The right to disarm
'My siblings and I learnt about antimacassars [C8] very early in life,' says David Pigott of North Parramatta. 'The letter 'A' was my mum's favourite when playing I Spy with my Little Eye.'
Warren Menteith of Bali describes the antimacassar as 'a classic marketing ploy. Create the problem so you can flog the solution'. He also explains that 'Macassar, the capital of Sulawesi (Celebes) gave its name to this item. It seems long before Brylcreem and other pomades, ebony oil from Makassar was the top-selling product.'
While well aware that former PM Bob Hawke was a bit of a ladies man, Ron Besdansky of Northbridge was still taken aback when viewing Wikipedia 's Born on This Day page: 1929 – Hazel Hawke, Australian social worker and pianist, 23rd Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia (died 2013).
Jeff Stanton of Strathfield has a decidedly European take on signalling (C8) when he says: 'using indicators is seen by many as providing information to the enemy'.
'Mishaps really do come in threes,' reckons Viv Mackenzie of Port Hacking. 'A friend should be enjoying the best snow in ages. However, she has been hospitalised with asthma, her husband has come down with COVID and another member of the party has broken a knee. Otherwise, everyone else is having a great time.'
Generational talent Greg Leisner of Blackhead writes: 'I'm of an age now where the only comfortable shoes are expensive stretchy sneaker types (black for weddings and funerals) but resist the pejorative term 'Boomer', and I am proposing that we be called the INDY generation. As in, 'I'm Not Dead Yet', any thoughts?'
Column 8's recent Coldplaygate (C8) headline got Richard Jary of Waitara thinking: 'Perhaps at 61, I'm too young to remember, but why does every scandal now have to be somethinggate? What did they call scandals before Watergate?'
'I purchased a mood lamp which soon put me in a bad mood as it required an app to set it up,' laments Susan McLaren of Windradyne. 'This 'free' app was soon asking for my credit card details.'
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ABC News
a few seconds ago
- ABC News
Chinese Australians reflect on work in politics, as federal parliament resumes
Growing up in Queensland, Julie-Ann Campbell looked to Penny Wong as a role model. The now-foreign minister was one of the only politicians who showed a young Ms Campbell how people who "looked like" her could work in parliament. "You can't be what you can't see," said Ms Campbell. Ms Campbell won the Queensland electorate of Moreton, a seat encompassing multicultural communities in Brisbane's south, in May's federal election and is proud of her Chinese heritage. The Labor politician's family immigrated to Australia from China's Guangdong province in the late 1800s. As parliament resumed this week for the first time since the election, a record six politicians with Chinese heritage sat in the House of Representatives and Senate. In addition to Senator Wong in the Senate, five Chinese Australian politicians were elected or re-elected into the lower house in May: Julie-Ann Campbell, Gabriel Ng, Zhi Soon, Sam Lim and Sally Sitou. The parliamentarians, along with some former Liberal politicians, look back on some challenges they have faced, such as racism and discrimination — and reflect on why diversity in Australian parliament is important. "I'm proud that my daughter will grow up seeing people who look like her in parliament," said Ms Campbell. "That makes for a better democracy." For Sally Sitou, re-elected in the New South Wales seat of Reid, her background, experiences and family history are something she celebrates. Along with other ethnic Chinese, Ms Sitou's parents fled Laos because of the Vietnam War. The Labor parliamentarian grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, never thinking politics was a career path for her — until she heard Bob Carr speak at the opening of the Chinese Lao Association's community hall. "He gave a really amazing speech about the government's commitment to working together with the local community to support them," she said. Ms Sitou said her background was now an asset in her work. "I think it is important that we try to get a lot more diversity of people into politics, regardless of which party," she said. "I really make my colleagues aware of some of the challenges for multicultural communities and for them to make sure that it is part of the work that they do." In 2022, Ms Sitou reclaimed Reid in inner-west Sydney for Labor for the first time in a decade. During that campaign, Ms Sitou said she was targeted because of her heritage. "There were some people who questioned my loyalty to this country, because of my Chinese background," she said. "I really made a point of calling it out … I felt like that's something I wanted to do." In Western Australia, before Sam Lim got into politics, he observed how politicians' views of the Chinese community impacted people. "As a police officer, I could see that on the front lines, some of the ways the anti-Chinese words and actions of the former government were affecting the community," Mr Lim said. "Running to be the federal member for Tangney was an opportunity to help change this, and so I said yes." Tangney is one of Australia's most diverse communities, with more than 160 different ancestries. People of Chinese heritage make up 16.5 per cent of its population. Mr Lim, a Malaysian Chinese immigrant, is the oldest of eight siblings in his family, who grew up in a home with a leaky roof, dirty floors and no running water. He joined the WA Police in his 40s and was awarded Officer of the Year in 2020, the force's highest honour, for his work with multicultural communities during the pandemic. Mr Lim speaks 10 languages including Malay, several Chinese languages, including Hokkien, and even Burmese, and says he understands how many people from migrant backgrounds think and feel. "Because I am one of them. I know what's dear to them," he said. "And I understand their concerns." For Gabrielle Ng, his Chinese Singaporean identity connects him to Chinese culture, shared by many constituents in the Victorian electorate of Menzies. Menzies's electoral boundaries were redrawn before the election, leaving it with the most Chinese Australian voters of any electorate in Australia. Nearly 30 per cent of the electorate has Chinese heritage. During the election campaign, Mr Ng found that some people, including the media, spoke about the Chinese Australian community as if it was monolithic. "I've made a point of highlighting the diversity in the Chinese community, with different countries of origin," Mr Ng said. "Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, etc, as well as language groups, cultures and political opinions." Mr Ng is proud of his heritage and has vivid memories during his childhood of visiting relatives in Singapore, eating at hawker stalls, going to yum cha and enjoying Lunar New Year celebrations. His father is a Chinese Singaporean immigrant and aircraft maintenance engineer who moved to Australia in his 20s, while his mother was raised in regional Victoria. He said his experience of racism also shaped who he became. "I've had some experiences of racism, like being called names in the schoolyard. Especially when growing up, it was very common for people to ask where I was really from," he said. Mr Ng said there was also the feeling that when politicians attacked Chinese or Asian Australians, "they were talking about me and my family". On the eve of the federal election, Liberal Senator Jane Hume claimed on television that "Chinese spies" were among the volunteers for a Labor MP's campaign — remarks that drew strong backlash from the Chinese community. "I think this has contributed to my sense of solidarity with other diverse groups and underdogs in society who might experience discrimination, as well as a strong commitment to multiculturalism," Mr Ng said. For former Liberal candidate Scott Yung, Senator Hume's comments left him feeling frustrated. "It's about using language that makes all Australians feel welcome and safe," he said. "Chinese Australians like my parents have worked hard, built businesses, and contributed through education." Mr Yung is a second-generation Chinese Australian with family roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Seen as a rising star in the Chinese community after nearly defeating then-opposition leader Chris Minns in a state election, Mr Yung was disappointed to not win the federal seat of Bennelong. During the campaign, some media outlets reported alleged links between Mr Yung and individuals connected to the Chinese Communist Party. Looking back, Mr Yung said he wished he had confronted the accusations more directly. "Politics is dirty, and the truth won't prevail unless you actively share it," he said. Liberal colleague Gladys Liu knows the toll of political life. In 2019, she made history as the first female Chinese Australian MP, winning the seat of Chisholm in Victoria. But scrutiny quickly followed. Despite winning the 76th seat that secured the Coalition majority, Ms Liu faced relentless questions about her connections to Chinese organisations. "If I weren't Chinese, there would've been no story to write," she said. After losing her seat in 2022, the attacks disappeared. "That confirmed for me — they weren't attacking Gladys. They were attacking the person who held that seat." Ms Liu was among the first to publicly condemn Senator Hume's remarks, calling them careless and unforgivable. "Politicians may face baseless attacks, but ordinary Chinese Australians shouldn't," she said. Gabriel Ng said Senator Hume's comments had a "chilling effect" on people in the Chinese Australian community, making them less likely to participate in politics. "One of the most despicable things about comments like those made by Senator Jane Hume … is that it makes people feel that if they get involved in politics, they will be treated with suspicion," he said. "What we want is an inclusive, vibrant democracy where everyone feels free to participate, so that the government can best reflect the will of all Australians." Senator Hume did not respond to requests for comment.
West Australian
a few seconds ago
- West Australian
Donald Trump news: US President speaks as he arrives in Scotland to open new golf course, discuss trade
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as 'the greatest 36 holes in golf'. Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm (local time). Mr Trump was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Mr Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Mr Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Mr Trump said he'd be with his son and 'he's gonna cut a ribbon' for the second Trump golf course opening soon near Aberdeen. Eric Trump, who now helps run the Trump Organisation, previously joined his father for the groundbreaking in 2023. Although Eric did not travel with Donald on Air Force One, a Trump private plane was seen landing near Glasgow earlier in the day. Mr Trump also used the opportunity to send a blunt message to Europe, saying, 'This immigration is killing Europe. And the other thing, stop the windmills.' He added: 'Wind power generation is killing the beauty of your country.' His opposition to wind farms is longstanding, including previous legal efforts to protect views from his golf courses in Scotland. On immigration, Mr Trump warned, 'On immigration, you better get your act together. You're not going to have Europe anymore.' He contrasted this with his administration's tough US-Mexico border policies, suggesting Europe needs to act decisively on immigration controls. As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as 'private'. Mr Trump's visit to Scotland is in the 'public interest', UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted, pointing out a recent trade deal. 'That has a tangible benefit for people here in Scotland, whether it is people working in the Scotch whisky industry or people working in the defence sector, like here at Rolls-Royce, that trade deal means lower tariffs than any country in the world on things that we send to the US,' she said. While in the UK, he will also meet Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. 'The Scottish leader is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him,' Mr Trump said. Swinney flagged in an interview with PA that he intended to raise 'the awfulness of the situation in Gaza and the unbearable human suffering' with Trump. 'I intend to take that opportunity to make sure that Scotland's voice is heard,' he said. The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Mr Trump has described Scotland as a 'very special place' and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters
Sky News AU
a few seconds ago
- Sky News AU
Trump arrives in Scotland for trade talks
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland ahead of trade talks and to tour his Scottish golf courses. President Trump answered questions regarding the dire situation in Gaza. 'I think it's terrible what happened with Hamas, they tapped everybody along … we'll see what response Israel has to that,' Mr trump told reporters.
