The Cornus capitata… for late spring flowers.

Cedric Bryant

My favourite flower this week is Cornus capitata, the evergreen dogwood. It is in full bloom in our garden with an absolute abundance of flowers. I particularly love the way the flowers change colour as they age.

Firstly, as in the picture, the flowers are lime green, gradually changing to a light green and finally into shades of pink. The flowers last a remarkably long time on the tree. Technically, they are bracts, not flowers, followed by large strawberry-like fruit.

The Royal Horticultural Society gave this tree its Award of Merit for its flowers in 1922 and for its fruit in 1974. This is an ideal tree for the small garden, ours is about six metres after 15 years.

SPIRAEA or May bush, with its white flowers appearing in early spring, finished flowering some weeks ago. However, the outstanding Spiraea japonica “Anthony Waterer”, with bright crimson flowers is now in full bloom.

In my original edition of “The Garden” journal, dated January, 1894, an advertisement by Waterers Nurseries advises gardeners: “In reply to the many inquiries and intending purchasers of this new plant, I beg respectfully to say that it will not be distributed until November, 1894”.

Costing seven shillings and sixpence, it was a hefty price at the time for a new variety of plant. And it is still readily available today.

It is one of a huge family, with Hillier’s trees and shrubs manual listing more than 120 varieties of May Bush.

An ideal shrub for the small garden, it looks particularly effective in a group of, say, three.

Spirea Anthony Waterer.

The term tufted varieties has been properly used to distinguish plants of a spreading habit. Such exotic names include the Countess of Wharncliffe, Marchioness of Tweeddale and Lady Dundonald. It would be hard to find more than a dozen varieties of any sort of pansy available today.

“YATES Garden Guide” just gets better and better. The 44th edition has been fully revised and updated, profusely illustrated guiding every step of the way for the dedicated gardener to the absolute beginner.

Arthur Yates first published the gardening guide in 1895, which proved a winner from day one. Since then, Yates has become synonymous with all things gardening, helped by this guide, with impressive sales of more than seven million copies.

Available from most bookshops and newsagents. I am giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy. Write your name, suburb and a contact phone number on the back of an envelope and mail it to Cedric’s Garden Guide Giveaway, GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601 by midday, Friday, December 4. Winner will be announced in my column of December 10.

WHY is it that blackbirds upset so many people? Sure, in their hunt for worms they scatter mulch all over paths. But so what? It’s the only bird I know that can sing from dawn to dusk without repeating a tune.

Jottings…

• For an early display of summer bedding plants, keep in mind from the time of planting (petunias etcetera) that they normally take eight weeks to be in full flower.
• Michelia figo or Port Wine Magnolia can be given a light prune now that it has finished flowering.
• Don’t put coffee grounds into garden beds because they kill microorganisms and worms.

The post Gardening / Playing favourites with flowers appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE LABOR Party has selected its candidates for the 2016 ACT Legislative Assembly election.

Last night the ACT Labor Administrative Committee endorsed 25 candidates – five for each of the new electorates.

More than 600 ACT Labor members participated in the preselections and a record 35 candidates stood for preselection including a large number of local community leaders.

“This preselection has been a great example of our party’s democratic culture and values,” said ACT Labor Secretary Matt Byrne.

“Thirty five members put their hand up for preselection and ballots were held in every electorate. More than 90 per cent of eligible members cast a vote during the preselection process over three voting sessions and after much campaigning from the candidates.”

“This is a diverse and exciting team that delivers a fresh face to ACT Labor while retaining some of the vital experience of the current sitting members” said Andrew Barr.

The candidates by electorate are:

Kurrajong

• Andrew Barr MLA – Chief Minister, Member for Molonglo
• Joshua Ceramidas – President, Canberra City Resident Association, CPSU organiser
• Leah Dwyer – Public Servant
• Richard Niven – Public Servant
• Rachel Stephen-Smith – Parliamentary Adviser
  

  Brindabella

• Joy Burch MLA – Member for Brindabella
• Mick Gentleman MLA – Member for Brindabella
• Angie Drake – Communications Strategy and External Relations, Icon Water
• Karl Maftoum – Public Servant
• Taimus Werner-Gibbings – Parliamentary Adviser
  

  Ginninderra

• Yvette Berry MLA – Member for Ginninderra
• Chris Bourke MLA – Member for Ginninderra
• Tara Cheyne – Chair, Belconnen Community Council
• Kim Fischer – Communications Consultant
• Gordon Ramsay – Executive Minister, Kippax Uniting Care
  

  Murrumbidgee

• Rebecca Cody – Public Servant
• Mark Kulasingham – Public Servant
• Brendan Long – Senior Research Fellow, Charles Sturt University
• Jennifer Newman – Solicitor, Blumers Lawyers
• Chris Steel – Policy Adviser, Early Childhood Australia
  

  Yerrabi

• Meegan Fitzharris MLA, Member for Molonglo
• Deepak Raj Gupta – President, Australia India Business Council ACT
• Jayson Hinder – Chairman, Bendigo Community Bank
• Suzanne Orr – Public Servant
• Michael Pettersson – Industrial Officer, CFMEU

The post Labor names their field for the 2016 election appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE terrorists are doing their best to create fear and, after Paris, you’d have to say they’re succeeding.

Mark Parton.

When you’re assessing the terror-attack risk for your city without  access to the ASIO intelligence, you’re forced to make a commonsense, gut-feel judgement. I made a mental list of the pros and cons for potential terror attack in our town.

On the downside is the fact that we are the national capital, but we should rejoice that most people on the planet are convinced Sydney is the capital!

There are many reasons that any terror attack wouldn’t be here: a. We’re not a densely or highly populated city; b. there are no genuine ghettos in Canberra; c. yes, it can be a tough place to live if you’re not earning a good quid, but our city doesn’t have large geographic areas of disadvantage; d. firearms are hard to come by; and e. we don’t have many extremists here and my experience suggests they’re virtually non-existent in Canberra.

Some of my listeners challenged me on the final point. They seem to believe that Canberra is a hotbed for extremism and they’re wrong.

I went to the “mosque” in Monash last month looking for extremists and found none. Set up as the National Islamic Library, it’s not actually a mosque, but it does serve the purpose of a place of worship.

When Luisa and I were there for its open day, we found a whole bunch of families, just like ours, who happened to believe some things that we don’t.

We were welcomed with smiles, wonderful food and an openness that I wasn’t expecting.

I genuinely believe that if members of Canberra’s Islamic community sensed even a minuscule hint of extremist sentiment here they would move swiftly to disarm it at its source.

There’s going to be more drama before this is all over, but I don’t think it’s going to happen here.

The post Parton / Now’s not the time to worry appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE CHAIR of the Terribly British Day organising committee, Paul Sutton says that more than 300 British vehicles are expected to be displayed at the 40th anniversary of the event.

“It is fitting that the display is being held at Weston Park, as this was the location of the first meeting of British made cars, in July 1975, when the Jaguar, Armstrong-Siddeley, Rolls-Royce, Austin Healey, and MG clubs with a total of 18 vehicles held a BBQ in the park,” Paul said.

“The event has grown over the years to where more than 300 vehicles are expected to be displayed.

“In recent years, the University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Parker, and his wife Rhianna, have been the special guests charged with nominating the best club display and the most desirable car and will be doing so again at the 2015 event.

Gates are open to the public at 10.00 until 3pm on December 6 and the public are admitted free of charge.

The Terribly British Day is organised by the Jaguar Drivers Club in association with the British car clubs of the Canberra region, and is supported by long term sponsors NRMA Veteran, Vintage and Classic Insurance and Shannons Insurance. The Council of ACT Motor clubs and Lennock Motors Jaguar, have also supported the display for a number of years.

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IT’S been travelling week with PM Malcolm Turnbull streaking across the zones to engage with the international leadership. And what a time to be doing it as ISIS struck another fearful blow at a “soft” target in the City of Lights.

But while the attacks were utterly tragic for the victims, they did serve to cut through the political flim-flam among the allies to bring a concerted response to the Syrian crisis. And the terrorist ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud got his just deserts in a hail of bullets from the French police.

Robert Macklin.

MALCOLM was trailed by half the press gallery who revelled in the chance to record his triumphal progress. Barack Obama invited him to visit the White House in January and praised Australia’s “enormously helpful” efforts in the Middle East. Indeed, the President seemed to be actively courting the new boy on the block.

THE Americans were startled to discover that the NT Government had leased Darwin’s port to a Chinese company. The PM suggested they should have subscribed to the “NT News” as “there was certainly nothing secret” about the purely commercial deal.

The neocons saw all sorts of sinister oriental implications and Treasurer Scott Morrison banned the sale of a big cattle station to them. Happily, Trade Minister Andrew Robb called them cockeyed: “I’ve heard about selling Australia forever. I haven’t seen a farm leave the country yet.”

BY chance your columnist was also travelling in the US when the Paris tragedy struck. And after the initial shock it became part of the US Presidential Election campaign. We spent much of our time in Arkansas with the Hillary Clinton entourage. And while nothing is certain in politics, the former First Lady seems to have the Democratic nomination tied up; but on the Republican side confusion reigns. The “smart money” is on Marco Rubio, the young Florida solon, but no one really knows.

OUR journey took us to New Orleans, where the tram system threw a new light on Canberra’s light rail plans. The New Orleans’ population is 1.2 million but they need the big tourist influx to make the system profitable. Canberra commuters alone will not do the trick; it needs attractions such as, say, a relocated Floriade to boost ticket sales.

THE suggestion from US academic Mark Fenton that light rail could help counter our growing obesity problem really hit home. “If we can encourage people to walk or cycle to the tram we can begin to address an epidemic of inactivity,” he says. Mark should know – there are so many morbidly overweight people in America it’s a wonder it hasn’t sunk beneath the waves.

GOOD to see the quick $7 million response from Education Minister Joy Burch to the 50 recommendations arising from the report into special needs children in Canberra schools. Sad that she needed the “boy-in-the-cage” scandal to respond to years of pleas from teachers for classroom support.

FINALLY, sincere thanks to editor Ian Meikle for keeping the “Seven Days” fire brightly burning in our absence. Sooo good to be safely home!

robert@robertmacklin.com

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I RECENTLY returned from overseas visiting many towns and villages in Holland and France in particular.

Invariably, entering these towns one is met with avenues of healthy trees, the nature strips and grassed areas neatly trimmed, planted up roundabouts; what a pleasure to visit these places.

Arriving back to Canberra, what a sad sight as one enters the nation’s capital – no beautiful avenues of trees, the Federal Highway joining Northbourne Avenue with overgrown, knee-high grass along the median strip, overgrown edges, graffiti along the back fences of Downer facing our principal entry into the city.

Then I look at the next most important entry point into the city, from the airport along Parkes Way where the original plantings of only a couple of years ago are disappearing in waist-high weeds.

The other entry, Fairbairn Avenue with its ornamental grasses planted on top of the stone walls are now 90 per cent dead!

Even in Civic, there are empty squares of gravel where trees have died and never been replaced. What sad and depressing sights for the visitors, let alone us residents. Did I hear someone describe this as a garden city?

Cedric Bryant, Watson

PS Now back nearly three weeks and the grass on the road past the showground is getting higher and drier; with rising temperatures, have we learnt nothing from fires in the past?

Credit to Stanhope

I ENJOYED Jon Stanhope’s reflections on Sandakan and the Cocos Islands (CN, November 12). Having been to Sabah and also Changi in Singapore they are genuinely moving places.

I was unaware of the fate of the Emden sailors, I had assumed they would have been respectfully buried and their graves maintained. Seeing the contrast with the arrangements at Cowra for Japanese POWs is stark. I am surprised that the German government is not active in maintaining its sailors’ graves, but it would be worthwhile for Australia to take some initiative. I have a relative buried in a faraway land, in his case the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible.

Someone needs to act on this issue; credit to you, Jon, for pointing it out.

Martin Gordon, Flynn

Hep C claims challenged

I READ with interest the comments from Colliss Parrett (letters, CN, November 10) regarding hepatitis C transmission.

He claims that that providing sterile needles and syringes has contributed to increasing hepatitis C infections.

In fact, although hepatitis C prevalence (total number with hepatitis C) may appear to be increasing, the incidence (number of people becoming hepatitis C positive) is decreasing (Kirby Institute 2013).

That means that each year less people become hep C positive. This indicates that harm reduction and hepatitis C prevention (including, but not limited to, needle and syringe programs) has a positive impact.

As long as humans feel the need to take drugs and alcohol, we require a realistic response that includes treatment options and harm reduction to keep people alive long enough to access treatment. This is accepted by the WHO, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNAIDS, the Commonwealth of Australia and many more agencies and experts.

Needle programs save lives. HIV and hepatitis C can lead to serious illness and death.

Certainly, I would prefer it if more than the estimated 130,000 cases of hepatitis C were prevented in the years 1999-2009. One of the ways to do this is to provide a regulated program in the AMC. I believe this would in fact be safer for staff and detainees than the current unregulated program which exists at present.

Sione Crawford, manager, Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy (CAHMA), Curtin

The post Letters / Sad and depressing sights appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE REVIEW of the National Capital Plan, the Capital Metro light rail project and the future of Floriade are all matters which may be discussed tomorrow when the National Capital Authority (NCA) appears before the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.

The NCA manages the Commonwealth’s interest in the planning and development of Canberra by administering the National Capital Plan. The Committee holds biannual hearings with the NCA to enhance transparency and parliamentary accountability applying to the organisation.

Committee Chair Luke Simpkins said the NCA has been undertaking the first comprehensive review of the National Capital Plan since the plan came into effect in the 1990s.

“We’re interested in discussing the findings of the review, proposed revisions for the Plan and the implications for Canberra more broadly,” Luke said.

The post Canberra under scrutiny in Parliament tomorrow appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

ACT Policing is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying three people linked to two burglaries within the Realm precinct during October 2015.

Between the evening of 17 October and the early hours of 18 October, three offenders entered an office building in the Realm precinct.

Again on Sunday 30 October 2015, about 3.00am, the three offenders entered the premises on Sydney Avenue in Barton and ransacked the office, removing an amount of property.

At the time of the incident, the first offender was wearing a black hoodie jumper with black pants and white sneakers with orange laces and a black face covering.

The second was wearing a black baseball cap with a white scarf covering his face, a black jumper and beige pants with red and green sneakers.

The third offender was wearing a black baseball cap and black hoodie with red and white writing, black shorts and black and white sneakers.

Anyone with information about the identity of the offenders or this crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via act.crimestoppers.com.au. Please quote reference number 5875349.Information can be provided anonymously.

Police remind people they should not report crime information via Facebook and Twitter pages.

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BICICLETTA is a relaxed Italian café nestled in the pretty and inviting New Acton courtyard. It’s part of the Pepper Gallery Hotel and is, once again, open for lunch on weekends.

Wendy Johnson.

The menu isn’t extensive but I’d rather a café offer fewer options and better food than the reverse, which is what Bicicletta excels at.

You can select from four antipasti plates to share ($12 to $15), including a marinated, seared beef tenderloin thinly sliced and served with Italian herbs, rocket, parmigiano and olive oil.

The three salad options (all $16) feature a smokey duck breast with peppery radicchio leaves, crostini, pecorino and an aged balsamic dressing. Four pizzas are on offer ($20 to $23), including the traditional Margherita for those who love tasty and simple.

The kitchen creates four pastas ($22 to $24). On my visit, Bicicletta was celebrating re-opening for lunch with a couple of decent specials – any pasta with a glass of wine and any pizza with a beer for $25 (good value).

It was pasta I was after and it only took a flash in the pan for me to select the Gnocchi Funghi e Salsiccia (regularly $24).

This house-made gnocchi was light and fluffy, and the other ingredients an intriguing blend of flavours, with just the right intensity. The mixed wild mushrooms and pork sausages (crumbled) were sautéed in white wine and finished with Italian smoked provola. It was highly agreeable and a generous serve – I couldn’t finish it all.

I really must return to try the crespelle, an Italian-style crepe stuffed with beautiful ingredients such as porcini mushroom, asiago cheese and truffle oil ($24).

And I overheard staff describing to another table, just before I left, that Bicicletta’s spaghetti bolognese is a signature dish, made in the traditional “Nonna’s” way with three meats, served hot and spicy.

On my start to lunch: I popped by just before noon and was told the kitchen didn’t open for another 10 minutes. I wasn’t sure if that was a direction to leave, so tentatively asked if it was okay that I sat at a table and waited (which I was happy to do). “Sure” was the answer, so I did. I sat all by my lonesome while staff chatted inside. I wasn’t offered any water or a menu until the clock struck 12 – not exactly a warm-welcome start. Perhaps I should know better than to dare interrupt before service officially starts. Sigh.

Bicicletta’s wine list has several reasonably-priced options by the glass and the café offers coffees and meals to take away.

Bicicletta, 1/15 Edinburgh Avenue, New Acton, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days. Call 6262 8683. Licensed.

The post Dining / Where less is definitely more appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

MOST of us will have experienced poor management in our working lives.

John Griffiths.

And when push comes to shove, I’ve been guilty of it as well.

There’s a job that needs doing, there are no resources to do it by the book, so what to do?

“Delegate it and hope it doesn’t blow up,” is the easy way out.

Maybe, just maybe, the underling being handed the whiffy brown sandwich will find some brilliant way to square the circle.

More often corners will be cut and the unspoken mantra is “don’t get caught”.

Which brings us to last week’s response to the now infamous “kid-in-a-cage” incident at an unnamed Canberra school.

The education system has systematically failed to support teachers dealing with special needs students for a very long time, but a principal in desperation chucking a student in a steel cage has prompted a carefully calibrated response to do as little as possible while appearing to have done enough to make the problem disappear.

(Wasn’t it a very Canberra solution to remove the principal from the school, thus being seen to do something, while maintaining their employment so as to avoid a very ugly unfair dismissal fight in open court?)

There were a few red flags in Joy Burch’s response to the Shaddock review.

Right at the front of the headline we had “Students at the Centre”.

As a motherhood statement it’s hard to fault, but it does raise some questions. Questions such as: “So, teacher safety isn’t at the centre?” or “Which children are at the centre, and at the expense of which other children?”.

Then there’s the very first bullet point in Joy’s list of key initiatives: “$430,000 for innovative approaches to support students in primary schools with complex needs.”

“Innovative” approaches? So not tried and tested approaches then? This looks like another Hail Mary pass to the underlings as the issue gets shoved under the bed.

Further down the list we have: “$90,000 towards professional learning and online training for teachers in complex needs and challenging behaviour”. It will no doubt be a comfort to a 65kg female teacher trying to control a 100kg ball of rage that an online training module is available.

The cage was a symptom of a broader problem that’s very important to us as a broader society.

If a chain is only as strong as its weakest link then our community is only as strong as the public education provided to everyone.

The dirty secret of private education (and I write as an ex-Radford boy) is that most of the benefit comes from the school’s ability to exclude problem children.

“Moral values”, uniforms, structure and discipline are all nice selling points, but across the whole sector the real benefit is that they don’t have to deal with students they don’t want to, a problem that gets dumped on the public system.

This then drives students the other way. If your child is not learning because the teacher spends all their time managing one disruptive and dangerous student what sort of parent wouldn’t cancel the family holiday and spend the money on a private education?

Rather than providing online training modules for hard-pressed teachers to study in their off-duty hours, it may be that a more systemic approach is needed for the children who, often through no fault of their own, shouldn’t be in classrooms until they’re truly ready for it.

That would be a much more expensive reform program, but it would probably pay off in the long term.

The post Griffiths / Hard lessons still not learnt appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

SHANE Rattenbury is inviting industry and commercial stakeholders and other interested groups to provide feedback on the draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill.

“The new Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill has been drafted to help the ACT Government improve its administrative, regulatory and enforcement tools to deliver more efficient waste management,” Shane said.

“The Bill aims to ensure waste industry operators who do the right thing are supported and encouraged to deal with waste in a way that protects the environment and maximises the recovery of resources.

“The existing Waste Minimisation Act 2001 is almost 15 years old and it is necessary to have modern, comprehensive and robust legislation for waste regulation.

“New regulations will be introduced as part of the Bill’s major changes, including the requirement of a licence for commercial waste operators and a waste activity report for licensed operators who trade in waste above a specified threshold.

“The Bill will also introduce a wider range of punishable offences, as well as stronger enforcement powers aimed at supporting the ability of agencies to manage waste activity. The intention is to support operators who do the right thing, while punishing inappropriate practices.

“New charges will apply to transporting and depositing waste. Sending waste to landfill will be strongly discouraged, while recovery and reuse of resources will be rewarded. The new regulatory framework will encourage waste producers to generate less waste, sort waste on site, and send waste to its best reuse option.

“The ACT Government is committed to working closely with the community and business to implement appropriate waste management solutions. Community and commercial reference groups on waste management are also currently being established and will play a valuable role in informing the recommendations provided to government to achieve its resource recovery targets.

“To provide feedback on the draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill please complete an online feedback form at timetotalk.act.gov.au. Alternatively, please email a submission to ACTWasteFeasibilityStudy@act.gov.au. Consultation closes Wednesday 23 December 2015,” Mr Rattenbury concluded.

The post Shane wants your thoughts on waste management appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE OFFICE of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner says reporting cyberbullying to is now easier with a new pilot program “eSafe spaces” rolling out in the ACT’s libraries.

Libraries ACT are trialling the program, offered by the Office, which aims to promote libraries as places where young people can confidently seek help with removing cyberbullying material.

Staff with Libraries ACT can now provide assistance to those who need to complete the online cyberbullying complaint form.

The Children’s eSafety Commissioner Alastair MacGibbon launched the program in Canberra today.

“Libraries continue to be an important hub within the community, especially for young people,” Alastair said.

“The Office values our partnership with libraries, and are pleased to be working together to help young people who experience negative behaviour online.”

Zed Seselja, representing the Minister for Communications, said that the eSafe spaces program, in collaboration with Libraries ACT and ALIA, aims to continue the Coalition Government’s election promise in protecting Australian children online.

“The more knowledge and skills our frontline are equipped with about the issue of cyberbullying, the better protected our children can be,” Zed said.

Shane Rattenbury also welcomed the pilot.

“The program will help to promote libraries as a place for digital literacy information and advice and aligns with Libraries ACT being part of the eSmart libraries program,” Shane said.

“This is an excellent example of how public libraries can support federal, state and territory government initiatives,” Sue McKerracher, CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), said.

“Councils provide a network of 1500 public libraries across Australia, with over 112 million customer visits each year.”

Library staff will be formally trained by the Office’s Senior Education Advisor Kellie Britnell.

The training will cover:

• the role and functions of the Office
• the cyberbullying complaint handling process
• a practical demonstration of how to use the complaint form
• ways to assist children dealing with cyberbullying
• other helpful resources on esafety.gov.au.

The pilot will run for six months in 10 ACT libraries, with the view to rolling it out to all public libraries across Australia through the ALIA Australian Public Library Alliance.

To report cyberbullying, or for more information, practical advice and resources on dealing with cyberbullying and other eSafety issues, visit esafety.gov.au.

The post Your libraries now ‘eSafe spaces’ appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE new, card-operated parking machines; convenience at last? Well, a great idea, but all downhill from my first exposure.

Michael Moore.

Or that generous soul: “I am about to leave and there is still another half hour on this ticket”. Life saver. Must remember to do the same for others. Builds community spirit.

An hour park just to race in to pick up a trinket for a birthday or pop across the road to a meeting?

Could take the risk the parking inspector doesn’t come along. After all, if caught it would make up for all the times without coins that I dodged a fine. Just another form of gambling!

New machines. No worries. Simply swipe the card. Better still, use “paywave”. What a time saver.

If only! Things are starting to go downhill; instead of sticking coins in the machine, we have to wait – for the person in front and the person in front of them and the other people down the line. They all take so long. What is wrong with them?

Made it. Machine examines the card. Needs a pin number as the “paywave” won’t work. Verify the number. Verify the card. Impatient people behind in a rush as well.

Wait! What? It wants the rego number of the car. What if I leave early and want to pass the paid-for ticket to someone else? Community spirit – down the gurgler. The space has been paid for. Bloody hell! This is just penny pinching. Penny pinching undermining community spirit. What is needed most? A tiny bit of additional revenue or community spirit? Parsimonious! Scrimping! Avaricious! Miserly!

Can it get worse?

Buttons up. Buttons down. Set the time. Last time, I hit the go button on the maximum. Sun on the machine’s screen prevented seeing properly. Who invents these things? Who approves them? Everyone has to use them. Well, almost everyone. Is it a plot to get us on to bikes, walking or public transport? Just might work. The time is finally set, but better add some to be sure. The credit card allows a few more dollars. Shame extra time can’t be passed on.

But wait. Now the numberplate has to be verified. Who knows the rego number of the car? Takes extra time. No wonder the long wait. Behind, the line grows even more impatient now and I’m already late for a meeting!

Philosophical question: who is verifying the number plate? This is an outsourced operation. This is not ACT government. It is a private company checking the number plate, recording the details.

Where else is the information going? Will it be with Facebook, Google or some other internet system? Targeted advertising next offering the best place to park next to the most suitable shop adjacent an appropriate café.

What happened to civil liberties? Is it Orwellian? Does the modern-day “1984” start with a credit card in the carpark? Number plates? Big brother is watching. Are there unpaid fines on the vehicle? Just the start. Information gathered, collated and circulated.

Finally. Card accepted. Approval. Printing will start. Any time now. At last, a ticket. Late for the meeting. The others at the meeting had to do the same. Colleagues might understand. Doubt it!

And I used to worry about not having enough coins!

The post Moore / Penny pinching that crimps community spirit appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE Old Parliament House-housed Museum of Australian Democracy launched an online exhibition called “The Power of 1” in which it called for people to share their views about Australian democracy, to “have your say with a selfie” and add a portrait to the “faces of democracy” gallery.

And that’s where it all went pear-shaped,  as Buzzfeed’s Mark Di Stefano reported.

Some of the selfie respondents took to the unmoderated gallery selflessly, with one plumpish, reclining nude man sharing his, well, everything with the nation. And there was another environmentally friendly topless woman amid the gallery of faces.

BuzzFeed called the Museum of Australian Democracy to alert it to what was popping up on the page. And, in a seeming flash, three hours later democracy was overruled, the exhibition was closed and the nude man lost to the ether if not his underpants.

Let there be lights!

IN a letterboxed flyer to residents of Belconnen and Gungahlin, the shrewd Liberal Deputy Leader Alistair Coe contrasts perfectly the difference in thinking between his party and the Labor government when it comes to road infrastructure.

He illustrates tellingly the Labor solution to northern road congestion with an eye-blinking nine sets of traffic lights on the Barton Highway roundabout and the Liberal proposal of a bog-standard, straightforward flyover.

When the government has feelings for you…

EAT your heart out Cusacks… in a snub to the unhip furniture retailing taxpayers of Canberra, the ACT government’s Visit Canberra website has enthusiastically listed the Swedish furniture store Ikea as an attraction and one it cheerfully endorses.

“Visit Ikea Canberra and spend the day strolling through the 11,000 square metre showroom and market hall and browsing over 8500 products,” bubble the bureaucrats.

“Get design inspiration from room sets, enjoy a lunch of world-famous meatballs in the Ikea restaurant and take the kids to Smaland, their internal children’s care facility.”

According to Visit Canberra (aka the government), Ikea “aims to create a better everyday life by offering well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing products that are produced with care for people and the environment.”

Dancing with a star

LOCAL dancer Alex Carson, pictured, now performing with Janet Jackson on her Unbreakable World Tour, is returning from the US to run workshops at her old school, Dance Central, noon-3pm, on Saturday, November 28.

The dance school has been celebrating its 10th anniversary with an open day at its newly renovated studio at 13-15 Altree Court, Phillip.

“When Dance Central opened I started taking hip hop classes, which evolved into foundations, jazz, contemporary, Latin and fitness,” says grateful Alex, who has never looked back.

Weeds? Blame the tram

WHO knew? African lovegrass, serrated tussock and Madagascan fireweed are cutting a swathe across the ACT, warns Liberal environment spokesperson Nicole Lawder.

And why are we under siege from weeds? It’s all thanks to the Barr government pruning the funding for weed management from the current Budget, she says. What’s more we appear to have been deserted by the ACT’s weeds advisory group that, not sensing the crisis, hasn’t recently met (or perhaps fled the overgrown city).

Drawing the longest of bows, she said: “Unlike the Barr government, the Canberra Liberals care about proper management of basic services like weed control, instead of directing all of our attention into a $1 billion light rail project.”

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MICK Gentleman has used his ‘call-in’ powers to approve the demolition of several public housing buildings along the northern parts of Northbourne Avenue.

“I have made the decision to call in this development application after being well informed by the heritage council as well as the broader community. This will ensure demolition work can commence as soon as possible to enable the future redevelopment of these important sites within the Northbourne Avenue corridor,” Mick said.

“The community will benefit from making this land available for future redevelopment and I believe that this decision is the first step to providing urban renewal to the most important entrance corridor to our city.

“The use of a call-in in this instance will ensure the timely and unimpeded commencement of the demolition process along this important corridor, whilst preserving the most important heritage and environmental values.

“Following advice from the ACT Heritage Council, a number of buildings are preserved as representative types. Registered trees and many identified regulated and high value trees are also protected by this decision.

“Under Section 158 of the Planning and Development Act 2007 the Minister can ‘call-in’ and approve an application if he or she considers it will respond to a major policy issue, have a substantial effect on achieving objectives of the Territory Plan and provide a substantial public benefit.

“The application has been assessed by planning and land authority, like any other application; however the decision I have made today is final and cannot be reviewed in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

“The government is working with both public housing tenants and community service providers to ensure tenants on Northbourne Avenue know what’s happening under the Public Housing Renewal Program, and a number of tenants have successfully moved to new homes.

“Tenants relocating under the program are provided with regular catch-ups with the Linked into New Communities Taskforce and their relocation is guided by their needs and preferences.

“The government will continue working through these channels and Housing ACT staff are also available to assist any public housing tenants with questions following today’s decision.”

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CANBERRA students have showcased their creativity and STEM skills at a Coding and Innovation Boot Camp for parliamentarians today.

Senators and MPs inspected a range of innovative projects from five ACT schools – Turner (primary) School, Canberra Grammar School, St Clare’s College, Canberra Girls Grammar and Gungahlin College – at the Parliament House event hosted by Intel Australia.

The displays included:

• a rocket to collect climatic data from the atmosphere
• a smart letterbox which sends you emails on receiving physical mail
• a digital roll system for schools
• an app to help developing countries find clean water sources

Assistant Minister for Innovation Wyatt Roy said the scope of ideas was exciting.

“In an age of technology disruption, we should ask the next generation of Australians not what job do you want but, ‘What problem do you want to solve? How do you want to make the world a better place?’” Wyatt said.

“With their range and depth of clever thinking, the students here today are no doubt on the path to becoming our next generation of inventors, innovators and scientists.

“For them to reach their full potential – particularly around STEM and digi-tech skills – in a disrupted economy, we need to develop links between education and the private sector and it’s fantastic to see that sort of collaboration occurring.”

Managing Director of Intel Australia Kate Burleigh said Intel’s program was about broadening and deepening interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).

“Inspiring students to create with technology, to problem-solve and to innovate is essential to the growth of our economy,” Kate said.

The five ACT schools have been involved with Intel’s pilot education program on innovation in education – focusing on students as creators, rather than just consumers, of technology.

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Drew Wilson.

THIS one-man-show with Drew Wilson as the unlucky prince of Denmark recreates the title character as a flippant and crass modern teenager who gives dramatic readings of his famous monologues and then soberly plays fart noises on his mobile phone.

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IN this exhibition of a limited number of pieces from the HOSHI Collection, young designer/maker Tom Skeehan is showing three seating options – a chair, a three seat lounge and a bench, and a coat rack and side table.

They are a coherent group, as one would expect being from a collection.

In her short essay accompanying the show, Magda Keaney speaks of the experimental efforts we call process – (in no particular order) problem-solving, drawing, sketching, failure, repetition, prototyping – constantly refining the finished product.

The exhibited furniture is in pale, tubular American ash with grey leather seats.  They are clean, spare, yet commodious.  The cushioning is comfortable and compact.  The curved frame required resolution of complex carpentry techniques, showing viewers that this young industrial designer is also a competent craftsman.

The back wall in the gallery shows a number of elements and components which he has used, or drawn on, to make his resolved pieces.  Those who recognise earlier versions of casual seating in the illustrations can see the development of Skeehan’s work.

Skeehan shows careful and considered thought in the pieces he makes, always with an eye to limited production runs that give us sustainably produced, elegant and functional furniture.

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THE yet-to-be-announced appointment of former treasury secretary Martin Parkinson to head the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is a tale of justice restored, with a touch of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Parkinson fell victim as soon as Tony Abbott became prime minister because he had once headed the climate change department; Abbott’s chief-of-staff Peta Credlin was his critic. Bizarrely, the government kept him on in his treasury role for more than a year after his dismissal.

Now Abbott is out and Parkinson will be back, and in an even more powerful position. Turnbull is giving him the pinnacle public service job, and by doing so is saying several things. He is recognising Parkinson’s superior talents as a public servant. He is also effectively deploring how he was treated. As well, Turnbull implicitly is sending a wider message about valuing bureaucratic advice, although it will take a while to see how that turns out.

As it happens, Parkinson’s views on current problems in the system have just been published in Australian Financial Review journalist Laura Tingle’s Quarterly Essay, titled Political Amnesia: How We Forgot How to Govern.

Parkinson told Tingle:

The blurring of boundaries between the public servant and the political adviser, and the relentless focus on message over substance, results in a diminution of the ‘space’ in which the independent adviser can operate.

He believes there has been:

… a decline in the quality of advice and an erosion of capability, to the detriment of good government.

Parkinson’s way should be smoothed by the fact Turnbull is keeping on Drew Clarke as his permanent chief-of-staff. Clarke, head of the Communications Department, stepped in as chief-of-staff on a temporary basis after his boss became prime minister.

History suggests that having a bureaucrat in the chief of staff position in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is usually helpful. Think Graham Evans, Sandy Hollway and Dennis Richardson under Bob Hawke. Arthur Sinodinos, who served John Howard well, had a Treasury background, although he had worked for Howard in opposition.

While Parkinson’s appointment is encouraging, the public service will never claw back the position it once held in the advisory process. Tingle canvasses factors that have changed it, among them contracts for department heads, which build in insecurity and moving around, and cutbacks. She writes:

The periodic mass axing of public service heads upon the arrival of incoming conservative governments has created a caution in the culture. The bureaucracy has been cowed both by the prospect of being sacked and by a reward system which punishes taking risks.

Governments of either hue have come to be suspicious of the public service, demanding more so-called responsiveness from bureaucrats. The days of the high-status “mandarins” are gone. The advice market is more crowded, not just with the plethora of political staff but as lobby groups and think tanks have proliferated.

The advisory world has transformed forever, but there can still be some rebalancing if the government of the day has the will for it.

Parkinson takes the place of Michael Thawley, who had a distinguished diplomatic career and served as John Howard’s international adviser. He was brought back by Abbott from the private sector to head the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, suffering more than a few frustrations given the way the PMO operated under Credlin. His departure back to the private sector is not surprising. Sooner or later, prime ministers install their own person as their departmental head.

John Fraser, who had also left the bureaucracy for a lucrative career in the private sector, was another high-profile returnee under Abbott. He is head of Treasury, with the inevitable speculation now about his future. But there is no sign of his moving. Sources say he and Treasurer Scott Morrison are getting on well. Assuming Fraser is there for next year’s budget, the dynamic between him and Parkinson will be interesting.

Change is also on the way in Foreign Affairs, where secretary Peter Varghese will leave mid-next year to take the job of chancellor of the University of Queensland.

A front-runner for his job is Frances Adamson. She was the first woman to be Australian ambassador to Beijing, and would be the first to head the Foreign Affairs department. Adamson is in Turnbull’s office as international adviser, and accompanied him on his recent trip. Her current position and the timing of Varghese’s leaving would suit a transition to secretary.

There will be consequential changes to come. Parkinson’s wife, Heather Smith, is a deputy secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. She would move, but suggestions that she would become the head of the Communications Department are being dismissed.

While the Parkinson affair has set up in lights a contrast between the Abbott and Turnbull regimes, the point shouldn’t be pushed too far. Although nothing like as tribal as Abbott turned out to be, Turnbull too has an in-crowd and an out-crowd – something already discernible that will probably become more obvious over time.

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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