DECEMBER 16, 2015 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Carols with star power Stars of stage and screen will lend their talents to Yarraville’s Carols in the Gardens this Saturday night. Thousands of people are expected to turn out for the 22nd anniversary of the carols evening, a free event hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Yarraville and West Footscray and the Footscray-Yarraville City Band. Australian stage, television and film actor Kevin Harrington will compere the event featuring local performers and guest artists. A mass choir will bring together choristers from the School of Hard Knocks, Footscray Sings, THECHO!R, Willin Wimmin and The Divine Divas of Sunbury. The Footscray-Yarraville City Band, Hyde Street Youth Band, Western Brass and pianist Adam Przewlocki will provide music along with opera singers including Danielle Matthews, Belinda Sofra, Nicholas Coghlan, Adrian McEniery and internationally acclaimed local soprano Margaret Haggart. A special guest appearance by Santa is tipped, and the evening will be completed with the traditional fireworks display. Yarraville Carols in the Gardens will start at 7pm in Yarraville Gardens, Hyde Street. Benjamin Millar
Danielle Matthews and Santa with members of the Footscray-Yarraville City Band, Hyde Street Youth Band and Western Brass. (Damjan Janevski)
MPs rack up the fines By Ben Cameron and Benjamin Millar Federal Gellibrand MP Tim Watts is urging locals to be safe on the roads at Christmas after admitting he received seven speeding fines in six months last year. The warning coincides with questions being asked about Maribyrnong MP and federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s driving record after he sideswiped a number of parked cars and was caught on video using his mobile phone while driving. Documents seen by Star Weekly show Mr Watts exceeded the speed limit – by less than 10 kilometres an hour on each occasion – seven
times between July 21 and December 20, 2014. “Members of Parliament aren’t perfect, and I’ll put my hand up here, and be open and honest with my constituents,” Mr Watts said. “I haven’t had any since and I paid for all of them personally.” Mr Watts admitted he’d had a bad period of driving, but he did not offer a reason for his speeding. He also recorded a speeding fine in June 2013. In a wide-ranging, end-of-year interview, Mr Watts also gave Mr Shorten his full support, despite a dire approval rating of 14 per cent last week. “There’s no doubt being Opposition leader
is the hardest job in Australia,” he said. “He [Shorten] is somebody who never shies away from a challenge. If you’d asked me after the last federal election if we could be where we are now … I think it’s been an extraordinary achievement.” Mr Shorten last week apologised after he was caught on camera using his phone while driving. The Labor leader was shown in an August 23 video holding his phone while driving at 40km/h along Kings Way. “I made a mistake. I take the matter seriously; it was wrong to do and there’s no good excuse so I won’t offer one. It’s wrong, and I’ve apologised,” he told a press conference.
“No one is above the law. The whole Labor Party has zero tolerance for wrongdoing – beyond that I can’t add any more.” The Labor leader said he did not remember why he was using his phone while he was behind the wheel but could not rule out that he was texting. The witness who recorded the footage said he decided to share the video after hearing that Mr Shorten last month crashed into a number of cars in North Carlton. Victoria Police issued Mr Shorten with a $218 fine over the North Carlton incident. He paid a $455 fine and lost four demerit points for using his mobile, and also donated to Road Trauma Support Services.
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