canberra citynews april 25

CityNews April 25 – May 1 1

2 CityNews April 25 – May 1


news

Shunned phone-help service faces the axe

AFTER more than 30 years supporting local parents and guardians, Parent-line ACT has been shut out of the com-munity services budget and may close down in a matter of months.

The service has struggled along with the help of volunteers since last December, when it lost an $800,000 ACT Government contract only nine months after winning it.

Manager Larissa Dann hopes a peti-tion to Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and the Minister for Children and Young People, Joy Burch, will lead to new core funding – about $300,000 a year – to continue the telephone coun-selling service. She says the phone line’s value lies in immediate, anony-mous and localised support, which helps families resolve issues before they become more extreme.

“Because it’s a unique service and we’ve done it for so long, because it’s for the community and it’s free, we would like to see our funding reinstated by the Government,” she says.

But according to the deputy director-general of the Community Services Directorate (CSD), Maureen Sheehan, that’s not likely.

“We need to be clear that all of the

funding in the Children, Youth and Family portfolio is allocated,” she states with finality.

Supporters are sad and angry at the imminent loss of what they see as a unique and valuable local service. So far, 811 people have signed the online petition and many have left compelling messages of support.

Maureen Sheehan does not agree Parentline is unique, and denies its closure would create a service gap.

“I know Parentline likes to say there’s no phone line for parents [if it closes], but that’s not true,” she says, arguing that the new Child, Youth and Family Services Gateway, run jointly by Banardos, the YWCA, Woden Com-munity Service and Belconnen Com-munity Service, performs the same role. But she concedes that genuine and ongoing counselling would “most likely” come from other service provid-ers via referral from the Gateway.

The Gateway has the same role Parentline was contracted for in 2012, known as the Information, Engage-ment and Coordination Service. It will have four employees when fully opera-tional, and is mainly a referral service, as the name implies. It closes at 6pm,

three hours earlier than Parentline did before their financial issues, and does not offer telephone counselling.

“The contract that we have [for the Gateway], which is the same that Paren-tline had, doesn’t actually specify the provision of telephone counselling as an activity,” explains Chris Redmond, director of Woden Community Ser-vice. At most, the Gateway’s staff will provide what he calls “accidental or incidental counselling”, and Sheehan

refers to as “initial counselling”.“In the new Child, Youth and Fam-

ily Services framework, telephone counselling wasn’t a component,” says Redmond. “It was what Parentline had done for a long time but that wasn’t re-quired under the new framework.”

When it was implemented in 2011, Larissa Dann says Parentline had “no choice” but to tender for a role within the new framework, or go without pub-lic funding.

“The activity for which we felt we were most suited was the new Informa-tion, Engagement and Coordination Service,” she explains.

Winning the contract meant Paren-tline had to change focus significantly and become the “one-stop shop” for all youth and family support services in the ACT. The core expertise it had developed over decades – telephone counselling – was now “one small part of what they needed to do”, in the words of Maureen Sheehan.

A complex series of accusations, con-tradictions, claims and counterclaims followed the contract termination, but the bottom line is there is no place for Parentline’s original, 30-year-old ser-vice within the new regime. If it contin-ues, it will be without the support of the ACT Government.

“We’re also, of course, looking at ad-ditional sources of funding, too; there are other philanthropic organisations which we can go towards to try and get some funding,” says Larissa Dann. “I think we’re a resilient organisation and we really want to continue, we think that we need to continue and we think that parents of Canberra really value us.”

To contact the Parentline ACT coun-selling service, call 6287 3833 between 9am and 5pm. The Parentline online petition is at change.org.

Supporters of imperilled phone-counselling service Parentline are sad and angry at the imminent loss of what they see as a unique and valuable local service. STEPHEN EASTON reports

Parentline manager, Larissa Dann... “Because it’s a unique service and we’ve done it for so long, because it’s for the community and it’s free, we would like to see our funding reinstated by the Government.” Photo by Brent McDonald.

Phone 6262 9100 / www.citynews.com.au / Since 1993: Volume 19, Number 14


news / cover story

New ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson has earned his stripes by being one of the most effective political irritants on the highly disciplined Liberal front bench. With outgoing

leader Zed Seselja surviving a messy pre-selection process for a Senate seat, former army officer Hanson now has a clear shot at the enemy. Can he take Labor? And, importantly, can he hold his team together until the 2016 poll? He thinks he can and tells LAURA EDWARDS why...

The officer still leads from the front

SMACK bang in the middle of ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson’s office is a framed guitar signed by Eric Clapton.

“I was at a charity auction, and the guy who was running it was a mate of mine,” Hanson says.

“I thought if I helped with the bid-ding I could up the price, but I ended up buying it – my wife was kicking me under the table, so now I have to keep it at work so she doesn’t see it!”

The new leader of the Canberra Liberals already looks right at home in his new position, after taking the reigns from Senate aspirant Zed Seselja in February.

Along with the Clapton guitar, the walls of Hanson’s new corner office bear photos of family and candid snaps of his army days, where he served for more than 20 years.

His military career included com-mand of an infantry parachute com-pany, peacekeeping, and command of the Australian Army Training Team.

He served in Malaysia, East Timor

and Iraq before switching to politics, where he was elected to the Legisla-tive Assembly in October 2008.

“I think having that army back-ground helped me in my [2008] cam-paign,” Hanson says.

“When people hear that, they instantly think of someone honest, disciplined and hardworking.”

Hanson says the skills he picked up in the military are “enormously” relevant in political leadership.

“You are trained to make sure your subordinates are capable of doing your job – if they can’t step up, you’ve failed – so that’s similar to my role now,” he says.

“If we, as a party, are working hard and seen as credible, I’ve done my job. It’s about looking after your mates, and looking after your team.”

Born in England in 1967, Hanson first came to Canberra in 1979 at age 13, when his father, an officer in Brit-ain’s Royal Air Force, worked on ex-change with Australia’s armed forces.

“We all loved it here so in 1983

we came back to Australia and my parents bought a farm in Gympie in Queensland,” he says.

Hanson attended schools in Queens-land before returning to Canberra in 1986 to join the army as officer in training at Duntroon; the beginning of his 22-year career.

In 2003 he met public servant Fleur Hughes, the upstairs neighbour in his Kingston apartment block.

The couple have been married eight years and have two sons, William, 14, from Hanson’s first marriage, and Robert, 6.

“The boys thought I was cooler when I was in the army,” jokes Hanson.

“They’re not really into politics just yet, although it does run in their blood.”

Hanson’s own interest in politics sparked at just 14 when he was in-spired to write a letter to then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

“Her secretary eventually sent me a

reply thanking me and I still keep that letter in my office. I joke about waiting for someone to send me a letter like that,” he says.

Becoming “part of a community” in Canberra prompted Hanson to run for local politics.

“I never really lived anywhere for a long period of time until I bought a house in Canberra and I really enjoyed being part of a community, so I wanted to get more involved and people kept telling me to run,” he says.

“Things haven’t changed that much since I became Leader, a few people have come up to shake my hand, but they still see me pushing a trolley in the supermarket on the weekend. Canberra politicians are so accessi-ble, and that’s a great thing.”

But now to that niggling question – does Hanson have what it takes to beat Chief Minister Katy Gallagher in the next election?

“I’m confident, I wouldn’t be here if

I wasn’t,” he says. “The vote we got [at the last elec-

tion], shows we can win. It’s a great platform to build on. Our challenge now is to get the majority of seats, and I’m confident we can.”

Hanson says the party won’t change their priorities just because there is a new leader.

“I don’t think the Liberal plan for Canberra changes with the leadership – mine is still the Liberal Party view,” he says.

“It’s not about what my agenda is, it’s about the party. I see myself as someone who leads that process, but everyone needs to feel like they’ve been part of the decision.

“We’ll evolve, but we are still fo-cused on getting out into the commu-nity, not losing that big country town feel Canberra has, and concentrating on better local services. And at the same time, we diversify. Absolutely, we’ll stick to that.”

Jeremy Hanson serving in Iraq.

Jeremy Hanson with his wife Fleur and his sons William and Robert.

ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson... “If we, as a party, are working hard and seen as credible, I’ve done my job. It’s about looking after your mates, and looking after your team.” Photo by Silas Brown


news / fashfest

When life starts to catch up

MUCH as one might want to embrace the notion of eternal youth, things just aren’t quite the same when you get into your 40s.

Levels of fitness vary a lot and, while genetics are important, one way or another, this is the time when things can start to catch up with you.

We expect a lot from our bodies and you can get away with a lot in your 20s and even well into your 30s. But by the time you hit your 40s things begin to change. Once you could party all night on a few hours’ sleep. Now a sleepless night, more likely caused by kids rather than festivities, takes a week to get over. Recovery from colds and flu and from injuries also seems to take longer than before.

There are also more day-to-day pressures, especially through the demands of family life. More often than not, you find yourself spinning the hamster wheel, especially as parents rightly focused on the needs of children and others, but neglecting one’s own health and wellbeing.

This can be a real trap, especially as you get older. No longer can you take good health and fitness for granted, but – for many of us – as we hit middle age and juggle the demands of family life, we often defer things such as visits to the doctor for medical check-ups, appointments with the dentist, physio or dietitian. All too easily, these things end up at the bottom of a long to-do list, always on the agenda for next week or next month.

So, it was a good thing last week when my husband and I got a letter from the Federal Department of Human Services that, in marvellous bureaucratic language, gently reminded us to have a health check-up. It wasn’t anything personal. The Department had obviously been data mining and we presumably now fit a particular age group and demographic.

But prevention is better than cure. Making time for doctors’ appointments, other check-ups, winter flu shots, exercise and a good diet gets all the more important as one slides into middle age.

While you can’t stop ageing, you can take the time to keep things running smoothly without too many unexpected dramas.

It’s said the 40s are the new 30s and women are like fine wine,

getting better with age. Sounds like marketing talk to SONYA FLADUN and she’s not buying it!

From the catwalk to the closetDesigner clothes look great on the runway, but how do they transcend into everyday wear?

Fashion writer LAURA EDWARDS test-drives outfits from three emerging local designers featuring in next month’s Fashfest.

Gabrielle Everitt MY first thought when I slipped on this outfit was how comfortable it was. No wonder – the lightweight maxi dress is made from bamboo and the blazer from hemp and cotton, meaning both were super easy to move around in.

The hemline of the dress fell to a flattering length – long enough to be classified as a maxi, but short enough to show off shoes – and though it was casual, the lace overlay added rustic charm and kept it from being too simple. The pinstripe blazer smartened up the look, but linked to the dress with its lace trim at the sleeves.

I’d wear: With jewelled thongs or sandals out to lunch with friends, or with heels to work for casual Friday. I’d team the dress with a slim white belt to cinch the waist.

gabriellee-veritt.com.au/

Jenifer AnielaTHIS bright, feminine dress instantly made me stand a little taller when I slid it on. The high slit on the side created a dramatic effect, making me almost feel like a celebrity on the red carpet (hello, Angelina). The deli-cate layering at the front was flattering, hiding any lumps and bumps. As this dress is strapless, it’s a bit fiddly for the bigger busted among us, so decent, supportive undergarments go a long way with this kind of frock. I must admit that, once it was on, I didn’t really want to take it off. It’s the type of dress that makes its wearer feel pretty special.

I’d wear: To a black-tie ball or a wedding – either with heels for a formal wedding or flats for a beachy, destina-tion wedding.

jeniferaniela.com/

Sovata I FELT a little like a Spanish dancer in this outfit and had to resist the urge to twirl around and do the flamenco. You wouldn’t know it, but this is actually a dress (left) with a skirt on top. The skirt was without a zip so it could have used one to make the fit a bit tighter, but it still held up fine. The colours were a lot of fun and I just loved the frill detail at the top of the dress.

The off-the-shoulder sleeve added extra-shmooze, and although it was snug, the dress was super-comfortable. This is an outfit to wear if you want to stand out from the crowd.

I’d wear: To the races with a bright fascinator. The dress would be an extremely versatile piece to wear to work, drinks or dinner.

fash-fest.com.au

Laura’s hair styled by Wayne Friend at Form Haircutters, Kingston. Photos by Brent McDonald


news

Story to make teen heads hurt!sport

briefly

Why sport needs to walk the talk

THE three major Centenary sports events staged so far in the Centenary year – the women’s golf, the one-day cricket, and the rugby league test – have shown that Canberrans will turn out on mass.

The women golfers were incredibly accessible and more than willing to promote the event and their sport.

Every player approached gave of their time and there were no player managers running interference. In fact, this is the same for the majority of sportswomen who don’t appear to be burdened by ego, many of whom have nine-to-five jobs and kids as well as a sporting career.

They realise the media plays a significant role in promoting their sport. It is not always that way with sportsmen.

The Australian Rugby League players couldn’t have done more to promote the Anzac Test with mass-interview sessions and a sign-ing session which saw thousands turn out at Commonwealth Park. This not only promoted the test but the code itself in a region that has developed into a highly competitive market, particularly with the introduction of GWS.

I have been a sports commentator in Canber-ra for 25 years and there have been times when sports have bent over backwards to promote their codes; there have been other times when you are made to feel unwelcome.

The Raiders have lifted their game this sea-son with as many as nine players and coach Dave Furner available through the week in the lead up to a game.

This is the result of a directive from the NRL to allow more access to the media. Many would see this as a direct response to the threat posed by the AFL.

The AFL has a 100-strong media department in Melbourne that effectively runs a news ser-vice. In my role, I can testify how proactive they are in this region in engaging the media.

I think the Brumbies and rugby union need to do more. Back in the days when the side was rid-ing high with crowds in excess of 20,000, there were no media restrictions. If you went to train-ing you were able to speak with whomever you wanted on a daily basis. As such, the profile of the players and the team was at an all-time high.

The current Brumbies’ side deserves to be playing in front of crowds in excess of 20,000 at Canberra Stadium. They play with a team spirit reminiscent of the golden days, but player ac-cess is limited and, as a result, the profile of the team and the players is not high.

Some supporters have told me they don’t know when the games are on because of the lack of media coverage.

It’s a “no brainer”: improve access to players, you’ll get big crowds to watch the team play at Canberra Stadium.

In North America, a market congested with major sport, on game days, all NBA players and coaches are available at the pre-game shoot around. Then 45 minutes before the game, the dressing rooms are opened to allow media ac-cess to all players and coaches. The dressing room is open to the media after the game with players prohibited from leaving until they have completed their media obligations.

In the NFL, teams open their dressing rooms to media access of all players and coaches on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a Sunday game. Coaches must be available after each training session as well.

It’s fair to say, in Australia – and Canberra in particular – we have a long way to go.

Bouquets to the Raiders for talking more to the media this year, but brickbats to the uptight and out of

sight Brumbies, says TIM GAVEL

Food and fashion

CANBERRA will be the fashionable place to be seen over the first week of May with FashFest running and on May 4 the one-day Handmade Fashion & Food Market will be held at the Na-tional Convention Centre, 10am-4pm, featuring more than 100 designers and food stalls. Entry is free although a donation to Bosom Buddies on the day will be appreciated. Major sponsor for the event is Material Pleasures.

Charity screeeningSARAH Pedley is hosting a charity screening of “Iron Man 3”, at Manuka Capitol 6, 6.30pm, Wednesday, May 1 in aid of Alzheimer’s Australia and in memory of two of her grandparents, who were affected by the disease. Tickets, $20 at the box office, include popcorn and a drink.

Art boostLEN Glare, president of the Rotary Club of Belconnen presents senior curator Roger Butler with $3000 from its Jamison Trash and Treasure Market to support the National Gallery’s Rotary Collection of Art by emerging, young Austral-ians. The club has supported the 50-piece collection annually since it set it up in 1986. The collection acquires works by unknown artists, which are then displayed at the ANG, allowing the artist to add the gallery to his or her CV.

SCIENTISTS in 1953 estimated that 98 per cent of the atoms in the human body are replaced every year. In the same vein, biologist Jonas Frisen estimated in 2005 that most of the cells in your body are under 10 years old, regardless of your age.

The question is, are you still the same person once all the chemical and biological building blocks of your body have been replaced?

“There is no answer,” says Mike McRae, who has bravely explored this paradox in a new book for teenagers. While he agrees that most of us believe we are always the same person, he points out the answer really depends on how you define “the same”.

Co-written by Tom Dullemond, “The Ma-chine Who Was Also a Boy” is the first in three stories that aim to introduce young readers aged 10-14 to philosophical concepts that give a lot of adults a headache.

“We feel that’s an age that kids like stories, but they’re also starting to think in slightly ab-stract ways and they can enjoy thinking about paradoxes and problems,” says Mike. “What does it mean to be right and wrong? If I go to school and get told I’m wrong about something, but I kind of know I’m right, too, what does that mean? Kids are starting to challenge all these things around that age.”

The books follow Pandora, a teenage girl who lives in a “slightly quirky world” and ponders various confusing problems. In “The Machine Who Was Also a Boy”, she realises that what

is “true” and “untrue” is sometimes subject to change. She meets a robot boy and, without giving too much away, begins to wonder about her own identity.

The central paradox of the book was first pre-sented by the Ancient Greek philosopher Plu-tarch, who told the story of Theseus’ warship.

“Theseus comes back from the war, and his ship is put in a museum but over time, bits and pieces of it wear out,” explains Mike. “So they take off a plank here or there because it’s rotting, but they put another plank there, and people keep coming to see Theseus’ ship.”

Eventually, none of the ship’s original parts remain, but people keep coming to see it in the museum. Philosophers are divided; some argue it is logically no longer the same ship, while others say it is, that its identity transcends the physical parts.

“It gets complicated when you start thinking about it,” Mike concedes, but he insists the con-cept is necessary for students to understand.

“We don’t go through life and question every little thing down to the minor details, but there are points when it’s important that we do stop and ask, ‘When you say this is true, what do you actually mean?’. That’s where philosophy goes from being this abstract system of sitting around navel gazing, and becomes an essential tool for everyday life.”

In the second book, Pandora ponders con-

sciousness and the human mind while the third story will use maths and logic to tie the whole series together.

“The Machine Who Was Also a Boy” can be ordered from pandorasparadoxes.com

Stephen Easton reports

Author Mike McRae... “When you say this is true, what do you actually mean?” Photo by Brent McDonald


news

Relaxed Adrian rolls with the punches

LYNEHAM High student Adrian Farquhar turns 15 in May, but the young boxer is already looking ahead to the birthday after that.

“Next year I’ll be 16, so I’ll be able to go to the Commonwealth Games if I win at Nationals,” he says quietly, confirming he is talking about beating men aged up to 32, in the 46-49kg light flyweight division.

Adrian speaks with nonchalance, even for a teenager, shrugging as he slowly and delib-erately wraps his hands before a three-hour training session, one of six he puts in every week at Stockade gym in Dickson.

“Getting to the Olympics is one of my main goals, so I’ll probably keep boxing for a while,” he says with quiet assurance.

These are big dreams, especially for some-one who only took up the fight game about 18 months ago, but there are several reasons to think they could well come true.

First, his record of 10 wins from 11 fights can’t be ignored, and neither can the Australian un-der-16 title he won in February. A gifted athlete, Adrian was already competing at the top of his age group in various running events before he took up boxing. And he’s always known how to throw a punch, having practiced Kempo Karate since just after he learned to walk, taught by his father, Bobby, a former world champion who has run courses for the Army, Navy, Air Force and SAS.

“I always enjoyed martial arts, but I mostly went in it for my running, because the other boys were so much bigger than me and we thought boxing might help with my strength, for sprinting,” Adrian explains.

As he found out, the strict weight divisions in

boxing actually mean taller, slimmer fighters are often more successful.

“He’s blessed; he was born for the sport,” says Bobby, referring to Adrian’s height and “phenomenally long” reach, compared to his weight. A quiet, unaggressive demeanor is another of his son’s most valuable assets, he suggests.

“Look, he’s not an aggressive boy; he’s a very quiet boy,” says Bobby. “And because he’s not aggressive, he’s not really a ‘fighter’. He’s a boxer, so he uses his skills in boxing.”

Bobby sees amateur boxing as an artform where the aim, like fencing, is to “score without being scored against”. Of course, losing a point in boxing often means getting punched in the head, so does it hurt?

“Not really,” says Adrian, “because you’ve got headgear on and you’ve got other protec-tion, so it’s not too bad. And you’ve got a referee, so if anything gets too bad, the ref will stop it.”

Adrian’s Australian under-16 title qualifies him for the AIBA Junior World Champion-ships, being held this August in Kiev, Ukraine. Unfortunately, Boxing Australia only has funding to help seven boxers out of 13 divisions with the cost of the trip and, due to his lim-ited experience, Adrian isn’t one of them. That means he and Bobby are looking for sponsors and fundraising opportunities to help him get to Ukraine in four months and represent Aus-tralia for the first time.

“I think I have a good chance of going well over there,” Adrian says. “I’m just going to rely on my technique and stay relaxed.”

For more information on supporting Adrian, go to adrianfarquhar.com

Reporter STEPHEN EASTON meets a 14-year-old national boxing champion who already has his eyes on the Junior World Championships, in the Ukraine in August, but needs a hand to get there

Champion under-16 boxer Adrian Farquhar... “Because he’s not aggressive, he’s not really a ‘fighter’. He’s a boxer, so he uses his skills in boxing,” says father Bobby. Photo by Silas Brown


politics

THE Gillard Labor Government has announced it will cut $2.8 billion from universities, their staff and students to fund a slight increase in school funding.

The $2.8 billion will come from staff through $900 million in an “efficiency” dividend – oh, dear, sweet Orwell – which really means doing more with less.

Students will pay through turning the start-up grant for poor students for books and equipment into a loan and “saving” $1.2 billion, abolishing the discount for paying HECS upfront ($320 mil-lion). There will be a further saving of $530 mil-lion from capping self-education tax deductions at $2000.

The money is there to pay for better school education, and much better than Labor’s current offering. Labor could tax the rich to properly fund public education in Australia from pre-school to university. Tax the mining companies, the rich superannuants and the banks. Labor could (shock, horror) even impose a wealth tax on the top 20 per cent – those who own 62 per cent of Australia’s wealth, or $4 trillion. A one per cent wealth tax on these people would yield $40 billion a year.

Employers benefit the most from an educated workforce. Let them pay for our education, not staff and students at university.

The cuts will be borne by uni workers and students. For workers it will mean longer hours, more students and older infrastructure. For students it will be less choice of subjects, less access to teaching and other workers and fewer

services from the university. There will also be an increase in casualisation and the exploitation of already precarious workers.

The Government is effectively further com-modifying higher education. As one vice-chan-cellor said, we will respond by increasing our reliance on the market, not government. This means too that “unprofitable” courses will go.

It also means, as another vice-chancellor said, that the cuts will impact on the current round of enterprise agreements. In other words, they’ll try to take it out of the hide of workers in the sec-tor through lower pay increases and longer hours (as if uni workers don’t already work long hours). The consequence of these cuts is that the student experience will be worsened even further.

One billion of the Gonski funding will go to rich private schools. Presumably more tennis courts at Grammar are a higher priority for La-bor than adequate lecture theatres at university.

The time has come to defend higher education. ANU students are organising a rally in defence of higher education on May 1 starting in Union Court at the ANU at lunchtime and marching to the office of local Labor member Andrew Leigh.

All those in the higher education sector in the Territory and indeed anyone concerned about the ongoing attacks on universities should at-tend to show your anger with Labor’s cuts.

John Passant is a graduate teaching fellow and PhD student at the ANU. He is a member of the National Tertiary Education Union. The views expressed are his own.

It’s time to get angryANU students are organising a public rally in defence of higher education on May 1. Here JOHN PASSANT argues why anyone concerned about the ongoing attacks on universities should attend ‘to show your anger with Labor’s cuts’

Facing a future of cutting throats?WILL Abbott govern like Thatcher? Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has demoted one of his senior policy staffers after the “throat-cutting” threat regarding funding to an indigenous foundation providing scholarships to assist Aboriginal children at high school.

Abbott responded quickly arguing that the behaviour “was completely unacceptable”. However, this gaffe provides another indi-cation of the approach that a conservative government is likely to take if elected on Sep-tember 14.

Australian conservatives regularly sing the praises of the “Iron Lady”, Maggie Thatcher, and the role she played in bringing a dysfunc-tional UK into the modern world as a power-ful, vibrant economy. The constant media appearances of Tony Abbott in cycling and swimming gear may paint him as an iron man, but he would do well to distance himself from Thatcherism.

Listening to Abbott and his shadow treas-urer, Joe Hockey, it is hard to believe that Thatcher’s Britain was entirely different from today’s Australia. But it is! Australia has a vibrant economy. The unions do not bear any similarity to those of the 1970s in the UK with their bloody-mindedness in protecting unsus-tainable jobs and constant strikes that were crippling the country. Although these were issues that Thatcher was dealing with when she came to power and took on the unions in a confrontational battle, it is certainly not neces-sary in Australia.

Despite the global financial crisis, Australi-an government income in 2012 was around $361 billion per annum with interest repayment on debt around $12 billion. To understand this in layman’s terms, as explained in one blog, “if you earn $361/week and your housing loan interest payments were $12/week would you consider you had a problem?” And yet, day

after day, Abbott and Hockey argue Australia is in financial crisis.

It’s not just Abbott – Labor is contributing with the Gillard Government’s bloody-minded attempts to rush the Budget back into surplus. It has set bringing the economy back into an immediate surplus as a measure of good finan-cial management. And this has come back to bite it!

The economy did need a stimulus during the global financial crisis that required some borrowing. It is now appropriate that the gov-ernment brings the Budget back towards a sur-plus. Even though there are sound arguments for borrowing to share intergenerational re-sponsibility for our shared infrastructure, by planning for a Budget surplus in the long term Australia will be protected from the woes that have beset European Community countries such as Greece and Cyprus.

The price of Prime Minister Thatcher bring-ing the UK out of the economic doldrums was the growing disparity between the rich and the poor.

The World Economic Forum rated inequality in income as one of the key risk factors in its “Global Risk 2013 Report”.

Perhaps Tony Abbott and his conservative coalition do have policies to protect the most vulnerable. Perhaps they will pursue the Aus-tralian ideal of a “fair go”. Let’s hope so!

However, until they begin to release their policies, the slash-and-burn statements of peo-ple such as Joe Hockey, the slip-ups from his own staffers and the modelling of the conserva-tive approach in places such as Queensland are the only indications of the sort of government that is on the horizon.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

Michael Moorecomments

dose of dorin


news briefly

BUYING plants online takes a lot of trust, says horticulturists Luke and Sally Veikkanen, but their new online nursery The Plant Web is already attracting interest and, as they aim to be around for a long time, they say they’ll happily take their time building up their reputation.

“We’ve had a few requests from people say-ing, ‘Are you seriously just online or can we come and have a look?’,” says Sally. “We are just online, but we have a stall at the Old Bus Depot markets, where people can come and see our plants for themselves.

“We guarantee our plants are disease and pest-free, and grown here in Canberra, but at this stage new clients don’t know what they’re getting and we know it will take time to get that trust.”

Luke says that The Plant Web grows its own plants in Canberra for Canberra, deliv-ered in their own van.

“It’s a key selling point for us,” he says. “Our plants have a head start because they’re grown here, and we know they’ll tolerate the climate.”

Located on Sally’s parents’ property in Narrabundah, the 29-year-old couple jug-gle the nursery with their landscaping and

garden maintenance business, Green Bean Horticulture, and their 16-month-old son Hector.

“Sally works part time, and we make it work by designating roles – she does more in the office these days,” Luke says of working and living together.

“The nursery lifestyle is hard to beat, although it can be hard to make a crust. It’s challenging, the highs are higher and the lows are lower.

“We’re confident there is a market, it’s just a matter of gaining the trust, brand recognition and reputation.”

The Plant Web sells ground covers, large and small shrubs, trees, grasses and climb-

ers, ideal for the modern, smaller backyard, says Sally.

“We have plants that aren’t going to over-crowd the garden. The idea is that you could have a brand-new garden with nothing in it, and fill it from our website,” she says.

Aimed at people who want to get started in the garden rather than spending the week-end shopping, Sally says the nursery will suit time-poor Canberrans.

“There will always be people who love to go and browse nurseries on the weekend, but that’s not our market,” she says.

“With us, you can do your research during the week, get everything delivered by Friday and get busy on the weekend.”

Kathryn Vukovljakreports

Luke and Sally Veikkanen... “We’re confident there is a market, it’s just a matter of gaining the trust, brand recognition and reputation.” Photo by Brent McDonald.

Plants find a way from the cloud Grey moves

FORMER Austrade CEO and career diplomat, Peter Grey, has joined the Centre for Strategy and Governance, an independent network of former senior APS executives who offer high-level strategic advice, and serve on corporate, statutory and not-for-profit boards. Centre convenor Russell Miller said Grey brought “a wealth of experience in overseas markets that is very relevant to Australia in the Asian Century.”

Hard (floor) loveSAFE Shelter, a project helping homeless men, aims to open inner-Canberra church halls one night each week and is looking to train volunteers, who will be rostered each week to run the overnight accommodation for up to eight homeless men. A pilot program starts on Wednesday nights at St Columba’s Uniting Church, Braddon, from early May until late September. Volunteers will be expected to sleep one night each month on the floor in the halls with the guests. Interested? Email [email protected]

Blanket runTHE Motorcycle Riders Association of the ACT is organising its annual Blanket Run, for those in need of support over the winter months, on Saturday, May 11 from Old Parliament House at 10am to the National Carillon. The run has been an annual event for more than 30 years. This year it is in support of the Salvation Army and participants are asked to bring new, warm blankets, cash and non-perishable foods. More information at mraact.org.au/ or call 0409 984008.

Ticket winnersWINNERS to see “Operamania” were F Rayns, Yarralumla; C Mahe, Campbell and R Lucas, Bruce.


Canberra Confidential Know something? / [email protected]

HmmmsNEWS to us... aspiring Liberal senator and lingering MLA Zed Seselja was de-scribed as the “government speaker” for the Barnardos Australia’s ACT Mother of the Year Awards.

WE think MIX 106.3 content director, Drew Chapman, has been watching too much basketball. Announc-ing his station’s Anzac Day broadcast, he writes that the Dawn Service is important in the ACT especially with so much of the “Defense Force” community based here.

MELANIE Tait tweets that she’s sitting in 666’s Alex Sloan’s afternoon spot for the week and, within the minute, 2CC’s ever-watchful breakfast announcer Mark Parton sweetly replies: “Have fun. I know you will”.

LEGENDARY Zeffirelli’s res-taurant is closing in Dickson and Artespresso in Kingston was closed Friday and over the weekend due to unforeseen circumstances, says a note on the door.

Jeremy’s teen feelings for the Iron LadyPRIDE of place in new ACT Liberal Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson’s corner office is a framed, signed photo of the recently passed UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Instead of dribbling over Bo Derek or Dolly Parton, our British-born Jeremy sent a swooning letter to the “Iron Lady” at age 14. “I can’t remember what I said exactly, but I really respected how tough she was, to turn England around when it was going through crisis,” he purred to sharp-eyed “CityNews” reporter Laura Edwards.“Her secretary eventually sent me a reply thanking me and I still keep that letter in my office.” Ah, puppy lurve.

Dead chandelier

WHO is the well-known local when, traversing the stairs, dragged a fancy $40,000 chandelier from its moorings to the floor at the refurbished National Press Club space? CC hears that when tracked down and confronted, he offered to pay for the irreparable new light fitting on the basis he remain anonymous.

Ankara movementCANBERRA’S Mr Music Festival, Chris Latham, is also director of the “Symphony Gallipoli”, which takes him annually (since 2005, except for 2006) to the Oz embassy in Ankara to conduct movements of the develop-ing symphonic work. This year it was the 8th movement, “The August Offensive”, composed by Andrew Schulze, who did the Centenary symphony here in March. He then has to leg it back to put the finishing touches on next month’s Canberra International Music Festival.

Funnest work“THE funnest and best PR job in Can-berra is up for grabs again. If you know anyone who is awesome enough, please ask them to apply,” writes Canberra Theatre Centre marketing chief Ricky Bryan in a wide-reaching,

all-points email, doubtless aimed at depriving “The Canberra Times” of recruitment revenue. Mel Goss, who has been in the job for a couple of years, is leaving the theatre on May 2 for a PR job in TAMS. “For our interstate performing arts peeps,” he writes, “we are small enough for an enthusiastic person to really make a difference but large enough to be able to give people rewarding campaigns to work on.“Plus, you get to work with me! (hmmm not sure if that’s a carrot or not!!).” You really want us to tell you, Ricky?

Hungry voice RADIO announcer Mariam Maz Hakim, who has an Afghan background, is having to get by on $2 a day. It’s not an austerity move by 104.7. She’s chosen to take the Oaktree Foundation’s five-day Live Below the Line challenge, which gives participants a taste of how 1.4 billion people around the world living in extreme poverty have to get by. “Working in radio means you have to be bright and bubbly everyday,” she bubbles. “Coffee usually helps with that! It’s going to be interesting giving everything up for a week.”Donations tolivebelowtheline.com.au/me/mazh

Step into the strange art of shoeingGOODBYE planking, Batmanning and all those other hypes – Dutch come-dian Jeffrey van den Berg has just launched a website – shoeingpictures.com – in support of his idea, shoeing. How does it work? Take at least one pair of shoes and simulate the idea that the rest of your body is behind or inside an object and take and upload

a picture.“I saw a pair of shoes of a colleague under a desk, that’s it. The picture gave me a cartoonish feel: like my colleague suddenly had disappeared, all there was were the two shoes,” says van den Berg.The Dutchman is also thinking about a sequel to shoeing – gloving.

Negatives to positivesWE don’t want to appear negative, but is this all these people have to do? The pointy heads at the Australian Education and Leadership Centre have launched its “One Day of Positivity” campaign, loftily aimed at bringing positivity back into everyday life – perfectly timed for the midst of the grinding Federal election campaign!

They say that on August 27 par-ticipants will (we say, miraculously) eschew the negativity permeating politics, industry, media and com-munities and commit to speaking and acting in a constructive and positive manner for 24 hours.

More information atonedayofpositivity.com

Teen fan... Jeremy with his photo of the Iron Lady.


scene IF YOU’RE FACING A CRIMIMAL MATTER, ENSURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT REPRESENTATION.

At the ‘Indonesian Women’s Profiles & Achievements’ exhibition Benchmark Wine Bar 10-year anniversary, Civic

Cal McGuirk, Amanda Mitchener, Angela Phillips, Betsy Phillips, Risa Bhinekawati and John Phillips Conny Koenderink, Norma Scully and Helen Michel

Claudine Kloetzli, Simona Sorgi, Barbara Jansson and Nicole TuckerGillian Kenny, Sharon Traucki, Silai Zaki and Fiona Zhang

Neni lesmama and Anti Iqbal Dewi Wahjudati and Hanggrio Setiabudi Mia Collins and Ingrid Moses Janet Facey and Glen WilliamsTasso Rovolis, Helen Burge, Jim Rovolis, Grant Burge and Klaus Czoban

Martin Smith with Kylie and John Poulton

Alistair and Karen Green with Nerida Gibb, Peter Jalowenko and Joanne and John Ramadge Emma and Daniel Hayman

Phil and Sue Arcidiacono with Jocelyn and Dennis Katavic


sceneTrans-Tasman Test charity dinner, Parliament House

Ian Paterson, Craig Johnston, with Lindsey and Stephen Davie and Andrew Sikorski

Dianne and Michael Pratt with Debbie Rolfe and Julie Cooper

Anthony Court and Bill Hanlon

Hani and Gehan SidarosPaul and Sharon Powderly with Martin Milin

Ray Atkin, Nick Sager and Stacey Carter

Lisa Connors and Brent Hooley Janny, Nicola and Hugh Poate


beautiful you

Beauty and the many waysEveryone can be beautiful. From decadent massages and fantastic hairstyles to removing unwanted hair and skin aberrations, “CityNews” looks at some of Canberra’s best beauty treatments.

Smooth, soft and radiantONE of Sibu Beauty’s signature treatments – the Pure Fiji Body Polish – happens to be the perfect Mother’s Day gift, says owner Elissa Michel.

“We begin by drizzling warm Pure Fiji Coconut Milk over the body and then follow with an invigorating exfoliation using the Pure Fiji Coconut Sugar Rub,” says Elissa.

“The combination of the naturally active alpha-hydroxy acids found in the sugar crystals mixed with the nourishing blend of exotic nut oils is a match made in heaven.

“After a warm, refreshing shower we complete the treatment with a luxurious full body massage using Pure Fiji Body Butter. This treatment leaves you feeling smooth, soft and in a heavenly state of relaxation.”

Just for Mother’s Day, Sibu Beauty have put together an amazing package – including the fabulous Pure Fiji Body Polish and nourishing hair and scalp treatment.

“This package pampers mum from top to toe and she will leave looking and feeling radiant and rejuvenated,” says Elissa.

“Plus, at the end of the treatment, mum will receive a gorgeous Dermalogica skincare gift with purchase.”

The treatments are normally valued at $170, but for

Mother’s Day Sibu Beauty is offering the package for $150.

Sibu Beauty specialises in facial treatments, body treatments, massage, manicures and pedicures, waxing and tinting, spray tanning, professional make-up, eyelash extensions, and ear piercing.

Sibu Beauty, Unit 27, Nicholls shops, 64 Kelleway Avenue, Nicholls. Call 6241 4115.

Relaxed and pamperedSITUATED at the Forde shopping centre, Blaq Hair and Beauty aims to make its clients feel relaxed and pampered from the moment they step in, says salon director Cassie Blacker.

Blaq offers styling, cutting, colouring, extensions and a wide range of spa treatments for the hair and scalp as well as spray tanning.

The Blaq team comes with more than 30 years’ combined experience in the hairdressing industry within Canberra, interstate and internationally, says Cassie.

“I love driving my team to strive to be the best stylists they can be,” Cassie says.

“The team is extremely passionate and dedicated to creating beautiful hair. We have a love for what we do, and excitement, energy and confidence to make you feel uplifted and inspired.

“We create the ideal hairstyle for you by custom formulating the perfect shade to complement your look and lifestyle.”

Blaq Hair and Beauty, Forde shopping centre, Francis Forde Boulevard. Call 6162 0442.

Clear signs of successSUZIE Hoitink founded Clear Complexions Clinics on the principle that health experts know more about beautiful skin than makeup manufacturers.

“We’re definitely focused on skin health because at the end of the day, healthy skin is beautiful skin,” she says. “And it’s not only about now, but also looking forward at how we’re going to maintain that skin health into the future.”

Suzie has just come back from a busy week as the most prolific speaker at Australia’s biggest cosmetic medicine conference, Cosmetex 2013. She was first introduced to skin treatments while working as a registered nurse, and was inspired to learn everything she could about the field. Staying true to her health-care background, she makes sure all Clear Complexions procedures are performed by qualified nurses or doctors.

“We help clients put a plan together so they know what is right for their skin and what isn’t right, and they stop wasting money on products that aren’t for them,” says Suzie.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there for consumers about what they should or shouldn’t be doing, and coming in and having a chat with our nurses is a good way to clear up a lot of that confusion so, at the end of the day, they spend their time and money more wisely.”

The first and most important step is an initial consultation where a nurse uses digital imaging tools to examine the client and suggest a personalised treatment program.

There’s no obligation to go ahead with the program, but at the very least, Suzie says, the consultation gives the client “a fantastic education about their skin”.

Clear Complexions. Corner of Thynne and Watkin Streets, Bruce, call 6251 8889; Unit 1, 43 Comrie Street, Erindale, call 6231 0003; 30 Hibberson Street, Gungahlin, call 6241 7660.


/ advertising feature

of making the most of itEscape the stressBODY Beauty Therapy offers a complete range of professional treatments in a relaxed, personalised setting, says founder Alix Slobodian.

She says the boutique salon has tried to create an environment where “you will be able to slip away from the stresses of the outside world, if only for a short while”.

Alix keeps training to make sure she offers the latest techniques and treatments, which she can modify to suit the needs of different individuals.

As a make-up artist, she specialises in creating vintage glamour for would-be pin-up girls, as well as making sure brides look their best on the big day.

Along with services such as eyelash extensions, spray tanning and brow tinting, Body Beauty Therapy also offers massage, manicures and pedicures.

For her facials, Alix uses products from Italian skincare company Bioline-Jato. She says they have a huge range of products that work well on different skin types, which means she can find the right one and be sure of good results for all kinds of different skin problems.

“Our business is built from personal recommendations, we take time and care for all treatments so you will never feel rushed out the door,” she says.

Body Beauty Therapy, Shop 2, Carleton Street shopping centre, Kambah. Call 6231 5757.

LUMPS and Bumps Clinic offers laser treatments to reduce the appearance of blemishes large and small, from burns and other scars to the symptoms of skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, melasma and vitiligo.

Previously known as Canberra Laser Bio-Therapy Clinic, Lumps and Bumps was founded by laser biotherapist Sarah Glavinic and general practitioner Dr Nathem Al-naser. It was the first of its kind in the ACT to offer a way of removing skin lesions using laser technology.

“The traditional methods are either cutting or freezing,” Sarah says, explaining the process works even to get rid of bulky blemishes that are raised off the skin.

“The green and yellow light from the Dual Yellow laser is absorbed by the tissue, removing

the bulky lesion permanently without causing any bleeding.”

She says the laser’s combination of two different wavelengths – the green and yellow light – allows it to get particularly good results.

Dr Al-naser is an expert in Botox injections and skin-cancer surgery, and if cosmetic surgery is of interest, clients can consult Dr Jassim Daood.

Lumps and Bumps Clinic also offers light-based treatments for musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, RSI and sports injuries, as well as microdermabrasion, LED therapy and laser hair removal. An initial consultation is free of charge.

Lumps and Bumps Clinic. Shop 103b, Westfield Belconnen. Call 6251 6884.

Laser for blemishes large and small


THE familiar faces of Canberra – from politicians to window washers – have been captured in a new exhibition by local artist Barbara van der Linden.

Thirty portraits using charcoal and acrylic paint, will be on display in the “Faces of Canberra” exhibition at Griffith’s M16 Gallery next month.

Barbara says the exhibition has been three years in the making, intended to launch this year as part of the Centenary program.

“I wanted to shine a light on the characters and identities who make this such an interesting and unique place to live,” she says.

“Generally for me, I meet a lot of artists in the world I’m in, but I really wanted to get out into the community and hear other people’s stories, so I asked the community to nominate people to be part of this.”

The response she received was diverse: the “faces” in the exhibition range from local journalists, politicians, volunteers, to well-known hairdressers.

Each portrait took Barbara around 30 hours to complete.

“Usually, I’d ask them to sit there for as long as

they can, but often I’d use a photo and draw from there,” she says.

Starting with a blank canvas, Barbara says she adds layers to “build a life story” based on what she sees in the face of the sitter.

“I add to the portrait my own life’s experiences and accumulated artistic knowledge,” she says.

“I hope people can come away with a truer picture of who that person is.”

Each portrait has had its own individual unveiling before the exhibition, which Barbara describes as “a mini ‘This is Your Life’” celebration with the subject’s family and friends.

“The idea of having an official unveiling of each portrait as it was completed has been very rewarding, providing an opportunity to celebrate each portrait subject and to tell them what they mean to their community – it was a chance to say ‘thank you’,” she says.

“Most people are shy or worried about how they’ll look, but most are really pleased. I think

they’re very brave to do this... I wouldn’t want to be painted. But I try to paint them how they see themselves.”

Some of Barbara’s favourite “faces” include dedicated Salvation Army volunteer Alan Jessop, who is often seen collecting money at the Canberra Centre, and Northbourne Avenue window washer Ian Stokes, who has a touching story surrounding his portrait.

“His sister was sent a newspaper clipping of his portrait opening and contacted us here at the studio, asking about him,” Barbara says.

“She said she’d lost touch with him over the years, and couldn’t find him. She didn’t even know he was here. They came down to see his portrait and reconnect with him again... it was such a wonderful moment.”

“Faces of Canberra”, May 9-26, M16 Gallery, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith. The “Faces of Canberra” book will also be available at the exhibition for $30.

arts & entertainment Dougal MacdonaldGlaciers, the cold truth

Capturing familiar faces of CanberraLAURA EDWARDS meets a local artist who is “shining a light” on the characters and identities who make Canberra unique

Artist Barbara van der Linden... “Most people are shy or worried about how they’ll look, but most are really pleased.” Photo by Brent McDonald

Former Chief Minister Jon Stanhope. Salvo Alan Jessop. Coralie Wood and Charles Oliver. Window washer Ian Stokes.

‘Hooked’ pianist with the silent touchBy Helen Musa

WHEREVER you go these days in Canberra’s music scene, you seem to run into Elaine Brennan Loebenstein.

A fiery Irishwoman with a useful sense of humour, she’s a classically trained pianist with a penchant for performing music to film footage.

“CityNews” has been taking notice, as we did last year when she appeared in the National Gallery’s Fairfax Theatre performing music to paintings by Sidney Nolan.

Last year we also saw her performing at the launch of the Centenary of Canberra and at the Bloom Music Festival. This year, she’s performed for the National Museum’s “Glorious Days,” at the Spiegel Garden with NZ diplomat/soprano Joanna Heslop, in the foy-ers of the Sydney Opera House accompanying film from the National Film and Sound Archive and at Wesley Music Centre with violinist Lauren Davis.

Arriving here in late 2011 as the new wife of Michael Loebenstein, the media-savvy CEO of the National Film and Sound Archive, she’s leapt into our arts community boots and all, but as she explains: “I’ve had to jump through a lot of hoops to be employed at the NFSA.”

No apologies though – “just come and see me play and see if I’m up to it,” she challenges.

Of her time in Canberra, Loebenstein says: “It’s been a baptism of fire in many ways.

“I came at a very interesting juncture in terms of the musical life of Canberra… but what can you do?... I decided I needed to carve my own niche.”

So how do you get to be an expert in improvisation to film?

She reminds me that up until around 1900, classical improvisation formed a part of every musician’s skillset, Chopin and Mozart come to mind.

For Loebenstein, it wasn’t a huge leap. Coming from rural Ireland, she had started learning works largely by ear. But at age 17 she went to music school in Dublin, where “the teacher gave me a hard time – I’m glad

she did”.Her turnaround came through a chance

meeting in Bologna with English music artist Neil Brand, a trailblazer who’d worked with silent films for 30 years.

At first keen to dissuade her, Brand suggested the Irish Film Institute. Two months after putting her name down, a performer dropped out of a silent film festival and she was in.

“I was hooked,” she reports, and now she can do it subconsciously. Loebenstein’s pre-ferred method is to see the film once at least, “but you don’t always have that privilege”.

So, is she a specialist? “I am, but my improvisational skills are constantly evolving,” she says. She didn’t start out as a film student, so now she’s interested in studying classic film – a deep understanding of the medium is essential.

She was chuffed when a Danish critic wrote that she had “elevated the banal into something beautiful”.

Nonetheless, she asserts: “Film is the primary art form – you’re always subservient.”

Pianist Elaine Brennan Loebenstein... “I’ve had to jump through a lot of hoops to be employed at the NFSA.” Photo Adam Hollingworth


arts & entertainment

The Creature gets a voice

ENGLISH writer Nick Dear is betting that not many people would have read Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”.

Dear is the formidable playwright who also won a BAFTA for his screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” and, in his Frankenstein play, coming soon to The Street Theatre, he is credited with giving The Creature a voice.

This original tale was conceived on a dark and stormy night by Lake Geneva when Mary, her husband-to-be, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, his doctor John Polidori and Lord Byron competed to write the best horror tale.

Mary’s became one of the most famous stories in the world, yet most people don’t know the difference between Dr Victor Frankenstein and the “creature”, “monster”, “fiend” or “wretch”, that he creates.

That’s not so surprising, Dear tells “CityNews” by phone from London.

“It’s a novel written by a passionate high-school student and most versions in the cinema

don’t give status to any of the ideas in it,” he says. Frankly, much of the book is dull, “written by

an 18-to-19-year-old girl who had a great central idea, but didn’t have enough experience to bring it to life,” he says.

But Dear had realised that the great central debate between Victor and The Creature, (“Man and his God”) and the pages where The Creature tells the story from his own point of view would drive his new “Frankenstein” play.

His adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Franken-stein” premiered at the National Theatre in 2011 in a production directed by Danny Boyle, but we’ll see the Ensemble Theatre version directed by Mark Kilmurry, with original music by Elena Kats-Chernin.

Dear is intrigued by Mary. The precocious daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, she grew up in a household surrounded by the left-leaning intellectuals of her age, debating Rousseau’s ideas that man is born free. She also became absorbed in scientific debates. As well, by the time she wrote “Frankenstein,” she was

“almost always pregnant, asking herself, what will I give birth to and will I be able to love it?”

“I didn’t want to do the three-hour Dickensian epic teeming with characters,” says Dear.

He and Boyle stumbled on the idea of telling the story from the point of view of The Creature.

“I thought there was no reason why we couldn’t start with a feeling of the creation, the slave… then a hot political topic… we see clearly his aspiration to be part of society and how he is thwarted at every turn,” he says.

Dear has attempted a “level of evenness” between Frankenstein and The Creature, “otherwise it’s always going to be the monster people want to play.”

In the original production, the roles were alternated, but the Ensemble Theatre won’t be doing that.

No problem, Dear says. “It’s very enjoyable when you see a play you’ve written done in different ways. I take it as a great compliment.”

Nick Dear’s “Frankenstein”, The Street Theatre, May 7-11, bookings to 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au

Helen Musa arts editor

Fine music rings across the valleyThe 2013 “Arts in the Valley” Festival at Kangaroo Valley is destined to be something of a Canberra-fest, with former ANU School of Music professors David Pereira, Alice Giles, Timothy Kain and Max McBride, high on the list.

With the theme of “Valley Dreaming”, artistic director Belinda Webster has created a three-day event that combines fine music with “Sculpture in the Valley” and Aboriginal performance.

There will be a real corroboree, free and open to the public, presented by the local Yuin Nation and Webster believes it is possibly the first in Kangaroo Valley since white settlement.

Canberrans are very much in the forefront in her chosen exploration of indigenous motifs in music.

On May 3, Max McBride will conduct Canberra Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Youth Orchestra in performing John Antill’s 1946 orchestral ballet, “Corroboree”, in the opening concert at The Scots College’s Glengarry Campus.

2010 “CityNews” Artist of the Year, cellist David Pereira, will perform a solo recital to include Martin Wesley-Smith’s “Uluru Song”.

Continuing the theme, on May 4 didgeridoo master David Hudson will give a solo performance. On May 5, Pereira will join seven other musicians to present a chamber music concert of works by Australian composers such as Ian Munro, Ross Edwards and Colin Bright, who have been inspired by Aboriginal themes.

The “Hausmusik” recitals give the many guest musicians the opportunity of playing in beautiful private homes in the valley. One such is guitarist Timothy Kain, who will premiere Nigel Westlake’s guitar sonata “Mosstrooper Peak”.

One of the more extraordinary contributions is that of Mur-rumbateman harpist Alice Giles, whose multi-media event “Alice in Antarctica” on May 5 pays tribute to her grandfather Cecil Madigan, a member of the first Australasian Antarctic Expedition in 1911-1914. Giles based the work (which includes compositions by Larry Sitsky and Jim Cotter) on her 2011 trip as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow to Davis and Mawson Stations, where she got to play her harp in the snow and ice.

“Arts in the Valley” Festival, Kangaroo Valley, May 3 to 5, bookings to artsinthevalley.net.au or call 0438 631351.

–Helen Musa

Harpist Alice Giles in Antarctica. Photo by Glenn Jacobson, Australian Antarctic Division

Playwright Nick Dear... “I didn’t want to do the three-hour Dickensian epic teeming with characters.”

Lee Jones as The Creature in “Frankenstein”. Photo by Heidrun Lohr



New faces arrive as old faces depart

HERE’S a coincidence, as Canberra artist Barbara van der Linden prepares to launch her project “Faces of Canberra”, Tuggeranong Arts Centre at Lanyon (in the former Nolan Gallery) is winding up its exhibition “Canberra’s Faces – Banks to Bonner”, 40 works by local artist Pat Spalding, who has depicted the people for whom Canberra’s suburbs were named. Her 40 works span characters as varied as King O’Malley, Joseph Banks, Caroline Chisholm and Henry Lawson. You can see it until April 30.

THE Seekers, Judith Durham, Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley, will be at the Royal Theatre at 7pm, May 3-4 as part of their Golden Jubilee tour. There’ll be video clips on the big screen and the stage will be awash with memories. Bookings to theseekers50th.com

JEANETTE Brown, of Canberra Rep, tells us that an exhibition of costumes from the company’s 2012 production of “Pride and Prejudice” is “a quality display… a chance for people to see our costumes up close and personal.” She should know, she’s been making costumes for Rep’s shows for years. It’s at Civic Library until April 30, and it’s free.

AUDITIONS for Canberra Opera’s production of “Orpheus in the Underworld”, to be directed by Cate Clelland, will be held on Monday, April 29, 7pm-10 pm, at St Ninian’s Uniting Church Hall in Lyneham. More information at canberraopera.org.au

OPERA Australia has deemed the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, ”Carmen”, to be “a sizzling success”. Fair enough. With box office takings at just over $6 million, it seems that 44 per cent of ticket buyers had never before attended an Opera Australia event.

AUSTRALIAN Dance Week will be celebrated from April 27 to May 4. “CityNews” has spotted dance styles such as belly dancing, Bollywood, bush, folk and bom-funk, with free classes for kids and events such as “Kick Up Your Heels and Swing into WW2.” More information at ausdanceact.org.au

THE ANU Latin American Students’ Association is jointly organising a short story competition called “Latin America in 100 words”. The theme is, when you think about Latin America, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Submit entries in English or Spanish (maximum of two per person) to [email protected] by April 28. Spanish entries must have an English translation on the same page.

Helen Musa arts in the city

Exhibition of costumes from Rep’s “Pride and Prejudice” at Civic Library.

Exhilarating patriotism

COMPOSER Gavin Lockley’s “Orchestral Songs of Australia” and “Symphony of Aus-tralia” proved to be an exhilarating program in celebration of Canberra’s Centenary.

Eight songs were presented from “Or-chestral Songs of Australia”, based on words by A B Paterson, C J Dennis, J L Cuthbertson, Bruce Simpson and John O’Brien. The music by Gavin Lockley accompanied the words very well and ranged from the intimate to the spectacular, with an occasional hint of Aussie larrikinism in some musically humorous endings.

Of special note amongst the vocal soloists was Stuart Maunder’s fine rendition of Simpson’s “The Packhorse Drover”, Renae Martin’s “The Ant Explorer” (Dennis), complete with unexpected whistling finale, the composer himself, Gavin Lockley, with Paterson’s “A Bush Christening” and Darryl Lovegrove’s stirring “Waltzing Matilda”.

“Symphony Of Australia”, in six move-ments, takes us through major aspects of Australian history. Highlights included

the atmospheric didgeridoo playing by Glen Doyle in the opening “Dreamtime”, Australians at war with a haunting “Pie Jesu” beautifully sung by Renae Martin and the stirring “Sunburnt Country” finale.

The program was hosted by the director, Stuart Maunder, who also gave us a rare opportunity to hear his fine singing voice. The orchestra was conducted with great feeling by Simon Kenway and the music was accompanied by excellent projections by Hamish Siddins. An added bonus was see-ing the joy on the composer’s face hearing his own music played so well.

music“Symphony of Australia”At the Australian National Gallery, April 20.Reviewed by Len Power

Renae Martin... a stirring “Sunburnt Country” finale.

Glaciers, the cold, hard truth

“Chasing Ice” (M)

ATTENTION climate-change sceptics: Jeff Orlowski’s beautiful documentary presenting undeniable confir-mation that climate change is happening on a planet near you, a real phenomenon which humankind needs to deal with before it turns our planet into a wasteland, has power to excite and perhaps depress us all.

The plot is direct and focused. James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey team set up a network of time-lapse cameras to record changes to glaciers across the Arctic from Alaska to Greenland, plus two in Montana.

That region is a safer choice for this kind of project than its southern hemisphere counterpart simply because of better accessibility. But safer is relative. “Chasing Ice” offers dauntless courage confronting terrifying risks as Balog and companions venture into locations inaccessible without comprehensive safety rigs and fatalistic confidence in their efficacy.

People are important in the film. But its real stars are the glaciers’ wild beauty, gigantic scale and unchal-lengeable natural power delivering uncontrollable real phenomena, more terrifying than any artificial visions Hollywood might try to create.

Against backgrounds of those dominant elements, human figures and artefacts simply vanish. We know they are there, but their disappearance gives incredible scale.

Where would we be without adventurers, explorers and scientific enquiry like this film shows? Those attributes make “Chasing Ice” a film for us all to savour for its intrinsic values and acknowledge its truth.

At Dendy

“The Other Son” (M)

ALL that Google could tell me about Noam Fitoussi was that he created the idea for this remarkable filmic paradigm.

Never mind. Canvassing a broad spectrum of the

issues confronting the dispute between Jews and Palestinians, director and co-writer Lorraine Levy has crafted something for all folk of goodwill and open mind to embrace and enjoy.

Two families deal with the revelation that 18 years earlier, two boys born at the same time ended up with each other’s parents, Josef Silberg with ambitions to become a musician in the home of an Israeli Air Force colonel, Saĩd Al-Bezaaz, home from Paris with a baccalaureate and plans to study medicine, in the family of a Palestinian engineer unable to find better work than repairing cars.

The film deftly weaves its narrative through the slow process of families of conflicting faiths coming to terms with the reality that a young man with Muslim blood

has undergone Jewish ceremonies and vice versa, in a gentle polemic inviting those opposing creeds to get real and find equal values to stop the aggression.

All three book-based religious faiths put men above women in their decision-making processes. So Fitoussi’s reversing of that hierarchy is important. Two fathers and one Muslim older brother baulk at the possibility of conciliation to which the mothers and sisters quite quickly move.

The film’s visual contrast between Jewish and Palestinian lifestyles is a significant element. And there’s no doubt which faith would need to make equitable economic adjustments to achieve enduring harmony. But we can hope, can’t we?

At Palace Electric

“Cheerful Weather for the Wedding” (PG)

THIS debut film for director Donald Rice and co-writer Mary Hanley-Magill adapts a novel by Julia Strachey.

In a medium-sized country manor in Devon on a summer day in 1932, Dolly (Felicity Jones) is dressing for marriage to Owen. Relatives are arriving. Old antagonisms are bubbling beneath the surface. Joseph (Luke Treadaway) is there uninvited. He and Dolly were an item before he went off anthropologising. Dolly’s domineering mother (Elizabeth McGovern) is determined that whatever may happen, it will be a great success.

The film mixes humour with acerbic evaluations of people, class structures, domestic relationships. The conflict is muted, subtle. Tensions build through revelations of family history. Characters demonstrate their idiosyncrasies and invite us to expect fireworks, including confetti-bombs made by a mischievous small boy.

While perhaps not great cinema, it’s enjoyable and invites hope for the futures of its tyro creators, who have cast a small collection of England’s middle-level acting talents of whom you will find yourself wonder-ing, what’s that one’s name; where have I seen this one?

And the weather on the day is occasional showers.At Palace Electric

Dougal Macdonaldcinema

Environmental photographer James Balog in “Chasing Ice”.



DARN. We didn’t book. But then the café angel flew over and gave us a veranda table at the city’s newest happening café, Shorty’s. Yes, Shorty’s. Why, you ask? Well, life’s short, don’t you know.

Shorty’s makes you feel like you’re at home or at a friend’s place for a casual bite. Everything about it is unpretentious and not too perfect (which is not to say a lot didn’t go into designing the place).

The team at the top is small – Frank Condi, Pawl Cubbin, Simon Hammond and Ivan Pirjac – and their vision is clear. They wanted to open something “not too big, but not too small”. A place you can go often for a decent bite at a price that isn’t going to drive you to despair. And heaps of people are flocking to Garema Place to do just that.

The menu is divided into “fingers” (small stuff), “two hands” (stuff you really need to hang on to when eating), “mains” (no explanation needed) and “dessert” (including deep-fried Golden Gaytime with caramel and fresh honeycomb... my, oh, my!).

It was two hands for us. My pulled barbecue pork

burger with red coleslaw and sweet mayo was a shock at first, since I wasn’t expecting the bun to be a sweet brioche. But you know what? It works really well and was a nice change. The pork was tender, the coleslaw added crunch and the creamy mayo rounded it out. And, yes, I needed two hands. Only $17.

My friend’s Shorty’s Dog with caramelised onions, mustard and relish was a joy, but a bit challenging at the same time. I snapped her on my mobile while she was chowing down and would publish the photo, but she would be my friend no more. Delicious and only $17 (both of our dishes came with chips and special seasoning).

On my next visit I ate inside and upstairs on the second level. Here you’re greeted with bright-blue and bold-striped wallpaper with bright-blue bench seating, complete with comfy, colourful cushions. We grabbed a table near the window and, having decided to eat with one hand, I ordered the grilled chicken and corn salad with green chilli, shallots, tomato and coriander (great value at $18). It was visually colourful, fresh with the coriander and offered a nice kick with the chilli. It went down well.

Shorty’s wine list is set at the right price point, with whites starting at $6.50 a glass and averaging $8. A good selection of reds is also available, starting at $7 and averaging $8.

Shorty’s is fully licensed. No surcharges for public holidays and no fees for using your credit cards. Why you ask? Well, life’s short, don’t you know...

Shorty’s, open seven days, Garema Place, Civic

Casual eating ‘at home’ with Shorty’s

Playful escape to a fairytale

Shorty’s... “Everything about it is unpretentious and not too perfect (which is not to say a lot didn’t go into designing the place)”, says Wendy Johnson. Photos by Brent McDonald

Roasted cauliflower salad and crispy pork knuckle.

Wendy Johnsondining

FAIRYTALES challenge traditional notions of intelligence, luck and authority with an irreverence that children love.

In an age of over-protection it is great to experience a real fairytale, one that begins with a baby aban-doned in the wood to be brought up by wolves and thieves. This tale’s happy ending includes not just a royal wedding and a vanquished dragon, but also plenty of wealthy travellers for the thieves to rob.

Serious Theatre and writer David Finnigan’s “Pea!” playfully

references centuries of popular culture. Expanding from Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea”, the story is narrated by the famous Pea who is now an exhibit in the Museum of Legendary Vegetables. The set is a castle, the windows of which become shadow puppet theatres, where intricate

outdoor scenes are played out. A life-size puppet-queen is like a cartoon with comically expressive moving parts. The terrifying Dragon of One Nostril Snout vaporises and snorts its victims until it is defeated in a climactic fart joke.

Actors Cathy Petőcz and Josh Wiseman play all the roles and also operate designer, Gillian Schwab’s stunning array of puppets. Director barb barnett’s whimsical and edgy style of hybrid physical theatre and puppetry lends itself perfectly to the fairytale world.

theatre“Pea!”By David Finnigan Serious TheatreAt The Street Theatre until April 27Reviewed by Simone Penkethman

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AS we fill our compost heaps with autumn leaves, think worms.

Compost heaps heat up with decom-posing green waste and then gradually cool down.

During the cooling period our common-garden earth worm moves in to the heap. These should not be confused with worms used in worm farms. Reading the UK “Country Life” magazine, the following comment is applicable at this time: “Our special friend in gardens, the earth worm, Lumbricus terrestris and allies should be given a round of ap-plause.” Charles Darwin considered earth worms important enough to occupy his attention for 40 years. His book “The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms” (1881) has a more compelling narrative than the subject might suggest, underpinning all modern knowledge on soil fertility and structure.

DARWIN likened the work of earthworms to that of “a gardener who prepares fine soil for his choicest plants”. Since then, intelligent gardeners recognise worms as the creators of the best-quality soil, especially worm casts.

In a year, a healthy population can digest 100 tonnes of soil per hectare. Contrary to popular belief, worms accidentally cut in half do not regenerate into two separate worms. If you cannot find plenty of worms to improve the soil

in your garden, your plants will have a job growing.

NOT all the autumn leaves I collect go into the compost bins. Many folk curse autumn leaves, but leaves are one of the most valuable sources of organic garden material. I get annoyed when I see people raking them into the street gutters, clogging storm-water drains etcetera.

In our street, I use the mower as a vacuum cleaner to collect leaves in the gutters, shredding them at the same time.

Shredding leaves such as eucalyptus and oak with the mower will hasten the decomposition process. One half of the leaves I collect go on to the compost heap and the other half is spread directly on to the garden.

You do not have to dig them in as worms just love rotting leaves and will quickly work them into the soil. Incidentally, oak leaves have the highest content of nitrogen of any leaf.

WITH trees changing into their autumn mantle, it is time to think about deciduous trees to plant for summer shade.

However, before even thinking about what variety to plant, it is vitally impor-tant to consider underground services. I cannot emphasise this enough. When I visit gardens, owners often have no idea

Worms... intelligent gardeners recognise worms as the creators of the best-quality soil.

Honeyeaters love the nectar of winter- flowering Clematis nepaulensis.

During crispy autumn days:• Plant out biennials that grow this year and flower the

following year. These include Sweet Williams and Digitalis or foxgloves.

• Add a few handfuls of blood and bone to every few barrow loads of leaves to accelerate decomposition.

• Do not prune deciduous flowering trees at this time or you will cut off flower buds.

• Complete planting spring bulbs including tulips.• Plant Clematis nepaulensis, a winter-flowering clematis.

where underground gas, electric, sewer, storm water, phone lines or even the location of the water meter are.

Usually, the spread of the root zone is equivalent to the leaf spread of the tree. Root damage can result if you plant a tree too close to paved areas or driveways.

FROST will occupy gardeners’ minds over the next few months. Looking back over weather bureau statistics is interesting. The earliest recorded frost here was in March 1940. The earliest last frost was recorded on October 1 and the latest frost was recorded on January 2, 1956. The median date for the first frost is April 9 and the last frost is November 16. One important point, if shrubs are burnt with frost, do not cut off the damaged leaves. These will protect softer leaves under the damaged ones. Wait until the last frosts before trimming damaged leaves. This is equally applicable to such perennials as bedding begonias.

Wonderful ways of worms

The answer always lies in the soil

garden

Cedric Bryantgardening

By Kathryn VukovljakEVERYTHING starts with soil in a garden, says Vaughan Winter, who runs soil workshops at the Canberra Environment Centre.

Soil is an ecosystem made up of broken-down rock, mineral particles and organic matter, he says, and while you can’t change the soil you have, you can most definitely improve it.

“You get the soil you’re given – in Canberra it tends to be very hard and clay-like, which can make it difficult for roots to spread,” says Vaughan.

“It’s important to continually provide fertil-ity in the system you have if you want to have success with growing.”

Vaughan suggests being cautious about buying in soil and ready-made potting mixes.

“I know sometimes it’s necessary, and anything you do to get you started on growing food is a good thing,” he says. “But after a year or so it will break down anyway, and you will need to feed the soil again.”

The best way to do this is by adding organic matter, such as mulch, compost and manure, which Vaughan says can solve everything.

“It’s worth adding organic matter to the soil every year, before planting veggies,” he says. “It can help to loosen heavy clay, allows water and oxygen to move through the soil, and attracts micro-organisms, fungi and worms. It can also make the soil more like loam, a combination of silt, clay and sand.”

Vaughan also suggests caring for your soil by rotating crops and being careful not to add chemicals.

Vaughan has worked with local soil for a number of years at organic farms including Allsun in Gundaroo and Glenn Na Meala in Hall.


Sudoku medium No. 102

General knowledge crossword No. 403

Solution next week

Solution next week

Crossword No.403 Sudoku hard No.101Solutions

puzzles pageJoanne Madeline Moore your week in the stars / April 25 – May 5 Across

3 Which horse won the 1998 Melbourne cup?7 What describes a person thought to resemble the walking dead?8 Which soldier is armed with a shoulder firearm?9 Name the decapods much used for bait.10 What is offered to a court in proof of the facts at issue?11 Name the capital of Greece.14 What do we call actors’ words spoken in undertones?17 That which echoes is termed as being what?18 What is another word for an optical scanner?19 Name an article making judgments on a literary work.20 What is a downhill skiing obstacle race?21 Those who don’t take drugs could be referred to as what?

Down 1 What is a bunch of flowers known as?2 Which term describes neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given surface or line?3 What is another word for jumpers?4 When one refers casually to something, one does what?5 To be covered with weasel fur is to be what?6 What are small sharp-pointed, two-edged, surgical instruments?11 Which sort of sleeping sickness is carried by the tsetse fly?12 Name the strong fabric made from jute, used for sacks, etc.13 What is an alternative term for governesses?14 What was the profession of Katharine Hepburn?15 Which large spiny lizards are natives to tropical America?16 What, of troops, is a level of command?

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)Reckless Rams – this week’s Mars/Saturn opposition compels you to do something completely out of character for a speedy Aries – put the brakes on, and think before you act and speak. Enjoy the change of pace! When it comes to your current spending habits, it’s time to buy practical things you really need – rather than expensive trifles that you’ll later regret.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)The Sun, Venus and Mars are moving through your sign (and Mercury joins them on Thursday) so you’ve got a quadruple dose of Taurean tenacity – and you’re in stubborn, slow-moving mode. Good luck to anyone who tries to speed up your schedule! As birthday great Glenn Ford remarked: “If they try to rush me, I tell them I’ve only got one other speed, and that’s slower.”

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)Gregarious Geminis love nothing better than a good old chin-wag, but garrulous gossip and indiscreet chatter could get you into trouble this week so choose your words wisely. Mercury (your ruling planet) moves into Taurus on Thursday, which will help calm your nerves and steady your restless mind. A close relationship has a decidedly deja-vu feel at the moment.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)There’ll be opportunities to share your hopes and dreams with like-minded souls this week. When it comes to a problem with a child, teenager, lover or friend, there are no quick fixes Crabs. It’s a case of one step forwards and two steps backwards (or sideways), but you’ll eventually make progress. Singles – look for a mature partner who has emotional depth.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)It’s the perfect week to set gigantic goals and dream big dreams for the future – and don’t make them too safe and sensible! It’s time for cautious Cats and languid Lions to go for gold as the Sun trines Pluto, giving you a sensational shot of confidence (especially at work). Recuperative powers are strong, as you pursue activities that rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)Virgos love to learn! Mercury moves into your education zone (from May 2-16), so it’s a terrific time to study or pick up a new skill. Saturday is the perfect day to share a creative project with someone special; but avoid making mountains out of molehills on Sunday, as Mercury/Saturn aspects put you in worrywart mode. The more relaxed you are, the better the day will be.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)When it comes to money matters, the main quality you need to cultivate is patience. If you concentrate on spending rather than saving, it will pay off further down the track. So your motto for the moment is: “Good things come to those who wait.” On Sunday, help lighten the heavy atmosphere with your natural talent for peace-making and smoothing troubled waters.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)With Saturn moving slowly through your sign (until 2015), the temptation is to get stuck in a Scorpio rut. This week’s positive Sun/Pluto aspects help you be more open to change, as you transform a major area of your life. Your motto for the week is from Jerry Seinfeld (born on April 29): “If life boils down to one thing, it’s movement. To live is to keep moving.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars all move through earthy Taurus this week, which will help stabilise your restless Sagittarian spirit, as you take ambitious ideas and turn them into practical projects. Don’t expect instant results though – you must be patient. It’s also time to focus on health and fitness – and are you up-to-date with your medical and dental checks?

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)Capricorns can be fanatical control-freaks. But it’s not your business to organise everything (and everyone) around you, and some things are just out of your control. Expect a frustrating week, as Saturn stymies your ambitious plans to zoom ahead with a person or project, and you encounter road blocks at every turn. It’s time to slow down – and calm down!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)You want to be an avant-garde Aquarian, but work worries or domestic responsibilities will take up your time and energy this week. Avoid taking short-cuts. If you are slap-dash with a professional project, there’ll be serious consequences later on. So just put your head down and get on with it. The stars encourage you to smoke the peace pipe with a family member.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)You’re keen to gossip and catch up with the current affairs of family and friends but don’t be too frivolous Fish – loved ones may have serious issues to discuss. And make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get to work, meetings and appointments, as tricky Mars/Saturn aspects affect your travel and transport zones. Saturday is super for creative communication.

Daily astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMooreCopyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2011

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