise how they want their funeral to happen, from flowers to the location.
According to Cassandra, clients can even put their preference in for certain priests!
“We want to ensure that your wishes are respected and carried out,” she says.
A trusted funeral provider to the Canberra community for 75 years, Cassandra says, “we want people to know that they are in good hands from start to finish.”
Tobin Brothers Funerals, 101 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen, or 310 Anketell Street, Tuggeranong. Call 6295 2799, or visit tobinscanberrafunerals.com.au
Operating in the Bega Valley for more than 45 years, Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care is a community-led, not-for-profit organisation that offers independent living, home care services and residential care.
“Our core purpose is to make life great for people in our care and that is what brings our team of dedicated professionals to work every day,” says CEO, Julie Evans.
“We understand our locals and are commit ted to ensuring that quality aged-care services remain in our local community.”
The only community service provider to offer the full suite of aged-care services in the Bega Valley community, Julie says they take every opportunity to participate in community events.
“Volunteers and residents came together to make Anzac wreaths, with more than 120 wreaths made and distributed across the local community last month,” she says.
“Our local schools and play groups are also regular visitors in our homes, many of whom are great grandchildren of our care recipients, which serves to strengthen the community and family bonds.”
According to Julie, activities such as these demonstrate the commitment of the local community in supporting aged care services.
Their newest retirement village, The Glen, opened in September and Julie says construc tion is underway to build The Kennedy village in Bombala, which is due to open mid year.
Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care. 105 Upper Street, Bega. Call 6492 7777 or visit sapphirecoastagedcare.org.au
The dance floor was Tony’s happy place. So when he died, we made sure he was remembered in his own special way. We found a vintage jukebox full of his favourite songs and turned his final goodbye into a ballroom. Tony was, as he so often had been, the star of the show.
The best way to say goodbye is just the way they would have wanted. Tobin Brothers knows how.
within a vibrant community, each of our villages offers single-storey villas with private lock-up garages; landscaped gardens and recreational facilities; and plenty of room for visitors. See what country living can offer you.
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By Jackie WARBURTON
Winter means most orchard trees are dormant and can be pruned any time from now until the end of August.
If there are no diseases, all fallen fruit and leaves should be composted.
Bare deciduous trees are easier to work with in winter and the main fruiting trees to prune are the pome fruits – apples, pears and quinces, and fruit with a central core and seeds.
Apple trees are grown for fruit
tip-fruiting or spur fruiting will help with pruning.
Pears and quinces are spur growers, so they’re easier to prune and grow in smaller gardens.
A DWARF fruit tree can be an option where space is tight. It doesn’t grow more than two metres tall and wide. With good branch pruning when they’re young, they shouldn’t need any ladder work in the future and will be easier to net.
They don’t mind clay soils so long as there is drainage. A top up of compost and mulch in the spring will get them growing fast.
Now’s the time to prepare the soil for planting in late winter. Dig a good size hole and add gypsum
or clay breaker. Add any compost that’s needed to be mixed with the existing soil and let it settle before planting in a few months’ time.
Keep the new area watered and turned over until planting.
BROAD beans are a terrific, versatile plant, unbothered by winter frosts, that grow strongly if planted in a sheltered spot. A legume, they give nitrogen back to the soil via their roots.
They flower in winter. The main colour is white with a speck of black on the petals, but the crimson-flowered broad beans are a beautiful, deep-pink colour and can be used in the ornamental garden.
Broad beans can also be used as a green manure crop and chopped into the soil at the beginning of spring flowering, added to compost at the end of winter or given to the chooks.
A SWEET little plant that’s rare in habitat called the fuchsia heath (Epacris longifloral) is flowering now at the Australian Botanic Gardens. It needs good drainage and some protection from the frosts.
The one pictured is a little unusual in that it’s all white – in general they’re red/pink to white. They really put on a flowering show late winter to early spring. Keep them weed free and mulched.
Use only native fertilisers such as Bush Tucker that is low in phosphorus or a little dynamic lifter can be used in late autumn before the soils go cold They can be fussy to grow and don’t like root disturbance. Plant in a protected spot when they are young and they should survive quite well, and flower right through winter when mature.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
• Dig in cow manure around roses and water in.
• Plant wallflowers for late winter/spring colour.
• Use a heat bed to keep capsicums and basil growing.
• Keep watering the garden as frost dries the soil.
By Helen Musa
The National Gallery of Australia is welcoming the winter with an exhibition of European masters that shows not so much their differences, but their almost familial connections.
Based on the idea that the master of modern art, Paul Cezanne, powerfully influenced the giant art figures that followed him, not least Picasso and Matisse, the exhibition picks up, like so many before it, on the serendipity that a major European museum is closed for building renovations.
Cézanne to Giacometti: Highlights from Museum Berggruen / Neue Nationalgalerie will feature more than 170 works, 80 of which are coming from Berlin.
This is the first time works of art from the Museum Berggruen have come to Australia, and follows the recent sellout at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris of Heinz Berggruen: a dealer and his collection.
In another gallery tradition, by using works from the NGA’s own collection, a link will be drawn between the European giants and their Australian counterparts to show how Australian artists as varied as Dorrit Black, Grace Crowley and Russell Drysdale were influenced by what was happening on the other side of the globe.
When I catch up with the NGA’s curators David Greenhalgh and Deirdre Cannon, who’ve been working with Natalie Zimmer from the Museum Berggruen, I find that there was an extra level of serendipity to getting the show.
Nicholas Berggruen, son of famed collector Heinz Berggruen, visited Canberra in 2023 and got talking to director Nick Mitzevich, who picked up on the fact that many of the Australian artists in our own collection had also been influenced by Paul Cezanne. The exhibition starts with Cézanne.
When he died in 1906, Braque, Picasso and Klee were all in their impressionable 20s but his influence can be traced back to Cézanne’s letters advising young artists to simplify subjects to their basic shapes, the cylinder, the sphere and the cone and to break up the picture plane, advice taken by Picasso in his proto-Cubist still lifes of apples and pears in a fruit bowl, while the older Matisse was obsessed with Cézanne’s short brushstrokes.
The artworks by Braque, Giacometti, Klee, Matisse and Picasso coming from the German collection tell one story.
But Greenhalgh says: “We are offering an expanded view, giving the sense that all these artists found inspiration in one another… it’s almost a family tree of influence and we expand the show out how to show not
just how these European masters were interconnected but by bringing works in for our own national collection.”
Some of ours are Cubist works by Paul Haefliger, Roy de Maistre and Eric Wilson, but the NGA also holds Matisse’s Jazz series.
The Museum Berggruen collection, Greenhalgh says, features one of the strongest collections of Picasso worldwide, and originates from Jewish collector Heinz Berggruen who fled his native Berlin in 1936 and spent more than half a century living in Paris.
When he returned to Germany as an 86-year-old, having left when he was 23, the collection was purchased by the German government, a kind of active reconciliation on his part and a full circle moment.
With such a massive exhibition, a curatorial division of labour makes sense, so Deidre Cannon has been looking after the Australian content of the show.
Soon after Cezanne’s death, she notes, progressive art schools in Australia taught his techniques, meaning an immediate infiltration of ideas.
Also, there was a huge Post Impressionist exhibition curated by Roger Fry in 1912 at the Grafton Galleries in London showcasing British artists influenced by modern French art, which Australian artists saw.
Then there was John Russell, the so-called “Australian lost impressionist”. Uniquely, he’s an example of reverse influence, whereby Russell, who lived for years on Belle Île off the coast of Bretagne, enjoyed painting visits from both Matisse, whom he introduced to impressionist techniques and colour theory and Monet, who said he preferred some of Russell’s Belle Île seascapes to his own.
“This part of the exhibition gives us a way of thinking
about Australian art history, which is a bit European… there’s a diversity of approaches, but a shared understanding,” Cannon says.
One of the big drawcards in the show for viewers will be a substantial segment of works by Pablo Picasso, from a 1904 work to 1940s portraits and several paintings by his muse, the artist Dora Maar.
And the Giacometti of the exhibition title? Greenhalgh
Cézanne to Giacometti: Highlights from Museum Berggruen / Neue Nationalgalerie, at the National Gallery of Australia, May 31-September 21.
Dervla McTiernan is an international, best-selling author. Her debut novel, The Ruin, (2018) set in Galway Ireland won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction and introduced Detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly, McTiernan’s clever, honest, decent policeman.
Two more novels in her Cormac Reilly series followed, The Scholar (2019) and The Good Turn (2020). Now Cormac Reilly returns, after an absence of five years, in The Unquiet Grave
McTiernan has said: “I didn’t have a new story for Cormac for a long time. I think I’d put him through so much by the end of The Good Turn that most of me felt like he needed a solid break”.
But having read an article about bog bodies, thousands of years old preserved in the peat bogs of Northern Europe, tortured and bound in strange, ritualistic ways, she realised she had found the perfect story for Cormac.
When a body is found in a bog near Galway, the immediate response from the police is to suggest it’s a find for archeologists.
“The skin was chestnut brown and wrinkled. Both arms were bent so that the elbows could nearly be seen… there was a dark wound on the back of each arm… and
thin tree branches, stripped of twigs and leaves… protruded from each wound.”
However, evidence on the body reveals it’s a modern murder.
The dead body is identified as Thaddeus Grey, principal of the local secondary school who had disappeared two years earlier. The investigation reveals that he had been a bully, targeting some pupils relentlessly but there seems to be no explanation for the ritualistic nature of his murder.
However, life becomes more complicated for Cormac when the Commissioner of the Garda Siochana, the most senior position in the Irish police force, pressures him to accept
promotion to inspector and take over the complaints section of Internal Affairs.
At the same time his ex-girlfriend Emma asks him for help. She’s pregnant, her husband has gone missing in Paris and the French police are refusing to investigate his disappearance.
The Unquiet Grave is an intriguing novel, complex, multi-layered, exploring the bullying behavior of a number of self-obsessed, sociopathic men.
his current position in the Department of Security and Crime Science at University College London, which applies science to help prevent, reduce and detect crime.
He is the author of two crime series set in India: the Baby Ganesh Agency series and the CWA Historical Dagger winning Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay.
He says that it’s his “attempt to look at a period of Indian history that’s not often examined in fiction… a couple of years after Gandhi’s assassination and the horrors of partition”.
In Midnight at Malabar House (2020) he introduced Inspector Persis Wadia, India’s first female police detective who struggles to assert herself in a paternalistic, misogynistic society. Her appointment seven months earlier had “occasioned hysteria” in the press.
Although she topped her year at the academy, Persis has already been sidelined to a crime unit in Malabar House, “a menagerie of misfits… the unwanted and the undesirables” exiled and despised for blunders and mistakes.
Persis’ mistake is that she is female, smart, stubborn with a “prickly personality” and a refusal to conform, which means she’s seen as a troublemaker.
City of Destruction is the fifth in the series and begins with Persis at a political rally where the new defence minister Rafi Azad is demanding India take up arms
ALTHOUGH Vaseem Khan is British born, it was the decade he lived in India that has inspired his crime writing, as well as
against its new neighbor, Pakistan. Persis foils an assassination attempt, but in the process, her friend and colleague Archie Blackfinch is critically injured.
With the help of the British government’s India Office and two MI6 agents, detectives from Malabar House are assigned to discover whether the wouldbe assassin had accomplices.
Persis, however, to her disgust, is sent to investigate a badly burned body on the rocks near Raj Bhavan, “another of those crazy self-arsonists. Suicide by protest”. But it’s another murder.
Persis determines in her stubborn way to investigate both cases, eventually travelling to New Delhi in search of answers.
City of Destruction is not only clever crime writing but also a fascinating insight into a moment in history when Nehru’s India is “a giant awoken from slumber, blinking owlishly in the sunlight, conscious – and at the same time, oblivi ous – of the damage that might be done by a lurch into the unknown”.
National Opera has announced Caroline Stacey as director and Rowan Harvey-Martin as musical director for a July production in Albert Hall featuring a “reduc tion” (simplified version) of Richard Strauss’ opera, Der Rosenkavalier. Sarah Darnley-Stuart, who starred as Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow in 2024, will play the lead role of the aristocratic Marschallin, while Sonia Anfiloff, artistic director of the company, will play her 17-year-old lover, Octavian.
Bert Whelan, the subject of our story earlier this year by Len Power about his collection of George Gershwin’s music and memorabilia donated to the ANU School of Music, has received an email from entertainer and Gershwin writer Michael Feinstein, who visited Whelan in the early 1970s. “I… thought it was a fitting tribute. You have created a legacy that will benefit so many through the years, and your collection will only become more valuable with the passing of time,” Feinstein wrote.
Canberra CityNews 2024 Artist of the Year Hilary Wardhaugh is among the 48 finalists in the $30,000 National Photographic Portrait Prize, to be announced and go on show on August 16 at the National Portrait Gallery. This year’s judges are writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law, senior curator at the National Portrait Gallery Serena Bentley and Leigh Robb, curator of contemporary art at the Art Gallery of SA.
Gomeroi man, rapper and storyteller Kobie Dee will headline a family-friendly event at Commonwealth Park to mark the ACT’s Reconciliation Day, June 2.
Two Ukrainian musicians, bandura player and soprano Larissa Kovalchuk, and pianist Anna Dove, will perform a program of Ukrainian classical and traditional pieces by Skoryk, Havrylets, and Myaskov, along
with works by Rossini, Gershwin and Bach/Gounod. Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, May 31.
St Edmund’s College has launched StageCraft, a new pilot program designed to prepare high school students for careers in live event production, in collaboration with Elite Event Technology and Lexi Sekuless Productions. The idea is to train a new generation of skilled, dedicated crew from the ground up.
About eight months ago, a groovy lounge opened in what may seem an unlikely place, inviting Canberrans to taste the “Nectar of the Gods”. Except, the place is perfect.
Why? Ambrosia Lounge is just down from locally owned and operated Ambrosia Distillery in the Dairy Flat Precinct, Fyshwick. It works well that the two operations are a stone’s throw from one another.
Ambrosia Lounge creates concoctions to transport customers to Mount Olympus without the need for a chariot.
We felt at home the minute we walked in, charmed by the pretty, colourful dried flowers displayed in empty decorative bottles of Ambro sia’s own vodka and gin. The boutique distillery is confident in its impressive array of products, including botanical gin, rose gin, mango vodka, lychee vodka and a new calamansi vodka.
The lounge has a cool vibe and a short, but interesting food menu, with everything designed to marry well with its creative cocktails. We settled into the cloth, olive green, lounge chairs on ground level, relaxed and comfy (Ambrosia Lounge has an upstairs area also).
Cocktails start with the Ambrosia Bump ($12), a shot of its vodka with flavour pearls. The list moves to other cocktails (all $20, with a happy hour some weekdays at $15). The extensive drinks list features sours, tequila, bourbons, whiskies and rum.
My Lemon Myrtini was as beautiful as it tasted (so much so I bought a bottle of the lemon myrtle vodka it’s made with). The cocktail also features St Germain (elderflower liqueur), limoncello and lemon juice… the mix is wonderfully refreshing.
One friend selected the Apple and Cinnamon
Mango Weis for its dessert-like characteristics. It was delish, with Ambrosia’s mango vodka mixed with Bacardi, coconut milk and lime juice.
Curious about the food (which changes over time), we ordered a selection of share plates and were mightily impressed, starting with marvellous burrata ($22). It was soft and served with punchy semi-fried tomatoes, sumac, chilli, olive oil, sea salt and toasted sourdough.
For a more intense flavour experience, we indulged in the fried chorizo, salty olives and semi-dried tomatoes, lovingly skewered and
flavour could be elevated a notch or two (dips are $8 each and come with pita chips).
A selection of tasty pita pizzas is on the menu (all $26), and we went with the Greek theme and ordered the one with tzatziki, minced beef, chilli and cheese. It was ideal.
Ambrosia Lounge is worth a trip to Dairy Flat Precinct, even if it means renting a chariot.
Some time ago I bought a bottle of Moppity Vineyards 2018 Hilltops Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and wished I’d bought more.
I paid $25 for this excellent cedary oaky, cassis-laden cabernet and it was an excellent value-for-money wine.
I haven’t tried any of their other wines, but know that in 2019 the company acquired and expanded the Kerralee vineyard in Murrumbateman, so they are a local winery in a true sense.
Moppity has been awarded Most Successful Exhibitor at the Canberra Region Wine Show for a record eight years and won the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge twice.
I decided to call Jason Brown, owner of and winemaker at Moppity, to get an update on progress with the Canberra expansion. Jason told me that the family had moved to Murrumbateman and renovated and extended the house at Kerralee while keeping the vineyards in Young and Tumbarumba.
Jason said that when he acquired the local property, he immediately grafted cuttings from the best Hilltops shiraz blocks to replace the old pinot and merlot vines.
Showing that good grape growing is essentially good farming, he said he had achieved a 95 per cent strike rate with the grafted shiraz.
“We’re always looking to improve and have done around 170 acres of grafting in the last 10 years, across our four vineyards in Canberra, Hilltops and Tumbarumba,” he said.
“Grafting yields better results than ripping out the old vines and planting new ones because, in many ways, it’s the old trunk and root system that drives wine quality. With grafting we lose one year of production but we retain the developed root and trunk systems, and it works.
“We’ve also planted an additional 20 acres at Kerralee. The Canberra District has been wonderfully capable of producing wines similar to those from Northern Rhone, just look at the amazing history of Clonakilla.
“On the northern side of the property, we’ve got some old vine shiraz and viognier, representing Cote Rotie, then south of Jeir Creek side we’ve got more shiraz, grenache and mourvedre mirroring the southern Rhone’s engine room of Cotes du Rhone. “It’s a mini-reflection of the Rhone Valley, with some riesling thrown in. Unfortunately, we were wiped out by frost in 2024 and didn’t get a crop, but the 2025 vintage has produced some good yields, with some outstanding shiraz, riesling and a southern Rhone style of grenache, shiraz, mourvedre.
“Alecia and I lived in Canberra until 2004, when we bought our Hilltops vineyard and have noticed a real shift in Canberrans’ appreciation for local wine.
“Back then there was an almost inverse snobbery: it was only tourists that bought Canberra regional wine. Now there’s a recognition and pride in the incredible wines that are made in southern NSW including Hilltops and Tumbarumba, but with Canberra at the centre.
“You are seeing most of the local winemakers making wine from Tumbarumba and Hilltops, as well as from Canberra fruit. I’d always seen these regions as the ‘holy trinity’ of NSW winemaking.
“We have a deep commitment to showcasing these areas – they’re capable of making some of the best wines in the world.
“Our flagship wine, the Escalier shiraz is only made in exceptional vintages and has always been from Hilltops. However, the 2022, to be released next year, has come from our Murrumbateman vineyard – a testament to the quality of this site – so it’s one to look out for.”
I certainly will; Moppity has cemented its Canberra connection.
By Helen Musa
Ever since Pope Gregory the Great came up with the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins there’s been a distinctly masculine flavour to the sins.
Now, a new composition by Canberra-raised composer and two-time Aria winner Sally Whitwell is about to turn that impression on its head by characterising the sins – pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth – as necessary positives helping women to triumph and survive in what is still a male-dominated world.
Canberra soprano Rachel Mink is joining Whitwell as composer and pianist to create an entertainment bearing the name of Mona Eltahawy’s provocative book, The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls.
Eltahawy is an Egyptian-born American journalist and social commentator who has been raising issues to do with women’s rights, patriarchy and Muslim political and social affairs.
The sins that women and girls are not supposed to commit but need to if they are to harness their power, she identifies as anger, ambition, profanity, violence, attention-seeking,
lust and power.
Whitwell and Mink will be giving the show a dry run for Art Song Canberra in May, but the idea is that it will end up as an edgy cabaret show, with Whitwell chipping in so that it won’t be a monologue, but a dialogue.
Mink, who moved to Canberra from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore during covid, is already very well-known here for her glorious voice, praised by CityNews reviewer Rob Kennedy as “a
voice that sways and swoons”.
When I catch up with her there’s no doubt that she and Whitwell are cooking up something delightfully wicked.
Indeed, Mink suggests, the show may not be for the faint-hearted and it will definitely involve some language.
It interests her how a lot of the sins are qualities often hurled at women in accusation –“You’re too angry”. “You’re too ambitious”. “You want too much attention” – leading to feelings of insecurity or body image problems.
“We’ll be doing a lot of storytelling about what sins actually mean.” Pride, for instance, is said to lead to a fall but does it really?
She and Whitwell haven’t started rehearsing although they’ve been planning the show for a year, so the actual arrangement of the songs in the nine-movement cycle is not yet set in stone.
“Sally has written the libretto,” Mink says. “It was always imagined to be a fully-fledged cabaret show with spoken dialogue and words between the songs, but this performance for Art Song gives us a chance to figure out what a full stage version will look like.”
Middle-age is a time of life that doesn’t often get the spotlight shone upon it in the streaming era.
These days any platform’s homepage is bound to be smothered in young, hot people getting into all sorts of dramatic conundrums that are sure to catch the eyes of the Instagram generation.
But what about the stories of those in their forties, fifties, even older that are rarely seen?
Well a new comedy drama series on Netflix has bucked the trend and it’s proven a hit while doing it.
It’s called The Four Seasons and it’s written by Tina Fey, who shot to fame for her work on the popular TV series 30 Rock and the 2000s classic Mean Girls.
The show follows three well-to-do, 50-something couples who are lifelong friends and who meet every three months for a bougie holiday catch up.
We drop in on their lives during one such idyllic holiday that devolves into an awkward catastrophe when Nick (Steve Carrell) secretly tells the others he plans to divorce his wife Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) after 25 years of marriage.
Making things even more tense is that Anne has no idea it’s coming. In stark contrast to her husband, she tells the others she’s secretly planning a special vow-renewal ceremony to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Now the other four in the group are left to try and navigate their allegiances and decide whether or not to give the game away.
This dysfunctional coterie also includes Kate (played by Tina Fey herself) a scrupulous, highly-strung realist who is the main organiser of the holidays. In contrast, she’s married to Jack (Will Forte), an easy-going optimist who often serves as the diplomat navigating the drama of the group.
Then there’s Danny (Colman Domingo), an introspective architect with a life-threatening heart condition he’s also been keeping from the others and his husband Claude (Marco Calvani), perhaps the most energetic of the bunch, who offers deadpan observations on their woes.
Over the show’s eight episodes viewers get
a glimpse at four of these holidays, each taking place in a different season, meaning by the end they’ve seen the dynamic between these friends both evolve and devolve.
The show is a rework of the 1981 film of the same name directed and starred in by Alan Alda. And the M.A.S.H star himself also makes a surprise appearance in this new adaptation.
It’s another example of a film idea that is far more at home in the TV streaming world, where a large ensemble of characters each have more time on screen to develop and, in turn, make the audience care more about them.
The acting and casting choices here are A-plus. Selling these characters as a group that have been friends for decades requires palpable chemistry and thankfully it’s here. Particularly impressive is Steve Carrell, who once again has proven his ability to balance his dramatic and comedic timing with suave assurance.
It’s thanks to all this that The Four Seasons is a candid and amusing take on life in middle-age, even if the core concept of people taking four
holidays a year with their friends seems a little far-fetched. As an effective story-telling device though, it can be excused.
What’s perhaps most interesting about the show though is its wide appeal.
The main target audience here is clearly an older demographic, but that hasn’t stopped it pulling in numbers from a wide range of subscribers.
The show has even managed to hit Netflix’s number one spot this month, a feat there’s no way it would be able to achieve without being able to draw crowds of many different ages.
In terms of viewership, it’s even managed to dethrone Netflx’s wildly popular psychological thriller series You that, as mentioned previously, is chock-full of hot people trying to murder each other.
That right there makes The Four Seasons a pretty compelling case of age before beauty.
By Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
For the first time since 1999, Saturn is transiting through your sign (for the next three years). Which could bring more stability into your life – and more challenges. The more disciplined, responsible and self-reliant you are, the smoother the transition will be. This week’s New Moon highlights a fresh start involving travel or education, plus talk of an exciting new project in your local community. A welcome daytrip or weekend getaway is also on the cards.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Saturn is now transiting through your self-reflection zone. So, over the next three years, do your best to consolidate your strengths and work on your weaknesses. As Saturn and Neptune deepen your humanitarian and spiritual perspectives, some Bulls will become involved with volunteer work while others embrace yoga, meditation, religion or metaphysical study. This week’s New Moon signals a fresh approach to money, financial planning and business.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
With Saturn visiting your hopes-and-wishes zone for the next three years, you need to get serious about your future plans. Dream an ambitious dream… and then put in the hard work and discipline required to make it happen. Plus, be patient and resilient! This week’s New Moon is in Gemini, so it’s the perfect time for an updated look via a different hairstyle, a hot new outfit or a positive new attitude. Friday favours communication, conversation and education.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Saturn is now in your career zone, so get serious about your professional ambitions. Venus and Neptune are also there, which bodes well for a promotion, better job or professional break over the next three years. Just make sure you are patient, persistent and thoroughly prepared. Be inspired by birthday great Kylie Minogue (who’s had a successful career for over 40 years): “I didn’t want to fizzle out. I had to keep going, like a little Shetland pony.”
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Stop being a listless Lion and get cracking, Cats! This week proactive Mars is in Leo, ambitious Saturn transits through your aspirations zone, and the New Moon stimulates your hopes-and-wishes zone. So, it’s time to be confident, creative and determined, as you dream big dreams for the future. Draw inspiration from birthday great Stevie Nicks (who turns 77 on Monday): “My life is a testament to believing that if you want something, you can make it happen.”
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
Serious Saturn is transiting through your intrigue-and-secrets zone, which is good for all types of study, research and detailed detective work. And this week you’ve also got four planets (the Sun, New Moon, lucky Jupiter and your ruler, Mercury) moving through your career zone. So don’t be shy and overly modest, Virgo – it’s your time to shine! Be inspired by Hollywood legend (and birthday great) Marilyn Monroe: “We are all stars and deserve the right to twinkle.”
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Saturn is now in your partnership zone, so – sometime over the next three years – you could end a relationship that’s no longer working. With Venus and Neptune also in your partnership zone, aim to be more generous towards loved ones, and try to view a troubled relationship from a more compassionate perspective. Are you looking for love? You could be attracted to someone much older, or a long-term friendship could gradually develop into a grand romance.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
Have you been feeling run-down and lacking energy? The next three years is the time to focus on your physical fitness and mental health, as Saturn transits through your well-being zone. Discipline, determination, patience and gradual progress will get you there. This week’s New Moon lights up your mystery-andmanifestation zone, so it’s the perfect time to dream, imagine, contemplate and create. But be careful with secrets from the past and issues involving trust.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Saturn is transiting through your love, romance, children and friendship zones. So – over the next three years – these relationships should strengthen and solidify, but there could also be some challenges and extra responsibilities placed on your broad Sagittarian shoulders. This week’s New Moon activates your relationship zone and boosts your natural inclination to reach out and help others. If you put other people first, then you’ll be rewarded in satisfying ways.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Saturn is transiting through your domestic zone for the first time since 1999. So, there are plenty of professional and DIY jobs that need to be done around the home as things wear out (or break down) and need to be fixed. This week the focus is also on physical and mental health as the New Moon stimulates your wellbeing zone. It’s time to shake up your daily routine, improve your diet, and find fun ways to boost your fitness levels and relax your worried mind.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
Prepare for some long-term changes in your local community, as serious Saturn moves through your neighbourhood zone for the next three years. Work out ways that you can make a meaningful contribution. This week, as the sparky New Moon lights up your creativity zone, you’re in the mood for avant-garde adventures and bohemian friendships. But remember there’s a fine line between being spontaneously successful and being hastily foolhardy.
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
With penny-pinching Saturn now transiting through your money zone, expect extra expenses and financial responsibilities over the next three years. Which will teach you some valuable lessons about being financially organised, responsible and frugal. So spontaneous spending sprees are definitely not recommended! This week’s New Moon highlights your home zone, so it’s time to spruce up your living space via cleaning, tidying and decluttering.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2025
4 Which device resembles a windlass? (7)
8 Name the great circle of the Earth, equidistant from the North and South Poles. (7)
9 What is a rare green variety of beryl, highly valued as a gem? (7)
10 Name the final course of a meal. (7)
Rembrandt? (7)
22 Name a group of persons who associate closely. (7)
23 Melted cheese eaten on toast is known as Welsh ... (7)
24 Which colourless liquid hydrocarbon is used as a solvent? (7)
1 What might we call one who trades in drugs? (7)
2 Which term describes a person who is entertained at the house of another? (5)
3 Name a lofty tower attached to a church. (7)
4 What is an alternative term for a stupid person? (6)
5 What is the newspaper industry known as? (5)
6 Which term describes nonsense? (7)
7 What is the lowest point, as of adversity? (5)
13 Name a British reformatory for young offenders. (7)
15 Which resort region is on the Mediterranean coast? (7)
16 What are small towers also known as? (7)
17 Name the unit of electrical current. (6)
18 Which English town is famous for its nearby racecourse? (5)
19 Who tends a person in sickness? (5)
20 Painfully kicks toe. (5)
Have you tried to calculate a capital gain recently? Over the last few weeks we have had to calculate several and I realise how difficult it can be and how many different scenarios there can be.
It is always best to consult a tax professional to make sure that you have got it right.
Firstly, you need to establish whether the property was purchased before or after September 20 1985. If it was purchased after that date the property is definitely subject to capital gains tax.
However if it was bought before then and it has improvements of more than $182,665 currently, then those improvements may be subject to capital gains tax although the original purchase is not. This can be a complex calculation.
In addition, if you inherited property that was bought before September 20 1985, this property will pass to you at the market value at the date of death and therefore will come into the capital gains tax net.
Capital gains tax cannot be avoided and on the death of the asset’s owner, the capital gain of the deceased passes to the beneficiaries when that asset is sold.
This means you have to keep really good records of your purchase costs, your renovation costs and even your holding costs.
One of the interesting gains we had to prepare this week concerned inherited properties and there were no purchase records available. This meant that valuations had to be obtained as to the value at the date of purchase. This took a long time and a lot of detective work. However, we did find answers.
A number of legislative changes occurred on August 20 1991. The major change here being that you cannot claim holding costs before that date. So what are holding costs? They include interest on borrowed funds, costs of repair, maintenance or insurance of the asset, rates or land tax, refinancing costs or water consumption. If the property was purchased or inherited by you after that date you can claim the holding costs.
If you have capital expenditure on the asset you need to include that amount. You can also claim expenditure on depreciable items. However, capital works that have been depreciated are written back, thereby reducing the total capital works expenditure by half. This is because the capital gain for an individual is calculated on a cost base with a 50 per cent discount.
In addition, capital allowance depreciation is also calculated and reduces the gain. This is particularly important for buildings purchased after July 1 2017 when depreciation is only allowable on assets purchased by the owner after the initial purchase. So, for example, if you rent out your house and you installed a new kitchen two years before you start renting it out, you cannot claim depreciation on that new kitchen. But if you install it after you start renting the property, you can claim depreciation. In either case this is taken into account in the capital gains tax calculation.
In addition, if you own two properties you need to have nominated one of them as your main residence so that it receives the main residence exemption.
A couple can only have one main residence between them. It is also possible that they can each nominate a different property as their main residence, all adding to the complexity.
If you need help with calculating the capital gain on the sale of a residence contact the expert team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 02 6295 2844.
Disclaimer
This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser. Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892.
